《Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons》


 1 I. The Path

    "Hurry up babies, the time has come! Wake up, everybody!"


    The old lady walked down the room, yelling to the kids, still asleep in their tiny, messy beds.


    She opened the curtains, at the top side of the huge dormitory room, then shouted again:


    "C''mon youngsters, today is the day! Are you not curious to know more about your destiny? Are you not tired of staying here, with this old, wrinkled woman?".


    When she opened the curtains, no sunlight came from the outside. A dim, artificial white light passed through the steel bars and the window''s glass, enlightening half of the room.


    "This grandma, walking up and down in the room, should trip on her own feet someday¡­ is asking too much?"


    A hand popped out from the low level of a bunk bed, grabbing some blankets on the top.


    "What are you talking about Hiro? You say the same things every single day..."


    "I''m talking about this woman! She yells every morning! She always scares me while I''m sleeping, Daggy! Yaawn¡­"


    In a second, the Lady turned her head towards the two children that were speaking bed to bed: "You, boys! You know perfectly that I''ve always been kind to you, every single day. I allowed you to stay in your beds more than permitted so many times, but not today. Today is the day! It''s your day!"


    Right after a few minutes, every kid in the room was on his feet, ready.


    Directed by the woman, and two other ladies that entered the room, the children lined up, forming a tidy queue and walked out of the dorm.


    "Finally you finished your lessons, and today you must prove what you''ve learned. The rigor, the discipline.. be careful in front of the Xis. All the Great Court will be watching you" the oldest Lady said.


    The kids started to murmur something.


    "You all know what they did for us. We owe them our survival, our lives. The only thing that is required of us in return is to follow our path, our path: we are destined to live as well as humans lived before Dark Day. Only by leaving Earth can we finally fulfill this important task" the woman continued.


    After these words, the group of children arrived in front of two huge metal gates, which opened to let them pass.


    A huge circular hall, housed hundreds of people, seated neatly, watching the children intently.


    In front of that crowd of people was a long stone table, to which three men and a woman were seated.


    They wore dresses embellished with precious stones and embroidered with gold. They looked like noble clothes.


    Accompanied by the three nannies, the children stood in a row in front of the stone table.


    One of the men seated, he got up and walked slowly toward them, his hands crossed behind his back.


    His long black and gold dress crawled behind him on the polished marble floor.


    "Welcome, children to the Great Court of Xis" the man said, looking at them.


    Dag and his friend Hiro, stood in line next to each other and looked closely at the man.


    From the tales of the nannies, the Xis were just like humans: two legs, two arms and no kind of tail or some other strange alien bump.


    "Look at his eyes" Hiro whispered in Dag''s ear.


    The man''s eyes were of intense purple: the light coming from the large chandelier of crystals hanging from the center of the ceiling reflected on those eyes, which seemed to be made of glass.


    "We take care of you and your planet from the year X1, which as you well know, begins immediately after the death of your fragile star, what you used to call ''Sun''" the man continued.


    Soon after these words, Dag suddenly felt chills on his arms. The temperature in the room had dropped dramatically.


    "You, human beings. You killed the Earth. Your gesture has caused a cosmic imbalance, which, although small, must be filled. Your planet, whose lands and seas were teeming with life in the past, no longer has an atmosphere. After our arrival, we helped you stay alive, allowing you to live under the first layers of the continental crust".


    The children stood still and listened intently.


    "All male individuals of your species have been exterminated, to allow us to implant our fertile, lab-created seeds into females, which act as incubators. In this way, new generations will proliferate and give birth to a new, more evolved human race".


    Dag turned to look at Lady Ysabel, the oldest of the nannies. She too was still listening to the words of the Xis man, with a smile drawn on her face, as if she were trapped inside a dream.


    "From now on, you will faithfully obey the rules that bind the balance of the Universe, facing the path of redemption that we have decided for you. The only moment of absolute truth and genuineness of your short history belongs to your past, to your ancestors. You will retrace their steps, living and dying like them. You will be the only architect of your lives, this is the gift that we Xis give you. Get ready, children, to immerse yourself in your Ancestral History".


    Lady Ysabel lowered herself to the children and in a low voice, said: "children, you are ready. One by one, face your destiny. For eight long years, you have prepared for this glorious moment. May the Xis be merciful".


    Another man rose from the table and said aloud: "turn on the Temporum!"


    To those words, four Xis men wearing white coats carried a big machine towards the table, barely moving it on wheels. It looked very heavy.


    The "Temporum", as the man sitting at the table had called it, was an imposing cubic-shaped alien machine, about three meters high.


    On the front, a metal hatch sealed the inside of the machine.


    The men in coats looked like scientists. All four simultaneously began to press bright buttons and turn knobs placed on the side of the machine, until, after a few seconds, the metal hatch opened, revealing a narrow cylindrical room.


    Then they turned to the stone table, waiting for the signal of their superiors.


    "Let''s begin!" the man in the black suit said, after noticing the machine was turned on.


    A Xis guard, in blunt silver armor, approached the group of children and violently grabbed one of them by the arm, pulling him toward the Temporum and forcing him to get in.


    The child did not resist, despite his eyes expressed a strong fear.


    The men dressed in white made the child sit, tying his hands and feet to the walls of the Temporum, made of thick glass.


    "Look, Hero! They got Rami! He''s the first one!" said Dag to his friend, touching his shoulder to get his attention.


    The two men got out of the machine, leaving the boy stationary in that position. One of them nodded with his hand and another pulled a lever, which once operated shut the hatch.


    The children were silent, trying to hear what was happening to their companion locked up in there.


    They heard a steady, metallic noise of gears.


    On the metal hatch, a large porthole allowed seeing the interior, illuminated by an intense green light.


    The noise of gears stopped suddenly and Rami began to scream in pain.


    Dag tried to look better, shifting his head slightly: 3 thick metal tubes had come out of the machine''s inner cavities, sticking the kid''s flesh with their sharp, spine-like spikes.


    The children began to whisper to each other, frightened by that scene.


    Dag remained focused on Temporum. The tubes were tucked into three precise points of his friend''s body: one behind his neck, and two behind his back.


    It looked like they were sucking up to his bodily fluids.


    In less than a minute, the process was completed and the three tubes retreated into the holes, emitting the same metallic sound.


    As soon as they detached from little Rami''s body, he lowered his head, as if he was about to faint.


    From the top of the cubic machine, a monitor lit up, rising with a metal arm and turning toward the stone table, showing the analysis'' results:


    - HUMAN C0DE _ RAMI 82346


    - OTTOMAN: 83%


    - JAPANESE: 11%


    - CHINESE: 6%


    "The human ''Rami'' was classified by Temporum as belonging to the Ottoman Pantheon. His destination is Planet Nehir" exclaimed the only woman sitting at the stone table, standing up and addressing the crowd.


    To these words, two guards who had witnessed the whole process standing by the scientists, after the hatch of the Temporum opened, untied the child and dragged him away on his knees, exiting the circular room.


    "Next!" the black-dressed Xis said.


    Another kid was taken from the group, undergoing the same treatment.


    The monitor displayed:


    - HUMAN C0DE _ NANT 81197


    - ERR0R _ UNABLE.TO.ANCEST0R


    - _DELETE_N0_987654567


    "Oh no! Another..." gasped lady Ysabel in a low voice.


    This time, the guards lifted the newly analyzed child and dragged him in another direction, from the opposite side of the hall.


    " Not all individuals of your race can take part in our cosmic project. This is also part of your life cycle" concluded the Xis.


    "Will he die?" a child asked frightened to the old Lady.


    "Yes, my dear. It''s not up to us to choose. Everybody dies".


    All the children, listening to those words, stood still and terrified.


    "Next!" continued the Xis man.


    This time, was Hiro''s turn.


    Dag grabbed his hand, but the guard was already dragging him away.


    - HUMAN C0DE _ HIRO 87003


    - JAPANESE: 96%


    - CHINESE: 4%


    " The human ''Hiro'' was classified by Temporum as belonging to the Japanese Pantheon. His destination is Planet Mokuzai".


    Hiro looked at Dag, standing still and powerless among his comrades.


    His eyes began to sparkle and a little smile appeared on his face.


    Dag started to cry, staring at the ground. Probably his friend was gone forever.

 2 II. The Fate

    After Hero, it was Dag''s turn, which was dragged to the alien machine without struggling.


    The hand of the guard, who grabbed him by the arm, seemed human only in appearance: indeed, his strength was superhuman.


    The belt with which he was tied inside the Temporum''s cylindrical room was so tight that he could not even move his wrists.


    After the hatch closed, the three tubes hit him, penetrating inside his flesh, one on the back of his head and two on his arms.


    Dag felt a pain he had never felt before: he was not only superficial but came from within his body.


    When they began to aspire, he felt a horrible sensation, as if his lungs were emptying and the blood flowing through his veins was completely drained.


    The level of pain was maximum in the center of the chest, at the sternum, which seemed to be imploding in the rib cage.


    Dag managed to hold back the cries, but a few tears poured from his eyes. He could not take away from his mind the image of Hiro who, a few moments before, had suffered like him and who had been taken away, forever.


    The tubes stopped to withdraw and detached from his body, returning to the inside of the machine.


    The monitor at the top displayed:


    - HUMAN C0DE _ DAG 813666


    - NORSE: 94%


    - ROMAN: 4%


    - UNKNOWN: 2%_SYST_ERR0R_


    Reading these numbers, most of the people between the crowd reacted with nervousness. They began to chat to each other, and soon the order of the room vanished.


    "Order! Order!" said one of the Xis men sitting at the stone table.


    "Brothers, this is the first time that the Temporum analysis returns such confusing results. Probably, despite the perfection of our advanced technology, it also needs maintenance".


    The crowd was incredulous.


    "Anyway, the Temporum has spoken: the human ''Dag'' has been classified by as belonging to the Norse Pantheon. Despite the error code, the highest blood percentage is worth: 94%. He will be sent to Planet Skjold".


    Dag looked at the old Lady. She reciprocated his gaze with sadness, standing still beside the other children. Two guards pulled the young kid outside of the glass cylinder, carrying him away from the hall.


    In the mess of the moment, he looked back, noticing that the jury was perplexed, maybe worried.


    After several minutes of walking, he reached a metal door. One of the guards, with a small blade, cut his wrist.


    The man, wearing a light, glossy armor, collected some blood with the same blade and put it on a bright sensor, on the door side. It suddenly opened.


    They escorted him through: the interior of the chamber was very small, no more than one person could fill that space. Dag entered, then the door was closed from the outside.


    "Please, don''t hurt me, I''m a good kid! I never disobeyed the Ladies, and I''ve always been kind to my friends! Please, let me out!"


    The guard typed a code on the panel. In no time, Dag stopped sensing space and time and everything around him became dark as if his brain was shutting down. In a few seconds, he fainted.


    "Another one is here [¡­] must be warned. [¡­] I think he''s about to wake up¡­"


    Dag began to regain consciousness. He started feeling his breath on the ground, an earthy ground. His eyes started to blink. The smell of that ground was dry and barren.


    "Here he is, he''s coming in the land of the living! [¡­] hahaha [¡­]"


    When he finally opened his eyes, the indistinct voices took shape.


    Some faint figures were staring at him.


    "Aaaah! What..what..?!" Dag screamed scared.


    "Hahaha, hey there, lil'' guy. Welcome!"


    "Where am I? Did I travel between planets? I don''t know, my head is spinning¡­"


    He quickly stood up.


    "Well, it seems that you were a good student. Maybe you can tell me where we are, don''t you?"


    Now Dag could see clearly. The man who''s talking was a fat man, with a long black beard, and few, messy hair, however, his deep voice seemed friendly.


    "We''re on the planet where I should be, my ancestor''s home. On the machine, it was written 94% Norse, so¡­ am I on Skjold?"


    "Hahahah, yes childling! You''re only 8 years old, but you''re clever! Haahahah" replied the man.


    "Thank you¡­ anyway, my name''s Dag".


    "Yes, yes, I know your name, you teleported yourself with the Vortex. Every time some kid comes here, his name appears written up here, see?" said the man, pointing at a small monitor at the top of the cabin Dag was teleported in.


    "Anyway" continued the man.


    "You''re a Viking now! Follow me, come!"


    Dag obeyed. In the meanwhile, he looked around: the walls of the room were made of wood. They were adorned by drawings and banners, mostly red, and axes were hanging on both sides, with boar and deer heads.


    They walked along a corridor. The Viking man seemed to know exactly the direction, probably he did this introduction to newcomers as a routine.


    "Anyway childling, my name''s Hallr. If you need anything, just ask of me".


    "Thank you" answered Dag.


    The corridor led to the outside of the wood structure. Once outside, Dag was blinded by warm sunlight.


    "How is it possible? Is this light coming from the Sun? Was it not dead?" he asked.


    "Yes childling, the Sun is dead, you''re right. This light is artificial, it has been made by the Xis. They created a synthetic atmosphere, able to recreate the optimal conditions for our lives, allowing us to populate this and other planets" Hallr answered.


    Dag couldn''t believe in his own eyes, that took seconds to open again. His skin was actually feeling the sun heat.


    "On earth, they force us to live underground. They use this principle to get our lives under control".


    After a few steps through the first building''s courtyard, a second one appeared: it was larger and taller, with high stone walls, and a circular ground at the center. A lot of children, boys and girls were fighting against each other, holding wood weapons and shields.


    A tall, blonde woman came out opening a door behind the arena.


    "Is the little blonde guy a novice?"


    "Yes Taya, he''s all yours!" said Hallr.


    "Good luck Dag, see you around, then" he replied.


    "Yes, see you Hallr!"


    The walked towards Dag: "well, well... here we are, kid. Hallr used to be a great warrior when he was young before he was nominated Guardian of the Vortex. I''m Taya and I''m a Skyaldmaer. With my help, you''ll be able to forge your destiny".


    "I''ve learned a lot about you Shieldmaidens by Lady Ysabel. You are great female warriors that protect the Viking King!" answered Dag.


    "Haha! Yes, a kind of. Now go change these ridiculous clothes you''re wearing. Hurry up! You look more like a woman than I do" the woman chuckled.


    Taya pointed to the door from which she had come out seconds earlier. Without saying a word, Dag opened that door.

 3 III. The Beginning

    On a table were laying some Viking robes and a wooden sword. He quickly changed his clothes, then he came outside.


    "Now it''s better! C''mon, come closer to your first opponent!" Taya said, referring to a boy next to her.


    "But¡­but¡­ no one has ever taught me how to fight, and this boy is older than me!" exclaimed worried Dag.


    "Hahahaha" laughed the woman, then in a moment, she came over Dag, grabbed the collar of his jacket and lifted him off the ground.


    Her face instantly changed, she seemed angry


    "You''re a fucking Viking now. You belong to this land. During your life, if you will not fight, you''ll be a loser, and you will die alone, eaten by crows, I''m sure of it. No matter if you lose or win¡­ you must fight, that''s what Vikings do. We fight!"


    Taya threw Dag to the ground, at the other boy''s feet. Dag tried to raise his head, but the boy punched him hard, so he stayed on his knees.


    With a click and tears in his eyes, Dag grabbed the sword that was on the ground but again, the other boy hit him with his shield, squeezing his hand.


    Dag shouted and cried when the boy released the shield.


    "I don''t know why Hallr has brought you here kid, he had to take you to the town Library, where you can study the archives. Probably is that your place, you''re not a warrior¡­"


    Taya turned and walked away. The enemy boy laughed at Dag, spitting in front of him.


    Dag shouted, grabbed some sand in his hand, and threw it on the boy''s face, that closed his eyes and started to cough.


    Finally, Dag was able to pick up his wooden sword and with its hilt, he hit his opponent''s head.


    The guy fell to the floor, with his face dirty, moaning.


    "Hahaha, okay, okay, kid. Enough! Maybe you''re not that bad" said the Shieldmaiden, clapping her hands.


    "Move to the training dummy, try to imitate your comrades".


    Dag nodded, and with the sword clutched in his hand, moved. The boys and girls in the arena stared at him. The training continued.


    After a few hours, every kid within the walls of the arena was exhausted and filthy.


    Taya came back: "well kids, enough for today. Back home everybody".


    The young warriors left their weapons on a rack and went out of the arena.


    "Dag, you come with me. Let''s meet your new family".


    At these words, Dag felt a reassurance sensation, left his training sword among the other ones, and followed Taya.


    "Come this way kid, we can''t go on foot. Your house is quite far from the Arena".


    Leaving the Arena, Taya helped Dag to get on a coach, adorned with wood-carved patterns of war scenes. The wheels had metal thorns at the center.


    During the trip, neither Dag nor Taya spoke to each other. He focused on what was around him: some farmers rounding up flocks of goats, a blacksmith hitting hot metal with a hammer, kids chasing each other and a group of five men kneeling in front of a statue, representing an armored man wearing a horned helm with an eye-patch and holding a spear.


    Everything was new to Dag''s eyes. In less than an hour, they arrived on the top of a hill. A brick house shyly stood a few meters before the cliff. Forward, a fence with two caws and a pig.


    "Get off, we have arrived".


    Both Taya and Dag got off of the coach. She went closer to the door and knocked on.


    Somebody opened: an average height woman, with white long hair and brown eyes.


    "Yes?" asked the woman.


    "I''m Taya of the Skjaldmaer. This is Dag, a novice from Earth. He came in today, in the morning and by order of King Einar, he belongs to you now".


    "To me? Why? There are so many rich Jarls out there, they can take anyone, not me! I''m just a farmer".


    The woman was closing the door when Taya rudely blocked it with the hand.


    "You cannot refuse your duty. The king gave me the order and I traveled from Jernhest this far to deliver this child to you. If you have complaints, ask the King himself" continued the Shieldmaiden in a casual arrogance.


    The woman behind the door looked at Dag. He was staring at the ground, moving the terrain with his foot.


    "What''s your name dear?" she asked.


    "My name''s Dag my Lady, nice to meet you" he answered.


    "You see? He''s a polite kid. Not a great warrior, one of the worst novice warriors I''ve ever seen, but¡­ he seems clever, you can use him to care on your animals" said Taya.


    "If he belongs to me, what will he do here is none of your business!" answered the woman, grabbing Dag by an arm and pulling him towards the house.


    "Good! This is what I wanted to hear!" said Taya with a tone of satisfaction.


    "My job here is done. If you want to keep on training, come to the Arena, kid. I''ll be waiting for you" she continued.


    Taya got back on the couch and whipping the horses with the reins, she moved away. Dag and the white-haired woman entered the house.


    "I''m sorry if you''ve been treated as a good to deliver. I know Taya, she''s a bully, and arrogance is not welcome in this farm. I used to be a Shieldmaiden too, I know what power means and responsibilities that come from it" the woman said, trying to reassure Dag.


    "Anyway, I''m Asa, but you can call me ''mother'' if it helps you feel better. You have a dad too, his name is Stein. He''s not here at the moment, he works as a lumberjack. Right now, he''s in the woods, in the Gronn Forest" she continued.


    "Okay, it''s fine" answered Dag.


    "You''re so dirty. If you want, I can warm some water for you, so you can get clean".


    The humble house suggested a feeling of comfort: the wood was burning inside the chimney, and that smell filled the room. The entrance was also the main room, with a table next to the fireplace and a big bear-skin carpet below.


    On the table, a basket with some bread and a clay pot. Chairs were under the table, perfectly ordered: one of them had fur on the back.


    "Yes, it would be great, thank you!" said Dag.


    The woman grabbed a metal bucket from the floor.


    "I''ll go outside, the well is next to the fence".


    In the meanwhile, Dag continued to realize that he was not living a dream, everything around him was actually real.

 4 IV. The Family

    The main room was not so large but seemed anyway the widest zone of the house.


    From the chimney, it was possible to see two other rooms, both on the back of the hall, one on the left and one on the right, immediately next.


    Through the first one, Dag could spot a big bed and two smaller ones: everything was tidy and clean, Asa should have been a careful housewife.


    The second door was half opened, so, curious, he started moving in that direction, when the woman came back, opening the door.


    Dag stopped and feigned to warm his hands next to the fireplace.


    "Don''t be worried dear child, this is your home now, feel free. But take a bath first" chuckled Asa.


    Then she hung the bucket on the fire, in the chimney and after a few minutes, the water started boiling.


    "Why are there two small beds? Do you have kids?" answered Dag.


    "Yes, I have. A boy and a girl".


    "And where are they now?".


    Asa chuckled again: "you''re so curious, aren''t you? I don''t know you yet, but I like your spirit".


    The woman smiled, for the first time since Dag met her, then she passed a hand through Dag''s blonde hair. Her hand was not like Earth women''s hands, seemed stronger and heavier.


    Perhaps, without seeing, it felt like a man touch.


    "Eirik is with his father in the woods, Gridd is at the town market. I sent her to buy some straw for the cows. They will be happy to find out they have a little brother now".


    "Is Gridd gone alone at the market? Is it not dangerous? The town is far from here" answered Dag.


    In the meanwhile, Asa moved to the corner of the main room and emptied the bucket in a big barrel. The water was so hot that some vapor arose from its bottom, floating in the air.


    Then she brought the bucket with her to repeat the process.


    "It may be dangerous, yes. If you''re weak. My daughter is probably stronger than me, she''s being training to become a warrior. Every day in the morning, she goes to the Arena, and trains with the other warriors... then, when she comes back home, she helps me managing this house and our animals" said Asa, proud of her daughter.


    "Taya said you''re not a great warrior before¡­ what happened? Did they test your combat skills in the Arena?"


    "Yes, Taya did that. She threw me in the center of the arena just after my arrival on this Planet. I''ve been beaten by a boy bigger and taller than me, it was unfair!" whined Dag.


    "Hahahaha, unfair! Ohohoh, my poor little boy¡­is there anything fair in this life? Listen, you can choose how to spend your time okay? You can study the archives at the Jernhest library, you can learn a job, you can become a good tailor or blacksmith, you can do whatever fits your skills! But if you choose to become a warrior what you have to do is to win. No matter if you do so fairly¡­ you just win. Life can be cruel sometimes¡­ and so is War".


    Asa opened the door again, to reach the well, when Dag saw a man in a distance, walking slowly to the house.


    "Asa!" called frightened Dag.


    She turned her head in that direction: "don''t worry child, I know him. He''s your father".


    He was a big, solid man, wearing a half-opened dirty shirt and normal brown trousers. He held an axe in his right hand. On his face, an expression of wickedness, little eyes hidden by the eyebrows and a long, messy, red beard.


    Right behind him, getting closer, it was possible to distinguish another short figure, a boy.


    It might be Eirik.


    The boy was dragging a furry carcass, probably a boar. Asa finished filling the bucket in the well, then stood up.


    "Asa! Look at your son! We were coming back home when he found and killed this boar¡­with bare hands! Hahaha, look at him! Give him some mead, he deserved it! Hahaha!" yelled the big man.


    Asa left the bucket on the ground and walked towards the man, with a warm smile painted on her face. Then she opened her arms, the man did the same, hugging Asa, that lifted off the ground. They kissed.


    "Bleah, I hate these sweet nothings, they make me vomit¡­ look, mother! I fucking killed a pig!" yelled the boy, carrying the dead boar over the ground.


    Dag was puzzled, nobody seemed to have noticed him, staying right at the doorstep. The boy was a short, bold fellow, with black hair.


    He wore a sleeveless leather jersey and short trousers.


    After a few seconds, he finally looked at Dag.


    "Maaa! I found a lost puppy! Probably he''s a beggar coming from the town!"


    "Hahah!" laughed Asa.


    "I''m so sorry for you Eirik, but he''s not. He is your new brother, his name is Dag. This morning he came from Earth¡­ he''s part of the family now" she continued, looking at Dag with loving eyes.


    "What?! An earthling? My brother? Look at him, he''s weak, he''s not a Viking! I don''t want a bunny as a brother!" complained Eirik, that got closer to Dag and started to study every single detail, staring at him.


    "An earthling kid? Why did they deliver him here? This is weird" interrupted Stein, taking part in the conversation.


    "Guys, he''s okay! He''s just arrived here, don''t be rude as always. He belongs to us, and we must take care of him, you know the law. So, stop complaining uselessly and be polite, this kid is your son and your brother now" replied Asa.


    "Oh oh, well¡­ may he be a gift from Odin!" exclaimed him, approaching Dag, who stood still in his position.


    "But¡­ he smells worse than me! Come with me kid, you need a bath!" he continued, hitting Dag''s shoulder with a friendly slap.


    They both entered the door.


    Eirik followed his father, without a word.


    In about an hour, Dag was clean, after taking a warm, relaxing bath.


    He changed into clean, decent clothes, probably belonging to Eirik, which had Dag''s same body size.


    Then he sat at the table, with Asa, Stein, and Eirik.

 5 V. The Dinner

    Both Stein and his son were drinking mead and eating some slices of bread. In the chimney, the boar was hanging, skinned and deprived of his hooves and tail.


    "Where''s Asa?" asked Dag


    "She''s just outside the door¡­ don''t worry kid, we will not eat you" winked Stein.


    Eirik continued to stare at Dag, suspiciously.


    He grabbed a slice of bread from the center of the table, hungry.


    In the meanwhile, female voices came from the outside, getting closer. When the door opened Asa entered the house and after her, a beautiful blonde girl.


    She blew on her hands to warm them up, but after a step, she raised her head and looked at Dag. She had deep blue eyes, full lips, and a small nose. She looked like her mother.


    "Dag, she''s Gridd, your big sister. I already told her about you" said Asa.


    Dag was charmed, but he was able to say a shy: "H..Hi".


    "Hey".


    Gridd answered with superficiality as if she already knew Dag.


    She sat at the table, next to him. Asa walked to the chimney and whirled the boar while Dag continued staring at Gridd.


    "Hey puppy, don''t get any ideas about Gridd. She''s your sister now, am I right?" said Eirik looking at Stein, shrugging his shoulders, seeking the support of his father, that didn''t say anything.


    In a second, Gridd gripped the table and pushed it with extreme strength, unfit to a girl of her age.


    The table hit Eirik''s chest, and he spat bread from his mouth, coughing up and slapping his hands on the table.


    "*Cough*cough*¡­ are you crazy or what?! I was just defending you!" said him with a thread of voice.


    "Do I need your protection?" replied Gridd, calmly.


    "Grr, you¡­"


    "Enough!" interrupted Stein.


    "Nobody needs protection here! This kid is my son now, as you two thugs. From now on, he needs to learn about us, about our planet, our culture¡­ our Gods" he continued.


    "When I was on Earth I learned a lot about yours and other cultures since I was a baby. Some old Ladies teach to children like me everything we need to know to start our new life, on our Ancestor planet¡­then we enter the Temporum. My Lady''s name was Ysabel" said Dag, trying to break the ice.


    "Oh right, right, I''ve heard about these things some time ago. The Temporum¡­ it''s a machine that determines where you must go, using numbers or something similar¡­ am I right?" asked Stein.


    "Yes, the Xis created it. They created everything, actually. They saved us after our Sun died. Your planet and other planets'' atmospheres have been created by the Xis as well. My destiny is here, I''m for the 94% Norse, so¡­ Viking blood flows into my veins, that''s what they taught me" continued Dag.


    Eirik and Gridd stopped eating and stood frozen, listening to Dag. Asa took out the meat from the fire.


    "Your appearance is Viking, yes. Blonde hair, light blue eyes, fair skin¡­" though out loud Stein.


    "What about your mother? Is she an incubator now?" answered Asa, while she chopped some piece of meat with a long knife, on the table.


    "We''re not allowed to know this. I''m not sure¡­ probably she is. I''ve never met her, so¡­"


    When he spoke, Dag looked at the table, with empty sad eyes.


    Asa saw the scene out of the corner of her eye. She felt a sense of protection, of motherhood.


    She shared Dag''s loneliness.


    "Your father? Was he imprisoned by those Xis? They seem so powerful¡­" answered Eirik, then wildly bit a piece of roasted boar.


    Gridd was still not moving, hearing the speech with her arms folded.


    "He''s dead. The Xis killed every single man on the Earth. They don''t need male humans for their plans" sighed Dag, trying to hold back the tears.


    That answer was cold like winter.


    Eirik and Stein stopped eating. Asa continued chopping the boar. Gridd was still stationary.


    "I''m so sorry, I didn''t mean to¡­" said Eirik.


    "It''s fine, you''re home now kid. We will look after you, you''re safe" interrupted Stein.


    For about thirty seconds, the silence ruled the room.


    The fire kept on burning the wood.


    "What about killing the Xis?" said Gridd, who finally took part in the conversation.


    "Are they that strong? I saw even the strongest warriors falling with a good axe''s swing" she continued.


    "K¡­killing the Xis?! T¡­they''re not so evil, they helped us to survive! Why should anyone kill them?!"


    Dag was surprised, the unusual question of Gridd had puzzled him.


    During his life, nobody did ever told him such an absurdity.


    "Killing them would mean take back what is ours. Humans could also claim Xis'' machines, right? I spoke to Hallr weeks ago: he told me that he looks after a machine called the Vortex, that allows anyone to teleport between worlds and it''s made by Xis. Is this true?" she continued, self-confident.


    "Yes, it is. I reached this planet through that machine, but it doesn''t mean that¡­"


    "I think we''ve asked Dag enough questions for today. He needs to rest and then, tomorrow, he will decide what path he wants to follow" concluded Asa.


    She finished chopping the meat, and sat at the table, next to her husband.


    "Now we eat, I''m starving!" she concluded.


    The atmosphere came back to be relaxing.


    Dag ate the boar with his new family. In his head, Gridd''s words continued to resound.


    He kept staring at her.


    It was so weird that no one had ever thought a simple thing like this. Was Gridd''s speech heretic? Maybe. But soon he figured out that he has to be a true Viking now.


    He knew their Gods, he studied about them. Gods are the only thing Vikings believe in, that''s what books said.


    The dinner finished with a cup of mead. Dag drank a little sip, then he spat some of it on the floor, coughing.


    "Hahaha, it''s strong, isn''t it? My wife makes the best mead of all Jernhest!" Stein laughed at Dag, then kissed Asa''s forehead.


    "It is, but I like its taste" answered Dag, wiping his mouth with his shirt''s sleeve.


    After dinner, the whole family stood up from the table.


    They moved one by one towards the bedroom.


    "Give me a minute, I''ll set a bed for you, next to your siblings" said Stein, touching Dag''s shoulder.


    He opened a sash from the wall, looking for something. Dag looked at the other room''s door: it was still half-opened, but he couldn''t see what was behind.


    Stein prepared a small bed for Dag and placed it between the two other ones.

 6 VI. The Decision

    Darkness fell, but Dag couldn''t sleep. He continued looking at the light corner on the wall in front of him, coming from outside the window.


    It seemed real moonlight, or at least, what Lady Ysabel told him to be real moonlight. Sometimes, children used to ask her how beautiful the Earth was before the Dark Day, the day Sun died and Xis settled on the blue planet.


    Ladies told them about flowers, birds and other animals that frolicked in the meadows. About the sea, rivers, and waterfalls. Children were fascinated by the book''s illustrations: colorful different landscapes. It was real until it finished.


    Dag was remembering as much as possible about those images. He flopped in his bed thinking about his past on Earth. And on his parents.


    His mother.


    Where was she? Was she an incubator for real? Was she dead? His father was certainly dead, Xis


    killed him. He wouldn''t mind that much, now he had the chance to restart.


    94% Norse, 4% Roman. Dag started focusing on those numbers. Why Roman? He was absolutely Norse, the percentage was higher but.. what about his 4% of roman blood?


    Finally, after about an hour, he fell asleep.


    The morning showed up and with her, the rooster started singing. Dag slowly opened his eyes. He was the only one in the room. Nobody else was on the bed


    "Oh no, I''m late¡­where are they now?"


    He quickly stood up and put on his leather shoes. He opened the bedroom door: the main room was empty. With a feeling of disorientation, he ran getting out of the house.


    Outside, the sunlight was so bright, that he couldn'' keep his eyes open. After some seconds he saw Asa, feeding the cows.


    "Good morning sleepyhead! I made an exception for today, it is your real first day here. From tomorrow, I''ll wake you up with a bucket of cold water!"


    Asa was smiling. Dag waved his hand, then scratched his head.


    "So? What do you want to do? If you come closer, I can tell you how to reach Jernhest''s Library. You will meet a lot of interesting people that will¡­"


    "I''ll go to the Arena" interrupted Dag.


    "The arena? Taya said you are not an able fighter, you''ll get hurt. Listen, kid, life is yours, choose wisely who do you want to become. The choice is free" said Asa.


    Dag walked to her:


    "I will be a great warrior and I will discover more about my blood. I feel that there is something I should know since I was a baby" said Dag in a secure tone.


    Asa looked at him, at his face. There was something in his blue eyes, something burning. He spoke true.


    "Well, if this is your choice¡­ wait for Eirik, he will go to town to sell our wood at the market. Go with him, he''ll drive you close to the arena. Next time you''ll go on your own"


    "Okay, thank you!"


    Dag sat on the grass, waiting.


    Eirik was finishing to dispose perfectly half-chopped trunks on an old wooden coach, pulled by a brown and white spotted horse.


    Then he looked at Dag: he didn''t seem very happy to give him a ride.


    "Let''s go puppy, I heard you"


    with a jump, Eirik got on the couch and picked up the reins. Dag climbed the step to get on, helping himself with his hand.


    He turned back, looking at Asa: she was smiling, as always, watching her kids going on their own.


    During the trip, Dag tried several times to speak to Eirik, but he was not such a good interlocutor. The only information Dag obtained was that Eirik was 12 years old, he was 4 years older.


    On the road, Dag studied carefully his new older brother: he was a cheeky boy, his hands were wide and calloused, despite his young age, probably because he was learning the lumberjack job.


    His glance focused on the road, while he chewed a licorice stick. Dag tried to learn the route from the house to town.


    They finally get in Jernhest''s city center, the journey was faster than the day before, with Taya.


    "See you, puppy, here you are. This is the arena"


    as soon as Dag got off the couch, Eirik whizzed away.


    Dag looked at the arena. Without noticing, he was trembling. He inspired, then he walked towards the entrance. He remembered the day before and he felt pain on the hand the boy stomped with the shield.


    Once entered the arena, without a word, he moved to the weapons rack. He grabbed a sword and started to hit the training dummy, while the other fellows fought against each other.


    Most of them didn''t care about him, but somebody did: a group of three boys and a girl looked at Dag, defiantly. Among them, there was the boy that Dag blinded and defeated.


    He got closer to Dag and, from behind, he punched his back. Dag brought down his wooden sword and touching his back, painfully crouched. He stood up, grabbing his sword. Without saying anything, he continued hitting the dummy with his back to the boy.


    The boy moved his arm swinging the sword against Dag when a hand grabbed it. It was Taya''s.


    "Kid is that you? I rode you to the farmers'' house yesterday¡­ Dag! Is that your name?"


    "Yes"


    "Hahaha, and what are you doing here at the Arena, Dag?" answered Taya with her hands on her hips.


    "I''m here to fight, to become a great warrior" stated Dag.


    The guys around him started laughing loudly.


    "He could not be a great warrior even in 100 years, Master Taya" said the boy


    "Quiet Finn, nobody told you to speak" Taya silenced the boy


    "There are two new recruits that joined us today. Karl and Freydis, step forward"


    From the group of guys behind them, a boy and a girl walked forward. Both fellows had red hair. He was a young kid, probably of the same age as Eirik. He seemed to be more scared of Dag.


    The girl, Freydis had red hair and light skin. Her big brown eyes shined at the sunlight. She was shorter than the other guy, probably younger.


    Perhaps they were brothers.

 7 VII. The Pledge

    "Now, form a semicircle¡­everybody! Quickly!" continued Taya.


    Instantly, all the kids form a perfect half-moon shape around their Master.


    "For the newcomers: listen to me carefully, I won''t speak a second time"


    Dag paid attention to Taya''s words. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at Freydis.


    She was focused on the speech, but, feeling to be overlooked, she turned her eyes in Dag''s direction. Dag looked away, embarrassed.


    Taya:


    "On Skjold, warriors have a key role in society. Whether you are a man or a woman, a Berserkr or a Skjaldmaer, making the decision to be a warrior, you must swear eternal allegiance to Odin, the Allfather. The highest aspiration you can pursue in your warrior life is Death"


    "The strongest warriors of Skjold are called the Everlastings. Each of them owns an ancient artifact, a symbol of their power. These artifacts are the Emblems. There are ten emblems on the entire planet. Einar, King of all Vikings holds the Emblem n¡ã1."


    "Can anybody be King?"


    from the crowd of kids, echoed a voice. It was Freydis''.


    Taya answered amused:


    "Yes, little girl. But to be King you have to defeat Einar, the Lone. The legend tells that nobody''s ever been able even to scratch him! But don''t worry, Jernhest the Capital and all cities around the planet need warriors: each of you will find his place. What you only need is a constant effort"


    Freydis seemed dissatisfied in Taya''s answer. Dag couldn''t stop staring at her.


    "Today, it''s time for you 3 novices, to swear in front of Odin. To do so, I called the Chieftain of the Berserkr''s Order"


    When Taya finished her speech, a muscled man walked from the back. He was a tall man, with a black beard collected in a thick braid and a ring on his nose.


    A big, black tattoo of an open-winged eagle was painted on his face, from forehead to chin. He looked accurately at any of the guys in the crowd, including Dag.


    "My name''s Arne, and I''m the Berserkr''s Chief" his voice was deep and raspy


    "who are the newcomers?"


    Timidly, Dag was the first one raising his hand, followed by Freydis and Karl.


    "Step forward, children" ¨C they obeyed. Behind the big man, a metal bucket with smoke coming from the inside.


    "Your turn" Arne pointed to Karl.


    The little one got closer to him, trembling. Arne put his big hand on Karl''s shoulder, then he took off his shirt.


    "Now say: I swear to Odin, the Allfather"


    "I s¡­swear to Odin, the Allfather" repeated Karl


    "that from now on, my life is his, and I will serve him without hesitation until the day I die"


    Karl repeated again.


    "When I will seat among Thor, Freya and all the true Gods in the Valhalla"


    After that Karl echoed Arne''s words, the man turned back and grabbed a molten rod from the iron bucket and branded Karl''s shoulder.


    The boy screamed loudly.


    Freydis looked down, closing her eyes. When Arne removed the rod, a bloodied mark appeared on Karl''s skin. Then the boy turned to put his shirt back and Dag was able to see: the mark represented a big shield with an axe at its center.


    It should be Berserkr''s Symbol. Painfully, Karl put his shirt on. The white shirt started to turn red on the back. He slowly joined back his position, next to Freydis.


    "Your turn" said Arne impassive, as if this was his daily routine.


    He pointed at Freydis.


    She took a breath and was ready to move when Dag made a step forward:


    "I''ll go next. In this way, when she gets her mark everybody can turn around, without looking at her body".


    Freydis look at him: these words were unexpected. Nobody had ever spoken like that, for her. To protect her image of a young woman.


    Her eyes turned misty.


    Taya stepped in:


    "How dare you, little¡­"


    "It''s fine" said Arne.


    "Tell me a thing, kid¡­ are you from Earth?" continued.


    "Yes." replied Dag, worried but sure of what he just said.


    "Only an earthling could say so. If you were a Skjold native, I would probably have banned you from the Arena. But you yet lived enough misfortunes. Do you agree girl?"


    asked Arne to Freydis. She nodded her head, confirming.


    "Let''s continue the pledge, step forward, earthling"


    Arne immersed the rod back in the iron bucket.


    Dag walked towards the Berserkr, turned himself around, putting his shirt off.


    "Now repeat with me¡­" began Arne.


    Dag interrupted the man, saying in one breath:


    "I swear to Odin, the Allfather that from now on, my life is his, and I will serve him without hesitation until the day I die. When I will seat among Thor, Freya and all the true Gods in the Valhalla".


    Arne was surprised. A hidden smile appeared on the man''s meanest-looking face. He grabbed the rod and branded Dag.


    The pain was unbearable. Dag felt as if something was digging in his body, through flames. He stayed unmoving, with his eyes closed to resist the suffering.


    At the end of the process, without a word, he clothed himself and got back through his comrades. Taya was looking: she didn''t seem to be proud of that action. She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out Dag''s behavior.


    "It''s your turn girl. Turn around, everybody, respect your comrade''s gender"


    The apprentices turned around incredulous. Finn looked at Dag, thinking how was it possible for a kid to have a say with a powerful warrior as Arne.


    Freydis gave her speech, followed by the sound of burning skin. She mourned. After her pledge, everybody turned around, facing Arne.


    "The pledge to our Gods is over. From now on, these 3 fellows are officially Warriors of Skold, Berserkrs, and Shieldmaiden. Please welcome them." said Arne.


    Eacg guy in the crowd raised his sword and with one voice, all together they yelled:


    "Uh! Uh! Uh!" shaking in time their weapons.


    Soon, Arne stopped them with a gesture of his hand.

 8 VIII. Gridd

    He continued:


    "Now, you are ready to learn the arts of combat. When you turn 18 years old, you will be able to choose your Clan or continue as lone Warriors. Clans are spread around the planet: each one of them holds unique ancient powers that descend from the essence of God themselves"


    An expression of unbelief lit up Dag''s face. He never heard about Clans, even studying books on Earth. Perhaps it was something proper of the Viking''s planet.


    Arne turned to Taya and they whispered some incomprehensible word, then, without a goodbye, he left the Arena.


    "So¡­ the novices have been marked and are ready to train seriously now" stated Taya.


    "Today, it won''t be me to teach you¡­ but one of you, that proved herself to be a valid warrior, despite her age".


    The door behind the Arena opened and a girl went out. She was Gridd.


    Dag completely forgot about her, even if Asa told him that she was about to become a Shieldmaiden.


    He stared at her with a questioned face, while she walked towards the center of the Arena. She did return his eye.


    "Good morning brothers and sister. Today''s lesson in on using both axe and sword, as I usually do when I fight" said Gridd.


    She was holding an axe in her right hand and a sword in her left one.


    But they weren''t made of wood: they were real, steel weapons.


    The lesson continued until the afternoon when Taya take back the lead of the apprentices. At the end of the training session, Dag had learned how to nimbly move to fight with dual weapons and perform a good lunge with the sword.


    His back was still hurting.


    "Today''s lesson is over. See you tomorrow"


    Taya dismissed her young warriors. Dag got closer to Gridd. She was cleaning the blade of her sword that reflected her face.


    "So the youngest Shieldmaiden of all Jernhest is my step sister¡­" said him.


    "I''m not a Skjaldmaer yet. I''m working on it" answered Gridd.


    "What are you fighting for?" replied Dag


    "I want to be a warrior because I want to know more about my past, about my parents¡­ what about you? What''s your reason?" continued.


    "This is none of your business" coldly said Gridd, then stood up, took her weapons and walked away, to the main entrance of the Arena.


    Dag followed her


    "Is Eirik coming to get us a ride home? I''m starving!"


    Gridd didn''t answer back. She kept walking on her way.


    "Okay, I take that as a no"


    After leaving his wooden sword in its place, he followed his step-sister. At that moment, he figured that Freydis was looking at him: he looked back at her.


    Her face expressed the pain due to the mark, but also gratitude. She smiled, then he greeted her with his hand.


    He turned back towards his sister and kept following.


    On their way home, they were at the bottom of the hill. Gridd changed direction, diverting from the main road.


    "Where are you going?" said Dag, trying to keep up with her.


    " I know a shortcut, come with me".


    Gridd walked to a rocky wall. She moved some bushes from the surface, uncovering a climbing path.


    They climbed the steep wall and found themselves on the top of the hill, in a small wood.


    Through the trees, it was possible to see the house.


    From the inside, they could see a dim light probably coming from the fireplace. They get out of the wood and finally arrived at home.


    "How old are you Gridd?" asked Dag


    "I''ll be 15 next month. Why are you asking me so?".


    "I''d like to be a Warrior like you. You were great today, I liked so much your combat skills"


    Gridd looked at Dag. For the first time since they met, she smiled.


    "Thank you, Dag".


    They continued towards the house.


    "Will you choose a Clan when you will be 18 years old?" he said


    "Yes, I think so, but I don''t know which one. My mother¡­our mother was in the Sons Of Freya. Maybe I will join them in Hevnen, it''s not so far from here" answered Gridd.


    They finally arrived at the door and opened it. In the main room, Asa was sitting on a chair, next to the chimney. She was sewing a small leather jacket.


    "Hi, mother" said Gridd


    "Hi!" said Dag.


    He was happy to see her again. Asa answered:


    "Hi, my children! How was your day?"


    "Gridd is a very talented trainer" exclaimed Dag


    "she taught us many combat hints".


    "Really? Did you give the kids a lesson today?" asked enthusiastic Asa


    "Yes, today was my first day. Taya allowed me to take her place for a little while" Gridd answered without losing her composure.


    "This is good news! Look, I sewed up a new jacket for you, Dag. If you want to be a fighter, you''ve to wear the right clothes" continued Asa.


    "For me?"


    Dag felt so happy.


    Nobody ever made such a beautiful thing for him, except Hiro, that once made a swan-shaped origami as a gift for him, using a book''s sheet.


    "Thank you!"


    Dag tried on the jacket and it suited perfectly. It was lightweight but strong.


    On the chest was embroidered a little bird, with open wings and dual tail.


    "It''s a swallow. It''s our family''s symbol. When I was young, my Shieldmaidens comrades used to call me Asa, the Deadly Swallow, because of my quickness on the battlefield" said Asa with a nostalgic tone.


    "It''s just beautiful, I''m not used to receiving gifts" thanked Dag, touching with his fingers the relief embroidery.


    "I''d like to know much about your past as a warrior, about your battles" continued.


    Asa smiled, as she usually did


    "We have enough time to talk about me. Now, focus on your present, focus on your good growth".


    While they were talking, they heard noises of a horse from the outside. Eirik and Stein entered. Asa told them what Dag and Gridd did at the Arena, Stein seemed so proud of her daughter.

 9 IX. The Secre

    "So you succeeded to stay alive this morning, didn''t you?" asked Eirik, ironically


    "I''d have bet on you coming back home on your knees, with your face punched, puppy!" giggled.


    Dag was answering, when Gridd took his place:


    "He''s a terrible fighter. But he uses his head more than others. Dag had a say about Arne''s orders, and he listened to him. I think Dag will learn quickly"


    Dag was unbelieving. The girl that didn''t even talk to him was now defending him. Maybe she was not so emotionless as he imagined.


    "Did he had a say? About what? Wasn''t today the pledge day?" asked Stein, sipping a cup of mead.


    "I switched my turn with a girl''s one. I did this because I didn''t want her to be watched naked by everybody¡­the Berserkr obliged us to put off our shirts.


    Even if she will be a warrior, now she''s just a little girl. It didn''t seem fair" answered Dag.


    "Well, this is not a typical Viking behavior but¡­you did a good thing. Do you like that girl, am I right?"


    Stein was talking with his mouth full, eating a mushroom soup Asa put on the table.


    Dag blushed:


    "N¡­No! It just was unfair! I¡­I don''t like her!"


    everybody sitting at the table started giggling


    "There''s nothing wrong with this, Dag" Asa reassured him.


    The dinner ended up, Asa and Stein moved to the bedroom, leaving the door open. Gridd got back in the house, after filling the bucket at the well and she started washing the dishes.


    In the meanwhile, Dag looked around, not knowing what to do. His look fell again on the second room''s door. This time it was closed.


    He said to Gridd:


    "can I help you somehow?"


    "No, you can go to sleep" answered her, with her usual cold tone.


    He can''t see Eirik, he must be outside, doing something with the animals.


    Without saying anything else, Dag went to the bedroom and at the moment his cheek touched his pillow of straw, he fell asleep.


    "Hey¡­Hey Dag, wake up!"


    A hand was shaking his shoulder.


    "Get up, come!"


    Dag slowly opened his eyes. It was Gridd. He was so drowsy, but he stood up on his feet and walked with Gridd outside the bedroom.


    "What''s happening, did¡­did I do something wrong?" asked him, yawning.


    "No, you didn''t. I saw you looking at the door before." said Gridd.


    Dag quickly recovered from sleep and faked knowing nothing:


    "the door? Which one?"


    "Do you think I''m an idiot? That one, the closed one. Don''t you wanna know what''s behind?" answered Gridd.


    "Y¡­yes, of course"


    Dag was surprised at that question.


    Gridd moved to the door, picked a key from her nightdress'' pocket and opened the lock.


    The room was completely dark. The moonlight that reflected on the main room''s floor, barely enlightened a corner of the inside.


    There was a window, but it had been tightened with wooden beams.


    Gridd pulled Dag in the room with her, grabbing his shirt''s sleeve.


    When they were inside, she closed the door behind them.


    "Gridd, I can''t see anything!" whispered Dag.


    She was crouched next to the door, searching for something on the floor.


    She picked a candle and she lighted it using a matchstick.


    Finally, they could see what was inside.


    On the wall in front of the door, a suit of armor reflected the candlelight. It was composed of two leather boots with their tip made of metal, a pair of black leather trousers with two blue drapes on the front side and one, bigger on the back. On each of them, the drawing of a hammer.


    They were followed by a sleeveless breastplate, with the same big symbol engraved on its center.


    At the top an iron helm. Dag paid attention to the helm''s details: it had a side broken as if somebody hit it with a weapon. Two big ram horns twisted from the top to the side, also one of them was broken.


    "Whose was this armor? It''s men-sized¡­did it belong to Stein? I thought he had always been a lumberjack" asked Dag, in a low voice


    "It wasn''t his. Dag, there is something you should now, nobody knows it, except me and my mother. But there is some feeling in me that pushes me to tell you, and I believe in my senses¡­"


    "What?" asked him full of curiosity


    "Stein is not my real father¡­ my mother used to be married before meeting him. She lost her husband in a battle against the Lies Of Loki, an evil Clan coming from the west of Hevnen, the city where she lived"


    Dag was listening, out of words


    "His name was Brann. He was one of the greatest warriors of Skjold, he held the Emblem n¡ã6. He died fighting and when he fell without life on the ground, somebody stole the emblem from his body" continued Gridd.


    "Oh Gridd, I''m so sorry¡­" said Dag


    "was the emblem this hammer shown on his armor?" he asked.


    "No, this hammer is the mark of his Clan, the Hammers Of Thor. The emblem was a silver rabbit''s foot" answered Gridd.


    Dag nodded, looking at the floor.


    "After that day, my mother, Asa, the Deadly Swallow, decided to abandon her warrior life. She pretended to be a farmer, and she discovered herself pregnant after a month from my father''s death. She set here after meeting Stein.


    He and Eirik are convinced that this armor belonged to my grandfather"


    "Why did you never tell them these things?" then asked Dag.


    "My mother''s desire was to make a new start, a new life. If Stein and Eirik should know these things, something among them could change, and I don''t want to let this happen" concluded Gridd.


    Next to the armor, that lied upright, supported by an iron rod, Dag could see a chest, in the darker side of the room.


    "What''s inside of that?" he asked.


    Gridd extracted another key from her pocket and opened the chest.

 10 X. The Pas

    She moved the candle closer so that Dag could see: there was a double-headed war axe inside. It had two shining black blades, one bigger than the other, with a deer''s head in the middle.


    On the long handle, there were a lot of runes carved in steel and at its end, a raw obsidian pommel.


    "This is the most magnificent weapon I''ve ever seen in my life¡­ yes, my life is not so long but¡­this axe is awesome. Was your father''s?"


    ¨C asked Dag. He kept watching the axe. "Yes, it was his."


    ¨C Gridd caressed the axe''s handle, then she closed and locked the chest.


    The room had plenty of war items and weapons: a bow and arrows, a shield, spears, and a sword, alone in the opposite corner of the chest.


    "This one is my mother''s. A day I will kill the bastard that stole my father''s Emblem with this sword"


    ¨C Gridd picked lifted the sword. It emitted a slender sound when she swung it as if it was cutting the air around them.


    It seemed to be very sharp, despite it was abandoned in that room for years.


    The hilt of the sword was made of two golden wings, united on the straight, silver blade.


    "It''s beautiful, isn''t it?"


    ¨C asked Gridd, looking at the sword as if under an enchantment.


    "Yes, of course"


    ¨C said Dag. She put the weapon back in its place, then looked at Dag:


    "Dag, there is a precise reason why I told you about my father Brann"


    ¨C whispered Gridd.


    Dag remained silent.


    "He was an earthling, like you."


    ¨C he opened his eyes wide:


    "What? An earthling? I never thought humans from Earth being capable to become great warriors! Please, tell me more about him! I beg you!"


    ¨C Dag clenched his fists.


    "I know nothing more than what I''ve told you yet. Only Asa knows about my father''s past, but she will never tell you, or me, or anybody¡­ the times she described my father, she felt a deep pain in her stomach. I think she would get mad if she knew I''m showing you this room. I had to steal the keys she keeps under her bed"


    ¨C answered Gridd


    ¨C "now we should get out from here, someday we will continue this speech".


    They left the room and Gridd locked the door. Then, they get back in their bedroom and she hid the keys under her parent''s bed, with stealthy steps.


    In his bed, Dag couldn''t sleep.


    Was Asa so kind to him because he reminded her about her husband? Who was the man that stole Brann''s 6th Emblem? Sons Of Freya, Hammers Of Thor, Lies Of Loki¡­ who was good and who was evil? And what were they fighting for? They had supernatural powers given by the Gods?


    The more Dag stayed awake, the more the questions increased. It was late at night. He slowly fell asleep.


    The day after, at the sunrise, the rooster started singing. This time Dag wasn''t alone in the room. Asa was the only one missing.


    One by one, each one got up from the bed. Once entered the main room, Dag noted the exit door open. Outside, Asa was milking a cow, filling some buckets.


    "Anyone up for some warm milk?"


    ¨C she asked joyfully under sunlight.


    "Warm milk is for hard workers, please ma, give me some!"


    ¨C Eirik walked out of the room, moaning and stretching his arms.


    Gridd looked at Dag:


    "good morning brother, did you sleep well?"


    ¨C she blinked.


    Dag perceived the humor in those words and blinked back to Gridd.


    For the first time since Dag''s arrival, they had breakfast together.


    In half an hour, Eirik and his father moved towards the woods on their coach, with their axes, ready to chop some trees. In the meanwhile, Dag started down the road to town with his sister.


    "This night I couldn''t sleep well. I was thinking about your father, and the story you told me"


    ¨C said Dag.


    "I did so for 10 years of my life, at least."


    ¨C answered Gridd.


    "Did he possess divine skills? I mean, powers from the god Thor?"


    ¨C he asked


    ¨C "My mother told me that once when they first met on the battlefield, he arose his hand to the sky and a thunderbolt hit him, but he held its power and then released it into the ground, pulverizing dozen of enemy soldiers in coming in front of him"


    ¨C "What?! It''s impossible, I can''t believe you!"


    ¨C jumped Dag.


    "Hahaha I know, it''s hard to believe, but¡­ Gods are powerful, and so are the powers coming from them. You will see with your own eyes"


    ¨C said Gridd.


    Dag was still doubtful, but that story excited him so much that he couldn''t wait to know what future deserved to him. He was determined to become a legendary warrior, like Brann.


    Once arrived at the Arena, Dag and Gridd parted and started their training individually.


    "Today we start with a one versus one test"


    ¨C Taya gave the order, and in a minute, the messy crowd of young warriors tidily set in groups of two, one facing the other.


    A random guy occurred against Dag.


    He held a sword and a shield, while Dag had only one sword in his right hand.


    Without a signal, the boy charged Dag, trying to hit him with his sword. Dag took a breath and started thinking on Gridd''s first lesson: she said that holding one weapon instead of two makes you more vulnerable, but faster.


    So in a second, he fainted a parry, raising up his sword and then, when the boy was sure to hit the target, Dag rotated on himself, dodging the hit and striking his opponent with a clean sword swing.


    The boy fell down.


    Dag was out of breath and held his wooden weapon with both hands, pointing on the enemy.


    Taya clapped on the scene, she was watching:


    "What happened to you, kid? Did the night bring to you fighting skills?"


    ¨C "I just need time, Master Taya. I''ll be a quick learner."


    ¨C answered Dag.


    "I liked that move. Keep on fighting now!"


    Another day of training was over.


    Dag discovered himself stronger and more focused than he expected.


    "I saw you, good job brother"


    ¨C said Gridd


    ¨C "this is only the beginning".


    Dag didn''t answer. They walked out of the Arena.


    He said


    ¨C "I was thinking about the Clans. I will help you"


    ¨C "helping me doing what?"


    ¨C asked Gridd.


    "We will find your father''s murderer, and we will reclaim his Emblem, whatever it takes."

 11 XI. The Progress

    Ten years went by.


    During this period, Dag grew up with the conviction of becoming the greatest warrior of Skjold, to discover more about his past, under the watchful eye of his sister, Gridd and of his mother.


    He was an average tall boy, with an athletic body and long blond hair, that he used to tie with a leather lace.


    Sometimes, after the arena, he and Gridd used to continue the training, in front of their house, near the wood. She spent years, transferring Dag her Shieldmaiden''s combat skills.


    She turned eighteen 7 years earlier than the present time and she took part in the Sons Of Freya Clan, like her mother. For this reason 2 weeks a month, she moved to Hevnen, where her Clan was set.


    Stein and Eirik continued their profession: Eirik was 22 years old now, he was a big, muscled boy. He never really got along with Dag, they never talked in a profound way.


    Stein was focused on the job. He and his son started from a few years to build pieces of furniture with the chopped woods, to sell them at the market, where they finally opened a woodworking shop.


    Asa turned 50, she was 5 years younger than her husband. During these ten years, she never spent a word about Brann and their past together.


    It was a sunny day.


    Dag woke up and walked out the door of his room.


    They all used to sleep together, the house wasn''t big enough.


    He got out of the main door, and found Asa, milking the cows, according to her daily routine.


    He moved closer to her.


    "Hey, Dag¡­good morning my son" said Asa, calmly.


    He kissed her head, from behind, while she was crouched.


    Her hair smelled of warm bread and dew on the bushes.


    In all that time, he became attached to his step-mother, as if she was his real one. From the first day, she ever was kind to him, even if he was a really bad Viking boy.


    He loved her for this reason, no matter if she never told him about Gridd''s real father.


    She had no business doing so.


    "I''m going to the arena, mum. Do you need anything from the town?" he asked.


    "No dear, go. See you later, take care of yourself"


    She continued milking cows.


    Stein and Eirik were probably already in the woods, or down at the market perhaps.


    Dag woke up late, as always.


    He walked down to the street. During the days he spent going to the Arena, almost every day, he memorized the road. Every tree, every plant, every spot.


    A downhill straightaway at the beginning, then a series of bends, until the City gates.


    Dag trained hard every day to improve his combat skills, but also to please his sister, Gridd.


    He knew he was not so strong, not so able to properly use any kind of weapon, as his sister was.


    Dag, after an hour, arrived at the Arena. He perfected Gridd''s shortcut, turning down a steep descent, right after the rocky wall he used to climb in the other direction when he came back home.


    He entered the gates and walked to the rack, picked a sword, as usual, always the same one.


    He recognized it because of a small "D" letter carved in its wooden hilt.


    In years, Dag tried almost any kind of weapon, from axes to hammers, daggers and bows.


    In the end, he chose the sword. He remembered every day the first lessons Gridd gave to him. The mobility you gain with the sword, the celerity, the precision.


    As his sister told him, he was able to use the sword using both one and two hands together. In this way, his stance had a perfect balance between attack and defense moves.


    "Today, you will train against each other, switching after a short time. I''ll do the order."


    Taya was older, but always a strong Shieldmaiden.


    Sometimes, sometimes she used to fight with her apprentices, with fake weapons.


    Her combat style was quite common: she fought with a spear and a small, rounded shield.


    After her words, everyone in the arena set in his position, ready to show his own masters his skills.


    In front of Dag, Karl stepped forward. He remained a little, skinny boy. He held a sword and a shield.


    Dag knew Karl''s combat techniques and didn''t found him so hard to defeat.


    The fight started, after Taya''s order.


    Karl''s stayed still in his position, with his shield up, ready to interrupt Dag''s charge.


    Dag didn''t move at the beginning: he studied his opponent, even if he knew him. Then, he approached him, fainting a half-height sword swing. Karl hid his own face behind the shield, raising it even more.


    The faint succeded, and Dag moved again his sword, but this time aiming to Karl''s right leg, under the shield. He hit him, and Karl dropped to his knees. Now Dag put the tip of his sword on Karl''s forehead, tapping him.


    Karl left his weapons on the ground, the battle was over. Taya saw the scene, but she didn''t seem surprised, she continued looking somewhere else. Dag turned his head in the same direction: Taya was looking at Freydis.


    Her red hair slightly moved into the air, while she dodged his opponent hit, shifting on her side.


    Then she turned around on herself, punching the guy on his ribs. He bowed for the pain and she hit him with a kneeing right on his face, knocking him to the ground.


    "Hahaha, that''s fighting! Well done Freydis!" Taya clapped.


    Dag continued looking at Freydis. Growing, she''d become so beautiful.


    She was skinny and graceful, even she embodied the true Viking spirit.


    She had a tattoo on her right arm, representing a phoenix with its wings opened on the top and a long feathered tail that circled the forearm.


    "My sister still doesn''t notice you, am I right?" asked Karl, getting back up from the ground.


    "Oh, sorry Karl, I was stunned on her¡­yes, she doesn''t yet"


    Dag lent a hand to help him get up.


    "Your sister is beautiful, I really like her" continued.


    "Yes, but¡­how can she know about you if you''ve never even tried to speak openly! You''re like a brother to me, you can use this thing for your advantage" answered Karl.


    He and Dag became very close in the last years since when Gridd stopped being Dag''s only true friend.

 12 XII. The Nose

    "You''re right Karl, I''d like to! But every time I get close to her, I feel like a scared bunny" said Dag, while Karl giggled at his words.


    In the meanwhile, Freydis concluded her training and walked towards the rack, to put her weapons away, exactly where Dag and Karl were chatting.


    While he was laughing, Karl said: "look, she''s coming! Hahaha!"


    Dag felt embarrassed, and turn his head in the opposite direction, looking at the sky.


    "Hi, brother¡­Hi, Dag" said Freydis nonchalantly


    "H¡­Hi!" answered Dag, in a trembling voice.


    He continued looking at her, and when she passed before them, he looked at her back.


    Dag was turning 18, and his hormones were up and explosive.


    Her body seemed to be perfect: her curves were smooth and proportioned, her legs were long at the right point and she had a perfect, rounded, firm booty.


    "Wo, wo brother¡­your cock got all hard! Hahaha, what are you, a pervert?" Karl was dying laughing.


    A visible swelling appeared on Dag''s trousers. He blushed, putting his hands on it.


    "Did anybody tell you to stop your training session? Let''s move!" yelled Taya, looking to Dag and Karl.


    Dag still felt embarrassed, but after hearing Taya''s voice, his erection abated.


    Fortunately, nobody except Karl noticed it, especially Freydis.


    "Anyway, you''re every day stronger Dag, you''ve beaten me again" said Karl, to break the silence.


    "Y¡­yes, I''m concentrated. But there are a lot of warriors stronger than me, I''ve to reach that power" answer Dag


    "Of course there are, but, you know, they learn skills in their clans. You don''t have one yet. On the subject, when will you choose one?" asked Karl.


    "I will be 18 next month, May 27th, X138. That''ll be my moment. What about you?"


    "I''m still 16 years old¡­ my time is farther than yours. But I''m certain I will join the Horns Of Hemdallr Clan. I heard they are able to move as fast as the wind and to teleport themselves! I can''t wait!" answered Karl.


    They both resumed their training.


    This time, Dag faced another guy. His mind was on Freydis: he couldn''t stop to look at her, even because she never looked him back. She was focus on combat, and Dag liked it.


    When the next fight started, he was so deep in thought, that the other boy hit him with a kick on his stomach. Dag wasn''t able to dodge it, and he bent from pain, losing his breath.


    "You are distracted brother, I''ll kick your ass!" said the boy.


    When dag stood up, he picked back his sword from the ground. The boy tried to kick him a second time, but Dag parried the kick using his hand, then tried to hit him with the sword, on his hip.


    The boy replied dodging the sword swing and punching Dag on his face, hitting his nose with knuckles.


    Dag felt an unsustainable pain, it must''ve been broken. He screamed from the pain.


    Touching his nose, his hands filled with blood.


    Without complaining and with tears in his eyes, Dag got up from the ground.


    He charged the boy with all his strength. The boy raised his sword up, to parry Dag''s hit, but after the two swords touched, Dag threw an uppercut right in the boy''s belly.


    The boy spat blood.


    With his sword, Dag disarmed the boy and punched him again in the stomach, letting him fall on the ground. He rode the guy on the top and punched him again and again on his face.


    The guy tried to protect his face with his hands, but without success.


    The other guy lost his senses when Taya picked Dag grabbing him by his back and threw him away.


    "Enough, Dag. There''s no need to punch him to death. This is a training, in this Arena, you must follow my rules. And my rule is that you can''t kill each other! Hahaha"


    Taya laughed, sadistically.


    Dag was on the ground. His nose was still bleeding, and so his knuckles. Some unexpected rage came from the inside of his body. His mind didn''t cooperate.


    He wanted to stop punching, but something prevented this, something stronger than his will.


    Everybody was looking at the scene. Freydis was looking.


    For the first time, she noticed him, but probably for the wrong reason.


    Dag aching stood up: Taya threw him so high, and his back stomped hard off the ground.


    He walked to the rack and left his sword, then he moved outside the Arena.


    Dag felt his nose crooked, but he had no idea of how to fix it.


    Perhaps, the best option was to go back home, where Asa could help him.


    With his hand on the nose, he started down the road. Step by step, blood drops marked his path. He didn''t want Taya''s help, he felt himself judged by his comrades. In their eyes, he would look weak.


    A voice from behind called him loudly:


    "Hey! Hey, you¡­Dag!"


    He continued on his steps: he didn''t want to talk to anybody.


    "Are you deaf? Stop!"


    a hand touched his shoulder and he turned in that direction. It was Freydis.


    Dag was speechless, but his nose hurt him so much, and he couldn''t stop moaning.


    "Come here, let me help you"


    Freydis pulled Dag towards a big boulder on the side of the main road.


    "Let me see" she moved away Dag''s hand.


    The nose was cracked.


    "Speak to me" she continued


    "you are Karl''s best friend, am I right?"


    "Ye¡­aaaaaahhh" when Dag answered, with a quick motion, Freydis straightened his nose, letting it emit a "crack" sound.


    "Ohi¡­oh! It hurts!" Dag complained.


    "I know, I know. Now it''s okay, don''t worry"


    She drew a red cloth veil from her belt and bonded Dag''s nose tight, tying the veil behind his head.


    She looked at Dag''s face. His eyes were watering. She passed her hand on them, drying the tears.


    Dag was surprised: from being complete strangers, now they were close enough to fell each other''s breath.

 13 XIII. Freydis

    "You were great at the Arena. I know you were looking, I felt your eyes on me" said Freydis.


    Dag''s cheeks turned red and his eyes looked down.


    "I like it. I like that sensation" she stated.


    "I remember about you, and what you did for me when we were kids. I remember your word against Arne''s word. I remember everything" concluded.


    Dag felt still paralyzed but said:


    "It was not fair. They had no right to force you to strip in front of everybody"


    "Right? Oh, Dag¡­rights don''t exist on Skjold, only strength matters" answered Freydis with a tone of discouragement


    "but you were so kind doing that to me. Thank you" continued.


    "I did nothing special, it was my man''s duty. And then, this belongs to the past. Now, let''s look at the future. I saw you in combat, you fight like a Shieldmaiden" said Dag.


    "Well, you knocked out that guy before¡­ he lost his senses! You''re strong too! I never noticed that rage¡­ I don''t know you well, but you seemed like another person." she answered.


    "Something made me get mad, he challenged me and he hit me when I was not looking"


    "You''re obsessed with fairness and justice, aren''t you?" asked Freydis


    "No, I''m not. But sometimes, somebody must enforce it. And that somebody was me when I protected your honor" he concluded.


    "Are you coming to the Arena tomorrow? We can go together if you want¡­ I live down there"


    Freydis pointed to a house slightly hidden in the wood on the roadside.


    Dag was celebrating those words, he was about to explode for happiness.


    But he limited himself saying:


    "I know perfectly where you live, Karl is my best friend. I go to the Arena every day, but probably we never met because I''m always late! But y¡­yes! Of course, we can go together, I''d be happy!"


    He couldn''t wait.


    "Ok then, see you tomorrow! Ah, Dag¡­put something cold on your nose, it would be better soon" said Freydis, greeting Dag with her hand, and walking towards the house.


    "See you tomorrow, Freydis"


    Dag couldn''t believe it really happened.


    He called her name only in his dreams or talking to Karl.


    His nose still hurt, but it didn''t matter: Freydis finally noticed him.


    Once arrived at home, Dag entered the door. Asa was inside:


    "Oh dear, who did this to you? Did he pay for what he has done? Poor boy, let me help you"


    Dag got closer to his mother and said:


    "Yeah, I was not focused and he caught me off guard. But I beat him in the end. My nose is fine, Freydis fixed it"


    He didn''t add anything else, didn''t talk about his loss of control.


    "Freydis? Karl''s sister?" asked Asa


    "The puppy likes her, ma! A time I heard him talking of her with his friend"


    Eirik joined the conversation, entering the house.


    Stein followed, and said: "Hahaha Dag, you knew it! You''ve chosen to be a warrior, now, look at you. This is just a little scar on you, imagine how many others will you get fighting!"


    After some minutes, Dag felt better.


    Asa put a cold blade on his nose and helped him to spit all the blood inside of it with the help of some cold water. Then they sat all together and ate.


    At night, when Dag laid on his bed, he continued staring at the roof.


    He couldn''t sleep thinking of Freydis. When they were very close, he really wanted to kiss her.


    Her lips seemed warm and soft, and when she touched his face, her hands smelled nice, even if she was in the Arena a few minutes before.


    He was not able to think something that wasn''t Freydis. After hours, he fell asleep.


    The day after, Dag woke up early, for the real first time. He couldn''t wait to see Freydis again.


    When he got up from his bed, only Asa was missing: Stein and Eirik were asleep.


    He walked out of the house and quickly greeted Asa. Then, without any breakfast, he walked down the road.


    While he was walking, a group of four people walked in the opposite direction, towards the hilltop. Dag looked at them: their faces were not so friendly, and two of them wore something similar to armor.


    When their path crossed with Dag''s, he observed something on one of those men''s back. It seemed a metal, sharp object, maybe a sword.


    One of them looked at Dag without saying anything, then, they continued for their own walk.


    Dag went forward.


    Why that men were climbing the hill, and why are they carrying weapons? Where are they going? On the hilltop, there was nothing, except for his house.


    It was weird. He didn''t know whether to continue on his own path to meet Freydis again, or turn back and find out what was happening.


    He thought about Asa. She was the only one awake and the only one who could fight since Gridd was still in Hevnen. But what were they looking for?


    Dag puffed, then turned back and walked back towards his home, worried. He was thinking of Freydis, she probably would be disappointed after this.


    He followed the men, hiding through bushes and trees. He knew perfectly every corner in the wood that ran alongside the road.


    The four men overcame the stream, they were directed to the house! He was sure. That direction only led to his home, or in the woods, but they didn''t seem lumberjacks or woodworkers.


    Dag stepped up the pace, moving to the rocky wall''s shortcut. He shifted the thorns and bushes and climbed on the wall. Quickly, he hid behind a thick tree, from where he could see better what was happening.


    Nobody was outside, only animals in the fence. The coach wasn''t on its place, Stein and Eirik should be in the wood.


    One of the men without armor drew a dagger from his belt. The other two of them did the same: each of them extracted a sword.

 14 XIV. The Husband

    The last armored one, followed behind, walking.


    Dag started to panic. He was trembling thinking of what they could do to Asa, and to the house. But what were they searching for? Why were they there?


    When the first one got closer to the door, Dag took courage and came out of his hiding:


    "Hey you! Stop! What do you want?!"


    His voice was trembling, and so his hands.


    All four men looked at him. Dag was scared and didn''t know what to do.


    "Well, what we have here¡­wait. We met you before, you were walking on the road. Come out from there, come closer¡­" said the man with the dagger.


    "This is my house, and I''m a warrior. I suggest you turn back and go away" answered Dag, clenching his fists, still trembling.


    "Ahaha! Did you hear him, Alf? He is a warrior!"


    Three of them started laughing, the last one didn''t even flinch. He must be Alf, the man was referring to him.


    "Pick that rat"


    The knifed man pointed on Dag, ordering the other two to catch him.


    They had a sword, Dag was unarmed. He started to run towards the house, but one of the men crossed in his direction and tried to catch him, extending his arm.


    Dag dodged him and continued his charge, but this time against the man with the dagger. He got over the two men and jumped, aiming that man.


    The man tried to parry the hit, but Dag deftly punched him in the face. The man stepped back, slamming on the wall with his back.


    In the meanwhile, the other two reached Dag and grabbed him from his jacket, blocking his arms. He could not move.


    "Let me go, you bastards! What the fuck do you want here?!"


    The daggered man, after recovering from the punch, punched back Dag, right on his face.


    "Leave m¡­" said him desperately, when the man punched him again in the stomach. Dag fell to the ground.


    "Now you die, insect"


    The man grabbed Dag''s hair, raising his head and put the dagger on his throat, ready to cut.


    At that moment, the door opened, and the man was hit with energy.


    He fell down, tumbling.


    It was Asa.


    The two swordsmen left Dag on the floor and pointed to her, charging. She held a sword, from the ground Dag could see her. The sword was the one that Gridd showed him in that room.


    It was the sword Asa used in her battles, when she fought as Shieldmaiden.


    One of the men tried to hit her, but she parried the stroke and hit back the man on his leg, cutting him on the thigh, then again on the calf.


    The second man swung his sword from the top: she easily dodged him moving sidewards, then turned on herself and slashed on his back. Right after, he turned around against her, but quick as the wind, she resected his head with precision.


    The other one, was on the ground, with his leg bloodied.


    Dag, in the meanwhile, succeded to get up, grabbing a sword, fell right in front of him.


    The man with the dagger attacked, but this time Dag parried him. Nevertheless, the man punched him again on his side.


    Dag crouched from the pain, but when the man tried to stab him on his back, Dag raised the sword, impaling the man on his throat.


    The man coughed up blood, then fell lifeless on the ground.


    Dag was shocked: he never truly killed somebody.


    The last man just stood there, motionless in the same position. He started clapping:


    "Well, they said to me about a Shieldmaiden, but they also told me she was old and weak"


    Asa answered gasping:


    "who are you, and what do you want here?!"


    "Brann" answered the man


    "I''m looking for his weapon. It is extremely powerful, and needs hands that know how to use its power".


    Asa looked at Dag. She didn''t know that Gridd told him about Brann when they were kids.


    Then she looked back at the man:


    "who are you?"


    "Alf, of the Lies Of Loki. Bring me that sword and I''ll go away, nobody will get hurt" he said.


    He was a skinny man, with short, grey hair.


    His eyes were yellow as gold. He had no beard on his face, that was covered by scars.


    "Who told you about me, surely told you that this won''t happen. That weapon belongs to this place" answered Asa.


    Dag clenched the sword in his right hand. The Lies Of Loki, he remembered that was the Clan who killed Gridd''s father. He saw that weapon, that axe.


    "Ok then¡­"


    Alf started to talk when he heard a voice coming from behind


    "Hey you piece of shit! Leave my wife alone" Stein yelled to him.


    Eirik was on his side. They were back from the wood.


    Stein drew his woodman''s hatchet from his back and walked towards Alf.


    "Stein! Stop! Go back, It''s all under control" said Asa, frightened.


    Eirik tried to stop his father, with a hand on his shoulder: he probably felt something powerful coming from that man.


    Stein charged him.


    The man didn''t move, his hands were steady on the side. Stein tried to hit him with a cleave, but when he succeeded, Alf vanished, as if he was made by gas.


    In a second, he reappeared behind Stein.


    "No! No!"


    Asa ran against him.


    With a fast move, Alf wrapped his arm around Stein''s neck and cracked it.


    The hatchet fell to the ground. Stein dropped to his knees. His eyes were looking up.


    He collapsed on the ground, dead.


    Eirik and Dag were petrified. Eirik knelt down desperate.


    "Nooo!" Asa yelled as under possession, crying.


    The wind moved Stein''s red hair among the grass.


    She charged Alf.


    "No, mother, wait!" said Dag.


    The man disappeared again, teleporting near Asa.


    A long dagger appeared in his hand and he tried to hit her.


    Asa promptly parried the dagger and her sword started to glow of heavenly light.


    The parry catapulted away Alf, that flight for tens of meters before impacting on a tree.


    Dag was astonished.


    Was that some Freya''s power?


    Asa''s eyes turned into light blue.


    Alf stood up, he was wounded. One of his arms was completely bloody.

 15 XV. The Confession

    With the other arm, he pointed to Asa, then he opened his hand.


    A row of blades appeared in the air and he threw it to her, clenching his fist.


    Asa continued to walk in Alf''s direction. The blades clashed on an invisible barrier that surrounded her body. She was still crying and her face was wrathful.


    She bent on her knees: a pair of blue wings appeared on her back.


    She made a leap forward, pushed by her wings.


    In the air, close to the ground, she turned on herself and swung the sword, that shot a radiant, cutting, light semicircle in front of her.


    Alf tried to parry with one arm only but was struck by that powerful hit, that sharply cut him in half, and after him, an entire row of trees behind him.


    Asa lost her senses and fell to the ground.


    Dag and Eirik looked at each other.


    Eirik ran to his father, Dag to Asa.


    The light disappeared, she seemed fainted.


    Together, they lifted her up and carried her inside the house, leaving her on the bed.


    "Wha¡­what happened?" asked Eirik


    "My father is dead, who was that man?!"


    He was crying without control.


    "And who the fuck was that man? He said he was looking for some¡­weapon or something¡­what the fuck was he talking about?!" continued Eirik.


    Dag was staring at Asa, on the bed.


    Eirik grabbed Dag by his shirt with both hands and yelled:


    "tell me! Is it your fault? I swear to the Gods that I will kill you, Dag!"


    Dag freed himself from the grip and answered: "It''s not my fault, I know nothing about all this, I swear to you. Now we shall move Stein to a safe place¡­"


    "I don''t believe you, earthling! You are involved in this story, I''m sure of it! When my mother will wake up, she will tell me the truth" said Eirik.


    Then, without a word, he ran outside the main door, to his father.


    Dag followed him.


    They lifted Stein and brought him on the couch, that was right behind a tree, not far from there.


    Eirik said:


    "I know where to bury him, but I''ll go alone. You must look after my mother. If you just dare to lay a hair of¡­"


    "I will not. She is my mother too. As Stein was my father. I''ll take care of her" interrupted Dag.


    Eirik got on the couch and moved towards the woods. Dag couldn''t believe what happened a few minutes earlier.


    Asa still had her powers. She was strong.


    She cut in half that man, the body was still leaning on that tree.


    He walked back in the bedroom, she was resting.


    He sat on her side, on the bed.


    "D¡­Dag¡­" said Asa with a whisper of a voice


    "Yes! I''m here, I''m here"


    Dag caressed her hair.


    "There is something you should know now" she continued.


    "Rest now, get well. Then, we will talk"


    Some hours elapsed when Eirik came back.


    Finally, Asa woke up.


    "Mother, is this little shit involved in all this?" asked Eirik referring to Dag


    "he is your brother, watch your mouth, Eirik. He found out they were in danger, and also tried to protect our home. He killed a man to save me" answered Asa.


    Eirik looked at Dag. Dag looked him back.


    They understood each other without talking, in cold silence.


    "There is something you should know. The time has come" she continued.


    Asa told them about Brann and people from evil Clans that killed him, about the 6th Emblem.


    She told Eirik the truth about Gridd''s real father, then showed them the locked room.


    She explained everything, telling them that perhaps, the man that came to their house was sent by somebody that knew Brann and his axe''s power.


    "They know about the weapon, but they don''t know that only a true Hammer Of Thor Warrior can unlock its power. See, here¡­"


    She pointed at the metal deer''s head, between the blades. Two red tiny crystals were embedded instead of its eyes


    "these shards contain all its power. I can''t unlock it, only Brann could. His axe and his armor are the only things I''ve left from him"


    Eirik was furious


    "I don''t care about him! He was not my father! My father is buried in the woods now, because of him and his stupid weapon! How could you lie to me all this time¡­"


    He heavily walked outside the house, slamming the door.


    "I will revenge his death" Dag broke the silence


    "I will kill every single member of that Clan, I swear it to the Gods. And to my life"


    Dag didn''t mention Gridd''s confession and didn''t tell Asa that he also knew that Brann came from Earth. Asa started to cry again.


    They hugged each other.


    The day after, the air seemed filled by sorrow, but everything got back to normal.


    Eirik continued to work alone, without his father, with more dedication than ever.


    Dag got back to the Arena. Walking down the road, he met Freydis.


    "Hey, I was waiting for you yesterday¡­is everything fine?" she asked


    "Yeah, don''t worry, I''m okay. I''m sorry about yesterday. Here I am now! Let''s go!" answered Dag.


    They arrived at the Arena and started training.


    Days went by.


    After almost a month, Gridd got back to her family and figured what happened.


    She comforted Asa. Eirik didn''t address a word to her.


    She and Asa were at home when Dag returned to his house.


    "Gridd!"


    Dag was so happy to see her again


    "I missed you, Gridd!"


    she smiled, then hugged her brother.


    "Asa told me what happened here. She told me about Stein and about Alf" said Gridd.


    "So? What do you think?" he asked.


    "I''m not surprised. I thought that somebody would claim my father''s weapon, but I didn''t know about its power" she answered.


    Asa didn''t talk.


    Perhaps, she was thinking about Stein or Brann. Her eyes seemed empty.


    "Anyway!"


    Gridd changed her tone, trying to dispel darkening gloom


    "tomorrow you''ll turn 18, Dag! Do you what that means?" concluded.


    "Yes, I will choose my Clan" said Dag.


    "Well said! Are you happy?" asked Gridd


    "I''m fine."


    "Okay so¡­ whereas I''ve been gone for months, what have you learned at the Arena? Show me!"


    Gridd went out of the house, inviting him to follow her.


    They walked in front of the house, right where Asa killed Alf, next to the cut trees, and started to train.

 16 XVI. The Choice

    "Do you still want to avenge Brann?" asked Dag, while fighting. Gridd stopped.


    "Of course I want to. I will dedicate my life to this purpose" she said


    "Will you help me?"


    "I want to exterminate the Lies Of Loki. This is my purpose. The only thing they deserve is death" said Dag.


    Gridd was looking at him: he said this staring out into the nothingness, surrounded by some evil aura. She thought that was just a matter of tiredness.


    "We will, Dag. I''m becoming stronger. I will soon be stronger than my mother, and my revenge will be fulfilled" said Gridd, with a spirit of determination.


    "It''s not just a matter of revenge for me. No matter who is good and who is evil, I want to destroy whoever tries to stop me from becoming the strongest Viking ever lived on this planet. I want to be capable to protect myself and people I love" answered him.


    "Okay, that''s scary, but¡­I am with you, brother"


    After a few hours, they went to sleep, it was late at night.


    The next day, Gridd woke up Dag:


    "Hey! Wake up, today is the day!"


    She touched his shoulder.


    For an instant, Dag had a d¨¦j¨¤ vu: he remembered about Lady Ysabel, the dorm, his friends, the Xis¡­Hero. But he didn''t feel the same as that day.


    When he was called for the Temporum he was a scared, defenseless kid. Now he was a man, a fierce Viking warrior.


    From that day on, he would be able to determine his own destiny, to discover more about humans, more about Vikings. More about Xis.


    Dag got up from his bed and got ready for the Arena. He wore his light armor, composed of leather trousers and sleeveless jacket. On his chest, a patch of his previous shirt, with his family symbol, the swallow.


    He went outside: Asa was sitting on a stone, staring at the woods. In her hands, a necklace.


    Dag got close to her:


    "Hi, mum"


    "Hey, kid¡­" she smiled


    "Today I will join a Clan. I''m going to the Arena right now" he said


    "Is that necklace Stein''s?" continued.


    Asa looked at the necklace:


    "yes, this was the first gift he gave to me. We were lovers¡­he made this with Gronn Forest''s wood."


    Her eyes started to become misty.


    "I gotta go" he said, caressing her face.


    "Yeah, go, my son."


    He turned and saw Gridd, looking at them.


    "What are you waiting for? Go!" she said, proud of him.


    Dag walked down the road.


    He passed in front of Freydis and Karl''s house and stopped.


    He waited some minute before Freydis walked out.


    "Hey! Are you not late? Incredible! Hahaha"


    She was teasing on him.


    "Yeah, I made it" answered Dag scratching his head.


    "So, today you will join a Clan, are you ready? I''m excited for you!"


    Freydis can''t wait for the enthusiasm


    "The Crowns Of Odin¡­ it sounds powerful, doesn''t it? If you wait 2 days, until my birthday, we will leave together from here. My father was one of the strongest warriors of the Clan, we can''t disappoint him." she continued.


    Freydis''s father was Paul. He became a countryman after losing one of his hands during a battle against King Einar, Dag heard that story a thousand times from both Freydis and Karl.


    "Yes, I''m ready" answered Dag.


    They continued together up to the Arena.


    Some people were already training.


    When they entered, Taya was sitting on a wooden bench, sharping her spear with a stone.


    "Good morning, Master Taya" said Dag, bowing his head like a true soldier.


    "Ah, Dag, good morning. And good morning to you Freydis" said Taya.


    Freydis greeted her Master.


    "A member of each of 9 Clans came here for you, today. You will choose who to support in front of them" concluded the Shieldmaiden.


    "Of course I will. I''m ready." stated Dag.


    Taya left her spear on the bench and stood up.


    Then she walked to the center of the arena.


    8 warriors stood in line, behind her.


    Taya called the silence:


    "Good morning warriors, say hi to the 9 Clans!"


    The crowd of boys and girls yelled in unison: "Uh, Uh, Uh!" slamming their weapons to the ground.


    "Behind me, there are 8 of the greatest warriors of all Skjold. I am the 9th, representing the Sons Of Freya Clan. As you know, each Clan take its power through a direct connection to our Gods"


    Dag was listening carefully.


    "Odin, Fenrir, Thor, Freya, Ymir, Heimdallr, Tyr, Jormungandr, Loki. All of them are here now, in front of you. Band the knee, in front of the Gods!" continued Taya.


    Everybody in the Arena kneeled down.


    "Your brother, Dag, has proven to be worthy of being part of a Clan, to serve until his death the God he feels more affine to"


    Freydis looked ad Dag, while they were kneeling, and smiled.


    "Step forward, Dag from Earth" said Taya.


    Dag stood up: he was anxious for the moment. He walked to the center, in front of the warriors.


    Everybody stood up.


    "Show your mark, Dag" said Taya, when Dag uncovered his shoulder, pulling down his jacket.


    The warriors nodded their heads.


    "Now, choose." she concluded.


    Dag stared at the warriors.


    They were the greatest Berserkrs and Shieldmaidens on the planet.


    6 men and 2 women, except for Taya.


    Each of them had distinguishing features: some wore breastplates, some were shirtless; some were tall, some short.


    Dag took a long breath, looking down.


    Before his feet, he saw the blurry swallow of his mother.


    He raised his head and looked to Taya, ready to speak.


    Just when he was about to say something, he saw a little animal, walking along the wall of the arena, next to the door behind the warriors.


    He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus the tiny, white figure.


    It was a white rabbit.


    Suddenly, he felt something burning inside his body. He instantly remembered about Brann and his Emblem, about Asa, that lost twice her love. He thought about Gridd.


    "The Hammers Of Thor. This is my choice".

 17 XVII. The Declaration

    "Well then" said Taya


    "the choice is made, Dag. You''ll leave Jernhest according to your new Master''s decision. His name is Magni, The Iron Spark."


    A man stepped forward from the row behind. He was a bald man, with a full black beard.


    He wore no breastplate, only a white fur on his shoulders, and his bare chest below.


    At the center of his chest, a wide black tattoo representing an overturned hammer.


    He had a wiry and muscular body: his arms had no protections, except for a pair of leather gloves with little iron scales on knuckles. On his legs, a pair of skin and fur trousers. On the side of his right leg, near his belt level, a black strap held a hammer.


    The weapon emanated some kind of frost aura.


    "I''m Magni, Chieftain of the Hammers Of Thor. Skol to our new adept!"


    Magni rose his fist up.


    Everybody followed, cheering Dag.


    "We will leave tomorrow at dawn, Dag. Our destination is Mount Torden. There, you will begin your training under Thor''s gaze."


    Dag leaned down in front of his new Master.


    Then he watched the rabbit. It was gone.


    He didn''t want to look back.


    Freydis would have been furious for his choice.


    He turned towards the crowd when Taya said:


    "Say hi to Dag, of the Hammers Of Thor!"


    Everybody yelled again.


    Dag looked in the crowd. He couldn''t see Freydis.


    A hand rested on his shoulder.


    "Skol, brother. We will meet tomorrow at dawn here, at the Arena''s gates. Bring with you only the things you need, it''ll be a long way" said Magni.


    "Yes, Master" answered Dag.


    His heart was breaking. He probably lost the only person he cared about.


    He betrayed her trust.


    That rabbit.


    It must''ve meant something.


    Maybe Brann wanted to talk to him. Maybe the Gods weren''t just some human illusion but really existed. Dag was doubtful. But he had to find Freydis.


    He greeted Taya and all his friends. Karl was among them.


    "Karl, I must find your sister, help me!" said Dag frightened


    "You''re an idiot. She trusted you. I trusted you" he answered.


    "It''s not true, Karl! Something happened, something greater than me, that made me change my mind¡­ it has to do with Gods! Believe me!"


    Karl looked down


    "See you, Dag"


    then he turned away.


    Dag walked out of the Arena. He was searching for Freyidis. She was gone.


    He walked down the road. Once arrived at his house, he would have told about his choice.


    Gridd would have been proud of him.


    While he was thinking, he heard somebody crying. He walked in that direction, and find out Freydis, sitting on the ground, against a tree.


    She was with her hands on her face.


    "H¡­Hey" said Dag, getting closer to her.


    Freydis stood up and moved towards the wood, without a word.


    "Freydis stop! Let me explain!"


    Dag tried to touch her, but she pushed away his hand.


    "From now on, I truly believe in Gods Freydis! A spirit came to me when I was about to choose my clan!"


    Freydis didn''t listen. She continued walking through the dense vegetation.


    "Brann! His name was Brann! He loved my mother and died in battle" he continued.


    Freydis slowed down.


    "He was my sister''s real father and he came from Earth, like me!"


    Freydis stopped.


    "He held the 6th emblem"


    Freydis turned to Dag. Her face was completely in tears.


    Her dark eye makeup drained on her cheeks. She was looking at him now, with her big brown eyes.


    "The emblem was a silver rabbit''s foot. When Taya asked me what Clan would I choose, a white rabbit walked along the walls of the Arena. I think it was him"


    Dag opened his arms


    "Believe me Freydis, I''m speaking the truth"


    "Was he in Hammers Of Thor Clan?" asked Freydis in a low voice.


    "Yes. Some time ago I swear to my sister Gridd, that together we would avenge him, his honor" answered Dag.


    Freydis was still crying:


    "who killed him?"


    "I don''t know. No one knows. We only know that it was somebody from the Lies Of Loki Clan. I wanna destroy them all"


    Dag''s expression was darker now: anytime he said that name, some vibration flowed down his spine. He felt rage.


    Freydis walked in front of Dag, closer.


    She slapped his face.


    "Why didn''t you tell me, idiot!" she yelled.


    Dag was displeased.


    "I didn''t know that¡­"


    "Shut up, I hate you! I just wanted to stay with you, do you understand?"


    Freydis interrupted him.


    "I¡­I¡­I''m sorry" replied Dag.


    Hi felt like fire in his chest. Freydis was still, with her hands through her hair, crying.


    "I felt like an idiot now. I''ve been capable to ruin everything between us" said him.


    Freydis looked at Dag.


    "I dreamed about you since the day we met for the first time" he said


    "I''ve been too fearful, even to speak to you".


    Dag put a hand under her chin, raising her head up to his.


    "I love you, Freydis. I''ve always loved you. I didn''t tell you about Brann and his story because I didn''t realize I cared about it" he concluded.


    Freydis and Dag were staring at each other.


    They were very close, as when she bandaged up his broken nose.


    They slowly came closer, until they nose touched.


    They closed their eyes, feeling their breathing.


    They kissed.


    For Dag, the time stopped around them.


    He felt as if they were alone on the planet. At that moment, nothing else mattered.


    He lifted her from the legs, holding her.


    His heart was beating as it never did before.


    He put her on the ground through the fallen leaves.


    Her hair was soft as clouds, and her skin was smooth.


    They were impatient of being together like that, they felt the desire for a long time.


    Finally, the time had come.


    She bit his lips, while she continued to touch her hair with a hand and to undress her legs.


    After a few moments, they were completely naked, together.

 18 XVIII. I Swear

    They had sex for hours.


    It was late at night. They were lying on the ground, still naked.


    The starlight illuminated the outlines of their bodies.


    Dag covered Freydis'' chest with his jacket.


    It started to get colder but they didn''t care.


    They just wanted to stay together.


    He kept touching her body, her curves.


    Her breast was small but its shape was perfect to Dag. He loved her, completely.


    She returned. She continued to stare at him, caressing his hair.


    "Those are not only stars, do you know?" said Dag


    "Most of them are planets, like this one" continued.


    "Planets? You mean¡­living planets, with people on them?" asked Freydis.


    No one never told her about the cosmos and its balance.


    "Yes, people like us, but living different stories. You know, in the past, we all used to live on Earth, our native planet" answered Dag.


    "What then?" she asked


    "Then the Dark Day came. The brightest of all those stars died. It was called the Sun. On Earth, they''ve told me that everything was luminous and warm when the Sun shined" he answered.


    "Who killed the Sun, Dag?"


    Freydis didn''t know anything. She was the sweetest creature he''d ever seen.


    "Humans killed the Sun. But not someone in particular. It was everyone''s fault. We stole resources from Earth, water, rock, animals, even the air we used to breathe. And the Sun was not immortal. He had to die, as an old man die" said Dag


    "Then the Xis arrived, and saved us from certain death"


    "The Xis? I heard about them, but I don'' really know much¡­" said Freydis, looking at the sky above them.


    "They came from a far galaxy, I don''t know where. We couldn''t live anymore on Earth: the air started to be toxic for us, so the plants and all the food we ate. They came and created cities under the Earth''s surface. Then forced us to live there, killing everybody that refused the order. They also created this and other planets, and their atmospheres, the sun, the moon, the day, the night. It''s all made by Xis, it''s artificial. Their powers are limitless." said Dag.


    "They also killed all the men on Earth. No matter the reason or the social role. They killed them all. The males represented a threat to them. Instead, they preserved women, but they soon became something more similar to a machine than a human being, forcing them to live with the reproduction of the species as their only purpose. Probably, my mother still lives, but I''ll never know" he continued, with a sad tone.


    Freydis felt that sadness:


    "It''s horrible. They didn''t save us, they are tyrants. And what about your real father? And your mother? You must stay with them, that''s your family!"


    "My father died, they killed him. My biological mother probably doesn''t even know about me. I was raised by Lady Ysabel and other kids like me had the same treatment" said him.


    "Why did you know Skjold was your destination? Did they send you here?"


    "Yes, they submitted us to the Temporum, a machine they built to establish our destination, our ancestral history. The machine tells about your roots. Then you move to your ancestor''s planet. We spent our entire childhood learning about planets and their cultures. They made us ready for this" answered Dag with resignation.


    "A machine? Does a machine choose for you? They may be powerful beings, but¡­they feel no emotions, they are unfeeling. I think we all must be able to choose for ourselves, that''s how nature works" said Freydis.


    "Things are a lot more complicated than this. But you''re right, that''s how nature works" replied him


    "Even if, without Xis, we probably never would have met. I hate them for their cruelty, but thank them at the same time for this"


    Freydis snuggled up to Dag''s chest, hugging him.


    Dag felt beloved. He loved talking to her, she understood his feelings, also if she didn''t know things.


    "You''re right. I love you Freydis, I love you with all my soul and body" he said, holding her.


    They fell asleep.


    After a short time, the artificial Sun began to rise.


    "It''s late, I gotta go" whispered Dag in Freydis'' ear.


    "Promise me that we will meet again, Dag. Swear it" said Freydis, still hugging him.


    "I swear"


    Dag didn''t want to leave anymore.


    Right now that his sentiments finally took shape.


    "Take this, and bring it with you, always"


    Freydis took her armband off


    "this belonged to my grandmother, is the most precious thing I have. Take it"


    Dag picked the armband. They kissed again, for the last time.


    He wore it, on his left arm.


    It was a beautiful silver-made bracelet, with a flower in relief.


    "I will hold this forever. We will meet again, soon. I love you" he said.


    Then he stood up, dressed up and turned away.


    In his heart that promise was true. He wanted to meet her again, whatever the cost.


    He left the wood and walked down the road to his house. He reached it shortly.


    Once arrived, everybody was sleeping.


    "Gridd, I must go" he woke up Gridd, touching her softly.


    He explained everything to her.


    Why he did change his mind, what happened with Freydis and why he didn''t spend his night at home.


    Gridd hugged him.


    "See you soon, brother. The next time we''ll meet, you''ll be a great warrior, I feel it. Greater than me. We will kill them, the bastards who have marked the end of our family. For Brann, and for Asa".


    Dag looked at his mother. She was asleep.


    Next to her bed, Eirik was sleeping on his.


    He got closer to her and caressed her.


    Her hair smelled like the first time she embraced him in her life. What a woman.


    He loved her as if she was his real mother.


    "I go now. See you, Gridd" Dag smiled.


    With a small cloth bag, he walked down the street towards the Arena.


    He brought some clothes with him, didn''t need anything else.


    When he arrived, Magni was waiting at the gates.

 19 XIX. The Bol

    "Good morning, brother" said Magni


    "Good morning, master" replied Dag.


    "Let''s go, your brothers and sisters will be ready for us"


    Magni turned and started walking. Dag followed.


    "So, Taya told me that you come from Earth. Is it true?"


    "Yes, it is. The temporum said that my roots are here, on this planet. My blood is Viking blood" answered Dag.


    "Good" replied Magni


    "Did you ever fight against the Lies Of Loki Clan?" asked Dag.


    Magni looked at him with a doubtful face:


    "What? Why are you asking me so?"


    "Brann. Did you know him?"


    Magni stopped looking at him and looked forward.


    "He was my mother''s first love and my sister''s true father. He died¡­"


    "I knew him, yes"


    Magni interrupted Dag.


    "He was my first Master. The stronger warrior I ever met in my life" he continued.


    "I want to revenge him. I want to kill the man who killed him and stole the Emblem" said Dag.


    "Brann was a great fighter. The man who killed him was probably greater.


    The members of Lies Of Loki Clan are very hard to find. They use advanced mimetic techniques. I saw one of them transforming his face to another''s. Loki is the god of deception and illusion, and his adepts improve these arts" replied Magni.


    "I don''t care. I''ll kill them all. They''re evil to me and to my family, I want them dead, forever"


    Magni was impressed by Dag.


    He was just a boy but, when he talked, he radiated some dark aura.


    His desire was to kill people that hurt his family, and he seemed determined to reach that purpose, even his young age.


    "Well, you have to train hard then. You know, I''m Hammers Of Thor''s Chieftain but I don''t hold any Emblem, so¡­ you need to grow stronger than me, at least"


    Magni chuckled.


    "I''m ready. I''ll be a quick learner" stated Dag.


    The Sun shined up in the sky when Dag and his new Master overcame Gronn Forest. After an expanse of trees, there were only mountains, some of them covered by snow on the top.


    A small stream flowed along the valley.


    "We need to follow this river to get to Mount Torden. When the sun goes down, we should be halfway" said Magni, keeping to move straight.


    They walked on the riverside when Dag crouched to drink some cold water.


    At that moment, while he was moving his hands to the mouth, Magni snapped in his direction and with his hand, grabbed an arrow direct to Dag''s head.


    Dag jumped up and screamed:


    "Wha¡­what''s happening? Who shot me?!"


    Magni broke the arrow in his hands.


    "Renegades. Stay behind me, brother"


    He tensed his arm ahead of Dag.


    On their left, from trees, a group of armed people came out. They were more than 10.


    "Oh shit! We gonna die now! What the fuck those people want from us?!"


    Dag was panicked.


    "They live in these mountains, looking after the valley" said Magni


    "Now look" he continued.


    "Look wha¡­"


    Before Dag finished to talk, Magni jumped towards the Renegades, extracting his hammer in the air. When he pulled it from his belt, a bolt of lightning slashed the sky and hit the hammer.


    Then, Magni landed on the enemies releasing all the lightning power, that blew them up, burning and paralyzing their bodies.


    Dag was astonished.


    What a crazy power.


    Magni put away his hammer and walked to one of the Renegades:


    "Hey, you idiot!"


    He grabbed the man from the ground, lifting him by his neck


    "your masters didn''t tell you who am I, right?"


    The man was still paralyzed, he cannot move.


    "Am I right?!" yelled Magni on his face.


    "Y¡­yes, yes¡­I''m so¡­sorry"


    Magni threw the man on the ground.


    "It was a mistake¡­please, master, spare this humble man life¡­please¡­"


    the Renegade was terrified by Magni. Each of his men died around him.


    "Get out of my sight. Now!"


    The man stumbled on his own feet, trying to stand up, frightened, and ran away, towards the forest.


    "What was that bolt?!" asked Dag impressed.


    "One of the skills you''ll have the possibility to learn, brother. Now, let''s move on, we''re late"


    Like it was nothing, Magni turn in the stream direction and started to walk again.


    Dag followed him, looking at the men on the ground.


    Their bodies were completely burned as if hit directly by a lightning bolt.


    That power was amazing. It came out from Thor, the God of Lightning.


    "Your hammer¡­is that a special weapon?" asked Dag


    "I saw some iced aura coming from it, when we were in Jernhest" continued.


    "It''s an enchantment. Any weapon can be enchanted. We have one of the best sorcerers of Skjold" answered Magni.


    "Sorcerer? Is he a kind of magician? On Earth, they told us that magic doesn''t really exist!"


    "Boy, did you see me against that forest rats? If not magic, what was it?" replied Magni.


    Dag was amazed by his powers.


    "Magic is the energy that links us to the Gods. They allow us to use a little of their power by magic. We only need to prove them we''re loyal and faithful. This is our only purpose, the only reason for our useless life" he continued.


    The Sun began to set.


    Dag and Magni were still walking.


    Dag was getting tired, his legs trembled walking on the rocky riverside.


    "We will take a break" said Magni, moving towards a free spot though the trees.


    "Can I ask you something, Master?" said Dag


    "Of course, brother. Tell me."


    "Why didn''t we ride on horses get to Mount Torden? Maybe we''d bed already arrived."


    Magni chuckled:


    "Nature, boy. I love to walk. I feel all the elements, and this lets my spirit grow. Remember, sometimes the quickest option is not the best one".


    "Thank you, Master. I mean, for the explanation. I didn''t see things through this point of view" answered Dag.


    He thought that Magni spoke truly: walking between trees, rocks, rivers, it may help the spirit. He never considered his spirit as part of his body.


    Probably it is the reason why Magni could control magic powers.

 20 XX. The Fawn

    They sat on a tree trunk when Magni picked some dried bushes, piled them up in front of the trunk and squeezed them in his hand.


    The bushes caught fire. He put them back to the ground.


    Dag was staring at the landscape in front of him.


    The purple sunset sky made it most evocative: the plants and the trees, the river, an eagle that flew on their heads. Behind him, the forest. Owls and crows chanted, and their voices echoed through the branches.


    "Odin is watching us. He''s focusing on you, maybe" said Magni, while he was warming his hands by the fire.


    "Odin? How?"asked Dag.


    "The crows. They''re Odin''s eyes. He can see everything and everybody through his winged disciples"


    Dag remembered something. He already heard this story.


    "Have you ever met him?" asked Dag


    "Who? The Allfather? Hahaha boy, no one is worthy of meeting him! He is a God!" answered Magni


    "This is ridiculous!" he continued.


    "Sorry, Master, I didn''t mean to offend you. I''m curious, that''s it. From the Earth, where I came from, they forced me to believe in Xis'' power as the only true power of the universe"


    Magni puffed: "mh¡­ Xis, ah? My Gods are more powerful than that alien scum"


    Then he spat in the fire.


    "Now, we''ve rested enough. Let''s go" he concluded.


    They put out the fire and continued on the road, bringing a torch each.


    Dag was thinking about the Gods. He was convinced that the only real things were viewable ones.


    He never believed in superior entities, with unnatural powers. But that bolt.


    That enchanted weapon. They must''ve been derived from some divine strength.


    Maybe the Vikings were right. Maybe the Gods could be a new, real start in his life.


    They might help him to forget about the past, about the Xis.


    He hadn''t seen them for so long, for many years.


    Xis never showed themselves on Skjold, they probably kept watching humans in some way.


    But what about powers? On Earth, they knew about cultures, Gods, traditions. But they never mentioned powers, divine powers, powers that could change the fate of humanity.


    What if Xis were actually weaker than humans? But why no one ever tried to counter them?


    A sense of estrangement filled Dag''s mind.


    It was late at night, they arrived at the foot of Mount Torden.


    "Well, we''ve arrived. On the top, there is the temple and the dormitories. C''mon, follow me, brother" said Magni.


    Dag obeyed.


    Right when he was walking, he saw a fawn near bushes.


    He stopped watching it, it was beautiful.


    "Brother, are you okay?" asked Magni


    "Sorry, Master, I never saw such a beautiful animal"


    Dag continued watching the creature.


    "It seems it''s looking for his mother" answered Magni


    Dag looked the animal into the eyes: something was weird.


    His eyes were of an intense purple.


    He felt a thrill running through his neck, an icy cold sensation.


    He looked better, pointing his torch towards the fawn: those eyes seemed those of Xis!


    He stepped back, paralyzed by fear.


    The little deer fled back in the woods.


    "What''s wrong, Dag?"


    Magni got closer to him.


    "N¡­Nothing, Master. I must be tired, I''m hallucinating" answered Dag.


    He was sure that wasn''t a hallucination, it was real.


    The Xis were watching them using animals!


    They walked down the trail to get to the temple.


    Dag was thinking about what he had just seen: were all the animals on the planet fakes? What about that Rabbit? Probably it wasn''t Brann''s spirit talking to him, probably Xis influenced his decision on purpose!


    After one hour, they reached the temple. The moon glowed on its roof. It was a huge structure, with a row of columns at the entrance. On the right side of the temple, a massive statue rested on the ground.


    A young muscled man, with bare chest and a proud look, aimed at mountains. Long hair and beard. In his right hand, a hammer.


    "That''s Mjollnir, Thor''s hammer. The most accurate weapon of the cosmos, the most unfailing. He saved humans and Gods with his hammer when the Ragnarok arrived"


    Also Magni was staring at the statue, plenty of admiration.


    "Follow me, I''ll escort you to the dormitories"


    They walked along the right wall of the Temple Of Orn.


    Behind the temple, they enter a horseshoe-shaped building. They walked along the corridor until Magni stopped:


    "This will be your room. You can rest a bit if you want. In a few hours, at dawn, we all will meet in the central courtyard of the Temple"


    Magni opened the door: the room has 4 beds, side by side. One of them was occupied. A young man, quickly stood up when Dag and Magni entered the room.


    "Master"


    He stood upright with his arms on the sides.


    "Don''t worry, Lian. He''s a new comrade" said Magni


    "I will leave you now, see you at dawn for your training"


    He walked away.


    "Hi, I''m Dag, nice to meet you" said Dag extending his hand to the man.


    Without a word, he got back into his bed.


    "Okay¡­" sighed Dag


    "Good night".


    He went to sleep.


    The morning after somebody yelled through the corridors:


    "Get up! Get up! The masters are waiting!"


    Dag opened his eyes: waking up people should''ve been some common practice in dorms.


    He left the room and moved to the temple.


    Through the halls, a lot of people, both adults, and youngsters.


    Everybody was walking in the same direction, so he followed.


    Nobody seemed to notice him. Their faces were focused.


    He reached the central courtyard of the temple.


    A big sculpture, representing a hammer with two wings on its side, was fixed on the main door''s top.


    That door led to a wide hall with a vaulted ceiling.


    Everybody was carrying a weapon: swords, axes, shields, daggers. Everybody except Dag.


    A group of warriors proceeded through the main door, another one stayed in the courtyard, waiting for the Masters.

 21 XXI. The Library

    Magni arrived. He stopped under the hammer sculpture, facing his warriors. He nodded his hand.


    A man from the crowd stepped forward. He stopped in front of his Master and said:


    "Thunder Clap!"


    Then he picked up his weapon, a spiked mace and hardly smashed it to the ground. During the impact, some weak sparks came out from his body and his mace.


    "Good, continue with practice" said Magni.


    Dag thought that was a sort of daily test.


    Perhaps, the warriors had to prove to their master the skills they were learning.


    Another warrior stepped forward after Magni''s signal.


    This time, she was a woman. In the same way as before, she said:


    "Iron Skin".


    She held no weapon.


    She clenched her fist and closed her eyes, concentrating.


    On her arms and on her back, her skin began to turn metallic.


    She failed to transform all her body and interrupted the process when iron reached her legs, releasing her fists.


    "You''re doing it well, need some practice with master Dargeon¡­ he is a specialist in defense skills" said Magni.


    "I''ll do that, thank you, Master" affirmed the woman.


    "Did someone mention me?" a fat man walked from behind the crowd. He was scratching his belly, moving towards Magni.


    He had a mohawk on his head and a thick, intertwined mustache, so long that they touched his chest.


    "Master Dargeon, here you are" said Magni, smiling.


    "Yes, I''m not going anywhere, Master Magni" he answered.


    They shook their hands, by the wrists.


    Then Magni told something to Dargeon in a low voice and then, he moved in Dag''s direction.


    "Well, you will continue with me today" said Dargeon to the warriors.


    Magni told Dag to follow: they walked in the temple.


    Many halls and corridors made the temple like a labyrinth.


    "Here is different from the Arena. You''re on your own, you''re an independent warrior. You can choose which skills to learn. Skills range from level 1 to level 10. Each skill has its proper training method, some of them just require practice, some others require also ancient scrolls studies"


    Magni was talking when Dag looked around.


    "Some warriors choose to improve healing skills, some others are specialized in protection, or in offense skills. In this temple, there are three Masters, one for each specialization. I''m Master Of Offense." continued Magni.


    "I understand." replied Dag


    "I always fought with a sword at the Arena, I''m quite good to attack, less able to defend myself" continued.


    "You''re not obliged to choose only one specialization, you can switch whenever you want. Here, each one of us has his own combat style" said Magni.


    They arrived in front of a thick wooden door with metal handle.


    "Behind this door, there is the library. You can freely consult the scrolls, each one is the key to learn a singular skill. Oh, I almost forgot¡­ every time you succeed to learn a skill, a rune will appear on your body: every rune is specific for the skill you''ve learned. Is that clear?" asked Magni, opening the door.


    "Yes, I think so" answered Dag, trying to find out where Magni had his own runes. On his chest, he couldn''t see anything, neither on his arms.


    "You''re probably wondering where are my runes, am I right?"


    "Yes, Master, it would probably let me understand better what are we talking about. But nevermind, I will¡­"


    "Here they are" interrupted Magni.


    He took up his fur mantle: on his back and behind his shoulders, there was a countless amount of runes.


    "I''m learning skills since I was eighteen years old, so¡­ that''s the result. The runes'' incision may hurt, but don''t worry. It''s Thor that personally writes on you" concluded Magni.


    "Wow, that''s a lot of skills! Thank you, Master, I''m ready to start" said Dag.


    "Go now. On your own. When you''re ready to show your new skills, you can do so, coming into the courtyard, in front of us"


    Magni pointed the library, and Dag entered the door.


    The hall was the biggest one Dag had ever seen: hundreds of bookshelves started from the floor, reaching the high roof of the hall. Rows of libraries ran along the walls, creating corridors between them, with tens of thousands of books.


    Scattered among the corridors, big wooden tables, where young students and historians learned with their heads on books.


    Dag walked randomly in the library, until he saw a boy, sitting alone at a table.


    "Sorry if I interrupt you¡­I''m Dag and I''m new here. Can you show me where are the level 1 scrolls?" said Dag, in a low voice.


    The boy didn''t answer, pretending not to hear him.


    Dag didn''t try again. He continued along the same corridor, until he met a man, standing still.


    He seemed a guard or something like that.


    "Level 1 scrolls. Where can I find them?" he asked again.


    The guard pointed on a row of books.


    On the top shelf, there was an inscription. It was in Elder Futhark, the rune language.


    Dag learned about that language when he was on earth, and remembered something.


    "Le¡­vel 1"


    He translated the runes.


    On the first bookshelves of the row, hundreds of scrolls leaning on each other.


    Dag looked around, then he grabbed a scroll.


    He opened the string that closed it and unrolled it.


    Written in Futhark, the scroll told about a skill called: "Earth Stomp".


    Dag brought it with him, looking for a table where to sit.


    He found one and sat, trying to decipher the runes, since his Futhark was a bit rusty.


    The scroll explained how to be positioned, how to move legs and arms, whether to say something or not. The "Earth Stomp" skill, was a level 1 skill useful to destabilize enemies, causing a soil fracture beneath one''s feet.


    Dag was euphoric, he can''t wait to try that new skill. Finally, he would gain some real power, as the first step to reach his purposes.


    He thought about Freydis, looking at her armband.


    He missed her.

 22 XXII. The Roommate

    With the scroll under his arm, he got out of the library.


    He walked in the courtyard''s direction. Somebody was still there training. It was afternoon and the Masters had moved away from the training area.


    Dag moved in a free spot, among other warriors, ready to train his new skill.


    Setting his feet as the scroll said, he crossed his right arm on the left one and stomped his foot on the ground. Nothing happened.


    He continued until evening, training in the courtyard.


    Magni saw him from a window of the dormitory.


    "What do you find so special in that guy? I don''t understand you" said Dargeon, next to him.


    "He has something. I perceive something very powerful coming from his aura, but it scares me" answered Magni.


    "Scares you? You are one of the strongest Viking Warriors of the planet, what are you talking about?"


    "I don''t know, I''m not sure"


    In the meanwhile, Dag stopped trying the skill. He was so tired, probably that scroll wasn''t a level one, but somebody put it on the wrong shelf.


    He moved towards the Dorm.


    Walking in corridors, he saw a man sitting at his room''s door. He was his roommate.


    "Hey" said Dag.


    "Hey" he answered, without looking at him.


    He was reading a scroll. Dag tried to spy on it, to understand which was his comrade''s combat level.


    "What do you want, booger?!"


    The man doesn''t seem to be kind. He re-rolled up his scroll and entered the room, leaving the door open.


    Dag followed him, sitting on his bed. It was not so comfortable as his house''s. It reminded him of his bed in the dorm on Earth.


    Then he laid on it, staring at the ceiling.


    "Is it possible to feel the enemy''s combat level?" he asked the man.


    No one answered back.


    "C''mon man, what I''ve done to you! It''s a simple question" repeated Dag.


    "Go fuck yourself, booger. Shut up or I''ll punch your stupid face"


    Dag couldn''t refrain from standing up on his feet. He has no fear to face his roommate, even if he was older.


    He stood up too.


    "What? What you wanna do now? I suggest you to¡­"


    Dag quickly charged him, punching him in the stomach. He didn''t lose balance and kicked back Dag, that tried to remain on his feet, but fell on his bed, breaking it.


    "Ouch! Are you mad dude?" said the man, touching his jaw.


    "You are the idiot, I just asked you a question, if you weren''t so prick, it wouldn''t have happened" answered Dag, while he got up from the bed, completely crashed.


    "Its name is Niva. It''s a level 2 skill. Launching it, you can perceive your enemy''s level" said the man.


    He was a tall one, black short hair and a few beard on his face. He seemed older than Dag, but still a big awkward boy.


    "And what about your name? I''m Dag"


    Dag threw out his arm, as a sign of friendship. Having friends was a better option than doing everything alone, he thought.


    "Aslan. My name''s Aslan"


    "Will the Masters get mad when they find out this mess? It was your fault, you provoked me!" said Dag.


    "Pff¡­asshole" whispered Aslan.


    Dag tried to rearrange his bed. "What level are you? I mean, are you capable to learn high-level skills? I just got here, I''m not used to learning like this¡­I love to fight!"


    "I''ve been here for ten years, during which I tried to learn a lot of combat skills. I wanted to be a strong Berserkr when I arrived at the temple. But now, I''m a healer" answered Aslan.


    "A healer? Do you mean¡­ you can heal people when they get hurt?" asked Dag, curious.


    "Yeah, a kind of. I can learn spells in addition to skills. With the last one I practiced, I can shield an ally, surrounding him with a sort of luminous aura¡­I''m working on it"


    "Wow, it seems cool. But it doesn''t suit me. I''d like to become like Master Magni. When we were coming here at the temple he defeated 10 Renegades alone! His hammer was hit by a lightning bolt and he struck the ground, smashing all of them! It was crazy!" said Dag, euphorically.


    "It was the Evolved Lightning Strike" replied Aslan.


    "Evolved? So you can improve your skills until their maximum mastery?" asked Dag.


    "Yes, you''re perceptive. Lightning Strike is a level 5 ability, but Master Magni performed it for so long until he unlocked its real potential. Every time you power up a skill, its rune modify, getting more complex".


    Aslan uncovered his right leg, pulling up his trousers. Four runes were on it.


    "These are mine. I''ve learned 3 level one abilities and a level 2 one"


    Suddenly, somebody knocked at the door: "Ooohi! Are you okay in here? We heard some noise¡­like fight noises".


    Dag and Aslan looked to each other, disoriented. Aslan moved to the door, placing his ear on the door''s surface, to hear better.


    "Yes'' we''re fine! The bed wasn''t used for a while, so¡­ one of his legs cracked. It''s okay, go back to sleep"


    The people behind the door murmured something, then moved away.


    Dag breathed a sigh of relief: "they would warn the Master, am I right? Better this way¡­"


    "I saw Master Magni looking at you. His gaze looked different. Where are you from?" said Aslan, turning towards Dag.


    He looked suspicious. Dag didn''t notice Magni''s particular attention to him, he didn''t know how he normally behaved with his warriors.


    "I¡­I don''t what you''re talking about, Aslan. I come from Jernhest, the capital"


    Dag omitted to talk about his earthling''s roots: he didn''t know the reason, but on Skjold people didn''t seem to be friendly with earthlings.


    Aslan still looked diffident. Then said: "I know the capital, booger".


    Dag felt relieved, he could keep his "secret" only between him and Magni. He didn''t know his Master already confided with Master Dargeon.

 23 XXIII. The Rune

    "I''ll go to sleep now, I''m so tired" said Dag, lying down on his broken bad.


    The room was lighted by soft candlelight, leaned on a shelf between beds. Aslan blew on it.


    There were no windows in the room, only two rectangular openings near the ceiling, from which cold air entered from the outside.


    Both the roommates fell asleep.


    During the night, Dag woke up. He was sleeping lying on his right side when he felt like a pinch on his right arm. He scratched it to let the stinging pass.


    He closed his eyes back, was too tired to light the candle.


    The morning after, somebody yelled from corridors, waking up everybody, as usual. Dag and Aslan woke up at the same time.


    They fastly changed their clothes and moved to the courtyard.


    While walking, Dag continued reading his scroll.


    "It takes a long time in the beginning. I learned my first level one skill after two weeks of intense training" said Aslan, looking at the scroll.


    They both reached the courtyard and with them, a lot of other warriors.


    Dag walked in front of Aslan: "Fight with me".


    "What?" answered Aslan.


    "I don''t like to train alone, I prefer to have an opponent. It helps me to focus"


    "You''re just an idiot, I''ll destroy you, in front of everyone! Your level is lower than mine!" replied Aslan.


    "Come to the weapons room" he continued.


    Walking along one of the courtyard''s walls, a small iron door led to a warehouse, full of any kind of weapon. But this time, they were not fake ones, they were real and sharp.


    Dag and Aslan got back into the courtyard, slightly isolated from the rest of the cluster.


    Aslan held a shield and a one-handed mace, Dag chose a sword, as usual.


    "Bring it on, booger!"


    He rose the shield facing Dag.


    Without hesitation, Dag charged him. Aslan remained still in his position.


    Dag tried to hit him with a top-heavy attack, but Aslan deflected the hit upwards, uncovering Dag''s side.


    After parry, he swung his mace, hitting Dag that drifted away.


    "I told you!" said Aslan, challenging him.


    Dag charged again but this time, he fainted the hit switching his sword position from the right hand to the left one.


    Aslan put the shield on the ground. Suddenly, other shields appeared around him in midair, and Dag hit one of them, losing his balance.


    "That''s my Shield Wall, booger! You''d better give up!" said Aslan, then he tried to hit him with a top-light attack.


    Dag crossed his arms and heavily stomped his foot on the ground: the soil cracked under Aslaug''s feet, releasing weak blue sparks and knocking him to the ground.


    Dag was astonished, he succeeded to perform an Earth Stomp!


    "You''re a liar! You said you practiced for one day only!" said Aslan trying to get back up.


    "But¡­It''s true!" said Dag. He instantly remembered the pinch he felt the night before. It was on his right arm.


    He pulled up his shirt''s sleeve to reveal what was below.


    "What?!" said Dag loudly.


    Under the sleeve, a rune appeared, carved in his skin. It was the Earth Stomp rune.


    How was it possible? He didn''t feel any pain when the rune appeared, contrary to what somebody told him.


    Dag kept looking at his arm, then at his hands. He perceived some new power, probably coming from the scroll. He mastered a level one skill in one day only, and that was amazing. He couldn''t believe it actually happened.


    From the center of the courtyard, in front of the crowd of warriors, Masters Magni and Dargeon were testing their students. Magni saw the whole scene: Dag performed a perfect Earth Stomp as if mastered it from years! Even he was shocked, he''d never beheld such a thing.


    In the meanwhile Aslan was back on his feet: "You didn''t tell me on purpose, ah, booger? You wanted to take advantage of me, what a subtle being you are¡­"


    "I swear to you, Aslan. I read the scroll yesterday for the first time" answered Dag. Then he pulled his sleeve down.


    He thought about how much power could he gain in a really short time. He thought about Gridd: their plan to destroy the Lies Of Loki could be closer than he imagined. He had to train hard, every day, to fulfill his desire. To revenge Brann.


    "I gotta go now" said Dag, dropping his sword on the ground and running away, towards the door leading to the library.


    Aslan stood there, frozen, with his arms opened.


    Dag reached the library. He quickly moved to the level one skills'' section. The previous time he chose a scroll randomly, this time he would be an aimed choice.


    He started checking scrolls one by one, filtering offensive ones.


    He piled up over a dozen on a table. Then moved back to the bookshelves, searching for the "Niva" skill: knowing exactly the power of enemies, but also of allies, could be a very useful skill.


    In a few minutes, he finally found it, in level two section. He picked the scroll and dropped it on the table, next to the others.


    In the libraries, the skills'' level grew with the bookshelves'' elevation.


    The higher the shelf, the higher the level.


    On the left side of the library, there was a wheeled ladder, that could slide horizontally along the library. Dag grabbed it and pulled it towards the shelves he was interested in, then climbed on it, reaching the highest ones.


    On the top shelves, there were no more scrolls, but hundreds of books and tomes.


    He tilted his head to read books'' titles.


    Everything was written in Elder Futhark, like scrolls.


    "Me¡­mor¡­y of Mj¡­ollnir"


    He translated one of them.


    Then he picked the book and opened it while he was on the ladder, despite it was so heavy.


    Lots of runic inscriptions surrounded printings of Mjollnir, Thor''s Hammer.


    Dag was focusing on the inscriptions, too curious to stop himself when a voice from behind said: "It''s too early for those".


    Dag got scared and lost balance. One of his feet slipped on a rung of the ladder and he fell down, slamming with his back on the ground. The book fell with him, knocking him on his head.


    "Ouch!" moaned Dag writhing in pain.


    The voice was Master Magni''s.

 24 XXIV. The Book

    Dag stood up, touching his painful back, after the hit.


    "I saw what happened to you today" continued Magni.


    Dag said nothing. He looked at his Master.


    "I knew another person capable to learn skills in a few days. You probably already know who I''m referring to"


    "Brann" whispered Dag.


    "Correct" said Magni. Then he crouched, picking the book from the floor.


    He closed it and passed a hand on its leather cover.


    "He was superior to any warrior of the Clan. He became chieftain when he was just 25 years old. You know, there are some level 10 skills nobody never mastered. Brann was the only one that mastered a skill called Ragnarok."


    Dag listened carefully.


    "Do you know what is Ragnarok, Dag?" he asked.


    "Y¡­yes, I do. Ragnarok is the end of the world we know. Is the day in which Fenrir breaks its chains and eats Odin, the Allfather" answered Dag.


    "Correct, again. From the Ragnarok, the world is regenerated. But the regeneration has its cost. Brann performed the Ragnarok once: it was during a battle. We were losing against the Fangs Of Jormungandr Clan, fighting for a castle. Only a few of our warriors survived, while they were many. With that ability, he was able to defeat them all: the sky turned black and red lightning bolts went down, hitting enemies one by one. Some of them survived and ran away. Brann fainted down. It required too much power, even for him."


    Magni talked with a voice full of admiration.


    "What happened to him?" asked Dag.


    "After the battle, we carried him here, at the temple. He slept for weeks. Nobody knew the reason, not even Master Egill, our best healer. When he finally woke up he said that a part of him died during the Ragnarok. He said he was dead, and nothing happened after. No Heaven, no Valhalla, nothing. Only never-ending darkness. I remember every word, I was a boy, like you."


    Magni climbed the ladder and placed the book on its original position.


    Then said: "there''s something in you¡­ I don''t know what, I can''t render it. I perceive a weird aura when you are in front of me. It''s different from Brann''s, different from anybody else"


    Dag was surprised.


    He didn''t know what Magni was talking about.


    "Do you know anything about his axe? It has two small shards embedded. I know they can release some kind of unnatural power" said.


    "Shards?" asked Magni displaced.


    "Never mind. Can you tell me anything else about my aura? In the last days, I felt my power growing. My roommate told me about the Niva skill. What level am I?" Dag got closer to his Master.


    "Dag, I¡­I don''t know"


    "What?!"


    "I mastered that skill years ago, but I can''t see your level. When I look at you, I only see your dark aura" replied Magni.


    "Dark?! Why? Is there darkness in me? I can''t believe that. I never did anything to¡­"


    "Don''t worry, brother. You''re not evil, I can feel it. You may become a great warrior. You have learned a level one skill in one day. Now, you must continue, whatever the cost, and I can teach you" stated Magni.


    Dag looked at his hands.


    What was wrong with him? Darkness? Where did it come from? He had no answers, just questions.


    Magni laid his hand on Dag''s shoulder: "I will train you to become a great warrior. The greatest warrior. I bet on you, Dag¡­ don''t let me down".


    At these words, Magni walked out of the library. Dag stayed still, next to the table.


    He climbed again the ladder, till the top shelves. All the level ten books were side by side.


    Finally, he found it: Ragnarok.


    Dag got off the ladder and dropped the book on the table, shifting scrolls on the side. Then he tried to open the book. It was sealed.


    He tried again and again, but the front page didn''t move from its position. It must''ve been locked with some magic spell, it looked like a normal book, but seemed cement on touch.


    Dag put the book back on the top shelf, then grabbed all the scrolls and moved to his room.


    It was still morning and everybody was in the courtyard. Dag continued thinking about what Master Magni said.


    Did he want to train him individually? Did he know more about his "hidden" darkness? He didn''t seem to know much.


    He walked out the door that separated the library wing to the courtyard. He saw Aslan, training with someone else.


    When Dag passed in front of him, Aslal stopped and yelled: "Hey you, booger! I''m not done with you yet!"


    "Sorry Aslan, I gotta go now! I''m busy at the moment" answered Dag, but when he was talking, the guy that was training against Aslan stood in his way, preventing him from reaching the dorm.


    Dag slid out a cloth string from his boot and tied the scrolls up, dropping them on the ground, next to the weapons room''s door, a few meters after.


    "I need a sword" he said.


    The guy in front of him picked a sword from the ground and threw it to Dag.


    Aslan was ready, with his shield and mace. The other guy held two tomahawks.


    Dag tightened the sword with both his hands, with its tip pointing on the opponents.


    The guy started to charge towards Dag, rotating with his two axes. While he was spinning, some little yellow sparks surrounded the tomahawks, leaving their wake.


    Aslan was still, with his shield up.


    Dag remained in his position, waiting to dodge, and when the guy reached him, he quickly dodged the first hit and tried to parry the second one.


    Raising his sword, he parried the tomahawk''s hit but felt a vibration coming from that weapon, that unbalanced him, knocking him to the ground.


    The guy continued his charge, trying to hit Dag when he was on the ground, but he promptly moved his sword to parry the stroke. Then he jumped back on his feet, out of breath: that parry caused him an incredible loss of energy. The hit was loaded of power.

 25 XXV. The Exile

    "Give me a few days! I need to learn skills, this fight is unfair!" said Dag, still painting.


    But the guy charged him again, this time accompanied by Aslan, that charged forward with the shield.


    Dag focused on them. For a second, he closed his eyes.


    He thought about Gridd, and what she told him about 2 vs 1 fights. "Face two enemies as one. Four legs are heavier than two, take advantage".


    He opened his eyes back. They both were running towards him, ready to attack. He waited till they were only a few meters from his position and when they swung their weapons he dodged them both, spinning on his left side, the same Aslan was coming from.


    Dodging in that direction, the other guy had no chance to hit him, because he was behind the shield, out of his sight.


    They were fighting with real weapons, they wanted to hit him for real: the impact could hurt him or worse¡­kill him.


    That world wasn''t wired for fairness, it was rude. He couldn''t permit anyone to prevail. He must kill, if necessary.


    Dag swung widely his sword, striking the guy on his back, making a cut on it.


    Then he crossed his arms and performed an Earth Stomp on Aslan, that started to waver.


    With a frontal kick, Dag hit his face, right on the mouth.


    With the impact of the kick, Aslan released blood from his mouth, then crouched with his hands placed on the ground and spat blood again.


    In the bloody blur, Dag could see some of Aslan''s teeth, detached from his mouth after the heavy kick.


    "I said¡­ I need more time."


    Dag almost killed the guy and broke Aslan''s teeth, but felt still calm. Thanks to Gridd, he learned advanced combat techniques, even if his skill powers were low.


    The guy was on the ground, into a bloodbath. His back was sliced and lots of blood came out from the wound.


    Aslan kept touching his mouth, crouched. His hands were red. With wide eyes, he yelled to Dag:


    "Who the fuck are you, little bastard?!"


    He can''t continue to talk, the pain was unsustainable.


    "If you try again to get in my way, I will kill you" answered Dag in a strong, clear voice.


    In the meanwhile, everybody stopped training in the courtyard. All the warriors heard the screams and saw the fight. They all were shocked.


    In a few seconds, Dag realized what he''d done. He dropped his bloodied sword off the ground and stepped back, frightened.


    "What the hell have I done! This is not me" he thought.


    When he was fighting, he felt an uncommon sensation, as if his opponents deserved what he would do. As if they were inferior beings.


    He outplayed them, and he liked it.


    Suddenly, he grabbed the scrolls from the ground and ran to the dorm.


    "What was that power? Master Magni was right, I''m evil! There''s darkness in me, I wasn''t aware of my actions!"


    Dag continued running to his room, crying.


    He entered the door and slammed it after, sliding on it and sitting on the floor.


    While his head was leaning against the door, he heard a step sound. Somebody was walking in his direction.


    He moved away from the door, dragging himself towards the bed.


    The door opened.


    "You can''t stay here, you''re too dangerous for others"


    A tall man with long white hair and beard was talking. He held a wooden staff in his right hand and wore a long, green leather dress.


    Dag looked him in the eyes. His left eye was missing: on his face, a scar cut his eye starting from the forehead till the cheek.


    It should be Master Egill, the Master of healing.


    "I healed the two men outside, in the courtyard. The one you hurt on the back almost died" continued Egill. You must go."


    "I¡­I wasn''t myself, I swear! Wh¡­where¡­where should I go?" said Dag, crying.


    "He''s coming with me"


    Another voice came from the corridor. It was Magni.


    "Magni, he''s dangerous" said Egill


    "I know, Egill, I feel his power" answered Magni.


    "He will come with me, on the other side of Mount Torden. I used to live there, in a farmhouse, when I was young" continued.


    Egill looked at Dag. Then, without a word, he walked away.


    "I''m so sorry, Master! They have left me no choice! I almost killed one of my brothers today, and I felt no regrets soon after! Maybe you''re right, I''m evil!"


    Dag bowed in front of Magni, with his hands on the floor, imploring for his mercy.


    "Evil or not, yours is a unique power. You must cultivate it. Your power will be of great benefit for our Clan, one day. You have to control your dark side, to use it to your own advantage" said Magni.


    "I don''t know how Master¡­ I just wanted to become a great warrior, as many did before me"


    Magni got closed to Dag and lowered in front of him: "You will. I bet on you"


    Dag stopped crying. Magni believed in him.


    "Now get your things together, we''re leaving today in the afternoon" continued.


    "What about these?" Dag pointed at the scrolls.


    "You can bring them with you. In future days, you will return to the library to take other scrolls if you want"


    Dag nodded his head.


    He thought about what he did in the courtyard. Probably he deserved to be kicked out of the temple, to be treated like a Renegade. Magni was kind to him, he protected him.


    Dag didn''t know the reason for all his kindness but had no choice. The other option would be to run away from there to go somewhere, who knows where.


    He packed all his stuff and soon got ready to go.


    As the Sun began to set, Dag and Magni left the Temple of Orn, this time on horses, one for Dag and one for his Master.

 26 XXVI. The Footbridge

    "The farmhouse is not far from here. Don''t worry, you weren''t expelled. Other Masters told me you can be dangerous for other students, we''ve never seen an episode like yours after only two days from your arrival" said Magni, riding.


    "I understand my Master''s decision, perhaps I''d do the same. But¡­ what about my training now? I want to improve my skills day by day" said Dag.


    "You don''t have to worry about anything, I''ll look after you. You''ll get all you need, starting from food till your training. I will daily tell you what your training will consist of. You will practice your abilities on the mountain, in the forest. Right behind my farm, there is a small black pine trees forest. It will become your new training ground, at least for now" continued Magni.


    They were riding their horses on a narrow trail: the road turned around the mountain and got increasingly steep.


    "Master¡­" said Dag.


    "Tell me"


    "Why are you doing all this for me? Why didn''t you just send me back home after what I did?"


    Magni turned his head to Dag. His blue eyes deeply stared at him as if they were bound by some unnatural force.


    "I told you, you are different. I don''t know more than this. But I will not leave you alone, I feel that you''re not evil. You need to grow stronger¡­"


    Dag kept looking forward. This answer didn''t satisfy him: Magni didn''t speak clearly, he might hide something.


    After some kilometers, the trail became tighter. On the mountain''s side, an unsafe footbridge coasted the rocky walls. A thick fog made the rest of the path not visible.


    In the sky hovered a flock of black ravens, that were invisible in the fog.


    "After this walkway, there is a cavern. Passed the cavern you''ll find my farm. It''s been a lot of time I didn''t go there, but it used to be my home. It''s a safe place" said Magni.


    "Aren''t you coming?" asked Dag.


    "I must come back to the Temple Of Orn. Lots of warriors depend on me, it''s my duty. I will come back to you tomorrow, in the morning. Just be sure to reach the farmhouse before nightfall. It''s impossible to see the path through the darkness"


    "Thank you for this possibility, Master. I won''t let you down" answered Dag. He looked again at the narrow footbridge: the wind made it slam against the wall. The entire structure was sustained only by iron hooks, one every nine or ten meters.


    "When you reach the house, next to the door there is an unfixed brick. If you pull it to you, the key to


    enter the house is in the socket behind. Be safe, Dag. See you tomorrow"


    Magni turned back with his horse and went away.


    The evening came and the darkness started to fall.


    Dag climbed down from his horse, pulling it from the reins. Slowly they walked along the walkway, step after step. The sound of crunching rotting wood was combined with that of the ravens.


    While walking, Dag could only see his feet, nothing else in front of him, because of the fog.


    At a certain point, the horse stopped and neighed loudly. It was scared.


    Dag couldn''t see anything.


    "C''mon, dude, don''t be afraid¡­ this trail scares me too, but we need to go on" whispered Dag in the horse''s ears, caressing its snout with a hand.


    At that moment he felt like paralyzed, feeling a shiver down his spine. It was as if his bones froze in a second.


    He was scared and his breath turned heavy. The horse was not moving, but he still needed to go on, to figure out what was further.


    He slowly dropped the reins on the wooden ground. The horse was still not moving, as if it had turned to stone.


    With his right hand, he drew his sword from his back, pointing it forward.


    He held it with both hands, realizing that they were shaking.


    Step after step he kept on moving. The feeling of cold persevered in his body.


    After some meters, a confused shape appeared, laying on the ground.


    A sound of ripped flesh echoed to the walls. Dag stepped forward.


    When the fog started to thin out, he finally realized what was in front of him: a human corpse was on the footbridge, mauled and deprived of its eyes. On the dead body, some crows were feasted with its flash and blood.


    Dag paralyzed again, feeling cold, and unable to move his arms and legs, he dropped his sword on the ground.


    The sound of the iron on the footbridge alarmed the crows, that started to croak against him, flying away from the corpse to his direction.


    Suddenly, Dag grabbed his sword from the ground and raised it when one of the crows dived at him, attacking.


    He managed to parry the hit, and its beak slammed on the blade, scratching the iron. It felt like a stone!


    Dag fell after the impact, sitting on the ground.


    Another crow flew in his direction and when Dag pointed his sword to it, it swerved the weapon and continued its charge behind him.


    After a second, he heard a groan. It was his horse.


    Dag stood up and ran back, but it was too late.


    The horse was dead: its head had been severed as if hit by an axe. The body slipped off the footbridge, falling into the precipice. The head remained on the bridge, and the crow started to peck the horse''s eyes.


    "What the hell are you?" asked Dag, frightened. That beasts were more than ordinary birds.


    The crow finished eating the eyes, cutting their borders with surgical precision, then turned to Dag, moving its head left and right.


    Even it was evening, Dag noticed a particular on the bird''s face: it had purple eyes.


    "X¡­Xis" said Dag, backing away, in panic.


    "Craaa!" croaked the crow, staring at Dag.


    At that precise moment, he heard something moving from behind.

 27 XXVII. The Cave

    Dag heard a moan behind him, in the same direction of the eyeless corpse.


    The crow flew away from his horse''s head.


    Dag turned back. The fog got denser and for a moment, the ravens stopped croaking. He looked at the horse''s head, then moved in the opposite direction, to go on, walking close to the rocky wall.


    He heard a step sound, in front of him. He stopped, trembling.


    From the fog, a human shape was walking towards him. Getting closer, he focused on the figure: one of its arms was cut off and its legs moved uncoordinated, one of them by dragging the droopy foot.


    The figure got closer when Dag finally figured that that being was the dead corpse he saw a few minutes before.


    "What the¡­!" exclaimed Dag, stepping back.


    He was a half-naked man, with parts of his body missing. He continued to move forward in Dag''s direction, breathing heavily.


    In his chest, a huge rounded wound, probably dug by the crows.


    Dag focused on his face: his eyes were of intense purple and his skin completely white.


    "What¡­what the fuck do you want from me?" asked Dag, pointing his sword towards the man.


    No answer.


    The man kept on moving when Dag hit him with the sword, cutting his head off with a single move.


    "Why are you watching me? Why?!" yelled, looking at the sky.


    The crows started again to croak deafeningly loud.


    A hand grabbed his ankle. The dead body was still struggling and moving.


    Dag swung again his sword, frightened hitting the undead on his shoulder. He quickly overcame the corpse on the ground and ran down the footbridge, that oscillated when hit by his feet, making difficult for Dag to stay in balance.


    While he was running, he looked behind: the body stood up back on his feet and with only one hand grabbed his head from the ground, then walked following him.


    He kept running without seeing anything, the fog was heavy and it was late in the evening: the darkness was falling on the mountain.


    He still heard the crows croaking all around him when he saw a natural cavity in the rock, at the end of the footbridge: it should be the cave!


    Getting closer he could see clearly. The circular entrance led to the inner of the rock, the only way to access the cave was from the path Dag followed. There was no light inside. On the left side of the entrance, a wooden wheelbarrow was abandoned.


    Dag figured out that the cave should be a mine in the past.


    Without hesitation, he walked in.


    Behind him, it seemed that the moaning of that half-dead being stopped.


    Right after the entrance, he saw some torches stacked against the wall and picked one of them.


    From a small pouch of his belt, he pulled out a piece of pyrite and a metal stick.


    With a rapid movement of the stick on the stone, he produced a few little sparks, that lit the torch, soaked in some flammable oil.


    Now he could see.


    His suspects were correct, the cave used to be a mine: an iron rail system spread from the entrance to the deepest spots of the cave.


    Pickaxes, shovels and old working tools were scattered here and there as if the miners quickly left the mine after some accident.


    Dag kept on moving, holding the torch in his left hand in front of him, illuminating the path he was walking through and his sword in his right hand, right after him, ready to self-defense.


    The cave seemed quiet, the sound of water drops falling in muddy puddles was the only one Dag heard, except for the noise of the wind, coming from his back, that gradually became less intense.


    The cave had the main trail, full of rails on the ground, and lots of secondary paths and spots, less enlighted by Dag''s torch.


    Dag thought that given the fact that Magni just said to walk through the cavern, he could just walk forward, following the main path. It was just a normal cave, a way to reach the farmhouse.


    After about ten minutes he saw the exit, a hollow in the wall, reachable by climbing a few rocky steps.


    Just when he moved in that direction, he heard again the moan. The undead man followed him in the cave.


    Dag turned back, pointing the torch in front of him. He couldn''t let the monster pass, otherwise, it could reach his safe place.


    He moved to a wall, driving the torch in a metal ring fixed in the rock.


    From the dark of the cavern, the undead took shape again. He slowly walked towards Dag, holding his head.


    When he came closer, the torchlight shone on him: even if the dead had been cut off, his mouth was still moving and so his purple eyes.


    Dag was scared, he never saw anything like that.


    "Step back, or I''ll end you!" said with a trembling voice.


    The air into the cave started to get colder.


    The undead raised his hand and clenched his fist. The torch went out.


    Dag couldn''t contain a scream. He couldn''t see anything.


    Suddenly heard a fast step sound: the monster was charging!


    Dag tried to swing his sword, but he missed the target, hitting the air. The monster struck back and dealt a heavy blow to Dag, scratching his shoulder.


    Dag got hurt and stepped back. He felt his shoulder bleeding.


    The undead continued to fight, hitting Dag at different points when Dag finally parried a slap.


    He should be able to see in the dark.


    Dag stepped back again. The exit was not so far, but the monster became faster when the light disappeared from the cave. He focused on the sound.


    The undead was breathing heavily and when he moved, his head moved with him and the sound of the gnashing of his teeth could warn Dag about his position in the cave.

 28 XXVIII. The Gas

    Dag closed his eyes and exhaled all the air he had in his lungs. For some reason, he knew exactly what to do to locate his opponent.


    When his lungs were completely empty, he focused on the sound. Despite the fear he felt at that moment, he was able to perceive every single sound in the cave and to isolate those of the undead.


    The soil he moved with his feet, his cracked bones creaking, even slow, fragile heartbeat.


    Dag stay concentrated, strongly holding his sword with both hands.


    Suddenly, the undead moved and Dag heard the sound of his razor-sharp fingernails cutting the air, producing a slender hiss.


    With his eyes still closed, he promptly parried the hit and struck back the monster, severing his only arm. His head fell on the dusty ground: this time the monster screamed in pain.


    Then he kicked him on the stomach and when the undead body stepped back, he struck again with


    the sword, that cut the undead on the side of his chest, breaking his ribs.


    The sword remained stuck in that dead, malodorous body.


    The undead tried to move but Dag twisted the sword, smashing totally his rib cage. The body fell on his knees, then on the ground.


    Dag felt again a shiver down his spine and opened his eyes. He was scared as if woke up from a conscious nightmare, but he was safe.


    Stepping back, couldn''t see anything in the darkness, he trampled on the undead''s head, that moaned painfully at the hit.


    "We¡­see¡­you¡­"


    The undefined moan evolved in a sentence: the voice was acute and hoarse as if a spike was crawling on a metal plate.


    "Wh¡­what''d you said?" answered Dag, incredulous. The head was talking without being connected with the rest of the body.


    The undead didn''t answer, continuing to moan indefinitely.


    "Who are you? Why do you want to kill me?!"


    "We see¡­you¡­" continued the undead.


    The voice got lower as if he was about to shut down.


    While the monster was talking Dag took a second deep breath and focused on the sound: he perceived a tone of sorrow in that voice as if something "human" was still fighting in that inhuman being, but wasn''t able to counter the darker part.


    "I''m sorry for you, brother. You must''ve been a good person¡­fair well" said Dag, breaking the silence.


    He moved his foot, to figure where the monster''s head was and touched it. Then he raised his sword, pointing to the head on the ground.


    With the tip of the sword facing down, he impaled it ending the undead''s suffering.


    Dag heard the skull shattering, then something flowing out of it.


    He grabbed the torch back from the wall and lit it to see what happened to the undead''s body.


    When the torch enlightened the cave, Dag figured out that the dead headless body was crumbling and evaporating in the form of black dense gas.


    He looked at the head.


    The skull was completely cracked and the undead''s face was leaning on the ground, with his mouth wide open and his eyes half-closed, staring off into space.


    The head was suffering the same process of the entire body: starting from the top of the ears, the dead skin was turning into dusky gas.


    Focusing on that scene, Dag noticed that some magenta liquid was flowing on the ground from the


    bottom side of the head.


    He got closer and touched the fluid.


    He smelled it: it didn''t seem blood, it smelled of rotten animal fat.


    That kind of decomposition upset him: he had never beheld such sights. That "thing" was undoubtedly unhuman. And it all began from that ravens! "We see you", what did he mean?


    Why "we"?


    That purple eyes. They really looked like Xis''. But why Xis should have done this to him? What were they "seeing"?


    Suddenly, Dag walked out of the cave, it was getting cold.


    The night was fallen on the mountain and the stars shined up in the dark sky.


    He thought about Freydis.


    He missed her, the smell of her hair, her lips, the warmth of her breath.


    Perhaps, a day not so far, he would be able to see her again. But first, he needed to control his new powers.


    He continued walking forward, moving away from the cave. After a few, he finally saw the farmhouse.


    It was a cylindrical main stone structure with another little cubic one on its side. Both had their roof made of wood and straw.


    On one of the sides there was a wooden watermill, still working.


    The sound of water slapping the mill''s blades made the atmosphere welcoming and peaceful.


    While he walked closer to the farm, Dag thought that one of the greatest warriors of the Hammers


    Of Thor started his journey from such a humble place.


    Magni had to be a strong fighter, he reached his current position on his own, thanks to his abilities.


    After climbing a few stairs, he reached the farmhouse''s door and searched for the key behind the brick, as Magni told him.


    He touched each stone brick, one by one till one of them slightly moved. He grabbed it and pulled it away from the wall, uncovering a long rusty key.


    He opened the door and entered the house, putting out the torch and leaving it against the wall, next to the door.


    Everything had been left in order: every object was in its place, starting from the clay pots on the shelf, till the bed that was covered by a sheepskin fur as if someone left it like this knowing never to return.


    Without hesitation, he left all his stuff on the floor, next to a table and threw himself on that bed. He was too tired to deeply inspect the house, even if he was a curious guy.


    Too many things happened to him that day: the exile from the Temple Of Orn, the tricky trail to the farmhouse, the undead monster that tried to kill him.


    He thought to his family, to Asa and Gridd. Did the bandits come back to his house? Was Brann''s axe still safe? What about Gridd? He hadn''t seen her for so long. And Eirik? It should be hard to keep on working without Stein on his side.


    While Dag continued asking questions, he deeply fell asleep.

 29 XXIX. The Hammer And The Sword

    When morning came, Dag woke up hearing the sound of hooves stepping on the terrain, getting closer to the farm.


    He quickly stood up and got ready for his Master.


    The Sun was covered by clouds and a biting chill filled the air.


    Dag opened the door. It was Magni.


    "Hey you, how are you?" said him.


    "I''m fine, Master, thank you" answered Dag. He didn''t know if tell him about the undead met along the way to the farm or not.


    "Okay, as promised, here I am. I brought you some goods. Food and clean clothes. When you find it necessary, you can wash with the mill''s water".


    "Yeah, I saw the watermill yesterday. I''m fine".


    "Good. Get ready for your training. Today I''ll show you your new training ground, the black pine trees forest. Pick your sword and follow me" continued Magni, hitching up his horse to a fence on the watermill''s side.


    Dag entered the farm again and grabbed his sword. Then he got out and followed Magni, that was already on his way.


    Together, they walked uphill, following a trail that passed through the forest.


    "Did you bring some scroll with you? You''ll have a lot of free time, not having to submit to the temple''s rules. You will establish when to train and when to rest" said Magni


    "Yes, I brought ''em. Master, what happened to whom lived here with you? I couldn''t help noticing that everything was accurate and in perfect order in the farm" replied Dag.


    Magni''expression darkened.


    "I spent my last days alone here. I used to live with my parents, until the day they died. They were humble farmers, somebody killed them" he said.


    "Oh¡­sorry, Master. I didn''t mean to¡­"


    "Don''t worry, Dag, it''s fine. I killed the murderers. The bastards used to live not so far from here. Perhaps they wanted to steal goods from my father''s carriage, and he resisted. From that day on, I decided to become stronger. You can''t need someone else''s protection if you want to stay alive" interrupted Magni.


    His face seemed thoughtful: he must have gone through a lot because of his parent''s death.


    "Anyway, here we are" he continued.


    In front of them, a large clearing opened into the forest.


    Old training dummies and wooden pillars were still there, with the signs of aging.


    "Those were my first enemies, Dag. In this place, I''ve learned how to fight. Day by day. It was hard, but finally, when I felt ready, I moved to the Temple Of Orn to prove my strength. I expect the same out of you" said Magni, admiring that place as if he was looking in a box full of memories.


    "I will not fail you, Master, I swear" answered Dag.


    "Master¡­" he continued.


    "What?"


    "When can I see my family again?" asked Dag.


    Magni sighed: "you will, brother. All in good time. If you don''t get stronger, you probably will die coming back to Jernhest. And if you leave Mount Torden before until you master level 3 skills, you cannot come back. You will be recognized as Renegade and will not be able to join a Clan again. Understood?"


    Magni had been clear. Dag nodded his head, confirming what his Master just said.


    "Good. Now, show me how you fight".


    Magni grabbed his hammer, then dropped it to the ground, clenching his fists in front of him, ready to fight his opponent.


    Dag pointed his sword to him and wait.


    He learned an important lesson during his training: to charge first didn''t mean to strike first. This time, he wanted to prove he was a skilled warrior, not just a youngster with energy to burn.


    Magni charged him, trying to hit him with a right hook.


    Dag dodged by lowering himself.


    So Magni tried again, this time with a shoulder bump and hit him, letting him stagger for the hit. Then kicked him frontally at the level of his head.


    Dag dodged him again and tried to strike back with a straight frontal punch, but Magni blocked it with his hand.


    With a quick movement, Dag freed himself.


    The two watched themselves. Magni was smiling at Dag, as a grandfather playing with his little nephew. He seemed completely relaxed as if he didn''t make any effort.


    On the contrary, Dag was breathing fatigued. Magni''s hits, even if did not strike, were hard to dodge. While he was hitting, Dag felt the surrounding air becoming heavier.


    This time, Dag charged first.


    He ran to Magni''s direction, throwing his sword in the air, over their heads.


    Then he slid under his legs: Magni was focused on the flying sword. After sliding, Dag kept on running towards his Master''s hammer, still placed on the ground.


    He grabbed the hammer, when the sword fell from above right next to him, sticking in the soil.


    After his move, in some seconds Dag was in front of Magni holding two weapons in his hands. The hammer and the sword.


    Magni was surprised.


    "Hahaha, look at you! You got me!" chuckled.


    Without a word, Dag charged him again. While he was running, Magni pointed his open hand against him.


    Dag suddenly stopped, as if he crashed into something really heavy, falling on the ground.


    Looking up, he figured that the hammer stayed locked in midair!


    Before he stood up back on his feet, the hammer flew fast towards Magni, releasing an electrical wake behind it.


    Magni clenched the hammer, that returned faithfully in his owner''s hands.


    When he caught it, the impact caused a shockwave at his back, making the pine trees creaking and the grass down by his feet razing.


    "I like you, Dag. You sure did surprise me. Enough for today. Tomorrow, at dawn you will follow the trail all the way to the top of the mountain. There, you will find several stone blocks provided with ropes on them. Tie them to your feet and wrists and with them, walk down the road, from the top to the exit of the cave. Then go back, and when you reach the top, leave the blocks exactly where you found them. I''ll join you right after" stated Magni.

 30 XXX. The Sounds

    "It will be done, Master" answered Dag, enthusiastic.


    After training, Dag and Magni went down the trail to the farm.


    Magni untied the horse from the fence: "See you tomorrow".


    Dag nodded his hand, while his master walked away.


    It was full morning, the sun began to sprout from behind the clouds, illuminating the mountain and the valley below.


    Dag returned to the farm to get a bucket to fill with water to wash.


    He kept thinking about the undead. He did not know why, but he thought his decision not to say anything to Magni was wise. He felt this thing particularly personal, without knowing why.


    The shrill voice of that humanoid continued to hammer his head.


    After washing himself with the cold water of the mill and the soap he had brought with him from the temple, Dag sat at the table and opened before him the scrolls he had managed to bring.


    There were 4 level 1 and 2 level 2 scrolls.


    Level one: Overpowered Strike, Call Of The Berserkr, Perforate, Slam


    Level two: Iron Skin, Niva


    Dag lined them up, tidying up each other. His goal was to complement his daily training directed by Magni, with the learning of each of those scrolls.


    The last time he was able to learn Earth Stomp''s in just one day, arousing the astonishment of the other temple warriors.


    The sun was still up. Dag''s stomach was starting to grumble.


    Dag opened the door leading from the main room of the building to a second room, where Magni had left the provisions.


    Among the various goods, he took a hare.


    In the main room, near the table, there was a small fireplace with a narrow chimney that ran on the wall up to the ceiling.


    With the steel and the splinter of pyrite lit the fire to cook the hare meat.


    Fortunately, Magni brought him mead and Dag drank it accompanying the meat.


    As he grabbed the hare''s thigh, he began reading the parchment entitled "Call Of The Berserkr".


    Like the last scroll he had read, it explained step by step how to perform the technique, how to position himself and what image to display in his mind.


    Call Of The Berserkr allowed the warrior to accelerate the pumping of blood into his veins, thus increasing his own speed of movement and the power of his attacks, but at a larger energy cost.


    After carefully reading the scroll, Dag extinguished the fire and began to sleep on a bed that felt like a pallet.


    "We see you"


    These words echoed in Dag''s head. He remembered the day of his Temporum: the Xis were interrupted when even their infallible machinery returned values never seen before.


    - UNKNOWN: 2%_SYST_ERR0R_


    What did that mean? Even the omniscient Xis could not decipher it.


    And the - ROMAN: 4%?


    Why 4%?


    Dag knew nothing about his parents, he only knew that his father had died, who knows where, who knows how. Probably killed during the extermination of the Xis.


    Maybe he was the one who was from the Roman Pantheon? Or his mother? Probably the dominant Norse gene was his father''s. He would have loved to have known them.


    There were many questions that Dag kept asking himself by turning in the straw bed of the farm, but they were questions to which he could not answer.


    The Xis had thought of everything. The human race had no chance of being reborn, except by submitting to their strict rules.


    Did the other Earthlings on Skjold have his own conscience? Did they ask the same questions?


    He didn''t meet one, he only knew about another Earthling: Brann.


    Dag thought of his childhood friend, Hiro. He was one of the most reliable friends he had ever known, perhaps the first and only.


    In any case, now he was on the planet Skjold, his questions had to wait. The only thing that mattered was getting stronger. The power would open new doors for him.


    Late at night, among the hoots of the owls in the woods, at last, he fell asleep.


    At dawn, he opened his eyes, as if he had a biological alarm clock. He was no longer accustomed to the rooster song of his house, on top of the hills of Jerhest.


    He recalled the training he had to undergo: he would walk all the way uphill, pass the clearing where he could train, and reach the stone blocks.


    He rose swiftly from the bed, laden with a new spirit. He felt a familiar itch on top of his right arm, this time above his bicep, just below his armpit.


    A new rune had appeared!


    It was that of Call Of The Berserkr, he was sure, verified by the scroll of the ability.


    It had happened again.


    He had learned a new level 1 ability in record time. Dag noted that it was enough to rest for a long enough amount of time to learn a skill.


    "How is that possible?" he thought.


    "Will it have anything to do with my new powers?"


    As these questions were asked, Dag left the farm, locked the door, put it under the removable brick next to him, and with his sword tied to his back by a leather strap he began to walk.


    Climbing down the street as he walked, Dag noticed something different in his way of perceiving things around him.


    The sounds.


    He perceived sounds relatively distant from him as if they were very close.


    The song of the birds, the rustling of the trees: he could hear every detail even from meters away.


    Without questioning too much, he kept walking. Probably all this was also due to the quietness of that side of Mount Torden and the clarity of its rarefied air.


    Dag reached the clearing among the black pine trees.


    He went straight ahead, leaving it behind. The air was drier and colder than the previous day.


    As the altitude increased, it began to get heavier, and Dag felt a weight coming from above him.


    Now he understood why Master Magni''s fighting style was so fluid and fast: for who knows how many years, he had trained in those woods, with that heavy air.

 31 XXXI. The Bread

    He kept walking. Gradually his feet began to sink into a thick layer of snow. In front of him, he could barely distinguish the trail due to thick fog, typical of the peaks of the mountains.


    Short reminiscences of the geology and geography lessons of when he was on earth made room among his memories.


    It had to be close.


    After about two hours of walking from the farm, he caught a pile of equidimensional rocks piled between two trees.


    "Finally!" thought Dag.


    It had to be the stone blocks Magni was talking about.


    He approached and looking better he made sure they were cubic-shaped rocks, weighing about 10 kilos each and with a thick rope tied on each of them.


    He lowered himself and picked up one, to tie it to his ankle.


    Once he did that, he tried to move his leg simulating a walk. With the rock tied on it, the movements were much slower: the weight of the anklet combined with the height of the snow on the ground made the movements extremely complex.


    As Dag tried to tie a rock to the other ankle, he heard a sound coming from the bushes in front of him.


    He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate as he had done in the cave when he faced the undead.


    He took a wide breath, inhaled and then exhaled deeply.


    A sound of breath echoed through the branches of the bushes: it came from below, the height was not that of a human being. It seemed to come from a beast, something that walked on all fours.


    And that something was slowly advancing towards him!


    The sound kept getting closer and closer, but Dag could not estimate how many meters he was. He just knew he was there, and he had to be careful.


    He slowly loosened his anklet and slightly pulled the sword out of the strap behind his shoulders. In the extraction, the cold wind hit the blade, which emitted a sharp sound.


    The noises coming in front of Dag stopped all of a sudden.


    The beast was closer, and the only sound coming from that direction was the slow sinking of claws into the snow. Whatever it was, it must have stopped: it sank in the snow because of its weight.


    Dag continued to concentrate, pointing his sword at the bushes in front of him, but could not distinguish those noises between the sounds of the wind, like a blizzard.


    Suddenly, a figure leapt out of the plants, attacking him.


    It was a wolf!


    Dag managed to dodge the blow and drove away the wild beast with his hand, throwing it a few


    meters away.


    It was a huge white wolf, with a dark gray snout. From his clenched teeth and growl, he did not seem to have good intentions.


    The wolf lunged back at Dag, trying to bite his legs, but Dag managed once again to dodge the blow and hit him on the back.


    The beast recoiled as if he understood Dag''s superiority.


    He began to howl and in the meantime, Dag focused on looking into his eyes. They were normal amber eyes, they weren''t purple.


    He must have been a real wolf or, at the very least, not controlled by some inhuman being like the crows who attacked him.


    He remembered having a piece of bread in his pocket and slowly tried to take it off, slowly unbuckled the bag.


    The wolf stopped and began staring at him, turning his head slightly.


    Dag held out his arm to the wolf holding the piece of bread in his hand.


    He stepped forward and the beast stepped back.


    He left the bread on the ground, in the snow before him, and walked away toward the pile of sass.


    The wolf slowly approached the food with a curved trajectory, looking at Dag with the tail of his eye, ready to attack him in case he got closer.


    Dag stood still to watch the scene.


    When it was close enough, the wolf quickly seized the bread and fled back into the forest.


    Dag could sense the wolf''s run, which was actually moving away from him. The danger had escaped.


    He grabbed four stone blocks and tied them to his ankles and wrists.


    An additional 40 kilos total weighed on him, in addition to his body weight, that of the mountain air and that of the snow that completely covered his feet.


    Making sure he put the sword back in his place, he began to descend down the same path.


    After almost an hour, Dag arrived at the clearing.


    The temptation to rest was strong, but he knew that he was not even halfway through the course and that if he stopped, he probably would not be able to complete the first part of training before the arrival of his master.


    He continued on the descent. The last stretch, the one from the clearing to the farm and then to the cave, was the steepest.


    Dag knew that the descent was the easiest part of the route, but he was still very fatigued.


    After the descent, he would have to repeat the path backwards.


    He continued without hesitation to descend, passed the farm and finally arrived at the exit of the cave. From the top to the lowest point, it took about three hours.


    He paused for a moment, sitting on the ground, slightly loosening the ropes that wrapped around his wrists. These were reddened with minor wounds at the imprint of the ropes.


    Sad with the pain, Dag again wore the weights on his wrists and resumed walking, climbing up the path. His only thought was to complete the training and meet the expectations of his master.


    The ascent took longer than the descent. After almost 4 hours he got to the top and finally got off the weights.


    Both his wrists and ankles were bruised and bleeding. They were burning to the touch.


    The morning had passed and the sun was high in the sky, rising from the clouds illuminating the mountain.


    Despite its heat, the snow remained heavy on the ground.

 32 XXXII. The Mountain

    Dag was exhausted. Drops of sweat fell from his forehead melting the snow as he crouched and sore.


    The weights were in place, the first part of the daily training was completed. Now all that remained was to go down to the farm and wait for the arrival of Magni, who would give other directives.


    Just as Dag was heading towards it, he caught a glimpse of his Master walking towards him.


    He greeted him with his hand.


    "Good morning, Dag," said Magni.


    "Greetings, Master. I completed the training you were talking about yesterday," Dag said, showing his wrists proving that he was telling the truth.


    "Very well. Let''s go down to the farm together. You''re going to rest for a little while and then we''re going to get back to training," continued Magni.


    Dag felt relieved.


    The two continued to the farm and when they arrived Dag freshened up with water and ate the new supplies that brought his master.


    "Will I ever return to the temple?" asked Dag, still with his mouth full.


    Magni sighed.


    "One day, perhaps. Now think about feeding yourself. Then you''ll show me your progress in combat".


    Dag thought of the skill he learned the day before, whose rune appeared on his arm during the night.


    He finished eating and then with Magni climbed up the mountain until the clearing.


    "Leave your sword on the ground," said Magni in a convincing tone.


    "Today''s training doesn''t involve the use of weapons," he continued.


    Dag obeyed and placed his sword on a tree behind him.


    Magni clenched his fists ready to fight and with his hand motioned to Dag to come forward.


    Dag walked towards him with a firm step, without charging.


    When he was close enough, he tried to hit him with a direct punch.


    Magni parried his fist with the palm of his hand: at that very moment, Dag felt as if he had lost control of his hand and arm.


    With a slight twist, Magni turned Dag''s hand into his own and simultaneously turned his entire arm around him, which stuck in his shoulder and caused him to lose his balance knocking him to the ground on his back.


    Having fallen from his spine on the ground, Dag lost his breath and lay on the ground for a few seconds panting.


    "His name is Adamant Mountain," said Magni, reaching out to his pupil, still on the ground in front of him.


    Dag grabbed his hand and got up.


    "What?"


    "It''s my technique, you won''t find it on any scroll of the Orn Temple," he replied.


    "Your technique?" asked Dag, curious.


    "Yes. I perfected it right here, in this clearing, on this mountain. And now I want to teach it to you."


    Dag was struck by these words. He did not think he was worthy of such trust, not even because he and his Master had known each other for a very short time.


    And why him? If it was really a unique skill, that no one but him knew, why not teach it to a person closest to him, with his own blood. Didn''t Magni have a son?


    As he thought, Dag was speechless.


    Magni continued: "Through this technique, you will be able to intercept any simple hit of your opponent. When you threw that punch at me, I saw it coming and I intercepted his center of gravity."


    Dag tried to move his hand: now he was able to move it perfectly, the effect of paralysis had


    disappeared after about ten seconds.


    "I could have done this technique on your own kick or any other shot. Finding the center of gravity of a shot is not easy, especially if you are in combat and don''t have time to think. Touching the center of gravity of your fist with my hand and impressing a force equal to yours with my palm I was able to pause your shot," Magni continued.


    Dag was astonished. While the techniques derived from the scrolls drew on the magic coming from the Gods, this one did not. It derives exclusively from the strength and determination of his master. He had never seen anything like that.


    "And how are you sure I''m going to be able to learn it?" said Dag.


    "As you threw your fist at me, I noticed that on your right arm now your runes are two, not one. That means you''ve learned another skill, and judging by the rune, it looks like it''s Call Of The Berserkr."


    "Unbelievable," thought Dag. Magni understood the new skill only by looking at his rune, for a quarter of a second.


    "All right, Master. I''m ready," Dag confirmed.


    After a few hours of training, Dag failed to perform the technique perfectly, but Magni said it was a normal thing: figuring out how much strength came from his opponent and using the same force to parry the shot was not an easy thing.


    Together they went down the path to the farm.


    "Today I brought you more food than usual, Dag. I''m not coming back here tomorrow, I have commitments that force me to travel to Jernhest. We''ll see again in about 4 days. I expect to see progress in your fighting techniques" said Magni.


    "All right, but I won''t be able to improve Adamant Mountain. I don''t have any opponents I can train with," said Dag.


    "That''s true. But there are so many other techniques you can improve. Your fighting style is still highly imperfect"


    "Fine. Thank you for your trust, Master," answered Dag, slightly bowing his head.


    Magni looked at him with a smile on his face, then said: "I don''t have time for this girlish sweet nothings. Tomorrow and the days that follow, you''re going to do the same workout of this morning. See you in a few days."


    Dag greeted Magni who rode his black horse without adding anything else.


    Dag dined again in front of the fireplace, in the only hot spot on the farm. As usual, he felt tired but satisfied with his training.

 33 XXXIII. The Friend

    He felt that both his body and his mind were growing and improving in the face, despite the difficulties.


    For once, he avoided asking questions and continued to enjoy the well-deserved dinner.


    Just as he turned the wood in the fireplace, helping himself with an iron stick, he heard a noise coming from outside.


    He got up immediately, alerted. His sword was resting right on the wall next to the chimney. Slowly, he approached it and seized it, ready to defend itself from the invaders.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    It was a sound of footsteps coming from about ten yards away from the farm door. The steps were close, it was not a single individual, but at least two.


    After a few seconds, the sound stopped. Someone was right behind the door.


    Dag was still motionless in front of the fireplace.


    The only useful window from where to spy outside the door was a few steps away from him, on the wall in front.


    Slowly Dag crept up the wall towards the window, with his sword clenched in his hands.


    He heard another sound, as if someone right behind the door was breathing very fast, or maybe crawling something against the door itself. He could not clearly distinguish the noises.


    At last, he could look out of the window.


    He saw nothing in front of the door, there was no one behind.


    The sound continued.


    Dag came even closer to the window and looked better.


    Outside it was dimly lit, the only light that illuminated the area came from the fire of the fireplace and from a candle resting on the table.


    Squeezing his eyes and focusing on the view, Dag saw something moving forward at the door, down.


    That "thing" warned Dag''s presence at the window and immediately turned to him: it was the wolf!


    At the sight of Dag, the big white wolf promptly recoiled circumspectly.


    Dag felt relieved, for a moment he thought it was another undead or who knows what.


    With the sword still in his hand, he opened the door.


    The icy, biting cold got into his bones after a few seconds with the door open, as he was not wearing his jacket.


    The wolf was there and stared at him.


    "What do you want?" asked Dag, as if the beast could understand his words.


    The wolf sat down in front of him.


    There was no doubt, it was the same wolf to which he had given the piece of bread that morning, he


    had the same dark gray snout.


    He didn''t seem to be aggressive.


    "Are you hungry?" asked Dag.


    The wolf groaned as if he wanted to answer the question.


    Dag slowly resented, keeping his eyes fixed on the wolf and the sword still in his hand.


    The smell of beef cooked on fire must have attracted him there.


    Dag came up to the table and took a piece of meat off his plate.


    With the flesh in one hand and the sword in the other, he walked back to the door.


    The wolf at that moment looked like a docile and affectionate beast, despite his white tusks sticking out of his mouth and his long claws sinking into the ground.


    Dag threw the flesh at the beast, who grabbed it and devoured it in a few seconds in one bite.


    "Did you come all that way just because you''re hungry? What kind of wolf are you?" said Dag, chuckling.


    The wolf was still sitting there, stationary in the same place as if waiting for more food.


    "Go away now, I need as much food as you, I can''t give you everything. Go!"


    Dag nodded his hand as if to drive him away, but the wolf still stood still in his position.


    After returning to the house, he closed the door and finished eating. As he ate he stared at the scrolls stacked on the table, right next to him.


    When a certain hour came, his eyelids began to close. He woke up after falling asleep for a short time on the table, extinguished the fire of the fireplace and went to bed.


    Two days passed.


    Dag continued to train as Magni had ordered him.


    After only 4 days of intensive training, he was able to get on and down the trail with weights much faster.


    Both his arms and legs were decidedly stronger, able to support greater weights over long distances and in adverse weather conditions.


    Every night, the wolf returned to the front door of the farm, always in the same location, waiting for Dag to give him food.


    Dag became familiar with the beast, taming it just like a real pet.


    He called it Thalos.


    During the night, Thalos stayed outside the farm, near the entrance, as if to guard.


    That day, Dag, after training, returned to the farm in the late afternoon to rest and feed.


    Magni''s food supply was coming to an end: the next day he would have to go hunting, to get some bushmeat.


    While roasting a salmon on the fire, Dag opened a new scroll: Niva.


    He recalled when Aslan spoke to him at the temple. Niva was a level 2 skill, useful to understand the level of strength of his opponents.


    Dag began to read it.


    After about half an hour, he had almost run out of salmon. He had left only one piece, destined for Thalos, who was waiting hungry behind the door.


    Suddenly, the wolf began to howl.


    Dag stopped reading.


    Although howling was normal for a young alpha wolf like Thalos, it didn''t usually do it at that time of the evening.


    It must have heard something.


    "Thalos!" called Dag.


    "What''s going on?"


    The wolf kept howling, undaunted.


    Dag rose from the table, picking up his sword.


    He made his way to the door.


    Thalos stopped howling and began to growl: he had surely spotted something!


    Dag quickly opened the door.


    The wolf kept growling in the same direction, right in front of them.


    The light coming from the farm only illuminated a small area beyond the entrance.

 34 XXXIV. The Jaw

    "Who''s there?!" yelled Dag.


    He couldn''t see and hear anything.


    In front of him was only the pitch dark.


    "Come on, whoever you are!" he continued, yelling Dag.


    Still no answer, only the icy wind that crossed the trees and slammed on the rocks.


    Dag focused.


    Suddenly he heard the sound of a tightrope as if someone was pulling a cord.


    In less than a second, he realized that someone was loading a bow to shoot an arrow!


    From the darkness, an arrow made its way towards Dag, in mid-air.


    Having sensed the direction, he was quick to dodge it and it hit the wooden door of the farm.


    Thalos continued to growl madly.


    "Calm Thalos, calm down. Wait," whispered Dag.


    A noise of footsteps broke the silence.


    Two shady figures came out of the darkness of the woods, walking towards Dag and Thalos.


    They were two men with their faces covered.


    One of them had a sword and a dagger.


    The other carried a bow and after walking about ten meters, he charged another arrow and shot it always pointing at Dag.


    Dag promptly dodged this too, which ended up shoved on the next door.


    The man with the sword and the dagger charged towards them.


    Dag prepared for impact.


    Thalos noticed the danger and ran towards the man, trying to bite him on the leg, but he managed to fake a change of direction, dodging the wolf.


    Soon after, he tried to hit Dag with the sword, but Dag deflected the blow, unbalancing his enemy, who made a half-twist in mid-air hit a second time with the dagger, causing a cut on Dag''s leg.


    Dag stepped back, without breaking down and keeping his guard.


    "And who the fuck are you?! And what do you want?!"


    The man lowered his hood.


    His face was almost completely disfigured, with a missing eye and part of his face burned.


    Dag tried to focus on his face.


    Within seconds, he realized that his face was familiar to him.


    "Don''t you remember me, insolent kid?" said the man.


    Dag remembered his voice: he was the leader of the bandits who tried to attack him and Magni on their journey from Jernhest to the Temple of Orn, the Renegades.


    "You..." said Dag in a low voice.


    "Because of you, your master almost killed me! Look at my face! Grrr... It''s all your fault, you idiot!" growled the man, trying to blow himself at Dag.


    He dodged the blow and crossed his arms, rehearsing an Earth Stomp, but his jumping enemy managed not to lose his balance and continued the attack.


    Dag parried the sword blow, repelling his opponent.


    He was strong.


    Perhaps he was the strongest enemy he had ever faced. Or rather, the strongest enemy who wanted to kill him.


    Yet Magni defeated him and 9 other Renegades with a single skill, without any


    effort. He really was a formidable warrior.


    Meanwhile, Thalos was struggling with the second man and seemed to get away with it rather well: Dag turned a moment to them and noticed that the wolf clutched the man''s leg.


    Shaking its head, it kept tearing it with his jaws and the Renegade screamed in pain, squirming on the ground.


    Taking advantage of Dag''s distraction, his enemy took a step forward and shoved his leg with the dagger, which was tucked inside his quadriceps.


    Dag gasped in pain.


    He made himself strong, and tore the dagger out of his flesh, bleeding.


    He looked at the man, who giggled.


    "Ihihih! Without your master, you''re nothing! I''m going to impale your head in front of the farm, so he can figure out what happens to those who dare to challenge the Renegades! Ihihih!"


    Dag was furious.


    After taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists and in an instant, the volume of his arms and legs'' muscles increased slightly. He felt his heartbeat pulsing and the blood pumping into his veins.


    It was Call Of The Berserkr.


    The wound on his leg stopped bleeding.


    Dag began to see everything surrounded by a slight red shade as if he had blood in his eyes.


    He charged at his opponent, who managed to dodge the first sword blow, but was punched in the face soon after, which knocked him to the ground.


    Dag felt like a fury coming from inside his chest, but it wasn''t the same sensation he felt before he was exiled from the arena: it was much more bodily than mental, as if his body spurred the mind to attack relentlessly up to kill, however, maintaining a certain self-control.


    The stricken man rose from the ground with his mouth bleeding.


    He wiped the blood from his face using his hand.


    From the right, Thalos returned to Dag.


    He had the head of one of the two attackers in his jaws. He stopped a few meters away: probably through his animal instinct he could feel the power and danger of Dag and was afraid of it.


    "But look... even the kid has balls! Hihihi," the man said, chuckling, despite the blow to the face.


    He stood up and crossed his arms resting his hands on his shoulders.


    He vanished into thin air in a cloud of smoke.


    Dag was surprised. The last time he witnessed such a technique was when long ago, the bandit killed Stein and tried to kill Asa. That bandit was a member of the Lies Of Loki Clan!


    The technique that his enemy had just used must have belonged to the same Clan!


    Dag turned immediately.


    The man had just appeared behind him, in mid-air, and was trying to strike him at the height of his throat, as if he wanted to behead him.


    Dag lowered himself, dodging the sabre.


    He quickly got up and threw a powerful upright under the enemy''s chin, before it touched the ground.


    A violent sound of broken bones was heard. Dag had just broken the Renegade''s jaw.


    The man fell back to the ground and the blood leaking from his face increased.

 35 XXXV. The Nail

    He tried to say something, but only confused groans came out of his mouth expressing the pain he was feeling.


    Dag walked closer.


    He kept feeling the power in his muscles, the effect of Call Of The Berserkr was still active, but it would fade after a few more minutes and he would be without energy.


    He had to finish his opponent at that instant.


    The man on the ground turned, with his back on the terrain.


    Dag placed one foot on his chest, holding him still.


    The man continued to pant, asking for mercy and waving his hand as if he wanted to beg Dag to stop.


    "I know who you really are. I know where you learned that skill," Dag said.


    He put his face up to the man''s face, keeping his foot firmly on his chest.


    "I will exterminate you one by one, Lies Of Loki will cease to exist," Dag continued in a somber and convinced tone.


    He wielded the sword with two hands vertically on the Renegade''s head.


    The man kept screaming and panting in fear. His only eye was completely injected with blood.


    "For Brann"


    Dag opened both hands, dropping the sword that only thanks to the strength of his weight pierced the man''s cranium, driving it into the ground like a nail in the wall.


    After a few seconds, he pulled the sword from his enemy''s head.


    He looked at the other: a headless corpse lay a few feet away from them in a bloodbath.


    Thalos was still there, beside him.


    The wolf came up as if to ask Dag for comfort.


    "You were good, Thalos" he said.


    Thalos kept staring at him with a serene air as if nothing serious had happened. He had his snout completely covered in the blood of the Renegade who had just tried to hit his master with two arrows.


    Dag felt sad. He wasn''t used to killing in cold blood and with so much anger. But at the same time, he felt a sense of pleasure, of enjoyment.


    He felt that by killing that Renegade who was part of Lies Of Loki had somehow done justice to Gridd and Asa, avenging Brann''s death.


    But it still wasn''t enough.


    The real enemy was somewhere on the planet, he didn''t even know if he was still alive. He was a man or a woman, a faceless and ageless character.


    The descriptions Asa gave when she told him of Brann''s death were detailed but not enough to identify the real culprit.


    Dag had only one certainty now: he would find Brann''s killer and brutally kill him.


    To do so, though, he would have to be stronger.


    Level 1 skills were not enough, as were level 2 skills.


    He had to improve his fighting style, becoming even stronger than his master and in need of a title.


    Somehow, his readmission to the Orn Temple must have been possible, convincing Magni that he was worthy of it.


    The icy wind continued to blow through Dag''s long blonde hair as he thought about his future.


    The effect of Call Of Berserkr was now over: his arms began to get heavy and his legs began to give way as if he had walked continuously for miles.


    He came back into the house. This time he also brought in his trusted friend Thalos.


    The wolf passed through the circumspect door, but once he noticed the heat that emanated from that place, he lay on the ground and fell asleep exhausted.


    While he was on the ground near the still-lit fire, he continued to lick from his snout the blood of the man he had killed just before.


    Dag left the sword by the table.


    It would have burned the corpses, which otherwise could have attracted ferocious animals that populated that mountain. But not at that moment, it was too cold and he was too tired.


    Call Of Berserkr had significantly increased his physical abilities, but it was a skill that had to be used sparingly. Using it in the middle of a fight against multiple rivals could be a double-edged sword.


    Dag took off his shirt and took off his pants.


    The wound on his thigh was still bleeding. He had to clean it and bandage it otherwise he would have got infected and it would have been a problem that would hinder his daily workouts.


    He entered the second room of the farm, where in addition to the food that was almost finished, there were all kinds of things: hunting tools, barrels, and buckets of various sizes, other tools of which he did not know how to use them.


    Wandering through a shelf, he found jars containing medical herbs and ointments of various kinds and tissue bandages.


    He medicated his leg, smearing a yellowish ointment on the open wound, after cleaning it with a wet tissue with water.


    He had already smelled that medicine once Asa cured Eirik who injured his hand by cutting wood in the woods.


    He tossed the narrow wound.


    Luckily the dagger that had pierced his leg was not very deep. Within a short time, it would be healed.


    He put the drugs back in their place and returned to the main room of the farm, making sure that he had left the door behind him well-closed: Thalos despite proving to be a reliable friend was always a wolf, and could raid his stocks Food.


    The wolf slept blissfully in front of the chimney and Dag did not feel like kicking him out.


    After extinguishing the fire, he put on clean clothes and went to bed.


    Two days later Magni would return and Dag would tell him about the Renegades ambush. His master would have been proud of him.


    As he was about to fall asleep, he heard a flutter of wings coming from outside: a crow began to croak and rested on the window sill next to the door.


    Dag turned in that direction, looking at the window.

 36 XXXVI. The Crow

    Without the fire on fire, it was difficult to distinguish the animal whose moon-lit contours could only catch a glimpse.


    The bird kept standing there, fixed on the windowsill.


    He was looking at Dag.


    He felt a feeling of discomfort on him: that crow seemed to be similar to one of those who gave birth to the undead who attacked him in the cave.


    To know this though, he would have to see the color of the beast''s eyes.


    He didn''t have time to turn on the torch to point it at the crow, he would fly away.


    Thalos kept sleeping in the same position.


    "Craa"


    The crow croaked again as if inviting Dag to communicate with him.


    He got out of bed and began to walk slowly toward the window.


    The moon illuminated the bird''s shiny black feathers.


    Dag came up to the window: the crow remained there, perched on the windowsill of the farm.


    Suddenly, Dag heard other sounds coming from various directions. Concentrating, he materialized in his head other crows, at least 8.


    They were all flying in that direction as if the crow that made him get out of bed called them back.


    In a moment, in the darkness of the night, a flock of crows dive-swooped on the two corpses!


    Croaking madly, the birds began to tear the bodies, tearing pieces of meat and cloth from their clothes.


    The voracity with which they fed was not natural at all: they must have been the same crows who attacked him.


    As his companions dilated the dead bodies of the two Renegades, the crow on the windowsill continued to stare at Dag.


    Dag and the crow were a few inches away, separated only by the glass.


    When the animal croaked for the umpteenth time, Thalos woke up with a start, beginning to growl toward the door.


    Dag was paralyzed.


    He sensed the look of that being on him and felt cold.


    The same inhuman cold he felt that morning, when he entered the Great Court, in front of the crowd of Xis.


    By now he had no doubts: the Xis were keeping an eye on him. Crows were just a few of the animals


    they used.


    He remembered the deer, then the rabbit. Who knows, maybe even the rabbit was controlled by them.


    He looked at Thalos.


    He still looked like a normal wolf, perhaps the Xis had not been able to take control of his conscience for who knows what reason.


    Outside the house, the two corpses had now been completely devoured.


    The crows had snatched the flesh off them as if they had sharp teeth.


    Dag looked more closely at the crow on the windowsill.


    Its beak was large and sturdy, pitch-black. Its eyes fixed on him.


    At last, he took courage, took the sword and opened the door.


    All the crows flew away, except the one there.


    "I know who you are," said Dag, pointing his sword at the crow.


    As he spoke, Thalos hurled himself at the bird, trying to catch it between his jaws, but the crow soared, biting his ear.


    The wolf groaned and resented soreness.


    "I said I know why you''re here!" shouted Dag.


    Finally, having changed his perspective, he was able to verify the color of his eyes. They were purple and vitreous.


    "Why do you keep obsessing over me? You sent me to this planet and I obeyed you, what do you want from me now?!"


    The crow kept flying in mid-air.


    Thalos was still growling when he suddenly stopped, beginning to whine.


    "What''s going on?" said Dag, looking at his wolf friend without realizing why he was scared.


    Just as it was turned, the crow stopped flapping its wings and fell to the ground, as if it had died suddenly.


    Thalos kept messing around. Then he turned and went back into the house, terrified.


    Dag stepped back.


    The crow looked dead.


    He tried to approach, when the bird moved again, emitting a strange noise of broken bones and writhing.


    Within a few seconds, the being changed shape: its wings became feathered legs and its head rotated completely, deforming itself.


    The undead crow rose from the ground: he was alive again!


    Dag was paralyzed. The bird had turned into an abomination and was ready to attack it.


    The crow emitted a metallic and grotesque verse, charging towards Dag like a fury, running uncoordinatedly on his transformed paws.


    When it was close enough, it jumped towards him trying to scratch him.


    Dag managed to hit it violently with the sword, cutting off one of its paws.


    The being fell to the ground, screaming in pain, with the severed paw spraying blood.


    Dag remarked well: it was not simple blood, it was the same magenta liquid that came out of the severed head of the undead in the cave!


    The beast raised its severed paw and a sharp blade appeared from the wound.


    Dag was terrified.


    That being was in pain. Something was possessing it from the inside.


    "Leave me alone!" kept shouting Dag.


    He attacked the beast, with a blow.


    The crow tried to dodge the shot and hit Dag who intercepted it and with a clear shot beheaded it.


    The crow''s deformed head rolled away, continuing to make moans. The bloodied body writhed on the ground as if it had a life of its own.


    Thalos scrambled back through the farm door, checking if Dag was okay.


    "What the hell is going on, Thalos?" said Dag, staring at the body of the feathered being.


    Dag grabbed his head: the crow had grown 3 more eyes and 2 small appendages next to the beak. It was a terrifying scene.


    Soon after, both the head and the corpse began to decompose, releasing that thick, black gas.


    The magenta liquid was still on the ground. Dag passed over it a finger, to smell it. It was a sweet smell and was more viscous than normal blood.


    He didn''t know why, but something in the smell and texture of that fluid attracted him, he was hypnotized.

 37 XXXVII. The Woman

    With the tip of his tongue, he tasted the liquid on his finger.


    Despite the tiny amount of fluid ingested, Dag felt strange: a feeling of power filled his body to such an extent that he could feel and see at an even greater distance than his more developed average senses.


    His pupils dilated and the blood in his body began to circulate more slowly. His heartbeat slowed down: it was as if, for a few seconds, he had reached a state of absolute calm.


    The effect lasted a few moments when Dag recovered. He felt like after waking up from a beautiful dream.


    "What the fuck is this?" said him aloud.


    Thalos rotated his head, trying to figure out what afflicted his young master.


    Without thinking twice, Dag ran to the farm and took a vial he had just seen on the same shelf as medicinal herbs and ointments.


    He went out again and filled the vial with magenta fluid.


    He didn''t know why, but he felt extremely strong power after ingesting a single drop of fluid: he absolutely had to know more.


    He returned to the farm, Thalos followed him.


    "Maybe I should wipe your snout, my friend," said Dag, turning to the wolf.


    Thalos kept staring at him.


    After filling a bucket of water, Dag soaked a rag in the bucket and approached his friend.


    He had never been able to caress him, but approaching him cautiously, it was easier than expected.


    After cleaning Thalos'' snout, he pulled the vial out of his pocket and continued to fix that fluid. He probably should talk to Magni the next day.


    The matter was getting too complicated and Dag didn''t know if he could handle it completely on his own.


    First the undead attack, then the Renegades and lastly the mutant crow.


    No one in his 18 years of life had ever told him about things like that, not even during his earthly childhood.


    But that feeling of power, of invincibility...


    Dag kept thinking about it intensely.


    He had the ability to greatly increase his strength, combining that power with what came from the skills he was learning.


    Poor Dag was exhausted.


    He went back to bed and fell asleep like a rock.


    After a few hours of sleep, he woke up. The morning light lit up his face as he passed through the window.


    He touched his leg and raised his bandage slightly to see what the condition was in.


    The leg was definitely better and the wound had almost completely healed, leaving a deep scar. The ointment must have taken effect.


    Dag got out of bed and walked to the table, to check if the vial with magenta blood was still where he had left it the night before.


    It was still there, in a little leather bag next to the scrolls. He took her, taking it with him.


    As his leg was definitely better, although Dag still felt a broken bone feeling on himself, he was determined to continue his training.


    After drinking water and eating a loaf of bread to regain his strength, he wore back his clothes and left the farm, walking down the uphill path.


    Bloodstains still painted the scenery in front of the entrance. There was nothing left of the bodies: the crows had dusted everything, to the last bone.


    The corpse of the undead raven had disappeared into thin air and its magenta blood remained untraceable: perhaps the vacuum of the vial prevented the fluid from coming into contact with the oxygen, which would have evaporated much faster than a normal liquid.


    Dag remembered something of the chemistry lessons Lady Ysabel taught on earth.


    That liquid did not seem to comply with many chemical laws, but Dag understood that by increasing the pressure of his container, hermetically closing the vial, it could prevent its evaporation.


    He kept walking along the path. Thalos followed him, keeping his distance. He was probably hungry and looking for a morning snack.


    When he reached the clearing, Dag stared at the training dummies. He wanted to try to exercise "Adamant Mountain", but he didn''t know how.


    He also read something about "Niva" a few days earlier but had noticed that no new runes appeared on his arm.


    The day before he could use Niva against his opponent, thus managing to guess his level of strength, but he was too scared.


    He wanted to end the fight as soon as possible.


    He continued to climb the mountain, to head for the stone blocks.


    The path became narrower and steeper.


    Suddenly, when he was almost at the top, he heard sounds coming from the dense forest to his right.


    They were sounds of branches moved and trampled, of fast steps. It looked like someone was running through the trees, but in a disorderly way and with an irregular stride.


    Dag turned, looking behind him. Thalos wasn''t there, he must have gone away to hunt.


    The sound in the trees grew more intense. Dag''s hearing had improved even more, he could see that sound in the distance even without focusing particularly.


    He left the path and headed in the direction of the noises, driven by curiosity.


    Among the tall, dense black pine trees of the forest, the light of the sun that had just risen barely passed, leaving in darkness some areas.


    Dag could hardly see anything, only followed his incredible hearing.


    After walking about half a mile, he finally managed to see something moving between the plants.


    She looked like a woman.


    Dag continued to approach, crouching slightly: the woman was running away from something. She moved frantically and was out of breath.


    Dag thought about the farm and that side of Mount Torden. His master was specific when he told him that the closest village to the farm was about 9 and a half miles away.


    That woman seemed to be exhausted. He''d probably been all that way before, if not more.


    She kept looking behind her to see if who or what was following her was still behind her.

 38 XXXVIII. Anlegg

    Dag stopped, the woman was now close even though it seemed that she didn''t notice him.


    As she ran, she turned to him.


    "Aaaaah!" the woman shouted, frightened to see Dag suddenly popping up in front of her.


    She crashed into Dag''s chest, almost causing him to fall.


    "Leave me, ugly son of..."


    "My Lady, calm down! I don''t want to hurt you!" Dag interrupted her.


    The woman took a few steps back.


    "Who... who are you?" she said softly, frightened.


    "My name is Dag. What happened to you?" he asked.


    When these words were spoken, before the woman could answer back, they both heard a sound of horses coming from that same direction.


    "Help me! Please!" said the panicked woman.


    "But... but..." said Dag, caught off guard.


    A few feet behind them, an old tree had its trunk hollow and swollen toward the lower end.


    "This way. Silence!" Dag continued, guiding the woman to the tree, pointing to the hollow in which she should have been hiding.


    The woman lowered herself and managed to get into the lowest part of the tree trunk.


    Dag removed a small bush from the ground and put it in front of the cavity, perfectly concealing the woman.


    He turned and walked away.


    After about a minute, three men on horseback approached him: they were all warriors, he could tell from the armor they were wearing and the weapons.


    One of the 3 horses wore armor, metal plates on the sides of the snout, metal ear guards and a knitted crush on the back and hips. His knight was supposed to be a famous warrior in his Clan.


    Dag pretended to collect herbs and wild plants from the woods.


    "You, boy!" said the man on the armored horse.


    Dag pointed to himself: "Who? Me?"


    "Yes, you. Where did she go?" asked the man. He had a menacing tone, and Dag sensed that if those men found her, her end would probably be atrocious.


    "Who are you talking about?" he said, pretending to know anything.


    "Don''t be silly, kid. That woman. She''s got something that belongs to me. Tell me where she is!" he continued.


    The warrior began to get angry.


    The other two men on horseback also stared at him, trying to figure out if his answers were sincere.


    "I haven''t seen anyone. It''s just me around here. I was picking herbs and edible berries when I saw you coming," said Dag, trying to be as convincing as possible.


    "Commander, the boy lies"


    One of the two men behind spoke.


    Dag was surprised but remained impassive. He couldn''t give in the eye.


    "Why would I lie to you... what interest could I possibly have for a fugitive?" continued Dag.


    "Why are you carrying a sword, boy?" the commander asked.


    "You never know what kind of dangers await for you in these woods. Lately, I''ve been seeing dangerous wild animals," answered Dag.


    "Come on, she can''t be far!" the man on the horse in his armor signaled to the other two to continue the search, believing Dag''s story.


    Without question, the warriors walked away.


    Dag breathed a sigh of relief.


    He approached the tree in which the woman was hiding.


    "They''re gone, you can get out of there," he said.


    The bush moved and from the crack in the tree trunk came the terrified woman.


    "Where are they? Did they leave? Are you sure?"


    "Calm down. They''ve gone away, I''ve convinced them to follow a path that won''t take them anywhere," said Dag, trying to calm her down.


    The woman breathed a sigh of relief too.


    She was a woman of medium stature and a little chubby, in her fifties.


    "Now if you don''t mind, can you explain to me why were you fleeing from those people?" asked him.


    "Yes. I apologize and I thank you for saving me. See, that man on the black armored horse is one of the strongest warriors of the Horns Of Heimdallr" said the woman, gaining Dag''s attention.


    She continued: "My husband and I lived in Anlegg, a village of a few inhabitants about ten miles from here. This morning those men broke into our house and killed him before my eyes!"


    The woman began to cry profusely.


    "Those bastards! They destroyed my family... my life..." continued.


    Dag felt a deep sense of sadness on him.


    "How did it happen? And why did they kill your husband, what did he do so badly?" asked Dag.


    "Absolutely nothing! He was always a formidable warrior until he got sick a few months ago," she said.


    "I''m so sorry," replied Dag.


    "After I finished with him, those bastards tried to **** me. They wanted my husband''s necklace at all costs, the last memory I had left of him. Luckily I managed to hit one of them while the others were distracted and escape."


    The woman was in tears, she was suffering a lot.


    "Your husband''s necklace?" asked Dag.


    "Yes, this"


    The woman put a hand under her robe, at breast height, and pulled out a string necklace with a metallic pendant.


    "Can I see it?" said Dag shyly.


    The woman hesitated for a moment, then handed it over to Dag.


    The pendant was a metal horseshoe. The value of that object was paltry, but its affective value was certainly higher.


    Dag handed it back into the woman''s hands.


    "Those men were so cruel that they wanted to take away even the last memory you had of him. I don''t understand why, but it''s really bad. The important thing is that you are safe now".


    On the surface, although Dag had looked at him carefully, he looked like a normal object. What if he had magical powers? She wasn''t able to say it just by looking at it or holding it in her hand and the woman didn''t seem to know much about it.


    The woman again wore the necklace around her neck.


    "I''ll take you back to your village, it''s not safe here. Do you have anyone to stay with?" asked Dag, trying to comfort the woman, who stepped up and stopped crying.

 39 XXXIX. The Pendan

    "I think so," she replied.


    "Well, let''s go then. We have to hurry, those men could come back..."


    As Dag was talking as he looked at the woman, an arrow pierced her head. Blood spatter splashed on Dag''s face, who was paralyzed.


    With her mouth open and her eyes lost in the void, the woman fell to the ground lifeless.


    "Aaah... fuck!" exclaimed Dag, holding his sword.


    The men on horseback had returned, evidently, they had not fully believed Dag''s story.


    Dag looked at the woman on the ground. For a moment she thought she was safe. Maybe at least she died without suffering.


    Dag felt a sense of anger. An innocent woman had just been killed before her eyes by power-hungry men. He won''t never forgive them.


    He bent over her body and slid out her husband''s necklace from the woman''s neck.


    He didn''t know why, but instinctively he felt he had to protect that object, to preserve the memory of that man who died unjustly.


    He put the necklace in his pocket and took a few steps back.


    The men were riding in that direction.


    Dag pointed his sword at them.


    The three men stopped a few feet before him.


    "Eh eh eh... boy, why did you lie to me?" said the man on the armored horse.


    "What do you want from this woman? She didn''t do anything to you!" said Dag, on the defensive.


    "How dare you make fun of the big Kval, you little garbage?" said one of the men behind.


    So that was his name, Kval of Horns Of Heimdallr.


    Kval got off his horse.


    "Give it to me boy, and no one''s going to get hurt," he said.


    "What do you want?" said Dag, still pretending not to know anything.


    "I''m really losing patience! The pendant, you idiot! You know what I want!" yelled Kval.


    Dag pulled the pendant out of his pocket. At the sight of the necklace, the men''s eyes lit up as if they had just seen a priceless treasure.


    "This?" asked Dag.


    "Give it to me now!" said Kval, approaching him.


    Dag put the necklace back in his pocket.


    "Why do you want such a low-value pendant so much? It''s the last memory that woman had of her husband. And you killed her in cold blood. I can''t stand this kind of thing," Dag''s expression changed radically, becoming gloomy and angry.


    He looked at the men defiantly.


    Kval raised his arms and signaled to the two men behind him to get off his horse: "take it"


    At these words, the two men charged simultaneously towards Dag.


    One of them was armed, the other with his bare hands.


    The second tried to hit Dag with a punch: it was a good opportunity to try Magni''s technique!


    Dag focused on the incoming fist.


    In the middle of his opponent''s middle finger, he saw it as a small bright dot. It was supposed to be the center of gravity!


    Dag moved the sword in his left hand and with the palm of his right hand blocked the shot, trying not to impress too much force: the man seemed to be decidedly less strong than him, too much energy would not activate the ability.


    The fist hit Dag''s hand. He felt like a rumble behind him.


    Judging by the enemy''s astonished expression, it looked like Adamant Mountain had worked!


    Dag rotated his hand and the man fell ruinously to the ground.


    In the meantime, however, the other was also attacking him.


    Immediately after landing the first, Dag raised his sword and managed to parry the blow.


    Then he stared at the man on the ground.


    He moved at times and seemed unable to get up from the ground. He did it! He had learned Magni''s personal skill with very little practice!


    These were the only thoughts in Dag''s mind, who fought those men more as a workout than a real threat.


    He turned to the man who tried to hit him.


    With a quick stroke of the hilt he hit his chin and when the man resented the blow, Dag shoved to his side and pierced him in the ribs.


    The man uttered a cry of pain when Dag turned the blade of the sword inside his body, shattering his rib cage.


    The man stopped screaming.


    Dag pulled the sword out of the enemy''s body, kicking him to the ground.


    "Minus one," he thought.


    That fight was even fun for him. Real enemies were certainly better opponents than inanimate old dummies.


    The man on the ground began to regain the sensitivity of the limbs. He tried to get up.


    When he put his hands down, trying to push himself, Dag threw his sword at him, piercing him on the shoulder.


    He walked towards him, snared the sword still impaled and drew it violently, causing abundant bleeding in the man.


    Before this one could say a word, he struck him again by slitting his throat.


    The man began bubbling, spitting blood and dying slowly.


    Dag stared at Kval, with the bloody sword in his hand.


    Kval began to applaud ironically.


    "Well well, who the fuck are you, boy?" he said, as he drew a double-headed axe from his back.


    "One that''s better not to provoke too much," Dag replied, ironically.


    Wielding the big axe, Kval began to walk with a menacing air toward Dag.


    "Oh oh oh, listen to this one!" he said.


    He came up again and without saying anything, waved his axe against him, striking him.


    Dag parried the blow, but it was of such power that he threw it against a tree about 3 meters behind him.


    Dag slammed back into the trunk of the tree, then fell to the ground.


    "What the...?" he whispered to himself.


    He stood up, staring at Kval, who kept walking towards him.


    "Boooy! Listen to me, give me that necklace," he said.


    He kept insisting on that pendant.


    "Why is a stupid pendant so important?! I just don''t understand!" replied Dag.

 40 XL. The Ram

    Kval began to run, charging at him, shouting.


    "Give me that necklace!"


    Dag prepared to dodge the axe blow. Being Kval''s weapon very heavy, he tried to hit Dag who easily managed to dodge the shot, but when he tried to hit Kval himself, he parried.


    This new enemy was very strong in defense.


    With normal attacks, Dag probably wouldn''t have been able to hit him. He had to use his new skills.


    He quickly crossed his arms and tried to strike with Earth Stomp. The ground beneath Kval began to shatter when he jumped high despite the weight of his axe and tried to hit Dag, totally ignoring his ability.


    Dag sideways dodged the axe blow from above. If it hit him, he''d probably split it in two.


    He moved a few feet away.


    "You''re fast, kid. But sooner or later I''ll catch you," Kval said with a sadistic expression, twisting his head. A crazy smile appeared on his face.


    Soon after, he put his axe behind his back.


    Dag looked at him suspiciously.


    Kval snapped forward and put his hands on the ground, starting to run like an animal, on all fours!


    He was quickly heading towards Dag when two large horns of ram appeared from his head.


    Dag opened his eyes wide to that vision: it must have been a skill derived from the Kval Clan! He recalled that Heimdallr, their baseline God, had a large pair of horns like those.


    In a few seconds, Kval was already ahead of Dag, who didn''t have time to think. He tried to dodge the blow, but with a movement of his head the man hit him with a horn, injuring him on the arm.


    Fortunately, the blow was not well settled, otherwise, the horn would have pierced Dag''s arm.


    Kval turned furiously on four "paws" and charged Dag again, who this time waited for the goat to be close enough to jump over him.


    He jumped, grabbing him by the horns and tried to sink the sword on his back.


    He noticed that not all of Kval''s body had turned into an animal: he was a kind of humanoid, half man, half mutton.


    He narrowly sank the sword into his back. The armor had been pierced, but his skin was much harder than the human one.


    He had to apply "Perforate" to his shots, otherwise he would have barely scratched it.


    As soon as he was hit, Kval groaned.


    At the end of his run, he stopped and returned to his feet like a human. The big horns were still on his head.


    He touched his back and looked at his hand, full of blood.


    "Grrr! damn brat! Give me the emblem I told you!" he yelled. Extracting the axe and sprinting back towards Dag.


    "The emblem?" thought Dag.


    That''s why that necklace was so important! It was one of the ten emblems! But which one?


    Dag parried the blow, but Kval hit him in the face with the axe rod, causing him to fall to the ground.


    Dag coughed up blood. The blow was really powerful.


    "That emblem is mine, it belongs to me rightfully! I was the one who defeated its owner! If you want it, you''ll have to defeat me first!" continued Kval, waving more like a beast than a human being.


    Dag didn''t know what emblem it was, but that warrior was really strong. His shots were so heavy and ignored every attempt of parry. His sword wouldn''t have been enough to deflect those blows. He had to attack powerfully to kill him.


    "Emblem?" asked Dag, his mouth bleeding.


    "That pendant is the No. 10 emblem," Kval said.


    "Unbelievable!" thought Dag. He planned to win all the emblems one at a time, but he never imagined that they would find him.


    If he had given the necklace to Kval without a fight, he probably would have killed him anyway. He didn''t seem like a person to bargain with.


    Dag was determined to hold the pendant.


    Perhaps with the emblem, he could regain the trust of masters Egill and Dargeon and could return to the temple.


    Dag got up and thrust his sword beside him, into the ground.


    He clenched his fists and felt the blood pump quickly.


    "I know that technique, you''re a member of the Hammers Of Thor!" said Kval.


    Dag didn''t stop focusing.


    Call Of The Berserkr had been activated: he must not waste a second.


    Shooting forward, Dag grabbed the sword and charged at Kval.


    With a rotation of his body, he tried to hit him violently with the sword at chest height, but Kval deflected the shot, kicking Dag in the stomach.


    He spat blood again.


    "Not even with my upgraded body I can do anything to him!" thought Dag, worrying seriously.


    Kval approached Dag crouching on the ground and gave him another kick, more powerful than the first, causing him to roll to the ground in pain.


    "You''re pathetic," Kval said disdainfully, venting from his nostrils.


    He lowered himself towards Dag and grabbed him by the hair, lifting him off the ground.


    He tore off the bag that contained the necklace and then dropped Dag again.


    He took the necklace and threw the bag to the ground.


    From the ground, Dag saw the vial fall from the bag, near him.


    After taking possession of the necklace, Kval wore it around his neck.


    "Hahahah! At last! The emblem is mine!" he chuckled with satisfaction.


    "You definitely made me angry, kid. I won''t spare you! Die!"


    He tried to hit Dag with the axe, but he rolled to one side, dodging the blow.


    The axe lodged in the ground.


    As Kval tried to extract it, Dag took a snap of the vial.


    "Uh?"


    Kval turned to him unaware of what was about to happen.


    Dag uncorked the vial and drank the magenta blood all at one sip.


    He felt a feeling of omnipotence flowing through his veins, from the tip of his toes to his head.


    The sword fell from his hands.

 41 XLI. The Horns

    In the meanwhile, Kval pulled the axe from the ground.


    "What the hell are you doing, kid?! I''m sick of you!"


    Loading the shot, Kval tried to hit Dag, ready to kill him.


    With a slight movement, Dag dodged the axe blow and grabbed it with one hand.


    With a stunning facility, he disarmed Kval by pulling the weapon away and clutching the blade, shattering it into a thousand pieces.


    "Aaaah!" yelled Kval, frightened. He flinched as if he had seen a monster.


    His indestructible heavy metal axe had been shattered by one hand.


    Continuing to retreat, Kval stumbled upon a branch and fell backwards to the ground.


    "Who the fuck are you?! What are you?!" he said, staring at Dag.


    Dag was there, still.


    His sword on the ground near his feet.


    His musculature was still increasing, due to Call Of The Berserkr.


    His eyes fixed the void and one of his pupils turned to deep purple.


    Dag began to walk towards Kval, who crawled backwards.


    He got up and quickly tried to throw a direct punch at Dag, who parried the blow with one hand and clutching it mightily, shattered all his fingers'' bones.


    Kval knelt down in pain, touching his hand.


    Dag grabbed him by the horns and lifted him off the ground. Stretching his elbows and applying strength on them, he broke one.


    Kval uttered a heartbreaking scream. Those horns, though they had popped in an instant, were part of his body.


    "Stop! You can keep the necklace! It''s yours if you want it! Let me go!" pleaded Kval, as Dag held him up by a horn.


    Dag kept feeling that sensation of omnipotence inside his body. Kval seemed to weigh as much as a gnat. His power had increased dramatically by drinking the magenta blood.


    As Kval continued to beg for mercy, Dag shoved his horn under his chin, piercing his throat and jaw. The tip of the horn came out of Kval''s mouth and with it a river of thick blood.


    At the sight of the blood, Dag felt a strong sense of enjoyment. He didn''t know why, but at that moment, killing was the only thing he wanted.


    He continued to sink his horn into Kval''s throat, which began to gurgle: his eyes were injected with blood and his arms began to hang down strengthless.


    With his other hand, Dag tore the necklace from his enemy''s neck.


    Then in a quick gesture, he pulled the horn towards him, tearing off Kval''s jaw, shattering several bones in his neck and skull.


    With his face half-open and completely covered in blood, Kval fell to the ground dead.


    Dag stood there, standing still to observe Kval''s nerves moving his dead body for the last time.


    He stood up and looked at his blood-soaked hands.


    He had been able to kill such a strong enemy without weapons, and had shattered an axe as if his hands were as hard as titanium!


    That didn''t make any sense. With his skills only, he wouldn''t be able to fight Kval. He owed his victory to that mysterious magenta blood.


    He looked at the vial on the ground: it was empty, he drank all its content.


    For some strange reason, his "dark" powers were tied to that fluid: based on the amount he took, they increased.


    His muscles began to deflate, but within him, the feeling of stillness and power remained. Maybe the effects of the fluid were permanent. Dag didn''t know much about it.


    The only thing he knew was that the No. 10 emblem was in his hands.


    With that emblem, perhaps he could come back to the Temple Of Orn.


    All four bodies were around him. The woman, the two men, and Kval.


    He approached the woman''s body and pulled the arrow from her head.


    He turned it on itself and wrapped it in her own cloth cloak. He lifted her up and walked back the trail.


    On his shoulders, he did not feel the weight of the corpse.


    While walking, he soon glimpsed Thalos wandering through the trees. He must have smelled blood. He was probably far from him, otherwise, he would have run to help him against those men.


    The fight lasted only about ten minutes.


    Thalos saw Dag and began to approach him, but he stopped a few feet away. He watched him carefully, trying to smell it.


    He began to growl at Dag.


    Dag looked at him carefully: he did not seem to have anything strange, his eyes were still normal in color.


    "What''s going on, my friend? I almost got killed, do you know that?" he said.


    The wolf calmed down after hearing his friend''s voice but continued to keep the distance from him as he walked.


    Thalos acted as if he did not recognize Dag: perhaps his smell was different, or he was simply frightened by the corpse he carried on his shoulders, covered by the cloak.


    "Follow me, Thalos! Don''t worry, it''s always me!"


    Dag kept on walking and after reaching the trail, he continued to the farm.


    He slowly felt the effect of Call Of The Berserkr completely fading away: perhaps this time its effect lasted longer.


    After a long walk, Dag finally arrived at the farm.


    It was a sunny day, the sun shone brightly through the mountain.


    Dag placed the woman''s corpse in front of the farm.


    Making sure she was far enough away from the entrance, he took some straw and dry grass at the border of the nearest wood and created a homogeneous carpet where he rested the woman''s body.


    With the metal stick and the fragment of Pyrite, he set everything on fire.


    Within a few minutes, both the straw and the woman were burning.


    Dag stood watching as if to pay homage to the dead man.


    "Brave God Thor, if you can hear me, make sure you lead this innocent soul into Valhalla. She fought to the death to save her husband''s soul, let them meet again and toast with you and Odin."

 42 XLII. The Arrow

    It was the first time Dag tried to make contact with a God.


    He was not entirely convinced that it really existed, on Earth he had been taught that Gods were only concepts that human beings created in order to take refuge in something, to give a reason to what was unjustifiable.


    But his abilities, the powers that Skjold''s warriors possessed... Magni had told him that they came from magic, that is the link between humans and Gods.


    What if it was all real?


    What if the Gods really existed?


    Dag looked at the pendant in the shape of a horseshoe.


    "If anyone knows I have it, then he might come and claim it," he thought.


    He shook it in his hand.


    He thought about how far he had come and how many difficulties he was going through. It all happened in a short time: the expulsion from the Temple Of Orn, the undead, all the ambushes and attacks he faced.


    And now this. The emblem.


    Maybe it was a reward for his misadventures, but he still had to fight hard to earn it.


    He thought of his family. Asa, Gridd, Eirik. He missed them. He missed the tranquility of his house in the Jernhest''s hills.


    It had been about a week since he left the capital for the Temple with Magni, but it seemed like a year.


    Freydis.


    He wondered if he would ever see her again. She had probably already left for Skjegg, the Crows Of Odin''s city.


    Perhaps his continued desire for power made him forget the importance of his family and the girl he was in love with.


    Dag wanted to return to Jernhest, but he also knew he could not waste the second chance Magni granted him.


    The fire kept burning the corpse.


    In the air, the white smoke of the straw joined the grayish smoke of the woman''s flesh and clothes.


    Thalos approached him. He seemed to be no longer afraid.


    Dag patted his head.


    Then he turned around, intending to return to the farm when he heard a noise coming from the bushes of the woods nearby.


    Thalos began to growl.


    Dag looked intently toward the woods.


    The fire was about to extinguish, but it did not allow him to clearly understand the situation.


    The wolf began to run towards the bushes in front of them.


    "Hey! Stop Thalos, wait!" shouted Dag.


    As he ran, Thalos was struck by something from the woods and fell to the ground without moving.


    "Nooo! Thalos!"


    Dag began to run towards his friend.


    He lowered himself towards him.


    On his neck, in his thick fur, he saw a small arrow with a kind of cylindrical tank.


    The wolf seemed unconscious.


    Dag got up and began to walk circumspectly toward the woods.


    Nothing happened and the noises seemed to be gone.


    "Who''s there?" he yelled.


    No answer, just the chirping of birds on the trees.


    Dag continued to walk, moving into the vegetation.


    He drew his sword, ready to face the man responsible for what had happened.


    Suddenly, he felt like a pinch behind the back of his head.


    It was an annoying feeling as if he had just been stung by an insect.


    He touched the point with his hand and pulled out from his neck a small arrow identical to the one that hit Thalos just before.


    As he looked at the arrow, Dag began to feel stunned and see blurred.


    "Who... is there?!" he tried to scream again, but his mouth did not seem to respond to the commands.


    Within a few seconds, he fell to his knees.


    He felt his strength fading when another small arrow struck him behind his back.


    Dag sank to the ground unconscious.


    ...


    "Even if, without Xis, we probably never would have met. I hate them for their cruelty, but thank them at the same time for this"


    "You''re right. I love you Freydis, I love you with all my soul and body"


    ...


    "I... love you Fr... eydis..."


    Dag opened his eyes.


    He was dreaming about Freydis, remembering the last moments they passed together.


    He was still lying on the ground, his face on the floor and his mouth open, as if he was sleeping soundly.


    The effect of the poison that made him faint did not yet vanished completely. He kept seeing everything blurry.


    He felt that his cheeks were touching something different from the ground of the woods. Something colder, as if it were iron.


    Dag tried to move, but he only partially succeeded.


    He was slowly regaining his senses.


    "Whe¡­re¡­where am I?" he whispered.


    When he finally managed to focus, he realized he was no longer in the woods near the farm.


    In front of him, he saw thick iron bars.


    He put his hands on the ground and was sat down, resting behind bars.


    "Where the fuck am I?"


    He soon noticed that he was in a cage. He was kidnapped.


    He held the bars in his hands and tried to lean over his head to figure out his whereabouts.


    The cage was on the side of a large hall with stone walls. Several torches and other ornaments decorated the walls: heads of wild boar and deer, weapons and bones of various kinds. They looked like human bones.


    In the center of the room, there was a long wooden table with a dozen chairs around it: it looked like a dining room.


    "Heeeeeey!" yelled Dag, after regaining his voice completely.


    "Anyone''s theeere?!"


    His voice echoed in the hall.


    To the right and left, two doors were dug into the rock.


    Dag tried to force the bars, but he couldn''t. They were too thick and resistant.


    "Thalos!" he exclaimed, thinking of his wolf friend.


    "What happened to him? I shouldn''t have left him there!" he thought.


    He checked his pockets. The pendant was gone.


    He continued to painstakingly check in every pocket and recess of his clothes but could not find anything, not even the Pyrite fragment.

 43 XLIII. The Banque

    He looked around in the cage: even his sword was not there.


    In those conditions, he would never be able to break free. He felt like a caged beast.


    He stood up, but the cage was not high enough. It was probably designed to contain bears or other ferocious large breed animals.


    He got down on his knees, his hands resting on the ground and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.


    From the corridor on the right, there was no noise, but from the left one, he could hear something.


    They were indistinct voices.


    They were not very close: the walls of that place amplified some sounds.


    Considering that both the walls and the doors seemed to have been dug into the rocks, that place must have been inside the mountain.


    As he tried to hear the noises better, Dag tried to imagine how long he had been unconscious, so he could see how far the kidnapper had dragged him.


    He had to be a man and also a strong one to be able to lift and carry him since he weighed about seventy kilos.


    Maybe he wasn''t alone, they were more than one.


    Dag screamed again, trying to get the attention of someone in those corridors.


    "Heeeey! What do you want from me?!"


    He thought of Thalos. He was wrong to enter the woods, he should have been more careful and should have brought the wolf to safety.


    Who knows where his friend was now. And who knows where he was.


    The distant voices gradually became closer to the left.


    Dag continued to scream, with the cage bars clenched in his hands.


    His body seemed to be back to normal, the feeling of power was gone.


    Suddenly a man sprang from the right corridor.


    He had a sharp dagger in his hand.


    He approached Dag, who resented the cage.


    "You''re lucky, you little scum! They want you to stay alive, I don''t know why. I would have killed you already if the decision was mine!" said the man, threatening Dag with the dagger.


    "And who the fuck are you?" asked Dag.


    "You killed my brother, you ugly piece of shit! You''re not going to get away with it! When King Hjalmar''s done with you, I''m going to kill you. I''ll tear you to shreds, I''ll cut you into many little bits, you bastard son of a bitch!" the man continued, looking out of the cage, tucking his arm inside.


    Dag was scared. The anger that the man felt towards him was real. Who was he talking about? Who was his brother?


    Maybe one of the warriors riding with Kval?


    "Listen to me. I apologize for your brother, whoever he is. He certainly tried to kill me! So far I''ve killed just to defend myself, please, get me out of here!" said Dag.


    The man looked at him with an air of contempt. He spat on him.


    "You''re going to pay for it," he concluded.


    Meanwhile, voices from the left corridor were now very close to the room. Men came out the door, talking to each other, laughing as if nothing had happened.


    Dag looked at them as if looking for a friendly gaze.


    They didn''t notice him, and they sat down at the table.


    Gradually, the room was filled with people from those corridors, mostly men.


    They all looked like warriors. Each of them wore a red drape and had a small skull on him.


    Some had hooked it to the belt, others had it around their necks like a necklace, others had embedded it in the hilt of the sword.


    It was a skull much smaller than the human skull and judging by its shape, it looked like that of a bird, perhaps a raptor.


    Everyone sat around the table.


    At the head of the table was a chair taller than the others.


    It was probably meant for this Hjalmar.


    Why did he call himself King?


    The Viking King was one, Einarr. He was the owner of emblem No.1.


    No one seemed to notice Dag. The cage was as part of the d¨¦cor.


    The man who had threatened him was still there, in front of the cage. He kept staring him in the eye.


    "Listen, I told you there must have been a misunderstanding! I would never kill for the sake of it!" said Dag, trying to justify his gesture.


    "I did," the man replied. Putting his arm between the bars of the cage, he grabbed Dag by his leather jacket and pulled him towards him, pointing the dagger at his throat.


    ...


    "Well, well, well! What do we have here?"


    A baritone voice interrupted the indistinct voice that echoed in the hall.


    Immediately, the man left Dag and walked to the table, to take his seat. All the men in the room rose from their chairs and bowed their heads, silently.


    A large man, more than 2 meters tall, entered the room. On his face, a helmet in the shape of a human skull partially covered his face and he had a bone crown on his head.


    On his mighty arms, both uncovered, were a hundred different runes.


    That giant was supposed to be Hjalmar. He looked like an extremely powerful warrior.


    He approached Dag''s cage, which rose, though not completely, given the size of his cell.


    He stopped in front of the cage and said, "What was that man telling you over there?" pointing to the man who was threatening him with the dagger just before.


    Dag was surprised by the question.


    The man interrupted by saying, "Her Majesty, I did not want to disrespect you by speaking to the prisoner before you, I just wanted..."


    Before he finished speaking, Hjalmar turned to him, staring at him.


    Immediately the man fell silent and bowed his head, subdued.


    "He told me I deserve death because I killed his brother," Dag said, taking courage.


    "And is this true?" the King asked.


    "I guess so, I''m not sure," Dag replied.

 44 XLIV. The Slave

    "Have they ever told you what happens to those who kill one of us Renegades?" continued Hjalmar.


    At these words, all the warriors around the table began to agitate, as if they were about to celebrate something.


    Hjalmar nodded his hand toward them and fell silent again.


    "Then?" he asked.


    "Those men tried to kill me by breaking into my house. I just defended myself," Dag said, addressing Hjalmar.


    "Ahahahahaha!" the King burst into a fat laugh. Everyone in the room did the same.


    As soon as Hjalmar stopped laughing, there was silence again.


    In one shot, he grabbed Dag by the jacket and pulled him towards the bars, slamming him on them and holding him still in that position.


    "Your stupid Master has for no reason killed 9 of my most valiant warriors!" yelled Hjalmar in Dag''s face.


    "Killing you now would be too easy, I would only do you a favor! You will suffer. You will suffer for 9 days and then I will kill you myself! I will dismember you with my hands and decorate the ceilings of my castle with your guts, little insignificant being!" he continued.


    Dag had his face attached to the bars. He could not move in the slightest, Hjalmar''s strength was far greater than his own.


    "It... It wasn''t... my fault," Dag said with a thread of a voice.


    Hjalmar dropped him back to the ground, in the cage.


    He snorted as if he were annoyed by that answer and without adding anything else, went to sit at the head of the table.


    "Now, we eat," he said.


    From the right corridor, women began to come out with various dishes in their hands, on trays.


    All in a row, they approached the warriors so as to distribute the trays evenly all over the table.


    Judging by the chains they wore at the ankles, and the dirty rags they wore to cover their nakedness, those women looked like slaves.


    There were about ten of them, Dag could not figure out exactly how many they were because there was great confusion in the hall as soon as they entered.


    The warriors were as mad at the sight of those women, some of them very young.


    Two female warriors also sat at the table but did not make a turn.


    Dag watched a particular warrior, as he palpated the back of one of the slaves, who was resting a tray containing a boar''s head on the table.


    That slave was a young girl with black hair, tied up. When the man began to touch her insistently, the poor girl said nothing. She was as if she was resigned to her own fate, spending the rest of her days locked up in that place serving and revering crude and vulgar men.


    Dag watched the scene when the girl placed the tray and turned, to return to the door from which she had entered.


    Dag and the slave''s looks crossed: her eyes were deep blue. Even though her face was dirty and sweaty, that girl was beautiful.


    He turned to the door and kept walking.


    Dag stared at her.


    Before entering the door to the right of the hall, the girl turned again, looking for Dag''s gaze, which reciprocated her attention.


    The men continued to feast.


    The smell of meat and other food on the table was really inviting for Dag and his stomach grumbled intensely.


    A couple of the warriors seated at the table noticed Dag staring at the food and threw bones already dusted with wild boar meat into the cage.


    "Oink! Oink! Hahahah!"


    The two laughed at Dag, mimicking the animal''s verse.


    Dag was too hungry not to check if there were any flesh rhymes left on those bones.


    They weren''t like that, they were just bones.


    Those bastards were making fun of him.


    He remembered the episode in which Magni killed the Renegades, while the two of them headed to the Temple Of Orn.


    He did so with such a lightness of heart that Dag did not believe that there would be such serious consequences for him. Those two Renegades had been following him for days.


    They had studied his behaviors and habits, even managing to understand when Magni was walking away and when he returned. When Dag was alone for days, they attacked, believing him to be vulnerable.


    "If only Magni were here, he''d kill every one of these useless pieces of shit," Dag thought, fantasizing.


    His Master would return to the farm the next morning.


    Judging by the fact that the men in that room were eating, it had to be lunchtime.


    Or maybe dinner time?


    Being that place windowless, it was impossible to know for sure what time of day it was.


    Dag didn''t know how long he lost consciousness.


    That "castle" as Hjalmar had called it had made him lose his knowledge of time and a sense of orientation.


    Dag kept watching the men eating, especially Hjalmar.


    "Who really are these Renegades? How many are there? Are they really just here in this castle or are there other ones spread in other regions and continents of the planet?" thought Dag.


    But it was hard to think of on an empty stomach. The men finished feasting, leaving Dag high and dry.


    Hjalmar rose effortlessly from his chair, emitting a verse of effort.


    He walked to Dag''s cage.


    "Do you like that girl, ah?" the King asked.


    Dag looked at Hjalmar with an incredulous expression: he did not believe that he had noticed the look between him and that girl.


    Hjalmar looked toward the right door and nodded his hand.


    A man came out of the door dragging the girl, pulling her by the long black hair towards the King.


    Dag continued to look at her as she writhed and tried to free herself from her grip.


    The man threw her to the ground, in front of the cage.


    The girl raised her face, looking at Dag as if she were asking for help with her eyes.

 45 XLV. Iss

    Hjalmar grabbed her by the hair, lifting her off the ground.


    While holding her crown with one hand, the other grabbed the young woman''s face, clutching her cheeks.


    "This is her, am I right?" he asked.


    Dag tried to remain impassive, but from his face the anger he was feeling at the time transpired.


    He didn''t answer.


    "She comes from Earth, like you, my young friend," Hjalmar chuckled.


    "What?!" exclaimed Dag in disbelief.


    It was the first time he had encountered a landman under slavery. And how did Hjalmar know he was from Earth?


    "Hahahah," Hjalmar chuckled.


    Dag grabbed the bars of the cage and waved them forcefully.


    One of the nails that held the cage fixed on the ground broke off.


    The man next to the King became frightened and stepped back.


    "His Majesty, I''m afraid this cage is not strong enough to hold the prisoner" said the man, worried.


    Dag kept watching Hjalmar, full of rage.


    The cage had moved, maybe there was some hope. Dag had to wait: he would try to free himself as soon as those men had moved away and he remained alone.


    "Don''t be afraid. The prisoner won''t be freed. His skills won''t take effect until he''s locked in there" Hjalmar said.


    "What?!" thought Dag, impressed by that statement. He would try to use Earth Stomp trying to break through the base of the cage, but now he knew it would be useless.


    But how was that possible? How could a simple iron cage prevent him from using his abilities?


    Dag couldn''t understand why.


    Maybe Hjalmar was just lying to discourage him.


    Suddenly, the "King Of Bones" left the girl''s face.


    "Look at that beautiful little body," he said, tucking a hand under the girl''s robe, which began to squirm unnecessarily.


    Dag began to get angry.


    "What the fuck are you doing? Let her go! She has nothing to do with it!" he yelled.


    Hjalmar was doing everything he could to make him as angry as possible, he was doing it on purpose. Dag had to try to keep his composure.


    He took a deep breath, pretending not to mind the scene in front of his eyes.


    Hjalmar kept beating the girl''s body. First her breast, then her underbelly. She could not free herself, the grip on her hair was too strong.


    Dag still tried to remain impassive, but he couldn''t.


    He crossed his arms and tried to use Earth Stomp to break the cage.


    Nothing happened.


    He checked his arm.


    His runes were still all there.


    "But how..."


    "I told you, silly little boy. Your skills have no effect in there" Hjalmar interrupted.


    Just as he spoke, a shady figure lunged through the left door.


    A hooded man with a curved back entered the room at a slow pace, helping himself with a long stick, at the end of which there were several human and animal skulls.


    Hjalmar stopped talking and turned to the hooded man.


    "Come on, my trusted advisor, father of all shamans!" he said.


    The closer he got to the cage, the more Dag could feel an aura of negativity orbiting around him.


    More than just a human being, he seemed like a magical being.


    "You won''t be able to get out of the cage in a hundred years," the man said, with his high-pitched and hoarse voice.


    "That cage is capable of suppressing the strength even of the greatest warriors of Skjold. It''s one of my most beautiful creations" he continued, approaching the cage and grabbing one of his bars.


    Hjalmar left the girl who fell to the ground terrified and sat on the floor, staring down.


    Dag stepped back.


    Focusing on that figure, he noticed that around the man appeared a yellow aura. A similar one, but of a deep red appeared around Hjalmar.


    Dag tried to figure out what it was.


    It was the effect of Niva!


    Days earlier he had tried to learn that skill, but he had not yet succeeded.


    At that moment, he felt like a pinch on his arm: it must''ve been the rune that was affecting his skin.


    Although the cage held back his attacking abilities, perhaps it was different for Niva, being a non-offensive skill.


    Dag tried to remember what did he read on the scroll of that skill.


    Focusing on the enemy''s breath, he would see around him an aura of a certain color, directly proportional to his strength. The visible aura came from the type of air exhaled from the lungs of the opponent in question.


    The color scale ranged from blue for enemies with "common" strength level, to green for those with "heroic" strength level, till red for those with "legendary" strength level.


    All the intermediate shades were also covered.


    Dag strove to remember all the details of the skill, to better understand what kind of warriors he had in front of him and if he could defeat them.


    Judging by the red aura around Hjalmar, it had to be really powerful.


    Alone, he would never be able to beat him.


    For the shaman, however, the story was different: he had a yellow aura around him, that was, intermediate between green and red.


    He was as strong, yes, but not as strong as his ruler.


    As Dag made his remarks, Hjalmar said, "He is Myr, Chieftain of the Renegade Shamans," pointing to the man with the hump.


    "Thank you, my lord. The name of a lesser being like me should not even be pronounced by your noble mouth," the man replied, making a slight bow, slightly leaning against his stick.


    Then he turned to Dag and said, "I know the Clan you''re a part of, kid. I know every skill, every trick, and secret. Thanks to the Iss rune I''ve imprinted on this cage, your Clan''s offensive and defensive abilities will have no effect."


    "Iss?" said Dag.


    "The rune of isolation. Inside your new prison, the bond between you and the Thor God ceases to exist. Without that bond, you can''t tap into the source of his power," Myr concluded, chuckling in delight.


    Dag was stunned.

 46 XLVI. The Snake

    It was the first time he had been spelled by a shamanic rune.


    [...] Unlike Berserkrs and Shieldmaidens who inhale the magic of the Gods fighting with their bare hands or through the weapons they wield, the Shamans use spells, a type of magic linked to runes and sacrifices of living beings [...]


    Dag recalled having learned something about Viking shamans when he was still on Earth.


    "Your skills are stunning, Myr. As always, I am pleased with your services," Hjalmar said.


    Myr made a slight bow.


    Dag didn''t know what to think. He was doomed by now.


    Only Magni could have freed him from that prison. But what if he didn''t get there in time? What if it took too long?


    "You''re going to let me rot in here, aren''t you?" asked Dag, in a heartbroken tone.


    "Hahahahaha"


    Both Hjalmar and Myr burst into a fat laugh.


    The man who had dragged the girl was still there, behind them and he also laughed, to please his ruler.


    "Are you afraid to die, kid?" asked Hjalmar.


    Dag grabbed the bars, approaching them with his face.


    "You''re the afraid ones, you idiots! Otherwise, you wouldn''t keep me locked up in here! Cowards!" he yelled in Hjalmar and Myr''s face.


    Shaking, the cage moved again, squeaking.


    "We? Fear... you?" said Myr, as Hjalmar kept chuckling, making fun of Dag.


    The shaman took off his hood.


    He was an elderly man, with a thick grayish beard aged by time.


    On his wrinkled face, there was a huge scar that covered almost the entire face, passing over one eye, which was no longer between his eyelids.


    In addition to the main scar, his face was covered by many other deep, smaller scars.


    The only eye left was red. His skin did not look like that of a normal human being: it was very pale as if he was a corpse.


    "I''m not afraid of anything, brat" replied the shaman. At these words, he lowered his arm to the ground and opened his hand.


    A noise began to be heard, like a hiss.


    From the long sleeve of his cloth robe, a large black snake came out, crawling on his arm until it reached the floor.


    The girl, at the reptile''s vision, was so frightened that she let out a scream. While still on the ground, she began to retreat, until her back touched the bars of Dag''s cage.


    The snake continued to crawl toward the cage.


    It arrived in front of the girl, who was paralyzed in fear.


    "No! I beg you!" said the young woman, pleading for mercy.


    Dag was right behind her, on the other side of the bars.


    The snake rose to the girl''s face, swaying sinuously.


    It slowly began to contract the muscles of its long body, preparing to quickly attack its prey.


    Dag looked at Myr.


    The animal was moving under his control!


    He had been able to summon a real beast directly from his body. Dag couldn''t believe his eyes.


    In an instant, the snake snapped towards the girl''s face, opening its mouth wide, showing off its sharp hooked teeth.


    "No!" yelled Dag, trying to defend the victim.


    Myr nodded his hand.


    The serpent stopped, with its mouth still open, just over an inch from the poor girl''s face, which kept shaking paralyzed.


    From its sharp upper teeth hung small droplets of a greenish liquid.


    It was certainly a venomous snake. If it had bitten its prey, she would have died within a few hours.


    Myr moved his hand again, and the reptile crawled back toward him until it slipped back into the sleeve of his robe.


    Dag was heartbroken. His heart was beating fast in his chest: he was afraid to watch the death of that girl before his eyes.


    Hjalmar approached the cage.


    The girl moved immediately, to avoid being trampled by the King Of Bones.


    "It was Myr who convinced me to leave you alive for 9 days. If it was up to me, you would have died in that forest before you were even captured by my men," he said.


    Dag looked at Myr.


    The old shaman was impassive, and with his red eye, he reciprocated Dag''s gaze.


    "He heard something coming from you. He felt a dark power," Hjalmar continued.


    "Not just any darkness," Myr interrupted.


    "It''s an energy much more like our Gods than yours," he continued.


    "Your Gods?" said Dag, incredulous.


    "We have stopped believing in the false Gods. Odin, Thor, Freya... They can''t do anything against the power of the all-powerful Xis!" said Myr, looking upwards.


    Hjalmar listened to the smug speech, his arms folded.


    Dag opened his eyes wide.


    "It''s not possible... did he really say that they practice the cult of the Xis?!" thought Dag, frightened.


    "Wh... who?" he said, pretending he hadn''t heard well.


    "You got it right. The omniscient Xis are real and tangible. Their power is boundless and we are their humble servants on this lower planet! They allow us to live, according to their rules. They grant us the grace of being able to breathe! The only thing they ask us in return is our absolute fidelity" Myr continued as if he were reciting a prayer.


    Dag clenched his fists.


    "You''re just fools! The Xis are evil beings! It''s true that if we are still alive it is only thanks to them, but it''s also true that they have betrayed and enslaved the entire human race! They have exterminated all the men on the planet and force billions of women every day to procreate to give birth to children who will be separated from them at birth! Their science and powerful technology do not justify this infinite cruelty!" yelled Dag tearfully, as if he wanted the Xis themselves to hear those words.


    The girl looked at him intently. His eyes became shiny as if she was going to cry. She looked at Dag admiringly, as if for the first time she had heard someone really tell the whole truth about what had happened to Earth.

 47 XLVII. The Threa

    "Grr... how dare you?!" said Myr.


    He pointed the palm of his hand at Dag, who was thrown back, until he slammed into the back of the cage, pushed by an invisible force.


    It seemed as if a gust of strong wind made him fly away like a leaf falling from a tree.


    He wasn''t used to facing someone with magical powers.


    After banging and falling to the ground, Dag stood up, staring at the shaman and Hjalmar with a look of defiance, to emphasize his belief in what he had just said.


    "Listen, you insolent¡­ you''ve had enough attention for today. Myr will conduct experiments on you until our top masters tell us what to do," Hjalmar said.


    "The Xis told you to catch me?!" said Dag, in shock.


    "Thanks to our Xis Lords, I figured that you took possession of this" Hjalmar replied, pulling the horseshoe pendant out of his pocket.


    "That pendant belongs to me, I earned it in combat!" replied Dag.


    "Our masters know my ambitions. They know that after all these years I have become much more powerful than the false King that those poor deluded people worship like a God... so they directed me to you, to the No.10 emblem. With this emblem, I will finally be able to begin my social ascent to the throne!" said Hjalmar, full of himself.


    Dag was really annoyed.


    "You''re doing everything wrong," he said.


    "Uhm?" said the King, doubtful.


    "You don''t have to trust them. For them, we are only guinea pigs, inferior beings on which to experiment! You don''t know anything... you don''t know how cruelly human beings are treated on earth. You don''t know how much they believe themselves above us. Since we were born we have been brainwashed, so that we can recognize the Xis as the only protagonists of our salvation, but that is not the case!" continued Dag.


    The King Of Bones came up to him, looking upset at him.


    "I''m tempted to kill you now, with my own hands" Hjalmar said, growling in anger.


    Dag came up with his face until he touched the bars of the cage, inches from Hjalmar.


    "So¡­why don''t you do that? You wouldn''t be different from them" Dag said, taunting him.


    Hjalmar began to be blind with rage. Dag''s insolence had to be punished, he could not allow him to speak to him in that way before his subordinates.


    The King kept staring at Dag, full of rage.


    "What kind of ruler are you? You can''t even decide for yourself, you have to ask the consent of others" Dag continued.


    "Your majesty, don''t let this foolish little boy distance you from your faith. Ignore his provocations. I''ll handle this. He will wish to be dead himself" Myr said, trying to calm Hjalmar.


    "Do you see it? Without someone to tell you what you need to do, you''re less than insects to me!" Dag continued undaunted to provoke him.


    Hjalmar''s face turned as red as fire.


    "Silence!" added Myr, who, with a gesture of his hand, made Dag fly away again, letting him fall back to the ground.


    The man behind them stepped forward and said: "It''s true, your Highness. Maybe you should..."


    Hjalmar grabbed him by the head and lifted him from the ground. Clutching his head in his hand, the man began to scream in pain: in a few seconds, his skull cracked into a thousand pieces that flew everywhere, soiling the blood room.


    "No one asked for your opinion," Hjalmar said as if the man now deprived of his head could listen.


    He released the man, whose corpse fell to the ground, lying on the floor as if it were an empty bag.


    The girl was still standing next to them, sitting on the ground, her eyes wide for what she just witnessed.


    Dag was blood-soaked, like everyone else.


    Before he could add more, the King told him: "We''ll see you soon, it''s not over with you. You will be punished properly".


    Dag continued to stare at him, never looking away.


    "His majesty, in the meantime we can punish him in another way..." chuckled Myr.


    Dag looked at him carefully, trying to understand his intentions.


    "Our Lords have yet to tell us what his fate will be. But this young slave... it''s not worth much and he seems to care about her particularly much," he continued, pointing his finger at the girl.


    She rose from the ground, her back against the bars of the cage.


    "Please, no! I didn''t do anything!" she said, agitated.


    "What do you have in mind?" asked Hjalmar to Myr.


    "Tomorrow will be our usual weekly ritual to get in touch with the supreme Xis. We could offer them a small human sacrifice, to pay homage to them for their goodness towards us! In that case, we may also ask them to make a quick decision for the boy, so if they give us confirmation, you can kill him with your own hands!" the shaman continued.


    "No! No, please! Don''t do this to me!" said the girl, praying with her hands.


    "As usual, your ideas are excellent, Myr. That''s what we''re going to do. The girl tomorrow will be sacrificed to please our Gods," Hjalmar concluded.


    Dag was speechless.


    The Renegades were petty men, without honor.


    They wanted to kill him right away, but because they couldn''t do it, they wanted to hurt him at all costs. The only way to hurt him at that time was to hurt the girl.


    Dag looked at her.


    She reciprocated her gaze, looking at him fixed in the eye.


    Her big eyes once again asked for help to Dag, who felt responsible for the sad fate the innocent girl was facing.


    Dag tried to reassure her, without saying a word.


    He wouldn''t let her die, now he was even more determined to free himself from that dilapidated cage.


    "Renegades!" yelled Hjalmar, calling his men to report.


    Two warriors came out of the left aisle.

 48 XLVIII. The Flask

    "Clean this crap!" he said, ordering the two men to clean up the blood and remains of their partner''s body.


    The two looked at the headless body on the ground, in a pool of blood. Without asking questions, they began to clean the hall.


    Hjalmar was supposed to be a tyrant. Evidently, his level of strength was too high than that of the other renegades. Dag wondered which Clan was he part of and why he had been driven out despite his strength.


    Hjalmar, without adding anything else, turned angry and left.


    "Look what you''ve done, scum! You the King! How dare you provoke him despite your disadvantageous condition?!" Myr asked Dag.


    "Pick on someone as strong as you!" replied Dag.


    "And who would he be? You? Don''t make me laugh. your strength level is much lower than ours, almost on par with our simple soldier" Myr continued.


    "So this is it..." thought Dag. Even the shaman was able to use Niva, or who knows what other skill that allowed him to discover others'' level of strength.


    Was his level that low? Dag thought back to his fight against Kval. The Ram Warrior wasn''t weak at all. He was one of the strongest warriors he had ever faced.


    Myr was lying, perhaps fearing his real potential.


    On the other hand, he had locked him in that special cage that limited his power.


    "Then let me out of this cage and chain me like a normal slave. If what you say is true, I will be harmless and obedient. If I try to escape, you can catch me again and kill me, since my level of strength is so low" Dag said.


    "Don''t try to be smart with me, kid" Myr said.


    "I can sense the aura that you emit. How did you gain the Void power?" he continued.


    "The Void power?" said Dag, unaware of what the shaman was talking about.


    "Don''t be silly, aren''t you tired of lying? Your power... cannot come from the Norse Gods. No, the Xis must have donated it to you" Myr replied.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, old man" Dag replied.


    "I crave it... All my life I''ve tried to absorb the power of the greatest warriors who ended up in the grip of the Renegades" the shaman said.


    "Absorb?!" asked Dag.


    "Despite my efforts and devotion, the high Xis have never rewarded me with any kind of supernatural power. But you... you have something more, and soon it will be mine!"


    "What the hell is he talking about?" thought Dag, as the shaman looked eagerly at him, as if he had great plans in store for him.


    Void power... was that of the Xis. On earth, nannies referred to this power all the time. The power of emptiness allowed the matter to be shaped at will, making a normal body immortal and immutable.


    This is exactly why Xis used human-shaped bodies as "containers". The human aspect was only apparent. The true appearance of the Xis was always unknown.


    Dag kept growing and his body kept changing over the years. There was no doubt, Myr was wrong: the power of emptiness was an immense power, which belonged only to Xis.


    "It''s not as you think. I saw it. I know what the Xis are really capable of. Their power goes far beyond the capabilities of the greatest of Skjold''s warriors. They would be able to kill you just by looking at you!" said Dag, approaching Myr.


    He was speaking sincerely, from human to human.


    For a second it seemed to him that the shaman was listening.


    "Believe me, I''m telling you the truth. Free me from this cage and I will tell you everything you want to know about them" Dag continued.


    The girl got up from the ground, still in a state shock. Her face was partially covered in blood.


    Dag was very close to Myr, staring at the floor, thinking back to Dag''s proposal.


    "Free me¡­" Dag said, believing he could break into the shaman''s heart.


    Immediately, Myr grabbed his arm, forcibly pulling him out of the cage.


    Dag tried to free himself, but although the shaman was elderly, his strength was remarkable.


    Using the arm lever against the cage, Myr immobilized Dag in that position for a few seconds: in the meantime, he pulled out a small sharp knife.


    "What... what are you doing?!" exclaimed Dag, terrified.


    He couldn''t get out of his grip.


    Myr quickly cut Dag''s forearm, put the knife back in place and pressed his wrist, draining the blood into a small spherical glass flask.


    He then loosened his grip and Dag managed to pull his arm back into the cage.


    He touched the wound, but the cut wasn''t very deep.


    "It''s a good amount to start with" the shaman said to himself, looking at the flask.


    "Boy, I know Xis'' power very well. I too have personally witnessed what they are capable to do. Your power will soon be mine!" concluded Myr.


    He turned to the girl and said: "You, slave! Go back to your rooms! Your vision disturbs me!"


    The girl unhesitatingly turned and walked away, heading for the right door.


    Dag took a few steps back and sat on the ground, in the cage.


    Myr walked away, exiting the left-aisle door.


    "That poor girl..." thought Dag.


    "That overbearing bastard Hjalmar touched her whole body, depriving her of her dignity as a woman. She was innocent, yet she was punished because of me".


    He kept touching his wound.


    Despite being shallow, the cut had been surgically performed, as if Myr knew exactly what point of the arm to sever.


    Blood continued to pour from the forearm to the wrist, dripping to the bottom of the cage.


    During the quarrel with Hjalmar, he had tried to take a closer look at the room, to see if there was any detail useful to his escape.


    The only thing he could figure out was that the right door led to a kind of dormitory or a similar place from which slaves came. Maybe the kitchens were that way since, during the banquet, the slaves with the trays came out of there.

 49 XLIX. The Key

    Only Renegades came out of the left-hand corner. It was evident that that door led to some other area of that "castle" or whatever it was.


    Did it lead to the exit? Another room like that? An armory?


    There were too many options.


    Dag needed to rest, he still felt stunned by the poison that had made him faint.


    Only two of the torches that lit up the room were still on.


    He sank to the ground and in a few minutes fell asleep, exhausted.


    Despite sleeping, thanks to his developed senses, he could hear what happened inside the structure. In a confused way, he could hear men chatting from the left aisle and a door opening and closing: judging by the noise, it looked like a heavy door.


    He continued to sleep.


    After a short time, he heard a very close noise. It looked like a key in a lock.


    He woke up to see what was going on.


    The torches were now off, but still, he could see in the dark, although in a very confused way.


    A figure was there, in front of the cage. He was trying to free him!


    Dag felt relieved and got up immediately.


    "Who... who are you?" he said, still half asleep.


    He noticed that the person who was trying to unlock the lock was a woman. She was that girl.


    "You?" asked Dag, in disbelief.


    The girl looked at him as she continued to turn the key.


    "I don''t know why I''m helping you, I''m risking my life for you!" she said.


    "But how..." continued Dag, who could not understand how that girl got the key.


    "While Myr was cutting your arm, I was able to pull off this bunch of keys that he had hung on his belt... I don''t know if one of them opens the cage, but I felt I had to try!" the girl replied, trying to be brave beyond her expectations.


    Dag was stunned.


    "Thank you very much! Wait, let me help you," he said.


    He approached her and helped her insert one by one, all the keys of the keyring.


    Finally, one of them entered the lock perfectly and unlocked it.


    The door with the iron bars opened squeaking. Both Dag and the girl were careful to make as little noise as possible, to avoid alerting the Renegades.


    Dag looked at her and said: "Thank you very much, you saved me!"


    The girl looked down, shyly.


    "I am Dag".


    "I am Claire" she replied


    "Claire... Nice to meet you! What are you doing here? Did they enslave you?" asked Dag in a low voice.


    The girl nodded. Without answering, she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the right door of the room.


    "I''m not the only slave here. There are more than ten of us now... We are all women" the girl said, letting Dag know that the other prisoners were on that side, as he had already guessed.


    "All this is horrible. Stay with me, I''ll take you away from this place" Dag said, squeezing the girl''s hand.


    He felt that his powers had returned to his body: by studying well the situation, he might have managed to escape from the castle and bring the prisoners to safety.


    "Are you from Earth too?" asked Claire, shyly.


    A dim light from a torch from the wall of the right corridor illuminated her face. She seemed innocent and frightened.


    Dag was softened by this vision. Besides being a beautiful girl, she was afraid. He wanted to help her.


    "Yes, Claire. I come from Earth, like you" Dag replied, comforting the young woman.


    "What have they done to you? Why are you here?" continued Claire.


    "I killed two of them a few days ago because they tried to kill me. I think I just pissed them off... answered Dag, who kept spying over the door, to see if it was safe to cross the corridor.


    "But... what do you have to do with the Xis? You don''t look like one of them" she said.


    "No, of course I''m not! I don''t know, actually, either. All I know is that these fools worship them like Gods, rejecting Viking traditions. That''s why they live isolated from the Clans and the cities" Dag said.


    "But now there is no time for explanations. Soon the shaman will notice that you have stolen his keys and will come looking for us. We have to hurry!" he continued, crouching down the hallway and pulling the girl by the hand.


    The two continued to walk for about ten meters.


    The corridor curved to the left and was completely empty.


    A small torch occasionally illuminated the path.


    "This way" Claire said, pointing to a small wooden door.


    For an instant, Dag paused. Because of his naivety he had run into trouble too many times, he had to be careful. Maybe, blindly trusting Claire just for her pretty face wasn''t a great idea.


    "Go ahead, show me the way" Dag whispered.


    The girl proceeded to the door which, as it was not locked, opened with a slight push.


    She came in first and then Dag did the same. After making sure no one was following them, he gently closed the door behind him, without making a sound.


    It was a dark room, no windows.


    He could hear whispering.


    Claire lit a candle, to show Dag the room.


    About 12 women were there on the ground, sleeping on straw beds only a few inches high, next to each other, in that very narrow and crowded room.


    They were women of all ages: two of them very old, the others very young. There was even a little girl between a woman''s arms, maybe she was her mother.


    "Did you see? I''m not alone" Claire said, looking at Dag and hoping for his help.


    The room was dilapidated and run-down, the women were dirty and undernourished. Covered only with a few rags, they were in obvious precarious conditions.

 50 L. The Water

    After a few seconds of silence, Dag said: "I don''t know where is the exit, I don''t even know where I am. I need you to help me out."


    "I will. I will guide you to the exit, but promise me that you will bring us to safety" Claire said, staring at Dag.


    "I promise" he replied.


    "Can you tell me how many Renegades are in here?" he asked.


    "I don''t know, but there are many" Claire replied in a heartbroken tone.


    "Come with me, I''ll show you the way out" she continued.


    Dag followed her out the door towards the hall.


    "Follow me" Claire said, as she made her way back to the cage room.


    "What''s on the other side of the corridor?" asked Dag.


    "Absolutely nothing, there''s just a window that looks on a cliff" Claire said.


    Dag followed her to the banquet room.


    Before they walked through the door, he suddenly stopped.


    "Wait" he said.


    Claire obeyed.


    "What''s going on, why did you stop?" she asked, trying to figure out why Dag was still with his eyes closed in the middle of the corridor.


    "There''s water down here" Dag said, with his eyes still closed.


    "Water?" asked Claire.


    "Yes" Dag replied.


    Without adding anything else, he turned and walked back, heading to the dorm, across the hall.


    "What are you doing? Where are you going?" said Claire.


    "It looks like there are sewers down here. We could use those to get out without alerting the guards. I just have to find a way to access..." Dag kept walking fast in that direction, looking at the floor searching for something.


    After he passed over the small wooden door, he noticed that there were slightly raised tiles on the floor.


    Touching one with his foot, he realized that there was mud under it: it was probably due to water infiltration.


    Dag tried to lift the tile off the floor. After lifting it, he did the same with the next one, until he discovered the muddy surface beneath them.


    "Help me" Dag said to Claire, who was not yet understanding.


    "O... okay" she replied.


    They both knelt on the ground and began digging.


    The mud was so soft that within a few minutes they dug a hole in the floor.


    The smell coming from the hole was disgusting, probably due to urine and feces in the sewers.


    "We''re almost there, keep digging" said Dag, who continued to remove the mud with his hands, widening the slit they had just created.


    "I''m going to vomit..." Claire said.


    The sound of the water began to become clearer.


    Under the floor, there was one of the canals of the castle''s sewer system.


    "And I thought they were idiots" Dag said, trying to ironize to release the tension.


    Looking down, he realized that the canal was large enough to enter. He tried to get down.


    "I''m going to check" he said, as he slipped into the hole in the floor.


    Claire looked at him without saying a word.


    Once down, Dag made sure the canal was stable.


    Despite the unbearable stench, it was possible to walk in the sewer canal: the dirty water level barely reached his knees and crouching slightly, he could walk forward with ease.


    Dag came out of the hole, returning to the surface.


    Claire seemed disgusted. The smell was terrible.


    "The tunnel is safe, we''re going to get out of here" Dag said, confident of his plan.


    "I''m going to wake up the others then!" said Claire, enthused.


    She walked to the door and just as she was about to turn the rusty handle, Dag heard a sound of voices coming from the cage room.


    Someone was about to figure out that he had managed to escape.


    He quickly approached Claire.


    "Listen to me, they found out I''m no longer in a cage. You have to run! Gather all the prisoners and escape through the tunnel! Every sewer system must bring to the surface somewhere! Follow it without ever stopping and get out of this place!" said Dag, agitated.


    "But... But... What are you going to do?!" asked Claire, alarmed.


    Dag looked her in the eye and placed his hand on her shoulder.


    "You can do it. They all depend on you" he said.


    Soon after, he began to run to the cage room.


    He felt Claire''s gaze on him.


    If he could commit the Renegades for a while, surely the women would have managed to escape.


    He stopped just before the door, leaning against the wall so he could spy in the room.


    3 warriors stared at the open cage, pointing their torches at it.


    "Fuck" Dag whispered.


    "We absolutely must warn Myr! King Hjalmar will be furious!" said one of them.


    Dag had no choice. He had to come out of the closet, for the sake of those women.


    Hey, you dickheads! He said loudly as he stepped out into the open.


    He was unarmed, but he had to get their attention at all costs, otherwise, they''d go looking for him until they found the hole in the floor.


    "What?" the Renegades said in chorus, astonished to have found the fugitive so quickly.


    In front of them, Dag stood still, shortly after the door, with his arms open.


    "How the hell did you get out of the cage, kid?" said one of the men.


    Dag kept looking at them carefully, taking advantage of Niva''s useful effect.


    Around two of the warriors, there was a celestial aura, while on one of them it was tending to green.


    Their strength level was low, he could beat them.


    "I am capable of things beyond your comprehension" Dag said, trying to convince the warriors of his superiority.


    "Get right back in that fucking cage, you idiot!" exclaimed a Renegade, beginning to approach Dag after extracting his dagger.


    "Or what? They said they need me alive, you can''t hurt me. Or do you want to anger King Hjalmar?" said Dag, in a tone of superiority.

 51 LI. The Tomahawk

    The warrior who was advancing towards him stopped suddenly.


    "Fuck! Is it true?" asked the other from behind.


    "Of course it''s true. The choice is yours" continued Dag, who stood still in the same position with his arms open.


    "Alive, yes... But if hurting you means putting you back in the cage, I''m sure we''ll be rewarded for it!" replied the warrior with the dagger.


    Soon after, he started running towards Dag, trying to hit him.


    "Okay..." sighed Dag.


    He easily dodged the blow and counter-attacked the man with a punch in his face.


    The Renegade continued to lunge with the dagger, but Dag once again managed to dodge every hit and after hitting the enemy again with a punch in the face, he managed to disarm him and take the dagger.


    The man with a fully broken and bleeding nose tried for the last time to hit Dag with a left jab when Dag grabbed his fist with the palm of his hand and paralyzed his arm.


    As the Renegade retreated and touched his paralyzed arm, with a sharp blow from the dagger, Dag slit his throat and his opponent fell to the ground lifeless.


    "Run! Go warn the others! The prisoner is free and dangerous!" shouted one of the two remaining guards.


    At these words, the other Renegade turned and began to run towards the door leading to the left corridor, but Dag threw the dagger and hit him violently in the back of his head, killing him instantly.


    "What the fuck..." said the last remaining guard as he watched his comrade exhaling his last vital breaths.


    He turned to Dag, who was charging towards him.


    Dag tried to hit him with his bare hands, but the warrior dodged.


    "Who the hell are you?!" said the guard.


    Dag didn''t answer and crossed his arms, hitting the Renegade with Earth Stomp, causing him to fall to the ground.


    Right after that, Dag jumped on him and kicked him in the stomach. The enemy spat blood, losing his breath.


    Dag picked up the short sword of the enemy he had killed by throwing the dagger and slowly approached the Renegade on the ground, which continued to cough, touching his stomach.


    "No... No, please" the man said on the ground, begging Dag not to kill him.


    "How do I get out of this shitty place?" asked Dag to the man, pointing his sword at his throat.


    "The exit is that way. But there are guards everywhere. The Castle Of Mork is the Renegades'' main lair and is the most guarded. You will never get out of here alive" the man replied.


    "The main lair? Are there others?" asked Dag, who was beginning to lose patience. The Renegade could have shouted at any moment, with the little breath left in his lungs, alerting the guards.


    "Aha¡­haha" the man chuckled, continuing to cough blood.


    "We Renegades are everywhere. There is no region of Skjold that is not under our control! We are more powerful than any Clan, more powerful than..."


    ...


    Dag sank his sword into the Renegade''s throat, killing him.


    "Shut up now, stop raving" Dag said, turning the blade of the sword into the man''s throat, shattering his neck bone.


    He bent down on the ground and picked up a torch.


    He thought of Claire, who was trying to rescue the other women prisoners.


    Maybe they almost got to the end of the tunnel.


    Also if he had returned the bodies of the three men would have been found immediately and he would have endangered all the prisoners who were fleeing.


    Nothing would have changed.


    With the short sword in one hand and the torch in the other, he walked slowly toward the left door.


    That hallway, unlike the other that led to the dormitory, was well lit.


    He continued to walk in that direction with circumspection.


    Despite hearing voices in the distance, the corridor seemed empty.


    The voices were far away and Dag couldn''t listen better even by concentrating. There were several doors in the hallway: those voices had to come from inside one of those rooms.


    The thick walls and heavy wooden and iron doors perfectly insulating the sounds.


    After about twenty meters, the left corridor also curved, but this time to the right. Dag saw a rack with weapons leaning against the wall.


    There were other short swords like the one he was wielding at the time and a tomahawk.


    He tucked his short sword into his belt and picked the tomahawk, continuing to walk.


    That corridor seemed much longer than the other, perhaps it was an effect due to its different geometrical shapes.


    Soon after, Dag found himself in front of a large door, right in the middle of the hallway. It was impossible to continue in other ways: that door was the only way to continue towards the exit.


    He had managed to evade the attention of several guards in the previous rooms. He had to be careful, every move could be the last one.


    He approached the door, resting his ear on it, to try to figure out what was on the other side.


    He closed his eyes, concentrating.


    He heard a noise. A constant sound approaching in that direction.


    It sounded like the sound of a wooden staff.


    It was Myr!


    No one could have alerted him about the incident, he must have realized he no longer had the cage''s keys.


    Dag turned, looking behind him.


    Hiding was impossible, there were no hiding places.


    It also wouldn''t have mattered: Myr would arrive in the banquet room and then head to the slave dormitory, finding the hole leading to the tunnel.


    He had to stop him.


    The shaman was very powerful, he had to be careful.


    The torch he had in one hand almost gone off and the corridor was well lit. He decided to drop the torch off the ground.


    He had to open the door and fight Myr on the other side.


    In the heat of the fight, they would make too much noise and alert the men in the rooms, who would go out into the hallway and Dag would again find himself outnumbered.

 52 LII. The Boars

    He walked to the door and opened it, then quickly closed it behind him.


    Myr was there.


    "Oh oh oh, well... here you are" he said, looking at Dag.


    Dag wielded both weapons, ready to face him.


    "Who took my keys? Not you, it''s impossible¡­ I would have noticed that" Myr continued.


    Dag looked at the shaman intently, defiantly.


    "Maybe the young slave? Did she do that?".


    Dag''s expression became darker.


    "Hahaha! I''ve centered it! So she''s the culprit" Myr said.


    "Your enemy is me now, stop babbling" Dag replied, with both weapons pointed at the shaman.


    Myr put his hands one on each other and began to channel a spell.


    Moving each other''s palms apart, a small sphere of air appeared in his hands, widening more and more, until it took the form of a bird.


    The shaman had just created an elemental crow, made of air! It looked like a little hurricane.


    "Find the girl" he said, releasing the elemental into the air, which flew at rapid speed toward the door.


    Dag tried to hit him, but the tomahawk crossed the bird, which continued its charge.


    Arriving at the door, it flew quickly without stopping and passed through, leaving a thread of dust behind.


    "You bastard! That girl has nothing to do with my escape! I''m the one who got out of the cage! Your rune is not as strong as you think" Dag said, challenging Myr.


    Before the shaman could respond to the taunt, two guards came from his back.


    "You''re an insolent little boy. I''m going to silence you! I''m sure the Xis will accept your body even when you''re dead!" said Myr, altering himself.


    "Did you call us, sir?" the two guards said.


    "Yes, my loyal warriors... I need your help to catch the fugitive" Myr said, and as soon as the two men advanced toward Dag, the shaman stabbed them both in the back.


    With a dagger lodged in one''s back and a dagger in the back of the other, Myr began to quickly recite incomprehensible words.


    Dag stood still, trying to figure out what was going on.


    Within seconds, a vortex of wind began to rotate around Myr and the two guards.


    One by one, both men knelt and Myr violently pulled the daggers out from their backs.


    The guards'' hands resting on the ground, as well as the feet, became hooves and their bodies began to bend over themselves and to cover with a thick black fur.


    One of the two men turned to Dag during the metamorphosis. His gaze expressed inhuman suffering as if he were pleading to end his suffering.


    Soon, the man opened his mouth and two huge tusks grew from his lower jaw, two smaller from the upper one.


    The transformation lasted about a minute, in which Dag was paralyzed, observing the scene.


    The two men turned into two huge black boars.


    With their eyes as red as blood, they stared at Dag, exhaling thick air from their nostrils, ready to charge as soon as Myr had given them the order.


    "Two wild boars? Can''t you do better?" said Dag, trying to boast, to intimidate Myr.


    He was actually scared: those beasts didn''t look like mere wild boars. They were as big as bears and their tusks looked like elephants'' ones.


    Myr moved both arms forward, pointing them at Dag.


    Immediately the two wild boars charged at him.


    One of them ran erratically towards Dag, the other instead followed a straight trajectory and resting one of the long tusks on the floor, during its charge it tore all the tiles one by one along its path, digging a groove into the floor.


    It was a powerful being.


    Dag got ready for the impact, trying to figure out which of the two wild boars arrived first because of their crossed trajectories.


    He walked away from the door to prevent the beasts from breaking through, and when the first wild boar tried to hit him with one of its tusks, Dag dodged the shot with a jump and clung to the pig''s fur.


    With a decisive blow, he stuck it with his sword, which penetrated deep into its back. The boar uttered a loud groan in pain.


    Dag grabbed the short sword again and pulled it out from the animal''s body, jumping off his back.


    In the meanwhile, the other wild boar tried to charge him frontally.


    Dag parried the tusk blow, but the beast continued incessantly to push forward until his back touched the wall.


    At the same time, the other wild boar already seemed to have forgotten the wound.


    Dag continued to hold his weapons firmly with both hands to repel the boar that pushed him hard, trying to crush him against the wall.


    "They have a frightening strength!" thought Dag, who could not get out of that position.


    With a powerful knee, he managed to hit the beast under the snout and it finally loosened its grip.


    As soon as the animal stepped back, Dag struck it with a sword lunge, piercing it in one eye.


    The wild boar continued to retreat, waving its head and the short sword lodged in it when Dag struck it again, but this time with the tomahawk, which sticked in the beast''s forehead.


    The huge black boar fell with his belly on the ground, still panting with pain.


    Dag violently pulled the sword and the tomahawk out of the animal''s head at the same time, which despite being on the ground in a pool of blood, continued to flail its hind legs for a short time.


    Then it stopped.


    Myr uttered a groan as if he had just been stabbed.


    Maybe those two wild boars were like extensions of his body: they shared the pain.


    Myr, stabbing those two guards, had managed to summon the two beasts, through a tribute of blood.


    Dag concentrated, staring at the other remaining wild boar.


    It exuded a yellowish aura, similar to that of its creator.


    Myr lowered one of his arms.

 53 LIII. The Staff

    The boar that Dag had just killed, slowly resumed the appearance of a human being, whose body remained lifeless on the ground.


    The other wild boar, slightly larger than the first, charged Dag.


    He dodged the blow.


    The boar turned again towards him, trying to hit him a second time.


    With the sword, Dag deflected the beast''s tusks, which moved its head down.


    Snapping at the sides of the boar, Dag tried to hit it with "Slam", the last skill he learned and never tried in combat, whose rune was already engraved on his skin.


    With a shoulder bump, Dag hit the beast, which was pushed to the side, tipping over as if it had been hit by a very heavy body.


    As the boar tried to get up, Dag faked a sword lunge and jumped on the animal''s head to push himself upwards.


    With an athletic gesture, after resting his foot, he jumped again: in mid-air, when he had a clear view of the shaman, he violently threw the tomahawk towards him.


    As Dag''s movement had been really fast, Myr wasn''t able to predict the blow and the tomahawk, after spinning in the air for several meters, hit him, sticking in his leg.


    Myr uttered a scream of pain and fell to the ground after the blow. When he lowered his hand to detach the weapon lodged in his thigh, the boar lost its strength and also sank to the ground, returning to its original form as a human being.


    "You son of a bitch!" said Myr in pain.


    As soon as he pulled the tomahawk out of his thigh, he screamed and his leg began to bleed profusely: the wound was very deep.


    Dag walked slowly toward him.


    "What do the Xis want from me?! Speak!" he shouted at Myr.


    The shaman began to giggle maniacally.


    "Just don''t you understand your inferiority, boy? We''re not allowed to know anything. We wretched human beings cannot comprehend the great plans of our Gods. We just have to obey, without objection" Myr replied.


    Dag stopped in front of him, who was still on the ground and touched the wound on his leg.


    He wielded the short sword in his right hand.


    "I won''t tell you again. Tell me why the Xis ordered to catch me!" yelled Dag.


    "Because of your power, fool! There''s something about you... something different from every other warrior on this planet. I didn''t have enough time to study the chemical properties of the blood sample I took from your arm... how can I know anything else?!" Myr answered aloud.


    As the shaman spoke, Dag noticed that as he clutched the wound with his right hand, the fingers of his left hand moved strangely, as if he was writing something invisible.


    "But where is his staff?" thought Dag, realizing that the shaman did not have his rod with him.


    Just then, something hit Dag in the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground.


    Although the blow was strong, Dag managed to turn around and look behind him. It was Myr''s wooden staff that hit him!


    The rod was firm in the air, right in front of him.


    With that hand gesture, Myr was controlling it.


    When the staff tried again to hit Dag, he blocked it with his hand.


    Myr''s strength that controlled the object was weakened due to the injury, and Dag with a stroke of the knee, broke the staff in two, and then threw it at Myr''s feet.


    Dag grabbed the shaman by the neck and lifted him off the ground.


    "I''m sick of your games, old man!" he said, pointing his sword at his throat.


    Myr opened his eyes wide and with a twinkle of voice said: "I hear them! They''re coming! Your end is near, you can''t do anything to prevent it!"


    At those words, Dag dropped the old man to the ground.


    "What the hell are you talking about?!"


    "Hahaha"


    Myr began to laugh, coughing.


    Dag grabbed him by the head and with a decisive blow pierced his throat with his sword.


    Myr squinted, continuing to laugh until Dag drew his sword and he fell to the ground lifeless.


    Immediately after killing his enemy, Dag felt a thrill running down his back.


    He began to be afraid and to look around.


    The shaman got up, sitting on the ground. His throat was completely slit, but he seemed to have come back to life.


    "Wh..at?"!" exclaimed Dag as he receded.


    Myr stood up, looking down with his back straight: his hump seemed to be gone.


    Other noises began to come from Dag''s back.


    He turned behind him.


    The two men Myr sacrificed just before to summon the wild boars were back on their feet.


    The two halves of Myr''s staff began to crawl toward those two men as if they were snakes.


    Dag was terrified.


    The two men who had just returned to life moved like the undead Dag faced before arriving at the farm. Their eyes were white, lifeless.


    It was as if their bodies at that moment were just containers.


    The first half of the bracket came towards one of the two guards and climbed on him crawling on his leg.


    It continued to climb on his body until it reached his shoulder and slipped into it, piercing the flesh of the undead.


    The man''s chest began to writhe: the wooden staff began to grow inside him, expanding his roots throughout the upper part of his body and his neck bones broke down, as did his ribs.


    The skull began to implode, crumpling on itself as if it were made of paper until it disappeared between the shoulders that kept growing.


    Soon, the undead turned into a kind of headless golem, with two large wooden arms that looked like two tree trunks and the whole top more similar to a plant than a human.


    A few meters away, the other undead was undergoing the same metamorphosis.


    Dag turned to Myr.

 54 LIV. The Boos

    The shaman looked up at him.


    His eyes were of a deep purple.


    Dag began to tremble with fear.


    "But how... how is that possible?!" he said aloud.


    Dag tried to figure out what was happening: the Xis must have resurrected Myr and amplified his powers! He had managed to create two golems without even moving.


    Dag looked at him intently, using his Niva skill on him.


    His aura was now bright orange, almost red.


    He had become stronger, but he was still less powerful than King Hjalmar.


    "My... Masters.....I¡­can see.......them"


    The shaman began to speak in an inhuman voice as if inside him were speaking more voices at the same time, some more acute, some deeper.


    Then he opened his hands, down.


    Dag was paralyzed and began to feel cold. The temperature of the room had dropped considerably.


    Behind him, the two golems were motionless.


    Myr lifted his head, looking up and covered himself with a purple aura.


    Dag wanted to try to say something, but he couldn''t.


    The shaman began to levitate: maintaining the same position, his feet detached from the ground and began to rise in mid-air, still surrounded by the same aura.


    Dag looked down. On the ground, just below Myr''s feet was still the tomahawk.


    It would have been unthinkable to face three enemies with a meager short sword, he needed two weapons.


    Dag dashed forward and without much difficulty managed to grab the tomahawk, keeping a good distance from his enemies.


    "Your time... has come...........boy".


    Myr, in the same inhuman voice, looked down at Dag and pointed his hand in that direction.


    After the gesture, the two tree golems began to move: they looked like statues coming to life.


    They were both more than 2 1/2 meters tall, one of them, slightly larger than the other.


    As had happened in the case of wild boars, perhaps the size of the transformation depended on the physical strength of the host body: evidently, one of the two guards was slightly healthier and stronger than the other.


    Dag watched the two monsters walking towards him, without making any sound. He only heard the sound of their heavy footsteps on the floor and the long, mighty arms crawling over it.


    He had to concentrate, this time his life was really in danger.


    The strength level of the two golems was once again the same as Myr''s, but this time the shaman was boosted.


    Suddenly, one of them accelerated the pace, loading Dag.


    Dag concentrated, using the "Perforate" technique on both of his weapons, that otherwise, would not even scratch the wooden armor of the two monsters.


    He also began to run towards the first golem and when he was close enough, the beast tried to hit him with a slap.


    Being the shot very slow, Dag dodged it and managed to slide below the legs of the golem, cutting one of them with his sword.


    The legs of both monsters remained human, unlike the rest of the body.


    The golem fell to the ground, with a heavy thud, smashing the tiles of the floor under his weight.


    Dag jumped towards it, trying to hit it with the tomahawk, but while he was in mid-air, the golem hit him violently with one arm, projecting him toward the wall.


    Dag crashed into the wall. Fragments of crumbling rock fell from the ceiling after impact.


    As the golem tried to get up without a leg, the other came close to Dag and tried to punch him.


    Dag lowered himself and rolled off the wall, dodging the punch that hit the wall and shattered it.


    The huge hand of the second golem was stuck in the wall.


    As the monster tried to remove it by pulling it hard, Dag shoved it with his sword behind its back.


    He then tapped his sword and managed to climb onto the shoulders of the golem, who pulled its hand off the wall and began to spin on itself, attempting to grab Dag.


    Dag dodged the tree golem''s hands, clinging to the roots of his musculature. He pointed the sword vertically toward the spot where his head was.


    With a well-placed blow, he sank his sword into the crack between the golem''s shoulders, who suddenly began to slow down its movements.


    Dag drew the sword, to repeat the lunge, which succeeded for the second time, piercing the monster to the same spot.


    The golem knelt.


    Dag left the sword lodged in the cavity of his skull and grabbed the tomahawk with two hands.


    He jumped off his shoulders and charged the blow: the small axe hit the arm of the golem, but despite the powerful blow he could not cut it sharply.


    Then Dag detached it from his opponent''s wooden arm and repeatedly began to hit it as if he were cutting a tree trunk one shot at a time.


    After about ten strokes, golem''s arm finally broke away and the monster fell to the ground.


    This time he didn''t turn into a human. The transformation that that guard underwent was permanent. The shaman''s level of magic was much higher.


    In the meanwhile, the other golem managed to get up, stretching an arm to the ground, replacing the support of the missing leg.


    "Having to use one arm to move, it only has one to attack me," thought Dag, who tried not to lose his lucidity, despite the unusual fight.


    The golem stood still.


    Dag looked at Myr: he was still floating in the air, a few feet high, his gaze lost in the void as if he was possessed.


    How did he get those new powers? Where did they come from? Myr''s eyes were still purple, like those of the undead in the cave, those of the undead crows and those of the animals that the Xis used to keep an eye on him.


    What the Renegades were saying was true? Could they for real get in touch with the Xis and benefit from them?

 55 LV. The Shaman

    Dag shook his head, trying to get all these questions out of his mind, which had to stay focused on the fight.


    Xis or not, he had to kill Myr at all costs and then run to Claire, hoping that she and the other prisoners would escape from the castle.


    Dag turned again to the golem and began to walk quickly towards him, trying to predict his next attack.


    The golem waved a punch in the air and struck down, although it was still several yards away from Dag.


    When the fist hit the floor, the fingers of the golem''s hand began to turn into long roots, which infiltrated the ground and quickly reached Dag, digging into the terrain under the surface.


    Not understanding the intentions of the golem''s attack, Dag tried to dodge the roots by jumping high, but these popped out of the floor below him and wrapped around his ankles, bringing him back down.


    He tried to free himself from the grip of the roots, but he did not succeed. The sturdy wooden roots were fitted with thorns, and every movement of Dag made the situation worse, causing the thorns to penetrate his leg and blocking him even more.


    The golem began to advance towards him, slowly.


    As he walked, his arm continued to stretch, keeping Dag immobilized in that position.


    He hit the roots repeatedly with the tomahawk, being careful not to hit his own leg, which was very close.


    He began to scratch them little by little, but before he finished, the golem was right in front of him.


    He grabbed Dag by the throat and lifted him off the ground.


    The roots rose with him, but they remained twisted at his ankles.


    Dag couldn''t breathe: the golem''s grip was too strong.


    The golem continued to pull upwards, keeping Dag''s ankles stuck down with his roots.


    He wanted to tear him in two like a piece of paper.


    As he was suffering, Dag tried to think quickly, to figure out how to get rid of that situation.


    He dropped both weapons on the ground and clenched his fists tightly.


    The golem kept pulling hard.


    "Aaaaaah" Dag yelled in pain.


    Immediately, the veins of his neck and arms began to swell and his muscles to grow.


    He had just activated Call Of The Berserkr.


    Dag grabbed the golem''s arm with both hands, impressing all the strength he had in his body.


    The golem kept tightening and pulling.


    After a few seconds, the sound of shattering wood.


    The more strength Dag was impressing, the less strong the monster''s grip on his throat became.


    With one last effort, shaking hands, he managed to break the huge arm of the tree golem.


    Immediately, the roots gave up their grip and crawled back towards the monster, who called them back.


    The golem kept looking at his broken arm, without emitting any groans of pain.


    Dag picked up both weapons.


    He threw his sword at the golem and struck it in the chest.


    He did the same thing with the tomahawk: he also stuck into the monster''s chest, causing it to back down.


    Then he lifted a large wooden fragment of the arm he had just broken from the ground: he pointed it at the golem as if it were a spear and began to charge.


    The golem stood still when Dag pierced it with the piece of wood, causing it to fall to the ground, lifeless.


    Then he detached the sword and tomahawk from the golem''s body and turned to Myr.


    "Your... strength... has grown... considerably " said the shaman, who continued to fly, surrounded by a purple aura.


    "Now, it''s your turn" Dag said, with an angry voice as he began to walk toward Myr.


    He had to end the fight before the effect of Call Of The Berserkr faded.


    He started running.


    The shaman began to lose altitude, lowering almost to the ground.


    Dag continued to charge, running quickly towards him.


    Myr pointed at Dag with the palm of his hand and fired a shockwave, which advanced, destroying the floor below.


    As he ran, Dag heard like a whistle in his ears.


    Unintentional, he snapped forward to the shockwave and turned on himself, dodging it, and then resumed running.


    His body had just moved out of control as if it had an autonomous awareness.


    "What!?" said Myr, astonished.


    Dag threw the tomahawk at him and soon after jumped in the same direction.


    Myr with a gesture of the other hand deflected the trajectory of the tomahawk without touching it, but in the meantime, Dag was already there, in mid-air ahead of him.


    During the jump, he wielded the short sword with two hands, preparing to strike the shaman. As soon as both hands were placed on the hilt of the weapon, the blade of the sword turned red, full of energy.


    Dag was hitting Myr with Overpowered Strike.


    Shortly before the impact, the shaman managed to move slightly to the side and Dag hit him on the shoulder, completely severing his left arm.


    Myr began screaming in pain as his arm fell to the ground, spraying magenta blood.


    "How....did you dodged... the shockwave?!" said Myr, as blood continued to pour out of his shoulder.


    Dag did not answer.


    Grabbing the sword again with two hands, he tried to hit Myr, who was no longer floating in the air.


    From the shaman''s shoulder, in less than a second, a huge black arm sprang up, grabbing the blade of Dag''s short sword, blocking it.


    Dag continued to push the blade towards Myr, but his new black hand did not move.


    With a quick gesture, the shaman disarmed Dag, throwing away his sword.


    "You don''t under....stand, kid....these powers....can''t hurt me!" Myr yelled, hitting Dag with his huge arm.


    Dag parried the hit crossing his arms in front of him, but the shot was so strong that it threw him several meters away.


    "What the fuck do you want from me, Xis?!" yelled Dag, rising from the ground.

 56 LVI. Reinforcements

    "Hahahah!"


    Myr exploded into a diabolical laugh.


    "It''s always me.....terrestrial. The Xis....have given me their powers....including that of regeneration! You have no.....hope!" he continued.


    Dag stood still and watched Myr.


    His level of strength had increased again. His aura was even more red-oriented.


    It was time to awaken his true power, but he didn''t know how.


    When he dodged Myr''s shockwave, his body moved on its own. He needed that power, he had to tap into his "dark" power.


    Dag was unarmed.


    The tomahawk was on the ground, nearby, while the sword had been thrown away, didn''t know where.


    Myr began to walk towards him.


    "You know, boy....I don''t understand....what the high Xis....see special in you..." said Myr, chuckling.


    On his throat, there was still the scar of Dag''s sword.


    The dark arm that had sprung from his shoulder was inhuman. It was a long barbed arm, hard and shiny, it looked made of obsidian. From the long claws of his hand, it emanated black smoke.


    Myr approached, beginning to clench the fist that would hit Dag.


    He loaded the blow.


    Suddenly, the silence was broken by a sudden noise.


    It was the sound of walls being shattered, one after the other, repeatedly.


    "Um?!" said Myr, turning to the big door from which Dag had previously entered.


    The door suddenly smashed, and a hammer made its way through the rubble, flying at great speed towards the shaman, who tried to parry the blow with his dark hand.


    The hammer struck the palm of his hand, continuing to fly in the same direction, dragging Myr, who was lifted from the ground, until it hit the wall across the room and froze on it, leaving the shaman pinned to the wall.


    Dag breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was Magni''s hammer.


    From the same door, reduced now to shreds, came his master.


    "Master Magni!" shouted Dag, happy to finally see a friendly face.


    "What the fuck are you doing, son?!" exclaimed Magni, as he looked at Myr and his obsidian arm.


    "It''s a long story, Master. Didn''t you have to come back in the morning?" asked Dag.


    "Yes. But I was able to do my commitments earlier than expected" Magni said.


    He pointed his open hand at Myr: the hammer detached from the wall and the enemy''s arm, returning like a lightning bolt into the hands of his owner.


    "Finally, I''m safe!" thought Dag, who a few moments earlier had feared the worst.


    Magni''s aura was fiery red.


    "How dare you.....stop...the sacrifice of the....terrestrial...?!" said Myr, recovering from the blow.


    "And who the fuck are you? And why do you speak like that?!" asked Magni, pointing to Myr with the hammer.


    "Grrr....disappear....mortal!"


    Myr dashed towards Magni, rising into the air and beginning to fly at great speed.


    He charged a blow and tried to hit Magni with a direct punch.


    Magni parried with the palm of his hand: behind him, the power of the blow caused a shockwave that destroyed part of the wall and wiped all objects off the floor.


    Magni, with his fist still stuck by his hand, pulled a powerful headbutt on Myr''s cranium, who suffered the blow and retreated, with his forehead bleeding.


    "I''ve never seen anything like this... what are you?" asked Magni, in a quiet voice, as if the power of the shaman had not impressed him.


    Myr uttered a powerful scream. The many voices that made up his own voice joined in unison.


    Magni and Dag covered their ears with their hands. That inhuman sound was deafening.


    Myr grabbed his human arm and with sadistic violence, tore it from his body, throwing it away.


    Immediately, another obsidian arm came out of his wound, the same as the other.


    "My power...grows! Hahahahaha!"


    The shaman continued to scream maniacally, reeling from his growing power.


    "You''re going to explain lots of things to me, Dag" Magni said, taking a combat position.


    Dag did the same: he clenched his fists towards Myr.


    Call Of The Berserkr was still active.


    Magni, with a dash, charged Myr and in less than a second found himself ahead of him.


    With ease, he struck him with the hammer in the center of his chest.


    Myr stood still.


    He looked at Magni.


    An inhuman smile appeared on his face, illuminated by the shining purple eyes.


    He tried to grab Magni, who dodged the shot and counterattacked Myr, hitting him on a leg. Then on the other.


    The shaman was still standing in his position.


    "But...how..." said Magni, sighing with fatigue.


    Myr fainted a shot, punching Magni with his other hand, making him fly away.


    "Master!" shouted Dag, after witnessing the scene.


    Soon after, Dag charged Myr, trying to hit him from the side.


    With the back of his hand, Myr violently struck Dag, who fell to the ground with his mouth full of blood.


    About a meter from him, on the ground, he saw the short sword in the rubble.


    On the other side, Magni was with his back to the wall. His gaze turned downwards. He seemed to have been damaged.


    With his face bleeding, Magni slowly continued to walk forward, toward Myr.


    "Go away....this is a matter....between me and the.....earthling," Myr said, looking at Magni.


    Right at that moment, taking advantage of Myr''s distraction, Dag grabbed the sword from the ground and stuck it in Myr''s back, below his neck.


    The shaman felt the blow and uttered a groan of pain.


    Dag turned the blade of the sword into Myr''s flesh, which began to writhe in pain, falling on his knees.


    With his big arms, he could not reach the position of Dag, who was in a blind spot.


    Dag clasped his arm around the shaman''s neck.


    "Master, now!" he shouted at Magni, clutching Myr''s neck with all the energy left.


    Magni kept walking.


    He raised the hammer high.


    After a few seconds, the silence of dawn was interrupted by a powerful din: a lightning bolt broke through the ceiling and struck Magni''s hammer, which faltered slightly on impact.

 57 LVII. The Crowd

    The weapon began to charge and emit a celestial aura with yellow sparks.


    Magni''s eyes became the same color as the hammer''s head.


    Myr continued to wriggle out, but Dag managed to hold him still, continuing to turn the blade of the sword in his back.


    Magni began to load the blow.


    Sparks and small lightning bolts continued to come out of the hammer as it gathered all the necessary energy.


    "You don''t....know....what you''re doing...!" said Myr, his voice choked with the pain of the sword in his back.


    Dag immediately left Myr and Magni hit him, hammering the shaman''s head.


    As soon as the hammer hit Myr, there was a powerful glow that was followed by a violent outburst.


    Dag put his hand before his eyes, blinded by the power unleashed by Magni''s hammer.


    As soon as the strong blue light began to fade, he looked toward Myr.


    Only shreds of the shaman''s body remained scattered on the floor.


    Although Myr had been boosted, Magni''s shot was far more powerful than any "Xis being" he had met up to that point.


    Dag approached Magni.


    "You''ve improved a lot, Dag. Your powers have increased considerably in such a short time," the Master said.


    Dag nodded his head.


    He was about to tell Magni about the incident when they heard voices coming from both sides of the room.


    From the broken door, dozens of Renegades entered the room.


    On the other side, there was another door. It too opened and other warriors came in.


    Within minutes, Dag and Magni were completely encircled.


    "They must have heard the noise we caused" Dag said.


    "To reach you here, I killed about 50 of them. They are so many. Get ready, these scoundrels play dirty and mercilessly" Magni replied.


    *Clap*clap*clap*


    Someone began to applaud from behind the crowd.


    Immediately everyone moved, creating a gap.


    "Hahaha! What''s happening here? Is there a family reunion?" said King Hjalmar, emerging from the crowd.


    "For how long, Hjalmar," Magni replied.


    Dag looked at his master, astonished at the answer.


    "Do you know him, Master?" he asked.


    "This man was the chieftain of the Crows Of Odin. One of the strongest warriors I''ve ever known" Magni replied.


    "King Hjalmar. I''m the ruler of the Castle of Mork" shouted Hjalmar across the room, detailing his role.


    "What happened to him?" asked Dag to Magni, as everyone around them looked at them with a menacing air.


    "He was exiled forever from the Clan because after going mad, he killed almost half of his members. No one ever knew the real reason. Legends tell that he believes in false Gods, who ordered him to provoke that extermination," Magni replied.


    "False Gods? They recognize the Xis as their only Gods" Dag added.


    "Hearing whispering from afar annoys me a lot!" yelled Hjalmar, beginning to walk toward Magni and Dag.


    Dag was unarmed: his sword, embedded in Myr''s back, had been destroyed after Magni''s blow.


    He clenched his fists, ready to defend himself.


    Beside him, Magni remained calm, without putting away the hammer.


    "How dare you show up here and destroy what is mine, Magni?" said Hjalmar, when he got close enough.


    "You kidnapped one of my pupils. I came to get him back" Magni said in a firm tone.


    "What?! Are you kidding me? Hahahah! What are you, his father?" chuckled Hjalmar.


    Magni remained silent.


    Hjalmar came even closer to Magni, a few yards from him.


    Despite the skull mask on his face, he revealed an angry expression below it.


    "This is my house. You can''t come to my house and set your own rules. Here I command!" shouted Hjalmar towards Magni.


    "There was an agreement between us, Hjalmar. When you let your men kidnap Dag, you broke it."


    "The will of the Gods is superior to any stupid human deal. They asked me to take the boy. Besides, you broke the agreement too when you killed 9 of my men" Hjalmar replied.


    Magni looked at Dag, who looked back at him.


    Then he turned to Hjalmar and said, "They attacked us for no reason. Why would your Gods ask you that?"


    "I don''t know yet. There is something special about him and my masters want to know more. Now get out of my sight and I''m going to pretend this never happened. Despite what you''ve done, I still have great respect for you. Go away without resistance or I will be forced to kick you out myself" Hjalmar said, still moving towards Magni.


    The King Of Bones came within inches of Magni, challenging him with his eyes.


    Hjalmar was much taller and bigger than him.


    "What deal are they talking about?" thought Dag. Magni had never told him anything about any kind of deal with the Renegades, although when they were attacked near the river, his Master said something to the only warrior left alive about his boss.


    Dag could not stick together all the pieces in his mind.


    At that time there was a bigger problem to deal with.


    "You know I can''t accept the offer, Hjalmar" Magni replied, continuing to look him in the eye.


    Hjalmar''s expression became even darker.


    "Then you will die. Both of you" he said, turning the other way and starting to move away from Dag and Magni.


    "Master, now what?!" said Dag, continuing to look around.


    "Don''t worry, Dag. These warriors won''t attack us. Their strength level is too low. I will fight Hjalmar, in the meantime, you will find a way out of here" Magni said.


    "What? And why should I leave you here alone?!" said Dag.


    Magni looked at him with a stern look.


    "Do as I tell you. Don''t you dare disobey your master" he continued.


    Dag looked down, submitted.


    Meanwhile, Hjalmar nodded his hand and his men widened the circle they had formed, spreading across the perimeter of the room.


    From the half-destroyed roof came rays of sunshine, which had just risen into the sky.


    All the warriors in the room kept staring at Dag and Magni.

 58 LVIII. The King Of Bones

    "Are you really sure what you''re doing?" said Magni to Hjalmar.


    Hjalmar, who was facing on the other side, turned his head slightly towards Magni.


    "I''ve killed enemies stronger than you in the past, I feel fear flowing through your veins" he said.


    At that moment, Dag looked at Hjalmar better.


    The No.10 emblem was hanging from his belt.


    In the confusion, he had failed to speak to his Master about it.


    He couldn''t just run away. He needed that emblem, which would reopen to him the doors of society, allowing him to rise the rank among Skjold''s strongest warriors.


    Hjalmar, still behind, took off his black leather jacket and fur on his shoulders, dropping them to the ground.


    In addition to his arms, his entire back was covered with runes and numerous scars.


    The King Of Bones turned to Magni.


    Two warriors approached the giant, carrying a huge weapon: at one end, there was a double-bladed axe, at the other, a hammer.


    The two men struggled to carry it. It seemed very heavy.


    Hjalmar wielded it and lifted it as if it was a twig.


    "I notice you also killed Myr, my shaman" he said, stroking the blade of the axe.


    No one answered.


    Dag turned to Myr''s body. It was an unrecognizable mush of bones and organs.


    Inside the pile of flesh was also his short sword, of which only the hilt remained.


    The two arms detached from the shaman were still intact.


    Everything floated over a huge pool of magenta blood.


    Magni made a sign with his hand to Dag, telling him to step back.


    "I feel sorry for the warriors around us" he said.


    "What are you talking about?" asked Hjalmar.


    "I''m sorry... because they will be soon without a leader" Magni concluded, challenging Hjalmar and pointing his hammer at him.


    "Grrrrr! I''ll tear you to pieces!" shouted the King.


    Dag looked at them both.


    Their levels were perfectly balanced, their auras red.


    He had to do something to help Magni.


    If he could get close to Myr''s body, he could have drunk blood, boosting his abilities.


    Around him, hundreds of guards watched him closely, checking his every move.


    Magni sank to his knees, tilting his body forward.


    Blue lightning bolts began to glitter around him.


    After charging, he dashed towards Hjalmar, causing a shockwave behind him, which knocked the Renegade Warriors'' front rows to the ground, even though they were far away.


    The speed of the dash was impressive. Dag could not see his Master''s body moving, only the electric wake he left behind him.


    Magni struck Hjalmar, who parried the hammer with the large blade of the axe and turned the rod of his weapon, counterattacked Magni, hitting him with the hammer side in the stomach.


    Magni spat blood.


    Hjalmar rotated his weapon again, trying to hit Magni for the second time, but he dodged the blow and hit Hjalmar in the face with an elbow.


    Hjalmar turned his head slightly after the hit.


    Magni''s shot barely hurt him.


    He took a few steps back.


    Around them, the crowd of warriors began to agitate, shouting the name of their King, encouraging him.


    "Hjalmar! Hjalmar!"


    Everyone was screaming, raising their weapons.


    Hjalmar stepped forward and stomped his foot on the ground: after the impact, a huge boulder came off the ground. With the hammer''s head, the King Of Bones hit the rock, throwing it towards his opponent.


    After a flight of several meters, the rock landed on Magni''s head, who pointed the hammer at it, shattering it into a thousand pieces.


    As soon as the huge boulder was destroyed, from above it, Hjalmar jumped towards Magni, trying to take him by surprise.


    Magni dodged the blow.


    Landing on the ground and slamming his axe, Hjalmar caused a powerful earthquake-like tremor.


    With his other hand, he tried to punch Magni, but he deflected the blow with the hammer, turning it around Hjalmar''s wrist.


    With a quick gesture, Magni fractured it, tilting the hammer downwards and soon after, he struck Hjalmar with a direct punch, loaded with electricity.


    The King Of Bones flew away, slamming back to the ground.


    A sudden silence fell in the crowd.


    Hjalmar remained on the ground without moving.


    The warriors around him kept looking at him intently, trying to figure out if the fight was already over.


    Hjalmar put his hand on the ground and got up.


    His wrist was fractured and it protruded out of his arm: his hand was hanging out of control and blood dripped to the ground.


    On impact, Hjalmar lost his axe.


    Magni leaped towards him, holding the hammer upwards, which again charged itself with electricity.


    Dag had seen that skill before: it was Lightning Strike.


    Hjalmar stood still as if he had lost hope.


    When Magni was about to hit him, Hjalmar raised his right arm toward Magni, the one with a broken wrist.


    His right ulna suddenly stretched, becoming a real spear, so long that he pierced Magni before he could hit him.


    "No!" shouted Dag, squinting.


    All the warriors around them remained silent, astonished.


    Magni was suspended in mid-air, impaled by Hjalmar''s bone that pierced him from one side of his stomach to the other.


    The veins on his neck were swollen: he could not breathe and felt immense pain.


    "Haha... aha.. ah"


    Hjalmar began to giggle, coughing blood.


    "Have you ever wondered why they call me The King Of Bones?!" he said, looking up at Magni.


    With his right hand, Magni was still clutching his hammer, the energy of which was beginning to fade.


    Hjalmar grabbed Magni by the throat with his other hand.


    As Magni tried to speak, Hjalmar grabbed him by the throat and forcibly pierced him further, impaling him.


    Magni''s hammer fell to the ground.


    "Noooo! Master!" shouted Dag.


    Magni slowly moved his hand, shaking Hjalmar''s bone.


    "The King Of B....Bones.," he said, coughing with an expression of pain on his face.


    "And... do you know... why I''m called the Iron S¡­Spark?" he continued, slowly raising his head towards him.


    Hjalmar tilted his head, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

 59 LIX. The Iron Spark

    Magni squeezed the bone in his hand.


    From the tip of his toes, his body began to turn into metal.


    Within seconds, the transformation reached the chest, the back and finally covered the whole face.


    The hand clutching Hjalmar''s arm bone also became silver.


    Hjalmar could no longer hold Magni off the ground: his weight had increased dramatically.


    With an expression of toil, he lowered the arm with which he had managed to impale Magni.


    He clasped his grip on the bone and slowly twisted his hand. He broke it again.


    Hjalmar cried out in pain and stepped back, looking at Magni.


    "Damn!" he said.


    Magni grabbed the piece of bone that pierced him.


    He slowly pulled it out of his body.


    During the extraction, he heard the sound of his muscle fibers writhing and tearing as the sharp bone passed.


    Soon after extracting it, his wound healed over immediately: the hole that


    Hjalmar had caused in his stomach closed, becoming metal.


    The crowd of warriors stood motionless to watch, their faces terrified.


    Dag was astonished.


    That ability looked like "Iron Skin", but greatly perfected and combined with other powers.


    Magni was an exceptional warrior.


    He was the best chieftain his clan could hope to have.


    His body was entirely metallic and his eyes shone with a heavenly light.


    Magni raised the bone high, pointing it at Hjalmar as if it was a javelin.


    He threw it violently and the bone lodged in the leg of the King Of Bones, who was forced to kneel on it.


    Magni began to walk towards him.


    He held his arm towards the hammer, which flew into his hand.


    Hjalmar grabbed the bone lodged in his leg, trying to extract it, but he had stabbed it completely and it was difficult to pull it away.


    Magni kept walking, staring at Hjalmar, kneeling.


    The King managed to extract the bone from his leg, which began to lose a lot of blood.


    He got up, balancing on the other leg.


    He looked at his weapon, still far from him.


    Magni''s hammer began to charge with energy.


    "Don''t think you''re the only one with a secret weapon!" exclaimed Hjalmar, opening his arms and looking up at the sky that could be seen from the crack of the ceiling.


    Magni, meanwhile, struck him with the hammer on his injured leg.


    Hjalmar knelt again.


    He hit him again, but on the other leg.


    Hjalmar lost his balance and knelt on it too.


    Once again, Magni hit him in the face with the back of the hammer, turning on himself.


    Hjalmar flew away, impacting on some of his warriors and then on the wall, flattening the poor men under him.


    Soon after, he fell to the ground.


    "My King! Get up!"


    "King Hjalmar, but how is this possible?!"


    "Your Majesty!"


    The men around him began to worry about their ruler, who was about to be defeated by Magni.


    Some of them approached him, helping him to get up.


    Hjalmar accepted the help, but soon after he dismissed them, without thanking them.


    "Move..!" he said.


    Magni stood still in his position, waiting for his opponent to return to the center of the room.


    Hjalmar spread his arms again.


    With his head turned up, he began to utter something in a low voice.


    The other Renegades looked at him in astonishment, they had never seen him behave like that.


    "Now that''s enough. You''re really me off, Magni said, beginning to swirl the hammer, creating a small tornado of electricity next to him.


    Hjalmar stopped talking and lowered his head.


    "Your Majesty... Is everything okay?!" said one warrior, approaching Hjalmar.


    Hjalmar with his huge hand grabbed his face.


    The Renegade began to agitate, unable to free himself from the grip. With his hands he tried to take Hjalmar''s hand off, but it was all pointless.


    "It''s all...great" Hjalmar said, looking up at Magni.


    His eyes were purple.


    "No way! How the fuck can they connect with the Xis so easily?!" thought Dag.


    Hjalmar continued to shake the poor warrior with his hand.


    The veins of his arm swelled, becoming purple.


    The trapped man began to scream, but the scream lasted only a few seconds.


    Dag tried to look better: from the warrior''s ears and mouth a black fluid poured out.


    When Hjalmar let him go, the man stood still staring at the void.


    In the confusion, while everyone was focused on watching the scene, Dag slowly approached the remains of Myr''s corpse.


    The man Hjalmar had just touched suddenly turned to the other warriors behind him.


    With both hands, he grabbed two by the throat.


    Meanwhile, Hjalmar did the same thing with two men on the other side.


    Magni stopped the hammer.


    "What the fuck is going on?!" he said.


    Dag had never heard the voice of his master so worried.


    Hjalmar was empowering his army! The men who were infected, in their turn, infected the warriors near them.


    In no time, Hjalmar would be able to create an army of undead.


    "Master! You have to stop it! If he will infect each of the warriors in the room, it goes south for us!" yelled Dag toward Magni.


    Magni pointed the hammer at a group of warriors who had not yet been infected.


    From his weapon he fired a burst of lightning bolts, which killed one by one all the Renegades in front of him.


    On the other side, one of them came running towards Magni, who, being turned on the other side, did not notice the enemy advancing towards him.


    The undead Renegade punched him in the face, but as soon as his hand crashed into the metal that covered Magni''s face, the fingers of his hand shattered.


    Magni didn''t move an inch.


    He gave a warhead to the forehead of the undead and then, waving the hammer, hit him violently on the side of his face, severizing his head, which flew away.


    Dag put his hand on the ground, near Myr''s remains, touching the pool of magenta blood.

 60 LX. The Arm

    Immediately, two warriors grabbed him from behind, locking him by the arms.


    He tried to break free, hitting one of them with an elbow in the stomach. The undead remained impassive, as if he did not feel pain.


    Dag continued to fidget, managing to free himself from his arm.


    With his hand bloodied, he touched his lips, when two other undead arrived and grabbed him, blocking him completely.


    The magenta blood immediately took effect, despite the moderate amount.


    Dag felt his power increase.


    He moved his arms, regardless of the fact that 3 undead were holding him still and knocked them to the ground.


    He turned to them, who immediately rose from the ground.


    One by one they tried to hit him.


    Their blows were predictable and Dag dodged them all, counterattacking.


    He killed the first undead by striking him with a powerful direct punch, which blew his face.


    The second, with his sword and shield, tried to hit him repeatedly.


    Dag dodged his attacks and took the sword out of his hands, cut off his neck and threw the weapon toward the third undead, crossing his forehead.


    Behind them, dozens of undead fast advanced towards him.


    He turned to Magni, who kept exterminating enemies, dozens at a time.


    Crossing his arms, he used Earth Stomp toward the enemies that ran towards him.


    The floor in front of him split in half, opening under dozen of them.


    The power of his skill had increased proportionally to his level of strength.


    He picked up from the ground the shield he had taken from the undead, dead just before.


    He threw it violently in front of him, causing him to spin in the air so fast, that despite being made of wood, he became as sharp as a blade.


    He hit 4 undead in front of him, beheading them one by one.


    "They charge without thinking. Their physical strength has increased, but they don''t have a sense of tactics" Dag thought, reflecting on the fighting style of his enemies.


    He looked at Hjalmar.


    He was still there, still enjoying the show.


    He ran towards him, grabbing Myr''s severed arm from the ground, from which blood was pouring.


    Others tried to stop him, but Dag deftly dodged them and continued his charge.


    After having moved for about ten meters, he noticed that a much larger undead than the others was approaching his Master, trying to attack him from behind.


    "Magni! Behind you!" shouted Dag, continuing to run towards Hjalmar.


    Magni turned: behind him, a giant undead tried to hit him with a huge spiked mace.


    Magni pared the blow, raising the hammer towards the bat, but the power of the impact was so strong that it fell to the ground.


    Dag continued to run in the same direction.


    He was close to Hjalmar, he couldn''t deviate from his trajectory. Magni would have done it alone.


    The giant undead tried to hit him again with his mace, but Magni rolled to one side, dodging the shot, which cracked the floor.


    Hjalmar finally noticed Dag, who was charging towards him.


    An undead brought him his hammer-axe.


    The King Of Bones pointed at Dag.


    "Let me see....what are you capable of....kid!" yelled Hjalmar at Dag.


    Suddenly, all the undead in the room stopped fighting Magni and headed for Dag, running madly.


    Dag approached the bloody part of Myr''s arm to his mouth.


    He sucked up all the magenta blood he was able to swallow.


    ...


    Around him, he began to see the undead trying to attack him in slow motion.


    Everything he looked at, was illuminated by a purple light.


    His muscles as hard as steel and his steps light like those of a feline.


    Around Hjalmar, a red aura began to appear, but different from Niva''s: it was as if Dag was visualizing his objective, his target.


    Dag began to hit the undead, making his way into the crowd that separated him from Hjalmar, who was watching him.


    In Dag''s mind, he was running normally, but in reality, the speed of his dash was superhuman.


    As he fought, Magni looked at him out of the corner of his eye: it was the first time he saw Dag unleash such power.


    Dag continued to advance undaunted: he felt great anger towards Hjalmar. His only wish was to kill him.


    After he killed another undead, Dag jumped towards the King Of Bones.


    Rising several feet high from the ground, he began to load a fist, as the crowd below slowly raised their heads towards him.


    The closer he got to Hjalmar, the faster the time flowed.


    The slow-motion effect was about to expire.


    Dag screamed, loading the blow: his fist began to be surrounded by a dark purple aura.


    During that short period of time, he felt his body cooperate perfectly with his mind: it was as if the wounds and tiredness of the fighting he had faced just before had vanished into thin air.


    Each fiber of his muscles was strengthened and much more resistant. His breathing was precise and constant, as so was his heartbeat.


    In his mind, Dag felt the muscular commitment of those remarkable athletic gestures, but in his body, he didn''t. It was as if there was no direct correspondence.


    Dag''s fist struck Hjalmar, who tried to parry him with the head of his axe.


    The blow was so strong that the King couldn''t hold his weapon, whose rod slammed on his own chest, causing him to roll to the ground for a long distance until he hit the wall.


    Time was back to normal for Dag.


    "Dag?!"


    Magni called him across the room.


    Dag turned to him, without answering.


    "What happened to you? Why did one of your eyes change color?" said Magni.


    Dag remained silent again.


    As Hjalmar tried to recover from the blow, a large group of undead surrounded Dag.


    More than 15 enemies attacked him simultaneously.


    Dag opened his arms, at 180 degrees with his palms facing outwards.

 61 LXI. The Black Sphere

    The same dark purple aura that surrounded his fist, completely enveloped him, creating a spherical protective barrier around him.


    The undead threw themselves over him, but when he closed his arms, the dark barrier exploded and along with it, numerous enemies.


    But it wasn''t enough, the undead kept coming.


    After he killed a pair of them with his bare hands, before his eyes, an entire row of undead Renegades was devoured by a yellow vortex of lightning bolts.


    Magni had managed to get close to help Dag.


    "I''ll clear your way! I''ll take care of these beings! Focus on him!" said Magni, continuing to kill enemies one by one.


    At these words, without objecting, Dag began to run towards Hjalmar.


    He tried to punch him again, but the King dodged and Dag''s fist destroyed more than half of the wall behind him.


    "Uahahaha! It''s amazing! My Lords were right!" said Hjalmar, with a mad laugh.


    Dag continued to throw powerful punches at him.


    Hjalmar managed to dodge two more when the third one hit him right in the stomach.


    He spat blood from his mouth and dropped the hammer-axe to the ground.


    "How....do you do... that?" said Hjalmar, touching his stomach.


    Dag looked him in the eye, while Magni protected him from the undeads, which were slowly being exterminated.


    "I just do it" Dag said, ready to finish his opponent.


    His power had outgrown that of the Renegades King. He would have been curious to know what color his Niva''s aura was.


    He clenched his fists in front of him, concentrating.


    The dark aura around him slowly began to condense: the gas particles changed their aggregation state, condensing and turning into a black liquid, similar to petroleum.


    Dag tried to control his powers.


    The undead stopped attacking Magni and Dag. They too were astonished to see the floating liquid that enveloped Dag.


    "You made the huge mistake of underestimating me. With my kidnapping, you made fun of me and my clan, dishonoring it. I''m going to kill you. I''m going to cut you into a lot of little pieces" Dag said, as he continued to channel some kind of spell, carrying his arms forward and pointing them at Hjalmar.


    "My Lords won''t let you....I''m the only King of the Renegades..." answered Hjalmar, still sore from the wound.


    "Tell me why" Dag said.


    "Why....what?" asked Hjalmar.


    "Why did the Xis ask you to catch me? What do they want from me?" continued Dag.


    "Because of your blood. They want to study it. But to allow them to do that, my job was to keep you alive."


    "What''s the point? The Xis know everything, don''t they? What do they make of me" Dag said.


    "This goes beyond my comprehension. I just do what my Gods tell me to do. Look at me, look how powerful they have made me!" exclaimed Hjalmar, flexing his arms up and showing off his muscles.


    His veins began to swell and become purple: his wounds and bruises disappeared from his body.


    It was the power of self-generation. It was a peculiar feature of the Xis.


    Dag took his hands back, overlapping them on top of each other. The black liquid between his palms began to contract, decreasing its volume and taking on a spherical shape.


    Magni kept looking at Dag and Hjalmar, not really understanding what they were talking about.


    After quickly stretching out his arms toward the King, Dag released the fluid ball, which moved at great speed to Hjalmar.


    The diameter of the sphere was no larger than a few tens of centimeters.


    However, the air around it was visibly sucked into it.


    It was as if that little sphere of black liquid had a very powerful force of intrinsic gravity.


    Hjalmar held his hands forward, trying to block Dag''s attack.


    His eyes shone with an intense purple light, as did his hands: by joining his arms, he managed to deflect the trajectory of the sphere, moving the air around it, without touching it.


    The dark sphere fell on an undead that was located near the King.


    When it struck him in the center of his chest, the undead began to contract: within seconds, all his bones broke and the tissues that made up his skin and his organs tore, concentrating towards the center of his chest.


    The blood did not snap away, the particles remained in the air around the undead, also converging towards the center of the sphere.


    Emitting a noise of torn flesh, the undead''s body was completely sucked out of the sphere, which soon faded into thin air, disappearing into a grayish smoke.


    "Ah!" he moaned.


    Dag touched his throat.


    His trachea moved without his command as if he had just swallowed a foreign object.


    He felt something slipping into his stomach.


    Soon after, his muscles increased slightly in volume, swelling suddenly.


    "Wh¡­at¡­"


    Dag didn''t immediately realize what had just happened.


    He got up, looking at his hands.


    He felt his power increasing, again.


    Hjalmar picked up his weapon from the ground.


    "You are such an incredible being. Where does that immense source of power come from? What is that liquid that you managed to condense?!"


    Hjalmar began to question Dag, anxious to know the answers.


    Dag focused on the feelings he felt within him.


    After the sphere he shot to Hjalmar had been deflected, swallowing the undead, his body had strengthened.


    It was as if he had devoured the enemy''s body and digested it, amplifying his dark powers.


    Dag looked up at Hjalmar.


    One of his eyes was deep purple.


    He dashed in that direction.


    Hjalmar moved sideways, trying to counter-attack Dag, but failed and was punched violently in the shoulder, which shattered.


    The articulation of the scapula came out of its position, cracking the surrounding bones.


    Dag turned on himself and hit Hjalmar again with a sidekick right on his ribs.


    They too broke up.


    Hjalmar fell to the ground in a pool of blood.


    It was magenta blood.

 62 LXII. The Absorption

    Dag lowered himself and plunging his hand in the blood, repeating the same procedure as before.


    After ingesting another moderate amount of blood, the other eye also began to become purple.


    Hjalmar was on the ground and couldn''t move.


    Looking Dag in the eye, an evil smile was painted on his face.


    Slowly moving his hand towards his face, he took off his bone mask, showing his true face.


    It was disgusting.


    He didn''t have a nose, which probably had been severed. Under his eye, his cheek was completely hollowed out and the bone of his skull was visible to the naked eye.


    The upper part of his jaw, completely cut, showed his teeth.


    Dag was struck by a detail.


    On the forehead of the King Of Bones, a rune was tattooed.


    It was "Iss", the same rune Myr engraved on his cage to prevent him from using his powers: the "rune of isolation".


    Hjalmar was holding his true powers, which were contained in his body!


    "I guess you.....got it" Hjalmar said with a hoarse voice.


    As Dag tried to realize what was about to happen, Hjalmar grabbed a small knife from his trousers'' pocket.


    In a decisive gesture, he cut off his forehead, removing the flap of skin on which the rune was tattooed.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    He uttered a superhuman scream, similar to Myr''s voice when he was possessed by the Xis.


    Dag stepped back and looked at his Master.


    Magni''s body was back to normal. He kept looking at the scene, in disbelief.


    "Go away, Master. This is my battle" Dag said, staring him in the eye.


    Magni added nothing more and walked back, without taking his eyes off Dag and Hjalmar.


    The undeads remained motionless.


    Some of them began to walk slowly towards Hjalmar.


    "Tagha''! Vitu'' qod jih!" said Hjalmar, his hand resting on the ground, looking down.


    Dag stepped back again from Hjalmar.


    The first undead came near him. He lowered himself towards the King and touched him behind his back.


    Hjalmar suddenly grabbed the arm of the undead.


    Emitting paranormal noises, the undead began to melt on himself: his limbs slipped along Hjalmar''s arm and back, entering into him.


    "HoshoH.... Hos!" shouted Hjalmar. His voice had become much more serious, demonic.


    The other undeads approached him, repeating the same process as the first of them. Hjalmar''s body continued to grow.


    His pants and boots began to tear, unable to hold all that mass.


    The undeads were feeding Hjalmar, making him a gigantic demonic being.


    There were about 20 undeads left in the room. Hjalmar had already absorbed about ten of them.


    From one of the pockets of his trousers, the horseshoe necklace fell to the ground.


    Dag managed to grab her, walking away soon after.


    Finally, the No.10 emblem was back in his hands.


    He put it in his pocket.


    "Master, we must stop the ritual!" shouted Dag toward Magni, who nodded his head, without asking for an explanation.


    Magni charged towards a group of undeads, beginning to kill them one by one.


    Dag did the same.


    After a few minutes, every Renegade in the room was dead.


    There were only three people left.


    Dag, Magni and that kind of demon, which used to be Hjalmar.


    In total, Hjalmar had managed to absorb 12 undeads.


    He rose from the ground, turning slowly toward Dag and his master.


    He was unrecognizable.


    Two huge horns pierced his skull and rose upwards.


    His skin had become purple: the muscles of his body seemed much more powerful than before.


    The height and weight of that creature exceeded the physical characteristics of the previous Hjalmar.


    From his lower jaw sprouted two sharp tusks, similar to those of a wild boar.


    The nails in his hands had grown out of proportion, becoming claws.


    "What... What the fuck are you!?" asked Magni from afar, watching the new Hjalmar take shape.


    The purple demon began to roar as if it were a ferocious beast.


    Dag remained impassive.


    Hjalmar looked at him.


    "Dah chay'' pen biHegh!" shouted Hjalmar.


    Dag had never heard that language. It certainly wasn''t part of that planet, nor of any domination of human beings.


    It looked like an older language. It was supposed to be the Xis.


    Anyway, he could not understand it, but it did not seem anything friendly.


    Hjalmar charged towards Dag. The floor vibrated every step of the way.


    He tried to hit him with a powerful punch, but Dag lowered himself, dodging it and punching him in the stomach.


    The impact of Dag''s fist caused a rumble that echoed across the room as if he had just hit a rock.


    Hjalmar did not move an inch and threw another punch at Dag from above, hitting him on the head and causing him to fall to the ground.


    Hjalmar''s power had increased dramatically.


    Continuing to roar in rage, Hjalmar repeatedly tried to hit Dag, stomping with his foot on the ground, but he managed to dodge the blows and get up.


    Dag looked at Hjalmar''s weapon across the room.


    Suddenly, Magni dashed in that direction, as if he had understood the intentions of his young pupil.


    Dag began throwing punches at Hjalmar, distracting him from Magni.


    All the fists hit Hjalmar, who stepped back little by little, beginning to feel some pain.


    Suddenly the purple demon moved his arm quickly and with a violent blow, he hit Dag with the back of his hand, throwing him flying meters away.


    Dag got up, after falling with his back on the ground.


    He clenched his fists and activated Call Of The Berserkr.


    His power increased again. The muscles of his arms and legs swelled further, and the blood pumped from his heart swelled his veins.


    Normally, Dag would not be able to use that skill for the second time, but thanks to the power he had managed to acquire through Myr''s blood and the absorption of the undead, he did not feel fatigued and was able to activate Call Of The Berserkr again.

 63 LXIII. The Purple Demon

    Hjalmar quickly charged towards him.


    While he was still away, he began to load a fist, which was surrounded by a purple aura.


    Growling, Hjalmar shot his punch to Dag: it looked like a meteorite.


    Dag remained still for a few seconds before the impact.


    Concentrating, he was able to slow down the time that was flowing around him.


    As he watched Hjalmar throwing his fist right in front of him, he saw the hammer-axe flying in that direction.


    Magni had thrown it.


    Dag raised his arm and parried the meteor-fist with the palm of his hand, trying to trigger Adamant Mountain, his master''s technique.


    The fist hit Dag''s hand.


    The muscles in his arm swelled considerably, having to return the same power as the incoming blow in order to make the technique work.


    Hjalmar''s advance stopped and the aura around his fist slowly faded.


    In the parry, Dag''s feet, though stranded on the ground, had crawled backwards, leaving a groove in the floor.


    For a few moments, Hjalmar stopped because of the paralysis caused by Dag''s skill.


    Time began to flow normally again: having managed to slow it down for a few seconds, Dag had time to position himself exactly along the path of the hammer-axe, which was still flying in mid-air.


    As he held Hjalmar''s arm, he grabbed the weapon raising his other arm.


    Under the incredulous eyes of the purple demon, he severed his arm with a clear shot.


    Hjalmar began to bleed profusely from his shoulder. His severed arm fell to the ground.


    "Chay'' SoH ngil?!" said the demon, looking into Dag''s eyes.


    Hjalmar''s pupils, in addition to changing color, had also changed shape, thinning. They were similar to those of a reptile. The whites of his eyes turned to red, injected with blood.


    Dag tried to focus on those words, of which he slowly began to recognize the sound.


    Hjalmar immediately recovered from paralysis and a black arm, similar to Myr''s, came out of his shoulder, with a giant blade instead of his hand.


    The demon roared and began to attack Dag, who dodged every shot.


    "You can be as powerful as you want, Hjalmar... but your shots are slow" he said.


    Dag tried to counterattack, using the hammer-axe.


    It was a very heavy weapon, but thanks to the physical strength achieved, he was able to handle it easily.


    Hjalmar parried the blows with the blade coming out of his arm until he was hammered to the knee, which caused him to stagger.


    Dag tried again to hit him, with the head of the axe, turning on himself.


    Hjalmar dodged by completely bending his neck back and his bones creaked.


    With a quick move, he grabbed Dag by an ankle.


    Dag could not quickly free himself from the grip and Hjalmar lifted him off the ground.


    The hammer-axe fell to the ground.


    Hjalmar waved Dag into the air, slamming him on the floor on one side and the other and then throwing him toward the wall.


    Dag impacted on it, breaking it.


    Hjalmar''s knee had already healed.


    The demon picked up the hammer-axe from the ground and threw it violently at Dag, who was stuck in the hole he opened by slamming into the wall.


    In a lightning wake, Magni dashed toward Dag and grabbed the weapon, blocking it.


    "SoH, you''homI''rah ghargh!"


    Hjalmar continued to speak an alien language as if his human nature had completely disappeared.


    Magni dropped the weapon on the ground.


    He pointed his arm at Hjalmar, with his hand open.


    The demon looked at him angrily, ready to charge towards him.


    Suddenly, Magni''s hammer flew towards him, perforating Hjalmar''s chest, which stretched his eyes and spat blood from his mouth, kneeling.


    "I have no idea what''s going on, but I don''t like it at all," Magni said, beginning to walk toward Hjalmar after grabbing the hammer.


    Dag was finally able to free himself from the wall when he noticed that the injury in Hjalmar''s chest was already healing.


    Magni continued to walk: his body began to become metallic again.


    He began to twirl the hammer beside him.


    "Magni! Be careful! His wound is healing fast!" yelled Dag toward his Master.


    Magni''s hammer began to emit a vortex of sparks.


    When he was close enough to Hjalmar, the purple demon quickly raised his head towards him: his wound had closed.


    With one shot, he tried to pierce him with his huge blade, but Magni dodged the hit by moving slightly to the side.


    He released the hammer while it was spinning and violently struck Hjalmar under the chin.


    The demon''s head broke out of his neck, flying toward the ceiling.


    Hjalmar''s body lost its strength and fell to the ground, losing an enormous amount of magenta blood.


    Magni turned to Dag, who breathed a sigh of relief.


    His master had finally defeated Hjalmar.


    After putting his hammer in his belt, Magni said: "from what do you want to start, Dag?"


    Dag smiled.


    He could have described his misadventures to Magni and could have finally shown him the emblem he had managed to obtain.


    He picked the necklace out of his pocket and began to walk towards Magni.


    "And what is that?" said Magni, looking at the necklace with the horseshoe pendant.


    Dag looked at the pendant in his hands.


    As he searched for the best way to explain what had happened to his master, blood splattered on his hand.


    Dag immobilized himself, continuing to look at his hands.


    He raised his head to Magni.


    Hjalmar''s giant blade pierced his chest.


    Magni looked at the blade, then Dag.


    His eyes began to stare at the void.


    "Noooooooo!" yelled Dag, beginning to cry.


    Behind Magni, who was still standing, Hjalmar''s headless body rose to his feet.


    The demonic body pulled the blade from Magni''s chest, which fell to the ground.


    Dag kept screaming.


    Under his feet, the floor began to crumble.


    His feet sank into the ground.


    A dark aura enveloped him, swirling around him as if it were a hurricane of black smoke.

 64 LXIV. The Hear

    Meanwhile, Hjalmar grabbed his head, fell near him and moved it next to his neck.


    The bones of his neck and spine began to attach to the lifeless head, as well as nerves and muscle layers.


    His face began to move again and his eyelids to flip.


    Severing his head was of no use. That monster had managed to regenerate himself and killed Magni.


    Dag dashed toward Hjalmar, leaving a rut on the ground.


    Hjalmar waved his arm toward Dag, trying to cut him with the blade, but he punched it down, shattering it.


    Unleashing extreme power, Dag punched the center of Hjalmar''s chest.


    The impact was so violent that he penetrated the purple demon''s chest, piercing him.


    Dag entered Hjalmar''s body completely and then came out the other side, covered in blood. By now he was out of control, his dark powers had taken over his human will, after the intense anger he had felt moments earlier.


    Hjalmar stood, staggering.


    Dag turned again to him.


    His wound was closing again.


    He walked toward Hjalmar, who turned and slowly rose his arm towards him, trying to grab him.


    Dag pushed his arm away with his hand and shoved the other into the demon''s chest, grabbing his heart.


    Hjalmar knelt, strengthless.


    Pulling at him, Dag violently tore Hjalmar''s heart, squeezing it in his hand.


    Then he grabbed the demon by a horn with his other hand.


    In a clean gesture, he broke it and quickly stuck it into Hjalmar''s neck, which opened his tusked mouth, vomiting blood.


    Dag looked at Hjalmar''s enormous heart in his hand.


    He squeezed it tightly: the black liquid began to come out of his arm and slowly enveloped Hjalmar''s still throbbing heart.


    "Qo'', Vay'' QaQ Qu''" whispered the demon as his eyes began to fade.


    ...


    "It doesn''t... matter"


    ...


    He had managed to translate his language as if he already knew it.


    After wrapping his heart whole with black liquid, Dag turned back to Hjalmar, holding his head up by the horn stuck in his neck.


    He brought his heart wrapped in the dark fluid at the demon''s mouth.


    "Wej Sovbe''bogh rur SoH," Dag said, as he shoved the demon''s heart in his own mouth, forcing him to swallow it.


    The demon opened his eyes wide.


    Dag''s intention was to say "I am the author of my destiny" but words came out of his mouth in the alien language.


    Within a few seconds, after Dag stepped back, the fluid that Hjalmar had just ingested began to come out of every part of his body, beginning to break his bones and tear his muscles.


    Dag continued to look him in the eye as his body imploded, writhing toward his center of mass.


    Behind the shapeless body of the purple demon was Magni, lying on the ground.


    Dag continued to shed tears from his eyes, despite his anger.


    Although he was not completely himself, he felt severe pain in his heart as he looked at his Master''s lifeless body.


    Since the first time they met, he had always been kind, less harsh than the others.


    Magni was the only one who really believed in him, always. He had never stopped believing, even when he had begun to show that dark and unknown powers.


    In order to protect him and to stay with him, he gave him what was formerly his home, a sacred place of his past.


    He had kept him safe in the farmhouse, taking care of him, bringing him supplies and provisions.


    He had taught him one of his strongest techniques.


    He had done all this, just for Dag.


    And he had failed to do anything for his Master.


    Dag clenched his fists.


    A river of tears came down from his eyes, dripping down his face and then to the ground.


    It was Xis'' fault.


    Despite the many difficulties he had faced, the Xis had ordered the Renegades to capture him.


    If this had never happened, he would never have been in Castle Of Mork, and Magni would not have died.


    Dag had a new goal, bigger than the extermination of a Clan. He was intent on avenging Magni''s death. He didn''t know how yet, but the Xis had to pay for what they had done.


    Hjalmar''s body continued to crumple until it was reduced to a small ball of flesh and bones.


    Black smoke surrounded it, beginning to melt it.


    Dag reached the awareness that the black liquid he could condense from the gas particles was actually a substance that allowed him to drain the vital energy of his opponents.


    After drinking considerable amounts of magenta blood, his powers had increased and he had almost lost control, unleashing his full potential.


    But that power would vanish soon.


    Although the effect of the blood was immediate, its duration over time was not infinite, its enhancement was not permanent.


    The sphere of flesh which contained Hjalmar''s limbs and his power continued to disintegrate until it disappeared into a grayish smoke.


    That smoke flew toward Dag, entering his nostrils and mouth.


    The process was inevitable.


    Dag felt a huge power exploding within him.


    His stomach began to writhe and he knelt on the ground, painful.


    His body was not strong enough to absorb all the demon''s power.


    Unable to resist feeling nauseous, Dag vomited.


    The same liquid he generated before, ended up on the ground before his hands, in huge quantity.


    He had excreted everything.


    His eyes turned back light blue, their original color.


    His eyesight began to tarnish and his ears began to whistle.


    After a few minutes, as he stared at Magni''s corpse in front of him on the floor, Dag lost consciousness.


    ...


    "Hey! Dag! Dag!"


    ...


    "He''s awake! Give me a hand..."


    ...


    "Let''s lift him up"


    Dag opened his eyes, beginning to regain consciousness.


    He heard female voices around him.


    "Where... where¡­am I?" he said.


    "Dag! You''re alive! Thank the Gods you''re safe!"


    Dag opened his eyes and tried to focus on the person who was talking to him.


    His long black hair grazed his face.


    She was Claire.


    Her face was inches from that of Dag, who was still lying on the ground.

 65 LXV. The Prayer

    He began to get up, still stunned.


    He was in the same room.


    Around him, the bodies of the undeads had disappeared: they had probably evaporated.


    He looked at his hands, still bloodied. The powers of the magenta blood he had ingested were now gone.


    The Sun shone high in the sky, its light entered the room, illuminating Magni''s body, which was still there.


    Claire looked at Dag who began staring at Magni.


    "Who is he, Dag?" she said, approaching him.


    Dag sighed.


    After a few seconds of silence, he said: "he was my master"


    "But... but what happened here?" she asked.


    "It''s a long story, when we get out of here I''ll tell you. Rather, what happened to you? Why didn''t you run away?" said Dag.


    "As we fled into the sewer tunnels, a strange flying being began to follow us, and managed to kill two of us"


    "Myr''s elemental crow" Dag thought, as he listened to Claire''s story.


    "When that monster reached us, we thought we couldn''t do it. But then, suddenly, after issuing a heartbreaking verse, he disappeared into thin air, disintegrating" Claire continued.


    Dag nodded, relieved. He had managed to save most of the prisoners. Magni''s sacrifice had not been futile. He had saved him and other innocent people.


    Then he looked behind Claire. An adult woman and another younger one were with her.


    "And who are they? What are you doing still here?" asked Dag.


    "After telling everyone that it was you who sacrificed for us, they wanted to follow me, desperately trying to help you get out of here. We didn''t know you were in this room alone, passed out on the floor. Where''s the shaman? And King Hjalmar? We should hurry, they''ll come after us!" replied Claire.


    Dag smiled, melancholic. He put a hand on Claire''s shoulder.


    "They are no longer a problem. No one else in this castle can hurt you" he said, trying to reassure her and the other two women.


    Claire looked at him in amazement.


    Dag put his hand in his pocket.


    The pendant was still there.


    He walked toward Magni and lowered himself on him.


    He was lying with his face on the ground.


    He put a hand on his back and closed his eyes, trying to listen.


    He hoped to perceive the heartbeat of his heart, the sound of blood flowing through his veins.


    He didn''t hear anything.


    Magni was dead for real.


    Dag''s eyes kept tearing.


    Despite trying to hold on, the pain was unbearable.


    He grabbed his Master''s hammer and pulled it out of his belt.


    He clasped it tightly in his hands, rising to his feet.


    The head of the hammer was bloodied.


    There were two types of blood: magenta and Magni''s.


    Dag brought the hammer to his chest and closed his eyes.


    In his mind, he tried to visualize the image of Thor.


    Magni was totally devoted to the God Of Thunder, he had believed in him all his life.


    Dag prayed to Thor, so that he would lead Magni''s spirit to Valhalla, to a safe place. His master would continue to fight but greater and more important battles than the human ones.


    He would fight alongside Thor and Tyr to capture the wolf Fenrir and kill Loki, the strategist.


    Dag opened his eyes again when he heard hands touching him from behind his back.


    Claire hugged him, resting her head on his shoulders as if she was sharing his pain.


    "Even I know what it''s like to lose someone dear to you. Since I came to this planet, my life has been very difficult. Everyone I cared about died trying to protect me" she said softly.


    Dag turned to her face.


    He could hear the heartbeat of her heart throbbing behind him.


    Claire was very close. He could feel her breath.


    In that moment of sadness, he wanted to kiss her, hug her, to find some comfort.


    But in his mind appeared the image of Freydis and the last time they had met. And that they had made love.


    He turned forward and Claire stepped back.


    Dag continued to look at the hammer.


    He knelt back to Magni.


    "There were still many things I wanted to tell you, Master. I prayed to Thor, to take you to Valhalla with him. I''m going to stay here on Skjold. I feel like my time has not come yet" Dag said.


    "I''ll keep your hammer. I will protect it at the cost of my life. With it, I will exterminate all those who will stand between me and the Xis. I''m going to make them pay for it. I will avenge your death" he continued.


    At these words, he approached Magni''s face and closed his eyes with his fingers.


    Despite his sudden death, his expression seemed serene, as if he had calmly accepted his death.


    "Start walking out of the castle, wait for me near the entrance" Dag told Claire and the other two women, while he was still kneeling near Magni.


    Claire, without saying anything, nodded to the women and all together they made their way to the castle''s exit.


    "You know, master... it was like you said. These dark powers that I have... they''re not something to run away from. I just need to be able to control them. That strange black liquid can drain energy from the bodies it touches, and then transfer it into my body. You were the strongest warrior I had ever known, I can''t let your strength die with you" Dag said.


    "Your spirit is safe. Your body is still stuck here on Skjold. If I let the black fluid flow over you, I think it would be useless. Your energy would first enter into me, but then it would fade after a short time. I have to make sure it stays forever" he continued.


    Dag looked down, trying to find a solution to his problem.


    His gaze fell on the hammer.


    Without saying anything else, Dag took the weapon with his right hand.

 66 LXVI. The Experimen

    He placed the hammer on Magni''s back, his stone head pointed downwards.


    Still on his knees, he grabbed the handle of the hammer with both hands and closed his eyes.


    Around him, starting from below, the air began to follow a swirling trajectory.


    His body began to emit gray smoke.


    Dag, concentrating to the maximum, was able to control the physical properties of the matter that produced his body.


    The gray gas rotated around him and from below it came upwards.


    Within minutes, a gray vortex fully enveloped Dag.


    The gas began to converge towards his arms, then towards his wrists, rotating around them, thickening more and more.


    Dag clasped the handle of the hammer tightly.


    The gas became liquid and began to flow on his hands.


    It continued to flow on the handle of Magni''s weapon.


    Dripping down, it soon completely covered the head of the hammer.


    Dag remained with his eyes closed, focused on the movements of the liquid.


    The fluid came over Magni''s back and moved towards his head, leaving the hammer uncovered.


    It climbed on Magni''s head, reaching his face: once it got on his forehead, he began to branch out, splitting into many small strands of dark fluid, which entered within him.


    In his nose, in his mouth, in the hollows of his eyes.


    Dag in his head tried to imagine what kind of action the fluid had to perform. He had to make sure that with its chemical characteristics, it was able to extract Magni''s power from the still fresh blood of his muscles and organs.


    He could hear the sound of every drop of fluid flowing into the inner hollows of his Master''s body.


    He squeezed harder the handle of the hammer in his hands, recalling the liquid towards him.


    From inside Magni, the fluid began to flow back to his back, climbing on his neck and shoulders.


    Slowly, the many filaments came together in a single mass, which continued to flow toward the hammer, which adhered to Magni''s back.


    It began to get on the weapon, little by little.


    Dag loosened his grip, trying to control the movements of the dark liquid.


    Small bubbles appeared on the smooth surface of the liquid, which began to enter the pores of the rock of the hammer''s head.


    When almost all the fluid was inside the weapon, Dag clasped the handle back into his hands, forcing the fluid to chemically join the rocky particles.


    Focusing on the sound inside the hammer''s head, Dag heard the sound of the ongoing chemical reaction.


    It was working!


    The liquid was beginning to settle, becoming part of the rock''s texture.


    "I''m doing it, Master. You''d be proud of me" Dag said.


    After about ten minutes, all the fluid had entered Magni''s weapon, finalizing the process.


    Dag stood up, grabbing the hammer.


    A huge power came from that weapon: in Dag''s hypothesis, the hammer in that way would take on special characteristics, related to Magni''s great powers.


    Dag looked at his master''s body once more.


    "I will return your body to the earth. It will fertilize trees and plants near your farm. Another life will be born from your flesh and the memory of your deeds will be preserved for eternity" Dag continued.


    He leaned back toward Magni, taking off his belt.


    He wore it and put the hammer in his lining.


    He lifted his body off the ground, resting it on his shoulders, and walked toward the exit.


    Despite the absorption of powers, Magni''s corpse had not undergone any kind of mutation or deformation: the physical change was inside of it, it was not visible.


    He crossed the room and the others next to it: the Castle Of Mork was deserted.


    Dag thought of Hjalmar''s death and its aftermath.


    He was the King of all the Renegades of Skjold.


    The news of his death would have traveled around the planet and surely some of them would seek revenge.


    Maybe they would have proclaimed a new king.


    In any case, Dag had to stay alert, the dangers could hide around the corner.


    After a long walk with Magni''s body on his shoulders, Dag finally arrived at the exit.


    A huge iron door, with spikes on the outer side, was open: immediately after it, Claire was waiting for him along with a large group of prisoners, now free women.


    Dag went towards them and walked out of the castle, leaving its dark corridors behind him.


    "Come on, let''s get away from this place" he said.


    All the women followed him as if he were their leader.


    "And now? What do we do?" said Claire.


    "We don''t know where to go" said a young woman, from behind.


    "Don''t you have a home? A village? I could escort you to the nearest village... from there you could start again, make a new life..." Dag said.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea. They''re women, you know how little a woman is worth without a man by her side in this world" Claire interrupted.


    "They would end up dying in the middle of a street, begging, or raped by some bastard" he continued.


    Dag kept walking, thinking.


    "You could help them find their place in society" he said, turning to Claire.


    "I''m not going with them" she replied.


    "Umh?" said Dag, astonished at her determined answer.


    "And where will you go?" he continued.


    "I''ll come with you" Claire replied, looking him in the eye, smiling.


    Dag chuckled.


    "Haha... we''ll not even talk about it" he said.


    "The choice isn''t yours. If you don''t want me to come with you, you should kill me right away" Claire replied.


    "Wow. It didn''t look like that, but this chick is so tough!" thought Dag.


    "I warn you... it seems that the dangers follow me. If you come with me you will probably risk your life" he said.


    "You will teach me how to fight! So I won''t get in your way!" replied Claire, full of herself.


    "Hahahah" laughed Dag.

 67 LXVII. Findings

    Then he turned to the women behind him.


    They were 9.


    "Follow me, I''ll take you to a safe place" he said.


    The women began to smile and look at each other, in disbelief that they were finally safe.


    One by one they approached Dag, who opened the line and thanked him.


    "We owe you!"


    "Thanks to your help we managed to escape our destiny in Castle Of Mork"


    "We''d be rotten in there if it wasn''t for you, Dag!"


    "We will be grateful to you for life!"


    "Thank you!"


    Dag smiled. He did not usually receive compliments and words of gratitude.


    With Magni on his shoulders, he looked up toward the Sun, trying to recognize the cardinal points.


    The farm was on the east side of Mount Torden.


    In front of him, there was a forest.


    Dag tried to take a closer look at the details, but could not recognize anything.


    The vegetation and soil were both different from the areas surrounding the farm.


    "I don''t know where we are either, if that''s what you''re trying to figure out" Claire said, breaking her silence.


    Dag smiled, beginning to walk.


    "This way" he said.


    He wasn''t totally sure the farm was in that direction.


    As he walked with the group of women, he thought of Magni.


    From the farm, he had managed to immediately trace his location, even though he did not know about the kidnapping.


    Maybe he already knew the castle, but in any case, he had a very good sense of direction.


    The Castle Of Mork was a real fortress, more similar to a bunker than a castle, seen from the outside.


    Small indentations in the rock next to the huge door of the main entrance were the only communication routes with the outside, from which natural light passed.


    They kept walking, entering through the vegetation.


    High beech trees covered that stretch of the forest by the sun''s rays.


    "Be careful where you put your feet. You could stumble or step on some snake" Dag said.


    The women shuddered at those words, except Claire, who kept following Dag less than a meter far.


    "How old are you?" she said.


    "Eighteen. You?" said Dag.


    "Sixteen. You said that man was your master... are you a member of a clan?" continued Claire.


    Dag told Claire his story in a nutshell: he told her about Jernhest and his family, the Temple Of Orn and his clan, omitting little details, such as exile and Freydis.


    "So we''re going to this Temple? Wow!" said Claire, her eyes shining with happiness.


    "No, we''re not going there. There''s another place. As soon as we get there you''ll see it with your own eyes. You''ll like it" Dag said, thinking of the farm.


    "How did you defeat Hjalmar? Did your master defeat him?" she continued.


    "You ask a lot of questions!" said Dag, looking Claire in the eye: he couldn''t resist her big eyes.


    "Let''s say yes. My Master saved me. If it wasn''t for him, I''d definitely be dead. And so would you all" he continued.


    "I understand. I feel very sorry for him".


    Claire and Dag continued to chat and in the meantime they passed the forest, popping out into a valley.


    Dag touched his head, confused.


    He rested Magni''s body on the ground and got up, looking around.


    "Are we lost?" said a young woman in the group.


    Dag did not answer back, embarrassed. He kept pretending to know their location.


    "No, no, we''re almost there. I just stopped to catch my breath. You can rest too, we''ll leave in a few minutes!" he said.


    A few yards away from them, a small stream flowed into the valley.


    The women approached to cool off.


    Dag was still puzzled: he could not guess which direction to follow.


    "Right after I fell asleep, did they take me on such a long journey? Really?" he thought, as he looked at the No.10 emblem, studying every detail of that pendant.


    "Aaaaaaah!"


    A scream broke the silence.


    One of the women ran towards Dag, who rose suddenly.


    "What''s going on?!" he said.


    "There is... there is something....I¡­I was¡­" the woman said, breathless.


    "Calm down! I can''t understand you!" replied Dag.


    "I had seen berries on one of those bushes over there. I got closer to pick up some... but something is moving back there!" the woman continued, panicking.


    Dag grabbed the hammer.


    "Stay here, all together. Move only if I tell you" he said.


    He began to approach the bushes indicated by the woman.


    Concentrating, he could hear something moving, but the sound was too faint.


    It must have been an animal that was ambushing.


    "Who''s there? !" yelled Dag toward the bushes, which began to move.


    He heard another sound: it was a very short and fast breath, it looked like that of a dog or another similar beast.


    Moving branches, Dag saw beyond the vegetation.


    "Thalos! Thalos is you!" exclaimed Dag, excited.


    From behind the branches, his wolf friend leaped at him, landing in his arms.


    Dag fell to the ground for the weight of the wolf and reciprocated the embrace.


    "Oh no! Dag! Heeeelp!"


    The girls began to scream madly in a panic.


    "Hahahah! No, don''t scream. He''s with us!" exclaimed Dag, rising from the ground after Thalos licked his entire face.


    "This is Thalos" he continued, pointing to the great gray wolf.


    "Is he... Is he your friend?" asked Claire, slowly approaching them.


    Thalos sat next to Dag as if he were perfectly trained.


    He let Claire caress him, and all the women calmed down.


    After meeting his new friends, Thalos walked to Magni, smelling his body.


    "It''s not a body you can eat, my friend. He was good" Dag said with a melancholic voice.


    Thalos continued to sniff at Magni, uttering small groans, as if he was crying.


    "You understand that, don''t you?" continued Dag, as he lowered himself to caress him.


    "Listen, I have a request for you... take us back to the farm. I lost my way" Dag said.

 68 LXVIII. The Farmhouse

    With his nose and developed sense of direction, Thalos would be able to lead them to their destination.


    Without hesitation, the wolf walked towards the stream.


    Dag took Magni on his shoulders and followed him.


    "Let''s go! This way!" he said, calling the women to him.


    With Thalos'' help, they were able to get to the farm as soon as the sun began to set.


    The castle was far away.


    "Here you go, ladies! This will be your new home" Dag said, pointing to the farm.


    All the women began to thank him again, embracing him from all sides, in gratitude.


    "Thalos. I have to ask you one last favor" Dag said.


    "You must stay here with them. You know these woods better than me. You will protect them from anyone who wants to hurt them. All right, my friend?"


    Thalos barked as if to confirm Dag''s request.


    "Perfect" he concluded.


    "And where will you go?" asked Claire, who kept watching Dag intently.


    "I have a business to do. But I''ll come back. I''ll come back to you once in a while, I promise" he replied.


    Claire looked down, sad.


    Dag rose her face, resting one hand under her chin.


    He looked her in the eye.


    "Promised" he repeated.


    Claire did a half-smile.


    After showing the women the space and logistics of the farm, Dag took a shovel from the warehouse and walked away to the top of Mount Torden, climbing the path.


    "I''m going to carry you right where you taught me your skill, Master" Dag said.


    He continued to walk with Magni on his shoulders until he reached the clearing with the training dummies.


    He began to dig in the center of that place and buried Magni''s body.


    He knelt on the mound of earth and placed a hand on it, making one last prayer before finally greeting his master.


    "I will never forget what you have done for me. See you in the next life" he said.


    After getting up and taking a deep sigh, he walked back to the path, intending to retrace the road backward, to return to Temple Of Orn.


    He would talk about what happened, hoping to be able to re-enter the Temple, so that he could continue to learn increasingly stronger skills.


    Possessing the emblem, perhaps Egill and Dargeon would have believed his version.


    Continuing to walk, he looked at the farmhouse from afar.


    The girls already seemed to have settled: some of them washed with the water of the mill, others collected herbs and cooked, talking cheerfully to each other.


    Dag felt relieved.


    Thalos was standing in front of the entrance, guarding.


    He looked at Dag with a gaze of understanding, without moving from his position.


    After descending further along the path, Dag crossed the cave, passing it without any problem.


    Although the sunset was coming to an end, a faint light illuminated the trail that ran alongside the rocky wall and would take it to the temple of Orn.


    Dag advanced again and smoothly reached the other side.


    Walking on that old wooden walkway, the memory of crows and the first undead came to mind.


    In so few days his powers had grown enormously.


    After walking for several hours, he finally reached the path leading to the Temple.


    Fatigue began to be felt on his legs.


    Along the way, he saw an indentation in the wall. He entered it.


    It was a huge hole dug into the terrain: after the entrance, the tunnel made a corner and led to a second area, even larger.


    Despite poor visibility due to the absence of light, after trampling on bones that were there on the ground, Dag sensed that it must be an old bear den.


    Without thinking twice, he lay down on the ground.


    "Shortly, the night will fall... at the Temple Of Orn everybody will retreat to their rooms" Dag thought.


    He would spend the night in there, then reach his nearby destination the next day.


    As soon as his head rested on his arm, he fell deeply asleep.


    He needed to recover his energy.


    ¡­


    "Stomp stomp"


    ¡­


    Dag opened his eyes slightly, after hearing strange noises coming from outside the lair.


    A sound of footsteps joined the sound of metal parts rubbing against each other.


    Trying to count the steps, Dag realized that they were not only one person.


    A group of people was walking quickly out front and carrying weapons with them.


    Judging by the constant stride, it looked like they were marching like a real army.


    Dag knelt down, making as little noise as possible.


    Thanks to the shape of that little cave, no one had noticed him.


    He slowly swayed toward the entrance.


    It was dawn.


    Many men in armor walked quickly along the Temple path.


    Dag tried to observe them better, suspiciously.


    All that movement at that time of the morning was downright unusual.


    Each armor had the same symbol engraved on its chest: a kind of snake twisted on itself, its jaws wide open.


    Dag hid again behind the tunnel wall, to avoid being discovered.


    Whoever they were, they had no good intentions toward the Temple. He had to catch them by surprise.


    There were so many, in a few minutes he had counted about 80.


    After the sound of the footsteps drifted away from his hiding place, Dag came out into the open.


    He turned in the direction of the Temple, trying to catch a glimpse of the men in the distance, but they had already disappeared: the road circled the mountain top.


    "Hey, you!"


    Someone shouted from behind him.


    Dag turned, taken by surprise.


    Two of those men had fallen behind the main group.


    They wore the same armor with the snake and were both armed: one of them had a sword and a shield and the other had a spear.


    Dag said nothing, resting his hand on the head of the hammer, in his belt.


    "Who the fuck are you?" said one of the men, pulling out the spear and pointing it at Dag.

 69 LXIX. The Troops

    Dag, without thinking, pulled out the hammer.


    The man with the spear charged towards him, while the other drew the sword and got ready to attack.


    Dag dodged the shot and kicked the man, who fell to the ground.


    Meanwhile, the other tried to hit him in the back, but Dag managed to dodge the clumsy sword blow and elbowed him in the face.


    The enemy retreated after the blow when Dag tried to hit him with the hammer.


    The man raised the shield, attempting to parry the hit, but as soon as the hammer hit the wooden and iron shield, it shattered it into a thousand pieces, causing the man to fall to the ground, who looked frightened at the broken shield in his hands.


    "Wh... wh..?!" said the man, backing away to the ground.


    Dag looked at the hammer.


    The power of that weapon was absurd, with a simple light hit he had managed to shatter a shield.


    He quickly turned to the other man, who had risen from the ground and was trying to hit him with a spear lunge.


    Dag grabbed the weapon''s rod and turned on himself, kicking his opponent''s ankle, which fell to the ground.


    He turned the spear into his hands and thrust his enemy at the center of his chest, making him die after a few seconds of agony.


    I won''t tell you again... why are you here?" said Dag, clutching the man''s neck, which began to creak.


    The warrior tried to resist the squeeze, but after a few minutes confessed: "We came here...to claim the Temple of the Hammers Of Thor, now that their... chieftain is... dead"


    Dag was astonished.


    "How do they already know of Magni''s death?" It had happened during that night, the news could not get out of Mork Castle in such a short time.


    Some of them must have sent a spy, or some Renegade, after witnessing the scene, must have sold the information to the highest bidder.


    But all this was still strange to Dag since before his eyes, every man excluded himself, Magni and Hjalmar had become undead.


    "Who gave you the information?!" continued Dag, twisting the man''s neck.


    "Aaah. I.. I don''t know... my warchiefs are the ones who decide, not just a recruit like me! Let me go, please!" the man pleads.


    "You know I can''t do it. You saw my face, you''d go and tell your superiors that I''m here and that I''m a threat, I''m sure of it!" Dag said.


    "A threat...eh¡­eh.." chuckled the warrior.


    "The delegation that is about to storm the Temple Of Orn has more than 400 warriors... how could you be a threat? Hahaha!" the man continued, laughing.


    "400?!" thought Dag. The men who had passed in front of the bear''s lair were only a small part of the entire army.


    Surely they were attacking the Temple on multiple fronts, it would have been too stupid to concentrate all the soldiers on the main road.


    Dag spun his arms, breaking the man''s neck, which fell to the ground lifeless.


    He had to think fast.


    Without Magni to defend the Temple, only the other two Masters, Egill and Dargeon, remained, with the strongest apprentices in the Clan.


    Dag didn''t know the exact number of warriors in his clan, but 400 opponents would not be easy to defeat and surely, part of his comrades would die in their sleep, during a stealth attack.


    He approached the man he had just killed and dragged his body into the cave.


    Soon after he did the same with the other.


    He began to strip the warrior of his armor and wore it.


    "I''m visually camouflaged with them, now. This is going to give me a few more minutes ahead of them" he thought.


    He came out of the lair and continued on the path, briskly.


    After walking a few hundred yards, he saw the rest of the troop.


    Before them all, two sturdy men led their warriors.


    One of them wore a helmet with two iron wings on the sides and sturdy heavy armor.


    Behind his back, there was a giant axe.


    The other, however, had no head protection, showing off his long black hair.


    Dag camouflaged himself among the warriors, walking behind them.


    "Excuse me, brother. Remind me what the plan is" he whispered to a warrior next to him.


    The man looked at him with pride: "How can you forget such a thing?!"


    "Forgive me... last night I exaggerated with the mead and now my head is throbbing" Dag said, trying to be convincing.


    His hands were sweating: if he alerted the enemy warrior, they would have killed him immediately.


    "Umpf... We will be located on a short distance from the main entrance, hidden through the vegetation. As soon as the other troops break in from all sides, they''re going to play the horn and open the gates. We''re going to be the last ones to come in. Our goal is to kill the two remaining Masters, to plunder their libraries and steal their artifacts" the warrior said, snorting.


    "Thank you... now I remember everything" Dag replied.


    He slowed down slightly, pretending to bend over to adjust the lower plates of the armor.


    When he made sure no one noticed him, he snapped toward the rock face, resting with his back on it.


    He waited for the troop to move away, turning the corner of the road.


    Quickly, he took off his armor and climbed on the wall, using as a foothold the stones protruding from it.


    Once he climbed, he entered the thick vegetation and continued to advance toward the temple.


    "I must get to the Masters before them, or it will be too late!" he thought, trying to run without making too much noise.


    Climbing the rocky walls, he had managed to gain a few minutes of advantage over the enemies.


    He saw a small, hidden wooden door along the castle courtyard wall and he recalled that it had to be the back door of the armory.

 70 LXX. The Strategy

    Pushing it, the door opened.


    After entering the armory, he walked out the other door leading to the courtyard where the warriors used to train.


    It was in that very place that he had marked his fate, his exile, failing to retain his powers.


    He kept running to the dorm.


    He knew roughly where that troop was before, but he did not know the location of the other troops: if they had already arrived at the walls, his attempt to alert everyone would be futile.


    He entered the dormitories and continued to run in their long corridors, heading to the Masters'' rooms.


    At the end of one of the corridors, he found three doors.


    Above each of them, there was an incision: a hammer, a shield, and a staff.


    They were the doors to the Masters''s rooms.


    The one with the hammer was definitely Magni''s.


    Dag knocked insistently at the other two doors.


    No one went to open.


    He continued to knock forcefully, and just when he was about to break into the door with the staff-shaped incision, it opened up.


    Master Egill looked him in the eye, focusing on him, after waking up with a start.


    "Dag?" he said.


    In the meantime, the second door opened and Dargeon came out.


    "What are you doing here? Our decision has not been reversed" Egill continued.


    Dag, after taking his breath away, told Egill and Dargeon about the fangs Of Jormungandr''s impending attack.


    "What? Now?!" said Dargeon, returning to his room to get dressed.


    "What does it mean '' Magni is dead''?!" asked Egill.


    "Master, it''s a long story. After repulsing the invaders'' attack, I will tell you every detail and you''ll decide what to do with me" Dag said, pulling Magni''s hammer from his belt.


    "Now let''s go. We have to warn everyone" he continued.


    Although Egill was still doubtful about Dag''s speech, the hammer''s vision gave him credibility.


    Immediately the two Masters came out of their rooms and headed for the courtyard.


    "Dargeon, you and Dag must wake up the warriors! I will go to the library, to secure it with a seal-spell" Egill said, moving away from Dag and Dargeon.


    The Master of Defense continued to run, until he reached a bell, placed next to the dorm door.


    "Wake up! We''re under attack! Run for arms! Wake up!" shouted Dargeon, repeatedly ringing the bell, which echoed in the long corridors of the structure.


    "Dag, follow me! We must divide and guard the temple''s entrances" he continued.


    Without hesitation, Dag followed Dargeon out of the dorm.


    "I''ll go to the south wing, you to the west one. Egill is in the library, so the east wing is covered" Dargeon said, pointing to Dag''s direction to defend.


    Dag nodded and ran to the east wing of the Temple.


    "With the help of all the Clan warriors, by blocking all the Temple''s entrances, we will be able to block the advance of enemies" Dag thought, thinking of the excellent plan of his two Masters.


    The Hammers Of Thor Clan had several very powerful warriors.


    With their help, repelling the invaders would not have been impossible. The plan of the enemies would go up in smoke.


    In less than a minute, Dag arrived at the east entrance, marked by a huge iron door, closed by a heavy beam.


    With the hammer in his hand, he closed his eyes and began to focus on the sounds coming from outside.


    He heard only the wind moving the leaves of the trees.


    "Dag? Is that you?" said someone from behind him.


    Dag turned.


    It was Aslan.


    "Hello, Aslan" Dag replied.


    "What''s going on? Who''s attacking us?" he asked.


    "Master Magni is dead. The Fangs Of Jormungandr want to take advantage of his absence to assault and plunder our Temple" Dag said.


    "Is he dead?! And who killed him?! He was the most powerful warrior in the Clan, no one would ever defeat him" Aslan continued.


    "He''s dead. When this is over, you will find out the full story" Dag replied, turning back to the door.


    "Dag..." Aslan said, approaching him.


    Dag stood still staring at the door, ignoring Aslan.


    "I have thought long and long about what you have been through because of me. I''m sorry. I didn''t want it to end like this" he continued.


    "Right. You''d rather kill me in that fight, wouldn''t you?" said Dag.


    Aslan was speechless.


    "That was my only alternative. You might not have killed me, but I definitely would have suffered serious bodily pain. You attacked me with all your might and using real weapons. Defending myself and counterattacking was the least I could do" Dag replied.


    "It was an unconscious gesture... I apologize..."


    "There will be time for apologies. Now let''s not die. Even if you don''t see our enemies, it doesn''t mean they''re not here" Dag said.


    Within minutes, other warriors came to reinforce the defenses.


    One of them, turning to his companions, whispered: "that is Magni''s hammer, I would recognize it with my eyes closed!"


    All the warriors began to murmur to each other.


    "Brothers. Under the precise command of our Masters, we must defend this entry. The enemies are at the gates, if we allow them to break through this door, we will be close to defeat. They''re about 400. We have to play cunningly" Dag said aloud, for everyone to hear.


    "You killed Magni, admit it!"


    "But no, it''s impossible, how could Magni lose a fight against this idiot?"


    "He must have betrayed him, and then stabbed him in the back!"


    "That hammer belongs to our Master, you have no right to wield it!"


    The crowd of warriors was angry and everyone yelled at Dag.


    "Now that''s enough! Masters Egill and Dargeon gave the order! All your doubts will be clarified after the battle!"


    "But what battle? What are you talking about? You''re just making fun of us. Perhaps our Masters are too naive, but we won''t be fooled by a loser like you!" said a warrior from the crowd.


    Immediately after these words, an arrow struck one of them in the chest.


    "Eh?!"


    "From... from where did it come?!"


    They all started fidgeting.


    Dag turned again to the door.


    Enemy troops had arrived at the walls of the Temple, the battle was imminent.

 71 LXXI. The Shieldwall

    "Hel... help me! It hurts!" said the warrior as soon as he was struck by the arrow.


    Aslan approached him, pulling the arrow from his body and using one of his healing skills.


    "Silence!" said Dag, nodding to the comrades behind him.


    Focusing on the sound, he was able to realize that the enemies were right behind the doors.


    "They''re here, back down. They could hit us with more arrows" he continued.


    The group of warriors obeyed without discussion.


    Dag heard a noise of flintlocks: the enemies were setting a fire.


    Before he could explain to others what he had just heard, the sky above their heads lit up in red. A rain of fiery arrows was about to fall down on them.


    "Shield Waaall!" shouted Dag, moving toward the door to shield himself from the attack.


    Some of the warriors raised their shields, but others were hit and fell to the ground as their bodies began to burn.


    Panic broke out.


    Although they were all trained warriors, few of them had already participated in a real war. Dag wasn''t one of them either.


    Suddenly, a heavy blow moved the iron door and the beam that holding it bent slightly, then returned to its original position.


    "It''s a battering ram! They want to break through the door!" said one of the warriors with the shield.


    Aslan managed to move the body of the stricken boy to a safe area and within minutes he treated him, partially healing the wound.


    "We need to reinforce it!" shouted Dag.


    "The heaviest of us must go behind the door! The others will follow me!" he continued.


    More reinforcements continued to arrive from the dormitory to the west wing.


    Dag climbed a wooden staircase leading to the top of the walls, where there were some observation towers.


    "Archers! Get on!" he yelled.


    Some of the warriors followed him. Among them were two women, armed with a bow and arrows.


    Once they arrived on the observation towers, they began to attack the enemies.


    The enemy troop was numerous, but less than the one Dag had crossed before on the main street, which would have entered through the main entrance.


    "Focus on those who push the ram!" yelled Dag, who had now taken control of his troop.


    The archers of his Clan, despite the numerical inferiority, were advantaged in the position: the towers were equipped with special firing positions, repaired both above and at the sides.


    One by one, they struck all the warriors pushing the ram, while from the back rows of the enemy troop, fiery arrows continued to be fired across the walls.


    Fortunately, most of the warriors protecting the west wing, finding themselves in close contact with the door to withstand the ram, were not hit by the subsequent waves of arrows.


    "Keep it up! They can''t last much longer!" yelled Dag, who, meanwhile, from the top of the walls, tried to look at the other entrances of the temple, wondering if Egill and Dargeon had as many reinforcements.


    The enemies continued to die under the arrows of the Clan archers when Dag looked better at them: from behind came two men and a woman, without armor.


    The men were bare-backed, and so was the woman, with a headband covering her breasts.


    "Dag! Who... who are they? Those men... and the woman... What are they doing?!" asked one of the archers next to him. She was a Clan''s girl. Dag had seen her before: the first time he entered the Temple courtyard, she was practicing Thunder Clap, showing her progress at the Masters.


    Dag didn''t imagine she was so good with the bow.


    "I don''t know! But nothing good! Stay alert!" he replied.


    Just after being distracted, turning to Dag in search of words of comfort, the girl was struck by an arrow in the face, splashing blood on Dag, who remained motionless.


    "Fuck! Fuck!" he yelled, recovering from the fright.


    If he had remained motionless, the next victim of the enemy archers would have been him.


    He lowered himself, looking at those two men and that woman.


    All three began to scream: a vortex of water began to envelop them.


    "Keep shooting! Don''t stop! Aim for those three!" shouted Dag to the remaining archers on the walls.


    The archers immediately pointed to the three men wrapped in the vortex of water and set fire.


    Immediately the water stopped and fell to the ground, revealing the mutation that the three enemies had undergone: their bodies were now completely covered with green scales and tails popped up from behind.


    Their faces were also no longer human, but more like reptiles.


    "Jormungandr..." thought Dag, realizing what was going on before his eyes.


    He remembered seeing illustrations of the World Serpent when he was on Earth. Its appearance was very similar to what the enemies had taken.


    The only characteristic that made the woman different from the two men was the size: after the transformation, she was slightly smaller than them.


    The largest of them grabbed the arrow that was about to hit him with his tail: with a quick twist, he raised the arrow towards the archer who had shot it, hitting him in the head, with inhuman precision.


    Soon after, the man yelled again at Dag and his companions: this time the scream was a roar.


    "Noo!" shouted the allied archers, after witnessing another killing.


    "Don''t give up! We must defend the Temple, otherwise, it will be the end for all!" continued Dag, trying to boost the morale of his troop.


    The three reptilians bent over, loading the momentum on their knees.


    Suddenly, they sprinted toward the iron door of the Temple: hitting it simultaneously with shoulder pads, the beam that kept the door closed shattered and the door opened, causing all the warriors behind it to fall.


    Many of the allied warriors began to scream in panic, after seeing the reptilians up close.


    Before Dag could get off the walls, enemies began to hit his fallen allies with their claws, killing them.

 72 LXXII. The Reptilian

    "Nooo! Get up! Shieldwall, shieldwall! Back up!" shouted Dag, turning the other way: the entire enemy troop was breaking into the Temple.


    Dag grabbed the hammer and jumped down from the high walls, in the direction of one of the reptilians, who had not noticed the enemy on his head.


    During the fall, Dag loaded the blow and the hammer''s head began to be wrapped in a dark aura.


    When the reptilian looked up, Dag hit him violently on the head: the blow was so strong, that his enemy disintegrated and the shockwave generated in the impact, knocked to the ground many of the enemies who were entering the door.


    Pieces of the flesh and bowels of the reptile he had just struck squirted everywhere, covering everyone with blood.


    The other two reptilians turned to Dag, looking at him as if they were predators and he was the prey.


    Dag, completely covered in blood, stood up, shrugging off the limbs of his enemy.


    He looked at the hammer: his head had turned completely black, the liquid in the pores of the rock had dyed the rock itself.


    Although he had not ingested the magenta blood, he felt that the weapon was extremely powerful. Now he just had to test it.


    Dag screamed, raising his hammer and inciting his comrades to battle.


    All the Hammers Of Thor screamed after him and began to counterattack.


    While all the warriors of the two opposing troops fought each other, unleashing lightning and powerful jets of water, derived from their skills, the two remaining reptilians continued to walk towards Dag, who watched them defiantly.


    "Retreat. You don''t know my Masters, they are much more powerful than me. You have no chance to succeed" he said, looking down.


    The two reptilians roared at him and attacked him.


    Dag clenched his fists.


    He felt his heart pulsing faster and the muscles of his arms and legs grow and strengthen.


    He had just activated Call Of The Berserkr.


    Having used that skill several times, he had probably managed to master it, judging by the ease with which he was able to activate it.


    The first reptilian attacked him, trying to hit him with his claws, but Dag lowered himself and dodged the blow, counterattacking the enemy with the hammer.


    He struck him in the chest and the reptilian spat blood, kneeling as soon as Dag removed the weapon from his body.


    Meanwhile, the other enemy, the female reptilian, fainted a punch and turned on herself, hitting Dag with a tail blow.


    Despite the parade, the shot destabilized Dag, who fell to the ground.


    The reptilian jumped on him, trying to bite his face with her jaws. Dag raised the hammer, whose grip was wedged between the jaws of the enemy, keeping her at a distance from his face.


    In front of his eyes, Dag had that red-eyed monster, who was ready to devour it.


    "Aaaaagh!" yelled Dag, as the reptilian''s saliva fell on his face, and his teeth began to touch him.


    She was extremely strong. Despite Call Of The Berserkr, Dag''s disadvantageous position prevented him from countering the reptilian with the utmost might.


    Dag thought he was doomed when suddenly the reptilian loosened her grip and her eyes began to look at the emptiness as if she had lost her energy.


    Dag managed to push her away and free himself from her grip.


    Behind the reptilian there was Aslan, who had just pierced her with a sword behind her back, killing the monster.


    "Aslan!" said Dag, astonished to see his former roommate rush to save him.


    Aslan smiled.


    Before Dag could thank his friend, the last remaining reptilian grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground.


    "No! No, leave him! I''m your opposition..."


    Before Dag could finish the sentence, the reptilian detached the head from Aslan''s neck, throwing it at Dag.


    His comrade''s head rolled until it touched Dag''s feet.


    The reptilian roared.


    Dag looked at Aslan''s face for the last time: his eyes were wide open and his mouth open. He had been taken by surprise.


    He sacrificed himself to save him.


    It had happened again. A close friend of his had lost his life to save him.


    It wasn''t fair.


    As Dag continued to look down, the gray smoke began to come out of the hammer''s head, which looked like a scorching basalt.


    Dag clenched his fists and looked up at the reptilian.


    His eyes were of their original color: he was going to use the dark powers only through his weapon!


    Immediately the gas began to condense, becoming black fluid.


    The reptilian in front of him stopped roaring, enchanted by the liquid floating next to Dag.


    Within minutes, all the warriors around him stopped, both enemies and allies.


    It was evident that none of them had ever seen powers like Dag''s.


    He began to walk towards the reptilian, while the liquid continued to wrap him.


    The monster backtracked.


    Dag pointed the hammer at his opponent, who began to run away from the other side, after seeing the black fluid heading at great speed towards him.


    The reptilian was unable to escape the liquid, which completely wrapped him, immobilizing his legs first and then spreading all over his body.


    Dag was able to control the fluid: it was as if a little at a time, he was finding matches between his bodily sensations and the movements of that unknown black mass.


    The liquid entered the reptilian''s body, crossing his mouth.


    Once he had swallowed it all, the enemy got up, as if nothing had happened. He looked at Dag.


    Dag, still pointing the hammer at him, turned his weapon, pointing the stone head down.


    Immediately the reptilian''s body began to implode, just as it had happened for the undead and Hjalmar: his eyes came out of his orbits and his bones broke, skewering his own flesh then.


    At the end of the process, the monster''s sphere of flesh and bowel disintegrated, evaporating into gas, which flew toward Dag at great speed.


    The crowd was astonished, it was as if the battle had stopped.


    Dag inhaled the thick grayish smoke, which filled his lungs.

 73 LXXIII. Dargeon

    He swallowed the power of the reptilian.


    He felt the smoke thicken in his throat and slip into his stomach.


    He looked up at his enemies and dashed towards them, to support his comrades.


    One at a time, the enemy warriors died, hit by Dag''s heavy hammer attacks.


    The effect of Call Of The Berserkr had added to that of the reptilian''s physical strength.


    However, his senses were less developed than when he absorbed the vital energy of the undead, before killing Hjalmar.


    As Dag killed all his opponents fighting with fury, his allies began to retreat, frightened by his power.


    When his last opponent remained, he began to run away from Dag, who threw his hammer with force, striking the man and smashing his skull.


    Then he ran towards him and detached the hammer from his head, with a jump.


    The man''s lifeless body fell to the ground.


    The west wing of the Temple Of Orn was safe. Now the other areas had to be secured, as planned.


    After he turned to his companions, Dag noticed that everyone was looking at him in a strange way.


    Between them, Dargeon had just arrived.


    "What?!" said Dag, still full of adrenaline.


    "That power... Where does it come from?" asked Dargeon.


    "I''ve had it in me since I was born, Master" Dag said, bending his head slightly toward his Master, out of respect.


    "Magni... Magni knew..." Continued Dargeon.


    Dag looked at the hammer with sadness.


    "What happened to him? Did you kill him?!" said Dargeon, trying to figure out if Dag was telling the truth.


    Before Dag could answer back, a huge explosion shook the walls.


    "What was it?!"


    "It was an explosion!"


    "It came from the other side of the courtyard!"


    All the warriors turned in the direction of the noise, frightened.


    "... Egill" said Dargeon, who immediately ran to the library.


    Dag followed him, without saying anything.


    Behind him, all his companions.


    Running, they noticed that the explosion came not from the library, but from the main entrance.


    The huge reinforced iron door had been swept away.


    The violent blow had left a crater in the walls around it.


    Everyone turned to see.


    Amidst the smoke and flames, another troop of soldiers, much larger than the previous one, was entering the Temple.


    Dag recognized the two leaders.


    "It''s them!" he thought, realizing that his enemies, discovering that their other troop had been defeated, had managed to enter through the main entrance on their own.


    One of the two men walked in front of everyone.


    As soon as he crossed his gaze with the Hammers Of Thor, he nodded his hand, ordering his troop to stop at the edge of the crater.


    He was a tall, stout man with long straight hair.


    Although the smoke made the view poor, his green eyes gave off an uncommon glow.


    "Who the fuck are you?! How dare you break into the sacred Temple Of Orn?!" shouted Dargeon.


    Dag looked at him intently and then shifted his gaze to the enemy.


    His Master''s aura was of deep orange, less red than Magni''s.


    The man with long black hair was surrounded by a dark yellow aura.


    "Everyone behind me!" continued Dargeon. All Allied warriors positioned themselves behind him, with shields and weapons pointed at enemies.


    "Today I feel generous" the enemy said.


    "Um?" Dag and all his companions could not understand the meaning of that statement.


    "You managed to defeat my soldiers, including my 3 strongest ones. Since I feel generous, I will give you the opportunity to join us, direct descendants of Jormungandr, the true great Serpent God. Lower your weapons and we will take possession of your Temple, which like every other place on Skjold, is rightfully ours" he continued.


    "The cosmically powerful demon called Jormungandr will rise from the waters during Ragnarok the end of all things" Dargeon said, as he pulled out his axe and shield.


    "His wrath will fall upon the seas and the lands... blowing his poison will contaminate the whole world. Until Thor, during the battle, will defeat him with the power of lightning" Dargeon continued, slamming his axe on the shield, which emitted red sparks.


    The warriors of the allied Clan began to foment after the words of their Master, including Dag, who squeezed Magni''s hammer hard.


    "However..." replied the man.


    "He won''t be able to survive more than nine steps after the victory and he will die, killed by the venom of the serpent God" he continued.


    He nodded again with his hand, pointing to Dargeon and his warriors.


    Immediately, the enemy troop charged towards them.


    Dag began to fight: enemies mostly wore heavy armor and spears.


    Easily he managed to kill some of them, without looking away from the man with black hair.


    From behind him, the other general of the enemy troop, charged in his direction.


    He wielded two swords and wore a helmet with two huge, straight up horns.


    Only his eyes could be seen from the helmet.


    As he ran, he was attacked by two allied warriors but he killed them both in a few seconds.


    His fighting technique was advanced, his two swords moved sinuously and their movements were accompanied by streams of water, which gave the blades an additional sharp power, avoiding getting them dirty with the blood of his victims.


    Before he could get in front of Dag, who was ready to face him, he was hit violently to one side, with a shield bash that knocked him to the ground.


    He was Dargeon.


    The enemy warrior shoved one of his swords to the ground and pushed himself to get up and jump toward Dargeon, who raised his shield, parrying the blow.


    The warrior backtracked.


    Dag observed his master''s movements, trying to understand more of his technique: his fighting style was based on defense, after parrying the enemy''s shot he would have a chance to attack him on the uncovered flank, but he did not.


    The warrior attacked him again, but Dargeon parried again the blow, bouncing his opponent''s sword to the shield and then counterattacking him with the axe.

 74 LXXIV. The Green Eyes

    The blow hit the mark, injuring the enemy warrior on the chest.


    With the corner of his eye, Dag continued to look at the man with black hair: he stood still at the same spot as if he was waiting for the right moment to attack.


    The Hammers of Thor warriors were taking over, crushing enemy troops.


    The soldiers of the enemy Clan were now outnumbered and began to retreat towards the inexistent door.


    Dargeon raised his shield again, slamming his axe on it to invite his enemy to attack.


    Dag began to run towards the man with black hair.


    "Wait, Dag! He is dangerous!" shouted Dargeon, distracting himself from his opponent, who took advantage of it to hit him, injuring him on the leg.


    Dag continued to run, undaunted: he could feel the reptilian''s energy inside. His run was faster than usual and his stride was wider.


    The warrior in front of Dargeon tried to hit him again, but he parried with the shield, which emitted an electric shock and paralyzed his opponent.


    Despite the wound on his leg, he got up and approached the enemy, who was motionless on the ground.


    Without thinking too much, with a decisive blow, he stuck his axe in the center of the enemy warrior''s forehead.


    Meanwhile, Dag was near his target and jumped towards him, loading a hammer blow.


    The man stood still until the last moment before the impact, when he deftly dodged Dag''s shot, which was sure to hit him.


    Moving quickly, the man kicked Dag''s abdomen while he was still in the air, causing him to roll to the ground.


    Dag got up quickly, ready to attack his enemy again.


    Before he could move, the man pulled a whip from his belt: it was a very special weapon, with a black leather body and metal thorns on the tip.


    He swirled his weapon in the air and then waved it toward Dag.


    The shot was extremely fast and precise. The whip wrapped Dag''s arm, and when the enemy pulled it towards him, Dag fell back to the ground, losing the hammer.


    The man pulled the whip again, preventing Dag from getting up.


    The iron tips of the weapon were stuck in Dag''s forearm and he could not free himself.


    "I could take your arm off with one movement" the man chuckled, mocking Dag, moving him as if he was a puppet.


    The hammer had fallen away from him, he had to find a way to break free and be able to catch him.


    At that very moment, something flew at great speed towards the face of the enemy, who managed to raise a hand to grab the object.


    It was Dargeon''s shield!


    Walking slowly because of the wound he suffered, he launched his shield to save Dag, making it spin in the air as if it was a sharp disc.


    The man dropped the shield to the ground and looked at his hand, completely cut and bloodied.


    Dag took advantage of his opponent''s distraction and grabbed the whip with both hands: the pain of the metal spines tearing his flesh was very hard, but he managed to pull the weapon towards him, destabilizing his enemy, who knelt and lost his control of the whip.


    Dag removed it from his arm, on which a dozen small circular wounds had appeared.


    He threw away the weapon and grabbed his hammer.


    The opposing troop warriors began to run away, exiting the main entrance, stopping a few meters later waiting for their commander.


    "The library! Keep attacking the library! Destroy everything!" the black-haired man yelled, getting up.


    "Master Wolnir! The troop that attacked the east wing has been exterminated! There was a warrior with a long white beard, who razed our warriors to the ground!" said one of the warriors about to escape.


    "What?!" said Wolnir, the man with black hair.


    Egill made it. He could have resisted the invasion on his own.


    Dag charged towards him. The hammer began to release gas, then liquid.


    He violently hit Wolnir, throwing him against the back wall.


    Although the enemy had tried to parry the blow by crossing his arms in front of him, Dag''s shot had completely destroyed his defenses, causing him great damage.


    "Master Wolnir!" the enemy warriors, who were about to witness the death of one of their Masters, shouted in chorus.


    Wolnir got up from the ground sore and looked at Dag.


    "And who the hell are you, brat?!" he said.


    Dag walked towards him.


    "I''m the one who''s going to take you out. Don''t you dare challenge the Hammers Of Thor again!"


    Wolnir clenched his fists and closed his eyes.


    The upper part of his body began to glow: his clothes burned and the leather parts began to melt. Within seconds he was bare-chested.


    On his chest was a large black tattoo depicting Jormungadr, the same symbol that the warriors had on their armor.


    Dag paused, trying to understand Wolnir''s intentions.


    The enemy turned to Dargeon and all the warriors of the Clan.


    His bright emerald eyes began to emanate green flames.


    "Behind meeeee! All behind me, quickly!" yelled Dargeon to his warriors, who began to move behind him in a confused way, without understanding why.


    Dag backtracked.


    Wolnir uttered a verse similar to an internal roar: after loading the blow into his chest, he opened his mouth, which instead of his teeth had sharp snake tusks and from it came a gigantic green blaze, directed towards Dargeon and the other warriors.


    Dag fell to the ground to see the green flames, which released heat all around.


    Before the flames could reach Dargeon, he left the axe and placed both hands on the ground in front of him.


    A huge metal wall rose several meters from the ground, protecting everyone behind it.


    The flames hit the wall, which managed to hold them, but Wolnir did not stop and continued to spit flames.


    Dag got up, with one hand close to his eyes: Wolnir''s fire was blinding.


    It was definitely one of Jormungadr''s devastating powers.

 75 LXXV. The Distraction

    As Dag approached Wolnir and tried to stop him, one of his warriors kicked him.


    Dag couldn''t see anything.


    Around Wolnir the air was overheated: in front of him, the green flames had dug a groove into the ground, burning everything.


    "Stop!" shouted Dag toward Wolnir, who continued to spit flames, ignoring him.


    Three warriors approached Dag, ready to kill him to protect their Master.


    Dag grabbed the hammer and walked a few feet away from the heat source.


    Two tried to hit him, but he dodged one shot and pared the other, hitting both enemies in succession with the hammer.


    The third, who had kept his distance, stretched out his bow, ready to shoot an arrow to Dag.


    One of the two he had hit earlier grabbed Dag by the ankle but he lifted him off the ground, using him as a shield for the arrow, which hit him behind his back.


    Soon after, Dag left his enemy on the ground and ran to the archer, who did not have time to load another arrow before being hammered in the head.


    After beating his opponents, Dag looked toward Dargeon and his teammates.


    The huge metal wall created by his Master Of Defense was beginning to melt on the sides.


    "Hey you! Wolnir! I have something much more interesting than this Temple!" shouted Dag, trying to overcome the sound of flames with his voice.


    Wolnir turned his gaze slightly towards him.


    Dag pulled the pendant out of his pocket and raised his arm upwards.


    "Do you know what is this?" he continued.


    Wolnir suddenly stopped his attack.


    "It''s... It''s not possible" he said, in a voice similar to the roar of the reptilians.


    "This pendant is the n¡ã10 emblem. It belongs to me" Dag said, showing the necklace to his opponent.


    Slowly, Dargeon and some warriors faced off on one side of the barrier to observe the scene.


    "How. How did you get it?!" exclaimed Wolnir, as his voice returned to normal.


    "Don''t you know how it works? To get an emblem, you have to defeat the one who owns it" Dag said.


    "And I did so. Do you want it? Come and get it" he continued.


    Dag had managed to distract his enemy, giving his allies a chance to save themselves.


    Wolnir began to hold his breath again, loading the blow.


    His lungs swelled: he was about to spit fire again.


    From the hammer began to flow the black liquid, which slipped on Dag''s arm.


    Before Wolnir spit fire from his mouth, Dag threw the hammer at him: the weapon left behind a trail of black fluid linked to Dag''s arm.


    After hitting Wolnir in the chest, the enemy stopped, taking damage. Dag pulled his arm back and the hammer came back towards him at great speed, dragged by the liquid, which had remarkable elastic properties.


    He took the pendant and put it back in his pocket.


    Soon after, he charged towards Wolnir, who had not yet recovered from the blow and hit him again with the hammer, first on the chest and then on one leg, causing his enemy to retreat.


    Call Of The Berserkr was still active, its duration had increased.


    Dag and the Clan warriors were watching the fight, impressed by Dag''s abilities.


    When Dag tried to hit him again, Wolnir dodged the blow and countered with a punch in the face.


    Dag spat blood.


    Before Dag was able to turn to him, Wolnir pulled a small sharp dagger from his belt and stuck it in his shoulder.


    Dag felt excruciating pain. It didn''t look like the pain of a simple cutting wound.


    He hit Wolnir with a knee in his stomach, causing him to back off and pull the knife out of his shoulder.


    Wolnir lowered himself slightly on his legs, holding the knife at the top: he had taken a different combat position.


    "You were wrong to show me the emblem. Now your teammates can''t help you, they can''t break the rules!" said Wolnir, confident.


    Dag thought he had made the right choice. He had managed to save his friends and turn Wolnir away. He would give his life for his Clan.


    " I don''t need anyone''s help! Bring it on, you idiot!" yelled Dag, taunting his enemy.


    "Aaagh! Die!" replied Wolnir, trying to hit Dag with a dagger lunge straight to his heart.


    Dag dodged the blow and blocked Wolnir''s wrist, hitting him in the face with the hammer, using his other arm.


    Immediately after stunning his opponent, with a quick movement, he broke his wrist.


    Wolnir screamed in pain and Dag leveraged on his hand, pushing the dagger straight towards one of his eyes, skewering him.


    The long-haired black warrior continued to scream when the dagger entered his eye.


    Dag kicked him in the chest, knocking him from back to the ground.


    Wolnir''s face was completely covered in blood, and the dagger tore the inside of his eye at every slight movement.


    The wound on Dag''s shoulder kept hurting him. Being on his left shoulder, Dag put the hammer in his right hand.


    He looked at his weapon intently: in his mind appeared images of the last moments of Magni''s life.


    A strong feeling of anger began to burn within him, flowing into his veins.


    The hammer began to emit sparks, which after a few seconds turned into real blue bolts.


    "This is not... this is not possible¡­" whispered Dargeon, who was still near the steel wall.


    The black fluid began to overheat inside the rock of the hammer''s head, producing bubbles on its surface.


    In contact with the electricity released, the fluid became partly gas, partly joined the lightning bolts, which changed color to a dark purple, almost black.


    The hammer was now completely wrapped in dark lightning, traveling at great speed near Dag, violently hitting the ground and carving grooves on it.


    Dag turned his head towards the few remaining enemy soldiers, who still hoped for the victory of their commander.

 76 LXXVI. The Leech

    "Tell your Warchiefs, this is what happens to those who try to take on the Hammers Of Thor!" he shouted.


    Charging on his knees, he made a high jump towards Wolnir, who was still on the ground, blinded.


    The dark lightning bolts entered the hammer, whose head emitted a dark purple aura, before striking Wolnir''s body.


    As soon as the hammer hit the target, all the energy accumulated inside it was released, causing an explosion that blinded all those who were witnessing the clash, and was followed by the roar of thunder.


    When the light began to soften, everyone looked toward Dag and Wolnir.


    As soon as they could see, the enemy soldiers opened their eyes wide, terrified.


    In front of Dag, Wolnir''s body had disappeared: all that remained after the blow was a furrow, in which the ground was completely burned and full of blood.


    "Ma¡­Master?!"


    "Where is he¡­ wh¡­?


    Enemy soldiers continued to talk to each other.


    At one point, blood began to rain over their heads.


    Immediately after the blood, pieces of entrails, organs, and fragments of charred clothing fell.


    The enemies began to scream in panic.


    After several seconds of red rain, Wolnir''s head fell a few feet away from Dag.


    His face was hardly recognizable, completely disfigured and burned.


    "Aaaagh! Master!"


    "Run! Retreat!"


    The few men of the Fangs Of Jormungadr Clan escaped without ever turning back.


    "I will find you and I will kill you all, to the last! You will pay the blood with blood!" shouted Dag towards them.


    A great weariness assaulted him.


    He turned to Dargeon and his companions, seeking approval.


    They were all speechless. They looked at Dag as if they were looking at a monster, their eyes were quiet for the threat overcome, but worried at the same time.


    Dag touched the wound on his shoulder and felt a very strong pain.


    The hammer fell from his strengthless hand.


    The image of his companions became increasingly blurry.


    The breath began to become heavy and deep, until he lost consciousness and fell to the ground, collapsed.


    ...


    "Master Egill!"


    ...


    "Master Egill! He''s waking up!"


    Dag slowly opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling of the room.


    He was in one of the Temple''s dorm rooms, he recognized the dark wood of his ceilings, made from the black pine trees on the other side of Mount Torden.


    "¡­ what¡­ where... "


    He tried to speak, but he still felt dazed.


    He moved his hand slowly towards his injured shoulder.


    As soon as he touched it, he felt a strong pain, which made him grit his teeth.


    "If they had left you there, you would have died for sure"


    Dag turned to the door.


    Egill had just come in. He was carrying a wooden bucket and a glass bulb filled with a copper-colored liquid.


    "What happened to... me?" asked Dag, as he tried to move unsuccessfully.


    "Dargeon decided to save you. He told me what you did. He told me that you saved the Temple Of Orn and for that reason, you deserved to stay alive" Egill said, resting the bucket next to Dag''s bed.


    Then he lifted the cloth placed on his shoulder. Dag felt again a strong burning.


    He turned to the wound, to assess the damage.


    Three large black leeches were attached to his flesh.


    Egill detached them one at a time, with a decisive gesture of his hand.


    "Aaagh! What the fuck!" said Dag, holding a scream.


    "Shut up, little girl. Master Wolnir was one of the greatest warriors of the Fangs Of Jormungandr. In addition to owning the art of the World Serpent''s fire, he was also a great chemist. The dagger that stuck in your shoulder was drenched in a powerful poison, which in a few hours would make the rounds of your body, paralyzing first your muscles, then your organs, leading to a slow and painful death. You have to thank our creeping little friends" Egill exclaimed, grabbing more leeches from the bucket to replace those who were sucking the poison from Dag''s shoulder.


    Dag tried to keep his mouth shut, the pain was very strong.


    "Master Egill... you''re alive! I was afraid you couldn''t protect the library on your own!" said Dag, who was slowly regaining his senses.


    "I managed to isolate the entire library with a runic barrier. The enemies didn''t know how to break the spell, and in the end, when they were close enough, the barrier exploded under my control, killing them all instantly" said Egill, who after resting the new leeches on Dag''s shoulder, began to smear the ointment.


    "Unbelievable. He knows how to use runes, too. His powers must be similar to those of Myr" Dag thought, looking at his master.


    "And what about Master Dargeon? Is he okay? I remember he was hurt on the leg" Dag continued.


    "Yes, he''s fine. I was able to heal him in a few seconds" said the long white-bearded Master.


    "What happened to Magni, Dag? I want the truth. Remember that your life is in my hands right now" Egill continued, pressing lightly on Dag''s wound as he waved in pain.


    "Augh! Master... Master Magni died to save me. It all started when the Renegades caught me and took me off the farm, locking me in Castle Of Mork..." began Dag.


    After about half an hour, he had told the whole story to Egill, who listened intently to every detail.


    Dargeon told me of your dark power. He told me that before you gave the decisive blow to Wolnir, you managed to fuse your power with Magni''s. Is that the truth?" asked Egill, astonished by Dag''s story.


    "I... I''m not sure about it. I''m trying to control it. My dominance over my powers grows day by day, with constant training. Magni already knew... he was the only one who trusted me, spurring me to unleash my true potential. He lost his life to save me, and I will never forget him. His hammer is the only thing I have left of him. I will protect it to the death" Dag said.

 77 LXXVII. The Diary

    His words were filled with sadness.


    Egill understood that Dag was telling the truth and put a hand on his leg.


    "You''ve done even more than you were supposed to do, boy. You saved the Temple Of Orn and for that, you''ll always have our gratitude. Now sleep, you need to rest to get back in your strength. I will report the story to Dargeon and your comrades" he said.


    Dag turned his head across the room. Magni''s hammer was there, resting on the ground next to the bed. It was still blood-soaked.


    He closed his eyes and fell deeply asleep.


    ...


    Dag awoke.


    His head had stopped spinning.


    He looked at the wound on his shoulder: it had vanished. All that was left was a small linear scar.


    Before he got up, he rubbed his eyes and touched his face. The hair typical of adolescence was beginning to harden, becoming a real beard.


    He got out of bed, slowly.


    He had fully recovered his strength.


    Magni''s hammer was still there. After drinking a sip of water and moving to his weapon, he took it and put it in his belt.


    He walked out of the room.


    The hallways were empty. A buzz came from the courtyard and he walked in that direction.


    Fortunately, the dormitory remained intact after the battle against Wolnir and the Fangs Of Jormungandr.


    Dag had lost track of time.


    A strong light came in from the windows above the ceiling of the corridors.


    Once out of the dormitory, Dag had to cover his eyes with his hand before he could see: his eyes needed to get used to the sunlight.


    In front of him, dozens and dozens of warriors were busy doing something: some of them carried wooden beams, others moved boulders and various kinds of tools.


    It was only after turning to the main entrance of the Temple that he realized that the walls were being rebuilt and the damage sustained after the battle was underway.


    Dag continued to look at the warriors, not knowing exactly what to do.


    "How much longer do you want to stay still there?" said a Shieldmaiden carrying two bags filled with a grayish powder.


    "Yeah... what I''m supposed to..."


    "Dag! You finally woke up!" interrupted Dargeon.


    The Master approached Dag and patted him on the shoulder.


    "Y... yes, Master" Dag said, making a slight bow, as a sign of respect.


    "Excuse me, Master... How long did I sleep?" he continued.


    "Well, if I''m not wrong, you''ve been sleeping for about a week" Dargeon said.


    "What?! A week?!"


    "Yes. Egill prevented most warriors from approaching you in the dorm to avoid waking up. He said you needed rest to regain your strength" Dargeon continued.


    Dag nodded, looking for Master Egill with his eyes.


    Dargeon said: "He''s in the library."


    "Thank you" Dag replied, beginning to walk in that direction.


    "Ah, Dag!"


    Dargeon called him, approaching him.


    "I wanted to thank you. Without you, we would probably all be dead and the Temple Of Orn would have fallen into the hands of those bastards" he continued.


    "It''s an honor to serve the mighty Thor and his people, Master. All I did was just my duty as a Clan warrior" Dag said, looking down.


    "Even though you''re a humble boy, you also know that''s not the case. I''m going to discuss it with Egill. Your effort will be rewarded in some way" the Master said, smiling.


    Dag felt a deep sense of happiness, a feeling he was about to forget, given the recent events.


    He smiled back.


    Once he arrived at the library, he opened the doors. Both on the outside and inside the situation was always the same: the shelves with books and scrolls were intact.


    Egill''s runic spell had to be very powerful to withstand the attack of dozens, perhaps hundreds of warriors.


    Dag approached the shelves of level 3 scrolls and began to observe them closely.


    "I think you''re ready for level 4 too" said Egill, who sprang from behind the bookstore, busy restocking some ancient manuscripts.


    "You know, this library means everything to me. Some of Skjold''s most powerful warriors have stepped on the same floor on which we are walking now. I have been protecting its walls for almost 40 years and managing its knowledge. The Masters Of Healing before me, they left me this important task" he continued.


    Dag turned to him and bowed, resting one knee on the ground.


    "Master Egill. Thank you for saving my life" Dag said, staring at the floor.


    Egill smiled: "It was the least I could do. Now there''s something you have to do for me".


    Dag looked up at his Master, waiting for orders.


    "Magni, in addition to being an excellent warrior, was also one of my closest friends. What I want is to honor his name, respecting his will" Egill continued.


    "I... I don''t understand..." answered Dag, trying to understand.


    Egill laid down the books he had in his hand on a table and took one.


    It was a not very large book, with the cover lined with rough leather.


    "This is his personal diary. Despite his appearance, Magni was a very thoughtful man. He noted some of his thoughts and misgivings on the pages of this diary."


    Dag rose to his feet.


    "After listening to your story, I went to his room and read it all in one breath, focusing on the last pages".


    Egill opened the diary and began to browse it.


    He paused on a particular page and laid a finger on it.


    "I read to you what it says:


    [...] I remember hearing numerous stories in childhood of the man who was my first and only Master, Brann from Earth. The boy reminds me of him tremendously. Something in his gaze brings me back to the past: there''s a kind of fire inside him, but he doesn''t know how to use it to his advantage, I don''t know either, actually. But one thing I know for sure: his heart is pure and his spirit is harder than steel ... I will try to teach him all my skills, to pass on to him my knowledge and when he will be ready, it will be up to him to maneuver his own destiny. He will be the next Warchief of the Hammers Of Thor [...] "

 78 LXXVIII. The Trus

    Dag was speechless as if he was paralyzed.


    "He... he never told me that..."


    "I know. He never even told me, kid. But that''s his will" Egill interrupted.


    Dag''s heart began to beat loudly.


    "Obviously you don''t know how it works. To become a Master and then Warchief you have to face a series of tests. You have to be superior to any other warrior in the Clan, to get the title... Of course, this will give you some advantage" continued Egill, who took an object from his pocket and threw it at Dag, who grabbed it.


    It was the horseshoe pendant.


    "Master, I forgot to tell you about this. It all happened all of a sudden, I... I...".


    Dag did not immediately find the words to tell Egill about the woman who fled and the warriors he faced to win the emblem.


    "Dag, don''t worry. This emblem is yours, I have no interest in getting it. It doesn''t matter how you got it, I don''t care. Now it''s yours and you must protect it. That emblem is a symbol of power. Use it to your advantage. About the matter of Magni and his plans for you... you don''t have to answer me now, you can..."


    "I accept!" interrupted Dag, excited to rethink the words his late Master had written about him.


    Egill chuckled.


    "Well. From today you will be under my supervision. You will tell me what kind of training Magni did and show me what skills do you have. With a lot of effort and sacrifice, you will become the mighty warrior that your Master would have wanted you to become" concludes Egill.


    Dag clasped the pendant tightly in his hand and placed the other on the head of the hammer.


    "I won''t let him down" he said, confident.


    "Spring is about to begin. The snows on Mount Torden begin to melt and the trees to bloom. When the Summer Sun will enlighten the earth, the Warlords Tournament will begin. The winner of the competition, in accordance with my decision and Dargeon''s one, will have the chance to become Masters" Egill said.


    Dag nodded, confirming his words.


    Then he approached him and showed him the runes on his arm.


    "These are the only skills I''ve learned. Magni, sometimes, used to bring me some scrolls" Dag said.


    "Mh... well, Earth Stomp, Overpowered Strike, Slam, Perforate, Niva... and this is a +1 Call Of The Berserkr. Not bad for a beginner. You''ve already managed to improve a level 1 skill. Very good..." said Egill, looking closely at the runes, of which he knew by heart every meaning.


    He walked away from Dag, walking to another row of libraries.


    Dag sneered, trying to follow Egill with his eyes.


    He was consulting scrolls in the "level 4" section.


    He took two and brought them to Dag.


    "Start with these. As soon as you think you''re mastering them, show me your progression" Egill said.


    Soon after, before Dag could figure out what ability it was, he left the library.


    Dag opened the two scrolls.


    "Shockwave and Hamstring" he thought out loud.


    With the two scrolls under his arm, he returned to the dormitory.


    He took the two scrolls to his room and left them on the bed, and then he went out into the courtyard again to lend a hand to his companions.


    "Hello, Dag!"


    "Hey! You were great!"


    "Dag! How''s it going?"


    The other warriors of the Clan, as soon as they saw him, greeted him warmly.


    Dag didn''t know any of them: during the short time he spent at Temple Of Orn before his exile, he had managed to forge a weak friendship only with Aslan.


    As soon as he thought of him, the memory of when, arguing in the room, they broke his bed, appeared in his mind.


    Immediately, that happy memory was interrupted by the image of his comrade''s head rolling towards his feet, with an expression of terror drenched on his face.


    Dag shook his head, trying to forget that moment.


    He greeted with his hand all those who had welcomed him with kindness, smiling.


    It was time to start all over again.


    If one day he would become Master of his clan, he would have everyone''s approval. Magni was esteemed by his people, everyone loved him and trusted him.


    Dag was going to do the same.


    He joined a group of warriors carrying pieces of wall to the main entrance and gave them a hand.


    After several hours of work, Dargeon called everyone''s attention to the courtyard: "For today we are done. Good job! At this rate, the temple will soon return to its old splendor. Tomorrow, at dawn, we''re going to resume work. We will meet this evening at the banquet, during which we will toast our victory!"


    All the warriors, fatigued by the hard work, raised their arms and screamed happily towards Master Dargeon, enthusiastic about the news.


    After returning to the temple, Dag entered his room and began studying the two scrolls, starting with the one titled "Hamstring".


    The scroll was much more complex than the level 1 scrolls. The futhark grammar was more articulated and the text was longer.


    The ability, when used at the right time, caused a surgical cut on his opponent''s tendons, preventing him from being able to move freely.


    Just as Dag was absorbed in reading, someone knocked on his door and all the doors of the next rooms.


    "Dinner is ready! The Masters are waiting for you in the great circular dorm room".


    Dag came out of his room and with everyone else went into the banquet hall.


    He had never entered that hall: the ceilings were much higher than those of the student rooms and corridors. In the middle of the room, a large rope held dozens of candles that lit the long wooden table.


    On one of the walls, a huge fresco depicted Thor hitting Jormundandr with his hammer, as the giant serpent emerged from a river, overturning a boat and spewing flames on the innocent sailors above it.


    Dag recalled the words Dargeon uttered before facing Wolnir. They were probably inspired by that painting.


    All together, they took their seats around the table.

 79 LXXIX. Sk?l!

    Egill and Dargeon were sitting next to each other at the head of the table.


    "My trusty apprentice warriors! Before we start celebrating with the fine wild boar meat of the woods that our skilled hunters have procured, I would like to toast with you!" said Dargeon, standing up and filling a mug with mead.


    Egill and all the warriors, including Dag, also stood up. All with the glasses full in their hands.


    "Thanks to our fighting strength and winning strategy, we were able to drive out the invaders of one of our enemy clans. But it wasn''t all our merits!" continued Dargeon, pointing his mug at Dag.


    His mug was so full that he dropped mead on the table.


    "If we were able in time to dispose of the defenses and line up for the battle, we owe it to the courage of one of us, who despite the stern treatment we gave him not so long ago, remained loyal to the Clan and ran to our rescue" Egill said, continuing the speech of his fellow Master.


    Dag smiled and felt a slight embarrassment when many of the Berserkrs and Shieldmaidens turned to him, looking at him with pride.


    "And that''s not all. This warrior has demonstrated, as well as strong fighting skills, an innate sense of leadership, commanding the troop that managed to defend the west entrance of our beloved Temple Of Orn, our home. Let''s drink, brothers! To Dag from Earth and to all our companions who sacrificed themselves for this noble cause! This noble gesture of theirs will be written in our historical texts and will be remembered for eternity. Sk?l!" continued Egill, raising his mug toward Dag.


    "Sk?l!"


    All the warriors toasted simultaneously.


    "I''d like this toast to honor someone else''s memory, Masters" Dag said, after taking a sip of mead.


    Egill nodded his hand, allowing Dag to continue the speech.


    "If I managed to run here to the Temple, to warn you all of the imminent danger, it is thanks to Master Magni, my mentor and friend, who sacrificed his life to save mine, freeing me from Mork Castle. His body was buried near the farm where he lived before he became a warrior. I propose to organize a day when we will pay tribute to him! To Master Magni, the Iron Spark! Sk?l!" said Dag aloud, his eyes shining with emotion.


    Again all the warriors in the room toasted and the two Masters looked at each other with intent.


    After each member again sat down, men entered the hall, carrying three huge wild boars on wooden carriers, ready to be eaten.


    They served them and they all ate with gusto.


    After dinner, they were all satiated and drunk. The huge Jugs, which were previously filled with mead, were now empty.


    Dargeon snored blissfully as he slept in his chair, with the glass hanging from his hand and almost touching the ground.


    Egill had retreated to his room.


    A boy approached Dag, who unknowingly had discovered that he was holding his liquor and was just a little bit tipsy.


    "Hey, you! Dag!" he said, staggeringly.


    He put his arm around his neck and kept talking: "Brother, do you see those two girls over there?"


    The young man pointed toward the table. Two girls were still seated and continued to sip mead.


    They spoke to each other in a low voice and then laughed, watching Dag.


    "They can''t wait to get to know you better. What do you think?" the boy continued.


    Dag was embarrassed. It had been a long time since his first time with Freydis. Hir hormones were going crazy watching those girls.


    He wanted to have sex. Surely doing it with two girls at the same time was the best that a young man like him could aspire to.


    He turned to the boy near him and moved him away, pushing him with his hand.


    "Move away, brother. Your breath would awaken the dead" he said.


    Dag began to sweat cold.


    He was conflicted.


    Between his legs, something began to harden.


    "Damn! What I''ve to do now?" thought Dag.


    In the last period, he had focused only on the fights, regardless of his body, which was in the midst of physical development.


    One of the Shieldmaidens rose from the table and began to walk towards him, who was paralyzed.


    She was a young woman, with coppery hair and light brown eyes.


    She came close to Dag, who had a red, tomato-like face.


    "I''ve seen you fight, Dag from Earth. I agree with our Masters... you are a skilled warrior. Me and my friend sitting over there, we''d like to thank you for saving us all. We thought we''d give you a little gift... Are you in?" said the girl, resting her cheek on Dag''s shoulder and stroking his chest with her hand.


    Dag''s penis became hard as a rock.


    "I... I don''t know..." answered Dag, standing still in the same position.


    It''s been a long time since he smelled a woman''s hair.


    She took a deep breath and her chest swelled, partially showing her breasts from the neckline of the dress.


    Dag closed his eyes for a moment and began to sweat.


    "What are you worried about? Maybe you don''t like me?" the girl asked.


    "No! It''s not that, actually... you''re very attractive!" said Dag, embarrassed.


    "So what''s the matter? Come with us to our room, you won''t regret it" she replied, dragging Dag by the hand.


    Dag followed the girl, who walked out of the hall, nodding her head to her friend.


    The girls walked together, hugging Dag until their room.


    One of them opened the door and all three came in.


    Dag stood with his back resting on the door. He couldn''t move in embarrassment.


    The other girl had blond hair and dark eyes.


    Both moved slightly away from Dag, positioning themselves in front of him, next to each other.


    Dag swallowed empty.


    Slowly, they untied the back laces of their clothes, removing the leather jacket they wore on top.

 80 LXXX. The Proposal

    They continued to undress, until they both remained with the white petticoat, almost transparent.


    Dag stared intently at them.


    In a short time, they also removed the petticoat and remained completely naked in front of him, who slightly opened his mouth, remaining hypnotized by their curves.


    Their bodies were athletic and tattooed, they looked sculpted in the rock: long and sturdy legs, flat abdomen and abundant and proportionate breasts.


    The girl with copper-colored hair slipped her hand over her own body, first stroking her breasts, then arriving in the private parts.


    She began to masturbate in front of Dag, who kept looking at her intently.


    The girl blushed on her cheeks, getting excited.


    The other walked slowly toward Dag.


    She approached him and began to kiss his neck, coming up to his chin.


    With her hand, she stroked Dag''s neck slightly licking behind his ear.


    Dag felt shivers behind his back and his arm hair stood up.


    The girl began to caress his chest, descending with her hand down.


    Dag kept staring at the other, still touching her private parts.


    As soon as the girl next to him touched his genitals, massaging them, Dag could no longer refrain himself.


    "Enough!"


    Both stopped.


    "Sorry, I can''t do it! A young woman is waiting for me in Jernhest, I can''t give in! You''re two beautiful girls, your bodies excite me, you can notice it yourself... but I can''t. I made a promise" Dag said, looking sadly down.


    The girl who was stroking him stepped back, looking at him with indifference.


    The other got dressed quickly, embarrassed.


    Before they could answer, Dag broke the silence again: "See you tomorrow in the courtyard. I wish you a good night!"


    Within seconds, he went out the door and closed it behind him, sighing.


    He walked quickly to his room.


    "Perhaps I was just an idiot! Such an occasion will never happen to me again in life, I should not have refused! Freydis would never have known... but maybe... this thought would continue to torment me and in the end, I would tell her myself" Dag thought, as he touched his penis, to see if the erection had stopped.


    He entered his room and began reading the scroll of "Hamstring."


    He read late into the night, the effect of alcohol had faded due to the embarrassment.


    After hours, he put his head on the bed and fell asleep.


    Like every morning, someone rang the dorm bell and walked down the hallway screaming: "Wake up! There''s still a lot of work to be done!"


    Dag opened his eyes. He had a slight headache.


    He took the hammer and went out into the courtyard with all his comrades.


    He looked around embarrassed, hoping not to cross his gaze with the two girls of the previous night.


    Then he turned to the main entry: the large iron door had returned to its place, they had almost managed to fully repair the damage.


    From the sides of the openings in the wall, he could see the great statue of the God Thor, who fortunately was unharmed.


    Egill was directing the renovation work.


    "Good morning, Master" Dag said.


    "Hello Dag. Did you sleep well?" said Egill, without turning to him.


    "Let''s say yes. Thank you for giving me the floor last night" Dag continued.


    "That was the least I could do" the man replied.


    "Master... I have a question".


    "Tell me".


    "Are we at war with the Fangs Of Jormungandr now?" asked Dag, confident.


    Egill turned to him.


    "We have been at war with them for more than 100 years. You know the reason behind their last attack, you told me yourself".


    Dag nodded: "Yes, I know it is due to Magni''s death. But what I mean is... what if we attack them now?"


    Egill stood still for a few seconds, then turned around and began walking to the library.


    "Come with me" he said, inviting Dag to follow him.


    They entered the library and Egill closed the doors.


    "We can''t talk about these issues out there, anyone could hear us" Egill said.


    "Why do you have such fear, Master? Don''t you trust the Clan warriors?" asked Dag.


    "I''ve learned not to trust anyone, Dag. But it''s not just about that. I want to know what you''re up to" Egill continued.


    "Since I have been on this planet, I have learned that here, mercy doesn''t exist. There are good Clans and Clans commanded by evil people. In my opinion, it''s time to turn the page" Dag said.


    "Mh¡­ what do you mean?" replied Egill, touching his long white beard.


    "Let''s bring the Clans together. Those who are going to bring justice to Skjold. If we join forces, I am sure that we will succeed, that we will be able to bring peace".


    "What?! Don''t be silly. The balance of the planet depends precisely on the constant opposition between good and evil. By altering this law, we risk leading our society to collapse! Stop raving!" continued Egill, in a stern tone.


    "Balance. We''re just playing the Xis game. They don''t want balance, they just want evil not to cease to exist. And it''s our fault. We are blinded by power and cannot see any further. There are forces far greater than us, we are just puppets in the hands of those who really set the rules of the game" Dag replied.


    Egill stopped talking.


    "Fangs Of Jormungandr, Lies Of Loki, Horns Of Heimdallr... if we understand which of them want to achieve absolute peace, we could merge the Clans, unite our strength and our knowledge, to fight our one, great enemy in common."


    "Who would that be?"


    "The Xis".


    Dag had a serious tone. He was trying to confide in Egill, to kick out all the feelings he had inside.


    Even himself marveled at what he had just said, but he had never been so sure of anything.


    "These powers... they are inside me and they want to be released, they are waiting! If I''ll become a Master, this will be one of the first things I''m going to propose on the council. We need allies, not just enemies" Dag continued.

 81 LXXXI. The Story

    "Boy, you''re 18, but you talk like an old wise man. Your determination is a breath of fresh air for my old, rusty spirit" Egill said.


    Dag sighed, looking down.


    "Brann" said the Master Of Healing.


    Dag immediately looked up at him, listening intently to what he had to say.


    "Magni probably talked you about him. He was our Warchief. He was as determined as you are, but he had decided to tackle the problem by going another way. He wanted to become King of all Vikings. Under his command, we fought several wars and emerged victoriously. But it couldn''t last forever. His personal ambition pushed him to go further, until he lost his head, believing himself to be more powerful than anyone else" Egill said.


    "I know what happened to him. I know about the battle against Lies Of Loki" said Dag, who recalled the words of Asa and Gridd.


    "During that battle, we allied with the Sons Of Freya and fought like one great Clan, as you said before. But victory was not enough for him. He wanted to kill their commander, to prove his supremacy, putting the lives of all of us and the allies of the other clan at risk".


    "What? I didn''t know this version. All I knew was that he had died in battle because someone wanted to take over his n¡ã 6 emblem" Dag said, puzzled.


    Egill walked a few meters away and opened a trunk that was near the wall. He took a small metal vessel from the inside.


    He put it on the table in front of Dag, who didn''t understand.


    "Brann was in love. You, Earthlings, are more attached to this concept than us, born here on Skjold. In Viking culture, love weakens. In my opinion, the truth lies in the middle. But that was the rule for him. He loved your foster mother so much... he liked to exterminate his opponents to brag before her. It was because of a woman that we lost our most valiant warrior and were forced to retreat to the Temple Of Orn, to remain neutral to the Clans wars" Egill continued.


    The man took a water bottle, detaching it from his belt.


    He poured the liquid contained in it into the container. It looked like normal water.


    Dag did not answer, he was trying to store the information that his Master was providing him.


    Egill took a knife and cut himself in the palm of his hand.


    "Master, what are you doing?"


    Egill did not answer. He clenched his fist, dropping a few drops of his blood into the water of the vessel, which turned red.


    "I want to trust you, Dag. In your eyes, I see hope for a better future for our clan. I''ll take you there" he said.


    "Where? What are you talking about?" asked Dag.


    Egill grabbed his wrist and with a quick gesture cut him on the back of his hand.


    "Ouch!"


    He put his hand on Dag''s, matching the two cuts and dipping them both into the water.


    Egill''s eyes turned white.


    Dag looked at him frightened.


    His pupils were turned backward and from his mouth, he emitted strange verses.


    "Master Egill! Are you feeling good?!" said Dag, when he felt a chill starting from his hand submerged in water and running through his arm until it reached his neck and head.


    At that point, suddenly, Dag closed his eyes.


    A few seconds passed before he could reopen them.


    In that short amount of time, he heard a noise of the wind and a feeling of cold.


    He opened his eyes, looking down.


    His feet were completely submerged in snow, which covered his calves down to his knees.


    He was wearing iron armor.


    "What? What?! Where..." said, emitting vapor from his mouth as he spoke.


    After looking up, he realized that he was in the middle of a battle.


    Hundreds of warriors fought around him.


    Sounds of swords and shields, screams of pain and despair.


    The battle was real.


    Before Dag realized he wasn''t in a dream, an arrow flew next to his face at great speed, grazing his hair.


    Dag stood still, frightened.


    The arrow had just hit a warrior who was trying to attack him from behind, killing him.


    Dag looked at the dead warrior, then turned to the other side again.


    A young woman with a long white braid had just saved him.


    "Come on, soldier! There''s no time to waste!" she yelled.


    After listening to her speak, Dag had no doubts: it was Asa''s voice.


    "But how is it possible?! Did Egill make me time travel?! It all seems real here!" thought Dag, who grabbed the dead warrior''s spear.


    He ran towards the girl with white hair.


    As he ran, enemy soldiers approached him, trying to hit him.


    Dag dodged the blows, sticking the first of them with the tip of the spear.


    The other hit him with a kick, but he grabbed his foot and pulled it towards him, knocking the enemy to the ground.


    After extracting the spear from the other warrior''s dead body, he also pierced the second, in the chest.


    Dag looked better on both men on the ground: they wore light leather armor and thin iron protections on their legs.


    In the center of the chest, a symbol of two crossed daggers adorned the chainmail.


    "Lies Of Loki!" thought Dag aloud.


    The battle was supposed to be exactly what he was talking about a few minutes earlier with Egill.


    "Brann! Maybe he''s still alive!" thought Dag, who was looking for him.


    He kept running in the same direction.


    The white-haired girl walked further and further away, Dag couldn''t keep up.


    She finally stopped, when enemy warriors encircled her.


    Before Dag could help her, she jumped and heavenly wings appeared on her back.


    As she flew, she powerfully waved her wings toward the enemies, causing a gust of wind that swept some of them.


    The others, however, suddenly disappeared and then reappeared above her, hitting her behind the back with a punch.

 82 LXXXII. The Determination

    Asa fell to the ground, stunned.


    Dag paused, reflecting: "If I met her as an adult, it means she didn''t die during the battle, that''s for sure. I can''t risk interfering, I''ll keep the distance."


    Other soldiers approached her.


    One of them pulled out a large sharp dagger and began to walk towards the young Asa.


    Dag kept looking at the scene, impatient.


    Asa turned to the warrior, who pointed the dagger at her.


    He tried to hit her and she raised her hand, covering her eyes.


    She seemed to be doomed.


    Before the blade of the great dagger could hit her, a green luminous barrier enveloped her body, shattering the weapon in the hands of the enemy, who retreated in disbelief.


    Asa got up, recovering her strength instantly.


    A man with a strange cylindrical hat and a tunic came out of the vegetation behind him.


    He wielded a staff with its toe rolled upon itself, with a small green gem set on the wood.


    "No doubt, that''s Egill''s bracket!" thought Dag.


    After getting up, Asa picked up a sword from the ground and killed each of the enemy warriors near her.


    "My lady! Our enemies begin to retreat! Let''s move on!" said Egill.


    "That way!" replied Asa.


    Dag followed them.


    Around them, a large number of corpses painted the snow with red blood: the dead allied warriors were far fewer than the enemy ones.


    Asa and Egill arrived at a clearing, where the vegetation was less dense.


    In that huge open space, there was no snow on the ground. The ground seemed to have been burned.


    "Bran!" shouted Asa.


    Dag looked immediately in the indicated direction, anxious to see Brann.


    A man in dark red armor walked slowly toward an enemy Clan soldier, crawling to the ground without a leg, trying to get away from him.


    "Please, mercy! We gave up, it''s over!" shouted the man on the ground, panicked, turning to Brann.


    "It''s not over until I say it!" said Brann, raising his big double-headed axe, ready to hit his helpless enemy.


    "Where is your Warchief?" he continued.


    "I... I.. I don''t know, I swear! I am sure that they will have already returned to the fortress of Bedrag at this time, far from here!" replied the enemy soldier, continuing to plead for mercy.


    Brann looked at him with an expression of indifference.


    "Wrong" he said, striking him violently with the axe.


    The blow, though not so powerful, hit the man in the eye, cutting his head in half and squirting his blood everywhere.


    Dag watched with puzzlement: he believed that Brann was a righteous man, he would never have expected such a merciless scene.


    "Master! We did it! We won another battle. I am convinced that Lies Of Loki will no longer try to attacking us or reclaiming our lands" said Egill, who was thrilled with the win.


    Asa walked towards Brann.


    She hugged him and gave him a passionate kiss.


    "Gather our men. Those bastards will not be far away, on horseback we will be able to reach them and kill them all, ending their existence once and for all" Brann said, moving away from his woman''s loving arms.


    "My love, there is no need to continue. Let''s retreat and get our strength back. Soon we will attack them again, they certainly will not expect a second battle!" said Asa, sure to convince his man.


    Brann stroked her: "You know it doesn''t work that way. If we wait, they will have time to prepare for our invasion and we''ll run the risk of being defeated".


    He put his hand under his armor and threw out his emblem.


    Dag looked at that object with interest.


    It was a silver rabbit''s paw, hooked to a leather necklace.


    It matched Gridd''s description.


    Brann shook hands with the n¡ã 6 emblem.


    "I''m convinced that Hakon, their Warchief, has an emblem. I proved my superiority over him by winning another battle, so I demand my reward. That emblem is rightfully mine" he said.


    "Master... If I may interject... in this way we would put the lives of all the warriors who survived this bloody war at risk. We don''t know the areas surrounding Bedrag''s fortress! Legends tell that there are woods and swamps infested with spirits!" exclaimed Egill, trying to dissuade Brann.


    "Egill, my friend" he replied, approaching the magician and resting his hand on his shoulder.


    "One day, not too far, I''ll be King of all Vikings. Every command of mine you carry out is nothing more than a small step towards that goal. I know what I have to do. The God Thor will be with us" he continued.


    Egill lowered his head, defeated.


    "Maybe Egill is right" Asa replied.


    Brann approached the corpse of a soldier and picked up a war horn near him.


    He shrugged off the snow on it and rang it.


    In a few minutes, all allied soldiers gathered in front of them.


    There were both the Hammers Of Thor and the Sons Of Freya.


    "Warriors! The battle is not over yet! As long as even one of those sneaky bastards continues to breathe, we can''t sleep peacefully! Follow me and put an end to the Clan that has been stalking us for years!" yelled Brann, inciting the warriors.


    Some of them strongly cheered their leader''s decision, but others looked at each other, puzzled.


    "What is he saying?"


    "We have defeated them all, from the first to the last!"


    "I don''t understand"


    "I''m tired, I just want to go home to my wife is my children"


    The warriors continued to whisper.


    Dag stood silently watching, leaning against a tree.


    He kept looking around: he wasn''t in the same region as Jernest. The vegetation was different and there were no mountains on the horizon.


    Two men brought a black horse to Brann, who immediately rode towards the woods in front of them.


    "Be careful, my lady. We''re in great danger, I feel that" Egill told Asa.

 83 LXXXIII. The Copies

    The warriors followed their Warchief, some on foot, others on horseback.


    Dag joined them.


    Entering the woods, the white daylight completely vanished and the vegetation became denser.


    Everyone walked in silence, ready to spot the few remaining enemies.


    The only sound they could hear was the song of the owls that populated the tall trees.


    The atmosphere was chilling.


    Suddenly, Brann raised his arm, ordering everyone to stop.


    Spirit voices whispered incomprehensible words, echoing in the woods.


    They seemed to come from all directions, even from underground.


    "What the fuck is going on?!"


    "Do you hear that too?!"


    Said two Shieldmaidens near Dag.


    He perceived a strange presence, but not material, ethereal.


    The whole wood was as if immersed in a dark aura.


    Brann got off his horse and grabbed the axe.


    All the warriors took up their weapons.


    After a few seconds, the constant sound of those voices stopped.


    "Aaaagh! They''re here! Run!" someone yelled.


    Dag turned to some warriors behind him.


    Next to each of them appeared a hooded man armed with a dagger.


    The newly spawned enemies were all identical. Under the hood the face was not visible, covered by darkness.


    Their daggers were pointed at the necks of the allied warriors, who remained unmoving.


    Brann yelled: "There''s no need to use your two-bit tricks! Step out and end this story as a true honorable warrior!"


    Suddenly, other hooded figures appeared next to other warriors, pointing daggers at their necks and disarming them.


    Brann began to get angry.


    Asa and Egill were on the lookout, trying to study their opponent''s next move.


    The Lies Of Loki Clan was playing cunningly: they knew those woods by heart and used the poor light and dense vegetation to catch their opponents by surprise.


    Dag slowly stepped back to Egill and Asa, trying not to make any noise.


    Brann dashed towards the first hooded man who had appeared, loading an axe blow.


    Before he could get close, a dozen of them slit the hostages'' throats and then disappeared into thin air, releasing a black powder.


    All the warriors who had just been slaughtered fell to the ground, gurgling in pain and slowly dying with convulsions.


    "Nooo!" yelled Brann, watching the scene.


    "Show yourself and face my wrath!" he continued, as the blade of his axe began to emit a red glow.


    Dag focused on looking at the details: the power of that weapon seemed to come from the crystal shards embedded in it.


    The ground close to Brann''s feet began to vibrate.


    Egill and Asa were still motionless, paralyzed by the deaths of some of their companions.


    ... "Go away, Brann from Earth"...


    The ethereal voice began to speak again, this time uttering real understandable words.


    "Who''s out there?! Come here! I''m not going anywhere!" said Brann, looking around frantically.


    No one could understand where the voice came from.


    ... "The battle is over. Why did you follow us up here, fool?!" ...


    "I know of the emblem that Hakon owns! It''s mine, I''m entitled to it! Don''t you dare twist a single hair on the rest of my warriors, otherwise you will suffer the fury of the future King of all Vikings!" said Brann, walking through the woods, searching for enemy soldiers.


    ..."You just don''t understand, don''t you? You can''t find us in this forest¡­ because we are the forest itself!" ...


    Brann paused and looked toward the other warriors taken as hostages, beginning to walk toward them.


    ... "You better stop if you care about your men''s lives"...


    Brann continued to walk, breathing hard from his nose. He seemed to have a very developed sense of smell.


    He stopped suddenly and threw his axe at one of his warriors.


    The huge weapon rotated several times in the air before hitting the target in the center of the chest.


    "Brann! Are you crazy?!" yelled Asa, when she noticed that Brann had targeted one of her Shieldmaidens.


    As soon as she was hit, the woman was surrounded by black smoke, which revealed her true appearance.


    All the hooded men disappeared simultaneously: the false Shieldmaiden was the real copy of the hooded warrior.


    Dag was astonished.


    "How did he understand that the impostor was hiding among his allies? Was it just because of his smell? Or maybe he was able to feel his aura? I hadn''t felt anything strange about that woman..." he thought.


    Brann grabbed the man''s hood to the ground and took it off, grabbing him by the hair.


    He lifted him to his feet.


    He was dead, blood was slowly pouring from his mouth.


    He lifted him even more, raising him off the ground.


    "So what?! Hakon! Show yourself, I said! You managed to escape my eyes on the battlefield, now get out!" yelled Brann, showing off his new trophy.


    Nothing happened.


    Brann laid the man''s body on the ground, putting him on his knees and with a sharp blow, severed his head.


    His warriors were all still, terrified of their own Warchief.


    With his enemy''s head in his hand, Brann continued: "So?! Don''t you want to honor this valiant warrior of a worthy burial? What kind of commander are you?! You''re a warrior without honor!"


    He threw his head to the ground and put his foot on it, to keep it still.


    He moved his foot.


    He untied his belt and the first laces of his pants and urinated on the head of the Lies Of Loki assassin.


    "You made your choice, Hakon. Stay hidden. I thought you were a more valiant warrior than that" Brann said as he settled his belt.


    Allied warriors looked at him in disgust.


    Dag was petrified.


    Brann was not a worthy warrior as in the tales of Asa and Gridd. He was a cruel, unscrupulous man.


    He was ready to sacrifice his warriors, to put at risk the life of the woman he loved only to achieve his goals.


    As Brann was turned from behind, an arrow flew at great speed towards him.

 84 LXXXIV. The Ego

    Dag noticed it, but it was too late.


    Brann didn''t notice anything.


    Immediately, without even turning around, he grabbed the arrow, which was now inches from his head.


    He shook hands and broke it, in the general astonishment of all.


    Looking at his face, Dag noticed that he was smiling sadistically.


    They all turned in the direction of the arrow, pointing their weapons.


    ..."you shouldn''t have done that"... said the ethereal voice, which began to speak again.


    Soon after, dozens of arrows came from the other side, hitting all the warriors by surprise.


    Those closest to the arrows were hit and died, while the other arrows crashed into a large green barrier, which enveloped everyone.


    Egill had managed to save part of the troop.


    In total, about 40 of them remained.


    Dag, fortunately, found himself under the magic barrier but witnessed the simultaneous death of many warriors, including the two Shieldmaidens who were just beside him.


    A sound of shrubs broke the silence.


    From behind some bushes, not far from Asa and Egill, three men came out.


    Two of them had their faces covered with wooden masks, pointed at their chins, with only two holes for the eyes.


    He had his face uncovered.


    He was a grown man, in his thirties, with blood-red eyes and hair. He had a peculiar hairstyle: his hair was shaved at the sides and a high crest divided his head.


    The man kept looking at Brann angrily.


    "Here you are. You and your men are going to die today. We will return the scum like you to mother earth. You will become fertilizer and food for wild beasts" Brann said, turning to the three men and pointing his axe at them, which began to emit the crimson glow.


    The man with the red crest was Hakon. Despite being younger than Brann, he had to be very strong to lead the main army of Lies Of Loki into battle.


    Hakon gestured with his hand and the two warriors next to him disappeared into thin air.


    Brann charged towards him.


    Hakon opened his hands down and two blades came out of metal supports he was wearing on his wrists.


    Brann came to him at great speed, trying to hit him with his axe. Hakon crossed the two blades and parried the shot, that pushed him backwards for several yards.


    Meanwhile, the two men disappeared a few moments earlier, reappeared behind the allied soldiers and stealthily began to kill them, one by one.


    Dag tried to pinpoint the exact location of the enemy but failed: their movements were extremely fast and the shots were accurate.


    Visibility in the forest was very limited, due to poor lighting.


    Lies Of Loki had a home-court advantage.


    As his men died, Brann continued to fight undaunted against his opponent, regardless of what was happening behind him.


    Asa tried to intercept the movements of one of the two killers.


    She pointed both of her hands in one direction, stretching out her arms: she created a long spear out of nothing, made entirely of light.


    She swung it in front of her, generating a sharp shockwave, which hit one of the two enemies on one foot, severing it.


    With his foot chopped, the man fell to the ground.


    The warriors near him tried to punch him, trying to hit him to death, but he, after dodging the blows, was dragged away by a liana from a nearby tree.


    The forest was trying to keep him alive!


    He stood up and turned to the other side.


    Asa followed him on the look and transformed her luminous spear into a bow.


    She held out the bow rope, loading an arrow and aiming at the head of the enemy, who was running away.


    Suddenly, the other rogue appeared behind her and kicked, destabilizing her.


    The arrow was shot anyway and hit the fugitive on the shoulder, piercing it.


    Soon after, the man vanished, disappearing and managing to escape.


    The rogue who just hit Asa did the same.


    Dag looked round.


    Other allies had died, now there were about 30 left.


    Asa began to run toward Brann. Egill followed her and Dag did the same, keeping his distance.


    The two warriors were walking in a circle, catching their breath and studying each other.


    "Don''t interfere! That''s a matter between me and him" Brann said.


    Within minutes, a circle of warriors formed around Brann and Hakon, ready to defend themselves against the attacks of the only assassin left.


    Brann attempted to hit Hakon, who dodged the blow and hit him with one of the hidden blades on his abdomen.


    Dag noticed that a greenish fluid was pouring from the blades.


    It was poison! The blades were poisoned!


    Brann turned to his opponent and faked another axe blow. When Hakon tried to dodge, he was hit by a heavy punch to the face, which caused him to step back.


    Soon after, Brann''s axe began to emit red bolts, charging with energy.


    That vision reminded Dag of the powers of his Master, Magni.


    Brann pointed the axe at Hakon, flashing lightning that struck him, paralyzing him.


    As Hakon stood still, Brann walked slowly toward him.


    His movements became more clumsy, the poison was taking effect.


    With the axe loaded with electricity, he hit Hakon mortally, cutting him in two.


    The lifeless body of the enemy Warchief fell to the ground.


    The Allied warriors breathed a sigh of relief. The other assassin also seemed to be gone.


    Dag knew that victory was only apparent, something was about to happen.


    Brann approached the body, staggering.


    He laid down the rod of his weapon, to hold on as he bent over to Hakon.


    He put his hand under his armor, to check if he had an emblem.


    "Ah! I knew that!" he said, enthusiastically, as his body gradually weakened.


    He pulled out a necklace from under Hakon''s clothes.


    He opened his hand, to look at his loot.


    He looked at the pendant and stretched his eyes as if he had just been struck in the heart.


    "It''s... It''s not possible... I can''t believe this..." said in a low, hoarse voice.

 85 LXXXV. Hakon

    After his words, the necklace vanished from his hands, crumbling into a gray powder.


    Hakon''s body did the same.


    "Um?" said Brann, who could hardly stand up again.


    "What does that mean?!"


    "His body is gone!"


    "For the gods, what''s going on?!"


    The warriors began to ask questions among them.


    Brann began to cough, spitting blood.


    He touched the wound on his abdomen. The cut was deep, the poison of which Hakon''s weapon was drenched was already circulating in his blood.


    His hand slowly loosened his grip on the axe, which fell to the ground.


    In general amazement, the warriors realized that their Warchief was weakened.


    "Brann!" yelled Asa, who began to run towards him.


    Brann looked up at her and whispered something that Dag couldn''t hear.


    "Master, Asa, we must escape! I''m exhausted, I won''t be able to create a second barrier! More enemy reinforcements may come!" said Egill, touching Asa''s shoulder.


    Brann looked down.


    "Let''s go away! Run! You''re seriously injured!" continued Asa.


    As they spoke, the dust coming from Hakon''s body began to move, carried by the wind.


    It assumed a swirling motion and began to solidify again.


    At the center of the small vortex, a human figure began to be glimpsed.


    Within seconds, Hakon''s body appeared.


    "Aaaagh! Watch out!" shouted one of the warriors, when the enemy threw one of the blades coming out of his wrist and killed him instantly.


    The blade was shot at great speed, with a chain connecting it to the wrist. As soon as it hit the target, Hakon grabbed one end with his hand and pulled violently, rewinding the chain and returning the blade to its place.


    The Allied warriors, as soon as they saw their companion die, began to run away.


    Hakon summoned two copies of himself, which after materializing next to him disappeared into thin air.


    Egill yanked Asa, pulling her towards him.


    Asa, in a panic, grabbed Brann''s axe. He was still kneeling on the ground.


    Dag ran away as soon as Egill and Asa began to move, following them.


    He turned behind him.


    Hakon fired both of his blades with chains and hit Brann behind his back, sticking into his flesh. Then he tore it away by pulling the blades back towards him.


    Brann, with his back open, crawled in the same direction as the warriors.


    Hakon fired the hidden blades once again, which pierced both Of Brann''s shoulders, getting stuck in the ground.


    Brann couldn''t move anymore.


    The enemy, with the blades still standing in the same position, jumped the other way, landing in front of Brann''s face.


    During the jump, making a twist, he crossed the two chains connected to the blades, which twisted around Brann''s neck.


    He raised his head, to watch Asa one last time.


    She looked back as Egill continued to drag her away.


    "Aaaagh! Noooo!" screamed Asa in despair with tears streaming down her eyes.


    Hakon stretched his arms and the chains tightened their grip on Brann''s neck.


    A "crack" sound marked the end of one of Skjold''s greatest warriors, whose head was severed and rolled onto the ground.


    As Dag continued to run and look behind him, he saw that as soon as Brann''s head broke off from his neck, Hakon charged toward them.


    Running at an impressive speed, he reached them and his two copies manifested themselves, killing other allied warriors.


    Egill and Asa dodged their enemies and continued to run, trying to save themselves.


    One of Hakon''s copies shot a blade that pierced the head of a Shieldmaiden.


    Soon after, another copy grabbed the chain of that blade and pulled it down, shattering Shieldmaiden''s skull and tripping another allied warrior, who once on the ground was killed by the third Hakon.


    Dag kept running.


    Before his eyes, the last remaining warriors of the troops of the two Clans died one by one, overwhelmed by the fury of the mighty enemy Warchief.


    Amid screams and blood spatter in the snow, Dag continued undaunted to follow Egill and Asa, breathing hard.


    Suddenly, a blade hit his calf and its chain twisted around his ankle, causing him to fall to the ground.


    After falling with his face in the snow, Dag turned around, while a copy of Hakon, or perhaps the real one, was dragging his body towards him, pulling the chain.


    "Fuck! Fuck! Leave me!" he yelled, panicking.


    The pain was real.


    He grabbed the chain and tried to pull out the blade stuck in his calf, but before he could, Hakon punched him in the face, causing him to lie back on the ground.


    Dag lifted his head, stunned.


    Several yards away behind Hakon, he could see in a confused way a shadow keeling over Brann''s dead body.


    He then looked up at Hakon, who pulled the blade from his leg and wrapped the chain around his neck.


    Dag turned his head towards Egill and Asa.


    They both and five or six other warriors had managed to get to safety.


    He tried to take the chain that kept him imprisoned, but before he could touch it, Hakon pulled towards him, breaking his neck bone.


    Dag felt a strong pain, and everything in front of his eyes turned red.


    ...


    "Aaaaaagh! Nooo!"


    ...


    Dag waved his arm, pulling his hand out of the metal vessel and spilling the water mixed with blood on the library table.


    He fell to the ground, stumbling on his own feet.


    "Wh... what... am I back?" he said, touching his face and legs, trying to figure out if he was really back in the future.


    Egill was still standing in front of the table.


    He looked at the cut on the palm of his hand.


    "Master! That was incredible! You made me travel through time!" continued Dag, rising from the ground and walking towards him.


    Egill did not answer.


    "The feelings I had... the cold, the pain... they were all real! How is that possible? Maybe I could have interacted differently! I could have prevented Brann from going further, saving dozens of allied warriors... what a fool I''ve been!" replied Dag, slamming his feet to the ground with nervousness.

 86 LXXXVI. The Elucidation

    "That''s when you''d be a fool. If you had behaved differently, you would not have changed future events. You didn''t travel through time, you were living my memories. If you''d intervened, instead of standing still and watching, you would have permanently altered my memory of Brann and the battle" Egill said, smiling.


    "Then that''s why you told me you trusted me..." answered Dag, astonished.


    "In your perception, you have been on the battlefield for almost half an hour. Actually, I only entrusted my memories to you for a few minutes. I knew you wouldn''t let me down, kid".


    Egill put his hand on Dag''s shoulder.


    Dag looked down, with a sad expression.


    "What''s up? Would you rather not see it? Didn''t you want to know the truth about that day?" continued Egill.


    "I was convinced that Brann was different. I thought I wanted to follow his example. Every day, since my sister Gridd first told me about him, he was my staple, my idol. Now everything is different" Dag said.


    "Did you notice anything weird?"


    "Several things. First of all, why was Brann astonished to look at the emblem he had obtained by defeating the fake Hakon? And what happened to him? Is it still the Warchief of Lies Of Loki?" asked Dag.


    "When Brann looked closely at the necklace Hakon owned, he realized that the pendant was a vulture claw. It was the n¡ã 7 emblem" Egill said.


    "What?! But he already had n¡ã 6! His was top rank! How did he make such a big mistake?"


    "Someone gave him the wrong information. No one has ever known who. A couple of years later, Hakon died from the bite of a snake. The poison killed poison. We learned that he passed his emblem on to his successor, his nephew".


    "And what about Brann''s emblem?"


    "It was never found again".


    Dag looked to the side, thoughtfully.


    "Before I died, there in your memories... I saw a shadow bending over Brann''s headless body. That''s when he had the No.6 emblem stolen from him" Dag said.


    "That''s for sure. Hakon would have no reason to leave it there. Someone stole it" Egill said.


    "But who could have been? Maybe someone hiding nearby, waiting for Hakon to move away? Or the only killer left besides him?" continued Dag.


    "In any case, it''s useless to lose your head. The only identity recognized was that of their Warchief. The warriors of the Lies Of Loki Clan, they are used to fight wearing hoods. You saw it with your own eyes".


    Dag kept quiet, stood still and thought.


    "You had to know the truth about Brann. I would like this to make you think so that you can make your choices wisely and consciously. Every misstep may be the last. Grow and get stronger. Only at that point, the Clan will regain its lost glory" his Master continued.


    "How far is Hevnen?" asked Dag, looking into Egill''s eyes.


    "About three days on horseback. Why are you asking?"


    "I need to talk to Gridd, my sister. She''s a strong warrior of the Sons Of Freya. I will tell her what I saw and with her help, I will convince her Clan to join ours to prepare for a future battle against our common enemy" he continued.


    "As you wish, you''re free to go. But I warn you: our Clan has had no relationship with the Sons Of Freya for years. The last time we had an allied fight was in that battle" Egill said.


    "This time it will be different. Gridd will understand. Together we will train the strongest army on the planet"


    Egill chuckled: "It''s nice to hear you talking with so much energy. I hope you can do what you say. Dargeon and I will stay here, the Temple Of Orn needs our protection. But I don''t want you to go alone. Take someone with you, someone you trust".


    "The only friend I had died to save me during the Fangs Of Jormungandr attack. I don''t know who to take with me."


    After approaching Dag, Egill said: "After what you have done for all of us, you have nothing but friends within these walls".


    Dag felt his heart warm.


    The Temple Of Orn had become his new home. After rejecting him, it had welcomed him with brotherly love.


    "I''ll take a couple of days to prepare my things and improve the two new skills I''m learning. Then I''m going to leave for Hevnen" Dag said.


    They both walked out of the library.


    Dag could not get Brann''s scene out of his head, which belittled the death of the man whose corpse was defaced and mocked.


    "Master Egill" he said.


    Egill turned to him.


    "Brann''s axe. Do you think I could unlock its potential?"


    "I can''t tell you that. No one besides him has ever used it. Or at least I think so. Do you know where it is?" asked Egill.


    "In Jernhest, on my family''s farm. Before I chose the Clan and left with Magni, bandits tried to steal it. And they were Lies Of Loki. I managed to help my mother Asa drive them away" Dag continued.


    "Lies Of Loki? How did they know the axe was there? And why they wanted to take it?


    "I''m not sure, but I think the crystals embedded between its two blades were the main source of Brann''s power. Master, don''t you know who the blacksmith who forged that weapon is?"


    "I don''t know. Brann had it already when we met" said Egill, who tried to think about that precise moment.


    "I think I should go and retrieve it. I''m not sure Asa will give it to me easily, but as long as it is on the farm, my mother will continue to be in danger. And I have to stop it".


    Egill remained silent.


    They reached the courtyard: many of the warriors were training. Others continued with the renovations.


    "Leaving tomorrow at dawn, I will arrive in less than a day in the capital. After getting the axe back, I will return to the Temple to ask for reinforcements and leave for Hevnen" Dag continued.

 87 LXXXVII. The Kind Gesture

    "Then, in the meantime, I will try to make a selection among the warriors and choose 3 possible companions. When you come back, you''ll choose the best match for your requirements" Egill replied, in a serious tone.


    Dag couldn''t believe it.


    In a very short time, he passed from being in exile to giving orders to his superior.


    He wondered what other surprises life had in store for him.


    Anyway, he was happy to return to Jernhest. He would meet his mother again and with a bit of luck, he would have been able to see Freydis again, although probably, she had already left for Skjegg, the city dominated by the Crows Of Odin.


    As Dag continued to fantasize, he walked into his dorm to his room, where he began studying scrolls again.


    He looked at his arm: 8 runes were engraved on his skin, his arsenal was growing fast.


    On his shoulder, the Berserkr symbol was engraved, from the day of his pledge in front of Arne.


    He thought of Gridd. She had never shown him her runes, but she still had to be very strong, judging by her fighting style.


    After convincing her and her Clan to prepare for the decisive battle, they would have to travel to the other capitals of the kingdom, to propose the same thing to all the other neutral Clans.


    Dag''s plans were beginning to take shape.


    But something was still missing.


    If he really wanted the Warchiefs of the various Clans to listen to him, he needed a higher rank than his.


    Emblem n¡ã 10 wasn''t enough. He had to gain a better one, otherwise, he wouldn''t have had credibility and his plans would go up in smoke.


    At Temple Of Orn, his Masters didn''t seem to know much about it: they never talked about emblems and social hierarchy of warriors. Yet a high-level emblem was one of a warrior''s greatest aspirations.


    Being able to get the last of the leaderboard might seem like a disadvantage, but in reality, it was an advantage for Dag: he would have had more time to train and get to the strongest warriors because he had something that others didn''t have. The dark power. If he could completely dominate it, he would surely have reached the top of Skjold''s warrior hierarchy.


    Moreover, only unknown or low-level warriors would have aspired to its emblem, the horseshoe.


    As he thought, he looked at Magni''s hammer.


    He had managed to trap the powers of his Master in that weapon, even though they were forceful.


    That black fluid had no limits, it was a formidable weapon. Dag''s potential was boundless: no one had ever seen anything like it, so even the most skilled warriors would not know how to counter that power.


    Dag finished reading the Hamstring scroll and began reading the second skill Egill advised him: Shockwave.


    This ability, like Earth Stomp, was more like a "utility" than a real source of damage. The moveset was similar, but instead of crossing his arms, the warrior who wanted to perform this ability had to stretch them forward, with his fists closed.


    In this way, he would generate a shockwave proportional to his own physical strength.


    Dag continued to read the scrolls carefully until evening.


    Just as he was about to fall asleep, someone knocked on his room door.


    He opened his eyes and rose up from the bed, on which he sat.


    He went to open the door.


    There was a group of young warriors, consisting of 4 men and 2 young women.


    Dag looked at them with a confused air.


    "Hello, Dag!" said one of them.


    "Master Egill told us we could find you here".


    "We know you''re leaving for Jernhest tomorrow and we wanted to ask you a few little favors!".


    They continued, speaking one at a time.


    "Of... of course! Tell me" Dag replied.


    "We are not allowed to return to the capital and our origin villages. Could you bring our greetings to our families?"


    "Yes, maybe they wonder how we are, we haven''t seen each other in months!"


    "We''d be grateful!"


    Some of them held their arms toward Dag, handing him letters, with names written on them.


    Dag took them without hesitation.


    There were four envelopes and on each of them, there was a name, written in futhark.


    "Thank you, Dag! Thank you very much!"


    Dag smiled, as a sign of friendship.


    "That''s not all, we''d like to pay you back! We brought you dinner!"


    "Not just dinner. Even something to take with you on the trip!"


    The group of youngsters handed Dag a bag of tissue and a bowl containing roast chicken and potatoes.


    "Guys... I don''t know how to thank you!" said Dag, who did not expect such a courtesy to be made towards him.


    "It''s the least we could do for you!" they said, then turned around and left, going back to their rooms.


    Dag was in disbelief again.


    His misadventures had made him lose faith in people. But in reality, proving to be loyal to his Clan, he could finally feel the warmth of brotherhood on his skin.


    Happy with what just happened, Dag ate the dinner still warm.


    After finishing the chicken, he looked inside the cloth bag: there was bread, dried meat, and a small jug.


    He took the jug and opened it. It was mead.


    He took a sip and then put it back in its place.


    With his stomach full, he lay down on the bed and blew on the candle.


    He fell asleep after a few minutes.


    ¡­


    The rooster began to sing. It was dawn.


    Dag wore the belt, putting the hammer on it.


    With a rope, he tied the bag with food behind his shoulders, making sure he took everything he needed.


    He left the scrolls bent on the small wooden table next to his bed and walked out of the room, trying not to make any noise.


    There was no one in the hallways, everyone was asleep.

 88 LXXXVIII. The Return

    Dag went out into the yard and approached the horse stable, which was near the main entrance.


    Even the horses were still sleeping. All but one. He was a spotted, brown and white young stallion.


    "And you? Were you waiting for me?" said Dag in a low voice, talking to the horse and stroking his snout with his hand.


    He took the reins and with him walked out of the temple, coming out of the front door, which had just been fully repaired.


    He looked at Thor''s statue, the God Of Thunder. The Sun was slowly beginning to rise and the Temple Of Orn behind him was illuminated by a beautiful yellow light.


    He felt a strong connection with that place, with that statue.


    He turned to the path and began to walk, descending from Mount Torden.


    He went down the same path that enemy warrior troops walked on when he intercepted them.


    He passed in front of the bear lair in which he hid from them.


    After a little more than an hour, he finally got off the mountain and continued to ride, skirting the river.


    That valley was full of memories.


    "Who knows how many times Master Magni has walked this way to reach Jernhest and recruit new warriors" he thought, recalling his first moments with him.


    Dag continued his smooth journey to the capital.


    The valley seemed peaceful and quiet.


    Great falcons supervised it from above, watching over its inhabitants.


    Just before entering the Gronn Forest, which surrounded almost completely Jernhest, he stopped and got off his horse to rest.


    He opened the bag with food and began to eat bread and dried meat, also feeding the horse with grass detached from a bank of the stream.


    Soon after, he resumed the journey, which continued uninterrupted to the city.


    Dag looked around: blacksmiths, craftsmen, and shepherds populated Jernhest, which exuded joy and vitality. He had been just over a month away from home, but in his head, they had seemed years.


    He couldn''t wait to meet Asa and without hesitation, he headed to the hill of his farm.


    As he rode through the streets of the city, many began to look at him. Despite his short time away from home, Dag looked completely different, like a true warrior.


    The long blond hair, tied behind with a tail, the dark brown leather armor, with two symbols carved on the chest: next to that of the hammer symbolizing his Clan of belonging, was the swallow of Asa, which Dag had detached from clothes he wore previously, to never lose his true identity.


    From his belt, Magni''s hammer hung. It was a visibly different weapon from a common one, the handle wrapped in an inlaid leather lining and the head made of black stone: it changed its color since Dag unlocked its true potential, fighting against the Fangs Of Jormungandr.


    "Dag? Is that you?"


    Someone called him from behind, in the confusion of the crowd.


    Dag turned that way.


    "Karl! My friend!" he exclaimed, getting down of his horse to greet him.


    The two hugged each other in a fraternal hug.


    "You''re back! It feels like an eternity since you left!" said Karl.


    "It''s true! Coming back in Jernhest warms my heart. What about you? Are you still training to join a Clan?" asked Dag.


    "Of course I am. I''m going to join the Crows Of Odin. I will follow in the footsteps of my father and sister."


    Hearing those words, Dag''s heart raised in his throat.


    "Freydis... Is she here in Jernhest?" he asked, hoping for a positive response.


    "No, I''m sorry. She left for Skjegg a few days after you. All she did was talk to me about how fond she was of you. She seemed hurt by your choice, but at the same time, her eyes were shiny. What did you do, did you cast a love spell on her, pervert?" replied Karl, mocking Dag.


    "Hahahaha! Of course not! You''re an asshole, as usual!" said Dag, embarrassed.


    "Do you want to come with me home? I was going to see my mother" he continued.


    "Of course! Let''s go!" replied Karl, who carried a bag containing something behind him.


    "What do you have in there?" asked Dag again.


    "I came to town to buy food. My father hasn''t been feeling very well recently and my mother always stays home to look after him".


    "Paul? I''m so sorry. If there''s anything I can do for you, don''t hesitate to ask".


    "It would be nice, Dag... but there''s nothing you can do. My father was a skilled warrior, you know his story too. But not fighting for years, his physique has weakened. Old age is the worst of diseases, and it''s incurable" Karl continued.


    "I understand".


    "Rather... I often see your brother Eirik in town. He sells timber in the store at the market. But I haven''t seen your mother in a while".


    "What?" said Dag, worried by that statement.


    "I don''t want to make you worry, my friend. It was a simple observation" Karl replied.


    Dag did not speak, merely hoping that nothing bad had happened to Asa.


    After about half an hour, the two began to climb the hill leading to Dag''s house.


    Once in front of Karl''s house, they stopped.


    "Will you stay here in Jernhest for some time?" he asked.


    "No, I don''t think so. I just came here to say hello. And to get something back" Dag replied.


    Then, looking at his friend, he came up with an idea.


    "How about training with me later?" he continued.


    "Fight against each another you say? Hahahah! You were beating me with your eyes closed even before you were part of a Clan. I guess you''ve become a lot stronger now! Look at this armor..." Karl said, looking better at Dag''s equipment.


    "We will train as in the old days! Let me see what you''ve learned in these weeks! C''mon!"


    "Okay, fine. See you in a few hours. I''ll come to your house and we''ll train behind the farm" Karl continued.

 89 LXXXIV. The Coming Back part I

    Dag winked at his friend and held his arm towards him.


    The two greeted each other clapping their fists.


    Dag got on horseback again and quickly rode to his house.


    In his mind, he thought that if Karl had made significant progress in the meantime, he would be a perfect travel companion for his expedition to Hevnen.


    It would be a safer hypothesis than an unfamiliar comrade.


    After about ten minutes, Dag finally began to see the farm, with the cows and the pig in the fence.


    Everything looked like when he left, on the other hand, he missed for nearly a month.


    "Mother! Mother, I''m home!" he yelled.


    No one answered.


    "Mother!" continued Dag, fearing that something had happened.


    He tied the horse to the fence and walked quickly to the door when someone opened it.


    "Who is... uhm? Dag! Dag, it''s you!"


    Asa was safe and sound.


    Dag ran towards her and hugged her tightly, lifting her slightly off the ground.


    "Mom!" continued Dag, downing Asa back on the ground.


    "What brings you here, my son?" she replied.


    "Let''s go in, there''s a lot I''d like to talk to you about" Dag said.


    They both entered the farm.


    Before sitting down at the table, Dag laid the hammer on it.


    "Well... it all started on my journey to Temple Of Orn..."


    Dag and Asa spent several hours sitting at the table. Dag recounted everything that had happened to him since his departure until that day.


    While he was still talking, Eirik entered through the door.


    "Dag?" he said, in a startled expression.


    "Hello, brother" Dag replied, rising from his chair and opening his arms toward him, intending to hug him.


    Eirik left the bag he was carrying on the ground and walked toward Dag.


    For a moment he was hesitant, but after a few seconds, he put aside the grudge and reciprocated the embrace.


    "I saw the horse outside... I didn''t know you''d come back. That horse is a beautiful stallion, one of the best I''ve ever seen. It will have cost you a lot of money" Eirik said.


    Dag smiled: "No, I didn''t pay for it. He''s part of the clan, like me."


    Eirik made a wonder.


    "Eirik, look at your brother. He looks like a real man now, he''s officially become a Warrior of the Hammers Of Thor. He told me about his adventures... probably, he will soon earn the title of Master of his clan. Isn''t that great?" exclaimed Asa, rising from his chair and taking part in the conversation.


    Eirik continued to look at Dag from head to toe.


    "Yes, it''s magnificent. I congratulate you, Dag. Honestly, I thought you were a good-for-nothing earthling. Instead, you managed to amaze me. This armor, the horse, the weapon on the table... The story you told our mother must be authentic" he said.


    "It is, brother. But there''s something I didn''t tell her either. I was waiting for you to tell both of you. Come, let''s make dinner, sit down and eat" Dag said, taking Eirik''s bag and helping him sort out his things.


    Eirik observed the scene with wonder, never expecting a gesture of kindness from Dag. Throughout most of his childhood, he had always treated him badly and mocked him. He had never helped him in anything, even in his time of need.


    They both helped Asa preparing dinner, which was ready in no time.


    Dag also put the advanced supplies in his fabric bag and mead at the table.


    They all sat down at the table when Dag began to talk: "Mother, as I explained to you, before being one of my Clan''s new Masters nominees, I was exiled from the same members who accepted me back".


    Asa nodded his head.


    "Exiled? Why did they exile you, what did you do?" asked Eirik.


    "During a friendly training session, I was attacked simultaneously by two warriors, and defending myself, I injured one badly. They attacked me with real weapons, if I hadn''t reacted, I would have been hurt" Dag said.


    "But... but then it was an injustice!" exclaimed Eirik.


    "That''s not all. I don''t think that''s the only reason I was turned away from Temple. You have to know that since I started fighting seriously, I''ve found that I have some¡­ particular powers" Dag continued.


    "What do you mean by ''particular''?" asked Asa.


    "There''s something dark inside me. Very powerful energy, which I can only partially control and that makes me capable of things that otherwise I would not be able to do with my normal strength".


    "Explain better, please".


    Dag recounted precisely the episode of the first undead he encountered on the bridge and the first time he ingested magenta blood.


    "Bleah! That sucks! How did you come up with the thought of drinking the blood of a corpse that had come back to life? It''s a lousy thing!" said Eirik, disgusted.


    Asa remained listening to Dag without interrupting.


    "After ingesting that strange blood... my powers have tripled! Over time I found that the increase in power is proportional to the amount of blood I ingest.


    "With time? That means you''ve done it more than once!" continued Eirik, who couldn''t believe what he was listening to.


    At the time, Dag also recounted the episode of his kidnapping, Mork Castle, Hjalmar and Myr, both owned by the Xis. About Magni''s death.


    "Fuck! I''m so sorry about what happened to your Master. I didn''t know him directly, but I''ve heard of him many times. Not only that, I feel sorry for you too, brother. For everything you''ve been through. I feel like a worm thinking I blamed you for my father''s death. I apologize" Eirik confessed, in a heartbroken and displeased tone.


    "Don''t worry, Eirik. It was a moment of despair, your reaction was more than normal" Dag said.


    "I''m glad you''re back, snotty" Eirik continued, smiling at Dag and rubbing his hair with his hand.


    Meanwhile, Asa remained silent.


    "The hammer on the table. It was his. I was able to imprison his powers inside the rock of which its head is made" Dag said, turning his gaze to Asa as well, trying to give her some reaction.

 90 XC. The Coming Back part II

    "The fluid that I can condense from the gas that emanates from my skin, has impressive physical-chemical properties. By introducing it into the body of my deceased Master and then trapping it among the pores of the rock, I was able to block Magni''s powers inside" he continued.


    "This is incredible. I''ve never heard anything like that" said Asa, who finally started talking again.


    "Mother, there''s more".


    "What is it? Tell me".


    "Do you know a man called Egill?" asked Dag.


    Eirik watched both of them without understanding what they were talking about.


    Asa did not answer. She rose from the table, bringing the empty plates to the sink.


    "He is one of the two Masters I have left. He is a very wise man and is one of the few who understood the reason why Magni cared so much about me. It''s because of him that I had the chance to come back here and move as I pleased" he said.


    Asa continued to fail to respond and began to dip the dishes in the water, cleaning them.


    "Yesterday, he cast a spell on me, allowing me to travel in his memories"


    Eirik, while he was sipping mead, spat it back into his glass.


    "Travel where!?" asked Eirik, in disbelief.


    "Mother. He brought me back to the day of that battle. I met him" Dag continued.


    Asa stopped, dropping a plate into the water, on the bottom of the wooden sink. Then she lowered her head, looking down.


    "Don''t be afraid. I just want to talk to you about him. Now I know the truth. I just wonder why you told me a different version" he asked.


    Asa turned slowly toward her sons, with tears in her eyes.


    "What''s going on, mother?! Why are you crying?" exclaimed Eirik, who began to be drunk, having exaggerated with the mead.


    "I... I just wanted... that you had esteem for him. I wanted you to follow in his footsteps, to become a great warrior, like him. He came from Earth, like you. I thought this made you see things differently" Asa said.


    "It was like that, indeed. It was until I saw with my own eyes what kind of person he was. He was a ruthless man who sacrificed the lives of his warriors for his own purposes" Dag continued.


    Asa continued to cry, while Eirik fell asleep in his chair, his mouth open.


    Dag got up and walked slowly toward her.


    "I know about the emblem. I know that he unnecessarily sacrificed his life and that of the warriors of the two Clans. I know Egill forcibly dragged you away, otherwise, you wouldn''t be here today. I know everything, mother. Now I want you to tell me everything you know. I want you to tell me the whole truth, once and for all" Dag said, pausing at a pace from her, who had her hands resting on the washboard.


    "I didn''t agree with him. That day, after that battle... I didn''t want him to go any further. We had won yet another clash with Lies Of Loki. All I wanted was to go home and celebrate. But his ambition was superior to anything, even our love. I couldn''t... stop him..." answered Asa, who could not stop crying, thinking back to that sad day.


    Dag hugged her, stroking her back.


    "You know it''s not your fault. You did everything you could to keep him from making a mistake, but you couldn''t. Now tell me about him, his powers... his weapon".


    Asa looked up at Dag, looking him in the eye.


    "What do you want me to tell you? What do you want to know?"


    "Before you ran away, when you realized that Brann was doomed, you brought his axe with you, which you''ve jealously guarded since then. Why did you do that?" asked Dag.


    "It was the only thing left of him that would last in time, without ever disappearing. I was terrified, it was an impulsive gesture" Asa said.


    "Are you sure, Mom?"


    "Of course, it''s the truth!"


    "That is a formidable weapon, full of powers. What do you know about the crystals embedded in it?" asked Dag again, who did not believe Asa was fully sincere.


    Asa began to cry again, clutching Dag tightly.


    "Brann changed from that day! That weapon wasn''t just a source of power... it was his downfall!" she said.


    "What are you talking about, Mom?"


    "When Brann and I met each other, we were very young. We met in the Jernhest arena, just like you and Freydis. Brann was not alone, he had a brother, his name was Eirik, like your brother. Growing up, they joined the same Clan, the Hammers Of Thor.


    Dag listened intently.


    "They were two strong young warriors. One day, during an expedition with their Clan, they stopped in the village of Tyven, where they would have to pick up supplies to take to Temple Of Orn. In the streets of the village, it was rumored that just outside the town, there was the best blacksmith of Skjold, the only one on the planet capable of forging weapons capable of beating any enemy and performing legendary feats" Asa continued.


    "A blacksmith?" asked Dag.


    "Yes. His name was Vegard. Brann and Eirik, intrigued by the rumors, went to see with their own eyes. They made their way to the blacksmith, moving away from their companions. Brann told me every detail: they entered a cave and after walking a few meters, they found themselves in front of a stone door. On the door was an indecipherable inscription. It wasn''t runic, nor was it Earthly language. Brann tried to hit the door repeatedly with punches. Just when the two brothers had given up, they turned to the exit and the door lifted".


    Dag was astonished. He didn''t know anything about this story and it was obvious that even his Masters didn''t know about it either.


    Asa walked away from Dag and returned to the table, sitting down. She was evidently shaken. Telling that story wasn''t supposed to be easy for her, she probably never told anyone, who knows why.

 91 XCI. The Blacksmith

    She took a sip of mead and began to speak again: "After passing the door, a long stone staircase led them deep, underground. There was no light in the area, without the torches they had with them, they would not have been able to continue. They followed the sound of a hammer slamming into an anvil, realizing that the blacksmith''s story was real, not just a legend. When they completely descended the stairs, they saw a man on his back, who with his hammer struck a piece of metal still red-hot. That man was Vegard, the blacksmith of the Gods".


    "Blacksmith of the Gods?!" exclaimed Dag, raising his voice, and making Eirik move, stretching out in his chair and starting to sleep again with his mouth open.


    "The two brothers drew their weapons, believing they were in danger for some strange reason. The man stopped using the hammer and turned to them. He was bald and had a long grey braided beard, with two golden rings closing his braids. He didn''t have an eye and his face was completely scarred. The man looked up at Brann and Eirik without saying a word¡­ until they spoke."


    ...


    "Are you Vegard, the blacksmith?" said Brann, pointing his sword at him.


    The man turned again to the anvil, put the hammer on the ground and took the red-hot piece of metal, dipping it in a bucket of water to cool it.


    "Old man, my brother asked you a question" Eirik said.


    "Oooh... two brothers!" the man whispered as if he was waiting for them.


    Eirik and Brann looked at each other in amazement.


    "It''s been a long time since that door opened. I didn''t think I''d get any visitors" the man continued.


    Despite his age, his physique was toned and sturdy, he seemed to be well trained and nourished.


    "What do you mean? The door opened after knocking. Anyway, you didn''t answer my question. In the village, there are rumors that you can forge extraordinary weapons. Is that true? Otherwise, we have nothing else to say to each other" Brann continued, determined.


    Eirik remained silent.


    "Extraordinary weapons... you know, my weapons aren''t just things to handle. They''re much, much more" Vegard said, turning back to Brann and Eirik and getting close to them.


    Brann lowered his sword and ordered his brother to do the same.


    "Not everyone can walk through my door. If you''re here, there must be a reason. Our Gods think you are worthy" he continued.


    "Worthy of what? What are you talking about? There were inscriptions on the door in a language we had never seen before. We were born and raised on Earth, we studied various languages... but not that" Eirik said.


    Brann looked at him with an expression of superiority, as if to explain to his brother that he could wait before telling the blacksmith that they were two earthlings.


    "Ooh, I understand. And you''re part of the Hammers Of Thor Clan, right?" replied Vegard.


    "How..."


    "Yes. Show us your weapons" Brann interrupted, as Eirik was about to ask the old man how he knew all about them.


    "Well, then. Follow me."


    The old man approached a door at the back of the room and moved weapons and armor that blocked the passage.


    After opening the door, the two brothers followed him.


    There was another staircase: even though they were already several meters deep, it was not possible to see the end of that path.


    "Brann, I''m starting to dislike this story" Eirik whispered, fearing it was a trap to lure them somewhere.


    "My curiosity prevents me from giving up and going back. But you already know that, bro" Brann replied, continuing to follow Vegard down the stairs.


    Brann still held a torch, to illuminate the path. The old blacksmith, on the other hand, walked undaunted in the dark, as if he knew every single step of that staircase to perfection.


    All three continued to walk for more than half an hour, descending deeper and deeper. The corridor of the staircase was very narrow, surrounded by high stone walls.


    Brann noticed that as the depth increased, the flame of his torch became brighter and more powerful.


    He marveled at this: increasing the depth and therefore the pressure, air quantity and quality would have to decrease and the flame would have to fade until it extinguished.


    When he was on Earth, Brann was an excellent student in all subjects, unlike his brother, a little less perceptive of him.


    "It''s a hot fucking thing down here" Eirik said, breaking the silence.


    "How much longer, old man?" he continued, untying the top of his armor, trying to lower his body temperature.


    Vegard did not answer, he continued to walk.


    In front of him, there were only other stairs, plunged into darkness.


    "Listen to me, brother. We''re just wasting our time. Our teammates will be looking for us. Let''s go away, this man is just an old fool" Eirik replied.


    "It''s possible that you''re right. But what if it''s not? What if this old man can really get us weapons that can defeat every enemy? We would become the strongest warriors in Skjold. Where did your ambition go, little brother?" replied Brann, in a smart-ass tone.


    Eirik did not answer, he merely puffed out and continued to walk.


    More than two hours passed when a light began to appear in front of Vegard, illuminating the path, coming from the end of the stone staircase.


    The temperature had reached very high, the air was saturated with carbon dioxide, so much so that the two brothers began to breathe with difficulty.


    By now they had both stripped off their armor, because of the incessant heat.


    "We''re here, warriors" Vegard said.


    The old man did not seem to blame the fatigue of that long descent and not even the heat.


    "But... what the fu..." said Eirik, who gasped after dropping the last step.


    Brann remained silent, observing the wonder before his eyes.


    The old man continued to walk: in front of him, a huge cascade of red-hot magma spilled out of the basaltic wall and poured into a depression below, forming a large lava pool, in the middle of a huge circular room.

 92 XCII. The Soul Fusion

    All kinds of weapons were hung on the walls of the room, glittering, reflecting the red and yellowish light emanating from the magma.


    "What is this place?" asked Brann.


    "I welcome you... in the Divine Forge" Vegard said, turning to the two brothers after approaching a huge anvil just before the lava pool.


    Brann and Eirik were speechless. They had never seen such a place.


    Brann began to walk along the wall, to admire the magnificent weapons of the blacksmith: in addition to being perfect in form and style, they seemed to be excellently crafted, built by fusing the best steels and materials that could be found in nature.


    Vegard watched him, without saying a word.


    "Whuahaha! It''s crazy! Look at all the weapons! This is absurd!" exclaimed Eirik, who ran to swords hanging on the wall.


    While the two brothers were intent on admiring Vegard''s works, he said: "These weapons are Skjold''s best".


    Brann walked away from the stone wall and slowly began to walk towards the old blacksmith: "They are very good weapons, it is true. But I''m nothing special... I smell deception. Let''s hear, what is the price of each of them?"


    Vegard looked Brann straight in the eye. The young earthling warrior''s gaze was firm and determined, ready to achieve what he had come to.


    The old man chuckled: "It''s true, they''re nothing special. The process of creation of all these weapons has yet to be completed, to make them unique artifacts. But your money is worthless here. Not even all the money in the universe".


    "What are you talking about? They already look perfect as they are, what is the process of creation you''re talking about?" asked Brann, with an expression of defiance painted on his face.


    Meanwhile, Eirik moved to the other wall to take a closer look at all the weapons available, fantasizing about which could be perfect for him.


    "The Soul Fusion" Vegard said, responding to Brann''s question.


    Brann remained silent, urging the old man to explain better.


    "As much as the workmanship of my weapons may be unparalleled, being made with the best materials on the planet, there is a precise characteristic that makes my artifacts different from all the others. Every weapon is like a warrior. As a soulless warrior is doomed to immediate failure, so a soulless weapon is nothing but simple steel" Vegard said, beginning to walk toward the opposite wall to Eirik''s.


    "If you were allowed to meet me, it means that your spirit is strong and your hunger for power outweighs all feelings" he continued.


    Brann followed him.


    "What do you think of this one?" said the blacksmith, pointing to a long, sharp sword.


    "It''s my last creation. The steel of its blade has been forged by fusing the rarest minerals of the planet''s deep mantle, and the skin that wraps its hilt has been made by skinning a 5-horned deer, the last of its kind".


    Brann looked closely at the sword. It was a magnificent weapon. Soon after, he looked down, where there were other weapons stacked, perhaps of less importance than those displayed on the walls.


    Right between those weapons, he saw a huge double-headed axe, the largest in the whole room.


    "This one" he said, pointing to it.


    Vegard looked Brann in the eye.


    "The hangman''s axe. I made this weapon on commission, for the executioner of a big northern city. Before he could get here to me, someone killed him. Only a few remains of his body were found. I''ve piled these weapons here because I think there''s negative energy in each of them. What they have in common are their sad, painful stories" he said.


    "Stop babbling, old man. My brother is a very strong warrior, he understands weapons since he was a child. Just satisfy his desire" Eirik exclaimed, interrupting the speech between Vegard and Brann, without having listened to the premises.


    Brann lowered himself to the weapons and lifted the large double-headed axe with two hands.


    "Yes, I want this one".


    "Who am I, to judge the choice of a great warrior?" replied Vegard, taking the axe from Brann''s hands and placing it on the huge anvil.


    "Now explain to me, old man... what does it take for the fusion?" asked Brann.


    "It''s called the Soul Fusion for a reason, son. It is a power that has been bestowed upon me by the wise Weland, the blacksmith of the Gods. By giving a soul to this weapon, it will be possible to unlock its true potential, whatever it may be. I''m not allowed to know what powers it hides... I am only a servant of Odin, who in his infinite wisdom and goodness has granted me this privilege" Vegard replied.


    "What the fuck are you two talking about? The fusion of what?" said Eirik.


    Brann continued to look the blacksmith in the eye and in an instant he understood what he had to do.


    "Come, brother. I want you to see up close the weapon I chose for me. Then you''ll show me yours" Brann said, resting his hand on Eirik''s shoulder, who without asking too many questions, followed him to the anvil.


    "Wow... it''s a beautiful axe, the best I''ve ever seen. Look at these blades, they could cut a horse in half. And its decorations... this deer head between the blades is very beautiful, worthy of a great warrior like you. Can I know what you and the old man were talking about?" asked Eirik, as he touched the double-headed axe''s rod.


    Brann was standing behind him.


    "Nothing that, my brother. It was just nonsense" he said, slowly approaching his brother, from behind.


    "Well... now it''s my turn! Come and see, I found a spear..."


    Shortly before Eirik could finish speaking, Brann powerfully charged towards him, grabbing him by the abdomen and lifting him off the ground.


    He threw him into the hot lava pool.


    "Aaaaagh! Aaagh! Heelp!"


    Eirik uttered superhuman screams as the magma devoured his body a few centimeters at a time.

 93 XCIII. The Red Executioner

    Brann stood there, standing still and watching the scene.


    After a few seconds, his younger brother Eirik''s hand sank into the glowing red liquid.


    Brann looked to the floor. A tear fell from his eyes, evaporating immediately as soon as it touched the boiling ground.


    He turned to Vegard.


    "Now, old man, do what you have to do" he said, with an evil expression.


    Vegard, without answering, approached the magma.


    He bent down towards it and plunged his hand into it.


    Brann looked at him in amazement as he pulled his arm unharmed from the lava pool.


    In Vegard''s hand, there was a ruby-like red crystal.


    He gently placed it over the axe, precisely above the metal deer head between the two blades.


    The ruby remained in balance.


    Vegard seized a large iron hammer, leaning beside the anvil.


    Strongly, he began to repeatedly hit the ruby, which at each stroke emitted red sparks. The sound of the hammer banging on the crystal was loud and rumbled all over the room.


    On the fourth shot, the red crystal shattered and as if by magic it embedded perfectly in the eyes of the metal deer head.


    Vegard wiped the sweat from his forehead and put the hammer on the ground in his position.


    Brann approached the anvil, pushing the old man to the side.


    He seized the weapon and raised it high, admiring the work.


    "The Red Executioner. That''s going to be your name. Together, we will conquer this planet".


    ...


    "What?! His brother Eirik''s soul was embedded in his weapon, unlocking its hidden potential?!" asked Dag to Asa, with a terrified gaze.


    "Yes. You wanted to know Brann''s real story. Here you go" Asa said.


    "I''m shocked. Why did you know all these things and you never said anything?" continued Dag, looking at Asa with disappointment.


    "What would have changed? I named my son Eirik in honor of Brann''s brother. Stein liked this name, but he never knew the real reason for my choice. Every time I call him by his name, I remember that story" Asa said.


    "The axe. Is it still here?"


    "Yes. Unconsciously, after the battle, I took it away with me to preserve the spirit of that boy, who died for a greater cause".


    "A greater cause?! Brann killed his brother for a weapon! This is unforgivable! It''s a very cruel act! Does Gridd know this story?" replied Dag.


    "No. Besides me, only you know it. I never told anyone the truth. I didn''t want to ruin the fame Brann had earned during his years in charge of his Clan. He was not evil: I had managed to bring out his kind and caring side, with me he behaved differently. He was a strong man, but at the same time, fragile" Asa said.


    "Mother, you know that''s not the case. You speak for love, the actions he has done matter more than his words. During that battle... he made the same mistake. He believed that by sacrificing innocent lives, he could increase his power and popularity. But he was wrong. Now I know what I have to do" Dag said, turning his back on his mother.


    "Tell me what you have in mind".


    Dag looked at Eirik, who was still sleeping in his chair and had not heard a word from Asa''s story.


    "Give me the Red Executioner. I will go to the village of Tyven to meet Vegard".


    "What? You''ve said so far that Brann was wrong to do what he did... and now you want to do the same?!" asked Asa.


    "No, I don''t need a new weapon. If he really has divine powers... maybe he knows something about my powers. Brann''s axe will be my pass. The door will open by recognizing the artifact, I''m sure of it" Dag said.


    Asa looked down, sad.


    Dag approached her again and placed his hand under her chin, looking up at her: "It''s not your fault. It hasn''t changed what I think of you. You were a great warrior and a great leader. I''m sure your warriors, your Shieldmaidens thought the same way".


    "After that battle, I withdrew from my Clan forever. I was trying to forget what happened, I just wanted to start over. Meet Stein and live a quiet life on this farm... It is only because of this that I continued to live without pain".


    "I will unite the Clans again. But not as he did. No, I''m going to try to be a wise leader. I will listen to the advice of who knows better than me how the world works. Master Egill is the only one I can trust right now. I''m going to consult with him. Now, show me the weapon, mother" Dag said, comforting Asa.


    She walked away from him, heading to the door of the room always closed.


    She opened it, pulling out a key hidden under her dress. She entered the room and went out after a few seconds with the axe in her hand.


    "Here it is. Even if you hate Brann, you must protect this weapon at the cost of your life, as I did during all these years. Do it in memory of his brother Eirik" she said.


    Dag grabbed the Red Executioner and closed his eyes, trying to sense its power.


    It was a very heavy weapon, decidedly unsuitable for his fighting style, based mainly on dodges and counterattacks, as Magni and Gridd had taught him.


    "The village of Tyven is a long way from here. It is a small village on the east coast of the Khvete region. To get there, you''ll necessarily have to cross the huge FossilWood Forest" Asa continued.


    "I''ve never faced such a long journey. I''m going to need a map and a good assortment of supplies" Dag said.


    At that moment, someone knocked on the door.


    Dag went to open. It was Karl, despite the lateness of the hour.


    "Hey, Dag. I wanted to apologize if I made you wait in vain. My father needed help and I didn''t have time to..."

 94 XCIV. The Atlas

    "It''s all right, Karl. I''ve been busy, too". We can postpone our training until tomorrow morning, do you agree?" interrupted Dag, smiling at his friend.


    "Of course! See you tomorrow morning, I''m coming here just after I wake up. Good night!" said Karl, waving to Dag and heading back to his house.


    Dag closed the door and turned back to his mother.


    "So¡­ how many days on horseback to reach the Khvete region?" he asked.


    "I believe your stallion horse can reach its destination in just over 5 days, if well fed and rested. Wait, I just remembered one thing" Asa said.


    She went into the bedroom.


    Dag sat down at the table, looking at Eirik and thinking how much easier his life was than a warrior''s. He thought of when he arrived on Skjold, at Hallr, the Vortex guardian.


    He could have decided to become anything, to do any profession. He could help his half-brother Eirik with wood after Stein''s death.


    But it wouldn''t have changed his disposition. He knew he had a warrior spirit, his life would be wasted without a fight.


    After a few minutes, Asa entered the dining-room again.


    "It won''t be a real map, but Stein was a geography enthusiast. He used this book to pinpoint where to collect the various types of wood. You could take a look at it, maybe it can help" she said, handing Dag a large book with a suede cover and a drawing of a kind of planet engraved on it.


    Underneath the drawing, a large runic inscription read: "Skjold ¨C continents and regions".


    It was an ancient atlas.


    Dag began to browse it, stopping already on the first page.


    "From KING EINARR


    given to the people


    official Journal of


    Viking Conquests"


    "It''s really interesting, Mom. I''m going to read it. Go to sleep now, it''s late" he said, getting up from his chair and kissing Asa on her forehead, trying to calm her down.


    As she made her way to the bedroom, Dag patted Eirik''s shoulder, who awoke startled, his eyes lost in the void.


    "Brother, how about going to bed? It''s late at night, you''ll be tired" Dag continued, smiling at Eirik and helping him get up to get to the bed.


    When his mother and brother were in the same room, Dag closed the door to isolate himself in the dining room.


    He needed concentration: he had to plan an expedition.


    He sat back at the table, while the chimney fire in front of him burned wood and illuminated the pages of Skjold''s atlas.


    After a few pages of presentation, in which the authors of the book were quoted and the sources from which they had taken inspiration were shown, maps finally appeared.


    The atlas first illustrated the regions of the North and then the regions of the South.


    Dag turned the pages quickly looking for what he was interested in.


    On Earth, as a child, he had already studied the geography of Skjold, but his knowledge was not in-depth.


    When he read the name "Jernhest" on one of the maps he stopped and began to study every detail of that portion of the land.


    Everything was written in elder futhark, the official language of Skjold.


    Jernhest, the capital of the Nation of Okstorm, was located in a region called "Jordst?l, the land of steel", colored in orange.


    To the northeast of Jordst?l, a smaller region with a long coast was called "Sjornir, the land of lakes" and was colored in light blue. To the north of this region there was Hevnen, the city of the Sons Of Freya.


    Instead, north of Jordst?l, there was a region colored in purple, looking gloomy and uninhabited. It was entirely covered by a forest, the largest in the Okstorm nation.


    This region was the "FossilWood Forest", a huge expanse of ancient fossil trees, whose wood had turned into mineral.


    There weren''t many other indications, it seemed a partially unexplored place.


    Continuing north, it was possible to arrive to the region of "Kvete, the land of wheat", in which the village of Tyven was located, next to many other villages along the east coast.


    Between the Kvete and Sjonir regions, there was a huge expanse of salt water, called "Lukket Sea, the closed sea".


    Dag began to study the best way to get to his destination.


    The quickest way was the one Asa told him, through the FossilWood forest, otherwise he would have to travel to Hevnen, and then cross the Lukket sea by boat, taking several days just for that stretch.


    The Kvete region was colored yellow and looked like a very quiet and lonely place. Perhaps Vegard the blacksmith, was there, precisely because of the lack of accessibility of that region.


    Dag was determined. He would travel from Jerhest to Tyven through all Jordst?l and the FossilWood forest. He just had to find a good travel companion.


    He closed the book and extinguished the fire in the fireplace, walking to the bedroom.


    When he entered, he looked toward the window.


    He was reminded of memories of a few moments spent with Freydis. He had managed to remain faithful to her despite the temptations. Every time he thought of her, his heart beat hard and the chills came to his skin.


    He wanted to let it all go and run to Skjegg, but the Crows Of Odin town was south of Jernhest, exactly in the opposite direction to its main destination.


    The question of Vegard was too urgent to give up. If the blacksmith had been able to tell him more about his powers, the process of joining the Clans would have been much faster, because Dag would have become stronger in a short time.


    Dag went to bed, immersed in his thoughts.


    He hoped with all his heart that Karl would prove to be a worthy adversary the next day. If he had agreed to accompany him on his adventure, they would have strengthened their relationship even more.


    Late at night, he fell asleep.

 95 XCV. The Tes

    ...


    "You just want power... you''re insatiable"


    "You want to be like me, but you don''t know it yet"


    "The dark power that runs through your veins is no longer enough"


    "You will sacrifice the people you care about the most... like I did. You have no other choice!"


    ...


    "No, nooo!" cried Dag, waking up with a start.


    Asa ran into the bedroom to check what happened.


    "Dag, my son! Calm down, it was just a nightmare!" she said, sitting next to him and stroking his sweaty forehead.


    Dag took his breath away. That nightmare seemed real.


    "I dreamed about Brann... he thought to know what I want, he was trying to get inside my head" he said.


    "Shhh, it''s all over. It wasn''t real. Brann will never stand between you and your destiny. I couldn''t sleep tonight, thinking back to our speech. I''m sure you''ll know more about your powers and become a strong and valiant warrior, more than you already are" Asa said, consoling Dag.


    He got out of bed and together they went to the dining-room.


    "Did you find anything interesting in Stein''s book?" she continued, as she hung an iron pot on the chimney fire to heat water.


    "Yes. I studied the geography of the surrounding regions in Jordst?l. It was like you said, the only way to get from here to Tyven by crossing the FossilWood Forest. But I didn''t find much information about that place" Dag said, sitting by the fireplace.


    "It''s a huge forest. To get there you have to pass the Grey Mountains Chain, of which Mount Torden is a part. From the top of those mountains, the spectacle is supernatural: thousands of towering stone trees almost touch the sky. It is said that the Jotunn transformed those trees, to prevent Thor from hunting them when they kidnapped Freya" Asa said.


    Dag listened intently, drawn to the tale.


    "It''s a dangerous place. Fossil trees are steeped in magic and the forest, it seems, doesn''t like humans very much. It seems that it has its own soul, linked to that of the animals that live there. You don''t have to stop at that place by accident, once you get into the forest, you must go out the other side, without wasting time" she continued.


    "Is it really that dangerous? If it is uninhabited, I don''t understand what the dangers are. What kind of animals live in there?" asked Dag.


    "The animals that populate the forests are normale ones, but... the magic of the mineralized tree trunks often turns the animals into huge mutant beasts. I''ve never been there personally, but I remember Brann''s tales: he once showed me the head of a wild boar with four eyes and six tusks, saying it walked on two legs, like a minotaur. I wouldn''t have believed it if I hadn''t seen it with my own eyes!"


    "What?!" replied Dag, bewildered by Asa''s response.


    "How can a place with such strong magical powers not arouse the curiosity of the most experienced Viking explorers? What if that magic could be used by us humans?" he continued.


    "It''s unlikely. Years ago, some warriors, on king Einarr''s orders, visited the FossilWood Forest... but they never returned to Jernhest" Asa said.


    Dag kept thinking there was something hidden in that place. That unresolved question smelled of trouble.


    As Asa dipped wild herb leaves into the freshly heated water, Dag walked out the door to see if Karl had arrived.


    He took a few steps forward, looking towards the descent that led to the city.


    Karl was on his way: he had a shield behind his back and a tomahawk in his hand.


    "Wow! You almost look like a real warrior!" chuckled Dag toward him.


    "You''re not funny" Karl replied, jokingly.


    The two went to the back of the farm, the place where Dag used to train with Gridd when he was not yet part of his Clan.


    "What weapon will you fight with? I''m just curious" Karl said, trying to guess.


    "With these two" Dag replied, raising his hands and clenching his fists.


    "Hahaha! Don''t be ridiculous! You''re going to get hurt!"


    "Then you''ll be worthy to come with me!"


    "Come with you? What are you talking about?" continued Karl, in amazement.


    "I''ll explain it to you later. First I need to test your fighting skills, then I''ll give you my proposal. Maybe" Dag said, winking.


    "Then I won''t hold back. Be careful, brother".


    Dag took a combat position and nodded to Karl, inviting him to fight.


    Karl didn''t think twice, and after taking out the shield, he charged to Dag.


    He faked a tomahawk shot, directed at Dag''s neck and kicked him in the legs.


    Dag stepped back slightly, dodging the blow in amazement.


    Once again, Karl advanced, raising his shield to his opponent and resting the tomahawk on his top.


    Dag smiled and tried to attack Karl, faking a kick.


    When Karl stepped back, supposing to dodge him, Dag jumped, trying to punch him from above.


    Karl promptly managed to raise the shield, which parried Dag''s shot.


    The fist was so strong that despite the parry, Karl''s shield hit his face, causing him to stagger.


    Dag stood still, again signaling Karl to attack.


    Karl screamed, charging at great speed towards him.


    He tried again to attack him with the tomahawk, but this time with a low shot.


    Dag moved nimbly to the side, convinced that he could dodge the blow, but it turned out to be another fake move.


    Karl lowered the tomahawk, concentrating all the strength of his shoulder on the shield and hitting Dag in the face.


    A loud metallic sound echoed through the trees of the woods when the surface of Karl''s iron shield hit Dag''s cheekbone.


    Dag turned sorely and Karl kicked him away.


    Soon after, he returned to the same position as before, with the shield raised and the tomahawk resting on it.


    "Hahaha! It''s amazing! Your progress in just one month is astounding! Your fighting style has improved a lot, my friend" Dag exclaimed, laughing and touching the cut on his face.

 96 XCVI. The Promise

    "During this period of time, I have focused a lot on our fights... the ones we used to do every day before you left. A few minutes ago, your fist was definitely strong, so much that it had crossed my defenses, which are my strong point. But your style is always the same, based on speed and counterattack. No one knows you better than I do, brother" Karl said, smiling and looking at Dag defiantly.


    "Very good. I''m glad you can study your opponent with so much skill. But what if my fighting style changes?" continued Dag.


    After loading the thrust bending over his knees, he snapped at Karl at great speed.


    Karl kept his shield up, ready to parry the blow, but Dag stopped just before coming ahead of him.


    Karl put his head behind the shield, convinced that the blow was imminent, but Dag crossed his arms, activating Earth Stomp.


    Under Karl''s feet, the terrain broke off and tripped him.


    As he was about to fall, he tried to hit Dag with a clumsy tomahawk swing, but he dodged and grabbed the weapon.


    Hitting Karl''s arm from below, his hand open and Dag disarmed him in less than a second.


    After Karl fell to the ground, he tried to turn around to protect himself behind the shield, but his tomahawk was already pointed at his throat.


    "I must admit it, brother. You really managed to amaze me" Dag said, lowering the weapon and reaching out to his friend to help him get up from the ground.


    "What the fuck was that skill? The ground under my feet has cracked and you''ve taken over, it''s not fair! Let me try again!" said Karl furiously, who rose from the ground on his legs, without accepting Dag''s help.


    Dag looked at him fondly. Within himself, he loved Karl very much as if he was his younger brother.


    His defensive-focused fighting style was much improved. The hard training he was undergoing every day was paying off. The way he used the shield was typical of Taya: while the strong Shieldmaiden matched it with a spear, he had decided to use a tomahawk, further reducing the range of his attacks and forcing his opponent to attack first.


    Although simple, it was a good strategy.


    "If you want to keep fighting, Karl, it''s not a problem. But know that you''ve already passed the test" Dag smiled.


    "Uhm? I ended up on the ground within minutes of the fight''s start! You won once more! As much as I can train to beat you, you''ll always win!" replied Karl.


    "Hahaha! It''s not true, and you know it. Being a little older than you, I joined a Clan and learned new skills. It''s normal that you don''t know them, you''re still too young" Dag continued, rubbing Karl''s hair with his hand.


    Karl pushed him away with the shield and tried again to attack him with fury.


    Dag quickly lowered himself and dodged the tomahawk. Turning on himself as he bent over his knees, he kicked Karl in the ankles, causing him to fall back to the ground.


    As soon as Karl''s back touched the ground, Dag punched him in the face a second time and took off his shield.


    Karl turned his head behind him and spat blood, then wiped his mouth with his hand.


    He got up, without saying anything else.


    "This shield is nice. It looks like excellent steel, shiny and durable. I also really like its decorations" Dag said, looking at Karl''s shield.


    It was a medium-sized round shield, with smooth, sharp edges. Entirely made of chrome steel, it had in its center a lot of runes engraved in a circle, around a drawing depicting a large bear head with its jaws wide open.


    "It''s a gift from Master Taya. Several times I have shown her my skill in combat, beating the strongest of the students of the arena. When she gave it to me, she told me I had earned it" Karl said proudly.


    "If she said so, I have no doubt. You''ve certainly earned it. Make good use of it" Dag continued.


    "Yes, but now stop to thwart. Speak. What proposal do you have in mind?"


    Dag re-approached Karl, helping him get up and giving his shield back.


    "Come with me, we''ll talk about it ahead of a good wild herbs brew" he said, inviting Karl to enter the farm.


    Karl followed him, greeted Asa, and they both sat at the table.


    "Here you are, guys. I hope it''s still warm" Asa said, resting two clay glasses containing a steaming liquid on the table.


    Dag and Karl thanked her and then resumed talking to each other.


    "There are some things you need to know about me, about what I''ve been through this month. But before talking, I have to ask you a question" Dag said, introducing the speech.


    "Tell me".


    "Would you be willing to leave Jernhest despite your father''s health?"


    "It depends on the proposal, but... yes. My mother is a strong woman, she will be able to look after him even without me" Karl replied, trusting Dag.


    "Well, that''s crucial. Because I''d like you to accompany me somewhere..."


    Dag summarily told Karl of his exile from the Clan, his powers, and his desire to unify the Clans.


    "And why do you want to go to this blacksmith? Isn''t it more urgent to meet your sister Gridd? And then... I''m also sure that Freydis would be happy to see you again" Karl said.


    "And I''d be happy to see her and my sister again. But Vegard might know more about my powers. I have to figure out how to control them perfectly, otherwise, I will never be able to enforce myself and convince the other Clans to follow me" said Dag, who omitted Brann''s part in his story, believing it was a matter between him and his mother.


    "Look" he continued, showing Karl the horseshoe pendant.


    "I don''t see anything extraordinary. It looks like a simple necklace to me... it''s also a little ugly. I don''t understand what it has to do with all this" Karl said, looking at the necklace in Dag''s hands.

 97 XCVII. The Cha

    "Well, it''s not. This is the No. 10 emblem".


    "What?! How... When...?! Show me!" continued Karl, grabbing his hand and tugging at him, to observe the pendant in every little detail.


    "Soon someone might know that I have it. And he might come and claim it. I need to get even stronger" Dag said, as Karl watched the pendant in amazement, in disbelief as he clutched one of Sjold''s legendary emblems in his hands.


    "I remember when we were little. You said all the time that you were going to be King of all Vikings and that we would be your most trusted warriors. I will never forget those days of carefree happiness" Karl said softly, immersed in the nostalgia of his memories.


    "I will come with you" he replied before Dag could answer.


    Dag smiled: "I knew I could count on you, brother. I''m going to teach you everything I''ve learned, and then we''re going to Gridd and Freydis, convincing them to join us. We will be the two of us to rewrite Skjold''s future, that''s a promise!"


    After speaking, he took the tomahawk that Karl had rested on the table and with its blade, he made a small cut on the palm of his hand.


    He held his arm towards him, with his bloodied hand open.


    "Do we have a deal?" he said, looking into Karl''s eyes.


    Karl grabbed the tomahawk and did the same thing, shaking Dag''s hand.


    "Yeah, we have a deal!" he replied enthusiastically.


    "Perfect. I was thinking about your clan. Usually, no warrior leaves the capital before he is 18. You''re going to have to come up with an excuse for Taya, we can''t tell her the truth" Dag thought aloud.


    "Don''t worry, Dag. I already have something in mind. My stay away from Jernhest won''t be that long. Accompanying you on your adventure, I will undergo a much more complete training than that in the arena. Traveling around the country has always been one of my dreams. Thank you for offering me this chance!" replied Karl, glad to have accepted Dag''s proposal.


    "Don''t thank me. We still don''t know the dangers we''ll encounter during the trip. Before we leave, there''s another favor I have to ask you" said Dag, who opened the bag in which he brought bread and dried meat and extracted letters from his warrior friends.


    "What are those?" asked Karl.


    "My Clan companions have asked me to deliver these letters to their families. Can you help me?"


    "No problem. A friend of mine is a raptor trainer. One of his owls can deliver them for us. Don''t worry, it''s very reliable" Karl replied.


    "All right, I trust you. They all must get to their destination, I made a promise" Dag said, entrusting the letters to Karl.


    "Easy, brother. I''ll handle it".


    Karl put the letters in a pocket and walked out the front door.


    "Before we cross the FossilWood Forest, we will stop at the Temple Of Orn. My Master is waiting for me" Dag continued.


    "On orders, Captain!" exclaimed Karl, with one hand on his forehead, as if he were Dag''s personal soldier.


    "Hahaha! Don''t be ridiculous. We''re leaving tomorrow morning. By today get yourself all that can be useful for the trip, I will do the same. And remember the letters, I recommend you!" replied Dag.


    "Now more than my captain, you look like my mother" Karl snorted.


    The two friends said goodbye and Karl left.


    "Why do you want him to come with you, Dag?" asked Asa, who walked behind Dag to the outside of the house with a bucket in her hand.


    "He''s one of my best friends. Maybe the only one I have left. Master Egill promised me that on my return to the Temple, I will find warriors selected by himself, willing to accompany me on my expedition: I could choose another... three is better than two, right?" asked Dag to his mother, moving by the door to let her through.


    "Yes, you''re right".


    "But he still doesn''t know of my detour to the village of Tyven. I hope that it won''t change the game" Dag continued.


    "You''ll see that Egill will understand. He is a man of infinite wisdom. No one can advise you better than he does" Asa said, after sitting next to one of her cows to milk it.


    "So you''re leaving again, little brother?"


    Dag turned back, toward the door. Eirik had just woken up and seemed to have recovered from the hangover.


    "Hey, brother. Yes, I''m leaving again tomorrow. But I''ll be back here in Jernhest soon, I can''t help but see your ugly face for a long time!" chuckled Dag.


    "Hahaha! All right, I''m counting on it. Make sure you don''t get killed" Eirik replied, yawning.


    After greeting his mother and brother, Dag got on his horse and went down to town to go to the market and buy supplies.


    He bought more dried meat, which certainly wouldn''t be moldy and other supplies, including bread and fresh fish.


    Then he went back to the farm and ate with his mother and brother. After lunch, he stayed to talk to Asa, while Eirik headed to the forest to get wood to sell at the market the next day.


    "You know, mother... I was thinking of the mutant animals that inhabit the FossilWood Forest. I''ve dealt with mutant animals before" Dag said.


    Asa made a marvelous expression.


    "A long time ago, I had to kill a deformed beast with blades instead of claws. Before the transformation, it was a crow".


    Dag told Asa about the animals owned by the Xis and the fact that they kept spying on him who knows for how long.


    "Are you sure of that? I''ve never heard anyone say that" Asa said.


    "Think about it. This planet, this atmosphere, the vegetation, the animals... were all created by the power of the Xis. I don''t know exactly how, but with some advanced technology, they have managed to recreate the perfect conditions for life, both human and other animal species. It is normal for them to control their creations as they please. Just look the animals in the eye. If they have purple eyes, it means they are connected to the Xis, I have yet to find out how" Dag continued.

 98 XCVIII. The Demonstration

    "You told me about the Xis, many years ago. You told me they were allies of humans, who had saved us from extinction. Why now are you considering them as enemies?" asked Asa.


    "Because growing up, I started thinking with my head and no longer under their judgment and their rules. On Earth, their word is an absolute law, no one can oppose them. Our lives don''t matter to them... before being shipped here, another child, less fortunate than me, was classified as an ''error'' by the Temporum and they killed him, just as they exterminated all male humans! They are not benefactors, they are shameless murderers!"


    "And why didn''t Temporum allow that child to continue living?"


    "I don''t know. There was something wrong with his blood, in his genetic code" Dag said.


    "Genetic... code? What is it?" asked Asa, ignoring Earth''s scientific terms.


    "Nothing, mother... forget it. There are too many mysteries related to that car. Even when he judged me, the result was not convincing".


    "What do you mean? What happened?" continued Asa.


    Dag during his years at Jernhest, he had spoken only roughly about his past, trying to forget what had happened to him on Earth.


    "When I submitted to the Temporum, it established that my blood was not 100% Norse. There were two other very small fractions: one Roman and another Unknown. Are you sure I never told you?" said Dag.


    "Of course I am, I would have remembered for sure. What do these things mean? Isn''t your blood completely Viking?" asked Asa, trying to understand.


    "Let''s say that''s the case".


    "And where does it come from then? Roman? Is it part of another planet?"


    "It''s one of the 6 Pantheons. The planet of the Roman people is called Aeris" Dag said, remembering every detail by heart.


    "So... if the blood of each human being comes from the two parents who brought him into the world... means maybe one of your parents belonged to that planet, right?" she continued.


    "No, that''s not how it works. There are many variables, even generations before my parents may have changed my genetics".


    "I''m sorry, Dag. I''d like to help you understand more, but I don''t know anything about all this stuff. I''m just a stupid Viking woman..." said Asa, looking sadly down, on the table.


    Dag got up and hugged her: "Don''t even say it as a joke. You''re the best mother I could ever wish for".


    Asa reciprocated the embrace and clutched Dag tightly.


    "Show me the powers you told me about. I want to see" she said.


    "Are you sure? I can''t control them perfectly".


    "Let me see".


    They both left the farm. It was still afternoon and the sun lit up the hill.


    Dag walked away from Asa, stopping in front of her about ten yards away.


    He opened his arms, stretched them down and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.


    The gray smoke began to come out of the pores of the skin of his arms.


    When enough came out, Dag clenched his fists, intending to turn it into the fluid.


    Slowly, the gas condensed, dripping on Dag''s arms in the form of black liquid.


    "Don''t stop! Go on, Dag!" shouted Asa, who was attending the scene.


    As the fluid floated around Dag, a wild hare passed in front of him, unaware of the danger.


    Dag, without opening his eyes, sensed the presence of a living being near him and stretched out his arms in the direction of the hare.


    Immediately the fluid enveloped the rodent, which began to fidget. After lifting it from the ground, Dag clenched his fists further, turning them toward his chest.


    The black liquid around the hare suffered a rapid compression, shattering the weak bones of the victim trapped in it.


    After imploding, the hare turned into a spherical mass made by flesh and bones.


    Dag opened his eyes, focusing his gaze on that sphere, which was slowly undergoing a process of sublimation, turning into a gas, which moved in its direction.


    The gas quickly slipped into his nostrils and the black fluid was absorbed by his skin.


    Dag lowered his head when he swallowed the gas from the hare, of which there was nothing left.


    He looked up at Asa, who had his eyes wide open.


    "But how... how is that possible? Did you swallow it?! That dark liquid... where does it come from? How can you make it float?!" she asked, incredulous.


    "I don''t know, I just do it. It''s something that comes from within me, it''s part of my body and it follows my commands" said him, who suddenly felt an irrepressible desire to eat the grass under his feet.


    The essence of the hare had been absorbed and with it, also its animal instincts.


    "I can do it on other human beings as well. Or beings of any kind. My fluid compresses their bones and their flesh and allows me to temporarily absorb their strength and their vital energy" Dag explained.


    Asa was still in disbelief and standing in the same position, with her hand in front of her mouth.


    "Through this process, in the past, I have been able to empower myself and defeat enemies much stronger than me. And not only that: as I explained yesterday to you and Eirik, assuming the magenta blood of the creatures controlled by the Xis, I can further enhance my powers and my five senses" he continued.


    Asa approached him, touching his arm, to make sure it was of a "human" consistency.


    "Before, as that grayish gas entered your nostrils and mouth, you opened your eyes to me. And I couldn''t help but notice a detail. I would recognize your eyes among a thousand others, I admire them with love since you were a kid. I know their every shade and reflection perfectly. Your right eye... well, it just wasn''t ''yours''" she said.


    "What does that mean?" asked Dag.


    "One of your eyes, for a few seconds changed color. I can''t help but notice, I''m your mother, I know you like the back of my hand. While the left remained light blue, the right turned purple, even for a little while".

 99 XCIX. The Revelation

    "What?! Purple?!" exclaimed Dag, in disbelief.


    Although others before Asa had noticed the change in the color of Dag''s eyes, no one had ever told him so explicitly.


    Dag paused to think. Unintentionally, his mind had made a connection: it would have been more logical if his eyes had changed color after ingesting Xis'' blood. In that case, the blood would enter his digestive system and change his body chemistry. But with that hare it was different... it was a simple animal, its blood was normal red blood. It had no connection to the Xis.


    So why did one of his eyes go purple for a few seconds?


    Purple eyes were a peculiar feature of the Xis. If the animals weren''t the only link... what other connection was there between him and that alien race?


    Dag could not understand, thoughts continued to crowd in his mind.


    "It''s impossible, mother. This doesn''t make any sense! That hare didn''t have magenta blood, why did my eye change color?" asked Dag, frightened by Asa''s revelation.


    Asa paused for a few minutes, trying to think of an answer to give Dag.


    "What exactly does ''Unknown'' mean?" she asked.


    "Uhm? What do you mean?"


    "The Temporum, or what''s called that thing... You said that when it examined you, one of the values it released was Unknown, right?" continued Asa.


    "Yes, that''s it" Dag said.


    Immediately he opened his eyes wide as if an electric shock had just struck him.


    He remained motionless and a sea of memories invaded his mind, blurring his sight. In a few seconds, he retraced his whole life, focusing on the last period... the one during which he realized that he had developed dark powers.


    Everything was connected, now everything was clearer.


    The key to the riddle had always been within him.


    "My blood! It''s my blood, mother! You''re a genius! How did I not think about it before, how stupid!" shouted Dag, happy to have discovered such an important thing about himself.


    He hugged Asa hard, lifting her off the ground and spinning her.


    "Thank you, Mom!" he said again, kissing Asa on the cheek.


    "What... what did I say?" she replied, unaware that she had sparked in Dag such a deep reflection on his ego.


    "The Temporum. The answer is inside that 2%. My blood has something different from other earthlings. When they had to decide what to do with me, the Xis of the Great Court started talking to each other. It was the first time they were unsure of the decision to be made. I have to find out more about my parents, I need more answers" Dag continued, enthusiastic about his discovery.


    "Are you saying that somehow your blood may be tied to that of the Xis?" asked Asa.


    "It''s strange to say, but... yes. I think a small part of me isn''t human. I really hope Vegard has the answers I''m looking for."


    "He''s just an old blacksmith. Anyway, his connection to the Gods, according to Brann, was authentic. Hopefully, you''re right. I wish you all the luck" Asa continued, smiling at her son and stroking both his cheeks.


    Dag returned to the house and began to prepare the equipment for the trip. The stop at Temple Of Orn was supposed to be short: reaching Tyven was his main goal.


    As he packed dry food into a leather bag, he thought back to what Asa had just said.


    From that second, it was like he was seeing the world with different eyes.


    It was evident that the Xis, after sending him to Skjold, had continued to study his case, spying on him and monitoring his growth. They were watching him as if he was a lab rat.


    He looked back on the stories that the dorm nannies told him and the other children when he was on Earth. Lady Ysabel always spoke of the Xis.


    They were described as beings with anatomic features similar to humans, but a much superior intellect and out-of-the-ordinary physical abilities. Not only that, but their minds were also more evolved than the human one, that they could control matter as they pleased.


    The goal of those stories was surely to increase fear in children so that their young minds could be shaped to recognize the absolute dominance of the Xis race over earthlings.


    Growing up, Dag finally began to realize that perhaps not even the great and powerful Xis possessed absolute knowledge. He was the living proof of this hypothesis.


    But why would they try to kill him? Is it because his powers could be a threat?


    Back then, maybe they weren''t as powerful as Lady Ysabel''s stories told.


    A specific memory came back to Dag''s mind: "What about killing the Xis? Are they that strong?"


    Gridd''s words, during the first dinner at the farm, echoed in his head.


    Without knowing what she was talking about, she suggested fighting against them, against their immense powers, saying that she could kill anything with a well-aimed axe blow.


    Maybe she wasn''t wrong. Maybe it was possible to defeat them... but what''s the end game? Humans were unable to use alien technology: ending the Xis meant ending all the 6 planets they created.


    Dag shook his head, trying not to fantasize too much.


    His thoughts were distracting him from reality. There were more pressing issues to resolve. It was necessary to reunite the Clans and conquer the domination of the planet. Only in such a position of power would he have a chance to really change something.


    As he closed the leather bag full of food supplies, the pendant fell from his pocket.


    He picked it up and put it back.


    "I will not be able to rely on others forever, I must conquer the other emblems. And I have to do it as soon as possible" he thought.


    Being busy with the preparations, time seemed to flow faster for Dag and soon the Sun set and evening arrived.


    For many hours he did not speak to anyone, immersed in his thoughts.

 100 C. The Journey

    That discovery had caused him to drop all his certainties, messing his mind.


    He needed to act more and think less.


    "I''m home!" said Eirik aloud, after entering the farm.


    "Hello, brother. How was your day at the market?" asked Dag.


    "Always the usual. You, rather... I see you''re packing stuff, are you leaving?"


    "Yes. I''ll leave with Karl tomorrow morning. We got a long journey ahead of us" he continued.


    "All right. I''m too tired to argue. I wish I''d spent more time with you when you were here at the farm. I hope I can make up for that time in the future" Eirik replied, moving his neck sideways, trying to relax his sore back muscles.


    "It will be so, Eirik. When we were younger, our ideas were too different, getting along was impossible. Everything will be different from now on. Take care of our mother, I know she will be safe in your strong hands" Dag smiled.


    Eirik smiled back and patted Dag on the shoulder.


    It was time to have dinner.


    Dag paused to listen to the stories of his brother and mother, about the daily events at the market and the monotonous but happy days at the farm, spent taking care of the animals.


    For once, it was appropriate to stop talking about himself all the time and listen to other people''s stories.


    When they finished the venison, all three toasted Dag''s journey, wishing him good luck.


    After dinner, Dag continued to drink with Eirik, but in moderation.


    When he got to bed, it took him a while to fall asleep, due to an intense headache.


    ...


    The rooster began to sing, inaugurating a new day.


    The Sun had not yet risen completely when Dag got out of bed.


    Before leaving, he walked out of the farm, entering the fence, where the cows had just awoken.


    He filled a bucket of fresh milk and drank some. The rest of the warm, sweet-smelling milk was left on the table, avoiding some of the fatigue at Asa, once awake.


    He wore his belt and put the hammer in its dedicated noose.


    He then took Brann''s axe, which he had carefully wrapped in a linen sheet, and tied it to the leather bag strap, which he placed on one shoulder, hooking the weapon behind his back.


    He joined another strap on the first one, crossing it on the other shoulder, to create a real backpack.


    Then he checked the stability of the load on his back and left the farm, walking to Karl''s house, which was waiting for him in front of it.


    After walking for about ten minutes, the two friends met. Karl also looked well equipped: in addition to the shield tied behind his back and the tomahawk on his belt, near the other leg, he had a small inlaid leather box.


    "Good morning, boss! I''m ready!" said Karl aloud, while Dag was still several feet away.


    Dag looked at him closely, smiling: "Well, it looks like you''re ready for real. Did you get everything you need? I don''t know when we''ll be able to get back to Jernhest".


    "Yeah, we can leave" Karl replied, eager to start a real adventure.


    "What''s in there?" asked Dag, pointing to Karl''s leather box.


    "Since my father got sick, I''ve learned to use medicinal herbs. Now I''m able to create small potions and compresses. I hope I''ll never open this bag, but I think it will come in handy!" continued Karl, who opened the box, which contained several medicinal herbs ordered next to each other and tied with strings. Next to the herbs were some small empty glass ampoules.


    Dag made an astonished expression, complimenting Karl on his versatility.


    Without wasting any more time, they set out on the path, descending towards the city.


    After arriving at Jerhnest, they lined its walls until they took the path that would lead them to the Gronn Forest and then to the Grey Mountains chain.


    The Sun began to rise as they entered the dense forest.


    "I''ve never seen this part of the forest" Karl exclaimed, astonished.


    "It''s nothing compared to the valley that''s there right after. Wait and see, you''ll like it" said Dag, who walked past him, making his way.


    The two friends continued to walk and chat for a couple of hours, passed the Gronn Forest and then stopped to drink water from the river flowing into the valley.


    "The view here is magnificent! Look at those mountains! They''re so high that almost touch the sky!" said Karl, who kept marveling at everything.


    "I too, the first time I crossed these places, looked at everything with wonder. Nature always offers magnificent performances. This is only a small part of the nation of Jordst?l. There are so many other lands just waiting to be explored" Dag said, flaunting his geographical knowledge as if he was a veteran explorer.


    "The greatest ambition a Viking can have is to travel. Together, we will explore all the regions and cities of this planet, without exception!" replied Karl, full of adrenaline.


    Dag chuckled, then nodded his hand, signaling to Karl that it was time to leave.


    As they walked, Dag continued to tell Karl about the episodes he had experienced there: the Renegades'' attack and how Magni had managed to defeat them all with one shot.


    "It''s true, with a travel companion, time passes faster and the route seems to shorten" Dag thought.


    The sun began to set again when Dag saw the path leading to Temple Of Orn, at the top of Mount Torden.


    After passing in front of the bear''s lair, he told Karl of his hiding place and the battle he had won against the Fangs Of Jormungandr, boasting about his powers and the fact that he had quickly become an elite member of his Clan.


    Karl hung from his lips, looking at him with admiration.


    The sky began to get dark when the two friends found themselves in front of the large statue of Thor.

 101 CI. Help From The Pas

    Dag noticed with joy that the renovation of the Temple''s main door had now been completed.


    The high steel door was closed.


    Dag approached, looking up, waiting for someone on guard to recognize him from the observation towers.


    "It''s Dag, open the gates!" someone yelled from inside the walls.


    "Wow! You''re so famous!" said Karl, looking around.


    Dag did not answer, waiting for the door to open completely.


    "Hello, Dag. You''re back. And you got a company as well¡­ I was sure you''d come back alone" Egill said, approaching the two travelers to welcome them.


    "Master Egill" Dag said, bowing his head slightly out of respect.


    Karl watched Dag and did the same.


    "Did you get what you needed?" asked Egill, who looked closely at both Dag and Karl.


    Dag touched the axe wrapped in linen towels and slamming his knuckles on it, the hard steel of its blades rang.


    "Well. I''m glad you did it without any difficulty. Come in, let''s go into the library and tell me everything" Egill continued, nodding to Dag, who followed him.


    "Wait for me here, Karl. I think the Master wants to talk to me alone. I''m going to be with you again soon. Take a walk in the Temple in the meantime" Dag whispered to Karl, winking at him.


    Karl nodded, obeying Dag''s orders, who entered the library.


    After entering, he closed the door behind him.


    Before saying anything, he got rid of the heavy load he carried behind his back and uncovered the axe, placing it on the table.


    "I think you remember this weapon. Am I right, Master?" said Dag with a satisfied air.


    "I don''t believe my eyes. It''s Brann''s axe. Amazingly, Asa has been able to guard it so thoroughly all this time" said Egill, who began to touch the blades of the axe slightly with his fingers.


    "My mother, in addition to handing me the axe, also told me something. Something very important: the true story of this weapon and Eirik, Brann''s brother" Dag continued, sighing.


    "Eirik? I vaguely remember him. He died when bandits attacked him and Brann during one of their first expeditions. His body was never found".


    Dag looked Egill in the eye, with a look of understanding.


    "You know something I don''t know... right, boy?" asked Egill, sitting at the table.


    Dag sat in front of him, saying: "For all those years, my mother Asa never told me the truth about Brann. But she didn''t do it out of malice, no... she did so as not to dishonor his name, which is still remembered today by the warriors of the most feared Clans of Skjold".


    Showing Egill the red crystals embedded in the eyes of the metal deer head, Dag detailed the story of Eirik and the Soul Fusion that tied his spirit to that weapon.


    "This is shocking. I didn''t know anything about this. Brann lied to all of us, this explains why he never wanted to talk about his brother. I thought he felt too much pain for his death" said Egill, touching his forehead with the hand and looking closely at the red crystals.


    "As I explained to you, my next goal is to go to Vegard, who has direct ties to our Gods, maybe he can tell me a little more about my powers" Dag said.


    "As you wish, the choice is yours. Do you think your dark powers are tied to the Gods? In that case, your reference God would be Hel, the only one with such a dark power... or maybe the great wolf Fenrir..." continued Egill, trying to surmise what the source of Dag''s powers was.


    "No, Master. I don''t think so. I believe that my dark powers do not belong to this Pantheon or even to the Earth. They come from much farther away. In any case, I need to know more about them".


    "So be it, Dag. I trust your judgment. In your heart, you know what you have to do. But don''t forget what we said. I hope you''re still willing to reunite the Clans and prepare for the great battle".


    "In that regard..." continued Dag, pulling the n¡ã 10 emblem from his pocket and resting it on one of the Red Executioner''s blades.


    "How do I know the location of the other emblems? It wouldn''t take a lifetime to research them all, I wonder how King Einarr did it".


    "Mh... that''s a good question. There must be a way" Egill replied, taking the necklace.


    He clasped it in his hands and closed his eyes.


    "Interesting..." he said softly, as Dag watched his movements carefully, not understanding what he was doing.


    "Can you track down other artifacts like that?" asked Dag, hoping for a positive response that would make his job easier.


    "I got it!" exclaimed Egill, opening his eyes to Dag.


    He left the emblem on the table and went to the other side of the library.


    Dag followed him with his eyes.


    He moved a ladder that stood near the wall, leaning it against a tall solid wooden closet.


    After climbing the ladder to the upper levels, he pulled out a key and opened one of the highest doors.


    Dag approached him, continuing to observe.


    "Where did that thing go..." muttered Egill, with both arms and head tucked into the closet''s door, looking for something.


    "Ah! I found it!" he exclaimed, pulling out a dusty little chest.


    He closed the door of the closet and got off the ladder.


    After blowing on the chest, the dust rose in a small cloud that dissolved in the library.


    "What is that?" asked Dag, intrigued.


    "You must know that, before me, the Clan''s Master Of Healing was Olav, the chemist. In addition to being my mentor and life teacher, he tried to teach me some of his notions of chemistry" said Egill, who walked to the table and placed the small chest on it.


    The lock of that metal box was not locked but closed with two tight straps.


    "I remember him talking to me at length about the particles that compose the matter and the energy they emanate. Objects such as these weapons, Brann''s axe or Magni''s hammer, exude strong energy, as they are sources of power. But there are other objects, which give off weaker energy, a single, imperceptible to the human ear vibration" he continued.


    Dag did not say a word, he merely listened.

 102 CII. The Bjelke Sphere

    Egill gently opened the chest, trying to ruin as little as possible the old leather belts that kept it closed.


    He drew from the inside a small golden sphere, about 2 centimeters in diameter.


    The sphere was connected to a steel chain: it also looked like the pendant of a necklace.


    Egill rose the object, observing it better and trying to remember something.


    "This is the latest creation of Master Olav: the ''Bjelke Sphere''" he said.


    "Bjelke Sphere? And what''s the use?"


    "If I''m not mistaken, he created it just to find ancient valuable artifacts. Yes, in addition to being a great chemist, he was also a great stingy. He loved money" Egill chuckled, recalling his Master.


    "But... how can this ''sphere'' help me tracking down the other emblems? How does it work?" asked Dag, anxious to know the answer.


    "In my opinion, even though it was created for another purpose, the Bjelke Sphere also works with emblems. First, clutching your necklace in my hands, I tried to feel its magical power, but it was absent. We''ll see what vibrations it emits" Egill said, intrigued.


    He approached the small sphere to the pendant in the shape of a horseshoe.


    The sphere began to vibrate, emitting a hiss.


    "It works!" said Dag, enthusiastically.


    Egill did not answer. He slowly removed the Bjelke Sphere from the emblem and it gradually stopped vibrating.


    "Mmh... I understand" Egill thought aloud.


    "Does the effect shrink with distance?" asked Dag to his Master, believing that he had sensed the functioning of the golden sphere.


    "That''s right, Dag. And not only this: I believe that the vibration that this artifact causes in the sphere is so low because it is the last emblem. His power is weaker than the others, so the sphere needs to be very close to recognize it" continued Egill, who watched the Bjelke Sphere with admiration.


    "I didn''t think it might come in handy in some way. Thank you, Master Olav" he replied, approaching Dag.


    Before he could speak, Egill tied the necklace with the golden sphere around his neck.


    "If you always keep the sphere on your chest and your emblem in your pocket, they shouldn''t interfere".


    Dag stood still, waiting for Egill to finish hooking his new necklace.


    "But... Master... this is an object of extreme value, belonged to your Master, I do not think I am worthy of..."


    "Aaah! Silence, kid! Don''t you dare contradict your Master!" said Egill aloud, his face angry, which after a few seconds turned into a smile.


    Dag smiled back.


    "I''m sure Master Olav would be happy to make himself useful to the future Warchief of the Hammers Of Thor" continued Egill, who turned back to the table to observe the Red Executioner.


    "About my travel companion... I wish I could bring in another person besides Karl, who is a trusted friend of mine and a good healer" Dag said, as he tucked the Bjalke Sphere under his leather jacket.


    "Healer, did you say? What are you waiting for, then? Let him in here, let me know the guy. Then I''ll show you the candidates I personally chose for you" Egill replied, sitting down.


    Dag nodded and ran out of the library.


    Karl was sitting outside, on a bench, eating an apple, watching two Shieldmaidens chatting.


    "Nah, they''re way out of your league, brother. Hahaha!" chuckled Dag, patting him on the back.


    "You will soon change your mind, Dag. I will become a valiant warrior, like you¡­ and women will fall at my feet" Karl said with an air of superiority.


    "Master Egill wants to meet you. Follow me to the library".


    "What? That guy with the chilling look and the long white beard? Brrr! It makes me shiver!" replied Karl.


    "Hahaha! You''re such an idiot! He''s so much better than he looks. Come on, come with me" Dag continued, as he walked back to the library.


    Karl followed him, tucking the half-eaten apple into his pocket, so as not to look bad in Egill''s eyes.


    The two entered the library: Egill was still sitting there, behind the table in front of the door, with the Red Executioner before him.


    Karl opened his eyes wide when he saw the weapon on the table. Before approaching Egill further, he knelt and said: "Dag told me you wanted to talk to me, Master Egill".


    While Karl was still with his head down, Egill looked at Dag, giggling softly.


    "Then... in Dag''s opinion, you''re a young healer. Is that correct?" asked Egill, in a mock stern voice.


    Karl clenched his fists and closed his eyes even more: "well... my friend Dag is too kind. I''m not a healer, I''m just learning how to make little healing potions with wild herbs from the Gronn Forest. My father got sick in the last period and I was forced to get in!"


    Egill stopped before him, who was still kneeling: "since antiquity, herbalism is one of the fundamental arts that a healer must possess. I started my way to become a healer like you, with the good fortune of having a Master who knew about herbs and chemistry".


    Karl looked up, realizing that Egill was not the bad man he looked like, he could tell by the tone of his voice.


    He stood up.


    "How old are you, boy?" asked Egill.


    "Sixteen" Karl said in a flickering voice.


    "Before you leave with Dag, I want to give you something that I think will be useful to you" he continued, approaching a bookshelf and pulling out a small book, which he then delivered into Karl''s hands.


    "This was the first text on which I studied the alchemy of plants growing in our lands".


    Karl looked in amazement at the gift he had just received: the title of the book was "The Almanac of the Medical Herbs and Edible Berries of Jordst?l".


    "Thank you, Master!" he exclaimed emphatically, kneeling back to Egill.


    "Despite your young age, it seems that Dag really wants you to follow him on his first expedition. If he trusts you, then I want to trust you too. In moments of pause, read the almanac, study every page of it. When we''ll meet again, you will show me your progress" Egill continued, grabbing Karl by the arm and inviting him to stand up.


    "But... but... I''m not a member of this Clan, I''m not even 18!" said Karl, worried.


    Egill put a hand on his shoulder: "the task you are about to accomplish goes far beyond all these nonsense formalities. You will choose your Clan at the age of 18, like everyone else. Become a good healer, do it for your friend".


    Egill pointed to Dag, who looked Karl in the eye.


    He reciprocated his gaze, clasped the almanac in his hands and smiled at Egill, his new Master.

 103 CIII. The Three Options

    "So... If you agree, I''d like to introduce you to the candidate warriors I''ve chosen" Egill said, turning to Dag.


    "Yes, I''m ready" Dag replied.


    All three walked out of the library. Karl was still in disbelief at Egill''s gesture of generosity and looked happy at his new almanac, beginning to flip through the front pages.


    Egill made his way to the courtyard of Temple Of Orn, where all the warriors were about to finish their daily training.


    "Dag! You''re back!" shouted Dargeon towards him, catching everyone''s attention, who stopped and looked at Dag and Karl.


    The two friends stopped a few meters before the stone steps, on which the Masters used to assist training.


    Egill climbed the stairs and positioned himself next to Dargeon, addressing the crowd of warriors, who were ready to listen to what their Master Of Healing had to say.


    "Terje, Reidar, Runa! Step forward!" he said aloud, calling his pupils to report.


    Two young Berserkrs and a Shieldmaiden advanced towards the two masters, greeting Dag with his eyes. All three looked like his peers.


    Egill got off the pedestal, walking towards them. He nodded to the first of them, who positioned himself in front of Dag.


    He was a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, similar to Dag.


    "He is Terje, one of the best students of the Clan. He''s 19 years old and he''s a skilled swordsman, using his two swords to hit enemies with great speed and immediately end the fight" Egill said, waiting for Dag to watch him well.


    Dag nodded his head, confirming that he understood.


    Terje returned to his place and the second boy stepped forward to Dag.


    "Reidar is a formidable archer. With its longbow, it can hit an apple even more than 100 meters away. He comes from a family of warriors, his father was one of King Einarr''s personal archers. He''s 18, just like you" Egill continued.


    Dag looked closely at the candidate: he was a kind of short boy, but with two muscular arms. His long hair was gathered over his head and tied with a piece of rope.


    He too reciprocated Dag''s gaze, looking at him with his green eyes.


    Dag nodded to his Master.


    It was Shieldmaiden''s turn.


    Dargeon went down the steps to Dag and spoke: "I introduce you to Runa, my best student. She is 22 years old and despite her young age, she manages to move her tower shield nimbly, which she combines with a hammer. She is a formidable tank, her courage and strength are unparalleled!"


    Runa was a muscular and tall young woman with brown hair and penetrating celestial eyes. Her size was really impressive and her face was unequal: a very pronounced jaw and thin lips left to shine her physical strength, much more masculine than feminine.


    Karl came up to Dag''s ear and whispered: "I don''t know what do you think, but this girl scares me!"


    Dag chuckled and nodded his head at Dargeon.


    "I didn''t know you were also notified of my expedition, Master Dargeon" he said.


    Karl bowed his head toward Dargeon, out of respect.


    "Egill told me everything. We''re with you, Dag" the Master Of Defense replied, clenching his fist at Dag to encourage him.


    "Yet, the plans have changed slightly!" said Egill, who stood on the pedestal, addressing all the other warriors.


    "Before going to Hevnen, where he will try to convince the Sons Of Freya to join us, waiting for the big battle, Dag has something else in mind. He will reveal it to the one who will choose as his companion. The young boy next to him will be the third member of the team: his name is Karl, the herbalist" he continued, pointing to Karl, who embarrassed, bowed his head toward the crowd, greeting the Clan warriors.


    Dag approached the three warriors, thinking: "I remember Reidar''s face, he helped me driving out the Fangs Of Jormungandr, killing them one after the other with a bow and arrow. His accuracy is remarkable, just as Egill says. Terje doesn''t look bad either, but his fighting style is perhaps too focused on attack and counterattack, like mine. I don''t think it would be a wise choice to choose him. Then¡­ there''s Runa, the giant Shieldmaiden. I think she would just slow us down. Judging by her sizing, it looks like she walks slowly and gets tired easily".


    He continued to walk back and forth to the three warriors, who watched him closely, impatiently.


    "My Masters, I made my choice" he said, watching Egill and Dargeon, that were waiting for the verdict.


    "Reidar will join my team. I hope the other two hold no grudges against me, I am sure that they all are warriors of equal strength and tenacity" Dag continued, making a slight bow to them, out of respect.


    Rune snorted, drifting away.


    Terje reciprocated the bow, looking at Dag. Then he took a few steps back, going back to the other warriors.


    "I believe that Reidar''s archer skills will come in handy in our journey. I vaguely remember him. We have already fought together to defend the west wing of the Temple during the last attack" Dag replied, looking at his new ally with a smile.


    "Well, you already know each other! So be it, you 3 will be the new delegation of explorers of the Hammers Of Thor!" exclaimed Egill, raising his arm towards Dag, Karl, and Reidar, who approached his new companions and shook their hands.


    The crowd cheered them, raising arms to the sky and shouting their names.


    Dag thanked everyone, while Karl looked down, embarrassed. Reidar smiled in moderation, seemed to have a calm and thoughtful personality.


    Egill and Dargeon looked pleased at Dag and Reidar, proud of them.


    "Let''s drink to our new team, what do you say?" exclaimed Dag, addressing his two teammates.


    "Why not!" Reidar replied, smiling.


    All three made their way to the kitchens of Temple Of Orn, looking for mead.


    Karl kept looking around, marveling at every little detail of the dorm''s corridors.

 104 CIV. The Explanation

    "Dag! Are those the rooms of your Masters?" he asked, pointing to the three doors with the engraved symbols.


    "Yes" said Dag, who looked with melancholy toward Magni''s room.


    "They must be valiant warriors. I''d love to see them fight!" continued Karl.


    "I''m sure there will be other opportunities. For now, we must hope that no one else will try to attack Temple" said Reidar, who remained silent until then.


    "I agree with you" Dag replied, trying to figure out more about him.


    Reidar smiled at him.


    "What a good smell... it seems stew. I think the kitchens are that way" said Karl, who walked along with his sense of smell.


    "Hahaha, yes. Don''t worry, we''re not walking blindly!" chuckled Dag.


    When they entered the kitchen, about ten people moved frantically inside, preparing the dishes for dinner.


    "We''re going to take a bottle of mead, to toast the long journey ahead" Dag said to a woman who walked next to him.


    "Of course. Take one from that table¡­ also, get some vegetable stew! Here you go! " the woman said kindly, distributing dishes full of fragrant hot stew to them.


    After taking the food, the bottle and three glasses of clay, Dag and the other two moved to the circular dorm room, where Thor and the serpent Jormungandr''s large fresco hypnotized Karl, who stood still staring at it.


    "To my new teammates... and our journey! Let the Gods assist us and bring us luck!" said Dag aloud, raising the glass he had just filled with mead.


    "Sk?l!" Karl and Reidar said in chorus, toasting.


    "Dag... Master Egill was talking about an intermediate destination between Mount Torden and Hevnen. What is it?" asked Reidar, sipping the mead and eating the stew.


    "We will go to the village of Tyven. It''s our first destination" Dag said.


    "Tyven? Isn''t it one of those villages on the coast of the Kvete region? What are we going to do?" continued Reidar.


    "You''re right, it''s a legitimate question. Just outside the populated area of that small village, there is a blacksmith, with divine powers. I want to know more about my powers, maybe he will be able to tell me if they belong to this world or not."


    "Are you talking about Vegard?" asked Reidar again.


    Meanwhile, Karl, as he listened, filled the second glass of mead.


    "Do you know him too?" continued Dag.


    "I know the stories that are told about him. My father passed on to me many legends and myths of our lands, I remember him telling me them before I went to sleep" Reidar said, continuing to sip mead.


    "Vegard is not just a legend. He''s real. I''m sure of it... and I know exactly where he is" Dag said, slamming his empty glass on the table.


    "It is said that he can forge any kind of weapon, capable of..."


    "Capable of beating every opponent. I already know this story, my friend" Dag interrupted.


    Reidar marveled at his captain''s response.


    "I already own a weapon forged by him. But it''s not mine, it belonged to someone else, who is no longer in this world" he continued.


    Karl stopped drinking and looked Dag in the eye. Reidar did the same, without saying a word.


    "You need to know that the weapons that Vegard can forge are not mere objects, but are endowed with an internal spirit as if they were human beings. Come with me, I''ll show you... eyes explain better than words".


    As he spoke, Dag rose from the table and invited his two companions to follow him to the library.


    In the corridors, he explained in detail the story of Brann''s axe to his companions, who were astonished by his story, which to their ears seemed impossible.


    When they arrived at the library, they followed Dag to the table.


    He uncovered the axe, which had been covered with a linen sheet.


    "This is the Red Executioner" he said.


    "Unbelievable... Is this the famous Brann''s weapon? I''ve never been lucky enough to meet him, but his fame speaks for him. What you just said about him is absurd, I still can''t believe it" Reidar said, as he looked intently at every detail of the weapon.


    Karl did the same, resting his hand on its rod, wrapped in a leather handle.


    "Look here, in the deer''s eyes. These two little red crystals... they are the result of Soul Fusion with Eirik, which I was just telling you about" Dag continued, pointing to the two rubies embedded in the weapon.


    "I think you should use this weapon, Dag" Reidar said, looking at him with a convinced air.


    "It''s true, brother. It''s a shame not to fight with such a strong weapon. At least Brann''s brother will not have died in vain" Karl added.


    "Yes, I agree with you. I will use the power of this weapon, but for a just cause... there''s only one problem: a double-headed axe of this size doesn''t fit my fighting style and assumes that I stop using Magni''s hammer. I will ask Vegard to amend it, making it smaller, so that I can fight with double weapons, both the hammer and the axe" Dag replied, resting his hand on the hammer hanging from his belt.


    "I think it''s a great idea. I can''t wait to go with you!" said Reidar, clenching his fists.


    Dag smiled: "As Karl and I did before leaving Jernhest, I want you to prepare everything you need to make the journey ahead. Tomorrow morning we will leave at the first light of dawn. Remember, in addition to your weapons and your courage, you also need provisions".


    "On orders, Captain!" continued Reidar, bowing his head and walking away from the library to his room.


    Dag still couldn''t believe he had two warriors in charge. He was in a position of great responsibility: in addition to looking after himself, which he was already able to do, now their lives also depended on his choices. He had to be wise, as his Masters.


    He took the Red Executioner and wrapped it back in the linen towel, tying it firmly to the shoulder bag so he could carry it.

 105 CV. The Wake-up Call

    Before picking it up from the table, he turned and began walking to the library bookshelves.


    He put back in their place the two scrolls that Egill gave him: Shockwave and Hamstring.


    He had already learned those two skills and their respective runes had appeared on his arm, although he had not yet been able to try them in battle.


    Soon after, he walked away from the level 4 scrolls and headed for the Level 5 scrolls section.


    "What are you doing, Dag?" asked Karl, curiously.


    "These scrolls are the Temple of Orn''s greatest treasure. They contain the oldest knowledge of the Clan warriors: scrolls that connect humans with divine powers and allow you to learn very strong skills" Dag explained, trying not to mess up his young friend''s mind.


    "Wow! Now I understand where that skill you used against me came from! You used it during our training at your home!" he continued.


    "One day you too will be able to draw on the knowledge of the Clan you will choose. The choice is up to you" Dag said, smiling.


    Once in front of the bookstores with level 5 scrolls, Dag dragged the ladder to the highest shelves. He was looking for something specific.


    After searching for almost 10 minutes, he finally found what he was looking for: Lightning Strike''s scroll was finally in his hands.


    Right next to it, another scroll caught his eye. Its title was Storm Bolt.


    He also took that and got off the ladder.


    "I will learn the same skills master Magni excelled in, perfecting my fighting style, following his example" thought Dag, determined to quickly learn the two new level 5 scrolls.


    "Dag... it says ''level 5'' up there. Are you sure you''re ready for those skills? I guess the level is proportional to the difficulty... right?" asked Karl, questioning Dag''s level of strength.


    "Let''s say I learn quickly. I''ve already learned some of the lower-level skills, I''m perfecting them over time" he said.


    After taking the Red Executioner, Dag made his way to his room. Karl followed him.


    As they walked down the aisle, Masters Egill and Dargeon popped up.


    "Dag. We were looking for you, we wanted to say goodbye before departure" they said in chorus.


    "Masters... you talk like we don''t have to see each other again. You will see, our journey will not be so long. We will return to the Temple as soon as possible and toast our success. You have my word!" said Dag, enthused, while Karl still had his head down after bowing to greet the Masters.


    Dargeon and Egill looked into each other''s eyes, as a sign of understanding.


    From their eyes, they seemed to be proud that a young and strong warrior like Dag was the clan''s spokesman.


    They shook hands and said goodbye.


    Then, everyone went back to their room.


    "You can sleep here, Karl" Dag said, pointing to the bed next to his, unused by Aslan''s death.


    "All right" Karl replied, avoiding asking for anything else.


    The two young warriors, after about an hour spent chatting, went to bed.


    Dag began to read the two new scrolls, while Karl immediately got to sleep, tired from the long walk.


    Studying the Lightning Strike scroll, Dag realized that although he had never read how to do it, he had used a technique similar to that during the clash against the fangs Of Jormungandr reptilians.


    It was all about breathing: before and during the jump, you had to hold and release air into your lungs in a precise way so that the weapon would load the necessary energy.


    Perhaps being the hammer drenched in Magni''s power, Dag had managed to perform Lightning Strike by bypassing his breathing.


    It was about an hour before Dag began to feel tired.


    He yawned deeply and got out of bed to extinguish the candles that partially lit the dorm room.


    As soon as he laid his head back on the pillow, he fell asleep like a rock.


    ...


    "Hey! Wake up, Dag! Let''s go!"


    Dag turned the other way, covering his face with blankets made of mutton fur.


    "Come on, get up, you sleepyhead! The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there!" continued Karl, shaking Dag''s shoulder, which was still with his eyes closed in bed.


    "Okay... alright... I get up" he said, his voice from sleep.


    After stretching out, he got out of bed, watching Karl, who was already dressed to leave.


    Next to him, there was a lit candle.


    Dag looked out of the small window of the room. It was still dark.


    "Karl, what the fuck. I said ''at dawn'', why did you wake me up already?!" he said, continuing to yawn.


    "Dawn will be in a few minutes, trust me, brother. I''m looking forward to leaving, I can''t wait!" replied Karl.


    Dag got up and got prepared, wearing armor and placing the large axe behind his back, with the same belt system he had used the first time.


    "We can go" Dag said.


    Karl opened the door, regardless of the fact that everyone else in the dorm was still asleep.


    When they arrived in the yard, Reidar was not there yet.


    The sky was beginning to take on lighter shades on the horizon, and the Sun was about to rise.


    Dag approached the stable of horses.


    "Choose one of these" he said, inviting Karl into the barn.


    "Are you kidding? Can I ride one of these majestic creatures? They''re the most beautiful and massive horses I''ve ever seen!" he replied.


    Karl chose a white horse, with a long fur near the hooves.


    Dag untied both horses from the wooden poles, preparing the saddle and bridles.


    Just then, they heard the rooster announcing the dawn with its song.


    Dag turned to the dormitory and Reidar came out the door.


    "Good morning, Captain. Forgive me for the delay" he said, apologizing to Dag.


    "Forget about it... my awakening wasn''t the best" Dag snorted, looking at Karl.


    Reidar burst into laughter.

 106 CVI. The Hawk

    Then he also approached the stable and untied a black and white horse. It was lower and less robust than the others. Looking at his mane, Dag noticed that he was from another race.


    "Why is your horse different?" asked Karl, who could not keep his mouth shut.


    "It''s a gift from my father. He gave it to me when I turned 18. His name is Ace" Reidar replied.


    "Hello, Ace!" said Dag, stroking the horse, who appreciated the gesture, uttering a friendly groan.


    Dag mounted his steed and whispered in his ears: "Forgive me, I hadn''t thought of what name to give you, but now I know... you will be called Aslan".


    The horse moved his head back as if he wanted to be caressed by Dag.


    "Hahaha! Do you like it?" continued Dag.


    "Captain! Yesterday I studied the best route to Tyven. I''m sure you already know the road, but I still brought a map, it could come in handy" Reidar said, riding his horse.


    With a little difficulty, Karl also managed to get on his stallion, whose back was taller than him.


    "You did well, Reidar. Better safe than sorry. My mother explained the road to me, but I never crossed the FossilWood Forest. With your map we won''t get lost" Dag said, slightly hitting the horse''s belly, which began to walk toward the exit.


    The Sun had now risen and illuminated Mount Torden and the mountains adjacent to it, showing the three adventurers a breathtaking view.


    All three of them headed north along a path that circled the mountain, crossing most of the perimeter of the Grey Mountains Chain.


    "Once we get higher, we should see the forest''s fossil trees. We will go down to it as soon as possible" said Dag, who was already getting used to issuing orders.


    After riding for about 5 hours, until the Sun was high on their heads, they found themselves on a narrow path that skirted the mountain, similar to the walkway that led to Magni''s farm.


    "Let''s get off your horse. Along this stretch, it is better to continue slowly. When we get to the other side, we will stop to rest" said Dag, who got off the horse and gripped the bridle tightly.


    After making sure that the axe behind his back was securely tied, he walked down the slippery path. Karl was behind him and Reidar was closing the line.


    "Captain... can I ask you a question?" asked Reidar, to spend time.


    "Of course, tell me" Dag replied.


    "During the onslaught of fangs Of Jormungandr... when you faced those reptilians... how... how did you manage to disintegrate one of them? I remember that with your powers, you smashed his bones. How is that possible?" continued Reidar.


    Dag, continuing to look carefully where he put his feet, replied: "It''s my power. Or rather, the power of the fluid I can condense. I can temporarily absorb the energy of living beings that trap within it".


    "How cool! And what do you feel next? I mean... How do you feel when their powers come into you?" asked Karl, intruding into the conversation.


    "It''s hard to describe. It''s a strange feeling like I''m swallowing my victim. It''s not very pleasant at first, but after a few seconds, I can already feel the benefits of absorbed energy" Dag continued.


    "Did you say ''temporarily''?" continued Karl.


    "Yes. The effect fades after a while. It can be a minute, hours, even days".


    "Is the amount of time to dispose of powers proportional to how powerful is the absorbed energy? If I understand correctly, the bigger and more powerful your victim, the long-lasting the effect... right?" said Karl, with a questioning expression.


    "Yes. How do you know? I don''t remember I ever told you about it" Dag said, turning a moment toward him to look him in the eye.


    "Well, the thing you said made me think. It''s like a hangover, or..." Karl stopped talking immediately, looking forward.


    "Captain! In front of you! Watch out!" shouted Reidar from behind.


    Dag turned quickly: a bird was flying at great speed towards him. It had a wingspan much larger than a crow, it looked like a hawk.


    Dag pulled out the hammer, trying to aim, but during his dive, the bird took an irregular trajectory: hitting it while in flight would have been impossible.


    "Dag! Get down!" shouted Reidar.


    Dag obeyed and knelt, turning his head towards his companions.


    If the hawk had hit him, he would surely have lost his balance and fallen off that very high cliff.


    In less than 10 seconds, he heard the sound of an arrow, accompanied by a screech.


    "Ouch!" shouted Karl.


    Dag immediately got up from the ground, trying to figure out what had happened.


    In front of him, the hawk was on the ground, impaled by an arrow.


    He turned to Karl, who had a hand on his face.


    "What happened!? Are you all right?" he asked.


    Karl took off his hand, showing a cut on his cheek.


    "Excuse me, Karl. I tried to be as precise as possible... I had to aim quickly, or the captain would..."


    "Yes, I know. Don''t worry, it''s nothing I can''t easily heal" Karl interrupted, as Reidar tried to apologize.


    "It''s amazing. He managed to hit a dip hawk from back there. His accuracy is truly staggering!" thought Dag, realizing that Reidar within seconds had pulled out the bow, loaded and fired an arrow that hit the target.


    "Thank you, Reidar" he said, in disbelief at being saved.


    "I just did my duty, Captain" he replied.


    "Rather... why did a hawk attack you? They don''t usually attack so big prey that is still alive. It''s an abnormal behavior" Reidar continued, as he watched the raptor.


    "The distance to get to the other side of this path is short. Move. When we''ll get there, I''ll explain everything" Dag said, putting the hammer in his place and calming Alsan, who had agitated after seeing Reidar''s arrow whizzing next to his face.

 107 CVII. The supposition

    He took a few steps: the hawk was still moving, writhing in pain.


    He grabbed one end of the arrow and lifted the dying bird, carrying it with him.


    Karl and Reidar, meanwhile, looked at Dag without understanding what he was doing.


    Finally, they crossed the narrow path and found themselves on the side of a mountain, covered by a forest of fruit trees.


    "I hear the sound of water. Nearby must be a source of mountain water. Let''s look for it, we''ll stop there" Dag said, riding again.


    "Water? I don''t hear anything!" Karl told Reidar, who remained silent as he followed Dag.


    About 300 yards ahead, Dag stopped and tied the horse to an apple tree. From the adjacent rocks, clear and fresh water gushed, ending up in an indentation among the rocks below.


    "Unbelievable! How did you do that? I can barely hear the sound of water from here!" continued Karl, in disbelief.


    "Give the horses some water and come next to me, I must show you something" Dag said.


    Reidar and Karl executed the order, bringing water to their horses, after tying them next to Aslan.


    "What do you want to show us?" asked Reidar.


    Dag, holding the dead hawk, showed the palm of his hand.


    "What''s that?" said Karl, touching the magenta blood covering Dag''s hand with one finger.


    "I''ve never seen this kind of blood. It looked like a simple hawk, I didn''t think..." continued Reidar, who was speechless.


    "Look at its eyes" Dag said, forcibly opening the raptor''s eye with his fingers.


    Its pupils were of intense purple, as he imagined.


    "What the fuck?!" said Karl, stepping back, shocked by what he had just seen.


    "This hawk did not attack me at will. He was forced to do it" Dag continued, resting the hawk''s body on the ground and washing his hands with spring water.


    "Forced?! Who forced it?!" asked Reidar.


    Dag told his companions how the Xis managed to control the animals and some humans, trying to get him into difficulty. He told them about crows, the undead in the cave, Myr and Hjalmar.


    Karl and Reidar sat by a tree, staring at the lawn, in disbelief.


    "But... If they can control the human mind... how can we know they won''t even take control of our bodies?!" asked Karl, frightened.


    "It doesn''t work like that, they can''t take over human beings so easily. Myr and Hjalmar refused to believe our Gods to worship the Xis. In my opinion, their minds were controlled by the Xis only because they allowed it. The human will is strong, stronger than their technology" Dag said, looking at the hawk.


    "So... If one day we will get crazy or lose hope in what we do... could the Xis control us?! What about our family members?! Does that apply to them?" asked Reidar.


    "No, my friend. I''m convinced the Xis want me. They have no interest in you or your family. That''s why I asked if you were sure to follow me. Being by my side could be your end... no one is safe next to me. If you want to give up, you''re still in time, the Temple Of Orn is not far from here" Dag replied, in a sad expression.


    Reidar got up and walked toward him, resting his hand on his shoulder as he still looked down.


    "You know, Dag... when Master Egill told me about what you did... after being subjected to injustice, you have returned to the Temple, averting the attack of our enemies, during which we would all have lost our lives if it wasn''t for you. A gesture like this, for me, is worth more than a thousand words. I have freely chosen to follow you and I will do so as long as I have the strength. Our lives are short... not to face the dangers of the world, it means living in half. I''m with you, brother" Reidar said, trying to cheer his captain.


    Dag looked up at him.


    "You don''t even have to ask me! I follow you from Jernhest until here, you know you''re like a brother to me. I''ll keep following you to the edges of the world, Captain!" added Karl, rising from the ground and walking next to Dag.


    "Thank you" he said, in a low voice.


    "Save your sweet side for someone who cares, Dag. Before that kind of killer falcon interrupted me, I was trying to tell you something" Karl continued.


    "I''m listening".


    "I was saying... your empowering system works like when you get rid of a hangover. Your body slowly expels alcohol toxins, until the psycho-physical effects it causes on you, fade away. The more mead you drink, the longer the hangover lasts" Karl replied, as Reidar nodded his head.


    "I can''t tell you... I''ve found that I''ve been holding up the alcohol very well lately" Dag said, chuckling.


    "That''s not the point! Let''s take another example: digestion. Is there a difference between a whole wild boar and a vegetable stew? Of course, there is! Digestion of that huge amount of meat takes longer. You said that when you absorb the energy of your enemies, it seems as if you swallow them... right?"


    "Yes, right. I understand what you mean... but I can''t figure out the solution to the problem. How do I make the effect of absorbed energy permanent?" asked Dag.


    "Do you know why if Reidar and I drink so much, we get drunk?" continued Karl, pointing the finger at Reidar, who looked at him without understanding.


    "Reidar and I get drunk because the level of alcohol circulating in our blood increases! I discovered it by reading the Egill almanac, whose first chapters are dedicated to human anatomy and circulatory system".


    "Blood! That''s still the answer!" thought Dag, jostling.


    "How do I increase the concentration of dark power in my blood?" asked Dag, looking into Karl''s eyes, who opened his leather casket.


    "So¡­" he said, pulling a thin silver hose out of the box.

 108 CVIII. Shelter

    "It''s a very advanced healing technique. This kind of needle is used to..."


    "You''re a genius, brother! An injection!" said Dag, hugging Karl.


    Meanwhile, Reidar looked at them with a puzzled air.


    "A... what?! I mean, we could transfer that weird blood into your body, so it can increase its concentration... you with me?" asked Karl.


    "Yes, that''s what "injection" means. We''re going to pick up the magenta blood and put it in my veins, using that thin hollow tube" Dag continued, enthusiastically.


    "A moment, sorry if I intrude! I don''t understand anything about this stuff, but¡­ don''t you think it''s wrong to transfer the blood of a raptor into a human body?" said Reidar, dampening the enthusiasm of Dag, who looked at Karl, looking for answers.


    "Mmmh... let''s do this: for now we only collect the blood of the falcon before it dries completely. We''ll decide next what to do" said Karl, who approached the bird.


    "Perhaps you''re right, Reidar. But I think we can give it a try, with a very small amount. Karl, is there anything you can do to make my blood compatible with that of the falcon?" asked Dag.


    "Yes maybe there is one. But I need to study that blood. I''m sure Egill''s almanac will help me. When we camp for the night, I''ll do that" said Karl, who with a small sharp knife opened the hawk''s chest in two, pouring its magenta blood into two of his glass ampoules, which filled up completely.


    Then he raised one of them to the sun, which was still high in the sky, trying to look better at that strange liquid.


    He said nothing.


    "Now think about healing the wound on your face, Karl. As soon as you''re done, we''re going back on our way. The road to the FossilWood Forest is still very long" Dag said, looking at the small cut on his friend''s cheek.


    After a few minutes, Karl finished medicating the wound, using herbs in the box and collected other wild herbs, walking near the water source.


    "Captain, the horses have rested. We are ready to go" Reidar confirmed.


    "Let''s go, then" Dag said.


    They all mounted on horseback and began riding again along the slope of that mountain, lower than Mount Torden and with less dense vegetation.


    "Look, you can see the forest from up here!" said Reidar, who was slightly higher than the other two, who reached him.


    Looking north, on the horizon, an endless expanse of gray trees stretched for many kilometers. It was a very gloomy landscape: above the forest of fossil trees, even the weather looked different. Large dark clouds were firm and promised nothing good.


    "Let''s move on. We''re going to camp before it gets dark, but we have to get to the mountain after this one. Keep your eyes peeled" said Dag, who kept looking at those menacing clouds.


    On the mountain, however, the situation continued to be all too quiet.


    The Sun was about to set.


    "Captain, I think those clouds are about to move in our direction. It''s going to rain soon" Reidar said, looking up at the sky.


    "You''re right, we need shelter for the night" Dag said.


    After continuing to ride for several miles, they began to smell rain in the air.


    "Dag! I see something over there, among the trees!" said Karl, pointing his finger in that direction.


    "It looks like a farm" Reidar said.


    "Let''s try to get closer, but be careful" Dag confirmed.


    The three adventurers approached a small thatched-roofed house, which stood between two tall beech trees.


    White smoke came out of the fireplace and near the house, there was a small enclosure with two pigs and chickens, pecking on the ground in search of food.


    "It looks like there''s someone inside. We can ask for some hospitality" continued Dag, who surpassed the other two and rode toward the farm entrance.


    From a window, he could see a dim light coming from within.


    Dag got off the horse, holding him by the bridle and knocked at the door.


    Only he, concentrating, could hear voices coming from the other side: "Who will it ever be? Did you hide it well?"


    It was a female voice.


    Karl and Reidar also stopped near Dag after getting off their horses, waiting.


    Dag knocked again and just then, a man opened the door.


    He was an old man, with a gray beard and a bandage on one eye.


    "What do you want?!" the old man asked in a menacing tone.


    "Excuse me, sir. We are three adventurers, we come from the Temple Of Orn and we are headed to the Kvete region. When we realized it was going to rain, we saw your farm. Would you be kind enough to allow us to spend the night here? Tomorrow morning at dawn we will get out of your hair" Dag said, trying to be as kind as possible.


    "Adventurers? Who tells me you''re not murderers?" replied the man, who did not trust him.


    Dag showed the Clan symbol on his leather jacket: "This is the symbol of the Clan. Trust me... we can pay you 1 silver coin".


    As soon as the man heard those words, he completely opened the door.


    "Help these young warriors fix their things and put more wood in the fireplace. I will tie their horses in the fence" he said, addressing someone inside the farm.


    "Alright, dear" said the same female voice Dag had heard just before.


    "Can we really stay here? Thank you!" replied Karl, enthusiastic about the news.


    Reidar said nothing, continuing to look at the old man suspiciously and studying every detail of the farm.


    After entering, Dag and his companions were greeted by an elderly woman, probably the old man''s wife.


    "Sorry about my husband''s manners, but we''re not used to having guests" she said, in a kind voice.


    "Approach the fireplace and warm up your tired bones. I''m going to make a soup" she continued.

 109 CIX. The Hospitality

    Karl looked at Dag, smiling.


    Reidar continued to move with circumspection.


    After all three sat in front of the fireplace, the man returned to the house, his clothes completely wet.


    "You were right, it''s raining. Your horses will stay dry, I''ve fitted a protective tarp that will keep them safe" he said, taking off his hood.


    "We thank you again!" said Dag, who stood up and walked toward him.


    "If you pay, you can stay here as long as you want. From that door you enter the barn, you will sleep there" the old man replied.


    "Yes... yes, of course. We will pay you, as promised" Dag replied.


    He looked around: it looked like a normal farm, stacked on a wall there were many utensils to work the land. The two old ones were definitely peasants.


    Dag sat down again next to his companions, forward to the chimney, when Reidar approached him and whispered in his ear: "Captain, I don''t like the situation. Why do two old folks live so isolated? The nearest village is miles away and I''m sure I haven''t seen any horse or donkey nearby".


    "You''re right, Reidar. I noticed that, too. We''re only going to spend one night here, better not ask too many questions. The old lady seems to be nice" Dag replied.


    Meanwhile, the old woman touched Karl''s shoulder to deliver him a bowl of hot soup.


    Karl thanked her and took the bowl.


    Dag looked towards the kitchen: next to a large pot, there were 5 bowls.


    "If they eat it too, it means it''s not poisoned" he thought, casting a glance at Reidar, who understood without needing explanation.


    The man walked toward them and sat by the chimney.


    "Fast, woman! Before the soup cools down!" he yelled.


    Within minutes, everyone had a portion of soup and sat by the fireplace, on a mat made from straw.


    That was the reason why the man had decided to help them as soon as Dag talked about money: they looked like poor people, a silver coin had immense value for them.


    Dag tried to relax and approached his nose to the soup, which had a great smell of meat and vegetables.


    "I''m sorry, but that''s all we can offer you guys" the lady said, looking up at him with a smile.


    "No, don''t get me wrong! It looks delicious!" replied Dag, trying to hide the embarrassment.


    Karl began to eat greedily, while Dag and Reidar waited for the two elders to eat as well.


    The old man dipped the spoon into the bowl and carried it to his mouth, swallowing the morsel.


    Reidar looked at Dag, who nodded him with his head.


    They too began to eat.


    After finishing dinner, the three adventurers suffered fatigue on their arms and legs.


    "Follow me, I''ll show you where you''re going to sleep tonight" said the old man, struggling to get up from the ground and lighting a torch, which he carried with him.


    Dag and Reidar followed him, while Karl finished eating the second bowl of soup.


    "Why is the barn locked?" asked Reidar, as the old man pulled a rusty key out of his pocket.


    "Many years ago I was a wild boar farmer. They are mighty beasts, in fact, several times they broke free from the barn, causing me considerable economic damage. Now my bones are too fragile, I no longer have the strength..." answered the man.


    His story seemed convincing and Dag and Reidar believed his version.


    Karl got up from the ground and followed them.


    "Here. I think it''s big enough for all three of us" the old man continued, showing them the inside of the barn.


    It was a small dilapidated room, which gave off a bad smell of cattle feces.


    The light of the torch barely illuminated the straw on the floor.


    "Ohw¡­ it stinks in here!" exclaimed Karl, clasping his nose.


    "All right, there''s more than enough space, thank you" Dag said, pulling a silver coin from a purse he had in his pocket.


    The old man snatched it from his hands greedily, handing him the torch.


    "I wish you a good night, adventurers!" he said, staring at the coin he had in his hands to check if it was real silver.


    Without even looking Dag in the face, he walked away, returning to his wife.


    Dag and the others entered the barn and he hung the torch on the wall, tucking it into an iron ring.


    Karl closed the door, for some privacy.


    "What''s going on, guys? I noticed you were looking suspicious before" he asked, looking at Dag and Reidar.


    "There''s something wrong here. I don''t want to be pessimistic, but I think these old people are hiding something" Reidar said, resting his hands on one of the barn walls, trying to figure out if he could trust the situation.


    "Before the old man came to open the door, I heard the woman say something to him in a low voice. She asked her husband if he had hidden I don''t know what" Dag said, thoughtfully.


    "What?! And why did we come in anyway? We should stay up tonight, in shifts. I don''t trust them" Reidar continued.


    "Hey, relax brother! They''re two poor grandparents, they''re hosting us just because we paid for it!" said Karl, touching Reidar''s shoulder, which moved her abruptly.


    "Alright, let''s do this. I will start, I''m going to stay awake first. Now rest, try to regain your strength" Dag said to his comrades.


    In about ten minutes, all three piled straw on the ground, preparing bedding for sleep.


    Reidar and Karl lay down, while Dag sat, looking at the torch-lit door.


    In no time, Karl began snoring and Reidar fell asleep, too.


    Dag continued to stare at the door. Then he looked around.


    The barn had no windows: near the ceiling, there was a hole in the wall, which was the only connection with the outside.


    About two hours passed when Dag''s eyes began to close.

 110 CX. Thurs

    Before his head could fall to the ground, Reidar touched his shoulder: "I''ll take your place, captain. You rest".


    "Thank you, Reidar. It looks like they went to sleep on the other side of the door too, the lights are off" Dag said, lying down.


    As he watched Reidar sit by the door, Dag closed his eyes asleep.


    ...


    "Mh..."


    ...


    *crack*


    "Uhm?!"


    Turning the other way, Dag crushed something with his arm.


    He began to move the straw from the ground, digging.


    "Wake up! Wake up now!" he said aloud, instantly recovering from his sleep.


    Reidar had fallen asleep with his head resting at the door and leaped from fright.


    "What... what happened?" he exclaimed.


    Karl also woke up, sitting with his eyes still closed.


    "Dag... you complain when I wake you up early in the morning... but then you wake me up late at night" he said, yawning.


    Dag pulled something out of the straw: it was a human skull, which had been partially shattered by his arm.


    "What is that?!" continued Karl, who crawled back until his hand also crushed something hidden in the straw.


    "What the fuck! What the fuuuck!" he yelled when he noticed that human bones were also near his bed.


    Reidar got up from the ground immediately and tried to open the door, pulling forcefully.


    "It''s locked!" he exclaimed, turning to Dag, who had his eyes closed.


    "Captain! I said the door is locked! It looks very durable, which means we''re stuck in here!" he continued, approaching Dag.


    "Silence! Wait a moment" he said, trying to silence his panicked comrades.


    With his eyes closed, he focused on the sounds: the hole at the top of the barn wall allowed him to easily hear noises coming from outside.


    In the distance, horses were approaching the farm.


    Dag opened his eyes and moved towards the locked door.


    Slowly, a rune appeared engraved on its thick wood.


    "This rune... should be ''Thurs'' the rune of protection. Only a skilled shaman would be able to impress it" said Reidar, who touched the newly engraved wood with his hand.


    "The old man. I should have used Niva on him... Maybe I would have recognized his magical powers" Dag said, as he tried to come up with a plan.


    "Thurs? What does that mean? How do we get out of here?!" asked Karl, after getting up from the ground and shrugging off the straw.


    "Only killing the shaman who summoned it can make the rune disappear... or he should be the one to break the seal himself" Reidar continued.


    "I have already been in such a situation once, but I had neither my weapons nor my powers. We''re going to get out of here. Men on horseback are approaching" Dag replied.


    "How the fuck do you know, Dag? You will explain to me where this powerful hearing of yours comes from... if we can get out of here alive" Karl said, as he looked around in a panic.


    Dag approached the door, resting an ear on it.


    "Are you sure they won''t be able to break free? The guy with the hammer looked like a very strong warrior..."


    "Shut up, woman! I''ve sent the signal, Kenneth''s on his way... the important thing is that I managed to keep this hidden".


    As he listened to voices coming from the other room, after these words, Dag felt a strange sensation coming from his chest.


    "What is this sound?" asked Reidar.


    Dag walked away from the door and put his hand under his jacket, pulling out his necklace: the Bjelke Sphere was vibrating.


    Karl and Reidar looked at him without understanding.


    "I''ll explain to you later. The old man has one of the ten emblems, certainly of a higher rank than mine" he said, tucking the necklace under his jacket again, and pulling his pendant out of his pocket so his friends could see it.


    As soon as they saw the horseshoe-shaped necklace, they opened their eyes wide, in disbelief.


    "Reidar, the effectiveness of the rune is equal to the magical force of the shaman who created it, right?" asked Dag, pulling out the hammer.


    "Y... yes. In theory..."


    Before Reidar could finish the sentence, Dag''s hammer began to emit blue sparks, which, joining with the gas released from his arms, turned purple.


    "Step aside" he said, standing in front of the door.


    Reidar moved, positioning himself next to Karl, just behind Dag.


    After loading the shot, Dag hit the door powerfully, which bent and began to shatter.


    "Unbelievable!" Karl whispered, watching the scene.


    When he hit the door again, Dag screamed and the impact of the hammer triggered an explosion of lightning bolts, emitting the sound of thunder.


    The door was swept away, flying meters away into the other room. Along with it, a piece of the barn wall also broke away and fell apart.


    "Aaagh! How... how the fuck did you do that?!" the old man shouted when he saw Dag and his companions poking out of the smoke of the rubble.


    "Give me the emblem, old man" he said, as his hammer continued to release electricity.


    "What? I don''t know what you''re talking about!" he replied, backing down to his wife.


    "You know what I''m talking about. Hand me the emblem and I will not harm you, your wife and your son, Kenneth" Dag continued, walking slowly toward him.


    "How do you know about our son?!" the woman asked, as she hugged her frightened husband.


    "My goodness... who are you?!" said the old man, who began to tremble, looking at Dag.


    "Do as he says and no one will get hurt" Karl exclaimed, according to the game.


    Dag stopped and turned to the front door.


    "They''re here" he said.


    The sound of horse hooves in the muddy ground was gone: men were sneaking closer to the farm.


    He waved his hand at Reidar, who positioned himself near the only window of the farm, while Karl went behind the front door.

 111 CXI. The Green Warrior

    "The emblem... does it belong to you, old man?" asked Dag.


    "It''s my son''s. He will kill you and your friends" he replied, in a menacing tone.


    Dag turned to the door.


    Reidar, within seconds, after quietly opening the window, drew his bow and charged an arrow.


    After shooting, someone from outside screamed in pain.


    He hit one of the targets.


    "There were three armed men, Captain... now two of them" he said, crouching under the windowsill, to hide.


    "Now it''s your turn, Karl" Dag said.


    Karl nodded his head, confirming Dag''s order and taking a serious attitude.


    He stepped back, when a man in armor burst through the front door, screaming.


    As soon as the door opened, Karl with a shield shot, violently hit the assailant on the head, knocking him to the ground, unconscious.


    "Less than two!" said Karl, looking at Dag for his approval.


    Dag smiled at both of his companions and walked outward.


    "Keep an eye on the two old ones. Make sure they don''t go anywhere" Dag said, in a serious tone.


    Reidar pointed the bow at them, that knelt on the ground, motionless.


    Karl stood in front of the door, looking at both Dag and the two prisoners.


    From behind the fence, among the vegetation, a young man wearing green armor sprang up.


    He wielded a long sword and walked toward Dag, dragging it to the ground.


    Dag untied the straps that held Brann''s axe on his back and placed the Red Executioner next to Karl, who grabbed it.


    The enemy kept walking at the edge of the pig fence.


    He was wearing a green metal helmet with two small horns on the sides.


    "Kenneth, right?" said Dag, in a defiant tone.


    The young man looked at him with an expression of anger.


    Before Dag could speak again, Kenneth charged towards him, trying to hit him with the sword.


    Dag deftly dodged the shot, moving to one side and stepped back.


    "Hello to you too, Kenneth. Don''t worry, your parents are fine" Dag said.


    "Who the fuck are you?!" he asked.


    "My name is Dag, of the Hammers Of Thor Clan. I know about your emblem, I propose a formal challenge. The winner will take the emblem" Dag continued, showing Kenneth his own necklace.


    "Mh... that emblem is worthless. Mine is the bronze eye, the n¡ã 8 emblem" he replied, in a tone of superiority.


    Dag marveled at what his opponent had just said: he had managed to get straight to the eighth emblem, skipping the n¡ã 9.


    He pointed the hammer at him.


    "Do you accept the challenge?" replied Dag.


    "I have no choice, you slimy bastard! You''ve got my parents hostage. I will reduce you to mush and give your miserable necklace to a dear friend of mine. I, Kenneth, warrior of the Grey Mountains, challenge you for the emblem" he replied, formally ushering in the challenge.


    After he had finished speaking, he charged back to Dag, waving his sword at him, who repeatedly dodged his blows.


    Kenneth stepped back and uttered a scream: he tried again to hit Dag, but this time his sword became rock and stretched for several meters.


    Dag, not expecting such power, raised his hammer to parry the blow.


    On impact between the two weapons, a loud roar moved the leaves of the vegetation behind them and the animals in the fence began to run in fear.


    Dag sprang backward, while Kenneth laid the great stone blade of his sword on his shoulder.


    "You''re strong!" said Dag, astonished.


    Kenneth looked at him angrily, annoyed by his irreverence.


    He raised his sword up to the sky: the new blade was about 5 meters high, its range had almost tripled.


    Meanwhile, Dag stood still, waiting for Kenneth''s attack. On his arms, the black liquid began to flow, which slid up to the hammer.


    Kenneth released the sword, dropping it towards Dag, who quickly dodged and charged towards him.


    Before Kenneth could move his weapon again, Dag hit him in the chest with the hammer, unleashing purple lightning bolts, which for a few moments enveloped the body of his enemy, who left the hilt of the sword and flew for a few meters before falling to the ground.


    "You''re too slow" Dag continued, approaching Kenneth and reaching out his hand toward him to help him get up.


    Kenneth slapped Dag''s hand, angrily driving him away.


    "How dare you provoke me?!" he yelled.


    Dag returned to the combat position.


    Kenneth charged with his bare hands towards him, trying to hit him with a direct punch, which Dag dodged by lowering himself.


    The fist was followed by a kick and then another punch.


    Dag blocked the shot with the palm of his hand, activating Adamant Mountain.


    When the fist hit the target, Kenneth''s body stiffened and his joints froze.


    Dag advanced toward him, using Hamstring: around his hammer, an air current granted it sharp power.


    He lowered himself toward Kenneth''s legs and hit his knee, tearing his tendon.


    "Aaagh!" he yelled, kneeling, still paralyzed.


    "Give up. I don''t want to kill you in front of your parents. Give me your emblem and I will leave you mine" Dag said, walking slowly around his opponent.


    "Don''t say... nonsense... you will never beat me" Kenneth said, rising from the ground with one leg.


    Dag looked at him. He didn''t seem intent on surrendering.


    Kenneth clenched his fists and the earth under his feet began to tremble.


    The ground rose to his feet, reaching his ankles and legs: within seconds his entire body was covered with earth.


    Dag stepped back, looking at the sword of rock, which was still on the ground.


    Without wasting any more time, he also clenched his fists and activated Call Of The Berserkr: his muscles swelled and his heart began to pump much more blood to his organs.


    When the earth slipped away from Kenneth, everyone looked at him in amazement: his body had become stone. His hamstring seemed to have regenerated.

 112 CXII. The Rocky Face

    Dag looked at him angrily, puffing like a bull.


    After the transformation, Kenneth nodded his hand at Dag, challenging him.


    This time it was he who charged first: after loading the blow, he tried to hit the enemy in the face, but Kenneth grabbed the hammer''s head with his stone hand, blocking the blow with extreme ease.


    Then, with a quick gesture, he threw away Dag and his hammer, which flew for several meters.


    "Dag!" yelled Karl, who had just witnessed the scene.


    Dag rose from the ground, covered in small wounds.


    "His body is now impenetrable. Not even a loaded blow from Magni''s hammer could scratch him... I have to come up with something!" thought Dag, who began to fear his opponent.


    Kenneth walked towards him. At every step of the way, the ground beneath his feet vibrated because of his weight.


    "My power comes from these same mountains. You''re never going to beat me here. Now I will slowly kill you, to avenge my men, killed by your allies" Kenneth said, his voice much deeper than his human voice.


    Even his eyes had become stone, Dag could not even understand where he was looking, because his pupils were not visible.


    After looking around, Dag saw a rock face not far from the farm and moved in that direction.


    In the meantime, Kenneth could have picked up his sword from the ground, but he merely followed Dag, intending to kill him.


    With the rocks behind him, Dag stopped to wait for his opponent, trying to study his weaknesses.


    He had to be able to beat him, without drinking magenta blood, with his only powers.


    With his arm stretched down, he opened his palm upwards.


    The newly condensed fluid, instead of descending towards the hammer, rose toward his shoulders, covering his arms and chest in full.


    His skin began to absorb the fluid, taking on an uneven grayish color, with streaks in the parts that had absorbed the most.


    Dag felt his power increase further: the effects of Call Of The Berserkr had added to his dark powers.


    Kenneth came before him and tried to punch him with a direct punch.


    Being the shot slow, Dag quickly dodged by turning on himself and positioning behind him.


    Soon after Kenneth turned to him, he violently struck him in the face with the hammer, causing him to back down.


    Kenneth took a few more seconds to regain his balance, and in the meantime Dag hit him again in the face, causing his enemy''s shoulders to touch the rock face.


    He hit the wall with his back and shards of rock fell from the highest point of the wall.


    The speed and power of Dag''s shots had increased compared to a few seconds earlier, surprising his opponent''s defense.


    Dag loaded a hammer blow and violently struck Kenneth in the middle of the stone chest, sticking him against the wall.


    After the blow, he left the hammerhead on the enemy''s chest: putting pressure on that point, the black liquid leaked from the hammer''s head, in greater quantities than usual.


    Dag continued to push, screaming, and the fluid wrapped Kenneth''s chest and arms, then entered the wall.


    Within seconds, the Grey Mountain warrior was immobilized by the two black arms coming out of the hammer''s head, which continued to put pressure on his chest.


    Dag left his weapon, which remained stationary in that position.


    "Grrr, leave me!" cried Kenneth, squirming.


    The hammer stood still as if it were part of the rock face.


    "Your incredible strength will not be enough to break the chemical bonds of the fluid that keeps you trapped. Give up" Dag said, looking down.


    Kenneth screamed from the effort and Dag heard a strange noise coming from the fluid as if it was tearing itself apart.


    He looked up at Kenneth: his right eye had turned purple, and the gray streaks on his body went up to his neck, coming under his chin.


    Dag clenched his fists, which immediately turned full black. It was as if the fluid had strengthened his hands, which were now as hard as steel.


    Caught in sudden anger, he violently punched Kenneth in the face: on impact, his head hit the wall, shattering his surface.


    Dag continued to punch him in the face until he noticed that the rocky appearance of his opponent''s skin was beginning to fade.


    He was slowly running out of energy and had stopped squirming.


    "I warned you!" yelled Dag, in his face.


    Then he looked at his hands, still as black as obsidian.


    He could have ripped the necklace from Kenneth''s neck and earned the emblem.


    But he felt that was not enough: he had to satisfy his desire for blood, an irrepressible desire for violence burned violently inside his chest.


    He struck his helpless opponent again, who, having returned to his human form, spat blood.


    He grabbed the handle of the hammer embedded in his chest and began to press against the rock face.


    Kenneth spat more blood, then looked into Dag''s eyes.


    "You won... the emblem is yours" he whispered, breathless in his lungs.


    Dag continued to push the hammer, hearing the sound of Kenneth''s ribs slowly shattering.


    "Aaagh! Aaagh!" he yelled, vomiting thick blood, probably coming from his internal organs.


    "Don''t... don''t kill me... please!" he said to Dag, his eyes closed and an expression of pain on his face, covered by blood as his body.


    Dag wanted to stop, but he felt his muscle strength increase again and his arm continued to push relentlessly.


    Almost without realizing it, after a few seconds, the head of the hammer touched the rock, piercing Kenneth''s chest.


    His rib cage was shattered into a thousand pieces and his organs came out of the huge wound in the middle of his chest.


    His head fell down, by force of gravity.


    Dag''s left eye began to tear.


    The black fluid immediately returned to the hammer''s head, releasing Kenneth''s body, nailed to the wall.

 113 CXIII. The Consolation

    Dag pulled the hammer towards him that tore away the innards of the enemy warrior, which exploded into a river of blood.


    Making a lousy noise, Kenneth slipped down, leaving a blood print on the wall.


    When he touched the ground, his head moved slightly to emit one last burst of nerves before he died.


    Dag dropped the hammer to the ground.


    His body returned to its original color, while the black liquid redistributed and was absorbed into the arms.


    He looked at Kenneth''s dismembered body, then turned to the farm.


    Karl and Reidar were watching him and witnessing the whole scene.


    Dag knelt down, desperate.


    Tears also began to flow from his right eye, which returned to its original color.


    "Why... why couldn''t I stop?!" he thought, looking back at his hands, they too in their normal color.


    Karl and Reidar looked at their Captain, terrified.


    "Nooo! My son!" the woman yelled, making her way between the two warriors and running desperately towards the corpse.


    Behind her, the old man stood at the edge of the door, his eyes lost in the void.


    The old woman bent over to what was left of her son''s body, crying like a wild thing.


    "Why?! Why did you kill him brutally?! You''re a monster!" he yelled at Dag, who was still with tears in his eyes.


    Dag did not turn to her and closed his eyes.


    He was deeply wounded: his body had prevailed over his brain and although he wanted to stop before killing Kenneth, he failed.


    As he listened to the woman''s weeping of despair, Dag knelt in the same position for a few minutes, until he felt a hand on his shoulder.


    He opened his eyes and saw Reidar next to him, handing him the necklace with the bronze eye.


    "This is yours, Captain. Now get up" he said in a cold tone, looking forward.


    Dag got up and rested on his companion''s shoulder, walking to the farm.


    Karl kept staring at him, while the old man went to his wife, to comfort her.


    Without saying a word, Dag picked up the Red Executioner from the ground, tying it behind his back and heading toward his horse.


    Reidar nodded his hand at Karl, who seemed paralyzed.


    "We can''t stay here, we have to leave" the archer said, as the Sun began to rise in the sky, illuminating the forest around them.


    With his armor, hammer, and arms still covered in blood, Dag climbed the horse, soiling his patchy hair after resting his hand on it.


    He began to ride, moving away from the farm, and his companions followed him.


    When they were far enough away to no longer hear the woman''s screams, Dag stopped and got off the horse, lying on the ground.


    Reidar grabbed Aslan''s bridle, to prevent him from escaping.


    "Captain! Are you all right?!" he said, trying to figure out if Dag had fainted.


    But Dag''s eyes were open and pointed to the sky.


    "What have I done..." said softly.


    His companions stopped beside him, after tying the horses.


    "I''ve never seen you hit someone so violently" Karl said.


    Reidar remained silent.


    "I let the black fluid expand at will within me. My strength grew out of proportion, I felt I could lift a whole mountain" Dag said, continuing to stare at the sky.


    Karl and Reidar remained silent.


    "It was a feeling of omnipotence... but it wasn''t just that. I could no longer control myself, I felt a desire for blood and violence boiling in my blood. For a few seconds it wasn''t me who was in control of my body" he continued.


    "Then you must continue to practice! I''m sure you''ll soon be able to fully control your powers, preventing them from taking control!" said Karl, approaching Dag and trying to lift his spirits.


    He held out a hand towards him, to help him get up from the ground.


    Dag got up with Karl''s help.


    "I didn''t want to kill him... his parents were there... and they witnessed their son''s death" Dag said, whining.


    "I''m sure he would have done the same to you" said Reidar, who was close to the horses.


    Dag turned to him, looking at him with sorry eyes.


    "If he could beat you in the fight, he would have killed you, I''m sure. He had also stated it before he started... I don''t understand why you seem sorry now, Captain" he continued.


    Dag walked up to him and said: "This is not the first time I''ve killed someone. He had one of the emblems and I was stronger than him... I''ve earned it. But losing control of your actions... it''s the worst thing that can happen!"


    Reidar looked down, understanding Dag''s feeling.


    "You must use your powers, as you said. Maybe increasing the concentration of magenta blood in your body will help you maintain control. It was a scary scene, but I assure you, I could sense your power from a distance, Dag. I''m going to study a method, I''ll be able to figure out how to help you¡­ this is a promise" Karl said, convinced of his thesis.


    Dag calmed down and took a water bag, pouring some water to wash the blood out of his hands.


    "We had a little rest tonight, but we must set out on our journey. Other days of walking await us" he said.


    His companions nodded.


    ...


    Meanwhile, near the farm, the two old people were still bent over the lifeless body of their son Kenneth.


    Suddenly, they stopped crying.


    They rose to their feet, looking in the direction in which Dag and his companions had strayed as if nothing mattered to their only son''s corpse.


    Both the old woman and her husband stood motionless looking towards the forest.


    Their eyes were of an intense purple.


    ...


    "As we continue in this direction, we should arrive at FossilWood Forest just before sunset" Reidar said, looking at the map while riding.


    "All right. Lead the way, Reidar" Dag said.

 114 CXIV. The Option

    Reidar advanced, positioning himself ahead of his team-mates.


    Karl approached Dag''s horse by the side. He was evidently troubled by what had happened.


    "Hey, Dag! I remember as if it were yesterday when you told me you were going to be King of all Vikings. Look at you now... you have the n¡ã 8 emblem! Isn''t that great? If you continue at this pace, your dream may soon come true!" he said, smiling at Dag.


    Dag reciprocated the kind words with a forced smile: "Don''t you think it''s strange that I managed to get two emblems in just over a month? When we trained in the Jernhest Arena, Taya told us many times that getting the emblems was a long and difficult task, even for the greatest warriors".


    "Well... but Taya has never seen you smashing the chest of one of Skjold''s strongest warriors with a magic hammer! Hahahah!" chuckled Karl, pleased with the power of his Captain and drawing a sincere smile from him.


    "Since I was a child, I have done nothing but suffer misfortunes in my life... Maybe I can be lucky too?" asked Dag.


    "Fortunes, sooner or later, happen to everybody. Imagine the faces of the members of the other Clans, when you''ll propose to join us, showing the emblem n¡ã 8. You will be a feared and loved leader at the same time!" said Reidar, turning his head back.


    After those words, Dag thought of Brann: "He had the n¡ã 6 emblem, not much more prestigious than my current one. But on one thing, maybe he was right... you can''t conquer the strongest emblems with good manners. You have to fight mercilessly, never losing sight of your goals."


    "You''re right, boys. What happened on that farm was a great fortune!" he said.


    "And the soup wasn''t so bad!" exclaimed Karl, prompting laughter from his friends.


    The three adventurers continued their journey to Tyven.


    When they passed yet another mountain, the FossilWood Forest was finally visible.


    "Have you noticed that the Sun sets more slowly? I think spring is approaching" Dag said, watching the sunset on the horizon.


    "You''re right, Captain. I noticed that too" Reidar said.


    Dag rode forward to his companions, making his way.


    "That way! I can see a path. If we are lucky, we will be able to get down from the Mountain and enter the Forest" he exclaimed, pointing his finger in front of him.


    Karl, as he rode, was flipping through the almanac.


    "Dag, the book says that a ''transfusion'' will not make the union of the two types of blood definitive. By injecting the blood of the hawk into your veins, you would prolong the effect of your powers, but after a few days, they would vanish because your body would slowly regenerate your own blood, which would replace the stranger one" Karl said, his gaze fixed on the almanac.


    "Then it was just like Reidar said" sighed Dag, looking at his companions.


    "Wait. We must not lose hope. I''m confident we''ll find a way" Karl continued, trying to focus.


    After about ten minutes of intense reading, he exclaimed: "There is a flower... whose seed can insulate the liquid part of the blood from its energetic part".


    "I think it refers to blood plasma and red blood cells..." said Dag, who approached Karl, leaving the command to Reidar.


    "Red blood cells? What are you talking about?" asked Karl.


    "Nothing. Keep reading" Dag replied.


    "Then... this flower is derived from a plant that grows in some swampy areas. The almanac says that leaving its seeds soaked in blood, the separation of the two parts takes about 12 hours".


    "I don''t know what''s your point" Dag continued, as he spied on the almanac that Karl kept open on his horse''s back.


    "If I can separate the energy part of the hawk''s blood, which should be the one that gives the magenta color to his blood, maybe I can add it to yours! I mean... picking up your blood, we can mix it with what we get after the chemical reaction of the flower and then we can inject it back into your veins! It should work!" said Karl enthusiastically.


    Dag was astonished.


    "I didn''t think you were that smart, bro!" he chuckled.


    "Hahahah! Don''t be an idiot! I''m serious! If my idea will work, you could permanently amplify your powers!" continued Karl.


    "What''s the name of this plant?" asked Dag.


    "It is called ''Crimson Tooth'' because of its red color and the sharp shape of its petals and leaves. There''s also a map showing the places where it''s already been found" Karl continued, showing Dag the almanac.


    "But... they are far away from where we are now! These regions are much further north than Kvete!" he replied, scratching his head.


    "Yes, I see..." Karl replied.


    "The forest in which we are headed has never been fully explored. The stories tell that the only people who have strayed from the main path, have disappeared and have never been found. It says the flower needs swampy areas to grow, right?" interrupted Reidar.


    "Yes. Apparently, it gets nourishment from sludge rich in organic material, typical of marshes and swamps. What do you mean, Reidar? I understood that the FossilWood forest was an expanse of dry trees and arid soil... It can''t be a swamp in a place like this, it''s impossible!" said Karl, objecting to Reidar''s thesis.


    "It may be. Having not been fully explored because of the great dangers, no one really knows if there are swampy areas. We could try!" exclaimed Dag, caught in a sudden wave of optimism.


    "Hahaha! Well! That''s the stuff, Captain!" chuckled Reidar.


    "Bu¡­ did you totally lose your mind? We''re about to enter one of the most dangerous places in the nation, which hasn''t all been explored yet... and what do we do? Are we going for a walk in search of a flower?!" shouted Karl, in a frightened tone.


    "Are we explorers or not? I am sure there are no dangers we cannot overcome together! We will delay our arrival in Tyven by a single day, dedicating ourselves to the search for the Crimson Tooth. If we don''t find it in that time frame, we will continue on our way" Dag continued, smiling at Karl.

 115 CXV. The Arid Soil

    "Damn!" snorted Karl, frightened at the mere thought of spending longer in the forest than necessary.


    "It seems to be a good plan, Captain. Also, we could write down what we''ll find in the unexplored part of the forest, so we can update the maps, which will forever carry our name!" replied Reidar, who moved to the side, to make Dag through.


    "Reidar, besides being a surefire archer also seems to be very clever. So far, his advice and observations have always been helpful" Dag thought, reflecting on Reidar''s words since they left the Temple Of Orn.


    "I had to keep my mouth shut..." whispered Karl from the back.


    "You''re wrong, brother. I think you had a brilliant idea. If your plan works, I promise I''ll tell everyone about your skills as a chemist!" replied Dag, trying to encourage his friend, who closed the almanac and snorted, surrendering to the idea of having to follow his Captain''s orders.


    After about an hour, Dag and his companions found themselves at a crossroads, where a sign indicated the possible directions: on the right, the path led to the Sjonir region; on the left, a long, steep descent led to the FossilWood Forest.


    "That writing doesn''t suggest anything good..." Karl stammered, noting that the wooden plaque on which ''FossilWood Forest'' was written had been half-destroyed.


    Someone had tried to delete the indication, perhaps to confuse those who, like them, had never visited those areas.


    "My mother Asa, she told me terrifying stories about that place. She told me that the animals that populate the forest are connected to its magical source and that they undergo genetic mutations, taking humanoid forms" Dag said, trying to remember his mother''s exact words.


    Reidar and Karl stood behind him, standing still listening.


    "We will camp as soon as the Sun has set completely and the darkness falls" Dag continued, looking at the frightened faces of his companions.


    At the crossroad, they turned left and continued down the path.


    They rode for less than an hour, when the road became rough and the ground too uneven to allow the horses to carry them in the saddle.


    "Let''s get off the horses and walk on for now" Dag said.


    After getting off the horse, the three friends continued to descend to the forest, pulling their steeds from the bridles.


    The sound of birds, which until shortly before sang in the forest, disappeared. They were replaced by the breath of the wind, which whistled as it entered the narrow crevices of the rocky trunks of the fossil trees.


    The steep descent gradually lost its tilt and the ground returned to being flat.


    Dag, before riding back, looked down under his feet.


    Although it began to get dark, it was enough to tread the ground to estimate its aridity and little resistance to weight.


    "Get back on horseback, but slowly" the Captain continued.


    "I have also noticed that the soil is very fragile... but I think it can bear the weight of our horses" Reidar said, just behind Dag.


    Dag nodded, looking around: as soon as they entered the forest, a multitude of towering trees stood before them.


    Their branches, more than 15 meters high, crossed and joined together, forming a real rocky ceiling, as if they wanted to keep hidden what was beneath them.


    "It feels like we''re in a huge cave!" exclaimed Karl, noting that the dim afternoon light was totally absent under the trees.


    "Let''s light torches. We''ll walk a little bit more and then we''ll camp for the night" said Dag, who began to feel restless.


    They lit a torch head and continued to ride along the path, which deepened deeper and deeper into the darkness.


    After a few minutes, a huge tree barred their way.


    "But... but that doesn''t make sense! Where''s the trail?!" asked Karl.


    Dag turned around the tree, trying to figure it out.


    "The path interrupts here" he said.


    "What does that mean? We entered the forest just a few minutes ago!" continued Karl, in disbelief.


    "I know, Karl. I''m as amazed as you are, but unfortunately with this darkness, it''s impossible to spot the north. We''re going to camp here, so tomorrow morning we''ll be able to get our bearings" Dag replied, looking up, completely covered by tree branches.


    "There''s too much silence here, Captain. We have to be careful" said Reidar, who got off his horse and approached Dag.


    "We tie the horses this way, near this bush" Dag continued, pointing to a safe place to leave the horses.


    After giving them food and drink, Dag and his companions lit a small fire and sat around it.


    After finishing eating, Karl began reading Egill''s almanac again, still trying to find the solution to Dag''s problem.


    Reidar got up and approached one of the trees, curious.


    He tapped the surface of the trunk with his hand: "It''s amazing. Looking at it, it looks like a normal tree, but it''s actually made of stone".


    He pulled a dagger out of his belt and shoved its blade into a slot, trying to break the trunk to figure out what was inside.


    By force, he managed to break the bark, revealing large purple and white crystals grown on the inner walls of the hollow trunk.


    "What the fuck..." Reidar said again, continuing to dig into the tree.


    Dag approached, witnessing the discovery of his companion.


    "That is amethyst. This is quartz" he said, pointing to Reidar first with the purple crystals and then the white crystals.


    "And how they grew up in here?" asked Reidar, also attracting Karl''s attention, who raised his head towards them.


    "If I remember correctly from my geology lessons... over time, the organic substance inside the wood has been replaced with these minerals, which have grown inside the tree, keeping its outer appearance unchanged" Dag said, as he touched the amethyst crystals.


    "The formation of minerals so large and well developed, it has taken thousands of years, maybe millions... don''t you think it''s weird?" he continued.

 116 CXVI. The Locus

    "Weird? Why should it be weird, you just explained to us the scientific nature of this phenomenon" Karl said, approaching Dag, to observe the inside of the trunk up close.


    "Karl... on this planet, millions of years ago there was not even an atmosphere. How could grow trees?!" asked Dag, arousing puzzlement in his companions.


    "Do you think the Xis have anything to do with this place too?" said Reidar, trying to figure out what his captain was thinking.


    "I can''t be sure. In any case, the magic source of this forest is very strong, I can feel it on my skin" concluded Dag, who returned to sit by the fire, to warm up from the cold of the night.


    "I propose to do the rounds again tonight" Reidar said.


    "All right, but this time you start. I slept very little on the farm, I need to regain my strength" Dag continued, after resting the Red Executioner next to him, so he could lie on the ground, with his leather bag under his head.


    "Of course, Captain. No problem, I''ll start" confirmed Reidar, who sat by the fire while Karl also went to sleep.


    A little less than three hours passed, when Reidar woke Karl, to ask for the change.


    "I''m exhausted, Karl. Take my place, let me sleep a little bit" he said.


    "Yes, it''s my turn" Karl whispered, yawning and sitting in Reidar''s position, lying on the ground and falling asleep within minutes.


    After several minutes, Karl stood up to stretch his bones and avoid falling asleep again.


    He walked a few feet away and when he was near a tree far enough away, he untied his pants, intending to urinate.


    As he continued to yawn, he turned slightly to one side.


    A large insect flew towards him, after being hit by a jet of urine.


    "Aagh!" said Karl in a low voice, trying to hold back a scream.


    He dodged the insect, which landed on the path.


    Karl turned to his companions to check that they were still asleep.


    "Where did you come out of? You''re the first animal we''ve met since we''ve been in here" he whispered toward the locust as if it could understand his words.


    Then he made his way to the fire, sitting next to Dag and Reidar and continued to look at the insect, stationary on the ground.


    Its antennae moved sinuously and one of its little black eyes was pointed at the fire.


    Karl opened the almanac, to kill time.


    The locust, after standing still watching, opened its wings and flew back to the tree where it rested before being disturbed.


    Karl raised his head, watching the insect move away.


    A few seconds passed when he heard again the sound of the locust''s wings approaching him.


    This time it wasn''t just one bug, they were two.


    Karl pretended nothing, continuing to read.


    A third insect approached the other locusts, then a fourth.


    "What the..." Karl whispered, rubbing his eyes, believing he had hallucinations due to sleep.


    When the locusts on the trail became about ten, he called his companions.


    "Hey... guys... I don''t want to disturb you, but there are bugs looking at us" he said.


    Dag and Reidar opened their eyes, slowly rising from their sleep.


    "What are you talking about, Karl?" asked Dag, as he turned to him.


    Reidar said nothing.


    "Look over there! First I went to pee and I accidentally hit one of those bugs, which never stopped staring at us... and it looks like it called the reinforcements" Karl said, closing the almanac.


    "They look like locusts... But what are they doing still there?" asked Dag, who stood up to see better.


    Reidar also stood up and looked around, fearing that someone or something was watching them.


    "But I mean, is it possible that I cannot read in peace?" exclaimed Karl, rising quickly from the ground, full of courage after his companions awoke from their sleep.


    He walked quickly to the group of insects, which remained stationary in the same position, with the antennas moving and trying to detect the danger.


    "Wait, Karl... doesn''t seem like a good idea..." said softly Dag, who was not sure of his words.


    Karl waved the great almanac towards the insects, trying to drive them away: "go! Get out!"


    When the locusts soared, they became a compact swarm: they flew a few centimeters from each other, moving like one body.


    Karl stepped back, crushed by that vision.


    "These big bugs are fucking lousy beings!" he said, returning to his friends.


    Meanwhile, Dag was still looking at the swarm of locusts, stationary in mid-air.


    Their wings turned of a fluorescent green within seconds.


    "What''s going on?" said Reidar, who was watching the scene, behind Dag.


    "Karl, down!" cried Dag as the swarm flew quickly towards his companion, leaving a green trail in the air, dropping some sort of dust on the ground.


    "Um?" said Karl, who, before lowering down completely, turned the other way.


    "Aaagh! That sucks!" he yelled when he saw that the locusts were flying in that direction.


    He lowered himself to his knees and covered his ears with his hands, trying not to hear that annoying hum.


    Dag was about to run towards his friend, to drive the insects away from him, when he noticed that they weren''t headed towards Karl.


    The swarm pointed at them.


    Dag retreated to Reidar, dismayed by what was going on.


    They both rested with their backs behind the large tree in the middle of the ground, ready to kill the swarm of insects that flew towards them at great speed.


    But as the locusts approached, they flew into flames.


    Karl looked up, astonished.


    Reidar and Dag kept watching the insects catch fire, not knowing how to react.


    Amidst the crackle of the locusts'' wings, thick green smoke began to rise from the bonfire, whose fire was about to extinguish.


    "Fire! The fire is extinguishing!" said Karl, who stood up and walked toward his companions.

 117 CXVII. The Snatch

    Dag continued to look at the locusts: burning, they were releasing the green substance of which their wings were impregnated, which was slowly extinguishing the fire.


    After a few seconds, the bonfire died and darkness swooped on the three adventurers.


    "I don''t see anything! Light a torch, I can''t see you!" said Karl, as he walked with his hands outstretched in front of him, to avoid crashing into some trees.


    "Let''s take the torches" Dag said, bending down.


    "They should be here next to us... light one of them, Reidar" he said.


    Reidar grabbed the torch stick and lifted it off the ground, looking for the flint in his pockets.


    "Guys... fast... I hear something back here!" said Karl, frightened.


    "What? What do you hear? Follow my voice, Karl, walk towards us!" said Dag, after kicking his flint out of his pocket.


    "Give me, I''ll turn it on" he said, tearing the torch out of Reidar''s hands.


    "Karl, keep following our voice" Dag continued.


    After about 4 attempts, the sparks of the flint managed to turn on the torch and Dag immediately pointed it at Karl, illuminating in that direction.


    "Karl?!" shouted Dag, who could not see his friend.


    He and Reidar ran that way.


    "Where the fuck did he go?!" asked Reidar, looking for Karl behind the trees.


    Dag did the same.


    "Kaaarl?!" the two companions continued to call him but heard no answer.


    "If it''s a joke, it''s not funny!" said Reidar, as Dag ducked to the ground, picking up something.


    Reidar approached his captain, discovering that he had just collected Karl''s almanac.


    "Karl..." whispered Dag, looking at the almanac.


    Reidar ran to their horses and took another torch, which he lit soon after.


    "Captain, the three horses are still there" Reidar said.


    "Let''s go find him... he can''t be gone so far" Dag said, pointing the torch upwards, trying to illuminate the ceiling of petrified branches.


    They ran to the horses and after collecting their belongings from the ground, including the Red Executioner, they set out in search of Karl, with his horse tied behind Reidar''s.


    Because of the fragile soil and darkness that enveloped that forest, they had to advance slowly.


    They moved away from the path, entering the adjacent trees, the ones from which the swarm of locusts had sprung.


    Meanwhile, they continued to call Karl, frightened that something had happened to their comrade.


    Those locusts! They deliberately flew against the fire to extinguish it! It must have been this forest that gave the order! said Dag angrily.


    "Just before he disappeared, Karl said he heard something behind him... something we haven''t heard, though. That means it''s a being who can move without making too much noise" Reidar thought aloud.


    "And it''s also a powerful being, that managed to immobilize and drag Karl away" dag continued, frantically moving the torch in front of him, trying to look through each tree.


    Moving away from the trail, Dag and Reidar ended up getting lost in the many trees, among which the horses could barely pass.


    After about an hour, in search of Karl, they stopped.


    "Captain, we can''t keep moving without understanding where we''re going. We have to follow a lead" Reidar said, watching Dag keep looking for Karl nonstop.


    After these words, Dag paused and raised his head.


    "Did you hear that too?" he said, raising his hand toward Reidar, telling him to keep quiet.


    "Heard what?" answered him in a low voice.


    *crack*crack*


    "Now have you heard it? It looks like the sound of rock branches breaking" continued Dag, who pointed the torch behind Reidar.


    "Yes, I heard it too!" said Reidar, who drew his bow with his other hand, ready to defend himself.


    As the two companions pointed their torches in the direction from which the noise came, fragments of rock fell on Dag''s shoulder and he turned to it.


    Then he raised his head upwards: when the torch lit up the branches of the ceiling, Dag rolled his eyes and for a moment he was missing his breath.


    "What''s going on, Captain?!" asked Reidar, as he looked at Dag''s terrified expression. Then he too looked up too.


    Looking closely between the branches of the ceiling, they were able to realize that there were many human skeletons, which were slowly turning into rock.


    In addition to the skeletons and some corpses still in the process of rotting, there was also Karl: a large branch wrapped around his chest, another his throat, and other smaller branches enveloped his hands and feet, immobilizing him.


    His eyes were closed, he had lost consciousness.


    "K... Karl..." said Dag, when he managed to catch his breath and his voice returned.


    "We have to pull him down from there!" said Reidar, who began looking into his backpack, looking for something that could help his trapped friend.


    Dag looked away from Karl and got off his horse, tying him to a tree next to him and suggesting Reidar do the same.


    "Give me one of your arrows and the rope with which you tied Karl''s horse to Ace" Dag said.


    Reidar obeyed without asking.


    Squeezing the rope around one of Reidar''s toughest arrows, Dag built a kind of handcrafted grappling hook.


    "Now cover me. The being that put Karl up there may still be nearby... maybe it''s looking for us" Dag continued.


    Reidar wedged his torch into a tree trunk and positioned himself with bow and arrows to cover Dag as he tried to free his friend.


    Dag threw the grappling hook upwards but found no stick.


    After repeating the operation several times, the arrow finally wedged into a trunk near Karl, circling it.


    Dag pulled the rope towards him, to see if the foothold was safe.


    He wedged his torch as Reidar had done, in a tree near him, and began to climb the rope, slowly.


    "Karl! Kaaarl!" said Dag, whispering his friend''s name, trying to wake him up.


    He continued to climb towards him, while Reidar looked around, ready to defend Dag.

 118 CXVIII. The Mutant Beas

    "Karl! Wake up! I''m Dag!" he continued.


    Karl opened his eyes wide, screaming: "aaagh! Aaaagh! Where is it?! Where''s that thing?!"


    "Sshhh! Silence!" said Dag, as he continued to approach his friend.


    "Dag, Reidar! A huge flying being brought me up here! I couldn''t see much, it grabbed me by the legs and lifted me off the ground! I think I banged my head and lost consciousness..." continued Karl, as he squirmed, trying to free himself.


    Dag finally reached the top, when the trunk to which the grappling hook was hooked began to make less reassuring sounds.


    "Hurry up, Dag! That trunk won''t hold your weight for much longer!" said Karl.


    Dag pulled out his hammer and began hitting the logs that kept Karl imprisoned, trying to break them without hurting his friend.


    With difficulty, he managed to break them all and when Karl broke away from the ceiling, he clung to Dag, so as not to fall.


    The stone trunk shattered and Dag and Karl fell back to the ground.


    "Ouch!"


    "Aagh!"


    They both complained, writhing on the ground in pain.


    "Why did you fucking cling to me like that... are you dumb?!" said Dag, trying to recover.


    "I thought your rope held us! And then... you served me to cushion the blow" chuckled Karl, happy to see his friends again.


    "Thank you for saving me. I thought you''d never be able to find me in this place, more like a labyrinth than a forest" he continued, rising from the ground.


    "If anything had happened to you, I would never have forgiven myself, brother. I''m glad you''re safe" said Dag, who hugged Karl.


    "I don''t want to interrupt you, but... I think something''s coming towards us... that way!" said Reidar, pointing an arrow at him.


    Dag pulled out the hammer and Karl ran to his horse, taking the shield and tomahawk from a bag.


    From the darkness, a being walked slowly toward them: the torch that Reidar had wedged in the tree began to illuminate part of its body.


    Two narrow, long hand-shaped paws held a pair of large featherless wings, red as blood. The lower legs came out right after, much larger and more imposing, although the steps of that abomination were unnaturally silent.


    Then the torch also illuminated its chest, which seemed to be dug inwards, albeit of a humanoid form.


    A large hairy mane stretched from the animal''s back to above the head, where its gigantic pointed, upward-stretched ears moved to one side and the other, picking up all kinds of sounds.


    When the animal raised its face towards Dag and his companions, they shuddered: a giant bat, just over two meters high, was staring at them, with its small, bright black eyes.


    It had black fur, like the sky at midnight and its wings as red as blood.


    The large flattened nose was similar to that of a pig: when it was close enough to smell human beings, it turned its head towards Dag and opened its mouth, showing its thin tusks, long and sharp as razors.


    It uttered an inhumane verse, a screech that forced Dag and the others to cover their ears with their hands.


    Soon after, the mutant animal leaped upwards, flapping its wings, which lifted a cloud of dust from the ground.


    "Is that one?!" asked Dag, turning to Karl, asking if the giant bat was his aggressor.


    "Yes, Dag!" replied Karl.


    Reidar tried to keep his eyes on the beast, though he was very frightened.


    As it flapped its wings, the torch flame moved violently, until it went out.


    Now a single torch illuminated a small portion of the forest: the one Dag had fixed in the trunk just before saving Karl.


    The bat flew towards Dag, opening his huge prehensile paws.


    "Captain!" shouted Reidar, who could barely see the beast.


    He charged an arrow and hit the bat on the chest, making him enraged: it uttered a second screech and changed its trajectory, grabbing Reidar''s shoulders with its paws.


    The animal''s long claws slipped into his flesh, causing him great pain.


    Then it lifted him off the ground.


    "Aaagh! Help me!" yelled Reidar in a panic and trying unnecessarily to squirm, his bow and arrows falling to the ground.


    "Reidar!" yelled Karl in fear, looking at Dag for help.


    Dag and the giant bat for an instant looked into each other''s eyes.


    Then the animal raised its head upwards, intending to wedge Reidar''s body between the stone branches of the ceiling, as it had done with Karl, in order to add another victim to its collection.


    Just then, taking advantage of its distraction, Dag threw the Magni''s hammer towards the bat and hit it violently under the chin: the abomination lost control for a moment and staggered in mid-air, leaving Reidar hanging for a single paw.


    "Aaagh! Fuck!" continued Reidar, as the weight of his body rested on one shoulder, while the other lost blood from the holes caused by the claws of the bat.


    Dag''s hammer, after hitting the beast, fell to the ground.


    The bat, after being stunned, lost a slight altitude, reaching about one and a half meters above the ground.


    Dag ran towards it and with a jump clung to one of its wings, grabbing the black fur on its back with his other hand.


    At that point, the winged being drew the claws from Reidar''s other shoulder, which fell to the ground and was immediately rescued by Karl, who promptly dragged him backwards.


    Dag stood on the back of the animal, waving in the air, trying to get rid of the weight on its back.


    Holding its hair tightly with one hand so as not to fall, Dag began repeatedly hitting the animal with punches on its head and ears, trying to disorient it and make it lose its balance.


    The sounds of the bat were chilling, they looked like sharp human screams.


    As Dag struggled in mid-air, Reidar ran to his bow and picked it up from the ground, drifting back toward Karl.

 119 CXIX. The Bloody Blade

    "Dag! Be careful!" yelled Karl, who didn''t know how to help his friend.


    "Captain! The head!" shouted Reidar, as he stretched the bow rope, loading an arrow with difficulty, due to the pain caused by wounds on both shoulders.


    Dag, after stunned the bat, grabbed the fur on its head, lifting it laboriously in the direction of Reidar, who was aiming.


    With an expression of pain, Reidar was able to fire the arrow, which hit the bat full in the forehead, piercing its head.


    Blood splattered in Dag''s face, who kept holding his grip to avoid falling to the ground.


    The Red Executioner was still behind his back and weighed him down greatly, forcing his enemy to give in to the weight.


    Reidar stretched his bow again, once again aiming at the head of the giant bat, which, despite the arrow piercing his skull, continued to shake.


    Dag with his eyes closed and blood-soaked again tried to hold it still.


    A second before Reidar could fire the arrow, something else hit him from behind, scratching his back.


    The accidentally fired arrow hit Dag''s immobilized bat on the shoulder.


    Karl turned around to see what had happened behind Reidar.


    Another bat, slightly smaller than the first, had unbalanced him and tossed him to the ground.


    It clutched Reidar''s ankle between its jaws, dragging him to the ground.


    "Aaaagh! Help me! There''s another one!" yelled Reidar as he looked at Karl, who was paralyzed with fear.


    He looked around: on the one hand, Reidar was about to be quartered by an abominable being, who was dragging him into the darkness of the forest; on the other, his Captain was struggling with an even bigger bat, which despite the wounds caused by the arrows, did not seem to give up.


    "What the fuck am I gonna do now?" thought Karl, who was forced to reason quickly.


    Impulsively, he turned to the bat that dragged Reidar. He took courage and with his tomahawk hit it on the head.


    The tomahawk''s blade lodged in the skull of the beast, hard as the rock, and remained stuck inside it.


    The fowl left Reidar''s ankle and looked up at Karl, who shrugged his eyes in fear.


    It then uttered a loud screech and placed one of its front paws on Reidar''s face, holding him stranded on the ground.


    Karl retreated, tripping and falling backward, as the beast stretched its neck towards him, opening its jaws and dripping its saliva on Reidar.


    However, the archer, meanwhile, managed to extract a dagger from his belt and before the second bat could hurt Karl, he hit it violently in the neck, stabbing it.


    When the dagger blade entered the animal''s flesh, Reidar moved his weapon vertically, opening the chest of the bat, whose entrails began to leak.


    As Karl watched helplessly at the scene, Reidar found himself in a pool of blood, covered in the guts of the corpse of the giant bat he had just quartered.


    "Help... help me..." said to Karl with a thread of voice, choked by the weight of the beast''s body.


    Karl recovered from his shock, got up from the ground and moved the corpse from above Reidar, who managed to breathe again.


    Then he turned to Dag: just then, the first bat, much bigger and more powerful, managed to knock Dag to the ground and turned to him.


    Dag retreated, quickly unhooking the strap that held the Red Executioner tied, while the bat pulled out the arrow lodged in his skull with one of his front paws, incredibly fitted with opposable thumbs.


    After extracting his tomahawk from the other monster''s head, Karl began to run towards Dag, desperate to hit the enemy behind him but noticed that one of the giant bat''s ears turned to him.


    Before he could hit it, the mutant animal turned backwards and violently hit Karl with a wing, causing him to slam his back into a stone trunk.


    After a few seconds, Karl and Reidar were next to each other, wounded and on the ground.


    When the bat turned again towards Dag, he had managed to extract the Red Executioner from its protective towel.


    With considerable effort, he waved the heavy double-headed axe, but unable to lift it completely, hit the bat on one of its lower legs, cutting it sharply.


    The severed paw flew away after impact and the beast fell to the ground but continued to advance towards Dag, crawling on the wings.


    Dag managed to stand up.


    The Red Executioner suddenly began to emit red lightning bolts, which crackled around Dag, illuminating the surrounding forest with flashes.


    Dag looked at Brann''s weapon: he had done nothing to unlock its power, yet something had unleashed the potential it was holding back.


    As the bat continued to advance slowly towards him, leaving behind a trail of thick blood from his severed paw, Dag continued to look at the axe in detail.


    The power of that weapon was enormous and he would begin to feel it flowing through his body as if he had just been hit by a sudden adrenaline rush.


    "The only thing that changed a few moments ago is that one of the blades of the axe got blood-soaked" he thought, looking at the animal''s blood covering one of the Red Executioner''s black blades, assuming it was the thing that unlocked its potential.


    Dag looked at the bat advancing towards him.


    He positioned his legs to easily shake the heavy axe he was wielding and fired a powerful blow, which easily severed the head of the bat, sending it flying meters away.


    Caught in the heat of the Red Executioner''s power, Dag struck the animal again, but this time with a vertical blow.


    As soon as the axe touched the back of the bat, it split in two as if it was made of butter.


    Its blood squirted from all sides, before the raised gaze of Karl and Reidar, who had just witnessed their Captain''s victory.

 120 CXX. The Tracking

    Silence returned to the forest.


    Dag picked up his hammer, put it back in its seat on his belt and with the axe in his hand, he walked towards his companions.


    "You did it... Captain..." Reidar said in a low voice, still sore from shoulder and ankle injuries.


    "Without your help, I would surely have died" Dag said, his face full of blood.


    When Karl managed to move again, he crept towards Reidar and opened his box full of medicinal herbs.


    Dag approached the torch to his two companions, to allow Karl to better see Reidar''s wounds.


    The bite wound on his ankle and the one on his left shoulder seemed minor injuries, but the one on his right shoulder was decidedly deeper.


    It was the shoulder that for a few seconds had held up all his weight, due to which the claws of the bat had penetrated deeper.


    "Bring the torch a little bit closer, Dag" Karl said, after tucking a thin black thread into a curved needle.


    He put the needle closer to the flame to sterilize it.


    "Resist, Reidar. This will hurt you, mate" continued Karl, who then threw a white liquid on his partner''s deep wound: the liquid, coming into contact with the blood, began to emit a kind of white foam.


    "Aaagh! Aaaaaaagh!" yelled Reidar as he tried to stay still.


    Dag took the towel he had used to wrap his axe and gave it to Reidar, advising him to squeeze it between his teeth to hold back the pain.


    After the white substance finished foaming, Karl slipped the hook-shaped needle into Reidar''s flesh, starting to sew the wound.


    Dag shook the hand of his companion, who strongly bit the linen cloth and lost tears from his eyes.


    Within minutes, Karl managed to close Reidar''s wound, keeping his composure and a steady hand.


    "I''m done. Your wounds will heal soon, my friend" Karl said, wiping his blood-soaked hands, satisfied with his work.


    Reidar released his jaw, removing the linen towel from his mouth and breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Apparently the legends were true, Captain. Those bats were definitely bigger than average! Hahaha... *cough*cough*!" chuckled Reidar, coughing in pain.


    "Yes, it is true. My mother warned me... and yet here we are, we are safe" Dag replied, as the Sun''s rays began to enter from the stone ceiling that covered the forest.


    "Dag, are you hurt?" asked Karl.


    "No, I''m fine. Reidar sacrificed himself for me. As soon as he gets up and walks, we''ll continue north. When the Sun lifts in the sky, we will be able to orient ourselves" Dag continued, pulling out a water bottle and sharing a sip of water with his comrades.


    While they were fighting against the mutant beasts, their horses had become quite agitated, but fortunately, they had not managed to escape, because they had been tied firmly to the trees.


    He spent about an hour when Reidar got up, moving his arms slowly.


    Dag helped him get on the horse and then all three of them got back on the road.


    "The north is this way" Dag said, beginning to ride in a precise direction. Karl and Reidar followed him without hesitation.


    "Your orientation skill is high, Captain. I would have to wait at least another two hours before I could spot the North" said Reidar, astonished at Dag''s qualities, looking at him with a smile.


    The three adventurers rode for about 4 hours without interruption.


    "I''m pretty sure the danger of mutant beasts is limited to night hours. I''m trying to focus on the sounds around us, but I don''t hear anything, just the wind hissing through the trees" Dag said, looking ahead.


    Karl took a notebook and a feather, which he dipped into a small bottle of ink.


    "What are you doing, Karl?" asked Reidar, still sore.


    "I do what you suggested... I take note of what''s happening to us. This forest information will be useful to someone. We could sell them to the highest bidder!" replied Karl enthusiastically, thinking he could monetize their findings.


    "Hahaha! I didn''t think you had an eye for business, Karl" Reidar continued, as Dag made his way and listened to them.


    After about 30 minutes of their chat, Dag suddenly stopped.


    "What''s going on?! Are there any other mutant monsters?!" asked Karl, jolting from the horse''s saddle.


    "No. Look there" Dag said softly, pointing his finger at the ground.


    "I don''t see anything" Karl replied.


    "There''s a toad" Reidar said, barely distinguishing the amphibian that hopped in front of Dag''s horse, which, being light brown colored, blended in with the arid terrain of the forest.


    "That''s right!" confirmed Dag, who remained motionless, allowing the toad to pass.


    "Dag... but what the fuck are you doing?" replied Karl, thinking that his friend had gone crazy.


    "Karl, don''t you understand? Where do toads and frogs usually live?" asked Dag.


    Karl opened his eyes wide, after realizing what Dag was referring to.


    "No... no... please continue to the exit before the Sun sets!" he pleaded.


    "You promised me 24 hours to look for a swampy ground, right?" smiled Dag.


    "Yes, it''s true... but that was before two giant bats tried to kill us!" continued Karl, frightened.


    "Hahah! C''mon! Let''s go and see, Captain!" said Reidar, urging the horse with his feet and heading in the direction of the toad.


    Karl snorted and then followed his two companions who went into the trees.


    The toad kept hopping in one direction, heedless of the men who followed him.


    "We keep our distance... let''s not scare it. Let''s see where it goes" Dag said softly to his teammates.


    "Look what I have to do... follow a toad in a forest full of mutant animals ready to kill us!" whispered Karl to himself.


    The Sun slowly began to lower, it was mid-afternoon when the toad finally reached its destination.


    The three adventurers found themselves in front of a large pool of slime water, surrounded by unevenly grown wild vegetation.


    "Hahah! Got it!" exclaimed Dag, glad he was right.

 121 CXXI. The Flower

    "I never expected there to be a swamp in here! I''ll write it right in my notebook" replied Karl, who took pen and paper.


    Dag got off the horse, scaring the toad that plunged into the water, disappearing into the slime.


    All three of them tied their horses to a nearby tree and began searching for the flower of Egill''s almanac: the Crimson Tooth.


    "Is this, by any chance?" asked Reidar, who detached a plant from the ground showing it to Karl.


    "No, Reidar. That''s a ''Typha Latifolia''... I told you it''s a plant with red flowers and a thorny stem" Karl replied, annoyed.


    Reidar threw the freshly picked plant into the pond and turned the other way, looking at Dag and grimacing, to tease Karl and his schoolmasterly tone.


    Dag chuckled softly.


    "Unbelievable. This is a wonderful discovery!" said Karl, leaning down to the ground as Dag and Reidar approached.


    With a small knife, he eradicated a plant from the mud.


    "It''s this one! Look and learn, Reidar" Karl continued, with a plant with large red flowers in his hand.


    "Hahaha! Very good, Karl! I told you we could find it!" exclaimed Dag, satisfied.


    "Yes, I thought it was impossible... but it also happens to the best to be wrong" Karl chuckled, acknowledging his mistakes.


    "Now that you''ve seen how it''s made, pick it up as much as we can, I don''t think we''ll ever come back to this place and this plant doesn''t grow near Jernhest" he continued, as Dag and Reidar went on the lookout again.


    When the Sun set, they had managed to pick up a bunch of those red flowers, which Karl carefully placed in a fabric bag, avoiding ruining them.


    "Well! And now¡­ what do we do?" he exclaimed, looking at Dag and waiting for orders.


    "Let''s stop here for this night. We will be more careful and stay together all the time. Reidar''s wounds will continue to heal, and you can study all possible uses of this ''Crimson Tooth'', not to waste a single piece of it, considering its rarity. And then... we should toast our discovery!" said Dag, pulling a small jug of clay from one of the bags attached to the horse''s saddle.


    "Good mead is just what I need!" replied Reidar enthusiastically, admiring the jug as if it was gold.


    The three explorers camped a few feet away from the swamp and began eating and drinking a sip of mead each.


    "Let''s not waste it all. I think we''re going to need it again! Hahaha!" said Dag.


    "Let me take a look at your wounds, Reidar" Karl said, as he finished eating his portion.


    He changed the bandages that enveloped Reidar''s wounds, replaced them with clean ones, and smeared an ointment on the stitches, which would speed up cicatrization.


    After the medication, Reidar, while he was sitting down, leaned against a tree with his back.


    The neck of his leather jacket widened slightly and Dag caught a glimpse of a silver pendant hanging around his neck.


    "What a beautiful necklace. What is it?" he asked, to snoop and pass the time.


    Reidar took the pendant in his hands, clutching it.


    It was a very simple pendant, in the shape of an anchor.


    "A girl gave it to you... tell us the truth..." Karl said, touching Reidar''s shoulder with his own.


    Reidar smiled: "Yes. Someone''s waiting for me in Hevnen. I have agreed to follow you on this mission not only because I share Dag''s ideals... but also because I hope to see Turid again. She''s the love of my life".


    Dag smiled back and approached his friend.


    "I know what that means, Reidar. I have someone waiting for me, too. You''re going to see your Turid again, no matter what. Is it part of the Sons Of Freya Clan?" he asked.


    "No, she''s not a Shieldmaiden. She followed in her father''s footsteps and she''s now one of Hevnen''s best seamstress, despite being only 17 years old..." continued Reidar, clutching the pendant on his chest.


    "Then she can make some improvements to our armor! I''d like to have a tailor I can trust!" continued Dag, trying to cheer his friend.


    "You have to know that this idiot had the brilliant idea of falling in love with my sister" Karl interrupted, referring to Dag.


    "Hahaha! Really? Is that why you know each other?" asked Reidar, laughing.


    "Karl and I met when we were kids. We started training in the Arena around the same time. And yes, it''s all true¡­ her name is Freydis" Dag said, with melancholy.


    After uttering her name, he felt a squeeze to his chest.


    He was deeply in love with her.


    "Obviously without my help, he would never have been able to win her heart!" said Karl, devaluing Dag''s manhood.


    "Hahaha!" laughed Reidar.


    Laughing and chatting, time passed and the night fell.


    Reidar had already fallen asleep and Dag began his guard duty.


    The situation was similar to the previous night: absolute silence reigned in the forest.


    The only difference was that this time Dag and his companions had left their weapons at hand, ready to take them if they were needed.


    As Dag threw small stones into the pond, trying to pass the time, he sneezed.


    Then another sneeze, right after.


    He didn''t notice much and continued to throw rocks into the water until he heard a noise coming from behind a tree.


    He immediately stood up and picked up the hammer from the ground, beside the fire.


    He stood still, waiting to better understand where the noises came from. They looked like footsteps.


    From behind a tree that stood a few feet in front of him, a hooded person came out, walking toward him.


    Judging by the sheer stat and the walk, she looked like a woman.


    "Who are you? Show me your face, otherwise I will be forced to hit you!" said Dag.


    After these words, suddenly rose again the Sun, which illuminated the hooded figure, which stopped before him.

 122 CXXII. The Pond

    Dag looked up, not understanding what was happening, then looked behind him, to check on his companions.


    They were gone.


    Karl and Reidar were no longer by the fire and there were no horses either.


    "What the fuck...?" he said when one hand gently touched his arm.


    Dag immediately raised that arm, but even the hammer he had in his hand had disappeared.


    With his face frightened, he looked at the hooded figure: from the large hood, long red hair sprang out.


    As if he were mesmerized, he could not restrain himself and with both hands, he gently removed the hood of the woman in front of him.


    The sunlight coming through the ceiling of rocky branches illuminated the scene: the young woman looked up at him.


    When his large brown eyes looked at Dag, he felt a pang in his chest and tears came down from his eyes.


    The hooded woman was Freydis.


    Dag could not say a word, his mouth was dry and paralyzed.


    Freydis stroked him softly on his face.


    Dag closed his eyes, trying to feel Freydis''s hand grazing his cheeks, in ecstasy.


    "Hello, my love... I came to you..." Freydis said.


    Her voice was heavenly and the sunlight that illuminated her long red hair made the atmosphere surreal.


    "Fr... Freydis... is that you?" stammered Dag, as his heart beat wildly.


    "Yes, of course, it''s me. Don''t you recognize me?" she asked.


    Dag hugged her, clutching her tightly.


    He put a hand in her hair, which smelled the same as the last time they had seen each other.


    For a moment, he had completely forgotten everything: his friends, the horses, the forest, the dangers... all. There was nothing left, just him and her.


    "How do you... how did you find me?" he continued, in disbelief.


    "It doesn''t matter... I knew you were here, I felt it. Now come with me, let''s go... let''s start again, you and me. I want to travel, I want to see all the places in the world, while I''ll keep loving you infinitely" she continued, holding Dag''s face in her hands.


    "Your brother, Karl... he was here with me a moment ago. Now he''s gone" Dag said, looking back at him.


    "Karl is waiting for us... Come with me, let''s go to him" replied Freydis, who put her lips close to Dag''s and kissed him sensually.


    His lips were warm and soft.


    Dag let himself be carried away by the passion and clutching his woman''s hand, he walked with her.


    ...


    "Dag! What the fuck are you doing?!"


    "Dag!?"


    ...


    "Did you hear that?" he asked, hearing voices.


    "They looked like Karl and Reidar! They must be nearby!" he continued.


    Freydis shook his hand even more, preventing him from giving up his grip.


    Then she turned to him.


    "I said you have to come with me" she said.


    Dag pulled his arm towards him.


    "You are not Freydis! A moment ago it was late at night and my companions were right behind me, lying next to the bonfire. What''s going on?"


    ...


    "Come back, Captain! Grab my hand!"


    ...


    "Reidar?! Where are you? I can''t see you!" continued Dag, looking around.


    Freydis unbuttoned the dress that covered her entire body and threw it to the ground, standing naked in front of Dag.


    "Do you prefer your friends to me?" she continued, in a sensual voice.


    Dag looked at her from head to toe, sighing.


    "My desire for you has never diminished, Freydis. I love you every day more and more, ever since I left Jernhest" he said.


    "So what? What''s the problem?" she said, touching her breasts, urging Dag to do the same.


    Dag longed to touch that young, athletic body, warm and ready to make love.


    "I know you, Freydis. I remember every detail of your body and your voice... Where''s the tattoo you had on your right thigh?" he asked, starting to step back.


    The girl looked towards her pelvis, without tattoos.


    She passed a hand on her thigh and immediately a tattoo identical to Freydis''s appeared.


    "Is that better?" she asked.


    "What the fuck are you? Karl! Reidar! Where are you?!" yelled Dag, trying to get away from her, but unable to move: his body was as if blocked, he couldn''t get more than a few feet away.


    The fake Freydis looked him in the eye as her pupils began to enlarge and become yellow and flattened.


    Her eyes grew out of proportion, turning into two huge black and shiny spheres and her clear, flawless skin became greenish, covered in an oily substance.


    Dag witnessed the gross scene, fortunately, he had managed to understand that that being wasn''t the real Freydis, but perhaps it was too late.


    As Freydis continued to transform, a slime substance appeared under Dag''s feet, which soon covered all his ankles, blocking his movements.


    "What the fuck!" he said, as he tried to pull his legs out of the slime.


    The girl in front of him had completely transformed: the long red hair had disappeared and her mouth had widened dramatically. Her flat, sculpted abdomen had become a huge flabby, swollen belly, and her athletic legs were now two palmed legs, immersed in the same substance in which Dag''s feet were dipped.


    Freydis had become a giant green, smelly toad, located about two meters far from Dag.


    As soon as he noticed it, the sky shook again, even the daylight had been caused by an illusion.


    "Captain! Grab my hand!" shouted Reidar behind him.


    The voices of his companions had become sharper, he seemed to be back to normal.


    Dag turned to Reidar, who was stretching his arm towards him, while Karl held him from behind, to avoid dropping him into the slime pond.


    He tried to grab his partner''s hand, but his feet continued to sink, preventing him from fully twisting his torso.


    "I can''t! Fuck!" yelled Dag, who turned again to the abominable being that had trapped him.


    The toad was still there. It looked at Dag with huge black eyes, beginning to enjoy its prey.

 123 CXXIII. The Slime

    At one point, the huge amphibian moved towards him, crawling through the pond.


    "Help me! Do something! I can''t move!" screamed Dag in a panic: the monster was too big to be tackled with his bare hands, his legs out of order.


    Reidar returned to the bank of the pond and took his bow. He loaded an arrow and shot it at the toad, hitting it on the head.


    The animal made no verse, it remained motionless as if nothing had happened.


    He fired a second arrow and then a third, which struck the monster in one eye, partially blinding it.


    The toad continued to advance towards Dag, despite the three arrows lodged in its soggy flesh.


    "The hammer! Karl, give me my hammer!" shouted Dag, as the toad opened its mouth wide, so big it could swallow an entire elephant.


    Dag couldn''t move, he was doomed.


    "Captain!" shouted Reidar, who continued to shoot arrows at the toad, hitting it in the mouth, without stopping its advance.


    Karl threw the hammer at Dag, who immediately after grabbing it, turned to the toad, who closed its mouth.


    In one bite, the amphibian lifted Dag and swallowed his body in its entirety. Dag''s feet slowly disappeared into the toad''s body, which devoured him.


    "Daaaaag! Noooo!" yelled Karl, who went down with his feet in the pond.


    Reidar pulled him back: "Where the fuck do you think to go?! Do you want that huge beast to eat you too?!"


    The toad swallowed, emitting lousy verses.


    Then it began to walk again, this time towards Karl and Reidar, who walked backwards.


    After coming out of the pond it slowly opened its mouth.


    Before the two comrades could move, the animal pulled out its tongue, which at great speed stuck to Karl''s chest.


    "Aaaaagh! Fuck! Fuck!" he yelled, as the slimy tongue dragged him towards the amphibian''s mouth, which looked like a large black hole.


    With the tomahawk, Karl hit its tongue, cutting it in half.


    The toad immediately withdrew it in its mouth, sore.


    Karl unseated the piece of the tongue that was glued like a sucker from his chest and threw it away.


    Thick blood began to pour from the toad''s mouth.


    "Karl! Look!" said Reidar, pointing to the animal''s body.


    His slimy tummy moved strangely, writhing.


    The toad turned to the other side, intending to return to the pond when the two companions heard a noise coming from inside: it seemed that something was tearing the internal tissues, opening them like plastic bags.


    Just before the amphibian could touch the water of the pond, a hand sprang out of its back, piercing its flesh.


    Another hand was added to the first, to widen the opening.


    Dag crept out of the animal''s body as it writhed in pain and its blood ended up in the water, dyed red.


    "Captain! You did it!" said Reidar, running towards him.


    Karl followed him.


    Dag was completely covered in a slimy, sticky substance, which enveloped the limbs of the giant toad''s internal organs.


    He knelt down, tired of the effort and spat out the slime liquid that had ended up in his mouth.


    "Bleah! It was the worst experience of my fucking life..." he said, as he tried to clean his face and body.


    Behind him, the huge carcass of the toad lay on the ground, quartered into a pool of rosy blood.


    "The important thing is that you''re alive, Dag! I feared the worst!" said Karl, breathing heavily.


    He and Reidar helped Dag take that sticky substance off his back.


    "I saw Freydis, Karl" Dag said, recovering from the shock.


    "What? Have you seen my sister? And where?" asked Karl.


    "It was a hallucination. She came to me and told me to follow her while she held my hand. She seemed real, I swear. Then I found myself in that pond with my legs stuck, while you were screaming my name from behind" Dag said.


    "I was the first to wake up. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw you with your legs submerged in water, while you kept walking forward, stretching your arms towards something. So I rushed up to get you out of there, but you couldn''t hear me!" said Reidar.


    "Not only that¡­ I also noticed another detail. Around you, the plants surrounding the pond had released spores, which glittered in the air, illuminated by the light of our torches. I think they were the ones who hypnotized you" Karl said, trying to explain what had happened.


    "Spores? Did spores show me the person I miss the most?" asked Dag.


    "Yes, they could. Probably, the ''Typha Latifolia'' has undergone a mutation in this area and can release spores with psychotic effects. You saw Freydis because she''s your biggest weakness, the point where you''re most vulnerable" Karl said.


    "But... why are all the animals and plants in this forest trying to kill us? We''re not doing anything wrong!" interrupted Reidar.


    "Plants are not equipped with wills and sometimes animals neither. I think it''s a mechanism of self-preservation, this forest''s strategy of defense. During the night, something happens in the bodies of its inhabitants... a mutation that can change not only their size but also their instincts. In my opinion, by order of the forest itself, they identify us as strangers, therefore enemies" Dag said, reflecting on the events he had experienced in the last few hours.


    "Yes, I think so. Luckily we''re still alive. Now that we''ve also found the plant we were looking for, risking our lives, I think it''s time to vanish from this place!" said Karl, who approached the body of the huge amphibian.


    Dag looked at him.


    Karl pulled out his small knife and scraped the sticky substance that covered the toad''s skin, pouring it into a bottle.


    "What are you doing now?" asked Reidar.


    This sticky substance... well, I think it has healing properties. I had a cut on my hand, and after touching that huge lousy tongue, it healed completely. It looks like the same liquid. I will study its characteristic" continued Karl, who returned to his companions, moving away from the huge stinker corpse.

 124 CXXIV. The Sigh Of Relief

    "This place has decided that I can''t sleep at night. Maybe we should rest a little during the day and leave in the middle of the morning" Dag said, as his eyes closed in on his sleep.


    "On orders, Captain. Sleeping from dawn until late in the morning, we will finally rest our tired bones" confirmed Reidar, who immediately agreed with Dag''s idea.


    The two of them rested again, while Karl, who was the only one who had managed to sleep soundly, continued to read the almanac, enriching his scientific knowledge.


    After about 6 hours of sleep, Dag and Reidar awoke.


    They had finally regained their strength, they felt their bodies regenerated.


    Dag stretched out, watching the Sun''s rays penetrate the dense branches of the trees.


    "Finally... I slept like a newborn" he said, happy and rested.


    After cooling off with a sip of water, the three adventurers departed north.


    "It''s been 3 nights. Despite our detour, I don''t think it''s much missing at the end of this forest of horrors" Dag said, trying to comfort the spirits of his comrades.


    "We''ll have stories to tell! It''s not every day you meet giant bats, toads devouring people, colorful insects that extinguish the fire... the bards will sing our names all over Skjold!" replied Karl, gassed.


    "Hahahah! yes, I think you''re right, we''re going to have a lot to tell. But the journey is still long... we don''t know what other dangers lie ahead in the Kvete region" Dag continued.


    "It should be rather uninhabited. The only towns are the villages along the coast. The rest of its lands are occupied by wheat plantations and other cereals" Reidar said, as he tried to remember all the information he was aware of.


    "Well, we are headed to Tyven, which is in the north of the region. Perhaps our journey will be more comfortable when we arrive in an inhabited territory. I''m sick of being in this forest too, there''s not a moment of peace in here!" continued Dag.


    "Yes, I agree, Captain. Once we cross borders, we shouldn''t have problems getting to Tyven" Reidar said.


    Dag continued to make his way, riding in front of his companions, looking upwards for direction.


    The Sun was high in the sky and in front of them, the forest still seemed boundless.


    "We must get out of this place before it gets dark. That''s our priority" Dag said, increasing the horse''s speed.


    "Dag! There seems to be a path there! Look!" said Karl, eagerly as he pointed to a segment of land not covered in trees.


    "Yes, it coincides with the north. It should be the right direction" Dag said.


    The three adventurers moved on the path indicated by Karl and continued in the same direction, at a sustained speed.


    "When will you be able to infuse the seeds of the Crimson Tooth into the hawk blood?" asked Dag, curious.


    "I certainly can''t do that while we''re on horseback. As I explained, it takes about 12 hours for the reaction to happen... and the vessel must remain in a dark, dry place. We need an indoor location" Karl replied.


    Dag kept thinking, without answering.


    He was eager to find out if Karl''s method had any effect on him. But he had to wait, he couldn''t risk a transfusion with a type of blood that could damage his body.


    After a few hours of walking, the fossil trees in front of them began to thin out, the vegetation became less dense.


    Continuing, the path also widened, taking the form of a real road and finally the exit of the forest was glimpsed.


    "Hahahaha! I can''t believe it! We made it!" shouted Karl enthusiastically, happy to finally be safe outside the forest.


    Dag smiled, pandering to the joy of his companion.


    "Congratulations, Captain. I could never have done better. In less than a day you took us out of this hellish place" Reidar said, complimenting Dag.


    "It was also a matter of luck. Despite the detour, we didn''t stray far from the north. We went through a small region in two days of riding, I think it''s average" he replied, humbly.


    Reidar nodded his head, smiling.


    When the fossil trees next to the path finally disappeared, the Sun had just set and the darkness of the night was coming.


    "Whowoo! Go fuck yourself, goddamn forest! We''ll never see each other again!" continued Karl.


    In front of them, the path led to the top of a small hill, with soft and not steep slopes.


    "Let''s move on. This way" Dag said, without stopping for a moment.


    Aslan began to walk more slowly and Dag stroked his neck.


    "We did it, my friend. The worst is over... now we find a place to rest, all right?" he whispered in his ear.


    The horse nibbled as if he had understood his rider''s question.


    When they reached the top of the hill, despite the darkness, they could see a landscape decidedly different from the previous one: a huge flat expanse stretched endlessly, with small hills like the one scattered around.


    "I can''t see the sea" Reidar said, squinting as he tried to see better in the distance.


    "Reidar... we''re tired. I think we need some more well-deserved rest. I''m sure it''s going to be better in daylight" Dag said, drawing a sigh of relief.


    There was a different, warmer and quieter air.


    The forest was long gone behind them. Above it, a huge dense cloud covered the stone trees, giving a gloomy atmosphere to that already terrifying place of its own.


    "I think that cloud always stays there, even though I can''t explain why this physical phenomenon is happening" Dag said, inviting Karl to take notes on his book.


    When they went down the hill, they found themselves in front of a very long straight path, which crossed cultivated fields.


    "There''s not even a shadow of a house nearby" Karl said, looking at the view in front of them.


    "There are trees down there. We''re going to camp there. We avoid sleeping on the fields, we may annoy some farmers" Dag said, continuing to ride along the trail.

 125 CXXV. The Whea

    Although it was a very long road, torches were seen fixed in the ground hundreds of meters away, elements that allowed Dag and the others to understand that those camps were not abandoned, albeit isolated from the dwellings.


    They deviated from the main path, heading for the grove mentioned earlier by Dag, next to which there was a well.


    "Perhaps that is still working. That would be good news as our water supplies are running out" Dag continued, pointing to the well.


    Fortunately, he was right.


    The well was operating normally and the three travelers took advantage of it to wash and fill their bottles with fresh, clean water.


    Then they stopped in the trees of the small wood.


    They looked like fruit trees and Karl did not hesitate to detach an apple from a branch of them.


    "It seems that the Gods are finally helping us! This apple is really sweet and juicy!" he exclaimed, his mouth full.


    Dag and Reidar laughed.


    This time they didn''t light the bonfire. Kvete''s temperature was decidedly milder and the fire could only attract the attention of some peasant who could mistake them for bandits.


    When all three finished eating the supplies and fruits of the trees, Karl approached Reidar to check on his wounds.


    "You''re a really good healer, Karl" Reidar said, complimenting him.


    Dag looked at his companions, glad they were becoming friends.


    "Nah¡­ I think I still have a lot to learn. I just know how to use some grass, that''s all" Karl replied, shyly.


    Reidar''s superficial wounds were almost completely healed. The one on his right shoulder, deeper than the others, was still half-open and Karl medicated it and cleaned it, changing the bandage.


    Dag lay on the ground, with his leather bag under his head, as he usually did.


    As his companions fell asleep like stones, with a light warm wind gently caressing them, Dag stood with his eyes open and his eyes turned to the night sky.


    Among the few trees in that grove, an upward opening allowed to observe the stars, which shone brightly and illuminated the leaves of the vegetation.


    ...


    "Now come with me, let''s start again, you and me"


    "I want to travel, while I''ll keep loving you infinitely"


    ...


    Dag thought of Freydis. The illusion in which he was trapped in the FossilWood Forest seemed real.


    Her perfect body, her voice warm and passionate. She was his inspiring muse.


    He wanted to get stronger, he wanted to find out more about his past, he wanted to reunite the Clans and become one of the most famous warriors on the planet... and for what?


    He was doing it for her too so that he could meet her again and finally be able to stay by her side forever.


    With the image of Freydis holding his face between her hands, Dag fell asleep like a child.


    When he opened his eyes again, it was daytime.


    The Sun illuminated the wheat fields, which could be seen among the branches of the trees of the wood in which they had taken refuge.


    "Wake up, guys" he said, stretching and rising from the ground.


    For the first time since they left Temple Of Orn, they had spent a whole night without waking up and finally began to feel the benefits of sleep on their muscles.


    When Dag and Reidar also got up, they left immediately, curious to visit the Kvete region.


    The Sun just rose in the sky, warmed their skin, as they rode toward the main path.


    "I think we popped up a little too far west of the coast" Dag said, pausing to look toward the horizon.


    "Yes, perhaps you''re right, Captain. I can''t see the sea from here either" Reidar said.


    "I don''t understand what the haste is. With no giant animals ready to tear us apart, we''ll have plenty of time to get to the east side of the region, am I wrong?" asked Karl, ironically.


    "Haha! Yes. I think you''re right, brother" Dag replied, continuing to ride.


    After about an hour, they completely crossed only one of the many cornfields in front of them.


    That valley never seemed to end.


    In the distance, they saw a small cluster of houses, which interrupted the monotony of those landscapes.


    "Let''s go to those houses. Maybe farmers can point us to a faster way to get to Tyven" Dag said.


    As they rode slowly toward the small village, they heard screams coming from that direction.


    "Did you hear that?" asked Dag.


    Karl and Reidar confirmed and accelerated the pace.


    The three horses began to run and in a short time, Dag and his companions reached their destination.


    Just before entering the village, on the ground, among the ears of wheat, they saw corpses. From the blood around them, they seemed to have recently been killed.


    Dag pulled Aslan, who started running again and entered the village.


    A hut next to them was half destroyed and in front of its entrance, a bleeding and dying man was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall.


    Dag immediately got off the horse and approached him.


    "What happened here?!" he asked, grabbing the face of the stunned man.


    "Warriors? Are you warriors?" he asked, with a thread of a voice.


    "Yes, we are. What happened, who reduced you like that?!" continued Dag.


    "Bandits... that... that way..." continued the man, pointing his finger at another hut and exhaling his last breath.


    Karl approached him and touched his neck, trying to hear his beats.


    "He''s gone" he said, looking at Dag, who turned to the hut indicated by the man.


    After all three of them tied their horses sideways to the hut, they began to sneaky approach the enemies, trying to make as little noise as possible.


    On the other side, the door of another house opened: a man walked out of it, running away in a panic.


    "Aaagh! Nooo! Have pity on me!" he cried, looking back.


    From inside his home, a tomahawk flew, hitting him behind the back, killing him instantly.

 126 CXXVI. Back To Back

    A second man came out of the door, but he looked different from the village peasants.


    He was wearing armor and a helmet with horns.


    He was a warrior, surely one of the bandits the farmer who had died just before reported.


    The enemy warrior looked toward Dag and his companions.


    "And who the fuck are you?" he said arrogantly.


    Dag did not answer, while Reidar and Karl stood still behind him, wielding their weapons.


    The enemy lowered himself towards the man''s corpse and detached his tomahawk from his torn back.


    "I asked you a question, kids," the man continued, as other enemy warriors encircled Dag and his companions, popping out of nowhere.


    They were about ten bandits, some with heavy weapons and armor, two of them with a bow.


    The two enemy archers loaded the arrows at the three comrades, who remained still, back to back, ready to face the group of enemies.


    Dag pulled out the hammer.


    "That''s a pretty good weapon, kid. I think it would be better in my hands!" chuckled the tomahawk-confident warrior.


    "Why don''t you come and get it, fat-ass?" replied Dag, with a mocking smile on his face.


    "Captain, there are two archers ready to fire" Reidar whispered.


    "I know. Karl, get the shield ready. Reidar will do the rest" Dag replied softly.


    The warrior approached Dag, walking slowly.


    "What did you say, kid?" he asked.


    "I said ''come get it, fat shit''" Dag replied, mocking his opponent.


    The enemy warrior charged towards Dag, furious.


    He immediately tried to hit him with the tomahawk, with a slow and powerful shot.


    "Now!" said Dag, who moved sideways, detaching himself from his teammates and dodging the predictable blow.


    Reidar immediately charged an arrow and fired it at one of the two archers, hitting him on the forehead.


    The man fell to the ground lifeless.


    The other seven enemy warriors began to run towards them.


    The second archer fired the arrow he had loaded toward Reidar, but Karl raised his chrome shield, parrying the blow.


    Reidar crouched behind his companion''s shield and charged another arrow.


    Meanwhile, Dag hit the enemy warrior with a hammer behind his back, causing him to fall forward, toward Karl.


    He saw the enemy just hit, with the shield still high above Reidar, raised his foot and hit Dag''s opponent in the face, knocking him to the ground unconscious.


    Dag looked at Karl and smiled at him after teamwork.


    A few seconds passed before Reidar fired the second arrow at the archer, hitting him in the middle of the chest.


    After unbalanced, the enemy archer also fired his arrow, which hit one of his allies behind his back, killing him.


    Within seconds, Dag and his comrades had already killed three enemies.


    The warriors that were charging stopped, frightened. They raised their weapons forward to protect themselves from Karl, Reidar, and Dag.


    The captain stood in front of the other two, with the hammer in his hand, angrily watching the five remaining enemies.


    "What are you doing here?!" asked Dag again.


    The men did not answer and two of them charged towards him.


    Before they could get too close, Dag threw his hammer, which remained attached to his arm with the black fluid, generated almost instantly.


    Karl and Reidar looked on in amazement at Dag, ready to help him if he needed it.


    Magni''s hammer struck the first enemy on his temples, shattering his head: soon after, Dag waved his arm and the hammer moved accordingly, with the dynamics of a whip, also hitting the second enemy.


    He tried to parry the blow by raising his sword, but the hammer struck his hand, fracturing his knuckles, which bled profusely.


    As the man screamed in pain, kneeling on the ground, Dag slowly approached him.


    The other three enemies retreated further.


    "Why are you here?" asked Dag, grabbing the kneeling man by the hair, who had now lost the use of his hands.


    "We wanted to rob these peasants! We are Vikings, this is our nature! We killed their children and raped their wives, you came too late! Hahahaha!" the man laughed sadistically, knowing that he had signed his sentence with those words.


    Dag didn''t say anything else.


    He raised the man''s head upwards and pointed the hammer''s head at it.


    The weapon was still soaked with the brain pieces of the previously killed enemy, which dripped on the face of the kneeling man.


    "It''s late now..." continued the man with a thread of voice, when Dag dropped the hammer on his face, fracturing his nose.


    He raised the weapon and struck him repeatedly, to the point of creating a groove in his skull and making his face shapeless and bloodied.


    Karl and Reidar, despite being used to seeing their captain fight, had never witnessed such a show of violence, and while Dag repeatedly struck the man, they turned to the other side, not to witness the scene, even though the sound of the skull cracking under the hammer echoed in their ears.


    Dag left the now disfigured man''s hair, who fell to the ground lifeless, in a pool of blood, which soiled Dag''s boots.


    "Who the fuck are you?!" asked one of the remaining three enemies, looking frightenedly at Dag, who looked up at them.


    "I''m someone who hates rapists" Dag replied, forward.


    The three men as Dag moved one foot forward, fled in a panic.


    "Captain..." Reidar said.


    "I can''t stand it. I can''t stand that kind of thing. The true nature of the Vikings... are we not human beings before we are Vikings? I am as Viking as they are, yet I have never raped a woman in my life" Dag continued, shrugging off the remains of the man with his skull destroyed.


    Karl and Reidar remained silent and nodded to those words, understanding why Dag''s sudden anger.


    "Let''s see if there are any survivors, Dag?" asked Karl, to break the silence.


    "Yes. We check the huts" he replied.


    They could hear a pin drop among the peasants'' homes and there were dozens of corpses scattered around.

 127 CXXVII. Two Old Men

    Reidar saw a woman crawling to the ground in front of the entrance to a hut and rushed towards her, calling his companions.


    "Karl! There is a wounded woman, she needs help!"


    "It''s too late for me now" the woman said, showing Reidar a huge cut in her stomach.


    "That way..." whispered the woman, in a voice so low that Reidar had to approach her mouth to hear.


    When Karl lowered himself towards her, there was nothing left to do.


    "She said to look that way" Reidar told his teammates, pointing to a nearby hut that had remained more or less intact.


    Dag approached the door slowly, trying to hear the noises coming from inside, nodding to his companions with his hand, to keep them silent.


    "Shhh! Silence! The bandits are still here!"


    It was a female voice.


    "Don''t be afraid! The bandits are gone. We are warriors of the Hammers Of Thor Clan. It''s all over" Dag said aloud, so everyone could hear him.


    Then he quickly opened the door, stepping back.


    When the three companions looked inside the hut, a group of about 20 people huddled on the floor looked at them with terrified eyes.


    4 women, 2 old men, and many children.


    "Did you kill all the bandits?" a woman asked, clutching a newborn baby on her chest.


    "Some of them managed to escape. But you''re safe, don''t worry" Dag replied, entering the hut to reassure survivors.


    After everyone calmed down, they came out of their hiding place to thank Dag and his companions.


    Karl said some of them had been slightly injured in the rush.


    "Thank you... thank you very much! Where are you from? I''ve never seen warriors like you around here" said one woman.


    "Are you from Hevnen?" asked an elderly gentleman.


    "No, we come from much farther. From Mount Torden to be exact, near Jernhest" Reidar said.


    "To the Gods! You traveled a lot then! You will be exhausted!" said one woman, who walked inside the hut.


    "And what brings you here to the Kvete region?" the old man asked again.


    "We are explorers of our Clan and we are headed to the village of Tyven" Dag said.


    "I don''t understand what can ever lead young and strong warriors like you to such an insignificant village, but... I''m going to avoid asking for more questions. This old man thanks you for saving his people, or at least a part of them" the man continued, showing his gratitude.


    "Jernhest warriors! Come in!" said the woman who had entered the hut towards Dag and the others.


    Without having it repeated twice, they pandered to it.


    Within minutes, the woman, helped by another young woman and children, had set up a whole table of delicious hot dishes.


    "Unfortunately, we don''t have much to offer you. I''d be glad if you accepted this meal as a thank you for saving us!" she continued, bowing her head toward the three adventurers, out of respect.


    The young woman and the children did the same.


    "We thank you infinitely for your kindness. We welcome your gift, provided that you eat with us!" replied Dag, smiling.


    Meanwhile, Karl stared at the young girl next to the lady.


    She had two large blue eyes, and blonde hair sticking out of the fabric hat she was wearing.


    When she looked back, Karl looked elsewhere, intimidated.


    When everyone sat around the table, a serene air was breathed, despite the tragic event that had struck that village of humble peasants, visible just outside the door.


    Karl and the young girl kept watching each other as they ate.


    "What is the quickest way to get to Tyven? From here you can''t even see the coast and we know that the village is right there, to the north" Dag asked, trying to get information useful for his purposes.


    The other elderly man stroked his long beard and replied: "It may seem distant, but actually, the coast is only a few hours away from here. There are hills after this village... immediately after there is the sea".


    "I believe that with your steeds, you will arrive at your destination in less than two days" said the other old man.


    Dag looked at him in amazement.


    "Yes, we saw you coming, just before we hid in here" he continued.


    As Karl continued to watch the girl sitting at the table in front of him, Dag noticed the exchange of glances between the two.


    "Karl, why don''t you go take a look at the horses out here?" he said, winking at Karl as if he wanted to help him approach the young woman.


    "Of course, Dag. I''m going right away" Karl said with a smile, as he got up from the table and walked out the door, looking behind him, to make sure the girl followed his movements.


    As Dag and Reidar continued to talk to the peasants, Dag saw the girl get up, whisper something in the adult woman''s ear, and walk out the door.


    Then the woman looked at Dag, smiling.


    Dag smiled again, real posing that the woman, who may have been the girl''s mother, had approved of what was about to happen.


    "What do you know about Vegard, the blacksmith?" asked Dag to the two men, who as soon as they heard that name, stopped drinking and eating.


    "Many great warriors have ventured into our region in search of this blacksmith, but no one has ever been able to find him" said one.


    "Legends tells that every time the Blacksmith forges a new weapon, a famine strikes our lands. The Gods punish Kvete''s lands because of him" added the other.


    "Do you believe it or not? To be scared at the idea of divine punishment, does that mean you think Vegard really exists, right?" replied Dag.


    The two old men looked into each other''s eyes.


    One of them sighed: "None of us have ever met him. We have experienced several famines in recent years and we don''t want it to happen again. Please don''t go looking for him".

 128 CXXVIII. Over The Hill

    "Why do you think Kvete lands'' cold streaks and Vegard''s forge are connected?" interrupted Reidar, intruding into the conversation.


    "It is said that Vegard''s weapons are not mere weapons. To forge them, you need more than just steel. The blacksmith uses the vital energy of our fields, of our plants, preventing them from growing" said one of the two men, drinking mead.


    "My grandfather said that many years ago, before this village existed, Kvete was the greenest region on the planet, there were trees everywhere, it was a boundless forest. Then the blacksmith chose to take refuge here and since then everything changed and the peasants of the region were forced to cut down the dying trees to plant the wheat, which needs fewer resources to grow... but it produces less profit" said the other old man.


    "Throughout two generations, as affluent traders, we have become poor farmers without resources" he continued.


    Dag and Reidar looked at each other, imagining the discomfort those people felt and their refusal to change the way they saw things.


    The legends of Vegard and the evil he had brought to Kvete, had been inculcated to them for generations, would not have changed after the words of an inexperienced young warrior like Dag.


    He and Reidar avoided going on with the conversation and simply finished the meal and drank the homemade mead.


    After about half an hour, Karl returned to the hut and went to sit next to his companions.


    "Hey brother! What happened to your hair?" chuckled Dag, putting a hand on Karl''s shoulder.


    He had completely messy hair, flushed lips and the shirt he was wearing under the leather suit of the armor was half out of his pants.


    Karl laughed, embarrassed in front of his companions.


    About ten minutes passed, before the girl entered the hut, without her hat, with her long blonde hair loose.


    Karl looked toward the table, embarrassed, as she walked toward the woman sitting at the head of the table and sat next to her.


    Dag continued to pat Karl over his shoulder, proudly.


    He filled him with a glass of mead and made a toast in his honor with Reidar.


    By the time everyone finished eating, it was afternoon and the Sun was about to set behind the hills on the horizon.


    Reidar and Dag sat at the table, with a map of the region in front of them, trying to locate the small village in which they were staying.


    Clearly, it did not appear on the map, of a much larger scale.


    After receiving advice from the two old men in the village, Dag and Reidar were ready to leave.


    Karl didn''t seem intent on leaving.


    The three friends came out of the hut, to speak in private.


    "That girl really hit you, huh?" asked Dag to Karl, imagining what had happened that morning.


    "Her name is Agnes... It''s a beautiful name, isn''t it?" replied Karl, looking towards the hut with an expression off into space.


    Dag and Reidar looked puzzled at each other.


    "Yes, that''s a nice name" Reidar said.


    "Her skin was as smooth as the most refined leather and her big, firm breasts like two big pulpy fruits" Karl continued, fantasizing.


    "Hahaha! Then it worked! Did you fuck her?" asked Dag, curiously.


    Karl blushed. He then turned out to his two friends and nodded his head, confirming Dag''s hypothesis.


    He and Reidar burst out laughing.


    "It never happened to you, did it Karl?" asked Reidar, teasing his comrade.


    Karl looked downwards, shyly.


    "You know we have a mission to accomplish, brother. Once we get to Tyven, before we head to Hevnen we can pass here one last time if you like" Dag continued.


    "It was the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me! I didn''t think sex could be so beautiful! I thought fighting was satisfying, but that body... why fight when you could always have sex?!" replied Karl, gassed by his new experience.


    "Hahaha! You''re right! I''d love that too" Reidar chuckled, sharing Karl''s enthusiasm.


    "All right, Dag. We can leave anytime. Agnes and I will see each other again, I''m sure. And next time, I''m going to ask her to come with me to Jernhest. I don''t think her mother has anything to do with it" Karl continued.


    Dag nodded his head.


    Just then, he heard a sound coming from hundreds of feet away.


    It was a horse''s nitrite.


    "Wild horses? The farmers didn''t tell us there were wild animals in the cultivated fields" he said, looking around, trying to pinpoint the source of that noise.


    "What are you talking about, Dag?" asked Karl, who tried to look in his direction, not seeing anything.


    "I heard the nitrite of a horse. I suppose he must have a knight, too. It came that way" Dag continued, pointing his finger at the top of a hill adjacent to the village.


    "It''s true! Someone''s there! Look up there!" confirmed Reidar.


    On the hill, a man on horseback was spying on them. As soon as he noticed that Dag and his companions had discovered him, he turned the other way, moving away quickly.


    Within seconds, he vanished behind the headland, descending from the opposite side to the one facing the village.


    "I think he was one of those bandits we let go, Captain!" said Reidar, who would be ready to chase him and kill him instantly.


    "I think you''re right. But where is he going?" said Dag, squinting to focus.


    "I don''t like this. If we leave this village, the bandits could attack it again and this time there would be no escape for these poor people" Karl said, drawing the attention of the other two fellows.


    "That''s true. We can''t leave them like this... not after their hospitality. Those bandits were bad fighters, I''m sure we could defeat them even with our eyes closed" said Dag, self-confident.


    Karl approached his captain and looked him in the eye.


    "If anything happened to Agnes I would never forgive myself. I beg you, Dag. This time it''s me proposing a detour" he said, in a serious tone.

 129 CXXIX. The Protection

    Just then, from the hut behind them, they all came out.


    One of the old men said something to his people, pointing to the corpses that were still on the ground. They were probably organizing to bury them.


    Then he approached Dag, who put a hand on the man''s shoulder and together they walked away to speak, on the sidelines.


    "We spotted a man on horseback. He was spying on us from the top of that hill. We think he could be one of the bandits who managed to escape" Dag said.


    The old man looked at him with a worried expression, without saying anything, as if waiting for words of comfort to come out of Dag''s mouth, which sighed before continuing.


    "Perhaps it would be better to try to pinpoint the origin of the bandit raids that periodically come to plunder your village. I think as soon as the darkness falls, we''re going to get out of them" he continued.


    The old man''s eyes lit up with hope.


    "Son, I don''t know you, nor do I know your friends. But you''ve already managed to save us once... If you could eliminate the scourge that has plagued us for months, we would be grateful for it for the rest of our lives. I will sing your names until I''ll have breath in my lungs and everyone will know the strength and goodness of Dag of Jernhest, the liberator" he said.


    Dag smiled. The man''s words were sincere, he could read it in his eyes.


    "If I had the necessary strength, I would have come with you and killed those bastards, to the last. All the young men among us died, the bandits killed them first, thus eliminating the defenses of our small village. I don''t know how many are and where they are established, but I think it''s not far from here, judging by the frequency of the latest attacks" the old man continued.


    "Kjetil".


    A female voice interrupted the conversation.


    Dag and the old man turned around: Agnes was behind them and Karl was next to her.


    "Dag, I think Agnes has some information that might come in handy" he said.


    "Tell me, Agnes. I''m listening" Dag replied.


    "I heard the bandits talk to each other once. I hid inside a closet in my house and they came in. Fortunately, they could not find me, but I was able to listen carefully to their words. They talked about someone called ''Kjetil'', saying that the women in our village were too old and ugly to satisfy him" she said, shyly.


    "Are you saying their boss is looking for a young woman to satiate his sexual appetites?" asked Dag.


    Reidar, too, approached to listen to the conversation, which was no longer private.


    "Yes, I think so. They talked about how displeased he was and the punishment they would receive by not bringing to their boss what he had specifically asked for. That time I thought I''d turn myself over to them, thus avoiding further bloodshed... but I couldn''t... I didn''t have the courage!" the young woman continued, resting her hands on her face and beginning to cry.


    Karl hugged her, trying to console her and looked at Dag.


    He nodded with determination.


    "Tonight we will go up the hill and identify their settlement. We need to know how many they are and what types of weapons they use. Only after assessing the risk, we will kill them and they''ll never harm you again, this is a promise!" exclaimed Dag, definitively winning the trust of the surviving peasants of the village.


    After thanking him, Agnes and the old man returned to the hut to explain Dag''s plan to their fellow villagers.


    "How are we going to be able to not be seen by them?" asked Reidar, who had remained silent until then.


    "Certainly the night will be our most precious ally. Look at that, the point where we spotted the spy. There are no torches on the ground, not even a trail. If their camp is as close as I think, we''re just going to have to watch out the bandits who will be on guard. We will move stealthily as long as we can" Dag said.


    "Then you''d better take off the pieces of metal armor, which are the loudest" Karl interjected.


    "Yes, that''s right. We''ll have to be quiet. In order not to risk, we will go there on foot, leaving the horses safe here. That Kjetil... he''s our target. If they are just bandits, without a leader they will never know what to do and they will go back to where they came from" Dag continued, explaining the plan to his companions.


    Karl and Reidar nodded, ready to follow Dag''s orders.


    Soon after, Karl separated from them and entered the hut.


    Dag and Reidar went to the horses, to feed and quench them.


    After a few hours, the sky began to darken and gloom enveloped the hills surrounding the village.


    Karl came out of the hut and walked to his companions.


    When he got in front of Dag, he pulled a flask of magenta blood from his pocket, showing it to his captain.


    "The other blood is infused. Agnes will make sure it stays in a dry place so that the reaction with the seeds of the Crimson Tooth takes place. Better you keep this, Dag. We could use it if in danger" Karl said.


    Dag took the flask of blood and tucked it into his pocket, without adding a word, proud of his partner''s thoughtfulness.


    After making sure they could move without making excessive noise, the three friends made their way to the hill, while the village farmers watched them fearfully.


    Karl looked at Agnes with a sad expression.


    "Don''t worry mate, you''ll see her again in a few hours" Reidar whispered, approaching him.


    Karl answered with a smile.


    As they climbed the hill, the grass became taller and the vegetation thicker.


    There were no trees on the slopes, only large bushes from whose branches hung large orange berries.

 130 CXXX. The Wagon

    Being the steep climb, the three explorers were able to reach the summit, hiding in a small grove of sturdy and squat trees.


    They crouched down and continued compact, Dag and Reidar forward and Karl further back.


    As Dag predicted, there were guards.


    Three men with torches stood still, about a hundred yards from each other.


    Behind them, the descent continued, until it reached a small but high wooden palisade.


    "Behind those wooden walls must be the operating base of those bastards" Dag whispered, turning to his friends so as not to disperse his voice.


    They approached a few more meters, remaining hidden in the vegetation.


    Behind the fence, Dag spotted two roofs and a chimney, throwing out white smoke.


    "There are only two houses behind those walls and they don''t look very big. I don''t think there are more than 20 men inside. Including the guards, they should be about 25" Dag continued.


    As he turned to the enemy village, Dag noticed that a man was heading towards it, over a large wagon pulled by two battered horses.


    "What the fuck is he doing?" asked Karl, observing the scene.


    "Perhaps he is bringing supplies to the village. He must be one of them" Reidar replied softly.


    Dag turned again to his companions, looking at them in the eye.


    "Are you thinking what I think?" he asked wryly.


    Reidar hinted at a smile as Karl tried to figure out what Dag was referring to.


    "We will remain camped here until that wagon leaves again. We will follow it and use it to safely overcome that fence and kill the bandits'' leader" Dag said, detailing the new plan to his teammates.


    The three adventurers spent the night on the hill, among the branches of the dense vegetation on its summit, useful to hide them and to insulate them from the cold wind of the night.


    When dawn came, Reidar woke Dag, touching his shoulder.


    He rose in shock, believing they were under attack.


    Reidar nodded his hand, urging him to crouch down so as not to be seen.


    "The wagon has departed, Captain" he said, pointing Dag the chariot that had just left the enemy village.


    This time there were two men on it and the horses seemed to have a lot less trouble dragging it: it had to be empty, they were going to get some supplies.


    Dag and Reidar woke Karl up, making sure he didn''t make too much noise.


    The three guards were no longer guarding the village and the Sun was about to rise.


    Taking advantage of the silence of dawn and the faint chirping of birds flying into the valley, Dag and his companions quickly descended the hill, heading for the wagon.


    "We keep our distance. The wagon is moving slowly... at this rate, we will be able to keep up with it without being noticed" Dag said, suggesting his companions to hide if the two bandits driving the wagon should notice their presence.


    The two bandits on the wagon spoke to each other as they shook the bridles of the horses.


    They came even closer to the coast and Dag and his companions were forced to divert to a second hill, due to the poor vegetation of the stretch closest to the sea.


    The other hill was like the first one and the three adventurers managed to overcome it with an eye on the chariot, whose speed remained constant.


    "Who knows where they''re going... perhaps in another country?" asked Reidar, imagining what the two bandits'' destination might be.


    "I doubt it, Reidar. If they are bandits as they seem, entering a country means attracting the attention of the guards and being outnumbered. I don''t think they want to be caught, they''re not that stupid" Dag said, never looking away from their objective.


    After about half an hour, the wagon stopped in a clearing, having swerved inland.


    It was a space surrounded by trees, which allowed the young warriors to hide easily, in order to observe the movements of the two men, who were more than a hundred meters away from them.


    The bandits got out of the wagon and one of them opened the rear doors, entering the wagon.


    He came out soon after with two axes in his hand.


    He gave one to his companion and together they headed for a large nearby tree, with a slender and resistant trunk.


    One at a time, they repeatedly hit the trunk, coordinating.


    Within minutes, the trunk detached from the roots and fell to the ground, emitting a thud and making all the insects and nested birds in the adjacent vegetation fly away.


    The two men continued to hit the trunk, removing the protruding branches and cutting it into so many smaller pieces.


    "They''re just lumberjacks! They''re going to bring that wood to their village... maybe they''re going to expand!" whispered Dag to his friends.


    "It''s better this way... with those two hatchets, they won''t be able to stop us" Reidar said, pulling out his bow.


    "I think killing them is the only solution..." thought aloud Dag, who for a moment softened by the appearance of those two lumberjacks.


    They looked like two helpless men, laughing and joking with each other... but being part of that group of bandits, they certainly weren''t.


    "I will now get up and walk towards them, saying that I am lost. Reidar, when you can aim one of them, hit him and I''m going to trap the other. We need more information before we launch the attack" Dag continued, explaining the plan to his teammates.


    Reidar nodded and Karl tried to hide better among the shrubs.


    As planned, Dag rose from his hiding place, pretending to walk in that direction by accident.


    With a bewildered air, as he looked around, one of the two lumberjacks noticed his presence and both bandits immediately stopped cutting wood, pointing their weapons at Dag.


    He raised his hands: "H... Hi!"


    "And¡­ who are you?! What are you doing here?!" one of them asked, while the other looked at him with an angry air.

 131 CXXXI. The Intimidation

    "I... I was near the coast when I fell off my horse, which escaped away. I don''t know this region, I''m from Hevnen... I was headed to Tyven to propose a deal to one of their armor dealers" Dag continued timidly, his voice trembling and frightened.


    "Why did you fall off your horse?" the other bandit asked, approaching him with the axe pointed at his head.


    "I''ve been traveling continuously since last night, I haven''t slept much and... fatigue took over, making me lose my grip on the bridle. As soon as my horse saw me on the ground, he ran off like a splinter in the other direction. I heard the sound of a tree falling to the ground and I thought I could find someone who could help me..."


    "What about that hammer? Are you a Hevnen warrior?" the bandit continued, scrutinizing Dag with circumspection.


    "No, no! I''m just an emissary of theirs. This is a weapon they have given me so that I can defend myself in case of need" Dag continued, his hands pointed forward, in a sign of surrender.


    The two bandits lowered their axes and approached Dag, who stood still in the same position, with his hands still pointed at them.


    "Well, this favor you''re asking you will cost you a lot of money! Hahaha" chuckled one of them.


    "I have a lot of money with me... you will have them all if you help me!"


    When the two men were closer, one of them stopped, staring intently at the details of Dag''s leather jacket.


    "Wait a minute. That symbol... I''ve seen it before! This man is lying, he''s not coming from Hevnen!" he exclaimed, touching his companion on the shoulder, to prevent him from advancing further.


    "Reidar!" yelled Dag.


    An arrow flew at great speed next to Dag, grazing his shoulder and hitting the bandit closest to him in the head, killing him instantly.


    As soon as the other saw the scene, he began to run away from the other side.


    Dag, who still had his hands pointed forward, clenched his fists in front of him, activating one of the last skills he had learned: Shockwave.


    The bandit, after being hit by the shockwave, flew a few meters, slamming his back against the wagon and falling to the ground in pain.


    Reidar and Karl came out of their hiding place and reached Dag, who slowly approached the man.


    He tried to get up, but the blow to his back did not allow him to do it quickly.


    "What do you want? I didn''t do anything... I''m just a lumberjack!" he exclaimed, pointing his hands openly at Dag, pleading for mercy.


    "Until a few seconds ago, you were pointing an axe at my head. The situation reversed in less than a minute... how weird, ah?" said Dag, pulling out the hammer.


    The man swallowed empty, terrified of the three warriors in front of him.


    "The wood you were cutting... what''s the point?" continued Dag.


    "What do you think all this wood is for, stupid?!" replied the man with insolence.


    Dag grabbed him by the neck, causing him to stand up.


    Then he pushed it violently and the bandit slammed back into the wagon, screaming in pain and falling to the ground.


    "Mmmh... I think something has broken now" Dag continued, demonstrating his physical superiority to the bandit.


    "The wood is used to build houses" the man said, as he writhed on the ground.


    "For whom? Are other fucking bandits like you coming to your village?" continued Dag.


    "We were starting to get too tight and piled up in the two huts that are there now..." continued the lumberjack.


    "Where would you have left the wood? I need to know the precise point".


    "If I told you, you''d kill me soon after".


    "Reidar" Dag said.


    Reidar loaded another arrow on his bow.


    "Who tells you I won''t kill you anyway?" he continued.


    "Aaagh no! Please! The warehouse... there is... there is a stone warehouse! It is located next to the house with the fireplace, you can''t go wrong! My friend and I would go back to the village and pile the wood collected in that warehouse... it''s the truth!" confessed the bandit.


    "Well, now it''s better. How many warriors are in there? I want the exact number, including the guards who stay out of the box" Dag continued, in an intimidating tone.


    "What are you going to do? You''re never going to be able to kick us out of our camp! You don''t know Kjetil... he''s going to kill all three of you before you know it... hahahah... *cough*cough*" chuckled the bandit, coughing.


    Dag looked toward Reidar, who held out his bow again, pointing the arrow at the enemy''s head.


    "I have a wife and a son... they are far from here. I wanted to get some money so I could feed my family... Do you really want to leave a child without a father?" asked the bandit, trying to soften Dag, who sneered at him, inches from his face.


    "Near your camp, there is a village... a small village of farmers... Do you know it?" he said, looking him in the eye.


    The man looked away, lowering his head downwards, without answering the question.


    "Your comrades have raped and killed innocent women and children... and with them, even those who tried to protect them. How dare you, scum, talk about ''family''?! You don''t know what that word means!" yelled Dag, punching the wagon behind the man, causing him to jump.


    The two looked at each other in the eye again.


    "16 warriors and 3 guards, who change periodically, in turns¡­ I don''t know anything else, I arrived a short time ago at the camp" said the man, with tears in his eyes.


    Dag stood up, without saying a word, and walked toward Reidar.


    He took the arrow he had loaded and moved back to the man.


    "Get up. I''m not going to kill you, I''m not shit like you" he said, urging the man to stand on his feet.

 132 CXXXII. The Disguise

    The man obeyed, frightened and with a sore back.


    "Take off your clothes and undress your partner too" Dag continued, in a stern tone, turning the arrow between his fingers.


    The bandit approached his companion''s body and stripped him, leaving only his underwear.


    Then he returned to Dag and undressed in front of him.


    He left his and his companion''s clothes on the ground, in front of his feet.


    They were filthy white shirts, yellowed because of sweat and normal leather pants, similar to those Dag and his companions wore.


    "Can I go now?" the man asked, feeling shame and contempt for Dag, who came even closer to him, climbing over his clothes on the ground.


    As he looked into his eyes, he violently thrust the arrow into his testicles, causing the bandit to scream in pain.


    Blood poured down his legs, all the way to the ground.


    Reidar and Karl were shocked to see the scene.


    "Aaagh! You, Bastard! Aaagh!" the man continued to scream, as Dag turned the arrow inside his flesh, piercing his scrotum and penis.


    He then pulled out the arrow forcefully and pushed the man away with a kick.


    "You will live the rest of your life thinking about this day. You will no longer be able to enjoy the carnal pleasures, with your wife and every other woman on this planet. And you won''t be able to have children anymore. Yes, you can go now" Dag said, in a sadistic tone, approaching Reidar with the bloody arrow.


    "Reidar, take your aim again and wait for my order" he whispered in his ear.


    Reidar executed and pointed at the man the same arrow that had narrowed him down just before.


    Dag turned again to the bandit: "So? What are you waiting for? Run away! Run as fast as you can, son of a bitch!"


    The man got up and fell to the ground several times, before being able to run with his legs crossed in pain.


    Half naked and emasculated, he slowly disappeared into the trees of the forest.


    Dag turned to his companions, who were astounded.


    "I told you. I hate rapers. This man dared to speak to me about family, as he contributed every day to the progress of the village of the bandits, who do nothing but kill every innocent they find around, even just for fun. He deserved a punishment worse than death... If he can''t bear his life anymore, he''ll commit suicide himself" Dag said, justifying his gesture to Reidar and Karl, who kept staring at him.


    Reidar put the bloody arrow in the quiver because even though it was dirty, it was still usable and then he pretended nothing, grabbing the clothes from the ground and heading with Dag to the wagon.


    Karl was still shocked. He was still realizing what had happened: Dag really cared about family. Just talking about honor, love, children... makes him mad.


    He was indeed a determined man with strong principles, a true leader.


    After recovering, he too approached his companions, listening to the rest of the plan.


    "Karl and I will wear these clothes, while you, Reidar, will be locked inside the wagon. In this way, we''ll be able to catch the bandits by surprise and with a little luck, we will kill Kjetil before his time" Dag said.


    "We must hope that in that village they do not know these two lumberjacks well... otherwise they will understand our plan as soon as they look us in the face" Reidar said, looking at the bandit''s corpse.


    "They were not warriors, I hope that man told us the truth. They arrived at the bandits'' camp not so long ago. But surely, attentive eyes would immediately discover our plan... we have to be fast and keep a low profile until we finally get in" Dag continued, grabbing one of the two shirts from Reidar''s hands.


    "This is blood-soaked. We will use the fabric of one of the pants to cover the stains as if it was a cape. It should work" Dag replied.


    He and Reidar wore the bandits'' clothes and ripped off one of their pants, making it cover the stained part of the white shirt.


    "It really looks like a cloak! I think the guards won''t pay too much attention to us" said Karl, hopeful.


    "When we''ll be close enough to them, we will pretend to speak to each other, so as not to show too much of our faces. The less they look us in the face, the less chance they''re going to find out the truth. Reidar will be in the wagon, ready to shoot an arrow if things get bad" Dag said, looking at Reidar, who nodded his head.


    "Before we went down the hill, I noticed that one of the three guards is slightly further away from the other two. I''m talking about the one that''s more shifted to the coast... the natural slope of that area makes the descent steeper as you approach the sea, making the third guard not fully visible from the other two" Reidar said.


    "Great observation, Reidar. What we''ll do is: we''re going to take the road closer to the coast and go through the eyes of the guard you''re talking about. If he finds out who we really are, we must kill him. But then we''ll have little time to get into the village before the other two bandits notice his disappearance" continued Dag, who touched his chin with his hand, trying to decide what was the best strategy to adopt.


    "It seems a good plan to me" said Karl, who seemed to be braver than usual.


    Perhaps having known Agnes, it had made him more determined.


    The Sun was high in the sky when the three friends set off from the clearing towards the village: Reidar was locked in the wagon, with bow and arrows ready to use, while Dag and Karl sat in front, to guide the horses.


    Dag and Karl had hidden their weapons under the wooden beam they were sitting on, which had a trunk-like indentation, that seemed perfect to hide something inside.

 133 CXXXIII. The Warehouse

    "Remember, Karl. Try to be cold and not look the guards in the face. We have to go into the village and kill Kjetil, that''s our goal" Dag said softly as the village began to appear in front of them.


    "Are you ready in there?" asked Karl, knocking on the wood of the wagon.


    "Yes! I''m on it" Reidar said.


    His voice could hardly be heard, the wood of the wagon was very sturdy.


    "There, I see the three guards" Dag said, pulling the reins of the horses, moving the wagon slightly to the left, toward the coast.


    Reidar''s observation was correct, the closer you got to the sea, the more the slope of the ground increased and the third guard was right there, guarding that side of the village.


    Dag continued to move the horses, turning his head occasionally towards Karl, pretending to talk to him.


    Karl stayed at the game and talked to Dag with a laugh, touching his shoulder.


    The wagon approached the bandit on guard, who stood still and watched Dag and Karl.


    Karl began to sweat from his forehead due to tension.


    Dag stood turned towards him, turning his back on the guard, who finally recognized the wagon and said nothing.


    He turned to the other side and began whistling as if nothing had happened.


    Dag closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Get ready, Karl... now comes the hardest part" he whispered to his partner, ensuring that also Reidar understood that the checkpoint had been passed smoothly.


    With their heads down, they entered the palisade, passing a large wooden door already open.


    In front of him, Dag immediately tried to locate the stone warehouse of which the lumberjack spoke.


    There was a big hut from which people came in and out all the time and another smaller one, next to the first one.


    The smaller hut had a stone fireplace on the roof, from which white smoke came out, similar to that of burning wood.


    Dag continued to move the horses in that direction, though he did not yet see the stone warehouse.


    "I hope that bastard didn''t lie, otherwise we''re in the shit up to our necks, without a diversion!" he thought.


    As the wagon passed in front of the larger hut, Dag saw bandits talking to a taller and robust man, who giggled with his arms folded.


    From his expression of superiority to the other men, who seemed submissive, that man must have been Kjetil.


    Dag immediately turned his head forward, laying low.


    Two men passed by the wagon, talking to each other.


    "Your idea of moving north is good! There are many more villages to be plundered in that direction... let''s propose it to Kjetil!" said one of them.


    Finally, after passing the first and second huts, Dag was able to see the stone warehouse, realizing that the lumberjack had not lied.


    He stopped the wagon before it.


    He and Karl went down, and they went into the warehouse.


    It was a small stone structure, a few meters wide with a ceiling of about 2 and a half meters high.


    "Stay here, I''ll be back soon" Dag said, approaching the wagon again.


    A man walked right there, in front of the warehouse, probably headed for Kjetil''s hut.


    "Hey you, brother! Could you tell Kjetil to join us at the warehouse for a moment? We found something very interesting as we collected the wood" Dag said in a firm voice, as he pretended to fasten the bridles of the horses pulling the wagon, his head turned towards them.


    "Uhm... yes, I''ll tell him right away" said the man, who looked confused.


    "Thank you, brother!" replied Dag, who turned to the man when he was far enough away.


    He went into the warehouse again.


    "Karl, now you''re going to sit back where we were before. After we set our trap, everyone will attack us, and I need you to throw my hammer and take your weapons. Do you understand?" asked Dag, making sure Karl didn''t panic.


    "Yes, yes. All clear, I''ll wait for your signal" he said, climbing back onto the wagon, with the horse''s bridles in his hand.


    Dag approached the wagon and said softly: "I think it worked. Maybe I''ll open the doors of the wagon, be careful".


    Reidar said nothing, but Dag assumed he understood.


    After a few minutes, Kjetil came out of the larger hut with four men around him.


    All five were armed: the four men escorting Kjetil had sword and shield, while he had a longbow behind his back.


    It looked like a high-quality weapon and caught Dag''s attention, but he tried to stay focused on the plan.


    "Then? What''s this about? Speak!" said Kjetil.


    "Chief, you have to see with your own eyes... we found a beautiful woman in the woods where we usually go to get wood and we managed to catch her. She''s beautiful and young, the most beautiful I''ve ever seen!" Dag answered.


    "What? A young woman? Hahhaha! Finally! The Gods must have listened to my prayers!" chuckled Kjetil, rubbing his hands, anticipating his prize.


    "Just be careful, okay? We managed to tie her up, but I''m afraid she broke free" Dag said, approaching the chariot doors and unhooking the opening, trying to make his story more convincing


    Then he approached the ear to the door and pretended to listen.


    "She''s right behind here, I can feel her breath!" he continued, trying to intrigue Kjetil even more, taking advantage of his weakness.


    "Wait! Get out of the way, I''ll do it! I''m sure she won''t run anywhere! Hahah!" replied the leader of the bandits, sure of himself.


    He moved to the wagon and approached his ears at the doors.


    "Hahaha! Yes! I can hear someone moving in there!" he continued, resting his big hands on the two metal handles of the wagon doors.


    "Chief... the two lumberjacks who left the village this morning were different from these two... they seemed more¡­ grown-up" said one of the bandits behind Kjetil.

 134 CXXXIV. The Ruse

    "It''s a trap! Get away from there, Chief!" yelled another of them.


    But Kjetil was already opening the doors, heedless of what his men were saying behind him.


    As soon as he opened the doors of the wagon to savor his new prey, the only thing he saw in the dim light was a figure crouching at the bottom of the wagon.


    Reidar fired an arrow into Kjetil''s neck, which fell to the ground, losing rivers of blood.


    "Aaagh! Chief!"


    "Kjetil!"


    His men panicked.


    At that moment, Dag turned to Karl, who promptly threw the hammer at him.


    It took a few seconds for Kjetil''s men to extract their weapons.


    During this short time, Reidar loaded and fired another arrow, which hit a bandit in the chest, killing him.


    Dag instead hit a man next to him in the head, without even wondering who he was.


    He was a bandit, even if unarmed, he deserved to die.


    Karl got out of the wagon with shield and tomahawk and began to fight.


    Dozens of enemy warriors ran towards them and the guards entered the village to help out.


    Some men took Kjetil from the ground and dragged him to the shelter, while he continued to squirm, running out of his last energies and bleeding to death.


    Reidar remained inside the wagon and closed one of the two doors, using it as a shelter, to cover Dag who was facing multiple enemies at the same time right in front of him.


    Karl, as soon as he got off the wagon, raised his shield and parried a sword shot, then another.


    He deflected the second shot, unbalancing his enemy, and hit him with the tomahawk on his shoulder.


    The weapon stuck in the enemy''s body, and Karl looked at the other warrior, who tried to hit him again.


    He pulled the tomahawk towards him, and the bandit hit his own ally on the head, who was dragged from the shoulder towards Karl.


    The blow was so strong that he broke his skull and all the blood splattered in Karl''s face, which slipped to the ground, blinded, leaving his tomahawk stuck in the body of the bandit who had just been killed.


    Only with the shield in his hand, he began to crawl backwards, wiping his eyes with his other hand.


    The enemy warrior continued to attack him while he was on the ground, and Karl parried the shots with the shield, but he was unable to get up.


    The bandit continued to hit Karl''s shield with fury, trying to break through his defense, but the shield was really strong and it repelled all the blows.


    When he could see again, Karl turned a moment to Dag, seeking his help.


    But Dag was in a worse situation: tens of warriors had surrounded him, and with Reidar''s help, he was killing them one by one.


    The bandit in front of Karl stopped to catch his breath and he could take advantage of him, kicking him in the ankles, unbalanced him and causing him to fall to the ground on his back.


    His tomahawk was still stuck in the other warrior''s shoulder, he wouldn''t have time to retrieve it to kill the man in front of him.


    Karl rose from the ground and hit the bandit with the shield as he tried to get up, stunning him.


    He hit him again in the jaw, causing him a lot of damage.


    On the third blow, the bandit lost his sword and his eyes began to see nothing, due to Karl''s shield blows.


    His face was disfigured: on his cheek, he had a cut so deep that let his teeth visible through it and one of his eyes was so swollen that blinded him.


    Karl placed his foot on his enemy''s chest, pushing him to the ground and put his shield on the bandit''s throat, trying to suffocate him.


    The warrior began to squirm, grabbing the shield with both hands, but he had exhausted his strength.


    Karl screamed, with tears in his eyes and the adrenaline running through his body.


    When his enemy lost consciousness, he removed his foot from his chest and placed it on the edge of the shield: after violently stomping on the shield towards the enemy''s neck, his trachea shattered and his head detached.


    Karl raised his shield again, totally bloodied, and breathed heavily.


    He had never fought like that. The fights to survive in real life were different from those of the Arena: he had to show no mercy, to kill his opponents in every way and without rules.


    With his eyes clouded by blood on his face, he approached the other corpse and detached the tomahawk from his shoulder, walking toward his comrades, after making sure there were no other enemies ready to ambush him.


    Meanwhile, Dag and Reidar had managed to kill five men but had lost sight of Kjetil''s body.


    In front of the wagon, there were ten other enemies.


    "Your boss is dead! Surrender! There''s no reason to keep fighting!" exclaimed Dag with his breath, as Karl positioned himself next to him, ready to start again.


    Dag looked at him, making sure he was safe and sound, then turned back to the group of bandits, ready for attack.


    One of them lowered his axe and stepped forward.


    "Your fellow archer hit Kjetil and now he is about to die. Relinquish him to us and we will let you out of the village without killing you" he said, addressing Dag.


    To those words, Reidar charged another arrow.


    "Your leader got the punishment he deserved for assaulting several times the farmers'' village behind that hill... for raping and killing innocent women and children" Dag said, pointing to the hill behind the village.


    "We want the archer" replied the bandit, who continued to stare at Reidar with a menacing look."


    "I see you can''t understand... I thought so. You will all die then" Dag continued, pulling the flask out of his pocket.

 135 CXXXV. The Fury

    The bandit before him looked at him with a questioning air.


    Karl sighed with relief, believing that after drinking blood, Dag would kill all their enemies with ease.


    Dag took the cap off the bottle and drank its content all in one breath.


    After just a second, he lowered his head down and began to breathe deeply.


    When he looked up at his enemies, his right eye had turned purple: the power of magenta blood was once again circling his veins.


    The bandit took his axe again, trying to hit Dag by surprise, but Reidar foresaw his move and anticipated it, hitting him with an arrow on the shoulder.


    The enemy dropped the axe to the ground, sore.


    Dag, with the hammer in his hand, began to walk towards the men.


    He looked at them intently, one at a time, activating Niva.


    They were nine warriors, lined up next to each other, and their auras ranged from blue to light-blue.


    A mocking smile appeared on Dag''s face, whose arms began to be wrapped in black liquid.


    Karl stayed soon after Dag, advancing slowly to cover his friend''s shoulders.


    Reidar stood still in his position, inside the wagon, loading another arrow.


    The bandit who had just been shot in the shoulder, after falling to the ground, grabbed Dag by the ankle, trying to stop his advance.


    Dag kicked him in the face and grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him off the ground with surprising force.


    "Are these the only horses you have?" asked Dag, looking into the eyes of the bandit he held in his hands.


    "Yes... just these" replied the bandit, frightened from Dag''s purple eye.


    After these words, Dag forcefully threw the man at the other warriors, who watched him fall to the ground without saying anything.


    "Then Kjetil is still here, somewhere in the camp. He can''t escape" Dag continued, looking around, trying to imagine where he might have been hiding.


    With their weapons in hand, they were all ready to face Dag and one of them drew a bow from behind, trying to be faster than Reidar, who immediately noticed him.


    After about a second, the enemy archer was hit by an arrow in the stomach: Reidar had once again been faster than his enemies.


    All eight remaining warriors charged toward Dag and Karl, screaming.


    Dag stood still until his enemies were close enough.


    He crossed his arms and used Earth Stomp: a gap opened in the ground about ten meters long, due to his increased powers.


    Being one of the skills he had used the most, his execution technique was almost perfect.


    Many of the men who were charging at him fell to the ground, unbalanced by the earthquake caused by Dag.


    Others managed to overcome the obstacle and continued their advance.


    A bandit equipped with an axe and a sword tried to hit Dag with a lunge, but he easily dodged the blow and counterattacked the bandit with a warhead on his forehead.


    The man took a few steps back, before falling to the ground stunned, unable to get up.


    Two other warriors came before Dag and tried to hit him with two cross-attacks, approaching each other as they ran.


    Dag raised his hammer, parrying both blades of their swords.


    The hammer emitted an electric shock, surrounded by purple sparks, and the two men were unbalanced by the shock wave.


    Karl continued to watch Dag, astonished at his incredible power: he was facing warriors who wanted to kill him... and was throwing them to the ground as if they were puppets, just by defending himself.


    Dag continued to walk slowly toward the men who had fallen to the ground after Earth Stomp, who had just risen.


    He struck one with the hammer, which continued to emit purple sparks from its stone head.


    The shot was not accurate, Dag moved his weapon without even looking, trying to make his way among the enemies, who were not his main target.


    Karl advanced, beginning to face the first bandit in front of him, trying to make himself useful.


    "Where is he? He must be here somewhere!" whispered Dag, as he walked looking around, uncaring of being surrounded by numerous enemy warriors.


    Two other of them began running towards him, trying to hit him in the back, but Dag turned around and hit one of them in the head, killing him.


    The other, however, managed to hit him with his spear on his arm, making him a cut.


    Dag looked at his arm, then looked at the bandit and held his hammer with both hands, charging Overpowered Strike.


    As soon as the hands clenched the handle of Magni''s hammer, the electricity released from it increased and completely enveloped the weapon and part of Dag''s dark arm.


    The enemy, seeing the blow he was about to receive, tried to get away as fast as possible, but Dag struck him in the chest.


    The blow emitted a huge amount of energy, making the man flying for several meters until he fell in front of Karl, who was still close to the wagon.


    He looked at the man who had just been hit by Dag.


    His body was smoldering as if he had just been struck by lightning: his mouth was open, expressing the excruciating pain he had felt before he died. His skin was burned, almost charred and in the center of his chest, at the point where he had been struck by the hammer, his flesh was torn, with a circular wound, similar to a hole.


    Karl looked up at Dag, who kept walking slowly to the larger hut, killing anyone who tried to stop him.


    Then he looked at Reidar.


    The two friends understood each other without speaking, and Reidar got off the wagon, heading with Karl to Dag.


    Before descending from his hiding place, the archer took the Red Executioner, which they had carefully hid inside the wagon and tied it behind him, as Dag used to do.

 136 CXXXVI. The Main Hu

    Three warriors rose from the ground, looking at Dag.


    Reidar and Karl took advantage of their distraction to surprise them.


    Reidar pulled out a dagger and slit the throat of one of them, who sank to the ground in a pool of blood, slaughtered.


    Karl hit the other one with the tomahawk behind his back and then violently pulled it out, killing him.


    The third warrior turned to them and tried to hit Karl, who had just pulled the axe from the bandit''s back and raised his shield to parry the blow.


    The bandit hit the shield with his sword, and when Karl managed to raise the tomahawk, he kicked his hand, disarming him.


    Reidar charged another arrow, but this time he was slower than his enemy, who had breached Karl''s defenses, which having been unbalanced, failed to properly reposition the shield.


    Just before the enemy warrior could hit him with a direct lunge into his stomach, his head shattered into a thousand pieces: Dag had thrown his hammer to protect his comrades and the weapon, after hitting the target, stopped a few inches from Reidar''s face and returned back, strapped to Dag''s arm with the black fluid, which acted as a rubber-band.


    The man''s headless body knelt, while his neck splashed blood like a fountain. Then he fell to the ground.


    Reidar remained wide-eyed: for a moment he feared that Dag''s hammer would hit him too, but his captain had managed to calculate the distances in an extremely precise way.


    Karl and Reidar, full of blood, looked at Dag, who after saving them, turned around again and continued to walk to the hut.


    Karl pulled Reidar with him, to get him back from the shock of the hammer and together, they ran towards their captain.


    In front of Dag, there were four other men left, who placed themselves in front of the entrance of the great hut.


    "I just want to say one last goodbye to your boss, get the fuck out of the way! You''re pissing me off! he yelled at them.


    The black liquid had been absorbed by his arms, which had become obscure, as when he had fought against Kenneth.


    The bandits, despite being intimidated by Dag''s scream and appearance, stood ahead at the door, flickering.


    Dag began to run in that direction and then jumped towards them.


    He leaped very high and while he was in the air, he raised the hammer to the sky and a narrow lightning bolt struck it, charging it with electricity.


    For the first time, he was trying to perform a textbook Lightning Strike, with the same technique as his master.


    When he hit the ground, the bandits tried to dodge the blow, but the explosion of sparks was so powerful that it completely enveloped them and burned their bodies.


    After falling to the ground, only two of them were still able to breathe.


    One tried to say something to Dag, who stood up and walked towards him.


    The dying bandit raised his hand to him and opened his mouth slightly, but before he could say anything, Dag kicked him in the face, breaking his neck with ease, because of his burnt muscles and bones.


    "I don''t know how he does it. His power is truly incredible. Even Master Magni would have had trouble using all those skills, one after the other. It takes inhuman physical resistance" Reidar told Karl, as they continued to walk toward Dag, watching the scene.


    "It looks like he''s out of control. He wants to find Kjetil and kill him at all costs. Right now, he doesn''t care about anything else¡­ " said Karl, who was trying to study the psycho-physical changes Dag was undergoing after drinking the magenta blood.


    Dag grabbed the door handles of the hut, trampling one of the burnt corpses under his feet.


    After noticing that the door was closed, he stepped back and kicked it, smashing it.


    In front of him, when the cloud of dust he had caused began to disappear into the air, the interior of the hut looked like a throne room.


    The walls were adorned with all kinds of artistic artifacts: there were statues, golden weapons, and other shiny trinkets.


    On the other side, there was even a piece of wall hanging with a fresco painted above it.


    Beneath Dag''s feet, a bear-skin rug stretched to the end of the long hall, at the foot of an elevated throne.


    It was a large wooden armchair, covered with white furs of all kinds and with a fine appearance.


    Right next to that sort of throne, the two men who had managed to take away their leader''s body, stood motionless with their weapons pointed at Dag.


    Behind them, Kjetil sat on the ground, resting on the wall, pressing with his hand a rag soaked in blood on his neck.


    "I thought I hit him well, that son of a bitch" said Reidar, who finally joined Dag and entered the bandit throne room with Karl.


    "Look at this... there are all kinds of riches... gold, heads of ferocious animals... you even managed to steal a fresco" said Dag, who began walking next to the walls of the hut, as if he was a tourist visiting a museum.


    The two guards broke out in a cold sweat, following Dag''s movements with weapons.


    When approached the throne, they both bandits stepped back, to protect their dying leader.


    Dag sat on the throne, but only for a few seconds.


    Then he got up.


    "Bleah... I just feel disgusted at touching with my back the place where a person as disgusting as you sits" he said, referring to Kjetil, who even though he couldn''t answer, was listening carefully to every word, which could be the last.


    "You have killed all our men, now leave us alone! There''s no point in killing us too! Kjetil will die... we will never be able to save him... let us go! You can take anything you want in this room, they are objects of extreme value!" said one of the bandits, weeping with despair and leaving his sword on the ground, kneeling before Dag, his forehead on the floor.

 137 CXXXVII. The Eagle Bow

    The other bandit looked at him in disgust and came even closer to Kjetil, who continued to lose blood from his neck.


    "That bow. I was watching it carefully a while ago... it looks like a magnificent weapon..." said Dag, pointing his finger at Kjetil''s bow, resting on the ground next to him.


    The kneeling bandit interrupted him: "It is. It''s a magical weapon, it was of a warrior who lived near the village of Tyven. If you load an arrow while no one is looking at you, two more appear¡­ but not normal ones¡­they''re magical".


    "Uhm? Try to explain it better" said Dag, curiously.


    The last man left to protect Kjetil hit his traitor comrade with a kick in the stomach.


    "Silence, traitor!" he said contemptuously, spitting on him.


    The man, after recovering from the blow, crept toward Dag.


    "If you load the bow stealthily... it generates two magical arrows, which are heading in the direction you want, helping you catch your enemies by surprise... I''ve seen Kjetil use his weapon many times, I know how it works!" the man continued, confessing everything.


    "This sounds interesting" said Dag, who quickly grabbed his hammer and threw it at Kjetil''s guard, who, after being shot in the head, fell to the ground, continuing to move and touching his head.


    "You have a hard head, don''t you?" asked Dag, approaching the guard with bad intentions.


    "Dag, wait!" said Karl, trying to stop his friend.


    But he had already grabbed his hammer and with it struck the guard again on the head, shattering his skull.


    He continued to strike repeatedly and pieces of brain fell on Kjetil, who was leaning against the wall half a meter away and began to cry, realizing that his end had come.


    "Stop, Dag!" Karl continued to shout.


    He tried to go towards him, but one hand blocked him from behind, touching his shoulder.


    It was Reidar.


    When Dag stopped his fury, he stood up, looking into Kjetil''s eyes.


    "Well... you seem to have been left without protection, like a helpless lamb" he said, as the bandit leader continued to bleed from his neck and had pieces of his personal guard''s body on him.


    "Why... why did you do this to me?" he asked, with a thread of a voice.


    Dag lowered himself to him, his ear toward his mouth.


    "Sorry, I can''t hear you. Repeat" he said, in a calm and serious voice.


    "Your goal was to steal my treasure... right? What are you waiting, then... take them and let me die in peace..." Kjetil continued.


    "Your treasure? Mmh... you''re wrong, I had no interest in your riches. I just wanted to kill you" Dag replied, looking into the dying enemy''s eyes and smiling sadistically.


    Kjetil looked back, losing himself in Dag''s piercing eyes, one light-blue, and the other of an intense purple.


    He tried to speak, but he couldn''t. He had lost too much blood and was slowly squinting.


    "I came to kill you for what you did to the village behind the hill. You killed and ransacked all his people. Death is the least punishment for you, I''m doing you a favor. I could cure you and let you go, but what good would that do? You''d gather another group of sons of bitches like you and start doing what you were born to do" Dag continued, standing up and turning the other way.


    "When the other bandits in the region will know about my death... they will come looking for you... and for you, it will be the end..." whispered Kjetil, with the little breath remaining in his lungs.


    Dag lowered himself toward the corpse of the guard he had just killed and picked up his spear.


    Then he turned again to Kjetil.


    "I can''t wait to meet them" he said, before thrusting the spear into his enemy''s chest.


    Kjetil opened his eyes wide and dropped the blood-soaked rag he was pressing on his neck.


    Dag grabbed the spear rod with both hands and pushed forcefully, lifting Kjetil off the ground, despite his size.


    With a further effort, he lifted it even further, about a meter and a half above the ground, causing his back to crawl against the wall.


    Kjetil put his hand on the spear, grabbing it with a weak grip.


    Dag grabbed his hammer as he held the weapon stuck in Kjetil''s chest and began hitting its lower end, to hang his enemy on the wall.


    After about 30 seconds, Kjetil''s hands fell down lifeless and he remained pinned to the wall, next to a trophy with a lion''s head.


    the blood coming out of his neck and chest continued to drop to the ground and within minutes, it formed a pug.


    Dag turned to his companions: "It was easy. Now the bandits will no longer be a danger".


    Reidar nodded his head, approving of Dag''s gesture, while Karl looked at him displeased.


    "Reidar, take this. I think it''s better than yours" Dag continued, picking up Kjetil''s magic bow and handing it over to his companion.


    "Me? Why me?" asked Reidar, astonished.


    "Do you see any other archer here? Or rather, other archers alive?" smiled Dag.


    Reidar knelt down and gripped the bow firmly.


    "Thank you, Captain! I will lovingly guard this weapon, which will have a new life and will serve our cause" Reidar continued, looking down as if he was taking an oath to Dag.


    "I have no doubt, I''m sure you will" he replied.


    Reidar stood up to better admire the weapon.


    It was a magnificent longbow, dark-wood colored, almost black.


    At the ends of the two limbs were carved two small wooden wings, similar to those of an eagle and in the center of the curve of the wooden structure, to enrich the sight window, there was a pointed metal protuberance, similar to the beak of a raptor.


    It was the viewfinder, which seemed much more precise than that of the common bow Reidar was used to fight with.

 138 CXXXVIII. Hang The Trophy

    The rope was transparent with blue reflections. It was an incredibly durable material, but Reidar could not identify it.


    He quickly put the new bow into position and tried to stretch the rope, without an arrow, simulating that it was in the middle of a battle.


    Although the two wooden wings made that weapon larger than its previous longbow, Kjetil''s bow was much lighter and more manageable.


    "It''s a fantastic weapon. I''ve never taken one so beautiful. I think with this bow, I can increase my attack speed even further" said Reidar, who put it on the shoulder with the other, returning the Red Executioner to Dag.


    "I''m glad you like it" said Dag, looking at Kjetil''s corpse stuck on the wall as if it was a painting.


    "I know what you''re thinking, Karl" he replied.


    Karl looked up at Dag, surprised.


    "If he had been a normal bandit, probably after decimating his warriors I would have let him go. But I told you... I just can''t stand those who **** defenseless women. Think about Agnes, she could have been this bastard''s next victim" Dag continued.


    Karl looked down again, saddened.


    "You''ve made the right choice, Dag. Only I would never have had the courage and the coldness" he said.


    Dag approached his companion and put a hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes.


    Karl looked at his right eye, which was still purple.


    "When magenta blood is circulating in my body, I feel this insatiable craving for blood... that''s why I need your help. I hope that through your method, I will be able to gain my powers without losing self-control" Dag confessed, admitting that he had acted impulsively.


    "We''ll find out soon. The 12 hours have passed by now and the infusion should be ready. After I''ll mix it with your blood, I will put it back in your veins and that will be the moment of truth" Karl replied, grabbing Dag''s hand on his shoulder, confirming to his Captain that he had not lost faith in him.


    The two friends exchanged fraternal smiles.


    "Captain, I think I found the dorm" said Reidar, who was browsing the hut in the meantime.


    The throne was not fixed on the ground and Reidar pulled it towards him, moving it over the floor: under it, a small staircase led to an underground room.


    "Well, it''s definitely a good way to save space, I have to admit it!" said Karl, in a tongue-in-cheek tone.


    The three friends descended into the room, lit by torches from that night.


    There were about twenty straw beds, next to each other a few inches away.


    After snooping around the room, they made sure there was nothing useful and climbed up the stairs, returning to the surface.


    "Let''s get the wagon in here" Dag said, walking toward the exit of the hut.


    "The wagon? What are you going to do?" asked Karl.


    "Look how much stuff is in here. As those bandits used to say, it''s all valuable merchandise... I think it will be enough to raise the fortunes of those poor people. And ours too!" Dag chuckled as he exited the hut.


    Reidar and Karl were struck by Dag''s magnanimous reasoning, which even at a time like that, after killing dozens of enemies, managed to reason with altruism, caring for the others.


    They took the horses and led them into the hut.


    They opened the wagon and began to fill it with every item that had value: fine fabrics, furs, gold ornaments, and other precious stuff.


    The wagon filled up almost completely and they came out of the hut again.


    "Wait a minute" Dag said, approaching the second hut near the warehouse.


    Its door was locked, with a large padlock chaining the two handles.


    Dag pulled out the hammer and hit the padlock hard, which shattered after two or three shots.


    His body was still under the effect of magenta blood and opening the door was a breeze.


    When he entered the second hut, the daylight coming in through the door illuminated its interior: on each wall, numerous shelves reached up to the ceiling, containing food in abundance and provisions of all kinds. In addition to food, there were medicines, ointments, herbs and much more.


    "Well, now we can fill the wagon¡­ hahaha!" exclaimed Dag, satisfied that he had discovered the bandits'' stockpile.


    As they finished filling the wagon, Dag dropped a sack to the ground, losing balance for a while.


    "What''s going on, Dag?" asked Karl, approaching him, worried.


    Dag shook his head and immediately recovered: "My head was spinning... but it only lasted a moment, I''m fine".


    Karl looked him in the eye. Both of them were back in their original color.


    "The effect of the blood you ingested is over" he said.


    Dag looked at his hands and clenched his fists, trying to figure out if his physical strength had diminished.


    "Yes... I don''t feel all that power anymore. But nothing like this ever happened to me" he said.


    "I think it''s normal. You used many skills that required a great deal of physical energy, one after the other. You''ve fought tirelessly against numerous enemies, your physique now just needs some rest" Karl continued, trying to make a diagnosis for his Captain.


    "You''re a really good healer, I had no doubt" Dag smiled, picking up the bag of supplies he had dropped from the ground and putting it into the wagon.


    When they finished filling it completely, Dag barely closed its doors. It was full to the brim.


    "Get on the wagon and get out of this place. Wait outside, there''s one last thing I have to do" Dag said, walking to Kjetil''s hut.


    Karl and Reidar got on the wagon and hit the horses with their reins.


    The two battered steeds began to move slowly, dragging the wagon, much heavier than usual.


    They stopped immediately after the palisade and waited for Dag, who after a few minutes of waiting, sprang out of the hut and walked to his companions.

 139 CXXXIX. The Gif

    "We can go! I''m sure the village farmers will be happy with our gift... and then... I''m starving! I can''t wait to eat something!" said Dag, sitting next to his companions as the wagon was already moving.


    Karl kept looking at him with admiration: Dag acted as if nothing had happened, doing some good had this effect on him. His gaze seemed serene and tired, full of satisfaction.


    When they were younger and trained together in the Arena, Dag''s personality was already like that. Although he had always been a young warrior with clear goals in his head, he always managed to be generous and magnanimous to others.


    It wasn''t a very ''Viking'' attitude but somehow it made him special, unlike anyone else.


    Perhaps it was his good character that had allowed him to win over his sister Freydis, who hardly gave confidence to strangers, especially those who tried to flirt with her.


    "What did you do in the hut?" asked Reidar, curiously.


    "You''ll see it when we''re at the top of the hill" Dag said, with a satisfied smile drawn to his face.


    The horses began to tow the wagon, with some difficulty in starting.


    When they arrived at the beginning of the ascent, the three adventurers got off the wagon, to lighten the load that those poor beasts had to bear.


    Once they were at the top of the hill, the Sun was beginning to set on the horizon, just behind the bandit camp, on the west coast of Kvete.


    "Look" Dag said, pointing to the camp.


    Red flames engulfed the two huts and the fence, burning everything, including the corpses of enemy warriors.


    The dark smoke rose overpoweringly to the sky, giving that sunset a macabre appearance, but at the same time making it breathtakingly beautiful.


    "Now we are sure that no one else will be able to settle in that place. The burned corpses will return to the earth as it should be" Dag said, with the reddish sunset reflecting into his heavenly eyes.


    Reidar and Karl stopped to watch the show, pleased with their victory over the bandits.


    After about ten minutes, the horses had caught their breath and Dag and his companions got back on the wagon, ready for the descent, which would surely have been faster to follow.


    They crossed the other side of the promontory and the village of the peasants sprang behind some trees.


    Two children were playing right next door when they noticed the wagon getting closer.


    One of them got up and ran to one of the huts to warn the peasants of the arrival of Dag and his companions.


    The other stood still in his position, admiring the wagon.


    Dag smiled at him.


    They stopped in front of the huts and got off the wagon.


    The horses were worn out and one of them, knelt on his paws, exhausted by the effort.


    Agnes and her mother were the first to leave their homes.


    As soon as he saw her, Karl ran towards her and the two lovers hugged each other.


    "I was afraid for you, Karl. I had a bad dream and I thought it would come true" she said.


    "Don''t be afraid. Now you''re safe, the bandits can''t hurt you anymore" Karl said, smiling.


    When the two elderly men also went out to greet Dag and the others, they immediately noticed the wagon.


    "There''s a surprise for you! Come closer!" said Dag, nodding to the peasants, urging them to go to the back of the wagon.


    When everyone was in position, Dag opened the wooden doors and an avalanche of food and objects of all kinds fell to the ground.


    He continued to look at the faces of the peasants, content to see their happy and astonished expressions.


    "What... how...?" asked Agnes'' mother, in disbelief, as she approached the load of the wagon that had ended up on the ground.


    "These things will never repay the lives that those bastards took... what they did to you is just disgusting. But I''m sure they''ll be useful in the future" Dag continued, looking into the eyes of one of the old men.


    The gentleman had shiny eyes and reciprocated Dag''s gaze with admiration.


    He also approached the wagon and grabbed something from the ground, as if he wanted to verify that everything was real and it wasn''t just a magnificent dream.


    "Thank you! Thank you! Infinitely thank you!" said Agnes'' mother, with tears of joy streaming down her eyes.


    Within seconds, all the village children surrounded Dag and hugged him from each side, clinging firmly to his clothes.


    "Hahaha!"


    Dag began to laugh. There was nothing more satisfying than what had just happened: giving something to others meant enriching his spirit.


    He had surely inherited this way of doing from Asa, who since welcomed him to her farmhouse, made him feel comfortable immediately, treating him with kindness and care.


    "Using the sword does not mean being heartless. If you fight for others, the good you do to them sooner or later comes back to you. Sword and heart, Dag... always remember that".


    The words of his mother echoed in Dag''s mind.


    "Sword and heart..." whispered, as he stroked the children''s little heads that were cheering him on as a hero.


    "What happened? What happened to the bandits? Did you kill them all?" asked Agnes to Karl.


    Dag approached him and touched his shoulder, preventing him from responding.


    "We''ll tell you everything, but first... we must eat! I''m hungry as a lion! We''ll take the supplies from the wagon and start placing them in your warehouses" Dag continued.


    All the peasants obeyed smiling.


    Working together, within minutes all the food and medicine in the wagon was moved to the village warehouse.


    The women walked away from the hut and began preparations for the most abundant banquet in decades.


    "Your information about Kjetil was right. He was the leader of the bandits" Karl told Agnes, as he stroked her hair, happy to see her again.

 140 CXL. 12 Hours Later

    "What happened to him? How many bandits did you find there?" she asked, as she touched the superficial wounds on Karl''s face.


    "About twenty. But Dag still managed to kill them all. His strength is incredible, he is a formidable warrior" Karl, proud of his captain, continued.


    "You two love each other, don''t you?" replied Agnes, smiling at Karl as she stroked his cheek.


    "We are like brothers. We''ve known each other since we were kids... I never thought he''d become my Captain one day. I''d like him and Freydis to meet again, he truly deserves it" Karl said, looking at Dag admiringly as he laughed and joked with the peasants.


    When the evening arrived, the preparations for the banquet were ready and the long table inside the hut was set with all kinds of dishes.


    Before sitting down at the table, Dag and his companions walked away to the horses to have some privacy and be able to heal their wounds.


    Reidar and Dag were the most wounded.


    Karl pulled everything he needed for the medication out of his leather box.


    "It''s unbelievable" Dag said, touching his arm.


    "What''s unbelievable?" asked Karl, as he smeared an ointment on one of Reidar''s wounds.


    "I was sure one of those bandits had hit me on the arm with the spear. I had a cut right here, I saw it with my own eyes" Dag continued, continuing to look at his arm.


    There wasn''t even a sign of a scar.


    His skin in that point was normal as if nothing had happened.


    Karl finished medicating Reidar and went to Dag''s, to check on his arm.


    "It just seems that there is nothing. Does it hurt if I press this point?" he asked, applying pressure on where the spear wound should have been.


    "No. I don''t feel anything" Dag answered.


    "If it''s true that you''ve been hit, that means only one thing... magenta blood, in addition to giving you extraordinary strength, greatly increases the regeneration capacity of your cells" Karl continued, as he looked at Dag''s other arms.


    Then he looked at his face, moving it with his hand.


    "There''s no scratch" he said.


    "Cells? How do you know this word?" asked Dag, as his cheeks were in Karl''s hands, who was looking at him as if he was an artifact to study.


    "The almanac. It''s the most comprehensive and detailed book I''ve ever read... Egill must be a really cultured man" Karl replied.


    When they finished cleaning their wounds and cooling off with well water, the three friends finally made their way to the hut.


    "Ah! Wait! I almost forgot..." Karl said, blocking his companions before they could enter.


    "Come with me!" he continued, heading to another hut.


    All entered, following Karl, who approached an old wooden closet.


    He opened it: there was a medium-sized chest inside.


    He took it and laid it on a table.


    "As I promised you before we left, I asked Agnes to secure the blood infusion" Karl said, opening the chest.


    Dag looked closely, hoping that Karl''s reaction would have had the desired effect.


    Karl pulled out a small bowl of iron from the chest and looked intently inside of it.


    "Dag" he said, looking at his friend.


    Dag looked him in the eye, fearing Karl would have bad news.


    "I think it worked! Look at this!" replied Karl enthusiastically, showing Dag and Reidar the result of his experiment.


    "As the almanac said, the seeds of the Crimson Tooth isolated the energy portion of the falcon''s blood" he continued, pointing to the contents of the bowl with his finger.


    A dense and transparent liquid covered the bottom of its container, while another liquid, of lower volume and density, floated on it.


    The lighter liquid was of very intense color: after the reaction, the magenta had turned purple.


    Karl quickly opened one of his bags, looking forward to continuing the experiment.


    Dag was speechless.


    If Karl had been right, his powers would have increased permanently and he could have repeated the process: he would have just collected more magenta blood and joined it with the seeds of the flowers they had harvested in abundance in the swamp.


    After Karl picked up the only purple part, putting it in a vial, the three friends walked out of the hut, heading to the other villagers, who were surely waiting for them.


    "I still can''t believe it. If you did it, you''re a genius! Fuck yes!" said Dag, who after a few minutes fully realized the potential of Karl''s possible discovery.


    "Hahaha! It''s too early to claim victory. Tomorrow morning I will pick up your blood and proceed with phase 2 of the experiment" Karl replied, pleased to see Dag so happy.


    When they reached the hut, they sat at the table with everyone else and ate profusely, celebrating victory against the bandits.


    During the meal, being the mead abundant, they did not hesitate to exaggerate with a few more glasses, ending up getting drunk.


    Drunk and happy, they managed to reach one of the huts and with the help of Agnes and her mother, they put themselves to bed, falling asleep like children.


    The next day, when Dag opened his eyes, the Sun was already high in the sky.


    After making a deep yawn, he rose from the straw bed and looked at his companions: both were still in the dream world, snoring.


    He chuckled as he saw the scene and then walked towards them.


    "Wake up, slackers! At this rate, we will arrive in Tyven in a few years! Hahaha!"


    Reidar opened his eyes and looked at Dag with a confused expression, typical of the hangover.


    Together they also called Karl, who if no one woke him up, would probably continue to sleep until sunset.


    After about half an hour they recovered from the effect of alcohol of the night before.


    By the time they left the hut, the village farmers were already busy with their chores.


    Some of them were lowered to the ground, looking after the seeds planted just before, others were busy rebuilding the destroyed huts.

 141 CXLI. Phase 1

    "Dag! Good morning!" said the grey-bearded old man.


    "Good morning!" replied Dag, approaching him.


    Before the man could say anything else, Dag interrupted him: "Tonight I thought about what to do with the riches we have taken from the bandits. We will take a part of them, only the things we can carry on our horses without weighing them down too much".


    "And what about the rest of the loot?" the old man naively asked, already knowing the answer.


    "The two horses that drive the wagon... if well fed and cared for, they will soon be in full force. We will leave you both of them and the wagon so that you can trade with the nearby villages. You won''t miss the trade, I assure you" Dag continued, winking at the old man.


    "Why do you do all this for us? No one has ever treated us so kindly" he asked, looking Dag in the eye.


    "I don''t know why... I just do it. The case brought us together and from the first moment, I felt inside me that you needed help" he replied.


    "I believe that was not the case. I think the Gods have something to do with it" smiled the old man, as Dag walked away, walking toward his teammates.


    Reidar was alone next to the horses.


    "Where''s Karl?" asked Dag.


    "Try to imagine" Reidar replied, in a tongue-in-cheek tone.


    "Hahaha... well, I think it''s right that he and Agnes say goodbye" said Dag, who approached Aslan to caress him.


    Waiting for Karl, Dag and Reidar began to take some of the goods contained in the wagon and put them in the pockets hanging from the saddles of the horses.


    They took some gold items and some fur, which would have come in handy if the temperature had dropped.


    Dag grabbed a large gold bar, trying to feel its weight, which was around 2 kilos, and tucked it into his horse''s bag.


    "Hey, brothers... what''d I miss?"


    Karl had just come out of Agnes'' hut, with his usual post-sex disheveled hair.


    "Hahah! Nothing, come here and choose what you want!" said Reidar, as Dag laughed, touching his belly.


    When Karl also chose his personal loot, the three friends found themselves in front of their horses.


    Karl opened his healer''s chest and pulled out one of the needle-like metal tubes.


    "Then, Dag. Let''s try. Sit here" he said, asking Dag to sit on a nearby log.


    "Wait... I can help you in some way" said Dag, who pulled a snare out of one of his boots and tied it tightly around his arm, as if it was a tourniquet.


    The veins of Dag''s arm swelled, becoming easier to identify.


    Karl, without saying anything, slowly approached the small tube on Dag''s arm and trying to be as precise as possible, he slipped it into the thickest vein of his arm.


    As soon as the needle entered his arm, drops of blood began to pour from its extremity and Karl gathered them up in an empty ampoule.


    "I think your blood should be about twice as much as the purple blood, so I can mix it perfectly and it shouldn''t be harmful to your body" he said.


    Dag looked into his friend''s eyes, while he was focused on drawing blood.


    The progress Karl had made in such a short time was mind-blowing. Thanks to the almanac that Egill gave him, he had quickly been able to understand the main mechanisms of medicine and herbalism.


    He only knew the basics, but it was still a satisfying result, Dag was proud of him.


    During the withdrawal operation, Reidar looked at Dag with a disgusted air.


    Dag tried to hold his arm still, despite he felt every drop of blood leaving his body, being the diameter of the metal tube much larger than a modern needle.


    The Temporum came to his mind: he remembered when those big stings entered his flesh.


    The pain he felt that day was not comparable to the discomfort he was experiencing at the time.


    After about 5 minutes, the bottle that Karl held under the needle filled up completely.


    After the last drop fell inside, Karl immediately pulled the pick-up tool out of Dag''s arm, which began pressing with a clean cloth on the small wound.


    "All right... let''s proceed with phase 3" Karl thought aloud, raising the vial with Dag''s blood towards the Sun, studying its color and density.


    Dag didn''t say anything.


    Karl poured the contents of the two vials into a small glass bottle and sealed it tightly with a large cork, pressuring it not to let air in and out.


    All three companions observed the inside of the bottle: purple blood initially floated on human blood, but after a few seconds, it began to assume a swirling motion, like a reel in the middle of the sea.


    Under the astonished eyes of Dag and his companions, the purple blood entered the red one, mingling.


    The optical effect was astounding: while the two blood types were mixing, the glass bottle seemed to be flashing.


    The reaction took about 30 seconds, after which the resulting blood was as black as night.


    "It looks like the fluid coming out of my arms when I use my powers" Dag said, looking at the contents of the bottle.


    "It''s true. I think it''s finally ready. I warn you, Dag: from this stage on, no manual explains how to do what we''re trying to do" Karl said, trying to raise the questions of Dag about the risks he might take.


    "Go on" said Dag in earnest, who sat back on the trunk and tied the lace around his other arm, trying to show his veins.


    "All right. I think I''ll just put one end of the needle in your arm and leave the other one soaked in black liquid to inject it into your veins" Karl continued.


    "Yes, the pressure difference should be able to carry the liquid inside the arm" confirmed Dag, who agreed with Karl''s hypothesis.

 142 CXLII. Phases 2 & 3

    "Captain, are you sure you want to do this?" asked Reidar, resting his hand on Dag''s shoulder, worried about him.


    Dag looked at him smiling, to calm him down.


    "Reidar, I must know more. I need to get stronger... not just for myself, but for all of you. I pray to the Gods to give me that chance" he said.


    Reidar nodded his head, backing his captain''s decision.


    Karl began the procedure: while one end of the needle was immersed in the black liquid contained in the glass bottle, he slipped the other end into Dag''s arm.


    Although his movement was very slow, as soon as the small tube penetrated Dag''s skin, entering his vein, in about 3 seconds, the black liquid in the bottle was completely absorbed.


    "Aaagh! What the fuck!" said Dag, when he noticed that his arm had sucked the liquid out of the bottle, as if it was thirsty.


    "What... what happened, Dag?!" asked Karl, who immediately pulled the needle out of his arm.


    "I don''t know! As soon as you put that thing in my arm, my body greedily absorbed the black liquid, as if it was a fresh drink!" said Dag, who couldn''t understand that physical phenomenon.


    "And how do you feel now? How are you?" asked Reidar worriedly, looking Dag in the eye.


    "I''m... I think I''m fine" Dag said, pressing his hand at the point of the injection.


    "Don''t you feel anything different? The amount of dark blood your body has absorbed is not small... I believe that some of that blood will be destroyed and regenerated by your organism, but another part of it will be inextricably linked to your blood" Karl said.


    Dag got up from the trunk and took a few steps to see if anything had changed in his body, but he couldn''t feel anything different from the usual.


    "At least we tried. I''m just sorry we risked our lives to find that stupid flower! I hope it can come in handy in some way" Karl continued, nervous about his failed experiment.


    Dag looked at his hands and arms.


    He had hoped until the last second that the transfusion would be successful, but it didn''t work out that way.


    "Captain... I understand your outrage, but I assure you that your current strength will allow you to achieve all the goals you want! I''ve never seen anyone take out dozens of enemies alone and then walk away on his own legs!" said Reidar, trying to cheer Dag down, praising his deeds.


    Dag took a deep breath.


    "It''s time to go. Tyven is waiting for us" he said, heading for the horses.


    Karl and Reidar looked at each other, sorry for Dag, who put hope in the experiment.


    Dag untied Aslan from the fence next to the hut.


    Just as he jumped to the saddle to get on the horse''s back, he lacked strength and his foot slid down, causing him to fall to the ground.


    "Captain!"


    "Dag! Dag!"


    Reidar and Karl immediately ran towards him, grabbing the bridles of Aslan, who was frightened.


    Dag lay on the ground, writhing.


    He sensed a horrible sensation inside his body: he felt an internal burning as if his blood was magma and his internal organs were about to explode.


    The veins of his neck swelled for the effort, but he could not speak.


    The burning feeling soon reached every part of his body, including arms, hands, legs, and feet.


    Karl lowered himself towards him, lifting his shoulders from the ground.


    "Dag! Dag, can you hear me?!" he said, as his eyes were lost in a vacuum.


    "I knew... I knew it was a mistake! It was too dangerous, we shouldn''t have let him try! Fuck!" exclaimed Reidar, clenching his fists in anger.


    As Karl looked at Dag''s face, his neck began to writhe as if he was trying to free himself from a grip.


    His pupils widened so much, his eyes became completely black.


    "What the fuck! Dag! Wake up!" shouted Karl, shaking Dag''s shoulders, hoping to wake him from that state of paralysis.


    Karl''s cries caught the attention of a child who was playing nearby.


    The little boy looked at them, not understanding what was going on.


    When he saw Dag''s face from afar, he ran away in the opposite direction, moving away from them as much as possible.


    The inner burning sensation that Dag was experiencing suddenly became the opposite.


    He began to tremble in the cold and his movements became less and less evident.


    "Aaagh!" shouted Dag, as soon as his eyes returned to the original color.


    He began to breathe anxiously, looking around and shaking Karl''s hands, trying to figure out if it was real or a hallucination.


    "Dag! You''re alive! Fuck! Fuck!" exclaimed Karl, glad I didn''t lose his best friend.


    Reidar sighed with relief and sat on the trunk where Dag was sitting before, trying to calm down.


    Dag lifted his back from the ground, clinging to Karl''s arms.


    "It takes more than that to kill me!" he said, trying to play down, even though he was still stunned.


    Karl helped him get up, slowly.


    "Then?" he asked, curious to know the details of what had just happened.


    "For a moment I believed I was going to die. I think that now I know what it''s like to die in the flames, or frozen during a blizzard" Dag said, touching his forehead.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I felt the fire inside me, my chest was burning. The flames devoured my heart and liver... my arms and legs caught fire like twigs" Dag continued, looking at the palms of his hands.


    Karl listened intently.


    "Then suddenly, the heat became freezing and I could no longer feel the muscles, nor the limbs. When we feel cold, usually the cold comes from the outside and we just cover ourselves with furs to insulate the heat of our body. But imagine the cold is coming from the inside. It''s impossible to get rid of it! Well, that''s the feeling I had".

 143 CXLIII. Frokos

    "Your eyes! Your eyes have turned black as dark, I had never seen them like that! Reidar and I thought you were dying!" said Karl, pointing to Reidar, who was still sitting on the trunk, trying to recover from the scare.


    "Thank you for your apprehension, my friends, but I''m fine. I actually feel in great shape. I feel my muscles toned and rested and my mind is clear and active... a moment ago I thought death had come, but now... here I am" said Dag, glad to be still alive.


    Despite the relief, he still could not feel any significant change within his body, although the amount of blood Karl had injected him was not as small as he initially believed.


    His body had very willingly accepted that unknown liquid, acting autonomously, as if reasoning with a brain of its own.


    "I think... I think I remember..." said Dag with a confused air, looking down.


    "What are you talking about, Captain?" asked Reidar, standing up.


    "During the paralysis... I had hallucinations. I saw mountains, a river flowing down the valley... and the wind... I felt the cold wind crashing against my face. I was in heaven and I could see everything from above. I also remember grabbing a hare and lifting it off the ground, I don''t know how. You know, I think it''s the memories of the hawk" Dag said, leaving his companions speechless.


    "If I hadn''t known you in a lifetime and hadn''t seen what are you capable of, using your powers, I probably would have said you''re a fool... because this is completely absurd!" said Karl, squinting and trying to imagine the scene described by Dag.


    "The memories? How could you have seen the memories of the hawk? I don''t understand what its blood has to do with it" Reidar said.


    "I don''t know, believe me... I really have no idea. I know it''s just like that, I feel it, inside me. I think the reason is that it wasn''t a normal hawk and its blood wasn''t normal too" Dag continued, thinking aloud.


    As the three companions discussed the incident, a female voice called them from behind: "Karl! Karl, what happened?!"


    It was Agnes.


    Behind her, the child who had seen Dag writhing hid leaning against her dress.


    "Nothing, don''t worry. Let''s say we experimented something, but it''s all right" Karl replied, approaching Agnes and the child, reassuring them.


    "Does that liquid that you had me store secretly have anything to do with this? Just today I noticed that it was no longer in its place".


    Karl sighed, looking at Agnes with a smile.


    She lowered herself towards the child, who when he saw Karl became frightened and hid completely behind Agnes'' dress.


    "Hey, kid. You can feel comfortable, it''s okay. My friend wasn''t feeling well, but now he''s fine! Look at him, he''s over there!" he said, pointing to Dag, who greeted the child with his hand, holding the game.


    "Did you see? He''s fine! Now go, go back to play with your friends" Karl continued, stroking the child''s head, which calmed down and walked away towards the other farmers.


    "Then should I worry? I could hear screams coming from here" Agnes continued, inquiring about what really happened.


    "Yes, I told you there''s nothing to worry about" Karl replied, gently touching her hair.


    "I don''t want to interrupt you, but... we have to hurry now that we are so close to our destination. We''ll be back soon" Dag said, drawing the attention of his companion, taken from his woman.


    "Yes, Dag is right. Remember the promise I made to you... we''ll see each other in a few days. In the meantime, pack your things" Karl continued, looking Agnes in the eye.


    She nodded.


    The three adventurers, after greeting the village farmers, mounted on horseback and headed north.


    The horses, despite having side pockets full of riches, did not seem to be weighed down. Ace also managed to carry the extra weight, although he was less robust than the other two.


    Dag and his companions rode through the wheat fields, orienting themselves with the Sun, which shone high in the sky.


    "There are two other villages on the coast, before Tyven. I think we could take a look" Reidar said.


    "Yes, all right. We should sell some of the stuff we got from the bandit loot. A few extra bucks can only do good to us, being constantly on the road" Dag said, continuing to ride.


    The Sun began to set when the three friends saw the coast again: the hills separating the sea and the hinterland had gradually disappeared.


    There was a vast plain that gently descended to the sea, turning its fertile land into sand and pebbles.


    "Without hills to overcome, it will be much easier to reach the east side of the region. Once we''re by the sea, we''ll just have to continue north to reach Tyven. There you can see another village, look" Dag said, pointing to a small town miles away.


    "That should be Frokost, one of the villages I was telling you about before" Reidar said.


    "Let''s get closer" Dag continued, deviating from the straight path he cut through the fields.


    After riding for a couple of hours, they arrived at the village: it consisted of a small town and a little, lush wood behind it.


    The houses were about twenty and peasants were walking through the streets of the village, beginning to look carefully at Dag and his companions, who were crossing the entrance.


    Although Frokost was a village whose yield was mainly derived from agriculture, it did not seem at all poor.


    Each corner was decorated with flowers and small fountains, taken care of in detail.


    There was an air of peace and the smell of warm bread.


    Dag and his companions followed that smell, finding themselves in front of a hut with the doors wide open, from which white smoke came out.


    "Wait for me here" he said, getting off his horse and entering the hut.

 144 CXLIV. The Bid

    After a few minutes, he went out again, heading towards his companions with a sack full of warm bread.


    "It''s snack time! I couldn''t resist the call of this great smell. I don''t know about you, but lately, I''m always hungry!" said Dag, taking a loaf of bread from the sack and handing the other two over to his companions, who appreciated the thought.


    "I asked the baker if he knew where we could sell valuable goods in exchange for money and he told me we should ask a gentleman named Benjamin. He is said to be a collector of all kinds of artifacts" Dag continued, voraciously craving the bread he had in his hands.


    After finishing the snack, the three adventurers easily reached the collector''s home.


    It was a masonry house, much larger and more robust than the surrounding ones.


    After tying the horses, they approached the door and knocked politely.


    A funny gentleman, elderly and scruffy-looking, greeted them: "Hello, welcome! You look like travelers! Take a seat, travelers are always welcome in my house".


    Dag and the others, without asking too many questions, entered Benjamin''s house, accepting his hospitality and removing the bags from the horses, to avoid leaving them unattended.


    He was a strange little man: he had a curved back and a black, matted beard, which almost touched his belly. Because of his advanced age, he walked slowly, leaning on a large wooden stick.


    "This way! Let''s sit here, my legs are not such strong as they used to be!" chuckled Benjamin, sitting around an imposing round table, inviting his guests to do the same.


    "Then... what brings you here in Frokost?" the old man asked, smiling at Dag.


    "Hello, Benjamin and thank you for your hospitality. We are explorers of the Hammers Of Thor Clan and we are headed to Tyven, on a mission. We came across this village and wondered if anyone was interested in the valuable goods we carry" Dag said, introducing himself.


    "Valuable goods? What kind of objects are they? Let me see" Benjamin replied, resting his hands on the table, ready to observe carefully.


    Dag, Reidar, and Karl put on the table all the items they were willing to sell, excluding furs and other things that could come in handy more than money.


    "Mmmh... interesting. Let''s see, it looks like all valuable stuff, most of these objects are made of gold and silver" said the man, looking in detail at every object resting on the table.


    After about ten minutes spent silently waiting for him to finish inspecting the goods, Dag said: "Then? Are you interested in something?"


    "Mmh... no" rested the old man, looking at Dag with a smiling face.


    Dag was astonished by that response, considering that the man had spent all that time carefully scrutinizing the objects.


    "It''s valuable merchandise, I recognize that. But I''m looking for another kind of value, I don''t do anything with gold" Benjamin continued.


    "What''s more worth than gold?" asked Karl as he entered the conversation, as Reidar sat silently, trying to study the ambiguous personality of the man ahead of them.


    "The story, my boy. History is worth more than gold. Look around you. I collect objects of all kinds, regardless of the material they are made of. My treasures have a history, have lived through battles, have seen great warriors die, or achieve fame. That makes them unique" Benjamin continued, pointing the wall behind the table to the three friends.


    There were objects of all kinds and sizes: from very small objects, resting on many shelves on the wall, until statues and weapons of larger size. There was even a huge elephant skull, complete with tusks.


    Excluding that wall, which was totally messy, with all those objects piled up, the rest of the house was perfect, arranged with manic order.


    "Then the merchandise you just saw is perfect for your collection" Dag replied, turning back to the old man, who was surprised by his statement.


    "They look like ordinary gold objects to me" he said.


    "But you don''t know their story. Now that I know you''re interested in learning about that, I can tell you more. Traders are usually interested in gold and silver. I didn''t realize I was dealing with a collector of your level" Dag continued, praising Benjamin for getting his attention.


    Karl and Reidar looked at each other, in disbelief at the words that had just come out of Dag''s mouth.


    He began to talk about their journey, the FossilWood Forest, and the peasant village. He spoke of the bandit camp and their loot, leaving out some details concerning his powers and how they had managed to defeat all enemies, which in the new version of the story were no longer twenty, but ten fewer.


    After a monologue that lasted about half an hour, Reidar and Karl were about to fall asleep on the table for boredom.


    But old Benjamin broke the silence again: "This is incredible. Bandits who settle on our coast usually come from poor and distant regions. If you took these artifacts from them, it means that their story is even more complex than the one you just told me. As far as I know, they could come from the far north or other places even further afield... this increases their market value".


    At these words, Karl and Reidar looked up again at the old man, realizing that perhaps he was about to make an offer.


    "I guess you''re in contact with other collectors, don''t you? Imagine how much money these items could bring you. You could sell them at three times the price" Dag continued, holding up a gold box, with precious stones inked in the lid, continuing to convince the old man to raise the offer.


    "100 gold coins. That''s my offer" Benjamin said, crossing his arms.


    "Mmmh... I think you''re a smart man. You know I can never accept only 100 coins for all these items" Dag replied, looking at the goods on the table.


    "Per person. I mean 100 gold coins apiece" Benjamin replied.

 145 CXLV. Halm

    Karl and Reidar looked at each other again and watched Dag, impatient for him to accept the offer.


    "All right, done deal" Dag said.


    The old man rose from the table holding on to the stick and without saying anything, opened the door of another room, which was locked.


    He walked out the same door after a few minutes and placed on the table three bags full of gold coins.


    Karl and Reidar couldn''t believe their eyes: they had never seen so much money all together.


    Dag tried to remain unmoved, even though Benjamin''s offer had far exceeded his expectations.


    Each of them took their own bag of money, while Benjamin collected the items on the table, placing them neatly on it as if preparing them for cataloging.


    "Thank you again for your hospitality. We both made a good deal" Dag said, as he and his teammates headed for the exit.


    "Thank you. Remember to pass by me, if you have other objects with that historical value!" replied Benjamin, greeting the three explorers.


    When they left the house and headed to the horses, Karl could no longer hold back the euphoria: "It''s amazing! 100 gold coins! Do you have any idea how many things you can buy with all this money?!"


    "Hahah, yeah... it''s a lot of money. I knew we''d find someone willing to buy those items. But I''d say we were more than lucky!" replied Dag enthused.


    "It about time! Hahah! Since we left Temple Of Orn, we''ve never had much luck, am I wrong?" chuckled Reidar, when his friends confirmed his statement with a laugh.


    After hooking the side pockets to the saddles of the horses, which had to carry much less weight, the three friends got back on track, despite the Sun setting on the horizon.


    "I believe that the coastal stretch that separates us from the next village is completely uninhabited. If you agree, we will continue to ride for a few more hours to earn the time we have lost in recent days" Dag said.


    Both accepted Dag''s proposal: on the last day spent in the peasant village, after the battle, they had slept for many hours and although the night was coming, they still felt fresh and rested.


    "What''s the next village?" asked Dag to Reidar, who pulled the map out of one of his pockets.


    "The next village is called Halm. It is the largest in the region, which makes it Kvete''s capital. Unlike Tyven, its port is the only port that connects Kvete to Sjonir through the Lukket Sea" Reidar said, reading notes he had written on the map.


    "Well. Then we know where to go when we complete the mission" Dag continued.


    The sky had become dark and the stars were shining.


    Dag continued to ride looking up.


    At long last, he had almost arrived at his destination, the divine blacksmith. He hoped with all his heart that Vegard would know more about his powers. With his help, he could also make the Red Executioner more manageable, preserving its inner power.


    Continuing to look at the sky, Dag thought of his sister Gridd. They haven''t met in months.


    "How is she? Will she have made any progress in her Clan? What will she think when she discovers Brann''s true story and sees his axe in my hands?" he thought, as the mild wind from the sea caressed his neck.


    As he thought with his eyes open, Dag could see in the distance the faint lights, which shone in the darkness of the night.


    It was the village of Halm, still several kilometers away.


    "Perhaps we should stop and rest. At dawn we will resume the journey to Tyven, never stopping" he said, feeling his heavy eyelids.


    His companions supported the decision, and within minutes, all three camped near the coast, around a bonfire.


    They lay down next to each other and fell asleep in a few minutes, with the sound of the sea singing like a lullaby.


    After about 3 hours of sleep, the Sun began to rise, reflecting its red light on the sea water and then on the beach, where Dag and his comrades were camped.


    Thanks to the calm and silent awakening, the adventurers immediately regained their strength and, ready to continue the journey, mounted on horseback and continued towards Tyven.


    The coastal road led them to Halm without a hitch.


    As Reidar mentioned, this time it was a city, the only real shopping center in Kvete.


    Looking out to sea, they could see several boats taking off, next to others approaching the port, marked by a high tower, on which a man gesticulated with his hands, signaling to the incoming sailors where the available docks were.


    "We will visit this town on the way back. Now we''ll just turn around it, it''s better not to waste any more time" Dag said, addressing his men.


    Halm was surrounded by small brick walls, much more robust than the wooden fences that protected Frokost.


    In front of the two entrances of the town, two or more guards, equipped with armor and a large spear, stood still to protect the access.


    It looked like a well-organized city and certainly had its own hierarchical system, with a Jarl that served as the citizens'' chief.


    Dag and his companions continued to ride north, moving away from Halm, but it remained visible behind them even after many kilometers, shrinking on the horizon without ever disappearing.


    The Sun began to descend inland, giving the plain a warm and welcoming appearance, as if the sweetness of its slight slopes helped the three adventurers to sooner reach their destination.


    When Dag saw the village of Tyven in the distance, he also felt a strange sensation in his chest.


    He was close to where Brann had sacrificed his brother for power and could breathe that past event in the air around him.


    "Is it all right, Captain?" asked Reidar, flanking him, after noticing his puzzled expression.


    "Yes, Reidar. It''s all right. I never thought I''d come to this place... for me, it''s not a place like the others. I feel negative energy here, which grows as we get closer" Dag said, continuing to ride without stopping.

 146 CXLVI. The Split Mountain

    Reidar did not answer, he merely looked ahead and assimilated what Dag had just told him.


    "I want to tell you why we are here. I''m sure Egill didn''t tell you about it. but I trust both of you, you are like brothers to me. You have proven me to care about me and my cause" Dag continued, drawing the attention of both of his teammates.


    He told them Brann''s from the beginning, focusing on the part that concerned the Red Executioner and the death of Eirik, his brother.


    "I am very sorry that you discovered all this by yourself. It would have been easier if you had someone next to you, ready to console you" said Karl, who was unaware of the actual version of Brann''s story.


    "I have heard of him before. I think my father knew him. He has always been described as a just man as well as a formidable warrior. I''m sorry to hear all this" Reidar said, looking at Dag.


    "It doesn''t matter, now this is a story that belongs to the past. All I can do is try to carry on what he started clumsily, gathering the Clans to fight those who really is the enemy of the people" Dag continued.


    "We are with you, brother. We choose with you to make sense out of our lives, our names will be listed in the historical texts of the libraries of Jernhest!" replied Karl, enthusiastically.


    "Where is Vegard? Do you already know the way?" asked Reidar, who after hearing Brann''s story was even more determined to complete the mission.


    Dag looked at both of his companions, proud of them. He had made the right choice, telling them the truth about Brann, they would never betray him, they would have no reason to do it.


    "Yes, I think so. My mother told me that west of Tyven, there are several mountains. One of these is split in half and the two parts form two separate headlands: between these halves, should be the path to Vegard''s cave" Dag said.


    After motivating his companions, all three accelerated the pace, urging the horses to go faster, curious to meet this legendary figure that Dag had talked about.


    They continued west, riding with Tyven to their right.


    The plain stopped abruptly, leaving room for dozens of mountains with pointed peaks, which seemed to have sprung up out of nowhere.


    Going into among them, the three adventurers found themselves immersed in dense vegetation, completely different from that of the rest of the region: the low fruit trees, which characterized the cultivated fields of Kvete, were replaced by high conifers, which grew even on the steepest slopes.


    The atmosphere was definitely darker and the Sun could not penetrate the branches of the trees, making the path dimly lit.


    About a kilometer away, Dag and his companions finally saw the mountain Asa had talked about: it was more than 50 meters high and the rock that made it up was smooth and black, very similar to the obsidian.


    "The geology of this place is ambiguous. These minerals have nothing to do with what we have encountered so far, during our journey. Obsidian is a volcanic glass, and yet I don''t see volcanoes nearby, does the map say anything?" asked Dag to Reidar, coming down from his horse and touching the rock face of the mountain split in half.


    "Absolutely not. It doesn''t even report this specific headland, I think it''s out-of-date" Reidar said, trying to pinpoint that mountain on the map, which, given its characteristic shape, could have been a great place to navigate.


    "It''s so weird. It looks like it rained from the sky" added Dag, who, as he rested his hand on the rock, looked up, trying to see the sky among the leaves of the trees.


    "The nearest volcano is a long way from here. Towards the southern border of the nation... I don''t know much about volcanoes and this ''geology'' that you talk about all the time, but I think this mountain has nothing to do with that volcano" Reidar continued, putting away the map, which showed no indication of the place so as to become useless.


    "Let''s move on. This path should lead us directly to Vegard" replied Dag, who immediately climbed on the back of Aslan and walked along the accidental path that was barely visible.


    The three companions followed the road for about 2 hours, going deeper and deeper into the mountains, which became similar to the ones they had already seen.


    The sea and villages on the coast were soon no longer visible.


    At one point, the trail broke down at a steep rock face.


    Dag got off the horse again and his companions did the same.


    "I believe the cave is up here. The ancient path must have been covered by plants, which now make it inaccessible. Look" he said, pointing to his friends the bushes growing uphill, hampering the passage.


    "So? How do we do that?" asked Karl, who couldn''t figure out how to get to the top of the mountain.


    "You will stay here with the horses. From here on out, I can continue alone. I''m going to climb on this wall and get to the cave" Dag said, handing Aslan''s reins to Reidar.


    "Not a chance, Dag! We''re coming with you! I didn''t travel all this way to lose you in the mountains" Karl continued, approaching his Captain.


    "But... what about horses?" asked Dag.


    "We''ll tie them up here. The dense vegetation lets me guess that this area is not very busy, no one has been here for years, look! There are no other footprints on the ground besides ours. Our steeds will be safe" Reidar said, trying to reason with Dag.


    "And then... I''m curious to find out if Vegard is just a legend or is real. Let us come with you, Captain" he continued, looking him in the eye.


    "If that''s what you want, I won''t stop you from following me. It''s going to be dangerous, I have that feeling" Dag said, grabbing the reins of his horse from Reidar''s hands.

 147 CXLVII. The Climb

    The three friends sought the best place to hide the horses, which from that moment on would have been helpless, without their knights.


    One of the walls of the mountain had a hollow, which created a kind of cave, and Dag tied Aslan to a nearby trunk.


    "I think this tree is fine. Underneath here the horses can also take shelter in case of rain" he said.


    His companions did the same, and when they made sure that all three horses were tied firmly to the trunk, they returned to the front of the mountain.


    "It''s really high" said Karl, who, with one hand resting on his forehead, was trying to see the summit of the mountain.


    "We must reach a cave. And a cave is never on top of a mountain. Vegard''s lair will be at least 5 or 10 meters below" Dag replied, encouraging Karl, who was scared as usual.


    Soon after, he began to cling to the rock face, trying to find the best grips to climb it.


    "Try to follow my movements. I''ve climbed other walls like this in the past, but they weren''t mountains that high" Dag continued, referring to Gridd''s shortcut to get from Jernhest to his farm, avoiding a stretch of the main trail.


    Karl and Reidar obeyed and slowly began to climb the wall, putting their hands and feet exactly where Dag was clinging.


    Karl was last in line.


    "Never look below you! It''s a trick my sister taught me, one of the most agile people I know. Got it, Karl?" said aloud Dag, who kept climbing the wall looking up.


    "How did you know?" asked Karl, who, as Dag had predicted, looked down, noting that the terrain was becoming more and more distant.


    "I know you too well, brother!" chuckled Dag.


    "All right. I can do it" Karl replied, taking a deep breath and focusing on the wall in front of him.


    He had to try to pay attention to the footholds because his hands were sweaty from nervousness and the rock was intermittently slippery.


    After a few minutes, the three adventurers were able to climb part of the mountain.


    At about 25 meters high, Dag noticed an indentation in the rock and moved toward it.


    "We can make a short stop there, follow me!" he said, climbing to the right.


    When he and Reidar entered the rock recess, they helped Karl, who had some extra difficulty climbing.


    For a few seconds no one spoke, they just caught their breath.


    "We are close. I sense a feeling inside me... I''ve never heard this" said Dag, who felt his heart beating fast.


    He closed his eyes trying to relax, but he heard a particular sound coming from above.


    "Do you heard that too? Do you hear that sound? It sounds like a liquid, I don''t know how to explain it to you" he continued.


    "No... I can''t hear anything. Where did it come from?" asked Reidar, who pointed an ear out of the recess in which they had stopped.


    "It comes from up here. We keep going up, we''re almost there".


    Dag stood up and slowly put his hands on the wall, though, clinging to the rock, he noticed that his grip was beginning to be less and less tight, not being trained to climb.


    "Keep quiet... I feel a presence. And it''s very strong... Vegard?" whispered Dag to his companions, clinging to the wall immediately after him.


    After a few meters, the wall was interrupted and Dag strained his arms, pulling up, towards the natural terrace.


    "There we go!" he said pleased when he saw the entrance of a cave before him.


    "Is this it? How long has this guy been living here? He must have amassed a lot of stock, it''s not very easy to get to Tyven from up here" Karl said out of his breath, after climbing onto the rocky terrace.


    Dag did not answer, as he realized he had finally managed to get to his goal, which seemed too far away to be reached.


    The entrance to the cave was several meters high, marked by a wide opening in the rock.


    A huge rocky door was leaning against the wall in front of them: above it, there were several runes engraved next to each other, forming a circle.


    Dag tried to figure out what kind of runes they were, but it wasn''t simple Futhark. They looked so much older, should have been magic runes or something.


    "I think those runes are a kind of a mechanism that keeps the door shut" he said, trying to study every detail before advancing.


    Right under the door, there was a puddle of water.


    It was not very deep and the liquid inside boiled, giving off steam.


    Dag lowered himself to see better, keeping a safe distance.


    The rock at the bottom of the waterhole was fractured and bubbles came out of those fractures, causing a kind of metal ring to move, resting on the bottom.


    "It looks like a hydrothermal spring or something like that. Yet another element that has nothing to do with the landscape in which we find ourselves. I remember my mother telling me that Brann went down with Vegard for many meters underground, reaching a huge magma pool. If there was such a strong heat source under our feet, this would justify the presence of these natural thermal baths" Dag thought aloud.


    "To me, it just looks like a normal bubbly puddle. And what''s that thing floating in it?" said Karl, not paying attention to Dag''s speech as he approached the water.


    Dag stopped him, resting his hand on his chest.


    "We must move cautiously. No one has ever told me about this pool of water, I think it was created recently".


    "Created? Don''t you think it formed naturally? I think during the winter it snowed and rained a lot in this area..." Reidar said, trying to help Dag in reasoning.


    Dag looked at that water intently, activating Niva.

 148 CXLVIII. The Puddle

    As he thought, that was not just water: the liquid was surrounded by a yellowish aura.


    Dag said nothing to his companions and lowered himself to the ground, picking up a stone.


    Reidar and Karl followed him with their eyes, trusting what he was doing.


    Dag threw the stone into the pool of water, which splashed out of it.


    After a few seconds, the rock ended up on the bottom, touching the metal ring and the surface of the pool returned flat like a board, continuing to boil.


    "Did you see? It''s just a puddle. Rather, let''s figure out how to open that door" Karl said, stepping forward.


    Just then, four of the runes engraved on the large rocky door glowed with intense blue light, activating a spell.


    The water began to swirl, rising upwards as if it was a small liquid hurricane.


    "Back!" said Dag to his friend, who before he even heard him had already turned back to his comrades, fearful of having activated some sort of defensive spell.


    The metal ring that was previously on the bottom was lifted from the jet of water, stopping at its summit, as if it was a ring on a finger.


    "Captain... I don''t like it. I just don''t like it at all!" said Reidar, not believing his eyes.


    The ring, rising around the vortex of water, gave it a conical shape, with the tip pointing downwards.


    On the base of the cone, instead, a small ball of water appeared, attached to the rest of the figure through the ring.


    Almost simultaneously, two big arms with large human-like hands leaked out of the creature''s torso.


    About a minute after Dag pulled the rock into the puddle, the three friends found themselves in front of a water elemental, so tall that it reached the vault of the cave and completely occluded the passage.


    Dag was scared, that being seemed very powerful and had no intention of letting them through.


    "Nobody told you the most important detail, Dag! The entrance has a warden! And I don''t think this asshole lets us pass easily" Reidar said, pulling out Kjetil''s bow.


    The elemental stood still. No one could guess where he was looking since he didn''t have eyes.


    He was with his arms folded, waiting for Dag and the others to come forward to confront him.


    "He''s telling us to leave by hook... ''go away human fools, otherwise I''ll give you a nice bath''... fuck!" said Karl, who, as he trembled with fear, pulled out his shield and tomahawk.


    Dag stepped toward the elemental, which lowered his head to him.


    "Captain! Get out of there!" yelled Reidar.


    But Dag didn''t listen to his advice and looking at the aquatic being straight in the face, he said: "I''m here to see Vegard. I have a weapon he forged some years ago. The warrior it belonged to is in Valhalla now. I would like to ask the great blacksmith to make some changes to this axe."


    Karl and Reidar gaped: Dag was trying to talk to that magical being!


    The elemental tilted his head slightly as if he wanted to understand Dag''s words, which for a few seconds hoped to receive an answer.


    But soon after, the water monster opened his huge arms and tried to hit him.


    Dag dodged the blow, lowering himself and immediately afterward he pulled out the hammer.


    "All right. At least I tried" he said, as the black fluid began to come out of his arms.


    Before his teammates could intervene, Dag leaped to the elemental, loading a powerful blow, aiming at his head.


    The blow was so fast and precise that the blue monster failed to dodge it, and Dag hit the metal ring: his spherical head disintegrated, splashing on the cave wall.


    Then he rose to his feet, after lowering himself to his knees to cushion the fall.


    He turned to the elemental, which remained exactly the same position he was before losing his head.


    The metal ring began to levitate, rising from the ground.


    Karl was the closest and ran towards it, leaving the shield on the ground and grabbing it, trying to prevent it from flying away, but he did not succeed: he too got up from the ground, despite pulling down the ring with all his strength.


    "Aaaagh! Fuck, I can''t!" he said, ditching his grip and turning back towards the shield.


    Before the ring could return to its position, Dag repeatedly struck the elemental''s body, but the hammer passed through it, being the body entirely made of water.


    Reidar also tried to hit him with an arrow, the iron tip of which hit a wall of the cave, after passing through the water elemental, which remained unharmed.


    The ring returned to the neck of the being and his head reformed immediately.


    Dag regained his breath after launching several missed attacks.


    "Trying to hit him normally doesn''t make sense, it''s just an unnecessary loss of energy. He''s must have a weakness, I''m sure!" said Dag, trying to study his opponent before his next attack.


    "How can he have a weakness? It''s a fucking monster made of water!" exclaimed Karl, who trying to grab the ring, touched the elemental''s body, getting completely wet.


    The elemental waved his arms, trying to strike all three adventurers, pushing them to the edge of the precipice.


    Fortunately, his shots were slow and predictable.


    Opening the door evading his defense was impossible, considering they didn''t even know how to do it exactly.


    Dag looked down: the monster had no feet, the lower end of his body leaked directly from one of the fractures of the rock below, which had widened further during the summoning.


    "We must try to lock him in there" Dag said, as the monster squirmed.


    "Where? In that little rock crack? It''s impossible! Look how big he is!" said Reidar, dodging another shot.


    "I think it''s time to see if Kjetil''s bow is as magical as the bandits said. While I''m distracting him, you have to load its magic arrows... I think they will hit his body!" said Dag, as he prepared to dodge again.

 149 CXLIX. The Rock Crevice

    Karl was terrified and kept back, being careful not to fall off the rocky terrace.


    Dag put away the hammer, which returned to its seat, on the belt.


    After the injection, his physical abilities had increased slightly and he was able to move nimbly despite the weight of the axe he carried on his back.


    It was time to find out if his dark powers had also increased and there was no better opponent than a magical monster of that power.


    Reidar looked at Dag out of the corner of his eye, without looking away from the enemy.


    He opened his hand, palm facing upwards.


    The dark fluid released from his arms slipped toward his hand, concentrating within it.


    Dag tried to control it, using his mind: he did not know exactly how, but thinking about the movements the fluid had to make, it moved in the same direction, following his will.


    From the palm of his hand, Dag''s black liquid began to rise upwards condensing into a small dark sphere.


    The elemental turned his head towards him and for a moment stopped attacking his comrades.


    "Karl! Hit the metal ring! It''s will buy us more time!" said Dag, as he controlled the fluid, loading his next shot.


    Karl, without asking questions, took a deep breath, taking courage, and began to run toward the elemental, who noticed the attack.


    The monster tried to hit Karl with a slow punch directed downwards and he managed to deftly dodge it, opening an attacking window: he turned on himself and hit the neck of the elemental, who had lowered trying to hit him.


    The shield crashed into the metal ring, which detached from the neck and flew away, slamming onto the wall.


    "Now it''s your turn, Reidar!" continued Dag, coordinating the offensive maneuver, as the dark ball in his hand continued to grow as more fluid joined it.


    Reidar took an arrow and charged it, stretching the bow rope.


    As he aimed, next to his arrow, two shining arrows appeared, glowing with yellow light and pointing in the same direction as the real arrow, even if they were suspended in the air.


    The metal ring began to fly towards the monster again when Reidar fired the arrow.


    Along with it, the other two were also fired at great speed, leaving a blue trail behind.


    Kjetil''s bow had worked, it was enough to stun the enemy, to allow Reidar to load a stealth shot.


    All three arrows hit the elemental''s large aquatic chest: while the real one pierced it without injuring him, the two luminous arrows lodged in the enemy''s body, causing him considerable damage.


    The metal ring fell back to the ground and the headless monster began to fidget, sore.


    "It worked!" yelled Reidar, looking satisfied at his magic weapon.


    Now it was Dag''s turn: a dark, fluid sphere floated in the palm of his hand, following his movements.


    It exuded an incredible power, ready to be unleashed.


    Dag began to walk toward the elemental, while it continued to squirm, unable to see his enemies.


    When he noticed that the sphere, due to its high intrinsic gravity, was anchored to his hand, he ran to the elemental, jumping as high as possible.


    "Aaaaagh! Die!" cried Dag, as he fell down, through the transparent body of the monster, pointing the sphere to the fracture in the rock.


    As soon as he hit the ground, in less than a second, the dark fluid penetrated the rock, detaching itself from Dag''s hand and began to drag down with it also the elemental, who placed his hands on the ground, trying to look for some foothold to avoid being sucked.


    Dag continued to point his hand down, trying to feel the liquid''s movements in the depths of the mountain rock.


    He gritted his teeth and concentrated, further increasing the gravity of the dark fluid.


    The elemental''s hands crawled to the ground, with a grip so strong that it etched the rock.


    The monster''s torso completely entered the narrow slit, and his arms rose upwards, swirling as if Dag had just flushed the toilet.


    As the enemy tried in vain to escape the mighty dark fluid, Dag stood up and walked slowly toward the metal ring, which was there on the ground and vibrated faintly.


    He put a foot on it, blocking it.


    As soon as the last drop of water of the elemental entered the fracture of the rock, the ring stopped vibrating.


    "Did we make it?! Hahaha!" exulted Karl, rising from the ground after being hit as the monster fidgeted, trying to escape the liquid.


    Dag picked up the metal ring and tied it on his belt.


    "This is just the beginning. Now we need to find out what''s really behind that door" he said.


    "I thought Asa told you in detail" Karl replied.


    "She told me Brann''s version. As I didn''t know about the elemental we just faced, there could be other dangers. We must never get distracted, be careful" Dag continued as he approached the door.


    The runes that were shining a few minutes earlier were back to normal.


    Dag lightly touched some of them with his fingertips.


    "We could try to push it" Karl said, approaching his friend.


    "Karl, that stone door is too heavy to be moved by hand. Besides, I think it didn''t ''use'' all of its runes, which are the opening mechanism" said Reidar, who had put Kjetil''s bow back in its place and was approaching his teammates.


    "Asa told me that Brann and his brother Eirik couldn''t get in immediately, and when they had lost hope, they turned to go away and the door opened" Dag said, recalling his mother''s exact words.


    "Maybe we could do the same" Reidar said.


    "I don''t think it would work. And I''m sick of waiting" Dag continued, unhooking the straps that held the Red Executioner strung up to his back.


    Dag pulled it out of the linen towel with which it had been covered and approached it at the door.

 150 CL. Knock At The Door

    "Vegard! Let me in! I want to know more about this axe and I need your help!" he cried as if the blacksmith could hear him from behind the stone wall.


    He placed the blade of the double-headed axe on the door, at the runes, but nothing happened.


    "Damn..." whispered, lowering his head down, sad.


    "We''re going to be able to open it, Captain. We''re too close to our goal to give up" Reidar said, touching Dag''s shoulder to encourage him.


    "Step aside" replied he, who tied the large axe behind his back again.


    Reidar backtracked and Karl did the same, without saying a word.


    Dag pulled Magni''s hammer.


    "Master, help me. I''m sure the blacksmith knows more about my powers, and I... I need to know" Dag said, looking at the hammer, turning to the spirit of his late Master.


    He raised his head upwards and clasped the weapon tightly in his right hand, trying to condense the dark fluid again.


    Although he had used a large amount of his power shortly before, within seconds other black liquid began to flow on his arms, this time confluencing towards the head of the hammer.


    He also raised the weapon towards the vault of the cave, following it with his eyes: the head of the hammer emitted blue lightning bolts, which turned purple as soon as the liquid reached it.


    When the weapon was sufficiently loaded, Dag looked at the door.


    His right eye had turned soft purple and his face was inexpressive.


    Karl and Reidar moved further away, moving behind their captain.


    Dag carried the hammer down, grabbing the handle with both hands, also surrounded by the dark fluid.


    "Let me in!" he yelled, as if he was sending the last warning to Vegard.


    After a few seconds, no one answered and he ran to the door, leaving a trail of dark lightning behind, which burned the rock under his feet.


    "Aaaaagh!" yelled Dag, as he charged an Overpowered Strike against the door.


    The hammer struck exactly the midpoint of the large stone slab, in the center of the rune circle, and the door shattered, emitting a shock wave so powerful to unbalance Karl, which was grabbed by Reidar before he could fall off the precipice.


    The two warriors fell to the ground due to the earthquake caused by the blast.


    The cloud of dense dust lasted a few minutes before they could distinguish the shape of Dag popping up in the mist.


    He was standing, looking up at the wall in front of him: the door had been completely destroyed and he had managed to break through the rock, creating an entrance.


    "*cough*cough*¡­ Captain! Wait, we''re coming!" shouted Reidar toward Dag, grabbing Karl by the jacket and helping him get up from the ground.


    Dag walked forward, toward the entrance, with the hammer continuing to emit bright bolts, reflecting in the dusty air, which looked like a cloud during a storm.


    Reidar and Karl approached Dag, continuing to cough.


    He walked impassively, entering the blacksmith''s hideout.


    Once past the wall, the fog abated and the three adventurers were able to see what was in front of them again.


    They found themselves in a second cave, smaller than the first: on the walls, there were tools of all kinds, all useful for iron processing.


    A large anvil stood in the middle of the room, with a blacksmith''s hammer resting on the ground, next to it.


    "We''ve arrived... I think this is the place... but where is Vegard?" said Karl, looking around.


    There was no trace of the old blacksmith in that room.


    Dag put the hammer in place, which stopped emitting sparks.


    To the left of the cave, there was a small semi-open wooden door.


    "That door leads to the real furnace. It will lead us underground for several kilometers, according to my mother''s story" Dag said, grabbing a torch that was leaning near the wall.


    "So? Are you going down there without Vegard''s permission?" asked Karl again, fearing the worst.


    "Yes. You still have time to retire. I must go on" Dag continued, lighting the torch, rubbing the metal stick on the pyrite fragment, which he always carried with him.


    "Make your way, Captain" Reidar said, ready to follow Dag.


    Karl snorted and then joined his comrades, for fear of being left alone in that place.


    All three of them opened the wooden door and began to descend a staircase, as Dag predicted.


    They walked for about an hour in total silence, careful to hear every slight sound coming from the end of the stairs.


    "Are you sure we''re going in the right direction? I don''t feel anything coming from the other side" Karl asked, bored.


    "That''s because we''re not even halfway up the stairs. Be patient, brother. If the legend is as real as I think it is, it will be an experience you will never forget in your life" Said Dag, with the torch pointed forward, to see every single step, avoiding tripping.


    The three friends continued to chat, fantasizing about Vegard''s appearance and what kinds of weapons they would find in the lava pool room, deceiving time.


    After hours of descending the stairs, one step after another, Karl said: "guys... I can''t stand it anymore... how much far are we? Aren''t you exhausted? And then... there''s an asphyxiating heat in here!"


    As he spoke panting, he placed his hand on one of the stone walls of the tunnel, removing it soon after.


    "Ouch! What the fuck?! This wall is as hot as an oven!" he exclaimed, bringing his hand to his mouth, trying to relieve the burning with saliva.


    "The heat is really intense... look at the torch. It is much brighter than before, the fire burns strongly! That means we''re almost there" Dag said, beginning to see a faint orange glow that dimly illuminated the walls.


    "It''s true! I see something too! There''s a light, we''re almost there!" added Reidar, trying to widen the neck of his jacket because of the heat.

 151 CLI. The Great Forge

    Despite being tired, the three companions picked up the pace, eager to discover the room at the end of the stairs.


    After about twenty minutes, finally, the exit of the tunnel became visible: a warm and intense light came from the next room.


    Dag turned to them and nodded with his hand, ordering them to remain silent.


    He left the torch on the ground, to prevent Vegard from noticing them. Firstly he wanted to make sure he wasn''t dangerous, he was always a man in contact with the Gods, after all.


    Dag approached the entrance to the luminous room and was forced to cover his eyes for a few seconds before he could see, because of the darkness in which they had walked for hours.


    A constant metallic noise rumbled into the huge room, the vault of which was tens of meters high.


    In addition to that noise, there was another in the background: from some rocks at several meters high, liters and liters of dense magma fell into the lava pool, which matched the description provided by Asa.


    In front of the lava fall, a man of sturdy build and medium height, gave Dag his back, striking with his hammer a piece of burning metal, on an anvil larger than a table, placed at the foot of the red-hot pool.


    Dag took courage and entered the room boldly, without saying anything.


    His companions followed him, looking around with their mouth open, trying to realize that they were not in a dream, while their captain slowly continued to walk.


    "I wasn''t expecting any visitors..." said Vegard, without even turning to them, as he continued to hammer on the anvil.


    Dag took the metal ring of the elemental and threw it on the ground in front of him, under the astonished gaze of Reidar and Karl, who were still near the exit of the staircase, admiring the countless weapons hanging on the walls, which were identical to those of the legend.


    The sound of the metal ring rumbled across the room, and when the blacksmith heard it, it stopped hitting the anvil, slightly turning his head toward Dag.


    "I need your help, Vegard" exclaimed Dag, confident, even though he was intimidated.


    The blacksmith laid down the hammer and turned to him, who had managed to get his attention.


    "I had sealed the door for a reason. I haven''t let anyone get in here in years. You managed to get past the guard of Aqueous, the water elemental" Vegard said, picking up the metal ring from the ground.


    "I would have preferred to join you without a fight, but that was not possible" Dag continued, trying to make the blacksmith understand his good intentions.


    As the blacksmith looked at the ring in his hands, Dag unhooked the Red Executioner''s straps, holding it and showing it to Vegard, who sighed as soon as he recognized the axe.


    "Remember this weapon? It''s one of your creations" Dag asked, looking into Vegard''s eyes.


    The blacksmith was exactly as Brann had described him to Asa: he had long hair, covering part of his face, blackened by the sulfur of which that place was full. The unkempt grey beard concealed some scars at the neck and chin.


    His physique was statuesque, perfect. The mighty, dry musculature did not match that of a man of his age, it seemed that his body had never aged.


    "That''s why I stopped forging weapons for you human beings" he replied, in a melancholy tone.


    Reidar and Karl approached Dag, to give him moral support, and at those words slowed down, frightened of what might happen.


    "I know its story. It''s called the Red Executioner and it was purposely forged for a hangman. My name is Dag and I come from Earth. My adoptive mother''s name is Asa and she was Brann''s wife, the warrior who sacrificed his own brother for the Soul Fusion" Dag continued, proving that he perfectly knew the details of the story.


    "There''s something strange about you. It is a power that I have never felt in any human being, not even in the warriors I have encountered all these years..." said Vegard, resting the metal ring near the anvil and walking toward Dag.


    When Reidar saw the blacksmith approaching, he immediately pulled out the bow, but Dag nodded his hand, ordering him to put it back.


    "I see that the Red Executioner is not my only creation that you own" Vegard continued, looking at Reidar''s magic bow.


    He was astonished by the blacksmith''s words and taking courage, said: "We have taken this bow from bandits settled in a village on the coast. They were besieging a village of innocent peasants and had to be stopped. It is also thanks to this weapon that we were able to defeat the water elemental... did you forge it?"


    "Hahaha... don''t worry, boy, it''s not for me to decide what is good and what is evil... I am only a humble servant of our great Allfather. Yes, I created it... that''s the ''Failnaught'', the infallible bow" Vegard chuckled.


    Reidar could not believe his ears: the bow he had obtained was actually a legendary weapon, forged by a divine blacksmith.


    "I wasn''t trying to justify our actions. I just wanted you to understand that we''re not evil. Our Captain is the kindest and most generous person on the planet and he''s been dreaming of meeting you for a long time" Reidar continued, trying to pave the way for Dag.


    Dag looked at his companion, appreciating the gesture.


    "Why did you come here, then?" asked Vegard to Dag.


    "Unlike Brann, who was a man who willing to sacrifice the lives of others to increase his power, I would like to use the potential of this weapon to do good. My goal is to gather the Clans in order to bring peace to Skjold" Dag replied, with determination.


    "Then use it. I don''t understand what this old blacksmith can do for you..." replied Vegard.

 152 CLII. The Faltering Attemp

    "The Red Executioner is too big and heavy... my fighting style is based on speed and counterattacks. I''d like you to make some changes to Brann''s axe, making it a one-handed axe, so that I can use it, together with this one" Dag continued, showing Magni''s hammer to Vegard.


    "Where... where did you get that weapon?" asked Vegard, who as soon as he saw it began to step back fearfully, as if he had seen death itself.


    "Well... this weapon has a long history, belonged to Magni, my Master. He sacrificed his life to save mine because he was convinced that I could do good" said Dag, with melancholy, as he looked at the black head of the hammer.


    "Its power... it''s dark! I don''t understand how that''s possible! You''re just a human being..." continued Vegard, continuing to retreat towards the anvil.


    "What does this mean? I managed to imprison the power of my late Master inside his hammer. I have powers, yes. That would be my second question for you" Dag continued, advancing toward him with his hands down, making him realize that he had no bad intentions.


    "A human being cannot have that power! How did you do that?! Tell me, or I''ll have to get rid of you!" the blacksmith yelled at Dag, resting his hand on the large anvil.


    "Get rid of me? Vegard, what are you saying? I''m not evil, I swear! If you can feel things for real, then try to feel my intentions. Growing up, I developed these ''dark'' powers, but I don''t know where they come from. As I explained before, I come from Earth and have been subjected to the judgment of the Temporum, like all earthlings" Dag continued, as Vegard paused to listen, with the same frightened expression drawn on his face.


    "When that alien machine showed the Xis the values of my blood, they found that a small part of it, 2% was unknown. For the first time, I saw them worried. After consulting, they still sent me here, on Skjold, because the highest percentage of my blood belongs to this place. The really strange thing is that, lately, I''ve found that shape-shifting beings, both humans and animals, are chasing me. And they all have one thing in common: their blood is not red, but magenta-colored".


    Vegard gasped, as well as Reidar and Karl, who were watching the scene from behind Dag.


    "All this is impossible... inside you... I feel there is something good. But the darkness... darkness will soon devour you completely! You have to leave, you have to get out of here before my Lord finds you out!" said the old blacksmith.


    "What? What are you talking about? Who is your lord?"


    "Silly of a boy... he''s Odin! The Allfather will punish me if he finds out I helped a Frostsinner! Go away!" continued Vegard, approaching the lava pool.


    Reidar and Karl continued to watch Dag, trying to figure out what his intentions were, and in the meantime slowly pulled out the weapons, ready to use them if necessary.


    "Frostsinner?! I''m nothing like that, I don''t even know what you''re talking about! I beg you, Vegard. Help me understand!" cried Dag, desperate for Vegard''s unexpected reaction.


    "Only the Frostsinners possess that dark power. They have trapped the people of Midgard and Asgard on this planet, driving us away from our true home, Earth. I don''t know how it''s possible, you''re a human being, and yet you''re one of them, there''s no doubt about it" he replied, bending over to the red-hot pool and tucking his arm into the lighting magma.


    "A Xis?! Do you think I''m one of them?! Then this is it, I was right! That 2% of my blood... it''s alien! How is that possible?! Please, Vegard, tell me more! I can''t live anymore without knowing..." said Dag, kneeling before the blacksmith after the great revelation.


    "You''ll have to stop living, then" Vegard said, in a stern voice, pulling his arm out of the lava, with a large sword in his hand.


    Reidar and Karl didn''t know whether to be more surprised by what Dag had discovered or the fact that Vegard had just stuck an entire arm in the red-hot magma without feeling pain.


    The blacksmith stood up and looked at the sword he held in his hands as if he was looking at a brother he had not met in 100 years.


    Dag lay on the ground, standing in the same position, distraught.


    "The Frostsinners..." he kept repeating in a low voice, when Reidar touched his shoulder, trying to get him back.


    "Captain... maybe we should get out of this place!" he said, pointing to Vegard.


    Dag looked up at him, tears streaming down his eyes.


    "I didn''t think I''d ever see you again, Mimungr. I need my true form to drive these enemies out of the Great Forge" said the blacksmith, stroking the blade of the sword with one hand.


    It was a magnificent weapon: the golden hilt had the black leather grip and head of a Valkyrie embedded in the center of the guard, which separated the lower part of the weapon from the sharp red and shiny blade, which seemed to contain flames inside.


    As Dag rose slowly, Vegard pointed the blade of the sword at his own stomach and raised his head upwards, looking at the vault of the Great Forge.


    In a determined gesture, he stuck his sword in his flesh, piercing his belly.


    Dag and his companions could not understand what was about to happen.


    Vegard knelt on the ground and rivers of blood gushed from his mouth as he placed both hands down, clenching his fists.


    The blade of the sword was coming out of his back and the old blacksmith was losing a lot of blood.


    At a point, when Dag recovered from the shock and wielded his hammer again, Vegard''s body began to change, increasing considerably in volume: the robes he was wearing were torn and the sword that had just been thrust into his body fell to the ground.

 153 CLIII. The Heat Of The Flames

    Dag and his companions retreated, frightened.


    At the end of the transformation, Vegard slowly rose to his feet.


    Now he was a giant, more than 4 meters tall and with skin that gave off a faint red glow.


    Tattoos of ancient runes appeared on his uncovered chest, similar to those engraved on the stone door that Dag had broken through a few hours earlier.


    When the blacksmith lowered himself to grab the sword, it too increased in volume, as soon as it touched its master''s hand.


    Dag, Reidar, and Karl were shocked, admiring the true form of Vegard, who, despite intimidating them, was at the same time a heavenly vision, which left them breathless.


    "That sword... Mimungr... according to legend he belonged to the giant Mimir, known and envied by Odin for his infinite wisdom, so much so that he came to beheaded him... this man named Vegard, he''s not really just a human..." Reidar said softly, admiring the majesty of the imposing giant before them.


    "That is Weland, the blacksmith" Karl said, as he gasped.


    The three adventurers stood before a God.


    "The Frostsinners are not welcome in the Great Forge, nor on Skjold. I gave you the last warning, stranger. Now I will be forced to end your mortal existence!" said Weland, his voice so deep that the rocks of the cave crumbled from the vault.


    Dag took courage and stepped forward, distancing himself from his companions, who stayed behind.


    "Unlike you, I didn''t lie about my true identity, Weland. I came here in peace, looking for answers and your help. My power... how can it come from the Xis? And above all... how did they block the Gods on this planet? How great is their power?" he said, resting his hand on the hammer.


    "It doesn''t matter what your intentions are. Your blood is what condemns you, regardless of your actions. These are Odin''s orders and cannot be disputed. The Frostsinner powers are great and unknown, forcing the Aesir to abandon the old Asgard. But this is a story that doesn''t concern you. You were foolish to come here, you marked your end" the red giant continued, holding his sword firmly and beginning to walk towards Dag.


    Before he had time to think of a strategy, Weland tried to hit him with the sword, but Dag dodged the slow blow, and Mimungr hit the ground, shattering it.


    Reidar walked away to a wall, trying to find the best position from which to aim the enemy.


    After dodging, Dag quickly pulled out the hammer, which instantly charged with electricity and hit Weland on the side.


    The blow was successful, but the blacksmith did not move an inch.


    After lifting his sword from the ground, he slammed into Dag, who tried to parry the blow with the hammer.


    When Weland''s red sword struck Dag''s hammer, he flew back several meters away, hitting one of the walls and dropping some of the weapons hanging on it.


    Dag barely rose from the ground, the enemy''s shot had been extremely powerful, even though he had parried it perfectly.


    Weland walked towards him, ready to hit him again, when Karl hit him down, getting a cut on his calf.


    The red giant turned to Karl and before he could dodge him, he grabbed his head with one hand, lifting him off the ground.


    Karl began screaming and squirming, trying unnecessarily to free himself from his grip and dropping his weapons to the ground, clinging to Weland''s arm.


    Just then three arrows struck the giant simultaneously on the head: the magic arrow and a normal arrow lodged in his forehead, while the other magic arrow pierced his eye.


    Weland turned to Reidar, despite being blinded and throwing Karl forcefully at him.


    Poor Karl made a long flight before landing on Reidar, who could not dodge him.


    Both remained on the ground, sore.


    "Fools. Do you think the weapons I created can hurt me? How dare you mock my abilities?!" exclaimed Weland, detaching the arrows from his face and looking at Reidar and Karl as if they were insects to be crushed.


    Immediately after those words, the blacksmith was shot in the leg and knelt down.


    Then he was hit again in the back and was forced to put his hand on the ground so as not to fall.


    Dag, while his enemies distracted the enemy, had managed to condense the black fluid and combine the power of the weapon with his own dark one.


    He had struck the Weland''s body, who had just shown himself vulnerable to the blows of the hammer, which emitted purple sparks from the black stone head.


    Weland said nothing, he merely stood up and turned to Dag, looking at him angrily.


    Dag looked him in the eye.


    "Your eyes tell me who you are, earthling! You can''t hide your true nature in front of me!" yelled Weland, making Dag realize that his right eye was purple again.


    "I''m not going to kill you. You will help me forge the new Red Executioner and tell me what happened to the Gods" Dag said, looking at Weland with a menacing air, after unhooking the axe from his shoulders, dropping it to the ground, so he could fight to his full potential.


    "You''re just a Frostsinner kid! Don''t you dare give me orders!" replied Weland, charging Dag.


    Every step of the giant shook the cavern, causing its walls to tremble.


    Meanwhile, Karl and Reidar were still on the ground, stunned.


    Dag watched the giant run towards him and prepared to dodge the blow.


    The Mimungr blade caught fire, leaving a blazing trail behind.


    Weland leaped toward Dag, pointing his huge flaming sword to the ground.


    When Dag dodged rolling sideways, the sword hit the ground, producing a fire shockwave that spread all around the blacksmith.


    Dag, not knowing how to dodge the fire blow, pointed his hands forward, clenching his fists and activating Shockwave.


    The electric shock wave somehow managed to stop the fire, but soon after, Weland had already risen from the ground and was again charging towards Dag.

 154 CLIV. The Teamwork

    "His attack speed has grown! I have to come up with a strategy, otherwise, I will never be able to defeat him" he thought.


    Weland tried to hit Dag with a lunge, which made a deep noise as if it was the firing of a cannon.


    Once again, the shot was dodged, thanks to Dag''s remarkable speed.


    "You''re fast, mortal... but how long can you last?" said Weland, turning back to him.


    "I''ll tell you again... I am not your enemy, nor an enemy of the Aesir! I took an oath, I swore eternal allegiance to Odin when I became Berserkr! Look!" exclaimed Dag, quickly taking off his jacket and shirt to show Weland the Berserkrs'' mark on his shoulder, next to the rune tattoos sprinkled on his arm.


    After a few seconds of pause, Weland shouted: "You are not worthy to pronounce the name of the Alfather! You will be punished!"


    Dag was gripped by a sense of despondency: he was trying in every way to avoid the inevitable. He had to fight that God. What would happen next was a mystery.


    "Call him then. Call Odin! He will be able to understand whether I tell the truth or not!" continued Dag.


    Weland pretended not to hear and pointed Mimungr at him.


    The red blade of the sword began to channel a vortex of fire, which quickly spread to Dag, still motionless in his position.


    He tried to activate Call of the Berserkr, but the flames caught up with him before he could.


    He pointed his arms forward, trying to protect his face from the heat released by the fire, which began to burn the rest of his body.


    "Aaaagh!" shouted Dag, in pain.


    When the vortex stopped enveloping him, Dag tried to stay on his feet, but he put his knee on the ground, without strength.


    The burns on his body were quite visible: both on his arms and legs, large blisters had flared his flesh and in some places, his skin had been completely burned.


    When Reidar and Karl began to regain consciousness, they saw their Captain in those conditions, with a smoking body as if he was a firebrand.


    "You''re insolent. You come here, in the Great Forge, a sacred place and demand that I listen to you. Why are you so foolish, mortal?" asked Weland, approaching Dag as he walked slowly, crawling the tip of his sword on the floor, emitting sparks as he passed.


    "You have helped an evil man... to gain more power... you''ve been silent, like a lamb... while his brother was burning alive in magma... you are not a true God, you are just a worm" Dag said to hard, as he suffered from burns.


    Weland paused, observing Dag with an expression of anger upon him.


    "You Gods are not different from us humans. Legends describe you as superior beings, free from flaws... but that''s not the case. You know I''m innocent, despite where my blood came from... and yet you can''t decide with your own head" continued Dag, who was trying to waste Weland''s time.


    "What are you babbling now? I decide whether you live or die!" the blacksmith replied aloud.


    Reidar and Karl got up from the ground and tried to sneak up on him, without making a noise, trying to figure out how to help their Captain.


    "It is Odin who decides for you. He is the true God. You''re worth less than zero, you''re just a blacksmith, a means in the hands of the man in charge" Dag said, clenching his fists.


    As he spoke, the black liquid began to flow from his chest to his legs, then on his back and finally on his arms, healing the wounds.


    Slowly Dag regained his strength and his veins swelled, increasing muscle mass: Call of the Berserkr was active.


    "Grrr! How dare you! I am a God, you humans should die just because you saw my true form! By the way... where are your little friends?!" said Weland, who turned to the wall on which Karl had catapulted a few minutes earlier.


    When he noticed that they were no longer there on the ground, he continued to turn his head looking for them, but an arrow hit him on the neck and two more magic arrows on his chest.


    "Aagh!" he said, not expecting to be hit.


    He stepped back, trying to pull the arrow lodged in his neck, when Karl, who had managed to turn around, taking advantage of his distraction, hit the hand holding the sword with the tomahawk, and simultaneously hit Mimungr with a shield shot.


    The manoeuvre was effective and within seconds, Weland was disarmed.


    Just during that short time, Dag got up from the ground and jumped into the blacksmith''s neck, attacking him from behind.


    "Aaaagh! Go away!" began Weland, waving his arms to shake Dag out.


    But his grip was very strong, as his muscles grew as a result of the skill activated without his enemy knowing.


    As he tried to suffocate Weland with one arm, Dag raised his upper arm, pointing the hammer''s head upwards.


    Karl and Reidar looked at the ceiling, noting that the rocks which composed it began to crumble until a small breach opened in the big vault.


    Dag clenched Weland''s neck with additional force, pointing his gaze upwards, while his arms turned black, absorbing all the fluid he had generated.


    Weland grabbed Dag''s arm, but he could not free himself from the grip, too tight even for a God.


    From the hole in the vault of the Great Forge, for a few seconds, the clouds were glimpsed, before the sky was fleshed by celestial lightning, which widened the ceiling hole, entering the cave.


    Under Karl and Reidar''s incredulous gaze, the lightning bolt, just before hitting the hammer, turned intense purple.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    Dag and Weland screamed simultaneously when Magni''s hammer charged with electricity, while Dag hit the blacksmith''s face.


    The violent blow triggered an explosion of light and a shockwave that spread across the room, dropping all weapons from the walls and Dag''s companions.

 155 CLV. The Mercy

    "Captain!" yelled Reidar, immediately rising from the ground, with one hand before his eyes, being blinded by the light.


    Karl continued to cough, lying with his back to the ground.


    When the light slowly disappeared, the two companions witnessed an incredible scene: the red giant was still standing, with the hammer''s head on his face and his arms hanging along the hips.


    Dag was still there, on his shoulders, breathing hard for the energy he spent in the blow.


    Reidar remained unmoved, not knowing what to do.


    Weland fell to his knees, shaking the cave, and Dag came down from his shoulders, making him fall with the face to the ground.


    Karl got up and stood next to Reidar, in disbelief at what he saw in front of his eyes.


    Weland''s face was disfigured: his nose was broken, one of his eyes was swollen and full of blood, and his lips were completely split.


    Simultaneously, the two companions turned to Dag, who had just risen, after regaining his energy.


    He walked towards the blacksmith, with his black torso and arms, drenched in that liquid, and his eye still purple.


    He put the hammer in his place and grabbed Weland by the hair, barely raising his head off the ground.


    The blacksmith uttered a lament... he was still alive.


    "You asked for it, you forced me. Now tell me what I want to know. What happened to the Gods and the kingdom of Asgard?" said Dag, looking impassively at the red giant straight in his eye.


    "Tell me the truth, boy... are you one of the Frostsinners?" asked Weland with a thread of a voice.


    "No. That''s the truth" Dag said, grabbing the giant by the shoulder, trying to help him sit down, resting his back to the great anvil.


    Weland grabbed his nose and with a snap of his hand readjusted it, writhing in pain and coughing up blood.


    "The Frostsinners... they managed to reach Asgard, many years ago, destroying the Bifrost and bringing all the Aesir and Alfars of Godheim to their knees..." said the giant.


    "How did they manage to reach the Bifrost? I know that you need to discover all the divine runes to reach the magic bridge, once you have found the root of Yggdrasil" Dag continued, who perfectly remembered the legend.


    "There was a time... where all the Pantheons coexisted on Earth. It was the home of human beings and their Gods. This all ended after the Dark Day, when the Frostsinners arrived on the planet, bringing chaos and destruction... It took them a little over a year to drive out all the divine nations who prospered in peace, forcing us all to undertake cosmic journeys and move to new planets" Weland continued.


    "The Dark Day... no one has ever told me about it in depth. What happened that day?" asked Dag, fearful that Weland might die at any moment.


    The blacksmith turned to him, looking him in the eye: "You really don''t know? They were the ones who turned off the light that kept us alive. But no one knows why not even the great Aesir of Asgard".


    Dag stretched his eyes and stepped back.


    "It''s not possible. I can''t believe your words" he said, as his heart beat tightly in his chest and his forehead began to sweat with tension.


    "Boy, look at me. I''m a dying God. If you defeated me, there must be a reason... What I just told you is the truth... *cough*" whispered Weland, breathing hard.


    "Karl! He needs treatment! He must not die!" shouted Dag, turning to his companions.


    "What?! What... What... how do I do it?! He''s the God Weland, I don''t know how to heal a God!" replied Karl, bleaching from fear.


    "Then, find out how to do it! Do your best, I trust you!" continued Dag, trying to motivate his friend, while Reidar stood still looking at him, trying to figure out if everything that was happening around him was real.


    "Fuck, fuck, fuck! All right, Captain!" exclaimed Karl, bravely and approaching the dying giant, who looked him in the eye.


    "I hope it''s worth it" Karl replied, opening his medicine chest.


    While Karl was at work, preparing ointments and potions of all kinds to make the blacksmith ingest, the effects of the dark liquid and Call of the Berserkr ended and Dag felt weak.


    "Captain, is everything okay?!" asked Reidar, grabbing him as he was about to fall to the ground.


    Dag looked at him, smiling: "Yes, it''s all right. I didn''t think I was ready for this... it had to be different".


    Reidar smiled back, proud to be one of his most trusted allies.


    Grabbing him by the shoulders, he helped Dag sit on the ground to regain his strength.


    "How is that possible? What Weland just said... is it all true? Are these Xis strong enough to have managed to drive the Gods out of the Earth?" asked Reidar, looking down, trying to process the information he had learned.


    "I don''t know, Reidar, I don''t know what''s true and what''s fake anymore. I''m just very confused. If Karl can heal him, he''s going to tell us everything he knows. The Xis are the most powerful creatures the human being has ever known. In front of them, Odin and Thor also trembled... and that''s shocking" Dag said, squinting, exhausted.


    Reidar took his captain''s jacket and shirt from the ground and flattened them under his neck, allowing Dag to lie down and rest.


    Dag opened his eyes again after about an hour and his first thought as soon as he woke up was to look at Weland, to check on his condition.


    Judging by the look of his face, he seemed to have recovered.


    "It was easier than expected! Apparently the Gods have an innate capacity for regeneration!" exclaimed Karl, who stood up, satisfied with his work, wiping sweat from his forehead.


    On Welland''s face, a huge scar ran from his mouth to his eye. It would have been an indelible sign of the battle between him and Dag: the blacksmith would remember that day throughout his life.

 156 CLVI. The Truth

    Dag walked towards him, who was still sitting on the ground, his back resting on the huge anvil of the Great Forge.


    "You shouldn''t have done it... my death was decided" Weland said, looking sadly down.


    "Wow! It''s a nice way to thank those who just saved your life!" exclaimed Dag, trying to get his attention.


    "My goal was never to kill you... and now that I''ve shown you my intentions, you can recognize that you made a mistake judging me" Dag continued.


    Weland bluffed, acknowledging his mistake: Dag was not as evil as he believed, he was just a young man looking for answers.


    His power was so great that he could defeat a God, and that made him worthy of respect.


    "Then... what do you want to know, boy?" the blacksmith asked, trying to get up, but to no avail.


    "On Dark Day... what happened to Asgard? I want you to tell me everything you remember" Dag continued, determined.


    "The Frostsinners... I don''t know how, but they managed to enter the kingdom of heaven. When the Valkyries noticed their presence on the Bifrost bridge, they realized that Heimdallr had been defeated and immediately alerted Odin and the other Aesir, who rushed to the bridge, to drive out the invaders. I was standing nearby, in my home, forging new weapons for the Einheriars, the warriors chosen by the Alfather to participate in the impending battle that terrestrial Scandinavia was about to face" said Weland, who perfectly remembered every single detail of that day, which would go down in history.


    "Scandinavia? You mean that you Gods would have come down to Earth to help humans drive out the Xis?" asked Dag, astonished.


    "Yes, just like that. When Odin learned that the light on Earth had been extinguished by these mysterious invaders, Asgard also fell into darkness. and when they arrived, even the greatest warriors trembled before them. They were two hooded men and a long white-haired woman... at least so they seemed. With each step, the majestic Bifrost bridge began to freeze under their feet. Their power was immense and no one knew how to stop their advance towards the fortress of Asgard" Weland continued.


    "2 men and one woman... can you describe them better?" replied Dag, thinking of Xis'' jury sitting at the table when he submitted to the Temporum, though he could not remember every detail.


    Only the woman''s face was visible. They had only one characteristic in common, those terrifying purple eyes, which looked like amethyst crystals that shone under the dark skies. The Valkyries and Einheriars launched themselves at them, under the precise order of the Alfather, but were defeated. The Einheriars, in particular, were exterminated. When the first layers of Asgard''s defenses fell under the magic spells of the Frostsinners, it was Aesir themselves who intervened".


    "What happened to the Valkyries? Could they save themselves? And what do you mean by ''magic spells''?" said Dag.


    "Some of them managed to fly away and get to safety: however, deciding not to sacrifice their lives on Odin''s orders, they were banished from Asgard and fell down on Earth, devoid of their feathered wings. No one knows what happened. As for the powers of the 3 hooded figures... they could control space and matter, and everything they touched immediately became ice... but not the same ice as Jotunheim, the land of giants... no... their power of frost was so powerful that Odin, the oldest and most powerful of the Aesir, knelt" Weland continued, his gaze filled with sadness.


    "Continue" Dag said, as Karl and Reidar stood by, shocked by the story they were hearing.


    "I remember perfectly when Gugnir, Odin''s spear, fell from his hands. One of the hooded men, after immobilizing the Alfather and Thor, who had rushed to his rescue, walked towards them and grabbed the Gugnir spear in one hand and the Mjollnir hammer in the other. He raised the two legendary weapons to the sky and they were enveloped by purple light, similar to the one that first came out of your hammer, but without those sparks... the aura that enveloped the spear and the hammer was icy".


    "And after? What happened? Weland... I know you''re in pain remembering the Dark Day, but I need to know everything" Dag continued, sitting before the red giant.


    "The Frostsinner hit the Bifrost Bridge with both weapons and it was shattered. When the bridge fell, the bond with Earth was broken, and we, all the Gods of the kingdom of heaven, felt a squeeze in our chests as if someone were pressing on our hearts and organs. We felt the pain Yggdrasill was feeling, whose cosmic energy diminished relentlessly until it faded. The Ragnarok had arrived, but unexpectedly" the blacksmith continued.


    "Wait... so Yggdrasill died? Does this mean that the connection to the other 8 worlds was also broken? Helheim, Niflheim, Jotunheim, and all the others" asked Dag, who finally began to connect the pieces of the puzzle in his mind.


    "When the bridge was destroyed, the long white-haired woman raised her hands to the sky, and within minutes, the whole Asgard was enveloped by a mammoth sphere, blue as sapphire. After the woman channeled the spell, she announced our fate, telling us that from that moment on, the Earth and its heavens belonged to them and that, being they infinitely good and merciful beings, they would give us a planet in its image and likeness. All the people of Asgard were forced to bow before them".


    Weland rose from the ground with difficulty, tired of sitting down, and placed his hand on the anvil to stand in balance.


    "After those words and that bow, everything was enveloped in stunning light, then by darkness. When we awoke, we found ourselves on this planet and the great sapphire sphere was gone, as did the Frostsinners, which we have never seen since that day. More than a thousand years have passed and we were able to restore the Bifrost and connect it to Skjold, after planting the seeds of Yggdrasill, which fortunately we kept in the dungeons of the fortress of Asgard, in the personal rooms of Queen Freya".

 157 CLVII. Forging A Friendship

    "Initially, the kingdoms connected to Yggdrasill were 9, including Midgard, the kingdom in which we are currently located. We don''t know if they were all transported to this planet, because since that day we have stopped fighting, because of the defeat suffered by the Frostsinners" the blacksmith God said.


    "Damn... This story is so complicated" Karl said, scratching his head as he listened intently to every word.


    "However, I doubt that the ''bad guys'' have been eliminated. I think somewhere on this planet, Hel and her brothers Fenrir and Jormungandr, are planning something. And the elves... I don''t think shrewd beings like the Ljosalfars and Dokkalfars have disappeared for good. I told you, kid... after that day we had no interest in making war... the enemy is something much bigger this time... even bigger than the Gods themselves" Weland continued, concluding the story.


    Dag stood still and thought, looking puzzled at his friends, who in a few hours had completely changed the way they saw things.


    Weland walked to the Red Executioner, who was still on the ground where Dag had left her to fight him.


    He grabbed it and walked back to the anvil.


    Dag merely looked at him, without saying anything, confident that he would make it a more maneuverable and easy-to-use weapon.


    "I''ve never modified a weapon forged by Soul Fusion, I can''t guarantee it will work" the blacksmith said, turning to Dag.


    "We can''t say we didn''t try" Dag said with a smile.


    As enemies, there now seemed to be an understanding between him and Weland, and Dag was happy about it.


    "Choose one of those" the blacksmith continued, pointing to one of the few walls with the weapons still hanging.


    There were many one-handed axes and several swords.


    Dag looked and wielded some of them, trying to shake them, pretending to be in battle.


    After several tries, he chose one.


    It was a normal one-handed axe, with a sturdy handle and a single blade, thick and sharp, with a metal spike on the other side.


    "This one" he said, handing the brand new weapon into the hands of the blacksmith, who placed it on the anvil.


    Then he took the Red Executioner and approached the lava pool.


    He completely immersed the double-headed axe inside the boiling magma and with it, even his arm, which did not feel the heat.


    When he pulled it out, he placed it on the anvil, next to the new one-handed axe.


    The Red Executioner was glowing when the blacksmith began to hit it with the hammer.


    With a fatigued expression, Weland repeatedly struck the blades of the axe, bending them so that he could extract the deer head with the two ruby eyes.


    Finally, when the blades completely bent, the blacksmith forcefully pulled the metal piece into which the power of the weapon was concentrated and detached it.


    When the deer head was unplugged from its original position, its eyes lit up, releasing a kind of red mist, which spread across the room until it faded among the acidic gases of the hot magma.


    Weland grabbed again the deformed carcass of the Red Executioner and threw it into the lava pool, without saying a word.


    Dag and his companions continued to attend the trial.


    Before the blacksmith proceeded, he turned to Dag and looked him intently in the eye.


    After a few seconds of glance, Weland walked away from the anvil and picked up Mimungr from the ground, who remained there after Karl and Reidar had incredibly managed to disarm him.


    Mimungr, after Weland''s transformation into its true form, had grown in volume and weight, becoming as big as a two-handed sword.


    When he approached Dag and the others with the sword in his hand, Reidar and Karl became frightened, believing that the blacksmith intended to attack them again, but he placed his sword on the anvil.


    "What is he doing?" thought Dag, while Weland, holding his sword still, grabbed the sledgehammer.


    Before he hit the weapon, he looked at it one last time, as if he was saying goodbye to a dear friend.


    "Weland, you don''t have to..." Dag tried to say, but he was interrupted by an incredibly loud metallic sound.


    The blacksmith repeatedly struck the fiery red blade of his sword, until it broke, releasing a red liquid.


    He grabbed a piece of the blade and poured the liquid on the blade of the axe destined for Dag, under his incredulous gaze.


    When the liquid slipped on the metal of the blade, it imbibed and turned red, like that of Mimungr that had just been destroyed.


    Soon after, he took the deer''s head and placed it between the red blade and the top of the handle, striking repeatedly.


    This time, the shots were different, less violent.


    With the mastery that only a divine blacksmith could possess, Weland was able to perfectly fit the deer''s metal head into the new weapon.


    He took it and lifted it, checking that the blade had no defects and that the power of the Soul Fusion stones was still active.


    "Here it is, it''s ready" he said, handing it over to Dag.


    Dag grabbed his new weapon, looking closely at it.


    It was perfect in every detail: the curved blade had turned blood-red and on the edge, the same runes that were embedded on the rocky door appeared.


    "Weland... your sword... you destroyed it" Dag said, looking at Mimungr, whose blade was broken, rendering it unusable.


    "Remembering the history that Asgard has lived in these years, I understood many things. I don''t care if Odin wants to punish me, but I''ve decided to trust you. Your powers, even if they''re unknown, are enormous. If you will never lose your consciousness, you''ll be able to accomplish great things... things not even the Alfather would be able to fulfill" Weland said, tears streaming from his eyes as he smiled melancholically as he looked at the remains of his legendary weapon.


    "I will be able to avenge you. There must be a way. But first I have to gather the greatest army on the planet and to do that, my powers are not enough... I need to earn the emblems, until I get the first of them, the one that King Einar owns" Dag said, trying to reflect.

 158 CLVIII. The Guest Room

    "Revenge? I don''t think that''s possible..."


    "I too believed impossible things that happened to me. I didn''t think I''d meet and defeat a God, or develop dark, mysterious powers... or to have Xis'' blood inside my veins. And yet, all these things have happened and this has made me realize that my life is worth living and I intend to squeeze it to the last drop. When I''ll have the support of the other Clans, you will help me meet the Alfather" Dag continued.


    "Boy, I think it''s not a good idea. If Odin decides to take you out, he can do it without any problems, your powers are not as strong as those of the Frostsinners who imprisoned us here, on this planet" Weland replied, as he put aside the fragments of his sword, which could have come in handy in some other way.


    "You''ll see, Weland. In a little while, Odin will have a variety of reasons to listen to me. If that doesn''t happen, I will be forced to fight against him".


    The blacksmith looked into Dag''s eyes and smiled: "Give me your belt, it needs a little change for the new axe".


    Dag handed him the belt and within minutes, Weland added another leather noose on the other side of the hammer so he could carry the weapons at the same time without slowing him down.


    "Oooh yes! Without that huge axe behind my back it''s much better!" he exclaimed, wearing his belt with his two weapons tied to it.


    "If you don''t have any other requests, I''ll take you upstairs, I need to rest" the blacksmith said.


    "Yes, we can go" Dag replied.


    "It''s amazing... he''s a God and he''s asking me for permission to do something! Right now I feel like a God too!" he thought, after earning Weland''s admiration for defeating him in battle.


    After Dag''s response, the blacksmith looked down and closed his eyes: a white smoke came out of his back and head. Slowly, the volume of his muscles and bones diminished as he returned to his ''human'' size.


    "Let''s go" he said when the transformation was complete.


    Vegard, actually Weland, made his way up the stairway, holding a torch.


    "To unlock the true power of your new weapon, the method is identical to that of the Red Executioner. You will notice that as soon as blood touches its blades, its inner power will increase considerably and its blades will become hotter than magma. This is a power that Brann''s axe didn''t have... it''s all thanks to Mimungr" Vegard said, explaining to Dag how the axe worked as he listened smugly.


    "How long are you not receiving visitors?" asked Karl, to break the silence and pass the time.


    "I told you... the last time anyone besides me entered the Great Forge was when Brann and his brother arrived" the blacksmith replied.


    "Why are you, unlike the other Gods, known as a normal person? I mean... meeting Thor or Freya is not so simple... or am I wrong?" asked Reidar, who had withheld all his questions so far, not to interrupt the process of creating Dag''s axe.


    "Well... unlike the most important and famous Aesir, I am just a simple blacksmith. Odin gave me the choice of living in Asgard or Skjold. And I made my choice. The magma and the rocks are my kind elements, I feel perfectly comfortable here. There was a time when I lived in a house in Tyven... you know, I''ve always found humans more interesting than Gods" Vegard said.


    "How? In Tyven? I guess no one knew your true identity" Reidar continued, surprised.


    "Hahaha, of course not! You''re the first ones I ever show my real form to. I never needed to use my full power to face someone".


    "Why were you kicked out of Tyven? What happened?" asked Dag, continuing to look ahead.


    "They accused me of killing a little boy" Vegard said, sending everyone into a silence that lasted a few seconds.


    "And is it true? Did you really kill an innocent kid?" continued Dag, curious about the answer.


    "No, Dag. It was a way like any other to kick me out of the village. I wasn''t very nice to many of its inhabitants, because most of them couldn''t afford to buy my weapons, and when they tried to steal them from me, I gave them a lesson" Vegard said, chuckling melancholy as he recalled the old days.


    After hours of climbing the stairs, the three adventurers and Vegard finally found themselves in the entrance cave, whose door had been completely destroyed under the blows of Dag''s hammer.


    "I think I deserved it. At least I have something to do to pass the time" smiled the old blacksmith, looking at Dag.


    "I feel sorry for Aqueous, but he tried to kill us" he said, turning his eyes back.


    "Water elementals are great guardians. He was created just to stop anyone from approaching the door, if you hadn''t knocked him out, you''d never be able to pass through. I think it only takes a few minutes to create an identical one, don''t worry" Vegard said, sighing.


    When the three companions breathed fresh air from outside the cave, they felt relieved and safe.


    "I ask you one last favor, Vegard. Let us spend the night here, darkness is fallen outside and we need some rest. We''re leaving at dawn in the morning" Dag said, as Reidar and Karl nodded their heads, in a sign of approval.


    "It''s not a problem for me, you can stay. I''m not very used to having guests" Vegard said, approaching the rubble of the great rocky door.


    Dag and his friends settled down for the night, lying on the ground next to the anvil in the middle of the cave.


    The temperature inside the cave was now perfect, the right combination between the excessive heat of the Great Forge and the cold of the outer mountains.


    Without even lighting the fire, Dag, Reidar, and Karl lay down on the ground, looking at Vegard out of the corner of their eye.

 159 CLIX. I Deserved Tha

    The blacksmith took a huge boulder from the ground and placed it ahead of the entrance, without making the slightest effort.


    Then he took another and placed it on the first: as if by magic, the two rocks joined, forming a single large stone pillar.


    Within minutes, the door had been rebuilt, thanks to Weland''s divine powers.


    The three friends looked into each other''s eyes, their faces astonished.


    "Oh! I almost forgot! The name!" said Vegard, turning to dag, who looked at him as he lay on the ground.


    "Uhm?" he asked, not understanding what Vegard was referring to.


    "Every single creation of mine must have a name. What''s the name of the axe?" he continued.


    Dag closed his eyes, caught in exhaustion, and quickly thought back to everything that had happened a few hours earlier underground.


    "Giantbane¡­ it will be called ''the Giantbane''" he said, with a thread of a voice.


    Soon after, he fell asleep, unable to keep his eyes open due to exhaustion.


    "Ehehe... all right, I deserved that too" Vegard chuckled, looking at Dag and his companions with affection as if they were his grandchildren.


    ¡­


    A faint celestial light illuminated the faces of the three adventurers, who slept nonstop until the next morning.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, Dag looked around to check if Vegard was still there.


    As he imagined, the blacksmith was gone, perhaps he had returned to the Great Forge, which was his real home.


    "So, brothers... the real mission for our Clan begins now! We must reach Hevnen and convince the Sons Of Freya to join us, to form the largest army ever seen!" he exclaimed, full of energy.


    "So we''re headed to Halm, right? From there we can take a boat to the Sjonir region" Reidar asked, summarizing the action plan.


    "Yeah... guys, I don''t want to be a buzzkill as usual, but..." Karl said, shrugging his shoulders as if to justify something.


    "Don''t worry, brother. I remember the promise you made to Agnes. Are you sure you want to pick her up now? It could be dangerous, we don''t know what lies ahead in Sjonir and on the way back to Jernhest" Dag said, trying to reason with his best friend.


    "Perhaps you''re right, Dag. But for the first time in my life, I met a beautiful young woman who reciprocates my love. I can''t risk she lose interest! Please try to understand me!" replied Karl, pleading with Dag.


    Dag smiled at him, and when they rose from the ground, he put his hand on his shoulder, telling him: "It''s love. There''s nothing stronger. Now that you know what it''s like, who am I to take away from you the chance to fall in love with a woman? We''re going to take a detour, but we must be as fast as the wind! Reidar has his woman waiting for him, too¡­ and then finally it''ll be my turn!"


    Karl''s face lit up with joy at those words and he bowed his head in front of Dag, out of respect.


    "Thank you, brother. We''ll be super fast, you''ll see!" he said, enthusiastically.


    After collecting their equipment, the three friends came out of the cave, approaching the precipice from which they had climbed.


    "Captain! The road!" exclaimed Reidar, pointing to Dag a path to the right of the cave.


    Dag smiled, noting that the trees and bushes that made the path connecting the cave to the valley inaccessible, were now gone and it was walkable again, assuming that Vegard was behind that unexpected fortune.


    "Vegard must have cleaned the road at night, to facilitate the descent" he said, looking at his companions, glad he didn''t have to risk his life again clinging to the rock face.


    Without any difficulty, they descended from the steep mountain, taking less time than expected.


    Once they reached the foot of the headland, they walked quickly to the rock indentation where they tied the horses, who fortunately were still there, safe and sound.


    Dag breathed a sigh of relief and stroked Aslan, while his teammates did the same, happy to see their steeds again.


    "I missed you, my friend, you can''t imagine what happened to us. I''m sorry if you waited so long" he said in the horse''s ear, who appreciated the caresses, bowing his head towards him.


    Within minutes, the three adventurers departed, while the Sun was still rising on the horizon, behind the mountains of the valley.


    Within hours, they passed Tyven and Halm without a hitch.


    "That''s Frokost. In about 3 hours we should be able to see the hills near the village of Agnes" said Karl, who was looking forward to hugging his woman again.


    In the early afternoon, they arrived at the village and when Karl caught a glimpse of the huts, he pushed his horse, which began to run in that direction.


    Dag and Reidar looked at each other smiling, happy for their comrade.


    Karl embraced Agnes, who ran out of her house, as soon as she saw him coming into the distance.


    "I told you I''d be back soon!" exclaimed Karl, as Agnes'' mother also walked out of the hut, carrying a small leather bag, containing the girl''s belongings, ready to go with her man.


    As Karl tied the bag to his horse, making room on the saddle to allow her to climb with him, Dag stopped to talk to the two village elders, making sure the trade proceeded well.


    In no time, the horses carrying the bandit wagon seemed reborn: their short fur had regained color and their paws were much more muscular than before.


    The wagon had also undergone improvements and now it looked like a real carriage.


    Dag and his companions quickly greeted the villagers and headed back to Halm, with a new member joining the team.


    After taking a short break by a river that carved the valley, useful to fill their bottles and quench the horses, they continued to ride towards the town, without ever stopping.

 160 CLX. The Harbor

    "Here it is, we''ve arrived! Finally, this time we can see it from the inside!" said Reidar, happy to see the town of Halm a few miles away.


    "I''ve never come this far from the village, but I''ve heard a lot about Halm. Its port is very famous and the streets of the city are beautiful, taken care of in detail" said Agnes, his eyes shining, happy to finally be able to travel.


    Karl smiled and caressed her face, continuing to ride.


    "Agnes, do you know who the Jarl is?" asked Dag, curious.


    "No, I have no idea... but a few days ago, after you delivered my village the wagon and the two horses, I heard Urr and Darr, the two elders you spoke to just now, discussing a possible trade route with this place. The fact is, they didn''t mention anyone, they talked about a ''city council''" she replied, trying to remember.


    "Ah, interesting. They seem to have a more evolved form of government than many cities in the south of Okstorm. Maybe that''s the reason why it''s so beautiful. Let''s go and see, I''m very curious!" exclaimed Dag, speeding up the horse''s pace.


    After about 10 minutes, the adventurers entered the city, passing under a stone arch, on which was engraved the name ''Halm'' in elder futhark.


    From the start, the atmosphere was welcoming: being late afternoon, darkness was falling on the coast and the streets of the city were perfectly lit, with small torches, similar to lampposts, evenly distributed at the same distance from each other.


    In addition to their usefulness, they also had a decorative power. Beneath every wooden pole that held a torch at its top, there were flower pots, the scent of which inebriated the city center.


    Its inhabitants, who walked busy through the streets, looked closely at Dag and his companions, but with a smile printed on their faces, decidedly more friendly than the people they usually had to deal with.


    "I don''t see many blacksmiths and craftsmen" Karl said, looking around.


    "As I explained earlier, the port of Halm is the most important in the region. Over the years, the city has been populated mostly by traders and travelers. Many of them live there, while others only stop for a short time in the many inns near the port" explained Agnes, who indirectly knew a lot about it.


    "That''s where we''re going. We have to figure out which boat to take to get to Sjolnir" Dag said, who got off the horse grabbing his reins, to enjoy the walk and lighten the load of Aslan.


    His companions did the same and made their way to the port, ecstatic at the sight of the beautiful city streets.


    They arrived in front of a circular square, with a large fountain in the center.


    From behind it, they could see the large boats docked at the pier.


    After passing the square, both on the right and the left, the two arms of the port were full of inns, next to each other.


    The lights coming from the windows of the hovels reflected on the water under the boats, even giving the port a very nice and relaxing look to see.


    Dag approached a man intent on tying a rope to a docking.


    "Hello. What boat do we need to take to get to Sjonir?" he asked.


    The sailor turned to him, interrupting what he was doing, trying to be as polite as possible.


    "Hello to you, travelers! So, if I remember correctly, the last boat for Innsjo left a short time ago. I''m afraid you''ll have to wait until tomorrow morning" he said, touching his chin with his wet hands.


    Dag looked at Reidar, who was already checking the map.


    "Innsjo is the closest port to Hevnen, Captain. That''s where we have to go" he said.


    "Well, then I guess we''ll stop for one night. Tomorrow morning how do I know it''s the right boat? There are so many here..." Dag asked.


    "You must look for a man named Emil. He is in command of the boat that will take you to Innsjo. Wait for a second... your companion just called you ''Captain'', did I hear right?" replied the sailor, who looked at Dag from head to toe.


    "Yes, it''s true... but I''m another kind of Captain, I have no naval experience" Dag chuckled, putting his hands forward as if to justify himself.


    "And what kind of Captain are you? I don''t want to mind your business. I''m just asking out of curiosity. I see many different travelers every day, but I''ve never seen anyone wearing armors like yours" the man asked, looking intently at the Clan symbol engraved on Dag''s leather jacket.


    "We are explorers of the Hammers Of Thor Clan and he is our Captain, as well as being one of the Clan Masters" said Karl, inflating the figure of Dag, who for a moment felt embarrassed but played the game.


    "Oh! I didn''t think there were Masters so young. I wish you a pleasant night here in Halm and I would recommend a tavern. Its name is ''the Red Rose'', you find it about a hundred yards that way" the sailor continued, bowing his head out of respect for Dag and pointing the way to the tavern.


    "There''s no need for bowing, thank you for your help!" said Dag, greeting the man, who was astonished by the gesture.


    "If there''s anything I can do for you, you know where to find me!" he said, greeting Dag and his companions with his hand.


    "Am I Master of the Clan without knowing it?" he asked, chuckling.


    "Yes, you are. I''m sure you will, so it''s better to get people to treat you with the respect you deserve, brother" Karl replied, as Agnes looked at him satisfied.


    Dag turned to Reidar.


    "I''m sorry to admit it, but this time I agree with Karl, Captain" he said, smiling.


    "Well, that man when he heard the word ''Master'' changed his expression... I could get used to it! Hahaha" Dag said, arousing the laughts of his friends.

 161 CLXI. The Red Rose

    Within minutes they found themselves in front of the tavern of which the sailor had spoken.


    It was a small masonry building, with 3 floors.


    On each windowsill, wooden vases contained colorful flowers.


    A sign was hanging sideways, by the door. On it was engraved the name of the tavern.


    "The Red Rose Tavern. That''s it" Dag said, as he began tying his horse to a fence on one side of the building.


    In addition to their horses, there were many more, more than ten.


    "It seems like this place is very busy" said Reidar, who as usual was studying the details.


    "Better so. It would mean that the sailor advised us well!" said Dag, who opened the door of the room.


    The interior of the inn was even more beautiful and welcoming than their expectations: after a small entrance separating the door from the rest of the hall, there was a large room with a long counter, where a man and a woman served drinks, while two violinists sitting next to them played a catchy melody, creating a warm atmosphere.


    Next to the counter, dozens of tables were occupied by people of each gender and all ages, who had fun and got drunk happily.


    Two staircases, one on each side of the room, led to the upper floors, certainly occupied by the rooms.


    "But this is Valhalla! Hahaha!" chuckled Karl, who immediately got carried away by the music, grabbing Agnes by the hands and beginning to dance with her without warning.


    While the two lovebirds enjoyed the music, Dag and Reidar approached the innkeepers behind the counter.


    "Good evening, gentlemen. What can I serve you? We have the best mead in the country, made with the most prized Kvete honey!" said the innkeeper, who, seeing new faces, had smelled business.


    "Yes, I think four glasses of mead are fine. But first a question... we need a... two rooms. Do you have any?" asked Dag, fearing it was all busy.


    "Just a moment" the man said, inviting Dag and Reidar to wait.


    "Heidi! We need two rooms!" he yelled, looking at the woman who worked with him behind the counter, and judging by his tone of voice, she must have been his wife or something.


    "Yes, there are just two left on the top floor" she replied, confirming the availability of the rooms.


    "Did you hear? You''re lucky!" the man continued, beginning to serve mead to Dag and Reidar, who called Karl and Agnes with a hand gesture.


    Dag grabbed Karl''s shoulder and pulled it towards him, so he could whisper in his ear: "you and Agnes will be alone in one room, Reidar and I in another".


    Karl looked at Dag and winked at him, grabbing the message.


    "Clearly, while Reidar and I will split the expenses, you will pay yours by yourself! Hahah!" continued Dag, laughing.


    "Wow, I hadn''t thought of that!" exclaimed Karl, who for a moment made a sulky expression.


    The four friends began drinking the mead served by the innkeeper, which was actually yummy, perhaps the best they had ever tasted.


    "How much do the rooms cost?" asked Dag, addressing the man behind the counter, intent on rinsing the dirty glasses into a barrel full of water.


    "Well, for one night only... the price is 2 gold coins per room" he said, smiling.


    "It seems a more than reasonable price" Karl exclaimed, boasting in front of Agnes, who looked at him with admiration.


    Dag and Reidar began to laugh relentlessly, teasing their companion and drinking mead, one glass after another, until their eyes became so heavy that sleep took over.


    Before falling asleep on the counter, they managed to get up and head upstairs, after taking the keys to their respective rooms.


    "Karl! Remember, brother... tomorrow morning at dawn, try to be on time, we have a boat to take!" said Dag, his voice a little shaky due to alcohol.


    "Hahahaha! Captain, what do you take us for?!" replied Karl aloud, sobbing as Agnes laughed beside him, her cheeks all red.


    Dag and Reidar entered their room and Karl and his woman the other.


    "I think we''re going to have to break through Karl''s door tomorrow! Hahaha! That lazy man will never wake up in time!" said Reidar, who without even taking off his armor threw himself on the bed.


    Dag untied his belt, resting his weapons on the ground, and did the same.


    "Yes, I believe that it will be necessary to intervene by force... but let''s get him fucked at least..." he said, falling asleep utterly with his mouth open and saliva dripping on the soft pillow of the comfortable beds of the Red Rose Tavern.


    ...


    "He''s in here, I''m sure!"


    "Come on, break through the door, and slaughter that son of a bitch!"


    ...


    Dag, while still with his head on the pillow, heard voices coming from the hallway outside the door and immediately got out of bed, making no noise.


    He picked up his belt from the ground and wore it.


    Meanwhile, Reidar also awoke, and when he saw his Captain with his ear near the door, ready to take his weapons, he jumped out of bed.


    "What''s going on?!" he said, when Dag nodded his hand, ordering him to be silent.


    After a few seconds, a loud noise of broken wood was heard, and the walls of the room vibrated slightly.


    "Aaaaaagh!" a woman''s screams resonated through the hallways.


    "It''s Agnes!" exclaimed Dag, opening the door of his room.


    When he was in the corridor, he immediately noticed that someone had entered Karl''s room, breaking through the door.


    Reidar rushed to the aid of his companions, and when he saw the door, he made a confused expression, unable to figure out who might have done such a thing.


    "Perhaps it is the bandits who have come to know what we have done to their allies!" hypothesized Reidar.


    Before entering the other room, Dag stared for a moment at the door: it had been destroyed by the center, on which there were two large irregular holes, from which the cracks that had shattered the wood.

 162 CLXII. The Broken Window

    "It wasn''t kicked" thought Dag, who immediately entered Karl''s room.


    Two men were inside: one of them held Agnes, who had her face resting on the wall, while the other was bent down.


    There was no sign of Karl.


    "Hey! Dickheads!" shouted Dag, pulling out his weapons.


    The two men quickly turned to him.


    Finally, also Karl popped up, who was on the ground in front of one of the two men that showed his two huge ram horns when he looked at Dag.


    "Horns Of Heimdallr!" continued Dag, realizing who the two enemies came from and looking at them in the face, trying to recognize them.


    "Don''t you remember me, kid?!" exclaimed the man who was holding Agnes, who was hornless.


    Dag narrowed his eyes, trying to remember his face, but he couldn''t.


    "You killed my boss and just before him, you stabbed me with a blade! I would have died if my mates hadn''t arrived immediately!" he replied.


    Dag finally remembered: the man was one of Kval''s goons. Before fighting him, he had been forced to kill them both.


    "Captain... what the fuck is going on?! Do you know these bastards?!" exclaimed Reidar, pulling out the Failnaught and an arrow from the quiver.


    "It''s a long story, now let''s get rid of them quickly!" said Dag, looking at the man holding Agnes still, approaching her ear and licking her neck, as if he was enjoying a succulent meal.


    Karl was still on the ground, battered: the charge of the two enemies had caught him by surprise. Knowing him, presumably, he was still asleep when they broke through the door.


    "Captain?! Ahahaha! Do you have friends now, probie? That means you''re going to see them die before your eyes!" chuckled the man, trying to make Dag nervous, who began to lose patience, seeing his best friend and his woman injured and imprisoned.


    The man with the horns began to walk towards Dag.


    He was much larger and more powerful than his ally, that however, seemed to boss him around.


    "We''ve come a long way and we''ve finally managed to get to you! We only got a few feet wrong and we ''knocked'' on the wrong door! Hahaha, not bad, since I found a nice loot! Hahahah!" the man continued, kissing Agnes on the neck as she screamed and squirmed unnecessarily.


    "Leave her alone... piece of shit..." whispered Karl from the ground, barely moving, with swollen eyes and a bleeding mouth.


    "Grog, step on that bug!" replied the enemy, ordering the horned man to kill Karl.


    More like a beast than a human, he turned to Karl, emitting grunts, similar to those of a wild boar.


    Just then, Dag grabbed him by the horns and pulled him back, unbalancing him and dropping him to sit on the ground, under the astonished gaze of his enemy, who did not remember that Dag''s strength was so great.


    At that very moment, another figure entered through the door.


    "What''s going on here? Who are all these people?! The door is broken, what happened?! I demand an explanation!" the innkeeper yelled, rushing into the room after hearing the noise.


    Reidar pushed him off by the shoulder, quickly telling him that those two men had broken in to catch Dag and that he should leave because they were very dangerous.


    Distracted by the innkeeper''s words, Dag did not notice that the beast-man had grabbed him by the arm and in less than a second he found himself with his back to the ground, after being lifted into the air.


    "Aaagh!" said Dag, touching his back in pain.


    "Hahahaha! Go, Grog! Let''s destroy this bastard!" chuckled sadly at the man close to Agnes.


    Reidar fired an arrow, which lodged behind the horned giant''s neck.


    He turned around without any problem, detaching the arrow stuck in his flesh and watching Reidar, who stood still in the spot, frightened by what had just happened.


    "Oh, I''m so sorry, poor deluded! Grog doesn''t feel pain, you have no hope! Hahaha!" the man continued to scream.


    As the giant was still turning toward Reidar, Dag quickly rose from the ground and grabbed the man holding Agnes hostage by the back, pulling him off the wall.


    He began to squirm, relinquish his grip on Agnes, while Dag dragged him to the window of the room.


    "Grog! Help me!" he yelled, but in the meantime Dag broke the window glass and making weight with his body he threw himself down, carrying his enemy with him.


    Grog turned to them, and Reidar, quick as a flash, snapped in that direction, evading the beast-man''s gaze and seized the weapons of Dag, who had left them there on the ground.


    He also jumped out the window and when Grog saw him, he uttered a snarling-like verse and ran towards him.


    During the fall, Dag had managed to shift his weight, cushioning the blow with his opponent''s back, which touching the ground emitted a noise of broken bones.


    After getting up, with his opponent on the ground in front of his feet, Dag saw Reidar just jumped out of the same window.


    "Captaaain!" he yelled, throwing his weapons at Dag, who promptly grabbed them, before noticing that behind his companion, the other enemy had grabbed his ankle.


    Dag was unable to intervene and Reidar was thrown against the wall by Grog, before touching the ground, suffering extensive damage.


    "Fuck! Reidar!" shouted Dag, after witnessing the scene.


    When Grog''s feet touched the ground, the soil beneath him shattered because of his weight.


    Reidar, from behind, began to move again, reassuring Dag with a hand gesture.


    Dag sighed, looking down.


    His companions had been injured, Karl was the one in the worst shape, but at least he had managed to get the two enemies out of the inn, avoiding endangering all of its patrons.


    The beast-man in front of him continued to snort and when he saw his boss on the ground, touching his sore back, he began to rub his foot on the terrain, as if he was a ram ready to charge and looked at Dag with bloodshot eyes.

 163 CLXIII. Grog

    "Your end... it''s near... Kval will be avenged..." whispered the man on the ground behind Dag, unable to speak out of back pain.


    Immediately after those words, Grog charged toward Dag, who looked up.


    Although the charge was very fast, he avoided being impaled by the sharp horns of his enemy, who skimmed his jacket, scratching it slightly.


    Grog immediately turned, following Dag with his eyes and intent on hitting him, but this time Dag hit his horn with the hammer, which charged with electricity as he moved his arm.


    "Aaaaaaaaagh!"


    Grog made an inhumane verse and crawled with his face on the ground for about a meter, after the hammer smashed his horn, which fell to the ground on the tiles of the harbor floor, sounding like a rock.


    When Dag looked at the enemy, who touched the broken horn, despairing, he noticed that the dawn had just arrived.


    "Stop whining like a baby, kill that brat!" yelled the man with a broken back, trying to get up from the ground.


    "I wanted to try my new weapon, but I don''t think it''s necessary... you know, you''re such a disappointment" Dag said, provoking his enemies further and getting closer to Reidar, who was slowly recovering from the blow.


    "Cap... Captain... forgive me if not..."


    "Don''t worry, you were fundamental, as usual. Go back to the inn to help Karl and Agnes. I''ll finish here" Dag interrupted, ordering Reidar to leave.


    He obeyed without objection and slowly walked toward the entrance of the tavern, limping slightly.


    "You! Grrr! You hurt Grog! You die! Grrr!" the beast screamed tearfully, rising to his feet, despite the excruciating pain caused by the broken horn.


    "Ah, then you know how to talk, smelly beast!" chuckled Dag, sure of himself.


    Grog charged back at him.


    "If I had been alone, I would probably have just urged you not to bother me anymore..." said Dag, as he dodged the first blow.


    "But you hurt all the members of my team..." continued, violently striking Grog with a hammer of his stomach.


    "So I''m going to take your life..." he replied again, after hitting the horned giant on the leg with the axe, giving him a cut that made him kneel, while he was breathless after the hammering.


    Dag looked at the Giantbane: as soon as Grog''s blood dirted the blade, it became glowing, shining bright red.


    "Oh, yes. I like it, Vegard!" he thought, admiring his new weapon, regardless of whether he was in the middle of a fight.


    He raised his axe high and violently struck the neck of the enemy kneeling before him: the glowing blade cut off his head with ease as if it was made of butter, even though just before one of Reidar''s arrows tickled him.


    Grog''s head fell off and the only horn left on it, impaled into the ground.


    Soon after, the decapitated body also fell, emitting a thud and smashing the tiles that decorated the floor of the port area of Halm.


    The last remaining enemy remained wide-eyed, seeing his mighty ally die so easily.


    Dag began to walk towards him.


    "Tell me, should I consider the Horns Of Heimdallr as an enemy Clan? Or are just you the dickhead who wants to kill me to avenge his boss, who killed an innocent woman to conquer a meager worthless emblem?" he asked, as the enemy retreated.


    "It''s just a matter between you and me, bug! Don''t think you can defeat me so easily! Ever since you killed Kval, I''ve done nothing but training to get ready for this moment!" he exclaimed, pulling a spiked mace from his belt.


    Dag noticed the man''s hands shaking as he looked at his glowing axe and electric hammer.


    "Well, at least we can put an end to this story, which really annoyed me!" exclaimed Dag, putting himself in a fighting position.


    The man began to walk slowly towards him, pulling something from inside a bag attached to his light armor: it was a horn.


    Dag looked at the object curiously, when the enemy played it.


    The sound of the horn echoed in the harbor, sending away the still-sleeping seagulls perched on the boats docked at the pier.


    "Luckily, the Sun hasn''t come up yet and there aren''t many people around. I don''t want them to think we''re bandits or who knows what" Dag thought, as he looked his enemy in the eye.


    After playing the horn, the enemy took off the top of the armor and showed his chest, which began to fill with hair, which completely covered it, becoming a real grayish fur.


    Two small horns sprang from the man''s temples, curved downwards, and his nostrils widened considerably.


    Even his eyes changed and his pupils modified their shape, becoming narrow and stretched horizontally, similar to those of a goat.


    "Should I be worried now? Hahaha!" chuckled Dag, who was not intimidated by the new appearance of his enemy, who more than mutton looked like a lamb.


    He began to run towards Dag, trying to hit him with a headbutt, but Dag hit him under the chin with a hammering, sending him flying about 2 meters high and breaking his jaw.


    "You could have continued to live your life... you''ve already escaped death once... I know why you came back to look for me, I understand. I lost my Master, too. But you hurt my comrades. I can''t let you live" Dag said, leaning down toward him.


    The man wanted to answer, but because of the broken jaw, he made a meaningless sound.


    "Stop, Dag!" shouted a voice from behind him.


    He got up and turned back.


    "Let me kill this useless son of a bitch. Your powers are wasted against such a weak enemy. He must pay for what he did to Agnes" said Karl, who was limping towards them, while Reidar and Agnes were a few feet behind.


    Reidar looked at Dag and gesticulated him, making him realize that he had failed to restrain Karl after he regained consciousness.

 164 CLXIV. The Kicker

    Dag did not say a word and walked away from the enemy lying on the ground, putting the weapons in their place.


    Karl was standing with his tomahawk in one hand and the shield in the other.


    The enemy rose from the ground, touching his chin.


    "I don''t even ask you to say your last words... you''re doomed now" Karl said, walking hard, dragging himself on his legs and slowly advancing towards him, who was wounded only on his face.


    The man grabbed the spiked mace that had fallen to the ground and ran towards Karl, hitting him on the shoulder.


    The metal nails of the mace lodged in his flesh and he grimaced in pain.


    "Karl! What the fuck are you doing?!" yelled Reidar, as Dag tried to study his partner''s attitude, without saying a word.


    The enemy continued to hit him repeatedly, back on the arm and then on the chest, striking relatively weak blows, but which still injured Karl, due to the sharp nails on the weapon.


    He stood still, while the enemy hit his body hard as if it was a training dummy.


    "Enough, I can''t watch this scene anymore!" exclaimed Reidar, pulling out the bow and pointing an arrow at the goat-man.


    Dag put his hand in front of the bow, blocking Reidar.


    "But... Captain... he''ll end up getting himself killed!"


    "Wait, Reidar. Watch... he must have something in mind" Dag said, staring closely at Karl.


    When the man was exhausted from firing shots, he stopped.


    Karl was reduced to a sieve, his body was punctured almost everywhere, and blood dripped to the ground, creating a pool of blood.


    Meanwhile, the enemy tried to catch his breath, having expended all his energies.


    "You shouldn''t have touched her... your... dirty hands shouldn''t¡­ *cough*!" said Karl in a hoarse, deep voice, coughing up blood.


    The enemy approached him again, to deliver the coup de grace, while Dag, Reidar, and Agnes were behind them watching.


    "Dag! He''s going to kill him! Do something, please!" yelled Agnes, pulling Dag''s jacket and begging him to help his comrade.


    But Dag kept standing still.


    "Karl is a fool. If he''s been there, stopping to get hit, there''s got to be a reason. There''s something we don''t know, but it''s going to turn the tide of the fight, I feel it" he thought to himself.


    Reidar detained Agnes, who would otherwise run for Karl, putting her life at risk.


    "If you''re done... now I''ll start..." said Karl again, looking up at the goat-man, who was heading towards him.


    The enemy paused, making an astonished expression, after listening to those words.


    Karl hit down with the tomahawk, which remained stuck in the ground and then barely rose to his feet, leaning on the shield.


    He placed his hand inside one of his trouser pockets and pulled out a small bottle containing a bright green liquid.


    He uncapped the little glass ampoule and drank the contents all in one breath.


    Soon after, he threw it to the ground, breaking it into a thousand pieces and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of the shirt.


    "Aaah!" he exclaimed as if he had just quenched his freshness after a month in the desert.


    His companions continued to look at him in amazement, without intervening, allowing him to solve the problem independently.


    The enemy continued his charge, believing that Karl was only wasting his time, but just as he was about to hit him again, Karl dodged the blow and punched the goat-man in the face, knocking him to the ground.


    Then he continued to stand still, rolling his shoulders, as if he wanted to stretch his bones after a long sleep.


    Dag focused on looking at his friend''s wounds: after drinking the contents of that bottle they were gone! Only blood remained, but the holes caused by the spiked mace had completely healed.


    The enemy crept backwards, while Karl finally began to move normally, advancing towards him only with the shield in his hand, leaving the tomahawk fixed on the ground.


    Without saying a word, he struck him again in the face, but this time with the shield.


    The goat-man''s jaw was shattered and hung from his chin.


    His eyes were injected with blood and tears in pain.


    Karl continued to hit him repeatedly and violently: not only had his wounds healed, but his body strength also seemed to have improved.


    When the man stopped moving, Karl stopped hitting, shrugging the blood from his chrome shield.


    He lowered himself towards the dying enemy, and grabbed his hair, dragging him towards Dag and the others as if he was a sack of potatoes.


    When he arrived before Agnes, he raised his face so that he could look at her.


    She stepped back, looking at the face of the enemy, utterly disfigured and bloodied.


    They could barely distinguish his eyes.


    "Apologize!" Karl said coolly, approaching his face with that of the goat-man, who couldn''t move a single muscle.


    "I said apologize, fucker!" yelled Karl again, hitting his dying enemy with the shield on his back, causing him to spit blood, which ended up in front of the girl''s feet.


    "I''m... I''m sorr..." the man tried to whisper when Karl dragged him back by the hair to drive him away from his woman.


    He threw him to the ground and picked up his spiked mace, assessing its weight.


    After making a satisfied expression, he turned the man belly-up and struck him with the mace in his stomach, several times at the same point, until he lost consciousness and the bowels began to come out of his body, in the enormous wound that had formed.


    At that point, Karl stopped hitting him and turned the spiked weapon into his hands, sticking the tip of its handle into the hole in the enemy''s belly.


    Then he grabbed him by the arm, crawling him to the ground towards the pier, even though he was already practically dead.


    He moved to the edge of the dock and kicked the mace down, which went even deeper into his flesh.

 165 CLXV. The Reward

    Then with his foot, he pushed the corpse away, causing him to fall into the sea.


    "It should be heavy enough not to let you back afloat" he said sadistically, spitting at the goat-man, who slowly vanished underwater, near a boat, as a bloodstain spread to the surface.


    Dag and the others were paralyzed: they never thought they would see such a thing, Karl had shown a coldness and cruelty that did not belong to him.


    When he came back close to his friends, he was totally covered in blood, both his and his enemy''s.


    "No one will ever find his body at the bottom of the sea. That''s what he deserves, that shitbag. The fish and crabs will eat his carcass, leaving not a single piece of it" Karl said, approaching Agnes, who looked at him with her eyes shining, fearing for his death.


    The two lovers hugged, despite Karl being all dirty, while Dag and Reidar looked at each other wondering what they had just seen.


    "I know what you''re wondering... it was a ''Superior Healing Potion''. That''s how I called it. I''d tell you about it after I tried it, since it''s my recipe. I wasn''t sure it would work, the ampoule should have stayed closed for a few more days... but apparently, it went better than I expected" Karl smiled, explaining the incident to his teammates.


    "A recipe of yours?" said Dag, as he resumed lucidity.


    "Yes. Or rather, it''s a recipe I read on Egill''s almanac, but that I perfected with another ingredient, which slightly increases physical strength, only temporarily, giving the potion a real invigorating power" Karl continued, as Agnes embraced him tightly, staring still at him with admiration.


    "Do you have any more?" asked Reidar, curious.


    "No, at the time, that was the only one I had. It was just an experiment. However, it is not difficult to prepare and the ingredients are not particularly rare. The only annoying thing is that it has to rest for about a week to be ready... or at least 5-6 days, apparently" Karl replied, satisfied with his successful experiment.


    "I''ve never seen you like this before, brother. But I''m proud of you, I knew you''d show character sooner or later!" exclaimed Dag, congratulating his friend.


    "Imagine if anyone had treated Freydis like that. Wouldn''t you have reduced him to a mush? When I saw those two bastards rest their lurid hands on my Agnes, I thought it was time to use the potion. I would have killed them at all costs" Karl continued, looking Agnes in the eye and stroking her hair.


    "Yes, I would have done it too" sighed Dag, thinking intently at Freydis and looking at the sky, which was beginning to light up with the morning light.


    "I''m afraid the boat to Innsjo has already left. We''ll have to wait a little longer" Reidar said, in an annoyed tone, trying to figure out if the boat in question was still docked in the harbor.


    "The boat will depart in the early afternoon. In the meantime, you''ll have plenty of time to wash and regain your strength, eating a little something" said a female voice, from behind them.


    It was Heidi, the owner of the Red Rose Tavern.


    As soon as they saw her, Dag, Reidar, and Karl bowed their heads, mortified by the annoyances they had caused her.


    "I will repay you any damage, Lady Heidi! I apologize on behalf of my group, even though it is all my fault, those men had come for me. If we hadn''t lost the boat last night, maybe we''d be able to avoid this fight" Dag said, his head down.


    "So there would be no one able to drive them out of here and they could have really hurt us. Your name is Dag, right?" asked Heidi.


    "Yes, my Lady" Dag confirmed.


    "My husband witnessed the whole scene, Dag. These men were very dangerous and their threat had to be eliminated. I don''t know why they came looking for you, and I don''t care. You don''t look like a criminal to me, so you and your mates will always be welcome at the Red Rose" the woman continued, as the innkeeper stood beside her, smiling.


    "My wife is right. Don''t worry about the damage... it''s just a little stuff. A broken window and door is not a drama. Everybody in, now! Stop whining! I''m going to make you a very good beef stew, the best..."


    "Yes, the best in the region, they already know, dear" Heidi replied, interrupting the innkeeper, who was inviting everyone into the tavern.


    "Hahahaha" laughed the four friends, after that kind couple had brought back the good humor.


    They returned to the tavern and made their way to their rooms, rinsing their blood off and making sure they had taken all their stuff, before going downstairs.


    Dag and Reidar left the room before Karl and Agnes, who had closed the entrance to their chamber simply by resting the destroyed door near the wall, with a piece of furniture behind it, covering the holes caused by Grog''s horns.


    "Hahaha! Here''s his reward!" chuckled Dag and Reidar as they made their way downstairs, following a great stew''s smell.


    When they got downstairs, the smell became even stronger and they noticed that the innkeeper was spinning the soup inside a large pot, while many other people were sitting at the tables, waiting for food.


    "Ah! Here they are, The new Heroes of Halm!" he said aloud, drawing the attention of every person in the room.


    Dag merely smiled at the people watching them, while Reidar was decidedly more embarrassed and sat by the innkeeper, looking down at the counter.


    After a few minutes, Heidi also arrived and Dag and Reidar started to talk, officially introducing themselves and telling them their story for the first time.


    Finally, Karl and Agnes also went downstairs to the inn, holding hands.


    "Here they come" said Dag, who had already finished his first portion of stew and was sipping a glass of mead.

 166 CLXVI. The Boa

    "What did we miss?" asked Karl, who seemed to be in fine shape, as if he had just woken up from a beauty sleep.


    "Your companions have just told us where you come from and where you are headed! They also told us that you are a healer, isn''t it?" the innkeeper asked, as he filled two other dishes of stew.


    "Ye¡­ yeah. You can''t say I have much experience, but yes. I''m actually a healer" Karl replied modestly.


    "Soon he will be one of Okstorm''s most famous healers, you will surely hear about him... or you''ll read his name on some almanac of herbalism, or things like that! Haha!" chuckled Reidar, raising his glass to Karl, toasting him, who was happily surprised.


    Karl and Agnes joined the banquet and after toasting the victory against the two attackers and the kindness of the innkeepers'' couple, they rose from the counter, ready to go.


    "We thank you for blinding your eye to the damage we have caused. Let us at least pay for lunch!" said Dag.


    "You can forget it, boy. Rather, if you happen to, come back here again, you Heroes of Halm. You will always be welcome and we can''t wait to find out how your adventure is going!" the innkeeper replied, smiling at Dag and his companions.


    "Of course! It will be done! One day we will definitely see each other again!" continued Dag, greeting them affectionately.


    As they left the tavern, a round of applause broke out among the people sitting at the tables.


    "Long live the Heroes of Halm!"


    "Long live the Hammers Of Thor!"


    Dag felt a particular empathy with that place, which immediately inspired his confidence.


    He thanked the crowd with his hands as if he was a celebrity, and his companions did the same.


    Karl also shook hands with an old man sitting on a stool, who grabbed him by the arm, complimenting him.


    When they left the Red Rose, they breathed a sigh of relief, slightly dissatisfied that they had already left.


    "We have to look for Emil now" Dag said, returning serious and determined to reach Hevnen, going to untie the horses.


    "We should give a look over there, there are boats that I didn''t see yesterday" said Reidar, who was always attentive to every detail.


    They headed in that direction and a large wooden boat was docked at the pier, while dirty, muscular men loaded goods, carrying them into the cargo hold.


    It was a gorgeous boat, with the shape similar to a Viking Dreki, but much higher, being used for travel.


    On its deck, two wooden doors led to the hold, and next to them were steps, leading to a raised floor, with a large lever, which probably served as a rudder.


    Many oars came out of the sides of the boat, through circular holes, which probably overlooked the space used by the rowers to move the ship.


    Two large red sails rose in the middle of the bridge, supported by a master tree and a smaller one.


    On them, the symbol of a large shield with runes drawn around.


    The sides of the boat were also decorated with runes, which lined the entire length of the aquatic vehicle to the bow, which tightened and rose.


    At its tip, a small Valkyrie with open wings pointed at the front, carved into the wood.


    After looking at the boat with admiration, Dag noticed that while preparations were underway to leave, a man stood still in the harbor, sitting on a kind of rock that served as a mooring.


    He approached that man, who was intent on sharpening the blade of a knife.


    "Captain Emil?" he asked.


    The man continued to sharpen the knife, without turning to Dag.


    "We leave for Innsjo in 10 minutes. 1 golden coin each, plus another for each horse" he said, in a stern tone.


    Without answering, Dag in a few seconds collected the sum from his companions and placed 7 gold coins on the rock next to the man.


    He took them and put them in his pocket, finishing his job.


    "It''s a nice boat" Dag continued, walking away with his companions on the wooden axle leading the boat, drawing the attention of Emil, who looked at them from behind.


    Once they got up, a man pointed to them a door to the hold, where they would have to tie their horses and they obeyed without objecting.


    The below deck was dark and soggy.


    "I''m sorry, Aslan, but I''m not the one who makes the rules here. You''ll see, the journey will be short-term" Dag told his horse, stroking his upper neck.


    When the operation was complete, they climbed back onto the deck and noticed that the boat had just departed.


    Dag went to sit by the bow, looking down, unable to see the bottom of the Lukket Sea, which although it was a closed sea, was quite deep and its waters were of a deep blue.


    His companions sat down just before, without leaning too far.


    Karl immediately suffered from seasickness and his belly began to grumble.


    "Beautiful weapons" said a male voice, coming from behind Dag.


    He didn''t turn around and said: "Thank you".


    He knew it was Emil.


    The captain of the ship put his foot on the bow, lowering himself towards Dag.


    "You''re not from around here, are you?" he asked.


    "No, we come from Temple Of Orn" Dag replied, continuing to look at the sea, mesmerized by its beauty.


    "You are part of a Clan, therefore. You never took a boat, did you, boy?" continued Emil.


    "No, this is the first time. Jernhest has a much larger port than this, where hundreds of boats arrive and depart every day... but I never got on one of them, I always just looked at them from afar" Dag continued, closing his eyes and enjoying the cool wind in his hair and the feeling of being cradled by the waves.


    "I''ve been sailing since I was a kid. My father taught me everything I needed. You know, at the bottom of this little sea, there used to be a volcano".

 167 CLXVII. Innsjo

    "Really? That''s great! That''s why its bottom is so shallow!" replied Dag, stunned by the news, which he had never read anywhere.


    After about a minute''s silence, he asked: "How far is Hevnen from the port of Innsjo?"


    "With your horses, you will get there within a few hours and¡­ we''ll arrive in about two hours. I think you''re going to reach your destination before tonight. Are you messengers of your Clan?" asked the ship''s captain, curiously.


    Dag looked at him, trying to guess his intentions: despite the tone of his rude and menacing voice, Emil seemed to be just a normal sailor, who loved the sea and his ship.


    In any case, it would not have been prudent to reveal the whole truth to him, it was better to keep his distance.


    "Yes, we are messengers. We''re armed because this is the first time we''ve come here to Kvete, and we didn''t know what to expect" Dag said, trying to be friendly.


    The man nodded, avoiding asking any more questions and greeting Dag with a "good journey, then" before returning to his men to check that everything was proceeding normally.


    "Thank you" Dag replied, looking at his friends.


    Reidar was watching the scene, while Karl recovered from the seasickness and he and Agnes were in another world, watching Halm slowly disappear on the horizon and fantasizing, hugging.


    The boat, although it was large and heavy, had the typical slender shape of the Dreki and as soon as the sails were inflated by the wind, it was so fast that it seemed to fly on the sea surface.


    After about an hour spent sitting on the bow, Dag went to Reidar, who had been left alone.


    The darkness of the evening covered the boat and the sea, which looked like a gigantic shadow with no space and time.


    Lanterns hung over the doors leading to the hold and illuminated a small space of the deck, where other travelers sat, waiting to reach their destination.


    In the distance, dim lights partially illuminated the horizon.


    "That must be the port of Innsjo. Or at least I think since I don''t see any more lights anywhere" said Dag, who was eager to reach Hevnen to meet his sister.


    "I think so, Captain" Reidar said, thoughtfully.


    "Hey, Reidar. Here''s the deal: tonight we will travel to Hevnen and once we get there, if the members of the Sons Of Freya want to host us, we will spend the night there. As soon as dawn comes, I want you to run to Turid, your woman" Dag said, his gaze lost in the void.


    Reidar''s face suddenly lit up with joy.


    "Captain... are you sure you won''t need my help?" he asked, hoping for a negative answer.


    "It''s an order, Reidar. If the meeting with my sister goes as I expect, I guess we will have a lot of catching up to do, she and I" Dag continued, smiling.


    "Thank you very much!" Reidar replied, bowing his head slightly, with a smile printed on his face.


    Karl and Agnes had come downstairs and were probably sleeping, though for a short time.


    Reidar and Dag remained on deck talking about Turid and his profession, deceiving time.


    Before they could see it, they arrived in Innsjo.


    Its port looked much larger than Halm''s: as soon as the boat entered its two arms, they noticed two towering stone pillars and at their summit two statues, depicting large felines, sitting looking at the sea, as if they were guards ready for defense.


    "Look there, those statues are huge!" Dag said, looking closely at the stone structures, illuminated completely by rows of torches arranged on top of the main port building.


    "The locals say that they represent Freya''s cats. You know, some of her related animals were felines, symbols of femininity and sexuality" Reidar said, as Dag listened to him interested.


    "I think we should go get the horses and warn the two sleepers that we''re here" Dag continued, heading below deck.


    "How can you sleep all this time? Hahaha!" exclaimed Reidar, touching Karl on the shoulder, while lying with Agnes next to the horses, on a kind of battered mat.


    "It''s really easy to sleep in the arms of such a beautiful woman" Karl said, stretching and trying to be cheesy, to get a kiss from Agnes, who satisfied him.


    The four friends climbed up the deck with the horses and when the boat docked, they went down to the quayside, greeting Emil with his hand.


    Despite it was night, there were many boats moored and many people moving with frenzy, from one side to the other.


    "Innsjo, in addition to connecting the two regions, is also an important trading hub. Many of these people are on business trips, or have just arrived to sell their wares" Reidar explained to his companions, who looked around in amazement.


    They followed the main road, which with a slight ascent led out to the harbor.


    The town of Innsjo was very small and in a short time, the adventurers came out, always walking straight and taking the main road, the one to Hevnen.


    "If you liked Innsjo, wait until you see Hevnen. The city is big and imposing!" continued Reidar, galvanizing his companions.


    "What do you know about Fort Skjonnet, the headquarters of the Sons Of Freya?" asked Dag, trying to figure out how far away it was.


    "Finding it is very simple, it is located right in the center of Hevnen, on top of a small mountain that rises over the city center. When I spent my days with Turid, she took me to visit the most beautiful places, and among them, I remember the imposing fortress of the Freya Clan" Reidar said, collecting his thoughts.


    "Well, let''s move then, in a few hours we will be there!" continued Dag, who was looking forward to it.


    The adventurers continued to ride, looking at the surrounding landscape: Sjonir was purely flat, similar to Kvete from this point of view.

 168 CLXVIII. The Security Check

    The biggest difference was the type of terrain: there were lakes everywhere and the earth was almost always muddy, which is why, most of the roads were built with bricks, which also made it possible to move wagons and caravans.


    About an hour after they left Innsjo''s borders and they found themselves in front of a large, flat valley, strewn with many pools of water, just over a few meters wide.


    "And what are those, little ponds?" asked Karl, intrigued by the unusual landscape.


    "Do you remember when I told you about the hydrothermal springs?" asked Dag, turning to his companions, who looked at him as if they didn''t understand what he was talking about.


    "I had no doubt... well, when we were on the boat, I spoke to Emil, the captain. He told me that there used to be a volcano on the bottom of the Lukket Sea. This explains why these small lakes, which are actually natural thermal baths!" continued Dag, fascinated by what he saw.


    The road, just coinciding with the beginning of the valley, stopped being straight and took on a meandering pattern, circling the baths and moving forward, avoiding dropping travelers into the water.


    When Dag and his companions passed through that multitude of small lakes, the temperature suddenly rose and all four of them began to feel very warm.


    "Unbelievable... look there, on the surface of the water! There''s some vapor! It means it''s hot water, right?" said Agnes, asking Dag for confirmation, who seemed to be the one who knew the most about natural sciences.


    "That''s right! It''s hot water! If we had time to waste, we would stop for a bath, but we have to move before it gets too late" Dag said, continuing to ride along the way.


    After less than an hour, in front of them, they saw a huge fortress, with the walls tens of meters high, delimited by 4 towers, properly guarded by archers, 3 for each tower.


    The main road led to a huge wooden and steel drawbridge, which was Hevnen''s main entrance.


    "The bridge is lowered. We still have time to get into the city" Reidar said, speeding up the pace.


    "Does that mean you can''t get in at night?" asked Karl, trying to figure out how the stronghold''s defenses worked.


    "Yes, we could go in anyway, but they would fill us with questions, causing us to waste more time. With the low deck, however, there is only one small check to overcome: there are two guards there, right after the bridge" Reidar continued, who made his way.


    The bridge allowed to overcome a deep moat, filled with water, useful to strengthen the defenses of the city, making any enemy Clan'' siege impossible.


    "It looks like they''re well organized..." thought aloud Dag, admiring that remarkable engineering work.


    As expected by Reidar, two men in armor guarded the entrance, a second door that allowed access to the town center.


    One of the two guards raised his hand, asking the adventurers to stop.


    "Who are you?" the man asked, approaching Reidar first, then the others, studying the details.


    "We are ambassadors of the Hammers Of Thor Clan. We come from Jordst?l to bring an important message to Fort Skjonnet" Reidar replied, in a convincing tone.


    The guard stood next to Dag, noticing the two weapons hanging from his belt.


    "I am their captain. My sister server for many years the Sons Of Freya" Dag said, without anyone asking him anything and showing the symbol of his Clan engraved on his jacket.


    "And what about the girl? She doesn''t look like a warrior to me, nor does she seem to be part of a Clan" the guard continued, observing Karl and Agnes.


    "He is our healer and she is a girl we saved from a village in Kvete, destroyed by bandits, who use to inhabit its shores" Dag continued, preceding Karl, fearing that he might say some nonsense that would make the guard nervous.


    The man turned to his companion and nodded his hand.


    "They can pass, open the gate" he said.


    Karl and Agnes breathed a sigh of relief.


    The four companions finally entered Hevnen, after a long journey that lasted about a week.


    Being late in the evening, the streets were not very crowded and it was possible to notice every detail of the beautiful city center: inside the huge fortress, a small river flowed zigzagging, crossed by numerous stone bridges, which allowed to move from one neighborhood to another.


    The houses and most of the buildings were made of white stone, which highlighted the colorful plants and flowers that graced every corner and balcony.


    The edges of the roofs of most of the buildings were adorned with small statues, similar to idols, depicting the same cats protecting the port.


    "In this city, everything reminds Freya" Dag said, turning to Reidar.


    "Yes, Captain. This is the only Clan that is based right in the center of the reference city, and this makes sure that there is much more contact between the Clan warriors and the citizens, who almost revere them as mythical heroes" Reidar replied, as all three horses walked slowly on the street bricks, with their hooves dirty with mud.


    "There''s a signboard over there... it says that way we can get to ''Skjonnet''" Karl said, pointing to a wooden pole with some kind of signage on top.


    "Well, let''s go!" continued Dag, who was looking forward to meeting his sister.


    All the bridges that crossed the river led to a single large district, with buildings built in a semicircle around a hill with steep slopes.


    Finally, after so much effort, they had reached the first real destination of their journey.


    On the mountain in the center of Hevnen, there was another fortress, whose outer walls were identical to those of the city, but smaller.


    It was as if Fort Skjonnet was a ''fortress in the fortress''.


    A staircase, carved into the soft rock of the headland, led to the entrance, and the 4 friends, after getting off the horse, began to climb.

 169 CLXIX. Fort Skjonne

    Around them there was total silence, only the wind rang out among the city streets and moved the water of the river, making it sway slightly.


    Once at the top of the stairs, the front door was logically closed.


    Dag, without hesitation, knocked with his fist.


    The noise rumbled loudly, echoing between the 4 walls of the fort, but no one went to open the door.


    He repeated the operation.


    At one point, a noise of locking interrupted the silence.


    The door appeared to be closed with a complex security mechanism from the inside.


    When it opened, a young man looked at Dag and his companions, with a questioning expression.


    "How can I help you?" he asked.


    "Hello. We are ambassadors of the Hammers Of Thor Clan and bring important news. My name is Dag, I''m Gridd''s brother, who is part of your Clan" Dag said, with a smile printed on his face.


    "Gridd? Come in! Get in and apologize if I kept you waiting!" the boy replied, moving from the entrance and allowing visitors to enter.


    As soon as they were inside the walls, the same boy pointed to them a stable to leave the horses.


    "I don''t think the Masters were waiting for visitors... I am convinced that they are in their rooms" the boy continued, leading Dag and the others to the main building.


    "I kindly ask you to call Gridd. Tell her someone wants to meet her... If I know her as I think, she''ll definitely come down and take a look" said Dag, who after entering the building noticed a large staircase leading to the upper floors.


    "All right! But don''t move from here, wait and sit right there, if you don''t mind" the boy replied, pointing to a wooden table with chairs around it as he climbed the stairs to warn Gridd.


    The adventurers went to sit down, admiring the beauty of the building''s atrium.


    On the walls were many paintings and frescoes depicting Freya. At the bottom, however, weapons and armor were leaning on the same walls.


    Judging by their beauty, they seemed to be unique equipment, perhaps belonging to great warriors of the past.


    The square room, although very large, was well lit, by numerous torches arranged in a row on the walls and by the light coming from the wood that burned in a large fireplace, positioned right in front of the entrance, on the opposite side.


    Incredibly, the fireplace was also part of a sculpture: above it, a large throne of rock on which sat the imposing Goddess, Freya, holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.


    On her head she wore a crown, which gave the sculpture a special beauty, enriched by the delicate smile drawn on her face, conveying a feeling of peace and security to those who looked at her.


    "Here they are, they are sitting there".


    While Dag was enchanted to observe the sculpture, the boy had returned to the lower floor, accompanied by someone.


    "Dag? Is that you?" said a female voice, drawing the attention of Dag, who turned to her, realizing that it was not Gridd, which had a much less rude and profound tone.


    He stood up and walked toward the woman, smiling.


    When he walked before her, he bent down on a knee: "yes, it''s me. Long time no see, Master Taya" he said, looking down.


    In front of him was Taya, who by some strange coincidence had returned to the city of her Clan and was not in Jernhest.


    "Hahaha! Get up, Dag! Let me look at you!" she said, smiling.


    He obeyed and looked into The eyes of Shieldmaiden, who first taught him how to wield a weapon.


    "I''m glad to see you again, Master" he said, still smiling.


    "What are you doing here? From your armor, I see you''re officially a member of the Hammers Of Thor! I''m very happy for you!" she continued, congratulating her former pupil.


    "Master, I''d like to talk about the reason for my visit to my sister, which I haven''t seen in a very long time. Is Gridd here?" asked Dag, eager to see his sister again.


    "Master Gridd, you''ll say" Taya replied, winking at him and heading upstairs without adding anything else.


    "Okay, I think she went to call her" Dag thought aloud, as he opened and closed his hands, impatiently.


    After a few minutes, Taya got back in the room, where Dag and his companions were waiting.


    "Hey! But... I just noticed... What are you doing here?" she asked, realizing that Karl was hiding behind Agnes to avoid getting caught by his Master''s watchful eye.


    He went out into the open and without getting too close, bowed his head, out of respect: "Hello, Master Taya".


    "It''s not his fault, I asked him to come with me. He''s developed incredible skills, I can say I have one of Okstorm''s most promising healers in my team!" said Dag, who stood between her and Karl, defending his friend.


    "A healer? I didn''t know you had such hidden abilities, Karl" said Taya, who after Dag''s words stopped sulking.


    "Since my father became ill, I have been forced to learn... but then I noticed a certain affinity with the art of herbalism and I was passionate about it" Karl replied, hoping that the answer would serve to justify his absence in Arena.


    Reidar and Agnes had stood on the sidelines, sitting at the table.


    Although the archer came from a village near Jernhest, he may not have had Taya as a teacher.


    "Somebody? Who? Who would come to visit me at this hour? I''m not waiting for anyone!" said a female voice from upstairs, approaching the stairs.


    Dag immediately looked up, acknowledging that voice, and began to smile for no reason.


    "I really hope it''s an important thing, I was sleeping blissfully and..."


    Gridd stopped talking as soon as she saw Dag, standing by near Taya.


    "D... Dag?" she said in disbelief, with a thread of a voice.

 170 CLXX. The Recap

    He answered nothing, merely spread his arms, ready to hug his sister.


    "Dag! Brother! It''s you!" shouted Gridd in happiness, running into Dag''s arms and clutching him tightly with affection.


    After an uninterrupted embrace for a few minutes, the two broke off, looking at each other with tears in their eyes.


    "I went back to Jernhest not long ago and Asa and Eirik told me that you stayed at home for a very short time!" said Gridd, overjoyed to see her half-brother, with whom she had a sincere and deep relationship.


    "Gridd... you''re just beautiful, as always. I missed you so much, sister. Come on, let''s sit down... a lot has happened since our last meeting!" exclaimed Dag, grabbing Gridd''s hand and dragging her to a chair.


    When everyone was seated around the same table, Dag said: "I knew you had become a Master of the Clan, Gridd! I congratulate to you! But... If you and Master Taya are here, isn''t there another one left?"


    "Thank you, Dag. It was Taya who helped me become the Clan''s Master Of Offense. I will never stop thanking her!" said Gridd, looking at Taya, that spared the smile.


    "And yes¡­ you''re right, another Master is missing the call. But Jens has the heaviest sleep of a hippopotamus, waking him up at this time of night is practically impossible! Tomorrow I will be happy to sum up the situation. Now tell us, brother, what do we owe your visit to and who are your companions? Apart from Karl, I already know" she continued, looking at Karl, who blushed for a moment, without Agnes noticing.


    "Ah, it''s true! I''m sorry I didn''t do it before! This is Agnes, the latest arrival. She''s not from our Clan, but she''s traveling with us to settle in Jernhest, along with Karl. He is Reidar, the best archer I have ever known, as well as a reliable travel companion. Thanks to his geographical knowledge and his bow and arrow skills, we were able to overcome many dangers!" exclaimed Dag, describing his companion with pride.


    Reidar smiled, happy to hear such beautiful words coming out of his Captain''s mouth.


    "I''m really happy that you''re traveling with other people... you know, I''ve always been a loner and I''ve never strayed far from here. You, who have the chance, should travel the world, discover new places!" said Gridd, who stared at Dag, noting his progress.


    "Yes, I think traveling is my biggest aspiration at the moment and I can''t wait to leave. Then... where do I start..." continued Dag, intending to tell his story from the beginning.


    "He told Gridd and Taya of exile from the Clan, of Magni, of his farmhouse, of his fights against mutant beasts and of the battle won against the Fangs Of Jormungandr, to protect the Temple Of Orn.


    "If I can meddle... Dag is doing the modest, as usual. But the reality of the facts is different. If it wasn''t for him, we''d have been taken by surprise by the enemy Clan and probably we''d all be dead now" interrupted Reidar, who as usual, wanted to point out the details.


    "Dag... but this is magnificent! I figured you''d made progress, but I didn''t believe it to this point! Your gesture was noble, I do not know other people who after being exiled try to return to the starting point. And what happened after the battle?" asked Gridd, curious.


    "As I explained before, one of my Masters lost his life, helping me when I was imprisoned by the Renegades of Jordst?l. His name was Magni, this one I carry with me is his hammer. So, it wasn''t very easy to explain it to the other two Masters, but they finally believed my words, understanding my intentions, considering the fact that I had returned to the Temple and saved my comrades" Dag continued, skipping the details and focusing on the most important events in its history.


    Agnes also listened intently, being unaware of that story.


    "At the end of all these messes, I was offered the chance to become my Clan''s new Master Of Offense, competing against the other suitors with the blessing of Master Egill".


    "Master Of Offense?! Hahahah, then it''s just a family thing!" exclaimed Taya, who had no idea that Dag could go all that way.


    "Got it... even though so many things have happened that it''s really hard for me to imagine them! I guess you''ve become extremely strong... much more than before! How else would you have survived all these misadventures? The leaders of the Renegades are powerful, former warriors exiled from the Clan. If you managed to defeat Hjalmar, who I know only by name, it means that you are a formidable warrior, also endowed with cunning and intelligence!" replied Gridd.


    Dag continued with the story and several hours passed before he could finish.


    He blindly trusted his sister and Taya, he knew that they had no reason to betray him in any way and that they didn''t pose a threat.


    "This is absurd. The three of you have done things worthy of being sung by Okstorm''s bards for the next hundred years! I''m really curious to discover your new powers because I think you were once again modest" continued Gridd, who remained silent all the time listening to his brother''s words, admiring his deeds, even though Dag had omitted the part where he had defeated a God, otherwise his credibility would falter.


    "Now, after telling you summarily about what I have been through over the last few months, I would like to propose something to you. I know it''s late, but I can''t wait any longer: if I''m right here there''s a reason. I would like our two Clans to come together" he said, resting his hands on the table and looking at both Taya and Gridd.


    "Join the Clans? What do you mean? The Hammers Of Thor and the Sons Of Freya are already two allied Clans" Gridd said, as Taya went beyond those words, trying to figure out Dag''s true plan.

 171 CLXXI. The Life-Changing Story

    "I would like us all to join forces, to bring peace on this planet. Growing up, I realized that it''s useless that we Vikings continue to fight wars between us, Clan vs Clan. There is a much stronger enemy to fight..." said Dag, looking into his sister''s eyes, who looked down, pondering.


    Taya remained silent, without losing focus.


    "Who are you talking about? A stronger enemy? You mean enemy Clans?" asked Gridd, naively.


    "No, Gridd. It actually started with something you told me when I just arrived here on Skjold. It''s about the Xis, they''re the enemy. Or maybe I should call them Frostsinners..." he continued, in a tone of a somber voice.


    "The Xis? Do you mean the alien race that rules the Earth and all the other planets? Are you crazy by any chance? And then... Frostsinners... what the hell are you talking about?" asked Gridd, who couldn''t believe what she had heard.


    "There''s some detail of my story that I haven''t told you. One is about Brann and another is about me" Dag said.


    When Taya heard that name, she couldn''t hold back: "Boy, everything you''re saying seems surreal to me. Now, what does Brann have to do with all this? Gridd also told me about him, when she settled here, in the Clan. I don''t understand why you''re both haunted by his figure".


    Gridd stopped talking, his gaze lost in the void.


    A worried expression appeared on her face, fearing that Dag had discovered something she didn''t know about Brann.


    Dag held out his arm towards her, holding out his hand.


    Gridd grabbed it, proving that she had a sincere fear of knowing what he was going to say.


    "It all started one day that Egill made me travel in his memory... it was a specific memory. I found myself in the middle of a battle..."


    Dag also told the whole story of Brann and the truth about him, disproving Gridd''s beliefs, that had almost revered him until that moment, relying on the words of his mother.


    As Dag continued, Gridd''s expression kept on deteriorating, until she burst into tears, unable to hold back the pain of the truth.


    "Why are you telling me this... why are you doing this to me, Dag..."


    "Gridd. You''re the first person who confided a secret to me. Ever since I was born, I''ve never met a good person like you. I loved you from the first moment. When I found out the truth about your real father, I thought you should know. You know, ever since you first told me about him, I was fascinated by his image, so much so that I followed his example. I wanted to be like him at all costs and I knew that something bound us: the Earth. Both he and I were born in the same place" Dag continued, shaking Gridd''s hand, which continued to cry like a fountain.


    He then took the bronze eye pendant, the n¡ã 8 emblem, which he had managed to conquer by defeating Kenneth and put it on the table.


    "Is that what I think?" asked Taya, who immediately grabbed it, looking at it intently.


    "It''s the n¡ã 8 emblem. As I said, I tried to follow in the footsteps of Brann, who owned the n¡ã 6, before losing it unnecessarily, also sacrificing the lives of many warriors of the two Clans, both mine and yours" he replied, nodding his head to confirm Taya''s hypothesis, which diverted his eyes from the emblem and pointed them at her former pupil.


    Gridd wiped her tears, leaving Dag''s hand and trying to return to her composure.


    She took a deep breath and cleared her voice: "Even if I don''t want to do it, I believe you. You wouldn''t have any real reason to lie about something you know is so important to me. If you''re in charge of a team like yours, that''s been able to walk all this way just to come here, it means that your values are strong and you''ve done everything you''ve told us for real. Tomorrow morning, with a fresh and rested mind, I demand to know every detail of what you have seen in your Master''s memories, I deserve to know everything about Brann, once and for all!"


    "I knew you''d understand everything. I''m proud of you, sister" Dag said, who held back tears of joy as that moment was extremely touching for both of them.


    "If you allow us, we will stay here at night. Otherwise, we will be happy to sleep in one of the taverns of the city center" he said, trying to dampen the tension.


    "Of course you can stay. Your story is definitely the most shocking thing that''s happened to me in recent years, Dag" Taya replied, as Gridd spread her nostrils, trying not to cry again.


    One hand touched Dag''s shoulder.


    "Captain. You know the story isn''t over" Reidar said, unable to hold back.


    "I think Gridd and Taya are tired of hearing me speak at this hour... and the last part of the story is perhaps the hardest to digest. They would think we''re crazy" Dag replied softly, trying unnecessarily not to be heard by his interlocutors.


    "If we''re still sitting here, there''s a reason. And if your desire is really to bring our Clans together, there must be no secrets between us. I am tired... I''m tired of secrets, fuck!" snorted Gridd, who had heard every word Dag and Reidar had said in confidence.


    Dag got up from the table, stretching his bones, after sitting for more than two hours and pulling the Giantbane out of his belt, resting it on the table in front of the two Shieldmaidens.


    He continued to walk around the room, stopping in front of the fireplace, turning his back on everyone.


    It only took a few seconds for Gridd to realize it was Brann''s weapon.


    Although its size and geometries had changed, the deer head was still there, as were the two shiny rubies.

 172 CLXXII. The Brotherly Love

    "When we left Mount Torden, our first destination was another, before Hevnen. We went to Tyven. Not really in the village, but on a mountain nearby" Dag said, thinking about how to make the story he was about to tell more believable.


    "Dag... this deer... it''s incredibly similar to..." tried to say Gridd, before being interrupted.


    "After learning the truth about Brann, I ran to Jernhest and spoke to our mother, who confirmed to me what I knew and talked to me about the sacrifice of Eirik, her beloved''s brother. I took the Red Executioner and brought it along all the way, protecting it at the cost of my life. As I mentioned before, Brann got that weapon from a man a little... ''particular''. His name is Vegard, and he is a divine blacksmith, who has embedded Eirik''s soul within those two red crystals that shine within the deer''s eyes".


    Gridd held the head between her hands, touching her hair, incredulous.


    "Vegard is just a legend and the last time anyone met him was more than a hundred years ago" said Taya, who began to doubt Dag''s words, believing he was using that story to achieve his purposes.


    "I thought so too, Master Taya. But after hearing my mother Asa tell me about when Brann sacrificed his own brother to gain more power, I couldn''t go on living without discovering the whole truth, so I decided to go to Vegard''s, to retrace his steps personally" Dag continued.


    The fire of wood burning in the fireplace reflected in his eyes as he recounted what happened in the Great Forge, still feeling the heat of boiling magma on his skin.


    When the story ended, he turned to Gridd, to see her reaction.


    She grabbed the axe and continued to observe the details, approaching Dag, who was still in front of the fire.


    She stopped in front of him and looked him straight in the eye, clutching the weapon on her chest.


    For a few seconds, the brother and sister communicated with their eyes, without speaking.


    Gridd''s big blue eyes sought solace in Dag''s, ready to reassure her, empathically letting her understand that fearing the past was not the right move.


    Dag placed both hands on her shoulders, while she still clutched the axe to her chest.


    "I''ve been living a lie, for the first years of my life. I was always told what I could and couldn''t do. The truth is... no one should be subjected to all this. Before I spoke to you tonight, I knew my words would affect wounds that are still open inside you... but at the same time, I knew you''d give in to the pain, but you''d make it a weapon to start fighting again, stronger than before" he said, moving a hand under his sister''s chin, which was looking down.


    "If I am what I am I owe it to you, Gridd. We must bring our Clans together so as to accomplish extraordinary things. Let''s do it for all the people who suffer, for those like us who live in a lie... but also for ourselves, we''ll take back the reins of our lives" continued Dag, who could no longer hold back the tears, which ran down his face.


    Gridd hugged him, holding the Giantbane with her other hand, while everyone else witnessed the scene.


    "I need to sleep and I think it''s the same for you. Tomorrow we will continue the talk. I''m a Clan Master, that''s true, but the decision isn''t just for me" Gridd said, referring to Taya and Jens, who was blissfully sleeping in his room.


    "Of course. I agree with you" Dag replied.


    Gridd handed him his weapon, looking at it once more, with a happy but rancorous face.


    "You''ll be tired... Come with me, I''ll show you the guest rooms" she continued, urging Dag''s companions to get up from their seats and follow her upstairs.


    Taya also got up and went with them, without saying a word, looking closely at Gridd, trying to understand her intentions.


    Dag looked at his ex-Master who did not seem very willing to accept the proposal.


    "These two rooms are completely at your disposal. They''re not very big, but at least you''ll avoid spending money unnecessarily in some inn" Gridd said, pointing to two doors side by side, just after the stairs.


    "We thank you infinitely for your hospitality. These rooms will be fine!" exclaimed Reidar, bowing his head.


    Karl did the same, holding Agnes with one arm, to prevent her from collapsing from sleep.


    "See you tomorrow, Gridd" Dag said, smiling.


    "Yes, brother. See you tomorrow... good night!" she replied, who reciprocated his smile with one hand resting on her forehead, because of the conversation she had just had with him, which had upset her.


    Taya remained silent and headed to her room, after making sure Dag and the others agreed to spend the night in Fort Skjonnet.


    Karl and Agnes, exhausted, entered the room and locked the door.


    Dag and Reidar, who had learned to share the spaces, did the same.


    Their room wasn''t so bad: it certainly wasn''t comparable to the Red Rose, much more spacious and whose beds looked much softer and more comfortable.


    "Captain..."


    "Yes, Reidar?"


    "Do you think they gonna accept your proposal?" asked Reidar, resting his stuff next to one of the two beds.


    "My sister is a reasonable person. Although I''ve told her a lot of things that have upset her tonight, I''m sure she''ll think about it carefully. We are bound by a relationship of strong trust, I doubt she will refuse. The problem is the other two. I know Taya and she''s a woman of strong principles... while Gridd and I were arguing, I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and didn''t seem very enthusiastic about the proposal. I don''t know the other Master, so I can''t imagine how he''s going to react" Dag said, taking off his belt and the top of his armor.

 173 CLXXIII. Jens

    Both companions threw themselves on their beds, sighing in exhaustion.


    "Thank you, Reidar" Dag said, breaking the silence as his comrade was about to fall asleep.


    "For what, Captain?" asked Reidar, turning his head towards him.


    "My ability to speak is not very high, I can see that. This isn''t the first time you''ve helped me through a conversation. I never expected to be able to bond myself so quickly to a complete stranger, because that''s what you were for me, until recently" Dag continued, looking at the dark ceiling of the room.


    "It''s the ideals that bind us, Captain. I have never met anyone so determined, despite his young age. Ever since you chose me among the three options Master Egill gave to you, you''ve given me an important chance. You gave me something to fight for, to believe in. So I''m the one thanking you, Dag. I feel like I''m in a privileged position with you and my Clan, I''m not going to let you down, you''ll see" Reidar, delighted with his friendship with his team Captain, replied firmly.


    "I''m happy about it. Good night" said Dag, pleased with Reidar''s response, which until then had proved flawless.


    "Oh, one last favor, Reidar... tomorrow, when you''ll wake up at dawn, try not to wake me up. I''d like to sleep a few more hours if it''s possible. Try to get back here to Fort Skjonnet in the afternoon, okay?"


    "Of course, Captain. No problem, I''ll be as quiet as a ghost! Good night" the archer replied, before falling asleep like a rock.


    Dag''s body was tired after the trip, but his mind was incredibly active and he could not get to sleep immediately.


    He reflected on the infinite possibilities he would have if the two Clans had linked up and if, in the future, other Clans had joined the alliance.


    Even if it was only the beginning, his plans were starting to take shape.


    With a smile on his face, he fell asleep.


    ...


    The next morning, when a ray of sunshine from the window next to the bed stroked his face and eyes, he awoke, even more buzzed than the previous day.


    Reidar wasn''t in his bed, and with him, all his stuff was gone.


    After getting dressed and wearing his belt with weapons, Dag left the room.


    As soon as he opened the door, he was astonished to notice that so many people were moving around the palace, as no noise could be heard from inside his room, due to the thick masonry walls.


    Dozens of warriors were busy carrying out their daily life tasks: some of them carried weapons and armor, some others simply chatted cheerfully with their companions.


    The door to Karl and Agnes'' room was still closed and Dag was not surprised.


    He began to walk downstairs, looking for Gridd.


    She was standing before the table where they had sat that night, with a short, plump man by her side.


    Both were commenting on an unrolled scroll on the table, which appeared to be a map.


    Dag walked up to her field of vision, while some of the Clan''s warriors noticed his presence, wondering why an armed stranger wandered around the fortress.


    A boy approached him, ready to ask him who he was when Gridd said aloud: "Dag! You''re awake!"


    The same boy changed direction, happy to have avoided a bad figure in front of his Masters.


    "Good morning, Gridd. Good morning" Dag said, approaching the table and greeting both her sister and the man next to her.


    "Look what a handsome boy! He also looks like a very strong warrior, Gridd! I''m sorry I haven''t met him before!" exclaimed the chubby man.


    Dag looked at Gridd with a questioning face, waiting for her to introduce him to his ''colleague''.


    "Oh, sorry! I was focused on looking at the map! Dag, this is Jens, the Master Of Healing of Sons Of Freya!" she exclaimed, enthusiastically.


    "So nice to meet you, Jens" Dag said, in a calm tone, shaking his hand.


    "Your sister was telling me the reason why you came here to Hevnen, boy" Jens continued.


    Although there was not even a thread of beard on his face, judging by the wrinkles near his eyes, he must have been a grown man, perhaps in his fifties.


    "Well, I''m glad. Unfortunately yesterday my team and I arrived late here in Skjonnet, I would have liked to talk to you in person" Dag replied, trying to be friendly.


    "Gridd probably mentioned that... for me there nothing is more important than sleep. You couldn''t wake me up even by firing a cannon!" chuckled Jens.


    "Yes, I did. Although in my version, I compared you to a hippopotamus! Hahaha!" replied Gridd.


    She and Jens had a very confidential tone, they seemed to be on good terms. This made Dag guess that perhaps he too would accept the proposal.


    "Anyway... Jens has been thrilled to hear your alliance offer and believes it''s a good idea. In a few hours, after the daily training of the recruits, we and Taya will meet on the board to hear her opinion. She hasn''t said a word since last night and I haven''t seen her around this morning" Gridd continued.


    "I am here, to clear any doubt. If you want me to join the board, I will intervene without any problem" Dag said, confident of himself and his plan.


    "In this regard, Dag... Gridd and I were trying to take stock of the situation, come here" Jens said, inviting Dag to stand next to him to see the map with them.


    Dag did so without hesitation and looked at the map resting on the table.


    It was a map of Okstorm, but slightly different than the one on Stein''s atlas.


    "Then, as you already know, there are 9 Clans scattered on Skjold. Most of them are located in Okstorm, more precisely, 6 of them" Jens continued, pointing the map to Dag, who realized that unlike the one he had seen on the atlas, it took less account of the geography and gave more importance to the ''domains'' of the various zones.

 174 CLXXIV. Get Past The Pas

    It was a map of the Okstorm Clans.


    "In addition to our two Clans, our nation is home to the following Clans: Fangs Of Jormungandr, Horns Of Heimdallr, Crows Of Odin and Hands Of Tyr" Dag read aloud, beginning to reflect on which of them might be the least hostile.


    "That''s right. Gridd and I were trying to imagine which Clans among them might be interested in your idea" Jens exclaimed, as Gridd nodded his head, confirming.


    Dag was thrilled with the news and listened.


    "While Fangs Of Jormungandr and Horns Of Heimdallr are the most hostile and wary, I think Crows Of Odin and Hands Of Tyr are willing to listen to your proposal. I don''t know their leaders, but since I remember, they''ve been neutral during the wars" Gridd said, looking at his brother''s thoughtful expression as he looked closely at the map.


    A region in the far north of Okstorm was under the rule of the Fangs Of Jormungandr, just above Kvete.


    Skjegg and the Crows of Odin-dominated region was south of Jordst?l, just below the nation''s capital, Jernhest.


    The Horns Of Heimdallr, on the other hand, were established on a small island, southwest of Jordst?l.


    The Hands Of Tyrs were also on an island in the far south, but their dominance was much larger, perhaps the largest among the Clans.


    "I think the most logical thing is to reach the nearest Clans first. So in theory, after Hevnen, it would be Skjegg''s turn and the Crows Of Odin" exclaimed Dag, who every time he uttered the name of that Clan, thought of his woman.


    "Jens, as you see, my brother already knows how to move. He has become a versatile warrior by now, able to devise winning strategies" Gridd exclaimed, smiling with content that Dag had already figured out how to move.


    "I see it! Well then, see you later, Gridd, I''m going to come and call you when Taya''s ready for the council. I take care of the recruits today, I think it''s fairer that you spend some time with your brother" Jens smiled, walking away toward the exit of the fortress.


    Dag and Gridd greeted him warmly, thanking him for his concern.


    "Sister... I''d like to finish telling you yesterday''s story if you don''t mind" Dag said.


    "Of course! I''m impatient! Come, let''s go to my room, this hall is too crowded" she replied, leading Dag upstairs.


    When they entered Gridd''s room, they sat on her bed, next to each other.


    "I told you there was a part of the story about Brann... and another one that was about me" he said.


    "Yes, I remember. You''ve already told me about Brann, and I couldn''t sleep tonight. But you know, because of your story, I''ve understood a lot about my real father, and maybe if I hadn''t been so naive, I could have talked about him a long time ago with our mother. But I never asked her anything, fearing that talking about him might hurt her. I''m sorry it was up to you to know the whole truth. I''m really sorry" Gridd replied.


    "I know you''ve always been the most mature in the family, but you were just a little girl at the time. You couldn''t have borne such a heavy burden. Besides, I think Asa felt the real pain when she lost Stein not long ago. As you know, it was a man from Lies Of Loki who wrongly killed him, and believe me, they will pay for what they did" Dag continued, justifying his sister''s misgivings.


    "In fact, don''t believe that my goal of getting them out has changed! You made me a promise, Dag, and I intend to carry it out" she replied, with a severe expression.


    "Of course, Gridd. I doubt those sons of bitches would agree to join an alliance. They are evil beings, ready to kill innocent people mercilessly. We will find a way to avenge the deaths of Brann and Stein, but without lowering ourselves to their level".


    Gridd nodded, satisfied with Dag''s answer.


    "Then, tell me about you, brother. Let''s consider your speech about Brann concluded. I think you''ve talked to me about him enough" she continued.


    "Well. You know, if I''m in this position of duty... well, I don''t just owe it to the powers I developed by fighting in the Clan. During my exile, I had a lot of time to think and focus on my body. It all started as I was walking along a bridge that would lead me across Mount Torden, under the indication of my Master, Magni" Dag said, looking at the floor of the room.


    "I''m listening to you, brother".


    "I found that the Xis don''t just send us humans to the target planets... just as I was crossing the bridge, a corpse, after being torn apart by some crows, devouring the carcass, took to life and began to attack me".


    "What? A corpse? Do you mean an undead? It''s ridiculous, Dag. Undeads do not exist in reality. And what does the Xis have to do with it?" asked Gridd, who struggled to believe Dag''s story.


    "Those crows... they weren''t normal animals. Their eyes were purple and they had developed incredible abilities, for example, their beak was as hard as iron. Well, those same animals tried to kill me... and not just that time. There have been many episodes where I have been ''ambushed'' by them" he continued.


    "Ambushed? Are you telling me that the Xis spy on you using animals?" continued Gridd, with a smacked face.


    "That''s right, a kind of. And animals are not the only protagonists. After facing undeads and infected mutant beasts, I was kidnapped by a group of Renegades, who locked me in their secret fortress, the Mork Castle. I''ve found that even human beings can draw power from the Xis, just give up believing in the Gods".


    Dag told Gridd about Myr and Hjalmar and their transformations into ''demons'', while his sister kept struggling to believe him.

 175 CLXXV. The Rhombus-Shaped Room

    "Did you speak an alien language? Dag, what the fuck!" she replied, reacting to the story and slightly walking away from him, frightened.


    "Hahaha, yes! I don''t know how it happened, but before I killed Hjalmar, I was able to understand his language and play its sounds. As I explained, I discovered that I could increase my ''dark'' powers by ingesting the blood of creatures controlled by the Xis. But lately, Karl has discovered a way to increase the effect of that blood, injecting it directly into my veins".


    Gridd did not answer.


    "I know this may seem absurd to you, but you will believe it when we happen to fight. It''s not over, there''s one last thing that happened to me".


    "Uff... go on" puffed Gridd, holding her forehead to avoid fainting.


    "When I arrived at Vegard''s, my companions and I discovered that he wasn''t just a human being. The blacksmith was actually Weland, the God. This axe... after I defeated him, he decided to modify Brann''s Red Executioner and to add the power of his Mimungr, Mimir''s legendary sword" Dag continued, pulling out the Giantbane and showing it back to his sister.


    "Okay, I definitely need to get some air" exclaimed Gridd, who got out of bed and opened the room window, breathing in the air outside to calm down.


    Dag also stood, standing still by the bed, with the axe in his hands.


    "I remember when you arrived at the farm. You were a puny, helpless kid. Look at you now... you possess mysterious powers and you''ve even managed to defeat a God... what the fuck, Dag! Do you want to drive me crazy?!" she continued, looking out.


    Dag looked at his axe, while the light coming from outside reflected on its blade.


    "You taught me that I should never give up. And that''s what I did. I''ve risked my life many times... But now I feel strong, I feel I can defeat anyone" he said, in a low voice, sitting on the bed again.


    Gridd looked at him, thoughtfully.


    With a small hidden smile, she approached him and placed her hand on that of Dag, who was touching the axe.


    "I believe every word, Dag. I''d be stupid if I didn''t believe you. In my heart, I always felt there was something inside you... something that inspired me to trust. That was one of the reasons why I told you about Brann. You know what? I will come with you regardless. If the other two Masters will refuse the plan, I would leave the Clan and help you complete your project" she said, resting her hand on Dag''s cheek and gently stroking him.


    Dag looked up at Gridd, his eyes expressing the happiness he was feeling.


    "Don''t say nonsense, sister. You have struggled so hard to become a Master, you can''t give it up just because I asked for your help..."


    Just then, someone knocked on the door, interrupting the conversation.


    "Gridd! We''re ready for the council! See you in the rhombus room of the basement!" yelled Jens from behind the door.


    "All right, I''ll get to you in a few minutes!" replied Gridd.


    She stood up on her feet and tried to recompose, adjusting her jacket and hair, which were messy.


    "Let''s go!" she said.


    "Me too?" asked Dag.


    "Yes, I demand that you be there too" she replied.


    Dag nodded, happy with his sister''s answer.


    When they left her room, Karl and Agnes stood in the hallway above the stairs, looking around.


    "Where were you? We''ve been looking for you everywhere!" said Karl, walking towards Dag and Gridd.


    "I''ve been awake for hours! You''re the usual sleepers, you two!" replied Dag, chuckling.


    "Yeah... yes, you''re right, we woke up late... again" Karl said, touching his nape, embarrassed.


    "Wait for me downstairs, or go for a ride around town. Reidar will be back here in the afternoon. We will meet in front of the entrance. I''m a little busy, now" Dag continued, hinting to Karl that it was something important.


    "Go for a ride? Sorry, but..."


    "Let''s go to town, big mouth! Come on, hurry up!" interrupted Agnes, pulling Karl by the arm and dragging him out of the fortress.


    "Well, we can go now, sorry" Dag told Gridd, who was laughing at the scene.


    After descending the stairs and crossing the room with the large table, Gridd stood by the fireplace, while Dag watched her movements, not understanding what she was doing.


    She grabbed a sword hanging from the wall and rotated it forcefully.


    At the same time, a brick entered the wall, forming a socket that was not there a few seconds before.


    Gridd slipped her hand into the socket and pushed, opening a secret door, which was inside the wall itself.


    "Wow! A secret passage? The Temple Of Orn doesn''t have such ''technological'' stuff! Haha!" chuckled Dag, trying to study the wall''s opening mechanism.


    "Quiet! New recruits don''t know this passage!" whispered Gridd, looking around and making sure she was far from prying eyes.


    After entering the secret door, it closed with a slight push of the hand, as if it was much lighter than it seemed.


    Gridd grabbed a torch attached to the wall and began to walk down a narrow corridor, making light.


    Dag followed her, without adding anything else.


    The walls of the corridor smelled of mold and the humidity on the ceiling, made Dag guess that he was underground, although the descent had been imperceptible.


    "This way" said Gridd, who turned right when they reached a kind of junction.


    They found themselves in front of a small rusty iron door and Gridd inserted the torch into an apposite crack on the wall.


    "These corridors were built hundreds of years ago by the old Masters of Fort Skjonnet. It is said that the Masters themselves went here to discuss ''secret'' topics and avoided being heard" she said, as she pulled out a bunch of keys from her belt.


    "Secret topics?" thought Dag aloud.

 176 CLXXVI. The Council

    His sister did not respond and inserted one of the keys into the door lock, which after emitting a deafening metallic noise, opened squeaking.


    In front of them, Taya and Jens were seated at a table in the middle of a small, almost empty, rhombus-shaped room.


    Dag noticed shelves holding old weapons and other sharp and rusty objects on the only furnished wall.


    "Why did he come too?" asked Taya, in a calm tone.


    "Because I felt it was necessary for him to be here, Master Taya" said Gridd, sure of her authority.


    Dag said nothing, merely greeting the other two Masters with a nod.


    He and Gridd sat in front of Taya and Jens.


    "Then... I''ll start. While we were waiting for you, I discussed with Taya what was proposed to us by the Hammers Of Thor, or rather, by Dag. I believe that by reviewing every single detail of his project, our Clan can benefit from it, as can the Kingdom of Okstorm. Besides, the emblem of which this young warrior is in possession gives him a high military charge, as well as increasing the credibility of his words. So I, Jens, accept your proposal, Dag" said the Clan''s Master Of Healing, in a more serious tone of voice than usual.


    Dag nodded his head, smiling.


    "I also accept your proposal, for the same reasons that Jens mentioned. Although I am the youngest of this Clan''s Masters, from the first moment, I put the Sons Of Freya above everything else, giving up everything, even my family. I think it''s time to look beyond the boundaries of the fortress, beyond Hevnen, beyond Sjonir. If we reject such a proposal and the other Clans accept, we would find ourselves alone and unprotected" said Gridd, trying to reason with Taya, whose gaze was still puzzled.


    Dag looked at his sister, thinking how clever her statement had been. In her words, she had put Taya in a difficult position, comparing the alliance with the other Clans to protection during possible battles.


    Gridd was an incredibly smart and intelligent Shieldmaiden, and she knew how to harness these skills.


    Taya, before speaking, cleared her voice: "As usual, it''s up to me to break down. I understand your words, Masters. But I still have a misgiving. You forgot that until a few months ago, this guy was training in the Jernhest Arena. I''ve seen him grow up and with him, I''ve seen his fighting style grow. Although as a child he had turned out to be such a terrible fighter, unable even to hold a sword in his hands, growing up he proved to be a skilled and determined warrior, exceeding my expectations".


    Dag looked Taya right in the eye and she did the same.


    "But are we sure that he has the right maturity to accomplish such a feat? I want to remind you of what happened to our two Clans the last time we allied?" she continued.


    Jens looked down at the table, not knowing what to say, and for a moment, Gridd also found herself in trouble.


    "I saw it, Master Taya. My Master Of Healing, Egill, showed me the battle. I know all about Brann and his greed that led to the death of many of your warriors. But the fact is... that I am very different from him. I have decided that I will not use my power just to achieve my goals, but I will make sure to make it available to the people, the weakest ones" Dag replied, trying to break through her heart.


    "Your power? Dag, let''s be serious. I feel affection for you, and you know that... but you''ve only been leaving with your Clan for a few months and you''ve also been able to get exiled! You''re not ready for a business like that. I''ve been thinking a lot about your proposal, I couldn''t sleep tonight. One question gripped my brain... If we build an alliance, it would need a leader. And who would be the leader of all the Clans of the alliance... you?! It''s just ridiculous" Taya continued, underestimating Dag''s strength, not being aware of his powers and his clash with Weland.


    As Dag thought of an answer, Gridd interjected: "How do you elect the Jarl in charge to rule a city? We Vikings have only one way to determine who is in charge and who obeys. Fight. The strongest among us will be the leader".


    At those words, Dag looked at her, opening his eyes wide.


    Gridd spoke seriously: it was evident that she believed in his story when he had described his powers.


    "Fight? We could even just vote! It would be a more civilized method" Jans exclaimed, trying to reason with Taya and Gridd, who kept looking at each other with an air of defiance.


    "It seems a good idea to me. In this way, no one will ever complain about who is in charge. Whenever a new Clan joins the alliance, one of its Masters can choose whether to challenge the current leader. Of course, it will be a fight with fake weapons, aimed only at proving one''s combat skill, without anyone being hurt. What do you think, Dag?" asked Taya, with superiority.


    Dag looked at his sister, who nodded her head, trusting him.


    Jens was puzzled, not knowing what else to say.


    "It''s fine. But if you lose the fight, you have to accept the defeat without grudges. I know I can, but what if not everyone does?" asked Dag, referring to Taya and the unknown Masters of other Clans.


    "A warrior is worthy to be called so if he also knows how to lose. If he doesn''t agree to be beaten in combat, he and his Clan will be expelled from the alliance right then and there" Gridd interrupted, resting her hands on the table, ready to plan the next move.


    "There''s another problem though. By forming an alliance between Clans, we will go against King Einar, altering the order of things. The question is, what is the ultimate goal of all this?" asked Taya, trying to corner Dag.

 177 CLXXVII. The Final Touches

    "Our hierarchy is based on emblems, right? As long as none of us own the n¡ã 2 emblem, the King will have no reason to fear an alliance, which will only benefit the kingdom. My project has nothing to do with King Einar. Personal power has nothing to do with it. The ultimate goal is the wellness of peoples so that even those who are unable to fight can feel protected and safe" said Dag, whose response astonished Taya, who crossed her arms, listening intently.


    As Dag, Taya and Gridd looked into each other''s eyes carefully, Jens pulled a rolled scroll from his bag and opened it onto the table.


    "This is a draft I created. Over time, it will be implemented with new rules and restrictions for participants, but I think it''s going to be fine to get started" Jens said, trying to get the other three''s attention.


    "So? Are these the conditions?" asked Dag again, seeking a concrete answer from Taya.


    "Your speech convinced me, boy. The Sons Of Freya accept the offer" she said, standing up and reaching out to Dag.


    He looked at his sister, who reciprocated his gaze with a smile.


    Dag shook Taya''s hand, and soon after, all four of them touched their hands simultaneously, making the deal.


    "Perfect! I think a lot of things will change from now on! Now, help me define the final terms of the agreement so we can sign it" Jens said, showing his draft.


    "There are some key points that need to be added. First thing... although it may seem obvious, one of the key points is the non-aggression pact, according to which allied factions cannot declare war to each other, either officially or secretly" Dag said, as soon as he noticed that the draft was incomplete.


    "Right of passage. I think that''s another important thing. The Clans warriors of the alliance will have the opportunity to move freely around allied cities and visit the other Masters, so they can share military ideas and strategies" Gridd said, pointing to the scroll.


    "Very well, sister" Dag said, looking at her and smiling.


    "Weapons and equipment. The Clans will have to help each other by sharing their arsenal when needed. And remember to write about what we''ve been talking about so far. The leader of all the Clans will be decided by a fight against the Warchief in charge, which will be held each time a new Clan joins the alliance if even one of his Masters does not accept that his warriors are subjected to someone else" continued Taya, who could not think of anything else.


    "But add also, that the Alliance Warchief will not have total power over the troops of the allied Clans. Each Master will keep his charge. This is a power-sharing system, not an abuse. We will all obey as always the only one able to exercise decision-making power: King Einar, Jens" Dag continued, looking at Taya, as Jens frantically wrote about sentences on the scroll, after dipping a seagull feather into a small bottle containing black ink.


    Taya chuckled: "I didn''t think you had grown so much in such a short time. I congratulate you, Dag. And I am sincerely sorry for Magni''s death, I got the news a few days after it happened".


    "Thank you, Taya" replied Dag, who was not used to call the Shieldmaiden by name, without the ''Master'' title.


    "Well, I think we will have an important announcement to make to the citizens of Hevnen and the entire Sjonir region. It''s important that they know that they will benefit from the protection of two Clans, rather than one!" said Gridd, enthusiastically, after signing on the contract parchment.


    Dag did the same, without speaking.


    He still couldn''t believe he made it so easily. It was enough to tell the truth about his past and his sincere intentions.


    In addition to the happiness of joining two Clans, he felt very relieved after telling Brann''s true story to Gridd, who seemed to have reacted positively.


    All four council members signed the contract.


    Then Jens got up from the table and walked to one of the shelves on the wall.


    He took a candle and a kind of linchpin, with whom he lit the flame.


    As the fire began to burn the wax, he pulled out a small metal cylinder from his bag.


    After a few seconds, with two fingers, he extinguished the candle and pressed with its tip on the parchment: the red wax poured on the sheet, grouping.


    He removed the candle and immediately pressed the metal cylinder on the wax, stamping the seal of his Clan.


    It was a necklace with a large spherical pendant that wrapped a sword with the tip facing down.


    "It''s the ''Brisingamen Necklace'', one of the symbols of Freya, the Goddess that gives us strength and courage" Gridd said, noting that Dag was looking closely at the seal on the wax.


    "It''s a very beautiful symbol..." answered him, rotating his head to observe it better.


    "While having that gold necklace, able to increase her boundless beauty even more, Freya spent 4 nights with the 4 dwarves who had created it, after they had rejected all the gold she possessed, upset by her splendor" continued Gridd, who seemed to know the story very well.


    "Well! So, I guess you don''t have your Clan''s seal with you, Dag. So we''re going to send someone to Temple Of Orn to get the contract approved" Jens said, looking pleased at his typographical work.


    "There''s no need, I''ll go there myself. Rather, I think we should give all this an official name... if you like, I''ve already thought about it" Dag replied.


    "One word is much like another to me, the important thing is that the agreed rules are respected by all parties" Taya said, regardless of the details.


    "What name did you think of, brother?" asked Gridd, curious.


    "The Iron Alliance" Dag exclaimed, proudly.


    "The Iron Alliance... I like it! Only to pronounce this name do I think of swords and shields, ready to defend the people and destroy the enemies!" replied Jens, getting antsy, as he hopped moving his soft belly.

 178 CLXXVIII. The Golden Chario

    "Yes, I think it''s perfect" Gridd said, smiling at his brother.


    "Taya? What do you think? We are the founding members of the largest alliance Skjold has ever seen! We''re going to rewrite history! We deserve a name that can be easily remembered" Dag asked, clenching his fists, laden with adrenaline.


    "Dag, I won''t believe this until the other Clans adhere to the proposal. Anyway... yes, that''s fine with me. It''s simple and effective" said she, who for a few seconds shrouded the room in pessimism.


    "Then it''s done! We have a deal! I''m happy to consider you my allies! My Masters will be happy. I allowed myself to put my signature despite not yet being Master, but I think it is not a problem for you, considering that I was the one who devised the project" continued Dag, who rightly took the merits, clarifying the reasons for his gesture.


    "Dag, I honestly hadn''t even thought about it! I''m happy too, brother!" exclaimed Gridd, embracing him.


    "Okay, now enough with this brother and sister cheating. I remind you that we have an important announcement to make to the citizens of Hevnen. When the Sun is high in the sky, we''ll see you in Golden Chariot Square. Try to be on time" Taya said, taking his leave.


    Dag, Gridd, and Jens also left the basement room, returning to the surface.


    "I didn''t think you were proposing such a thing to Taya... I''m talking about fighting to decide who the Warchief is going to be" Dag told his sister after Jens also walked away.


    "I trust you will be the winner. You told me your powers grew, didn''t you? So what are you waiting for? Prove it! Your allies will respect you and your enemies will fear your wrath" she replied wisely, continuing to walk toward the exit of Fort Skjonnet.


    Dag did not answer.


    "Perhaps Gridd is right. It''s my time, I think there''s nothing wrong with showing everyone what I''m capable of" he thought.


    "Now stop babbling, brother! I know a place where they serve some great mead, let''s go celebrate! Then we''ll walk to the square" she continued, pulling Dag by the arm.


    "Hahaha! All right, I won''t have it repeated twice!"


    He and Gridd came out of the fortress and strolled through the crowded streets of the city, attracting the attention of many citizens, who when saw Gridd laughing and joking with a stranger, did not stop asking questions.


    Questions to which Gridd always answered the same way:


    "When the Sun is high in the sky, head to Golden Chariot Square, the Clan has an important announcement to make!"


    After drinking and eating to celebrate, the two siblings made their way to the square, slowly.


    Gridd asked Dag about his powers, how he had discovered them, and how he had done to increase them progressively.


    Dag tried to explain it all, making it a little difficult because of the alcohol circulating in his body, the effect of which was amplified by the intense Sun pounding on their heads on that warm day.


    After crossing yet another bridge, they found themselves at the foot of a wide staircase leading to an elevated square.


    Around it, 4 high walls protected an imposing multi-story building, as if it was a jewel in a chest.


    In front of the building, the real protagonist of the square glistened under the Sun''s rays: a huge statue depicted Freya on a carriage pulled by two large cats.


    The carriage was completely made of gold and Dag, seeing it, was so amazed to stop moving, admiring it better.


    "I know, this is the reaction of anyone who sees the Golden Chariot for the first time" Gridd said, noting his brother''s reaction.


    "It''s amazing! How much gold did it take to build such a great and majestic thing?! Wow!" exclaimed Dag, slowly walking again, climbing the stairs.


    Taya and Jens were already in position at the foot of the statue.


    "Hey there! We were waiting for you!" Jens shouted, waving to Gridd and Dag with his hand.


    After the Masters gathered, a large crowd of people began to form at the foot of the stairs: the news of the speech had spread quickly.


    After just over 20 minutes, thousands of people of all ages were standing in front of them, waiting to hear what they had to say.


    "They... they''re so many" Dag said, swallowing empty, fearful of giving a speech in front of all those people.


    "Everything is about breaking the ice, brother. Don''t worry, you''re good with words! Hahaha!" exclaimed Gridd, giving a joking slap on Dag''s shoulder, teasing him.


    "So you''re Dag of the Hammers Of Thor?" asked a male voice from the back of the statue.


    Dag turned around and noticed a man walking towards them, after coming out of the great white building behind.


    "That''s Trym, Hevnen''s Jarl. To tell the truth, he has no powers, but he serves the people as a symbol of power. We, warriors of the Clan, tell him what to do.


    "Yes, it''s me. Nice to meet you" Dag replied.


    He was a tall, sturdy man, with medium-length black hair, disheveled.


    He was not wearing any armor, but a floor-length dress, embellished with precious stones, also featured on a flashy necklace and the numerous rings he wore on his hands.


    "I am Trym, the Jarl of this city. Before you arrived, Master Taya and Master Jens told me about your project. It''s a really good idea, I hope it will benefit your two Clans!" he continued.


    "I hope so too!" replied Dag, smiling and noting that the man''s words were meaningless, useful only in that circumstance.


    The dialogue between the two lasted only a few minutes and both remained vague, Trym did not ask Dag about his provenance and military rank.


    "The square is full of people. I think we can start!" exclaimed Jens, enthusiastically.


    Gridd and Dag stood next to the other two Masters, in a row.

 179 CLXXIX. The announcemen

    Taya stepped forward, stopping in front of the staircase, as silence fell among the crowd of people in front of her.


    "Citizens of Hevnen, good morning, everyone! I am Taya, Master Of Defense of the Sons Of Freya" the Shieldmaiden said, introducing the speech.


    The audience cheered her on: she was very popular with the citizens and many of them shouted her name, until she raised her arm, reporting the order.


    "Today we are here to communicate something very important to you. Dag, step forward!" continued Taya, looking at Dag, who walked beside her as the crowd looked at him confusedly.


    "This boy, despite his young age, is a future Master of the Hammers Of Thor, one of our allied Clans, who oversees the capital Jernhest and the region of Jordst?l. His name is Dag, the Hero of Halm!" she said, raising her voice and resting her hand on Dag''s shoulder, who was surprised to have been called by that name since he had never spoken to anyone about it.


    Before moving on, Taya approached him, whispering in his ear: "Karl told me about your most recent adventure, he told me what happened to Halm".


    Dag sighed: once again his companion had not been able to keep his mouth shut, perhaps because he had been intimidated by the imposing figure of Taya, who was still his current Master.


    The people in front of them changed their expression and continued to look at Dag with a startled air.


    "For centuries our Clan has been watching over you and the other inhabitants of the Sjonir region, guaranteeing peace and order. Today is a great day because Dag made us a proposal that we could not refuse. From this moment on, it''s not just us who will protect you against the enemy Clans and the hordes of bandits who roam our lands... you will also count on the help of his Clan, the Hammers Of Thor!" shouted Taya, fomenting the crowd, who after those words began to clap and scream, without having understood the true meaning of the speech.


    Dag cleared his voice, ready to intervene.


    "We want to hear his voice!"


    "He''s so young!"


    "Does this mean that another Clan will settle in our city?"


    Thanks to his developed hearing, Dag was able to listen clearly to the voices that ran among the people.


    Before Taya could continue, he took another step forward, taking the floor.


    "People of Hevnen! I thank Master Taya for presenting me and painting me as a hero. But I don''t think I am. I am just a young man, who, like many of you, wants the good of his land. That''s why I chose to become a warrior and I had an idea" Dag said aloud, brave, as he was able to see his companions among the crowd, who were listening to him.


    "The Clan of which I am a member is very similar to yours and shares with it the principles and ideals. Some time ago, a question started circulating in my head, keeping me awake at night. What would happen to Okstorm if the Clans that protect its regions and its peoples came together? What if they joined forces?"


    In the crowd, people began to rumor again, dismayed by that statement.


    "I know. Many of you will think it''s stupid to confide your affairs to strangers... but I don''t agree. You know, during my travels, I happened to meet warriors from other Clans, never knowing how to behave. So let''s get to the point: today is a wonderful day and do you know why? Not only because the Sun shines in the sky and illuminates this magnificent city and its beautiful citizens... but also because an alliance was finally born" continued Dag, who had finally managed to catch the attention of the crowd, which hung from his lips.


    "Friends, come on, I''m not the protagonist!" he said, encouraging Gridd and Jens to stand next to him, trying to make the modest, even though he actually felt the weight of that speech on his shoulders.


    When all four lined up just a few meters from the crowd of thousands, Dag continued: "What Master Jens has in his hand is not just a scroll... it''s a new beginning for all of us. For a life without fear, without concern of moving to other lands! A new life awaits you, in which you will be free to know and explore and the only limit will be your thirst for curiosity, your imagination! People of Hevnen... Today I have the honor of introducing you... The Iron Alliance!" shouted Dag, raising his arms to the sky, in a sign of victory and making the other Masters do the same, looking up at the audience.


    After a few moments of silence, the crowd roared: people began to scream and squirm, galvanized by Dag''s speech, which had managed to make inroads into their minds, knowing that after those words, the citizens would feel much freer.


    As Dag''s gaze turned to those people, Gridd looked proud at him, and her gaze crossed with that of Taya, who did not believe her eyes.


    "Dag!"


    "Long live Dag!"


    "Long live the Allied Clans!"


    "Long live the Iron Alliance!"


    The crowd continued to scream, bringing the mood skyrocketing.


    Dag looked at Reidar and Karl among the people: his two companions smiled enthusiastically, happy to be comrades of the warrior who was about to rewrite Okstorm''s history.


    "Sorry if I interrupted your speech, Master Taya" Dag said, taking advantage of the crowd''s roar.


    "Sorry? Hahaha! Dag, look at them! I couldn''t have found better words!" replied Taya, with a slight smile on her face.


    As the two talked, Gridd hugged his brother from behind.


    "You have the makings of a leader, Dag... who would have thought it! Hahaha!" she chuckled, congratulating Dag, who was still gassed.


    Taya raised her arms again, trying to bring back silence among the people, who slowly stopped talking.


    "The Iron Alliance will be a peaceful alliance, founded on justice and mutual help between Clans. For now, we and the Hammers Of Thor are its first members, but soon other Clans will also be involved, broadening the views of this young warrior''s project. But like any alliance, it needs a leader! Do you agree?" asked Taya, proving that, although the atmosphere was joyful, she had managed not to lose sight of her ambition.

 180 CLXXX. The Formal Challenge

    "And which one of you will be the leader?"


    "We citizens could vote!"


    "Yes, we could choose the Alliance''s leader!"


    Dag rejoiced to hear the words of the people, who were so happy with the news that had not even thought about this detail.


    "If we choose the leader according to the votes of the people, we would have to involve all the countries of Jordst?l and Sjonir... and that would take too much time. So we decided to adopt the simplest and most direct method! Warchief will be the winner of a Masters fight, what do you think?" continued Taya, catching the attention of the crowd, who after hearing the word ''fight'' raised their fists to the sky, eager to witness the challenge.


    "It almost seems like she''s feeling good" Dag said softly.


    "She knows well the people of Hevnen and she also knows what they want and that they would approve the fight from the beginning " Gridd said, as Jens attended the conversation without saying a word.


    "Then it''s decided! Tomorrow we will fight for the leadership! I will be Dag''s challenger unless there are objections among the other Masters!" exclaimed Shieldmaiden, looking at Gridd, who nodded her head.


    Taya smiled mischievously, while Dag returned earnestly.


    "Tomorrow? Why tomorrow?"


    "Can''t you fight now?"


    "We want to see the fight!"


    "We want to see what Dag is capable of!"


    "Dag! Show us your power!"


    "He''ll never defeat Master Taya!"


    The audience was completely mad and people began to argue with each other, betting on the fate of the fight.


    "Hahahah! Did you hear that, Dag? The people of Hevnen want the fight now! If we didn''t please them, we''d disrespect them, don''t you think, boy?" said Taya, screaming loudly so that everyone could hear.


    Dag looked down, then looked up at his companions.


    Karl and Agnes seemed distracted, talking to a group of people near them, while Reidar was staring at his captain straight in the eye.


    For a few seconds, the two friends looked at each other, until Reidar nodded, trying to tell Dag that fighting was the right thing to do to earn the trust of the people.


    Dag approached Taya and looked at the crowd, exclaiming: "I''m ready!"


    Gridd looked at her brother, fearful.


    A few seconds earlier she had encouraged him, but as it was time to fight, she realized that he was about to face a very strong opponent, who would fight with her teeth to gain the leadership of the two Clans.


    "Jarl Trym! With your permission, we would like to play the friendly match for the leadership title here. All right?" asked Taya, leading people to believe that Trym''s opinion mattered something.


    "Of course, just be careful not to destroy anything!" he replied, obviously.


    Taya and Dag looked into each other''s eyes with a defiant look: she seemed very confident, but this did not intimidate Dag, who stood still and looked at her.


    Jens made room between the two contenders, moving away from each other.


    "Silence!" he yelled, silencing the crowd, which obeyed immediately, even though Jens did not seem like a very authoritative guy.


    "Weapons! Bring wooden weapons to these two warriors!" he continued, as three Sons Of Freya warriors hurried up the stairs to them, carrying training weapons.


    They left them on the ground, at the foot of the statue, and Taya and Dag got closer, to choose one.


    As Dag looked at them one by one, before he could choose, Taya aggressively grabbed a spear, then returned to the center of the forecourt.


    "The boy seems undecided! Hahaha!" shouted Taya, raising her spear to the audience, who began to cheer her name.


    The weapons available were not many and clearly, there were no hammers.


    Dag grabbed a one-handed axe and returned to his position.


    "Get away from each other! At my signal, the fight for the Iron Alliance''s Warchief title will begin! The first one who will knock his opponent to the ground will be the winner" said Jarl, who served as the referee.


    "An axe? I thought you were using the sword, like in the Arena" Taya said, pointing the spear at Dag.


    "One''s as good as another, it doesn''t matter" Dag replied, deftly turning the wooden axe in his hands, making Taya nervous for his arrogance.


    "Taya of the Sons Of Freya, are you ready?" asked Jens, looking at Taya, who nodded her head, confirming.


    "Dag, of the Hammers Of Thor, are you ready?"


    "Yes" Dag replied, putting himself in a combat position.


    "Let the fight begin!"


    As soon as Jens stopped talking, Taya dashed at great speed toward Dag, who dodged the spear lunge, moving sideways.


    In less than a second, she wheeled the weapon and tried to hit him for the second time.


    He lowered himself, bending over his knees and dodging again, taking a few steps back.


    Then looked at Taya, who seemed anxious to finish the fight and was attacking in a fury, without thinking.


    Dag stood still, with the axe in his hand.


    Taya, without hesitation, loaded another lunge, but this time the tip of the spear began to shine with celestial light.


    She did not come too close and stretched the weapon forward, toward Dag, releasing a shockwave.


    "What?!" said Dag, who, not expecting a magic blow, crossed his arms in front of him and tried to parry the shockwave, which caused his feet to crawl to the ground, slightly unbalancing him.


    The crowd gasped, believing that the fight was already over, but Dag immediately regained his balance and when he turned to Taya, she was already in front of him and hit him with the rod of the spear on his chest.


    Dag tried to stay on his feet, while the Shieldmaiden slipped her hand on the weapon and tried to punch him in the face, moving her other arm.


    He dodged the fist and kicked Taya away, which cleverly parried with a spear rotation.


    "Taya''s strong point has always been the spear. That weapon is very fast and has an incredible range: she manages to attack me even standing meters away. Moreover, she seems to be able to instill her powers in it" Dag thought, trying to study Taya''s characteristics before counterattacking.

 181 CLXXXI. The Unique Skill

    "Well? That''s it? I thought you were a faster warrior, I wouldn''t have expected to corner you after about a minute from the start!" she said, chuckling and earning the applause of the audience, who began to cheer her name again.


    Before Dag could respond, she charged back at him, unleashing multiple fast attacks.


    "Three leg attacks and one to the torso. Again, three down and one higher" Dag repeated in his mind, dodging all the attacks, which were repeated with a certain monotony.


    "Brother, come on! Show everyone what you''re capable of!" yelled Gridd, who stood still by the statue, inciting Dag.


    "Captain! Now is not the time to hold back!"


    Dag turned to the crowd.


    Even Reidar was inciting him, attracting the attention of many people next to him, who began to ask questions, after hearing him say the word ''Captain'' referring to Dag.


    "Don''t get distracted, Dag! How many times will I have to tell you?!" yelled Taya, noting that he had turned to his companions among the crowd.


    She tried to take advantage of the distraction, throwing a high blow directly to his neck, but Dag blocked the spear with his hand, without even looking.


    "Uhm?!"


    Taya opened her eyes wide.


    Dag turned his head towards her, looking at her: his arms began to emit the usual greyish smoke, which in a few seconds condensed, becoming liquid and entering his skin, which changed color, darkening.


    "What the fuck is this?" Taya said, trying unnecessarily to pull the spear at her, freeing it from Dag''s grip as silence swooped through the crowd.


    "I wasn''t distracted, don''t worry about me" he said, who with a quick hand gesture broke his opponent''s weapon in half.


    After breaking it, he threw the pointy end away, which fell to the floor, while Taya retreated.


    "What? How did you do that?!" she said, looking at the only remaining piece of the spear in her hands, in disbelief.


    Dag shrugged, giggling.


    He was making fun of Taya, hiding his real powers.


    "Grrr! You''re just playing, kid! This is a serious fight!" she yelled, throwing the broken spear on the floor, which rolled down the staircase, ending up at the feet of the audience, which was still being waved.


    "Take this one" Dag said, throwing his wooden axe at Taya.


    "What? Has he gone mad?!"


    "What is he doing?"


    "He had the victory in his hands, he had managed to disarm her!"


    The crowd began to rumor, while Reidar and Karl''s faces lit up with smiles, already being aware of the outcome of the fight from the start.


    Gridd and Jens were blown away, witnessing that scene.


    "Dag... stop making fun of me! To act tough won''t help! You managed to disarm me, take back your axe!" yelled Taya, angry.


    "It''s not an axe, it''s just a toy... I don''t need it, thank you" he said, in a calm voice, as he stood in combat position with his bare hands, smiling mockingly, provoking his opponent even more.


    "All right! You wanted it!" she continued, as she leaped toward him, raising the axe to the sky, charging it with energy.


    Dag stood still waiting for the impact.


    When she tried to hit him from above, he dodged moving sideways at an unbelievable speed and the wooden axe hit the ground, splitting the tiles below, being soaked in light blue energy aura.


    Dag kicked the arm holding the weapon and Taya was disarmed for the second time, losing her balance.


    Before she could touch the ground, Dag grabbed her by the jacket, pulling her back on her feet.


    Then he stepped a few meters back and gestured with his hand, urging his opponent to continue.


    Taya''s expression was incredulous: after being disarmed in less than a second, she would have lost the challenge if he had not grabbed her.


    When she looked up at Dag, he noticed that her eyes were expressing anger and agitation.


    Taya understood that her strength was much less than her opponent''s, but the idea of losing a fight in front of the whole of Hevnen greatly frightened her.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    He charged back to Dag, but this time with her bare hands.


    During the dash, two bright wings popped out of her back, greatly increasing the speed of the run and allowing her to lift her feet off the ground.


    Her arm was also surrounded by the same celestial aura, pointing towards Dag''s face, who was still standing, waiting.


    For a few seconds, the audience began to scream again, excited by the fight.


    "Enough!" she yelled again, trying to hit Dag, who raised his palm, blocking Taya''s fist.


    The impact caused a very strong shockwave, which spread in an instant throughout the square, moving the trees and forcing the citizens to cover their eyes so as not to be blinded by dust.


    As soon as her fist hit the palm of Dag''s hand, the wings on Taya''s shoulders disappeared and her arm bent, losing strength.


    She squinted, failing to realize that she no longer had control of her own body.


    For Dag, a slight rotation of his wrist was enough to knock Taya to the ground, who could not move.


    When the crowd opened their eyes again, and the cloud of dust that had covered the square disappeared, they all remained silent, witnessing that unexpected scene.


    Dag''s arms were back to normal and he was standing there, still in the same position.


    In front of his feet, Taya was lying back on the ground, with a frightened expression painted on her face and her arm still outstretched.


    "Whoaaaa!" shouted the citizens of Hevnen, realizing that Dag was the winner of the fight, proving that he possessed extraordinary powers.


    At the same time, Jens leaned against the statue, stunned, and Gridd knelt, gasping for breath.


    Dag lowered himself toward Taya and picked her up, lifting her from the ground.


    "In a few minutes you will return to have sensitivity in your arms and hands, then in the rest of your body, don''t worry" he whispered, preventing everyone else from hearing.

 182 CLXXXII. The First Warchief

    Taya closed her eyes, nervous that she couldn''t even speak.


    Meanwhile, the audience was completely wild: "Dag! Dag! Dag!" the citizens continued to scream in the square, while Dag turned and gently placed Taya''s back at the statue.


    Jens rubbed his eyes and shook his head, advancing toward the staircase, trying to recover from what he had just seen.


    Dag, after leaving Taya on the ground, positioned himself next to him.


    "People of Hevnen! We have a winner! Dag of the Hammers Of Thor is the Iron Alliance''s new Warchief!" said Jens, pointing to Dag, who bowed his head slightly to greet the crowd, who raised their arms towards him, cheering him on as if he was a hero.


    Dag waved, asking and getting silence: "This was a futile fight. I told you... in my vision, we should never again fight among ourselves, but only against those who want the evil of the people! Taya was my first Master when I was still a kid and I trained in the Jernhest Arena. If I am a capable warrior today, I owe it to her!"


    After these words, the crowd applauded warmly, and Taya, who was slowly regaining the sensitivity of her limbs, sighed and smiled.


    Suddenly, Gridd grabbed Dag''s shoulder, pulling it towards her, to talk to him in confidence.


    "How the fuck did you do that?! Brother, you just blocked one of Taya''s strongest attacks with one hand, paralyzing her! Your strength scares me, Dag!" she said, resting both hands on her brother''s shoulders, who was embarrassed by the praise.


    "I told you, Gridd. My powers have grown considerably. Without them, I would never have been able to defeat her" he replied.


    "Don''t say nonsense! I''m not just talking about that grayish smoke that made your arms as black as the obsidian... your fighting style has improved so much! You easily dodged some spear blows that I could barely see! Who taught you all these things?!" asked Gridd again, curious.


    "You would have loved Master Magni. I wish I''d introduced you, he was a formidable warrior, the strongest I''ve ever known. His hammer and his teachings are all I have left of him" Dag said, nostalgic as he picked up his belt with weapons from the ground.


    *clap*clap*clap*


    "I underestimated you, kid" Taya interrupted, rising from the ground after recovering from paralysis.


    "It''s happened to a lot of people... it was nice to fight with you again, it reminded me of the Arena times!" he replied, acting like a loudmouth, but without losing self-control.


    "I was sure your skill hadn''t changed. When you were a student of mine in Jernhest, I knew your every move perfectly. In a short time, you completely changed your fighting style and that blew me away" replied Taya, who was genuinely impressed by the qualities of her former pupil.


    Dag nodded, smiling, glad Taya wasn''t angry with him for making her look bad.


    "Involuntarily I was listening to your speech. You know, I hardly knew Master Magni, I only spoke to him a few times in Jernhest, when he came for the recruits, but it was enough for me to understand what kind of warrior he was, much stronger than me and Arne himself, who still militates in the Hands Of Tyr" she continued.


    "Arne? Yes, I remember him! He''s the one who stamped the Berserkrs mark on my arm!" he said, trying to remember the man''s face.


    "Not only that¡­ he is also the Chieftain of the Berserkrs'' Order... it''s a title he has earned by winning a ''friendly'' competition that takes place every four years, in which Magni also participated several times if I remember correctly. Anyway, it has nothing to do with today, I was just trying to remember the past, but we''ll have time to talk about it, right, Warchief?" asked Taya, leaning slightly toward Dag, who didn''t believe his eyes.


    "Hahaha, Master Taya! We don''t need this bullshit! Nothing''s changed, it''s just a formality. Rather, let''s figure out what our next move will be!" said Dag, who was full of adrenaline.


    "Valkyrie''s Assault. That''s the name of my strongest skill. And you were able to block it with one hand. I had never seen anyone use such a technique. Did Magni teach you that?" she continued, stretching out the muscles in her arms, which were still sore.


    "Yes, it was a skill that only he knew. It''s called Adamant Mountain and I had the honor of learning it during training and perfecting it over time" said Dag, proud to master Magni''s personal technique, being the only one capable of replicating it.


    As Dag spoke to the other Masters, the crowd was still in turmoil, and Reidar and Karl were trying to reach the stairs, talk to their captain, and congratulate him.


    Suddenly, a hooded man passed among the people, bumping into Reidar''s shoulder to make room.


    He looked at him, but the man continued to walk undaunted, trying to get away from the square in a hurry.


    Karl and Agnes were way ahead of him, almost arriving at the open space where Dag was arguing with Taya and Gridd.


    "That man seems to be hiding something... his way of walking is too suspicious" thought Reidar, who began to follow him unnoticed, unable to resist curiosity.


    The hooded man turned back and noticed that someone was walking in the same direction.


    He accelerated the pace even more until his fast walk became a run, which also triggered Reidar.


    The two quickly left the crowd.


    The man crossed a bridge and kept on running.


    Although Reidar did not know Hevnen''s roads well, he managed to keep up with him, like a hunter chasing prey.


    The man kept going and turning around, with Reidar on his tail.


    After several hundred yards of running, inadvertently the man''s dark burlap robe became got tangled on the branches of a tree that hung on the road.


    "Hey! Hey you!" shouted Reidar towards him.


    He continued to walk forward and when he lost his disguise, he discovered his true identity: he wore armor, which judging by the colors and style, was not of the Sons Of Freya.

 183 CLXXXIII. The Hooded Man

    Reidar accelerated the run, continuing to call the man ahead of him, trying to stop him somehow.


    The streets of the city were completely deserted, all the people were concentrated in Golden Chariot Square.


    "Stop!" shouted Reidar again, as the man in armor spun around, pulling out a small crossbow and firing an arrow at him.


    Reidar managed to dodge the blow, having already sensed that he was an enemy warrior, and took advantage of it to gain ground, extracting the Failnaught.


    Before he could get too close, the enemy pulled two daggers from behind his back.


    Both stopped, facing each other about 20 meters away, catching their breath after the run.


    "Why are you following me?" the man asked, looking at Reidar with a menacing air.


    He was a young man, with black hair and no beard on his face: his armor was covered with scales at the top and showed a symbol engraved at belly height, but Reidar could not distinguish it well from that distance.


    "Who are you? Why were you running? You don''t seem to be from around here, because you just entered a dead-end road" Reidar said, noting to the enemy that a few feet behind him there was a high wall, which prevented the continuation.


    "It''s none of your business! Now get away, if you don''t want to get hurt!" continued the enemy, pointing the two daggers at Reidar, who charged an arrow.


    "Which Clan do you belong to? What are you doing here in Hevnen?"


    As Reidar continued to ask questions, suspicious that the man was an informant for some enemy Clan, he threw the daggers, trying to hit him at a distance.


    Reidar managed to dodge them and as soon as the enemy tried to take advantage of the moment to escape in the other direction, he fired an arrow and hit him on the calf, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.


    He charged another arrow and slowly approached him.


    "Considering you were running northwest, I guess you weren''t headed for the harbor... your horse must be nearby, but you don''t remember the way, right?"


    The enemy turned to the ground and detached the arrow from his leg, trying to get up, while Reidar kept his distance.


    "North of Sjonir is Kvete, but there are no Clans on that side and you don''t look like a bandit. There is only one Clan that dominates the region further north of Okstorm. The Fangs Of Jormungandr!" continued Reidar, who confirmed his suspicions when he recognized the symbol engraved on the young man''s armor.


    He rose from the ground, limping with his bleeding leg.


    "And you''re one of the Hammers Of Thor, aren''t you? That rookie who won the fight seems to be your captain... I''ve heard you before, as you incited him and shouted his name!" answered the enemy, pulling a small bottle out of his pocket.


    Reidar, seeing an unknown object, pointed the arrow at the boy''s hand, but then noticed that it was only an ointment, of typical yellowish color.


    "Yes, it''s true. You''ve been ordered to spy on us, aren''t you?! Why?!" asked Reidar, holding him in his sights.


    The young man walked for a few meters, sitting on a stone bench as if relaxing under the Sun.


    "I shouldn''t tell you anything, but you won''t be able to get back to your mates alive, so..." he answered, blowing a loud whistle in the direction of the wall at the end of the road.


    At that very moment, three grappling hooks climbed over the wall and hooked on it.


    Reidar backtracked, trying to figure out what was going on.


    Three other hooded warriors climbed over the wall and found themselves in front of him.


    Reidar immediately pointed the bow at them, frightened.


    "You know, when I''ll report to my Masters that your two Clans have made an Alliance, I don''t think they''ll be very happy about it. So maybe, to cheer them up a little bit, I could bring them your head, as a little tribute from the Hammers Of Thor! Hahahah!" continued the man, laughing sadistically, sitting comfortably on the bench, whose white stone had been soiled with blood leaking from his leg, despite the ointment having already taken effect, blocking the hemorrhage.


    "Why? Why did you come right here at this very moment?!" continued Reidar, who, despite being frightened, tried to think lucidly.


    The seated man did not respond and gestured toward his hooded comrades, who immediately pulled out their weapons.


    Two of them slowly began to advance toward Reidar, who fired an arrow in that direction, hitting one on the shoulder.


    The enemy stopped for a moment, then, in a few seconds, continued to walk, with the arrow stuck in his flesh.


    Reidar continued to load more arrows and fired them one after the other, repeatedly hitting the same enemy in multiple parts of his body, slowing his advance, until he stopped and at the same time stopped the other hooded man.


    With 6 arrows stuck in his body, the enemy opened his arms outwards, as if to challenge Reidar, who remained motionless after realizing that although he had struck him several times, he had not caused any damage to him.


    In less than a second, with his arms still in the same position, the enemy took off his cloak, throwing it on the ground, but not with his hands: a large reptile tail was hidden under disguise.


    Reidar broke out in a cold sweat when he discovered that at least one of the enemies in front of him was a reptilian, similar to those who had attacked the Temple Of Orn.


    The arrows stuck in his flesh had barely crossed the scales that covered his skin.


    Despite being a reptilian, his stature was much lower than that of the reptilians he had previously encountered, which allowed him to go unnoticed, thanks to his dressing-up.


    Reidar relaxed his arm, stopping pointing the bow in that direction, realizing to be hopeless.

 184 CLXXXIV. The Dead End Stree

    "If I try to escape, that beast would reach me in a moment and alone I have no hope of killing them all... I have a few arrows left" he thought, regretting that he had followed the man and had strayed so far from that crowded square.


    "My Captain will take your lives. Sooner or later, he and his allies will reach you and kill you one by one, mercilessly. I''m just sorry I can''t enjoy that moment" he said, smiling with his eyes closed and clutching the Failnaught in his hands.


    At those words, the reptilian began to emit a sound similar to a growl, putting himself on all fours, ready to charge Reidar.


    The other two hooded enemies were still standing.


    "Your Captain? Hahaha! Don''t make me laugh! You''re a fool if you think that..."


    *splat*


    While the man sitting on the bench was responding to Reidar''s taunt, he had managed to load an arrow and hit him in the head, killing him instantly.


    "Grr?"


    Even the reptilian was astonished by that blow, so fast and accurate.


    "Then? Your boss wants my head, right? Come and get it!" continued Reidar as he charged yet another arrow, ready to sacrifice himself for the cause.


    "Roooar!" the reptilian yelled, as he began to run towards him, on all fours, similar to a huge monitor lizard.


    Behind him, the other hooded man also charged towards Reidar, drawing a sword.


    Reidar dodged the beast''s claws and fired an arrow at the other man, which deflected its trajectory with the blade of his weapon.


    In less than a second, the reptile grabbed Reidar''s quiver, detaching it from his shoulders and dropping the few remaining arrows to the ground.


    He turned to the beast, striking him with the bow cue, but did not cause harm.


    Soon after, the reptilian hit him with the back of his huge hand, knocking him towards the wall of a nearby house.


    Reidar crashed into the wall and then slipped to the ground, with his back sore, unable to move.


    "Fuck... is that how I''m going to die? I thought I deserved a more dignified end" he said with a thread of voice, looking skyward, turning his last thoughts to Thor and the other Gods, who would wait for him in Valhalla.


    "I don''t understand what my Masters find so dangerous in you... the Hammers Of Thor don''t seem as powerful to me!" said the hooded man next to the reptile, as the beast prepared to inflict the coup de grace on Reidar, who was slumped to the ground with the back against the wall and his eyes half-closed.


    "Grrr... aaagh!" yelled the reptilian, trying to strike his dying enemy with his claws.


    But just before the monster could hit him, they heard a kind of hiss coming from the bridge on their right.


    The reptile man turned in that direction, blocking the blow: his head was pierced by a sword, which lodged in his mouth coming out the other side of his skull and spraying rivers of blood at his ally, who to avoid being crushed by the body of the reptilian, fell backwards, losing his hood and discovering his face.


    With blood-soaked eyes, he continued to retreat, barely distinguishing a figure in front of him, who deftly jumped on the body of the beast, violently pulling the sword out of his jaws.


    Gridd had managed to throw one of his two swords from a considerable distance, hitting the enemy with a clean shot and sprinting towards him, trying to save Reidar.


    Behind her, Dag, Karl, Agnes, and Taya were reaching them.


    "Well... it seems like my moment hasn''t come yet" thought Reidar, who could barely breathe because of the blood in his lungs.


    "Fangs Of Jormungandr... in my city?!" shouted Gridd, descending from the corpse of the reptile and walking towards the other enemy, who managed to get up and run near his last remaining ally.


    "Reidar! Are you all right? Karl, come here, now! He needs treatment!" said Dag, who as soon as he arrived at the scene, headed to Reidar, checking that he was still alive.


    "They were spying on us... I couldn''t understand why, but... they don''t seem to like our new alliance, Captain..." whispered Reidar, talking with clenched teeth, trying to bear the pain.


    "I got it. Try not to exert yourself, brother. Karl will help you out. These assholes will now answer to me" Dag continued, standing up to make room for Karl, who had promptly opened his healer box.


    "Then... have you decided to haunt me, sons of bitches? I''d like not to see your ugly faces anyplace" he replied, pulling out both weapons and walking menacingly toward them, who had their backs to the wall.


    Gridd stopped his advance, resting her hand on his chest.


    "Leave them to me. I''m tired of watching without a fight" she said, in a confident tone.


    "We should throw this trash out of Hevnen, their presence here disgusts me" added Taya, who positioned next to Dag''s sister, ready to drive the invaders away.


    At these words, the two enemies positioned themselves to fight: the expression on the hoodless man''s face showed the fear he was feeling at the time.


    Before he could say even a word, Gridd snapped at them, crossing the blades of the two swords, which began to shine with a heavenly light.


    The hooded man moved quickly to avoid the blow, while the other parried it with the sword, but ended up against the back wall.


    Taya followed Gridd''s action, waiting a few seconds before attacking the enemy who had dodged her charge.


    She raised her spear and after loading the blow, threw it violently at him, as if it was a javelin, but the enemy dodged the second shot too.


    "The hooded one is much more skilled than his allies... You can see it from how it moves" thought Dag, who was enjoying the battle, confident of the success of the two Masters of the Sons Of Freya.

 185 CLXXXV. Clip The Wings

    When the enemy hit by Gridd managed to get back to his feet, she began to hit him repeatedly by rotating the two swords.


    Her shots were very fast and precise and the enemy did not even have time to reason, he was unarmed and his sword fell to the ground.


    He then tried to punch Gridd, but she easily dodged the blow and chopped his arm off, mercilessly.


    "Aaaaagh!" the man yelled, asking for help from his companion, who was struggling with Taya, whose spear was stuck in the wall.


    She ran towards the hooded man, who stood still waiting for her.


    Dag noticed that the enemy had not yet shown his face or his weapons.


    Concentrating, he activated Niva, to discover his level of strength: Taya''s aura was of a deep yellow, that of Gridd with a tendency toward orange.


    The enemy with his face uncovered was decidedly weaker than her, with a light blue aura, while around the hooded man there was no color whatsoever.


    "Taya! I can''t see his level of strength! Be careful!" yelled Dag, trying to warn his ally to pay attention to the enemy.


    But she continued her charge, raising her shield, ready to strike him.


    A second before being reached by the Shieldmaiden, the hooded man raised his arms, pulling them out of the burlap cloak and revealing his weapons: on his hands, he wore two fist weapons, which covered his wrists to the forearm.


    There were 3 short blades for each arm and they looked very sharp.


    Taya noticed them in time and lowered herself, with the shield upwards, dodging the swift blow of the enemy and sliding to the ground on her knees, until she reached her spear, which detached forcefully from the wall.


    The hooded man turned to her and in a determined gesture, tore the sleeves of his tunic, discovering his arms.


    "Fuck!" thought Dag, when he noticed that both of the enemy''s arms were covered with runes, from shoulders to wrists.


    Meanwhile, Gridd had managed to defeat the other man, sticking his chest with both her swords and causing him to fall to the ground in a pool of blood.


    "And who the fuck are you?" asked Taya in a menacing tone, observing the enemy in front of her, whose red aura had become visible in Dag''s eyes as soon as she had pulled out his weapons.


    He did not answer and sprinted towards her, trying to quickly hit her with one of his fists.


    Taya quickly moved the shield, deflecting the enemy''s metal fist, which ended up stuck with the blades inside the wall.


    Then she stepped back, but before she could move the spear, with incredible strength, he managed to remove his weapon from the wall, smashing the rock of which it was made.


    Gridd dashed toward him, which would otherwise have struck Taya, but the man noticed her and turned around, parrying her quick shots with the blades coming out of his wrists.


    Both Taya and Gridd stopped to catch their breath, with their weapons pointed at him.


    Dag and his companions continued to witness the scene without intervening, while Karl finished treating Reidar, who after taking a sip of a strange liquid, began breathing normally again.


    "Taya asked you a question, stranger... who are you? And why are you here in Hevnen?" said Gridd, as the blades of her swords continued to shine, full of energy.


    "Since you''re dumb, I''ll answer for you... you''re just an asshole from Fangs Of Jormungandr ready to put our nuts in a sling! But you''re in the wrong place, man! Nobody can come to Hevnen and make all this racket without a worthy punishment!" said Taya, as two bright wings popped out from behind her back.


    Gridd retreated slightly, remaining ready in case her partner needed help.


    The hooded man stretched out his arms downwards, his blades pointed to the ground.


    On each arm, two runes glowed with a green light: at that precise moment, a faint greenish aura enveloped the fist weapons.


    Taya jumped and flapped her wings, reaching several meters in height.


    Her spear lit up as it swirled, releasing a heavenly wake.


    "Aaagh!" she yelled, blocking her weapon with its tip down, directed toward the enemy.


    After closing her wings, she dived on him, trying to hit him with the spear, which unleashed so much power that cut the air in front of it.


    The enemy waited until the last moment, before dodging the blow, but not backwards.


    Incredibly, he dodged Taya''s spear as he moved forward and passed before her eyes.


    During this movement, the aura that enveloped the fist weapons exploded in a blaze, which completely enveloped its blades, making them 4 times longer, similar to swords.


    Performing a twist, with his back inches above the ground, the enemy fired a decisive blow towards Taya, chopping off both of her wings, which dissolved in the air.


    Then he rolled backwards, getting back on his feet, while she fell to the ground, immobilized from pain.


    "Tayaaa!" shouted Gridd, running towards her, under the frightened gaze of Dag, who could not believe his eyes.


    "Gridd..." he tried to tell her, trying to attract the attention of his sister, who after lowering herself towards Taya, who had lost consciousness, lunged at the enemy, repeatedly rotating the two swords out of control.


    Her shots were more powerful and faster than before, laden with rage, but the enemy dodged them barely moving.


    "What the fuck do you want?! Go away!" shouted Gridd again, tears streaming from her eyes, floating in the air like drops of dew.


    The hooded man parried the last blow of sword, unbalancing her and hitting her with a violent kick on the side, causing her to roll onto the ground.


    Then he looked up and turned his covered face towards Dag, pointing his fiery blades at him, challenging him.


    Dag continued to watch Gridd and Taya, both on the ground, and his blood began to boil in his veins, causing his arms to tremble with anger.

 186 CLXXXVI. The Symbol Of Power

    "It looks like this bastard is mad at you... brother" Gridd said in a low voice, touching her side sorely.


    Dag pulled out the hammer and the axe, walking towards him.


    "Before I kill you, just tell me one thing... you''re one of their Masters, aren''t you?" he asked, starting to focus on activating Call Of The Berserkr.


    The man lowered his arm which he had pointed at him, without saying anything.


    Within seconds, Dag''s ability was activated and his muscles increased in volume, while the gray gas leaked out of his arms.


    "I knew that" he continued, interpreting the man''s silence as a confirmation to his question.


    As Dag walked slowly, angry at the pain the man had caused Gridd, the enemy charged at great speed towards him, increasing the magnitude of the flames that engulfed his weapons.


    Dag dodged the first shot, then the second.


    "If you knew you were meeting me here, you should have trained more... your shots are slow!" he said, dodging yet another fiery shot, hitting the man with a hammer in his chest, knocking him metres away as the weapon emitted electric shocks.


    Despite the powerful blow, the enemy managed to rotate nimbly in the air and after a backflip landed on his feet, ready to fight again.


    Meanwhile, the liquid Dag had just synthesized entered his skin, strengthening the muscles of his arms and torso even more.


    At the same time, his right eye also turned purple.


    Without wasting any more time, other runes on the enemy''s arms lit up, and he, waving his blades toward Dag, produced a green flames vortex.


    Dag clenched his fists forward, bringing the handles of his weapons into contact and responding to the fire with a Shockwave, which was enriched by the purple lightning bolts released by Magni''s hammer.


    When the two magical attacks collided, the flames were dissipated in a matter of seconds and the enemy sprang out of the dust, taking advantage of the poor visibility to catch Dag by surprise.


    This time he tried to hit him with a lunge, but Dag deflected the blow with the blade of the axe, which impacted against the three fiery blades of the fist weapon emitting sparks.


    After unbalancing the enemy, he turned on himself and struck him again with the hammer.


    With a sudden, almost inhuman movement, the enemy managed to twist his arm and parry the blow headed to his head with the other hand.


    This was not enough to block the advance of the hammer and the hooded man''s arm broke by bending over itself and emitting a lousy noise of broken bones.


    As soon as he fell to the ground, Dag lifted the axe and hit him in the middle of his back.


    "Umpf... rrgh!" said the enemy, trying to hold back the pain.


    "Tell me your name" Dag said, pushing the Giantbane blade deeper and deeper into the enemy''s back, until, getting blood-soaked, it became incandescent and began to corrode the tendons and muscles around his spine.


    "Aaaaagh! Aaagh!" the man yelled, writhing on the ground, as the green fire disappeared from the blades of his fist weapons.


    "Your name!" shouted Dag in his ear, losing patience and continuing to tear the wound apart.


    "Ar... Arvid... My name is Arvid! Aaaagh!" the man yelled, beginning to lose consciousness.


    "Ah! Then you can talk!" replied Dag, detaching the glowing blade from his body and turning it belly up, to see his face no longer hidden by the hood.


    "What''s a Fangs Of Jormungandr''s Master doing in Hevnen?" asked Gridd, who was back on her feet.


    The enemy did not answer, with an expression of pain painted on his face dirty with blood and dust.


    "My sister asked you a question!" yelled Dag, hitting his back with a kick that made him suffer even more.


    Arvid was a grown man, with medium-length red hair and a short red beard.


    "Do you think you are the only Clans to be part of an Alliance? *cough*cough*" whispered the man, coughing heavily.


    "What are you talking about?" asked Gridd, looking at Dag.


    "I have a feeling that these assholes are allied with the Horns Of Heimdallr and somehow they knew that our two Clans were coming together. I think they''ve been wandering around town for a long time, keeping a low profile, until news of our announcement spread in Golden Chariot Square" Dag said, looking at his enemy on the ground.


    He opened his eyes, crossing his gaze with Dag''s and then with the glowing blade of the Giantbane, ready to put an end to his suffering.


    "What do we do with him?" Gridd continued, looking at the bodies of the other two dead men and that of the reptilian.


    Dag lowered himself toward Arvid, approaching the blade of the axe to his face.


    "Killing you would be too easy, I would do you a favor. From today I hold an important position and I want my enemies to know what kind of man I am. You will live and return to your men. You will tell them my name and also that I have spared your life" he said, trying to reassure his enemy, who for a moment began to catch his breath again.


    "What? Do you let him live? He almost killed Taya and one of his men was going to kill Reidar too!" exclaimed Gridd, complaining on Dag''s decision.


    Immediately after the words of his sister, Dag, when he was sure that his enemy was calmer, pushed the scorching blade of the Giantbane on his face, burning his eye.


    Arvid uttered inhumane screams, waving unnecessarily.


    Both Gridd and her companions tensed up as they watched the scene, as white smoke billowed out of the enemy''s face, on which a huge cut appeared, which went from his chin to forehead, crossing his eye.


    "May this serve as a warning to the warriors of your Clan. So the next time you think of secretly spying on us, you''ll think twice" Dag continued, standing up and inviting his enemy to do the same.

 187 CLXXXVII. Turid

    "You''d have better kill me! The next time we see each other, I''ll kill you!" exclaimed Arvid, who because of the burning could not touch his face, scorched and bloodied.


    "Go, run! Before I change my mind! Run!" shouted Dag, scaring his enemy, who after those words began to move away slowly, limping and leaving a trail of blood on the ground behind him, looking at the corpses of his allies out of the corner of his eye.


    Within minutes, he reached one of the gates in the walls and left the city.


    Dag waved the Giantbane, whose blade returned to normal temperature and placed it back on the belt.


    Relaxing, his muscles and skin also returned to normal.


    "Sister... are you okay?" he asked, turning to Gridd, who was looking at him open-mouthed.


    "I... I... yes. I''m fine" she said, still upset by what she had just seen.


    "Don''t look at your brother like that, Gridd. Every Warchief worthy of being called by that name must be able to intimidate his enemies. I congratulate you again, Dag. Now I''m sure you''re the warrior we all needed" said Taya, who had just regained consciousness as Karl treated the wounds behind her back.


    "After what happened today, we are confident that the Fangs of Jormungandr will not be our allies. Or rather, not for now. Maybe when the Iron Alliance will grow and their numerical inferiority will get heavier, they''ll re-evaluate their choices" continued Dag, who approached Gridd and before she could speak, hugged her tightly.


    "I feared for you, sister. That warrior was very strong and I thought I was wrong not to have intervened before".


    Gridd merely listened to those words, reciprocating Dag''s embrace.


    Within minutes, both Reidar and Taya were standing on their feet.


    "Let''s go to Fort Skjonnet. I''m ordering our soldiers to take the bodies off the street. They''re not a good show" Taya said, walking slowly, refusing any help from others.


    As they walked, the same crowd that just populated the Golden Chariot Square was on the street and saw their heroes wounded and sore.


    "Master Taya! What happened? Are you hurt?" asked one woman, rushing to her aid.


    "Don''t be afraid... I''m fine. We''re all fine!" she replied, loudly to the crowd.


    "Dag has been Warchief for just over an hour, yet he has already proved to be worthy of this title, defeating one of the Fangs Of Jormungandr Masters, which set us a trap, infiltrating Hevnen with his men! As we told you, from today you will all be safe!" she continued, limping.


    "What?! One of their Masters?"


    "How is it possible, how did they manage to enter Hevnen?!"


    "What does that matter? Thanks to Dag and our Masters we are safe!"


    People, initially worried, began to cheer Dag, approaching him to shake his hands and touch his back, in a sign of esteem and friendship.


    "Thank you, thank you... but I only finished what my men had begun! They are the real heroes!" he said, shifting the focus to Reidar and the others.


    Escorted by the crowds that crowded the streets of Hevnen, the warriors arrived at Fort Skjonnet.


    "Reidar! Reidar!" someone yelled from the back, before the gates of the fortress were closed.


    Reidar and Dag turned around, hearing that female voice.


    A young girl made her way through the crowd, running towards the entrance, while her long brown hair swayed sinuously in the air.


    Reidar, still sore, made his way to her, and when they were close enough, they hugged each other in a tight hug, which became a passionate kiss soon after.


    "Reidar! I heard you were attacked and I feared for your life! Thankfully you''re fine!" the girl continued, clutching her man as Dag and Gridd attended the scene, as they stood near the entrance to wait for their comrade.


    "Thank you for your thought, my love. It was bad for me, but now I''m fine. In this regard... Dag, this is Turid... Turid, this is Dag, my Captain" exclaimed Reidar, proud to introduce his girlfriend.


    "I''m so glad to meet you, Turid!" said Dag, bowing his head slightly, politely.


    "And she is Gridd, which you surely know by sight. In addition to being a Masters of Sons Of Freya, she is also Dag''s sister" Reidar said, while Gridd greeted the young girl with her hand.


    Turid''s facial features were very kind and graceful, highlighting her young age. However, her movements and the way she wore her hair gave her a much more mature look, making her beauty noteworthy.


    Turid reciprocated Dag''s greeting with a slight bow on her knees, looking at him with his big green eyes, which for a moment made him think of Freydis.


    "The pleasure is mine. I am honored to meet such a strong and brave warrior in person. Reidar just talked about you, he told me everything you went through to get here" she said, smiling.


    "Your boyfriend is the best archer I have ever met. And then... he also told me things about you. I know you''re a very good seamstress, don''t you?" continued Dag.


    "Well... Yes, I think so. My father taught me the tricks of the trade... In his family, they''ve been tailors for generations" she continued, shyly, as Reidar rested his arm on her shoulders, happy to see her again.


    "Well, because I think my armor needs repairs, as well as some improvements" he replied, showing the scratches and cuts on his leather jacket and his ruined belt.


    At those words, Turid''s eyes filled with joy: "Sure! I''ll be happy to help you out! What kind of improvements did you have in mind?"


    "Nothing precise, really. I just want you to make it stronger, without weighing it down. I fight with two weapons, so I need to move fast, but... lately the enemies we''re facing are getting stronger and a little more defense is a necessary upgrade" Smiled Dag, as he untied his jacket and belt, resting both weapons on the ground.

 188 CLXXXVIII. The Childhood Story

    "I got it! Don''t worry, I''ll handle this. When does it has to be ready?" she asked, holding the top of the armor and the belt.


    Dag entered Fort Skjonnet, approaching Aslan, tied under a wooden canopy along with the other horses.


    After caressing him, he opened one of the saddlebags, resting on the ground nearby.


    He returned to Turid with something in his hand.


    "Tomorrow. I''d like to leave tomorrow morning" Dag said, handing over 10 gold coins into Turid''s hands.


    She looked at the money, squinting, then looked up at Reidar, who smiled, shrugging his shoulders.


    "But... but that''s a lot of money! I can''t accept it!" she exclaimed.


    "Of course you can! I want the best armor you can do! You can also dismantle this, I don''t care. The important thing is to copy the two symbols carved in it. Such a quick job deserves to be paid properly!" he continued, pointing to the symbols etched on the brown leather jacket: the Hammers Of Thor hammer and Asa''s swallow, clumsily attached with a patch of fabric.


    Turid looked at the details well, already beginning to shape the project in her mind.


    "At you service, Captain!" she exclaimed, with a determined expression on her face.


    "Hahaha, just don''t call me that. Reidar, if you''ve regained your strength, I think you should take this young girl to the tailor shop, and I also think you should spend the night with her. If you want to leave with us again, meet me tomorrow morning here, as soon as the Sun has risen" replied Dag, resting his hand on Reidar''s shoulder, which confirmed with a nod.


    The two lovers walked away, while the crowd of people who had escorted Dag and his companions to the fortress, began to disperse through the streets of the city, while the orange light of the sunset reflected on the water of the rivers that ran along the edges of the streets, making the post-victory scenario even more satisfying.


    Gridd and Dag entered Fort Skjonnet and retreated to their rooms to rest.


    After a couple of hours, the evening came and someone knocked on the door of Dag''s room.


    "Dag, my stomach is grumbling! From downstairs comes a delicious smell, why don''t we go take a look?" said Karl, as Dag opened the door.


    "Hahaha! Amazing! When you sleep you never wake up, but when you''re hungry you''re always on the front line!" chuckled Dag, closing the door to the room, making sure Magni''s hammer and Giantbane were safe, by the bed, before following Karl and Agnes downstairs.


    A huge table laden with all kinds of food stretched from the entrance to the hall till the fireplace, where Taya, Gridd, and Jens sat, waiting for Dag.


    "Here''s our Warchief!" yelled Taya, raising a glass of mead toward him, drawing the attention of all the warriors seated around the table, who turned back in unison.


    "Haha! Hello everyone! What a smell!" said Dag, not hiding the fact that he was hungry.


    "This way, Dag! The Warchief must sit at the head of the table!" said Gridd, inviting his brother to sit next to her and the other Masters.


    Karl and Agnes sat among the warriors, looking at the dishes on the table, while Dag made his way to the fireplace.


    "I see that you have recovered completely and your wounds have healed! I''m happy for you, Taya!" he said, enthusiastically.


    "You''re not the only one who has a good healer on your side!" she replied, giving Jens a shot on the back, causing him to spit out the chicken he had just put in his mouth.


    "Hahaha!" laughed Dag and Gridd.


    "Dag... I apologize if I didn''t take part in the fight against those scoundrels today, but the people in the square wouldn''t stop asking me questions about the Iron Alliance. Taya and Gridd told me everything, I''m glad you defeated him and I agree with your gesture. I know what kind of person Arvid is, we come from the same little country village. There''s no trusting him" Jens said, justifying his absence during the fight.


    "Don''t worry, Jens. The important thing is that we are safe and those bastards have been eliminated. So... do you know that man in person?" asked Dag, intrigued by Arvid''s story.


    "Yes, let''s say yes. When we were kids, we went to the Arena together in Jernhest, because we''ve got the same age. Our parents were great friends and just before we turned 18, they were killed along with all the other citizens of our village" Jens continued, drinking a sip of mead.


    "What?! Really? I''m so sorry¡­ who did it?" continued Dag.


    "We never really knew. We all lived together in a small village on the coast of Sjonir and had never hurt anyone. But someone decided to raze the village and exterminate all its inhabitants. After losing his parents, Arvid became very upset and we hardly spoke again, because he turned so quiet. When we chose our Clan, I found my family here, at Fort Skjonnet among the Sons Of Freya. Instead, he decided to join the Fangs Of Jormungandr and travel north, with a disreputable-looking man" continued Jens, who between words ate an entire pheasant and two pieces of wild boar meat.


    "I guess you haven''t heard from him since that day, right?" said Gridd, who was listening to the conversation.


    "No, we''ve never met again. I didn''t really even know he was a Master, although the fact that he became a powerful warrior doesn''t surprise me... he was always stronger and more determined than me when we were kids" Jens concluded, continuing to eat out of proportion.


    Dag and Gridd looked at each other, uncertain of Jens'' version of events.


    "Anyway, he had to pay for what he did. He was determined to kill us, and his men almost killed Taya and Reidar... I had to stop him" Dag said, starting to eat.


    "I told you, Dag. You were right to do what you did. I''m glad you''re all good" he continued, smiling.

 189 CLXXXIX. The Volunteers

    Meanwhile, Taya, who was listening to the conversation without intervening, stood up.


    "Warriors of the Sons Of Freya! I''d like to make a toast here! I confess that initially, I was skeptical of the strength and determination of this young boy, who I have known since he was just a little boy with a perennially lost gaze. But incredibly, he managed to change my mind in less than 24 hours! Let''s drink to Dag, the iron Alliance''s new Warchief!" she said aloud, raising her mead glass again, urging everyone to do the same.


    "To Dag!"


    "To Dag of the Hammers Of Thor!"


    Slightly uncoordinated, everyone toasted his name.


    He stood up, smiling at Taya, who looked him in the eye, proud of him.


    "Thank you again... seeing so many warriors sitting at the same table reminds me of the success of my Clan after the battle against the Fangs Of Jormungandr, who threatened the walls of Temple Of Orn. This isn''t the first time that they have proven to think only of power. I hope that, in the future, we will establish verbal contact with them, so that we can discuss and deal fearlessly, but until then... I officially declare that the Fangs Of Jormungandr Clan is an enemy of the Iron Alliance and therefore, must be stopped at all costs if they decide to put their sticks in our wheels again!" he said.


    "Sk?l!" shouted all the warriors seated at the table, including Karl and Agnes.


    "That was the bad news. Speaking of good news, tomorrow morning I will leave for the Temple Of Orn, to have my Masters affix the Hammers Of Thor seal on the parchment announcing our Alliance, making it full-fledged official. I would like to see a small delegation of you come with me, in addition to my men, so that you can begin to cultivate closer relationships with the warriors of my Clan" Dag continued, looking at their faces.


    "I volunteer!" said a young man, who rose suddenly to his feet, with his glass of mead still full in his hand.


    "Me too! I''d be honored to witness the moment your Masters apply the Clan''s official seal!" exclaimed a Shieldmaiden.


    Within seconds, almost all of the warriors at the table stood up, volunteering to accompany Dag and his team to Temple Of Orn.


    "It looks like you''re spoilt for choice, brother! Hahaha!" laughed Gridd.


    "What about you? Are you coming with me?" asked Dag, turning to her.


    "Come with you? If I leave too, who will stay here at the fortress to protect it from unexpected attacks?" she replied.


    "Taya and Jens will stay here. After going to the Temple, I''d like to travel to Skjegg, to make the same proposal to the Crows Of Odin. It won''t be easy, but I''m sure we can convince them. If you''re with me, you''ll give more credibility to my words, sister" he continued, making eyes at Gridd, trying to convince her.


    "You miss her, don''t you?"


    "Yes, there is no point in hiding it. We haven''t seen each other in months... I can''t wait to meet her again".


    As the warriors seated at the table talked to each other and Karl, asking him for curiosity about his Captain and their adventures, Gridd looked at Dag, softening to his younger brother who asked her for a favor.


    "All right, I''ll come with you. Even though I''m sure that spending a lot of time together, we''re going to get in trouble!" she chuckled.


    "Hahaha! I knew it! Thank you, Gridd!" replied Dag, happy with the answer.


    "Tomorrow morning, you will choose the warriors who will accompany us. They all seem very excited, but you know them better than me, so you can leave the strongest ones here at Fort Skjonnet" he replied.


    "Do you want me to choose the warriors of the delegation? Okay, I already have two or three in mind" said Gridd, who was pleased to have decision-making power, considering her brother had just become his boss.


    The dinner went on without a hitch and all the participants had fun, drinking and eating in abundance.


    After finishing, everyone slowly returned to his room, being late at night, while Dag, Gridd, and Jens stayed and talked, sitting in front of the large fireplace under the majestic statue of Freya.


    "The road to Mount Torden is short and safe. It''s only going to take us a couple of days, don''t worry" Gridd said, after Dag told her of their first journey, passing through the FossilWood forest and reaching the north of Kvete.


    "Well, that comforts me! Hahaha" chuckled him, watching the fire burning wood in the chimney.


    "So you fought against giant animals? Legend says that the forest of fossil trees is populated by huge monsters and that it is impossible to cross it while remaining unharmed" asked Jens, curious about Dag''s story''s details, which had only hinted at what happened in the forest.


    "Still, here we are. We were able to cross it without dying. It took longer than expected because we were looking for something in particular" Dag replied, imagining if it was appropriate to tell Jens about the Crimson Tooth. After all, maybe he knew more than Karl.


    "What exactly were you looking for? Not to get into your business, but It''s not often that I talk to people that crossed the FossilWood Forest and stayed in there to explore it!" continued Jens, enthusiastically.


    "A flower. It''s called the ''Crimson Tooth''. Do you know it?" asked Dag, looking Jens in the eye and hoping for a positive response.


    "Mmmh¡­ I must have read something about this plant somewhere... but to be honest, I don''t remember. Herbalism is not my specialty" Jens replied, scratching his head.


    "So are you telling me that you and your team risked your life for a stupid flower?" exclaimed Gridd, incredulous.


    "It was used by Karl for an ''experiment''. It was so important and that flower grows only in a few areas of the planet, in specific humidity and temperature environmental conditions" Dag continued, remaining vague, avoiding saying such sensitive information in front of Jens, whom he''d just met.

 190 CXC. The Upgrades

    "I just don''t understand you... you always had a passion for plants and rocks, when you were younger you stayed hours watching them... but risking your life like this... I don''t agree. Anyway, I think I''m going to go to sleep now, tomorrow we''re going to have a long journey" Gridd replied, rising from her chair, stretching her arms upwards and yawning.


    "I''ll do the same, I''m sure we''ll be able to continue this conversation when we meet again, Dag. I''d listen to your stories all night, but I realize it would be counterproductive" said Jens, who until then had listened intently to every detail, hanging from his lips.


    "Yes, I''m sure we''ll see you again soon" Dag said, heading for the stairs leading to the bedrooms.


    "See you tomorrow, brother. Good night!" said Gridd, before closing the door to her room.


    "Good night!" he replied, who was so tired that he could no longer keep his eyes open.


    He checked that his weapons were still where he left them and then threw himself on the bed, falling asleep like a rock.


    ...


    When the morning arrived, Dag opened his eyes, looking at the empty bed in front of him, with the blankets still positioned as Reidar had left them.


    He got up and looked out the small window, noting that although it was very early in the morning, the warm Sunlight was already covering the roofs of Hevnen''s houses.


    With a determined and energy-laden spirit, the new Warchief, having prepared himself and collected his belongings, left the room, heading to the outside courtyard.


    Around him, everything seemed to be silent: most warriors were still sleeping.


    After leaving the main hall, he made his way to Aslan, who was still half asleep under the barn canopy, but as soon as he saw his master, stood up, enthusiastically.


    "Hey! Good morning my friend! Are you ready to go?" said Dag, as if the horse could answer.


    As he stroked him and secured the saddle on his back, Gridd went out into the yard, accompanied by Karl, Agnes, and two other people, a boy, and a girl.


    "Good morning, Warchief!" exclaimed Gridd, winking at his brother, who turned to them.


    "Well, you''ve all been on time!" he replied, implicitly referring to Karl, who was still half asleep and walked yawning.


    They all began to fix their horses when Dag noticed that his sister caressed her steed, a magnificent white stallion.


    "You know, sometimes I think they''re better than people. They listen to you without interrupting and keep all kinds of secrets without complaining!" said Dag, stroking Aslan''s snout.


    "Well, so do I. She''s my best friend. Since we first met, we have become inseparable" Gridd said, without looking away from her horse as she fastened her saddle and made her wear the reins.


    "What''s her name?" asked Dag, sure his sister had named her horse.


    "She''s Light. She''s gorgeous, isn''t she?" she continued proudly.


    When all the horses were ready to go, someone knocked on the front door of the Fort Skjonnet yard.


    One of Gridd''s two pupils went to open.


    "Captain!" Reidar exclaimed, poking out from behind the door and making a slight bow toward Dag.


    "Reidar! Do you feel better?" he asked, approaching his companion.


    "Yes, I think during the night, the medicines Karl gave me took effect. Now I''m in great shape!" said the archer, who was wearing armor, ready to go.


    "Well! Do you have anything for me?" asked Dag again, referring to the armor commissioned to Turid the day before.


    "Oh, yes! I almost forgot..." Reidar exclaimed, opening a leather bag tied behind his shoulders and pulling Dag''s new armor out of it.


    He grabbed it and opened it before his eyes, scrupulously observing every detail: the leather of the previous armor had been completely replaced by a similar, but more durable, completely black material.


    Both the hammer of Hammers Of Thor and Asa''s swallow symbols were perfectly carved in the new dark leather, with delicate gold lines inside the engravings.


    To shoulders height, at the top of his chest, there were two circular metal plates.


    Without understanding, Dag turned the armor, looking at the other side as well.


    Another 6 smaller metal plates were attached vertically to the spine.


    "What are these?" he asked, looking up at Reidar.


    "As she built the armor, I explained to Turid what you are capable of, mentioning your powers. I assure you that we can trust her, she won''t tell anyone!" replied Reidar, justifying his actions to Dag.


    "I don''t care, Reidar, don''t worry. These metal plates... there are eight in total, two large in the front and four smaller on the back. What are they for?" replied Dag.


    "I was saying... After explaining to her what your powers consist of, she has installed those metal circles on the armor, affirming that in this way, you will be able to more easily channel the electricity that your body releases, limiting its dispersion. In other words, it''s a kind of upgrade, which will allow you to hit opponents with even greater strength!"


    "It''s brilliant! I never thought about it! Turid is truly an exceptional seamstress, Reidar, the new armor is magnificent!" continued Dag, who after placing his white shirt inside his pants, slipped the new top of the armor, which fitted to him, adhering to every curve of his torso.


    He tried to move and twist his chest and arms, to assess its elastic properties: the new armor was much more flexible and lighter than the previous one, almost not feeling its weight on him.


    As he continued to touch the black fabric and metal plates on his chest, Reidar added: "It''s not over yet, Captain. The belt has also undergone improvements. There it is".


    Dag grabbed the brand new belt, which at first glance looked very similar to the previous one.


    "Look well on the sides. The two nooses that held up your weapons, causing them to wobble and slow your movements, were replaced by two powerful magnets" Reidar continued, turning the belt into Dag''s hands.

 191 CXCI. The Flock

    Without objecting, he wore his belt and grabbed the weapons he had laid on the ground, next to the horses.


    He approached the hammer at his hips and immediately the magnet pulled it towards it, locking it on the belt.


    Then he tried to pull it out quickly and the weapon detached without any difficulty.


    "Yes, the new belt is perfect too. The extraction of weapons is much faster than before, it will allow me to be ready for combat even during surprise attacks" Dag said, after putting the Giantbane on the appropriate space.


    "Well! I''m glad you like Turid''s job, Captain! My quiver has also undergone improvements, now it''s much more capacious" Reidar exclaimed, showing everyone else the new piece of his equipment.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to stay with her, Reidar? If you wanted to stay here, you could use Fort Skjonnet as an operating base, being our Clans allied" Dag continued, trying to figure out what his companion''s intentions were.


    "Captain... I just told you that I had my quiver modified, what do you think I''m going to do?" he replied, walking to the barn and beginning to harness Ace, who was waiting for him impatiently.


    Dag smiled, without adding anything.


    Reidar, in addition to being a reliable ally, had also become one of his closest friends and the fact that he wanted to follow him everywhere gave him a sense of tranquility, being his team full.


    All seven warriors left the fortress, like a full delegation, ready to travel to Mount Torden.


    "This way, friends. I''ll lead the way, follow me" said Gridd, who knew by heart the way to Jordst?l.


    When they left Hevnen, the Sun was high in the sky, and the warriors could feel the warmth of spring on their skin.


    During the journey, Gridd''s two pupils approached Dag''s horse, beginning to ask him so many questions, curious to know more about the fighting style of the warrior who had defeated their Master, Taya.


    As he spoke to one of the two young warriors, Dag noticed something moving on the branches of a tree near the hydrothermal springs surrounding the plain around the city.


    It was a crow, whose black feathers glistened in the Sun.


    Although he was very far away, Dag felt his sight, managing to distinguish the details, probably thanks to the magenta blood of the hawk, which had greatly increased his senses.


    The bird had purple eyes: he was spying on them.


    "Reidar!" exclaimed Dag, interrupting his conversation.


    "What happened?" asked Reidar, alerted by his captain''s tone.


    "On that tree over there... there''s a crow. Not a normal one, one of those" Dag continued, pointing his finger in that direction and stopping the horse.


    Everyone else did the same, without understanding what was going on.


    "Captain, I don''t know how you did it, but that bird is so far away! To hit it, I have to get a little closer" said Reidar, who could barely see the target.


    Dag nodded, with a focused expression.


    Reidar rode to the tree and before scaring the bird, he fired an arrow at it, hitting it right in its body and causing it to fall to the ground.


    "Dag! What was that? Why did you hit a crow? That poor bird had done you no harm!" said Gridd, not remembering when his brother told her about the animals possessed by the Xis.


    He approached her and, leaning out of his horse, whispered something in her ear, refreshing her memory.


    "Really? I want to see it up close!" she exclaimed, curious to see the magenta blood with her own eyes.


    Dag stood in front of her horse, blocking her road: "Let''s move on, we have a mission to accomplish. There will surely be other opportunities, sister" he replied, trying to make Gridd realize that she should not speak so explicitly in front of strangers, the two young warriors of her Clan.


    Gridd got the message and turned the horse, continuing down the street, amid the questioning glances of her two pupils.


    "What happened, Master? Why did they hit the crow? I don''t understand" said the young Shieldmaiden, approaching her.


    "Nothing important, Lara... my brother and his men love to play weird games, things between them" she said, smiling.


    As they got back on the road, Dag and his companions looked into each other''s eyes, telling them to stay alert.


    Aslan accelerated the pace and Dag positioned himself next to Gridd, on the front line.


    She looked at him, noticing his gaze focused on the road.


    Without saying anything, the warriors continued to travel until late afternoon.


    "The Sun is setting more slowly this season... I think we can wait to camp and..."


    "Ouch!"


    Gridd''s words were interrupted by Lara, who uttered a verse from the back.


    "Lara! What happened?" asked Gridd.


    Immediately, she too was hit by something on her shoulder, at great speed.


    She turned quickly and was hit again, behind her back.


    "Up!" shouted Dag, who had his eyes pointed at the canopies of the few trees in the area.


    "What the fuck?!" said Karl, after looking up.


    Dozens of crows were perched on the branches and were attacking them in a dive.


    "What the fuck do these birds want from us?" asked Gridd, pulling the bridles of Light, who was frightened after realizing she was under attack.


    "Move!" exclaimed Dag, descending from Aslan''s back and entrusting his bridles to Gridd, who retreated.


    "Karl and Reidar did the same, leaving control of their horses to Agnes, who remained on her man''s, positioning herself next to Gridd and the two warriors.


    The crows began croaking in unison, producing a loud noise that spread across the muddy plain around them.


    Dag stood still, his hands resting on his weapons as if he was a gunman ready to pull out his guns in a duel.


    Meanwhile, Reidar charged an arrow, generating two more magic ones, which fired at the birds, striking three of them that died instantly.

 192 CXCII. The Old Acquaintances

    At that point, the flock of crows croaked even louder, emitting a deafening sound, resealing two pieces of metal crawling between them, that forced the warriors to cover their ears.


    A second attack ensued by the crows, who dived together.


    Dag pointed his arms at them, clenching his fists and putting his hands together: just before the birds could reach him and his companions, he unleashed a Shockwave that swept away the crows, who lost control during the flight.


    Some of them ended up in trees, others on the ground, others continued to fly undisturbed, reaching Dag and Reidar, who were the closest.


    "Aaagh! Fuck!" yelled Reidar, as the crows encircled them and began to form a kind of air and feather vortex, repeatedly hitting them on the uncovered parts, like their arms.


    Dag, trying to keep control, opened his arms, leaving his face vulnerable for a few seconds.


    "Captain, watch out! Your face! These birds strike hard!" shouted Reidar, as Gridd and the others did not know how to intervene and stood still in the same position, trying to calm down the horses.


    With his arms open, Dag performed a quick twist of the torso, spinning on one leg.


    At that instant, his arms released electricity in the form of blue sparks, which in a few seconds expanded, until they enveloped his body, creating a kind of protective barrier.


    The crows were hit by electric shocks but continued to attack Dag relentlessly, until he stopped his rotation and clasped his arms to his chest, then opened them up in a sudden motion, after which the sparks were released into the air, causing a real electric explosion, which hit all the crows around him.


    For the first time he had managed to perform ''Storm Bolt'', the last skill learned from the scrolls of the Temple Of Orn.


    Many of the birds died instantly, others were paralyzed and fell to the ground, barely moving their wings.


    After witnessing that scene, the crows around Reidar flew away frightened, as if their army was retreating.


    Dag grabbed one of the dead birds to the ground and threw it at his sister, who grabbed it, disgusted.


    "Did you want to see one up close? Here you are satisfied!" exclaimed Dag, as Gridd watched the mutant animal, which had a much larger beak than a normal crow and the claws of its legs incredibly sharp.


    "Reidar, are you all right?" he continued, approaching his companion, who had ended up on his knees trying to protect his face.


    "I do, Captain! But you... your arms are all scratched!" he replied, worried to see the blood coming out of Dag''s arms.


    "It''s nothing, I''m sure Karl will be able to heal me in a moment" Dag said, looking at Karl, who had not moved from his position, frightened.


    "Uhm?!"


    Immediately after speaking, Dag spun around the street, squinting, as if he wanted to look at something in the distance.


    "What''s going on now?!" asked Gridd, ready to get off her horse.


    "Master, I thought this was a peaceful expedition! What was wrong with that crows? Why did they try to attack us?!" exclaimed the boy next to her, panicking.


    Before Gridd could answer, Dag nodded his hand.


    "There''s someone down there" he said, wielding both of his weapons, warning a presence in the distance that head toward them.


    Gridd, without asking any more questions, got off his horse, ready to intervene in case of need.


    "I heard noises coming from that side... I''m pretty sure someone or something is heading towards us" he continued, looking forward.


    Dag squinted, trying to exploit his powerful view, focusing on what he had in front of him: the sunset only partially illuminated the plain around them, almost completely devoid of thick vegetation, except for a few green patches of tall, beech-like trees, grouped together to form small groves.


    A similar situation was located next to them, where there were several trees, on which just before the crows who had attacked them by surprise were parched.


    Dag''s companions kept quiet, waiting for orders from their Captain, who continued to look in the same direction, holding his breath.


    "What is that?" he said, noting that among trees hundreds of meters away, a kind of bright dot had appeared.


    Before he could realize where that light came from, the dot suddenly grew larger, blinding him and his companions behind.


    ¡­


    *punch*


    Suddenly, a powerful punch hit Dag in the face, knocking him meters away, causing him to end up in one of the muddy pools of water scattered across the plain.


    "Aaagh! What the fuck?!"


    "Daag!"


    "Captain!"


    Reidar, Karl, and Gridd screamed in fear: the shot had been so fast that they couldn''t even see where it had come from.


    When they could see again clearly, after being blinded by that sudden white light coming from the woods, they noticed that a figure was standing in front of them, with her arm still stretched out after throwing her fist.


    Reidar, when he noticed she was an elderly woman, opened his eyes wide.


    "How the...?!" he said with a thread of voice, after the woman in less than a second also struck him, with a punch in the stomach, which caused blood to spit from his mouth.


    "Reidar!" yelled Karl, charging madly at her, trying to hit her with the tomahawk.


    The woman turned to him, who promptly raised the shield before being hit with a kick, which made him crawl to the ground to the feet of Gridd, who was still standing near the horses.


    "Fuck! Get up, Karl!" she exclaimed, helping her companion to get up from the ground, without looking away from the woman, who began to walk slowly toward them, without saying a word.


    Before she could reach them, a lightning bolt ripped through the sky, drawing her attention: Dag, after coming out of the water, had run back there, jumping towards the enemy and loading a lightning strike.


    The lightning bolt, descending towards him, became purple and hit his hammer, which was drenched in electricity, releasing purple lightning bolts into the air.

 193 CXCIII. The Couple Of Strangers

    The woman turned in that direction, looking up, when he struck her, releasing a huge amount of energy, which exploded into a cloud of dust and lightning bolts.


    Karl and Reidar rose from the ground, aching and retreated to others, fearful of the new enemy, whose strength was out of the ordinary.


    Dag, after hitting the old woman, noticed with amazement that some kind of invisible barrier had surrounded her, absorbing any damage.


    She moved her arm forward, opening the palm of her hand towards him, which for the second time was thrown away, without even being touched.


    "Daaag!" shouted Gridd in panic as she pulled out her two swords, ready to help her brother in danger.


    "Stop, you all! Don''t attack! The strength of this enemy is far greater than all we have encountered so far!" said Dag, rising from the ground.


    The woman kept looking him in the eye and he did the same, trying to identify her.


    After focusing on her face, he opened his eyes wide, in disbelief at what he was seeing.


    "You... I know you! You offered us soup, hosting us at your house and your husband trapped us in the barn!" he shouted, pointing to the old woman.


    "It can''t be... she''s Kenneth''s mother!" said Reidar, continuing to retreat in fear.


    The elderly woman was the same kind woman who long before offered them a hearty meal, before turning out to be a cheater.


    She stood still, in front of Dag, without looking away from him.


    Both of her eyes were of intense purple.


    When the magic barrier that enveloped her disintegrated, the earth beneath her feet moved slightly, as dislodged by the wind.


    A freezing cold swooped on the adventurers, who rubbed their arms to warm up, as they beat their teeth to the low temperature.


    "What... what''s going on?!" asked Dag, his voice flickering, both in the cold and in fear.


    After about a minute''s silence, during which the old woman merely looked at Dag, a second figure appeared behind her, walking slowly in the same direction.


    He was her husband, the man who had locked them in the barn with the Thurs rune and had alerted his son Kenneth, allowing him to take possession of Dag''s emblem.


    "Does anyone explain to me what''s going on? Why is it so cold all of a sudden?!" asked Gridd, unaware of what was about to happen.


    Karl failed to respond and Reidar grabbed another arrow from the quiver, holding the Failnaught firmly.


    "What do you want from me?! I felt very sorry for your son, I offered him a peaceful option! No one would have been hurt if he had accepted!" exclaimed Dag, trying to communicate with the two enemies, who were unmoved by those words.


    The man also had purple eyes.


    "All right, there''s no point in pretending" he continued, stepping forward toward them.


    "I know you are Xis. Your eyes, this cold that surrounds us. Why are you hunting for me? What have I done to deserve this?"


    "813666... Dag" said the woman, in an inhuman voice, as if two people were speaking at the same time.


    "Yes. It''s me... what have you done to these two old men? You have taken possession of their bodies without restraint!" Dag said in a low voice, clutching his weapons in his hands, believing it was time for the reckoning.


    "This? It''s just a poor container. 813666, you can''t continue living here among humans. You will come with us" the woman continued, looking at her hands as if she hadn''t even noticed her appearance until then.


    "Hey, you! Old hag! Who the fuck are you two, what do you want from my brother?" asked Gridd, approaching with a grumpy air towards her.


    "Gridd, stop! Don''t get in the way! Risking your life is just useless! If it''s me they want, they''ll have me then" Dag continued, beginning to let the gray smoke out of his arms.


    At the sight of those powers, the woman''s purple eyes stopped, enchanted by the grayish gas.


    Before Dag could synthesize it in liquid, the woman with a very fast shot, more like teleportation, materialized in front of him, hitting him with a punch on the chest.


    "Aaagh!" yelled Dag, kneeling in pain, as she grabbed his arm and lifted him off the ground, looking at him as if he were a precious commodity.


    "It''s incredible" she said, amazed at what she was looking at.


    *cough* "and you haven''t seen anything yet..." Dag exclaimed, coughing when the smoke suddenly turned liquid and entered his arms, freeing him from the grip of the woman, who stepped back, continuing to observe every detail.


    The skin of Dag''s arms turned black and enveloping his entire chest, the darkness reached up to his neck.


    His right eye turned purple.


    "Excellent" exclaimed the old woman, turning her head unsettlingly, to watch Dag from another angle.


    Dag clenched the handle of the hammer, which began to release purple lightning bolts, which slammed into the ground, burning it and leaving blackish marks on its surface.


    "I''m not going anywhere. Tell me why you keep spying on me! The crows, the dead bodies that came back to life... what the fuck are you doing?" exclaimed Dag, seeking for answers.


    The old woman returned serious again, firm with her hands down her hips.


    The man behind her was several meters away and witnessed the scene without intervening.


    Dag''s companions stood still, holding Gridd, who would otherwise try to strike enemies, ignoring their immense powers.


    "Grr... aaagh!" yelled Dag, who got no answer, tried again to hit the woman, charging towards her.


    Magni hammer''s head turned full black, after absorbing the liquid and circulating with electricity, which caused the air to vibrate around him before hitting the target.


    The woman remained motionless until the last moment: Dag was certain that this time the blow would hit her, she would not be able to dodge it.


    When the hammer was inches from the enemy''s body, the woman raised her arm in a sudden motion, grabbing the stone head of the weapon and blocking the blow, releasing a shockwave that spread circularly, moving the air around them, like a drop falling into a pool of water.

 194 CXCIV. The Harshness

    Then he raised the weapon upwards and with it, also the body of Dag, who continued to hold the hammer for fear of being disarmed.


    He was unable to get off there, due to the enemy''s superhuman force, which as Dag squirmed, projected him violently down, causing him to end up back on the ground.


    The blow was very violent and Dag lost his breath for a few seconds.


    "After only 10 years away from Earth, have you forgotten what respect is? Never again dare to use that coarse language in our presence, mortal!" exclaimed the old woman, in a paradoxically calm and smooth voice, hitting Dag with a kick, which caused him to roll onto the ground, causing him much damage.


    "You can''t! I''ve seen the Captain killing enemies with a single hammer strike, but this time... his shots can''t even scratch that woman! Is the power of the Xis that great? What''s going to happen now?!" thought Reidar, who despite the cold, was sweating from his forehead, his hands shaking with nervousness, as he watched his companions, who looked at the woman, terrified.


    "Respect? You''ve exterminated everything and everyone... not only human beings, even the Gods have been driven from the Earth, their home, our home. How could I have respect for such despicable beings!" said Dag, as he was still lying on the ground.


    A slight expression of anger drew on the old woman''s face, who lifted Dag by his neck, holding him up with his feet off the ground, in front of her.


    "You''re talking about things bigger than you. I don''t know how you came about this information, but it''s not up to you. Your words have just killed these other humans that you call ''comrades''" the woman said, looking Dag in the eye.


    After those words, the man behind her began to walk toward Gridd and the others.


    "No! Stop! They have nothing to do with it? Do you want me, right? All right! Take me with you!" shouted Dag, trying to stop the man''s advance, squirming unnecessarily from the woman''s grip, which despite her short stature kept him lifted from the ground.


    With the hammer, Dag repeatedly hit her on the head, but the blows bounced as if the weapon was made of rubber.


    "Your lower intellect doesn''t let you understand that these weapons that make you so confident, are just toys" she continued, smiling slightly.


    "Aaaagh!" Dag continued to hit her, this time also with the axe, whose blade crawled on the woman''s neck, emitting sparks as if she was made of metal.


    "Come on... show us what you are capable of, human" she continued, provoking Dag as he unleashed blind strikes.


    Meanwhile, the man stopped in front of Gridd, who pointed her swords at him.


    "I don''t know what you want from my brother, but you are a threat and you will be eliminated!" she yelled, as Lara, her young pupil, stood between her Master and the enemy.


    "You were wrong to attack us. I don''t know where you came from, but you probably don''t know the strength of the Sons Of Freya! You''re going to pay for what you''re doing to our new Warchief!" yelled Lara, who pulled two daggers from behind her back and charged at the man, trying to hit him.


    "Lara! Where do you go, stop!" shouted Gridd, caught off guard, trying to stop the young Shieldmaiden.


    The man, seeing the girl coming towards him, raised his arm, moving his hand to the side, as if he wanted to move the leaves of a bush in front of him.


    As she ran, Lara was completely disintegrated: her blood and organs were reduced to small pieces, squirting in the direction the enemy''s hand moved, smearing the trees, the trunks of which turned red.


    "Aaaaaaagh!" shouted Gridd, in a desperate expression, after seeing her young pupil reduced to shreds.


    Karl, weak in the stomach, after witnessing the scene, could not suppress a nervous vomit.


    Meanwhile, Dag was still immobilized by the woman as he desperately tried to hit her.


    After yet another needless axe blow, he dropped both of his weapons to the ground.


    "Captain!" yelled Reidar in a panic, fearing that Dag had surrendered to his fate.


    Soon after, he charged an arrow, activating the power of the Failnaught, who created two more magic ones.


    He quickly shot them at the woman, hitting her with all three arrows behind the back, but she did not move an inch.


    "Captain! Free yourself from there! Go away!" continued Reidar, continuing to fire arrows at the enemy, who within seconds was shot repeatedly in the back.


    "You inferior beings can be really annoying" said the old woman, raising her hand to Reidar, who was struck by an invisible power and impacted into a tree behind him, falling to the ground, wounded.


    In the meanwhile, Dag looked on the ground, focusing on the sounds around him.


    Gridd, after recovering from the shock, got up and ran towards the man, who raised his hand towards her, who with a dash, dodged the shockwave that would kill her instantly.


    "Aaagh! Die!" she yelled, piercing the enemy on his side.


    The man turned to her as if nothing had happened and grabbed her by the neck, throwing her to the ground violently, causing her to end up near the tree where Reidar had just slammed on.


    Agnes managed to move the horses, to prevent them from escaping, hiding behind some stale bushes near one of the thermal springs.


    "Gridd! Get up! We must get away, otherwise, we''re all going to die! These are not mere human beings, we have no chance!" yelled Karl, running to his companions on the ground, trying to help them.


    "Gridd..." whispered Dag, devoid of strength.


    "Is that the name of the young female human? Gridd... why does the thought of something bad happening to her scare you? Your lives have no value, you are just a race that is one step short of extinction" the woman said, trying to look Dag in the eye.

 195 CXCV. 813666

    He looked up, staring at his companions near the tree, who were about to be brutally killed by that man.


    Karl tried unnecessarily to help Reidar but was shot in the back, ending up face down next to him and Gridd.


    "An inferior race... then why did you keep us alive? You need us, otherwise, you would never have come to Earth!" continued Dag, as the old woman clutched his neck in her hands, ready to strangle him.


    "You''re a fool. You''re just lab rats. Another experiment, another planet added to our collection. Now you will return with us to Earth, our scientists will continue to analyze the anomaly in your blood" she replied, while Dag seemed to have exhausted his strength to fight.


    "You have hurt my companions, my sister... you killed an innocent young woman, tearing her to shreds... you are the inferior race, devoid of values! You are the real enemy and you will pay for your crimes!"


    Dag, looking down, grabbed the woman''s arm with one hand.


    "If that''s how you think, I think I''ll kill you. I''m sure my bosses won''t mind knowing they have one problem less. You''re just a genetic mistake, 813666, you''re a mere anomaly!" exclaimed the old woman.


    Dag looked up at her, looking her in the eye.


    His right eye was so intense purple that it emitted a glow.


    "My name is Dag!" he yelled, as the black liquid crept toward the woman''s arm, wrapping it.


    "Uhm?! What is this?" she said, immediately leaving Dag''s neck, which after resting his feet on the ground continued to hold the woman tightly, to prevent her from escaping.


    "How dare you! Stop now!" she continued.


    The liquid completely wrapped her arm, then her shoulder, twisting around her chest.


    The old woman knelt down and unleashed incredible power, trying to free herself from the grip.


    The earth beneath their feet began to vibrate and the enemy''s skin became snow-white.


    "If I die, you will come with me!" yelled Dag, who squeezed the woman''s arm so tightly that it broke, with a noise sound of broken bones.


    She did not grimace with pain and, surrounded by the same magic barrier she had used just before, managed to get up, despite her body being half covered in the black liquid synthesized by Dag.


    "This fluid... how did you manage to create it? I feel its inherent gravity growing exponentially! That''s your real power, the scientists were right!" exclaimed she, who did not seem afraid of what was going to happen to her.


    Meanwhile, the man who had just knocked out the others began to walk towards Dag, noting that his ally was in trouble.


    As he made his way towards them, he opened his hand down and created a small purple sphere, floating on his palm, exuding incredible energy.


    Reidar saw the scene and as the enemy was turned from behind, he rose from the ground in pain.


    He took an arrow and charged it over the bow, trying to aim.


    "I can''t miss him! I have to help the Captain, he can''t do it all on his own!" he thought, trying to hold the Failnaught still with difficulty, because of his fully bloodied left arm, wounded after he had hit the tree.


    The magic bow created the other two arrows and Reidar shot them, hitting the enemy with an arrow on the head and the other two behind his back.


    The magic arrow speared his skull, piercing his eye.


    The man turned slowly backwards: his movements were very cumbersome, he seemed a kind of automaton, of much less intelligence than the other Xis, who despite her appearance possessed incredible powers.


    The enemy, continuing to hold the energetic sphere in one hand, began to run toward Reidar as if suddenly he had awakened from his sleep.


    His only purple eye shone with his light and looked angrily at the archer, while from the other eye, the arrowhead popped.


    "Hey, you idiot!" yelled Karl, hitting the enemy with a stone on his head, distracting him.


    Reidar held out the bow again: "Weland, if you hear me... help me! I can''t fail!" he thought aloud, charging three more arrows.


    The Failnaught lit up, shining with a yellow light, the same color as the magic arrows, and Reidar was astonished, noticing the true power of his weapon.


    Without wasting any more time, he fired the arrows, while the enemy''s gaze was turned to Karl, who had intentionally distracted him, earning a few seconds.


    The magic arrows released a golden trail in the air: the normal one chipped the man''s ear, without hitting him, while one of the magical ones hit him right on the shoulder, unbalancing him during the run.


    After being hit, the enemy tried to maintain his balance by moving his arms and raised his hand holding the sphere.


    While the third arrow was flying, Reidar thought he had failed, because it would not hit the target, as its direction was slightly decentralized.


    For a fraction of a second, he imagined the movement that the arrow should perform: disobeying the laws of nature and gravity, while in flight, the magic arrow deflected its trajectory, striking the enemy, precisely on the back of the hand holding the sphere of dark energy, flattening it against his face.


    The sphere detonated, causing a powerful explosion and opening a kind of gap in mid-air, which began to suck up everything around it.


    The enemy, whose hand had exploded with his head, was absorbed by the gap, which sucked every part of his body and subsequently disappeared into thin air, erasing his existence forever.


    Reidar and Karl, who had fallen after the explosion, remained on the ground for a few seconds, trying to realize what had just happened, looking into each other''s eyes, happy to still be alive.


    Meanwhile, Dag was still standing in front of the old woman, who despite her arm being broken, could resist his strength.


    "Your friend is gone. You better give up!" said Dag, with a slight smile on his face, after seeing out of the corner of his eye the feat of Reidar and Karl, who had managed to defeat him.

 196 CXCVI. The Accusations

    "Friend? Eheh... you just don''t understand, do you?" said the woman, looking down.


    "He was not my ''friend''. To have what you call ''emotional bonds'' to another being of your own species is just a weakness" she continued, as her feet peeled off the ground, beginning to levitate.


    Dag forcefully pulled his arm towards him, trying to bring the woman back to the ground, but her strength was unchallenged.


    The liquid that enveloped her arm, when she got up several meters above the ground, returned to Dag and was re-absorbed by his skin, loosen its grip.


    Her broken arm incredibly turned on itself and returned to the original position, regenerating the bones and injured muscles.


    The Xis woman was there, stationary in mid-air, her arms outstretched, and a very thin purple aura surrounding her body.


    Dag without saying anything, picked up his weapons from the ground.


    "What our scientists have defined as ''spirit of survival and human self-preservation'' is very strong within you, I can feel it. You are truly remarkable specimens, I will take this into account" exclaimed the woman, whose voice became even deeper.


    Meanwhile, Gridd also regained consciousness and rose from the ground slowly, stunned.


    "Although you profess beings with higher intellect, you will never be able to understand the feelings that a human can feel, and your consciousness will always be impoverished, compared to our own. Since I''ve been here, on this planet, I''ve pondered for a long time what your true nature and your true purpose might be, but having grown up in a lie, I have never come to a definitive solution to my questions" Dag said, looking at Magni''s hammer holding in his hand.


    "The planet you''re on was created by us. We created it similar to your first planet, the Earth. Skjold and the others perfectly emulate its climatic and geological conditions. We have done it for you, ungrateful inferior beings! Because of your fallacious anatomy, you are not able to resist without elementary chemical elements, such as oxygen. Your only task, from birth, is to obey your saviors, us Xis" the woman replied, looking at Dag and his companions with an air of superiority.


    "I would have so many more things to ask, but what''s the point? The questions will not change the reality of the facts, they will only serve to make my life even more complicated" Dag continued, while a considerable amount of dark liquid leaked out of his back and, splitting into two bundles, similar to two large arms, stood on the ground, beginning to lift Dag''s body upwards.


    Reidar, Karl, and Gridd watched the scene, gasping, looking at Dag, lifted from the liquid, reaching the height of the enemy, approaching the woman.


    Agnes, hiding safely with horses, could not believe her eyes.


    The woman stopped talking when Dag positioned in front of her, more than 4 meters high.


    His only purple eye was much brighter than usual and the only part of his body that had not absorbed the liquid, which branched up to his neck, was his face.


    "Qar ''Iv vISov!" exclaimed Dag, looking impassively at the woman, who, in those words, blur her eyes.


    "What?! How do you know our ancient language?!" she asked, who for the first time seemed to be seriously concerned.


    "Ancient language? Dag can speak the ancient language of those... alien things?" asked Karl, looking at Reidar, seeking for answers.


    "I have no idea, Karl. Nothing that''s happening here makes sense. We did everything we could, now we just have to hope and pray to the Gods for the life of our Captain" he replied, putting the Fainaught behind his back, believing that trying to help Dag against that being would be useless.


    "naDev ''emDaq ghewmey DaneH''a,'' mej Daghaj!" replied Dag, who seemed to have lost control of his body, as if possessed by something.


    "What the fuck...?" whispered Gridd, trying to make an effort to understand something of that incomprehensible language.


    "Enough! I''m annoyed at your insolence! I''m sure we don''t need your body alive to study your blood! You will die, and with you, all the nonsense you''re saying!" yelled the woman, who in a few seconds, moved an arm backwards and created out of nowhere a dark blade, made of an unknown material, which seemed ethereal.


    She grabbed the blade and forcibly pierced Dag, who didn''t even try to dodge the blow.


    "No, no, no! Dag!" yelled Gridd, who began to run towards him, but was stopped by Reidar, who held her wrapping his arms.


    "Let me go, fucker! That''s my brother, and that''s the most important thing I have!" she continued, punching Reidar in the face to free herself.


    With the blade lodged in the center of his chest, Dag looked down at his sister as the woman continued to sink the weapon into her opponent''s body, seeking further damage.


    "Dag! Don''t die, please! We still have so much to do together! Daaag!" she continued to scream, unchecked, not knowing how to help his brother.


    "The most¡­ important thing?" said Dag in his hoarse voice, returning in himself for a second.


    "Yes! All these years, I have continued to live thinking about you and the feats we would do together! Since you were a child I took care of you and I loved you from the first moment! I won''t let you leave me like this, without any explanation! Your time hasn''t come yet, Dag!"


    Gridd screamed loudly, kneeling on the ground and crying in despair.


    "The most important thing..." Dag kept on saying, heedless of the blade that pierced his chest.


    "Stop raving, human fool! Grrr!" growled the woman, rotating the dark blade to tear his flesh apart.


    Dag approached his weapons to the belt, causing them to attach to the magnet.


    The liquid that held him off the ground pushed him towards the enemy, causing the blade to be completely stuck in his body, allowing him to approach the old woman, who did not understand what he was doing.

 197 CXCVII. The Human Potential

    He grabbed the enemy''s head in his hands, his fingers pressing against her temples.


    The old woman, while with one hand continued to push the blade, with the other grabbed Dag''s arm, trying to remove it from her head, but could not even move it.


    "How is it possible...? How can you counter my strength?! Your emotional bonds with these humans make you weak, you can''t compete with the Xis!" yelled the old woman, moving her head, trying to free herself.


    "You have done nothing but underestimate us, from the first moment. It is just living like my ancestors that I discovered what the true values are... the things worth living for" he said, as he clutched his enemy''s head between his hands, looking again at Gridd, who looked up, stopping crying.


    "Your power... goes beyond my expectations! I didn''t think you could unleash so much strength! How did you do that?! Tell us how you did to boost your body and mind up to this point! We expect an answer!" she continued, as Dag''s liquid curled around the wound on his chest, pulling out the blade, pushing it outwards.


    Under the astonished gaze of the old woman, the dark blade was ejected from Dag''s body and fell to the ground, while his wound was healed by the liquid.


    "I know nothing of my power. All I know is that every time my dearest affections are threatened, it grows exponentially, directly proportional to my anger" he continued, who continued to hold the woman still, dragging her down to the ground, preventing her from floating.


    "The fate of the duel has reversed! It seems that the strength of that mysterious woman is nothing compared to Dag''s!" said Karl, thinking out loud.


    "Despite the evil aura enveloping the Captain, it seems that this time, unlike when we fought the bandits, he has not completely lost control" Reidar added, alongside Karl.


    "Your... ''affections''? This doesn''t make any sense. Your species can''t develop biological mechanisms like this... aagh!" replied the woman, who was interrupted by Dag''s dark liquid that wrapped her neck, preventing her from breathing.


    "You have been fools. If you had never started spying on me and following me, I would never have started asking me questions about you and your true nature. So, thank you. If I am what I am today, I owe it above all to your stupid superiority" Dag continued, looking the woman in the eye, with a cruel look that his enemy would no forget so easily.


    The liquid continued to tighten the throat of the old woman, who could not respond and whose grip on Dag''s arms became weaker and weaker.


    Within seconds, Dag''s entire body returned to its normal color, releasing the huge amount of synthesized fluid, which after floating in the air, pounced on the woman, wrapping her face, shoulders, and the top of her torso.


    She continued to squirm, while Dag, with an impassive gaze, commanded the movements of the liquid, which after entering the mouth, ears, and nose of the woman, began to devour her from the inside.


    Her head continued to writhe more and more, in a scene so gruesome that Gridd looked away.


    "It is our fear that gives you power! I''ll find out what''s behind all this, at the cost of losing my life!" yelled Dag, who suddenly unleashed a purple aura, which enveloped his whole body.


    A moment later, the woman''s neck broke, bending her head in an inhumane manner.


    Her arms hung along her hips, though some life still seemed to flow through her body.


    "Aaaagh!" screamed Dag, as the liquid ate the woman from the inside, making her crumpled on herself like a piece of paper.


    Her head crushed between her shoulders, then her arms broke completely, discovering bones and tendons.


    "I know what he''s doing! The Captain has already used this technique, but the last time I saw him, he had first channeled the black fluid into a sphere!" said Reidar, realizing what was about to happen.


    "What are you talking about?!" asked Karl, agitated.


    "When the Fangs Of Jormungandr reptilians attacked the Temple Of Orn, he used the same kind of attack against one of them and temporarily absorbed his energy, compressing his enemy''s entire body into a small blackish sphere!" the archer continued, trying to remember every detail.


    "Absorb his power?! But the strength of this evil witch is incredibly great! Dag''s body won''t be able to hold it all! What do we do?! He''s going to die!" yelled Karl, approaching Dag cautiously.


    Gridd listened to those words and stood up.


    She turned back and walked toward Reidar, blocking Karl''s advance, who was surprised.


    "Karl, my brother hasn''t lost control. Before, when he looked at me, I saw it in his eyes. I saw that the gentle, protective Dag I know was still there, behind that purple pupil" Gridd said, in a confident tone.


    Karl paused, watching his Captain and best friend, while the fluid created by him devoured the strongest enemy they had ever met before.


    He clenched his fists and stepped back, realizing he could not intervene in any way.


    Meanwhile, the dark liquid had reduced the woman''s upper body to shreds, stopping at the chest, which imposed resistance to the enormous force of intrinsic gravity.


    Dag, while his body was connected to that of the enemy through the liquid, punched the old woman''s chest, piercing it.


    After opening a gap, he also slipped his other hand into the flesh hole and impressing great force, widened it, until he cracked the bones of the rib cage, which looked like they were made of metal.


    At that exact moment, the liquid wrapped the woman''s ribs and internal organs, managing to compress them.


    When it reached his abdomen, Dag grabbed his own fluid, which as if it was a rubber band twisted around his arms beginning to scream, emitting purple sparks from all over his body.


    The lightning bolts were channeled into the circular metal plates of the new armor and came into contact with the fluid, which immediately electrified itself, showing chemical properties that only an exceptional conductor could have.

 198 CXCVIII. The Vision

    "Aaagh!"


    With one last effort, Dag pulled the fluid towards him with both arms, ripping it from the enemy''s body, now halved.


    The woman''s legs, which were the only part left intact, knelt and fell to the ground like lifeless objects.


    The fluid that had absorbed the upper part of his body, formed a beam, and quickly entered Dag''s body, slipping into his mouth, ears, and through the pores of his skin.


    "Fuck! Captain!" yelled Reidar, trying to make Dag understand that his friends were still there and would not abandon him.


    In less than 2 seconds, all the fluid in circulation was inside him, that knelt and rested his hands on the ground, trying to concentrate.


    At the same moment, from the legs of the woman''s body, a violet gas soared into the air, swaying upwards.


    Before Reidar and the others could intervene, all the gas leaked out of the flesh of the host body and flew up to the sky, dissolving in the air, leaving the two legs completely dried up, as if the muscles had been drained and every liquid in circulation had evaporated instantly.


    Dag began screaming again, resting his face on the ground.


    "He''s in pain! I said his body wouldn''t be able to hold all that power! We must help him!" yelled Karl, who ran to his friend, quickly opening the medicine box.


    "Aaagh!" shouted Dag again, banging his fists on the ground, to hold back the pain.


    The fists were so powerful that a shockwave spread over the surface of the ground, causing Karl to fall during the run.


    He repeatedly hit the ground, cracking the rock below, which broke out, emitting lightning bolts and making sounds similar to the roar of thunder.


    To the fury of hitting the ground, Dag created furrows, continuing to scream out of control.


    "Get away from there!" shouted Reidar, who lowered himself toward Karl and dragged him away from Dag, who could accidentally kill him.


    At one point, he raised his head upwards, breathing hard: on his neck, the veins swelled, while the black fluid flowed inside them.


    His face expressed the incredible pain he was feeling.


    He opened his arms, clenched his fists, and on them, the situation was identical to that of the neck.


    "Even if we cannot see it, there is a real war inside his body. This moment is crucial... c''mon, Captain..." continued Reidar, kneeling on the ground, sighing.


    "Come on, Dag! Don''t let them prevail on you! You''re stronger! Keep fighting!" shouted Gridd, trying to make herself heard by Dag.


    "Gg... aaaagh! bIjatlh ''e'' yImev!" he said, his gaze in a baritone voice, looking upwards as if he was answering to Gridd, while his body was still in tension.


    Suddenly, some of the liquid came out of his body, smashing a rib and wrapping his neck.


    "Dag... please... don''t leave us¡­ Dag..." continued Gridd, who stopped screaming, losing hope.


    Dag closed his eyes.


    ...


    "Where are they? What... how did I end up here?" he thought, looking around, seeing nothing but darkness.


    "I''m floating... those are stars! I may be... Yes! I''m in space! I can breathe and... and that''s the Earth!"


    In front of him, in the distance, a large blue sphere was motionless, suspended in space.


    Just thinking about moving towards it, he dashed at great speed in that direction, and when it was in front of it, the spectacle was magnificent: that huge sphere was really the Earth, but not as he remembered it.


    It was shrouded in a dense atmosphere and vast oceans covered its surface.


    He was enchanted to watch that show, standing between the stars, when he felt intense heat on his left arm.


    "What is this heat? Where did it come from?" he continued to think, turning his gaze in that direction.


    Before he could look, an incredibly strong light blinded him, forcing him to cover his eyes with one hand.


    The heat spread throughout his body, which despite the icy cold of the boundless space, began to burn.


    "This heat... this energy... it can''t be...!" thought Dag, when he finally managed to spread his fingers, looking beyond them.


    "It''s the Sun!"


    He gasped, looking at the huge red giant in front of his eyes, as he spewed flames from his surface, burning ardently with every breath.


    Dag continued to stare at it, enchanted by all that beauty, until, the feeling of warmth on his skin ceased, despite the huge flaming star still in front of him.


    Starting from behind it, a shadow began to envelop it, stifling its vital flames and preventing all other chemical reactions that made that star so unique.


    "What? That looks like..." thought Dag, who began to feel cold.


    The black substance that was enveloping the Sun was very similar to the liquid he could synthesize, only that its size was infinitely larger.


    Crawling on the fiery surface, the liquid reduced the star to a cold, motionless sphere, which slowly began to crumble.


    Dag could not hold back a weeping.


    Tears began to flow across his face: some of them broke off and began to float towards the dying Sun.


    In a few seconds, they froze, crystallizing.


    "That fluid... my power... has it something to do with the death of our Sun? But how?! What do I have to do with all this?!" he thought, grabbing one of his crystallized tears, while his body began to freeze from the inside.


    His eyes squinted and Dag felt that his end was near, when, looking at the huge lifeless star, a gigantic shadow spread around it, expanding and enveloping it for the second time.


    Dag stretched his eyes as he felt his neurons become ice.


    That huge shadow spread in several directions, taking the shape of a gigantic hand, which squeezed the frozen sphere and broke it, causing an explosion of unimaginable size, which enveloped all the space around him, also involving the Earth and nearby stars.


    As the supernova expanded toward Dag, his eyes closed and she saw only the darkness.

 199 CXCIX. The Inner Struggle

    "My time has not come yet!"


    ...


    "Aaagh! Fuck! Grr... aagh!" shouted Dag, opening his eyes and barely breathing, as his own black liquid clutched his neck, trying to suffocate him.


    Slowly, looking up, he managed to focus on the clouds and the blue sky, illuminated by the false Sun created by the Xis.


    "Dag! What the fuck are you doing?! Wake up!"


    "Captain, what are you waiting for?! Free yourself!"


    Gridd and Reidar''s voices echoed in his ears, while his senses were unstable, due to the tightness that the black liquid exerted on his neck.


    Slowly, Dag looked down at his hand, opening it: the crystallized tear was there.


    It wasn''t just a dream or a vision, it was real.


    "The black hand that shook the Sun and made it explode... there must be someone who moves the wires of the Xis, who are nothing but puppets! They have been ordered to capture me for sure, because, for some strange reason, I have something to do with it! The liquid I saw... it''s identical to what my body produces when I activate my powers! What does that mean? I have to find out what''s wrong with me, I can''t die now!" he thought, reflecting on what had just happened to him.


    Motivated and relieved that he was still alive, he squeezed the drop-shaped crystal into his hands, shattering it into a thousand pieces, and grabbed the black liquid around his neck with both hands, trying to rip it off.


    Despite the incredible force that now flowed through his veins, the fluid was so hard to break, becoming plastic.


    "Enough... leave me alone!" exclaimed Dag, his teeth clenched to hold back the pain.


    In his mouth, he felt the taste of blood and when he looked in front of him, noticing the enemy''s legs reduced to shreds, he regained courage.


    In a decisive gesture, he bit the bundle of black liquid that wrapped his chin, trying in every way to free himself.


    "You won''t succeed... to resist... my powers... will kill you!"


    Dag looked around, unable to understand where that voice came from.


    "You''re going to explode... your body is too weak..."


    "Who spoke?!" thought Dag intensely, that in addition to his companions, who looked at him in despair, saw no one else around him.


    "You''re not worthy of all this... power... die!" continued the voice, identical to that of the old woman he had defeated just before.


    At these words, the beam of dark material became even narrower, forcing Dag to open his mouth wide, avoiding breaking his jaw.


    "Out of my head!" thought him again, who with a bite tore a piece of black liquid and, instead of spitting it out, began to chew it frantically.


    "You won''t succeed!... what are you doing, silly human... stop it!" continued the voice in his head.


    Dag swallowed the first piece of liquid, which suddenly loosened the grip around his neck as if it had been drastically weakened.


    Soon after, he bit the dark substance again and swallowed another piece, feeling a burning in his throat: that material, traveling in his trachea until it reached his stomach, burned like a firebrand.


    "How do you... how is that possible... you can''t succeed... you can''t counter my strength... you''re just an inferior being..." continued the old woman''s voice, which slowly began to fade, freeing Dag''s mind.


    With a sudden gesture of his arms, he tore the entire bundle of dark liquid, finally managing to breathe, albeit with anguish.


    After twice ingesting the substance containing the powers of his enemy, his physical strength increased.


    He looked at the remaining liquid, which moved winding in his hands, and without thinking too much, he slipped it into his mouth, swallowing it all in one breath, without even chewing.


    "What are you doing?! Is he crazy?!" shouted Gridd, looking at Reidar, believing that Dag was doomed.


    "He''s powering up" Karl said, as a smile of relief lit up his face.


    Dag stopped moving.


    He stood still on his feet.


    Strange gurgling-like noises came from inside his body.


    His muscles suddenly hardened: his abs, arm muscles, legs, and back muscles hardened, trying to retain the new power.


    "If my body is not compatible with these powers, I will die in a matter of seconds. The only answer, it''s in my blood again. If there is any connection between me and these cruel beings, I will be able to absorb this power, whatever it costs!" thought Dag, closing his eyes to concentrate.


    As soon as he closed them, a sequence of images came to his mind, composed of many small flashbacks: from the moments of his childhood to his arrival on Skjold, from his friends on Earth to the early days in the Arena, Asa, Stein, Karl, Gridd, and his new friends.


    His memories lingered on one moment in particular: the first and only time he had made love with Freydis, to whom he thought every single day of his life.


    He clenched his fists, trying to keep all those positive thoughts in mind, which were bright spots within the total darkness, which without any effort, would totally swallow his brain and soul.


    "That''s why it''s worth living. 813666 no longer exists. My name is Dag and from today, my goal will be to end your existence" he thought out loud as if the old woman could hear it, noting that her voice had disappeared from his head.


    Suddenly, he began to writhe, bending over his back and screaming loudly.


    Soon after, his muscles, which for a few seconds had become harder than the metal, lost their strength to the point that he could no longer withstand the weight of his body, which fell to the ground.


    "No, no, no, no..." whispered Gridd, rushing towards him, not perceiving further threats in the surroundings.


    She lowered herself towards her brother, who was on the ground with his eyes closed and placed her fingers on his neck and an ear on his chest.

 200 CC. The Relief

    "He''s still alive!" she exclaimed happily, managing to feel the heartbeat of his heart and leaning on him, smiling and crying tears of joy, which flowed on her face, ending up on the black skin of Dag''s armor.


    Reidar knelt near them, sighing in shock, while Karl reached Agnes, who had stood still with the horses in their hiding place.


    Gridd opened her eyes again when a warm hand touched her cheek, gently stroking her.


    "The most important thing?" asked Dag with a thread of voice, after regaining his senses.


    She placed her hand on her brother''s, blushing with embarrassment and trying to feel contact with his skin moment after moment as if she wanted to stop time.


    Then she quickly sat next to him and began punching him in the chest.


    "Never do it again! You will make me die in fear! Did you get mad?! Who was that old witch and what did she want from you?! 813... or something... what the fuck does that mean?!" she yelled, continuing to punch him, jocking.


    "Ouch! Hahaha! Believe me, Gridd, I didn''t expect two Xis to attack us! I''ve never had anything like this happen to me!" said Dag, looking up at the sky, happy that the nightmare was over.


    "So... those people¡­ were they Xis, Captain?" asked Reidar with a smile, as he noticed that Dag''s breathing was normal again.


    "Yes, they were. I saw something, my friends" he continued, sitting on the ground next to Gridd, who listened intently to what he had to say.


    "Have you ''seen'' something? What do you mean? I assure you, we''ve seen some crazy shit too! Hahaha!" chuckled Reidar.


    "As soon as that woman''s life force entered my body, I had a kind of vision. I was in the open space and witnessed the death of our Sun".


    "What? Are you talking about the Dark Day? How... how did you be there, did you go back in time?" the archer asked again.


    "I think so, or rather... my mind came back. The Sun did not die of natural causes, as we believed from that day... they did it! A huge black hand wrapped it up, extinguishing its flames and shattering it as if it was a glass ball!"


    "A black hand? Dag, you must have banged your head! How can a black hand be so big as to envelop a star the size of the Sun?!" exclaimed Karl, who along with Agnes and the horses returned to his companions.


    "It wasn''t a hand in the flesh... it was like a shadow. And the substance it was made of... It looked like the black liquid I can create when I fight" Dag continued, standing up, holding on to Gridd because of his dizziness.


    After that statement, they all remained silent.


    "Come on! Don''t worry, I''m not one of them, ready to kill you and destroy other Suns and other galaxies! It''s always me!" he replied, noting that his teammates were watching him closely.


    "We know, Captain. We trust your words and thank you for saving us from enemies beyond our reach once again. But... your right eye... why hasn''t it been back to normal yet?" exclaimed Reidar.


    "I think it is due to the powers he has absorbed from that woman. If she was really a Xis, it''s not to be excluded that her essence has been linked to yours and that her powers have added to those you already possessed" Karl replied, preceding Dag, surprised by the news about his eye.


    "Like transfusion, but even more effective... if our blood is similar, so is our DNA... by absorbing her body in this way, I was able to permanently store her powers. Or at least, I hope so" Dag thought out loud.


    "DNA? What''s that?" asked Karl, intrigued.


    "I don''t remember exactly, I read something about that when I was little and I was on Earth. Let''s say it''s a kind of code, which differentiates us from each other, making us unique. It''s impossible for two living things to have the same DNA... however, for example, yours is a kind of fusion between that of your mother and your father. I''d really like to read one of those science books again, which explained biology and genetics in a simple way..." continued Dag, recalling the arguments that remained most imprinted on him.


    "A code? It''s fascinating! So do you think your code and that old witch''s code are similar?" replied Karl.


    "Yes, I am convinced. Not just mine and hers... I think my DNA is related to that of the Xis, although I don''t know how yet, being both of my parents human beings".


    "Dag, wait a minute, let me know something... does this mean that your powers have increased even more? That woman was incredibly strong, but you managed to defeat her... that means your skills were already superior to hers, imagine now!" exclaimed Gridd, who tried to return down-to-earth, stopping to fantasize.


    Dag paused to reflect on what he had just said: on a large scale, perhaps his strength in combat was not so incredible, compared to that of the strongest Xis.


    But considering the present, on Skjold, his potential was enormous. With those powers, hardly anyone else could counter him, perhaps not even King Einar himself.


    "I think the two Xis we faced just now, were of low rank. The ''guest'' bodies they had chosen were old and weak and this definitely increased my chances of winning. In any case, these are simply useless considerations... just stop talking about me, we have a mission to achieve!" he exclaimed, raising the spirits of his companions and his sister.


    "Are you feeling well, Captain? If you want, we can camp here and leave tomorrow morning..." Reidar asked, watching Dag from head to toe, certain he was hurt.


    "Yes, I''m fine, my wounds have healed and the armor... it was amazing! It''s also thanks to Turid that I was able to get the better of the enemy!" said Dag, winking at Reidar, who reciprocated with a smile.

 201 CCI. How Does It Feel?

    After drinking some water, the adventurers rode horses and left for Mount Torden.


    Gridd looked back, with a heartbroken expression painted on her face.


    "I feel very sorry for Lara" Dag said, looking at her sister out of the corner of his eye.


    "She was a very promising young Shieldmaiden... she always said that I was his inspiration. She faced the enemy to defend me, I should have stopped her!" she said, in a tone of remorse.


    "You couldn''t have known that that man would kill her in cold blood like that... Gridd, we''re lucky to be all alive. We''re going to avenge her... she and all those who have suffered, do not lose hope" Dag replied, trying to ease her pain.


    Gridd looked forward, trying not to think about it anymore, determined to achieve the next goal.


    "I didn''t know what to do and I freed her horse, who ran towards Hevnen" Agnes told Dag, referring to Lara''s horse.


    "You''ve done more than you need, Agnes. Thank you on behalf of all of us" he continued.


    As the Sun began to fall, the adventurers reached the Grey Mountains chain.


    "From here on, I''ll lead the way, sister" Dag exclaimed with a smile, overtaking Gridd''s horse and leading the line.


    "How does it feel, Dag?" she asked, her eyes lost in a vacuum.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "In a short time, you have discovered that your powers are connected to something else... something bigger. It doesn''t happen to everyone to discover such an incredible thing. How do you feel about it?" she replied.


    "Even if I pretend to be sure of what I do, I assure you that I am very confused. Yes, it''s true, this is incredible, but... it''s not easy to discover something without the slightest help. One thing is certain, if I had not decided to become a Berserkr, maybe my powers would never have emerged and I would never have endangered all these people, now dead because of me" Dag replied, looking sad and serious.


    "Don''t even joke about that! Your destiny is to become the strongest warrior on the planet, I''m sure of it. You have something no other warrior has... I''m not talking about your unique powers, I''m talking about your heart. Lara and everyone else sacrificed their life for you, but it was their choice. When you choose to dedicate your life to the steel of weapons, every day may be your last one and if you know you are fighting for something bigger... well, it''s rewarding. I don''t want to die, Dag, but I would sacrifice myself for you with pride if I must" continued Gridd, who couldn''t stop thinking about what had happened in the last few hours.


    He turned his gaze towards her, who smiled at him.


    "Together we will do great things, no one will have to sacrifice. Life is the most important gift we have been given... we have to show these damn aliens how much we''re worth. When we were little, you asked me if it was possible to defeat them... till today I did not believe that it was possible".


    "Still, you succeeded, we succeeded! Your teammates have also been very strong, especially the archer. I''ve never seen anyone use bows and arrows with so much skill. And his bow is magnificent! It''s a magical weapon, isn''t it?" replied Gridd, curious to know more about the Failnaught, which had caught her eye.


    "Yes, it is. Like my Giantbane, it was forged by Weland, the God. But, think about one thing... both my axe and Reidar''s magic bow, did not cause any harm to the Xis. The powers these weapons unleash are divine in nature, as are our skills, which draw energy from the Gods, right?" asked Dag.


    "Yes, but... I don''t understand, what''s the point?"


    "I am convinced that the Xis are immune to divine powers. Weland told us what happened to Asgard when the great and powerful Aesir were driven from Earth. Even the great Odin, the Alfather, and his son Thor were forced to bow before this unknown breed. If the Gods are the most powerful form of life on the planet, it means that escaping the control of the Xis is virtually impossible" he continued, thinking out loud.


    "Odin?! The great Alfather knelt before them?! I can hardly believe it! I want to know more, tell me what you know about Asgard, please!"


    The two siblings continued to speak until it became dark, and Dag told Gridd the story of Weland, who described the misfortunes that struck Asgard immediately after the Dark Day, arousing in her a deep sense of anger, in the face of the heresy of the alien race, whose powers outweighed those of the Aesir.


    "Captain, perhaps we should stop at this clearing for the night. The horses look tired" Reidar said, interrupting Dag and Gridd, who were still talking.


    "You''re right, let''s stop here. We''ll be back tomorrow morning, Mount Torden is not so far" he confirmed, getting off his horse and tying Aslan near a tree.


    After the long and tiring day, they had managed to cover more than half the distance and about 3 mountains separated them from their destination.


    In the middle of thick wood, they camped in a clearing, which seemed to be made on purpose. In its center, flowed a small stream, from which they could quench the horses and fill their water bottles.


    In the dark of night, Dag and the others lay on the ground around a fire.


    He stood still and looked at the sky, while his companions discussed about this and that, imagining the faces of Egill and Dargeon when they discovered that the Sons Of Freya had accepted their alliance proposal.


    "Are you all right, Dag?" asked Gridd, lying next to him, much more apprehensive than usual.


    "You''re behaving like our mother, indeed... even worse! Hahaha" he chuckled, teasing her.


    "Today I thought I''d lose you for good, you idiot! Wondering how you feel at the end of such a busy day is the least I can do" she muttered, slapping him on the shoulder.

 202 CCII. The Empathy

    "Look how many there are up there. I mean¡­ planets. I can''t stop thinking about what''s going on above them. Maybe down there, somewhere, there is someone who has my same powers, another human being" he said, without looking away from the night sky, in which the planets and stars shone, illuminating the clearing.


    "I always believed that everything I needed was here, on Skjold. I never thought about the other planets and everything... maybe it''s a thing related to my origins, probably if I was born like you on Earth I would act like you. I knew there was something different about you, Dag. I felt it inside me, as I feel it now. It''s inexplicable" she replied, turning her head towards him.


    "Being born on Earth doesn''t make me any different. Of course, maybe I received a more rigorous education, being treated like a machine. You and I are brother and sister, Gridd, even though we have different parents. But the people who inhabit the other planets are also like us. My childhood friends have all been sent to planets different from mine... I often think of them, asking if they are okay, if they have chosen to fight, if they are still alive..." sighed him, keeping a serene expression.


    "If they''re all as strong and determined as you are, I think they''re fine!" exclaimed Gridd, trying to make Dag smile, who immediately felt better.


    "I feel to speak so freely only with you¡­ there is empathy between us, sister. You will become one of the strongest Shieldmaidens on the planet, stronger even than Asa. I love you, Gridd" he continued, turning to one side and closing his eyes, ready to fall asleep.


    "I love you too Dag. It will be an honor to be the sister of the King of all Vikings! Good night..." whispered her, turning to him.


    Within minutes, both they and all their companions fell asleep like stones, with no one doing the usual guard duty, convinced that they were in safe territory, far from danger.


    ...


    "No... no... naaagh!" yelled Dag, waking up startled, sitting next to Gridd, who turned the other way, continuing to sleep.


    He had just made a nightmare: that giant hand, after destroying the Sun had approached him, clutching him forcefully until he died.


    Breathing deeply, as his heart beat madly in fear, he looked at his hands, to check that nothing had happened to him.


    After a few minutes, he took a sip of water and went back to sleep, relaxing.


    ...


    As dawn came, they all awoke, stretching after recovering their strength.


    Dag had been awake for more than an hour, but he had been lying on the ground, staring at the sky, thoughtful.


    The red dawn sky was partially covered by the gray clouds floating above the FossilWood Forest, right at the foot of the mountain on which they had camped.


    "Come on, let''s get back on the road" Dag said, standing up and heading for the horses.


    Without objecting, still a little sleepy, his companions executed the order and rode horses.


    After a few hours of travel, Gridd said: "There''s something down there... it looks like a dwelling".


    "We''ve been there before, Gridd. It was there that we met those two elderly people who turned out to be Xis! They hosted us there at night, setting a trap" said Karl, who as soon as he looked at that wooden house from a distance, shuddered for an instant.


    Gridd nodded, confirming that she understood.


    After about a kilometer, they descended from the mountains, heading for the valley leading to the Temple Of Orn trail, at the top of Mount Torden.


    Along the river that carved the valley in the center, they saw caravans dragged by donkeys.


    Judging by their size and shape, they seemed to be wagons of traders, exporting all kinds of goods from Jernhest, directed who knows where.


    "I feel at home here... the Kvete region was practically deserted, while in Sjonir we never met anyone on the street. I''m glad to be back in Jordst?l, which is teeming with life!" exclaimed Karl, waving his hand at one of the merchants driving a carriage, who reciprocated the greeting with kindness.


    They took the path to the Temple, and when the Sun was high in the sky, they reached its entrance.


    "This place is beautiful! The statue of Thor is so majestic and the view... It''s breathtaking!" exclaimed Gridd, looking around in amazement, mesmerized by the beauty of the majestic Temple Of Orn.


    Dag did not answer, merely smiling.


    The five travelers approached the large doors of the main entrance, which opened immediately before they could knock.


    Gridd''s astonishment increased further as she saw the interior of the walls: as every morning, hundreds of warriors gathered to train in the center of the courtyard, while the Sun lit up the beautiful dome of the library and the roof of the dormitory, both imposing and architecturally perfect buildings.


    In front of the crowd of people who populated the Temple, on their pedestal, both Egill and Dargeon were watching the demonstrations of their warriors, when they noticed that the big doors opened.


    From a distance, Dag and Egill looked at each other, happy to meet again.


    When the Master Of Healing noticed that there was an unknown young Shieldmaiden next to him, his happiness increased further, already imagining the outcome of the negotiation.


    "But that''s Dag!"


    "Yes, it''s him!"


    "Look at his armor! It''s beautiful!"


    "And that axe... I''m sure he didn''t have it before he left!"


    "Who is that girl beside him? She''s so beautiful!"


    Among the warriors of the Clan, a buzz rose as they commented on the scene, intrigued.


    "Dag! Hahaha! You''re already back!" shouted Dargeon, who with his usual crude manners approached them, followed by Egill.


    "Good morning, Master Dargeon! Master Egill..." greeted Dag, bowing his head out of respect.


    All his companions did the same, including Gridd, standing beside him.


    "I''m glad to see you safe and sound, boy! Hahaha!" continued Dargeon, hugging Dag and lifting him off the ground, until he lost his breath.

 203 CCIII. The Unexpected Submission

    "Aaagh... me too... I''m glad I''m back!" he replied, waiting for his enormous Master to put him back down.


    "What the fuck happened to your right eye? Did it change its color?" Dargeon continued, attracting the attention of Egill, who having watched Dag out of the way, had not noticed that particular.


    "Yes, one morning I woke up and my comrades made me notice that it had turned purple! I don''t know exactly why, but I think it''s related to the growth of my powers!" replied Dag, trying to make his answer seem as convincing as possible.


    Both Masters looked at each other, convincing themselves that that was the truth, and then continued to play dumb.


    "Then, Dag... how did it go?" asked Egill, who, with his usual elegance, looked to Gridd, curious to know her identity.


    When Dargeon left Dag, he took his breath back and announced: "Masters! Clan brothers! The name of this Shieldmaiden is Gridd, Master Of Offense of the Sons Of Freya! In addition to covering such an important role, she also has the misfortune to be my sister!"


    "Hahaha!"


    All the warriors laughed, at the same time amazed to met personally the Master of another Clan.


    "Continue, Gridd. I want everyone to hear your voice" said Dag, proud of her, who stepped forward, thinking of the best words to make the important announcement.


    Despite the agitation of the moment, Gridd took a deep breath and began to speak: "Hammers Of Thor! I am honored to make your acquaintance and to be able to see with my own eyes your magnificent Temple, far superior to the descriptions given on the ancient texts. As my brother anticipated, my name is Gridd and I cover the role of Master in my Clan. It is with pride that I bring you this magnificent news: our two Clans are finally allies!"


    At these words, the warriors screamed in unison, cheering Gridd and Dag, enthusiastic about the news.


    Gridd smiled, looking at the people in front of her, in disbelief that she had aroused such joy in the crowd.


    Egill raised his hand, trying to bring silence again, to allow Dag and Gridd to continue, though he could not hide his happiness as he watched them proudly.


    "That''s right, brothers! The Sons Of Freya just signed the contract that establishes the union of our Clans. This contract is based on several principles, including a non-belligerence pact, the sharing of weapons and troops, and the right of passage in allied territories. Soon you will know every detail, as soon as our Masters will put the official seal of the Hammers Of Thor on the parchment. At first, I too was in disbelief, but apparently, my dream begins to take shape! Thor and Freya will celebrate, seeing us toasting together in their honor!" shouted Dag, adrenaline-pumping, galvanizing the crowd of warriors, who repeatedly cheered his name, treating him like a hero.


    "Our Masters? Hahahah, well... in this regard, we too must make an announcement!" said Egill, continuing to look at Dag and positioning himself next to him with Dargeon, addressing all the warriors of the Clan.


    "Master Dargeon and I, during the absence of Dag and his team of explorers, have pondered much about the future of our Clan, which after the death of the great Magni has been subjected to stress and confusion. Nevertheless, some of us managed to restore order, as well as giving the Clan a new hope, a bright future" he continued, drawing the attention of all, who kept quiet, hanging from his lips.


    Dag looked at him in surprise as Gridd and the others listened in silence, and Dargeon stood standing beside him, arms crossed and a smile painted on his face.


    "This young warrior, after being exiled, returned here to the Temple Of Orn, alerting us about the threat of the Fangs Of Jormungadr and proving to be capable of being in charge of a large troop, which defended the Temple''s entrance with tenacity and strength. Usually, when there''s an opening as Master between us, a tournament-like competition is held to elect a new one. We, Master Egill and Master Dargeon will make you a different proposal".


    Egill put a hand on Dag''s shoulder, continuing to look forward, while he couldn''t believe what he was about to hear and his legs trembled with emotion, imaging what it was.


    "If the majority of you will accept, Dag from Earth will become the Hammers Of Thor''s new Master Of Offense, elected on merit, avoiding the tournament for once" Egill replied, turning his gaze to his pupil.


    Dag opened his eyes wide, turning to look back and then at the warriors in front of him, who were also surprised by that proposal.


    After those words, for a few seconds, at the Temple reigned the absolute silence, leaving room for the chirping of birds that fluttered over the walls.


    At one point, a Berserkr made his way through the crowd, approaching Egill.


    Dag looked intently at his face, which had something familiar.


    In astonishment, he noticed that he was Aslan''s training partner, who had attacked him incorrectly was wounded by him, causing his exile.


    "I was sure this asshole would oppose... I hurt him hard at that time, but I think I paid enough for my mistakes!" thought Dag, sighing.


    The warrior stopped a few feet from them, attracting everyone''s attention.


    He drew a sword from behind his shoulders.


    Immediately Dag placed his hand on the head of the hammer, ready to grab it in case of need, but unexpectedly, the young Berserkr turned his weapon with the tip down and thrust it into the ground, under the astonished gaze of Dag and Gridd, who were already ready to defend themselves.


    With one hand resting on the hilt, he knelt, looking down.


    "Long live Master Dag, the Exiled!" he yelled, after catching his breath.


    Dag did not believe his ears, continuing to look at that warrior with an astonished air.


    Soon after him, another Berserkr and a Shieldmaiden did the same, kneeling next to their companion and shouting Dag''s name, preceded by the ''Master'' title.

 204 CCIV. The Exhibition Match

    Within seconds, each warrior in the central courtyard of the Temple knelt.


    "Long live Master Dag, the Exiled!" they all screamed in unison.


    Dag stepped back, caught in a sudden emotion.


    "What? It''s not possible... do they really all agree with the decision of Egill and Dargeon? Taking Magni''s place... I''m not sure I''m up to it... but I will honor my task!" he thought, taking his hand off the hammer and leaning his shoulders forward, out of respect for the warriors of his Clan, accepting their decision.


    "Well, that means that starting now, Dag, you''re the Clan''s new Master Of Offense, with all the benefits and obligations that come with it. You will never give up your duties and the only event that will lead to the conclusion of your role will be death. Do you accept the conditions?" asked Egill, looking seriously at his apprentice.


    "Master Magni sacrificed his life to save mine. I''d be ungrateful if I gave up and my life would lose its sense. May his hammer keep me and all of you safe, bringing peace to Skjold and, if necessary, war against those who will stand in our way. I thank you all for the trust you have given me, I will not disappoint your expectations. I accept!" Dag exclaimed, raising Magni''s hammer to the crowd, tears of joy streaming down his face.


    All the warriors rose to their feet and began to scream his name again, making that moment even more unforgettable.


    Dag couldn''t believe it was all true: becoming Master of his Clan was one of the ultimate goals of his life as a warrior and he didn''t believe he would reach such a milestone at 18 years old, after only a few months away from Jernhest.


    "If I can... I''d like to add more!" said Gridd aloud, trying to bring order among the warriors, aided by Egill, curious to hear what the sister of the new Master Of Offense had to say.


    "I''m sure many of you know Dag''s ability in combat. Myself, I was amazed at how strong he became in such a short time. The union of our Clans has a name, it''s called ''Iron Alliance'' and like any alliance, it needs a Warchief. It has been decided that every time a Clan joins the union, one of its members can fight to earn this title. Well, I''d like to inform you that Master Taya fought my brother... and she lost" Gridd continued, further emphasizing Dag''s figure.


    "Master Taya?!"


    "She was my first Master when I was training at the Arena!"


    "Yes, mine too!"


    "Now I remember, it was part of Sons Of Freya!"


    A buzz snaked through the crowd and the warriors looked on in disbelief, considering that most of them knew Taya and remembered her incredible strength.


    "In an equal-terms fight, Dag managed to defeat our strongest Shieldmaiden, earning the title of Warchief of the Iron Alliance!" replied Gridd, pointing to her brother with her hand, who was too excited to respond and merely smiled satisfied.


    "Hahah! It looks like our little Dag won''t be able to sleep peacefully for a while! Hahahaha!" chuckled Dargeon, surprised by Dag''s double title in less than two days.


    "Congratulations, ''colleague''. We''re proud of you, we knew you weren''t going to let us down" Egill said, winking at Dag, who kept smiling, unable to hold back the emotion, augmented by the applause of his teammates.


    "So... If you''re not too tired, why don''t we have a friendly fight? The Sun is high in the sky and I think everyone wants to release the accumulated adrenaline! What do you say, Dag?" asked Dargeon, who was looking forward to testing the true powers of the new Master.


    "Of course! Why not?" he exclaimed, also looking at Reidar and Karl, seeking their approval.


    "Perfect! I like this energy-laden spirit! Warriors, clear some space in the center! Who wants to fight?" shouted Dargeon, calling his pupils to appeal.


    A Berserkr came forward.


    He was a muscular man in his thirties, with a braided beard and short black hair.


    "I would challenge Master Gridd if she accepts. I noticed she''s got two swords behind her back. I also use a similar fighting technique and would like to test my skills with a worthy opponent!" exclaimed the man, pulling out two one-handed axes and pointing them at Gridd, who looked at him surprised.


    "Did you hear, sister? You''ve already caught their eye! Be careful, I don''t know that guy, but from the way he wields his weapons he looks very strong and..."


    "Now you look like our mother! Hahaha! Just see!" exclaimed Gridd, interrupting Dag, too apprehensive for her taste and immediately pulling out her swords from behind her back, making them twirl deftly.


    Dag crossed his arms, ready to watch the show.


    "Master Gridd... it will be an honor to fight against the sister of our new Master, I will try not to go in heavy..." chuckled the warrior, defying Gridd, who continued to smile carelessly of the taunts.


    "Yes, maybe you''re right... please, be careful not to hurt me, I''m just a poor helpless woman!" she exclaimed, pretending to whine.


    The warrior charged at her, faking a frontal attack and turning 180 degrees, trying to hit her on the other side.


    Gridd lowered herself to her knees and using a single blade, deflected both axes of his opponent and unbalanced him, hitting him soon after with a kick on his calf, causing him to fall to the ground.


    "Ooops!" she exclaimed, shrugging her shoulders and stirring up the crowd, who began to laugh, having fun.


    "Grr... take this!" the warrior yelled, rising nimbly from the ground and trying to hit her from above, joining his two weapons to increase the weight of the blow.


    Gridd, who previously turned her back to her opponent, spun quickly and one of her blades got surrounded by a heavenly aura.


    She lifted it up, parrying the blow again.


    Upon impact with Gridd''s sword, the two axes bounced off its blade, vibrating and repelling the warrior, who this time fell to his feet.

 205 CCV. The Bulwark

    Gridd was so fast that immediately after the parry, she snapped forward, pointing the other sword at her opponent''s throat, stopping it less than an inch from his skin.


    He remained motionless, sweating cold and dropping his weapons to the ground, as a sign of surrender.


    "Hahahaha! What an incredible skill! Look, warriors! Admire the strength of our new ally!" yelled Dargeon, praising Gridd, who within seconds had managed to prove her superiority.


    "Your sister is very strong. Her fighting style reminds me of your mother''s... She also used to fight with two swords when she was young" Egil whispered to Dag.


    "Yes, she is. Much of what I know about combat is to her credit. Every time she came back home, we trained near our farm and she taught me some of her techniques. She is an exceptional fighter, very precise and versatile" he confirmed, looking proudly at his sister as she was cheered by the crowd.


    "There is no point in fighting with two weapons and using them as one! The real strength of dual-wielding combat lies in the speed of attacks. The blades of my swords never touch each other, except to parry heavy strikes" Gridd said to her opponent as he gathered his weapons from the ground.


    "But by joining them if necessary, my attacking force increases! I''ve never faced someone this fast, otherwise, I''m sure it would work!" he replied, accepting the defeat.


    "The power of the attack increases, this is true... but what about their speed? If you want to hit with heavy attacks I recommend using a double-headed axe or a sledgehammer. Anyway, these are just tips, if you want, when I get back to Hevnen you can come with me and learn more about this fighting style" she smiled, offering to train the warrior.


    "Really? That would be great! I gladly accept the offer, Master Gridd!" he exclaimed, bowing out of respect.


    "After only one fight, the first signs of the Alliance begin to take shape! Clearly, anyone who wants to follow her to learn more about dual-wield is free to go! And the same goes for the warriors of your Clan, Gridd. The doors of the Temple Of Orn will always be open for you" Dargeon said, noting what had just happened.


    The Clan warriors began chatting to each other, excited about the news, while Gridd''s opponent returned to his companions, defeated but happy to have a chance to perfect his fighting style.


    "Now... who wants to see our new Master fight? Hahaha!" shouted Dargeon again, walking in the middle of the courtyard.


    Dag walked towards him as the crowd couldn''t wait to watch the next fight.


    "Go easy on that old man!" chuckled Egill, suggesting Dag not to fight at full power.


    "Egill, I can hear you! Don''t annoy my opponent!" said Dargeon aloud, after a boy walked out of the group of warriors and handed him his shield and axe.


    "Hahah! There''s no need to warn me, Master! I''m excited to fight him, I''ve never challenged a Master Of Defense!" said Dag, enthusiastically, detaching both of his weapons from the magnets on his belt.


    "Wow! Your equipment has undergone various upgrades! You have become a true warrior, worthy of wearing the hammer-shaped symbol of the Hammers Of Thor!" continued Dargeon, studying Dag''s armor and belt in every detail.


    Dag merely smiled and put himself in a combat position, unleashing the audience of warriors, in disbelief to be watching a friendly fight between Masters.


    Dargeon raised his shield in front of him: it was a huge tower shield, almost two meters high. The other arm held a one-handed axe, pointed backwards, with its tip to the ground.


    The two challengers began to walk in circles, trying to guess their weaknesses before attacking.


    Dag charged first, to understand Dargeon''s reaction and his parry style.


    He tried to hit him with the axe and he spun, moving back the shield and parrying with his weapon.


    After the two axes collided, emitting sparks, Dargeon rotated on himself and counterattacked with the heavy shield, directed at Dag''s chest, which he pushed back and hit him with the hammer, deflecting its trajectory.


    The Clan warriors around them were galvanized and continued to cheer the two challengers.


    "It''s amazing! Instead of using the shield to parry the blow, he waved it trying to hit me! Thanks to the studs on its surface, that huge bulwark is capable of inflicting incredible damage" Dag thought, smiling, glad to challenge Dargeon, who looked at him by slamming the axe on the shield, provoking him.


    Dag ran again towards him, without attacking, trying to surprise him in some way, in order to overcome his defense, but he remained with the shield up, stationary in his position.


    When he arrived in front of him, who slightly lowered the bulwark to look better at his opponent, Dag jumped to the edge of the shield, leaping several meters into the air.


    In mid-air, he raised the hammer to the sky and it was struck by a thin lightning bolt, which charged it with electricity, causing it to release purple sparks.


    When the weapon fully charged, before falling down, Dag threw the Giantbane at Dargeon and he was forced to parry it with the shield, which was slightly decentralized.


    Finally, after spotting a small breach in his opponent''s defenses, Dag tried to hit him with a powerful Lightning Strike, in perfect Magni style.


    Dargeon, though astonished by his former pupil''s technique, still managed to lift the heavy metal bulwark: when the hammer and shield touched each other, the accumulated electricity was released and lightning bolts hit the surrounding ground.


    "He hasn''t moved an inch!" thought Dag, his eyes wide-open, after noticing that one of his strongest abilities, though not fully loaded, had barely vibrated the surface of Dargeon''s shield.


    "Hahahah! Nothing to do, boy!" he exclaimed, slightly moving the shield upwards, which suddenly released an enormous amount of energy, in the form of a shockwave, destabilizing Dag, who could barely land on his feet, under the incredulous eyes of his comrades, surprised by Dargeon''s impenetrable defense.

 206 CCVI. The Second Exhibition

    "I trained for years with Magni, my dear Dag. I helped him perfect his Lightning Strike, so I know how to block it! Hahaha! Anyway, your power is remarkable, it was a well-placed attack! Magni would be proud of you!" he continued, picking up the Giantbane in front of his feet and throwing it at Dag, who deftly grabbed it, returning to combat position.


    Taking advantage of the young Master''s moment of distraction, this time it was Dargeon who attacked, trying to hit him by surprise with the axe, but it was deftly dodged.


    Within seconds, after dodging the blow, Dag counterattacked once again with the hammer, which emitted sparks in contact with the bulwark.


    "It''s amazing, Master Dargeon! Your defense is truly impenetrable!" said Dag aloud, drawing the attention of the crowd around them.


    Gridd and Reidar chuckled and Egill turned to them.


    "What''s so funny about it, guys? I''m curious!" he asked, in the usual calm and serene tone.


    "The Captain is not using even 10% of his strength, yet he risked putting Master Dargeon in trouble!" said Reidar, who was enjoying the fight with his arms folded.


    Egill did not answer, surprised by those words.


    "10%?! Did he really become so powerful?! If I think about it, I haven''t seen him fighting for a while..." he thought, looking again at the newly-elected Master Of Offense.


    Dargeon and Dag continued to fight, in a long sequence of attacks and parries, dodges and counterattacks, during which none of them could hit his opponent.


    Dargeon''s attacks were too predictable, allowing Dag to deftly dodge them, but at the same time, his defense was impenetrable and he didn''t let a single shot pass.


    After about two minutes, the sound of steel stopped and the two challengers stepped back, catching their breath.


    "Well... now that I''ve warmed up... are you ready, Master?" said Dag, smiling mockingly.


    "What?!" exclaimed Dargeon, taken by surprise by that statement.


    Dag placed the blade of the Giantbane on the palm of his hand and with a decisive gesture, he made a small cut.


    "What is he doing?"


    "Why did he cut himself on his hand?"


    "Maybe he wants to use some kind of magic!"


    The Clan warriors began to fantasize about what was about to happen, trying to guess Dag''s next m0ve.


    After about 5 seconds, the red crystals in the eyes of the metal deer head, embedded on the weapon, began to shine and its blades became glowing, releasing an incredible warmth.


    At the sight of Giantbane''s unlocked potential, silence fell within the walls of the Temple Of Orn.


    They were all open-mouthed, including Egill, who looked at Dag''s weapon in amazement, trying to understand more.


    At that very moment, Dag dashed toward Dargeon at superhuman speed, releasing purple sparks and a trail of fire, which burned the ground beneath his feet, coming into contact with the Giantbane''s scorching blade.


    "Aaagh!" yelled Dag, trying to hit Dargeon, who once again managed to raise his shield, despite being taken by surprise.


    "Grraagh!" replied Dargeon, as he repeatedly parried his opponent''s relentless, fast shots.


    The hammer and the axe repeatedly impacted the bulwark, and Dargeon''s arm seemed unable to withstand that amount of energy for long.


    After the battle scream, the Master Of Defense spread his legs, gaining stability, and his shield was immediately surrounded by an electric aura, which increased its robustness.


    But that didn''t bother Dag, whose attacks were so quick and steady, that he left no room for action for his opponent.


    As the red-hot axe warmed the shield metal, emitting flames, the static energy of the hammer concentrated at a specific point, trying to weaken the material.


    The combat was spectacular, and the warriors around them were as mesmerized by the colors unleashed by Dag''s attacks.


    "As much as he can hit him, Dargeon''s Static Bulwark is impassable. Only a spell capable of blocking his arm could uncover his defenses. The fact that he decided to use one of his strongest skills means that Dag''s attacks have seriously put him in trouble..." said Egill, addressing Reidar and Gridd, pleased with the power of that shield.


    Just after those words, Egill''s attention was drawn to a scream from Dag, who released a small amount of gas from his arms, which mingled with the smoke released by the Flames of the Giantbane but did not escape his attentive eyes.


    The same smoke became dark liquid, which entered the hammer, further enhancing it.


    When he struck Dargeon''s shield for the umpteenth time, it was so powerful that it caused a small crack on its surface.


    The electric aura around it deactivated and unbalanced him, causing him to fall with his lower back on the ground.


    "What?! What the fuck did it happen?" he asked, who still couldn''t realize he had lost the fight.


    The Berserkrs and Shieldmaidens who attended the scene remained silent, gasping.


    Egill stopped talking, continuing to watch Dag, while Reidar and Karl sighed with a satisfied air as if they had bet on his victory.


    Dag relaxed, releasing the accumulated power: the Giantbane''s blade returned to its normal color, as did Magni''s hammer.


    After stowed them on the belt magnets, he approached Dargeon, reaching out to him, to help him get up from the ground.


    He accepted the help and as soon as he was back on his feet he looked at the front of his shield, discovering the small crack procured by his former pupil.


    Soon after, he looked him straight in the eye: he was usually an exuberant and funny man, but at that moment his expression was as serious as never before.


    "This shield was built from Skjold''s strongest metal, created from minerals taken from inside the highest mountain of the Grey Mountains Chain. In my life, I have faced a lot of opponents, but no one had ever managed to scratch it, especially after activating ''Static Bulwark'', my unique skill. You even managed to break it. Where does all this power come from, boy?" he asked, looking at Dag''s purple eye.

 207 CCVII. The Encouragemen

    None of the warriors who had witnessed the battle uttered a sound. Everyone was waiting for Dag''s answer, trying to metabolize what had happened a few moments earlier.


    Gridd looked at his brother, fearful that he could reveal the true nature of his powers, which would cause havoc among his people.


    "I don''t know yet, Master Dargeon. What I do know is that now I can finally control my strength and I can dose it to my liking. Your shield is certainly the toughest thing I''ve ever hit, I think I was just lucky... maybe I hit a particularly vulnerable spot..." Dag answered, lying about his dark powers and the fact that, if he wanted to, he could reduce that shield to a thousand pieces, using his full potential.


    "So! You said you wanted a fight between Masters, right? Here you are satisfied! Now you know the power of the new Master Of Offense! I advise you not to anger him!" shouted Egill, trying to distract the crowd of warriors, from the questioning expression.


    "Through constant training, the brave Thor has increased my powers. You too, never stop studying and practicing, you can reach these levels! The secrets are determination and continuity!" continued Dag, addressing all his Clan companions, who after those words became so fomented that they started screaming again.


    "Dag! Dag! Dag!"


    His name echoed within the walls of the Temple as Dargeon continued to look at his shield and Egill walked slowly toward him.


    "Come with me, Dag. I need to talk to you" Egill said, inviting Dag to follow him to get away from the crowd.


    Dag obeyed without saying a word, fearing he had exaggerated.


    They walked away, heading to the library.


    Gridd followed them, while Reidar, Karl, and Agnes stayed in the courtyard, waiting.


    When all three of them were inside the building, its doors closed, without anyone touching them, as if by magic.


    "How the hell did you do that, Dag?! Under your blows, Dargeon''s shield looked like it was made of wood!" asked Egill, alarmed, suddenly turning to him.


    "I... I just hit it hard! I didn''t think I''d crack it! I''m sorry, maybe I overreacted and..."


    "No, there''s no need to apologize! I''m sure he''s going to recover from the shock soon... and then, the shield did not suffer irreparable damage, so..." interrupted the Master Of Healing, who began to walk around a table, thinking.


    Gridded looked at him suspiciously, while Dag tried to talk to him.


    "Your eye... the purple one... I''ve said nothing before, but now... I''m sure you know more than you say, Dag! Tell me the whole truth, I''m asking you, seriously!" continued Egill, pleading.


    Dag was surprised by those words, he never expected Egill to address him in that subdued tone.


    "Yes, I know the reason why my eye changed color, but I avoided saying it in front of everyone because I feared it might create panic. As I had anticipated, it became purple after my powers grew..."


    Dag told the story of the Xis to Egill, specifying every detail, especially the last battle, in which he had partially absorbed the powers of that old woman, making his eye definitively different from the other and further amplifying his powers.


    "The liquid I can synthesize has an incredible inner gravitational force. I don''t know what it is specifically... if it was organic material, drifting from inside my body, it would certainly be very weird. It ignores the laws of physics and chemistry and allows me to do incredible things!" he continued, concluding the story.


    Egill sat before the table, looking pensive.


    "Master Egill! My brother Dag is not evil, and although his powers are similar to those of the evil creatures we called Xis, his human ego allows him to use them to do good! Think about what benefits it can bring to have such a powerful Master! He will ensure that the Iron Alliance will be respected by the allied Clans and feared by the hostile ones" Gridd exclaimed, meddling in the conversation and trying to reason with Egill, who looked up at her.


    "But if everyone knew it, it would be dangerous at the same time. It could attract unwanted attention... I remind you that there are human beings who worship those alien creatures, rejecting our Gods! The Renegades are an example, Dag knows what I''m talking about, he felt it on his skin" Egill said.


    "Master, as I said earlier, perhaps it is better that these things stay between us, for now. I don''t think it''s necessary to let everyone know that an 18-year-old boy like me has supernatural powers and was able to defeat a Xis. I have only one misgiving... and it''s not about me..." said Dag, sitting in front of him.


    "What is it?"


    "I am sure that the Xis will come back to look for me and perhaps, this time their emissary will be much more powerful than my last opponents. If they found me here, I would jeopardize your lives and those of all the warriors of the Clan" he continued, in a sad tone.


    "That means you have to get even stronger" Egill said.


    Dag and Gridd looked into each other''s eyes, imagining a different reaction from the Master Of Healing, who initially seemed frightened but had now changed his approach.


    He got up and began to head to the bookstores farther from the library entrance.


    "Ah, I forgot to tell you something, Master Egill... the Xis are practically immune to our Clan skills. They draw power directly from the Gods and these beings... well, unfortunately, they are much more powerful than the Aesir themselves" Dag continued, sitting at the table next to Gridd.


    "I''m sure learning other skills will only be a benefit for you, anyway. Remember that your enemies are not just them. You''re the Iron Alliance Warchief, the Clans that will be part of it, they''re going to need your help" said Egill, who after climbing a ladder and moving it repeatedly, returned to the table with a pile of scrolls in his hands.

 208 CCVIII. The Woman Power

    He threw them in front of Dag, who began to read the titles, to understand what were they about.


    "Then... you learned 11 skills, one of which is a unique skill, namely Magni''s ''Adamant Mountain''. In addition, some of them have been mastered, increasing their effects: Earth Stomp, Call Of The Berserkr and Lightning Strike have modified their runes, evidently they are the ones you use the most. Considering that your level of strength has grown so much, I think you won''t have a hard time learning these skills. Some of them are level 7 and 8, one is level 9" Egill continued, looking intently at Dag''s arm, which showed runes incised on the deltoid.


    "And the level 10 ones?" asked Dag, self-confident.


    "To learn level 10 skills, you need to know many other lower rank ones. For this reason, very few warriors in the past have been able to learn them. For example, Dargeon and I have never been able to master such a high level... in this case, physical strength alone is not enough, you need an incredibly strong and stable spirit, otherwise, these skills could turn out to be real calamities, capable of wiping out entire cities, if activated disproportionately".


    To these words, Dag looked down: "Master Egill is perpetually calm and focused... if his spirit hasn''t been firm enough to allow him to learn a level 10 skill, I doubt mine is. Despite my powers, I still have a lot to learn... I need more time" he thought.


    "What about you, Gridd? I was forced to drop out of school for a while and I only know these skills, you saw my runes... but you¡­ what about yours?" asked Dag, as he read a scroll titled ''Champion Aura''.


    Gridd turned her back on her brother, marrying her long blonde hair forward and unbuttoning the top of the back of the armor, from which runes could be seen.


    "Help me untie it" she said, plunging Dag into a sudden embarrassment, even though she was his sister.


    Dag obeyed without a word and one after the other, he slid out the laces on the back of Gridd''s leather jacket, which opened slowly, showing her back in full.


    "Oh, fuck! Wow!" exclaimed Dag, still red with embarrassment.


    Gridd''s back was completely covered with runes, from her nape to the lower back.


    "Here, these are my runes" she exclaimed, looking back at Dag, holding her hair with one hand and the front of her jacket with the other, to avoid denuding.


    Despite being her sister, Dag had never seen her back uncovered: her curves were perfect, as were her hair and neck.


    After a few seconds, enchanted to look at her back, he immediately began to fasten the armor, striving not to fall into mischievous thoughts towards his sister, shaking his head.


    "Gridd... your runes... there will be more than 50! It''s amazing! I knew you spent a lot of time studying, but I didn''t think so much! Now I understand why you became Master so soon" Dag said, breaking the awkward silence.


    "They are 62, to be precise" she smiled, confirming his curiosity.


    They continued to talk about her studies at the Fort Skjonnet library, of which Egill was also very curious, having never visited it in person.


    Then, the library doors opened.


    "Hey! Do you organize secret meetings now? Hahaha!" exclaimed Dargeon, heading decisively towards their table.


    Dag initially looked away, not knowing what to say.


    "Don''t worry, boy! My Spiked Bulwark is safe and sound, it has only suffered a little damage" the Master Of Defense continued, reassuring his new colleague.


    "I''m sorry, Master Dargeon, I didn''t think I could break it so easily..." answered Dag, noting that the expression of constant cheerfulness had returned to his face.


    "You can call me Dargeon if you like. We are of the same social rank now, I remind you that you too are a Master!"


    "Yes, yes, you''re right!" confirmed Dag.


    "Champion Aura! I know this skill too! It allows you to temporarily boost the stamina of all your team members, as long as they''re close to you, when activated" Dargeon continued, looking at the parchment in Dag''s hands.


    "I was just reading its effects! I think it''s very useful, I''m going to try to learn it... ouch!" he exclaimed, stopping talking, after feeling a pain coming from his arm.


    "Uhm... I don''t think there''s any need for it anymore! Hahaha!" laughed Gridd, to mention to all of them that the ''Champion Aura'' rune had just appeared on his arm next to the others.


    Dargeon grabbed Dag''s arm, bullying him, forcing him to hold on to the table so as not to fall to the ground on his back.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you, Dag?! Now you can also learn level 8 skills just by reading them summarily?!" he asked, verifying that the rune that had just been engraved on Dag''s skin was authentic.


    Dag looked at Egill.


    He was still with his elbows resting on the table. One hand touched his long white beard, while the other slammed his fingers on the surface of the wood.


    He reciprocated Dag''s gaze, looking at him thoughtfully, after witnessing the scene.


    "Magni always knew it" he said.


    Dargeon, after hearing that name, left Dag''s arm, looking at Egill.


    "Since you came here to the Temple... he saw something in you and tried several times to communicate it to us. But we were too stupid to understand, and we believed that your indefinite and unknown power could endanger our students. Dag, he would be proud to meet the man you have become" Egill replied.


    "I thank you, hearing these words makes me happy... I think of him very often. He was more than a Master to me, he was my mentor! But now, stop talking about me, I don''t like to be the center of attention. Let''s go back to us, now that we''re all here, we can put the Clan''s official seal on the Iron Alliance contract" Dag replied, trying not to think too much about Magni, avoiding suffering his lack.

 209 CCIX. Somebodys Listening

    "Right! I almost forgot the real reason I''m here!" exclaimed Gridd, who placed the contract parchment in front of Egill, as soon as Dag freed the table from the other scrolls, stacking them in the corner.


    Dargeon moved beside him and both began to read scrupulously.


    Then they looked at each other, nodding their heads as if to confirm that they agreed with what was written about the contract.


    Egill got up and headed for the same cabinet from which he had recovered the Bjelke Sphere, jealously guarded by Dag.


    He pulled out a metal box and placed it on the table.


    Inside, there was a sturdy metal stamp and red candles.


    After lighting a small wooden stick, similar to a match, he warmed up the candle, letting its colored wax drop on the sheet, next to the Sons Of Freya''s seal.


    Soon after, he pressed with the circular stamp, stamping the hammer symbol of the Hammers Of Thor and signing under it, inviting Dargeon to do the same.


    "Well, now our alliance is official!" exclaimed Egill, satisfied, as Dag and Gridd smiled, noting that the two Masters had not hesitated for a moment.


    "Then... Warchief... what''s our next move?" asked Gridd, looking at her brother.


    "Skjegg... we''ll leave tomorrow, as soon as possible. If the Crows of Odin accept our proposal, we will have an operational headquarter south of the capital, gaining a huge advantage against the King''s enemy Clans" Dag said, outlining his strategy, which he had reflected abundantly on.


    Gridd, Egill, and Dargeon nodded, agreeing with the plan.


    "How did it go with Reidar, Dag?" asked Egill, curiously.


    "Reidar? He''s the best archer I''ve ever known. In every dangerous situation, he risked his life without hesitation, trying to help me. Without him and Karl I would never succeed, I am satisfied with the choice I made before leaving the Temple. He now owns the Failnaught, a legendary weapon forged by Weland himself!" replied Dag.


    "Weland? Do you mean¡­ the God Weland?!" asked Dargeon, turning suddenly towards him.


    "Yes, Dargeon... there''s been a lot of things that you''re not aware of, Egill will explain to you a little at a time, he knows" Dag continued, watching Egill nodding his head, knowing the story of the Blacksmith God and his fight against Dag and his men.


    "I''ve never known anyone as determined as you. A while ago you told us about Brann... I barely knew him, but I assure you he was not so resolute! You''ve come a long way at this age, I''m curious to know that surprises the future will hold for you!" continued Dargeon.


    "Ah! I have one more thing to ask you! The Bjelke Sphere... Did it work? Did you come across any emblems?" exclaimed Egill, interrupting their conversation.


    "Yes, it worked great! It was thanks to it that I was able to conquer this" Dag continued, pulling the bronze eye pendant out of his pocket.


    "That''s the n¡ã8 emblem... you''ve risen two ranks in one fell swoop, not bad! I advise you to always be careful with the Sphere, you may spot something when you least expect it!" replied Egill, looking satisfied at the new pendant.


    "With all the things that have happened, I haven''t really thought about it..."


    "Let me understand one thing... are you saying that this object it''s some kind of emblems-tracker? Dag, why didn''t you tell me before?" asked Gridd, who didn''t believe that such a useful item could exist.


    "Well... yes. It is a small sphere that I always carry around my neck, which vibrates when there is a powerful artifact nearby, it was not built specifically for the emblems... but it works very well!"


    "On the island of Hands Of Tyr, someone holds the n¡ã 2 emblem. It is said to be one of their Masters and that he wants to challenge King Einar and gain the throne" Gridd continued.


    "The n¡ã 2 emblem? Holy crap! That would be what I need! I''d like to challenge the King too!" exclaimed Dag, after his sister caught his eye.


    "Boy, your powers are great, but challenging King Einar... I think you need more time. The planet is full of very powerful warriors, if he has the n¡ã 1 emblem there is a reason..." interrupted Egill.


    Dag turned to him.


    "Uhm?" exclaimed Egill again, looking suddenly at the library door.


    With a hand gesture, the doors opened and Karl and Reidar, that were leaning on them, fell to the ground.


    "I felt that someone was listening to our conversations! Hahaha!" he chuckled.


    "Yeah... we noticed that you were taking longer than expected and we wanted to know more!" said Karl, bowing his head to the ground, to apologize.


    "Don''t worry, brothers. Come and sit with us!" Dag said, inviting his companions to join him near the table.


    "Captain... I heard what Gridd said about n¡ã 2 emblem. I don''t think the Hands Of Tyr are the only ones that possess one. When my father worked for King Einar, he told me that another Master had also challenged him, so many times" said Reidar, who was looking forward to the conversation.


    "Who was it?" asked Dag, who realized he was wrong to distract himself from his first goal, since emblems seemed to be waiting for him to catch them.


    "I don''t remember his name, but he should still be the Crows Of Odin Master" the archer replied, while Egill and Dargeon listened curiously, but didn''t know much about it.


    "Well, that''s good, considering that is where we''re going. If your information is correct, we will take two birds with one stone" Dag continued, astonished at the news, but determined and confident of his new powers.


    After spending another hour talking to each other, Dag, Karl and Reidar moved away from the library, where Gridd stayed with Egill, probably to ask him for more information about Brann, after knowing that it was thanks to his memories that Dag had known the truth.


    The evening came and Dag, after returning to his room, to cool off and rest, was called by someone, who knocked on the door.

 210 CCX. The Unexpected Visi

    "Yes?"


    "Dag, someone is looking for you. She''s a young woman, she says she knows you" exclaimed an unknown voice.


    He jumped out of bed.


    "Freydis? Is it not possible, how did you know that I was back here? She came to me! I knew!" he thought, opening the door of his room and thanking the young warrior who had warned him, continuing to run to the courtyard.


    "I can''t wait to see you! Where are you, where are you?" he thought aloud, as he ran along the corridors of the dormitory, crossing them in a few seconds.


    When he arrived in the courtyard, Gridd and Reidar were talking to someone, just outside the Temple''s front door.


    Dag slowed down, catching his breath.


    Chills ran through his back and neck, and his hands began to tremble with emotion.


    Gridd turned backwards, noticing his presence and looked at him smiling.


    He could not understand much from that position and remained focused on the figure just behind the large metal door.


    Although his hearing was incredibly developed, he could not hear any voices, due to the emotion.


    The only thing he saw was a gesticulating hand as if that hidden person was explaining something to Reidar and Gridd, nodding their heads and listening.


    After walking a few more feet, breathing deeply, he finally saw the girl''s long black hair.


    His happiness vanished, slipping on him.


    His hands stopped shaking and his heart started beating again.


    He knew that girl, but she wasn''t Freydis.


    "Dag!" she exclaimed, running towards him and jumping on him, hugging him tightly.


    After a few seconds of reluctance, due to his false expectations, he too reciprocated the embrace.


    "Claire! What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised to see her.


    "I couldn''t resist on that farm anymore, nothing interesting ever happens there!" she exclaimed, spreading her arms, to better look at him.


    Her large green eyes were shiny, full of happiness, and after only a few seconds she noticed Dag''s purple one.


    "What happened to you? Are you ok?" she asked again, stroking his face.


    "Yes, I''m fine, don''t worry" he smiled, reassuring her.


    "Captain, I didn''t know that besides being a Warchief and a Master at the same time, you were also dedicated to saving damsels in the past! Hahaha!" chuckled Reidar, trying to make Dag look good in front of that beautiful girl.


    Claire wore a green silk tank top, which showed off the graceful shapes of her proportionate breast and the curves of her back, tucked into a pair of skin-tight leather trousers, which highlighted the lower parts of her body.


    " She told you that? That''s not exactly how it happened, she saved me! I was locked in a cell, sealed with a rune that prevented me from using my powers, and she managed to steal the key to open its lock, risking her life for a complete stranger" Dag continued, looking at Claire fondly.


    "I knew you were a terrestrial too, and when I looked you in the eye, I saw hope and empathy. I couldn''t leave you there, I knew you''d get us all to safety!" she smiled, her voice full of gratitude.


    "Reidar, I think I need a little help picking up my things and taking them to the dorm... can you help me?" said Gridd, contriving a diversion so they could walk away and leave Dag and Claire alone, after noticing with what languid eyes that girl was looking at her brother.


    "Of course, Gridd. Dag, Claire, excuse us for a moment" Reidar said, according to Gridd''s game and walking away to the horse stable.


    "Master, Warchief... well, you''ve sure come a long way! You''ve become very popular! I''m so much happy for you, Dag!" exclaimed Claire, grabbing Dag''s wrists, which seemed distracted.


    "Uhm... th... thank you!" he stammered, embarrassed.


    Before she could say anything else, she dragged him to a stone bench just outside the Temple''s main entrance, not far from Thor''s statue.


    The two sat next to each other, which made the situation even more intimate and increased the embarrassment of Dag, who did not know how to behave.


    As she talked about this and that, commenting on the incredible landscape that could be seen from up there and recounting some of the boring events of the farm, he continued to look at her, distracting himself from her words.


    She was a beautiful, young woman, her face was flawless and her voice was kind and not annoying at all.


    As she spoke, she touched her hair, moving them backward and giving off a pleasant smell in the air, very similar to that of freshly caught berries.


    At one point, he interrupted her: "How did you get here? And why did you come?"


    "I told you before... after being locked up for years in Mork Castle, where those bastard Renegades wouldn''t stop giving me orders, treating me like a slave, I felt like I was wasting my time on the farm. I know, it was a safe place where no one could hurt me, but... I decided to leave" she said, continuing to look at the view, which despite the darkness was clearly visible from the top of Mount Torden.


    "Thalos? How''s he doing?"


    "The little puppy? Fine! When you left, he was in pain, he missed you a lot... but we fed him every day and slowly we managed to get closer to him. The girls were initially scared, he''s still a huge grey wolf, but after about two weeks he became one of the family!" said Claire.


    Dag sighed with relief when she suddenly turned to him, grabbing his hands: "Teach me to be a Shieldmaiden! You''re a Master now, aren''t you? Let me be your first student! I want to fight, Dag, I feel like I possess hidden abilities that I''ve never had a chance to improve!"


    "A Shieldmaiden? Do you really want to learn how to fight? So that''s why you came this far, even though I still can''t explain how you did it... the road from Magni''s farm to the Temple is long and winding, and I don''t think you rode a horse" said Dag, who continued to question the nature of that visit.

 211 CCXI. The Embarrassmen

    "I walked. I walked for a long time, taking more than 6 days to get here. It was hard to convince my mates to let me go, they were afraid I wouldn''t make it... instead... I''m finally here."


    Dag waited a few seconds before answering: Claire''s determination reminded him of himself when as a child he decided to fight in Arena, despite no one believing in him.


    At that time he felt alone and with his own strength he managed to overturn the expectations of all those who would bet on his failure.


    "I know how you feel, Claire. I''ve been there. If becoming a Shieldmaiden is what you want, I won''t stop you" he said softly, smiling empathetically.


    "Really?! I''m never going to stop thanking you enough, Dag! But... actually, this is not the only reason why I decided to come here" she continued, looking at him with shining eyes.


    "Uhm... what''s the other reason, then?" asked Dag naively, his red face of embarrassment, as he moved slightly away from her, sitting on the stone bench.


    "Come on, Dag... isn''t that obvious? I think everyone noticed it except you" Claire, who was also embarrassed, replied, looking down.


    "Claire, I... I..."


    "I know, someone is waiting for you. You already have a woman. I know everything, you''ve always been crystal-clear to me. But if I had stayed on that farm without ever meeting you, I would have lived the rest of my miserable life in the remorse of never having explicitly asked for it" she continued, moving her hair from her face, showing her blushing cheeks.


    "I don''t know what to say, Claire... you are a beautiful and intelligent girl, only a fool would refuse such a choice. But I... I made a promise. And I''m the kind of man who always keeps his promises" Dag replied, with a lump in his throat, thinking of Freydis and the reaction she would have had if she had known about another woman.


    "Yes, I understand. You know, sometimes life can be really hard. It puts a strain on you. All I know is that since I met you, I''ve started to see things differently, I''ve tried to give a new purpose to my days on this planet" she replied, approaching Dag until their legs touched.


    Dag looked her in the eye: so many times he had been tempted, but he had always managed to resist. But this time was different. Claire was so gorgeous and like him, she came from Earth, having a lot more things in common.


    Without even concentrating, he could feel the heartbeat in her chest.


    She was agitated, almost as much as he was, and was trembling with the desire to receive a positive answer.


    "I assure you that I am not the best catch... those around me always get in trouble, because of my powers. There are so many things you don''t know about me, Claire, and they might make you change your mind" Dag sighed, continuing to look at her as she looked forward, embarrassed.


    "I would like so much to know these sides of you, I need a motivation to stop thinking about you, night and day. Because yes, that''s what happened. I don''t do it on purpose, but my mind always brings me back to you, whatever I do. When I got here at Temple and your comrades told me you were here, I couldn''t believe I could finally see you again. It''s been a short time since you left the farm, but it seems like an eternity to me, there are so many things I''d like to talk to you about, Dag!"


    He looked away, avoiding crossing his eyes with Claire''s, otherwise, he would not have been able to resist that sweet and infatuated face.


    "I haven''t seen Freydis in a long time... what if she had another man? What if she, after the disappointment I caused her by choosing another Clan, decided to forget about me? No... no, it''s impossible. Freydis would never do that. But the time we spent together is very little, we made love only once... who tells me she''s not already thinking about someone else? Claire feels something strong for me, I can sense it, deep in her chest... and I care a lot about her, too. When I saw her in that castle, covered in only rags, my first wish was to bring her to safety... what do I do, what do I do...?" thought Dag, shaking his head, without saying a word.


    "Are you alright? Did I say anything wrong?" she continued, turning Dag''s face toward her, resting a hand on his cheek.


    He looked at her large green, expressive and empathetic eyes and her moist and fleshy lips.


    His gaze ended downwards, where the tank top allowed a firm and proportionate breast to be glimpsed, as she leaned with one arm on the bench.


    "I... I''m in love with you, Dag. I will be yours forever if you want" she said with a thread of an embarrassed voice.


    He put a hand on her cheek, preventing her from looking away.


    "There is no ''forever'', Claire. Our lives are like a breath of wind, they only last a moment. I remember when Hjalmar put his dirty hands on you... just to make me angry. Do you know why he did it? Because it was enough for him to notice the way I looked at you to understand how much I cared about you, without even knowing you".


    She looked down, without saying a word, and Dag moved his hand between her long, velvet-soft black hair, while she squinted, trying to perceive every moment in contact with the hand of the man she loved.


    "I am deeply torn and... that''s not fair. I know how hard this planet can be with people from Earth. When I got here, I was fragile and deeper than everyone around me, but growing up, I learned that when you choose the steel of weapons, there is no room for feelings¡­ they make you weak" he continued, trying to resist the temptation to kiss her.

 212 CCXII. I Cant Sleep

    "What''s her name...?" she asked, in a whisper.


    "What? Why do you want to know? I''m sure you don''t know her..."


    "I just want to know how the woman who stole your heart is called... I have no bad intentions, I ask only out of curiosity..." she continued, sad.


    "She''s called Freydis" Dag replied, sighing.


    "Freydis... it''s a beautiful name! I''m sure she''s as gorgeous as a ray of sunlight in the morning..."


    "Why are you doing this, Claire? You''re just making things a lot harder" Dag exclaimed, noting that she was starting to cry.


    Before he could totally lose control of the situation, he impulsively hugged her, clutching her tightly.


    She continued to cry, resting her face on his shoulder, while Dag stroked her back.


    As soon as there was a minimum of physical contact, his body began to shake and he got goosebumps.


    He felt her warm breath on his shoulder and knew that if their gaze crossed again, he would not be able to resist.


    He put his other hand on her head and said: "I will teach you how to fight. I''m going to be your Master... you will become a Shieldmaiden and you no longer need to be defended by anyone, you will help others!"


    She stopped crying for a moment, sighing and leaning on him.


    "What the fuck am I saying?! She doesn''t give a shit about becoming a warrior, she wants you, Dag, you ugly idiot!" he thought to himself, believing that he had said a craze, useful only to waste more time.


    As expected, she moved away from his embrace, but before she could look him in the eye, he kissed her on the cheek.


    It was a sincere and affectionate kiss, in which he tried to empathetically convey the emotions he was experiencing at that moment of strong indecision.


    She looked at him, her face full of tears and her eyes languid.


    "I will always love you, Dag and I hope you may one day change your mind. I will be waiting for years, if necessary. I just want you to be happy and if another woman makes can help you to do so, well... I wish both of you all the joy of the world!" she exclaimed, bursting again to cry and resting her face on Dag''s chest, clinging with her hands to his armor.


    He wrapped his arms around her torso and under her legs, lifting her off the bench.


    When he picked her up, she huddled tightly.


    "Let''s go to sleep, it''s late. Tomorrow I''m going to have a long journey and you''re certainly tired after all this road" he said, sweating cold, relieved that the hardest moment of that conversation was over.


    She did not answer.


    After passing through the Temple''s doors, Dag made his way to the dormitory.


    "Fuck! Where do I take her now? I didn''t think about this! The only free room is mine! Shit!" he thought, grimacing.


    He arrived in front of his room and with one hand opened the door, which he then closed with his foot, not even noticing Claire''s weight, which considered his strength, was irrelevant, and did not slow down his movements.


    Gently, he laid her on the bed next to his, a couple of feet away.


    She immediately embraced the pillow, hiding her face behind it and continuing to whine.


    Dag slipped her boots off her feet, slowly, and then covered her with a blanket made of mutton fur.


    When Claire uncovered her face again, he kissed her forehead and walked to his bed.


    "Fuck! I''m an idiot! What the fuck am I doing?!" he thought, continuing to shake his head, trying to reason with his brain, while his hormones went crazy inside his body.


    He took off his boots and the top of his armor, hurriedly, and lay down on the bed, under the blankets.


    After about half an hour spent looking at the ceiling, he noticed that Claire had stopped whining.


    He turned his head towards her, trying to look at her, in the darkness.


    When he realized that she had finally fallen asleep, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned the other way, trying to sleep.


    ...


    Dag had been asleep for about 2 hours when he felt his blanket moving.


    He opened his eyes, looking at the wall before him, without emitting a breath.


    "Oh no! I knew it was going to happen!" he thought, as Claire entered his bed and her cold feet touched his.


    "I know you''re awake... I couldn''t sleep alone, sorry. Just let me stay next to you for one night" she said, hugging him from behind the back.


    Dag sighed and stood motionless for a few seconds.


    Then he sighed again and turned to her, hugging her.


    Claire was initially astonished at the gesture but then leaned with her head on Dag''s arm, snuggled up next to him, like a fox cub.


    Dag stroked her hair, while she had one hand on his arm and another on his naked chest, calming down as she felt the heartbeat of his heart.


    In less than ten minutes, they both fell into a deep sleep.


    ...


    *bom*bom*bom*


    "Uhm?"


    *bom*bom*


    "Dag! Are you there? Wake up, sleepyhead! We''re all waiting for you!" shouted Karl, as he continued to knock insistently on the door.


    "Oh, fuck! It''s late!" exclaimed Dag, who under the heat of blankets had slept like a hurdy-gurdy, clutching Claire in his arms all night long.


    He suddenly rose from the bed, while she uttered a groan, turning the other side, without waking up.


    "So? Will you hurry up?" shouted Karl on the other side.


    "Yes, yes, I''m awake! Wait for me in the courtyard, I''m on my way!" replied him, who in a hurry to put on his boots, stumbled awkwardly, falling with is butt on the ground.


    "All right! Move!" replied Karl, who walked away.


    "He was close... If Karl had found out that I was sleeping with Claire, he would surely have thought the worst and everybody knows he can''t keep secrets... He would definitely have told everything to Freydis!" thought Dag, fastening his boots.

 213 CCXIII. The Generosity

    After getting up and making sure Claire was asleep again, he approached the small table across the room, with a duck pen and an inkwell.


    Under the table, he collected an old parchment, dating back to his early studies in the Temple, turned it around and began writing on it.


    "Claire, I will never forget your words, remember that..."


    After about 2 minutes, he finished writing the message for Claire and being careful not to make too much noise, rolled up that piece of parchment, and tucked it into one of the girl''s boots.


    Disregarding the food and water to take on the road, he sneaked out of the room, tiptoeing, as if he was a thief.


    He closed the door very slowly, squinting and without making the slightest noise.


    After walking hastily down the dormitory corridor, the Sun''s rays finally lit up his face when he arrived in the courtyard, where all his companions were waiting for him near the barn.


    Gridd, Reidar, and Karl looked at him with a chuckle.


    "Hey, brother! What happened? Did you have any problems last night? Hahah!" laughed Gridd, resting her arm on Dag''s shoulder, who was still stunned by the abrupt awakening.


    "No, no, I''m fine. Last night I went to sleep a little later, after talking to my old friend you also met. Rather... Karl, where''s Agnes? I thought she was coming with us" Dag said, deftly changing the subject of the speech.


    "I thought leaving her alone in Jernhest with my parents wasn''t ideal. I mean, they don''t even know her, and my dad''s a big talker. And then, the deviation, even if minimal, would slow us down. I want to meet my sister as soon as possible, Dag, as you do" said Karl, that with that words, brought Dag back with his feet on the ground.


    "It seems a good idea to me. Okay, if you''re all ready, we can leave" he said, trying to make up for lost time and leave that place before Claire woke up.


    After riding their horses, the Iron Alliance team of explorers left the Temple, descending along the steep trail from Mount Torden to the valley.


    As he rode, Dag turned back, looking pleased at his companions, glad that even a strong warrior like his sister Gridd had joined the team.


    It was still hard for him to think that until recently, he was just a lonely, aimless warrior.


    "You can''t wait to get there, am I right, Captain?" asked Reidar, when they arrived at the foot of the mountain after about an hour.


    "Yes, I''m looking forward to getting there, for a variety of reasons, that you already know" he smiled.


    "I can understand it by the way you spur Aslan to walk. You look anxious!" replied the archer.


    "If we can travel with a single break, by tomorrow we will be in Skjegg. In that regard, what do you know about that place? I''ve never been there" Dag continued, addressing Reidar and Gridd.


    "Skjegg is also called the ''shrine-city''. It is built within a deep valley, surrounded by mountains on each side. Right on the heights of these mountains, the Crows Of Odin Clan warriors watch over it, enjoying a very good strategic position, being able to see enemies even at great distances" Gridd said, entering the conversation and anticipating the response of Reidar, who was no longer the only expert in geography.


    "The only way to get into the city are two large tunnels carved into the rock and perpetually guarded by Clan members. These features make Skjegg one of Okstorm''s safest cities" he exclaimed, trying to add more information to those provided by Gridd, to please his Captain.


    Dag nodded, listening intently.


    Riding along the sunny paths of Jordst?l, the four warriors crossed several merchant carriages, which roamed the region.


    Dag stopped one of them, buying food and a bottle of mead, while his companions looked at him curiously.


    "What? If they accept our proposal, we will have to celebrate! And there is no celebration without mead, better not to show up empty-handed!" he replied, smiling at the trader, as he handed him 1 gold coin.


    "Sir, these are much more money than necessary! Get something more, maybe more dried meat, a few more pieces of bread..." said the man, of short stature and equipped with two huge mustaches with upturned tips.


    Dag took another gold coin and handed it over to the man: "the Iron Alliance, remember this name" he said, smiling.


    The merchant bowed his head, showing infinite gratitude, and when they greeted each other, he continued to look at the two gold coins in his hands, biting one to verify their authenticity.


    "Did you just pay 2 gold coins for a few pieces of dried meat and some bread? Oh right, there''s also the bottle of mead..." Gridd asked, with a disappointed face.


    "Yes. For me, two gold coins are not much money, but for that man, It''s a different matter. I felt right to help him, today is such a beautiful day!" said Dag, happy to head to Skjegg, with a perennial smile drawn on his face.


    Gridd looked at Reidar, who shrugged his shoulders, giggling.


    They continued to walk the same path to ''Runar'', the region dominated by the Crows Of Odin, enjoying the view of Jernhest in the distance.


    It was a huge city, which continued to extend beyond its walls, enclosing only 30% of its buildings, including the Arena, the King''s Palace, and the entire commercial district.


    King Einar''s residence was certainly the tallest building and its tip seemed to touch the sky, while the Arena, not far from it, stretched wider than height.


    "What, are you nostalgic, brother?" asked Gridd, noting that Dag was enchanted to look at the capital.


    "Yes, maybe a little. In the early days it was difficult to adapt to the Arena and Jernhest''d size, if only I think about how long it took to get from the city center to our farm, I get breathless! But I kind of miss fighting just to train, without risking my life constantly! Hahaha!" replied Dag, prompting laughter even among his companions, who agreed with those words, considering their last adventures.

 214 CCXIV. The Border

    "We should visit our mother and brother once the mission is complete" Gridd continued, her eyes pointing to the hill of their farm, barely seen.


    "Of course, sister. She will be proud to know our diplomatic achievements with the other Clans. I was wondering something else... who knows if King Einar is aware of what we''re doing, has he heard of the Iron Alliance before?" continued Dag, fantasizing.


    "Captain, we were only born a few days ago... even though the news are as fast as the wind, I doubt they''ve already reached that high" Reidar said, trying to reason realistically.


    It came the evening when the four friends reached the boundary separating Jordst?l from Runar, marked by a large arch that stood imposingly on the path, with two huge stone statues on the sides, both depicting Odin with his Gungnir spear and a crow resting on his shoulder, which seemed to have his eyes turned towards them, giving a somewhat macabre look to that stretch of road.


    After passing the arch, without guards, they continued to ride south, following torches that were fixed on the ground until the visible villages, whose lights were barely visible in the distance.


    "Let''s stop there for tonight. The city is not far from here, tomorrow morning we will arrive as soon as the Sun will rise" said Dag, who couldn''t wait.


    Within minutes, they tied at the horses to some trees and lit a fire in a small open space among the vegetation that ran alongside the trail, not far from the arch with the statues of Odin.


    From that point on, the road to the south was all downhill, precisely because Runar was an ancient continental shelf rising to the surface and this feature made its lands fertile and steep, with the coast free of irregularities and precipices, which descended gently until it caressed the sea.


    Dag knew well the geology of that area, both for his studies as a child and because he had found a lot of information about in Stein''s atlas.


    Many villages were visible from that privileged location, which offered a magnificent panorama, with the lights of the small towns shining in the darkness of the night, while the rest of the region was illuminated by the light of the stars and other planets.


    Reidar and Gridd, after preparing their bedroll, fell asleep immediately, while Karl approached the fire, to shed light on the pages of Egill''s almanac, which continued to flick greedily until he noticed that Dag was watching him.


    "I''m almost done, there are only a few chapters left. This book becomes more and more interesting and contains a flood of essential information for a herbalist" Karl said, without even looking away from the almanac pages.


    "My powers have increased, Karl. But not like last time, when you injected the treated blood of the falcon in my veins... much, much more!" said Dag, trying not to wake the others.


    "So they didn''t vanish after a short time? Whenever you ''absorbed'' someone''s energy or something with your powers, after a short time it abandoned your body... or so I seem to remember" Karl continued, reflecting on past events.


    "Usually it was like that, you remember correctly. But I think my blood and that of that Xis woman were completely compatible and so..."


    "And so there was no need to deal with the Crimson Tooth, I understood what you mean. How do you feel?" interrupted Karl again.


    "Well... I think I''ve never felt better. I feel my muscles much more resistant and feel less mental fatigue. For example, at this time, after a whole day on horseback without ever stopping, I should be very tired... but I could go on for hours longer" Dag said, looking at the palms of his hands and forearms, trying to make a report of his physical situation to his friend.


    "Increased mental and motor skills... this is so interesting. I can proudly say that I am the first healer on the planet to study the body of an alien! Hahaha!" he chuckled, making irony about Dag''s true nature, who before reciprocating the laugh, looked at him sulkily.


    "I know I''m not used to saying things like that, but... I can''t wait to fight seriously against someone, to test my new abilities. I don''t know why, but I feel like I can beat anyone".


    "Dag... I saw you summon a black fluid that kept you suspended in the air, healed your wounds, and reduced one of those badass monsters to shreds, disintegrating half of its body as if it was a fruit of which there is nothing left but the peel! Of course, you can beat anyone, what else do you need? At this rate in a few months you will be able to lift mountains!" sighed Karl, smiling and looking away from the almanac.


    "I believe that there are warriors stronger than me on this planet, despite my powers, but I will constantly train to improve them. I have an important role to play. Many people''s lives depend on my decisions now, so I have to weigh up my actions and be strong for them too" Dag said, clenching his fists.


    "In addition to the increase in physical and cognitive abilities, I also notice an increase in aggressiveness and desire to fight. Remember what happened when we fought those bandits in Kvete, Dag? Try not to lose control, that time I feared for a moment that you could kill us too."


    Dag looked down, remembering every detail of that scene: his desire for blood, as he killed the bandits one by one, only grew, above all else.


    He could not risk giving himself another time to that merciless anger, he had to maintain concentration even in the most critical moments.


    "Yes, don''t worry. It''s in the past, now I feel like I have more control over my body" he said, thinking that wasn''t quite true.


    After a chat that lasted about half an hour, they both went to sleep by the fire, although the cold was not excessive and the wind was absent.

 215 CCXV. The Platforms

    "I''m coming, my love. I hope you can hear me, I''m very close. I''ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, I''ve been through a lot of misadventures and the only thing I want is to hug you hard, kiss you and smell your gorgeous red hair" he thought, sleeping as he looked at the stars.


    ...


    At the first light of dawn, Dag was the first to open his eyes and stand up, already full of adrenaline.


    One by one, Karl, Reidar, and Gridd also awoke and after recovering from sleep, they mounted on horseback, while Dag hurried them, repeating them not to waste time.


    It was about an hour when they reached the foot of the mountains surrounding Skjegg.


    "It''s... It''s magnificent!" exclaimed Karl, his gaze pointed upwards, in disbelief at what he was looking at.


    The mountains were not very high and their peaks had been artificially flattened, allowing the construction of four huge concrete structures arranged at the same distance from each other along the perimeter.


    The space between those buildings was occupied by a very long pile of wood, with sharp beams protruding from the mountains'' tops as if they were a real crown.


    "And I thought Hevnen''s walls were incredibly high! These people are just¡­ crazy! They have no walls, they have mountains! I wonder what would happen if both tunnels collapsed... no one could go out or get in anymore! Doesn''t sound very cunning..." exclaimed Karl again.


    "Actually, I never thought about this detail..." whispered Reidar, trying not to point out to Gridd and Dag that he was unprepared.


    "So? What are we waiting for? Let''s get in! That way, follow me!" said Dag, impatiently.


    The other three followed him to the gallery.


    Four guards guarded the entrance and one of them approached Dag, seeing him ride quickly.


    "Who are you?" asked the man, who was wearing plate armor, complete with a heavy helmet that covered his entire head, leaving only his face uncovered and holding a long spear.


    "Hammers Of Thor and Sons Of Freya. We are here to meet your Clan''s Masters" Dag replied, showing the hammer symbol on his armor, as Gridd stood next to him and did the same.


    The guard looked closely at Dag and Gridd and soon after at the other two, a few feet behind them.


    "And what about them? The guy with the bow has the same symbol on his armor, but the other one doesn''t. Who are you, kid? You have weapons, I can''t let you in without knowing that you have no bad intentions" continued the man in armor, who despite his harsh tone did not seem hostile towards them.


    "He is our curator. He''s not part of the Clan yet because he''s too young... but he''s incredibly skilled, more than any other experienced healers I know" Dag replied, looking at Karl and winking at him.


    "Why do you want to meet the Crows Of Odin Masters?" the guard continued.


    "We bring important news from the north and we have a proposal for them to make" Dag said, in a serious tone.


    "All right, you inspire me confidence, boy. You don''t look bad. The city is teeming with other guards like us, so remember not to do bullshit, did we understand each other?" replied the man, pointing his spear at the entrance of the tunnel, allowing the 4 adventurers to pass.


    Dag nodded his head, confirming that he understood.


    He and his companions crossed the tunnel, more than a hundred meters long and illuminated by two rows of torches on both sides.


    "Look how thick these mountains are! Who knows how long it took to dig these tunnels!" thought Karl aloud, who kept looking around fascinated.


    When they left the tunnel, three other guards stood on the other side and looked at them suspiciously.


    Dag stopped near one of them.


    "Hello! We''re ambassadors from others Okstorm''s Clans. We came here to your city to communicate good news to your Clan''s Masters. How can we get up there?" he asked, pointing to the summit of the mountains surrounding Skjegg.


    The guards kept looking at them for a few seconds, then one of them said: "You have to leave the horses in the town stable and then walk that way. Some platforms will take you to the top of the Rocky Crown. Once you arrive, follow the road to the larger building. That''s usually where the Masters are staying".


    "Thank you so much!" replied Dag, happy not to give more information.


    Together with his companions, he made his way to the stable indicated by the guard.


    After firmly tying the horses side by side and recommending the groom to pay attention to them, they headed to the west side of the city, where they were supposed to find a way up.


    "Wow, I didn''t think they were that big!" exclaimed Reidar, when he saw two huge wooden platforms that, connected to the top of the Rocky Crown with sturdy ropes, carried people up as if they were elevators.


    As he and Gridd discussed that impressive engineering work, Dag remained silent, waiting their turn, slamming his feet to the ground, compulsively.


    Two platforms alternated on the west side and two more on the east side, ensuring a continuous exchange between the base and the top of the mountains.


    It was an incredibly efficient and ingenious system.


    Other guards stood next to each other to make sure no one had escaped the background checks.


    The huge wooden platform touched the ground gently, lifting a few inches of dust.


    "Come on, we can go up!" exclaimed Dag, ordering the others to follow him, after the guard granted them the permission to go on.


    The strained ropes began to slide inside the draft mechanism and the 4 friends, along with 5 other people, climbed up.


    Karl and Reidar continued to look around curiously, while the other passengers of that unusual vehicle peered at them haughtily, realizing that they were foreigners.

 216 CCXVI. The Rocky Crown

    The rock face flowed next to the platform, equipped with a low wooden fence as protection not to fall down and Dag continued to look up, unable to wait any longer to achieve his goal and meet his woman.


    "So? How are you going to do that? What is our action plan? We find the Masters, and¡­ then?" asked Gridd, approaching him so as not to be heard by strangers.


    "This time I don''t have a precise plan... I''ll improvise. I''m sorry, Gridd, but I can''t think of anything but Freydis. After I''ll see her, I''m sure I''ll be able to concentrate. Besides, I believe that you have great communication skills, too. If I will not convince them to join the Iron Alliance, you will" Dag replied, without looking down.


    "All right. I''m going to help you, don''t worry, but remember, you''re the Warchief! You have to be ready to interface with anyone, without distracting yourself from your goal!" continued Gridd, who feared that Dag''s mind was completely elsewhere, even though he was aware of the importance of the mission, which by the way had been his idea.


    "Don''t worry, sister. Just trust me" he replied, looking into her eyes and smiling.


    "About 5 minutes after it had left the ground, the wooden platform reached the Rocky Crown of Skjegg and its passengers got off its surface, which went back down, to allow other people to climb.


    The path carved into the rock was actually a real road, carefully tended: on the ground, gray tiles were wedged into each other, giving a regal appearance to the road, which from the point where the platform arrived, branched out in two directions, one to the right and one to the left, continuing throughout the circular crown.


    The spikes that formed the top part of the structure, ran around the edges of the overhang, perfectly embedded in the rock and tied together with steel beams, which grant them great mechanical resistance to the weather.


    "Which way?" asked Karl, who never stopped admiring the city''s building quality.


    "This way. The guard told us that the Masters are staying in the tallest building... there it is" Dag exclaimed, pointing to a multi-story concrete building, located a hundred meters from them, along the circumference.


    As they walked, a group of warriors put themselves between them and the palace.


    "Where you gonna go?" asked a menacing-looking Berserkr.


    "We have an important communication to make at your Masters. Where can we find them?" said Dag, trying to be courteous, despite his interlocutor''s abrupt manner.


    "Hahahaha! Did you hear that? They want to talk to our Masters! Hahaha! C''mon, don''t be silly!" the man continued, mocking Dag with his companions, who giggled behind him.


    "What do you find so funny?" asked Dag, continuing to keep his composure.


    The man approached him, stopping a few inches from his face, looking at him with an air of superiority.


    Reidar stepped forward to intervene, when Gridd stopped him, resting a hand on his chest.


    "Leave it to him" she said, continuing to watch her brother dealing with that group of unknown warriors.


    The Berserkr was taller and more robust than Dag, with a short black beard and ruffled black hair.


    "You come here and want to talk to our Masters... who do you think you are, kids? We don''t have time to play with you, go back to where you came from" he exclaimed, pushing away Dag, who stepped back, giggling.


    "We are Masters too. He''s from the Hammers Of Thor, I''m from the Sons Of Freya. Haven''t they ever taught you respect? Who are you, what is your rank? Is this the way the Crows of Odin treat guests? Step aside, without objecting!" exclaimed Gridd, who had lost patience.


    At those words, the warriors in front of them began to chat, wondering if that young woman was telling the truth, while the Berserkr in front of Dag did not move an inch.


    "You? You''re a Master? Hahaha! What kind of joke is this? Let''s get it over with right away!" he continued, pretending to turn around, then trying to punch Dag, that raised his hand and blocked the shot with ease, merely pushing back his opponent, who opened his eyes wide, astonished.


    "Let''s do this way: you''ll go back to do your chores and let the adults talk, okay?" exclaimed Dag, pulling the n¡ã 8 emblem out of his pocket.


    After seeing the eye-shaped pendant, the group of warriors knelt before him, making room for him.


    "How do you... how is it possible that such a young boy has..."


    "Never take anything for granted, brother" interrupted Dag, who passed in front of the Berserkr, giving him a friendly slap on the face and causing him to growl with nervousness, not being able to contradict him, because of his higher rank.


    "If that''s their way of introducing themselves, I think it''s going to be hard convincing them to ally with us. I hope it''s just an isolated phenomenon, I trust that their Masters are different" Reidar said, continuing to look with contempt at that pack of arrogant and grumpy warriors.


    He and Gridd began to talk again, while Dag approached Karl.


    "Look around you. Notify me if you see your sister" he said, impatiently.


    "Of course, Dag, I was already looking for her. But with your improved sight, I doubt I can see her before you!" chuckled Karl, trying to relax his friend, whose impatience was visible even meters away.


    Other groups of warriors walked around the Rocky Crown, carrying weapons, talking to each other, and training.


    But there was no Freydis among them, or rather, Dag could not see her.


    His gaze had become so powerful that he could even distinguish the details of the buildings on the other side of the mountains, as well as the faces of passers-by.


    But still nothing, Freydis was not among them.


    "It''s possible that she has made a career too, Dag... like you and me. Maybe she became a Master. Relax, brother. She must be here, somewhere" Gridd said, touching Dag''s shoulder, which had stood motionless looking around, with a lost air.

 217 CCXVII. Sander

    "Yes, perhaps you''re right! She''s probably out on a mission, I''ll be waiting for her later" he replied, shaking his head, trying not to keep getting distracted.


    The four friends walked towards the dark grey concrete building, which had no decoration or statue to enrich its structure, that made a cold and even rather gloomy atmosphere.


    The base of the palace was wider than the upper floors, perhaps to ensure greater stability: a large open metal door led inside, curiously unguarded by guards, of which all Skjegg was flooded.


    Dag took a deep breath, then entered, followed by his companions.


    They found themselves in a large room, with very low ceilings and dimly lit by a faint light that came from two small windows on the other side.


    The ceiling was the floor of a kind of loft, connected to the entrance by two staircases, one to the right and one to the left.


    "It just seems like there''s no one down here, let''s try upstairs" Dag said, looking at his teammates, who were waiting for directions.


    They climbed the right-hand staircase, which, like the one on the left, led to the same upper floor.


    "Hello! Who are you?" asked a friendly voice, before the adventurers could look around.


    "Hello!" replied Dag, who, after climbing the last step, walked to that voice.


    He was a grown man, with grizzled hair and a clumsy look, cataloging books arranged on the large wooden table in the center of the room.


    "Wow! This must be the library!" exclaimed Karl, thinking aloud.


    "Hehe, yes! This is exactly the library! Sorry, maybe you''ve already answered my question, but my ears don''t work as well as they used to... who are you?" the man asked again, looking at Dag and Gridd, who preceded the other two.


    "We are Masters of two allied Clans. We traveled from the north to meet the Crows Of Odin Masters, to make them a proposal" Dag replied, showing the man the symbol engraved on his armor.


    "Ah, well, well! Uhm... just wait a minute, wait for me here!" continued the man, who looked like a librarian, his shoulders curved and his pace slow.


    Very slowly, he began to climb the stairs leading to the third floor.


    "Where is he going?" asked Gridd, looking around.


    "I think he went to inform the Masters of our arrival. Or at least, I hope so!" replied Dag, who kept wondering where Freydis might be.


    Around them, the walls of the loft were entirely used as bookcases, containing thousands of books and scrolls.


    "They left their greatest wealth unattended... I don''t think they''re used to receiving guests" said Reidar, who, after studying his surroundings, had already made his first sharp remarks.


    Karl approached one of the bookshelves, turning his head and trying to read the titles of those ancient books without touching them.


    After a couple of minutes, the librarian returned to them, descending the stairs one step at a time, stopping between steps and holding hands to the wall next to them.


    "Master Sander is the only one here in Skjegg... he wasn''t waiting for visitors, but he''s coming here to meet you" he exclaimed smiling and fatigued with his physical exertion.


    "Thank you, we''re grateful for your help!" replied Gridd, smiling, while Dag had his head in the clouds.


    A few seconds passed when they heard a sound of footsteps coming from upstairs: judging by the thud that emitted each foot touching the ground, the person who was heading towards them must have been very heavy.


    Karl walked away from the shelves and he and Reidar positioned themselves next to Dag and Gridd, forming an orderly line.


    A muscular man with a long, smooth black beard descended the stairs, looking at Dag and his companions out of the corner of his eye.


    "Well well... what do we have here? Ah, young warriors from other Clans... what brings you here to Skjegg, youngsters?" asked the man, walking towards them and stopping with his arms crossed, ready to wait for what they had to say.


    Dag couldn''t help but notice the hundreds of scars covering the neck and face of the man, who was wearing a headband on his head, from which medium-length black hair sprang up, resting on his thick and sturdy neck.


    He took a step forward, preceding Gridd and answering their interlocutor''s question: "Hi there, Master Sander. I''m Master Dag and she''s Master Gridd. We came here to bring good news".


    "Dag? Master Dag? Are you the kid who managed to kill Hjalmar and drive the Renegades out of Jordst?l?!" asked Sander, in a surprised tone.


    Gridd looked at Dag, who had not told her so many details of that past affair.


    "Uhm, yes. It''s me" he replied, who did not expect such a question.


    "Hahahahah! Welcome! It''s an honor to have you as a guest here in the Rocky Crown! Take a seat, let me offer you some mead, you''ll be thirsty!" said Sander, chuckling and pointing to the chairs around the library''s large wooden table.


    Dag looked at his companions, who smiled, content to be treated with respect and hospitality, and all four sat around the table with the Crows Of Odin Master, who screamed upstairs, ordering someone to immediately bring mead to the library.


    "I''m sorry that the other Masters are not present, we would have liked to speak to everyone and..."


    "Tell me, boy... is it true that when things started to get bad for him, Hjalmar turned into a kind of purple demon and began to say meaningless words?" interrupted Sander, who thought incessantly of the Renegades'' history.


    "Y... yes. That''s what happened, more or less. How do you know all these things?" replied Dag, as both Gridd and his companions listened curiously to the conversation.


    "In Mork Castle, there was an infiltrator of mine... an undercover Crows Of Odin warrior whose role was to gather information about the Renegades and find out where their base of operations was, whose position remained unknown until that day. You know, those heretical bastards were Okstorm''s scourge, and they were said to soon expand to Runar... but you managed to stop them! Hahaha! You have all our gratitude!" answered Sander happily, in a very high tone of voice, as a skinny man walked down the stairs with a tray in his hand, leaving a bottle of mead and clay glasses on the table.

 218 CCXVIII. Offer Of Alliance

    As the bearded man did the honors, pouring drinks at all, Dag thought back to his answer: "If what he says is true, his spy at Mork Castle may be the same man who warned the Fangs Of Jormungandr of Magni''s death, giving them the green light to attack the Temple! No, it doesn''t make sense. The Crows Of Odin can''t be allied with those bastards, I can hardly believe it".


    "Where are the other Masters?" asked Gridd, grabbing his mead-filled glass and trying to change his mind.


    "They''re on a mission... apparently... ships from Krypstorm... have landed on our shores... and they raided our villages..." answered Sander, gorging himself on mead, which he poured down his neck because of his gluttony.


    "Krypstorm?!" How is that possible?! It''s been ages that no one has come from there!" replied Gridd, who with a flicker of her hand, let a few drops of mead drop on the table.


    "We believed the same thing, and yet... the fishermen who managed to escape and reach Skjegg described the attackers as ''ice giants'' and their boats as huge death vessels" Sander continued, filling his glass to the brim again.


    "If I remember correctly, Krypstorm is Skjold''s other great country, right? I''ve never heard of it, though..." whispered Dag, turning his gaze towards Reidar.


    "Yes, Captain, correct. It is said that all Krypstorm is covered with ice, so much so that some stories of antiquity have compared it to Jotunheim, the kingdom of Jotunns, the Ice Giants. Despite its extreme temperature conditions, which would make human settlements impossible, that country hosts 3 different Clans: Lies Of Loki, Giants Of Ymir and Claws Of Fenrir" Reidar replied, trying to clarify Dag''s doubts.


    "Giants Of Ymir... maybe they are the ones who attacked the shores of Runar... But why?" replied Dag, thoughtfully.


    "We don''t know why, boy. When Kjell and Ellen will come back here to Skjegg, maybe they can give us more information" said Sander, who had listened to the conversation between Dag and Reidar, sitting at the table near him.


    "Anyway... even if not everyone is here, could you explain to me the real reason for your visit?" he continued.


    "Of course. The Hammers Of Thor and the Sons Of Freya formed an alliance, called the Iron Alliance. This scroll shows all the benefits and constraints of the Clans that decide to be part of it. We came here to ask you to become our allies" Dag said, opening the official contract on the table and sliding it towards Sander, who began reading it carefully.


    "Mmh... behind alliances of this kind, there are usually war motives. Tell me, are you setting a ''call to arms'' against a common enemy?" he asked, looking up at Dag and Gridd.


    "We can say yes, but it is preferable to clarify these details when the other Masters will be here as well. Let us just say that, as illustrated in the contract, the main objective of the union is the spirit of brotherhood and mutual help. From the sharing of arms and troops to the right of passage and the prohibition of war on each other... I think it''s all pretty clear" Dag continued, crossing his arms, ready to answer more questions.


    "Down here, it says that you are the Warchief in charge... is that so?"


    "Yes, as a matter of fact. The last point explains that anyone can challenge the current Warchief in a friendly fight to earn that role, which is nothing more than a formality. Each Master will continue to exercise his decision-making powers over his Clan and..."


    "Yes, yes, I understand. It''s all written here. Mmh... it seems advantageous and I think my Clan will agree. Needless to say, I have to discuss this with the other two Masters. They should be back in a few days, having been gone for a long time already..." he interrupted Sander again, who despite his rudeness, was inclined to listen.


    "Well! This means that one out of three agrees! I think it''s good news, worthy of a toast!" exclaimed Gridd, raising her glass to Sander, who for the sixth time filled his one.


    "Alliance or not, let us toast to our friendship! We will always be grateful to Master Dag for solving such a serious problem, that of the Renegades! Sk?l!" he replied.


    Everyone toasted and the four friends drank together, reassured to hear the word ''friendship'' come out of the mouth of a total stranger.


    "Just one thing, Dag... I think my colleagues will not agree with being subjected to such a young Warchief, especially Kjell..." continued Sander, drinking nonstop.


    "It''s not a problem, Master Sander. If you agree to join the Iron Alliance, one of you''ll have the official right to challenge me, as agreed" Dag replied, smiling and proving that he was not intimidated.


    He appreciated the calm and confident tone of Dag, who despite his young age, was able to posture as a true self-confident man.


    After talking for about an hour about Magni''s death and the other Masters of their Clans, they were all half-drunk, except for Dag and Sander, who, not yet satisfied with 3 bottles of alcohol, ordered another.


    "I admit it, boy, I''m impressed. You''re very young, but you went through a lot. If you''re still alive and you''ve come all this way, it means you must be a very strong warrior" said Sander, who was fascinated by the stories of his young interlocutor.


    "Maybe I was just lucky, I don''t know yet. Anyway, I''d have a favor to ask you, Sander" Dag replied, smiling at him.


    "Speak, I''m listening".


    "My woman... she''s one of your Shieldmaidens. I''m looking forward to seeing her, but before, in a hurry to come here, I couldn''t meet her anywhere. Her name is Freydis, do you know where I can find her?" continued Dag, who every time he uttered her name, felt like cramps in his stomach.


    "Mmh... Freydis did you say? Let me think... red hair, about that tall?" he asked, gesturing with his hand, trying to indicate to the girl''s stature.

 219 CCXIX. The Unhappy Disclosure

    "Yes, yes! It''s her! Where is she? Is she here in Skjegg or on any mission? I need to know, I can''t wait any longer" Dag replied, resting his arms on the table and rising from his chair, caught in a relentless euphoria.


    "Yeah... then..." Sander muttered, looking around and coughing.


    The light from the torches hanging on the wall reflected on his forehead, which when he began to sweat became as shiny as a mirror.


    Dag swallowed empty and felt shivers down his back.


    "Are you feeling well, Sander? Tell me, where is Freydis?" he said, breathing anxiously.


    "Uhm... Dag... you''re not going to like my answer. I remember that the young Shieldmaiden you''re talking about, she was a skilled warrior, she excelled among her companions, but¡­ about a month ago, we organized a diplomatic mission on the island of Vaeren, the territory under the rule of the Horns Of Heimdallr..." Sander said, resting his glass on the table, trying to concentrate.


    "No, no... where is Freydis?" whispered Dag again, his eyes on the man in front of him.


    Gridd and the others, despite their drunkenness, still managed to figure out what was about to happen: around Dag, the air suddenly became colder and they could feel it on their skin.


    "Diplomatic missions are usually perfect for non-expert warriors, so your woman and other warriors came forward, volunteering to leave for the island. If I remember correctly they were 8 people... the thing is... something went wrong and what was supposed to be a simple offer of peace by the Horns Of Heimdallr, turned out to be a trap..."


    "Where''s Freydis?!" yelled Dag, as the table he clutched in his hands began to emit a shattering wooden sound and his purple eye stared into Sander''s eyes, who for a moment felt intimidated.


    "We never knew what really happened on Vaeren Island, because after that episode, we declared war on those sons of bitches! I''m sorry, Dag, but I need to let you know that your girlfriend never came back to Skjegg. Neither she nor her companions... only one Shieldmaiden managed to return, but from that day she stopped talking and managed to tell us only summarily about that episode... I am deeply sorry, I mean it" he continued, looking at Dag with a genuinely heartbroken look.


    Dag remained silent and for about a minute, no one in that room dared to speak.


    His skin began to release the grayish gas, while he sat back in his chair, his gaze lost in the void.


    The cold aura around him became much more intense, and Gridd, Karl, and Reidar immediately recovered, afraid of what might happen.


    "What the fuck is going on? What''s this cold? And what''s coming out of your arms, kid?" asked Sander, standing up, while the water vapor coming out of his mouth was visible because of the freezing cold in the room.


    "Don''t worry, everything''s fine. We''ll take care of him. I think this news upset him" said Gridd, who immediately approached his brother, resting her hand on his shoulder.


    Dag remained impassive, his mouth half open and his eyes pointed to the floor.


    "Boy, I told you... we have declared war on the Horns Of Heimdallr, they will pay for what they did to our warriors! You can count on it!" continued Sander, trying to console Dag, while Karl and Reidar also approached him, knowing that Freydis was the thing he cared most about in the world and the news that she had been kidnapped or even died was wearing him down from the inside.


    Suddenly, the gas stopped floating inside the room, dissolving into the air, and Dag looked Sander in the eye again: "Can I know the name of the Shieldmaiden that managed to get back here?"


    "She''s called Ragna... but I warn you, in addition to not talking, she has become particularly hostile to strangers and has left the Rocky Crown''s dormitory. She''s no longer a Shieldmaiden, she''s retired from her duties to the Clan" he said.


    Dag rose to his feet, ignoring his companions beside him.


    "Tell me where I can find her" he continued, in an earnest tone.


    "If I''m not mistaken, she''s back living with her parents in a downtown house" sighed Sander, who knew that even if he didn''t give him any more information, Dag would still find a way to reach her.


    After those words, he walked down the stairs, without adding anything else.


    "Reidar, Karl, stay here with Master Sander and answer back to all his curiosities... we cannot lose his interest in joining the Alliance, we must try to entertain him as much as possible" whispered Gridd to the two warriors, who after what had happened did not know how to behave.


    After apologizing on Dag''s behalf for leaving without even saying goodbye, Gridd joined him, running, while Reidar and Karl obeyed the orders and returned to sit at the table next to Sander, who continued to drink nonchalantly.


    "Dag! Brother, wait for me! Don''t worry, I''m not going to stop you, because I know I can''t... just let them help" Gridd said, as he continued his advance to the wooden platforms to descend from the walls.


    "I''ve waited months, Gridd. I knew she couldn''t come to see me, because, like me, she was a recruit and didn''t have much freedom of movement, but... this... I never imagined that she would have ended who knows where, in the hands of those bastard sons of bitches!" exclaimed Dag, speaking aloud and attracting the attention of some warriors who, like them, awaited the arrival of the platform.


    Gridd looked at them, who immediately looked away, then continued: "Even Sander said that Freydis is an excellent warrior. I remember when she fought in the Jernhest Arena, she was always formidable, very promising. You''ll see, she''s going to be fine, we just have to try to get more information... but you must not lose your temper. Also, think of the Iron Alliance and Sander who was interested in our proposal. You''re not alone Dag, we''ll help you find Freydis, I promise!"

 220 CCXX. The Stray Boy

    "If I only had arrived earlier... he said it happened about a month ago... I should have reached Skjegg right after escaping from Mork Castle! She would have met me and maybe she would have given up on leaving for that diplomatic mission! What a stupid!" replied him, who seemed not to listen to Gridd''s words and clutched his trousers in his hands, angrily.


    "Oh, yes? That''s what you think? In that way, now, not only would there be no Iron Alliance... even the Hammers Of Thor would no longer exist! If you hadn''t returned to the Temple Of Orn, you could never have warned them of the danger and fought for your allies! Stop blaming yourself, brother, you can''t escape your destiny. It''s pointless to cheer like a girl, we''ll find this Ragna girl and hope for the best" replied Gridd, who despite feeling partially ignored, continued to spur her brother, who was down in the dumps.


    The platform, after a few minutes, reached the top of the Rocky Crown and the two siblings got off, along with other people.


    Gridd kept looking at Dag, who reciprocated her gaze: his purple eye was less bright than usual as if expressing his mood at the time.


    Without adding anything else, she grabbed his hand and shook it tightly.


    Dag observed that loving gesture and then nodded his head, determined after finally getting his sister''s message.


    Once they moved from the wooden elevator, they made their way through the crowd of people who walked frantically through the city streets, which were much narrower and less spacious than Hevnen''s.


    "A house in the downtown... it''s not that detailed, we should find out where..."


    "Excuse me, sir, do you happen to know a young Shieldmaiden named Ragna? We are her companions, come from far away and we would like to bring gifts to her and her family for what happened..." asked Dag to a passer-by, completely ignoring Gridd''s directions.


    "Uhmm... Ragna? I''m sorry, boy, I don''t know who she is" the man replied.


    Dag repeated the same question to about ten different people, men and women of all ages.


    "Hey, you! You, with that strange purple eye!" shouted a voice from the crowd.


    Dag turned in that direction: a child with his face and hands completely dirty with soil and dressed only in rags was trying to attract his attention.


    "Tell me, kid, do you know her? May I ask you where does she live?" asked Dag, approaching him at a sustained pace.


    "Mmh yes, I can. But maybe I don''t remember very well..." answered the little boy, looking up and pretending not to remember.


    Without adding anything else, Dag pulled a gold coin out of his pocket and handed it to the stray boy that looked at it with twinkling eyes.


    "Follow me!" exclaimed the little guy, beginning to run into the crowd.


    "Wait for me, brother! Where are you going?! Fuck!" shouted Gridd, who managed to run after them with difficulty, because of the multitude of people who crowded that street.


    The houses and other buildings in the city were all made of bricks and the colors ranged from gray to dark red.


    There were no very tall buildings, except for someone, which was built on several floors.


    The little boy suddenly turned to the right, entering an even narrower street, lined with artisans of all kinds: while a blacksmith inserted a piece of hot metal inside a bucket of water, emitting a cloud of white smoke, two women weaved straw strings and others worked leather and furs.


    "We''re almost there!" said the little boy, surprised that Dag managed to keep up with him, while Gridd had some difficulties, due to the city noise and rapid changes of direction.


    Finally, after about 5 minutes of running through the streets of Skjegg, the child stopped, pointing to a house across the street, much less crowded than the others.


    "Thank you, my friend" Dag said, in a serious tone of voice, heading to the house, followed by Gridd, who looked at the child as he stared captivated the gold coin he had just earned.


    "Ragna! Does Ragna live here?" he said aloud, repeatedly knocking on the door, so insistently as to be rude.


    "Dag, wait! I don''t think it''s appropriate to swoop in here and..."


    As she spoke, Gridd was interrupted by a man in his sixties, who opened the door just a few inches, as it was attached to the wall with an iron chain.


    From that small space, half of his face sprang up, with which he peered at the two unexpected visitors with a questioning air.


    "Who are you?"


    "Hi, I apologize for the inconvenience. I''m Master Dag, of Hammers Of Thor. I need to talk to your daughter about the Vaeren Island''s affair" Dag said, bowing his head out of respect, even though his rank was much higher than that of a simple middle-class citizen.


    "I''m sorry, Master Dag, my daughter stopped talking... I wish you a good day" said the man, who as he closed the door was stopped by a hand of Dag, who grabbed it.


    "I insist. It''s something really important" he continued, as the man noticed his purple eye and without adding anything else, closed the door, unhooked the chain that held it locked and opened it, letting Dag and Gridd in.


    "Other warriors like you tried talking to her, but there was nothing to do. Ragna was a bright and lively girl, as well as being a great chatterbox... try not to be too hard on her, she is still upset by that day" the man continued, as a woman began staring at the two strangers from behind a wall, caught unprepared.


    "Thank you very much. I apologize again to you and your wife for the break-in. It''s an important matter" Dag replied, walking to Ragna''s room and also addressing the woman, who realized she had been noticed.


    He stood at the closed door and knocked gently.

 221 CCXXI. Ragna

    "Hello, Ragna. My name is Dag, I don''t think you know me. I come from afar and I would like to know more about that day when you and your companions traveled to Vaeren Island... can we get in? My sister''s with me..." said, approaching his ears at the door, to hear what was going on on the other side.


    Ragna did not answer, but she was there, he could sense her presence.


    "I don''t care anything about your Clan and your duties to them. I want to ask you about Freydis. You know, she and I¡­ we were together, and I traveled a long way to meet her again. Please, Ragna. You''re the only person who can help me..." continued Dag, resting first a hand, then his forehead on the door, heartbroken and sad.


    "I warned you... I''m very sorry, but Ragna doesn''t like to get visitors" the Shieldmaiden''s father interrupted, pointing the exit door to Dag and Gridd.


    Just then, the room''s door opened and she finally went out.


    She was a medium-sized girl, very thin and with long brown hair, frizzy and unappealing.


    She was wearing a quite dirty white robe and walked barefoot.


    The most immediate detail Dag and Gridd noticed was a large rune-shaped scar on her forehead.


    The light in the hallway barely illuminated her face, when Ragna gestured with her hand towards Dag, inviting him to enter, under the astonished eyes of her parents, who watched the scene on the sidelines.


    He stepped forward, entering the room, and as Gridd followed him, the girl looked at her, implicitly asking her not to go any further.


    "I believe she doesn''t want me to come in with you, brother. I''ll wait for you out here" said Gridd, who, not perceiving that young woman as a threat, let his brother continue alone.


    After both of them were inside the room, lit only by a candle resting on a nightstand next to the bed, Ragna closed the door, locking it.


    "What is that scar, Ragna? What did those bastards do to you?" asked Dag, merciless in seeing the young woman''s grieving expression.


    She touched her forehead, sitting on the bed, without answering.


    Dag approached her, who got up the bed and slid back, frightened.


    "Don''t worry, I don''t want to hurt you. I just want to help you! Tell me what happened that day... what happened to Freydis and your other companions? I met Sander, your former Master, but apparently, neither he nor anyone else knows anything about that story" Dag continued, sitting on the bed next to her and trying to make her realize that he was not his enemy.


    Ragna stopped touching her forehead and slowly raised one of the sleeves of her white dressing gown, showing Dag her arm.


    "Oh my goodness¡­" whispered him, when he noticed that the whole girl''s arm was full of scars of all shapes and sizes.


    "Have you been tortured? Who did it? Tell me the name of who did this to you and I will kill him with my own hands, whatever it costs!"


    She made no answer, clutching her legs in the arms on the bed.


    Dag stood up, realizing that Ragna wouldn''t say a word if he hadn''t found a way to prove to her that he was seeking revenge.


    He opened his arms and closed his eyes.


    At that very moment, the girl''s gaze fell on the candle resting on the bedside table, whose flame began to swing, as if struck by a light wind, which was impossible, since the window in her room was closed.


    "Look at me" Dag said, as the gray smoke billowed out of his arms, immediately becoming liquid and floating around him.


    She opened her eyes wide, incredulous.


    "These are my powers, Ragna. I want to avenge you and I need to know if Freydis is still alive" Dag continued, as a beam of dark fluid moved toward the girl, who stood motionless on the bed.


    "Mmh! Mmmh! No!" she said, moaning, frightened by that vision.


    "I don''t want to hurt you... look".


    The liquid moved towards the candle, grabbing the small clay plate that held it and lifting it from the nightstand, moving the light across the room.


    Ragna calmed down, realizing that Dag had no bad intentions, despite those strange supernatural powers.


    Gently, he placed the candle again in his place and recalled the liquid to his body, which absorbed it immediately, leaving himself astonished too, who feared that he would not be able to control his powers so perfectly.


    "Inguz..." whispered her, looking Dag in the eye.


    "What? Inguz? Is that the name of the man who did this to you?" he asked, approaching her and sitting on the bed.


    She shook her head, denying.


    Soon after, she touched the rune-shaped scar on her forehead again, continuing to repeat that word with a flickering thread of a voice.


    "Inguz... Inguz..."


    "I get it! The rune! Inguz is the name of the rune, isn''t it?" asked Dag, urging her to speak.


    She nodded her head, confirming.


    "I don''t know its meaning, but I''m sure some of my friends can help me understand... try to talk to me, Ragna, please. Everything you tell me will not come out of this room, I will keep the secret if you will" replied Dag, who was trying in every way to earn her trust.


    "Freydis... she didn''t want to... Inguz..." Ragna continued, clasping her legs tightly in her arms and swinging them as if saying those words reminded her of the trauma she suffered.


    "Yes! Freydis! Well! Keep it up, you can do it! Did she refuse to have the rune engraved on her skin? But, I don''t understand... did you consent instead? Why would you? So, wait. Let''s start from the beginning" said Dag, who was so eager to ask questions that he feared he might put her in a confused state.


    "They killed everyone... except me and Freydis... we were supposed to be... we had to be..."

 222 CCXXII. The Testimony

    "Did you have to be what?"


    " To be sacrificed... the Inguz rune... is used to bless sacrifices" she continued.


    "What? Do you mean they were going to kill you as a sacrifice? To whom? The God Heimdallr?" asked Dag, as his hands began to sweat, imagining what that poor girl had been through.


    She said no with her head.


    She looked him back in the eye and placed a finger on her right eye, then pointed to Dag''s face.


    He paused a moment to think.


    "It can''t be... they wanted to offer you as a sacrifice to the Frostsinners, right? The Xis!" he exclaimed after reflecting for a few seconds, hoping to get it wrong.


    As soon as she heard that name, Ragna shuddered and stuck her head between her legs, beginning to tremble unchecked.


    "Offering a sacrifice... it is a pure act of submission! How can they worship the Xis and Heimdallr at the same time? Something''s wrong! What about Freydis?! What happened to her? Did they kill her? And how did you escape?" he continued, who was beginning to lose his temper.


    She breathed deeply, seeking the courage to continue, and then said: "Freydis saved me... she asked to take my place after they marked my forehead... but when they tried to do the same to her, she tried to fight and I... I ran away like a coward! I''m sorry!"


    Ragna began to cry, while Dag did not know what to answer.


    "Luckily for me, I was able to find a boat and... I escaped from Vaeren Island! But I can''t help but think of her, her face and that of my comrades, mercilessly killed. That''s why I abandoned my Clan... I am not worthy of being a Shieldmaiden and of fighting for the great and wise Odin! I''m sure the Alfather feels disgusted for what I''ve done! I abandoned a friend of mine to save my miserable life!" she wept, despairing and lying on the bed.


    *bom*bom*bom*


    "Ragna! My child, that''s your voice! Open the door, Ragna! Is he hurting you?! Why are you crying?! Ragna!"


    Outside the door, the girl''s father began to scream, after hearing again about his daughter, who had not said a word in almost a month.


    Dag got out of bed and went to open the door.


    As soon as the key made the last click in the lock, the man opened the wooden door and quickly entered the room, slinging toward his daughter, hugging her and taking a defensive position, looking at Dag in an intimidating manner.


    "What did he do to you? Did he try to touch you?!" continued the man, agitated.


    "No... he didn''t even touch me... we were just talking..." said her, as her father hugged her, happy to hear her voice again.


    "What you have done is not cowardly. Your life is no less important than that of others. I''m sure the great Odin would be happy to see you fight again for your Clan, you need to give a purpose to your life, staying in this room lying on the bed will not help you forget" Dag said, walking down the aisle, as Gridd looked confused.


    "Dag!" yelled Ragna, preventing him from leaving.


    He paused, listening to what the girl had to say, turning his head slightly towards her.


    "Thank you..."


    "Don''t thank me. Not until my hands will be stained with their blood" he replied, continuing to walk to the exit, followed by Gridd, unaware of what had happened in that room.


    Without adding anything else, the two men left the house, while Ragna hugged her parents, crying.


    "Then? What happened? Are you telling me something?!" exclaimed Gridd, walking next to Dag, looking forward, thoughtfully.


    "They''re all dead. Ragna is the only one who managed to escape... that rune engraved on her forehead is called ''Inguz''... I think it serves some sacrificial rite".


    "What? All dead? Sacrifice rite? I don''t understand!"


    "Those bastards were going to offer Ragna as a sacrifice when Freydis asked to take her place to save her life. The strange thing is that the sacrifice itself, but the fact that, according to Ragna, was not for Heimdallr..." Dag continued.


    "And for whom? Oh... Oh no, don''t tell me it was a sacrifice for the..."


    "For the Xis. I don''t know how, but even those bastards are somehow related to the Frostsinners".


    "But... but what happened to Freydis? Is she still alive?" asked Gridd again, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.


    "Ragna doesn''t know, because she managed to escape, thus saving her life. But Freydis, despite her fighting prowess, I don''t think she survived. She was alone... alone on an island of heretical and evil warriors! And I wasn''t there! She was abandoned by her companions and her man!" exclaimed Dag, pulling his long blonde hair in anger and touching his forehead, without stopping walking towards the wooden elevators to the Rocky Crown.


    The rest of the way, Dag and Gridd continued to talk about Ragna''s story, trying to interpret her words and understand what might have happened.


    Within tens of minutes, they returned to the Crows Of Odin fortress on the Rocky Crown and again joined their mates and Sander, who were still seated at the table, as they had left them.


    "Dag, Gridd! So? Did you find that girl?" asked Karl, happy to see them again.


    "Yes. And I even managed to talk to her. Only she told me exactly what I never wanted to hear" Dag said, who after sitting down at the table, told them Ragna''s version of events, explaining what had happened that day on Vaeren Island.


    When he finished speaking, there was a few seconds of silence, which was broken by Sander''s words: "Even just thinking we wanted to make peace with those heretical murderers disgusts me. I feel very sorry for your woman, as well as for the other warriors of mine who lost their lives because of us Masters, who allowed them to leave. We have to set up an attack plan, they won''t expect that now!"

 223 CCXXIII. The Brotherhood

    "The Horns Of Heimdallr have always been a threat to you because they''re geographically very close to Runar... is that correct?" asked Dag, in a serious tone.


    "Uhm... yes, we have never had good relations and..."


    "If we help you solve this problem, will you join the Iron Alliance?" he interrupted.


    "Mmh... of course! I will always need the confirmation of Master Kjell and Master Ellen, but I promise I will pressure them, trying to convince them to accept! You have my word, boy!" replied Sander, reaching out to Dag, who unhesitatingly squeezed it, confirming the agreement.


    "Captain! But how... how can we accomplish such a feat? We don''t have an army, we''re not ready to attack Vaeren Island!" asked Reidar, who was dismayed by the words of Dag, who had impulsively accepted a very dangerous pact that would put everyone''s lives at risk.


    "Don''t worry, Reidar. I will go to those motherfuckers" Dag exclaimed, turning to his friend.


    "What? You? You alone? Hahaha, boy... better not to joke, we are talking about a delicate issue..." continued Sander, while Gridd and Karl could not believe their ears.


    "I''ve never been so serious. The Horns Of Heimdallr are on an island, right? This means that catching by surprise is practically impossible because they can constantly monitor every boat that arrives and leaves. They could never suspect that one man could pose a danger, I''m sure they''ll let me dock" Dag replied, getting up from the table and walking toward the bookstores, thinking.


    "How are you going to defend yourself? Alone? Dag, don''t be silly! I know how strong you are, but you couldn''t survive such numerical inferiority" Gridd said, interrupting him.


    "Yes, Captain, I think Gridd is right. Even your powers would not be enough, we have to study a plan and wait a few more days..." Reidar confirmed, supporting Gridd''s thesis.


    Dag turned to them, who noticed that he had tears in his eyes.


    "My life would no longer make sense without her. If my destiny is to die fighting alone, I will be ready to accept it. I need to know if Freydis is still alive and I need to do it now, I can''t wait any longer" he said, crying.


    "Dag..." said Gridd, sorry to see him reduced in those conditions.


    "You won''t fight alone. I will come with you, Dag" Karl exclaimed unexpectedly, standing up and walking towards him.


    "I can''t continue to put your lives at risk for matters that only affect me... I wouldn''t be any different from Brann!" replied Dag, touching his forehead and looking sadly down.


    "She''s my sister, Dag. As you already know, the idea of going to an enemy Clan''s island makes me cringe, but... I would do anything to save Freydis. I''m not going to let you go alone, I''ve decided. If we die, at least we will know that we have tried and we will reach Valhalla" Karl continued, resting his hand on his shoulder, sharing his pain.


    Dag stopped crying and hugged his friend, unloading the tension of the moment.


    "I didn''t imagine she was so important to you, brother, I admit. Well, I can''t let my younger brother and Iron Alliance Warchief commit suicide, so... I too will be forced to come with you" sighed Gridd.


    Dag looked up, happy to know that his companions cared for him and Freydis, despite the dangerous circumstances.


    Karl and Gridd watched Reidar, who sighed.


    "When do we leave?" he asked, smiling at his captain, intent on leaving with him and the others.


    "We''re going to leave right away, but I''ll tell you again: don''t feel compelled to come with me. If Freydis is alive, I need to intervene now... I''m going to make those pieces of shit pay for it! said Dag, wiping away tears.


    "I''ve never seen a close-knit team like yours. I''m sorry, but as you can imagine, I can''t put my men''s lives at risk on an impromptu, dangerous mission like this. The Horns Of Heimdallr have to pay for what they did, but we need a plan. I''m going to give you some advice, Dag... If you find out your woman couldn''t survive, try to escape from the island and come back here. We will reset everything and attack again" Sander said, intruding into the speech.


    "I thank you for your words and I understand your decision, I would have done the same if I had been in your place. When we come back, I expect to know the other two Masters!" said Dag, approaching him to shake his hand.


    "I must ask you only a favor. As you can imagine, we don''t have a boat... could you lend us one?" asked Dag again, determined to leave immediately.


    "Of course. We have a lot of boats, but I think there''s only one that suits you" Sander said, who got up from the table and took an empty scroll from one of the shelves, along with a feather and an inkwell.


    He placed the parchment on the table and unrolled it, beginning to write something.


    After less than a minute, he closed it again and handed it over to Dag, saying: "First of all you have to get to Gurn, the only port of Runar connected to the Island of Vaeren. Once there, look for a man named Frank and give him this scroll. The harbor is guarded day and night, so Frank will be there for sure and help you out. Have a good trip".


    "Thank you so much, Sander, I will be able to repay your kindness" Dag replied, tucking the parchment into the leather bag he carried behind his back.


    "Killing those sons of bitches will be more than enough, you can consider your debt already repaid!" he smiled, looking at the 4 adventurers with a friendly look.


    "Let''s go then, there''s no time to waste! It''s still afternoon, maybe we can get to Gurn before the night comes" Gridd said, urging his teammates to hurry.

 224 CCXXIV. Gurn

    After leaving the Rocky Crown building and getting off the walls, they hurried to the stable and mounted on horseback, leaving the main gallery.


    "Gurn is to the west, about ten miles from here" exclaimed Reidar, who pulled out an old map ripped from his pocket.


    Already after a hundred meters after passing the tunnel, the four friends found a signpost with indications for their destination.


    The road leading to Gurn was straight and safe, with people on horseback flowing towards the city and looking curiously at Dag and the others, who were moving in the opposite direction, which was quite strange as the sunset was approaching.


    The red Sun illuminated the ground and the trees on one side, while the darkness made space around them, which without problems reached their goal, which presented itself as a kind of fort, surrounded by thick and low stone walls.


    Unlike the last port they had visited, Hevnen''s, this one seemed almost uninhabited. Although it was not too late, there was no one near the docks, only sailors and workers, intent on securing the docked ships, which because of the wind that had been rising for a few hours, swung overwhelmingly, slamming against each other.


    "Great, just what we need... the wind will make the journey to the Island even more difficult..." Gridd said, looking up, as menacing clouds moved over Gurn.


    "We''re looking for Frank, maybe he''s one of those men over there" Dag said, riding toward a group of sailors who chatted leaning against a boat, completely ignoring his sister''s warning, that merely followed him.


    "Hello, gentlemen. I''m looking for Frank, do you know him?" he asked, coming off his horse.


    The sailors looked at each other with a chuckle, given Dag''s young age, when a stout man with a huge black mustache sprang from their shoulders.


    "I''m Frank, who''s looking for me?" the man asked, looking Dag in the eye.


    Without saying a word, he handed over the parchment given to him by Sander, and Frank read it carefully, with a questioning expression.


    "And where''s this ''Master Dag'', boy?" he asked, looking around.


    "He''s just in front of you, Frank" Dag smiled, crossing his arms, under the astonished gaze of the group of sailors.


    "You? How can it..."


    "Yes, how can a young kid like me already be a Master? I know, I know, I''ve heard this thing hundreds of times. Are you showing us the boat or what? We should leave now" Dag continued, in a haughty tone.


    The sailors stepped aside, letting him and his team pass to the dock, while Frank made his way, continuing to read the scroll.


    "That''s the ''Brass Arrow''. It''s Runar''s fastest and quietest boat, I built it myself. It is usually used for espionage missions and other similar stuff, thanks to its features that make it perfect for this stuff. Are you on a mission for your Clan?" the sailor asked, showing the boat to the adventurers.


    "Yes. We have a little unfinished business with the Horns Of Heimdallr" Dag replied, admiring the masterpiece of naval engineering.


    "Horns Of Heimdallr?! Don''t you know our Clan has declared war on them? I thought you were heading south, are you really sure you want to go to Vaeren Island? The last time a ship left in that direction, it never came back... it was about a month ago..."


    "We know this story, my friend. It''s one of the reasons we urgently need to go there. I''ll be happy to explain to you better when we''ll be back, so you will satisfy your curiosity" Dag replied, continuing to smile at the man, with a determined expression.


    "Uhm, sure... Master Dag. You can deliver the horses to me, I will tie them in the dock and look after them until you return. In this regard, how soon will you come back?"


    "We need just a few hours" Dag replied, handing Aslan''s bridles into Frank''s hands, who gasped at those words with a confused expression painted on his face.


    "Master Dag, maybe I didn''t get it right... a few hours?! Yes, it''s true, the Brass Arrow can reach the Island in about half an hour, but... It can''t take so little time!" exclaimed the sailor, grasping the bridles of the 4 horses, who arranged themselves neatly behind him.


    "We''ll be quick, Frank. I told you, keep your questions for later" concluded Dag, who boarded the boat without adding anything else, followed by his companions.


    The Brass Arrow was a classic ''Draki'' Viking dragon-boat- shape. Both sides were reinforced with brass slabs, which, entering the water, cut its surface, soundproofing the boat, which did not make any noise even when stationary.


    The back was flat and tilted, while the bow was pointed and facing upwards, with a brass snakehead that graced the end of the hull.


    The sail, unlike the common boats, was mounted on a mainmast tilted towards the stern of the ship, which gave the whole boat an even more tapered and aerodynamic shape, increasing its speed of movement, according to Frank, who cared for it as if it was a jewel and reluctantly left it in the hands of four strangers.


    Before jumping off the pier, Reidar untied the docking rope and the Brass Arrow began to move, under the action of the waves caused by the wind, which even in the harbor made their strength felt.


    "Let''s see... I think it needs to be moved in this direction..." Said Dag, who tried to turn the tip of the boat, recalling the movements of the boat''s sailor who took them from Innsjo to Hevnen.


    Lifting the rudder bar, consisting of a wooden bar placed on the stern and moving it to one side and then the other, with a bit of luck, he managed to drive the vehicle out of the port, avoiding the other moored boats.


    Once offshore, Vaeren Island was already visible in the distance and its angular contours took shape, in contrast to the gray clouds behind it, reflecting the moonlight.

 225 CCXXV. The Risky Maneuvre

    "Those don''t promise anything good..." Karl said, pointing to the menacing, rain-laden clouds over their heads.


    "The journey will be quite short. Thor and Freya are on our side, they will protect us" exclaimed Dag, who did not really believe those words, but found them very useful to encourage his companions, doubtful about the future outcome of the mission.


    The waves immediately began to slam on the sides of the boat, trying to counteract its gait, but it did not change significantly, thanks to the reinforced and stable layout of the Brass Arrow, the spearhead of Runar''s naval engineering.


    "If we get out alive, I swear I''ll buy this boat, at the cost of losing all my money!" continued Dag, to dampen the tension of the moment, prompting laughter among his companions, who looked at the Island in front of them, whose contours became more and more wide and sharp.


    "Captain! I think those are observation towers! Up there!" shouted Reidar, pointing to three high towers rising on the island from the steep, high rocky shores.


    Just then, a heavy downpour broke out, which combined with the sharp wind, created a real storm, complete with lightning and thunder.


    "Perfect! I''m sure they won''t see us now! Seeing a boat so small from up there, in this weather, is practically impossible!" replied Reidar, happy with that lucky coincidence.


    "Did you see? Thor listened to our words! He''s helping us!" said Dag, trying to hold the rudder bar still, which was shaking under the force of the waves.


    "Where the fuck are we going?! Can you see a safe place to leave the boat?" asked Gridd aloud, to counteract the sound of wind and rain, slamming into the boat causing a loud bang.


    "That way! I see an inlet and a cave! I think from there you can climb avoiding the port, which seems to be that way!" exclaimed Dag, squinting and sharpening his eyes, managing to get a complete picture of the situation, despite the very poor visibility in the middle of the storm.


    "Hahaha! I''m never going to figure out how the fuck you do that, bro! Come on, take us there!" replied Gridd, chuckling, full of adrenaline.


    "Dag, that cave will definitely be guarded, we have to be careful, otherwise our cover will break immediately!" shouted Karl, terrified of what they were going to do.


    "I''ll handle this! When we''re close to those rocks, I''ll be more sheltered from the rain and I''ll be able to aim!" said Reidar, pulling out the Failnaught.


    Dag said nothing, continuing to steer the boat to the inlet, focused, and rabid.


    "I''ll find you, my love! If you''re still alive, hold on! Your man is coming to get you! I''m going to kill these sons of bitches from the first to the last, nothing and no one will stop me!" he thought.


    Approaching the rocky coast, the advance of the boat became even more difficult, due to the sharp rocks protruding from the water, lower than in the open sea.


    "We''re almost there, Reidar, get ready! Gridd, come here, take the helm!" shouted Dag, arranging the attack.


    "What?! I''ve never ridden a boat like that! I''m not sure I can! Why can''t you continue?!" she asked, who stood next to him, fearful of not being up to the task.


    "You have already driven other boats, for me this was the first time! You''ll see Gridd, you''ll be great! I will help Reidar, we do not know how many enemies are hiding in the cave! Take the helm and point in that direction... when you''ll be just a few feet away from the rock, turn it completely and bring the side of the Brass Arrow closer to the cave. We''ll jump down and find a way to dock! All clear?" replied Dag, explaining to Gridd the whole manoeuvre, in detail.


    "Uhm... But... But I..." Gridd stammered, when he left the rudder in her hands, without giving her time to think.


    Holding it firmly, she too managed to maintain the course of the boat more or less stable.


    The storm continued to rage undauntedly over their heads, and the rain became even more intense, so much so that it made it difficult to even distinguish the rocks a few meters in front of them.


    Suddenly, the amount of water raining on them again decreased, due to the inlet on the rocky coast, as Dag had predicted.


    "Reidar, keep your eyes open!" he said, pulling out only his hammer, as Reidar leaned on the bow of the boat, to aim as soon as he had a good field of view on his enemies.


    The loud sound of the waves slamming on the rocks near the cave, favored their approach, making the Brass Arrow even quieter.


    When they were close enough, they noticed that a faint light came from inside the natural cavity.


    Considering the fact that, reflecting on the walls of the cave, the glow was not continuous, they sensed that it was a bonfire.


    Reidar charged an arrow over the Failnaught, and two other magical arrows of a shining yellow sprang out of nowhere, shimmering in the rain.


    Gridd, as Dag suggested earlier, pulled the rudder lever and then pushed it to the other side, causing the boat to perform a kind of drift, positioning its right flank towards the rock face, full of sharp edges, brought to that state by the continuous action of the swell.


    In the darkness of the faintly lit cave, three men sat by the bonfire, chatting to each other, oblivious to what was about to happen.


    Reidar, without thinking twice, fired all three arrows: two of them scored, hitting two men on the back, while the other missed the target, due to the abrupt movements of the boat, which rose just before the shot.


    "Fuck!" shouted Reidar, who immediately grabbed another arrow from the quiver and charged it on the Failnaught, that this time did not generate the additional magic ones, because the archer''s cover had dropped: the enemies had spotted them.

 226 CCXXVI. The Bonefire

    After that, one of the two men hit sank to the ground, lifeless, while the other crawled away from their field of vision, following his other companion, who after noticing the invaders had disappeared.


    "That bastard is going to blow our cover!" yelled Karl, referring to the man who managed to escape.


    Just then, after Karl''s words, Dag jumped from the boat to the rocky shore of the cave.


    The jump was incredibly daring: about 5 meters separated the Brass Arrow from the cave and for a moment, his companions feared that he would end up in the water, or worse, on those sharp rocks.


    While suspended in mid-air, a large amount of dark liquid came out of his arms and back.


    He threw the hammer forcefully into the cave and it violently hit the wall in front of him, wedging into the rock and leaving a beam of black fluid behind, connected to Dag''s right arm.


    At the same time, he looked toward his companions and stretched out his other arm in the direction of the boat, firing the fluid like a bullet, which attached itself to the wood of the Brass Arrow, remaining linked to his left arm.


    Emitting a howl of fatigue, Dag crossed his arms, dragging the boat towards him and himself towards the cave, while the muscles of his chest became as hard as metal, imprinting a superhuman force.


    Within seconds, his feet touched the mainland, as did the lower part of the boat that became wedged between two protruding rocks less than a meter from the shore of the rocky coast leading to the cave.


    The liquid detached from the left side, releasing the wood of the boat, which slipped slightly, settling down and forcing Gridd, Karl and Reidar to grip on makeshift handholds, to avoid falling into the sea.


    Before they could get off, Dag pulled the hammer from the wall, tearing his arm, which swayed the fluid, allowing the weapon to move through the air.


    In a whip-like gesture, the hammer was thrown in front of him, hitting behind the head the guard who had fled a few seconds earlier, still visible due to the slippery bottom of the cave, which had not allowed him to escape quickly.


    After the man fell to the ground with his skull split under the hammer''s black stone head, it returned at great speed to Dag''s hand, which gripped it firmly from the handle, while the elastic fluid re-entered his arms, which turned black.


    The second guard, who was crawling away from there, stopped and turned on his side.


    "Please! Stop! I didn''t do anything to you, I''m just a guard, you can pass!" he yelled, pleading for the pity of Dag, who approached him and lifted him by the neck.


    The man remained with his knees resting on the ground, after losing the use of his legs due to Reidar''s arrow, which had hit him in the lower part of his spinal chord.


    With his full-black arms, the hammer in his right hand, and the enemy''s neck in his left one, Dag looked at him in the face and said: "The Crows Of Odin prisoner. Where is she?"


    "What?! What prisoner?! I don''t know anything boy, I don''t know what you''re talking about! Let me go, please!"


    After the man''s words, without even responding and trying to talk to him, Dag threw him on the bonfire and his body immediately began to burn.


    His desperate screams lasted only a few moments before his head fell inside the small pyramid of woods holding the bonfire, exploding in a blaze, and emitting the disgusting stench of burned human flesh.


    Dag turned to his teammates again, also extracting the Giantbane.


    "Come on, there''s no time to waste" he said, while the other three were still gasping after witnessing that incredible show of power.


    "He could connect that liquid as if it was an extension of his body... managing to drag an entire boat with us over it without any problems! Maybe what we''ve got so far was just a taste of your real powers, Dag... what are you really capable of?" thought Gridd, looking intently at her brother and his purple eye that shone in contrast to the dark wall of the cave.


    As his three companions recovered from the shock, Dag proceeded to the exit, which led to a kind of makeshift staircase carved into the rock.


    "Karl, Gridd... it''s better if you advance with the Captain... I will keep myself at a distance, following you from behind, so I can activate the Failnaught" Reidar proposed, closing the line.


    Gridd and Karl nodded and accelerated the pace, trying to stay behind Dag, who was advancing like a fury, without even looking behind.


    The rocky staircase took on a spiral shape, circularly turning on itself until it reached the surface.


    About halfway through, Dag heard voices and quick steps descending the stairs in their direction, perhaps after noticing that the guards had not complied with the shift change.


    "How do we do now? They''re coming in front of us, we can''t hide anywhere! Be careful, Dag, let''s go back!" said Karl, in a low voice, trying not to be heard.


    Dag said nothing, continued to climb the stairs undaunted, until, as he had already guessed, he found himself in front of two other guards, who as soon as they saw him, pulled out their weapons.


    Gridd and the others retreated a few meters when one of the two enemies tried to hit Dag with a spear lunge.


    He dodged the blow by moving sideways, grabbed the rod of the spear and pulled it violently backwards, dragging the man and hitting him with a strong headbutt on his forehead, which unbalanced him and knocked him to the ground, sore.


    The second enemy, just behind the first, waved his axe toward Dag, who parried the vertical blow with the Giantbane blade and hammered the guard over his left temple.


    His head hit the wall that lined the staircase, destroying a part of the rock, as well as his own skull, from which pieces of brain splashed away, ending up on the man on the ground, who did not stop complaining about the pain, continuing to touch his forehead, cut to its center.

 227 CCXXVII. The Cow

    Dag placed a foot on the man''s chest, holding him to the ground, and with the Giantbane he struck him in the middle of the head, splitting it in two.


    With strength and helping with his foot in support on the body of the enemy, he pulled out the axe, whose blades became glowing moments later, smashing his enemy''s cranium.


    "Okay... never mind..." Karl said, noting that Dag was continuing his unchallenged advance, without saying a word, leaving behind the red-hot trail of his weapon, which illuminated the rest of the dark staircase to the surface.


    Once out of the cave, the incessant rain began to slam over their heads and made the orientation on that unknown island even more irksome.


    "Dag? What''s the plan now?" asked Karl aloud, looking around to see nothing but water and mud.


    "There''s someone down there... I can smell them, even if this rain greatly limits my senses... we need to find out where they hold Freydis captive and especially if she''s still alive" Dag said, beginning to walk quickly to the left.


    "Wait, Dag!" shouted Gridd, as she and the others prepared to follow him to avoid losing him in the rain, which reduced the field of view to a radius of a few meters, on that gray, windy night.


    The clouds of the sky were so dense above the island that the dark blue sky of the night had been replaced by a grayish and gloomy atmosphere, sometimes illuminated by the lightning flashing bolts that impacted a few kilometers away from them.


    With his eyes ajar because of the water, Dag kept walking straight to that smell of human breaths.


    The Giantbane''s glowing blade emitted smoke continuously, due to the rain falling on it, evaporating instantly, being that flame of magical, divine nature.


    At one point, unable to orient himself, Dag was forced to stop when a large animal appeared before him, scaring him.


    "A cow?!" asked Karl, positioning next to him, motionless looking at the large cow with her nose pointed in their direction, intrigued.


    Before the four friends walked away from the cow, someone whistled at her, calling her back.


    The beast, reluctantly, turned and began to walk very slowly in that direction, following the call, which continued to break the sound of rain.


    Reidar, from behind, began to load an arrow over the bow, ready to fire it in case of need.


    The cow disappeared in the rain, amidst the mist that had risen on the muddy, swamp-like ground.


    Dag continued to walk forward, crouching, and his companions did the same, trying to remain invisible behind the cow, which advanced by grazing here and there, heedless of the persistent rain.


    After walking about a hundred meters, a fence appeared in front of him, beyond which it was possible to catch a glimpse of some pigs and other cows, similar to that of before, with long fur and a large, protruding nose.


    He climbed over the fence and proceeded to the hut at its center, from whose windows a dim light could be seen.


    A small stone chimney suggested that it was inhabited and that somebody was in there, considering the adverse weather conditions.


    "Get ready..." he whispered to the two comrades behind him, who had already held up their weapons and followed Dag over the wooden fence.


    "The cow before, meanwhile, had entered on her own, and strolled among the other animals.


    Dag, trying not to make too much noise, leaned against the walls of the hut, eavesdropping on what was happening beyond that walls.


    Because of the rain, he could barely distinguish voices, but his sense of smell had sniffed something to eat, a smell similar to a vegetable soup.


    He looked at his companions, nodding his head, indicating to them that there was someone in there.


    They too leaned from the wall of the hut, following the movements of their young leader, who slid to the entrance, ready to fight anyone who lived in that house, without delay.


    With his companions right behind him, Dag kicked the puny wooden door, knocking it to the ground and broke into the hut: a man in his 60s was sitting at a large wooden table, while a woman, probably his wife, stood by the fireplace, spinning something in a large pot, perhaps the soup of which he had perceived the smell.


    "What... who...?!" exclaimed the man, who being unarmed and not knowing how to react, at the sight of Dag and the others raised his hands, helpless, followed by his wife, who did the same, dropping on the ladle filthy of food on the floor.


    With a hand gesture, Dag ordered the couple to remain silent and avoid screaming unnecessarily, while Gridd, when Karl and Reidar also entered, closed the door behind them.


    "The Crows Of Odin prisoner... where is she?!" asked Dag aloud, approaching the man holding both of his weapons.


    "I... I don''t know what you''re talking about... we are peasants, we are not Clan warriors..." exclaimed the man, sincerely terrified.


    Dag stopped in front of him as the Giantbane''s scorching blades continued to emit smoke, allowing the last drops of rain to evaporate on their surface.


    "You better talk, our captain doesn''t have much patience" Reidar said, threatening the man to hurt them.


    "My husband and I know nothing, it''s the truth! We provide meat and milk to the members of the Horns Of Heimdallr, we never get involved in their affairs, we are mere inhabitants of Vaeren!" exclaimed the woman, opening her hands to them, trying to calm their rash spirits.


    Dag put the hammer back, freeing his right hand, with which he grabbed the man sitting at the table by the linen jacket, lifting him to his feet.


    "Try to remember. We''re not going to get out of here without a lead" he continued, menacingly looking at him with his purple eye, which further intimidated his interlocutor.


    "Roar and Sondre! These are the only names I know! They''re two of the Island''s Clan Masters! I don''t know anything else, I swear!" said the man, beginning to sweat cold.

 228 CCXXVIII. The Impulsiveness

    "Strive, I said!" shouted even louder Dag, shaking the old man with fear.


    "Umpf... they... they are on the other side of the Island, their base is near the three towers, to the east... I never went there, as my wife said, the warriors come once a week here to our farm and load up on supplies!" confirmed the man, unable to look Dag in the eye out of fear.


    Dag pulled his jacket and dragged it to the chimney, where the fire burned under the cauldron with soup.


    "Aagh! No! Please stop! I have children and grandchildren! I''ve never done anything wrong!" the old man yelled, trying to stop Dag''s advance by crawling his feet to the ground.


    "Nothing else?!" he asked, approaching the man''s face to the fire and looking at his wife, immobilized next to them.


    "Aaagh! Aaagh! It burns!"


    "A few weeks ago... a few weeks ago, an unknown boat arrived in the port of Vaeren! That group of warriors went to the Clan''s main camp, and I never saw them leave! I was there by accident that day, I had delivered to their cooks our goat''s milk... please! Now let him go!" the woman yelled, kneeling and crying, panicking.


    Dag threw the man at his wife''s feet, having just burned part of his cheek and beard on it.


    "Let''s go" he said, heading for the door and opening it suddenly.


    The others followed him a few seconds later, turning back and looking at the couple of farmers, to make sure they didn''t make missteps.


    The rain began to be felt again, but Dag and the others walked about 2 kilometers undaunted until lights were visible behind some low hills, on which they stopped to better look at the situation.


    "Their base village must be that one, that woman''s directions were correct" Karl said, his hand resting on his forehead, trying to keep his eyes dry so he could see better.


    "I don''t see anyone out there, I think they''re all sleeping. This rain is just what we needed, it''s making things a lot easier!" said Dag, making his team realize that leaving at that time of night and with those weather conditions had been the right choice.


    "How do we figure out which hut Freydis is in? We can''t open every door, otherwise, they might get suspicious and if she''s still alive, they could kill her" Gridd exclaimed, trying to calm her brother''s fiery spirit, whose eyes oozed anger.


    "The two farmers talked about two Masters... Roar and Sondre. We need to find both of them. Where can a Clan''s Masters live and sleep, if not in the largest building in the village?" asked Dag, pointing to the only stone building among the huts.


    In front of its entrance, two large vertical torches were protected by a canopy, which prevented them from going out during the rain.


    The light illuminated the front of the building, completely covered in mud.


    Just as Dag was about to come up with an attack plan with his comrades, the door to that stone construction opened.


    He noticed the scene and invited his friends to remain silent, trying to figure out what was happening down there.


    Two men in armor, both wearing horned helmets, came out of the large wooden door, dragging a sturdy iron chain, connected to something.


    After walking 5 or 6 meters, a hooded figure dressed in a long white cloak fell from the step forward to the door, ending up in the mud, pulled by the two men, who continued to drag forward the chain connected to the wrists of the mysterious figure.


    A third guard came out the door and closed it, grabbing the person who had just fallen to the ground and pushing her rudely forward, urging her to stand up and screaming in that direction.


    "Dag... you don''t think that''s..." Karl said, that was watching the scene like everyone else, as he heard Dag growling like an angry beast next to him.


    Before he could pronounce that name, Dag climbed over the natural embankment of the hill and let himself slide along its slope, running at great speed toward those enemy warriors.


    "Shit! Dag! What the fuck are you doing?!"


    "Captain! Hold on! It''s suicide!"


    Gridd and Reidar screamed at him, but, caught in the wrath of the moment, he did not hear their voices.


    "Let''s go! We can''t leave him alone! Come on!" exclaimed Gridd again, throwing herself on the steep and slippery slope of the hill, following her brother.


    The other two followed her without hesitation, frightened by the fury of Dag, who recklessly was putting their lives in great danger.


    *Anf*anf*anf*


    Dag continued to run as fast as possible, overcoming the natural obstacles that separated him from those men and wielding both of his weapons, ready to hit them hard.


    As the hooded figure rose from the ground, her cloak completely covered in mud, a strand of red hair sprang from the hood, leaning down, bathed in rain.


    Dag squinted, continuing to run like a madman, about a hundred yards from them.


    "Freydis!" he thought, unable to believe his eyes.


    The speed of his dash increased considerably and his feet left furrows in the wet ground before he passed yet another bush with a jump.


    "Aaagh!" he yelled, charging furiously at the enemies, who noticed him too late and could not immediately extract their weapons.


    Loading the electric hammer, Dag powerfully hit the first guard of the row on the chest.


    The hammering was so strong that the man in armor flew meters away, releasing a trail of purple sparks and ending up on the roof of a nearby hut, smashing through it.


    "Fuck! What are you doing?! All the warriors of the village will be alerted, soon we will be surrounded by hundreds of enemies!" exclaimed Gridd, who ran along with Karl and Reidar, noticed that lights popped up inside the huts around them.


    The second guard managed to pull out a sword and tried to hit Dag, who deflected the blow with the hammer, turned on himself, and cut his neck with the Giantbane, severing his head, which fell rolling in the mud, while the body sank lifelessly.

 229 CCXXIX. Sondre

    The iron chain tied to the prisoner''s wrists fell to the ground with him and the hooded figure stopped, looking down, toward her barefoot feet.


    The third guard pulled out a short bow and tried to load a shot, but was immediately hit by an arrow, which pierced his neck, causing it to fall to the ground lifeless.


    Reidar, who along with the other two team members was about a hundred yards away from Dag, still managed to help him.


    Dag grabbed the chain from the ground and pressed the Giantbane''s red-hot blade against it, breaking it in the middle of the prisoner''s two arms, which could move her hands again.


    Her hands and feet, the only visible parts of the body, were decidedly feminine.


    "Forgive me... forgive me, my love, if I didn''t come sooner..." Dag whispered, touching the strand of red hair sticking out of her hood and beginning to cry like a child.


    As Reidar and Karl rushed to his aid, Gridd stopped, noticing suspicious movements in a hut nearby.


    A kind of vertical door on the roof opened and an enemy warrior sprang out, pulling out a bow and setting fire to the tip of an arrow, loading a blow towards them.


    "What...?!" thought Gridd aloud, who immediately turned to the other side, where the same thing was happening on another hut.


    Within seconds, from the roofs of each hut in the village, lots of warriors sprung up, with fiery arrows pointed at Dag, ready to fire.


    "Hey! Heeeey! Get out of there! It''s a trap! Daag!" shouted Gridd, who was caught with a sudden sense of bewilderment, unable to move, fearing she would lose all his teammates in seconds.


    Meanwhile, Dag slipped his hands on the girl''s hood in front of him, slowly.


    He pulled it back, continuing to cry, unable to hold back the emotion of finally seeing his woman again.


    "I love you, Freydis. I''ll take you away from this place and we will..."


    When he saw the girl''s face, Dag stopped talking, realizing that under that hood there was not Freydis, but another young woman, with red hair and fair skin, just like her beloved.


    "Fr... Freydis..." he continued to whisper, dropping the tuft of hair he was clutching in his hand and stepping back, while the girl in front of him looked on the ground, embarrassed.


    "Get away from there! There are archers everywhere! Dag, Reidar, Karl! Go awaaaay!"


    Gridd''s screams finally reached their ears, including those of Dag, who, with his gaze lost in the void, seemed to be back with his feet on the ground.


    "I love you, Freydis! We will be together forever, I will take you away from here and we will live happy and content in Jernhest, on my beautiful farm! Hahahaha! What a pathetic scene! Puh!" exclaimed a man as he slowly exited the door in front of Dag, spitting on the ground in disgust.


    Dag knelt on the ground, his eyes down.


    "So you''re Dag, the warrior so strong that killed the leader of the Renegades, the mighty King Hjalmar?! I can hardly believe it! Hahahah!" the man continued to chuck, continuing to walk toward Dag, trampling the muddy ground.


    He was a tall, unathletic man in his 70s.


    A pronounced receding hairline hid the few hairs, gray and dirty, dangling behind his back like pieces of a torn dress.


    His face was thin and wrinkled, with his cheeks hollowed out by age and his physical condition, which did not look the best, giving him a sick old man look.


    His small mouth, surrounded by a short, bristly black beard in gray spots, showed his yellow and broken teeth as he spoke.


    He wore a long cloth dress, holding a wooden bracket, on the top of which was carved the head of a ram.


    "That man doesn''t look like a normal warrior... that bracket hides magical powers, I feel it. Being surrounded by hundreds of archers, I think this time we won''t make it, it was a gamble to come here!" thought Gridd, who panicked, standing still in her position, a few dozen yards away from the others.


    "You were less intelligent than I thought... It was enough to set a simple trap and... here you are! Hahaha! But don''t panic, Dag, I won''t kill you right away, I have questions to ask you before..." the man chuckled, pleased to have captured Dag and his team effortlessly.


    The fake Freydis in front of him ran away, afraid.


    Dag looked around as blood boiled in his veins: the rain was beginning to decrease, making even more visible the lights of the arrows set on the roofs of the huts, which formed a kind of semicircle around him.


    "Where is she?" he asked, his voice very low and full of hatred towards the man, who looked down on him, while he was still kneeling in the mud.


    "You will please me, answering my questions and I may have you see your little friend again... what do you say, earthling?" answered the old magician, looking at Dag with mocking and devious air.


    He looked up at his opponent, being astonished by those words and not expecting Freydis to still be alive.


    "Maybe this piece of shit is just lying. Maybe he killed Freydis even before I got to the island... how did he know we were here? How did he manage to set up such a well-designed trap without warning?!" he thought, clenching his fists in anger.


    "Wow, it''s amazing! Look at that eye! It''s magnificent, sublime! Here''s my first question, earthling... how did you manage to get the powers that everyone talks about so much?! How did you do that?! Tell me!" the man continued, in a tone of insane voice.


    Reidar and Karl stood motionless near their Captain, fearing the worst and lowering their weapons, which against that multitude of enemies ready to strike them from a distance, would be useless.


    Dag put his hand on the ground and stood up, his legs completely dirty with mud.

 230 CCXXX. The Dark Mage

    "If you don''t let my teammates get away from here, I won''t answer any of your questions, old man" he said, begrudgingly looking at the man.


    "Take them away? Sure! Hahaha! Just say so!" he replied, screaming.


    He waved his wooden bracket in the direction of Karl and Reidar, whose feet suddenly came off the ground and began to levitate a few inches above it.


    "What?! What''s going on?!"


    "Put us down!"


    They screamed at him, scared to death by the powers of that dark mage.


    "Hahahaha!" he laughed again, who with another movement of the rod, threw them towards Gridd, making them flying into the air.


    All three of Dag''s companions fell to the ground after the impact, in disbelief at what had just happened.


    "I''ve never seen anything like it! That man threw you meters away without even touching you! Ouch!" said Gridd, rising sore from the ground after moving Karl''s shield, which had ended up on her legs.


    Karl got up and began to walk back towards him, when Reidar stopped him, looking at Dag: "I think something terrible is going to happen here, that''s why the Captain wants us to get away".


    "What? Of course something terrible is going to happen! Dag will die! Look at how many men there are! He can''t do it alone, he needs our help! I have to go, I can''t abandon him and my sister like that, there must be a way!" continued Karl, trying to move Reidar''s arm, which remained firmly resting on his chest.


    "It wouldn''t do any good, Karl. We''d end up dying too... Dag warned us, told us he wanted to come here alone. He must have something in mind, he doesn''t seem to have a scared expression... we stay on the sidelines, and at the right time, we will help him" Gridd replied, grabbing her partner''s shoulder to prevent him from walking on.


    "Think of Freydis, Dag! Think about everything you''ve done to see her again! You can''t die like this! I trust you, Dag!" yelled Karl again, as the magician moved the stick back towards them, producing a shock wave that knocked them violently to the ground, causing them slight damage.


    Dag''s eyes remained on the man in front of him, and his expression seemed impassive.


    The hands were ready to grab the axe and the hammer, which quivered with the urge to unleash all their power.


    "We disciples of Heimdallr see everything, boy. I saw your arrival on Vaeren Island, the cruelty with which you killed five of my guards... I saw everything and I thought I''d give you a present. I will free you from the pain that your soul is impregnated with! Today I, Sondre, will acquire your powers by offering you as a sacrifice to the great lords of frost and eternal night, the Frostsinners!" the old man shouted, unveiling his plan, as the warriors around him cheered him on, oblivious to the heresy their leader wanted to accomplish.


    "Tell me where she is... where is Freydis?!" screamed Dag mightily at him, his eyes injected with blood, trying to hold back his anger so he could unleash it at the right time.


    "Grr... I''m getting sick of you, kid, I told I''ll ask the questions here!" growled Sondre, pointing the ram-shaped wooden head of the stick at him and channeling a purple sphere, which after a few seconds emitted a magical ray in that direction.


    Dag stood still until a few moments before he was hit and then deftly dodged the blow, turning on himself and quickly pulling the hammer out of his belt, throwing it at his enemy.


    Seeing Magni''s hammer coming towards him, Sondre interrupted the magic attack and raised his other hand, blocking the advance of the weapon in mid-air, which bounced over a kind of invisible barrier, falling to the ground.


    "He stopped his hammer! No one had ever done it before! Who the fuck is this man...?" whispered Karl to his companions, who, like him, had been blown away, frightened by the incredible magical powers of the enemy Master.


    "Eheheh... my boy... this time Magni''s powers will not be able to save you. It''s not going to happen again, as when you fought against King Hjalmar¡­ my level is much higher!" continued Sondre, spreading his arms and flying the hammer at great speed towards Dag, trying to hit him with his own weapon, to give everyone a demonstration of his telekinetic powers.


    Dag dodged the hammer, which continued its advance behind him.


    Then he turned his right arm and opened the palm of his hand towards it: a bundle of dark liquid splattered away from his arm, reaching within moments the handle of the weapon, which soon returned to the hands of his owner, with the usual elastic effect.


    "Hahahaha! That''s what I was talking about! Excellent! Your powers will be mine!" the enemy yelled again, raising an arm.


    After that gesture, all the archers on the roofs loaded the burning arrows on their bows.


    Before Sondre gave the order to fire, Dag stepped toward him, slowly: "Let''s do this way... I''ll give you three more chances to tell me where my woman is. You have about 30 seconds".


    "What? What are you babbling?! You''re not in a position to give orders! Don''t you realize you''re going to die, insolent kid? Hahahah!"


    "Where is... Freydis?" exclaimed Dag, as his purple eye began to glow abnormally.


    The enemy immediately lowered his arm, giving the order to the archers, who fired the previously loaded arrows: a shower of fiery arrows lit up the gloomy sky, heading toward Dag as if they were a single body, resealing a flock of birds during the migration.


    "Dag! Get out of there!"


    "What are you doing, brother..."


    His companions, now out of reach of the arrows, looked at the scene helplessly, without finding a way to intervene.


    As the arrows fell fast towards him, leaving red trails in the sky, Gridd knelt with tears in her eyes.

 231 CCXXXI. The Trap

    Exactly at that instant, seconds before he was hit, while standing still in the same position, Dag looked down, closing his eyes:


    "The things worth living for" he said.


    Gridd was able to hear those words and suddenly felt a pain in her heart and stomach, which caused her to lose her breath, while her brother was about to die before his eyes.


    "Captain!"


    Reidar also couldn''t hold back a scream when the hundreds of arrows hit Dag''s shot, piercing him on each side, on his neck, shoulders, back, legs.


    The arrows continued to fall and he knelt down, unable to stand up.


    "It''s not possible, it''s not possible!" shouted Reidar, who, caught in an endless rage, pulled out the Failnaught and began to shoot arrows everywhere, killing dozens of enemy warriors, until an arrow struck him on the shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground.


    "Reidar! Fuck!" exclaimed Karl, who, noticing that his partner next to him had also been hit, dragged him away, sheltering behind a low stone wall near them.


    "Gridd, get out of there! They''ve already hit Reidar! It''s dangerous! We have to leave, or we''re all going to die!" the young Healer continued, as he hurriedly pulled a healing potion from his leather box.


    But she ignored her companion''s words and stood still there, kneeling in the mud, just like her brother, who a few tens of meters in front of her was pierced by the last arrows left in the air, which hit him everywhere except on the head.


    Gridd began to cry, sobbing, her hands open downwards, ready to sacrifice her life in honor of her brother, caught in a hint of deep sadness and a sense of frustration at not being able to help him in any way.


    Dag spat blood, resting both hands on the ground, in front of him.


    "Dag... Dag... there are things worth living for... get up and fight, my brother" Gridd whispered, crying profusely and failing to say anything else.


    "Well, well... it was easier than expected! My lords! As promised, I, Sondre of the Horns Of Heimdallr, sacrifice this boy before you! Give me his powers, give me that incredible dark power that everyone is talking about!" shouted Sondre, opening his arms and turning his gaze to the sky, as the last drops of rain fell on his face, and the light of the torches behind him faintly illuminated the area.


    "Where is... where is... Freydis...?"


    "Uhm?"


    Dag put his foot on the ground and a hand on his knee, hardly trying to get up.


    "What?!" exclaimed Sondre, looking at his opponent, who he had not given up.


    "Once again you''re right, sister... I can''t die now... I owe it to you, to Freydis and¡­ to them" Dag continued, looking at Karl and Reidar and referring to Gridd, in which hope was rekindled.


    "Archers! Load more arrows and kill this useless bastard!" the magician yelled again as his men executed the commands.


    Meanwhile, Dag managed to get up: the black liquid began to flow under his skin and flowing, it slowly lifted the metal tips of the arrows, which, one by one, detached from his body, falling to the ground.


    "Fire! Hit him! Now!" shouted Sondre, ordering his men to attack.


    But nothing happened: the enemy warriors were enchanted by that scene, of a young boy who had just survived more than 80 arrows embedded in his body, who was regenerating his wounds.


    Under Gridd''s hopeful gaze, all the arrows fell to the ground and the dark fluid, flowing above the wounds, healed them, leaving not even a scar.


    "Shoot those damn arrows, useless sons of bitches!" continued Sondre, pointing his stick at Dag, who opened his eyes to him, revealing his purple eye so bright that he left an ethereal trail that followed the movements of his head.


    The enemy archers tried to aim quickly and furiously, when, suddenly, from Dag''s back a huge beam of fluid splattered backward towards them.


    "Aaaagh!"


    A scream broke the silence again, triggering panic among the enemies when the fluid created by Dag''s body and connected to his back had just impaled one of their allies, who was slumped on the roof of his hut, devoid of life in a pool of blood.


    In less than a second, the liquid, which had hardened at its end, becoming a real blade, was extracted from the archer''s body and hit another, a few meters away, also killing him instantly.


    "Fuck!"


    "Help!"


    The other enemy warriors continued to agitate and started to scream, fearing they would die one by one under the infallible blows of that dark substance, whose nature they could not explain.


    In fact, immediately after killing the second archer, another bundle of fluid splattered away from Dag''s back, simultaneously hitting two enemies on the other side, one of which, before he died, struck the dark substance, trying unnecessarily to cut it.


    "Where''s Freydis...?!" said Dag again, for the third time, looking into Sondre''s eyes, who could not hide his fear.


    "Bloody cowards! You''re just useless scum, you''re not worthy of being part of the Clan! Now you''ll answer to me, kid!" he yelled, criticizing the archers, who took refuge back inside the huts, to avoid dying like flies crushed on the wall.


    Soon after, Sandre pointed again his stick towards him: the air around it began to swirl and color purple, as his feet sank into the ground, holding the incredible power of his attack.


    Dag, after all the guards hid from his fury, recalled the fluid to himself, but it did not entirely enter his body: the two bundles remained behind his shoulders, facing forward as if they were two arms.


    "Die!" shouted Sandre again, releasing the magic shot loaded for several seconds.


    In addition to producing an incredible shockwave, which also destabilized Gridd, who, trying to get back to her feet, fell to the ground, from the stick was fired a bright purple ray, laden with arcane energy, able to increase the temperature around it, so much so that the air particles oscillated.

 232 CCXXXII. The White Fur

    Dag quickly moved to one side, dodging the beam, but the enemy moved the stick in that direction, and even the purple beam of energy moved with it, still heading toward Dag.


    The two large dark appendages that leaked out of his back, violently hit the ground, sticking and lifting him from the terrain, allowing him to move at an incredible speed, as he was flying.


    The magic ray tried to cut them, but they pushed Dag forward, moving him quickly toward Sandre, with arachnid-type movements.


    The mage stopped channeling the spell so he could defend himself against Dag''s imminent attack, which, extracting both weapons, tried to strike him quickly.


    The hammer was heavily loaded with dark electricity from the weapon''s inner sparks, combined with the characteristics of its fluid, while the power of the Giantbane was deactivated.


    Crossing his arms in front of him, Sondre created a protective barrier between him and Dag, which shattered into a thousand pieces under the hammer blow, destabilizing him and causing him to fall to the ground.


    Before he could do anything else, Dag''s ''dark arms'' broke off the ground and flew towards the enemy, sharpening and sticking in both of his shoulders, nailing him to the ground with no possibility of moving.


    "Aaagh! Aaaaaagh!" the magician yelled, as his stick rolled away from his right hand and his arms began to lose their mobility.


    With both beams of fluid thrust into his enemy, facing his head upwards, Dag fluttered over him, looking into his eyes, while his right eye emitted an overhuman glow.


    "I warned you" he exclaimed, lifting the Giantbane upwards and then striking him violently on the right shoulder, cutting off his arm, which a moment later, was thrown away from his dark arm, twirling in the air for a few meters, before ending up in the mud.


    "Uuaagh! Rooooar!" the magician yelled as he looked death in the face, with Dag ready to finish him, as the Giantbane became flaming.


    Before he could give him the coup de grace, Dag heard a sound of shrubs coming in front of him and stopped, looking in that direction.


    From the darkness of the vegetation behind the stone palace, an indistinct figure quickly dashed towards him, without feet resting on the ground as if it was some flying being.


    Immediately the sharp fluid detached from Sondre''s shoulders, throwing Dag backwards and causing him to dodge the unexpected shot.


    The being who had tried to hit him, after missing its target, crashed violently against a hut, completely destroying it, piercing its walls, while the thatched ceiling fell on them.


    "And what the fuck is that thing?!" exclaimed Karl, who after medicating Reidar''s shoulder, raised his head over the wall behind which they had hidden, having heard a deafening noise.


    A huge hand sprang from the rubble, lifting pieces of the wall as if they were leaves and unplugging the wood and straw off.


    It was a humanoid beast, about 3 meters high, with a short white fur, which covered its massive and heavy muscles.


    Two huge curved horns had their tips facing forward, like two hooks.


    His face was very similar to that of a goat, but with some human-kind traits, such as a large pronounced jaw and a broad forehead.


    His eyes, small and yellow, looked at Dag angrily as his hooves crawled to the ground, moving the destroyed pieces of the hut and preparing to charge towards him.


    Unlike the lower part, the arms had no hooves, but large, sturdy hands, also surrounded by the same white fur that covered his entire body.


    "Help me, Roar! Aaagh!" yelled Sandre once again, who had called to his aid the other Master, who had somehow managed to save his life, while he continued to writhe on the ground sore because of the missing arm and the huge hole in his left shoulder.


    Roar began charging towards Dag, pointing his horns forward and powerfully slamming his hooves into the ground, which ensured him excellent friction, despite it was muddy and slippery.


    Before he got in front of him, Dag moved one of his dark arms towards the beast-man, trying to spear him and block his charge.


    But Roar dodged the shot very quickly and grabbed the beam of liquid, wrapping it on his wrist and pulling towards him, trying to drag Dag, who was unbalanced forward, surprised by the physical strength of his enemy.


    The other dark arm came off the ground and before he could regain his balance, Dag was punched in the chest.


    The impact was very strong, but he fell to the ground in front of the enemy''s feet, who continued to hold the fluid beam attached to Dag''s back.


    With the hoof, the enemy attempted to hit him while he was on the ground, but he rolled to one side and with an incredibly quick gesture, he stuck the other arm of fluid into the beast-man''s shoulder, which emitted a slight groan.


    Dag quickly rose from the ground, and the dark arm he had grasped deliberately detached from his back, twisting around Roar''s arm and reaching his throat, clutching tightly, as if he was a large black python.


    With one arm and head completely immobilized and a shoulder impaled with a large black blade, which twisted on itself tearing its flesh apart, Roar knelt on the ground in front of Dag, who for a moment had seemed in trouble.


    "If you kill us... you will never see... the girl again..." said the beast, in a deep, baritone voice, looking at Dag with a gruesome smile drawn on his face, as his white fur got dirty with red.


    Dag pushed his dark arm even further, keeping on impaling his enemy, who uttered another groan of pain as his wound deepened and his arm began to lose strength.


    "His muscles and bones are as hard as iron, I can''t get the blade out the other side!" thought Dag, who despite continuing to push the blade and squeeze the other bundle of fluid around Roar''s arm and neck, could not cause further damage, due to that superhuman physical strength.

 233 CCXXXIII. Roar

    The beast-man laid a hoof on the ground and made strength on his knees, rising to his feet.


    "Fuck! I can''t keep it! Graagh!" thought Dag, who could not prevent his enemy from rising from the ground.


    Roar grabbed the fluid on his neck and with a determined gesture, tore it away, smashing it into a thousand pieces, which squirted in front of him, regrouping and entering again into Dag''s body, which absorbed it like a sponge.


    "What?! Was he able to get the dark liquid out of his body?!" thought Gridd aloud, pulling the swords from behind her back, ready to intervene.


    Soon after, the enemy also grabbed the other dark arm, clutching the blade in his hands and pulling it out slowly, making a show of force with Dag, who could not counter it.


    "Sandre! You''ve softened up! You''ve been reduced like that by a kid who plays to be a great hero! Hahah!" chuckled Roar, while the tip of Dag''s dark blade was also pulled from his shoulder, which continued to leak liters of blood.


    As his enemy turned his gaze to Sandre, who was about to bleed to death, Dag took advantage of his moments of distraction: he turned the solidified part of the fluid into gas, and Roar, who was giving a lot of strength to it, was unbalanced forward.


    Dag screamed and waved the Giantbane towards him, hitting his leg.


    "Aaagh!"


    The goat man uttered a verse very similar to a harrowing bleating.


    The red-hot blade of the divine axe, despite its incredible cutting power, became stuck in the beast''s quadriceps, surprising Dag, who was convinced he could cut it with a single blow.


    "Enough! Stop bothering me with your toys!" he yelled again, hitting Dag with a violent headbutt on his forehead.


    Roar''s head was rock-hard and his horns strengthened the top of his forehead, making it comparable to the head of a hammer.


    The blow was so strong that Dag fell back to the ground, stunned.


    Continuing to complain, the beast-man detached the Giantbane from his leg and threw it into the mud, touching the wound, which within seconds filled with blisters, that made the pain incredibly acute.


    He tried to take a step, but the injured leg could not withstand the weight of his body and bent, forcing him to rest a hand and knee on the ground.


    "Tell me where she is and I will spare your life" Dag exclaimed, as more liquid gushed out of his back, lifting him off the ground and bringing him back upright.


    "Graaagh! Archers! Do something!" he yelled, violently slamming his fists on the ground in anger, causing it to tremble.


    Nothing happened, the roofs of the huts remained closed.


    Dag walked to the Giantbane and picked it up from the ground, while its scorching blades burned the mud and soil remnants that soiled his blade.


    "Hahah... you just don''t understand... this is how it ends for you...!" replied Roar, as the wound on his leg continued to burn his flesh, preventing him from getting up.


    "Dag! Over there, on the top of the building!" shouted Gridd, pointing her finger upwards and drawing the attention of Dag, who turned in that direction.


    On a kind of terrace at the top of the stone palace, a barely visible man held a woman''s arm, his wrists tied behind her back.


    The clouds that crowded the sky moved, making room for the moon and other planets, which illuminated the scene, allowing the two figures to be distinguished.


    As soon as he could see better, Dag squint, in disbelief at what he was looking at.


    The man had dark, long hair, joined in the middle of his head in a braid, and shaved to the sides, on which there were numerous head-tattoos.


    The blade of a huge double-headed axe hung just above his feet and almost touched the floor as its long rod sprang from behind his shoulders.


    Next to him, a girl stood still and looked Dag straight in the eye.


    She was wearing light armor, with a light leather jacket and tight leather trousers.


    The long red hair was loose and swayed due to the wind, which as soon as it stopped raining, moved the clouds into the sky.


    "Freydis..." whispered Dag, with tears in his eyes.


    It was her, for real, Freydis was before his eyes, safe and sound.


    Bitter tears began to flow on both of their faces, tears of joy and pain because they had finally managed to meet again, but in very bad circumstances, while he risked her life and she too, being a prisoner of evil men and with shady purposes.


    "Dag! Daag!" she yelled, incredulous that she could watch the boy she was in love with once again, after months of not having heard of him.


    Dag began to walk in that direction, ignoring the enemy still on the ground behind him, who was stopping fighting, as the wound continued to expand and cause him severe pain.


    "I''m sincerely impressed! I didn''t think I would find my Masters teammates in this state... Roar, even you..." exclaimed the man, with a mocking smile drawn on his face.


    The beast-man looked down, suffering and embarrassed, after being beaten by his opponent.


    "Listen to me, I have no reason to keep fighting against your Clan! I''m just defending myself, as you know, a trap was set for me. I''m just here for her, hand her over and we''ll leave, without causing any more damage and spilling any more blood" Dag exclaimed, trying to get a diplomatic result, before continuing to fight, even though the man on the terrace did not seem inclined to discuss peacefully.


    "Hahaha! Wow, your man is such a brave guy! Did you expect that?! Hahaha!" he chuckled, looking at Freydis, who turned her face to the other side, intimidated, while Dag, witnessing the scene, began to growl like a bloodthirsty beast and clasped his two weapons in his hands.

 234 CCXXXIV. The Final Hurdle

    "It''s all Sondre''s fault... he started looking at you weeks ago, studying your power... you know, we disciples of Heimdallr, have eyes everywhere. This is the greatest power of the guardian God of the Bifrost" the man continued, tying Freydis with a chain to the metal railing of the terrace.


    Dag took another step forward, positioning himself about a meter from Sondre, who was still lying on the ground without an arm and had lost consciousness, due to the enormous amount of blood lost.


    After making sure Freydis was tied tightly, the man pulled out his double-headed axe and jumped out of the building, landing on both feet in front of its entrance, emitting a thud and creating two furrows into the ground because of his weight.


    "If you really worship Heimdallr, why did you want to offer Ragna and Freydis as a sacrifice to the Frostsinners?! Do you think your God is satisfied with it?!" asked Dag, who was somehow managing to keep his composure more than expected, trying to understand the man''s intentions.


    Around him, thanks to his skill, Niva, he saw a purple aura.


    Whoever he was, his strength was far greater than that of the other two and every other warrior he had met before.


    "I told you, it was Sondre''s idea... But actually, now that I''ve seen your powers, I''m intrigued. Freydis... so that''s how the girl''s called, right?!" exclaimed the man, looking back at her.


    "What''s that got to do with anything?! I asked you a question! I thought like any Clan, you had a code of ethics... but apparently, you''re just heretical fools. I don''t know how you managed to communicate with the Frostsinners, but know that theirs are just lies! They fear my power and the sacrifice of someone I love would not serve your purpose, which is unattainable" Dag continued, keeping on advancing toward his enemy, walking next to Sondre''s body.


    "I don''t care about this emotional nonsense, kid! Your insolence is starting to bother me! To me, your lives are worthless. I can see with my own eyes that you have killed many of my men and you will pay for it. I will kill all your friends and then you too, after sacrificing your beloved Freydis before your eyes! Oh, by the way¡­ I didn''t even introduce myself: my name is Oyvind. They call me ''the portal warrior''" he replied, resting the lower part of the axe handle on the ground.


    "The portal warrior? What the fuck is that guy talking about?!" asked Karl in a subdued caption, who had finished medicating Reidar, sitting behind the wall and approached Gridd, trying to make himself useful in some way.


    "I don''t know, Karl. Usually, the nicknames of warriors state some unique kind of power... only the strongest are given such names, useful to increase their fame. Despite this, I have never heard of him, perhaps this is because this island is very far from Sjonir..." answered Gridd, who continued to look puzzled at the enemy that stood between Freydis and his brother, trying to study his abilities.


    "Then you leave me no choice" Dag exclaimed, pointing the hammer at him and beginning to emit beams of black fluid from his back and arms, floating around him like a dark aura, enriched by the purple eye, shining like an amethyst crystal.


    At the sight of Dag''s power, Freydis gasped, unable to explain what was going on.


    "This is going to be interesting" said Oyvind, motionless in the same position, with the double-headed axe resting on the ground.


    "I''m one step away from you, my love. This warrior is the last obstacle that separates us... I''m going to kill him and get you out of here. I promise you!" thought Dag, who looked at Freydis with a smile before he started fighting.


    She looked back, kneeling on the ground, unable to do anything but wait and hope for Dag''s victory.


    He began to walk towards his enemy, who looked at him with an air of superiority and strangely did not seem at all intimidated by the dark fluid.


    Suddenly, Dag dashed towards him, trying to hit him with the Giantbane, which during the movement, unleashed a blaze.


    At that very instant, he saw Oyvind smiling.


    The enemy grabbed the handle of the axe with both hands and quickly rotated it.


    ...


    "What... whaaaat?!" yelled Dag, whose feet suddenly stopped touching the ground.


    He found himself in the air, several feet high and in free fall.


    "Umpf!" he exclaimed when he managed to land on the ground without falling.


    He looked around and his body began inexplicably to tremble with fear, for what had just happened.


    Beneath his feet, the soft mud of Vaeren Island had become limestone rock and the village, the houses, the enemy warriors, his companions... they were all gone.


    Around the rocky platform on which he stood, there was only a boundless sea, stretching to the horizon, illuminated by the light of the moon.


    "Hahaha! Then?! How do you feel, kid?!" exclaimed Oyvind, who in an instant materialized in front of him, striking him violently with a punch in the stomach, causing him to bend in pain and kneel on the ground.


    "Where are we...? Where are Freydis and everyone else?! *cough*" said Dag, with a thread of voice, after losing his breath.


    Oyvind struck him once again, with a kick that made him crawl to the ground, causing him to end up on the edge of the rocky platform, more than 30 meters high, under which, sharp rocks sprang from the rough sea, whose waves continually impacted the rock, splashing water upwards.


    "Since you''re so strong that you beat both my Masters colleagues... I decided to start the fight with my best technique. Do you like it?! Hahahaha!" exclaimed Oyvind, laughing like a madman, while Dag rose from the ground, returning to combat position.


    "What happened? Is it an illusion?!" continued Dag, who looked around trying to figure out if it was real.

 235 CCXXXV. The Invincible Power

    "Does it seem like an illusion to you? Hahaha, you''re such a fool! This is the great power given to me by the mighty Heimdallr! I can teleport our bodies wherever I want!" he continued, resting the axe on the ground again.


    "The sea, the waves, the rocks... there''s no doubt, it''s all real! How can I counter this power?! I''ve never seen anything like it!" thought Dag, who, despite his powers, had to quickly devise something to deceive his opponent.


    "All I have to do is think about a place on this planet... a place I''ve visited at least once... I just turn the key and..."


    As he spoke, Oyvind grabbed the axe again with both hands, and before Dag could get close to him, he quickly rotated it.


    "Aaagh! Fucking! Aaagh!" yelled Dag, who suddenly found himself in the branches of a tree, as lianas wedged in his arms and legs, slowing his fall, but unbalancing him, causing him to end up back on the ground at the foot of the tree.


    The scenario had changed again: the rocks and the sea were gone, giving way to a huge rainforest, with thick and swampy vegetation.


    "Then? You lost your enthusiasm, Dag?!" said Oyvind, sitting on the roots of a large tree about 10 yards from him.


    Dag rose to his feet, tearing off the lianas and branches off.


    "What''s going on, Oyvind? If you think you''re so strong, how about you face me instead of keeping on running away? Are you afraid?" he asked, changing his approach and starting to provoke his opponent.


    Less than a second after his words, Oyvind stood before him: "Don''t provoke me, kid!" he exclaimed, trying to hit him with the axe after running as fast as the wind.


    Dag parried the blow, moving both the hammer and the axe forward and crossing them.


    The blow was so powerful that after the parry, his feet crawled on the marshy ground for a few meters, before stopping at contact with a rock.


    Oyvind tried again to hit him, this time from above, jumping towards him.


    The jump, unlike the shot he had taken just before, was much slower and Dag, after aiming, had time to condense a bundle of dark liquid, which squirted out of his chest and hardened at its end, becoming a blade, directed towards his opponent.


    Oyvind, while in mid-air, nimbly twisted and Dag''s dark blade, directed at his chest, missed the target, slightly hitting him on his side and unbalancing him, causing him to change his trajectory.


    As soon as the enemy fell to the ground, Dag charged towards him, but he again managed to rest the axe on the ground and turn it, activating the teleportation.


    This time, his feet remained on land, plunged up to his ankle in fine, grayish sand.


    Oyvind stood in front of him and rose slowly, touching his bloodied side and trying to recover from the blow.


    Dag looked around: there were no mountains or no rivers or trees.


    "A desert? What is it, Oyvind, did you have little time to think?" he asked, ironically, walking slowly toward his opponent, who lifted the axe, waving it from top to bottom and producing a shockwave toward Dag, which lifted a considerable amount of sand.


    He turned his back, preventing the sand from ending up in his eyes, but imagining it was just a diversion, he resumed his position soon after, at the exact moment Oyvind was trying to hit him sideways.


    Dag parried the shot again, causing his enemy to retreat, who tried to hit him again and again, with fast and powerful shots, but quite predictable.


    "My fighting skills are superior to his. My movements are much faster and I can parry the blows of his axe with ease... I have to try to disarm him... I think there''s no other way to win" thought Dag, who, after deflecting yet another shot, hit his opponent with a kick on his injured flank, causing him to back down panting.


    "Give me Freydis and I''ll leave, without spilling any more blood" he exclaimed, walking toward Oyvind, as more liquid poured out of his shoulders, ready to strike.


    "I don''t think I will! I''m having so much fun! Hahaha!" he replied, who despite the deep wound returned to an upright position, ready to continue fighting.


    Oyvind opened his hand and a dim green light appeared on his palm.


    He passed it on the wound on his side and within a few seconds, it healed, partially closing.


    Dag approached him by walking quickly, after discovering his healer skills, which would make the fight even more difficult.


    When he was a few feet away, he stopped, believing that trying to hit him would be useless, since his right hand was already on the handle of the axe, ready to teleport both of them somewhere else.


    "What''s going on kid? Are you pulling back? I''ve just begun!" yelled Oyvind again, who tried to surprise Dag, instead of activating the power of his axe, pulled it out of the sand, and lunged at him, trying to hit him hard.


    Dag managed to dodge the blow, but the enemy continued.


    The speed of the axe blows increased considerably, until, within a few seconds, he was able to move it as if it was a feather.


    Oyvind continued to hit Dag again and again, so much so that he was forced to parry the following shots, slowly retreating and finding no room to counterattack.


    "His axe has just surrounded itself with a yellowish aura, it must have activated an ability!" he thought, deflecting yet another blow, which finally unbalanced the enemy, who was forced to stop for a moment so as not to fall to the ground.


    With a well-placed kick, Dag hit him on the knee, trying to make him completely lose his balance.


    Oyvind, just before he fell, attempted another axe blow, which hit Dag''s face, causing a superficial cut on his cheek.

 236 CCXXXVI. Blood And Sand

    Immediately, one of the two dark arms seized the enemy''s weapon and pulled it forcefully backwards, disarming him.


    Soon after his opponent fell to the ground, Dag quickly retreated, recoiling his weapons and grabbing Oyvind''s, who looked at him in disbelief.


    "Just stop playing! Take me back and free Freydis, otherwise, I''ll kill you and everyone else that gets in my way!" yelled Dag, sticking the handle of the double-headed axe into the sand, pretending to be ready to activate the teleportation.


    "Do you think you can use it? Hahaha! You''re just a fool. No one can activate the power of my axe beyond me!" yelled Oyvind, charging at him and pulling two sharp daggers with curved blades from the back of his belt.


    Dag left the handle of the axe and immediately pulled out the axe and hammer, ready to defend himself.


    Oyvind jumped towards him, trying to kick him, and when he dodged the blow, with a twist of the torso, the enemy attempted a dagger lunge, which scratched Dag''s arm, who emitted a groan.


    Landing on his feet, the Horns Of Heimdallr''s Master Of Offense snapped forward again, pointing both blades at his opponent''s chest.


    Dag placed the Giantbane blade in front of him and in an incredibly rapid movement, he once again managed to parry the blow, but Oyvind''s two blades surrounded themselves with the same yellow aura as before.


    "His fighting style has now changed completely... I don''t know how he can fight with both a heavy axe and two daggers, the positions and timing are diametrically opposed... he''s an incredibly versatile warrior!" Dag thought, who didn''t have time to assess his opponent''s weaknesses after he changed the way he attacked, going from a heavy weapon to two light weapons.


    With a frequency of about three strokes per second, Oyvind continued to hit Dag, who retreated, sank his foot at a point where the sand was even softer, due to an underlying void and stumbled.


    Taking advantage of the moment, the enemy managed to hit him on the side, right at the rib, and he felt excruciating pain, followed by a groan.


    The liquid behind his shoulders, after the dagger blade entered Dag''s body stiffened, sharing his pain and immediately tried to grab Oyvind''s throat, which shoved the other dagger into the other rib, piercing it.


    Dag stretched his eyes and looked toward his wounds, while much blood came out of his mouth ajar, out of control.


    Then he looked up again at his opponent, who always with the same mocking smile continued to sink his blades, rotating them slightly and inflicting even more damage.


    "Hahahah! What''s it like, kid? What''s the defeat like? Can you feel it? You felt invincible, didn''t you?!" yelled Oyvind, despite his face being inches from Dag''s, who couldn''t move, and began to stagger, standing on his feet through the two blades stuck in his body.


    Oyvind pulled out both of the daggers and kicked him in the chest, causing him to end up on the ground, back on the sand, which was covered in thick blood, whose red shone under the Sun''s rays, clustering and infiltrating under the brown grains.


    With a considerable effort, he tried to get up, resting one hand on the ground, then the other, but the enemy hit him again with a kick, but this time under the chin, knocking him down.


    "Before you die, boy... tell me, how did you get these strange powers? This material that comes out of your body... how do you control it? And above all... what the fuck is that?" asked Oyvind, who after spinning the two daggers, shrugging off the blood on their blades, headed for the axe, pulled it out of the ground and rested near Dag.


    "I... I don''t know... I... I..." answered him, who was slowly losing consciousness, when the enemy''s hand slapped his face.


    "Hey, hey! Don''t think you can die here alone like a loser! no, I need everyone to see who killed the young and talented Hammers Of Thor Master, Dag the earthling! Hahaha!" chuckled Oyvind, as Dag''s eyes closed completely and his breath became weaker and weaker, as his hands lost their grip on the two weapons, which remained resting on the sand.


    ...


    "SoHvaD pagh Hegh, Dag. ya mIq mIw vay''..."


    *tum-tum*tum-tum*


    The sound of his heartbeats echoed around those words of the ancient Xis language.


    When Dag opened his eyes, in front of him, there was nothing but darkness.


    Right, left, below, above: wherever he looked, there was nothing else besides black.


    "SoHvaD pagh Hegh, Dag!" the voice continued, coming simultaneously from each side.


    "Why me?! I never wanted these powers, why I''m so different?! Who''s talking?!" yelled Dag until he lost his voice.


    "tu''lu'' tIq mIw vay''" continued the voice, which unlike Hjalmar''s when he turned into a demon, was not baritone and deep, but seemed much more common, hoarse, human.


    "I don''t understand what you''re saying! I''m dying! I''m dying for these stupid powers, which do nothing but cause me trouble and endanger the people I love! Please, whoever you are... If you''re inside me, help me save Freydis! I love her! I love her more than my own life!" he continued to scream, turning on himself and looking around, fearing that he was now one step away from the afterlife, as the beatings of his heart became more and more weakened.


    *tum-tum*.......*tum-tum*


    The alien voice did not respond to his scream of despair, and total silence fell into that endless, wall-less dark room, far from space and time.


    "Naaaagh! I can''t leave her there! I can''t leave them all! I made a promise! Freydiiiiiis! Griiiid!" continued Dag, screaming loudly and kneeling on the ground, violently slamming his fists against the floor that appeared to be made of glass.


    "I can''t die! I can''t! Not now! Bring me back!"


    One punch after another, the floor began to crack and Dag''s knuckles bleed, until the cracks spread sideways and vertically, shattering it.

 237 CCXXXVII. The Mistake

    Continuing to scream in desperation, Dag, without even trying to cling on, dropped into total darkness, where even the air around him in free fall emitted no sound.


    His body continued to fall into absolute emptiness for a few seconds, leaving a thin trail formed by the tears that flowed uncontrollably from his ajar eyes, which were about to give way to death.


    *tum-tum*


    *tum*


    ...


    Dag opened his eyes again, taking a deep breath, like someone who has just been freediving underwater.


    A strong Sun, albeit an artificial one, warmed his body and face partially covered with sand, which made him realize that he was still alive and in the real world.


    The huge yellow, luminous sphere in the sky eclipsed behind another figure that sprang slowly from his feet.


    Oyvind positioned himself above him, with his axe head pointed downwards, ready to strike him to give him the coup de grace and then show everyone his work, after teleporting back to Vaeren Island.


    A temporary tingling enveloped Dag''s legs, spreading up to his back, rising to his arms and neck, resembling a chill of cold.


    The blood coming out of the wounds on his ribs was dwindling, but the cuts were very deep and the healing power of the dark liquid was taking longer than usual to take effect.


    "Have you returned to the world of the living? Well! So the last face you''re going to see before you die is mine! Hahaha!" chuckled again Oyvind, suddenly leaving the handle of the axe and dropping it on Dag.


    Just as the enemy reeling from victory, Dag''s hand grabbed one of the two large blades of the axe, locking it in the middle, with the sharp top of its head less than an inch from his eye and pushed it away, throwing it to the ground and disarming Oyvind again.


    "What?! What are you doing?! he yelled, not believing his eyes and kicking one of Dag''s wounds, causing him to scream in pain.


    As Dag rolled into the sand kneaded with his blood, Oyvind walked toward his axe and with annoying air lowered himself to grab it from the ground.


    Taking advantage of those few seconds when his enemy was distracted, Dag, gripped by the adrenaline of the moment, managed to grab the Giantbane and rest it on the pool of blood under his back, activating the power of its blades, which instantly became an intense orange, scorching like magma.


    Before Oyvind could turn around, he threw the axe at his back.


    After hovering in the air for a few meters and releasing a trail of fire behind it, the axe was about to hit the target, when the enemy suddenly turned, dodging the shot and sprinting backwards toward Dag.


    The Giantbane ended up in the sand more than 20 meters away, having been thrown strongly by him, who was sure to hit Oyvind.


    Right under Dag''s astonished gaze, Oyvind pulled one of his daggers again, and before Dag could grab the hammer, he stuck it behind his back.


    "Aaaagh!"


    Dag''s screams were chilling and dispersed in the warm desert air, away from everything and everyone.


    Oyvind strongly pulled the weapon out and lifted Dag off the ground, grabbing the neck of his armor and causing him to fall backwards, away from the hammer.


    "Stop escaping death, kid! What did you think? To come here in the middle of the night and take your girlfriend away?!" he asked, putting the dagger back in place.


    At those words, Dag stopped moving, his eyes turned up and his eyes wide open.


    "In the middle... of the night, ah?" he asked, chuckling and continuing to lose blood from his mouth, due to the numerous open wounds.


    "Yes, so what? What did I say?! You''re just stalling!" replied Oyvind angrily, who turned to him.


    "Look in the sky, you idiot... I''ve never seen such a hot Sun! Wasn''t it late at night?" whispered Dag, who, thinking only of killing his opponent and saving his life, had not even realized that he had gone from the darkness of the night to the light of day.


    "Uhm?! What are you talking about?!" exclaimed Oyvind, looking away from Dag, not to let him know he was in trouble.


    "Now I understand why my powers have not yet healed my wounds... your attacks are not really that fast, but mine that are slowed down! None of this is real, even if the pain I''m feeling is actually hurting me. This must be another illusion, we are in a world created by you! Hahaha!" chuckled Dag, continuing to make fun of his opponent after discovering the trick.


    He could not immediately respond and drops of sweat fell from his forehead, due to the agitation of the moment.


    "What was your plan? Killing me in this world wouldn''t have killed me even in reality... how did you plan to get rid of me?" continued Dag, as his blood, dripping along the sand dune on which the two opponents were, slid slowly behind Oyvind.


    "If I had killed you here, I would have gained precious seconds in the real world, during which you, thinking you were dead, would not have been able to parry my last attack, which would have ended your life. I was a fool, I was afraid of you for a few moments and this made me make a serious mistake. It''s true, this desert doesn''t exist, it''s a figment of my imagination" said Oyvind, who immediately after speaking with his eyes down, raised his axe and violently struck Dag''s leg, chopping it off.


    He began to scream again, but his screams eventually became laughs, being aware that the pain he was feeling was only apparent, only in his head. Nothing that was about to happen was real.


    "For a few moments you were afraid of me... and now? Aren''t you afraid?" asked Dag, who, despite his severed leg and half-broken ribs, raised his head towards his enemy, looking at him with both bloodshot eyes, even the shining purple one, and a madman''s gaze.

 238 CCXXXVIII. The Blindside

    Oyvind did not answer to that provocation, but his expression was worth a thousand words and made Dag understand that his enemy feared his strength very much, even though he had tried to hide it until then.


    During their exchange of glances, two strips of blood, starting from Dag''s chest and sliding down the dune, reached a point behind Oyvind and joined in a small puddle.


    The dark fluid, instead of enveloping the body of its creator, this time traveled quickly along its blood, as if it was a flame on a trail of gasoline: in less than a second, it encircled Oyvind and reached the pool of blood behind him, from which a dark blade was fired upwards at great speed, piercing the body of the enemy, who didn''t even have time to think.


    "Have as much fun as you want, Oyvind... cut off my legs, my arms, whatever it helps you feeling invincible... but remember, when we get back into the real world, it will be the end for you" Dag exclaimed, noting that the pain his opponent was feeling was as real as his.


    Oyvind opened his mouth to speak, but only a river of blood came out of it, which fell on his feet when his eyes expressed the pain he was feeling while Dag''s dark blade tore apart his internal organs.


    The blood continued to flow along the trails of blood, feeding the puddle, which gradually allowed the blade to grow in size, widening the wound from Oyvind''s back to his abdomen.


    For a few seconds, both stood still: Dag on the ground, without a leg and immersed in a pool of blood, and Oyvind standing in front of him, on his feet and with the dark blade piercing him, nearly two meters long.


    Dag continued to wait and look satisfied with his opponent''s face, waiting for him to activate the key again.


    "Then? Let''s go back?!" he asked, as the dark blade split into two smaller blades, which began to rotate around each other, writhing Oyvind, who screamed in pain and just before losing consciousness, barely laid the handle of the axe on the ground and turned it.


    ...


    Dag opened his eyes again.


    He had returned to that swampy forest.


    He looked up: the moon shone behind some clouds that gave a glimpse of its white light, and he realized that the place was real and that Oyvind''s teleportation power was able to make them travel through space, without breaking the rules of time, keeping them still on the present.


    In front of him, a few meters away, his enemy was leaning against a tree, breathing hard and touching the wound on his side that just before Dag had procured him.


    He looked at his body and his leg.


    Everything was back as before, the wounds on the ribs were gone and the right leg was back in its place.


    Magni''s hammer was in his right hand, the Giantbane in the left one.


    He clenched both of his weapons and an electric aura surrounded him, starting from below, while grayish gas leaked out of his arms and joined the sparks, that from blue turned light purple, like his eye.


    Before Oyvind could react in any way, Dag lowered himself to his knees, loading a sprint and then dashing towards his enemy at incredible speed, hitting him with the hammer in his face and making him flying backward for hundreds of meters.


    During his trajectory, Oyvind struck and destroyed several trees, whose trunks shattered on impact with his body.


    When he fell to the ground, he turned his head to one side, noting that he still managed to keep his axe, despite the extremely strong blow.


    He spent about a second, when, looking up and lying on the ground, Oyvind saw Dag, who surrounded by the same violet electric aura, was in the sky above his head falling towards him, ready to strike him again.


    With most of the bones broken, the enemy could not move even an inch, and Dag, with the hammer pointed down and activating Lightning Strike, hit him violently in the center of his chest, causing him to sink into the ground and create a crater the size of an asteroid.


    The dust and sparks released during the blow began to fade and disperse in the air, and Dag stood up, looking at his opponent from the top down.


    Oyvind''s body was unrecognizable: his rib cage was completely shattered and his organs leaked out of it, his legs had been violently twisted in contact with the ground, and the bones of his femur and knee protruded from the flesh.


    With both eyes closed and his face swollen and bloodied, he tried to whisper something incomprehensible.


    Dag grabbed his braid and pulled him upwards, lifting his head and part of his torso, while Oyvind emitted excruciating verses, feeling body parts ripped off.


    Noting that his legs were hopelessly wedged under the huge boulders, Dag, impregnating the Giantbane in the enemy''s blood, severed both his lower limbs, lifting him off the ground by the braid and leaving his legs inside the crater.


    Oyvind continued to groan, exhaling his last breaths.


    Dag dropped the leg-deprived body back to the ground and it made a disgusting noise as if it was a sack full of clay shards.


    He grabbed the double-headed axe, which was also wedged under some rocks that had detached from the ground during the impact, and stuck his handle on the ground.


    For a moment, at the sight of all that blood, Dag was forced to shake his head and not lose concentration: he felt the same feeling again when, during the fight against all those bandits, he had let himself go to the desire for blood that he felt flowing through his veins, similar to an insatiable appetite.


    Maintaining his hindsight, he again grabbed Oyvind''s dying body by the neck of the armor, raising him toward the handle of the axe.

 239 CCXXXIX. The Public Execution

    Then he came up to his ear, completely covered in blood, and whispered: "I imagine you desire is to receive a funeral worthy of a valiant warrior so that the Valkyries can gather your body and lead you to Valhalla... well, if you don''t want your remains lost in this isolated jungle eaten by alligators, I suggest you take us back to the island... what do you say?"


    Oyvind responded with another incomprehensible verse, barely moving his hand, which failed to reach the handle of the axe because of the shattered arm bones.


    Dag placed the enemy''s body on the ground, grabbed his hand, and put it in place, helping him turn the axe and activate the portal key.


    ...


    After yet another flash of light that lasted only a few moments, he opened his eyes again, and finally, in front of him, he saw again the two torches that lit up the entrance of the stone palace of the village of the Horns Of Heimdallr.


    When he was able to distinguish the surrounding sounds, he raised his head towards the terrace.


    Freydis was still there, on her knees and with her hands tied, shouting his name and crying tears of joy, in discovering that he had beaten yet another enemy, whose dying body was leaning on his legs.


    After looking at Freydis, he turned his gaze towards Gridd and his companions, discovering that they were standing next to Roar, sitting on the ground because of the wound and tied firmly with an iron chain to a half-destroyed wall, with Gridd''s shining blade pointed at his neck and Reidar on the other side, with the Failnaught loaded.


    At that very moment, Karl dislodged Freydis, after killing two enemy warriors alone, that having seen Dag disappear, had taken courage and had come out into the open to help their defeated Masters.


    "Dag! Brother, behind you!" shouted Gridd.


    He immediately turned back, discovering the rest of the enemy warriors were lined up in front of him, with weapons ready to use, but motionless from fear.


    Dag grabbed Oyvind''s braid again, crawling him to the ground and placing him in front of them, so everyone could see him.


    He took the Giantbane and placed its blade on the throat of the dying enemy.


    Five enemy warriors took courage and began to run towards him, who barely noticed he was under attack and with a clear gesture, slit Oyvind''s throat, dropping him to the ground in a pool of blood.


    Enemy warriors tried to hit him chaotically and without any tactics.


    As his teammates were busy with Roar, Dag confronted them alone: he parried sword blows and quickly counter-attacked two of them, activating Storm Bolt, repulsing them and hitting them with a beam of electricity that quickly expanded into a shockwave.


    Three other men attacked him simultaneously, two ahead and one from behind.


    Dag contracted the muscles of his abdomen and then opened his arms outwards: three beams of dark liquid immediately took shape, splashing outwards and simultaneously impaling enemies and then re-entering his body.


    "When I was in that desert, for a moment I believed that I no longer had full control of my powers... on the contrary, since then, they have grown even more and now it seems that the dark fluid obeys my orders with ease. It is gradually suppressing its own will, recognizing my body not only as a mere container but as a master!" thought Dag, who managed to get rid of 5 enemies in less than a minute.


    As he paused to look at the other warriors left in front of him, Roar, turning to Gridd and Reidar, said: "Oyvind was the strongest of us Masters... and yet, look at him now... lying there on the ground, dead and disfigured, without honor. I had imagined many deaths for him, but never this... killed by an 18-year-old boy. What a waste, what an insolence, arrogance... I think that was your umpteenth affront. Not even one of you will leave Vaeren Island".


    "What? Hahah, I''m sure you got a big blow to your goat''s head! I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but your forces are now exhausted and the only warriors left are backing down in front of my brother, who won''t hesitate for a moment to kill them all!" replied Gridd, chuckling and continuing to watch Dag, ready to fight. Just then, the muddy ground beneath their feet began to vibrate.


    The vibration spread to the huts, becoming a faint earthquake.


    Dag paused, focusing on his feet pointed to the ground.


    He tried to focus on the cause of those vibrations through his developed senses, but while he was still, other enemies attacked him.


    This time they were about ten and they charged all over him, who seemed distracted.


    After speaking, Gridd remained silent, not understanding what was going on, while Roar giggled with a verse resembling the bleat of a goat.


    She pressed the blade of her sword against his throat, ordering him to remain silent and then turning to Reidar.


    "Go, Reidar! Dag needs you! There are too many enemies and I fear that his forces are running out! Run! Leave him to me!" she shouted, referring to Roar, still standing on the ground, with her sword pointed at his neck.


    Reidar immediately followed orders.


    The wound of the arrow that before had hit him on the shoulder had completely healed, thanks to one of Karl''s miraculous concoctions, who at that time was inside the building with Freydis, after freeing her from the terrace.


    Dag began to strike enemies, emitting bursts of electricity, followed by large blows of his dark arms, which after being re-opened from his back, began to move frantically around him, preventing enemies from hitting him simultaneously.


    Shortly before arriving from his Captain, Reidar loaded the usual 3 arrows on the Failnaught and shot them at enemies, striking three of them.


    Before the others could realize what had happened, he was able to activate the power of the divine bow again: because of the din caused by Dag, who was distracting enemy warriors by showing off his power, no one had yet noticed him.

 240 CCXL. The End Of Vibration

    Three more arrows were fired and hit again three different targets.


    At that moment, two men behind Dag turned to Reidar and began to run, pointing their weapons at him.


    The archer slowly retreated and grabbed another arrow from the quiver, managing to hit one of the two on the run.


    The other enemy, now very close, jumped towards him, raising his sword to the sky, ready to hit him with a blow, when one of Dag''s dark blades hit him from behind, piercing his stomach and impaling him in mid-air, squirting a lot of blood on Reidar, who feared he was being doomed, not being particularly skilled in close combat.


    Soon after, the long dark arm that had extended back several meters, swayed like a rope and threw away the enemy, causing him to end up in the rubble of the hut destroyed just before by the Roar''s furious charge.


    "Captain... Captain!" yelled Reidar, after being unexpectedly rescued by Dag, who had not even turned to him.


    Reidar took courage and walked forward, firing an arrow about every two steps and facilitating the task of Dag, who continued to kill enemy soldiers as if they were pesky midges.


    The earth continued to vibrate ever louder as enemy warriors stopped attacking Dag, forced to catch his breath after the effort.


    There were about 40 enemies left in front of him and Reidar, and judging by their gaze, they didn''t seem intent on attacking.


    "What is this flicker?! Captain, is it an earthquake?!" asked Reidar, positioned behind Dag, who briefly closed his eyes, trying to listen.


    About two seconds passed, when his eyes opened again, looking down with a worried air.


    "What''s going on?! What is it?!" continued Reidar, as he looked around, where he could not see beyond the dim torches of the village.


    Meanwhile, Gridd, focused on watching his brother and Reidar fighting against multiple enemies, slightly widened her grip on Roar, who grabbed her arm, pulling it hard and projected it forward, causing her to end up with her back on the ground.


    Gridd immediately tried to get up and grab the sword again, but the beast hit her with one of her hard hooves on one shoulder, causing her to roll in the mud.


    After barely getting up, Roar walked limping toward Sondre, who had lost consciousness and still lay on the ground in front of the palace, armless, in a pool of his own blood.


    He hurriedly lowered himself towards him and lifted him off the ground with ease, loading him on his shoulder and running staggeringly towards the hills behind the village, due to the wound on the quadriceps, still open and bloodied.


    Gridd rose from the ground shouting the name of the enemy he had just managed to free himself and attracting the attention of Dag and Reidar, who immediately turned that way.


    "Where is he going? Looks like he''s taking him somewhere... but where? Maybe Freydis is finally safe? I saw her and Karl come into the building just now, why didn''t Roar reach them?" thought Dag, trying to quickly figure out what was going on.


    He began to run towards the two fugitives, helping himself with the two dark arms, which every two or three steps, rested on the ground, giving Dag''s run a further boost.


    Roar''s speed, despite his injury, remained very high and Dag could not reach him immediately: just when he was just a few feet away from that blood-soaked white fur, he stopped suddenly.


    "Dag! What are you doing?! They''re running! We can''t let them go! They could set a second attack and it would be too late for us!" shouted Gridd, angry with herself for letting Roar slip away, not imagining that he had the energy to run away.


    Dag stood motionless for a few seconds.


    A shiver ran behind his back.


    It was as if his senses were warning him of imminent danger, which he could not see.


    He stepped back.


    The earth continued to move under his feet and gradually the vibration became even stronger.


    "Karl, Freydis! Get out of there! We have to run! Quickly!" he yelled, turning to the stone building and beginning to run in that direction.


    Gridd stood still, unearthed, as did Reidar, while the enemy warriors behind him slowly retreated to the huts.


    At one point, at the top of the hills surrounding part of the village, something sprang up.


    A huge army of enemy warriors, perhaps more than a thousand units, had rushed to the Clan''s rescue.


    When all those men stopped at the top of the hills, the earthquake suddenly stopped.


    Dag slowed his run, looking behind and raising his gaze as if he was looking death in the face.


    As hundreds of warriors reached their positions on the hill peaks, others were already standing there, on their horses, watching the havoc that Dag and his companions had caused.


    Continuing to run hard, Roar, using both lower and upper limbs, reached one of those groups of warriors on horseback.


    The beast laid Sondre''s unconscious body on a soldier''s steed and with him he moved away towards the other side, disappearing behind the hill.


    At the sight of all those allies, the warriors left behind Reidar took courage and began to cheer, raising their weapons to the sky.


    "No... it''s not possible..." whispered Dag, taken by a sudden despondency, believing until a few moments before being near the target.


    "Captain?! What do we do now?!" said Reidar, walking slowly to Dag and Gridd, not to be alone against the 40 warriors, who for some strange reason were still standing there, waiting before attacking the guy who had knocked out all three of their Masters.


    "How many are there?! How many other villages exist on the island besides this?! We''re doomed!" Gridd thought aloud, with both swords in her hands and her gaze pointed upwards, like that of her brother, who had his eyes on a particular warrior, who seemed to be the commander of that army.

 241 CCXLI. The Long-awaited Touch

    Despite the great distance that separated them, he was able to notice some details of his armor, such as the characteristic helmet with ram horns, typical of the Horns Of Heimdallr.


    At that moment, Karl walked out of the stone building''s front door, followed by Freydis.


    Dag looked away from the hill intently focusing on the girl, the only reason that had prompted him to go crazy like that, in the middle of the night.


    Freydis walked slowly toward him, incredulous that she could finally touch her man.


    Dag''s two large dark arms continued to float in the air around him as if they were two insect antennae ready to pick up any approaching object.


    Tears of joy came down from her eyes.


    "I apologize, Freydis. I''m sorry I only arrived now, I''m sorry if I didn''t come to you before you left for this cursed island..." said Dag, forgetting for a moment about everything else.


    "Dag... I thought I''d never see you again!" she said, snapping at him and jumping into his arms, hugging him tightly, ignoring the dark, inhuman material coming out of his shoulders and the purple eye.


    Dag, during the embrace, looked up again, noting that the enemy warriors, even if they were giving him a few moments, were ready to charge towards them.


    He tightened Freydis even stronger, smelling her hair, whose red shone under the moonlight, which after the storm was clearly visible.


    Before thousands of thoughts could once again crowd his head, Dag turned Freydis''s shoulders and gently kissed her on the lips, closing his eyes.


    The feeling he had was the most beautiful ever, as he dreamed of it every night since they said goodbye to each other in Jernhest.


    He put his hand in her hair and continued to kiss her, using his other hand to wipe away tears on her face.


    "I''d like to tell you a million things, Freydis. But I''m just going to tell you that I love you and that I''m sorry. After I heard they were holding you here as a prisoner, I couldn''t reason anymore and left for the island. Now here I am, sacrificing my life, yours, and that of my companions, just so I can tell you this and be able to kiss you one last time. I apologize for my selfishness..." whispered him in her ears, keeping his eyes closed, trying to enjoy the peace of those last moments with her, when time seemed to have stopped.


    "I love you too, Dag. The Gods will reunite us in Valhalla and we can be together forever, I can feel it. If our destiny was to jointly die here... well, who are we to change it?" said Freydis, who after leaving Dag''s arms walked a few meters away and approached the corpse of an enemy, bending down and picking up his sword.


    "And so¡­ is this the end? Even a warrior like you can''t save himself in these circumstances, am I right, Dag?" asked Karl wryly, pulling out his tomahawk and shield and looking at the enemies with shiny eyes.


    Dag looked at Reidar, realizing that he too was ready to fight and accept death if necessary.


    But the same could not be said of Gridd.


    Her sister, always strong and fearless, was standing and trembling like a leaf, with blood coming out of her nose, after the blow suffered by Roar.


    "I don''t want to die, Dag... not now! I still have a lot to do, you know it! You know my objectives... I can''t die before I''ve achieved my revenge... I can''t... help me, brother. Save us, please!" she yelled, panicking, crying towards Dag, who did not expect a similar reaction from her sister.


    Dag looked down.


    He slightly stretched his arms downwards and tapped his legs twice with his hands.


    At that very moment, a slight breeze blew around him, spreading to all of his companions and gently wrapping them.


    Reidar looked at his hands and arms, and Karl did the same.


    Gridd closed her eyes, feeling for a few moments an irresistible sense of relief and invigorating force.


    "What is this stuff, Dag? I feel stronger, I feel my muscles rested as if I had just woken up from a long sleep!" asked Karl, continuing to open and close his hands.


    "The Captain activated ''Champion Aura'', a level 8 skill that allows him and all members of his team to temporarily increase their stamina" Reidar said, looking pleased with Dag, who was upgrading them to prepare them for combat, indicating that, perhaps, there was still a glimmer of hope inside him.


    "I''m not going to die here and today. You chose to follow me to save Freydis, now I ask you one last favor... it is impossible to escape, we must fight, as we have never done. The enemy Clan is without leaders, the Masters have been defeated or forced to retreat. Let''s stick together, my brothers... "We must do it!" exclaimed Dag, looking at Oyvind''s corpse out of the corner of his eye, near which numerous flies and insects of various kinds began to fly, smelling dead flesh.


    "We''re never going to make it, brother... you also know that this is an impossible feat. Look at how many enemies are in front of us... they will be a thousand, more or less¡­ how do you think we''ll do this?" asked Gridd, positioning herself next to him and Freydis, ready to engage in the battle.


    "I was certain I would die many times since I left the Temple Of Orn, sister. But I''ve learned that sometimes, hope is worth more than fighting skill. The Gods are watching us. They know we are fighting to save ourselves, while our adversaries do so because they are thirsty for power and blood. Trust yourself and your teammates, fight to the fullest, use every skill you''ve learned over the years... if we die, we will know that we have fought to the end" Dag continued, looking at Freydis, who had her eyes pointed at the hills.


    Karl and Reidar stepped forward, forming a row alongside the other team members.

 242 CCXLII. Never Give Up

    "I have been on this island for almost a month, as a prisoner. I knew they had no interest in me, but they were going to use me as bait. I didn''t know their target was you, they never talked about it in my presence. Dag, I will not ask you where these giant dark claws leaking out of your back come from, or why your right eye changed color... but I know one thing: if an entire Clan has set a trap for a single warrior, it means that you are the thing they fear the most... and if they fear you, it means that they are afraid of the power you could unleash" she exclaimed, clutching the sword she had gathered from the ground in her hands, remaining focused on her enemies.


    "I don''t think I would have said that in these circumstances, but... my sister is right, Dag. You''re the only one who can get us out of here safely, don''t lose hope" added Karl, who looked at his childhood friend, smiling.


    At that moment, before Dag could respond, the enemies behind them began to giggle, taking courage to see such numerous reinforcements.


    "I advise you to surrender, boy. Maybe we will spare your friends'' lives if you freely give yourself up!" exclaimed one of them, walking in front of his companions with two axes in his hand and a bold air.


    Dag did not immediately answer, turned and walked toward him, with his eyes pointed at his.


    As the distance between the two diminished, the man swallowed empty: his courage was slowly fading as Dag approached.


    He stopped, without pulling out his weapons and continuing to look at the enemy in front of him, who began to retreat involuntarily, intimidated by his figure.


    "Here I am, I surrender to you" Dag said, raising his arms toward him and joining his wrists, ready to let them tie.


    "Uhm? Ah, a wise decision!" exclaimed the man, incredulous to become the one who would capture the mighty Dag.


    A second enemy, without approaching, threw a chain towards him, who grabbed it and slowly began to tie it around Dag''s wrists.


    "What are you doing?" whispered Freydis, while even the enemies on the hill stood still and watched the scene.


    Reidar, without saying a word, grabbed an arrow from the quiver and placed it next to the bow, trying not to get noticed, as everyone was focused on Dag.


    The chain circled his wrists more than once.


    The enemy, who had stored his weapons to tie Dag, left the chain with one hand, to take something from his pocket, perhaps an object to close those handcrafted handcuffs.


    But just then, Dag moved his head forward, striking him violently in the forehead.


    Before all the other enemies could accomplish what was going on, Dag, moving his arms circularly, freed himself from the chain and cleverly wrapped it around the man''s neck, turning his face toward his allies.


    He placed his back in contact with that of the enemy, stretching the chain forward and crossing it.


    Quickly lowered forward, the chain lifted the man from the ground, instantly breaking his neck, as he twitched his feet, which tried unnecessarily to wiggle his neck out of that vice.


    Dag dropped the chain and the enemy''s corpse, turning to the rest of the warriors, who looked at him angrily but frightened.


    Some of them took courage and charged towards him, who slightly turned his head back, looking at Reidar, that immediately fired three arrows, which hit 3 different targets, killing them instantly.


    Dag extracted both of his weapons and began to strike enemies, while Gridd reached him, ordering Freydis and Karl to stand still in position so that they could have warned them when the enemies stationary on the hill have decided to attack.


    Using both weapons and dark arms with sharp blades coming out of his back, Dag killed dozens of enemies without taking a single scratch, swirling around himself with mastery and a calm, relaxed expression.


    Gridd joined her brother, slamming the blades of her swords at each other, to activate one of the skills she used most often: ''Shards of Light'', a Sons Of Freya Clan technique, also used by Taya, which allowed the warrior to enchant the blades of his weapons, giving them greater sharp power and that distinctive light celestial appearance.


    She sprinted towards the enemies, cutting two of them in half, simply moving forward and hitting them in the middle of the stomach.


    From a distance, Reidar continued to fire arrows, helping his teammates from afar, until, grabbing yet another arrow from his back, he noticed that the quiver was almost empty.


    There were only five left and on the other side, there were thousands of warriors ready to charge towards them.


    The archer sighed and without hesitation, pulled his dagger from the back of his belt and ran toward Dag and Gridd.


    Within minutes, the three of them alone killed about forty men, meaning all the warriors left in the enemy camp.


    After finishing the work, Dag walked back to Freydis and Karl, positioning himself between them, as well as Gridd and Reidar, who followed him, all of them blood-soaked.


    Dag''s two dark arms stuck into the soil behind him and slowly lifted him off the ground so that distant enemies could look better at him, especially that warrior who seemed to be their general.


    "I will never be able to save my comrades if I don''t resign myself to my dark power, stopping to control it. I have to loosen my grip, I have to let the fluid take over and my survival instincts get the better of me" Dag thought, first looking down at Freydis, then turning back to the enemies at the top of the hill.


    While suspended at about 3 meters high, he pointed the Giantbane at them, which with its hot blades shone in the night.


    The horned helm man on horseback raised his arm, with the back of his hand facing backward and then, after a few seconds, useful to his warriors to complete the preparations before the battle, moved it quickly forward, ordering the charge.

 243 CCXLIII. The Black Cloud

    From the sides of the hills, Dag and his companions heard the sound of horns announcing the attack.


    The first enemy troops to charge were those formed by horseless warriors, who, forming a wedge, quickly descended from their position, taking advantage of the steep slopes of the hills.


    The chivalry stood still, deployed in the same place, and divided into four groups of about 15 individuals each, alongside other groups of horseless warriors and archers.


    Enemy soldiers screamed at Dag and his comrades, charging madly.


    There were several hundreds of them and thickening, they completely covered every part of the green slopes.


    Dag descended back to the ground, leaving his dark claws thrust into the ground, ready to push himself upwards to load a Lightning Strike, the only attack beyond Storm Bolt that would allow him to do damage to such a vast area.


    Gridd put herself in a combat position, as did Freydis, who had a very different style, with the blade of the sword facing backwards and its hilt pointed forward, her legs wide and knees bent.


    Reidar stayed slightly behind his companions and loaded an arrow, generating two more, knowing that perhaps that was the only magic shot available, before the enemies noticed him, disabling the Failnaught''s powers.


    Karl raised his shield, which trembled following the movements of his arm.


    The enemies continued their advance fast, trampling on the bushes and shrubs at the foot of the headland and ready to break into the village, when, suddenly, something obscured the moonlight.


    A deafening noise forced both enemies and Dag''s team to cover their ears and turn their gaze to the sky.


    A giant flock of birds, the size of a cloud, crossed the sky above their heads, croaking out of control.


    "Oh no! Dag! It''s the same crows who attacked us when we left Hevnen! This is the last thing we needed!" shouted Gridd, fearing that the enemies, already numerous, had received additional reinforcements.


    The flock continued to fly forward, slightly lowering its trajectory, with hundreds of specimens moving lightly in unison, under the incredulous and captivated gaze of thousands of soldiers of the enemy Clan.


    At that very moment, another sound joined the noise of the birds.


    "The bells! These must be the bells of the watchtowers! Enemy ships have arrived in the harbor!" yelled Reidar, turning his gaze to that redundant sound.


    Dag narrowed his eyes, concentrating and trying to make the most of his sight, watching that flock of crows.


    "They are not enemy crows! It''s our reinforcements!" shouted Dag, enthusiastically.


    After that statement, the large birds dived into the enemy army, moving en masse like a giant black wave, which in a matter of seconds enveloped the lower part of the hill.


    As Dag and Reidar had guessed, the crows, just before reaching their enemies, changed shape, turning into human beings, falling from above and beginning to kill enemy soldiers one after the other, hitting them with their sharp weapons.


    "Let''s go! What are you waiting for! Come on!" shouted Dag again, ordering his teammates to attack, to support the reinforcements.


    With his dark arms in the ground, Dag pushed himself forward, sprinting towards his enemies, followed by Gridd and Freydis, faster than Karl and Reidar, who closed the line.


    "Aaaagh!"


    As they screamed at the charge, reaching their opponents, other men literally rained down from the sky, in the form of crows that just before they touched the ground, sometimes managed to hit their targets, other times instead, were killed under their blows.


    Placing his dark arms again on the ground, Dag leaped upwards, using them as a trampoline: he raised the hammer, which was hit by a lightning bolt, electrifying itself and simultaneously wrapped in one of the bundles of dark liquid, which became soaked in electricity.


    In an inhumane effort, he rotated on himself, using the beam of electrical fluid as a giant whip, which hit the ground exploding in a barrage of lightning bolts and emitting a shockwave so strong that dozens of enemies flew away, some of whom died instantly.


    Before falling back to the ground, Dag managed to swing the dark whip again, which hit the ground for the second time, burning it due to the enormous amount of static energy released.


    Once again, a whole group of enemies was wiped out under his unstoppable blows.


    In about ten minutes, what was supposed to be a quick and reckless mission, became a real war between Clans, during which warriors of opposing factions fought mercilessly and many of them lost their lives.


    When he came down again, Dag noticed that an opening had been created around him: enemy warriors avoided being too close to him, afraid of the incredible power of his attacks laden with electricity and dark energy.


    While Gridd and the others also began to fight in the rear, against enemies who escaped the watchful eye of Dag and the Crows Of Odin soldiers, he made room for the top of the hill, trying to reach the chivalry unit, standing still and watching forward.


    Two other enemies stood between him and the target, trying to hit him head-on.


    He, without even raising his weapons, moved one of his fluid claws and cut both enemies on the chest, causing them deep wounds and making them fall to the ground.


    Soon after, while distracted looking forward, someone else tried to attack him from behind but was stopped by a spear blow, which stuck his collarbone.


    Dag turned unaware that he had just been rescued.


    Behind him, Sander and other soldiers were following him and helping in combat.


    "Didn''t you say you had to discuss it with the other two Masters first?" asked Dag, while other enemy soldiers continued to charge at them.


    After those words, a large dark brown crow whizzed low, near them, heading fast toward a group of about ten running foes.


    Making a twist on himself, he turned into a human being: his wings became two long chains, at which end there were two spiked iron balls, while the rest of the volatile''s body assumed human appearance.

 244 CCXLIV. The Hilltop

    Continuing to twirl, the warrior laid his foot on the ground and waving and crossing his two long weapons, stuck the array of enemies in front of him, repelling them meters away.


    Soon after, as Dag and Sander watched the scene, a Roar-like, but smaller, man-beast ran toward the man, grabbing one of his chains and pulling forcefully, unbalancing him forward.


    Before he fell, he threw the other spiked ball at the enemy, wrapping the chain around his neck and using it as a foothold to pull himself up.


    With one jump, he positioned himself behind the beast, continuing to wrap the chain around his muscular neck, covered in a grayish fur coat, while the shape-shifting man groaned, trying to free himself using his hands.


    The man, with red hair raised in a crest and numerous facial tattoos, turned his gaze towards Dag and simultaneously fell with dead weight down, pulling the chain with him and breaking the neck of the enemy, who knelt and then fell to the ground lifeless, with his tongue sticking out of his mouth after being suffocated.


    "That''s it, now I don''t need to introduce him to you... he''s Kjell, our Clan''s Master Of Offense! Hahahah!" exclaimed Sander, who, as he giggled, hit an enemy soldier with a headbutt, causing him to fall to the ground.


    "You must be Dag! I don''t know why, but I thought you were a little different!" said Kjell, before Dag could speak.


    "Yes, it''s me... I didn''t think you''d come!" he replied, turning his gaze to Freydis, to make sure she was okay.


    "Sander told me that a young Master with a strange purple eye had traveled to Skjegg to offer us an alliance and then left with only his team to Vaeren Island to rescue a woman... it sounded like a cool story! Hahaha!" he chuckled, swinging one of his chains and hitting other enemies, more than two meters from him.


    Dag stood still for a few seconds when he felt a vibration coming from his chest.


    He placed the back of a hand on the armor and immediately noticed that it was the Bjelke Sphere, which had just been activated, identifying an emblem or something similar.


    "Now I remember... I knew that one of the Masters of the Crows Of Odin was the owner of an emblem! However, now is not the time to think about these frivolities! My life and that of others are in serious danger!" he thought, continuing to run forward, toward what looked like the army commander and continuing to kill enemy warriors who obstructed passage.


    Meanwhile, Gridd stayed behind, close to Karl and Freydis, while Reidar was slightly separated from them, trying to limit the use of bows and arrows, which were decidedly few to face so many enemies, in a battle of such magnitude.


    In a rapid sequence of attacks, Gridd quickly eliminated two enemies, while the blades of her swords shone with heaven.


    Karl, somewhat clumsy, took a couple of shots, hiding his face behind the shield, and counterattacked a man with a spear, unbalanced him, and hitting him on his side.


    After the badly axed blow, his tomahawk became wedged between the ribs of the enemy, who fell to the ground, disarmed.


    Karl lowered himself towards him and pulled the weapon violently, causing him much pain and leaving him to bleed to death, when someone else tried to hit him from the back with a shield shot, but his head was severed with a sharp blow and rolled onto the ground.


    "Freydis... th... thank you, sister!" said Karl, who was sweating cold.


    "Fuck these sons of bitches... they must pay for what they did to me!" she exclaimed, leaving her sword on the ground and grabbing the spear of the enemy who had just killed Karl, to keep fighting.


    The battle raged for nearly an hour, and the dead bodies of hundreds of warriors of both Clans piled lifeless on the ground, making the scene apocalyptic, as their blood flowed down the hillsides.


    However, due to the lack of its Masters, the Horns Of Heimdallr Clan lost many more soldiers, who seemed to be fighting in the back of the net, without someone to guide them.


    After the arrival of the ''crow warriors'', in fact, their numbers began to decrease considerably and went from almost 1000 to about 300 or 400 units, considering that only Dag, Sander, and Kjell, had eliminated more than 100 enemies each, writing the fate of the battle, which was coming to an end.


    When Dag finally managed to clear the road in front of him and approach the mounted troops, some of them turned to the other side and ran away, afraid to face such a fearsome enemy.


    His physical stamina was gradually diminishing, due to the uninterrupted movements of his body, which had become a real war machine and continued to kill without thinking, blinded by the sense of revenge towards the Clan who had kidnapped and perhaps tortured his woman.


    The man with the horned helmet pulled an axe from behind his back and strongly pushed the horse, which began to run towards Dag, who in turn charged in that direction.


    The enemy loaded the blow, then waved the axe downwards and tried to awkwardly strike Dag, who could easily sense the predictable trajectory of the attack and dodged it, grabbing the handle of the enemy weapon with his hand, whose grip was right there reinforced by a beam of liquid, which now moved following Dag as if it was a natural extension of his body.


    He pulled forcefully down, unsealing the man, who fell with his back to the ground, losing weapon and horse, which continued his run among hundreds of frightened soldiers.


    "Commander!" yelled an enemy warrior, who, after seeing the scene, quickly fired an arrow at Dag, striking him on the shoulder.


    The young man charged a second arrow, but before he could aim, a large hand grabbed his head, lifting him off the ground and making him scream in pain.

 245 CCXLV. Turn The Tide

    The same hand, with a decisive gesture and a rotation of the wrist, bent half the young man''s neck, breaking it and dropping his corpse to the ground.


    It was the hand of Sander, whose physical strength was incredible: his body, during that battle, had managed to withstand multiple enemy attacks without even trying to parry them, during which the blades of the enemies'' weapons bounced on it emitting little sparks as if it was made of metal.


    After hearing the word ''commander'' coming out of the young enemy''s mouth, Dag had no more doubts about the identity of the man on the ground in front of his feet, who despite his high rank, at that moment trembled like a frightened rabbit, moving his hands forward and begging him to spare his life.


    Dag rested a foot on his chest and waved the axe at his neck.


    When Gridd and Freydis killed yet another enemy by looking over each other''s backs, now exhausted and completely covered in blood, they heard the sound of a battle horn crossing the sky above their heads.


    On the other side of the village, hundreds of allied soldiers, who had landed in the island harbor some time earlier, had finally arrived on the battlefield, ready to fight.


    Gridd breathed a sigh of relief, as did her companions, who looked at each other smiling at the sight of the reinforcements.


    All the warriors left alive, hearing the sound of the horn, stopped fighting, and turned to the troops as soon as they arrived at the site.


    The Crows Of Odin were now outnumbered.


    "Horns Of Heimdallr!" shouted Dag, from the top of the hill, drawing the attention of the enemy soldiers, who, gripped by despondency, turned to him, noticing the trophy he was displaying.


    With their commander''s head in his hand, pointed upwards, he continued: "Your Masters have been defeated, as has the commander of your army! Your end is near! Surrender to the Crows Of Odin and the Iron Alliance!"


    All the warriors present, enemies and not, began whispering, wondering what Dag was talking about, whose words certainly had considerable weight, since Sander and Kjell stood beside him, without saying a word as if they were his subordinates.


    At that exact moment, after Dag''s words and a few moments of reflection and a general pause, the enemy warriors began to flee in panic, running in every direction.


    Many of them, during the escape, were killed by allied warriors, while others were allowed to escape freely, as the battle finally came to an end after hours of uninterrupted combat.


    Dag threw his enemy''s head to the ground, making it rolling down the hill and began to walk towards his comrades, putting his weapons back on his belt.


    The crowd of allied warriors widened as he passed, looking at him with questioning but satisfied air at the same time, not knowing the details of the Iron Alliance and the role of the young Dag, who had nevertheless proved his worth in battle.


    Gridd and Reidar looked at him, smiling and not paying attention to the numerous wounds their bodies were scattered, from head to toe.


    Karl was on his knees and looked upwards, squinting and then breathing slowly, enjoying the temporary peace after the victory.


    Freydis deftly twirled the spear in his hands, sticking its tip into the ground and then walking towards Dag, stopping a few inches from him.


    Dag tried to say something, but immediately Freydis''s hand moved towards his mouth, resting two fingers on his lips.


    "I don''t care, you''ll have plenty of time to tell me what happened to you. I''m not going to let you go again. Look around you, Dag... you made it!" she exclaimed, launching into his arms, hugging him hard, and breathing deeply on his neck, making him realize that it was finally over, they were reunited again, forever. And all of that was real.


    After a few moments of silence, the crowd began to scream in unison, waving their weapons upwards and celebrating victory.


    Dag knelt before his woman, hugging her and resting his face on her abdomen.


    When the dark fluid re-entered his body, he felt a feeling of fatigue, caused by the energies expended during the battle, which although it lasted only a few hours, was incredibly intense, considering the number of enemies.


    Hands touched his shoulders and he turned his face, rising to his feet.


    Some of the Crows Of Odin warriors were there, beside him, to congratulate and thank him amicably, for the success of a feat that, without his help, would probably have been impossible.


    It had happened again: Dag heard his name being uttered by many, who thanked him and asked him questions, knowing nothing of his identity other except for his name.


    Freydis looked at him smiling and continued to caress him, with tears streaming down her face, without yet realizing that she had finally been rescued, that she had overcome that nightmare that lasted several weeks.


    "Hahaha! Did you see, Kjell? I knew the boy wouldn''t disappoint my expectations! When I heard that he had indeed left for Vaeren Island in the middle of the night, I had no more doubts. The love he feels for this girl is authentic, as is the proposal they made to us" Sander exclaimed, chuckling and approaching Dag, followed by the other Master, who, despite being happy with the victory, still had a reluctant expression.


    "So, this is a thing? The Hammers Of Thor and the Sons Of Freya united in an alliance?" Kjell asked, watching Dag.


    "Yes, right. He is the Warchief of the Iron Alliance, the one who first pursued the goal of reuniting the Clans'' forces to achieve a greater goal" Gridd interrupted, putting herself between Kjell and Dag, who was still shaken by the battle.


    "And you? What are you supposed to be?" he asked again, looking at Gridd from head to toe.


    "I am Gridd, Master Of Offense of the Sons Of Freya and sister of Master Dag" she replied, with a stern tone and menacing look towards the man who, despite his good alignment, seemed to hide devious thoughts.

 246 CCXLVI. The Concern

    "What would be this ''goal'' that your alliance would like to achieve?" Kjell continued.


    "Peace. Battles like this will cease to exist, Master Kjell. The only wars we will fight will not be for our Clan, but for our race" Dag exclaimed, making his way among the warriors who had come close to thanking him and positioning himself next to Gridd, who looked at him satisfied.


    "Mmh... let''s do this way, Master Dag: let''s get out of here, get back to Skjegg. You will be our guests in the Rocky Crown dormitory, you will be assigned the best rooms at our disposal. You''re going to rest and then we''ll talk, I''d like to know more about this story" he continued, resting his hand on Dag''s shoulder and continuing to walk in the direction of the harbor.


    Dag did not respond, in a sign of confirmation.


    After Kjell, Master Sander approached them, looking at Freydis.


    "I''m glad you''re alive, Freydis. I''m so sorry for what you''ve had to go through. I feel responsible for what these bastards did to you. If we Masters hadn''t decided to send you here in a closed box, it probably would never have happened and your teammates would still be alive" he said, looking down, in a sorry voice.


    "Thank you for your words, Master Sander, but... if the battle had not taken place today, it would still have come shortly and perhaps it would not have had the same outcome... perhaps this was the will of the Gods. Odin''s been watching over us... for the first time in a long time, the Alfather, Thor, and Freya fought together. The victory was assured!" said Freydis, enthusiastic, and happy to have come out of her days in captivity.


    "I hope you''re right, Freydis. In any case... your boy is one of the strongest warriors I''ve ever seen. He managed to defeat Oyvind, whose fame went far beyond the shores of this island. His name will echo between the seas and lands of Okstorm!" continued Sander, turning his joyful gaze to Dag, who reciprocated with a smile.


    "Captain... it would be a shame to abandon the Brass Arrow on this island. Maybe it could weather the storm in those rocks... we could try to retrieve it and use it to get back to Gurn" Reidar said, approaching Dag and touching his shoulder, not hiding his happiness and gratitude toward him.


    "Yes, if we hurry we can go back to that cave without running any further danger, but first... "I want to tell you something in confidence" Dag replied, extending his arms and inviting Gridd, Reidar, and Karl to form a tight circle.


    When everyone was next to each other, Dag hugged them in an unexpected strong embrace.


    "Thank you all... I''m not used to saying these lovey-dovey, you know, but... this time is different. I couldn''t have done it without your help and... knowing that I have a team om which to rely on even when things get complicated is the best feeling in the world. Thank you very much, my friends, I mean it, really!" he exclaimed, continuing to shake his companions, who after making an incredulous face, reciprocated the embrace, showing Dag the affection that each of them desperately needed after those difficult hours, in which their lives had hung by a thread.


    Freydis remained slightly on the sidelines, enjoying the scene, moved.


    After about thirty seconds, Dag separated from his companions, turned to her and grabbed her, holding her head-on, with her legs around hid waist and arms resting around her neck.


    Without saying a word, the two lovers passionately kissed, forgetting for a moment about everything else.


    "Here... yeah, guys, I think it''s better if we head to the cave!" exclaimed Karl, in a tremendously embarrassed voice, as he saw his sister and his best friend frolicking.


    "Hahahah, Karl! Come on, you have Agnes waiting for you and I have Turid! Let our Captain enjoy the company of his woman after months away!" chuckled Reidar, happy to see Dag happy again.


    After the cheating and outburst of happiness, all five walked away from the battlefield, strewn with corpses, blood, and rubble.


    They quickly made their way to the cave leading to the inlet where the boat was to be docked.


    Going down the stone stairs, the adventurers dodged the corpses of the enemies lying upside down, and Freydis could not fail to notice the remains of brain matter on the walls next to them.


    Once in the lower part of the cave, other corpses were strewn on the slippery floor, one of them totally charred, above a pile of sticks and shrubs that just before formed the base of the bonefire.


    "Pff... that stinks so bad! Was it really necessary to kill him like that, Dag?!" asked Karl, plugged his nose into the burnt human flesh stench.


    After those words, Dag could hear a more or less constant sound of wood, as if something was slamming into rocks, realizing that the boat was still there, but that they would have to check its condition before leaving.


    "Oh yes! There it is!" exclaimed Gridd, glad to find the vehicle that had weathered the storm and had managed to lead them there safely despite the weather.


    "It didn''t seem to have suffered any particular damage, you were able to frame it perfectly, Captain!" added Reidar, lowering and passing a hand along the metal edges of the Brass Arrow to check its status.


    "Well, we were lucky... now help me put it back into the sea" Dag said, as Freydis continued to keep quiet, observing the scene and thinking about how Dag had managed alone to position the boat that way since four people could barely move it a few centimeters.


    After about ten minutes, the friends finally managed to get back on their way to Gurn and leave the island.


    The sea, after the storm, had returned calm and flat as a table.


    Without any difficulty and at a high speed, the Brass Arrow reached the other Clan boats and arrived simultaneously at Gurn Harbour.

 247 CCXLVII. The Hidden Scar

    Waiting for Dag and his companions there was Frank, standing on the dock with his arms pointed forward, ready to grab the ropes for docking.


    Karl threw them at him, who slowly and with tricks of the trade pulled the berry to the mainland, blocking it with his foot before its edges could touch the stone of the pier.


    "Hahaha! You did it! And my little girl is safe and sound!" he exclaimed with joy, referring to the boat.


    "Yeah! It only took us a few hours longer than expected..." Dag chuckled, getting off the boat and thanking Frank, who led him and his companions to the horses.


    "Wow, it''s beautiful!" exclaimed Freydis enthused, stroking Aslan''s snout, happy to meet him.


    "His name is Aslan, he''s a really brave steed! Come on, jump on him!" replied Dag, inviting his girlfriend to ride the horse.


    Freydis grabbed the bridles, preparing to jump, but as soon as she lifted her leg, she uttered a groan of pain, falling with her knees to the ground, touching the lower part of her neck.


    "Freydis! What''s going on? Are you hurt?" he asked alarmedly, leaning toward her to help her get back on her feet, while Karl also approached them worried.


    "No, it''s nothing, don''t worry... It''s just this stupid scar... I think it''s getting infected" she said, standing up and slightly widening the neck of her leather jacket, showing off her right shoulder.


    On the lower part of the neck, right on the shoulder, was engraved Inguz, the same rune that Dag saw on Ragna''s forehead.


    "But...but... sister... what the hell does that mean? What is this, a rune?!" asked Karl, examining the wound, already trying to figure out how to cure it and opening his healing box.


    "Yes, it''s a rune, I don''t know what it is... they were going to engrave it on my forehead, but I wouldn''t stop squirming and... this is the best they have been able to achieve" she replied, touching the wound slightly and squinting at the burning, while Dag watched closely, already knowing the story, that under the circumstances had crossed his mind.


    "Come, Karl will heal you. Then we will reach Skjegg and you will get some rest" Dag said, allowing Karl to gently medicate the wound and then lifting Freydis towards Aslan''s back, allowing her to ride on horseback.


    Karl, Reidar, and Gridd did the same and made their way to Skjegg, leaving the low stone walls of Gurn harbor, after greeting Frank from afar, with whom they had befriended.


    "What did they do to you? If only they dared to abuse you in some way, I swear I''ll go back to the island and..."


    "No, Dag, don''t worry. No one even touched me with a finger. I told you, I was a simple bait, they just wanted you, so they could offer you as a sacrifice instead of me. Your name is known, the Okstorm Clans know your deeds and powers. What do they come from? How did you unleash all that energy? It didn''t seem to use Thor''s power as the only magical source, didn''t it?" asked Freydis, turning her gaze toward Dag, sitting on horseback behind her, with his arms around her hips and holding up the horse''s bridles.


    Sighing and trying to be as concise as possible, Dag took advantage of the few hours of travel through the streets of Runar to tell his woman about his powers and adventures, including their encounter with the God Weland, witnessed by the Giantbane.


    Talking to Freydis was a dream come true.


    Dag had lost count of sleepless nights spent thinking of her, especially during her exile on Magni''s farm, where absolute silence was actually incredibly noisy and thousands of thoughts crowded his mind.


    After discovering that Freydis had disappeared and was not in Skjegg, he felt a horrible sensation, as if someone had taken the ground off his feet, leaving him in free fall, while the certainties of his life crumbled around him, helpless.


    After crossing the last stretch of trail, the mountains that enveloped Skjegg were finally visible and Dag and his companions continued to follow the rest of the Crows Of Odin army to the entrance as the dawn light began to reflect on the rocky vertical walls.


    Next to the entrance to the gallery, the three guards moved immediately on their side, allowing the passage of hundreds of Allied warriors returning from the great battle, smiling after sensing the outcome and bowing their heads out of respect towards Master Kjell and Master Sander.


    Once past the tunnel and entered the city center, a huge crowd of people blocked the road, screaming and celebrating the return of their soldiers, who had returned many from the expedition to Vaeren Island, witnessing the victory.


    Dag and the others stayed behind, on the sidelines, reciprocating a few smiles to friendly faces among the people and continuing to ride towards the city stables.


    The soldiers were the first to tie the horses in the large stables, in reserved spaces, while Aslan, Ace, and the others were tied soon after, outward, in spaces arranged for ordinary people.


    As Dag finished tying Aslan to the fence, letting the barn displace, someone approached Freydis from behind, attracting the attention of Gridd, who immediately turned to her.


    Freydis also turned around but was immediately relieved.


    "F... Freydis...?" asked a shy voice in disbelief to see the girl, who had been reported missing.


    "Hello, Ragna..." Freydis whispered, approaching her friend, who watched her with tears in her eyes and surprised expression, unable to move.


    "I made it, my friend... Dag came to pick me up, I told you that sooner or later we would see each other again, and it happened!" she continued, approaching Ragna and stroking her hair lovingly.


    Before Dag or Gridd could add anything, the two friends hugged, happy to be able to touch each other again.


    "Sorry... forgive me, Freydis... I didn''t want to... I don''t know why..."

 248 CCXLVIII. The Privacy

    "It''s okay, Ragna. We both managed to save ourselves, unlike our companions, whose death was avenged enough, when hundreds of enemy warriors died under the blades of our Clan and the proud gaze of Odin" Freydis interrupted, stroking Ragna''s face and wiping away tears, even touching the big scar on her forehead that covered part of her face.


    "We''re going to the Rocky Crown, Freydis. If you need more time with your friend, go ahead, we''ll wait for you up there" Dag said, walking alongside his companions in the direction of the wooden platforms.


    "Ragna and I will have other opportunities to speak. What matters is to have you reviewed and know that you are safe. Live your life without remorse, sister... we made it!" exclaimed Freydis, trying to hearten the sad soul of her friend, indelibly marked by past events, that gripped her mind to such an extent that it limited her use of the word.


    After greeting each other, Ragna approached her father, who had witnessed the scene smiling, and Freydis moved to Dag, who, proud of her, rested his arm on her shoulders, looking tenderly at her big brown eyes.


    "What are you going to do now?" asked Dag, trying to understand his woman''s intentions.


    "I really feared I wouldn''t see you again, Dag. I believe that, with the permission of my Masters, without giving up my Clan, I will follow you and your companions. As long as this is what you want..." answered her, continuing to look him in the eye and shaking his hand between hers.


    Dag did not answer, merely smiling and looking forward, confirming that obvious question.


    As the crowd gathered behind them, following them to the elevators, leading warriors to the walls, climbing and descending nonstop, Dag and the others stopped there in front, waiting for their turn in line after Sander and Kjell.


    "Psst!" whispered Dag, trying to catch Gridd''s attention, with one hand resting on his chest.


    She turned to him, approaching her ear to his mouth.


    "The Bjelke Sphere, that device that can trace emblems around my neck... every time I''m next to Kjell, it doesn''t stop vibrating!" he continued, looking from behind the Crows Of Odin''s Master of Offense.


    "Aha! I knew it! I knew the rumors I had heard were true! If I remember correctly, you told me that the vibration intensity is proportional to the emblem''s rank, right?" asked Gridd softly, trying not to be heard by the subject in question.


    "Yes, it should work like this... it has never vibrated so loudly, that means that if Kjell has an emblem, its rank is much higher than mine!" replied Dag.


    "Then? Are you going to challenge him?" asked Gridd again, noting that his brother looked at Kjell with an interested air, as if he was already beginning to study his movements.


    "Yes, I will challenge him. Master Sander told us that Kjell would probably oppose my leadership in the Iron Alliance and try to steal my title. I''m going to wait for that moment and try to kill two birds with one stone... he can''t refuse" Dag continued, climbing the elevator with the others, who didn''t hear a word of the speech made in confidence with Gridd.


    When everyone was on the Rocky Crown, Sander turned to them, still dirty with mud and blood.


    "I will personally escort you to your rooms, where you can rest and wash. When you''re done, we''ll see each other in the library, where we first met, okay?" he asked, also dirty after the battle.


    "All right, we''ll see each other there in a few hours" Dag confirmed, following Sander to a very wide, hundreds of-meter-long, curved building that followed the stone circumference of the Rocky Crown.


    The five friends entered the dormitory, which was not much different from the Temple Of Orn, only from the colder architecture and dull colors, like every building in Skjegg, gray and sad.


    Sander pointed to three free rooms, one next to the other, specifying that the central one was slightly larger than the other two because it was located at a corner of the building.


    "In about 4 hours. See you out here in four hours. Rest and clean up, my friends... the hardest part is over" Dag said, giving a precise time and a meeting point to his teammates.


    This time, it was Karl who shared the room with Reidar, while Gridd entered another and Dag and Freydis in the central one.


    A single large bed was located in the middle of the room, under which was a white fur rug with brown patches.


    On one side of the room, a large clay tub was filled to the brim of tepid water and next to it, a kind of wooden rack was resting on the wall, with the function of a dress holder.


    As soon as he entered the room, after locking the door for some privacy, Dag took off his belt with his weapons, resting it on the ground, at the foot of the rack.


    Soon after, he untied the top of his armor, which despite being very light, given his tiredness and the fact that it was soaked in blood and earth, it looked very heavy on his shoulders.


    After placing it on the ground, he also removed the linen under it, remaining shirtless.


    He approached the tub and plunged his face into the water, rubbing it with his hands to rinse off the dirt and wash the wounds, which were already healing thanks to his accelerated power of self-regeneration.


    As the water began to stain with blood, Freydis''s warm hands stroked his back.


    Dag paused, squinting: drops of water fell from his face, bathing the floor, while Freydis continued to touch his back, then moving on his arms, lingering on his right one, covered with runic scars.


    The fingers of her small hands gently brushed every imperfection of Dag''s skin and the fingertips softly touched the scars, while her face also rested on his shoulders and the caresses soon became a warm embrace.

 249 CCXLIX. The Repressed Passion

    Dag grabbed one of her hands and turned back, looking Freydis in the eye and kissing her on the lips repeatedly, basking in the feeling he hadn''t felt in a long time.


    She moved slightly and began to rinse her face in the water, bringing her hair back.


    After a few seconds, Dag, with a little shyness and agitation, placed one hand on Freydis''s side and the other behind her back, beginning to untie the thin leather jacket and shirt below.


    Freydis stood still, moving only her head slightly as if she wanted to accompany his man''s sensual movements.


    "I''ve been thinking about that day all the time... I wanted your body like nothing else in the world and I looked for you among the stars, during the clear winter nights spent alone on that farm far from the world..." whispered him, his voice flickering in the embarrassment of the moment, while his heart in his chest beat madly.


    Freydis let her armor and shirt slide along her arms, dropping it to the ground.


    Dag''s calloused and ruined hands continued to travel along her curves, whose skin was so soft and smooth that it looked like a white cloud.


    They reached the breast and gently squeezed it, raising the levels of hormones in the air, which during that game of looks, became so high that they provoked a deep state of excitement in both bodies of the two young lovers.


    Dag began kissing her along the neck and went down her back, lowering her tight trousers, which showed off her round, firm buttocks and athletic legs.


    Continuing to move his hands up and down and his mouth down her back, as if it was an act of veneration, Dag noticed that on the outside of her left thigh, six small runes were engraved on her skin, representing the skills Freydis had learned during those months as a Shieldmaiden.


    Dag''s mouth continued to kiss her relentlessly downwards, until she began to give groans of pleasure and spun towards him, causing him to rise from the ground and frantically kissed him as if he could no longer restrain himself.


    He lifted her off the ground and with her, threw both of them on the bed behind, positioning himself above her body, whose abdomen moved intensely because of the breath of sexual desire of her young woman.


    A small triangular window was situated on the wall a few meters above the bed and faced towards the cliff outside the walls, towards the valley that surrounded Skjegg.


    Still wet with water and sweat, Dag and Freydis continued to love each other with their bodies and minds, redeeming all the sex they didn''t have the chance to do during their distance.


    The only moments when their bodies were a few centimeters apart were only useful to increase the desire even further, to feel their body-breaths even more, and to go on harder than before.


    About 3 hours passed when they fell asleep naked and hugged, one next to the other, forgetting everything and everyone and enjoying that moment of well-deserved tranquility.


    After sleeping soundly for just over half an hour, Dag''s eyes suddenly opened, because of a bad dream, which had brought him back to the middle of that battle.


    He got out of bed without making a noise and grabbed a jug of clean water resting near the bathtub of that room that had all the air of being a guest room and not just a common dorm one.


    He breathed deeply and took a long sip, quenching his physically fatigued body.


    Freydis kept on sleeping soundly, with her long red hair spreading on the bed like the branches of a tree in autumn and her mouth slightly open, due to tiredness.


    Dag continued to wonder what she had actually been through on the island, if her ''nothing happened to me'' was just a phrase of circumstance, useful in calming his vengeful soul or was it actually the truth.


    He approached her again, lowering his face towards her cheek and kissing her gently, stroking her hair.


    Freydis''s nose moved slightly as she continued to sleep.


    "Hey, I think it''s time to get dressed. I want you to be there when your Masters gives me an answer... what do you think?" he whispered, chuckling sweetened by the expression of the girl, who, while she slept, had an incredibly innocent air, which hid her true warrior nature.


    She woke up from sleep, hugged, and kissed Dag still undressed, and he was forced to resist the temptation to make love again, with the intention of not being too late to meet Kjell, Sander, and perhaps the other Master they had not the pleasure of knowing.


    After wearing their respective armor again, Dag lashed the belt with his weapons and left the room with Freydis, finding all his companions outside the door, standing still waiting for them.


    An exchange of jokes between Karl and Gridd led the group of friends to laughter, after which the five teammates made their way to the Masters building, exiting the dormitory and walking along the path above the imposing Rocky Crown, while the city below was celebrating: they could see many people in the main square, enriched with stalls and carriages full of food and alcohol, which cheered the day to the citizens.


    "I just think we should go and have a look over there! Hahah!" exclaimed Gridd, her stomach grumbling.


    "Yes, we haven''t put anything under our teeth for a while" said Reidar, who has been getting more and more in tune with her lately, which was strange, considering that as soon as they met, they were just disagreeing with anything, especially in geographical topics.


    Most Clan warriors were down in town celebrating and the walls were almost deserted.


    When Dag and the others arrived in front of the Masters'' building, the two guards at the entrance moved to their side, allowing them to pass without asking questions.


    They went up the stairs, already knowing the road.

 250 CCL. The Third Master

    "Oh, hello everyone. Master Dag, Master Gridd, you''re due upstairs" exclaimed the funny-looking librarian, turning his head strangely trying to figure out if Dag and the others answered back to his invitation, being slightly deaf.


    He just nodded his head, smiling at the man and inviting his entire team to go upstairs.


    The thin staircase between the mezzanine and the upper floor was made of stone and wood, as well as the walls of the room where Dag and the others made their entrance: on the thick stone walls, decorations made from horizontal solid wood beams were repeated, which gave a slightly more engineered appearance to that hall, less sad than the rest of the palace, completely gray.


    A huge off-white chandelier hung from the ceiling, and Dag took a while to figure out that it was completely made of bones, judging by their size, perhaps elephant ones, or some other large mammal.


    Other bookshelves and shelves filled with objects of all kinds covered the walls on the other side of the room, leaving room for two huge windows on both sides, one on the east side, one on the west side, which allowed an excellent view respectively of the exterior and interior of the walls, as well as greatly illuminating the room.


    Beneath the chandelier, a heavy wooden table, similar to the one in the library, was covered with maps and war patterns of all kinds, while Sander sat right there, intent on scrupulously observing one.


    Behind him, at the side of the table and near one of the two huge windows, Kjell was intent on looking at the view when he noticed their presence.


    "Master Dag, we''ve been waiting for you!" he exclaimed, drawing the attention of Sander, who looked up at them as the Bjelke Sphere began to vibrate under Dag''s armor as if to remind him not to lose sight of the objective.


    "These maps are magnificent... you know, I''m a big fan of geography and geology, I really like to know how to give an identity to what nature builds so perfectly," Dag said, circumnavigating the table with one hand resting on the paperwork on its top.


    "I''m not sure I know this ''geology'' you''re talking about, boy" Sander said, leaving a kind of pencil on the table, made from a rough elongated piece of graphite attached to a wooden stick.


    "It is the science that studies the planet... the composition of its rocks, the chemistry of its soil, the water of its seas, rivers, and lakes, up to the magma of its volcanoes and the ice of its glaciers. I''ve always been fascinated by it, since I was a child, in my opinion, it helps you to look at things from a different point of view, a different perspective... and it''s also useful in battle! Knowing the peculiarities of the terrain, you can take advantage of combat and set traps for your opponents" Dag continued, showing Kjell and Sander that he was a man of culture and not just an all looks and no brains warrior.


    "Then, Dag... I think we Crows Of Odin should thank you for what happened on this night. Master Kjell and I had a lot of discussion about what would have happened if no one had attacked the Horns Of Heimdallr without their knowledge" replied Sander, rising from his chair and resting with his hip at the table, continuing the speech standing.


    "Not only that¡­ we also discussed another matter. Sondre, their Master Of Healing... some of our soldiers told us that the sorcerer had set you a trap and was aware of your arrival. Is that true?" interrupted Kjell, before Dag could answer.


    "Yes, it is. But the real reason behind all this escapes even me. He knew that by kidnapping Freydis, sooner or later I would go looking for her and he felt our arrival on the island thanks to the incredible power that the God Heimdallr has bestowed on him, which allows not only him but also other warriors of that Clan, to see far beyond their own field of vision" Dag said, looking Kjell in the eye.


    He approached Dag, never looking away, positioning himself a few inches from his face, to see if his words were true or he was inventing everything.


    "The real reason Sondre wanted to kill me was my power. Freydis can confirm to you that the dark wizard had long dedicated himself to the worship of the Xis and intended to sacrifice me before them to gain my powers" Dag continued, his eyes expressing sincerity.


    "And would it work?"


    "Uhm?"


    Dag was astonished by that question.


    "I mean... would he really get your powers in that way?" Kjell continued, who seemed particularly curious about the details.


    "Why all this interest in my powers, Master Kjell? I thought I was safe here" Dag said, as he approached his forehead, snorting from his nose in defiance.


    "I believe that my colleague means that, like Sondre, other warriors may also be aware of your powers and may wish for the same thing. If this were to happen, this means that not only you but also all the people close to you would be in constant danger..." Sander exclaimed, standing in the middle of the two quarrels and moving them away from each other by placing his hands on their breasts.


    Gridd also stepped forward, smelling a brawl in the air: Dag and Kjell didn''t seem to get along very well, from the very first moment they met.


    "This could be a problem, yeah... but there are much more serious problems to solve at the moment!"


    An unknown female voice interrupted the speech in the room.


    A very beautiful woman, with light eyes and long, loose, blonde hair, climbed the stairs and burst into the room, dragging behind her a blood-soaked cloth sack, the trail of which smeared almost the entire floor.


    "Ellen! Where have you been? I told you I''d introduce you to Master Dag, Master Gridd, and..."


    "Yes, so much pleasure. Well, we just met, there''s no time for this friendly nonsense" she replied, rudely interrupting Sander, who was trying to politely introduce Dag and his companions.

 251 CCLI. Inside The Sack

    Dag looked at her carefully, trying to figure out what kind of person she was: she wore a light-skinned jacket with a fur coat on her shoulders and at the bottom had no pants, but a skirt, which came just above the knees, exposing two legs so muscular that they looked masculine, full of scars and scratches of all kinds.


    Her apparel and posture seemed impeccable, however, the tone of her voice and the look with which Dag and his companions were scanned from top to bottom, made him understand that she must be a very strict woman, with herself and with others.


    Before continuing her speech, her eyes fell on Freydis who smiled shyly at her, remaining silent.


    Ellen left the huge cloth sack on the ground and walked towards her, suddenly changing her expression.


    "Freydis! Hey, is that you? Girl, you''re alive! Hahaha! They told me the battle was successful, but seeing you here, before my eyes... it seems surreal! I''m glad you managed to save yourself!" she exclaimed, unexpectedly embracing Freydis as if they were two longtime friends.


    Dag and Gridd observed the scene with a questioning expression, wondering if the gruff and stern tone of that woman were just apparent.


    Freydis answered her Master and the two spoke to each other for a few seconds, quietly and ignoring everyone else, until Sander hit the table with his knuckles, twice, as if he was knocking on a door.


    Ellen and Freydis immediately stopped talking.


    "I''m also very pleased that Freydis is safe and sound, but... coming back to us, why did you interrupt our talk? Master Dag came here to propose something interesting, what did you want to tell us?" said Sander, trying to moderate the dialogue.


    "The answer is in that sack" Ellen replied, approaching it, as the slick on the floor continued to grow, dripping downstairs through the spaces between the wooden beams.


    "What''s in there? It looks very heavy" Sander replied, while Dag, Kjell, and everyone else in the room watched in silence.


    Ellen grabbed one end of the bag and pulled it upwards, emptying its contents on the ground, leaving everyone open-mouthed, crushed by that hideous vision: a huge severed head rolled onto the floor like a boulder, stopping with its face facing upwards.


    The head belonged to a decidedly non-human being, with huge jaws that gave shape to a very pronounced chin, from whose mouth sprouted two large tusks curved upwards, similar to the ones of wild boars.


    Two small black eyes were on the sides of the grayish-skinned face, separated by a large flat nose, with two huge nostrils from which the blood had flowed, clustering.


    "What the fuck is that monster?!" exclaimed Karl suddenly, who until then had not said a word.


    Kjell crossed his arms and turned again toward the window, thoughtfully.


    Sander instead approached the head of that inhuman being, leaning down towards it to study the details, and Dag did the same.


    The anatomy of that beast was unusual: even its ears were completely different from the human ones, that is, two small holes on the sides of the head, devoid of real hair, but covered by thin hairiness at the top.


    "I thought that by bringing to y0u a testimony of what Master Kjell and I saw on the southern coasts, you would have believed our story more easily" Ellen said, walking up and down the room.


    "Is that a Jotunn?" asked Dag, proving that he was attentive to the stories of Sander, who before the battle had already said that the two Masters were busy fighting enemy warriors to the south, that probably came from Krypstorm, the land of ice.


    "A Jotunn? It''s possible. Members of the Giants Of Ymir Clan can mutate their human form into this ''thing''. But as far as I know, only the strongest of them are capable of it, it''s an advanced technique, it takes many years of study and practice" continued Sander, who was perhaps more informed than Ellen and Kjell, who had merely killed all the invaders without asking too many questions.


    "What are they doing to Okstorm? As far as I know, Krypstorm is a much larger continent... I don''t understand the objective of their attacks" continued Dag, who wanted to know more after seeing that awful being.


    "Theirs is a great continent, it is true. But if they call it ''the land of ice'' there is a reason: the lack of resources. Evidently, food shortages and other primary resources lack have pushed them to our shores. The situation we found was horrendous" Ellen said, pausing in front of that severed head with her hands in her pockets, looking at it with contempt.


    "What does that mean? What happened to the fishing villages you were telling me about?" asked Dag again, addressing Sander and referring to the speech they had when they first met.


    "Master Kjell and Master Ellen managed to find a few survivors over there. Most of them had been killed horrendously, in cold blood..." answered him, rising to his feet and walking toward the table.


    "Not only killed... we noticed that some of the wounds on their bodies were really unusual... some parts were missing as if they had been ripped off in bites. Looking for a match between those wounds and the sharp teeth of these creatures... we found that probably some bodies that were never found were devoured by them" Ellen replied, sighing and rethinking those images she couldn''t get out of her head.


    "Oh my goodness! Are you saying that these beasts also practice cannibalism?!" exclaimed Gridd, who could not believe her ears.


    "Yes, such a thing. When we fought some of them, it seemed that there was no residue of humanity in their minds. They had become Jotunn for all intents and purposes, or so we believe. Personally, I had never met a real Jotunn, not outside of the stories my father told me to scare me when I was a child" said Ellen, whose tone seemed much more cordial when talking to women.

 252 CCLII. The Unplanned Answer

    Dag rose to his feet and walked back, without looking away from the dull eyes of the Jotunn''s head, about 5 or 6 times the size of a human head.


    "Join the Iron Alliance" he said, in a confident tone, looking one by one at all three Crows Of Odin Masters.


    For a few seconds, a contemplative silence swooped into the hall.


    "I agree, Dag, as I told you before the battle, that only strengthened my opinion. We''ve nothing to lose from such an alliance, and I think Skjegg needs allies now more than ever" Sander said, sitting back at the table and pouring mead into a half-empty glass next to him.


    Dag looked at Kjell, who at that moment turned to him, then to Ellen.


    "Gridd, can you show them the Alliance contract?" he asked.


    She obeyed without hesitation, extracting the contract from a bag and bringing it to their attention, passing it into the hands of Kjell, who then handed it over to Ellen.


    Both carefully read its contents, devoting a few minutes longer than necessary, trying to identify the details as well.


    "Kjell, Ellen... this guy has proven his worth in battle and his great skills as a strategist. No one would ever survive on that island with such numerical inferiority. Moreover, his heart is pure, I can feel it from how he looks at his woman, for whom he would be ready to sacrifice his own life" Sander said, trying to convince his two colleagues to accept the alliance proposal.


    "That is another great weakness, as well as those powers of which no one knows anything. He will only bring calamity to our Clan and the others, including ours" Kjell said after a few minutes of silent reflection.


    Dag did not answer and looked down thinking about what he could say in contrast to Kjell''s thinking, knowing that it would not be easy to convince him.


    "However... a few hours ago I fought alongside him and I must say that despite his young age, he is a very strong warrior, who in addition to knowing how to use his weapons, also uses his brain. Lately, life here in Skjegg is becoming too monotonous and I need to fight more before I get old and die. In a matter of days, many things happened out of the ordinary... I believe that the great Alfather would approve this alliance" he continued, crossing his arms as he used to do and looking away from Dag, annoying himself in proving him right.


    Dag was incredibly surprised by those words and, after hinting at a smile, said: "Thank you!" still in disbelief at Kjell''s positive response, which despite his grumpy character, seemed like a man capable of thinking carefully about such important decisions, swallowing his pride.


    "So¡­ you don''t want to fight him? It says that when a new Clan joins the Iron Alliance, one of its Masters can challenge the reigning Warchief for the title. What''s wrong with you, Kjell? Did you soften up? I don''t recognize you like this! Hahaha" exclaimed Ellen, surprised by her colleague''s submissiveness, usually overbearing and haughty.


    "No kidding, Ellen. If you had read carefully, you would have noticed that Warchief''s title is only a formality. I am the Master Of Offense of this Clan and I will remain so until my death. This guy won''t make decisions that will involve my men without my permission" Kjell replied, turning to Dag, who nodded, confirming his statement.


    "Pff! I never expected that from you, I thought you were a man of great ambitions! Not too bad! If you''ll not do that¡­ I''m going to challenge this guy for the Warchief title!" continued Ellen, pointing her finger at Dag, under the astonished gaze of Gridd and the others, who did not expect this twist.


    "Fuck, it wasn''t supposed to go like this! This sphere continues to vibrate and remind me that Kjell has an emblem... now I''ll have to challenge both him and Ellen! I''ve never seen this Shieldmaiden fight, so I don''t know her style, but... I think I can do it" Dag thought, as his well-designed plan to earn Kjell''s emblem and also fought to keep Warchief''s title was falling apart.


    "So, Master Dag? I think you have an obligation to accept my challenge!" continued Ellen, urging Dag to give her a concrete answer.


    "Of course, I accept. But there''s one more thing I want to tell you. If you''re my allies, I want to be totally honest with you: in addition to reuniting the Okstorm Clans, I''m going to conquer the emblems and challenge King Einarr" Dag said aloud, looking into Kjell''s eyes, who immediately understood what he was referring to and put his hand under his jacket, giggling.


    Dag did the same, pulling the necklace with bronze eye pendant out of his pocket.


    "I''d like to challenge you for your emblem, Kjell!" Dag continued, self-confident as the other one continued to laugh.


    "Probie, it''s clear that you don''t know how the emblems work!" he said, raising his pendant to Dag, which was a kind of gold coin with a hole in the center and runes engraved along the edges.


    "What are you talking about?" continued Dag, while everyone else in the room just listened and watched the scene.


    "The emblem in your hands is the n¡ã 8, the ''Bronze Eye''. This is the ''Pierced Coin'', which is the n ¡ã5 emblem. That means you have no right to challenge me, kid" Kjell continued, putting his pendant back in his pocket and looking at Dag with superiority.


    "But... but I had the n¡ã 10 emblem when I got this new one! I''ve never even seen number 9, what does that mean?" asked Dag again, looking at the necklace in his hands with disappointment.


    "I''m not surprised that the owners of lower rank emblems don''t know the rules... but in higher ranks, like mine, for example, the rules must be respected literally. I would have loved to fight with you, boy, to show you what I''m capable of, but... I''m afraid that our fight will have to wait. You''re two ranks away to officially challenge me, the rules are rules!" chuckled Kjell again, looking up at the ceiling and mocking Dag, who gritted his teeth with nervousness.

 253 CCLIII. Setting Up The Challenge

    He immediately remembered his fight against Kenneth, the warrior capable of turning his body into a rock: he thought of their battle and the trap that his parents had tended to him and his companions in order to warn their son.


    "Of course! His parents! They were not human beings, but Xis! But... I don''t understand... why would they want me to earn an emblem? What was their purpose?!" Dag kept on thinking, putting the bronze eye back in place and calming his ardent spirit eager to conquer the highest peaks.


    "Well! By the looks of it, I understand that you agree to join the Iron Alliance and that Master Ellen will challenge the current Warchief!" exclaimed Gridd, trying to change the discourse and return to the real reason that drove them there.


    Ellen confirmed with a nod and Sander, after finishing yet another glass of mead, rose from the chair that had now taken the shape of his backside and approached the shelves on the wall next to the window, taking a metal stamp and a candle.


    "Well, I see you''ve already guessed how it works! The official seal of your Clan and your signatures go here, next to these others..." she continued, approaching Sander and explaining to him and the other two where they should write their names.


    Dag, meanwhile approached the window, still nervous about what had happened.


    Despite completing the Crows Of Odin deal and saving Freydis, he was still not fully satisfied.


    His ambitions were much broader and finding that he could not face Kjell for a while still destabilized him.


    "If I had been able to access every rank with this emblem, I could have already challenged the King himself, rising from the eighth position to the first in one fell swoop. I recognize that this makes no sense, I was stupid, I spoke without reflection, blinded by the thirst for power!" he thought, watching the people crowding the streets of the city at the foot of the Rocky Crown out of the window.


    "Hey, Dag! You did it, my Masters agreed to join you! Why that sad face?" asked Freydis, approaching him from behind and stroking his hand.


    He turned to her, escaping his mind and returning to reality and answered with a smile, shaking his head.


    "Now that we are officially allies, you will have to help us with the Jotunn issue. Don''t tell anybody about the attacks in the south, the citizens of Skjegg would panic. We understood that the number doesn''t count against such strong enemies, who individually manage to decimate entire Allied troops. All we need is incredibly skilled warriors with unique abilities, like you and your teammates" Sander said, turning to Dag and Gridd after signing the contract.


    "We will help you, Master Sander, you have our word of honor. If necessary, we will call the other Masters of our Clans and the enemies will be permanently removed. How is the current situation?" asked Gridd, confirming their involvement in the issue and trying to better understand the overall situation.


    "Three fishing villages have been completely razed to the ground. Their warehouses supplies stolen and their inhabitants killed and mauled, without any distinction. Supposedly, these lousy beings prefer women and children, perhaps for their tender flesh" Kjell replied, looking down with a genuinely sorry air, thinking back to the victims of those brutal attacks he had witnessed personally.


    Gridd swallowed empty, horrified by those words.


    When Ellen had also signed the parchment, Sander lit the candle and poured dark grey wax on it, pressing the stamp and imprinting the official symbol of the Crows Of Odin, the back of a crow with open wings, with Gungnir between its claws, the spear of the Alfather.


    With the air satisfied, Gridd wrapped the parchment and tied it with a snare, putting it back in her bag.


    "Well, now that the agreement has been signed... how do we want to proceed? What kind of fight will decree the winner of the ''Warchief'' title?" Ellen asked, eager to take on Dag, who didn''t break away from Freydis for a moment.


    "When the Hammers Of Thor and Sons Of Freya allied, an official announcement was made in the city''s main square, which was followed by combat, with not edgy weapons" explained Gridd, who unexpectedly had excellent explanatory skills.


    "That is it? What does it consist of? If the weapons are fake, no one can really get hurt. How will we figure out who will win?" Ellen continued, looking at her opponent from head to toe, as Kjell and Sander also watched the scene.


    "The first of you two whose back will touch the ground will have lost the challenge" Gridd replied, as Ellen nodded her head, approving of the combat modes.


    "Then, if you too agree, it is better to take advantage of the euphoria after the war to declare our alliance to the people of Skjegg. We will bring down our training weapons and carry out the fight immediately after we present you to the citizens" Sander said, walking slowly toward the stairs leading downstairs, circling the bloody head of the Jotunn.


    Gridd, Reidar, and Karl turned to Dag, waiting for his approval.


    "Yes, that''s fine with me" he said.


    Ellen, after her words, clenched her fists upwards, letting her enthusiasm shine through, sure of bringing home the victory.


    The five friends and the three Masters of the Crows Of Odin made their way to the elevators, walking the road above the Rocky Crown, as the Sun began to shine radiantly in the sky.


    During the walk to the city''s main square, located shortly after its main entrance, Dag continued to chat with Freydis and his other teammates.


    "Don''t be fooled by its title of Master Of Healing, Dag. Ellen is a strong Shieldmaiden, she was my first mentor when I got here, that''s why she''s so fond of me. Actually, I think she''s a very feminist woman, she thinks men are slightly inferior to us women for a variety of reasons..." Freydis said, trying to help Dag get the full picture of the situation.

 254 CCLIV. Siver

    "Yes, I noticed... she listened carefully to your words and those of Gridd, partially ignoring those of other people in the room. Anyway, I have to beat her to keep Warchief''s title" Dag said, looking at Ellen from behind, as she giggled chatting with Kjell and occasionally turned to them.


    "Her fighting style is unusual. Her attacks are not very fast, but her body is incredibly resistant. Master Ellen can use an ability that allows her to temporarily absorb and mitigate all damage, using a significant amount of energy. I''m sure she won''t hesitate to activate it if things get bad for her" Freydis continued, walking next to her boyfriend, who listened intently to every word.


    "Tell me more about her fighting style... what kind of weapon does she use?" he asked.


    "So... usually she uses a kind of very long rod, which at its end has a cylindrical metalhead, equipped with spikes... but I doubt there''s anything like this among the training weapons... I remember those wooden weapons, I think she will choose a spear or another long weapon, which guarantees her attacks a good range".


    Dag nodded, trying to imagine that mighty woman moving nimbly with a spear in her hands.


    In that case, it wouldn''t be much different than when he faced Taya, who had a similar fighting style, preferring long, slow weapons to shorter, faster ones.


    After descending from the platforms, the warriors were surrounded by many groups of people, who, taken from the alcohol and the euphoria of the moment, began to acclaim their names, thanking them for winning the battle and avert the danger.


    The stalls serving food and drink had given Skjegg''s grim colorless streets a more vibrant look.


    "This way!" exclaimed Sander, asking Dag and the others to follow him and not stop to talk to citizens who asked thousands of questions, avoiding wasting any more time.


    They continued through the main street until they reached a crossroads, which on one side led to one of the exit tunnels, and on the other it returned to the city, connecting that area to another district.


    The road gradually widened and the houses gave way to taverns and inns, as well as the hut of a blacksmith, intent on sculpting a steel beam and a kind of butcher''s shop, where two men were dissecting a large ox to obtain its meat and deprive it of the organs and fur.


    Suddenly, after turning behind a small stone palace, the road became a round-shaped open space, very wide.


    Around it, there were mighty stone and steel walls, useful to protect a building located in the center of the square, at the farthest point from them.


    The building looked like a temple, without a roof and with low stairs leading to an altar, behind which there was an imposing throne carved into the rock.


    On the altar, there were pots and junks of all kinds, perhaps heirlooms brought there by the locals, as offerings to Odin.


    In front of the ruins of that temple, the huge circular square continued several hundred meters: near the walls, there were many steps of stone, similar to stands, and the fact that the square was not paved, made Dag guess that it was a kind of fighting arena.


    "Welcome to the Altar of the Raven, Skjegg''s holiest place!" exclaimed Sander, his hands resting on his hips and his chest out, as if he was admiring a piece of art, which did not look so beautiful in the eyes of his guests.


    "It reminds me of the Jernhest Arena... It just is much more majestic and spacious!" commented Gridd, trying to be delicate so as not to hurt his interlocutor''s sensitivity.


    "What you said is not completely wrong... this is the place where, hundreds of years ago, the first true disciples of Odin challenged each other and offered sacrifices before him. It is said that Skjegg was born right around these ruins, stone after stone, brick after brick" Kjell said, in a solemn voice, looking upwards.


    "In addition to being a place with incredible spirit, it is also the largest square in the city, allowing almost all its inhabitants to gather, making it suitable for public announcements" Sander replied, while Ellen stood by him in silence.


    "Well then... let''s move on" Dag said, determined to begin the challenge.


    The three Masters made their way to the ruins of the temple when from behind the altar, a curved, shabby figure walked slowly toward them.


    He was a very old man, with shriveled and wrinkled skin, a pronounced hump behind his back and slightly crooked fingers.


    To walk, he held himself to a staff, at the top of which were hung small bird bones and skulls, both of birds of prey and small rodents.


    He wore a dress so long that it crawled to the ground and his face was completely colored white, with a red stripe splitting it in two, crossing his forehead, nose, and mouth.


    "Masters... welcome back... I knew that the battle had been successful, I was with my eyes on you moment after moment..." said the old man, in a raucous and devious tone of voice, lowering his head down and holding on with both hands to the stick, while his lean arms like two birch branches trembled with the effort.


    "Play the horn, Sivert. We have an important announcement to make" Sander ordered.


    The old man obeyed without hesitation at the orders of his Master, first retreating without even raising his head, then turning slowly and reaching a second altar, slightly smaller, about 3 meters away from the first, on which a wooden beam held a gigantic horn, so long that it reached the ground, where a second wooden base supported its weight.


    "Sivert is the shaman of Skjegg. He worships the Masters as if they were Gods" Freydis whispered in Dag''s ear, explaining to him who the old man was.


    The shaman, after taking a long breath, blew vigorously into the horn, which emitted a loud, deep sound and rumbled across the city, bouncing between the high walls of the Rocky Crown.

 255 CCLV. Looking Inside

    "Here, in less than half an hour, all Skjegg will be in the square and we will make our announcement" Sander said, sitting on one of the temple''s stone steps, waiting.


    The old shaman, after playing the horn, approached the visitors of the ruins again, looking closely at Dag and the other unknown warriors.


    "You are the boy with the huge dark arms... welcome to the house of this humble Odin''s servant..." Sivert said with his mocking voice, attracting the attention of Dag, who as soon as he turned, noticed his weird smile, his mouth devoid of most teeth.


    "How does he know that?" asked Karl, who had heard everything.


    "Yes, it''s me. It''s nice to meet you, Sivert. I don''t think I saw you with us on Vaeren Island... how do you know these details? Did anyone tell you?" asked Dag, continuing to look at the old man and his strange feathered headgear, which on its top gave a glimpse of his bald head.


    At that question, Kjell and Ellen began to giggle, whispering something to each other and sitting next to Sander, as the first citizens entered the Altar of the Raven Square.


    "My body wasn''t there, my boy, it''s true... the Alfather allows me to see only a few things, sometimes partially, sometimes entirely, depending on his will... I am allowed to know what is happening to my people and my brave warriors in order to protect them and warn them of imminent dangers. But there''s something strange about you, young Dag... I can''t look inside the outer container of your body, something blocks my eyes from peering deep..." continued the shaman, approaching with his face towards that of Dag.


    His breath smelled of sewer, so much so that Dag could not stand still in his position and stepped back.


    "Look inside? I remember that even in Jernhest I met a shaman... but he didn''t speak so cryptically and enigmatically!" chuckled Karl, trying to make fun of the old man, who as soon as he turned his gaze towards him, made him shudder.


    "I can see better the inside of the outside, small, naive Karl" replied Sivert, who placed his hand in front of his right eye and stuck his two pointed nails around it, detaching it from his orbits and revealing that it was not attached to his head.


    Keeping his eye between two fingers, he approached it to Karl''s face, which failed to hold back a scream and turned backward, disgusted, provoking the laughter of Sander, Kjell, and Ellen, who knew all Sivert''s ''singularities''.


    "What a disgusting thing!" yelled Karl, with one hand in front of his mouth to hold back the vomit.


    As the shaman put his eye back in its place, Dag continued to look suspiciously at him, trying to interpret those words.


    "And what do you see?" he asked.


    "Uhm?"


    The old Sivert didn''t immediately understand that question.


    "What do you see when you try to look inside me?" asked Dag again, drawing the attention of Sander and the other two Masters, who believed that Sivert was just an old fool and didn''t care about his meaningless words.


    "There is earth within you... but also air. I can feel the fire, but also the water. Darkness and light in the same room¡­ but your intentions... your fears... your most secret perversions... I can''t see them" the shaman replied, squinting and continuing to look at Dag''s purple eye, never looking away.


    After those words, Dag felt a chill run behind his back, while his companions thought that old fool was just saying meaningless things.


    He made no answer, and Sivert continued to look him in the eye until his gaze became unsettling and Sander''s voice broke the silence.


    "The square is almost full... I think we can start. I''m going to start talking, and then, whichever of you want to, can speak before Dag and Ellen''s fight... do you agree?"


    Dag turned to him, positioning himself next to the other Masters and his sister Gridd and staying on the front line near the stone steps, in front of the altar, while Karl, Reidar, and Freydis were just behind them.


    A large crowd of people stopped inside the square, arranging themselves neatly along with the stands that lined the walls as if they were used to that kind of call and knew perfectly the procedure to witness communications from their leaders.


    After a few more minutes, everyone stopped talking, creating an incredible silence, given that large number of people.


    A small group of 3 Crows Of Odin warriors made their way in, carrying a rack and a large cloth sack, which probably contained training weapons.


    Sander stood up and began to speak, taking a step ahead of everyone else.


    "People of Skjegg! Under the eyes of the wise Odin, today we celebrate the victory against the Horns Of Heimdallr!"


    The silence, which lasted only a few minutes, ceased and all the people sitting in the stands began to scream madly, raising their fists towards Sander and cheering their beloved warriors.


    He raised his hand to them and again swooped on the silence, which left Dag and Gridd astonished, who had never witnessed such a demonstration of obedience: the citizens of Skjegg looked and obeyed Sander almost as if he was a God.


    "For those of you who did not know, some time ago, some of our warriors left for Vaeren Island, to carry out a diplomatic mission on behalf of the Clan. None of them returned, and almost all of them were killed, triggering our decision to declare war on the disciples of Heimdallr... none, except two girls, one of whom is here today. Step forward, Freydis" Sander continued, turning his gaze to Freydis, who, astonished, stood next to him, smiling at the crowd, who watched her happy with her return.


    "Our hopes of finding her had vanished, until a young Master came from the north, after discovering that this girl, also his woman, could still be alive, left for the island¡­ just he and his team, without anyone''s help".

 256 CCLVI. The Loudmouth

    People began to murmur something and many glances fell on Dag and the others, who were the only ones to have unknown faces.


    "In one night, the same young man was able to defeat all three Horns Of Heimdallr Masters alone, also killing the famous Oyvind, the portal warrior, known for never being defeated, thanks to his incredible powers".


    The murmur in the crowd grew even louder, while the three warriors who carried the weapons laid them one by one on the rack, on one side of the ruins, and even they marveled at Sander''s account, having not witnessed Dag''s powers.


    "Taking advantage of the courage of Master Dag of the Hammers Of Thor, we too set off for the Island, in the middle of the night, armed to the teeth and with hundreds of allied soldiers" interrupted Kjell, who stepped forward, stopping next to Sander, who placed a hand on Freydis''s shoulder and retreated with her, leaving room for his colleague.


    "The Horns Of Heimdallr, already decimated and exhausted by the battle against Master Dag and Master Gridd, his sister of the Sons Of Freya Clan, could not resist much under our attacks and after a few hours, we managed to achieve our important victory!" shouted Kjell, raising both arms to the people, who began to scream words of joy.


    "Our Clan has never had any true allies, and I fear that this, during these difficult times, may be negative. These young and talented warriors have offered us the opportunity to join them, in a new and great alliance, which Clans who are part of it, will enjoy the benefits of brotherhood and protect themselves in case of need!" concluded Kjell.


    Sander went back forward, exchanging places again with him, while Dag looked at Sivert out of the corner of his eye, whose words had been etched in his mind.


    "Well, we are happy to inform you that we have accepted their proposal! The Crows Of Odin have officially joined the Iron Alliance!" shouted Sander, causing the crowd to burst, but at the same time looking suspicious, without knowing what it was talking about.


    Ellen also came forward and spoke: "This alliance has its own Warchief, that is, the one who coordinates all allied Clans and oversees the tactics of attack and defense against common enemies".


    Dag looked at her, thinking that even he, who held that role, would not be able to find better words to describe it.


    "Master Dag is the current Warchief, but one of us, according to the rules that bind Clans'' union, has the right to challenge him and take his place in the event of victory" Ellen continued, drawing the attention of the people, who began to get excited at those words, smelling public combat.


    Dag walked forward, next to the Crows Of Odin Masters, after being nominated several times and interrupted Ellen''s speech, which looked slightly annoyed.


    "It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am honored that your Clan has accepted our offer of perpetual peace... because yes, among the various conditions of the Iron Alliance there is the non-belligerence pact, according to which, our Clans can never declare war to each other!"


    People continued to scrutinize Dag from head to toe, but they seemed to like his presence and his friendly and understated tone, unlike that of their three Masters.


    "Master Ellen, who you all know very well, challenged me for the title of Warchief... our fight, which will take place with fake weapons and will be a mere demonstration of skill and cunning, will take place here and today! Do you all agree?!" yelled Dag, stealing the show from Ellen, who had already thought about how to communicate it to her people and kept watching Dag annoyed by his brazenness.


    Dag continued to explain to everyone the fighting modes and the rules of the combat after the crowd had obviously agreed to see the official fight between the two challengers.


    In that way, showing everyone his courage and his nerve, he hoped to be able to captivate the people of Skjegg, who seemed to like his whimsical and purposeful character, without fear.


    "Well, apparently you''re all ready... bring the rack with training weapons here!" Sander said, trying to raise his voice louder than the crowd.


    The three soldiers brought the rack to the altar, resting it just below the stone stairs, and Dag and Ellen came down to choose their weapons.


    As Freydis had predicted, Ellen grabbed a long spear, that sufficiently reflected her fighting style.


    Dag noticed that in the lower part of the rack, there were two identical one-handed axes.


    He grabbed them both, spinning them deftly in his hands and looking at the audience, who approved the gesture of skill and began to cheer for him, who with his charisma that until then had remained unknown, had conquered the eyes of all, leaving even Sander and Kjell, who looked at him, intrigued by the way he did.


    "I feel slightly embarrassed, I''ve always hated the bluster, but... I realized that people would rather cheer those who are confident and for once, I could use it to receive some encouragement from the crowd!" Dag thought, walking to the center of the arena and looking into Ellen''s eyes, who did the same.


    "Your boyfriend looks particularly confident today, don''t you think?" Gridd asked to Freydis, enjoying the imminent battle with her arms crossed.


    "I know Ellen''s style and I''ve seen Dag fight. If he will strive as he did on the island, he''ll beat her for sure.


    Sander also walked to the center of the square, stopping in the middle of the two challengers and raising his arms to bring back the silence.


    "As you have already been told, the first of them who will touch the ground with his back will have lost the match. Since the weapons are only fake, it is allowed to them to use their offensive and defensive skills. Are you ready?" he asked, both to the audience and to the two challengers, who nodded their heads, looking into each other''s eyes.

 257 CCLVII. Damage Mitigation

    During the moments of pause before the match, Reidar looked at Sivert, noting that his mocking smile had not disappeared from his face and fearing that he might hide something.


    "Let the fight begin!" yelled Sander, returning to the stairs next to Kjell and allowing the crowd to unleash freely from the stands.


    As soon as he kicked off, Ellen placed the tip of the spear in the terrain in front of her and smeared it on the ground forming a semi-circle and raising a considerable amount of dust, which forced Dag to retreat, to see her opponent''s movements.


    Predictably, Ellen sprang out of the dust cloud at great speed, waving the spear toward Dag, who parried the blow by crossing the two axes in front of his face and pushing them backwards.


    "Dag is using the same technique he used against Taya. Waiting motionless for the enemy''s attacks, and then counterattack when fatigue takes over" Gridd said to Karl, who was watching in silence.


    Ellen tried a side shot, followed by a lunge and then a kick, but none of her blows got a hit, and when Dag dodged the kick, he tried to hit the Shieldmaiden''s calf with a low kick, trying to knock her to the ground.


    But when Dag''s foot touched Ellen''s leg, he noticed that her lower limbs were as sturdy as two huge wooden beams and didn''t move even an inch.


    Benefiting from the seconds of advantage, Ellen spun on herself and hit Dag with the back of her fist right on his face, causing him to spit blood on the ground.


    The crowd screamed even louder as Dag wiped his mouth, thinking that although his powers had grown incredibly, his fighting style still needed to improve.


    Caught nervously that he had been hit, Dag tried to hit his opponent with one axe, but she raised her arm and bent it, parrying the blow, as if she was using a shield, and surprising Dag, who was expecting a dodge.


    The flattened blade of the wooden axe stopped against Ellen''s muscular arm, on whose skin appeared small waves, which followed the energy released by the blow, that spread along the arm, the shoulders, and chest, reaching the other arm, holding the spear.


    Ellen quickly waved her weapon and hit Dag, who once again parried the spear blow, but it was so strong that it lifted him from the ground and sent him flying backwards for several meters.


    "What?!" yelled Gridd, who could not believe that his brother was about to lose the fight.


    With his eyes wide open and in a panic, seeing the ground getting closer and closer, Dag was forced to use his powers to escape defeat.


    A beam of dark liquid quickly came out of his chest and hit the ground, stopping him in mid-air and causing him to fall back to his feet, then re-entering his body.


    Silence fell in the arena and everyone looked at Dag, not understanding what he had just done.


    After a few moments, people began to scream again, stunned by those unknown powers


    "What the fuck was that?! What are you, Dag?!" asked Ellen, who stepped back, frightened.


    "If you had been on Vaeren Island with us, you probably wouldn''t have challenged me... didn''t you wonder why your colleague, Master Kjell, despite his famous fighting abilities, preferred to leave the Warchief title to me?" replied Dag, confident, trying to intimidate his opponent, who stood still for a few moments, failing to figure out what was the best tactic to use against him.


    "Don''t say nonsense... are you implying that Kjell was afraid of you? You''re pathetic!" replied Ellen, charging back at him and trying to hit him with a powerful spear swing, which Dag deflected with the back of one of his axes.


    With a quick gesture, turning on himself, he positioned behind her and hit her with both axes on the back.


    But she remained motionless: once again, after the impact, her body absorbed the energy in the form of small waves that spread down her back.


    Before she could counterattack, Dag moved a few feet away, while the crowd screamed both her name and that of the Master Of Healing.


    "You''re very strong, I''ve never seen anyone use that skill" Dag exclaimed, smiling at Ellen, who kept looking at him with an angry expression.


    "It''s my unique skill... your attacks, however strong they are, will never penetrate my defenses!" she chuckled, raising her spear to the audience to gain their encouragement.


    Dag recalled the words of Freydis, who when she described Ellen''s fighting style, told him about that ability, the only flaw of which was to use a lot of energy.


    "Yes, maybe it''s true... but how long can you hold on?" asked Dag, bringing out his two arms of dark fluid, which skewered on the ground and gave him a push, causing him to dash at her as if they were two thrusters.


    "Uhm?!"


    Ellen parried the unexpected blow with the spear, but it was so powerful, given the speed of Dag''s shot, that the weapon bounced against her chest, which swayed, absorbing the kinetic energy.


    Continuing to use his two dark arms stuck on the ground, Dag moved around her at great speed, abruptly changing direction and hitting her from each side numerous times, while she did not have time to turn to him and predict the blows.


    He knew that, probably, grabbing one of her ankles with his dark arm and pulling towards him, Ellen would fall to the ground and the fight would end, but he liked the crowd to shout his name and wanted to please them by offering them an unprecedented show.


    In the meanwhile, near the altar, the old Sivert approached Sander and Kjell, whispering something in their ear.


    Gridd tried to eavesdrop: "You can''t trust him, Masters... those powers... they are even feared by the Gods! The source of energy they draw from is older than anything on this planet... more powerful than any being, capable of manipulating an unknown matter, with incredible destructive power... I don''t know how yet, but you have to kill the boy!"

 258 CCLVIII. The Inhuman Strength

    At those words, Gridd immediately turned to Reidar, who already had his eyes on her, confirming that he had heard every word, while the unsuspecting Karl continued to enjoy the fight and cheered for his friend.


    "Don''t babble meaningless words, old man! This is not your call, it isn''t up to you to make such a decision! We have no reason to doubt the boy, he put his life as that of his comrades at risk by fighting against our enemies, who have also become his. I''m sure Odin''s wrath would fall on us if we didn''t show him a modicum of gratitude!" replied Sander aloud, scolding Sivert''s insolence, who lowered his head, his hands resting on his stick and walked backwards, returning to the inside of the temple.


    Kjell, without ever looking away from the match, said: "don''t be afraid, the old Sivert went crazy years ago, we''ve stopped listening to his words for a long time"


    Gridd marveled that Kjell was addressing her, not explaining how he had figured that she was eavesdropping without even looking at her.


    "I really hope so. As Master Sander has just said, facts matter more than words, and Dag has already shown you to hold on to your Clan and your principles, fighting till the end and proposing to be part of their alliance!" she replied, in a cold, detached tone, which made her interlocutor smile.


    While in the ruins of the temple Dag''s companions discussed Sivert''s words with the other two Masters, the pace of the fight had remained constant all the time and he was continuing tirelessly to hit Ellen, whose body began to move slightly under the axe blows.


    "Dodge my attack and hit me, then I''ll do the same and you will fall to the ground!" said Dag in a low voice, trying not to be heard by anyone except Ellen.


    "What?! Are you saying I have to lose the fight on purpose? Not a chance!" she replied, who after yet another blow, held her spear outwards and began to twirl, preventing Dag from continuing his endless series of attacks.


    "I just want you to avoid making a bad impression in front of your citizens, who have great esteem for you..." Dag continued in a serious tone, making his opponent understand that he had no intention of mocking her.


    "Don''t think you have the victory in your pocket!" Ellen shouted, who, after several times turning on herself, raised her spear to the sky and tried to hit Dag with a vertical blow, which missed the target and hit the ground of the arena, shattering it.


    "Whaaaat?! She managed to break through the ground using a wooden weapon?! Her physical strength is frightening!" said Karl aloud, who couldn''t hold back his astonishment, which was also shared by his teammates.


    "Believe me, boy... you can''t even imagine how strong Ellen is. Being many years older than her, I remember well when she came here to Skjegg..." answered Sander, touching his long black beard and making Kjell smile, who had heard several times about that story.


    "She came here very young, she was about 14 years old... she sprang out of the forest and managed to enter Skjegg, tricking some guards and defeating others. She told us that her parents had died and that she had fled her village and did not know where to go. When I figured out the state my guards were reduced by a 14 years old girl, I realized that her destiny was to become a Shieldmaiden" he continued, smiling and watching her fight.


    "There are many bears in the mountains east of Runar. Ellen, after only a few months of training, stopped fighting against the students of her own age... she used to head to the forests above those mountains and challenge those ferocious beasts with her bare hands, to really test her physical strength... she had just turned 15 when he brought back to Skjegg the carcass of a huge brown bear, as evidence of her inhuman strength. I was very young at the time, but I had never seen anything like it... I had always believed that a woman''s body was necessarily less strong than that of a man... Ellen is the living proof that this is not true" Kjell interjected, trying to best express his memories of his colleague.


    Gridd, Karl and Reidar, were fascinated by those tales and in the meantime continued to watch the fight, during which Ellen''s incessant blows repeatedly hit the ground, after being dodged by Dag, who waited for the right moment to counterattack.


    "Go, now! Dodge my blow and hit me!" he said, pretending to hit her on the face with the axe and waving the weapon predictably towards her, who immediately dodged it and counterattacked Dag with the back of her fist.


    Unlike what Dag expected, the punch was incredibly powerful, which made his feet to crawl backwards for more than 5 meters and caused him excruciating pain.


    "Oh fuck, Dag! Daag!" yelled Freydis from the temple, looking at her boyfriend''s condition.


    The audience remained unresed and watched Dag fearful for his health, whispering to each other silently.


    Dag dropped one of the two wooden axes on the ground, raising a moderate amount of dust and with the same hand touched his chin, while Ellen walked slowly towards him, with the tip of the spear pointed forward.


    To his surprise, he noticed that his jaw had detached from the rest of his skull and had been left hanging from his face, causing him to lose litres of blood.


    In general silence and astonishment, the dark fluid came out of his chest and wrapped his neck, then entering his mouth and nostrils: slowly, with a soundly and quite unpleasant noise of bones, his jaw returned to its place, as well as the teeth he had lost in the impact and he was forced to squinch his eyes to hold back the pain.


    Sander and Kjell could not believe their eyes, because unlike Gridd, Freydis, and the others, they had not witnessed the manifestation of Dag''s regenerative power when he was hit by hundreds of arrows on Vaeren Island.

 259 CCLIX. The Game-changer

    As the crowd began to scream again, seeing Dag''s head writhing and self-repairing, Ellen snapped at him, taking advantage of his closed eyes in pain.


    She waved her spear downwards, skimming the ground and trying to hit his ankles, to land him.


    Just when she was sure to hit him and the head of her spear was inches from Dag''s legs, a huge bundle of dark fluid wrapped his weaponless arm, which quickly reached her and struck her on the chest, attaching to her body and lifting her off the ground.


    "Aaagh! Let me go! Grraaagh!"


    Ellen began screaming and squirming, waving her arms and legs and dropping her spear to the ground, while Dag held her to a standstill more than two feet high.


    When Dag''s mouth returned to its original form, though covered in blood, he approached her, continuing to keep her lifted in mid-air and said: "I give you my humble compliments, Ellen. I wouldn''t be able to reach your physical strength even in a hundred years, and your fighting style is perfect too, worthy of a strong Shieldmaiden like you".


    "Put me down, I can still win! It''s not fair, that''s against the rules!" she continued, squirming and trying unnecessarily to peel the liquid off her hands.


    "The rules of combat are clear, everyone can use their powers... and then, if I''m not mistaken, I think you activated your skills even before me" he continued, as the expression of anger on her face turned to resignation.


    "I''m very sorry, Ellen, but I can''t leave you the title of Warchief, I''ve dreamed of reuniting the Clans since I was a kid¡­ just let me try it" he replied, looking at her with a sincerely sorry look, as if he wanted her blessing.


    Before she could answer, another bundle of dark liquid sprang from Dag''s body, this time from his back.


    It floated ahead of him and wrapped Shieldmaiden''s feet, which despite being almost completely resigned and tired after using her strongest skills, continued to squirm relentlessly, as if her body could not accept defeat.


    With her legs immobilized and tied together and the rest of her body blocked by all kinds of movement, Ellen began to be pushed down by the fluid, which accompanied her to the ground as a parent rests his child in the crib.


    "Aaagh! No! Leave me! No!"


    Ellen continued to agitate, under the serious and determined gaze of Dag and the disbelief of all the other people in the arena who could not believe their eyes.


    Her back stopped within inches of the ground, when she, with a kidney hit, unnecessarily tried to avoid contact with it.


    The fluid stuck Ellen''s body on the ground, with no escape, ending the fight.


    Ellen opened her eyes wide, unable to believe she had been defeated despite violently hitting Dag, whose face wounds had yet healed completely.


    Silence plunged back into the arena.


    After witnessing that scene, Sander and Kjell sighed and squinting, though they were not surprised by the outcome of the fight, having personally witnessed Dag''s show of power on the island.


    That silence was followed by a roar from the audience, who began to scream again, but this time, acclaiming only one name, that of Dag.


    He recalled the dark fluid, which immediately returned to his body, wrapping his arms and being absorbed by his skin, which after turning black, returned in a few seconds of the original color.


    "Master Dag! Master Dag! Master Dag!" continued to scream every single person sitting in the stands and on the ground, acknowledging the young warrior''s strength and combat ability.


    He approached Ellen, whose gaze was still pointing to the sky, as she took deep breaths to hold back the anger of the moment.


    He held out his arm towards her, as a sign of friendship.


    "If I had only used these two weapons, I certainly wouldn''t have been able to defeat you... your strength is far greater than mine. I was forced to use my powers. I''m very happy to have such a strong Shieldmaiden among my allies" he said, looking into her eyes with a smile as he waited for her to grab his hand.


    Incredibly, Ellen accepted help and got back on her feet, slamming her hands on her armor to shake off the dust.


    Without saying anything, this time it was she who held her arm towards Dag, who, continuing to smile, shook her hand.


    "Your powers are incredible. You checked my body like I was a rag puppet in your hands. We''re going to do great things together, Master Dag," she exclaimed, slightly bowing her head in front of her Warchief as the crowd continued to stir.


    "He made it! He managed to beat one of Okstorm''s strongest Shieldmaidens!" said Freydis, looking with joy at his man and finally realizing what he was capable of.


    "I had no doubt, Freydis. I don''t think there are warriors nearby who can counter his dark powers. That material is unknown, it is far beyond the understanding of every opponent, who does not know how to counter it, regularly falls into an absolute panic and lastly, surrenders" Gridd replied, proudly looking at his brother and at the same time at Sander and Kjell, out of the corner of her eye.


    Master Sander approached the two challengers, with a serious but visibly satisfied expression.


    He grabbed Dag''s wrist and raised his arm in the direction of the audience, yelling: "Master Dag won the challenge, his title of Warchief of the Iron Alliance is confirmed!"


    To the sound of people''s screams, they also added that of their hands banging against the stone of the stands, creating a rhythm that boosted their voice.


    Dag grabbed Ellen''s wrist and did the same, stunning her opponent, who was speechless as the audience began to cheer her on.


    She looked at Dag and a slight smile lit her face off from defeat, implicitly thanking him for sharing that moment of glory with her.

 260 CCLX. The Catapul

    "You have proved to be a strong and valiant warrior, with fair principles. I congratulate you, Dag. I am proud that such a young man with broad views is the Warchief of our union!" Sander said, resting his hand on his shoulder, congratulating him as his companions also approached them toward the center of the Arena.


    Freydis hugged him and he closed his eyes, smiling and enjoying the moment.


    Gridd, Reidar, and Karl looked at him with pride, sure he would make it.


    As the festivities began in the arena and wagons with drinks and food of all kinds entered the square, Dag''s gaze fell on Sivert, who had remained behind the altar, merely smiling at him.


    The shaman did not seem astonished at all and this led to Dag''s infer that perhaps, what he had said just before, was true: he had really witnessed the battle on the Island, perhaps not with his own eyes, but using those of someone else, or he had already seen powers similar to his one, but this was definitely the most unlikely justification for that mocking smile painted on the white-painted face of the old man.


    "Hey, you! You''re going to have plenty of time to talk to your girlfriend and friends... tell me, how did you find out you had similar powers? Did you have to train a lot to make them so effective?" Ellen asked, intrigued by Dag''s humble personality.


    When they all finished chatting, a merchant who had positioned himself with his mead wagon near the square walls, caught Sander''s attention, nodding his hand at him, inviting him and the other Masters to join them to drink and celebrate.


    Gridd returned Dag''s belt with his weapons, and he tied it around his waist.


    Soon after, the two of them followed Sander and the others to the citizens of Skjegg, who were looking forward to meeting them, but just before reaching them, Dag stopped.


    "What''s going on with you, brother?" Gridd asked, chuckling.


    "Captain?" Reidar said, noting Dag''s gaze, staring down.


    *boom*


    A loud rumble came from afar and spread to the Altar of the Raven Square.


    "What was that?" Gridd asked again, turning to the noise, which certainly came from outside the walls of the arena.


    The crowd of citizens blocked the festivities and people began to talk anxiously to each other, trying to understand what was going on, while Dag squinted, concentrating.


    *boom*


    A new noise, this time closer than before, made the citizens shudder, who began to be seriously frightened.


    A flock of birds soared and crossed the sky over their heads, moving away frightened from the city.


    Sander turned to the entrance of the square and pulled out his axe, while Kjell and Ellen looked at Dag, who suddenly looked up.


    "Go away, everybody! Get away from the square! We''re under attack! Quick, get out, that way!" suddenly Dag yelled, running towards the frightened people, who began to run aimlessly at those words, huddled towards the exit.


    Dag, waving his arms in the air, urged every person in the arena to leave, under the incredulous gaze of Sander, who approached him.


    "What''s going on? Who''s attacking us?!" he asked, unnerved that someone might have ruined that beautiful moment.


    Just after Sander''s question, something hit the ground next to them, making a big noise and raising a lot of dust, as the citizens of Skjegg continued to flee in terror.


    *cough*


    When the dust became less dense, they all could see what it was: the corpse of one of the city guards was stuck in the ground, lifeless and with almost all broken bones, while his blood gushed from his cut throat and mouth.


    "Aaaaaagh!" yelled a young woman who witnessed the scene, while one of the merchants grabbed her by the arm, put her in his wagon, and hurriedly headed away from the square.


    "What... who..." Ellen said, getting closer to the corpse to identify him.


    *boom*


    Another loud roar was followed by a second slain warrior, who, like the first, fell as a meteorite in the center of the Arena.


    Within seconds, a hail of allied warriors fell on Dag and the others, falling one by one after a parable trajectory that departed from outside the walls of the great circular square.


    "What the fuck is going on?! Can anyone explain it to me?!" Karl yelled, pulling out his weapons and beginning to shake like a leaf, looking around.


    Kjell continued to watch Dag, waiting for him to speak.


    Another Clan soldier was thrown above the walls of the square and fell to the ground, forcing Dag to dodge him, while his eyes were fixed in one direction and his breathing was constant as if trying to keep his composure to make the most of his developed senses.


    "So what?! Who''s there?!" Sander replied, who, tired of standing still and watching his men die one after the other, began to run to the street whose corner connected the square to the rest of the city district.


    "They''re back..." Dag said in a low voice, slowly resting his hands on the handles of his weapons, ready to detach them from the magnets.


    Immediately after those words, before the others could ask who he was referring to, a giant shadow covered the Sun on their heads, jumping tens of meters high toward them.


    "Fuck, fuck! Get out of there!"


    "Dag, get out of there!"


    Gridd and Freydis screamed at him, quickly retreating, as the shadow on the ground grew smaller and smaller, defining the impact zone, which corresponded to Dag''s position.


    Sander, Kjell, and Ellen followed Gridd, Freydis, Reidar, and Karl near the temple ruins, pulling out their weapons and preparing to fight that shadow, whatever it was.


    Seconds before the impact, Dag, who had never looked away from the free-falling figure, could hear an inhumane verse, a mixture of a scream and a bleat.


    Immediately he took a backward dash, letting the huge being impact on the ground a few feet in front of him.

 261 CCLXI. Thirst For Vengeance

    A dense cloud of dust rose, preceded by a powerful aftershock of the ground, similar to that of an earthquake.


    Amid the dust, the shadow fell from the sky finally took shape.


    It was a being more than three meters tall, with two huge pointed horns that seemed to touch the sky.


    His broad shoulders connected his voluminous chest to two mighty arms, long enough to almost touch the ground.


    "It''s not possible..." Gridd whispered, who had already seen that beast and soon recognized its long tail and the two hooves of the lower legs.


    After the impact, the beast straightened up, showing off all his greatness in front of the 8 warriors immobilized in his sight.


    As the dust began to dissolve in the air, the Sun illuminated his white fur and his face became recognizable in daylight.


    "Roar..." Gridd continued, acknowledging the enemy Master who had managed to escape by knocking her out.


    "Hello little girl... how''s your back?" the beastly man asked, in a voice so deep as to seem demonic.


    "Roar? Is he one of the Masters of horns Of Heimdallr?!" Ellen said, who couldn''t believe that until recently, her Clan wanted to enter into a peace agreement with that monstrous being and his allies.


    The giant demon-goat bowed, spreading one of his huge arms outwards and lowering his head, turning his sharp horns straight at them.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Master Ellen" Roar replied, showing off his pointed teeth in a diabolical smile.


    He looked up at Dag with his two little blood-red eyes.


    "I see you''ve made some changes to your body..." Dag replied, who seemed the only one to keep his composure, even though he too was frightened.


    "I knew that some skills of the Heimdallr Clan allowed changing shape, but... I''ve never seen anything like this" Ellen interrupted, firmly grabbing her real weapon in her hands, a rod with a metal spiked cylinder at the tip, which perfectly reflected Freydis''s description.


    "Indeed, that''s it! Heimdallr is a God, that''s true... but he doesn''t have the power to create such a strong, incredibly perfect creature!" Roar exclaimed, responding to Ellen''s perplexity, emphasizing the God''s that he had revered up to that point weakness and highlighting his transformation, opening his arms to be admired.


    "Besides being traitors, you also are heretics! Why did you come here, Roar?" Sander interrupted, stepping forward towards Dag who was at the feet of the beast-man.


    The goat demon burst into an evil and sadistic laugh, during which his baritone voice, for a few seconds, tripled in a surreal way.


    "I thought as you do once, old Sander... I also did not see the truth and judged Sondre, thinking that his heresy would lead him to death... but when I managed to escape with him, losing hope in everything I had believed up to that point, rejecting my own God... someone talked to me, making me a proposal" Roar continued, looking down at his opponents.


    "Did the Xis talk to you?" asked Dag, in a calm tone, hiding the agitation of the moment.


    His hands began to sweat, and despite his incredible powers, he felt an incredibly strong aura coming from that being, which he perceived as coming from another planet.


    "The Frostsinners Lords have turned my pain into power, my anger into strength and greatness. All the blood you spilled on the island, Dag... it was a sacrifice more than enough, I just had to add a little pledge... but now... look at me, in all my majesty! Hahahah!" Roar replied, continuing to laugh sadistically, opening his arms and looking up at the sky.


    "A little pledge...?" Gridd asked in a low voice.


    "I am sure that Sondre, even if he had been awake, would have agreed to be sacrificed for a greater goal... to exterminate the inhabitants of this city, along with the Masters of its Clan!" the beast answered, whose gaze was dark as he prepared for battle.


    Dag clenched his fists when he realized that the man''s thirst for power and vengeance had crossed the line, leading him to kill his companion to receive something in return.


    "How do you think you can do it yourself, insolent?! I don''t see anyone with you and you''re about to face some of Skjold''s strongest warriors! How did you get to this square? How many innocent guards and citizens have you already killed?! You''re going to pay for what you did, son of a bitch!" yelled Sander, who couldn''t hold back, with his axe in his hands, charged toward the enemy, who stood still waiting for him with a malignant smile painted on his goat''s face.


    Despite the weight of Sander''s body, he managed to move at incredible speed and jumped upwards, sticking the axe to the center of the enemy''s forehead.


    When the blade of his weapon entered the monster''s skull, he stood still, smiling.


    Soon after, he grabbed Sander''s foot, which had remained in mid-air, keeping his weapon stuck and violently rushed him into the stands, breaking part of the walls after the impact.


    "What...? Sander..." Kjell whispered, who until then had stood still and observed the combat.


    Roar grabbed the axe stuck in his head and hardly tore it off, losing blood, which spilled to the ground in front of him.


    Dag immediately noticed that it was magenta blood, realizing that by now, the soul of that man could no longer be saved and belonged definitively to the Xis.


    The beast looked at Sander''s axe, which in his huge hands looked like a toy.


    He clenched his fist and the iron of the weapon bent like butter, emitting a squeak, as the handle crumpled on itself and the blades cracked under the bewildering force of one hand.


    Besides Dag, everyone else couldn''t believe what they were looking at.


    Sander possessed high physical abilities, so much so that during the battle, some blows ricocheted off his body, causing him no harm.


    Still, he had just been thrown away as trash and his weapon had been shredded and thrown to the ground, in the form of a shapeless pile of metal.

 262 CCLXII. The Goat Demon

    "I don''t need allies. After I''ll kill all of you, it will be your people''s turn. I will make them suffer, one by one, returning the pain you have caused to the inhabitants of Vaeren..." Roar exclaimed, looking down as if the memories of his men falling under the blows of Dag and the others echoed through his mind.


    Immediately after those words, from the rubble of the walls sprang again Sander, who charged for the second time towards him, with his bare hands, trying to hit him with a punch, which was parried with ease by Roar, who grabbed his hand and with a decisive gesture, fractured his wrist, causing Sander such acute pain that, even he, uttered a groan.


    Fed up with waiting in fear, at the sight of an ally who was about to be atrociously defeated, Dag leaped to Roar, who turned his gaze on him.


    The goat demon left Sander''s wrist, which scrambled back and grabbed Dag in mid-air, with a movement so fast and precise that it was almost imperceptible to the eyes of others.


    As the huge hand partially covered in white fur squeezed Dag''s abdomen, the dark liquid began to slowly leak from his arms.


    Roar, at the sight of the fluid, increased the strength of the squeeze, slowing its flow, under the astonished eyes of Dag, who could not explain the phenomenon.


    As the beast-man was focused on watching Dag, grabbing his neck with his other hand, a chain wrapped his neck.


    Kjell snapped behind him, pulling the chain towards him, that slightly twisted his torso backward and loosened his grip on Dag, whose dark fluid managed to flow again and, widening around his chest, spread on Roar''s fingers, helping him open his hand.


    The goat demon grabbed the chain on his neck, but at that very moment, a second chain wrapped his arm, pulling it back and making him kneel on the ground.


    Gridd and Karl were still standing in their seats, fascinated by Kjell''s unique fighting style, which was perhaps the strongest warrior among them, in terms of tactics and weapons skills, so much so that he possessed the n¡ã5 emblem.


    Before Roar was able to free himself, three arrows hit his chest, apparently causing him no damage.


    Reidar charged the Failnaught again, generating two more additional magic arrows and hitting the target again in the chest, as his head was slightly bent back and the chain wrapped around his neck, making it impenetrable.


    Roar grabbed the chain wrapped around his arm with his other hand and quickly turned to Kjell, risking breaking his neck.


    Meanwhile, Ellen made an incredible leap behind him, lifting her heavy stick upwards and violently hitting the goat demon on the head.


    But he, regardless of the arrows stuck in his chest and the blow he had just received, pulled the chain around his arm towards him, partially disarming Kjell, who preferred to let go of his grip, rather than be dragged towards that abominable monster, which when had both arms free, grabbed the chain around his neck.


    Before he could pull, three huge dark spikes pierced his back and chest, causing him to spit a huge amount of magenta blood in front of his feet.


    The beast-man knelt again and the three spikes violently detached his body, then struck him again, increasing the amount of pain and blood loss.


    After stabbing twice his enemy, Dag stood still and looked at him, with three long, sharp black appendages sticking out of his back, floating around him.


    Ellen did not hesitate to hit him again on the head, which bent slightly to one side.


    Roar stopped moving: his arms dangled forceless downwards, while liters of blood gushed from his back and chest, forming a pool of blood below his knees.


    Kjell pulled the chain towards him, freeing the beast man''s neck and causing him to fall with his face to the ground, unconscious.


    "Is... is he dead?!" Karl asked, who had stood near the ruins of the temple with Gridd and Freydis, while Sivert, behind them, watched the scene with a macabre interest as if he was scared but at the same time enthusiastic about what was going on.


    "Aaaggh!" suddenly screamed Freydis, breaking the silence and attracting the attention of everyone, who turned to her, ready to intervene.


    "What''s going on?" asked Gridd next to her, noting that the girl was touching her neck.


    "The scar... It hurts!" Freydis continued, moaning and wailing in pain, as if someone was turning the blade of a dagger in her flesh.


    Karl approached her and moved her hand from the runic scar so he could take a look.


    "Ehmm... there''s definitely something wrong with this rune shape wound!" he exclaimed, trying to be heard by Dag, who had his eyes pointed at them.


    Around the Inguz rune-shaped scar, a blackish, bruise-like halo appeared, pulsing abnormally, while Freydis continued to complain.


    "The rune... why is it starting to hurt her right now? I have a bad feeling..." Dag thought, who immediately turned to Roar, that suddenly opened his eyes and pushed his arms toward the ground, rising to his feet, resting his hard goat hooves on the terrain.


    Under the astonished gaze of everybody, who until a few moments before thought that the demon had died, the wounds on his chest and head had completely healed, leaving only small scars.


    Very quietly, the beast-man began to giggle, mocking his opponents, who were underestimating his strength.


    "You just don''t understand, do you, boy? You''re never going to kill me, just¡­ surrender. Every time you think you''ve made it, I''m going to get up, no matter the extent of the injuries. And every time I get up, my spirit and my body will be regenerated, unlike yours, which cannot withstand endlessly. The more you fight, the slower your agony will be toward an inevitable death!" Roar yelled, jumping upwards, more than ten meters.


    He raised both fists to the sky, then falling to the ground, in the direction of Dag, who promptly managed to dodge the devastating blow, which when hit the ground, shattered it into a crater.

 263 CCLXIII. The Chain-Warrior

    An electric aura began to wrap Dag''s hammer and the corresponding arm.


    The celestial sparks soon joined the fluid, which embellished their color, turning them into the usual deep purple.


    From the dust, Roar came out, walking slowly in the direction of Dag.


    "Tanngnj¨®str and Tanngrisnir were the magical goats that towed the chariot of the mighty God of thunder... Thor, son of Odin... when the evening came, the warrior used to kill his beasts, cook them and devour them to the last shred... but the morning after, reassembling their bones, with the help of Mj?llnir, his magic hammer, the two goats came back to life, again and again, and again" exclaimed the beastly man, as he approached him, comparing his hammer enveloped in purple sparks to Thor''s.


    After those words, Kjell, who had grabbed the chain he had been deprived of just before, struck Roar again, wrapping his legs with both chains.


    "Ellen! Now!" he shouted, trying to put into practice an action plan with Ellen, who quickly twirled the rod in her hands and then hit the ground, creating a fracture under Roar''s legs, whose hooves sink inside of.


    Soon after, Ellen ran towards him, loading another hit directly to his head, but Roar, with a simple movement of his hand, hit her on the shoulder, sending her flying meters away.


    "You''re really annoying, my speech was not over yet!" yelled the beast-man, again trying to grab Kjell''s chains, which this time was quicker than before and pulled them to himself before the enemy could catch them.


    Roar detached his hooves from the ground and rushed to Dag trying to land him, but he dodged his opponent''s body at a frightening speed, hitting him soon after with the electric hammer, which on impact with the goat demon''s back, released an enormous amount of energy and caused him to slam his chest to the ground.


    "Karl, stay here with Freydis! Reidar, come with me! Dag needs our help!" exclaimed Gridd, tired of watching the fight without intervening.


    Reidar, after a moment''s hesitation, due to the fear that the filthy being emanated, ran with her to Dag and the others, stopping a few meters back and preparing the Failnaught.


    Meanwhile, Roar got up from the ground but was hammered again on the chest by Dag, who caused him to retreat a few feet.


    He tried to counterattack, waving his arm toward Dag, trying to hit him with the sharp claws of his hand, but he dodged the blow again and violently hit the enemy''s wrist with the Giantbane, choking his hand.


    Liters of magenta blood poured to the ground, while the demon looked at his handless arm, without feeling pain and amazed at the cutting ability of Dag''s axe, which had penetrated his skin, harder than iron.


    Before Dag could attack him again, he leaped backward, moving away from the opposing warriors, ready to join forces and kill him for good.


    Dag rotated both weapons in his hands, emitting sparks of electricity and fire, carefully studying his opponent''s movements to deduce his next move.


    "Aaagh!" Freydis continued, as the pain of her wound kept on growing exponentially as the fight went on.


    Karl began to treat it, but every time he gently touched the scar with a sterile cloth, Freydis moved his hand away, feeling a stabbing burn and preventing him from continuing with the appropriate medical procedures.


    Sivert, who had remained silent until then, slowly approached the two of them, walking with difficulty holding on to the stick.


    "What do you want? Get away from her, I don''t need your help!" exclaimed Karl grumpily, noticing his presence.


    "Show me your wound, girl..." Sivert said in a low voice, turning to Freydis, who slowly moved her hand from his neck, showing the shaman the rune scar and the black bruise around it, which continued to pulsate.


    Meanwhile, the goat demon continued to suffer attacks from multiple fronts, managing to dodge some and parry others, while Dag was still standing in the same position, exploiting the blows of his allies to understand the weaknesses of the enemy, whose fighting style did not seem to have changed since he faced him on Vaeren Island.


    It was completely based on physical strength and violent attacks full of rage, not taking into account the defense, which was easily penetrable.


    Ellen snapped forward towards him, trying to hit him on the hip with her spiked rod, but Roar, when the Shieldmaiden''s weapon hit his body, grabbed its end with the only hand left and twisted his abdomen, unbalancing Ellen, who could no longer stand on her feet and fell to the ground stunned.


    In those seconds, Kjell had rotated his chains in the air, and before the enemy could see them, he threw them, moving with them, that kept on spinning.


    The two spiked balls at the end of the chains repeatedly hit Roar''s face, at great speed, stunning him and causing him to retreat towards the stone stands of the arena.


    Kjell, after the rapid series of attacks, called his weapons and snapped forward, jumping and stretching the chains upwards: they intertwined with each other, creating a single large metal body, several meters long, very similar to a heavy whip.


    With a determined downwards movement, the Crows Of Odin''s Master Of Offense violently struck Roar, who just before the impact raised his handless arm upwards, trying to protect his face from the blow.


    The crossed chains wrapped around the mighty arm of the beast-man, who pulled Kjell to himself, who, being in mid-air, could not resist traction.


    Before the monster could hit him, however, a violent punch struck his snout, emitting a sound of bones and causing him to fall to the ground.


    Kjell managed to fall to his feet and untie the chains attached to the enemy.


    Incredibly, Sander was back in the middle of the fight and his wrist seemed to be recovered as before, despite being a bit swollen.


    "I am the Master Of Defense of this Clan... it takes more than that to do any permanent damage to me! Can''t you do better?!" he exclaimed, turning his shoulder to stretch his muscles still sore from the blow he suffered earlier.

 264 CCLXIV. Cut It Off

    Roar began to giggle again, still lying on the ground.


    From his handless wrist, thin reddish nerves and bones leaked out one by one and within a few seconds, the muscle tissues were reformed and his fingers began to take shape, creating a hand much larger than before.


    Sander and Kjell remained motionless, while Ellen stood up and pointed the stick back to the enemy, who had proven to have regenerative abilities almost comparable to Dag''s.


    ¡­


    "The only way to eliminate this wound is to cut it out... with a blade I should be able to remove the flap of skin on which it is engraved" Sivert said, who was still standing in front of Freydis and Karl, studying the girl''s wound.


    "Cut it off?! What are you saying, old man?! I will be able to cure my sister''s scar without causing her any more pain! Get away from here!" replied Karl, grabbing his shoulder and pushing him backward.


    ...


    Roar rose to his feet and sprinted quickly towards the two opponents in front of him, leaving a furrow onto the ground behind him, due to the incredible speed and strength of his wild charge.


    Sander crossed his arms ahead, parrying the beast''s punch, but he crawled backward for many meters and his feet dug a furrow into the ground.


    Kjell wrapped the chains on his arms and instead of moving sideways, he snapped forward, trying to surprise the beast-man.


    As the monster tried to hit him with his horns, he made a small leap, followed by an agile rotation of the torso, through which he found himself behind the neck of the goat demon, releasing the chains and wrapping them around it.


    But this time, Roar didn''t let himself be fooled and turned on himself, face to face with his opponent.


    Despite having chains around his neck, he managed to grab Kjell''s armor with his large hand with claws and dragged it with him.


    The demon hit the ground with his back and during the impact, moved his head forward, violently hitting Kjell on a temple.


    "Kjell! Kjeeel!" Ellen yelled, beginning to run in that direction.


    Roar got up from the ground, shrugging off the chains and throwing Kjell''s body, who had lost consciousness, next to him after the head-blow.


    Soon after, he turned and began to run towards Ellen, who charged a rod strike, which was parried by his arm.


    But before the demon could counterattack, two swords simultaneously hit him on the back, managing to penetrate his flesh and causing him to lament in pain, forcing him to stop his advance.


    In an incredibly nimble and fast move, Gridd violently detached the two swords from Roar''s back, stopping a few meters from him and looking at him defiantly.


    Both blades of Gridd''s weapons shone with a heavenly light, as blood slowly glided over them, dripping to the ground.


    "I have unfinished business with you, Roar!" she yelled, ready to fight seriously.


    Laughing evilly and careless of the wounds, the demon snapped forward, sliding on the terrain the claws of his large hand, which soon after pointed at her, raising a huge cloud of dust, to blind her.


    Gridd covered her eyes with one arm and moved deftly to one side, taking off the trajectory of Roar who, confused by his own diversion, failed to notice that the Shieldmaiden was right next to him.


    With a precise lunge, she speared Roar on the side, piercing a rib.


    Almost simultaneously, several arrows hit his shoulder, forcing him to slightly rotate his torso and allowing Gridd to twist the blade of the sword to inflict even more damage to her enemy.


    Like a lightning bolt, Dag jumped at him, hitting him violently with the hammer in the face, before he could have time to think.


    After the three chained attacks, the large goat demon knelt, wounded and panting.


    Reidar fired more arrows, which hit the target, skewering and stopping on the back of the monster, which stood still.


    Gridd detached the blade from his body, waving it and shrugging the magenta blood from it, while Dag held the hammer high towards him, ready to give him the coup de grace.


    ...


    When Sivert was pulled over by Karl, he extracted a dagger from behind his back and stuck it in his arm, causing him to scream in pain and attracting the attention of Dag and the others, who turned for a moment towards him.


    After the surprise strike on the young healer, Sivert approached Freydis suspiciously, who could barely move and was sitting on the ground, gasping for the burning caused by her scar.


    The old shaman cleaned the dagger''s blade with a flap of his long dress and approached it next to the girl''s neck, who raised a hand toward him, asking him to stop.


    Just then, Reidar fired an arrow that hit him behind his back, causing him to fall to the ground.


    "Freydis!" Dag shouted, rushing towards her, after witnessing the scene and fearing for her life.


    Karl approached the old shaman and kicked him while he was still on the ground.


    "What were you thinking, uh?! Where do you stand, old asshole?!" he yelled, striking Sivert once again, who writhed in pain.


    "You must... cut it off, boy... just... crop that part..." whispered the shaman.


    "What is he talking about?" Dag exclaimed, who had managed to hear the old man''s words.


    "He''s talking about Freydis''s wound... just ignore him, Dag, he''s just babbling!" Karl replied, who after detaching the dagger blade from his arm and wrapping it summarily, moved back to Freydis, followed by Dag, while everyone else kept an eye on Roar, who still couldn''t move.


    "Hey... hey, Freydis... let me see, move your hand" he whispered, trying to gently pull his woman''s wrist.


    "Oh, fuck! What the fuck is going on?!" exclaimed Karl, rolling his eyes, noting that around the scar, the bruise had turned into something else, branching all over her neck and shoulder, as if it was putting its roots down, while the wound of the cut had opened again and the Inguz rune was totally inflamed and bloodied.


    ...

 265 CCLXV. The Black Veins

    "Your brother is so stubborn... Despite all he had to go through, he has not yet realized that he will never get rid of them..." Roar whispered, with his deep, demonic voice.


    "What are you talking about? Get rid of who?!" Gridd naively asked, her swords pointed at him.


    "The Frostsinners are superior cosmic beings whose power goes beyond our comprehension. Their means are effective and perfect, we humans have two choices: surrender to their supremacy and accept the benefits or die without honor" continued the beast-man, whose wounds were beginning to heal.


    "What is this monster blathering about? Why do we keep listening to him?! Let''s kill him instantly!" Ellen exclaimed, after seeing Kjell on the ground unconscious, with his chains just a few feet from him.


    "Killing me will do no good, they will always know your position... there is no corner of this planet where you can hide! That girl only makes the process easier... hahahah!" replied Roar.


    "The girl... do you mean..." Gridd said in a low voice, in disbelief at what she had just heard.


    ...


    As Dag and Karl looked closely at the wound, Freydis grabbed Dag''s arm.


    "What was that? I didn''t touch you, did I hurt you?" he asked, trying to look her in the eye, without finding her gaze.


    The hold on Dag''s arm grew even stronger.


    "Hey, what''s going on?!" he continued, looking at the wound at the same time, which kept throbbing.


    The blackish veins that started from the scar spread all over her neck, reaching her arms.


    "Freydis, you''re hurting me... what the fuck is wrong with you?!" he exclaimed, as Karl stared in disbelief at his sister, whose arm muscles looked harder and more resilient.


    "Dag, Karl! Get away from her! Move, quickly!" shouted Gridd, waving her swords at them, trying to get noticed as soon as possible, after Roar''s warning.


    "What?!" said Dag, not understanding why his sister was so frightened by Freydis, who was suffering.


    At last, she opened her eyes, slowly turning her gaze towards Dag.


    They looked completely different: the pupils were narrower and a deep purple, while the sclera was no longer white, but black as charcoal.


    "Freydis?! Sister, what''s wrong?!" Karl exclaimed, who already knew the answer to his question inside him, but didn''t want to realize what was going on.


    Holding Dag''s arm tight in her hand, without even getting up from the ground, Freydis threw him away, making him fly for several meters before ending up with his back on the ground, his eyes wide open in amazement.


    "Oh, fuck..." he whispered to himself, after realizing that Roar was not lying and Freydis was involved in their evil plan to destroy the city.


    The red-haired girl rose to her feet, with an expression that instilled fear and her body completely covered in blackish veins.


    She looked at Karl and began to walk towards him, who walked back frightenedly.


    "Hey, what are you doing? Freydis, it''s me! I''m your brother!" he said, holding the shield, leaving the tomahawk in his belt.


    Karl''s arm touched the stone altar, which prevented him from continuing to retreat.


    Dag got up from the ground and began to run towards them, screaming.


    Meanwhile, Freydis grabbed his brother by the neck of the leather armor and lifted him off the ground.


    Karl dropped the shield, not knowing how to react, and fearing that if he responded to the impending attack, he would damage his sister.


    She lowered her arm and opened her hand.


    The air around it began to twirl in a dark vortex, concentrating in the center of her palm and taking on a spherical shape, while her black and purple eyes pierced Karl''s soul, which continued to tremble like a leaf, failing to react in any way.


    Dag, despite running at great speed, knew that he would not be able to get there in time, because the dark energy sphere in Freydis''s hand had already become quite large and continued to absorb more energy from the space around it.


    At one point, before Karl was hit by that deadly attack, a shock wave repelled Freydis, who left his brother, causing him to slide back onto the rave of the crow and fall to the ground, over the temple stairs.


    Karl turned to the source of that shock wave and to his astonishment noticed that Sivert was back on his feet, one hand clinging firmly to the stick and another pointed towards Freydis, while the arrow was still in his back.


    "Get away... boy... I warned you... It''s too late now..." the old man whispered, still sore from the blows he had received just before.


    "No, no! Stop it! She''s my sister, we have to bring her back!" yelled Karl, towards the man who had just saved his life, but also stabbed a dagger in his arm.


    Without even resting her hands on the ground, Freydis stood up, levitating as if she was a specter and falling back on her feet, which touched the ground gently.


    Dag slowed his advance towards her, stopping about two meters away.


    "Freydis..." he whispered, as tears of pain came down his face, looking at what his woman was turning into and failing to figure out how to stop the process.


    At the same time, Roar, who was still kneeling while waiting for his injuries to heal completely, was hit hard in the head and put his arm on the ground to avoid falling.


    He tried to turn his head backward, but another violent blow hit him on the temple, destabilizing his balance.


    "What did you do? What did you do to that poor girl?! Make her come back to the way she was before, otherwise, I swear I''m going to rip you apart like a young goat!" Ellen yelled, with the head of her rod full of magenta blood.


    "Haha...*cough*... hahah... she''s gone by now, you can say goodbye to her... forever!" the goat demon whispered, coughing up blood on the ground, feeding the purple pool beneath him.

 266 CCLXVII. The Seed Rune

    Gridd, Reidar, and Karl were petrified, not explaining how Freydis had fallen into that inhuman state.


    "How can they control you?! Is it that rune''s fault? Inguz... yes, it has to be that, there''s no other explanation..." Dag said, putting both of his weapons on the belt magnets, intending not to hurt his woman, while she didn''t seem to think the same way.


    Gridd shook her head, regaining consciousness of the present, and quickly walked toward the beast-man, sticking one of his swords on his shoulder and pointing the other blade over his neck, ready to slaughter him.


    "How do we stop the effect of that rune?! What''s going on with Freydis? Speak, you filthy being, tell us how to do it, before I take your head off your neck!" Gridd shouted, full of nervousness, as she turned the blade inside the wound on Roar''s shoulder, which moved with it.


    "Hahah... Inguz... the ''seed'' rune... it can create a space within the soul... a place where a process of transformation into higher states of being can take place... it is also called the ''internal growth rune'' and there is no way to get rid of it. By now the girl''s body belongs to the lords of the dark... they will decide what to do with her... I told you, you may kill me, but your war doesn''t end there... it will never end! Hahaha!" Roar continued to chuck, looking at Gridd in front of him and Freydis out of the corner of his eye.


    Gridd, unable to resist the anger, pierced the blade into the enemy''s neck, spinning it and then rotating it 180 degrees, slashing the beast''s trachea, unable to sever his head, due to the resistant muscles of his neck.


    A fountain of magenta blood splattered over her face and torso, while the enemy sank to the ground, his head attached to his neck only by a flap of flesh.


    Ellen looked at her, glad that the Sons Of Freya''s Master Of Offense dared to kill him without hesitation.


    Meanwhile, Dag raised his hands to Freydis and swallowed in a vacuum, looking into her eyes, to see if there was still an ounce of her original soul inside her body.


    He stepped forward, continuing to stare at her.


    Her eyes were firm, pointed at him, the purple pigment of the pupil seemed to move within the surrounding black as if it was a globular cluster of stars separating from their galaxy.


    The darkness seemed to have full dominion over her body and mind: dark veins were everywhere, making her circulatory apparatus almost entirely visible under her thin, light skin.


    On the forehead, on the ears, on the chin, until it thickened around the eyes, wrapped in a gloomy and mysterious halo.


    Even her fleshy lips, so beloved by Dag for their softness, had become as dry and wrinkled as the bark of a tree.


    Dag, after observing every detail, paused, as if he had forgotten everything else.


    All the warriors stood by and watched him, hoping for a turn of events by Freydis, that maybe could still regain consciousness and waking up from that nightmare.


    All but Sivert, who very slowly descended the stone stairs that led from the ruins of the temple to the arena.


    "The Inguz rune is one of the most powerful spells in existence... only a very skilled sorcerer can create it and make it so effective... there is no way to stop its operation... the only hope you have to get your woman back is to forcibly detach it out of her body, young Dag..." the old man whispered, who seemed not afraid to die, so much so that he stopped just behind Freydis, who slowly turned her gaze on him.


    Sivert grabbed his staff with both hands and with its tip touching the ground, he began to draw a symbol, similar to a rune.


    Freydis kept on looking in that direction, turning her back on Dag, who after the old shaman''s words had fallen into a deep sense of despondency.


    "Odin, my lord! May Ansuz point to the source of evil that stains this sacred place, created by disciples devoted to you! Help us drive out the heretical invaders who tarnish your name and that of the Aesir! Protect your temple and the inhabitants of your city!"


    Sivert, after drawing a strange rune, which was apparently called ''Ansuz'', began to invoke Odin''s name, screaming out loud, with the last energies left in his body, pointing the staff to the ground and his arm and gaze upwards.


    As he uttered those solemn words, Freydis slightly turned her head, as if those words were just an annoying sound in her ears.


    She moved her arm forward in the direction of the shaman: shards of dark material were fired at great speed in that direction, similar to obsidian, pointed, black, and shiny fragments.


    Before Sivert could finalize channeling his spell, under the helpless eyes of Dag and the others, life slipped away from his body, as he was hit by dozens of that sharp splinters, until he fell to the ground, lying on his own rune, stained with blood.


    "Oh my goodness..." said softly Sander, after witnessing the powers of the girl, that had just slaughtered the mad old shaman with a simple movement of her hand.


    Reidar, while everyone was busy observing the scene, focused his attention on Roar''s corpse, particularly on his head, which was still hanging around his neck.


    For a moment, it seemed as if it had moved, but soon after he shook his head, believing it had been a hallucination due to fatigue.


    Karl stood up, leaning against the altar, looking at his sister, of whom there was now nothing but the outer casing, her body.


    After cold-bloodedly killing the shaman, Freydis''s attention was drawn to Dag''s cry, coming from behind.


    She turned to him, looking at him with her ghostly eyes, without saying a word.


    "How long did it take me to find you, Freydis... how many times have I risked my life to get here... I have seen comrades die before my eyes, even Masters..." Dag said, thinking intently of Magni and Aslan, and detaching both weapons from the magnets of his belt, looking down, watching the tears fall on his feet.

 267 CCLXVII. Powers In Contras

    Freydis turned her head again, as if those human feelings no longer belonged to her, as if the empathy she had always felt towards Dag had vanished forever.


    "No¡­ Dag?! What do you want to do?!" Karl yelled, after seeing the way his friend had drawn up the weapons.


    "I''m going to get that thing out of your neck, Freydis. At the cost of my own life. I just ask you to resist and fight against their control..." he continued, looking up at her with tears in his eyes, as his only purple eye began to shine again, as during the battle on Vaeren Island.


    "Dag!" shouted Gridd, still close to Ellen and the others.


    He turned back, looking at his sister, who was able to grasp the pain he was feeling at the time.


    "Don''t die, brother" the Shieldmaiden replied, trying to convey courage to him.


    "Without the warmth of love... what are you living for?" he replied, continuing to cry and then turning back to Freydis, ready to face her, while everyone else kept their distance, realizing that their intervention would be useless, considering the supernatural powers of their new adversary.


    To those words, Gridd opened her eyes wide, which became lucid.


    "These words... it was an expression Stein always used to say to us when we were kids..." she whispered, thinking aloud and recalling the phrase his brother had just uttered, which brought back many memories of the only father she ever had, who died trying unnecessarily to save his family.


    As Dag turned to Freydis, the Giantbane''s blade fire rekindled, as did Magni''s hammer, which within seconds was surrounded by electric sparks.


    The girl pointed a hand at him, in the same way she had done just before with Sivert, whose corpse was still there, ahead of the stairs, above the rune engraved on the ground.


    Freydis''s red hair began to float upwards as if attracted by a kind of static energy.


    "I don''t want to fight you, Freydis. Please don''t make me do this..." Dag said, with tears streaming down his face, conscious that at that moment, his girlfriend was not in herself and posed a danger to everyone, who had backed down, waiting for his help.


    Dark shards began to take shape around her arm as Dag''s gaze became more and more resigned.


    The girl''s expression was serious and insensitive: her feet slowly rose from the ground, until she floated a few centimeters above the ground.


    As his arm continued to create those fragments of sharp rock out of nowhere, the dark liquid began to gush out of Dag''s back, ready to defend him, avoiding attacking first.


    "F... Freydis..." he whispered once more, waiting for her to recognize him.


    Regardless of his words, the young Shieldmaiden moved her arm forward, forcefully opening her hand and hurling the dark fragments, which traveled at great speed, towards Dag.


    Dag tried to dodge the blow sideways, but the fragments moved with him, following his movements and forcing him to use his power.


    The dark fluid, as if instinctively trying to protect his master, covered the open side of his body, letting itself be entangled by the sharp rocks, which remained wedged inside.


    Freydis also moved the other arm, repeating the attack, but this time with twice the energy.


    Dag''s eyes continued to tear and he dodged the second attack, although the others around them could barely see the fragments, which flew at an impressive speed, sticking into the ground behind Dag.


    He snapped at her, pretending to load a hammer blow.


    Freydis stood almost still, waiting to defend herself.


    Dag identified the exact spot to hit: if to stop Inguz''s curse it was necessary to cut the rune scar out of her neck, he would succeed at any cost.


    The dark arms behind his back hardened at the extremities as he got closer to her.


    While Freydis tried the same attack again, Dag fired a dark beam towards her neck and the blade at its top became so sharp that cut the air in front of him.


    Just when he was convinced he could hit the scar, without hurting his girlfriend, something happened that left him and his companions speechless.


    Dag paused.


    Freydis, who had raised her arm just before, did not use it to attack, but to defend herself: she grabbed the dark blade from Dag''s back, blocking its advance.


    "What?! How did she do that?!" Gridd exclaimed, unable to hold back her astonishment.


    Reidar lowered his bow, wide-opening his eyes and watching the scene.


    Dag was still in an attacking position and his long dark arm was stretched out toward Freydis, who clutched it in her hands with ease.


    "Did she block it?! What are those powers?! How did she stop me so easily?!" Dag thought, trying to pull his dark arm back, stuck in Freydis''s grip, which pulled in turn.


    He felt an incredible traction force, so strong that he was forced to break up the fluid of his arm, reducing it to gas, freeing himself from the girl''s grip.


    Meanwhile, the blood on Roar''s neck had thickened and from the raw flesh of his neck, a bundle of nerves slowly hooked to his severed head and approached it, joining it to the trachea that had been shattered by Gridd''s sword.


    None of the warriors present noticed what was going on, and in just under a minute, Roar''s head returned to its place, until he opened his eyes and breathed again.


    The beast-man got down on his knees, without making any noise, despite his bulk and looked at Gridd, Ellen and Sander out of the corner of his eye, waiting for the right moment to get up and catch them by surprise.


    While the three warriors who had managed to knock him down were focused on watching helplessly at their distressed companion, the goat demon dashed toward Freydis, beginning to run like a fury, on all fours.


    Ellen was the first to notice the charge, but she didn''t make enough to block Roar''s advance, who within seconds had already reached the two challengers.

 268 CCLXVIII. The Blood-soaked Hands

    He totally ignored Dag, that had turned his face slightly, ready to dodge an attack from behind and stopped in the rear of Freydis, pointing his hard hooves onto the ground to slow down.


    "Roar! Come back here, we''re not done with you yet!" Ellen yelled, afraid to get too close to the girl possessed by that dark power.


    The beast-man rose again on two feet, standing behind Freydis as if he was her bodyguard, ready to sacrifice his own life in case of need.


    "I did what you have asked me, eternal lords of the cosmos! I brought you to the boy who exterminated the inhabitants of the island, my only home... I''m up for anything to see him dead!" Roar said as she continued to keep that gloomy, inexpressive expression, her purple and black eyes staring at Dag, never looking away.


    Before Dag could speak, Freydis, floating inches above the ground, quickly flew toward him, throwing a fist.


    The shot was so fast that he could barely move the hammer, raising it forward to parry it.


    Freydis''s fist hit the head of the hammer, which on the impact, was pushed against Dag''s chest, which was forced to back down to cushion the blow.


    After the first punch, two more followed, so rapid that they were almost imperceptible.


    They both scored, hitting Dag first on the side, then in the stomach and causing him to bend in two in pain, breathless.


    Seeing his opponent kneel, Freydis hit him mercilessly again, kicking him in the chest, causing him to end up back on the ground, while the two dark arms managed to soften the impact.


    She began to move again towards him, floating from the ground, arms open downwards.


    Dag rose hard, trying to catch his breath after those extremely powerful blows.


    On Freydis''s right arm, the dark veins began to swell and solidify on her skin, turning into the same shiny, sharp rock that she just fired in the form of shards.


    "Oh my goodness... Freydis, what did they do to you... " Ellen whispered, managing to see her student more closely, as the rock enveloped her arm taking the form of a huge blade, so long that it almost touched the ground.


    Meanwhile, Reidar held out the Failnaught, loading an arrow and pointing it at Freydis: although his aim was impeccable, from that distance it was virtually impossible to hit the lower part of the girl''s neck, on which the rune was engraved.


    Besides, her rapid and unpredictable movements made it even more difficult to execute the blow, and the archer knew that the slightest mistake would be fatal.


    Similarly, Gridd looked at his brother and then Freydis, slowly retreating as the fight approached them, managing to feel the incredible strength of the girl, whose power was far beyond her abilities.


    If she had stepped in to help Dag, she would probably have been just getting in his way.


    Sander placed a hand on Ellen''s shoulder, pulling her slightly backward, inviting her to move away from that position, too close to the two challengers, who in the next few minutes would start fighting again without controlling their strength.


    On the other side of the arena, Karl was alone, with Sivert''s corpse a few feet in front of him, immersed in his own blood, flowing inside the hollows of the soil dug by the shaman as he drew the rune.


    The young warrior narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on the scene: it seemed that from under Sivert''s corpse, a kind of yellowish glow rose from the ground, in the form of microscopic luminous particles floating up to the sky.


    While Roar was enjoying the fight between Freydis and Dag, looking forward to the young Master''s defeat, Karl slowly descended the temple stairs, trying not to be seen.


    Freydis opened her arm with the large blade wrapped around it and tried to hit Dag with a slash, but this time he managed to parry it, deflecting it with the Giantbane, which skimmed that obsidian-like rock and emitted orange sparks.


    The girl continued to hit Dag, who, due to the speed of her opponent''s attacks, could only defend himself and step back, not wanting to counter Freydis, risking to kill her.


    When Karl arrived near Sivert, he lowered towards him and slowly moved his corpse from the rune.


    The glow coming from it increased, continuing to move with ascending motion, through the red blood and the earth moved by the impact of the shaman''s body.


    "Ansuz... must be a very powerful rune... how does it work? He talked about Odin, trying to plead for his help... the old man was right about the wound, I should have listened to him and cut it off before it infected my sister... Sivert, what''s this rune for? Why did you draw it here just before you died? How the fuck can I activate it?!" Karl thought, trying not to panic and reason about the words spoken by the sorcerer just before he died.


    As Dag and Freydis continued to struggle, hitting each other with slashes and lunges and moving at great speed, Karl knelt in front of the pool of blood covering the rune, mirroring himself inside.


    He sighed and, not knowing what else to do to help his companion and sister, plunged his hands into the Shaman''s blood, hoping that something would happen, but to no avail.


    The faint glow continued to move upwards through his hands, completely soaked in blood.


    As he tried to concentrate, Karl was distracted by a violent noise, followed by a cloud of dust rising by the bottom of one of the walls of the Altar of the Raven''s Square.


    From the rubble sprang out of Dag, who did not have time to stand up and was struck again by Freydis, whose attacks were incessant and incredibly effective.


    "Dag! I know what you''re thinking! But right now, she''s not who you think she is... they have control over Freydis, they have completely obscured her soul, look at her! You have to fight seriously brother, you are our only hope! Do it for us and all the innocent citizens of Skjegg, some of whom have already died trying to counter that bastard demon!" Gridd shouted, referring to Roar, who kept looking intently in that direction, with a grin painted on his face, during which he showed his sharp teeth covered in blood.

 269 CCLXIX. The Old Gif

    After looking at the goat demon, Gridd''s gaze fell on Karl, who was still intent on discovering how the rune worked, moving his hands amidst Sivert''s blood.


    Roar''s lively eyes noticed the girl''s astonished expression, realizing she wasn''t looking at him, but at somebody behind.


    The demon suddenly turned back, discovering that Karl was right there, intent on doing who knows what.


    The young healer crossed his eyes with his and shivers of terror ran through his back, causing him to jump backwards.


    Roar began to walk slowly towards him, making menacing, as Karl crawled backwards on the ground with his hands dirty, leaving a trail of blood and mud beneath him, while he feared he would have the minutes counted.


    Gridd snapped at them, trying not to hinder Dag.


    Ellen, who noticed the scene, followed her so she could make herself useful in some way.


    Before the two Shieldmaidens reached Karl and Roar, a second explosion shook the ground, attracting everyone''s attention.


    Dag parried yet another blow from Freydis, repulsing her backwards.


    His purple eye began to shine with bright light and electric shocks from all over his body hit the ground around him, burning it.


    Within himself, he knew he could not be weak. If saving Freydis''s life meant sacrificing the lives of all his other friends, trusted fellow adventurers, then it wasn''t the right thing to do.


    Love for him was greater than anything else, but if he wanted to end that bloody fight, he would have had to stop her for good.


    Everyone stopped to watch Dag, even Roar paused advancing towards Karl and turned back, intrigued.


    He dropped the hammer on the ground, near his feet, and put his hand in a pocket of his leather pants.


    Freydis tilted her head again, trying to instinctively guess what her opponent was doing and why he had left his weapon on the ground, reasoning more like a deadly machine than a person.


    Dag pulled out a silver object and carefully tied it around his arm.


    For a moment, Freydis made an astonished expression, showing Dag that her soul was still there, trapped inside her body.


    "I wanted to wait to show you this. I kept it with me all the time, avoiding to wear it during the fights, fearing that it would get ruined... but I think the time has come" he said, showing Freydis the armband she had given him months earlier, silver-colored, with a flower engraved in the center.


    The warriors around them did not understand what was going on between the two lovers and Roar made another evil grin, after fearing for a moment that that armband was a magical object capable of stopping the dark power of the Frostsinners that the girl was endowed with.


    She continued to look at that object, acknowledging its significance, and perhaps remembering the day she had promised Dag fidelity when they had exchanged promises to meet again.


    Roar turned again to Karl, who had managed to stand up and grab his shield, right behind him, also pulling out the tomahawk.


    "What were you going to do, brat? I remember you during the Battle of Vaeren! You''re their healer, you''re not capable of fighting... don''t worry, I''ll spare you the pain of witnessing your best friend''s death at the hands of your sister! Hahaha! I''m going to kill you for her!" exclaimed the beast-man, opening his giant hand and showing his claws, ready to strike Karl.


    "Stop! Help! Gridd, Reidar! Help me, please!" Karl yelled, despairing knowing that he had no hope of defeating that monster alone.


    Gridd began to run towards him and Reidar did the same, moving close to the stone walls, following the morphology of the arena and trying to keep the ideal distance to aim Roar, ready to end the life of their defenseless companion.


    The goat demon fired a powerful blow, which hit Karl''s chrome shield: despite the quick parry, the blow was so violent that the young healer was knocked back, falling to the ground and losing the shield, which ended up away from him.


    "Aaaagh! Fuck! Kill me, you prick! I''m sure you''ll have to face the wrath of my comrades afterward! There will be nothing left of you!" continued Karl, crawling to the ground, ready to die.


    Roar, as he giggled for the boy''s killing, continued to advance toward him, until he placed his hooves inside the pool of blood near Sivert''s corpse.


    Karl turned his head back and raised both hands towards him, beginning to cry and despair, terrified.


    "Karl! Karl, run! You''re still on time!" Gridd screamed, who was running at top speed but was still far from the beast-man.


    Reidar, fearing he might not arrive in time, fired an arrow, followed by two magic ones.


    While the first did not hit the target, due to the archer''s enormous distance and the run''s frenzy, he controlled the other two, visualizing the exact spot to hit in his mind.


    With a cross-course, which went completely against the laws of physics, the Failnaught''s two magic arrows hit Roar''s back, who barely felt an annoying pinch.


    Without even turning around, he moved his hand backwards and detached them both, throwing them away.


    The two arrows, before falling to the ground, dissolved into thin air.


    The beast continued his advance, until something hit his attention, causing him to stop.


    On the palms of Karl''s hands, both pointed at him, a yellowish light appeared, which released small spherical and bright particles, floating around them.


    Karl sensed that unknown power and looked forward, marveling at what was going on.


    He soon noticed that under Roar''s feet, the light from the Ansuz rune had increased compared to before.


    Instinctively, Karl knelt forward and placed both hands full of blood and wrapped in that strange luminous aura on the ground.


    As soon as there was contact, a beam came out of his hands and spread like a lightning bolt on the ground in front of him, reaching the rune drawn by Sivert, activating it.


    "Uhm?!"

 270 CCLXX. The Light Chains

    Roar, who had stood still on it, looked under him, but when he realized that staying there above was not a wise choice, it was too late: from the luminous rune, yellow sunlight-made chains sprang from the ground, wrapping around the wrists and legs of the goat demon, who immediately tried to wriggle out.


    With his eyes wide open, Karl kept looking at his hands and the enemy in front of him.


    Without even knowing how, he put further pressure on the ground, letting the palms of his hands sink slightly.


    That gesture created other chains, which after popping from the bottom up, continued to twist around Roar, who, unable to resist that incredible power, was forced to kneel, immobilized.


    Gridd slowed down her advance, not being able to believe her own eyes, ecstatic at the sight of that mighty light source, which was actually the manifestation of divine power.


    "Sivert... you... you knew you were going to die... you wanted to protect me, creating this trap... how did you know?!" Karl thought aloud, watching Roar as he tried in vain to move and the shaman''s corpse, sensing the true purpose of that rune on the ground.


    "Grrraaagh! How did you do that?! Let me... let me go!" Roar exclaimed, who stopped squirming when he realized that as his movements increased, the chains became tighter and tighter.


    Meanwhile, Dag had managed to see what had happened behind Freydis, who, since seeing her grandmother''s armband that she had given him, remained motionless, noticing what was happening behind her.


    Dag picked up the hammer from the ground and placed it on the belt magnet, as well as the axe, which when touched the magnet made a metallic sound and emitted some red-hot spark.


    He lowered both arms, joining his hands and turning his palms upwards as if he wanted to collect water to rinse his face.


    From his back and shoulders came the usual grayish gas, which condensed and became dark liquid, sliding towards his hands.


    While the amount of fluid in his palms continued to grow, the temperature of the Altar of the Raven''s Square dropped dramatically.


    Ellen and Sander noticed that their breath began to emit vapor, which was very unusual, considering that a few minutes earlier the weather was mild and the temperature was average.


    Freydis shook her head as if trying to convince herself that looking at that bracelet was not the right thing to do and a second stone blade began to wrap her other arm, one piece at a time.


    The dark fluid in Dag''s hands slowly began to fluctuate upwards, and its molecules thickened to form a more or less regular spherical shape, which continued to move without following the laws of gravity.


    After about twenty seconds, the fluid stopped gushing from his arms, as if his body had run out of stock.


    A sphere with a quite big diameter floated on one of Dag''s hands, which was able to move it as he pleased.


    Freydis, without further hesitation, snapped at him, bringing back both of the sharp obsidian blades, ready to move them simultaneously and use them as huge scissors.


    Dag did the same and began to run towards her, carrying the sphere, which followed his every move.


    The Shieldmaiden waved her arms towards him, cutting the air in front of him, but he pretended to throw the sphere at her and while he was running, he threw himself on the ground, deftly sliding behind her.


    Freydis''s scissors shot did not score, and only when she turned backward, she realized the true intentions of Dag, who after the slide, had used the race as momentum to launch the sphere of dark material at a great distance, precisely towards Roar, who was still immobilized by the chains summoned by Karl with the Ansuz rune.


    The large black ball traveled at a constant speed through the arena, creating a strange optical effect, as if the air around it deformed, assuming a centrifugal motion, from the outside inwards.


    The beast-man, still turning towards Karl, heard only the sound of the approaching object and when he felt the energy, he began to agitate again, emitting excruciating verses, similar to a group of people screaming in unison.


    Dag''s dark sphere hit Roar in full, completely entering his body.


    The next instant, the demon closed his eyes, not knowing what was waiting for him.


    He opened them after a few seconds of silence, beginning to pant in fear.


    "What?! Nothing happened! It''s not possible! Dag, I won''t be able to hold him for much longer!" Karl yelled, noting that the veins of his hands were swelling nonstop.


    Dag stood still looking as he felt one of Freydis''s blades behind him and jumped to dodge it, quickly rising from the ground.


    After another dodge, he pulled out both of his weapons, ready to counter the murderous fury of his woman, still a slave to the Frostsinners.


    Roar looked at his hands and the rest of his body, smiling maliciously after discovering that he was still intact.


    "Hahahaha! Fuck you, insolent, little boy! My lords'' powers are much stronger than yours! My body was able to absorb your blow, you don''t...don''t ... ugh!" exclaimed Roar, who spat blood as he spoke.


    Under the incredulous gaze of Karl and everyone else, his huge white and mighty body began to sink, starting with his arms, whose muscles and bones curved on themselves, crumpling abnormally.


    The hooves shattered into a thousand pieces, making Roar scream even more, so much so that he created a kind of shockwave, which made Karl crawl toward the temple ruins, interrupting the rune''s spell.


    In a second the chains of light dissolved in the air, but despite being free, Roar was now doomed.


    From his chest numerous bundles of dark liquid sprouted out, similar to tentacles, which wrapped the rest of his legs and arms, compressing everything with force, breaking them on each other.


    Roar stopped screaming only when his throat was completely filled with blood, also absorbed by the liquid.

 271 CCLXXI. Gain Some Time

    The last remaining ''piece'' of his body was his head, whose face showed a terrified expression, the last one before being permanently erased when the huge horns pierced his skull and were sucked in from the inside.


    Emitting disgusting sounds of shattered bones and torn flesh, the sphere completely absorbed Roar''s body, of which not a single white hair of thick fur remained.


    "Oh, fuck! This is disgusting!" Ellen exclaimed, unable to watch that abominable scene and shutting her mouth with one hand, while Sander stood beside her, shocked.


    Karl couldn''t help but notice the huge amount of magenta blood and flesh absorbed, imagining the effect it could have on Dag''s human body.


    Freydis, after yet another deftly deflected attack by Dag, paused for a moment when she too was astonished to see the dark sphere floating in the center of the arena and slowly heading towards them, emitting guttural and liquid sounds.


    Dag closed his eyes, focusing on his fluid, which he now perceived as a natural extension of his body: the sphere began to compress on itself and to decrease in volume, emitting at the same time gray gas, resulting from the evaporation of excess muscles and bones, which Dag''s organism would not benefit from.


    After the chemical reaction that lasted a few seconds, it dematerialized into a long fluid beam, flying at great speed towards Dag, who, taking advantage of his opponent''s distraction, jumped towards it.


    The liquid struck Dag in the chest and part of it entered his body through his nose, mouth, and cavities around his eyes.


    Dag uttered groans of pain and disgust as the sphere''s entire fluid mass ran out, becoming part of him.


    He fell to his knees and a dark aura studded with purple lightning bolts enveloped him in full, hiding every part of his body, which must now accept the newly ingested power.


    "What are you doing?!" Sander asked, hoping to get an answer from Dag''s teammates, who knew that unique skill in detail.


    "Dag is absorbing the demon''s vital energy, including his strength... but it was a gamble, I don''t think his body can hold back such great power!" Gridd answered, who had managed to hear Sander''s question despite the din of the dark sphere.


    She thought of when, the last time he had temporarily absorbed powers, he had been obliged to ''devour'' only a part of that Xis woman, whose powers were so high, that if he had absorbed her completely, he would probably die.


    The dark aura around Dag continued to emit unnatural sounds as if a kind of scream was trapped inside a vortex.


    But that scream didn''t seem to belong to him: maybe the life energy of Roar was resisting absorption.


    Freydis dematerialized the obsidian blades around her arms and joined her hands, creating in seconds a huge claymore-like sword made of the same material.


    "We can''t let her get close to him, if he stops absorbing, Dag might get hurt and not be able to fight anymore!" yelled Sander toward Ellen, who realized it was time to intervene.


    While Gridd, Karl and Reidar, waited for the dark aura to fade, praying for Dag''s health, the two Crows Of Odin''s Masters implemented an attack plan on Freydis.


    Sander turned his face to Ellen and lowered himself to his knees, grabbing his own forearms and creating a kind of trampoline for Ellen, who after a deep breath to take courage, ran towards him and placed her foot on his sturdy arms.


    In an incredible show of force, Sander threw Ellen into the air towards Freydis, who was walking slowly to Dag, to interrupt his transformation.


    While in the air, Ellen swirled her rod, which was surrounded by a thin bright green aura.


    After the rotation, which had served to load the weapon of energy, the Shieldmaiden tried to hit Freydis from above, but she turned promptly, raising the claymore''s huge blade and blocking the shot.


    When the spiked head of Ellen''s stick impacted the rocky surface of the sword, a small crack appeared on that precise spot, leaving stunned even Freydis, who was forced to fend off her new opponent, whose blow had been so powerful, that if she continued, her sword would probably shatter.


    Ellen landed with her feet on the ground, while the rod was still wrapped in the same green aura.


    From behind her, Sander ran toward the enemy, charging like an enraged bison.


    Around him, a celestial and transparent spherical barrier took shape, which did not prevent him from continuing his advance towards Freydis, who after noticing that his opponents had changed, hit the air in front of him with a powerful strike, whose shockwave headed at great speed towards Sander.


    He did not move in the slightest, and the half-moon shaped mass of air generated by Freydis''s claymore crashed into the spherical barrier, which did not suffer a scratch.


    Sander snapped forward again and under the astonished gaze of all, managed to hit Freydis with a powerful punch on her chest: after a flight of several meters, the young Shieldmaiden made a backflip, then opened her arms and legs outwards and stopped in mid-air, looking at Sander with a malignant air.


    "Master Sander is really powerful! I''ve never seen him face anyone with all his might! That barrier around him seems indestructible and his fist was able to cause damage to Freydis, despite her incredible defensive powers!" Gridd thought, who despite the anxiety of the moment, felt a sense of satisfaction in seeing Freydis receive a shot.


    The girl under the control of the Frostsinners, flying, dived towards Sander, rotating on herself and trying to hit him with a powerful blow.


    But once again, Sander and Ellen moved in, proving to be incredibly skilled in teamwork.


    Ellen jumped on Sander''s shoulders, which lowered slightly and then pushed her upwards, giving her further momentum toward the enemy.


    But this time Freydis did not stop her blow, which despite being parried by Ellen''s stick, swept her away, amid the rubble of the walls.

 272 CCLXXII. The Spikes

    After hitting the first target, Freydis hit Sander with another shot from above.


    The Master of Defense crossed his arms, trying to further strengthen the celestial barrier around him, but it shattered into a thousand pieces under the girl''s obsidian claymore.


    Sander fell to the ground, breathing hard with the last energies he had in his body.


    Now was the time of Gridd, that snapped at her, attempting to block her advance, but when she saw her coming, she violently slapped her, causing her to crawl back to the spot she came from, near the temple ruins.


    After witnessing the scene, Reidar, seeing Freydis approaching Sander with a menacing air, who could barely move, charged a single arrow, pledging not to activate the power of the Failnaught.


    "I have to hit her in the lower leg, I can''t risk hurting her to death, I would never forgive her!" the archer thought, looking at the aura that enveloped Dag, who was progressively decreasing in volume, letting him see his captain''s hands on the ground.


    When only a few yards separated Freydis from Sander, an arrow hit her in the lower calf, near her ankle.


    She stopped, with annoyed air.


    She raised his stricken leg and violently detached the arrow, throwing it away, feeling no pain, leaving Reidar astonished.


    She was now very close to Sander, while Ellen and Gridd had been momentarily defeated.


    Freydis stretched his legs and stood on him, at his chest, pointing the claymore at it.


    "You will become a great Shieldmaiden, girl... I''m sure you''ll soon snap out of it..." Sander whispered, looking at her with a calm and smiling expression, now resigned to the looming death.


    She looked down at him: the purple of her pupils swayed in the dark black that enveloped her eyes, while the sharp tip of the obsidian claymore entered her Master''s chest, piercing his armor and his flesh.


    Reidar fired another arrow and hit Freydis on the shoulder, but she didn''t move an inch.


    "Captain! Hurry up! There''s not much time!" he yelled at Dag, hoping he could hear those words and speed up the process.


    Freydis continued to look Sander in the eye, which closed, as he emitted groans of pain.


    More than just a kill, that practice had a sadistic background, as if at that moment that young red-haired girl was enjoying the pain that the man was feeling before her eyes, while life was about to gradually abandon his body, during that slow and painful ritual.


    At one point, just as Sander seemed doomed and fainted from the fright, a chain wrapped Freydis'' abdomen, making her loosen her grip on the sword.


    The girl looked down when a second chain grabbed her at the same spot.


    Moments later, an incredible strength pulled Freydis backward, causing her to extract the sword from the helpless body of Sander, who had exhausted his strength to fight.


    The girl ended up with her back to the ground, but with an upside-down she immediately got up, looking over her shoulder, while the chains around her body gave up their grip.


    Kjell was there, with the two weapons in his hands and his face covered in blood that had flowed from his forehead, which had finally stopped.


    The chain-warrior had managed to recover in time, preventing the killing of Sander, who with a few seconds of delay, would have died.


    Freydis stood still, pointing the claymore tip at him, studying his movements, not believing that the chains would be able to drag her away so easily.


    Kjell restarted to twirl the chains around his arms, causing them to slam to the ground and preparing to strike.


    With rapid blows, two cross-shaped shockwaves, similar to the one that had hit Sander''s barrier just before, departed from Freydis'' rocky sword.


    With abnormal agility, Kjell, instead of dodging those incredibly fast shots sideways, snapped forward, jumping and spinning on himself, passing through them.


    When the corner between the two shock waves closed behind him, leaving him unharmed, with a momentum of his arm he threw a chain''s spiked ball towards Freydis, who was hit on the hip, slightly unbalancing backward.


    Kjell returned with his feet to the ground and before he started running again, he swung the other chain too, which, in less than a second, wrapped the girl''s ankle.


    After a violent pull, Freydis was back to the ground.


    Kjell continued to drag the girl''s body forcefully towards him, imagining a way to trap her and possibly cut the rune out of her neck: as he had lost consciousness, he still had been able to summarily feel what happened around him and knew about Inguz and how to free the innocent girl from its power.


    Freydis shoved the claymore blade to the ground and countered the movement of the chains, which stopped.


    She grabbed the one tied around his ankle, lifting her torso off the ground and pulling violently towards her, emitting a verse of effort, for the first time since she had begun to fight in that form.


    Kjell loosened his grip on that chain and pulled the other one, swinging it quickly and trying to hit Freydis again, who after pulling the first one, had fallen back to the ground.


    "Noo!" Karl yelled, fearing that his sister''s end had come, when she raised her arm and grabbed the nailed ball directly over her belly, blocking it.


    Kjell stood still, not believing his eyes.


    One of the spikes of his weapon had pierced the palm of Freydis''s hand, but she still managed to parry the blow, which would have caused her extensive damage, making her easier to fight against.


    With her other hand resting on the handle of his sword, Freydis rose from the ground, while wounds on her hip and legs regenerated.


    Kjell grabbed the chain that had just dropped and pulled the other, but it did not move from the palm of the girl, who shook her bloodied hand.


    He pulled again, but to no avail: Freydis''s grip was incredibly strong and the wound had not helped to diminish her grip strength.

 273 CCLXXIII. The New Form

    After those seconds of frenzy, Gridd and Ellen raised their heads toward the two fighters, recovering from the blow almost simultaneously.


    "I don''t know what you want from this girl or Master Dag and I don''t care. From today, our Clans are allies... any affront to him, will be an affront to us, so... leave this young Shieldmaiden''s body and dare not bring chaos into the home of the mighty Odin, father of all the Gods!" Kjell shouted, preparing to fight in earnest.


    "Captain!"


    Reidar''s voice caught the attention of Kjell and Freydis, who turned to Dag.


    The dark, dense aura that enveloped his blow for several minutes had now disappeared.


    All the skin of his body had become completely black, including that of his face, on which strange red symbols had appeared.


    His hands were still resting on the ground and the transformation was not yet complete: the muscles of his arms increased slightly in volume, with an effect similar to Call of the Berserkr.


    The same happened to his chest and shoulders, which pumped up the armor.


    Dag screamed, shaking the air around him and touching his head with both hands, resting his forehead on the ground.


    The scream terrified his teammates because it was very similar to Roar''s baritone and deep voice.


    Amid his thick blond hair, floating in the air, two small black horns sprang up, less long than those of the goat demon, but equally sharp.


    He continued to writhe from the effort, with both elbows resting on the ground.


    A strange dark aura enveloped him, remaining around him: unlike other times, even his companions, who did not possess Niva or similar abilities, could sense the feeling of it. It was something evil, deep and cold.


    The temperature dropped further, directly proportional to the distance to Dag.


    The noise of bones and muscles in contortion stopped, giving way to the hiss of the wind that had been generated by the transformation.


    Dag put his foot on the ground and his hand on his knee, leveraging to stand up, slowly, as if he was in no hurry.


    His companions, including Freydis, looked at him in amazement, unable to believe that his body had managed to retain all the energy absorbed by that enormous demon, which perhaps weighed more than 300 kg.


    Freydis stepped forward, looking at the new Dag, waiting for him to reciprocate her gaze.


    Very slowly and continuing to breathe anxiously, he stood up completely and raised his face towards her.


    His right eye remained purple, shining much more than before, while his left became ruby red.


    At the sight of that demonic eye, which promised nothing good, Karl backtracked and Gridd approached him.


    "Gridd, I have a bad feeling..." he said, his voice flickering, as Gridd stood silently watching his brother.


    Dag''s body had increased considerably in size: his height remained the same, but the muscle volume of the entire body had almost doubled, making his physical morphologies similar to those of Roar.


    The leg muscles had grown so much that his pants began to tear at the quadriceps, becoming very tight on the calves.


    The two mighty arms were perhaps the point of the body that most affected the increase in volume.


    However, Freydis''s armband was still there, around Dag''s arm, which had tied it tightly, allowing it to widen.


    His breathing had become much heavier than before, he could feel that he needed much more oxygen than usual.


    "Where... what... Freydis..." he thought, looking at what surrounded him in a confused way, barely remembering what had happened a few minutes before.


    Suddenly his stomach began to grumble, caught by a sudden hunger.


    Dag leaned slightly forward, resting his hand on his belly, feeling that irrepressible appetite.


    He breathed deeply with his nose, whose sense of smell had grown exponentially.


    A few feet behind him there was Sivert''s pool of blood, mixed with the Roar purplish one, whose body had disintegrated at that exact point.


    He quickly turned his head in that direction, feeling a primal instinct that went far beyond his comprehension.


    Then snapped towards the pug and reached it in less than a second, landing on all fours next to it.


    Without thinking, he lowered himself to the blood and dipped his hands, beginning to swallow it to feed himself, as a wild animal would do after killing a prey.


    "Dag..." Freydis whispered, stepping toward him, who as soon as he sensed her presence, quickly raised his head towards her, who put her hand on her mouth, trying to hold back the disgust.


    From Dag''s completely bloodied mouth, he could see his teeth, which had become long and sharp, similar to those of a real predator.


    He stood up and walked towards her, saying nothing, just breathing heavily.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena, Freydis''s immobility was chilling: the girl had remained completely stationary in the same position, with the obsidian claymore held with both hands and its tip resting on the ground.


    The Shieldmaiden''s eyes were on Dag, studying every detail of his transformation, calculating its time, size, effectiveness.


    Gridd slowly retreated, failing to recognize his brother in those demonic eyes, which seemed to belong to another dimension.


    Dag curled his nose and made a beastly noise, like the growl of a big feline, scaring her.


    Just as Gridd rested her hand on the hilt of the sword, ready to defend herself in the event of an uncontrolled attack by Dag, he turned his head back again, pointing his eyes at Freydis.


    He lowered himself to the knees and charged a dash, before sprinting at great speed towards her, continuing to growl uncontrollably.


    Freydis stood still, raising the tip of the sword forward.


    Dag charged towards her, running on all fours and following a strange curved trajectory, similar to that of a predator that wants to disorient its prey.


    When he was close enough, she snapped forward, trying to hit him with a slash.


    Dag, who had jumped towards her, seeing the rocky blade of the claymore come upon him, quickly moved his arm.

 274 CCLXXIV. The Brotherly Concern

    Dag''s blow struck Freydis''s sword, whose blade shattered into a thousand pieces.


    Soon after, with his other arm, he punched the girl''s chest, which flew away, violently impacting a wall.


    After that counterattack, he opened his arms outwards and clenched his fists, growling so hard to make the ground around him shake and the birds that populated the woods around Skjegg fly away frightened.


    From the grayish dust of the walls, Freydis again sprang up, which without even resting her feet on the ground, flew towards Dag at great speed, generating two small obsidian blades around her wrists.


    With a spin on herself, she stuck both blades into Dag''s belly, but he remained motionless.


    Freydis then, noting that her opponent was not suffering substantial damage, violently rotated the blades embedded in his body, causing a noise of torn flesh.


    Dag continued to breathe and look at Freydis, wearing an air of wickedness.


    At one point, the beastly breath stopped and he clenched his teeth, beginning to squeeze his body, hardening the muscles of his abdomen.


    In general astonishment, both rocky blades embedded in his belly were slowly expelled by the mere strength of the muscles and nerves of his beastly physique.


    Freydis, who had continued to push inwards, noting that her strength was not comparable to that of her opponent, went into confusion and remained motionless for a few seconds.


    Just at that juncture, Dag grabbed the girl''s wrist and pulled it towards him, hitting her on the forehead with a headbutt.


    As had happened to Roar, Dag''s head between the two horns, following the transformation, had become as hard as iron.


    Freydis staggered backward, raising her head upwards after the impact, while Dag held her up grabbing her arm.


    After a few moments, when she managed to look him back in the eye, he lifted her off the ground and grabbed her by the top of the armor.


    He rotated on himself and as if he was an Olympic shot-putter, threw the girl back into the wall, deepening the rubble.


    "Dag, stop! You''re going to kill her like this!" Karl yelled, fearing for the life of his sister, through whose veins the darkness was still flowing.


    The wounds on Dag''s belly regenerated instantly, leaving two large holes in his armor.


    This time, before Freydis could get up by her own strength, Dag ran at great speed towards her, grabbing her armor again and lifting her from the pile of dust and rocks.


    He threw her to the ground and she began to retreat, realizing that she could not face such a powerful opponent.


    He lowered himself to her, who immediately crossed her arms in front of him, releasing a shockwave, which made Dag''s feet crawl on the ground only a few centimeters.


    He tried again, but she managed to defend herself for the second time, creating a kind of obsidian shield on her forearm, which was snatched away forcefully by Dag, who continued to look at the girl''s neck.


    "He almost made it... Dag hasn''t completely lost his consciousness, look! He''s watching Freydis''s rune intently, he''s going to take it off her neck!" Gridd exclaimed, consoling Karl, who continued to tremble in fear of losing his sister.


    Freydis, while still on the ground, hit Dag with both feet, kicking him in the chest and causing him to back down.


    Soon after, she rose to her feet floating, but Dag immediately recovered from the blow and punched her violently in the face, knocking her down again.


    Trying to unnecessarily lift her shoulders off the terrain, which moved jerkily because of the stun, Freydis was blocked by a hand from Dag, who squeezed her neck.


    The girl began to squirm again, starting to choke.


    "Gridd... Gridd! It just seems to me that he wants to kill her! What the fuck are you doing?! We have to stop him! Help me, please!" Karl exclaimed again, his heart down his throat, as Gridd held him still with a hand on his chest, hoping Dag would do what it took to break the Frostsinners'' control spell.


    As Dag continued to tighten Freydis''s neck, which was beginning to lose consciousness, Karl freed himself from Gridd''s grasp and ran to his bestial companion, who noticed his advance out of the corner of his eye and before he could interfere, waved his arm and struck him, knocking him back.


    Karl fell with his back to the ground, but then he nimbly got up, sprinting back to the two opponents.


    "You''re killing my sister, Dag! Stop it! Reidar, help me! Hit him! Master Sander, Master Ellen, please!" Karl continued, unnecessarily slamming his fists on Dag''s back, which felt only a slight tingling, similar to an itch.


    Dag hit him again, causing him to crawl on the ground to Ellen''s feet, which helped him to get up and stopped him before he could walk back.


    "Boy, listen to me! Stay still, wait! Wait for a second!" she shouted, blocking Karl by the shoulders as he tried to wriggle out to reach his sister again.


    "Your companion has traveled to an unknown island and faced incredibly strong warriors... and all this just to see your sister again... the love he feels for her is superior to the instincts of which his body is impregnated at this moment! I know you''re scared, but look... look carefully!" Master Ellen continued, grabbing Karl''s cheeks with one hand and forcing him to look.


    As Freydis''s arms and legs grew weaker and rested on the ground, barely moving, Dag continued to tighten her neck.


    The girl''s face, despite her very clear skin, had turned even paler in the absence of oxygen, while her purple and black eyes began to tear, showing Dag that incredibly human feeling she was experiencing at the time: the fear of dying.


    He approached Freydis''s ears, which could not move and was slowly losing track of the present.


    "Resist... my love..." whispered in a chilling voice, while his heavy breath grazed the girl''s neck.

 275 CCLXXV. The Severing

    After those words, which seemed to elicit no sensation in her, Dag opened his jaws and bit her neck violently, right where the runic scar was.


    Freydis, caught in uncontrollable pain, began to agitate with her last strength, trying to wriggle out of his grip and hardly scratching Dag behind his back, causing deep furrows in his skin, which stuck under her nails.


    With a decisive gesture of the head upwards and his jaw clenched, Dag tore a thin piece of flesh from Freydis''s neck, surgically removing the flap of skin on which Inguz was engraved from her body.


    Suddenly, the girl''s screams and groans subsided, as did Karl and the others, who were watching the scene expecting the worst.


    Dag turned his head to one side and spat out the piece of flesh, which after twirling in the air, ended up on the dusty ground of the arena, which got wet by the blood of the young Shieldmaiden, whose eyes began to close, losing consciousness.


    He lowered himself back towards her and bit her again, leaving the grip on her neck, in which air began to circulate again, filling Freydis''s lungs.


    Dag''s cheeks curved inwards and he began to suck the inside of the wound.


    Gridd walked towards him, unable to understand what he was going to do.


    "You cut off the wound, saving her again, Dag... what are you doing now?! Did the smell of blood go to your head?!" he thought, walking with circumspection, while his brother looked like a feeding lion.


    The dark veins that covered the girl''s body slowly disappeared, letting that strange liquid flow into her neck, while Dag began to swallow it as if it was a valued food.


    "Dag?! Brother, that''s enough! The rune has been removed, Freydis is safe!" Gridd exclaimed, trying to communicate with him, who seemed to ignore those words, continuing to suck the liquid, until his woman''s body was completely emptied.


    With one hand behind her nape, he gently placed Freydis''s head on the ground and then turned behind to Gridd, who was petrified.


    Dag''s left eye was still red, his skin black and his teeth sharp.


    The demonic transformation had not yet worn off.


    Dag looked again at Freydis, who had lost consciousness, but whose face had returned to the normal complexion, slightly paler than usual.


    Karl ran towards them, beginning to extract potions and bandages from his healer box, ready to medicate his sister''s wounds.


    "Dag! You did it! Now move from there, let me heal the wound!" he yelled, thrilled that his friend had succeeded in his intent and anxious for Freydis to wake up again.


    Seeing Karl arriving, Dag moved in with a snap, shaking his head and continuing to breathe deeply.


    "Hey... you can stay calm now... tell me how I can help you..." Gridd said, reaching out a hand toward her brother, who was still uttering strange verses.


    In addition to the enormous power absorbed from Roar, another external element was now circulating in his blood system.


    That substance of which Freydis''s veins were full was highly indigestible, despite Dag''s metabolism, able to digest just about anything.


    The dark liquid kept moving inside his intestines and his gaze began to cloud.


    Karl lowered himself toward Freydis, smearing an ointment on her wound and wiping the blood with a white cloth.


    Everyone else kept looking at Dag, unable to tell if he was more of a man or more of a beast at the time.


    He roared, feeling a severe cramp in his stomach and scaring Gridd, who as he was approaching her, stepped back, frightened.


    Breathing calmly, Dag managed for a few moments to regain lucidity: his body needed blood, nourishment.


    He felt a strong appetite and kept licking his lips, wet with Freydis''s blood.


    It was an irrepressible feeling independent of his will and sometimes that primal instinct managed to get the better of his humanity, obscured by all that power.


    Gridd continued to back down as Reidar and the other three Masters approached.


    Kjell, Sander, and Ellen were wounded and exhausted, but happy that the danger had been eliminated.


    "Congratulations, boy!" exclaimed Sander, resting his hand on Dag''s shoulder, in his usual friendly ways.


    As soon as his hand touched his shoulder, Dag grabbed his wrist with one hand and throat with the other, causing him to fall back to the ground and climbing with both feet above his stomach, immobilizing him.


    They all stood still, but only for a few seconds until they realized that Dag was serious and if no one interrupted him, he would risk killing the Master Of Defense.


    Dag! What the fuck are you doing?!" Gridd yelled again, moving behind him and grabbing him by the neck, pulling him backward.


    He did not move in the slightest, continuing to tighten Sander''s throat, whose face turned purple as he choked.


    As Gridd tried to pull him away, he put a hand on her chest and pushed her, knocking her to the ground.


    When he placed also the second hand around Sander''s neck, he felt an incredible sense of pleasure, as if all that pain, those fatigued breaths, that feeling of helplessness in front of his strength, gave him a sense of enjoyment.


    The feeling lasted until a chain wrapped his neck, pulling him away and slamming him to the ground.


    In an incredibly agile movement, Dag rose from the ground and rotated on himself, freeing from the grip of Kjell''s chain, which had managed to intervene promptly.


    "Hey... what''s wrong with you, kid? What were you going to do... ?" Kjell asked, in a surprisingly calm tone of voice, ready to stop Dag again if needed.


    Another moment of lucidity crossed Dag''s mind like an electric shock.


    Although he was sorry for his gesture, he could not utter a single word: nothing from his mouth came out but roars and animal verses.


    She looked again at Sander when Ellen leaned over to him and helped him sit down, while he coughed, touching his throat.

 276 CCLXXVI. The Overpowering Instinc

    At the same moment, Karl, who was still busy with Freydis''s wound, laid down one of the cloths he had used to clean it from the blood.


    As soon as the white piece of cloth, which had turned completely red, touched the ground, Dag began to shake his head again.


    His sense of smell had quadrupled compared to his normal condition, and the air around him was impregnated again with that bloody smell, coming from the dirty cloth.


    Seized by the beastly instinct, while Kjell waited for an answer, Dag turned back to Freydis, grabbing Karl by the neck of the armor and lifting him, throwing him backward and causing him to fall to the ground.


    He pounced again on Freydis, intent on taking another bite at that appetizing wound, which oozed warmblood, but once again, one of Kjell''s chains stopped him, twisting around his arm.


    Against his will, Dag looked at him, turning suddenly.


    With a sudden movement of the chained arm, he managed to lift Kjell and project him in front of him, throwing him away like a rock tied to a rope.


    The Crows Of Odin''s Master Of Offense, while the adrenaline of the fight still flowed through his blood, managed to hook the other chain to Dag''s leg, dragging him along.


    Dag crawled with his knees to the ground and without breaking free from the metal grip of that weapon, tried again to reach Freydis''s body, but he was dragged away by Karl and Gridd, who had realized they could not trust him at the time.


    Kjell violently strangled his leg, causing no pain to Dag''s body, which with his new physical abilities felt only a sense of discomfort to the calf.


    After being pulled unnecessarily, he stood up and roared at Kjell, spreading his arms downwards and staring at him with his demonic eyes.


    Kjell regained his breath and looked back, calling the two chains back to him.


    "And now what? After saving the city from a ferocious monster, did you become the monster to defeat?!" he asked, trying to ironize and make fun of Dag, who despite his transformation, did not seem to intimidate him.


    "Grraaagh!" roared Dag again, sprinting on all fours toward Kjell, jumping towards his neck, as he had done just before with Sander.


    He tried to dodge his opponent''s charge by moving sideways, but Dag intercepted him, grabbing him by the flap of the armor and pulling it, tearing it apart.


    Kjell writhed from the grip and, in a stinging gesture, tore the rest of the armor off his back, standing shirtless, intending to face Dag.


    On the chest of the man with the red mohawk, a hundred different runes reached up to the lower part of the abdomen, while chains were tattooed around the pectoral muscles, continuing behind the shoulders.


    Under the astonished gaze of Gridd and Reidar, terrified of seeing Dag losing control and attacking his new allies, Dag charged back to Kjell, who made both chains twirl from the bottom up.


    Running on all fours and almost forgetting about his weapons, which hung from his belt, Dag snapped even faster, attempting to punch him, but the chain-warrior lowered himself and wrapped a chain around his wrist, deftly moving behind him and pulling violently, breaking it.


    "Aaaagh! Grraaaagh!"


    Chilling verses rumbled across the walls, while Dag, with his wrist broken, once again attempted to hit his opponent, using his other arm.


    Kjell dodged the first shot with ease, then also the second and third, slightly bending his torso backward, continuing to look at Dag with a serious and determined look.


    One of his chains moved towards him as if he was a snake on the attack and firmly wrapped his arm with the broken wrist.


    In a quick motion, continuing to dodge the blows of his beastly opponent, he managed within seconds to block both his arms with the two chains, which soon after crossed and crushed with one foot: with a game of levers, Dag''s arms did the same thing and he found himself on his knees, arms immobilized and tied together.


    "I think it''s time to calm down" Kjell continued, trying to make contact with the real Dag, who was somewhere behind those scary eyes.


    He lowered his head, progressively slowing his breathing and his heartbeat.


    About a minute passed when Kjell took his foot off the chains and freed Dag, held in place like a ferocious beast.


    Ellen and Sander continued to witness the scene, as did Gridd and Reidar who did not know how to behave in those circumstances.


    Kjell called back the chains, which crawled slowly on the ground and walked towards him, but suddenly, Dag''s hand moved quickly forward and grabbed them both.


    He had taken advantage of those quiet moments waiting for his broken wrist to self-repair and it had happened.


    The other hand also clung to Kjell''s chains, which he forcefully tried to pull at him, unnecessarily.


    Dag stood up, looking up.


    "Oh no... Dag, please..." Gridd thought out loud, losing hope and fearing for the health of her brother, but especially for that of Kjell, who did not know what he was going to face.


    When he pulled both of Kjell''s chains, they detached from his hands, leaving him speechless and unarmed.


    His physical strength was impressive and none of the warriors present could keep up with him.


    Before acting again without thinking, Dag stopped, letting go of the chains, which ended up on the ground.


    Flashbacks came to his mind: he and Freydis were walking to the arena in Jernhest and trained together.


    The vision was incredibly real, his subconscious was trying to get in touch with him, to free him from that primal and bloodthirsty state.


    Dag shook his head again, touching his forehead and stepping back.


    Then he grabbed Freydis''s armband, still wrapped on his arm, and detached it, looking at it between his hands.


    Struggling against himself, he dropped the silver object to the ground, while subtle tears fell from his eyes, during that vortex of conflicting emotions, in which a violent internal struggle involved even the deepest layers of his soul.

 277 CCLXXVII. The Baby Deer

    Before Kjell or the others could intervene, Dag bent over his knees and took a forward dash, alternating rapid movements of arms and legs, which moving like those of a feline, allowed him to run almost twice the speed, taking advantage of all four limbs.


    Under the astonished gaze of his allies, this time he did not attack any of them, merely looking at them and running away.


    Within seconds, he arrived near the walls of the arena, precisely where they had been partially destroyed and passed through, disappearing at the sight of his companions.


    Once out of the Altar of the Raven''s Square, he jumped onto the roof of a nearby house, clinging to the tiles and straw and kept on running on all fours until he reached the foot of the huge Skjegg''s rocky walls.


    Without stopping for a moment and trying not to be noticed by the people, he jumped towards the rocks of the mountain and clung to it, releasing a considerable amount of dark fluid, which took the usual arms-shape.


    Helping himself with both of them, Dag began to climb above the Rocky Crown, intending to flee the city.


    As the huge dark arms penetrated the rock and lifted their master, his allies, still stationary in the center of the arena, were able to see him clearly.


    "Dag..." Gridd whispered, while under Karl''s careful hands, Freydis''s face began to resume its good complexion.


    Reidar, beside them, looked toward the mountains, feeling deeply sorry, as if at that moment, he was sharing the pain that Dag was feeling, forced to move away from them so as not to risk losing control altogether.


    In less than a minute he reached the top of the walls, arousing the gaze of some attentive citizen, which did not miss that ''unidentified'' object capable of climbing a mountain that should have been unscalable.


    A group of Crows Of Odin warriors was chatting about the most and least when one of Dag''s dark arms reached the road that ran through the circumference of the Rocky Crown, piercing the ground and dragging him up.


    The young warriors wielded their weapons in haste and fury, caught off guard.


    When they saw Dag''s face, with black skin and red runic symbols, they stopped looking at him, unable to move.


    He gave them a look, which made them shudder further when they noticed that his eyes were different one from the other and seemed to express pure darkness.


    Fortunately for them, although in the final minutes before Skjegg''s escape Dag''s primal instinct had taken over his consciousness, he merely overcame the great wall that separated him from the rest of Runar.


    Moving like a giant spider, using his huge, fluid arms, Dag climbed also the long beam gate of which the outer surface of the Rocky Crown was surrounded.


    The few warriors on the walls let him do it, in disbelief at what they were observing, while in the arena his companions wondered perplexed where Dag was heading, worrying about him.


    "If you want, you can stay here with Freydis, surely she will need help. I''m going to look for the captain, I can''t leave him alone out there" Reidar said in a firm tone, heading alone to the exit of the square, towards the tunnel leading out of Skjegg.


    "Reidar! Wait, I''m coming with you" Gridd said, who was half-stunned, following him as Karl devoted himself to healing Kjell''s wounds and Ellen took care of Sander, showing off her incredible healing skills, even superior to the offensive ones.


    Meanwhile, Dag had left the city, intent on getting away from it as much as possible.


    The Runar region, with its many forests and forests, would surely offer him shelter to hide temporarily, he just had to choose the exact spot.


    Trying not to cross the main roads, like the one they had traveled a few days earlier to go to Gurn, he headed for the first group of oak trees he could see.


    Because of the run and his new transformation, not comparable to those suffered in the past, his vision had clouded and a red halo surrounded the objects around him, confusing sometimes disorienting him.


    In addition to the sight, the smell had also undergone profound changes: while before he was able to focus on only one target, trying to understand its distance, size, and essence, now his nose continued to sniff everything, amplifying all the smells that surrounded him, from that of plants and flowers to that of insects, rodents and other animals that populated those woods.


    The dark arms re-entered his body, while he still felt the fatigue of the fight against Freydis and Kjell and during the run, his legs slowly began to give way.


    Dag continued to advance through the dense vegetation, moving branches and shrubs with his mighty arms and breathing hard, progressively slowing the pace.


    In his mind he felt a kind of blockage as if something prevented him from thinking freely, forcing him to put his attention on his stomach, which continued to grumble incessantly in search of food to satisfy his appetite.


    The vegetation progressively grew thicker, when, after moving the umpteenth plant, he found himself in front of a baby deer, intent on burning the grass under its hooves.


    As soon as Dag''s gaze arose on that succulent little animal, without thinking twice, with a very quick gesture, he took a swipe at it, grabbing it by a back leg, while the poor fawn, realizing too late that he was in danger, tried to escape, shaking its body.


    Dag''s mind had completely blurred again.


    Several minutes passed when he returned to himself, sitting on the ground, near large roots, and with his back resting on the trunk of an imposing tree.


    Before he got his bearings, he could not fail to notice that his hands were completely bloodied and that blood covered his wrists, up to his forearms.


    A few meters away from him, a cluster of small bones, made him guess that there was nothing left of the poor fawn.

 278 CCLXXVIII. Memories In A Dream

    He opened his mouth to breathe, when, opening his sharp teeth, he felt a foreign body wedged between them and touched it with his tongue.


    Unable to understand what that soft thing was, he grabbed it with his fingers, pulling it out of his jaws.


    When he discovered that it was a skein of brown fur, soaked in blood and saliva and half-chewed, a feeling of disgust pervaded his throat.


    He turned to one side and began to vomit, realizing that against his will, he had just ingested something like 25 kg of raw flesh, including organs, blood, and cartilage parts of his prey.


    When he finished vomiting, the stench around him became unbearable and he got up from the ground, leaving without thinking twice.


    While still looking for a shelter where he could rest, hoping not to lose control of his body and his actions again, the Sun filtering weakly through the thick vegetation of that stretch of the deep forest began to set, slowly leaving room for the dark of the evening.


    "I will spend the night here, in this forest. I have to stay away from every town nearby, it would be too dangerous. I need to find a more sheltered spot, away from everything and everyone" Dag thought, opening and closing his eyes, whose gaze was still clouded by red.


    Although he was already at the most hidden point of the wood, where the artificial lights of the torches did not reach the slightest, he was perfectly able to see, distinguishing even the plants around him and the lizards that climbed the tree trunks.


    It was as if he was getting used to all that power as if those so developed senses had always belonged to him.


    With his belly full, but inexplicably grumbling again, Dag stood behind a rock face under a small ravine nestled in the trees.


    Following his instinct, he sank to the ground, on wide, fluffy leaves, which gave some relief to his tired body and tried to close his eyes and fall asleep, hoping in that way to dispose of all the blood magenta absorbed by Roar.


    Meanwhile, Gridd and Roar had come out of Skegg and found themselves at a crossroads, from which several roads branched out.


    Reidar lowered himself to the ground, touching it with his fingers, trying to locate footprints that would allow him to guess the direction Dag had followed.


    "These are the wheels of a wagon and these are probably the footprints of horse hooves... the captain chose to get out of Skjegg by climbing the walls, I doubt he went down one of these roads" he said, looking around and reflecting.


    "But... if your speech is correct, how are we going to find him? Look, there are thousands of trees and wherever you turn there is a different forest! It''s going to be impossible!" Gridd said, scratching her head.


    As his companions tried to figure out the way to find Dag and bring him back to town, he had finally managed to fall asleep, ending that hellish day.


    ...


    "The mouflon is a mammal that inhabits hilly regions with rocky areas in which to take refuge in case of danger. Despite its generally peaceful attitude towards humans and other animals, if provoked, it can be very dangerous. The male of this species, in fact, is equipped with two large curved horns and the front of his skull is particularly hard and resistant, allowing him to defend himself strongly in case of need..." Lady Ysabel said, explaining to her pupils the main features of the animal shown in the image on the book in front of them, during the natural science class.


    "Wow, it looks really big and mighty! I think it''s much better never to be in front of such an animal, I would die of fear! What do you think, Daggy?" Hiro whispered in a low voice, slightly bending his head toward his bench mate, intent on following the lesson carefully.


    "The book says it is a fairly common mammal in mountainous areas... who knows if I''ll ever meet one on my destination planet..." Dag replied, trying not to be discovered by his teacher as he chatted with his friend.


    "Hahah! Tell me the truth... If you see it in front of you, ready to frame you, you would shit in your pants, wouldn''t you? Look at those horns! Even a strong, mighty man would be knocked out!" Hiro replied, chuckling.


    "Hiro, Dag... even today you are constantly chatting, disturbing your companions who are interested in the lesson. If I continue to get your buzz in the background, Lady Mary will accompany you to the dorm and you will be grounded for a week! Am I clear?" Lady Ysabel exclaimed, turning to them, who immediately looked down on their books again, pretending to be innocent.


    "I''m sorry, Lady Ysabel, it''s not going to happen again!" Dag answered without looking up, regretting having talked to Hiro, who was a tireless chatterbox and during the reproach continued undaunted to giggle under his head, risking angering the teacher.


    "So where did we get to?... Ah, yes... the largest specimens can weigh about 40 kg and their diet consists mainly of..."


    The nanny continued to speak to the class, and Dag pointed his gaze at the picture of the animal by resting a finger on its horns and moving it on the sheet following their spiral shape, thinking back to the words of his friend Hiro, which made the lessons much less boring.


    ...


    "Uh?!"


    He opened his eyes again, breathing hard, while in front of his mouth, his breath lifted the dust of the ground.


    Immediately he touched his head and his hand flourished one of his little black horns.


    For a moment, a smile lit up his face.


    "What would you say about me, my friend, if you knew that not only did I meet many mouflons, but that two horns similar to theirs grew among my hair?" he thought, recalling the words of his friend, who had appeared to him in a dream more than once.

 279 CCLXXIX. Apologize

    After his eyes focused on the plants surrounding his hiding place, he slowly fell back asleep, trying to immerse himself again in his previous dream, so that he could return to Earth with his childhood friend, of whom he had not heard from since the Temporum.


    ...


    The Sun began to make its way through the leaves of the large trees of the Runar Forest, partially illuminating the soil and the undergrowth, in which its inhabitants awoke for a new day.


    A sudden noise coming from a bush near his hideout caused Dag to wake up, opening his eyes wide and sitting, resting his hands on his weapons, ready to pull them out despite still being sleepy.


    The bushes and branches continued to move, causing a group of squirrels hidden inside of them to escape, and dangling after acknowledging rumors, Dag calmed down, resting his back against the rock face.


    "In my opinion, we are not far away, his footprints lead to... Oh! Here he is! Captain!" Reidar exclaimed, who made his way through the thick vegetation, followed by Gridd, whose eyes twinkled with happiness after seeing his brother, safe and sound.


    "Hello, guys..." Dag said, scratching his head and discovering with surprise that he no longer had the two horns.


    "Dag, you''re fine! Your face and eyes... it all seems normal! How do you feel?" Gridd asked, moving Reidar and leaning down towards Dag, stroking his face.


    "Uhm... Yes. I think so" Dag replied, continuing to scratch his head and starting to breathe slowly again, warning that even the capacity of his lungs had diminished, after returning to his human form.


    "Captain, what happened to you is incredible! Karl and I believed your body wouldn''t be able to hold so much energy!" Reidar replied, staring at Dag, relieved he was fine.


    "I had no choice... we wouldn''t have been able to face Roar and Freydis otherwise. It was the only solution that crossed my mind. But I risked harming everyone, I felt deep anger, as well as an uncontrollable hunger... I was forced to run away from Skjegg... rather, tell me, how is Freydis?" he asked, recalling that he had ripped a piece of flesh out of her neck.


    "Freydis is fine, brother, don''t worry. Everybody''s fine. Thanks to Karl and Ellen''s care, their wounds will be fully healed at this point. We don''t know anything else, Reidar and I spent the night looking for you in the woods" Gridd added, stretching her arms upwards and sighing deeply.


    "I think because of me, the Crows Of Odin won''t want to be part of the Iron Alliance anymore... who would choose to put their people constantly in danger?" Dag said, looking down.


    "There''s only one way to find it out. Come on, let''s go back to Skjegg and get on the Rocky Crown. Once we get there, we''ll figure out what to do" Gridd continued, helping his brother to get up from the ground.


    The three companions walked through the dense vegetation of that stretch of the forest until they found a path leading to the crossroad just outside Skjegg.


    To his astonishment, Dag noticed that he had not actually traveled much, even though he had strayed several miles into his mind.


    When they arrived in front of the city''s entrance gallery, the guards let them pass them without questions.


    With no hesitation, they climbed the walls through the huge wooden elevators.


    Dag felt a strange sensation, as if he sensed deeply guilty, despite having managed with his only strength to eliminate the threat, killing Roar and saving Freydis, who continued to float in his mind.


    At the top of the Rocky Crown, a group of warriors carried wheelbarrows containing boulders and wooden beams, as well as other tools, such as hammers, ropes, and more.


    The three of them got out of the elevator, making room for the warriors in front of them, who, in all likelihood, lead to the Altar of the Raven''s Square, to repair the damage caused the day before.


    "Well, let''s say that... the issue of the square, also called ''the holiest place in the city'', may be the only major problem, since we fought among its walls without thinking about the consequences..." Gridd thought aloud, looking at those people with tools and making Dag think about that particular.


    The path engraved on the top of the mountain led them to the Masters'' palace, where their allies, including Karl and Freydis, who for obvious reasons had not gone deep with them into the forest, were supposed to be.


    Before they entered the gray brick building, someone walked out the door at a brisk pace.


    Sander, seeing them arrive towards his palace, rushed to welcome them.


    "Master Dag... the only thing I wish to say is that... I''m really happy that you''re okay" he exclaimed, slightly bowing his head, as his thick black beard curled under his chin, skimming his abundant belly.


    "Thank you, Master Sander. I too feared I wouldn''t make it. Anyway, I owe you and your colleagues my humble apologies. After absorbing Roar''s powers, something changed within me and an animal instinct took over my human consciousness. I know it''s not a valid justification, but just remember that when I tried to attack you, I wasn''t able to control my actions" Dag replied, bowing in turn and trying to be as polite as possible, acknowledging that he was not the one who could dictate rules there, despite being the Iron Alliance Warchief.


    "For a moment, yesterday I thought you were going to kill me and steal my emblem, kid!" exclaimed Kjell, joining the conversation, walking slowly out the door, his face smiling but tired after the battle.


    A bandage of white fabric covered his forehead, from which he had lost a lot of blood after Roar''s frame.


    "I apologize to all of you, but especially to you, Master Kjell. In those moments, losing control, I wasn''t even aware of fighting you. In my vision, you were just another obstacle between me and my prey. It was disgusting, believe me" Dag continued, feeling a strong sense of shame.

 280 CCLXXX. The Infirmary

    "It doesn''t matter, don''t worry. If you hadn''t been there, it would have been really hard to kill that demon. Now, considering that our alliance has been sealed and that this morning we have reassured our citizens, explaining that there is nothing to fear... I think it''s time for you to tell us more about your powers and what happened in your past. You didn''t seem so amazed to see such a being, half-beast half-man... I guess you''ve seen much worse things" Kjell continued, pointing to the entrance of the palace and inviting his interlocutors to enter it.


    Dag, Gridd, and Reidar followed Kjell and Sander, who after entering the ground-floor room, stopped.


    "Your woman is in there, along with her brave brother, who hasn''t separated from her for a second, sleeping on the floor all night long" Sander exclaimed, smiling and pointing to a door ajar.


    Dag nodded his head and without thinking twice, entered that room, which seemed a kind of infirmary, judging by the amount of medical material resting on the shelves by the walls.


    Freydis was there, lying on a bed, with Karl sitting next to her, holding her hand and gently stroking it.


    When Dag entered, they both turned to him, happy to notice that he had returned to normal and didn''t even have a scratch.


    "Hey... hello..." he whispered, approaching Freydis''s bed and continuing to look at her, while her eyes, even if half-closed, reciprocated his gaze and a slight smile lit up her face.


    "You''re alive!" Karl exclaimed, who judging by his tone of voice, had not closed his eye all night.


    "Yes, let''s say yes... how are you?" Dag asked, shaking Freydis''s hand and moving her hair, to better see the condition of the wound he had caused her.


    "She''s already feeling better, she will fully recover in a few days. Her body is devoid of energy, but her mind is back to the same as before, as well as her eyes" Karl added, looking pleased with his sister.


    A sterile and damp bandage rested on her neck, which seemed to have stopped bleeding.


    "Rest, my love. When you will regain your strength, you''ll tell me how you felt when we fought against each other. Sleep, Freydis..." Dag whispered, continuing to caress his woman''s hand and cheek, who after seeing him, calmed down and closed her eyes keeping a serene expression.


    Dag left the room and headed to the upstairs library, followed by all three of his companions, after Freydis had fallen asleep.


    In addition to Sander and Kjell, Ellen was also sitting at the room''s large wooden table and sipped mead from a large mug resting in front of her.


    When she saw Dag, she just smiled at him and nodded her head, sketching a greeting.


    Her face was covered in scratches and bruises, and once again, Dag felt guilty, realizing that he had contributed to the wounds of his companions.


    The four teammates sat around the table with the other three Masters, while the elderly librarian walked slowly up and down the upper-floor stairs, bringing more mead to serve to guests.


    Spending some time talking about Dag''s powers and how he felt after the Roar''s body absorption, he found that his new allies felt no grudge against him, paying more attention to the victory than to its manner.


    Although they had been wounded and their sacred square had been half destroyed, Sander and the other two only flooded Dag with questions, asking him to describe even the bodily sensations his physique felt when his blood and that of the demon mingled before his skin turned black, his eye red like a ruby, and his teeth long and sharp.


    He explained everything, in detail: he told of the insatiable appetite, the blurred gaze, the loss of memory and cognition of what he was doing.


    He also told them the reason for his escape, which would help prevent further damage to property and people.


    "How did you know that the liquid that Freydis''s veins were filled with had to be extracted like that?" Ellen asked, who briefly looked at Dag suspiciously.


    "I didn''t know. I saw her veins swell under the pressure that substance was exerting inside them, and I thought that because of the ability my lungs had at the time, I could use the wound as a quick channel to extract that junk out of her body" Dag said, in a tone of voice that hinted at his honesty.


    After a chat that lasted just over an hour, the curiosities of the three Masters had been almost completely fulfilled, except for the perpetual sense of wonder that enveloped their minds, not knowing any individual capable of doing the same things as Dag, who in addition to showing excellent strategic and combat skills, had proven to himself and to others to have an equally firm spirit, capable of retaining such a high amount of evil energy.


    "In all my years of life, I had never seen a demonic creature like that and witnessed the total loss of control of one of my warriors" Sander said, continuing to drink and referring to Freydis and when her eyes turned black and purple.


    Dag nodded, confirming that he agreed with his statement, but Sander continued: "From my intuition and Roar''s words, they were the Xis who gave him all that power and took over the body of the young Freydis, is that right?"


    "Yes, that''s it" Dag replied, pouring more alcohol into his almost empty glass.


    "What I''m asking is... what do these beings want from you, Dag? I mean... I don''t even know how they look like, the only things I know reside in the stories I heard as a child, when my parents told me the legends of the Earth, because in turn they had heard those stories from someone else, maybe an earthling, I don''t know" Sander continued, reflecting aloud, drawing the attention of his colleagues, who turned their gaze toward him.

 281 CCLXXXI. The Self Consciousness

    Dag, before answering, paused for a moment to think, being very impressed by Sander''s observation that despite his age and lifestyle, was trying to observe things outside the box, finally beginning to understand that there was something greater than them, the Clans, the gold, the food, and the battles.


    "Looking at their appearance, I don''t think you''d be surprised. They are identical to us, perfectly human-shaped¡­ the only thing that changes is the color of their skin and that of their eyes".


    Before continuing, Dag looked at Gridd for a moment, wondering if it was appropriate to talk to Sander and the others about his true origins.


    She nodded her head, advising her brother that he could trust them.


    "I was saying... their eyes... they''re identical to this one" Dag continued, pointing to his right eye, which looked at all three of his interlocutors, who for a moment pretended not to understand.


    A second passed when Ellen suddenly rose from her chair and stepped back.


    "And what does that mean?! Are you one of them?!" she exclaimed, with a worried air, after swallowing a sip of mead.


    "The story is a little more complicated... of course I am not one of them, as evidenced by the fact that several times I was forced to face and kill them. Let''s say that... something in my blood is very similar to their one, as well as my powers. I''m trying to figure out what kind of connection there is between me and the Xis and trust me, sometimes even I can hardly believe it" Dag sighed, knowing that explaining the whole story of his bloodline would be difficult.


    Ellen continued to look at him with a puzzled air, not knowing what kind of reaction to have.


    Kjell, after those words, sat down, without saying a word.


    "Personally, I don''t care where your powers come from, Master Dag. I''ve known you for a few days, but you''ve proven that you''re serving justice, helping us defeat our rival Clan. If these unknown beings want to kill or kidnap you, they''ve got to get past me!" Sander said aloud, standing up and resting his hands on the table, with a determined look that stunned Dag and his companions.


    The Master of Defense cared a lot about him, even though, during his demonic transformation, he had tried to kill him.


    "Listen to me, Masters... my brother''s origins are unknown to everyone, even to himself. But I have never questioned his humanity, I think you all had proof of it! Dag, explain to them why you wanted to create the Iron Alliance" Gridd interjected, ready to play with an open hand.


    "I firmly believe that the enemies to fight against are not the warriors of the other factions, of the other Clans... if we were all united, we could prepare for the only great battle. We will fight to save the human race!" he promptly replied, who was already thinking about the best words to explain his real intentions.


    "What?! And why would these beings want to attack us? What do we have to do with all this?!" Ellen continued, keeping on looking Dag in the face, calming down and sitting down at the table.


    "It''s not that simple, Master Ellen. While we are here to discuss, on my home planet, Earth, new human beings are created and they''ll get involved in my same destiny... at the age of 8, they will be subjected to the Temporum and their lives will change forever. Haven''t you ever wondered how this planet originated? Do you know that in reality, that huge luminous sphere up there in heaven is nothing but a fake? The real Sun is dead, it''s gone forever... did you know this?" Dag continued, raising his voice and speaking with open heart.


    Sander, Ellen, and Kjell were annihilated by those words, as did his companions sitting next to him, who had never seen things from that point of view.


    "Boy, these are just legends, it''s hard for an old man like me to believe your words. You say that the Sun has gone, and yet here it is its light, passing through the windows of this palace, illuminating its rooms. Even the Temporum you''re talking about, it''s nothing more than a fairy tale that we tell our children, how can we believe what you''re saying?" Sander asked, who despite his trust in Dag, began to doubt his words.


    "It''s all real, as I told you! How do you think the Earth is right now? Where do you think I came from? I was only eight years old when I was teleported here, never knowing my biological mother or my father, who may never even met each other!"


    "What do you mean? Didn''t your mother and father know each other?" Ellen asked, interrupting the conversation.


    "I don''t know, I''ve never been allowed to know. Women on Earth are artificially inseminated as if they are machines. The ''seed'' is injected into their uterus by those evil beings. They say that by studying our genetics and crossing genes as they please, they can create a new generation of human beings, without physical or psychological defects. They use us as lab rats and none of us ever knew why!" Dag shouted again, as Gridd put her hand on his arm, trying to calm him down.


    Sander and Kjell looked on, while Ellen was able to understand the authenticity of Dag''s speech from his eyes, which began to become wet.


    "Everything you say must make sense. I believe you" Kjell said, breaking the silence as Dag watched him in surprise.


    "We do nothing but live and fight, without any real goal. Ever since I first took a weapon in my hands as a kid, I wondered about the true meaning of life, the real reason that drove my being to enter my body. I knew there was something much bigger than us, maybe even bigger than the Gods themselves. May Odin forgive my words, but... I got tired of living without knowing. If there''s something so dangerous that threatens our entire race, I want to find it out" Kjell continued, with an incredibly serious look.

 282 CCLXXXII. Set Up A Team

    Dag nodded his head, reflecting that, unintentionally, something was beginning to move among those Viking warriors, who were perhaps much more ''terrestrial'' than he thought.


    "Okay, all right, but... if you say that your powers come from those of this alien race, how could we ever stand up to them? I mean, look at you. Before, in the arena, if you wanted to, you''d have killed us all... how could we ever face beings even more powerful than you?!" Sander asked thoughtfully, as he touched his thick black beard.


    "I don''t know that. Many questions are floating in my head, I''ve been dragging them since I was a kid. I just know this is not only about me, it''s about the whole human race. By joining forces in one great alliance, we will be able to find a solution".


    Dag''s hands began to tremble slightly with emotion: he had never seriously discussed that topic with anyone, especially with other Masters, who seemed to understand his point of view, trying to learn more, as if they were children who as sponges try to absorb all the information they have around them.


    "Friends... my friends. I think Master Dag''s speech needs to be investigated, but I would like to remind you that perhaps there are more pressing problems to solve! In the room on the ground floor, there is still that huge Jotunn''s head, closed in a sack!" Ellen intervened, who with those words made everyone return with their feet on the ground, in the present.


    "I haven''t forgotten it for a second, Master Ellen. As we promised you, we will help you fight the new threat from the east. I just want you to keep thinking about my words... I''m willing to tell you everything I know about the Earth and my childhood memories when I was still living on my planet" Dag said, trying to win over Ellen''s sympathy, which seemed more skeptical than her colleagues.


    "Then, how are we going to do it? You are our Warchief now, right? Do you think we should ask for the help of your Clans too?" she asked again, heading to a shelf and extracting a large rolled-up scroll, which looked like an old map.


    "You and Master Kjell have already been to the southern coast, you have already fought the Jotunn... you told me that deploying an entire army against them would be crazy because we would put a lot of lives at risk, is that right?" Dag asked, looking at both Kjell and Ellen, as she opened the map on the wooden table, stopping it with two mugs of mead at the corners.


    "Those giants are endowed with frightful strength and stamina. Also, being so gigantic, they''re able to face dozens of warriors at once, I saw it with my own eyes. To line up inexperienced soldiers would mean condemning them to death" Kjell said, looking at the map with his arms crossed.


    "What do you propose then? Should we just go there?" Gridd said, approaching them.


    "I believe that first of all, we should go and do another survey, to check in what conditions the other coastal villages are in. Before returning to Skjegg, we left some troops there, with the promise of returning to them soon. Our warriors will be able to tell us if they have spotted anything suspicious these days and with their help, we can come up with an effective defense plan" Ellen answered, who seemed to have carefully thought about their next move.


    Dag, Gridd, and everyone else agreed on Ellen''s plan, giving her availability to leave the next day.


    At that very instant, the staircase leading downstairs emitted a squeak.


    "Masters, if I may, I''d like to join the mission too" Freydis exclaimed, who barely stood on her weakened legs and entered the library.


    Immediately Dag walked towards her, placing his arm around her neck and accompanying her to the table, to let her sit down.


    "Freydis... how do you feel?" he asked, looking into her eyes, smiling and stroking her cheek.


    "Please don''t leave me here... I was trapped for a whole month, without the opportunity to participate in any mission. Let me come with you, I need to fight! Ouch!" Freydis continued, who as soon as she slightly raised the tone of her voice, felt a pain in her shoulder, near the wound that Dag had caused her.


    "I can''t risk losing you again... you''ll see, we''ll be done in just over a day. Freydis, I need you to be healthy when we will leave for our next trip!" Dag replied, trying to make her feel better, raising her mood.


    "Perhaps your boy is right. Stay here and rest. Master Sander will keep you company, his wounds are not yet fully healed" Ellen interjected, smiling at her pupil and looking at Sander, who confirmed by nodding his head.


    Freydis looked down, sadly, while her brother Karl also approached her, stroking her back and controlling her wound, slightly detaching the bandage from her neck.


    Despite the almost miraculous effect of the ointments he had smeared on the part, the cut was so deep that the wound still bled.


    Freydis made an expression of pain and her brother fixed her bandage back, helping her to get up from the chair and accompany her back to the infirmary.


    Dag winked at her, hinting that after that meeting, he would join Freydis in his room.


    She did not seem at all happy with their decision and with the sad look and aching body, she allowed herself to be helped by Karl, who one step at a time, led her downstairs.


    "He had the strength to get out of bed after not even a day. Your girl is really badass!" Gridd exclaimed, surprised by Freydis'' tenacity.


    "Yes, she has always been like that, ever since we were kids" Dag said, smiling and continuing to look at her, as images of the first times they met appeared in his mind.

 283 CCLXXXIII. One Last Favor

    "So it''s settled... tomorrow we will leave from here, heading south, towards the coast. It''s going to be me, you, Master Kjell, Master Ellen, and your archer. Your healer should stay here, so that he can help Sander or Freydis in case of need, being more capable than our students. Do you agree?" Ellen asked Dag, explaining what she had in mind.


    Dag looked at Reidar, to confirm his roles in that thing, and soon after he agreed.


    "Perfect! We will leave at the first light of dawn, the villages are not so far from here, they are about 3 hours on horseback" Ellen continued, lifting one of the mugs filled with mead used as a paperweight, resting on the map.


    After agreeing on the details, Dag and the new members of the Iron Alliance continued to drink for a few hours, talking about Earth and the Xis.


    Recalling everything in the smallest, after brooding for a long time, Dag told Sander, Kjell, and Ellen some episodes of his childhood, that for the three Masters seemed like supernatural tales, having no idea how the technological objects he talked about were made.


    "That''s almost all I remember. I was just a kid, but I will remember those episodes for the rest of my life. The memory of my childhood companions is the only beautiful thing I brought with me on my way to Skjold" Dag concluded, preparing to reach Freydis, to check her condition and say good night.


    "It''s really amazing... even before getting here, you had already studied our customs and learned the geography of our planet. I think everyone should know the truth about our true origins. I''m so glad I met you, Dag... despite your young age, you have a remarkable maturity, forged by your past experiences. It will be an honor to continue fighting by your side!" Ellen exclaimed, who was impressed by Dag''s story, especially when he told them about the Temporum and the fact that the fate of earthly children depended strictly on the data of that machine.


    "Unfortunately, establishing peaceful contact with the Frostsinners is virtually impossible. This is due to the fact that among their ''lab rats'' I am the only exception. I hope that when the Iron Alliance will take a more defined form, I''ll be able to learn more. The same goes for me, Ellen... the possibility to tell you everything I know is really satisfying, it helps me to lighten the weight that I have been carrying for years. Now, excuse me, but I think I''m going to sleep. Tomorrow we''ll have a long journey" Dag replied, rising from the table and leaving the long meeting.


    The three Masters greeted him, continuing to discuss his tales with each other, even as Dag left the room, going downstairs.


    He went into the infirmary and saw Freydis, who was still lying on the bed, trying to resist the pain of the wound.


    "Karl said that in a few days you will have fully recovered your physical condition. Don''t be put off, tomorrow''s mission will be so quick, even though I have a feeling that another great battle is approaching, much more difficult than the one on Vaeren Island" Dag said, addressing Freydis, who even though her eyes were closed, was listening to every word.


    The girl held out her hand towards him, who immediately grabbed and squeezed it.


    "Dag, I have to ask you one more favor..." she whispered with a thread of voice, opening her glossy eyes slightly.


    "I''m listening".


    "Don''t die. I know this phrase has been repeated to you many times these days, but... I''m really afraid to lose you again... I have no memory of the fight against you, my mind was completely blurred, but... I remember the silver armband. Did you kept it with you all this time?" she asked again, taking deep breaths, full of emotion.


    Dag pulled the armband out of his pocket, gently resting it on the girl''s hand, who could not believe her eyes and began to cry, unable to restrain the emotion.


    "I''m not going to abandon you. I missed you constantly, every day. Wherever I was, all I could do was look for your gaze, hoping to magically find you. But believe me, Freydis, I never lost hope. Finding you there was the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me" Dag continued, leaning toward her and resting his forehead on hers, letting their noses touch.


    Freydis whispered his name, resting her hand on his cheek and kissing him passionately.


    "Uhm... oops! Excuse me!" Karl exclaimed awkwardly, who without paying attention entered the door, which closed immediately as soon as he saw the two lovers exchanging effusions.


    Dag and Freydis laughed gleefully when he put the armband back in his pocket and got out of her bed, while Freydis''s hand slid gently on his, feeling his touch until the last moment.


    "It''s okay, Karl! Come in, I must go to the dorm, we''re leaving tomorrow morning!" Dag said, inviting his friend to look after his woman.


    "Yes, I heard about it. Please, be careful. I''ve also seen the head of that monstrous being you call Jotunn, and it doesn''t look like a very diplomatic creature to me. Always try to stay alert" Karl answered, resting a friendly hand on his partner''s shoulder and approaching Freydis to check on her wound.


    Before closing the door behind him, Dag looked one last time at the girl he was desperately in love with, as his heart continued to beat madly.


    The two exchanged one last knowing glance and he went out, heading to the dormitory.


    Near the front door of the Masters'' building, Reidar was waiting for him.


    "I''m sure Freydis will recover in no time. She''s really nice and smart, Captain... as your stories told" smiled the archer, congratulating Dag, who reciprocated his smile and continued to walk by his side.


    When they reached the dorm rooms, as usual, they made an appointment in front of the door, at dawn the next day.

 284 CCLXXXIV. The Sweets

    Dag felt a strange sensation when he entered the room where he and Freydis had made love.


    The bed was still in disarray, as was every other object in the room, out of its position due to the passionate impetus of the two lovers, who made that room their love nest.


    He undressed and went to bed, managing to smell Freydis on the pillow, under which there was still some red hair.


    After a deep breath, Dag closed his eyes, ready to leave for a new mission.


    He fell asleep.


    ...


    "Yeah, I can smell the sweets, we''re almost there!" Hiro said in a low voice as he and Dag walked silently through a dimly lit hallway in the middle of the night.


    "I still don''t understand why we''re doing this nonsense... Hiro, if Lady Ysabel catches us, we''re doomed! She''s will ground us for years!" the little Dag answered, who as usual was reluctant to do mischiefs.


    "What could it be to borrow some pastries? Why can we eat only one each? Those delights are so tiny! You''ll see, no one will notice! Now shut up and follow me, our door must be that one" the black-haired, slanted eyed boy continued.


    Dag snorted and continued to follow his friend, decidedly more skilled in these kinds of things.


    The two friends arrived in front of an ajar door, from which a ray of light came out, generated by a large LED lamp that illuminated the room.


    The smell of sugar and chocolate became even stronger and Hiro put his hand on the door, beginning to open it without making a sound.


    A grown man was cooking something in a large pot, which gave off a white smoke and a delicious smell.


    Just behind him, not far from the door, there was a metal table, typical of the pastry shops.


    On it, dozens of trays containing the sweets that were served at breakfast to all the children of the dormitory: small sweet sandwiches of circular shape filled with cream and chocolate.


    "There''s our treasure! Wow, look, they still look warm, Daggy!" Hiro said, moving by the door so as not to be heard and starting to lick his lips.


    After making sure no one walked through the hallway, he grabbed the bottom of his cloth dress, with which the children used to sleep, and, being careful not to tear it, removed a button from it.


    "Hiro, do you think it''s time to do this nonsense?! The cook can catch us at any moment!" Dag whispered, who was already breaking in a cold sweat.


    "Watch and learn!" his friend exclaimed, lowering himself and peeping through the door, trying to take aim.


    Under Dag''s curious and terrified gaze, Hiro deftly threw the button of his dress, which ended up on the floor across the room and caught the attention of the cook, who after hearing the noise, placed his chocolate dirty ladle next to the pot.


    "Now! Come!" Hiro continued, grabbing Dag by the arm and dragging him into the room.


    In a hurry, the two little pests took advantage of the few seconds that the man took to find the button to scratch as many sweets as possible.


    After stealing about four sweets each and putting them in a dress fold, Dag and Hiro came out of the kitchen on tiptoe, undetected.


    "Hahaha! Run away, Daggy!" Hiro chuckled, running in front of him, quickly heading across the corridor to the dorm bedrooms.


    Without waking up their companions, they entered the room and climbed onto their bunk bed, Dag below and Hiro above.


    While all the other children slept blissfully, the two friends began to greedily eat the stolen treats, giggling at each other, while their cheeks got dirty with chocolate.


    "Hey! Can you tell me what are you doing?!" someone exclaimed softly.


    Dag abruptly stopped eating and hid the two left sweets under the bed covers, while Hiro leaned out of the upper bed to see what was going on.


    "Rami, you scared the hell out of me!" he exclaimed when he recognized their friend''s face.


    "But... but those are the chocolate sandwiches! Where did you get them?! I want one too!" Rami said, climbing on Dag''s bed, who after calming down, shared the loot.


    "Daggy and I are a surefire couple! Our strong point is teamwork, isn''t it?" Hiro asked, looking out of his bed upside down, watching Dag, waiting for his confirmation.


    Dag nodded his head, wiping his chocolate-covered mouth with his dress sleeve while enjoying the sweet victory, glad that once again, he and Hiro had completed one of their late-night missions.


    ...


    The song of a rooster entered through the window of the room, and Dag slowly opened his eyes, returning to the present.


    He turned belly up, looking at the ceiling for a few minutes.


    "Hiro... lately I''ve been dreaming a lot about you, my friend... I wonder if you''re okay. I miss our adventures in the middle of the night, together we felt invincible!" he thought, caught with a strong sense of melancholy.


    Slightly numbed by the particularly immersive dream, Dag got up, cleaned up, and got dressed, walking out of the door of his room.


    After a few seconds, Reidar joined him, on time as always.


    Then it was Gridd''s turn, who made them wait a few minutes longer.


    "Well, let''s go! I think Kjell and Ellen are waiting for us out there somewhere..." she exclaimed, who seemed particularly in shape.


    After leaving the dormitory, they glimpsed the two Crows Masters Of Odin standing near the wooden platforms.


    "I hope you feel quite refreshed, a long ride is waiting for us!" Ellen said, while Kjell had the same expression as always, serious and inexpressive.


    "The Captain and I have traveled almost all of Okstorm on horseback, we''re not afraid!" Reidar exclaimed cheerfully, making Dag smile too.


    The five warriors descended on the city, heading to the stable, where the horses began to toddle enthusiastically when they saw their masters again.

 285 CCLXXXV. The Hypothesis

    The adventurers mounted on horseback and slowly exited the city, while the sunlight did not yet surmount the high walls of the Rocky Crown.


    "So, my friends... we are heading southeast, towards the rocky shores of Runar. Three villages have been completely razed, while others should still be intact... or at least I think so. With any luck, we''ll be able to gather more information from the fishermen, who were too scared to think straight the last time we met" Ellen said, who along with Kjell opened the line.


    "Three villages? How many enemies were there? I thought you said that only two boats had docked along the coast..." Gridd asked, trying to collect her thoughts.


    "That''s it, indeed. A bigger boat and a smaller one. When we''ll be there, there were about ten of those monsters... considering we didn''t find any corpse belonging to them, that means that was the total number of the crew" Kjell added, who kept looking forward, focused on the road ahead.


    "What?! Ten? Two boats for only ten warriors?" Gridd replied.


    "Those monsters are definitely huge, Gridd. Just think of the head we saw in that bag. I don''t think a medium-sized boat can hold more than five or six of them. They''re going to weigh about 400 kg each" Reidar said, interrupting the conversation.


    "Well, I still don''t understand... why did you leave if the threat hadn''t been eliminated? What happened to the Jotunn who had attacked the villages?" Dag''s sister continued, who could not explain the succession of events.


    "They''re gone. After our arrival, we initially rescued the injured and took care of them. Right after that, Kjell and I fought against some of them, managing to kill only one, the one of whom I showed you the chopped off head. Many of our soldiers died, but at some point, just when our end seemed to have come, one of them sounded a huge horn, announcing the retreat" Ellen said, continuing to ride.


    "Master Ellen and I fear that the same number of giants may repeat the attack. We do not believe that their number will increase, I assure you that 10 of them are worth as 100 normal men. Something prompted them to stop destroying all the other villages, but we haven''t found out yet the real reason. You will help us understand that" Kjell replied, implementing what his colleague said.


    Meanwhile, Dag tried to collect his thoughts about the possible place of origin of the Jotunn: the nation of Krypstorm.


    When he studied the geography of the planet, the chapters dedicated to Krypstorm were poorly detailed and described that place about twice the size of Okstorm as a huge barren expanse of land and ice, decidedly inhospitable to any kind of human settlement.


    Besides, during his teenage years spent training and dreaming of joining a Clan, he had discovered that all the ''evil'' Clans, that is, those who pursued chaos and destruction, came from the deep north, right at the edge of the ice land.


    He also tried to remember the faces of the Masters representing those Clans, gathered on the day of his pledge, but because of the strong nervousness of that day, he could not materialize those figures.


    "Giants Of Ymir you said, right?" Dag thought aloud, asking Ellen and Kjell for confirmation, who turned slightly toward him.


    "Yes, they are the ones who can change their human form, turning for limited periods of time into Jotunns" Ellen said, confirming.


    "For limited periods of time... maybe that''s the reason why they retreated before attacking the other villages, don''t you think?" he asked again, trying to reason with them.


    Kjell looked him in the eye and after a few seconds of general silence, he said: "I had never thought about it from this point of view... could be a plausible motivation, yes..."


    "Mmh... but there''s still something wrong... why didn''t they attack with more warriors? Why limit themselves to 10 units? Perhaps their real intent is to probe the ground to understand where Okstorm is most vulnerable" Dag continued, while everyone else listened intently to his remarks.


    "Do you mean to say that, in your opinion, they are planning to declare war on Okstorm?!" Ellen exclaimed, who was surprised by that statement.


    "It''s a hypothesis, yes. How much information do you have about that Clan? Do you know its Masters?" he replied.


    "Sander is the only one who saw one of them once while he was in Jernhest to recruit new warriors. We''ve already asked him this question, but he said he barely remembers his appearance... he described him as a man even bigger than him, completely bald and without a beard, looking decidedly grumpy".


    "Mmh, I don''t think these details are useful right now... look, I see some villages over there" Gridd interrupted, pointing her finger forward.


    The road in front of them became progressively bumpier, until the path disappeared from the ground, as did the vegetation, which became less and less dense.


    A slight descent marked the boundary between the biome of the forest and that of the coastal section, characterized by coarse and yellowish sand.


    "We''ve arrived!" Ellen confirmed, who repeatedly hit the horse with the heel of her boot, causing him to stretch his stride.


    After the forest, dunes separated them from the beach, along which it was possible to see several tiny villages, each of which was formed only by a few small wooden dwellings, with fishing nets that, fixed on high poles, ended up in the water.


    "The destroyed villages are on that side" Kjell stated, pointing his finger in a precise direction when he noticed that Dag was looking around.


    He could not help but notice another detail of that place, concerning the morphology of the coast: while the destroyed villages were on a very low stretch of coast, practically at sea level, three other villages were clearly visible on the other side, where the coast rose for several tens of meters, taking on the typical shape of the rocky coast, with high sheer cliffs.

 286 CCLXXXVI. The Authority

    As Ellen continued to ride fast toward the first of the villages that survived the attacks, Dag, Kjell, Gridd, and Reidar stayed further behind, looking around.


    The scenery was rather bleak and the skeletons of the fishermen''s small houses were right in front of them, while the blood of the victims of the giants still bathed the soil around them.


    "Oh my goodness¡­" Reidar stammered, who despite not making such exclamations, couldn''t hold back.


    The archer slightly diverted the direction of his horse to be able to look closely at the wretched one, while the others followed him with their eyes.


    The pile of wood, corpses, and utensils of various kinds was all that remained of two adjacent villages: the wooden beams seemed to have been broken with force, despite being very resistant.


    On some of them, he even managed to distinguish the bloodshed of some poor victim who had tried unnecessarily to get to safety.


    Reidar got off his horse, plunging into a deep sense of despondency at the thought that those poor fishermen had done no harm, yet they had been brutally killed.


    Near the remains of a bonfire, now extinguished, with a pot full of soup half toppled to the ground and a large wooden ladle next to it, two corpses caught his eye.


    When he was close enough to notice the details, he discovered that it was a young woman who died with her daughter, a little girl still holding her rag puppet in one hand, while the other was held tight by her mother.


    "Reidar!" Dag called, recalling his companion, who before turning to him, stood still for a few seconds to watch that sad scene.


    "They didn''t spare the kids either, Captain..." he whispered, his gaze pointed downwards.


    "I know, brother... I can see it with my own eyes. The Clans of Krypstorm are not like the ones we already met. Yes, the Horns Of Heimdallr and the Fangs Of Jormungandr are not joking about nastiness, but... I think the brutality of these Jotunns is on another level, definitely worse" Dag said, urging Reidar to ride Ace again.


    Gridd remained silent, disgusted to notice the conditions in which those monsters had reduced the villages.


    "Ellen and Kjell went that way... let''s follow them" Dag continued, urging Aslan and riding towards the top of the rocky coast.


    Leaving behind that apocalyptic scenario, they arrived in front of the first of the surviving villages, characteristic for very long fishing rods that protruded from the high cliff, reaching the sea from the village.


    The two allied Masters were talking to a Shieldmaiden, who judging by her armor was one of the Clan''s guards left monitoring the place after the incident.


    Meanwhile, a couple of elderly gentlemen approached them, who got off their horses to interact with them.


    "Boy! Listen to the words of this old man... you have to escape from here! Warn all the warriors of Okstorm and the capital! The giants are back! The gates of Jotunheim have been opened!" shouted one of them, throwing himself at Dag and grabbing his armor with both hands, tugging at him.


    For a moment, Dag was surprised by that wave of madness by the old man and immediately stepped back, restoring the right distances.


    "Don''t worry, my friend... we are here to help you" he said, as his interlocutor''s grainy eyes were on him and his companions.


    "You don''t understand... we won''t be the only ones to die! You have to warn everyone else, otherwise, it will be too late! My children live in the Sjonir region... please, I don''t want them to die, they''re so young, they still have so much to learn!" replied the man, grabbing Dag for the armor again, forcing him for the second time to detach him by force.


    "No one will die! Neither your children nor you! As long as we''re here, you''re all safe. Now, I have a few questions for you. By working together, we''re going to be able to prevent more attacks by those bastards... all clear?" Dag insisted, taking full control of the situation and calming the upset man.


    Dag''s authoritative speech caught the attention of Ellen and Kjell, who approached him, listening to what he had to say.


    "Come, gather round everybody! Help us understand... how many giants did you see last day? How exactly were they looked like? Were they all the same size, or was someone slightly smaller? Did they fight with only physical force or did you notice some kind of weird spell?" Dag asked aloud, pulling Aslan''s bridles so as not to make him shake as the whole village gathered in front of him.


    "There were more than ten, sir!"


    "Yes, it''s true! I remember one of them had a big hammer!"


    "The one with the hammer was nothing compared to that giant holding two axes!"


    In a more or less orderly manner, about all the villagers said something, exposing to Dag and the other warriors their precise memories.


    "Anything else? Did any of you understand something about the reason why they attacked Runar?" Dag yelled as Ellen turned to the people, curious about her Warchief''s investigative method.


    "I''m not so sure, but... I think I''ve heard two of them talking about some kind of crystal..." a little girl whispered in fear, who came out slowly from the crowd of villagers, her face and clothes dirty with mud.


    Dag walked towards the little girl and bend over to her, who looked away, embarrassed, blushing on her cheeks.


    "A crystal? What else did you hear from them? Please try to remember, we need your help to get to the root of the problem..." he said, looking at her and smiling, trying to inspire her confidence.


    "I... I don''t know... my village has been completely destroyed, it''s one of those over there... my parents and my brother are all dead, I was able to hear only this before I ran away..." the little girl continued, beginning to cry and wiping away tears with the dirty sleeves of her dress.

 287 CCLXXXVII. The First Victim

    Dag put his hand on her head to stroke her brown hair, sighing.


    "Thank you very much" he answered, returning back to the horse and leaving both her and the other fishermen open-mouthed, not explaining why to such an important warrior, who wore such beautiful armor and carried magnificent weapons, cared for their opinion.


    Ellen continued to look at Dag, who looked back and then turned to the remaining soldiers on guard.


    "Were there any other attacks? Have you seen any other enemy ships?" he inquired again, who was now the center of the scene.


    The Shieldmaiden looked at Ellen, not knowing whether to answer Dag, totally ignoring his identity.


    Ellen nodded her head and the soldier replied: "No, there was no other attack attempt, but this morning, one of our people caught a glimpse of a boat in the distance. He doesn''t know if it was an enemy boat, the distance was really remarkable" the soldier coldly replied, respecting Dag''s highest rank, who after those words looked around him, searching for the soldier she spoke about.


    "It''s me, sir. I saw her. It had only one large sail mounted on a foremast in the middle of the boat and perfectly suited the stories of these people" another soldier exclaimed, who, after being called upon, came forward.


    "A roundabout... they''re studying our movements... these enemies are using a strategic approach technique, they are definitely looking for something in particular. We have to figure out where this crystal they were talking about is" Dag replied.


    "There are no mines in this area... besides, are we sure it''s reliable information, Dag? I mean, we can''t just rely on a little girl''s words" Ellen answered, as the little girl who had earlier spoken to Dag, retreated in embarrassment, disappearing into the crowd before he could stop her.


    "Master Ellen... of course we can''t just go on a hunch. But I''ve learned not to underestimate what people say. They were the first to deal with those monsters, especially that little girl, whose village was razed to the ground. I think it''s better to stay here until we spot some suspicious ships again" he continued, looking Reidar in the eye, who approved the decision.


    Kjell placed a hand on Ellen''s shoulder, who was ready to respond, and said: "Yes we can do this, I think it''s the right move. Just as our soldiers have failed to distinguish the details of that ship by excessive distance, our enemies will never be able to notice our presence. If they attack the villages again in search of this ''crystal'' we are discussing about, we will be here waiting for them".


    Dag nodded his head, as did the rest of the soldiers, who obeyed the new dispositions.


    "My gentlemen, we spent the night in that barn. It would be an honor to let you stay there" a young allied soldier said, pointing to a nearby hut, with a thatched roof and slightly sloping walls.


    Ellen made her way to the barn, without saying a word, a little dissatisfied that even her colleague had given reason to Dag, who at that moment approached the group of soldiers, saying: "I thank you very much, but I think I will sleep by the sea, to enjoy the mild climate of the beach and be able to immediately notice the looming dangers ".


    "All right, sir. But are you sure you can see something? It will be very dark at night, there is no lighting pointing towards the sea..." asked the Shieldmaiden that seemed to be in charge of that surveillance troop.


    "Don''t worry... I have a good sense of sight" Dag replied, winking at that incredibly serious woman.


    After arguing with the soldiers and questioning other citizens, he and Reidar climbed back onto the horses, intending to inspect the beach, hoping to find some other clues.


    Kjell, Ellen, and Gridd decided to stay in that village, trying to arrange an evacuation plan in case of sudden attacks.


    As they rode by the sea, the two companions remained silent, trying to sharpen the view.


    Passed the rubble of the first village, where the body of the woman and the little girl were still clearly visible near the remains of the bonfire, they found themselves near the second destroyed village, less than 400 meters far.


    Dag pulled the bridles of Aslan, then stopped and got off his back.


    "Captain, what did you see?" Reidar asked, keeping on following him.


    Dag paused, focusing on a particular spot and pointing his finger at it.


    "Oh fuck..." Reidar exclaimed when he understood what had caught the attention of his Captain.


    The corpse of a man sitting on the ground, his shoulders resting on the remains of shattered wooden beams.


    Near the body, there were huge half-footprints erased by water and wind: judging by their size, those footprints certainly belonged to the Jotunns and Dag was able to imagine their morphology.


    They were large pseudo-circular furrows, left by huge fingerless feet, similar to the legs of elephants.


    But that wasn''t the only weirdness.


    The man''s corpse was completely dried up, drained: his skin seemed to have been stripped of all fluid and his muscles were gone, giving way to the angular bones, which could be seen under the thin layer of skin.


    His face, despite having a beard and white hair, was totally hollowed out, so much so that his eyes had entered the cavities of the skull, twisting on themselves and his lips had disappeared, showing the yellowed and rotten teeth.


    "This corpse definitely has something wrong... look, Reidar. Despite being in this state only for a few days, he already seems to be in an advanced state of decomposition, as if he had been here for months. There is nothing left of this man''s face, but both the hair and the beard are in place, as well as the ears and nose, that being mainly made up of cartilage, are usually the first parts to wear down soon after death" Dag said, leaning slightly towards the corpse to observe it better, despite the stench that emanated.

 288 CCLXXXVIII. The Row Of Ants

    "I''ve never seen anything like it, Captain... besides, notice his fingers... those of the hands are stretched in a strange way and that of the feet are bent on themselves, as if this poor man tried intensely to resist something, just before he died. He must have suffered a lot" Reidar sobbed, who bowed his head downwards, out of respect for the deceased.


    Dag pulled out the hammer, holding it backward, with the handle facing forward and touched the head of the corpse slightly, which bent drastically on one side, hanging on his neck only through a flap of skin and emitting noise of brittle bones.


    "Fuck! Oh..." Reidar exclaimed, who looked away for a moment, disgusted.


    After the corpse''s head fell to one side by the force of gravity, it slowly dragged the rest of his body with it, which ended up with its stomach on the ground.


    "Reidar, look at this... at the bottom of the nape... this man''s flesh has been completely torn at that point, which is why his head has come off at the slightest stress!" Dag acknowledged, pointing to a huge rotting wound right under his broken neck with the hammer handle.


    "What... what does that mean? Captain, I can''t reason with this unbearable stink!" the archer replied, stepping back, covering his mouth and nose with his arm.


    "I don''t know... but it looks like a wound intentionally done at this point. On the rest of the body, there are no other cuts or signs of blades or blunt instruments... this is the only wound on this elderly man''s corpse" Dag continued, trying to reason aloud when his gaze fell on a row of ants moving in groups on the sand, near the corpse.


    He continued to follow the insects with his eyes, noting that part of them was stationary next to the body, slowly devouring the carcass, while in a neat row, another group moved towards the rubble, passing between the wooden beams and the muddy straw of the roofs.


    He stood up and left Aslan''s bridles to Reidar, without saying a word.


    He put the hammer back on the magnet and climbed over the corpse and obstacles behind it, going into the rubble, trying to follow the path of the ants.


    "Captain, if I was you, I wouldn''t go in there... you''re going to get some kind of sickness!" Reidar stuttered in an unconvincing tone, knowing he couldn''t divert the attention of Dag, who had a head as hard as marble.


    He continued to walk on tiptoe, being careful not to stumble and noticed that as he moved in the direction of the insects, the stench of corpse increased by joining that of the soaking wet wood full of mud and algae and become unsustainable.


    At one point, his foot trampled on yet another pile of straw and mud, but a strange noise followed.


    *crunch*


    Immediately Dag lifted his foot off the ground, trying to figure out what he had crushed.


    Helping himself with the tip of his boot, he moved the mud and dirt, discovering in the wet sand a human hand, of which he had just broken the bones with the pressure of his foot.


    "Holy bitch!" he exclaimed, unable to hold back his disgust, seeing those fingers dangling on the putrefying hand.


    He stopped and looked around, realizing that the hand was connected to another corpse, hidden from the rubble and was not the only one: a few meters ahead, a huge pile of dead bodies emitted the strongest stink he had ever smelled in his life.


    It was a real dune formed exclusively of corpses similar to the one encountered at the entrance of the village.


    Among those dead bodies, Dag was able to distinguish even that of some women, whose long hair was still recognizable, as well as some corpses of children, which further darkened that macabre scene.


    "Captain! It''s all right?! What''s going on in there?!" Reidar asked, after hearing Dag say something in a frightened tone.


    "Yes, Reidar... I''m fine! Wait for me out there!" he replied, his mouth covered by his arm.


    Those bodies seemed to have suffered the same death as the other, but to be sure, he had to verify the wounds on their napes were the same.


    He tried to take a deep breath so he could hold his breath longer and taking courage, then took a few steps forward, squinting and closing his mouth.


    A huge swarm of flies and flying insects of all kinds roamed ravenously on the pile of rotting bodies, creating an incredibly rarefied and smelly air layer.


    Shaking his other hand forward to make his way through the insects, whose buzz soon became unbearable to his ears, he managed to look at one of those corpses more closely.


    It was that of a woman, who was still wearing her dress, completely filthy and dirty with her own blood.


    Her head was tucked between other bodies beneath her and the back of her dress was torn up, leaving room for a huge wound, completely identical to that of the other corpse, if not larger.


    After a few seconds of standing motionless, Dag started retching and without thinking twice, turned around and walked back, rushing out of that infernal place.


    "Captain!" Reidar called as he saw Dag rush out and throw himself on the sand, starting to breathe again anxiously after holding his breath for a long time.


    "Fuck, Reidar... there are many more..." he whispered, trying to restrain the vomit.


    "What are you surprised by? They''re all the other villagers... we knew they were dead. No one removed the corpses for fear of coming across with other enemies" Reidar said, not yet understanding why Dag was so upset.


    "No, I didn''t expect such a thing instead... they''re not just dead... there''s a huge pile of corpses, stacked on each other, and everyone has the same wound as this one... behind the back of the head..." Dag continued, closing his eyes and rubbing his nose, trying to eliminate that unbearable stench.

 289 CCLXXXIX. The Sighting

    "What?! Do you mean that... all the other corpses have a drained body like this old man''s?" Reidar asked back, who tried to calm the horses, after getting agitated to see Dag come out of nowhere and throw himself to the ground.


    "That''s right... their skin was enveloping nothing but the bones... there were also women and children... I will never forget this scene... how can the Jotunns be so cruel?! Reducing innocent people in these conditions... what have these children done to deserve such treatment? What serious crime did they commit to die so excruciatingly?! Fuck!" Dag yelled, venting all the anger, fear, and nervousness of the moment.


    Reidar approached him and helped him get up, shocked by his words, realizing that he was not exaggerating, knowing his Captain, who rarely grossed out like that, risking vomiting.


    "Let''s go back to the village... I think we''ve seen enough..." said the archer, inviting Dag to get on horseback.


    "Yes... let''s go..." he answered, speaking like an automaton.


    The two companions rode slowly to the rocky coast ascent, returning to the village where Gridd and the other two Masters were waiting for them.


    When they arrived at their destination, Gridd couldn''t help but notice Dag''s still-shocked face, who couldn''t get those grieving images out of his head.


    He told her everything he had seen, in detail: the pile of corpses, the smell of blood and rotting flesh, and the strange wound on the nape of every body.


    "Hey, Dag... don''t talk out here, let''s go into the barn..." Ellen said, while she was listening to the story from afar and advised Dag and the others not to talk about it in the presence of the villagers, already frightened.


    He and his companions obeyed, and when everyone was inside the large hut, Kjell closed the door, using a large wooden beam.


    "Involuntarily I heard what you were saying to your sister. You talked about a particular wound... what was that?" she asked, while Kjell was also intrigued.


    "All the corpses had something in common... first of all, the most obvious character was their muscle mass: even though they were stacked on each other, it was not difficult to notice that their bodies were incredibly thin, skin and bones. It was enough to look at them to understand that they no longer had fluids in their body and that this had accelerated the decomposition process" Dag stated.


    Ellen did not interrupt the speech and squinted, trying to imagine the scene, while everyone else was hanging from his lips.


    "From the incredible stench that that pile of corpses emanated, it seemed that they had been abandoned there for weeks! The little flesh that remained in their body was completely rotten... the second detail that Reidar and I noticed was that of the hair".


    "Hair?" Gridd asked, naively.


    "Yes, Gridd... their hair was perfect, as something obvious for the body of someone who has only died for two days. But in contrast to the condition of the bodies it was a surreal scene, believe me. Their faces were so dehydrated that their eyes had re-entered the orbits and their lips had disappeared, leaving their teeth uncovered. I was looking at the skull of a woman''s corpse when a big cockroach popped out of her mouth!" Dag continued, making Gridd shudder in disgust.


    "It''s not normal, think about it... those bodies were nothing more than containers, like the skin of a snake after shedding. It was as if all their flesh had been extracted, leaving only the outer casing..." he replied, sighing and trying to think straight.


    "And what about the wound behind the back of the neck? I heard that everyone had it, is that true?" Kjell said, stepping forward.


    "Every single corpse, in the lower part of the neck, had the same type of wound. It was not a simple cut, but a real rotting rip, carefully executed right at the height of the cervical vertebrae..."


    "Uh?"


    Ellen and Gridd looked at him with a confused face, not knowing that word.


    "Yeah... I mean¡­ here!" Dag exclaimed again, pointing to the lower part of his nape, making others understand the exact point of the wound reported by the victims of the massacre.


    Before they could discuss together the reason for those injuries, someone knocked violently on the barn door, causing them to jolt.


    Kjell rose from the hay mound on which he was sitting and walked to the door.


    "Master Kjell, Master Ellen! There''s a boat!" someone yelled from outside, as Kjell moved the heavy beam that served as a rudimentary lock.


    When the door opened, one of the Clan''s soldiers was unbalanced and fell forward on the straw, in the rush to warn his superiors.


    "My boy, what happened?" Kjell asked, helping him get up.


    "There''s one of those boats not far from the coast! I think a second attack is coming!" the young warrior continued.


    "An attack? In broad daylight? We assumed they were following a tactic, but this doesn''t seem like a very clever move..." Ellen thought aloud, who without adding anything else came out of the barn and made her way to the embankment of the overhang, from which the sea and the entire coastal stretch were clearly visible.


    Dag, Gridd, and Reidar followed her, as did Kjell, who paused for a moment to talk to the soldier, asking for more details.


    Making her way through the crowd of fishermen, frightened at the idea of suffering a second attack, Ellen was the first to reach the vantage point.


    Being a sunny day and not particularly cloudy, she didn''t take long to spot the boat that people were scared of.


    It was about half a kilometer from the lowest stretch of coastline and seemed directed to the destroyed villages.


    Its appearance corresponded perfectly to that of the descriptions of the fishermen: a single sail hoisted on the mainmast in the middle of the ship, and the typical ''dreki'' shape, with a low and enlarged trim.

 290 CCXC. The Sharp Eyes

    "Only one boat? All this makes no sense, they could have imagined that after their first attack, we would deploy defensive troops..." Reidar intervened, who along with Dag and the others reached Ellen, after passing the people gathered in that point of the village.


    Dag stepped up to Ellen, less than a meter from the steep rocky cliff.


    "Hey, Dag... why don''t you move away from there? You''re very close to the ravine, it could be dangerous" Gridd said, grabbing her brother by the back of his jacket and pulling him backward.


    Without even answering, he continued to stare at that ship in the distance, squinting and trying to make the most of his highly developed sense of sight.


    When he managed to focus on it, he realized that, indeed, it was an enemy ship, with a strange symbol painted on the grayish sail, unknown to him.


    But onboard, he could see only three men, two of them on either side of the boat, rowing and the other one on the back, with his hand still on the rudder.


    "Captain, do you see anything?" Reidar asked, having full confidence in Dag and his powers.


    The people behind them began to look at him from head to toe, wondering who was the boy who had just been called ''captain'' and not understanding how he could see the details of the ship from that distance.


    "There''s no one on the ship. There are only three men and they don''t look giant at all. Two of them are rowing, while the other is driving" Dag said in a low voice, continuing to study that boat, trying to catch other relevant details.


    "Three men? But that''s the same boat that attacked us a few days ago!"


    "What happened to those giants? Perhaps the passengers of the ship managed to defeat them!"


    Some of the fishermen began to mumble about the identity of the men on the ship in the distance.


    "These men you''re talking about... look they like warriors or not?" Ellen said, trying to squint and not being able to see anything but a blurry dot in the distance.


    "They''re wearing armor, so... yes, I assume they''re warriors. Unfortunately, I can''t see anything else, they''re still too far away" Dag continued, who was straining his eyes to the fullest.


    In order not to stay with their arms crossed, they descended towards the lower part of the coast, approaching the point where the boat would be docked considering its trajectory.


    While Ellen and Kjell remained on the front lines, looking out to sea, Dag continued to look around, failing to understand what tactics their new enemies were using.


    "Captain, something''s wrong. I don''t see any more boats nearby... Runar''s coast is quite long, that''s true, but... what do they think to do with only three men? Even if they were all capable of turning into giants, I don''t think they would be able to defeat us" Reidar said, referring to Dag''s powers, in which he placed all his trust.


    "Worst for them! Giants or not, they will taste the power of our steel!" Ellen roared, pulling out her long spiked rod, tied behind her shoulders.


    About half an hour passed and the five warriors stood still on the beach, watching the boat that slowly continued to approach the Runar region.


    The large symbol on the sail started to become visible to everyone: it represented a large rune, composed of a kind of inverted triangle and vertical lines that crossed it.


    Ellen and Kjell stayed focused on that boat, studying that symbol they had never seen before.


    "One boat, with a crew of four... what does that mean?" Dag kept on thinking, still staring at the men on the boat, which was now a few hundred yards from the coast.


    The two of them who were rowing did nothing but move their arms back and forth, looking down and closing their eyes for muscle strain, since that boat was not designed to be moved only by two rowers.


    Both of them were commanded by the soldier at the helm, of whom Dag could not read the lips, but nevertheless he understood that he was in command of his team and continued to give orders to his underlings, scanning the rhythm of the rowing.


    While everyone remained focused looking in the same direction, Dag turned left, looking upwards, on top of the rocky walls from which they had descended on horseback.


    "Is this ascent the only point of access to the villages?" he asked Ellen and Kjell, who knew the territory better than he and his team.


    "Of course not, on the other side of that hill the coast continues, but there are no enemy boats coming from there, we would have noticed them earlier" Ellen said.


    Dag remained silent, continuing to look at the boat and the villages, constantly turning his gaze, as if he had an intuition.


    "What''s going on, Dag? Why ask such a question? The enemies are in front of us and they are only three. We will kill them and send the boat back, so if it will ever reach its destination, it will serve as a warning to the rest of their Clan, a kind of message with which we will advise them not to be in our way" she continued, as Kjell began to look at him, trying to figure out what he had in mind.


    "Reidar, Gridd, come with me, go up to the villages! I have a bad feeling!" suddenly Dag exclaimed, pulling Aslan''s bridles and turning him toward the ascent.


    "What? What are you talking about, brother? Do you want to get away now that our enemies are so close?" Gridd asked back, who had already wielded one of her swords, foreshadowing an effortless victory.


    He looked towards the boat, focusing his attention on the helmsman: he was a stocky and stout man, with medium-length, sticky hair and a short gray beard.


    After bending over to the rowers for the umpteenth time and telling them something, ho look toward the rocky coast and then crossed his gaze with Dag, who had not taken his eyes off him for a moment and who, as soon as he realized what was going on, suddenly got agitated.

 291 CCXCI. Take Cover!

    "Come on, all with me! To the villages! It''s a trap! That boat is just a diversion!" he yelled, beginning to ride on Aslan towards the ascent that led to the three surviving villages.


    Everyone else hesitated for a moment, but when they realized Dag was serious, they followed him, spurring the horses.


    "Hey! Dag, slow down! How can you say it''s a diversion?! What did you see?" Kjell yelled, attracting Dag''s attention, that listened to those words but didn''t decelerate.


    "The helmsman was looking towards the villages, his eyes were not on us! Those three men are just a bait, to which we took easy bites, leaving the other side of the coast uncovered!" Dag yelled, continuing to push forward Aslan, who was running at his best speed.


    "Fuck!" Ellen exclaimed, realizing that her Warchief''s speech made perfect sense.


    Gridd and Reidar were puzzled about it and continued to turn back to keep an eye on the boat, which was now about 30 feet from the mainland, ready to dock.


    Their doubts ceased when the man at the helm, as Dag guessed, rang the horn, having seen the whole group of warriors running away, realizing that their plan was blown.


    "Oh no, fuck, let''s hurry!" Dag shouted again, waving his arm at his teammates and advising them to speed up, fearing they would not be able to save the unsuspecting fishermen, who put all hope in them.


    With his feet stuck in the saddle''s metal bracket, Dag raised his hips forward, approaching his chest around Aslan''s neck and assuming a more aerodynamic position.


    The horse further increased the speed of his race, moving progressively away from his companions behind him.


    As he climbed the coast, he noticed that the first village, the one in which they should have spent the night, seemed unharmed.


    Some of the fishermen and their wives saw Dag and the other warriors arriving in a hurry and stood still waiting for orders.


    Dag moved his arm up, signaling to those people to take shelter because the danger was looming.


    "Why is that boy so agitated? The boat is still there, far from the village... I don''t understand what everyone is doing" one man in the crowd blathered.


    "If the enemies are down there, what''s the point of going back to the village? Shouldn''t they protect us?"


    "So they will do nothing but put our lives in danger! There are children here, how can they do such a thing? I''m heartless!"


    The crowd began to fret, not knowing that they had fallen into the trap of the enemy.


    "What''s going on here?!" the Shieldmaiden leading the troop of soldiers asked aloud, in a tone of reproach, restoring the order.


    "Your Masters are coming back! They promised to protect us, but here they are, running away in front of the enemies!" the fisherman who had begun to agitate the villagers replied.


    The Shieldmaiden, followed by two other soldiers, made her way between them and saw Dag, who was heading at great speed in that direction.


    With a questioning air, she squinted and tried to focus him when she noticed his arms waving, indicating an imminent danger.


    When in addition to Dag, Ellen and the others also began to scream something in the distance, the group of soldiers finally realized that it was not a retreat.


    "Everyone inside the houses! Soon! Enter your homes and don''t go out for any reason, until our signal!" the troop commander yelled, hardly pushing people toward the huts.


    "But what are you babbling about? We don''t move from here, we need to know what''s going on!" the fisherman continued, as his wife egged on him against the soldiers.


    "There''s no time for explanations! We''re in danger! Obey the orders of our Masters, don''t resist, we''re here to help you!" the big woman continued, forcing people around her to enter their homes and lock the doors.


    Dag was the first to arrive at the village, being Aslan the fastest of their horses.


    "What''s going on? Enemies have landed on the coast, what are you doing here? We were ready to defend the villagers in case of need!" the woman exclaimed, asking Dag for an explanation.


    He slowed down, pulling Aslan''s bridles, whose hooves left furrows in the ground after braking.


    "You''ll need reinforcements! The enemies are not the ones on the boat, it''s just a bait! They are going to attack us from the other side, you have to be careful and..."


    *crush*boom*


    Before Dag could finish speaking, a tremendous din spread from one of the neighboring villages.


    "Fuck!" he exclaimed, starting again to ride in that direction.


    Ellen, Kjell, Gridd, and Reidar joined him on horseback, racing by the Shieldmaiden, who was speechless, trying to figure out what was going on.


    Trying to narrow his eyes, Dag could see nothing but a large cloud of dust coming from the village center, probably resulting from the collapse of one or more huts.


    "Go, Aslan! Run, my friend! As fast as an arrow! Aaagh!" he shouted as if the horse could understand his words.


    They passed over before the second village, slightly smaller than the first and still intact.


    "That way! I can see them! I see the Jotunns!" Reidar shouted from the back, alerting his allies of the imminent danger.


    After the third village, another descent, less steep than the other, led to a kind of cliff, completely covered by the rocky coast, which prevented its view.


    "You should have known there was another access point! We were so stupid, those monsters managed to trick us easily!" Dag shouted, turning his head back slightly, looking at Ellen and Kjell in a tone of reproach, who despite Dag''s young age, knew that he was right to criticize their recklessness.


    Immediately after looking back, Dag turned forward again, while his sixth sense heralded a near danger.


    Immediately he lowered himself to the back of Aslan, who slightly deflected the trajectory of his run, to dodge that incredibly large object: a gigantic arrow, almost as big as a wooden pole had been fired at great speed towards Dag, missing the target by a few centimeters.

 292 CCXCII. The Greyish Skin

    After dodging the blow, the huge arrow lodged in the ground behind him, hindering the race of Gridd''s horse, who tried to jump the obstacle but failed, falling to the ground.


    "Griiiiidd!" Dag called, looking at his sister out of the corner of his eye.


    Reidar stopped by her to help her get up.


    "Go, Dag! I''m fine! Run!" Gridd shouted back, after getting up from the ground a bit numbed by the fall.


    He did not stop riding and together with Ellen and Kjell continued his advance towards the village, when a second arrow passed next to him, plunging into the ground again, creating a deep groove.


    "There''s an archer over there!" Kjell yelled, who managed to locate the arrow''s starting point and pointed his hand at it.


    Dag looked in that direction and finally saw one of the legendary Jotunns: he was a mammoth being, almost as tall as Roar when he turned into a goat demon.


    He was shirtless and wore only a kind of skirt made of leather and fur, from which sprung two muscular legs and feet, the shape of which was exactly that of the footprints found near the corpse on the opposite coast.


    The beastly being, equipped with two large tusks that sprung from the lower lip of his mouth evidenced by a pronounced jaw, held in his hand a kind of bow, consisting of a tree trunk with a very thick rope tied to its ends.


    Without thinking too much, caught by sudden anger, also generated by the fact that, if he had known before about that hidden cliff he would not have been deceived, he turned to that single enemy, intending to fight him face to face.


    "Dag! The village!" Ellen shouted, trying to remind him that the lives of helpless citizens took priority.


    "Get to the rest of the soldiers and protect those poor people! I''ll handle this one!" Dag replied, without even turning back, sure of himself.


    Ellen, after making a stinging expression, ran away with Kjell, continuing to ride straight.


    The Jotunn in front of Dag placed the lower end of his bow on the ground and with his other arm, loaded another giant arrow, which he forcefully placed on the rope, that began to bend hard.


    At that point, Dag leaned his feet on the saddle, crouching in balance on the back of the tireless Aslan, who deeply breathed from his mouth and nose and continued his advance towards the giant, without fear.


    After the rope bent completely under the weight of Jotunn''s mighty arm, the third arrow was fired at Dag, who as soon as he saw it departing, clutched his grip on the bridle, while Aslan performed a perfect dodge, moving quickly to the right.


    The grayish skin giant''s small eyes remained pointed at him until, forcefully on his legs, he leaped upwards, detaching himself from the back of the horse, which suddenly stopped, as if he had empathically understood his rider''s plan.


    Dag flew a few meters into the air and unplugged the Giantbane from the magnet on his belt, intending to strike the enemy in front of him, who was still standing with his hands holding the bow.


    As planned, the axe hit the target and its blade, initially directed to the center of Jotunn''s skull, struck his shoulder, sticking inside of it and getting stuck between the muscle bundles of that shape-shifting warrior.


    The Jotunn, without emitting a breath, dropped the heavy wooden bow to the ground and tried to grab Dag, who failed to immediately detach the Giantbane from the body and let it go, dodging the giant''s big hand.


    The enemy grabbed the axe, easily pulling it out of his shoulder, from which he began to gush blood that then poured down his chest, dripping to the ground.


    After grabbing the Giantbane, the Jotunn began staring at it, clutching it in his hands, as its blades began to glow, being stained with blood.


    "Uh?" the giant said, uttering an animal verse that expressed astonishment, as if enchanted by Dag''s weapon, forgetting about the fight.


    Dag took advantage of his distraction, clenched his fist, and then opened his hand, letting the electricity flow into his arm, which was surrounded by sparks.


    Magni''s hammer detached itself from the magnet and, because of the great amount of static energy released, was attracted to the palm of Dag''s hand, which gripped him firmly before hitting the Jotunn from the top down.


    The enemy, after being hit violently on the chin, took only one step back, shaking his head.


    But in the meantime, Dag had already loaded another blow, which hit one of his legs, causing him to bend and forcing him to get down on his knees.


    "What the fuck is he doing? Until a moment ago he wanted to kill me and now that I''m here in front of him he doesn''t react..." he thought, while the umpteenth hammering hit the target, this time striking the Jotunn in the face, unleashing a wave of electricity.


    Despite the incredibly powerful blow, the enemy''s head barely moved, but he stood still on his knee, leaving Dag shocked, after he had loaded the last shot, and was sure it was enough to knock him down.


    The giant rose to his feet, resting on one knee, and tried awkwardly to attack him with a slap, that Dag deftly dodged, lowering himself.


    "Hey, you¡­ prick! Not so smug now, without your tree trunk, are you?" he exclaimed, intent on provoking his opponent so that he could reveal his true potential.


    "Just know that I''ll have no mercy! You tried to kill me, and before me, you killed dozens of innocent people! I''ll make you pay for it!" Dag continued, as other blue and purple sparks began to come out of the circular plates of his armor, which catalyzed that energy and released small lightning, that impacted the ground, burning its surface.


    The Jotunn, continuing to squeeze the Giantbane, which in his huge hands looked like a flaming toy, waved it forcefully towards Dag, who dodged it, managed to feel the strong heat emanating.

 293 CCXCIII. A Tough Nut To Crack

    After yet another shot that missed the target, Dag, with a very rapid movement, found himself behind the enemy and jumped, clinging to his neck.


    The giant began to squirm, trying to shake off that annoying little thing, and during these abrupt movements, he dropped the Giantbane, which ended up on the ground, near his feet.


    Dag, who had already hit him several times without causing him any harm, now began to hit him repeatedly on the head, as if he was a blacksmith and that was his anvil.


    The incessant blows stunned the enemy, who began to stagger, without falling to the ground.


    "His skull is so hard that even the head of the hammer can''t scratch it! It feels like hitting a rock!" Dag thought, after noticing that after that infinity of blows, on the bald head of the Jotunn, only a small scratch had formed, which had raised a thin flap of skin.


    Trying not to fall from that privileged position, which was also the blind spot of his enemy, Dag''s gaze fell on the Giantbane, whose blades glistened blazing.


    As he devised a way to catch it without giving up his grip, he heard a sound of horse hooves.


    Twisting the giant''s neck, the huge shape-shifter turned in the desired direction, and to Dag''s delight, he discovered that Gridd and Reidar had come to his aid and that his sister had not suffered any damage.


    Without saying a word, Gridd got off her horse and Reidar grabbed the bridles.


    The Shieldmaiden approached the Jotunn, who could barely look at her, still confused by Dag''s hammer blows.


    "The axe! Sister, give me the axe! With the hammer, I can''t even scratch him!" Dag exclaimed, drawing the astonished gaze of Reidar, who did not expect to find his captain in that bizarre position.


    Gridd seemed to ignore his words and impugned both of her swords, which when they were unleashed emitted the typical metallic sound of blades.


    With her gaze downwards and an aura of anger around her, Gridd continued to approach the Jotunn, rotating the swords in her hands: meanwhile, their blades began to emit an intense celestial light, which in a few seconds greatly increased its intensity.


    "Gridd, wait! The skin of this monster is very tough, I''m not sure your swords can penetrate it... if you grab my axe and manage to throw it to me, maybe I can save the day!" Dag continued, interrupting the speech and trying to stick to the neck of the Jotunn, who, though slowly, did not stop squirming a second, moving his arms backward in an attempt to grab his attacker.


    Being distracted by Dag dangling on his back, the enemy did not notice that in front of him, Gridd was loading a blow.


    Before Dag or Reidar could counter her, she released the energy accumulated in the blades, unleashing a violent lunge, after which the Jotunn stopped moving, slowly turning his head towards her, looking down on her.


    Under Dag''s astonished eyes, Gridd''s swords had managed to pierce the enemy''s stomach, penetrating it with almost the entire blade.


    At that point, Dag took advantage of him to hit again the giant on the head, taking a step back and continuing to unbalance him.


    Soon after, he left his grip and fell with his feet on the ground, sprinting toward the Giantbane, whose power was still active.


    He managed to grasp it deftly and turn immediately, ready to give the coup de grace to the enemy, but the fight had already come to an end: showing incredible strength, Gridd had managed to move the blades of the swords inside the Jotunn''s stomach, from the bottom to the top, tearing his flesh and internal organs, which began to leak out from the deep cut.


    The giant knelt on both legs, resting his hands on his stomach as if trying to hold his entrails inside his body.


    She quickly pulled out the swords, then crossed them around her opponent''s neck, who looked up as his liver and intestines glided over his arms, ending up on the ground.


    The intensity of the celestial aura around Gridd''s blades increased again, and she quickly moved her arms outwards, tightening the monster''s neck between the two swords, which cut it off with surgical precision.


    Jotunn''s head bounced several times to the ground, traveling a distance of a few meters, before stopping at the foot of a tree.


    Gridd placed a foot on the shoulder of the enemy and pushed his headless body, causing him to end up with his back on the ground, while the sound of blood gushing from the large arteries receded into the air.


    "Oh, fuck!" Dag exclaimed, astounded, as Gridd deftly rotated the swords, shrugging all the blood on them and putting them back in their linings.


    "I risked losing Light. No one can hurt my horse" she replied angrily, tearing the reins out of Reidar''s hands and riding up, urging her teammates to do the same.


    Dag smiled, pleased to see his sister fight to the full of her potential.


    When Dag and Reidar were also back on their horses, all three of them rode quickly to the nearby village, from which loud noises continued to come, which did not portend anything good.


    Amid the screams of frightened villagers and the noise caused by the huts being destroyed under the powerful blows of their enemies, Dag, Reidar, and Gridd rode around a kind of large barn, after which they would enter the heat of battle.


    Just as they looked over the last obstacle separating them from Ellen and Kjell, a huge arm sprang out of the wooden barn wall.


    Dag managed to notice the ambush and with his quick reflexes, bent his back backward, dodging that big grayish hand.


    Reidar was not so lucky and was hit on the chest, flying away from the back of Ace, who after losing contact with his rider, continued to run forward, frightened.


    From behind the barn, two Jotunn of different sizes sprang up, one the size of the one Gridd had defeated a few minutes earlier and the other much taller and more muscular.

 294 CCXCIV. All In One Sip

    Dag pulled Aslan''s bridle, braking and changing direction, in order to rescue Reidar, who had been the victim of that surprise attack.


    In the meanwhile, he glanced the other way, noting that both Ellen and Kjell were in the middle of the village with other Clan soldiers and were trying to stop the advance of the enemies, who continued to grow in number.


    "Groooooargh!" the colossal Jotunn yelled, moving his huge axe toward Dag, trying to hit him while he was distracted.


    Thanks to his survival instinct, he managed to wield the hammer and tried to parry the blow.


    Being the weapon of the enemy even greater than his horse, Dag only managed to deflect the blow, which unbalanced Aslan, causing him to fall to the ground on his side, while the poor steed continued to neigh frightened and confused.


    "Fuck!" Dag exclaimed, pulling out his leg, which, ending up under the side of his heavy horse, had twisted at the ankle, which remained sore after the blow.


    The giant slowly moved the axe upwards, causing it to fall towards them.


    Standing on one leg and also pulling out the Giantbane, Dag crossed his weapons and parried the violent blow, which if scored would probably have cut in half the body of the poor Aslan, who took advantage of the parry to get up from the ground and run away.


    The Jotunn continued to force Dag, who, by raising both weapons, managed to stand up to him for a few seconds, during which he made sure that Gridd and Reidar were safe.


    Fortunately, after Reidar was unhorsed, his sister immediately noticed it and distracted the second giant, who could not give him the death blow.


    Holding his breath for the effort, Dag barely stretched his arms, repelling the large axe with superhuman force and stunning his enemy, who despite his bulk, seemed to be much faster than the giant he faced just before.


    Before his opponent could counterattack, he hit him with the axe on his knee, causing him to roar in pain, while the sprained ankle fixed itself, crunching.


    At that point, the Jotunn began to squirm at great speed, trying to grab Dag or simply hit him, getting even nervous as his shots were dodged with agility.


    "You''re a little bit slow, fatass!" Dag exclaimed, mocking him, who had already lost his lucidity and continued to deliver blind blows.


    After yet another blow failed, the huge axe hit the ground, creating a large furrow of earth and getting stuck inside of the soil, allowing Dag to gain a few seconds to aim.


    Before the giant could begin fighting again, he rotated on himself and hit with the axe the face of the enemy, who had crouched trying to extract his weapon from the ground.


    The Giantbane''s blade cut off the giant''s cheek, penetrating into his mouth, burning the skin around it.


    But immediately after the first blow, concluding the rotation, Magni''s hammer violently hit the back of the axe, which further deepened the cut, completely getting through the face of the giant, severing both cheeks.


    The Jotunn fell backward, sitting on the ground and uttering inhumane verses, expressing the excruciating pain he was feeling at the time.


    His jaw was hanging from his neck, as was his tongue, which dangled in a sea of blood.


    The enemy left his weapon and continued to crawl back on his arms, while his whole body was covered in blood, squirting everywhere around him.


    Dag followed him, walking slowly and thinking of the bloodiest way to kill him, while images of the bodies of women and children brutally killed shook his mind, raising his level of anger.


    The Jotunn pointed a hand at Dag, begging him to stop, while his body slowly diminished in size.


    "He''s coming back to his true form! The fear of death must have defused the process of metamorphosis!" he thought, turning his head to one side and the other, creaking the bones of his neck, getting ready to srike him.


    As expected, the giant turned into a human being: he was a bald man, with a black line tattooed on his head, but the facial features hardly distinguishable, due to the enormous wound caused by Dag, who was now ready to give him the death blow.


    The man stopped, raising his arm to cover his face and closing his eyes, aware that his end had come, but at that instant, something caught Dag''s attention.


    A few meters away from him, the fight between his companions and the other Jotunn had stopped: that giant, after noticing that his ally had returned to his human form, had stopped attacking Gridd and Reidar.


    Before she could hit him, the second giant snapped at Dag, who prepared to dodge the blow.


    The giant''s charge, however, was not directed at him.


    Momentarily disinterested in Dag, the Jotunn lunged at his comrade''s dying body, lifting him off the ground with ease.


    The two allies looked at each other for a few seconds, as if they were communicating with their eyes, before giving rise to a chilling spectacle, which would leave Dag and everyone else stunned.


    The smaller Jotunn grabbed his companion''s head with one hand, holding him up with his back facing him: while the enemy warrior, with his jaw all broken, continued to look at Dag with a chilling look, his ally bit him violently in the back of the neck, sinking the two huge tusks into his flesh and then detached a piece of it, spitting it away.


    Gridd and Reidar were immobilized at that scene, during which the Jotunn used that wound to suck up his comrade''s entrails, emptying his body as if he was a gradually deflated balloon.


    The body of the enemy warrior, indeed, began to lose consistency, stiffening and decreasing its volume, while the blood that leaked copious from his mouth stopped.


    Being the enemy bare-chested, it was possible to note in detail what was going on inside his rib cage during the process: his belly became thin as a sheet of paper and his chest lost its volume, thinning and bending inwards.

 295 CCXCV. The Light Skills

    After only about ten seconds, the Jotunn dropped his companion''s body to the ground, while his internal fluids had been completely exhausted and began to breathe anxiously, slowly looking up in the direction of Dag, who was still standing in his position, in disbelief at what he had just seen.


    The giant''s small eyes, after absorption, had become completely black, as if the pupil had widened dramatically.


    "Oh my..." Reidar whispered, unable to hold back his astonishment.


    Hearing those words, the Jotunn, caught in a beastly fury and screaming fiercely, charged towards the archer, who pulled an arrow from the quiver.


    Fighting without weapons, the monster stretched his arm toward Reidar.


    His hand stopped a few inches from his face, while the poor archer broke into a cold sweat, thinking he was doomed.


    Under Reidar''s grainy eyes, who took advantage of the moment to move a few feet away, the Jotunn fell to the ground squirming out of control, while a beam of dark fluid enveloped his large ankle, preventing him from advancing further.


    After quickly stowed both weapons, facilitated by the functional magnets on his belt, Dag had stretched his arms towards the enemy and a considerable amount of fluid was splashed out of his chest, wrapping his enemy''s arms as he continued to pull back.


    The giant rotated on himself, back to the ground, and tried to grab the sturdy fluid rope tied to his leg, realizing too late that it was not made of solid material and was therefore uncatchable.


    At that point, the fluid also englobed his hand, which got stuck inside of it.


    Dag looked at Gridd, asking her with the gaze to intervene, knowing that with good teamwork, they would defeat many more enemies in less time.


    With the blades of the swords stained with blood, she approached the Jotunn, who could not move from that position and stabbed him with both weapons, piercing his throat.


    Slowly and emitting muscle spasms, the big enemy stopped moving and his head dangled downwards as the blood gushed from the deep cuts caused by Gridd, who had perfectly severed his arteries.


    Dag began to call the fluid back to him, causing it to crawl over the enemy''s body, but at one point he stopped it.


    "His heart... it started beating again!" he thought, ordering the dark liquid to return to its position, immobilizing the giant.


    Gridd, after pulling the swords out of the monster''s throat, had turned to Reidar to check that he was okay, but was immediately called by Dag, who screamed her name and told her to be careful, after noticing that the Jotunn had just opened his little black eyes, similar to those of a shark.


    With staggering force, the enemy grounded his free leg and got up, while Dag was unbalanced forward, unable to restrain him and changing his foot position, trying to immobilize him again.


    Before the enemy could attack Gridd from behind, an arrow pierced his skull, coming out of its back.


    Reidar, who was not distracted, managed to load and fire an arrow in a matter of seconds, stopping the giant, who would otherwise hurt his teammate.


    Taking advantage of Reidar''s precise shot, Dag pulled the fluid beams attached to Jotunn''s body, which was unbalanced but did not fall to the ground.


    Gridd turned and moved both swords with a circular trajectory, directed at the opponent''s legs, on which, after a few seconds of swing, two large cuts appeared, just above the knees.


    The Jotunn made a strange verse, resentful of a grunt, and soon after tried to take a step forward, toward Gridd, but another bundle of fluid wrapped his neck.


    "He''s incredibly resilient, the wounds don''t seem to do him any harm!" Dag said under strain, with both arms stretched out toward their opponent.


    Reidar fired another arrow, which hit the Jotunn on the forehead: although his arrows had an excellent penetrative ability, managing to pierce almost any kind of material, the metal tip of the one that struck the enemy barely got over his skin, remaining attached to his head only for a few seconds, before falling to the ground.


    Under the astonished eyes of Reidar, who already imagined how difficult it would be for him to fight other enemies whose skin was virtually immune to his arrows, Gridd''s swords began to light up with the celestial light, but this time, their aura was much more intense than usual.


    From the tip of the blades, the light spread into many small swaying beams, taking on a shape similar to the branches of a tree.


    When the celestial aura reached a large size, Gridd began to slash the air in front of her, repeatedly crossing the two swords and as a result, also their bright branches, which struck hundreds of times the body of the Jotunn, who began to suffer the blows, raising an arm in front of his face, trying to protect it while Dag continued to hold him still with a constant force.


    After Gridd''s relentless barrage, which thanks to his skill reduced the Jotunn''s body to a sieve, Dag pulled him again, unbalancing him and causing him to fall in that direction.


    Before his heavy body touched the ground, the fluid quickly re-entered his master''s body, loosening its grip and Dag grabbed the Giantbane, striking the giant on his chin: the strength of his body added up to the force of gravity given by the enemy''s weight and the red hot blades of the divine axe cut his head vertically in half, from the chin to the forehead.


    A sketch of blood twirled in the air, falling to the ground like thick, red rain, while Dag and his companions caught their breath.


    Without wasting too much time congratulating themselves for killing two Jotunn in a matter of minutes, they all headed to Ellen and Kjell, who were almost alone, not being their soldiers able to counter such strong enemies.


    The Crows Of Odin''s Master Of Healing kept cinching in on her spiked rod, facing a Jotunn who, judging by his reflexes, seemed exhausted.

 296 CCXCVI. Whered it go?

    Kjell, on the other hand, had become a fury, fighting to the fullest of his power, with a unique style, which for a moment left Dag and Gridd enchanted, while Reidar moved behind them stealthily, looking for a position from which to contribute to the battle without risking the melee combat.


    The long chains of the owner of the N¡ã 5 emblem twirled in the air like two ravenous snakes, ready to quickly strike enemies, who continued to arrive in large numbers towards him, without being able to hit him.


    "Aaagh!" Gridd shouted, running to the center of the battle and attracting the attention of both Masters, who after realizing they had reinforcements, felt safer.


    From the windows of the few huts still intact, many small heads sprang up, which were those of the villagers, watching the fight, hoping for the victory of their favorites.


    The battle raged for more than two hours and dozens of Jotunns fell under the blows of Dag, Gridd, Ellen, and Kjell, while Reidar, who had taken refuge behind an overturned carriage, continued to shoot arrows using the power of the Failnaught to facilitate his comrades.


    The village ground became blood-stained when another giant charged towards Dag, who, even though exhausted, continued to fight with adrenaline, trying to use his dark power as little as possible, so as not to completely run out of energies and be able to continue to fend off the invaders.


    "We''re killing dozens of them, and yet we still didn''t understand the reason that drove them to attack us!" he thought, dodging the blow of a giant hammer, which hit a stone well, completely destroying it.


    He counterattacked first with the hammer, then with the axe, but the enemy, with an unexpected movement of the arm, disarmed him, managing to drop the Giantbane to the ground, having Dag''s left hand a less tight grip than the right one, which continued to firmly hold Magni''s hammer.


    The giant kicked his stomach, causing him to end up with his back onto the ground and stunning him, taking advantage of his tiredness, for which his reflexes were beginning to slow down.


    After apparently knocking Dag down, the Jotunn began to walk towards him, crawling the huge hammer, consisting of a massive cudgel, similar to a tree trunk, bound rudimentary to a stone boulder cracked at one end, made sharp by the edges of the shattered rock.


    Before he could raise his mammoth weapon, the enemy was struck by Reidar''s magic arrows, who, standing behind them about fifty yards away, managed to hit him on the back, dangerously attracting his attention.


    Dag, still on the ground, tried several times to get up, but without success: the fatigue was getting the better of him, who began to see all blurred around him.


    Trying to recover quickly, he placed both hands on the ground, lifting his torso, while his hearing also suffered some problems, failing to distinguish the screams and noises surrounding him.


    About 20 seconds passed when the giant Jotunn he was facing just before, fell right next to him, emitting an incredible thud, which made him jolt with fright and rise to his feet.


    "Hey! Hey, Dag! Are you there?!" a voice from behind him said when a hand touched his shoulder, causing him to turn suddenly.


    "Wowo! Easy, my friend, easy!" Kjell replied, moving the hammer that Dag had inadvertently pointed at his chin, reacting instinctively.


    "Sorry... I don''t know what''s going on with me..." he answered, putting down the hammer and shaking his head, touching his forehead.


    "We''re almost there, we must hold out! There are others, be careful!" Ellen yelled, who darted in front of them, approaching an enemy who was about to reach an inhabited hut.


    Kjell walked away from Dag, releasing his chains, which crawled behind him, ready to reap more victims.


    "The axe! The Giantbane!" Dag exclaimed, looking frantically around, touching his belt and realizing that his weapon was not there, because he had never picked it up back from the ground.


    He moved toward the well, near which he had been disarmed by the Jotunn who now lay dead in the mud.


    "It''s not here... where the fuck did it end up?! Fuck!" he thought aloud, frantically continuing to look to the ground as an enemy made his way towards him, trying to hit him from afar with a large rod.


    He dodged the blow and was struck by a strong nervousness, caused by the fact that he could no longer see his axe: he counterattacked violently with the hammer, hitting the enemy on the face and producing a wide electric shockwave, which swept away the giant, causing him to end up in the rubble of a destroyed hut.


    "Reidar! I can''t find the Giantbane! Help me! I can''t lose it!" Dag shouted, continuing to fidget more and more, attracting the attention of both Reidar and his sister, intent on fighting against a barehanded giant.


    "Captain! There it is! I can see it!" Reidar yelled, pointing to a precise point with his hand, standing behind the carriage that served as a hiding place.


    Dag looked at his friend, then shifted his gaze in the direction he indicated, noting that the axe was not on the ground, but in the hands of a Jotunn, who was escaping from the battle, heading towards the stretch of coast that descended to the cliff where their ship was docked.


    "He''s taking it away! Captain, that Jotunn took your axe!" Reidar shouted again.


    Dag snapped in that direction, panting for fatigue and trying not to stumble upon that rugged, obstacle-filled terrain, full of weapons and corpses, immersed in mud and blood.


    The clumsy thief passed a few meters away from Gridd, who even though she was still committed to fighting, had managed to figure out what was going on.


    The Shieldmaiden knocked out the enemy in front of her with a powerful blow on his side and then turned to the Jotunn who was running away, throwing one of her swords at him, which after spinning quickly in the air hit him behind his back, skewering it and sticking to it.

 297 CCXCVII. Catch him!

    Regardless of the blade of the sword that pierced his flesh, the enemy kept on running, clutching the Giantbane in one hand, whose scorching blades, meanwhile, burned his skin, being that axe too small to be held by such a large hand.


    "Heey! Son of a bitch! Stop, piece of shit!" Dag screamed, beginning to rail against the thief, who with the sword stuck behind his back, was now carrying two weapons instead of one.


    Two giants blocked the way to Gridd, who tried to slide running under them but was grabbed and lifted by the armor, beginning to squirm.


    Dag continued to look at the giant, then at his sister, who could not free herself from the grip.


    "Fuck! It''s not possible!" he exclaimed, being forced to choose whether to continue chasing the thief or help his life-threatening sister.


    Just as he began to run to Gridd''s rescue, already thinking of his magnificent axe being carried away, a chain wrapped around the neck of the Jotunn that kept Gridd lifted from the ground, setting her free.


    The first chain was followed by the second, which almost speculatively wrapped the neck of the other Jotunn.


    When both of his weapons were in place, Kjell, with his feet pointed firmly at the ground, forcefully crossed his arms, making the heads of the two enemies bumping into each other, causing a strange noise, similar to that of a coconut slamming on a rock.


    "Go, run!" the chain warrior yelled at Dag, urging him to quickly head for the giant with the Giantbane.


    He again changed his direction, sprinting towards the descent, facilitated by the steep slope, which increased his speed.


    Looking towards the cliff, he noticed that on the enemy ship, there were ten more enemy warriors, but they were in their human form, unlike those who had attacked the village.


    "And those? Are they the reinforcements? Or maybe they''re running away to bring the news of the defeat to their Masters? Aah, it doesn''t matter! I have to focus on the axe, I must stop the thief!" Dag thought, who kept gaining ground, being much faster than the Jotunn.


    About ten yards from him, Dag leaped forward, skipping part of the rocky cliff slope: with the hammer in his hands, his arm covered in blue sparks, which immediately enveloped the weapon, loading it with energy.


    The target grew closer and closer, and the shadow of Dag''s body, suspended in mid-air, grew smaller and smaller as it descended toward the giant.


    Just when he was sure to hit him, the Jotunn turned quickly, stopping only for a second his run.


    The enemy moved an arm from the bottom up, with the palm of his hand open, as if to invoke something from the ground.


    In less than a second, a huge ice wall sprang from the ground, rising at great speed and reaching a height of about 4 meters, leaving Dag unprepared.


    "Aaargh! Don''t you dare!" he yelled, that despite the unexpected spell of the Jotunn, who had started running again, would not allow a simple wall to stand between him and the axe forged by Weland.


    Screaming like a madman, he hammered the sturdy wall of ice, little less than a meter thick, and shattered it in the center, smashing it into a thousand pieces, making an incredible noise, which attracted the attention of his allies and other enemies, intent on fighting against them.


    When the shards of ice and earth fell to the ground, the giant that was running away lost its balance, due to the tremor caused by Magni''s hammer, still drenched in static energy.


    He turned, looking toward Dag, who was walking in that direction, having the enemy in his pocket.


    "Give me that back now! That weapon doesn''t belong to you, it''s mine by right!" he yelled, as bursts of electricity continued to flow all over his body, focusing on the plates of his armor, both in front and behind it.


    The Jotunn continued to retreat and rose awkwardly, moving his arm again as he had done just before, creating a second wall of ice, but, having the movement not been clear and precise, it barely rose from the ground, growing in an inaccurate and irregular form.


    Dag, annoyed by the further waste of time, snapped at the enemy, who did not want to accept the impending defeat.


    "Aaaargh!" he yelled, hitting him with the hammer''s head behind his back, with a blow so strong that it shattered his spine bones, which during the transformation became as hard as rocks.


    The Giantbane fell from the thief''s hands and Dag grabbed it, lifting it from the ground and holding it in his hand, happy to have his magnificent weapon back.


    "You have no weapons with you... judging by the wall of ice you managed to create in less than a second, you must be a mage... and if you''re a mage, it means you''ve studied and you can read and write" Dag exclaimed, approaching the enemy who, unable to feel his legs because of the condition of his back, was crawling forward, desperate to reach the boat, still hundreds of meters away.


    Dag raised his axe and in a sharp motion, struck his enemy on the back again, exactly at the same critical point.


    "Grraaargh!"


    The Jotunn began to writhe in pain, clasping the terrain in his hands and not even being able to turn on himself.


    "I ask you, then... explain to me why you attacked Runar. You''re the Giants Of Ymir, aren''t you? What do you want from these poor people? Why did you tear down three entire villages? There were innocent men and women... there were children!" Dag shouted, turning the glowing blades of the Giantbane into the wound, which began to smell of burnt flesh.


    After confused groans, the giant began to lose consciousness, unable to resist all that pain, accentuated by his breath, caused by the little amount of air left in his lungs after the long run.

 298 CCXCVIII. The Sound Of The Horn

    "Hey! This is not the time to die! Not before you''ve told me who you are and what you want!" Dag replied in a stern tone, detaching the axe from the enemy''s back and resting his foot on the wound, lowering himself towards him and placing the Giantbane''s blade on his neck, threatening him.


    The Jotunn slightly turned his face towards him, looking at him.


    His eyes widened as his body began to shrink, releasing a watery liquid as if it was ice under the Sun.


    When the process of transformation into his human shape was over, the enemy unveiled his true form: he was a boy, perhaps even younger than Dag, who held the axe still next to his neck, despite his surprised expression.


    "This guy will be about Karl''s age, but he used magic excellently... he was also able to transform into Jotunn and keep the mutation active until now!" he thought, looking the young warrior in the eye as life flowed away from his body.


    He grabbed him by the thick black hair that had sprung from his bald head and lifted him, continuing to threaten him.


    "I asked you a question! Why did you kill all those people?! What do you want?! Are you going to declare war on Okstorm?! Are you allied with other Clans?! Speak, for fuck sake!" Dag continued, in the heat of gathering as much information as possible, brushing the boy''s neck with the fiery blade of his weapon.


    "Urrgh... they told me... they told me..." the young enemy warrior whispered, his mouth full of blood.


    Dag turned him upside down, trying to hear his words.


    "What?! What did they tell you?! Who?!" he replied, crouching, now sure that his opponent would not be able to get up.


    The young warrior looked at him again, tears streaming down his eyes, surprising Dag, who did not expect such a reaction.


    "They told me... that I would not be able to kill anyone... *cough*" the boy continued, breathing hard and coughing blood, which mashed his chest, devoid of tattoos or symbols of any kind.


    Dag put his weapons down and shrugged his shoulders, shaking them forcefully: "No, no! Hold on! Keep talking! Why did you get my axe?! Because of its powers?! Answer me!"


    The boy slowly closed his eyes, exhaling his last breath, and Dag dropped him to the ground, rising to his feet and continuing to look at him.


    At that very moment, the sound of the same horn heard before the attack rumbled in the air, but this time it came from the larger boat, docked in the hidden beach of the crag.


    As Dag continued to look at the boy with a perplexed air, all the Jotunns in the village quickly began to run away, heading in unison down the descent that would allow them to escape from Okstorm.


    Dag sighed deeply and turned, opening his eyes slowly and looking at the retreating enemy troops, who were running right towards him, that was the last obstacle between them and the boat.


    Flashes crossed his mind, in the form of images: they were the dried-up bodies of the victims of the villages, who still lay there, in the same place, becoming sand and leaving no trace of their existence.


    "They were families... men, women..." he whispered, opening his hand to the hammer, which was drawn into his palm, that tightened his grip on the weapon.


    "children..."


    He also grabbed the axe, which as soon as it touched the hand of its original owner, became even more glowing, emitting a strong warmth.


    "They were all innocent and you slaughtered them for no reason. I can''t see these evil acts anymore... that''s enough..." Dag continued, speaking to himself, while subtle tears ran through his face.


    "Daaag! Move from there!"


    "Daaag!"


    "Daaag!"


    Gridd, Ellen and Kjell began screaming in that direction, trying to alert their teammate, who was about to be run over by an angry mob of mammoth beings, who running simultaneously shook the slope of the coast.


    Reidar stood still and watched, hoping that some sort of miracle would happen.


    Dag could not hear the voices of his companions, due to the bustle generated by the advance of the Jotunns and that in his mind, which as the level of anger increased, began to lose lucidity.


    "nuq loS SoH? chaH Qaw'', HoH!"


    A deep voice whispered words in the alien language in his head, while his eyes were closed, focusing on his own body.


    The right arm was enveloped by a kind of electric spiral, emitting sparks and purple lightning bolts, becoming more and more charged, while the runes engraved at its top glowed, shining with white light.


    The left one continued to hold the Giantbane firmly, which emitted a blaze, firstly enveloping the wrist, then the entire arm, which despite the heat of the fire did not burn, as if it was immune to it.


    While Dag''s two weapons spontaneously activated their potential, a large bundle of dark fluid came out of his back, winding upwards and splitting into two large black arms, which seemed ready to defend their creator.


    From a distance, Gridd and the others saw only a set of bright colors that enveloped Dag, not understanding what was really going on.


    "We must go there and help him! There''s no point in staying here! My crazy brother''s not going to run, look at him! Dag wants to fight, he must be out of control again! He gonna die!" Gridd shouted, trying to engage the others, who were too exhausted to rush to his rescue.


    Realizing that she had no other choice, she began to walk slowly toward her brother with the last forces she had in her body, starting to cry.


    The sunset had come and the orange sunlight illuminated the sea and the coast, while about 50 Jotunn warriors ran to their boat, ready to wipe out Dag, who was their final hurdle.


    The ground around his feet began to vibrate more and more intensely as his enemies approached.

 299 CCXCIX. The Two Elements

    Dag lowered himself to his knees, bending slightly forward, loading a dash: during this phase, the electricity that enveloped his right arm spread behind his back and the purple sparkles climbed along one of the dark arms, which absorbed the power and boosted it, controlling it inside and electrifying its particles.


    Similarly, the flames around the other arm reached the second beam of dark fluid, which fed on that heat and began to emit flames in turn.


    When both extensions of his body were fully charged, Dag continued to let himself be carried away by his instincts, while that mysterious voice continued to whisper something incomprehensible to him and his purple eye shone more and more, staring at his enemies, now a few hundred meters away.


    The sparks and flames descended to the ground, and when Dag tightened the grips of his weapons, his muscles grew suddenly, swelling the veins of his neck and arms.


    After activating Call Of The Berserkr, he pushed his feet towards the ground, sprinting forward at a superhuman speed and leaving a deep furrow behind him, as well as a slipstream both electric and fiery, in which his two powers coexisted, as within his body, which at that time was like a furnace in the middle of a lightning storm.


    Within seconds he reached the front row of Jotunns, who naively tried to counter him, underestimating his immense power.


    Moving the Giantbane in front of him, Dag generated a huge fiery shock wave, which struck dozens of enemy warriors, cutting off their flesh and instantly setting them on fire.


    As the hit Jotunns began to scream in pain, he struck the air in front of him with the hammer: a large intense purple lightning bolt was fired at great speed, electrocuting other enemies on the spot, who were undeterred not to stop their advance.


    After the two violent blows that decimated the enemies, Dag''s companions stood still and watched that light show.


    Even Gridd paused, opening wide her shiny eyes, continuing to cry open-mouthed.


    The several dozen Jotunns still unharmed, slowed their run, after witnessing the instant death of their comrades, whose burned and charred bodies laid motionless on the ground, slowly returning to their original form.


    Some of them looked at Dag, in disbelief at the notice that such a young warrior had managed to kill so many of them, each of whom had the physical strength of ten men.


    He continued to carry out follow-up attacks, and other lightning bolts burned the ground and the air around him, accompanied by powerful blazes, so large that could not be dodged in any way.


    Dag continued to scream as he felt a huge amount of energy flowing through his body.


    Unlike the times when the dark power seemed to have taken over, this time it was different: the young Master had not lost control of his body, but was dominating it, taking advantage of the maximum potential of his magical weapons, which, combined with that of fluid, had exceeded all his expectations.


    "What is my life compared to that of all the innocents I saw die?! Why is my breath worth more than that of those poor innocent children, whose tears a few days ago flowed through the grains of the sand of Runar?! I am ready to sacrifice my life for them, but I will take these damn Jotunns with me, at the cost of continuing to fight for eternity, till the gates of Valhalla!" he thought, keeping on releasing all the energy stored in his body, as he felt a strong heat coming from the center of his chest.


    Six Jotunns took courage, ordering their allies to stop the retreat and ran towards Dag, wielding their heavy weapons and preparing to strike him to death.


    When his gaze fell on them, a frosty air pervaded their bones, slowing their movements, which became even more cumbersome and predictable.


    The two dark arms behind his back began to swing dangerously, releasing the energy of the two elements.


    The electric arm was the first to strike, sticking three giants one after the other and burning their organs from the inside until they lost their grip on their weapons, which fell to the ground.


    Within seconds, life flew away from their mighty bodies and they were lifted like feathers by that bundle of dark fluid, which with a whipping-like motion threw them away from the ravine, causing them to fall like stones into the sea that slapped on the rocky shores of the region.


    "Groooarrgh!" three other enemies yelled, running toward Dag, getting closer than their companions, oblivious to what was about to happen.


    When the first dark arm stopped spinning, the second took its place, emitting scorching flames, which spread throughout the area, causing the rest of the enemy troops to retreat.


    The first Jotunn tried to parry the blow with a large axe, which as soon as it was touched by the burning fluid, fell from his hands, while his body was enveloped by flames, that reduced him to shreds.


    The second and third giants also faced the same fate, and their companions watched in terror their bodies that melted to the ground, exhausting the combustion process.


    Dag''s breathing became heavier, but despite this, his body seemed to gradually increase his power as the enemy''s blood was shed.


    After a few moments of hesitation, the remaining Jotunns began to run again, but not in the direction of Dag: most of them tried to keep their distance from him, heading towards the boat, which was about to sail, after its crew realized that the rest of the army was now doomed.


    "Where are you going?! I''m not done with you yet! Damn you!" Dag shouted, wildly looking around, as his eyes shed bitter tears, fomenting his ardent and eager spirit to fight.


    About twenty enemies managed to get past the critical point, after which Dag''s huge dark arms could not reach them.


    At that moment, he raised the hammer to the sky, which suddenly darkened, after a small cloud laden with rain was generated out of nowhere above their heads.

 300 CCC. Last Hope Strike

    A large purple lightning bolt struck the head of Magni''s hammer, causing Dag, whose body began to succumb to exhaustion, to unbalance.


    Emitting superhuman screams and consuming all his last energies, he joined his hands and his two weapons made contact: as soon as the hammer and the glowing blade of the axe touched each other, a blinding light was released and even his companions, still in the village, were forced to cover their eyes.


    Reidar was the first one to watch, and when he saw that scene, his heart stopped beating for a moment, because of the whirlwind of emotions he was experiencing at the time.


    Above Dag''s head, a tornado of lightning and flames reached the sky, crossing over the dark cloud, which widened and began to dissolve.


    The two elements were united and were about to unleash all their power, in that breathtaking spectacle, which made both enemies and allies shudder, both enchanted to admire that infinite beauty.


    Before his legs gave up completely, Dag used his last ounce of strength to lower both arms, hitting the ground with the axe and hammer at the same time.


    The attack gave rise to a devastating explosion, after which the ground beneath his feet disintegrated, creating a crater around him, while a seismic wave laden with electricity crossed the ascent from the coast to the village.


    As it made its way, most of the giants, intent on escaping, fell to the ground.


    After a few seconds, during which the wave exhausted its energy, dissipating underground, the earth began to split and a red glow illuminated the fractures of the rock.


    Before the enemies could stand up, violent tongues of fire rose from the underground, rising about ten meters into the sky and carrying everything on their way.


    The Jotunn were swept away in an instant, hovering in the air as their bodies caught fire and then fell to the ground lifeless.


    The enemy horn began to sound mad again, recalling the few remaining soldiers to the boat, who continued to stumble as they kept on running forward without ever turning back.


    "I won''t let you go... you will not go anywhere..." Dag whispered as he squinted his eyes, and his gaze tarnished, trying to distinguish the shapes amidst the black smoke in front of him, illuminated sporadically by small flames, which continued to come out of the rocks of the ground, gradually exhausting their power.


    His legs began to tremble, as did his arms, which left the axe and the hammer, that had never seemed so heavy.


    Dag could not even kneel and lost consciousness falling deadweight, looking up at the sky and opening his mouth, seeing the clear sky slowly blur into his eyes.


    ...


    "I don''t know, I don''t know how he did it!"


    "I... I am speechless..."


    "The important thing is that we made it! The Captain averted a second attack!"


    "It may be... but this could trigger a chain reaction... it was a reckless act".


    "Mmmhh..." Dag whined in confusion, who began to distinguish the voices around him.


    "Here he is, he''s back! Dag, Dag! Brother, it''s me!" Gridd said, resting one hand on his shoulder and one on his cheek, gently stroking him.


    He continued to yearning, stretching his back and clasping his hands, feeling under them a soft fur coat, which upon contact with his rough and calloused palms, gave him a feeling of relief.


    "Hey... where..."


    "You''re safe, Dag. Thanks to you, we all are¡­ once again!" Gridd continued, smiling with joy at him, who tried to open his eyes.


    When he succeeded, he saw his sister''s face, slightly swollen on a cheekbone and with some cuts at the height of her neck and chin.


    Without saying a word, he reached out to her, moving her long blonde hair from her face, and touching her wounds slightly with his fingertips.


    Gridd clenched his wrist, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment, continuing to smile.


    "You''re... are you ok?" Dag asked, who, speaking louder, realized that his muscles were all sore.


    "Yes! Yes, brother, I''m fine!" she replied, pushing Dag''s hand towards her cheek, letting him caress the rest of her face and the tip of her nose.


    "Captain!" Reidar exclaimed, who was standing near a door, as faithful as ever.


    Dag responded with a smile, after which he placed both hands on the bed on which he had rested and tried to get up, while his leg and arms bones creaked.


    "How long did I sleep?" he asked, stretching his neck muscles.


    "For about three days, Captain" Reidar immediately replied, who seemed to be ready for that question.


    "What?!" Dag gasped, sitting on the bed and looking around, in disbelief that it took him so long to regain his strength.


    He was located in a small room with wooden walls, which, except for the bed was almost devoid of furniture, with some buckets full of water resting on the ground and wide fishing nets hanging on the wall.


    A large window behind him overlooked the sea, hinting that he had not strayed far from the site of the battle.


    "Yes, you''ve slept like a dormouse! We avoided waking you up, you needed to recover your energy! Anyway, you''re probably wondering where we are... with you in those conditions, we thought returning to Skjegg would be a risky move, so we stayed in the area... we are in the first of the surviving villages. A man offered us his house to let you rest..." Gridd continued, opening the window and letting the fresh sea air enter into the room.


    "Ohu... fuck..." Dag said with a confused air, getting out of bed and scratching his head as he continued to stretch.


    Next to him were his weapons, resting on the wooden floor, made out of crooked and irregular beams.


    "Captain, I''ve allowed myself to clean up your weapons. After the fight, both the hammer and the axe were dirty with earth and blood... well, I spent my time waiting for you to wake up, so I kept myself busy" Reidar smiled, trying to please his friend.

 301 CCCI. The Award

    Dag grabbed the belt, detached the hammer from it and looked at it well, turning it in his hands and pointing it at the light coming in through the window.


    "I believe this hammer has never been so shiny, Reidar! Maybe you should do it as a job! Hahaha!" he chuckled, teasing his trusted ally, happy that he too was safe and sound.


    After wearing his belt and armor, also maniacally cleaned, Dag left the room, which was actually the only one in that tiny house, finding himself in the center of one of the villages he only got a glimpse of, committed to averting the imminent attack.


    "You said three days... I suppose there were no other attacks, right?" he asked, looking at his sister, who nodded her head, confirming the fact that the villages had not suffered any kind of threat during his long sleep.


    "M... Master Dag!" someone from a nearby hut exclaimed.


    Dag turned around, realizing from the tone of the voice that it was a child.


    A little girl walked towards him, holding a basket covered with a rag in her hands.


    "Hey, hello! Need a hand? It looks heavy" he said, before noticing that behind the child there were a man and a woman, who looked smiling at him, that sensed they were the little girl''s parents.


    "Master Dag, please accept these gifts from the village! We know, it''s not much, but we wanted to thank you somehow... we are fishermen and we thought we would give you our most precious good!" the man said, touching the shoulder of the little girl who moved the rag from the basket, revealing its contents.


    Inside, there were several kilos of precious fish of all kinds, and the mere vision of all that food made Dag''s stomach grumble, that after all those days spent in bed he couldn''t wait to put something under his teeth.


    "Thank you very much! You''re so nice! I couldn''t receive a more lovely gift!" he replied, stroking the little girl''s head and smiling at her parents, who appreciated the kind soul of their benefactor.


    Reidar took the large basket full of fish and shellfish, lightening the girl''s arms, who looked him in the eye happily, before walking away.


    "Wow, what delights! Could we eat them right away? I''m very hungry, Gridd!" Dag exclaimed, implicitly asking his sister to cook them for him.


    "Why do you look at me with those languid eyes, little brother?" she smiled, who had already guessed the hidden message of that phrase.


    "C''mon! You know why! I don''t have the faintest idea how to cook these fishes and, even if I tried, I''d definitely end up ruining them! You''re a great cook, you certainly already know how to proceed!" he continued, discovering the basket cover again, anticipating his next meal.


    Amid the general laughter, the three companions approached the geometric center of the village, sitting next to a large pile of circular wood, where the fishermen used to eat all together.


    Although it was still early in the morning, Gridd lit the fire and began rummaging through the crockery piled up nearby, looking for the one best suited to their needs.


    Within minutes, most of the fish that had been given to Dag was already clean and cooked, enriched with spices and leaves of all kinds, as well as strange types of vegetables that he had never even seen.


    The smell also attracted some passers-by, who could not help but approach to smell the delight prepared by Gridd, who with her two crossed swords behind her back and the scratches still fresh on her face, did not give the impression of being an exceptional cook.


    "Come! Come and eat with us! These fishes come directly from your nets, you absolutely have to enjoy them with me! Come closer! My sister is a great cook, you won''t regret it!" Dag shouted, looking around and gesticulating with his arms, trying to lure villagers to the big bonfire.


    The day continued between food and laughter, while Dag and Reidar entertained the children with tales of their travels, telling of the giant animals of the FossillWood Forest and other beasts they had managed to defeat.


    As the Sun began to go down, Dag touched his full belly, satisfied.


    "Brother, you''re such a greedy man! You alone have been able to eat almost 2 kilos of fish!" Gridd exclaimed, laughing.


    "My dear sister... I told you I had to get three days'' meals back! And then it was all exquisite, I haven''t enjoyed dishes prepared by you for years" he said, who after each sentence burped and looked at the children nearby, making them laugh.


    "By the way... Kjell and Ellen... you haven''t told me about them at all, are they okay? I guess they''re back in Skjegg" Dag continued, trying to take a serious tone.


    "Yes, they''re back in town and they''re waiting for us... you managed to amaze everyone again, Dag. What happened on the other side of the coast was just¡­ unbelievable" Gridd replied, looking up and recalling the final moments of the battle against the Jotunns.


    "This time was different" Dag said, resting his back on the ground and crossing his arms behind his head.


    "What do you mean, Captain?" Reidar asked, curious about the details.


    "I mean, unlike in the past few times, when I was forced to give up my instincts to unleash my power, this time it was anger that triggered something in me... My weapons... I even managed to awaken their true power! It was as if the axe and the hammer listened to my thoughts and behaved accordingly! And then, the runes on my arm... at some point they began to shine in a white light" he said, continuing to look up.


    "A white light?!" Reidar inquired again, squinting and slightly receding.


    "Hey, all right, Reidar?" Gridd asked, noting his abnormal behavior.


    He continued to look at Dag, focusing his attention on his arm.

 302 CCCII. The Primal Thunder

    "Yes Reidar, this is what I remember... I noticed that just before the powers of Magni''s hammer and the Giantbane went wild, my runes became shiny... does it mean something to you? Do you know more?" Dag asked, sitting on the ground.


    The archer approached his comrade, allowing only him and Gridd to listen.


    "Master Egill once told us about an ancient legend, dating back to when the first humans populated Skjold. It is said that, hundreds of years ago, a man and a woman gave birth to the first child on the planet, a male. Growing up, this little boy became a warrior, dreaming of becoming as powerful as the brave God Thor" Reidar said softly, looking into Dag''s eyes.


    "Mmmh... Okay. And then?" he asked, impatient to know the rest of the legend.


    "His determination and fighting prowess led him to become King of all Vikings, reaching the top of success. It is said that this man, who became King, was unbeatable... and do you know why?"


    Dag shook his head.


    "Because when he fought angrily, the symbols tattooed on his body became snow-white, making him the only human being able to establish contact between Asgard and Midgard, between Thor and himself. The ''primal thunder'', that''s how he was nicknamed. He was the closest mortal to the Aesirs and other divine beings" Reidar continued, perfectly reminiscent of that magnificent story that remained etched in his mind.


    Dag turned his gaze towards Gridd, then again towards his companion: "and what would you say with that? My runes lit up for a few seconds, it''s not the same thing".


    "What if there is a match? Captain, think about it. Have you ever heard of a human who managed to defeat a God? No one, only you did it! And a man who was able to eliminate two Frostsinners in one battle? You, always you, Captain!" Reidar replied, also looking at Gridd and trying to make her understand his point of view.


    "Then, just wait for a second... defeating powerful enemies does not make me the ''primal thunder'' or whatever... then what do you think of my dark powers? Did the boy of the legend possess the same powers?" Dag exclaimed, countering his companion''s thesis.


    "No, I don''t remember ever hearing about it, but... could be something different! Your blood that flows in your veins may be the same as that of the first Viking King, as well as that of the Frostsinners!" Reidar gulped, intending to assert his opinion.


    ''There is earth within you... but also air. I can feel the fire but also the water. Darkness and light in the same room...''


    After Reidar''s speech, old Sivert''s words rumbled into Dag''s mind, shaking his head.


    "Dag, maybe Reidar''s speech is not fooling. I remember when we met the shaman of Skjegg..."


    "Yes, I also remember what the shaman said... so what? They were just nonsense, meaningless words coming out of the mouth of an old madman! I don''t have time for this crap. Now let''s get out of here, Freydis will be waiting for me" Dag exclaimed, interrupting Gridd and getting up annoyed.


    As he walked to the hut where he had rested, to check that he had taken all his stuff, he thought back to what he had just answered to his friends, not believing his own words, while Sivert''s piercing gaze in his mind and the legend told by Reidar made him shudder.


    "Hey! The horses are that way¡­" Gridd said, pointing in a precise direction, where along a fence, Light, Ace, and Aslan were drinking and grazing fresh grass.


    "Right, the horses! What happened to them? I was afraid they had run away!" Dag answered, running towards Aslan and stroking his snout.


    "They were incredibly scared, but they came back to us on their own, not least because they were intimidated by all this sea around here" Gridd replied, standing with Reidar, who remained silent, sure that Dag only needed some time to think seriously about his words.


    The three companions greeted the villagers, who did not stop for a moment to thank them and after riding on a horse, they made their way to Skjegg, while the moon replaced the Sun in the sky.


    Gridd and Reidar chatted with each other, while Dag remained silent for about an hour, immersed in his thoughts.


    "Changing the subject... why did that Jotunn steal your axe?" she asked, who had waited for her brother to wake up from his sleep to know the truth behind that mystery.


    "I don''t know. The Jotunn who stole it was just a boy... and before he died, he came back into his human form and told me he hadn''t killed anyone¡­ or anything like that" Dag said, recalling that confusing scene.


    "Even if they wanted to take your axe, don''t you think attacking with hundreds of warriors is a little excessive? I mean... Yes, it is really a beautiful and powerful weapon, but is it worth the life of all those men?" Gridd thought out loud, reasoning with her brother.


    Dag detached the Giantbane from the belt magnet and watched it closely, turning it in his hands.


    After being cleaned by Reidar, it had returned to its original splendor, just as when Weland handed it to him at the Great Forge.


    Gridd, dodging a large boulder on the ground, approached his horse to Dag''s, and the torch that held the Shieldmaiden illuminated the axe, particularly the red crystals embedded between the handle and the blade, which shone, reflecting the firelight.


    Dag continued to stare at his weapon, enchanting on those two small crystals and recalling the words of the little girl from the first village, the one who claimed to have eavesdropped on a conversation between two Giants Of Ymir warriors.


    When Light returned to her steps, walking away from Aslan again, the torchlight stopped illuminating the two little rubies, and Dag placed his axe on his belt, thinking that there was no match between the theft of his weapon and the words of that little girl, which were perhaps only the result of her fervent imagination.

 303 CCCIII. The Dirty Hair

    The journey went smoothly and after a few hours, amidst the dense vegetation, the three adventurers were able to distinguish the angular shapes of the Rocky Crown, which rose towering in the sky.


    The three guards defending the main gate, as soon as they saw Dag, Gridd, and Reidar, moved from the entrance to the tunnel, letting them pass and slightly bowing their heads, out of respect, after the news of their deeds had reached the streets of the city.


    The three companions left the horses in the appropriate stables and climbed to the top of the walls, while Dag quivered with the urge to meet his woman again.


    After arriving at the top, they noticed that the only lights on were those of the torches that lined the path carved into the rock, illuminating the entire circumference of the crown.


    Dag asked the guard in front of the Masters building if Freydis was still in the infirmary and after making sure that she was not in there, without further hesitation, tired from the journey and still with his belly full, he made his way with his companions to the dormitory, realizing that the rooms they had used a few days earlier were probably free and ready to be occupied during that night.


    They went up the stairs and as he had guessed and behind each of the three doors there was a key, which symbolized the availability of each room.


    Reidar entered the left, Gridd the right one.


    Dag pulled the key from the central room door and slowly entered, trying not to wake the rest of the warriors who populated the dormitory.


    Candlelight illuminated part of the room, making visible the wooden cabinet leaning against the wall and the rack, on which were resting the pieces of leather armor.


    He smiled and stepped forward, when the girl lying on the bed, under the blankets, awoke from her sleep and moved her long red hair from her face, turning to him.


    Dag approached Freydis, who rubbed her eyes with her hands, incredulous to see her man safe and sound.


    "Dag! You''re here! I knew you''d be back soon, I felt it inside me!" she exclaimed, discovering her semi-naked body under the covers, while Dag interrupted her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her towards him and kissing her on the lips, preventing her from saying anything else.


    The girl''s lips blushed and her eyes closed softly, while she let go with her whole body to that passionate embrace, during which Dag''s hands slipped behind her back, descending under the underwear, which was the only thing that slightly covered her curves.


    She hugged him tightly, clutching and stroking his face, passing a hand through his dirty hair, which still smelled of battle, blood, and earth, as the kiss became more sensual and deep.


    After Dag raised her legs and slammed her back on the bed, they began to make love without saying anything, at that sacred moment, which for them was now like a kind of ritual, during which, each time, eternal fidelity was sworn.


    Several hours passed before they fell asleep, having done it so several times, insatiably.


    She leaned her head over his chest, gently brushing him with her fingers, and Dag began to tell her what had happened along the coast, talking about the battle against the Jotunns, which Ellen and Kjell had already mentioned after returning to Skjegg.


    "And what do you think about the crystal the little girl was talking about?" Freydis asked.


    "I honestly have no idea. All I know is one of them tried to steal my axe, and this thing had never happened to me before. It seemed that the Jotunn knew exactly what he was stealing, he knew he hadn''t taken an item haphazardly. You know, the Giantbane has two little red crystals set on its handle..." answered Dag, looking at the ceiling and trying to reflect, remembering the details.


    "Those could be the crystals the Giants of Ymir were talking about, don''t you think?"


    "Yes, but how did they know? That weapon was forged by Weland, the divine blacksmith, and the crystals are the result of a process called ''Soul Fusion'', through which the soul of an innocent warrior has been sacrificed and converted into a kind of energy source, capable of activating the intrinsic power of that weapon. What does this have to do with the Jotunns? Maybe they didn''t even know the true origins of the Giantbane... and even if they knew the truth, the question is still¡­ how? Who told them? Only me, Karl and Reidar went to Weland and I''m willing to bet that none of my closest companions would ever betray me in this way, not least because I would have noticed" Dag continued, who, speaking to Freydis, tried to reason with her.


    "When the enemies played the retreat? I mean, the exact moment¡­" she asked as if she had an intuition.


    "I don''t know, I believe right after I killed the thief and took back the Giantbane..."


    Freydis remained silent for a few seconds, thinking, then snuggled up in Dag''s arms, focusing on the fact that her man had finally returned and the next time she would leave, she could stay by his side.


    After cuddling his girlfriend, he got out of bed and approached the water-filled wooden tub next to the wall, beginning to wash his arms and chest, while Freydis looked at him intently, noting that despite his multiple battles, he had very few scars.


    When he finished cleaning his body and clothes, leaving the water completely dirty, he dressed up and asked Freydis to do the same.


    The two lovers left the room, closing the lock and carrying the key with them.


    Reidar and Gridd weren''t there to wait for them, so Dag and Freydis came out of the dorm and headed to the Masters''s building.


    The Sun shone high in the sky as they entered the palace, always strictly guarded by guards.

 304 CCCIV. Combine The Information

    "Hahahaha! It''s amazing! Here he is, safe and sound! Then you did it yourself, again!" a voice beside him exclaimed.


    He turned and when Karl''s face appeared to him, he squeezed his friend into a fraternal hug.


    "You made it again! Kjell told me what happened... your deeds will remain forever written in the annals of Skjegg''s libraries!" the young healer continued, touching the shoulder of his friend and Captain.


    Dag chuckled and scratched his head, embarrassed by all those compliments, knowing that what had happened had only been the result of his anger channeled in the right way.


    "Where are the Masters? Are they upstairs?" he asked, beginning to walk to the stairs.


    "Yes, I think so. Wait, I''m coming with you".


    Karl, Freydis, and Dag climbed the stairs, finding themselves in the library, completely empty.


    "Up here, boys! We''re on the top floor!" a deep, baritone voice, similar to Sander''s shouted.


    At that point the three teammates went up to the floor, discovering that all three Crows Of Odin Masters were there waiting for them, after learning of their return.


    Sander approached Dag and spread his big arms.


    He looked at him confusedly when the man hugged him and lifted him off the ground, blocking his breath for a few seconds.


    "Uaagh! Th... thank you, Master Sander! I missed you too!" Dag said with a thread of voice, feeling his chest stuck in those sturdy arms.


    "I Thank you, boy! I knew it! I knew there was something in you, I felt it inside my bones!" he exclaimed, freeing Dag from the grip.


    "I just did my duty to the Iron Alliance. The pact we made for me is sacred and I will honor it at the cost of losing my life" Dag replied, adjusting his crumpled clothes and speaking in a serious and convinced tone.


    "Alright, alright... I wish I had been there when with that tremendous blow you wiped out dozens of Jotunns! It must have been amazing! I knew from your eyes that you were a strong, brave warrior, but this... this goes beyond my expectations!" he continued, touching his long beard, smug.


    Before Dag could respond, Gridd and Reidar also entered the room, happy to be all reunited after the victory.


    "The danger that threatened the coasts southeast of Runar seems to have been driven away, but we cannot say for sure that we have solved the problem definitively. Dag, we''d like to know if you''ve been able to get any important information about the Giants'' future plans, so we can figure out what our next move will be" Kjell said, taking the floor and interrupting Sander''s laudatory speech.


    "No, I couldn''t. The Jotunn who had stolen my axe was actually a young magician, incredibly skilled at creating ice barriers, also if they weren''t a big problem for me. Shortly before he died, his last words were ''they told me I couldn''t kill anyone''. I don''t know exactly what that means, but I don''t think it''s related to their war plans. I then tried to ask him if his Clan had declared war on Okstorm or had forged alliances with other enemy Clans, but I received no answer" Dag replied, trying to be as detailed as possible.


    "Stolen your axe?" Sander asked in amazement.


    "Yes, after being unarmed, Dag noticed that one of the giants had picked up his axe from the ground and started running towards their boat, docked on the other side of the rocky coast" Ellen said, who stood still to listen, arms crossed and one foot leaning against the wall.


    At that moment, Freydis looked at Dag, suggesting that he should talk to his allies about what they had discussed in private in their dorm room.


    He took a deep breath, as if to convince himself it was the right thing, and then said: "Actually, the story is more complicated than that. During our first interrogation of the fishermen of one of the villages that had escaped the first attack, a young girl confessed to having heard two enemies talk to each other about a ''crystal''".


    "Dag, you''re not really going to believe a little girl''s words, do you?" Ellen snorted, as Kjell sat down at the table, ready to listen to Dag''s reasoning.


    "I told you, Ellen... in my life, I have learned never to underestimate anything. What if that little girl''s words are true? What if the Jotunns were really interested in the crystals embedded in my axe?" Dag asked back, realizing that he had said perhaps a little too much about the Giantbane.


    "So... wait for a second, I''m not understanding anything. Did the Giants Of Ymir steal your axe to get some crystals embedded on it? What''s the point of all this? Does it have to do with your powers?" Sander replied, trying to clarify the speech.


    Dag turned to his companions, looking at them as whenever he didn''t know whether to tell something or not because he knew that sometimes his naivety had only caused him trouble.


    After an affirmative nod from Reidar and Karl, who perfectly remembered the story of that axe and the adventure to reach Weland in the depths of the planet, Dag told his new allies the whole truth about the Giantbane, including his fight against the God.


    An expression of disbelief and astonishment slowly drew on the faces of his interlocutors, who, as he told everything in detail, could not believe his story.


    "Dag, you know how much I value you, but this story seems a little too imaginary to me... we all know the legend of Weland, the blacksmith who forged some epic weapons, like that of the wise M¨¬mir, but surely none of us have ever managed to meet him, or even defeat him in a fight!" Sander exclaimed after paying attention to the story.


    Ellen shook her head, puzzled, while Kjell continued to remain silent, reflecting on Dag''s words.


    "I think I have proven my loyalty and honesty to you. Now tell me, why should I lie to you so shamelessly? What''s in it for me, saying that my axe was forged by Weland himself? My comrades fought at my side and believe me... He forced us to do it because he believed I was a threat!" Dag continued, also questioning Reidar and Karl, who came forward.

 305 CCCV. Hard To Believe

    "A threat?! How could you ever be a threat to a God?! Come on, Dag, don''t be ridiculous! The battle must have clouded your mind!" Ellen chuckled, looking at Kjell and waiting for confirmation in his gaze, which was always focused on Dag.


    In the moments of silence that came after that provocation, Reidar took another step forward and placed the Failnaught on the table, attracting the attention of everyone in the room, who could not immediately understand the reason for the unexpected gesture.


    "And what would that be? It''s a beautiful bow, but don''t you think what you just did is a little out of the blue?" Ellen asked, naively.


    "This is the Failnaught. It is not a simple bow... like the Giantbane, the divine axe of my captain, it was forged by Weland himself" he exclaimed, with a convinced tone and serious eyes, focused on the three Masters.


    Sander, after looking at Reidar and realizing from his eyes that he too was convinced of his words, approached the table and grabbed the bow, squeezing it in his hands and studying the smallest details.


    "It may seem like a common longbow, but it has a very peculiar power... if I''m far from the gaze of the enemies, it..."


    "It generates two additional magic arrows, allowing the archer holding it to shoot three arrows at the same time" Kjell interrupted, who until then had remained silent, but seemed to know perfectly well how the Failnaught''s unique power works.


    At those words, Dag turned to him, not surprised too much by that observation, having already sensed that Kjell, unlike the other Masters, was much more attentive to the fights, studying their style and weapons from the beginning.


    "Yes... that''s it" Reidar said, happy that Kjell had been attentive, giving credibility to his words.


    Sander and Ellen looked at each other, then the Crows Of Odin''s Master of Defense continued to look at the bow, resting two fingers on its rope, as if he was looking for some trickery.


    "My friends, the axe of Master Dag has a power I had never seen. Its blades, when in contact with blood, become incandescent and manage to release flames worthy of Helheim. I''m surprised at you, Ellen, who, like me, personally witnessed that incredible manifestation of power" Kjell replied, keeping his composure and sitting, turning his head toward Ellen, who looked away.


    Sander looked at Dag, who was ready to answer his every question.


    "Did you really meet a God and fought against him?" he asked, unable to believe that was the truth.


    Dag nodded, while his piercing gaze stood firm on Sander, enriched by the purple eye.


    "Why didn''t you just say that before?" Ellen inquired, imagining that Dag had something to hide.


    "Because I was sure you wouldn''t believe me and you''d probably give me crazy. I didn''t know I could control both of the elements, believe me, my powers increase day by day!" Dag replied, sincerely.


    "I can''t believe you and your comrades are crazy, keep claiming you''ve known and defeated Weland... but if so, Odin''s wrath would pour over you! Weland lives in Asgard, along with the other Aesirs!" Sander stated, leaving the Failnaught on the table.


    "You won''t tell me you believe their words, Sander! Of course they say it only to increase their popularity among the people! If that was true, don''t you think his name would be known throughout Okstorm?!" Ellen interrupted again, opening her arms to her colleague, with an astonished air.


    "It is, indeed. Sander and I knew about Dag even before he arrived. His fame preceded him" Kjell confirmed, almost reluctant to admit what he really thought.


    Everyone''s eyes focused on Ellen, who reciprocated those glances with a sulky expression.


    Dag stepped towards her and smiled: "I understand what you think. I mean, I know how you feel, I would have reacted like you in your place. I didn''t tell you right away about my past and my powers because I couldn''t know your reaction... and also because, besides my team, no one knows that! My Clan''s Masters barely know some details, considering I haven''t seen them in a long time".


    The Master Of Healing changed her expression slightly, managing to read the sincerity in the eyes of Dag, who was sick of ever justifying himself to them, hoping that they would believe the reality of the facts.


    "If you are ready, there is something else that you should know. It''s about Odin and all the people of Asgard..." he continued, drawing upon himself the looks of everyone, including that of Freydis, who was unaware of what she was about to hear.


    Without hesitation, Dag let everything he knew about Asgard and the dark day flow throughout his mouth, after which, the fate of the Gods changed dramatically.


    He told them of Weland''s confession, that after being defeated and healed, he had retraced his memories with Dag and his companions, explaining the smallest details of that incredible story, which had changed their lives forever.


    "That''s all I know. Weland himself told me the whole truth. I feel like I have to use all this power that I have somehow... the Iron Alliance and the unification of the Clans are not enough" Dag concluded, catching his breath.


    "My goodness... I still can''t believe it. I have dedicated my life to serving Odin, respecting the will of the Aesir, and honoring their name. And now what do I find out? That our Gods were forcibly driven out of Asgard and obliged to move to this planet" Sander thought out loud, while the other two Masters remained silent.


    "Our only real home has always been the Earth! The most hospitable planet of all, where flora and fauna proliferated until everything changed. We, humans, have exploited the planet entirely, draining its resources. That''s when things started to get worse. Our technology was not evolution, but exactly the opposite... we were regressing, advancing inexorably towards the end" Dag said, venting some of his anger.

 306 CCCVI. A Larger Plan

    "I have never known such a determined earthling. Life on our planet continues inexorably the flow of its events, ignoring the truth about our past. You''re right, Dag, we need to stop pretending, we should rebel! But how?!" Sander continued, beginning to share Dag''s emotions, albeit partially, having not lived them on his skin.


    After those words, Dag, for the first time, felt a vibration in the air, as if something was awakening in their minds, that they finally began to listen to him for real, empathizing with him.


    Freydis looked at her boyfriend, confused by that story, having no idea that his Dag had been forced to deal with all that.


    "I''d like to be able to explain more and to give you a solution, but I''m not. I just wish I had your trust, that''s all. I would like to know that, if something serious were to happen one day, you will be by my side, ready to sacrifice your life for the good of the human race" he replied, pulling out his hammer and beginning to look at it with a melancholy air.


    "Let''s bring the Clans together... but not just Okstorm''s. All Skjold''s warriors must fight together, without needing a Leader! For our Gods and for our children! And our children''s children!", he replied, raising his voice, clutching the handle of the hammer and taking deep breaths.


    A few seconds of silence followed that speech, during which Dag once again demonstrated his Warchief qualities, proving to be able to fill that role seriously and capably despite his age.


    Although the three Masters were adults, with more life experience than him, Dag could boast of having seen the Earth with his own eyes, of remembering the past better and also possessing supernatural powers, which should not be an underestimated value, if somebody wanted to fight against him and his principles.


    "Your speech doesn''t make a turn, Master Dag. You already know our answer... If we weren''t going to be your allies, the battle against the Jotunns would probably have never happened. I just want to tell you something, a piece of advice, about someone who''s been living on this planet for many years longer than you... those who want everything immediately, often remain empty-handed, here on Skjold" Kjell said, rising from the table and walking toward Dag, intent on speaking to him face to face.


    Freydis looked at his Master Of Offense trying to understand his intentions, perpetually hidden by that mocking smile on his face.


    "What do you mean, Master Kjell?" Dag asked, who would gladly accept the advice of such a skilled warrior, who to conquer the n¡ã 5 emblem had surely exploited his wits, beyond mere brute force.


    He stood in front of Dag, surprisingly resting his hand on his shoulder, not being a person who loves the physical contact and said: "Don''t believe the battle against the Giants Of Ymir is over. If you want my advice, you have to understand why they did what they did. You said it was a divine weapon, right? Well, maybe it might have powers that you don''t even imagine, and for some weird reason, those dirty Jotunns might know more than you about it!"


    "How? How could they know more than I do! I witnessed the moment it was forged!" Dag replied impulsively, who soon after remained silent, thinking of his words.


    Although he and his companions were present at the time of the creation of the Giantbane in the Great Forge, they did not witness when the essence of Brann''s brother Eirik was trapped in the ruby-like red crystal during the ''Soul Fusion'' process.


    Kjell noticed that moment of hesitation and squinted, trying to understand more.


    Reidar also saw over his Captain''s expression and stepped forward, entering the speech.


    "I agree with Master Kjell. I think we should pursue the matter and travel east, in search of the settlements of the Giants Of Ymir!" he exclaimed, in a firm tone, drawing the attention of Dag, who turned suddenly towards him.


    "To the east?" Sander asked in amazement, while everyone else was listening.


    Before Kjell could take the reins of the conversation again, Dag said back: "yes, the east. I think that''s a good idea. I''m going to put it to the vote, giving all the Iron Alliance''s Masters a chance to express their opinion. If the answer is yes, I will gather a crew of volunteers and aboard one of Okstorm''s best ships, to sail to Krypstorm and start our alliance''s first exploratory mission".


    After those words, Kjell added nothing more and returned to sit next to the large wooden table, on which there were still the maps opened by Sander before the departure to the south coast.


    "Is that really what you want, Dag? No one besides the Hands Of Tyr warriors has ever gone east, beyond the borders of Okstorm. All the Berserkrs and Shieldmaidens who cross that border never return, including those who choose to join the Clans of the ''perennial ice nation''" Sander said, in a tone of concerned but determined voice.


    Dag looked at Reidar, then Freydis and the others.


    "My team will rewrite the history of this planet... I''m sure we''ll succeed where others have failed before us" he said, hinting to Freydis that she, too, was officially part of the crew.


    "Then the only thing left for you to do is establish a unique method by which all Iron Alliance Masters can cast their vote" Sander concluded, trying to reason in practical terms.


    "Returning to Mount Torden and Hevnen doesn''t make sense. If we have to leave, it is better to do so from the south coast of Runar, the same one that has suffered the last attacks. I am sure that from there we will be able to easily reach enemy settlements. With your permission, we will send trusted emissaries to the cities of our Clans and they will tell us the verdict" replied Dag, looking at Ellen, who would surely have voted against the mission, judging by her suspicious and trustless gaze.

 307 CCCVII. A Moment Of Peace

    The long meeting came to an end and all the Masters dissolved the session, with the promise of doing as commanded by thy Warchief.


    Sander himself would take care of choosing the messengers, two per Clan.


    When Dag and his group left the Masters building on the Rocky Crown, they began to walk along the path and continued to chat privately.


    "Captain, I apologize if I first meddled in your speech... I noticed you were thoughtful and thought my words might help. The three Crows Of Odin''s Masters are certainly smart people, but at the same time, they treat us with mistrust. Sometimes the words of only one of us are not enough, however authoritative and convincing you may be" Reidar said, justifying his actions to Dag.


    "No, Reidar... on the contrary, I thank you, because your support has been fundamental, as usual. It was useful to realize that the Giantbane issue must be the first to be resolved. I thought... we have witnessed its creation, it is true... but the Soul Fusion, the magical process that infused that weapon its inner power, we didn''t see it with our own eyes! I only relied on the stories of Weland and my mother Asa. Why did the Jotunns want to get their hands on it? Are they able to control it? What''s the point? There are so many unanswered questions" Dag said, who walked holding Freydis by the hand.


    "With our help, you will be able to answer every question! We will travel to Krypstorm, of which we, people of the West, know nothing! I''m sure no enemy can stand up to you, brother! And thanks to our teamwork, we''re going to get the information we need as soon as possible! For the Iron Alliance!" Gridd exclaimed, who had not said a word during the debate with the other Masters.


    She stood in front of her companions, stretching an arm towards them, who rested their hands on each other and shouted in unison: "For the Iron Alliance!"


    During that gesture, an atmosphere of friendship and deep esteem enveloped all the team members, who exchanged glances of gratitude and hope.


    "So? What are we doing now, Captain?" Reidar asked, ready to follow new orders.


    "Now let''s wait. Sander will send messengers to Mount Torden and Hevnen. When they come back and give us a definitive answer, we will know what to do. In the meantime, I''m going to spend the next few days training, trying to hone my new techniques and master the dark matter that flows from my body. I''d like you to do the same, to get ready for Krypstorm if the answer from the other Masters is positive!" Dag exclaimed, looking at his companions and smiling.


    Everyone accepted that magnificent proposal, which would allow them to recover some rest, which has been rare in recent times.


    "I don''t think my Masters have any problem hosting you here. You can stay as long as you want, I''m sure the citizens feel safer with such strong warriors in the city!" Freydis said, pleased with Dag''s decision and the fact that they could have made up for some lost time.


    "Where do you usually train? I mean... I don''t think the top of the Rocky Crown is a place that fits our fighting style, it''s too tight" Gridd interrupted, asking Freydis for more information, already thinking about the training phase.


    "Coming out of the secondary tunnel, there is a small arena, built just like a training area. In addition to that, there are forests and woods, if space is not enough!"


    While Freydis argued with Gridd, explaining the details, Dag could not help but look at her wound, the one he had provoked during his bestial transformation.


    He thought of how beautiful his woman was, who kept smiling despite everything, forgetting that, for a limited time, his body and mind had been under Xis'' control.


    "Then? What do you say, Dag? Are we going there?" Gridd asked, looking him in the eye.


    "Uhm?" he said, who was immersed in his thoughts and had not heard a word of their speech.


    "Hey, brother, are you there? I asked if you want to try this ''training arena'' we were talking about¡­ with me! A one versus one fight, like the good old days! Are you there?" she replied, chuckling.


    "Of course! Freydis, make your way! We finally have some time to spend" he said, climbing with his companions on one of the large wooden platforms leading into the city.


    His friends continued to talk to each other, also familiarizing with Freydis, who was unknown to Reidar and had not seen Gridd for many years.


    Dag, on the other hand, stayed a little further behind, walking aside and diving back into his thoughts, reflecting on the axe and what it might mean, failing to take out of his head the words of that little girl and those of the dying Jotunn.


    The walk to the arena was interrupted several times, as Dag''s companions stopped often near some of the city''s shops and street vendors, now that they could finally enjoy a walk by tourists, not having to worry about upcoming missions.


    He continued to watch them from behind, occasionally exchanging loving glances with Freydis, who already seemed to get along with his sister, buying a loaf of hot bread, while Karl and Reidar were across the street, intent to look at a shop selling handbags, bottles and quivers, one of which caught the archer''s attention.


    Despite the moment of peace, Dag could not relax completely, as if something inside him urged him to never stop, to continue fighting constantly, not letting him enjoy the moment of well-deserved tranquility.


    He looked up, skyward, letting the rays of that artificial Sun caress his face, illuminating it with its warm light, and thought of the alien voice in his head, which was always there, but spoke only when he needed it.


    "The alien words I hear when I''m about to lose control... I don''t even know what they mean. They might just be meaningless words, I wouldn''t know it anyway. Who''s in me, what''s in my head? My friends seem so lighthearted... not there I can ever remember. Since my childhood, a flood of thoughts gripped my mind, not letting me sleep and forcing me to withdraw into myself. What''s wrong with me? Maybe it''s just my character, it''s just some genetic issue..." he continued to think, when Freydis waved a hand, inviting him to reach her and Gridd.

 308 CCCVIII. Pick Her Up

    He smiled and approached his girlfriend and his sister, trying to get those constant thoughts out of his head and have fun with his friends.


    After several hours spent in the city center wandering around, they finally arrived at the secondary entrance of Skjegg, located in the diametrically opposite direction of the main gates.


    They passed the gallery, finding themselves immersed in nature, with vegetation that seemed to be much denser than the one on the other side.


    Right after the exit, skirting the outer walls on the right side, they arrived to a wooden structure, quite large and square in shape, perhaps more similar to an animal fence than a real arena.


    "Here we are" Freydis said, pointing to his new teammates their destination.


    Large wooden training dummies were fixed in the ground at the outer side of the sturdy wooden fence: as soon as he saw them, Dag thought of those on Mount Torden, in the clearing near the farm, where Magni taught him his personal technique, ''Adamant Mountain'' and helped him improve his fighting style.


    When his thoughts went to his late Master, a feeling of deep melancholy pervaded his body and lungs, but he managed to hold back the emotion, merely thinking that Magni would be proud of the warrior he was becoming.


    The companions began to train and fight with each other, sometimes with fake weapons, other times with their bare hands, having fun and laughing at each other, until the evening came and they decided to return to the city, looking for a good inn where to drink and eat and then go to the dormitory.


    In the city, the main topic among the people was about them and what had happened in Altar of the Raven Square and the villages on the coast: most citizens, despite having never had direct contact with Dag, knew his face, after his public fight against Master Ellen, valid for the title of Warchief.


    Many people approached them during the walk through the streets of Skjegg, which in the evening looked much more welcoming, with many torches and lights lining the squared buildings.


    After receiving lots of compliments and acknowledgments from the citizens, they found themselves in a beautiful inn, toasting with unknown people, who offered them food and drinks, to thank them for their work against the enemy warriors.


    Despite holding the alcohol well, this time Dag also let himself go and took his whack a little more, drinking almost two whole bottles of mead on his own, celebrating and screaming with all the tavern-goers, while his companions enjoyed the evening in the same way.


    It was late at night when they left the local and walked rickety to the dormitory, looking towards the elevators as if the stretch of road to walk through was an infinite distance, for the common space-distortion effect due to the alcohol.


    Dag and Freydis giggled, babbling, and Karl joined them, resting his hand on his sister''s shoulder and chatting with them, who continued to walk on each other.


    Meanwhile, behind them, Reidar followed them at a slow pace, also slightly shimmering when, at one point, Gridd placed an arm around his neck, letting herself go dead weight, unable to hold on her legs anymore.


    "Hey... Gridd... what are you... do... do you want a hand?" he asked, having trouble keeping his eyes open, due to exhaustion, as Gridd placed her face on his shoulder, embarrassing him.


    "Y... yes, Reidar" she whispered, completely abandoning herself in his arms and closing her eyes, unable to walk further due both to fatigue and drunkenness.


    The archer looked towards Dag, who with Freydis and Karl had almost arrived at the wooden platforms and continued to walk forward, never turning around.


    Without thinking too much, he took Gridd in his arms, placing one arm under her neck and shoulders and another under her legs.


    She placed her face on Reidar''s chest, snuggling up like a helpless child.


    He began to walk, carrying Gridd with him, feeling his heart beating tightly in his chest and trying to think of Turid, his girlfriend, who was waiting for him in Hevnen.


    Although he was in love with her, Gridd had always attracted his attention, from the first moment Dag introduced him to her.


    The early days they met, they were always at odds, but lately, they got much more united and their thoughts sometimes seemed to merge, with an empathy difficult to achieve with other people.


    "What am I doing? Uff... Reidar, don''t be an idiot!" he thought, shaking his head and continuing to look at Gridd and think of Turid at the same time, feeling guilty.


    Dag, Karl, and Freydis began to climb the Rocky Crown, and when Dag noticed that Reidar and Gridd were missing, he turned and smiled, witnessing the scene of his trusty companion carrying his sister in his arms, who also being a strong Shieldmaiden, at that time had turned into a helpless and fragile girl.


    Half an hour later, Reidar and Gridd arrived at the dormitory, after he carried her in his arms all the way, even climbing the stairs leading to the rooms.


    When he arrived in front of the three doors, trying not to wake up the girl, he put a hand in his pocket, looking for the door''s key, without success.


    "Where did I put it? Fuck... Karl must have taken it..." Reidar thought aloud because his roommate had the key to their room.


    Without leaving Gridd, he approached his room and began to knock with his foot, calling Karl.


    More than ten minutes passed, but Karl didn''t open the door, which was locked from the inside.


    "Fuck, Karl! You''re a son of a bitch!" Reidar thought, realizing that the only way not to sleep on the floor was to stay in Gridd''s room, which had already fallen into a deep sleep.


    He closed his eyes and, trying to be as gentle as possible, slipped a hand on the girl''s leg, looking for her room''s key.

 309 CCCIX. Sleep Together

    The hand reached her lower back and Reidar immediately pulled it away, while his face turned red as a tomato.


    "Fuck! If she wakes up it''s the end for me!" he thought again, looking for the key on Gridd''s other leg, whose pants didn''t seem to have many pockets, but they had to hide the key somewhere.


    Finally, after touching the girl''s legs for several minutes, Reidar felt a small metal body under the palm of his hand and gently stuck his fingers in that pocket, pulling out the key one millimeter at a time, beginning to sweat with embarrassment and nervousness, increased by the fact that Gridd''s body began to weigh.


    After retrieving the key, he immediately walked to the door, opened it, and entered the room, resting the drunken girl on the bed, making sure not to wake her up.


    All the alcohol he had drunk made him lose his head and the thought of sleeping on the floor made his muscles stiffen.


    His eyes were closing on exhaustion and his legs trembled as he stood by Gridd''s bed, on which a little space advanced, even if it was designed for one person.


    Reidar could not resist and, without even undressing, laid down next to her, falling asleep like a rock in a few minutes.


    In addition to the two of them, everyone else slept without ever waking up, weighed down by the mead and the food of the night before.


    Among them, Reidar was the first to open his eyes as soon as the sunlight entered the small window of the room.


    Immediately, he turned to Gridd, who was still there, in the same position she had been resting in, but with the neckline of the armor slightly open.


    Embarrassed as ever, he tiptoed out of bed: trying to make as little noise as possible, he didn''t notice that right under his feet, on the floor, was the Failnaught.


    Moving awkwardly, Reidar slightly stepped on it with his foot and the solid wood of the bow touched the ground, making noise.


    At that point, Gridd began to move and stretch, and when she turned to the other side, the top of her untied leather armor slipped under her back, leaving it uncovered.


    Reidar''s cheeks blushed beyond measure, and the tension he felt in those awkward moments was palpable.


    He lowered himself to the floor and picked up the Failnaught, tucking an arm under its rope and placing it behind his back, as usual.


    The last obstacle between him and the embarrassment was the door: he looked at it, beginning to walk slowly towards it when Gridd began to move again, moaning and turning back to him, slightly opening her eyes, still a little stunned.


    Reidar was paralyzed, imagining what would happen if he tried to hide.


    Gridd''s gaze, initially facing the ceiling, gradually lowered, falling on him, who instinctively put his hands forward, ready to justify his presence in the room, with the face red for the embarrassment.


    "Hhhmmm... hey..." she whispered, proving to be conscious and to have seen him.


    "He... hey..." Reidar stuttered, who still could not move and was about a meter from the door.


    Gridd got up, sitting on the bed, passing one hand through her messy hair, and reconnecting his armor, one snare at a time.


    The archer swallowed empty, not knowing how to behave: from outside the door, he did not hear a pin drop and this made him understand that his companions were still sleeping like gophers.


    "Don''t worry, Reidar, I remember almost everything from last night... thank you for bringing me here... I think that, if you weren''t there to help me, I''d still be in that inn by now... yaaawn!" Gridd exclaimed, stretching her arms upwards and smiling at her friend, who squinted, not believing his ears.


    "Uhm... of course, Gridd... I did it with pleasure... the door to my room was closed, I don''t think Karl thought about the fact that..."


    Before he finished the sentence, the Shieldmaiden got out of bed, tying her blonde hair into a perfect braid, the result of years of habit.


    She walked towards him, who again could not say anything else, trembling like a leaf.


    "You don''t have to justify yourself... It was nice" she interrupted, gently kissing his cheek and leaving the room seconds later, leaving him petrified.


    As soon as Gridd closed the door, Reidar sighed long and deep, closing his eyes and thinking back to that night, during which, if he wanted to, he could also take advantage of her.


    "Aargh! How can I think about such things!" he thought aloud, shaking his head as the image of Turid appeared in his mind.


    Although he was in love with his current girlfriend, the fascination of a more mature woman had always attracted him: there was something in her that intrigued him, perhaps the tone of her voice or the fact that she was a strong and independent person, able to fend for herself.


    When he heard the noise of the other doors coming from the dorm hallway, Reidar took courage and went out, meeting Dag and the others, who, despite being numb, as soon as they saw him leave Gridd''s room, looked at him with an astonished expression.


    "So? What do you foresee for our training today? I brought a scroll of the Temple Of Orn with me and I''d like to learn it. Are we going to the arena?" he asked, pretending nothing and trying to evade the curious glances of his companions, who looked at him mischievously while he headed for the stairs leading downstairs, after noticing that Gridd was not among them.


    "Karl, why did Reidar leave my sister''s room?" Dag asked, scratching his head and yawning.


    "I think it''s my fault... last night I was very tired and I must have forgotten to leave the door open... then I noticed that Reidar drove Gridd to the dorm because she was so tired and drunk that she couldn''t stand up, but... you know Reidar... he has an iron will" Karl replied, reassuring Dag, who for a moment felt jealous, thinking of his friend in bed with his sister and completely forgetting that he saw them too.

 310 CCCX. The Advances

    After that misunderstanding, Dag, Karl, and Freydis also headed out, going out on the Rocky Crown and following their friends to the arena, ready to start another day of training.


    On the road, just before the wooden elevator, Sander was walking, enjoying the warm Sun of that beautiful day.


    "Ah! Good morning to all of you! Did you have a good night?" he asked, smiling.


    They answered affirmatively and chatted with him for a few minutes, even asking him for some information about the emissaries sent to their Clans.


    "Don''t worry, Dag. Some of them are on missions nearby, so it takes a few days for me to gather them and give them the official assignment. Just don''t feel in our way¡­ as our guests, you can stay here as long as you want, take some time for yourself! I will call you myself when there are developments in the expedition, all right?" he asked, reaching out a hand to Dag, who squeezed it, nodding his head.


    After greeting Sander, they continued their walk to the arena, which they reached without any hurry.


    Reidar arrived a short time earlier and was already hitting targets in front of him, positioned more than a hundred yards away, while Gridd trained nimbly against a large wooden training dummy.


    "How come you chose to fight with two weapons, Dag?" Freydis asked, breaking the silence as Karl entered the enclosure to train with Gridd.


    "My sister has greatly influenced my fighting style... since I was a child, after my daily workouts in the arena, I trained with her near our farm. As you can see with your own eyes, Gridd uses to fight with two swords, and her style is based a lot on speed and counter-attacks. Over the years, I understood those advantages and started fighting in the same way" he said, resting his hands on both of his weapons, hanging from his belt.


    "I remember, when you were a kid, you fought with one sword. That little wooden sword... how sweet! If I think about it, my heart beats!" she replied, recalling the past.


    "Yeah, I... I was a bad fighter... not that I''m experienced now, I still have a lot to learn! Anyway, thanks to my sister, I learned what I know about the fight, but Taya''s hard workouts helped me to strengthen my spirit. Defeating her in an official duel was a very exciting thing, I didn''t think that moment would ever come!" he continued, summarily recounting his fight for the Warchief title in Hevnen''s central square.


    "You''ve made a lot of progress, it''s amazing how strong you''ve become! I remember when we were kids and I could have beaten you even with my eyes closed!" she exclaimed, giving a friendly punch to his shoulder.


    "What?! Hahaha... Don''t make me laugh, newbie! If you want to be so smartass, bring it on! Show me what you''re capable of!" he smiled, inviting Freydis into the wooden fence and challenging her to fight.


    "I''m in!"


    ...


    The five friends spent the whole morning and the next one training in that placed, which was used by Crows of Odin warriors once a day, during the afternoon, remaining empty during daylight hours.


    They spent about a week in Skjegg, in which they focused on improving their techniques and teamwork level, also studying chained moves that could benefit them during future battles, especially as they did not know what types of enemies they would face.


    If the other Masters'' answer was affirmative, the trip to Krypstorm was just around the corner and they had to be ready for anything, trying to keep the spirit up as well as the body.


    Dag often trained with Freydis, who in the days leading up to her accident, did not give him a demonstration of her spear skill, which, unlike Taya, she wielded with two hands, no shield.


    With that kind of combat, the red-haired young Shieldmaiden was able to take full advantage of the power of the spear and further extend its reach.


    The only problems, of course, were defensive moves: not having a shield in her gear, Freydis''s strength was the offensive, based on multiple and fast attacks, but also heavy side swings.


    With the help of Dag, who although he had exercised his Master role for a very short time, had all the skills to teach, she managed to correct some flaws in her positioning, learning to dodge and deflect shots with skill, in perfect Gridd style.


    Karl, training with Gridd, who was the most experienced warrior, also realized that having a heavy shield could be a huge advantage, especially in fights against multiple enemies at the same time.


    On a daily basis, she subjected him to specific training, which included the parry of many consecutive attacks, carried out from different directions.


    This was very useful to Karl, who, being a bit coward during the real fights, in which there was a risk of losing his life, could use the shield to gain time and better study his opponent''s moves.


    Reidar, on the other hand, being the only one of them specializing in ranged combat, was forced to strengthen the bases of the melee one, perfecting the switch between bow and dagger and learning to dodge by rolling on the ground and counterattacking quickly, hitting on the hips and behind the back.


    Using moving targets, or dummies tied to floorboards equipped with wheels and carried in turn by Dag and Karl, the archer also learned to shoot arrows while running, a very useful technique during surprise assaults, in which he would not have the opportunity to look for a hiding place from which to aim easily.


    Fighting against his new students, Master Gridd improved her counter-attacking moves, making the most of her Clan''s skills, most of which consisted of enhancement of her blades and an increase in the speed of attack and movement.


    As quick as a lightning bolt, she was able to knock Karl down in seconds and dodge Reidar''s long-range shots, preventing him from extracting the dagger in response to his attacks.

 311 CCCXI. The Taming

    But despite her incredible qualities, Gridd was often challenged by Freydis, who specialized in particularly fast and precise shots, often followed by a low sweep, at the height of her legs, which if hit the target, allowed her to repeat the series of attacks unlimitedly.


    Watching his sister and girlfriend train together, Dag felt a sense of contentment, feeling within himself that knowing they both were safe, made him happy and serene.


    Unlike his companions, focused on studying new skills and perfecting parries, attacks, and dodges, Dag devoted the first few days of the week to cultivating his dark powers, looking for the best way to control them without losing control and understanding the strongest combinations with the two elements, of which his weapons were imbued.


    While lightning, due to its incredible propagation speed, was suitable for hitting multiple targets and electrocuting them to death, the fire allowed it to inflict extensive damage on a single target, burning out the flesh and organs from the inside.


    Finding the right balance between the two forces, he knew that his dark power would benefit, combining with them and unleashing its full power.


    Recalling the movements made during the last two battles, through which he had managed to summon the two dark arms, Dag began to repeat them day by day, perfecting them more and more.


    After some practice, he realized that he was able to extract them in a few seconds and that the point of the body from which this process was faster was the back.


    His companions, when he trained his powers, stood still and watched, enchanted by that dark matter, of which the origin remained unknown.


    In addition to the shape of the arms, Dag was able to give the fluid every possible shape, the only limit was his imagination, but that of the two pointed beams at their summits remained the easiest to perform.


    Freydis, unlike the others, who merely admired the beauty and destructive force of those powers, tried to suggest to Dag other uses, such as defense.


    On the fourth day of training, after a fight with his teammates, while the Sun was high in the sky, Dag summoned his two dark arms, preparing for his daily fluid control session.


    "I remember that liquid material can also enter your skin, without damaging it. On Vaeren Island you used that technique a couple of times if I''m not wrong" Freydis said, approaching him, who as soon as he saw her, stepped back slightly.


    "Yes, remember well... I can get it into my body, temporarily strengthening my muscles and achieving an effect similar to one of the skills I learned at the Temple Of Orn, called Call of the Berserkr, which, if activated simultaneously to the dark power, gives me an even greater upgrade" he said, as subtle bundles of dark fluid began to come out of his back, twisting and thicking up, taking on the typical spider''s leg shape with the sharp tip.


    "What if there''s a way to absorb the damage?" Freydis continued, stretching an arm toward Dag, who immediately grabbed her wrist.


    "What are you doing? It can be dangerous...wait for me next to the others" he said, urging Freydis to move, not yet having full control over the substance, which emitted a sound unparalleled with everything else, vaguely reminiscent of the flow of water, only much more viscous and dense.


    One of the two arms in particular, after growing up entirely and positioning itself vertically behind its creator''s back, seemed to look at Freydis, as if it was a cobra ready to attack his prey.


    "Yeah... Freydis! I''d move from there!" Karl exclaimed, stepping forward and approaching his sister, intent on grabbing her arm and pulling her away from Dag.


    But despite the words of her boyfriend and brother, the young Shieldmaiden did not seem willing to leave and continued to watch that fluctuating dark being, who seemed to possess its own soul and intellect.


    Dag stood motionless, noting that the dark arm moved slowly toward Freydis''s arm, stretched in that direction.


    The fluid continued to emit that liquid noise and came closer and closer to her finger, stopping a few inches before touching it.


    "I''m not going to hurt you... your master and I are not enemies, we are on the same side!" she said, smiling as if the lifeless substance could understand her words.


    The sharp tip of the fluid beam, after those words, rotated slightly to one side, leaving all the others open-mouthed.


    "What the fuck..." Reidar and Gridd whispered at the same time, avoiding looking at each other, still embarrassed.


    "Get closer... try to touch my hand! You will understand that my intentions are good" Freydis continued, rising on her tips and extending her arm higher, approaching Dag''s dark arm again, while he couldn''t believe in his eyes.


    Within himself, every time he summoned the fluid, he had a feeling of growing anger, like a small flame that gradually spread and from a bush stretched into a forest, leading him to lose control, but that time was different: the guest who had long lived in his body seemed to accept the presence of Freydis and touched her finger with the rigid and pointed tip of the beam.


    "It''s not possible..." Karl said in a low voice, in disbelief.


    At that exact moment, as Freydis was about to caress his dark arm as if it was a domestic puppy, a large bird sprang out of a tree near the arena, emitting a sudden noise of leaves and branches and flying away into the sky.


    Due to the unexpected sound, both of Dag''s dark arms moved independently and their noise changed, becoming louder: with an incredibly fast and circular movement around their master, they hit Freydis, knocking her to the ground and then returning to their original position, ready to counterattack in case of danger.


    "Fuck! I knew it!" Karl replied, running to his sister and helping her get up, making sure she wasn''t hurt.

 312 CCCXII. First Control Training Session

    "Freydis! I told you I still couldn''t control it! Are you all right?! I''m so sorry!" Dag said, stretching his arms toward her and apologizing, keeping a few feet away.


    "Don''t worry about me, I''m fine... it got scared because of the sudden noise in the trees and defended its master, like a watchdog. It wasn''t its fault, it just followed its instincts!" she replied, rising from the ground and cleaning her clothes.


    "Instincts?! The same instinct that was going to kill you when you were under the control of the Frostsinners? The same one that forced Dag to fight against his own comrades, completely losing control of his actions?! That thing is dangerous, Freydis... you can''t pet it like a dog!" Karl continued, scolding his older sister, who didn''t seem at all frightened by what had happened.


    "You managed to touch it... what did you feel?" Gridd asked, walking forward and continuing to look at the two dark arms coming out of Dag''s back, with their tips pointing forward.


    "Yes... it was a magnificent feeling... it''s an incredibly cold material, more than ice! But at the same time, I felt a kind of heat flow over my skin and get up to my back and legs. I felt invigorated, rested. I don''t know how to explain it to you, you should try it to understand" she said, who still couldn''t make that strange feeling come true.


    "I understand you. Imagine amplifying the cold and heat by a hundred times, or even more. That''s what I feel in my body, starting from the center of my chest" Dag exclaimed, with one hand resting on his chest at the heart.


    "I''m sure that by concentrating, you can make it take on any form. If it activates in case of danger, some of us should try to attack you and you should think about an armor, or a shield, I do not know how it works..." Freydis continued, empathizing with Dag and imagining to control the dark power.


    Dag clenched his fists, trying to feel the extensions of his body and sense their movements.


    "All right, let''s try. But on one condition: Reidar will try to hit me with an arrow so nobody will risk getting hurt " he said, ready to test himself.


    "What? No, Dag... it''s too dangerous! I will try, with a fake sword, so that even if I hit you, you will not suffer any damage.


    "I said no. The fluid can hurt you again. Reidar, are you ready?" Dag asked, looking at his companion with a determined look.


    "Yes, Captain... I think so" the archer replied, positioning himself in front of him, about ten feet away.


    As Soon as Reidar pulled an arrow from the quiver, the two dark arms began to fidget, circling around Dag, sensing danger.


    "Give me the signal, Captain!" Reidar said, loading an arrow over the Failnaught and aiming, turning a blind eye.


    Dag pointed to the center of his chest with his hand, asking his friend to aim at it, and after taking a deep breath, he yelled: "Go! Now!"


    Reidar fired the arrow, which traveled at great speed towards him, following an imperceptible trajectory in the eyes of all: the two dark arms, moments before the start of the arrow, rose quickly upwards and then skewered the ground, expanding their volume and widening, creating a kind of huge black plate in front of their Master, covering his entire body.


    The arrow hit the surface of that particular shield, partially penetrating it, getting stuck with the tip sticking out behind it, stopping a few inches from Dag''s chest, which soon broke in a cold sweat.


    "Yes! Yes, I knew it! You did it!" Freydis shouted, jumping for joy and looking at Gridd and Karl, who for a moment had feared the worst.


    "All right, Captain?" Reidar asked, putting the bow back in its place and waiting for an answer.


    The black barrier in front of Dag doubled into two beams, returning to its previous form and splitting the arrow in half as if it was a twig.


    "Yes, I think so" he exclaimed, satisfied that he was able to parry such a quick shot, but scared at the same time, not being very practical in terms of defensive moves.


    After that intense training session, Dag realized that in addition to boosting his powerful offensive attacks, which remain his workhorse, he needed to strengthen his defenses, to be able to defend himself against unknown enemies, who with their fighting techniques could put him in serious danger.


    Thanks to Freydis''s advice, that despite her less combat experience than him, Gridd and Reidar, Dag was able to strengthen his control over the fluid, managing to control it not only in combat but also in a dangerous situation, rendering it harmless.


    The next few days, he preferred to train away from the arena, in a wide clearing he found in the middle of a forest, intending to replicate the attack he had used to end the battle against the Jotunns.


    His goal was to slightly weaken that attack, infusing the power of the two elements into the dark arms, without exhausting all his energies.


    He noticed that unlike Magni''s hammer, which within seconds could store enough electricity, the Giantbane needed more time to reach the maximum temperature and unleash flames as high as the ones that broke the ground last time.


    He also discovered that by wrapping the top of his arms with fluid, the electrical and thermal energy moved behind his back faster, immediately loading the two dark arms.


    ...


    It was about a week, when Dag and his teammates were called in to report by Sander and the other Masters, having completed their intense training session and resting enough, charging their spirits in anticipation of the battle.


    With the hope painted on their happy faces, Dag, Freydis, Karl, Reidar, and Gridd made their way to the Masters building on the Rocky Crown as the Sun set on the horizon.

 313 CCCXIII. The Verdic

    All of them had improved their fighting style: Reidar finally managed to improve the accuracy of his running attacks and control the magic arrows of the Failnaught, Freydis and Gridd, constantly fighting against each other, managed to speed up their attacks even more, chaining them into lethal combinations.


    Karl, on the other hand, after reading Egill''s almanac twice in a row, had enriched his knowledge as a healer, finally learning his first skill, whose procedures were written in the last pages of the book: this rather rapid spell allowed to heal minor wounds, ensuring support to the whole team, which in this way could continue to fight, increasing its resistance.


    Besides, thanks to his friend Dag and Gridd''s stern attitude, which sometimes put him in trouble, trying to help him manage fear, Karl had improved his fighting style and was now able to take advantage of the magnificent shield given to him by Taya, which was much more durable than the common ones, made of wood or iron.


    From the position of his legs to that of his arms, his positioning had changed considerably and his old tomahawk had been replaced by a spiked mace, which had a greater range that would come in handy to distance enemies without lowering the shield.


    "Sander called us in the Masters building to give us the verdict of the votes. Are you all ready to know what the other Masters think?" Dag asked his companions, gathered in front of their rooms, and eager to know the outcome of the vote.


    "Of course!"


    "Sure! Let''s not be late!"


    All of them accepted without hesitation and left the dormitory, heading to the Crows Of Odin headquarter.


    Once they arrived and entered the building, they climbed to the top floor, noting that, in addition to the three Clan Masters, three men and a woman were standing near the wall, still and composed with their arms along their hips.


    "Good morning, Master Dag! Good morning, Master Gridd!" they exclaimed when Dag and the others made their entrance, in an incredibly synchronized tone of voice.


    "Good morning to you!" he replied enthusiastically, after realizing that they were the four messengers sent to Temple Of Orn and Hevnen.


    "Take a seat, my friends. The scrolls containing the voting results are still sealed... we waited for you to proceed" Sander said, pointing to five chairs in front of him, Kjell and Ellen, who were already in their seats.


    After sitting down, Dag and his companions remained silent, anxiously waiting for Sander to read the contents of the first of the two scrolls.


    He stood up, united the first seal, and cleared his voice, saying: "So, this is the scroll of the Hammers Of Thor, straight from Mount Torden..."


    To these words, two of the messengers in the room stepped forward.


    "Do you confirm that the vote was carried out following the established rules and without interference?" Sander asked, officializing what he was going to say.


    "We can confirm it, Master Sander!" the two men said in unison, then returned to their previous positions.


    "Well... the subjects interviewed are Egil, Master Of Healing and Dargeon, Master Of Defense. Both responded ''yes'' to the exploratory mission to Krypstorm and in particular, Master Egill expressed his willingness to take part in the expedition, under Master Dag''s consent" Sander continued, looking up at Dag, who began to look happy at his team members, pleased with that response.


    "Perfect!" Gridd exclaimed, unable to hold back her enthusiasm.


    "I imagine that Master Dag''s answer is yes, considering that he himself proposed the mission. Is that so?" he asked again.


    "Affirmative" Dag exclaimed, in a convinced tone, noting that at that exact moment, Ellen looked the other way, annoyed by his bold and courageous spirit.


    Sander took the second parchment and repeated the entire process, asking the two emissaries to confirm the reliability of Hevnen''s results.


    When they both confirmed, he untied the second seal, opened the scroll, and read: "For the Sons Of Freya, the subjects interviewed are Jens, Master Of Healing and Taya, Master Of Defense. While Taya responded positively to the proposal, Jens refused".


    Gridd''s reaction this time was different and she looked down, astonished by that result, expecting more support from Jens, who had always been friendly and empathetic towards her.


    "Master Jens made any comments after his negative answer?" Sander said, addressing the two messengers.


    The Shieldmaiden stepped forward and said: "He said that, in his opinion, our Clans troops are not ready for such a journey against unknown enemies and that the losses would be excessive. He also said that, for hundreds of years, the Okstorm and Krypstorm Clans have been neutral to each other, and this is not the best time to declare war. If I may afford it, Master Sander, I will add my own consideration... I think the news of the recent attacks on the south coast of Runar has not yet reached Hevnen. While Master Taya asked us about Master Dag and Master Gridd, Master Jens didn''t spend much time on our questions, leaving Fort Skjonnet after just a few minutes".


    "Thank you for your detailed information, you''ve been very clear" Sander replied, complimenting his trusted messenger.


    Dag put a hand on his sister''s back and just looked her in the eye to reassure her, convinced that the proposal would still pass the votes.


    "Master Gridd, as with Dag, I must also ask you to confirm your vote. Yes or no?" Sander asked, looking into the eyes of the blond-haired Shieldmaiden.


    "My answer is obviously yes, Master Sander" she replied, determined.


    "Well, at this point, the only ones left are me and my two colleagues. With five ''yes'' and one ''no'', even if our answers will be all negative, the mission would still be confirmed. Anyway, for an official matter, our opinions are these... for me, it''s a yes" Sander continued, smiling at his new companions, who reciprocated with a satisfied expression.


    "For me, too¡­ it''s yes" Kjell replied, standing in the chair, as usual.

 314 CCCXIV. An Old Mans Thoughts

    "I had about a week to reflect on what was proposed. Although I initially disagreed with Dag''s decision, my heart and sword will forever be devoted to Odin and the people of Skjegg, to protect them from all kinds of threats, until death. Therefore, I say yes too" Ellen exclaimed, arousing an astonished expression in Dag and Gridd, after listening to her reasoning.


    "Very good then! From this moment on, Dag will choose the period of the mission and gather a crew. With your consent, Dag, being Gurn one of Okstorm''s best harbors, which also boasts the nation''s best shipbuilders, I''d like to personally take care of the direction of the work for the boat that will lead our troops to the shores of Krypstorm" Sander replied, asking Dag for permission.


    "Of course, my friend. I would also like to congratulate you, for fully respecting the principles and rules of the Iron Alliance, making the declaration of the Masters'' votes an official and precise act. As for the ship, I think the old Frank is our man... in my opinion, he will be happy to make himself useful!" Dag said, getting up and sighing with relief, looking at the happy faces of his teammates, who after the hard training, were ready to go.


    "All right, Dag. Tomorrow I will accompany you to Frank and his men to discuss the upcoming construction, so you know the timing of the realization of the best ship Okstorm has ever seen! Now, however, I would like to toast our future mission, the greatest in Skjold''s history!" Sander cheered enthusiastically, gesticulating with his hand and calling the librarian, who waited just outside the door and was ready for order.


    "Just a moment. Why not make our celebrations public? What if we announce what will happen next to all citizens and celebrate with them? I think a little good humor can only do well here in Skjegg!" Dag continued, advising his allies on a better way to celebrate the good news from the other Clans.


    The librarian stopped by the stairs and Sander, Kjell and Ellen looked into each other''s eyes, considering the idea.


    After a few seconds, she said: "Master Dag is right... let us show to the people that after our new alliance, our army is ready to face such an important mission!"


    "Yes, I agree too! Let''s delay the toast to tonight... we could make the announcement and invite all citizens to the Altar of the Raven Square to toast in the name of Odin and the other Gods, so that they bless us for our journey!" Gridd interrupted, who wanted at all costs to express her opinion.


    "It''s decided then! Messengers, I entrust you with another important task! Have you heard what Master Dag proposed? Go! Warn everyone about the banquet to be held this evening under the eyes of the Gods!" Sander said, ordering the four messengers to spread the word.


    The three men and women nodded and, after a respectful bow to all the Masters in the hall, walked away.


    "Then... Dag. I guess you didn''t spend this time just training and resting... I''m convinced you already have an idea of the kind of crew needed to take on such a risky mission... mm I right?" Kjell inquired, trying to pursue the matter.


    "Well, let''s say yes. I imagined what I think might be the best configuration and I would discuss it with you these days, but... since you asked me... first of all, I think the total number of soldiers needed is 40, excluding the Masters. As for their subdivision, this depends a lot on the type of ship we will use, but, in my opinion, the best option is to have a dozen rowers and at least two drivers, able to switch and rest their eyes and arms" Dag explained, who expected Kjell to ask the same kind of question.


    "Mmh... okay, let''s just say it might be okay... and what about the others? What kind of warriors could be better suited than others?" Kjell continued, running his hand through his mohawk.


    "Surely we won''t be able to deprive Skjegg, Mount Torden and Hevnen of their best warriors, otherwise the Iron Alliance''s enemy Clans could take advantage of it, but... being a very dangerous mission, I would like the crew to be made up of warriors with a minimum of experience".


    "You also talked about us Masters, if I understood correctly..." Ellen interrupted, from whose face seemed to have disappeared that expression of superiority.


    "Yes... besides me and my sister Gridd, I would like two of you to join the mission, as well as one of my Clan''s two Masters. You know better than me that you can''t leave a Clan uncovered, otherwise, it would sink into chaos. So I think a total of 5 Masters is more than good for this kind of mission" Dag replied, trying to explain his point of view.


    "Interesting... I''m going to come. The curiosity to know what lies beyond that great expanse of water is already killing me. I want to meet the members of the legendary Clans of the ''far north'', the protagonists of the legends that frighten our children. It will be an honor to take part in the most important mission Okstorm has ever seen" Kjell exclaimed, securing a seat on the boat.


    Dag smiled and meanwhile Sander turned to Ellen, resting his hand on her shoulder and looking her in the eye.


    "Ellen, my friend... I know that I am the oldest among you and in the last missions I ended up getting injured or whatever, but... this time I''d like to go. I feel like if my life is about to know its end and I need to see what''s on the other side, I need to find out why they attacked Runar. Since this guy arrived in Skjegg with his companions, I saw something different in him, I began to breathe an air of change. If I stayed here again, waiting for the inexorable flow of time and knowing that you are who knows where to fight against legendary enemies, I would never forgive myself and die of remorse..." Sander confessed to his colleague, who during those words grabbed his hand, shaking it and smiling.

 315 CCCXV. The Public Feas

    "Yes, Sander. This time I will stay here to protect the city and the Clan. Until a few days ago, the idea of this suicide mission seemed like incredible bullshit to me, but you... you have always believed in it and I intend to respect your honor and ideas" she said, stroking the big bearded man, who reciprocated her smile.


    "So I get that we''re already 4 Masters, right?" Dag exclaimed, ready to organize the rest of the expedition.


    "Yes, we are. Who do you think will come with us?" Kjell asked.


    "I''m going to ask Egill, the wise Master of Healing of my Clan. I''m sure he or Dargeon, despite their advanced age, will be happy to follow us" he replied, already imagining the scene.


    "Oh, I know Master Egill... you know, he and I are almost the same age and we trained together in Jernhest when we were just two insolent, self-filled kids... eheh... the good old days¡­" Sander chuckled, confessing that he already knew Egill and leaving Dag surprised, who didn''t believe they could be the same age.


    Sander''s robust constitution and lack of white hair or beard gave him a much younger look than Egill, whose back continued to bend over time.


    "What about the troops? I don''t think Skjegg has 40 soldiers willing to take part in such a dangerous mission and risk not seeing their families again" Gridd said, who tried not to focus too much on the Masters issue.


    "Well, other warriors could come from our Clans... if we gathered 12 soldiers from the Hammers Of Thor and 12 more from the Sons Of Freya, there would only need 16 more" Dag said, looking up at the ceiling and trying not to make any miscalculations.


    "We won''t have any trouble finding 16 volunteer warriors here in Skjegg" Ellen confirmed, smiling at Dag and reassuring him.


    The conversation continued for a few hours and the Sun set, until preparations for the great celebratory feast in the city square ended and Dag, Sander, and everyone else headed to Altar of the Raven Square, happy to announce the details of their next mission to anyone who''ll listen.


    After arriving, as the evening began to envelop the sky and some men lit the hundreds of torches hanged along the walls of the square and on the large wooden tables arranged in its center, the citizens of Skjegg began to arrive numerously.


    Men, women, and children of all ages sat around the long tables, each of which was already laden with drinks and dishes of all kinds, foreshadowing the good news to everyone.


    "Citizens of Skjegg!" Sander shouted, rising from his chair, which like those of the other Masters looked like a wooden throne.


    In the square, after a few seconds, silence swooped.


    "We have another good reason to celebrate tonight!"


    People began to mutter something, giggling, but listening intently to the announcement.


    "After fighting and winning two difficult battles, also thanks to the valuable help of our new allies, we have traced the origins of the latest attacks that hit the southern coasts of Runar... as you''ve probably heard, they weren''t normal enemies... they were Jotunns" Sander continued, uttering that word as if it were cursed and making those who were not yet aware of it be amazed.


    "Jotunns? The Jotunns of Jotunheim?!"


    "Are they mad?!"


    "Everyone knows they''re just an ancient legend, we''ve never seen one before!"


    The crowd began to agitate slightly, not realizing if Sander was talking seriously.


    He raised his arms upwards and before proceeding, he brought back the order in the square.


    "It was difficult for us too to believe it until we saw those monstrous beings with our own eyes, and with the courage that characterized our soldiers for hundreds of years, we rejected them, killing them one after the other mercilessly!" he shouted again, get all the people excited, who began to celebrate the victory screaming.


    Dag, listening to his companion''s speech, could not help but remember with sadness Sivert, who died right next to the table on which they were celebrating.


    "After putting this important decision to the vote, we have decreed, by mutual agreement with the other Iron Alliance Masters, that in a few weeks, we will set off on the greatest mission that Skjold has ever seen: we will face the Great Deep Sea and land on the shores of Krypstorm, the perennial ice Nation!" the Master of Defense continued, attracting the attention of all the people present in the square, that hung from his lips.


    "After hundreds of years of neutrality with the evil Clans of the far north, this peace has been destroyed! We cannot just wait and hope that no more attacks will occur, and for this reason, we have decided to beat our enemies on time, leaving them no possibilities to kill other innocents!"


    The crowd could no longer hold back and began to scream: some people rose from the tables and began to squirm and look around, galvanizing their fellow citizens, after hearing the strong words of their oldest Master, a symbol of the strength of their reference Clan.


    Dag also stood up and placed a hand on Sander''s shoulder, which although he had not yet finished the speech, willingly passed him the word.


    When people in the square saw that Dag was about to speak, they again made silence, but less than before, not having the same respect for the young Master as they had for Sander, Kjell and Ellen.


    "I am very pleased with your enthusiasm! As Warchief of the Iron Alliance, I am happy that my precious friends and allies have accepted the proposal to travel to Krypstorm, putting everything at risk for the sheer desire to discover the unknown. But I would like you to see this situation from a different point of view... this mission will not be aimed at genocide or unjustified massacres, during which we will raze entire villages and break innocent lives... this would trigger a war that we might not even be able to win".

 316 CCCXVI. The Orator

    After Dag''s words, the mood of the crowd dropped and the expressions on people''s faces became perplexed.


    "Imagine what might happen to Skjold if the knowledge of the Northern Clans joined those of the Okstorm Clans! If instead of continuing wars caused by past mistakes, all the Clans would cooperate and strengthen! Don''t get me wrong, my dear citizens of Skjegg, I''m sure it will be impossible to avoid spilling blood, but... I wanted to share this thought with you! A warrior can not live only of iron and blood, he needs to constantly nourish his brain, to guarantee his children the best possible life! Do you agree with me or do you think I''m just saying a sea of bullshit?! Come on, I want to hear what you think!" Dag yelled, waving and dropping some mead from the mug in his hand.


    Those words surprised not only the citizens but also his companions, who had never seen him so determined to gain the trust of the people.


    Shyly, a man rose from his seat, turning his gaze to Dag and the other Masters, still in disbelief that someone could really care what their opinion might be.


    "I have two sons, a boy, and a girl. I wish they could leave the house without any danger, that they could play freely outside the city center!" the middle-aged man exclaimed, in a trembling voice, trying to be as clear as possible.


    The people around him appreciated those words, as did Dag, who immediately replied: "That''s right! I agree with you! Thank you for your words!"


    After that response, the man sat next to a woman, probably his wife, and smiled at her, that hugged him, happy for what had just happened.


    "Anyone else? Come on, don''t be afraid! If you don''t agree, tell me why! I''ll be happy to argue with you!" Dag continued, as his companions looked at him with a chuckle, thinking that they would never be able to have his nerve.


    "But what is he doing? Letting people speak... what kind of Master would do such a thing?" Ellen asked, speaking in the ear of Sander, who continued to look at Dag with admiration.


    "He is a just man, who loves equality and confrontation. Remember, Ellen... in addition to being a Master, Dag is also a Warchief. Let him prove it, no one has ever tried to establish such an approach with the citizens of Skjegg, who are used to listening to our orders and obeying, without ever being able to express their opinion. Our decisions are not foolproof, because we are mere people, just like them. Dag is creating a new form of confrontation, something that this city perhaps needed" Sander said, trying to see beyond his words, putting a lot of faith in that young warrior, who had arrived like a bolt from the blue, turning the tables a few days after his arrival.


    Another man got up, followed by a woman, a few feet away from him.


    "I have children too, but I believe that this mission can start a war and cannot bring peace, indeed... I fear it will have the opposite effect!" he said, standing with his arms folded, waiting for an answer.


    Dag nodded at the woman, inviting her to speak.


    She bowed her head slightly and said: "I had friends in the fishing villages on the south coast... some of the survivors told me in detail what happened. Women, children, elders... none of them were spared, during enemy assaults. Master Dag, I ask you and the other Masters to avenge those poor innocent souls who died for no reason!"


    The crowd began to mumble again, shaken by the woman''s words, raw and severe, while thin tears ran down her face, making her speech even sadder.


    "That''s exactly what I was talking about: the confrontation. So, I answer to you first... there''s a risk that what you just talked about will happen, it''s true. We Masters can make mistakes sometimes, but... during the mission we will always avoid the face-off when possible, keeping in mind that our feet will be on hostile territory and therefore it will surely be necessary to defend ourselves. Having said that, we Masters consider this to be a risk worth taking, otherwise, we will never know the motives that drove those we now call enemies to attack us and then understand if such attacks will be repeated!" Dag replied, looking at the man still standing, who after his answer, sat down.


    "I have seen with my own eyes the victims of that massacre... and for this very reason, I could no longer control myself, killing dozens of Jotunns, before they could escape into the open sea. Revenge is a strong feeling, but... if you are not careful, you risk being trapped inside of it, with no possibility of escape... and the Iron Alliance was born to pursue the opposite goal: the peace. As I have already said, more enemy blood will be shed, but with the promise of not killing innocent people, not lowering to the level of enemy warriors, who when they struck to death with their giant weapons, made no distinction of age and gender" Dag continued, responding exhaustively to the woman''s request, which after wiping tears from her face, sat down, slipping into the arms of a man, who embraced and comforted her.


    At that point, Dag got off the raised wooden platform on which the Masters''s table was resting, giving a seat also to his companions and began to walk toward the people, with a mug full of mead in his hand.


    His vision of things was profoundly different from that of Ellen and Kjell, much more related to the traditions and differences that were between ordinary citizens and the figure of the Master, at the top of the social ladder.


    Despite this, they couldn''t help but admire Dag interacting with ordinary people, really interested in their opinion, learning new things, and personally answering to their curiosity.

 317 CCCXVII. The Draf

    When he arrived near one of the tables, the people seated around it began to get up, but he placed his hand on a man''s shoulder, inviting him and his friends to sit back.


    He placed the full mug on the table and, addressing all the people in the square, said: "Do you know what makes this mead so good?"


    The crowd in front of him looked at him confused, not answering that strange question.


    "It''s not the honey with which it was produced, nor is the spices floating inside it... what makes it so special is the fact that I''m drinking it with you. Its unique flavor comes from the spirit of sharing that unites us! Whether you''re a Master, a farmer, a blacksmith, a carpenter... or even the King of all Vikings... never mind. We will all drink the same excellent mead, toasting and celebrating in the same way!" he exclaimed, raising his mug upwards and looking at it with hopeful eyes.


    A few seconds of silence followed that speech, and Dag took a sip from his glass, then laid it on the table.


    Soon after, under the incredulous gaze of Sander and all the others seated at the table near the ruins of the temple, every man, woman, and child in the square raised a glass upwards, moved by Dag''s words.


    He marveled at the hundreds of people who looked at him, hanging from his lips and with big smiles painted on their faces.


    He grabbed his half-full mug again and raised it forcefully upwards, dropping a few drops of mead on the table and screaming loudly: "Sk?l!"


    "Sk?l, Master Dag! Sk?l!"


    The crowd screamed loud enough to shake the walls of the square and making the birds perched in the surrounding woods outside the walls fly away.


    After Gridd, Karl, Reidar, and Freydis got up to participate in that toast, Sander, Kjell, and Ellen did the same, stunned by the impact Dag''s speech had on all those people, who seemed to worship him like a God.


    After about an hour spent chatting with citizens between their tables, Dag returned to his table and sat between Freydis and Gridd, who looked at him with lovely eyes.


    Before the others could speak, Dag spoke: "I am sure that among all these people there are earthlings, like me. They would understand what I told you last time... knowing the Frostsinners as much as I do, they would share my desire to form the greatest army in history, in defense of the human race!"


    "I''m sure, Dag, but now calm down! Hahaha... one thing at a time, brother! Look what progresses you''re making!" Gridd exclaimed, embracing him affectionately as Freydis continued to watch him, in love every second more.


    "Your sister is perfectly right, Dag! When I was your age, I hadn''t even become a Master... look at you instead... you''re very successful! I''m sure your oratory skills will take you far!" Sander said, drinking yet another mug of mead in a sip, under the guise of toast.


    Dag appreciated the compliments, but inside of him, he felt that it was still not enough: he was sure that the Xis were witnessing everything that was going on and that he could do nothing to prevent them.


    "Until they consider me a threat, I will have time to shake the minds of people unaware of what happens every day on Earth... I will raise a revolt from below the surface, making sure that those bastards never know my real intentions. But the question is, how? It wouldn''t be enough for all of Skjold''s warriors to stop them, and I wouldn''t even know how to start... it takes time, Dag, it takes more time" he thought, continuing to toast and passionately kiss his woman, sparking an ironic round of applause from Reidar and Karl, again drunk as the night before.


    After that exaggerated banquet, in which half the city got drunk and ate, Dag and his companions returned to the dormitory, as well as the three Masters of the Crows Of Odin, with the knowledge that the next day they would have to begin preparations for the upcoming mission.


    ...


    The next morning, Dag awoke next to his woman at dawn and without waking her, kissed her on the neck and got out of bed, tiptoeing out of the room.


    As his friends continued to sleep, he went out of the dorm and made his way to the Masters''s building, sure that, even by that time of the morning, some of them were already at work.


    Just as he had imagined, Sander and Kjell were there, with a large scroll open on the table, arguing.


    "Good morning, Dag!"


    "Good morning to you! What is this?"


    Approaching the table, Dag noticed that there was a very articulate drawing on the large parchment, similar to that of a boat.


    "Is that what I think?" he asked, checking his intuition.


    "Yes... last night, before we retreated to our quarters, two men stopped us in the street and handed us this scroll, telling us that it is an incredible project, to build the fastest and most resilient boat that the Skjold seas have ever seen" Sander said, continuing to look at the drawing.


    "They were two brothers, whose name now escapes me and they were both carpenters. If I understood correctly, this should be a project that they have never realized due to its high cost of production. After hearing about the mission in Krypstorm, they thought this was the best chance to make it public" Kjell said, implementing Sander''s speech, which was taken from that project, without really understanding any of those technicalities.


    "Well! The citizens are excited, then! I''d suggest we can show it to Gurn''s boatbuilders, including Frank. They will be able to tell us if we should build this boat or modify its design" Dag exclaimed, taking a look at the scroll.


    The design depicted a large and imposing Dreki, with shapes similar to the ''Brass Arrow'', but certainly less quiet and fast, considering its huge size.

 318 CCCXVIII. Dont Feel Guilty

    The bow and stern were slightly raised, while the central part of the boat was low and flattened, suitable to accommodate a large troop of soldiers.


    On the sides of the boat, many oars were resting on grooves in the wood, which marked special sits for the rowers, while, just behind the master mast, there was a large low rudder, connected to a shovel that established the direction of the boat.


    "Dag, Kjell and I were thinking something... we could take care of the boat, while you could try to convince some soldiers of your Clan to join the expedition... what do you think?" Sander asked, resting his big hand on Dag''s shoulder and looking at him with a friendly air.


    "Should I get to Mount Torden? Yes, I think it can be done, but maybe we would just waste more time" he replied, reflecting on what might be the best solution.


    "Yes, perhaps it is true. But in my opinion, spending a few more days on the preparations could give us a wider margin of success. Sending messengers back to your Clans wouldn''t make the process faster. There are too many things to explain, too many variables. Meet your other two Clan Masters in person... I''m sure they''ll be happy to see you again! And you could suggest Master Gridd to do the same. We will make sure that we will be ready for your return, completing the ship''s work¡­ what do you say?" Kjell asked again.


    Dag reasoned for a few seconds on that proposal, realizing that Kjell''s idea could be useful, since Egill and Dargeon, when they would''ve seen him arrive with their own eyes, would be happy with his return and easily convinced.


    "All right, I''ll propose it to my sister. If she''ll agree, we will leave today" Dag replied when he heard a sound of footsteps coming from downstairs.


    "What do you have to tell me, brother?" Gridd asked, who, despite being used to waking up so early, did not expect to find her brother already operational.


    "Under Kjell''s advice, we could reach out to our respective Clans and try to gather volunteer troops for the mission. Think about it, Gridd... if we ask for it in person, the chances of getting a good result will grow" he said, explaining his good motives.


    The four Masters continued to discuss what to do until Dag and Freydis decided to accept the proposal and travel to Mount Torden and Hevnen accompanied by an escort.


    After leaving the palace, they went to the dormitory and woke their companions.


    When Dag proposed to Freydis to accompany him, she got out of bed and hugged him tightly, not believing her ears.


    "Finally a mission together! I haven''t dreamed of anything else for months!" she exclaimed, kissing her man and beginning to get prepared quickly.


    In less than an hour, while the Sun was still rising timidly, Dag, Freydis, and Reidar formed a group and Gridd, Karl, and a young Shieldmaiden named Ruth another.


    "Blessed among women, isn''t it Karl?" Reidar asked, teasing his teammate, who answered chuckling and blushing.


    Ruth was one of Kjell''s pupils, a specialist in close combat with a long sword, who despite its weight, claimed to know how to use it with mastery.


    After the last recommendations and with the promise of meeting at the same point two days later, the two groups of warriors greeted Sander and Kjell and headed to their respective destinations.


    They both exited the main entrance of Skjegg and headed north to a crossroads, where their paths split: Dag and his group went northwest, Gridd and the others to the northeast, ready to face a slightly longer journey than their companions.


    The journey continued without a hitch, and by about mid-morning, when the Sun was high in the sky, Dag, Freydis, and Reidar found themselves a few miles from Jernhest, looking at it from afar, continuing to head north of Jordstal.


    "I didn''t remember it was so beautiful... I haven''t been back to my house for a long time! Karl told me about my father Paul, explaining that his illness has worsened and that for a period he was forced to devote himself to his care, skipping the training..." Freydis stated, lowering her gaze and continuing to ride.


    "Hey... don''t feel guilty, it''s not your fault. I remember your father had been having health problems for a long time, I''m sure you''re going to meet him again soon. Rather, aren''t you curious to visit the famous Temple Of Orn, the holy site of warriors devoted to the brave Thor?" Dag asked, trying to distract Freydis and lift her morale.


    "It''s true, Freydis, you''re going to love the temple!" Reidar added, helping his Captain.


    She smiled and looked forward, determined not to slow down her group.


    "At this pace, we will arrive at our destination tonight. Master Egill, Master Dargeon... I can''t wait to meet you! There are so many things I want to ask you!" Dag thought, stroking the back of the tireless Aslan and imagining the moment when he would present his girlfriend at the two Masters that had given him trust in the last period, allowing him to grow up as a warrior.


    Chatting about this and that, when evening arrived, the three adventurers began to climb along the steep path leading to the temple gates, always looking around in search of danger.


    "Dag..." Freydis called, breaking the magic of silence that joined the crickets singing in the woods of the valley below.


    "Tell me" he smiled, looking into her eyes as Reidar closed the line.


    "I never understood why this Clan..." she continued, sighing.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Why did you choose this Clan over the Crows Of Odin? I mean, you told me that at first, you had a lot of trouble, you were exiled and you witnessed the death of one of your Masters, you fought to defend your Temple even though no one trusted you... why all this? I noticed that there is a lot of harmony between you and my Masters, maybe you would not have to face all the misadventures you have experienced..." Freydis replied, reciprocating his gaze.

 319 CCCXIX. Long-term Doubts

    Dag smiled, trying to find the best words to explain his motives and knowing that the real reason for that question was the disappointment he had caused his woman, who was sure that they would move to Skjegg together once they turned 18.


    "Initially, I was absolutely convinced that I wanted to be part of your current Clan, believe me, that''s it. But on the day of my pledge, something incredibly strange happened, and if I remember, when I told you about it, you didn''t believe my words" he began.


    "Yes, I vaguely remember the story of the rabbit... I was very disappointed and angry with you, I was afraid of losing you forever because of your stupidity. Did you know that I dreamed of joining the Crows Of Odin since I was a child, to retrace my father''s steps and despite this, you did your own thing, as usual!" she exclaimed, continuing to rebuke him for that gesture even years later.


    "It was a really strange episode... as if it was a divine signal. Just then, I started to truly believe in the Gods... not that I didn''t have it before, but... I think they wanted to send me a signal. My biggest fear was that I would make you angry and that after our greeting, we would never see each other again... or that you would have found someone else..." Dag answered with a sad air, omitting, however, that that white rabbit could actually have been controlled by the Xis, who followed his growth from the beginning.


    "Mmh" Freydis whispered, continuing to look at Dag and trying to blindly believe his version of events.


    "If I think back to my past and all the misadventures I had to endure, risking my life several times... yes, I agree with what you say, maybe my life as a warrior would have been easier in the Crows Of Odin, maybe we would both have left for Vaeren Island or maybe we wouldn''t have left at all! But if I am who I am, it''s because of my past, the moments when I had to grit my teeth to survive. If I own this hammer, I owe it exclusively to Master Magni, who was like a father to me, especially after losing Stein. I understand how you feel and I know why seeing Jernhest reminds you of these memories, but... I wish you could look to the future, glossing over some details of the past" he continued, smiling at his woman and showing her that his way of seeing things had matured a lot during those months.


    There were a few seconds of silence, during which Reidar listened too much and slowed down, pulling Ace''s bridles and staying a few feet behind his companions, leaving them free to continue their conversation in private.


    "You never told me about him... you barely mentioned him to me, telling me that he was your Master Of Offense and that you somehow inherited his role, earning the trust of the other two Masters and the warriors of your Clan. What else do I need to know? I''d like to know, if you want to talk about it..." Freydis asked, curious to know that side of Dag, who always remained hidden behind his smile and his relentless optimism.


    "I''m glad you want to know more, but there''s not much to tell. Although I was incredibly attached to him, I only understood it after his death. You never realize the value of people until you lose them. I''m carrying his hammer, that''s the only thing left of him. I somehow managed to extract his great power and lock it inside the weapon, nor do I know how... pain makes us capable of things beyond our imagination, Freydis, you should know that" Dag replied, making a clear reference to the battle against Oyvind and the other enemy Masters on the island, during which his powers increased considerably, for fear of losing the woman he loved.


    Freydis smiled, looking at Dag with shiny eyes and holding back a weeping of emotion, making him understand that she shared his pain, which oozed from his deep words.


    "Reidar, come further, my friend! Don''t worry, you don''t bother us at all!" Dag exclaimed, urging him to speed up the pace.


    Reidar obeyed and to get back into the conversation, saying: "in less than an hour we should be at the gates of the Temple. It will be not late at night, so I think we''ll find the other Masters awake and ready to welcome us".


    "Yes, I''m sure! Master Egill is like a wise owl, he lives more at night than during the day... by this that he will be studying some ancient books in the library, while Master Dargeon will have just finished eating yet another wild boar!"


    Reidar and Dag began to laugh at that joke, knowing the two subjects very well and imagining that they would be happy with the surprise.


    As predicted by Reidar, after about 40 minutes, the three adventurers turned the road before the large statue of Thor, which stood imposingly in front of the Temple gates, guarding the valley below, while the moon illuminated the face of the swaggering God of Thunder.


    "Wow... it''s just magnificent!" Freydis exclaimed, not believing her eyes, as she admired the magnificence of that statue and the exterior structure of the Temple, visually very evocative.


    Dag smiled, thinking that his sister and Karl had also had a similar reaction, being the Temple Of Orn one of Okstorm''s most beautiful and legendary places.


    "Stop! Show yourselves!" someone on the other side of the gates yelled, strictly closed at that time of the evening.


    Dag rode ahead of his teammates, followed by Reidar, just behind him.


    "You stupid, don''t you see he''s Master Dag?! Get out of the way, let me open the gate, incompetent!" someone else replied, probably a more experienced soldier, who, recognizing one of his Masters, immediately opened the gates.


    "Master Dag, I apologize for the wait! This guy''s only been a night watchman for a few weeks, not recognizing your face, he thought you were strangers! He will receive adequate punishment!" the man in armor continued, who bowed in front of the visitors as the doors opened.

 320 CCCXX. The Fanbase

    "Uff... what is this whining? Since when are the Hammers Of Thor so strict with their brothers? No punishment for the boy, indeed... double his pay for a week! Prudence is never too much!" Dag said, stopping the horse and smiling at the two guards, who politely reciprocated the greeting.


    "All right, sir! As you wish!" the older guard gasped as the boy next to him, still with his head bowed down, laughed beneath his mustaches, pleased with the kind words of his Master.


    Before they could say anything else, Dag and Reidar were stopped by a group of three Shieldmaidens, who surrounded their horses.


    "Master Dag? Reidar? Is that you? Hahaha! Welcome! How was the mission? Are you hurt?" the girls asked in chorus.


    "Yeah, it''s... all right, thank you! Could you please let us through? We should leave the horses in the stable..." Dag answered, embarrassed and afraid to turn his gaze to Freydis, who despite not being too jealous, was already thinking that she would gladly kill each of those women.


    When Dag and Reidar wriggled out of the fan group, they headed along with Freydis to the horse stable.


    "I see you''re very well known here, Dag... you also have your own supporters..." Freydis mumbled, furious after that deplorable scene in her eyes.


    "But no! What are you saying, Freydis! I haven''t been back here in a long time, I''ve never even seen those girls! Reidar can confirm!" Dag replied, beginning to sweat cold and knowing that he had always been faithful to her, while her gaze terrified him.


    The archer, also a little embarrassed by the situation, looked at Freydis and swallowed empty.


    "Yes, Freydis, it''s as he says! Your boyfriend is a real hero here, it''s normal for him to reserve this welcome! Nobody knows you, they don''t know you''re his woman! I''m sure things will change from today, but you should get used to this kind of thing... the Captain is a very discreet person, it''s certainly not his fault!" Reidar confirmed, also helping Dag in matters of love, as a good friend.


    She did not answer, merely tying Light to the fence in the stable, while Dag and Reidar did the same with their horses, asking the groom to call Egill and Dargeon, to inform them of their arrival.


    "Anyway... meet the legendary Temple Of Orn, home of the Hammers Of Thor! Do you like it?" Dag asked for the second time, to dampen the tension.


    Once again, Freydis said nothing and walked alone to the center of the courtyard, where the Clan warriors used to train during daylight hours, looking at the dormitory and the peculiar architecture of the library, whose doors opened after a few minutes.


    Dag looked in that direction and instinctively began to walk toward the door.


    A long green linen dress was slightly lifted by the wind and a hand full of wrinkles and scars continued to open the heavy doors of the library, while a long white beard fluttered near it.


    "Here he is... welcome home, Master Dag!" Egill stated while an expression of joy lit up his face after seeing his talented pupil.


    Dag could not hold back his emotions and when he came near him, without saying a word, he hugged him tightly.


    Under the astonished gaze of some of the warriors who witnessed the scene from afar and Dag''s companions, who did not know how to behave, Egill briefly forgot about the official rules and reciprocated the embrace, clutching Dag as if he was his son, happy that he was safe and sound after the long time he spent away from Temple.


    "Thank you..." Dag said, letting go and stepping back, with a smile printed on his face.


    "Come, let''s sit in the library... I''m sure you have a few things to tell!" Egill exclaimed, inviting Dag to do what had become a routine, happening every time he returned after a mission.


    "Of course, I''m coming right away, but first... I''d like to introduce you to someone" Dag said enthusiastically, taking Freydis''s hand and bringing her closer to the wise Master Of Healing, who leaned slightly towards her, out of respect and education.


    Freydis did the same, embarrassed by that gesture so cordial, to which she was not accustomed.


    "She is Freydis, Master Egill" Dag said, in a smug and satisfied tone, believing that that day could never come.


    "It''s a real pleasure to meet you, Freydis of Jernhest. There''s no need to tell you how much Dag told me about you, I think you can imagine... seeing you together again and happy, warms my old cold heart" Egill said, capturing Freydis''s attention with his usual refined and intellectual ways.


    "The pleasure is mine, Master Egill! Sander, my Clan''s Master of Defense, told me a lot about you, telling me you''re one of the greatest healers Okstorm has ever seen. He also told me that you fought together in the Jernhest arena when you were very young!" Freydis answered, bowing slightly toward him, then looking up.


    "Sander! Of course I remember him, even if you''re talking about centuries ago! Hahaha! What a great warrior, you must be honored to have the possibility to train with a fighter of his caliber" he continued, gently inviting the girl to get up and smiling at Reidar, greeting him.


    "Come, all three of you. Follow me" he replied, turning and walking back to the imposing library.


    The three companions entered and closed the door behind them, imagining that Master Dargeon, though more slowly, would soon join them.


    "Dag, when you left here, your idea had just begun to take shape... but now... look at you! Reading your name written on official scrolls makes me even prouder of you! You''ve become Masters and now Warchief too, retaining the title by fighting other powerful Masters! I have no words to express how I feel" Egill said, sitting next to one of the library''s large tables, with a pile of ancient books and scrolls open on it, part of his usual night study session.

 321 CCCXXI. The Possibilities

    "Yes, I still can''t believe it. It wasn''t easy, but it seems my ideas are finally beginning to come true. Fortunately, even the Crows Of Odin''s Masters, at first reluctant mainly because of my young age, accepted the proposed alliance. It took two great battles to earn my trust! Hahaha!" Dag chuckled, venting to his Master, sure that he would understand his emotions.


    "I already know everything. Skjegg''s two messengers told me in detail about both the recent battle against the Jotunns and the previous one, to save the poor Freydis from the Horns Of Heimdallr... my girl, can you please get closer, if you don''t mind?" Egill asked, making a hand gesture to Freydis, who without thinking twice, got up from the wooden chair and approached him.


    "Can you show me the wound?"


    "Do you mean... "that wound?" she asked, looking at Egill and then Dag, who nodded.


    "They told me it all started with your infected wound and I''m curious to see it... I don''t know anything else" Egill replied, intrigued.


    Freydis showed him the lower part of her neck, slightly loosening the upper part of the armor: the scar of the Inguz rune had completely disappeared, replaced by another much larger and visible, surrounded by six tusk-shaped holes, four at the top and two at the bottom.


    "Okay... it seems totally healed... whoever treated it did a really good job, disinfecting and suturing it properly" Egill exclaimed, approaching Freydis''s shoulder, trying to see better.


    "It was Karl, Master Egill... thanks to your advice and your almanac, which has practically learned by heart, he has become a very good healer, despite his young age" Dag replied, intruding into the speech and praising his companion''s progress.


    "Very well. Does it still hurt? What exactly happened? Do you know what kind of power triggered this scar? Honestly, I''ve never seen this irregular shape" Egill continued, studying it in detail.


    Before Freydis could answer the question, Dag said: "This is not the scar that caused the catastrophic events we''ve faced, actually. On Freydis''s neck, a Horns Of Heimdallr sorcerer had engraved the Inguz rune, somehow tying her soul to that of the Frostsinners, who, thanks to the rune, were able to control her body and actions, forcing her to fight against her own comrades and giving her unimaginable powers".


    "What? Inguz did you say? It is a very old and extremely powerful rune! Only a few people in the world can successfully activate it..." Egill commented, standing up, astonished at Dag''s words.


    With the help of Reidar, who as usual had been very attentive to the details, the two companions explained to Egill everything that had happened, considering that Freydis had few memories and very fragmented, due to her loss of consciousness.


    They told him about her transformation and that of Dag, who after absorbing the powers of Roar, the goat demon, had lost his reason, turning in part against his allies, in that murderous fury driven exclusively by his senses, inherited from the beast-man.


    "So you cut the scar off her? Did you bite her?" the Master Of Healing asked, getting a confirmation from Dag, who nodded his head.


    "Unbelievable... Master Sondre... I must admit that I never heard of him, but judging by your story, he must have been a very wicked person. Thankfully his colleague sacrificed him to the Frostsinners, sparing us the trouble of returning to Horns Of Heimdallr Island, who are now without any Masters" Egill replied, continuing to observe the Shieldmaiden''s scar up close.


    "Master Egill, if I may say so... Master Dag has not only saved Freydis and Skjegg, as usual, my Captain is too humble to report the reality of the facts in their entirety. A few days after that unfortunate event, we set off to the coast of Skjegg, because we had been informed that some fishing villages had been razed to the ground by unknown enemies..." Reidar intervened, taking the floor to fill the moments of silence.


    "Yes, I know everything, son. The messengers who arrived here told me and Dargeon everything about the Jotunns and the devastating attack of Dag, which decimated their troops, causing their panicky retreat. Once again, I congratulate you!" Egill exclaimed, ignoring the Giantbane thing and its attempted theft, the reason for which remained unknown.


    *boom*


    With a violent noise, the library doors opened and Dargeon made his entrance, yawning and scratching his belly, full as usual.


    "Eehehe... back from the dead! Long time no see, welcome back, boy!" the Master Of Defense yelled, approaching Dag and looking confused at Freydis, who immediately covered her wound.


    It took him a few minutes longer to summarize the story that had involved Dag and his team a few days earlier, updating him on the facts and adding the detail of the Giantbane, of which Master Egill was also unaware.


    "This is very strange... I mean... how could they, warriors from a distant nation, know of the existence of your weapon? And above all, how did they know that you had it and that you were there?" Dargeon asked, trying to reason with his two colleagues.


    "I don''t know, but I suspect this story has to do with the red crystal embedded on it. I can''t tell you why, but apparently, the Jotunns wanted to get hold of it. A little girl, a survivor of their first attack, confessed to having eavesdropped on a conversation, in which they babbled something about a ''crystal''... and there are no crystals other than this one" Dag replied, pulling out the Giantbane and placing it on the table in front of everyone.


    As its power was not active at the time, the two small rubies embedded in the eyes of the deer head on the handle of the axe were not particularly shining and were barely visible.


    "Mmh... I remember the story of this crystal. Even if we often don''t remember this, this is a legendary weapon, forged by Weland himself! It is obvious that it can attract prying eyes! There must be something or someone you haven''t noticed that alerted the Giants Of Ymir. They could hit any point in Okstorm, but they decided to attack the coast of Runar, the closest point to Skjegg, the city you were in at the time. Too many coincidences Dag, don''t you think?" Egill replied, reflecting on the chronological order of events.

 322 CCCXXII. The Dusty Book

    "I think God Weland himself is unaware of that. When he handed me the weapon, he didn''t tell me anything like that! Anyway, that''s one of the reasons I decided that traveling to Krypstorm in search of the truth was the right thing to do. I know it''s an unknown place, full of a thousand dangers, but... I have a feeling that something much bigger than us is behind this mystery and, with the help of a solid crew, I''m sure I''ll be able to find out what it is!" Dag confirmed, determined.


    "Yes, so do I... now tell me Dag, what happened to your powers? Those two messengers described your last attack on the Jotunns as an incredible event that no one had ever witnessed before!" Egill asked again.


    "My dark powers are continuing to grow, as we had already assumed some time ago. The only difference from before is that I can now combine them with those of my weapons, using the dark liquid as a kind of bridge, capable of combining the element of lightning with that of fire. This is what happened on the south coast of Runar. For a week I trained almost exclusively on it, trying to control it and never lose my mind. I have made important progress, but unfortunately, the stress of the battle is not replicable in training and it is precisely during those phases, that the dark material takes over me, sometimes disobeying my orders, thirsting for blood and unleashing its true power to protect me, risking to harm even who stands on my side!" Dag continued, trying to make a detailed picture of the situation and looking at Freydis, that a few days earlier he had tried to tame that fluid.


    "Wow. This looks really interesting. I''ve never seen anyone fight like you do, Dag, and I''d love to see you in action! Master Egill, is there anything you need to say to Master Dag?" Dargeon exclaimed, looking at both of his colleagues.


    "Yes, but I think he''s already informed. As I have also indicated in the voting scroll for the mission, I give my willingness to come with you. I know that now you just see me as a decrepit old man, who does nothing but lock himself in this huge library and immerse in reading, but... let my bones stretch a little, I promise I won''t get in the way!" Egill stated, smiling at Dag and implicitly asking permission to participate in the mission.


    "Of getting in the way? Master Egill, don''t be ridiculous! You''re the most powerful healer I''ve ever known, how could you get in the way? It will be an honor to participate in such an important mission with you! Rather... we would need a dozen volunteers..." Dag began, explaining to Egill and Dargeon the details of the mission and the number of soldiers needed to carry it out, specifying their roles and disposition.


    "Tomorrow morning, as soon as all the warriors are gathered in the Temple''s courtyard, we will publicly ask them to come forward. I''m sure they''ll willingly accept, despite the risks. Everyone here knows you, Dag, your actions are worth a thousand words. Knowing that such a young and strong warrior is part of their Clan, strengthens the spirit of our warriors, who think of you with admiration and know you even if you don''t know them" Egill added, reassuring Dag that finding volunteers would not be as difficult as he believed.


    Those words greatly encouraged Dag and his teammates, who, upon hearing those praises, looked at each other and smiled, proud to be allies of Dag, the Godslayer.


    "Well, then we know how to proceed! Now I have a few more questions for you... how''s the study going? Have you learned any new skills? I would like you to show me your progress" Egill continued, taking on his strict teacher tone.


    "Uhm... I only learned ''Champion Aura'' from our last meeting and used it only once. That''s it" Dag replied, showing Dargeon and Egill the last rune on his arm.


    "I learned ''Multi-shot'', its rune has already appeared on my skin, but... the power of Failnaught is much stronger and I often forget to use it. I would like to learn a skill that can add to the legendary power of my bow, to strengthen it further! On top of all this, with the help of Master Dag, I learned to shoot arrows while moving and the basics of melee combat with my dagger!" Reidar exclaimed, reporting his progress to the Masters.


    "Mmmh... very well..." Dargeon answered, walking around them and realizing that, though unknowingly, Dag had already begun his Master''s career, transferring his knowledge to his fellow travelers.


    "How long did it take you to learn Champion Aura?" Egill asked, turning to Dag and walking away from the table, slowly starting moving through the bookshelves.


    "About ten minutes, if I remember correctly" Dag replied.


    Dargeon jolted in amazement, realizing that Dag had learned a level 8 skill in such a short time, confirming his special ability for which he could learn skills in record time.


    "Well..." Egill repeated, who disappeared behind a large bookcase, knowing exactly his destination point.


    Dag walked in that direction, reading the nameplate hanging above the corridor between the bookcases in which Egill had just walked:


    ''Level 9 Skills''


    He immediately turned to Reidar, knowing that he would share his astonishment.


    The archer looked at him and smiled, curious to see what Egill had in store for his Captain, having never seen a level 9 scroll, not even sealed.


    The young warriors heard a noise of chains coming from behind that large bookshelf.


    Egill, indeed, had just unhooked a dusty book from one of the highest shelves.


    After getting off the ladder used to get up there, he returned to the table, followed by Dag who turned back, curious to see what was in the hands of his long-bearded master.


    Egill moved an arm outward, made room on the large wooden table, and laid the heavy book right there, which emitted a thud and raised a cloud of dust.

 323 CCCXXIII. The Legendary Skill

    Immediately, everyone approached in a circle around the table, to find out what it was all about, including Dargeon, who, despite being a Master, did not know the library as well as Egill, who remembered by heart the contents of each of its corners and shelves.


    "Memory Of Mj?llnir" Dag read aloud, squinting in amazement, in front of that ancient book, which judging by the old leather cover, on which runes were barely visible, must have been several hundred years old.


    "Hey, Egill... are you kidding?" Dargeon inquired, looking at Egill with a puzzled air, while he enjoyed the general astonishment of his guests.


    "What... what is this, Master Egill? Is it a skill? Why is it enclosed within a book and not a simple scroll?" Dag asked, who could not understand whether it was a skill or a story, having the book many pages.


    Egill waited a few seconds before answering and placed his hand on the dark red cover of the tome: "Memory Of Mj?lllnir... this book has been stuck on that shelf for a long time... exactly since Magni realized that he had to increase his power to be able to learn its content".


    "Magni? Do you mean that Master Magni learned all the content of this book?" Dag asked, who like his teammates was not understanding what was going on.


    "It''s not that simple... yes, this book contains the basics for learning a level 9 skill. The library does not have many of them and every one is unique, that is, it cannot be replicated. Reidar, come closer" Egill continued, turning to the archer.


    "Me?" he asked, with one hand resting on his chest, not understanding why Egill was calling him.


    "Grab the book and open it. There''s something I want to show Dag" Egill replied, with his arms still folded.


    Dag and Freydis looked at Reidar with a confused air when he took the book from the table and looked at it carefully, trying to figure out if there was anything strange.


    It looked like a normal old book, with yellowed pages from the years and the cover faded and flayed.


    Reidar put his hand on it and after a few seconds, he stretched his eyes.


    "What? What is it? Open it, Reidar!" Dag said, noting his companion''s expression.


    "It doesn''t open! I¡­ I can''t!" he exclaimed, trying first with one hand, then with two, to lift the cover, from the front and the back, horizontally and vertically, but to no avail.


    "Okay, Reidar. Put it back on the table" Egill ordered, smiling.


    "I don''t understand... it looks like a simple book... why couldn''t I open it?" the archer asked, looking at his hands, wondering what was wrong with him.


    "You can strive as much as you want, Reidar, but that book won''t open" Dargeon exclaimed, who grabbed the book and showed everyone how he too was unable to open it, despite its incredible physical strength, which was totally useless in that case.


    "What does that mean, Egill?" Dag asked back, looking at his Master and colleague in the eye.


    "Level 9 and 10 skills are enclosed in ancient tomes, like this one in front of you, because a simple scroll can''t contain all the information you need. The power that keeps the book closed is older than this planet, it is said to derive from Thor himself, as well as the other sealed tomes of this library, which are the most precious asset of our Clan, which for centuries has been committed to protecting them" Egill explained.


    "If no one can open it, why are you showing it to us?" Dag continued, seeking further clarification.


    "Master Magni trained for most of his life... just to be able to open it and learn the powerful skill it contains. After more than 20 years, he barely managed to lift the cover from the front page of the book and gave it up, with the promise of continuing to train harder than before and try again. As you can imagine, he could no longer do so, because his life was extinguished and now he sits with the Aesir in Valhalla. You inherited his hammer and part of his power, so you can consider this ancient tome as his legacy to you".


    "For me? And how do you know I''ll open it? If Master Magni has not succeeded after so many years, how can I do it?" Dag gasped, who felt a great moral responsibility to Magni on his shoulders.


    "I don''t know, Dag" Egill smiled again, conveying calm and serenity through his wisdom-filled eyes, which penetrated the young Master''s soul.


    Dag stopped talking, as did everyone else around him.


    Freydis touched his shoulder, looking at him confidently.


    He moved his hand softly and approached the book, which lay in the middle of the table, after the vain attempts of Dargeon and Reidar.


    He lifted it up, feeling its weight.


    Very slowly he placed a hand on it, feeling the irregularities of the cover and resting his fingers to the side of it, ready to lift it.


    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.


    Gradually, he detached the palm of his hand from the rough surface of the leather, beginning to exert traction with his fingers, which remained stationary in the same position.


    The traction continued and he applied more force, but the book remained closed as if nothing was happening.


    "Let''s go, Dag! You can do it!" Freydis cheered, who was witnessing the scene next to Reidar, focused on watching.


    Dargeon and Egill were on the other side of the table instead and staring at Dag waiting for something to happen.


    While Dargeon was defiant, there was something in Egill''s eyes, resentful of a glimmer of hope.


    "Come on! Open up, baby! Fuck this!" he muttered, barely breathing in the effort as the veins of his arms swelled slightly.


    The fingers of his hand were completely stretched out, as was his arm, which was applying as much strength as possible.

 324 CCCXXIV. A Voice That Take Shape

    "I told you, Egill... it''s not his time yet. Dag is too young, as he may already be able to access a level 9 skill... I''ve never been able to do it either, you''re the only one who knows two" Dargeon whispered in Egill''s ears, avoiding distracting Dag, who still had his eyes closed.


    "Let''s let him try..." he answered, but just then, Dag released the hold.


    "I can''t! Did you see it? I already knew, it was just a waste of time!" he snorted, dropping the book on the table with a stinging gesture, annoyed that he had not even managed to move the cover.


    He walked slightly off the table and looked at the two Masters, which tried to console him.


    "You had to try, Dag. You''ll see, one day you''ll be able to open it and..."


    *tzzz*


    As Egill was speaking, a sudden sound interrupted him.


    Dag looked down: Magni''s hammer had inadvertently produced small sparks, without his command.


    "What the hell..."


    *tzzz*slash*tzzz*


    A lightning bolt hit the library floor, causing everyone present to jolt.


    "I don''t know what''s wrong with it! He never did that!" Dag exclaimed, to justify himself.


    The hammer continued to charge with energy and release it in the form of small electric sparks until another thin lightning bolt hit one of the legs of the table.


    They all remained silent.


    A third sudden lightning bolt hit exactly the same spot, burning the wood and scaring everyone.


    Dag approached the table and seized the ancient tome again.


    "It''s not possible..." he whispered, looking at the hammer, that after he had grasped the book continued to emit slight sparks, but in the opposite direction, towards Dag''s arm.


    Egill squinted and stepped forward as his hand spontaneously stretched toward Dag.


    "M... Magni..." he too whispered, leaving everyone open-mouthed.


    Dargeon, Freydis, and Reidar were speechless and remained motionless without reacting.


    Dag placed one hand under the book and another above: at that exact moment, the hammer unleashed even more energy, which electrified both of his arms.


    "Master! Master is that you?! I... what... what should I do?! I''m not worthy to open the book, I can''t!" Dag stuttered, his eyes shining.


    Sparks spread down his arm, reaching his hands and the book, striking it without damaging it.


    At that point, Dag figured out what he should do.


    "As you wish, Master" he said, focusing on the book and slightly opening his legs.


    After a few seconds, the black liquid began to gush from his shoulders, sliding on his arms and wrapping them entirely, while the electricity continued to hit them repeatedly.


    "Oh, fuck!" Dargeon mumbled, who stepped back, frightened of what might happen.


    Egill put a hand on his chest, ordering him to remain silent and not to distract Dag, who had somehow managed to establish contact with the late Magni, who was communicating with him through his weapon.


    Emitting the usual noise similar to the flow of water, the black fluid was absorbed by Dag''s skin, which suddenly swelled, following the increase in the volume of the muscles of the arms and veins, which pumped twice as much blood, strengthening the upper limbs.


    The same veins extended under the armor to the neck, almost touching the chin.


    When the fluid also ceded to his hands and touched the book, the dust on the cover began to vibrate.


    "It''s not possible..." Dargeon replied, who had personally witnessed Magni''s attempt, almost a year earlier, without success.


    Dag closed his eyes and everything turned dark.


    ...


    He could feel his own breath, in that room without walls completely shrouded in total darkness.


    He looked around, down, up.


    The emptiness, there was only a boundless emptiness.


    At one point a light appeared, a small bright dot on the horizon, which became closer and closer, traveling at great speed towards him, which remained motionless.


    "Master! Help me, please! You were right, I can use my power to do good, I have already shown it in the past! Make me worthy, oh wise Magni!" Dag stated, opening his arms and waiting for the light source to come.


    It approached and when the distance between them was only a few meters, it revealed its true nature: two arms and two legs, the head without hair and the bare torso, partially covered with tattoos.


    In front of Dag, amid cosmic nothingness, the spirit of his late Master had taken shape.


    Magni slowed down his advance, stopping right in front of his pupil, to whom his eyes began to tear.


    "Master..." Dag said again, not believing in his eyes and no longer acknowledging the boundary between imagination and reality.


    "I left this world, beginning a new life, within your body... I became blood, then flesh, then tears, then the same lymph that feeds your vital mechanisms... in this timeless box, I am allowed to take on any form and travel from one point to another in a blink of an eye" Magni said, his warm, majestic voice, as a blinding celestial aura enveloped his body, exactly the same as the last moments in life.


    At those words, Dag knelt, continuing to look at the man in front of him, while his mind was filled with a river of unanswered questions.


    "What should I do?! Please, Master, help me... I saw Stein die, then you left me too... finally I found out that Brann was not who I thought he was and that his teaching did not convey anything good... you and Stein... I... I had two fathers, but none of them is still on my side and the remorse of not having done enough kills me every night and every day, reminding me at the dawn of the greatness of those who taught me love and justice, making me the man I am..." Dag continued, trying to vent his sorrow towards Magni, who stood still listening to his words.


    "My dear Dag... you were the son I never had. By absorbing my vital energy, you gave me the greatest gift I could receive: you made me eternal. Inside you, I discovered your roots, your origins... secret messages in the divine code of your soul, things invisible from the outside".

 325 CCCXXV. The Bombshell

    "What are you talking about, Master?! Tell me, I beg you... what did you find out?!" Dag pleaded, standing up and breathing hard as the black background behind Magni began to fade.


    "813666... a terrestrial child, yet another identification code... and yet, my dear Dag, like your two fathers, you have parents too... a father and a mother... the blood of your blood, light, and darkness... united forever, but distant at the same time" Magni continued, slowly floating toward Dag, who immediately widened his eyes.


    "A father?! This doesn''t make any sense! I am only the result of an experiment, like all my childhood companions and the millions of children who are born on Earth every day, by women who are artificially fertilized and have no choice! Master, why do you say that?!" Dag replied, who feared that the vision would be interrupted before he got answers.


    "You were just a newborn, a few hours after birth, when he was forced to let you go... but the love for your mother gave him hope, gave him the strength to start again".


    "His name! Please tell me his name! My mother, my father... how do I find them? Where are they? On Earth or other planets? How do I find them?! Don''t leave, Magni! Please!"


    "I am nothing but the conscience of a man, who has dedicated his life to fighting against the wind and all I know, now you know it too. You''re afraid you''re not worthy, but you don''t know that all the answers are inside you... I''ve always been right Dag... you are the key!"


    After speaking and before the incredulous Dag could say anything, Magni''s ethereal body dashed to him and entered his body, which in an instant returned to the real world, breaking the vision.


    ...


    *gasp*


    Dag took a very deep breath as if he had just come out of freediving that lasted several minutes.


    Around him, everything was as before: his companions and the Masters were still there, waiting to witness something astounding, while he held the ancient tome in his hands and the black fluid flowed over them, touching the cover of the book, which vibrated powerfully, waiting to release the restrained energy.


    His legs suddenly stopped shaking when he felt an unexpected feeling of calm and quiet starting from his mind and wrapping his whole body.


    A tear fell from his purple eye, hitting the surface of the dark fluid, permeating inside it and reaching the book, which stopped suddenly vibrating.


    Dag caught his breath and swallowed empty, recalling the fluid, which after re-entering his body completely, disappeared into thin air, absorbed by his skin.


    His fingers were still resting beneath the leather cover of the legendary tome: exerting faint traction from the bottom up, it detached from the first page of the book, which opened, releasing a considerable amount of light energy, in a glow that faded after a few seconds.


    When he and his companions were able to look again, the manual was completely wide open in his hands.


    ''Memory Of Mj?llnir ¨C basic techniques to wield the Lightning Hammer''


    Dag read in a low voice what was written on the front page in Elder Futhark.


    After his words, Dargeon sat by the table, falling awkwardly into his chair and continuing to stare at Dag, rubbing his eyes.


    The young Master finally looked up and then, his gaze immediately fell on Freydis, who had stood still in front of him the whole time and now looked at him with shining eyes, moved by his courage and fortitude.


    "Haha... Hahahaha... hahahahahah! He made it! He unlocked the book!" Egill yelled without restraint, exploding into an uncontrolled, decidedly unusual laugh, given his always wise and calm character.


    "Hahah, great! I knew you''d make it, Captain!"


    "I''m proud of you, Dag!"


    Reidar and Freydis, letting themselves be carried away by Egill''s enthusiasm, rejoiced with him, congratulating Dag, who had not yet achieved what had just happened.


    Magni''s hammer had stopped producing sparks and he knelt down, dropping the book in front of him.


    Reidar and Egill quickly rushed towards him, helping him get up and sit on a chair, picking up the tome and resting it on the table.


    "Hey! Hey! Dag! Is everything okay, boy? What happened?" Egill asked, gently slapping his face, trying to make him feel better.


    "Uhm... yes... I''m fine... I saw him, Master Egill... he was right in front of me and I talked to him" Dag whispered, barely looking into his eyes.


    "Who did you see?" Egill asked again, who already imagined an answer.


    "Magni! Master Magni was in front of me! He helped me unlock that book, telling me that the answers I''m looking for are inside me because I''m the key! What the fuck does that mean? Now I feel even more confused than before!" he exclaimed, standing up soon after fully recovering his senses.


    "Calm down, Dag... relax now, it''s all right. You managed to get into a level 9 skill when you were just 18, do you realize that?!" Freydis said, approaching him and stroking his face, trying to reassure him.


    "Arrgh... what a headache" Dag replied, touching his forehead and looking down.


    After a few minutes of drinking a glass of water, he finally calmed down, realizing that he was safe and sound in the library of Temple Of Orn.


    In front of him there was Egill''s face, who wanted to know more, noting that during the last minutes before everything was surrounded with the light, Dag had closed his eyes, coming out of his body for a few seconds.


    "Master Magni is part of me now... he told me that he continues to live inside me, the hammer is just a means by which I can unleash his power!" Dag began, attracting the attention of everyone, including Dargeon, who slowly rose from his chair.


    "So? What did he tell you? Did he confirm that you are worthy to learn Memory of MJ?lllnir?" Reidar interrupted as he entered the conversation.


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 326 CCCXXVI. The Pantheons

    "Much more than that... digging deep into the most hidden corners of my being, he was able to discover things about my past... I don''t know if it''s just the figment of my imagination, but he has revealed to me some disconcerting things, which could change my life forever..." Dag continued, looking down and beginning to smile out of control.


    "Are these things beautiful?" Freydis asked naively, noting his cheerful expression.


    "It''s about my parents" he said, not believing he would utter those words again talking of himself.


    Silence swooped into the library, which was the only place in the temple with the lights still on, in the darkness of the night.


    "Your parents? But weren''t they dead? I remember you told me that you had never met them and that your father had been killed, while your mother had become a kind of machine for giving birth to the Frostsinners children!" the young Shieldmaiden replied, recalling the speeches between her and Dag when they were just children.


    "I''ve always believed it too... but Magni told me that a few hours after my birth, my father abandoned me and my mother, starting his life again somewhere else... all this might make sense! But how do I do it now? How do I find out if that''s the truth?" Dag said, appealing to the wisdom of his Masters and his companions, who knew him better than anyone.


    "He abandoned you... to go where? So, suppose your mother was actually used by the Frostsinners to procreate... in this case, she''s on Earth for sure, your home planet, right? But if what Magni says is true and your father ran away somewhere else... he was forced to leave the Earth, otherwise, he would have been killed!" Egill exclaimed, reasoning loudly and looking upwards, focusing on the information received by Dag.


    "It means above all that I am not the result of an alien biological combination! I''m not an experiment! But how is it possible then that I have these powers? If I have two human parents, where do my dark powers come from?" Dag continued, refuting Egill''s thesis that he had not thought of that possibility.


    "According to the stories I have heard from my earthly acquaintances, human beings on Earth have never shown this kind of power, so it is impossible that you inherited them from your parents..." Dargeon interrupted, expressing his opinion.


    "Powers come from very powerful energy sources, such as divine ones... if the Gods of all the Pantheons have been driven from Earth, it is impossible that there is anyone who from there can draw on those sources... maybe Magni''s vision is just something my mind wanted to see... he made me listen to what I wanted, materializing my most hidden desires... I should stop believing everything I see in my ''visions''!" Dag replied, shaking and scratching his head with one hand.


    "Pantheons? What''s that?" Freydis asked, intrigued by that unknown word.


    "Don''t worry, of course, you don''t know what I''m talking about, I''m sure you''re not the only one among us... you must know that before the Dark Day, human beings lived together on Earth, in very large communities, each of which had its own laws and revered its Gods, maintaining mutual respect with other ethnic groups¡­ more or less. The continents were divided into nations and nations into regions, just as it happens on Skjold, but with the only difference that on Earth there were many more... think about it¡­ five continents and about 208 states!"


    "What? And each of these places worshipped different Gods?!" Reidar asked, unable to believe his ears.


    "Yeah, a kind of... let''s say that there were groups of states that worshipped the same Gods and often spoke the same language or fairly similar languages. You know the runes with which we write?" Dag continued, trying to make his story as interactive as possible.


    Egill and Dargeon remained silent, arms crossed, slightly embarrassed not to be aware of that information, while Reidar and Gridd nodded their heads.


    "Well, ours is just one of the languages that were spoken thousands of years ago on Earth! There were more than 6000!" After the Sun exploded, the Xis arrived, preventing humans from permanently extinguishing themselves and completely dismembering this system, with which we had lived since antiquity, homologating to each other and entrusting the newborns with an identification code. Mine, for example, is 813666".


    "Then the arrival of the Xis was fortunate! Without them, we would have been hopeless!" Freydis exclaimed, confused by that statement.


    "No, it''s not like that. In addition to dividing us, exterminating all male human beings and enslaving women, the Xis also imposed their supremacy on the divine kingdoms, forcing the Gods to kneel at their feet! I just know the story of Asgard, but only thanks to the tales of Weland, who after escaping death, deemed us worthy of knowing the truth!"


    Dag''s listeners were speechless.


    "The Xis themselves divided the ancient religions of the Earth into six Pantheons, creating a planet for each of them and exiled its Gods to it. Ours is called ''Norse Pantheon'' and is composed of Asgard and all the other 8 kingdoms connected by the Yggdrasill, the tree of life. Like Odin, Thor, Freya, and all the others, the other Pantheons'' Gods have been exiled from their home planet, Earth, with no choice" Dag concluded, trying to enclose so much information in a nutshell, accessible to everyone.


    "All this... it''s horrible..." Freydis answered, trying to imagine the protagonists of Dag''s story, through which she had discovered that there were dozens more, perhaps hundreds of Gods.


    "Why didn''t anyone told us all this before you, Dag?" Egill asked, after remaining silent throughout the speech.


    "Because no one has ever known the whole truth about the Gods! Moreover, the Earthlings do nothing but be afraid of the Xis and their unknown powers and prefer to live their lives pretending not to know what was taken from them!"


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 327 CCCXXVII. The Confidence

    "Just now you said they saved you from extinction..." Egill continued, reminding Dag of his own words.


    "I saw something different... and I''m afraid I''ve seen the truth" he replied, in a serious tone.


    "The truth?" Dargeon intervened, who was taking longer than anyone to realize his words, as his spirit was deeply rooted in Viking traditions and culture, such as that of Kjell and Ellen, who are also reluctant to accept reality.


    "A long time ago, I nearly died. And a moment before I was saved by my powers, I had another vision, much longer and more immersive than I had just now. A gigantic black hand, made of the same material that I can create from nothing, has enveloped the real Sun, reducing it to a dark and cold star and crushing it into a thousand pieces".


    "Do you... do you mean..."


    "Yes... I suspect the Sun''s death was caused by the Xis. I don''t know why yet, but... In my opinion, their goal was to take over the Earth and dominate the human race, from the very beginning" Dag continued, looking one by one at all those around him, hanging from his lips, not believing that he could ever know all those things, which seemed only fantastic tales, but were the mere truth.


    "Do you know that you can''t tell anyone these things, do you? You''d risk putting your life back on it, Dag" Egill said, trying to give advice to his former student and assimilate all those new concepts for him as well.


    "I know, one step at a time¡­ as was also established with the Crows Of Odin Masters" Dag confirmed, recalling the speech he made with Sander and Kjell on the morning of his departure from Skjegg.


    The talk continued for another hour until even Dag was tired of talking and along with Reidar and Freydis, leaving the library and heading to the dormitory, precisely to his room, inviting Reidar to sleep in another nearby room, whose door was already open.


    What was his and Aslan''s room had remained intact, exactly as he had left it before leaving for Hevnen and Skjegg, hoping that someone would accept his absurd proposal.


    When the two lovers entered, he locked the door, making Freydis sense his desire to make love.


    She, without hesitation for a moment, turned to him and took off his clothes, making Dag follow her every gesture with his eyes, savoring that preliminary moment, which was followed by an intense sex session.


    "And what about your parents?" she asked, resting her head on her boyfriend''s chest after they were both exhausted and naked on the bed.


    Dag did not answer, taking a deep breath, having not forgotten for a second that important detail, of which Magni had only hinted at him.


    "I mean... what are you going to do? How can you find them?" she replied, putting in his shoes.


    He stroked her hair, kissed her forehead, and with a disconsolate air said: "Finding them is practically impossible, not being them on this planet. In any case, they will have to wait, there are some important issues to be completed before. I have lived my whole life knowing that my mother was locked up in some laboratory and that my father had died or that I had never had one, having been created artificially, inseminating a human egg...".


    "Even though I don''t understand these technicalities, I know what you''re referring to. I just wish you knew something... I will follow you everywhere, Dag. I know I tell you this a lot of times, but I want to make sure you understand that. The further I go, the more I realize that our lives are just a breath of wind compared to those of the Gods or these creatures that come from who knows where. You can''t waste an entire existence fighting for your Clan and taking decades to conquer a meager piece of land, knowing that in the meantime, someone moves the threads of everything, as if we were puppets. From the false Sun that illuminates the sky in the morning, to the moon and all the living things on this planet... everything we see has been created by external forces, far from our comprehension... you explained it to me, do you remember?" she said, looking up and kissing him on the neck.


    Dag nodded, recalling the moment he and his woman stopped to look at the stars, in a position similar to the one they had at the time, but outdoors, lying in the vegetation on the outskirts of Jernhest.


    He told her that not all the bright dots in the black sky were mere stars and that many of them were actually Skjold-like planets, on which millions of people followed different stories, living their lives in the footsteps of their ancestors, with their customs traditions, and their Pantheons.


    He also spoke to Freydis about some of his childhood friends, such as the brave Hiro, who had never seen again since the day of the Temporum, after years of playing and talking together, in that artificial world that had nothing left of ''terrestrial''.


    Immersed in those nostalgic thoughts, as Freydis''s breath grazed his chest, Dag fell asleep.


    The next day, he opened his eyes at the first light of dawn, with the only thought of the crowd of warriors gathered in the courtyard, hoping to gather a good number of volunteers.


    Dag got out of bed and got ready quickly, looking forward to climbing the stone pedestal of the Masters, now having the right to do so.


    "Hey, Freydis! I''m sure Master Egill is ready for the speech and that the first Clan warriors are already making their way into the courtyard... I can''t be late! See you there!" he exclaimed as Freydis stretched out into the bed, still asleep, yawning.


    "All right..." she whispered with her eyes closed as Dag walked out of the room, heading down the hall.


    Just then, Reidar also opened a door, finding himself in front of his Captain, who greeted with a smile.


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 328 CCCXXVIII. The Call

    "My old room was occupied by a new recruit and I had to sleep in this one here, where the bed was half broken..." he said, clawing his neck and walking beside Dag.


    "Lately you don''t have much luck in rooms! Hahahah!" he laughed, making a clear reference to the episode of Gridd a few nights earlier.


    Reidar laughed at the joke and within seconds they both found themselves in the outside yard, retracing what until recently was their daily routine, even if they didn''t know each other, despite having both walked down those corridors, without ever crossing their eyes.


    Once outside, Egill and Dargeon were already close to their pedestal and chatting with each other.


    When they saw Dag, they invited him to join them.


    "I''ll be waiting for you among the other warriors, Captain" Reidar said, turning back and heading toward the center of the yard, stopping as soon as Dag grabbed his arm.


    "You''re not going anywhere, come near us" he exclaimed, making the archer feel honored to receive that invitation.


    Without thinking twice, Reidar accompanied him to the two Masters, and all four of them waited for the courtyard to fill with warriors, while Freydis also walked out of the dorm and reached their position.


    About 30 minutes after his awakening, Dag was there, standing next to the wise Egill and Dargeon, on the pedestal of official speeches, and with Freydis and Reidar next to it, watching the crowd of warriors with hope in their eyes.


    The Berserkrs and Shieldmaidens of the front rows noticed that there was an air of discourse as soon as they saw Master Dag in the position he should be, once he returned from his endless travels.


    Everyone stopped and arranged neatly in rows, like every day of hard training.


    The sunlight lit up the heads of the Hammers Of Thor warriors as the birds began to flutter over the Temple.


    Master Egill began to speak, inviting everyone to keep quiet with a gesture of his hand: "Good morning everyone. Needless to say, I''ll announce that Master Dag has returned to the Temple Of Orn... you can see him with your own eyes next to me".


    Some young warriors began chatting with each other, others raised their arms upwards, cheering Dag in silence, smiling as they looked at him with admiration.


    "Thanks to his incredible courage and his determination, Master Dag, in a few weeks, has already managed to bring together three Clans, founding the Iron Alliance, of which he is the Warchief" Egill continued, rejoicing the warriors in front of him, who celebrated that news by raising their arms upwards and clenching their fists, albeit in an orderly silence.


    "So... each of you will be able to ask the questions you want and ask Master Dag and the other members of his team about what happened in the last period, but first... he''ll ask you something. Something that could change your lives forever..." Egill concluded, stepping back and leaving the word to Dag, who, thanks to the introduction of his colleague, immediately got to the bottom of it.


    "After a vote that involved all the Masters of the three Clans that are part of the Iron Alliance, we decided that in a short time, we will leave for Krypstorm, the land of perennial ice" he exclaimed, looking at the faces of his former training partners.


    The crowd began to murmur something, after realizing Dag''s serious intentions, which from his gaze expressed determination.


    "Our nation, Okstorm, was recently attacked by the Giants Of Ymir, whose warriors assaulted and destroyed villages on the coast in the form of Jotunns. We managed to drive them away, avoiding other victims, but the damage they caused remains. 16 Crows of Odin warriors, 12 Sons Of Freya and 12 Hammers Of Thor will take part in the mission, one of the most dangerous ever" Dag continued.


    A Berserkr a few steps from him swallowed empty, frightened by that speech, imagining that cold inhospitable land and its dangers.


    "I will avoid telling you what this journey would mean for the twelve volunteers... I''m not going to talk to you about the risks that will take place, the problems we might encounter... no, I''m sure you already know those. I will tell you about the glory, the resources, the enrichment of your knowledge! This is what you will get if you follow me, Master Egill and 3 other allied Masters, in addition to 28 other volunteer warriors... like you, but from other Clans. You''ll know what''s behind the Great Deep Sea, what''s beyond the fog, beyond the horizon. It won''t be a simple trip... this mission will change your lives forever!" Dag replied, raising his voice, leveraging his natural skills as a motivator of the masses.


    As expected, his listeners began to nod their heads as they looked at him, captured by his speech.


    "Living without knowing is like not living at all. Wasting your strength fighting cyclical battles that will continue to repeat themselves over time, it makes no sense, if you do not get to know the unknown, if you do not wonder about the hidden, if you do not discover what is on the other side of Skjold, on a nation twice the size of Okstorm! What are our lives, if not a mere breath of wind?"


    After those words, Dag looked at Freydis, who smiled at him, realizing that her boyfriend had taken inspiration from her words of the previous evening.


    "Then... Hammers Of Thor! Who will be the twelve warriors who will follow us and help us write down our history?!" Egill yelled unexpectedly, positioning himself next to Dag and addressing the crowd, which was now in full turmoil.


    After the motivational speech, four front-row warriors stepped forward, looking at Dag and hitting their chest with a fist, then raising their arms towards him as a sign of loyalty.


    Seeing their companions, three other warriors took courage from the back and made their way among their comrades, stopping next to the first 4 volunteers, while the rest of the crowd cheered them to applause.


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 329 CCCXXIX. No Remorse

    "Very well, there are only two more left!" Master Egill shouted, to make everyone hear his voice.


    The warriors looked at each other, trying to figure out who was next.


    The ten volunteers knew Dag and Reidar, but they had barely seen their faces a few times.


    They were 7 Berserkrs and 3 Shieldmaidens and stood firm in position, proud of their choice and without remorse.


    While the Masters awaited two other volunteers, a blond boy made his way through the crowd, walking forward silently.


    Reidar noticed him, remembering his face and smiled.


    "Terje! Come forward, brother!" the archer exclaimed, acknowledging one of his companions, a warrior who, like him, was one of Egill''s best students.


    Dag looked at him, and when he remembered that that young boy was one of the options when he chose Reidar, he smiled, happy with his choice, believing that also after all that time he didn''t lose faith in him.


    Before he got into position, another figure sprang from the crowd: she was a Shieldmaiden with a robust body and heavy pace.


    "Runa! Here you are!" Reidar said again, satisfied.


    "Who are they? Do you know them already?" Freydis asked, having never seen those faces.


    "The two of them ran with Reidar to take part in the mission to Tyven, choosing to accompany me on their own. In the end, I chose Reidar, because immediately I was inspired by confidence... I was afraid they''d hate me... Instead, here they are!" Dag replied enthusiastically, explaining to Freydis who were the last two volunteers, who stood in line next to the others and like them, raised their fists towards the Masters, confirming their loyalty to Dag and to the Clan.


    Dag did the same, acclaiming his 12 warriors, ready to take part in an uncertain and dangerous mission, that nevertheless would give real meaning to their lives.


    The people from the crowd behind them continued to shout Dag''s and Egill''s name, as well as cheering on their brave companions.


    "Hahaha! Did you see that? It only took us a few minutes!" Egill chuckled, who had already reassured Dag from the previous evening, that with his speech had made the process even faster.


    The Master Of Healing raised his arm with his hand open and everyone was silent, bringing back the order to the Temple courtyard.


    "Hammers Of Thor! I knew you wouldn''t disappoint our expectations! Volunteer warriors... come forward!" Egill yelled, inviting the line of warriors to approach the pedestal, to meet Dag and part of his team.


    The Warchief jumped and fell to the ground, approaching the rest of the team.


    Many of them looked at him with admiration, with their eyes shiny and moved, as if he was a real God, knowing his deeds, which were worth more than a thousand words.


    He shook hands with everyone, as did Freydis and Reidar, who congratulated the warriors, most of them young fellows, but already specialized in various types of combat.


    "Thank you, Terje... and thanks to you too, Runa. I''m glad you don''t have any remorse. I''m sure you understand the reason for my choice. Anyway, we''ve always been on the same team" Dag said, shaking hands with the two warriors, who responded with a slight smile.


    The celebrations continued until Egill restored again the silence and invited everyone present to restart the daily training.


    In the meanwhile, the twelve followed Dag, Reidar, and Freydis to the main gate of the Temple Of Orn, ready for more details.


    "If you have any questions to ask¡­ you can do it! The three of us will be happy to answer! Anyway, this is Reidar, our infallible archer! But I''m sure the majority of you already know him... she''s Freydis, a Crows of Odin adept. Her fighting style is all about speed and counter-attacks... I challenge anyone to use a spear with her own mastery!" Dag exclaimed, introducing the two members of his team to the rest of the crew, praising their main characteristics.


    "Master Dag, you talked about 5 Masters... besides you and Master Egill, who are the others?" a Shieldmaiden asked, looking at him with a pretty and innocent face, with dark hair collected in a tail.


    "Right, I didn''t tell you their names... as well as me and Egill, there are Master Gridd, who fights for the Sons Of Freya, Master Sander, and Master Kjell, who are two incredible Crows Of Odin warriors. You will be in very good hands!" Dag replied, continuing to galvanize the chosen ones.


    Some of them continued to ask questions, to which Dag and the others answered without hesitation, noting that it was a diverse group, consisting of warriors of both sexes and a large age range: the youngestof them were probably his peers, while the two older ones, a man and a woman, could be in their fifties.


    There were those who wore heavy armor, those who wore leather armor, those who fought with heavy weapons, those who exploited the speed of daggers and knives.


    Dag continued to talk almost for the rest of the morning, inviting them to pack their bags, explaining to them to take the bare necessities and make their bags as bulky as possible, so as not to weigh the boat down too much.


    As the twelve made their way to the dormitory, continuing to chat enthusiastically with each other and anticipating the battle that awaited them, Egill approached the three friends.


    The Master Of Healing carried a leather bag over his shoulder, probably filled with stocks and healing potions, knowing his experience as a healer.


    In addition, he held in his arms the tome of ''Memory Of Mjollnir'', ready to entrust it to Dag.


    "Keep it, I want you to take it with you" he said, handing the book to his colleague.


    "But... you said it''s unique and not replicable! What if I lose it? Its contents would be lost forever!" Dag said, who had planned to study the tome once he returned to the temple, with all the necessary concentration.


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 330 CCCXXX. The Next Pages

    "Dag... I''m sure this ability will come in handy at Krypstorm" Egill replied, looking at Dag and convincing him that he was right, believing that he could learn that difficult skill in such a short time.


    "Well... I think Master Egill is right" Freydis added, who had witnessed the conversation.


    With determination, Dag took the tome and tucked it into his bag, ready to start reading it as soon as he had the chance.


    In the early afternoon, the twelve warriors of the troop were ready to leave and gathered in front of the Temple entrance, to officially greet their companions and Master Dargeon, who by that time became the sole defender of the Temple Of Orn, supported by his best students, some of whom had chosen to stay to help in case of need.


    "Be forever grateful for the courage of your companions and your Masters, who have voluntarily chosen to put their lives at risk once again, to go where everyone else has stopped, to reach eternal glory and bring the name of our Clan to Krypstorm, Skjold''s most inhospitable nation!" he shouted, addressing the warriors who would remain at the temple with him.


    "Uh! Uh! Uh!" they screamed in unison, slamming their fists against their chests, as if they wanted to give strength and courage to their comrades, considering that this might be the last time they saw their faces.


    "We will go on a mission, it is true... but do not forget that the dangers lie behind every mountain, at the bottom of every river, among the branches of each tree! Don''t forget to defend Thor''s sacred Temple at the cost of your life! May he watch over all of us!" Dag shouted back, contributing to Dargeon''s farewell address, which looked at him and Egill with a slightly frightened expression.


    Just then, Egill approached the Clan''s Master Of Defense and did something never done before: in addition to being colleagues, after all the years spent practicing their Masters'' profession side by side, Egill and Dargeon had become best friends and with that brotherly love forged by a thousand battles, they embraced in a warm hug.


    This gesture of deep esteem and friendship moved many of the warriors who witnessed the scene, who realized that the danger of never returning was very high, to scare so much even two warriors of that caliber.


    "Now as it used to be, my brother!"


    "Now... as it used to be!"


    Dargeon and Egill, after the embrace, rested their hands on their respective shoulders, exchanging the last glance of understanding before the departure.


    At that point, it was Dag''s turn, who approached that big, fat man, who kept looking at him with pride.


    "The time we spent together is not much, I know... but I will never forget your strength when we defended the Temple, our home, together. I hope I can train with you one day, Warchief!" Dargeon shouted, preceding Dag, who was very impressed by those words of confidence.


    "The same goes for me, Master! I''m sure nothing will make inroads into your impenetrable bulwark! I am proud to have fought alongside you, I will remember that day all my life and it will give me the strength to continue to the end, towards my goals! Our goals!" Dag answered, raising his voice to be heard by the warriors who would remain so that they could remember that moment forever.


    After the greetings and tears of many, Dag and his companions rode their horses, as did other warriors, some of whom drove a carriage, full of weapons and supplies, also destined to the troops of the other Clans.


    Forming a full delegation of 16 units, they all began their journey to Skjegg together, continuing to chat with each other, imagining what they would find once they arrived in those unknown lands, fantasizing about mystical warriors and divine beasts, derived from popular myths and legends.


    Master Egill made a long speech with Freydis, still intrigued by the question of the Inguz rune, trying to understand as many details as possible, in order to interpret Sondre''s spell.


    Reidar and Dag, next to them, led the delegation, making their way through the valley paths between Mount Torden and Jernhest, observing a religious silence, both immersed in their own thoughts.


    At one point, Dag opened his bag and pulled out the book, which opened easily in his hands.


    This time he went beyond the front page, which contained nothing but the title of the legendary skill.


    ''Performing this skill requires great mental and physical stability, as well as full control of one''s muscles and breath, which are the keys to storing electricity in the body''s center of gravity.''


    After the first pages that summarily explained what it was, the later ones were dedicated to the history of the skill, explaining its origins and mentioning some famous names that had perfected and executed it, changing the course of the history of the planet Skjold.


    ''[...] everyone was able to complete the training and perform this coveted technique, but only one of them was perfect, bordering on the divine [ ...] the maximum expression of the Mj?llnir was seen right at the beginning, when to the warrior of the Thunder was handed this ancient tome by the mighty Thor, on the top of the Mount that from that moment on was renamed Torden [...] and only to that first disciple was given the name of Primal Thunder''


    After reading those staves, Dag jolted, opening his eyes wide, recalling Reidar''s story, which for a moment had suspected that somehow he and the Primal Thunder might be bound by an ancient kinship.


    He looked at his companion, who was focused on looking at the road, plunged into his thoughts and with a happy expression


    Then his gaze fell back on the book.


    ''[...] Memory Of Mj?llnir is not a mere divine skill, but much more [...] you can''t exercise such a skill by ignoring its history. Mere technicalities are not enough if you want to achieve maximum mastery [...] the full control of the Mj?llnir allows the warrior to access the Asgardian Thunder, the primary source of the electric element that encompasses the true power of the brave Thor''


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 331 CCCXXXI. The Sound From Above

    "What''s it like, Captain?" Reidar asked, making Dag jolt, who was immersed in reading, keeping the book with one hand and Aslan''s bridles with the other.


    "It''s weird... I don''t know how, but... I can feel the power emanating from this book simply by reading what''s written on it. It is as if they were timeless words, in which the thought of many was combined into a single writing. It has nothing to do with the scrolls we''re used to. The first chapters of this book tell the story of this skill and also refer to the ''Primal Thunder'', the protagonist of the legend that you told me not so long ago" Dag replied, without going too far in the description, having to preserve the contents of the book, to which only very few people had been able to access since its creation.


    "The Primal Thunder?! Captain, I think you come from his lineage, I''m more and more convinced of it! I don''t have any evidence to justify my suspicion, but my instinct tells me that''s the case. My father and grandfather often told me stories about him... some were certainly invented, but others were not. The runes that shone white and the hammer that charged with energy and destroyed entire enemy armies in one fell swoop... there are too many similarities!" Reidar replied, continuing to support his thesis.


    "A descendant of primal Thunder... well, maybe we''ll never know since I don''t even know who my real parents are! So don''t think about it. If I am worthy, I will be able to learn this skill and use it in case of need against the unknown enemies that await us at Krypstorm" Dag continued, dampening the enthusiasm of his friend, who nodded and returned to look forward, riding.


    "I am convinced that you will succeed" Egill exclaimed, who from behind had unwittingly listened to the whole conversation.


    The delegation led by Egill and Dag continued to ride, reaching and overtaking Jernhest, visible from afar along the usual road that came out of Jordst?l and went into the dense woods of Runar, branching out.


    Egill and Dag continued to talk about the impending mission and the ship they were building for them in the port of Gurn, under the watchful eyes of Sander, who seemed very optimistic and proactive.


    Together, they discussed the best set-up to give to their troops, specifying that each troop would probably obey their Clan''s Masters more willingly.


    Therefore, it was important for Dag to supervise the whole thing, referring what to do to Sander, Egill, Kjell, and Gridd, who would then communicate the orders to their soldiers.


    Just after appointing Gridd, Dag thought about his sister and what feedback she received from Hevnen, talking in person with Taya and Jens at Fort Skjonnet.


    "Even though his decision alone counts for nothing, it is very strange that Master Jens opposed the mission... ''he left after a few minutes''... what an oddity, doesn''t sound like him" Dag thought, recalling the messenger''s words and Jens'' face the last time they saw each other, smiling and friendly, from the very first moment.


    Then he shook his head, trying not to think of any other problems, of which his mind was already full.


    He put the book in place, focusing on the road, which from that point on became more and more intricate.


    He narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to see some signs in the distance, not remembering exactly the direction for Skjegg and wanting to avoid making bad figures in the eyes of his soldiers, but, suddenly, something unexpected happened.


    Thanks to his incredibly developed hearing, Dag was able to hear a noise of branches that could not have been caused by a squirrel or a bird: at that instant, he instinctively bent back, resting his back on Aslan''s, and a pointed spear grazed his chest, then skewering the ground.


    The horse became frightened and rose on two legs, dismounting Dag, but he managed to land on his feet.


    "What''s going on?!"


    "Someone''s attacking us!"


    Starting with Freydis and Reidar, everyone noticed that their Master had just escaped a deadly ambush and stopped, pulling out their weapons and looking up, among the dense vegetation of the forest.


    Reidar grabbed Dag''s horse before he could get away and passed it to Egill, who grabbed the reins and freed the archer''s hands, that pulled out the Failnaught in less than a second.


    "Who''s there?!" Runa yelled, one of Dargeon''s pupil, placing her horse in front of Dag and protecting him with her huge tower shield.


    "Be careful... they''re hidden for good!" Dag exclaimed, who grabbed both the hammer and the axe and closed his eyes.


    Suddenly he jumped towards Runa and with the Giantbane deflected an arrow heading to the Shieldmaiden''s face, which remained breathless.


    "Regroup! Don''t break the lines!" Dag yelled again, ordering his men to stay close to each other, while Egill did the same, riding towards them and siding with them.


    *frushh*


    Dag was able to hear the same noise of branches once again, but it came from several directions at once.


    "They''re more than one... they''re running around us and waiting for the best time to attack us... Reidar, Freydis, be careful" Dag replied, who with his eyes closed tried to focus his energies on his hearing, the only way he could predict the next attack from above.


    Predictably, a small spear tied to a rope was hurled at great speed towards him, who dodged the blow and grabbed the rope with one hand, pulling forcefully downwards.


    After that athletic gesture, someone fell from the top of the highest branches, making a thud and fracturing the bones of his back, writhing on the ground in pain.


    "Arrghh... umpf... umpf..." the enemy that had just been landed continued to mumble, as soon as Dag put his foot on his chest, pressing on the rib cage, which began to creak.


    "Aaaaaagh! Aaagh!"


    The screams grew louder and the enemy weakly grabbed Dag''s ankle, trying unnecessarily to move his foot.


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 332 CCCXXXII. The Celebrity

    "Reidar, watch my back, it could be a trap!" Dag exclaimed, who was used to giving orders only to Reidar and Karl and did not know how to behave with all those soldiers.


    The archer charged an arrow over the Failnaught and pointed it upwards: two other warriors of the troop did the same, aiming towards the same point.


    "You have ten seconds" Dag said, pointing the Giantbane blade at the enemy''s neck, still standing on the ground.


    "You... you''re just a fool... you pretend you don''t understand... you''re playing with fire..." the man whispered, his face completely covered with a kind of scarf that allowed only the eyes to be glimpsed and a turban-like headdress.


    "seven... eight... nine..."


    Dag raised the axe, ready to strike the man to death, when Reidar pushed him away, knocking him to the ground and making him dodge another spear, which impaled the ground.


    Soon after, a spherical object fell from above and as soon as it hit the ground it released a cloud of black smoke, which forced all the warriors to cover their eyes and mouth.


    When the smoke began to disappear, Dag and Reidar were the first to notice that the wounded enemy was no longer there, there was no trace of him.


    "Where did he go?!"


    "I don''t see him! Be careful!"


    "There are others!"


    The Hammers Of Thor soldiers continued to look intimidated upwards, holding their weapons and preparing for a second attack.


    "Don''t worry, I think they escaped. There were three of them, maybe four. They knew right away that they didn''t have many chances" Egill said, urging his team to put down their weapons and calm down.


    Dag thanked Reidar, and together they rose, tearing the earth off their clothes.


    "They just don''t seem to want to leave you alone for a second, don''t they, Dag?" Egill replied, implicitly asking the young Master if he knew the reason for that sudden assault.


    "Yes, apparently... I''ve never seen armor like that, and I don''t think there are bandit groups around here... or at least, Sander never told me about it" Dag said, explaining to Egill and others that he had no idea what had just happened.


    As if nothing had happened, the two companions returned on horseback and continued their journey to Skjegg, while the sunset light partially penetrated the dense branches of beech trees that lined the narrow streets of Runar.


    Dag continued to think back to the man''s words, moments before he disappeared into thin air.


    "I''m sick of being treated by everyone like a kid... a fool who for some strange reason has supernatural powers. I can''t take it anymore, that''s enough!" he thought, getting angry with himself and rethinking all the bad choices that had caused him and his friends to get into trouble in the past.


    About an hour after the ambush, Skjegg''s high rocky walls were finally visible and the vegetation became less dense, as the road leading to the entrance tunnel widened, finally allowing the carriage containing weapons and supplies to travel smoothly.


    "Wow!"


    "It''s amazing!"


    "Look how tall those walls are!"


    The astonishment of the delegation''s warriors was immediate as soon as they saw the mighty walls surrounding the Crows of Odin capital, as many of them had never strayed so far from the Temple Of Orn.


    "The last time I came here was several decades ago, for a diplomatic mission. The Rocky Crown is always a marvel, seeing it again fills my heart with pride and makes me think of the human magnificence, which sometimes manages to reconcile its needs with the surrounding nature, creating these indefinable masterpieces" Egill thought out loud, riding alongside Dag and beginning with one of his usual philosophical speeches, looking up.


    "Captain, if I''m not mistaken, this was where we were supposed to meet Gridd and her warriors, right?" Reidar asked, pointing to the sign stuck in the ground at the last crossroad before the city entrance.


    "Yes, we should have met her here, but as you see the Sun is setting and the Sons Of Freya must travel a little bit more than us to get here, Hevnen is not that close. We will wait for them inside the walls, I am sure that by tomorrow morning they will have arrived" Dag replied, gesturing with his arm and urging all his warriors to continue following him.


    The entire delegation reached the gates of Skjegg and the guards guarding the entrance immediately recognized Dag, Reidar, and Freydis, who after the recent catastrophic events suffered, had well-known faces to all citizens.


    "Master Dag!" the two guards exclaimed in unison, opening their spears and bowing their heads out of respect, allowing passage to all allied warriors, who greeted politely.


    Once inside Skjegg, the illuminated streets greeted travelers from afar, while Dag made his way to the stables.


    The citizens looked curiously at the warriors and the caravan, acknowledging that the armor and faces were not part of the Crows Of Odin.


    Some of the elders, who were still on the street for various reasons at that time of the evening, focused their attention on Egill''s long white beard, while he kept riding masterfully in the middle of the road next to Dag.


    "Master Egill!" a man shouted, rising from the wooden bench on which he sat holding onto his stick.


    Egill looked up at him and smiled, waving at him with his hand.


    "Is that really Master Egill?" an elderly woman asked, who approached the old man with the stick and looking at Egill with languid eyes, recalling the past.


    "Hello everyone! Yes... the years have passed for me too! Hahah!" the wise Master Of Healing chuckled, mocking his age and touching his long white beard.


    Dag was pleasantly surprised by the fact, not expecting his Master to be known so far from the temple.


    "Egill fought a thousand battles and served the Gods for more than thirty years. He is one of Okstorm''s most famous Berserkr and was one of those who helped to write the history of the nation. No one is more suited than him to join the mission to Krypstorm! His fame will rise even further!" Dag thought to himself, looking at his colleague with admiration.


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 333 CCCXXXIII. Time For Presentations

    Even the warriors behind them were pleased to hear strangers calling their Master by name, known even beyond the confines of Jordst?l.


    With the help of some stable boys, they tied all sixteen horses firmly, holding the two who carried the wagon.


    "When you''re done with the horses, follow me. The Crows Of Odin Masters are waiting for us" Dag exclaimed, full of himself, looking at his soldiers, who obeyed orders and arranged themselves neatly in a row, two at a time.


    He, Reidar, Freydis, and Egill walked ahead of the troop, toward the wooden elevators, while the soldiers continued to marvel at everything, despite Skjegg''s architecture left something to be desired.


    The few people on the street, at the sight of all those soldiers, so disciplined and composed, moved, letting them pass.


    In two rounds, they climbed the platform and reached the top of the Rocky Crown, while some of them looked down and suffered from vertigo.


    After arriving in front of the Masters''s building, everyone stopped at Dag''s signal, who raised his arm.


    A few seconds passed, when all three Masters of the Allied Clan left the palace, heading towards Dag and his troop.


    "Hahaha! Incredible! I told you he wouldn''t let us down, not even this time!" Sander chuckled, spreading his arms toward Dag and clutching him in a hug, avoiding suffocating him like last time.


    Behind him, Kjell and Ellen remained composed, studying in detail Dag''s soldiers and looking curiously at Egill, who stood beside him.


    "As promised, this is the Hammers Of Thor''s contribution to the Krypstorm mission!" Dag exclaimed, turning his torso toward his warriors and officially presenting them to the Allied Masters.


    At that moment, Egill stepped forward, attracting Sander''s attention.


    "Despite our own age, your beard has always been thicker and glossier than mine! Hahaha!" Sander said again, looking at Egill and making the same gesture as before, spreading his arms, ready to embrace him amicably.


    The warriors of the Hammers Of Thor looked on in amazement at that scene, not being used to this sort of thing, especially from Master Egill, who in the last few days was giving more hugs than usual.


    "Sander, my old friend! My beard is nothing compared to your physique! Look at those arms! They''re as powerful as they used to be!" Egill replied enthusiastically, embracing his friend and almost moving Dag and his companions, who sensed the brotherly love between those two Berserkrs, forged by a thousand battles and experiences.


    "Then, it''s time for presentations! Hello everyone, Hammers Of Thor! My name is Sander and I am the Master Of Defense of the Clan that watches over the city of Skjegg!" Sander said aloud.


    All the warriors raised their fists at the same time, respectfully greeting Master Sander.


    "They are Kjell and Ellen, respectively Master Of Offense and Master Of Healing of the Crows Of Odin!" he continued, prompting the warriors in front of him to salute him.


    During the salute, Ellen stepped forward, stopping in front of Egill and kneeling slightly.


    "Master Egill, it''s an honor to meet a healer with your experience. I''ve only been Master Of Healing for a few years and I''d really like to be able to learn some tips from you!" she confessed, all in one breath, leaving Dag and the others open-mouthed, being a very proud Shieldmaiden who hardly admitted the superiority of others.


    "Of course, my friend. The honor would be mine" Egill replied in his usual calm voice, grabbing Ellen''s arm and inviting her to stand up.


    "Master Sander, before we talk about the mission... our men are tired from the journey, they need rest. How did you think to host them all?" Dag asked, proving his warriors that he had thought of every detail.


    "They just have to go into the dorm and follow the instructions of my warriors. They will guide them to the free rooms, while yours are the usual, upstairs" Sander said with a smile, ready to answer that question.


    "Did you hear Master Sander? To the dorm! Tomorrow morning we will give you more instructions! Untie the lines!" Egill yelled, ordering the entire troop to walk to the rooms and rest.


    Kjell, a lover of discipline and order, looked at Egill with interest after realizing that he was a stern and pointy Master, but continued to remain silent, merely listening to their conversations.


    "Then, Sander... I spoke to Master Egill and our soldiers about the mission, explaining the details for what will come next... what''s the status of the preparations for the boat?" Dag asked.


    "I personally brought to Gurn the project sheet I showed you, to allow Frank to review it and make some changes. Tomorrow morning, if you want, you can come with me and we can see the first results. What do you say?" Sander answered.


    Dag accepted the proposal and Egill did the same, eager to discover other places of Runar, which he had not visited for many years and did not know outside of Skjegg.


    After speaking for about half an hour, Dag and his friends left, too tired to continue arguing.


    He, Freydis, and Reidar headed to the dormitory, while Egill and Sander remained there, just outside the palace, continuing to talk about the old days, with smiling and melancholy faces.


    Upon reaching the dormitory, the three friends climbed the stairs and reached the rooms, putting themselves to bed and falling into a deep sleep, venting the weariness of the long journey.


    ...


    The next day, Dag awoke on time, greeted Freydis, and left the room, noting that Master Egill was already there waiting for him.


    Together they left the crowded dorm and met Master Sander at the same spot the previous day, in front of the Masters building.


    Late in the morning, they arrived at the port of Gurn, which since Dag had last seen it, was much busier and busier.


    Dozens of sailors and carpenters moved from side to side, dragging some long curved wooden beams with the help of wagons and beasts of burden.


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 334 CCCXXXIV. The Boat Projec

    "Let''s leave the horses in the stable. I think Frank is waiting for us near the pier" Sander said.


    As expected, after passing through the dock of the harbor they saw Frank, intent on giving orders to his men, who tirelessly continued to transport the thoughtful building materials of the ship.


    "Hey! Frank!" Sander called, drawing the attention of the construction site manager and his workers, who as soon as they recognized his voice, stopped and bowed their heads.


    "Master Sander, Master Dag! It''s a pleasure to see you again! I didn''t expect your visit so soon!" he exclaimed, bowing before them.


    "Don''t worry, we''re just looking forward to seeing the boat taking shape. I promised Master Dag that you and your men would make it in record time" Sander replied, reassuring Frank, who was busy with the preparations.


    "Of course! You will not be disappointed, my men are Okstorm''s most skilled carpenters!" the sailor continued, praising his subordinates, who immediately returned to work.


    "I''ve never traveled like on the Brass Arrow. It was the fastest and most manageable boat I''ve ever ridden in my life! Despite the rough conditions of the sea that night we left for Vaeren Island, that boat managed to maintain its stable trajectory and lead us to our destination safely, returning back intact. Well, as I explained to Master Sander a few days ago, I know it''s difficult, but I would like the new ship to be more or less like it, though much larger and wider" Dag interjected, trying to provide more details to Frank, who paid attention to his every word.


    "Master Sander handed me this project, telling me that it comes from the ingenuity of two brothers who have never been able to realize it because of the excessive costs. Well, I made some changes, trying to make the sides of the ship smoother, to ensure greater adherence to the water in case of waves and higher speed at fully unfolded sails. Come with me, I''ll show you what we''re building right now!" Frank said, beginning to walk away from the pier, heading to one side of the harbor, a kind of gigantic hut, in which there were numerous boats parked next to each other.


    Among them, Dag recognized the Brass Arrow, cleaned and maniacally polished by its owner.


    On one side of the shed, more than 20 men were busy working the base of the new ship: some of them smoothened large wooden beams, giving them the typical curved shape so they could frame and nail each other, others instead were intent on striking with large blacksmith hammers of the iron plates, which once smoothed and bent, they would have lined the sides of the boat.


    "Unbelievable! After only one day you are already at work! You are worthy of your fame!" Dag exclaimed, thrilled to see the great boat take shape.


    "Thank you for your words, Master Dag. Although this is only the draft of our project, you can already catch a glimpse of the ship''s base, almost 30 meters long! With my modifications, I made sure to slightly widen the main bridge, which otherwise would have been a bit too cramped to contain all of the soldiers. There will be almost a distance of one meter between the rowers and other passengers, allowing both to move smoothly and get up quickly in case of need. In addition, I have also added an additional sail and other details that you will see with your own eyes once the bottom of the boat will be finished" Frank replied, admiring his work with satisfaction.


    "And this? What is it?" Sander asked, pointing to a group of men around a thick wooden pillar, intent on sculpting it from multiple sides simultaneously.


    "That''s the highlight, Master Sander. We thought the bow of the ship should have been the most majestic the Skjold seas had ever seen, so... we are making a sculpture to decorate it, representing the symbols of the three Clans of the Iron Alliance: a hammer and a spear, crossed under the face of a feline, with its eyes pointed towards the horizon" Frank replied, happy that Sander had asked him.


    "All this is magnificent!" Dag said, preceding his friend, particularly appreciating that symbol, which in addition to being incredibly decorative had a divine function, protecting travelers during the sea voyage and ensuring them the strength of their Gods.


    Dag and Sander stayed for a few hours at Gurn, hearing Frank explain other details of the ship, including the additional modifications he had made to the original draft of the project, such as an additional sail and a double rudder, useful in case one of them broke.


    After greeting Frank and encouraging his men, urging them to do their best, the two Masters returned to Skjegg and during the ride, Dag told him about the ambush of those strange bandits as soon as he and his men had entered Runar.


    "Bandits? Mmh... It''s very strange... they haven''t been seen in our region for many years. I hope theirs was a mistake, not least because attacking one of the nation''s strongest warriors along with his troop in so few men was not a brilliant idea! Hahah!" Sander chuckled, trying to play it down.


    "Yes, it is true. They were incredibly predictable and disorganized. I''m sure Egill would have put them on the run with a hand gesture if he wanted to!" he replied, praising his Master.


    "Egill? No, I wasn''t referring to him!" Sander replied, smiling at Dag, who had not realized he had just earned the nickname of ''one of the strongest warriors in the nation'' directly from the Crows Of Odin Master.


    "You''re too good to me, Master Sander... I still have a lot to learn... in this regard... I would need to use the training arena these days, before our departure. Is it a problem for you and your men?" he asked again.


    "No, absolutely not. You can use it whenever you want".


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 335 CCCXXXV. Docking Strategy

    "Thank you... only it would be better if I were alone or just with my few fellows. Even just for a few mornings, I don''t think I need much time".


    "Alone? Uhm... yes, it''s not a problem for me. Do you have any special skills to learn?"


    "Yes. It''s a level 9 skill and having never tried it before, I would risk endangering the people around me, that''s why I asked!" Dag replied, justifying himself.


    "Wow! Level 9? It''s amazing! Of us Masters, only Kjell knows a couple of so high-ranked skills. It''s actually said that he''s capable of performing a level 10 skill, but none of us have ever seen it" Sander explained.


    "Well, I wouldn''t be surprised. Kjell is an incredibly strong warrior, he has proved it more than once! I''ve never met anyone who can learn such a high-level skill!"


    "It''s quite rare. I''m sure you know about it, but... stronger than a level 10 skill there is only divine power. Also, in order to learn one, you must be able to establish a strong bond with your God of reference, proving to him that you are worthy of that power, putting your life at risk several times, if necessary, even just to defend his honor and his name" Sander continued, who had enjoyed talking to Dag.


    "Yes, Master Egill has explained to me more or less how it works... anyway, it''s too early for me. I don''t even know if I can learn this one!" Dag replied, chuckling.


    "Dag... these are questions that the strongest warriors usually ask themselves between the age of 35 and 40. I''ve never met a Berserkr of your age who can unlock a level 9 skill! Because if you''re ready to learn it, it means you''ve already unlocked it" Sander continued, continuing to compliment his ally.


    The two continued to talk, and Sander told Dag stories, telling him about past wars he had participated at the height of his strength, many years earlier.


    When they arrived in Skjegg in the afternoon, they noticed that immediately after entering, the streets of the city were unusually empty.


    They continued to ride to the stables when they noticed that a large group of mounted warriors was standing in front of it.


    "But that''s Gridd! She made it, she found volunteers for the mission!" Dag exclaimed, passing the last rows of soldiers and riding to her sister, arguing with the groom, who was explaining to her where to tie the horses.


    "Gridd!" Dag called, drawing the attention of his sister, who was happy to see him and Sander, just behind.


    "Seen? I did it! Where did you go? I thought we''d meet at the crossroads outside the city... did you manage to recruit soldiers from your Clan?" she asked, as her soldiers greeted Dag and Sander, bowing their heads.


    "Yes, I did too! One, two, three... twelve! We''re at the same point! All that''s missing is the Crows Of Odin volunteers and we got this!" he replied, after counting one at a time all the warriors who had left Hevnen with his sister.


    "Here he is! It''s all gone smooth as silk, my friend!" Karl exclaimed, exiting the stable after tying his horse next to Aslan and Ace.


    "I''m glad to see you again, Karl" Dag smiled.


    Master Sander helped the Sons Of Freya arrange their horses in the town stable and then escorted them to the dormitories, as he had done with the Hammers Of Thor the day before.


    "That way! There''s room for everyone!" Gridd yelled, pointing to her subordinates the dormitory, in which they would sleep with the soldiers of two other allied Clans, like a large family.


    "Luckily you have such a big dormitory! Otherwise, it would have been difficult to accommodate us all!" Dag told Sander, who had arranged everything in detail.


    "Most of my soldiers live here in Skjegg with their families. Some of them, in fact, have returned to their homes, to free some places in the dormitory. With a little organization, anything is possible!" he replied, satisfied with his work.


    When the evening came, all the Masters together with Freydis, Reidar, and Karl gathered at the Rocky Crown palace, ready to feast and get to know each other better.


    Dag and Sander were the first to speak, explaining to all the details of the ship, which boasted the high engineering of Gurn''s shipbuilders.


    "As for the division of troops... each of us will make a speech to his soldiers, explaining that each Master can give orders, no matter the Clan of origin. What matters is the speed of execution: if necessary, I will not hesitate to order Sons Of Freya or Crows Of Odin to move in one direction rather than another... and I expect you to do the same, all clear?" Dag said, who was the only one who had not yet tasted the wild boar steak in front of him.


    His interlocutors nodded, agreeing that this was the most effective way to command so many men simultaneously.


    "Further, once you arrive at your destination, at least a dozen units must remain near the ship, which will be our only means of returning home. If enemies managed to somehow destroy it or render it unusable, we would be stuck in Krypstorm" he continued, as Egill watched him with pride, proud of his organized way of reasoning.


    "Do we already have any idea where to dock?" Gridd asked, tearing a piece of flesh with her teeth, hungry after the long journey.


    "I don''t think any of us have ever been there... so, no. We will follow the current to the coasts of Krypstorm and try to block the boat in some inlet, hoping that those coasts have a shape similar to those of Runar, high and rocky, ideal for remaining unnoticed.


    "We must hope that the Clans beyond the Great Deep Sea do not have observation towers and that they are not waiting for our arrival. In this case, the mission may fail before we even step on land" Kjell said, without even taking his eyes off the food on the plate.


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 336 CCCXXXVI. An Experienced Opinion

    A sudden silence fell in the room and everyone turned to him, not having thought of that important detail.


    "You should listen to Master Kjell, he has considerable naval experience, he has already successfully completed numerous missions by sea, even one to the island of the Hands Of Tyr, not many years ago" Sander added, drinking a sip of mead.


    "Okay then... how can we prevent this from happening? How can we tell if there are enemy control towers on the other side?" Dag asked, seeking answers from Kjell, who, with his disliked and taciturn attitude, gave only a little information at a time.


    "We will need a second boat, smaller, two seats at most. About halfway through, it must continue solo and travel to Krypstorm, while the larger boat will follow it at low speed. A light signal will be enough for those who will ride the small boat to indicate to the rest of the crew that the route is clear and the docking is safe" Kjell said, looking up at Dag, looking at him with his usual mocking smile.


    "To do what you say, it is important that the sky is as cloudy as possible and that the sea is calm. With an even slightly rough sea, the small boat would eventually capsize and the light signal would be barely visible... although, now that I think about it, during our attack on the island of Vaeren we used the bad weather as a diversion. Frank assured us that our new ship will be almost as quiet as the Brass Arrow..." Dag continued, helping to study the problem.


    "I will never forget that day..." Gridd interrupted, taking another piece of meat from the large clay bowl in the middle of the table.


    "Anyway... I doubt that there are high population settlements on the coast, but it wouldn''t surprise me if we find real cities not far from it. Krypstorm is called ''perennial ice land'' for a reason, the climate inland is highly inhospitable and does not easily allow human settlement... while near the sea the discourse is different... it is milder and the cold is definitely less harsh. I believe that on the west side of their coasts, small villages are built, similar to those of the fishermen that the Jotunns have razed. That''s why we shouldn''t dock as soon as we see the mainland, but we''ll choose the exact spot, away from prying eyes" Kjell continued, who had thought about every detail of that phase prior to the deployment of troops to the enemy island.


    "This is exactly the same tactic they used against us. They sent a smaller boat with the only aim of distracting us and separating our defensive forces, opening a kind of gap. Meanwhile, the real enemy fleet has landed on the other side and has had plenty of time to prepare for the assault, beating us on time. I thought a lot about that stage, my friends¡­ and I came to the conclusion that they could not imagine our disposition, they could not know how many and where we were... I don''t know how, but... someone is in touch with them. Someone was a spy, telling them what was the best time to attack Runar''s shores" Dag replied, interrupting his meal and looking into the eyes of all his comrades, with a serious air.


    "When we spoke to the fishermen of the villages, they told us that no ship left the coast, neither before nor after the attacks. How does an informant warn enemies without physically leaving Okstorm?" Ellen interjected, who felt it necessary to remember this particular.


    "They told us with certainty that no boat left after the assaults, for fear of being attacked at sea. But if you think about it, we''ve only heard the voices of fishermen from three out of six villages... why were three villages immediately destroyed, while the other three were not? Maybe because they saw something they shouldn''t have seen! In addition, the fishermen''s boats do not have a suitable structure to make such a long journey, up to the coast of Krypstorm, in fact, they barely stray from the coast... so anyone who has informed the Giants Of Ymir has certainly used a different boat, which will have caught someone''s attention" Dag said, who was increasingly convinced of his hypothesis.


    Before anyone else could respond to that statement, Egill said: "This is a very good remark, Dag, really sharp. Honestly, I hadn''t even thought about the detail of the boat, perhaps because of my old age, which in addition to weakening my muscles, slows down my reasoning... what if no boat had left?"


    "Uhm?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Everyone marveled at those words, which seemed meaningless, after an entire conversation about it.


    "Let me explain better... none of us have ever known the warriors of the legendary northern Clans... the shrewd Lies Of Loki... the ferocious Claws Of Fenrir... the Giants Of Ymir... some of these warriors have inherited legendary abilities, belonging to their ancestors, who in antiquity declared war on Okstorm, a war that never really ended. And among these abilities, it is possible that there are some capable of making them shape-shifters" Egill explained, asserting his wisdom.


    "Master Egill... are you saying that Giants Of Ymir warriors turned into animals and flew here to figure out how and when to attack us?" Dag asked, confused.


    "What a bullshit..." Kjell whispered, continuing to eat not to believe in the slightest of Egill''s hypothesis.


    "That''s right, Dag. Flying, swimming... anyway, they managed to get to Okstorm. Maybe they know more about us than we know about them! Think about it, in recent years no one has ever talked about Krypstorm, imagining that they can establish trade routes or even just diplomatic. As far as we know, they may have been aware of our movements for years, spying on us and controlling us in a thousand different ways. Spies, infiltrators, shape-shifters... they could be anywhere, even among our soldiers" Egill continued, who sat with his arms folded, looking up and continuing to think.


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 337 CCCXXXVII. The Waiting

    Dag, Gridd, Freydis, and Reidar looked at each other, thinking back to the words of the wise Egill, who had made them think from a different point of view.


    "I still believe it''s just bullshit" Kjell replied, who after finishing the meat on his plate, grabbed the mead bottle and poured some into his mug.


    "Mine is just a hypothesis, like yours... Master Kjell" Egill replied, smiling at him politely.


    "I''ve heard a lot about you, Master Egill... the great healer of the Temple Of Orn! Everyone thinks you''re a legend... well, it may be you have been that in the past, but judging by your speeches, it seems that your time is over! You just say nonsense. Flying or aquatic shape-shifters... what are you babbling on about?" Kjell asked in a haughty tone, knowing Egill only for his fame, having no idea what he was really capable of.


    The wise Master Of Healing did not respond, immediately acknowledging that Kjell''s were just stupid provocations and Dag broke the silence again: "Master Kjell, I think this controversy is pointless and misplaced. We have a lot to discuss and any opinion can be crucial. None of us know Krypstorm, so no one can say for sure that we know what we''re talking about. The enemies knew about our movements, that''s for sure. Now, specifying the method through which they succeeded is not relevant. What matters is to organize a good strategy to dock safely for our troops. If your naval prowess is combined with the experience of Master Egill, who with Master Sander has fought more wars than all of us combined, maybe we will have greater hopes of success, don''t you think?"


    Kjell wrinkled his nose, failing to counter Dag''s speech, which made perfect sense and explained everything clearly.


    Without objecting, he began drinking and eating again, while Egill smiled at his former pupil, encouraged by his ability to speak, as well as the one with which he wielded the axe and hammer.


    "Then, Dag... how do we organize in the next few days? When are we going to leave?" Gridd asked, resting her back on the chair with her belly full.


    "As soon as the boat is finished and tested, we will be ready to go. Waiting too long wouldn''t be a wise choice, because if enemies really had an informant, they''d have time to prepare a defensive plan. We can take advantage of the time we have left to train or rest. I ask you only one thing, sister: explain to your men the details of the mission, pointing out the naval strategy we talked about just now. I''m going to do the same with my troop, as will Master Sander with his... is that okay?" Dag said, trying to make the conclusion of that dinner productive.


    "Yes, that''s fine with me. Master Kjell will prepare the men, also excellent sailors, while I will try to speed up the process of building the boat in some way, staying at Gurn for as long as necessary" Sander answered, while next to him, Kjell merely nodded his head.


    "All right, brother. I will explain to my men how we will behave once we leave the shores of Okstorm and leave them the freedom to choose whether to train or rest during the preparatory phase" Gridd said, pumped for the upcoming mission.


    Continuing to talk about this and that, Dag noted that between Kjell and Egill there was a certain hatred and he could not understand why: his beloved Master was a very simple man, generally uncompetitive and did not know Kjell, who seemed to be envious of him, as if Egill''s fame obscured his boundless ego.


    After dinner, as usual, Dag and his friends headed to the dormitory, where, after exchanging a few words with some of the Hammers Of Thor enthusiastic for departure, they retreated to their rooms.


    Caught in heavy fatigue, he and Freydis fell into a deep sleep, awakening directly the next day.


    ...


    *yaawwn*


    A yawn woke Dag and his woman, who hugged each other for about ten minutes before getting out of bed, exchanging lots of cuddles, repressed in recent months.


    "I will walk out of Skjegg today and go to the arena outside the walls. I''m going to practice my new skill... do you want to come with me?" he asked, tying his hair, sitting on the bed.


    "Yes, of course I''ll come with you. I''d like you to teach me some new fighting techniques, too! I know you''re not used to spear fighting, but I love your style and your counterattacks... with your advice, combined with Gridd''s, I''m sure my contribution will come in handy during the mission" Freydis replied, explaining her choice.


    Dag smiled, appreciating that she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him.


    When they were both dressed, they took their weapons and left the dormitory, heading for the wooden elevators.


    On the way, they found Reidar and Egill talking.


    "Good morning!" Dag exclaimed, happy and rested.


    "Good morning to you, Dag! Reidar was telling me about an arena outside the city walls, where you trained the last few days. If you''re going there, I''d like to join you and involve Karl as well, to take note of his progress" Egill replied.


    "I''d love to! I''m sure Karl will appreciate this proposal! Although I suppose he''s still sleeping, because he''s not here" Dag replied, touching his forehead, embarrassed for his friend, chronic retardant.


    Reidar nodded his head, confirming his captain''s thesis.


    The four teammates greeted each other with the promise of meeting at the training arena in an hour.


    Freydis and Dag continued their walk and within minutes reached their destination.


    "So... Master Dag! How are you going to proceed?" she asked, smiling at Dag with a seductive air, putting him in trouble with his embarrassment.


    "Uhm... I think we could warm up a little bit together... then when the others will come I will walk away from you and continue my solo training... is that okay with you?" he asked while his cheeks turn red with embarrassment, provoked by Freydis''s winking manners, despite having reached a certain degree of confidence.


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 338 CCCXXXVIII. The Healing Lesson

    "All right, sir! Bring it on!" she exclaimed, quickly pulling out the spear tied behind her back and pointing it at his chest.


    He chuckled, distracting his new opponent, and in less than a second he drew both weapons, turning on himself and hitting Freydis''s spear, which was unbalanced sideways.


    "What happened? I thought we started!" he continued, trying to act tough.


    She repeatedly tried to hit him with a series of very fast attacks, followed by a sweep, towards his legs.


    After the third time in a row that Dag managed to dodge that heavy blow, he put his foot on the spear and disarmed Freydis, sprinting behind her and pointing the blade of the axe at her throat.


    "Fuck...!" she said, as she caught her breath back.


    "Your consecutive attacks are really fast and I assure you that I had some difficulty dodging and diverting them... but the last one... it was too predictable, you have to try something else" he whispered, speaking in a low voice in her ear.


    "Like this?!" she exclaimed, hitting Dag with an elbow in the stomach and quickly grabbing her spear, returning to combat position.


    "Ouch! Yes... this can be fine!" he commented, caught off guard.


    Continuing to train with his girlfriend, Dag noted that her fighting style had not changed much over the years, and the mastery with which she carried out the attacks was always the same: every movement of the spear cut the air perfectly, giving it an exemplary elegance.


    Within minutes, Freydis had already studied Dag''s elusive movements, his strong point, which allowed him to dodge and deflect most of the attacks.


    Taking immediate advantage of his advice, she deftly adapted her attacks, risking several times to penetrate his defense, surprising him.


    "You''re incredibly versatile! It''s a fundamental trait with which you can face any kind of enemy!" he exclaimed, dodging yet another lunge, followed by a slash that hit him in the ankles and knocked him to the ground.


    "I''m a little rusty, but I still remember how to fight!" she said, satisfied that she was able to beat Dag as she helped him get up.


    "Hahaha! I think we''ve missed something really interesting!" Karl shouted from afar, who along with Reidar, Gridd and Egill had arrived at that exact moment at the arena.


    "It''s not what it looks like... ouch!" Dag said, feeling a slight cramp under his leg as he got up, not getting enough warmed up before he started fighting in earnest.


    When the newly arrived entered the fence, Freydis continued her training with Gridd, picking up where they had left off last time, while Egill and Karl decentralized slightly.


    "Dag told me that you learned the lesser healing skill illustrated at the end of the almanac..." the Master Of Healing said, verifying that that information was reliable.


    "Yes, Master! I''ve never learned a skill before! But I wonder what... why didn''t any runes appear on my body?" Karl asked, showing both arms to his interlocutor.


    "Ehehe... patience, Karl, don''t worry about it... this is absolutely normal. What you''ve learned is not a Clan skill, it''s just a basic healer skill. Everyone can learn it, but its proper use requires a lot of practice and constant study. You know, healing is slightly different from combat, it requires perfect knowledge of theory. Only by increasing your culture and sharpening your intelligence, your healing will become effective and able to heal even deep wounds" Egill explained, clarifying his new student''s doubts.


    "Wow! Thanks for the explanation, Master Egill! I will work hard and not disappoint your expectations, I promise!" he replied enthusiastically and eager to begin.


    Before walking away and starting his individual training, Dag stayed a few minutes watching his Master, curious to understand how he intended to instruct Karl, who at only sixteen years old, did not have the normal requirements to become a true healer.


    "So, Karl. Healing is something that comes from the depths of our souls. It''s like a flame, that instead of bringing chaos and destruction, regenerates the body, repairing tissues and drying the blood. As a result, in order to heal someone else, the spirit of the caster is needed to be strong and stable... only in this way the spell will be effective, regardless of its difficulty of execution" Egill began, who detached a small shrub from the ground and began to crumple it between his hand, rubbing its leaves and damaging its stem and severed roots.


    He opened his hand, showing Karl the result of the pressure he had exerted and comparing that poor vegetable reduced in mush to a bleeding wound.


    With a slow gesture from his other hand, he simply passed his palm over the small plant to activate a healing spell.


    Within seconds, the crumpled leaves resumed color and increased their volume, returning to their original form, as if nothing had ever happened.


    Similarly, the stem of the plant straightened and its roots began to grow suddenly, partially twisting to Egill''s fingers, as if that innocent living being consciously wanted to thank his benefactor.


    "It''s amazing! How did you do that? You didn''t make any particular movement, you just moved your hand close to it! I''ve never seen anything like that!" Karl whispered, not believing his eyes, under the curious gaze of Dag and the others, all standing still looking at the scene.


    "Yes, it is true, the most powerful skills that a healer can use require precise movements of the upper and lower limbs... but as I explained to you, the spirit is everything. While a warrior must strike the best balance between attack and defense, sometimes using anger as a means to achieve the best results, a healer must be able to remain calm even in the middle of a battle, in order to be valuable support in case of need. As powerful as an army may be, there will never be wars won without healers, remember that, Karl" Egill replied, while young Karl admired him, hanging from his lips.


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 339 CCCXXXIX. The Three Phases part I

    "We will start by practicing your skills on small living things. If you will learn some of the healing and invigoration spells I''ll teach you, you''ll train them on people. It doesn''t matter if you''ve already done it before... this is my way of teaching the supreme art to which I have dedicated almost my whole life. If you don''t accept, you''ll continue your journey as a healer on your own" Egill said, in a serious tone.


    "I accept, Master Egill. I''m ready to go!" Karl confirmed.


    "Very good. Detach a plant from outside the fence and come back here, I''ll teach you basic the movements and the breathing techniques".


    When Egill and Karl officially began training, Gridd and Freydis resumed fighting and Dag walked slightly away from the arena, sat at the foot of a tree, and continued to read his book, hoping to get to the part where it explained how to take the correct position and how to channel energy.


    It took almost an hour to finish the skill story section, which told about the process that led to the creation of Thor''s mythical hammer, citing all the characters involved in that affair.


    In those chapters, Dag discovered some of the legendary adventures Thor was forced to face, both for the sake of his kingdom and his people and for the growth of his powers, letting him realize that, despite his divine strength, Thor also had the motivation in the past to train and improve, just as he was doing.


    The God of Thunder, from birth, was already much more powerful than many others, both human and mystical creatures, but for him, it was never enough.


    One day he would have to take responsibility, succeeding the Alfather on the throne of Asgard and reigning there until the last breath, so he was not given even a moment of rest and his life as a warrior was almost a continuous battle, sprinkled with moments of glory but also of great failures.


    About two hours passed when Dag took a break from reading and looked up to the sky, imagining Thor, who with the other Aesirs of Asgard, spoke of Midgard and humans, praising what for him was the most beautiful of the nine kingdoms.


    "The most powerful beings in the cosmos, creators of universal laws and rulers of the nine kingdoms of Yggdrasill, the tree of life... how did you submit to the Xis? How did they manage to drive you out of the celestial kingdom you built so hard? Powerful Thor, I am fully aware of your existence and it is thanks to your strength that I have managed several times to control the element of thunder. But just like you, when you were a young, ambitious warrior, I feel it''s not enough. Gods and humans should work together, in one great battle, to finally be able to return home. If you''re listening, please... help me understand how I can help. Help me channel my powers to your service, let me try" Dag said, thinking aloud.


    The clouds over his head continued to move in the blue sky, and the birds chirped through the trees.


    He sighed and began to read again, ready to figure out how to tap into the source of Thor''s true power, the ''Asgardian Thunder'', which according to the book, was the first spark, the first and purest expression of electricity in the universe, the father and mother of all lightning bolts that rips through the heavens.


    The skill learning rules were divided into three major phases:


    1. Storage


    2. Control


    3. Release


    Unlike Lightning Strike, Stormbolt and other Clan skills, this was not immediate and had to be activated at the right time, trying to make the most of its incredible destructive power.


    In the first phase, the storage, the book explained how it was possible to absorb electricity from everything around the warrior, even from the air itself: being the Asgardian Thunder one of the elements behind the creation of all things, the air was impregnated of it, even though it was invisible to everyone.


    Every air shift, every fast movement, even every breath could be converted into electricity, the fuel that would feed the divine skill.


    Dag read that chapter all in one breath, especially the part that explained how it was possible to absorb electricity by exploiting enemy attacks, parrying them, and holding their energy.


    Although Dag''s fighting style has always been focused on dodging and deflecting attacks, if he had learned to parry some of them, he could have used this to his advantage.


    The air particles, if cut from the blade of a sword or any other weapon, would begin to vibrate and turn into energy.


    The impact between a sword and a shield, according to the book, would cause a kind of small explosion of such particles, increasing even more the energy to be absorbed.


    This principle was based on the recommended combat technique for learning this level 9 skill, which suggested the use of the hammer for increased blunt force, which would increase vibration and therefore energy.


    "This is incredible. I can use Magni''s hammerhead to parry the blows and convert them to my advantage! Enemies will believe they have the upper hand, but they''re really doing nothing but boosting me more and more!" Dag reasoned, imagining he was on the battlefield.


    The second phase was the control: just as it was possible to collect electricity from everything, it was also possible to disperse it easily.


    The more energy stored, the more difficult it would be to control it.


    Making very powerful attacks was the first thing to avoid, followed by sudden body movements, such as dashes, jumps, flips, falls.


    Of course, all this was related to the combat ability of the apprentice warrior, who had to look for the right balance of moves, reasoning extremely quickly to always calculate the movements that would cause the least release of energy.


    "Fuck, it seemed too easy... ''a deflected or unseeded shot releases an amount of energy equal to 10 shots parried''... uff... no, it actually won''t be easy" Dag continued, as he delved into those technicalities.


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 340 CCCXL. The Three Phases part II

    Surely he would have to slightly change his fighting style, at the moment when he wanted to try to successfully perform ''Memory Of Mj?llnir''.


    Even the dodges and sudden movements could disperse the accumulated energy and he was fully aware that they were the two cornerstones of his fighting style.


    Time continued to flow as Dag sat under that tree, immersed in reading.


    "Dag!" a distant voice called.


    He looked up and saw Reidar and Karl waving to him with their hand.


    "Are you coming back with us to the dorm? There was a certain languor over here!" Karl asked, inviting him to follow them to the city.


    "No, thank you for thinking... I think I''ll stay here a little longer!" he replied, looking back at the pages of the book, curious from what would come after that theoretical part.


    His companions, after greeting him, walked away while Freydis and Gridd remained to train under Egill''s careful supervision.


    Dag began reading again and in about half an hour he carefully read the entire chapter of the control of stored energy, trying to memorize all the movements and actions to avoid.


    The third and final stage of learning was about the method to fully release that energy.


    The book said that there were endless forms of release and could be adapted to every situation, from one vs one battles to clashes involving large numbers of warriors, a bit like it happened to him against the Jotunns.


    At the same time, however, if the accumulated energy was so much and the release action was not performed perfectly, the warrior risked being electrocuted and losing his life.


    When Dag read those lines, he squinted, trying to empathize with that event.


    The warrior''s body, full of energy, would act as a means of transmission of the Asgardian Thunder, which would have departed directly from the tops of Asgard''s tallest tower and would have used that body to propagate to Midgard.


    "Basically... after accumulating and holding enough energy, my body will be struck by a gigantic lightning bolt that will then be fired around me under my control, but risking to reduce me to ashes? It doesn''t sound very comforting!" Dag said, recapping what he understood.


    It came the evening when he could no longer continue reading because of the darkness around him and stopped, intending to continue after having dinner or the next day.


    With the book under his arm, he walked to the arena and after finding out that all his companions had returned to the city, he proceeded to Skjegg.


    Dag spent the evening immersed in his thoughts and ate little compared to usual, not having consumed much energy for spending the whole day sitting under a tree.


    When he returned to the dormitory with Freydis, as soon as she fell asleep, he began to read again, sitting on the bed with a candle resting next to him, on a kind of wooden stool.


    He managed to sleep only a couple of hours, waking up the next day anxious to continue his reading, which had almost come to an end.


    The last chapters of the ancient tome explained how to be able to see around the electrical particles floating in the air and of which every object or living being was surrounded.


    As before, he and his companions went to the arena, while in the Gurn harbor the boat builders continued to build the ship that would take them to Krypstorm.


    Compared to before, the arena was much busier, because among the allied soldiers words got out about a place to train.


    Under the strict rules of Master Egill, Master Gridd, and Master Kjell, the chosen soldiers began a hard training, which in a few days would have to prepare them to face such a dangerous mission, preparing their bodies and minds to sacrifice, useful to pursue a greater good.


    Dag was forced to move away a little more than usual, to immerse himself in the silence of the forest and stay focused.


    The Sun began to set, when he turned the last page, after which there was the back of the cover, which marked the end of the book, which ended like this:


    ''[...] these were just the basis for learning this divine technique. All that will follow will result from the warrior''s personal expletive, who must be able to exploit his past knowledge to aspire to become one with lightning, as the Primal Thunder and many other warriors have done throughout history, to the last breath before reaching the Gods and Aesirs in Valhalla.''


    After finishing the book, Dag got up and stretched his back, tired of sitting in that position.


    Acquiring those old acquaintances, everything around him seemed different, new.


    From the bark of the tree trunks to the grass under his feet, each object was defined by more marked, sharper contours, as if after that careful reading, even the sense of his vision had increased.


    Conscious that no new runes had yet appeared on his body and that the learning of the ability was not yet complete, Dag approached the arena, satisfied with the result.


    His soldiers were still there, as were the three Masters: in front of them, there were two large training dummies, more than three meters high, with giant wooden weapons wedged at the end of their arms, made of wood and iron.


    Dag entered the fence, listening to the words of Master Kjell, who was explaining something to all the soldiers present.


    "The average size of the Jotunns is more or less this. There are some smaller ones, some larger ones. I don''t know how it works, but probably the magnitude of their transformation comes from the physical strength of the person who performs it. Anyway, you never have to face one of them on your own. The strength, the weight, and the scale of these monsters would crush you, that''s why you will collaborate and always face them in a group, trying to get them in trouble with teamwork" he said.


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 341 CCCXLI. How To Fight a Gian

    "Exactly as Master Kjell says, the important thing is to collaborate. The Jotunns use a variety of weapons... swords, axes, hammers, spiked maces... anyway their weak spots remain the legs and back, due to the stocky and robust neck, which prevents them from making sudden movements. If the best of you at dodging can distract the enemy, others from behind can easily sever the joints of the legs and possibly injure the back getting to the head, to put an end to the fight" Gridd exclaimed, continuing Kjell''s speech and coordinating with his explanation, having already faced that type of enemy.


    "Don''t they fight in groups? I mean... I believe that they know their weaknesses and act accordingly, trying never to be isolated. Besides, we don''t know how many there will be... what if we can''t fight one at a time?" a Shieldmaiden asked, wielding her sword and imagining a situation like that where enemy troops had encircled them.


    "The advice of Master Gridd and Master Kjell is extremely valuable, but it is obvious that it does not refer to all occasions. It will be up to you to know how to act, trying to never separate too much from each other... you know, fighting against them, I''ve noticed that most of them use slow, predictable attacks, while others manage to be faster, even preferring bare-handed combat. But there are blind spots, which cannot be remedied, caused by their weight and the substantial difference in size with us" Dag exclaimed, interrupting the speech and approaching the soldiers, who, taken from the lesson, had not seen him arrive.


    Gridd and Kjell looked at him, waiting for more details and advice to give to the troops, being Dag the one of them who alone had killed more Jotunns.


    He pulled out the hammer and approached the huge training dummy.


    "Right down here. The longer you can stand between his arm and his back, the harder it will be for him to spot and hit you. This will ensure a constant window of attack and your enemy can only act randomly in the hope of intercepting you" he said again, positioning himself under the mannequin''s arm, his feet ready to snap behind it.


    The soldiers watched with interest at Dag''s movements, imagining emulating them and acknowledging that that tactic was very effective in one vs one duels against such great enemies.


    "This technique generally applies to any enemy higher than you who uses heavy two-handed weapons. Its effectiveness multiplies when it comes to giants. By hitting the hips or the lower thigh or calf, the other leg will automatically fail to withstand all that weight and the enemy will be forced to lower or kneel, offering you a dual choice, in any case advantageous: run away or kill him" Dag continued, mimicking the attacks with the hammer.


    "Master Dag, we''ve learned that some Jotunns can use magic and create big ice barriers... how do we behave in those cases?" Terje asked, the soldier of the Hammers Of Thor.


    "That''s a good question, Terje. Although there is a risk of encountering skilled wizards, capable of hitting multiple units with a single spell, there are preventive techniques that can help. So, it''s almost impossible to find a magician on the front line... they usually fight from behind, healing or enhancing their soldiers, attacking only in case of tight need, if things get bad. The important thing is not to push the enemies back, but to let them advance, making them believe for a moment that they are in the lead. Only then, when suddenly the enemy troops start to lose men one after the other, the wizards and healers of the last rows will find themselves encircled and for them, it will be impossible to survive in those circumstances" Dag said, who had already thought about that possible question, trying to be as concise and clear as possible.


    During Dag''s speech, other warriors continued to arrive at the arena, and within minutes, though late, the troops of the three Clans were finally reunited.


    "To see you all together in a preparatory lesson is a wonderful feeling. Thank you" Egill said, interrupting Dag''s speech, who looked at him with a smile, sensing that those words came from the bottom of his heart.


    After those words, Terje stepped forward and turned to the newly arrived warriors: "For me and my companions, it''s all the same. The Hammers Of Thor are glad to take part in this mission with you, Sons Of Freya and Crows Of Odin. Together, we''ll bring the name of our Clans high, and all of Okstorm will know what the Iron Alliance warriors are capable of!"


    Egill and Dag stopped and looked at him, appreciating the way he had served as a spokesman for his group.


    The other warriors welcomed and thanked him and his companions.


    "So what? Let''s not waste any more time! Master Dag explained how to do... Show us what you are capable of, show us that you understood what he just said!" Kjell yelled in a stern tone, interrupting that moment of general happiness and ordering his warriors to begin.


    The first of them came forward, followed by some of his companions.


    As soon as their Master gave them the signal, three soldiers sprinted behind the mannequin and two others stood in front of it, raising their shields and pretending to parry attacks.


    Meanwhile, from behind, the other three began repeatedly hitting the large mannequin, piercing and scratching the wood and iron that made up his legs and back.


    With good coordination, after thirty seconds in which they hit the dummy with chained attacks, they switched with the other two, who quickly took their place, continuing to hit the mannequin.


    "Well... they have already figured out how to do it. You can see they''re not novice warriors, it takes some experience to adapt so quickly to a fighting style that involves team play" Dag said softly, speaking to Egill next to him.


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 342 CCCXLII. The Rough Manners

    Just then, Kjell, with his usual cryptic and mysterious way of doing, unfurled his two chains and approached them, who as soon as they saw him arrive stopped.


    "In that way, you won''t be able to kill a Jotunn in a million years! Come on, try me, I''ll show you!" he yelled angrily at them, making them tremble like frightened rabbits.


    "Master Kjell... but if we hit you, you''d risk getting hurt... these are not fake weapons, we''re using..."


    "I said hit me! It''s an order! If you can''t comply with an order, you''re not worthy to fight alongside your Masters!" he yelled again, looking them in the eye one by one.


    The five warriors surrounded him as they had done with the dummy, two forwards and three behind, ready to strike him as soon as he lowered his guard.


    "I''m not as tall as a giant, but with the chains, I''ll simulate his own attack range: "Kjell said, shortening the chains and making them the same length as the arms of the training dummy.


    Before he could say anything else, he attacked the two warriors in front of him, who luckily managed to raise their shields in time and parry the blow, which made them retreat slightly.


    As soon as the other three realized the free moment, they simultaneously tried to attack Kjell, who remained stationary until the last second, before making a twist on himself: swirling the two chains, he struck the weapons of the three warriors, disarming and rejecting them.


    Simulating the giants'' slow movements, he turned back to those with the shield and hit them with a predictable but loaded blow.


    Only one of the two chains impacted the surface of both shields, which made a loud noise.


    The two soldiers fell to the ground, not able to retain all that power.


    Turning for the third time, while the three warriors behind him were lowered in the hope of picking up the weapons, Kjell hit one with an elbow, and two more with a kick, knocking everyone to the ground.


    "Dead, dead, dead, dead... and dead" he said, pointing one at a time to all the warriors who had been knocked out in a few moves, with a tone of disappointed and superior voice.


    The five soldiers slowly rose, having suffered a humiliating defeat by their Master, who had beaten them with ease.


    "As you can see... you don''t need mere tactics if you are not able to apply it in reality! When in Krypstorm you will fight for your life, to stay alive! What will you do if we Masters will be not there, ready to save you? What if we need your help? All the years you''ve spent training, all the wins, all the defeats... your time has come! You must be strong! Determination alone is not enough!" Kjell continued, opening his arms to the crowd of astonished warriors in front of him.


    "Let the second group come forward! Try against the dummy too and try to stay focused, imagining that he is a real Jotunn, ready to kill you. You don''t necessarily have to follow my technique, it''s personal and comes from my experience. The important thing is to get out of every fight alive and I assure you that by combining the advice of us Masters with your ability and your wits, you will be able to get away with it in any situation!" Dag said, positioning himself next to Kjell and dampening the tension that had accumulated from the moment he began to provoke the soldiers intent on hitting the mannequin.


    "These men are not ready... allowing them to come with us, we are only condemning them to death!" Kjell replied, walking away from the center of the arena, with annoyed air, expecting a higher level of combat from the troops.


    "It''s still our choice!" a voice from the crowd yelled, attracting the attention of everyone, but especially that of Kjell, who suddenly turned back.


    "What?!" he exclaimed, trying to pinpoint who had spoken.


    "Losing your life for a greater cause is our choice, not yours. You were looking for volunteers... here we are, ready to sacrifice our lives for the Gods and our children, who will proudly tell our stories!" Terje exclaimed again, stepping forward and coming out into the open, not afraid to confront Kjell.


    The Master Of Offense walked towards him, stopping a few inches from his face and looking at him defiantly, trying to scare him.


    "If you die, no one will ever tell your stories! You will not have eternal glory or such shit, you will only be a shapeless pile of flesh and blood and you will be devoured by crows and insects, slowly, one piece of organ at a time. You will abandon your families, your children, your friends" the Master continued, speaking face-to-face with Terje, who did not seem frightened.


    "I''m ready to go" he said, in a cold, determined tone, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, suspicious that Kjell could attack him at any time.


    Instead, he walked away and turned his gaze to Dag, who reciprocated, without understanding the state of mind of his ally, always indecipherable.


    "I advise you to do everything you have always wanted to do before you leave. Krypstorm is waiting for us" Kjell concluded, putting the chains in place and exiting the arena, heading for Skjegg.


    Dag looked proudly at the young Terje, who had not only managed to stand up to Kjell but had also asserted his ideas, again becoming the spokesman of his companions, who looked at him with admiration.


    "Master Kjell has a bit of a rough manner, I apologize to everyone on his behalf. Try to interpret positively what he told you... even though it doesn''t look like that, he gives an extreme value to life and cares for each of you. That''s why he wants you to fight with your claws and teeth so you can continue to live and travel around the world" Sander said, walking slowly toward the troops of soldiers to apologize to them.


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 343 CCCXLIII. The Iron Emerald

    The training continued and in groups of 4 or 5 people, the soldiers of the three Clans continued to practice against the huge training dummies, following the instructions of Dag and his companions, who having already faced the Jotunns, knew what they were capable of.


    Evening came and everyone left the arena, returning to the city, tired and sweaty, with the spirits pumped for departure, despite the fear that Kjell had managed to instill in their minds, through his speech.


    Dag chatted with Egill, who asked him if there had been any progress with the skill he had to learn.


    He confessed that after he had finished reading the book nothing had happened and thought that what he had to do was read it again, focusing on the smallest details and starting to practice.


    ...


    Four days passed when someone knocked on the door of Dag, who had stayed to sleep more than usual on that sunny morning.


    "Dag! It''s me, Sander! The boat has been completed, a messenger has just arrived from Gurn! Frank and the others are there, waiting for our approval!" he exclaimed, continuing to knock on the door.


    "This is wonderful news! Wait for me outside the dorm, I''ll be with there in a few minutes!" Dag replied enthusiastically, who as usual had locked the door of the room, being him and Freydis both naked on the bed.


    He hurriedly prepared and woke his woman and friends, insisting that they needed to go with him and Sander to see the boat.


    After arriving at Gurn, a crowd of curious people widened and let them pass.


    In the same shed, where last time there was only a rough base of wood and iron, stood an imposing and majestic boat, emerald green, with red decorations on the sides and dark sails, almost black, rolled along with the three masts on the deck.


    "Oh my¡­! It''s gorgeous!" Dag exclaimed, approaching it and passing a hand along its edges, his eyes shining with joy.


    After a few minutes, Frank arrived at the place with some of his carpenters, and when he saw the satisfied expression of the two Masters, he realized that they were both happy with the work done.


    As promised, the boat was in perfect Dreki style, with the wide and spacious deck, the edges of which would almost touch the surface of the water, ensuring stability and grip.


    Despite the large size and heavy iron plates that lined the sides and the underside of the boat, it had an aerodynamic shape that expressed speed just by looking at it.


    Six holes on one side and six on the other, facilitated the task to the rowers, ensuring support for the oars, allowing them to rest their arms when the tide could be exploited.


    When Dag and Sander, after turning around the boat to taste the details, arrived at the front, they were amazed to see the magnificent sculpture that enriched the bow, giving the boat a glorious and imposing appearance.


    "The Iron Emerald" Frank said, even before the two Masters realized his presence.


    "Uhm?"


    "My men and I thought we would call it like that, in honor of the Iron Alliance and in reference to the dominant color of the boat" the foreman replied, looking at his creation.


    "It''s all as I imagined it, Frank, thank you. A special thanks to all those who have contributed to the realization of this wonder, which will go beyond the horizon, riding the seas with mastery and speed!"


    Dag answered by raising his voice and sparking a round of applause in the crowd, as to cheer the carpenters'' excellent work.


    "That''s not all, Maste Dag. Master Kjell came here to Gurn yesterday and told us about your landing plan, explaining that you''ll need another smaller boat for the quieter advance phase. You already know what I''m talking about" Frank replied, winking at Dag and pointing at the Brass Arrow.


    After the official confirmation of the three Masters present, both of the boats were towed into the sea, moving on special supports equipped with large wooden wheels.


    "My friends, warn your men, we will leave tomorrow, at the first light of the dawn" Dag said, addressing Sander and Gridd, anxious for departure.


    After returning to Skjegg and alerting all the soldiers of the impending departure, everyone returned to their rooms as soon as the Sun began to set.


    Dag and Freydis began to prepare for the long journey, packing supplies and cleaning up their armor.


    "Are you glad, Dag? It doesn''t seem true that the big day has come" Freydis said, who couldn''t wait to ship out.


    "Our first great adventure is about to begin. For the first time in my life, I''m really happy... and that''s because I can share all this with you, Freydis. I love you".


    She became slightly embarrassed, not being used to those words, which, although Dag showed her love day by day, it was always nice to hear.


    "I... I love you too, Dag. I would follow you to the edge of the world, I will keep repeating it all the time" she replied, her cheeks red with embarrassment, approaching him and kissing him.


    Unable to resist the temptation, as every time they were alone in that room, they began to have sex, remembering to complete preparations for departure after they had finished.


    A good amount of dried meat and fruit had already been carefully prepared by Freydis the days before and would have been enough for the whole trip, not least because the Iron Emerald cargo hold would have been filled with supplies and barrels of mead, knowing Sander, who would never have left without it.


    Tired and waiting impatiently the next day, Dag and Freydis fell asleep deeply, beginning to dream of what would happen once they got there, what kind of enemies they would encounter, and what dangers awaited them, threatening their lives and that of the soldiers.


    ...


    The next day, the rooster began singing at dawn, before the red light of the Sun hit the high rock faces that protected Skjegg.


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 344 CCCXLIV. The Stunning Shieldmaidens

    The two lovers awoke simultaneously and when they opened their eyes, they noticed that their faces were facing each other and their breaths were united, as well as their gazes.


    They got out of bed with ease, because from outside the room it was possible to hear the voices and turmoil of all the warriors who were preparing to leave.


    As soon as they went out, many people crowded the corridors and walked frantically, on that very important day, that would forever change their lives.


    Dag and Freydis passed by a group of soldiers intent on putting the finishing touches on the armor, fastening their boots and tightening the top, making sure they had no points uncovered.


    They went down the stairs and met Reidar and Gridd, standing by the dorm door.


    "Here you are, we''ve been waiting for you!" Gridd said, smiling at Dag, who couldn''t help but notice her incredible beauty.


    She was wearing an all-white armor, with a leather jacket at the top, and fitted leather trousers, partially covered by a kind of skirt made of fox fur, as well as the one that adorned the sleeves of the jacket.


    Her long blonde hair was tied in a very particular braid, which started from the top of her head and went all the way up to her shoulders.


    Underneath her eyes, two black stripes were painted vertically on her cheekbones and makeup of the same color surrounded her eyes, highlighting their deep blue color.


    The two swords were tied behind her back in their appropriate leather linings, with runes carved on them.


    "You''re so beautiful, Gridd!" Freydis said, giving a sincere compliment to her sister-in-law.


    "Thank you! What about you? You''re not so bad yourself, Freydis! I can see why Dag couldn''t get your body out of his head, you''re gorgeous!" Gridd answered, looking down on Freydis.


    Instead, she wore dark leather armor, almost black and with a small strip of gray fur on her right shoulder.


    The hair was gathered in a high ponytail and a single thin braid hung on one side, asymmetrically, with a small feather wedged between the tufts of braided hair.


    She had no face-painting on her, just a little dark make-up, which covered her eyelids from her eyebrows, emphasizing her brown, almost green eyes in the sunlight.


    Reidar and Dag were enchanted to watch the two Shieldmaidens when they almost simultaneously broke the silence and invited them to continue to the stables.


    "Where''s Karl?" Dag asked, not seeing his friend healer.


    "Before we left our room this morning, Master Egill came to pick him up, telling he had to show him something before we leave... it wasn''t very clear, but Karl went with him. I think they''re already at the stables, or maybe they''ll wait for us directly at Gurn Harbour" Reidar said, continuing to walk next to Gridd, slightly embarrassed by her beauty.


    Once they arrived at the stables, they rode ace, Aslan and Light, their faithful steeds, who this time would have to wait for the return of their masters for longer than usual in Gurn''s stable.


    Soon after, the Hammers of Thor and Sons Of Freya also rode on horseback, following their respective Masters.


    "The Crows Of Odin are not here, maybe they''ve already left. I don''t see Master Sander and Master Kjell" Gridd said, looking around, riding through the city streets, deserted at that time of the morning.


    Dag nodded, confirming his sister''s hypothesis and with Freydis sitting behind him on Aslan''s back led his troop out of the city, towards Gurn.


    As agreed, although Gurn was to the west and their destination to the east, it was much safer to start from a port equipped with all equipment and circumnavigate part of the coast, so that it was off the coast of the fishing villages in a few hours.


    Once we got that way, it would be enough to sail in the northeast direction, always straight, to reach Krypstorm.


    The voices of the soldiers behind Dag and his team grew louder as they recovered from their sleep and their enthusiasm skyrocketed.


    Different Clan troops were characterized by different colors, repeating themselves on their armor, regardless of their shape.


    While the Sons Of Freya stood out for their typical blue-white, the Hammers Of Thor wore predominantly leather-colored armor with yellow and orange motifs, recalling the main element from which the energy of their powers and skills derived.


    They continued to ride until sunrise, when, after turning the umpteenth bend and sourmounting another hill, they saw from afar the port of Gurn, with the rest of the army in turmoil and the two ships docked at the pier, ready to hoist the sails.


    *frush*


    "Uhm?"


    Dag stopped the horse, immediately after hearing a suspicious sound coming from a nearby bush.


    "What''s going on? Why did we stop, Captain?" Reidar asked, who was busy talking to Gridd.


    *frush*frush*


    This time everyone managed to catch the sound of branches and leaves, unquestionably coming from their right.


    "Let''s go on, Dag... it''s probably just an animal in the woods, maybe a wild boar or a deer" Gridd said, starting again to ride Light, her white fur stallion.


    "Wait a minute here" Dag said, turning to Freydis and passing her Aslan''s bridles after getting off his horse.


    She added nothing, remembering that until then, Dag''s instincts had never disappointed her expectations and if a sound had intrigued him so much that he stopped and dismounted from horseback, it was worth delving into the matter.


    He squinted, but only for a moment, trying to better identify those verses, being convinced that it was a living being, which was completely covered by thick vegetation.


    The Sun''s faint rays just arose were not enough to illuminate the area, and Dag lowered slightly toward the bush, looking closely.


    "Captain... please be careful!" Reidar said, in a frightened tone not knowing what to expect.


    Dag slowly pulled out the Giantbane, ready to defend himself in case of need, but at that moment he was finally able to perceive something, similar to a breath.


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 345 CCCXLV. Hey, buddy!

    The sound of leaves had ceased and whatever was behind that bush was now stationary in front of him, intent on looking in that direction.


    "I don''t believe it..." Dag said, thinking out loud, drawing the attention of some soldiers, who were stopped to attend the scene, wondering why their Master''s strange behavior.


    *grrr*


    The growl of the animal that was hiding behind the bush followed a heavy breath.


    Very slowly, a large black and shiny nose sprang up among the leaves, along with a hairy snout with large protruding canines.


    "Thalos! Buddy, is that you?!"


    As Soon as Dag said these words, the wolf sprang out of his hiding place and jumped on him, knocking him to the ground and beginning to lick his face and neck, crying with emotion.


    The soldiers behind him did not know how to react, but luckily Reidar, after realizing that it was a domesticated wolf, stopped them before they could hurt him.


    "Hahahah! What are you doing here? How did you find me?! From Mount Torden Farmhouse to Runar¡­ the road is very long! Hahaha I''m so happy, you''ve arrived just in time! Good boy!" Dag continued, kneeling and cuddling the huge gray wolf, imagining that perhaps the reason for his hiding was the fear of going out into the open in front of all those heavily armed soldiers.


    When Dag got up and approached Aslan, the horse made a strange verse, as if to disapprove his friendship with the wolf.


    "Quiet Aslan, Thalos will follow us from afar... is it true, my friend?" he asked.


    The wolf confirmed with a bark, leaving speechless all the people who witnessed the scene, who had never seen anyone communicate with the animals like that.


    The Warchief and his soldiers continued to head for Gurn and Thalos followed them from afar, from bush to bush, not being accustomed to walking in the woods of that new region.


    When they finally arrived at the harbor, the excitement of the united troops of the three Clans was skyrocketing.


    Sander, Kjell, and Egill were waiting for their arrival so they could finally leave Runar and head to discover new places to explore.


    Dag, his sister, and his companions entered Gurn, followed by the soldiers.


    He tied the horse in the stable, stroking his snout, making him realize that, this time, the journey would be longer than usual.


    Then he came out of the harbor again and saw Thalos standing by a bush.


    "So? Did you come all the way here to see me leave? Let''s go!" he said, making a gesture with his hand, which the wolf was able to interpret thanks to his keen intelligence, responding with a small twist of the head.


    Walking slowly and circumspectly, the big gray wolf entered with Dag in Gurn''s Harbour and stayed less than a meter from him all the way, looking intently at the crowds around him.


    "That''s a wolf!"


    "I didn''t know Master Dag had a pet!"


    "Unbelievable, look at that teeth! It must be a very fierce beast!"


    Amid comments from sailors and citizens who flocked to witness the glorious departure, Dag continued to reassure his furry friend and approached the other four Masters with him.


    Egill wore a kind of linen tunic of the colors of the Clan, tied at the waist and with the final part of the pants tucked into the thin leather boots.


    The long white beard moved in the wind as he looked proudly at Dag, noticing late the wolf, which he had once heard of.


    "Dag! You have a company! Hahahah!" Sander exclaimed, who lowered himself toward Thalos, that immediately began to growl until the master stroked his head.


    Master Sander wore very heavy armor, consisting of several steel plates, which in addition to his chest, back and shoulders, also covered much of his pelvis and lower limbs.


    A large tower shield hung behind his back and a one-handed axe was tied to his belt.


    On his face, he too, like Gridd, had decided to paint simple patterns under his eyes, consisting of two large horizontal lines on the cheekbones, so thick that Dag sensed that they had been made by himself, with his huge fingers.


    Even his beard had undergone changes and was collected in two huge black braids, tied at the end by two gold rings.


    "Yes, he''s an old friend!" Dag answered, explaining to his interlocutors what a wild beast was doing next to him and looking at Kjell, who as usual did not say a word.


    Like Sander, he wore the same colors, black and red, which were perfectly in tune with his tomahawk hair.


    On his face, he had no war drawings and his leather armor covered only the lower part of his body, while the torso was covered only by a kind of linen shirt, with a wide neck, from which the sculpted pecs and dry physique could be glimpsed.


    The two long chains were tied to the hips as if they were whips.


    "His wild senses can be very helpful when we get to our destination" Egill said, smiling and lowering toward Thalos, who began to growl again, while the Master took something out of his pocket.


    As soon as the wolf noticed the piece of dried meat, his gaze changed and he stopped showing his teeth, excited to receive that exquisite morsel.


    "In the place where we are going there are people who more than once tried to kill us... we want to know why. Will you help us find them?" Egill asked, continuing to smile and handing the piece of meat to the wolf, who after devouring it in a few seconds licked his hand, in appreciation.


    Dag looked at his Master, astonished that he had so much empathy with the animals.


    "Well then! We are complete! Looks like the big moment has come, Master Dag! The citizens of Runar who have come here deserve greetings from the Warchief of the Iron Alliance''s army!" Sander exclaimed.


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 346 CCCXLVI. Weigh Anchor

    After those words, Dag looked at the boat docked at the pier in all its magnificence and grandeur.


    Seeing it float on the water was a unique emotion and full of that feeling, he turned back, towards the crowd of people ready to listen to him.


    "The big day has come! This moment will remain forever written in our lives, as well as our return! We don''t know how long it''s going to take, we don''t even know what''s ahead... all we know is that we will delve into the unexplored, discover the unknown and avenge our innocent victims! Let Odin, Thor, and Freya assist us on our long journey! May the Gods give us their strength more than ever and protect us from death! Citizens of Runar, this mission is for you! For Okstorm! For the Iron Alliance!"


    When Dag finished yelling, the crowd went crazy, shouting his name and that of the Masters behind him, on that day that seemed surreal, while the Iron Emerald was just waiting to be driven.


    The soldiers were the first to board the ship, which did not move even an inch, being incredibly stable.


    Frank approached Dag and Sander before they left.


    "As you can see, the Brass Arrow is right there, hooked to the left side of the boat. You only need to loosen the chains that support it to slowly slide it into the sea and implement the plan as instructed" the master carpenter said.


    Sander, without a word, put both hands on his shoulders, looking at him and smiling.


    Then he hugged him, as a sign of friendship, ignoring the rules and the difference in rank.


    "Thank you on behalf of everyone here, Frank... without your precious help, this would not have been possible!" Dag thanked, looking at him and smiling.


    "I wish you a good trip, my lords. Let the wind always blow on your side. You''ll get to Krypstorm before you know it, I feel it" Frank said happily, greeting them with a slight bow of his head.


    After the greetings, the Masters also climbed the Iron Emerald, while the Sun illuminated its majestic sails.


    Thalos stopped just before the wooden bridge suspended over the water, raising his fur and wincing.


    "Come on, Thalos... I know you don''t like water very much, but... believe me, you won''t touch it with one paw! Look, we''re going to stay up there" Dag said as he lowered himself toward the wolf and pointed to the deck of the boat, where everyone else was waiting for him.


    Thalos made an unconvincing verse and then stood in fear, walking attached to the legs of his master, who was forced to move slowly so as not to lose his balance on the narrow bridge.


    Once on the boat, the wolf calmed down, sitting at the foot of the master mast.


    The rowers were already in place, divided into two rows of six, arranged along the sides of the boat, while two other soldiers were stationary near the double rudder.


    Low wooden benches were located in the middle of the main bridge and were also divided into two rows, with a large corridor in the middle.


    The boat had been studied in detail to allow everyone to be comfortable during the ride, even those suffering from seasickness.


    Although still stationary, the oscillations of the waves were minimal, thanks to the very low and wide base, which made the boat more stable than every other.


    With all his companions behind him and hundreds of people waving to them from the harbor, screaming and celebrating the departure, Dag raised his arm with his clenched fist, giving further strength to the crowd, who shouted his name.


    Two soldiers pulled away the thin suspension bridge that allowed access to the boat, while others hoisted the sails.


    Loosening the ropes, the huge sails fell down, and immediately the wind, which seemed imperceptible, swelled.


    The rowers, in an incredibly synchronized manner, began to row and the Iron Emerald set off, quickly moving away from the port.


    "Goodbye, Okstorm. We''ll see each other again one day" Dag thought aloud, looking at the sea and thinking that the next time he would rest his feet on land again he would be at Krypstorm.


    After only a few kilometers, the crew made the first turn, to change direction and travel along the south coast of Runar.


    Once near the destroyed villages of the fishermen, it would have been enough to continue straight to reach the land of perennial ice.


    Despite its size, the boat traveled very fast from the start, with the perfect combination of sails and oars: taking advantage of the force of the wind, in fact, the rowers seemed to make no effort and this would certainly increase their resistance over time.


    The rocky shores of Runar were magnificent, seen from afar, with their sea caves and cliffs, enriched by the deep and blue sea, which thanks to those features had taken that name.


    Reidar and Karl were seated next to each other, while Gridd was next to Sander, just behind them.


    Freydis waited for Dag, who after a few minutes spent watching the sea sat next to her, while Kjell stood on the bow.


    Within days, under the supervision of the Crows Of Odin and some of Gurn''s sailors, the Hammers Of Thor and Sons Of Freya warriors had also mastered the basics of sailing and were now moving as well as being an experienced crew.


    While those holding rudders occasionally changed, the rowers were also synchronized in the breaks, taking advantage of the currents off the coast.


    "What do you think will happen when we get there?" Freydis asked as Dag put his hand on her thigh, continuing to look forward.


    "Who can say, Freydis... it bothers me to admit it, but perhaps Kjell''s hypothesis is the most reliable. Admitting that we can land smoothly and away from the gaze of the enemies, we must hope that there will be no big cities built on that side of the coast. The journey will be very long and, even if our soldiers will be full of energy, we would like to face the enemies a little at a time. Remember... you''ve never faced a Jotunn... and I assure you it''s not an easy thing" Dag said, trying to think about the near future.


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 347 CCCXLVII. How Small We Are

    "What if the Giants Of Ymir weren''t the first enemies in our path? I mean... two other Clans live in Krypstorm and we don''t know how their domains are geographically distributed..." the Shieldmaiden replied.


    "I too thought of this probability a few days ago. Krypstorm is very large, but I''m sure we''ll be able to find out the location of the Jotunns'' base of operations, at the cost of using ''unkind'' methods with whoever we find on our way. I want to know more about this crystal... they traveled to Okstorm just to steal my weapon? Well, what if I''m now traveling towards them?" Dag continued, with a serious and determined air, clutching with one hand the handle of the Giantbane, which he had no intention of giving in to anyone.


    *grrr*mumble*


    "I think your wolf suffers from seasickness Dag" Egill said, sitting not far from Thalos, who emitted strange verses.


    "Hey, buddy... I warned you, the journey will be long, relax, take a nap" Dag whispered, who as he spoke with Freydis got up and went to sit next to Thalos, starting to massage his neck, trying to help him relax.


    Slowly the wolf closed his eyes and after only a few minutes began to snore, falling asleep like a stone.


    The Sun illuminated the shores of Runar to the left of the boat, which traveled fast on the surface of the sea.


    For some strange reason, Dag, looking at the water, remembered an episode in Gr¨¹n Forest with Stein, in which his adoptive father showed him the pond a few minutes from the farm, nestled in the forest.


    "I feel guilty every time I think of you, Stein. If only I''d been stronger, I''d have been able to save you. You lost your life trying to protect your family, and I never avenged you. The Lies Of Loki are in Krypstorm, no one knows where. If I ever meet one of them, I will have no mercy, I will kill them from the first to the last. I apologize" he thought, turning his gaze to Gridd, who spoke with a smile with Reidar, full of optimism.


    Freydis noticed that her boyfriend was immersed in his thoughts, as was often the case, and approached him, hugging him from behind.


    "Whatever you''re thinking, I''m sure you''ll make it. No matter how long it takes, your determination will lead you to your goals, Dag. You will see, after this mission, many things will change" she said, trying to strengthen her man''s soul.


    "I hope so too, Freydis... I hope so too."


    A few hours passed when in the distance it was possible to see the destroyed fishing villages, along the stretch of coast affected by the attacks.


    The highest part of the headland was all shattered by Dag''s powerful attack, so violent that it compromised the rock beneath the three villages, whose citizens owed their lives to him and his men, who had managed to save them.


    On the other hand, the only thing visible was the boundless horizon and a huge expanse of saltwater.


    "Masters, we''re ready to officially move away from Okstorm!" one of the two soldiers at the rudder said, asking permission.


    "Allowed, go ahead, boy!" Sander said, who had placed his heavy shield on the ground, realizing that even for a man of his size it was impossible to bear its weight for all the duration of the journey.


    With a slight right turn, the ship changed direction and the sails filled with wind, which increased the speed of movement, pushing the Iron Emerald to its full potential.


    "Imagine how small we are seen from heaven" Dag said, speaking to Freydis, who was distracted listening to Sander''s words


    "What do you mean?" she replied, intrigued.


    "If we could look at our boat from hundreds of meters high, it would be nothing more than a small dot in this huge expanse of water that we call the sea. We, humans, are small, in comparison to the greatness of the cosmos" he continued, stunning his woman with that phrase, romantic but gloomy at the same time.


    She remained silent, trying to imagine that she was a seagull, or any other bird capable of flying over the sea undisturbed and enjoying the view.


    The five Masters chatted with each other to fool the clock until the Sun set on the horizon and their stomachs began to grumble.


    "I think it''s time to put something under our teeth" Sander replied, accustomed to eating with every sign of appetite.


    Taking advantage of the strong offshore wind, the rowers also managed to take a break, and the entire crew of the ship, with the permission of the Masters, ate something, enjoying that brief moment of relaxation.


    Dag, after finishing eating a large portion of dried fruit and meat, began to walk on the ship, heading for the bow, looking up.


    The sky was full of stars, many of which had to be planets.


    He recalled when, as a child, during lessons on Earth, Lady Ysabel explained to him and his companions what the polar star was and why it was so important, always pointing to the north.


    He tried to reflect on the stars that could be seen by Skjold and the fact that the astronomy and astrology of that place were completely different from that of Earth, because of the different position of the planet in the solar system, which of ''solar'' had only the name.


    "It is incredible how after millennia of technological development and innovative naval and aerial techniques, everything is back to its beginning. Right now I''m on a boat made of iron and wood and I''m sailing on an imprecise route, established only by our sixth sense, without a compass or an effective method to keep the same direction" he thought, while the sound of the sea and the darkness of the night helped his mind to reason, wondering the why of things.


    He also thought of the advanced technology of the Xis and the Vortex, the machinery that was used to teleport from one planet to another in seconds.


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 348 CCCXLVIII. The Immaturity

    Before his mind began to fill with unanswered questions, Reidar and Gridd approached him, commenting on the surrounding landscape.


    "I read that Krypstorm is more than three times the size of Okstorm, is that correct?" Gridd asked.


    "Captain, since you know so much about rocks, seas and volcanoes... what do you think of the fact that such a large place is almost entirely covered with ice? I mean... Okstorm and Krypstorm are not so far away, how can Krypstorm be so different?" Reidar inquired.


    "Mmh... that''s a good question, my friend. I don''t think geology had anything to do with it. The heat of the artificial Sun affects every hemisphere of the planet, that of Okstorm as well as that of Krypstorm. The perennial ice certainly comes from something older, which has characterized that place for hundreds of years" Dag replied, intrigued by the question.


    "Are you talking about Ymir, the father of the ice giants?" Gridd asked again, confused.


    "Think about it... if the access to Asgard has been moved to Skjold, perhaps the same applies to the other kingdoms of Yggdrasil!" he replied as if Gridd''s statement had just opened his eyes.


    "But... Captain... Weland told us that the entire tree of life has been destroyed, and fortunately the Aesir have managed to preserve only one seed, which they jealously guard at the safest point of the celestial kingdom, in the hope that one day they will be able to replant it" Reidar interrupted, punctuating a relevant detail.


    "Well... Yggdrasill is the tree that unites Midgard with all the other kingdoms, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, it is"


    "This means that destroying it does not mean destroying the kingdoms, but only breaking the connection between them! Otherwise, Asgard should no longer exist, as should Midgard, where we are at this time!"


    As he continued to speak, Dag raised his voice slightly, drawing the attention of the other Masters, who stood up and approached him, interested in his speech.


    "And with that? What do you mean?" Egill asked, who was listening.


    "I mean, maybe, like Asgard and Midgard, the other 7 kingdoms could still exist! Only, being disconnected from each other, they are not accessible by anyone!" Dag exclaimed, trying to reason as no one had ever done before him, thanks to the precious tale of Weland, who from that day changed forever his way of seeing things.


    "You mean that, as we speak, there is someone who can access Jotunheim and make contact with the ice giants and rock giants?! This is absurd!" Gridd said, not believing his brother''s words.


    "I do not believe that we human beings are allowed to travel between the 9 kingdoms freely... but if the Yggdrasill connection has been broken by the Frostsinners, perhaps there are other ways of accessing the realms! If there was no connection between Asgard and Midgard, how could we Hammers Of Thor benefit from the lightning powers of the mighty Thor? What about the Sons Of Freya? They would not have access to the powers of Goddess, as would the Crows Of Odin and the Alfather!" he continued, undaunted in supporting his thesis.


    Silence fell on the Iron Emerald: not being isolated in the Masters building or any other closed place, this time the speeches between them were at everyone''s mercy, in fact, many soldiers remained silent to listen, being unaware of everything.


    "Just a few days ago I started reading an ancient tome, which allows the learning of a level 9 skill called ''Memory Of Mj?llnir''. This skill allows you to use the Asgardian Thunder, the same divine lightning that Thor''s weapon was impregnated with during his epic battles against the evil forces that threatened the worlds... how would it be possible to have access to such power if the connection between our world and that of the Gods is blocked? And the Giants Of Ymir? How could they ever turn into Jotunns without a connection to Jotunheim?"


    "A connection between the worlds..." Kjell whispered, who for the first time after boarding seemed to be interested in something, spending a few words about it.


    "And where? Where''s this connection? You and your friends are the only ones among us who claim to have seen a God! We, despite our long years in their service, have never even seen the shadow of them, all we have is their powers!" Sander said, who seemed to be skeptical, despite supporting Dag almost always.


    "I don''t know where he is. Mine is a simple guess. But if that were true, it would change everything. Remember that our Gods were defeated by the Frostsinners and exiled to this distant planet. By joining forces, we could take back what is ours" Dag replied, turning to the sea and continuing to think about that hypothesis.


    "Of course, why not... the Aesirs fighting side by side with humans and Jotunns.... maybe while riding the great wolf Fenrir or the gigantic Jormungandr. It''s nonsense. I''m going to pretend I didn''t hear, Dag. your words touched blasphemy. I ask you not to speak like that before my men, whose faith in the Gods is true and firm... this is an order" Kjell exclaimed, standing up and staring at Dag, who turned and looked back.


    For a few seconds, there was an air of defiance between the two of them, whose way of thinking was completely opposite: while Dag was a free spirit, able to admit to himself that there was something older and more powerful than the Gods and humans, Kjell was always a conservative and would not admit such a thing even before the evidence.


    "I believed there was freedom of speech on this ship, as well as in all the places that belong to our Clans. I remember you talking to your Warchief, Master Kjell" Gridd interrupted, meddling with him and Dag and looking at him with a menacing air, defending the ideals she shared with her brother.


    "If you are not happy with who we are and continue to deny everything we believe in, why don''t you go back to your beloved Earth?! Life on Skjold will continue even without your paradoxes, as it always has been!" Kjell shouted towards Dag, raising his voice and beginning to lose self-control.


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 349 CCCXLIX. The Passages

    "Mmh... I''d love to do that. But it just so happens that I''m stuck here and I''m not the only one who believes that to grow, you have to go beyond religious faith and dogmas. If you prefer a monotonous life, in which you are born, you grow up and you die without a purpose, you should have stayed in Runar" Dag replied, maintaining a calm but provocative tone, smiling at his interlocutor, who despite his age, seemed to behave in a much less mature way.


    "Don''t challenge me, kid!" Kjell replied, quickly holding one of the two chains.


    "You''re the one who chose not to fight me... if you wanted so much to show your ''superiority'' you should have made the most of that opportunity" Replied Dag, standing still with his hands in his pockets and the same smile printed on his face.


    A second before Kjell could shoot at him in a raptus of madness, Sander''s enormous body appeared before him, placing his hand on his chest and holding him still.


    "All our warriors are watching you. Better if you hold your tongue, my friend, you''re not looking good" the Master Of Defense whispered in his colleague''s ear, who in a stinging gesture pushed him and returned to his seat, snorting at the nervousness and without saying anything else.


    "Try to stay calm, Dag. You know Master Kjell... there are times when he doesn''t talk, other moments when he can''t hold back. I apologize for him, but you can imagine why he was so aggressive" Sander said, turning to Dag and continuing to look at Kjell out of the corner of his eye, ready to intervene again if he got up from his bench.


    "Accepting new things is never easy, Master Sander. All this reminds me of my childhood when I arrived on Skjold. Until then I had grown up with the belief that things were going as they were to go and that the presence and dominance of the Xis on Earth was normal. But unfortunately, in order to really grow, one must renounce one''s beliefs, abandoning on the unknown... and sometimes that''s what scares" Dag said, who hadn''t actually lost his temper for a second and kept talking confidently that Kjell would listen to him.


    "Why did you say what you said, then? What made you think of this question of ''passages to other kingdoms''?" Gridd asked, trying to understand the origin of his brother''s reasoning.


    "Reidar''s question made me think. Actually, I was something I''d already thought about, but it was just a passing curiosity. Instead, it could be much more... Krypstorm''s perennial ice... why are they perennial? We are not at the poles of the planet, the solar heat is evenly distributed that way. There has to be another explanation" Dag continued, looking out to the sea.


    "And you think we''ll be able to figure out what it is, Captain? Finding a way to move between the 9 kingdoms could change our lives forever! We might even meet Odin, Thor, Freya, and all the other Gods!" Reidar exclaimed, excited.


    Those words caught the attention of soldiers who were listening to the conversation from afar, in that place where the only background noise was that of the sea.


    "I hope so, my friend... I really hope so! But if it is as we are assuming, Asgard would not be the only kingdom communicating with ours..." Dag continued, thinking aloud.


    "Alfheim, Helheim, Muspellsheim, and the others..." Sander commented, in a worried tone, conveying his fear to everyone else.


    "You know better than I do that the Gods are not all benevolent... think of the Jotunns and what they did. If their power comes from the ice giants, it follows that they are evil creatures, from which it is better to stay away. Or think of Lies Of Loki. Needless to tell you why they are evil" Dag replied, continuing Sander''s speech.


    "How can all this be related to your weapon? Let''s remember that the real reason that drove those warriors so far from their home is your axe, Dag. They are interested in its power more than anything else and this is justified by its divine origin! We absolutely have to find out why!" Freydis interrupted, looking into her man''s eyes.


    The two rows of soldiers began to row again when the wind diminished its power, as did the tireless helmsmen, who stood still, allowing the boat to always travel in the same direction.


    The Iron Emerald was now in the middle of the Great Deep Sea: around it, in every direction, there was nothing but water and darkness and this thing would make the journey uncertain until it would have finally reached its destination.


    The perplexity and fear of the warriors were palpable, as were those of the Masters, which, despite being pumped, could not hold back their doubts and fears, but tried not to pass them on to the entire crew, which depended on their choices.


    Freydis, under Dag''s advice, lay down on the bench where they had sat before, while he sat next to Thalos, who had never stood up after departure.


    He began to caress him on the back and as soon as the wolf felt physical contact with his master, he placed his head on his legs, relaxing and falling asleep, breathing deeply.


    Dag laid his back to the mainmast and slowly closed his eyes, giving himself some well-deserved rest.


    ...


    The sea breeze stroked his face and the sound of the sea made his awakening sweet and quiet, despite the uncomfortable position in which he had remained all night.


    He opened his eyes and looked at the rowers, who had changed with the other soldiers so they could sleep.


    Then he looked up, noting that the sky was clear and sunny, as the sunrise passed by a few hours.


    He gently moved Thalos''s head to the floor, managing not to wake him up and got up to stretch his bones and muscles.


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 350 CCCL. Any Suspects?

    Freydis, Gridd, and Karl were immersed in a deep sleep, made such by the stability of the vessel, on which the swell was practically imperceptible.


    Master Kjell was awake, but he lay on his bench, contemplating the view around him, while Egill and Sander sat in the bow, side by side.


    "Good morning..." Dag said in a low voice, intent on not waking the crew members who were still sleeping.


    "Hello, Dag. Master Sander and I were wondering how long it''ll take to get to our destination. We left the shores of Runar more than 24 hours ago, but we still don''t see anything on the horizon" Egill said, who despite his experience on the battlefield, was not a very experienced sailor.


    "Look up, in the sky" Dag replied, inviting his interlocutors to look at each other, while Reidar was also listening to the conversation, sitting a few feet away from them.


    "What should I see? There''s nothing but a few clouds" Sander said, continuing to keep his head up.


    "That''s right. There are no seagulls or other seabirds either... that means the land is still far away" he continued, sitting next to Reidar and looking out at the edge of the boat.


    "Interesting... I hadn''t thought of that..." Sander replied, looking around and noting that, in fact, the sea was not flown over by any kind of animal from the mainland.


    "The important thing is that our hold is still full of provisions and that our morale is still high! Anyway, I thought about what you said yesterday, Dag, I''ve been thinking about it all night long... and I don''t think we should dismiss that hypothesis" Egill replied, referring to Dag''s words that had made Kjell nervous enough to force Sander to intervene.


    "We won''t know more until we get there... I thought of something else, about the alleged informant of our enemies" Dag continued.


    "Uhm? Do you have any suspicions, Captain?" Reidar asked, who had been thinking the same thing for days.


    "Who knew our plans so well? I mean, excluding the birth of the Iron Alliance and these large-scale details that pretty much everyone knew... who knew about our travels, such as when we went to the south coast of Runar in defense of the villages? I don''t know exactly who he is, but one thing I''m sure: anyone who has warned our enemies is a person very close to us Masters. Someone who overheard the plans and somehow communicated them to the warriors of Krypstorm" Dag said, motivating his suspicions.


    "I too had thought of such a thing! It could have been a guard of Skjegg or the librarian of the Masters building!" Reidar said, who seemed to be waiting no further.


    "How do you mind, boy?! What reason would my men have to help our enemies organize against us! That''s the stupidest thing I''ve ever heard!" Sander exclaimed, in an angry tone, looking at Reidar out of the corner of his eye.


    "It''s not necessarily Skjegg''s, it could be in each of the cities of our Clans. Clearly, even if we knew who did it, we would not be able to easily understand how and why of his gesture. Helping enemies at the expense of their allies is a cowardly act, testifying to the lack of honor. But we can''t pretend it never happened, so sooner or later we''ll find the culprit" Dag continued, leading his interlocutors to reflect.


    "Of course we will find him! And he will be punished properly! Its stupidity has caused so many innocent victims! Citizens of Runar who had not committed any harm! The spy must also know the power of your weapon very well, which means that he has seen you fighting at least once. After discovering what is possible to do with your axe, he thought about telling our enemies, perhaps receiving something in return" Sander said, touching his beard and trying to reflect on the chronological details.


    "There are too many variables. Identifying the culprit by sitting on this boat will be impossible. For now, we should only keep in mind our goal, namely revenge against the Giants Of Ymir and the exploration of Krypstorm. When we return home, we will continue the investigation" Egill said, trying to put an end to those endless doubts, finding a meeting point from which to start.


    Sander looked at him with a smile and put his hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention: "You would never have said such a thing as a young man! Hahahaha! You''ve really become a wise, bearded old man, haven''t you? The Egill who fought alongside me would be willing to travel the world to find the culprit and punish him with his own hands! Hahaha!"


    "Yes, maybe you''re right, Sander... I''ll tell you the truth, my character changed a lot after I met Magni, the Master Of Offense that preceded Dag. His way of seeing things opened my eyes, making me realize that sometimes the true meaning of things lurks beneath the surface and acting on impulse only moves us away from the truth" Egill smiled, proudly recalling his former colleague.


    Sander nodded, appreciating that pill of wisdom and continuing to look at the sea, hoping to see something in the distance.


    The talk continued throughout the afternoon, interspersed with moments of silence and boredom aboard the Iron Emerald.


    Freydis and the others awoke, and Karl continued to practice the healing spell taught to him by Egill, holding a small dead shrub in his hands and attempting to resuscitate him.


    While Gridd and Freydis were busy talking about ''private'' issues of a sentimental nature, discussing the attraction between Reidar and the Sons Of Freya''s Master Of Offense, Dag once again approached his wolf, to check his condition.


    Thalos seemed to have become accustomed to the boat''s slight movements and sea air, so he pulled a piece of dried meat out of his bag and fed his friend, pouring some drinking water into a bowl, treating him like a real domestic dog.


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 351 CCCLI. Spotted!

    After fully reinforcing himself, the big gray wolf rose on his paws and began to move along the boat, sniffing here and there, trying to study the environment around him, not being accustomed to the presence of all those humans.


    The soldiers sensed this feeling of curiosity from the animal and although at first, they were afraid of him, in a short time they got used to his presence, even managing to caress him on the head, realizing that he was docile and affectionate, despite the long, sharp canines.


    Thalos continued to walk among them, under the watchful eye of Dag, who was ready to intervene in case of violent instincts of his four-legged friend.


    Sniffing the legs of the soldiers around him, the wolf stopped next to a warrior wearing a white bandana on his head, from which straight black hair sprung up.


    The soldier''s face was unusually covered by a second bandana, which only allowed his eyes to be glimpsed, which at that moment looked elsewhere.


    Dag narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out why he had caught Thalos''s attention so much, making him keeping sniffing.


    Judging by her body and hands, the soldier was certainly a woman, with an athletic and slender physique.


    "He seems to like you!" he exclaimed, turning to Shieldmaiden, who avoided crossing her gaze with Dag''s and didn''t say a word.


    Thalos continued insistently to sniff the legs of the girl, who turned away the wolf''s snout with her hand.


    Before Dag walked away and returned to his teammates, he noticed that Thalos, as soon as he had the opportunity, licked the Shieldmaiden''s hand, which immediately moved, standing up and sitting on the other side of the bench, on her back.


    The wolf insistently approached her again, beginning to cry, as if he was excited.


    Dag followed him and stood in front of the girl, whose gaze remained pointed downwards.


    "It is unusual for Thalos to behave like this with strangers. He doesn''t give much confidence to people he has never seen before..." Dag said, who within himself was already sensed what he was about to discover.


    The girl again did not answer, until the wolf climbed with both paws on the bench, intending to lick her face and while she tried to dodge him, Thalos removed the bandana that enveloped her hair, releasing her long hair that floated in the air, releasing a smell that Dag had already felt somewhere.


    He in fact lowered himself and continued to look at the girl, whose face was still covered.


    Her eyes finally crossed Dag''s gaze, which confirmed his suspicions.


    "Claire? What are you doing here?!" he asked, trying not to attract too much attention from everyone.


    She removed the bandana from her face and showed it to Dag, revealing her true identity.


    "Hello... Dag..." Claire smiled, looking at him with her green and shiny eyes.


    "How do you... what...?!"


    "I heard from some soldiers in Hevnen that you were planning this mission and I wanted to take part in it! I didn''t know how to do it, I knew that only a few people were allowed to leave with you and... I pretended to be a Clan warrior and volunteered!" she replied innocently, trying not to elicit an angry reaction in Dag, who didn''t know what to say.


    "What do you think is the reason why I decided to bring only a few men? Every soldier on this ship will play a key role in the Krypstorm mission! All you''re doing is sabotaging our plan! How did you come up with the idea of doing such a thing, Claire?!" he asked, resting one hand on the girl''s shoulder and turning her slightly on the other side, to prevent her voice from spreading to his friends and especially to Freydis, who thankfully was still talking to Gridd.


    "How did it occur to me?! But do you realize what you did the last time we met? You disappeared like a thief, hiding your tracks! You don''t know how hard it was for me to find and reach you! And it''s not the first time I''ve done such a thing, you should remember that! I would have liked a different welcome, Dag!"


    "What?! Are you out of your mind? I didn''t ask you to join! About ''that'' question, you already know what I think... how dare you come here and infiltrate the Sons Of Freya troop, knowing you''d find my girlfriend on board?" Dag asked, who was losing patience.


    Thalos, who had been sitting in front of her all the time, began to bark, attracting the attention of the entire crew.


    "No! No! Thalos! Shut up, fuck!" Dag whispered, stroking him and trying to calm him down, looking around.


    Of course, both Gridd and Freydis were distracted by the wolf''s verse and the red-haired Shieldmaiden approached Dag, trying to figure out what was going on.


    "Dag? Why did Thalos start barking? He hasn''t breathed since we left... what''s going on?" she asked, looking at her boyfriend and Claire out of the corner of her eye.


    "Nothing really happens, actually. This kind warrior asked me for some directions on the attack maneuver and I was explaining it better to her when he started barking senselessly!" he confessed, reciting.


    ''Wof! Wof... wof!''


    Thalos continued to bark, looking Claire in the eye with a happy expression.


    "Hello! In the confusion of the departure, I don''t think I saw you! I''m Freydis, nice to meet you!" she exclaimed, holding her arm towards Claire, who shook her hands.


    "My name is Claire, nice to meet you!" she replied.


    Dag witnessed the scene and remained speechless, not believing that that day could ever arrive and that above all it would happen aboard the ship that would lead him to Krypstorm.


    "Well, Claire... I hope I have clarified your doubts, if you have any other questions do not hesitate to ask! I promise you, we will soon achieve our goal! Be brave!" Dag said, resting his hand on Claire''s shoulder and continuing to pretend.


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 352 CCCLII. The Mainland

    Soon after, he grabbed Freydis''s arm and moved her with him, approaching the other Masters again, to the bow of the ship.


    "Hey, Dag! What''s wrong? We barely showed up! It seemed that thalos liked her very much and usually animals are never wrong! She seemed nice!" Freydis exclaimed, looking at her confused boyfriend.


    "Yes, she was certainly nice, I don''t question that, but... Krypstorm is just around the corner... I have a feeling that soon we will arrive and I don''t want to waste the free time that we have left to be together, answering questions and guiding the soldiers" he replied, who deftly managed to change the fortunes of the discourse, turning it into something romantic.


    After his words, Freydis added nothing more and kissed him, reassuring him.


    Claire sat on her bench and continued to stare at them for a while, silently envying Dag''s girlfriend, convinced that she could make him happy in the same way, or even more than that.


    When his master walked away, Thalos also moved from his position, reaching Dag and Freydis, after greeting Claire, with whom he had lived for months and who did not know that the wolf was also on Dag''s trail.


    It came again evening, and still nothing was visible on the horizon.


    Unlike the previous evening, this time, at the suggestion of Sander and Egill, the two most senior members of the crew, soldiers and Masters all ate together sitting in a circle, enjoying good meads lulled by the waves of the sea, while the fully unfurled sails made the boat advance at a more or less constant speed.


    Kjell''s bad mood seemed to be gone and when his gaze crossed that of Dag, the Crows Of Odin''s Master of Offense raised his mug upwards, as if to indirectly apologize for his childish behavior.


    Under Sander''s watchful eyes, Dag responded with the same gesture, showing Kjell his maturity, one of his greatest merits.


    After dinner, before everyone went to sleep, Dag and Freydis were lying next to each other, on a fur coat next to Thalos, and hugged, warming up from the cold of the night.


    He had the feeling of being observed and, pretending to stretch, turned his head back for a moment, realizing that Claire was sitting on the ground near the bench and staring at them intently.


    Dag immediately turned his gaze, trying to get that incredibly awkward scene out of his head.


    ''It''s true, maybe the last time we saw each other I behaved very badly with her, I pretty much abandoned her while she slept. But the fact that now she''s here is unbearable! How did she dare to follow me? Is she really that obsessed with me? If Freydis finds out the truth, it''d be hard to explain everything to her, considering I never even mentioned Claire. I''m innocent, but the idea that something can go wrong terrifies me! Why popping out now that we''re on a mission?! Why?!" Dag thought, sighing and squinting, diving into his thoughts.


    "What are you thinking? I feel you agitated, Warchief!" Freydis whispered, who, with her head resting on his chest, noticed his heartbeat slightly accelerated.


    "Nothing important, Freydis... you know my mind never stops processing things, you know me" he replied, once again managing to evade the issue with his oratorical skills.


    Very slowly, as he stroked his girlfriend''s hair and massaged her neck, they both fell asleep deeply, as did Thalos and all their companions, with their sleep weighed down by the abundant dinner and mead, of which Sander, alone, had finished an entire bottle.


    ...


    *clo-clo*clo-clo*


    Dag opened his eyelids slightly, while his gaze was facing upwards.


    Just above the boat, a large seagull hovered nimbly in the sky, peering with his attentive eyes some possible prey to begin his day, turning his head to one side and the other, pointing to the sea with his orange beak.


    Dag sighed, and before he could wake up at all, someone on the ship shouted: "Laaand! There we go! Mainland! We''re in Krypstorm!"


    Within seconds, most of the warriors awoke as well as Dag, Egill, and Sander, who with a sudden jump quickly rose to their feet, facing an edge of the ship''s bow.


    Dag rubbed his eyes still closed from sleep with his hands and tried to focus on what was visible on the horizon.


    "Yes, the one before us is mainland! We did it! We arrived at Krypstorm!" he confirmed with glee, turning around and sharing that good news with the entire crew.


    Each person on board ran to see the spectacle: the faint light of dawn reflected on the surface of the sea, giving it an incredibly striking, mirror-like appearance, on which it was possible to see the reflection of the Iron Emerald, which had not stopped for even a second, allowing them to reach the destination in record time.


    "I think it''s time... soldiers, wake up! We have to put the plan in place! Who were the two of you who had offered to accompany me on the Brass Arrow and go on recognition?" Kjell yelled, ordering the soldiers to stand up and prepare.


    As all the warriors rose, two of them approached Kjell, ready to board with him on the other boat, hanging from one side of the Iron Emerald.


    "Master Kjell" Dag called, drawing his attention.


    "What is it?"


    "Bring a torch with you and try to hurry. According to our plan, we had calculated that we would arrive off the coast of Krypstorm in the evening and that a small light signal would be enough to give the green light. But if we wait too long and let the Sun rise, it will be difficult for us to see the signal and it will be easy for the enemies to see us!" he said, punctuating the details of the plan.


    "Master Dag is right, you have to hurry up and be careful!" Gridd added, who had recently risen from the ground.


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 353 CCCLIII. The Action Docking

    Kjell nodded, agreeing with them that the plan should be executed immediately.


    The two warriors climbed one of the ship''s edges and climbed the Brass Arrow, positioning themselves next to the oars, already in position and waiting for their Master.


    After taking a torch and a flint to speed up the fire, he too climbed the boat: Dag and Sander approached the two pulleys on which the chains that held it were tied and began to unroll them, dropping the boat through Frank''s impeccable lever system.


    Progressively, the lower surface of the Brass arrow gently rested on the water, diving to the right point and beginning to float.


    In a decisive gesture, Kjell detached both iron hooks tied to its ends and the two warriors began to row, hurriedly flooding from the Iron Emerald, traveling at great speed to the distant shores of Krypstorm.


    Sander nodded to the ship''s crew, and at that very moment the rowers stopped rowing and the two helmsmen tried to keep the boat as still as possible, avoiding approaching further and risking blowing up the plan.


    At high speed, the Brass Arrow traveled to the flat sea that fairly sunny day and Dag, as well as the other Masters and some of the warriors, faced one of the edges, looking at their companions and waiting for some kind of signal.


    Slowly, the Sun rose into the sky and its light began to reflect on the surface of the water: at that point, the Brass Arrow remained visible, but only summarily.


    Dag focused, clutching the boat''s wood with his hands and trying to concentrate as much as possible.


    The small boat continued to approach the coast, leaving everyone in suspense, in the hope that nothing bad would happen to their companions in the middle of the sea, who were completely defenseless in case of remote attacks.


    "Come on... Kjel, c''mon... do it quickly..." Dag thought aloud, who was the only one on the boat who could see Kjell clearly and the dull torch he held in his hand.


    About 25 minutes after his departure, the Brass Arrow began to veer and turn back.


    Kjell quickly lit the torch and raised it to the sky, waving it like a flag.


    "It''s the signal! It''s a green light! We can go!" Dag shouted, as soon as he could distinguish the light of the torch, which no one else except him was able to see because of the intense sunlight.


    "Did you hear that?! Come on, at top speed! Let''s reach our companions and prepare for the ship''s docking!" Sander yelled soon after, ordering the still half-sleeping warriors to move and return to their positions.


    Within seconds, the sails were hoisted and the rowers began to row again, while the helmsmen turned the boat, pointing its bow towards the mainland.


    When the Brass Arrow came close enough to the Iron Emerald, Sander and Dag threw the two chains at Kjell.


    "Then? What did you see? Is there anyone?!" Gridd asked, impatient to get answers, after the long, monotonous journey.


    "There are two huge observation towers, but they are completely destroyed. We''ve come close enough to say for sure that there are no enemies on the coast. If we get there quickly, we shouldn''t have any problem!" Kjell answered, overcoming the boat''s edge and climbing back on it, next to his companions.


    "Perfect! In a few minutes, we will be there!" Dag replied, happy with that good news.


    "Helmsmen! There''s an inlet on that side that seems to be right for us! Head in that direction and when we are near the rocks turn sideways, so as to approach the sides of the ship to it. We''ll take care of the rest!" Kjell exclaimed, addressing the crew, who obeyed orders without saying a word.


    Dag and Sander nodded, looking into each other''s eyes, ready to help Kjell, who would guide them to the docking and anchoring maneuver of their large ship.


    As they approached, the temperature began to drop dramatically and, although the seawater remained in a liquid state, near the rocks were clearly visible small icebergs, wedged between the rocks, which gave the high coastlines a spectacular but macabre appearance at the same time.


    "What a fucking cold! Brrr! It''s freezing!" Gridd exclaimed, who picked up one of the fur blankets used to sleep on the ground and put it on her shoulders, beginning to jump for a warm-up.


    Large black crows flew over the coast, croaking at the sight of the unknown boat, which under Kjell''s orders, began to veer, approaching that kind of inlet, consisting of a cove in the rock, caused by a collapse and a small beach of black stones, dug by the sea over the years.


    "Dag, Sander! At my signal, grab one of these chains and jump with me to the shore! We have to wedge them between the rocks to keep the boat still!" Kjell ordered, lifting a chain and resting his foot on the edge of the ship, ready to jump down.


    Dag, who had already done something similar with the Brass Arrow without anyone''s help, did as he was told and prepared to jump, while Sander stood next to him, repeatedly lowering his legs, stretching out his sore muscles.


    "Aaargh... look what I have to do at my age!" he chuckled, grabbing the last chain left with his huge hands and holding on to his colleague''s signal.


    The waves broke on the rocks and as it passed, the Iron Emerald began to swing dangerously, while one of its flanks was facing the rock.


    "Now! Jump!" Kjell yelled, who made a long jump towards the small beach inside the cliff, landing perfectly on his feet, as did Dag, just after him.


    Sander was less fortunate and, having waited a few seconds too long to launch himself, had miscalculated the swing of the boat and landed slightly decentralized, ending with a kneecap on the ground, without reporting any serious damage.

 354 CCCLIV. In Or Ou

    "I''m okay, I''m fine!" he exclaimed when he saw that Dag and Kjell were looking at him with a worried air.


    In a hurry, the three Masters entered the huge cave that towered over the beach and wedged the harpoons at the end of the three chains in the best possible way, making sure that those rocks would not yield to the traction exerted by the boat.


    "Soldiers! The anchor! Throw the anchor to the other side!" Kjell yelled again, trying to overpower the sound of the waves slamming into Krypstorm''s basaltic rocks.


    Within seconds, two soldiers pulled the large anchor from its compartment and threw it into the sea, respecting the will of their Master.


    At that very moment, the Iron Emerald stopped, stabilizing perfectly and gradually approaching the coast, as if by magic.


    "Wow! I must say that this maneuver was incredibly effective! I congratulate you, Kjell, for your naval experience!" Dag said, putting aside antipathy between them for a few seconds and giving him sincere compliments.


    "Thank you... but I couldn''t do it alone" he replied, implicitly thanking his two accomplices.


    As soon as the lower surface of the boat touched the mainland, the soldiers slid the bridge outwards, connecting it to the beach and got off the boat, happy to be back on dry land.


    "We made it! Good, you''re Okstorm''s best crew!" Dag yelled, to lift the spirits of the troops, who galvanized those words, celebrating the success of the first part of the mission.


    "So, all of you come closer! I want to tell you about my action plan!" Kjell said, who invited the soldiers to gather in a semi-circle in front of the Masters.


    "If my colleagues agree, we will wait on this beach until sunset and look for the fastest way to get to the surface. I noticed that there are tunnels carved into the rock at the end of this cave. If they lead nowhere, we will be forced to climb the vertical wall or find an alternative. However, moving with the Sun would not help us, considering the fact that we will walk very slowly, not having at our disposal of the horses" he continued, looking into the eyes of Dag and the others, who nodded, accepting his proposal, which seemed reasonable and would allow everyone to recover their strength.


    "The first part of the mission has been well surpassed, but... don''t get too comfortable. We don''t know what dangers lie ahead and Krypstorm is really huge to explore. Anyway, I remind you that we''re in no hurry... it is better to always move all together and at certain times, playing with cunning. All clear?" Dag asked, hooking up to Kjell''s speech, which looked at the soldiers one by one, assessing their state of stress from their gaze and posture.


    All the soldiers set to work, exploring the natural cavity and its surroundings, trying to retain their body heat, not being accustomed to the kind of cold, which exceeded that of Okstorm in the winter months.


    It was a different cold, characterized by a high degree of humidity, which froze the bones and organs from the inside, penetrating the airways and limiting the use of hands, which had to be covered with gloves in order not to freeze.


    After talking to the other Masters, Dag approached Freydis, looking at the cave''s high vaults.


    "This rock is very beautiful, isn''t'' it? They are basalt, volcanic rocks" he said, hugging her from behind before she noticed his presence.


    "You made me scared! I was enchanted to look upwards! Yes, they''re beautiful, but I''m wondering what it''s going to look like on the surface. I thought that at this point, the cold should be contained, because of the sea, which tends to make the temperatures milder and the cave, which is offering us shelter from the wind. Above the cliff, the temperatures will be even colder, especially at night! Let''s hope those tunnels Kjell talked about bring to the surface... Climbing the wall from the outside will not be easy with your hands and feet frozen!" she said, explaining her perplexities to Dag.


    "It''s true, you''re right. Caught in the euphoria of the moment, I hadn''t thought of it. Let''s go and see with our own eyes, follow me" he answered, grabbing Freydis''s hand and pulling her towards him, heading to the final part of the cave, where a group of soldiers was already examining the rock.


    "Master Dag! It looks like these tunnels are going up and they''re big enough for us to pass!" one of them said as he saw him coming.


    All the others moved sideways, allowing Dag to make his own remarks.


    "Look here. The rock is flat and the edges are smoothed... do you know what that means?" he asked, who as usual used every moment to show off his knowledge of geology.


    "Yeah... no, I don''t think I know"


    "Neither do I..."


    "Maybe it was the water?" a Shieldmaiden asked approaching the rock face to see better.


    "That''s right! The water... but not that of the sea, or rather, not completely. It seems that these vertical tunnels were dug by the rain, which has eroded rocks different from the basalts that we have around us, not easily porous and permeable. And if my intuition is correct, you can imagine how rainwater has come to get here. It started its journey from the surface! Over the years, it has had all the time to act undisturbed and create these natural wonders!" he continued, explaining to the concerned soldiers the physical reasons behind the phenomenon.

 355 CCCLV. The Eidetic Memory

    "So it will lead there! If the rainwater comes from the surface, these tunnels lead there, right?" the same Shieldmaiden asked again, glad she had the right intuition.


    "Yes, that''s right. There''s only one problem though. We don''t know if the width of these tunnels remains constant all the way long. The rock face is very high, maybe more than 200 meters. If during the climb, the tunnel were to narrow suddenly, we would be stuck for a few minutes in the rock, overloading it with our weight and risking to cause a landslide, which would have devastating consequences" Dag replied, touching the short blonde beard, which had been appearing on his face in recent months.


    "How do we do then?" Sander asked from behind, walking in that direction with Egill, both intrigued by the scientific explanation.


    "Some of us should give it a try, trying to climb all the way. If they''ll reach the surface, it would be enough to throw an object down to let us know if it is feasible. But I don''t know if any of us are willing to take such a risk, walking alone for hundreds of meters in the rock. We should also hope that the tunnel leads somewhere, otherwise, the lack of oxygen would extinguish the fire of the torches would force the volunteer to grope in the dark" Dag continued, trying to consider all possible variables.


    "I''ll do it. I''m going to go up the tunnel!" a female voice said from behind them.


    Dag and the others turned around and he discovered that the voice was that of Claire, that although she was not a real Shieldmaiden, wanted to prove her worth.


    "Maybe you should try someone with a stronger physique... I mean... the path will be long and it won''t be easy to get to the end" Dag said, implicitly trying to advise Claire against being brave because she would risk her life.


    "Well, I think her physique is perfect... if you feel you can do it, you''re going to go in there. We will remain under you if anything happens. What''s your name, girl?" Sander asked, resting his hand on her shoulder.


    "Claire... my name is Claire" she replied, looking at Dag out of the corner of her eye, somehow trying to make herself desired by him, who instead looked away, knowing that Freydis was right next to him.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" Egill intervened, who also asked about the physical and mental condition of the volunteer, who confirmed her intentions with a hand gesture.


    "Well! Let the first attempt begin then! A torch! Someone light a torch and give it to young Claire, who will check for us if these tunnels lead to the surface!" Sander continued, raising his voice, which rumbled into the cave.


    "Pssst! Captain!" Reidar whispered, drawing Dag''s attention and calling him on the sidelines.


    He moved towards his friend, while everyone else was busy looking towards the rock face, looking the torchlight and trying to follow it with his eyes, when after a few minutes, it disappeared at the first bend.


    "But that girl who just walked in... Master Sander called her Claire... Is it ''that'' Claire?!" the archer asked, who had an excellent photographic memory and had already seen the girl''s face, as well as Karl and Gridd, who being on the other side of the cave had not yet noticed her.


    "Yes, let''s just forget about it... I discovered this last night when we were almost there. She had disguised herself deftly, running as a volunteer among the warriors of the Sons Of Freya... my sister has never been good at remembering people''s faces..." Dag answered, confirming the doubts of his friend, who looked upward, thoughtful.


    "But... but... doing so, she only took a place of a true warrior! Why is she doing such a thing?! Does she want to commit suicide?" Reidar asked again, speaking softly and looking into his captain''s eyes.


    "I''m afraid this has something to do with me, my friend... what have I done to deserve all this? That girl seems to be obsessed with me! I would never question that, but... now that I finally managed to see Freydis again and save her, this is not what I needed!"


    "Do you think she will make Freydis know? I mean... know of her attraction to you?"


    "I don''t know and I don''t care. In any case, I know for a fact that I have always been faithful to my woman, even during moments of weakness, during which it was really difficult to resist temptation. So if she wants to, she can say whatever she wants, I''m sure my Freydis won''t even listen to her envious words" Dag concluded, recalling that episode with the two girls at Temple Of Orn when he was forced to flee from their room, while they were both naked in front of him, ready to be possessed.


    "Well... that''s the important thing. You''ll see, everything will be fine, now let''s focus on the mission!" Reidar said, smiling at his best friend.


    "What''s going to be all right?" Freydis suddenly interrupted, who had approached them without making any noise, aided by the sound of the waves on the rocks.


    Dag and Reidar jolted in unison, frightened like two scared rabbits.


    "Fr... Freydis! Oh my goodness, you¡­ you scared us! We didn''t hear you coming!" Dag exclaimed, who for a moment feared that she had heard everything about Claire.


    "Scary? Why is that? What are you two up to?" she asked in a joking tone, smiling.


    "Nothing, nothing, Freydis! All right! The Captain was just perplexed about those tunnels, we were wondering if we''d be able to get into them!" Reidar intervened, drawing up a credible excuse in a few seconds, which seemed to satisfy Freydis.

 356 CCCLVI. Keep Talking

    "What''s going on in there? Let''s go and see" Dag replied, heading for Sander and Egill, standing in front of one of the three tunnels, the largest one, in which Claire had entered.


    "Keep talking! Can you hear my voice? Yuhuuu?" Sander yelled inside the tunnel, trying to keep in touch with the brave girl who had entered.


    Dag, Reidar, and Freydis approached and tried to look into the big hole, from which nothing could be seen.


    "There''s a crossroads up here!" Claire''s voice screamed from afar.


    "A crossroads? Wait, don''t move!" Sander replied, immediately turning to Dag, looking for suggestions, while Egill did the same, trying to imagine if there was a logical way to figure out which direction to follow.


    "Uhm... wait for a second, let me take your place" Dag said, inviting Sander to move so he could talk to Claire, who was already several feet tall.


    "Claire! Do you hear me? Listen to me, can you slowly get down?"


    "Yes, I think so! Why would I come down? Don''t I have to look for the tunnel exit?"


    "Of course you have to, but if there''s a crossroads, before we try in a direction, we''ll tie a rope around your waist, so if you accidentally get stuck, we can pull you out!" he explained, who once again had a clever idea, which had amazed the other soldiers and the two Masters next to him.


    Rock fragments fell from the tunnel as Claire began her descent.


    After a few minutes, her feet sprang from the bend and then her backside, on which Dag was enchanted for a few seconds.


    "Uhm, stop! Here, take this and tie it around your belt!" he exclaimed, climbing slightly into the hole and passing to Claire a long rope that soldiers had recovered on the ship in the meantime.


    She grabbed it and tied it up as Dag told her, then began to climb again, tirelessly.


    "Come on Claire, keep it up"


    "Go, Claire, we''re with you!"


    The soldiers who witnessed the scene began to support the girl, who thanks to her courage and with a little luck would let them save some road.


    "How is the crossroads made? Describe me briefly what you see!" Dag asked, who, concentrating, tried to hear the noises above his head so he could get a rough idea of the size of the rock tunnel.


    "There are two holes! One wider and one narrower! I don''t know if I''m going to go into that tight one!"


    "Look at the wide one and tell me if you can hear the sound of water!" he continued, who was trying to guide Claire step by step.


    "Water? I''m hundreds of meters away, what does the water have to do with it?!"


    "Claire, it''s an order! Just do it!" he exclaimed in an authoritarian tone, getting her to respect him.


    About thirty seconds passed when Claire spoke again: "yes, in the widest one I can hear the sound of water in the distance! It looks like there''s some kind of river!"


    "All right! I''ll try it!" Claire answered, whose voice became more and more imperceptible as she crawled inside the rock.


    "Perhaps we should have been looking for another place to dock. It seems that Krypstorm is completely deserted, in my opinion, there is an area not guarded by enemies where we could leave the boat. It has to exist" Sander said, beginning to regret their choice, after following Kjell''s plan to the letter.


    "Sander, I think we made the right choice. We couldn''t go around the sea aimlessly, someone would certainly have spotted us! The enemies knew about our movements when we were in Okstorm, imagine now that we are so close! By taking refuge in this cave we have gained time because no one suspects our presence. If we can''t find a way up it won''t be a problem, we can always get back on board the Iron Emerald and look for a better place" Egill said, preceding Dag and giving courage to his old friend, who looked at him with confident eyes.


    As the Masters and the warriors next to them discussed about this and that, on the other side of the large cave, Gridd, Kjell, Karl, and other soldiers were trying to get as close as possible to the icebergs, adopting a tactic similar to Dag''s, tying ropes around the waist, risking step by step to fall into the sea.


    Kjell was the first to rest his first foot on the smooth surface of the ice, using the blades at the end of his chains as grappling hooks to help him climb.


    "Kjell, be careful! That stretch seems particularly slippery! There are still about ten meters to reach the rock!" Gridd exclaimed, who before following her colleague, wanted to make sure that the climb was safe and together with other soldiers, held the rope attached to his belt.


    The Shieldmaiden, during that phase, slightly looked to the other side of the cave, hoping that Dag and the others would find a better solution, believing that unlike Kjell, not all soldiers would be able to climb that vertical wall, where a misstep would cost them their lives.


    "I could place hooks along the wall! If we stick a rope in, we could all get hooked and climb to the top in a row!" Kjell said, who paused for a moment to observe the uneven surface of the rock combined with the ice.


    In the meanwhile, in front of Dag and Reidar, who were the closest ones to the tunnel entrance, the rope tied to Claire''s waist continued to flow through the passage.

 357 CCCLVII. The Acciden

    "It''s moving forward... she keeps going up. That can be a good sign" Reidar said, looking at his captain, who remained silent, focused on the rope and sounds in the tunnel, which were already too far away to be heard.


    Small pebbles fell every now and then, caused by Claire''s feet and hands clinging to the surface of the water-saturated rock, peeling off some pieces and dropping them backward.


    "Heeey! How are you? Are you still going up?!" Dag yelled, hoping for a response from above.


    "... Yes! I see something...!"


    To those words, they all made a startling and hopeful expression, believing that the brave Shieldmaiden had perhaps reached the exit of the tunnel, about half an hour after she had entered.


    "What? What do you see? Are you about to come to the surface?!" Dag continued, smiling, glad that his intuition would save the soldiers a lot of distance to cover.


    That moment of euphoria suddenly stopped when the rope stopped moving.


    "Uhm?"


    "Dag, the rope stopped!"


    "Yes, Captain, look! It''s not moving anymore! Maybe Claire ran into an obstacle!"


    Egill and Reidar began talking to Dag, who could not explain the strange phenomenon.


    "Claire?! All right?!" he yelled again.


    No answer.


    "Claaaaire!"


    Still nothing, the girl did not answer the call.


    The Masters kept screaming her name, in the hope that she would be able to communicate something when at one point, the rope began to move again, but at an incredible speed, crawling like a super-fast snake inside the hole in the wall.


    "What?! What the fuck is going on?" Dag gasped, who watched the rope moving and for a few seconds remained paralyzed, not knowing how to intervene.


    When she noticed that despite its length, the rope was about to enter the tunnel completely, he grabbed it and twisted it around his arm.


    "Captain!" Reidar shouted, grabbing the rope and holding it tightly with him.


    "Come on, let''s help her!" Sander yelled, who with his mighty arms wrapped Dag and grabbed the rope with one hand, pulling back.


    The rope suddenly froze and all three began to resist that incredible superhuman traction.


    "Fuck! What is it? It''s so strong! I can''t hold it!" Dag said, resting both feet on the wall and his back on Sander''s chest, leveraging and making the most of his physical strength.


    "Sons of bitches, leave the girl alone!" Sander screamed again, who tightened the rope even more and pulled hard, managing without too much trouble to pull it in the opposite direction.


    "Yes! It''s moving towards us! Master Sander, keep it that way!" exclaimed Dag, noting that whatever was pulling Claire couldn''t resist the physical strength of the Crows Of Odin''s Master of Defense.


    "Grrraaagh!" Sander grunted, forcing Dag and Reidar to let go, grabbing the rope with both arms and pulling at full power, while the veins on his muscles swelled, as well as those of his neck and forehead.


    "What''s going on?! Is anyone still stuck in there? Why is he pulling so hard?" Gridd asked, sharing the panic with the others, as two soldiers approached her and Kjell and explained to them what had just happened.


    Sander put his foot on the wall and the wall beneath it cracked, exerting even stronger traction.


    "Sander, if the rope is attached to the girl''s belt, that way you''re going to cut her in two!" Egill exclaimed, who, though he wasn''t physically participating, was behind them, trying to get something on his mind.


    Just as the rope moved a few more centimeters in the right direction, it suddenly came out completely out of the hole and Master Sander fell back to the ground, rolling backward after the impact, with the rope still in his hands.


    Dag grabbed the end still inside the tunnel and quickly pulled it out, realizing from the ease of extraction that it had been cut.


    When the final part of the rope finally came out of the rock, he and the others looked carefully at it and realized that it had been accurately severed with a blade.


    "Sander! Did you get hurt, my friend?!" Egill asked, who rushed towards him and helped him get up.


    "Yes, I''m fine... suddenly the force pulling in the opposite direction to mine was interrupted and I was unbalanced. I just slightly injured my arm, falling on sharp rocks" he said, showing the wound to Egill, who immediately opened his hand and held it still a few inches from his friend''s arm.


    From the palm of his hand, an intense green light came out, directed towards the wound: the blood dripping from the surface cuts began to flow backward, returning from where it had come and the cut completely closed.


    "Oh, thank you! It''s much better now!" Sander greeted, looking at his arm that had been fully healed by Egill, in a matter of seconds.


    "Captain, what do we do now?! What happened to Claire?! She was dragged out of the tunnel suddenly!" Reidar exclaimed, panicked, as well as the group of soldiers behind him, who did not expect to witness such a scene.


    "Claire... Claire... where the fuck are you?! What happened to you?!" Dag thought out loud, reflecting aloud on the incident and entering the tunnel, trying to see something and gather useful clues.


    One hand grabbed his ankle and dragged him backward, avoiding sliding his hands on the smooth surface of the rocks eroded by the water inside the hole.


    The hand was that of Freydis, who, before her boyfriend made a risky move, without thinking about the consequences, stopped him.


    "Where do you think you''re going alone? Can''t you see that one of our people just disappeared inside a hole in the wall? We must avoid going down this road!" Freydis said, looking at his boy with frightened eyes, not knowing how to react.

 358 CCCLVIII. The Second Attemp

    "We can''t let her go like this! Someone or something tried to pull her to the other side and it had a frightening force, we have to save her!" Dag continued, shouting and approaching the hole in the wall, looking up.


    "Claaaire! Claaaaire! Answer me!" he yelled, caught in a sense of deep malaise, recalling the last words he had said to that poor girl, whose only fault was to be in love with the wrong person.


    He thought of when she joined him at Hevnen and he abandoned her without saying a word, when he confessed her love and he told her that his heart belonged to another woman and she gotta get over it.


    Even the day before he had been rude to her, only because once again she had followed him, out of the sheer desire to be close to him, even for a short time, even if she would risk her life.


    Dag put his hand to the wall and looked down.


    "Why did we let her go... I had to go myself or some of us should, someone able to defend himself in case of aggression! Who could have done it? A Jotunn? A ferocious beast?!" he said, despairing at what had happened.


    "Dag, calm down! That''s not how we''re going to be able to save her... before someone pulled her away, she said she saw something, right? Maybe the tunnel exit! I have a feeling it''s as you imagined, and this corridor inside the rock leads somewhere to the surface. Now that we''ve lost one of us, we''ve got proof of that! At least let''s make sure she didn''t make her sacrifice in vain!" Freydis replied, raising her voice and turning Dag forcefully, trying to make him think in a lucid way.


    Dag looked at her with distraught and glossy eyes, holding back tears and breathing deeply, trying not to give in to panic.


    "You''re right. Some of us have to try to follow the same path, to find out where the tunnel leads! Maybe Claire was able to find an exit! I volunteer, who comes with me?" he asked, turning to the warriors nearby, who took a step back at those words, looking away and pretending not to hear.


    "You don''t really talk about it, Dag. You''re crucial for our mission, we can''t risk losing you to similar nonsense due to a distraction. As far as we know, the Shieldmaiden volunteering was aware that she was risking her life and may still be alive. Two Berserkrs will repeat her own path, making sure to bring weapons with them. The rope was severed with a blade, probably that of a dagger, so the presence of ferocious beasts or something like that is out of the question" Kjell said, approaching his colleagues and bringing back the order.


    "Yes, it''s true, look here... no doubt, smells like the work of enemy Clans warriors, it''s the Jotunns'' fault!" Reidar added, who after analyzing the cut rope in detail, showed it to all his companions.


    For a few seconds, the silence fell and no one came forward.


    "Masters, let me go. Claire was much younger than me, yet she chose of her own accord to risk for us all" a woman in her forties said, with short black hair and brown eyes.


    "I will join her if you will allow me. I will carry both of my swords with me, which are among the few weapons that can be used in such a tight space. Due to their reduced range, in case of need, I will be able to point them both up and down. With my attention and instinct, we''ll be able to follow the path out of this place" a Crows Of Odin Berserkr said, standing next to the Shieldmaiden of the Hammers Of Thor.


    "Excellent, that''s what I call teamwork! So, we''re going to use the rope method with you too... tie it around your waists and then you''ll be ready to climb. Those of you who will be in front will hold the torch and the other will hold the sword. That way you shouldn''t have any problems" Master Egill added, making himself useful by picking up two of the ropes Kjell and his men used to try to climb the iceberg across the cave.


    Once the quick preparations were over, the Shieldmaiden, who despite her muscular build was skinny and athletic, climbed into the hole first, beginning to crawl upwards.


    She was followed by the young Berserkr, who before beginning the journey inside the rocky massif wielded one of his two short swords.


    The minutes began to flow and this time Dag walked away from there, leaving control to his Masters colleagues, who, as they had done with Claire, tried to stay in touch with their men soldiers the tunnel.


    "When you get to a crossroads, you have to turn left, into the narrowest one, not towards where the sound of water comes from!" Sander yelled, remembering Dag''s reasoning by heart and emulating it perfectly.


    The two ropes continued to slide into the hole when the Berserkr said: "We''re here, sir! There is the entrance of a cave before our eyes!"


    "A cave? Great! By being very careful, try to figure out if you can get into it!" the Master Of Defense replied, who looked at Dag as he spoke, trying to guess if he was giving the right orders.


    Other sharp rock fragments and small pebbles fell from the hole, and the Masters in listening sensed that the path the two soldiers were following was exactly the same as Claire''s, as it became more slippery at that point.


    "Then? What do you see? Did you make it?!" Sander asked again, having a good feeling.


    "Yes!... we are inside the cave! The passage is safe! Pass one at a time and no one will get hurt!" the Berserkr answered from the other side of the tunnel, as his voice echoed through the cave.

 359 CCCLIX. Love Affairs

    "Hahaha, yes! Thank you, Dag! We knew that once again your knowledge and intelligence would pull us out of some bad situation!" Sander exclaimed, rejoicing in the news and touching Dag''s shoulder in gratitude.


    In general enthusiasm, Freydis focused on Dag and noticed his despondent expression, decidedly unsuitable for joy.


    "Are you sad for that girl, Dag?" she asked, approaching him without being noticed.


    "I don''t understand how they can have been already forgotten about her... as far as we know, she could be dead or kidnapped... or who knows what else! And they''re just glad that there''s a cave on the other side of the tunnel and maybe we can all get to the surface..." he answered, in a heartbroken tone and slightly annoyed by the attitude of his companions.


    "I understand what you mean and I agree with you. Only so many times we have made the same mistake. Have you ever had more men and women dying before your eyes and you forgot about them a few hours later?" Freydis continued, trying to reason with Dag and at the same time inquiring suspiciously about the true reason for his distress.


    "Yes, of course, it happened to me. For example during the battle to rescue you on Vaeren Island. Many of our men died, but I continued untill the end, only thinking about you and your salvation, which was my ultimate goal".


    "That''s it, you know why? Because I have different importance to you than other people have, as you for me. If there was a girl you didn''t know instead of me, I''m sure you wouldn''t have insisted so much on her release, wouldn''t you?"


    "What do you mean by that?" he asked, in a suspicious tone.


    "I mean maybe you and that girl didn''t meet yesterday for the first time, but much earlier" she continued, surprising Dag, who didn''t imagine getting caught so easily.


    He swallowed empty and for a few seconds, in his mind, he found himself faced with a choice: whether to lie and continue for who knows what reason not to talk about the true origin of the friendship between him and Claire, or to tell the truth and take this enormous weight out of consciousness.


    "Well, you got it... yes. Claire and I knew each other before. We met months ago when I was kidnapped by the Renegades and imprisoned in Mork Castle on Mount Torden. There, she was one of the personal slaves of King Hjalmar, the ''ruler'' of that well-known group of bandits. In a nutshell, her help was crucial to my escape, and I returned the favor by saving her and other women enslaved giving them the opportunity to settle at Magni''s farm, my late Master. Oh, do you see him? I left him there with them, defending the farm!" Dag confessed, pointing to Thalos, who followed him step by step never straying too far from his master.


    "Ah, that''s why he kept sniffing her legs and licking her hands! Hahaha!" Freydis laughed.


    "Hahahaha! What an incredible story! Hahaha!" Freydis continued to laugh, who once again left Dag stunned, who was convinced that his woman was even minimally jealous.


    "You''re not angry... or jealous?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.


    She slowly stopped laughing and recompose, replying: "You just told me you never cheated on me, why should I be? If you really want to know, I too have had many opportunities, so many men who would have wanted to be with me... but I never betrayed you, I always fulfilled the promise we made to Jernhest. I''m sorry about your friend, you''ll see, we''ll find her!"


    Dag sighed and smiled at Freydis, looking her intently in the eye and loving her every second more.


    He never expected such a calm and intelligent reaction in the sentimental field, but once again, the young red-haired Shieldmaiden had managed to amaze him, showing a maturity out of the ordinary and this only increased the esteem and affection that Dag felt for her.


    "Hey, now why are you smiling like an idiot? Hahaha" she began to chuckle, mocking his expression, while he was immersed in his thoughts.


    "Nothing, forget bout it. I''m glad you''re here with me, that''s all" he said, as Egill''s hand touched his shoulder.


    "I wouldn''t interrupt your conversation, but... I think we''re ready to go. Two other soldiers climbed the tunnel and were able to enter the cave, which apparently has a way to the surface" the Master Of Healing said, urging the two lovebirds to approach the others and line up.


    Dag and Freydis obeyed and joined the others, waiting their turn to climb.


    "As for the Iron Emerald... maybe it''s better if some of us stay in the area, such as near the cave where we''re going to come out. If anything happens to our ship, we''d be in serious trouble and we couldn''t come back" he said, addressing Kjell, who seemed the one most attentive to these details.


    "Yes, we will do as we had already established. We just have to check if this tunnel can be driven downhill, otherwise, it would change everything and we could no longer reach this cave from the surface, once we climbed" he said, looking at the soldiers, who two at a time, after they get harnessed, got into the hole.

 360 CCCLX. Reaching The Surface

    Dag paused for a moment to reflect, having not thought of this detail.


    When most warriors managed to climb, he tied the rope to his belt and along with his woman climbed into the tunnel.


    In the initial stretch, the slope was slightly sub vertical, but the smooth and uncut surface of the rocks allowed them to crawl over it with ease.


    After more than a hundred meters traveled in this way, following the natural curves in the rock, the diameter of the tunnel began to become narrower and narrower, until they too reached the crossroads.


    Above their heads, droplets of water permeated the cracks in the rocks, dripping on them, and the lingering stench of enclosure and moisture became less and less bearable.


    Two holes opened in front of them: a larger one on the right, which would probably lead them to the underground lake and a narrower one to the left, as in the description of the soldiers who had climbed earlier.


    They went to the left, struggling into the strait, helping themselves with their arms, and leaving the torch on the ground for a few seconds, being careful not to place it in a pool of water.


    "I wonder if Master Sander will be able to get through this... he''s a lot bigger than me and even I''m having a hard time" Dag said, who was the first in line.


    Freydis chuckled, dampening the tension of the moment and without any difficulty entered the left cavity, being careful to keep her spear below a certain height, knowing that if its tip had touched the ceiling, it would have risked getting stuck.


    Dag''s torch continued to illuminate the tunnel in front of them until the voices of the soldiers who had arrived on the other side became clearer.


    Step by step, partially covered by moss and slime, grown undisturbed among the basalts, both warriors arrived in the final stretch of the tunnel, decidedly narrower than the initial one and finally managed to get out, crawling out of the hole and trying to rest their hands downwards, not to suffer damage from the small elevation gap.


    When they rose to their feet, the torches of the other soldiers who had already arrived at their destination, illuminated the second cave, slightly smaller than the one below.


    "Master Dag, near this wall you can hear an air current! We believe the exit is in this direction!" Terje said, who along with a group of soldiers had a few more minutes to explore the place.


    "Great observation, Terje. Have you already tried to enter that tunnel?" Dag asked, pointing to a large indentation in the wall, which appeared to have been artificially constructed.


    "Negative, sir. We were waiting for your orders!" the Berserkr replied diligently, showing a strong sense of respect for his Master.


    "Let me take a look then. Before we move, we''ll wait until everyone is in the cave" Dag continued, approaching Freydis with the other warriors, waiting for his word.


    "Actually this seems to be the only exit. We have to be careful because surely Claire''s kidnappers have walked the same path" he said, thinking about the spaces.


    In the meanwhile, Egill and all the others popped out of the tunnel and with some difficulty, Sander was the last to enter the cave, aided by two soldiers who pulled him out, trying to prevent his belly from blocking his advance.


    "Uff! What a struggle! Well, are we all there?" the Master Of Defense asked, standing up and cleaning up his armor, of which he was forced to get rid of, tying it to his ankles, being it too big and heavy to pass through the tunnel.


    "I think so. Master Dag, are we ready to proceed? Which way?" Egill said, trying not to waste any more time.


    Dag, having made sure that all the Masters and the soldiers were in front of him, pointed to the second tunnel to be covered, which they believe would lead to the surface.


    Without hesitation and lining up in an orderly row, the troops of soldiers walked inside the tunnel, coming out of the cave two at a time.


    On the walls there were obvious signs of pickaxes, indicating that the cave had been dug by hand, also because its corridors were lined with some torch supports along the wall, which judging by the rust, seemed to be unused for many years.


    "This way" Dag continued, who opened the line, with the torch in one hand and the Giantbane in the other, ready to defend himself and his woman, who was walking beside him.


    The road continued for more than three hundred meters and after yet another curve, a gust of cold air froze the bones of the warriors, who tried to cover themselves and retain the heat.


    The water vapor produced by their breath became denser and denser when they finally came out of the tunnel and found themselves on the surface.


    Around them, a vast expanse of snow and ice stretched for miles, and the cold wind that carried snow and a slight rain made the view limited to a few meters.


    "Fuck! You can''t see anything up here!" Gridd said, covering her face with her arm and squinting, trying to focus on anything other than a rock or a snow pile.


    "Which way, Master Dag?" Sander asked, who all of a sudden seemed to rely entirely on the instinct of his young colleague.


    He looked up, trying to see the Sun, so he could orient himself.


    Despite the weather, an opaque and slight luminous sphere stood still in the sky and could not light up the landscape, which seemed to be timeless, preventing Dag and his companions from understanding what time it was, whether it was afternoon or evening.

 361 CCCLXI. Something To Go On

    "Let''s walk along this rock face... it should lead us to the coast. Seeing the sea, it will be easier for us to orient!" Dag exclaimed, urging his allies not to stray too far from the tunnel so that they can find their way back in the event of a strategic retreat.


    Without saying anything, Master Kjell had carried with him a long chain, which he had rolled around his shoulders.


    He untied it and wedged one of its ends to a rock at the entrance to the tunnel leading to the cave.


    "What are you doing?" Sander asked, who was walking next to him.


    "In this way, if we don''t find shelter for the night, we''ll be able to get back in there. We just have to find a place where to tie the other side of the chain so that we can walk the path backward" he explained, who had thought about this important detail, not wanting to risk losing his soldiers to the penetrating cold.


    Continuing to walk eastward, the wind gradually diminished its strength, until Dag could see the ravine in front of him, under which there was the Great Deep Sea.


    "Well, at least we know that the Iron Emerald isn''t visible from up here" he said, raising his arm and ordering everyone to stop because of the rough terrain.


    "Dag, look here... they look like footprints!" Freydis exclaimed, leaning down to the ground and tapping it with one hand.


    He approached her and looked at the indicated point: large circular furrows were dug in the fresh snow and repeated in succession, while the wind partially covered them.


    "They look like the footprints of a Jotunn! One here, another over there... There''s no doubt, somehow they are connected to what happened down in the cave, maybe they belong to the girl''s kidnapper!" Gridd continued, who despite personally recruiting Claire, didn''t even remember her face, which would make her realize that she wasn''t actually who she said.


    "I think we should follow them before the wind covers them for good! We can''t stay here, we''re going to freeze to death! We need to move and find another shelter!" Dag ordered, looking at Kjell and the others and seeking their approval.


    "I''m going to tie this chain to that big boulder, so we just have to go back to the coast to find our way back to the cave" Kjell said, who stuck the other end of the chain inside a fracture in the big rock next to them, which, thanks to the action of wind and rain, had taken on a characteristic shape, different from the others.


    "Perfect, let''s move, then! You heard Master Dag! Come on, try to keep up! The kidnapper can''t be far away!" Master Sander said aloud, trying to be heard by everyone despite the strong wind.


    Walking more or less neatly, Dag and his companions led the troops of soldiers, who merely followed them, managing to withstand enough the cold, thanks to their well-stocked equipment.


    "Claire, hold on! I don''t know who kidnapped you, but I''m going to save you again, just like I did in the past! I hope you''re in a warm place... this Jotunn was on foot, his footprints prove it!" he thought, continuing undaunted to walk in nothingness, while around him there was nothing but the white desolate landscape of Krypstorm.


    About half an hour passed when the warriors began to slow down due to the cold, which lowered their resistance.


    "Over there! I see something! Hold on, we can''t go back now, we''re too far from the cave!" Dag yelled, turning back and trying to encourage his soldiers.


    About 800 meters away from their current location, a kind of wooden fence stood in the middle of the snow, with two low hills behind it.


    "Courage! We''ve just arrived, the exploration hasn''t started yet! If two old men like us can make it, you young and determined warriors should have no problem resisting this cold!" Sander said, breathing hard and giggling with Egill, who like him was having some difficulty continuing, being his robe less suitable to travel long distances in the snow.


    Kjell accelerated and continued to walk next to Dag, looking forward.


    "It looks like it''s uninhabited... I don''t see smoke coming out of the chimneys and with this cold, I think even those who live in Krypstorm are forced to burn some wood to warm up" he said, discussing with Dag the possible inhabitants of that structure, which had all the air of being a half-destroyed village.


    Part of the fence, in fact, was ceded and the long pointed wooden beams lay on the ground partially covered by snow.


    With one last effort, Dag, Gridd, and Kjell managed to get to the village in advance, before all the others, to make sure it was safe.


    "If someone is ambushing us, we''re all doomed! There are no hiding places out here, it''s all so... white!" Gridd said, resting her shoulders behind some of the outer gate beams, hiding with his companions, who tried to look inside from the holes of the wood.


    Sharpening the view, Dag realized before them that, as anticipated by Kjell, the three huts that made up the village were abandoned.


    "Master Kjell, follow me. Gridd, you will stay there... at our signal you will give the soldiers the green light" Dag ordered, trying to be as practical as possible.


    He and Kjell quickly entered through the destroyed door of the fence, hiding behind the wooden skeleton of a wagon, completely destroyed by the weather.


    Communicating only with their eyes, they approached at great speed towards the first hut, exactly where the Jotunn''s footprints were interrupted.


    "Let''s be careful, he''s definitely in there" Kjell said, as Dag detached a piece of shattered wood from the wagon and without warning threw it toward the hut, hitting one of its walls.

 362 CCCLXII. The Autopsy

    The little piece of wood made a small noise, but it echoed to them, accompanied by the sound of the wind, which blew incessantly.


    "Don''t be impatient, wait! It could be more than one!" Kjell said, raising his arm toward Dag and preventing him from repeating that gesture, after which, however, they had not perceived any movement inside the hut.


    The chain warrior dashed forward and remained lowered, positioned himself on the front wall of the hut, whose door was completely destroyed, partially showing its interior.


    "And then I''m the impatient one!" Dag whispered, thinking aloud and cautiously walking across the door, face to face with his ally, as Gridd watched the scene from afar.


    Out of the corner of their eyes, they both tried to figure out if there was anyone inside the house, considering that the Jotunn''s footprints led right there.


    Kjell looked at Dag, making him realize that he could not see anything from his position, and Dag did the same, trying to use his nose more than his eyes.


    Concentrating, he approached the door even more, trying to smell something.


    The wood of the hut was totally shattered, as well as its furniture and the overturned table in the middle of the floor, covered with ice and mold.


    In addition to that stink, which made Dag realize that no one had lived in that hut for many years, there was another smell, stronger and incoherent with that of the environment.


    "Uhm? What is it?" Kjell whispered, trying to speak in the lowest possible voice.


    Dag continued to sniff like a hound when the particles of that nauseating smell took shape in his mind and he sensed that it was fresh blood, which judging by the particular smell, was not human.


    Before Kjell could continue with the questions, he got up and entered the door undisturbed, terrified both his companion and Gridd, who from a distance could not understand what was going on and continued to keep the allied soldiers away.


    "Are you crazy?! What the fuck are you doing, Dag?!" Kjell exclaimed, immediately wielding both of his chains and joining him, ready to remedy his bad mistake.


    Immediately after passing the door, both of the Masters Of Offense stopped to watch the show in front of their eyes.


    The huge corpse of a Jotunn lay on the ground, in a deep pool of dark red blood.


    Flies and other types of insects particularly resistant to the cold flew around it, beginning the slow process that would lead to its rotting, while his hand was still clinging to one leg of the overturned table.


    "What the fuck did it happen?" Kjell asked aloud, as Dag approached the corpse, trying to figure out something more.


    The huge giant had his mouth wide open and his jaws were completely soaked in blood, as well as part of his face.


    "We thought the Jotunns were the problem, but maybe there''s something even more dangerous than them..." Dag commented, lowering himself and dipping a finger in the blood, trying to get an idea of the time that had elapsed since the giant had died.


    "What?! What could have done such a thing? What about those? Those wounds... they seem to have been caused by huge claws! I don''t know of ferocious animals capable of killing a Jotunn of this size!" Kjell replied, who couldn''t hold back his concern.


    "Aaagh! What the fuck?!"


    Dag and Kjell turned around, discovering that Gridd had also entered the hut.


    "Why did you come in without our signal? It could be dangerous, Gridd!" Dag shouted, standing up and looking into her eyes, his hand still dirty with Jotunn''s blood.


    "I left the command to Sander and Egill... our soldiers won''t move until their order... this... this is a Jotunn! Who reduced him to these conditions?!" she asked, her eyes wide open in amazement.


    "We were wondering it too. Anyway, the wounds on his neck are still fresh, as is this pool of blood. He died recently, maybe an hour. With this cold, the rotting process has slowed down, but if he had been killed for longer his muscles would be stiffer and icier" Dag said, resting one foot on the calf of the beastly being and proving to his two companions the truth of his thesis.


    "Brrr... it freezes in there!" Gridd said, who despite the fright of seeing that scene, couldn''t help but think of the cold the soldiers were enduring outside, standing still waiting for their orders.


    "Kjell, you and Gridd go check out the other two huts, which will certainly be empty... once you''ve made sure they''re safe, order all the soldiers to come in and equally split into two groups, trying to stay as close as possible and warm up" Dag ordered, who didn''t seem intent on getting out of that hut before examining the details of the corpse.


    "All right, Dag" Kjell confirmed, who immediately obeyed the order, running out to check on the other huts.


    Gridd did the same, but before crossing the door she was interrupted by Dag, who said: "Ah, Gridd... tell Master Egill I need help here... and bring Reidar too".


    Gridd nodded her head, confirming that she understood, and soon after, she ran to help Kjell.


    Within minutes, all the soldiers entered the village, splitting into the two huts that, unlike the first, were equipped with a door that had managed to withstand the weather.


    As requested by Dag, Egill and Reidar joined him, making a disgusted expression after seeing the corpse.


    "Captain! But what the..."


    "I''m trying to figure it out too, my friend, so I asked my sister to call the two I think are the most perceptive of the group" Dag replied, implicitly complimenting Egill and his archer friend.


    Without saying a word, the Master Of Healing approached the corpse and placed a hand at the height of his head, without touching him.

 363 CCCLXIII. The Deep Cuts

    "I need you to turn it around, I need to see what condition his chest is in" he said, after nearly a full minute of silence, which seemed interminable because of the cold wind hanging over the broken door.


    Both Dag and Reidar lowered themselves to the giant corpse from the same side: one of them grabbed his arm, while the other barely lifted it from his leg.


    With a considerable effort, they managed to turn it belly up, as requested by Egill.


    The upper part of the body was completely red, having remained immersed in blood until that moment, but in the middle of the chest, three huge cuts were clearly visible, which from the stomach reached up to the neck.


    "Oh, holy fuck!" Dag exclaimed, who for a moment felt a sense of disgust at seeing Jotunn''s internal organs emerge from the wounds that penetrated his flesh.


    "They were claws, there''s no doubt about it" Egill said, crossing his arms and continuing to look at the corpse.


    "Claws?! Which beast has such large, sharp claws?" Reidar answered, who still couldn''t explain the phenomenon.


    Just then, all three heard a slight sound of footsteps and when they turned to the door, they saw Thalos, who had been attracted by the strong smell of blood.


    "Hey, Thalos! I had no doubt that you would be able to keep up, you are much more resilient than us at these temperatures..." Dag commented, stroking his four-legged friend, whose back fur was covered in snow.


    Shyly, the wolf began to approach the corpse when Dag positioned himself in front of him.


    "I know you''re hungry, my friend... but I don''t think this meat is very healthy for you. Take this for now... I promised you that soon you will eat fresh some meat" he continued, extracting two large pieces of dried meat and approaching them to the wolf''s snout, which immediately opened its jaws and began to chew them greedily, looking at Dag and the corpse out of the corner of his eye.


    "Captain... when we fought that Jotunn archer, I remember that your hammer failed to scratch his skin, which was stronger than armor. Look at this instead... the beast that managed to kill him opened his stomach as if it was a burlap sack! His claws, in addition to being huge, must be even sharper than our swords and axes!" Reidar continued, expressing his misgivings.


    "Yes... it''s like you said..." Dag said distractedly, while his gaze was pointed on his gray wolf, who with one paw kept the piece of meat on the ground and with his fangs ripped it, piece by piece, licking his whiskers.


    "By the way... admitting that it was this Jotunn who kidnapped Claire... now, where is she?" Egill asked, trying to reflect on the chronology of what happened.


    Dag continued to watch his wolf as he finished eating the meat, immersed in his thoughts.


    "Nothing important, Master Egill, just some stupid stuff... I don''t know where Claire is, but her blood is not here. We should go out and look for other tracks, then follow them and figure out where they''d take us, but... even it''s difficult to understand currently watching the sky, the sunset is now near and I think the cold will increase further. The soldiers would not be able to get back on the road immediately and venturing on their own would be an unnecessary risk. We just have to hope that tomorrow morning we will find those footsteps, which could be dirty with the blood of this Jotunn" Dag said, who was working out several theories in his head.


    "So, you''re saying that in your opinion, whoever killed this giant ''stole the loot'' and took Claire away with him?" Egill replied, confused by Dag''s reasoning, as well as Reidar, who looked puzzled at him, trying to understand why he was watching the wolf intently.


    "Yes, I think so. If Claire had died or has been seriously injured, there would be her blood strewn across the hut, or we would have found it along the path we followed, which is the same one that walked the Jotunn... if she had managed to escape in any way, I doubt she would have run that way, she would surely have come back! The road from the cave is not so difficult and although she may not have excellent orientation skills, I think she would have been able to return to us on her own... no, none of this happened. She was taken away" Dag continued, explaining his reasoning, which made perfect sense.


    "Damn... we haven''t even reached the first base of the Giants that we''ve already lost a unit. We need to be more careful, Dag... our decisions affect the lives of soldiers, who carry out our orders without complaining. Next time someone has to volunteer, I will go, I''m just a decrepit old man. My life is expendable, but that of these young people is not" Egill said in a sad voice, thinking back to the face of the missing girl, of whom he only got a glimpse.


    Dag and Reidar paused for a minute of silence, reflecting on those words.


    Then, preventing Thalos from approaching the bloody corpse, they decided to get out of the hut and reach their allies, only a few dozen meters away.


    In the second hut, there were more than twenty soldiers, sitting on the ground and very close to each other, intent on holding the heat under the furs that covered their shoulders.


    In the third place, there were the other Masters, including Karl and Freydis, who after lighting a small bonfire, were drinking something warm.


    "Hey! Here you are, at last, you took your time!" Karl said, pointing Dag to the other two to sit next to them, around the bonfire.

 364 CCCLXIV. The Opinion Sharing

    Egill, Dag, and Reidar sat side by side on the old, moldy wooden floor and began sipping a hot broth, which someone more foreshadowing than them had brought with them.


    "So? What did you find out? I noticed that you stayed in that hut for a long time, despite the cold" Freydis asked, stroking Dag''s shoulders, who was shaking without even noticing.


    He began to tell what they had seen in the hut, although Kjell had already anticipated something, despite he was not much of a talker.


    With the help of Egill and Reidar, he described the injuries sustained on the Jotunn''s corpse and their theories about who or what could be the killer of such a huge being.


    "And what about Claire? There''s no sign of her? Is she there?" Karl asked, who next to his sister was listening to Dag''s story, sipping the broth from his mug.


    "Someone took her away. We don''t know who, but it seems to have disappeared into thin air and her blood is nowhere. If the Jotunn who is now lying dead on the ground had given it to another Jotunn en route from the cave to this village, we would have noticed it from the footprints. But there''s nothing, it remains a mystery" Dag said, covering his shoulders with a fur coat and blowing some warm air into his hands, which looked like two pieces of ice, despite his leather fingerless gloves.


    Everyone sitting around the bonfire expressed their opinions and misgivings about Claire''s unresolved issue but agreed that this could not delay the mission, the exploration of the new continent.


    They all spoke, except Reidar, who, with his gaze firm on the fire, was immersed in his thoughts, processing something.


    "All the soldiers, before leaving, knew the risks we would face. As bad as it is to let her go and pretend that nothing has happened, I propose to leave immediately tomorrow morning and head inland, to look for inhabited places and begin our revenge. If the Shieldmaiden''s abduction were to lead to an enemy village, we would take two birds with one stone" Kjell said, with his usual coolness, considering Claire''s rescue option a mere waste of time.


    Dag, as far as he could be attached to her and sorry for how he had treated her during their last conversation, could only agree to the proposal to resume the journey north, which was the most logical thing to do.


    "Of course, you''re perfectly right, Freydis. Tomorrow morning, after regaining our strength, we will leave north, looking for inhabited villages" Sander said.


    After those words, Dag stood up and turned to the soldiers in the hut, ready to make an announcement.


    "Soldiers! We''re going to spend the night in here, divided between this hut and the other, because they''re the only shelters miles away... some of you will also notify your companions who are in the other house. In addition, we will take turns to look over the place, divided into groups of at least 6 people per hut" he said, as his listeners nodded.


    After his announcement, two warriors stood up and approached the door, taking a long breath before going out and wrapping their furs around their faces as well.


    As soon as the door opened, in a few seconds, the icy wind filled much of the hut, and Karl and Freydis were forced to stand in front of the bonfire so as not to make it extinguish.


    Before Dag could sit back on the floor, Reidar stood up and approached him, intending to tell him something on the sidelines.


    The two companions moved slightly away from the others, positioning themselves in a corner of the hut.


    "I know what you were thinking before, Captain" the archer said, looking into Dag''s eyes.


    "What are you referring to?"


    "When you looked at your wolf. I know that expression, I know what you were thinking. I too noticed how Thalos tore those pieces of meat, using his claws and tusks" Reidar continued.


    Dag looked back, marveling at what he had just heard: by now Reidar had become so attentive and empathetic, that he recognized his looks and gave them a precise meaning, knowing his personality.


    He thought something like this had never happened to him, not even with Freydis.


    His friend had only needed a glance to understand what he had in mind.


    "You will never stop surprising me, my friend... yes, I was thinking about¡­ that thing. We all know that the Giants Of Ymir are just one of the Clans that populate this nation. There could be even more than three of them, as far as we know. But those cuts on the Jotunn''s chest... they were incredibly accurate to have been made by a beast and too deep to be caused by a human weapon. Whoever reduced that giant to those conditions must have been the perfect fusion of man and beast, in which both sides coexist in balance, in a lethal union" Dag said, confessing his thoughts to his friend and trying to figure out if Reidar had really realized what he was referring to.


    "The Claws Of Fenrir..." Reidar answered in a low voice, trying not to be heard by anyone.


    "That''s right. I was thinking about them. Remember, the Giants Of Ymir aren''t the only shape-shifters. Legends tell that the adepts of the great wolf Fenrir are able to turn into large werewolves when the sun goes down".

 365 CCCLXV. Playing Away

    "But when we arrived in this village the sunset had not yet arrived! How is that possible then?" the archer asked, touching his chin and reflecting.


    "I said the ''legend'', Reidar. According to the legend, we could never meet a God in the flesh, yet we did. In my opinion, here at Krypstorm, Fenrir, Ymir, and Loki''s powers are stronger, and those of our Gods are weakened. I don''t know why, but I have this feeling, I can sense it in my blood!" Dag continued in a low voice, as Freydis slightly looked at him, smiling and happy to be with him in a warm place.


    "Fuck... so you think that in reality, the Claws Of Fenrir can transform even during the day?! That would make things even scarier! We don''t know where they are and where they come from... they could attack us at any moment!"


    "That''s why I ordered the soldiers to monitor the huts. We have to be smart, Reidar... this time we''re playing outside. We are just intruders in their land. Krypstorm may seem like an endless expanse of snow and rocks, but I''m sure it''s not like that for them: they know every corner and every cave, which makes them much more skilled than us in the movements" Dag continued, trying to keep these concepts in mind, which should never be overlooked during any kind of route, short or long.


    Despite the unencouraging chat, the two friends returned next to the bonfire, lying down and trying to rest, while the first six warriors stood up and distributed themselves alongside the walls, trying to spy through the cracks in the wood and the windows, which although they were almost completely destroyed, still sheltered from the cold.


    Dag rested his head on Freydis''s legs, who began stroking his face and hair, helping him to sleep.


    The fire, in addition to heating the interior of the hut, illuminated the spaces, which would otherwise have been completely shrouded in darkness, as well as the landscape visible from the windows.


    Dag, with his eyes ajar in exhaustion, continued to look out the window, imagining all the dangers that could lie in that cold darkness, inspired by the speech he had made just a few minutes before with Reidar.


    The atmosphere was made even darker by the sound of the wooden walls, which squeaked during the voluptuous gusts of wind, which in addition to wobbling the entire structure, whistled through hundreds of spiffs, in every direction.


    Sander, Kjell, Egill, and Gridd lay nearby, next to the bonfire, enjoying the slightly higher temperature in that position and slowly falling asleep.


    Karl and Reidar also lay down, but on the other side of the fire, next to Freydis, on whose legs Dag stayed still, exceptionally remaining awake more than others, immersed in his thoughts.


    Continuing to think and pampered by the sound of the wind becoming lighter and lighter, Dag fell asleep.


    ...


    The next morning, the bitter cold outside the hut penetrated the wood of the shattered walls, while the warriors continued to take turns to guard the two buildings.


    Dag and Kjell were the first two Masters to stand up from the ground and after a long stretch, useful to awaken the sore muscles from the icy floor, they approached the soldiers.


    "Master Dag, Master Kjell! The situation was calm throughout the night and the weather seems to be better compared to yesterday. The violent wind stopped and the visibility increased significantly" a young warrior said, who immediately reported on the current situation as soon as he saw his two Masters.


    "No suspicious movement or noise?" Kjell asked, also looking at another guard next to the first, to get a second opinion.


    "Yes, Master Kjell. Everything went well. The haze that rested on the snow yesterday has disappeared and despite the almost arctic cold, this morning the sky is clear. I think these are the best circumstances to get back on the road" the second guard said, standing with his back straight ahead of Kjell, out of respect.


    "Well, that''s good news" the chain-warrior replied.


    "Kjell, wait for everyone to wake up and get ready to resume their journey. I will be waiting for you outside the hut... I need to check something" Dag said, resting his hand on the shoulder of his ally, who not asking for further explanation, nodded, realizing that Dag was referring to the possible footprints left by Jotunn''s killer.


    After his request, Dag approached the door and opened it with difficulty, shifting a remarkable pile of snow that had formed behind it overnight.


    In front of him, the view was breathtaking: a flat expanse of fresh snow stretched for a few kilometers and here and there, scattered around the moor, mountains with acute peaks and steep slopes sprang up.


    Looking around, he was able to easily locate the cliff near which it was possible to access the cave leading to the Iron Emerald.


    Behind the village''s three huts and wooden walls, two small snow-capped and almost totally devoid of vegetation hills hid the view of what was behind them.


    Before heading that way, Dag approached the Jotunn hut, to take a look at the corpse: he just stopped before the destroyed door to notice that the giant''s body was still there, lying up, exactly as they had left it the night before.


    From his large toes to the ends of the head, the corpse was almost in a state of complete hibernation, having been exposed to those temperatures for many hours.


    It was enough for him to note this detail to infer that no night beast had approached the dwellings, as described by the soldiers of the Allied troops.

 366 CCCLXVI. A Lead To Follow

    "The smell of blood was so strong as to attract Thalos, who is not used to all this cold. It is strange that there are no wolves or other animals living in these climatic conditions" Dag thought, reflecting on the possible fauna that populated those unexplored lands.


    Just after thinking of his four-legged friend, from behind the second hut, in which the rest of the troops had spent the night, Thalos sprang up, walking proudly in the fresh snow, with his snout down to the ground, perhaps looking for some olfactory trail to follow.


    "Hey... good morning my friend! Did you smell anything?" he asked, leaning down to the large gray wolf, who continued to approach his master.


    Thalos kept undaunted to smell on the ground and turn around the huts, without paying attention to his words.


    Suspicious of his pet''s unusual attitude, Dag followed him, trying to figure out what he had sensed, something so particular that caught his attention so much that he didn''t listen.


    Behind the hut where Freydis and his other companions were still in, there were small furrows in the snow, but they did not look like footprints.


    "Mmmh... buddy, I think you''re wrong... even if there were traces, tonight''s heavy snowfall definitely covered them" Dag said, speaking to Thalos as if he were a human being.


    After those words, the wolf began to make a strange sound, like a cry, as if he had suddenly felt something he could not resist.


    Dag said nothing, merely standing still and watching the scene.


    Thalos continued to move frantically up and down, left and right until he reached the top of one of the village''s two small hills and stopped, sticking his nose in the snow and then raising his head upwards, howling.


    "Awoooo! Awooo!" the grey wolf howled, making Dag understand that he had found a lead.


    Immediately, he rushed in that direction and lowered himself to the spot sniffed by his furry friend, dipping his knees in the fresh snow.


    Thalos began to whine again, increasing progressively as Dag dipped his hands in the snow, beginning to dig.


    "What is it? There''s nothing here, what did you smell?" he asked, who couldn''t see anything important, apart from pieces of frozen earth and small shards of rock.


    The wolf tried in every way to communicate something to Dag, repeatedly touching the ground at that point and then his arm, with his large, wet black nose.


    "All right, I get it... I''ll try it too" Dag said, closing his eyes and lowering his face to the ground, ready to sniff something like a hound.


    Although he had never tried before to smell something trapped in the ground, he wanted to trust the instinct of his four-legged friend, whose sense of smell was still more developed than his own.


    Dag repeated the operation several times and very slowly, something began to take shape in his mind.


    "Yesterday''s snow is definitely under the layer of fresh snow... so if there were footprints, their smell was somehow trapped in the lower layers, even partly in the soil below" Dag thought, who as if he was a voracious predator, recognized a slight smell of blood among the small wet and sharpened stones of the almost muddy ground, under which was Krypstorm''s permafrost.


    Thalos, as if he understood that his master needed a moment to concentrate, became silent and sat next to him, standing motionless to look at him, waiting for something to happen.


    As he continued to exhale and breathe in, Dag was able to feel more and more the smell of blood, which unquestionably belonged to neither a human nor a large boar.


    It was very similar to that of the Jotunn found dead in the hut, whose corpse emitted a stench difficult to forget.


    "You''re right! I feel it too! It smells like blood!" Dag exclaimed, telling the wolf about his discovery.


    Thalos began to bark, glad that his thesis was correct, and looking forward, he made Dag guess that in addition to identifying a starting point, he also had a direction to follow.


    "Very good! You''ve been looking for a lead all this time, didn''t you? You''ve been great! Did you even smell Claire?" he asked, stroking the wolf on his forehead, who as soon as he heard that name bent his head, acknowledging the sound.


    "Claire... Claire! Can you smell Claire, Thalos?!" Dag asked again, slowly repeating the girl''s name, allowing the wolf to understand it.


    "Arf! Arf! Awoooo!" the wolf replied, responding affirmatively to Dag''s request.


    "Yes! Fuck yeah! Good job, buddy!"


    After those words, just as Dag got up from the ground ready to follow the trail, forgetting for a moment everything else, a voice called him on the other side of the hut.


    "Daaag! Hey, Dag! Where have you been? We were looking for you everywhere, the soldiers are ready to go, what are you doing?" Gridd asked, as Freydis stood by her and continued to rub her eyes to recover from sleep.


    "Thalos has found a lead to follow! He smelled blood in the ground... most likely it belongs to the beast that killed the giant and kidnapped Claire! If we''ll follow him, we could..."


    "Thalos? Do you mean your wolf?" Sander interrupted, asking Dag to better explain the situation.


    "Yes, he did it!"


    "Do we really want to rely on the indications of a wild wolf to venture into this huge, unexplored place?" Kjell asked, continuing Sander''s speech, but in a decidedly more arrogant tone.


    Dag did not answer immediately and snorted, looking down.


    "Sorry, before you start squabbling again... I have already seen such a speech when we suspected the words of the little girl in the village... do you remember that?" Gridd asked, walking towards her brother and addressing everyone else.

 367 CCCLXVII. More Than A Wild Wolf

    "Yes... so what? You can''t make rash choices here... we could all die at any moment" Kjell replied, supporting his thesis.


    "Look around you... do you see any road or path? I don''t see anything, not even trees! Do any of you know where to go to get to a Jotunn camp or any other place where to get some supplies?" the Sons Of Freya''s Master Of Offense continued.


    No one answered, not even Kjell.


    "Well, as I imagined. You all decided to follow my brother here to Krypstorm. You have done so with your own will. Now, I can assure you that every time he says there''s a lead, there''s no need to ask questions, the Gods have given him much more developed senses than yours and mine. Remember why we''re here! You are free men and women, you can go wherever you want. But splitting our forces doesn''t help... we would all die, with no chance to fight for our lives" she replied, pausing just before finishing the speech, leaving the Allied troops a few minutes to think about it.


    The soldiers, in fact, stood still and watched Dag and Thalos, who was staring at the same point as before, indicating to his master the direction that would perhaps lead them closer to Claire.


    Kjell grimaced, not appreciating Gridd''s speech in favor of Dag, as usual, and turning the other way, resigned to not being in charge.


    "My friends, you have always been free to choose who to follow! We are here, in this timeless land, completely unexplored, that hides who knows how many dangers! Let''s stick together! Our only goal, for now, is to look for food and water, but we must all do it together! We''ll follow our Masters, the pillars of Okstorm''s three most powerful Clans!" Freydis exclaimed, speaking without permission, as if she was a Master, now part of the Iron Alliance elite.


    "Long live Master Dag, the Exiled!" Gridd shouted, praising her brother and calling him by the nickname given to him by the warriors of his Clan, who had named him after all he had to endure when he was kicked out of the Temple Of Orn.


    "Sk?l!" two warriors from the crowd exclaimed, stepping forward and cheering Dag, who noticed that they were Terje and Runa, the two pupils of the Hammers Of Thor.


    "Master Dag, the Exiled!" Sander added, who raised his axe up to the sky, pulling it out of his belt and helping to boost the morale of the troops, attracting the attention of Kjell, who still did not expect even his colleague to accept being an underling of such a young boy.


    As the opaque Sun illuminated the desolate and snowy wastelands of Krypstorm, Dag saw in front of him dozens of warriors shouting his name, followed by that strange title, which he had earned unintentionally, never giving up in the face of difficulties he had passed through.


    "Arf! Arf! Arf!" Thalos barked again, eager to follow the sniffed track, as if he wanted to attract the attention of all, now hanging from Dag''s lips.


    "Thalos is more than just a wild wolf. During my exile, he taught me how to survive alone in the middle of the forest... how to hunt, how to identify traces of other animals, how to survive the loneliness and how to retain heat when away from home. I owe him most of the things I''ve learned. All he asked me in return is my company and some leftover food. You know, wolves usually hunt and live in packs... but he''s different. There''s something in his eyes... something that other wild animals don''t have. On his own free will, following only his instincts and senses, he managed to reach me in Runar, crossing alone two of Okstorm''s largest regions. I think we should all learn from him. We must follow our instincts and abandon the canonical schemes for a moment... the glory of exploration awaits us!" Dag shouted, galvanizing the soldiers in front of him, who appreciated the speech and continued to cheer him on, believing they had much to learn from him.


    Freydis positioned herself next to him and grabbed his hand, looking into his eyes, ready to follow him everywhere.


    Gridd, Egill, and Sander did the same, disposing of a neat row behind him, while Kjell stayed away, ready to follow them, but keeping the distance.


    "Let''s go then! If we''re lucky, this trail will lead us to an enemy camp. Remember, stay ready to fight and keep your muscles warm on the way... enemies can attack us at any moment!" he replied, who after concluding his speech of encouragement began to walk, making a gesture with his hand and telling Thalos to go on.


    The wolf, without hesitation, began to walk at a sustained pace in the direction identified just before, with his nose constantly near the snow, ready to sniff out some sudden change of direction.


    The troops of the three Clans walked for more than three hours in the snow, which made the crossing of the valley slightly slower, forcing them to proceed with caution.


    The direction of the path changed two or three times, while the great gray wolf made his way under the watchful eye of Dag, who with the visual qualities of a hawk, constantly tried to peer into far objects.


    The Sun rose high in the sky, just above the heads of the warriors, whose determination outweighed the tiredness of the legs when finally, something was visible in the distance.


    "Over there! There''s something, Captain! It looks like another village, but much bigger than the first camp we encountered!" Reidar said, who paid attention to every particular detail walking next to Dag and Freydis, on the front line.

 368 CCCLXVIII. Desire To Rule

    The flat ground decreased in altitude and the huge flat expanse of snow became a slope, the inclination of which gradually increased towards a deep inlet in the rock, precise as a cut, which looked like a kind of wound dug into the ground.


    A small ravine opened in front of the soldiers, who slowed their advance until they stopped, under Dag''s orders, who raised his arm.


    "It looks very deep down there... do you think there''s some water?" Sander asked, trying to get up on the tips to look over the overhang.


    ''I don''t know and I don''t think it''s an important detail. That village in the distance seems to be inhabited. Grey smoke comes out of the chimneys of its houses. We must proceed with caution. We''re going to use that headland on the right to get closer... if we continue in this direction, the enemies could very easily identify us in the midst of all this white snow" Dag replied, signaling to his colleague and all his allies a small mountain with a pointed summit a few hundred meters away from them.


    With caution and trying not to make too much noise despite the distance from the village, the soldiers followed their Masters behind the promontory, remaining focused and ready to extract their weapons in case of sudden attacks.


    Dag ordered Thalos to join them, preventing him from proceeding alone, continuing to sniff.


    "It looks like the lead identified by your wolf leads down there... do you think the village is guarded by warriors?" Freydis asked, approaching him from behind.


    "Look... not far from those buildings there are wagons. I can hardly believe it, too, but this place looks like some kind of commercial base. Maybe it''s a center from which supplies are transported" he said, pointing a specific point to Freydis.


    The village, unlike those that they all were used to seeing, was without walls and was completely carved into the rock of a low and wide mountain.


    The doors and windows were square and people came in and out of the buildings, moving on foot or dragging small horses, which from a distance looked like mules.


    "If it''s as you say, we were lucky! Assaulting that place is gonna be a breeze and we will be able to feed and dissect our soldiers!" Gridd intervened, who was listening to the conversation.


    Before answering his sister, Dag looked at the wolf, trying to figure out what his feedback was on that situation.


    Thalos, unlike them who were focused on looking at the village, had his eyes set on the gigantic split in the rock.


    "Hey, what''s down there?" Dag asked, trying to figure out what was attracting his pet''s attention.


    Dag looked toward the inlet, which was about half a kilometer from their current location, then toward the village, located about the same distance, but on the other side.


    "Our soldiers are starting to get hungry Dag, and our food and water supplies are running low... we should take advantage of the temperature of the day to attack and plunder those warehouses!" Gridd added, who strangely agreed with Kjell''s plan, looking towards the village and imagining the function of its buildings, which seemed very well organized.


    He accepted the proposal and lowered himself towards Thalos, whispering in his ear: "Let''s wait a bit, okay? After attacking that village I promise you I will come with you to check what is under there".


    The wolf seemed to dislike the message and continued to sniff on the ground, without giving too much importance to the soldiers of the Allied troops.


    "We will split into three groups so that we will be ready to help each other in case of need and not be easily under fire from any enemy archers" Dag said, who immediately proved to his allies that he could be resolute and practical, feeling responsible for his role as Warchief.


    After his order and the support of the other Masters, within minutes, the troops quickly split into three groups, one for each Clan.


    A fourth group consisted of the 5 Masters, who were the first to approach the village, with their backs slightly lowered, trying to keep a low profile for as long as possible.


    Mimicking their commanders, the soldiers did the same, walking in rows slightly lowered on their legs and separating from each other, covering a larger area as they approached the village.


    As he walked, Dag noticed that Thalos was not following them, but had lagged behind, near the mountain, as if he had been offended by the response of his master, who had preferred to listen to other human beings rather than to him.


    With slight remorse, he tried to stay focused on the impending assault, trying to locate enemy soldiers, but they were not yet visible.


    About a hundred meters from the first dwellings, being the village seemingly defenseless, Kjell took matters into his own hands, and without telling anything about his intentions to the other Masters, pulled out his chains, producing a metallic sound, and beginning to run forward, sliding them through the snow.


    "Kjell! What the fuck are you doing?!"


    "Kjell!"


    Sander and Dag tried to call the chain-warrior, but he did not listen to them and continued on his way, heading at great speed to the town.


    After seeing the scene, some of the Crows Of Odin warriors followed their Master, charging towards the village without a plan of attack, holding their weapons and screaming.


    "Fuck! Fuck! Let''s go!" Dag exclaimed, who began to run after them, making a signal to the other Masters and all the other troops to attack mercilessly, not being able to leave Kjell and the few soldiers who had decided to follow him alone against the enemies, whose number was not yet known.

 369 CCCLXIX. Then Hidden Mercy

    "He''s a real idiot! How dare he take such an initiative?! He always tries to moralize about the lives of soldiers and how dangerous it is to move blindly... and then what does he do?! Without saying anything to anyone he charges towards unknown enemies?! How unconscious! Because of him, we are now forced to attack blindly!" he thought, hoping within himself that the attack would succeed and continuing to look around.


    The first citizens of the village who saw Kjell arrive immediately began to run in the opposite direction, screaming out loud in a desperate attempt to warn their fellow citizens of the looming danger.


    But he, without thinking, made a short leap and stretched out his arm forward, firing at great speed one of his chains, which twisted precisely around the ankles of one of the fleeing men.


    The victim of the attack, who had a large sack on his shoulders, fell to the ground and his load overturned on impact: a pile of potatoes sank in the snow and as soon as he saw them, Dag realized that they were really merchants and farmers, intent on managing food resources.


    Being a long way from Kjell, he tried to scream to stop, but his voice did not arrive in time and the Crows Of Odin''s Master Of Offense pulled the chain towards him and dragged the man onto the ground, stubbing him behind his back with the blade of the second chain as he squirmed in fear.


    Caught in the fury of the moment, Kjell continued to run forward, killing three other unarmed men within seconds, whose only goal seemed to be to run towards the center of the stone-carved village, in which stood a tower slightly higher than the other buildings with a small bell on top.


    "That way! We have to stop that bell from ringing, it''s definitely an alarm! Soldiers, attack, and try to be silent!" Gridd shouted, surprising Dag, who looked at her out of the corner of his eye, not expecting to hear such words come out of his sister''s mouth in those circumstances.


    Because of the hunger and the long walk in the cold snow, Gridd ran forward with a merciless expression, ready to kill dozens and dozens of innocent people in order to put something under her teeth.


    Dag kept running, looking around.


    He himself had adhered to the plan, confirming his intentions of wanting to plunder the village, but the screams of the people who died one after the other under the violent blows of the axes and swords of his allies entered his head and for a moment he slowed his dash, intending to stop.


    At that moment the lugubrious spectacle reached its peak, with his soldiers slaughtering any life form that did not wear armor similar to their own.


    A woman ran to the bell tower, holding a child by the hand and dragging him with her, when one of the Sons Of Freya soldiers saw her and walked towards her, who stumbled and fell into the snow.


    Dag was paralyzed for a few seconds.


    Clutching his fists, he stood still and watched as the soldier grabbed the woman by the dress and prevented her from moving, dragging her backward.


    In a desperate gesture, she tried to kick him in the legs, giving the child a few more seconds to run away, but after being pushed away, he stood motionless to watch his mother being slaughtered in cold blood, with the white snow turning red in front of his eyes.


    "Hey!" yelled Dag, unable to stand still and attracting the attention of the soldier, who after dealing with the woman was about to approach the child.


    "Help your mates at the warehouses, that way. Leave the brat to me"


    "As you wish, Master Dag" the Berserkr replied, immediately heading to the rest of the allied troop.


    Soon after, Dag walked toward the child, who looked at him with terror in his eyes, retreating in fear, crawling his feet in the snow filled with his mother''s blood.


    On his trousers appeared a stain at the height of the pubis, which widened slowly.


    Thin tears imbued his eyes, fixed on Dag, which continued to advance toward him.


    Dag put his hand in his pocket and approached, turning his back to the rest of the troop, hundreds of meters away, whose soldiers were intent on looting the houses and opening the large wooden doors of one of the village''s two warehouses.


    "No... no... please...! I didn''t do anything... don''t kill me!" the child begged, who fell to the ground backward and raised his hands toward Dag.


    When he pulled his hand out of his pocket, the child noticed that there was no weapon ready to be pointed at his neck, but only 4 or 5 pieces of dried meat.


    "Take this and run that way. Do you see that overturned carriage? Hide there and don''t make any noise until we''re all gone. When you''re out of meat, go to the warehouse and get more food and water, we won''t be able to take it all away... do you understand?" Dag whispered, leaning down at him and handing him the flesh, careful not to be noticed by his allies.


    The little flickering hand of the boy gripped the flesh firmly and put it in one of the pockets of his leather trousers.


    After swallowing empty to dampen the tension, he got up and began to run towards the carriage indicated by Dag, which had just been overturned by his men, who inside found only firewood.


    Swiping belly down in the snow, the young boy took refuge under it, becoming virtually invisible.

 370 CCCLXX. The Warehouses

    Immediately Dag got up and pulled out the hammer.


    He dipped it into the red-soaked snow, and the rocky head of his weapon became covered in blood.


    It was only after completing this operation that he joined his comrades, who had since killed all the citizens, who did not exceed thirty units.


    "Dag, did you check the other warehouse? What''s inside? We''re still trying to open this one!" Freydis said, who as soon as she saw her man arrive began to ask him questions, but noticing the blood-soaked hammer, she realized that he had been fighting.


    "No, I haven''t checked it. I was busy with two farmers armed with shovels and pitchforks" he replied, pretending perfectly.


    Right at that time, Sander approached the two doors of the building in front of them, which was a large semi-circle of stone and concrete, in the shape of an igloo.


    "Get out of the way" he ordered two of his men, intending to force the lock of the two thick solid wooden doors that closed the structure.


    After the soldiers made room for their Master, he pulled out his shield and placed it in front of him.


    Loading a push on his legs, he snapped towards the door and as soon as the shield hit it, the metal lock broke into a thousand pieces and the door opened, revealing the contents of the warehouse.


    "Hahaha! Look at all this food! We will finally eat something!" he exclaimed, chuckling and putting the shield back in its place, after breaking a gigantic door with impressive ease.


    Dag was amazed by the staggering physical strength of the Master Of Defense and along with him, Egill, Gridd, and Kjell entered the domed building.


    Inside, numerous shelves on the walls were filled with all kinds of provisions: in addition to fresh meat of wild boar and buffalo, there were barrels full of mead and others filled with cow''s milk.


    A shelf was completely full of fish, both fresh and dried, the smell of which inebriated the nostrils of the soldiers, whose stomach began to mumble.


    "Wow..." Dag said, unable to hold back his astonishment at seeing all that food and thinking that there was a second warehouse that had not yet been opened.


    Sander rushed up some shelves and began to gobble everything, grabbing a piece of salmon already cut and slightly dried and devouring it in a matter of seconds.


    Then he grabbed a mug and opened one of the mead barrels, filling it to the brim and drinking with greed.


    The other Masters did the same, leaving room to the soldiers, that lined up neatly and accessed the loot, to feed their stomachs.


    About half an hour passed, when all the warriors of the three Clans fed, eating more than half the stock of the entire warehouse.


    Dag chose to eat fresh fish, which with Freydis cooked inside after lighting a small bonfire with Reidar''s help.


    After eating and drinking satiated, everyone immediately began to fill their backpacks with other supplies, ready to resume the journey shortly, smiling and satisfied.


    "Dag, follow me. Let''s go open the other warehouse" Sander exclaimed, resting his hand on Dag''s shoulder and waiting for him to get up, to accompany him to the second semi-spherical building.


    As they walked on the snow, under which they could see a road built with smooth rocks, a voice suddenly shouted: "up there! The bell! Someone''s going to sound the alarm!"


    Immediately, all the men present looked up towards the tower, after a Shieldmaiden had seen a figure moving on its top.


    Dag did the same and being closer than the others to the place in question, he was able to distinguish the details of that shape.


    The child, who had just hidden under the overturned carriage, was climbing on one of the edges of the top floor of the tower, trying to grab the rope to ring the bell, decidedly too high for his stature.


    "Fuck... I told you to stay still and hide..." Dag thought, as his allies were alarmed, looking for a way to prevent the little boy from tolling the bell.


    Before he could turn to his companions, an arrow struck the child, piercing his neck.


    He, who had managed to reach the bell, clung to the rope and clutched it in his hands, falling inward, lifeless.


    Dag turned backward and noticed that the arrow had been fired by Reidar, who was the only one of them capable of hitting such a distant target with that precision.


    When the archer looked at his captain, his expression became sad, sharing the empathy Dag was feeling towards that poor innocent child.


    Reidar did not have time to say a word when the bell rang.


    *doooon*


    A single sound rumbled across the village, spreading across the plain, slightly shifting the snow to the edges of the rocks, which fell to the ground in flakes.


    All the Berserkrs and Shieldmaidens of the three Clans stood still and looked around with terrified expressions, ready for the worst.


    Dag did the same, trying to peer into something in the distance, but the only thing he saw was a shadow running towards them from afar.


    Squinting his eyes and sharpening his gaze, he discovered that it was Thalos, who at great speed was heading in the direction of the village.


    When the bell stopped vibrating and the propagation of its sound stopped, the wolf came in front of Dag and hid behind his legs.


    "Thalos! What''s going on, what do you hear? Enemies? Where are they? Which way are they coming?" he asked, noting that the wolf was terrified like a helpless lamb, emitting verses of fear, with its tail between its legs.


    No one said a word, everyone stood still and listened, with their weapons in their hands, ready to defend themselves.

 371 CCCLXXI. The Underestimation

    "Well... at least we''re going to die with a full belly! Hahah!" Sander chuckled, ready to fight with his shield and axe, trying to dampen the tension of the moment while staying focused.


    About thirty seconds after the bell sounded on the village tower, a howl broke the silence.


    *awoooo*


    "Uhm? What? A wolf?!"


    "What was that?"


    "Are there any other wolves?!"


    The warriors of the allied troops began to agitate, moving awkwardly and trying to keep calm.


    "Wolves! How bad can that be?! They would never attack so many armed soldiers, they''re not so stupid!" Sander replied, trying to lift the morale of the warriors, who after reflecting for a few seconds on those words returned to combat position.


    *awooo*awooo*


    Other howls echoed in the valley and among the pointed mountains of Krypstorm''s rugged and cold landscape when Dag and Reidar exchanged a glance of understanding.


    "In the dwellings! Soon!" Dag shouted, ordering his men to seek shelter.


    "Don''t listen to him, there''s no need to hide! It''s just going to be a bunch of hungry wolves! We will kill them and use their furs to warm us up during the colder nights. Stay in position!" Kjell replied, raising his hand and countering Dag''s order, looking forward with a chain ready to strike.


    During those seconds, a large gray cloud completely covered the Sun, obscuring the village and the plain in front of it.


    One by one many small raindrops began to fall on the snow, which partially melted to its surface until the drops gave rise to a real downpour.


    "Dag! Why did you give the order to run to safety? What do you think is going on?" Egill asked, who had been a little absent in the last few hours, trying to imagine what had happened to the Jotunn found dead in the hut, having never seen such injuries.


    "Claws Of Fenrir! That''s where howls come from! They''re not just wolves! Look at Thalos! He''s terrified! He tried to warn me first, but I didn''t listen to him!" Dag exclaimed, screaming and making everyone hear.


    "This is ridiculous! No one has ever seen the warriors of the Claws Of Fenrir for decades, they''ve died from the first to the last! And even if they''re alive, history teaches that they can only turn into werewolves at night! We''re perfectly safe here, stay still in position!" Kjell yelled again, obstinately speaking out against Dag.


    "Hammers Of Thor! Sons Of Freya! Everyone, run for cover! Run to the houses carved into the rock, ready to defend yourself!" Egill yelled, raising his staff upwards and ordering two of the allied Clans to carry out Master Dag''s orders, leaving the Crows Of Odin with full freedom to obey Kjell, their Master Of Offense.


    The Hammers Of Thor immediately began to run in the rain, while the Sons Of Freya watched Gridd, waiting for her consent.


    Sander positioned himself next to Kjell, while their warriors stood still behind them.


    "Kjell, maybe Dag''s right... what if they were really the Claws Of Fenrir? We don''t know how many there are, they could be..."


    "Shhh! Silence, Sander! I''m sick of hearing that little boy''s voice, who orders like a king! From now on, I will rely only on my five senses and my experience in battle!" he interrupted, quieting him with arrogance.


    Before Sander could counter, something began to spill out of the big gap in the rock, several hundred yards from them.


    Dag and Gridd positioned themselves in front of the entrance to one of the two large houses, occupied by their soldiers, making sure their comrades were also inside safely.


    "Uhm... Dag...!?" Gridd whispered, her voice flickering, looking him in the eye, fearing the worst.


    "Get in with the others. I will stay here and protect the two buildings from the outside, preventing the enemies from reaching them!" he replied, pulling out both weapons with his gaze fixed forward.


    Gridd swallowed empty and instead of listening to the advice of her brother, ready to sacrifice his life to defend that of others, she positioned herself next to him, in his same position, standing her two swords and taking a deep breath.


    Seconds later, Reidar, Karl, and Freydis come out of hiding and stand next to Dag and his sister, holding their weapons, intending not to let them fight alone.


    Dag looked at his woman, who smiled at him: "Till the end, Dag. I will follow you wherever you''ll go, always remember it!"


    After that sentence that warmed their two hearts in love, they and their companions stood still looking forward, waiting for the moment of the clash.


    "AWOOOO"


    A howl much louder than before rumbled from the huge underground cave in front of them and was so powerful that it created a slight shockwave, which moved the rainwater droplets, causing them to take an oblique trajectory for a few moments.


    "Aaaargh!" Kjell shouted again, trying to convey courage to his men on the front line, who screamed immediately after him, reinforcing their desire for battle.


    The intense rain and the large cloud that covered the sky made it impossible to see clearly from that distance.


    The snow continued to partially melt, mingling with the ground below and creating a slippery slush, which embellished the Crows Of Odin boots, that unlike the other two Clans, had not run for cover.


    Again, the silence.


    No other noise other than that of the rain, which slammed overwhelmingly on the weapons and metal armor of the warriors.


    Just as Kjell and Sander were looking forward, a huge dark figure flew at great speed over their heads, striking two soldiers, who were in the rear.


    "Aaaargh!"


    "Help! Aaaargh! Hel..."


    In less than ten seconds, the bones of the two men were broken like wooden sticks, and their flesh was torn apart, falling into the snow along with the guts and organs pulled out forcefully from inside the rib cage.

 372 CCCLXXII. The Feral Rush

    Beneath the grainy eyes and the incredulous gaze of all present, the figure, who until then had bent over the corpses, stood on two legs, showing himself in all his wickedness.


    A giant werewolf, about two meters high, stood among the soldiers, with the blood of their two companions dripping from its long claws and the small fire-red eyes looking around, while the heavy breath came out of its mouth in the form of hot steam, sliding among the sharp canines.


    He had his shoulders curved forward and a thick mane, black like his hair that from behind his back ran through his neck, reaching up to his head, where two pointed ears upwards turned autonomously left and right, picking up every sound.


    "Take cover! Go!" Sander shouted, raising his shield and running toward the huge black wolf, trying to distract him to allow his men to move away toward the other soldiers.


    The wolf turned around to him and with his long arm violently struck the large tower shield.


    Under Kjell''s incredulous gaze, Sander flew meters away, unable to retain the enemy''s incredible power.


    Taking advantage of the werewolf''s moment of distraction, Kjell snapped at him and holding both of his chains, moved his arms forward, twisting one around his arm and another around his neck.


    With a mighty boost, he jumped forward and kicked the wolf''s face, but he didn''t move an inch.


    Before he could fall to the ground with both feet, the wolf moved his arm back and Kjell was forced to give up his grip on the chain, which remained attached to the enemy''s arm.


    Rolling backward and pulling hard, the chain warrior tried to strangle the beast-man, but he grabbed the chain with both the big hands and dragged Kjell, also throwing him at Sander and tearing the chains off his body.


    After watching the enemy knocking out both of their Masters, the Crows Of Odin''s warriors began to run wild, terrified of what the werewolf was capable of.


    Just then, after high howls, dozens of other wolves made their way to the village, running on all fours and reaching the warriors, beginning to slaughter them one by one.


    "Nooo!" Sander screamed again, who, when he saw his men lose their lives, got up from the ground and began to run in that direction, to prevent the carnage.


    A wolf approached him and tried to hit him with his claws, but he deflected the blow with the shield and counterattacked with a violent punch in the stomach, which produced a circular shockwave and caused the enemy to bend in half, forcing him to kneel in pain.


    A final shield bash on his face killed him, shattering his skull and breaking his jaw, which lost almost all of its teeth, that fell to the ground like unanimated nails.


    "Dag! Help! Egill!" the Master Of Defense continued, who after a few seconds faced another enemy.


    "Fuck!" he yelled, running toward Kjell and Sander and looking at Gridd and Freydis''s frightened face, who didn''t know how to behave and hoped the enemies would not get to their position.


    Screaming like a mad to attract the wolves to himself, Dag continued to run, generating a bundle of dark liquid from his back, which in no time split into two large arms, that hardened at the ends, taking on the usual combat shape.


    As soon as they saw him, three wolves sprinted towards him, intent on stopping his advance towards his two allies, who had fallen far behind and were about to be completely encircled.


    Before they got too close, despite their incredible speed of movement on that rough terrain, Dag violently waved one of the two dark arms, shoving a werewolf in his chest.


    The beast-man uttered a verse of pain and fell to the ground wounded, with a hole in his sternum, as rivers of blood gushed out of his body, which moved with convulsions until his heart stopped beating.


    The other two wolves reached Dag and jumped towards him: one of them managed to hit him on a leg, causing a deep wound on his thigh, which slowed his run and forced him to stop and fight.


    Surrounded by the two huge beasts, which buzzed around him like flies, Dag clasped both of his weapons in his hands.


    Magni''s hammer began to charge with energy, and after slightly resting the Giantbane blade on the wound of his leg, it caught fire, shining in the darkness and instantly vaporizing the raindrops that fell on its surface.


    A wolf attacked Dag, trying to bite him on the shoulder, but he turned around nimbly and hit him with the hammer under his chin, causing him extensive damage and knocking him to the ground.


    The next instant, the other one tried to attack him by surprise, but a dark arm of Dag twisted around his abdomen, blocking him before he could shoot forward, moving autonomously in defense of his creator.


    The wolf seized the dark arm with both hands and stretched his arms mightily.


    The fluid fibers began to dislodge and the arm grip became less and less strong until the enemy''s large claws penetrated its interior and completely torn it apart, tearing it in two parts.


    "Aaargh!"


    After gaining a few seconds of time advantage, Dag struck the werewolf''s throat with the Giantbane''s fiery blade, which sharply severed his head, letting it roll to the ground, next to the dark arm piece, which dematerialized and became gas, slowly re-entering the pores of Dag''s skin, that absorbed it voraciously.


    "He managed to tear one of those dark arms from him! We have no hope!" Gridd said, slowly retreating to touch the stone wall behind her with her back, frightened by what she had just seen.

 373 CCCLXXIII. Brand New Enemies

    After killing the second enemy, Dag quickly turned to the last remaining enemy, who after getting up, was impaled by the undamaged dark arm, which moved from behind Dag like a scorpion''s tail, sharpening its end, sharper than the blade of a spear.


    When the third wolf also fell to the ground lifeless, he began to run again towards the other two Masters, realizing that another dozen werewolves were coming to the village, their red eyes shining in the heavy rain and the mud squirts caused by the momentum of the battle.


    Kjell and Sander were standing, shoulder to shoulder, surrounded by four enemies, after killing three of them.


    "Hey! Heeey!" Dag shouted, drawing the attention of the two wolves closest to him, who naively turned in that direction, with the drool dripping from their ravenous jaws.


    Taking advantage of that combat pattern they tried several times during their pre-departure training, Sander placed the lower end of the shield on the ground, wedged it into the terrain, and Kjell used it as a ramp, jumping toward enemies'' back.


    His chains were shrouded in a bundle of fire as the chain-warrior flew through the air like a phoenix ready to catch its prey.


    With a precise blow, crossing his long weapons, Kjell wrapped both of the wolves: when the chains came into contact with their bodies, the air became impregnated with a stink of burnt fur and the two werewolves began to squirm and emit excruciating verses.


    Kjell fell with his feet on the ground, his arms outstretched to keep the two targets steady, oblivious to what was about to happen.


    Sander, at that very moment, placed the shield in front of his fellow Master''s feet, wedging it once again into the ground.


    Unable to touch the chains with his hands due to the fire, Kjell used the shield as a lever and slide them over it, pulling them hard backwards.


    Trapped in a deadly grip, the two werewolves remained standing, while the two scorching chains burned their flesh and cut them in half, causing an explosion of blood, which spread around them.


    Without being intimidated by the scene they had just witnessed, the other two enemies ran towards Kjell and Sander, who were facing the other side, but Dag appeared above their heads, who holding on to his long dark arm had managed to jump over them, ready to watch their backs.


    Raising the hammer to the sky, a purple lightning bolt struck its stone head, charging it with static energy, which was released as soon as the weapon hit the ground.


    The blast caused a violent explosion, followed by a shockwave, which broke the rock and caused a tremor, similar to that of an earthquake, making the two wolves and the two Masters fall to the ground behind Dag.


    On his shoulders, the dark arm that had just been snatched in half slowly regenerated, with the gray gas that enveloped the missing parts and condensed, forming other black fluid.


    "Go to the houses at the bottom of the village! Gridd and the others need your help!" he yelled to his two colleagues, never looking away from enemies ahead of him.


    Kjell and Sander, after a few seconds of hesitation, obeyed their Warchief''s orders and ran to Gridd, Freydis, and all the other soldiers, working to fight other wolves who had reached them in herds.


    Dag''s piercing purple eye remained fixed on the two beast-men.


    Werewolves were all unarmed and fought using only their claws and jaws, like real wild wolves.


    Several seconds passed, during which both Dag and his enemies stood still and sized each other up, thinking about the next move.


    "Their physical strength is proportionately higher than that of the Jotunns. They''re smaller and faster¡­ real war machines. Not only do they manage to transform during the day, but their werewolf form lasts even after death" Dag thought, looking at some enemy corpses out of the corner of his eyes, noting that they had not returned to their human form.


    *grrrr*


    One of the werewolves began to growl at him and to rise his fur on his nape, ready to attack him.


    "Did you kidnap the girl?" Dag asked, trying to communicate.


    The two enemies stood still and after looking at each other, they turned back to Dag.


    "Answer me! The girl with the Jotunn¡­ did you kidnap her?" he continued, convinced that those beasts could speak.


    Before they answered, a shadow came up behind Dag, who immediately noticed that it was his trusty friend Thalos.


    The gray wolf stopped beside him, growling at the two warewolves and taking courage to protect his master.


    This stunned the enemies, who stopped looking at him, wondering why a big wild wolf stood next to a human by his choice, ready to even sacrifice his life.


    "Thalos, go away! These monsters are super fast, back to protect Freydis and Gridd! Go!" Dag said, in a stern tone, ordering the wolf to leave.


    But he did not move, he stood with all four legs still in the snow, growling and looking forward, intending to fight.


    "We needed food, otherwise we would have starved to death. That''s why we ransacked this village. We didn''t know it belonged to your domain and we have no intention to fight against you" Dag continued, realizing that many of his soldiers had already died because of Kjell''s naivety and that many other wolves were probably ready to come out from the surrounding area.


    One of the werewolves took an upright position, breathing deeply, under the astonished gaze of Dag, happy that perhaps there was the hope of establishing peaceful contact with one of the legendary Clans of the land of perennial ice.


    "We were just looking for the girl and the food. If you give us a chance, we''re going to leave without causing any more damage. My name is Dag, of the Hammers Of Thor and on that side, there are other Masters of the three Clans of our alliance. Let us go" Dag continued, maintaining a calm and peaceful tone, but without lowering his weapons and two dark arms, floating behind him ready to unleash their full potential at his signal.

 374 CCCLXXIV. The Peaceful Approach

    As the wolfman thought of Dag''s words, reworking his request, the other werewolf next to him, tired of standing still and waiting, snapped to him, trying to hit him with a claw.


    Dag, who had not lowered his guard for even a second, promptly dodged the blow, passing under the arm of the enemy and cut it off with an axe.


    The wolf despaired and immediately tried to counterattack, turning to Dag, who with a quick swing hit him with the hammer on one knee, forcing him to kneel.


    Within seconds, after standing up, he severed the other arm of the werewolf, whose shoulders began to spray blood from all sides, deprived of both upper limbs.


    Slowly, one of the two dark arms began to move sinuously towards the enemy and its black blade stopped a few millimeters from his neck, leaving him immobilized by terror, without his arms and with a broken knee, which prevented him from getting up.


    At that moment, Dag turned to the other wolf, the more diplomatic of the two, who stood motionless to watch the scene, as if surprised by Dag''s fighting style and his strange dark powers.


    "Let us go in peace. Prevent your companions from dying for no reason" Dag said, looking into his interlocutor''s eyes, with an incredibly serious and determined expression.


    The wolf chuckled, grimacing.


    After that disrespectful behavior, Dag stuck his enemy''s neck without arms kneeling in front of him, pierced his trachea and killed him instantly, while he emitted terrifying guttural verses.


    He turned to the other wolf, who looked at his back and then turned back to Dag, keeping the same mocking smile on his face, made even more lugubrious by his long sharp canines sticking out of his closed mouth.


    Dag made a confused expression, not realizing how that beast-man could be so quiet in seeing all his allies die before his eyes.


    Suddenly, other howls came from afar, in the direction of the great crack in the rock, on which a thick fog had risen, also caused by the large amount of snow moved.


    Gridd, Freydis, and the other Masters, who had killed dozens of werewolves, stopped to watch, all blood-soaked and fatigued, also because of the bitter cold, which froze their hands and feet.


    After a few seconds of waiting, hundreds of werewolves emerged from the fog, running at great speed towards the village, as if they had picked up the difficulty of their herd and came to their rescue.


    The faces of all the Masters present turned snow-white, terrified of that scene, fearing that their end was near.


    Thalos curled up behind Dag''s legs, who no longer knew what to do.


    Despite his powers and those of his Masters colleagues, defeating all those enemies so strong and fast was impossible.


    "Freydiiis! Griiidd! Go away! Run! Run to safety!" he cried with his breath caused by the rush, as tears fell from his eyes uncontrollably, rethinking the journey and mission and the fact that all this had only led him and his men to death, including his greatest affections, his girlfriend and his sister.


    The earth began to tremble more and more as the many enemy beastly warriors advanced towards the stone palaces carved into the rock, just after the tower in the center of the village.


    Without adding anything, after Sander and Kjell got rid of the last wolf in front of them, Egill walked forward, positioning himself in front of all his remaining allies.


    In front of him, dozens of corpses of allies and enemies soiled the snow of the great plain, while in the background the figures of the ravenous wolves became sharper and sharper as the rain ceased, which progressively diminished its intensity.


    Dag, when he arrived in front of Freydis, stopped, noticing the gaze lost in the emptiness of his woman, who was about to prepare for death.


    The two lovers kissed for a few seconds, continuing to cry with fear, convinced that this would be their last greeting before meeting again in Valhalla.


    After Freydis, Dag looked at Gridd, who crossed her gaze with his: at that very moment, all the memories of their childhood came to his mind, the moments during which his adopted sister had helped him overcome difficulties, teaching him how to be strong and how to survive, without ever being commanded by anyone.


    "I can''t. I can''t just let all this end" he whispered, thinking aloud and pausing, with his weapons clenched in his hands and his two dark arms still floating behind him.


    He closed his eyes and turned to his wise Master Egill, who was ready to sacrifice his life in the last desperate attempt to save all those young warriors, who firmly believed in the cause.


    The wolves kept approaching and a few hundred meters separated them from their goal, when Dag felt a very strong pain in the back, in the lower part.


    His verse of pain immediately caught the attention of his companions, including Karl, who without saying a word, began to move his hands in a circular way and generate a slight green aura on his palms.


    With his eyes closed and maintaining a sacred concentration, the greenish aura spread through the air and reached Dag''s body, wrapping it for a few seconds until it dissolved into thin air.


    The pain behind his back ceased and the wound on his thigh began to heal slowly, helped also by the dark liquid, which had been trying for some time to repair the damaged tissues.


    Looking down, Dag noticed that in addition to the green trail left by Karl''s spell, another ethereal-like substance fluttered around his legs, almost imperceptible to sight.


    He looked up and around, taking a long breath, intent on focusing that substance and discovering with amazement that it was around everything: allied soldiers, Thalos''s fur, weapons, even corpses. Everything emanated that substance in varying amounts.

 375 CCCLXXV. The Celestial Dus

    The Masters, for example, released more of it than the Clans warriors, but the substance was still almost imperceptible and Dag had to concentrate a lot to be able to visualize it.


    "It can''t be..." he said, watching the wolves heading into the distance towards them.


    Around them, an enormous amount of that light celestial ethereal substance moved madly, following their movements and breaths, shifting with them.


    "The Asgardian Thunder..." Dag whispered again, thinking aloud and realizing what was about to happen.


    At those words, Egill, who with his staff was ready to unleash some powerful spell, turned to his colleague and pupil, looking at him in amazement.


    "What did you say?" the Master Of Healing asked, to see if he had heard right.


    At that moment, a glimmer of hope ignited in Dag''s soul, which charged with positivity and began to give orders, like a true leader.


    "Soldiers, shield wall! We Masters will stay in the front row while you try to resist the charge and counterattack with spears and swords, as in our training sessions. They are not Jotunns, but the tactic to defeat them is similar! Stick together!" he yelled, turning to his men, who had just seen him frightened, fearing that there was nothing left to do, but now looked at him proud to be at his service.


    Runa, the apprentice Shieldmaiden of Master Dargeon, was the first to put herself in position, resting her huge tower shield on the ground and inviting her companions to do the same: within seconds, with incredible precision, all shielded warriors formed a row next to her, while those without shields positioned themselves behind, with their weapons ready to strike.


    As proved during the training in Runar, all the soldiers gathered behind the shield wall, semi-circular in shape, which became a real armor, with the shields wedged next to each other that looked like huge metal scales.


    "Masters! Ready to attack! We must use all of our energies, we absolutely have to resist the charge! Let''s kill these rogue bastards from the first to the last!" Dag yelled, realizing that he had little time because the enemies had almost arrived.


    Kjell and Sander positioned themselves at the forefront, inviting Egill to move back, suggesting with the gaze that his healing would be crucial in the post-impact phase.


    The Master Of Healing stopped next to Karl and Reidar, who with the Failnaught was ready to protect the two healers from enemies.


    Gridd and Freydis remained close to Dag.


    When Kjell began to circle his chains in the air, they caught fire and together with the flames, under the watchful eye of Dag, released a large amount of that strange ethereal substance.


    "First phase... storage..." Dag whispered, recapping in his head what he had learned from the ancient tome he had read greedily before departing from the shores of Runar.


    Four arms took shape around him, with blades at their ends, moving sinuously like snakes.


    Master Sander, who was standing next to Kjell, shoved his shield to the ground and with his axe in his hand stretched his arms downwards: at that moment, the few points of his body not protected by armor, were wrapped in rusty iron scales.


    The scales also covered his neck and face and stopped around his eyes, which remained of their original color.


    Even Master Kjell was astonished at the transformation of his colleague, who he had never seen with his own eyes.


    The blades of Gridd''s two swords turned deep blue and slightly increased their length, skimming the ground, while two small celestial wings sprang from her back, ready to push her into the sky, allowing her to attack the enemies from above.


    The last to put himself in position was Egill, who entrusted Karl with the task of healing his allies and stepped forward, slamming the lower end of his staff to the ground.


    As the ravenous wolves ran overcoming the corpses lying in the snow, a huge orange barrier covered the two buildings in which all the soldiers were hidden, who preferred not to face those enemies so strong, decidedly out of their reach.


    The huge shiny dome closed upwards, sealing the area around the mage and leaving out only the four Masters that had activated their strongest skills and were tasked with protecting the barrier and the rest of the troops.


    Dag smiled, remembering with pleasure the last time Egill activated that skill to protect the Temple Of Orn library against the attacks of the Fangs Of Jormungandr reptilians.


    "Iron Alliance! Attack! For Okstorm!" Dag yelled, who moved Magni''s hammer forward, signaling his comrades, who executed the order.


    Gridd snapped forward, flapping the two wings that increased in size and raised a large amount of snow, pushing h body upwards.


    Kjell instead began to run with his back low, continuing to twirl his flaming chains, ready to burn everything in their path.


    Dag followed them to the second line, in order to take care of the enemies that escaped their gaze, under the watchful eyes of Sander, who stood still at the end of the barrier, as the last defensive bulwark.


    Unleashing incredible energy and causing several magical explosions, Gridd and Kjell began to decimate their enemies, many of whom showed unusual resistance, rising to their feet after being hurled meters away.


    A whole row of werewolves ran to Dag, who was ready to perform the first phase of the legendary technique, hoping that the ethereal substance he could see was the electricity the ancient book spoke of, useful to load his hammer and his body in order to draw on the Asgardian Thunder.


    The first wolf lunged at him, trying to grab him clutching both of his arms, but Dag, unlike his usual fighting style, parried the blow crossing the axe and hammer and only when he was sure he had the space needed for the counterattack, he violently struck the wolf with a hammer on his face, smashing his jaw and part of his skull, using very little energy.

 376 CCCLXVI. The Iron Scales

    After the parry, a cloud of that celestial dust freed itself from the enemy''s body and entered his hammer, charging its stone head.


    The same thing happened when the hammer hit its target.


    "It''s the level 9 skill! It''s Memory Of Mj?llnir!" Dag thought, realizing that the pain he had felt just before in his lower back must have been the symbol of the skill that was being etched on his skin.


    Trying to stay as still as possible and not making abrupt or dodgy movements, Dag continued to parry and counter-attack the wolves, helping himself with the four dark arms, squirming around him, behind and in front, protecting him at 365 degrees.


    Despite Gridd and Kjell''s tenacity and Dag''s attention, many wolves arrived towards Sander, who was stationary in the same position, with his shield tucked into the ground behind him.


    As they saw the scene, the soldiers behind Egill''s barrier began to tremble, ready to face the enemies that kept coming numerous.


    Two werewolves jumped towards the Master Of Offense, biting him on the shoulder and leg, but he did not move an inch.


    The teeth of the beast-men crawled on the scaled skin of the huge bearded warrior, scratching and emitting small sparks, consuming at the tips.


    Before other wolves tried to attack him, he grabbed with his bare hands the enemy''s head on his shoulder and, after forcibly detaching it, placed his hands inside his mouth, clinging to his jaws and clutching them.


    The wolf, unable to touch the ground with his legs, began to squirm, trying unnecessarily to free himself from the grip, but Sander, spreading his huge arms tore away the lower jaw of his enemy, splitting his mouth into two parts and shattering his trachea, throwing him to the ground with his face completely disfigured and lifeless.


    He also took the second wolf by the ears, detaching him out of his leg and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to spit blood.


    Before he could also give him the coup de grace, two more came, who jumped on him and tried to immobilize him.


    He squirmed back and forth when another large werewolf charged at him, hitting him in the abdomen and throwing him to the ground.


    "Nooo! Master Sander!" Freydis yelled, who from behind the barrier was witnessing that horrific scene, during which her Master Of Defense was mauled by a pack of ravenous wolves, who insisted with their powerful claws, began to flay the iron scales of his skin, causing him much pain and preventing him from rising.


    As soon as he noticed the emergency situation, Karl cast a healing spell at him and as soon as the green aura enveloped him, he managed to get up again, grabbing two wolves by the neck and slamming their heads against each other, until the two skulls broke like two coconuts on a rock.


    The wolves continued to attack relentlessly, and soon the energies of the three valiant Masters were scarce, as did their breath, which became increasingly heavy and intermittent.


    Dag continued to parry numerous blows and hit enemies, sometimes missing them, due to fatigue.


    Every dodged or unmarked attack caused his hammer to lose power, which released it in the form of that celestial dust, so it was necessary to continue fighting to finish the charging process.


    "Master Sander!"


    Freydis''s voice behind the barrier caught the attention of Dag, who, after killing yet another enemy, turned to look at her.


    Sander was back on the ground and a dozen werewolves tried to tear his limbs off, partially penetrating the iron scales of his skin, sticking his flesh with their razor-sharp canines.


    "Aaargh! Umpf!"


    His screams turned into deep verses, with which he tried to force himself up and get up with a stroke of kidneys, while the enemies tried to hold him still on the ground, with their huge hands clad and their jaws ready to tear off pieces of flesh.


    Dag knew that if he ran towards him, he would lose almost all the energy he had accumulated up to that point, which was perhaps the only way to get rid of that large number of enemies.


    "Egill! Help him! Master Sander is going to die! Turn off the barrier! Kjell, Gridd!"


    In a desperate cry, Dag warned of the danger to all his Masters teammates, who turned to poor Sander, noting that he was running out of strength, having been disarmed.


    Kjell was the first to try to run towards his colleague, while a strong fear pervaded his body as he saw him near death: the strong and mighty Sander, Master of Defense of the Crows Of Odin, who had been his and Ellen''s mentor, lately become Masters.


    Known for his incredible physical skills, he gained his fame by fighting against all kinds of opponents, even outnumbered, always managing to get by and win the favor of the people.


    A warrior without enemies, always friendly and kind, who as a goal in his life had always had to put the interests of others first, protecting the weak and the innocent and putting his life at risk for causes greater than himself.


    The breath of that same warrior, in those seconds of glacial cold, became weaker and his body began to let go, sinking into the snow, weighed down by the transformation due to ''Steel Giant'', his personal ability, very similar to that of Magni for its effect.


    "Sander! Hold on, my friend! Sandeeer!" Kjell shouted, who was still several hundred yards away, dragging his fiery chains, killing one enemy after another with incredible ease and nastiness in his eyes.


    Master Egill, from behind the barrier, continued to keep his hands steady on the staff, with the aim of keeping the barrier stationary in its place, in order to prevent the advance of beastly enemies if they managed to overcome the four Masters on the front line.

 377 CCCLXVII. Not A Simple Choice

    "Master Egill! We have to do something! I''m trying to heal him, but my spell has no effect anymore, the wounds are too severe! He needs your help!" Karl exclaimed, who, with his arms outstretched towards Sander, used all his energies in a desperate attempt to save him, under the helpless gaze of Reidar and the screams of Freydis, who began to punch the barrier, trying to break it and be able to intervene to his aid.


    "Master Egill!" Karl said again, who knelt down out of strength.


    The long-bearded Master Of Healing stood motionless for a few seconds and drops of sweat began to pour from his forehead.


    In front of him, beyond Master Sander and the herd of ravenous wolves bent over him stretched an incredible expanse of corpses, in which it was possible to distinguish Dag and Gridd, while side by side fought against the werewolves, who continued to arrive numerously and that within minutes they would reach the barrier, behind which dozens of allied soldiers were immobile and flickering, terrified at the idea of facing such powerful and mysterious enemies, who in addition to being incredibly skilled in fighting with their bare hands, instilled fear in their minds because of their appearance.


    Egill then faced a choice: risk the lives of his soldiers, saving that of his old friend and colleague, or keep his hands still on the staff and prevent the barrier from breaking up.


    He was aware that restoring that barrier would not be an easy thing and would take too long, failing to block the ravenous wolves, who dodging Dag and Gridd, headed towards the end of the village.


    His hand began to shake and his breath became deeper and deeper, unable to make a decision, despite his experience and wisdom.


    Sander screamed again and a violent fist disintegrated the head of a grayish werewolf, intent on biting his ribs, who died instantly.


    Just when the Master Of Healing was ready to let go to help his friend Sander, a figure snapped at great speed in that direction, emerging from the fog caused by the frenzy of battle.


    Kjell''s fiery chains moved proudly through the air, simultaneously striking more than four enemies, whose fur burned instantly, from that intensely red fire, which increased its intensity even more due to the chain-warrior''s anger, ready to unleash his full potential.


    "Get away from him, sons of bitches! Now you''ll answer to me! Aaaargh!" he exclaimed, who, after jumping and landing on the ground, jumped for the second time, releasing behind him a blazing red trail, followed by a violent shockwave, so powerful that it opened a small crack in the snowy ground.


    Some of the wolves engaged in biting Sander attacked him from any direction, but while he was in mid-air, Kjell quickly rotated on himself and the flames of his chains spread around him, creating a massive vortex of fire, which incinerated them, tearing their flesh to shreds.


    Kjell, not satisfied with his actions, threw both of his chains and grabbed the first wolf that was drifting away.


    The chains wrapped around one of his legs, and after the chain-warrior pulled it towards him, his leg broke off, breaking the joint bone.


    Moving the chains like two whips, the Crows Of Odin''s Master Of Offense grabbed one at a time the five remaining wolves, who, afraid of its power, kept running away.


    After killing them all, another werewolf, slightly larger than the others grabbed him from behind, lifting him off the ground and biting him on the shoulder, next to his neck.


    Kjell screamed in pain, and just before the bite could cause irreparable damage, Gridd''s two swords lodged in the wolf''s back, which left his grip, causing him to end up on the ground bleeding.


    The giant wolf turned to Gridd with both of her swords lodged in his back and struck her violently with his claws, causing her to crawl into the snow.


    Shortly before she fell, with a flapping of wings, she managed to cushion the fall, which caused her minor damage.


    A few seconds passed, when the rest of the feral army reached the Egill barrier, hitting it from several directions: the wolves, in the midst of their fierce instincts, struck the huge amber dome with their claws and jaws, trying in every way to break it to go over, with the foretaste of their loot, which would confirm their victory over the Iron Alliance.


    While Kjell managed to get up and detach from the wolf''s back the two blades of Gridd, who with a nimble move cut off his throat, Dag stood still, watching the battle from afar.


    The scenario seemed apocalyptic: the village of merchants and peasants had turned into a violent battlefield, where dozens of Claws Of Fenrir warriors repeatedly hit the resistant barrier created by Egill, while in front of it, Sander''s body was lying in the snow, without moving and Gridd and Kjell fought with all their might, trying to resist as much as possible, hoping that a miracle could get them out of that incredibly difficult situation.


    If the barrier had been broken, Egill, Reidar, Freydis, and the rest of the warriors would never have been able to counter those beastly beings and probably all of them would have died, less than a day after their landing on the shores of Krypstorm.


    Dag looked at the hammer.


    The umpteenth subtle beam of ethereal material entered its stone head and it lit up with intense white light.


    Closing his eyes, he returned the four dark arms inside his body, to avoid any dispersion of energy.


    "Second phase¡­ control" he whispered, repeating step by step the phases explained in the book and rethinking of the spirit of Magni, with whom he had managed to make contact and who had told him that he was worthy of that skill so strong, that even he, one of the most powerful Berserkr in the nation, had failed to learn.

 378 CCCLXVIII. The Gap

    Dag placed the Giantbane on the magnet of his belt and grabbed the hammer with both hands, holding it pointed downwards.


    At that moment, the snow around his feet began to move and the solid particles of the soil vibrated, levitating upwards.


    Trying not to give in to the rush of the moment and hoping to use that ability, Dag stood still in that position for a few more seconds, while the screams of his allies grew louder and louder, coming to the exhaustion of their forces, having used the maximum of their power to withstand the sudden attack.


    Suddenly, one of the wolves hitting the barrier stopped, turning an ear backwards.


    After him, another beast-man did the same, blocking his attacks and turning back.


    Then another and another.


    In less than a minute, the attacks on the barrier ceased and all the wolves stopped as if they were feeling something, a great energy source.


    "Uhm? What''s going on?!" Karl asked, who after drinking one of his potions, had begun to cast his healing spell towards Sander, whose body remained still.


    Egill, who, making the most of his strength, had managed not to break the barrier, looked up at Dag.


    "... Dag..." the Master Of Healing whispered, whose arms began to tremble.


    Above their heads, the large cloud that covered the village began to rotate, until a kind of small vortex was created at their center.


    The vortex widened more and more and became a real rift in the sky.


    A few more seconds passed when everyone present began to hear loud noises of thunder.


    The wolves, looking upwards, noticed that the dense gray cloud that surrounded the huge vortex in the sky was drenched in lightning bolts and sparks, which at a surprising speed traveled from side to side, covering enormous distances in a thousandths of a second.


    Dag noticed that Magni''s Hammer became much heavier and, holding it tight with both hands, tried to lift it up.


    The more he lifted it, the more the weight of the hammer increased and the sky darkened, increasing the number of flashes inside it and the frequency of thunder, heralding an apocalyptic-sized thunderstorm.


    "Haha... ahahah... hahahahahahaha!"


    Leaving everyone else open-mouthed, Egill began to laugh tearfully, holding his hands pointed on his staff and the barrier firm in its position.


    "Master Egill, what''s going on?! A huge storm is about to hit us! What do we do?!" Freydis asked naively, unable to understand what was about to happen and fomenting the fear of the soldiers behind them, unaware of Dag''s true powers.


    As Egill continued to laugh, Reidar again broke the silence: "He made it, Freydis! Dag is evoking the power of the mighty God Thor! He managed to make contact with him!"


    The expression of Freydis, Karl, and all the other soldiers changed drastically and hope was rekindled in their eyes, now resigned to their fate.


    The archer nodded and immediately began to scream: "Soldiers! We have to get the three Masters left out there inside the barrier! Master Egill will open a passage for a few seconds and we will have to fend off the enemies who will try to enter! C''mon! There isn''t much time!"


    After processing the order in their minds, a dozen warriors came out of one of the two stone dwellings and ran to the edges of the barrier, taking courage to look closely at the huge werewolves, who were still standing there on their feet, enchanted by the spectacle high in the sky.


    "Master Egill! We''re in position!" Reidar shouted again, as Terje and Runa lined up before him to defend the rift.


    "Go! I''ll only be able to keep it open for a few seconds!" Egill yelled, who after these words, detached a hand from his staff and held his arm in that direction.


    As imagined by Reidar, a kind of circular gap was created in the barrier, about two meters in diameter, which, judging by Egill''s expression, required an incredible amount of energy to stay open.


    "Come on! Fast! Take Master Sander!" the archer yelled as Freydis snapped out of the barrier, rushing toward her wounded Master.


    Some of the wolves noticed the breakthrough and immediately tried to reach it, approaching Freydis dangerously, who in a desperate attempt to lift Sander''s enormous body, failed to grab her spear in time.


    An arrow hit one of the enemies on the neck and two other magical ones struck another, killing both of them, who when they fell to the ground were overcame by other wolves, heading in the same direction.


    A dozen warriors came out of the barrier and with their help, Master Sander''s body was dragged inside.


    "Gridd! Master Kjell! This way! Come in!" Freydis yelled, who after a few seconds found herself in front of a huge werewolf, who roared fiercely.


    The Shieldmaiden screamed in fear, but trying to keep her nerve, she moved her spear forward, trying to hit him on his side.


    The beast-man grabbed the handle of the spear and pulled it out of Freydis''s hands, disarming her.


    He then put the weapon between his jaws and with a violent bite broke it in half, throwing the remains on the ground and continuing to look at the girl with his small and piercing red eyes.


    He tried to hit her with his claws, but she managed to dodge him, rolling backward and falling to the ground.


    A moment before he could pounce on her, a chain wrapped his neck, causing him to kneel.


    Under Freydis''s incredulous gaze, when Kjell immobilized him, Gridd jumped on his shoulders and thrust both of her swords into the enemy''s eyes, crossing them and shattering his head, causing an explosion of blood.


    "What''s going on?! Why did a gap break through the barrier?!" Kjell asked, pushing the two Shieldmaidens forward and dealing with the enemies at their heels.

 376 CCCLXXVI. The Iron Scales

    After the parry, a cloud of that celestial dust freed itself from the enemy''s body and entered his hammer, charging its stone head.


    The same thing happened when the hammer hit its target.


    "It''s the level 9 skill! It''s Memory Of Mj?llnir!" Dag thought, realizing that the pain he had felt just before in his lower back must have been the symbol of the skill that was being etched on his skin.


    Trying to stay as still as possible and not making abrupt or dodgy movements, Dag continued to parry and counter-attack the wolves, helping himself with the four dark arms, squirming around him, behind and in front, protecting him at 365 degrees.


    Despite Gridd and Kjell''s tenacity and Dag''s attention, many wolves arrived towards Sander, who was stationary in the same position, with his shield tucked into the ground behind him.


    As they saw the scene, the soldiers behind Egill''s barrier began to tremble, ready to face the enemies that kept coming numerous.


    Two werewolves jumped towards the Master Of Offense, biting him on the shoulder and leg, but he did not move an inch.


    The teeth of the beast-men crawled on the scaled skin of the huge bearded warrior, scratching and emitting small sparks, consuming at the tips.


    Before other wolves tried to attack him, he grabbed with his bare hands the enemy''s head on his shoulder and, after forcibly detaching it, placed his hands inside his mouth, clinging to his jaws and clutching them.


    The wolf, unable to touch the ground with his legs, began to squirm, trying unnecessarily to free himself from the grip, but Sander, spreading his huge arms tore away the lower jaw of his enemy, splitting his mouth into two parts and shattering his trachea, throwing him to the ground with his face completely disfigured and lifeless.


    He also took the second wolf by the ears, detaching him out of his leg and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to spit blood.


    Before he could also give him the coup de grace, two more came, who jumped on him and tried to immobilize him.


    He squirmed back and forth when another large werewolf charged at him, hitting him in the abdomen and throwing him to the ground.


    "Nooo! Master Sander!" Freydis yelled, who from behind the barrier was witnessing that horrific scene, during which her Master Of Defense was mauled by a pack of ravenous wolves, who insisted with their powerful claws, began to flay the iron scales of his skin, causing him much pain and preventing him from rising.


    As soon as he noticed the emergency situation, Karl cast a healing spell at him and as soon as the green aura enveloped him, he managed to get up again, grabbing two wolves by the neck and slamming their heads against each other, until the two skulls broke like two coconuts on a rock.


    The wolves continued to attack relentlessly, and soon the energies of the three valiant Masters were scarce, as did their breath, which became increasingly heavy and intermittent.


    Dag continued to parry numerous blows and hit enemies, sometimes missing them, due to fatigue.


    Every dodged or unmarked attack caused his hammer to lose power, which released it in the form of that celestial dust, so it was necessary to continue fighting to finish the charging process.


    "Master Sander!"


    Freydis''s voice behind the barrier caught the attention of Dag, who, after killing yet another enemy, turned to look at her.


    Sander was back on the ground and a dozen werewolves tried to tear his limbs off, partially penetrating the iron scales of his skin, sticking his flesh with their razor-sharp canines.


    "Aaargh! Umpf!"


    His screams turned into deep verses, with which he tried to force himself up and get up with a stroke of kidneys, while the enemies tried to hold him still on the ground, with their huge hands clad and their jaws ready to tear off pieces of flesh.


    Dag knew that if he ran towards him, he would lose almost all the energy he had accumulated up to that point, which was perhaps the only way to get rid of that large number of enemies.


    "Egill! Help him! Master Sander is going to die! Turn off the barrier! Kjell, Gridd!"


    In a desperate cry, Dag warned of the danger to all his Masters teammates, who turned to poor Sander, noting that he was running out of strength, having been disarmed.


    Kjell was the first to try to run towards his colleague, while a strong fear pervaded his body as he saw him near death: the strong and mighty Sander, Master of Defense of the Crows Of Odin, who had been his and Ellen''s mentor, lately become Masters.


    Known for his incredible physical skills, he gained his fame by fighting against all kinds of opponents, even outnumbered, always managing to get by and win the favor of the people.


    A warrior without enemies, always friendly and kind, who as a goal in his life had always had to put the interests of others first, protecting the weak and the innocent and putting his life at risk for causes greater than himself.


    The breath of that same warrior, in those seconds of glacial cold, became weaker and his body began to let go, sinking into the snow, weighed down by the transformation due to ''Steel Giant'', his personal ability, very similar to that of Magni for its effect.


    "Sander! Hold on, my friend! Sandeeer!" Kjell shouted, who was still several hundred yards away, dragging his fiery chains, killing one enemy after another with incredible ease and nastiness in his eyes.


    Master Egill, from behind the barrier, continued to keep his hands steady on the staff, with the aim of keeping the barrier stationary in its place, in order to prevent the advance of beastly enemies if they managed to overcome the four Masters on the front line.

 377 CCCLXXVII. Not A Simple Choice

    "Master Egill! We have to do something! I''m trying to heal him, but my spell has no effect anymore, the wounds are too severe! He needs your help!" Karl exclaimed, who, with his arms outstretched towards Sander, used all his energies in a desperate attempt to save him, under the helpless gaze of Reidar and the screams of Freydis, who began to punch the barrier, trying to break it and be able to intervene to his aid.


    "Master Egill!" Karl said again, who knelt down out of strength.


    The long-bearded Master Of Healing stood motionless for a few seconds and drops of sweat began to pour from his forehead.


    In front of him, beyond Master Sander and the herd of ravenous wolves bent over him stretched an incredible expanse of corpses, in which it was possible to distinguish Dag and Gridd, while side by side fought against the werewolves, who continued to arrive numerously and that within minutes they would reach the barrier, behind which dozens of allied soldiers were immobile and flickering, terrified at the idea of facing such powerful and mysterious enemies, who in addition to being incredibly skilled in fighting with their bare hands, instilled fear in their minds because of their appearance.


    Egill then faced a choice: risk the lives of his soldiers, saving that of his old friend and colleague, or keep his hands still on the staff and prevent the barrier from breaking up.


    He was aware that restoring that barrier would not be an easy thing and would take too long, failing to block the ravenous wolves, who dodging Dag and Gridd, headed towards the end of the village.


    His hand began to shake and his breath became deeper and deeper, unable to make a decision, despite his experience and wisdom.


    Sander screamed again and a violent fist disintegrated the head of a grayish werewolf, intent on biting his ribs, who died instantly.


    Just when the Master Of Healing was ready to let go to help his friend Sander, a figure snapped at great speed in that direction, emerging from the fog caused by the frenzy of battle.


    Kjell''s fiery chains moved proudly through the air, simultaneously striking more than four enemies, whose fur burned instantly, from that intensely red fire, which increased its intensity even more due to the chain-warrior''s anger, ready to unleash his full potential.


    "Get away from him, sons of bitches! Now you''ll answer to me! Aaaargh!" he exclaimed, who, after jumping and landing on the ground, jumped for the second time, releasing behind him a blazing red trail, followed by a violent shockwave, so powerful that it opened a small crack in the snowy ground.


    Some of the wolves engaged in biting Sander attacked him from any direction, but while he was in mid-air, Kjell quickly rotated on himself and the flames of his chains spread around him, creating a massive vortex of fire, which incinerated them, tearing their flesh to shreds.


    Kjell, not satisfied with his actions, threw both of his chains and grabbed the first wolf that was drifting away.


    The chains wrapped around one of his legs, and after the chain-warrior pulled it towards him, his leg broke off, breaking the joint bone.


    Moving the chains like two whips, the Crows Of Odin''s Master Of Offense grabbed one at a time the five remaining wolves, who, afraid of its power, kept running away.


    After killing them all, another werewolf, slightly larger than the others grabbed him from behind, lifting him off the ground and biting him on the shoulder, next to his neck.


    Kjell screamed in pain, and just before the bite could cause irreparable damage, Gridd''s two swords lodged in the wolf''s back, which left his grip, causing him to end up on the ground bleeding.


    The giant wolf turned to Gridd with both of her swords lodged in his back and struck her violently with his claws, causing her to crawl into the snow.


    Shortly before she fell, with a flapping of wings, she managed to cushion the fall, which caused her minor damage.


    A few seconds passed, when the rest of the feral army reached the Egill barrier, hitting it from several directions: the wolves, in the midst of their fierce instincts, struck the huge amber dome with their claws and jaws, trying in every way to break it to go over, with the foretaste of their loot, which would confirm their victory over the Iron Alliance.


    While Kjell managed to get up and detach from the wolf''s back the two blades of Gridd, who with a nimble move cut off his throat, Dag stood still, watching the battle from afar.


    The scenario seemed apocalyptic: the village of merchants and peasants had turned into a violent battlefield, where dozens of Claws Of Fenrir warriors repeatedly hit the resistant barrier created by Egill, while in front of it, Sander''s body was lying in the snow, without moving and Gridd and Kjell fought with all their might, trying to resist as much as possible, hoping that a miracle could get them out of that incredibly difficult situation.


    If the barrier had been broken, Egill, Reidar, Freydis, and the rest of the warriors would never have been able to counter those beastly beings and probably all of them would have died, less than a day after their landing on the shores of Krypstorm.


    Dag looked at the hammer.


    The umpteenth subtle beam of ethereal material entered its stone head and it lit up with intense white light.


    Closing his eyes, he returned the four dark arms inside his body, to avoid any dispersion of energy.


    "Second phase¡­ control" he whispered, repeating step by step the phases explained in the book and rethinking of the spirit of Magni, with whom he had managed to make contact and who had told him that he was worthy of that skill so strong, that even he, one of the most powerful Berserkr in the nation, had failed to learn.

 378 CCCLXXVIII. The Gap

    Dag placed the Giantbane on the magnet of his belt and grabbed the hammer with both hands, holding it pointed downwards.


    At that moment, the snow around his feet began to move and the solid particles of the soil vibrated, levitating upwards.


    Trying not to give in to the rush of the moment and hoping to use that ability, Dag stood still in that position for a few more seconds, while the screams of his allies grew louder and louder, coming to the exhaustion of their forces, having used the maximum of their power to withstand the sudden attack.


    Suddenly, one of the wolves hitting the barrier stopped, turning an ear backwards.


    After him, another beast-man did the same, blocking his attacks and turning back.


    Then another and another.


    In less than a minute, the attacks on the barrier ceased and all the wolves stopped as if they were feeling something, a great energy source.


    "Uhm? What''s going on?!" Karl asked, who after drinking one of his potions, had begun to cast his healing spell towards Sander, whose body remained still.


    Egill, who, making the most of his strength, had managed not to break the barrier, looked up at Dag.


    "... Dag..." the Master Of Healing whispered, whose arms began to tremble.


    Above their heads, the large cloud that covered the village began to rotate, until a kind of small vortex was created at their center.


    The vortex widened more and more and became a real rift in the sky.


    A few more seconds passed when everyone present began to hear loud noises of thunder.


    The wolves, looking upwards, noticed that the dense gray cloud that surrounded the huge vortex in the sky was drenched in lightning bolts and sparks, which at a surprising speed traveled from side to side, covering enormous distances in a thousandths of a second.


    Dag noticed that Magni''s Hammer became much heavier and, holding it tight with both hands, tried to lift it up.


    The more he lifted it, the more the weight of the hammer increased and the sky darkened, increasing the number of flashes inside it and the frequency of thunder, heralding an apocalyptic-sized thunderstorm.


    "Haha... ahahah... hahahahahahaha!"


    Leaving everyone else open-mouthed, Egill began to laugh tearfully, holding his hands pointed on his staff and the barrier firm in its position.


    "Master Egill, what''s going on?! A huge storm is about to hit us! What do we do?!" Freydis asked naively, unable to understand what was about to happen and fomenting the fear of the soldiers behind them, unaware of Dag''s true powers.


    As Egill continued to laugh, Reidar again broke the silence: "He made it, Freydis! Dag is evoking the power of the mighty God Thor! He managed to make contact with him!"


    The expression of Freydis, Karl, and all the other soldiers changed drastically and hope was rekindled in their eyes, now resigned to their fate.


    The archer nodded and immediately began to scream: "Soldiers! We have to get the three Masters left out there inside the barrier! Master Egill will open a passage for a few seconds and we will have to fend off the enemies who will try to enter! C''mon! There isn''t much time!"


    After processing the order in their minds, a dozen warriors came out of one of the two stone dwellings and ran to the edges of the barrier, taking courage to look closely at the huge werewolves, who were still standing there on their feet, enchanted by the spectacle high in the sky.


    "Master Egill! We''re in position!" Reidar shouted again, as Terje and Runa lined up before him to defend the rift.


    "Go! I''ll only be able to keep it open for a few seconds!" Egill yelled, who after these words, detached a hand from his staff and held his arm in that direction.


    As imagined by Reidar, a kind of circular gap was created in the barrier, about two meters in diameter, which, judging by Egill''s expression, required an incredible amount of energy to stay open.


    "Come on! Fast! Take Master Sander!" the archer yelled as Freydis snapped out of the barrier, rushing toward her wounded Master.


    Some of the wolves noticed the breakthrough and immediately tried to reach it, approaching Freydis dangerously, who in a desperate attempt to lift Sander''s enormous body, failed to grab her spear in time.


    An arrow hit one of the enemies on the neck and two other magical ones struck another, killing both of them, who when they fell to the ground were overcame by other wolves, heading in the same direction.


    A dozen warriors came out of the barrier and with their help, Master Sander''s body was dragged inside.


    "Gridd! Master Kjell! This way! Come in!" Freydis yelled, who after a few seconds found herself in front of a huge werewolf, who roared fiercely.


    The Shieldmaiden screamed in fear, but trying to keep her nerve, she moved her spear forward, trying to hit him on his side.


    The beast-man grabbed the handle of the spear and pulled it out of Freydis''s hands, disarming her.


    He then put the weapon between his jaws and with a violent bite broke it in half, throwing the remains on the ground and continuing to look at the girl with his small and piercing red eyes.


    He tried to hit her with his claws, but she managed to dodge him, rolling backward and falling to the ground.


    A moment before he could pounce on her, a chain wrapped his neck, causing him to kneel.


    Under Freydis''s incredulous gaze, when Kjell immobilized him, Gridd jumped on his shoulders and thrust both of her swords into the enemy''s eyes, crossing them and shattering his head, causing an explosion of blood.


    "What''s going on?! Why did a gap break through the barrier?!" Kjell asked, pushing the two Shieldmaidens forward and dealing with the enemies at their heels.

 379 CCCLXXIX. The Prayer

    "These are orders from Master Egill! Something''s going to happen! Look up in the sky!" Freydis replied, after recovering from the fright.


    The two Masters looked at each other and noticed the huge vortex, covered in lightning and thunder.


    "What?! Dag! Where''s my brother?! Daag!" Gridd shouted, panicking.


    Turning outwards, she noticed that he was still there, standing in the same position.


    Both of Dag''s arms held up the Hammer of Magni, which slowly began to unleash white lightning bolts, which were fired upwards, while the earth around him trembled.


    He knew that if he activated Call Of The Berserkr or any other skill to strengthen his physical strength, the energy needed to combine the electricity of his hammer with that coming from the sky would be dispersed and the skill would be interrupted.


    Running until they lost their breath towards the barrier, Gridd, Kjell and Freydis managed to break through the gap, while two brave soldiers were killed in cold blood behind them, trying to slow the wolves advance.


    Just after entering, a long hairy arm grabbed the neck of Gridd''s armor, who distracted by watching Dag had lost a few seconds of advantage.


    The Shieldmaiden was pulled backwards by a werewolf and lost her balance, but Kjell grabbed her arm, pulling it inwards.


    "Help!" Gridd shouted again, at the mercy of Kjell''s and the wolf forces, who were contending for her.


    In an instinctive gesture, Freydis stole the sword from a soldier next to her and struck the enemy''s arm, chocking it in half.


    As soon as the wolf uttered a verse expressing the excruciating pain he was feeling, Reidar yelled: "Master Egill! Now! Close the gap!"


    After those words, the Master Of Healing put his hand back on the staff, trying with all his might to stand, while energies kept abandoning his body.


    As the gap began to close, the wolf himself stretched out his other arm, grabbing Gridd again, whose advance was blocked.


    "Fuck!" Kjell exclaimed, who clasped the top of her armor in his hands and pulled it toward him.


    When the gap closed, the other arm of the werewolf was also cut in half and Gridd and Kjell fell to the ground safely, one on top of the other, happy to be saved inside the barrier.


    After those moments of confusion, the wolves looked around, realizing that breaching the barrier took too long and that the only human being left outside it was Dag, who hundreds of yards away from them, seemed vulnerable.


    With incredible synchronicity, the remaining wolves roared and began to run on all fours towards him, intent on stopping his attack.


    Dag saw them coming and a shiver of terror ran through his body from head to toe.


    "Aaaargh!"


    Knowing that he had to raise the hammer with his own physical strength, Dag placed a knee on the ground, increasing the thrust exerted by his arms.


    As the ground trembled beneath his feet, both for the accumulated energy and for the advance of dozens and dozens of enemies, a huge lightning bolt was fired from the upper end of the hammer and penetrated the heart of the vortex into the sky.


    The cloud stopped producing lightning for a few moments, and the sound of thunder became more severe and constant, gradually growing in intensity.


    "Let''s go! C''mon! Brave God Thor, I invoke your power to save my people! I beg you!" Dag yelled, desperate, looking at the vortex above his head and even the enemies who were about to reach him, thinking that unlike the more clumsy and heavy Jotunn, the attack he used at Runar to kill the entire enemy army would not be enough against the Claws Of Fenrir, much faster and more agile than the giants.


    The sky continued to thunder, with a roar-like noise, as if it was preparing to manifest all its power.


    Dag continued to push his knees upwards, trying in every way to stretch his hands and stand straight, but the weight of the hammer became so heavy that it exceeded hundreds of pounds and for this reason, he fell again with a knee to the ground, without losing his position.


    "Grrr... I have to do it! I must do it! Everyone''s life depends on it! Thooor! I swear I will continue to fight for you and the other Gods all my life long! Now help me, I need your strength! Give me the power of the Asgardian Thunder!" he yelled again, trying again to stand up, knowing that his strength was in short supply and that would be his last chance.


    "He''s not succeeding... Dag is failing to activate the skill! He''s gonna die! Let me out, I have to go save him!" Gridd exclaimed, approaching Egill dangerously, without thinking about the consequences.


    Reidar positioned himself in front of her, preventing her from going further, knowing that if she diverted Egill''s attention, the barrier would fall apart and their end would come.


    "Get out of the way, Reidar! I must reach my brother!" she said again, pushing the archer, who was unbalanced to the side, but remained with his feet firmly on the ground.


    "Gridd, Dag is our last hope! If he dies, we will all die!" he yelled a few inches from Shieldmaiden''s face, trying to make her reason with lucidity, despite the moment of extreme tension, during which she, all the other Masters and the soldiers under the dome, could only remain silent waiting for the verdict of that bloody battle to be carried out, which shortly after their arrival, had already decimated their troops.


    Gridd turned back to Dag and placed a hand on her own chest, at the height of her heart, beating hard.


    Tears began to pour down her cheeks as her warm breath became increasingly intermittent and heavy, hoping not to witness his brother''s death.


    Dag closed his eyes, focusing on every muscle in his body, feeling his hard nerves like a rock and his bones creaking slightly under the weight of the hammer, which had now almost reached the highest point.

 380 CCCLXXX. Memory Of Mj?llnir

    A dozen wolves faster than the others sprang from the herd, running at great speed in the snow, their jaws wide open and their claws ready to strike.


    In the mind of the young Dag, the figure of Magni appeared, as always immersed in darkness.


    "Master! I feel it! It''s coming! I''m worthy! I''m worthy!" Dag said, turning to the spirit of his Master, who smiled toward him and grabbed both of his arms.


    "Think of your parents, Dag... do it for them... prove to yourself how much you''re worth... you''ve lived in fear for too long... now take what belongs to you! use your powers for yourself too, not just for others! Become the warrior I wanted you to be! Unleash your power, Dag!" Magni''s spirit answered aloud, clutching his pupil''s wrists and barely raising his arms upwards, beginning to scream out loud with fatigue.


    "Grrrraaaaagh!" Dag shouted, joining his battle cry with that of his master.


    When he opened his eyes, his legs were completely stretched out, as well as his arms and the hammer had finally reached the highest point.


    A giant white lightning bolt was fired at great speed from the center of the vortex in the sky and hit him, completely covering his body.


    All the soldiers and his comrades inside the barrier were frightened, fearing that something had gone wrong, having never witnessed a man being struck by such a large lightning bolt.


    As soon as the lightning bolt hit the ground, it unleashed a powerful shockwave, which spread with a circular trajectory around him, knocking the pack of wolves that were running to the ground.


    Many of the enemies tried to cling to the ground with their fingernails, while others were swept away like leaves in the wind.


    When the light from the sky stopped and the lightning decreased in dimension until it disappeared, Dag was still there, standing on his feet and with the hammer raised to the sky.


    Magni''s hammer was completely wrapped in a white electric aura, so powerful that it released several small lightning bolts around it.


    His right eye remained purple and his left one became completely white, without the pupil.


    The werewolves recovered from the shock and began to run towards him again, but some of them swerved, running away from the battlefield, toward the split into the rock from which they had come.


    Dag lowered the hammer and took two steps forward.


    The huge vortex above his head remained open, ready to unleash more lightning at his order.


    "Thoor! I know you can hear me! My name is Dag, and I am the one who will save Asgard and Midgard from the rule of the Frostsinners!" he yelled as he looked up, recalling that the lightning that had struck him just before came from the tallest tower in Asgard, which at that time was connected to Midgard via that rift in the sky, which worked as a kind of portal.


    A second lightning bolt, slightly smaller than the first, descended vertically from the sky and hit the head of the hammer, which Dag waved upwards.


    Falling down again, he hit the ground violently, blowing up the first layers of rock on it.


    Inside the barrier, the warriors who were watching the scene were breathless to see a gigantic seismic wave that spread from that point in the direction of the wolves and then the village.


    Between the slits and cracks of the rock rising on the crest of the wave it was possible to see the electricity entered inside by the hammer of Dag, who had transferred all its energy to the ground.


    All the werewolves who were running, as soon as they saw what they were going to encounter, suddenly changed direction, beginning to run away on the other side, trying to accelerate the pace to escape that wave, similar to that caused by a tsunami, with the only difference of being made of rocks, crumpling on them, devouring everything in their path, fueled by the static energy inside them.


    One by one, the wolves were swallowed by the abnormal wave, which sucked them into the ground and snow, reducing them to shreds so small, that the only thing left of them were ascending blood spatters.


    "Aaaargh! We''re all going to die!"


    "Master Egill, the barrier will not withstand such a strong attack!"


    Dag''s companions continued to agitate, watching the giant rocky wave reach the barrier at great speed.


    Egill said nothing, knowing that his soldiers were probably right: despite the incredible resistance of that barrier, the seismic wave would lift the ground under his feet and he would surely lose his balance, ditching his grip on the staff and disabling the protective barrier.


    Just as his face began to express his resignation, from afar, Dag snapped forward, running next to the big wave.


    The enemies had now all been swallowed up and together with them, all the carcasses that lay on the ground, both those of the wolves and those of the Allied soldiers, dead under Kjell''s orders.


    Dag activated Call Of The Berserkr and greatly increased his muscle mass and speed of movement, managing to overcome the wave.


    He raised the hammer behind him, continuing to run, and a third lightning bolt struck Magni''s weapon, electrifying it.


    Jumping forward in front of the wave, Dag hurled a powerful lightning bolt at it, causing a massive explosion, which hit the barrier and the rest of the plain.


    Hundreds of rocks and boulders hit the protective dome created by Egill, who tried not to let go, keeping his hands still on the staff, as the barrier shook and began to break in some places hit by particularly heavy and sharp rocks.


    In addition to them, the explosion generated a wave of earth and mud, which completely enveloped the barrier, fully obscuring its interior.

 381 CCCLXXXI. The Splinter

    All the warriors present, caught in an indescribable fear, crouched down and hugged each other, fearing that they had come to an end, hoping only in the strength of Egill''s spell, who knew it would take a second of distraction to break the barrier and be responsible for everyone''s death.


    *boom*crush*baaam*


    The deafening noises of the boulders chipping the outer surface of the barrier faded after several minutes, during which only the sound of the smaller rock fragments gliding along the dome was heard.


    Master Egill dropped his grip on his rod and suddenly the barrier disappeared into thin air, letting in the dense post-explosion black dust.


    The soldiers began coughing, covering their faces with their arms, trying not to choke.


    As the dust became clearer and the scene gradually returned to be visible, the spectacle before their eyes left them breathless again.


    Everything that had been built on the snowy plain had disappeared, except the two stone dwellings covered by the magic barrier of Egill, around which the ground was burned and steaming, with grayish gases leaking from its fractures.


    Less than fifty yards away from them, dag stood, turned behind, unsteady, with the hammer pointed outwards, while more fine ash continued to fall on his head.


    In the sky, the vortex and dark clouds disappeared, giving way to the faint Sun, which returned to lightly illuminate the area, eliminating the darkness, which had characterized the whole battle.


    Freydis and Gridd, who had been hugged trying to protect each other, opened their eyes and looked forward.


    Dag turned to his companions: his body was completely covered in wounds, as was his face, soaked in blood.


    Freydis with one hand in front of his mouth held a scream, seeing her man in those conditions.


    On Dag''s face, it was possible to distinguish a smile, generated by the fact that he had managed to save his warriors, acting as a shield to his own attack, with which he had pulverized the entire horde of enemies.


    The next instant, the young Master fell to the ground without force, fainting on the terrain burned by the explosion.


    ...


    "Take him with you, don''t leave him here! I have no way to escape, but he can travel with his father! Nobody''s going to look for you and with your son, you''ll be able to start a new life again!"


    "If he comes with me he will be forced to flee all his life long, in fear that they will discover his true identity. Giving shape to our love was the most beautiful thing that had ever happened to me, I can not risk making it a mistake. He''s beautiful, like his mother".


    "Yes, he is. He is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, as beautiful as the sunny days on the surface when our star was full of life and with its heat warmed everything..."


    "Like the day... Dag. His name will be Dag.


    ...


    *WHEEZE*


    A stone ceiling took shape in front of Dag''s only open eye, which struggled to breathe, feeling severe pain in his ribs and unable to feel his arms and legs.


    "He''s alive! Master Egill! Dag breathes again!"


    A warm hand stroked his face covered in scratches and cuts caused by the rocks that had hit him before.


    "Fr... Freydis" he repeated with a thread of voice, while his girlfriend''s blurry face stood still in front of him.


    "Yes, yes! It''s me, Dag! I''m here! I''m here next to you, I won''t leave you!"


    "My eye... I can''t open my left eye" Dag continued, barely raising his arm and trying to touch his face.


    Freydis grabbed his wrist, preventing him from reaching it.


    "You''ve suffered some very dangerous injuries, Dag. Karl and I are doing our best to make you heal. Don''t worry, in a short time you''ll be back as new" Egill exclaimed, who stood across the room next to a stone table, mixing something in a clay bowl.


    The Master Of Healing approached him, with light scratches on his face, limping slightly.


    "Master Egill... you have to rest, you can''t... aargh!"


    Trying to raise the tone of his voice, Dag felt severe pain on his side, realizing that he had broken ribs.


    "Keep quiet, boy. I''m fine, but you need to rest. Who will heal you if not your old Master Egill?" he smiled, dipping his hand into the black liquid inside the bowl, which smelled disgusting.


    Egill, trying to be as delicate as possible, spread the liquid on Dag''s side, covering the deepest wound he had reported and put a clean rag on it soon after, tying it to his abdomen.


    He did the same with cuts and scratches on his legs.


    Dag gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the strong burning of the liquid coming into contact with his living flesh.


    "Luckily your body has incredible regenerative power, everyone else would already be dead in your place. With my ointments and dark matter that heals you from the inside, you''ll feel better soon" Egill continued, carefully smearing the liquid on his pupil''s body.


    "My eye. If I move it sideways it hurts a lot and I can''t open it" Dag continued, complaining.


    "That''s because you still have a sliver of rock stuck inside of it"


    "What?! A splinter?!" he exclaimed, waving and feeling pain again on the side.


    "Yes. We need to take it off as soon as possible, but there is a risk that you will faint from pain, so I need to heal these other wounds first, to prevent you from bleeding too much" Egill continued, standing up and heading back to the table, with blood-soaked bandages in his hands.


    Dag tried again to move, in vain.


    As he regained consciousness, the pain of his wounds grew stronger and the fear of losing his eye pervaded his mind, causing him a strong sense of anguish until Freydis''s voice distracted him.


    "Hey..."


    "Hey... I feel like shit."


    "Dag, we''re all safe. Me, Gridd, Kjell, the soldiers... they''re all fine, thanks to you!" she replied, gently stroking his face, trying not to hurt him.

 382 CCCLXXXII. The Surgical Precision

    "Sander? How''s Master Sander?!"


    "He... he still doesn''t wake up... Master Egill says his condition is critical... Wolves have torn many of his inner tissues and also because of his age, his wounds do not heal as quickly as yours. I hope he regains his senses."


    Dag closed his eyes, stretching his neck on the pillow under his head, made of some flattened, blood-soaked clothes that some of the soldiers had kindly offered to heal their savior''s wounds.


    With more clean bandages in his hands and another bowl full of ointment, Egill returned again to Dag, this time accompanied by Karl, who placed a hand on Freydis''s shoulder, asking her to move back.


    Before doing so, she lowered herself towards Dag''s face and kissed him gently on the cheek, stroking his blood-soaked blonde hair and then stepped back, leaving the two healers the space to perform their task.


    "Dag, put this between your teeth and bite it hard. It''s going to hurt a little bit" Karl said, who gave him a piece of rope, similar to the one used to hold the Iron Emerald sails high.


    Dag sighed deeply and while he did so, he could feel the ointment of Egill acting in his chest with the dark fluid, that moved along the wounds, closing the torn fibers of his muscles, and repairing the damaged skin.


    "Try to stay still, Dag. I will slowly remove the rock fragment stuck in your eye. The more you get agitated, the more you''ll feel pain. If I did it too fast, I would cause your eye even more damage and the wound would certainly not heal" Egill said, explaining with sincerity what he was going to do.


    "I''m ready, do what you have to do" Dag replied, his voice tenacious, though frightened.


    He took a deep breath, after which, Karl placed the piece of rope between his teeth, that tightened.


    Trying not to make sudden movements, operating in the absolute silence of that empty room, Egill opened Dag''s left eye, moving his upper eyelid upwards.


    Dag tried to keep his left eye open, with which he noticed the disgusted expression on Karl''s face, which looked away and grabbed both of his friend''s wrists, in an attempt to hold him still if he began to shake.


    A pointed and elongated fragment of rock was stuck in the white of the eye and fortunately had not affected the pupil, which although it was full of blood, had returned to its normal color.


    From his leather bag, Egill pulled iron pliers, the smallest he owned.


    "Always look in the same spot, Dag. I recommend you, stay still" the Master Of Healing repeated, bringing the pliers closer to the eye, from which Dag saw absolutely nothing but a huge dark red spot covering everything.


    With a masterful delicacy and surgical precision, Egill grabbed the rock fragment with pliers and after making sure it couldn''t slide sideways, he began to pull it out.


    "Aaargh... ummpf...."


    Trying to do as fast as possible, thanks to his steady hand, Egill extracted the fragment, whose lower end, when it came out of the white of the eye, left behind a kind of yellowish jelly, which mixed with blood present on the cornea.


    "Umpf... umpf..."


    Dag continued to pant, maintaining his usual self-control, never looking away from the same brick on the ceiling, which he had begun to look at at the beginning of the surgery process.


    "Very well, Dag! Very well! The hole caused by the fragment does not look so deep and your pupil is intact! Stay still a little while, you''re doing great!" Egill replied, who threw the fragment into Karl''s hands, who when he saw it up close, held back the retching, not being used to that kind of thing.


    Another sweat thread poured from Dag''s forehead, which was beginning to have serious difficulty keeping his eyes open when he finally noticed that Egill left the pliers and took one of the clean bandages.


    "I''m done, now your body will do the rest of the work. I''ve used all my skills to heal your wounds, I think that will be enough" the master Of Healing stated, closing the eyelids of Dag''s eye, smearing some of his miraculous ointment on it and resting a piece of tissue on its top.


    Ensuring that it was tight on the wound, he tied it with a thin piece of rope behind the young Master''s head, while his face slowly began to regain color.


    Karl grabbed the rope that Dag was clutching between his teeth and pulled it out of his mouth, allowing him to breathe well again, while regaining the use of his arms and legs, which, although sore and stiff, still seemed to work properly.


    "Master Egill, I think that now you should rest. You took care of all the wounded incessantly, I''ll handle this. Go to sleep, I''ll wake you up tomorrow morning" Karl said, suggesting Egill to rest his tired body on a kind of bed next to Dag''s, consisting of a large stone slab slightly raised from the ground.


    "Yes, I think I need some rest. If you need my help, don''t hesitate to wake me up, kid. I leave it to you to take care of the wounded" Egil answered, who, after leaving all his old surgical tools on the table, dried his hands with one of the white rags and lay on the bed next to Dag, falling asleep after just over a minute.


    "How many soldiers have left, Karl?" Dag asked, touching slightly the eye patch on his face.


    "Twenty-four, Dag... the Crows Of Odin are almost all dead, only two of them have been saved. In addition to them, two of the Sons Of Freya warriors have also died, courageously sacrificing their lives to allow you entering the barrier without any problems."

 383 CCCLXXXIII. The Scratch

    "Twenty-four... fuck it..." Dag replied, reflecting on the fact that after so short time, the number of their soldiers had already almost halved, only because of Kjell''s stupidity, that if he had listened to him, he would have avoided that unnecessary bloodshed.


    "You know it''s not your fault, Dag... it''s only thanks to your intervention that we''re still alive, never forget it. After this negative experience, you will see that the soldiers will only carry out the orders of their Warchief¡­ yours" Karl continued, trying to explain to his friend that everything that had happened could also be interpreted with optimism.


    *scratch*scratch*


    "Uhm? What is this noise?" Karl asked, heading to the front door of that small room in one of the village''s remaining stone dwellings.


    As soon as he opened, he discovered with amazement that it was Thalos, who with his claws was scratching on the wooden door as if he wanted to knock politely.


    "Hey, Thalos! How are you, buddy?" Dag asked, smiling at his gray wolf, who suddenly came in and scared Karl, who wasn''t very practical about animals, especially of that size.


    Dag stretched out his arm down, leaning slightly out of the stone bed, and the wolf, when he was close enough, began to lick his hand and wounds, emitting a crying-like groan, realizing that his master was not well.


    Gridd and Freydis also came in from the semi-open door, and when they saw Dag interacting with Thalos, they calmed down and smiled, glad he was fine even after Egill had removed the rock fragment from his eye.


    Karl closed the door, while the rest of the warriors scattered between that house and the other one spied inside the room to ensure the physical condition of their Warchief.


    "Brother, how do you feel?" Gridd asked, approaching Dag and gently touching his left leg, in better condition than the right, which was covered in bandages from which poured the blood of the wounds still open.


    "What do you think?" he chuckled, trying to ironize about his almost vegetative state, to lift everyone''s morale.


    "Before you ask, know that they are all well. The warehouse was destroyed, but most of the soldiers still managed to put food in their bags. In that regard, I brought you some water and something to eat."


    Dag grabbed the leather water bottle in Gridd''s hands and with her help, raised his head and drank a sip of water, which quenched his dehydrated body.


    "Terje and Runa, two soldiers of your Clan, are checking the condition of the other soldiers along with Reidar. In addition to being two formidable warriors, they seem to be very close to the rest of the troops... you''ll be pleased to know that they talk about you with pride, painting you as a wise and powerful leader even to those who don''t know you so well" Freydis said, joining the conversation.


    "Just a few hours. You need to get some more rest, Dag... when you''ll feel better, we''ll get back on track" she continued, stroking his face.


    Among the cuddles of his girlfriend and sister, who made him feel better, Dag sighed and added: "The wolves... I couldn''t kill them all. A dozen units of their herd are back inside their underground lair. When the forces flow back into my body, we''re going to find them... and we''ll annihilate them all.


    In Dag''s tone of voice, his companions noticed an unusual streak of hatred.


    "Don''t you think it''s better to continue north? We are still close to the coast, the exploration will take a long time..." Karl answered, who did not expect those words.


    "If we continue to travel north without first looking after them, we risk suffering another surprise attack and losing many of our soldiers. No, we''re going to go into that underground cavity and kill them all. They will suffer the way we have suffered" Dag continued, in a justily intolerant tone.


    "I agree with my brother. So far, his instincts have always allowed us to win battles and solve difficult situations. We will do as he says" Gridd confirmed, before leaving the room again to check the status of her Clan''s warriors.


    Dag began to look at the ceiling again, while Freydis and Karl discussed the details of what had happened, the battle and the new enemies, wondering what they looked like in their human forms.


    He could not take the image of Magni out of his mind, who once again came to his rescue in the spirit form and mentioned his parents for the second time, of whom he did not yet know anything.


    "We''ll call him Dag... are my father''s words. Why did you abandon me and my mother on Earth, father? You knew what I was going to fet through! You didn''t want to cause me suffering and make me live a whole life forced to flee, but leaving me on that dying planet you did much worse, making my existence be like hell, as well as that of all the other children who like me were forced to undergo the Temporum and travel between the planets. Why, father?" Dag thought, who somehow, during the last phase of his powerful attack, had managed to remember the voices of his parents, extracting them from some old drawer of the archive of his subconscious.


    "So, Dag? What do you think?"


    "Uhm? What? What are you talking about?"


    "But¡­ are you deaf? We''re assuming that the peasants we killed in the village belonged to the Claws Of Fenrir!" Freydis replied, astonished that Dag had not heard a single word of her conversation with Karl.


    "Mmh... I''m not sure about it. If they were from their Clan, why did they live on the surface? I didn''t think I saw any symbols or monuments depicting the great wolf Fenrir, so I assume it''s unlikely that those traders belonged to the Claws Of Fenrir. Anyway, there was definitely a connection between this place and that Clan" he continued, focusing on the words of his companions, taking an interest in their speech.

 384 CCCLXXXIV. Where Is He?!

    "So why were the warehouses we ransacked full? And above all, why did the wolves react to the sound of the bell? Think about it, it happened soon after, as if they were the army guarding the village. They could have intervened earlier, after hearing the screams of the citizens during our assault... but no, they waited for the sound of that fucking bell and came out of their lair, as if they were ants!" Karl exclaimed, who retraced all the stages of the battle, thought back to all those who had lost their lives.


    "Perhaps the villagers were in charge of collecting food for the beast-men and in return, the wolves allowed them to live here, under their protection. Krypstorm is very inhospitable due to its climate, so this place sheltered from the wind and blizzards is a great place to live. Farmers and traders, as long as they could provide food for the ravenous wolves, could inhabit these stone houses" Dag replied, laying out his theory.


    "Yes, that makes sense" Freydis answered, who had already thought about this hypothesis, believing it to be the most logical.


    The conversation continued only for a few more minutes, after which Dag decided to rest, trying to regain his strength to resume fighting as soon as possible.


    After ordering his sister Gridd to guard the two buildings overnight, Dag fell asleep, trying not to think of the excruciating pain he felt in almost every part of his body.


    He awoke several times during the night, coughing and moving continuously, while his wounds continued to burn and heal, under the action of the dark liquid, which had not stopped even for a moment working for its creator.


    ...


    "Aaaaaaargh!"


    The next morning, a harrowing scream sent Dag out of bed.


    All sore, he sat on the stone slab on which he had spent all night and looked around, noticing that he was alone in the room.


    The screams continued and seemed to come right from his same building.


    Moving one of his legs with a hand, which had not yet started working normally again, Dag got out of bed and walked to the door, dragging himself on one leg.


    Risking several times to fall, he leaned on the door, pushing it with the weight of his body and opening it.


    In the main room of the building, dozens of soldiers were seated on the ground, and when they saw their Warchief limping out of his room, they immediately stood up, lining up.


    "What''s going on?! What are these screams?! They sound like Sander''s voice! Where is he?!" Dag shouted towards his subordinates, waving and holding on to the wall, not yet being in a position to move independently.


    "Captain! What are you doing standing up?! Master Egill said you need to rest again, otherwise your wounds..."


    "Pff... my wounds are already better... Sander¡­ where is he and what''s happening to him?"


    "Fuck... I had a feeling that something was going to go wrong, his injuries were too severe!" he muttered, continuing to limp toward the door, leaning against the wall and his soldiers, who, seeing him in those conditions, helped him get closer to his target.


    Reidar, knowing that fighting his captain''s stubbornness would be futile, opened the door, allowing him to enter and trying not to show everything to the other soldiers, who knew only summarily what state one of their Masters was in.


    Barefoot and with bandages still attached to his wounds, Dag entered the room and leaned against the wall, noting that all his companions were there, turned to the other side, bent down.


    Everyone turned to him, looking at him with a surprise air.


    "Sander! How is he?!" Dag asked, without even saying goodbye, as his sister approached him, resting her arm on his shoulder, helping him to stand.


    As soon as Gridd moved, Dag noticed a large bloodstain on the stone floor.


    Egill''s robe was also completely bloodied, as was Kjell and Karl''s hands, standing next to him.


    Walking slowly forward, he discovered that in front of them, there was him, Sander, lying on the ground on a kind of carpet, made from some furs piled on each other.


    His eyes were closed and his body was strewn with wounds.


    Without armor, it was possible to see the deep cuts that the ravenous wolves had procured on his chest and hips.


    On the right side, his rib cage was broken and two ribs were fractured and still leaking from the flesh.


    However, the worst part was the leg, which lay on the ground, in the pool of blood, detached from the rest of the body.


    "Fuck! Is he dead?!" Dag asked again, panicking, hoping until the last moment that Sander would be saved.


    Egill did not answer, merely wrapping the cut area with bandages, which as soon as they touched the knee drenched in blood, leaking out as from a fountain.


    Kjell stood up, resting his colleague''s head on the furs and walked toward Dag.


    He paused a few inches from him and looked him in the eye: his gaze had never been so sad, full of despair and anger.


    His eyes seemed to be deeper than usual, red and with purple contours, typical of a person who cried and screamed throughout the night.


    Dag turned his gaze back, pointing his purple eye at the chain-warrior, which because of his stubbornness had put everyone in danger, risking to kill all the soldiers of the troops and to nip the mission in the bud.


    Kjell''s hands were completely soaked in blood, which drop after drop, mapped the floor under his feet.


    His nostrils began to widen and shrink and his mouth vibrated strangely, while his lips bent inside.

 385 CCCLXXXV. The Behavior Change

    Unpredictably, Kjell burst into tears and hugged Dag, who stood motionless and with his eyes wide open for a few seconds.


    Even Gridd, who was helping him to stand, walked away from him, watching that singular scene.


    Kjell continued to cry and hold Dag in his arms, resting his head on his shoulders, when he reciprocated the embrace, placing a single arm on his back and closing his eye, trying to share his pain.


    "I''m a fool! I should have been in his place! He told me to listen to you, he told me I should trust you from the beginning, but I thought his was a weakness! Look what I''ve done! I killed dozens of warriors and also my best friend! I don''t deserve to live, I will never reach Valhalla!" Kjell shouted, venting all his repressed frustration with Dag, who stood still listening.


    Not immediately knowing what to answer, Dag moved Kjell slightly backward, interrupting the embrace.


    The face of Crows of Odin''s Master Of Offense expressed genuine remorse and displeasure and this time he seemed to have realized he had made the wrong choice.


    Making a mental effort, Dag tried not to soften himself in front of that scene, showing everyone that he could have a cold and strong character when needed.


    "If you hadn''t involved your soldiers, now you''d be in his place. Not only did you break our pact and make it your own, but you also implicitly forced your Clan warriors to follow you. Master Sander was too good to leave you out there alone, he would stay with you at any cost... but you knew that too, didn''t you, Kjell?" Dag said, resting his hand on his interlocutor''s shoulder and passing by him, heading toward Sander''s body, still lying on the ground and unconscious.


    Kjell remained speechless and raised his eyebrows, continuing to cry and look to the floor, thinking back to the harsh and severe words of Dag, who despite his goodness and youthful naivety, was unwilling to forgive such a high loss of human lives.


    Gridd, still in front of him, followed his brother, struck by his authoritarian and severe tone, through which he had used Kjell''s sincere embrace to hurt him back, making him understand that his mistake was unforgivable and had led to those serious consequences.


    "Egill..." Dag whispered, leaning down to the Master Of Healing and then sitting on the ground and emitting groans of pain, because of his sore legs.


    A large hacksaw blade was resting on the ground next to him, also completely covered in blood.


    "His leg would kill him in a few hours, I had to stop the infection. I was forced to cut it off..." he said in a low voice, his eyes fixed in the void.


    "I''m sure that, if you chose to amputate Sander''s leg, it was the only way to save him. Your qualities as a healer are out of the question, Egill... now we just have to wait for him to recover.


    He lowered himself towards Sander and gently poured the contents of the bottle into his mouth, a few drops at a time, allowing the liquid to descend down his throat without being swallowed.


    "Here, Master Egill... I did as you asked me. It was the last healing potion of our stocks... I hope it will take effect soon. The heartbeat is very weak, but Master Sander is still alive, right now he is struggling between life and death" Karl said, resting two fingers on the neck of the Master Of Defense, trying to feel the beat of his heart.


    "He protected the barrier on his own. He stood still there, even though he knew he would jeopardize his life, while his enemies kept coming in large numbers. If we are all still alive, we also owe it to his sacrifice" Egill said, who could not take his eyes off his friend, with whom he had shared a multitude of adventures.


    After those words, Dag stood up, realizing that not even Egill, the great Master Of Healing was able to say for sure whether Master Sander would recover.


    Step by step, holding on to Gridd''s back, he returned to the door outside the room, while Kjell and Karl looked at him, waiting for him to say a few words of comfort, but that didn''t happen.


    Dag left the room with his sister, angry at everything that had happened, with the belief that that massacre could have been avoided.


    In front of him, he found the faces of the surviving soldiers, who looked at him with a remote air, trying to understand the gravity of the situation.


    He stood with his back to the wall, making room for some warriors, and waited for absolute silence in the main room of the building.


    "Master Sander is in serious condition. I won''t hide that we Masters are all worried about him, who sacrificed himself to protect the Master Egill barrier, putting himself against dozens of werewolves"


    In those words, the gaze of the warriors in the front rows before him was further filled, although they suspected even before that the situation was serious, judging the palpable tension in the air.


    Before he continued, Kjell and Karl left Sander''s room, having cleaned their hands of his blood.


    "We Masters are human beings, just like you. We sleep like you, we eat like you, we bleed like you... we make mistakes, just like you do. If you think that we are divine beings, you are wrong. But mistakes can also happen to the wisest of the leaders, who will not be judged for this. You have climbed the Iron Emerald as free men and you will always be able to choose for yourself who to follow. But I, Master Dag, as Warchief of the Iron Alliance, swore before the Gods that I would protect each of you at the cost of my life."

 386 CCCLXXXVI. The Harshness

    Dag''s words were a clear reference to Kjell''s mistake, who exchanged glances with some of the soldiers, who looked at him out of the corner of their eyes, trying not to be noticed.


    "And to protect you, I need you to adapt to my rules, to follow my orders. Only in this way will you make my life easy and the exploratory mission to the North of Krypstorm can continue. The two surviving warriors of the Crows Of Odin... Step forward!" he yelled again, looking around and trying to locate them.


    A young man and a Shieldmaiden in her thirties came forward, passing the front rows and stopping in front of their Warchief.


    "Do you want to make the deaths of your comrades vane?!" he replied, still in a stern tone, similar to the one he had used earlier with Kjell.


    "No, sir..." both of them answered, with a thread of voice and their eyes turned downwards.


    "Well. Because I''m sick of seeing my men die before my eyes... you are warriors of Okstorm and you have been trained in the greatest Clans of Skjold! Your life is worth much more than you may think, you must never forget it! Your companions did not die in vain, but because they believed in something, they believed it all the way! What about you?! What do you think?!" Dag yelled again, slightly struggling to breathe as he raised his voice because of the wounds on his hips.


    "In the Iron Alliance, sir!"


    "Our new alliance..."


    "The Iron Alliance..."


    In addition to Shieldmaiden in front of him, other warriors also muttered an answer, including Terje, always ready to express his allegiance to his commander.


    I didn''t understand! What the fuck do you believe?!"


    "In the Iron Alliance, sir!" all the warriors in the building shouted in unison, looking up proudly and fearlessly.


    "And then fight for it to the death! We will find the wolves that managed to escape and hang them with their own guts! Giants Of Ymir, Claws Of Fenrir... Every Clan who will set out on our way will be swept away and will experience the fury of Okstorm''s mighty warriors!" Dag continued, raising his arm with fewer wounds upwards and moving his purple eye among the soldiers in front of him, who after his speech had regained courage, as usual.


    Amid the general screams of the crowd, the warriors began to argue with each other and to cheer the name of Dag, who, in light of recent events, had earned their trust and knew that from that moment on, all the remaining warriors would obey his orders first.


    "I am glad that my men will carry out your orders, brother. For me, it''s like a dream come true. You''ll see, Master Sander will recover and all together we will start traveling north again" Gridd said, smiling.


    "How many supplies do we have left?"


    Dag nodded, realizing that he had to get back in his strength as soon as possible, and when he headed to his room to rest, Master Egill left Sander''s room, with an expression that promised nothing good.


    The Master Of Healing followed Dag into the room and after entering with him, he closed the door.


    "How come you used that tone of voice with Kjell before? Don''t get me wrong, that man really needed a lesson, hearing you talk like lifted my spirits, but... I didn''t know this side of your character. What happened?"


    "I didn''t know it either, Egill. During the last phase of Memory Of Mj?llnir, Magni''s spirit again appeared before me, to give me the courage necessary for me to be able to lift his hammer and recall the energy of the Asgardian Thunder. He told me that I had to stop thinking only of others and I had to use my power for myself as well. From those words, I understood what he was referring to. Thanks to your consent, I firstly became Master and then Warchief, but I do not stop acting like an irresponsible kid, who always needs the help of others."


    "Did Magni tell you that?"


    "Yes. I too was astonished by his words, but it was his spirit that was speaking. It''s time for me to make some strong decisions. From today I will no longer be conditioned by anyone, I will only follow my instincts and I will trust only those who have always been close to me, like you and my sister Gridd" Dag replied, in a strong and determined tone.


    "If we are here now, in these unexplored lands, it is only because of your resoluteness, Dag. You''ve managed alone to convince the Clans'' strongest warriors to come together and embark on such a risky journey. Believe me, for an old Master like me, it''s an honor to follow your orders. I still remember when you arrived at Temple Of Orn, with your face disoriented, trying to mask the worry with a harsh expression, with which you looked at your companions! Hahah!" Egill chuckled, looking at the ceiling.


    Ironically, the two of them retraced the moments when Dag began studying the scrolls of the Temple library, always paying close attention to the teachings of his Masters.


    Before discovering his dark powers, he had never stood out for his combat skills.


    Dag was a good warrior, but wherever he went, there was always someone stronger than him.


    According to Master Egill, his true virtue had always been his strong determination: despite having ended up with his back to the ground hundreds of times, the blond-haired little earthling always got up, starting to fight with his head held high again, even though he knew he had little hope.


    "Who would have thought that in a few months you would be able to master such great and unknown dark powers and defeat the King of the Renegades, a God, and other powerful warriors, Emblems'' holders?"

 387 CCCLXXXVII. The Invigorating Meal

    Their conversation ended with that sentence, after which both Masters lay down on their uncomfortable beds, ready to rest for a few hours, hoping that in the meantime nothing serious would happen to Sander, who was under the careful control of the young Karl.


    Dag fell asleep, striving to dream of something of his parents again, but he did not succeed.


    During his sleep, the dark liquid flowing through his body managing to close and completely heal his most severe wounds, such as the one on his leg and the one on his hip, leaving some noticeable scars.


    After about four hours of heavy sleep, Dag was awakened by the voice of his sweet Freydis, who after kissing his cheeks, began to caress his hair.


    "Hey, Dag! Wake up, sleepyhead... you have to eat something, you need energy! The darkness of the night is about to envelop the village and the cold begins to be felt. Come, get out of bed"


    Clutching his girlfriend''s hand, Dag sat on the bed, while his stomach grumbled, and before he got up, he felt a strange itch under the bandage of his injured eye.


    "What is it? Does it hurt?" Freydis asked, worried.


    "Mmh, no... It''s not real pain, it''s more of a nuisance" he said, untying the lace that held the bandage firmly on his face, taking it off.


    When his eye got some air, Freydis noticed that a yellow liquid had formed around it, which was certainly the result of a normal secretion due to the fact that the eye had been closed for a long time.


    With the back of the bandage, Dag cleaned the outside of his eyelids, removing all that strange liquid and slowly, opened them.


    With some initial difficulty, the eye opened slightly and the figures in front of it began to take shape, such as the torch hanging on the wall and Freydis''s face, who as soon as she saw that Dag could independently open his wounded eye smiled with joy.


    After a few seconds, the vision became sharper and even Dag smiled, realizing that the care of his Master had taken effect and with a little luck, also thanks to his great capacity of regeneration, everything had returned to normal.


    He got out of bed and stretched his arms upwards, emitting slight crunches, after being sore for several hours.


    "I feel so much better now! I feel that tomorrow I will have fully recovered my energies!" he exclaimed, looking at Egill behind him, slowly waking up after the long sleep.


    When the Master Of Healing also awoke and gleefully noticed Dag''s physical progress, all three of them left the room and together with some soldiers sat around a small bonfire, on which a small ember, consisting of a thin stone slab, was built, obtained from the rubble surrounding the building.


    On the base of stone, pieces of semi-dried fish were roasting, giving off a very good smell, which awakened everyone''s appetite.


    "So? How is he?" Freydis asked her brother, noting his relieved expression.


    "He seems to be better. His heart rate stabilized and his leg stopped losing blood. I don''t know if the relief he''s feeling is due to the effect of the healing potion, but I hope he can wake up soon, not least because we can''t leave him here" Karl replied, clutching a piece of steaming salmon.


    Kjell, sitting less than a meter from them, listened to the conversation in silence.


    "I know you''re all thinking that Sander''s physical condition will slow us down, but I''m sure that with his physical strength, he''ll find a way to keep the pace. I will continue to heal his leg day and night, taking advantage of the good temperature in here, before exposing ourselves to that freezing cold" Egill replied, who was already imagining what would happen in the immediate future.


    After finishing his portion of fish and eating a whole piece of bread, Dag immediately felt better and the muscles of his arms and legs resumed functioning properly.


    He got up from the ground and approached one of the windows of the stone house, to spy on the situation outside.


    Less than ten meters away, a yellowish light illuminated the windows of the second building, in which the rest of the surviving warriors were getting some refreshment, eating some of the supplies they had managed to carry.


    Around the two houses, there was nothing left: the snow was slowly starting to settle on the burnt and uneassuary ground, on which some rocks continued to emit a hot gas coming from underground.


    Dag thought of the corpses absorbed by the earth wave caused by Memory Of Mj?llnir and the fact that they now fed the soil with their own organic matter, making it more fertile than the previous one.


    As he was immersed in his thoughts, Freydis approached him, to keep him company.


    "It could have been a lot worse, Dag. We could all have died. Relax, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we can organize the soldiers and study a plan to get into that breach in the ground. I wonder what''s going to be waiting for us over there... maybe other warriors of the Claws Of Fenrir... do you think there are many others?" she asked, trying to look him in the eye as he kept looking out the window.


    "It''s possible, but I don''t care. This time we will head towards them and take them by surprise. Surely there will be a fairly comfortable way to reach their lair, also because I do not think they can keep the shape of werewolf very long. We will go down in silence and move cautiously, divided into small groups, so as to avoid being surrounded. We will loot every dwelling, taking away their food and resources. After we''ve done all this and made sure we''ve killed them all, we''ll go back to the surface and we''ll continue north, looking for a Giants Of Ymir village, on which we haven''t started our revenge yet."

 388 CCCLXXXVIII. The Rolling Bowl

    As he spoke, Dag kept that tone safe and detached, talking about killing enemies as if the value of their lives didn''t matter to him, even regretting saving that little boy who had sounded the bell and knowing that if he had killed him, maybe the wolves would never arrive.


    Freydis got closer to him and grabbed his hand, resting her head on his shoulder.


    Dag squinted, smelling his woman''s hair, mixed with smoked salmon aroma and all the food cooked on the embers, whose grayish smoke floated under the high ceilings of the stone house.


    As Dag and Freydis frolicked in silence, exchanging kisses and caresses, their companions continued to eat.


    "You two! Take this bowl with food and a mug of mead and bring them to Master Sander''s room. I don''t think he''s regained consciousness, but maybe the smell of hot food will make him feel better" Egill said, ordering two Hammers Of Thor soldiers to go watch over Sander, being him and Karl exhausted.


    The two soldiers nodded and brought food to their Master''s room, gently opening the door, without making any sudden noises.


    "I''m almost certain he won''t be able to resist the smell of..."


    As Karl began to giggle, he stopped suddenly, feeling something strange coming from behind his back.


    Soon after, Egill and the others heard him, and they all suddenly fell silent.


    Dag, who still had his lips resting on Freydis''s, immediately detached himself from her and stepped forward, toward the room, whose door was ajar.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Why did you all shut up?"


    Some warriors in the room said, when Dag moved an arm toward them, ordering them to remain silent.


    The strange noise continued for a few minutes, which was enough for Dag to understand what it was: it was like a sound of flesh being cut and torn apart, followed by the sound of torn clothes.


    After about thirty seconds, the metal bowl that was supposed to contain the salmon rolled on the floor, completely empty.


    "What?!" Egill exclaimed, who immediately rose to his feet, as did Reidar, who took his Failnaught leaning next to him and drew an arrow from the quiver.


    Thalos, who until then had been crouched in a warm corner of the room, stood up and began growling, slowly approaching Dag and staring at the door of Sander''s room.


    While everyone muttered something, alerted to the strange behavior of their Masters, Dag ordered Freydis to back down and stood still, listening.


    After him, Kjell also rose, swallowing a sip of mead.


    *and*anf*


    A deep and panting breath came from the room and everyone immediately realized that it belonged neither to Sander nor to the two soldiers who had brought him food.


    When the bowl stopped rolling, stopping right under Kjell''s feet, he picked it up and with Egill, noticed that there was some fresh blood inside.


    Freyidis and Gridd were the first to scream when the dismembered corpse of one of the two soldiers hit the floor, smearing it with blood and pieces of organs.


    "Fuck!" Dag exclaimed when a large claws-equipped hand clung to one side of the door, clutching it so hard that it shattered the wood.


    From the darkness of the room, an unclean being dragged himself towards the soldiers, who were paralyzed by terror.


    Two long ears and another large hand popped out, preceding a long snout with razor-sharp teeth.


    A giant werewolf stood through Sander''s door, standing in front of it, without going out of it completely.


    Egill and Dag, unknowingly, simultaneously ordered all the soldiers to remain silent when they noticed that the giant wolf was smelling the air around him.


    Holding their mouths with their hands, the warriors obeyed and all of them moved to the opposite side of the room, standing in a row attached to the wall.


    Beginning to sweat cold and knowing that none of them except Reidar had his weapons at hand, Dag continued to retreat slowly, thinking of Freydis and Gridd, who were fortunately further away from him and from the beast-man.


    The giant wolf stepped forward, continuing to widen and close his broad nostrils, attracted by the scent of fish on the embers.


    When he came out the door completely, Dag and the others noticed that he had only one leg, and to move forward he helped himself with the two mighty arms, all scratched and wounded.


    A large cut on the side of his chest leaked blood, running down his hairy body, ended up on the ground along with that of the two soldiers who had been slaughtered.


    Leaving a single large footprint with their blood, the wolf continued to head forward, moving his head to one side and the other, as if he could not see well and relied only on his sense of smell.


    His fur was thick and grey, almost black at the long tail, which swayed accompanying his clumsy movements.


    As everyone retreated to let him pass, he reached the small bonfire, on which pieces of salmon were burning, having been on the fire for too long.


    Just then, Dag looked at Freydis and nodded his hand, asking her to enter his room and take his belt with the two weapons, while Thalos, with his tail in the middle of his legs, walked away from his master, realizing that he was intent on facing that huge beast, larger than the average Claws Of Fenrir''s wolves.


    Continuing to breathe heavily, the wolf lowered his snout toward the embers, sensing the heat of the fire.


    Egill, who had moved only a few feet, looked at him and spoke with a thread of a voice.


    "S... Sander?"


    "Grr... urgh?!"


    The wolf turned his face towards him, trying to frame him with an eye.


    Egill looked back and, although he was very frightened, he noticed that the werewolf''s eyes were brown, exactly the same as those of the Master Of Defense.

 389 CCCLXXXIX. Hold Him Still

    Just as Egill held out a hand at the beast, believing that Sander was alive and conscious, the wolf pounced on him, trying to bite his arm.


    Egill dodged the blow and fell to the ground, hastily beginning to crawl backwards, dragging himself on his elbows when Kjell punched the wolf in the face, who stood motionless, moving his head backwards.


    "What... what the fuck is happening to you... S... Sander?! Did... did you become like those monsters?!" he exclaimed, terrified, positioning himself in front of Egill and the other soldiers to serve as a human shield.


    The correspondences between that beast-man and the Master Of Defense were too many: his hair was the same color as Sander''s hair and under his snout, a small braid of the beard was closed by the same golden ring.


    The most glaring evidence that he had turned into a werewolf was the fact that the beast had a severed leg, bandaged exactly as Egill had done just before with his colleague and his wounds, at the same points of the body.


    "Get away! His transformation was caused by the bite of one of the wolves that reduced near death! It must be some kind of skill of their Clan..." Dag exclaimed, attracting the attention of his companions and that of the wolf, who despite having just been hit by Kjell, did not react violently, maintaining a surprising composure.


    "It can''t be! I too have been bitten, as have you and Gridd! Look at us! None of us turned into a wolf! Kjell said, his fists clenched in front of him, fighting with his bare hands.


    "It''s true, but none of us have suffered so many injuries! I don''t know how it works, but maybe not all wolves are able to cause this transformation! Get away from him, it''s not in himself, I notice it from the smell he emanates!" Dag replied, avoiding screaming after noticing that one of the wolf''s ears was pointed at him, moving slightly after every word that came out of his mouth.


    Without objecting for a second, after the last bad experience, Kjell immediately backtracked, moving with him also Master Egill, who had not yet managed to realize what was going on.


    The mighty beast-man began to smell the food, regardless of all the people around him, who looked at him in fear, ready to flee the house.


    He stretched out his arm toward the embers and grabbed a piece of salmon, burning his hand.


    "Groooargh!" he roared when his paw burned on contact with the burning stone plate, knocking the fish to the ground.


    Lowering down, he picked up the piece of salmon and swallowed it in a single bite, licking his still traumatized claw.


    Meanwhile, Dag felt something touch his leg and turned to look.


    Thalos, under the instructions of Freydis, held his belt between his teeth, and without making any suspicious noise he had managed to bring it to him.


    Dag grabbed it and tied it around his waist, slowly detaching the hammer from the magnet.


    Dag saw his colleague out of the corner of his eye, but he continued to walk cautiously on tiptoe, coming out of the wolf''s field of view, that being too busy savoring that delicious fish, did not notice him, who stopped behind him, about three meters away.


    Egill continued to agitate but managed to hold back the words, which would alert the wolf.


    Under the worried eyes of all the soldiers, who were once again entrusting their lives to Dag, the young Warchief began to approach Sander''s shoulders, while he swallowed the penultimate bite.


    Before the wolf could see his presence, Dag jumped toward him, clinging with both arms around his neck.


    "Grrraargh!"


    Sander began to squirm, while all the warriors remained helpless to watch the scene.


    All but Kjell, who, to preventing Dag from doing it all on his own, snapped at them and struck the wolf with another violent punch, which bent in two from pain and dragged back from Dag, sat on the ground, his head stuck in his grip.


    "Sander! Wake up, my friend! You''re alive! You did it! Your wounds are healing, come back to you, please!" Kjell yelled, grabbing the big werewolf by the hairs of his face and trying to look him in the eye, in the hope that in that way, Sander might recognize him.


    Dag tightened his grip even more, helping himself with the hammer: he grabbed the two ends of the weapon and with the handle resting on the wolf man''s trachea, he pulled forcefully backwards, trying to make him unconscious, without causing him any further damage.


    For a few seconds, it seemed as if the beast man wanted to surrender, but suddenly, he raised his arm and hit Kjell on the chest, causing him to fall backwards, very close to the burning wood of the bonfire, which burned only slightly a flap of his shirt.


    After hitting his colleague, Sander moved his arms backwards and Dag tried to wriggle to avoid getting caught.


    Although he managed to move his neck deftly, the werewolf''s arms were too long and he grabbed his hair, pulling it and hurting him very much.


    Dag began to cry out for pain and effort on the hammer, which was pulled more and more forcefully, without being able to scratch the neck of the wolf, so muscular that it opposed the movement of the handle of the weapon.


    Fortunately, as Sander had no leg, he tried several times to get up, but he did not succeed because of Dag, who kept stepping back.


    Kjell, after getting up, ran back towards them, but this time he was kicked in the legs and fell violently on the stone floor, injuring his arms.


    At that point, Gridd and Egill moved forward, determined to help their Warchief, after coming out of the state of paralysis due to fear, which lasted a few minutes.

 390 CCCXC. The Soggy Sphere

    The two Masters did not arrive in time, that they heard another noise, this time more familiar.


    From Dag''s shoulders, two dark arms took shape, rising upwards and gaining thickness, growing in size, and becoming very large.


    The wolf was able to see them despite his damaged eyes and felt the smell and noise, realizing that it was nothing good for him.


    He left Dag''s hair and grabbed his arm, sticking his claws in his flesh, trying in every way to loosen his grip so he could free himself and crawling to the ground with the only leg he had, to push him back and get rid of Dag.


    Egill and Gridd stopped, knowing that at that point, their intervention would be futile and they could even injure themselves because of Dag''s dark powers, also because he seemed to have full control of the two arms, which slowly turned their upper extremities inside, pointing them towards Sander''s face.


    Despite the severe pain in his arm, Dag was able to activate Call Of The Berserkr: the muscles of his legs grew considerably and the wolf''s nails stuck in his flesh bent under the bundles of nerves that became as hard as steel.


    "Graaargh!" the wolf yelled, uttering a verse more like a human scream than an animal roar.


    Focusing on his dark power, Dag was able to give the two arms a different shape than usual.


    Their ends, instead of becoming two sharp blades, split into many thin filaments, floating in the air like small tentacles, approaching the face of the wolf, who stretched his eyes, waving even more, but to no avail, while Dag''s strong arms held the hammer still on his neck.


    Sander then began frantically moving his arm forward, trying to hit one of the two beams of black liquid that were approaching dangerously.


    One swing after another, the wolf''s claws cut the air like blades, without being able to hit his target, and he violently detached his nails from Dag''s flesh, so he could use his other arm as well.


    Dag gritted his teeth, resisting the pain, while a small bundle of liquid entered the wound, beginning to heal it.


    Caught in a fury caused by Call Of The Berserkr, when Sander pointed both arms forward, trying to grab the liquid, Dag pulled the hammer backward, impressing almost all the strength he had in his body.


    Sander''s mouth opened and his tongue went out during the strangulation process, while the two small eyes closed, to withstand traction.


    "Dag, stop! You''re going to kill him like this!" Egill exclaimed, beginning to fear for Sander''s life, who seemed to have no hope against Dag''s incredible physical strength.


    The liquid reached the wolf''s arms, and all the small tentacles at his extremities wrapped them, calcifying and locking them.


    At that point, continuing to emit guttural verses, with the trachea under great pressure, Sander spat something, which after flying away from his mouth, fell to the ground, moving slightly.


    The two huge arms full of fur decreased in volume and returned to their original form, as well as the face and the rest of the body.


    In about thirty seconds, Sander returned a human being and with his eyes closed, he faded backward, ending up in Dag''s arms, holding up his head to prevent him from slamming to the ground, while his face, which had turned red for effort, returned to be as pale as before the transformation.


    What the fuck is this soggy stuff?! Kjell exclaimed, who, with a piece of wood that had been used to turn the meat on the embers, touched the strange black, soft object that had leaked out of the werewolf''s mouth.


    The strange object seemed to be a small living, spherical, and completely black being, with small bumps on its surface, which had the appearance of so many needles, but in reality, they were soft, like the rest of its little body.


    Egill rushed to Sander, helping Dag, paying attention to the two dark arms, which slowly re-entered the body of their creator, thinning and sliding behind his back, emitting the usual liquid noise.


    He placed a hand on his neck and an ear on his chest, hoping to hear his heartbeat.


    "He''s alive... you saved him, Dag" Egill said, smiling at his Warchief, who breathed a sigh of relief as the soldiers who had witnessed the scene began to celebrate, glad that Dag had eliminated the threat and managed to save their Masters.


    Dag got up and approached Kjell, who was still touching that soggy little thing with his stick.


    He tried to look at it better, but he couldn''t figure out what it was, having never seen anything like it.


    "I have no idea what it is, but it''s its fault that Sander had become a wolf... I told you, it must be the result of a skill of the Claws Of Fenrir warriors" Dag said, resting his hand on his arm and surprisingly noting that the wounds caused by Sander''s fingernails had already healed.


    Speaking to each other, Dad and Kjell did not notice that the little black sphere began to move strangely, and just as they looked down, it suddenly jumped on Kjell''s face, who screamed from the fright and struck it with his hand, causing it to end up on the ground again.


    Dag, without thinking twice, stomped the little soggy little thing with his foot, killing it instantly.


    When he raised his foot, the substance of which it was composed stuck under the plant of the boot, emitting a nauseating stench.


    "What the fuck?! Did you see that?! It wanted to get into my mouth! Luckily I managed to dodge it, otherwise, I would have become a werewolf myself!" Kjell replied, touching his face, fearing that there were other remnants of that strange being on it.


    As Gridd and Freydis approached Dag, to check on his physical condition, glad he was fine and the other warriors calmed down, someone spoke in a very weak voice.

 391 CCCXCI. Ill Keep Up

    "What... yuck... cough!" Sander whispered, who, after regaining consciousness, began coughing heavily.


    Egill turned his head to one side and a hand behind his back when the Master Of Defense spat out another blackish and smelly liquid, which squirted out of his mouth and ended up on the ground.


    "Very good, my friend... expel all this shit..." Egill said, relieved that he could finally hear Sander''s voice, fearing that he would never recover.


    "Master Sander!"


    Even Freydis, after realizing that his fond Master was back in the world of the living, lowered herself towards him and with a smile printed on her face grabbed his hand.


    All the soldiers in the room approached him, happy to see him smile.


    "Egill..." he whispered again, turning his gaze towards his friend.


    "I have... I''m very hungry..."


    "Hahahaha! Okay, now I''m sure you''re okay! You''re always the usual!" the Master Of Healing chuckled, realizing that his old friend had finally returned to himself.


    While some soldiers set other pieces of flesh on fire, others approached the two mangled bodies, in a huge pool of blood on the floor, mourning the death of their comrades.


    Dag looked at the scene and approached them, inviting them to get up.


    "Collect all their things. We will give them a worthy burial, out here, under one of those little mountains" he said, trying to lift morale for his men, who continued to lose their lives with ease.


    The four soldiers in front of him obeyed the orders and began to collect the pieces of their deceased comrades, wrapping them in their clothes and trying not to vomit from disgust.


    "Dag... Dag!" Sander called, trying to sit down, aided by Egill and Freydis, next to him.


    Dag approached the three Masters, straining to make a smile, looking Sander in the eye.


    "I... I apologize... I''m so sorry about what happened."


    "Sorry? Don''t be ridiculous, I''m glad you''re okay. It wasn''t your fault, you did much more than you were supposed to do to save our men."


    "Yes, but I also killed two of them for no reason... I couldn''t even remember their faces, I didn''t have control of my body... I barely remember what happened... once again, you managed to save everyone... thank you."


    "I only did my duty... Karl and Egill have been trying all this time to resuscitate you and it looked like your body was making progress. I couldn''t lose hope, I had to save you" Dag continued, speaking in a more detached tone than usual, but still kind and polite, knowing that what had happened was not dependent on Sander, who had repeatedly shown that he cared a lot about his soldiers.


    "You could have killed me... I''m glad you didn''t" he smiled, thanking Dag with his eyes.


    Sander, without thinking twice and without adding anything else, began to eat voraciously, not realizing that a few minutes earlier, during his transformation, he had eaten more than 5 whole salmon.


    "Sir... if I may say so..."


    "Tell me, what happened?" Egill said to the soldier, who asked permission to speak.


    "After what happened, the fish is almost finished, it will barely be enough for tomorrow" the soldier added, looking down and his head slightly bowed, out of respect in front of his Masters.


    "All right, thank you for the information. You can go back to your comrades" Egill answered, dismissing the warrior, who nodded and walked away.


    Sander swallowed the last bite of salmon and drank the mead glass in one breath, wiping his mouth with an arm.


    "I know what you''re thinking" he said, after finishing his meal.


    "Uhm? What are you referring to?" Gridd asked.


    "You think I''ll slow you down, because of my leg. Well, maybe you don''t have all the wrongs, I''m sure I''ll walk slower than usual and in the stretches of the path with high snow I''ll have some little difficulty, but... fear not, I''ll be able to keep up."


    "As I said, Sander... don''t worry about that. We''ll find a way to help you..." Dag said, looking around and beginning to think about what was the best way to allow and Sander to walk.


    His gaze fell on a lot of pieces of wood piled up next to the bonfire, which would have served to keep the fire burning.


    Without adding anything else, as his companions spoke to the unlucky Master Of Defense, asking him about the details of the transformation and the blackish object he had driven out of his mouth, Dag got up and headed for the wood.


    Moving the various pieces away, he found one with a slightly larger diameter than the others, consisting of very sturdy wood, perhaps oak.


    "Are any of you skilled with manual labor? We need a woodworker" he asked, addressing a group of soldiers in front of him, who as soon as they heard those words, stopped chatting with each other and paid attention.


    None of them came forward, but diligently, they spread the word among their companions, who, being far from Dag, had not heard the question.


    "My father is a carpenter, sir. I learned a few tricks of the trade during my teenage years" a Berserkr exclaimed, a few years older than Dag.


    "Very well, come closer. I have to ask you a favor" Dag continued, urging the soldier to approach the pile of wood.


    "Do you see this piece of wood? I''d like you to use it with a little inventiveness to build a wooden leg for Master Sander so that he will be able to walk on his own and not weigh down the march of our troops. Do you think you can do that?"


    "It won''t be easy to find a hammer and good screws, but... yes, sir. I will carry out the order with pleasure! It''s an honor to be able to make something useful!" the soldier replied, picking up the piece of wood from his commander''s hands and beginning to study a way to hold it firmly together with a solid structure.

 392 CCCXCII. The New Plan

    After giving his orders, Dag re-approached his comrades, noting that, in the meantime, other soldiers had finished picking up the pieces of the two warriors killed by Sander and had put them in a kind of makeshift trunk, built with old wooden beams found somewhere nearby.


    The entrails and blood of the two dead guys, due to the poor quality of the wood of the beams, dripped under the trunk, slightly raised from the ground because it rested on a stone shelf.


    Trying to take those images out of his head, knowing that he had to stop feeling so much compassion for others, Dag called his sister Gridd, who joined him.


    "I need your help to organize the troops for tomorrow. We will leave in the morning, not necessarily at dawn. We will wait for the Sun to be high and to provide the maximum of its heat, to enter the wolf''s lair."


    "All right, brother. What about your wounds? Can you walk and fight without any problems?" she asked, looking at Dag''s arms and legs and making sure he didn''t lie about his physical condition.


    "You just saw me against Sander. I''ll make it. Kjell will be healed by Master Egill, who after a long rest, will have recovered all his energies and will help us in case of need. We must move, Gridd, we must beat our enemies on time!"


    "Yes, I agree. I had already expressed my consent in front of everyone. But we don''t know the place of the next battle and we will certainly be disadvantaged compared to the enemies, not even knowing their number."


    "That''s true. But this time we will follow a more effective and less risky tactic, minimizing the number of casualties. I don''t want to see other allied soldiers die before my eyes, I can''t take it anymore."


    "Have you thought of anything?"


    "Yes, let''s say yes. As usual, it is useless to move all together, as the only large group, but it is always advisable to divide into multiple groups. Me, you and Karl will come in first, while everyone else will wait for our signal out."


    "Karl? Why him? He''s the most coward of them all, are you sure it''s a wise choice?"


    "Think about it... in the unfortunate event that one of us would injure himself, even just because of a fall, Karl could cure our minor wounds. Kjell, Freydis, Sander, and Reidar will take care of the soldiers, keeping them in line and moving only at our signal, while Egill will supervise the whole thing. The strongest healer will always be behind the troops, from now on, as it should always have been" Dag continued, explaining in detail the plan, which he had thought about soon after he managed to save Sander, determined to take the leadership role, being in the forefront.


    "All right, brother. I''m in... I will explain these things to our men, so tomorrow they will already know what to do" Gridd confirmed, who after dismissing began to spread the word.


    "We don''t know how the wolves of the Claws Of Odin managed to implant that strange substance into Master Sander''s body, but I suspect it came from their bite, so... avoid their mouths, dodge them at any cost. Try to fight by staying low, because if any of you are bitten and transformed, I will not be able to guarantee his survival and perhaps I will be forced to kill him with my own hands. Is that clear?"


    The warriors nodded, marveling once again at the stern tone of Dag, who had not yet recovered from all the unfortunate events that had occurred in the last 24 hours.


    Some of the soldiers left the stone house to alert their comrades in the adjoining house, while Dag grabbed Freydis''s hand, inviting her to stand and follow him.


    "Where are we going?" she asked, innocently.


    "I''d like to sleep with you... don''t you agree?" he smiled, making her realize that despite his myriad worries, he hadn''t stopped thinking about her for a second.


    "What questions! Haha!" she chuckled, resting one hand on his pants, in the middle of his legs and clutching his penis, without being seen by anyone.


    Dag sighed and after they entered the room where he had been medicated, without worrying about where the other Masters would spend the night, he closed the door, making everyone understand that he did not want to be disturbed.


    He looked at Freydis and as usual managed to forget everything else, as if that girl''s eyes had an incredible power over him, more effective than the most powerful spells in the world.


    The authority with which he had begun to treat his men, showing them that he was no longer a disoriented young boy, but a tenacious and determined leader, had increased the desire of his woman, who perceived him to be more man, more mature.


    Freydis looked him in the eye as he took off his belt and pants, already bare-backed, to let the wounds breathe.


    The Shieldmaiden''s gaze was winking as usual and her breath began to become panting, at the mere idea of resting her body to that of his man, now covered with indelible scars, forged by so many battles.


    Dag approached her, but she put a hand on his chest and pushed him backward, preventing him from touching her.


    After doing so, she turned around and moved her long red hair from her back.


    She untied the first strings of the top of the leather armor, showing off her white neck and then her back.


    After stripping her torso, she proceeded with the underside and in less than a minute, she remained completely naked in front of Dag, whose erection had reached the highest levels.

 393 CCCXCIII. The Bad Dream

    Making him remain motionless as under the effect of a spell, Freydis approached the stone bed and placed both her hands on it, resting her breasts on its cold surface and bending her back, showing his boy the perfection of her buttocks and vagina, illuminated by the faint torch on the wall of the room and ready to welcome him.


    At that point, Dag could no longer resist and approached her, resting one hand on her hips and another in her hair, pulling them slightly backward.


    Her head followed the movement and her eyes first looked at the ceiling and then closed, fully enjoying the pleasure.


    In addition to the desire to make love with his woman, Dag vented at that moment his frustration and sorrow at the loss of all those soldiers, who died for the cause.


    The two lovers had sex several times, continuing for about two hours and tightening up with pleasant violence, slightly more accentuated than other times, amplified by their mutual desire.


    When they had finished the act, they lay on the floor, over two thick mutton furs, which made it even more comfortable than that hard stone bed, flat and tough.


    "Now you''ll think that my desire for you wasn''t respectful to the two men who died tonight, right?" Freydis asked, trying to put herself in the shoes of Dag, who had always been more sensitive than necessary about these things.


    "No, it is not so at all, indeed. I dragged you into this room just because I wanted to be alone with you... I felt the need to own your body, I feel like I''m not devoting enough time to you" he said, looking into her eyes and moving her hair from her sweaty forehead.


    "You know it''s not up to you, but all the difficulties we''re facing... this is not a honeymoon, but the most important mission Skjold has ever seen in the last century."


    After the wise words of his girlfriend, feeling that the bond between their minds was strengthening more and more, increasing their degree of empathy, Dag said nothing and merely hugged her, to retain the heat dispersed by their bodies during the sexual momentum.


    Kissing softly and sensing their warm breaths, Dag and Freydis fell asleep like stones, both naked and lying on the floor.


    ...


    The next day, a thin beam of light entered through the small window of the room, barely illuminating the floor in front of their feet.


    The two lovebirds woke up simultaneously, looking into each other''s eyes and noticing that they had spent the whole night stationary in the same position, particularly comfortable for both of them.


    Dag uncovered Freydis''s body, still warm under the blanket, and kissed her breasts, gently touching and cuddling her, stroking her back and belly.


    "I''d love to stay in here forever, but we have to go, my love" he said, rising from the floor, stretching out and beginning to get dressed to face the battle.


    "What kind of dream was it?"


    "Nothing important... I just have a bad feeling... be careful when you go down with Gridd down there... and keep an eye on my brother, you know he''s a little bit clumsy in this kind of thing" Freydis continued, not speaking openly to Dag about her dream, during which she had seen dozens and dozens of wolves kill him and his companions, then climb back up to them and complete the massacre.


    "Dreams are often the manifestation of one''s fears. When you fear something a lot, you may dream that thing will happen in the worst possible way. Don''t worry, Freydis, I''m going to be careful. Those sons of bitches deserve a lesson, I can''t wait to get my hands dirty with their beastly blood" Dag replied, tying his belt around his waist and completing his battle setting.


    Both of them walked out of the room, noting that most of the soldiers were ready to go, as well as the Masters, who were waiting for their Warchief to arrive.


    Reidar was talking to Gridd, discussing about the impending battle and dipping the tip of some of his arrows into a purple liquid contained in a bowl, while Egill and Kjell were on the other side, explaining the details to the soldiers who had spent the night in the other house.


    A few minutes after arriving in the main room, Dag saw the door to Sander''s room open.


    The Master Of Defense came out accompanied by the soldier who the day before had promised Dag to fabricate a tool that would help Sander walk.


    In fact, he was now able to move autonomously, with a kind of wooden prosthesis attached to his knee, which enveloped the injured part of its lower joint and rested on the ground, unloading the weight on the wooden splint identified by Dag, very robust and resistant.


    Despite still having to get used to his new leg, Sander didn''t seem to have much trouble walking on that uneven floor and looked at the soldiers with a happy air, glad he didn''t have to be a burden to the whole team.


    The soldier who had improvised a woodworker looked at his Warchief, who reciprocated with a smile and winked at him, satisfied with his work.


    "So, ladies! Do we want to get out of this place?" Sander asked in a playful tone and full of good intentions for the future, tying his axe to the belt and his huge tower shield behind his back, ready to pull it out at any time.


    "And I was starting to get used to this place..." Egill chuckled, happy for his friend and ready to go, with the staff in his hands.


    "It seems to me that you are all ready, perfect! I''ll recap the plan for the last time, so pay attention to the details and ask what you didn''t understand!" Dag said, drawing the attention of all the soldiers, including those from the second house, who had already listened to Kjell and Egill''s explanation.

 394 CCCXCIV. The Breach

    "We will head to the breach in the ground as a single group, but once we get to the edge and find a way to get into it, Gridd, Karl and I will proceed before everyone else, to clear the way in case of danger and allow you all to descend into about three groups, which will be under the command of Master Sander, Master Kjell, Freydis and Reidar. Remember that if something goes wrong and the enemies attack us by surprise, we will have to fight with our teeth and our lives will be at risk again, even if their powers with this Sun will surely be halved. One last thing... as some of you pointed out to me yesterday, our food resources are scarce, so our goal is also to find food and water, hoping that there is something edible for us."


    The warriors said nothing and continued to look at Dag with a firm expression and straight shoulders, without fear of facing those terrible enemies for the second time.


    Not feeling the need to recap the details of the dangerous bite of the wolves, Dag gestured with his arm and the warriors untied the lines, following him and the other Masters out of the stone house of the now-destroyed village, which had sheltered them during those cold nights, allowing them to heal their wounds.


    At a sustained pace, marching in the front row with Gridd and Kjell and followed by all the others, Dag led his men to the breach in the ground.


    Just as he walked, he noticed Thalos joining him, looking him in the eye.


    "I guess you want to go down with us, don''t you?" he asked the wolf, who continued to look at him, giving him an affirmative answer.


    After less than ten minutes of walking, the large hole in the ground was perfectly visible, being characterized by strong chromatic contrast with the surrounding snow, which along its perimeter had remained intact, far from the destructive attack of Dag.


    Gridd raised her hand, ordering all the soldiers to stop: as set out in the plan, Egill and Kjell positioned themselves in front of the troops, ready to give the signal at Dag''s orders, who together with Thalos approached further at the edge of the hole.


    As Gridd and Karl walked slowly toward him, Dag laid his foot on the last boulder that separated him and his men from a cliff hundreds of meters deep.


    Despite his exceptional visual abilities, the interior of the cave, as expected, was characterized by impenetrable darkness, which extended to its bottom.


    He studied the perimeter of the top of that cave, always paying attention to every sound coming from below, ready to dodge any surprise attack.


    The cavity was wider at the top and narrowly at the bottom, with grooves etched into the rock across the wall, which seemed to be engraved by the claws of the fierce Claws Of Fenrir warriors, who somehow managed to reach those incredible heights.


    "That way, be careful" he said, beginning to walk preceded by Thalos and followed by Karl and Gridd, who closed the line.


    "Fuck, Dag... I can''t see anything down there and I''m dying of fear! Why did you decide to take me with you? Brr... I already feel the cold coming from down there!" Karl exclaimed, regretting the boring moments he spent in Jernhest, where his only commitment was to train in the arena and look after his ailing father.


    "I have my good reasons, my friend. Now hold your weapons and stay behind me, in silence" he replied, not listening too much to his young friend''s fearful outburst.


    Gridd remained silent, with both of her swords in her hands, watching the macabre panorama that surrounded them, which became worse as they descended.


    The white snow and the faces of the soldiers disappeared less than a minute later, when the first team of exploration reached a depth of about ten meters, walking along a ramp that followed the walls of the breach, with a circular trajectory.


    Dag pulled out a torch and lit it with the flint, without even stopping, showing a certain dexterity.


    Soon after, he grabbed the Giantbane and detached it from his belt''s magnet.


    At that point, the only sounds that could be perceived were those of their steps on the rock of the path, which became more and more impervious, with splits and cracks that forced the three adventurers to get closer and closer to the walls to avoid falling below.


    After going down for almost 50 meters, they still could not see the bottom and there was no shadow of an enemy.


    "Dag, why don''t we continue north? I am sure that we will find another village to plunder, perhaps similar to the one where we have been so far, guarded only by farmers and merchants! I don''t think there''s anything down here and we''re moving a lot away from the surface! If they attacked us now, we wouldn''t be able to climb back up!" Karl exclaimed again, who began to sweat from his forehead, even though the temperature had dropped.


    "Look at this... what an incredible structure this tunnel is... it must have taken hundreds of years to dig it so deeply... this detail changes everything... the Sun will not help us" he replied, completely ignoring the words of his comrade, who would not stop worrying and being pessimistic as usual.


    "I was thinking the same thing, brother. It''s pitch dark down here, your torch can barely light up the path in front of us... once we reached the bottom section, if the space will become wider, we would not be able to see anything and we would be exposed to other surprise attacks" Gridd added, making her remarks.


    "We won''t know until we get down there. Come on, let''s speed up the pace... others will be worrying about us..." Dag continued, walking faster and trying not to lose his balance on the rough terrain of the descent, which thinned further, becoming about a meter and a half wide.

 395 CCCXCV. The Idol

    "Wait a minute... Karl, let''s light our torches, too. We need as much visibility as possible to continue" the Shieldmaiden replied, pulling out the torch that was strapped into her belt and lighting it with the flint after a couple of attempts.


    Karl, with his hands trembling with fear, put the mace and shield in place and awkwardly opened his bag, in which he grabbed the torch and hardly pulled it out, being wedged under some other junk.


    Just then, a large insect came out of a hole in the wall behind him and flew away frightened, passing by his ear and emitting a loud hum, which frightened him so much that he shook his arms and lost his grip on the torch, which after falling to the ground, bounced and fell down the ravine, in the darkness.


    A few seconds of silence followed that unfortunate event and Dag looked down, calculating the time of the torch''s fall.


    *toc*


    "Fuck! My torch! That damn insect scared me, it''s not poss..."


    As Karl rattled over the incident, Gridd put her hand over his mouth, preventing him from continuing to make noise.


    "About three seconds..." Dag said.


    "The torch?" Gridd asked, curious to hear her brother''s opinion.


    "Yes... it took about three seconds to touch the bottom of the cave... considering its weight and the fact that it followed a vertical trajectory more or less in the center of the circumference of the tunnel, not touching the other side of the path, I would say that another twenty meters are missing, maximum thirty" he continued, trying to calculate the time in mind, using old reminiscences of mathematics and physics.


    "Then let''s move, there''s no time to waste! Let''s make sure there''s no danger and let''s warn everyone else!" she said, walking briskly and overtaking Karl, who when noticed he had fallen behind without a torch, hurried ahead and joined his companions.


    In front of Dag, Thalos opened the line, continuing to descend and sniff the ground without stopping for even a second.


    Through the nose and the developed senses of his wolf friend, Dag was sure that he would be able to locate any enemy in the cave.


    As there was no suspicious smell, he continued to walk, and within minutes, moving along the circular walls of the vertical tunnel, he finally saw the end of the road downhill, which flattened.


    When all three companions were at the bottom, Dag and Gridd began to move the torches around them, trying to assess the magnitude of that place.


    "Do you hear something, buddy?" Dag asked to Thalos, who continued to sniff intermittently, alternating his nose and eyes to study the situation.


    "Go get Karl''s torch... it shouldn''t be far away... look, it''s an object like this" Dag continued, pointing his torch at Thalos, who after a few seconds understood the request and with his nose down to the rocky ground, walked into the darkness.


    The wolf continued to sniff and walk left and right, following a zigzag trajectory toward the inside of the tunnel.


    "There it is! Here''s my flashlight! Thalos managed to find it!" Karl exclaimed, when, sharply, he noticed that in front of the wolf''s snout, which had just stopped, there was his torch.


    "It seems intact, you''ve been lucky" Gridd said, trying to lift Karl''s morale, who was too scared to act lucidly in case of danger.


    He approached the torch walking quickly and bent down to pick it up.


    Dag, who followed his movements with his arm and torch, illuminated the area in front of Karl, who unwittingly looked up, just before he got up with the torch in his hand.


    Less than a meter from his face there was a giant wolf face made of stone, with its jaws wide open and teeth visible.


    "Aaaaagh!" Karl yelled in a panic, until Gridd stopped him for the second time, blinding his mouth, while he, after falling with his the back to the ground, dragged himself backwards.


    "And what the fuck is that?" Karl said again, standing up and walking away from Gridd, positioning himself behind both of his companions, that kept watching that scary statue from afar.


    "Relax, Karl... it''s just a statue. I believe it was built in honor of the great wolf Fenrir, the divine being from which wolf-warriors take their power. This is a positive discovery" Dag said, approaching the statue and resting his hand on it, turning around.


    Gridd, without adding a word, did the same, beginning to study the details of that strange finding with her brother, while Karl, meanwhile, desperately searched for the flint inside his bag, intending to light his torch, so as not to stay in the dark.


    "Brother, look at this... there are symbols!" the Shieldmaiden said, resting her hand on the side of the stone wolf.


    Dag went to check and with the light of the torch, he could see the symbols clearly.


    "They look like runes, but whatever''s written on it, it''s not in elder futhark, I''m sure of it..." he said, continuing to inspect the inscription engraved in the stone.


    "So you can''t read it?"


    "No. But maybe some of our men will! Maybe Master Egill! He''s a great researcher, he surely came across this sort of thing already. Anyway, let''s not get lost in the details. We need to continue to inspect the cave and make sure there are no enemies so that we can warn our companions."


    Gridd nodded her head and parted slightly from her two companions so she could explore a wider area in less time.


    "Heey, Dag... I''ll stay here beside you if you don''t mind! I keep feeling very cold and I don''t like the situation at all! This cave must be their base, the wolves could hide everywhere in this thick darkness!" Karl replied, who kept walking a few inches behind Dag, looking around.

 396 CCCXCVI. The Groan

    Walking, he noticed that the lowest point of that vertical and almost a hundred meters deep cave, was a circumference similar to the breach on the surface, but smaller, the diameter of which was only a few tens of meters.


    The walls seemed to close the circle and on them, apart from the large statue of the wolf Fenrir, there was nothing else.


    Just when he believed that getting off to that point had been completely useless, Dag saw a tunnel entering the curved wall.


    "You''ve found the passage, there it is!" Gridd said, keeping the tone of her voice low.


    "I don''t like... I don''t like it at all, I have a bad feeling! It''s very dark down here, but it looks even worse in there! Are you sure you want to get in that gloomy tunnel?!" Karl said, finally drawing the attention of Dag, who turned to him, with a slightly annoyed air.


    "I have a mission for you, my friend..."


    "A mission? I thought I was already on a mission... what is it?"


    "You have to go back to the surface and tell others that they can come down because this area is safe. In the meantime, Gridd and I will inspect the interior of the cave, which is the only passage that leads here."


    "What? Do I have to go up alone? What about you? What will you do if you are attacked and there is no one ready to heal you? What if... if..."


    "Karl, that''s enough! This is an order from your Captain! Climb to the top of the cave and tell the Masters that they can descend by paying attention to the rough path. Go!" Dag replied in a stern tone, giving Karl a shock, who was not proving very cooperative.


    The young healer nodded his head and with the torch pointed in front of him, began to walk, retracing the uphill path in reverse, moving at a quick pace to feel less cold.


    "Let''s go... on this side, Thalos" Dag called, uttering a brief whistle, which drew the wolf, who, holding his head down, entered with the two warriors in that dark tunnel.


    "You told him to come with us... you knew already his character, you could imagine he didn''t have the temper for this kind of thing" Gridd said, looking at Dag, focused on the mission.


    "I thought he was a little more cooperative and that he would help us... or at least that he''d been quiet! His endless chatter clouds my mind and doesn''t make me think lucidly! Sending him up there, I did both of us a favor, believe me."


    "Shhh! I heard something!" Gridd replied, stopping immediately and pulling out one of her swords, holding up the torch.


    Dag immediately began to look forward, but he could not see anything and focused on the sound, distinguishing a heavy breath, which did not seem to belong to a wolf, but to a human being.


    The light of the torch illuminated the corridor about three meters wide and dug into the rock, through a cone of light, which as Dag and Gridd advanced, allowed them to see an inch of ground at a time.


    The sound of their footsteps, however hard they could strive, was impossible to hide, because of the rocky and slippery terrain under their feet.


    Besides, Dag knew that walking through a tunnel with torches, they were certainly visible to anyone on the other side, who would catch a glimpse of the lights.


    The deep breaths became short and frequent until they turned into groans of pain.


    At one point, Dag smelled blood and stopped, blocking his sister Gridd and ordering her to stay in her position without moving.


    When he was sure that Gridd understood, he proceeded alone for a few more meters, and his torch, on the ground before his eyes, lit up a foot resting in a pool of blood.


    For a second, Dag felt a strong terror, not being ready to actually meet someone in that wild and crumbling place.


    Unwittingly, seized by his strong survival instincts, he pointed forward his Giantbane, ready to eliminate any threat.


    "Hey! Hey, you! Who''s there?!" the Warchief exclaimed, realizing that it was a man, but failing to realize what he was doing.


    *cough*urrgh*


    Dag took two more steps forward, and the torchlight illuminated the rest of his body, making him discover that the man was slumped over the ground, his head resting on the wall and a hand still on his chest, covering a deep bleeding wound.


    "What''s going on?! And who are you?!" Gridd asked, approaching cautiously and always standing behind Dag, who had the weapon pointed at the man, even though he seemed unable to move.


    The stranger, in his thirties, was wearing particular robes, very different from the warriors that Dag and Gridd were used to seeing.


    His feet were bare, uncovered, despite the cold, as well as his legs, not covered with pants, but by a kind of skirt that reached up to the knees.


    Even his chest was devoid of clothes or armor, with a huge tattoo in the middle of it, impossible to decipher, being completely covered in blood.


    On his face, blue facial paints surrounded his eyes and ears, dripping down his neck due to other blood coming from wounds on his forehead, under the short, grayish hair.


    "Argh... uhmpf..."


    The man continued to make verses of effort, trying to move backward with one arm and resting his torso on the wall, as if he wanted to try to respond to Dag and Gridd, not intimidated by their presence.


    Dag approached him and pointed the Giantbane at his neck: "She asked you a question! What is it, have you lost your tongue?"

 397 CCCXCVII. The Wounded Man

    "I... I... I can''t breathe well... here... here..." the man continued, unable to complete a whole full meaning sentence and pressing with his hand on the wound, which from the center of the stomach reached up to the chest.


    Gridd gently grabbed his brother''s arm, to avoid scaring him and slowly pulled him back, suggesting to lower his weapon, because there would be no need to use it.


    "Who reduced you like that?" Dag asked, convinced that, with a little effort, the man would be able to give them some useful information about the Claws Of Fenrir.


    "Wolves... those wolves... argh!"


    "Wait, you''re telling me... that you''re not one of them?!"


    The man shook his head, responding negatively to Dag''s question, who did not expect such news and looked at Gridd, not knowing how to react.


    "And you... who are you?... what are you doing in this hellish place?" he asked.


    "It''s not up to you to ask questions, you don''t need to know who we are. What Clan do you belong to and why are you here alone? Are there any other men with you? How many are there and how many are the wolves on the other side of the tunnel?" Dag asked, pointing the Giantbane back at the neck of the wounded man, who swallowed empty, continuing to sweat from his forehead, despite being bare-chested in that cave characterized by very cold temperatures.


    "Calm down, boy... how many questions... you don''t see that I''m... urgh... dying?... cough! My men and I went down here across the tunnel... our village is a few kilometers away from the inlet in the ground that leads here..."


    "What?! Are you saying the tunnel has another exit?!"


    "Yes, near the village where I come from... anyway, my 15 men are all dead, I''m the only one who managed to... to survive... more or less..."


    "How did this happen?" Gridd asked, intrigued by that tale shrouded in an aura of mystery, which being told so slowly because of man''s poor health, was made even more gloomy and mysterious.


    "We came down here to kill those sons of bitches... who in a single month have ransacked our settlements... killed our women, children... our cattle... it was never possible to have a confrontation with them, so we went down to face them... but we didn''t make it... they''ve outdone us in number and fighting skills... my troops weren''t prepared for such strong enemies ... I was wrong... I did a mistake¡­"


    As he continued to speak, the man slightly hung his head, risking to lose his senses, but he immediately brought it back when in contact with the Giantbane blade, which Dag placed under his cheek, to prevent him from falling asleep.


    "You''re not done yet. You will die when I''ll give you permission to die! Now talk, go on!" Dag exclaimed, asserting his physical advantage.


    The man stopped again, but this time his gaze was alert and fixed on a particular object.


    One of the drops of blood from the wound on his forehead had fallen on the blade of the Giantbane when Dag had placed it under her face to prevent him from fainting.


    The same drop, after slipping on the handle, reached the outer part of the blade, which immediately became incandescent, activating the divine power of the weapon.


    "The right time for what?! What were you saying?!" Dag said again, demanding his interlocutor to complete the story.


    "That... that''s... that''s not possible... you are the earthling!" he exclaimed, using the few energies left in his body to raise his voice and open his eyes wide, looking at Dag in a strange, terrifying way.


    The man''s wide, blood-filled eyes made him shudder for a few seconds.


    "How do you know him?! How do you know my brother?! Which Clan are you part of? Answer the questions!" Gridd interrupted, approaching him and kicking him in the leg, causing him a lot of pain because of the large wound on his belly and making him shake in agony.


    "What... what did you say?" Dag asked, in a calm tone, not believing what he had just heard, trying to reason rationally.


    "Your weapon... you own the Crystal of Fire... you... you destroyed an entire fleet of my Clan..." the man continued, catching his breath to speak.


    As soon as he heard these words, the Giantbane''s blade was placed on the man''s neck, who tried in vain to back down, having the tunnel wall right behind his shoulders.


    "Dag, what are you doing?! Wait, let him talk!" Gridd said, avoiding touching his brother and angering him further, believing that killing the man would not be a wise choice in those circumstances.


    "Give me one reason why I shouldn''t cut your throat right now!" Dag yelled in the man''s face, partially burning the skin of his neck with the flaming blade.


    "Do you want to explain to me what''s going on?! Crystal of Fire... Clan fleet... who the hell is this guy?!" Gridd continued, who couldn''t understand what was going on.


    "He''s one of the Giants Of Ymir! It refers to when I exterminated the fleet that attacked the shores of Runar!" Dag replied, clearly describing the situation to his speechless sister.


    "How did you do it...?" the man asked, with a thread of voice and now resigned to death.


    "To do what?!"


    "To claim it... where did you find the Crystal of Fire?..."


    ''It''s a long story and it doesn''t concern you at all... why did you want it at all costs? You tried to steal it from me during that battle, don''t think I forgot this detail!"

 398 CCCXCVIII. The Crystal Of Fire

    "Eheheh... you don''t know anything about what you''ve done... don''t imagine the mess you got yourself into..."


    "You only have a few more seconds to make yourself useful. Tell me why you Jotunns tried to steal the Giantbane!"


    "The Giantbane... it''s a really nice name..."


    The man continued to babble nonsense, as his eyes began to get lost in the void and his blood continued to flow from the wound, slowly killing him.


    "Dag, look!" Gridd said, interrupting their speech and resting her hand on his brother''s arm, pointing to the back of the man''s right shoulder, who as soon as he tried to grab his leg to check its conditions, leaned forward.


    Behind the shoulder, there was another wound, which unlike the others was formed by several holes, deep and circular, too similar to the shape of the canines of those ferocious wolves.


    "Fuck! He was bitten! Soon he could transform, it''s only a matter of time!" he thought, reflecting without speaking and briefly removing the axe from his interlocutor''s neck, to let him speak.


    "The Jotunn who tried to steal your weapon... the one you brutally killed... he wasn''t just a common warrior... he was the youngest son of Kranus, the leader of our Clan! Cough!" the man coughed, explaining to Dag the truth behind the mistake he had made in the past.


    "Fuck!" Gridd exclaimed, unable to hold back her bad feeling and stepping back, turning the other way and thinking it was no good for them.


    "It doesn''t matter whose son he was. You dirty Jotunns killed innocent people, including children! My only wish was to exterminate you from the first to the last! You are nothing but scum!" Dag exclaimed, approaching the man''s face and looking into his eyes, as his purple eye began to emit a slight glow as if anger had awakened his dormant dark powers.


    "Commander Kranus has sworn to kill you with his own hands... by this time, he will already know of your arrival and will be preparing to welcome you properly! Hahah... ouch! Cough, cough!" the man replied, who could not finish a sentence without coughing, continuing to sweat and pale, having almost exhausted the blood necessary to stay alive.


    "Dag, he can transform at any moment! I don''t know if the blood he''s losing will stop him from becoming a werewolf! You have to do something!" Gridd said, asking her brother to make a decision.


    "What? What''s that woman talking about?! A wolf?! I will never become one of those dirty beasts! Grrr... aargh!"


    After these words, the man moved his neck sideways, feeling great pain and in the meantime, a row of canines grew inside his mouth, widening his jaw and deforming it.


    The man''s eyes began to express the fear he was feeling at the time, while Dag stood in front of him, with the Giantbane ready to strike.


    "Grrrr... grraagh!"


    The Giants Of Ymir warrior''s breath changed dramatically, becoming stronger and deeper, and other teeth popped into his mouth, as his arms began to grow in volume, as did his legs and chest, despite his enormous wound.


    "Dag! Dag!" Gridd shouted again, advising her brother to think quickly because fighting a werewolf in such a cramped space would not be easy and also because the noise might have alarmed other enemies nearby.


    "Kranus... he... he''s going to kill you, earthling! Grr... you''re going to pay for the crimes you''ve committed against the great and powerful Ice Giants! Rrrr!"


    As the man''s physique began to increase exponentially, Dag, without thinking again, moved the Giantbane quickly and with its glowing blade struck his neck, cutting off his head with surgical precision.


    It rolled on the ground and the deformed body of that wolf-man being fell to the ground lifeless.


    "Fuck, Dag... what were you waiting for?!"


    "I was hoping to get more information! What the fuck does the ''Crystal of Fire'' mean?! What''s that? Weland never mentioned me a name for this stone embedded in my weapon, he just told me that it comes from the Soul Fusion of Brann''s brother, Eirik!"


    "I have no idea what it is, but one thing is certain... now we are sure that two Krypstorm Clans want to kill you and as a result, they want to exterminate all our troops!"


    "What? What are you talking about? Hey, who''s that headless guy? You said there were no enemies!" Karl exclaimed, who, following of Dag''s orders to the letter, had led the rest of the Masters and the soldiers inside the cave, reaching their current position.


    "Ah! Uhm... you were quick! I didn''t think you could get down that fast! Anyway... yes, we met a man who was about to turn into a wolf and we killed him before his metamorphosis was complete" Dag said, who did not expect his friend Karl to be so quick to walk down the circular path.


    Kjell, Egill, Sander, Freydis, and Reidar made their way among the soldiers and stopped to talk to Dag and Gridd, asking him what they had discovered, after noticing the large wolf-shaped statue on the other side of the cave.


    Dag, initially hesitant, trying not to give too much sensitive information to all allied soldiers, took the Masters and his closest companions aside and explained to them what had happened in that tunnel, telling them about the wounded man and the ongoing war between the Claws Of Fenrir and the Giants Of Ymir.


    "Crystal of Fire? What the hell is that? The ruby embedded between the blades and the handle of your axe?" Egill asked, trying to understand what he had just heard.


    "Exactly... Meeting the last survivor of a detachment of the Giants Of Ymir army was a mere coincidence, but he seemed to know many things about the Giantbane and its powers... as soon as he recognized it, he looked at me and called me ''earthling''..." Dag answered.

 399 CCCXCIX. The Useful Loo

    "The fact that he already knew who you are is not a good sign... it means this ''Kranus'' or whoever he is, has already trained his strongest soldiers to recognize you because maybe it''s preparing another mission to try to steal your weapon. But the main question remains the same: why do they want your axe at all costs?" Kjell interrupted, meddling in the speech, and thinking aloud with his colleagues, asking for their opinion.


    "My friends, it''s better to deal with one problem at a time. There is no point in asking the reason of things are now, that we are more than a hundred meters below the surface. We must continue in that direction, kill the remaining wolves, plunder their resources, and climb upwards, taking advantage of the second entrance of the cave. Let''s stay focused, there''s no time to waste!" Dag replied, trying not to get lost in words and taking a particularly pragmatic attitude.


    Egill, after those words, turned and walked toward the soldiers, who were patiently waiting for orders, as they looked around holding their torches, studying their surroundings.


    He briefly explained to them that on the other side of that cave it would be possible to rise to the surface and that walking that stretch under the ground would help them not to be exposed to the freezing cold for the entire length of the route.


    They would have headed north faster and in the meantime would also seek revenge against the wolves, who in addition to taking the lives of many soldiers, had drastically lowered the morale of the expedition group, now determined to track them down and kill them.


    "Master Dag and Master Gridd will make their way, while Master Egill and I will be right after them. Don''t make any noise and keep up! Eyes open, let the hunt begin!" Kjell exclaimed, taking advantage of the silence of the men attentive to Egill''s words to galvanize them.


    When he gave the order, Kjell looked at Dag, who reciprocated with a smile.


    After Sander''s accident, it seemed that the chain-warrior was really intent on accepting Dag''s leadership and abandoning his mania to command others and have the upper hand.


    Behind their Masters and the watchful Thalos, who was proving himself incredibly calm and faithful, the soldiers continued along the tunnel, following the only direction allowed.


    After walking for more than a kilometer, the rock faces next to them widened and they found themselves in a second large rectangular room, similar to the initial one in size, but with a different geometric shape.


    Along the walls were dozens of small wooden huts, which could hold up to two people each, stacked next to each other.


    Although they were not completely closed and did not have a door, after looking at them, Dag and his companions were convinced that they had to be dwellings.


    "Mmmh... this place is intact, just as its inhabitants left it... if that man in the tunnel told the truth, his men couldn''t even get to this point, so I deduce that the exit is still quite far from here" Dag said, making reasoning aloud, which caught the attention of Egill and Reidar, right next to him.


    In less than ten minutes, paying close attention to where they put their feet, trying to spot hidden traps, the soldiers began rummaging through the huts, looking for something to put under their teeth.


    When every single point was checked from top to bottom, they all gathered in the middle of the room, where Dag and Reidar had lit a small bonfire as a reference point for the others.


    "Come closer... the report?" Dag asked, curious to know what they had found.


    "There was some food in four huts, sir... it''s a strange kind of meat, but it looks edible" one of the soldiers said, approaching the fire with some of his comrades and showing their finds to his Warchief.


    "We didn''t find anything to eat... but on the other hand, we found water! It seems that there are entire barrels full, I think they are the stocks of the inhabitants of this cave!" another Berserkr said, waiting for the compliments of his Masters, enthusiastic about his discovery.


    "Very well... divide it by the number of soldiers. We will continue to walk, it is useless to stop already at this point, we are still far away from our objective" Dag ordered, taking a couple of pieces of dried fish for himself and others for Freydis, delivering them into her hands.


    Soon after, he made his way to the water-filled barrels and filled his water bottle, taking a big sip and preparing to walk nonstop.


    "Warchief! Warchief!" a soldier shouted from afar, reaching Dag, who had already started walking again.


    "What happened?"


    "I found something else... it''s not food, but I think you might be interested" the boy replied, handing over two rolled scrolls into the hands of Dag.


    He opened one of them and to his surprise discovered that it was a scroll that allowed him to learn skills of the Claws Of Fenrir Clan.


    "Unbelievable, what are these doing here? Those who owned them didn''t take much care of them, to leave them here unattended. I doubt that there is a library or a similar place nearby where you can find others, this cave does not seem to me to be the basis of a Clan, however large it may be. Anyway, you did a great job" Dag added, complimenting his soldier and putting the two scrolls inside his leather backpack, believing he''d take a look at them when they would stop for a break.


    Following the tireless Dag and Gridd, the troops continued to advance inside the cave, which unlike the rough path to descend inside, was much easier to walk, without too many elevations and irregularities of the rock, which seemed to have been smoothed over time by the thousands of steps that had walked on it.

 400 CD. Dont Move!

    As they walked, they noticed that the cave was the set of many large rooms joined by narrower corridors, repeating themselves from side to side.


    As he tried to imagine the geological processes that led to the formation of such a particular karst structure, Dag heard a noise.


    Without saying a word, he raised his hand upwards and all the soldiers behind him stopped, without giving a breath, attentive to his orders.


    With his torch in his hand, Dag stepped forward, turning his head slightly so he could point his ear at yet another rocky corridor, after hearing the sound of an object falling to the ground on the other side.


    "It could be a mouse or some animal that inhabits these caves" Gridd whispered in a very low voice, trying to give Dag another option and wishing he wouldn''t have to face enemies in that dark place.


    Dag, ordering his men to stand still in position, continued to advance alone, step by step, progressively illuminating the corridor, beyond which the noises had now ceased.


    Since they had descended into the cave, they had traveled more than ten kilometers, taking about 4 hours, walking at a slow pace, to store their energies.


    He tried to use this information to try to understand how much it was missing at the exit, being tired of moving without seeing anything.


    His senses, compared to a few days before, were even more developed and allowed him to perceive the body heat of other living beings in enclosed places such as the cave in which he had been walking for hours.


    "Grrr.... grr..."


    Thalos began to growl, raising the hair behind his neck and pointing his head in the direction in front of them, immobilizing himself and showing the sharp canines.


    Dag looked at him, then looked forward.


    "There''s someone down there, I feel it too, Thalos!" he thought as if he could communicate telepathically with his four-legged friend.


    When he grabbed the Giantbane with his free hand, the soldiers behind him did the same, beginning to draw the weapons, as well as Gridd and the other Masters, ready to help him.


    The Shieldmaiden, unnoticed, advanced slowly toward Dag, maintaining an appropriate safe distance.


    Thalos continued to growl, standing still, while Dag continued to walk slowly forward, relying on his senses and the wolf''s verses to understand how far he was from a surprise attack and trying to get ready.


    ...


    "Don''t move."


    An incredibly low, inhuman voice echoed through the walls of the tunnel, scaring Dag and everyone else behind him, who in that terrifying silence would never have imagined hearing someone speak.


    After recovering from the scare and as a great deal of adrenaline was being produced by his body, Dag responded to those words.


    "Don''t step forward, or you and your men will die..." the baritone voice continued, followed by long, deep breaths.


    Judging by his breathing, whoever was ahead of Dag seemed to be quiet and breathing at a slow, calm rhythm as if seeing all those armed soldiers didn''t bother him in the slightest.


    "Do you dare threaten me and my men without even showing us your face? Whoever you are, you''re pathetic! I have no intention of slowing down our advance and it will certainly not be you who will prevent me!" Dag replied, fed up with feeling constantly under threat and aggressive towards that voice, who without even identifying himself with anyone had dared to threaten his soldiers'' lives.


    The warriors, when Dag answered like a true leader, took courage and approached the tunnel slightly, determined to help their Master against the imminent threat and looking around, making sure they did not suffer attacks from behind.


    After Dag''s words, there was no answer.


    Seconds later, he heard footsteps approaching in that direction.


    As the enemy approached, walking in the darkness of the tunnel, his steps became heavier and heavier, until the slippery walls of rock began to shake and small fragments of them broke off, falling at the feet of terrified soldiers, who had initially taken courage, but were now retreating, rethinking their choices.


    Dag came out of the tunnel, going back in his footsteps and calling Thalos to himself, who seemed to have no intention of moving from there, continuing to growl.


    "Thalos, come away from there! It''s dangerous! Move over, I''ll handle this, need you to defend the soldiers!" Dag shouted, calling the wolf, who once again pretended not to hear his master''s words.


    Before Dag could repeat the call again, his torch illuminated a huge hand with claws, which coming out from the darkness of the tunnel, plunged on the poor wolf, that promptly jumped away, dodging the blow.


    "Thalooos!" Dag screamed in panic, unable to tell if his wolf had managed to save himself.


    The impact of the enormous hand on the ground raised a dense cloud of dust that spread to Dag and his companions, who, caught off guard, raised their arms to protect their eyes.


    However, the gust of wind that accompanied the dust was particularly sharp, and many of the soldiers'' torches went off, including those of Dag and Gridd, who were busy covering their faces.


    When he noticed that his torch was no longer illuminating the tunnel in front of him and that darkness was pressing around his troops, Dag called Thalos again, fearing the worst.


    Meanwhile, within a few moments, a soldier passed his torch to his Warchief and the others tried to revive those that had been extinguished by the sudden gust of wind.


    Dag then pointed the torch forward, in the direction from which the huge hand had sprung with his claws, almost as wide as the entire tunnel, about one and a half meters wide.

 401 CDI. The Guardian Of The Passage

    "Arf!" Thalos barked, finally returning to his master, who when he saw him, lowered himself for a moment towards him and made sure he was fine.


    The wolf had nimbly managed to avoid the impact, but the surprise attack had frightened him a lot, so much so that he forced him to retreat with his tail between his legs.


    "Dag, what is it?! What are we going to do?! That hand is huge, it definitely belongs to a monstrous being!" Gridd exclaimed, who as soon as she managed to re-ignite her torch helped her brother illuminate the area, noting that the huge hand was still there, but it was slowly returning in absolute darkness.


    "Get out into the open I said! Step forward and face me, if you have the guts!" Dag yelled, making it clear to Gridd and all his listeners that he had no intention of backing down and that he would clear the passage at all costs.


    "Hey, Dag... listen... we are relying on the words of a dying man, we must remain alert! Who can tell us that the tunnel exit is that way? We have to..."


    Egill''s words, while he was trying to reason with his colleague, were interrupted by the baritone voice, which returned to speak in response to Dag''s affront.


    "Facing... you? Hahahah!" the monstrous being chuckled in the darkness, mocking Dag''s proposal.


    "Me against you. No interference from my men" Dag continued, convinced of his words and confident of his abilities.


    "Mmmh... I think I''m going to kill all of you, one by one..."


    "I don''t think so... are you even afraid to show me your true face, how could you defeat dozens of soldiers trained by Okstorm''s most powerful Masters?"


    "Okstorm... you''ve traveled a long way... just to die in this cave and become food for my feral warriors?"


    "Feral warriors? So you must be one of those bastard wolves! Ehe, I doubt they will be able to eat our flesh, being all dead! If you''re interested, I''ve killed them all and ransacked your village, ate your supplies, and drunk your exquisite mead. Now, if you don''t want me to end the existence of your Clan forever, step aside and let me through" Dag continued, with a more enraged look than usual and an air of superiority.


    "Mmmmh..."


    Another incredibly baritone verse was followed again by the same huge hand, which sprang back from the dark tunnel and lay on the ground.


    Dag''s soldiers retreated in fear.


    A second hand immediately stood ahead of the first, making the monstrous being advance, which moving towards the light of the torches, slowly revealed its nature.


    While all the lit torches were pointed in that direction and illuminated the area, Dag dropped his one and wielded both of his weapons, realizing the size of the enemy he was about to face.


    Struggling to get out of the cave because of its size, a giant wolf rose to its feet, in all its majesty.


    Gridd and the other Masters, at the sight of that frightening being, retreated with their warriors, fearing that this would be the end of all and leaving the situation once again in Dag''s hands.


    When he was fully upright, the giant wolf reached a height of more than two and a half meters, he was perhaps even taller than Roar, the goat demon, despite having his shoulders slightly curved forward due to the weight of his arms, which were slightly longer than his legs and almost touched the ground.


    The lower limbs, which were less long and muscular, were also claws, but much smaller than those of the hands, which looked incredibly threatening.


    Despite the low brightness, Dag was able to notice some details of that abominable being, such as partially encrusted blood under his nails and a broken canine, both symptoms of the fact that he had definitely fought against very strong warriors, able to injure him despite his size.


    The giant wolf''s eyes continued to move towards the soldiers, scrutinizing their faces and studying their details, while his nose as if it was an organ independent of the rest of the body, sniffed relentlessly the various smells of which the air was impregnated.


    "Finally you''ve decided to come forward... where are the wolves that managed to escape my attack? I have an unfinished business with them" Dag said, breaking the silence.


    The wolf rested both hands on the ground and lowered himself towards Dag, bringing his face closer to the young Master, who remained motionless in the same position.


    Unlike all the others, frightened at the sight of that monster, incredibly similar to the real Fenrir, the wolf who according to the legend was able to cut off Tyr''s hand and kill Odin during the Ragnarok, freeing himself from the chains that held him imprisoned among the mountains, Dag was calm and seemed impassive to the provocations of the enemy, who did not frighten him.


    *sniff*


    The black wolf''s nose continued to sniff, but this time in Dag''s direction: his breath was so powerful, that when he inhaled from his large nostrils, Dag''s long blond hair fluttered forward, as if they were sucked in.


    "I asked you a question" Dag replied, looking at the wolf in one of his big yellow eyes.


    That eye, after crossing with Dag''s gaze, was lowered, looking behind him and framing Thalos, who was hiding behind his master''s legs frightened by that wolf much larger than him.


    "Mmmmh..." the giant wolf said again, looking at Thalos and communicating with him in some way as if he wanted to understand why a magnificent specimen of wild wolf like him had chosen of his own free will to follow a human being.


    "My warriors are not here... they warned me of the losses suffered, awakening me from my long sleep and leaving me to defend the passage. Like I said, you''re all going to die in this cave... begin to express your last wishes, warriors of Okstorm..." He continued, positioning himself on all fours in front of Dag and beginning to rise the fur on his neck and show his teeth, ready to attack him.

 402 CDII. The Coldness

    "I''m starting to lose my temper!" Dag exclaimed as electric sparks began to leak from Magni''s hammer, laden with energy.


    In front of everyone''s astonished eyes, before the wolf could snap forward and try to bite the Iron Alliance Warchief, a beam of dark liquid flowed out of his back and took shape, without splitting, becoming a single long dark blade.


    The blade was fired at great speed towards the wolf and pierced his neck, causing him incredible pain and making him groan.


    "Fuck!" Kjell yelled, who failed to hold back his surprise, not believing that Dag would anticipate the enemy''s moves, being accustomed to his fighting style, mainly based on waiting and counterattacking.


    The beam of liquid, after pierced the thick neck of the wolf, was extracted with force and from the wound began to gush liters of blood, which fell to the ground as if by a waterfall.


    Soon after, taking advantage of the stun of the wolf, whose senses were clouded by pain, Dag struck him again, sticking his large black blade under the neck of the beast and piercing his jaw, reaching his mouth.


    The groans became persistent and increasingly excruciating when the wolf spat a lot of blood from his mouth, which fed the red spot on the ground and forced him to lower his head, bending it according to the movements of the blade, which swung commanded by Dag''s will.


    He moved it towards himself and along with it, the wolf''s head also moved until his mouth was in front of one of the beast''s two large pointed ears.


    Dag approached his lips and with the same air of superiority, said: "You have been warned."


    The wolf''s large yellow pupil moved toward Dag''s face, while his eye was blood-bound and his limbs began to fail due to the blood that kept gushing nonstop.


    "Who... who are... you?!" the beast whispered, his tongue barely able to move inside his mouth, wounded by the blade, which in addition to piercing the lower part of his jaw had also punctured his palate, preventing him from breathing as blood accumulated in his throat.


    Witnessing that grisly scene, the soldiers did not know whether to be happier that their leader had managed within minutes to get rid of such an imposing enemy, or crushed by the horrid spectacle of blood before their eyes.


    "My name is Dag. I am the one who will free the Gods from their slavery. The one who will eliminate the threat of the Frostsinners!" Dag exclaimed, answering the question of the wolf, who squinted at those words.


    At that point, as the dark blade held his head still, Dag placed Gianbane under the blood stream that leaked out of his jaw, letting its blade get wet and activate his power.


    The blade of the axe began to shine and immediately vaporized the blood, becoming incandescent.


    In a sudden and horizontal movement, Dag cut off the head of the huge black wolf, who died agonizingly after a few minutes.


    The dark arm was extracted from the enemy and returned floating behind its creator''s shoulders, disintegrating and slowly returning to the liquid state, before re-entering his body.


    When the fight was over before it even started, Dag turned to his men, noticing their distraught expressions.


    "Dag... how...?" Freydis whispered, who could not believe her eyes, while Master Sander approached the wolf, resting a hand on his black fur.


    The silence lasted a few more seconds, until Sander exclaimed: "The passage is free! Once again, Master Dag has shown his incredible strength, eliminating the threat and saving our lives! Long live our invincible Warchief!"


    "Long live Dag!" Gridd repeated, raising her arm and celebrating the victory.


    "Long live Master Dag!"


    One by one, the soldiers recovered from the scare and realized that they were safe, without having moved a single muscle.


    Dag looked around until he could see his friend Thalos, who looked decidedly frightened, looking at his master with an interdicted air.


    "Thalos, I had to do it. He was going to kill us all, you know that, don''t you? He was not a wolf, but only a stupid human being..." Dag said, putting his weapons down and kneeling in front of his four-legged friend, who, though timidly, approached and let himself be caressed on his neck as if he understood Dag''s apology, who had justified his gesture.


    "Captain... is everything okay?" Reidar asked, approaching him with Egill, to check his mental state, noting that he had undergone a drastic character change, turning into a ruthless warrior in just a few days.


    "Yes, Reidar... thank you for asking me. Now let''s move, we''re going to make a stop just coming out the other side of that tunnel. It''s early to celebrate, we still don''t know what''s ahead" he said, turning and walking toward Gridd, busy talking to Freydis.


    As soon as the two of them saw him coming, all three of them entered the tunnel with a firm pace, inviting the rest of the soldiers to follow them.


    Encouraged by recent events, the warriors joined them, walking one at a time into the narrow gallery that would lead them out of the room where the corpse of the huge black wolf lay, beaten by Dag in one fell swoop.


    "We could have skinned him and used his fur to withstand the cold...we could take a little break there and then continue out journey carring the cargo" Sander said, referring to the haste with which Dag was heading to the other end of the cave, anxious to reach the phantom exit.


    "I have not touched the dignity of that wolf out of respect for Thalos. I thought his fur might come in handy, but I''d rather let him go. I don''t want my friend to see a scene like that..." Dag answered, looking at Thalos out of the corner of his eye and smiling, glad that he had managed to dodge the attack.

 403 CDIII. The Sad Scene

    After this answer, Sander looked at Dag with a puzzled expression, not satisfied with his answer.


    "Master Sander, imagine if you saw someone skin a man in front of your eyes, depriving him of his skin to make a warm suit from it. How would you feel? Well, I think the Captain is referring to that when he says he wouldn''t want to hurt the wolf''s sensibility. I don''t know him very well, but I''ve noticed that Thalos is a really incredible beast, sometimes he manages to be more perceptive than a human being. And like us humans, he has feelings" Reidar interrupted, meddling in the speech and helping Dag explain to Sander why he made his decision.


    "As you will, Dag. That was just a wolf to me. I would have skinned him without thinking. No matter the feelings and bullshit, I''m more interested in not freeze to death" Sander said, who for a moment forgot that Dag had saved his life and spoke disrespectfully of Thalos, who somehow sensed that they were talking about him, but kept walking without stopping.


    The tunnel guarded by the large black wolf was much longer than the others, and the Clans warriors were forced to walk through it all in a row, moving two at a time, keeping a slow pace, so as not to hinder the advance of the companions behind them and to leave the necessary space for the torches to burn the little oxygen in the air.


    "I can''t see the exit yet, Dag. Amazingly, we''ve been down here all this time and we haven''t reached the exit yet... we don''t even know what time it is, we''re losing track of time" Gridd said, walking next to her brother, in front of Freydis and Reidar, in the second row.


    "I think it''s almost evening, sister. I''ve been trying to figure out the time that''s been in here since we got in this cave, and it should have been about 6 or 7 hours. Anyway, we have to grit our teeth, soon we will stop to rest and eat the food that we have been able to find among the huts of the wolf warriors" Dag replied, speaking in pragmatic and resolute terms and raising the morale of his sister and his companions, who continued to be satisfied with his leadership.


    The walk continued for several hundred meters, when the tunnel finally widened to another gigantic oval room, with the walls much higher than the previous ones.


    As soon as Dag and all the troop soldiers entered the room, the spectacle before their eyes was not at all reassuring and many of them shuddered.


    The story told by the Giants Of Ymir''s warrior found injured in the first tunnel was true: the soldiers he had talked about were all there, on the ground, dead among blood and rocks.


    Together with their corpses, which were about fifteen, as in the story of man, there was an equal number of wolves, killed by the fury of those daring warriors in search of vengeance.


    In fact, most of them were bare-chested and with the same long skirt that wore their commander.


    Even their tattoos had similar colors, although the shapes depicted were different.


    The scenario was certainly that of a battle that, almost certainly, had taken place at the same time as their clash with the wolves, or just before.


    Dag turned to the tunnel from which they had just arrived and paused for a moment to think, trying to imagine the man running in that direction, to roughly calculate the time it would take and figure out if it was a plausible thing.


    "You''re trying to reconstruct the scene, aren''t you?" Master Egill asked, approaching him slowly and trying not to interfere, while even the warriors just out of the tunnel began to spread out into the room, trying to find something useful among those corpses, such as special weapons, food, or other valuables.


    "Yes, I''m trying... he said they were fighting when they heard the sound of the village bell in which we were. It seems strange to me to be able to hear it from this point so far away and especially more than a hundred meters deep, with the sound of weapons and screams, but... let''s admit for a moment that they did it... well, at this point, after the sound, many of the wolves started running that way, towards the village. How did they take so little time? I understand they''re very fast, but not so fast!" Dag said, trying to explain his reasoning to his colleague.


    "Perhaps the first to reach the surface were not the ones who were in this room... perhaps even in the rooms we crossed earlier there were other wolves, such as in the one with the huts, in which we ransacked the food and water. In that case, it would be more plausible to reconstruct what happened and match the times, don''t you think?"


    "Mmmh... I hadn''t thought of this detail. Yes, that''s how it may have been... Anyway, this was just my curiosity, now it doesn''t change anything to reconstruct or not the story told by that dying man. What matters is that if the exit he told us about really exists, at this point it doesn''t have to be very far, because I don''t think his men have come a long way once they get into this tunnel fully guarded by the Claws Of Fenrir."


    "Yes, I agree with you... only we promised our men a break once we got out of that tunnel... and to continue towards the exit we will have to cross another one, so..."

 404 CDIV. The Break

    "Soldiers! Is it okay for you if we take a break in here, despite the bodies? We have a maximum of 15 or 20 minutes, just to put something under our teeth and restore our dehydrated bodies!" Dag said aloud, interrupting the words of Egill, who along with him turned to the soldiers.


    They looked at each other and nodded as if trying to find a common agreement, and when they all seemed to agree, they gave an affirmative answer to their Masters, confirming that they wanted to rest a little, before continuing to walk for who knows how many more kilometers.


    Dag sat on a large boulder next to one of the cave walls, tucking his torch into a rock slit, to light up the area.


    Freydis approached him, as did Gridd and Reidar, who sat under the rock, at a point where the floor was more regular.


    Karl instead positioned himself next to Egill and both of the healers began to check the contents of their bags, kicking out some herbs and other materials and beginning to prepare ointments, as many resources had already been used to treat wounded soldiers during the battle on the surface, especially Sander.


    "I saw how easily you killed that gigantic wolf, Dag" Freydis said, breaking the silence as she stroked the back of Thalos, who had become so familiar with her that he let her do it.


    Gridd and Reidar turned to look at him, eating a piece of smoked salmon each and waiting for an answer, intrigued by his thoughts about the battle.


    "It''s because of the training I did in Skjegg before I left for Krypstorm... when I focused on the mere domination of my dark power. It seems that I can control it much better than before, giving it the shapes I want in a few seconds" he commented, pulling out some food from his bag and sharing it with his girlfriend.


    "I''ve never seen anyone kill such a great enemy in seconds, Dag. If you couldn''t control your power, it would be the end..."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I say that fluid that you generate from your back has an incredibly destructive force. Remember when I tried to get close to you? That time I tried to tame it, to make it realize that it didn''t have to see me as a threat... your dark arms are like strangers living within your body, endowed with their own intelligence and consciousness..."


    "How come you''re thinking about this now? Looks like I managed to save you all because of my arms, didn''t I? You can see it with your own eyes... when I can, I avoid to use the fluid when I fight, but there are some moments when it''s impossible" Dag replied, who was surprised that Freydis had made such consideration in front of Gridd and Reidar, blaming his methods instead of thanking him.


    Before she could finish speaking, Dag put his hand on her cheek, stroking and reassuring her, looking at her with a smile.


    Freydis placed her hand on Dag''s and closed her eyes, enjoying every moment of that caress, worried about the psycho-physical state of her man, who was often the only one able to solve difficult situations and face incredibly strong enemies, and all this would inevitably lead him to a state of severe stress.


    "You''re beautiful, lovebirds... I mean it! But I can''t help but interrupt your mushy stuff to ask my brother some questions... such as... what do we do once we come out to the surface if the environmental situation is identical to that before we went underground?" Gridd asked, giggling along with Reidar and looking intently at Dag and Freydis, trying to embarrass them.


    Dag left Freydis''s face and looked at his sister with a smile, knowing that she had interrupted them on purpose and that question was just a trivial excuse.


    "You were with me when that man told us about his village, sister" he replied, bringing back the words of the wounded man.


    "Kranus... was that his name?"


    "Who are you talking about?" Freyidis asked, who was distracted when Dag told them that he had inadvertently outraged the Giants Of Ymir Clan.


    "He is the commander of the ice giants. All we know is that their village is just a few miles away from the cave''s exit... and also that he seeks revenge against me for killing his son, the Jotunn who in Runar tried to steal my Giantbane" he continued, resting his hand on the axe, as if he felt a deep connection with it.


    "Ah, well! I missed that part! Fuck, what now? How are you going to deal with an entire village? What are we going to tell the soldiers?"


    "I don''t know, I''ll think of something... we could just tell them the truth. I''ve never been good at making up lies. One of our main goals, once we got to Krypstorm, was to seek revenge on the Giants Of Ymir, right?"


    Freyids and Gridd looked on, while Reidar thought of an effective way to communicate it to the troops, remaining silent.


    "Well, that''s exactly what we''re going to do. I absolutely must find out the whole truth about this ''Crystal of Fire''. I''m sure it hides a lot more than I think. I don''t know how, but this weapon, in addition to enclosing an incredible power, must have some other function" he replied, thinking aloud.


    "Don''t worry, Captain. I''m sure the soldiers will agree with you and follow you to the end! These days you have shown that you do not hesitate to risk your own life for them and this is worth a thousand promises! Even Master Kjell, who has always been reluctant to obey your orders, now seems to be on your side!" Reidar added, looking at the chain-warrior, who was eating next to Sander and the last two remaining Crows Of Odin soldiers.

 405 CDV. The Second Entrance

    "I hope that his sympathy for me will last over time... by always agreeing, it will surely be easier to make difficult decisions and we will no longer risk being defeated. Master Kjell learned his lesson well, but that cost us many lives, those of the soldiers that fought with him outside the barrier. As much as I may have forgiven him, it is impossible for me to forget the faces of those young warriors."


    Dag''s words broke into the hearts of his comrades, who understood how he was feeling at the time and how he felt when all those men under his command had died because of Kjell''s impulsiveness, which had shown to care more about his leadership than his men.


    After an additional ten minutes, all the warriors had eaten their small food rations and drank the water found in the barrels in the cave, which was fresh and tasted great, unlike what they thought.


    When Dag got up and grabbed his torch, the soldiers did the same, and Kjell, Sander and Egill returned to the front line to follow Dag and the others more closely.


    Based on the words of the giant wolf, who had explicitly admitted to being the only one of his Clan to have remained in the cave to watch the passage, Dag felt that the road would be free until the exit and that the real problems would come later, because, as anticipated by Gridd''s perplexities, if they had been surrounded only by snow in the middle of another plain, it would have been very difficult to travel and understand the location of the village of the Giants Of Ymir.


    Without losing heart and being aware that few enemies up to that point had been able to seriously challenge him, Dag accelerated the pace, determined to achieve his goal, and thinking back to the words of the man who had spoken to him of the Crystal of Fire.


    The path, after yet another tunnel that led them out of the room where dozens of bodies laid, became slightly more impervious and its slope increased.


    Following the uphill stretch, the soldiers did not struggle to understand that they were finally approaching the surface and that perhaps, the entrance to the other side, was not specular to the one they had crossed.


    About an hour after their last break, the cave became wider and wider, until they could catch a glimpse of the exit, consisting of a large hole on the wall, which this time was horizontal, with no rugged paths on which to climb to the top.


    The light coming from that direction, even if it was stronger than the one inside the cave, was almost absent, being late in the evening.


    Dag accelerated the pace again, trying to gain some distance to go forward, while the rest of the soldiers continued to walk slowly and chat with each other, trying to distract themselves from the cold and tiredness.


    Gridd continued to walk beside him when the two of them arrived in front of the exit.


    In addition to the writings, there was a drawing carved in the rock, depicting the head of a wolf with a large ''F'' in the center, written in the normal elder futhark and therefore understandable by all.


    "This must be the symbol of the Claws Of Fenrir" Dag said, touching the relief with his hand as if he wanted to perceive something.


    Gridd nodded, agreeing with him.


    "I believe that their real base is very far from this place. When I was at Temple Of Orn, the stories about Krypstorm fascinated me a lot, and I read several books about the legends of its ancient Clans. I remember that, for what concerns the Claws Of Fenrir, they were defined as ''wandering warriors'', or without a permanent home" he continued, exhuming old reminiscences.


    "You mean their base doesn''t exist? So how do they guard their scrolls and train warriors? Where do their Masters live?" Gridd asked, fairly.


    " I don''t know that no one has ever managed to gather so much information. You know, as we were able to test on our skin, they''re not a particularly hospitable Clan and all those who, throughout history, have clashed against them, have never been able to tell what they had seen..."


    "So I assume that they are all dead..."


    "Yes, exactly. However, by studying the details of this cave and noticing the village of peasants that we ransacked, where the supplies for the Claws Of Fenrir were stored, I suppose they have so many small bases similar to this cave, scattered throughout the nation of Krypstorm. Although this is a very different strategy system from our Clan, I think it''s very effective, in its own way. Being always in different places and not having a single headquarter, the wolf warriors are unassailable" Dag replied, taking his hand off the wall and watching his sister as the rest of the troops approached them.


    "Mmh... well, yes... you don''t really have all the wrongs. But in doing so they always risk encountering stronger and more numerous enemies... and that''s not good for their Clan, don''t you think?" Gridd asked again, carefully studying Dag''s hypothesis, which helped her reason about what happened.


    "Obviously they''re not so scared of others..." he concluded, leaving his sister the benefit of the doubt and heading towards the exit.


    When his eyes came into contact with the air outside, although there was not much light, he was forced to squinch them, having remained for many hours immersed in total darkness.


    After a few seconds of waiting, he was again able to open them and without surprise, he noticed that around that hole in the wall, there was nothing but a flat expanse of snow, with mountains on the horizon on one side.

 406 CDVI. The Lull

    Soon after, he looked up: the sky was much clearer than usual, and the stars, as well as the other planets, were able to illuminate the area, ensuring a minimum of extra visibility.


    Little by little, all the soldiers came out of the cave, breathing in the cold but clean air that didn''t smell like moss and mud.


    Some of them dipped their hands in the snow to rinse off the dirt and impurities they were dirty about.


    "Finally the sky is clean! The fog that enveloped that village was asphyxiating!" Kjell said, looking up at the sky with Dag and commenting on the view.


    "This is probably because we have strayed from the sea. Being closer inland, the clouds thicken on the other side and leave the sky on our heads much clearer. If you focus on it, you can also feel that the air, despite being cold, is still less penetrating than when we arrived. This is due to humidity, always caused by proximity to the coast" Dag said, feeling an urgent need to explain the scientific reason behind those phenomena.


    "Wow! You know lots of these weird things to be such a skilled warrior! How do you do that? I mean... who taught you all these notions?" Kjell asked, fascinated by the explanation and trying to compliment Dag for being forgiven.


    "There were many things taught us on earth. I wish I could access the books I used as a child to study... I would spread them to all of you."


    "Mmh I don''t know if the warriors would appreciate it! Hahaha! Studying has never been our strong point, we prefer the steel of weapons!"


    "Captain, so? What do we do now? Are we going to spend the night here?" Reidar asked, interrupting the conversation and bringing more practical and urgent questions to their attention.


    "Yes, Reidar, it''s a great idea. For today we have walked enough, I can not see the coast from which we started even in the distance! We will sleep here, doing the usual guard shifts to check the entrance and the rest of the corridor leading to the deep part of the cave. Inform the men" he commanded, agreeing with the archer, that despite the physical fatigue, could always be one of the most attentive and responsible subjects.


    Reidar executed the order and all the soldiers began to settle down at the entrance of the cave, preparing bedding for sleep and lighting small bonfires, but trying not to place them too close to the entrance, so as not to attract suspicious glances.


    Dag, on the other hand, was not very sleepy and took the opportunity to calm down to walk with Thalos and explore the surroundings.


    The exit of the cave was carved into a sub-vertical rock face, which, as seen from the outside, looked like the skeleton of an ancient landslide mountain.


    Together with his friend, Dag circumnavigated that small headland and climbed to its top, just over 6 meters high, hoping to get a better view of the surrounding landscape.


    But of the village of which the dying man had spoken, still no trace.


    "Hey, Thalos... where do you think we should go? Do you think we''re going to be able to see something tomorrow morning? If the village was close for real, I should be able to distinguish lights or something, wouldn''t I?" Dag said, speaking aloud to the wolf as if he could answer him.


    Walking back and forth on the fresh snow, he decided to sit on the ledge under which was the entrance to the cave, thinking.


    Just as he was immersed in his usual thousand thoughts, he remembered the two scrolls found in the Claws Of Fenrir camp that had handed him one of the two soldiers and pulled them out of his bag.


    He took one and looked at it first from the outside, noting that it did not look much different from the ones he was used to seeing, then unhooked the lace that kept it closed and opened it slowly, unrolling it cautiously so as not to risk ruining its contents, considering that it looked like a particularly dated object.


    Even though he had left the torch in the cave, the natural white light still allowed him to see the details, also thanks to his good eyesight.


    Surprised, he discovered that on the scroll was written a text the same size as those of the low-level skills he had learned in the past, with a single, important detail: the alphabet, once again, was not that he was able to read.


    "Fuck, but how is it possible? Apparently here on Krypstorm, they write in a completely different way from ours, even if we speak the same language... I wonder why..." he thought, puffing and rolling the parchment again, given its indecipherability.


    After the first, he also opened the second one, already intending to close it, thinking that it too would be incomprehensible, but something caught his attention.


    That scroll didn''t contain a skill inside, but a map.


    "Oh, finally! Thank you, Odin!" he exclaimed, looking upwards and ironing that, lately, a little more luck would be convenient for him.


    Pointing his finger at the map, Dag tried to figure out what area it was referring to and joyfully noticed that it was the one in which he and his men were located at the time.


    Once again, the toponymy and every other word written on the scroll were not in elder futhark, but since there were many explanatory drawings, he still managed to decipher it, discovering that it was about the area around the cave, represented in its entirety in the drawing, below the surface and above it.


    The exit on which he was sitting at that exact moment, was a few kilometers away from a not very large village with an unpronounceable name, composed of five letters that seemed to be almost all consonants.

 407 CDVII. The Sovereignty Doub

    The houses that made up that village, located to the northwest, were blue and around them, there was a thick celestial circle, made with a stroke much thicker than the rest of the drawing.


    "What will it ever be? Maybe a wall, or another kind of barrier to defend the village..." Dag thought aloud, while Thalos, intrigued and tired, sat down beside him, waiting for some caress.


    Continuing to follow the distances depicted on the parchment with his finger, Dag discovered that on the other side, to the northeast, beyond the mountains he could see, there were two other villages, but both drawn with another color, red.


    "Hey, you! Lone wolf!"


    A voice distracted him and he turned back, noting that Freydis, not finding him among the other warriors, had gone out to look for him.


    "Hey!" he smiled, as his girlfriend sat next to him, on the cold rock of the little mountain.


    "What are you doing? What is this?" Freydis asked, approaching the map and spying on it, not understanding what it was.


    "One of our warriors found among the stuff of the warriors of the Claws Of Fenrir, inside the cave. It''s a map."


    "A map? That''s good news, isn''t it? At least we can move knowing where we''re going! What did you find out? Does the village you and Gridd talked about really exist?" she asked again, hopeful.


    "Perhaps is this one, do you see it?" he replied, pointing to the blue drawing surrounded by the celestial circle.


    Freydis looked closely at the map, shifting her attention to the other elements that made it up, trying to ignore the writings, even incomprehensible to her.


    "None of us can comprehend this alphabet, right? Everything would be so much easier..."


    "Unfortunately not, no one can. Even Egill is not capable of it, despite his boundless culture, specialized in ancient tales. I think it''s the official language of Krypstorm... whereas there has never been much contact between our two nations, perhaps it was never necessary to find an alphabet that would fit both of them" Dag continued, making his remarks and looking at Freydis, who in his eyes was incredibly attractive while focused on the map.


    "Dag, I was thinking... King Einarr... he''s also the King of Krypstorm, isn''t he?"


    "Mmh... I think so. His official title is ''King of all Vikings'', so I imagine his dominance extends over all the lands and seas of Skjold" he continued, puzzled, not knowing the real answer to that question.


    "Something tells me that the inhabitants of this place do not recognize him as King. I don''t know why, but I have this feeling. I mean, how can a man who has never landed in Krypstorm its King?"


    He put the map in the bag, guarding it jealously, believing that it was an invaluable asset and intending to talk about it to Egill and the other Masters the next day, he got off the cliff and together with Freydis entered the cave, where all the soldiers had been sleeping for a few minutes.


    Near one of the many small bonfires, Freydis had already prepared a place to spend the night with her man, consisting of a pair of furs lying on the ground on a mat, which served to make the edgy soil slightly more comfortable and flat.


    After lying next to each other and pampered by the heat of the fire, gently stroking their cold skin, they noticed that three warriors rose from their beds and walked to the entrance, to begin their guard turn.


    A few minutes passed when two others did the same thing, but in the other direction, lighting a torch and sitting next to it in the interior of the cave, to make sure no one came from behind trying to attack them by surprise.


    Relaxing his muscles and mind, Dag was caught in an incredible sleep, having accumulated much fatigue due to the combat and the ever-increasing tension to which his physique had been subjected throughout the trip in the cave.


    Stroking Freydis''s face and hugging her from behind, he fell asleep.


    ...


    The night passed smoothly and fortunately, all the soldiers awoke in perfect shape, while a faint light illuminated the entrance of the cave, barely penetrating inside it.


    Dag got up before Freydis and without saying a word, he came out of the cave, having woken up with the thought of seeing the village, convinced that during the day the visibility had increased.


    Yawning and rubbing his eyes still half-closed due to sleep, he climbed the cliff at the top of the entrance and looked toward the high mountains, trying to peer into the village of the Ice Giants, but to no avail.


    Although the Sun was stronger than the previous days and illuminated the whole plain around the headland, the idea of that village began to fade more and more in his mind.


    Caught in a wave of pessimism, he descended into the cave and greeted the other Masters, who had just risen from their respective bedding, stretching their bones and preparing to resume their journey.


    He approached Master Egill, who when saw him coming, turned to him.


    "Good morning, Warchief!" he exclaimed, turning to Dag with his usual friendliness and calling him by that name, expressing incredible respect, despite being almost three times his age.


    "Good morning to you, Master Egill... I wanted to show you something that could help us with our exploration" he replied, pulling out the map and showing it on the sidelines, explaining the details he had managed to interpret to gain some useful time.


    When Egill looked up at him, the Master Of Healing noticed his perplexed expression and asked: "So? What is that face? We know where to go, don''t we? The village we talked about seems to be a few hours from here, I don''t understand your concern."

 408 CDVIII. Whos With Me?

    "I haven''t been able to see the village before, even when I looked from the top of this cliff, but that''s not why I''m pessimistic... what are we going to do once we get there? That man confessed to me and Gridd that their boss wants revenge for the death of his son... they will attack us on sight! What do we do if their number is much higher than ours? I don''t want to lose any more men, Egill, I wouldn''t stand it" Dag confessed, venting his nervousness with his former Master and looking at him with sincere eyes, as if he was asking for help from someone who, like him, had more experience in this sort of thing.


    Egill put his hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.


    "Before we left, we trained our men to fight the Jotunns. The only battle we''ve fought since we got here was against enemies we''d never faced, obviously there were losses, we were already prepared for that. But against the Giants... you''ll see, it will be different. Our soldiers are ready to fight, Dag¡­ and more... they are also ready to reach Valhalla, fighting for what they believe. The question is... is their Warchief ready too?"


    After those words, a shiver ran through Dag''s back, who had just listened to the words he most feared in his subconscious, emphasized by Egill''s superhuman calm, which as if he was reading in his thought, had managed to identify his perplexities from a simple glance.


    "I don''t know, Egill. I don''t know if I''m ready to die. There are too many things I don''t know... dying and leaving all these unresolved issues would be the worst thing that could happen to me. I feel like I haven''t taken advantage of the time my life has given me. I need to know who my parents are and..."


    "Enough, boy. Stop it. I figured it out. You''re not going to die now, Dag from Earth, your time hasn''t come yet. But these soldiers don''t need a leader who''s afraid to die. Teach them how to deal with these difficult moments, as only you can do" Egill continued, smiling and leaving Dag''s shoulder, turning the other way and continuing to prepare his belongings, tucking several items into his healer bag.


    Dag stood still for a few seconds looking at the ground, reflecting on those words.


    Once again, Egill''s wisdom had served him to regain the courage that was easy to lose during those difficult moments, finding himself in an unknown and hostile place.


    "Yes, commander!"


    "Let''s kill all those bastards, from the first to the last!"


    "My friend''s family was in that village when those sons of bitch arrived!


    "We are with you, Master Dag!"


    Immediately after his speech, the warriors began to give their consent, fomented by the anger that the eyes of their Warchief expressed when he named the Jotunns.


    "Among the dozens of Giants I killed during the battle at Runar, there was one in particular, who had tried to steal my axe, I still don''t know why. Well, that Jotunn was the son of their Clan leader, Kranus."


    The warriors shut up, however, the news did not seem to scare them and they continued to watch Dag hanging from his lips.


    "Not far from here, in that direction, there is a village, which according to our information should be inhabited by members of the Giants Of Ymir, who on the orders of their commander, seek revenge on me, being aware that I am the murderer of his son. I don''t know how many enemies there are in that place, nor how big it is and what kind of walls and defenses it has. What I do know is that my hands are itching to get wet with the blood of those bastards, who slaughtered our people and deserve the same fate! Who''s with me, brothers?! Who will help me end their existence and reclaim this land?!" Dag shouted, loading his words with unexpected rage, coming out of the depths of his stomach, as if he felt an urgent desire for blood, recalling past events.


    "We''re here, Master Dag!"


    "Here we are, Warchief!"


    "We''re ready, Master Dag!"


    "No matter how many there are, we will kill them from the first to the last!"


    The warriors continued to appreciate his speech and completely galvanized by it, shouted at Dag their consent, ready to walk and unleash their weapons.


    "Soldiers, remember what your Warchief did for you! He didn''t hesitate to risk his life to save us! We owe him the same courage, we must fight to the end, without fear of death! Remember the lessons before embarking on our journey! We''ve explained to you how giants move and how they fight, what their weaknesses are, what their strengths are! With your knowledge and skills, you have to kill them from the first to the last! You must do it, you owe it to your Warchief! Long live Dag, the Exiled!" Egill interrupted, raising the tone of his voice more than usual to overwhelm that of the soldiers in front of him, who listened to his words and nodded determinedly, ready to respect the will of their leader.

 409 CDIX. The Far Fortress

    "Well then... this way!" Dag commanded, walking on the frontline in the direction marked on the map, sinking one after another his feet in the untouched snow, which in that stretch of the plain had not been trampled for a long time.


    The good weather conditions allowed all the troops of the three Clans to proceed straight without a hitch, while a light cool wind blew over them, but they were well equipped against it, carrying their weapons and other bags full of resources, which further weighed down their clothes, increasing their thermal power.


    After traveling just under five kilometers in the middle of nowhere, the plain slightly increased its slope, as they approached the area of the mountain range, visible throughout their journey in front of them.


    The ground bent gently and the plain gradually became a kind of valley that passed through two huge mountains, more than a hundred meters high.


    Dag continued to walk without ever looking back, proceeding briskly and determinedly toward his goal, when Reidar joined him.


    "Captain, what do you think they made of Claire?" the archer asked, knowing he was asking a delicate question.


    "Even if it doesn''t seem, I never stopped thinking about her, Reidar. I thought I''d find her inside the cave, but even after hearing from that Giants Of Ymir warrior about the battle between the two Clans over there, I immediately dropped the hypothesis. As far as I know, she may already be dead. There''s no point in thinking about a way to save her if we don''t even know where she is. Krypstorm is really huge, trying to locate her would be impossible" Dag said, with an apparent coolness, which actually hid concern.


    "I understand. I''m so sorry about that girl..."


    "She has embarked with us even not being a true Shieldmaiden. I''m sorry, my friend, too, but it was her choice. She should have stayed in Okstorm, safe. Instead, she foolishly chose to follow her heart and stick with me, even though she knew Freydis was already on our same boat. I''ve already saved her once, I doubt it can happen again."


    The two comrades talked for a few more minutes, but Dag tried to cut the conversation straight away, knowing that remembering Claire and what had happened between them would only be a distraction.


    Looking forward and noticing that the snow on the ground began to decrease progressively, as the rocky terrain became visible on the surface, Dag saw something on the horizon.


    "I think I can see it! It seems to be the village! Maybe we''re almost there, get ready, the enemies could be anywhere!" he yelled, alerting all his warriors, who immediately pulled out their weapons and looked around, unable to see anything.


    "Dag, I don''t see anything... where exactly are you looking?" Egill asked, walking faster to reach him.


    "Don''t worry, in a few hundred yards you''ll be able to see it too" he said, accelerating his pace further.


    Finally, after walking another 500 meters, they all saw what Dag was talking about.


    Although it was not easy to distinguish the details from that considerable distance, about a kilometer from them they could see walls, which looked very similar to those of a real city, although much smaller in extension.


    "They look like the walls of Fort Skjonnet" Gridd said, squinting and trying to focus on the structure in the distance.


    "I thought the same thing, sister. I believe that this is not a village, but a real fortress. The walls look tall and sturdy, they will be at least half a meter thick. But the grooves at the highest points are half-destroyed, as are the windows of the observation towers. I have a bad feeling, I think it''s abandoned..." Dag said.


    "But how the fuck do you manage it? I mean... I can barely see the contours of that stuff while you tell me about windows and towers? It''s impossible that you can tell such small details from this distance, I can hardly believe it!" she replied, not believing her ears.


    "When we''ll get there, you''ll believe me, sister" Dag smiled, knowing that his incredible sight wouldn''t disappoint him for the umpteenth time.


    Continuing to walk, the warriors noticed that there did not appear to be anyone near that fort, either outside it or at the top of the walls.


    When they arrived about 300 meters away, they were able to see clearly the whole structure, ascertaining Dag''s thesis and noting that the general appearance of the walls and the 4 towers that stood at the corners, forming a perfect square, were run down.


    "You were right, Dag... this place seems abandoned. There''s no one inside" Karl said, who breathed a sigh of relief, glad that there were no fights in sight and that maybe they could use the place as a shelter for the night, which was still far away.


    All together they approached the building, keeping their weapons and shields up, despite not hearing a single sound coming from that direction, apart from that of a small flock of crows fluttering above their heads, making the scenery chilling, despite it being broad daylight.


    At one point, Dag stopped, unconvinced of the situation, decidedly too calm compared to what he had imagined.


    "Dag, I really don''t understand you... I guess it was important for you to find the Jotunns village, but you should be glad you took us to this place! It''s a real fortress... we could stay here tonight and leave tomorrow morning! We have walked a long way today..." Karl continued, walking forward with a smile printed on his weary face.


    "Karl, move from there!" Dag replied, screaming, after hearing an almost imperceptible sound coming from the top of the walls in front of them.

 410 CDX. The Proof Of Wisdom

    After jumping towards him, he lifted him hard and threw him to the ground, falling next to him.


    In the next instant, under everyone''s incredulous eyes, an arrow penetrated the snow at the exact spot where Karl was walking.


    "Ouch! What the fuck, Dag!" the young healer exclaimed, having not yet realized that his friend had saved his life and quickly got up.


    All the soldiers behind them, with their weapons already in their hands, looked up and retreated slightly.


    Master Sander, trying to be as fast as he could, pulled out his tower shield and placed it in front of him, fearing the arrival of more arrows.


    Dag stood up with agility and shrugged the snow from his armor, looking up and detaching both weapons from the belt magnets.


    At that moment, Reidar positioned himself next to him and after extracting an arrow from the quiver, charged it over the Failnaught, and pointed it at the exact spot from which the arrow headed to Karl, ready to fire at Dag''s signal.


    He raised his hand in front of his companion''s bow, ordering him not to shoot, and other soldiers, who had just drawn their bows, stopped, waiting for the order of their commanders.


    "Who''s there?!" Dag yelled, accurately recalling that during the battle with the Giants Of Ymir, he had not seen any of them use a bow and arrow.


    No one answered.


    After a few seconds, everyone could hear the sound of a bow as it stretched its rope and aimed again at that point.


    "Stop! Just shoot at my order!" Dag continued, without looking away from the walls and ordering his men not to counterattack.


    A second arrow departed from the same spot as the first, and before it could reach Dag, something happened that left everyone speechless.


    A thin bundle of dark liquid splattered out of his chest and the arrowhead pierced it, locking a few inches from his face.


    Freydis and Gridd, who were the two who most of all were frightened, believing that Dag was going to get killed, took their hands off their mouths and looked up again, not understanding what he had in mind.


    "You''re not Giants Of Ymir, are you?!" Dag asked again, throwing the arrow to the ground and letting the liquid flow back into his body.


    "What is he saying?"


    "How can he be convinced?"


    "Why don''t we just attack? We''re ready!"


    The warriors began to chat with each other, tremble from the desire to assault the fort, which despite having very old walls, seemed to have no access point and was closed by a huge vertical opening door, almost impossible to open from the outside.


    Kjell, Sander, and Egill stood motionless in their positions, silently, waiting for someone to answer from the other side.


    "And who are you?!"


    At those words, the warriors began to look at Dag in a strange way, unable to understand why he had just fomented and incited them to battle and now he was pulling back.


    "We are not Giants Of Ymir... but what you say is false! I''ve heard your men say they''re ready for battle! Go away and no one will be hurt!" the voice replied, urging Dag and the others to go away.


    He gestured with his hand to Reidar, who lowered the bow, showing the man who was watching them that their intentions were good.


    At that point, the one who was speaking, stood up, sticking out the square grooves at the top of the walls.


    "If he shoots you another arrow, I''ll kill him" Reidar whispered, making sure not to be heard from enemies and reassuring Dag that his shooting speed was faster than those in front of him, having already made the comparison from the time he had gone from the noise of the charging bow to that of the arrow hitting the ground.


    Dag nodded slightly, confirming to his companion that he understood.


    "What do you want?!" the man asked, who had long black hair, shaved at the sides, and tied in a braid that covered his entire back.


    "We just want to rest our tired muscles so we can resume the journey as soon as possible. We''re not used to such cold temperatures" Dag said, trying to be as honest as possible.


    "Find another place then, this is not a tavern, but a military base!"


    "We headed to this place because we thought it was a Giants Of Ymir base, with which we have an outstanding account. That''s why we''re armed and ready to attack. When I noticed that you and the other 7 men next to you were all armed with bows, I immediately realized that you were not Jotunns, considering that they prefer close combat weapons" Dag continued, hoping to impress his interlocutor with his sharp dialectic.


    The man rested his bow and a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "You''re smart, boy... if your men are like you, it would be a waste to let you die in the snow, also because it''s the snack time for crows right now" the man said, spreading his arms and looking around.


    After that gesture, four archers rose to their feet from his right and 3 others from his left.


    "How did you do that, Dag?" Gridd asked, stunned.


    Meanwhile, Egill approached him, turning his back on the enemies and whispered something in his ear.


    "Wise choice, Dag. I knew you wouldn''t disappoint my expectations. Very good" he said, smiling.


    "With our current numbers, it''s better to make friends than enemies. We already have two Clans on our heels, it would be good to recruit new allies" Dag replied, making himself heard only by some of his comrades, who finally realized his intentions, understanding why he was talking in that way.

 411 CDXI. Need Some Proof

    He walked to the large gate, still several feet away from him, which opened slowly.


    The upper part of the large slab of wood and iron detached from the old walls and began to fall down, slightly revealing what was inside the fortress.


    When the heavy gate finally touched the ground, the warriors stood still behind Dag and the other Masters, lined up in neat rows.


    The man in the black braid was standing behind it, still, his hands behind his back.


    "Come closer, boy" he said, looking at Dag with serious air.


    Dag obeyed and stepped forward, soon after him, Kjell and Egill followed him and immediately two archers popped up next to the man, quickly loading two arrows and aiming Dag''s companions, who stopped suddenly.


    Reidar, who had not lowered his guard for even a second, held out the Failnaught''s rope, ready to fire an arrow at the man and activate the power of his divine bow, but he realized after a few moments that those men were not really going to fire.


    "Only the boy. If I let you pass all at once, I''d be a fool. I don''t know who you are and where you come from, I only know your version of events. As far as I know, you could be Lies Of Loki tricksters. I need some concrete proof of your origins, otherwise... you will go away from here and avoid the physical confrontation, which would only cause unnecessary victims to both of our troops, but much more to you, trust me" the man continued, who had thought in a few seconds of every detail, keeping his gaze fixed towards Dag.


    "It''s all right, guys. You can wait for me here, it will only take a few minutes" Dag said, walking on the surface of the door resting on the ground, heading inside the fortress.


    "Dag, are you crazy?! What the hell are you doing?! Come back here!" Gridd shouted, trying to dissuade her brother, who was about to enter an unknown place full of unknown warriors.


    "It''s not a good idea, Dag! We can''t intervene if you''re in danger in there! They can do their checks even if you stay out here, along with your warriors!" Freydis exclaimed, hooking up to Gridd''s speech and looking frightened at the unknown man and his archers, trying to figure out if their intentions were bad.


    Reidar placed one hand on Freydis''s shoulder and one on Gridd''s, after putting the Failnaught behind his back, in its lining.


    "This is a test of courage... I wouldn''t have done that either, but I''m sure the Captain knows what he''s doing... these Clans are weird and much warier than ours, in Okstorm. If they need proof to determine whether to believe us or not, I am sure that the Captain will not disappoint them and that we will be able to spend the night in this place" the archer said, explaining to the two girls his point of view and placing, once again, all the trust in Dag.


    Gradually, as his soldiers began to turn with force the circular gears placed on both of the towers, the chains that were connected to the door slid in the appropriate holes in the wall and, wrapping themselves, pulled up the huge thick and heavy slab, closing it, bringing it back to its vertical position.


    Among the allied warriors there was an exchange of perplexing glances as all of them tried to figure out what was going on within the walls.


    Dag stood still on his feet, and with his weapons attached to his belt.


    Meanwhile, the man who appeared to be the leader of the group, without saying a word, began to walk around him, eyeing him from head to toe and analyzing all the details of his armor, the symbols on it, and even the weapons.


    "So, boy... where exactly are you from?" the man asked, in a suspicious tone, not trusting the words of Dag, who had instead decided to tell the truth, so as to gain their trust in record time.


    "I''ve already told you. We all come from Okstorm, even though we''re from different Clans and cities. My name is Dag and I am one of the Masters of the Hammers Of Thor, the Clan that watches over the city of Jernhest, the capital. My mates belong to the Crows Of Odin and the Sons Of Freya. Together we formed a group called ''the Iron Alliance'' and decided to embark on an exploratory mission in here, at Krypstorm" Dag began, introducing him and his group in a nutshell and breathing regularly and calmly, so as not to alarm the man, who seemed particularly cunning.


    "Exploratory mission? I''ve never met any Okstorm''s warrior in my life. I had a companion who visited your nation once but never returned. He was certainly killed by some piece of shit" the man replied, stopping in front of Dag and getting closer to his face, as if he wanted to read the fear in his gaze, but he remained still stable and serious.


    "I feel very sorry for your friend, but... Okstorm is home to many Clans, not just ours... and some of them are known for their cruelty. I''m sure if something bad happened to your friend, it certainly wasn''t because of our Clans, who are the ones who more than anyone else try to keep the peace between the regions. Now... I''m sorry, but... can you tell your men to lower their weapons? Talking with arrows pointed at me distracts me a lot" Dag continued, who while he was speaking, out of the corner of his eye, looked at the warriors around him, all with bows in their hands, no one excluded.


    "Mmmh... I also saw that there''s a big gray wolf with you... what does that mean?"

 412 CDXII. The White For

    "What do you mean by ''what does that mean''? Thalos, besides being my pet, is also an old friend of mine. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time alone training in a pretty remote place. I met him there and since then we have become inseparable, he is more faithful than many people I have known. I know he would never betray me!"


    "Sir, animal families are also used by some of the Claws Of Fenrir warriors, who draw their power from the great wolf, I saw it with my own eyes!" an archer suddenly exclaimed, stepping forward and trying to discredit Dag''s words, convinced that he was an impostor.


    "Is that the truth, boy? Who tells me you''re not one of the Claws Of Fenrir? We have been at war with them for more than a hundred years, you''d better confess if you don''t want your men to be killed instantly!" the chief of strangers said, after learning the theory of one of his adepts.


    "We too are at war with them. Just now, among our Clans, there was a bloody battle in the village on the other side of the long cave we crossed to come here. Personally, I killed more than 30 werewolves, not to mention the huge black wolf that was watching the passage..." Dag confessed, explaining the truth to the man, who when he heard those words, changed his expression, looking at him with disbelieving eyes.


    "What did you say? The great black wolf guarding the cave passage?!"


    "Uhm... yes."


    "Long arms, sharp claws, many scars on the body, eyes as yellow as gold...?!"


    "Yes, him."


    After Dag''s affirmative response, the man turned back, looking at some of his men, gasping for speech.


    "I can''t believe you and your men managed to eliminate Layrus, the huge wolf who exterminated our Clan! It''s amazing, we''ll never have to worry about his threat again!" the man exclaimed happily, celebrating the news with his warriors, who could not believe their ears.


    "I actually killed him in less than a minute, if you really want to know how the facts went. But now, please, could you tell me your name?" Dag asked, taking advantage of his interlocutor''s enthusiasm for useful information.


    "Are you kidding me?! Hahaha, yes, you''re definitely joking, it''s impossible that you did it alone and in such a short time... even the strongest warrior in the world could not fight that huge, sharp-toothed beast alone... anyway, my name is Orvar and these archers are under my command. Even though I don''t know you yet, if what you said is true, I can only thank you, Dag of Okstorm" the man continued, slightly bowing his head toward him, out of respect.


    "I was forced to kill him, it was the only way to go" Dag said, trying to frame those strange people, still failing to understand their real intentions.


    Meanwhile, outside the walls, Egill, Kjell, and Gridd stood in front of the door, their ears resting on it, trying to figure out what was going on on the other side.


    "Then, Dag... the questions aren''t over yet. You told me you fought the Claws Of Fenrir, and even though I didn''t quite understand why, I don''t care... but what about the Giants Of Ymir? Why are you at war with them too?" Orvar continued, not satisfied.


    "When we were in Okstorm, the Jotunns of that Clan stormed our shores, arriving unannounced by sea and exterminating entire villages of innocent fishermen and traders. Fortunately, we managed to set a trap for them, and during the only battle we fought against them, I killed Kranus''s youngest son, their clan leader."


    "Mmmh... how do you know his name?"


    "A dying warrior in the cave we crossed told me that, along with the fact that the giants tried to attack the wolves by surprise, but they were brutally defeated. He also told me that their village was a few miles from the cave''s exit. I saw this fort and I believed it was that village, that''s why we''re here. It was a mere coincidence."


    Finally, Dag''s words seemed to convince Orvar, that despite his stern and doubtful character, did not seem like a bad man.


    "Let my men in. We''re just going to stay here the time needed to figure out how to move. Tomorrow morning we''ll leave, we just need a warm place to sleep tonight... I realized that there are miles and miles of snow around us in every direction, so... please don''t make us freeze to death. I have done something for you, now you can return the favor" Dag replied, trying to break through man''s heart.


    "All right. Archers, open the gate, let them pass!"


    After the command of their leader, the same two archers who were on the towers just before, began to turn the knobs again and the large door moved down.


    The Masters and allied warriors took a few steps back, looking at the door opening and hoping that nothing had happened to their Warchief.


    Some of them, as a precaution, held up their weapons, keeping themselves ready for any surprise attacks.


    Even Sander, skeptical, had never put his shield away, which was still placed on the ground, in front of his feet, fearing that the next arrow might be directed at him.


    When the chains were completely stretched and the gate touched the ground, everyone was reassured to see with their own eyes that Dag was healthy, and judging by the expression of the unknown warriors, the conversation must have been successful.


    Keeping their eyes wide open, they entered the fort and after a few seconds, the gate closed again.


    "After your commander told me that he killed Layrus, the great wolf, I can welcome you to Fort Hvit!" said Orvar, opening his arms and showing everyone that he was not armed.

 413 CDXIII. Kogr

    At the same time, all his archers put down their weapons, and the warriors of the three Clans did the same.


    "Layrus? Who is he, the wolf you killed with a single blow?" Freydis asked, who already knew the answer, but wanted to eulogize her man, realizing that for those warriors, he had accomplished an incredible feat.


    Before Orvar could answer the rhetorical question, Dag interrupted him: "Thank you for your welcome, my colleagues and our men will be eternally grateful for your hospitality. Now, I have a question for you..."


    "Tell me, Dag. Speak, without fear."


    "You are at war with the Giants Of Ymir and the Claws Of Fenrir, or at least, so you told me. Just before you let me into the fort, you suspected that I might be a member of Lies Of Loki, ready to set a trap for you... well, considering that the great Clans that populate Krypstorm are just these three... who are you?" the Warchief asked, making the other Masters wonder at these words, who had not noticed these details.


    Orvar began to chuckle, without answering, until he crossed his gaze with Dag''s, realizing that his was a serious question.


    "I don''t know where you got this information, but I just realized you don''t know anything about the nation of Krypstorm!"


    "Uh? What is he talking about? There are no other Clans, apart from the ones that Dag mentioned before..." Sander said in a low voice, speaking to Egill, who stood silently listening.


    "I introduce myself again, my name is Orvar and I''m the chieftain of the Hunters Of Ullr!"


    Dag and his companions blinked, believing it was a stupid nonsense joke.


    "Hunters Of Ullr? What is this, a joke? There is no Clan with that name!" Kjell exclaimed, who was immediately recognized for his arrogance.


    Orvar''s expression changed slightly as if those words had annoyed him, but before he could speak, he was interrupted again.


    "My friends, it''s not what you think" Egill said, stepping forward and stopping by Dag.


    "What?!"


    "What are you saying, Egill, are you crazy?!"


    "Master... these notions have been taught to us from the first days of training in the arena, how can you say they are wrong? Do you deny your own teachings?" Dag asked, who, though particularly confused, had already sensed that those bow-equipped warriors did not belong to any of the three Clans of Krypstorm.


    Orvar, after noticing Egill''s intervention, intrigued about the amount of information he knew, let him talk to his men, without interrupting him and smiling slightly, as if he was enjoying their astonishment.


    The moments after that speech were incredibly silent.


    All those present, who had heard those words well, began to elaborate the concept in their minds, and everything on which their knowledge was based went up in smoke.


    That news would forever change the way they saw things because they would realize that, in fact, the wars and conquests of the territories of the planet were processes much more articulate and complex than they had ever believed.


    "Egill... why didn''t you ever say that?" Sander asked, disappointed with his friend''s behavior.


    "I didn''t know it was the truth. I thought I read some nonsense! I thought that the author of that text emphasized the strength of small minorities or groups of warriors by calling them Clans, how could I imagine that they really existed! Believe me, I realized it now, just like you!" Egill replied, looking into Orvar''s eyes, who kept giggling, appreciating his detailed explanation.


    Dag also looked at the leader of the archers, who stepped toward them and broke the silence again: "What your wise Master says is true. Or rather, it was... things have changed a lot in 150 years."


    Dag shook his head, trying to filter out the stored information, then replied: "What happened then?"


    Orvar''s expression became sore as his mind dug into memories.


    "Many of the Clans that populated Skjold were entirely exterminated by larger ones, who took over and destroyed every trace of the warriors of the past, making sure that no one remembered their name anymore. Look at us, for example... there are only eight of us" he said, pointing to the men behind him, who looked down.


    "What happened to you? How did you survive?" Sander asked, who after Egill''s explanation and realizing it was all true, wanted to know more at all costs.


    "Our Clan had more than 100 warriors, and our Masters were the most skilled archers in the world. We were guarding a big village in the northeast... our base was built right within its walls. A dark night more than 40 years ago, the sky seemed particularly clear and quiet and the air was warmer than usual. I was just a kid at the time and I remember that during that night I couldn''t sleep and with a friend of mine, I left the base and ventured into the town, just to spend some time doing nothing..."


    The archers behind him, despite hearing that story countless times, remained enchanted, knowing that it was all true.


    "There was no one on the streets of Kogr, all its citizens were sleeping. Just when we were about to steal a piece of hot bread from the baker, who was the only one already awake at that time of night, we heard the first screams coming from the houses closest to the southern walls of the city. Frightened and not knowing what to do, we ran back to the base, but before we arrived, we noticed that dark figures, prowled like shadows around the white walls of the building, climbing silently on the windows and sneaked like thieves into the main entrance. Needless to say, they were Claws Of Fenrir''s wolves..." Orvar continued, with a melancholy air, unable to hold back his emotions.

 414 CDXIV. The Big Shadow

    "And what about your Masters? They couldn''t defend the base and the village? I understand the citizens, who died because they were helpless, but the Masters and the warriors should have resisted the attack!" Kjell interrupted, expressing his personal thoughts, imagining the epilogue of the story.


    "It wasn''t that easy. At first, my friend and I, hiding behind a little wall among trees, saw our Masters and their best students killing dozens of werewolves. The town had suffered considerable losses, but the situation seemed almost resolved, and all the younger recruits who were unable to fight against those enemies, joined me and my friend, hiding in our own place. But at a certain point, he came... a gigantic shadow came through the breach that the enemies had managed to dig into the walls and fast as a dark lightning bolt, seized two of our Masters and killed them, cutting off their heads with his canines and devouring the rest of the body in one bite..."


    While Dag and his companions shuddered as they heard that story, one of the archers approached Orvar, resting his hand on his shoulder.


    He was a grown man, perhaps his peer, in his fifties.


    Looking at his friend''s sad expression, Orvar remained silent a few seconds later, before continuing.


    "After also killing the third Master, Layrus began with the soldiers, then with the citizens, while the other werewolves raided and sowed panic, destroying everything in their path, even entire buildings, as if basking in that damn chaos, during what was a silent spring night. After that event, Kogr was razed to the ground and its inhabitants exterminated. Taking advantage of the noise and the screams, I managed to escape and lead to safety the other young warriors, who, like me, had seen death with their own eyes. Knowing that we no longer had any family, no place to live, we walked for days and..."


    Orvar failed to continue the story and put a hand on his face, beginning to cry and turning back so as not to show his weakness at everybody.


    "The friend who was out with him that night was me. My name is Skaldr, nice to meet you. Excuse Orvar, but the pain that afflicts his heart is greater than anything. As he was saying, thanks to our ability to use the bow, we had no difficulty in getting food, hunting in the woods west of here, now completely snowy. But hypothermia was going to kill us, and every night we spent sleeping sheltered in some damp cave could be the last. One day we took courage and went back to find a place where we could hide for good, so we found this fort, which was an old Giants Of Ymir outpost, abandoned for many years" the archer next to him said, explaining to Dag and the others the rest of the story.


    "We had a library, yes. But it was destroyed and all our archives were lost forever. Only Orvar knows two of our Clan''s abilities, and during these years, he has spent his time teaching them, to resist the sieges by the Claws Of Fenrir, who after discovering that we are hidden here, have tried several times to assault Fort Hvit, which we renamed so because of the color of its walls, which despite the adverse weather conditions remained snow-white" Skaldr said, the deputy leader of the Hunters Of Ullr.


    "And Layrus? He never came back to visit you?" Egill asked, trying to understand more about their current situation, noting that despite knowing each other for a few minutes, the survivors of that Clan had not hesitated to tell them the whole truth.


    "Over the last few years, the relationship between Giants Of Ymir and Claws Of Fenrir has deteriorated and the wolves have no longer paid attention to us, focusing on fighting far more fearsome and numerous enemies, the Jotunns. The great black wolf, Layrus, remained inside the cave that you crossed to get here, which was one of the outposts of their Clan. He is said to have slept for almost ten years, waiting to face an enemy worthy of his ferocity" Orvar exclaimed, who had recovered from the sadness that had assailed him moments earlier.


    "He has obviously aged during his sleep because our Warchief has eliminated him without any difficulty. As you may have noticed when you tried to hit him with an arrow, Master Dag possesses powers that go far beyond your comprehension. I believe that if you became our allies, it would be a fortune for you" Gridd interrupted, daring to speak in a more harsh tone, certain that, taking advantage of that moment of weakness, she could impose their supremacy on the 8 warriors who guarded the fort.


    Dag looked at his sister, fearing that her move had been too risky, and soon after turned to look at Orvar and Skaldr, who looked at each other, reflecting on those strong words.


    "Yes, I believe that at such a difficult time for our Clan, the best thing would be to have allies. Believe me, Layrus was the biggest threat. Now that he''s been killed, we can reset our plans and think about reorganizing our Clan" Skaldr said, who without waiting for his chieftain''s permission, tried to exploit that offer of peace, which would bring them obvious benefits, even considering their numerical inferiority.


    "Wait a minute, Skaldr... Dag, your powers... I''ve never seen anything like it, not even from the most powerful sorcerers in the far north, experts in the occult arts... where do they come from?" Orvar asked, who wanted to clarify a few points before continuing the friendly talk.

 415 CDXV. The Official Proposal

    "I don''t know either, but you can be merry. I am perfectly capable of controlling them, there is no risk that I will do anything against my will, if your fear is this" Dag replied, not mentioning the episodes in which, having pushed his power to the maximum, he had completely lost control and risked killing his own allies.


    The two archers looked again to each other, trying to figure out whether or not they had to believe in that young Master, who immediately inspired their confidence.


    "At this point, if you have nothing against it, I would have an official proposal to make, benefiting from my title as Warchief of the Iron Alliance and official ambassador of the Okstorm nation..." Dag continued, trying to highlight his social charge, while his men looked at him with a questioning air.


    Gridd and Reidar smiled, already knowing what Dag was going to do.


    "And what would this proposal be, then?" Orvar asked again, squinting.


    "Would you like to join us?"


    Kjell and Sander were the first two to marvel at that question and tried to attract the attention of Egill, who remained focused on the scene, belatedly understanding Dag''s intentions, but agreeing with him that it was the right move to make at that difficult time after they had lost so many men.


    "Join you? It seems to me a very important proposal, are you sure you have thought about it?" Orvar asked, astonished by Dag''s question, who seemed to be determined judging by his gaze.


    "So far we''ve said that in these times it''s hard to find new allies, right? You are at war, we are at war and in a territory thousands of miles from our home... I think if you were joining the Iron Alliance, it would be good for everyone" Dag said, who was quick to explain to the Hunters Of Ullr Clan leader and his archers all the specific rules that would have bound their agreement.


    Predictably, after briefly consulting with some of his men, including Skaldr, who seemed to be the most inclined of them to accept, Orvar asked: "And what are your conditions?"


    "We didn''t bring with us the official document to be signed, but... essentially the non-belligerence pact and mutual aid in the event of wars. No one from the Iron Alliance can declare war on other Clans without consulting other Masters before, and also, if you agree to join us, you can decide to face the current Warchief to get the title. As you may have understood, the current Warchief is me, so one of you, if you say so, would have the right to face me in a risk-free duel..."


    Dag explained to the Hunters Of Ullr everything they needed to know to join their alliance, and although Orvar was immediately reluctant to accept, when the young Warchief explained to him that his title was a mere formality and that he would never command his archers, he changed his mind, becoming familiar with the idea of having such a large group of new friends.


    "You could stay in one of the cities of our Clans, the choice would be up to you!" Dag interrupted, preceding the question of his interlocutor and realizing that, perhaps, having been alone for many years in the snow, always stuck in the same place, they would want to get as far away from Krypstorm as possible to seek luck elsewhere.


    Orvar and Skaldr looked at each other again, but this time smiling.


    The other six archers behind them also seemed happy with the news, and Dag stepped forward, realizing that this was the right time to insist on the proposal.


    "Fort Hvit would stay as it is and you could go back whenever you want. You know Krypstorm well and once you return to its shores you will surely be able to find the fort. Think about it... Okstorm is a land full of possibilities, there are many cities to visit and in which you could choose to live! Food, women, other Clans to deal with... you won''t find any of this in all this snow!" Dag exclaimed again, noting that those men hung from his lips.


    "All right, all right, that''s enough. We were already convinced when we imagined how exciting it must be to leave this place. We never took a ship, we never traveled that far! Honestly, I think your arrival here is no accident, I think it''s a sign of fate! I, Orvar of the Hunters Of Ullr accept your proposal!"


    Gridd and Egill, who were next to each other, rejoiced at those words, relieved that shortly after their arrival and after the unfortunate events that had lowered the morale of their soldiers, they had finally managed to achieve something good: a real base of operations, with high and robust walls and in which it would be possible to stock up on food.


    Kjell and Sander, on the other hand, did not seem so pleased.


    When Orvar said the contents of his Clan''s library had been lost forever, both of the Crows Of Odin Masters realized that those archers were not so strong, having not learned high-level skills.


    After formalizing the pact through a handshake, unable to sign anywhere, Dag and Orvar looked at each other smiling, when the man in the long black braid invited all his new allies to follow him.


    The fort was much smaller than Fort Skjonnet and all the other similar structures that Okstorm''s soldiers were accustomed but seemed to be complete with everything necessary to live there without too much defiantness.

 416 CDXVI. The Anarchy

    A small well from which drinking water could be extracted was just a few meters from the entrance, with a bucket lowered inside, hanging from a rope.


    Crossing the small square courtyard, bordered by the four observation towers and its walls, Orvar led all the warriors inside the stone building that would house them at night.


    Dag could not help but examine the size of that place, immediately realizing that it had been adapted to the few hunters that had lived there in recent decades: the beds were not enough for everyone and the bedrooms were too small, so they would have to settle for the floors of the entrance and maybe even the bathrooms.


    The property was old and dilapidated and the decoration was almost completely absent: an old, heavy candlestick hung in the entrance room, under which there was a massive wooden table, which for a moment reminded Dag of the episode of the giant found dead in the hut.


    One door led to a second room used as a kind of supply warehouse, from which they could access a hatch for the basement, and then another door led to the bathrooms.


    Going back, Orvar proudly showed Dag and the other Masters the upper floor, where the bedrooms were.


    "So? Do you think it''s okay?" the clan leader asked, explaining to them that by piling the straw used to make the horses eat, everyone could sleep on the floor.


    "Are there any horses?" Gridd asked, before answering the question.


    "Yes, they''re in a barn to the right of the entrance. I think you haven''t seen them because, in this cold, they all get in the back of the stable, next to each other. Anyway, they are 4 horses, but they are not in very good physical condition, unfortunately... they don''t get much out of here" Orvar said, who wanted to please his new allies.


    Gridd did not reply, merely thinking how useful those steeds would be for exploration, allowing them to cover large distances in less time than usual.


    "Anyway, Orvar... this place is perfect. By tightening up a little, we''re all going to get some rest. We can never thank you enough to share it with us, thank you" Dag replied, trying to be as courteous as possible.


    Despite the poor condition of that place, the heat between its walls and the roof that would protect them from the weather, somehow made them feel at home.


    Continuing to talk about this and that, Orvar and Skaldr asked in detail what had happened in the cave, not being aware of the battle between Giants Of Ymir and Claws Of Fenrir.


    The soldiers tried to familiarize with the archers, who asked them a thousand questions about Okstorm, knowing it only indirectly, through stories they had heard during their childhood, and in the meantime, in the entrance, seated at the table, the Masters together with Freydis, Karl and Reidar began to get to know each other better.


    "Believe me, I would never have imagined such a thing! Until a few hours ago, our only concern was to understand the next moves of the Claws Of Fenrir, instead we are now sitting around our table talking to complete strangers about past and fascinating stories... during our childhood, the myth of Okstorm has always fascinated us... it was amazing to imagine a place where it wasn''t cold all year round, inhabited by so many other Clans" Skaldr thought out loud, speaking in a nostalgic and defenseless tone as if he wanted to thank Egill and Sander for their presence.


    "Well, believe me, friends... none of us have ever seen Krypstorm, which is the favorite subject of our bards, in their stories. It is described as a mythical land inhabited by ancient creatures. The disciples of the fierce wolf Fenrir, the king of the ice giants Ymir, and the master of trickery and illusion Loki, are legendary for us. We never dreamed of having to deal with it, we owe everything to the courage of this boy, who has plunged into our lives like a bolt from the blue, upsetting every canonical scheme and helping us to see the world in a different light..." Egill said, who could not help but highlight Dag, who answered with a smile.


    "If the world was populated by dreamers like you, things would be different. Krypstorm is a wild place, where the law of the strongest lives. Sovereignty belongs to the Clan that conquers the largest slice of land... it''s been like this for a long time now..." the archer continued, who as soon as he got the chance, asked one of his men to open two bottles of wine and take them to the guests.


    "Without sovereign? King Einarr is the ruler of all the lands of Skjold, have you forgotten him?" Dag asked, to test Skaldr and see if what he had just said was true.


    After his words, for a few seconds, everyone remained silent, looking at him.


    "Hahaha, boy! Don''t make me laugh so much! King who? Einarr? And who the hell is he?!" Orvar asked, laughing.


    Freydis and Dag looked at each other in a confused air when Gridd spoke.


    "The fact that you don''t know the name of the King of all Vikings is a scandal. But other than that, trying to leave out this detail... have you ever wondered who should be responsible for creating laws and enforcing them?!" she asked.


    "As I was going to explain to you, I don''t think you people of Okstorm can feel the spirit of Krypstorm. Ours is a land without rules and limits, where everyone does what he wants, worrying only about the consequences for his Clan of allies. Over the centuries, many of Okstorm''s most feared criminals were exiled here, in our land, and slowly created a regime of terror, gathering groups of evil warriors and looting and robbing towns and villages" Skaldr replied, to justify their laughter.

 417 CDXVII. Faithful To The Crown

    "Not only... In addition to this, the scum that was sent here by Okstorm found allies in the Clans that already populated our nation... there were wars and betrayals, events that led to the complete destruction of all forms of civilization and respect for the lives of others, plunging Krypstorm into total anarchy. I''m a grown man, but I''m still too young to remember. However, a King cannot define himself as such if he cares only about a slice of his kingdom" Orvar added, openly expressing his thoughts, noting to Dag and others that he had thought several times about these issues.


    Before Gridd could counter, Dag smiled and said: "You''re right."


    "What?!" Gridd asked, astonished by her brother''s statement.


    Orvar and Skaldr also marveled at that answer, believing that there was nothing more important to Okstorm''s warriors than respect for their King.


    "I say, you''re right to think so, I understand you. And I respect your choices. I, too, would not respect a King who disrespects his own people" Dag continued, backing up his thesis.


    "Dag, that''s enough! Stop talking like an idiot! Remember you''re talking about our King! Show some respect!" Sander interrupted, who after the incident during which he had been injured, seemed to have become intolerant of Dag and was always against any of his statements.


    "Respect?! Our King?! And where is he now?! Ah?! Tell me, Sander, where is the King now?! Please tell me, because I just can''t see him!" Dag replied angrily, moving the chair backward and turning towards him.


    At the table where they were all seated, silence suddenly fell.


    Orvar and Skaldr realized that there were outstanding issues between the Masters and chose not toget involved in the conversation.


    Just then the wine arrived at the table, immediately both Dag and Sander filled their mugs, without saying a word.


    After drinking it in one breath and wiped his mouth, Sander cleaned his throat and answered to his Warchief''s provocation.


    "This was not part of our deal, Dag. Do not dare to speak in this disrespectful way of our King in my presence, or I..."


    Before finishing the sentence, the Master of Defense looked around, noticing the faces of Gridd and Egill, who evidently supported Dag''s thinking.


    Then his gaze fell on Kjell, who, like him, was upset by that speech, but strangely had decided not to express his opinion.


    "Just don''t talk about him, okay? Among the Iron Alliance agreements, we all decided together that our decisions would not interfere with the King''s" he continued, realizing that he had exaggerated his tones, avoiding getting nervous in front of strangers.


    "Do you happen to know the will of our King, my friend?" Egill asked, anticipating everyone else.


    In a surprised expression, Sander looked at his colleague, believing that he would not get into the discussion.


    "Now you too, Egill?"


    "No, I haven''t heard about him. I don''t think I''ve ever had direct contact with him. But the distance between our cities is considerable and the King is certainly too busy to worry about our minor affairs..."


    "Minor affairs?" Dag asked, intruding softly, trying not to disrespect anyone, despite disagreeing with Sander''s idea of their mission.


    "Try to answer my question, my friend. Don''t you think his presence at Runar and his blessing would have made our departure easier? Imagine if our soldiers had witnessed the King of all Vikings who thanked them and wished them good luck before leaving. That would certainly raise their morale, don''t you think?" Egill replied, trying to reason with Sander.


    He snorted and filled the second glass of wine.


    "I don''t know what you all have in mind, but whatever it is, I don''t like it. If you''re planning something against King Einar, don''t count on me. I will always remain faithful to the crown" he said, trying to remain vague not to stir up the quarrel that had arisen.


    "This has never been questioned, Master Sander. You should know for sure that neither I nor the others would ever do something on which we all disagree... but right now we''re in a pretty difficult situation and I''m sure King Einar will never send any more soldiers to our aid, so we should focus on the present. Do you agree?" Dag asked, who, knowing that he had put him in trouble, wanted to close the speech, so as to give Sander time to think.


    "Yes, I think it''s the right thing to do. What do you propose, Dag?"


    He stood up and began to walk around the table, touching his blonde beard with one hand and gathering his thoughts together, so he could explain his intentions to everyone.


    "As I have already told you, we cannot walk blindly and risk unnecessarily losing other men, as every soldier can make the difference, being outnumbered by the enemy Clans. You, Hunters Of Ullr. How well do you know this area? We would need all the information at your disposal to formulate a plan of action. And above all, we need to be able to trust you" the Warchief said, looking into Orvar''s eyes, who looked at him, out of respect.


    "My men and I know this area very well. The territory we are currently in is the flattest part of the entire nation. The rest of Krypstorm is characterized by much more rugged places, with mountains, glaciers, sinkholes, and even volcanoes, many kilometers away from here. That said, what do you need to know exactly?" Orvar inquired, squinting and trying to respond in the most concise and brief way possible.


    "The Giants Of Ymir... we need to know where their leader is, Kranus. Before facing them without a tactic, I would like to try to have a confrontation with them, asking for a formal meeting with him" Dag said, explaining to his teammates what he had in mind.

 418 CDXVIII. Assembling A Plan

    "A meeting with him? How does it come to you? He doesn''t seem like someone to chat with quietly, he''s the leader of the Jotunns!" Gridd exclaimed, unable to hold back.


    "One of their largest villages is about 15 kilometers from Fort Hvit, but I don''t know for sure if Kranus is there right now. Anyway, what would you propose to do? It would take an ambassador, someone brave among us to show up at the gates of their city and ask to meet their leader" Orvar said, trying to understand more.


    "It takes two people. I''m sure two unknown warriors could never pose a threat to the giants, and in this way, they could get us into the city without any problems. I volunteer, I just need someone to come with me. Not necessarily another Master, better if a normal soldier."


    "You?! Hahah! This wine must be particularly alcoholic, my brother is already drunk!" Gridd said again, joking that Dag had just said nonsense.


    "Your sister is right, Dag. You shouldn''t expose yourself to such a great danger. Without you, the mission would no longer make sense to exist. Remember the axe issue, we can''t risk losing you" Egill said, continuing the Shieldmaiden''s speech.


    "Axe? What are you talking about?" Orvar asked, who couldn''t figure out what they were referring to.


    Egill sighed, realizing that he maybe was wrong to talk about it openly, and looked at his colleagues, who all turned together to Dag, leaving him the choice.


    The Warchief, before answering those questions, tried to predict what the consequences of his words might be.


    If he had spoken of his divine axe with Orvar and Skaldr, they probably would not have believed him or began to look at him with admiration, believing him to be a divine emissary or something.


    Believing that in any case, nothing bad would happen and this delicate information would only strengthen the bond of trust between them, Dag made his choice and said: "It all started with this. It''s called Giantbane."


    He took the axe off the magnet and placed it on the table, as he had done in the past with Egill, who immediately believed his words.


    "It looks like a magnificent weapon, of excellent craftsmanship" Skaldr said, admiring its details and materials.


    "It is. Not only this... it is also endowed with singular power. If its blades come into contact with any amount of blood, they become glowing like magma" Dag continued, recounting things a little at a time.


    "Very interesting. But I still don''t understand what the link between this weapon and your exploratory mission is. I mean, the world is full of magical weapons... its power is so strong, but... nothing incredible in my opinion..." Skaldr replied, agreeing with Orvar.


    "Can you see the crystal embedded between the blade and the handle?"


    "Uhm... Yes?"


    "Have you ever heard of the Crystal of Fire?" Dag asked.


    "Mmh no, what is it?" Orvar answered, after briefly consulting with Skaldr, who also didn''t know why the Giants Of Ymir had tried to take over the Giantbane.


    Dag and his companions breathed a sigh of relief.


    For some strange reason, they were glad that the two hunters knew nothing about that story, so they could continue to live their days with a specific goal, without running the risk that the real reason behind their mission was disappointing.


    "Well, we don''t really know either. All we know is that the Giants Of Ymir tried to steal it from me, which means there has to be a reason behind it. They know something about my weapon that I don''t know. Something worth the lives of dozens of their men who died during an assault on Okstorm" he replied, skipping the detail about Weland and the Soul Fusion.


    "Mmmh... so let''s do this. One thing is certain, you, who are the owner of what they want most absolutely do not have to come to their village. To prove our new friendship, I''ll go, because I know the way. And with me, one of you will come, so that I can defend myself if things get bad" Orvar continued, making his proposal and volunteering.


    "But in doing so, giants will never know that we really own what they want and will believe that we are just charlatans..." Gridd added, opening up a doubt.


    "That''s true, but maybe it''s good. If they don''t believe our story, at worst, they''re going to kick us out of their town, but our lives will be saved. Instead, if we brought the Giantbane to them, we would only do them a favor, not having to waste time and resources looking for it!" Kjell interrupted, who after remaining silent to listen, also expressed his opinion.


    All those seated at the table proposed something different, until, unable to agree, they were forced to vote between various options.


    After the vote, the majority chose to send three people to the village.


    The only constraint was the absence of Dag, who according to all of them should not have exposed himself so dangerously in a hostile and unknown environment.


    One of the three brave ones had to be one of the Hunters of Ullr, because among them all, they were the only ones who knew the way.


    Another one had to be a particularly skilled Master or warrior, able to resolve the situation in the event of a surprise attack by a few enemies.


    The third warrior of the expedition, on the other hand, could be anyone, because the success of the diplomatic mission would not depend on him, which would only serve to make numbers.


    The bottles of wine ended one after the other and in the meantime, the other soldiers also found a place to spend the night, having a small snack and preparing for the next day, waiting for the orders of their Masters.

 419 CDXIX. The Final Checks

    "If you agree, you can sleep in this room, right next to ours. I know it''s not the best, but as you know, we weren''t waiting for visitors" Skaldr told Gridd and Dag, pointing to the interior of a small damp room upstairs along with the other bedrooms.


    Dag accepted and thanked the archer again, explaining that the next day he would wait for him in the courtyard to prepare everything necessary for the diplomatic mission with the others.


    Skaldr agreed and together with Orvar entered the room where other warriors had already taken their seats, arranging themselves on the ground, occupying every warm corner of the building.


    Knowing that this time he could not spend the night alone with Freydis, Dag lay down next to her and his sister, both ready to rest in the designated room.


    Unlike the previous night spent in the cave, this time the ceiling above their heads was solid and real and the weather outside the building was nowhere near perceptible.


    "I think today went better than I hoped" Dag said, looking up and expressing his thoughts aloud.


    Gridd and Freydis both turned to him and smiled at him.


    Freydis placed her head on his chest, as she used to, and slowly fell asleep, as Gridd slowly reached her brother''s hand, gently touching it.


    Dag turned his gaze to his sister, perceiving that she, like his woman, needed physical contact, not having a man ready to hug her and make her feel loved every night.


    He shook her hand and began to caress it with his thumb, helping Gridd to relax and fall asleep, while Freydis was already in the dream world.


    Dag continued to look at Gridd, thinking back to the last adventures they had lived together and reflecting on the fact that, although she was a talented warrior, he sometimes forgot that she, like others, was a woman. And like every human being, she needed demonstration of affection and kind words.


    Her blonde hair slipped on his hand, touching it.


    She was a beautiful girl, one of the most beautiful he had ever known in his life, yet, she had never had a man to be selflessly loved by.


    Dag thought it was strange, but he didn''t care.


    Indeed, a side of himself was even happy with this, because so he should not have shared Gridd''s love with anyone.


    Although the two of them were not brothers of blood, there had always been a strange and strong attraction between them, which over time had greatly strengthened their relationship and their empathy.


    As Freydis continued to sleep on his chest, he continued to watch Gridd, who with her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open, had fallen asleep.


    In the room, a half-loose candle above a shelf provided a small amount of light.


    Dag had remained the only one still awake, in silence.


    ...


    The next morning, there was no rooster to give good morning, but it was better than the previous days.


    No one had been forced overnight to stay awake for guard shifts and everyone, for the first time since they were in Krypstorm, had benefited from a full night''s sleep.


    Rejuvenated and without the coldness in their bones, the warriors came out of the rooms one at a time, trying not to step on their companions lying on the ground and still numb and headed out of the building, to breathe some fresh air and escape the damp stench of which the walls of the fort were drenched.


    Dag opened his eyes, noting that in front of his face there was that of Gridd, who was already awake and was looking at him, after realizing that her brother had been in that position for a long time, judging by the saliva that had poured from his mouth.


    Seized by a sudden embarrassment, Dag immediately turned his head, returning to look at the ceiling and pretending nothing, even though he was aware that his sister had understood what had happened.


    Slowly, he moved his hand through Freydis''s hair, gently waking her up and without sharp chest movements, waited for her to open her eyes.


    "Good morning" he said, referring to both his woman and his sister, who responded and then stood up.


    "Hey... hello, Dag" Freydis said, opening one eye at a time and stretching over him as if his body were a comfortable mattress.


    The two lovers exchanged a kiss and then got up, leaving their room lastly and heading outwards like everyone else, noting that the air inside had become practically unbreathable because of all those people piled up to sleep.


    When they arrived in the yard, all the soldiers were already there, as were the archers, some of whom were feeding the horses in the stable, handing them tufts of straw from the opening in the door and filling the large tank from which they drank with water.


    "Have you had a pleasant night?" Orvar asked, approaching Dag from behind and touching his shoulder as if they were life-long friends.


    "The best we could imagine. Thank you again for the hospitality, we will never thank you enough" Dag said, who at the time thought that if he wanted to seize the fort with violence, he would succeed anyway, killing the archers from the first to the last, even on his own.


    Slightly shaking his head and trying not to make these malicious thoughts, he approached the other Masters colleagues, who were already discussing the plan.


    "Then? Have you decided anything? Do you know which one of you will go on a mission this time?" he asked, curiously, knowing that he did not have a key role for the first time.


    "I will go with Orvar and a third warrior to choose. I think that guy, Terje, wants to volunteer, I have that feeling" Kjell answered, who incredibly had chosen of his own free will to accompany Orvar on the mission, despite not trusting strangers.

 420 CDXX. The Three Chosen Ones

    "Well. So let''s go ask him" Dag replied, who, noticing that his men were all in front of him waiting for orders, began to speak.


    He briefly explained to them what the mission was, without going too far, because it would not take a long time.


    Not having to participate personally, after making a brief introduction and asking his soldiers who volunteered, he immediately passed the word to Kjell, giving him for a few seconds the scepter as a leader, as he liked.


    "We will ride a horse, hoping that the steeds in that stable will hold our weight for the distance necessary to get to the village. The expedition will be led by Master Orvar, who is the only one of us who knows the way to our destination. Then, as you may have already understood, I will be there, ready to take out the weapons if something goes wrong, knowing the Jotunn fighting style well. Which one of you is offering to be a third volunteer?" Kjell asked, reiterating Dag''s question a few minutes earlier.


    As he had imagined, Terje stepped forward, always ready to expose himself more than his companions, but he was not the only one: four other warriors, three Berserkrs and a Shieldmaiden volunteered, looking determinedly at the Masters in front of them, knowing that participating in that dangerous mission would be an honor.


    "You! Terje, right?" Kjell said again, pointing to the boy who had two crossed swords behind his back, similar to Gridd''s.


    "Yes, sir. It''s me!" Terje answered, walking forward and stopping in front of the chain-warrior, who peered from head to toe.


    "It''s decided, you''ll come with us. Start preparing some supplies and sharpening your swords, we''ll leave in an hour" Kjell continued, who wouldn''t even examine the other candidates.


    "Of course, sir! Thank you for choosing me, sir!" Terje replied diligently, making a slight bow in front of Kjell and Dag, beside him.


    Soon after, he left to carry out the orders and with him, the other warriors, who congratulated their friend for being chosen by Master Kjell himself.


    "Well, now that the group is ready... Dag, what exactly are we going to ask the giants? Make me an easy request, please... you know I''m not very good with words" Kjell said, turning to the young Master, who had already prepared for that question.


    "You can tell them that Master Dag is in Okstorm. I don''t think they''re going to ask you who I am, but if they do, you can freely say that I''m the warrior who killed Kranus''s son, so as to get their attention. Also, if they make you speak directly to their leader after you have explicitly asked of him, you will tell him that I have what he craves and that if he wants to bargain, he must choose a neutral place to meet me, accompanied only by two warriors of his. He can choose the place" Dag said, explaining the whole speech in detail, exactly as he had imagined it.


    "Believe me, if you say you represent his son''s killer, he''ll approach you himself. If this does not happen and Kranus does not be in the village, you will certainly be able to talk to some Jotunn commander, who will give him the message" Dag continued, explaining his lan B to Kjell and Orvar, who was listening to everything.


    "All right, Dag. I''m yours to command!" Kjell replied, making an incredible effort to pronounce those words as submissive, which did not suit a solitary and authoritative warrior like him.


    Dag, who noticed this feeling, did not hesitate to put his hand on his friend''s shoulder and with a smile said: "Thank you, Kjell. By entrusting this mission to you, I feel safe. I know you won''t let any of us down, but be careful... according to what Orvar and Skaldr have predicted, they will be so many enemies, do not be intimidated by them, and above all... don''t lose patience. All right?" Dag said again, making sure his colleague didn''t say or do anything risky, knowing he had the aptitude to cause brawls, even involuntarily.


    "I''ll be beside him all the time. I understood the plan perfectly, so also to facilitate the task, I will alternate with him in explaining it to the giants. It''s going to be okay, Dag. Tonight we will be back here at Fort Hvit and we will tell you how it went" Orvar added, who, full of optimism, reassured Dag, who nodded, confirming.


    The archer seemed to be looking forward to leaving since he had not participated in a real mission for a very long time, indeed, perhaps he had never done so, considering his past misadventures.


    Satisfied with the men who would perform that difficult task in his place and relaxed to know that Kjell''s physical strength would be accompanied all the way, Dag walked away from them, approaching Freydis again, who was happy not to have to witness another departure of her man, fearing that she would never see him again.


    "I''m glad you can stay here with me for a while. Even if it''s only a day, we could dedicate it to exploring the surroundings of this place, what do you think? As we did when we were little on the outskirts of Jernhest!" she proposed.


    Dag thought of those memories and immediately smiled, joyfully remembering those happy, worry-free moments.


    He was also astonished by Freydis''s proposal that although he had given her very little attention due to recent events, she still managed to amaze him every time, with her desire to live and spend her time with him.


    The love that the young Shieldmaiden felt towards him was authentic, he could feel it in the air.


    "Of course! I''d love to, Freydis. One of the four horses will stay here at the Fort. We could check if he can get us on his back, and if so, we could do a nice scouring tour of the area! It''s a really good idea!" he said, who immediately after speaking aloud, approached her and whispered something in her ear, so no one could hear it.

 421 CDXXI. Keep An Eye On Them

    "We can also walk, I don''t care... the important thing is to be alone and enjoy some privacy, if you know what I mean... this place is too cramped and teeming with people... and I would like to spend my free time feeling the warmth of your body... do you agree?"


    After whispering these words in her ear, Dag squeezed one of her buttocks into his hand, making his woman feel the extent of his desire.


    "Hahaha! All right, Warchief... If you insist... I''m ready to sacrifice myself for the cause!" Freydis chuckled, teasing him and implicitly accepting his proposal.


    "Well, let''s wait for Kjell and the others to leave for the mission... then we''ll have all the time we need" Dag replied, who despite feeling like he was on holiday, having to wait for a whole day, somehow felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.


    The person concerned of the verbal confrontation with the Ice Giants was him, so the calm of that moment was only apparent: if Kranus had decided to meet him, he would have to look for a way to bargain, asking for Claire, to whom he had not stopped thinking even for a moment.


    The preparations for the departure came almost to an end, when the four horses came out of their stable and the warriors chose three of them, leaving the fourth tied out, near the fence, to breathe some fresh air.


    As Orvar had already anticipated, they looked run down and sickly, with the bones of their necks and legs slightly protruding.


    On one of them they could even see the rib cage, which surrounded a swollen stomach, probably due to some strange parasite that lived inside his body.


    Kjell stroked the horse he had chosen, trying to bond with him that had to make the short journey.


    Seeing his Master behave like that, Terje did the same, beginning to caress his horse on his nose and touch his speckled mane.


    From that moment on, Orvar realized that he was not in the least accustomed to that gesture, due to the fact that he had never participated in a real mission.


    One of the warriors of the Hunters Of Ullr brought three bulky saddles and handed them over to the team, who placed them on their respective horses.


    Kjell opened his own and adapted it to the back of the beast, looking at it with a confused air.


    "I haven''t seen a saddle with steel footrests in decades... I guess they haven''t been used for a long time, haven''t they?" Kjell asked wryly, intent on ridiculing Orvar and his men.


    The leader of the hunters merely giggled, without responding to the taunts, showing a great character maturity.


    When all three saddles were finally hooked, Terje was the first to mount on the back of his horse, moving slightly his barycenter to see if everything was as it should be.


    "All right, Kjell... I''m counting on it!" Dag exclaimed, giving everyone the impression that he trusted Master Kjell, even though deep down, everyone knew he wasn''t.


    Terje began riding in that direction when Dag grabbed the reins of his horse and looked him in the eye.


    The young Berserkr turned to his Warchief that said softly: "Terje, keep an eye on Kjell, but above all¡­ on Orvar... we don''t know if we can trust him, it''s better to always be wary! Make sure none of them do shit and don''t worry if you need to speak out, do it quietly... you will be under my protection."


    "All right, Warchief. I''ll keep my eyes open!" he replied, nodding his head and continuing toward his fellow travelers as Dag left the reins.


    Dag stepped back, returning to Freydis and watching the three adventurers eagerly wait for the full gate to open, while the day''s Sun was hidden behind large white clouds, barely passing its light.


    Kjell came out first, slightly pushing his horse, who as soon as he saw the outside of the walls hesitated for a moment to get out, but then obeyed his man.


    Orvar followed him and passed him, moving without stopping in a given direction, already knowing the way.


    Terje glanced back, finding Dag''s gaze, who smiled and reassured him.


    "They''re gone, Dag... don''t think about it now. They''re going to come back before you know it. You''ll see, the mission is in good hands" Egill said, who suddenly sprang up behind him to tell him what he was thinking.


    "I know, Egill, I know. Kjell is an incredible warrior, that''s not what I''m afraid of¡­ it''s just¡­ his dialectical skills. He''s never been a great speaker... not that the Jotunns are, but maybe it would have been better if one of us would have gone with them" Dag replied, speaking to his colleague and friend of his misgivings.


    When the confrontation between the two ended, every soldier in the Fort tried to commit his time, making himself useful in some way.


    Some warriors accompanied the archers to collect wood, others fixed the mess of the building and the courtyard, completely dirty and run down.


    Dag and Freydis approached the horse tied to the fence and untied it.


    "Where are you two going?" a voice behind them asked.


    "Karl! Don''t pop out all of a sudden ever again, you scared the hell out of me! We''re not going anywhere, we just want to take a ride nearby, mind your own business!" Freydis replied, who had not noticed Karl and jolted in fear.


    "All right, okay... keep calm, I was just asking!" the young healer said, stepping back with his hands pointed forward, in sign of an apology.


    Dag chuckled, amused by the tone used by Freydis, who scolded her brother for no reason.

 422 CDXXII. The Praise

    When he finally got on his horse, he put a hand on his neck and began to caress him.


    He then lowered himself, bringing his ear closer to the beast, trying to sense how he reacted to the load on his shoulders.


    On the back of the horse, there was no saddle, but he seemed to be able to bear more weight, despite his paws that seemed to be about to break.


    Dag then invited Freydis to grab his hand and climb up with him.


    The girl did so without hesitation, noting that the horse could perfectly hold them both by not being too heavy.


    Before the gate closed, Dag asked the archers on the towers to leave it open, telling them to stay in position, because after a few hours they would return to the fort.


    The two lovers made their way outwards, riding slowly and looking around.


    Nearby, there seemed to be nothing beyond the snow, but Dag recalled the words of Orvar, who throughout his history spoke of a forest not too far from the fort.


    "Let''s try to go over that kind of hill and see what''s on the other side" Freydis said, hugging Dag tightly and resting her head on his shoulders, ready to go anywhere with him.


    ...


    In the meanwhile, Kjell, Orvar, and Terje rode north, trying to see something in the distance.


    For more than half an hour, none of them said a word, either because they didn''t have much confidence or simply because they had nothing important to communicate, being focused on the mission.


    Terje wanted to ask a thousand questions to Master Kjell, of whom he had deep esteem, but believing that his rookie words might have annoyed him, he gave up and tried with Orvar, who seemed more open to dialogue.


    "Is there much left? Maybe in a little while we should rest the horses, they look a little sluggish" the young Berserkr said, breaking the silence and trying to start any talk to make time pass faster.


    "I think more or less two hours... as for the horses, don''t worry... when we''ll get there, they''re going to have some time to catch their breath. Rather, let''s get used to the idea of talking to Giants Of Ymir. Personally, I have never been able to establish a peaceful conversation with the warriors of that Clan, I don''t know how to do it!" Orvar answered, smiling and looking at Terje, behind him.


    Kjell remained silent, continuing to ride.


    "Well, they certainly won''t talk to us in the form of Jotunns, but as mere human beings. This will make the confrontation fairer. Then, when they see us coming in three, they will understand that our intentions are peaceful and I think they will be intrigued. Master Dag studied this plan in detail... he''s a very careful person, he always thinks about everything!" Terje continued, praising his young Master.


    Terje did not immediately respond, thinking about what he could say so as not to be disrespectful to the chain-warrior.


    "Since you arrived, my men and I have immediately underestimated your commander, Dag. We did not believe it was possible that a young warrior of his age could be in command of such strong and numerous troops. Knowing him, however, I must say that he has far exceeded my expectations, revealing himself to be a very sharp and intelligent person, who always thinks about the good of his people" Orvar commented, experient his own judgment on the subject in question.


    "Believe me, archer... I thought the same thing, sometimes I still think so. But as much as I may not like this surreal situation, the guy''s really smart. Several times he saved our ass during difficult situations, which were not strictly dependent on him, but on people obsessed with his goddamn powers" Kjell replied, without even looking at his interlocutor, with his usual air of superiority.


    "Obsessed people? What do you mean? Are his powers really so mind-blowing?"


    "I have known many warriors in my life, some of whom are certainly stronger than me. But that boy''s powers... no, those powers go beyond anything. That strange matter that pops out of his body has something strange, a superhuman force. Fortunately, as you may have noticed, Dag''s personality is good, so you don''t need to figure out his weaknesses... but maybe that''s just what he wants us to believe, I can''t be sure! He must have a weakness!"


    Terje looked at Kjell as he spoke in that way of Dag, not believing that behind his sharp words and glances there was such a deep refrain towards him.


    "Why should you look for a weakness? He''s your commander, do you think his power might one day drive him crazy? He doesn''t seem to me to be a person capable of hurting his men..." Orvar answered, also astonished by Kjell''s harsh speech.


    "Master Dag, after being exiled for something he had not committed, returned to Temple Of Orn, the base of our Clan, to warn us of an imminent surprise attack. Not only did he manage to warn us in time, but he also participated in the battle, killing dozens of shapeshifters warriors and avoiding the destruction of one of the three access gates to the Temple. He''s a hero, he always has been!" Terje exclaimed, interrupting the speech of the two Masters and presenting Dag for what he really was.


    "Wow! I didn''t think he was that brave! If I had been exiled for no real reason, I doubt I would have returned to my old allies to help them... he made an honorable gesture, he showed you that the good of his Clan is worth more than resentment" Orvar said, reflecting with Terje on the importance of that gesture, while Kjell did not know what to say.

 423 CDXXIII. Tungvek

    The two continued to talk about Dag for about half an hour, and Terje recounted other events that led him to value his leader so much as Dag became the youngest Master in the history of the Hammers Of Thor.


    "I see something in the distance... it looks like a village!" Kjell interrupted, sick of hearing that speech.


    "Yes, we have arrived. It''s our destination! Be ready, I don''t know what lies ahead!" Orvar said, who was in mind calculating the time it took for them from Fort Hvit to that point.


    In the distance, large walls with irregular geometry sprang up behind the hills, covering a very large area, several kilometers long.


    Behind the walls, which seemed tens of meters high, they could see only the peaks of four huge buildings with pointed roofs, from which came a thick blackish smoke, a clear sign indicating that the village was inhabited.


    "That place is huge! It doesn''t look like a village, but a real city... you didn''t say it would be that big..." Kjell said, flanking Orvar and looking him in the eye, berating him for his summary description, which had caused them to leave too recklessly.


    "Uhm, you''re right, Kjell... but... I assure you it was much smaller years ago, the last time I saw it. Its population must have grown dramatically... let''s try to see the bright side, there''s more chance that their leader is in there" Orvar said, swallowing empty in fear.


    "Anyway, it''s too late to back down. Stand behind me and don''t talk if I don''t tell you. We must proceed very carefully..." Kjell continued, who even though he knew his strength well, was as afraid as they were to be among all those enemies.


    As they continued to approach, they noticed that around the walls, the carriages of merchants and builders moving in different directions, were much less than those around Skjegg or Hevnen, and perhaps this was due to the climatic conditions, that prevented most of the trade routes.


    Whatever lurked behind those walls, it had to be a self-sustaining system, able to allow its population to grow without too many interactions with the outside world.


    A huge, single gate, consisting of two heavy stone slabs, formed the entrance to the city.


    Above it, there was an ancient runic engraving, incomprehensible to Kjell and Terje, but not to Orvar, who being a resident of Krypstorm, read without any problems aloud: "Tungvek? How is that possible? This doesn''t make any sense!"


    "Tung... what? What is it, the name of the city? What doesn''t make sense?" Kjell asked, demanding quick explanations before arriving at his destination.


    "Tungvek is the main base of the Giants Of Ymir! But it was not here, it was located far from anywhere else, miles away from this place! They moved it!" Orvar replied, who couldn''t believe his eyes.


    "That''s right... this is not as we imagined, maybe we should just go back and warn Dag and the others. If we study a new plan, we could..."


    "Don''t even talk about it. I have already expressed my opinion! By now that we have arrived here, there is no point going back, there is no room for fear! If you were afraid to die you would have to stay at the fort, as you have done all these years!"


    Kjell''s rigidity, as Orvar''s courage began to falter, was particularly helpful in restoring his pride and spurring him to move forward.


    "Maybe they didn''t choose to move their base, but they were forced..." Terje intervened, who instead of unnecessarily worrying was trying to understand why this phenomenon, which perhaps they could exploit in some way.


    "What would you say, kid?" Kjell asked, who had chosen Terje personally and trusted his instincts and his calculating brain.


    "I don''t know exactly... what I mean is... what if someone destroyed their real base or forced them out by force? We know little about them, but we know a very important detail... they are at war with the Claws Of Fenrir, who apparently are the cruelest and most ruthless Clan in these areas..." Terje answered, trying to argue his thinking.


    "Mmmh... actually, I hadn''t thought about that possibility. The Claws Of Fenrir conquering the Jotunns base... as hard as it is to imagine, something like this could really have happened!" the archer said, who after the boy''s words, looked at him.


    Continuing to speak, the three adventurers arrived about a hundred meters from the front door, which in addition to the inscription engraved in the stone above it, was flanked by two mammoth statues, symbolizing two Jotunns holding heavy spiked maces, resting on the ground.


    In front of the door, six bare-chested men were stationary and armed.


    "I think they are the first step to get in... get ready, if I give you the signal, you run away... all clear?" Kjell explained, speaking softly as the guards had their eyes fixed on them.


    Orvar and Terje nodded and stayed behind him, continued to the great stone door.


    "Stop!" one of the men on guard said, raising his hand to the three travelers, who immediately stopped the horses.


    The guard was a tall, bearded man, with a few gray hairs that fluttered over his forehead.


    As a good guard should do, he began to turn around the three companions, looking at their horses and their faces, immediately identifying them as foreigners.


    "Where are you from?" he asked, after carefully analyzing Terje, who tried to stay serious and not give in to fear.


    "We''re travelers from Okstorm, si" Kjell coldly replied, pretending to bring respect to those in front of him.


    "Okstorm? Mmmh... and why did you come all this way to get here, travelers of Okstorm?" the guard asked again, suspiciously.

 424 CDXXIV. The Okstorm Delegation

    "We came here because we heard that your commander, Lord Kranus, is in Tungvek. We bring important messages to him from our Clans."


    The guard did not immediately answer but turned first to look at his colleagues, until one of them nodded his head, giving him a confirmation to continue with the questions as if the interrogation was divided into stages.


    "How do you know our commander? Who told you his name? He never set foot in your shitty nation" chuckled the man again, who with those words, risked making Kjell nervous, who, by shaking the reins of the horse, kept his composure.


    "We never met him in fact, we only know his name. And I''m sure he knows the name of our commander: Dag, the Exiled."


    As soon as the Crows Of Odin''s Master Of Offense uttered that name, the guards jolted and immediately pulled out their weapons, pointing them at the three adventurers.


    "What did you just say? Dag?! Dag the earthling?!"


    "Yes, that''s right. That''s him. He sent us here to ask Lord Kranus for a formal meeting. Believe us, we don''t like your nation very much either, we came here just for this reason, to execute an order of our Warchief" Kjell continued, who when he began to smell fear in the guards, tried to use a less condescending tone.


    The guard, before responding to his taunts, pointed his long, sharp spear at his neck, threatening him.


    "How dare you present yourself here with such insolence?! This is the home of our Clan, and you muddy it with your presence?! Your leader killed the commander''s youngest son, what makes you think we won''t kill you right now?!"


    Kjell held the horse still, noticing that at the moment of the noise he began to panic and immediately then looked into the eyes of the guard.


    He approached his neck to the blade and its tip caused a small cut, puncturing his skin and causing a drop of blood to pour down his neck.


    When he provoked his enemy, looking at him with a look that would make anyone shudder, Kjell noticed that his hands holding the spear trembled like two leaves in the wind.


    "If you allow me to say an additional word... we don''t ask to enter your city without warning, it would be bad for both of us, believe me. But please, let your commander know we''re coming. Tell Lord Kranus that we are here, outside his gates, respecting his land" Kjell continued, who, when he turned his neck away, destabilized the guard, who stepped back, taking a deep breath.


    All the men in front of the gate didn''t know how to behave and began to look for a solution, looking at each other, until one younger than the first, took courage and said: "If we killed you here and now, we could easily spare our commander such bad news. No one would notice anything and the crows would devour your carcasses in a few days."


    "Okay, that''s enough! All right, you''ve convinced us! We will send someone to call our commander, but I do not assure you that he will come out here in person just to talk to losers like you!" the first guard replied, who thinking of the disastrous consequences that might have had that reckless gesture, reconsidered Kjell''s peaceful offer.


    "But remember, try it properly" the chain-warrior said again, with his mocking smile painted on his face and winking at them.


    A guard approached the wall next to the two stone slabs of the gate, where there was a small square opening in the rock.


    A warrior approached it from the other side, waiting for orders, and the guard told him to urgently report to Commander Kranus that a delegation sent by Dag had just arrived at the gates of Tungvek and was waiting for a verbal confrontation with him.


    The guard behind the walls, before accepting the task and performing it as quickly as possible, tried to lean further from the opening, curious to see the faces of the men in question.


    Kjell, accustomed to making fun of friends and enemies, greeted that warrior with his hand as if they knew each other.


    After that funny gesture, everything was again shrouded in silence, disturbed by the noises of the daily life of those who resided beyond the walls, such as that of wagons and cattle, of people who spoke loudly and of artisans doing their jobs.


    The three adventurers waited more than ten minutes in the same position and in the meantime got off the horses and gave them something to eat, to prevent them from refusing to bring them back to the Fort due to exhaustion.


    After the wait that seemed endless, during which the guards looked at Kjell and the others with a confused look, a warrior slid out of the window next to the door.


    "Commander Kranus has been warned!" he said, calling one of the guards outside.


    Before anyone else could speak, a loud noise of wheels rumbled around them, deafened by that noise.


    At the same time, the door''s gigantic stone slabs, more than 8 meters high, began to move sideways, flowing with small, sturdy wheels on tracks dug specifically to allow it to open.


    Orvar, Kjell, and Terje were astonished by the colossal moving structure and held the horses still, trying not to make them shake.


    "What does this mean?" Kjell asked, who had not heard the guard speak inside the walls.

 425 CDXXV. The Bodyguards

    The door took about 20 seconds to fully open, but when it happened, the spectacle was breathtaking.


    A great city teeming with people appeared before their eyes, who could not help but be enchanted witnessing so much beauty.


    Most of the buildings were light blue and white, adorned with icy decorations, which sometimes twisted around the monuments, giving the entire town a very peculiar and majestic appearance.


    Few people were close to the gates, but those present could not fail to look at the three unknown men in front of their city, who at first sight, judging by their appearance, did not seem at all to belong to their Clan.


    "It''s like Hevnen or Skjegg! They have a base built inside a city where civilians live!" Kjell exclaimed, after witnessing that unexpected spectacle and noticing that even children ran through the streets, playing and laughing at each other.


    "I don''t know what Kjell is talking about, but I believe you on the word!" Orvar replied, slowly stepping back with his horse and sensing on his face the slight wind generated by the opening of the doors.


    "I''ve never seen anything like it! I never imagined that the Giants Of Ymir would live in such a well-mantained place!" Terje added, who still had his mouth open to amazement.


    The guard who was just inside the walls immediately broke those moments of magic, raising his hand and making a gesture towards the guards outside, as well as the visitors, who walked slowly forward, with circumspection.


    "Commander Kranus has decided to meet you personally, don''t move from here, otherwise things will get very bad for you" the enemy warrior said, who seemed at odds with his leader''s decision and continued to look at Kjell and his comrades with contempt.


    "All right, we''ll wait here, without taking a step" Kjell said, who looked pleased at his teammates, believing that getting to Kranus had been much easier than expected.


    The three companions approached each other and stood still on the edge of the big door, under the watchful eyes of the guards, who did not distract a single second and the most curious citizens.


    "And now what do we do? What should we tell their leader?" Orvar asked in a low voice to his companions, not knowing how to behave.


    "Have you forgotten? We have to ask him if he wants to meet privately Dag... once we get a response, both positive and negative, our mission can be considered over" Kjell replied, recalling the plan to the archer, who was caught up in the confusion of the moment and could not remember it.


    As the two grown men continued to discuss the upcoming conversation with the Giants Of Ymir''s leader, trying to guess his personality, Terje continued to study with interest the details of their city, focusing on his points of access and those of weakness.


    In his experience, that city was one of the largest he had ever seen, both for its number of palaces and monuments and for the density of its population. It was almost as big as Jernhest, whose appearance was much more majestic and regal, being the city of King Einar.


    As the boy was immersed in his thoughts, other guards approached in that direction, asking the men in front of them for explanations.


    When they learned that it was Okstorm''s delegation on behalf of Master Dag, an expression of anger appeared on their faces, as if they felt a strong hatred towards them, representing one of their greatest enemies.


    Kjell and Orvar avoided looking into the eyes of those guards, who were evidently looking for brawls and advised Terje to do the same, telling him to look down and wait in silence.


    About 20 minutes passed, but nothing happened, except for a couple of carriages that returned to the city, coming from who knows where, and carrying food goods.


    Just as the attention of the three companions was beginning to wane, they began to hear an approaching sound.


    The noise of the crowd''s voices grew louder until a myriad of people popped out of one of the two main streets, topped by a kind of completely icy arch with runes engraved on it.


    "Guys, order! I think the moment we''ve been waiting for has come" Kjell said, ordering his two subordinates to line up neatly behind him, holding the reins of the horses and preparing for the meeting with Kranus.


    People near the door continued to increase so much in number, that some of the guards who were keeping an eye on Kjell and the others, were forced to leave, to prevent civilians from moving on.


    Trying to focus on what all those people were saying, Kjell was able to understand that this was not a protest movement, in fact, they were cheering someone on.


    People moved without looking where they were going, some of them even walked backward, not paying attention to obstacles on the road and risking falling.


    They all looked in the same direction and talked, raising their hands and smiling, it looked like they were celebrating something.


    At one point, that crowd opened up and three big giants in a row popped up from the back, walking menacingly toward the three adventurers.


    "Fuck! They turned into Jotunns! It doesn''t look good..." Orvar exclaimed, and he swallowed empty, fearing violent action by the giants.


    Kjell did not answer, merely looking them in the eye, waiting for them to come any closer and making sure his right hand was near one of his chains.


    *stomp*stomp*


    The sound of their footsteps grew louder and the earth beneath their feet began to vibrate, until they stopped, about 5 meters from them.


    The six guards split into two rows ordered by three units each, bowing their heads slightly out of respect.

 426 CDXXVI. Commander Kranus

    Kjell continued to say nothing, standing still and pretending to caress his horse.


    Two of the three giants approached as if performing a predetermined rite, and when they were before Kjell and his companions, one of them said: "No one is worthy to present themselves to our valiant commander with such insolence! On your knees!"


    Kjell continued to look at those big black eyes, which, along with the pointed, slightly broken fangs that spilled out of his jaw, should have scared him.


    "I said... on your knees..." the Jotunn replied, speaking with his baritone voice and approaching his face a few centimeters to that of the chain-warrior, disturbing his sense of smell with the stench of his breath.


    "No one can stand on his feet, yet the only ones who have to kneel are us..." Kjell snorted, making his companions shudder, who realized that he had just said an absurdity and lowered their gaze, petrified in imagining what was about to happen.


    *growl*


    A very deep growl was produced by the giant, who lowered his eyebrows, sulking and rising to his feet, after lowering himself to look Kjell in the face.


    "What did you say?!" the Jotunn asked, giving Kjell a second chance.


    "Kjell, my friend. Please... uhm... I apologize to everyone on behalf of my partner. The journey was very long and tiredness must have taken over, he doesn''t know what he says" Orvar smiled, intruding into the speech and stepping forward as a drop of sweat dripped from his forehead.


    The second giant approached the first and placed a hand on his shoulder, to prevent him from losing patience.


    "You shouldn''t let people talk if they''re not in good condition. Commander Kranus has no time to waste" he said, looking at Orvar and referring to Kjell, who looked annoyed at his companion.


    The archer bowed, casting a penetrating glance at the other two behind him, who, though reluctant, did the same.


    "Excellent... now you can start to introduce yourself" the third giant said, who like the other two wore armor only at the bottom, while large geometric symbols were tattooed on his bare chest.


    "I apologize for my tone, Commander Kranus... as my friend says, it''s because of the tiredness of the long journey" Kjell said, his eyes down and his head slightly lowered.


    "I am not Commander Kranus" the giant replied surprisingly, moving sideways and unveiling the arcane.


    Behind him, an elderly man, in his eighties, sat in a sort of small carriage, consisting of a wooden throne with wheels decorated with precious materials.


    The man wore a long white tunic, as well as his long hair and long beard, which dangled under his chin, touching his abdomen.


    "What?! Is he Kranus?" Terje whispered in a low voice, without being heard by anyone, unable to hold back the astonishment of that discovery.


    "As my soldiers have just said, introduce yourself immediately" he said, in a solemn voice, acting as if he were a demigod.


    "Of course, Lord Kranus. We are messengers from Okstorm and we are on a mission for Master Dag, which you should already know" Kjell replied, avoiding crossing his gaze with him.


    "Are you making fun of me, kid?" Kranus answered, getting nervous even more and not realizing that Kjell''s words weren''t offensive.


    Terje, at that moment, perceived something next to them, something he had never felt before.


    "No, sir! I''m telling you the truth! We come on account of the Iron Alliance, to make you a peaceful proposal" the chain-warrior continued.


    Before anyone could respond to that statement, Kranus took a deep breath, and at the same time, a gust of wind struck his beard and hair, causing it to float forward.


    Suddenly, the wind increased its energy and the white-bearded old man dematerialized, entering for a few moments in the trail of white wind and materializing again in front of Kjell, with an ice sword pointed at his throat.


    Kjell was paralyzed, knowing that if he tried to extract the weapon, he would die, but if he let him continue, he would die anyway.


    "Peace?! How can a man ask me to make peace if he killed my youngest son in cold blood?!" Kranus exclaimed aloud, slightly touching Kjell''s throat with his blade.


    "Commander... if I can afford to talk... why don''t we kill these foreigners now? We have no reason to keep them alive!" one of the giants on the front line exclaimed, attracting the attention of his master, who turned to him and removed the blade from Kjell, shooting back into thin air and exploiting the currents of icy wind to move freely through space without making the slightest effort.


    "Let''s ask them... why shouldn''t I kill you right now? I''d only need one second, believe me."


    Orvar focused on the details, noting that Kranus had no weapon with him, and judging by his long white canvas dress, he had to be a magician.


    "Our leader, Dag... he''d like to have a peaceful confrontation with you, Lord Kranus. If you accept, you will decide the place of the meeting, where it will be only you two, plus two of your men" Kjell continued, explaining the terms of the agreement.


    "A meeting to do what? I''m going to kill him and all his people for what he did to me! My son''s blood must be avenged with more blood! If you think you can make me change my mind, you''re wrong! He outraged me and my men, leaving them to die in your dirty land!"


    After those words, Kjell clenched his fists and for a few seconds stopped talking, while blood boiled in his veins in anger.


    The chain-warrior thought of the hypocrisy of that sentence: the Giants Of Ymir had attacked Okstorm first, for no apparent reason and had killed dozens of innocent people, feeding on their corpses to prolong the effect of the transformation into Jotunns and despite this, that old man spoke of outrage and revenge, as if he was an innocent victim.

 427 CDXXVII. The Ace In The Hole

    "I... I don''t know what my Warchief''s proposal will be, this is information that only he knows. But if he sent the three of us so far from home just to make peace with you and your Clan, it does mean that he really cares to apologize for what happened" Kjell said, deftly reciting the role of a sorry soldier who bears his captain''s orders.


    The three Jotunns and the guards on the side of the door confronted each other, gesticulating and making clear their lack of confidence in the three travelers, when Kranus responded.


    "Get out of my sight. And tell your captain, if he sets foot on my grave, he will pay the consequences! I will exterminate all your people, no one is excluded! I''m going to raze Okstorm to the ground, erasing it forever from Skjold''s story! Now go awaaay! Get out before I change my mind!" the old man yelled, using all the breath in his body and exuding strange negative energy from it, which made the air vibrate nearby.


    "Lord Kranus, we..."


    Before Kjell could finish talking, as he tried to get close, a Jotunn put his hand on his chest, interrupting him and pushing him backward, so as not to bring him closer to Kranus.


    Instinctively, without giving a direct order to his body, Kjell grabbed the arm that had pushed him and did the same, causing the Jotunn, whose weight was more or less 400 kilos, to perform a half twist.


    "Fuck, fuck!" Terje thought, recalling the words of Dag, who had explicitly asked him to be careful of Kjell''s laughy attitudes, that he did not have the patience to keep talking when subjected to stress.


    When the giant was pushed away, turning on himself, everyone was silent for a few moments, and Kjell, after realizing that he had reacted instinctively, stepped back trying to apologize for his gesture.


    "What kind of messengers are you?" Kranus inquired, who was about to discover Kjell''s true level of strength, which had remained hidden until that moment.


    Kjell took a deep breath, trying to remain calm and focusing on his next words, which would be decisive.


    "We are three trusted messengers of Master Dag. What I just told you is the truth, he would like a formal meeting with you, Lord Kranus. He told me to tell you that he has what you''re looking for, the reason you sent your troops to the shores of Okstorm" the chain-warrior replied cold-bloodedly, knowing that that phrase would strike Kranus''s unmovable spirit.


    All the Jotunns and the guards, after hearing that clear reference to the Giantbane, turned simultaneously towards their commander, whose expression changed slightly, as if suddenly Kjell had his attention back in his hands.


    "What are you saying? Explain better... your luck is that I am a very patient man..." the old commander answered, praising his person.


    Kranus rose from the chair on which he had sat floating in the wind and began to walk toward the three companions, touching his long beard and thinking, interested in the argument.


    When he arrived in front of Kjell, about a meter away from him, he looked up at his eyes and said: "You''re not telling me anything new, I know he has what I mostly crave in the world. Only a madman would send his entire fleet to an unknown nation for no reason. I know many more things than you imagine, my dear messenger, I have reliable sources that tell me everything in detail. What is your leader''s proposal? What kind of deal does he wanna make?"


    "I''ve already told you, Lord Kranus... this is some information that only Master Dag knows, we aren''t permitted to know it. Once you''ll meet, he will clarify everything in detail. Believe me, he is a person who knows how to explain himself very well" Kjell said, who began to speak well of Dag despite their initial enmities, inflating his figure as a leader and making Kranus and all other listeners believe that Dag was the supreme commander of their forces, whose orders were inescapable.


    Kranus''s three bodyguards, standing behind him, rested their hands on their weapons, ready to dash on Kjell, who was dangerously close to their commander, though he did not appear to have any violent intentions.


    Kranus remained silent for a few more seconds, looking into Kjell''s eyes and digging into his soul, desperate to figure out if what he was saying was the truth.


    Judging by his reaction, Orvar and Terje also understood that the subject matter was of paramount importance to that old mage, who had left his throne and met them personally only to know what Dag had to say.


    Kjell looked back with him, but Kranus''s eyes did not seem doubtful: it was as if that man already knew what to answer, but he was struggling with his inner ego, which tried to put pride above all else.


    "Does this mean your Warchief is in Krypstorm right now?" the Giants Of Ymir leader asked, wistfully.


    Terje and Orvar looked at Kjell, imagining that if they were in his place, they would not know what to answer.


    Kjell, on the other hand, maintaining a certain composure, particularly unusual for his character, nodded his head, confirming the hypothesis of Kranus, who for the first time since he began the conversation, made an astonished expression.


    "Sir, we have to evaluate this proposal well, I think it is a trap and... aaargh!"


    One of the guards tried to talk to Kranus and dissuade him from accepting the proposal, but the old commander, without even turning to him, moved a hand and a bundle of wind enveloped the man''s body, immediately turning into thick ice and blocking him up to his neck.

 428 CDXXVIII. The Appointmen

    "Aaargh! Forgive me, Commander! I should have asked permission before..."


    *crack*splat*


    In front of everyone''s eyes, the ice that had completely wrapped the body of the guard, also grew inwards, piercing it and splitting all its bones, which with a disgusting noise that mixed with that of the organs spread and killed instantly the man who had tried to express his opinion freely.


    "Fuck!" Orvar exclaimed, turning the other way and failing to hold back the disgust.


    "Tomorrow morning, as soon as the Sun will be high in the sky, I''ll meet him at the foot of Snake Mountain. It''s useless for me to tell you where it is, your archer friend knows that place since he''s one of the Hunters Of Ullr" Kranus said, as if nothing relevant had happened, while the blood of the man who had just been killed dripped along the slippery surface of the blue ice block that enveloped the remains of his body.


    Orvar made a sulky expression, knowing that sooner or later someone would find out he wasn''t from Okstorm, like the other two.


    "All right, Lord Kranus. I will report your answer to my Warchief and tomorrow morning he will show up at the designated location with two of his warriors... not that there is a need, but it is appropriate that two important leaders like you do not wander alone in these lands. It''s just a precaution" Kjell answered, concealing the satisfaction Dag would have felt when he knew the ice giants leader''s positive response.


    "You can go now" Kranus concluded, turning to the other side and returning to sit in his chair, the ends of which were connected to wooden beams, which were promptly grasped by four men who lifted it along with their leader, ready to bring him back to his place as if he was a true king.


    Kjell made a slight bow, not to disrespect everyone present, and as he kept his head down and his gaze turned to the ground, he began to slowly retreat, inviting his teammates to do the same.


    Terje and Orvar obeyed and holding the reins of the horses tightly, took a few steps back, and then turned, riding on horseback and beginning to move slowly south.


    When they heard the sound of the heavy stone planks of the door closing, they finally could breathe a sigh of relief, useful to relax their minds after those endless minutes of acute and increasing tension.


    "Fuck, it was close, Kjell! You risked getting us all killed!" Orvar gasped, continuing to look behind them, fearing that someone from the enemy Clan was following them.


    "What?! Don''t say shit, Orvar! It''s only because of me that the mission was successful! If I hadn''t risked saying that Dag is here and possesses the weapon they''re looking for, we would have been forced to flee without a concrete answer and the plan would have gone up in smoke! I just used our ace in the hole at the right time!" he replied, explaining his choices, confident that he had made the right decision.


    "Master Kjell, I have only one perplexity..." Terje interrupted, implicitly asking permission to speak.


    Kjell nodded his head, giving him permission.


    "Kranus has managed to understand that Orvar belongs to the Hunters Of Ullr, perhaps looking at his equipment or I don''t know how... now, surely he''s aware that the rest of the hunters live in Fort Hvit, right?"


    "Yes, right. So what? I still can''t figure out what''s bothering you so much."


    "And so, associating one of the warriors who lives at Fort Hvit with us and Master Dag, Kranus has definitely understood that our Warchief is there, that''s why he didn''t insist on knowing his location!" Terje continued, trying to warn the other two.


    "Don''t worry, boy. All these years, if the Giants Of Ymir wanted to take over the Fort, they would have done it already, believe me. We couldn''t do anything against such a large army. They never had a reason to attack us, because we have always been peaceful and solitary, we never bothered anyone! Only the wolves of the Claws Of Fenrir attacked us repeatedly, without ever succeeding" Orvar said, who heard himself called.


    "They didn''t have a good reason to attack you... until now. Things are different right now because they know that the thing they wish to have more in the world is a few miles away from their main city!" Terje said again, raising the tone of his voice, to give further importance to his words.


    "The official meeting with Dag will be tomorrow morning. Are you saying they won''t wait that long? Could they attack us tonight without our knowledge?" Kjell asked, who finally understood the Hammers Of Thor soldier''s speech.


    "I think so, Master. I sincerely hope that this does not happen, but... I think we should do the shifts tonight... I wouldn''t trust the word of a man who can kill one of his soldiers without even looking him in the face, just because he dared to speak without his permission.


    Kjell and Orvar, after Terje''s careful observation, looked at each other for a few seconds, admitting that they had not considered this important detail and realizing that perhaps, confirming to Kranus that Dag was in Krypstorm had not been a smart move, even if the commander of the ice giants had already guessed it.


    "We absolutely have to explain to Dag and the other Masters what happened. I''m sure after a confrontation between us, we''ll figure out what to do. We only have to be careful one night" Kjell concluded, slightly urging his horse, who, after resting during the speech, could speed up the pace.


    ...


    "We haven''t had sex in the trees since you left Jernhest, Dag... do you remember?" Freydis asked, hugging her man while they were both on horseback.

 429 CDXXIX. The Mission Outcome

    "How could I forget? It was one of the best nights of my life. The only difference is that it was much less cold! Hahaha!" he chuckled, as images of those moments of carefreeness returned to his mind, during which love between them began to take shape.


    "What do we do now? The Sun is setting... do you think Kjell and the others will be back at the Fort?" the Shieldmaiden asked, yawning, caught in exhaustion due to the intense sex session in the woods.


    "We''ll find out soon. In a few minutes, we will be there... I hope they give us good news" he said, riding in the direction of Fort Hvit, trying to pass the time, to make sure he would find his teammates once he arrived at his destination.


    When the two lovers stopped in front of the outer walls of the Hunters Of Ullr outpost, the men perched on the towers, seeing them arrive, opened the gate.


    Dag and Freydis entered and immediately got off the horse, which although had only traveled a short distance of the road, was exhausted, having brought two people on his back after months locked in a stable.


    By the time they entered Fort Hvit, the appearance of the courtyard had changed dramatically: the wooden canopies lining the interior of the walls had been adjusted and wedged to each other, and the barn had been partially integrated into that structure, which had now made it larger and more spacious, giving the four horses more room to move freely.


    The palace, on the other hand, always looked the same on the outside, apart from a few small improvements to the well and the door, to which a strengthening iron beam had been added, which also served as an additional security tool to the lock.


    Most of the warriors who had participated in the improvements sat on large stone benches, made from old unused bricks, and proudly admired their work, as well as the Hunters Of Ullr, who could not believe that their house had that magnificent look, no more old and dilapidated.


    "Wow! This place looks completely different! In just half a day you managed to make it much more beautiful and livable! I mostly like the new stable!" Dag said, approaching Egill and complimenting everyone who had participated in the work.


    "Well, we only did what was necessary to ensure an operating base that could accommodate everyone in the best possible way, taking advantage of your valuable help! We never felt it was important to make these improvements because our Fort has always been as good as it was" Skaldr said, wiping sweat from his forehead and smiling.


    As they discussed the work done, the gate stopped its advance upwards and one of the two men on the towers shouted: "They''re coming back!"


    Immediately, Dag left the reins of the horse in Skaldr''s hands and approached the Fort''s entrance, ready to meet Kjell and his team, joyfully noting that each of them had returned safely.


    The three warriors entered the fort and got off the horses.


    "Then? How did it go? Did you met Kranus?" he asked.


    "Yes, it went as we hoped. But there are some details that you need to know. Come, let''s get in the palace, we will discuss it privately" Kjell said, leaving the horse and walking toward the white stone structure with everyone else.


    When they entered, they noticed with amazement that although from outside the palace still seemed decaying, inside it had undergone significant improvements: the entrance had been reworked and many of the things present in the warehouses, such as weapons and armor, had been distributed neatly in that room, increasing considerably the space available to the warriors to sleep.


    The table had been moved slightly backward and although there was a lot more stuff in the room than before, it looked bigger, thanks to the new furniture distribution.


    All the Iron Alliance Masters, with their companions and the Hunters Of Ullr archers, took their seats, waiting for Kjell''s explanation, who after looking into Orvar''s eyes, began to speak.


    "We thought we''d get to a military outpost or something like that... instead, we found Tungvek, the capital of the Giants Of Ymir..."


    Starting with those words, Kjell spent about two hours to detail everything that had happened since they talked to the guards until they left the town, and Dag and the other Masters listened to everything without ever interrupting him, in a religious silence.


    After storing all that information, which nevertheless hinted at the success of the mission, Dag replied: "If Kranus understood that Orvar is one of the Hunters Of Ullr, it means that we must not make the mistake of underestimating his intelligence. To come to such a conclusion just by looking at his equipment, it means that he has an incredible intuition, which makes him a fearsome enemy, thanks mainly to the numerical superiority of his army over ours."


    "Master Dag, if I may interrupt... I can assure you that Master Kjell was very good with words, and if he hadn''t told Kranus that you were here in Krypstorm with your weapon, we probably wouldn''t be here safe now. Commander Kranus is very insightful, that''s true, but also incredibly cruel. The episode you just told is true... he killed one of his men without even thinking about it as if he was an annoying ant" Terje interrupted, who unlike other confidential meetings, participated in the conversation.


    Kjell was astonished by those words, believing that his harsh character would be a point against the young soldier, who seemed to respect his decisions.


    "You were right to point out this aspect Terje, but... I had no doubt that Kjell would be able to complete such a difficult mission. We all know that diplomacy is not his strong point, but I am sure that in reality, even though he is always very quiet, he is a skilled orator" Dag replied, praising his colleague, who continued to marvel.

 430 CDXXX. The Tactful Team

    "Perhaps the mistake was letting me go with them, Dag. If I hadn''t been there, Kranus would never have understood that we are all connected to this place and now our soldiers would not be in danger" Orvar sighed, reflecting on what had happened because of him.


    "Orvar, if you hadn''t gone with them, they probably would have taken twice the time to find the right path to follow. Anyway, none of us are in danger, you''ll see. We just have to be careful tonight... even though their army is huge, we have nothing to fear if we stay in here. The walls of Fort Hvit are more resilient than you think, and we have faced far stronger enemies than the Jotunns in the past" Dag continued, reassuring the archer, who continued to look at him with a sorry air.


    "When the darkness begins to fall on us, we will organize control groups, which in turn will position themselves on the four observation towers and alert everyone in case of suspicious sightings. With a little organization, we can rest without worries. Besides, if Kranus really is as smart as you say, I doubt he''s going to underestimate our strength. Trying to steal the axe by force would not be a wise move, considering that we allowed him to have a peaceful confrontation with our leader" Egill added, who, with his wisdom, explained to all the strengths of their strategic position.


    "You couldn''t be clearer than that, Egill. As usual, you managed to calm everyone down" Sander smiled, who took advantage of the talk among his colleagues to drink wine, in the absence of mead.


    After Dag officially congratulated Kjell and his team for completing the mission without a hitch, he began to think nonstop about his upcoming meeting with the Clan leader who wished to see him dead.


    "As I said, the meeting place will be the Serpent Mountain, which should not be so far from here. I told Kranus that you''re going to be traveling with two of your men and that he can do the same. Do you already have any idea which of us will are the best suited to come with you?" Kjell asked, trying to make the action plan clear.


    "Yes. I''ve been thinking about this from the very first moment I proposed it to you. Then, surely none of you three will be my choice, because you are entitled to rest, having just returned from a dangerous mission" Dag began, excluding Kjell, Orvar, and Terje, who would be more useful to the Fort.


    The three named warriors nodded to their Warchief, pleased with his decision.


    "Being a diplomatic meeting, during which I hope that it will not be necessary to resort to arms, I would like Master Egill to join me. His wisdom will be of great help to me, if Kranus puts me in trouble because he can predict the intentions of others without even noticing it... he has a¡­ gift" Dag continued, who took advantage of everyone''s moment of attention to praise his former Master and lighten the tension.


    "And then, in addition to him, I will take advantage of the presence of one of the wisest friends I have ever had, whose advice has helped me in the most difficult situations and whose looks can communicate more than a thousand words. Reidar, will you join us?"


    After his words, all those who were seated around the table turned to the archer, who caught off guard, dropped on the table the knife with which he was peeling an apple, looking at Dag and everyone else with a confused look.


    "Wait for a second... what? I? Are you sure, Captain? I''m just a simple soldier, there are some of Okstorm''s strongest Masters to choose from..." he stammered, not being prepared for that request.


    "I asked you a question, ''simple soldier''. Will you accompany me and Master Egill to the meeting with Kranus?" Dag chuckled, who had thought carefully about that choice.


    Reidar returned serious and looked into his captain''s eyes, realizing that for him, this had been a thoughtful and difficult choice, having had so many strong warriors at his disposal.


    "Of course, Captain. It will be an honor to come with you."


    Dag and Reidar continued to look at each other and smile for a bunch of seconds, empathizing with their mood.


    "Perfect, that''s what I wanted to hear. I guess a lot of you are now wondering what I''m going to propose to the Giants Of Ymir, aren''t you?" Dag asked, standing up in front of the table and looking one at a time at all his teammates.


    They remained silent, hanging from his lips.


    "I will ask Kranus if they want to become our allies."


    "What?!"


    "Uh?!"


    "Ah?! Did I hear you right?!"


    All those present, except for Egill, Reidar, Terje, and Kjell, could not hold back the astonishment, believing that that was nonsense.


    Sander was so surprised by that statement that he spat on the ground the wine he was drinking.


    "Boy! Have you lost your mind?! Did you really say you''re going to ask those dirty Jotunns to join the Iron Alliance?!" the Master Of Defense asked, unable to believe his own words.


    "No, I didn''t say that. I don''t trust them either, so I would never permit them to interact so much with our soldiers, our resources, and our territories. But think about it... if we declared war on the ice giants, as they did with us, we would all die in a matter of days. Their army is too big and knowing our location, they could attack us over and over, until they break our defenses and crush us like flies" Dag said, who despite the detailed reasoning, failed to convince his audience.


    "But you''re the one who ordered us to give this information to Kranus! If we had stayed here safe, he wouldn''t have known anything!" Orvar exclaimed, frightened of what might have happened.

 431 CDXXXI. A Man And A Wolf

    "It''s not like that."


    "Uhm?" Orvar gulped, noting that that answer did not come from Dag.


    Kjell, with his arms folded and his eyes pointed to the table, replied: "You heard what Kranus said. He already knew that the owner of the axe was Dag before he even knew him in person. He talked about ''reliable sources''... surely, in no time, he would have been able to discover our position. Dag managed to beat him on time, he anticipated the moves of the bastard who is informing the Giants Of Ymir of our plans."


    After those words, there were a few seconds of silence, during which the Masters and the other warriors tried to work out that concept, which only Reidar, Terje, Egill, and Kjell understood.


    "Is that right, Dag?" Gridd asked, who had not yet participated in the debate.


    "Yes, Gridd. Being at war with Claws Of Fenrir and Giants Of Ymir simultaneously is a bad idea. I''m going to find out the truth about my axe, because I''m sure it hides a power that goes beyond our comprehension. As long as it''s in my hands, Kranus will listen to what I have to say, and I will convince him to ally himself with me. When I finally get his trust, we will destroy his Clan from the inside, piece by piece" Dag replied, explaining to his allies that he was still seeking revenge and had never forgotten the faces of the innocent people killed by the Jotunns.


    "Tomorrow Kranus will see with his own eyes your axe. What if he takes it by force? Don''t get me wrong, I''m not underestimating your powers, brother, but what if something you didn''t calculate happens?" Gridd asked again, unsatisfied with the plan, which had too many variables to her tastes.


    "First he will have to pass on my dead body. At worst, he''s going to kill me and take my Giantbane, but in that case, you''d all be saved, because he would get what he wanted and his revenge will be over. But you''ll see that this won''t happen."


    The perplexity of the Masters continued to be evident on their faces, but despite this, no one was able to propose a plan more engineered than Dag''s, which, although dangerous, could work.


    "What about the traitor?" Reidar asked, breaking the silence that was created during those moments, already feeling part of the team that would try to convince Kranus.


    Kjell and Dag were the first to be drawn to that question because in their minds they were already thinking about who might be the person who had long been reporting their moves to the enemies.


    "So, do you think he invented everything just to scare us? And how do you explain the attacks on the shores of Runar? He must have had the information from someone!" Gridd said, examining past events.


    "I just say this is a possibility. We have already talked about this issue and although it is important, it is less urgent than other problems. We can''t afford the spy search to slow us down, we have a lot to do" Dag replied, walking away from the table and moving around the room, touching his blonde beard, typical of his mind''s signal at work and looking down.


    Confused by all that had been said during those hours, the Masters and the warriors seated at the table got up and the meeting ended up.


    Some of them began to climb upstairs to secure a spot for the night, while others stayed down to argue with Dag about that matter.


    When sleep prevailed over the urge to argue, Reidar, Egill, and Kjell also headed to their rooms, and Dag stayed with Freydis near the entrance.


    "Come, Freydis. I don''t want Thalos to spend another night outside" he said, thinking that Thalos, because of the presence of all those people, did not feel very confident entering the palace and preferred to sleep outside, despite the cold.


    The two walked out the door and immediately saw the large gray wolf snuggled under the wooden porch lining the barn.


    "Hey, Thalos!" Dag called, immediately drawing the attention of the wolf, who as soon as he recognized his master''s voice, lifted his head from the ground and his ears upwards.


    "I know you don''t feel as cold as I do, but... why don''t you come in with us? You''ll feel very good inside the building, you could sleep near the door if you want" Dag continued, moving his arms towards the palace and trying to explain his intentions to Thalos.


    The wolf, having turned his head from side to side, processing Dag''s words and understanding their meaning, rose from the ground and approached him.


    At that moment, the horses in the stable, seeing the wolf walking in that direction, moved away from the entrance and backed in fear to the bottom of the wooden structure.


    "Did you see it? They too are happy if you don''t stay out" Dag chuckled, stroking the wolf''s head, that sensing contact with the young Master''s hand, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to be cuddle like a helpless puppy.


    Behind the two friends, Freydis, with her arms folded to hold back the cold, stood still looking at them, smiling, admiring the way Dag treated his wolf, acting as if it was his brother.


    "The bond between you two is really special, isn''t it? He looks at you with the eyes of love" she said, stroking her man''s shoulder as they returned to the palace.

 432 CDXXXII. The Sleepless Nigh

    "Are you happen to be jealous? Hahah!"


    "Come on, stop talking nonsense! I really like this sweet side of you, the way you take care of others. It is already clear from how you treat your four-legged friend" the Shieldmaiden continued, looking at Thalos, who at that moment turned to her as if he understood that they were talking about him.


    When all three of them entered the building and closed the door lowering the newly installed metal beam, Thalos positioned himself under the table, not far from the fire lit in the fireplace, while Dag and Freydis climbed upstairs.


    Both rooms were open and doorless, allowing air to circulate in the stone corridors, so as not to make them as unbreathable as during the previous night.


    The two entered the room that was used as a warehouse, noting that Gridd, Reidar, and some soldiers were already immersed in a deep sleep, lying on a thick layer of straw that covered almost the entire wooden floor, leaving small spaces useful to move through.


    Together, they lay down next to Gridd, about a meter away, which was finally possible thanks to the new arrangement of furniture and the redistribution of junk in that room and slowly, hugged with each other, closed their eyes and fell asleep, knowing that some warriors were stationed on the control towers to guard the Fort at night.


    Dag''s sleep was not continuous and he awoke several times because his mind would not stop thinking about the decisive encounter with Kranus and the possible attacks they might suffer at night.


    Unable to lie down because of all the agitation his body was pervading, he stood up and looked out of the small window of the room, noting that even in the distance it was not possible to see something other than the faint light of torches arranged on the four observation towers of the Fort.


    After becoming convinced that rest was necessary to deal carefully with the next day''s speech, he positioned next to Freydis again, who did not wake up for a second and fell asleep.


    ...


    When he opened his eyes again, everyone was still asleep, and not even a sound could be heard coming from the room, nor from those next door, but the daylight entered timidly through the window, illuminating a small portion of the floor and the outline of the door.


    "We managed to get through the night without any problems, no one attacked the fort!" he thought, breathing a sigh of relief and realizing that all his companions were unharmed.


    The first thing he did when he woke up was turning to Freydis to see if she was next to him.


    She was there, her eyes closed and her legs gathered on her chest, her nose resting lightly on his arm and one hand under her cheek, as she slept blissfully.


    For a moment, Dag forgot every problem, looking at his woman and thinking only of her.


    Soon after, he rose from the ground, stretching the muscles of his back and arms and looking around.


    Silence reigned supreme and daylight was still very weak: the Sun had just risen and several hours were missing from the meeting.


    It was the anxiety to woke him up, in fact, everyone around him was still resting, to gain the strength necessary to face those difficult days.


    Not being able to stay still and with a few hours of sleep, Dag left the room and walked down the corridor, descending the stairs, with the purpose of going to greet Thalos, who would surely be awake waiting for him.


    As expected, step by step, the pointed ears of the gray wolf popped up behind the stone hand rest of the staircase, followed by his amber eyes, open and clearly visible, despite the poor light.


    As soon as Thalos realized that the one who was walking towards him was Dag, he rested his head again on the ground and his tail began to move back and forth, raising the dust of the floor as if it was a broom.


    Dag lowered himself towards him and while with one hand he stroked his neck and the top of his head, with the other scratched his belly, one of his favorite points.


    Once again the wolf stood still to enjoy the cuddles, like a real pet.


    "I couldn''t sleep anymore, my friend. I''m worried. I know I''m a quite good warrior, but Kjell and Orvar told me what Kranus is capable of. He''s a magician, and his element is ice... this makes him unpredictable! If the deal doesn''t work, will I be able to stay alive?" Dag said, telling his friend of his misgivings, just as he did long before on Magni''s farm, so as not to be swallowed up by loneliness.


    The wolf stood motionless in the same position, claiming to be caressed again and again.


    "The lives of these men depend once again on me, on my decisions. We have no other choice, we have to cooperate with the Giants Of Ymir because we can''t face them... there are too many, they would kill us from the first to the last and I can not allow this to happen, I promised my warriors a new beginning, not the end!" Dag continued, without stopping to cuddle the wolf.


    "And then keep your promise!" a second voice from the stairs said.


    Dag turned around and Thalos with him.


    "Gridd, you''ve woken up! Good morning!" he said, pausing more than usual to admire his sister''s beauty.


    Waking up for a few minutes as she descended the stairs, Gridd rubbed her eyes with both hands, raising her arms and stretching them upwards, letting her shape be glimpsed, under the thin linen robe, almost transparent, covering her upper body.


    "Are you afraid, brother? Remember that it is normal to feel fear" she replied, approaching Dag, who, not knowing what to do, got up from the ground, stopping stroking Thalos.

 433 CDXXXIII. The Change Of Strategy

    "I know, Gridd, but... there''s no time to be afraid. Today is a decisive day, I must make Kranus accept my proposal... I already have something in mind, but still, the anxiety did not allow me to sleep well this night.


    Without saying anything, Gridd continued to approach him, uttering groans typical of those who had just woken up from long, deep sleep and, inadvertently, opened her arms wide and hugged him, resting her head in the center of his chest.


    Dag remained immobilized: his sister did not give him a hug of her own free will since they were children and usually, despite her incredible aesthetic beauty, she behaved like a bad boy, who preferred combat to these cheeks.


    He, too, squeezed his arms, resting his hand on her head and stroking her long, smooth, slightly flailed blonde hair, which when they moved released a smell very similar to those of their mother, Asa.


    "You are strong, Dag, and I trust you. You''re the most beautiful thing I''ve ever had, my brother. I''m sure Odin himself wanted you to be entrusted to our mother and father. I still remember that day. You looked at everything in amazement, the farm, the junk hanging on the walls, our father and our brother... Hahah! That''s a hoot!" she exclaimed, continuing to hold him tight.


    "You were incredibly disliked and full of yourself! I thought we''d never get a good relationship, we were too different when we were kids" Dag said, teasing her.


    The two siblings continued to laugh, retracing those beautiful moments of their childhood when someone else descended the stairs into the entrance room.


    Dag and Gridd moved slightly away, stopping to hug, but they continued to look at each other with eyes full of love and admiration, happy that the circumstances of life, even after many misadventures, had given them the opportunity to live such adventures together.


    "Captain, forgive my interruption, I wanted to talk to you a little bit. I know it''s still early, but I would have liked to have defined the last details of the mission, with the help of someone from the Hunters Of Ullr, to figure out where Serpent Mountain, our meeting place, is" Reidar said, justifying himself to Dag, fearing he had interrupted a delicate moment.


    "Hi, Reidar. Yes, of course, you''re absolutely right! I need to tell someone everything I thought tonight, I barely slept!"


    Seeing the relaxed expression painted on Dag''s face, Reidar calmed down, trusting the feelings of his Captain.


    "See you later, Gridd... Reidar and I are busy. You, meanwhile... uhm... I don''t know...get dressed" Dag said, continuing to look at her sister and failing not to look at her breasts, much more voluminous than Freydis''s.


    The white and semi-transparent shirt was the ideal garment to wear under the armor, because it did not weigh down the movements, but without it, it had zero hiding power.


    "Hahaha! Yes, of course little brother, how not! See you later... Hello, Reidar!" Gridd replied, pushing Dag backwards with a joking air and waving to the archer, turning to him.


    Reidar raised his hand to reciprocate the greeting, and when he noticed her breasts were so clearly visible, his expression changed dramatically and his face turned red with embarrassment.


    Gridd went up the stairs, returning to the rooms, and Reidar and Dag looked at each other, without saying a word.


    In a way, Dag felt a kind of jealousy: the idea that someone else, even a close friend like Reidar, saw his sister''s naked body, made him nervous.


    "Why do my body and my instincts react like this?! She''s my fucking sister, no matter how sensual her body is, I have to stop looking at her like that or she might notice one day! What would it look like?!" Dag thought, looking at the floor and walking toward the table.


    "All right, Captain?"


    "Yes, Reidar. It''s all right. I feel like I heard Skaldr''s voice coming from outside, towards the barn. If he''s already awake, we could explain to us exactly where this Serpent Mountain is..."


    As the rest of the warriors slowly began to open their eyes, the two friends walked out the door and immediately met Skaldr, who was feeding the horses, raising large tufts of straw with a pitchfork and throwing them over the fence.


    Dag and Reidar, when Skaldr had finished his daily assignment, asked him about the location to be reached.


    "Serpent Mountain is about 30 minutes on horseback from here. It''s heading northwest, you''ll just have to skirt the only forest nearby and you''ll get there easily. The question is... why right down there?" he said, looking up at the sky and thinking about why Kranus chose that meeting place over another.


    "Maybe because it''s halfway between Fort Hvit and Tungvek?" Reidar asked rhetorically, almost sure that the real reason was that.


    "Tell me, Skadr... what puzzles you? What''s wrong with that place?" Dag added, who wanted to get to the bottom of the matter.


    "It''s called ''Serpent Mountain'' because it looks like a huge snake twisted on itself, in fact, the headland is not very tall, but wide. In addition, my perplexity arises from the fact that along the rock face, there are dozens of caves and natural cavities..."


    "Do you think Kranus may have prepared a trap? Fuck, we should have known this detail in advance! What if he was already there and his soldiers were hiding in caves, ready to attack us? It would be a suicide mission since we will only go in three" Dag said, who for a moment began sweating cold, quickly thinking of a solution.


    "Captain, we can''t risk such a thing! It would be absurd to die like this, after overcoming a thousand difficulties! We need to prepare a counter-attack, in case things get bad!" Reidar exclaimed, who had not imagined this detail and began to feel fear.

 434 CDXXXIV. Serpent Mountain

    "How many caves are more or less on this mountain?" a fourth voice from behind asked.


    "Master Egill, good morning. I don''t know, but I think about ten" Skaldr replied, bowing his head down slightly, greeting Egill with respect.


    The Master Of Healing, who had heard the whole conversation, approached them thoughtfully and after processing that information, said: "A separate delegation from ours will follow us from afar. Four of you Hunters Of Ullr will guide our men, so you can hide them until they are needed. A dozen of our soldiers will come with you to ensure the physical support you need. You said Serpent Mountain is next to the forest, didn''t you?" Egill asked again.


    "Yes, it is... why?"


    "Because in this way you will be able to keep yourself at a distance and stay hidden, taking advantage of the vegetation, which, unlike the white snow, can offer you shelter more easily" Egill continued, stroking his beard.


    "Yes, I think that''s a good idea. But if Kranus finds out about our plan, it will certainly go on a rampage and our diplomatic mission will turn into a bloody battle. Being involved also their leader, the soldiers would call reinforcements and even if we kill Kranus, we would end up being encircled and forced to flee forever from the Giants Of Ymir. Staying well hidden is a major factor, Skaldr¡­ I want it to be entrusted to you and Orvar. Now let''s go, we have to warn everyone of the change of plan, they have to prepare quickly!" Dag replied, thinking of the long-term consequences that would have a mistake in the execution of the mission and reworking in his mind the various stages of the plan.


    The three warriors in front of him nodded and Skaldr, after leaving the pitchfork near the entrance to the stable, headed with them inside the palace.


    In less than half an hour, the four who had participated in the discussion warned all the soldiers present, none excluded, that the plan had changed and that ten more warriors were required, in addition to the four of the Hunters Of Ullr.


    Gridd, Freydis, Terje, Runa, and six other soldiers of their two Clans volunteered, while Sander decided to stay at the fort, not yet being in a good physical condition and thinking that his wooden leg would not allow him to move nimbly between the snows and trees of the woods if things got bad.


    Orvar and Skaldr, having confronted their archers, chose two of them, who honorably accepted the assignment and immediately began to equip themselves to leave the Fort.


    "The time has come! The Sun is going to rise in the sky and the time to get there is about half an hour, so... come on, there is no more time to lose!" Dag exclaimed, who was determined to meet the much-feared enemy.


    Dag stroked his horse''s uncovered back to calm him down, noting that he was agitating because of the crowd of people wandering around, preparing to leave the base.


    "Gridd, I entrust you and Freydis with plan B! Continue without ever stopping in the woods and position yourself so you can see us, but without getting caught! Skaldr and Orvar will guide you there, making you take an alternative route! Come on!" the Warchief shouted again, who as a good leader, immediately began to galvanize his soldiers, despite the sudden change of plan.


    The gates of Fort Hvit opened and he, Reidar, and Egill were the first to come out, slightly increasing the speed of their horses until they trotted.


    As he advanced, Dag turned back, checking that the rest of the soldiers were also on the march.


    Led by the two Hunters Of Ullr, the large group of soldiers diverged from the main path, continuing in their own direction, but at a moderate speed, as the gates rose and the few warriors left to guard the fort watched their comrades going on missions, wishing them good luck.


    "Well, let''s go! Although few men remained in the fort, there are Kjell and Sander with them, we have nothing to fear!" Dag said as if he wanted to comfort himself.


    "Relax, Dag. The plan we''re putting in place is just a precaution. At best, no one will be forced to fight and the meeting will be totally peaceful. Now you''re your head up and look straight in front of us, not bending for a second so that Kranus can understand your greatness" Egill said, looking at Dag and smiling, realizing that he was agitated because unlike combat, where a warrior can get caught up in a whirlwind of emotions, a diplomatic mission required much calm and self-control.


    "That''s right, Captain. Kranus knows your name well, he knows how much you''re worth! If he is smart even half of how Kjell and Orvar have described him, you will have been informed about his deeds! And then... he will have been told of the few soldiers in his fleet who managed to return home... those we defeated in Runar" Reidar added, fomenting his leader, whose gaze became much more determined after those words.


    Continuing to ride for another twenty minutes or so, in front of the three travelers, a large mountain took shape on the horizon.


    This was exactly as described by Skaldr and its shape was very unusual: the height of its top did not reach 50 meters, but the range thickness that covered its foundation was very wide.


    Focusing on the shape of the headland, with little difficulty, all three of them were able to locate the head and tail of the rolled-up serpent, from which the name of that place derived, scattered in the middle of nowhere.


    "Here they are, I see someone. I think they''ve already arrived" Dag said, proudly riding the ailing horse of the Hunters Of Ullr.

 435 CDXXXV. The First Meeting

    "Where? I can''t see anything, I can distinguish the details of the mountain!" Egill said, squinting and putting his jaw forward, trying to use the full potential of his gaze, weakened by old age.


    "I think the one in the middle is Kranus. His white beard is clearly visible down from here. Next to him, there are two huge beings, bigger than the Jotunns! What the hell are they?"!" Dag exclaimed, who could not immediately give an identity to the shadows he saw from afar.


    Looking around, Dag, Egill, and Reidar tried to figure out if, in addition to those three figures that only Dag could immediately distinguish, there was someone else, hidden somewhere.


    "Skaldr said his biggest concern is the caves. Look, there are about ten of them, in the middle of the mountain, a few tens of meters high" he continued, who, reworking all the information he had at his disposal, tried to associate the thought with the images in front of his eyes.


    "Yes, now I can see both the three people and the caves! There seems to be no one inside them, even if they are very dark. For now, we must not think about it, I''m telling you again, it''s just a precaution. Focus on Kranus" Egill said, helping Dag stay focused.


    In front of them, the three figures became closer and closer, until it was possible to notice the details: the man in the center, as Dag guessed, was Kranus, on a white horse wearing heavy armor with metal spikes. Right next to him, two huge beasts were ridden by two Jotunns.


    "What the heck are those things?! They''re not horses, they''re gigantic!" Reidar gasped, who had never seen anything like it in his life.


    "Those are called rhinos. They are animals with skin as thick as the bark of a tree, which can be very aggressive if provoked... I''ve never seen one live either, this is the first time. But I remember the pictures on my school books" Dag promptly answered, looking on the two magnificent specimens with interest.


    The Jotunns guarding Kranus were riding giant rhinos, much larger than normal, wearing heavy armor covering their necks and heads, consisting of a knitted crush and messy metal scales. In the back of the body, huge wooden spikes were attached to a side strap, useful to prevent horses or people from getting too close to the beast.


    Dag noted that even on the two rhino horns there were golden ornaments in the shape of a blades, one smaller and one larger.


    Slightly pulling the horse''s reins towards him, he stopped a few feet away from them and his allies did the same, just behind him.


    The two large beasts that flanked Kranus''s white horse, which despite being a massive stallion, looked like a pony in comparison, vented from their noses, slightly shaking their backs and raising a cloud of snow, which quickly dissolved into the air.


    The gaze of the two Jotunns, meanwhile, was pointed at Egill and Reidar, who respectfully advanced about a metre, positioning themselves next to Dag, in a mirrored way with those in front of them.


    "Dag... I finally know you in person" Kranus said, his usual cold voice and piercing gaze, as a gust of wind moved his long white hair and beard, which floated sideways for a moment.


    "Kranus. I''ve been waiting for this moment for a long time" Dag said, convinced of his words, as his two allies stood unmoved by him.


    "I imagined you different. Even though they told me you were just a kid, I didn''t believe it until now."


    Dag did not respond to the taunt and stood still looking him in the eye, fearless.


    Meanwhile, Reidar and Egill, trying not to be noticed by the two Jotunns, who had their eyes on them, as soon as they had a free moment, looked up, trying to see better what was inside the caves above their heads.


    "So, Dag from Earth... what is this? Is it a joke? What do you have in mind?" Kranus asked, who, despite having before him the man who had killed his son and dozens of his warriors, maintained a frightening calm.


    "My men and I have come here to Krypstorm peacefully, to explore what is unexplored and to learn from the great warriors who live on its cold lands. From the beginning, we never sought war with you, but unfortunately, it was the war to find us" Dag replied, trying to be as cryptic as possible, to observe the reaction of his interlocutor.


    "Where''s your messenger? The one you sent to me... the guy with the chains... he told me you know why I attacked Okstorm. Is that true?"


    Dag did not answer immediately, but he paused to think for a few seconds.


    Soon after, he placed a hand on his belt, covered with a fur coat that served to keep his legs warm during the ride.


    The two Jotunns immediately got ready to extract their weapons but were blocked by Kranus, who with a slight gesture of his hand, ordered them to remain motionless.


    Dag detached his axe from the magnet and raised it towards the three men in front of him, proving that what they really wanted existed and was in his hands.


    Egill and Reidar, as soon as they saw the Giantbane, swallowed empty, believing that Dag''s move had been very bold, but that perhaps it was not a good idea to immediately show the axe, which apparently was the real reason behind their enmity.


    As soon as he saw it, Kranus was enchanted and his eyes twinkled, becoming watery, as if the vision of that object unleashed uncontrollable joy within him, having never been able to watch it live.

 436 CDXXXVI. I Defeated A God

    "The Crystal of Fire... here it is, in all its splendor" the old Wizard whispered, while even his Jotunns were speechless looking at the Giantbane.


    Meanwhile, Orvar and Skaldr, who had just entered the snowy forest, were continuing the route as quickly as possible, followed by the allied troop, ready to hide as soon as Dag and the others would be visible.


    "This is called Giantbane, forged by the God Weland himself. The crystal belongs to me by right, created by the blood of a mortal, an earthling man, like me" Dag said in a solemn voice, knowing that Kranus was already aware of those details and prompting him to reveal something else.


    "Weland is nothing but a servant of the great plan of the Aesirs, boy. Now hand me the axe and I will consider your debt to me repaid" Kranus replied, omitting to Dag the rest of the story.


    "The debt? I''m sorry, but I don''t owe any debt to you, Kranus. You''ve lost many of your soldiers, but their numbers are still lower than the innocent victims they killed, razing two entire villages to the ground. I never wanted to kill him. but he tried to kill me and take my axe away, it was the only way I had to stop him" he continued, who even though he knew he dared too much with those words, was intent on not lying about that part, so as not to arouse suspicion about his disposition.


    Kranus, before answering, looked down, saddened to think of his son''s death, and then looked again at Dag, but angrily.


    "My son was worth more than 1000 of your men and you interrupted his young life! He was the warrior destined, one day, to wield the Crystal of Fire and avenge the Gods, as announced by the great and powerful giant Ymir before he was trapped on the bottom of the Great Deep See!"


    "What? What are you talking about? Use the Crystal against who? Which enemies are you referring to?" Dag asked, who had a hunch.


    "That doesn''t concern you, I said! You''re making me lose my temper! I was told that your insolence was your signature trait, but I didn''t believe it up to this point! I demand respect when you talk to me, kid! I am the descendant of the great Ymir, who gave me some of his powers to rule this frozen land!" Kranus yelled, beginning to get seriously angry and scolding Dag, while his eyes became slightly clearer and his pupils changed color, becoming white.


    "On the point of death?" the magician wondered in amazement.


    "Yes. He sensed something dangerous in me and at first identified me as an enemy to be defeated. My warriors and I were forced to defeat him in combat and reduce him to death to convince him otherwise."


    At those words, the two Jottuns shuddered, looking puzzled at their leader, who was also shaken by the news.


    "You... you defeated a god?!"


    Dag nodded, without adding anything else.


    Egill and Reidar stood behind him, listening intently to the conversation.


    "And why did he think you were an enemy? How can a strong creature like Weland fear an insolent little boy like you?" Kranus asked again, beginning to believe the words of his self-confident interlocutor.


    "I will tell you if you tell me why you want to take possession of my axe at all costs. It seems a fair deal to me" Dag continued, who suddenly, despite becoming in disadvantage, took control of the dialogue.


    ...


    "Here they are, I see them! I see Dag, Egill, and Reidar, in front of three enemies... oh my goodness! What are those?" Gridd exclaimed, who hid behind two huge bushes along with all the others, spread evenly in the vegetation, could not help but notice the two rhinos.


    "Fuck, they''re huge! They can even bear the weight of the Jotunns! They look like two war machines!" Karl exclaimed, who stood by his sister and was admiring the beasts carrying the enemies in amazement.


    "I don''t remember what they''re called, but the Giants Of Ymir use them often. They are much less fast than horses, but their physical endurance is impressive... think that their skin is like a natural armor, hard as a rock!" Orvar said, who had seen rhinos before, but having been through a long time, he could not remember the details.


    When all the warriors scattered, without straying from each other, Gridd and Freydis positioned themselves slightly further ahead, almost at the boundary between the woodland and the snowy plain.


    The two Shieldmaidens, who had been entrusted with the command of the troop, ordered everyone to remain silent and move only at their signal.


    "I can''t hear anything from here, but it looks like they''re arguing peacefully... hopefully there will be no need to intervene" Freydis said, who from a distance, looking at the hand gestures of Dag''s hands, understood that the tone of the conversation was quite normal.


    Gridd looked at the caves in the middle of the mountain and said: "Please help me checking those caves... the darkness inside them is favored by sunlight, which illuminates the entrance but not the deeper parts, making them ideal hideouts for enemy warriors. Keep your yes open, Freydis."

 437 CDXXXVII. The Mutual Enemy

    During those moments, the bond of friendship between the two of them was strengthened by the love they both shared for Dag, remaining ready to intervene to his rescue in case of need.


    ...


    "You really don''t know anything about it?! What you have in your hand is the most powerful artifact on this planet!" Kranus exclaimed, who spoke of the Crystal inside the Giantbane as if it was a divine relic.


    "I wouldn''t have gone all this way if I hadn''t wanted to find out the truth, don''t you think? I would have stayed in Okstorm, safe in my Clan''s fortress. What is the Crystal Of Fire?" Dag asked, looking forward to hearing Kranus''s next words, who sighed, trying to explain all the details.


    "Its story is not so easy to explain... it all started in the days leading up to the creation of this planet. The mighty Ymir, King of the Ice Giants of Jotunheim, was leading the eternal battle against the rock giants when they arrived, the Frostsinners..."


    "What? The Xis?" Dag thought, without interrupting Kranus, who had to tell the whole truth.


    "They forced all the giants and Gods of Asgard to abandon the Earth and destroyed Yggdrasill, the cosmic tree that connected all the nine kingdoms, exiling them here, on Skjold. Ymir failed to counter the unstoppable power of strangers, rendered invincible by their power, able to manipulate the only matter that has no space and no time: the Dark Matter, the same of which the universe is made."


    Dag tried to hold back the avalanche of emotions that were exploding inside him: the man who came out of nowhere, not only knew the function of the Giantbane but also knew what was behind its powers.


    "The rock giants were completely exterminated, as were those of ice. Only Ymir managed to save himself, thanks to his strong spirit, but he was locked in the most extreme depths of the sea, at the lowest point of a pit in the center of the Great Deep See, bound by chains made of Dark Matter. But before he was exiled, someone reported to him and the Aesirs the existence of a relic that contained the power to counter the Dark Matter. That relic is the Crystal of Fire, the one embedded in your weapon. In other words, your axe is the only one that can really hurt the most powerful Frostsinners and free Ymir, to allow him to rule this world as it should be" Kranus continued, who as he spoke, looked upwards, as if he found inspiration in the deep blue sky above their heads.


    Dag squinted, unable to speak after listening to the ice mage''s explanation.


    After a sigh, he returned to himself and said, "rule this world? He should rule over Jotunheim, that''s his place, as Odin''s one is Asgard, and so on. Kranus, believe me, even though I didn''t know these facets, you and I are fighting for the same purpose! I am a declared enemy of the Frostsinners and they have tried several times to kill me!"


    "Yes, several times, in the form of animals or people. They are able to control the bodies of living beings, giving them supernatural powers. In my life, I have been forced to fight against giant crows and other animals, not to mention the dead who came back to life through the power of the Xis. They can also control people alive, but they must be consenting, otherwise, the process becomes impossible" Dag explained, who as he noticed that Kranus was inclined to listen, gave him all the information he had.


    "And how did you survive? Not even the Gods have been able to counter their power... you''re lying!"


    "I''m not lying, believe me, it''s the truth! The Xis I''ve fought against in the past were definitely less powerful than a real Frostsinner! Having taken possession of fairly weak bodies, their strength was limited!" Dag replied, looking at the man with sincere eyes.


    Kranus paused for a few seconds, looking at the faces of Egill and Sander to see if Dag was telling the truth or not.


    Reidar, feeling the magician''s gaze on him, looked him straight in the eye and nodded his head, confirming his Captain''s version.


    "So they wanted to take over your weapon too! They know its power!" Kranus said, beginning to suspect something.


    "No, I doubt it. The first times I faced them, I didn''t have my axe yet. I''m convinced they don''t know anything. I''m their target. Ever since I came to this planet from Earth, they''ve always tested me because of my ''anomaly''."


    Egill, after those words, looked at Dag, believing that telling the whole truth was not necessary and that his was an unwise move.


    "What? What are you talking about, kid?" Kranus asked, beginning to empathize with him, realizing that Dag, despite killing his son to defend himself, was not hostile to his Clan.


    "Legend describes the Frostsinners as ''purple-eyed, white-skinned demons''. Is that true?"


    "Yes..."


    When the magician answered the question, looking into Dag''s eyes, it took a few seconds to realize that his right eye was of intense purple, just like those described in the ancient texts.


    "What?!" he exclaimed suddenly, fearing the worst.


    Immediately, the two Jotunns on his side pulled out their weapons ready to defend their leader.


    ...


    "What the fuck is going on?! Why did they take out their weapons?! Get ready! I think they''re about to attack each other!" Gridd exclaimed, watching the scene from afar, hidden among the vegetation.


    The soldiers behind her and Freyidis drew their weapons, and the four Hunters Of Ullr archers loaded arrows on their bows, ready to fire.


    "Wait! Stop! Look closely, something''s going on! I don''t think they''re going to fight! Egill and Reidar are still in their position... if Dag had been in danger, they would surely have done something!" Freydis answered, contradicting Gridd''s orders, who checked the facts with her own eyes.


    ...

 438 CDXXXVIII. Test Me

    "Wait. It''s not what you think. I am an enemy of the Xis! I''m an anomaly. Even they, with their advanced technologies, couldn''t identify my genes. Believe me Kranus, let''s fight for the same cause! Let us join you! If we fought among us, we would play their game!" Dag said, raising his hands and declaring himself innocent.


    "What happened to your eye then? Who tells me you''re not all Frostsinners? Give me your axe, I don''t trust your words, stranger!"


    "You know I can''t do it. Like you, I made a promise to the Gods. I too have sworn to avenge their name and end Xis'' rule on Earth! I know the truth, Kranus... I had a vision once... they were the ones who killed the Sun, only to be able to enslave humanity! Let me take this weapon against them! With the strength of your army and your knowledge, we will gather the greatest army Skjold has ever seen and declare war on the Frostsinners!"


    Reidar and Egill were speechless, waiting in silence for Kranus, who continued to look at Dag with a confused air, not believing that that match could change the game.


    "I can''t trust you if you don''t give me proof of what you say. And if it''s true and you''re an enemy of the Frostsinners... who guarantees me that you are worthy of holding such a powerful relic? How do I know you''ve actually defeated the God Weland?" Kranus asked, who finally began to believe his words.


    "Test me. Let me face your best warriors, even more than one at once! I will show you my powers and you''ll understand that being my ally is the right thing to do, for the sake of your Clan and for the good of all of us!" Dag replied with conviction, putting his axe on the belt magnet.


    "Mmmh... you can''t keep on living unpunished for what you did to my son, the rightful heir to that weapon. I promised myself that I would avenge him at any cost!"


    "None of this would have happened if you hadn''t attacked Okstorm. Our meeting comes from that very moment, without which I would never have assembled a team to land at Krypstorm. Perhaps fate wanted things to go that way and your son played his role in the story, dying with honor, like a true and valiant Jotunn warrior. Do you believe in fate, Kranus?" the young Master continued, who took advantage of the magician''s feelings to exploit them to his advantage, praising his son and making past events part of a larger project.


    The mage got off his horse and handed the reins to one of the two Jotunns, who looked at him confused, not understanding what he was doing.


    "Commander...!" he exclaimed, trying to tell Kranus that getting so close to three strangers could be dangerous, but his boss silenced him with a movement of his hand.


    About a meter and a half away from Dag, Kranus stopped.


    The young Master, indulging the powerful leader in front of him, got off his horse and made the same movements, positioning himself before him, never stopping to look him in the eye.


    "All right. But that won''t prove my true strength. As you wish, I will face whoever you want" Dag replied, not moving from his position.


    "Trako has never lost a one vs one duel. He''s one of my strongest Jotunns fighters, I''m sure you won''t be able to defeat him," Kranus announced, underestimating Dag''s strength.


    "Why don''t you let me fight against both of them? That way I can prove you better than being worthy."


    "Don''t say nonsense... on the off chance you kill them, I wouldn''t have anyone to return to the village with."


    "Mmh... I didn''t think it was a problem for you, maybe all this snow scares you. You will have my word that none of us will follow you or anything, you will come back alone" Dag said, teasing his interlocutor''s patience.


    Kranus''s sulky expression pointed to his dissent, but suddenly, one of the two Jotunns behind him exclaimed: "Don''t worry, Commander. There''s not even a slight chance that this brat will beat us both. Let him try it, it''s going to be fun!" Trako said, the older Jotunn, speaking in a very deep voice and looking at Dag with his little black eyes, dug into his angular and slightly deformed skull, due to the transformation.


    "Yes, Commander, Trako is right! If the boy dies, you can take the axe without any problems!" the smaller Jotunn added


    "Come on, Kranus... let me try, give me a chance" Dag answered, smiling almost evilly, who couldn''t wait to spill Jotunn''s blood.


    Reidar and Egill, while holding Dag''s horse, looked at the two Jotunns, trying to understand their level of strength.


    In particular, Egill used Niva, the same skill that Dag had used several times in the past when a slight difference in strength could have made a difference.


    The smaller Jotunn was surrounded by a yellow aura, making him an unresponsive enemy for Dag, but Trako''s aura skimmed the purple.


    "Damn, the biggest one seems to be a tough cookie!" Egill thought, who soon after looked at his former pupil, noting with amazement that his aura was deep red.


    "What is it, Master? You looked concerned" Reidar asked, noting the expression on Egill''s face.


    "Nothing, Reidar... I''m just assessing their level of strength and... that Trako seems to be a very strong warrior" the Master Of Healing said, who did not go far enough to explain the details.


    "There is no enemy capable of defeating the Captain, Master Egill. When he was younger and inexperienced, I saw him kill even the owners of emblems with his own hands, not to mention the Frostsinners. We''re in good hands" Reidar replied, who unlike Egill, was sure Dag wouldn''t disappoint them and sat comfortably on his horse with his arms crossed, waiting for the fight to begin.

 439 CDXXXIX. Trako

    ...


    "Look at that! Looks like Dag''s about to fight the two Jotunns! What are they doing?" Gridd asked, trying to understand the meaning of that confrontation.


    "I think it''s a test match, useful to show Kranus his level of strength. They''re all too quiet, they definitely have a deal" Freydis said, who had intended what was about to happen.


    ...


    Dag pulled out both of his weapons, detaching them from their magnets and making them twirl between his hands, nimbly.


    The two Jotunns got off their rhinos, who remained obediently stationary, being perfectly trained despite their appearance and their bulk.


    The smaller Jotunn, just over two meters tall, pulled a large spear from his back, with the blade almost as wide as an axe.


    Trako, on the other hand, slipped two spiked maces from his belt, much smaller than his ally''s spear, suggesting to Dag that his fighting style was centered on fast attacks combos.


    He was much bigger than his companion, exceeding almost 2 and a half meters in height: his muscles, unlike those of the other Jotunns faced in the past, were defined and hard, certainly the result of hard training and many battles fought.


    Huge scars crossed his chest, reaching up to his shoulders and legs, and one of the tusks sticking out of his lower jaw was broken in half, with a metal ring embedded on it.


    Kranus looked at the way Dag held his weapons and positioned his body and realized that he was not an amateur.


    He walked slightly backwards, preparing to witness the fight when Dag looked at him, waiting for him to kick-start.


    Before Kranus ordered his warriors to attack, blue sparks began to leak from Magni''s hammer, which became drenched in electricity, surrounding his stone head with a flickering aura.


    Dag''s right eye, as soon as he awakened his dormant dark powers, flashed like a light bulb, while his gaze was still fixed on the mage.


    "You can start!" Kranus exclaimed, raising and lowering one hand and kicking off the test.


    "Grrraaaargh!" the smaller Jotunn yelled, opening his arms, hardening his chest muscles and charging toward his target without thinking.


    Dag, intent on beating him without using his powers, waited for the last moment before the enemy hit him to lower himself, dodge the blow and move sideways to the giant.


    Waving the spear very slowly and violently hitting the ground, leaving a groove on it, the Jotunn did not have time to turn, that Dag hit him with the Giantbane under his armpit, sharply cutting off his arm.


    "Aaargh! Aaargh!" the giant continued to scream, expressing all the pain he was feeling as rivers of blood splattered from his shoulder, falling over his severed arm, whose hand still held the weapon.


    Before impacting on the Jotunn, Magni''s hammer accumulated as much electricity as possible and released it into contact, hitting the enemy''s body with sparks and static energy and making it vibrate like a leaf.


    The blow was so powerful, that his head detached from his neck, emitting a sound similar to an explosion: after flying several meters in the air, it fell back into the snow, leaving a blood-red groove and the mutilated body fell to the ground like a lifeless wooden beam.


    "Fuck! That was impressive!" Egill exclaimed, who despite seeing Dag fight several times, was astonished by the way he could easily get rid of any enemy in such a short time.


    As he watched Jotunn''s body fall, Trako stood still, with a sadistic smile painted on his face.


    "Now we gonna have some fun! Finally a worthy opponent! I''ve never seen anyone capable of killing a Jotunn in just a few seconds!" he chuckled, pointing his gaze at Dag and provoking him.


    "I could have been even faster, but having observers, I preferred to make everything more theatrical... bring it on!" he replied, putting himself in a fighting position with the Giantbane burning in front of him and the electric hammer behind.


    "Graahahah! I''m coming, brat!" the giant shouted, who unlike the one who had just been defeated, was not wearing any armor at the top and had a belt with a wild boar skull in its center, as well as several tattoos on his muscular legs.


    Leaning down, he began to load a leap and the air around him began to circulate swirling, with a circular trajectory.


    "What is he doing? I don''t foresee anything good!" Egill told Reidar, fearing that Dag would have a hard time fighting an enemy with such a strong aura.


    "Yes, he''s strong, I feel it too... but the Captain didn''t even use his powers. Look at his eye, Master... he is ready to summon the Dark Matter at any time" the archer said, who was still confident that his captain would emerge victorious from that fight.


    Kranus''s gaze was impassive, and losing one of his bodyguards did not seem to upset him.


    When he had finished loading his legs, Trako took a forward dash: a huge furrow was created behind him, crossing several layers of snow and ground, due to the push by his feet and the run was so fast, that none of those present could see him, not even Dag.


    Covering a distance more than 10 meters in less than a second, the giant, with both swords drawn and arms open to the outside, jumped forward and rotated on himself, trying to hit Dag as if his body were a drill made of blades and muscles.


    "Fuck! It''s fast!" the young Master thought, who avoided dodging the blow, knowing that in that case he would be partially injured due to the large area covered by the arms of the Jotunn, which opened simultaneously exceeding two meters in width.

 440 CDXL. Fast Attacks

    Crossing the axe and hammer in front of him, Trako''s blades hit his weapons and released a considerable amount of energy in the form of a shockwave, which spread beyond Dag''s body, consuming the ground behind him.


    After he parried the blow, he noticed that his body managed to retain some of the ethereal substance useful to the Memory Of Mj?llnir skill, and the giant, with unusual agility for a being of that size, made a backflip in the air and landed on his feet.


    As soon as Trako''s feet touched the ground, without even giving Dag time to take a breath, he snapped forward again, retrying with the same kind of attack, which was again parried by Dag.


    ...


    "It''s amazing! I''ve never seen a giant of that tonnage move so fast! He''s heavy like a mountain but he''s moving like a bird, trying in every way to penetrate Dag''s defense!" Karl exclaimed, who approached Gridd and Freydis on the front line, interested in watching the match closely.


    "His fighting style is impressive and strangely, Dag is not dodging his shots, but he is parrying them. I hope he has something in mind" Freydis told his brother, noting this detail.


    "My brother managed to beat the other Jotunn in less than thirty seconds. Although this one seems like a fearsome enemy here, I doubt he can defeat a warrior who has simultaneously killed dozens of giant soldiers like him" Gridd concluded, but inside she felt the same concern as her comrades, even if she didn''t want to point it out so as not to create agitation.


    ...


    The first two attacks were followed by two more, carried out in the same way, with Trako being pushed back in one direction, leaping backward, and dashing again in the same direction as soon as he touched the ground, attempting several times to hit his target.


    "So what?! Urgh! What did you decide to do?! Are you done with this little show? I''m starting to lose my temper!" Dag yelled, who after parrying yet another attack caused the energy trapped in the hammer''s head to slip on his arm and into his body, ready to release it through the metal plates on the front of the armor.


    As calculated, Trako executed the drill attack again, but this time, Dag did not parry the shot: he opened his arms and all the accumulated energy was fired from his chest, in the form of purple lightning bolts, which after hitting the Jotunn, knocked him to the ground and rolled about ten meters backward.


    "Uhm?" Kranus said, without being heard by anyone, convinced that, insisting, his warrior would be able to hit Dag, who until then had been unharmed.


    With his purple eye still flashing, eager to unleash his true potential, Dag walked forward, while other small sparks were shot here and there from his body.


    Trako, with his shoulders emitting grayish smoke, caused by the large amount of static energy that had knocked him down, stood up, watching his opponent approach.


    "Don''t make fun of me, kid! How dare you talk to me like that?! You may be the one who owns the ancient relic of fire, but you have no chance against the power of the Jotunns! I was just warming my muscles!" Trako replied, screaming, disappointed by the ugly figure he had just made in front of his Clan leader''s eyes.


    In an incredibly athletic gesture, he grabbed the two swords from the ground and stood up nimbly, standing still in the fighting position and waiting for Dag to make the first move.


    "All right. You made your choice. I''m going to kill you, just like I did with your friend" Dag said calmly but ruthlessly.


    He stopped walking and opened his arms slightly, pointing his weapons downwards: from behind his back, it was possible to hear the sound of liquid beginning to flow out of his body, which slowly, with ascending motion, took shape.


    "There it is! Here we go! His dark powers have been awakened! I really want to see Kranus'' face when he finds out what the Captain is capable of!" Reidar said, exalted by what was about to happen.


    Unlike the other times, the liquid does not split into two bundles, similar to two arms, but in four, two upwards and two down.


    "What? That... that... what is that stuff?!" the Jotunn exclaimed frightenedly, looking at Dag and then Kranus, not knowing what to do in the throes of confusion.


    Dag''s dark arms, penetrating the fresh snow and widening their contact surface on the lower end, lifted up his body, his feet detaching from the ground as if he was levitating.


    The other two arms, however, unlike the lower ones, more like legs, took on the usual sharp shape, becoming two real blades ready to perform the will of their creator, with the tips in the direction of the enemy, who looked at them from the bottom up terrified.


    Trying to take courage and not retreat in front of the enemy, to prove to his boss that he was strong enough not to fear Dag''s dark power, Trako raised both of his swords upwards and then hit the ground hard, screaming.


    Without any kind of magical energy, but only thanks to the physical force caused by the impact of the swords on the rock, the ground shattered and opened under their feet, traveling dangerously towards Dag, who as soon as he saw it, moved easily above the crack, walking on his dark legs more than two meters long each.


    Continuing to move like a kind of arachnid and having to choose only how to kill his opponent, Dag pounced on him and one of his upper arms penetrated his shoulder, forcing him to let go of his grip on a sword, which fell to the ground.

 441 CDXLI. No Room For Pity

    The giant, at this point, with the only sword left, tried to hit the other arm, to cut it, but foresight, Dag also impaled the other shoulder, preventing him from attacking further.


    "Graaargh! Leave me!" Trako said, trying in vain to move forward and counter the force of Dark Matter, as he slowly lost control of his arms and his grip on the only sword left in his hands.


    Mercilessly, Dag stood on his two huge legs and with superhuman force lifted the body of his opponent, who shrugged his eyes, in disbelief, having never been lifted by anyone during a fight because of his bulk.


    When the giant was in front of his eyes, suspended in the air, he tried to squirm and thanks to his incredible physical strength, he managed to remove one of the two dark blades from one shoulder, but before slipping away from Dag''s grip and falling to the ground, the Hammers Of Thor''s warrior summoned another arm, which was shot at great speed from the center of his chest and pierced the stomach of his opponent, whose mouth opened and ejected a lot of blood, which poured to the ground like red rain.


    The blade that had been extracted returned to its position, creating a second hole in Trako''s already wounded shoulder, who within minutes had been reduced to exhaustion.


    Dag turned to Kranus, looking down at him, with an impassive air, showing him his true powers and letting him know how he was in a position to beat an enemy of that magnitude without even paying attention to combat.


    Kranus, who initially seemed to have no overreaction when looking at Dag''s fighting style, was now shocked and his wide eyes were on his bodyguard, hanging like a dirty cloth and suspended in the air, as his blood continued to rain on the ground and stain Krypstorm''s white snow.


    "That''s who I am, Kranus. As I have already told you, you better be my ally, rather than my enemy!" Dag exclaimed, who used his interlocutor''s moment of fear to establish his superiority.


    "These arms... this material as black as night... you managed to lift more than 400 kilos with ease... there''s no doubt about it! This is the Dark Matter! How did you do that?! What did you do to get these powers?! Tell me right away, boy!" the magician yelled desperately, still unable to believe his eyes and referring to the legends handed down over the years in his Clan.


    "I''ve already told you. I am an anomaly and the Frostsinners themselves fear my unknown powers. Several times in the past I have shown that I am able to stand up to them, overcoming all the tests to which they have subjected me. They monitored me, they spied on my every little movement and every progress, but that''s enough. It''s time to take back the reins of my life, I''m the only one who is worthy of holding the Crystal of Fire and leading you to the greatest battle the human race has ever fought in the history of the world!"


    Dag made no answer and continued to look at the ice wizard, approached the enemy, and pointed the Giantbane''s glowing blade at his neck.


    "Grr... let me go, brat! Stop it! I give up, you won, you won!" Trako yelled, who could no longer move but still tried to squirm unnecessarily.


    Keeping his gaze steady, without even looking at his enemy, Dag severed his head with a rapid movement of his arm and the giant''s body moved spasmodically for a few seconds, pausing to exhaust his vital momentum, while he wanted to stay alive.


    Kranus and Dag''s companions were shocked at that display of cruelty, believing that he would let go of the giant once he would convince the mage to accept the fact that he was the only one worthy of the Giantbane.


    Instead, Dag had killed him without thinking twice and without even giving him the last words, proving to everyone that the time of weakness of heart was now over: Krypstorm was a hostile land without rules and there was no room for pity.


    Within seconds, his dark arms returned to his back, as did his two long legs, and when the giant''s body fell to the ground, not far from the other corpse, Dag''s feet touched the terrain and his weapons were placed back on his belt.


    ...


    "Yes! Hahaha, he made it! I knew he''d make it, no one can beat my brother! Now Kranus will have to recognize his supremacy! He''s alone and can''t counter his enormous power!" Gridd exclaimed, trying not to scream so as not to let the enemy discover their hiding place.


    "I''ve seen Dag kill a lot of enemies, but this time, it seems to have been more ruthless than usual. Well done! These damn giants will think twice about getting up against Okstorm''s warriors next time!" Freydis replied, who had understood from the beginning that Dag''s cruelty was justified by the fact that he had to impose his ideas on those of Kranus, who had an expression that spoke for himself.


    ...


    After climbing over Trako''s headless body, Dag walked toward Kranus, stopping more than two meters from him, with the front of the armor completely covered in blood, and said: "Don''t ask me who I am or where my powers come from. Let your eyes judge my actions. Accept my proposal, Kranus, this is the last time I''m going to ask you!"


    Kranus was interdicted, almost paralyzed by those words: for a moment, Dag''s angry eyes and his bright purple pupil made him think that his son may not have died in vain, and probably, as Okstorm''s young Master claimed, his death was part of a larger plan, in which fate had brought their lives together.

 442 CDXLII. Your Fame

    "I accept" he replied, coldly, stretching his arm toward Dag, inclined to shake his hand.


    "Well, you made the right choice. Now, there are a few things you need to tell me about the Crystal of Fire. I''m going to take you to your city and in a safe place, we''ll discuss what to do, since we''re both at war with the Claws of Fenrir and that, it seems to be the first problem to solve" Dag said, grabbing Kranus''s forearm and clutching it, speaking as if he was giving orders.


    Kranus, despite being embittered by the defeat of his men and the tone with which Dag was speaking to him, thought back to the episode that happened a few minutes earlier and intelligently replied: "Sure, Dag. Follow me, I will personally escort you to my palace and I will show you everything. You have my word that no one will hurt you."


    Dag turned and walked to his horse, grabbing the reins that Reidar was holding and jumping onto the saddle.


    "Captain, are we sure we want to enter Tungvek? Kranus may be lying about the deal, maybe he''s just afraid of being surrounded by us! But in his city, there are thousands of Jotunn warriors, too many even for you! If they attacked us, we''d all die" the archer said, looking at Kranus, who was not listening, climbing his white horse.


    "He will prevent this from happening. Despite being the leader of an enemy Clan, Kranus is a very wise and intelligent man. When he met Kjell and the others, he did it outside the city walls and Kjell told me that inside the city the situation was very different from what he expected, with children playing in the streets and old people and women walking quietly. Although it seems very strange to me, probably Tungvek is not a military outpost, but a real civilian city, with laws regulating the lives and well-being of its inhabitants" Dag replied, telling his friend that he had already thought about that detail.


    "Well! Then the two of us will come with you. I hope that others will understand for themselves that the time to withdraw has come, their help is no longer necessary... they''d better go back to the Fort" Egill added, who, out of the corner of his eye, looked towards the forest adjacent to the mountain, trying to locate the rest of the troops, but was unable to do so.


    "This way, Okstorm warriors" Kranus said, urging the horse and heading northeast toward his capital.


    "Let''s go. Gridd and Freydis will know what to do. Our soldiers are in good hands, fear not" Dag said, urging his comrades to ride without turning back, so as not to arouse suspicion.


    ...


    As Dag calculated, meanwhile, among the trees and snowy bushes of the forest, Gridd and Freydis began to suspect something.


    "Where are they going? Looks like they''re following Kranus!" Karl asked, looking at Gridd and Freydis for answers.


    "Yes, absolutely yes. That way is Tungvek, the capital of the Giants Of Ymir... I think they''re heading right there. There is nothing more to do here, we can order all the soldiers to return to Fort Hvit, the threat is averted, there was no trap" she said, and soon after she got up from the bush where she had remained hidden until then and headed for the rest of the troops, telling them of the decision to turn back.


    With the help of Skaldr and Orvar, the soldiers gathered in a row and marched in the opposite direction to Dag''s, following the same snowy path they had traveled to get into the forest, knowing that in an hour they would return to their shelter.


    ...


    Dag, Egill, and Reidar continued to ride silently behind Kranus, when the young Master joined the wizard, trying to extrapolate other useful information and familiarize with him a little, feeling their relationship still hostile.


    "When we got here to Krypstorm we didn''t know what we were going to find, on our geographical atlas, the knowledge of the navigators stops in the Great Deep See. This makes us the first true exploratory team of the West that ventures so far from home."


    "It''s not hard for me to believe you. Our knowledge of Okstorm is slightly higher but still incomplete. About fifty years ago, one of the ships of the Giants Of Ymir returned from your continent with only one man on board, a bard who had been spared by the soldiers of I do not know which Clan. He managed to write a book, describing what he had seen, but his age advanced, and that book, now jealously guarded in our libraries, was never finished" Kranus answered, who unexpectedly explained to Dag the details of their exploratory history.


    "To unite our two great nations in the battle against our true enemies would be a victory greater than anything. With your huge army and knowledge, this goal could be achievable someday. But our King, King Einar, is totally oblivious to this mission" Dag confessed, making it clear to his interlocutor that the only leader of those men was him.


    "So you didn''t leave on your sovereign''s orders? Isn''t he the one who sent you here to avenge the men you lost because of our siege?"


    "No, absolutely not. I''ve never even met him, so I doubt he knows who I am."


    "Believe me, boy. I''m sure your King knows your name and your deeds well. You may ignore it, but by now your fame has made you very well known in all Skjold''s landmass" Kranus continued, turning to him and looking at him.


    Dag was astonished by the answer, which seemed to him anything but grumpy: that man, despite showing a clear grudge against him, having seen his powers and realizing that his age did not make him as inexperienced as he believed, had drastically changed his attitude towards him and was now downsizing his way of answering questions.

 443 CDXLIII. The Huge Building

    "However, he has never been interested in the issues that affect us. When there were wars between Clans, he was not present, as well as when there was the siege on your part. Only we warriors have come to the aid of the innocent people that your soldiers have slaughtered, ripping down their bodies and depriving them of their entrails. Remember, Kranus... as you will never forget what happened to your son, the images of those dead bodies on the beach will forever haunt my soul" Dag said, stressing that he was not willing to forget the past.


    "My warriors have only executed my own order. I wanted at all costs to take possession of the Crystal of Fire, which paradoxically, right now is here, next to me, in the hands of someone else. Maybe it''s how you say... perhaps my son had to die that day so that we could meet and make this speech."


    "Yes, I am convinced that it''s the truth. He was a great warrior, he fought to the last moment, putting me in the grip of his powerful magic, which I imagine he inherited from his father..."


    Kranus, after that statement, smiled a little, remembering his son''s face fondly and looking again at Dag, who was more or less his peer.


    "Captain, we''re arrived" Reidar interrupted from behind, advising Dag to keep his eyes open, being about 200 meters from Tungvek''s main entrance.


    Once in front of the huge stone gates, the six guards, different from the day before, saw their Clan leader arrive along with three totally unknown guys and made a confused expression, not knowing how to behave.


    "Open the gates now, I and these men must talk about business" Kranus said, who was not obliged to give them any kind of explanation, being the leader who commanded the civilians and soldiers of the Clan as he pleased.


    "Of course, sir! Open the door, Commander Kranus urgently needs to enter the city!" one of the guards yelled, looking back, toward the big doors.


    The confusion of Tungvek''s soldiers increased further when they noticed that both the two Jotunns who had left in the morning with Kranus and their rhinos had not returned to the city, but without asking any kind of question, knowing the irascible character of the ice wizard, they let everyone pass, overcoming the doors undisturbed before they closed.


    By the morning, the whole city was in the street and hundreds of civilians stopped to watch the unknown warriors walking next to Kranus, immediately realizing they were not enemies.


    Dag, riding his run-down horse, rode next to Kranus, while the Egill and Reidar closed the line.


    They passed through the main road of the city, which from the entrance, climbed slightly upwards, leading up to a huge palace, of which only the tips more than 30 meters high were visible, which also sprouted outside the walls, in contrast to the grayish sky.


    Along that busy road, dozens and dozens of people looked at Dag, who felt their eyes on him.


    Amid the rumors of the people who wondered who they were and the noises of everyday life, such as the hammers of blacksmiths and the croaking of geese, hens, and other animals for sale at the market, Dag and the others, after a curve that increased the slope of the road, could see the palace of Kranus in its entirety.


    It was a tall and majestic building, so large that it had been built purposefully on a small hill of land, to be able to rise to the few houses that surrounded it, as well as a stable and a large armory, including a forge from which came black smoke that spread upwards.


    The whole palace was built with a dark grey stone, almost black, certainly of volcanic origin: around the towers and all the base of the structure, irregular beams of sapphire blue ice enveloped the stone surface, giving the palace an incredible elegance, as if they were flaps of fabric.


    Reidar and Egill were very surprised to see such an engineering masterpiece, while Dag didn''t pay much attention to it, staying focused on what was going on around him and his team.


    As they made their way to the stairs leading to the entrance, made of two stone slabs like the city door, they got off the horses and tied them to a fence near the barn, from which came the verses not only of the horses but also of the rhinos, locked in hundreds inside sturdy iron cages, rusted due to adverse weather conditions.


    "This way" Kranus said, showing the way to his guests, as dozens of people, warriors and non-warriors, watched scrupulously the three strangers from head to toe, in disbelief that their commander would allow them to enter the palace in their company.


    Other guards, deployed vertically along the stairs leading to the entrance, stretched their eyes and moved, making room for their commander and peering at Dag, trying to figure out where he came from.


    He did not reciprocate any of those glances and continued to look straight ahead, with a single thought in mind: to know more about the Crystal of Fire.


    Dag wanted nothing more, and while his two companions were astonished and afraid to walk through a city made up entirely of enemy warriors and with a culture profoundly different from theirs, he seemed to care not: what Kranus had said about his powers was mind-blowing, no one in Okstorm had ever been able to tell him more about them, not even Weland himself, who even being a God, did not have the same knowledge as the ice mage.


    "The same matter of which the universe itself is made... is it of that matter that my powers are formed? Where does it come from? I feel it flowing through my body, how can I generate it?"

 444 CDXLIV. The Pleasantries

    After the magician''s words, the questions that gripped his mind had increased dramatically, which caused him a strong sense of determination.


    Finally, the four warriors entered the palace, after the large doors were opened from the inside.


    The lower floor was a huge square room with a dark stone floor, like that of the walls and two long staircases branched from the central to the side areas, leading to an upper floor not visible from their location.


    Other warriors were intent on walking in every direction, moving objects and reading books, making Dag guess that the place was their Clan''s base of operations, complete with a library containing their skills scrolls.


    "Commander, welcome back... I see that... we have guests! Where... where are Trako and Nok?" a low-haired man with a slick beard asked, wearing a long robe that touched the floor.


    "Trako and Nok were unable to fight Dag, and they died before my eyes, dishonorably. They had the end they deserved, now find other two bodyguards for me, you have 24 hours" Kranus replied, without even stopping to talk to the man, who judging by his non-combatant appearance and the stack of books he carried in his hands, looked like one of the librarians, or an academic.


    Sweating from his forehead and trying not to react to the loss of his companions, contemptuously mentioned by Kranus, who had already forgotten their sacrifice, the little man bowed his head and answered in terror: "Sure, sir! At your command, sir!"


    Dag and his comrades continued to remain silent as they followed Kranus, who began to climb the right staircase.


    The upper floor was similar to the lower one, with the only difference that a large table was in the middle of the room.


    "Wow, this is the meeting room!" Reidar said softly, talking to Egill and thinking he wasn''t used to seeing such big tables.


    A large window let a beam of natural light pass through, which in addition to illuminating the large table, illuminated the rest of the room, in which the artificial lights were all turned off during the day.


    "Let''s go to my personal room, so no one can follow us. Hey you!" Kranus exclaimed, calling one of the guards next to another small staircase that kept going up.


    The guard bowed his head, ready to take orders.


    "Don''t let anyone pass, not even my advisers. I need some strict privacy" the magician continued, who opened the door that followed that small staircase, inviting his guests to follow him.


    "Of course sir!" the guard answered obediently, without objecting.


    When everyone passed the door, Reidar, who was last in line, closed it.


    The room in which they found themselves was much smaller and more reserved and the thick walls that surrounded it, isolated it almost entirely from any kind of external sound, ensuring an intimate and reserved environment.


    From the start, Egill focused his attention on a large bookshelf, which covered the entire wall in front of the entrance to the room, making him feel at home.


    "You haven''t introduced me to the warriors who accompanied you on a mission yet, Dag" Kranus said, who didn''t want to skip the pleasantries.


    "Of course, I apologize for my rudeness, but I did not imagine that something like this could happen today and that our meeting would become a formal event. Anyway, he''s Master Egill, the Master Of Healing of my Clan, the Hammers Of Thor. He is one of Okstorm''s greatest healer mage and valiantly agreed to provide us with his experience in our mission here at Krypstorm" Dag said, pointing to Egill with his hand, who bowed his head slightly out of respect.


    Kranus, for the first time, did the same, being almost the same age as Egill, only a few years older.


    "Very pleased, Master Egill. Welcome to the Colossus Fortress, the headquarter of our Clan" the ice mage exclaimed.


    "Thank you, the pleasure is mine. Being an academic, I was admiring your personal collection. I congratulate you, they look like very precious texts" he replied, looking incessantly at two ancient tomes with gold-plated covers.


    "Yes, it is. It took me a lifetime to gather them all in the same place. Anyway, here in Tungvek we really need a good healer... you know, my Jotunn warriors are not specialized in herbalism and healing arts, and the masters who teach these disciplines are certainly not as skilled as you are" Kranus replied, praising his interlocutor, who expressed wisdom from the look.


    "Thank you, but... let''s continue with the talk. If the reconciliation between us will be fully achieved, I will be happy to give your warriors some lessons on my magical arts" Egill replied coolly, without too much unbalance to those kind words, which were probably not entirely sincere.


    "Well, he''s Reidar instead. One of my best travel companions, as well as an infallible archer. He is also part of the Hammers Of Thor" Dag interrupted, to avoid misunderstandings between the two white-bearded men.


    "My pleasure, Reidar. I was looking at your bow right before. I''ve never seen a weapon like that, it seems very rare. Dark wood is not a common material around here."


    "Yes, it''s a beautiful weapon, I inherited it from my father. It''s an honor to meet you in person, Commander Kranus, we''ve heard a lot about you" Reidar said, who, like his Master, did not get charmed with compliments and avoided telling the true origin of Failnaught.


    "Perfect. Now that I''ve introduced you to my most trusted warriors, I''d like you to tell me everything you know about my weapon and the Crystal of Fire" Dag replied impatiently, approaching the small table in front of the bookshelf and taking his place in a chair.


    Kranus did not answer and sat right in front of him, in a large armchair, built with bones and stones, perfectly wedged together.

 445 CDXLV. The Mind-blowing News

    After inviting the other two of them to take their seats around the modest study table, Kranus moved the tomes on it and rolled several scrolls.


    Dag knew immediately that one of them, in particular, was written by him, looking at the inkwell next to it, with a crow feather nestled inside.


    "Kranus is a well of knowledge. I have to try to make the most of his intelligence, it will certainly be useful to have such an ally!" he thought, waiting for the mage to begin the explanation.


    "So, Dag. As I''ve already explained, the Crystal of Fire is the most powerful relic on this planet. But its only power is not just to hurt the Frostsinners, even if it was created specifically for that."


    "And what else then? Does it have anything to do with fire? Why is it called that?" Dag asked naively.


    "No, the fire has nothing to do with it. It''s called that for two reasons... because of its color, reminiscent of the flame, and the fact that it enhances all kinds of magical sources that use that element, that''s why your axe is such a strong weapon. Not only for the excellent materials from which it was built but also for the gem, which quadruples its intrinsic power, making it a legendary weapon" Kranus explained, marveling at Dag, who every minute he spent listening to him, learned something new.


    "And what is its other power then?"


    "You come from Earth, right? And you arrived here through the Vortex, the machine that the Frostsinners designed to allow us, humans, to make incredibly long journeys in a very short time."


    "Yes, that''s right. I don''t understand what has that to do with the Crystal embedded in the Giantbane..."


    "Patience, boy... I''m getting to that. Even though you were only a kid when this happened, I''m sure you remember how that machine works, using the traveler''s genetic code to teleport him only to his target planet, right?"


    "Yes... I remember the Xis Guard forcing me into the Vortex by making a little cut on my wrist or something... then he used my blood to activate the capsule, which in a few minutes teleported me to this planet, causing me to lose consciousness. I remember the first person I saw before my eyes was Hallr, that I never saw again after that day" Dag smiled, looking at Egill and knowing that even though he had known him in different circumstances, he knew and estimated the Guardian of the Vortex.


    "Well. Apparently, the Crystal of Fire can bypass this passage, allowing you to activate the Vortex without the involvement of your genetic material" Kranus continued, who did not speak like a normal Viking, having studied a lot about the Frostsinners and their technologies, on some book that could only be found by him.


    "Eh?! What? How do you know that? In a nutshell... are you telling me that... through the red gem of the Giantbane, I can..."


    Dag retreated to his chair, crawling its wooden legs on the floor, unable to believe those words.


    His companions also had difficulty understanding that speech, especially Reidar, who didn''t even know how it worked or what a Vortex was, having been born on Skjold, like most Viking warriors he had known.


    "This... this could change everything... how do you know that?! How is that even possible that you know all these things?! Where did you get all this detailed information?!" Dag asked, quickly standing up and resting his hands on the table, slinging his shoulders forward, toward the ice mage.


    "In reality, they''re anything but detailed and you are the first people I''ve told. This means that this secret, given its importance, should not come out of this room. Wait, I''ll show you with your own eyes, so you''ll believe what I say" Kranus replied, rising from his throne of bones and turning to the bookshelf, beginning to touch all the ancient books on his shelves one by one.


    Meanwhile, Dag''s gaze was lost in thin air, between the table and the floor, and a thousand thoughts crowded his mind, after hearing the news that would change his life forever.


    Egill put a hand on his shoulder and the two crossed their eyes: "Stay focused, Dag. This news has shocked me too, but it''s not yet time to get distracted. Look at that" the Master Of Healing said, pointing his head in the direction of the leader of the Ice Giants leader, who finally pulled the book he was looking for from one of the shelves.


    "Here it is" he said, lifting a heavy book with the black leather cover and slamming it on the table because of its weight.


    The dust accumulated on the frontal part of the cover and on the pages of the upper part of the book, fluttered in the air, disappearing and Kranus immediately opened the first pages, beginning to flip through them relentlessly.


    Dag and the others stood still, trying to look and understand what he was doing, while the magician continued to search for a specific page that would bring to their attention.


    Although Kranus was very quick in his movements, Dag still managed to catch a glimpse of something on a page, discovering that even that book, which looked ancient, was not written in elder futhark, but in some other language that probably only a native Krypstorm inhabitant could understand.


    At one point, suddenly, the magician stopped and when he found the right page, he turned the book toward his guests, allowing them to look.


    The left page was completely written and therefore indecipherable, but on the right one, there was a single big image, clearly hand-drawn and slightly blurred due to time.


    In the image, a large crystal of pseudo spherical shape was painted in the center of the page and below it, smaller, there were 6 planets.


    "What?... I don''t understand..." Dag whispered, reflecting aloud and trying to interpret the full meaning of the image, in which there were also several words written in the ancient language.

 446 CDXLVI. The Author

    Continuing to observe the details, he noticed that above the gem that represented the Crystal of Fire, there was another kind of planet, with rays that sprung up around its surface.


    "Wait... this means that... the source of energy from which the Crystal of Fire draws its power is... the Sun! The real Sun! How the fuck is that possible?! It was destroyed a long time ago!"


    "I knew you''d get there on your own... you look like a smart guy, Dag from Earth. However, what you have discovered is not properly correct: the Crystal of Fire does not draw its power from the Sun... it is the Sun!"


    The faces of the three warriors in front of him became instantly confused before Dag once again said: "what?!"


    "I don''t know how it''s possible, but inside the red gem you own, there''s a fragment of what you Earthlings called Sun. It''s written down here" Kranus said again, pointing to a line in the text of the page next to the image and translating its meaning aloud.


    "And so it was done... on the most brutal day of days... during which a fragment of the Great Star that bore life, was stolen and secured without the knowledge of commanders and advisers... and it is in the Crystal that that flame lies... which is not the result of the explosion, but is the ''Sun'' itself."


    "And this inscription? This one over the Crystal! Can you confirm that this is the same gem that is embedded in the Giantbane, the weapon forged by Weland?" Dag asked, who still couldn''t sit back and stay calm.


    Kranus nodded, confirming the young Master''s doubt.


    Dag immediately detached his axe from the belt and placed it on the table, trying to notice some details he had never seen.


    The ice wizard approached him, admiring the magnificence of the weapon and contemplating its virtues.


    Right in its center of gravity, between the handle and the beginning of the triangle-shaped blade, which widened outward, there was the metal head of the deer, complete with horns that adorned part of the weapon.


    "Its eyes. The gem is in its eyes" Dag said, pointing to Kranus the source of Giantbane''s power, blindly trusting his judgment after that incredible explanation.


    Egill and Reidar approached the table to help their Warchief locate some small details he may have missed in the past.


    Kranus approached the deer''s head, noting that the Crystal of Fire, in reality, had not been divided into two smaller crystals, but was still a single piece, embedded under the metal structure that constituted the animal''s face, explicitly requested by Brann.


    "Easy?" Reidar asked, referring to their battle against Weland, who for one tried to kill them.


    "Don''t get me wrong, of course it wasn''t easy! We had to defeat a God and hundreds of other different enemies to get that far... but what I''m saying is... that since I was a child, I have always felt compelled to take that axe and find out more about Brann, as if my fate had already been written. It can''t be a coincidence, I can''t believe it! Who could have studied all this? Who could have considered every event, every detail that led me to discover the truth about a relic I already own?!" Dag continued, looking into Egill''s eyes, who for the first time did not know what to answer.


    "The fact that you already have it in your hands is a very important thing, boy. Imagine if the Crystal of Fire had fallen into the wrong hands... imagine if someone else had known about its power and lost it forever... we would have lost the only chance we have of defeating the Frostsinners!" Kranus replied, after being careful with Dag''s outburst, trying to interpret every single word of his.


    Dag did not answer and continued to browse the book, in search of other answers, under the eyes of Kranus, who allowed him to consult the ancient text without objecting.


    "An author... this book must have an author, right? Who is he?! Where do I find his name?" the young Master asked the mage.


    "There isn''t one, boy. The author is unknown and it seems that this book has no other copy. As you can see, it''s written entirely by hand and whoever wrote it, it doesn''t seem to be an academic... I can tell you this because his writing style and the way he wrote some letters are very different from the usual, I''ll show you what I''m talking about" Kranus continued, taking a random book from his bookshelf, opening it, and resting it next to the first.


    At that point, Egill approached Dag and personally checked whether the Giants of Ymir chief''s statement was true, comparing the two writing styles.


    "Actually, uppercase letters and even some types of words are completely different between the two books. This one that speaks of the Crystal of Fire, in particular, seems written by an inexperienced author... look here, Dag... there are words that have been deleted and rewritten as if the writer did not know the language very well. They''re trivial spelling mistakes" the Master of Healing exclaimed, who in a matter of seconds made a careful analysis of the text and managed to get all those details.


    "He is an enemy of the Xis" Dag said, without contextualizing his statement.

 447 CDXLVII. A Star To Resurrec

    "What? Who?" Kranus asked, who wanted to know his opinion.


    "The author of this book. He or she was definitely an enemy of the Frostsinners, otherwise, he wouldn''t have enclosed all this important information in here. But if everything was written from the beginning... why me?! Why is it up to me to handle this heavy burden? I''m just one of the many Earthlings that have been sent here, what''s wrong with me?" Dag continued, putting his hands in his hair and squeezing his brains, failing to reason lucidly because of the agitation of his recent discoveries.


    "I think you already know the answer, within you. Until the instant before you faced Trako, I thought you were just a kid full of himself... but your powers... you''re the only one who can manipulate the Dark Matter, like a real Frostsinner. This makes you the only warrior worthy of fulfilling the prophecy described in the book" the Ice Mage replied, attempting to reason with Dag.


    "What else does it say? Does it describe the person who will use the Fire Crystal? What''s it like? Does the description match me?"


    "No, it doesn''t describe anything. It only says that a group of warriors from Earth will succeed in putting a stop to the domination of the Frostsinners and restoring peace, resurrecting the Sun and again fueling life on Earth."


    "Resurrect the Sun? Not even the greatest magician of all time could do such a thing! And then, from the drawing I saw just now, it seems that the Crystal allows you to travel only between the six planets created by the Xis! How can you recreate a star that died so many years ago out of thin air?"


    "Even this is not explicitly explained... but there is only one possible solution" Kranus continued, resting his hand on the handle of the Giantbane.


    Dag lifted his axe and looked again carefully at the red crystal embedded in the deer''s eyes.


    "How does it work... I want to know how."


    "Keep flipping through the book..."


    The young Master obeyed without complaints and a few pages after the first figure, another one caught his attention.


    This time, the crystal depicted was not just one, but there were six identical to the first, next to each other, with the Sun above them, as in the previous image and a single planet below.


    "What does it say here? What are these other gems? More crystals? You said there were no such powerful relics!" Dag asked, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.


    Kranus placed his hand full of wrinkles and scars on the dusty sheet of the book and with his finger, pointed one by one at the six crystals.


    "Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Darkness. This is what is written under the six crystals" the magician replied, with a solemn air.


    Dag did not comment simply limiting himself to look at the image, carefully studying every detail, knowing that in the future he would not have that book available again.


    "Yes, it says that this is Earth" Kranus replied, without adding his personal remarks.


    "Now it''s all clear..." Dag answered, putting the Giantbane back in its place and detaching himself from the table, beginning to walk in a circle in the room.


    Egill and Reidar looked at him and the picture on the book, trying to share his intuition, but nothing happened.


    Kranus did the same, but after a detailed analysis of that particular image, he confessed: "In this book, it''s only written that there are 6 relics, one for each element. The book does not explain where they are, nor the function that the Earth has in all this. What did you understand, Dag?"


    "Is it possible that after all this time spent studying that text, you still haven''t been able to see the truth behind it? It''s shocking, but what we thought impossible, maybe one day could become reality..."


    "Dag, Reidar and I aren''t understanding what you''re referring to... please explain it to us too! Curiosity is killing us!" Egill said, who for the first time had not had an intuition in record time, unlike Dag, who because of his active and focused mind of that moment, had managed to interpret the secret hidden behind those images.


    "There are six elements and crystals, as are the planets... six. It means that there is a relic on each planet" the young Master said confidently, standing with his arms crossed.


    "One on each planet? How can you be sure?!" Kranus asked suddenly, that from that moment on, was astonished more than Dag, who within minutes had deciphered the riddle he had been working on for a lifetime.


    "Not only that. From the last image I understood a fundamental thing for the fulfillment of this kind of prophecy... only when all six crystals will be gathered, it will be possible to travel to the seventh planet, Earth!"


    Silence fell back into the room and all three of his interlocutors turned again to the table, starting to look at the image and flipping through the other pages of the book, which did not seem to be so important and were poor in illustrative figures.


    "That is the prophecy! The author of the book is explaining how to defeat the Xis and drive them out of Earth forever! You were telling me that, according to the text, it is possible to resurrect the Sun thanks to my red gem, right?" Dag asked to Kranus, expecting confirmation.


    "Uhm... yes, it says so..."


    "So, if the final destination of all this is planet Earth... this means that the rebirth of the Sun must take place right there, having defeated the Xis and reunited all six elements! Hahaha! Fuck yes, now it makes sense! Don''t you understand?! The Frostsinners can really be defeated! And it''s all thanks to this mysterious author, or perhaps a group of people who have devised this complex plan, who knows!" Dag continued, laughing with joy, happy to have understood the secret message, which had just given a new meaning to his life as a warrior.

 448 CDXLVIII. The Ultimate Mission

    "I''m stunned, Dag. I didn''t think a young guy like you could in such a short time decipher such a complicated message in a book¡­ also because that was impossible for you to read! I never thought about all these possibilities... six crystals, six planets. It''s a pretty simple formula, just that... the real problem is how they can be reunited. How long will it take to find all five other relics? Months, maybe years" Kranus said, who after congratulating Dag, began to be pessimistic, thinking that that prophecy, even if it was real, would probably be unfeasible.


    "Commander Kranus is right, Dag. How long would it take to find all the crystals and put them together in one place? You should travel between planets..." Egill added.


    As soon as he heard those words, Dag looked up at him, and his eyes lit up with joy.


    "Travelling between planets... sure! It''s up to me to accomplish this feat! Surely every relic will be in someone''s hands... a warrior, a normal citizen... never mind! My unique mission will be to find these people and explain to them that together we can finally end the era of the Xis! I''m sure all of them will agree to help me!"


    "Wouldn''t it be easier if you take all those crystals by force? Boy, I''ve seen you fight, and I doubt anyone can defeat you. You could challenge every Crystal owner to a duel to the death until you get them all" Kranus said, without thinking too much about the consequences that such a rash gesture would have.


    "I don''t think my body would be able to carry and manage all that energy... we''re talking about six different elements, I''m definitely going to need someone to help me in this mission. If this book doesn''t have any copies, as you say, this means that only we know the truth. It won''t be easy to convince inhabitants of other planets to trust a total stranger, but I can''t die without trying!" Dag exclaimed again, clenching his fists and charging his morale.


    The conversation between the four warriors continued until late afternoon, and the Sun began to disappear behind the high peaks that sprung up at the end of the frozen plain when Dag, Egill, and Reidar left Kranus''s private room, followed them to accompany them to the exit.


    Once again, all the soldiers were astonished to see their commander speak so closely to strangers, but they pretended nothing, letting them pass right in front of their eyes.


    "So, gentlemen... that''s the deal. You will return to your Fort and tomorrow I will come to see you. Together we will decide on an action plan against the Claws Of Fenrir, who these days will surely be preparing an attack on our Clan, considering the latest clashes that have occurred not too far from here. I will make sure that you will be under our protection full-time, I swear it in the name of our new friendship" Kranus said, approaching with them at the stable where the horses were tied.


    "Perfect, I will respect your will. Have a good trip."


    Dag and his companions thanked Kranus for the welcome, even though they got started off with the wrong foot and then headed for Tungvek''s exit, where the guards opened the door to let them through without any problems, having become accustomed to their faces.


    "Captain, what are we going to do now?" Reidar asked as he rode his horse next to him, having been silent the whole time.


    "What do you mean? You heard what we said, tomorrow Kranus will come to the Fort and..."


    "No, I mean... what are you going to do? We have discovered that there is a remote possibility to face our true enemies... you''ve been telling me about it since we first met, and yet now I see you very calm. What do you have in mind, Captain?


    Dag smiled, looking forward, and also feeling Egill''s eyes on him, intrigued by the subject.


    "It''s true, the news we''ve learned has been incredible, every time I''ll think again about the Xis and the Earth, I''ll do it with a different mindset. But I feel happy, relieved. Finally, for the first time in my life I know what to do, I have a real purpose! Don''t worry, Reidar, I will not leave you at the mercy of Krypstorm, it would be a suicide. Traveling between planets is not something that can be decided lightly, it takes proper preparation, which will take its time" he replied, continuing to smile at his friend.


    Reidar, though he did not want to point it out, felt relieved, after believing for a moment that his Captain, after learning that information, would leave immediately.


    "Let''s think about the good things, guys! Today''s meeting was very useful, again, Dag had a brilliant idea! Who would have expected Kranus, the leader of the ruthless Ice Giants, to be a man open to dialogue? And how could we know that he had so much crucial information? You had a very good intuition, Dag" Egill interjected, trying to emphasize the positives of the diplomatic mission, using his innate optimism.


    "Having such powerful allies in this unknown territory was the best thing that could happen to us, my friends. My intuition has been right, it''s true, but I have also had a lot of luck. Anyway, maybe with their help, we can find Claire. I avoided saying it openly because otherwise Kranus would have thought I was weak. By maintaining a high profile, I was able to impose my ideas and now he considers us allies" Dag replied, adding his personal thoughts to the Master Of Healing speech.

 449 CDXLIX. I Know You Too Well

    "Good job, Dag."


    "Yes, Captain... no one could have done better."


    ...


    After half an hour of travel, the three warriors arrived safely at the refuge and the small walls of the fort seemed even lower after seeing with their own eyes the interior of the majestic Tungvek.


    As they had already imagined, all the soldiers and Masters who had returned to Fort Hvit were waiting for them impatiently in the palace, curious about the outcome of the mission.


    After entering and tying the horses, Dag and the others immediately entered the palace, to warm their cold and tired bodies from the journey.


    The first to welcome Dag was Thalos, who as soon as he saw him, began to smell his pants and boots, realizing that he had been to new places, in the company of strangers.


    "Hey, Thalos! Hello, buddy! I''m sorry you didn''t come, you would have loved Tungvek!" he said, leaning down to the wolf and stroking his snout.


    Within minutes, the three warriors were completely surrounded by all the soldiers, who began to assault them with questions.


    Trying to be as short and concise as possible, Dag explained that the peace agreement with Kranus had been successful and that the fight they had witnessed was just a test of strength, as Freydis had guessed, who had promptly reported her impressions to Gridd, who at that time was listening to her brother, hanging from his lips.


    While he and Egill talked about Tungvek and how beautiful and civilized it was, the Hunters Of Ullr made a displeased expression, which was immediately noticed by Dag.


    "We also didn''t think it was possible that a Clan as ruthless as the Giants of Ymir could live in such a beautiful city. We were as amazed as you are right now, believe me" he added, specifically addressing Orvar and Skaldr, who didn''t seem thrilled with the news.


    After more than an hour of talking without ever stopping, Dag and Reidar were the first to feel sleepy while their eyelids began to become heavy.


    Egill continued to talk, discussing the details with Kjell and Sander, without telling anything about the incredible discovery they had made that morning, in Kranus''s private room, and at that moment, Dag approached Freydis as every night and grabbed her hand, implicitly asking her to go to sleep with him, upstairs.


    Once inside the room full of straw on the floor, the two lay down next to each other, as they used to do after a long, busy day.


    "You have nothing to say, Freydis? You were very quiet tonight... "Usually, when we don''t see each other for a whole day, you fill me with questions" Dag asked, looking at her face, while she already had her eyes closed.


    "You have told many things... but I''m sure you didn''t say everything" the girl replied, smiling slightly.


    At those words, Dag swallowed empty, incredulous that his woman had discovered his omission of information.


    "Eeeh, Dag... I know you too well. And the answer you just gave me confirms my doubts. Anyway, I don''t care about this stuff, if there''s anything we don''t need to know, I''m sure there''s a reason behind it. Remember, I trust you, you don''t have to keep secrets with me, okay?" she said, opening her big brown eyes suddenly and looking at Dag, who was not prepared for that gaze and couldn''t hold back an expression of terror, followed by an awkward smile.


    "It''s nothing concrete, Freydis. As things get more defined, you''ll be the first to know, as always. You''ve always been my point of reference, if I didn''t tell you everything, I''d feel incomplete" he continued, trying to use romance to make his girlfriend forget the thing, but she was too shrewd for these pitfalls.


    "Don''t worry. Now rest. Tomorrow will be another very busy day. Things are going well Dag and all thanks to you, once again" she replied, snuggling in his arms, her head resting on his chest and ending the conversation.


    Dag did not answer and reciprocated the embrace, stroking her hair and beginning to think, summarizing recent events.


    "Weland, why didn''t you tell me anything? And yet you seemed so sincere! I doubt you didn''t know that that gem was actually the Cristal Of Fire... why did the lord of the ice giants Ymir know all this and the Gods of Asgard didn''t? This doesn''t make any sense..." he thought, holding his girlfriend tight and feeling the warmth of her body, held back by the thick blankets of mutton fur.


    Just as his eyes were closing, other soldiers entered the shared room and with them, Gridd, who lay down next to their bedside and looked at her brother, noting that he was still awake despite being late.


    "Hey!" she smiled softly, not to wake Freydis, who was already soundly asleep.


    "Hey..." Dag said, who, like the last few times he had a conversation with his sister, felt inexplicably embarrassed.


    Immediately after that greeting, he closed his eyes, pretending to be too tired to stay awake and to avoid talking to Gridd, who would surely ask him for uncomfortable details.


    With a slightly ajar eye, he resisted the temptation to spy on his sister as she took off the top of her leather armor, which served during the day to protect her from the cold.


    The usual linen blouse below, this time was slightly unbuttoned in the front and one of her breasts, when she grabbed her blanket and pulled it upwards, came out of the shirt, a few seconds before being covered by fur.


    Dag sighed and Gridd''s gaze fell on him, who immediately closed his eyes, without turning the other way, so as not to wake Freydis.

 450 CDL. The Chromed Army

    Resisting the embarrassment, the two fell asleep, while the faint light of candles on the shelf of the room illuminated the white stone walls.


    ...


    "Daaag!"


    "Daag, wake up!"


    "Captain, wake up, quickly!"


    Several voices called Dag from all directions, infusing agitation into the air.


    "Uhm... what... what''s going on?" he said, slowly opening his sleepy eyes and discovering that Freydis was not lying next to him.


    "You will never believe who is right outside the gates of the Fort! You have to come and see with your own eyes, brother!" Gridd exclaimed, who along with Reidar, Egill and Freydis was in front of him and called him insistently.


    "Mmh... okay, all right... I''m still very sleepy, but I''ll get up anyway. Just give me a moment" he whispered, resting his head again on the straw pillow and yawning, looking at the ceiling.


    After less than a minute, despite the morning cold outside the warm winter blankets, Dag got up and walked downstairs, intending to leave the building.


    He noticed with astonishment that there were not even one of his warriors inside the building, not even an archer of the Hunters Of Ullr, and this was a rather strange thing, considering that the dawn had only passed for a few minutes and that the Sun had not yet risen completely.


    As soon as he went down the stairs, the inevitable Thalos was there, standing still waiting for his master, as a faithful good friend.


    "My friend, you''re the only one waiting for me, thank you! What''s going on? Who''s there?" he asked as if the wolf could answer him.


    When he walked out the door of the palace, he noticed that almost all the guests of the Fort were gathered on the front walls, attached to each other.


    "Master Dag! We await your order to open the gate! All the other Masters have already given their permission, only yours is missing!" Terje exclaimed, who along with the other soldiers next to him, had a happy expression on his face.


    "But why doesn''t anyone want to tell me what''s going on? Damn, I''m going to have to go up there!" Dag said jokingly, stretching his sore muscles and climbing the ladder leading to the top of the observation tower.


    Gridd, Egill, Reidar, and Freydis made room to let him pass, while he out of the corner of his eye noticed that on the other tower, the one on the other side of the door, there were Sander, Kjell, and all the others, with their gaze pointed downwards and his face smiling.


    Without saying anything and intrigued to look at what was more important than his sleep and also attracted so much the attention of his companions, he looked in front of him.


    An entire army of men on horseback and with shining armor was at the foot of the fort, led by three men, positioned before all the others.


    The only things that differentiated one warrior from another were the weapons, which were all different.


    Even the horses, of different colors, were all arranged in neat rows and did not move an inch without the explicit command of their knights.


    Dag''s gaze, after briefly analyzing the men of that army of about 50 units, fell on the three figures that guided them.


    Two men slightly further forward and another further back.


    All three of their horses were decidedly different from the others, much bigger and muscled, particularly that of the man in the second row, who was an all-white stallion covered with a gold armor, which protected his neck and front legs.


    The man riding the white horse had a glitzy armor, also completely golden, with a red cloak hanging on one side, resting on the back of his steed.


    Even his boots, such as the chainmail under the armor and gloves, were made of the same material, which judging by how it shone under the dim sunlight that was about to rise was definitely pure gold.


    "But who the fuck are these? What are they doing here at Fort Hvit?" Dag asked, but before his teammates could answer, one of the two men in the front row yelled: "You''re Master Dag, I suppose!"


    Dag did not immediately respond, and with a confused expression, he studied the indistinct figure who had just called his name.


    Unlike the man in the second row, the two on the frontline rode two black horses, their hooves partially covered with a smooth fur of the same color and wearing leather-colored armor with small metal spikes on the necks and on the end of their backs, above the tails.


    All these characteristics gave those two horses a much more menacing appearance than the others, and even their owners did not seem to be people of good manners.


    "So what?! Is it you Master Dag or not?!" the man replied, shouting Dag''s name and looking up at him, with a long black beard hanging over his petrol-colored armor.


    "Yes, it''s me! And who are you?" he asked, not trusting all those men, who being so many, could have put his soldiers in serious trouble.


    The man, before answering, looked at the warrior beside him, the one on the other black horse, and began to laugh out of control.


    "Dag, what the fuck are you saying? Is it possible that you still don''t understand who they are?!" Gridd said in a low voice, who took advantage of the hustle and bustle to speak in his brother''s ear and prevent him from saying nonsense.


    "Insolent of a Master! Exile must have made you lose your brain! How dare you ask for our identity! Your colleagues were waiting for your order to open the gates to your King, King Einar!" the guard yelled again, beginning to lose patience.

 451 CDLI. The Escor

    "What?! King Einar?!" Dag thought, who, having never met him in person, had no idea what he might look like.


    "How did you not understand it right away? He''s the man in the golden armor! Dag, we have to open the gates right now, I don''t think they have bad intentions!"


    "Yes, Captain... maybe they came all the way here to congratulate us!"


    Freydis and Reidar urged Dag to give the order, and he, who had not yet realized what was going on, having just woken up, exclaimed: "I apologize, I have never met King Einar before, I had not recognized his armor. Prudence is never too much in these frozen lands! Soldiers, open the gates, let our King and his men in, hurry!"


    Dag''s tone calmed the two men, who appeared to be the King''s personal escort, who until then had not said a word and keeping the same tidy row, all of them entered the gate, accessing the Fort.


    When everyone was inside, Dag and the other Masters lined up in front of the palace door and their soldiers positioned behind them, trying to stay as composed as possible, not expecting a visit of that caliber.


    "Please, my gentlemen! Give your horses to our men, they will tie them to the stable with those of your warriors!" Sander exclaimed, who approached one of the King''s two guards and offered him his help to settle down.


    "Thank you, Master Sander. What happened to your leg?" the man replied, recognizing Sander''s face even though he had not seen him for many years.


    "Thank you for the question, my lord, but nothing serious... just a little bump in the road!" the Crows Of Odin''s Master of Defense replied, behaving like a submissive guy in front of those men.


    Watching that scene and the King''s men slowly taking a stand within the walls, lining up neatly along with them, Dag stood still and watched King Einar, who had not moved since he entered.


    Something soft touched his hand and as soon as the young Master looked down, he noticed that Thalos had sat next to him, having perceived that those men were strangers.


    Gridd, Egill, and the other Masters stood in line, leaving Dag to the central position, which made everyone guess his leadership role.


    When all the horses were massed in the stable, which fortunately had been expanded a few days earlier, increasing its capacity, King Einar got off his horse and immediately, one of the soldiers grabbed the reins, stroking him and staying besides him.


    As soon as they saw him standing, both Dag and his companions, who had never seen the King, were breathless, noting that he was more than two meters tall and that in front of him, his mighty guards looked like two little girls.


    Einar stopped, without even taking off his helmet and without uttering a word.


    Seeing that scene and realizing that there was no joke with those people, everyone immediately knelt down, while Dag took a few more seconds, looking at the Shieldmaiden and sighing deeply, to hold back the anger that arose from the fact that he hated anyone who hurt a woman.


    "What is it, kid? Do you have any objections?!" the other guard yelled, approaching his face a few inches from Dag''s, who could even perceive the stench of his breath and did not respond to provocation.


    "Well... you see that your permanence here has made you savages without rules! Show respect to the ruler of the two kingdoms, because you''re keeping to walk on his land!" the first guard continued, who between the two men seemed to be the meanest.


    After those words, Einar raised his hand, ordering silence, and everyone immediately obeyed.


    With his other hand, in the next instant, he pointed to the other guard, permitting him to speak.


    "Of course, sir... Master Dag, Master Egill, Master Gridd, Master Kjell, Master Sander! With your reckless act, you have committed an act of further treason against the King, venturing unannounced to Krypstorm and leaving your Clans uncovered, unbalancing the military forces that protect the crown against the enemy Clans, who at this time could attack the capital at any moment. Therefore, your representative, that is, the warrior with the highest charge among you, is obliged to apologize to King Einar and to subject himself and all his men to the punishment that will be decided!" the man yelled, speaking as if he knew that speech by heart, having repeated it several times.


    Silence fell between the soldiers and the other guard approached Egill, saying politely: "Master Egill... I''m sorry, but it''s your turn this time..."


    Egill looked up at the man and then lowered his gaze, resting his hand on Dag''s shoulder, who took courage and stepped forward, leaving the newcomers open-mouthed.


    "What?! Is this a joke?! I''m sure the kid just became Master! My colleague said ''the one with the highest charge among you''!" the first guard exclaimed, mocking Dag, who respectfully, keeping his eyes down, replied: "Master Egill heard well. I am your man."


    "Grr... we have just arrived at this place forgotten by the world and I am already tired of your insolence! Well then, present your charge before your King!"


    Dag took another step forward, ordering Thalos to stay by Gridd and getting closer and closer to King Einar, whose shadow was so large that it covered Dag''s entire body.


    "Welcome to Krypstorm, King Einar. I am Dag, Master Of Offense of the Hammers Of Thor and Warchief of the Iron Alliance" he said, in an earnest and solemn tone, raising his head and looking into the King''s eyes, showing that he felt no fear.


    The golden helmet completely covered the King''s face: from two holes of slightly tapered shape he could see the brown eyes of the King, whose gaze crossed with that of Dag.

 452 CDLII. The Royal Presence

    The rest of the helmet was quite classic and the shape thinned slightly at the cheeks, while on the head there were two long horns, pointed upwards, which seemed to belong to a bull or something similar.


    The mouth and lower part of the face were covered with a golden plate, which made it unrecognizable.


    "Iron... what? What the hell are you talking about? There is no Clan with that name! Are you making fun of your King? I can make you swallow your own tongue in an instant if..."


    The guard drew a sword and pointed it at Dag''s neck, when the King''s enormous hand rested on his chest, stopping him and pushing it slightly backward.


    "I humbly apologize, my King" the guard replied, before returning behind him in silence and looking down.


    Immediately after that episode, Einar grabbed the large helmet with both of his hands and pulled it upwards, finally showing his face.


    The sunlight immediately illuminated his thick red hair, which fluttered in the wind and his beard, of the same color, tied in two braids closed by two gold rings, similar to those of Master Sander.


    On the King''s eye was a red leather bandage, the same shape as the one worn by Odin according to legend.


    Although his face was almost completely covered with scars, summed up by a thousand past battles, it expressed goodness and serenity.


    While Dag was lost examining the facial details of the King he had waited so much to meet in the past, something caught his eye.


    *bzzzzzz*bzzzzzz*bzzzzzz*


    He felt a strong vibration coming from his chest, so loud that it emitted a slight noise.


    "Fuck, it''s the Bjelke Sphere! It vibrates so hard because the emblem n¡ã1 is right in front of me!" Dag thought, who immediately detached his pendant from his neck and put it in his pocket, so as not to be disturbed again.


    "Forgive my guards, Master Dag... they just can''t be kinder to our allies. The pleasure is mine... I''m Einar, nice to meet you" the King said, who unexpectedly held out a hand to the young Master, under the incredulous gaze of all present, who considered that gesture sacrilegious, being for them King Einar the closest living being to a God.


    Dag, without thinking twice, shook his hand, which was so big that he almost completely wrapped his wrist.


    "The King just shook my hand... how is that possible? He''s trying to make me feel comfortable. It''s so weird" he thought again, masking his thoughts under a smile.


    Immediately after the handshake, the two continued the formal discourse.


    "So... what is this Iron Alliance you just talked about?" Einar asked, crossing his arms, in a friendly tone.


    "The Iron Alliance is the union of three Okstorm Clans and one from Krypstorm and it was born of my idea" Dag said briefly, not considering the Giants Of Ymir as real allies.


    Dag hesitated a moment before the answer, not knowing whether to tell the truth or not because any excuse invented at that time would completely lose his credibility of Warchief before Skjold''s highest charge.


    "My vision of things may seem alien to all of you, but... we founded our alliance to stop fighting unnecessary wars between Clans and begin to explore new lands, learn new languages and new fighting styles... with the ultimate aim of taking part to the greatest battle the human race has ever fought, the battle against the Frostsinners" Dag said, as a drop of sweat slipped from his forehead, despite the penetrating cold.


    "Hahahaha! Did you hear that?! Against the Frostsinners! Hahaha! The kid wants to defeat the aliens!"


    "Hahaha! I''ve never heard this before!"


    Some of the soldiers behind the King began to laugh after those words, mocking Dag and his speech and certain that he was saying a flood of meaningless things.


    "My King, I would like to point out that all these men, including my Masters colleagues, followed me of their own accord, without any kind of forcing. Besides, my Warchief title was given to me by them and I kept it by facing them in a duel. It''s all written on the official contract that governs the formal union of our Clans" Dag continued, showing Einar his preparation on the subject and the fact that everything had been done in broad daylight, bound by specific rules.


    "So I''d like to take a look at this contract, if it''s possible" King Einar replied, keeping the same smile drawn on his face.


    "Of course. Gridd!" Dag called, knowing that his sister was holding the only signed copy of the contract.


    She entered the palace and after a few minutes of waiting, characterized by a chilling silence, came out again and gave it to Dag, who handed it over to the King.


    Careful not to crumple that large parchment, Einar untied the rope that held it tied and without saying a word, he read the contents all in one breath.


    "I must say that the rules you have structured are clear and precise and I note that the agreement was accepted by as many as 3 Clans... there are the signatures of the Masters of the Crows Of Odin, Hammers Of Thor and Sons Of Freya" Einar reported, as the two guards behind him continued to watch with unwarranted anger Dag and the others, labeling them offenders to be punished.


    "Yes, that''s correct, my lord. Also, a few days ago, another Clan joined us. Orvar, Skaldr, come forward" Dag said, calling the two hunters to check-in.


    Both stepped forward, their heads bowed toward the King, though they had barely heard of him, who had set foot at Krypstorm that day for the first time.


    "They are two Masters of the Hunters Of Ullr, one of Krypstorm''s now extinct Clans and they own this Fort. They offered us refuge and were fundamental in our survival" Dag continued, who after those words, thought about where all those men had moored the boat, imagining that they had not faced any kind of enemy en route.

 453 CDLIII. The Offense Against The Crown

    The King''s soldiers, after hearing ''Hunters Of Ullr'', began to murmur something, incredulous to find themselves in front of survivors of one of the Clans who had been erased forever from the face of the planet.


    "This is amazing. I myself knew nothing of their existence. And tell me, Hunters Of Ullr... why have you stayed here in Krypstorm so long? I guess you don''t have many warriors... you could have tried to travel to Okstorm and start again with a new life. It would have been enough for you to come to the capital and ask for my help" the King exclaimed, rolling up and closing the parchment and then handing it over to Dag.


    "Sir, please don''t mistake the truth for insolence, but... as you Okstorm men, don''t have much information about Krypstorm, so we who have been living in these lands since we were born, never thought of migrating away, not least because we didn''t know Okstorm had a King" Orvar confessed, trying to tell the truth in a way that would not offend the sensibilities of men in front of him.


    "What did he say?!"


    "They didn''t even know of the existence of King Einar!"


    "It''s really true what they say about them... they''re savages!"


    "Yes, they are not real Vikings... they are more like beasts than warriors..."


    The soldiers of the chromed army continued to chat aloud, with the blatant aim of openly mocking the Hunters Of Ullr and all the inhabitants of the Fort, without respect.


    The King did not reproach this rude way of doing and merely ignored their words, responding calmly: "There is no need to justify¡­ it is never too late to start again. When we''re done here, you''ll have a chance to come with us to Okstorm... this is a personal favor from your King."


    Orvar and Skaldr looked down again, without explicitly answering and went back to their respective positions, while Dag observed their behavior, happy that they were polite as gentlemen towards those who had never been interested in their needs and had never even heard of them.


    "So, letting go of these lesser details. Master Dag, as the leader of these warriors, you''ll take full responsibility for your actions. Traveling here to Krypstorm and deprive Okstorm of his strongest warriors, you committed a serious offense against the crown and therefore, you will have to be punished, as well as the other Masters who have accepted your agreement" King Einar ordered, who immediately changed his expression, becoming serious.


    "What?!" Gridd exclaimed, who did not think the King could make such a cruel decision without even allowing them to justify their choices.


    "My lord... maybe I didn''t explain myself well... these men followed me of their own accord, according to a peaceful agreement that..."


    "There is no agreement!" Einar interrupted, raising his voice and opening his eyes wide as if until then he had held back the anger and now was about to explode.


    "There''s no royal seal on that scroll you showed me, which means it''s just waste paper! It has no value! Your alliance cannot exist without my permission! You dared to travel out of the allowed territories without referring it to your King!" Einar yelled again, as his bodyguards giggled, imagining that Dag and the others were doomed.


    "King Einar, maybe there must have been a misunderstanding... the young Dag tried to explain our situation starting with the Iron Alliance, but there''s so much more he should tell. He omitted important details, such as the fact that before leaving for Krypstorm we saved and secured the shores of Runar after they had suffered an attack from the Giants Of Ymir. Dag, showing incredible courage, managed to defeat by himself dozens and dozens of enemy giants, saving the villages of the region and preventing the enemies from being able to attack Skjegg! It''s also revenge that pushed us beyond our sea!" Sander said, entering the conversation and trying to take advantage of the fact that he knew the King personally.


    "That doesn''t make your betrayal less serious, Sander. I''m very sorry for you too... I didn''t think a warrior with your story and experience would agree to follow a guy to fight enemies against whom it''s impossible to win. Not to mention you, Egill... look what you have become..." the King replied, looking at the two older Masters from top to bottom.


    The blood in Dag''s veins began to boil.


    "But how dare this fellow judge what we have done for the nation?! It''s only because of us that no other innocents died! It is only thanks to us that a delegation from Okstorm has been able to land on these lands, unexplored for centuries! He spoke about rules, but with what courage can he criticize us if he has always been absent?! It all happened before his eyes... the creation of the Iron Alliance, the fights for the title of Warchief, the wars between hostile Clans... and what does he do? Does he remember just now our existence?! That''s not fair!" he thought, clenching his fists and trying to hold back the anger.


    Gridd was the first to notice that her brother was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and grabbed his wrist, trying to calm him down and preventing him from doing something he would regret.


    "If I may say so, my lord... as Sander also said, our decision to explore Krypstorm stems from a series of events, it wasn''t taken lightly. I ask you to allow Master Dag to explain to you what happened in detail... I''m sure this would change your conception of seeing things! In addition to being the strongest and most promising warrior I have known in my life, Dag comes from Earth and knows the Frostsinners very well. Thanks to his visions and his sense of belonging to this world, he opened our eyes to the truth! Moreover, one of his first concerns was the crown. He made it clear to us all, right from the start, that this agreement had nothing to do with the King and that the Crown would always be above everything" Egill said, who, with his skillful way of doing, spoke a few seconds more than the others without being interrupted by anyone.

 454 CDLIV. Take The Credi

    Einar remained silent and looked at Dag, who, after concentrating without speaking, assumed a quiet and peaceful expression.


    "My allegiance to the Crown has never been questioned, King Einar... anyone among my men can confirm that. We''ve lost a lot of soldiers to get here, and our exploration is making incredibly huge signs of progress. To interrupt everything would mean having wasted precious lives" Dag said, breaking the silence.


    Immediately after speaking, a thin ray of sunshine struck his face, reminding him that the morning had arrived and that Kranus could have arrived at the Fort at any moment.


    "Have you lost men? It is difficult for me to imagine such a thing since we have traveled miles and miles in the middle of nowhere. There was only snow, no kind of enemy. Anyway, thank you for saving innocent lives in Okstorm, thanks to your courage and strength. As a reward for your valiant gesture, I promise you that the explorations at Krysptorm will continue" the King replied.


    Dag sighed with relief.


    "In the next few weeks, I''m going to create a team of experienced warriors, and you can be a part of it. Together, you will occupy this fort and under my command, you will explore these boundless lands a little at a time. You have my word!"


    Dag''s sigh turned into a sense of resignation, after realizing that Einar had not in the least understood that the matter was much more urgent than he imagined.


    "Uhm... my King. Thank you. I thank you from the heart for the possibility that you are giving me, but please, do not force my men to return to Okstorm right now, I need their help!" Dag said, squinting and hoping not to anger his interlocutor.


    "Why do you need them? What are you planning? I demand a more concrete explanation."


    "Since we fought the first battles together, these men and I have become a real family... we protected and helped each other, and each of us has a very specific role here. The threat of the Xis looms over us and only here in Krypstorm can we gather crucial information that would guarantee us victory against them one day. My King, aren''t you sick of seeing the men of your kingdom kill each other in Clan wars? We are Vikings, our most important goal is not to kill and plunder... we are travelers, dreamers! We need to explore what we don''t know, learn, and pass on what we learn to new generations! If we leave Krypstorm now, this desire will be abruptly interrupted and our performance as warriors at the service of the Crown will decline significantly" Dag continued, giving a broader and more ethical speech, seeking to raise awareness of the King.


    Speaking in that way, he tried to make him reflect on the fact that, before him, there were the strongest warriors of his kingdom, all united in pursuit of a single purpose, and that if he forced them to do something against their will, their morale would be irreversibly lowered.


    "No! Absolutely not, my lord! I would never do that! I''m just saying that..."


    "I am King Einar and I am the one who is responsible for reigning over all the lands and inhabitants of the planet. Everything I say is the law! It won''t be a kid''s words that will change my mind. If I have decided so, you will obey my orders, otherwise, the sentence to be served will be much more serious. Believe me, don''t test my patience."


    Although at first, the King seemed to feel a kind of sympathy towards Dag, after half an hour spent conversing, his tones had hardened and everything the young Master told him was immediately misrepresented or misunderstood.


    At that point, with his usual thousand thoughts running through his head, thinking that his departure from Krypstorm during that crucial moment would only delay every event, Dag looked at his companions, not knowing what to do.


    Everyone, even Gridd, and Freydis who were always ready to help him, siding on his side, at that time were with their heads down and a sad expression painted on their faces as if they were children who had just been reprimanded by their parents.


    "You''ve come this far and done a great job. The nation of Okstorm will forever be grateful to you and your men. But now let us handle this, my soldiers will take control of the fort and keep the situation calm and peaceful until I have decided who will be part of the official exploratory team. Your adventurous spirit was vital to me, Master Dag. Thanks to you, I realized that I have to take back what rightly belongs to the Crown... I must recapture all Krypstorm, piece by piece" the King replied, with one hand resting on his chest and his gaze facing the sky as if he was already imagining the victory of his army against the warriors of the land of the perennial ice.


    "But... this assumes that more blood will be shed! It is not necessary to conquer a land that is already under the rule of King Einar, it would be enough only to make himself known and loved by his people! Continuous wars would bring no good, and the Clans of this land would end up to uprise and turn against the crown forces! A lot of innocent citizens would also die!" Dag answered, unable to hold back his dissent, while his companions watched him worried, fearing a drastic reaction from the King.


    "Citizens, more blood spilled... but what do you think, that my kingdom was built with kind words and Hnefatafl games?! Violence is necessary, it is the only way to impose supremacy on a nation of warriors who have lived for hundreds of years in anarchy and exile. I will make Krypstorm a better place, where the only ones who will be allowed to live will be those who want to respect my laws!"

 455 CDLV. I Cant Leave

    "I''m sorry, my King, but I don''t feel the same way. Violence in this case is not necessary, even if it is the quickest means of achieving something. The people who live in Krypstorm don''t know you and don''t know anything about Okstorm! They see our land as a set of enemies of their own, and all this also depends on the fact that the largest and most prosperous cities on the planet are right there, in Okstorm. If there was less disparity¡­ if they too knew their ruler and his laws... I''m sure in a few years things would change and Krypstorm would become a more livable place!" Dag replied, raising his voice to assert his ideas, not intending to accept the King''s verdict without everyone''s approval.


    "People who don''t even know their King''s name deserve to die like animals, alone. I don''t get into that. As their ruler, their cities, their cattle, their resources, even their women and their children, belong to me! And only I can decide what to do with it, is that clear?! Now stop meddling in business that doesn''t concern you, kid... you''ve already done enough!" Einar exclaimed, screaming with arrogance.


    During his words, the two bodyguards rested their hands on their weapons, ready to extract them in case of need, feeling a certain tension in the air.


    "Dag, come on, we have to go..."


    "Yes, Dag. Don''t answer, it''s an order from the King, you know how important his word is... try to think positively: thanks to our mission, the exploration of Krypstorm and other unknown lands will no longer be ignored! Isn''t that great?" Gridd asked, who along with Freydis tried to break off the conversation between Dag and Einar, knowing that the young Master would never give up without a fight.


    Dag looked at the warriors around him and his Masters colleagues, who were already resigned to the idea of leaving the post and leaving it in the hands of the Chromed Army.


    Their faces expressed resignation, knowing that any attempt to convince the King to leave their mission alone would be futile and that abandoning the Fort was the only way not to risk prolonging the sentence they would be forced to serve.


    "Come on, you''ve heard your King! We''ll be leaving in a few hours before sunset! Collect your belongings and hurry! You will follow us to our boat, which can accommodate you all, and with us, you will return to Okstorm!" a guard yelled, approaching the Masters row and ignoring them, speaking directly to the soldiers behind them, who were intimidated and immediately obeyed the orders and entered the palace.


    "Don''t be afraid, my subjects! This is not the end, it''s just the beginning! Thanks to your courage and deeds, you will be welcomed by your Clans as heroes! The bards will sing your stories for decades, and the Gods will honor you with strength and virtue!" King Einar continued, convincing everyone that obeying his orders was the right choice and explaining the reason why.


    Dag put a hand on his head and caught the attention of the wolf, who looked at his master, with a questioning look.


    "I can''t leave."


    "What did you say?" Gridd asked, turning before entering the building and looking at Dag, hoping she hadn''t heard his last words well.


    "I can''t go back to Okstorm now. Not after all the things I''ve known..." he continued, walking with his sister and entering the palace with her, followed by Freydis, Reidar, and Karl, who intrigued, tried to get involved in the conversation.


    "There''s a way to defeat the Frostsinners. In my axe, there is a gem called Crystal of Fire and it is the only weapon that can hurt the leaders of the Xis, giving us humans hope to fulfill the prophecy! I can''t give up the most important mission of our lives!" Dag said when he was sure that no one but members of his team could hear those words.


    "What? What are you talking about? What kind of prophecy?!" Karl asked.


    "Kranus showed me a book... a book without an author, in which a prophecy as old as our world was illustrated... and its main character was me! The Crystal embedded in the Giantbane can make me travel from one planet to another, with the sole purpose of finding the other 5 Crystals, reuniting them, and returning to Earth to revive the Sun! I apologize if I haven''t told you about it before, but I was afraid I''d have more time! I know it may sound nonsense, but it''s all real! And Kranus is the only man I know who has all this crucial information, through which I could finally figure out who I am and fulfill my destiny!" he replied, trying in a few moments to explain such a complex concept.


    "Dag, why didn''t you tell us before? You look crazy, you''re saying too many things at the same time! Are there 5 more crystals on 5 other planets?! Is that so? And what is this story about the Sun?! How can the real Sun be reborn?!" Gridd asked again, to whom all that information was making her brain itchy.


    "And then who told you that all these things are the truth? There''s a chance Kranus is just manipulating you to get your axe, or to... to avenge his son when you least expect it! Stop being unconscious, Dag! Our King himself came all the way here to congratulate us and to bring us back! How can you even think of these things?!" Freydis added, who, with her eyes shining, grabbed her boyfriend''s arm and began to scold him.


    "It''s all real, believe me! 6 Crystals, 6 elements, 6 planets. The Crystal of Fire is nothing more than a fragment of the Sun that once illuminated Earth! I couldn''t believe it too, but that''s true, everything finally makes sense! The King has no idea of all this, he doesn''t know what my plans are!"

 456 CDLVI. Rules Are Rules

    "Tell him then! Tell King Einar about your peaceful agreement with Kranus and explain the question of your weapon!" Gridd replied, begging her brother to listen to her.


    "He would never believe my words... did you see how he treated me in front of all my men? Einar doesn''t care that we''re Okstorm''s strongest warriors... for him, we will always be nothingness, scum whose sole purpose is to carry out his orders without counter-argument!" Dag exclaimed, who was desperately continuing to speak in the hope that his closest friends would understand the importance of that speech.


    "But he''s the king! He owns the emblem n¡ã 1! Rules are rules! You can''t refuse to follow orders, why are you acting like this?! I don''t recognize you anymore!" his sister shouted, beginning to cry and hugging him in fear of his decisions.


    "King Einar just wants to take credit for our work, that''s why he''s here. If he really was interested in anything about us, he''d come to see us much sooner. I don''t want a king like him. I thought he was a righteous man, but he thinks only of his personal gain, treating his subjects like slaves. The emblems can kiss my ass!" he replied at the exact moment a group of his soldiers descended from the stairs from the floor above with their stuff locked in their travel backpacks, ready to go.


    When they heard the heated conversation between their Warchief and his companions, they couldn''t help but stop and listen, interested in the matter.


    "Captain... our soldiers are packing their stuff, they''re all ready to return to Okstorm with the King and his army. What do you have in mind? He doesn''t seem he wants to listen to what you have to say..." Reidar said, who unlike everyone else, as usual, tried to understand his intentions.


    "I never forced anyone to follow me, Reidar. I''m just saying that if we all leave, it''s just going to be an unnecessary waste of time and resources, not to mention Claire and all the other soldiers who aren''t here with us anymore. What if she''s still alive somewhere? What are we going to do? Do we leave her here in Krypstorm? What will you expect when we get home? Nothing! It will all be the same as before and the Iron Alliance will have to cease to exist! Everything we fought for, all the time we spent convincing the members of each Clan to join us... none of this will make any more sense if we come back" Dag replied, making sure his soldiers also listened.


    Continuing to argue with his team, he noticed that many of the troop soldiers came out without ever stopping, while a small group of them gathered by him to hear his words.


    It was as if those warriors hoped their Warchief would find a way to convince King Einar to let them stay.


    "It could take years to find all the Crystals of the elements! I''m already late, Gridd! Look! I''m 18 years old, I can''t wait any longer if I want to lead all human beings to salvation! No one else knows about the prophecy, the book Kranus showed to me, Egill and Reidar has no copy! Do you know what that means?"


    "Yes, it means that no one else, not even someone who lives on another planet can know what is written on it... of course I understood what you mean, you think I''m stupid?!" Gridd said, getting away from her brother''s chest, stepping back and looking him in the eye again.


    "And if no one knows the prophecy, it means that it is up to me to spread this message. No one but me is worthy on this planet to manage such great power, that of the Crystal of Fire!"


    "Crystal of Fire? What is he talking about?"


    "I''ve never heard them talk about anything like that... the Warchief must have discovered something interesting."


    "He also spoke of a prophecy and of Kranus... do you think they have a secret arrangement?"


    As Dag argued animatedly with his sister, his ears bent slightly toward the group of warriors who were still listening to him, just under the staircase.


    His developed instincts allowed him to hear all that those men had said, not being aware of the real reason behind his agitation.


    Before he could continue to speak, something caught their attention: from outside the palace, the loud sound of a war horn echoed within the walls of the Fort, drawing all those present in the outer courtyard.


    Dag and the others went out and noted with regret that all the Masters and Allied Warriors were behind King Einar, ready to go.


    Everyone except Egill, who had been alone in front of the palace door, waiting for Dag and his friends.


    "So? Where is your luggage? We can''t lose all day, we have to leave before the sun sets!" the royal guard yelled, approaching Dag with menacing intent.


    "Come on guys, go get your stuff... when you will be done I will go up to check that I have not forgotten anything" Dag said, addressing his companions and almost ignoring the guard''s words, that noticed his interlocutor''s disinterest.


    Just then, Thalos, seeing the menacing-looking man approach his master, come between the two of them, growling against the guard.


    "Hey! What the hell are you doing, mutt! Get out, get away! Lurid beast, disappear from my sight!" the guard yelled, masking his fear with the unscrupulous use of profanity against Thalos, who continued to growl undaunted.


    "I strongly suggest you not to get closer... Thalos hates it when strangers invade his territory and I don''t know if I''d be able to hold him back" Dag said, smiling mischievously and exploiting the man''s fear to his advantage, making fun of him.

 457 CDLVII. The Snowflake

    The appearance of the wolf, thanks to his size and his long teeth and sharp claws, was incredibly menacing and the guard took two steps back, shaking like a leaf and then pretending nothing.


    Dag''s companions entered the palace again and with much resentment, they headed upstairs to collect their belongings, still failing to realize how it all had happened in such a short time.


    Meanwhile, he looked at Egill, who from the top of his wisdom, was imagining what was in Dag''s head, noting that his gaze was lost in the void, as it happened whenever he was immersed in his thoughts.


    With his unmissable four-legged friend, the one who was once just a mediocre and inexperienced student of his Clan, had now become a true leader, able to lead a small army on another continent, capable of fighting and defeating entire troops of enemies of all sizes and above all able to speak, to be understood by anyone, opening his strong and fearless heart to everyone.


    And precisely on these thoughts, Egill could not hold back a tear, which slowly slipped on his cheek only to get lost in his thick white beard, which almost confused with the walls of Fort Hvit.


    Dag saw the expression of his Master and thought that no one among them could know him better than he did: Egill and Magni had been his mentors, but while Magni had now lived within his soul, being part of him forever, the time spent with Egill seemed to him little.


    The wise Master Of Healing had always supported him and helped him achieve his goals, unlike all the other warriors. After Magni''s death and the battle against the Fangs Of Jormungandr he had immediately become his supporter and had only encouraged him to do more and more.


    And that man so strong and so wise, at that moment was right there, in front of him, showing all his fragility, due to the years he carried on his shoulders.


    Dag smiled at him and looked at him as if he wanted to tell him everything he was feeling at the time, sure that only he could understand it.


    Soon after, his gaze fell on King Einar, who was still standing in his position, majestic like a huge golden statue.


    He could sense his power even without using Niva, only by looking at him: despite this, he could not understand what kind of weapon he was using, noting that he did not have one. Apart from his glitzy armor, there were neither swords nor axes beside him.


    Sander, Kjell, and all the other soldiers were behind that imposing figure, illuminated partially by the sunlight that, rising, slightly exceeded the walls of the Fort.


    Dag knew that their strength was incredible, he had seen them fight many times, never being defeated, except the time when Sander, sacrificing himself for all, had risked dying.


    Dag''s gaze, full of disappointment, did not cross with those of the two Crows Of Odin Masters, who, knowing they were being watched, kept their heads pointed down to the ground.


    After a few minutes of waiting, during which Dag''s hand continued to move over Thalos'' head to reassure him, Reidar, Gridd, Freydis, and Karl walked out of the palace with their belongings packed inside the travel bags, reluctantly looking at their sovereign, not fully approving his decision despite the respect they had always shown to the Crown.


    Dag''s hand moved over Freydis''s face, then the other on Gridd''s face.


    They both looked at him scared and confused, not understanding the meaning of that sudden caress and fearing that he was going to do something reckless.


    "The light of my eyes. This is you to me. The only reason to never give up, to keep going, at the cost of fighting against everyone and everything" he said, in a low voice.


    "What are you saying?" his sister asked, looking at him with shining eyes, while Freydis preferred not to speak, not to burst into tears, knowing Dag and already guessing what he was going to do.


    "I couldn''t have wished for a better sister than you, Gridd. All my life I will remember your love, your kindness, and your beautiful deep blue eyes" he smiled, stroking her face and then her chin, gently moving his hand from her face.


    "And you, my love... there''s no need to tell you how much I have suffered far from you, how much I have longed to meet you... when I learned of the island and the fact that you could have died, I couldn''t breathe anymore. Everything I knew and wanted... just¡­ just disappeared, I could not remember anything. My mind was blinded and I could only see you, imagining holding you in my arms" he continued, turning to Freydis as Gridd slowly walked true Egill.


    Freydis, who was usually a little less affectionate than Gridd, threw herself into Dag''s arms, attracting the attention of everyone, even the King, who began to look at that suspicious scene.


    "Are you doing it again, Dag? Are you doing this to me again?" she asked, without having the courage to look into his eyes and resting her cheek on his chest, clutching it tightly.


    "No, Freydis. This time it will be all different. I''m offering you a chance. I won''t be leaving again, my heart wouldn''t hold that."


    After those words, Dag slipped his hand into his armor and pulled out Freydis''s armband, which after breaking into a point had been clumsily repaired by him, with thin strands of string that held the broken parts together.


    Before his woman could respond to his words, Dag placed it on her wrist and tied it up tightly so that she could not lose it.


    A snowflake rested gently on the silver flower embedded on it as if even heaven wanted to bless once again their love, which seemed fruit of fate, and almost simultaneously, a tear fell from her eye, who could not control the emotion.

 458 CDLVIII. Till The Edge Of The World

    He came up to her ear and whispered: "I know you''ve already figured it out, but I can''t go back to Okstorm. The prophecy needs me... the human race needs me..."


    Freydis''s eyes opened wide: although she had already imagined her man''s decision, hearing him saying it explicitly destabilized her, leaving her a few seconds out of breath.


    While the two lovers were close in a hug, a dozen of the men of the chromed army entered the building, to take possession of the structure, while the Hunters Of Ullr, feeling outnumbered and regretting their neutrality before meeting Dag, looked at the scene reluctantly, feeling like they were driven from their home, in the hope that Okstorm would offer them something better.


    "Hey, you! You''re really making me lose my temper! Don''t try to make fun of us, kid! It''s time to go!" the King''s second guard exclaimed with malice, grabbing Dag''s shoulder without warning and pulling him away from his woman.


    Dag, feeling unbalanced backward, put his foot firmly on the ground and raised his knee to stop the movement.


    Soon after, he grabbed the man''s hand and tore it off his shoulder, turning toward him and looking at him with an incredibly menacing air.


    The man, who wanted to respond with a violent gesture, was so intimidated by the young Master''s purple and angry eye that he slowly retreated, turning his gaze towards his King, as if he was asking for his help in managing that irascible boy.


    "Come with me, Freydis. Help me get my stuff" Dag said aloud, for everyone to hear.


    Under the consenting gaze of King Einar, determined to leave a few more minutes to the young Master, Dag walked towards the entrance of the palace.


    He put his hand on the side of the wooden door and turned back, looking at Egill and Gridd, who along with Reidar were watching his every move.


    Then he said nothing, smiling at his companions, who barely understood his intentions.


    Reidar, looking closely at the melancholy gaze of his captain, approached the Master Of Healing and whispered something in his ear.


    By the time Dag and Freydis entered the palace, dozens of warriors in the King''s army were already moving furniture and reorganizing the interior spaces to meet their needs, having been assigned as guardians of the Fort by the King himself.


    Meanwhile, Dag and Freydis, trying to keep a low profile, went upstairs and entered their room, where only Dag''s bag remained, containing some scrolls and the map he had found in the Claws Of Fenrir cave, along with other items of little value.


    "What are you planning to do, Dag? Why did you ask me to come back here with you?" the red-haired Shieldmaiden asked, who despite her intuition pretended not to understand.


    "You won''t leave with us? I thought you were just joking! It''s crazy, Dag! Are you going to leave me again?! I won''t let you go! We met again after a very long time, I wouldn''t stand the idea of living again without you, don''t do this to me!" she exclaimed, looking over her back and making sure none of the warriors were eavesdropping on their conversation.


    "And then don''t do it."


    "What?!"


    "Don''t let me go alone."


    "Are you asking me to follow you on your suicide mission?!"


    Dag took a long deep breath, closing his eyes and remaining silent for a few seconds.


    "Yes, that''s just what I''m asking you."


    Freydis let go of her boyfriend''s hand and began to walk compulsively inside the room, trampling on the straw that during those nights had been their bed.


    The fear she felt about Dag''s proposal was evident and he was able to notice it by the way she moved.


    He knew that his woman had always been incredibly faithful to the Crown, starting from the experience of her father, who had worked for the King himself.


    Freydis had spent her entire adolescence dreaming of continuing his work and honoring the name of her father Paul, who if he had not fallen ill a few years earlier, would have been in the place of one of King Einar''s two bodyguards outside waiting for them.


    "The whole of humanity, Freydis. That''s what I''m talking about. All my life I''ve been waiting to know my true purpose, the true reason behind my obscure powers... and now I finally have a chance to find it out. You know my decision is irrevocable, and I can''t force you to follow me... but risking my life again knowing I didn''t even try to convince you would kill my soul forever. This world doesn''t make sense without you by my side."


    Freydis got back closer to him, stopping less than a meter away and looking him intently in the eye.


    Dag''s eyes, unlike her own, which were filled with tears, were calm and serene, as if that decision were essential and as if it was part of his being and could not be questioned.


    "I know nothing would change your mind, Dag. I never thought I''d fall in love with an earthling who, when he was a kid, could barely hold a sword in his hands. And yet here I am, still living only thanks to him" she said, weeping with joy.


    "Life puts us in front of difficult choices. Only those who dare can achieve true happiness" Dag said, who unknowingly was much wiser than usual, seeing the King''s arrival as a kind of divine signal that forced him to remain in that frozen land.


    "I''ll come with you. I''ll follow you everywhere, till..."


    "Till the edge of the world" he interrupted, anticipating her words, resting his hand behind her neck and passionately kissing her, wiping away the tears running down her face.

 459 CDLIX. And What Now?

    "What''s gonna happen to the others? Are you going to let them go without explanation?" she asked when her lips peeled off Dag''s and their breaths came together again.


    "Reidar, Gridd, and Egill have already understood what I had in mind, they know me too well. As for the others, I don''t need to explain. Their behavior disappointed me, I thought they had shown more respect for the ideal that united us and for the men who lost their lives for the mission."


    "Where will we go? How are we going to survive in these hostile lands?"


    "We will head to our new allies and I will explain our situation to them. If I''m really that important to the prophecy, Kranus will agree to help us, otherwise... I''ll find another way" Dag said, without stopping for a moment to look her in the eye.


    Freydis nodded with determination, certain that her man would never allow anything bad to happen to her and intended to help him in his mission, which would give a new meaning to her life.


    "I forgot to say goodbye to Karl. He will never forgive me for that..." she continued, tying tightly her spear behind her back.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll meet everyone again. It''s going to take a while, but it will happen for sure, you''ll see. Rather... now we have to think about running away from here and we have to do it quickly because we will do that without horses" Dag said, who, being ready to flee, began to look around.


    Just then, unable to wait for his master outside along with those unknown and menacing warriors, Thalos entered their room, approaching the two lovers and wagging happily, as if he had not seen them in years.


    "I would never have left you here, Thalos... but you already know that¡­ don''t you, buddy?" he smiled, stroking the wolf and letting him sense that it was time to awaken his muscles and instincts.


    "How do we do that, Dag? There are guards everywhere, even in here... if we kill the men inside the palace, I''m sure some of them would be able to attract the attention of the King''s chromed army, which would kill us instantly!" Freydis asked worried, trying to study an effective solution with Dag.


    "Mmmh... how do you get out of a Fort without getting noticed? The only entrance is the door behind those soldiers, so it''s a hypothesis to be discarded a priori. But this way, one of these windows maybe..."


    While Dag made his remarks aloud, he noticed that the window wall of that room matched perfectly with the outer walls of the Fort, being the palace built sideways, to leave the space necessary for the creation of an inner courtyard.


    Despite his intuition, it didn''t take him a long time to notice that behind the window there was a rusty iron grate, designed to prevent enemies coming from the outside from climbing the walls and accessing the Fort from the back, just as they were thinking to do at the moment, but on the contrary.


    He crouched down, avoiding touching the iron grate with his head and looked left and right, noting that a window identical to that, but without the grate was accessible from the room next to theirs.


    "I found a way, but you won''t like it" he said, walking back inside the room and looking at Freydis and Thalos, who turned his head to one side, trying to figure out what the plan was.


    After explaining to his woman that the only way to get out unnoticed would be to jump out of the window to the edge of the walls and then find a way down, she, without complaining, began to look for a rope among the thousand objects scattered around the room.


    "There is no time, we must move! The King is definitely starting to suspect something!" Dag said in a low voice, ordering Freydis to stop wasting time unnecessarily and stick to the plan.


    Before she could answer, he waved to her with his hand, suggesting she stay still and silent, and walked out of the room crouched.


    Of the King''s guards, there was no sign: they were all downstairs, busy moving the table to make room in front of the fireplace, thinking that this was the warmest place to spend the night.


    At that point, Dag called Freydis and Thalos who followed him like two shrapnel into the other room, whose door was closed soon after, making no noise whatsoever.


    "Here we are... the window from which to descend is this one" he said, approaching the wall and opening the two wooden doors that separated them from the outside.


    "I''ll go first, carrying Thalos with me, in my arms. You will come soon after, I will help you to come down with my powers!" he said, trying to calm Freydis, who looked down from the window terrified of heights.


    As he approached the wolf, Dag heard suspicious voices coming from the upstairs hallway and immediately closed the window.


    The door to their room opened and Dag opened the first piece of furniture he could find, peeking inside.


    "What the hell are you doing?! You''re taking too long! The King is impatient! They told me to come and urge you!" a soldier in armor said, breaking in and scolding the two warriors.


    Thalos immediately turned to him and began to growl.


    "Calm down, Thalos, calm down... he''s a friend. Don''t worry, he just came to call us" he said, stroking the wolf''s neck, which immediately stopped growling and moved behind his master.


    The royal soldier, who had almost drawn his sword, put it back in its place and stood still, intimidated by the orange eyes of Thalos, who in the shadow of the room looked like a monstrous beast.

 460 CDLX. Holding His Nerve

    "Excuse me, can I ask you a favor?" Dag asked, approaching the wooden closet and looking up.


    "Mh? What? Are you talking to me?" the man asked.


    "Yes, I''m talking to you. If you really want to make things faster, can you help me pull this chest down? I can''t do it alone, and my girlfriend isn''t tall enough to help me. There are some important things I can''t leave here" Dag continued, always looking in the same spot, inside a kind of closet that almost touched the room''s roof.


    The soldier was hesitant for a moment and began to look around, trying to understand how far his colleagues were when Dag drew his attention again.


    "Come on, hurry up! It''s only going to take a minute, then we''re going to get out of this place together. Look we are allies, we also fight for the King, don''t forget it" Dag replied, who, with his usual way of doing, convinced the man to help him.


    When the soldier walked through the door, he approached the closet, stopping next to Dag.


    "Do you see that leather trunk? That''s exactly what I need. We have to pull it together to drop it down, but gently... it''s very fragile" he said again, reciting his part perfectly and making Freydis think it was all staged.


    She, who was not very capable of pretending, walked away from the two men, stepping aside, until Dag looked at her and winked at her, while the soldier, with his hands resting on his hips, looked at the trunk located on the last shelf of that closet, devising a way to extract it.


    Freydis, who was at the game, immediately understood Dag''s signal and tiptoed, approached the front door of the room.


    "Put a foot up here with me... let''s both cling to that leather handle and pull it hard... are you ready?" Dag asked the soldier, who nodded, displaying the object to grab.


    "Well! So, one... two... and three!"


    An instant before the ''three'', Freydis gently closed the door, thus preventing the noises from the room from dispersing into the rest of the building and Dag, instead of climbing up with the soldier, waited for him to climb up and when he put his foot on the lower part of the furniture, lifting the body from the ground, the young Master pulled the axe with one hand and grabbed the back of the man''s armor with the other, pulling him down and dropping him backward.


    As if he was a real thief, he dropped the soldier on him, preventing his body from touching the ground, and cut his throat with the blade of the axe.


    Soon after, the hand that was before on the armor, strongly grabbed the soldier''s face, blocking his mouth and preventing him from screaming, while a river of blood gushed from his throat, squirting on his entire body and the floor below.


    "Mmmh! Mmmhh!"


    The warrior tried to free himself, but Dag''s grip was too strong and the blood loss reduced him in a few seconds to exhaustion.


    "Fuck, Dag... that was close! Luckily he was just a man, otherwise things would have been much more difficult! Now get up, there''s no more time!" Freydis exclaimed, who ran to the window and opened it wide, waiting for Dag to make the first move.


    He got up, wiped the soldier''s blood from his eyes, and grabbed the neck of his armor, dragging his entire body.


    "What are you doing? Are you crazy? I just told you there''s no more time! King Einar will have already realized that we are trying to deceive him!" she replied, who was beginning to enter a state of anxiety, fearing that they would not make it.


    "Calm down, stop fidgeting... in doing so we solved two problems! One, we avoided getting caught... and two..."


    Before he finished speaking, Dag lifted the man''s body and placed it on the edge of the window, looking down, as if he wanted to aim.


    "... we found something soft to fall on!" he concluded, throwing the corpse down below, causing it to fall over the walls.


    The soldier''s lifeless body, thanks to the dense layer of snow that covered the ground, more than a meter thick, touched the terrain without making any sound.


    "Come, Thalos... come to me!" he said, leaning down to the wolf, who began to retreat, sensing that what was about to happen would not be pleasant.


    In a very quick gesture, Dag grabbed him by the belly and made strength, lifted him, taking him in his arms with difficulty.


    "Fuck! How heavy you are... umpf!"


    With Freydis''s help, he approached the wolf at the window, and without ever leaving him, he too climbed over the edge, resting his feet on the top of the cold outer walls of the Fort.


    Thalos, noting that beneath them was the void, looked terrified and turned his head to the other side, clinging with one claw to Dag''s back and leaning backward, intending to return inside the palace.


    "No, Thalos! Don''t even try it! I''m not going to leave you here alone, you''re coming with me! Freydis, get ready! As soon as I jump, get out the window right away and close it soon after!"


    As soon as Dag finished speaking, a bundle of dark liquid came out of his back, and the wolf, as soon as he saw it, turned his head forward again, squinting, realizing that from that moment on, his life would depend on his master once again.


    As the liquid began to take shape, Freydis exclaimed: "Dag, I hear them! More men are coming! I can hear their steps on the stairs! Move!"

 461 CDLXI. The Window

    "Fuck!" he replied, who before the total formation of the two dark arms, threw himself from the walls.


    For an instant, before he fell, he looked around and time seemed to flow more slowly as if his mind was processing external images and information faster than reality.


    He squeezed the wolf tightly and looking down, stretching out his legs in the direction of the corpse, trying to land on it.


    Simultaneously, the bundle of liquid behind his shoulders widened and reached the wall, splitting into many small hard and sharp strands, which became wedged between the crevices of the white rocks, as if they were many small grappling hooks.


    Dag could sense every single string of fluid that entered the pores between the bricks, and at that exact moment, when his body was perfectly hooked, time suddenly accelerated.


    The arms that held him hanging on the wall were three, irregular in shape: due to the strong traction and due to the kinetic energy of the resulting fall of Dag''s weight, they stretched considerably, trying to curb the descent with their elastic force.


    "Aaarrgh!" Dag yelled, who, though he knew he had to be silent, could not hold back the fear.


    Even the thinnest strands near the wall stretched to their limit, and just when Dag was sure that even if his feet had touched the dead body, this would not have been enough to cushion the fall, he closed his eyes, thinking that if one of his legs had broken, he would be doomed and sentenced Freydis to death.


    Emitting a noise similar to that of the rubber subjected to high tension, the dark arms accompanied his body to the ground and the tips of his feet, which were stretched downwards, gently touched the back of the royal guard killed just before.


    A sigh followed Dag''s eyes as they opened up in the surprise of finding themselves on the ground, outside the walls, safe and sound.


    "I made it! I''m out! Fuck, I managed to survive the fall!" he thought, looking at Thalos and gleefully realizing that his friend was also fine and, although he was terrified and with his tail between his legs, he had not suffered any damage.


    Making him realize that by now they had reached the mainland and it was safe to descend, Dag left him on the ground, bending on his knees and resisting his weight, which was very similar to that of a grown man, given his size.


    Less than a second after landing, the dark arms detached from the wall and slowly returned to their creator, floating and shortening, as he turned back and looked up toward the top of the wall.


    Freydis, diligently, had come out of the window, which she had closed behind her, trying to lock it with a piece of wood wedged between the two handles and was looking down, happy that her man had managed to save himself.


    Freydis said nothing and took a deep breath: trying not to close her eyes in fear, she placed the tip of her foot on the edge of the wall, perceiving the height that separated her from Dag and the escape.


    She swallowed empty and stopped looking down, noting that there were no birds in the sky, perhaps due to the cold temperatures in that area.


    *boom*scratch*boom*


    From the window behind her, sudden noises indicated that someone was forcibly trying to open it from inside and she jolted, fearing she had no more time to escape.


    "Trust me! Jump, Freydis! There''s no more time!" Dag screamed again, desperate to have to flee without her.


    Suddenly, the piece of wood that kept the window closed broke in half and it opened wide: from inside the palace came the arms of some warriors in chrome armor, ready to grab the fluttering dress of Freydis, who at that point, took courage and jumped down the walls, screaming.


    "Aaaah! Daaaag!" the Shieldmaiden yelled desperately, who had not calculated the timing and distances to jump down well, failed to maintain a straight posture, and rotated slightly with her back pointed downwards.


    In a few moments, Dag''s dark arms were shot at her and reached her in mid-air, totally wrapping her body and blocking her fall.


    Soon after, while she was still panicking and she kept screaming in fear, her three arms gently carried her to the ground and she descended nimbly, then dashed towards Dag and clutched him in a desperate embrace, seeking comfort.


    He reciprocated the gesture and squeezed her into his arms, kissing and stroking her head, looking upwards out of the corner of his eye, as the dark arms returned to his body.


    Two soldiers of the Chromed Army looked out of the wall and their eyes crossed with that of the young Master, who as soon as he saw them, realized that he had almost made it, for the simple reason that those men would not reach them by jumping from that height, otherwise they would have died.


    "Come on, come on... the hard part is coming now!" he said in Freydis''s ear, interrupting the hug and grabbing her hand, pulling her in the opposite direction to the Fort.


    She immediately wiped away her tears and began to run with her man, while their feet sank into the thick layer of snow, making the advance tiring even for Thalos, who followed them without hesitation.


    ...


    "Where the hell did they go?! It is more than twenty minutes that those two boys have entered the palace, which they are plotting?!" one of the King''s two personal guards exclaimed, walking back and forth in front of the entrance of the building.


    King Einar made no answer, merely looking at the top of the palace.

 462 CDLXII. The Enemy Of The Crown

    "Enough! I''m sick of all this incompetence! I sent three more men and they couldn''t speed up the process! Now I''ll go personally and..."


    Shortly before the guard finished criticizing his men, the three soldiers in question hurriedly walked out the door, looking with regret at their superiors.


    "So what?! Where are they?! Why did you come out without them? The orders were precise! You''re playing with fire!" the guard replied, scolding his subordinates, who were ashamed to look the King in the eye, while he was waiting for a concrete answer.


    "They... they''re... gone, your majesty..." one of them whispered timidly, with his arms stretched down along his hips and his head lowered, like the other two.


    About ten seconds of silence followed those words, and the crowd of warriors behind the King remained grounded by the soldier''s statement.


    Between them, Gridd and Reidar were the first to breathe a sigh of relief, finally realizing that what they thought had really happened and Dag and Freydis had managed to escape.


    At that moment, the emotions and empathy between them were so strong, that the Shieldmaiden, without thinking twice, turned to the archer and hugged him.


    Reidar, who in other circumstances would have been embarrassed and distressed, reciprocated the hug without any problems, happy for his Captain and his woman.


    Egill stood still in the same position and a subtle smile lit up his face, while he tried to hide his pride in Dag, who, deciding to challenge the King himself, had exceeded all his expectations.


    Sander and Kjell, who were the only Masters unaware of what Dag was plotting, looked at their companions with a questioning air, looking for explanations.


    "You! You who know Dag well... where did they go? Why are they not here? Did they leave their brains in the building?" Kjell asked Karl, who like him had not yet understood the reason for the choice of Dag and Freydis, who had abandoned everyone and fled who knows where.


    "I... I... I have no idea! My best friend is gone with my sister, I''m as amazed as you are, Master!" Karl replied, keeping his voice low, not to let the rest of the soldiers guess anything.


    "What does it mean they''re gone?" King Einar asked, keeping his composure, his arms folded over his chest.


    A shiver ran down the back of the three soldiers in front of him, ready to suffer his punishment.


    "He killed one of our men and together with the girl and his wolf is... well, he is..."


    "He is...?"


    "He jumped out the window and ran away, your majesty" another soldier continued, shyly looking up and confronting his responsibilities.


    King Einar, under the confused gaze of all, remained almost impassive and looked up at the sky, which was particularly clear that morning.


    Karl, Kjell, and Sander were speechless, trying to imagine the epilogue of Dag''s gesture, which from that moment on would find himself alone facing the unknown dangers of Krypstorm and having to protect Freydis, who despite her combat skills, was still inexperienced.


    "Psst! Hey, Egill!" Sander whispered, drawing the attention of his colleague.


    "Uhm?"


    "Can you explain to me what the fuck the boy is doing?! Did you know that?!" he asked again.


    "He didn''t tell me explicitly, but... yes. Inside me, I knew he wouldn''t give up. That boy is unstoppable, no one can stand between him and his destiny. His determination fills me with pride, he manages to exceed my expectations every time" the Master Of Healing said, smiling and destabilizing Sander, who did not approve of what had just happened.


    "Pride?! Don''t say nonsense! Dag just sentenced himself to death with his own hands! He dared to disobey the King''s orders and even killed a warrior of his precious Chromed Army! What is he going to do that now? And what will happen to the Iron Alliance? We will never see him again, we''ve got it all wrong! We shouldn''t have given him all this confidence!" Sander exclaimed, making himself heard by his warriors, who, listening to one of their Masters speak in that way of their Warchief, sharpened their ears.


    "Perhaps you think you''ve made a mistake, but not me. If I went back, I''d make the same choices a million times. Dag is and will remain forever the Iron Alliance Warchief! He and the young Freydis were the only two who had the courage to rebel and continue our mission, at the cost of doing it alone, without any help! Warriors, pray to the Gods! Pray that they protect your Warchief and his woman from the dangers of Krypstorm and that they can complete the most important mission ever... to save humanity! Hahaha!" Egill answered aloud, knowing that their speech was no longer secret and trying to lift the morale of his soldiers.


    The warriors, in fact, after the words of the wise Master Of Healing, reassessed what had just happened, interpreting it not as an act of madness or cowardice, but a real act of faith, aimed at sacrificing for the achievement of the common goal: freedom.


    "Hey! Hey!" What''s all this racket! Silence! Can''t you see that the King is upset?! You''re bothering him, shut up!" a guard yelled, slapping Karl''s head, who was one of the few who hadn''t even spoken.


    King Einar, who had good hearing, could hear the words of Egill and Sander, but being focused on other issues that awaited him at Okstorm, he did not investigate the matter and climbed onto his great white horse in gold armor.

 463 CDLXIII. In The Middle Of Nowhere

    After him, a group of warriors did the same, escorting the King to the Fort''s exit, even though it was only about ten meters far.


    The archers of the Hunters Of Ullr were already positioned on the towers and promptly opened the gates to their ''new'' King, who with the usual haughty and careless expression of the episode that had just happened, came out.


    The four horses that the Krypstorm Clan was equipped with were immediately untied from their seats in the stable and dressed in the usual half-broken leather armor, to allow them to withstand the cold, not knowing how far the ship that would escort them to Okstorm was.


    Gridd, Karl, Reidar, Sander, Kjell, and Egill instead walked in the footsteps of the horses of the Chromed Army soldiers, followed in silence by their warriors, who, having relaxed from the initial fear, began to chat with each other again.


    "Reidar..." Gridd said, calling the attention of the archer who was walking beside her.


    "Tell me, Gridd."


    "I''m afraid for them."


    "Are you afraid for Dag and Freydis? You just hugged me... I thought you were happy about their escape" he replied.


    "Yes, indeed I am. I''m happy, but I''m also scared. Although I understood he was about to leave the Fort, I didn''t say goodbye to him as I should have. and now I''m afraid I''ll never see him again..."


    "Do you really think the Captain won''t survive Krypstorm?" Reidar asked again, who now had a high degree of confidence and could avoid certain formalities.


    "I don''t say that. I''m just scared. It''s a feeling I can''t suppress, no matter how hard I''m trying not to think about it. It''s inside me... I''m afraid I won''t see my brother again" she continued, looking ahead and never stopping walking, slightly decentralizing from the middle row with her friend.


    "It''s normal to be afraid, it would be wrong not to be. Only a fool is never afraid. Every time I fear for my life, I always think about the same thing... do you want to know what it is?" the archer asked, smiling.


    Gridd nodded.


    "I think back to the night when my sacred Temple Of Orn was attacked by surprise by the Fangs Of Jormungandr, capable of turning into reptilians... it was terrible, I remember those eyes in the darkness, their tails and their lizard bodies. That night it was not only my life that was in danger but also that of all my companions. If the enemy Clan had won the battle, the Hammers Of Thor would have been wiped out forever, as would all the ancient scrolls in our library."


    "I don''t understand, Reidar... how can such a bad memory help you drive away fear?"


    "I would have loved to have seen that moment... I would have loved to fight alongside you... if only the Clans had already been united... if only the Iron Alliance had been born earlier..." Gridd commented, that she could only imagine what happened that night, during which Dag regained the trust of his allies.


    "The Captain has a spirit as hard as metal and his warrior pride is stronger than the threats he has been forced to face in the past and will face in the future. ''Dag, the Exiled''... this nickname has always suited him... look, Gridd, even now that he could return to Okstorm peacefully and leave Krypstorm''s mission to the King''s men, he decided to walk away and follow his lonely path. I''m not afraid for him, because every time I look at him and feel safe, I think back to how far he''s gone to become what he''s become... and the fact that he did it all on his own, without anyone''s help. Fighting alongside him has been the greatest honor of my life."


    ...


    Dag and Freydis'' feet continued to sink in the snow, creating useful furrows for Thalos to figure out the direction of the path.


    After about half an hour from the Fort, around them, there was nothing but a white expanse, which stretched to the horizon on each side.


    "Where is the road Kranus would have taken to Fort Hvit?" Freydis asked, with a fur scarf covering her neck and lower face, protecting her from the cold.


    "I don''t know, Freydis, it should have been right here, in front of us... I think it snowed a lot tonight and the trail was fully covered... we just have to orient ourselves with the Sun and walk northeast, in the direction of Tungvek" Dag said, also covered in many layers of fur, which would have warmed his body during the long walk, keeping his muscles ready to activate in case of need.


    The arduous walk continued for another 20 minutes, but of the trail and Kranus, no trace.


    The two warriors saw a large tree with a very dark trunk, almost black, and thick green canopy covered with snow.


    "Look at that tree, alone in the middle of nowhere. It has to be really strong to withstand these temperatures" Freydis said, looking at it carefully.


    "Let''s go, let''s get closer to get some rest... it seems it''s calling us" Dag said, making sure there were no enemies on horseback behind them.


    When they reached the foot of the majestic tree, with a trunk very thick and about five meters high, they left their bags on the ground and moved the excess snow on the terrain, so that they could sit comfortably to rest.

 464 CDLXIV. Do Not Resist Me

    Freydis opened her bag and pulled out a leather water bottle.


    Without thinking twice, she opened it and began drinking water, quenching her tired body.


    "You don''t have to drink so much water with this cold... here, drink some of this" Dag said, pulling a bottle from his backpack similar to Freydis''s, but containing wine, which he had fortunately managed to pick up from the Fort the day before.


    Freydis, blindly trusting her man, took a long sip of wine and then wiped her mouth.


    "Better?" Dag asked, referring to the fact that she felt colder than he did.


    "Mmh... yes... better" she replied, whose shoulders and arms continued to tremble.


    Dag, after putting the bottles back in their place, detached the fur that covered his armor and wrapped it around Freydis, who, being lower than him, was completely covered with a warm layer.


    "Dag, I can''t take it... how are you going to do that? Come on, take it back, you need heat too!" she said, trying to return the fur to Dag, who smiled and stopped her arm, making her realize that she had to keep it.


    Freydis snorted, feeling sulky that although it was not ethically correct, the warmth of that fur served her more than him at the time.


    "You were wrong to choose me... I''m not used to traveling on my feet and at these temperatures, I will slow you down" she said, looking at the snow pile in front of her feet.


    "You''re the one who made a mistake" he replied, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.


    "Uhm? Why did you say that? I told you I''d follow you everywhere, you should have sneaked away..."


    "You were wrong because, during my absence, you didn''t fall in love with someone else."


    Suddenly the silence fell for a few seconds, during which Freydis turned to Dag, looking at him with a confused air.


    "If you had fallen in love with another man and forgotten me, now you probably wouldn''t be here and you would live a normal life as a warrior of your Clan, as you dreamed as a child. Being with me will always put you in danger, despite my protection. I owe you an apology, my decision was selfish and..."


    While Dag was speaking, Freydis put a hand over his mouth, shutting him down.


    "I''d still be on that island or who knows where... anyway, I don''t care. You make me feel alive, Dag... no one else has ever had this power over me..." she said, while from her position, she got down on her knees and then sat astride on Dag''s legs, doing it provocatively.


    "Ah, yes? Is that what you think?" he smiled, whose body began to get excited in contact with hers.


    The red-haired Shieldmaiden opened the fur that enveloped her warm body and wrapped it around herself and Dag, creating a space between them where the temperature was much higher than the outside.


    "Ohi...! Freydis! What are you doing? What if someone passes in front of us? He could see everything! It''s not wise to expose ourselves so much outdoors... this mound of snow and the canopy of this tree are the only things that keep us hidden!" he exclaimed, who did not expect his girlfriend to want to make love at a time like that.


    "Seeing us? Who could see us in a place like this? Dag, there''s nothing and no one for miles around us, it''s like we''re in a huge room isolated from the rest of the world! The adrenaline rush made me excited, I want you¡­ right now" she replied, who continued to masturbate her man with one hand, while the other hand was clinging to the armor and holding him with his back against the tree, almost violently.


    Without too much resistance, Dag let go of the passionate vortex unleashed by Freydis, and under the mutton fur that joined them, he slipped his hands under the upper piece of her armor, so that he could touch her breasts and avoid undressing her and expose her to the cold.


    Her breathing began to become heavier and more intense, and the vapor coming out of her mouth increased as Dag palpated her chest and abdomen, making her understand his ''bad'' intentions.


    At that point, Freydis untied Dag''s pants and slightly lowered their edge, then pulled out his dick and began to unbutton his pants in a hurry.


    Dag helped her and unbuttoned Freydis''s pants, sliding them slightly onto her legs and totally discovering his girlfriend''s butt, after also removing her thin layer of underwear.


    Freydis found herself in a few seconds sitting with her pants down on Dag, whose penis entered her vagina as if by magic and without any effort as if some kind of magnetism had attracted their intimate parts to each other.


    The girl uttered a groan of pleasure, closed her eyes, and raised her head towards the canopy of the tree, slightly twisting her back to accompany her sensual body movements.


    Meanwhile, Dag continued with the penetration, following his breath as his heart beat loudly, unleashing all the repressed emotions from the desperate escape.


    The passionate sex session lasted about 15 minutes and ended only when Dag was so exhausted that he came inside Freydis, as he had never done before.


    "I couldn''t move, Freydis... I''m so sorry, this cold has almost paralyzed my legs and..."


    "Even if you wanted to move away, I wouldn''t have let you do that" she smiled, kissing him on the forehead and implicitly telling him that just what she wanted had happened.


    Having stripped only partially, the two lovers quickly dressed up and Dag immediately rose from the ground, looking past the pile of snow that covered them from the outer plain and noticing that Thalos had remained all the time standing behind it as if he understood that the two humans needed a little intimacy and had spontaneously decided to guard their love nest.

 465 CDLXV. The Fort Is Los

    "Still nothing, right?" Dag asked, drawing the wolf''s attention, who turned to him and began to wag his tail, waiting for cuddles.


    "Don''t worry, Dag... it is still morning, Kranus will have left Tungvek a short time ago and our break did not last long... if we continue to the northeast we will definitely be able to intercept him, also because the most important thing is to see the city from afar... once it''ll be visible, we''ll be all right" Freydis said, climbing over the pile of mixed snow on the ground and resting the fur that Dag had lent back on her shoulders, having been warmed with the heat generated by their bodies in contact.


    "My only concern is that if he will arrive at Fort Hvit without crossing the road with ours, he would find the King''s guards waiting for him and would be forced to kill them from the first to the last. I''m sure it wouldn''t be a problem for him, but... I''m afraid this could ruin our agreement in some way" Dag continued, trying to imagine the consequences.


    "Well, maybe you''re right... I trust your feeling, Dag. Come on, there''s no more time to waste. Our escape is not over yet" she replied, grabbing her man''s hand and pulling him towards her in the opposite direction to the tree.


    Dag appreciated Freydis''s determination and followed her without saying a word, fastening his fur back again and continuing to march on the snowy ground.


    Another 20 minutes passed and the distance that on horseback seemed very short, turned for the two fugitives into an interminable path, not even being able to see the road and orienting themselves only with the position of the Sun in the sky, which in addition to providing indications on the cardinal points, served as a clock.


    Just as hopes began to lose, Dag heard a sound in the distance and stopped, telling Freydis to keep quiet to allow him to hear better.


    "They''re horses! I hear the sound of horses in the distance... they are approaching our position!" he exclaimed, looking at his girl with happiness.


    "Well! He could be Kranus! But didn''t you say he''d come to the Fort alone?" Freydis asked, thinking of the details Dag had told her.


    "Let''s say yes, he didn''t specify it. I doubt he would face the whole journey completely alone, he is still the leader of a huge Clan, which makes him too important to risk his life stupidly, heading to an unknown place by unknown people" he replied, who shrugged his eyes at the horizon trying to identify the source of the sound.


    After only a few minutes, as he had predicted, three horses popped up from a hill not far away and seemed to travel at sustained speed right in their direction.


    "It''s him! It''s Kranus, Gridd! I think we made it... let''s hope for the best" Dag continued, in a low voice, raising his hand upwards and gesturing towards the three men on horseback, who noticed his presence and changed direction slightly, diverging from their original path.


    "Dag?! But what are you doing here?" the old mage asked, ordering the two guards who had accompanied him to stop and not raise their weapons against him.


    "It''s a long story, Kranus... we can''t go together to Fort Hvit, it no longer belongs to my allies. Someone much more powerful and important than me came to visit us this morning. Could you escort us to Tungvek?" Dag asked, looking down.


    Kranus''s gaze fell first to Freydis, then to Thalos, both positioned behind Dag.


    "Uhm, yes... sure. But I demand an explanation. I''m sure if you didn''t stick to an agreement decided by you, there must be a reason" Kranus replied, ordering his two soldiers to both get on one horse, allowing Dag and his woman to use the other one to rest their tired legs.


    Dag thanked him several times and together with Freydis, he climbed on the guard''s horse, starting to ride in the opposite direction, next to Kranus and his men, while Thalos followed them at a sustained pace, being much more accustomed than them to travel great distances effortlessly.


    "So? What were you doing in the middle of nowhere with a girl and your wolf? What happened to the Fort?" Kranus asked, in a friendly tone.


    "The King of Okstorm himself came to visit us..."


    "The King of Okstorm... are you referring to King Einar?" the magician asked.


    "Yes, him. Along with some of his most valiant soldiers calling themselves the ''Chromed Army'', he entered the Fort and took possession of it, taking credit for our exploratory mission, which I thought he knew nothing about" Dag explained, marveling that Kranus already knew the name of the King of the two kingdoms.


    "Mmmh... and you handed it to him without objection?"


    "Not really. My woman and I decided to escape, automatically becoming enemies of the Crown. Prophecy is more important than this nonsense... as I have already explained to you, I intend to achieve my true mission" he continued, looking at Kranus out of the corner of his eye.


    "So you''re telling me you''d rather betray your King and abandon your teammates just because of our deal?" the Ice Giants leader asked, astonished by that statement.


    "Yes, exactly. As the leader of an alliance that united three Clans, I became an outlaw in just a few minutes. I could have fought and maybe my men and I could have defeated the royal soldiers, but why would I do that? I would only have made my situation worse and that of my men, many of whom preferred to obey the King without objection."


    "I am very sorry that things have gone this way. You''re a smart guy, I guess it was hard for you to make such a risky decision, but at the same time, I''m glad you chose to take part in the prophecy. We have a lot to discuss again and... if you had returned to Okstorm with your companions and the King, I would have been forced to attack you again with my men, because I need the Crystal of Fire, but you already know that" Kranus replied, specifying what his primary goal was.

 466 CDLXVI. I Need To Know

    "Don''t worry, I knew you''d help me... after all, this is not in my interest, but in everyone''s interest. Anyway, she''s Freydis, one of the strongest Shieldmaidens of the Crows Of Odin Clan. Besides, my woman is also courageous and she decided to take part in our mission" Dag said, immediately making it clear that Freydis should be treated with respect despite the fairer sex and the fact that she had the innocent appearance of a young girl.


    "My pleasure, Freydis. You must be proud of your boyfriend''s decision... together we will accomplish magnificent feats."


    "I already am. Dag always makes me proud" she replied, without giving Kranus too much confidence, despite his friendly manners.


    The ride to Tungvek lasted a short time, being the great city behind the hill from which the three horses had sprung.


    When she saw the majestic and enormous outer walls, Freydis gasped, comparing the size of the Ice Giants'' capital to that of Skjegg, which was quite smaller.


    "It''s magnificent, isn''t it? I did the same thing when I first got there. And you haven''t seen what''s inside yet... you''re going to like it" Dag said softly, noting his woman''s astonished expression behind him.


    The five warriors arrived in front of the huge stone gate, which opened as soon as the soldiers recognized Kranus''s white horse.


    "This way, Dag. Like the other time, we''re going to head to the stable to leave the horses, and then we''ll continue on foot" Kranus said, who proceeded behind his guards, making his way.


    Freydis''s reaction to the sight of the children playing after each other and all the people crowding the streets of the city, was exactly as Dag had predicted.


    As she marveled at everything, focusing on the manicured details of each balcony and corner of the palaces, the time came to get off the horse and tie it into the stable.


    Continuing on foot, Kranus made his way to the palace where he lived, the ''Colossus Fortress'' and Dag, followed by Freydis and this time also Thalos, joined him.


    Although the wolf looked quite menacing, being different from large size dogs, the people who saw him did not seem to be intimidated, to the point that even some children approached him to play and pet him.


    "I have to ask you a question" Dag exclaimed, out of the blue.


    "What is it?" Kranus replied, opening his ears well.


    "If we must first eliminate the threat of the Claws Of Fenrir and I have to fight alongside you, I need to know how exactly your army is structured. I know it''s a risk for you to give such sensitive information to a total stranger, but if I''m not familiar with the role of your Jotunns and the commanders who lead your troops, I don''t guarantee I will give my best in battle" Dag continued, unscrupulous.


    The white-bearded magician changed direction and walked along with his two guests the road that lined the west side of the building, circumnavigating it and heading into the neighborhood behind it.


    Once around the icy corner of the Colossus Fortress, the two adventurers found themselves in front of a giant black rock arena surrounded by some concrete constructions, in which many warriors were training.


    "Wow! Their training arena is an entire neighborhood! I''ve never seen anything like it, they must have a lot of warriors!" Freydis whispered Dag, immediately noticing that detail.


    "Becoming a Jotunn warrior is the greatest aspiration of any young man in Tungvek, that''s why our army is the largest of Krypstorm" Kranus replied, hearing the whispered words of the girl, who was astonished.


    "How do you do that? I mean... how do you turn into Jotunns? Is it a particular skill?" Dag asked, intrigued by the fact that the young warriors who were training in the middle of the arena were fighting in their human forms.


    "Yes, exactly. It is one of the first skills we teach our warriors when they turn 18. It''s called ''Growth''. I guess you''re wondering why not all our warriors turn into Jotunns before the fight, right?"


    Dag nodded.


    "Although the skill is very easy to learn, keeping Jotunn form for an extended period of time is not an easy thing and not everyone can do it. Only a warrior with enough experience, having practiced this skill for a long time, can fight in the form of Jotunn, unleashing all his physical strength against his opponents."


    "You have to drink the blood of human beings to do this, don''t you?" Dag asked again, recalling what he had seen on the shores of Runar during the battle against the giants.


    "Yes, more or less. As I was explaining to you, after the transformation, the physical strength of those who activate the ability triples or quadruples, depending on the characteristics of the subject... but this, as you can imagine, requires a lot of energy to the body, which from the moment of transformation, begins to consume quickly. To restore some of the fuel and to not interrupt the metamorphosis, you need to ingest blood, but not just anyone... you need the blood of the marrow, which is extracted right here" Kranus explained, pointing to the back of his neck with his finger, which is the exact spot where all the victims found on the beach after the Jotunns attack were injured.


    Freydis made a disgusted expression, having not personally witnessed those macabre scenes of sets of corpses piled up in the sand and covered in insects and saltiness.


    "Anyway, this is just a detail. As you may have noticed, my warriors are not only specialized in hand-to-hand combat, but many of them are powerful wizards. I, before becoming the General Commander of the Giants Of Ymir Army, was their Master" Kranus replied, explaining for the first time a small part of his personal history.

 467 CDLXVII. Two Masters

    "So we''re not the only ones who have Masters in command of the Clans..." Dag said, trying to bridge the differences with his interlocutor.


    "I don''t know how your Clans are organized, but ours has 2 Masters and a Commander, who is tasked with overseeing the Masters and governing fairly on the population. Follow me inside the arena so I can introduce you to them."


    The black stone arena was dug below ground level, so it was easy to see what was going on inside by easily looking down.


    To access it, four comfortable staircases had been carved into the rock at the four corners of the circumference, ensuring multiple access and exit points.


    Continuing to follow Kranus, Dag and Freydis descended on one of the access points to the lower part of the arena, where dozens of novice warriors were busy performing their morning training, similar to the one all the younger warriors did in Jernhest.


    "Hey!" Kranus exclaimed, drawing the attention of everyone, who as soon as they saw him, interrupted what they were doing and lined up neatly in a row, with an incredible rigor and respect.


    Two older men, dressed in armor, stood in front of the young soldiers, and when they bowed their heads slightly, all their students did the same, to greet their Commander.


    "All right, that''s enough... Gunnar, Wrage... here''s someone I need to introduce you to" the magician said again, calling the two men to report, hinting to Dag and Gridd that they were the two Masters.


    "Soldiers, start training again! Free fight until we return! Come on, quick!" one of the two men yelled in an aggressive tone towards his students, who were intimidated by his personality and immediately executed the order.


    The man in question, had a normal physique, both for his stature and for his musculature. Also, al clear receding hairline in the center of the head reflected the white light of the morning sky, attracting the gaze of Dag, who held back a laugh, noting the funny aspect of the man.


    The other one approached them without saying anything and they both stopped a few meters away from Kranus, for whom they had a deep respect, judging from the way they looked at him.


    "Dag, they are my two Masters. He is Gunnar, Master of Arms" Kranus said, introducing his men and pointing to the one with his hand.


    Gunnar stepped forward and bowed his head slightly, never looking away from Dag, who did not understand whether that was a provocative greeting or gesture.


    "And he is Wrage, the Shield Master."


    The other man stepped forward, while Gunnar returned to position.


    Unlike the first Master, he was much bigger and definitely over 120 kilos in weight. His stature was not much taller than Dag''s, but his arms and legs were the same diameter as the forest tree trunks.


    "Well, I''m glad to inform you that our Clans are structured in almost the same way, even though there has never been a confrontation between us and despite an entire sea separates us" Dag exclaimed, realizing that the Giants Of Ymir also had a Master Of Offense and a Master Of Defense, only that they were called by slightly different names.


    "My friends... this young warrior is Dag, the Exiled. He is a powerful Master of an Okstorm Clan as well as the Warchief of a great guild. Don''t underestimate him by his appearance: he was able to beat Nok and Trako in less than two minutes" Kranus said, praising Dag, who did not look very threatening in the eyes of those two combat techniques experts.


    Gunnar, in fact, could not hold back his astonishment and exclaimed: "What?! They told me they were defeated, but I didn''t know it was just one individual... of this size!"


    Before Kranus could respond with chuckles, Dag interjected in the conversation: "The size is not always the most important thing, my friends. The two Jotunns warriors I faced to earn the trust of your Commander were incredibly strong, especially Trako. I''ve never seen a giant so huge move so nimbly and launch fast and precise attacks like his. I guess you were his Masters, right?"


    Gunnar and Wrage looked at each other and then nodded, not knowing what else to add, in disbelief that their two best warriors, who had become Kranus'' personal bodyguards after many years of training, had been beaten in two minutes by a little boy from Okstorm.


    "Great job then. I am sure you train your warriors with passion and dedication, I noticed it by descending into this magnificent arena. I can breathe wisdom and respect and that''s definitely due to your job, Masters" Dag continued, trying to praise the men in front of him for appealing to them and earning their respect.


    Freydis, meanwhile, remained silent, listening to Dag''s words and learning from him how to behave to be accepted by warriors so different from them.


    "Well, now that you''ve introduced yourself, follow me. There are some important things we need to discuss. The warriors will finish their daily training with their supervisors. I''m waiting for you in the meeting room of the Colossus Palace" Kranus concluded, turning and heading for the exit of the arena, followed by Dag and Freydis, who, after nodding respect for the two Masters they had just met, politely farewelled.


    As he climbed the five-meter-long staircase to the surface, Dag couldn''t help but notice the incredible organization of that Clan''s army.


    "The Commander is the supervisor of the Masters and the Masters command someone else! Nothing is left to chance, their organization is impeccable! I would never have said that when I faced them in Runar..." he thought.


    Merely observing the set of palaces around the arena, each of which performed its specific function, the two adventurers followed Kranus inside the palace.


    ...

 468 CDLXVIII. The Spy

    Meanwhile, Gridd, Reidar, Karl, and the other two Masters were still traveling, sinking their feet in the thick snow as Dag and Freydis had done just before.


    Following the Chromed Army''s men on horseback at a rapid pace, they noticed that, unlike the outward journey to the Fort, which they had reached only based on an old map studied in detail by Dag, the return was much quieter.


    So quiet that there were no enemies along the way and the only big problem to deal with was the freezing temperature, that was even lower in open spaces like the one they were walking through.


    While the King''s men were perfectly equipped, having only arrived at Krypstorm for a few hours, the rest of the Iron Alliance soldiers was almost exhausted: after the battles fought to get there, including the one against the Claws Of Fenrir, during which many of their men lost their lives, their equipment had suffered irreparable damage and many garments that served to keep their muscles warm had been destroyed and torn apart, thus becoming unusable.


    Believing that they had to stay at Fort Hvit for a little longer and not even remotely suspecting the arrival of the King himself, they had thought of devoting themselves first to the renovations of that place, useful to allow everyone to sleep in the heat and with a roof over their heads.


    During that walk, the gazes of the warriors who had believed to the last in the Iron Alliance''s exploratory mission and had enthusiastically taken part in it were turned off and faced down.


    The only ones who were excited about what was going on were Orvar, Skaldr, and their Hunters Of Ullr, who for the first time in their lives were preparing to travel on a ship to land on a new continent, which they had barely heard of during their childhood.


    Talking to each other, they fantasized about what would happen once they got to Okstorm, how people got dressed and what they looked like, what kind of food they would eat in the months after landing, and especially about women, which were rare around Fort Hvit, that was lost in the middle of nowhere.


    Reidar and Karl, who were the closest to the Hunters Of Ullr, who closed the line, smiled as they listened to their words, being happy for their enthusiasm and understanding the reason why.


    Gridd and Egill, on the other hand, walked side by side, talking about Dag and Freydis and commenting on their decision, trying to imagine the future developments of their choice to escape and travel to Tungvek.


    "What if Kranus were to refuse to help them? They would be without food and without resources in that endless snowy plain! Although my brother has always been a good hunter, I doubt he can hunt any animals in that place!" Gridd said, who couldn''t think optimistically.


    "Yes, maybe you''re right... I should calm down. Who knows what they''re doing right now... she replied, looking up at the sky as if looking within her brother''s distant gaze.


    ...


    While Dag, Freydis, and Kranus were inside the small room of the palace where the two leaders had discussed the history of the Crystal of Fire the day before, someone knocked on the door.


    "Come in" Kranus replied.


    The door opened and Gunnar and Wrage entered the room, whose door was closed soon after by a guard, who remained to look after the area.


    "My friends. You may be wondering what the warrior who killed my son and dozens of your best warriors is doing in my room. Before you can make an incorrect assumption, I''m going to ask you a question. What do you know about the prophecy of the 6 Crystals of the Elements?" Kranus asked his men, inviting them to sit at his table, on the opposite side of Dag and Freydis.


    "Uhm... I remember you told us about them some time ago when we discovered that the Crystal of Fire was in Okstorm thanks to that spy" Gunnar said, confessing everything he remembered.


    "Yes, Commander... just before we organized our attack and gathered the fleet, you told us that this gem of infinitely great power had fallen into the wrong hands and that for the will of the great Ymir we should have recovered it and brought it to you" Wrage added, scratching his thick brown beard with one hand and squeezing his meninges.


    "Fuck, the spy! I completely forgot about that! Kranus can tell me who secretly told him all the information about our movements and our tactics!" Dag thought, who immediately after hearing that word, changed his expression, and as soon as the two Masters stopped talking, exclaimed: "a spy? What are you talking about?"


    "Eheh... as you can see, you haven''t really thought about everything, Dag. The movements of the Crystal of Fire were constantly monitored and I, despite being here, thousands of miles away from you, knew exactly what you were doing, with whom you were and everything I wanted to know" Kranus replied, believing that Dag had not even imagined being spied on by someone.


    "Mmh... yes, I hadn''t really thought about it. Well, in the name of our new friendship, I''d like you to tell me the name of this man or woman who acted behind our backs. In any case, I will have no way to communicate it to my men who have gone away, so I assure you that the spy will be safe" Dag continued, insisting on the subject, pretending to have suspected nothing and claiming to know the identity of the traitor.


    "I don''t care about his life, so I can tell you his name. But the question is... why do you want to know? If you can''t get revenge, why do you still want to know who cheated on you?"

 469 CDLXIX. The Letter

    "What would you do in my shoes? Wouldn''t you like to know the identity of the spy who reported your every step to your enemies? If you say that, I''m sure it''s a person I know" Dag continued, looking into Kranus'' eyes as the two Masters and Freydis stood in a religious silence, listening to the debate between the two of them.


    "You''re perceptive as usual, boy. Of course, only a person who has known you personally and who knows the people who are under your command can cheat. Anyway, I''d like to assure you on one thing... this man is not part of the Iron Alliance or better¡­ he told me that. So your closest companions have always been faithful to you."


    "The name. I want to know his name, avoid further turns of words."


    "His name is Jens."


    A shiver of cold ran through Dag''s back after hearing that name.


    "What?! Could you repeat that?" he asked, trying in vain not to make his astonishment so evident.


    "I told you, boy. The man who informed me about your travels is called Jens. I just know he lives somewhere east of Okstorm, I don''t know anything else. It wasn''t very hard to convince him, let''s say he suggested a deal first. In return he just wanted cash rewards, gold nuggets to be exact.


    Dag''s facial expression became similar to Thalos''s when he growled, only that no sound came out of his mouth, while he imagined the scene and metabolized that information.


    "Where... where did you first meet? I mean... how did he provide you with this information in real-time? I doubt he ever came personally here, to Tungvek" the young Master asked again, as Freydis looked confused, not knowing who Jens was.


    "That man was full of resources. I don''t know how he did it, I never cared, but... I sent me the news through a bird. A bird that traveled with its flock and once in a while, when it passed over our heads, separated from its companions and perched on the windowsill of the highest window of the building, on the bell tower. It was a different bird every time, it was never the same. I think he was an experienced trainer of that kind of animal" Kranus confessed, explaining everything in detail.


    "I can''t believe it..."


    "I''ll tell you more... the first contact between us happened in a totally anonymous manner. While I was sitting right here, studying the ancient text that you consulted yesterday, a soldier of mine, tasked with ringing the bell for a public announcement to the city, found a kind of large seagull near the window, motionless. He tried several times to drive him away, but the bird kept turning back and positioning itself in the same position until he noticed that on one of his legs, there was a small parchment carefully rolled up and tied. It brought it to my attention and I read it immediately. I still keep it, look at it, wait a second" the magician continued, who as he told the story, rose from his ''throne'' and grabbed a wooden box on a bookshelf.


    He opened it and began to extract from its interior numerous small crumpled sheets, which together exceeded twenty.


    Digging deep, he drew the one further down, which chronologically had to be the first.


    "Here, it''s right here. I remembered I had preserved it" he said, passing the little scroll into Dag''s hands, fearful of reading what was written on it.


    To the attention of Commander Kranus,


    Giants Of Ymir Clan, Krypstorm


    "High ice wizard,


    I''m a warrior of the nation of Okstorm


    and I bring with this letter news that may interest you.


    What you''re looking for is here,


    in the hands of a young boy


    with blond hair and light blue eyes.


    His name is Dag, and he''s an earthling.


    I will take on the task of providing you with


    all indications of his movements


    and his covenants, and in return, you will pay me in nuggets of gold,


    5 for each letter you will receive.


    You will tie them on the lower part of my messenger''s leg,


    that will be different every time.


    This is the first of my letters and it''s free,


    consider it a favor of a distant friend of yours.


    Next time, you''ll put the nuggets on the windowsill of your window


    only then will my winged messenger give you the information,


    seeing my prize glisten from above.


    Greetings."


    Dag could no longer think lucidly after that reading, and his gaze shifted to the stack of pieces that Kranus had extracted from the box, all identical to that, if not longer and more detailed.


    "The subsequent messages, the ones for which I paid that man, describe in detail the formation of your Iron Alliance and mention all its members, including the Masters who were with you here at Krypstorm and also all the soldiers. I knew your every move before you could make it. I''ve always been one step ahead of you, Dag" Kranus continued, confessing to Dag his secret in a melancholy voice as if he had repented what he had done after meeting him.


    Dag laid the sheet near the box and took a deep breath.


    "Who is Jens?" Freydis asked quietly, curious to know why that news had upset him so much.


    "Jens is the Master Of Healing of the Sons Of Freya, Gridd''s Clan," Dag coldly replied, even making his woman cringe, who immediately thought that Gridd would soon return to the city of her Clan and talk to that man without knowing his true identity.


    "But... but why?!" she asked again, astonished by that sudden news.


    "In life, you never know who you can really trust, Freydis. Look at us now: we are seated at the table of the one who was supposed to be our greatest enemy and a kind and smiling man like Jens, who welcomed me to Hevnen with friendliness and friendship, actually turned his back on me. Strange things happen, but you must go on, always. If one day I go back to Okstorm, I will give Jens the lesson he deserves" he said, looking Kranus in the eye and letting him know that he would never suspect Master Of Healing.

 470 CDLXX. Overhear

    The mage reciprocated his gaze and with the utmost fairness towards his new ally, he showed him all the other scrolls, on which was reported every single detail, to which Jens drew through some other soldier paid to spy on him.


    Everything was written, from the names of the warriors who accompanied him on the various missions to the weapons they used, how many archers they had, and what time of day and night they planned their movements.


    In that way, Kranus would always have time to organize his defenses in the event of an attack and to deploy the troops who would assault Okstorm in search of the Crystal of Fire, which had always been his only goal, knowing everything in advance, within 24 hours, during which, somehow, Jens'' message was delivered to him punctually, without ever missing.


    After summarily consulting the scrolls, Dag avoided reading every detail and returned them to the owner, making him understand that each of those words written black on white hurt his pride.


    As Kranus put the small wooden casket back on the shelf, Gunnar and Wrage looked at each other and whispered something that Dag could hear thanks to his developed senses.


    "Why don''t we kill him and take the Crystal of Fire that the Commander so much desires?"


    "You didn''t understand anything, you idiot! That boy killed all our men alone! How are you going to do that?"


    "Pff! Don''t be silly! Look at him, it''s just a windbag! I don''t even believe one of his words! He''s just a dirty Okstorm warrior, we should kill him instantly, not let him sit at our table! It''s shameful!" Gunnar whispered, who between the two seemed to be the meanest and least willing to familiarize himself with Dag and Freydis.


    "... you wouldn''t be able to do it even in 100 years."


    Dag''s voice broke the silence and Kranus turned to him, trying to figure out what he was referring to, just as Freydis, who didn''t understand what the two Masters of the enemy Clan were talking about.


    "Uh?! What did you say?!" Gunnar asked, looking at Dag and hoping he didn''t hear well what he just said.


    Dag continued to stare at them, as he sat with his back to the backrest of his chair and one hand on the table, moving his fingers one after the other and causing them to hit the wooden surface to the rhythm.


    "Why don''t you tell your commander how you''re going to welcome the man who will lead the prophecy mission?" Dag asked, in a sarcastic tone, as his purple eye looked cruelly at both men in front of him.


    A drop of sweat came down from Gunnar''s forehead, who could not explain how the boy had heard his words, whispered in Wrage''s ear as he was turned from behind.


    "What is he talking about?" Kranus asked, looking at his generals.


    No answer.


    "Gunnar!" he replied, raising the tone of his voice.


    The young Master stood up and with both hands resting on the table, leaned slightly forward, toward the two men.


    When he saw his master get up, Thalos did the same, believing it was time to get out of that boring place, but Freydis caught his eye, causing him to move near her.


    Dag''s expression did not bode well: after discovering the truth about Jens''s betrayal, who had always been against the creation of the Iron Alliance, his soul was wounded and fire of rage began to boil his blood.


    "I said... that you two wouldn''t be able to kill me in 100 years. I killed almost all of your ''powerful'' Jotunns fleet with a single attack, don''t try to say such a thing in my presence yet, otherwise, I will avoid keeping my patience" he said, his voice firmly, as his purple eye shone slightly.


    Wrage, who never wanted to provoke that reaction because he was afraid of Dag, began to tremble like a leaf, while Gunnar looked at him with an air of defiance as if he could not bear the idea that a little boy could somehow be more important and strong than him.


    "Well, that''s enough!" Kranus exclaimed, resting his hand in the middle of the table, exactly between Dag and his interlocutors, stopping the hate-filled speech that had generated between them.


    "Dag, I apologize for the behavior of my men, but we at Tungvek are not used to deal with people from the West like you. I''m sure Gunnar and Wrage will change their idea of you after seeing you fight. Until then, please behave correctly between you, like the gentlemen you are. Do you think you can do it?" the ice mage asked again, looking at both of his sides out of the corner of his eye.


    "Yes, Commander. I''m sorry, mine was just a fleeting thought suggested to a companion, I didn''t think Dag could hear my words. It won''t happen again" Gunnar replied in a resentful voice, looking down and avoiding crossing his eyes with Dag, so as not to get nervous.


    Dag sat down again in his chair and stroked Thalos''s head, which came back beside him.


    "I have never disrespected any of you, Kranus. Teach your men to use their brains before their mouth, because next time I might not have all this patience" Dag said, who despite his age showed his intellectual maturity and the confidence he had in his actions, not backing down in front of anyone.


    "It will be done. Now that we''re all playing with an open hand, I propose to talk about the frequent battles our soldiers are fighting against the Claws Of Fenrir" Kranus replied, opening a scroll almost the size of the table.

 471 CDLXXI. Krypstorms Map

    When Dag and Freydis saw the complete map of Krypstorm, they remained breathless, noting that that nation was nearly three times the size of Okstorm and teeming with life and cities.


    Before starting to speak, Kranus opened a second box, containing small objects made of cylindrical carved pebbles.


    After realizing that they were pawns depicting Jotunn army units, Dag watched Kranus distribute them on the map, to show his guests how and where his troops were deployed.


    "As you can see from this map, my army extends far beyond the walls of Tungvek. We Giants Of Ymir have two military outposts, located in tactical zones in the battle against the Claws Of Fenrir. Fort Hvit, in which you and your companions were refugees, was one of the outposts, but when Tungvek grew and became so big, it was abandoned" Kranus said, looking at the map and finishing carefully positioning the pawns.


    "I had never seen such a complete map of Krypstorm... it''s really big and I didn''t think there were so many population centers" Dag said, walking next to Kranus and stopping at a better location to observe the details of those areas unknown to him.


    The island stretched thousands of square kilometers and had the classic triangular shape, already hypothesized by Okstorm''s explorers of the past.


    Unlike what he and his companions believed, Tungvek was located in the far east of Krypstorm and Fort Hvit was just below, southwest of the city walls.


    The two military outposts in which Kranus had just rested the pawns were located northwest of Tungvek, along the coast, more than 200 kilometers away from their current location and in the far southwest, in the geographically closest corner of Okstorm, where Dag was sure they docked the ship.


    "I think something went wrong while sailing. We should have arrived exactly here and would have to look for a cove to dock safely, without being spotted. Evidently, the sea current must be particularly strong in this stretch and the Iron Emerald had increased its speed so much that it arrived on the other side of the island in a heartbeat, east of Tungvek" Dag said, looking at the map and explaining to Kranus his original plan.


    "Yes, that''s it. In addition, starting from that point in the direction of Okstorm is virtually impossible, because the strong current always travels eastward. So you can imagine that to get from Krypstorm to Okstorm, the only way is to circumnavigate the island. My men succeeded that mission in just under a week, traveling without ever stopping" Kranus explained, pointing to Dag''s exact spot where the sea was characterized by strong one-way waves and reels, which would have prevented navigation to the west.


    At that point on the map, in fact, there was a drawing of a spiral with a boat sinking at its center, which symbolized just that kind of danger.


    "Fuck! Gridd! The royal boat with all my men on board will surely be headed in that direction! They will all die!" he exclaimed, thinking aloud and realizing what would happen in the immediate future.


    Freydis opened her eyes wide and began to look down, thinking of a solution to alert the King''s crew of the danger.


    "Dag, I''m sorry to inform you that if they come to that point in daylight, they will be able to notice the anomalies on the surface of the sea and if they are skilled at sailing, they will be able to save themselves... otherwise, if the ship will travel on those waters at night... I fear that your King''s ship will sink with his crew, swallowed by the sea" Kranus said, in a slightly sorry tone, as if he really cared about the lives of all those men, while Gunnar, in front of him, was pleased with the news but deftly managed not to be discovered, holding back a malignant smile.


    "We just have to hope. There''s nothing we can do... they''re in the hands of the Gods" Freydis said, grabbing Dag''s arm and sharing with him the fear of losing all their teammates.


    Once again, Dag did not respond immediately, pausing to think in absolute silence, until he realized that reaching them in the middle of the sea to warn them would be impossible and they would never arrive in time.


    "How long does it take a large medium-speed ship to travel from this point to this one?" Dag asked, pointing with one finger at the starting point of King Einar''s ship, which was indicative closer to the Iron Emerald, and the other finger the arrival one, the area of the map where the vortex was drawn.


    "About a day and a half, two if you go very slow" Kranus said, trying to be as honest as possible.


    "Two days... if they take about 48 hours, leaving in the morning they will arrive in the morning, with daylight and may manage to escape the danger. We hope that because of the men who have joined their crew, the ship will go slower" Dag said, who once again thought aloud, trying not to think lucidly and not give in to panic.


    After taking a deep breath, he asked Kranus to continue with his explanation, trying not to think about that detail, even though the faces of Gridd, Egill, Reidar, and Karl continued to appear in his mind.


    "As I was explaining to you just now, this is our ''Outpost 1'', an old village abandoned for hundreds of years, which has been renovated by my men and which is currently home to about 250 soldiers" the magician said, pointing to the nearest outpost at Tungvek.


    "And what about this one? How many soldiers are there? And why is it so isolated from your capital? I think it''s very risky to send your men so far from home" Dag said, noting that the distance to Outpost 2 was almost three times as far away as the other.

 472 CDLXXII. The Ruler Clan

    "Look what''s next to it. Do you see this kind of cave?"


    "Yes, it''s a few miles from your outpost in the far southwest. What is it?"


    "It''s one of the many bases of the Claws Of Fenrir, here''s the reason why our camp is right there¡­ so that we can attack them incessantly in the event of war" Gunnar interrupted, anticipating Kranus''s explanation, who looked at him with his piercing eyes, not content with his intervention.


    The Master of Arms of the Clan looked down, realizing that he no longer had to interfere in the discourse between his commander and Dag, who as soon as he heard that news, thought of the cave that he and his men had been forced to overcome to reach Fort Hvit.


    On the map, in addition to these minor details, there were some points of interest that it was impossible not to notice, namely two large cities to the west and a huge mountain chain that stood right in the center of the island.


    "And these cities? Who lives there?" Dag asked, pointing to both of them.


    "Dolken, the one in the far north, was the capital of Krypstorm, as well as its largest city. This was when all the Clans of the nation were united under one council, led by the grandfather of your current king, Alfang."


    Dag looked at Kranus, astonished that in addition to knowing King Einar, he was also informed about his genealogy, going back two generations.


    "And what is this castle? Forgive me, but I can''t read the name, I don''t understand your alphabet" Dag asked again, apologizing.


    "That''s Hoffnarr Castle, the headquarters of Lies Of Loki, the Clan that took over the city after the Great War that made Krypstorm what it is today."


    "The Lies Of Loki..."


    After quietly repeating that name, Dag''s mind traced him back to that fateful moment, during which his adoptive father, Stein, had been brutally killed by one of the warriors of that cursed Clan, who as his sole goal had to steal Brann''s axe.


    A moment later, the young Master laid his hands on the table and stepped back, staring into the void and looking more astonished than before.


    "Dag! What''s going on? Are you ok?!" Freydis asked, who immediately touched his face, trying to figure out if his faltering body was the cause of some physical illness due to the intense cold to which he had been subjected during the last hours.


    "The Lies Of Loki... many years ago, before I chose to join Hammers Of Thor... some of them attacked my farm on the outskirts of Jernhest to seize the Crystal of Fire!" he exclaimed, leaving Kranus and his Masters open-mouthed.


    "All this is impossible, it doesn''t make sense!" Kranus replied in a stern tone of voice, refusing to believe Dag''s words.


    "How can they know the prophecy, if the only book that mentions it is in my hands?" Kranus asked, hoping that Dag would know the answer to that dilemma.


    "It''s obviously not the only book... or there must be another way... after that episode, Lies Of Loki stopped attacking the farm. Also, when they arrived, they didn''t even show up with the name of their Clan..." Dag said, beginning to reason.


    "Do you think it was something only a few of them knew?" the ice mage replied.


    "It''s possible. Or those who knew it had tried to tell someone else, but they just weren''t believed. Otherwise, why were there only three of them? Lies Of Loki are masters of deception and disguise, if they wanted to, they could have attacked us in many! Instead, there were three, two of whom were mediocre warriors. If we are lucky, their ''secret'' died with them."


    "Are you sure none of them have returned to Krypstorm?" Kranus said, trying to get as much information as possible.


    "Of course. I saw their bodies with my own eyes, I remember that day as if it was yesterday" Dag replied, without thinking twice.


    "Umpff... the Lies Of Loki are now watching over the city of Dolken and in addition to it, they have also taken over Klorr, another big city just to the south, which was once the headquarters of the Claws Of Fenrir" the magician continued, pointing to the last major city on the map.


    Dag continued to watch carefully, and after only a few seconds, he realized that the God Loki warrior''s Clan was probably Okstorm''s most powerful and was the only one who ''owned'' two cities.


    Clutching his fists, he tried to hold back the hatred he felt for those men but never forgetting the promise he made to Gridd when they were children, intent on respecting it, only with a small modification: after traveling back in time and seeing with his own eyes what kind of person Brann was, he would only avenge the name of his father, Stein, who bravely sacrificed his life for that of his wife and children.


    Trying not to lose focus, his gaze fell on the large circular mountain range in the center of the map, which looked like a huge ring, opened only to one side.


    "Randt''s Massif. It''s so weird that mountains grew in this shape next to each other... there had to be a volcano here, or maybe a glacier" Dag said, who without doing so on purpose began to lay out his idea on the geology of that place.


    "Historians say that there was the largest glacier in Skjold, that''s right... how did you know?" the mage asked, who was astonished despite his great culture.

 473 CDLXXIII. Out Of This Room

    "I''ve always been fascinated by geology, ever since I was a child. On Earth, it was my favorite subject. Anyway, I see that there''s a cave on this mountain, too. Is it another base of operations of the Claws Of Fenrir?" the young Master asked, who wanted to take stock of the situation.


    "That''s right... that should be the biggest. It is said that within that mountain, the wolf warriors have built an entire city carved into the rock and for this reason, they have never again claimed their dominion over Klorr."


    "So that''s the first place we should go."


    "Uhm?" Gunnar said, unable to understand what the young Master was referring to.


    "What do you mean? Who should go there? Us?" Kranus asked, touching his beard, interested in Dag''s proposal, which had already entered his mind, trying to figure out what was the best tactic to get rid of the threat of the Claws Of Fenrir.


    "You said that wolf warriors don''t own a real city, but so many small outposts scattered across Krypstorm, many of which are caves, right?"


    "Yes... so what?"


    "In my opinion, the creation of new small command centers full of Jotunns warriors will only disperse your forces and make your army more and more vulnerable, despite training new warriors every day. You''re playing their game, you think you''re winning a war, but you''re actually slowly losing it" Dag continued, without stopping to look at Randt''s Massif on the map.


    "How dare you, kid? We started fighting the Claws Of Fenrir in this way more than 20 years ago and we have already won many battles, driving them out of territories near Tungvek and protecting our people. And now we should change our tactics just because a stranger who thinks he is a God said that?" Gunnar exclaimed, who, having spoken for the second time without the permission of his superior, attracted another of his stern looks.


    "Silence, Gunnar. I didn''t ask for your opinion. No one has said that we will change the approach of our army, but listening to the opinion of a boy who, so young, has already managed to form an Alliance and travel to an unknown nation can only do us good" Kranus continued, pointing to Dag and politely asking him to continue his explanation.


    Dag nodded, thanking the magician for the trust and continued to speak.


    "You have won many battles and I congratulate you on this. Thanks to the hard workouts you put them through, your warriors are certainly among the strongest in Krypstorm, but... if your real goal is to expand your borders beyond the walls of this city, I believe that you are not using the right tactics and that this war will still last for tens of years, without ever leading to a concrete result. Where do the leaders of the Claws Of Fenrir live? I mean those who decide how to deploy their beast-soldiers..." he asked, looking the leader of the Ice Giants in the eye.


    "Well. So you can easily imagine that''s where their strongest warriors hide, in defense of their leaders. In my opinion, you should call all your warriors back to Tungvek, abandoning the Outposts you have created, which are just a waste of men and resources... soon after, you will create a group of soldiers suitable for this type of task and send them on a diplomatic mission directed at them, the leaders of the Claws Of Fenrir''s Clan."


    "What?! Commander, I''m sorry if I intervene without your permission, but I can''t listen to such bullshit! That wouldn''t make sense! Any victory achieved in the past would become useless if we decided to withdraw our men and not continue to attack those bastards!" Gunnar interrupted again, rising from his chair and turning rudely to Kranus, who slowly turned his gaze towards him.


    "Wrage..." the white-bearded mage said.


    "Yes, Commander?" the Shield Master asked, who had been called unexpectedly.


    "Please escort your colleague out of this room and if you want, come back without him. Today he can''t control his momentum and I''m starting to lose patience" Kranus said again, continuing to look Gunnar in the eye, who looked down angrily.


    "Uhm... yes, sir... as you wish, sir" Wrage answered diligently, rising from his chair and gently touching his friend''s arm.


    "Don''t touch me!" Gunnar exclaimed, quickly moving his arm and freeing himself from his grip.


    Everyone in the room looked at him, fearing that, driven by anger, he might do something he would regret.


    "I can get out on my feet" he continued, looking at Dag with the same air of defiance that had accompanied him throughout the encounter and attracting the attention of Thalos, who began to growl, slightly scratching his neck hair.


    "Easy, Thalos... easy... don''t worry, he''s leaving" Dag said, calming down his four-legged friend and proving once again superior to the Giants Of Ymir''s Master of Arms, waiting for him to leave the room and maintain his usual composure.


    After opening the door, he violently shut it, slamming it.


    Wrage, who had risen to accompany him, sighed and returned to sit in front of Dag and Freydis, interested in listening to the rest of the speech.


    "If I did or said anything wrong I''m sorry... I didn''t think I would¡­"


    "Dag. Pretend nothing happened, then I''m going to talk to him privately. This is not the first time he has had problems with ''discipline''. Now please, go on" Kranus interrupted, leaning back on the back of his bone chair.


    "I was saying that... breaking the continuous micro-battles between your Clans with a diplomatic meeting, could be the key to solving these long-lasting diatribes. If you gather all your soldiers, I''m sure their number would exceed that of your enemies..."


    "Yes, that''s for sure. And why should we reunite them if you''re talking about diplomatic missions? We certainly won''t need their help" the mage replied.

 474 CDLXXXIV. The Help Reques

    "Diplomatic missions can be successful, but they can also fail. In case the Claws Of Fenrir will be not interested in a truce and decide to attack you, there will be so many warriors waiting for them and they will be forced to retreat. Having their forces decentralized and believing that your men are scattered among the various Outposts, they will never expect to be outnumbered... their defeat will be inevitable" Dag explained.


    "Mmmh... I''ve never done diplomatic missions before and I don''t think any of my men can do that. Besides, recalling to Tungvek the warriors who years ago left to defend the Outposts, will involve a reset of the army, it will be necessary to find a new configuration to be able to maximize the efficiency of the soldiers..." Kranus thought aloud, who was going to seriously consider the idea.


    "I can help you with this. If you trust me, thanks to your knowledge of Krypstorm and the weaknesses of the enemy Clans, we will make your men invincible. Your generals are very attentive and prepared, but... Wrage, no offense... your men should be trained differently" Dag said again, speaking for the first time with the Shield Master, who until then had remained silent to listen politely, like Freydis.


    "What do you think, Wrage? Dag argues that your Jotunns warriors are not strong enough to allow us to expand our borders" Kranus said, allowing his underling to speak and respond to the young Master''s perplexity.


    "What makes you think such a thing, Master Dag?" he asked, ready to answer in favor of his men.


    "I faced them, not so long ago. I fought them one vs one, troop against troop... even outnumbered, that is, me against dozens and dozens of Jotunns warriors. Their techniques, based mainly on brute force, were clumsy and predictable. In just under a week, my colleagues and I trained our soldiers to fight against yours and they defeated them without any problems, in fact, our losses were minimal" Dag replied, without fear of provoking a reaction from Wrage, who seemed much quieter than his friend, who knows where outside the room door.


    "I deal with defense techniques. We teach our warriors what the Masters of the past have handed down to us, without whom, our Clan would not be so important and powerful" Wrage continued, as if he wanted to justify himself to Kranus, but without blatantly contradicting Dag''s words.


    "And what do you think we should teach our warriors? They just have to be ready to fight the threats that loom over Tungvek, like the wolves of the Claws Of Fenrir, for example. The way is not important, what matters is to win every battle! Perhaps the warriors you managed to beat were simply tired of the journey, having topped the waves for a week without ever walking on land!"


    "Wrage. I really want to give you the reason, but I can''t. Before allowing Dag and his men to have an audience with me in Tungvek, he by himself killed my bodyguards, who were two of the strongest warriors in our entire army. He defeated them with such ease, that I pitied for them, so much so that I did not regret their death either. If young Dag says that our warriors are not able to win this war for good, there must be a reason" Kranus interrupted, who after listening to the opinion of his Shield Master and realizing that he had no intention of admitting his mistakes, again took control of the conversation.


    The indifferent expression on Wrage''s face turned into a slight disgruntled grimace, unable to digest the words of his superior.


    "Commander Kranus..." he said, having been in total silence for more than twenty seconds.


    "Yes? What is it?"


    Wrage stood up, looking at Dag and took a long breath.


    Dag looked back, but with a confused air, not understanding what the huge man had in mind.


    The Shield Master bowed to him, put his hands on the table, and closed his eyes, saying: "Master Dag, it would be a real pleasure to know your fighting tactics! Please stay here in Tungvek and teach our men how to win the war they''ve been fighting for years! If necessary, I will offer you accommodation at my house, but please accept the proposal!"


    When Wrage exclaimed those words, Kranus looked at him in amazement, not believing his ears and not knowing how to intervene, dismayed by his proposal.


    Dag did the same, but after a few seconds, he smiled and turned to Kranus, as if with his eyes he was asking permission to help them.


    "It''s a very unusual request, Wrage! I don''t know how you came up with that. Dag said the Fort that housed him and his men got lost and asked me for asylum here. It''s okay for me, now we have to hear what his answer is" Kranus replied, again passing the word to Dag, who in such a short time had passed from enemy to precious ally.


    "Hahah! I never expected a request like that, but I really appreciate honest people like you, Wrage. So... I''ll help you. But... to my own terms."

 474 CDLXXIV. The Help Reques

    "Diplomatic missions can be successful, but they can also fail. In case the Claws Of Fenrir will be not interested in a truce and decide to attack you, there will be so many warriors waiting for them and they will be forced to retreat. Having their forces decentralized and believing that your men are scattered among the various Outposts, they will never expect to be outnumbered... their defeat will be inevitable" Dag explained.


    "Mmmh... I''ve never done diplomatic missions before and I don''t think any of my men can do that. Besides, recalling to Tungvek the warriors who years ago left to defend the Outposts, will involve a reset of the army, it will be necessary to find a new configuration to be able to maximize the efficiency of the soldiers..." Kranus thought aloud, who was going to seriously consider the idea.


    "I can help you with this. If you trust me, thanks to your knowledge of Krypstorm and the weaknesses of the enemy Clans, we will make your men invincible. Your generals are very attentive and prepared, but... Wrage, no offense... your men should be trained differently" Dag said again, speaking for the first time with the Shield Master, who until then had remained silent to listen politely, like Freydis.


    "What do you think, Wrage? Dag argues that your Jotunns warriors are not strong enough to allow us to expand our borders" Kranus said, allowing his underling to speak and respond to the young Master''s perplexity.


    "What makes you think such a thing, Master Dag?" he asked, ready to answer in favor of his men.


    "I faced them, not so long ago. I fought them one vs one, troop against troop... even outnumbered, that is, me against dozens and dozens of Jotunns warriors. Their techniques, based mainly on brute force, were clumsy and predictable. In just under a week, my colleagues and I trained our soldiers to fight against yours and they defeated them without any problems, in fact, our losses were minimal" Dag replied, without fear of provoking a reaction from Wrage, who seemed much quieter than his friend, who knows where outside the room door.


    "I deal with defense techniques. We teach our warriors what the Masters of the past have handed down to us, without whom, our Clan would not be so important and powerful" Wrage continued, as if he wanted to justify himself to Kranus, but without blatantly contradicting Dag''s words.


    "And what do you think we should teach our warriors? They just have to be ready to fight the threats that loom over Tungvek, like the wolves of the Claws Of Fenrir, for example. The way is not important, what matters is to win every battle! Perhaps the warriors you managed to beat were simply tired of the journey, having topped the waves for a week without ever walking on land!"


    "Wrage. I really want to give you the reason, but I can''t. Before allowing Dag and his men to have an audience with me in Tungvek, he by himself killed my bodyguards, who were two of the strongest warriors in our entire army. He defeated them with such ease, that I pitied for them, so much so that I did not regret their death either. If young Dag says that our warriors are not able to win this war for good, there must be a reason" Kranus interrupted, who after listening to the opinion of his Shield Master and realizing that he had no intention of admitting his mistakes, again took control of the conversation.


    The indifferent expression on Wrage''s face turned into a slight disgruntled grimace, unable to digest the words of his superior.


    "Commander Kranus..." he said, having been in total silence for more than twenty seconds.


    "Yes? What is it?"


    Wrage stood up, looking at Dag and took a long breath.


    Dag looked back, but with a confused air, not understanding what the huge man had in mind.


    The Shield Master bowed to him, put his hands on the table, and closed his eyes, saying: "Master Dag, it would be a real pleasure to know your fighting tactics! Please stay here in Tungvek and teach our men how to win the war they''ve been fighting for years! If necessary, I will offer you accommodation at my house, but please accept the proposal!"


    When Wrage exclaimed those words, Kranus looked at him in amazement, not believing his ears and not knowing how to intervene, dismayed by his proposal.


    Dag did the same, but after a few seconds, he smiled and turned to Kranus, as if with his eyes he was asking permission to help them.


    "It''s a very unusual request, Wrage! I don''t know how you came up with that. Dag said the Fort that housed him and his men got lost and asked me for asylum here. It''s okay for me, now we have to hear what his answer is" Kranus replied, again passing the word to Dag, who in such a short time had passed from enemy to precious ally.


    "Hahah! I never expected a request like that, but I really appreciate honest people like you, Wrage. So... I''ll help you. But... to my own terms."

 475 CDLXXV. No Need To Apologize

    Wrage made an expression that showed the joy he was feeling, but remained silent, out of respect for his commander.


    "What conditions?" Kranus asked, who had no intention of giving Dag full freedom.


    "I will train your warriors with your Masters and help you plan the battle... but as soon as this whole thing will be over, you will help me complete the prophecy. I don''t know how yet, but an ally like you will certainly make my job easier" the young Master said, making claims despite his disadvantageous position.


    "All right, I accept. As I had already explained to you, nothing is more important to me than the prophecy of the Crystals of the Elements."


    "Perfect. I''m ready, we can leave right away, after you show me where my woman and I can spend the night" Dag concluded, knowing that, needing his help, the leaders of the ice giants would accept his every request.


    "All right. We can consider this meeting over. Wrage will take you inside the Arena and begin to show you what our warriors are capable of. I''m going to finish some tasks here and then I''m going to catch up with you. Don''t worry about your accommodation, you and your woman will have an independent small house located right here behind the castle. While you''re busy getting to know my warriors, I''ll send slaves to fix it for you" Kranus replied, warmly inviting all his guests out of his private room.


    Dag got up from his chair and Freydis did the same, followed by Wrage.


    All three of them made a slight bow with their heads and then walked out of the room.


    Thalos did not detach himself for a moment from his master, walking next to his legs naturally, almost as if it was an extension of his body.


    "This way, Master Dag. I apologize on Gunnar''s behalf, but he''s not someone who likes to collaborate, especially with people he doesn''t know. Noting that our Commander trusts you so much is so weird... he has always prevented strangers from knowing such personal details, such as the kind of training our soldiers are subjected to" Wrage said, trying to familiarize with Dag, knowing that in any case, he would have to cooperate with him.


    "You don''t have to apologize... anyone would have reacted like that, he just exaggerated a little with the tone of his voice. I will not upset the approach you''ve created so hard over the years, I just want to give your warriors some advice on how to be less predictable."


    "Thank you again. Come this way, follow me" the Shield Master continued, pointing to Dag and Freydis in the direction to leave the palace and head to the arena.


    Under the perpetually astonished gaze of the guards patrolling in and out of the Colossus Palace, Dag and Freydis reached the arena, descending inside as they had done just before, but this time accompanied by a Master.


    "Soldiers!" Wrage yelled, calling the order.


    All the young warriors in front of him, in less than a minute, lined up in several neat rows, with their shoulders straight and their gaze turned to their Master, being accustomed to that strict discipline.


    "This man behind me, he''s a Master from a faraway Clan. His name is Dag, the Exiled!" he continued, arousing some interest in his men.


    The soldiers, especially those in the last row, began to look curiously at the young Master, immediately noting that he was accompanied by a huge gray wolf and that behind him there was a beautiful red-haired girl.


    "From now on, many things about the army will change and we will prepare to face and defeat the Claws Of Fenrir for good! With the help of Dag, who despite being almost your peer is a skilled strategist, we will be able to draw up plans to impose our dominance over all Krypstorm. Even Lies Of Loki will begin to fear our name!" Wrage replied aloud, with the sole aim of galvanizing his soldiers.


    "Uh! Uh! Uh!" they shouted to them in unison, simultaneously moving their hands upwards and welcoming their new temporary Master.


    "Do you want to say something, Dag?" he asked, not knowing what else to add.


    Dag waited a few seconds, merely looking at the warriors'' faces, reading their inexperience on them.


    Then he began to walk forward, walking left and right with his hands behind his back and continuing to stare at Kranus''s men in detail, making them slightly uncomfortable.


    "You can rest easy, you don''t have to keep your back so straight. Relax..." he said, before beginning the real speech.


    Two men in the front row looked at their Master, asking permission.


    "Rest!" Wrage yelled again, making them realize that Dag''s words were orders.


    One by one, all the warriors of the troop relaxed their shoulders and neck, returning to their normal positions, standing.


    "Very good... does any of you already know who I am?" he asked, avoiding making a sterile, one-way presentation and trying to engage them as much as possible.


    Ten seconds after that question, very shyly a guy from the back raised his flickering hand.


    "You! Come, come here where I can see you!" Dag exclaimed, smiling and making those warriors understand that he had no bad intentions towards them.


    The boy in question, taller than him, with short brown hair and a goatee just outlined under his chin, stopped in front of his companions, before the young Master of Okstorm.


    "What''s your name, soldier?" Dag asked.


    "Aklad, sir!" he replied, looking down in fear.


    "I suppose you already know my name... is that true, Aklad?" he asked again.


    "Y... Yes. I know who you are, sir."


    "Mmmh... well. Continue then, explain it to all your comrades. And look me in the eye, I''m not your enemy."

 476 CDLXXVI. Enough Talk

    The boy looked up at Dag and he immediately noticed that tears were flowing out of control from his shiny eyes.


    "My father was a Clan warrior and took part in the mission at Okstorm, under the orders of Commander Kranus. He never returned, and the few survivors who managed to come back to Tungvek told all the citizens that a young man named Dag had managed to defeat the entire fleet with his incredible powers" the young warrior answered, confessing everything he knew about his identity, perfectly remembering every single detail and associating with Dag the death of his beloved father.


    Dag looked him in the eye, still crying despite continually wiping away his tears.


    Behind him, Freydis looked at him displeased, trying to imagine how his man would behave, while Wrage stood still with his arms folded, interested in the speech.


    "I feel so sorry for your father, I didn''t want that battle. My men and I were just defending our people from a surprise attack. Anyway, now here I am, in front of you. As you can imagine, I am here at the behest of Commander Kranus, who strongly desired my presence. So forget the past and think about the glorious future that awaits us! Together, we will conquer a good slice of the land that has been taken from you over the centuries!" Dag exclaimed, turning to the crowd and trying to give a summary answer to the boy, thus avoiding angering him.


    The soldiers, however, did not react in any way to those words, which for the first time did not have the desired effect.


    In their minds, there was only one big question: everyone wondered how one of their bitter enemies might have suddenly become an ally who shared their own goals.


    Dag immediately noticed their reaction and after ordering the boy to return to his place, he continued: "I know you never imagined that I would become your ally and above all that I could help you. But know that, as evidence of our friendship, I have transgressed my King''s direct orders and fled to Tungvek, automatically becoming an enemy of the Crown! Now, before you can think that I''m just a madman who abandons his land and his friends to pursue his ideals, I''d like to know your fighting style. Wrage, your turn!" he continued, passing the word to the Shield Master and showing respect for his interlocutors, most of whom understood that he was not an evil person as told on the streets of Tungvek.


    "So, put yourself in position! Show Master Dag the training you''ve been through during your last workouts! Come on, come on!" Wrage shouted, who, after ordering his men to move, walked toward a rack and grabbed a half-broken metal shield and a spiked bat in his other hand.


    In a short time, the men, who numbered about a hundred, formed a kind of crescent moon shape, consisting of 4 rows of semi-circles, horizontally arranged one after the other and held the weapons, looking at Dag with an air of defiance.


    "Nobody? Why? Let them attack instead! How can I help you if I don''t even know their strength? Hey, Freydis!" Dag called, pulling Magni''s hammer off his belt and turning to the Shieldmaiden, which he did not expect to be named.


    "Yes?" she said, looking around slightly embarrassed, being the only woman among hundreds of men.


    "Come beside me. Let''s see what these warriors are capable of, but without hurting them... okay?" he asked.


    After that question, even though he wasn''t looking in that direction, he heard someone among the warriors giggling behind him, probably as he underestimated his strength, but said nothing.


    "But... Dag... what do I have to do with all this?" she asked, walking timidly towards him.


    "I want to show these men our coordinated fighting style, I''m sure they don''t know any of our techniques. In this way, they will have a practical demonstration from two warriors of two different Clans!" he continued, grabbing his hand and dragging her next to him, as Thalos sat and looked at them from his position.


    Without asking too many more questions, Freydis pulled the spear from behind her back and twirled it in the air before blocking it with its toe pointing at enemies, demonstrating her ability to handle that type of weapon.


    "Soldiers, be careful! You are all using real weapons, if any of you injure Master Dag, you will have to face the wrath of the Commander personally and..."


    "Master Wrage, enough talk. These men wouldn''t be able to hurt me even if they all tried together at the same time, let them try, two at a time. Are you ready, Freydis?" Dag asked again, looking at his woman out of the corner of his eye, who nodded her head.


    After yet another voluntary taunt, useful to raise the warriors against him to force them to fight to the maximum of their strength, Dag twisted the hammer in one hand and then stopped in the fighting position, pointing a hand at them and urging them to attack.


    "Aaargh!"


    The first two soldiers in the row, without waiting for the signal of their Master, sprinted in the direction of Dag and Freydis, wielding an axe and a sword.


    The two Okstorm''s warriors waited until the last moment, and just when the first of the two attacked them with a vertical sword slit, Dag raised the hammer and parried the blow, blocking the sword in mid-air with ease.


    Almost simultaneously, the other warrior attempted to hit him on the side with his one-handed axe, but the shot was so predictable that Freydis slightly raised the tip of the spear to deflect her opponent''s weapon and disarm him.


    Immediately after that action, the first soldier became distracted, watching his friend''s axe fall to the ground, and Dag took advantage of it to push the sword away with the hammer, destabilize his center of gravity, and hit him with a weak kick on his ankles, causing him to end up on the ground.

 477 CDLXXVII. Kane

    After just under a second, a low sweep of Freydis''s spear also hit the other boy, who fell next to the first.


    "Grraagh! Take this!"


    Dad and Freydis did not have time to defeat the first two opponents, who two more had already arrived and tried to attack them on several fronts, hoping to take advantage of the surprise attack.


    Before they could both notice, this time it was Dag who took the first step, sprinting forward and faking a hammer blow.


    Both of the soldiers placed their swords in front of their chests, ready to parry the blow, but Dag turned on himself, kicking one at shoulder height and the other with the hammer, which after impacting on the blade of the sword, caused a small shockwave that sent the boy flying for a couple of meters before ending up with his back on the hard floor of the arena.


    "You are slow! Slow and predictable!" Dag shouted, preparing to face two other soldiers, who ran from their position after a few seconds.


    Without even paying attention to their movements and without Freydis''s help, Dag also knocked them to the ground in seconds, anticipating their moves.


    "Most of the time you attack an enemy, you will do it head-on... if you can''t come up with a good two-person tactic, how will you do if you find yourself alone? You have to work on coordination!" he replied, calling a pause and putting his hammer back in its place, looking at Wrage and shaking his head, not satisfied with his pupils.


    "This windbag says that only because we didn''t turn into Jotunns!"


    "Yes, it''s true! It''s easy to defeat us in the form of humans, but he''d never be able to face more giants at the same time with that physique! I''m sure what Aklad said is bullshit!"


    Two warriors who had not yet faced Dag spoke to each other in a low voice, but the young Master could hear their words perfectly and this time decided not to ignore them.


    "Do it then!" he exclaimed, turning slowly toward those who were talking secretly.


    The two boys pretended nothing, looking around.


    "You have just said that you doubt the words of your own companion, who has already told you what happened to Okstorm and how many Jotunns I defeated. Turn into Jotunns and attack me. But this time, I don''t know if I''ll not hurt you" Dag continued, pulling the hammer back from his belt and preparing to fight, letting Freydis know the time to step aside has come.


    The two boys, after being amazed by Dag''s incredible hearing, asked permission to turn into Jotunns to Wrage, who agreed, realizing that Dag was now occupying the main scene.


    One of them, with arrogance, moved his teammates to the front row and dropped his axe to the ground, looking at Dag defiantly.


    "Come on, let me see... convince me that I am wrong" Dag said again, instigating the young soldier in front of him and challenging him with his gaze.


    Leaning forward, he began to bend his back and groan, as if he felt growing pain somewhere in his body.


    "Breathing! You have to control your breathing better, Kane!" Wrage yelled, who noticed a slightly incorrect posture to perform the technique that would initiate the metamorphosis, immediately tried to correct his pupil, who without distraction, executed the order, keeping calm and not stopping breathing.


    Seconds later, a sound of bones echoed among the soldiers in the arena, coming from the back of young Kane, who was probably one of the strongest young warriors among them.


    Being already bare-chested, like all others, the increase of musculature and the growth of the bones would not tear his clothes, which in the lower part of the body were made up of a long and wide skirt, precisely for the same reason.


    "Grrr... grrr... anf... anf..." Kane continued to pant and from his spine, some vertebrae pierced his skin, coming out of the flesh and becoming sharper and sharper.


    Simultaneously, a bundle of muscles leaked out of his shoulder blades, clustering on his chest, and joining the muscles of his arms and abdomen, as well as those in the back area of his body.


    When the new muscles created by his body almost completely wrapped his torso, the bones of the spine bent inwards, sticking into the new tissues and forming a much larger and more resistant vertical column.


    Almost at the same time as this process, the lower limbs were also undergoing the same transformation, and leg muscles such as the quadriceps, femoral biceps, and calves had almost tripled their volume.


    As soon as his hands and feet were upgraded, Kane lowered his head and began to writhe his neck, feeling severe pain as his braincase was deformed from the inside and his jaw grew out of proportion, giving rise to long, sharp teeth.


    The new skin was the last stage of the transformation: starting from the lower part of the nape of the neck, a uniform layer of purple epidermis began to cover the new muscle fibers, resistant as steel cables, and in less than a minute completely wrapped the body, including the head, from which the black hair of the young soldier disappeared.


    "Grrr... rrr..."


    Continuing to emit a snarl-like verse, when the transformation was completed, Kane stood up, showing everyone his new size: now he was more than two meters tall and his arms had become so large, that their thickness even exceeded that of Dag''s upper body, who until then had remained motionless to admire that magnificent process.


    "That''s the real power of the Jotunns! Graaargh!" Kane shouted with his new baritone voice, turning to his teammates and extending his arms, to stir up the crowd and be encouraged against his opponent.


    "Yeeeeah! Hahah!"


    "Go, Kane! Show him what we''re made of!"


    His companions, predictably, began to shout his name and encourage him to fight, and in the meantime, the boy who had just been speaking softly with him approached again.

 478 CDLXXVIII. The Biggest Opponen

    "Take this, I brought you a weapon" he said, handing over a huge spiked bat, more than a meter and a half long, consisting of a small tree trunk with iron spikes brutally inserted into it and protruding outwards.


    "Not bad, boy. To be a novice, I have to admit that you look pretty threatening now... but I''ve faced Jotunns stronger than you. I hope that after our fight you will understand what are the points that you need to strengthen. Standing still, I can already see that you tend to leave your right side uncovered and..."


    Before Dag could finish speaking peacefully, the young Jotunn grabbed the weapon from his colleague''s shoulders and violently waved it at his opponent, trying to strike him by surprise, screaming at him.


    Dag, with a slight backward movement, dodged the shot and stopped talking for a moment, stepping back and preparing for the next attack.


    Oddly enough, Kane lifted his mace from the ground and did not immediately attack, merely watching Dag and studying his movements, trying to figure out how to counter his high movement speed.


    "Well, brother... I see you understand that blindly attacking won''t get you anywhere... I like you" Dag continued, smiling mockingly, but appreciating the attempt by the Giants Of Ymir''s soldier.


    Kane waved the spiked bat in one direction, feinting a frontal attack and then attacked sideways, trying to hit his opponent on his side.


    The shot was so fast and accurate that Dag could not dodge it in time and was forced to parry it.


    *boom*


    When the bat hit the hammer''s stone head, a loud noise was released and the metal spikes crawled against Dag''s weapon, which deflected the blow and slightly unbalanced the soldier, unintentionally emitting an imperceptible electrical discharge.


    "Wow! Nice shot! You almost hit me! And it was also powerful! Keep it up!" he exclaimed, not hitting the young warrior on purpose, giving him a chance to keep fighting.


    After regaining his balance, Kane stood still, walking sideways and moving his head, trying to focus on Dag, who after parrying the blow with the hammer, had stunned him.


    "So?" the young Master asked, ready to continue.


    As soon as that word came out of his mouth, the giant dashed towards him and charged a downward blow, intent on hitting Dag from the bottom and knocking him to the ground, ending the fight.


    Dag, however, dodged the shot again and soon after placed a hand on Kane''s back, making a small jump and resting his foot on it.


    Giving himself the push, he jumped backward, landing on his feet and pushing the Jotunn forward, forcing him to put his spiked mace on the ground to avoid falling.


    "I''ll do it!" a voiceover from the top of the arena said.


    Dag turned in that direction and noticed that the voice came from Gunnar, who along with Kranus had reached the meeting place, continuing to nurture a certain hatred for him, after what had happened during the private meeting.


    "Gunnar, what are you saying? Master Dag is doing a demonstration for our students, you don''t need to intervene..." Wrage sighed, hoping that his colleague would change his mind and avoid making bad figures.


    As he and Kranus began to descend the stairs that would lead them to the center of the arena, the soldiers began to shout his name: "Master Gunnar! Master Gunnar! Master Gunnar!"


    "Eheheh! Did you hear them? Step aside, Wrage... our young students want to see their Master in action against an Okstorm rookie!" Gunnar exclaimed, whose words full of contempt towards Dag once again annoyed Kranus.


    Dag looked at the Commander of the Ice Giants and nodded his hand, trying to make him understand that he was not worried and that the situation was still under control.


    Kranus''s respect for Dag grew exponentially, and the ice mage avoided standing between the two challengers, hoping that in that way, the resentment between them would decrease.


    "Okay, okay! That''s enough, guys... thank you for the support. You, Dag!" Gunnar called, pointing his finger at the young Master, under the frightened gaze of Freydis, who sensed nothing good.


    "Hey, Gunnar" he replied, in his usual quiet tone.


    "Do you agree to challenge me in the form of Jotunn or do you prefer to avoid making such a bad impression to my men? Hahah! You still have time to step aside and let us train our warriors as we have always done and collaborate in some other way!" the Master of Arms continued, who as soon as he set foot in the arena, untied the piece above his armor, dropping it to the ground and remaining bare-backed, ready to begin the transformation.


    "Why should I refuse? I welcome your challenge but remember... you don''t have to use all your power. As Wrage was trying to say before you interrupted him, this is just a demonstration" Dag added, dismissive of the fact that with those words, he would make the figure of a coward in front of the warriors that were watching them.


    "Perfect then. If I win, you will walk away from the arena and approach the soldiers only if Commander Kranus officially summons you... if you win, you will train our warriors with us, becoming their temporary Master" Gunnar replied, clearly explaining the conditions that bound their impending fight.


    Dag nodded, looking at Kane and telling him that they would continue their friendly challenge at another time.


    Gunnar stepped forward, stopping at the geometric center of the arena and looking up, breathing deeply and closing his eyes, to concentrate.


    Meanwhile, a group of warriors ran inside one of the warehouses surrounding the black stone structure and all together carried a giant axe, taller than Gunnar himself, leaving it at his feet.

 479 CDLXXIX. Not An Easy Figh

    His physique, despite the man being about 40 years old, was very well trained and robust, with a net of veins that ran through his biceps and forearms, the strong points of his musculature.


    Continuing to breathe in the same way, Gunnar moved his neck first to one side and then to another, stretching out the joints of the upper body, then opening his arms outwards and began the process of metamorphosis.


    In less than ten seconds, what had happened just before to Kane''s body, inexperienced in that kind of skill, happened to Gunnar, but three times faster.


    His body grew out of proportion and his height shocked even Dag, who did not believe he could meet such a tall Jorunn.


    Gunnar, unlike the other giant warriors, was about 3 meters tall and had such an imposing constitution that the ground vibrated at every step: this helped him over time to earn the title of Master of Arms of his Clan.


    "Dag?..." Freydis said, trying to warn her man that her negative feeling about Gunnar had grown more than before.


    "Hey, Freydis... don''t worry, it''s just a demonstration duel. I''m not going to get beaten by this bully!" he said, speaking in confidence with his woman and letting his words be heard by the warriors close to him.


    The greenish skin of the huge Jotunn in front of him was illuminated by the rays of the afternoon sun, which timidly exceeded the clouds and somehow managed to reach even the lower part of the arena.


    The Giants Of Ymir warriors moved sideways, positioning around the inner walls of the arena, leaving the rest of the space for the two challengers.


    Dag, before beginning the duel, focused on Gunnar and silently activated his recognition skills, Niva.


    Around the shape of the giant, a dark red and purple aura began to float, as if it was evaporating upwards.


    "He''s much stronger than Kranus''s two bodyguards put together... I can''t risk losing, it''s a defining moment! If I lost the fight, my credibility would collapse, and Kranus wouldn''t trust me the way he''s done so far. I have to fight hard!" Dag thought, angrily watching his challenger and moving his arms and legs to warm up his muscles, with both of his weapons in his hands.


    "Gentlemen!" Kranus yelled, who was slightly higher than them, standing in the middle of a staircase.


    Everyone in the audience turned their gaze to the commander.


    "It must be a clean duel and neither should get hurt. As soon as the anger takes over the tactics, the duel can be considered over and without any winner. All clear?" he repeated aloud.


    Both Dag and Gunnar nodded, then began looking at each other again.


    "All right then... get started!" Wrage exclaimed, officially giving the start of the meeting.


    "Whooa!"


    "Go, Master Gunnar!"


    Gunnar began to walk towards him, crawling the huge blade of the double-headed axe on the floor and causing it to emit little shiny sparks.


    "So... where can we start..." he said, giggling inside.


    Dag remained stationary in combat position, waiting for his enemy to try to attack him.


    The Master of Arms stopped about two meters from him and lifted his huge axe upwards, slowly, then resting its long handle on one shoulder.


    "Don''t look at me like that, kid! Who do you think you are!" Gunnar exclaimed, grabbing the handle with both hands and preparing to shake his huge weapon.


    Dag, who was skilled in dodging, immediately began to think about what was the best direction to counterattack, but just then, his body froze, no longer responding to commands.


    "What?! What the fuck is going on?! I can''t move any more!" he thought, looking at his legs and arms and squinting.


    "Hahaha! I killed warriors much stronger than you with my unique skill! Your nerves have atrophied and your body is momentarily comparable to a piece of inanimate wood! Now I just have to choose how to beat you! Hahaha!" Gunnar continued, whose body emitted a kind of green aura, as a result of the skill he was talking about.


    "How do I do now?! I will never be able to dodge his shot in those conditions, he will definitely hit me! Grr... rrr..." Dag continued to think, who had to quickly find a way to free himself from that condition of immobility.


    "Let''s start with something light... this is for the disrespect you had towards me!" Gunnar yelled, turning on himself and hitting Dag''s stomach with the knave of the axe handle.


    The impact of the weapon on Dag''s body, caused a crash, unleashing a small shockwave that propagated through his stomach and leaked from his back, then dissolving into the air.


    "Grooagh! Cough! Cough!"


    Dag''s eyes opened even more, as did his mouth, which began to spit blood.


    "Hahahaha! You can''t even kneel in pain! It was easy! Here, another one comes! Aaargh!" Gunnar shouted again, hitting him in the same spot with the back of his weapon and causing him to spit more blood, while the bowels in his stomach writhed in pain.


    When the Master of Arms realized that Dag''s body had been destabilized, he continued to hit him with the axe pommel three more times, and then ended the series of attacks with a heavy punch directed to the face, which sent Dag flying several meters, until his back hit the wall of the arena.


    The soldiers near the wall moved immediately and Dag''s body slipped to the ground, but always with tense nerves.


    "Fuck! My nerves keep unresponsive... his skill is too strong, I''ve never suffered anything like that! I have to react at all costs, otherwise, the fight will end sooner than expected!" the young Master thought, who with immense effort, managed to bend his knee and slowly rose to his feet.

 480 CDLXXX. The Broken Arm

    Gunnar made an astonished face and continued to approach him, slowly, knowing that he was in no hurry and already thinking of his victory.


    "After the sixth blow you managed to stand up with your own strength... not bad, I must admit. But my skill will continue to take effect as long as I want, weakening your body continuously. Give up and avoid being ridiculed... this duel already has a winner" the Jotunn said, stopping in front of Dag and looking down on him with a malevolent expression.


    Soon after, he lowered himself towards him and grabbed him by the blond hair, raising him to his feet.


    With one of his huge hands, he shook his head and threw him across the arena, causing him to crawl to the ground as if he was a puppet.


    "What the heck are you doing, boy? Come on, unleash your dark power!" Kranus thought, watching the fight closely and knowing that Dag was not working hard as the crowd of warriors continued to cheer and encourage Gunnar.


    "Now enough, it seems to fight against a training dummy! Commander! Here''s your mighty warrior! The warrior who will help us defeat the Claws Of Fenrir and who will fulfill the prophecy! There he is, in all his power!" the giant yelled, looking at his commander and opening his arms towards him, leaving his double-headed axe on the ground and calling himself the winner.


    When he noticed the impassiveness in Kranus''s expression, who had no intention of declaring the duel over, Gunnar approached Dag again with an evil expression painted on his face.


    He moved his body to one side with one foot and Dag, who had been left for a few minutes with his face on the ground, found himself belly up.


    Both of his weapons fell out of his hands, and Gunnar did not hesitate to grab the Giantbane and lift it, looking at it with some interest.


    "All this mess for this little toy, Kranus? I didn''t think you''d prioritize this nonsense!" Gunnar shouted again, dropping the Giantbane to the ground under the tearful eyes of Freydis, who, trying to keep Thalos calm, continued to hope for a comeback by Dag, increasingly damaged by his opponent''s constant attacks.


    "Don''t you dare... touch my axe again..." the young Master whispered, with a thread of a voice.


    "Uhm? What did you say?! Are you still talking?!" the giant answered, approaching Dag again and leaning down towards him, pointing the hole he had instead of his ear towards his mouth, to hear his last words.


    "Your filthy hands... they are not worthy..."


    Continuing to speak softly, Dag clenched his fists and activated Call Of The Berserkr, unknowingly to his enemy, who mostly listening to the screams of the crowd, failed to notice that the muscles of Dag''s arms and chest were swelling and that his veins were pumping three times the blood.


    *boom*


    A much stronger shockwave than before rumbled inside the arena, generating a gust of wind that lasted a few seconds.


    The crowd of soldiers gasped and no one dared to speak, looking at the giant''s huge body suspended more than 4 meters high.


    With only one powerful fist, while his face was completely covered in blood, Dag had managed to lift that enormous weight and make it fly like a leaf.


    When Gunnar returned to the ground, he unleashed a heavy thud, which raised a great deal of dust.


    When the cloud began to dissolve, Kranus and all the rest of the people there looked smug at the scene: Dag was still standing on his feet and despite his body being totally injured, his muscles had grown considerably and the veins of his arms were so swollen that they throbbed.


    The eyes were injected with blood, both of them, even the purple one, which seemed almost demonic.


    In front of him, Gunnar''s body was still standing on the ground, having suffered serious damage as a result of the fall from that height: the weight of his bulk, in fact, had contributed to damage his joints and bones, changing the fate of the duel.


    Dag said nothing, merely walking towards the Jotunn.


    He put his foot on his huge belly and walked over it, climbing over his body and reaching the Giantbane, which was there on the ground.


    He grabbed his axe and for a moment, the crowd around him whispered something, as if they feared that the young Master was going to kill their Master of Arms.


    Dag, on the other hand, placed both the axe and the hammer on his belt when he noticed that Gunnar had not completely lost consciousness and the fingers of his hands began to move again.


    "Get up and fight" Dag said, stepping back and clenching his fists in front of him, ready to continue.


    Gunnar, knowing that his fame depended on the moment during which all his soldiers were watching him, made an immense effort and stood up, looking at Dag with bloodshot eyes, ready to hurt him.


    "Your arm... are you sure you want to go on?" Dag asked, who despite the still active Call Of The Berserkr, managed to speak with a calmness that left everyone speechless.


    After that statement, the audience''s gaze of the arena fell on Gunnar''s left arm, which was bent in an unnatural, surely broken way.


    The elbow joint seemed completely split, so much so that the forearm had undergone a complete twist, rendering the whole arm unusable.


    "Grrr... ggrrraargh!" Gunnar shouted, charging Dag and trying to grab his head with his other hand, as his broken arm dangled behind him, leaving a trail of blood in the air.


    Dag looked down and waited for Gunnar to be close enough to throw a second punch on the side of his jaw, followed by another in the middle of his neck, which took his breath away.

 481 CDLXXXI. The New Division

    Scratching his eyes and kneeling trying to catch his breath, Gunnar remained helpless for about ten seconds, during which time Dag repeatedly punched him in the face with a very quick series of direct fists.


    The sound of Dag''s knuckles slamming violently into the Jotunn''s face echoed outside the walls of the arena, along the streets of the city, and it was so loud that some citizens were frightened, unable to identify where it came from.


    After the chain of attacks, the Master of Arms''s eyes were completely turned backward and he had lost consciousness.


    Under the weight of his body, as if he was a lifeless boulder, Gunnar fell backward, with his back to the ground, his knees bending like two fragile twigs unable to sustain all that bulk.


    "That''s enough! The fight is over!" Kranus yelled, who had not stopped looking at Dag for a moment, and after he had got up and started relentlessly beating one of his Clan''s strongest warriors, he had already decreed the outcome of the fight, which strangely had incurred an unexpected twist.


    "Hahahaha! Yes!" Freydis exclaimed, who, being surprised as everyone else could not hold back her happiness when her man was declared the winner.


    Wrage looked at Dag with respect and his hands slowly began to beat on each other, generating in a few seconds a round of applause among the warriors, who, showing considerable moral value, celebrated Dag''s arrival in that way, thanking him for his demonstration.


    He approached Gunnar again and as he lowered himself towards him, he looked at Kane and other young warriors out of the corner of his eye.


    "Help me lift him, I don''t think I can do it alone" he said, as his muscles returned to their original form, and Call Of The Berserkr exhausted its effect.


    As soon as he heard his new Master''s call for help, Kane rushed to him, along with three other companions.


    In a gesture that increased the esteem that the warriors of that Clan felt for him, Dag lifted Gunnar''s senseless body and dragged him along with his helpers to the top of the staircase, then placed him on a cot in one of the buildings surrounding the arena, which looked like an infirmary.


    Freydis and Thalos followed him briskly, and when the girl entered that little concrete hut, she took bandages and a bucket of hot water and began to clean his wounds on his face and check his physical condition, smiling for happiness.


    You did it! For a moment I feared that giant would tear you apart! How is it possible that you stopped moving? I''ve never seen you so distressed against a single enemy!" she said, as Dag stroked Thalos, who noticed his master''s wounds and was licking his hand nonstop.


    After finishing with medical treatment and cleaning up the cuts and bruises on Dag''s face, Okstorm''s two lovers exited the infirmary, noting that Kranus and Wrage were inside the arena waiting for them, looking at them out of the corner of their eyes and gesticulating toward them.


    Dag and Freydis descended the stairs, and when they set foot in the arena, another round of applause began from the warriors, some of whom unexpectedly began to shout his name, astonished by his unique fighting style.


    "Soldiers, order!" Wrage yelled, asking everyone to remain silent, knowing that his commander was about to speak.


    "So... Master Dag. What are your conclusions after this demonstration duel?" Kranus asked, looking his interlocutor straight in the eye.


    "There is a lot to work on. We''re going to create training subgroups. It''s going to be 4 of them, to be precise. Each of them will be supervised by a warrior, no matter his age or his rank... what matters is his value and determination. In this way, the new troops will get used to the idea that, during a real battle, you often find yourself with a few companions by your side and you can rely only on your own skills and instincts" he said, looking intently at all the warriors and starting to think about who could play the role of leader of the group.


    "This is an interesting idea... I had never thought of such a thing. Well, Master Wrage will help you, as will Master Gunnar, as soon as he recovers from his injuries. Ah, one more thing. I just sent men to both of our Clan''s Outposts. The soldiers who are there will be informed that they have to return to their capital and in a few days, they will all be gathered here in Tungvek" Kranus continued, resting his hand on Dag''s shoulder and making it clear that he had accepted his advice, after he had shown him his worth in battle for the second time, beating such a strong enemy in enemy territory.


    "Excellent. You won''t regret it, Kranus."


    After that speech, the soldiers, in a more or less orderly manner, surrounded Dag, asking him a thousand questions about his combat style, curious to know where he had learned it and whether he could teach it to them too, having never witnessed a warrior of his size who beat with his bare hands such an enormous giant.


    Dag responded summarily to everyone by saying that in the following days he would devote himself to their new type of training and before leaving, while Kranus and Wrage were still beside him, pointed to Kane with his hand and said: "He will be the leader of one of the four troops."

 482 CDLXXXII. Terror

    The young warrior''s companions embraced him and screamed with joy at him, celebrating his kind of ''promotion'', while the young Kane was astonished to watch Dag, not believing he was receiving an award after shouting at him.


    Just then, as if he could read the thought, Dag came up to him and said: "I wouldn''t like a stranger who enters my Clan''s arena and thinks he can do the blowhard. I don''t care what you think of me, any way you proved your worth in combat and you didn''t back down... that''s why you deserve to be rewarded."


    A hand on his shoulder followed those words, after which Dag returned close to Kranus and the Shield Master and with them left the arena, while Kane smiled looking at him from afar, happy to have impressed such a young and wise warrior.


    "What kind of skill did Gunnar use against me?" Dag asked, walking next to the two Giants Of Ymir members towards the palace.


    "It''s called ''Terror''. It''s his personal skill, Gunnar''s workhorse. Thanks to it, he never lost a 1 vs 1 fight, this was his first time. I hope he won''t have a problem with that! Hahaha!" Wrage replied, preceding Kranus, who couldn''t remember all those details, not having to deal with Gunnar every day.


    "Fuck, I really believed he would knock me out for good. How exactly does it work? I have no bad intentions, I just want to understand how to exploit it in battle" the young Master continued, asking peacefully to his interlocutors, who now trusted him.


    "To activate it, you must be in the form of Jotunn, you can not do it as a human. Once activated, his body begins to give off a greenish gas that once it enters the opponent''s lungs, paralyzes his muscles and weakens his bones, as a kind of poison. I don''t know exactly how it works, but I know it has to do with the strong acidic smell of his giant skin. In battle no one has ever been able to resist him, which is why, over time, Gunnar has focused much more on offensive techniques than defensive ones, trying to apply the effect of gas to even multiple targets at the same time" Wrage continued, trying to remember as much as possible, but not telling Dag anything more than he had already understood with his intuition.


    "When he''ll be back on his feet, Gunnar will have to teach that skill to the leaders of the four troops. I have in mind an attack configuration that cannot fail" Dag exclaimed, who was already thinking of a war strategy that would lead them to a quick victory, after which he could focus on prophecy.


    "Still, I learned the unique skill of my first Master. He taught me and I learned it with a hard workout, during my exile" Dag continued, explaining to Kranus that evidently, the texts from which he had learned that information were archaic and inaccurate.


    "Exile? What kind of exile? Now that we''re in confidence, I can ask you... ever since I learned that your nickname is ''the Exiled'', I''ve wondered what it was referring to... I thought it was about your trip to Krypstorm" Wrage asked again, who from the moment Dag had shown him to be a respectful and honorable ally, had opened up to him, starting to talk and ask him questions even more than others.


    On the way from the arena district leading in front of the palace, Dag explained to Wrage and Kranus the origin of that nickname, which had been given to him for obvious reasons, confusing them for the fact that, an exiled warrior, usually does not enjoy good fame and is unable to create an Alliance so important and powerful that he undertakes a journey to another unknown continent.


    When they finished discussing the subject, standing at the foot of the staircase leading the palace, Kranus interrupted, saying: "Dag, Freydis... follow me, I will personally escort you to your accommodation, so we can continue this interesting conversation a little longer... there are so many things I don''t know about you and your homeland!"


    Freydis smiled, after having been called for the first time by the leader of that Clan, but kept an air detached, still not blindly trusting him and believing that he was plotting something.


    Once away from the palace, the warriors turned right and continued along a road consisting only of small dwellings, slightly more modest than the other backstory, looking decidedly richer and majestic.


    "Here, we have arrived. That''s the key... inside you will find everything you need to clean yourself up and rest tonight. There should also be a hot meal somewhere, I explicitly asked my slaves. Tomorrow morning we will see each other inside the arena as soon as the Sun is higher than the bell tower of the Colossus Palace" Kranus said, handing a large metal key to Dag and saying goodbye politely, followed by Wrage, who smiled at the young Master and his woman.


    "Thank you, Kranus. Thank you for your fairness, Wrage. See you tomorrow" Dag answered, who along with Freydis bowed his head slightly out of respect.


    When the two Giants Of Ymir walked away, he put the key in the lock and had Freydis and Thalos placed behind him.


    Placing his hand on the door, he pushed it back slightly, opening it cautiously and looking inside.


    "Wait here, don''t come in until I give you the green light" he said, entering the house and leaving his woman and wolf outside the door to wait.

 483 CDLXXXIII. The Little House

    The interior of the modest house was lit with candles arranged on the shelves that made all the spaces visible: downstairs, there was a large fireplace with a stick that held an empty pot and ready to be used and in front of it, a small wooden table with two stools, on top of which was a basket covered by a cloth.


    On the other side was a kind of wooden bathtub containing clean, still steaming water, with spare clothes hanging on the wall next to it.


    Climbing small wooden stairs, Dag came upstairs, holding his hand on the axe, ready to pull it out in case that house was a trap to hurt them, but even that space was free and well lit, with a huge bed arranged in the middle of the smaller room and three or four soft furs that made it even softer and welcoming.


    When Dag saw the bed, all the exhaustion accumulated during that tiring day poured over his legs, which trembled slightly, as if they were begging him to go to sleep.


    "You can come in, there''s no one in here" Dag said, shivering down the stairs and smiling at Freydis, curious to witness her reaction to the sight of the bed.


    She entered without hesitation and made sure to close the door behind her and Thalos followed her next to her legs.


    First, Dag untied his belt and freed himself from the weight of his weapons, leaving them next to the fireplace, hanging from a kind of hook that came out of the wall.


    Then, as Freydis looked around and Thalos smelled here and there to try to identify that unknown place and realizing it would be his night shelter, Dag raised the cloth that covered the straw basket on the small table.


    A smell of meat and warm bread came out from that basket, entering the nostrils of the young Master, whose pupils dilated by hunger at the sight of all that tasty food.


    Several steaks of some very large animal, certainly not a wild boar, were stacked on the right, while other dishes were scattered in the rest of the basket: there was fruit, strange cherry-like berries, two loaves of hot bread, and a clay bottle.


    Without hesitation, Dag grabbed the bottle and opened it, resting its mouth under his nose and smelling it.


    "Mmmh... it smells good... but this time I was hoping it was mead. I haven''t drink mead for a long time, I''m sick of drinking only wine!" he said, closing the bottle and resting it on the table, along with all the other things he pulled out of the basket.


    Dag sat at one of the stools, waiting impatiently for Freydis to arrive at the table so she could eat, when she placed her little hands on his shoulders, from behind, drawing his attention.


    He raised his head looking behind him and the two lovers kissed in that position, perfectly matching their lips.


    "I''ll take this" she said after kissing him, gently grabbing the house key that was resting on the table next to the food and walking away with it toward the door.


    Next to the door, about a meter and a half from the entrance was a small window overlooking the street, equipped with a kind of metal grate.


    She grabbed it and closed that too, letting a trickle of air pass only to one side, thanks to the grate, which increased the security of that point.


    "The precautions are never too many. Tonight, I''m going to relax with you a little... alone" she said, smiling and winking at Dag, who despite wanting to have sex with her immediately, felt his stomach grumbling and looked forward to eating.


    Leaving the key inserted into the lock, Freydis sat on the stool in front of her man, and together they began to eat with heat everything on the table, leaving not even a crumb of bread.


    A whole juicy steak was given to Thalos, who after mauling it in just two bites, returned next to them, sitting, looking at them with a puppy-like air.


    "Don''t look at me with those eyes, Thalos! I just gave you almost a pound of meat, how can you have finished it already?" Dag asked, smiling and softening before his friend.


    "With those helpless puppy eyes, he looks like he''s never eaten in his life!" Freydis said, laughing and throwing a piece of bread at Thalos, which was grabbed into the air and swallowed instantly.


    After dinner, with his stomach full to the brim and the sleep beginning to take over, Dag rose to his stool and walked very slowly to the stairs, intending to dive on that magnificent bed he had seen just before.


    "Hey, you! Where do you think you''re going, ''Master Dag''?" Freydis asked, drawing his attention.


    "Isn''t it obvious? If I can get on the stairs with this huge belly, I''ll catapult myself to the bed and you''ll come with me!" he replied, approaching his woman and trying to lovingly grab her arm to pull her towards him.


    "Slow down, beauty! Can''t you feel that you smell like a pig that just splashed in the mud? Hahaha!" she continued, forcing her man to undress and approach the water tank, which was still lukewarm.


    "Ehehe... all right, you''re right. As a child, I wouldn''t even have imagined going to bed without first brushing my teeth, hands, and so on... I have become a true Viking by now, in every sense..."


    "What would you imply about us Vikings?" she asked in a joking tone, stepping back to the tank as Dag approached her, flirting.


    "You know what I mean... I was thinking... why don''t we continue the speech we started under that snowy tree?" he continued, grabbing Freydis''s shoulder and turning her forcefully with her face facing the wall and the water tank, beginning to untie the top of his armor with hurry.

 484 CDLXXXIV. The Water Session

    From that moment on, the two lovers stopped talking and their usual love ritual began, while Thalos, bored and with a full stomach, tired of having traveled so much, lay down by the fireplace and fell asleep like a log.


    When both lovers were completely naked in front of the bathtub and glad to finally have some privacy, they began to court each other as if it was their first time: between them, there was such strong chemistry, that the emotions they felt every time their naked bodies touched were so strong, so much so that they lost control and did not be careful about what was going on around them.


    At that moment, if someone had tried to force the lock on the door or window, Dag and Freydis would probably have continued with their teasing.


    Continuing to kiss, without ever detaching their lips, they climbed over the edge of the wooden tank and entered it, plunging into the hot water, which as soon as it came into contact with their cold and dirty bodies, emitted thin white steam.


    Dag sat at the bottom of the tank and Freydis rode him, continuing to kiss him and caress his face and hair.


    She then took a bowl resting on a sort of stool nearby and filled it with water, then emptied it on Dag''s head, who did the same to her.


    In the same way, she grabbed a piece of soap and began to soap her man everywhere, paying special attention to the intimate parts, where her hands persisted more than necessary, letting Dag''s penis grow, which was ready to do his duty and make the young Shieldmaiden enjoy the moment.


    Freydis''s leather armor had left small marks along her torso, having been glued to her all that time, and lines of earth and dirt had accumulated on her chest and lower abdomen.


    Dag, making her sit in front of him at the bottom of the tub, placed a hand on her chest and pushed her backward, forcing her to lie down completely, with her head resting on the wooden edge and the rest of her body immersed in water, while her round and hard breasts protruded from its surface, preceded by turgid nipples.


    With his hand in the water, he began to caress her on her shoulders and descend to the lower parts of her body, cleaning them gently and sensually.


    Freydis closed her eyes and focused on the movements of his hand, which descended lower and lower, immersed in hot water, and directed between her legs.


    When Dag''s fingers began to caress her vagina, Freydis raised her head even more, moving it backward and spreading her arms outwards, as if she was relying completely on her man.


    Dag then continued with the movement, which became more and more intense and deep, until he stuck his fingers inside the body of his girlfriend, who continued to enjoy more and more, grabbing with one hand his wrist and clutching it tightly, as if begging him not to stop.


    He, realizing that she was about to come after so short time, placed his other hand on her neck, tightening slightly and thus increasing the enjoyment.


    Freydis uttered a choked and intermittent groan, and her whole body submerged in the water and moved for a few seconds out of control, until she stopped after that intense pleasure.


    Dag removed his hand from her neck, on which slight red marks of his fingers had appeared, and kissed his woman, who at that moment was trying to return with her mind to the real world.


    "Wow... and where did you learn this...?" she asked, her voice still excited, grabbing Dag''s penis and letting him know what time it was his turn.


    Dag merely smiled and while she kept her penis directed between her legs, he placed his knees on the bottom of the tank and let himself fall on her, giving way to penetration.


    Careless of being in an unknown city with unknown people, Dag and Freydis sat for more than 20 minutes, slowed by the friction of the water, which made everything more exciting and intense and she did not stop for a moment to scream with pleasure.


    Moments before he came, Dag pulled his blade from Freydis''s sheath and placed his head between her wet breasts, while she gently stroked him, having come for the second time.


    That bathroom, which had turned into an intense sexual session, ended that way, and more exhausted than before, the two lovers came out of the bathtub and wore the clothes hanging on the wall to go to sleep.


    Dag, unable to stand again, walked the stairs and threw himself on the bed, stopping to move after a few seconds.


    Freydis, on the other hand, providently, used the last remaining piece of soap to wash their armor, that after been submerged and rinsed in the tank, were placed on the table and on the stools in front of the fireplace, to let them dry at night.


    Thalos, who was right next to her, raised his face for a moment and when he realized it was nothing interesting, he went back to sleep like a baby.


    Having remained the last still awake, Freydis reached her man in their love nest, realizing that he was already immersed in sleep, under the fur blankets.


    Looking at the wooden and concrete ceiling of the house, she thought that she could even get used to being there, which unlike Skjegg and Okstorm, left them the freedom to be together without time limits and to be able to follow their spirit as warriors and adventurers, exploring new lands and learning new languages.


    On these positive thoughts, the girl, with her red hair still humid and tied in a braid, fell asleep snuggled near Dag, who as he slept instinctively embraced her, sensing the warmth of her body under the blankets.

 485 CDLXXXV. The Four Groups

    ...


    The next day, both of them were awakened by the sudden sound of the bells, which due to their proximity to the Colossus Palace, was very loud.


    Even Thalos, who could sleep in all conditions and in every place, leaped from the floor, beginning to bark and growl, looking around.


    Dag, after raising his head from the soft fur pillow, sighed and lay down again.


    "Thalos, stop barking, don''t worry... it''s just the sound of the bells" he said, thinking that his wolf had never heard it before.


    Freydis was the first to get out of bed and after giving Dag a good morning with a kiss, she went downstairs and turned off the fireplace, noting that both armor and clothes were dry and clean.


    "Come on, sleepyhead! The Clan warriors are waiting for you!" she exclaimed, urging Dag to get out of bed.


    He obeyed and reached her in front of the chimney, replying: "You will help me. I''ve seen that few of them use the spear, which means they don''t know anyone who can teach them how to use it properly. Get ready, because from today you will be my assistant! Haha!" he chuckled, winking at her.


    "All right, I''m in! I think I''m up to it. And then, I''m bored of standing still without being able to help you" she said, determinedly.


    After getting dressed quickly and making sure to carry their weapons with them, Dag and Freydis left their small house and locked the door, followed by Thalos, who did not intend to be in there alone.


    Some passers-by, who certainly lived in the area, turned to look at them, noting that their outfit did not coincide with that of the palace guards or Clan warriors, despite being armed.


    Trying to look as grumpy as possible, Dag looked back and greeted a group of people, consisting of a man, a woman, and their children, probably all part of the same family.


    The little girl moved her hand to greet him when her mother interrupted her gesture and moved her behind her legs, for fear that the stranger might hurt her child.


    "They all look like good people here... who knows what it must be like for them to know nothing about Okstorm, ignoring that it is teeming with inhabitants and cities. Do you think they ever wondered that?" Dag asked, trying to kill time as he approached the arena.


    "Yes, perhaps some of them do. I think most of the citizens of Tungvek are quite cultured, they don''t seem to me to be ordinary farmers! And then, judging by the quality of their streets and their buildings, you can tell they care a lot about their city and their Clan" Freydis said, who was thinking the same things as Dag, observing the behavior of the people around them.


    When they arrived behind the Colossus Palace, the bells of which still kept ringing intermittently, Kranus and Wrage were still there and, unexpectedly, Gunnar was also present, sitting in a chair next to them, above the stairs.


    Kranus and the Shield Master responded to the greeting, while Gunnar merely looked at Dag with contempt and then looked away, unwilling to be polite to him, once again.


    "We were waiting for you. The warriors have already completed their warm-up phase, they are waiting for new orders" Wrage said, as Kranus watched Carefully at Dag and Freydis, trying to guess from their eyes if they had spent a good night.


    Dag nodded and, along with everyone else, headed into the arena, descending one of its long staircases.


    Gunnar, on the other hand, slowly rising from his chair, was forced to get help from some of his soldiers, who shrugged his shoulders and, step by step escorted him downstairs.


    "Good morning everyone, Giants Of Ymir" Dag exclaimed, looking shamelessly at the faces of the young warriors in front of him and greeting them, letting them know that they could speak freely with him, who was not as stern as Wrage and Gunnar.


    Some of them responded timidly, while others remained silent, not being accustomed to that kind of greeting.


    "She is Freydis and along with me, she will teach you some of our basic combat techniques. I have noticed that few of you use to fight with spears or similar weapons... Freydis is an expert on that kind of weaponry and will be happy to pass on her knowledge, right?" Dag said aloud, asking for confirmation to his woman, who confirmed with a smile, excited to be able to teach someone to fight with her style.


    "As I explained to you yesterday, after the fight, you have to divide into four groups, each of which will be led by a leader. I already picked one, Kane. The others will be chosen by you, I don''t care. Judgment is part of the battle, you have to be able to understand which your strongest allies are on every occasion, and the same goes for your enemies: figuring out who you can face and who is out of your reach is crucial to the success of a mission" Dag continued, ordering the warriors to divide into four groups.


    In ten seconds, already prepared for that question, the Giants Of Ymir settled into four neat rows, each of which had its leader ahead.


    "Very well... let me see... what kind of weapons do you use?" the young Master thought aloud, walking in front of the young leaders and succinctly analyzing their equipment.


    "You fight with two axes, you use a long sword, you use a shield and a spiked mace, while you fight with a spear... perfect! It seems like a good setup, I like it!" he continued, drawing a smile from his new students and fomenting them.


    After that brief introduction, Dag and Freydis spent most of the morning training the boys, teaching them how to fight together, both alone and in groups.


    The key to the success of the upcoming battle against the Claws Of Fenrir, according to Dag, was that being the wolves always gathered in herds, they had to be surrounded in order to be defeated.

 486 CDLXXXVI. Gunnar Formation

    The main tactic was to split at first, coordinating with the other warriors who were coming from the two Outposts and then coming together as the enemies began to succumb, preventing them from retreating or escaping.


    "Gunnar!" Dag exclaimed unexpectedly, turning to the Master of Arms, who did not answer the call.


    "C''mon, Gunnar¡­ no more resentment. Help Dag train our warriors, he''s asking for your help!" Wrage said in a low voice, trying to convince his colleague to behave properly, under the severe eyes of Kranus, who waited impatiently for him to respond.


    "Here I am, tell me" he replied, coldly, only to do Wrage a favor.


    Dag, after realizing that he had gained his attention, approached him, while Freydis continued to teach her five new students how to use the spear to keep their distance from the enemies.


    "The skill you used against me, ''Terror''. You have to teach it to these four guys" Dag continued, who had already hinted at that request the day before.


    "Hahah... it''s a joke... it''s a joke, isn''t it?" Gunnar asked to Wrage and Kranus, giggling with a closed eye because of the slightly swollen jaw after Dag''s fist that had ended their fight.


    "Teaching your personal technique is the basic requirement of the new setting of our army of recruits, Gunnar. You''re going to do as you''ve been asked" Kranus said, in a serious tone, watching his Master''s and waiting for a concrete answer.


    "You have gone completely mad... first trust this stranger and then... then you force me to pass on a skill that only I know! What if I refuse?" he asked, looking at his commander in the eye, fearless.


    "You would lose your role as Master of Arms with immediate effect" Kranus replied, exhausted that his subordinate would continually challenge him.


    Dag looked down for a moment, not imagining that his request would generate all that chaos and waiting for the conflict between the two to resolve quickly.


    "You just have to teach him your technique, Gunnar... it is obvious that it will belong to you forever and only you will be able to master it with ease. Master Dag told us that he had learned the personal technique of his Master... you can do it! Imagine the power of our young warriors with that knowledge!" Wrage exclaimed, trying to convince his friend not to do things he would regret, renouncing his pride for once.


    Gunnar turned to Dag, drawing his gaze, and the two looked at each other without saying anything for more than ten seconds, in silence.


    The Master of Arms'' hate-filled gaze ceased, slowly turning into something calmer and more friendly, surprising Dag, who continued to say nothing.


    "Explain to me what is this plan that you have devised and when my soldiers will have to use ''Terror''" Gunnar said, who after the threat of his commander was forced to turn a blind eye to the hatred towards Dag and evaluate his proposal.


    "All right, I accept. I''m going to do as you say. I will teach Terror to four of them. Let them come closer, I want to see who they are" Gunnar continued, taking a deep breath and waiting for them to come forward.


    Dag turned to the soldiers and whistled at Kane, who just realized he had been mentioned and called the other three young leaders to approached the Masters'' group with them.


    With their heads bowed downwards, as a sign of respect to Commander Kranus, they stood in line in front of them, waiting for commands.


    "After your daily training, the four of you will stay in the arena with me and I''ll teach you Terror, my unique skill, which will be crucial to the new configuration of the army. All clear?" Gunnar exclaimed, without making too many turns of words.


    From the gaze of the four warriors, the Masters were able to sense their happiness and the boys, honored to have to fulfill their duty of Berserkrs, bowed their heads again, proudly accepting the assignment.


    "Obviously, the first few days of training will be more theoretical than practical and we will focus on breathing techniques in the form of Jotunns. When I''ll get back on my feet, we''ll proceed to the next step. Now you can go, go back to your training" he concluded, dismissing his students as Kranus watched him, proud that he had changed his mind.


    "Gunnar formation" Dag exclaimed, out of nowhere.


    "Uhm?"


    "What are you talking about?" Wrage and Gunnar asked, not understanding what the young Master was referring to.


    "The Terror-based attack formation will have your name so that everyone can know where that powerful skill comes from."


    At those words, Gunnar hinted at a smile, appreciating the gesture of Dag, who had already thought about how to honor his identity, so as not to disperse the true origin of his unique skill.


    "Commander Kranus!" a voice suddenly shouted from outside the arena.


    Kranus turned to it, as did all the others.


    "The warriors of Outpost 1 are at the gates of Tungvek and waiting to meet you!" the guard repeated, with his shoulders straight and the arms long at his hips.


    "Well, tell them I''m coming. Let them in" the mage replied, happy with the news.


    "They were fast! I didn''t think they could reach Tungvek in one day only... they must have left as soon as they received the news! I''m not used to all this punctuality!" Dag chuckled, to slightly ease the general tension that had arisen between Gunnar and Kranus.

 487 CDLXXXVII. The Outposts Leaders

    "My warriors are very efficient, they have been forced to learn it. Only those who obey my orders quickly are worthy of representing the glorious Clan of Ymir. Follow me, Dag. I''m going to introduce you to my men" Kranus said, who after those words walked down the stairs.


    Dag called Freydis and together with Thalos, they left the arena, while Wrage and Gunnar remained to guard the soldiers, allowing them to continue their training.


    Within minutes, Kranus and his two guests reached the entrance of the walls, finding the huge stone door already open and a large group of soldiers waiting outside.


    In front of them, two bare-chested muscular men, both wearing fur coats that only partially covered the upper part of their bodies, stood still waiting for their commander to arrive, carefully scrutinizing Dag and Freydis and not remembering that they had ever seen their unknown faces.


    "Kron, Atran! Welcome back to Tungvek, my faithful warriors!" Kranus exclaimed, approaching them with open arms, showing an unusual affection.


    "Sir... your sight cheers our tired eyes. It''s a pleasure to be home again" one of them said, looking at his commander with his orange, piercing eyes, while on his long blonde beard hung a silver ring, tied in a sturdy braid.


    "You have done a really good job in the Outposts, but it is time to end this war for good. Come, follow me to my palace, there''s a lot to talk about" Kranus continued, smiling and inviting his men to come in, who unlike the recruits in the arena, were already adult and experienced warriors.


    Dag, who did not say a word, merely looked at them and studied their way of moving and their attitudes towards Kranus, noting that like everyone, they were incredibly respectful when they addressed him and obeyed him to the letter.


    Some of the soldiers behind the two Leaders of the Outposts looked at Freydis from head to toe, no longer accustomed to seeing any women, having been away from civilization for months, even years.


    When she realized that she had all those eyes on her, she positioned herself behind Dag and Thalos, walking by their side, as if trying to hide, realizing that those men, if she had been alone, would certainly have tried to take advantage of her.


    "Don''t worry, Freydis... I''m here. Don''t look at them" Dag said, who without speaking to her understood what she was feeling and tried to reassure her.


    As Kranus continued to talk to Kron and Atran, two of his best warriors, people on the streets of Tungvek began to cheer on the warriors who returned from the Outposts, recognizing them and remembering their names.


    Many of them greeted the people, and some met their respective families, who ran toward the warriors and embraced them.


    "Who knows how long these poor men have not returned to their families. I''m happy for them, these scenes make me smile despite everything" Freydis confessed, looking with happiness at the men who met their loved ones after all that time spent away by Tungvek.


    Dag appreciated his woman''s thought but tried to stay focused on the three men in front of him, noting that, at one point, one of them turned back and looked at him for a second, then turned again to Kranus and continued to talk to him.


    "Kranus has no reason to speak badly of me since he made them come back here under my advice. I hope things don''t get bad, facing all these warriors or running away from them would literally be impossible and Freydis wouldn''t make it" Dag thought, who for a moment looked at Freydis smiling and thought he shouldn''t do anything risky because their lives were constantly in danger as long as they were in that place.


    When they arrived at the foot of Colossus Palace, as if it was a ritual, Kranus invited Kron, Atran, Dag, and Freydis to follow him to his private room so that he could formally present them.


    Without even knowing each other, the four warriors entered the meeting room almost simultaneously, followed by Thalos, who was smelling on the ground, following the trail left by the two strangers.


    "Your soldiers have returned safely from their families. This fills my old heart with joy" Kranus began, slowly lowering himself to his knees and sitting in his peculiar chair, implicitly asking his guests to sit at the table.


    When they were all seated, the two big warriors of the northern Clan began to look at Dag and Freydis, as if they had just noticed their presence at that moment.


    "So... as I explained to the messengers who have come to warn you to come back, from now on there will no longer be a need to control two Outposts outside our walls and attack the Claws Of Fenrir randomly. You will all remain here so that the forces of our imposing army are not split in three" Kranus continued, grabbing a glass of clay resting on the table and drinking something from it.


    "What do you mean there will be no more need, Commander? You mean we''re going to abandon the Outposts forever?" the man with a blonde beard asked, continuing to look at Dag out of the corner of his eye and beginning to suspect something.


    The other warrior, who had long, black hair gathered in two long braids and a short, shaggy beard, tried to guess something, wondering why two total strangers sat at that table with them to talk about such important and delicate topics.


    "In the message to be reported I was very clear, specifying that you had to bring with you all your stuff, permanently clearing the Outposts. Did you execute my order?" Kranus asked again, already imagining a positive response.

 488 CDLXXXVIII. Atran And Kron

    "Of course, Commander. Our men obeyed without objecting, but... we have all wondered the reason behind this choice. I''m sure it has to do with a tactic against our enemies, but when confronted outside the walls of Tungvek, Kron and I both couldn''t figure out what it is" Atran replied again, referring to his colleague, who hadn''t said a word yet.


    "Well, that was exactly the question I expected from you. I knew that you were two very intelligent and insightful men, that''s why I summoned you here to introduce you in person to the warrior who will carry out the prophecy."


    "The prophecy?! That prophecy?!" Kron exclaimed, who had been silent until those words.


    "Exactly, that of the Crystal of Fire and the other Crystals of the Elements. Dag?" Kranus replied, calling the attention of Dag, who had not lowered his guard for a moment, as soon as he was appointed, detached his axe from his belt and placed it on the table.


    As soon as they saw the axe in the hands of an unknown boy, Kran and Atran rose from their chairs and immediately pulled out their weapons, positioning themselves near their commander, ready to defend him.


    "I just said you''re two smart men, don''t let me eat my own words. Put down your weapons and sit back" the mage replied in a low voice as if he was being ashamed of their ridiculous behavior.


    Without understanding why Dag had placed an axe on the table, they both returned to sit cautiously, slightly moving the chairs away from Okstorm''s two warriors.


    "My name is Dag, and this, my gentlemen, is the Crystal of Fire" he said as if he had studied a script, even leaving Freydis amazed by his self-confidence.


    Kron was the first to approach the axe and, without touching it, approached his face to its blade, peering at every detail, while his companion was behind him, waiting for a comment.


    "That gem embedded between the blade of the axe and its handle, it is the Crystal of which the prophecy speaks, it contains a fragment of the Sun that one day fed life on Earth" Kranus said, emphasizing the discovery of his new guests, who began to believe his words only after a few minutes of reflection.


    "And what are you doing here? You''re not a member of our Clan, which city do you come from?" Atran asked, looking Dag in the eye.


    "I''m from Okstorm, I''m a Master of Hammers Of Thor. This axe belongs to me by right and those who tried to take it from me, have known my wrath. I gained the trust of your leader with a lot of effort and now here I am, ready to speak with you peacefully" Dag replied, immediately making his role clear.


    Atran and Kron''s gaze fell again on Kranus as if every statement by Dag needed his confirmation first to be believed.


    "What? But... Commander... what Wrage and Gunnar think of all this?" Atran continued, demanding further explanations.


    "Both of them approve of my decision. Now, back to us... how many of your soldiers have survived and are willing to continue their lives in the Ice Giants army?"


    "200 as regards Outpost 1, my Lord" Atran said, looking down at the table.


    "In Outpost 2, 180 soldiers survived, Commander. We had problems with Klorr''s Lies Of Loki, who didn''t like our presence nearby" Kron confessed, who seemed much more sorry to give that news to his boss.


    "When did this happen?" Kranus asked, coldly.


    "About a week ago. The Claws Of Fenrir had attacked us and we bravely defended the Outpost, but... some of the Lies Of Loki infiltrated the wolves, transforming their appearance and using the gift of invisibility to kill many of our warriors, forcing us to a tactical retreat. After all, one of their leaders said precisely that if we hadn''t left the Outpost after a few days, they would come back and kill us all" Kron explained, reviving those still vivid memories in his mind.


    "The last thing we needed... now they too put themselves amid our affairs, as if those damn wolves were not enough..." the ice mage replied, thoughtful.


    "If the diplomatic mission we have planned will be successful, you will never have to worry about Lies Of Loki again. Kranus, you explained to me that they are Krypstorm''s most powerful Clan right now... but that''s just a matter of numbers. They''ve taken control of two cities because they have more men than you or the Claws Of Fenrir, it''s pretty trivial" Dag interrupted, clarifying that aspect of the problem.


    "Diplomatic mission? What is it?" Kron asked, who unlike Gunnar and Atran, who seemed the most skeptical of his words, intended to learn more, understanding from a simple glance that his commander blindly trusted him.


    "Your commander will gather with my help a team of a few units that will travel to the Randt Massif to complete a diplomatic mission. We will ask the Claws Of Fenrir for a truce, and possibly even to join us against the Lies Of Loki" Dag continued, introducing this new shade to the plan, which until then had never explicitly stated.


    "Mmh..." Kron muttered, which strangely, had a very calm reaction to the young Master''s proposal.


    "And what will happen if the warriors who are going to serve the mission get in trouble? With the wolves, it will be impossible to talk and if they want, they will kill our team in a few minutes, making the mission an unnecessary waste of lives. This is also¡­ trivial" Atran added, resting his hand on his colleague''s shoulder and trying to get him to change his mind while watching Dag.

 489 CDLXXXIX. No Risk

    "Those lives will not be wasted unnecessarily, because there will be some of Tungvek''s best warriors in that team and the wolves will not be able to risk creating chaos, because all their leaders will be gathered in their main base of operations. Think about it" Dag replied, whose mind was able to calculate the enemies'' moves in advance even though he did not know much about them.


    "The best warriors? Is that why you brought us back, Commander? To throw us to those ravenous wolves?! They know our faces very well, they will never let us get close to their leaders, it''s madness!" Atran said aloud, looking with genuinely worried eyes at Kranus, who for a few seconds did not find the right words to express what he was feeling.


    "No one will be sacrificed unnecessarily. You have been called because your men will protect Tungvek along with the other guards and recruits of the arena, making the capital your only base of operations, unassailable, if not by real armies. I myself will come with you, to represent the neutral part between the two Clans... as a kind of guarantor of your agreement..." Dag exclaimed, anticipating the ice mage.


    "What?!" Freydis whispered frightenedly, discovering what her man really had in mind and looking at him with a terrified expression.


    Dag put a hand on her leg, making her realize that after that meeting they would talk about it calmly and that at that moment she would have to keep her nerve.


    "That''s not gonna happen, Dag. You will stay here in Tungvek and continue to train our most inexperienced warriors with your woman, preparing them for a possible fight" Kranus said, who disagreed with his proposal, cheering Freydis''s heart as it continued to beat hard in her chest.


    "Wrage and Gunnar will be perfectly able to continue without my help after I have given them directions on how to do it. It is nothing difficult, they just have to correct some attitudes of the recruits, who, being inexperienced, tend not to worry about their safety and to attack with their eyes closed. You necessarily need a person who is not part of your two Clans for the mission to succeed. If I really am the chosen one who will fulfill the prophecy, the Gods will protect me" Dag continued, defying the will of the ice giant leader and leaving Kron and Atran speechless.


    "If you go, I will come too" he replied.


    "Commander! I''m sorry if I intervene, but... given the recent clashes between us and the Claws Of Fenrir, I don''t think it''s appropriate for you to expose yourself to such a risk! Surely the warriors who protect their main base are not amateurs and could attack us at any time! I volunteer, I will accompany the young Dag and I will bring with me other reliable men" Atran said, trying to dissuade Kranus, who was not willing to let Dag go without him.


    "As you wish, Commander!" Atran replied, bowing his head, followed by Kron, who continued to remain silent, thoughtful.


    Compared to the hatred that had ensnared from the very first moment with Gunnar during their first meeting, this time Dag noted that the two Outposts'' warriors were much quieter and more reasonable, despite their rude appearance and the fact that they had been exposed to the enormous dangers outside the city''s secure walls for a long time.


    Kron, in particular, always tried not to speak out of turn and not to contradict his commander, a bit as Wrage did.


    But unlike the Shield Master, he seemed more cunning and intelligent, as well as loyal to his Clan and the cause that at that time needed all hands on deck.


    "So? What are we waiting for? We can create a group and decide when to leave! We can leave tomorrow, the sooner we do it, the better!" Dag exclaimed, impatiently, resting his hands on the table and moving his shoulders forward, making everyone understand that his intentions were serious.


    "I think all five of us should go. Exactly the ones that are in this room right now" Kron added, sitting in his chair with his arms crossed.


    "I accept, I''m ready" Freydis replied, leaving everyone surprised and creating a few seconds of awkward silence because, in that room, no woman had ever attended such important meetings.


    Dag looked at his woman and grabbed her hand, smiling at her and then looking again at Kranus.


    Inside him, he knew that leaving her alone in Tungvek would not be a wise thing to do and perhaps she would be in danger even more.


    He promised her that if they fled together, they would never be separated again and he intended not to break the promise, bringing with him both Freydis and Thalos, who despite the heated discussion, slept lying on the ground, near his feet.


    "I think it''s a good setup, yes. All right, the five of us are leaving for the diplomatic mission. I think this is the ideal moment to do it, because the leaders of Claws Of Fenrir will never walk away from their base, so they''ll be forced to listen to what we have to say" Kranus said, suggesting Dag and the others to choose a day to leave.

 490 CDXC. The Randt Mastiff

    "Tomorrow. Let''s go tomorrow. The sooner we do it, the sooner we know how to proceed. I already have in mind the proposal to make to those sons of bitches who have killed many of my men" Dag replied.


    The response from the two Outpost warriors was not immediate, being slightly frightened that this might be their last night before they died, but both of them accepted the proposal, leaving Kranus the task to make it official.


    "Perfect then. We will leave in the morning at dawn, so as to get to the central mountain of the Massif with the Sun high in the sky. Kron and Atran will guide us, knowing the area better than we do" Kranus confirmed, passing the word to his subordinates.


    "In that regard, there are two ways to get to our destination, but to show you, I need a map" Atran answer, who was the leader of Outpost 1, the closest to the Randt Massif.


    Kranus satisfied his request and after making room on the table, he opened the same map he showed to Dag the previous day.


    Atran stretched it out, to show everyone its contents, inviting his interlocutors to stand up and get a better view.


    "As you all know, the Randt Massif is a closed ring-shaped mountain range and its access points are not many. Fortunately, most of them are located right on the east side, in the direction of Tungvek. As I said just now, we have two possibilities: to reach Outpost 1 and enter inside the Massif through the Ice Gorge, which for the uninitiated is a narrow passage located in the middle of a mountain split in half, or by marching south of Tungvek and entering normally from the plain that at that point allows access to the inner area of the ring" Atran began to explain, ready to receive questions.


    "I have never seen the place, but judging by its geographical conformation, I believe that the ''main'' entrance or the south entrance consisting of the gap that the plain has created through the mountains, will surely be guarded by hundreds of enemy soldiers" Dag said, who by touching his chin was trying to get an idea of that place and understand its weaknesses to develop a winning strategy.


    "Your observation is correct, but the Ice Gorge is also guarded, like all the access points to the Massif. Can you confirm that, Kron?" the blonde-bearded warrior asked, knowing that the Outpost 2 guarded by his colleague was on the diametrically opposite side, the west side of the mountain range.


    "Yes... all of this makes sense. I agree with you, I think that''s a good plan. How long do you think we''ll take from the south entry point to the last mountain north of the Massif?" Dag asked, already trying to imagine being there.


    "About an hour" Kron replied, concluding his proposal.


    ''It''s true, it wouldn''t take long, but we don''t know what''s in there! Never has anyone, apart from the wolf warriors, been able to get in there, there will certainly be a reason for all this! The area will be teeming with enemies for sure, I just hope they have mercy on us and our numerical inferiority..." Atran replied, who did nothing but think about the problems they might face.


    "From what I understand, we have a plan, right? Tomorrow morning we will leave at dawn from Tungvek and reach the southern entrance of the Randt Massif as soon as possible, right here. Then there will be two possible scenarios: the first, where the wolf warriors will understand that we have no bad intentions and let us in, and the second where they will try to kill us mercilessly. If that happens, we will defend ourselves and, once we have killed their guards, without going any further, we will go back on our feet and come up with a different strategy. Are we all in agreement?" asked Kranus, pointing with his fingers on the map and trying to establish an equal deal for all, making the upcoming mission official.


    "Yes!" the four warriors exclaimed in unison, noting with amazement that, even if they had only known each other for a couple of hours, they had already tuned in, knowing they had to work together for the good of the Giants Of Ymir Clan.


    When the meeting ended, Dag was asked to join the two Masters and their warriors in the arena, to take a look at the continuation of training, before preparing for the next day.


    He obeyed, taking advantage of the short, slow walk to exchange a few words in private with Freydis, who was walking next to him.


    "You don''t always have to fear for my safety, Dag... I can handle myself. I remind you that I was alone on that island for a long time and still managed to survive" she said, referring to the attitude of her man, who was occasionally extremely protective.


    Dag immediately thought about what happened before his arrival on Vaeren Island, reflecting on the fact that his woman was being held hostage to lure him there and that she had probably saved herself only for that reason, but in any case, he gladly accepted the idea that Freydis had taken courage and tried to reason independently of him.

 491 CDXCI. The Spirit Of Vengeance

    "Of course, I know it well. I''m sorry if it looks like I doubt your abilities, but believe me, if that''s the case, I would never have asked you to follow me down here and I would have let you go with King Einar and everyone else" he replied wisely.


    "The mission will be dangerous, we could all die. But this time I''m not afraid, I feel like I''m part of something bigger than me, and leaving for a place I''ve never seen, to face unknown enemies, makes me confident. For many years I have been trying to feel similar emotions, in my opinion, this is what every true warrior should feel" she replied, explaining to Dag the emotions she was feeling.


    "I''ve been thinking about it all my life long, ever since I chose to become a Berserkr. If the Claws Of Fenir give us a chance to confront their leaders, I will convince them to side with us against lies Of Loki, who have driven them out of their own capital, Klorr. Faced with this choice, they will not be able to back down and will certainly accept our help against an enemy greater than them. In this way, we will form another huge alliance, bringing together two Clans of Krypstorm and my revenge on Lies Of Loki can be completed. I will never forget what they did to my father, Stein. I''m going to kill their leader with my own hands. His name is Hakon¡­" Dag said again, keeping his voice low and trying not to attract the attention of passers-by.


    Freydis was partly astonished by his attitude, realizing that, somehow, he had managed to kill two birds with one stone, and in a short time, he would both complete his revenge and undertake his only real mission, that of discovering the truth about the Crystal of Fire and the prophecy.


    Dag''s gaze was more determined and focused than usual: since he found out there was a remote chance to fight Lies Of Loki, he had begun to want nothing else, losing the interest for all the rest.


    "You are using Kranus''s power and knowledge for your own purposes... was that your goal from the beginning?" Freydis asked, looking pleasantly astonished at Dag.


    "Of course, I told you. The Giants Of Ymir are an asset not to be underestimated and I noticed it from the first meeting with their leader. I killed his son, and yet here I am, in command of his troops. Knowing how to talk is important, but sometimes it doesn''t matter if you can''t fight. Ever since I killed his bodyguards, Kranus has started looking at me with different eyes, and I''ve taken advantage of him right away. When we fled Fort Hvit, I wasn''t sure he would welcome us to his city without any effort, but something inside me told me we''d make it" Dag continued, trying to explain to Freydis what had happened in his scheming brain.


    When they arrived in the arena, Wrage and Gunnar were watching the training of the recruits, some of whom were showing them the combat techniques learned by the two Okstorm warriors: in particular, the five soldiers with the spear, made a practical demonstration of the moves that Freydis had taught them, being now able to make the most of the range of their weapons, especially useful to keep their enemies at a distance. , to have full control of the fight.


    "Very well, guys!" Freydis shouted from the top of the arena, drawing everyone''s attention as if she was at home.


    The warriors who were fighting looked up and stopped, standing upright with the lower end of their spears resting on the ground, warmly greeting their new Master of that discipline.


    "Where have you been? We''ve been waiting for you all morning! We forced the warriors to practice the techniques you explained yesterday, but at this rate, their learning will be slower and slower!" Gunnar said aloud, scolding both of them and inviting them to quickly descend into the arena to continue their daily task.


    Without mentioning the fact that until then they had been together with Kranus and the warriors of the Outposts to discuss a mission of which the two Masters had not even been informed, Dag and Freydis began with the second phase of their training: defense and positioning, that is, the art of being in the right place at the right time, thus avoiding being in the way of themselves and others.


    The training continued until late afternoon and of Kranus, Atran, and Kron, no trace.


    Trying to focus on that moment and preventing his mind from traveling elsewhere, thinking about the mission he would face the next day, Dag tried to make the lesson as interesting as possible, getting the young warriors to participate and asking them questions, knowing that Gunnar''s gaze was focused on him all the time, like Wrage''s.


    After the training session, Dag approached the Master of Arms, who looked at him curiously.


    "Now it''s your turn. You have to teach them four how to use your unique skill. Freydis and I are going home, we are very tired" the young Master said, again avoiding mentioning the mission so as not to be forced to listen to Gunnar''s complaints, which certainly would not have approved of not being warned.


    "All right, see you tomorrow. On time" he replied, who fortunately had no sense of anything.


    Dag and Freydis greeted Gunnar and Wrage and headed to their home, ready to prepare everything necessary for departure and rest.


    Once there, Dag''s first thought was to light the fire in the fireplace to warm the interior of the house, cold as a cave.

 492 CDXCII. The Translation

    Meanwhile, Freydis extracted some of the food she had kept in secret from the basket the day before, hiding it from Dag to prevent him from eating all their stocks.


    "And those? Where did they come from? I''m hungry!" he said, as soon as he saw the bread and pieces of meat his girlfriend had hidden.


    "Yes, don''t worry... we''re going to eat them now. I''m sure we won''t have to worry about food tomorrow too, our fellow travelers will think about it" she thought out loud, who, being not a local, had no idea how and where to get food, afraid to walk alone through the streets of Tungvek among all those unknown people.


    After eating a bite of his portion, Dag took off the upper piece of the armor and the shirt underneath it, wearing the other sleeping clothes.


    As he turned her back toward Freydis, she looked at him carefully, sipping wine.


    "I noticed that scar yesterday, but I didn''t tell you anything. What is it?" she asked, pointing to a precise spot behind Dag''s right shoulder, next to his Berserkr mark.


    He moved his hand behind his back and touched the embossed scar, which was so large that it came out of his arm, which was the point where all his skill scars had appeared during the months.


    "I also thought it was strange for a scar to come out at this point, behind my right shoulder... it comes from a skill, the last one I learned, Memory Of Mj?llnir. I think it''s so big because it''s a level 9 skill, which makes it harder than the others to learn" he said, tucking his shirt into which he would sleep.


    "It''s the one you used last time against wolves, isn''t it? The skill that would have killed us too, if Egill had not protected us with his barrier..." she asked, trying to remember the details.


    "Yes, unfortunately, I can''t control all that power perfectly, I need more time. It''s already a miracle that I''ve managed to learn such a high-level skill, even Master Magni never did it!" he continued, explaining to Freydis that he had no intention of hurting them.


    "What if you could also learn skills that don''t come from your Clan?" she replied, sipping more wine and looking at him, sitting at the stool in front of the fireplace.


    "Of other Clans? And why would I? Honestly, with all the things that happened to me during the last period, I didn''t even think about it..."


    "Your learning skills are unique, no one can learn skills in such a short time. Do you remember the scroll you found in the Claws Of Fenrir cave? The one you showed me along with the map, which you think depicted the instructions for a skill?" Freydis said as if trying to tell him something a little at a time.


    "For the first time I did something without your knowledge, Dag... and you didn''t even notice! Hahaha!" she chuckled, rising from the stool and walking toward the things that she had leaned on by the bed.


    "What are you planning? You rummaged through my bag and stole that scroll! Hahah, you''re a thief!" Dag replied, joking with her and failing to understand what she had done with it.


    "If my theory is right, you will soon thank me. Here, hold those" she replied, passing in Dag''s hands two scrolls carefully closed by a piece of string.


    "What''s that? Why are there two of them?"


    "Uff, how impatient you are! Is it possible that you haven''t figured it out yet? With the help of Skaldr of the Hunters Of Ullr, I had their alphabet translated and transcribed the meaning of the original scroll on an empty one. Tadaaan!" she exclaimed, curious to see her boyfriend''s reaction to the gift she had been hiding for days.


    "What?! Wow! How did you not let me notice anything?" he continued, approaching his woman and stroking her face.


    "Believe me, it wasn''t hard! When you''re immersed in your thoughts and busy doing missions it''s very easy to hide something! What are you waiting for? Open it!" she replied, impatient to know what he thought.


    Dag, amazed by the unusual gift, hastily opened the scroll, being careful not to break the string that Freydis had carefully wrapped on the piece of parchment.


    "Blood Red Claws... wow! It seems to be a very old skill! And it''s all perfectly translated and written in elder futhark! How long did it take? It almost feels like an original scroll!" Dag continued, reading the title aloud and congratulating Freydis for being so accurate.


    "Come on, read the rest, and try to learn it! Knowing a skill of the Clan we are about to face could come in handy!" she said, inviting him to sit on a stool next to her, benefiting from the light and heat of the fire lit in the fireplace.


    "Learn it? What makes you think I can do that? It is known that once my oath to Thor has been performed, I can only learn the skills that derive from the warriors and the Masters of my own Clan" Dag commented, who appreciated the gesture, even though he did not believe he could use it concretely.


    "Of course, how not... just like you can''t learn unique skills, right? So you never learned the skill of your Master, Magni... maybe I just dreamed it" Freydis replied, reminding Dag that sometimes the Clans'' ''rules'' were just outdated beliefs, ready to be disproved.


    Dag did not immediately respond to that statement, knowing that if they got to the bottom of the matter, Freydis would probably be right.

 493 CDXCIII. The Requirements

    After a few seconds of admiring the aesthetic beauty of his gift, Dag read it aloud: "For the use of this skill you need to have both your hands free, without holding weapons. Once the wolf warrior or anyone else has already activated a shape-shifting ability, the skill can be activated."


    "Seen? I can''t do that. You have to be a wolf or another shapeshifter soldier... I don''t meet these requirements" he added, looking at Freydis, who looked back, trying to make him realize he was wrong.


    "What? Do you think my dark power can be used as a ''shape-shifting skill''? I recently discovered that they come from dark matter, the same matter that the tissue of the universe is made of, I don''t think it had anything to do with shape-shifting. Anyway, let''s see..."


    Dag pointed his finger back at the scroll, reading aloud what Freydis''s beautiful handwriting said: "By concentrating on the breath and touching a source of intense heat, the warrior will have to expel a considerable amount of air from his lungs, to increase body heat. When these requirements are met, the warrior''s hands will change in shape and size, and the claws will become as hard as steel, ensuring effective cutting force even against the toughest armor, with thermal energy that will contribute to the process."


    "Expel a significant amount of air from the lungs? What does it mean? Blow?" Freydis asked naively, trying to perform those movements in her mind.


    "I think you need to trivially... scream" Dag concluded, looking Freydis in the eye and unable to hold back a laugh.


    "Scream? Everyone would scream by touching a heat source! Ahaha! I had the same reaction as you when I transcribed that part! I hope this scroll isn''t just a fake! The title seemed original to me and so I continued" she said, justifying why she had decided to finish her translation work and hand it over to Dag.


    "Well, when we''ll finish tomorrow''s mission, hoping that its outcome will be positive, I''ll start practicing this technique, trying not to burn my hands completely and see if anything happens. Now we have more important things to think about" he replied, who after finishing reading the scroll, closed it and put it back in his bag, making sure not to ruin it and making sure all the things useful to the start were already in there.


    "As you will. I''m glad you liked my gift. Let''s go to bed now, we need some rest" she smiled as she began to climb the stairs and head for the bed.


    Dag finished eating and drinking the last things on the table, making sure there was no other food hidden somewhere, and then followed his woman, giving a caress to Thalos, who, like the day before, fell asleep at the hottest spot in the house, by the fireplace.


    As he stroked her hair, she fell into a deep sleep, so deep that she slept with her mouth open.


    Dag, on the other hand, strangely could not sleep, despite fatigue and a full stomach, rethinking what would happen the next day.


    He had in mind the map shown to him by Kranus and had now memorized all the most important details, such as the location of the largest cities and the main points of interest of Krypstorm, which according to Kranus and the other two warriors, was entirely depicted on that old map.


    The night fell over Tungvek and the window lights turned off one at a time, leaving the city plunged into darkness, but Dag still couldn''t sleep.


    Slowly, he detached himself from Freydis''s body, being careful not to wake her, and got out of bed, not making any noise thanks to its soft fur-covered surface.


    On tiptoe, barefoot, he descended the steps leading to the chimney area and approached Thalos, who opened his eyes.


    "I can''t sleep, my friend. Keep us company. I''ll let you rest in a little while, I promise you" he whispered in his wolf''s ears, that involuntarily move to that sound.


    After sitting on the ground by the fireplace, next to Thalos, Dag continued to think, staring at the fire that burned the last pieces of wood, which somehow reminded him of the farm and the lumberjack''s work of his late father and his brother, who was surely continuing that old job in Jernhest or who knows where.


    When the wave of melancholy ended, his gaze fell on his bag, in which was the scroll Freydis gave him.


    "All right, okay... a night reading can only do me good... in a few minutes, I will try to sleep again. Maybe the energy I spent getting out of bed made me a little tired" he thought, crawling up to the bag and scrolling through the skill translation, looking at Freydis out of the corner of his eye, making sure she didn''t wake up.


    Dag spent about an hour next to the fireplace reading and rereading the parchment, guessing it was a level 2 skill from the Claws Of Fenrir Clan.


    To understand all the useful details, he just had to make a comparison with the original scroll, which like all those of his library at Temple of Orn and those of the other Clans, had the same paragraphing and style, differing only by the alphabet.


    When his eyes began to close, he put the two pieces of paper in place and went back upstairs, entering the bed on tiptoe and lifting the blankets with extreme delicacy, leaving Freydis in her dream world and falling asleep next to her after a few minutes.


    ...


    "Hey! Hey, wake up sleepyhead! We have to leave Tungvek, remember? Hahah, you''re the one who proposed the departure date!"


    Freydis'' voice echoed through his ears, and his eyes opened timidly, noting that there was no light around him, because of the closed windows and the fact that it was only dawn.

 494 CDXCIV. Outside The Walls

    "My eyes are burning..."


    *groan*


    A yawn followed that statement, and when Freydis looked at Dag''s eyes, she quickly realized that he had not slept much that night, while she was perfectly rested.


    "What happened? Couldn''t you sleep?" she asked, stroking his face and looking at him carefully, to see if there was anything strange.


    "I couldn''t sleep, but it doesn''t matter... now I get up... wake up Thalos for me" he said, to have a few more moments to recover and stretch.


    After waking the wolf with cuddles, Freydis put on her armor and tied her spear behind her, preparing for the departure.


    Dag did the same, a little slower than usual, continuing to yawn.


    "The water in that bucket is clean. Rinse your face, it looks like you need it" she replied, mocking him for his sleep-deprived zombie expression.


    After laughing with his woman and rinsing his face, he, Freydis, and Thalos left the house, locking the door even though there was nothing of value inside.


    They made their way to the palace, but at the intersection of their home road and the one leading to the Colossus Palace stairway, Kranus, Atran, and Kron were already waiting for them.


    "Here they are, they have arrived. We can go" Atran said as he saw the Okstorm''s warriors heading toward their position.


    Without making too much noise and avoiding waking the neighborhood, the brand new team members made their way to the gates of Tungvek, passing through the silent streets of the city, where only very few people were already awake: the baker who just started to bake the warm bread, a blacksmith who began to collect the pieces of iron useful to forge some kind of weapon, even two monks, kneeling in front of a small altar with a stone idol on it depicting the mighty Ymir, father of the Ice Giants.


    After taking a horse each from the city stables, they arrived at the large stone door, immediately noting that the two guards who were supposed to supervise the opening mechanism, were both immersed in sleep, sitting on a mat on the ground, leaning on each other''s backs.


    "Hey! Is that how you work?!" Kranus asked, slightly raising his voice and causing them to jump in fear.


    With their eyes still slightly closed and trying not to drop their helmet and weapons on the ground, the two men rose in unison, putting themselves on the lookout in front of their leader.


    "Open the gates, come on" he replied, avoiding commenting on their current state, so as not to put them in trouble.


    Without saying a word, both of the guards made their way to the mechanisms that served to open the door, located one to the right and one to the left of the large stone slabs.


    With a slight effort of their arms, they pulled out of the heavy metal levers, and soon after, a noise of gears announced the opening of the door, the two ends of which slid away from each other.


    Dag and Freydis tried to support Kron and Atran, advancing slowly to allow Thalos to follow them without the slightest effort while keeping a distance so as not to scare the horses, not accustomed to walking next to a wolf of that size.


    While riding with Freydis trying to notice something on the horizon that was not snow or rock, Dag thought back on Aslan, missing him and reflecting on his health, reassuring himself that in Skjegg''s stables he would have been supervised by someone and some of the stables would have taken him out for a walk every now and then.


    Trying to pass the time, after about an hour of riding at a slow pace, the mountains that from the city seemed imperceptible and far away became evident in front of them in all their magnificence.


    "These mountains belong to the Randt Mastiff, which extends in that direction. The entrance inside the ring is on that side, while the Outpost 1 and the Ice Gorge are over there" Atran said, pointing both directions with his arm, allowing his teammates to orient themselves.


    "Keep your eyes open. The guards of the Claws Of Fenrir could also be stationed above the mountains. This is one of the most inhospitable places in Krypstorm" Kron answered, slightly scaring Dag and Freydis, who, despite being ready to fight, couldn''t help but think of those words.


    "Until now, there hasn''t been a place beyond Fort Hvit that wasn''t dangerous... what Kron just said gives me goosebumps... look at the fog over the mountains... it''s so gloomy that it looks supernatural" Freydis whispered, approaching Dag and telling him of her impressions.


    "Don''t worry, stay close to me and keep your head down. If we remain silent, I will try to focus on the sounds, even if it will not be easy to distinguish them from that of the wind" he replied, trying to be heard by others, who did as he said, trying to minimize noises, allowing him to focus his attention on his surroundings, fully trusting his senses.


    The mountain to their right diminished its height more and more and its summit gradually descended downwards, reaching the plain a little at a time and widening towards the base.


    "Here we are, I feel something. The entrance must be close" Dag said, who began to hear voices in the distance.


    "From here on we will proceed with caution. Keep your eyes down and raise your hands, showing your enemies not to be armed. In this way, they will allow us to get closer and maybe talk to them" Kranus continued, explaining the plan to his allies.


    As soon as he finished speaking, looking towards the ground, he himself marveled and became afraid of the sight of that macabre spectacle: partially submerged by snow, there were hundreds of corpses, of which there was now nothing but bones and armor.

 495 CDXCV. The Wanderers

    *gasp*


    Kranus could not hold a deep breath, which also shook Freydis, who tried to ride looking at the neck of her horse and dodging the corpses in the snow, followed by Dag, who closed the row and occasionally peered upwards, perceiving someone on top of the rocky walls a few meters high, which lined the road on which they were riding.


    "Keep your head down and avoid obstacles. The enemies are watching us" he said again, knowing that at that distance, despite their developed hearing, the wolves would not be able to hear his words.


    Trusting the young Master''s senses, the members of the exploration team followed his advice, noting that among the bones of all those corpses, large arrows were embedded, which made them understand that they were in the range of enemy archers, hiding who knows where above those mountains, which constituted a real natural shelter.


    "Don''t mind the arrows, keep walking. The archers are certainly above us, but as long as we are with our arms raised, they will not load their bows" Dag kept on talking, who sensed other indistinct voices coming from the same direction.


    Finally, after about 15 minutes spent walking among the corpses immersed in snow and fog, the rocky wall to their right ended, becoming the base of the mountain and next to it, a kind of wooden gate appeared, consisting of many beams pointed at the top, juxtaposed one next to the other.


    In addition to the wooden construction, figures could be seen in the fog and as soon as they noticed the presence of Dag and his companions, some of them screamed:


    "Who''s there?! Stop where you are, don''t go any further!"


    Immediately, Kranus was the first to stop, followed by the rest of the team.


    One of the figures in front of them began to walk in their direction, emitting a metallic noise, caused by his armor and his weapons moving with him during the walk.


    "There are five or six men... I can''t feel it exactly... but they''re all armed. Behind the gate, there are two more of them" Dag whispered, who after hearing that voice, closed his eyes and focused on all the sounds behind him, to take stock of the situation.


    While Kron and Atran marveled at his companion''s animal-like senses, which were unparalleled to theirs, who, though sharp, had not perceived other men in the distance, the warrior who had spoken just a few seconds before was revealed.


    He was a man of medium height and quite robust, who wore a fairly wide leather armor at the top as if it was not of his size.


    A simple soldier helmet completely covered his head and in addition to it, a thick fur wrapped his neck, leaving only his eyes uncovered to protect him from the cold, having to stay outside to guard that door for who knows how many hours a day.


    "Eh?! Giants Of Ymir?! How dare you set foot on our land?! Archers!" the guard yelled, raising his arm towards the mountain wall just behind them and drawing the attention of his men hidden in the shadows.


    As dozens of archers popped out from small caves along the rock face and began to watch the group of explorers, two other guards reached their colleague, intent on peering at Kranus and the others.


    "Please, we came all the way here with our hands up... we are showing you due respect, do the same with us. We have no bad intentions, we just want to talk" Kranus continued, without crossing his eyes with the guards, one of whom approached his horse.


    "And what would you say to our leaders? I''m listening..."


    While Kranus reflected on the best way to explain their real intentions to those irascible men, Dag spurred his horse by hitting him with the heel of his foot and make him advance at a slow pace.


    "Dag! What the fuck are you doing?! Come back! Hey!" Freydis whispered, who without lowering her arms tried to dissuade her man from what he was about to do.


    As soon as they saw a hooded man advancing on his horse towards the guards, some of the archers loaded their bows, beginning to aim at Dag''s head, which noticed was in their range.


    "Stop there, don''t move! If you take another step my archers will make you a colander!" one of the guards yelled again, raising his hand towards Dag and ordering him to block his advance.


    Dag obeyed and looked up at the three unknown men, showing his face barely visible under his hood.


    "We must make them an offer that they will not refuse. It''s about the destiny of the city of Klorr, your homeland" the young Master said, in a decisive tone.


    "Klorr?! And what does that have to do with our capital?! Lies Of Loki occupied it years ago, forcing us to take refuge in this dump! I don''t know what you want..." the first guard said, reflecting on Dag''s words.


    "I think they''re just trying to trick us, let''s not let them through" one of his colleagues added, looking at Dag''s face and not trusting him.


    "If we had bad intentions, we would not have come here in five, but we would have brought our entire army. As proof of our consistency, we also drove out all our warriors who were near the Ice Gorge and also those on the other side, southwest of the Massif" Kron added, believing that this was the exact time to give that news.


    "Is that the truth?" the first guard asked his comrades, who behind him began to chat in a low voice.


    One of them, not knowing the answer to that question, walked back to the door he guarded and asked the other guards for confirmation.

 496 CDXCVI. Im Just An Old Man

    Having to answer their colleague''s question, all the guards present beyond the fog spoke and Dag was able to detect their exact location and figure out their number.


    "3 of them are out at the gate... along with these other 3 in front of us are 6. Two others are inside, as I suspected" he thought, no longer being able to express his remarks aloud for not being heard by the guards.


    "Yes, it''s all true! Their outposts are uninhabited now! Our recon teams checked it out this morning, there''s no one left!" the guard who had gone to ask for confirmation said, returning to them.


    "Who tells me you don''t just want to kill our leaders?" the man in armor asked again, turning to Dag and Kranus, who were on the front line.


    "How could we achieve this goal in five people? Look at me... I''m just an old man, I wouldn''t last a minute under your warriors'' weapons. Let us through, we will report our message and we will go out again, returning to our city" Kranus replied, pretending to be a helpless old man, betting that none of his interlocutors linked his appearance to his true identity.


    "The number doesn''t count... you look like very strong warriors, not just a bunch of diplomats. Not so long ago, it was rumored that a single man was able to exterminate our troops in the Eastern camp entirely... since then we have learned not to underestimate anyone" the guard continued, making a clear reference to Dag, who after those words slowly lowered his gaze, hiding his purple eye and made sure that the hood was not moved by the wind.


    "I don''t think that''s the case... look, there''s also a woman with us. Freydis, step forward!" Kranus exclaimed, turning to the girl, who did not expect to be questioned and felt a stomach cramp due to fear.


    Dag, without turning, moved his hand behind the horse''s back and nodded to his woman, implicitly asking her to obey Kranus''s request, knowing that he would never put her life at risk, otherwise he would have to face his fury.


    "Take off your hood, show your face to these men!" the magician replied.


    Freydis executed the order and lowered her hood, showing off her long red hair that began to float in the wind.


    Her angelic face for a moment deceived the three guards present, who could not hold back their amazement looking at that unexpected beauty.


    "Why should we take such a young girl with us, if we had bad intentions? Let us in, please" Kranus said once again, who looked like an old beggar looking for a few cents, always asking for the same thing insistently.


    When the effect of Freydis'' beauty faded, the guards looked at each other and by a mutual agreement made a decision.


    One of them pointed his arm at the archers, who, as if nothing had happened, lowered the bows and silently returned inside their caves, as if they were part of the mountain.


    "Thank you, you have made a wise decision" Kranus replied coolly, trying to be kind, but without succeeding.


    He, Dag, and the other three of them rode at a slow pace towards the wooden door, and only when they approached it did they notice that two rickety torches barely lit up the area, despite being in broad daylight and resisting who knows how to the strong wind to which that point was subjected, in correspondence of which the mountains of the massif opened.


    Reluctantly, two men positioned next to the door opened it, letting the travelers pass by, who without hesitating for a moment and keeping their eyes down as a mark of respect, entered.


    As Dag predicted, once they passed the door, two other guards were there, standing with their backs resting against the wall, peering at the newcomers from head to toe, making sure they weren''t a danger.


    The long furs that covered each of the team members, in addition to having the obvious cold protection function, also served to hide the equipment below, including weapons that were hung on their belts and tied somehow on their backs.


    The only one leaking from behind the girl''s neck was Freydis'' spear, too long to be hidden.


    After passing the first control of the main gate, Dag and Kranus knew that the most difficult part of the mission was yet to arrive, but were satisfied that they had managed to enter the mountain range.


    "If something is about to go wrong by the moment, it would be the end for us because there would be no escape... so be very careful about what you do and what you say, try to keep a low profile" Kranus said in a low voice, continuing to ride forward, following the path that could barely be seen on the ground, partially covered by snow.


    A slight climb after the wooden gate was followed by a short and steep descent, leading to the central depression of the Randt Massif, morphologically lower than the surface, as if the soil fabric, having been used by the mountains to rise to the sky, had been removed from the area between them, which had sunk downwards.


    Trying not to get too far away admiring that geological wonder, Dag rode next to Kranus and when they were at the top of the small hill before the descent, they stopped gasping.


    Despite the fog and menacing black clouds towering over the mountain range preventing sunlight from reaching their position, before their eyes, they saw what they never imagined.


    An entire city, consisting of many small settlements and military bases built at the foot of the mountains, in the inner part of the ring, stretched for almost a kilometer and the proportions of the map that Atran and the others had consulted, were suddenly contradicted by the reality of the situation: what seemed to be the furthest mountain, on which it was supposed to be the underground city of wolf warriors, was actually a simple mountain like the others, whose peaks were unattainable and dangerous.

 497 CDXCVII. The Money Offer

    Many meters before, however, at the end of the path that walked straight through the whole area, branching out to the various encampments, there was a gigantic mountain, much more similar to a shield volcano for its wide cone shape.


    Two huge columns made of the same stone as the mountain had been excavated on it, reaching more than 40 meters in height, as a result of tens of years of constant work.


    Above them, another important element had been obtained from the rock, namely a large horizontal beam with decorations along its surface.


    In the lower part, on the other hand, in correspondence with the fake support floor of the two imposing columns, which were instead part of the mountain, a wide staircase led down, inside a cave with high vaults that followed the morphology of that colossal architectural work.


    "I''ve never seen anything like that" Dag said, not finding the exact words to describe what his eyes were admiring.


    "None of us ever imagined that all this stuff was in here... the one carved into the rock must be the entrance of their city... it''s not easy to guess it standing still here, we have to get closer" Kranus replied, trying not to be slowed down by that unexpected vision.


    Cautiously, accosting themselves in a neat row, with Dag and Kranus ahead, Freydis in the middle and Atran and Kron closing the line, the exploration team continued along the main path leading to the palace.


    All of them noticed, however, that at that moment no one else was walking on the same path, thus inferring that they would surely give in the eye.


    Just when everyone was sure that someone would stop them sooner or later, a voice caught their attention.


    "Heeey! Where do you think you''re going?!" a warrior yelled, watching them pass undisturbed from his camp, surrounded by his comrades.


    "The guards let us through! We''re headed over there, we have to deliver an important message to your leaders" Kranus replied, yelling to make himself heard and not paying attention to the fact that his voice would attract even more looks.


    The warrior, who was walking with the other men on the road that connected the main path with his settlement, suddenly began to walk towards them with a menacing air.


    When he moved his arm towards his companions, Dag was able to hear his words and clearly hear: "come on, guys! Let''s have some fun, you can see they''re foreigners! They don''t even know where they are!"


    "Stay behind me and Kranus... these men have no good intentions" Dag told his teammates, standing next to the Giants Of Ymir''s Commander and ordering them not to meddle.


    "The guards decided to let us through, after realizing we do not pose any threat to you. I don''t know the name of the man who decided it, but you can go and ask if you don''t believe my words" Kranus replied, somewhat naively, not immediately realizing that that was just an elementary way to pick a fight.


    "Hahaha! Did you guys hear that? We can go ask! Hahaha!" the warrior laughed, turning to his companions and ironizing on that phrase.


    "I like your horse, old man... I think I''ll borrow it for a while, what do you say?" he continued, looking at Kranus''s majestic white horse with a malignant smile printed on his face.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t give it to you... Iron obeys only at my commands, it would be useless in your hands" the ice mage replied, slowly stroking the neck of his steed, who remained motionless and quiet.


    "Then it means I''ll turn it into steaks for my men! Hahah! Come on old man, get down..." the unknown warrior said again, extending a hand towards him, asking for Iron''s bridles.


    "I told you I can''t. I''m very sorry, but we urgently need to reach out to your leaders to deliver a message to them."


    As Kranus spoke, Dag activated his reconnaissance skill, Niva.


    A faint yellowish aura surrounded the body of the warrior who was being a bully, who was the strongest of his companions.


    "They are not a great threat, they are very weak. I''m sure Freydis alone could knock them down... but in any case, we cannot risk starting a fight, otherwise, we would also be alerting the warriors of the other outposts, a few hundred meters from here. Kranus will never deliver his horse... what do we do now?" Dag thought, who, reflecting on how to get out of that uncomfortable situation, did not know how to behave.


    "And I said you have to get off your horse now, old man... or do you prefer to taste the steel of my blades?" the warrior said once again, resting a hand on his sword, while the men behind him made the same gesture, trying to intimidate Kranus and everyone else.


    "Let''s do something... I will leave you 3 gold coins as if your camp is a checkpoint... and after we''re done with our diplomatic mission, I''ll give you another 3¡­ per person!" the ice mage exclaimed, making the men in front of him guess that he had a lot of money with him.


    "3 coins each? Uhuhuh! It means you have a lot of money, you smart old man! Hhahaha! This is our lucky day, guys! Money at will and tonight horse meat for dinner! Take the old man!" the warrior replied, ordering his men to steal the money by force and seize the horse.


    "Fuck, Kranus! What did you do?!" Dag thought, who in a matter of seconds would have to finish the fight, so as not to risk disastrous consequences.

 498 CDXCVIII. Penta-kill

    "Stop! Stop everyone, please!" he yelled, getting in the way of enemy warriors and Kranus, ready to face them without fear of what would happen next.


    During those seconds, Dag stood still and silent, knowing he had to say something to stop those gold-thirsty men, but not finding the words to begin with.


    Before he started talking, he got off the horse and handed the reins to Kranus, to have both hands free.


    The magician, not knowing what Dag had in mind, merely held his horse still and observed.


    "And you? What the fuck do you want? No one asked you to get off the horse! Go back to your place!" the bully warrior continued, looking at Dag and gesticulating rudely.


    "If you approach, I''ll show you something that might change your mind. It''s a kind of particular gem, it can''t be exposed to the daylight, you have to help me create some darkness..." he said, taking his leather bag and moving it forward, ready to open it.


    "What? What gem is it? This is a joke as old as the world, we''re not going to get in our way, kid! I told you I want that horse!"


    "It''s a gem I personally stole from one of the Lies Of Loki and it seems to have magical powers... I believe that if used correctly, it allows those who own it to become invisible for a limited time!" Dag continued, who was inventing that story out of nowhere only to bring all 5 warriors closer to him simultaneously.


    "Invisible? Fuck yes!"


    "Let''s go take a look!"


    As the warriors walked forward towards Dag, curious what he would show them, the bully grabbed one of his comrades by the shoulder, trying to pull him back and prevent him from continuing.


    "Fuck, leave me! Who fucking cares about that stupid horse! Imagine how many things we could steal with a gem that makes us invisible!" his companion replied, freeing himself from the grip and continuing to walk towards the young Master.


    When 4 of the 5 warriors were all around Dag, he looked slightly up at their leader, who looked at them from a suspicious distance.


    "I told you I need your help to cover the light! Otherwise, I can''t show you this relic! If it is exposed to sunlight it will risk breaking! If you let us through, I''ll deliver it to you! Come on, come closer!" Dag exclaimed, making a gesture with his hand and waiting for him to fall for it.


    Meanwhile, Atran and Kron looked at each other and then looked at Freydis, as if they wanted to know from her what her boyfriend had in mind.


    The Shieldmaiden, looking at the sneaky way Dag was attracting everyone''s attention, sensed that he was going to get rid of them somehow, and tried to communicate it to her comrades with impassive hand gestures.


    While Kranus was focused on holding Dag''s horse still and witnessing the scene, Atran and Kron remained turned to the nearest camp, as if they were lookouts, ready to warn Dag in case of other imminent dangers.


    When he also joined his four companions, all of them formed a circle including Dag, who placed the bag in the center.


    "So? What are you waiting for? Show us this fucking gem, I''m starting to get bored!" the enemy warrior continued, to remain in the spotlight.


    "Closer, come closer... too much light still passes" Dag replied, forcing all his unsuspecting interlocutors to approach their heads and shoulders to create a kind of human dome above the bag.


    At the exact moment that everyone was in position, Dag closed his eyes for an instant and concentrated silently, keeping his hands still on the bag: his fur coat, which was so long that it crawled on the ground, suddenly began to sway abnormally at its back.


    "Oh, fuck! Dag, what are you doing?!" Freydis thought, who kept looking around, anxious that someone might see what was about to happen.


    While each of the men had both arms on the companion next to him, two dark arms splashed out of Dag''s cloak, piercing in less than a second all five necks of the enemy warriors, who could not move or understand where the blow came from.


    "Fuck!" Atran exclaimed, frightening himself along with Kron of that sudden noise.


    *grroarg*grr*aargh*


    All the enemy warriors began to gurgle and at the same time, the two mirrored blades that pierced their throats at the height of the trachea, preventing them from speaking or emitting any kind of sound with vocal cords, turned on themselves: with that quick and precise movement, the necks of the enemies turned simultaneously and their bones broke, killing them instantly.


    "They''re dead! Fuck, you killed all five of them in one fell swoop!" Atran exclaimed again, who, having never witnessed a demonstration of Dag''s dark powers, did not know what to expect from him and failed to hold back his amazement.


    After those words, the two blade-shaped arms that had sprung from Dag''s back slowly crawled in the opposite direction, retracing the same trajectory backward and exiting the shoved and bled-out necks of enemy soldiers, who made a terrible noise of blood and bones.


    When enemies fell one at a time like inanimate objects, they formed a pile of bodies in a large pool of blood, which due to that snow could be visible from miles away.


    The dark blades crawled again under Dag''s cloak, returning back to his body and he approached Kranus, who handed him the horse''s bridles with his mouth open, not knowing what to say.


    "Now it''s your turn. We can''t leave these men here, you have to cover the bodies somehow, or they''ll find out in a few minutes" Dag said, nimbly climbing on the back of his horse as if he had done nothing exceptional.

 499 CDXCIX. The Rock Prison

    Kranus, already knowing what Dag was referring to, got off his horse and approached the pile of corpses looking disgusted at them.


    He raised his arm, which came out from under his cloak, and opened his hand, pointing it at them.


    A slight airstream was generated around it and within seconds increased its intensity by swirling around the wrist and wrapping its hand.


    In a delicate gesture, as if stroking an invisible object, Kranus moved his hand forward and the icy airstream began to float towards the bodies, enveloping them too and becoming denser and denser, until it prevented their sight.


    The magician continued to hold his hand still in the same place and under the surprised gaze of all the others, that current of air that had wrapped the bodies entirely became a block of whitish ice, and compressed the bones and muscles, reducing the volume of the corpses to a few centimeters thick.


    Suddenly, it was as if those bodies had never existed and Kranus and Dag had made this possible within minutes.


    "We can go. Try to walk without ever stopping, our destination is not far away... no more rash moves, Dag" the white-bearded mage said, climbing on Iron''s back and leading the line along with the young Master who did not answer, knowing that he had solved the situation as quickly as possible.


    "Dag, how did you do that? What was that stuff that came out from under your cloak? Where did it come from?" Atran asked, who could not forget what he had seen.


    "There are many things you don''t know about me... I just got rid of those annoying men quickly and quietly, trying to keep a low profile... the only way to do that was through my powers. But now is not the time to explain how they work, we have a mission to complete" Dag replied, who did not want to dwell on that aspect and did not want to say more about himself, knowing that Kranus was already aware of it.


    After turning his gaze towards Freydis and making sure his woman was safe and sound, he continued to ride forward without ever stopping, hoping that no one would notice the block of ice that had suddenly appeared at the intersection of the main road and that of the first camp.


    Looking around, he noticed that they had arrived at their destination just as most Claws Of Fenir warriors woke up, realizing that the bonfires of the settlements that had remained lit all night, were turned off one by one, releasing the typical whitish smoke into the air.


    "Come on, we''re almost there! Let''s speed up the pace... we must arrive before other warriors notice our presence! Maybe we should have come in the afternoon" Kranus said, reflecting aloud and wondering if that has been the right move.


    After passing six more settlments, three on the left and three on the right, the last two separated them from the huge entrance to the underground city, dug inside that magnificent inactive volcano.


    "Fuck, it''s really huge!" Atran exclaimed, raising his head to the thick beam that rested above the two mammoth columns.


    "What is it written up there?" Dag asked, noting that besides the various drawings on it there was also a large central writing in Krypstorm''s alphabet.


    "It says ''Rock Prison''... I think it''s the name of this place..." Kranus replied, who was looking at the same thing and had been reflecting silently for a few seconds.


    "Rock Prison? Wasn''t it an underground city?" Atran asked again, failing to get deeper into the intrinsic meaning of those words.


    "Of course it is, but for these people, the Randt Mastiff can never replace Klorr, their real capital. As beautiful as this city may be, in their minds, it will always be like a prison... surely this is the reason behind this name" Kron explained, who immediately had a clear idea of what they were reading.


    Unlike the other warriors, he used to be very attentive to the details and think long before talking: this was the real reason behind his usual silence.


    Strangely, the entrance to rock prison was not guarded by any kind of guard and when they climbed the threshold of the stairway riding their horses, they looked down, trying to figure out where the stairs were leading.


    They went down more than ten meters deep and immediately afterward followed a curve, still not making it possible to see the place where it led from the surface.


    "The stairs are very large... seem to have been designed to get on with horses. We don''t need to leave them here, let''s never separate from them" Dag said, who took courage and first began to go down the stairs on his steed, who after hesitating for a few seconds, laid one of his hooves on the first step of dark stone of the staircase.


    As they descended deep, daylight faded completely and in its place, the light generated by large torches hanging along the walls illuminated the surrounding space.


    Dag could not help but remember that the last time he had descended such a long staircase, it was during his encounter with the God Weland, who had led him into the Great Forge, within the continental crust of the planet.


    This time, however, the staircase was very long, but it lasted a hundred meters and after the curve they saw before starting to descend, the walls of the tunnel widened until it disappeared completely and became the vaults of the huge natural cavity that left everyone speechless.


    With a ceiling more than 100 meters high and a larger width than the base of the volcano that was visible from outside, a real underground city appeared before their eyes and the group of adventurers stopped on the staircase to admire the view.

 500 D. The Underground City

    Hundreds of small houses were built in a disorderly manner next to each other, sometimes getting stuck together and getting confused due to the color of the dark brown rock, which made everything look the same.


    Despite being in broad daylight, many small lights came out of the windows of each individual dwelling, indicating to Dag and the others that that city was not only home to warriors, but also civilians, defenseless workers who only needed shelter.


    In that place where the night was confused with the morning because of the unseeded sky, the population density seemed to be very high, even higher than Tungvek, which was relatively large.


    At the center of all the houses, which were one with the rocky base on which they were built, stood an imposing castle, that exceeded everything in height, as if it was a divine monument.


    That building, in addition to having two observation towers popping up from both its sides, extended several meters in height and had a very different shape than the ordinary palaces that could be seen in many large cities: it was in fact narrow and high and seemed as if it could fall at any moment.


    "That''s the main center of their Clan, I''m sure. That''s where their leaders are hiding" Kranus said, who even if he was certain he wasn''t the only one who understood that detail impossible not to notice, wanted to say it explicitly, to avoid misunderstandings.


    "Going through all these roads and getting down there won''t be easy. From our clothing everybody can understand that we are not warriors of this place, I just hope that no one tries to stop us because here we will not get rid of the guards" Dag said, who slightly spurred his horse, began to ride towards the end of the staircase, ready to enter that urban jungle, where the houses were built in a confusing way, one on the other, as if they were competing to reach the top.


    When the stairs finished and were replaced by the rocky substrate that made up the floor of the whole city, in front of the five travelers appeared three guards, who as soon as they heard the noise of the hooves of the horses turned in their direction.


    One of them pointed his spear at Dag, who stopped the horse and remained silent, with his hood on his head, like everyone else.


    "Where are you going? Who are you and where do you come from? Show up, otherwise, you can''t go any further" the guard said, who seemed much more open to dialogue than those guarding the outside gate.


    His armor was very similar to that of the other warriors, and Dag did not fail to notice that even the three men in front of them at that time wore a kind of hardened and strengthened leather jacket much larger than their size, so much so that it got below the area of the genitals.


    "We came here from the east to bring a message from the Giants Of Ymir to the leaders of your Clan. Ours is a simple diplomatic mission, once we have reported the message and obtained an answer, we will leave without problems" Kranus said, who was getting tired of acting and was looking forward to meeting the leaders of his bitter enemies.


    Although the ice mage''s mind was focused on the mission, watching those guards'' armor made his blood boil in his veins, recalling all the battles he had fought against that Clan and all the men who had sacrificed their lives to defend Tungvek and the Outposts.


    "Giants Of Ymir? They never tried to communicate peacefully with us, why should we believe you?" the guard asked, generating even more anger in Kranus, who, trying to keep his tone calm, stepped forward and replied:


    "It never happened because you immediately began to plunder and destroy their Outposts, to kill their soldiers, and to seize their territories! But it''s never too late to start talking without a fight, don''t you think? Now, you''re the third person asking us where we''re going... if we''re here, it means the guards at the south entrance to the Randt Massif got us through, right? It doesn''t make much sense to ask any more questions!"


    That response left the man stunned and the other two guards also approached him, to help him in case of need.


    "Let them through... they don''t seem to have bad intentions... and then, they wouldn''t stand a chance against our Packmaster" one of them replied, inviting the first guard to lower his spear and step aside.


    Appreciating the gesture, Dag thanked the guard with a nod of his head and continued with his companions, still keeping a low profile, even though the citizens of that city were not used to seeing horses: the wolf warriors, in fact, preferred to move running on their four legs rather than relying on steeds, slower and less intelligent of them once transformed.


    Precisely for this reason, even wanting to leave the horses in some type of stable, the five adventurers would not have the chance, because there was no such a place in the Rock Prison.


    With the central tower of the palace popping up towards the sky, passing the roofs of the houses in front of them, the diplomatic team continued to advance towards the heart of the city, under the gaze of the most attentive civilians.


    "Did I hear bad or that man just said ''Packmaster''?" Freydis asked, approaching Dag and Kranus, for fear of falling behind alone.

 501 DI. Stand Guard

    "That''s exactly what he said... no wonder. If they''re wolves, they reason in terms of the pack. Wolves, unlike what can be imagined, are not solitary animals, but always act on behalf of their herd. The strongest or the oldest is the one in charge until someone stronger than him takes over. Besides, the pack leader can choose to breed with as many females as he wants and no one can object" Dag said, explaining to Freydis and others some of his knowledge on the subject.


    "Speaking about wolves... where''s Thalos? Ever since we entered the first gate I can''t see him" Freydis asked again, who until then had not noticed that detail, being focused and afraid at the same time.


    "No worries, though you can''t see him, he''s behind us, hidden among some of those buildings. He doesn''t like to walk among so many people, he prefers to follow us on his own. Thalos is like that, this is his nature" Dag continued, who thanks to his senses was able to perceive the presence of his four-legged friend, who was about thirty meters away from them, having escaped from the eyes of the guards and citizens.


    Dag and Thalos were connected by an ethereal and mysterious bond and although they were not physically in front of each other, somehow they both always knew their mutual position.


    Although it was easy to guess that the citizens of that city were normal people, who had nothing to do with their Clan and its cruel warriors, Kranus, Atran, and Kron felt a deep hatred for them and looked at everyone from top to bottom.


    "You should stop staring at people like that. Believe me, they can sense your hostile aura... people perceive it" Dag said, riding forward at a slow pace and pretending nothing, as a group of men standing in front of a blacksmith continued to look at them insistently.


    Kranus snorted, knowing that Dag was right, but unable to walk without pretending nothing.


    After walking entirely through several streets that passed through various neighborhoods of the city, they found themselves in front of a huge door guarded by other guards, intent on talking to each other.


    On the door, a huge metal ring hung from the jaws of a wolf''s head etched into the wood.


    Dag got off his horse and approached the guards, under the gaze of his companions, who often wondered how he could do those things so casually, going so far as to envy his courage.


    "Hi, we have a message from the Giants Of Ymir to report to your Packmaster" he said, drawing the attention of the guards, who had never heard his voice and turned to him suspiciously.


    "You are not the only ones who have to talk to him, there is a line of people inside the palace, you will have to wait" one of the guards said, noticing their equipment and immediately realizing that they did not belong to the Clan.


    "At last a concrete answer!" Dag thought, before answering.


    "No problem, we''ll wait for our turn" he said.


    "And where can we leave them? There doesn''t seem to be a suitable stable" Kranus said, explicitly asking the guard.


    "On the right side of the palace, there is a fence. You can tie them there, otherwise, you will be forced to move away" the guard continued, in a cold and detached tone, looking elsewhere and not paying too much attention to the words of the magician.


    Dag, before his companion could answer, put two fingers of his hand on his tongue and blew a loud whistle, attracting the attention of everyone around him.


    "Thalos!" he yelled, continuing to whistle.


    Suddenly, from behind one of the houses built near the castle, the big gray wolf sprang out, walking casually towards him, looking around and sniffing the new smells.


    When the two guards saw him, their looks changed completely, taking on a friendly appearance.


    "He''s a beautiful specimen! Does he really obey your orders?" one of them asked, lowering himself to the wolf, who as usual stood still next to Dag not giving confidence to those unknown men.


    "As you can see, he obeys me without constraint... we''ve been friends for a long time. He will look after our horses while we are inside the palace" the young Master said, knowing that for those men, wolves were sacred beasts, reincarnations of the great wolf Fenrir.


    "Permission granted. If his instincts push him to trust you, it means that your heart is good and your soul is fearless" the second guard added, giving Dag and the others permission to leave the horses tied.


    All of them descended from their steeds and, following the square walls of the palace, identified the fence to which the guard was referring.


    They tied the horses and looked around, hoping that during their absence no one would try to steal them.


    "Don''t worry, our horses will be safe if Thalos stays beside them. These people would never dare to disobey the will of a wild wolf" Dag said, who had also thought about that detail.


    Soon after, he knelt before Thalos and stroked his neck, telling him: "my friend, now I have to get away for a short time and you have to watch the horses. You must stay here, still and never walk away. Without horses we can''t go home anymore... do you understand?" he asked, gesticulating in front of his four-legged friend and pointing at him the fence, making sure he understood his mission.


    Thalos looked at the horses, then again his master.


    To make him realize that in his mind his instructions were clear, he licked his hand and emitted a slight groan, as if he really wanted to talk to him.


    "Good boy! See you soon and remember... stay still here and don''t move!" Dag said again.


    After his words, the wolf sat next to his horse and began to look around, so as not to miss any details.

 502 DII. The Waiting Room

    "Can we go? Kranus asked, eager to meet the men who had been maneuvering enemy troops against his forces since then.


    "Yes, let''s go" Dag replied, who began to walk to the door, followed by the rest of the team.


    When the guards noticed that the travelers were without horses, without even checking whether they had weapons or not, they let them into the huge castle.


    A large hall opened in front of them, the interior of which was bare and unfurnished.


    Many people stood in front of a stairway and when they heard the door open behind them, they simultaneously turned in that direction, noting that unknown faces had just entered.


    "Hello!" Dag exclaimed, trying to be polite.


    Almost no one answered, except for two women with their children and an old man, sitting alone in an old chair.


    "I think this is kind of a waiting room" Dag said in a low voice, speaking to his comrades privately.


    "Waiting room?" Kranus asked, not understanding what he was referring to and never hearing that word.


    "Yes... a place where people wait their turn to meet someone neatly and without acceding. We will do the same..." Dag explained, noting that that palace, as well as the symbol of the power of the Claws Of Fenrir Clan, was also a place where people could carry out their demands on the city''s highest offices.


    After his own words, Dag began to reflect on that characteristic, which made the society at the head of that city, one of the most advanced he had ever seen on Skjold, almost comparable to the kind of laws that were in Jernhest: the guards defending every important place were common in the main cities, but a real ordinary citizen, where someone would listen to the requests of every single person of any social rank, was a rare thing to see.


    "This detail shows that the Claws Of Fenrir used to live in a real civilized city, with their own laws for the wellness of its inhabitants. This place does not suit their lifestyle, which despite appearances, is based on values other than fighting and brazing their prey. I think convincing them to join us to get Klorr back won''t be difficult" Dag thought, continuing to look at the faces of people waiting under the stairs.


    "What are you thinking, Dag? I know that silent look of yours... there''s something you''re not saying" Freydis asked, approaching him and speaking in a low voice, trying not to rise above the volume of the few words that came from the people in the waiting room.


    "Well, that means you have more in common than we thought... we hope that their ''Packmasters'' are people with whom you can argue peacefully. We wait our turn, I don''t think it will take long" she replied, approaching Dag and gently grabbing his hand from under the fur coat, to make him feel her presence.


    Dag smiled at her and together, they sat in the corner of the room, on a large wooden bench, ready to wait their turn.


    While Kranus and his warriors discussed the more and less, imagining the conversation with the leaders of the enemy Clan and recommending that each other will need not to lose their composure, Dag spent the time waiting to look at the details of the castle''s front room.


    The high vaults were made of the same stone bricks of which the walls were formed, which from the outside seemed even higher.


    A heavy bronze candelabrum or some similar stuff was hung in the center of the ceiling, whose arms were almost entirely covered with candle wax, which had a more decorative, than practical function.


    As usual, the environment was illuminated by the same torches that were in the stairway tunnel, perhaps built by the same carpenter.


    The yellow light bouncing off the raw surfaces of the bare rock made the atmosphere particularly bleak, as inside a cave, simulating its environments and spaces, to which wolf warriors were accustomed.


    When Dag''s eyes squared all the details of the room, which were not many, his gaze fell on the people who, like them, were waiting for an audience with the Packmasters.


    Two middle-aged women were talking cheerfully to each other in a low voice, so as not to disturb everyone present.


    As they chatted, they looked after their children, who were five in total, and ran all over the room, cheering up the heavy, warm air.


    Both of them were dressed almost exclusively in rags and their hands were dirty and full of calluses, making Dag guess that they were definitely working women who had gone to the castle to ask for some kind of favor or facilitation that would help them in their work.


    Next to them, not far away, the old man who had greeted them when they entered the room was sitting in the same old chair and with his hands in front of his face, entertaining two of the five children making grimaces.


    To the left of the bench on which he and Freydis were sitting, there was an identical one and above it, a little boy was sitting and looking towards the floor.

 503 DIII. The Packmaster

    A small sword with a rusty hilt hung from his belt and a detail of his attire immediately caught Dag''s attention.


    That kid didn''t have the top of his armor bigger than the lower one, but his boots were oversized.


    "Surely they belong to his father or some warrior greater than him. He looks like an inexperienced kid who just wants to fight... it reminds me of me when I started training in the arena" Dag thought, looking at him from head to toe, careful not to catch his eye, as he thought about what he was willing to ask his superiors.


    Just as he was concentrating on looking at him, he heard the noise of an open door coming from the top of the high spiral staircase that continued over the high ceiling of the room, leading perhaps to the top of the tower visible from the outside.


    *toc*toc*toc*


    Slight steps creaked the wooden stairs and gradually, two people descended down.


    They were a man and a woman, with a baby in their arms.


    They looked at each other smiling and stroking the baby, who kept crying for no apparent reason.


    Dag looked at them from start to finish, imagining that their happiness was definitely due to what had happened at the end of those stairs.


    Without looking at any of those people in the face, the young couple and their baby left the room, releasing a trail of happiness and carefreeness.


    "Next!" a voice from the upper floors yelled.


    Kranus, Atran, and Kron stopped talking, attracted by that voice, and turned their gaze upwards.


    One of the two women rose from her bench, took two of the five children by the hand, and together they began to climb the stairs, slowly.


    "Other children... maybe they do some kind of ritual... a blessing to the great wolf Fenrir, or something..." Dag said in a low voice, asking Freydis for an opinion, who like everyone else had witnessed the scene.


    Not knowing what it was, the five adventurers continued to wait silently in the waiting room, immersed in their thoughts, until even the woman with the two children went down the stairs, with an evident smile printed on her face.


    The two little ones, a boy and a sissy, in tears, like the little one in the arms of the couple who had gone out just before.


    After greeting the woman who had made her company, the mother of the two children went out and the other one rose from her bench, gathering her children and ready to climb the stairs.


    "Next!" the same voice called again.


    "Yes, it''s a blessing... otherwise you don''t explain these women with their children" Freydis replied, after reflecting on what she had seen.


    ...


    About half an hour passed when everyone climbed the stairs, including the young warrior with the rusty sword, who went just before Dag and his companions.


    "Earlier the guard said that several people need to talk to ''him'', which means the Packmaster is only one. Atran, Kron, let only Kranus and me talk to him because we know exactly what we need to say and remember... our main goal is to ally ourselves with them, not to make relations worse" Dag said, who before going upstairs, wanted to make things clear, knowing that the two warriors of the Outposts could interfere negatively during the dialogue.


    "I don''t think I''m going to talk... otherwise I wouldn''t be able to hold back... if I think for one minute only that we must be polite and kind to the one who ordered the extermination of our soldiers, I shudder. It is because of that damn son of a bitch that wolf warriors have continued to attack us for years, without a break" Atran answered, trying to be as sincere as possible.


    "For the success of the mission, I can assure you that the two of us will only speak if we are explicitly asked. Don''t worry, Dag" Kron added, who as usual seemed the most reasonable of the two.


    Freydis did not need to add her thoughts, because until a few minutes earlier she had spoken to Dag and explained her concerns to him, saying that she had no intention of saying a word and was there as moral support.


    *toc*toc*toc*


    The sound of footsteps broke the silence again and the young boy who had climbed the stairs a few minutes earlier, went downstairs, with a happy expression painted on his face.


    He walked to the door and ignored the looks of Dag and the others, amazed that he too had such a satisfied face and wondering why.


    "Next!" the male voice coming from upstairs yelled.


    "Well, our time has come! I know it''s going to be difficult, but we''ve traveled all this way to complete the diplomatic mission, so... keep calm!" Kranus exclaimed, speaking to his men and trying to convince himself.


    Kranus, Dag, Freydis, Atran, and Kron climbed the spiral staircases in that order, until they arrived at an ajar door on the landing on the first floor, noting that the stairs continued upwards, reaching the tops of the tallest tower.


    The ice mage put a hand on the door and opened it, causing it to squeak.


    A short man with a thick mustache greeted them, inviting them to enter the room and not stand in front of the door.


    They obeyed and as soon as he entered, Dag first looked at the ceiling and details, as he was used to doing every time, noting that that room was similar to a library and there were many shelves full of books on both its sides.


    When his gaze fell on the middle, at the bottom of the room, he saw a large man sitting on a throne: despite standing still in a relaxing position, his pronounced muscles were clearly visible, as well as the hundreds of scars on his bare chest, on which was tattooed a large wolf with a sun-like star between its jaws.

 504 DIV. The Worst Of Surprises

    On his head, he wore a wolf''s fur coat, including its head, the teeth of which rested on his forehead, giving an even darker aura to his shimmering blood-red eyes, under thick black eyebrows.


    A black, shaggy, short beard covered his lower face, under whose chin protruded a long goatee gathered in a thin braid.


    The Chief of the Claws Of Fenrir looked much more threatening than all the other warriors Dag had encountered in his life, and the young Master, after a short time, felt the chills running behind his back.


    When he finished studying the details of that imposing figure, his eyes fell down, next to the throne, on a large square metal cage, similar to the one used to capture ferocious beasts.


    Inside, a naked body covered in blood and wounds was lying face down, turned to the other way.


    While his companions positioned themselves neatly in front of the Packmaster, Dag stood still for a few more seconds, noting that the one in the cage was a female body immersed in her own blood.


    A metal collar was anchored to the poor victim''s neck and with a chain was connected to the upper end of the cage, about 1 meter high, while the woman''s black hair was completely immersed in the pool of blood.


    "Greetings, Packmaster. We are a diplomatic delegation of the Giants Of Ymir and we came..."


    "You came here to propose something to me, I know, I know... the news flies faster than the wind" the enemy leader replied in a guttural and deep voice, almost superhuman, interrupting Kranus'' words.


    Dag, not minding the speech that had just begun, kept looking at that naked and wounded body, starting to breathe with difficulty.


    "You must be Dag, don''t you?" the Packmaster asked, turning his gaze towards him, who had been petrified shortly after the door with grainy eyes.


    As soon as his name was pronounced, the woman in the cage moved slightly, resting her hand on the cold bloody base and trying to make an effort to turn around.


    Dag''s heart continued to beat louder and louder and his breath even more intense and intermittent, almost as if he was about to cry.


    Kranus and the two Outposts warriors looked at him, not understanding what was happening to him and hoping that his reaction would not send their peaceful plan into smoke, while Freydis focused on looking at the same thing Dag was looking at, having never seen anything so raw.


    With the liquid noise of blood gliding under her hands and legs, the girl raised her back from the base of the cage and struggled towards Dag, with all her black hair in front of her face and her mouth open to breathe as hard as possible.


    "D... Dag..." the girl whispered, moving her hair slowly from her face, on her last legs.


    Dag stepped back and his back touched the front door of the room, as his heart beat wildly and his lungs compulsively expanded into his chest.


    "Claire... Claire... is that you?" he asked, with a thread of a voice.


    The black-haired girl totally moved her blood-soaked hair from her face, showing it to everyone: the left side was completely covered in blood so thick that it turned black and her eye had been removed, leaving a huge and disgusting wound.


    "Dag... Daaag..." Claire''s broken and bloodied lips continued to move vibrating and her voice was full of despair and anguish, while tears came out of the only eye she had left.


    As much as that harrowing cry came to Freydis''s ears, who realized that that woman was the missing young girl who was kidnapped when they had just arrived in Krypstorm and of whom traces had been lost, she put both of her hands on her face and held back a scream, beginning to cry like a fountain.


    Dag knelt, speechlessly, witnessing that macabre and unexpected spectacle.


    "What''s going on? Dag?! Dag?! Do you know that girl?!" Kranus asked impulsively, not knowing how to react.


    The Packmaster of the Claws Of Fenrir stretched out his arm and slipped it between the bars of the cage, placing his hand on Claire''s bare leg and making his sharp claws crawl over her skin, scratching her slightly.


    "Your friend is not a big talker... her silence cost her an eye, but in the end, she told me what I wanted to hear! Ehehehe!" the man on the throne said, laughing sadistically.


    Immediately, Freydis put his arms over Dag''s shoulders, pulling him upwards and forcing him to rise from the ground.


    The young Master''s expression was lost in the void and his carefree eyes were lost in the words of young Claire, who had been tortured by those evil men.


    "Stay calm, my love... please stay calm! Remember the mission, remember the prophecy... don''t blow it all up! Dag, don''t condemn us all to death! Think! We''re going to get her out of there!" Freydis whispered in his ears, knowing that if she didn''t tell him anything, his feeling of anger would take over and there would be carnage.


    "Sorry... forgive me, Dag..." Claire whispered again, squinting her right eye and gently resting her head on the ground, as she ran out of strength that she barely needed to breathe and stay alive.


    "Your friend had been kidnapped by one of these dirty Jotunns, who would surely sexually abuse her and then kill her, but my men recovered her and brought her to me! Isn''t that good news? Ehehehe! In this way, I was able to exploit all her knowledge, every piece of information in her little brain... and now... I know everything about you, Dag from Earth! Ehehehe! Welcome! Welcome to the Rock Prison! I am Thyrius, but everyone calls me Bloodfang!" the enemy chief chuckled again, rising from the throne and opening his arms outwards, full of himself.

 505 DV. The Temperature Drop

    Dag, who was standing in front of the door, remained motionless and silent, while absolute chaos reigned within his mind.


    It was as if at that moment, he was struggling between reason, which would allow him not to put his own life and that of others in danger and instinct, which instead would push him to kill the Packmaster and save Claire, freeing her from the chains that held her captive.


    "Uh? So? Are you dumb? Don''t you have anything to say? What, do you want to attack me? Eheheh! I know you want to do it!" Thyrius exclaimed again, provoking Dag and hoping for an exaggerated reaction.


    "Dag, forget it... it''s a trap... I know you weren''t prepared for this, but we can try to make a deal..." Kranus said in a low voice, putting a hand in front of his mouth to prevent their enemy from reading his lips.


    After those words, the flames of the 5 torches hanging from the walls of the room moved unexpectedly, as if subjected to a current of wind.


    Everyone shut up and Thyrius''s henchman, who had just gone to welcome them at the door, walked toward the window, verifying that it was closed and that there were no drafts.


    At that exact moment, the two torches closest to Dag, namely those above the front door of the room, immediately turned off, as if someone had blown on them.


    "Dag... Dag! Don''t do anything stupid, please! He''s provoking you, don''t play his game! That man is sadistic and dangerous! Think of Claire and think of me!" Freydis continued, whispering these words in his ear, which was still stationary in the same position, with his eyes pointed at Thyrius.


    "Ehehe! Excellent! Back then, the powers this girl was talking about were real! After all, she wasn''t all that useless! Eheh!" the Packmaster replied, knowing that if he continued to insult Claire, Dag would not be able to restrain his fury.


    Two more torches went off immediately, leaving a thin trail of white smoke and the only one lit remained the one above the throne of the clan chief.


    Suddenly, as the room was slowly shrouded in darkness, Dag''s purple eye began to shine with its own light.


    Atran touched his arm and began rubbing it, shuddering.


    Soon after him, Kron and Freydis did the same, despite being used to that kind of temperature.


    Everyone''s breath in the room became visible in the air, in the form of vapor coming out of their mouths and nostrils.


    The third to shudder was Thyrius''s henchman, who did not understand where all that cold came from and sat in his chair, positioned at the corner of the room behind the throne, with his hands in front of his mouth, trying to retain his body heat.


    "But what the hell is going on? Why can''t he control himself? Who''s that girl in chains?" Atran asked, frightened at the sight of Dag in those conditions.


    In the young Master''s mind, while everyone else around him tried to calm him down and understand why he was having such an exaggerated reaction, he was trying to prevent his dark instincts from taking over his human consciousness: seeing Claire in that state, a kind of chemical reaction broke out inside his body, which gradually began to release all its power.


    Despite the desire to tear Thyrius to pieces and avenge the dignity of the poor earthling girl, who had repeatedly confessed her love for him was predominant, Dag clenched his fists so hard, that his nails slightly pierced his palms and blood began to drip on the floor.


    After that gesture, a small cloud of grayish smoke began to come out of his shoulders, floating in the air of the room and making the atmosphere even scarier, so much so that Freydis was forced to let his shoulder go for fear that he would lose control.


    *sniff*sniff*


    Thyrius'' nostrils widened as he tried to sense the smell of smoke emitted by Dag, which incredibly, was odorless.


    "Thyrius! Dag! That''s enough!" Kranus yelled, interrupting the hateful look between the two and positioning himself in the center of the room.


    The magician took off his hood and showed the Packmaster his real face, knowing that he would not recognize him, being the first time they met in person.


    Kranus''s sudden scream allowed Dag to calm down and regain control of his breath, and after closing his eyes for a few moments, his body stopped emitting smoke, although the temperature of the room remained below zero.


    "I am Kranus, leader of the Giants Of Ymir and I am in charge of this group. We''re here to offer you something, not to fight again. I think the war between us lasted longer than necessary!" the ice mage exclaimed with arrogance, fearing that if he did not speak at that moment, he would miss the opportunity.


    "Ah, yes? Propose something for me? You? You who killed hundreds of my warriors? I''m sorry, but I don''t make deals with you dirty giants! I''d like to kill you from the first to the last, to the point of exterminating your race! Grrrargh!" Thyrius responded by screaming and after his words, he uttered an animal roar, identical to that of a ferocious beast, looking at Kranus with an unseated expression, as if he was a wolf about to attack a helpless prey.


    "You did the same. Maybe I''ve lost more warriors than you. Neither of us has a clear conscience. The war that we started years ago is meaningless! We will end up reducing our strength so much that we''ll give away our land to the Lies Of Loki! They are the real enemy, Thyrius!" Kranus yelled again, showing his interlocutor that he was not afraid.

 506 DVI. The Peace Bringer

    Meanwhile, Kranus looked at Dag, trying to share calm of mind to him with his eyes, as if to tell him that the situation was under control.


    Thyrius sat on his throne and crossed his legs, resting his elbow on the wooden throne''s armrest and his head on the hand, as if he was already tired of that discussion.


    Dag took a deep breath and when he reopened his eyes, after calming down, he tried not to look at Claire who had lost consciousness and remain focused on the goal but began to devise a plan to free her peacefully.


    "Even if you already know, my job is to tell you that young Dag comes from Okstorm and it is thanks to him that I withdrew my men from the Outposts near the Randt Massif, to allow your warriors to rest and stop fighting. What you don''t know about him is that he betrayed his own King to bring peace to Krypstorm! Dag betrayed the trust of King Einar, the King of the lands of the West, and ran off with his woman asking for refuge to me. I honored his request!" Kranus continued, lowering his voice and bringing back the order, while the little man with mustache lit the torches of the room again, one by one, using a long stick.


    "Peace in Krypstorm?! I''ve never felt such idiocy! Krypstorm will never know peace, war flows through its mountains, under the earth, in rivers water... my people have lost everything, there is no time for peace! If we want to survive, we must continue to fight!" Thyrius replied, sitting on his throne with an angry expression.


    "Who took Klorr, your city?" Dag interrupted, who after calming down, walked beside Kranus, who felt more relieved knowing he had his support, as well as Freydis and the other two warriors, who breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Uh?" What does this have to do with our war?! I don''t care who you are and where you''re from, kid! I just care how you got those powers..." the Packmaster answered, trying to deflect the speech.


    "Who was to drive you away from Klorr and forced you to take refuge underground like fearful moles?" Dag asked again, looking at Thyrius in disgust, intent on speaking directly, bluntly.


    "Grr... you''re playing with fire, kid... you killed dozens of my men, then you killed Layrus, the noblest of my warriors... and now what? You''re pretending to come in here, into my house... and insult me like I''m one of your subordinates?! Who do you think you are?!" the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir growled again, rising from the throne and heading quickly towards Dag as if he was going to hurt him.


    Kranus made a step again between the two, trying to keep the peace.


    "Grrrargh! And so what? I didn''t need anyone to remind me! I always think about how to kill those sons of bitches from the first to the last, but there is no hope! Our people will only survive if we stay in the Rock Prison, that''s our burden, that''s our destiny!"


    "The leaders of the Okstorm Clans spoke like you before allying" Dag interrupted, standing still, fearlessly.


    "Uh? Ally? Is this your incredible proposal?! Do you want our two Clans to form an alliance and fight the Lies Of Loki?!" Thyrius asked again, who for the first time did not ironize about what had been proposed to him.


    "We will help you to claim back what is yours and you will stop attacking our Clan, letting us live in peace to the east, as it was in antiquity. It seems a good solution to everyone" Kranus added, reinforcing Dag''s words and taking advantage of the only moment Thyrius was really listening.


    "This is ridiculous... anyway¡­ it pains me to say it, but... if our two Clans would come together, we would have enough warriors to face such a large army."


    After Thyrius'' unexpected answer, Freydis, Atran, and Kron gasped, incredulous at the Packmaster''s words, who seemed to have suddenly changed his opinion.


    "I have a lot of warriors and the Lies Of Loki would never expect such a thing. Our combined attack on Klorr would be incredibly effective and once most of their army will be exterminated, they would not have the necessary forces to attack you again" Kranus continued, emphasizing the chances of success.


    "And what about him? Why does he want to attack Lies Of Loki? What does he have against them? If it''s true that he is an explorer of Okstorm, what would he gain from such a huge war?" Thyrius asked, pointing one of his claws at Dag, who seemed to have calmed down, even though he was incredibly focused on breathing, knowing that at any moment his instincts could take over.


    "The Lies Of Loki killed my father and tried to kill my mother when I was just a kid, unable to defend anyone. From that moment I swore I''d end them for good. I promised my family and the spirit of my late father that I would kill Hackon, their leader with my own hands" he replied, knowing exactly what to say as if he couldn''t wait for someone to ask him that question so he could put into words all the hatred he felt for that Clan.


    "Mmmh... Hackon" Thyrius whispered, moving on his chest the finger that was pointed at Dag, crawling his claw on a large scar he had at his heart, probably caused to him by the Lies Of Loki leader.

 507 DVII. Im Here Now

    "My wolf warriors will never agree to ally with the Jotunns... this is probably going to trigger a riot that I''m not sure I can contain" the Packmaster replied, who suddenly seemed to have lost his confidence.


    "Even my warriors won''t be happy about it, but I''m their commander and it''s up to me to make such difficult decisions. It''s the hard task of us leaders... no matter how risky a gesture is if it will benefit the people" Kranus said, who tried to imagine what would happen when he gave the news to his army, comforted that Atran and Kron would support him, making everything easier.


    After puffing, Thyrius looked at Dag again, trying to get deep into his soul with those supernatural red eyes.


    "Where did you come from, boy?" he asked, in a peaceful tone.


    The question astonished both Freydis, who did not expect such a submissive tone from that cruel man and Dag, for the same reason.


    "What do you mean? I''m just a normal warrior with precise objectives. I like not only to think with the steel of my weapons but also with the brain" Dag replied, trying to use that moment to forge a first peaceful bond with Thyrius, who seemed willing to talk about it.


    "I don''t mean this... if that old mage fears you so much so that he will leave you the power to condition his choices, it means that you are really strong..." the Packmaster replied, who in reality continued to think sneakily, convinced that under that agreement a catch could be hidden.


    Before Dag could respond in other neutral words, which would keep the tone of the conversation on the same level, Kranus preceded him by saying: "Believe me, Thyrius... he is that strong."


    After that decisive answer, the head of the wolves put a hand on his eyes and rubbed his forehead, as if that speech had tired him and after a few seconds of absolute silence, during which he continued to reflect on all the possible consequences that that alliance could provoke, he nodded with his hand towards his henchman.


    "Free the girl, we don''t need her anymore" he ordered as if Claire''s life was worth less than that of a wild boar to cook on the grill.


    Suddenly, Dag felt a knot in his stomach and all the tension he had accumulated during those interminable minutes, was released in the form of a sigh.


    Freydis''s hand touched his shoulder and when he turned to her, he noticed that his woman was smiling at him.


    "See? We were able to free her without resorting to violence... only with words. Go get her, Dag... let''s get her out of this place" the red-haired Shieldmaiden said, urging her man to do the right thing.


    He took off his fur coat and gently touched Claire''s body, lifting her neck and grabbing her legs.


    Trying to move slowly and not cause further pain to the young girl, he pulled her injured and bloodied body out of the cage, wrapping it in his cloak and trying to warm it up, being as cold as a piece of ice, because of his powers.


    The temperature of the room was still very cold, but when he touched Claire, Dag''s body began to relax and the icy aura that enveloped him gradually disappeared.


    "Dag... where are you... Dag?" she whispered, without even opening her eyes as if she was dreaming.


    "I''m here now. Don''t worry, you''re safe, no one''s going to hurt you anymore" he replied, holding her and standing up, looking intently at her face.


    Claire''s pupils kept moving under her eyelids and the nightmare she was experiencing seemed not to subside until her eyes quickly widened and they saw Dag, who was smiling.


    A tear of joy fell down her face and it inadvertently slid on Claire''s split lips, who immediately pulled out her tongue and touched the teardrop, finally realizing that Dag was right in front of her, in flesh and blood.


    After that discovery, her pupils returned to normal size, widening to the sight of what she loved most in the world and her face resumed its original color.


    "Sorry... I''m so sorry... I didn''t tell him anything, but..."


    "Hey, be quiet now. You don''t have to explain anything to me. We should never have let you into that tunnel alone. We knew it was dangerous, but we still let you try. You have no idea how guilty I felt... I thought I''d lose you forever, never being able to talk to you again. But luckily you''re safe... I''m going to bring you away from here, to a safe place" Dag said, continuing to smile and trying not to look at the bleeding wound she had on her left eye.


    After listening to his comforting words, unable to smile due to the pain caused by her injuries, Claire closed her eyes again, resting her head on Dag''s arm, still under her neck.


    "What a moving scene, very touching! This is not the time to cry for a slave, we were discussing business!" Thyrius interrupted, looking at Dag and Claire with contempt.


    Dag turned around, almost as if ignoring his words, and put Claire''s body in front of Freydis'' feet, asking her to look after the girl until the meeting was over.


    Soon after, he walked again towards Thyrius, but this time he did not stop next to Kranus, keeping the safe distance: he stopped right in front of the head of the Claws Of Fenrir, a few inches from his face.

 508 DVIII. Do Your Homework

    "We''ll talk about business, yes, but you must never dare to talk about Claire again, don''t look at her, don''t think about her, don''t make any kind of reference to her... otherwise next time I will not hold myself, Bloodfang" Dag said, while his nose touched that of his interlocutor, giving him a clear proof of his courage.


    Kranus, Atran, and Kron were petrified, thinking that that gesture would ruin the positive result achieved up to that point and they were unable to intervene, for fear of making things worse.


    "Don''t warm up, kid. You don''t scare me. Remember to fly low, you are very far from your home... grrr..." Thyrius replied, who after he hesitated for a few seconds, showing fear in his eyes, returned to being the usual bully.


    Being very close to his face, Dag was able to notice some details that had previously escaped him, such as a deep scar under his left eye.


    Also, looking closely at his eyes, he figured that it was as if blood had been injected into his pupils, making them bright red.


    "This guy is really strong... his powers even exceed those of Kranus and Egill, who are the two most powerful wizards I have ever known. But I can''t let my guard down or submit to him... he must understand that he''s not dealing with a rookie, but with his equal" Dag thought, without ever looking away from Thyrius, who knew he had the situation in his hand.


    "You have had an answer. Now out of here, your presence is starting to piss me off..." the Packmaster continued, returning to sit on his throne and ordering his henchman with a hand gesture to fix his room, calling someone to clean Claire''s blood.


    "So? We haven''t traveled all this way for a trivial answer. We need something concrete. What''s going to happen now between our two Clans?" Kranus asked, unwilling to leave that palace without something in his hands.


    "I will talk to my warriors and explain the situation to them. When they will understand the real reason behind my choice, I will send some of my men to your city and from that moment, we can begin to reason together about the next move" Bloodfang replied, always with his hand on his forehead, now exhausted to speak.


    "If you''re going to make a public announcement, just know it''s a bad idea" Dag interrupted, meddling in the conversation again.


    Thyrius sighed, looking at the ceiling.


    "What does the brat want now? What''s the problem?!"


    "The Lies Of Loki are also here, among your men" he replied, coldly.


    "Among my men?! What the fuck are you saying?! My warriors would recognize one of those bastards from miles away!"


    Dag''s words made both leaders of the two Clans reflect, who had never thought about that detail, thinking that the warriors of Lies of Loki would never go that far.


    "They have two cities in their hands and they''re certainly implementing a way to control you because they''re aware that if you decide to attack the two cities at the same time, they wouldn''t have enough men to defend them, so they need to know first what''s going to happen" Dag continued, turning to both Thyrius and Kranus, who hung from his lips.


    Both marveled at the simplicity with which Dag set out his remarks, finding that his speech made perfect sense.


    "You will call your most trusted generals and report your decision today. Then you will personally choose two men to send to Tungvek, thus avoiding the dispersion of information. Your people will not be aware of the battle, nor of the alliance, as long as our two armies are already on their way to Klorr. All clear?" Dag continued, who was the only one who had already come up with an effective maneuver towards their common enemy.


    "Out of here, I said... I''m starting to lose my temper" Thyrius replied, who had no intention of explicitly accepting the orders.


    "Let''s go, Kranus. Bloodfang will do what has been established. We have a deal" Dag concluded, lowering himself back to Claire and lifting her warm body, fastening her coat to wrap her body completely, leaving only her feet uncovered.


    "Grrr..."


    As the diplomatic team prepared to leave the palace, Bloodfang continued to growl angrily at Dag, due to his irreverence, knowing, however, that what he had just said had to be done literally.


    When everyone came out the door, the young Master looked at the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir for the last time.


    "Next time we''ll meet, we will be allies. Watch your back, Bloodfang!" he said, turning and beginning to descend the stairs, with superiority.


    Thyrius did not answer and his henchman closed the door, preventing the unwelcome guests from hearing the next words of his leader, who was evidently upset by that visit.


    After leaving the palace, Dag and the others headed for the horses, eliciting the amazement of the guards in front of the entrance to the castle when they noticed the bloodied body wrapped in fur.


    When they arrived in front of the fence, Thalos, who had not moved an inch, looked at his master and began to cry insistently.


    "Yes, it''s her, my friend. Claire''s safe... now she will need help" Dag said, knowing that the wolf would understand it.


    Freydis helped him lifting the girl on his horse, placing her in front of Dag, who held the reins and allowed her to rest her back on his chest, thus avoiding dropping her to the ground and keeping her warm.

 509 DIX. Find The Spy

    "I never imagined I''d witness such a scene. I''m sure Claire needs some affection. If she could talk, she''d thank you" he said.


    "I don''t do it to be thanked. We''re going to take her to our house, to Tungvek, and I''ll take care of her recovery personally, using some tricks Karl taught me, combined with ointments that I can make. In a short time, she will walk back on her legs and be able to explain to us what happened down there" Freydis replied, showing incredible goodness of mind, despite the strong attraction that the injured girl felt towards Dag.


    He thanked his woman with a kiss and they all climbed on horseback together and headed for the exit of the Rock Prison, attracting more suspicious glances from civilians in the streets.


    "When Claire asked me to reciprocate her love, she also said that for no reason in the world would try to sabotage what''s between me and Freydis. I hope that, after saving her for the second time, she respects that promise" he thought, while the hot breath coming out of the girl''s half-open mouth flew on his face, whose chin was resting on her head.


    When they arrived at the wide staircase leading to the surface, the guards let them pass without any problems, almost ignoring them.


    "I hope no one noticed the ice block" Kranus said, breaking his silence and referring to the corpses they had hidden shortly before.


    Once out, the afternoon light began to penetrate the dense fog accumulated above the rocky ring, giving the settlements before their eyes a suggestive appearance, which made them almost forget that they were in an enemy place.


    Continuing to keep a low profile and relieved that no one had discovered their multiple murder, they exited the main gate of the south entrance of the Randt Mastiff and turned westward, towards Tungvek.


    "The mission would not have been successful without your strong and determined nature, Dag. I guess that girl''s very important to you, I don''t know if I could hold my nerve in your place. The Giants Of Ymir thank you" Kranus said, feeling within him a desire to congratulate the young Master.


    "It''s true, Dag. The commander is absolutely right. Kron and I feared for a moment that you''d attack Bloodfang and our plan would go up in smoke" Atran added.


    "And believe me... we would not have had anything against it. I would have liked to see you slaughter that windbag!" Kron exclaimed, emphasizing his colleague''s words.


    Dag had a little laugh, without looking away from the path, after realizing that the archers on the rock face were not aiming at them.


    "I just prevented that there was a massacre! Hahahah! I know you too well, I know you wouldn''t have been able to hold back your anger if I let you do it!" Freydis replied, generating a general laugh and dedramatizing what happened.


    "Now we have their leader in our hands. Thyrius'' face when you ordered him not to tell his people about our alliance and explained to him everything he should have done in detail was priceless. In the history of our Clan, such a thing has never happened, we have never had the Claws Of Fenrir on the sharp end of the knife" Kranus continued, reflecting aloud and implicitly continuing to compliment Dag, who listened with interest.


    "It didn''t end there though... we have a crucial problem to solve now, which is the training of your warriors. They''re not ready to face the Lies Of Loki and Freydis and I can hardly help you, having never faced them on the battlefield" Dag replied, thinking of the poor preparation of recruits training in the Tungvek arena.


    "Atran and I know something about that. We are warriors of Krypstorm and although we have never faced generals or commanders of the Lies Of Loki, we have killed hundreds of their warriors during our patrols, so we know their main skills. We will be happy to pass on our knowledge to you too" Kron said, confident.


    "Yes, of course!" Atran added.


    "Dag... what you said earlier to Bloodfang about the infiltrated warriors of the Lies Of Loki also in Tungvek... were you talking seriously? Is that really what you think?" Kranus asked, who hasn''t been able to think about anything else since he heard that phrase.


    "Yes, it''s the truth. When I was just a boy and the Lies Of Loki attacked my farm, they managed to infiltrate in Jernhest and move undisturbed. I know no one would recognize their faces, but also their equipment, their armor, their way of speaking and behaving... everything was shaped according to their needs! And if they made it in my hood, I think it''ll be a piece of cake in Tungvek for the most skilled of them..." Dag answered, thinking about how he could avoid inadvertently giving crucial information to enemy spies.


    "Mmmmh... they manage to change their appearance and their voice thanks to a skill, right?" Kranus asked again, looking at Atran and Kron, who confirmed with a gesture of the head.


    "So they can only do it for a limited time... am I right?" the ice mage continued, helping himself to reflect through questions.


    "And what do you propose to do? Spy on each of your soldiers during their daily lives and wait for the insider to transform back into his original form? It seems absurd to me, your warriors are too many, it can''t work" Dag replied, skeptical of that proposal.

 510 DX. A Body On The Table

    "Commander, of course! I don''t know how I missed that! The word ''Jotunn'' is the answer! We will ask all the warriors to turn into Jotunns before our eyes and those of them will not succeed, will be unmasked!" Atran exclaimed, who had silently continued to think about a possible solution.


    "Even this could not work, because not all your warriors can transform, I know this well since I train them. But your observation is very helpful to us because it means that if there is a spy, he hides among the recruits" Dag replied, looking at Kranus, whose gaze suddenly brightened up.


    "Great! Very good, Atran! Then we''ll do this... I will order all the adult warriors to turn into Jotunns, discount the first hypothesis, and if all of them will succeed, I will ask each recruit to tell me the name of his parents and where they live, leaving the task of investigating my guards" Kranus added, hitting his fist on the palm of his hand, satisfied with the plan.


    "And what about the guards?" Freydis asked, naively.


    "All my guards know how to use the transformation skill in Jotunn... they too will be tested."


    "Excellent. Looks like we''ve got a plan again! All we have to do is get to Tungvek and put it into practice!" Dag said, smiling and stroking Claire''s arm with the hand that wasn''t busy holding the reins of the horse.


    ...


    After retracing the road backward, as the false Sun set on the horizon, Tungvek walls popped up behind a snowy hill and the diplomatic team returned to the base.


    The gates immediately opened at the sight of Kranus and the citizens, when they realized that their leader had gone on a mission along with two of his strongest warriors and two strangers, began to cheer him on, shouting his name.


    Claire''s body, which was still sleeping wrapped in fur, did not go unnoticed and attracted the eyes of many people, none of whom approached Dag, although realizing that he was part of Commander Kranus'' personal escort.


    When they passed their little house, Dag and Freydis got off their horses.


    "Kranus, we stop here. Claire urgently needs help" Dag said, who passed the reins of her horse to Atran, asking him to take him to the stable for him.


    Freydis did the same with Kron and without adding anything else, the three Giants Of Ymir warriors continued to the Colossus Palace, amid the yelling of the crowd that kept cheering and surrounding them.


    Freydis slipped the key of the house out of Dag''s pants, which had his hands busy, and hurriedly opened the lock, leaving the door wide open.


    "Come next to Claire... I''ll take care of the fire!" Dag said, asking Freydis for a switch, who obeyed without speaking.


    After unfastening the fur coat, the Shieldmaiden noticed that Claire''s hands were completely covered in blood, that as they rode their horses, continued to gush from her wounds, deeply staining Dag''s fur.


    "My bag... take it... inside there is a healer''s kit that Karl gave me in case of need" Freydis said, continuing to untie the cape.


    Dag, who was blowing on the sparks generated by the stone fire starter and was waiting for the small flame to spread under the cold wood, got up and immediately made his way to the bag in question, finding a small cubic bag, little larger than one of his hands.


    "Yes, that''s it! Come on, quick!" Freydis exclaimed, grabbing the object from his hands and placing it on the table, next to the girl.


    While Dag was next to her, stopping to observe without knowing how to help, Freydis spread the fur ends, completely discovering Claire''s naked body lying unconscious on the table.


    The bloodstain under her back had hardened after being completely absorbed by the fur that wrapped her during the journey and hundreds of small cuts scattered over her body, from her neck to the abdomen, from thighs to feet.


    "Warm-up some clean water put it in the pot on the fire, come on!" Freydis replied, who as she witnessed that raw scene, opened the bag given to her by Karl and pulled out a long suture needle, with a slightly curved tip.


    Just then, Claire began to moan and the only points in her body moving were her hands and feet.


    "... Dag... where... Dag" the Earthly girl whispered, barely moving her lips battered for the cold and the bad conditions in which her body had remained for who knows how long.


    "I''m here! Claire, I''m here! I''m coming, hold on!" Dag answered, speeding up his movements and putting the clean water from the wooden tank inside the pot on the fire, waiting for it to warm up.


    Soon after, he began looking for clean rags that he could give Freydis to clean the blood, but found them nowhere, panicking.


    Not wanting to distract his woman, who was preparing the materials needed to perform a very delicate action, Dag took the shirt he used to sleep and tore it into several pieces, creating towels to dip in the hot water.


    "Well done, Dag. Now come here and squeeze her hand. You have to calm her down and when the water is warm enough, I''ll sew all her wounds" Freydis said, explaining to him what she would do after a few minutes of waiting.


    "Of course, here I am" he replied, who tried to calm his agitation and grabbed Claire''s hand, that stop shaking.


    "Dag..."


    "Yes, it''s me. Keep calm, you must have a few minutes of patience and your suffering will diminish... you''re safe now."

 511 DXI. The Act Of Giving

    *bom*bom*bom*


    Unexpectedly, someone knocked at the door.


    "This is not the time! Get out of here! Go away!" Dag yelled, venting the accumulated nervousness.


    *bom*bom*bom*bom*


    The hand that knocked on the door became even more insistent and Dag, impatient, left Claire''s hand, gently resting it on the table and quickly walked to the door, ready to attack whoever was behind it.


    *bom*bom*


    As that hand continued to knock insistently, Dag opened the door, yelling: "What the fuck do you want... uh?"


    His yelling broke down as soon as he saw the face of two plump women, in their fifties, with cloth handkerchiefs wrapped over their heads and gentle faces.


    "What... that...?" he stammered, not understanding what two housewives were doing behind his door.


    One of them held out her arms towards him and handed him a leather bag closed with twine, inviting him to grab it.


    "We saw that the girl is not in good condition and we brought you some of our ointments... they are not exceptional, but they will certainly help you to relieve her pain" the woman with the bag in her hand said.


    "Even that, take this too! They are herbs that my husband collected a few days ago, if she chews them, she will fall asleep and avoid moving jerky!" the second woman added, offering Dag a bunch of medicinal herbs.


    He grabbed both gifts and remained speechless, with his mouth open, not being prepared for all that kindness by unknown people, who until up to half an hour before looked at him as if he was a fierce animal.


    "Come on, boy! Hurry up! Your girlfriend is waiting for you!" the fattest woman exclaimed, pushing Dag inside his house and closing the door violently, leaving him petrified.


    After a second standing still staring at the void, Dag turned around and brought the herbs and ointments to Freydis, who was busy pouring boiling water into a bucket, had not noticed the women, and looked astonished at their gifts.


    "Two kind housewives gave us some ointments to relieve Claire''s pain... surely they will be useful to you as you sew her wounds!" he said, resting the leather bag on the table and opening it, ready to use what was inside.


    Soon after, he took a tuft of herbs and tore it from the bunch, crumpled it between his fingers, and approaching it to Claire''s lips.


    "Hey, open your mouth... Claire, chew this, it''ll make you feel better" he said, waiting for the girl to ingest the medical herbs.


    With some help from him, which mechanically spread her lips, Claire began to chew the tuft of plants, and slowly, they took effect, leading her into a state of deep sleep.


    The Shieldmaiden pulled one of the white rags into the hot water and began rubbing Claire''s skin, cleaning the blood of the deepest wounds, which kept coming out nonstop, drop by drop.


    After finishing with cleaning the body from the chest down, Freydis gently moved the hair from the girl''s face, discovering the deep wound on her right eye, which had been completely removed.


    "It looks like someone surgically removed it... poor Claire. She had two beautiful green eyes... I hope the severe trauma didn''t compromise the sight of the other eye as well" Dag said, holding the girl''s hand and stroking her forehead, recalling her face during their first meeting at Mork Castle, the Renegades'' shelter.


    "When I saw that she opened it, she looked at you... I think her other eye is fine, but we have to hurry. We must sew that wound before the effect of the herbs fades out" Freydis replied, thinking that, in a panic, Dag had given those herbs to Claire without even checking if they were not poisoned.


    "I''ll try to keep her still, you''ll do the rest. I''ve never been very good at precision work" he continued, positioning himself behind the girl''s head on the table and grabbing both her shoulders and upper arms, to prevent her from making sudden movements with her neck or back, willing to help Freydis with her precision operation.


    "Just know that I''ve never done anything like this before, but once Karl stitched up a knee injury I had done during a workout... I must have learned something..."


    Slowly stopping talking, Freydis took a wet rag and rubbed it very gently on the circular wound of the eye, cleaning the lumps of blood that had accumulated inside it, which instantly stained the white rag making it almost black.


    After wetting the surface, she took a dry rag and did the same, trying to remove the excess liquid, which did not allow her to see well the irregularity of the wound.


    The eye had been removed with so much care, that the small veins that kept it attached to the skull and the flaps of skin around it, had been removed and over time they had dried as if they were leaves in the autumn season, hardening and mixing with blood.


    Trying to be as clean as possible, Freydis approached the fire for a moment and passed the needle over the flame, sterilizing and cleaning it.


    "Keep it on fire a few more seconds, so you can penetrate the skin more easily, and then you can suture the scar" Dag said, who began to sweat cold for fear that Freydis would make some bad mistakes, which would be fatal for Claire.


    The Shieldmaiden returned to her position and approached the wound with her face to distinguish all its internal and external details.

 512 DXII. The Surgery

    "Stop talking nonsense, Freydis! You will make it, you have very precise and accurate hands! If I tried, I''d be wrong for sure! Come on, my love... I''m with you!" Dag replied, looking her in the face and noting that her gaze did not divert from Claire''s eye.


    After those sweet words, Freydis sighed and then held her breath in her lungs, knowing that freediving would increase the accuracy of his movements, which had to be particularly cautious.


    She approached the curved tip of the needle to the wound and passed the shallowest part of Claire''s face, beginning to go deep.


    When the needle reached the flap of bright red skin that originally held his eye still in its place, Freydis squinted her eyes and made a grimace expressing her disgust, placing the red-hot tip of the needle on it.


    *tssss*


    A thread of whitish smoke floated upwards and the needle penetrated the flap of skin smoothly as if it was a piece of hot butter.


    Soon after, taking great care to stand still with the rest of his body, Freydis pulled the piece of flesh towards the opposite side of the eye cavity, bringing it closer and closer to the corresponding flap.


    With a cautious but decisive movement, she managed to thread the tip of the needle even under the other flap of skin and, at that point, stopped her hand.


    "Take another needle and put it on fire for a few seconds... hurry up" the Shieldmaiden said in a low voice, trying not to inflate her chest that would otherwise destabilize her movement while standing still like a statue.


    Dag left the girl''s shoulders and obeyed immediately, grabbing another sterile needle from the healer''s bag and holding it on fire for about thirty seconds, which for Freydis seemed like an eternity.


    "Here, take it!" he said, returning to position and passing the red-hot object into his girlfriend''s hands, after intuiting what she was going to do.


    "This will hurt her despite her deep sleep" she said, slowly approaching the side surface of the second red-hot needle between the two flaps of skin she was holding together.


    *tsssss*tssssss*


    More smoke began to come out of the wound and Claire''s body unconsciously responded to the severe pain she was feeling during the suturing process.


    With nerve shots because of Freydis that was touching the deepest parts of her eye, her neck moved suddenly, as well as her shoulders, and Dag was forced to increase the intensity of his grip, forcefully pushing Claire''s body against the table.


    After repeatedly pressing the second needle on the cavity between the two flaps of skin, they stuck together with the formation of a small scar, which incredibly sutured the wound exactly as Freydis had calculated.


    Trying to hold her hand still, she turned the second needle away and tried to pull out the tip of the first sideways, without compromising her work.


    When she succeeded, she turned both of her hands away and moved her neck backward, stretching her back and easing the tension.


    "Oh, fuck! Fuuuck! I did it! I managed to close the deepest wound, now all that''s missing is superficial!" she exclaimed, looking at Dag waiting for his approval.


    "You''ve been amazing, I''ve never seen anyone operate so accurately! As you said, the hardest part has been done already... the wounds on the rest of the body will be much easier to sew... I hope the thread in that bag is enough" Dag replied, complimenting her and ready to run away in case the needle thread wasn''t enough for all of Claire''s injuries.


    Returning to position, Freydis prepared to suture the more superficial wound, ready to use the traditional method.


    "I couldn''t use the thread for the deepest wound, otherwise Claire would have to keep it inside her face forever... for this outer one instead I will use it and try to close it tight so that it''ll never open... when Karl closed the wound on my knee, I remember he crossed the thread of the needle in this way, explaining to me that the sewing would be much more effective..."


    When she spoke, as if her own words helped her concentrate, she slipped the needle inside what was left of her eyelid and pulled completely the thread she had previously cut and knotted at one end, sliding it until the knot stopped.


    Then she slipped it over the other eyelid and pulled it out from underneath.


    She repeated the process four times and the fifth time she crossed the thread with the others, who were all parallel to each other, pulling the whole thing and clasping Claire''s eyelids on top of each other, so that they would scar.


    After Dag made the tip of one of the two curved needles red-hot again, Freydis used it to slightly burn the outer surface of the eye, being careful not to hit the newly knotted wire.


    After that operation, curiously, Claire did not move and continued to sleep.


    "Rest assured, she''s still breathing... she''s alive, she''s just sleeping soundly" Dag explained, when she saw Freydis trying to figure out if Claire was dead.


    To sew up the damaged eye only, the young Shieldmaiden took about an hour and soon after, without even a moment''s pause, began to look for the second wound to heal, exploring the body of the young girl still unconscious.

 513 DXIII. No Point Hiding I

    "Yes, it looks deep... if you need me to do something else, you just have to tell me. For now, I''m moving this way and trying to keep her still... I don''t know how long the effect of herbs will last" Dag answered, who left Claire''s shoulders and took a bottle of the ointment that had given him one of the two kind ladies.


    He opened the bottle and smelled its contents, which was intense and bitter.


    "Bleah... I think this will speed up the healing process... let''s put it on the wound and cover it with a clean cloth" he said, reminding Freydis that before proceeding with the other wounds, it would be wise to use all the resources at their disposal.


    "All right, do it yourself" she replied, continuing to study the cut on the side and trying to figure out what was the best way to stitch it up.


    Dag grabbed the white trousers that were part of his clothing for the night and tore it off, realizing that both he and Freydis would need more clean bandages.


    After gently smearing the stinking ointment on Claire''s eye, he tore a thin piece of white cloth and placed it on the eye, making it adhere without suffocating the wound thus preventing its oxygenation and grabbed the two flaps of the cloth, raising the girl''s neck and tying them behind her nape.


    Meanwhile, Freydis was struggling with the second wound and kept turning on herself to find a comfortable position so she could intervene at her best.


    "Wait, I''ll turn the table, so the fireplace light ends exactly where you need" Dag said, who without hesitation, rotated the table counterclockwise, taking care not to drop Claire''s body, which given her slender build, was very light.


    "You have to move her breasts, otherwise I can''t hold my hand still" she said.


    "Uhm... sure... give me a moment" he replied, who after those words, felt a terrible embarrassment flow into his body.


    His girlfriend was asking him to grab one of Claire''s breasts, the girl who tried to seduce him.


    Dag thought that the last time he caught a glimpse of Claire''s nudity was when Hjalmar took advantage of her in front of the cage in which the Renegades held him captive, causing him to boil in his rage and threaten him.


    In those circumstances, however, after the tension of the eye operation, Claire''s naked body was totally visible and lying on the table, under his hands.


    When he executed Freydis'' order and his hand touched the black-haired girl''s warm breasts, her embarrassment increased and without giving in the eye, his gaze fell on her intimate parts.


    ...


    "But what are you saying! Of course, I leave it, you asked me to lift it, don''t you remember?" he replied, blushing slightly.


    When Claire''s last wound was medicated with oil coming out of the ointment bag, Freydis sat on one of the two stools around the table, resuming breathing normally and looking at her hands, covered in the blood of the unsuspecting patient.


    "You saved her life" Dag stated, out of nowhere, walking toward the water tank and washing his hands.


    "Even though she''s an impostor, she''s also a member of the Iron Alliance. I just did my duty as a soldier... I''m sure she would have done the same to me" Freydis replied, tired after staying focused all that time.


    "Yes, I think so" Dag replied with a smile, though he was actually thinking the exact opposite, imagining the scene of Claire''s voluntarily deciding not to save Freydis and thus be able to seduce him without competition.


    "Actually... I did it more for you than for her, Dag" Freydis continued, struggling to get up from the stool to wash her hands.


    Dag responded with a confused expression, not immediately understanding what she was referring to.


    "I know that what you feel for me is real, I feel it every time you look at me, I feel it inside me... but I also know that you care a lot about this girl, you two are bound by something."


    Dag turned to the fire, pretending to look at the wall and not knowing immediately what to answer, being slightly embarrassed.


    "It is true, there is no point hiding it. Nothing ever happened between me and her, I explained it to you a long time ago. However, from the first moment I met her, I always felt a strong sense of protection for her, as if an inner voice told me that my job was to defend this girl from those who wanted to hurt her... I felt like a worm when she was kidnapped, also because I knew well that she had boarded the Iron Emerald because of me" Dag replied, taking courage and looking Freydis in the eye, knowing that his truthful words would be appreciated by her, who hated lies.


    "Maybe it''s something that comes from the fact that you both come from Earth... think about it, you have more in common with her than with me..." the Shieldmaiden said, turning to the water tank and rubbing her hands forcefully against each other, to wash away the encrusted blood.


    "Don''t say nonsense! I only met Claire a few months ago! You and I have known each other since we were two kids who barely knew what was on the outskirts of Jernhest! Your speech is stupid, I don''t like it!" he exclaimed, raising his voice and contrasting the words of Freydis, who seemed melancholic.


    "Uff... I don''t know, maybe I''m just tired. Anyway, know I''m not jealous at all. There''s no need. If it''s true that you always want to be with me, then it will like that, I don''t have to convince you to do anything. Jealousy would only drive you away from me and that''s the last thing I want" she continued, wiping her hands and turning to him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, without giving him time to reciprocate the gesture.

 514 DXVI. The Restless Nigh

    "I need to sleep now, I''m so tired. Take that girl off the table, she can''t stay there all night" she replied, clarifying that her task was completed and that tiredness had taken over.


    "All right, go to bed... I''ll catch up with you in a minute¡­ I need to place Claire somewhere else by now" he answered, who was still thinking that after all, his answer had slightly riled Freydis, who rarely treated him with that coldness.


    He stopped in front of Claire''s naked and warm body, looking at it one last time before covering it and noting that all her wounds, even the smallest, had been treated accurately.


    "I can''t leave her naked in front of the fire, I have to cover her in somehow" he thought, looking around and noting that Freydis'' nightdress was still hanging on the wall and that his girlfriend was already sleeping completely naked under thick fur blankets.


    He took the long white dress Freydis had used the previous night and was careful not to hurt Claire, who had deep cuts even behind her back, slowly lifting her by the neck, making her sit on the table.


    Continuing to hold her as if she was an inanimate doll, he slipped the nightdress on her upper body and made her lie down again to cover her intimate parts, which remained uncovered until then.


    "When she''ll be back to health and will get up again on her feet, she will take a nice bath and this stink that surrounds her will disappear" he thought, while the stench of the blood in which her body had been immersed for a long time continued to enter his nose, which by now had become accustomed to that bad smell.


    Before laying down the girl''s unconscious body, he approached the bed on which Freydis was sleeping and took one of the furs resting on it, placing it on the floor about a meter from the fireplace, exactly where Thalos was sleeping, knowing that he could not help his master in any way.


    He then lifted Claire off the table, feeling under his hands the softness of her body, which was wrapped only in a thin layer of fabric.


    Turning his gaze slightly towards Freydis, to make sure she was sleeping soundly, he moved one of his hands under the unconscious girl''s butt, to lift her more easily and at the same time take advantage of the fact that she had lost her senses to palpate her lower back, also soft and warm, after sitting on the fur on the table all the surgery long.


    Dag knelt by the fireplace and placed Claire on the fur carpet, with extreme delicacy, as if handling an incredibly fragile object.


    Thalos, when he realized that the girl with whom he had spent several days of his life was reduced to those conditions, sat down, waiting for his master to rest in front of him.


    *scratch*


    "Grr?!"


    "Uhm? What is it?"


    Suddenly, while Dag was talking to his four-legged friend, they both heard a sudden noise coming from the window and turned in that direction at the same time.


    Dag, thanks to his sight, was able to distinguish a blurry shadow, which as soon as realized he had been discovered, quickly exited the field of view, emitting a quick noise of footsteps.


    "Fuck, they''re spying on us! It must be some Lies Of Loki! We must capture him, Thalos!" he exclaimed, who immediately rose from the ground and snapped towards the door, quickly grabbing his the with his weapons, followed by Thalos, who had already writhed the hair of his neck sensing an enemy presence.


    The two dashed out the door, being careful to lock it up.


    Dag slammed it forcefully on purpose, to wake Freydis, who would otherwise have been helpless in case that shadow from the window was just a bait to lure him and his wolf out of the house.


    As calculated, in fact, a moment after the door made a loud noise, the young girl awoke with a start, raising her head toward the main room and noting that Dag and Thalos were no longer there.


    ...


    "Where the fuck did you go, son of a bitch?!" Dag exclaimed, running in the direction in which the shadow had shifted a moment earlier, along the only possible path.


    "Grrr... argh! Argh! Argh!" Thalos growled, running faster than him and turning slightly to the right, behind a small palace.


    "Go, chase him! Tell me where he is, we can''t let him escape!" Dag yelled again, inciting his wolf, who was following his sense of smell.


    After a hundred meters traveled almost into the darkness, while most of Tungvek''s citizens were in their homes having dinner or sleeping, the noise of footsteps grew louder and a running figure became visible before their eyes.


    "Hey! Stop, don''t force me to hurt you!" Dag yelled, trying to peacefully block the spy''s advance, which for obvious reasons continued to run away, changing direction several times, hoping to evade Thalos, who was getting closer and closer to his prey, growling and breathing deeply.


    "Stop!" Dag screamed again, who when he noticed that the fleeing person would try to escape from them to the exhaust of his strength, activated his power, creating a bundle of dark matter from his back.


    The large tentacle grew progressively during the run and when Dag suddenly blocked his advance, stopping his feet on the ground, it was shot at great speed forward, stretching about ten meters and grabbing one of the ankles of the unfortunate man, who stumbled and fell with his face to the ground, writhing in pain.

 515 DXV. The Outposts Squire

    Thalos immediately stopped his run and returned beside his master, satisfied.


    "Nice, good job..." the young Master continued, stroking his friend on the head and pulling their prey towards him with the dark tentacle.


    Judging by his weight, that figure was a hooded man, with a cape so long that entirely covered his clothing.


    "Leave me! Let me go, what''s wrong with you?!" the spy exclaimed, who confirmed that he was a man from his voice, wriggling his legs and trying to escape unnecessarily from Dag''s dark arm grip, which dragged him under his feet.


    In a violent gesture, Dag grabbed the man''s neck and turned it hard, clinging to his cloak and taking off his hood.


    As the dark arm gave up its grip and returned to Dag''s back, the bloodied face of the man became visible under the light of a nearby torch and Dag realized that he was a stranger.


    "Grrrr!"


    Thalos began to growl again, looking closely at the man and hoping that Dag would allow him to kill him.


    "Easy, Thalos... easy" he said, calming the wild soul of his friend and continuing to look at the face of the man, who had a big cut on his forehead, having slammed to the ground just before.


    "Leave me, fuck this!" he exclaimed, trying to grab Dag''s arm and make him give up his grip.


    Just then, a strong punch hit his face, causing him to fall on his knees.


    "Try to move again and my wolf will maul you, dickhead" Dag answered, with the second punch ready to go.


    The reddish-haired man looked at the floor and raised his hands above his head, asking for mercy, aware that he had no escape.


    "Tell me right away who you are and who sent you to spy on me! Speak!" Dag shouted, regardless of whether his loud voice could attract the attention of the citizens of nearby homes, not being late at night yet.


    "I... I am a warrior of Tungvek... I... I''m sorry I spied inside your house... I was just curious to see what you were doing with that girl... I beg your pardon..." stuttered the man, who was about thirty years old and did not seem to be a true warrior judging by his flickering and afraid voice.


    After that response, Dag tore off his cloak, discovering that underneath it the man was indeed wearing one of the Clan''s armor, including a light breastplate.


    Before continuing with the questions, the young Master punched the man''s jaw again, making him fall to the ground in tears, touching his face.


    "I don''t believe a single word of what you say! How can you be a warrior and cry like a little girl?! Get up, coward! And tell me who''s sending you to spy on me for real! I''m losing my patience!" Dag screamed again, thinking that at that hour, after the busy evening he and Freydis had experienced, he just wanted to rest with his girlfriend.


    "Well then, I''ll take you to him, so we''ll find out if you tell the truth! If you''re really one of his squires, he''ll certainly recognize your face, won''t he?" Dag asked, who didn''t know Atran''s nickname, particularly suitable for his appearance, more groomed than the viking average.


    "Ehm... I... I believe so...!" the man gasped, afraid of Dag''s expression.


    "Perfect, I will decide with him your punishment then!" he replied, giving him a powerful knee on his forehead and causing him to faint instantly.


    After that gesture, Dag looked around, noting that no one had noticed what had happened.


    "Let''s get this idiot from Atran. I''m sure he won''t recognize him... at that point we will start with the real questions, hoping that he is one of the spies of the Lies of Loki, as I suspected" he told Thalos as if the wolf could express his opinion.


    Dag grabbed the neck of the alleged Giants Of Ymir squire''s armor and lifted him off the ground, carrying him over his shoulders, noting that the armor was almost heavier than the man''s body, slender and unathletic.


    Without thinking twice, he headed to Colossus Palace, hoping that Atran and Kron would still be with Kranus, perhaps continuing the celebrations for the success of the diplomatic mission with the Claws Of Fenrir.


    ...


    "Where the hell did you end up at this time of night? Damn it, I can''t leave Claire here alone, she wouldn''t be safe!" Freydis thought aloud, who meanwhile had got out of bed and walked back and forth down the lower floor of the house, looking out the window and waiting to see Dag, not understanding what he was doing away from her.


    "Thalos is not there too... evidently they heard something strange, the window is half-open... in a hurry to heal Claire''s wounds we forgot to close it completely. Maybe someone was spying on us" the Shieldmaiden continued, who as she watched the girl sleep on the floor, had already guessed what had really happened and sat by the fireplace, guarding her.


    ...


    Continuing to walk with the unconscious man on his shoulders without the slightest effort, Dag arrived in front of the palace staircase, and immediately two of the guards guarding him blocked his advance.


    "I am Master Dag, I have recently returned with your commander and your generals from our last mission. Let me through, there''s no point in me explaining to you what I''m doing with a man on my shoulders. He could be a spy and I need to show him to your superiors" Dag exclaimed, anticipating the question of the two men, who incredulously let him pass, looking at him with a confused air and lowering their gaze on Thalos, who continued to follow Dag not even realizing their presence.

 516 DXVI. The Painting On The Wall

    In the main hall of the palace, as he might suspect, Dag met no one and headed directly to Kranus''s private office, hoping to find his teammates there.


    The man on his shoulders began to moan, regaining consciousness after being stunned and slightly moved his legs as if stretching himself from a long, deep sleep.


    As soon as he barely heard his voice, in a violent gesture, he threw the squire to the ground, slamming him with his back on the stone floor of the interior of the palace.


    "Ouch! Aargh..."


    He writhed several times for the pain, having not yet realized that he was inside a building and no longer in the middle of the street.


    "Hey... hey! Wake up! Oh!" Dag exclaimed, slapping his face and continuing to treat him as if he was a soulless wild beast.


    "Yes... yes, fuck! I''m awake! I''m awake! My head..." the man whispered, rubbing his temples.


    "Get up and follow me, without asking any questions. I''m not going to hear your voice again, okay? You''ll talk only if someone asks you a precise question" Dag replied, grabbing his arm and lifting him from the ground.


    The skinny man, who had not yet fully recovered, crossed his feet staggering, and just as he was about to fall, Dag grabbed him by the armor, holding him standing on his feet.


    Soon after, the two of them began walking again to Kranus''s room, which was guarded by two other guards.


    "Well, if there are men outside it means that they are inside" the young Master thought, satisfied that he had a proper intuition.


    "Stop there! Commander Kranus gave us the order not to let anyone pass and..."


    "Yes, yes, be quiet... I have no desire to argue with you, Kranus is waiting for me" Dag replied, rudely interrupting the guard and lying about Kranus, who was actually unaware of his presence.


    Manually moving away one of the guards who was standing in front of the door, he opened it forcefully and entered the room.


    Kranus, who was sitting at the table with Atran and Kron, immediately raised his head and a smile lit up his face, followed by a confused expression as soon as he noticed that along with Dag there was not Freydis but an unknown man.


    "Sir, I tried to stop them, but this boy says that..."


    "Close the door and let him pass, don''t worry. He''s one of our new Masters, you should recognize him, you idiot!" the ice mage replied, scolding the man on guard who was trying to justify himself and ordering him to do his own business.


    He obeyed and looked down, closed the door.


    "Dag! Who is this?" Kranus asked, without moving from his personal chair.


    "Ned?" Atran asked, lowering his gaze to the stranger and trying to recognize his still dazed face.


    "Hello, chief..." he whispered, barely holding himself to his feet.


    "Do you really know this man?" Dag asked, turning to Atran and awaiting explanations from him.


    "Uhm... yes, he''s my men''s squire. Can you explain to me what''s going on?" the head of Outpost 1 asked again.


    "He was spying inside my house as we stitched up the wounds of the girl we saved from Bloodfang, Claire. When I saw that there was someone at the window, I ran out, suspecting that he was a spy and he started to run away, but he didn''t go far" Dag continued, saying one thing at a time, so as to make his interlocutors understand all the dynamics of the facts.


    "A spy? Ned? Hahaha! This man can''t even wield a sword, you didn''t see it yourself? It''s just good at polishing our weapons and helping the stablemen with straw for horses!" the blonde-bearded warrior chuckled, patting Ned on the shoulder, who was still leaning against the table with his head down.


    "That''s precisely why he could be a spy" Kranus interrupted, suddenly rising from his wooden throne and walking around the table, towards Dag.


    "That''s right, I thought the same thing. And then... if he wasn''t a spy, why run away from me? If it wasn''t for my wolf''s nose, I would have completely lost track of him, because this man didn''t want me to catch him and changed his direction several times" the young Master replied, looking at him with a disgusted expression on his face, beginning to imagine what torture he will face if they would found out he was a member of the Lies Of Loki Clan.


    "My lords... excuse me if I intrude, but... I was just curious to look at that girl''s naked body... really, I didn''t want to hurt anyone! There are no women at the Outpost and I''ve never seen a naked woman in my life... when I noticed that that girl''s clothesless body was wrapped only in fur, I approached... but really, I didn''t want to hurt anyone! Chief, you believe me, don''t you?" Ned whispered in a low voice, begging for the mercy of his commander.


    Atran stammered a few words between his lips and before he could respond concretely, Kranus raised his arm forward, and immediately, a cold air current took shape and struck the squire''s chest, lifting him off the ground and slamming him with his back against the bookcase on the other wall of the room.


    "Aargh!" Ned yelled in panic, realizing that his boss''s boss had bad intentions towards him.


    Surprising everyone in the room, even Dag who didn''t expect such an exaggerated reaction, Kranus stuck the man to the wall as if it was a painting and when he lowered his arm, the cold air that enveloped his body immediately turned into ice, preventing him from any kind of movement.

 517 DXVII. The Impostor

    "Shut up! Don''t you dare talk if you''re not asked! I just need a look to shatter all the bones of your rib cage and blow up your internal organs" Kranus said, slowly walking forward to him as if nothing had happened, with both hands behind his back.


    Dag couldn''t help but think about the ease with which, with a simple gesture, the ice mage had been able to completely block a man a few meters from the ground, threatening him with death.


    "Kranus is very strong... I''ve never seen anyone use magic like this... I wonder how strong he is turned into Jotunn..." he thought, waiting for the old wizard to start talking again.


    Meanwhile, Kron remained silent, not expressing his opinion and merely witnessing what was going on before his eyes.


    "Commander... I''m not sure that..."


    "Atran, pretend you''ve never seen this man. Remember that he may not even be who he says he is... his face is the same as your squire and also his voice, but keep in mind what Lies Of Loki''s unique power consists of. Those sons of bitches are Skjold''s most skilled shapeshifters, don''t forget that. You can unmask him, your commander is asking for your help" Kranus interrupted, noting that his general was in trouble and drops of sweat fell from his forehead as if he was sorry to put the innocent man''s life at risk.


    However, after a deep breath, Atran opened his eyes again and stepped forward, positioning himself just below Ned, looking down on him.


    "But what are you talking about? Lies Of Loki?! What do I have to do with those bastards? Chief, I''ve always been loyal to the cause and to our Clan, what are you saying?!" Ned yelled, waving, as his face expressed all the fear he was feeling at the time.


    "What''s the groom''s name?" Atran asked, assuming an incredibly serious expression.


    "What? This is ridiculous, boss! Really, I''m Ned!" the man stuck to the wall exclaimed again.


    "The name of the groom. I won''t ask you again."


    "It''s Horace!... the old Horace builds the best saddles of Krypstorm and engraves the same rune under each hoof of his horses, as a sign of recognition" Ned replied, spitting out all the information he had about the subject in question.


    Atran turned to Kranus, asking him with his gaze for mercy for that innocent man, having a bond of sympathy with him, who had never disrespected him and had always been dutiful.


    "You know it''s not enough. Keep on asking¡­" the ice mage replied, ordering his general not to stop with questions.


    "Ned, don''t force us to hurt you... if you confess now, maybe your life will be spared. What were you really doing behind Dag''s window?" the blonde-bearded warrior continued.


    "Are you saying I''m lying, you son of a bitch?" the young Master exclaimed, slightly moving Atran and taking his place under the ice-wrapped man, looking at him with an air of defiance.


    "I''m just saying that since I''ve been a kid, my parents have taught me that you have to trust your Jotunns brothers first, the warriors of your Clan! And not strangers, who could come up with stories to use to their advantage!" Ned said again, continuing to accuse Dag, exploiting the fact that he was an Okstorm warrior not belonging to their clan.


    After hearing those words, Atran''s gaze went out and he began to look down as if he was deeply sorry for something.


    He put a hand on Dag''s shoulder, and he moved sideways, making room for his companion.


    While Ned looked on hopefully to have convinced him with his response, Atran slowly moved his hand behind his back and grabbed the handle of a dagger tied on the back of his belt.


    Before everyone else in the room realized what was going to happen, the head of Outpost 1 lowered himself on his knees and then jumped upwards, pulling out the dagger with superhuman speed and sticking its blade on Ned''s forehead, piercing it.


    The sound of Ned''s skull smashing under the blade of Atran''s dagger echoed inside the room.


    "Wowowo! Fuck! What did you do?!" Dag exclaimed, stepping back and looking at the dagger wedged in the middle of Ned''s forehead, whose eyes had crossed and been pointing to the void, filling with blood, which simultaneously dripped from the wound, partially entering his open mouth.


    "The real Ned was found in the snow when he was just a child and he never met his true parents, I remember this detail very well, he himself told me. This man was an impostor!" Atran said, looking at the corpse hanging from the wall angrily.


    Just after those words, Ned''s face began to change appearance, and the somatic traits of his nose and mouth became those of another person, a completely different man.


    "That''s it! Did you see that? Ever since he said that thing I immediately realized he was a spy!" Atran continued, who was standing in front of him as if looking at a painting in a museum.


    "Damn bastards... so it''s all true! They''re also among us! I wonder how many there are out there! There may be dozens and they may have informed our enemies about our movements for a long time! Damn it..." Kranus mumbled, who turned back and moved his hand with a quick gesture.


    Immediately the ice holding the impostor stuck on the wall melted and the dead body fell to the ground, in front of Dag''s feet.

 518 DXVIII. The Overnight Conversation

    "What could I do? We were supposed to leave a Lies Of Loki impostor alive after finding out he''s been with us for who knows how long?! I wonder what he made of the real Ned''s body... he must have killed and buried him somewhere, who knows where... poor boy. Despite his very low social rank, we were friends" Atran replied, justifying his impulsive gesture angrily.


    "Dag is right... you shouldn''t have killed him. Now we will never know if he has accomplices and if one of them has already reported any important information to their bosses. You must stop being so impulsive, Atran!" Kranus yelled, taking the floor with arrogance and scolding his general as if he was one of his students.


    "At least we know he hadn''t been here for a long time..." Kron intervened, who was sitting at the table with his arms folded, thoughtful as usual.


    "Uhm?"


    Both Atran and Kranus turned to him, not understanding what he was referring to.


    "I thought so too, Kron. If Ned was with Atran at the Outpost 1, it means he just arrived in Tungvek recently and did not have the time to investigate the Clan''s most crucial information" Dag interrupted, who was the only one who understood the Outpost 2 chief''s speech.


    "Mh... that''s true. So do you think the Outposts, unlike the capital, are more susceptible to such sneaky attacks? In fact, I didn''t think about it" Kranus thought out loud, touching his long white beard.


    "You''ve never had contact with Lies Of Loki since you were in Tungvek, right?" Dag asked, adding the last missing pieces to his theory.


    "No. We created the Outposts precisely to fight against the enemy Clans without dirtying the capital, which as you will surely have noticed, is the home of many innocent families, who have nothing to do with the political issues that revolve around these lands" Kranus replied, convinced of his words.


    "So this decreases the probability that there are enemy spies among your men. The most vulnerable are the Outposts warriors, we need to control them more than the others. If any undercover members of Lies Of Loki were hidden among Tungvek''s warriors, it means that they have been here for a long time, so the recruits are also excluded" Dag continued, who reasoned aloud, excluding the idea that he had just before, on the return journey from the Randt Mastiff.


    "So¡­ the real problem is the Claws Of Fenrir " Kron interrupted again, entering the conversation without warning.


    "What do you mean?" Dag asked.


    "I doubt Bloodfang is thinking about all these details... the really vulnerable ones are theirs. Geographically they are also much closer to the Lies Of Loki and their many small settlements, scattered in dozens of caves on the lands of Krypstorm, amplify the chances of enemy spies infiltrating their wolf warriors. Thyrius should also do a check, a werewolves transformation test... warriors who fail to transform could be warriors of another Clan, it''s quite simple."


    "In fact, all the soldiers scattered in Krypstorm will surely return inside the Randt Mastiff every now and then... and with them, impostors could also enter the Rock Prison and steal important information, and then distribute it to their Clan once they return back to their outposts! Fuck, I didn''t think about it! Imagine the scene: a Lies Of Loki soldier steals the appearance of one of the Claws Of Fenrir and from one of their outposts, travels to the Randt Mastiff. Once there, he enters the Rock Prison, convinces a Clan guards to tell him about the latest events, and then, undisturbed, returns to the cave from which he came and from which he can very easily reach Klorr or Dolken, the cities of his real Clan" Dag explained, making a trivial example to make his hypothesis clear to the other two of them.


    "Fuck, their distribution network would be a real danger to our alliance... our two armies cannot counter that of the Lies Of Loki, not if their men are all in the same place!" Atran exclaimed when he finally understood the speech.


    "Hey, calm your tempers. Unfortunately, there''s not much we can do right now, other than waiting for Bloodfang''s men and trusting that he has tested his warriors and identified possible spies. We shall do the same in the meantime, starting tomorrow morning. It''s the only solution we have" Kranus said, bringing order back into the conversation, which was starting to get too confusing.


    As the three Giants Of Ymir continued to discuss the recently discovered facts, Dag continued to stare at the man lying on the ground, looking at his face full of pain and enjoying that scene.


    "These sons of bitches killed my father and many innocent people without thinking twice! I will avenge your name, Stein, I will never forget what they did to you! I''m going to cut Hackon''s throat and return it to the earth, no matter the cost!" Dag thought, clenching his fists and taking a deep breath, holding back all the hatred he was ready to unleash against his real enemies, the warriors devoted to Loki, the trickster God.


    "Gentlemen... I''ll go back to my house, Freydis is waiting for me and Claire may need more care. See you tomorrow morning in the arena, I''m interested in finishing the talk with you. Have a good night" he exclaimed, interrupting the fiery speech and making others realize that he had a day too busy to stay awake at that time of night.

 519 DXIX. Dont touch me!

    "Is the Lies Of Loki army really that big? Why do two powerful Clans fear them so much? What''s special about those sons of bitches? The warrior who killed my mother was strong, yet he was defeated by her with ease... how strong will Hackon be and will he still have emblem n¡ã6 in his hands?"


    Dag''s usual questions, that almost every day since he lost Stein and learned of Brann''s story, were amplified after recent events, which had revived his hatred for the Lies Of Loki, now that the battle against them was looming.


    Trying not to get too distracted by those details and knowing that the only way to reach his objective all without losing his life was to wait, Dag tried not to divert his attention from his primary mission: to complete the prophecy and collect all the other Crystals of the Elements, in order to defeat the Xis once and for all.


    Just as this thought pierced his mind, he arrived behind the door of his house.


    Before he could touch it, a sound of keys echoed into its lock and the door suddenly opened.


    "Have you gone mad?! What the fuck does your brain tell you?! You and Thalos left without saying a word, you made me die of fear! Where have you been so far? Are you hurt? What happened to you? How''s Thalos?" Freydis asked, flooding Dag with questions and scolding him for not explaining anything to her.


    Just after naming the wolf, he sprang from behind Dag''s legs and entered the house, approaching Freydis wagging and looking at Claire, to check on her condition.


    "We''re fine, don''t worry. I''ll remember this night forever, now let''s go to bed... when we will finally lying together under our soft blankets I''ll explain to you everything" Dag answered, who sighed once again with tiredness, closed both the door and the window and undressed, removing his armor and belt and entering his bed under the blankets, waiting to be able to touch the half-naked body of his girlfriend, who had gone to open the door with only her underwear on, consisting of panties and a band of fabric covering her breasts.


    After hugging and kissing her on the neck, Dag told her about the sudden events that had forced him to flee from his house and the important role Thalos had played, following the spy''s lead.


    He justified his prolonged absence by the fact that he would have agreed to clarify all of his doubts immediately, not being able to let that impostor go without making sure he was the spy of the enemy Clan.


    Freydis accepted the apology without thinking twice, marveling that all those events had happened in such a short time and regretted not participating in the chase, despite being tired.


    As they continued to talk, unable to keep their eyes open, the two lovers fell asleep hugged.


    ...


    "Bleah... Thalos! All right, I''m going to get up, give me only a second more! Give me a moment!" Dag whispered, his eyes still stuck to sleep, turning to the other side and snuggling up again beside Freydis, who was still soaked in sleep.


    The wolf, unhappy, climbed with his huge front paws on the bed and repeatedly touched Dag''s back with his nose, pushing him and drawing his attention.


    "Uff... alright, alright..." Dag snorted again, trying not to wake his girlfriend and coming out of bed like a thief, without making the slightest noise.


    "What are you doing here, what do you want to tell me?" he asked subtly looking at the wolf, who was sitting still by the bed and kept looking at him in the eye as if to communicate something.


    Soon after those words, Thalos turned and went down the stairs in a hurry, approaching Claire, lying by the fireplace, inside which the last remaining piece of wood was still burning, warming up the area.


    "Did she wake up? Is that what you want to tell me?" he asked, tucking into his pants and following the wolf, kneeling in front of Claire after going down the stairs.


    The girl had been lying in the same position all night long and her injuries seemed to have started the healing process, aided by the ointments that those two ladies had kindly given them.


    At that point, Claire''s only eye opened slowly and her pupil moved from the bottom up as if the sleep in which she was immersed was so deep that it temporarily clouded her sight.


    "Hey... Claire!" Dag whispered, who wanted to leave Freydis to rest a little longer.


    "Mmmh... mmh..." the girl lying by the fire began to moan again as the previous evening, but in a less harrowing way.


    Slightly moving her back on the fur resting on the hard floor, she creaked some of her sore bones and her pupil stopped in front of her, framing Dag.


    As she looked at his smile, slowly and gradually, Claire''s neutral expression turned into a terrified look and her mouth bent down, exhaling her wheezing, as if she was seeing an enemy.


    "No... no... let me go! Don''t touch me!" the girl exclaimed, with her voice still hoarse and low, having been left for a long time without being able to speak.


    "Claire, it''s me, Dag! You''re safe, no one''s going to hurt you anymore!" he repeated, gently stroking her arm and smiling.


    "Fuck! I said don''t touch me! Dag will come for me and kill you all, sons of bitches!" Claire cried, totally recovering her voice and screaming with all the air in her lungs, hitting Dag with a loud slap on the cheek.


    The young Master, who did not expect such a reaction, did not dodge the hit in the slightest, which was followed by a long series of other slaps and blows, while Claire had not yet realized that she was no longer immersed in her own blood in that fetid cage.

 520 DXX. A Dream Coming True

    Claire continued to wriggle, but still unable to move her legs well, and having not yet fully regained her strength, after about twenty seconds she calmed down, trying to control her breath.


    At last, the pupil of her eye moistened and she regained his sense of sight.


    "Dag... Dag?" she asked, looking at the man in front of her as if she had seen the incarnation of a God, with a shiny eye and a slight smile printed on her face.


    "Hey... hello there, troublemaker..." Dag smiled again, who in front of that scene was moved and worked to hold back tears of joy, finally realizing that he had saved Claire and brought her to safety with him.


    "You came for me... I knew it... I knew you wouldn''t abandon me..." the earthly girl said, continuing to smile and effortlessly raising a hand from under the blankets.


    Dag kindly grabbed her wrist and put it on his cheek, allowing her to caress his face and reciprocating the gesture, moving her hair from her damaged lips.


    "I... I can''t see well... Dag... I can''t even move..." Claire continued, as she slowly regained control of her own body.


    "It''s normal, you need some time to fully heal your wounds... but we looked after you! Or rather, Freydis healed your wounds and saved your life! I did my best to help her, and now... here you are! Safe and sound!" he said, continuing to smile joyfully and watch his friend.


    Claire''s hand moved away from Dag''s face and slowly her fingers grazed slightly the bandage she had on her eye.


    "Claire... you''re still beautiful... like the first time we met. Don''t worry about your eye. I know it''s a very bad feeling, but you''re going to get used to it. You''re alive and that''s what matters!" Dag replied, trying to be positive and reassuring the girl while imagining how bad it would be for her to live the rest of her life with one eye only.


    Claire did not lift her blindfold and put her hand back on the blanket she was lying on, closing her eye.


    A tear slid on her cheek, ending up under the neck and her breathing became less heavy as if she was gradually accepting her fate, knowing she could do nothing to change things.


    "What did they do to you? And how did you get there in their town? The last time I saw you you were with me in the cave where we docked the Iron Emerald..." Dag asked, trying to imagine what had happened.


    "Of course, I''ll get here right away" he replied, snapping up and turning to the water tank, knowing that there was a big carboy nearby containing drinking water.


    But just as he got up, before he could take even a single step, In front of him appeared Freydis with a cup full of water in her hands.


    "Oh, fuck! You scared the hell out of me! I didn''t hear you get out of bed!" Dag gasped, while his heart was racing, not noticing her presence and almost stumbling upon her.


    "Well, I didn''t notice either that you came out of bed and woke up because of a woman''s screams while I was still dreaming, so... I''d say we''re even now" the young Shieldmaiden smiled, handing the water cup to Dag, who grabbed it and lowered himself back to Claire.


    "Come on, I''ll help you raise your head" he said, placing a hand under the girl''s neck and slowly raising it, as she rested her lips on the clay cup and drank water in small siss.


    After drinking all the contents of the cup and quenching her heart completely, Claire crossed her gaze with Freydis, who was standing behind Dag.


    The young Master sensed that the two women in the room were certainly not friends, but at the same time felt that that experience would strengthen their bond.


    "Thank you, Freydis... thank you for saving my life, I will forever have a debt to you..." Claire said, resting her head again on the fur blanket, failing to hold it high without the help of Dag, who placed the empty cup on the floor.


    "You don''t have to. I think you would have done the same for me and then... I don''t think I would have worked so hard for just¡­ anyone. I did it especially for Dag because I know how much he cares about you, that''s all" she replied coldly.


    "Claire, please, finish telling what happened" he interrupted, encouraging the girl to finish narrating her memories


    "I was saying... after fainting, I woke up in a kind of completely destroyed house, hearing sudden noises. When I regained my senses, I noticed that a werewolf had just killed my kidnapper, fighting with him to the last blood. The wolf warrior came up to me and I obviously tried to escape, but when I noticed that around that set of houses there was nothing but snow, for miles and miles till the horizon, I resigned myself to my destiny, surrendering to him."


    "We entered the house you''re referring to and found the Jotunn''s body, assuming it had something to do with your kidnapping. But what about the wolf warrior? Was he alone? Did he hurt you?" Dag asked, reasoning over Claire''s words.

 521 DXXI. Where Are We?

    "Bloodfang... their boss... that man with red eyes... he tortured you to force you to talk, didn''t he? How did he know about me?" Dag asked again, trying to be as invasive as possible.


    "He forced me to confess where I came from and who my fellow travelers were, threatening to cut off both of my arms if he found out I was lying... these scratches are nothing compared to what he wanted to do to me... when I said the word ''Okstorm'' he asked me if I knew a certain Dag and I was forced to tell the truth... I''m sorry, I was too scared..." Claire wept, trying to apologize to him from the first moment she saw him in the Claws Of Fenrir palace.


    "You don''t have to apologize... whoever would act that way in your shoes. And then, as you can see, everything went fine anyway and now those bastards will be forced to cooperate with us, whether they want it or not. But how did he yet know my name? They have never had peaceful relations with either the Giants of Ymir or the Hunters of Ullr... and these two Clans are the only ones who know my true identity" Dag replied, reflecting.


    "Remember that we fought against the Claws Of Fenrir and you killed dozens of their warriors, not to mention that huge black wolf you killed with a single blow... Layrus" Freydis intervened, helping Dag remember the details.


    "It''s true... the surviving warriors who managed to escape must have returned to the Randt Mastiff and will certainly have reported what happened to Thyrius, describing to him the man who had decimated his forces. Evidently, they heard some of you saying my name, which is not so hard to remember" he commented, endorsing Freydis'' thesis.


    "From the moment he knew I could give him news about your movements and your future plans, he continued in this way to extort other information from me, subjecting me to horrible tortures, I don''t know how I''ve been alive so far! Probably the only thing that gave me the strength to keep on leaving was the hope of seeing you again, Dag" Claire added, who spoke so corny despite knowing Freydis was right there, in front of them.


    Just after those words, the red-haired Shieldmaiden grimaced and turned the other way, moving away from the room and heading upstairs, to leave Dag and Claire some privacy, not enduring those cheesy words.


    Dag, who noticed that Claire''s attitude had unnerved his girlfriend, thought of asking her to go back, but just then, Claire''s hand stroked his face, with perfect timing to dissuade him.


    "Keep resting, Claire. Freydis and I have things to do this morning, so you''re going to stay here alone... or better, Thalos will be by your side" he said, stroking the wolf''s head, who lowered towards the girl and began to lick her other hand, moaning in search of cuddles.


    "Things to do? What do you have to do? By the way... where are we? What is this house?" she asked, trying to look around despite her neck not allowing her to do excessive head movements and her limited vision.


    "We are in Tungvek, the capital of the Giants Of Ymir."


    "What? The Giants Of Ymir?! Are we their prisoners now?! Fuck, they found you!" she exclaimed again, who was oblivious to everything that had happened, including the arrival of King Einar and Dag and Freydis'' betrayal.


    "Fear not, now they are our allies. Again, rest now and think about being quiet... when Freydis and I will come back to you, we will tell you a little at a time all the recent events" he concluded, getting up from the ground, while the girl tried to squeeze his hand again, without wanting to let him go.


    Freydis, meanwhile, had fully clothed herself and had grabbed her spear, tying it behind her back, ready to leave the house.


    Dag did the same, grabbing the belt with his weapons and approaching Thalos, to make the usual recommendations.


    "But... but I..."


    "Remember, Thalos, don''t let her out that door. It could be very dangerous, she has to stay absolutely to rest here and heal her wounds!" Dag interrupted, as Claire tried to figure out how they might have become loyal allies of the Clan they intended to defeat.


    When the wolf licked his master''s hand, assuring him that he understood the commands, Dag headed to the door with Freydis.


    "We will be back in the afternoon, until then, we will be engaged in the arena. If someone knocks on the door don''t open and keep this window always closed. We will lock the door for safety and when we''ll come back we will bring you some food so that you can regain strength faster. If you need water, it''s right there, on the table. See you later, Claire! Be careful!" he exclaimed, walking out the door and closing it before the girl could answer, still stunned by that news.


    After the key was turned three times inside the lock, Dag breathed a sigh of relief and his gaze fell on Freydis, who, although she did not want to point it out, was satisfied with his detached behavior towards that girl who had so far brought only trouble.


    Together, the two lovers headed to the neighborhood behind Colossus Palace, intent on meeting the Giants Of Ymir in the arena.

 522 DXXII. The Expertise

    "I''m sure other undercover warriors hide among those of the Outposts, we have to keep our eyes open... and then, I have another suspicion, but I don''t know if it''s just some random shit generated by my mind..." Dag replied, who was particularly thoughtful about that subject.


    "Oh, yes? What''s your suspicion?" the Shieldmaiden continued, looking at him in the eye and trying to guess something.


    "Mmmh... forget about it, it''s nothing important. If I notice any other details, I''ll tell you... otherwise, it is useless to alarm you and anybody else" he replied, making the mysterious and continuing to walk.


    After a few minutes, the Sun began to illuminate the majestic palace and the two of them circled it, reaching the arena, from which came the typical noise of the warriors intent on training.


    "Good morning, Kranus!" Dag exclaimed, approaching Giants Of Ymir''s commander from behind.


    "Hi, guys... welcome back. How''s the girl?" he asked, showing a genuine interest in Claire''s physical condition.


    "She''s much better. She woke up and told me what happened with Bloodgfang. She was forced to confess everything and despite this, she suffered several tortures. Her body speaks for her" Dag replied, looking at his interlocutor in the eye and making him understand the anger he was feeling for the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir, disrespectful to all his allies.


    "You know that my men and I also feel a hatred for those sons of bitches, but as you said yourself... allying with them is the only way to have any hope against the Lies Of Loki."


    "Still no news from the Rock Prison?" Dag continued.


    "No, still nothing. Today we will continue with our training. Kron and Atran are already inside the arena. They were waiting for you to start" Kranus replied, advising Dag and Freydis to join the two generals for the lesson on Lies Of Loki''s most widely used tactics.


    "All right, don''t make them wait any longer. Come on, Freydis... follow me" Dag commented, taking his leave and walking down the steps below the surface of the ground, followed by his girlfriend.


    Once they got down the long staircase, the two generals were intent on explaining something to the recruits, flanked by Gunnar and Wrage, who were working as usual and were unaware of the outcome of the diplomatic mission.


    "In these difficult times, it is right to organize your forces against all the enemies of our Clan, not only against the Claws Of Fenrir! As you know, the Lies Of Loki Clan is Krypstorm''s real threat and we, Giants Of Ymir, must always be ready for any kind of event. Atran and I, as many of you already know, come from the two Outposts that our wise Commander created years ago to contain the threat of wolf warriors, whose base is inside the Randt Mastiff, not far from here. In addition to them, during our stay in the camps, we were also forced to face the Lies Of Loki, who more than once, showed themselves to be very skilled warriors and incredible tricksters" Kron added, continuing the speech of his colleague.


    "The Lies Of Loki?"


    "Why do they say this? Are we at war against them?"


    "No way¡­ other enemies!"


    "Shhh! Be quiet and let them talk!"


    The recruits in front of the two generals, after Kron''s words, began to mumble something, knowing by hearsay that the Lies Of Loki were enemies beyond their reach and fearing imminent defeat.


    "As Kron was saying, today we will teach you how to counter some of the tactics most used by their warriors. Are you ready?" Atran asked, raising his voice and stir up the crowd of young soldiers, who responded in unison with a decisive scream.


    The lesson began under the helpless gaze of Wrage and Gunnar, who were of a lower military rank than the two Outpost generals and knew they could not intervene, beginning to suspect something.


    Both of them stood still near the walls of the arena, sitting on a bench, while Gunnar''s body was still recovering and discussed which was the real reason behind those strange lessons, knowing that the Lies Of Loki, during all those years, had never really taken an interest in their territories.


    "The God Loki is a traitor, a devious and petty being who knows no love and compassion... son of a giant and a goddess, he has always been the greatest strategist the nine kingdoms have ever known... after eating the heart of the giantess Angrboda, laden with wickedness, he gave birth to his three children... Fenrir, Hel, and Jormungandr were generated by the hatred he felt for Asgard and Odin, and their ultimate task was to destroy everything that belonged to those domains. We, Giants Of Ymir, are the true heirs of the Giant dynasty and we will show those sons of bitches that the power of the Jotunns can bring peace, as well as destruction!" Kron exclaimed, who with his words enchanted the soldiers, who were fascinated by the tale.


    It was as if that general really felt the sensations he described, through which he showed Dag, Freydis, and all the other listeners that his hatred for that Clan was true and pulsating, like a still-open wound.


    "Precisely for these reasons, Loki and his servants must always be distrusted, in any case! Because they do not know the good, they have no allies, only enemies. The soldiers who now occupy the cities of Dolken and Klorr are known for the gift of Shapeshifting, but this is not their only dangerous power... in addition to changing their appearance and making it similar to anyone else''s, those men can become invisible for a limited and relatively short time" Kron continued, looking at Atran and waiting for him to continue the speech.

 523 DXXIII. The Blind Tes

    "If we fought in the snow, their footprints would be visible and we could pinpoint their location!" Kane intervened, with his usual first-class spirit.


    "Excellent observation! Still... what else could you do in that situation?" Atran continued, turning his head and placing his ear towards the recruits, to hear every word.


    "We could throw mud or any other sticky, clearly visible material around us... if an enemy warrior was in our vicinity, we would be able to locate him immediately and he would be disadvantaged!" another of the group leaders said, thinking carefully about the question.


    "All right, yes! It could work!" Atran answered, satisfied with the interventions of his new students.


    Even Dag marveled at that unusual ''lesson'', which was almost more interactive than his own, attracting more attention from recruits because of the important topic, to which they were particularly sensitive, fearing those enemies more than others.


    "What if you fought them on snow-free rocky ground and when threw mud into the air, wouldn''t hit anything? How could you do then?" the blonde bearded general asked again, trying to put them in trouble with a tricky question.


    The recruits looked at each other, without finding a common answer, and silence fell in the arena.


    "The answer is always the same... hearing! You will have to take advantage of your hearing and try to anticipate the moves of your opponents. That''s why we''re going to train wearing these" Kron exclaimed, raising his hand and showing everyone a bandage of black fabric.


    "Blindfolded, you will learn to rely on your other senses and this will make you much more efficient during battles, not only against the Lies Of Loki but against every other enemy you''ll face in your life. All clear?!" Atran continued.


    "Yes, sir!" the warriors exclaimed in unison, ready to begin the practical phase of training.


    "So let''s start! Form pairs in which one will wear the blindfold and the other will not. Don''t take any weapons, you won''t need them in the trial phase" Kron replied, beginning to hand out bandages similar to the one he had in the hands to the soldiers, intrigued by the unusual training they were about to undergo.


    Dag turned to Freydis and winked at her, implicitly advising her to take a bandage from Kron''s hands and wear it to train against him.


    She reciprocated with a smile and took one, clutching it around her eyes and tying it behind her head.


    Meanwhile, Dag looked at Kron and Atran.


    "Fuck, I can''t see anything for real! Hahaha!" the girl chuckled, making sure the bandage was well fastened and placing her hands forward as if she already wanted to defend herself from an incoming attack.


    While Clan soldiers practiced dodging blows with their bare hands, being positioned in front of each other, Freydis and Dag continued their personalized training on the sidelines.


    The young Master began to walk around her and the girl, slightly late, followed his movements with her head and then with her body, gradually turning clockwise.


    "Good... listen to my footsteps... feel the air moving as my body passes... I''m very close to you, so you''re facilitated, but we''ll start like this and then gradually increase the difficulty" Dag said, suddenly changing direction without making sudden noises.


    Freydis nodded but continued to turn in the same direction until Dag touched her back of the head from behind.


    "What? How did you do that?! I was sure you were ahead of me!" she exclaimed, slightly lifting her blindfold and discovering only one eye.


    "Yes, because that''s what I wanted you to believe... I just had to distract you with the sound of my voice so as not to allow you to listen to my sudden change of direction ... if I was armed, you''d already be dead" he said, gesticulating with his hand and telling his girlfriend to lower back her blindfold and continue training.


    "Let''s do it again! This time I will amaze you!" she replied, determinedly.


    Dag, Freydis''s and recruits training lasted several hours, during which the warriors were asked to undergo gradually more difficult tests: they began by increasing the distance between the members of the couples and then changing companions, so as not to standardize the sound of footsteps, different from person to person.


    As soon as they finished the first phase with their bare hands, they repeated everything with wooden weapons, dodging simple blows such as slow lunges and frontal swings.


    When the first day of training came to an end, the warriors took off their bandages and noticed that compared to the previous days, they had finished earlier than expected, but had accumulated more fatigue, due to the battle without sight, which required considerable energy.


    Although Wrage and Gunnar were quite upset to send all the recruits home, the two generals ordered the young soldiers to exit the arena, with the promise of meeting them for the second lesson the next morning.


    Dag and Freydis walked out of that place, noting that Kranus had remained in the same position all the training long, keeping attention to the details.


    "I think it''s time to let the Outposts warriors in, Kranus. We must hurry, when Thyrius'' men will arrive, we must already be ready to go" Dag said, who every time he thought of the impending war, talked about it rushing, looking forward to completing his revenge.

 524 DXXIV. Three Men Behind The Gate

    When the two generals climbed the stairs chatting to each other, the magician looked at them and they stopped, ready to receive orders.


    "I don''t know how you''re going to gather them all, but I need your warriors to get together inside the arena now. No one excluded" Kranus exclaimed, looking both of them in the eye and making them realize he was talking seriously.


    "Of course, sir. I''ll call them one at a time myself, if necessary" Kron diligently replied, kneeling slightly out of respect and walking away without adding anything else.


    Atran bowed his head, taking his eyes off his superior and following his colleague, with the aim of gathering the soldiers of Outpost 1.


    "Okay, now we just have to wait... when all their men will be ready, we can..."


    "Sir!"


    Dag''s voice was interrupted by that of a guard a few feet behind him.


    Kranus, feeling drawn, looked at the man in armor, who waited for him to keep talking, while Dag and Freydis turned around.


    "The Claws Of Fenrir... there are three of them and they say they want to talk to you..." the guard continued, who, unaware of the mission, feared that his report would anger his commander.


    Kranus, on the other hand, looked at Dag smiling and then started walking to the palace, implicitly asking the young Master to follow him.


    "Great... Bloodfang has been quick!" Dag exclaimed, looking at Freydis and laughing with her, glad to have had a response from the other Clan in record time.


    Leaving the guard with a confused look, all three of them headed to the main entrance of Tungvek following the main road, along which they received greetings from civilians, who now also recognized Dag and Freydis as warriors of their Clan, seeing them constantly in the company of Kranus.


    "Commander Kranus! There are three Claws Of Fenrir men behind the gate, sir! I dare to advise you to act with the utmost caution, we must never trust them, sir!" a guard in front of the door said, interrupting the advance of Kranus, Dag, and Freydis and speaking without ever stopping, with the straight back and the lower end of the spear pointed at the ground.


    "Thank you for your advice, I will certainly be careful. Now step aside and open the door, those men are here to deliver an important message to me" the ice mage replied, ordering his subordinate to let him through.


    The man nodded and turned his gaze towards the lateral ends of the gate, where two other guards activated the opening mechanism, sliding the two huge slabs of stone.


    Behind them, in the center, three men were still waiting and as soon as they got a glimpse of Tungvek, they remained delighted by its beauty.


    The guards around him immediately extracted their weapons, pointing them at the three men, but Kranus, in a hand gesture, ordered them not to advance further.


    "Are you Kranus?" the biggest of them asked, who like the other two wore red armor with the top slightly larger than his size.


    "Yes, it''s me. What''s the message?" the ice mage asked again, under the eyes of his men, who from behind were ready to defend their commander.


    With a look that conveyed hatred but also resignation, the same man said: "the Packmaster accepts your proposal. He''s already started preparing our army... we will be ready to attack in a day."


    After those words, an adrenaline rush began to flow behind Dag''s back, which until the last moment had hoped for a positive response.


    "Excellent. You can tell your leader that our army will be ready to march in two days at the most. We will meet in front of the south entrance of the Randt Mastiff and together we will head to Klorr" Kranus replied, who felt Dag''s gaze on himself, knowing that the young Master would quickly elaborate a winning tactic.


    "Uhm... don''t you need more time to study an action plan? We don''t know how many Lies Of Loki will be defending Klorr..." the warrior in red armor asked, astonished at the hasty response of his interlocutor.


    "There is no need for it. You have your tactics, I have mine. The important thing is that our warriors are informed of our new alliance, to prevent them from fighting each other during the greatest battle Krypstorm has seen in recent years. The city of Klorr will be yours, the rest of the details, I will personally discuss them with Bloodfang that morning. Now you can go, deliver my message" Kranus replied, raising his hand and peacefully extending his arm toward the man, who was astonished by that friendly gesture.


    "Commander, what are you doing?"


    "Commander Kranus, it''s risky!"


    Two of the guards stationed to defend the entrance shouted at the ice mage, warning him of the danger he would run by holding his arm towards three hostile men, but immediately, Dag, for the first time, dared to give orders.


    "Be silent! Your commander knows what he''s doing! Who did you get him for? He''s an extremely powerful magician, he could get rid of those three men with a hand movement!" he exclaimed, shutting up the guards, who looked down, regretting speaking without permission.


    The Claws Of Fenrir warrior, though hesitant, shook hands with the Giants Of Ymir leader, enshrining a new era of alliance between their two Clans, which had been rivals for decades.


    "Our men will be ready. Help the Packmaster prepare yours for battle" Kranus replied, leaving the warrior''s hand and taking his leave, turning the other way.


    Having just participated in one of the most cordial and easy speeches of his life, the Claws Of Fenrir warrior bent his head slightly, while Kranus turned and proceeded to the door.

 525 DXXV. The Second Alliance

    Having formalized the end of the meeting with his last words, Kranus ordered his guards to close the door and the order was executed immediately.


    Walking forward, he stood next to Dag and put his hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eye with a satisfied air.


    "I didn''t think I''d ever say that to the man who killed my son, but... you were right about everything, Dag. Perhaps his death was the missing piece of a bigger plan. Fate has brought us together and together we will be capable of great things. Well done, earthly boy" Kranus said, while a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "I was wondering if Bloodfang had found any spy among his men, but at this point, there''s no need to continue with questions. Lies Of Loki will pay for everything they''ve done to us. The time for their punishment has come... the Gods will be by our side" Dag replied, smiling and appreciating Kranus'' words, feeling some compassion for the death of his son, who was killed for a weapon.


    "Let''s go back to the arena and complete our investigation. Tomorrow is the big day, by today we have to complete the preparations" the ice mage continued, starting to walk again.


    "Perhaps, while all Outposts warriors will be inside the arena, we should take advantage of this to make a public announcement to the citizens and inform them of what is about to happen... I think they have every right to know" Dag replied, making Kranus think that, having to do everything quickly, the order of things to do was crucial.


    "All right then... I will trust you once again. Follow me."


    As Dag followed the wizard, Freydis approached him and stroked his back, attracting his attention and whispering in a low voice: "You made it again Dag... and this once in half the time..."


    "Half the time?"


    "You created another alliance, just like you did at Okstorm! This is incredible! How did you do that? In Skjold''s history, no one has ever done what you''re doing and as if that wasn''t enough, you''ve done it twice in a row!" she continued, looking at Dag with shiny eyes, as if her love for him was growing disproportionately.


    "I didn''t do anything, Freydis. I just exploited the hatred. The hatred these people feel for other Clans, the vengeance they are constantly seeking. Krypstorm is an inhospitable place, this is true... but the fact that each Clan is independent and does not have to submit to the laws of a single King has facilitated my task, speeding up the process... I did not have to win any title, nor ask for the official permission of every single Clan Master. I just had to prove that I was smart and ruthless... and apparently, it worked."


    "When you were a kid you aspired to become ''King of all Vikings'', do you remember?" Freydis asked again, smiling and recalling the times they spent in Jernhest during their childhood.


    "You''re right... I feel the same. Also, I know we''ve been living together for a short time, but we probably couldn''t have done that if we had returned to Okstorm because our respective Clans would have explicitly requested our presence. Here instead we are together all day every day and our life is exciting, full of new discoveries and battles. If we will die tomorrow, I would reach Valhalla happy to have spent the last days of my life by your side."


    Dag turned his gaze towards Freydis and put his forehead to that of his girlfriend, sharing her emotions and feeling a strong empathy towards her.


    When they arrived near Colossus Palace, they noticed that both Kron and Atran had gathered their warriors and were heading to the arena with them.


    "It will not be easy to spot the spy among all these men... there are hundreds of them... but at the same time we cannot fail to announce immediately to the citizens that there will be a war ... they need to know it right away so they can prepare themselves psychologically. We will wait for all the warriors to be gathered behind the palace and find a way to warn the people of Tungvek... maybe Kranus has available a few trusted messengers" Dag thought, watching all those men pass before their eyes and resting a hand on Kranus'' shoulder, blocking his advance.


    "What''s going on?" the ice mage asked, demanding explanations from Dag.


    "Before we talk to the Outposts soldiers we should warn the citizens. Time is pressing, Kranus¡­ and they must know the truth even before the warriors!" he said, trying to be as convincing as possible.


    "Do you think that if we did the opposite, the supposed spy could also take advantage of the remaining time to escape and warn enemy leaders?"


    "That''s right, I see you understood without further explanations... I was thinking you could give this task to a few messengers and they could walk the streets and tell the news without being too theatrical. Meanwhile, all warriors, except recruits, will be with us in the arena and cannot be informed until you give them the news of the battle" Dag continued, explaining his point of view.

 526 DXXVI. Telling The Warriors

    Meanwhile, from afar, Kron saw Dag, Kranus, and Freydis who as they were heading toward the arena suddenly changed direction and called them with a hand gesture.


    "Everybody go to the arena, Kron! Gather all the warriors and let them position neatly. In a few minutes, we will join you!" Kranus shouted to be heard at that distance, not wanting to give any more information in an open place and within everyone''s reach.


    Kron confirmed with his head that he understood and continued to walk as if he had not seen anything, while Atran and his men were about fifty meters in front of them.


    Once inside the Colossus Palace, two men approached Kranus, as if from his eyes they had already realized they could help him.


    "You two, come here, come closer... I entrust you with a very important task, so listen carefully: you must report 4 of our most trusted messengers and order them to give the citizens the announcement of the battle against the Lies Of Loki that our Clan will face tomorrow, specifying that in case of victory, we would forever get peace with the Claws Of Fenrir, who would move away from our lands for good returning to Klorr, their hometown" Kranus said, all in one breath.


    "A war, sir?! When was it decided? Against Lies Of Loki? And how are we going to counter such a large army?" one of the two men asked, frightened.


    Kranus grabbed him by the collar of his leather jacket and approached his mouth to his ear, causing him to tremble with fear.


    "I am not obliged to answer your questions. Execute the orders as I asked!" the old wizard exclaimed again, pushing away the guard who almost tripped over his feet, not falling to the ground by a miracle.


    "At your service, sir! It will be done, sir!" the other man replied, with his back straight and his gaze slightly upwards, as if he had just spoken to a God that could not be questioned.


    "Quick!" Kranus yelled once again, causing his interlocutors to run away, who finally understood the urgency of the situation and quickly exited the palace.


    In the same hurry, the Giants of Ymir''s leader and his two Okstorm allies exited the secondary entrance to Colossus Palace, located at its back, which allowed immediate access to the arena and from their location was the fastest way to get to their destination.


    Once out of a normal wooden door, much less imposing and embellished than the main one, they noted with satisfaction that Kron and Atran had diligently executed orders, and together with all their men they were still to wait for their commander in the center of the arena.


    "What''s going on, Dag? Do you have any other concerns?" Freydis asked, who was as impatient as they were to know the truth behind those men''s faces.


    "No, no perplexity... I''m just thinking about how a man from another Clan managed to get into Tungvek... Lies Of Loki are just sneaky beings, just as Kron described them yesterday during his lesson" he replied his head in the clouds and continued to harbor hatred for the men he would finally face the next day.


    "Hello everyone and welcome back to Tungvek, noble warriors of the Outposts!" Kranus exclaimed, opening his arms and cordially greeting his men, who responded with a smile and reciprocated the greeting in so many different ways, finally feeling at home.


    "I feel compelled to notify you of what is going to happen to our Clan in the next few days, starting tomorrow. Yesterday, I, your two leaders, and these two boys behind me went inside the underground city of the Claws Of Fenrir, carved into one of the mountains that make up the Randt Mastiff. The city is called Rock Prison and their boss, Bloodfang, dwells there" the old mage said, beginning the speech and trying to notice anomalies in the men''s expressions in front of him, who instead seemed very interested in the speech and listened intently.


    "We only went into a group of five because our mission was diplomatic."


    "Uh? What did the commander say?!"


    "Diplomatic?! What does that mean?!"


    "They met their leader and didn''t even try to kill him?!"


    The voices'' volumes of the men of the two Outposts increased as Kranus'' speech paused.


    "I know it may seem absurd to you, because I myself have forced you to live away from Tungvek all these years, only to keep wolf warriors at bay and keep their ferocity away from your families and children, safe in Tungvek... but what we managed to achieve yesterday will forever change the fate of our Clan and our people... it is precisely since yesterday, in fact, that we and the Claws Of Fenrir have decided that we will fight together against the Lies Of Loki, who for centuries have controlled most of the territories of the west with violence and have seized the two largest cities in the nation, one of which was the true home of the people of Bloodfang."


    "What?!"


    "Have we become allies?!"


    "But how is that possible?! We allies of those bastards who killed hundreds of our men?!"


    "Why did they do such a thing without informing us before?!"


    The dissent of the soldiers, who all that time had lived with the sole goal of exterminating every werewolf they met along the way, grew further and the crowd became almost uncontrollable.


    "Order! Soldiers, order! Your commander is still talking! Silence!" Atran yelled, turning to them and waving his arms to be noticed.

 527 DXXVII. Why Those Faces?

    Kranus remained impassive, until a small blue sphere appeared in one of his hands, swirling over his palm.


    "I said silence! Show respect for those who have allowed your wives to remain healthy and safe to this day!" Kron also shouted, who was the only one who had not yet participated in the discussion.


    After his wise words, the soldiers lowered their voices and gradually stopped talking, intent on hearing the end of the speech.


    Simultaneously, the sphere floating in Kranus''s hand, which he had kept hidden behind his back, suddenly disappeared.


    Dag, who had seen the whole scene, sensed that the spell the ice mage was about to cast would not do his men any harm, but still believed that his reaction was exaggerated and that by doing such a thing, he would dangerously lose the confidence of the men who the next day would represent his Clan during the most important war of the last decade.


    "As I was going to explain before you interrupted my peaceful speech, we made a deal with the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir. We will help them claiming back Klorr and they will abandon our territories forever, leaving us free to expand our western borders. Besides, we will both benefit from the defeat of the Lies Of Loki, who after tomorrow''s battle will find themselves with their army halved and can only remain silent in Dolken, staying immobilized in the far northwest!" Kranus continued, exalting himself as he spoke.


    His speech, despite being exciting and truthful, did not convince the most skeptical soldiers, who continued to look at him with an expression of dissent on their faces.


    "Why those faces? Don''t you understand? If we win, we will no longer have to fear sudden attacks and we will be sure that our lands will be never violated and that our laws will be respected within our borders!" Kron exclaimed, speaking in an unusually optimistic tone.


    "And who tells us that those bastard wolves won''t turn their backs on us? How do we trust them?!" a man in the crowd exclaimed, raising his voice and hand to make his superiors understand his position and give them a chance to respond to him.


    "No one!" Dag replied, taking the floor without warning.


    Kranus turned to the young Master, who walked in front of him and positioned himself by his side, looking at the man he had spoken to earlier.


    "No one guarantees us that they will be loyal to the cause. But what do you want to wait for? Don''t you want to change the history of your people? Do you always prefer to depend on the will of a stronger Clan? I thought the warriors of the mighty Ymir were far more than that!" Dag continued, provoking the soldiers.


    "In my nation, there is not the same freedom that lives here. In my nation, when a Clan wants a piece of land, it struggles until its forces run out to get it, but at the same time, it only has the illusion that it has achieved something. Things are very different ''in my nation'', but it doesn''t mean they''re any better. You do not have a King to obey without complaining, you can create your own laws! So now dare to face your choices and make Lies Of Loki understand that it''s not enough to have a great army to rule a nation the size of Krypstorm! Let them understand that by deception and violence they will never get anything again! Their time has come to an end!" Dag yelled, venting some of his anger at the enemy Clan and leaving the soldiers amazed.


    None of them responded, not knowing what to say and realizing that the words of that presumptuous boy were pure truth, slightly enriched with a little anger.


    Kranus, who was noticing some interest from the Outpost warriors in talking to Dag, that was absorbing some of their skepticism, remained silent to listen, as did Atran and Kron, standing on the sides of their troops.


    "The consequences will always be there and many men will die, both allies and enemies... many of them will leave their wives in poverty and their children will become orphans, just as will happen to many of us. But believe me, at the moment, nothing can lift the fortunes of this lawless country, other than this war! I betrayed my own King to join you and take revenge on the Lies Of Loki, who killed my father before the eyes of my mother and siblings, showing no respect for life, which is invaluable! It''s the war they''ve always wanted, and now... we will satisfy their wish!" the young Master continued, raising a fist upwards, as a symbol of strength and courage.


    "Yes, he''s right..."


    "The boy says sensible things... the war that lasted all these years could end forever..."


    Two men joined Dag''s thought and of their own free will broke the lines, taking two steps forward and looking at him respectfully, resting a hand on his heart, as if they wanted to take an oath before him and their commander.


    After a few seconds, one at a time, about ten other soldiers followed their comrades, doing the same, and standing in front of those who had not yet accepted the reason behind that war.


    "When I met the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir in person and noticed the hatred he feels towards the Lies Of Loki, I immediately thought that for years you had fought against the wrong enemy" Dag replied.

 528 DXXVIII. The Clan Comes Firs

    After a few minutes, the only soldiers left behind were the man who had criticized Kranus'' decision shortly before and his group of friends, who were about twenty people in total, out of hundreds of soldiers present in the arena.


    "Warriors! Step aside, let me pass" Kranus ordered, walking forward and passing through the crowd, which as soon as he saw him arrive split into two parts, making room for their Commander, who stopped in front of the men who disagreed to leave again for war.


    "I know that you have just returned and do not feel like leaving your families, but I ask you for the last effort. One last sacrifice and all this could end. We could devote ourselves to agriculture and livestock farming, we could cultivate other arts, not just those of war. Our children could learn to read and write, and over time, we could build a better society, like that of the old Tungvek, where our ancestors worshipped Ymir and the Ice Giants wisely, not with violence. Our Clan is the most powerful and ancient of Krypstorm and our roots lie in the ice layers beneath its soil. It is our job to restore the balance that has been lost for many years and this boy is the proof of this!" the ice mage stated, referring to Dag, who looked at him astonished, not expecting to be named.


    "This boy? What does he have to do with all this? He''s not even from our own Clan!" the soldier in front of him replied, pointing a finger at Dag, who remained silent, not knowing what Kranus was referring to.


    "Dag from Okstorm killed my son... the only one I had left. When I first met him, my only wish was to take his head off his neck and impale it in the middle of the snowy plain near Fort Hvit. But after looking him in the eye and hearing his voice, I felt something I had never felt... a fire coming from the inside as if my organs were slowly burning. It took me some time to understand that our meeting was a sign of destiny and that my son was part of this great plan, but now that I am aware of it, I will lead you all on the path to salvation and the name of our Clan will shine again, reigning over all the lands of the East! But to do that, I need the help of all my warriors..." Kranus continued, looking at the group of men in the eye.


    The soldier in the center, however, despite his gaze became less rigid, continued to look at Kranus with his head held high, taking a deep breath.


    About ten of the men next to him took a few steps forward and then positioned themselves sideways, next to the soldiers who had agreed to join the battle.


    "The Clan comes first... the family comes first" the magician replied, leaving them the choice, making them understand that in case of a negative response, there would be no consequence.


    "We''ll be there. We''ve always fought for our Clan, now it won''t be any different. I apologize for my insolence, Commander... I don''t know what''s wrong with me, just... the moment of happiness I felt when I came back here was too short and I would have liked to greet my family decently.


    Kranus stepped towards the soldier, who immediately straightened himself, remaining composed like a statue, having never looked at his commander so closely.


    The mage put his hand on his shoulder and said: "You will return to your family, as will your companions. If we lose our lives, it''ll be for a bigger cause and... who knows, maybe I too will finally be able to reach Valhalla and travel to Jotunheim, to meet Ymir and the other giants and talk to them about the adventures of our Clan!"


    The soldier, almost moved, grabbed his commander''s hand and a tear fell on his face, as he nodded with his head, confirming his presence.


    After that touching scene, everyone remained silent and waited for Kranus to position himself in front of them again to make the final arrangements.


    "Well, now that we are all aware that tomorrow could be our last day on this cold and inhospitable earth, I need you to do one last thing for me! Follow me outside the arena" the ice mage said, turning backward and beginning to climb the stairs.


    Atran and Kron followed him and ordered their men to do the same.


    Dag and Freydis waited for everyone to leave the arena to close the line and looked at each other with understanding, both amazed at the words Kranus had dedicated to the young Master, who from being his bitter enemy had become his most precious ally.


    When everyone was on the surface, they noticed that Wrage and Gunnar were also in the square behind the palace, and Dag hypothesized that they had learned of the war from the messengers who were spreading the news through the streets of the city.


    "I need all of you to turn into Jotunns. Now, in front of me. Don''t ask me why, just execute the order" Kranus exclaimed, looking with his piercing eyes at the Outpost soldiers, who after the truthful speech of their Commander, executed the order without a breath.

 529 DXXIX. The Shapeshifting Tes

    Without asking for further details, the warriors, positioning themselves in a large semicircle, began to transform one at a time: some of them took longer, others less, depending on their ability to use the shapeshifting skill.


    The number of soldiers left in their human form decreased more and more and the last remaining ones were just the three of the group that had just opposed the majority.


    The gaze of Kranus, Dag, Kron, and Atran focused on them, when at some point, they too began the process of transformation, increasing the size of their limbs and the volume of their musculature.


    Within minutes, hundreds of Jotunns gathered in the arena square, in all their bulk, expressing strength only by looking at them.


    Freydis, who had never seen so many giants gathered in the same place, having not participated in the battle on the coast of Runar, stepped back and positioned herself behind Dag, slightly intimidated to see the mauve faces and huge bodies of the Jotunns, all looking towards their Commander, whose eyes moved towards Dag, implicitly asking him if that test was sufficient.


    He approached the magician''s ear and, without hiding too much, said: "I think we managed to flush out the only spy present. It was pretty easy. But now we should take care of the recruits. We have to decide whether they will leave with us or they will stay here to defend Tungvek and its inhabitants during our absence."


    "We could make them decide voluntarily. I understand that not everyone could feel ready for a real war, having never faced an enemy in the flesh and having never fought outside the arena" Kranus answered, continuing to look forward, having already thought about that detail.


    "Well! You can turn back to your human forms. It was just a test to figure out overall how long it takes to switch between shapes. Well done, you''re the best army I could hope to have. Tomorrow morning at dawn we will march towards the Randt Mastiff and when we''ll join the Claws Of Fenrir, their leader and I will discuss the best tactic to besiege Klorr, being much more versed on the subject, being their city. Now go to rest and spend all your time with your family members, see you tomorrow morning at the city''s main gate!" Kranus exclaimed again, ending the big meeting.


    The warriors shrunk almost simultaneously and dressed up, chatting to each other and cordially greeting their Commander and his generals.


    "Sir..." Wrage said, walking towards Kranus from his back.


    "Tell me, Wrage."


    "The soldiers have known it now, just like you. You were informed afterward because you did not take part in the diplomatic mission, which was done voluntarily without notifying anyone. We have only participated in five of us and it has been successful. Having happened all of a sudden, each of us had a specific task, in fact, now I will tell you yours" Kranus replied, inviting Gunnar to join them.


    The Clan''s Master Of Offense, who was now able to walk without a crutch, after recovering from the trauma of the fight against Dag, timidly walked towards them and looked down, ready to listen carefully.


    "Your task will be very similar to that carried out by Atran and Kron a few minutes ago... you will gather the recruits and inform them of the war that will take place tomorrow, with one exception compared to the speech with the warriors of the Outposts... you will ask them if they want to join spontaneously, without forcing anyone. If some of them prefer to stay here to defend Tungvek and their own families, they''re welcome. It would be unwise to leave the city completely vulnerable because someone could take advantage of it and chaos could break out" Kranus said, giving precise orders to the two Masters of his Clan.


    "And us, sir? What do you want us to do? Do we have to join you or do we have to stay here in the city?" Wrage asked, who hoped for a negative response inside him, for fear of death.


    "Don''t be ridiculous, Wrage! Of course we''re going with them! We''re talking about the future of our Clan! What shame would our Commander feel to go on a war without his two trusty Masters?!" Gunnar intervened, anticipating the response of the magician, who was obviously about to comply with Wrage''s question.


    During their speech, Dag advanced towards Gunnar and held out his arm towards him, opening his hand and looking him in the eye.


    When the two''s eyes crossed, Gunnar did not move a finger, waiting for Dag to add something to that gesture that was insignificant to him.


    "If we are going to fight in a war together, I must know that our hate is something that belongs to the past. I propose not to stand in each other''s way, promising that I will be happy to fight alongside you for the honor of your Clan, Gunnar!" Dag exclaimed, in a gesture of genuine friendship, hoping that the Master of Offense would accept the proposal once and for all.


    Gunnar hesitated for a moment and after looking at Kranus and the two generals behind him, he forcefully shook the young Master''s hand, smiling under his mustache.


    "We will fight together and if necessary, we will also die together, boy" he said, making a great moral effort and without apologizing at all for starting off on the wrong foot.

 530 DXXX. Someone To Take Care Of

    "Come on, Gunnar. We have to hurry, we need an answer from the recruits immediately" Wrage said, calling the attention of his colleague and hastening to leave the arena and then return with the younger warriors of the Clan.


    The two Masters took their leave and Dag and Freydis did the same.


    "We have to go home, Claire needs food and I think the water supplies are over" Dag said, turning to Kranus and waiting for him to tell where he could recover the food he needed.


    "In front of the main entrance to Colossus Palace... follow the road, always go straight... after about two hundred meters you will find a bakery on your right, enter it and take what you want, saying that I was the one who sent you there" the ice mage answered promptly, who had a mind full of thoughts and in that way immediately solved the problem raised by Dag.


    "Thank you, Kranus. If you need anything else you know where to find me, otherwise... see you tomorrow morning with all the other warriors" Dag said again, greeting Kranus and the other two with his hand and walking away together at Freydis, in the direction of the bakery.


    After walking all the avenue that circled around the palace and the initial stretch of the main road, a scent of hot bread lit their sense of smell and they followed the trail until it stood in front of a door.


    It was a small, well-kept building, made of concrete and wood, with a chimney at the top that expelled white smoke and a large window next to the door, from which a glassy surface allowed you to see the inside of the building.


    A low, fat man was pulling large loaves of bread out of a large oven using an elongated wooden tool so as not to burn his hands.


    Without thinking twice and with their mouths watering, Dag and Freydis came in and ordered several supplies, but above all a large amount of hot bread.


    After shopping and learning from the baker that, not far from their home, there was a well from which to collect drinking water, the two lovebirds came out of the bakery happy as two children.


    In a hurry, despite it being just afternoon, Freydis and Dag entered the house and placed the cloth bags containing the hot bread on the table.


    Claire was lying in front of the fireplace and Thalos was next to her, exactly in the same position they had left him in.


    "Hi, Claire!" Dag said, in a cheerful voice, drawing the attention of the girl who, still half asleep, had not even heard the sound of the key in the door lock.


    "Dag, Freydis... you are back... what is this yummy smell?" the girl asked, gradually sitting down and raising her nose, as her nostrils opened and widened.


    "All right, Dag. We will wait for you here, be careful!" Freydis answered, who meanwhile untied the shoulder strap that held her spear tied behind her back and put the weapon by the fireplace, on the opposite side to the one where Claire was.


    As Dag walked out the door carrying the empty bucket, Freydis lowered herself towards the Earthly girl.


    "How do you feel? How are the wounds?" she asked.


    "I''m better, thank you, but I still can''t move normally. Freydis, what''s going on? Can you explain to me what we''re doing here? And why are you doing everything so fast? Where are the other members of the Iron Alliance? The Masters of the other Clans?" Claire asked, who, being locked in that room, was like out of the real world.


    "We are traitors to the Crown... we deliberately disobeyed King Einar''s orders and sought refuge from the Giants Of Ymir leader, who accepted and gave us a home all to ourselves, the one you''re in right now."


    "What?! King Einar? What orders are you talking about? I thought he wasn''t aware of our trip... you''re not telling me that... he came here to Krypstorm?!"


    "Yes, that''s exactly what happened. We initially took refuge in an abandoned fort not far from here, but just as we were about to establish a peace deal with the Giants Of Ymir, King Einar and his Golden Army broke into the Fort, claiming what belonged to us by right and abusing his authority. The King''s purpose was to take us all back to Okstorm and take possession of Fort Hvit to use it as he pleases, leaving it in the hands of his most loyal soldiers" Freydis continued, causing Claire to lie down so that she could control all her wounds.


    "And after that? What happened next?"


    "Dag and I refused to go back to Okstorm right at the moment that we were starting to get the first results and we ran away to this city, which is called Tungvek and is the capital of the ice giants. Also, we participated in a diplomatic mission together with these Clan''s Masters and their commander and convinced the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir, Bloodfang, the man who held you captive, to join us and face the Lies Of Loki, who boast the largest army in this damn nation."


    "So there will be a war! And when?! Why are you helping them?!" Claire continued to ask, jerking her head and making Freydis nervous, who repeatedly tried to discover the bandage she had on her eye unsuccessfully.

 531 DXXXI. Girl On Girl Confidence

    "What is it? How''s the wound?" Claire asked again, who wouldn''t stop asking questions, after spending the whole morning alone immersed in her thoughts.


    "Nothing, but I have to clean the wound, otherwise it will get infected... it might hurt you a little bit, but if you want to fully heal you have to stay still" Freydis said, who, as she was about to get up and go to retrieve one of the rags she had washed, was stopped by the arm by Claire, who grabbed her wrist.


    "Why are you doing all this for me? You know how I feel about Dag, don''t you?"


    Freydis sighed and waited a few seconds before answering, trying not to succumb to jealousy and to show herself once again superior to these insignificant things.


    "Yes, of course, I do. I''m fully aware of it, there are no secrets between me and him. But I''m not a murderer. Not saving you, it would have been like killing you, and that''s not part of me. Now be quiet and let me take care of your eye" the young Shieldmaiden replied, whose character had matured a lot during the last period spent in contact with Dag.


    "Now I understand... I understand why he will always choose you. You''re a real woman, a fighter... I''m just a stupid little girl, who''s spent her whole life in slavery, I don''t deserve someone like Dag by my side... Freydis...?" Claire continued, continuing to feel like a victim.


    "Yes?" she replied, standing up and getting rid of the girl''s grip to go get some clean rags.


    "Know that we never even kissed... Dag has always been faithful to you, with the spirit and with the body. He didn''t think of others but you, even though he hadn''t seen you for months. The mere thought that you could be somewhere waiting for him made him forget about everything and he kept going, defeating increasingly powerful opponents, resisting the cold, dangers, ferocious beasts, and fighting against demonic beings... just to see you again."


    "I know. There''s something special between me and Dag, I can''t explain it to you, you wouldn''t understand" Freydis continued, taking a rag into the still warm water and squeezing it.


    Freydis was struck by those words and despite feeling a kind of revulsion for the girl who would gladly break the love between her and her man, at that moment she was heartbroken by her fragility, which seemed particularly authentic.


    She sensed Claire''s love for Dag, who was intense and immutable.


    "Yes, I promise that I will always behave as I am doing now and I will never disappoint him, nor will I ever hurt him. Now stop being a victim, you''re a beautiful girl, I''m sure you''ll find hundreds of men who will want to stay with you" the red-haired girl continued, kneeling again in front of Claire and slowly passing the damp, warm piece on the wound, to clean the pus that had formed during the healing process.


    "Aarrgh... umpf..."


    Claire held back a scream of pain and clenched the fur blanket under her fists, resisting that extremely stinging sensation as much as possible.


    "How can you say such a thing? Did you see my face? I''m a monster... no one will ever get close to me" Claire said, trying to dampen the pain by talking.


    "You know that''s not the case, you''ll just have to get used to it. If a man only approaches you because of your physical appearance... believe me, he is not the right man" Freydis replied, without distracting herself from the delicate operation, resting on the ground the first rag, completely covered in blood.


    "Look at you... you are beautiful and also very clever. You''re so strong and independent! You''re brave and you''d do anything for Dag, even risk your life in a fight... I envy you a lot for it" Claire continued, who gradually began to feel less pain, as the pus around her eye was cleaned up.


    "Viking men like women who know how to fight... I became a Shieldmaiden just because it was my greatest desire, not because I had to find a man. You shouldn''t try to be who you''re not. Be yourself, Claire. Life may surprise you" Freydis said again, who suddenly began to help Claire with words of comfort, extolling the positive aspects of her character.


    "I would like to learn to fight, like you! Can''t you teach me? Ouch!"


    When the ointment was smeared for the second time on the wound inside the eye, the young Earthly girl felt a strong burning and could not hold back a sudden verse.


    "Yes, why not... you have a nice athletic physique, I think you could become a good fighter... but first you have to be able to stand up and regain your strength!"


    "You could start lifting this bucket full of water!" Dag exclaimed, opening the door with one foot and making the two girls jump, who had not noticed in the least that he was behind the door.

 532 DXXXII. Never Fear War

    "Me? Nothing, what should I have listened to? I only heard the last sentence... I have good hearing, I didn''t do it on purpose. Do you want to become a Shieldmaiden too?" he asked, leaving the heavy bucket filled with water next to the front door.


    "Uhm... Yes. I''d like Freydis to teach me how to do it."


    "Well! I agree! It is always better to be able to defend ourselves with your own strength on this planet, where everyone tries to achieve their goals through arrogance and deceit! Now let''s eat this hot bread, I''m starving!" Dag continued, who, from his words, made the two girls guess that he had not heard anything from the first part of their speech.


    Claire, after being medicated, rose from the ground with the help of Dag, who hugged her from behind, resting his arms under the girl''s armpits and lifting her slowly, helping her sit on the stool.


    "Freydis explained to me what''s going to happen tomorrow... how can you be so quiet knowing that this could be your last dinner?" Claire asked, who without a modicum of delicacy, said exactly what she had in mind at the time, noting that Dag and Freydis ate smiling and careless that the next day, at the same time, their lives would be hung by a thread.


    "Can you answer, Freydis?" Dag said, laughing under his mustache, sure his woman would find the right words to express their shared thoughts.


    "Before we became true warriors, we all took an oath. We swore before the Gods that we wouldn''t be afraid of war, ever. Of course, that''s not really the case, because actually, we''re afraid, we''re just human beings after all, but... if we die in battle, it will be because the Gods have allowed this to happen and when the Valkyries come to pick up our lifeless bodies, our spirits will be happy to reach the Aesir in Valhalla, our final destination. If you fight for fear of dying, then there''s no reason to fight" Freydis stated, who, leaving the piece of bread on the table, explained to Claire how she felt, leaving her speechless.


    Dag meanwhile smiled, listening enthusiastically to the wise words of his woman, who despite having never fought such a great battle by his side, seemed to have reacted well, without fear of dying.


    "But... dying also means no longer being able to continue to live in this world, to love dear ones... no longer be able to touch someone, no longer be able to talk to your friends and breathe the fresh air of the woods. I''m not ready to die, I feel like my real life hasn''t started yet! What about you? I don''t think your time has come!" Claire exclaimed, who, conscious that she could not leave with them the next day, was greeting them in that way, trying to convey to them some courage, clumsy.


    "Dag, c''mon... how can you really think such a thing? You were born on Earth like me, they taught us a lot about the Gods of this and the other planets..."


    "Yet the teachings that I believed were the truth, turned out to be great lies. I was like you at first. For me, the whole question of Gods, powers, ancient legends... they were just fairy tales that people told each other to believe in something... you know, the human being is so fragile that he cannot live without believing in higher entities that direct the laws of the cosmos... but everything changed when my adoptive mother, Asa, first used one of her powers against an enemy soldier" Dag continued, who remembered that day as being incredibly recent.


    "Which means?" Claire asked again, who for the second time had heard Asa''s name and wanted to take advantage of the moment to learn more about Dag''s past, who had never opened up to her so much.


    "Bright wings came out of her and her sword was wrapped in a magical and shining aura. Some time later I also saw other warriors using these magical techniques and then my sister, my friends, my Clan Masters. Magic, which was a concept that we were taught to deny when we were little, is actually part of reality. The powers of the Gods and the Gods themselves... they''re real, Claire. I also met one of them and got a weapon that is capable of turning the fate of the human race upside down forever. How could I not believe all this if I''m experiencing it right now?" Dag explained, who spoke with heavy hearts, sure that, with a little initial effort, Claire would understand that his speech was sincere.


    "What? What weapon are you talking about? How can a weapon turn the fate of the human race upside down? I don''t understand, why do you tell me these things without explaining them to me?!" the girl asked again, trying to understand more.


    Dag put a hand on her cheek, stroking her softly and she closed her eyes, enjoying every moment of that caress.


    "If all this is the truth, I will tell you in detail everything as soon as we return to you. I''ve learned to believe in fate, Claire, and if I die, it means that everything I''ve lived for so far is a lie. And I don''t want to tell you lies" Dag whispered, who with those words moved her friend, who began to lose tears from her only eye, while Freydis also watched the scene smiling, thinking back to her boyfriend''s wise words.


    "And I? What am I going to do? Do I have to stay locked in this house forever? What happens if you never come back? What about me?!"

 533 DXXXIII. I Never Lost Hope

    Freydis grabbed Claire''s hand unexpectedly and she turned to the Shieldmaiden.


    "Free... free, Claire! Do you know what that means? It means you can do what you want and go wherever you want! You don''t have chains that hold you back in the same place! However, if you stay here and I come back, I will teach you to fight and you can really choose who to be with... just show your worth in combat and everything will become easier! With commitment and determination, you will achieve every goal! You will be able to travel, meet other people, other cultures... who knows, maybe even join a Clan, it''s not too late!" Freydis exclaimed, who after noticing that Claire''s morale kept plummeting, tried to lift it up with a breath of optimism.


    "Thank you again, Freydis. Really, thank you" Claire replied after meditating carefully on those words, looking up at her new friend and empathizing with her, as their hands clasped fraternally.


    Dag, who had left the two stools to the girls, after finishing eating his hot loaf of bread, walked away towards his belt and sat on the ground next to it, by the fireplace.


    He detached the axe from the magnet and looked at it curiously as if it was the first time he had held it in his hands.


    "It all started in here. The power of the Sun is enclosed here, in this little crystal... the Sun, such a big star! With it, I''ll be able to get revenge on you, Dad. I''m going to kill Hackon, I swear it on my name. I often dream of you at night and happy memories resurface in my mind like flowers that grow among the rocks. Your face, your happy eyes, your kindness. You and mom welcomed me as your real son and I never had a way to show you my true gratitude. I will avenge you" Dag thought, who estranged himself from that room and continued to look at the blade of the Giatbane, on which reflected the flames of the fire lit in the fireplace.


    Freydis and Claire continued to talk and the Shieldmaiden reassured the girl that, if she waited for them to return to that house, no one would hurt her and explain to her that Thalos would also stay there, so as not to leave her completely alone.


    Meanwhile, Dag continued to look at the Giantbane and think of Stein, Asa, and Eirik, reflecting on how life on the farm was like at the time.


    They were so far apart, hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, and yet, he was sure that his mother was thinking of him, he felt it in his chest.


    "Have you finished admiring that axe? We need to rest now, Dag... tomorrow morning we will leave at dawn" Freydis said, who interrupted Dag''s incessant thoughts and helped Claire lie down by the fire, needing warmth.


    "One thing''s for sure, Claire... tomorrow you can take advantage of our absence to use the bed!" Dag chuckled, who looked at her Earthly friend and could not resist the temptation to approach her.


    Claire grabbed his arm and pulled Dag towards her as if she wanted at all costs to feel his breath on her skin.


    "You and Thalos will keep each other company and time will pass quickly, you will see... you''re so sweet in these conditions..." he smiled at her, stroking her on the face, as always, while Freydis prepared things to put in her bag, such as small stocks of bread and water, useful if their stay at the Claws Of Fenrir'' place would have been prolonged.


    "Sweet? I miss an eye, my lips are completely damaged and I smell like dung... how do I look sweet to you?" she asked, sketching a smile.


    "Well, even when we first met, we were very odorous, weren''t we?"


    "Hahaha... yes, you''re right!" she replied, laughing with Dag and recalling the days when she was a slave inside Mork Castle, forced to serve without objecting to Hjalmar and his henchmen, who treated her like a wild beast.


    "That time I was the one locked in a cage and you saved me. I returned the favor, and I''d do it a thousand more times. When they kidnapped you, I thought of you a lot and I never lost hope... if I refused to carry out the King''s orders and stay here in Krypstorm it was also because I had not given up on the idea of abandoning you forever, I knew you were still alive somewhere" Dag confessed, continuing to caress her.


    "Really?" she asked, unable to say anything else, with her eye filled with tears about to fall.


    "Yes, indeed. I care about you, Claire. We share the same pain, the same lies that the Xis taught us on Earth... the same hatred for them and for those who want to use power to hurt other people. You will always be under my protection, even if I am away from you, remember it" Dag replied, who after finishing stroking her cheek, moved her hair from her face, placing them to one side and wiping her tears.

 534 DXXXIV. The Drum

    "It could take more than a day... it will be a real war, perhaps the greatest I have ever fought, but... have faith. Freydis and I will come back to you" Dag concluded, getting up and continuing to look at Claire, until, after a few seconds, her eyes closed due to tiredness.


    "You''re going to stay here, all right? I''d really like to take you with me, but it''s too big a risk to your life... moreover, Claire needs protection, just like on the farm, do you remember?" Dag asked Thalos, who responded by looking at him straight in the eye, his tongue dangling from his mouth.


    "Well, good. I hope to see you again, my friend" the young Master continued, lowering himself towards the wolf and hugging him, sinking his face into the soft fur of his neck and chest, recalling how important his presence during his exile had been.


    When he finished greeting Thalos, who snuggled up on the floor next to Claire as if he was her guardian angel, Dag climbed the stairs and lay under the blankets next to Freydis, hugging her and approaching her.


    "I want you to always stand by me tomorrow, my love" he said, his eyes already closed and ready to rest.


    "You know I would have done it regardless... but if you need to use your legendary ability to get rid of multiple enemies temporarily, just do that. Don''t worry about me, I''ll keep my distance in that case" she replied, crouching in Dag''s arms and sighing deeply.


    Dag sensed that although Freydis had spoken of Claire about courage and optimism until recently, now that the time of departure was approaching, the Shieldmaiden was afraid.


    He stroked her hair and said nothing, resting his chin on her head and sensing her body heat.


    Like every time he stood beside her, in a few minutes, he fell asleep.


    ...


    The next day, the arrival of dawn was sanctioned by the sound of drums.


    *boom*boom*boom*


    The pause between the hits was marked and regular and equally decisive was the awakening of Dag and Freydis, who after suddenly abandoning the dream world, found themselves catapulted into their bed in Tungvek.


    Dag sat down and rubbed his eyes, scratching his right arm, on which were all the runic tattoos of his skills.


    His blonde hair, which had become long, was twisted and partially in front of his face, forcing him to grab a lace intentionally left next on his boots and tied it with it so that it did not get on his face again.


    "Claire is still asleep. Everything''s ready in the bags, last night I also filled your water bag... if we don''t make any noise, we''ll avoid waking her up and it''s going to be easier for her" Freydis said.


    After rinsing his face to regain full possession of all his five senses, Dag grabbed the belt with weapons and tied it around his waist, clutching it tightly after finishing fastening the handmade armor.


    Freydis, likewise, prepared quickly, tying her hair into a braid, which she did accurately in a matter of minutes and fastened behind her back the shoulder strap to which her spear was attached.


    Tying the small bags to the armor and the belt and making sure they had taken everything they needed, the two warriors approached the door, looking back and noting that Thalos, even though he was still lying down, had his eyes open and was looking at them.


    With a melancholy heart, Dag slowly closed the door, looking at his four-legged friend''s eyes and smiling at him until the last moment, making sure he left the key on the inside of the lock.


    The sound of the drum had stopped for a few minutes, when it suddenly began echoing again among the palaces of Tungvek, punctuating the rhythm of the steps that led the soldiers of the Giants Of Ymir army at the assembly point, in front of the main entrance of the white city.


    As they walked through the streets, one at a time, almost all the doors of the houses opened, and one or more warriors came out of each of them, who saw Dag, Freydis and other people in armor pass by, joined them, increasing the size of the group, which in a few minutes exceeded 200 units.


    *boom*boom*bo-boom*


    Upon the arrival of the warriors in front of the giant stone gates, the man who was playing the drum stopped abruptly, raising his arms and crossing the chopsticks above his head.


    Next to him, Kranus looked like another person, being fully clothed in a battle outfit.


    His robe had been replaced by a similar one, but slightly shorter and blacker, like the boots he wore at his feet.


    The long white beard was tied with a black lace at the bottom and the torso was covered with light armor, on which were inexplicably wrapped numerous small chains.


    The face was also ready for battle and was painted white, with two blue stripes drawn under the eyes towards the chin.


    Instilling fear and looking like a true experienced warrior, Kranus proudly looked at his soldiers as they gathered in front of him, ordering the man with the drum to be silent.


    Along with Dag and Freydis, Kron and Atran advanced more than the others, and after a few seconds, Wrage and Gunnar also popped up from the crowd.


    The strongest and most powerful warriors of the Clan were all gathered together and the still dark sky of dawn emphasized their majesty, so much so that Dag thought that, of all the armies he had seen in his life, that seemed to him the most determined to win a war.

 535 DXXXV. The Wounded Stranger

    "Gunnar, Wrage. Report on recruits."


    "12 recruits have decided that they will follow us on our march to Klorr. The others will remain here, defending Tungvek along with the guards" Wrage exclaimed, pointing to a group of boys who made room among the Outposts warriors.


    Among them, Dag was able to recognize Kane''s face, who along with another of the four groups of leaders had agreed to join them.


    "Excellent. Today we will rewrite the history of our nation. The outcome of this battle will be decisive for the fate of our Clan. If we don''t win, the hatred between us and the Claws Of Fenrir will never cease to exist and the Lies Of Loki will continue to rule over the larger slice of Krypstorm, which includes the two cities in the west. Remember, my trusted warriors... today wolf warriors will not be our enemies after so long time spent fighting against each other. Your Commander then asks you to respect the deal that has been made between him and Bloodfang, their leader. Only if we work together until the last moment will we be able to defeat the enemy and take back what belongs to us!" Kranus exclaimed, in a moderate but decisive tone of voice.


    While he finished talking, some men dressed as ordinary citizens brought 7 horses to them, one for each Commander, General, or Master, including Freydis, who did not hold any of those roles but was the woman of Dag, Kranus'' secret weapon.


    "During the battle, splitting up will be inevitable. Anyway, they are the 6 warriors who will guide you and lead you to victory. Your job will be to protect them, even at the cost of your life. Do you understand?!" Kranus exclaimed again, slightly raising the tone of his voice and charging his soldiers for battle.


    "Yes, sir!" all the warriors replied in unison, including Outposts soldiers and recruits.


    "Well then... guards, open the gates... we will make the mighty Ymir proud of his sons!" Kranus yelled, climbing on his horse and raising his arm to the stone slabs of the door, which immediately began to flow sideways.


    Dag and Freydis climbed on horseback and together with them, Kron, Atran, Wrage, and Gunnar.


    When Kranus came out the door first, his Masters followed him on horseback, while the rest of the army continued on foot, at a sustained pace and punctuated by the drum, which began to sound again, like a constant thunder despite the clear sky.


    Slowly, the door behind them closed and the walls of Tungvek became increasingly distant.


    The cold wind that preceded the rising Sun blew nonstop from west to east, slamming into their faces and slowing the pace of the horses, which, however, being accustomed to such cold temperatures, continued to advance without complaining.


    The plain opened before their eyes and many of the Outposts soldiers remembered that area by heart, having lived with it for several years.


    The 12 recruits, who had never moved so far away from Tungvek, looked around, trying to exploit their knowledge of the geography of the place and arguing with each other about their location, trying to guess where their destination was.


    The march continued without interruption and after a few hours of time, slightly more than the diplomatic mission, where everyone was traveling on horseback, the Randt Mastiff mountains became clearly visible on the horizon.


    "That''s the Randt Mastiff. It has several entrances, one on each side... however, the only one large enough for our entire army to enter as a single body is the southern one, the main one, to which we will arrive following the natural slope of that hill" Kranus exclaimed, explaining to all his soldiers the situation and indicating the direction to follow.


    As he spoke, Atran and Kron were by his side and Dag and Freydis were just behind him, flanked by the Clan Masters, Gunnar and Wrage.


    Just as the soldiers tried to realize the information they had just received from their commander, some of them screamed something.


    "Sir, there''s someone down there!"


    After those words coming from the rear, each member of the army turned in the direction indicated by the soldier and everyone easily saw a dark figure, well distinguishable in the white snow.


    "Who the hell is that? He looks like a man" Gunnar said, who as usual looked at the subject in the distance with a grumpy air, ready to grab his weapons and defend himself.


    "Yes, he''s just a man and there doesn''t seem to be anyone with him. Judging by the way he walks, he looks wounded... look... it barely stands" Dag added, who rested a hand over his forehead to cover his eyes from the cold wind and was able to distinguish more detail than the others.


    "What''s a wounded man doing alone in the middle of nowhere?" Wrage added, contributing to the general confusion of his comrades.


    "Hey, you! Who are you, where do you come from?!" Kron yelled, moving to the right side of his Commander along with Atran, to defend him in the event of an attempted assault.


    The soldiers behind them continued to march, confident that a single man would never pose a danger and would never attack an entire army in a suicidal action.


    "Answer, stranger! Don''t get any closer!" Atran added, reinforcing his colleague''s words and threatening the unknown man that he would intervene with strength if he had bad intentions.


    The stranger continued to walk another ten meters and then stopped: under him, a slick of blood expanded on the white snow and everyone easily understood that all that blood was slipping from his arm, leaning down and covered with cuts and wounds of all kinds.


    His gaze was turned downwards and his long blonde hair covered his true identity.

 536 DXXXVI. The Unnoticed Spy

    Atran got off his horse and pulled out one of his daggers, entrusting his horse to Kron, who grabbed the reins, but just then, Kranus said something.


    "Stop, don''t get close... this man has a familiar appearance..."


    "But... Commander! He could be dangerous, even if he''s not armed" Atran continued, who at the time turned to Kranus and distracted himself from the man in front of him, who took another step forward.


    Taking advantage of the moment of indecision, the injured man snapped forward towards Atran and as soon as he turned around, noticing the movement, he did not manage to dodge a strong fist that hit his face, emitting a noisy crash and causing him to fall to the ground.


    "What?! Who the hell is that?!"


    "General! Help him!"


    The warriors, after witnessing that incredible scene, began to agitate, while Dag unexpectedly stood still, without intervening.


    "Dag, we must help him! What''s going on?" Freydis asked, confused.


    "That punch was phenomenal... and it was performed with only one arm... this man is a very powerful warrior... who reduced him like this?"


    Dag''s response caught the attention of the Masters and Kranus, who along with Kron turned to the young Master, reflecting on his words.


    "Son of a bitch... how dare you?! Aaargh!"


    Without waiting for new orders, as soon as he got up from the ground, Atran snapped at the enemy, pulling out the second dagger and pointing at his chest, to kill him instantly, but his shot was deftly dodged.


    Rotating on himself, the bloodied-faced man grabbed Atran''s blonde hair and pulled him backward.


    Then, when the General left the daggers on the ground to free himself from the grip, the stranger hit him with a warhead so violent that he too fell to the ground, in the same pool of blood generated by his arm.


    "Ouch! What the fuck! Help me, what are you waiting for?!" Atran yelled, marveling that his comrades had not yet intervened.


    Kron immediately raised his leg to get off his horse, but a hand from Kranus stopped him.


    "Commander, that man is trying to kill Atran! Let me go, I want to help him!"


    "Stop! All of you! No one dares to help General Atran!" Kranus exclaimed, referring not only to Kron, but also all the other soldiers of the army, who gasped, not understanding the reason for that order.


    "But... sir..."


    "Be quiet, Kron! Atran would never have been beaten like that by just anybody! Try to concentrate on his appearance! Looks like that man has no intention of attacking us! It''s a matter between the two of them!" Kranus replied, who incredibly sensed what was really going on before their eyes.


    "I don''t know who you are, but you''ve deliberately chosen to die!" Atran yelled, who punched the man in the face violently.


    Another roar echoed in the snowy plain when the stranger blocked Atran''s violent fist with the palm of his hand.


    "I can''t believe it..." Dag whispered, witnessing the duel and focusing his attention on the man with a bloodied and unrecognizable face.


    "It''s true, I''m amazed too... he managed to block a punch from one of Krypstorm''s best bare-handed fighters... that man is exceptional" Kron said, boasting of his colleague, confident of his victory.


    "You haven''t figured anything out yet, do you?" Dag continued, chuckling and looking at Kranus, who was the only one who understood what he was really referring to.


    "Uh?"


    Gunnar, Wrage, and Kron couldn''t figure out what he was talking about.


    "Blonde hair and beard... fighting with bare hands... don''t you think those two men look like each other?" the ice mage said, ironizing about their discovery and enigmatically trying to make it public.


    "What?!"


    "Do they look alike?!"


    "We looked for the Lies Of Loki spy among the warriors, but we never thought he could be one of the Generals" Dag chuckled, ironizing that he had discovered just in time that there was another traitor between them.


    "Are you saying that the stranger is...?!"


    Kron''s incredulous words were interrupted by another violent punch in the stomach by the unknown enemy, who suddenly turned around and let his hair discover his face and reveal his true identity, hidden by blood and wounds.


    The warrior who had inadvertently begun to attack one of their Generals was the real Atran, reduced to exhaustion, and deprived of his weapons and equipment.


    "Fuck! Son of a bitch!" Kron shouted, who rejecting the idea of falling into the trap of one of the Lies Of Loki, jumped off his horse and dashed towards the fake Atran, pulling out a sword and trying to hit him.


    He rolled to the ground and the sword hit the snow, tucking into it and then being violently pulled out by Kron, who looked at Atran with his eyes full of hate.


    "Now things are starting to get interesting" Dag continued, whose irony had never been so macabre.


    "Kron?! What the hell''s going on with you?! Are you all crazy?! Not only you''re not helping me against this bastard, but now you''re also trying to kill me?! Have you lost your mind?! What the fuck is going on?!" Atran yelled again, opening his arms outwards and turning to Kranus and the rest of the army, who looked at him petrified.


    The stranger, meanwhile, approached the dagger left on the ground and grabbed it, looking at its blade and touching it slightly with his hand.


    "This belongs to me... now give me back the other one" he said, looking up and letting everyone recognize his somatic traits, which were identical to his interlocutor, being the same person.

 537 DXXXVII. Last Survival Chance

    "That man... he looks like General Atran! How is that possible?"


    The soldiers began chatting with each other again, finally realizing that the two warriors they were fighting were actually identical.


    The gaze of the real Atran, after his last words, gradually rose towards his Commander.


    His eyes were full of blood and expressed incredible suffering, as well as his body, marked by the torture he had been forced to endure.


    "This man is an impostor... along with my squire misled me and poisoned a glass of wine that was supposed to kill me... after realizing I wasn''t dead, they stabbed me several times and when I lost consciousness, they tied me up, locked me in the Outpost stable and stole my armor and weapons. I am the real Atran" the stranger said, confessing to everyone the true story and pointing his dagger at the impostor, who retreated, not knowing how to react.


    A minute''s silence followed the accusation and the fake Giants of Ymir''s General felt all eyes pointed at him.


    His gaze, within seconds, changed drastically and an evil smile appeared on his face.


    "I don''t know how you did it, son of a bitch, but you won''t survive again! Aaargh!"


    The Lies Of Loki warrior disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, which quickly dissolved in the air under the action of the wind and after less than a second, appeared next to Atran, piercing his side with the dagger and causing him to bend slightly in that direction.


    "Fuck! Atran!" Kron yelled, who ran towards his true friend and positioned himself in front of him as if he wanted to shield him after the enemy warrior disappeared again.


    The cloud of black smoke reappeared and the fake Atran grabbed the neck of Kron''s armor, who, expecting a frontal attack, failed to wriggle out of his grip and was unbalanced backward, moving away from whom he wanted to protect.


    The enemy placed Atran''s dagger blade on Kron''s throat and took him hostage, threatening everyone else to kill him instantly.


    Kranus, Dag, and the other Masters remained on the sidelines, knowing that their every intervention would result in the death of one of their comrades or perhaps two of them, as the real Atran was unable to defend himself properly.


    "If you were not resurrected from the realm of the dead, your friend would not have been in danger, you ugly idiot! My job has always been to warn my leader of your stupid plans! Now this man will die, as you will! Hehehe!"


    An evil laugh followed the words of the Lies Of Loki warrior, who despite still looked like Atran took on a true psychopathic expression.


    Kranus continued to look at the enemy with an impassive look, despite Kron''s eyes expressed anger and fear, knowing that his time to die had not yet arrived.


    The hostage-taken General dropped his sword and stopped agitating, feeling the dagger''s sharp blade very close to his trachea, so close that it began to cut slightly off the shallower layers of his skin, causing droplets of blood to fall to the ground.


    "You said your goal was to warn your leaders, right?" the ice mage asked, looking at the enemy warrior with a chilling look.


    "Yes, but by now you have sent everything up in smoke! The plan jumped because of this idiot! I''m going to die, that''s true... but if I die, I will take him with me!" the shapeshifting warrior replied angrily, continuing to push the blade towards Kron''s throat, which closed his eyes to restrain the pain and fear, avoiding grasping the arms of the enemy who might otherwise have made abrupt movements.


    "You know that I''m the one who makes the rules here... so I can let you go. You will disappear from my sight, return to your city and notify your bosses about what is about to happen. But to do that, you must let Kron go and give the real Atran back his stuff. I am not afraid to face your Clan, even if you are prepared for our arrival... we will break you" Kranus exclaimed, whose anger was felt by the people around him, who noticed a strange blue aura taking shape around the shape of his body as if his enormous magical power could explode at any moment.


    The Lies Of Loki warrior looked around again and after realizing that he had only a few seconds to make a decision, his forehead began to sweat.


    Dag focused on his expression and it was very easy to understand that the man knew that if he hurt Kron or Atran, death would come within seconds and would be inevitable.


    And it was just as easy to guess that he didn''t want to die.


    "I''m sure there are archers among you... when I''ll escape you will kill me from a distance! I''m not dumb enough to fall on your stupid plan, I won''t be fooled!"


    "All right then... kill Kron. Kill Atran too if you want... but know that you have to do it quickly because as soon as your dagger blade sinks into my General''s throat, your heart will be pierced by a slab of ice and your organs will splash out of your body. I will reduce you to a pulp, you will become food for condors" Kranus replied, while the blue aura around his body increases its intensity.


    His words were followed by a moment of hesitation, after which, the enemy warrior, having understood that for him there was no way out but to accept the peaceful agreement that had been proposed to him, said: "All right! All right, fuck! I agree! I will let this man go and you will let me escape freely!"

 538 DXXXVIII. The Shooting Stars

    The warriors at the bottom of the line, next to the man who played the drum for the rhythm of the march, left their bows on the ground, as ordered by their Commander.


    The Lies Of Loki warrior loosened his grip on Kron, but he still could not move, being the blade in close contact with his throat.


    "I am a man of my word. We have a deal... none of my men will hurt you when you''ll run away. You are free to go..." the ice mage continued, crossing his arms.


    The enemy soldier kept sweating cold and looked around, breathing deeply and hesitating, as if he was about to jump off a cliff.


    "Go, I said! Run away before I change my mind!" Kranus yelled, making everyone realize that his patience had almost reached its limit.


    Not expecting such an exaggerated reaction, the warrior jumped of fright and pushed Kron forward, causing him to fall with his face into the snow, near Atran''s feet, which promptly rescued him, despite his damaged arm.


    Soon after that sudden gesture, he turned back and began to run, disappearing into a cloud of black smoke, but leaving his traces in the snow, which became more and more distant.


    "Sir...?" Gunnar asked, waiting for Kranus to order his archers to fire.


    "Let him go... he will not be able to arrive in time for..."


    Shortly before Kranus finished speaking, an elongated, pointed object flew over their heads, leaving a luminous trail in the sky and followed by another similar one.


    After darting over them and making a parabolic trajectory, both of the bright objects, as if they were two lightning bolts, hit the body of the fleeing soldier, piercing his leg and then his chest, leaving him dead on the ground.


    All the soldiers who witnessed the scene immediately turned backward, trying to figure out where those strange golden bodies that looked like shooting stars came from.


    Dag and the others did the same: in the distance, more than 200 meters from their position, a man on horseback was barely visible.


    Being very far away and due to the morning wind that raised a moderate amount of snow from the ground, not even Dag was able to guess his identity.


    "What the hell is going on today? Who are all these unknown men?" Wrage asked, who, in the meanwhile, had got off his horse to help Kron and Atran.


    "I recognize those arrows... it is not possible..." Dag whispered, drawing Freydis'' attention, who turned to him suddenly.


    While the Masters took care of checking Atran''s health, which was so exhausted that he couldn''t even get on horseback, the man in the distance began to approach slowly.


    "Do you know that man, Dag?" Kranus asked, who after seeing the death of one of his enemies before his eyes, sensed that the person who had killed him from that distance was an ally.


    "Commander... I humbly apologize if I allowed an enemy soldier to sneak secretly among our people. I deserve to be punished by death... I went all this way in the hope that you could give me this punishment" Atran confessed, approaching Kranus''s horse and kneeling before him, looking towards the ground.


    "Don''t say nonsense... Atran. I''m glad you managed to get back safely. There is some important news that you need to know... Kron! Explain to your colleague why our army is marching west" Kranus coolly replied, but looked at his general with happy eyes, being really pleased to see him.


    However, his attention was drawn to the man on horseback who was approaching his soldiers.


    While Atran continued to marvel at being re-accepted among his people and fondly embraced his friend Kron, who had thought he would never see him again, the man on horseback continued to approach and the wind subsided, allowing Dag and others to look at him better.


    A battered horse moved out of their direction, following in the footsteps the soldiers had imprinted in the fresh snow during their march.


    The man was fully covered with a cape complete with a hood, made of thick fur that appeared to belong to a bear.


    Behind him, a kind of leather case, consisting of several pieces wrapped together, clearly hid a longbow.


    Dag, without thinking twice, spurred his horse, which began to move forward, separating from the others.


    "Dag! Where are you going?" Freydis asked, who tried not to worry too much, knowing that her boyfriend knew how to behave on those occasions.


    He pulled the horse''s bridles and the steed stopped, biting the mouthpiece with his pronounced teeth and venting from his large nostrils.


    "Is that really you?" the young Master asked, with the draft of a smile drawn on his face, knowing that that man''s true identity could disappoint his expectations.


    The knight raised both of his hands and grabbed the hood of his cloak, lifting it and uncovering his head.


    His long black hair was neatly tied back and the beard on his face was well-groomed, bordered by an elegant pointed goatee under his chin and two thin mustaches, which gave that young boy a more adult look.


    "Hello, Captain..." he said, smiling and looking at Dag with shiny eyes as if he was looking at his own brother.


    "Reidar! What are you doing here?! I would have sworn that those two arrows were created by the Failnaught! I recognize them by heart!" the young Master exclaimed, who was so pleased to see one of his most faithful friends, that he almost started crying with emotion.


    "I couldn''t let you continue alone, Captain. My destiny is by your side, always. Freydis..."

 539 DXXXIX. The Entrance

    She returned the greeting with her hand and a big smile, incredulous of what she was seeing and curious to discover the details.


    "What happened? I had resigned myself to the idea of never seeing you again, Reidar! Did you run away? Did you disobey King Einar too? Fuck, you shouldn''t have done it!" Dag continued, trying to imagine what had happened.


    "Master Egill helped me to escape... together we drew up a diversion and after distracting the Golden Army guards who were tasked with keeping us under control, I managed to escape... I found this horse near Fort Hvit... I believe that the guards who remained there, after seeing his precarious condition, abandoned him to death, but I saved him, feeding him with that little food and water that I managed to bring with me!" the archer replied enthusiastically, stroking the horse''s neck, who with a happy verse proved his gratitude.


    "Egill... he knew I''d need a hand... he is the wisest man I''ve ever known... and what about Gridd and Karl? How are they? Did anything happen to them?" Dag asked again, trying to extrapolate as much information as possible.


    "They''re fine, don''t worry about them... by now they will be safe and sound in Okstorm. Gridd wanted to come with me, but I knew you''d rather she didn''t follow me..."


    Dag got closer to Reidar''s horse and put a hand on his back, looking at him proudly.


    "You know me like no one else, my friend... I tell you the truth... I''m glad you''re here, even though I''d rather you didn''t come at this moment¡­ of war."


    "War?" Reidar asked, who although he had guessed that all those men would soon fight a battle, did not know who was the enemy to defeat.


    "Yes, that''s right. We and the Claws Of Fenrir will face the Lies Of Loki to regain possession of the city of Klorr. Once this will be done, I will be able to devote myself totally to fulfilling the prophecy that you also know" Dag replied in a low voice, knowing that Reidar would never forget those important details.


    "You''re true allies now, aren''t you? I mean you and the Giants of Ymir... they have accepted you and Freydis into their Clan, I understand¡­ and... wait a second... did you say the Claws Of Fenrir?" Reidar asked in an astonished expression, believing he had not heard well.


    "Yes, exactly. I managed to convince their leader, someone called Bloodfang, that fighting between us is of no use if the supremacy of these territories will always be in the hands of the Lies Of Loki, who in addition to having the largest army of Krypstorm, rule over two big cities" Dag continued, explaining in a nutshell what he had learned during those days.


    "You''re Reidar, right?" Kranus interrupted, advancing slightly toward the archer and entering the conversation.


    "Excellent. I remember your face during one of our first meetings. Your skill with the bow is incredible. I''ve never seen anyone hit a moving target sharply from that distance... moreover, the man you killed was also invisible" Kranus continued, congratulating him.


    "Thank you, but it wasn''t anything... let''s say I''ve cultivated my passion for the bow since I was a kid. Rather... Dag was telling me about the impending war we''re about to fight..."


    "Yes, I think it will happen in a few hours. The man you killed was a Lies Of Loki informant who aimed to give crucial information about our plans to his leaders so that they could prepare for battle. But thanks to you, this won''t happen and we can still take advantage of the unknown. Even if we''re all wondering it, I''m not going to ask you questions about your bow and the magic arrows you fired... we can''t waste any more time, we''re behind schedule."


    After those words, without even giving Reidar a chance to respond, Kranus turned the other way and began riding west again.


    The soldiers resumed the march and even Atran, after wrapping his wounds with simple bandages, even though he was at the limit of his endurance, climbed on horseback with Kron''s help and followed his commander.


    "Maybe you should go back to Tungvek, Atran... I don''t know how useful your presence will be now that you are under these conditions. I saw you fight against the impostor and in the middle of the war, you would not resist more than a few minutes" Kranus exclaimed again, with his usual coldness, without even thinking that his words could hurt the pride of the General who had escaped death.


    "That means I''m going to die fighting for my Clan, Commander. It will be an honor."


    Atran''s courageous response charged the spirit of Dag and the other Masters, as well as that of all the soldiers who heard those words, taking their general as a virtuous example of strength and courage.


    Continuing to ride and overcoming the corpse deprived of his equipment and left naked in the snow, the Giants Of Ymir''s army found itself in front of the southern Randt Mastiff mountains, exactly on the same road that the members of the diplomatic mission had traveled a few days earlier.


    Seeing hundreds of men arrive, the warriors stationed at the top of the rock face came out of their hiding places but did not prepare their weapons, continuing to look curiously at all the soldiers who made up the army that would support them in the great war.


    "Don''t fear the archers to our right... now that they know that we are allies, they will not hurt us" Dag said, knowing that the most inexperienced soldiers who were visiting that place for the first time were watching the corpses pierced by arrows in the snow and the enemy archers armed and attentive.

 540 DXL. The Wolf Leader

    "Wait till you see what it''s like inside" Freydis replied, knowing that her archer friend would be amazed by the internal organization of the massif, with all the settlements lining the main road to the Rock Prison.


    The guards at the south entrance stepped forward, approaching Kranus and his men''s horses and making them sign to stop.


    Kranus raised his hand and closed his fist.


    All the soldiers stopped suddenly and remained in strict silence.


    "The Packmaster has been notified of your presence and our army is ready to march with you. Enter neatly in line and stop a few meters from the front door. He will be there waiting for you" the same guard who had interacted with them during the diplomatic mission said, in a slightly annoyed tone, not approving the plan and looking at the men in front of him with an air of defiance.


    "All right, thank you!" Kranus replied politely, who soon afterward rotated his torso and turned his head towards his men, holding his horse still.


    "Did you hear that?!" he yelled.


    "Yes, sir! At your command, sir!" all the soldiers replied in unison, confirming that they understood the guard''s orders and knowing that they were in still hostile territory, in which it was better not to tease anyone so as not to get in trouble.


    "Let''s go then! Follow your Masters consistently and walk through the door three at a time!" Kranus yelled again, who without getting off the horse and flanked by Kron and Atran opened the line.


    The warriors of the Claws Of Fenrir moved and let everyone through, standing still on the sides of the door and verifying that everything was fine.


    After Kranus, it was Dag, Freydis, and Reidar''s turn, followed by Gunnar and Wrage.


    The Outposts soldiers entered without making too much noise and holding their heads high, sometimes looking with constipation at the guards to protect the entrance, knowing that they could do nothing against all those men.


    The recruits closed the line along with the warrior carrying the drum, suitably tied behind his back with a sturdy rope waiting to be played again.


    As soon as the entire army was inside the Randt Mastiff, the doors closed violently and the guards who welcomed them remained outside to continue their surveillance.


    That moment was followed by a few seconds of silence, during which all the soldiers and Masters admired what was in those mountains, not expecting to find such a thing.


    "Wow... this is incredible... did they really build all this stuff?" Kron asked, looking up and not knowing where to look, fascinated by the view.


    "Yes, it seems, after being driven out of their home town, they managed to settle here and build another city, which is the one before your eyes... look, the entrance is down there" Dag replied, behaving like a veteran warrior.


    Trying to position in an orderly manner, siding in a half-moon formation, Kranus''s men looked to the farthest mountain, hearing that a sound of drums, similar to the one that had guided their march, came from the cave leading underground.


    The settlements that lined the street were deserted: surely all the Clan warriors would participate in the war and those who intended to stay at home, would remain inside the Rock Prison, which was impenetrable and much easier to defend, having only one, narrow entrance.


    *boom*boom*bo-boom*


    *boom*boom*bo-boom*


    The sound of the drums became even louder, amplified by the effect of the mountains surrounding the area, which behaved like an echo chamber.


    A man came out walking at a decisive pace, climbing the stairs and then heading towards the army in front of him.


    A few feet later, two more followed him and opened the line to all the rest of the simple soldiers, who looked a little less numerous than the Giants Of Ymir army.


    Kranus, as soon as he caught a glimpse of Bloodfang, got off his horse, entrusting the reins to a soldier, who promptly grabbed them and moved the white horse away, stroking his muzzle.


    "Dag, Kron... with me" the ice mage said, walking forward and calling his two best men to report, now that the real Atran had returned and knew nothing of everything that had been decided, other than through the explanation of his colleague.


    Kron and Dag got off their horse and followed the Commander without saying a word and without looking away from Bloodfang, who along with his bodyguards was continuing to walk.


    *boom*boom*bo-boom*


    *boom*boom*bo-boom*


    When the two Clans leaders who had been mortal enemies for years stopped a few feet from each other, the sound of drums immediately ceased, setting off the beginning of the peaceful meeting, during which the plan of action would be discussed.


    "Heheh... look who''s back... I didn''t think you''d answer my call so quickly..." Thyrius began, opening his arms outwards and bowing mockingly towards his three guests, continuing to look on them with his piercing red eyes, which in the morning light looked orange.


    Dag and Kron''s gaze inevitably fell on what was behind him: when Bloodfang lowered his back, they noticed that on the huge columns on the entrance side of the underground city, two bodies hung, evidently rotting.


    Two ropes were hooked to the beam at the top of the hole in the wall and their corpses were weathered, and local wildlife, such as a large black crow, was eagerly pecking into the inside of the eye of one of the two victims, feeding on the few fluids left inside his skull.

 541 DXLI. The Weak Points

    "We too found only two of them, one of whom lies dead not very far from here" Kranus intervened, responding instead of Dag, who remained in his place, giving precedence to the Commander of the Army.


    "I could have let my warriors maul them, tearing off to the last strand of flesh around their bones, but... I wouldn''t even propose the flesh of these slimy pieces of shit to my pigs! Argh argh argh!" Bloodfang chuckled, showing the pronounced canines inside his mouth and laughing as if he was a hyena, accompanying the laugh with a kind of evil roar.


    The men behind him smiled, without overbalancing themselves.


    One of them was a small, skinny guy, who looked more like an ordinary citizen than a real soldier if it wasn''t for the armor and the fact that he was practically bare-chested, as well as the other bodyguard, who on the contrary was a colossus, bald and with a long uncultivated beard, black as coal.


    Bloodfang, on the other hand, wore his battle clothes and had an appearance that would have heartened fear even in the bravest of warriors: the most noticeable piece of equipment consisted of two pauldrons composed of three huge sharp teeth each, with their tips facing outwards and tied together with a thick lace of black leather.


    The fact that they were yellowed was proof that those teeth had to belong to a real ferocious beast, which had fed until shortly before his death.


    On his shoulders, a black fur coat covered his back and both shoulder blades, leaving his chest and abdomen uncovered, the tattoos of which were barely recognizable due to the wounds and scars.


    At the bottom, wide black leather trousers, which would not limit his movements, even the most sudden ones and that would not tear in case of transformation.


    Dag was astonished to notice that the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir was not wearing any shoes.


    His barefoot, dirty feet sank in the cold snow, made even more disgusting by their long, broken, yellowed nails, reminiscent of the claws of a ferocious beast, similar to those he had on his hands'' fingers.


    Finally, a necklace with other, but smaller, teeth hung from his neck, swinging by the force of gravity near his chest, following his movements.


    "Then... let''s talk about serious things. My men are ready for war and we have also drawn up a draft plan to attack Klorr... what about you?" Kranus asked, bringing the conversation back in the right direction.


    "A plan? It''s weird, he didn''t tell me about it" Dag thought, who stood next to Kranus and was stunned by that statement, not remembering any plan of attack.


    "Do you think we can take advantage of these passages without being seen by the guards?" Kranus asked, who was discovering important news.


    "Not all our soldiers. Those shortcuts were designed for a few people, in fact, some of us used them when Klorr was invaded by those bastards, who murdered anyone, women, and children included..."


    "Grr..."


    Both Bloodfang bodyguards, after those words, began to growl in a low voice, as if vividly recalling those moments, forever etched in their minds.


    "It means that we will have to temporarily separate the troops of our army" Dag intervened, without asking permission, generating a sudden and embarrassing silence among his interlocutors.


    "What do you mean?" Thyrius asked, who seemed incredibly open to dialogue.


    "I mean that some of your men will enter the secret passage and find a way to open the doors from the inside, guaranteeing the rest of the army to enter into the walls. When we''ll be all in, the Lies Of Loki won''t have a chance" Dag explained, who was already imagining the execution of that newly elaborate plan.


    "My men? And why should I sacrifice my men on such a murderous mission? Why don''t we send your warriors?" Bloodfang replied, who did not seem to agree with the proposal.


    "You said it a few seconds ago. You know those secret passages better than anyone else and you are able to camouflage yourself among the people and go unnoticed. The Giants of Ymir warriors don''t have skills like yours and wouldn''t keep a low profile. This means that if they were to take your place in the first phase of the operation, the plan would go up in smoke and we would lose many men before we even started the siege... we will be forced to retreat and we will have done nothing but lift the morale of the enemy Clan."


    Bloodfang and Kranus, who first heard that plan, looked at each other in the eye and implicitly agreed with the words of the young Master, who for the umpteenth time proved to be the best of strategists.


    "Some of my men will attack head-on, heading for the main entrance to Klorr. In this way, the soldiers of the defense army will be distracted by my soldiers and will not pay much attention to you, believing that the interior of the city is impregnable" Kranus added, who showed considerable mental flexibility, immediately adapted to the plan of his ally and tried to implement it with personal considerations.


    "What do you mean with ''some''? What about all the other men? Where will they be?" Bloodfang asked.


    "There should be a forest Near Klorr, I saw it on the map that Commander Kranus showed me. About thirty Giants Of Ymir will stop in front of the city gates and another thirty of you will secretly break into its walls. The remaining warriors will wait for the signal hidden in the woods" Dag continued.

 542 DXLII. Share The Hate

    "Yes, that''s right. When the gates open, the Lies Of Loki will be forced to fight on two fronts... some of them will have to face your wolf warriors inside, the others the Jotunns outside. Just when they''ll be thinking they''re in numerical advantage, the rest of our army will break in and destroy them, regaining possession of the city once and for all" Dag concluded, taking a deep breath, knowing that he had to calculate his words well in front of the Packmaster of the Claws Of Fenrir.


    "This guy is much better than us, old Kranus... you and I are two warriors of other times, while he''s a strategist... look... he is so young, yet he managed to come up with an effective plan in a few minutes" Thyrius chuckled, making even the two men smile behind him, satisfied with what they had just heard.


    "What do you think, Kron?" the ice mage asked, seeking advice from his first general.


    "I think Dag understood perfectly how to do it and that we shouldn''t waste any more time. The Sun is now high in the sky and the city of Klorr is about two hours away from our current position" Kron replied, more determined than ever to start the battle on which the future of his Clan depended.


    "Well, well, well... so it''s decided, apparently... just one more thing, young Master of Okstorm... you will join me and my men!" Bloodfang exclaimed, with an evil sneer drawn on his face.


    "Join you?" Dag asked, trying to figure out what he had in mind.


    "You will come with us in the tunnels that will lead us inside the walls, so, if the Lies Of Loki will be there waiting for us, you will die first along with us!" Bloodfang continued, trying to scare Dag, but not changing his quiet expression.


    "I accept. I''m not afraid of them. They may be Krypstorm''s strongest and most numerous warriors, but they don''t scare me. I know Thor and Odin are on my side" he replied, smiling mockingly.


    "But... Dag..."


    "Fear not, Kranus. I''m sure you''ll easily manage the rest of your army outside. All you have to do is explain to your men their job. Some of them will only have to distract the enemy, attracting the attention of the Lies Of Loki''s lookouts of the front door. You will stay with the rest of the troops stationed in the woods, taking the momentary command of both the Giants Of Ymir and the Claws Of Fenrir... we''ll handle all the rest" Dag interrupted, dampening the concerns of Kranus, who nodded, ready to execute the plan.


    "Then all we have to do is warn our men, my friends! Argh, argh, argh!" Thyrius continued to chuckle, who despite agreeing to ally with them, did not seem to have good intentions.


    After the peaceful and thoughtful speech, Kranus and Bloodfang turned to their troops, heading for the south entrance and toward the Rock Prison, north of the Randt Mastiff.


    Without agreeing on what to say specifically, both of the leaders made a gesture addressed to their soldiers, who approached the center of the area, gathering around their leaders.


    "My fierce and proud warriors... the plan through which we will besiege Klorr has been decided! Each of us will have a key role to play in its realization, so it''s important that you momentarily put aside the grudges between yourselves, the enmity and hatred you feel for the Jotunns... because today we will fight together, to achieve the same goal! Remember that their help is crucial and that without them we would never have had enough strength to attack the Lies Of Loki, who made fun of us for a long time!" Bloodfang shouted, raising his arms upwards and attracting the attention of everyone present.


    His soldiers took a few seconds to digest those words, not agreeing very much to ally with those who, for years, had fought against them all the time and likewise, the Giants Of Ymir looked at the soldiers in front of them with extreme reluctance.


    "For the first time, our two armies will cooperate and this fills my old heart with pride. I spent my whole life defending myself against those who assaulted my city and my men, from those who seized our territories... but that''s enough! There''s too much disparity in Krypstorm! The real power is in the hands of the Lies Of Loki, who exploit the hatred that is there among our Clans to continue to reign behind us, making fun of us! But what if instead of hating each other, we don''t use the common hatred we feel for them to come together and become stronger? Today we will fight like one Clan, like the Clan of Krypstorm!" Kranus yelled immediately after, letting himself go to emotions and releasing all the feelings he had accumulated for some time, astonishing even his men, who had never seen him behave that way.


    The Giants Of Ymir started screaming and one at a time, timidly, even the Claws Of Fenrir let themselves be involved in the words of the ice mage, which had been particularly convincing.


    "So... are you ready to tear up those pieces of shit?! Let us take back what is ours! As the great wolf Fenrir broke the chains that held him captive to carry out his task in Ragnarok, we have the chance to abandon this prison and take part in the greatest battle Krypstorm has ever seen! Grraargh!" Thyrius roared, galvanizing all the soldiers present, on both sides.

 543 DXLIII. The Former Packmaster

    Once out of the south entrance, slightly increasing the speed of the march, which however was also intended to allow the soldiers on foot to keep up, the army of the new alliance headed for Klorr, west of the Mastiff, in the direction of the coast.


    During the march, Dag and his companions could not help but notice that none of the Claws Of Fenrir had a horse.


    "What about your horses?" Kron asked Thyrius, trying to satisfy his curiosity.


    "We don''t need horses. Our muscles are much more trained than yours and we travel much faster than you. If only we wanted to, we get to Kloor in about an hour and you would lose the tail" Bloodfang replied, with an air of superiority.


    "You mean in the form of wolves?" Dag added.


    "Exactly... we''re not doing this because it would be a waste of energy and because in this case, it is useless to separate our army and disperse our forces ... by the way... where is the wolf who followed you the other time?" Bloodfang replied, who knew about Thalos even though he had not seen him personally, having remained to guard the horses.


    "Thalos stayed in Tungvek with Claire, the girl you reduced to death" Dag answered crudely, looking at Bloodfang with a menacing gaze and making him realize that it was better not to get into that topic, which would easily make him lose control.


    "Ah, yes... the girl... well, how could I know she was a close friend of a warrior who would become my ally? I needed information and someone had to give it to me... ehehe... I saw that she was very fragile and was unable to fight and I took advantage of her a little bit! But now it''s all behind us, right? Eheheh!"


    Dag pretended not to hear the evil giggles between words coming from Thyrius'' mouth and tried not to think about what Claire had suffered when she was locked in that cage.


    "Anyway... it is interesting that a wolf spontaneously decided to follow you... we wolves are..."


    "Thalos is not like you" Dag interrupted, immediately cutting Bloodfang''s speech, without even giving him time to continue.


    "I understand... well, the bond that unites you is a very rare thing... as you could see with your own eyes, even we, who can transform ourselves, have difficulty taming wolves, who in the Krypstorm area in which we have lived so far, are very wary and rarely approach man" Thyrius replied in a heartbroken tone as if envying the friendship between Dag and Thalos.


    After that sentence, there was a few minutes'' silence during which Dag watched Freydis ride immediately after him and then looked around, noting that the only thing that was still visible in the distance were the high mountains of the Randt Mastiff, now several kilometers behind them.


    "Do you think we have any chance of finding the head of Lies Of Loki in Klorr?" he asked, taking Bloodfang by surprise, who was immersed in his thoughts and wasn''t paying much attention.


    "Who are you talking about? Hakon? I remember that you hold a grudge against him... listen... there are more likely to be other Masters of their Clan, but Hakon will most likely be in their real capital, Dolken. That''s where he lives" Thyrius replied with certainty.


    "Other Masters? So you know the hierarchical subdivision of their Clan? How many Masters are there?" Dag asked again, intrigued.


    "As far as I know, there are four of them. Four Masters and four specific disciplines that derive from the trickster God, Asgard''s traitor..."


    "Four Masters... well, I''m not going to spare any of them. They deserve to die for what they did..." Dag thought, avoiding speaking so violently for no reason, only for the repressed hatred he had towards them.


    "When Klorr was still under our control, my father and family lived in the highest castle of the city, from which it was possible to see every corner of it with extreme precision, being built on a hill, then downhill" Bloodfang continued, speaking to Dag about his past even though he had not asked him anything.


    "Your father?"


    "My father, the one who was Packmaster before me... before I killed him" Thyrius replied, who no longer had the usual smile on his face.


    "So that''s how it works, just like in a pack of ferocious beasts... the strongest commands over others, right? This means that if there was someone stronger than you among your men..."


    "He would have the right to challenge me and take my place. But to do that, he would have to pass over my dead body. Only death will mark the end of my command over the Claws Of Fenrir."


    "I still don''t understand what your father''s story has to do with all this" Dag continued, pretending to be disinterested and urging Thyrius to continue the story, while Freydis, Kron, and Reidar also listened in silence, getting closer and closer with their horses to Dag''s.

 544 DXLIV. The High Castle

    "Tell me about this place... I need more details."


    "Mh? What exactly do you want to know?"


    "How do you access the safest rooms? How is the palace made, does it have towers?" Dag asked again, whose words began to reveal a plan independent of that of the army.


    "What are you going to do, boy? You''re underestimating the strength of your enemies too much... remember that you would never be able to get out alive if you ventured alone into that fortress" Bloodfang replied, turning his red eyes towards Dag, who was continuing to look forward.


    "I said I will accompany you and your men in the first phase of the plan... now you will tell me how the fortress in which the leaders hide is made, the rest I''ll do the rest" Dag replied, whose tone became increasingly gloomy and determined.


    The sound of soldiers'' feet and hooves of their horses sinking into the fresh snow was accompanied by a long sigh of Bloodfang, who after putting together the pieces of memories from his childhood, began to speak again.


    "The castle is built on a rocky substrate... which, as I told you, is the tallest in the whole city. The only access point is a huge elevated door, which opens only from the inside through a system of levers and chains and is always guarded by dozens of guards, or rather... when my family lived there, it was. Once inside, there are two stairways, one on the right and one on the left... the one on the left leads to the second wing of the palace, in which there are the meeting room and that of the banquet, which when I was little was my favorite room..." Bloodfang began to tell, gesticulating with his hands as if he wanted to navigate virtually within the spaces of the place he was describing.


    "And the right stairway leads to the private rooms, right?" Dag continued, interrupting the story and trying to get directly to the highlights, or those of interest to him.


    "Yes, that''s right. The right staircase leads there. And that''s where those pieces of shit will be when they''ll know they''re under attack."


    "Are there secret escape routes in the palace? Shortcuts that would allow them to escape without being noticed by anyone?" Dag replied, who had almost exhausted the questions, having a complete picture of what he had to do.


    "No, no secret exit, just that door I''ve talked about before. When all our men have entered the walls and their army has been exterminated, we will make sure that we surround the palace and also kill those who will be inside of it. At that point, the war can be considered over" Thyrius replied, underlining the guidelines of the attack plan.


    "When we will be inside the city, I will enter the palace and arrive at the top, in the private rooms that Bloodfang talked about. If anyone has to kill their Masters, it will be me" he thought, saying nothing aloud knowing that even other ears beyond that of his interlocutor were listening to the conversation.


    About two hours passed and the drums of the warriors of the two Clans synchronized, punctuating the rhythm of the steps of the soldiers of the new Krypstorm alliance, who tirelessly and with the plan clear in their minds, marched non-stop under the Sun reflecting on the wet surface of the white snow.


    After passing several mountains and hills and walking along a long flat stretch, they finally began to see something different on the horizon.


    Imposing and regular-shaped walls sprang out of nowhere, taking advantage of the natural slope that from the plain gradually transformed the landscape into a rocky coast very similar to the one on which the Iron Emerald was still docked.


    With the sea visible in the distance and the city of Klorr slowly taking shape before their eyes, Dag and the others felt the adrenaline flowing through their veins, knowing that the crucial moment was now upon them.


    As already seen on the official map shown to him by Kranus, Dag immediately identified the forest to the west of the city, an indispensable part of their plan.


    Beyond the walls, which were lower and looked less thick than those of Tungvek, two towers were clearly visible and seemed to touch the sky.


    "Is that the building you were talking about?" Dag asked Bloodfang, already knowing the answer.


    "Yes, that''s it. Don''t get any weird ideas in your boy''s mind, stick to the plan" the Packmaster replied after learning from Dag''s gaze that something suspicious was floating between his thoughts.


    When Kranus and all the Masters leading the army changed direction slightly, turning west and heading towards the dense forest that stretched for miles to the sea, automatically and without warning, all soldiers followed their leaders.


    The drums increasingly decreased the volume of their sounds until they completely silenced at the sight of the city and the soldiers'' blood warmed, soaking themselves in fear, knowing that soon their lives would be hung by a thread.


    "Soldiers! The moment of truth is coming! Don''t be afraid, the mighty Ymir will lead our army and together with our new allies, we will emerge victorious from the city walls! Now, as we agreed this morning, the thirty men who accepted the assignment will head to the main entrance of the city and distract the enemy!" Kranus shouted, knowing that at that distance, no one from behind the walls could ever hear his voice.


    Almost as if they had been ready for that moment all their lives long, thirty soldiers, not one more, not one less, detached themselves from the rest of the troops and began to march fearlessly towards the huge iron gates that stood in the middle of the city walls.

 545 DXLV. The Partition

    The young Giants Of Ymir''s warrior looked at Dag for a few seconds and the young Master turned his gaze back smiling and trusting in his abilities, knowing that after their fight in the arena, the recruit would no longer lose control and would stick faithfully to the plan.


    The rest of the army continued to head in the direction of the forest and when the vegetation around them began to thicker, everyone slowed down the pace, aware that from that point on, any loud noise could be perceived by the guards of the enemy Clan, who were certainly stationed in the control towers, as every day.


    "Coming back to this place brings many memories to my mind... I used to hunt with my brothers down here... my brothers and my only sister..." Bloodfang said, who still felt the need to talk to Dag as if looking forward to telling him more about his past.


    He avoided asking the Packmaster what happened to his family members after intuiting the tone of his voice and the fact that he had never even seen hide nor hair of them, which perhaps they were no longer in the realm of the living.


    Kranus, who rode in front of everyone, remained silent, closely followed by both his generals.


    Atran, despite his injuries, after drinking water and eating some dry meat sticks that Kron luckily had in his backpack in case of need, seemed to have regained his lucidity.


    "I don''t think we should go any further" Reidar suddenly said, breaking the silence filled with terror and adrenaline.


    "Why? The doors are still far away" Kron asked, not understanding why the archer had given that advice.


    "I''m sure there are archers on the walls... in that case, if we keep stepping forward, we would be under fire. If we stay here, they won''t be able to see us or hit us with their arrows... we are too far away" Reidar continued, explaining his theory.


    Kranus looked at Dag and Thyrius did the same, as if they wanted to ask for confirmation of the reliability of his comrade''s words.


    "Reidar is the best archer I know, you too have had proof of his ability. I trust his judgment. From behind these trees, we have a clear view of the entrance to the city and in a few minutes we can reach the predetermined point" Dag replied, already imagining the practical progress of the plan.


    "We''ll do so then! Did you hear that? Take a stand and wield your weapons! At the signal, we will have to run faster than the wind!" Kranus exclaimed, who in those moments of tension had closed in unusual silence, focused on the goal.


    "Captain!" Reidar said again, drawing Dag''s attention, who turned to him, ready to listen.


    "I had no doubt that you wanted to come, in fact, I had already considered the idea. But now that you''ve asked me, it''s obvious that I want to have you by my side" Dag repeated, resting a hand on the shoulder of his faithful companion under Freydis'' eyes, relieved that her boyfriend would not venture into unknown territory only in the company of hostile-looking unknown warriors.


    Reidar, thrilled with the positive response, clenched his fists and smiled, happy that he could prove his loyalty to Dag again, who was the only one for whom he felt it was worth fighting for.


    The young Master, as Thyrius gathered his 30 men, turned to Freydis.


    "Hey, Freydis... you..."


    "You will stay here with Kranus and the rest of the army. Going in there with me and Reidar would be too dangerous... I know, Dag, I already know. Don''t worry, I''m not afraid and I''m not going to follow you. We''ll meet again inside the walls" she smiled, interrupting his words, and anticipating his response.


    Dag felt a strong sense of affection for his girlfriend, who had once again exceeded his expectations, demonstrating her maturity.


    He gave her a long kiss on the forehead and his nose got inebriated by the smell of Shieldmaiden''s red hair, which despite the long crossing and the period of stress she had been subjected to, seemed as sweet as honey.


    "Boy! It''s time to go! Hurry!" Bloodfang exclaimed, nervous at the sight of the outpourings between him and Freydis and rushing, inviting Dag to join his men.


    Dag and Reidar, after sending a final glance at Kranus and the other generals, who tried to instill their courage, flanked Thyrius and together with his soldiers made their way through the fronds of the large bushes that separated them from the city walls.


    The forest continued for about another three hundred meters and the vegetation was so dense that the faint rays of the morning Sun could not penetrate into it, letting the darkness reign unchallenged.


    The Packmaster and his warriors, as if they were in their natural habitat, bypassed the protruding roots of the trees and dodged the tallest branches with incredible agility and speed, preventing those natural obstacles from slowing down their silent advance.


    Dag and Reidar, despite having faced such situations in the past and had always been able to move without pointing out their presence, felt slightly distressed due to the ground covered with dry branches and leaves, which under their feet made more noise than the other soldiers.


    Both of them looked upwards, noting that the forest was about to end and that a short stretch of about 40 or 50 meters separated the last trees from the walls.


    "What if there are lookouts stationed right above our heads? Surely they would see us and give the alarm! And then, where is this secret passage?" the young Master whispered, getting closer and closer to Bloodfang and walking next to him.

 546 DXLVI. The Decoy

    Among them, there was also one of his bodyguards, the same short, skinny man who had witnessed the dialogue between him and Kranus that morning.


    Reidar did not say a word and when he reached Dag who had slightly accelerated the pace to talk to the Packmaster, the two friends looked each other in the eye, hoping that that was not a trap, unconsciously fearing that the Claws Of Fenrir were actually allies of the Lies Of Loki and that way they would soon kill them all.


    Suddenly, just before he passed the last two trees, Bloodfang raised his arm and all his soldiers stopped, anchoring their bare feet to the ground.


    Dag and Reidar did the same, trying to figure out what he had in mind.


    Thyrius turned to his bodyguard and nodded another hand, pointing the direction ahead of him, which coincided with that of the walls, that were close to the vegetation and were partially covered by the shade of the trees, unlike the front of the entrance that was instead exposed to the Sun.


    The skinny man lowered himself on his knees and as if nothing had happened, his body began to dematerialize: every particle of his flesh and clothes became ethereal and within seconds, he completely turned into a shadow, maintaining the same shape as his original body, but totally losing its texture.


    "What the fuck?!" Reidar exclaimed in a low voice, unable to hold back his amazement at such a unique skill and drawing on himself the rabid gaze of Thyrius, who perceived every noise in an amplified way.


    The archer immediately shut his mouth, returning to follow the necessary religious silence and the shadow warrior quickly walked forward, camouflaging himself perfectly with the shade of vegetation and leaving the woods.


    Once he reached the walls, before everyone''s eyes, looking at him as if the whole plan depended on his next move, Bloodfang''s bodyguard put his back to the vertical surface of the wall, waiting for something.


    At the same time, Bloodfang, who had ordered everyone to stand still in position, looked slightly into the sunlight and raised his gaze, holding his steady hand towards the shadow man in front of him, who although nobody could see him, was looking at him, waiting for his signal.


    Dag, unable to resist curiosity and sensing that Thyrius was checking for guards at the top of the walls, approached him and looked in the same direction, taking advantage of his enhanced sight.


    They both caught a glimpse of men, perhaps three or four walking back and forth, and sometimes stopping to talk to each other.


    Reidar, stationed behind them along with the other men, noticed that the feral soldiers were ready to run and were warming their muscles as if they knew that in a few seconds their state of quiet would be interrupted.


    ...


    "Heey! Is this your way of welcoming guests?!"


    "Yuhuu?!"


    "Lies Of Looooki?! Can you hear us?"


    "We''re here, we''re the Giants Of Ymir, we just want to talk!"


    While Bloodfang and Dag''s group was still on the west side of the city, Kane and his men screamed loudly toward the front door, hoping to get someone''s attention.


    Two observation towers lined the two huge columns that supported the heavy iron door and after several minutes of screams and calls of all kinds, enemy soldiers finally appeared.


    "Soldiers, here they are! Enemies have come out, they are watching us!" Kane exclaimed, inviting all his subordinates to continue the provocations.


    "What''s going on here?! And who might you be?!" a lookout from the enemy Clan inquired, who along with his colleagues on the walls marveled at seeing about thirty men equipped for combat in front of the huge impenetrable door of their city.


    "What did you just say?! Are you deaf or what?! We have already said that! We''re Giants Of Ymir, fucker!" one of the allied soldiers exclaimed.


    "Yes, I know it was true¡­ besides being thieves you are also stupid!" another one yelled, spitting at the city gate as a gesture of defiance.


    The man on the walls turned on his side and began to speak in a low voice with his colleagues, asking them how they should treat those annoying men that were creating no little confusion.


    "We will count to ten and give you a chance to run away, pretending we haven''t seen anything! If you don''t take advantage of this possibility and you''ll be still there, our archers will make our bodies look like sieves!" the same lookout yelled again.


    "Get ready!" Kane whispered, still encouraging his men.


    At the same time, a row of more than ten enemy archers sprang from the front walls, tasked with fearing those ridiculous attackers, who wanted to attack such a resilient city in only thirty units.


    "Now!" Kane yelled.


    After the young warrior''s unexpected scream, five of his allies immediately pulled out bows and loaded their arrows, firing them at great speed and hitting five of the enemy archers, who were not ready to respond to fire.


    Within seconds, that gesture created chaos among the enemy forces, who a few moments earlier thought it was just a bad joke and moments later found themselves with four soldiers missing.


    "Again! Shields up!" Kane screamed once again, gesticulating with his arms and coordinating his men, who moved lightning-fast around him and created their formation.

 547 DXLVII. Behind The Bars

    Three of the men holding the shields on the front line began to turn them into ice and within seconds, the entire shield wall became an impenetrable, igloo-like fortress, whose only uncovered point was the one from which the arrows of allied archers came out.


    "Fuck, archers! Don''t be fooled! Fiery arrows, quick!" an enemy guard yelled, ordering his soldiers to use fire to melt the ice that enveloped the shields.


    A moment after speaking, he too was struck by an arrow and fell from the walls, outwards.


    Other archers rushed to the aid of their comrades who died unexpectedly and, as all of them dipped their arrowheads into the oil that would be set on fire a few seconds later, a lookout of the Lies Of Loki sounded the general alarm, ringing a small bell on one of the two observation towers.


    *doon*doon*doon*


    ...


    "What''s going on?! We''re under attack! It comes from the main gate! Come on, we must hurry!"


    Beginning to run on the upper edges of the walls, the soldiers above Dag and the other warriors of the Claws Of Fenrir''s heads, moved away to the front door to run to the aid of their comrades, as calculated.


    Bloodfang, as soon as they began to move away from their patrol position, gave the signal to his right-hand man, which immediately returned to his human form and lowered towards the base of the wall, punching one of the exposed bricks.


    Immediately, the brick entered the wall and after it, hundreds of more bricks did the same, activating a mechanism that in less than two seconds opened a wide circular gap.


    "Oh! Oh oh!" Reidar exclaimed astonished, smiling and marveling at what he had just seen.


    Dag and Bloodfang looked at each other for a few seconds with a look of understanding and the young Master implicitly congratulated him, not believing that the Claws Of Fenrir would be able to amaze him once again.


    "Come on, let''s go!" Thyrius said, snapping forward and joining his bodyguard in the hole in the wall, followed by his soldiers, Dag and Reidar.


    When the last feral warrior entered the gap, it closed with the same opening speed, leaving no trace.


    "Wowo! This technology is amazing! How does that work? Where are the levers? How did you sync the bricks?!" Reidar continued, who absolutely wanted to know more, imagining that such a system would be incredibly useful at the Temple Of Orn.


    "Fuck, Reidar! There''s no time, let''s move on!" Dag replied rudely, grabbing an arm of the archer that had been enchanted to watch what was behind the rotation of those bricks and pulling it forward.


    An iron grate from which the light from the outside came sanctioned its end.


    It was located at the top, above a small rock face less than two meters high, at which the ceiling also lowered, forcing the tallest of them to bend slightly forward to avoid banging their heads on the rocks.


    Without the need for Bloodfang or Dag to give the order, all the soldiers who were with them made absolute silence, letting their leaders approach the grate.


    Dag, intrigued, looked through the iron bars to see where they would come out, and to his amazement, he discovered that it led right in the middle of a road not very busy, but still inside the city.


    "When we go out, you will have to follow us without hesitation. From here on, it will be less and less easy to walk without being noticed, because of our number. Our goal is a lever that is located on the right side of the big door, taking advantage of the distraction of the enemies, who are increasingly crowding the top of the walls to attack the Giants Of Ymir, who are playing their role" Bloodfang explained, knowing that from that moment on, they should have minimized the margin of error and that any distraction could have caused their death.


    "If something goes wrong, we won''t be able to open the doors and the rest of the army won''t be able to enter the city. In that case, we will all die or we will be taken hostage and subjected to unspeakable torture. Be ready to kill anyone who stands between us and our target" Dag added, who drew both of his weapons and prepared for battle.


    Charged by that gesture, the Claws Of Fenrir were fomented and under Bloodfang''s advice maintained their human form, knowing that in the form of werewolves they would not even be able to get out of that grate and would attract the attention of civilians prowling along the streets, who would then warn the guards.


    Reidar unsealed the Failnaught from its leather bag and made sure the arrows in his fart were at hand, ready to be fired.


    "It''s time for truth, my fierce warriors! Remember what Lies Of Loki did to our Clan! Remember how many innocent people they killed! Let''s get Klorr back! For Krypstorm!" Thyrius exclaimed aloud, acclaimed by his men, who approached the grate.


    Bloodfang and his right-hand soldier grabbed the ends of the two bars that were anchored to the ground and with a strong gesture, they detached them from the rock with extreme ease.


    After the two of them, some soldiers came out of the secret passage, quickly climbing to the surface and making a small leap to reach the exit and crawl outside.


    Dag and Reidar, when it was their turn, after taking a deep breath, did the same.


    The sunlight dazzled for a few seconds their eyes, which since they had crossed the forest, had been subjected to constant and growing darkness, which had become absolute within the tunnel traveled a few moments earlier.

 548 DXLVIII. Klorr

    "Where are we?" Reidar asked, who also looked left and right, trying to figure out how that point could connect to the city''s street network.


    "It''s kind of a warehouse... I notice that this place has not changed its identity over time... here we too used to store our food... follow me, this way we will go right on the main road that runs along the west walls" Bloodfang answered, who like the oldest of his warriors, knew that place by heart.


    Dag and Reidar followed the rest of the troop without a breath and the archer remained slightly behind, among some allied soldiers, who had formed an orderly row of two people.


    Dag instead occupied the top positions along with Bloodfang and his bodyguard, who walked quickly without making any noise.


    In the air, the cries of allied warriors and enemies who were fighting at the entrance echoed through the streets, instilling the terrifying atmosphere typical of a siege of that size.


    After passing the carriages parked in the square and turning the corner of the building from the dungeons of which they had popped out, the soldiers continued to walk down the incredibly empty, civilian-free street.


    "People must have run for cover after hearing the alarm sound... our time has come! Come on!" Bloodfang continued, who slowly began running, to decrease the waiting time separating them from the door.


    The road continued straight for about 100 meters, but at the first turn, a group of Lies Of Loki soldiers sprang up around the corner of a building.


    For a few seconds, the warriors of both factions looked at each other motionless, not realizing that the time of war had finally arrived.


    The Lies Of Loki took a few more moments to realize that the men in front of them were evidently from another Clan and their distraction cost the lives of two of them, whose heads were struck by two of Reidar''s magic arrows.


    "Aaargh!"


    After the archer fired the first shot, killing two of the 13 enemy soldiers, Bloodfang and Dag screamed to charge the other soldiers and all together launched the attack.


    Some of the Lies Of Loki disappeared immediately, while others stood still, pulling out their weapons and waiting for the impact with the invaders.


    The two allied soldiers who arrived first jumped towards the enemies and just as they were sure to hit them in the air with their swords, they both turned into two huge werewolves, sinking their claws into the bodies of the Lies Of Loki and knocking them to the ground, devouring their heads and tearing the entrails from their stomachs.


    Just as Dag was watching the scene, unable to fit into the fight, an enemy soldier appeared out of nowhere behind a wolf and, after spinning a large dagger in his hand, stuck his blade behind the werewolf''s back, who made an animal sound that expressed his pain.


    The werewolf turned around, trying to grab the warrior who had hit him in the back, but he lowered himself on his knees, dodged the blow, and stabbed him another time in the chest, killing him.


    Moments after this happened, the Lies Of Loki soldier''s head was hit by a violent hammering of Dag, who killed him instantly.


    Under the enthusiastic eyes of Bloodfang, who was looking forward to finally fighting, Dag advanced towards the other enemies, knocking down two of them who could not become invisible in time.


    After cutting a soldier''s chest to death, completely breaking the top of his light armor, Dag heard a sound coming from his shoulders and quickly turned.


    A blade of a sword was stretched towards his side and remained motionless in the hands of a soldier who was about to strike him.


    Dag looked at him, marveled that he did not notice his presence and just then, the enemy soldier fell forward with an arrow stuck behind his back.


    Reidar looked at his captain, making him guess that he had saved his life for the umpteenth time, and when Dag thanked him with his eyes, the enemies around him were all on the ground amid their own blood, along with the corpses of two of their wolf warriors, who had not been able to counter the fighting style of the enemies.


    "Ten, eleven... twelve... grragh! One of them is missing!" Bloodfang exclaimed, who was still in his human form and had fought with his bare hands, killing three men alone.


    At those words, before going any further, Dag and Reidar looked around, knowing that if an enemy managed to escape, he would alert his generals, who would surround them before reaching the gates.


    Just as he was about to surrender to that idea, the young Master saw a trail of blood separated from the rest of the bodies, which extended to the street.


    Without explaining to anyone what he had guessed for lack of time, holding the hammer handle tight and stretching the other arm forward to take aim with the Giantbane''s red-hot blade, he threw Magni''s hammer, which flew at great speed in front of him, remaining attached to his hand through a thick beam of instantly generated dark liquid.


    Bloodfang and the others turned in that direction and the hammer hit something.


    The spinal cord of the Lies Of Loki warrior who was trying to escape was shattered by the stone head of Dag''s weapon, which after doing its job excellently, came back at great speed, having reached the maximum extent of the dark matter beam, that stretched like a rubber band.


    Dag grabbed the handle of the weapon and at the same instant, the warrior who had just been thrown to the ground turned on himself, belly up, screaming in pain.

 549 DXLIX. The Alarm Bell

    "Let''s go! The doors are still far away!" Bloodfang yelled, ordering his men to continue their advance.


    "These soldiers were amateurs, but we still had a hard time defeating them because of their gift of invisibility... fuck, it''s going to be a lot harder than I thought! With this hustle and bustle, it''s not easy to distinguish the sounds of people around you, also because they move very silently, like felines... if it wasn''t for Reidar, that soldier would have been able to stab me" Dag thought, starting running again with Bloodfang, while the Claws Of Fenrir watched him with interest after he threw the hammer and hit an invisible enemy, proving them his skill.


    The alarm bell started ringing again and rumbled throughout the city, setting the highest state of alert.


    "The alarm! Again! Maybe our allies outside the door are putting Lies Of Loki in trouble! We must not abandon them! Come on, faster!" Dag yelled, increasing the speed of his run and keeping his eyes peeled for what was happening around him.


    Meanwhile, the castle Bloodfang had told him about shortly before arriving in the city was right above their heads.


    It was a magnificent and imposing structure and in height even surpassed the Colossus Palace of Tungvek, confirming Dag''s idea that the Claws Of Fenrir were great builders.


    The yellowish rock on which rested its foundations emerged at the bottom, near the road, in a few corners not covered by palaces and other dwellings.


    Two tall towers started from the central side of the structure and stretched for tens and tens of meters, ending with pointed roofs upwards.


    "Not now... it''s not the time yet... we must first take possession of the city..." Dag thought again, who was forced to resist the temptation to suddenly change direction and head for the castle, in which the leaders of the enemy Clan were located.


    The road continued to another great square with a fountain in the center, in which there were still civilians, committed to storing the food displayed on their stalls, thus preventing it from being dispersed or destroyed because of that chaos.


    That place was evidently a market area open to all citizens and when Dag looked at the faces of traders who noticed their presence, he swallowed empty for a moment, thinking that if those people got between them and the plan, they would be brutally killed, despite their innocence.


    Between them, in fact, general panic broke out and they began to run all over the place, realizing that those unknown warriors had no good intentions.


    However, the wolf warriors did not care about that detail and fortunately continued to follow their Packmaster, knowing that the entrance was a few hundred meters far.


    Thyrius made a slight leap back and his movement was enough to dodge a sword lunge coming from his left.


    The warrior who had just missed the target did not have time to look up and his head was sharply severed by Bloodfang''s claws, which within moments became long and sharp as blades.


    His body fell on his knees and then to the ground and his head rolled away, soiling the square''s stone tiles with blood.


    Bloodfang''s claws continued to emit the same grayish smoke that covered them from the moment they were created out of nowhere.


    "What reflections! Bloodfang was incredibly fast! He managed to dodge a shot I hadn''t even seen! I doubt an Okstorm warrior would have been able to do such a thing!" Dag thought after witnessing that scene.


    "Grr... stupid insects... they think they''re dealing with amateurs!"


    *spit*


    After stepping on the corpse''s back, the Packmaster spit on it with a gesture of constipation and continued to walk forward, followed by the shadow warrior, who never strayed too far from him.


    Dag was still stationary for a few seconds and thought back to when he was about to face the head of the Claws Of Fenrir in the Rock Prison.


    He reflected on the fact that his level of strength identified by Niva was not incredibly high, but his combat skills, combined with the primordial instincts of a true pack leader wolf, were formidable and made him a difficult warrior to defeat in a 1 vs 1 fight.


    The sound of the bell continuing to ring was so loud and constant that by that moment the warriors'' ears had become accustomed to that noise, which seemed to be part of the atmosphere.


    And just following that sound that came from their goal, they all started marching again, catching a glimpse of the large stone door behind some palaces in front of them.


    "Dag!" Bloodfang exclaimed, who still had a hand full of steaming claws.


    "Yes?" the young Master replied, not knowing the reason for that call.


    "After letting all our companions in, you and I will head to the castle and make our way up to the upper floors... you can imagine the rest..." the Packmaster continued with an incredibly bad look, ready to complete his vengeance.


    "Yes, I''ll come with you. I wanted to get into that castle before when we walked in front of it, but I thought it would be counterproductive. Come on, there''s no time to waste, the warriors in the woods will be waiting!" he continued, walking and overcoming the body of the newly dead warrior to the ground, under the horrified gaze of the nearest civilians, hidden under a large wooden table.


    Finally, when they passed both of the buildings that lined the main road, the inner side of the door was visible and to its right, inside a kind of recess in the wall, a large wooden lever was stationary with the tip upwards.

 550 DL. Open The Gates!

    "Look!" the chief of the wolves said, pointing to the floor in front of the door, which unlike the rest of the city was sprinkled with fresh snow.


    On the surface of the snow, in fact, as imagined by the foresight Bloodfang, footsteps of feet appeared one after the other.


    "There are invisible guards over there... they are guarding the entrance" Thyrius continued, who immediately turned his gaze towards his right-hand man which without extracting any kind of weapon, dematerialized and turned back into a shadow.


    Leaving a black trail behind him, the warrior moved with incredible speed forward and within seconds, the bodies of invisible warriors fell to the ground one by one, overwhelmed by the murderous fury of that little man, who judging by his appearance, would not hurt anyone.


    When even the last guard in front of the lever was killed, the warrior returned visible and pulled a very short blade from the enemy soldier''s throat, clutching it in his hands.


    When he dropped the corpse to the ground, Bloodfang ran forward, looking up.


    All the enemy archers, who were still fighting with the Giants Of Ymir outside, turned around due to the noise and discovered that the Claws Of Fenrir were already inside the walls.


    With no one giving them orders, the archers began firing arrows at Bloodfang and all the others, but the Packmaster managed to reach the lever and pull it down.


    *scrreeeeck*


    When the lever was pushed completely, a loud noise accompanied the opening of the door, and Bloodfang, with his back leaning against the wall, looked at his warriors and with all the breath in his lungs, yelled: "attack!"


    All the warriors next to Dag and Reidar, who were still hiding around the corner of the palace before the gate, turned into wolves and ran forward, intent on attacking the archers who were at the top of the walls.


    The enemies caught off guard and with terror in their eyes attempted to load more arrows on their bows and fired blindly at the wolves, without hitting any of them.


    The wolf warriors jumped to the walls and with their giant sharp claws began to climb them at great speed, reaching the top and growling like ferocious beasts.


    Under the incredulous eyes of Dag and Reidar, the Claws Of Fenrir reached the top of the walls and devoured all the archers, making a real carnage and throwing their remains to the ground.


    "Fuck! What brutality! I can''t believe it!" Reidar exclaimed, who with those words awakened Dag, who was as enchanted by that display of roughness.


    "Come with me, Reidar!" the young Master yelled, ignoring the wolves and running outward, noting that the door was finally wide open.


    The young Master approached the bodies, trying to recognize some of the faces, and after a few seconds of searching, caught a glimpse of Kane''s bloodied face, barely breathing, his body being partially crushed by two other men who died above him.


    "Kane! Hey, boy! Wake up! This is not the time to die!" Dag exclaimed, grabbing the young man''s arm and pulling him away from the rest of the bodies.


    With that movement, he discovered that his body was covered with arrows, that had pierced every area, including his upper and lower limbs, chest, abdomen, and even shoulders.


    The young warrior''s eyes stopped on Dag as if they wanted to speak instead of the mouth, which could not emit a breath.


    "Don''t worry, Kane... keep quiet... everything will end soon. Soon you will be reunited with Ymir and you can tell him how your help freed your Clan forever from the war and how we conquered Klorr!" Dag continued, as a tear came out of the boy''s face, who grabbed his hand and shook it, knowing that those with Dag were the last moments of his life.


    "You are not alone, I am here with you... you''ve been awesome, Kane... no one better than you could lead these men... Commander Kranus will be proud of your courage" Dag repeated, joining the dying boy''s weeping and continuing to shake his hand.


    Suddenly the squeeze became weaker and the bloodied hand fell to the ground, while barred and blood-filled eyes looked up at the sky above their heads.


    "Captain... our men are coming!" Reidar said, who was forced to interrupt that delicate moment to give good news.


    Dag wiped tears from his eyes and closed Kane''s eyelids, returning his body to the ground.


    Then he turned to the woods and his heart filled with joy to see the rest of the army marching at great speed towards their position, despite the pain he was feeling for the loss of a young friend.


    Kranus, Freydis, and the two generals rode to the front line, followed by all the men running after them, screaming with their weapons already unsheathed.


    Then he turned backward, noting that the archers above the observation towers had been exterminated by wolf warriors and that their blood dripped on the outer surface of the walls, soiling the floor below.


    Bloodfang and his warriors were inside and together with the young Master, they turned their gaze to the castle.


    Dag raised his hammer to the highest point in town and began to scream.


    "Krypstorm''s army! Attack! Aaaargh!"


    After getting adrenaline pumping, along with Reidar and everyone else behind them, he began to run inwards, ready to face and kill all the enemies.


    During their advance, no trace of the defending soldiers.


    "Where did they go? How is that possible? Don''t tell me you killed them all?!" Kranus yelled, pulling the reins of his white horse and looking around.

 551 DLI. The Battle Has Begun

    In front of their eyes opened the large square that preceded the entrance of the castle, composed of a huge circular arcade, where an arched structure repeated itself from side to side.


    The general silence, after a few seconds of waiting, was broken by a sudden noise coming from their back: at the entrance of the square, that was the point where the arcades came closer without closing the circle, a series of chains were fired from left to right, clinging to the columns and sealing the space where the two armies were located.


    "What?!" Kron exclaimed, not expecting such a work of intelligence.


    Dag, after seeing the chains with his own eyes, realized that they had easily fallen into the trap of the enemies, who had managed to lock them in cages with ease.


    "It''s a trap! Be careful, the enemies are in here with us! Look around you! Watch out!" the young Master yelled, trying unsuccessfully to alert everyone, who had not yet realized what was about to happen.


    After his screams, he heard those of a warrior in the last rows, who was stabbed in the back.


    When he fell to the ground in his own blood, it was the turn of a wolf warrior, who was also stabbed without realizing it.


    One at a time, all the soldiers in the outer ranks died under the blows of the invisible warriors of the Lies Of Loki, who moving quickly under the arcades of the square were impossible to locate.


    "Come closer! Soldiers, approach the center, defense formation!" Kranus screamed, ordering his men to form a circle and point their weapons outwards, thus preventing enemies from taking them by surprise.


    Dag and Reidar, who had remained slightly on the sidelines, approached the others and continued to look towards the castle gate.


    When everyone was in position, something unexpected happened before their eyes: in every inch under the arcades that enveloped them in a narrow lethal trap, an enemy Clan warrior appeared.


    Hundreds of Lies Of Loki were gathered in that square and were surrounding the allied troops.


    "Fuck!" Kranus gasped, who for the first time really lost his temper, not knowing how to react to that trap and causing a general nervousness, which in a few seconds turned into fear.


    The circle of enemy warriors became narrower and, with the only chance to fight, everyone resigned themselves to the bloodiest battle they had ever fought.


    *psss*


    A sound of gas preceded the simultaneous disappearance of the Lies Of Loki, that a moment later were invisible again.


    At the same time, both Giants Of Ymir and Claws Of Fenrir waved their weapons and screamed, ready to face the many enemies.


    The Battle of Klorr had finally begun.


    With a sudden movement of his arms forward, Kranus generated a wave of icy wind that froze more than ten men, revealing their position.


    Soon after, some of his warriors dashed at the ice statues and shattered them with their axes, crumbling the bodies of the enemy soldiers trapped in ice.


    At the same time, Kron also went on the offensive, pulling out his sword and beginning to kill enemies who could not stand up to him.


    His speed of movement was impressive, as was the power of his attacks: although he had decided that his fighting style would focus on using a single short sword, his ability allowed him to carry that simple weapon over the limit, harnessing the power of his large muscular arms to inflict precise and lethal blows.


    Next to him, Atran fought screaming, trying not to get too agitated and not to slide the bandages out of his wounds, taking advantage of counterattack moments to kill his enemies.


    Although the Lies Of Loki fell like leaves, their numbers never seemed to decrease and allied troop soldiers began to suffer this disadvantage, distracting themselves and paying for this mistake with their lives.


    Dag, while fighting, focused on Freydis, making sure she wasn''t in trouble, and noticed that his girlfriend was struggling as she had never done before.


    Fomented by the fact that she had taken part in a real war involving three unknown Clans, Freydis was applying all the techniques she knew to make the most of the range of her spear, a weapon that definitely advantaged her against the Lies Of Loki, who preferred daggers, knives, and one-handed swords, which forced them to fight closely.


    With Reidar positioned in the geometric center of the square, who kept firing arrows in every direction, taking advantage of the exact moments not to hit his allies, Dag finally felt free to unleash his potential and vent the anger that his body was holding.


    An enemy warrior, after overcoming Freydis and Reidar''s gaze, charged towards him, quickly turning his two daggers in his hands and trying to confuse Dag with a meandering running style.


    The young Master''s expression changed rapidly and his purple eye became of more intense color.


    Wielding both of his weapons, the dark liquid suddenly came out of his back and the two bundles it generated wrapped his shoulders and arms, reaching up to his hands.


    The dark matter-shrouded part turned black as nightfall, and Dag''s upper limb muscles felt a sudden boost.


    "What do you think you''re doing, you bastard?!" he yelled at the enemy who wanted to hit him, snapping forward and powerfully waving Magni''s hammer with a predictable, but incredibly quick shot.


    The hammer unleashed purple lightning that hit the ground and the enemy soldier could not even see the blow: when the blackhead of the weapon struck his chest, the energy released was so strong, that his body disintegrated into so many small pieces, exploding into a fountain of blood that caught the attention of the other warriors who were fighting near them.

 552 DLII. False

    The blow this time started from below and was slower than before, giving the enemy time to prepare for the impact.


    The Lies Of Loki warrior managed to parry the hammer''s head by crossing his two weapons, but what followed left Freydis speechless.


    When Magni''s hammerhead hit the crossed blades of the two daggers, which were positioned that way to provide more resistance to the parry, it unleashed powerful blunt energy, which combined with the thermal energy of the electricity it was soaked in, broke both blades as if they were made of paper and hit the enemy''s rib cage.


    The noise of the broken metal was joined by that of the bones and then of the organs of the stricken soldier, which under the crude fury of that hammer, were disintegrated, killing the enemy instantly.


    Freydis, being able to breathe for a moment, having rid herself of the enemies before her sight, looked at Dag for a few seconds, acknowledging the fact that by now his power had become unstoppable and anyone she knew could counter him.


    His strong point had always been the attack and his dual-wielding fighting style allowed him to give his shots more power, completely ignoring the armor of the target.


    "Dag is more charged than ever... he embodies the fury of the real Berserkrs..." the girl thought, when an enemy suddenly appeared a few inches from her, waving a short sword and barely touching her chest armor.


    Freydis spun on herself and the enemy tried to hit her again, but the Shieldmaiden deftly hit him with the bottom of the spear under his chin and then pierced his stomach with its tip, quickly rotating her weapon in her hands.


    Kranus and Bloodfang, feeling the two leaders of Krypstorm''s unified army, continued to look around and estimate their losses, noting that their men were in the lead.


    "Where are their leaders, Kranus? We are facing simple soldiers!" Bloodfang exclaimed, piercing the back of a soldier unaware of his presence with his huge sharp claws.


    "I was wondering the same thing! With any luck, most of them might be in Dolken, their capital city! One thing''s for sure, our surprise attack worked! We were impeccable!" the ice mage replied yelling, who thanks to his magical power was able to keep enemies at a distance, not being able to fight melee.


    The battle in that square lasted for more than two hours, during which the warriors of both Clans fought with all their might, knowing that that occasion was decisive and should not be wasted.


    Enemy soldiers fell to the ground and, decreasing in number, were gradually forced to retreat to the inner walls of the arcades, to limit the advance of the invaders, who despite having broken the initial formation, were still in the center, close together.


    The soldier''s head fell to the ground and rolled over the feet of Bloodfang, who was catching his breath, not fighting so ardently for so long.


    "So?! That''s all?! What''s going on?! What happened to Krypstorm''s greatest and most fearsome army?! Kranus screamed, barely feeling the fatigue, not having moved from next to his horse, who was unharmed.


    The warriors of the two Clans raised their arms to the sky and screams of joy echoed under the arcades of the square, sealing their army''s victory over that of the Lies Of Loki, who had been wiped out like insects.


    "We have lost many men, but the victory is ours" Bloodfang exclaimed, looking into the eyes of the Clan leader who had helped him recover Klorr.


    "A hundred of our men sacrificed themselves for a greater cause... we must be proud of them... their sacrifice will be remembered for eternity" Kranus replied, who after looking around, turned his gaze towards Dag, who was with his weapons still clenched in his hands.


    With screams of joy in the background, Freydis approached her boyfriend, trying to figure out why he wasn''t celebrating with them.


    His arms were still covered in dark matter and his eye of the same, intense purple, indicating that his power was still active.


    "Dag! We won! We were able to defeat enemy forces in a few hours and limit the losses of our men! Why aren''t you happy?! We can finally dedicate ourselves to the real reason that drove us to stay in Krypstorm now that it''s all over! Dag!" the Shieldmaiden yelled, trying to share her joy with him, who was looking down, without ever looking away.


    Freydis noted that Dag did not respond to her words and tried to follow the trajectory of his eyes, to understand what was attracting so much his attention, discovering that he was enchanted to stare at a corpse lying on the ground, a few meters from him, with the arm severed.


    When Thyrius and Kranus noticed Dag''s strange behavior, they too came close to understanding more, with a circumspect air.


    "Boy, you''re so hard to please! I know what you''re thinking... as I told you, their leaders have no escape, they have been holed up in the castle like rabbits... now we''re going to flush them and I''ll leave the honor of cutting off their heads to you, or..."


    "It''s false" Dag exclaimed, out of nowhere.


    "Uh? What? What are you talking about?" Bloodfang replied, who had just been interrupted.


    Dag lowered himself to the corpse he was observing and grabbed his severed arm, lifting it up and showing it to the crowd of warriors behind him.


    Without the need for explanation, it took a few seconds for everyone to understand what he was talking about.


    The inside of the severed arm wound was filled with blood, but the white bone that was supposed to protrude inside that limb was not there and in its place, a blackish and gaseous substance floated outwards, very slowly due to its high density.

 553 DLIII. The Sulfur

    "But... this... this stinks of sulfur!" the Packmaster gasped, looking Dag in the eye and leaving all the warriors behind them petrified.


    "Sulfur?! What does it mean?! How can a body be full of..."


    Just as Kranus was commenting on those words, the gas inside the enemy soldier''s arm was completely ejected from its container and small orange sparks began to come out of the empty cavity, in which the ulna bone was supposed to be.


    Dag, as soon as he saw that piece of flesh was behaving like an explosive device, burning the tendons and ligaments that wrapped that gaseous substance, dropped it to the ground.


    The arm touched the ground and he stood motionless for a few seconds.


    Suddenly, the skin tissues and the clothes that covered it, including gloves, caught fire, leaving not a single residue of that limb, which disappeared as if it had never existed, leaving a stain of ash on the stone tiles of the square''s floor.


    "What the fuck..." Reidar exclaimed without concluding the sentence and taking a step back, as did everyone else except Dag, who stood still watching the scene.


    *tsss*pfff*psss*


    With a subtle noise, similar to that of the fuse of a bomb that is consumed by a flame, all the corpses around them released those same sparks, which in a few seconds reduced the bodies of the newly defeated soldiers to flames and then ashes, leaving on the ground only the bodies of the allied warriors who died in battle.


    In an apocalyptic scenario, the air around them filled with the blackish smoke generated by combustion, enriched by the strong stench of human flesh burning in the open air, making the air almost unbreathable.


    This smoke rose upwards, forming a thin cloud that for a few minutes obscured the sunlight, covering the heads of the warriors in the square, who still could not realize what was going to happen.


    "Shit... they made fun of us... damned..." Dag said in a low voice, lowering his gaze to the ground and clenching his fists, while a strong feeling of anger flowed through his veins.


    The leaders of the two Clans and Freydis, Reidar, and the two Generals looked at him without speaking, waiting for him to give them the solution to that conundrum, but during this phase, the young Master turned in the direction of the palace, looking upwards at a precise point, as if he had perceived a presence.


    "Hihihihihihih... you''re ridiculous... you let a little boy notice our trap before you... hihihi... all this time... all your dead men... for what? All wasted! Hihihihi!"


    A chilling and psychopathic voice echoed under the porch as if it came from every direction.


    "Who''s here?! Who is speaking?!" Kranus yelled, raising his voice and looking at the same spot as Dag, towards the castle tower.


    "What does that mean? Where are the bodies of the soldiers we just defeated?! Grrr... I don''t like it..." Bloodfang said with his baritone voice, growling in anger.


    Dag''s gaze continued to stick in the same spot, and when the cloud of black smoke generated by the burning of the bodies faded and disappeared into the air, a stone balcony of the same color as the castle walls appeared.


    Above it, an ambiguous figure held his arms resting on the railing, and his gaze turned downwards, on the army of the two Clans still trapped in the square.


    "Hey, you! How dare you stay up there and look up at us with that air of superiority?! Our men have defeated your army, you and the other leaders who are there with you will have no escape! Get down and fight like a man!" Bloodfang continued to scream, whose anger grew so much that his hand claws grew spontaneously, unleashing gray smoke.


    "Other leaders? Hihihi! Don''t be silly, the other leaders aren''t here... their presence is not necessary... it''s possible you haven''t figured out what''s going on yet?..."


    "Be quiet, scum" Dag said, as his purple eye shone in the fog spread inside the square and the muscles of his dark arms continued to pump gallons of blood, vibrating like two cannons ready to explode.


    "Uh? Hihih! And who are you?" the strange little man on the balcony chuckled, who was still too far away to be recognized.


    "I told you you must shut up! Get that laugh out of your face!" the young Master yelled.


    The scream was incredibly powerful and the breath emitted from his mouth turned into a shockwave that swept the floor under his feet, causing his own allies to tremble, who looked at him as if he was about to turn into a chilling monster.


    A thin purple aura covered the shape of his body while his gaze remained pointed upwards.


    The man on the balcony did not answer and slowly turned backward, entering a door and disappearing from view, leaving everyone speechless.


    "Can someone explain to me what the fuck is going on? Who''s that guy and why did he say we just wasted our time?! What does that mean?!" Bloodfang exclaimed, turning to Dag for explanations.


    "Get ready, the doors are about to open" the young Master replied, looking ahead to him and speaking enigmatically, having immediately understood what that man was referring to.


    The warriors of the two Clans had fallen into the trap of the Lies Of Loki, who as true masters of deception, had simulated a battle of which only the location was something real.


    When the gates of the palace opened squeaking, all the warriors returned to the fighting position, realizing that the moment of celebration was still far away, and held their weapons waiting for a second fight.

 554 DLIV. The Pitfall

    "What?! It''s empty! There''s no one in there!" Kranus gasped, who, rubbing his eyes, made an effort to look good at what was behind the door, but saw nothing but a giant empty room.


    "Is it possible that you haven''t figured it out yet?! The warriors we fought against were just copies! We have been deceived! The energy we spent during the battle will penalize us in the real fight we are about to face now! Wall of shields, quickly!" Dag yelled, who suddenly, without even moving a finger and holding both weapons tight in his hands, activated one of his enhancing skills: Champion''s Aura.


    Whoever was behind him benefited from the effects of the Hammers Of Thor''s ability, which increased their stamina, or the resistance they had lost fighting with all their might.


    The allied warriors felt invigorated and just as the first of them screamed and charged his spirit, ready to face the real enemies, those cries turned into screams of pain.


    Having not raised their shields as soon as Dag ordered it, dozens and dozens of Allied warriors died instantly and behind them, hundreds of enemy warriors materialized, who had left the door undisturbed and encircled them thanks to their gift of invisibility.


    "Fuck! They''re here! The Lies Of Loki are in the square!" Bloodfang yelled, who for the first time seemed to have a worried expression and didn''t know what to do.


    The battle quickly raged and the real enemies proved to be much stronger than the copies previously faced, managing to become invisible both before and after the attacks, crossing paths with each other, and switching their opponents, to put them increasingly in difficulty.


    Kranus and his generals, along with Freydis and Reidar, who remained close all the time, began killing anyone who attacked them again, being their level of combat above the average of those men.


    Not having enough time to reason about what to do, Dag leaned over his knees and charged a run.


    The electrical energy that began to flow into his body and leak out in the form of small sparks from the metal plates on his chest, joined the purple aura of his dark power.


    When the charge was complete, Dag stretched his knees and dashed forward like lightning, releasing an electric trail that burned every enemy in his path, killing about 10 soldiers without even using a weapon.


    The direction of the run was precisely the one that the young Master was thinking about from the beginning: the entrance door of the castle.


    "Daaag!" Freydis yelled after killing yet another warrior with Reidar''s collaboration, noting that Dag had entered that palace alone and knowing his plans.


    "Where is he?! Where did he go?!" the archer asked, looking around in a hurry.


    Bloodfang, as he fought wildly, jumping on his enemies and tearing apart their faces, necks, and limbs with his wolf canines, turned his face completely bloodied towards Freydis, hearing her last words.


    Noticing that the young Shieldmaiden and her archer friend could not free themselves from that situation, being busy fighting against multiple enemies at once, he made his way among his allies and snapped in the direction of the door.


    Kranus saw the scene and after a few seconds from Bloodfang''s run, he followed him.


    "Fuck, Thyrius! Are you crazy?! Do you want to follow the boy and leave your men here alone?!" the Giants Of Ymir leader yelled, drawing the attention of the Packmaster, who turned back.


    "I''m not alone... you''re with them! Watch my back!" Bloodfang replied firmly, turning forward again and entering the palace like a fury, intent on finding Dag and helping him, sensing that the warrior he was about to face had a strength not comparable to theirs.


    "Aaargh! But why nobody here respects the plan?!" Kranus screamed, furious, killing a man who was dangerously approaching him from behind with a movement of his arm, freezing him instantly.


    The old mage came up to the door and opened both the palms of his hands down.


    His hands began to emit intense blue light and within seconds, the earth beneath his feet trembled: after a shock similar to that generated by an earthquake, the ground broke apart and from it sprang a giant slab of ice that rose several meters, until it completely covered the door forming a wall almost a meter thick.


    After sealing the entrance with his magic, Kranus lay behind the wall, his face facing the square and his gaze full of anger and determination, ready to defend the entrance and not let anyone pass.


    About 10 seconds after his decision, Freydis and Reidar joined him, positioning themselves in front of the wall along with the ice mage and guarding the entrance.


    ...


    "Where are you, son of a bitch?! Where the fuck are you?!"


    In Dag''s anger-clouded mind, this phrase continued to echo incessantly, as his feet moved as fast as the wind, climbing the stairways that led from the lower floor to the upper ones and following every corridor, every curve, controlling every little corner of that huge place, as if he was a predator desperately looking for his prey.


    The right staircase, the one that Bloodfang remembered led to the bedrooms, was deserted and devoid of sound.


    Imagining the exact spot from which that figure had access to the balcony, Dag knew he had to be in the east wing of the building, but there were so many rooms, that it was like finding a needle in a sandbox.


    One by one, he hit the doors of the rooms in the corridors, breaking through them and opening them, verifying that there was no one inside.

 555 DLV. The Family Portrai

    "Fuuuck! Where are you?! Face me, you bastard! I''m going to rip that smile out of your face!" the young Master yelled loudly, smashing through yet another door leading to an empty room.


    Turning yet another corner of those corridors that looked like part of a labyrinth, a half-open door led outwards.


    Dag exited that door and discovered that he was standing right above the balcony from which that mysterious little man had made fun of him and his men.


    "He''s not even here... I can''t let him escape... as Thyrius had predicted, Hakon is not here, which means I will have to settle for the head of one of his generals!" he thought, looking down and noting that Kranus, Freydis, and Reidar were standing in front of the door, protecting the ice wall that kept it closed by enemies, fighting with all their strength.


    Marveling at that vision, he used the Sun''s rays that begin to illuminate the site of the battle to identify the other warriors as well, but after carefully searching, of Bloodfang, no trace.


    "Bloodfang is no longer on the battlefield and Kranus has sealed the entrance! If the Lies Of Loki general isn''t here and Bloodfang isn''t out there... it means that¡­ he found him before me! Fuck, fuck!" Dag exclaimed, thinking out loud and dashing back inside the castle, retracing backward all the way, realizing that that mysterious man was no longer in the east wing, but in the west wing, in the dining room area, the one Bloodfang described as his favorite before invading the city.


    "I told you his head belongs to me! I won''t let you kill him and take all the glory, you damn bastard wolf!"


    Dag''s mind, blinded by hatred for the Lies Of Loki, could no longer distinguish good and evil, and for him, anyone who got between him and the enemy was a threat to be eliminated.


    ...


    "The wooden handrail of the staircase is slightly burned on its surface, Dag must have passed over here!" Bloodfang thought a few minutes earlier, as soon as he entered the palace, after heading to the right, sure that the young Master would go in that direction.


    As he began to climb the stairs, a sound coming from the other side of the palace caught his eye.


    *skreeeck*


    The squeak of a door echoed in the huge entrance hall almost devoid of furniture and stopped the advance of the Packmaster, who sharpened his hearing and sight, returned back to his steps, descending the few steps he had climbed and heading the other way.


    He leaned out at the other stairway and looked up, trying to visually pinpoint the source of the noise.


    At the end of the staircase, on the first floor, a wooden door was half open and the wind coming from inside the room, joining the one present in the central part of the building, sprinkled with windows of all sizes, and forming a current that caused that chilling creaking.


    The Packmaster took courage and opened that door, knowing that it led to what was the dining room, and memories of his childhood returned in his mind.


    To his surprise, he immediately noticed that that part of the palace had remained identical to the original: a very long table with lots of chairs next to it was located in the center of the hall, until its end.


    The last chair, at the head of the table, was occupied by that mysterious man, whose feet were resting on the table and whose arms were folded, as if waiting to receive guests.


    Behind him, a huge painting caught Thyrius'' attention, who stood still looking at it, as if an arrow had just struck his heart.


    The painting depicted a man, a woman, and their three children, two boys, and a girl.


    Behind them, the Castle of Klorr, in all its original splendor.


    Bloodfang was paralyzed at the sight of that painting, which after viewing, reappeared in his memories as a piece of paper torn and thrown into the oblivion of his subconscious.


    "Father, mother..." the Packmaster whispered, not giving too much importance to the man who was looking at him and devoting all his attention to the painting.


    The two people depicted in the drawing were his parents and the three children were him and his siblings before they were killed by the Clan of the adept of Loki, the god of tricks, those who had taken everything away from him.


    "Hihihi... do you recognize someone in the painting? Did you see it? We were good, we left it as it was! Hihihi! Actually, you should say thank you to me, that I insisted it wasn''t destroyed... I have always loved this drawing, it is a truly remarkable artistic work, regardless of the subjects it represents... hihihi!" the man sitting at the table said, taking his feet off his surface and sitting composed.


    After those words, much anger began to flow through the veins of Thyrius, who considered the enemy''s speech incredibly sadistic and devoid of humanity: he admired the objective beauty of the painting, also if he didn''t know its subjects.


    It was a feeling that only one member of Lies Of Loki could feel, only an evil and unscrupulous man could tarnish another man''s past that way, making fun of now-defunct people.


    "How dare you... grrr... how dare you look at that painting and leave it hanging in this place... their souls do not belong to you, nor to anyone else!" Bloodfang exclaimed, pulling out his claws, while his red eyes shone in the darkness near the front door of that room, less illuminated than the others.

 556 DLVI. The Faceless Warrior

    The man continued to speak and when he looked up at Bloodfang, his appearance was finally visible.


    A slender body ended with a neck thin and slightly longer than normal: the face without a beard and hair was yellowish as if he was suffering from a disease.


    An anomalous smile, stretching from side to side of his face and showing so many sharp teeth was below a poorly pronounced nose, dug inside the skull, making that man scary, seeming a living dead being.


    Despite these frightening features, the scariest trait was his eyes: a white bandage, half torn and dirty with blood and mud, covered his upper face, not showing his eyes.


    Being bald, Bloodfang noticed that the man did not have ears, which judging by their scars had been torn from his head.


    After recovering from that frightening vision even for those who usually instilled fear in others, Thyrius stepped forward and put his hands on the table, slamming them violently.


    "Pathetic? The only pathetic thing here is you and your men! My soldiers are devouring them all and they will continue until the last of them has exhaled his last breath and tore to shreds. I don''t know who you are, but judging by that laugh that''s on your face, you''re their leader... well, I inform you that you have lost this war... it''s over, the city of Klorr is ours" Bloodfang said, keeping his nerves steady and speaking calmly, knowing that at any moment he would be attacked by that monstrous man.


    "Hihihihihihihi! Hahahihihi! You''re so funny, my dear wolf friend! I don''t have a name, I''ve never had one... they call me... the Keeper! Hihihi! You can take Klorr back, you can kill all our warriors... what does it matter to me? There will always be new men ready to join our Clan, people who have grown up in hatred and whose only goal will be to sacrifice their lives for the supreme lord of evil and chaos, the powerful Loki!"


    After those words, Bloodfang''s arm muscles began to grow, making strange sounds, and his body hair getting thicker, as the red pupils of his eyes widened more and more.


    "Uuuh! Yes, yes! This is very interesting! Life here is so boring, I can never have fun! Come on, puppy! Show me what the protagonist of the painting is capable of! Hihihi!" ''the Keeper'' yelled with a psychopathic laugh, opening his mouth and showing his tongue, as he slightly rotated his head, trying to intimidate his impending opponent.


    As his transformation progressed, blocked only by his fear of letting himself go to the rage, Bloodfang last looked at the painting hanging on the wall, focusing attention on his mother and sister, who unlike the family''s men, had been brutally killed by the Lies Of Loki.


    That vision was the signal for the floodgates to open and, in an instant, all the muscles in his body increased in volume, turning him into the largest of werewolves, smaller only than Layrus.


    The arms were completely covered with black hair and the hands grew along with the claws, razor-sharp.


    The trousers tore in the back and a long, bushy tail sprang out of it, waving in the air.


    "Grrroooargh!"


    An incredibly loud roar made the walls of the room vibrate and after it, Bloodfang revealed his true form, clutching the table in his hands, shattering it and pointing his frightful red eyes at the enemy.


    "Wow! Hihihihi! That was so scenic! Beautiful, my compliments!" the enemy exclaimed, who, without getting up from his chair, moved his torso forward and put a hand gently on the table.


    Sticking only the fingertips to the wooden surface and keeping the palm of his hand detached, the Keeper activated his unique skill: with the same visual effect as a water drop falling into a calm body of water and causing circular waves to propagate, the surface of the table moved as if it was made of water and the waves propagated towards Thyrius, which being in the midst of anger, did not notice what was going to happen.


    Just as the Packmaster charged forward, pushing with his arms on the huge dining room table, two giants wooden hands appeared from beneath him and forcefully grabbed his wrists, blocking his advance.


    Having already fully jumped on his legs, Bloodfang found himself in mid-air with his arms anchored to the table and despite his incredible reflexes, due to the force of gravity, he fell with his back on it, emitting an incredible thud.


    At the exact moment the big wolf''s back touched the wood, the Keeper''s hand rotated slightly and two other giant wooden hands popped up from the center of the table, crossing their fingers on Thyrius'' abdomen, blocking him completely.


    "Grrroaaargh! Let me go! Graargh!"


    In just two moves, the most powerful warrior of the Claws Of Fenrir, had his arms and back locked and, unable to move, he waved more and more, trying to let those huge hands made of wood loosen their grip.


    They, having been generated of the same material as the table and being much larger and more robust than the human ones, were too strong, even for him.


    "So? Is it over yet? Hihihi! You''re not a great playmate, my little wolfy man!" the Keeper chuckled, with one hand resting on the table and the other repeatedly banging its fingers on it, expressing his mental disease.

 557 DLVII. Get Out Of My Way!

    While shouting words of anger at his enemy, Thyrius failed to finish the sentence, warning that the handshake on his abdomen was becoming more intense and had now taken his breath out of his lungs.


    "But¡­ how?! Don''t you like my power?! Look, very few people were lucky enough to be killed like that, do you know?! Consider it a special gift of mine for you, who are the protagonist of my favorite painting! Hihihi!"


    After the enemy''s last words, a loud noise broke the silence and the door of the room was blown away, flying over Bloodfang''s head, which raised his gaze completely, looking back despite his view being reversed.


    "Hihi... uh?"


    Even the Keeper, now ready to shatter his enemy''s spine, looked up at the door, trying to sense a presence even though his eyes were covered by the bandage.


    "Aaaargh!"


    Entering as fast as a lightning bolt and leaving an electric trail behind him, Dag flew onto the table, ignoring the fact that Bloodfang was on it, and charged a shot in the direction of the enemy, screaming.


    Magni''s hammer tried to hit the face of the faceless warrior but he dodged sideways, rising from his chair and detaching his hand from the table.


    *booom*


    Dag violently crashed into the wall, not hitting the painting for a few inches.


    After removing his hand from the surface of the table, the four wooden hands that held Bloodfang still disappeared immediately, crumbling as if they were made of sand and the large black wolf freed himself from his prison, jumping to his feet and placing them on the table.


    Pushing with all the force in his knees, the Packmaster shattered the big table and dashed in the direction of the Keeper, ready to hit him with his giant claws.


    Dag, realizing that his shot had failed to hit the target despite the speed of execution, turned around and noticed that that big werewolf was Bloodfang, which seen in that form was much more threatening and strong than his human form.


    The Keeper, keeping the same eerie smile drawn on his face, stepped back to the wall behind him and put his hand on it.


    His power was activated for the second time and a large stone hand came out of the wall, grabbing him as if he was a puppet and quickly pulling him to the right, thus allowing him to dodge Thyrius'' sharp shot.


    The Packmaster''s claws missed the target and scratched the wall, leaving a trail of sparks that spread through the air.


    Before he could turn around to try to launch another attack, Dag ran after him, trying to precede him and charging the enemy, who was now on the opposite side of the room.


    Shortly before the impact, just when the young Master was now sure to hit his target, a second hand grabbed the enemy by the abdomen and moved him again, driving him away from Dag, who hit another wall, retaining his strength, but causing extensive damage to the structure.


    "Grrargh! You, idiot! You''re going to destroy the building like that! Get out of my way!" Bloodfang screamed, heading dangerously towards Dag, running on all fours.


    Dag turned back and saw the great werewolf arriving towards him, ready to attack him.


    With a rapid movement, he jumped backward, and Bloodfang touched him with one of his claws, missing a blow that would cause him serious damage.


    "What the fuck are you doing?! There is an enemy here with us, the priority is to defeat him! Nothing will happen to your beloved castle, stop acting like an idiot!" Dag shouted, after realizing that Thyrius was serious, not worrying about using scurrilous language, given the extreme circumstances.


    "This is none of your business! That man is responsible for the death of my men and mocks the painting that represents my family! I''m going to kill him with my own hands, at the cost of losing my life for it! Grraaargh!" Bloodfang growled again, opening his arms outwards and continuing to accumulate energy in his claws, which turned red as his pupils.


    Taking another dash, Bloodfang charged again towards Dag, trying to hit him and make him unconscious, in a beastly fury that came from his transformation, which as he had thought, was causing him to lose the light of reason.


    "Hihihihi! What an unexpected turn! Two allies fighting each other! I''ll enjoy the fight from here, see which one will prevail over the other! Hihihi!" the faceless man laughed again, resting his feet on the ground as the rock hand that had grabbed him shortly before disappeared inside the wall from which it had been generated.


    Dag, who did not expect a second attack from Thyrius, still managed to dodge the shot, which was much faster than the previous one.


    "Stop it! That man''s making fun of us! You promised me his head would be mine! I helped you bring your men together and execute your stupid plan, making you discover that we had fallen into a trap! Now give me my reward, let me fight!" Dag yelled, who before finishing speaking, was attacked for the third time.


    Thyrius'' phosphorescent claws cut the air in front of him and the young Master was forced to parry the blow by crossing the axe and hammer.


    The impact caused a powerful shockwave that made an incredibly loud noise and shattered the only large window in the room, which had been opened violently, allowed the faint sunlight to enter.


    ...


    *booom*crashh*


    "What was it? What''s going on in there?" Freydis exclaimed, catching her breath and continuing to kill one by one the enemies trying to reach the castle entrance.

 558 DLVIII. The Strongest Wolf

    "Fuck... I knew it was going to happen... I knew we couldn''t trust them..." Kranus whispered, who with an angry look looked down, brooding over his choices.


    "Of them? Who are you referring to? Do you think Bloodfang had anything to do with it?" Freydis replied, who, focusing only on Dag''s thought, did not immediately remember that Bloodfang was also inside the building with him.


    "I don''t know Bloodfang well, but... it is said that his transformation into a wolf is completely different from that of his warriors... in addition to being much stronger and faster, the Packmaster of the Claws Of Fenrir is unable to manage his anger... I''ve been very informed about him these days and... he killed his own father to play the role of leader of his Clan" Kranus confessed, joining the pieces of the puzzle and recalling Bloodfang''s sneaky gaze as he realized they were going to fight together.


    "Eh?! So Dag and Bloodfang are fighting each other?! But this is just¡­ crazy! If they join forces, they could defeat anyone in a few minutes!" the Shieldmaiden exclaimed again, worried about her man.


    "Thyrius seemed like a very proudful warrior to me... if a wolf decides what its prey will be, he will not give it to someone else..."


    "The Captain is proud too" Reidar interrupted, turning his gaze towards Kranus, who was finishing talking.


    A few seconds of silence followed the words of the archer, who after taking a deep breath and looking up at the top floors of the castle, began to speak again.


    "The Captain always manages to be rational and never exaggerates when there is no need to do so. I''ve never seen anyone control such great power in that way, it seems that he was born to be a great warrior, that''s precisely why he will always push me to follow him... however... every time he talks about the Lies Of Loki, something in his eyes changes, it''s like he loses control. His father was killed by one of them, he told me many times, so... I am sure that if Bloodfang puts himself between him and his vengeance, the Captain will not hesitate to fight even against one of his allies!"


    ...


    "Don''t force me to hit you, Thyrius! You don''t know what I''m capable of! We''re just wasting our time!" Dag exclaimed, dodging yet another shot of claws.


    "Aaargh! Grrooaaargh!" the great black wolf roared, pointing his blood-red eyes at the young Master, whose gaze fell on the Lies Of Loki warrior, who, from the bottom of the room, was enjoying the show with that scary smile on his face.


    "I will hit him precisely behind the back of the head, trying to make him unconscious... soon after I will dedicate myself to the enemy!" he thought, focusing on the Packmaster, who continued to growl and swell his muscles, which still grew especially on his arms.


    Bloodfang lowered slightly and after charging for a few more seconds, he snapped towards Dag.


    The leap forward was so powerful that it raised a cloud of dust in the room and Dag could not keep his eyes open, lifting both weapons forward and moving sideways.


    When he reopened his eyes, he noticed that Thyrius was no longer in front of him and as soon as he tried to turn around, he felt a sore pain on his side, so strong that it forced him to kneel and drop the hammer on the ground.


    "Aargh..." the warrior of Okstorm exclaimed, who after resting his hand under his chest, noticed that he was full of blood.


    "Get away, boy... or I will be forced to kill both you and him... take advantage of my moment of lucidity, or for you, it will be the end" Bloodfang said, looking towards the wall of the painting, while the grayish smoke came out of his feet as if they have been consumed by performing that shot at a superhuman speed.


    "He hit me... how the hell did he do that? I didn''t see anything, he was so fast that not even my developed senses were able to perceive his presence! Fuck it! I can''t give up right now! Aaargh, fuck again! It hurts!" Dag thought, continuing to touch his deep cut and looking at Bloodfang out of the corner of his eye.


    "Every 20 seconds, my body becomes more powerful and my attacks faster... this is my unique power... no one has ever survived, not even those who have always been stronger than me..." Thyrius replied in a low voice, clenching his fists and making a clear reference to his father, who was to be a formidable warrior.


    "Uuuh! It gets more and more interesting! Hihihihi! The great King of Wolves against an unknown and irascible little boy! I''m having fun like a kid! Hihihi!" the Keeper exclaimed aloud, who sat on the ground and put his head between his hands as if he was attending a theatre show.


    Dag, taking advantage of the moment of distraction that the enemy''s words would cause, rested one foot on the ground and then the other too, rising up despite the shooting pain and trying to activate his dark power, which had remained silent until then.


    As soon as he realized that behind him, Dag was trying to get up again, Bloodfang turned back and jumped towards his target, hitting him for the second time, but on the leg.


    Dag, unable to predict the incredibly fast blow, was knocked to the ground, also losing the Giantbane, whose blade dirt on his own blood.

 559 DLIX. Your Name Will Be Remembered

    Trying to concentrate and breathing with difficulty due to the strong blow he had suffered, Dag felt the dark matter move within himself and flow inside the wounds.


    With the usual fluid noise, it began the regeneration process, which within seconds began to relieve its pain.


    "Thyrius..." Dag said in a suffocated voice, rising again from the ground.


    "Uh?! You''re a true idiot! Why do you keep getting up?! Grrr... I didn''t want to do it, but you''re forcing me...!" the great wolf exclaimed, who considered Dag''s gesture as a real disrespect.


    "You don''t understand, do you...? *cough*cough*!"


    "I said you have to get out of the way!" Bloodfang screamed again.


    "I can''t do that..." Dag replied, touching the cut on his side, while the wound on his leg was already completely healed.


    "Grrr... argh! Shut up!"


    After yelling again, the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir snapped forward and at a speed not perceptible to the human eye, pierced Dag''s stomach, stabbing him with his claws until his hand popped out the other way.


    Dag''s gaze stared at the void and his wide-open eyes expressed the incredible pain he was feeling.


    The young Master grabbed the Packmaster''s wrist and slowly turned his gaze towards his face, to observe his expression, believing he would be the last thing he could see before he died.


    Without saying a word, Bloodfang violently pulled his bloodied hand out of Dag''s stomach, as if it was the blade of a sword, and put the other on his shoulder, holding him standing by inertia.


    "I warned you, boy. Your name will be remembered with honor, but everyone will know that you chose to die for your stubbornness" Thyrius added, slightly pushing Dag''s body backward, causing him to fall to the ground like a wooden board without reflections, banging with his back on the cold floor of the castle dining room.


    "Hihihihi! As I suspected! The big bad wolf managed to defeat the little boy! What a fright! Hihihi! Now he will pounce on me and try to launch one of his deadly attacks!" the Keeper chuckled, who rose from the ground, preparing to use his unique power to escape Thuyrius'' murderous fury.


    The head of the wolves, without hesitating further, snapped at him, who once again, predicting his trajectory before departure, managed to dodge him by creating a hand that pulled him towards the ceiling, dragging him next to the large chandelier that was hanging on it.


    Meanwhile, Dag''s forehead continued to sweat and his senses slowly began to abandon his body, reducing it to a vegetative stage.


    Feeling a strong sense of nausea and pain, Dag closed his eyes and stood still, letting his power help him get back on his feet, knowing that if he pretended to be half dead, Bloodfang would not give him the coup de grace.


    The dark matter grabbed the two flaps of the large wound caused by that big, sharp hand and pulled them towards each other, suturing the wound in a few seconds.


    The sweat on his forehead suddenly ceased to flow and the young Master gradually regained the sensitivity of his hands and feet, which began to move again.


    "It''s amazing! My body... it''s healing faster than usual! My regeneration skill had never gone that far, the wounds were incredibly deep! It''s as if my power wants me to rise and forces me to fight at all costs... it seems that it has its own will and is helping me!" Dag thought, opening and closing his hand and realizing that the noises caused by Bloodfang''s attacks slowly began to be sharp again and not just mingled and indistinct sounds.


    Making a slight effort and knowing that he could take as much time as he needed because both of the warriors in that room were not paying attention to him, Dag did not stand up, thus avoiding being noticed, and began to think about how to act in that difficult situation.


    "I thought we were going to fight the enemy by joining our forces... on the other hand, in the end, my ally became my enemy. I didn''t calculate this possible variable... Bloodfang attacks are incredibly fast and the more time passes, the more his speed and strength increase... his power is incredible, perhaps one of the strongest I have ever seen!" he continued to think, taking stock of the situation.


    Just as all those considerations gathered in young Dag''s mind, the Keeper created yet another hand, which blocked one of Bloodfang''s ankles on the floor, preventing him from dashing forward.


    "Uhuh! Looks like I finally got you! Hihihi!" the enemy warrior exclaimed, who from the beginning had never taken that evil sneer off his face.


    "Grrr..."


    Roaring and trying to apply all the strength he had in his body, the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir desperately tried to free himself from that trap, but his every attempt proved useless, being that hand very large and completely made of stone, heavier and harder than his muscles.


    Holding his hand to the ground, the Keeper twisted himself, managing to bend his spine abnormally, twisting his torso and turning his head backward, continuing to sneer with his tongue out of his mouth.


    "Let''s see how you got on the defensive front!" the enemy yelled, resting his other hand on the ground and summoning a second stone hand, which in less than a second grabbed Thyrius'' neck, forcing him to kneel.

 560 DLX. The Worst Memory

    "Bloodfang is stuck and he can''t move to hold those huge stone hands in place! I have to act right now! But how... what should I do? Who should I attack first?!" Dag continued to think, looking around and trying to figure out which was the best choice at his disposal.


    A moment before deciding to attack the faceless warrior first, Dag looked at the Giantbane on the floor, noting that its divine power was still active and its blades glowed with a bright red light.


    "... touching a source of heat and focusing on breathing, the warrior will have to expel a considerable amount of air from his lungs, in order to increase his body temperature... but... what the... why am I thinking of the words written on the scroll?!" Dag thought again, in the mind of which suddenly came back the words of the ability of the Claws Of Fenrir carefully translated by Freydis.


    It was as if dark power had joined his personality and in addition to giving him physical support, as usual, it also increased his reasoning ability by extracting targeted information from the archives of the corners of his memory.


    "One of the main prerequisites for activating that skill was the shapeshifting... only a warrior capable of turning into a wolf could learn and use such a skill, which is the same one Bloodfang uses all the time. No, Dag! Don''t be stupid! I can''t risk something like that, I''m sure it wouldn''t work! I will grab my weapons without being discovered and wait for the right moment to launch an attack!" the young Master continued, shaking his head and considering the idea that had just come up to his mind as a mere waste of time.


    *boom*


    A loud noise from the two fighters distracted him from his thoughts: Bloodfang had just been hit by a violent punch from a third hand that had popped off the floor.


    With a twist of one of the two hands that he had rested on the ground, the Keeper had been able to simultaneously summon three stone hands and, judging by his perennial quiet and amused expression, he had not yet reached the maximum expression of his power.


    "Oh, shit! Bloodfang is having a rough time! At this rate, he can risk dying! He didn''t expect to face such a strong enemy either, I''m sure!" Dag thought, witnessing the scene and realizing that his ally was in great trouble.


    While other thoughts made their way into his mind, the young Master, as he used to do in the most difficult moments, rose from the ground, standing still in the same position and closed his eyes, regardless of the fact that, the enemy, if he wished, could exploit his state of momentary vulnerability.


    Soon after, just as he began to feel a sense of comfort on his skin, generated by the sight of his mother Asa, the ugliest memory of his life prevailed over the others and came the moment when the three warriors of the Lies Of Loki and their leader named Alf attacked the farmhouse in search of the Red Executioner, Brann''s weapon.


    Dag''s real expression changed drastically and he had goosebumps on his arms.


    "Hey you, piece of shit! Leave my wife and my son alone!"


    "No, Stein! No! Go away, step back!"


    The screams of the man who had raised him in love and respect, to the point of making him feel at home, preceded those of despair of his mother, who despite her great fighting skills, already knew that she would not be able to intervene in time.


    Dag, as if the whole thing was happening before his eyes at that moment, saw himself and his father, who after his last run and clumsy attempt to strike the Lies Of Loki warrior from behind, was brutally killed, with a quick movement that broke his neck.


    *crack*


    "Noooo!"


    Asa''s screams echoed in the young Hammers Of Thor Master''s mind, while from his back a bundle of dark matter began to climb along his shoulders and then along his arms, absorbing them totally and proceeding on his neck and chest, enhancing all his body muscles.


    "aargh... rr..."


    The young Dag of the memory could not even scream as he saw Stein''s knees resting on the fresh grass surrounding the farm, while his lumberjack hatchet had fallen a few meters before.


    With his red hair moving in the warm air of that morning and his gaze facing the sky as if that big-hearted man was waiting for the moment when the Valkyries would lift his mortal soul and made it eternal by transporting it to Valhalla, Stein fell asleep forever, amid the screams of his family members.


    "Aaahhh..."


    Dag immediately exhaled all the air in his lungs, until he lost his breath and caught the attention of the two warriors who were continuing to fight independently, without considering his presence to be an important detail, believing that he had died after Bloodfang''s fatal blow.


    When the last molecule of carbon dioxide was expelled from Dag''s body, he remained in freediving for just over two seconds, causing his body to overheat.


    As if to his needs, albeit slightly, his body instantly increased the internal and external temperature and the dark power began to emit the usual grayish gas.


    "Uh?! It seems that you couldn''t even kill a poor kid! What incompetence!" the Keeper exclaimed, who ordered both hands to tighten Bloodfang''s neck, which was about to lose consciousness, failing to free himself from the grip, also having his ankle stuck on the ground.


    Dag, not paying attention to his enemy''s words and continuing to focus on his own breath, jumped in the direction of the Giantbane and closed his eyes even tighter, and, knowing that what he was about to do would cause him great pain, he put the palm of his right hand on the blade of the axe.

 561 DLXI. The Versatile Warrior

    "Mmhh... that boy must have some trouble with his weapons! Hihihi! Looks like it just burned! Hihihihi!" the enemy warrior said, remaining in the same position and witnessing the scene behind Thyrius, who after hearing those words, made one last effort and turned his gaze in Dag''s direction.


    "... my family... thousands of innocent people... I can hear their screams, their fear... you ruined my life, sons of bitches!... grr... rr... arrghh... rr...."


    Dag''s breath became more and more like that of a ferocious animal, and his right hand, which had just been burned, immediately stopped shaking.


    The end of the dark matter that enveloped his arms, at the wrists of both hands, began to boil as if it was sensing the powerful heat generated by the late Giantbane.


    The dark covering around Dag''s hands tore apart and apparently for no reason, it stuck back around his fingers, releasing the gray smoke it emitted during the condensation phases.


    Under the incredulous eyes of Bloodfang and the Keeper, huge dark claws wrapped in a thin fiery aura sprang out of Dag''s hands, which increased in shape and size, becoming much larger and longer, releasing a considerable amount of heat.


    "Urgh! It''s not possible! Uaargh!" exclaimed Thyrius, although his throat was still tightened in the hands evoked by the power of the enemy, whose eyes seemed to point towards Dag, despite the bandage that continued to cover them, made them invisible.


    "I can''t believe it... I feel it! I feel the fire in my hands! This incredible power within me, in my arms and in my legs... I''ve never felt such great firepower in my life!" Dag thought, who slowly opened his eyes and looked at his hands, remaining incredulous at what he was looking at.


    "... Blood... Red... Claws... but... but you are not..." Bloodfang continued to whisper, while his eyes began to ajar.


    "I''m not what?! A wolf?!" Dag exclaimed, who looked up at the two men in front of him and revealed his new enhanced form.


    Unlike other times, during which his power had combined with the elements of weapons, granting them greater power, this time it was the power of fire that entered him, in exactly the same way that lightning had done many times, after inheriting Magni''s hammer and in addition to the usual purple eye, the other eye had also changed its color, becoming of an intense and bright red, which in the darkness of that corner of the room looked like a shining ruby.


    "Grrraaargh!" with a less pronounced roar than that of a normal werewolf, Dag snapped forward, initially pushing himself with his arms, resting his hands on the ground.


    "Now, you die!" he said, without yelling and trying to catch a glimpse of the real eyes hiding behind the Keeper''s face bandage, whose expression suddenly changed, not expecting such a quick reaction from who, until a few minutes earlier, seemed just a kid playing the blowhard.


    Dag''s movements were so fast and precise that the opposing warrior failed to intervene, knowing that if he moved his hands off the ground, the grip on Bloodfang would be interrupted and the enemies to face would become two.


    The young Master''s claws hit the Keeper right in the face, making him fall to the ground backward, sore, shouting like a psychopath.


    "Uaaaaah! My face! My magnificent face! Aaaargh!" he yelled, resting both of his hands on the floor and rolling on it until he touched the wall with his back.


    The three huge stone hands immediately melted on themselves, leaving Bloodfang''s throat and ankle, who fell to the ground, almost unconscious.


    Dag threw himself back at the enemy and, without hesitating for a moment, punched him in the stomach, causing his body to bend and crackling the floor beneath it.


    As soon as the Keeper took his hands off his face, Dag noticed that the bandage covering his eyes had been removed and was now on the ground split in half.


    Under it, the enemy''s repulsive face was finally visible in all its essence: two huge purplish holes were dug into his skull and the eyes were not in place, as were his nose and ears.


    The only more or less ''human'' thing that remained on that deformed face was the incredibly large mouth, which began to spit blood after the violent fist.


    "Die! Die!" Dag yelled again, unleashing all his fury and repeatedly hitting the enemy in the stomach.


    After being hit for the third time and feeling an incredible pain on his spine in contact with the floor, the Keeper decided to counterattack and put his hand on the floor, evoking a slightly smaller hand than those that had grabbed the head of the wolves still.


    The stone hand hit Dag''s side with a clumsy blow, which unbalanced him and caused him to move from his position, thus preventing him from hitting his enemy again.


    "How did you do that? How dare you... how dare you?! That ability doesn''t belong to you! You can''t use an attack that doesn''t belong to your Clan, you dirty Okstorm warrior!" Bloodfang yelled, who in record time recovered from his state of confusion and rose from the ground, running on all fours towards Dag.


    At the same time, after a backflip onto the floor, the enemy turned his eyeless face to Dag and the hand he had summoned to drive him away disappeared into nowhere, replaced by another that pushed its creator forward, giving him the momentum towards his opponent.


    Dag, standing near the wall by the window, suddenly looked up and activated a power he hadn''t used in a very long time.

 562 DLXII. The Human Meteor

    Bloodfang''s feet and hands touched the floor slowly, while from his wide-open jaws hung a thread of saliva mixed with the blood generated from the Keeper''s attempt to strangle him, which he had escaped only thanks to Dag''s intervention.


    At the same time, the real enemy, the Lies Of Loki general, proceeded at great speed in that direction, with his half-open mouth and slimy tongue hanging outside, his hands open in Dag''s direction and the large stone hand pushing him from under his feet, moving like a wave on the floor of the room, destroying the tiles as it passed.


    "I can''t be defeated right now... I have to wipe out the Lies Of Loki and then I must follow the prophecy... if the only way to do this is to knock out one of my allies, I will be forced to do so!" the young Master thought, who opened both hands, sliding the dark power combined with that of fire between his claws, which released even more heat.


    Not knowing how his purple eye could slow down his perception of time and trying to exploit that moment that would not last forever, Dag remembered when, that ability had saved him from certain death at Mork Castle, during the fight against Hjalmar and Myr, when his master Magni was still alive.


    Instead of moving, thus avoiding both direct attacks on him, Dag jumped forward, realizing that, being the time slower for him too, even gravity seemed not to work properly, allowing him to float in the direction of the jump as if he was on the surface of the moon.


    However, the gaze of both enemies remained pointed in the same direction, being Dag''s jump too fast to be perceived by them during the race.


    Dag rotated slightly forward, spreading his big hands wide open and moving one towards the Keeper''s head, the other towards Bloodfang''s, being the trajectories of their runs converging.


    The eyes of the two warriors gradually turned, as if they had finally realized that their target was no longer in front of them, but at that moment, both of Dag''s fiery hands had already grasped their heads.


    "Time is about to return to normal, I have to use all the strength I have in my body, otherwise I will not be able to fight them both! I must put at least one of them out of the game, or... or..." Dag thought, but during his rotation, while he was vertically upside down, suspended in the air, with the heads of the enemies in his hands, he saw the light coming from the half-open window.


    His pupils, moving with his body, were illuminated by the Sun''s rays penetrating the room, until, the large luminous sphere created by the Xis, matched perfectly with his eyes.


    After unbalanced them from their positions of attack, the young Master, screamed tenaciously and pushed violently with his feet to the ground, unleashing incredible strength and keeping on looking at the window in front of him.


    Having been caught off guard and not believing that, in less than a second, the warrior in front of them would teleport behind them, the Keeper and Thyrius could not counter the thrust and saw the wall and window getting closer and closer to their faces.


    "Aaaargh!" Dag yelled, clutching the two heads in his hands and burning their tissues, managing to sense the stench of burnt skin coming from the Keeper and burned hair by Bloodfang.


    ...


    "What the fuck?! But¡­ how many are there?! These warriors seem to come out of nowhere!" Reidar exclaimed, who had almost finished the arrows in his quiver.


    "It seems that many of them continue to use copies and teleport skills help them escape dangerous situations, regain strength and try to attack again!" Kranus replied, who began to sense the fatigue of all the magic he was using, while the wall behind him was half as high as when it was raised, under the violent rays of the Sun, which was slowly heading towards the position before sunset.


    *crassshhh*


    "Uh?!"


    "What was it?!"


    All the warriors who had been fighting for hours in the square, including Freydis, Reidar, Kranus, and their enemies, suddenly stopped fighting, turning their gaze upwards, identifying in unison the origin of the noise of broken glass.


    When the glass pieces of the window and the shards of wood dispersed into the air, falling into the void, they gave way to what from below was perceived as a shapeless mass, a set of multiple bodies stuck together.


    During those seconds, due to the Sun that did not allow them to sharply distinguish the bodies of Dag, the Keeper, and Bloodfang, everyone stood still watching.


    "Move away, get out of there!" the Giants Of Ymir''s warriors yelled, warning their teammates to move quickly from the spot where that half-fiery, meteorite-like body would impact.


    *booom*


    An explosion followed the violent impact, which raised a cloud of dust, as well as a circular shockwave, which forced almost everyone to cover their eyes.


    Kranus, predicting that reaction, raised a second curved wall, less large than the previous one, but useful to protect Reidar and Freydis, who by that time had defended the entrance to the Klorr Castle with him.


    *cough*cough*


    "What the fuck happened?!"


    "What was that?! It looked like made of people!"


    The warriors who had managed to escape the impact of that human asteroid began to wonder what it was, continuing to cough because of the dust.


    When the cloud began to thin out and disperse in the air, a denser, almost blackish cloud, evidently generated by some kind of combustion, was released, slowly giving a glimpse of what was inside it.

 563 DLXIII. The Resolver

    Under the astonished gaze of all the warriors of the three Clans, only one man stood beyond that smoke, with one arm raised to the sky and something in his hands.


    That man was Dag, the young Master of Okstorm, and what was in his hands was the now unrecognizable head of the Keeper, the general of the enemy forces.


    In front of his feet, the almost entirely burned body of the enemy and that of Bloodfang, who had been spared by his fury and laid unconscious in the impact crater, in its human form, and with its upper body slightly damaged.


    During the fall, noting that Bloodfang did not react forcefully to the grip, knowing that he had consumed almost all his stamina to free himself from the stone hands that had immobilized him shortly before, Dag had managed to move all the dark matter that enveloped his left arm on the right arm, the hand of which clutched the Keeper''s head.


    With that gesture, the claws of his right hand had doubled their power and with a quick gesture, he had managed to violently detach the head of the real enemy, simply tearing it away from the bone of his neck.


    As the enemies and allies tried to realize that what they had just seen was not a dream, but was part of reality, the young Master threw forward the Keeper''s head, which rolled onto the snow-covered floor, that along with the earth under the boots of the warriors who frantically fought on it, had turned into sticky mud.


    Scattering a few scorched pieces into the environment, the head stopped under the feet of one of the enemy warriors, who as soon as he saw it and managed to recognize it, screamed with despair, falling to the ground and crawling backward for several meters.


    "Aaargh! Aaargh! It''s the general! It''s the general''s head!" he yelled in panic.


    Before anyone could answer that statement, Dag, with his right arm still covered in flames, with his hand claws so long that they almost touched the ground, exclaimed loudly:


    "The Keeper has been defeated. Klorr belongs again to the Claws Of Fenrir, the war is over..."


    The sound of the wind was the only thing that broke the silence of the seconds after that words.


    "Yeeeaaahh!"


    "Uhuuu! Yes, fuck!"


    "The war is over, Klorr is ours!"


    A loud sound echoed in the square and under its arcades, while the allied warriors screamed with joy, kneeling towards Dag and raising their hands to the sky, knowing that that nightmare was now over.


    At the same time, the Lies Of Loki remained petrified, being now in a clear minority and without a commander to follow.


    "Your Packmaster, Bloodfang, lost his senses during the fight, but thanks to me he is safe and sound and will only suffer minor burns wounds on his shoulders and face. Warriors, take his body and heal his wounds, quickly!" the young Master yelled, interrupting the moments of joy of the werewolves and forcing them to approach him and lift Thyrius'' body from the ground.


    As Dag hastily ordered, Thyrius'' warriors approached and lifted him, wrapping his body with bandages to hold him still and using a kind of wooden wheelbarrow found nearby as a makeshift stretcher.


    "Dag..." Freydis called again, approaching her man and looking at him slightly afraid.


    He turned his gaze back, realizing that Freydis'' eyes were pointed at his arm, which, with dark and firepower, was still covered in a black mass and had sharp, fiery claws.


    "I''ve never seen you use such a skill... is that what I think?" the Shieldmaiden continued, looking at the details and remembering the skill written in the scroll she had translated for him.


    "Yes, I was able to use Blood Red Claws, the skill of the Claws Of Fenrir..." Dag confessed, looking at his own hand and realizing that he had accomplished an impossible feat, contradicting Clans rules.


    "What? Do I get it right?"


    "Has he learned the skill that only a few of us besides Bloodfang have been able to use?"


    Some of the wolf warriors of the Claws Of Fenrir, when they approached Dag and Freydis to help their leader, heard the girl''s words and were amazed by what she had said, having visual feedback of the new skill learned by Dag, whose hand appearance perfectly coincided with that described in the ancient scrolls of their reserved in their Clan''s library.


    "You are a prodigy, Captain! You still don''t realize? Besides winning a war at Krypstorm you''ve managed to do something no one else before you have ever done! No one in Skjold''s history! Do you know what that means? It means you can learn as many skills as you want, regardless of the Clan that owns them! You will soon become the strongest warrior on the planet!" Reidar exclaimed, running towards his friend and congratulating him, smiling enthusiastically.


    A little of that enthusiasm was also passed on to Dag, whose body still flowed the adrenaline of the battle just fought, finished much earlier than he had imagined.


    While Dag and his friends spoke, in addition to the warriors of the two allied Clans, the Lies Of Loki were still there, with no weapons and no intention of fighting, not knowing where to go, being aware that reaching Dolken without horses would be a difficult task.


    "So? Why do you continue to stain the honor of this place with your presence?! Didn''t I give you a chance to run away?!" the young Master yelled, turning his purple and red eyes towards them and making them tremble with fear.

 564 DLXIV. Inside Your Head

    "That''s not my problem! You must disappear from my sight, otherwise, you will die here and now, like your comrades! Get the fuck out of here!" Dag continued, triggering the enemy soldiers, who without even collecting the necessary equipment to face the journey, came out running from the square and headed for the gates of the city.


    "Soldiers, follow those bastards and make sure they leave Klorr without causing further damage" he ordered, looking at Giants Of Ymir warriors and entrusting them with the task of silently following enemies, not trusting what they could do.


    Immediately, a dozen allied warriors obeyed and followed the Lies Of Loki from afar, exiting the square, being the chains that kept the area closed vanished into nothingness.


    Dag looked upwards, letting the afternoon sunset light illuminate his face and caress his skin and, slowly, his arm returned to its original shape, as well as the red eye, which returned to its light blue color.


    As soon as she saw that her boyfriend''s body was no longer surrounded by flames or other dangerous things, Freydis ran over him and hugged him, clutching him hard.


    "Hey... I''m here, Freydis... we did it. I saw you fighting from above the tower... you were amazing" Dag said, kissing the Shieldmaiden on the head and enjoying her body heat, glad the battle was over.


    At the same time, someone approached him at a light pace, from behind.


    Dag turned in that direction, noting that he was Thyrius'' right-hand man, who along with the other bodyguard, the huge and muscular man, had approached him in a friendly but suspicious manner.


    "Thank you for sparing the Packmaster and returning Klorr to us. Without your help and without this alliance, this would never have been possible. Our citizens will finally be able to start living on the surface again thanks to you, Dag of Okstorm" the shadow warrior exclaimed, who had never said a word, yet he was the only one to thank the young Dag worthily, making him appreciate the words.


    "Grr... rr!" the other warrior exclaimed, speaking with a kind of growl as if it was the only way he could communicate with.


    "I''m glad we made it, but... I have spared nobody! The enemy managed to..."


    "We know very well what happens to our leader when he transforms. Surely he will have tried to attack you, making no distinction between you and the real enemy. It''s already happened before, it''s the price he''s forced to pay to use all that physical strength. Again, thank you" the shadow warrior said, who after those words, without allowing Dag to respond, turned back and walked away with his colleague.


    The allied soldiers gradually began to reclaim the city''s spaces, bringing Bloodfang''s exhausted body inside the castle, confident that they would find the material needed to heal his burns.


    Meanwhile, the Sun set behind the mountains on the horizon and the shadow of the castle completely covered the square, where all the corpses were spread on the floor.


    While talking to Kron about what had happened between him and Bloodfang, describing his powers and those of the incredible enemy they had been forced to face, Dag felt a pit in his stomach, similar to a cramp.


    "Rrgh... what?!" the young Master exclaimed, who in a moment recovered from the hit.


    "Dag? What was that?"


    "Captain, are you all right?"


    His companions, as soon as they saw his terrified expression for no reason, worried about him and began to fill him with questions.


    As they spoke, asking Dag what had happened, his hearing could not pick up a single sound, as if caps had been inserted into his ears without him noticing.


    Dag turned the other way, shaking his head and trying to get rid of that incredibly annoying feeling, but to no avail.


    "What the fuck is wrong with me? I can''t hear anymore! What is it?!" he thought, kneeling on the ground and scaring all his comrades, especially Freydis, who followed his every movement by shouting his name.


    "Oh, here you are... it wasn''t that easy..."


    "Uh?! Who are you?!" Dag exclaimed, who, not being able to hear the sounds coming from outside, didn''t know he was screaming.


    "Hey, hey... calm down, boy. It wasn''t easy to get inside your head, don''t get upset" the same voice continued, warm and grave.


    "Wait... are you in my head? Who the fuck are you?" the young Master thought, knowing that that voice came within him and could have heard him even if he hadn''t actually spoken but just thought of the words.


    "That man you defeated just now... had an incredible story, you know?" the voice continued.


    "Eh?"


    "The Keeper. The warriors called him with that name because he never left Klorr Castle, guarding every room of his and holding every of its deepest secrets. You killed him in a few simple moves, judging by your current physical state..."


    "And what does that have to do with you? Who the hell are you?! How did you get into my head! Go away!" Dag thought again, who, focusing on his mind, was jerking his body, as if wriggling from an invisible entity trying to block him, causing much concern among his companions, including Reidar and Freydis, who kept staying close to him not knowing how to help.


    "So smart but so naive at the same time... he was the best of my generals, second only to me" the voice replied, remaining calm and patient.


    Dag remained motionless, trying to block even the flow of thoughts that crowded his mind at the time, knowing that the enemy had a chance to read them.

 565 DLXV. The Shadow Cloak

    "Well, I already imagined you wouldn''t let me down. You know, Dag, I followed your adventures with interest and fell in love with your power... all that darkness, that wickedness... I can feel it, it comes from here, from inside your body, it''s part of your soul! *sniff*... mmmhh..."


    The voice continued to speak, emitting the classic sound of those who are sniffing something as if he could materially perceive dark matter within the young earthly warrior.


    "I... I will kill you, son of a bitch! You destroyed my family! You and your dirty warriors! You''re going to pay for it! I will kill you all, from the first to the last! I will destroy Dolken and everything that belongs to you, I will make sure that you will be erased from history, pieces of shit!" Dag thought angrily, clenching his fists and focusing his objective, perfectly remembering the face of the Lies Of Loki''s leader, after seeing him in the memories of Egill, who showed him the moment of Brann''s death.


    "Here it is, that''s the wickedness I was talking about... you can''t give up on it, it''s part of you... however much you dream of becoming a good and just warrior, the purest evil lives in your body, ready to kill anyone who stands between you and your goals. I... I... I want your power" Hakon''s voice replied, which continued in the usual warm tone that characterized his evil and self-confident personality.


    "So come and get it, son of a bitch!" Dag exclaimed loudly, banging a fist to the ground and cracking the floor surface while he was still on his knees, emitting a rumble and scaring anyone nearby.


    "Dag... not... what have you got..."


    "... maybe... step... step back!"


    After those words, he slowly regained his hearing and the words of his friends were finally picked up by his ears.


    "Dag! Where is he?! Where is Hakon?!" asked Freydis, repeating that phrase for the umpteenth time, hoping that sooner or later he might answer that question, having uttered the name of the greatest of his enemies.


    *ttzzzz*ttttzzzzz*tttzzzzzzzzzzzzz*


    A strong vibration moved the circular metal plates on his leather armor and Dag touched his chest.


    He slipped a hand under his armor and pulled out the Bjelke Sphere, the relic-hunting pendant.


    The small sphere was vibrating very strongly, moving incessantly and rotating on itself, almost more than when King Einar, the owner of the emblem n¡ã1, was in front of him, a few meters away.


    "He''s here¡­" Dag said, swallowing empty and sensing a drop of sweat slipping from his forehead, while strong chest tights continued to annoy him.


    As Dag rose from the ground, the darkness in the square began to materialize, as if it was no longer a simple lack of light, but a real aeriform material.


    A shadowy wake began to rotate, converging in one spot and ascending from the floor upwards, creating a small dark vortex.


    After a few seconds, while only Dag and his closest companions were inside the square to witness the scene, the vortex was abruptly interrupted, and inside of it, a person appeared.


    The first distinguishable element was a long cloak that reached the ground, black as the shadow that had spawned it, and at its top, a huge hood covered the face of its owner.


    The darkness that enveloped that man disappeared into thin air, followed by a metal screech as if a blade was crawling on an iron board.


    In front of him, Dag, Reidar, Freydis, Kron, and Atran remained motionless, not expecting to see such a thing after winning a battle of that size.


    The Bjelke Sphere on Dag''s chest continued to vibrate loudly and the young Master pulled it out of its position and put it in his pocket, so as not to be distracted by that harassing noise.


    Reidar was the first and only one to notice his Captain''s gesture and, knowing what the pendant was for, he quickly realized that the man who had just materialized in front of them, was surely the owner of some emblem.


    Linking that event to the name of Hakon, who had been yelled at earlier by Dag during his emotional crisis, Reidar had no more doubts and extracted the Failnaught.


    "What''s going on?! Don''t tell me that he is..." Freydis said, in a flickering voice, taking a step back in fear.


    The mysterious enemy stepped forward, and as soon as his foot touched the floor, the snow on it melted.


    The huge hood completely covered his face, masking his identity: the only thing that transpired was his downward gaze.


    Atran also pulled out his daggers, positioning himself next to Kron and in front of Dag, ready to defend the young Master despite his massive injuries, which had started hurting him again.


    "Where''s Commander Kranus? We absolutely need your help! Without his powers and Bloodfang''s, how can we make this?" Kron whispered, addressing the other Outpost general, who didn''t know what to answer, not knowing the location of the ice mage, which since Dag landed in the square killing the Keeper, seemed to have vanished into nowhere.


    Dag remained motionless, not looking away from the enemy for a second, just waiting to ascertain his identity, while his hands trembled with nervousness and his heart beat hard.


    "What a moving scene... two warriors from a Krypstorm Clan ready to defend you despite their meager power. You''ve always had a strong charisma, Dag..." the man said, in the same dark and deep voice that a few seconds earlier had spoken in the head of the young Master of Okstorm.


    At that exact moment, Even Dag had no more doubts: before his eyes, there was the enemy he had waited for all his life, the supreme leader of the Lies Of Loki, the one who had killed Brann and caused Stein''s death.

 566 DLXVI. Worthless Toys

    The man''s arms rose and his hands covered in black leather gloves sprang from the wide sleeves of the cape.


    The same hands grabbed the big hood and, in a rapid movement, moved it from his head, finally revealing his true identity.


    Two fire-red eyes were pointed at Dag and a red hair mohawk sprang out of the hood, a distinctive feature of the Lies Of Loki boss.


    Hakon''s expression put the chills on everyone in front of him: a slight malignant smile and shadow on his face communicated his enormous power, made of pure wickedness.


    After taking off his hood, he grabbed the cloak at his chest and violently pulled it away, throwing it to the ground.


    Hakon wore a light all-black armor, made entirely of leather, different from the one he wore when he killed Brann, in Egill''s memory.


    "Here I am, in person... I used the gift of the night to teleport here. I couldn''t help but personally welcome my most important guest" he replied, continuing to look only at Dag with his evil eyes.


    The young Master, before losing control, tried to control his breath, thinking about possible attack options.


    "There are chains around his arms... if he fights as he did against Brann, those chains are connected to poisoned blades that he hides under his wrists... he doesn''t know that I''ve seen him in action before, I absolutely have to use this to my advantage... but how?! I left my weapons in the castle dining room... without them, I cannot exploit my power or even activate my new feral ability..."


    "What is it? You don''t say anything? You''ve been wanting to meet me for so long, and yet... you stand still there, shaking like a leaf... mmmh... that''s not good" Hakon interrupted, who began to move again, walking sideways, as the heat generated by his feet continued to melt the snow beneath them.


    "Captain, if that man is really Hakon... this means that he is extremely powerful... remember that he managed alone to defeat Master Brann, who was the strongest warrior of our Clan..." Reidar whispered, trying to warn Dag and realizing that only two arrows remained in his quiver and that his help would therefore be derisory.


    Dag nodded, signaling to his companion that he understood and continued to follow Hakon with his eyes, while Freydis was petrified and Kron and Atran did not know how to behave.


    "My friends!" the young Master said, out of the blue.


    All four warriors on his current team turned to him, waiting for his words.


    Dag''s words were followed by a chilling silence and all his comrades hesitated before obeying the order.


    Freydis looked at her boyfriend with tears in her eyes, but Dag was so focused on the enemy that for the first time did not reciprocate her gaze, making her realize that he had been waiting for that fight all his life and that she could not stop him either.


    Reidar put his hand on her shoulder and together with her and the other two Generals, he walked away, stopping in front of the castle door, about thirty meters from Dag and Hakon, facing each other.


    "Hey, take it easy, kid... I just wanted to have a chat with you, but I see you do not agree... you''re a marvel of chemistry, I''ve always believed that... your nature will never cease to amaze me..." the enemy leader said, standing still with both hands in his pocket.


    "You don''t know anything about chemistry and you don''t know anything about me. I don''t know how long you''ve been spying on what I''m doing and how I behave, but I don''t care. If you did it, it means you fear me, you''re fearing I might defeat you. And if a warrior of your caliber were defeated by a kid like me, it would be a tragedy, am I right?" Dag replied, who incredibly managed to keep calm.


    The young Master''s response visibly annoyed Hakon, whose smile instantly turned into a serious expression.


    "You are not the only one who has studied the behavior of your enemy, I have also got some information about you. However, I don''t understand how the emblem n¡ã6 does all this noise" Dag continued, being enigmatic, imagining that his opponent had no idea what the Bjelke Sphere was and how it worked.


    "Ehehe... the more I listen to you talk, the more I regret that your life has now come to an end... it''s not personal, but what you have, it belongs to me by right. I don''t know what you''re talking about, but I don''t just own the emblem n¡ã6... I have four of them, my dear boy. The fourth, the sixth, the fifth... and the second" Hakon replied, keeping his hands still in his pocket.


    "What?! Did he really say he owns the fourth emblem?! He could challenge King Einar and claim the crown! The only warrior stronger than that man is the King himself!" Reidar exclaimed, who after those words was even more terrified of what he was about to see, believing that, despite his incredible strength, Dag would not be able to defeat a warrior of that strength.


    "Anyway... they''re just stupid worthless toys, they don''t matter to me... I collect them only for personal satisfaction. You have to defeat the best to be the best, right?" Hakon continued, as that wicked smile reappeared on his face.


    *sniff*sniff*


    Dag began sniffing something in the air, pretending to ignore the comment of his interlocutor, who was astonished at his irreverence.

 567 DLXVII. Putting The Pieces Together

    "I can smell your fear" Dag replied, continuing to look at his opponent, ready to fight against him and commit himself to the maximum, at the cost of dying in an attempt to kill him.


    "Your insolence talking to you in person is even more annoying than what I''ve felt over the last 10 years watching you" the Lies Of Loki leader replied, too smart to fall into such a trivial provocation.


    ...


    "Dag is getting more and more amazing! He just insulted the second strongest warrior on the planet, making fun of him!" Atran intervened, who had not met Dag from the beginning and did not believe he was so impulsive and confident.


    "He''s been waiting for this moment all his life long, but... I don''t like what Hakon just said... I have a bad feeling about it..." Freydis said in a low voice, expressing her fear and continuing to remain silent in order to listen to the speech between the two rivals.


    ...


    "What did he say?! Ten years! Ten years ago I just got here on Skjold! Has he been spying on me since then?! It''s not possible!" Dag thought, who could not hide his amazement, who after that statement transpired from the way he opened his eyes.


    "What? Is it possible that you haven''t figured it out yet? Hold on... I give you a little clue... does a little white rabbit remind you anything?" the enemy leader asked, who was behaving as if all that talk was just a sick game for him.


    Dag''s body got paralyzed as if he had just been struck by sudden lightning and his eyes opened completely, failing to react calmly to that shocking news.


    "The... the white rabbit..." he stammered, taking a step back and recalling exactly what Hakon was talking about.


    "That rabbit... that rabbit that convinced me to join the Hammers Of Thor! Like a fool I believed it was sent me from the God Thor, who was trying to communicate something to me, instead, it was his work! It was Hakon! But why?! Why force me to change my choice?! What would have changed if I joined the Crows Of Odin? Lots of things actually, that''s true... but what advantage did he gain?!" Dag thought, who was in a total panic, not knowing how to react.


    "You never wondered what a little white rabbit was doing in Jernhest arena? Did you really think it was a divine signal? Hahaha! What a fool! Hahah... okay... maybe I exaggerated a little, I took advantage of your youth and naivety... but your face right now... you should see it! Hahaha!"


    Hakon burst into a restrained laugh, unable to resist the fun he felt watching Dag realize that almost his entire life had been maneuvered by his bitter enemy.


    "Those animals... the crows, the fawn, the rabbit... the undead! None of this makes sense... they all had the same power as the Xis, like... oh, no... don''t tell me that..."


    Dag''s gaze rose again towards his interlocutor, at a time when the curiosity to know if he understood everything prevailed over the fear of looking straight in those frightful red eyes.


    "However... it was not my initiative. I never felt the need to know everything about an unknown kid, I had other plans, more important things to do. Let''s say I was recommended by..."


    "The Frostsinners. They forced you to do it!" Dag interrupted, spitting out the truth.


    All those in the square remained petrified and Hakon also remained silent for a few seconds, realizing that Dag''s intelligence had led him to reason and that the young and talented warrior had already found the solution to his dilemma.


    Just when the leader of the Lies Of Loki had decided to answer, Dag preceded him.


    "I''m sure they offered you something... something you couldn''t refuse... they gave you the power to control Skjold''s animals and use their sight and senses to spy on me, but not the powers those animals were imbued with... isn''t that right, Hakon?"


    With his fists clenched, Dag continued to stare at his interlocutor, while the fear he had felt up to that point slowly turned into anger.


    "I could only control those beasts, but their every attempt to attack your life, every time they put you to the test... well, I had nothing to do with it, they did it, you know who" Hakon replied, who almost seemed willing to justify himself as if confessing to Dag the truth removed a huge weight from his stomach, a heavy burden that for years he had been carrying in silence.


    "I... I..." Dag stammered, not knowing how to respond, as thoughts overlapped in his mind, trying to dig into the past and get some other useful detail out of it.


    "I acquired amazing knowledge thanks to them and they made me realize how special you are! Your powers, your body, everything about your genetics... it''s all by chance, the result of a chaotic combination of chemical elements! All of this makes you an extremely rare being, but it''s obvious that you''re not able to handle all that power... you need someone to do it for you" Hakon continued, making a clear reference to himself.


    ...


    "Wait, that means... the Frostsinners waited for Dag to fully develop his powers and then order Hakon to kill him and steal the dark matter from him?!" Reidar exclaimed, asking Freydis and the other two Generals if he understood correctly.

 568 DLXVIII. The Final Boss

    Kron and Atran, not knowing all those dynamics that belonged to the past, respected a religious silence, with their weapons still in their hands, ready to intervene despite Dag ordering them not to do so for any reason in the world.


    ...


    Dag exhaled in a deep breath, trying to calm down and think lucidly, knowing that that moment would be crucial, and marveling that Hakon wanted to talk and not immediately go on the attack.


    "You are not the first person I meet who wants to seize my powers. If you really spied on me at all times, you should know. You all keep saying that they''re too big for a miserable kid like me, but every time you try to steal dark matter from me, it defends me and makes me capable of things I would otherwise never have been able to do. I never expected the man who killed Brann who caused my father Stein''s death to be also the man who spied on me all these years. At this point, I agree with you on one thing: it is obvious that one of us must die and that the other must continue to live with the dark powers, the same powers that even the Xis fear, failing to foresee them" the young Master stated, showing a certain maturity in his reasoning.


    "Excellent, I see you came to the conclusions yourself..."


    "However... you too are no different from the others, you too ignore the real reason that still drives me to fight. I was looking for you to avenge my father''s name and my sister Gridd''s father''s name, but my main focus is not you, Hakon, it has never been you" Dag continued.


    "Uh?"


    The enemy''s eyes ajar and he tried to understand the meaning behind that statement.


    "You are nothing but one of the many pawns maneuvered by them, by our true enemies, those who have forced the entire human race to get down on their knees, to live according to their rules, and to die indiscriminately, as if our lives had no value! My job is to restore what was originally there, to bring my planet back to life, eliminating that alien scum forever! I am not afraid of you and if you believe more in the false promises of someone who belongs to a race other than yours, rather than the words of a human being, then your life has lost its meaning and I will put an end to it!"


    "Well... let''s begin..." the leader of Lies Of Loki whispered, moving his neck to one side and the other and creaking his joints, warming his body and preparing for the impending fight.


    While waiting for his enemy to make the first move, not being sure he expected it, Dag attracted Niva, his Clan''s ability to recognize the power of opposing warriors.


    The aura around Hakon was black and stretched in height for several meters: his physical strength and power, combined together, were shocking, worthy of the second strongest warrior of the world.


    "Know that I have no intention of holding back my strength, little boy. I''m going to destroy you in a few seconds and take my reward. Ah, speaking of your father... Alf decided of his own free will to kill him, my only order was to steal the Red Executioner, but... I''m glad he''s dead. Look at you, look what you''ve become!" Hakon said, who at the same time, as he was speaking, loaded his first attack.


    As Dag growled with rage, aware that he absolutely should not fall into the enemy''s provocations, Hakon disappeared into a cloud of thick smoke that dispersed immediately.


    Freydis, Reidar, and the others stood looking with their hearts down their throats, knowing that Dag''s life was hanging by a thread and the end of that war could turn into a catastrophic moment.


    After less than a second, Hakon reappeared a few feet ahead, running.


    Soon after, he disappeared again and reappeared later, but this time, he was no longer alone: along with his original body, two copies were following the same trajectory, crossing their run and trying to disorient Dag, who tried to use his enhanced eye to locate the real target.


    As he had already unwittingly done against Hjalmar, the King Of Bones, spotting him in the midst of the horde of undead he had created, Dag''s purple eye painted a red aura around the real Hakon, distinguishing him from his copies.


    "I can pinpoint his position, but I''m sure his clones can attack me too... without my weapons I''m incredibly disadvantaged!" Dag thought, trying to come up with a solution quickly.


    The next moment, two more copies appeared behind him, and, seeing himself surrounded, he quickly rotated his body, moving his dark arms along with it.


    Two copies of Hakon disappeared into nowhere after being violently shot and the same happened to the other two behind him, after a single blow.


    Just when the young Master was sure that the last target still running towards him was the real Hakon, he increased the speed of rotation of his body, channeling his physical power into a single blow through the two arms that joined in a large dark, sharp beam.

 569 DLXIX. The Greenish Poison

    "He didn''t dodge the blow!"


    *baaam*


    As Dag realized Hakon''s offensive maneuver, both warriors stopped and everyone watching them could not hold back a fright.


    "Wh... what?!" Dag gasped, noting that out of fear he had closed his eyes and that, despite his strike hitting the target, Hakon''s feet were still stuck on the ground.


    Slowly and with a deep fear that made his chest vibrate, Dag looked at the enemy and his mouth began to tremble, unable to believe what his eyes saw.


    Two large blades had popped out a mechanism on Hakon''s wrists and he, with his arms high above his head, had crossed them and parried the blow.


    The huge dark arm kept pushing between the two blades as if trying unsuccessfully to break the enemy''s arms, which trembled slightly for the effort, but didn''t give up the parry position, helping him to hold his balance.


    ...


    "I can''t believe it! Hakon blocked master Dag''s power! No one has ever succeeded!" Kron exclaimed, filling the moments of silence that had been created between Reidar and Freydis, who were so upset that they even had difficulty breathing.


    "Don''t... It''s not possible... Captain... your power..." whispered Reidar, that until that moment, have never witnessed someone capable to resist in that way to his friend.


    ...


    "Grraargh! Oh yes! Hahaha! I''ve never received such a powerful shot in my whole life! It''s great!" Hakon yelled out of enthusiasm, for whom every moment passing to counter the dark arm was pure enjoyment.


    A tear of nervousness poured on Dag''s face and a feeling of sudden weakness affected his entire body: it was as if the dark matter that lived inside him was telling him that the power of that enemy was stronger than anything ever faced before and was afraid of it.


    Realizing that, although he did not have his weapons with him, he had both hands free, Dag tried to hit Hakon with a punch in the stomach, but in a single lateral movement, the enemy warrior dodged the blow without ever leaving his grip on the dark arm, that still pushed against his blades.


    Before Dag could make any other movement, having been unbalanced forward by his own fist, Hakon tightened the grip of the two blades coming out of his wrists and began screaming for the effort.


    "Aaargh!"


    After that scream, with extraordinary force, Hakon''s two blades cut off Dag''s dark arm, which fell to the ground.


    Suddenly, the still-intact part of dark matter retreated to the body of its creator, while the one that had just been cut, dissolved into the air, becoming gas and slowly joining the other end.


    Freydis and Reidar covered their ears to resist that terrifying sound, and when they realized what had just happened, their amazement reached the highest level.


    Not only Hakon had parried a blow from Dag''s dark arm, which had never been countered, but with a decisive blow, he had managed to cut it in half, proving that his power exceeded all expectations.


    "Fuck! My dark arm! He managed to cut it!" Dag thought, who after falling to the ground, made a backward somersault and immediately stood up, knowing that Hakon would not leave him a moment of peace.


    "I''m satisfied with your strength, boy... but I''m also quite disappointed. Under these conditions, I''m sure Brann would have defeated you, too. You''re still too weak, your power can''t express its potential. Get ready, because the next blows will end this battle!" Hakon yelled, who, pumped by what he had just managed to do, couldn''t wait to prove his superiority by beating Dag, who had a unique power within himself, which belonged to no one else.


    "If he can kill me, he won''t be able to get anything in return... my power will die with me, I''m sure, I feel it... but I don''t want to convince him. I''m going to kill this piece of shit once and for all, it''s the last obstacle that separates me from my only real mission!" Dag thought again, who, after regenerating the dark matter inside his body, summoned it again from behind his back, knowing that this time he would have to change his attack strategy.


    Suddenly, from the blades popping up from under Hakon''s wrists, it began to pour a greenish fluid, very similar to the poison he had used in the past against Brann.


    "Here we go! That''s the beginning of the game! But how do I counter an enemy who has been watching me for ten years and knows my every move? I have to do something that he has never seen, otherwise, he will always be able to counterattack and for me, it will be the end! Now or never!" the young Master thought again, finding himself cornered and with little time to think.


    Despite having extensive injuries to his body, resulting from the fight against Bloodfang and the Keeper, his physique was in perfect shape, as if all pain had been interrupted knowing the next opponent, the strongest of all.


    Before Dag could respond to the enemy''s provocations, Hakon tried to hit him with several slashes, waving his two blades in the air and scattering everywhere the poison they were soaked in.


    Dag, predicting those moves, put both of his dark arms on the ground and pushed his body backward, immediately moving away from the reach of the Lies Of Loki leader.


    "That''s not enough!" Hakon exclaimed, resting his foot on the ground and jumping toward Dag, knowing the maximum distance he could travel.


    Another sudden blow departed from the enemy, who moving one of the two blades vertically attempted to hit Dag on one shoulder, but to no avail.

 570 DLXX. Full Dark Body

    The young Master felt a sharp pain and pushed back again taking advantage of the grip on the ground of his dark arms.


    "What?!" he whispered, noting that his armor had been cut at the blow and that blood was leaking from the cut into the leather.


    His gaze fell on Hakon, who still had his leg lying down and was giggling satisfied.


    A blade similar to the one that came out of his wrist, but shorter, had popped out of his boot just before he kicked and was soiled with Dag''s blood.


    Reidar continued to look closely at the fight, noting that Hakon''s true strength did not actually derive from any unchallenging power, but from his style of combat, which bordered on perfection.


    "Eheh... you just don''t understand? There''s no point running away, you''re going to die anyway! You might as well try to fight, don''t you? In this way, everything will be more scenic and our spectators will have fun. I''ve been preparing for this fight for ten years, I know your every move, every detail of your power! You have no escape!" Hakon yelled, raising his arms and turning his gaze towards the castle, pointing out to Dag that their observers had increased.


    Hearing the sounds caused by the battle, almost all allied soldiers had walked out the front door and looked out at the windows and balconies of the palace, avoiding going down after recognizing the leader of the enemy Clan, known by all of them for his bad reputation.


    Both the Claws Of Fenrir and the Giants Of Ymir had their eyes on Dag, hoping that somehow, the guy who led them to victory, would be able to impress them once again and get them out of that situation.


    "I didn''t realize they were looking at us, but now... I feel their eyes pointed at me... I feel a strong responsibility towards them. I can''t disappoint them, not after our victory! I promised them that this day would change their lives forever, but if Hakon really found a way to take away my powers, I''m sure peace in Klorr would only last a few days and that in a short time, he would find a way to exterminate both the werewolves and the Jotunns... I can''t... I won''t let him... I don''t have to fight just for myself, I must fight for them too!" Dag thought, looking at Hakon with a sulky expression and making him realize that he wouldn''t give up so easily.


    His purple eye began to shine again and other dark fluid was produced from behind his back, slowly crawling around his body: unlike other times, in which dark matter helped to enhance especially the torso and upper limbs, this time it also extended on his legs and calves, going all the way inside his boots and feet.


    After completely incorporating his muscles and climbing upwards, it stopped at the neck, locking itself right under his chin.


    As soon as he finished speaking, without further delay, the enemy again snapped at Dag, disappearing halfway into the usual layer of smoke.


    After less than a second, moving at astonishing speed, Hakon reappeared behind him, directing both the blades at his back, believing that the spot from which the two dark arms sprang up was Dag''s blind spot.


    The young Master, however, with an equally fast movement, parried the blow with one of the dark arms, which moving sinuously through the air, deflected the trajectory of the dagger and unbalanced Hakon''s body, leaving him in mid-air.


    At the same time, a copy of the enemy sprang to the other side, attempting to hit Dag on one side, but the other dark arm moved in time and also parried the second shot.


    "The blades of these two are not filled with poison! This means that the real Hakon has yet to reappear!" Dag quickly thought, who was slowly beginning to come up with a strategy, not knowing every attack of his opponent.


    A third Hakon sprang up behind him and, taking advantage of Dag''s distraction, attempted to hit him with a swing on his calf, intending to get him a small cut and let the poison do the rest of the work.


    "No, not this time!" Dag exclaimed, who rejected both copies and with his dark arms crushed them to the ground.


    Using the two bodies as supports, Dag jumped, avoiding Hakon''s low strike.


    Keeping himself in the air with the help of the two dark arms, the young Master turned around and hit his enemy with a warhead in his forehead.


    The blow was not very powerful, but being unexpected, it unbalanced Hakon, who slipped backward on one of the broken tiles that were scattered on the floor of the square and sat on the ground.


    Without giving him time to reason, Dag hit him with a second punch in the face and this time, the enemy felt the blow and flew meters away, rising and crawling on the floor with his feet, without falling.


    After being able to drive him away, Dag, without thinking too much, threw one of the two clones at him, grabbing him with the end of his dark arm, which took the form of a hand, and moving it into the air as if it was a rock.


    Like a bullet, the clone''s body was fired at great speed towards Hakon, who, with a single glance, made him disappear into nowhere, being the one who had spawned him.


    "You''re naive if you thought that..."

 571 DLXXII. The Strongest Mage

    "What?! What''s going on?! Where does this wall come from?! Hakon''s attack was blocked!" Dag thought, who when he realized that the wall''s resistance time was limited, turned backward, already imagining who was the architect of that magical structure.


    As if surfing in the middle of the square, Kranus dashed towards Dag and in a sudden gesture, threw the two weapons at him, diverting his trajectory and moving over the wall, so that he could have a good view of Hakon, not knowing that Dag did not want any kind of help.


    The young Master, who was still stunned by that rapid succession of events, transformed the dark matter again, which took the shape of two arms and seized his weapons, feeling a sense of satisfaction in holding them back into his hands.


    Before he could tell Kranus anything, the ice mage moved both of his hands in the direction of Hakon, who, realizing the presence of an intruder, shifted his mouth and blades towards him, shifting the fire beam, that moved horizontally.


    Before the green fire could reach Kranus, whose speed of movement was remarkably high, using some powerful magic, he created ice that climbed onto the porch columns above the enemy''s head.


    The ice quickly expanded in all directions and in a few tenths of a second, taking advantage of its incredible destructive force, shattered the stone and caused the entire structure to collapse on Hakon, who, instinctively, trying to avoid being crushed by those huge boulders, stopped spitting fire.


    *baaaam*


    A sudden noise followed Kranus''s attack, and the stone porches collapsed on themselves, raising a thick cloud of dust.


    The ice mage''s run stopped immediately and he turned to Dag, who was still speechless, not believing that his ally was so powerful, having never witnessed that kind of magic.


    "I heard you were in trouble and I looked for your weapons, knowing that they had remained inside the castle. The search lasted longer than I thought, but I was able to bring them to you. Now I''m not going to get in the way anymore, but I needed to gain some satisfaction... the Lies Of Loki leader must know the true power of the Giants Of Ymir!" Kranus exclaimed, who as he spoke to his young friend, looked at the rubble of the arcades out of the corner of his eye.


    Dag, not knowing whether to thank or reproach Kranus, aware that if there had not been that wall, he would probably be swept away by the flames, merely nodded his head, implicitly thanking him for his valuable help.


    As if nothing had happened, after realizing that Dag was still in a position to continue the fight, Kranus again rode the small wave of ice moving on the floor and returned among his soldiers, ready to watch the fight from afar, like everyone else.


    Dag turned again to the rubble of the porch, waiting for Hakon to pop out on the surface, but that seconds passed slowly as hours, while the tension rose.


    "Now my enemy will be really angry, but without Kranus'' help, I would probably have suffered so much damage that I could no longer continue the fight... I killed your son, and yet... you saved me, proving to be a warrior of honor... I will never forget it, Kranus!" Dag thought, who meanwhile looked down at his hands and focused intently at the two weapons that had allowed him to get to that point.


    A sudden noise from the rubble caught his attention and Dag returned to the combat position, waiting for Hakon to reappear somewhere.


    As he tried to keep calm and guess in which direction his opponent would emerge, a giant column of green fire rose from the bottom to the sky, sweeping away the huge blocks of frozen stone.


    The explosion generated was so strong that it caused a shock wave that made Dag''s feet crawling to the ground until he was far enough to hold his position.


    The fire that for several seconds had lightened everything with green immediately ceased and like a lightning, Hakon came out of the dust cloud, charging and screaming towards Dag.


    The enemy''s face was full of blood as Kranus''s surprise attack had inflicted extensive damage on him, despite the Lies Of Loki leader''s ability to predict his opponents'' moves.


    "He is attacking without thinking, moved only by anger! It''s my moment!" the young Master thought, who instead of standing still, ran to him, followed by his dark arms, which opened and rose ready to strike.


    Hakon, during the race, jumped and placed his fiery blades again in front of his mouth, spitting another fire beam in that direction.


    Dag, who had predicted that blow, knowing that thanks to Kranus'' help, Hakon could no longer point to the surprise effect, safely dodged the flames, moving sideways.


    The enemy suddenly stopped blowing, aware that Dag''s high speed of movement would not allow him to maneuver the blaze at the same speed, and waved the two fiery blades in front of him, trying to interrupt his advance.


    Dag, sensing enormous force coming from his arms and legs, still shrouded in the dark fluid, did not dodge the blow, but parried it using the stone head of Magni''s hammer, which in contact with the green flames of the enemy''s blades, generated a purple electric shock, as if the two elements were fighting against each other for supremacy.


    When he noticed that his first blade had been diverted, Hakon, who was still in mid-air, rotated the second blade, holding it upside down and attempting to surprise Dag with a low blow.


    Before the direct strike to the abdomen was successful, a powerful knee struck the enemy''s stomach, who unexpectedly spat blood.


    "You''re still underestimating me!" Dag yelled, who after sufficiently pushing Hakon away, rotated on himself and repeatedly struck him with both dark arms.

 572 DLXXI. The Green Fire

    *booom*


    The enemy''s crash into the concrete of the wall caused a bomb-like noise and after he crushed on it, Dag stood still in his position, noting that the second clone had also disappeared.


    "the dark matter made my legs incredibly strong and fast... I don''t know why I''ve never done it before, but maybe it''s better that way... Hakon didn''t expect that" Dag thought, looking at the palm of his hand, which was completely black, like the rest of his body excluding his head.


    As Dag''s allied soldiers and friends silently rejoiced at his successful attack, the young Master continued to look closely at the point of Hakon''s impact.


    Under those arcades reigned darkness and a cloud of dust resulting from the disintegration of the wall timidly came out of the boundary between the shadow and the light of the square, caused by the moon and other planets slowly taking their positions in the starry night sky.


    Without basking and remaining focused with his eyes and ears, after about twenty seconds of impact, Dag was able to hear the sound of chains crawling to the ground.


    "Shit! This sound reminds me of the way he managed to defeat Brann! The way he''s fought so far was just a warm-up..." Dag continued thinking, trying to restrain the fear but was evidently worried.


    After a few seconds, the absolute silence.


    *cling*cling*tzzz*


    A metallic noise similar to that of two blades colliding with each other broke the silence and intense green sparks illuminated the area for a quarter of a second.


    Repeatedly, the blades continued to slam on each other''s surface and kept on emitting sparks, which showed Hakon''s body, which was slowly walking towards his enemy with an angry air.


    The crowd watching the clash silenced and tried not to deconcentrate Dag, who like them, was trying to predict the Lies Of Loki leader''s next move.


    A final metallic noise, slightly louder than the others, produced more intense sparks and a green flame appeared within the darkness.


    Under the surprised gaze of Dag and his companions, Hakon was wielding two large daggers, almost the size of two swords, whose blades were surrounded by phosphorescent green flames and whose hilts were connected to his forearms through long chains, the same ones he had used in the battle in which Brann died.


    "Come on! Bring it on!" the young Master shouted, trying to foment himself and provoking who was in front of him.


    Hakon, in a relatively slow gesture of his arms, placed both fiery blades in front of his face and took a deep breath, swelling his chest.


    Dag, who was in a combat position, could not understand what Hakon was doing and his two dark arms continued to float above his head, preparing to defend his master''s and realizing that what they were facing, was a situation of maximum difficulty.


    When Hakon''s lungs were completely filled with air, the enemy blew violently towards the fiery blades and the green flames were fired with power towards Dag, who was shocked by that attack.


    The large fiery mass quickly traveled to him, who, illuminated and afraid of that attack of colossal size, remained motionless more than expected, having failed to foresee it and not having enough space to dodge.


    Instinctively, the young Master moved both his dark arms before him and crossed his arms: the dark matter immediately changed shape, becoming a semicircular shield that covered Dag''s body from head to toe, preparing for the impact with that green fire that seemed to come directly from Helheim.


    The moment Dag thought his defensive maneuver wasn''t enough and it was too late to move from that position, something unexpected happened.


    In less than a second, a giant ice wall rose between him and Hakon, and the flames fired by Lies Of Loki leader crashed onto its surface, violently impacting and opening radially.


    ...


    "He''s going to spit fire! Hakon''s about to launch a fiery attack on Dag! Daag, get out of there!" Freydis yelled, who had already predicted what was about to happen.


    "Fuck, it''s exactly like against Fangs Of Jormungandr''s general at Temple Of Orn, but this time there''s no Master Dargeon to save him!" Reidar yelled, remembering that tragic event when he and his comrades were forced to defend their place against a powerful enemy that used to spit fire like a dragon.


    A few seconds before Hakon released the air stored into his lungs, while Reidar and Freydis were on the front line in front of all the warriors who were watching the fight, someone sprang behind them, heading at high speed towards Dag.


    Freezing the floor and moving quickly over a kind of wave made of ice, Kranus had just entered the scene, exiting the castle and rushing to the young Master''s rescue.


    In his hands, the ice mage was keeping Magni''s hammer and the Giantbane, the search of which inside the dining room had lasted longer than expected.


    "Kranus!" the Shieldmaiden yelled, who had never been so pleased to see the ice giants commander again, hoping that he would somehow be able to counter Dag''s opponent.


    Never turning to the duel watchers, Kranus raised one of his arms and as soon as the flames were fired from Hakon''s two blades, he instantly created an ice barrier, much thicker than the one that had kept the door closed during the battle.


    ¡­

 573 DLXXIII. From Father To Son

    Ready to give Hakon the final strike, Dag squeezed the Giantbane in his hands, but just as he was about to snap at him, the real Hakon''s face sprang next to his own.


    "I never underestimate anyone, that''s why I''m Skjold''s strongest warrior!" his deep voice exclaimed, speaking directly into his ear and making Dag sweat cold, who did not believe the man he was attacking was just a copy.


    Before he could turn around or move his dark arms away from him, Hakon pulled out the chains he held on his arms and wrapped Dag''s right arm, the one with which he held the hammer.


    Trying to wriggle out, the young Master paid no attention to the movements of his opponent, who also blocked his left arm.


    Soon after making sure that his chains completely prevented Dag''s movements, which in those conditions could not respond to any attacks, Hakon jumped and flew over his head, rotating with his legs in the air and dodging the grip of the dark arms, which awkwardly tried to catch him.


    "Oh no! He''s doing exactly what he did to Brann, but with my arms! Fuck! He''s going to tear them off my body!" Dag thought, continuing to sweat cold and remembering that with that same attack, the head of Lies Of Loki had killed his sister Gridd''s father.


    Aware that, if he''d impose physical resistance, he would only facilitate the task of his enemy, who could leverage and pull off his arms, as soon as Hakon''s feet touched the ground behind Dag, he pushed himself backward, making sure that the chains were no longer stretched on his arms.


    With that unexpected movement and not calculated by Hakon, his grip on the hammer became weaker and the weapon fell to the ground.


    Taking advantage of the moment, Dag managed to pull his hand out of the chain and free that arm, turning again towards Hakon and yanking the other chain wrapped around his left arm.


    The enemy did not seem at all amused by what had just happened and, incredulous that Dag had managed to escape his finisher move, he swayed the chain that had just detached from his right arm and wrapped it around his neck, tightening its grip.


    "Aaargh!" Dag yelled, choking his words and closing his eyes in pain, as the chain tightened his trachea, attempting to suffocate him.


    Trying to open his eyes, never giving in to his fate, the young Master continued to look at Hakon, knowing that if his neck was not wrapped in dark matter, it would probably already have been disintegrated and he would die instantly.


    Hakon took two steps back and pulled both chains, shortening the one on the arm that still held the Giantbane tight and forcing Dag to kneel, unable to resist that traction only with his neck.


    "His grip is too powerful, I can''t get rid of it using only the force of the dark matter that envelops my muscles! Its enhancement is not enough!" Dag thought, whose breathing became shorter and more intermittent and whose body was being dragged like a sack of flour.


    ...


    "No, no, no! He''s not making it! Dag''s not getting rid of him! Those chains look too durable and Hakon has superhuman strength! How is he going to do that?! Reidar, how is he going to break free?!" Freydis exclaimed, clinging to her archer friend''s jacket and jerking him, begging him to tell her something positive.


    He began to sweat in fear, seeing no glimmer of light in that situation that seemed to have no way out.


    "His dark power is not enough, or rather... he''s not using all his energy... but the Captain is made like this... he manages to give his best in extreme situations when his life is hanging by a thread. I''m sure he won''t give up, not today. Have faith, Freydis!" he replied, wisely, continuing to watch the fight without hiding his fear.


    "Heeey, you! Dag!" Kranus suddenly yelled, who unexpectedly drew the attention of the young warrior who was facing the leader of Krypstorm''s strongest and most famous Clan.


    Although Dag could not turn his head towards him, Hakon looked at the ice mage, making him guess that his voice had reached them.


    "You said your father died because of Lies Of Loki... you said that Hakon also killed the man who inspired you and pushed you to become a warrior... I am a father, or rather, I was a father... but although my son is no longer there, I am fighting for him, to remember his name and I even came to help the one who killed him... if you die today I wouldn''t despair, but I wouldn''t be joyful either, because your fate won''t be fulfilled here and now, your rise hasn''t begun yet! I''m talking to you from father to son, boy... do not give up" Kranus continued, showing a delicacy and sincerity that he had never expressed in front of his men, nor even in front of all those soldiers of the Claws Of Fenrir, whose hearts, at that time, were all close to Dag.


    Reidar and Freydis turned to him, and Kron and Atran did the same, noting that from their commander''s ever-serious eyes, a thin tear slipped softly on his cheek, directed toward the thick white beard.


    Kranus''s moment of paternal love ended after a few seconds and when he realized that he had let himself be carried away too much by emotions, the tear that was flowing on his face froze and with his hand he tore it away, shattering it.


    "Kill that piece of shit, son. His time is over, your it''s not" the ice mage repeated, lowering his eyebrows and clenching his fists.


    ...

 574 DLXXIV. A Good Studen

    As he pulled, the enemy noticed that, after a few seconds, Dag''s legs stopped crawling and his body did not move even an inch.


    "Uh? You just don''t want to give up?! I''m going to get your head out of your neck! I will prove to everyone that I am the strongest warrior! After your head I will also take the one of the man you dare call King!" Hakon continued to shout, so that everyone could hear his words.


    Dag''s gaze was fixed towards the ground and his body seemed to react to no stimulus, while his head dangled, moved only by the chain of the enemy warrior.


    "Kranus... why... why are you doing this? How do you do that? How can you not feel hate for me? After all, my father Stein was like you, he would never hate anyone... but his eyes... his eyes before he died were frightened... he wasn''t afraid of death, he was just afraid to leave his family without a father, without someone looking after them. It was evil that killed him, the cruelty that reigns this bastard world, the son of even greater and bloody power, that of the Xis. Hakon is the personification of such wickedness and for this reason... his life must end now" Dag thought, who could not hold back a nervous cry, generated by Kranus'' words, which had been useful in awakening his most hidden and intimate instincts, taking his mind to the next level, during which he would give his best, without ever stopping.


    The young Master raised his right hand and forcefully grabbed the chain that Hakon was pulling hard.


    His legs, resisting that incredible traction almost as if it not even existed, leaned upwards, allowing him to get back on his feet in front of his opponent.


    Hakon tightened his grip on his chains, which in addition to being clasped from his hands were also connected to his forearms and his expression of superiority suddenly became unstable, faltering between fear and pride, in fear that in front of all those people, his strength could be questioned by a young boy.


    A thin celestial aura covered Dag''s body and disappeared after a few seconds, after which the young warrior sighed as if instantly regaining his strength.


    "It''s Champions Aura, the skill of our Clan! Usually, it''s something that only balong to support warriors, those tasked with momentarily increasing their team''s stamina, but the Captain has already used it other times, managing to exploit it to his advantage!" Reidar exclaimed from afar, acknowledging the peculiarity of that skill and informing everyone present about Dag''s moves.


    "Aaaargh! How do you do that?! These tricks will not work!" the enemy warrior replied, not wanting to give in to the idea of Dag''s superiority.


    At the same time as the first skill activated since the beginning of the fight, the young Master of Okstorm activated a second skill, the one that from the beginning of his journey had helped him in times of extreme difficulty.


    His arm and leg muscles, both wrapped in dark matter as black as night, suddenly increased in volume, covering themselves with thick veins that allowed blood to flow faster.


    Call of the Berserkr was activated and Dag''s physical strength, albeit for a limited period of time, increased dramatically, amplified further by his own dark power.


    When his gaze rose towards the enemy, both of his eyes had turned purple and glowed with their own light, and his gaze expressed his severe pain, the pain that Kranus''s words and Stein''s memory had aroused in his mind.


    Hakon said nothing, knowing that every word would make him waste precious oxygen and that at that moment, he could not make mistakes.


    The Lies Of Loki leader already knew both of young Dag''s abilities, having witnessed all his most important battles and knew that Call of the Berserkr, the most powerful of the two newly activated, had a short duration.


    At that moment, he decided that the best thing for him to do was to resist until that moment, until the skill upgrade would run out and his strength would finally prevail over that of his opponent.


    With a quick movement of his arm and trying to hold back the tears that had accumulated in his eyes, Dag pulled the chain that was tied to his neck and Hakon let go of the grip, causing the piece of the armor of his forearm to be removed from its position.


    The young Master tore the chain out of his neck and threw it behind him, soon after, he also grabbed the second one, that is, the one tied to his left arm, which had remained stuck until then.


    Having his neck free and both of his arms available to express all their muscle strength, Dag pulled his enemy, and Hakon''s body flew towards him without control.


    A violent warhead hit the enemy warrior''s nose and his body fell with its back to the ground, rolling for a couple of meters and soon after disappearing into a cloud of blackish gas.


    When Hakon reappeared a few feet behind, he noticed that the second chain had also been detached from his other arm and had been thrown away by Dag as if it was a broken toy.


    Before he could say anything, continuing to provoke his opponent, Dag grabbed the hammer that had fallen to the ground and snapped at him, leaving an electric trail that burned the snow and floor.

 575 DLXXV. The Rage

    The hammer unleashed a large amount of electricity and when Hakon managed to dodge the blow by simply disappearing, the blow released an explosion that cracked the floor and also involved the rubble behind the two opponents, raising them from the ground and crushing them further.


    Although Hakon''s teleportation was instantaneous, Dag still managed to guess his position and, following his movements with his eyes, after the first blow went empty, he turned around and tried again to hit his opponent, who could not imagine Dag moving at such an exorbitant speed, managed only to cross his two blades in front of his face and protect himself from the incoming attack.


    The hammer struck the center of the two blades and the electrical energy of the weapon, added to the physical energy from Dag''s right arm, unleashed an out-of-the-ordinary force, too high even for the metal of Hakon''s blades, which shattered under the hammer''s black stone head.


    The shockwave generated by the blow swept away the metal fragments and, having nothing left to protect himself with, Hakon was hit right on his chest.


    The energy accumulated by the hammer was unleashed once again and it pierced the enemy''s body, coming out behind him and making him fly, tens of meters away until it slammed into one of the columns of the porch, which was swept away by the impact.


    ...


    "It''s amazing! His strength has increased even more! Did you see that? He managed to wipe him out like a bug! He''s reacting!" Freydis gasped, who after seeing the scene, galvanized herself and again asked words of comfort to Reidar, who like everyone else was watching carefully every move of his Captain.


    "The Captain is exploiting both his knowledge as a student and a disciple of our Clan and his mysterious powers, giving his best. I''ve never seen him so involved and determined... he doesn''t just want to survive and win the fight... he wants to reduce his enemy to ashes, he wants to destroy him with every fiber of his body''s muscles, he is completing his revenge" Reidar commented, crossing his arms and breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that Hakon was an enemy full of secret weapons and, by guessing Dag''s strength and weakness, he certainly had an ace in the hole.


    "Go on, boy... hit him even stronger" Kranus said in a low voice, standing with grandeur next to his generals.


    ...


    As Hakon tried to pull his body out of the wall in which it had wedged, Dag snapped back in his direction, placing the Giantbane back on his belt and holding the hammer with two hands, activating another of his attacking skills, one of the strengths of Hammers Of Thor''s warriors using two-handed weapons: Overpowered Strike.


    The impact unleashed for the second time an absurd power, so strong that it destroyed yet another wall of the porch and make the enemy fly away, beyond the square.


    Hakon flew as if it was an inanimate object and his shape disappeared between two palaces a hundred meters away from the site of the battle.


    The crowd behind Dag, for the first time since the fight began, started to cheer him, shouting the name of the young Master, who was clearly winning the fight, after turning the tide of the fight.


    "Haaakooon! Get up and keep fighting! I''m not done with you yet! I will not stop until you have exhaled your last breath and your body will not be returned to mother earth!" he screamed desperately, his eyes continuing to weep in anger and nervousness arising from the strong words of the Ice Giants commander.


    The walls surrounding the square were now almost completely destroyed and only half of the porch had saved itself from the fury of Dag, who had avoided using his strongest skill, Memory of Mj?llnir knowing that, if he did, he would probably wipe out the entire neighborhood and put the lives of his soldiers at risk.


    ...


    During those endless seconds, in which Hakon''s tracks dispersed, someone else walked out the main door of the castle to witness the fight, limping.


    "Packmaster! Why did you get up?! We said you had to recover your strength!" one of the Claws Of Fenrir soldiers exclaimed, who along with his comrades had healed his boss''s wounds.


    "Aaargh... *spit*... I''m already better, that kid didn''t do anything to me. So, what''s all this noise? The battle is over, what are you all doing out here?" Bloodfang asked, spitting blood mixed with his saliva on the ground and holding onto a kind of improvised stick, asking Kranus and the others for explanations of what was going on.


    After Kranus'' generals gave him a report of what he had missed while resting to regain his strength and get back on his feet, Bloodfang''s red eyes stopped at Dag, who from the center of the square was looking towards the palaces behind which Hakon had landed.


    The Packmaster, after realizing that his bitter enemy, the leader of Lies Of Loki, had arrived at Klorr in person only to fight Dag, felt deeply humiliated and slowly walked towards the young warrior.


    Kranus''s large hand stopped him, grabbing him by the half-torn jacket.


    "You wouldn''t dare interfere. Don''t force me to lock you in an ice block. This battle has nothing to do with us" the ice mage said, intent on respecting Dag''s will without regretting helping him in the only moment of need and knowing that in reality, the fight was not yet over.


    ...


    "Haaakooon!" Dag yelled again, who, done waiting, loaded a jump on his legs and pushed hard upwards, traveling vertically more than 5 meters and trying to identify the location of his enemy, who still did not return.

 576 DLXXVI. Finish Me

    As soon as the young Master''s feet retouched the ground, he pushed forward and jumped again, but this time in the direction of his opponent.


    Leaving a trail that followed his parabolic trajectory, Dag passed the square and landed right next to the place in question.


    Hakon was trapped between the rocks of the house that had just collapsed and one of his legs was stuck under a large boulder, too heavy to be moved from his position and in those conditions.


    "Hey! I said It''s not over yet! It can''t be! This is one of your stupid tricks, you piece of shit! You just want me to believe you''ve been defeated and then take advantage of my moment of weakness! Get up and fight, you bastard!" Dag yelled again, who was still in the midst of the forces arising from Call of the Berserkr.


    The leader of the enemy Clan did not respond, merely moving his arm slightly towards his interlocutor, as if he wanted to cling desperately to him and emit harrowing verses.


    Just then, Dag noticed that the leg bone trapped under the rock was broken and had pierced the flesh, coming out of his body as if it was a spike.


    "Grrr... get up, I said!" Dag exclaimed, waving the hammer, which charged with electricity and hit the big boulder placed on his leg, destroying it into a thousand pieces.


    Hakon again uttered a verse of pain and his eyes slowly ajar as he started to lose consciousness.


    "Hey! Hey! Wake up, motherfucker! Get up!"


    Continuing to scream, Dag kept thinking that what Hakon was using was a useful tactic to wait until the effect of Call of the Berserkr was over, however, his broken leg was not a sham: the blood was real, as was the bone that sprang from the flesh.


    After placing both of his weapons back in their position, Dag grabbed Hakon''s unconscious body, lifting it by the neck of the armor and resting it on his shoulders, transporting it to the square, so that everyone could see the conditions in which he had managed to reduce the second strongest warrior in the world.


    "I''m sure this is just a deception. What I''m carrying is just a clone and soon the real Hakon will pop out somewhere and try to hit me with a surprise attack" he continued in a calm voice and with his purple eyes moving from side to side, trying to find out the real enemy.


    "You... you don''t understand... don''t you?" Hakon whispered from his shoulders, as blood continued to gush from his mouth, ending up on the ground and leaving red spots along the way.


    Once in the square, all the spectators were amazed to see him carrying his enemy on the shoulders.


    When his feet touched the geometric center of the circular floor that was just before surrounded by magnificent arcades with arches, Dag threw Hakon''s body to the ground, into a pool of blood.


    The same blood, during transport, had completely soiled his own armor, which on the right side was all red, up to his legs.


    "My rib cage... mine..." Hakon whispered, failing to keep his eyes open and to finish a complete sentence.


    "Your what? Raise your voice, I can''t hear you!" Dag yelled, striking him violently with a kick and causing him to crawl on the ground several meters in the direction of the soldiers who were watching them, who remained petrified.


    "My rib cage is fractured... and my leg is too... I can''t move anymore. Finish me, please" Hakon replied, striving to raise his voice, using all the air contained in his lungs almost entirely filled with blood.


    Dag''s expression became even more enraged and two dark arms popped up from behind his shoulders, creating new dark matter, despite his body already being fully wrapped in it.


    One of those arms grabbed the enemy''s throat, which was on the ground face down, and lifted him up, creaking his broken bones and causing him to gasp.


    Hakon''s verses of grief, despite making that scene even more bloody and unbearable, were like music in Dag''s ears, which did nothing but think about how to make his bitter enemy suffer more.


    "Really there are no other surprises for me? Where are your copies? What about your weapons? Aren''t there any more blades ready to pop out of some hidden spot or pocket of your armor?! Tell me, Hakon weren''t you the strongest warrior in the world?!" Dag yelled, with all the energy in his body, crying in anger.


    "The real and unique Hakon... it''s me... in the flesh!" he answered with a thread of Hakon voice, in the grip of suffering.


    Dag turned his gaze for a moment, as his dark arm continued to hold that body without any vital momentum lifted up, hanging like an inanimate mannequin.


    Seized by a sudden disappointment, resulting from the fact that his bitter enemy had been wiped out in just two hits, Dag grabbed the Giantbane and, in less than a second, being its power still active, severed the enemy''s right arm with its red-hot blades.


    "Aaaargh! Ghh... aaargh!"


    The desperate screams of the Lies Of Loki leader echoed in the square, bouncing off the castle walls and entering the ears of each of the soldiers present, who shuddered for a moment, despite witnessing Dag''s victory taking place before their eyes.

 577 DLXXVII. Remember My Face

    "The four emblems... where are they?"


    "Aaargh... where the hell else would them be, you piece of shit! Ask your stupid sphere! *spit*" Hakon exclaimed, whose face had turned red for the loud screams, spitting out blood that continued uninterruptedly gushing from his mouth towards Dag, hitting him in the face.


    He again attached the Giantbane to his belt and wiping his face with one hand, made a blunt expression.


    "You know what, Hakon? You''re so small and meaningless that you don''t even disgust me. I thought the ''great leader of Lies Of Loki'' was the only warrior who could put me in trouble, the only one who could push me beyond my limits. Instead, look at you, you''re just a homunculus playing the bully, but your powers and strength are worth less than zero. I''m going to dismember every fiber in your body, break every muscle, and let wild animals feed on your remains... I wouldn''t leave your putrid flesh even to the Claws Of Fenrir, who are worthy of my respect. The first arm was for my father Stein. Stein, remember this name, it is thanks to him that I began looking for you" Dag exclaimed, who very slowly moved the second dark arm towards the enemy.


    Hakon, turning his eyes slightly, watched the huge black hand approach and, panicked, could not even scream because of the pain in his chest.


    "The other arm is not for Brann... if it was up to me, that bastard can rot forever in Helheim, or wherever his soul is right now... no, it''s not for him... this is for Asa, Skjold''s bravest Shieldmaiden, the one who had to endure the pain of losing two husbands because of you and your soldiers!" Dag yelled again, whose dark arm tightened Hakon''s other arm and violently began pulling outwards.


    "Aaargh! Please, just kill me! Just¡­ aaaah!" the enemy leader continued to scream, while he tried to wriggle unnecessarily consuming the last drops of adrenaline flowing into his body.


    Under the eyes of his companions, some of whom, including Freydis, were forced to turn around so as not to witness that bloody scene, Dag tore Hakon''s arm one fiber at a time, fraying the muscle of his shoulder as if it was made of rubber until he reached the bone, that was forcefully broken apart.


    When his arm was separated from the rest of the body and thrown to the ground with a gesture of constipation, Hakon completely lost consciousness and his head lowered to the ground, continuing to lose blood.


    Dag''s hand immediately grabbed the hammer, quickly detaching it from his belt, and, after a few seconds of accumulating electricity in his weapon, he approached Hakon''s dying body, resting its stone head on his chest.


    A very strong electric shock swept through Hakon''s unconscious body, which, having just passed out, immediately recovered his lucidity and awoke from his mortal sleep by grinding his eyes and emitting strange verses, while blood flowed from his mouth, dirtying his entire neck and chest.


    "Dag..." Freydis whispered, that despite knowing that her boyfriend had waited for that moment of vengeance all his life long, did not believe he would be so sadistic, mocking his enemy even on the verge of death.


    The Shieldmaiden''s voice was completely ignored and Reidar put a hand on her shoulder, shaking it and making her realize that, if they really wanted Dag''s good, they should keep him going, despite the bloody scene.


    She then turned back and walked inwards of the palace, knowing that in the next few seconds, Dag would continue to mutilate Hakon mercilessly.


    "You told me that you have spent the last ten years spying on me, controlling flying animals, terrestrial animals, even other human beings from what I understand. All because of the Frostsinners. I''m sure they''re looking at us right now... is there anything you want to tell them?" the young Master asked, slightly looking up.


    "What? The Frostsinners? What does that have to do with it?"


    "Why didn''t Master Dag name the alien race that rules over us humans, won''t he be their enemy?"


    "I don''t understand what the connection between the head of Lies Of Loki and the Frostsinners is..."


    The warriors behind Hakon, especially those closest to the two fighters, were shocked to hear those words, not having witnessed the statement of the enemy leader, who, a few minutes earlier, had confessed the truth to Dag, making him realize that almost all his choices had been somehow forced by the will of the Xis.


    Hakon tried to raise his head to the night sky, but the muscles in his neck had been so weakened by the last two blows, with which both arms had been detached, that he could barely raise his eyes.


    Noticing that the words could not get out of the mouth of his now defeated opponent, Dag screamed in his place.


    "I appeal to all the Xis who are watching us from Earth! Did you think that was enough to stop me?! Did you believe that such a banal warrior was enough to destroy what you yourselves created?! You''re not smarter than us, you''re just thieves! You stole our light, our vital energy... and I''ll make you pay for that! Remember my face, because it''s the last one you''ll see!"


    After his heavy words, Dag looked again at Hakon''s face, now on the edge of his strength, awake only thanks to the electrical energy that, circulating between his muscles, had reactivated the heartbeat, albeit weakly.


    "Are you going to apologize for what you''ve done to me and these men? Or do you prefer to die without honor, just like a dog and away from your family?" the young Master asked again, grabbing the Giantbane and lifting its hot blades towards Hakon''s face, who, no longer even having his arms, seemed to react to no stimulus.

 578 DLXXVIII. The Best Loo

    Those words, while banal, were very important to Dag, who did not believe that a devious person like the leader of the Lies Of Loki could be so forthright and sincere, despite his pride.


    "The darkness... the darkness will end up devouring you... my wickedness... it''s nothing compared to yours... you are no longer human... the darkness... it will completely devour you... not even your father... your real father... could¡­ aargh...!"


    Hakon''s weak words were interrupted by a twinge in his chest, while the electricity flowing into his body keeping him alive had been totally dissipated.


    "What?! My father?! How do you know about him?! Did you know him?! What did he tell you?! Tell me, for the Gods!" Dag yelled again, bringing his face closer to Hakon''s and grabbing him with one hand on his shoulder, shaking his body to make him wake up from his semi-vegetative state.


    "¡­ not even him... could know that you..."


    "Don''t stop talking! Look at me! Go on! What couldn''t he know?! Fuck, answer me!"


    Hakon''s eyes opened wide completely and life abandoned his body: one of the broken ribs had penetrated the man''s heart, ending his vital functions and excessive blood loss had accelerated the process.


    "Hakooon! Wake up, you motherfucker! Keep talking, you piece of shit! You knew, you knew things about my past, but you chose to keep your mouth shut! I hate you, I hate you!" Dag continued, crying desperately and waving out of control.


    Before anyone from the crowd behind him could intervene to calm him down, taking the risks of the gesture, with his mighty dark arm he threw Hakon''s body towards the center of the square and when it was in the air before he could fall to the ground, Dag made an energetic leap upwards, in that direction.


    With the Giantbane wielded with both of his hands, the young Master hit the inanimate target in full, cutting his body into two parts, separating his lower limbs from his torso.


    "Aaaargh! Aaaaaah! Graaargh!" Dag continued to scream, as, suspended in the air, he continued to hit every piece of flesh in front of his eyes, reducing Hakon''s corpse to shreds.


    After an interminable series of attacks, due to the force of gravity, both the young Master and the mash he had created, fell to the ground.


    *boom*


    Dag''s landing caused a large furrow in the floor, as his enhancement skills were still active.


    "I hate you, Hakon! And I hate the Xis and their filthy planet! I hate everything!" he yelled again, his voice hoarse because of the prolonged screams, which had strained his vocal cords.


    When even the last punch was fired and his anger slowly turned into bitterness and resignation, the black fluid that enveloped his whole body, returned inside his back, as if it was a silk cloth that was pulled away, leaving the young Master''s real skin uncovered.


    Likewise, his muscles also returned to their ordinary size, deflating as the effect of Call of the Berserkr ran out.


    "My real father... he seems to be the only person who can give me an answer about the origin of my powers and Magni told me he''s still alive somewhere... I don''t understand anything anymore, in my head, there is total confusion. But one thing is certain. Dad, you''ve been avenged..." Dag thought in a low voice, referring to Stein and thinking back to the last happy moments with him.


    Slowly, making strength on his exhausted knees after the fight, he got up and walked towards his opponent''s totally dismembered body.


    His organs were scattered on the ground, in a pool of blood so thick that it looked black.


    His legs, the pieces of his face, his feet cut off: it was all there, in front of him, in a dismal scenario, while the white light of Skjold''s moon and the surrounding planets continued to be the only light source above his head.


    One of the few pieces of Hakon''s body that was still recognizable was his chest.


    His black leather armor shone under the light, bathed in blood, and Dag approached it, bending over it.


    He slipped his hands into the pockets and found a small sharp knife, a bottle of greenish liquid, probably poison, a scroll that contained the map of Klorr, perhaps useful to Hakon to be able to move within a city he did not know well, but above all, in the inner pocket of his jacket, Dag found what he was looking for.


    Under his hand, several objects made a metallic noise slamming into each other.


    Some were bigger, others were smaller, but he grabbed them all and pulled them out of that jacket, looking at them carefully.


    They were four objects, all soiled with Hakon''s blood, which had penetrated deep into the fabric, staining even the innermost areas of his clothes.


    Among them, one, in particular, caught Dag''s attention, who could not believe he could finally hold it in his hands.


    The silver rabbit foot pendant was there, on the palm of his hand, along with the other three emblems.


    From Dag''s pocket, the Bjelke Sphere was vibrating almost to the maximum power, managing to recognize the inner arcane power of those relics despite being wrapped in the fabric of the pants, so as not to bother its owner during the fight.


    "I still can''t believe it... here it is... Brann''s pendant. It''s finally in my hands. As soon as possible I will deliver it to Gridd... I will make her the happiest woman in the world!" he thought, realizing that the main reason that had driven him to seek that emblem, had always been only his sister, who since they were two children with big dreams, had told him about the pendant and Brann, her real father.

 579 DLXXIX. The End Of The Hegemony

    In his hand, there were a long rusty key, a gold ring, and the hilt of a dagger, deprived of its blade.


    Carefully, he tried to study the details as soon as possible, realizing that those in his hands were the second, third, and fourth emblems, although he could not attribute to each object its own value.


    "This is a problem that I will solve later, now I am exhausted" Dag thought out loud, putting all those objects in his pocket and looking up at the castle as if he had forgotten that all his comrades and allied army soldiers had witnessed his clash.


    When his gaze crossed with theirs and the soldiers of the Giants Of Ymir and the Claws Of Fenrir realized that the young Master had returned to himself, venting almost all his anger, a scream of joy rose from their mouths and filled the square, overwhelming Dag, who was inebriated by it as if a wave of oxygen had entered his lungs and he had begun to breathe for the first time.


    His name was acclaimed in every way by everyone present, except the two Clans Commanders and their generals, who maintained a certain composure.


    Dag hinted at a half-smile, trying to make happy the warriors that until the end had cheered for him, but in the meantime, with his eyes, one of which had returned of its normal color, he looked for the gaze of his woman.


    Some men from the Claws Of Fenrir moved, letting the red-haired Shieldmaiden pass by, who had retreated to avoid witnessing the scene where Hakon''s body was shredded.


    Freydis looked at Dag, whose body was covered in blood and wounds, including his face, marked by fatigue.


    She quickly noticed that, although his revenge had finally been accomplished, something was missing in his expression, it was as if he was seeking her approval.


    Without further delay, Freydis continued to look at him with her brown eyes and smiled at him, glad that her man, from that day on, could sleep soundly, stopping thinking about how he would avenge his father''s name and satisfied that she was the girlfriend of the new second strongest warrior on the planet.


    As the two lovers approached walking slowly towards each other, the young Shieldmaiden couldn''t help but thinking back all the moments she spent with Dag, all the events that had led both of them to be in that place, at that moment.


    One by one, almost all the soldiers present touched Dag''s shoulders, as if, in that way, they sought his blessing, realizing that, since the young Master had joined their army, their Commanders had finally decided to ally, thus earning the victory of the greatest of battles.


    "It''s over, Dag... your father Stein was finally avenged. Now his soul can finally live in peace in Valhalla, and it''s only thanks to you. Asa would be proud of what you''ve been able to do" the Shieldmaiden said, resting her head on his chest and clasping her arms tightly around his abdomen.


    "Is it really over? Did I really manage to beat Hakon with this level of strength? In Master Egill''s memories, he seemed a much stronger and more dangerous enemy... evidently, as he got older, even the strongest of the warriors weakened" Dag thought, who did not respond to Freydis'' words and looked at Kranus, who behind her was looking at him with a smile slightly painted on his face.


    The hug was interrupted and the young Earth warrior stroked and kissed Freydis'' head, approaching the ice mage.


    "I think I have to say thank you, Commander Kranus. Your words were decisive, they made me use all the anger I had inside" Dag said, addressing him, noting that there were also Bloodfang, Kron, Atran, and the two Packmaster''s generals, whose names he still ignored.


    "I just brought your weapons back to you, boy. You did all the rest. The Lies Of Loki ruled Krypstorm continuously for decades, forcing the other Clans to populate only the west side of the nation, where resources are scarcer and the climate is harsher. This day will be remembered in history as the ''day when Krypstorm''s army interrupted Lies of loki hegemony''. And your name will forever be written in legend. I will make my bards sing your deeds forever, Warrior of Okstorm" Kranus replied, showing all his recognition as a true man of honor.


    While Kron and Atran smiled satisfied with the moment, Bloodfang didn''t seem so enthusiastic, as he was not the protagonist of Klorr''s liberation from the enemy rule.


    The Packmaster stepped forward, coming between Dag and Kranus, interrupting their speech.


    "Hakon was the most powerful warrior on this planet. His strength went far beyond those poisoned blades or tricks with which he could disappear and teleport. He was a symbol of power, representing the wickedness that had trapped Krypstorm in its grip, eclipsing all the other Clans. I will tell you the truth, I am deeply saddened to have tried to kill you inside the castle and I thank you infinitely for sparing me, Dag" the leader of the Claws Of Fenrir exclaimed surprisingly, leaving all the soldiers behind him speechless, who did not know what really happened during the fight against the Keeper.


    Incredibly, in addition to those words expressing sincere gratitude, Bloodfang, holding on with both hands to the squeaky stick he was using to walk, knelt before Dag, out of respect.


    Before all his warriors did the same, knowing that at that moment he did not want to be the center of attention any more than he already was, Dag grabbed his shoulder and invited him to get up, amicably.

 580 DLXXX. Accept The Challenge

    "What happened in there is not your fault, you admitted it yourself. Your powers have made you uncontrollable and bloodthirsty... and I understand you. But I couldn''t let this flow passively before my eyes. I''m the one who apologizes, Thyrius, for completely destroying this square and part of your childhood castle, I''m sure with your skill, you and your men will be able to fix it in record time" Dag smiled, showing empathy for the Werewolves leader.


    "... yes, I''m sure we will. Klorr is ours again!" Bloodfang shouted joyfully at his soldiers, turning backward and hailing victory again.


    The screams of happiness exploded, filling the ears of everyone present.


    "Dag!" Kranus said, calling his companion to attention after his speech had been interrupted with arrogance by Thyrius.


    "I think it''s time to go back to Tungvek and let the Claws Of Fenrir slowly regaining their control over Klorr" the ice mage continued, who was looking forward to returning home to begin the real festivities and be able to study with Dag the next move, having become accustomed to the effectiveness of his strategies.


    "All right! Should... we should... I think we should..."


    As he was responding to those words, Dag suddenly stopped talking, noting that the breath coming out of his mouth was condensing into the air, as if the temperature had dropped about ten degrees suddenly.


    Thinking it was normal that the temperature of the night was lower than that of the day, for a moment he believed it was only his problem since his body was fatigued by the battle, but when he noticed that the people who suffered the cold increased one after the other, he suddenly turned to the center of the square, which after the battle, looked like a fighting arena.


    "Dag? What were you saying?" Kranus asked again, who had a greater cold resistance than the others, as well as all the Giants Of Ymir warriors, capable of turning into Jotunns and manipulating ice.


    "I... I... I made a mistake" Dag suddenly said, continuing to look in the same direction.


    "This cold... I can''t believe it... it''s very similar to when..." Reidar gasped, who as he was speaking stretched his eyes and swallowed empty as if he had just realized that what was about to happen was nothing good.


    "Mistake? What mistake? You knocked down the great Hakon and helped us win this war! Your actions were error-free, Master Dag!" Bloodfang interrupted, who had now changed the way he looked at him and no longer wanted to address him as if he was just a kid.


    "Accept the challenge? Who accepted the challenge?" Atran asked, naively, preceding Kranus''s words.


    "The Frostsinners¡­" Freydis added, who would recognize that cold with her eyes closed, bringing back what was about to happen at the time when Dag had angrily referred to them, yelling at the sky and threatening them.


    The Shieldmaiden grabbed Dag''s arm, trembling, and trying to get his attention.


    He turned to her, who caught a glimpse in her man''s eyes of a strong feeling: the fear of not making it.


    While against Hakon, the young Master was more determined than ever to avenge Stein and end Klorr''s war, this time it was a force much greater than him, greater than any of them.


    "I don''t understand... what does the Frostsinners have to do with it? Is any of them coming here? Does this sudden cold have anything to do with it?" Bloodfang asked, who had never cared about the Xis, nor had he ever informed about them.


    "Get back... get away from me..." Dag continued in a low voice and when he saw that no one was listening intently to his words, he was forced to repeat them screaming.


    "Get away from me! Step back!" he exclaimed, walking forward and pulling out both of his weapons again, despite his physical fatigue.


    Reidar and Kranus, who in addition to Freydis were the only ones who really understood the gravity of what was about to happen, spread their arms and forced everyone else to retreat to the castle gate.


    Dag looked around: in front of him, the remains of Hakon''s body were still in the same position, immersed in a pool of his own blood, and near them, the corpses of the soldiers who died in battle.


    The ground of the square was destroyed, torn apart by powerful attacks by allies and enemies, as well as the walls that surrounded it, collapsed along with the porch that adorned them.


    In that dark and still apocalyptic scenario, Dag continued to perceive that unforgettable cold, which each time brought his mind back to his childhood, to the moments of terror passed before being subjected to Temporum''s judgment.


    "They analyze us and catalog us as if we were animals destined for slaughter. All our lives, we have the feeling of being free, of choosing what to do independently... but it''s just an illusion, it''s just a deception... the Earth is now a dead and cold planet, but the reason behind all this, the real cause that led to the death of our home planet... it''s just them. The Xis, they are the answer" Dag thought frantically, trying to keep in mind those concepts, which were so deeply rooted in his ego, that they were now part of his subconscious, forcing him to think about it even unintentionally.


    Despite the cold, the air around him was still, not even a gust of wind passed through his hair and there was no suspicious noise.

 581 DLXXXI. The Tuxedo

    From a distance, all the army was gathered in the castle and in front of its door, as if, all that time, since Dag had started fighting Hakon, the city was off-limits to them because of the enormous dangers that were looming over it.


    Bloodfang continued to snort, seeing no one and believing that what was happening was actually just a staging to exalt Dag somehow.


    His complaints were initially directed at Kranus, with whom he felt he had more confidence, but then changed targets, turning to Reidar and Freydis, who, being those who knew the subject most closely, briefly tried to sum up what had happened in the past and all the times the Frostsinners had tried to test Dag, slowing down his achievements or objectives.


    Despite his skepticism, even the wary Thyrius shut his mouth when a strange sound from Dag''s direction came to his perception.


    Far above the young Master''s head, the clouds illuminated by the planets orbiting around Skjold began to swirl suspiciously, although the wind was still totally absent.


    In a slightly descending swirling motion, the large masses of gas joined and crumpled upon themselves, merging into a kind of large grayish disk, whose circumference continued to expand and regularize, gradually becoming an artificial geometric shape.


    The clouds that formed this gaseous structure, contracting, generated lightning and thunder, and intermittent rain fell downwards.


    It was as if many atmospheric phenomena were happening at the same time, without any order or logical sense.


    In the center of the disc formed at thousands of meters above sea level, an elliptical gap opened, flattened, and stretched to the tips, as if it was a gash, a scratch that involved the planet''s atmosphere.


    At the sight of that paranormal phenomenon, everyone present retreated further, believing that a sudden apocalypse would involve each of them, while Dag stood still in the center of the square, alone.


    The wind that until then had remained silent in the highest part of the sky now fell on him, who was forced to put an arm in front of his eyes so as not to blind himself and to keep his feet still on the floor so as not to be swept away.


    Within him, being a fan of Geology and Planetary Sciences, Dag knew that that strong wind was nothing more than the result of the huge sudden pressure difference that had been created between the surface and the middle part of the atmosphere, in which that abnormal cloud had been generated.


    None of those present could understand what it was, having never seen a natural event of that size, including Dag, whose mind kept thinking without ever stopping at what could emerge from that passage, which had all the air of being a gap connecting two worlds.


    Just as Dag was about to draw his conclusions, a huge ray of purple light struck the center of Klorr''s Square, forcing the young Master to move away making a big leap back.


    The people inside the castle gasped, unable even to scream because of the terror that that massive ray of dark light had unleashed in them.


    The area was totally illuminated by its light and the wind continued to blow incessantly at its maximum power, in a convective trajectory towards the vertical beam of light, as if it had a very powerful intrinsic pull force.


    Trying not to be swept away and without storing his weapons, aware that they could serve him at any moment, Dag leaned his feet against a boulder and managed to stand still in the same spot, covering his eyes due to the wind, which after a few seconds began to weaken.


    The gap in the center of the clouds gradually began to close and when the process was complete, the gaseous disk also disintegrated, again generating the large grayish clouds that had created it by merging.


    As the sky returned to its normality, the beam of purple light also began to decrease its volume, and inside, a figure with a human appearance.


    The temperature continued to drop steadily, reaching almost -10¡ãC.


    Having his arms uncovered and not wearing particularly warm clothing, Dag felt the weight of that cold on his physique, whose muscles sore, making his movements slower and more clumsy.


    Despite its thick stone walls, the castle was also involved in the abrupt climate change and all the soldiers inside were forced to approach each other, while their bodies trembled like leaves.


    The Giants of Ymir, accustomed to weathering Krypstorm''s cold temperatures from their early age, felt so cold that they remained motionless, including their commander Kranus, who rubbed his hands near his mouth, trying to use the little warm air coming out of his lungs to warm up.


    In a gesture of friendship, Reidar approached Freydis, hugging her.


    She reciprocated the hug, trying to share her body heat with that of her archer friend, while they both looked fearful at Dag, fearing that what was about to happen was the end of the games.


    The sequence of events lasted about a minute, after which, the beam of light finally disappeared and the human shape finally revealed its identity.


    A man dressed in black in elegant clothes stood in the center of the square.


    A shiny tuxedo, a black shirt under the jacket, and a dark purple tie were elements that turned out to be strange at the sight of the Viking observer people, who had never seen anyone wear such futuristic clothes.


    However, the most chilling aspect of that bald man was his face and head, snow-white.

 582 DLXXXII. The Personal Data

    Dag stood up, barely managing to move, trying to warm up his muscles, and looked at those eyes, both purple, just like his right one.


    A thrill traveled the young Master''s back when he realized that at that moment, all his fears had taken shape and a flesh-and-blood Xis was about seventy meters from him, after appearing from the sky, crossing the synthetic atmosphere that they themselves had given to the planet Skjold.


    After seeing the scene and realizing that what looked like a strangely dressed simple man did not actually belong to their planet, the soldiers of the two Clans began to whisper to each other in fear, until Kranus, with the help of Reidar who had already heard of the Frostsinners'' appearance, explained to them that what had just arrived in the square of Klorr Castle belonged to the alien race that at that time dominated all humans.


    Due to the strong scare and low temperature that changed her blood pressure, Freydis was unable to remain lucid and fainted in Reidar''s arms, which promptly grabbed her, preventing her from falling to the ground.


    In the meanwhile, Dag continued to look at the Xis by failing to utter a single word, while his teeth were beating due to the cold and his body was as stiff as a piece of metal.


    The newly appeared Frostsinner stepped forward, exiting the crater that the dark ray of light had created on the floor, emitting a slight noise caused by the cleats of his elegant black shoes.


    Soon after, the Xis looked around, slowly turning his head to the right and then to the left, silently.


    "I had never come to MR662, this is my first time" he said, in an incredibly human and relaxed voice, as if he was doing one of his favorite activities.


    ...


    "What did he say? MR... what?"


    "What the fuck is he saying? What are those numbers?"


    The warriors of the two Clans tried to understand the Frostsinner''s sentence, failing to attribute meaning to those numbers.


    "I think it refers to our planet. Remember, they created it... that man is not just some random guy... his strength goes beyond our comprehension, I can perceive it" Kranus replied, whose gaze had darkened without ever distracting himself from the man in front of Dag, who looked like a very normal white-skinned human being, with an indifferent expression painted on his face.


    "First Hakon, now even an alien! Everyone comes to Klorr to meet Dag... ggrrr... his popularity is now constantly rising and..."


    Before the Packmaster could say some malice, seized by his insurmountable sense of pride, Kranus stopped him, approving the archer''s request, who had no intention of wasting time and instead of using his breath in useless words he wanted to find a solution to get out of that situation on the edge of reality.


    ...


    With his foot, the Xis slightly touched small fragments of rock in front of his shoes, moving them sideways and continuing to look around, with a thoughtful air.


    "I can''t... I can''t move... fear is assaulting me... what did I do?! Everyone could die because of me! Because I challenged them... why?!" Dag thought, who was immobilized in the same position, with his weapons in his hands.


    The Xis closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if he wanted to taste Skjold''s air to be pleased with his work.


    Soon after, he put his hands in his pockets and walked towards Dag, at a slow pace, accompanied by the usual noise of cleats under his shoes.


    Dag took a step back, intimidated by his presence, not seeing a Xis live from the day he was subjected to the Temporum on Earth more than 10 years earlier, through which the genes in his blood were cataloged as belonging to the Norse pantheon and he was sent to his destination planet, the one on which he was right now.


    "813666, right?" the white man asked Dag, pointing his terrifying eyes at him, of a much more intense and dark purple than that of the young earthling''s right eye.


    Dag did not answer, trying to calm down and regulate his heartbeats and his breathing, fast and intermittent.


    When his gaze crossed with that of the Xis, who had his eyes perpetually wide open, as if he did not feel the need to blink, the alien seemed astonished to see Dag''s purple eye in person and made an even more terrifying expression, smiling slightly.


    "It''s... it''s me."


    "Norse at 94%, Roman at 4%... and 2% genetic matrix unknown to our technology..." the Xis continued, returning earnestly and commenting in front of all of Dag''s personal data, those that the Temporum showed to Xis'' jury when they decided what would be the planet to send that helpless 8-year-old child.


    "I didn''t follow your story closely, 813666. However, my colleagues felt it necessary for me to visit you today, in this dirty and run-down place. I think this planet needs a small upgrade" the Frostsinner continued, diverting his gaze from Dag and continuing to look around, focusing on the destroyed buildings and collapsed walls of the square, as if Dag was a minor problem.


    "Why... why are you here...?" he asked, in a flickering voice.


    As soon as he heard those words, the Xis quickly turned to him, pointing his purple eyes at him: a feeling of helplessness involved Dag''s whole body, who, in less than a second, became motionless as if he had become part of the landscape.

 583 DLXXXIII. The Genetic Error

    ...


    "What the fuck is going on? Shouldn''t that strange-looking man be our ally?! How dares he talk to one of our people like that! Why does Master Dag behave like a softener?!" Thyrius asked again, who in those minutes had not stopped a single second of complaining, continuing to ask unnecessary questions, which only helped to increase the stress of those who listened to him.


    "Thyrius..."


    "He told him not to speak without his permission and now Dag is silent like a frightened child..."


    "Thyrius!" Kranus repeated, raising the tone of his voice and interrupting Bloodfang''s superficial speech, making the Packmaster look at his interlocutor.


    "You just don''t understand?! If we all attacked that man simultaneously, he''d probably kill us in an instant. The Frostsinners were able to defeat the Gods and exile them, bringing them out here on Skjold! In ancient times our planet was the Earth and... fuck, you should know these things!" Kranus continued, scolding the commander of the other Clan, who seemed not to be interested in the subject, trying to judge the Frostsinner''s strength only by the way he was dressed.


    ...


    "Apparently, our scientific team has not yet been able to figure out who you are, or rather... what you are. My theory is that you''re just a genetic error, a piece of trash of your inferior race... you are quite imperfect, you human beings, one of the most imperfect races in this galaxy, your evolutionary path, on the other hand, is very young... anyway... I would certainly have eliminated you immediately after having submitted you to the Temporum, but fortunately for you, I still did not have the power to make decisions, at the time" the white man continued, walking through the square as if he was a tourist disappointed by the view.


    "He''s not telling me anything new... I had already managed to understand these things, what''s the point of coming here to tell this face-to-face? Apparently, this guy is a new member of the commission who determines who''s fit to leave planet Earth, a real big shot. Am I really that important to them? Did they really send one of their most important exponents to this planet just to meet me, now that I am nothing but a worthless number?" Dag thought, still being afraid of that man and knowing he couldn''t face him in a direct confrontation, trying to figure out why everything was happening to him.


    The Xis turned again in his direction, continuing to walk with his hands in his pocket, thoughtful.


    "He''s talking to me like I''m a lab guinea pig... among the incubators, it might still be my biological mother. These pieces of shit have no intention of stopping, it almost seems that the more time passes, the more they try to exploit us like beasts, as if we were part of a large intensive farming" Dag thought again, intimidated by the strong presence of that man and afraid to open his mouth.


    "Your sociality is also very strong. We observed that, from a young age, after an initial period that tends to be solitary, you have managed to familiarize yourself with other individuals of the species, forming groups in which you have even assumed a position of domination over others, which is very difficult in your race, where usually the individuals who prevail are those with higher biological age. You had one of the highest scores among our experimental subjects, especially for a feature we named ''charisma'', to make it understandable."


    Dag''s gaze was filled with anger, knowing that he was now forced to play with an open hand, because, in addition to him, all the people in the castle were witnessing that speech, realizing that the young warrior who had led them to victory, was nothing more than an experiment that came out badly, something that linked men to an alien race of which nothing was known.


    "As you fought against our observer, whose remains lie a few feet behind me, you said something referred to us, your creators" the Frostsinner continued, approaching Dag more than expected.


    His grip on weapons grew stronger and his muscle hardened more and more, not only because of the cold but also because of the anger that continued to grow exponentially and flow through his veins.


    "He''s referring to the phrase I yelled at them... I was stupid! I knew they were looking at me at the time, and yet I didn''t hesitate for a single moment, thinking I could face the Xis! Fuck me! How stupid!" Dag thought frantically, who knew inside him that he could not be too weak in front of all those men who had seen him beat the second strongest warrior in the world.


    "Another little clarification... although our team of scientists is working on multiple subjects at once, scattered across the various target planets, the power you''re developing within you is very different from that of people of your own kind, it''s unique, as well as stronger. You manipulate a small amount of dark matter that is inside your body, managing to synthesize it from the atmosphere in which you are immersed and command it as if it was a natural extension of your body. This power is very similar to that of my race, you know this, 813666?" the Xis asked, who for the first time since he started speaking, asked a direct question to Dag.

 584 DLXXXIV. The Hybrid

    "Your soul. Soul... we studied this phenomenon a long time ago when we first approached human subjects who had a high degree of a parameter called ''emotional sensitivity''. I''m sorry to disappoint you, 813666, but the soul you''re referring to is an absolutely abstract concept, it''s not measurable, nor real, it''s just the result of your limited view of the world around you. Our calculations are perfect and our science is correct. You have no ''soul'', no one has one" the white man continued, standing about 10 meters away from Dag.


    Feeling that at that moment he could respond to that statement and failing to hold back all the hatred he had inside, Dag dared to utter stronger words, albeit pronouncing them in a submissive tone.


    "If your science is really accurate and your calculations are perfect, with no margin of error... why is there an unknown percentage in my genetic code? When the Temporum showed my results, the members of your commission couldn''t figure out that strange value, that 2%. It follows that even a machine created by you can go wrong, right?" Dag asked, sweating cold, knowing that that question could have been a death sentence.


    Strangely, the Xis did not lose patience after Dag''s risky response, which could no longer look him in the eye for fear of his reaction, but the alien slightly rotated his head, as if he was processing that concept, not expecting such an acute observation from the individual of a lower race.


    "I don''t owe you any kind of explanation, 813666, but I recognize that my colleagues'' curiosity for you is justified. You are a really interesting subject, your ''courage'' parameter is very high precisely because you are not afraid to answer those who are superior to you. So I''m going to answer your question before the extraction process."


    "Extraction process?!" Dag thought, frightened by that word that presupposed nothing pleasant.


    ...


    "Extraction? Extraction of what?! What is he going to do to the Captain?!" Reidar thought aloud, who was still trying to make Freydis regain her senses, after finding blankets with which to keep her body warm.


    "It is impossible that men with pale faces managed to capture and drive out the great wolf Fenrir. His greatness and ferocity are incomparable to those of every other living being. Only the chains created by Odin could trap him in the mountains, only the Alfather has the power to chain the great wolf, the embodiment of fury!" Bloodfang interrupted, who although he seemed intent on watching Dag, was actually listening intently to the words of the ice mage.


    "That''s not a human being. The captain once told me something about the Frostsinners... their real name is ''Xis'' and they voluntarily chose to take our shape, in order to interact more easily with us human beings. They created all the planets, including Skjold, and distributed all earthlings like Dag on them... if you think about it, they are the Gods right now" Reidar replied, who was astonished at his own words, not believing that fear would ever lead him to say such absurd and blasphemous things.


    ...


    "The genetic analysis of Temporum is timely. This means that it measures the values within the blood specific to the moment the subject enters the capsule. At the age of 8, you, 813666, like all subjects of your age, performed the analysis and the machine returned certain values. The difference is that, from then on, your unknown genes, those belonging to that 2%, have certainly increased, neutralizing a part of your predominant genes, namely the Norse ones" the Xis explained, allowing Dag to intervene.


    "So that 2% is now a bigger number?" Dag asked, in a calm and resigned voice, looking up at his interlocutor, not to show his fear.


    "That''s correct, 813666. Your genetics are really basic, and they can''t change over time, unlike ours. However, you are different in this too. Genes belonging to the domain of dark matter expand in your body and the practical consequence is the increase in your ''abilities''. Although these genes are practically identical to those of my species, genetically more advanced than yours, they coexist with human genes, which are slowly regressing, failing to block the advance of the more advanced ones. What''s the conclusion, 813666?" the Xis continued, curious to hear the answer from Dag''s mouth as if that was a game.


    "My human genes coexist with those of the Xis... this means that biologically speaking I am... I am... a hybrid" Dag said, lowering his gaze and feeling a sense of deep anguish by uttering that word, which rang out in his head soon after coming out of his mouth.


    "Mh."


    The Xis made a confirmation-like sound and continued to look at Dag with his grainy eyes, never looking away, satisfied that their creation had developed such acute intelligence as well as managing that big amount of dark power.


    "My human genes are regressing... Xis genes are much stronger and more advanced... with age, my powers will grow, and the more I use them, the more human genes will decrease, until I''ll completely lose my humanity, becoming a Xis. Is that really what''s going to happen to me? Or is this bastard saying this just to frighten me and force me to obey them?" Dag thought, continuing to look at the destroyed floor beneath his feet.

 585 DLXXXV. The White Hand

    After his own words, Dag''s eyes widened and the young warrior felt all his strength abandon his body for an instant, forcing him to step back so as not to fall to the ground.


    "The questions at your disposal are exhausted, 813666. Now I will proceed with my work and take some samples of your power from your body so that the scientists can continue their studies on Earth. I congratulate you again on the excellent results you are getting in the tests, continue like this and you could become the forefather of a new species" the Xis replied, evading Dag''s words and immediately changing speech.


    "Don''t... I can''t believe what''s going on! Why?! Why me?! I''m sure my mother was a human being and my father too, or¡­ at least that''s what I was told, but... even this certainty of mine has just been erased! One of them is a Xis! One of my biological parents is a fucking alien! How is that possible?! How did this happen!" Dag thought again, who, trapped in a whirlwind of frustration, continued to retreat, leaving his weapons on his belt and squeezing his head as if it was about to burst.


    ...


    "Fuck, I don''t understand a single word of what they''re saying... genes, laboratory... what the fuck does that mean?! Ah?!" Thyrius asked angrily, turning to Reidar as if he had all the answers.


    "I don''t know, I have no idea! But it''s clear that Dag has something in common with them... with the Frostsinners... something that binds them inextricably... but his human characteristics... it is they who differentiate him from those heartless pieces of shit! Dag''s job is to avenge the Gods and save the human race, he will surely have something in mind!" Reidar exclaimed, clenching his fists and trusting in his Captain''s courage, storing all the trust in him.


    ...


    "Mmh... avenge the Gods and save the human race? Does that seem to me to be a fairly ambitious goal for an experiment, don''t you think, 813666?" the Xis commented, unexpectedly.


    The listening skills of the white man, being incredibly developed, like all five of his senses, had managed to capture the voice of Reidar and the others, even though among them there were walls and a distance of more than 40 meters.


    "Eh? What is he referring to?" Dag thought, who, being focused only on his interlocutor, had not heard Reidar''s words, that by uttering that sentence, had slightly raised his voice.


    ...


    "Let''s keep calm, just talk to each other... I think that''s the only way we can help Dag... or rather... prevent him from suffering too much" Kranus added, addressing not only those next to him but also to all the men behind them, asking them to bring the word in the corridors of the palace, spreading the message among their companions.


    Although Skjold''s native warriors knew the Frostsinners only thanks to Dag and other travelers from Earth, they realized together that the best thing to help their battle comrade would be to remain silent.


    ...


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about..." Dag whispered, pretending nothing, though the truth transpired from his worried expression.


    Without adding a word, the Frostsinner, whose name no one yet knew, pulled one of his hands out of his pocket, and immediately Dag''s body stiffened.


    The young Master, who could not move either the upper body or the lower part, moved his gaze down, noting that his arms and legs were motionless as if invisible chains had anchored them to the ground.


    After a few seconds of silent waiting, the previously invisible chains became visible: they were bundles of dark matter, very similar to his, but of a different color, tending to purple.


    "What... what''s going to happen?! Leave me alone, let me go!" Dag said, who was so afraid he couldn''t even scream.


    Unlike all the enemies he had faced in his life, this time it was completely different: the powers against which he was supposed to rebel were identical to his own but stronger and this made his chances of success almost nil.


    "Now condense your dark matter, 813666. I have to collect a sample. Then you can go back to your daily life" the Xis repeated, keeping the same impassive expression on his white face.


    Dag tried to harden the muscles of his arms and pull upwards the bundles of liquid that wrapped his wrists, noting that the power of the Xis was too strong and that material, as he well knew, had a tensile resistance impossible to overcome with mere brute force.


    "And now?! What do I do?! I''m not going to give up even 1% of my powers to this son of a bitch! I''m sure they''d use them to their advantage... they could create other life forms that can replicate my genetics and could expand the number of experiments on humans! No, Dag... that would be a mistake... think... there must be a way!" the young Earthling thought frantically, knowing that his chances were running out, as well as Frostsinner''s patience, which would soon reach its limit.


    "813666... now you will condense the right amount of dark matter and I will take a sample of it. It will last only a moment, putting resistance will not help you" the Xis said again and after these words, moved slightly the fingers of the hand he had pulled out of his pocket.

 586 DLXXXVI. The Pretense

    After creating that stone throne complete with a backrest where to place his back, the white man slowly began to walk towards him, with a casual air.


    "Fuck it! It hurts! He created such a complex structure only with a banal movement of his fingers... his power is incredibly versatile, capable of destroying and creating... I have no hope..." Dag continued to think, who whenever he wanted to take courage to face the enemy, returned to his footsteps, knowing that any reckless gesture would probably lead him to death.


    In those moments, he thought of Freydis and his sister Gridd, Reidar and Karl, his mother Asa, and his late father Stein.


    Also to Magni and his teachings, trying to imagine how would the ''Iron Spark'' behave in that situation of extreme difficulty, who despite not being a perfect warrior, always had a solution to every problem and had transmitted to his student his critical and resolute mindset.


    Dag thought that if he died, the people who had always believed in him, risking their lives only to allow him to go on and achieve one goal after another, would remain alone and hopeless, and the ideal of freedom and justice that had always kept them together would fade over time.


    "Who... which of them was a Xis?" the young earthly warrior asked with a thread of a voice.


    The Frostsinner''s advance stopped and he remained in front of Dag, a few feet away, slightly turning his head to one side, as he had done a few minutes earlier during their speech.


    "I''ve already told you that question time is over, 813666. I don''t owe you any kind of explanation. Do not abuse the freedom of speech that I granted you a few seconds ago and remember the position of you human beings towards us Xis. Your submission to us is part of the process of evolution of your lower race. The weakest subject relies on the strongest one, feeding on knowledge like a parasite and obeying its laws, owing to it its life. This is the gift that we Xis have made you" the Frostsinner replied.


    "You have not given us any gifts... you have only condemned us to death, pretending to be our saviors. You destroyed our Sun, interrupting biological life on the Earth''s surface! Life would have continued to thrive for hundreds of thousands of years if you hadn''t come! You believe yourself superior to everything and everyone, but in the universe, there will certainly be someone superior to you!" Dag exclaimed again, who tried to unleash all the courage he had accumulated during those minutes spent thinking.


    Everyone present, including his allies who were listening to him from afar, after hearing those words were shocked.


    On the contrary, those who knew that story, such as Reidar and Kranus, after Dag''s words remain petrified, knowing that what the young Master had just done was probably the greatest gamble of his life.


    Continuing to pull continuously the bundles of dark matter that kept him anchored to the stone throne, Dag looked into his interlocutor''s eyes, whose gaze remained terrifying but impassive.


    "What did you just say, 813666?" the Xis asked, who for the first time since arriving on Skjold, looked slightly confused.


    "What, you didn''t think I knew the truth?! I''ve seen it all. This power, this dark matter that you can manipulate... with it you have wrapped our fragile star and turned off its light forever, reducing it to a rock mass without energy and shattering it into a thousand pieces. Then, as if by magic, you arrived on planet Earth, professing to be the saviors of the human race. I know the truth and even if you''ll kill me here and now, I already had enough time to say it to other people, who in turn will have spread the verb... but you can''t kill me¡­ can''t you?" Dag continued, who using sharp words at the right time, had momentarily put his interlocutor in a difficult position, while the alien did not look away from him for a second.


    "You cannot be aware of these relevant details... you don''t... now I will be forced to take measures, 813666" the Xis exclaimed, whose speech became less fluid and authoritative.


    "You don''t know everything I can do either... I know everything I should and by now it is too late to stop the words, which will fly faster than the wind ... I don''t know why you decided to enslave the human race, but I''m sure of one thing... we are not friends, you''re not our saviors... we are mortal enemies" Dag continued, who, knowing that those would probably be his last words, intended to vent all his anger.


    "At this point, it is evident that your hybrid genes can draw on a ''general'' memory of our race as if it was a Xis'' archive. I''m sure this news will intrigue our scientists even more" the Frostsinner replied, who instead of worrying that Dag was aware of those life-changing facts, merely thought about the chemical reason behind that knowledge.


    Before Dag could add anything, the Frostsinner came even closer to him and put one of his white hands on his forehead.


    Dag''s body temperature dropped further and his muscles stiffened as soon as that hand came into contact with his skin.


    The Xis closed his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling for a few seconds the air in his lungs.


    Dag''s back began to release grayish gas, which, through the powers of the Xis, condensed into dark matter, taking on the typical arm shape, which protruded above the young warrior''s head that could not control either his body or his powers.

 587 DLXXXVII. I Dont Care

    As the dark liquid beam slowly took shape, approaching the Xis, who reopened his eyes, it immediately interrupted its growth and slowly returned back, decreasing its volume and gradually re-joining Dag''s back, as if it had recognized its true master and was obeying only his orders.


    "Mhh..." the Xis whispered, who whenever he was amazed by something, always tried to retain his expressiveness, as if feelings such as anger, frustration, and hatred were not part of his being.


    Dag''s eyes closed due to the effort and the muscles of his arms and legs began to work again, albeit sore and chained to the ground.


    Concentrating all his power on the hand he had rested on Dag''s forehead, the Xis was forgetting about the rest of his body, which was very slowly resuming his motor functions.


    ...


    "What is he doing to him? It''s horrible!"


    "Is that the extraction process he talked about before?!"


    The Giants of Ymir soldiers began whispering to each other, acknowledging that what was happening to their new Master must be very painful.


    "He is using a forced activation of Dag''s powers... I didn''t think there was anyone who could do it... that abominable being is forcing Dag''s body to create the matter his dark arms are made of to take a piece of them, but it seems that he is managing to hold it within himself. As he said before, the Frostsinner don''t want to kill him, it''s not what his superiors ordered him to do..." Kranus commented, which used all the knowledge he had learned both from the books and directly from Dag, to formulate a concrete hypothesis of what was going on.


    "He must have one or more bosses tell him what to do... even if they are powerful beings, they would never send one of their greatest exponents to a planet entirely populated by humans, it would be too risky" Kron added, who, silent as usual, had his personal theory.


    Kron''s words made Kranus, Reidar, and Bloodfang reflect, who, like him, were carefully studying the stranger man''s behavior.


    ...


    The Xis'' white hand grip became increasingly intense and the veins on Dag''s forehead and face, due to the effort, began to become visible under his skin.


    Inside his body, his power was trying in every way to free itself from that control, after recognizing that the external source that was ordering it to get out of Dag''s body was actually an enemy.


    No longer knowing how to react and no longer having all his physical strength at his disposal, Dag raised his right arm and grabbed the Xis'' jacket, pulling it towards him.


    "I don''t care... do what you want, but if I die, my power will die with me! Those who are commanding you are definitely listening to my words so... go fuck yourselves, sons of bitches! I will kill you from the first to the last and save my race, whatever it costs!" Dag shouted, trying not to lose mental control over his power, which would otherwise have been forcibly extracted from his body.


    After those words, to which the Xis remained almost impassive, knowing that he could do nothing without the permission of his superiors, Dag held him still with his left hand, and with his right one, he detached the Giantbane from the magnet on his belt.


    The Xis, knowing that no weapon could cause real damage to his body, stood still in place despite Dag''s hand continuing to pull his jacket, trying unsuccessfully to destabilize him.


    When he wielded the Giantbane, whose power had not yet been activated, Dag paused for a moment to think.


    "I''m sure this son of a bitch is in touch with his bosses right now, but first he said that if scientists knew what my progress had been, they would have been very excited, so... this means that my next blow must be decisive, I must kill him by exploiting his unconsciousness, otherwise all the Xis would know about the power of my weapon! Giantbane, don''t let me down and do what you were created for!"


    After thinking with his eyes closed, the young Earthly warrior slid the blade of the axe on his leg, making a superficial cut.


    The blood that came out of his body slipped on the Giantbane''s blade, immediately activating its power.


    At the same time, trying not to waste any more time, Dag tried to hit the enemy''s neck, intent on cutting off his head in one fell swoop, but the Xis, thanks to his super-developed senses, was able to predict his move in advance, despite not knowing of the existence of a weapon capable of wounding him.


    Despite believing the Giantbane to be harmless, the Frostsinner suddenly moved and Dag''s shot failed, cutting off the air.


    However, the hand resting on his forehead, being in contact only through the palm, slightly weakened and with an effort of the leg muscles, Dag managed to wriggle out of the grip, escaping the Xis.


    Dag stepped back and opened his eyes again, focusing on the enemy.


    After only a couple of seconds, the young warrior dashed toward him, pulling out the hammer and activating its electrical powers, trying to strike the enemy first with Magni''s weapon.


    "He doesn''t know that the Giantbane can hurt him! I will wait until I''ll be sure to win and then I will try to hit him again with the axe!" Dag thought again, waving the hammer and unleashing its power against Xis man.

 588 DLXXXVIII. Bond Of Friendship

    "Uh?! What?! Can he also control the force of gravity acting on my body now?!" he thought, which could neither go forward nor go back.


    The Frostsinner''s eyes began to shine with a purple light, a symptom of the fact that his true powers had just been activated.


    The warriors who were watching the fight from afar, after the short time Dag had freed himself and tried to hit his target, gained confidence in him, believing that perhaps he would be able to get out of that situation with his own strength, but at the sight of the Xis who had blocked his body in mid-air, fell silent, no longer knowing what to think.


    "What are you really trying to do, 813666?" the enemy asked in the usual quiet tone, turning his head and looking at Dag, trying to study his behavior and facial expressions.


    "Grrr... can''t you see it?! So clever, yet so stupid!" Dag answered, screaming, knowing that he had under no circumstances to summon his dark arms and had to free himself from that spell by exploiting only his strength.


    The Xis moved his hand slightly to one side and suddenly Dag''s body was thrown away at great speed, flying many meters and impacting through the rubble of the square porch.


    *boom*


    The sound of the impact was very loud and after it, the Frostsinner turned his gaze to the sky, as if suddenly he had forgotten to be facing someone.


    ...


    "They''re communicating! The Xis is communicating with someone off this planet! I''m sure he''s getting orders!" Kranus exclaimed, who after seeing Dag being driven away like a gnat, had the expression seriously worried and was trying to figure out how to make himself useful.


    "What?! Then let''s attack him! Let''s try to stop him! If Dag needs help, why are we all here, scared like helpless rabbits?! We are the strongest warriors in Krypstorm, that pale little man will never be able to defeat us if we all fight together!" Bloodfang replied promptly, who dropped the stick on which he was holding up and prepared for the transformation into a wolf.


    "Packmaster! Don''t do it!"


    "Chief, your wounds haven''t healed yet, you need time to recover your strength!"


    After Thyrius dropped the wooden stick, two of his men surrounded him, holding his arms and advising him to stand still, explaining why.


    "Don''t touch me! I''m not going to sit here and watch an ally of mine being slaughtered by someone who doesn''t even belong to this planet! Kranus! Stop whizzing like a sissy and come with me! Let''s show this idiot what we''re made of!"


    ...


    After the words of the Packmaster of the Claws Of Fenrir, before the ice mage could logically answer him, three arrows hit the Xis'' body at the same time.


    Thyrius and Kranus stopped talking to each other and walked out the castle door, noting that the arrows came from above.


    The two Clan Commanders raised their heads to the castle tower and discovered that Reidar, Dag''s best ally, still had his Failnaught pointed at the enemy.


    His expression, although he had decided to strike the first blow, was deeply frightened and his hands trembled, while bitter tears gushed uncontrollably from his half-closed eyes in fear.


    "Son of a bitch! How did he get to the balcony up there?!" Bloodfang asked, amazed that Reidar had managed to escape their attentive gaze.


    "He exploited the general panic that assailed us to enter the castle and climb the tower, reaching a particularly isolated point. He did so knowing that, if he had loaded his shot from our position, I would surely stop him, preventing him from endangering us" Kranus replied, who as soon as he saw the intense expression of that boy still unknown to him, understood that his heart was pure and that the love for his companion exceeded everything.


    While Dag was still in the rubble, having suffered a very violent blow, the Xis looked down, realizing that an arrow with an iron tip was crossing his head and two other magic arrows had pierced him in the vital points of his body.


    "The head, to stop brain activity... the chest, to eliminate the heart... and the tailbone, to remove the use of the lower limbs. These bizarre human beings are really amazing when they are frightened" the alien thought aloud, whose words and thoughts were always steeped in logic, without taking into account the sentimental and emotional sphere of those around him, failing to understand them.


    The three arrows, without being touched, began to crawl out of the Frostsinner''s body, which very slowly turned in the direction of the tower.


    "I couldn''t do him any harm, despite hitting him at the most critical points of the body, but I already imagined it... what really matters is that I managed to distract him, earning the Captain precious seconds to regain his strength... but now? What do I do now?!" Reidar thought, who had a foot resting on the rocky railing of the balcony and the gaze pointed at the enemy, who was now looking at him.


    The two golden arrows, after exiting the Frostsinner''s body, disappeared into nothingness, under Reidar''s orders, whose mind sanctioned their existence and actions.


    The one with the iron tip, on the other hand, was pulled from his head without leaving any signs of injury or blood and slowly, in the air, turned to Reidar, pointing its tip at the Hammers Of Thor archer.


    "For the first time, I can''t understand... why do you rebel against those who have given you the opportunity to keep on living? In addition to being bizarre, you are also contradictory... but it''s not your fault. Your brains are still at their embryonic stage, there is a long way to go in research" the Xis commented as if he was speaking to himself, looking at the tip of the arrow and making sure that it pointed exactly in the direction of those who had tried to hit him.

 589 DLXXXIX. The Dark Arrow

    Soon after, the enemy raised his hand and stuck his middle finger under his thumb, loading a shot in the direction of the castle''s tallest tower.


    "Fuck!" Reidar thought, who as soon as he sensed the next shot would be directed at him, put both of his feet on the balcony railing.


    The Xis snapped the two fingers with the palm of his hand facing down, and the arrow rotated so quickly on itself that it was instantly wrapped by the purple gas.


    Faster than a bullet, it was fired at great speed towards Reidar and left behind a shockwave that consumed the floor under the feet of the Xis, who was obviously unharmed.


    The arrow traveled through the air at four times the speed of a pistol bullet and centered the access door to the balcony: once inside, in less than a second, a giant explosion overwhelmed the upper floors of the castle, causing the entire structure to wobble.


    The explosion generated by the impact released a large amount of dark matter, which expanded into the air in the form of huge tentacles that enveloped the rubble just created by the destroyed pieces of the tower.


    As if they were weightless bodies, the huge pieces of wall, including the tower''s interior rooms and all the objects contained therein, were completely enveloped by the dark tentacles, which closed in on themselves and compressed into nothingness, engulfing almost half of Klorr''s castle in darkness.


    From the dust and pieces of walls that kept falling from the upper end of the building, amid the rubble, Reidar fell down at great speed, holding himself with one arm to a rope tied who knows where and holding the Failnaught into the other.


    The archer continued to fall under the force of gravity until the rope of the grappling hook that was attached somewhere on the tower broke away.


    About ten meters separated him from the ground and just when Reidar believed the fall would break his leg bones, a column of ice rose towards him and someone grabbed him by the abdomen, blocking his fall.


    Amazed to be safe and sound, he realized that Kranus, the Giants Of Ymir''s Commander, was the creator of that ice structure and had just saved his life, without even knowing him.


    When they both got off the ground, the ice mage let Reidar go and he stepped back, holding the Failnaught tight and looking upwards, realizing that the entire upper end of the castle had vanished into nothingness and that if he hadn''t jumped off the balcony, he would probably have been swallowed up with it.


    "Th... thank you..." he said, with his voice still flickering because of the adrenaline of that gesture, unable to believe he was unharmed.


    "The castle... my family''s castle! It was almost completely destroyed by a simple arrow... that white-skinned man wiped out the tower with a single blow! Grrr... he can''t get away with it... he can''t survive after what he did!" Bloodfang screamed with tears in his eyes, being sure that after the war he had just fought, the castle of his childhood would remain intact.


    Meanwhile, under the rubble, Dag began breathing again, after being almost unconscious for a few seconds.


    "Where... what... I''m alive! I just got hit by that Xis and he made me fly away... my head is spinning, but... I heard the screams of Reidar and Bloodfang and a big explosion made the ground vibrate. I can''t give up, I can still defeat him... the Giantbane, where''s my axe?!" Dag thought, putting his thoughts back in order and trying to reconstruct what happened.


    His divine weapon, unlike Magni''s hammer, still tightened in his right hand, was not near him, but had ended up somewhere under the rubble.


    On Dag''s chest, there was a huge boulder that compressed his rib cage, preventing him from any movement, and on his leg, there was a piece of the stone arch that constituted the porch of the square.


    The young Earthly warrior continued to breathe more and more intensely, coughing up the dust that had entered his lungs and resuming his motor functions, realizing that, if he had gained a few seconds to recover, it was only thanks to some of his allies who had helped him distract the enemy.


    "Despite your inferiority, you are incredibly attached to life, as if you did not have the awareness of death. Many individuals are trying to protect you, 813666, you managed to subdue each of them... this is thanks to your modified genes, which make you a true leader in the eyes of your fellow human beings" the Xis continued, who after destroying half a palace with a meager movement of his fingers, turned again to Dag''s position as if everyone else suddenly ceased to exist or did not pose a threat.


    Dag stood up and pushed away the large boulder that weighed on him, helping himself with his arm and a twist of his chest, managing to free himself.


    Then he did the same with his leg and slowly managed to get back on his feet, completely dirty with blood and white dust, resulting from the rock on which he had landed.


    His face was full of blood, most of which came from a cut on his forehead and one on his cheek.


    "I don''t know where my axe is, but if I started looking for it now, that bastard would catch up with me in a second and try to activate my powers again... I can''t use the Giantbane, and I can''t use the dark matter either... what do I do now?!" Dag thought, who despite being on the verge of a nervous breakdown, tried to keep the lucidity useful to think of an action plan.

 590 DXC. The Impotence

    Dag moved his foot slightly forward, but then stopped, looking at his enemy straight into his purple eyes, which in contrast to the white skin of his face, gave him that terrifying look.


    More tears of nervousness came down from his eyes, dissolving the blood clotted on his cheeks, and Dag, wielding only Magni''s hammer, returned to the combat position.


    "Mh... I see. I figured it wouldn''t be easy to make contact with an individual like you, 813666, but I thought you''d be a little more cooperative. What are you going to do? Your powers are still in their embryonic state, there''s nothing you can do against me. You wouldn''t be able to defeat me even if you tried a million times, human" the Xis replied, looking at Dag with grainy eyes and an expression of defiance, having almost lost patience.


    Dag for a moment looked away from his enemy, turning to his comrades near the castle entrance and carefully focusing on Reidar''s face.


    Something inside him suggested that it was his friend who distracted the Frostsinner, it was only thanks to Reidar if he had had time to get up from the rubble and start fighting again.


    Alongside the archer, Kranus and Bloodfang were at the forefront, with their fists clenched and their expressions concentrated as if they were fighting alongside him, trying to share their strength with him.


    "You won''t have a shred of my power, Xis. I''m not just a human being, and I''m not going to obey you head-down. If you came to Skjold in person, there must be a reason. You didn''t think someone weaker than you would be able to beat me easily, so you chose to do it yourself. But you know what? I don''t care. You can be as strong as you want, but... whether I kill you or you kill me, it makes no difference. You will lose anyway. With death, my dark power will end up instantly consumed and you will be forced to return to earth empty-handed" Dag smiled, with his gaze pointed down and his fists clenched, beginning to believe in his abilities superior to those of normal human beings.


    The Xis did not immediately respond, Dag''s phrase somehow managed to put him in trouble.


    "All right, 813666. You made your choice" he exclaimed after a few seconds of silence.


    As soon as he uttered that sentence, the Frostsinner raised his hand to Dag and in the center of its palm, a small dark sphere appeared, which in a few moments grew in size.


    The sphere grew again and again until it became a huge black mass sprinkled with purple filaments as if it contained the Universe itself.


    Dag''s feet, unintentionally, crawled slightly forward, until he placed them one in front of each other to prevent him from being drawn to the Xis.


    The men outside the castle gate, despite their distance, perceived that strong drawing power and were forced to stand on the wall so as not to be dragged into the center of the square.


    Within seconds, the Xis had managed to create a small black hole, the most menacing manifestation of natural power in the Universe.


    When the sphere reached its maximum size, the alien raised his arm, moving it over the palm of his hand and placing it over his head, as if ready to throw it.


    The wind around it continued to rotate more and more swirling and the sphere continued to swallow small objects that came from the ground and air, such as pieces of rock, dust, leaves.


    "We are Xis and we have been given the task of enforcing the laws that balance the Universe. We don''t have a body, we don''t have weaknesses. We''re pure energy. You, 813666, from the moment of your birth, are trying to destroy the balance that since the dawn of time has reigned supreme over everything, generating a growing spiral of chaos. Therefore, under the unanimous decision of us members of the Supreme Court of the Xis, you do not deserve to continue your path of redemption, let alone to live. You will be annihilated here and now, this is your destiny" the Xis exclaimed as if he was playing a script.


    ...


    At that moment, the loud noise generated by objects being absorbed by the dark sphere grew considerably and woke Freydis, who gradually regained her senses and stood up with Reidar''s help, ready to rescue her.


    When the Shieldmaiden noticed that all the soldiers, generals, and commanders of the two Clans were motionless and silent, looking directly in one direction, she did the same, looking towards the center of the square.


    In her eyes appeared the reflection of the gigantic black sphere that rested on the palm of the white hand of the Xis, ready to inflict on Dag the final blow: Freydis'' blood froze and her heartbeat slowed down for a few moments as if the emotion she was feeling was so strong that blocked her five senses.


    She and Reidar, who were the two people closest to the one who had become an enemy of the Xis, were there, standing at the door of a palace, ready to witness the inevitable, without even the strength to cry, knowing that they could no longer do anything to help those who had brought light into their lives, that brave boy who always had a reason to smile and continue to fight, without ever giving up, despite fears.

 591 DXCI. This Is Your Destiny

    Freydis'' flickering hand grabbed the sleeve of Reidar''s jacket as if she needed to cling to something, both materially and spiritually.


    Instead, he stood still without ever looking away, narrowing his eyes and focusing on Dag''s face, knowing that inside him there was a fire, some incredibly powerful energy, waiting only to be unlocked.


    ...


    While Dag''s long blonde hair was loose and floating forward in the direction of the sphere, his gaze slowly rose towards the enemy.


    At the same time, the runes tattooed on his right arm began to shine, emitting a strong white light visible even meters away.


    His body was wrapped in an electric aura, formed by many small purple and blue sparks that were released here and there, entering and exiting the head of Magni''s hammer, tightened in his right hand.


    ...


    "I''ve never seen his arm light up like that... is another skill of your Clan? Why did Dag activate it right now?" Kranus asked, addressing Reidar, who was crying with emotion.


    "Warriors of Krypstorm... the one before your eyes is not a simple earthly warrior... I present to you the human being closest to divine power, I present to you... the Primal Thunder."


    ...


    When the lightning''s power was finally unlocked, Dag began spinning the hammer in his hand, unleashing lightning of all shapes and sizes, charging it with energy.


    Despite his powerful upgrade, the young warrior did not seem to intimidate the Xis, who was just waiting for the right moment to give him the final blow.


    ''I can''t fight him closely, so I can''t use Memory Of Mj?llnir, because I couldn''t charge it in time. I have to use my speed of movement to get around that sphere and I absolutely have to find the Giantbane, which should be here somewh..."


    Just as Dag tried to think as quickly as possible, out of the corner of his eye he saw a small source of reddish light coming from the cavity between two large boulders, a few meters away from his current position.


    "The Xis has already delivered his verdict... if I tried to reach the Giantbane, he would probably throw the black hole he just created at me and my strength wouldn''t be enough to withstand such a powerful attack... I must first dodge the blow. I will channel all my energy into my legs and try to be as fast as possible!" Dag thought, who gradually tried to shift the electricity that was running through his entire body into his legs, electrifying them and enhancing their movements.


    "Don''t believe you can escape to your fate, earthling. Your destiny is already written, there is nothing you can do to change it" the Xis said, who was still waiting for the right moment to throw the black hole at the young warrior.


    "You''re still underestimating me, Xis. I''m no longer an Earthly child... the people of this planet have taught me that in life you have to fight to achieve your goals! Fortitude is no use unless it is accompanied by the full development of our powers... you said my dark power is still too weak compared to yours, but... you didn''t think that, unlike you, it''s not the only power I have!" Dag yelled, who immediately after his words, bent his knees and snapped sideways, in the opposite direction to the Giantbane''s glow.


    The Xis'' eyes, despite Dag''s incredible speed, were able to follow his movements, moving the body in his direction.


    Dag changed his trajectory several times, zigzagging and trying to disorient the enemy, to gain some time and think of an effective plan to dodge the blow and counterattack the Frostsinner.


    "Once the dark sphere is launched, he will need a few seconds to regain his strength. That''s when I''ll grab the Giantbane and hit him, hoping to be quick enough to do it! But now?! How can I dodge such a big object?!" Dag thought again, who was just postponing his end.


    "The Dark Matter of which this sphere is made is the most stunning element of the entire Universe, the same that forms the cells of our Xis body. You can escape wherever you want, 813666, even miles away, but it will chase you and with the gravitational force that will be unleashed at the time of impact, it will absorb you, forever nullifying the existence of your body. You were asked a simple favor, you just had to give me a sample of your power, but... you have deliberately decided to disobey your superior and that choice cannot be changed now. Now, 813666, you will die" the Xis continued, who moved his arm forward, opening his hand well and releasing the energy sphere.


    Under the astonished eyes of Dag, who believed that the enemy would wait a few more seconds before launching the attack, the black hole traveled very slowly forward, following his every move.


    After detaching itself from the Frostsinner''s hand, the sphere increased its attractiveness tenfold and, traveling about a meter away from the floor, sucked the first layers of soil into it, as if they were made of dust.


    In addition to the tiles of the square, now reduced to shreds and the rocks that rose from under them, even many of the corpses that were on the spot were sucked by that abominable object, disappearing into nothingness, as if they had never existed.


    All the young Master''s companions could do was stand still and watch, ready to witness their comrade''s end.


    All but Reidar and Freydis, who despite knowing they could not intervene in any way, looked at Dag in the hope that he would once again amaze them.

 592 DXCII. The Final Form

    He turned backward, focusing his attention on the eyes of Freydis, the woman he loved, and on Reidar, the best of his allies.


    "I think I''ll get to a point of no return soon... there is no other solution. Thanks for everything... thank you for always believing in me" he whispered, making a slight smile in their direction.


    "Noo, Dag! Why do you say that?! Run away! Run away, as far away as possible!" Freydis yelled, who tried to run towards him to give him one last hug but was gripped by Reidar, who with tears in his eyes dragged her backward, towards the other Masters, who watched with terror the dark sphere approach more and more.


    Dag opened his arms outside and looked up at the sky, whose stars shone particularly clearly during that night.


    The dark matter that enveloped his legs continued to rise upwards, flowing into his abdomen, then into his chest, arms, and finally over his neck, stopping at his chin.


    "One of my biological parents was a Xis. Father, mother... if you can hear me, please... don''t let the dark matter destroy my humanity... protect my soul..." Dag thought, praying for his salvation after what he was going to do.


    While the runes on his right arm continued to shine with a white light despite his body being completely black, Dag, for the first time ever, allowed the dark matter to rise over the edge of his chin, up to his face.


    The dark liquid completely enveloped his head and during those moments, his arms trembled, as if his brain had to accept that he was under attack from an outside power.


    Under Freydis'' incessant screams and the grainy eyes of all the warriors and Commanders of the two Clans of Krypstorm, Dag donated his entire body to the dark power, combining his intrinsic power with that of lightning, reaching the maximum expression of his strength.


    *booom*swishhhh*


    The aura released by the young Master''s body was so strong that it evolved into an explosion of purple light and raised the ground below his feet, shattering it.


    When he lowered his arms, carrying them along his hips, he slowly lowered his head as well, turning his gaze towards the dark sphere.


    His long blonde hair had disappeared, as had his beard.


    His head was totally shrouded in darkness and two shining purple eyes, identical to those of the Xis in front of him, shone in the gloom of the night.


    Although his musculature had increased slightly, the armor remained attached to his body, as well as Magni''s hammer, still tightened in his right hand.


    Suddenly, as soon as the transformation process was completed, Dag opened his arms wide again and swelled his chest, releasing all the accumulated air with a frightening roar, directed towards the sky and then towards the Xis, who could not believe what his eyes were seeing.


    Without leaving the hammer, the new Dag snapped to the left, thus preventing the dark energy sphere from continuing its dangerous trajectory towards the castle and proving to all his allies, that despite that monstrous appearance, inside him, there was still good, there was still a shred of humanity.


    In Dag''s brain, meanwhile, a force more powerful than his own mind had taken over, silencing his will, which laid within his brain and witnessed everything that was happening before his eyes, without being able to intervene with concrete actions, not even words.


    It was as if, during those seconds, Dag had donated his powerful body to the dark matter within himself, which, living with its own determination, could do anything after obtaining free will.


    However, since training at Skjegg, before leaving for Krypstorm''s great mission, Dag had managed to control that inherent will, to communicate with it.


    The main objective of the dark matter, indeed, was precisely to protect its master, to prevent anyone from harming Dag, knowing that if he died, it would die with him.


    When Dag stopped again, the sphere deflected its trajectory, making a curve and continuing to suck the floor under it, causing the air around to vibrate.


    "bilenglahbe'' Qob... jih Qob!" Dag shouted in a voice that was a mixture of his original voice and an almost demonic, deep, baritone one.


    The Xis, after hearing those words, took a few seconds to translate its meaning, being that language the oldest of the Xis civilization, so ancient that it had totally changed over the millennia.


    "You can''t defeat dark matter... I am Dark Matter!"


    This was the meaning of the alien words unconsciously spoken by Dag, whose soul remained silent, trapped in his own mind, passing the baton to the mysterious power that lived with him in his body.


    Simply opening his right hand, Dag dropped the hammer to the ground, in front of his feet.


    Soon after, he raised both of his arms, pointing his open hands in front of him, in the direction of the black hole that was coming.


    Just when only a few meters separated the dark sphere from the body of the new Dag, that giant object stopped, starting to rotate on itself and continuing to dig into the ground, absorbing everything that came into contact with its curved surface.


    "Aaaargh! Mev ghitarh!" Dag yelled again, whose body was somehow repelling the dark sphere, stopping it in mid-air and preventing it from approaching him.

 593 DXCIII. Breaking A Black Hole

    The sphere began to move towards Dag again despite the verse of its rotation being directed at the Xis, which was managing to push it forward.


    The giant object advanced over and over until it arrived within a meter from his arms.


    Dag''s screams became even louder and his dark body began to unleash sparks and lightning again, charging with energy and contributing to the strengthening.


    The young warrior, in his most powerful form, during the screams opened his jaws wide and in addition to showing his sharp teeth, pulled out a long blackish tongue, which moved forward as if it was the tail of a snake.


    Two small horns facing upwards popped up on his head, rising only a few centimeters, and filaments of dark matter floated around his arms as if they were superconducting cables aimed at increasing the spreading of electricity.


    The dark power, in addition to harnessing all its inherent strength, was using the electrical powers of its host body to its advantage, adapting to them.


    The claws of Dag''s hands came into contact with the dark sphere, while everything around him was swept away, except for the hammer, which had fallen just behind his feet.


    His body trembled with force and his muscles twitched like never before as the runes on his arm continued to shine with their own light.


    Turning both hands and resting their backs on each other with their palms facing outwards, Dag purposely slipped them inside the black hole, which continued to advance until he swallowed his forearms.


    Showing a force capable of overpowering the very laws of the Universe, Dag opened his arms wide and tore off the antimatter that made up the black hole, causing a giant explosion.


    At that very moment, the Xis felt within him a pain never felt before, as if someone had inflicted damage on him without hitting him, being the dark matter that constituted the sphere part of his body.


    The explosion enveloped the entire square, involving not only Dag and his enemy, but also the castle and many of the houses around it, which were partially destroyed due to the huge amount of energy released without control.


    Dag''s companions ran to the shelter, taking refuge behind the wall next to the door and to protect themselves from impact.


    The entire castle, which had already endured extensive structural damage, vibrated hard and other small pieces of wall and ceiling fell downwards, while the city center of Klorr began to crumble after the blow just suffered.


    Although his mind was not controlling his movements, the real Dag, trapped inside his own brain, was still able to communicate with dark matter that had taken over his body, only that their relationship had reversed: he was no longer the leader, but the one who had to obey the dark power, avoiding opposing its decisions.


    Moving one of the large boulders that trapped the axe, Dag grabbed it and immediately snapped towards the Xis, entering the thick dust cloud caused by the defacement of the black hole, of which there was not a single shred left.


    Emitting another demonic scream, when the young warrior in his final form saw the enemy standing before him, he waved the axe sideways, aiming at his chest.


    The Xis, who was still confused by what had just happened, only noticed at the last moment that Dag was trying to hit him, but using his superior reflexes, he moved sideways, dodging the blow and making sure to move off the trajectory of the furious Dag.


    The fiery blades of the Giantbane cut through the air, leaving a red trail next to the Xis'' face that kept his expression insensitive as if he could not feel emotions even in those conditions.


    When he put his foot on the ground, Dag turned on himself and tried again to attack his enemy, this time with a kick in the direction of his legs.


    The Xis did not move, merely moving one leg forward to parry the blow.


    Dag''s leg shin impacted that of the enemy''s leg, unleashing another powerful shockwave, which irregularly dispersed into the air around them.


    A few moments after the second loud noise caused by that kick, his teammates, who until then had remained hidden behind the wall, came out again in the open, noticing with amazement that the Frostsinner had managed to parry Dag''s shot despite him fighting to the maximum of his power.


    The two contact legs continued to vibrate as if their joints were struggling to prevail over each other.


    Having both arms at his disposal, Dag grabbed the enemy by the neck of his jacket and pulled him forward, striking his forehead with a violent warhead, the strength of which increased due to the two small demonic horns that appeared just before on his head.


    *boom*


    After the impact, the Xis'' head bent elastically backward, suffering a strong whiplash, but immediately returned to his position.


    Believing that this was the exact moment to hit him with the Giantbane, Dag swung the divine axe forward again, with a vertical slit, but his wrist was grabbed by the Xis'' arm, who, standing still in the same position, was giving tangible proof of his superhuman strength.


    "Grrr... oooargghh!" Dag yelled, opening his mouth in front of the face of the enemy and once again showing him his demonic jaws and long, pointed tongue.

 594 DXCIV. Hail His Name!

    "Aaaarghh! Uaarghh!"


    Dag''s harrowing screams, mixed with a roar, echoed within the city walls of Klorr and his muscles continued to harden: the Xis managed to hold his arms still, but in that way, he lost sight of his leg, still in contact with that of his opponent.


    Dag''s shin continued to push on the Frostsinner''s, and before the alien could say anything else, his leg broke in half under the fury of the Earthly warrior.


    ...


    "The leg! Dag managed to break his leg with that very powerful kick!" Freydis gasped, who, having fully recovered from her fainting, was now perfectly conscious and did not stop for a moment to look at her boyfriend, with the hope that he could overcome even the most difficult of tests.


    "The enemy did not believe that Dag could go that far... when that dark sphere was destroyed in a thousand pieces, the Frostsinner''s expression changed for a moment... I''m sure he''s never faced someone so powerful... keep on hitting, boy!" Kranus yelled, who joined the Shieldmaiden to cheer on the Hammers Of Thor''s Master with her.


    "All that power... the Captain has just broken the knee joint of a Xis, one of the most powerful beings in the known Universe... his strength is undeniable, but what he says is true! The inhabitants of Earth cannot continue to live in slavery under the laws of these pieces of shit! Rebelling is possible! Men! Watch the Primal Thunder! Look how bravely Dag is fighting for all of us, for our salvation! Hail his name!" Reidar added, gradually raising his voice until he screamed loudly, inciting all the soldiers of the two Clans to support who was risking his life for them.


    The screams of the men who received the message joined in a roar and traveled forcefully to the ears of Dag and his enemy.


    All the men present, including the Commanders and Generals, still on the front line before the door, shouted Dag''s name in unison, hailing his strength and encouraging him to defeat that mortal enemy, that being who believed he could get to Skjold and impose his power on whoever he wanted.


    ...


    With his leg broken, the Xis faltered backward and his body unbalanced, falling sideways.


    Dag, who still had his wrists locked, exploited his enemy''s downward movement to turn backward and lift him from his arms, knowing that in any case, he would not leave his wrists.


    After the thud, the Xis instinctively closed his eyes and his hands finally gave up his grip, while his left leg, with which he had tried to parry Dag''s kick, was hanging from the lifeless knee.


    "Now! I have to hit him now! It''s my time! Come on!" Dag thought intensely, who tried to communicate his will to the dark matter, that, having taken possession of his body, established every action and movement.


    With the Giantbane still in his hands, as soon as the Xis was perfectly stretched out in front of him, Dag tried to hit him in the chest, once again with a well-settled vertical shot.


    Incredibly, despite the extensive damage the enemy had suffered, he turned to one side, avoiding the blow of the axe, whose glowing blades pierced the ground, missing the target.


    "What the fuck?! He managed to dodge it!" Dag continued, who was sure he could hit him.


    The Xis, as if sustained by an invisible force, rose on one leg, floating for a few moments in the air and turning towards Dag.


    His elegant clothes were dirty and ripped and his face was battered, with a blackish liquid that instead of blood was pouring down from a deep cut.


    In addition to that liquid, the same gas that Dag used to condense dark matter enveloped the wounds of the white-skinned man in front of his eyes, which, however, healed in a few seconds: the cuts caused by Dag''s powerful blows closed again, the spine that had broken after the violent impact on the ground straightened and the leg hung and lifeless immediately returned to its original position as if it was made of rubber.


    With a total healing time of about 2 seconds total, the enemy was again fit as a fiddle.


    "Aaaargh!" Dag yelled, whose mind lost control over the dark matter that ruled his body, which suddenly snapped forward, again trying to strike the enemy with the Giantbane.


    Xis'' arm rose and his hand opened in the direction of Dag.


    The power that at the beginning of the fight had managed to keep the young Master in the air and immobilize him was activated for the second time, but Dag''s physique, too powerful to be blocked, slowed his advance for a moment, but he began to run again in the direction of the enemy, showing him that he could not be stopped by such derisory power.


    "No, no! Stop it! Don''t run like that, otherwise, he''ll be able to counterattack! It''s not a good idea, stop and wait!" Dag thought frantically, trying to warn the dark matter that was fighting in his place to change strategy.


    However, despite orders by its true master, Dag''s body continued to move according to his primordial instincts.


    Running like a fury and continuing to evade his opponent''s psychic attacks, he jumped towards the Xis, reaching almost two meters high, and tried once again to hit him with the divine axe.

 595 DXCV. The Cocoon

    However, being also aware of his superiority, when he saw Dag jump, the alien rose upwards, beginning to float and rising beyond the reach of his opponent''s arm, which fell to the ground without being able to hit him.


    "Uaargh! Graah!" Dag shouted again in a demonic voice, looking down on the Xis with his purple, shining eyes and remaining in a combat position.


    "An innate skill, a symptom of an evolution that is advancing in small steps. I must admit I underestimated your potential, 813666, scientists were absolutely right. Of the subjects studied, no one is capable of doing what you do. I should offer congratulations to you, human" the Xis said, who with a clean face, without any scratches, and with the usual haughty expression, began to applaud ironically towards Dag, continuing to float.


    The alien''s gesture of superiority helped unleash the wrath of the young warrior, whose mind had now completely lost control over the body, no longer being able to control it.


    He leaned over his legs and after about a second, violently stretched out his knees, strengthening his quadriceps and pushing his body upwards, reaching up to the enemy.


    Having foreseen that move, the Xis disappeared and reappeared behind Dag, in mid-air.


    A beam of purple dark matter instantly generated by the enemy''s body enveloped Dag''s abdomen and arms, momentarily blocking his movements.


    "However, you still can''t handle all this power. You fight just like a human being... you are weak, 813666!" the alien exclaimed aloud after imprisoning Dag.


    "I knew it! I told you not to attack right away! Now we''re stuck in here! I can feel the strength of his dark matter... it''s superior to our power!" Dag thought, communicating again with his inner power, which, reluctant to the idea of being defeated in that way, continued to shake the young Master''s body, trying to free itself from the grip of the Xis.


    The Frostsinner floated down until his feet touched the ground, taking Dag with him and stopping in front of him.


    A second bundle of dark matter enveloped the young warrior''s body, strengthening its grip on him and also blocking the movement of his legs.


    As if he was a butterfly trapped in his own cocoon, Dag, in his demonic form, wriggled again and again.


    The dark power did not stop fighting despite it being evident that its strength, not even combined with that of the Primal Thunder''s electrical powers, was able to counter that superior force.


    Suddenly, as if he had passed out, Dag''s body stopped agitating and his head fell down unconscious, yielding to the force of gravity.


    That gesture caused a great scare to his comrades, who, looking at him from afar and not being able to know the speeches that were taking place inside his head, thought that Dag had just been defeated.


    Amid Freydis, Reidar, even Kranus and Kron''s screams, Dag''s conscience had somehow managed to establish a true dialogue with his dark power, prompting it to trust him.


    The young Master felt a feeling never felt before: despite never losing his sight, managing to see with his own eyes, he gradually perceived the physical pain caused by the squeeze of Xis'' dark matter, who was wrapping and crushing his joints and rib cage.


    "Aaargh! Aaaargh... I did it! I feel my body again! I can feel every muscle I have, including my arms and legs! You listened to me!" Dag thought again, referring to his dark power and talking to it as if they had just become great friends, knowing that, that primordial instinct, so strong that it was even feared by powerful beings like the Xis, had no intention of dying, even though the anger it felt for the enemy exceeded everything.


    The Xis continued to observe him, noting that Dag''s face rose and his eyes pointed at him again, as if another person was fighting in his shoes.


    Although the young Master could now fully use his demonic form, the mechanical strength of the dark matter bundles that enveloped his body remained insurmountable and his bones and joints creaked, as if they were about to give in despite their enhancement, which made them as hard as steel.


    "I must resist! The power achieved so far is still not enough! I''m going to use the Giantbane to give him the coup de grace, but first I need to be able to get out of here! I need more strength... aaaargh!" as he continued to think, Dag again uttered a roar-like scream, marveling at his own voice, which really came from his vocal cords as a result of the transformation.


    Clutching the fist of his left hand and the fingers of his right hand on the axe handle, Dag activated for the second time during the fight Call of the Berserkr, knowing that, although that choice was a danger to every human being, there was such little humanity still left in his body at the time, so he had a moral duty to make full use of his final form to his advantage.


    As soon as the ability was active, combined with the demonic transformation and the Primal Thunder, the young warrior''s muscles grew again and again, strengthening his bones and tendons, which somehow managed to counteract the squeeze of the purple dark matter.

 596 DXCVI. Fight For Yourself!

    "You can empower your mortal body as much as you want, 813666, but it won''t be enough anyway. Your power comes from that of our race, but it remains a by-product, a waste that comes from a matrix as pure as the tissue that makes up the known Universe. Your dedication is remarkable, I admit it, but... like any existing life form, you will bow to the power of the Xis! I would need a mere movement of my hand to reduce your weak body to dust!" the Xis exclaimed again, whose eyes glimpsed the anger generated by Dag''s irreverence, who had even managed to disintegrate a black hole and resist almost all his attacks, getting up every time.


    In a dismal scene, Dag''s horned head rose upwards and his long pointed tongue remained out of his mouth, while his limbs could not unleash their power due to the force that kept them locked.


    His shining purple eyes pointed towards the night sky, searching the Earth among the various stars that illuminated Klorr''s Square where the great leader Dag was about to suffer his first and final defeat.


    ...


    "Daaag! Don''t stop fighting! Please, Dag! Don''t give up! Just stop fighting for us, fight for yourself, save yourself! Show everyone how strong the power inside you is! Show that alien what you''re really capable of!" Freydis screamed with all the air in her lungs, who didn''t want to give up on the idea that the maximum power achieved by her boyfriend was still insufficient to counter that of the Xis, who seemed not to fear him in the slightest.


    "Freydis, it''s useless! You don''t understand?! The Captain is dying! His dark power derives from that of the Xis, it is obvious that it is less powerful than the energy source that generated it! Fuck, he should have let that alien take a piece of his dark matter! By now he would be safe and sound and we could continue our adventures!" Reidar interrupted, wiping away tears from his eyes, feeling strong anger toward Dag, that despite knowing he had no hope of defeating one the Supreme Court of Xis'' members, had launched himself into a merciless fight, disobeying his enemy and master.


    "Grrr...no... that''s not what I want¡­ this is not the man you just defeated me! Boy, where''s your intelligence?! You''re just using brute force, you''re fighting like me! You''re so much more than that! Your mind! It''s the one that makes the difference! Find a way to free yourself and start fighting again!" Bloodfang added, who kept himself standing on his wooden stick and did not want to give up on the idea of the young warrior capable of beating him being defeated.


    "Dag would never refrain his power."


    "Mh?!"


    "What?! What do you mean?!"


    "He is the chosen one. He is the only human warrior capable of carrying out the prophecy illustrated in that book... the Crystals of Elements, the Frostsinners... no, Dag cannot die today" the ice mage continued, with his arms crossed and his gaze rabid, focused on the impassive eyes of the enemy.


    "Yet, there he is, trapped in the same dark matter that he too can generate! A few minutes ago he managed to disintegrate a huge sphere of energy, why doesn''t he even do it now?! Why can''t he break free despite activating all his strongest skills?!" Freydis asked yelling, knowing that her question, while trivial, made sense.


    "I don''t know why... but that dark matter is not the same as his, it is stronger... much stronger... those beings are really more powerful than any warrior, every man. However, Dag is still holding the Giantbane, which has so far failed to hit the Xis. A little while ago, his head dangled for a few moments and then immediately got up... something that we can''t see is happening inside him, I can feel it. Managing his power doesn''t have to be easy... we often forget about it, but... he''s just an 18-year-old boy" Kranus replied, and while he continued his speech, his words became less and less encouraging.


    "Who said that the prophecy illustrated in your stupid book is true?! How can you be so sure! I was there when the Giantbane was forged by God Weland, I was right there, I witnessed the whole process! How can you... mmhh!"


    As he spoke gripped by uncontrolled rage, Reidar was silenced by Bloodfang, who forcefully closed his mouth with one hand, strongly grabbing him from behind and preventing him from speaking.


    "Don''t say another word, boy. Do you want the Frostsinner to hear this too?!" the Packmaster exclaimed wisely, making the archer reflect on the fact that, shortly before, the Xis had managed to perceive his voice many meters away and that he could do it again, obtaining key information for his victory.


    Reidar calmed down and grabbed Thyrius'' wrist, which removed it from his face, allowing him to breathe again.


    Anxiety and nervousness again imprisoned Reidar in a loud weeping, filled with anger and disbelief.


    The archer turned his gaze back to Dag, who without hair and without a beard was almost unrecognizable and his crying gradually diminished, as the first happy memories with his Captain came to his mind: for him, Dag was not only a warrior and a friend. From the first moment they met, at the Temple Of Orn, the headquarters of their Clan, his life changed forever.


    All the adventures spent together, all the enemies faced and defeated together, all the fears overcome together.


    These were the values that forged the personality of the new Reidar, who from being just one of Master Egill''s best pupils, had become a skilled and experienced archer, even surpassing the precision and archery skills of his father, who was in the service of King Einar himself.

 597 DXCVII. I Owe You Everything

    Wiping away the tears that were beginning to crack his face due to the strong cold, which despite being stinging, had taken second place, Reidar stepped forward, past the Generals of Kranus, and screamed:


    "I owe you everything, Captain, you can''t give up! Use all your powers, push your limits! You''re the Primal Thunder! You can''t be defeated! Think of your father Stein, think of your mother Asa! Think about your real parents! The Xis took everything away from you, destroy them! Aaaargh!"


    Reidar''s scream emanated such a strong energy that the goosebumps came to the men behind him, who after those words felt invigorated and began to scream Dag''s name in unison, urging him not to give up.


    ...


    "Can you hear this... stupid alien...?" Dag said as his rib cage was compressed and words barely came out of his mouth.


    "Mh?" the Xis answer, moving his head sideways.


    "You can kill me, you can... you do with me... and with other human beings... as you will, but... you can never take this... away from us... you will never know... how it feels... to receive courage from other... people... you''re just a... stupid alien..." Dag continued, while the effect of Call of the Berserkr slowly began to fade and his body imposed less and less resistance to the squeeze, being almost at the exhaustion of forces.


    "Courage? Don''t be silly, 813666. ''Courage'' is a parameter that cannot be transmitted between two individuals, it is strictly personal, intrinsic. My visit to the planet Skjold lasted too long, I urgently need to return to Earth and report what happened to the scientific team. I will describe in detail the transformation that your mortal body has undergone today and scientists will use my story to define new parameters useful for the study of your species" the Xis commented, who once again could not understand the real feelings that Dag was feeling and merely told him that somehow, even against his will, had been useful for scientific research.


    As Dag''s body returned to his normal size and his muscles deflated due to Call of the Berserkr''s exhaustion, he stopped wriggling, as if he was slowly accepting his fate.


    Within him, the inner conflict with his power had also subsided: the dark matter, although it still helped grow Dag''s physical strength during the transformation, was there, stationary in a remote corner of his subconscious, as if it too had just realized that it had no power against the true dark power of the Xis.


    Reidar, who until a few moments earlier had cried with all the air in his lungs, trying to spur Dag to give his best, knelt down, losing all hope and merely looking at the end of his Captain, now trapped and with no possibility of escape.


    "I made a mistake before, 813666. I tried to annihilate you with the same procedure I use for everyone, without thinking that maybe your power could counter my attack. Despite this, now here you are, helpless, like the larva of a small helpless insect, attached to your life by a thin and fragile thread. Before I finish you... I would like to ask you another question" the Xis continued, putting both hands in his pockets, as when he had just arrived in the square.


    Dag turned his angry gaze towards him, hating him with every cell of his body.


    "How does your wretched human body resist our dark matter? What I mean is... how can such a weak container handle such great power and even live with it, merging the two parts into a single living being?" the Frostsinner asked, who seemed really curious about the answer.


    "Your dark matter?" Dag asked, who tried to endure the pain again and continued to speak, while the bones of his left arm creaked particularly loudly as if his arm was about to break in half.


    The Xis said nothing, continuing to look at his interlocutor.


    "The Dark Matter does not belong... to you. We humans... we are part of your own universe... my power does not belong to anyone else... if not to me. You have no idea what I had to deal with... what has happened in my body in the past... even though you''ve been spying on me all these years... using Hakon and deceiving him to receive an award for his loyalty... however, you will never know how intense the internal struggle into my body was... the processes that led me to this day... the effort I experienced not to lose control and... don''t risk hurting the people I love..." Dag replied, speaking as if he was uttering his last words, sure that Freydis and Reidar, the two direct interested in this speech, were listening.


    "Mh... this is not a very good answer, 813666. Looks like you''re not aware of how you evolved. Well, at this point, I need to get out of this dilapidated place. Your life experience ends here, you have not been able to complete the mission and retrace the steps of your Ancestors. Now you will be eliminated" the Xis concluded, who pulled his right hand out of the pocket of his pants unharmed, despite the jacket being all wrinkled and half ripped and pointed at the young Earthly warrior.


    Dag, caught with the adrenaline-pumping energy of survival, tried in every way to push his muscles outwards in order to weaken the cocoon squeeze and slide away but soon noticed that the more force he used to push, the more force the dark matter envelope returned to him, becoming tighter and tighter.

 598 DXCVIII. The Rebelliousness

    "Will it really end like this? Was it enough for a single Xis to end the life of such a great and powerful warrior? That means... for us human beings... there is no longer any hope of breaking the chains... to free us from slavery" Reidar commented, who was still on his knees and looked at the palm of his hands, as if questioning his very existence, wondering why he was still allowed to live.


    "What are you doing here impaled?! Do you really want to watch him die without doing anything?! I can''t let Dag get killed without even trying to save him! Come on, cowards! Let''s help him!" Freydis yelled, who with tears in her eyes, after uttering those words, pulled out her spear from behind her back and began running towards the center of the square.


    Kranus and Bloodfang try to stop her, but the Shieldmaiden nimbly escaped their hands, managing to wriggle out and keep running to achieve her goal.


    A dozen warriors behind her, managing to understand her sense of despair and inferiority, shared those feelings with her and charged in the same direction with their weapons clenched in their hands.


    "Stop! It''s suicide! Freydis, stop! Bloodfang, order your men to go back!" Kranus yelled, turning to Thyrius after noticing that those ten soldiers were all Claws Of Fenrir.


    Bloodfang looked at Freydis, then looked at Reidar, still standing on the ground.


    "My men are free to die the way they like, I will not stop them" Bloodfang said, who immediately after speaking, dropped the stick.


    Under the astonished eyes of the ice mage and his two generals, Bloodfang turned into a Werewolf, covering himself in black fur and sharpening his jaws and claws, growing in height and musculature, despite his injuries.


    "Before today, I''ve never seen the reality of things. Our life is not this city, Kranus. It''s not the castle, it''s not a roof over the head, it''s not good food. No, we''re so much more than that, and that kid''s sacrificing his body to make us understand... our soul, Kranus. That''s what we need to save. If I stay here and watch the end of who brought reality to light, I''ll just be an accomplice to that bastard who''s about to kill him and my life won''t make any sense" Thyrius continued, resting one of his huge bestial hands on Kranus'' shoulder.


    As soon as he finished talking, without even giving his interlocutor time to answer, Bloodfang followed his men and Freydis, running on all fours and roaring like a fierce beast.


    When they saw their Packmaster and some of their comrades running on the attack, all the soldiers of the Claws Of Fenrir, except for someone less confident, dashed in unison, screaming and transforming.


    "Commander!" Kron exclaimed, returning Kranus to reality, noting that he was so afraid that he could not make a decision for his army.


    "It''s... it''s too dangerous! I can''t put your lives in danger in this stupid way! If we all die, we will leave Tungvek and all its inhabitants without an army capable of protecting them! Are you really sure that you want to abandon your wives and children to this sad fate?!" Kranus shouted, addressing his generals and men violently, as if hoping that everyone would agree on him, fearing to sacrifice his life in vain.


    No one answered and most of the soldiers retreated in fear, fearing that their commander would give them orders to attack, being their defeat already written.


    Just then, behind Kranus, a sound of blades being unsheathed.


    The ice mage and Kron turned around, noting that Atran, who had been silent all the time, had wielded his daggers and with his arms open downward, seemed to be doing some kind of prayer before throwing himself into the heart of the battle.


    "Atran! Won''t you dare disobey my order?! Did you save yourself by a miracle, do you really want to throw away your life like this?!" Kranus exclaimed again, unable to believe his eyes.


    "Commander, I''m sorry, but... I''m already dead. If you now pretend nothing and let all the Claws Of Fenrir die, you will never find salvation. For Master Dag! For Valhalla!" the blond-haired, good-looking warrior yelled, made less beautiful because of all the injuries sustained after his kidnapping.


    Disobeying the orders of his own Commander and sure he had nothing left to lose, Atran ran to Dag and the Xis, quickly following all the other brave warriors.


    "Commander..." Kron whispered, who caught Kranus'' attention.


    "Please, Commander. Give me the order."


    "What are you saying, Kron? You went crazy all of a sudden too?! We have no hope against that being! Dag couldn''t make it, with those incredible powers, why would we do it?!" the ice mage asked, frightened as if he was a novice warrior.


    "I believe in the prophecy! The book, Commander Kranus! You said it yourself with confidence just a few moments ago... Master Dag can''t die today, the prophecy hasn''t been fulfilled yet! That is our destiny, we must save him no matter the cost! Give me the order, I beg you!" Kron yelled again, who for the first time in his life raised his voice talking to his superior.


    "I... I can''t... Kron" Kranus answered, who knew very well the family of his general, that had a splendid and young wife and three sons, who, during his time in the Outpost, had become as grandchildren for elder Kranus.


    "Well. Then you will have to stop me by force, Commander!" the General repeated, unlining his sword and beginning to run after his colleague Atran, knowing that Kranus would not have the courage to stop him, acknowledging that he was wrong.


    The Giants Of Ymir observed their Commander, but just as he was about to utter his next words, Freydis, Thyrius, Kron, Atran, and all the other soldiers who had followed them, had arrived close to the two fighters.


    ...

 599 DXCIX. The Two Daggers

    "No... no! Freydis! Get away from here! *cough*cough*! Step back!" Dag yelled, feeling incredible pain in his lungs, which were filling with blood.


    "Aaaargh! Die, son of a bitch!" the Shieldmaiden yelled, who had never removed from her mind what the Xis had done to her, taking possession of her body and forcing her to fight Dag with the intention of killing him and the risk of losing her life.


    The Xis, without thinking twice, with his psychic powers, lifted a large boulder from the rubble of the porch and violently threw it at her, with a slight gesture of the left hand, while the right was busy tightening its grip on Dag, to kill him slowly and painfully.


    When they saw that huge boulder coming in their direction, the warriors behind her slowed down their run, sure that it would hit the young girl, who, caught in fury, was running without thinking about the consequences.


    Freydis, dashing very quickly to the right, moved from the trajectory of the boulder and dodged it deftly, without slowing her advance too much towards the enemy.


    When it hit the ground, the large boulder broke up violently, generating so many fragments that struck the soldiers who were advancing to help their troubled companion.


    The impact was so strong that the ground below the floor of the square was further destroyed and the pieces of earth flew fast along with those of rock, forming a short but intense rain of natural bullets.


    Some of the allied soldiers of the Claws Of Fenrir were hit so violently that they suffered a backlash during the race and stumbled backward, dying on impact pierced by splinters; others somehow managed to save themselves, protecting with their shields and weapons and diverting their trajectory to avoid them and keep running.


    The Xis continued his gesture and, after the first boulder, he lifted another one, still aiming at the girl, who was approaching dangerously, with fury inside her eyes, under the helpless gaze of Dag that was desperately struggling not to lose consciousness.


    Three more boulders were fired in sequence, followed by a piece of a rocky arch, curved and elongated, which flying tens of meters seemed like a kind of spear ready to pierce anyone in its path.


    During those brief moments, which seemed endless, Freydis used everything she had learned at Skjegg from her incredible Masters, especially from Kjell, who was the most experienced of running fights and dodges.


    Without shouting and without saying a word, she dodged the first and second boulders with ease, not caring that behind her there were other soldiers, unable to take care of their safety as well.


    The third boulder, smaller and faster, arrived in front of her before she could notice it and to dodge it, the young warrior of Okstorm was forced to lower herself on her knees and sneak forward, passing under the heavy rocky body, which touched her hair.


    *boom*


    It too issued a violent thud, striking an allied warrior who unfortunately was right on its trajectory.


    Freydis snapped forward, now just over 20 meters far from xis, who had his eyes on her and the other warriors who intended to attack him.


    "Leave Dag alone, you piece of shit! If he can''t kill you, It will be me that..."


    As Freydis screamed violently, her voice broke: the huge piece of the arch of the porch appeared over her head, exploiting the noise that the boulders had caused as a diversion to travel in the air undisturbed.


    The Shieldmaiden remained petrified, while the shadow of the large rocky body that was about to crush her becoming wider and wider on her, covering the light coming from the Moon and other planets shining in the night sky.


    Freydis raised her spear and the other arm, crossing them and preparing to resist the impact, but at that exact moment, someone reached her and jumped upwards.


    Emitting a clear yellowish light from his body and especially from his arms, Atran jumped on Freydis'' head and pointed both blades of his daggers upwards, activating one of his skills and showing everyone what a Giants Of Ymir''s General was capable of.


    *baaam*screetch*


    A loud noise of rock and metal coming into contrast echoed throughout the square and the piece of the arch of the porch broke into two parts, which fell due to the effect of gravity on the sides of the girl, leaving her unharmed.


    As the Shieldmaiden''s body continued to shake and the two halves of the arch crumbled under their own weight, Atran returned to the ground, standing on his feet despite his weariness.


    His arms were completely bloodied, as was his face, almost unrecognizable after being hit in full by the fragments of that huge rocky body.


    The blades of both of his daggers were broken and on one of them, the hilt was the only thing that remained.


    Before Freydis could thank the allied General for just saving her life, Atran threw both of his weapons to the ground and pulled another identical dagger out of a belt behind his back, starting running towards the enemy again.


    With that lightning-fast and incredibly precise gesture, the blond-haired warrior fomented all the soldiers of the Claws Of Fenrir who were following him and after that scene, dozens of Werewolves began running on all fours again, looking forward to putting their clutches on the destroyer of their beloved Klorr.

 600 DC. Her Last Hope

    Atran, who had surpassed the Shieldmaiden and had become the frontrunner, without thinking twice, jumped towards the Xis again activating the same skill with which he had smashed that huge piece of stone, upgrading his only dagger into a golden aura.


    The Xis quickly turned his eyes towards him and within himself, Atran perceived a feeling never felt in his life: a deep frost covered every part of his body as if his muscles, bones, and organs had just been immersed in a freezing lake and sore.


    While flying in mid-air, poor Atran was stopped just when he was less than two meters from Dag.


    The General''s eyes intersected with those of the young Master, who could barely look at him, trying not to lose his senses because of the grip of the dark matter on his body.


    Although Atran was the man who knew him less among the soldiers, he was one of the first to follow Freydis'' words and run to try to save him, showing everyone the fortitude and honor of a true warrior, who at that time understood that he was fighting for the entire human race.


    The blond-haired warrior''s pupils turned backward and the dagger he held tight in his hand fell to the ground, disabling its power.


    The Xis, after neutralizing an enemy only by looking at him, moved his hand again as if he was hunting a boring insect that buzzed near his face and made him fly away, past Freydis and all the soldiers.


    Atran''s motionless and unconscious body flew hundreds of meters away and violently impacted the castle walls, piercing and passing through one of them, destroying a large part of the structure, which was now about to collapse on itself.


    A cloud of grayish dust leaking from the hole in the wall was all that remained of Atran and the Giants Of Ymir soldiers, who were nearby waiting for Kranus'' new orders, rushed to his aid.


    The second warrior to arrive in front of the Frostsinner was Freydis, who with the spear wielded backward so as not to hinder her feet during the run, tried to increase the speed of her dash and hit the enemy in the legs, but, like Atran, she did not even have a chance to approach him.


    Once again, the Xis, almost bored of having to use his powers to get rid of those who wanted to prevent him from completing his mission, raised a hand and trapped the Shieldmaiden in mid-air.


    Unlike Atran''s treatment, this time the alien not only used his psychic powers but also added to those his dark matter, which came out of his hand pointed at Freydis and within seconds began to wrap her legs.


    As soon as he saw the scene, Dag, who was practically at the end of his life, instantly revived himself, as if someone had shaken him with a defibrillator.


    Totally ignoring Dag''s words, the enemy continued to wrap the girl''s body with the purple dark matter, totally blocking her lower limbs, and stopped to look at her with interest.


    "You... I remember you..." the Frostsinner whispered, turning his head to the left and trying to study Freydis'' face, which was partially covered by her red hair.


    "Let me go, you piece of shit! Face me like a true warrior!" the Shieldmaiden exclaimed, provoking her opponent, willing to face him on equal terms to prove her superiority as a Viking warrior.


    "Leave her, please... I... I... I will give you my dark power! I will give you a small part of it, as per agreement!" Dag gasped in the demonic voice, drawing the gaze of his interlocutor.


    Taking advantage of the moment of the distraction of the enemy, Freydis, who still had her hands free, firmly wiped the spear and moved her arm behind her shoulder.


    "If I hit him now, the warriors behind me will assault him and he won''t be able to fight them even with his fucking powers! I can''t miss the target! C''mon... be focused, Freyis!" she thought, aiming for the enemy''s temple, which was perfectly turned towards Dag, while the Xis was not paying attention to her movements.


    Dag continued to implore his opponent to let Freydis go and the Xis focused so much on his words, making sure he had both of his prey in his hands, that Freydis took the opportunity knowing it would never happen again and violently threw the spear at him, pointing at his head.


    Her spear traveled about a meter cutting through the air and its sharp tip came closer and closer to the temple of the Frostsinner''s white forehead, whose body had not moved a millimeter even after wiping out Atran''s body as if it was weightless.


    In an instant, just as the weapon was about to hit its target and Freydis was already about to cheer, glad to have succeeded in her intent, the Xis'' arm moved upward, grabbing the spear in full and clutching it in his hand, blocking the sharp tip less than an inch from his face.


    With that move too fast to be associated with a human movement, the alien had managed to glimpse the reflection of the spear that was coming towards him in the eyes of Dag, that were pointed halfway between him and Freydis, and almost simultaneously managed to activate his musculature, which reacted without a moment''s delay, raised his arm and caught the object in mid-air.


    The Werewolves, who had been breathless during that launch and had slightly slowed down their run, as soon as they noticed that their common enemy had managed to block it so easily, accelerated the charge as if they imagined that now the Xis would be fierce on Freydis, who like Atran had just shown all her courage.

 601 DCI. The Black Wings

    The Dark Matter advanced slightly over Freydis'' body, sliding over her legs and continuing to move upward, wrapping her intimate parts and lower abdomen.


    "Aaaargh! No! Let me go! Let me go, you dirty alien! You... you..."


    During Freydis'' screams, something anomalous happened to the sky above the city of Klorr and a slight seismic shock ensued, agitating the houses and other buildings surrounding the square, contributing to fully destroy their damaged parts.


    The earthquake forced all the warriors to stop and the Xis suddenly looked away from his prey, looking around and then turning his gaze upwards.


    The earthquakes broke down abruptly and the clouds above their heads began to get angry, starting to release lightning bolts and thunders, as if suddenly the weather situation had changed drastically and from a clear and serene sky had transformed that quiet and calm atmosphere into chaos that precedes a strong storm.


    The strong wind forced the warriors who were charging in the direction of the Xis to stop and just as they too began to realize that something unexpected was about to happen, something fell from the sky.


    An unidentified object traveled at incredible speed towards the Xis and when it hit the ground, it unleashed an explosion so strong that it wiped out the warriors, causing them to crawl on the square floor several meters away until they found themselves near the castle, their starting point.


    Even Freydis, who until a moment earlier was imprisoned in the dark matter of the Frostsinner, managed to break free and was wiped out.


    As she fell backward, the Shieldmaiden, who had lost her spear, clung to one of the boulders launched shortly before by the enemy, so as to stop her advance to the castle and be able to stay close to Dag, who at that time was no longer even visible in the midst of the whirlwind of dust generated by the impact of that object that fell from the sky.


    Reidar, who had been on his knees all the time crying after running out of hope to save Dag and wasting his chance, risking being killed by the Frostsinner, covered his eyes to resist the wind and stood up, noting that the Werewolves had flown backward like pawns on a chessboard, moved by incredible force, something that went even beyond the understanding of the alien, who had failed to dodge that blow.


    As the archer tried to distinguish his Captain''s body amid all that dust, hoping that someone or something had run to his aid, he heard the shrill verse of a bird coming from behind his back.


    "Uh?! Go away, go away, damn it!" Reidar exclaimed, frantically moving his hand and pushing away the crow, that got up in the air and stood on Kranus''s shoulder, looking toward the center of the square.


    The ice mage, who had not been able to take in his men''s place the difficult decision to run and save Dag, turned his face towards that of the bird: it was as if that crow was using his shoulder as a foothold to be able to witness the clash between Dag and the Xis.


    Amazed at this strange behavior, while the thick cloud of dust still enveloped the two fighters, Reidar noted that unlike the crows they had faced in the past, that crow''s eyes were completely black, not as purple as when under the control of the Lies Of Loki leader, whose remains still lay somewhere in the square.


    *craaa*craaa*


    Other crows began to fly with a downward trajectory towards Reidar and Kranus as if they came from the top of the castle.


    "What''s going on?! Where do all these birds come from?!" Kranus asked, who was bewildered as an inexperienced young warrior, knowing that there were no forests or woods around their location and that crows rarely roamed within cities.


    One by one, dozens of black crows flew over the heads of the Giants Of Ymir, turning in the air and perching on their shoulders and inside the castle, near them, as if they wanted to make their presence felt.


    Kranus and Reidar, who were witnessing that out-of-the-ordinary scene without being able to do anything, turned back to Dag, trying to figure out whether what had just happened depended on him or the Xis, who appeared to have been struck by a lightning bolt.


    The clouds above Klorr began to disperse and thunder and lightning diminished as their power did.


    However, in the middle of a particular cloud, a kind of gap, smaller than the one from which the Xis had sprung, opened: it was a bright, yellowish circle, shining in the darkness of that fateful night, during which Dag would write his fate.


    "Daaag! Dag! *cough*cough*! Daa... *cough*!"


    Freydis rose from the ground and ran towards her man, hoping with all her heart that he would not die during that explosion and continuing to look upwards, fearing that another Xis or an even more powerful enemy might emerge out of that gap in the clouds.


    The dust thinned out until it disappeared into thin air and the object that had fallen like a bolt from the sky began to take shape under the gaze of all present, who gasped and could no longer move.


    Dag''s body was unmoved on the ground, still in the middle of his transformation and free from the dark matter cocoon that kept him imprisoned until a moment earlier.


    Despite his extensive injuries and near-death, Dag managed to move slightly, stretching his back and trying to regain the use of the limbs, whose bones had been broken along with his nerves, torn from the strong squeeze of Xis'' power.

 602 DCII. The Legendary Spear

    The Frostsinner was stationary in the same position and in his hand he was still forcefully clutching the Shieldmaiden''s weapon, with which she had tried to hit him moments before the explosion.


    But despite that incredible enemy being able to predict any move or event that was about to happen thanks to his super-developed senses, something was impaling his body, blocking its movements.


    A huge spear, more than 4 meters long, had stuck in his shoulder and crossed his body, passing through his chest and coming out of one of his hips, piercing his ribs and sticking itself to the ground with its giant tip.


    The moonlight reflected on the surface of that magnificent giant weapon made entirely of gold and adorned with precious stones both at the end of the handle and near the tip, consisting of multiple blades that intersected sinuously on themselves.


    With a spear in his hands, the Frostsinner had just been hit by a colossal spear, the largest and most majestic weapon the warriors present had ever seen, including Kranus, who from the top of his experience in battle, had never witnessed such a thing.


    In general amazement, all the crows resting on the shoulders of the warriors and perched here and there around the castle began to croak strongly and rose in flight simultaneously, heading with an irregular trajectory towards the Xis.


    When the birds flew over Freydis'' head, who was a few feet from Dag''s body, she noticed that despite being pierced that way, the Xis still had his eyes open, as if his mind had never stopped working.


    The portal in the middle of the cloud above Klorr Square began to shine stronger than before and suddenly fired a beam of light that hit the floor a few meters next to the Xis.


    With a sound that would freeze the blood even to the bravest warriors, the crows continued their synchronous singing and gathered around that beam of light, flying with a downward trajectory to the ground, rotating and getting closer and closer to each other.


    ...


    "That... that huge spear... I can''t believe it... it looks like that of..." Reidar gasped, without finishing the sentence and rubbing his eyes, convinced that the tears were altering his sight and the one that stabbed the Xis was just a hallucination of his.


    Around him, all the soldiers of the Giants Of Ymir and Werewolves of the Claws Of Fenrir who had been pushed away by the impact of the giant spear trembled with emotion hearing the words of the archer, who was the only one who dared to utter those words.


    ...


    The crows closed the spiral they had formed in the air and the beam of light created by the portal on the cloud closed, disappearing out of nowhere.


    *craaa*craaa*craaa*


    Under their dark plumage, a humanoid figure took shape, from the feet to the upper part of his body, in all its magnitude.


    Two large black metal boots rested on the ground followed by trousers of the same color adorned with golden drapes and full of runes of all kinds.


    An imposing belt with the symbol of Valknut was the center of that giant''s armor, more than 2 and a half meters high and half-finger-leather gloves covered his strong hands, full of scars.


    The upper part of the armor was not visible because it was covered with a full gray and black beard, collected in three thick braids, closed by golden cylinders.


    Two large pauldrons decorated with large black crow feathers contributed to the greatness of that individual and the huge horned helmet that covered his head left his face uncovered, on which everyone could distinguish his distinctive trait: a bandage of black leather that covered his left eye, while the other eye was as deep blue as the sky.


    "O... Odin..." Freydis whispered in a flickering voice, turning to the King of Asgard and resting both of her arms on the ground, bowing in submission to the one from whom her own powers came from.


    The Alfather was right there, in the flesh, and that which had pierced the body of the Xis, who was still immobilized, was Gungnir, Odin''s legendary infallible spear.


    When they realized that the giant before their eyes was indeed the Alfather, everyone in the square knelt before him, almost forgetting that they were still in the middle of a battle.


    A crow flew over the Alfather''s shoulder and he turned his gaze towards his spear, grabbing it with one hand.


    The Xis wriggled for a few seconds, keeping his usual impassive expression painted on his face and trying unsuccessfully to pull Gungnir out of his torso.


    Holding the enemy still with the weapon, Odin looked at Freydis, who was next to Dag, and before prostrating herself in the presence of the God of the Gods, she was trying to save his life.


    Dag''s body, still shrouded in darkness and in demonic form, away from the dark matter of the Xis, which subjected him to constant pressure and prevented him from regenerating damaged tissues, was now beginning to heal his own wounds, reconnecting the torn tendons and muscles and creating new bone material to weld the numerous fractures caused by the cocoon.


    ...


    "The... the Alfather... came here on Skjold to save the Captain! He''s always watched over him, over all of us! The Primal Thunder''s power has managed to connect Skjold with Asgard! I can''t believe it! Odin is here, as I live and breathe!" Reidar exclaimed, who with his gaze pointed down and his hands resting on the ground during the bow, was crying tears of joy, being the most exciting moment of his life.

 603 DCIII. The Alfather

    ...


    Freydis, when she looked up and discovered that Odin''s eye was right on her, immediately moved away from Dag, convinced that she was only in the way.


    The Alfather took a deep breath, emitting a large amount of vapor from his mouth when he exhaled, due to Krypstorm''s nighttime cold.


    "On your feet, boy!" Odin said, the ruler of Asgard, the kingdom of the heavens.


    Dag, although still in a state of confusion, understood that the one who was addressing him was the real Odin and, trying to use all he had left, rested both of his hands on the ground, making strength on his arms and lifting his chest from the terrain.


    "What?! Odin just pronounced Dag''s name, which means... he knows him! How is that possible? How can the most powerful God be interested in saving a human being? The prophecy... the prophecy Kranus was talking about must be true!" Freydis thought, who was trembling with emotion, managing to glimpse a way of salvation for her man, who despite having struggled with all his might, had reached the limit and failed to defeat the Xis.


    After Odin''s words, all the warriors respected absolute silence, recognizing the power of Dag, who was such a special individual that he entered the graces of a God without even knowing it.


    When he got up, the young Master, whose body had almost completely healed his wounds, grabbed the Giantbane, ended up on the ground near his feet, and looked up at the Alfather, that was looking down on him, because of his height.


    Dag''s eyes intersected with Odin''s, and a sense of honor and belonging to mankind pervaded his body, which was simultaneously subjected to a considerable amount of adrenaline.


    "Alfather..." Dag said humbly, lowering his head as a sign of respect.


    "This should not have happened, 813666. My visit to Skjold was aimed only at taking your dark matter. You dared to challenge me and even summoned one of your Gods. Today you made the most serious mistakes" the Xis commented, still trapped by Gungnir, which, clas close in the hand of the Alfather, stood still in its position.


    After the Frostsinner''s words, with his hand firmly on his spear, Odin lowered himself towards him, looking him in the eye and noting that that alien being did not know fear and despite knowing that he could not free himself from Gungnir, his infallible weapon, he also knew that he could not be killed even by a divine weapon like that.


    "Gungnir. One of the artifacts we couldn''t steal from you. You''re breaking the law by showing up here, you know that, old man? You were warned" the Xis answered, with his arms open and his body pierced by the giant spear.


    "Your word is no longer worth it now. Your dominion is limited to your kingdom, and at this time, you are in my kingdom. I''m the one who makes the laws here" the Alfather replied, as a crow lay on the Xis''s shoulder, looking curiously at his snow-white skin.


    "Is he breaking the rules?! What the fuck is he talking about, what kind of rules?! Does he know that in front of him there is the most powerful of the Gods?! He wouldn''t be able to defeat him even if he tried for eternity, how can he be so insolent?!" Dag thought, clutching the Giantbane in his hand and increasing his anger, confident that, with Odin''s arrival, the fate of the fight had clearly been turned upside down.


    "How dare you, fool?! Pull this stupid spear out of my body and prepare for the judgment of my superiors! I am sure that when they will know that a God dared to break the law and descend in person on his own planet, they will know what to do with you!" the Xis exclaimed again, who was losing his perpetual calm, knowing that he could not free himself with his own strength.


    Odin approached the Frostsinner''s face until he camed within inches of him.


    "I told you that the rules are about to change" the Alfather stated, confident of his new unsuspecting ally.


    After speaking and contrasting the Xis'' words, Odin straightened his back again and turned to Dag, who lowered his gaze intimidated by his presence.


    "Look at me boy, raise your head! There is no one who can counter your power in this world, never stop fighting!" Odin said with an incredibly serious look, looking with his blue eye at the purple and bright eyes of his interlocutor.


    The soldiers of the two Clans could not believe that the greatest of the Gods had just told their battle mate that he was the most powerful warrior in the world and gasped, witnessing the scene with incredible interest, knowing that it would never happen again.


    "813666, don''t listen to this old wreck! If you are who you are, you owe it only to us Xis. He is jealous of your power and will do anything to use it to his advantage!" the Frostsinner interrupted, who suddenly began to fear Dag, knowing that he could not move, let alone use his powers, inhibited by the presence of Odin and especially Gungnir, which was passing through his humanoid body.

 604 DCIV. The Extra Life

    "I made a sacred promise, supreme Odin... and I intend to respect it! I will fight to the death for the ideals in which I believe and manage to save the human race from slavery once and for all!" Dag exclaimed as sparks began to emerge from his dark body, condensing on the metal plates of his armor.


    Odin said nothing, merely smiling, as if those words had filled his heart with joy, confirming his thesis.


    "Don''t you dare touch me, filthy human being! Even if you hit me to death, you''d never be able to kill me! Your stupid weapons can''t do anything against my body! I look like a human being, but I am pure energy!" the Xis replied, waving and beginning to emit a strong aura that was released from his body in the form of cold wind.


    Dag took another step towards him and when he was close enough to the Xis, he looked up at Odin, as if he wanted to communicate something to him.


    The Alphather, amazed by the tenacity of Midgard''s young warrior and confident in his abilities, slowly pulled Gungnir out of the ground, causing it to crawl inside the body of the Xis, who immediately regenerated, regaining his powers.


    ...


    "Hey, hey! Why is he freeing him?! What is he doing?! They may have gone crazy!" Bloodfang gasped, who, being not at his full strength, had been swept away along with his warriors by the shockwave unleashed by the arrival of the Alphather and was now with Kranus, Reidar, Kron, and everyone else near the entrance of the castle.


    "The Alphather is extracting the infallible Gungnir from the enemy''s body... I don''t understand..." one of the Soldiers of the Giants Of Ymir whispered, amplifying the Packmaster''s perplexities.


    "There must be an explanation... look at Dag... he seems to have regained full possession of his physical abilities and powers! His regeneration skill is incredibly high, his limbs were fractured a short while ago and now he moves perfectly!" Kranus thought out loud, amazed at the power of the warrior who would fulfill the prophecy illustrated in his old book.


    ...


    As the warriors present continued to watch incredulously at what was about to happen, Freydis, who was the closest to Dag and Odin, was enchanted by the magnificence of the Alfather, thinking of the other members of his Clan, what emotions they might feel to meet the real Odin, on whom their ancient Clan was built.


    Gungnir was pulled completely from Xis'' body, and Odin, after that gesture, turned his spear and rested its lower end on the ground, causing the terrain to vibrate.


    The Xis, after a few tenths of a second of hesitation, returned to his feet and his body instantly healed all wounds, as if nothing had ever happened.


    Now that Odin was also next to him, Dag knew the Alfather would protect him at any cost.


    Moments before Odin detached his spear from Xis'' body, Dag looked him in the eye and implicitly asked him if he could have a second chance to beat his enemy in order to prove his true abilities.


    The two of them understood each other only by crossing their eyes.


    "Odin is here, beside me, in the flesh. You''re not going to die today, Dag... today you will defeat this Xis! I can''t hold back in front of the Alfather, not after my pledge... I will save the men and the Gods from the rule of the Xis, I cannot yield to the first obstacle! The Frostsinner in front of me doesn''t know about the Giantbane, but Odin does! This confirms Kranus''s hypothesis, the prophecy is real!" Dag thought, taking courage and empowering his body again, despite not being able to activate Call of the Berserkr or Champion''s Aura, the skills that would come most useful to him in that fight.


    Although his physical stamina was less while that of his opponent had not diminished in the slightest, Odin''s mere presence increased the morale of Dag, who felt ready to strike the enemy with the Giantbane, although he knew that the dark power Xis exceeded his physical strength.


    "You''ve done a nonsense, old God. Are you testing 813666? Well, I''m going to disintegrate him before your eyes, I''m not going to hold back this time. You inferior beings are really making me lose my patience!" the Xis said, who with those words made Freydis tremble, that was listening to him.


    "I don''t know how many times I''ve told you... I''m not just a numerical code... my name is Dag!" the young Master yelled, as the runes on his right shoulder, began to shine again and his body emitted gas and dark matter, which from his back split into two long stingers.


    Unlike the 1 vs 1 clash he had evidently lost before Odin''s arrival, during which he had never summoned his fluid arms, this time Dag had no intention of holding back his powers, knowing that the Xis would not be able to sample a piece of his power and escape under the eyes of the Alfather, who could immobilize him at any time but don''t kill him with Gungnir.


    "I will be the first to kill a real Xis, one of the Supreme Court, one of those who believe they are immortal! Giantbane, don''t let me down!" Dag thought again, moving his dark arms, ready to hit their target moving as if they were stings of a scorpion.


    The Xis, with an annoyed expression of having to witness Dag''s insolence, snapped at him, physically resting his feet on the ground and not teleporting or floating as usual.


    Dag immediately realized that the sudden change in his enemy''s fighting technique was aimed only at confusing him and never diverted his gaze from the alien, who in the melee combat had no hope against his demonic body, almost at the top of its power.

 605 DCV. The First Blood

    At the end of the rotation, the Frostsinner attempted to hit Dag with a vertical slash, but he dodged the shot by rolling to the ground and moving several meters away using the two dark spines that from behind his back, which hooked to the soil alternately, guaranteeing him an incredible movement speed.


    The trajectory of Dag''s movement, despite being a sudden reflection due to the dodge, was not accidental: in a few seconds, the young Master reached the position of Magni''s hammer and picked it up from the ground, now clutching it in his left hand, despite being accustomed to holding it with the right one, being that weapon heavier and less manageable than the Giantbane, which this time had a decisive role.


    After grasping his primary weapon, with which he had fought all the most important battles of his life, Dag felt even greater responsibility for beating his opponent, while the faces of Stein, Magni, and all those who believed in him and supported him appeared in quick succession in his mind.


    Simultaneously, the Xis created a second blade to show Dag that he could defeat him by fighting with two weapons, just like him.


    "A blow! I only need one shot to kill him! Focus, Dag!" Dag thought, ready to dodge the second attack and counterattack, using the technique he could manage best, the one his sister Gridd and Taya, his first Master, taught him.


    The Xis, predictably, snapped again towards Dag, this time flying at great speed a few inches from the ground, but the young warrior dodged the first slit and then also the second, rotating on himself and trying to hit the Frostsinner with one of the dark stinger coming out of his back.


    A second before the stinger could hit its target, a bundle of dark matter came out of the Xis'' chest and blocked the attack.


    When the two dark powers of Dag and the Xis collided, they provoked a strong shockwave, which unleashed considerable energy.


    Odin remained impassive, with his thoughtful gaze focused on the clash and his spear held firmly in his right hand, while a few yards from him, Freydis was there, still and upset.


    Despite the Frostsinner''s parry, Dag turned around once again, striking him with his second stinger, but once again, a dark arm was summoned by the Xis, who seemed to be able to summon dark matter without limits.


    Surprisingly, however, a third strand of liquid that came out of Dag''s shoulders hardened and during the rotation hit the Frostsinner''s side, who retreated injured.


    A deep cut at the rib quickly started to close, repairing the damaged fabrics, except those of the black jacket, which was now completely destroyed.


    The third small spine on his back grew even more, reaching the length and size of the other two.


    With his three dark arms and body entirely shrouded in darkness because of the demonic form, Dag began to feel his last energies dry up quickly in a way inversely proportional to his power, which instead grew more and more.


    "He''s strong and incredibly fast... but his body is human, I can predict his attacks!" Dag thought again, who this time used the enemy''s wait to launch the first attack.


    The Xis, who was stationary and waiting for the deep cut to close completely, dematerialized one of the two dark blades and pointed a hand at Dag, activating his psychic powers to block his advance.


    However, to Dag''s surprise, the purple aura that was supposed to block him in mid-air failed and his charge continued.


    "What?!" the Xis exclaimed with a visibly frightened expression, which helped increase Dag''s fury.


    "Aaaaargh!" the young Master yelled, as his body was wrapped in flames to the right side and in lightning to the left side: as had already happened the last time he fought using the power of the Primal Thunder, the Giantbane fire was partially absorbed by one of his dark arms and the lightning bolts of Magni''s hammer were absorbed by the other.


    As if the three dark arms were demonic wings imbued with the two elements that Dag could dominate, they moved forward and simultaneously pierced the enemy''s chest, lifting him from the ground.


    The violent impact destabilized the Xis, who could not resist all the power unleashed by Dag''s elemental attack and lay his hands against the dark stingers that were pierced his chest.


    Dag raised the enemy''s body and without giving up his grip, violently slammed him to the ground, continuing to press on his chest with the dark arms and screaming in anger.


    The Xis'' arms released more grayish gas, and a small amount of his dark matter tried to envelop Dag''s spines: at the same time, the Giantbane''s fire coming from the fiery arm burned it instantly.


    "That''s not possible! This can''t happen, you can''t hurt me!" the Frostsinner replied, before spitting vivid magenta blood out of his mouth.


    When the Xis began to bleed, Dag realized that he had the victory in his hand and at the sight of magenta blood, hundreds of memories came to his mind.


    He remembered all the times he had been forced to drink that substance to increase the concentration of dark power in his body and the time one of his best friends, Karl, injected it inside his arm.


    All those events had inextricably taken away some of his humanity, making him seem more and more to be disgusting in front of him.


    Continuing to push with elemental arms on the Xis'' chest, Dag dragged his body for a few meters and then the stingers began to penetrate the ground, widening the hole in the chest of the alien more and more, who was visibly suffering.

 606 DCVI. Im Not Scared Anymore

    As the spines entered the enemy''s body, Dag came closer and closer to him, proving to everyone, including himself, that the time of fear was over and that a new era was about to begin: that of rebellion that would lead to the breaking of chains that were imprisoning the human race.


    "Which of my parents was a Xis?! My mother or father?! Tell me, you bastard!" Dag yelled as the alien tried unsuccessfully to wriggle out of the stingers that pierced his body and the first layers of the ground below, continuing deep for a couple of meters.


    From the Xis came no answer, only moans of pain.


    "Tell me! Confess the truth and then die, you son of a bitch! Your long existence ends here and now! I will make you feel what we human beings feel when our lives are taken from us by force! I will never forget all the children you have killed on Earth and all the cruelty you have forced us to endure! Aaaargh!" Dag shouted, as his dark spines shattered the enemy''s rib cage and shredded his torso, engulfed in flames and electricity.


    "You... you''re just scum..." the Xis replied, with a thread of voice, knowing that those would be his last words.


    Dag''s demonic expression became so angry that his face started to vibrate with rage and without unnecessarily continuing to ask questions for which he would never receive an answer, he raised the Giantbane and looked for the last time at the face of that Xis.


    "I''m not scared anymore" he exclaimed, quickly moving the divine axe down and hitting the enemy''s neck, cutting off his head.


    A river of magenta blood gushed from the enemy''s newly severed neck, spreading to the ground and joining that of the warriors who died during the bloody Battle of Klorr, almost reaching the feet of Odin, who continued to look impassively at the scene.


    The flames and electricity that enveloped Dag''s dark arms abruptly ceased to exist and the three stingers returned to his back.


    The dark matter trapped inside his body and limbs slid away slowly, also focusing on the young Master''s spine, whose appearance gradually returned to normal.


    Due to the rapid de-strengthening of his body that had reached the limit of the stress it could endure, Dag was forced to kneel and rest Magni''s hammerhead on the ground, so as not to fall.


    The two demonic horns were absorbed into his skull making a noise similar to that of the moving dark fluid and one of his eyes returned to its original color, while the sheen of the other faded.


    Finally, his blonde hair and beard also popped out of his head and face again, giving him back his human appearance.


    For about ten seconds, no sound other than that of the wind.


    Reidar and Kranus, who had lost hope, were side by side, both with tears in their eyes, incredulous at what they were looking at.


    ...


    "Captain... you made it once again! Captain!" the archer yelled, trying to overcome with his voice the volume of the soldiers'' screams around him.


    The ice mage approached him, helping him get up and together they walked towards Dag, while Kron had run inside the castle to retrieve Atran''s body, hoping that his fellow General was still alive somewhere under the rubble.


    ...


    "Dag..." Freydis whispered, almost as if that name had come out automatically from her mouth.


    Dag''s gaze, lost in the void until that moment, immediately turned towards her.


    A God lay before him in all his magnificence, but Dag''s eyes still remained on Freydis, his lover and best friend, the woman who had done nothing but stand by him and help him, the one who had just put her life at risk to save him, defying the most powerful of enemies.


    The Shieldmaiden, without thinking further, snapped at Dag and jumped into his arms, clutching him tightly and kissing him on the face, neck, and hands, wherever her warm lips could fall.


    Enjoying those moments of well-deserved peace, Dag still could not realize the importance of the feat he had just accomplished and knew that when he stood up and Freydis'' hug was interrupted, he would have to argue with Odin himself.


    During the bloodiest of battles he had ever fought, he had managed to cede his entire body to the dark power that lived within him, coexisting in his mind and managing all his anger.


    He had been able to unleash energy so powerful that he surpassed that of a Xis, one of the strongest beings in the Galaxy and perhaps in the Universe, one of the aliens who had enslaved him and his childhood companions and who were responsible for everything that was wrong in their world.


    The white body covered by that black dress reduced to worn and torn rags was there, lying on the ground in front of him, deprived of his head and with a huge hole inside his chest, failing to heal the wounds caused to him by the fire of the Giantbane, which derived from that of the Sun itself.


    Regularizing his breath again, Dag tried to strengthen his legs and with the help of Freydis and his arm still resting on Magni''s hammer, he managed to get up, staggering


    In front of him, the imposing figure of the Alfather had never diverted his wise gaze and was stationary with his spear in one hand, as if he was a statue.

 607 DCVII. The Manuscrip

    "Without your help, I wouldn''t have made it, Odin. Thank you for saving my life. However, can I ask you a question?" Dag asked, who, not knowing how to talk to a God, but knowing that he had no bad intentions towards him, chose to speak in all sincerity.


    "You''re wondering why the Alfather came from Asgard to Skjold just to save you, right?" Odin said, anticipating Dag''s next question, while he nodded, confirming.


    "Yes, that''s right."


    "The answer is already within you, young man. Just know that this is the first time I''ve seen one of the real Frostsinners die. As you could see, not even my Gungnir can kill them, even if their power is much less than mine" Odin exclaimed, clarifying the doubts of the young Master and knowing that a large group of warriors hung from his lips.


    Although Dag already knew the answer, hearing Odin utter those words filled his heart with pride because something differed from what he had imagined.


    "So... even the Gods can''t kill the Xis, or rather... they can''t kill the strongest Xis. I remember I already killed some of them using my dark powers and my hammer, but evidently, they were just adepts! Now I understand why they managed to drive the entire Norse Pantheon out of Earth! They can''t fight them, I am their only hope!"


    As these thoughts crowded Dag''s mind, nausea from the deepest parts of his stomach pervaded him, reaching up to his head and making him confused, so much so that he had to hold on to Freydis in order to stay on his feet.


    "I could not allow a power as great as yours to die here and today, in such an insignificant place. Your destiny is another, young Dag" Odin continued, who as he spoke, was noticing that Dag''s eyes were closing.


    "Hey, Dag! Are you okay?! Dag!" Freydis exclaimed, who could no longer bear the dead weight of his body and fell with him, trying not to make him bang his head to the ground, in the presence of the Alfather.


    Kranus and Reidar arrived near the father of the Gods and, although they wanted to rescue Dag, they stopped and knelt before him, out of respect.


    Odin said nothing, merely moving his hand towards that direction as if he wanted to show them the way to help his comrade.


    The archer knelt before his Captain and began slapping his face, noting that Dag''s body did not respond to commands, as if he was irretrievably falling asleep.


    "I''m afraid he exhausted all the forces of his body... so he needs some rest now. Let''s lift his body and take him inside the castle. Even if it''s half-destroyed, we''ll find a place where we can rest the young warrior who just saved us all" Kranus said, looking at Dag as if he was one of his sons, despite actually being his killer.


    Feeling called into question by their God, all three of Dag''s companions turned to him and bowed their heads again, waiting for Odin to keep talking, while Dag was now completely unconscious and lying on the ground with his mouth half-open.


    "You won''t take this young man to the castle, I can''t let you do that."


    Freydis opened her eyes wide, unable to believe she had heard correctly, but neither she nor her companions dared to interrupt Odin''s speech.


    "From now on, the Frostsinners will know that there is someone capable of killing them and that this individual lives on Skjold. Dag cannot stay here until he will be able to fight the Xis with his own strength. Magician, your name is Kranus, right?" the Alfather asked, looking down.


    "Y... yes, wise Odin!" the Commander of the Ice Giants replied, not knowing why a God had just uttered his name.


    "How did Dag know that his axe was the only weapon capable of defeating a Frostsinner?"


    "Uhm... actually... he didn''t know. He knew the power of the Giantbane from the first moment the God Weland handed it to him, but he was not yet aware of all its hidden powers. I did" Kranus replied, fearing that those words might make his interlocutor nervous, but wanting to avoid telling lies.


    "Talk" Odin replied, moving his hand forward and suggesting Kranus to continue his speech.


    "A long time ago, I retrieved an ancient manuscript containing information about young Dag''s weapon, or, to be more precise, about the gem embedded in it. It contains the power of the Sun, great Odin."


    "The power of the Sun? Are you referring to the Sun that illuminated Midgard before it was shrouded in darkness?"


    "Yes, my lord. But it''s not the only weapon capable of killing the Xis. The author of the book talks about 5 other gems, called the ''Crystal of the Elements'', each of which is embedded inside a weapon. But these weapons are not on Skjold: each of them is located on one of the six planets created by the Xis, or at least, that''s what the book says" Kranus continued, imagining that if Odin was completely unaware of the whole thing, then all the Gods and Aesir were.


    "Are you saying that Dag''s axe, this ''Giantbane'' is Skjold''s gem?"


    "Correct, my lord... but that''s not all yet. Each of these gems allows their owners to travel between planets by escaping the Frostsinner identification system, in a nutshell..."


    "Basically like a ghost traveler..." Odin interrupted, anticipating the sentence but continuing to listen carefully to the words of the ice wizard.


    "The last pages of the book illustrate a prophecy. It was not easy to understand, but after months spent deciphering every corner of those pages, I managed to figure out that when all six gems will be gathered, it will be possible to travel to planet Earth, which is the last destination of the prophecy, in which the final clash against the alien invaders will take place" Kranus concluded, being careful not to forget any important details and feeling a great responsibility on his shoulders.


    "Who is the author of the manuscript?" Odin asked, who was touching his long beard and thinking.


    "The book is anonymous, without author. But, if I may express my opinion, my lord, the story illustrated within it is too detailed to be false. No one would ever be able to conceive such accurate descriptions of the Frostsinners and the six Crystals of the Elements if he had never seen them with his own eyes. The Fire Crystal that Dag possesses proves this. It''s all true."


    Reidar and Freydis remained silent, witnessing the conversation between Kranus and Odin, who at the time were talking as if they were two old friends.


    Timidly, one step at a time, Bloodfang also joined them, arriving behind Odin and kneeling immediately before him, recognizing his power from the only divine aura he emanated.


    Odin noticed him and the fact that he had approached only to be able to listen to the speech, so he pretended nothing.


    "Six gems in six planets... the owners of the other magical weapons... do they know about this whole story?" the Alfather asked, trying to clarify the last doubts about Kranus''s story, which had been incredibly accurate and attentive, never missing anything.


    "I don''t know, but... I don''t think the manuscript has any other copies, so... I don''t think so. It could be a disadvantage, but also an advantage if we decide to recover the other Crystals to complete the prophecy" Kranus continued, responding with confidence.


    "Mmmh... in addition to possessing the only dark power capable of countering that of the Frostsinners, you also inherited the Primal Thunder... who are your parents, young Dag?" Odin replied, looking at the young Master''s unconscious body and thinking that despite his young age, he was already forced to carry a very heavy burden on his shoulders.


    "Wise Odin!" Thyrius suddenly interrupted, after making sure Kranus had finished his story.


    The Alfather turned to the Packmaster.


    "Why¡­ him? Why will he be the warrior destined to save humanity? He''s only 18 years old and he''s not the most skilled of warriors..." Bloodfang asked, who although he had strong esteem for Dag at the time, could not help but try to take his place.


    Before Odin could respond with his usual calm and wisdom, Reidar abruptly anticipated him.


    "And who should he have been, if not him? You?! Pff! Don''t make me laugh, besides beating you, the Captain alone defeated one of the most powerful beings in the cosmos... and you still think he''s not worthy?! There is no warrior more suitable than him, Bloodfang!"


    "Grrr... I wasn''t talking to you, brat! Don''t get in the way!" Thyrius growled, who had once again proved to be the usual brawler and was interrupted by a look from Kranus, who tried to make him understand in every way that that was neither the place nor the time to make controversy.

 608 DCVIII. The Culpri

    "However, the magician is striving to help me, telling me the truth about the ancient manuscript that speaks of the most important of prophecies, while you... you can''t mask your true nature, can''t you, Fenrir''s disciple?" Odin continued, while his rabid blue eye stopped at Thyrius, whose legs and arms began to tremble compulsively.


    "No, no, my lord! I humbly apologize, I didn''t want to be insolent! Mine was a simple question, I didn''t want to take anyone''s place! Just... why to believe the words of this old wizard? They could be mere lies!" Bloodfang replied, who tirelessly was again trying to deceive the Alfather.


    "You''re just making your situation worse, I suggest you be silent. My patience is not unlimited, I too am old. I''m sure that''s the truth because the Shieldmaiden and the archer didn''t say a word during Kranus'' speech. I saw how they ran to check on their partner''s health, this is the greatest proof of loyalty to me. I trust their judgment" Odin replied, justifying his point of view to Bloodfang, who ran out of tricks to persuade him.


    Thyrius remained silent, merely looking down and waiting for the God to deliver his verdict.


    "Alfather!" the only female voice among them exclaimed.


    Odin turned his gaze towards Freydis, noting that the young Shieldmaiden had just caught his eye with tears in her eyes.


    "What''s going to happen to Dag now?" she asked, hoping Odin''s response wouldn''t hurt her feelings too much.


    "As I told you, now the Frostsinners have too much information about him. I will take Dag with me, away from this kingdom" Odin replied, who despite realizing that the girl who was talking to him was the woman of the subject in question, was willing to proceed with his plan, which included Dag.


    Those words were so heavy that they triggered a sudden silence among the four warriors around him, who looked at each other, unable to believe what they had just heard.


    As if he didn''t want to waste any more time, Odin stepped forward towards Dag, approaching his body slowly.


    Freydis, caught in a sudden whirlwind of conflicting emotions, knelt at her God''s feet, stretching her arms to the ground and showing him her submission.


    "Alfather, please, listen to my prayer... I have worshipped you all my life long and I will continue to do so as long as my heart will continue to beat. I understand that your decision has already been made and cannot be changed, but... tell me, will I see Dag again?" Freydis asked desperately, raising her eyes filled with sorrowful tears at Odin, whose divine heart was saddened by that moving scene.


    Dodging Freydis and continuing to walk forward, Odin arrived at the foot of Dag''s body, on which his most loyal ally, Reidar, was kneeling, hoping that he would wake up from sleep.


    Odin raised his Gungnir spear and placed it behind his back: straps of his armor wrapped the divine weapon, which as if by magic was locked in its position.


    Immediately after that gesture, he too lowered himself towards Dag and, with very slow and delicate movements, placed a hand under his neck and one under his legs, lifting him off the ground.


    Kranus and Bloodfang stepped back and continued to look at the scene in silence, as did the warriors who were admiring the Alfather''s magnificence from afar.


    "I... I don''t want to lose him again... please, Odin..." Freydis whispered, while her voice was stuck in her throat because of the pain that trapped her soul at the thought of never being able to see her man again, who after a thousand adventures had managed to find her.


    Reidar approached the Shieldmaiden and helped her get up, clutching her in a fraternal embrace and making her realize that Odin''s decision, however poignant to them, was immutable.


    Without adding any words of comfort or encouragement, the Alfather turned the other way and looked up at the sky, at exactly the same spot from which the luminous portal had allowed him to travel into space until he arrived on Skjold.


    Some crows popped out of nowhere, began one at a time to twirling around him, and at the same time, clouds began to melt and rotate in the lower layers of the atmosphere.


    The swirling motion of the gaseous bodies continued until, within them, the same circular-shaped light portal appeared in the sky, firing a strong light beam at Odin and Dag, unconscious in his arms.


    Freydis''s cry, despite the girl beginning to scream in desperation, not accepting Odin''s selfish decision, did not stop him and he and Dag, as soon as they were wrapped in the flock of black crows, suddenly disappeared within the light beam, following a fast upward trajectory.


    The ray of light vanished in the night and the portal closed, bringing the clouds back to their initial stage and leaving room for sunrise, with a new false Sun about to rise onto the horizon.


    "Noooo! Let him go! Daaag! Daag... Dag..."


    Freydis fell to the ground again, kneeling and unable to do anything to bring her man back.


    "Hey, Freydis... listen..."


    "Let me go! He took him away, Reidar... Dag''s gone again! I hate my life! It is full of sadness and pain! How can I continue to live without him, who is all I have?!" she exclaimed again, writhing from Reidar''s arm, ready to help her get up.


    Not winning, the young archer grabbed her arm again and gently put her back on her feet.


    "Did you hear what Odin said... do you realize? Odin himself was here and took the Captain with him! You should be happy! Our Dag has officially become a divine warrior, able to summon the most powerful of the Gods! The Primal Thunder is back!" Reidar exclaimed, trying to highlight the positive aspects of that affair and calm his friend, in despair.


    Hearing those words, the old Kranus also decided to approach the young Dag''s two allies, somehow trying to help.


    "It''s all your fault, you old man! If you hadn''t said anything to the wise Odin, none of this would have happened! If you hadn''t told him about that stupid prophecy, now maybe Dag would still be here with me! Fuck you!" the Shieldmaiden shouted, who with a sudden snap tried to get dangerously close to Kranus, but was stopped by Reidar, who blocked her arms as she wriggled.


    "Freydis, listen to me. Calm down, I..."


    "I said fuck you! Get out of my sight! I lost the love of my life again because of you! He helped you win your stupid war and what did he get in return? Exile, once again! Dag''s endured this kind of thing all his life, that''s enough! I don''t care about this stupid prophecy and these magical weapons that lie somewhere... I just want to be with him, you mother fucker..." Freydis continued, who as she spoke lost her strength and gradually stopped wriggling in Reidar''s arms, who stroked her shoulder trying to contribute to her calm.


    "I understand you, girl. Really, I understand your pain, and I''m very sorry that Dag''s not here anymore. Just look at the faces of the warriors who are watching us from afar to find that your feeling is shared. However, your man has an important task to perform and even without my words, the wise Odin would still take him with him. If Dag had stayed here on Skjold, he would have endangered the lives of all of us, beyond that of himself. More Frostsinners would have arrived, even stronger than the one he just defeated and, without Odin''s help, he probably wouldn''t have made it."


    Kranus''s sensitive words, who spoke to Freydis as if she was his grand-daughter, made her calm down for good, although her gaze remained fixed in the void, immersed in her sad thoughts.


    "It is evident that Dag''s destiny is not only to save Klorr... he must save all Skjold, he must free us all" Kranus said with conviction, also surprising Bloodfang, who after witnessing what had happened, finally began to believe the prophecy, of which, before the battle, he knew absolutely nothing.


    Without any haste, the four of them who had remained close to Dag during his last moments on their planet, headed to the castle, to join the rest of the soldiers of the two Clans, confused by what had happened.


    Klorr''s square had been totally destroyed and the top of the castle had collapsed, as well as some of its inner walls.


    "It looks like we''re going to have a lot to do here, don''t we, men?!" Bloodfang exclaimed when he arrived in front of the Claws Of Fenrir, trying to distract them and cheer them up.

 609 DCIX. The Midgardian

    "Well said, Packmaster!"


    "We will rebuild Klorr city and its Castle!"


    "Long live Master Dag!"


    The soldiers who until a few minutes earlier had turned into werewolves had now returned to their human form and together with their Packmaster were finally able to celebrate the long-awaited victory over the Lies Of Loki, having taken away from them the city of Klorr, in which they could transfer their entire population, trapped in the depths of the Rock Prison.


    Kranus, as he walked at a slow pace, could not help but watch Freydis and Reidar, who continued to console each other.


    The ice mage took a long breath and said: "You are warriors of Krypstorm now. You fought loyally, demonstrating your courage and strength. Come back to Tungvek with me... we will wait together for the return of the Primal Thunder and help him humbly in fulfilling the prophecy!"


    Kranus''s proposal attracted the looks of Reidar and Freydis, who looked at each other in the eye and then turned to him.


    "We... we accept your offer, Commander Kranus" Freydis said, in a submissive tone, knowing that from that moment on she would have to rely solely on her own skills.


    "Just call me Kranus, I''m not your Commander. Once in Tungvek, you can do whatever you want, Freydis... if your house is too small, I''ll give you a bigger one, if you want new clothes or new weapons, just tell me. You will have all the slaves you want, ready to serve you and satisfy your every whim. I, Kranus, will always be at your service, Shieldmaiden!" the ice mage again exclaimed, bowing slightly towards her, as a sign of respect and gallantry.


    The words of the ice mage were very helpful to Freydis'' morale, who could not help but think of Dag and what was happening to him.


    "I will be by your side if you wish. I will make sure to come to Tungvek with you and I am sure Kranus will also give me a place to stay" Reidar added, looking at the Commander of the Giants Of Ymir out of the corner of his eye, who nodded positively with his head, accepting the archer''s proposal.


    "Yes, I have already said that I agree. I think the house I have now is fine, but I''m going to need someone to help me with Claire, who hasn''t fully recovered yet and is in constant need of assistance, even in the most common actions" the Shieldmaiden said, who, only thinking about having to return to that cozy home without her Dag, felt lost.


    "Well then. You''ll see Dag''s going to be fine, he''s in the best hands that could happen to him! He will come back different, stronger, and more determined" Kranus replied, turning the other way and walking to look for Kron, still somewhere inside the castle.


    "I know... that''s the point" Freydis whispered, thinking out loud and looking up at the reddish sky of dawn.


    ...


    "Mmmh..."


    "My... my head..." he whispered again, putting a hand in his hair and touching his head that had just stopped spinning, while his five senses were back in operation and his mind began to process the surrounding reality again.


    Dag''s eyes opened shyly and then closed again, due to the surroundings particularly illuminated by natural light.


    He put his hand in front of his eyes, noting that his arms and torso did him no harm.


    Making room between two fingers, he let his eyes get used to the light and peered over his hand, noting that above his head, a majestic bronze-colored ceiling stretched imposingly throughout the large room.


    A large vertical window was located on the wall behind him and from it, sunlight could illuminate the entire area, leaving not even a small corner of darkness.


    The walls were also bronze in color, with small golden fittings and a few essential ornaments, such as some candlesticks scattered here and there, which flanked beds identical to those on which Dag was lying, consisting of a gold-colored metal block and a soft straw mattress covered with a thick layer of linen, which made it one of the most comfortable beds on which he had ever slept, perhaps as comfortable as those on Earth.


    Continuing to look around, Dag realized that he was alone inside what looked like a beautiful infirmary, made such by the peculiar layout of the beds and some ''tools'' useful to operate resting on a small piece of furniture not far from his position.


    Before he could notice, the large front door of the room, almost up to the ceiling, which was about 6 or 7 meters high, closed.


    "Uhm? Was the door open? What''s going on? Where am I? Where''s Freydis? I remember I was talking to Odin when my body completely lost its strength..." Dag thought, lifting his torso from the mattress and sitting on it, realizing that his body had been cleaned and his wounds had fully healed.


    The clothes he wore were not his own, but his armor hung on a kind of coat hanger that stood near the large window.


    A thin shirt of fluffy linen mixed with other fabrics covered his upper body, to allow him any kind of movement during sleep, and his trousers were made of the same material.


    Looking at the floor of the room, which consisted of so many small bricks of a dark stone and with a bright and precious appearance, he managed to glimpse his reflection, noting approximately that his face had returned human and that the dark matter that had taken over his body with his consent, had returned to its submissive form.


    "This infirmary is too perfect to be in Krypstorm... I don''t think King Einar''s rooms are that beautiful and rich in prized materials like these either... I have to get up and..."


    While Dag was still thinking and a moment before he could get out of bed, someone opened the large front door of the room, which made no noise except that of the handle being lowered.


    He immediately jumped out of bed and took a few steps backward, heading with circumspection towards the coat hanger and never looking out the door.


    Two incredibly beautiful and young maidens entered the room, moving in a sinuous and feminine way, letting the silk flaps of their almost transparent dresses flutter, which with much freedom let their naked bodies be glimpsed.


    One of them had blonde and long hair, while the other had black hair, collected in a ponytail.


    Dag immediately felt a feeling of great discomfort, despite the incredibly pleasant sight of the two girls, who gracefully were heading towards him, who continued to retreat.


    However, behind them, someone else entered through the front door, another woman, followed by another of her handmaidens.


    The last young girl to enter, who wore a gold ribbon that tied her long brown hair, closed the door and together with her ''sisters'', positioned herself along a wall, making room for the woman, who, during her entrance, had not even moved a finger.


    Dag could not breathe in front of all that beauty and gasped.


    The woman who started walking towards him was much more mature and older than her handmaidens, which looked like innocent teenagers.


    With her long blonde hair swinging like golden waves sinuously down and her eyes so blue that they looked gray, the woman continued to advance until she stopped a few feet away from the Okstorm''s young Master.


    Her clothes were made entirely of silk and on her neck, she wore three thick gold necklaces with large pendants consisting of precious stones, such as a huge emerald crystal, shining green.


    Even on her forehead, a thin golden crown and precious stones illuminated her face, while flowers similar to small daisies were wedged here and there in her thick hair.


    The long, dark red dress had two splits at the height of the ankles, which shamelessly showed off the woman''s perfect thighs, who despite her older age, had a breathtaking body.


    The tall and proportionate breasts were well concealed by the dress, which, at its top, apart from a small neckline, fully covered the woman''s graces.


    Even the sandals she wore at her feet were adorned with precious stones and gold and silver painted details.


    When Dag realized that his mouth was about to become visibly open, his expression returned serious and his back straightened, as if he was a young recruit and the woman in front of him, his commander.


    "You have finally woken up, Midgardian!" the woman exclaimed, in a stern but at the same time sensual voice.


    "Uhm... I... yes. I''m awake" Dag replied, embarrassed, not knowing how to behave in front of four unknown women who stared at him without ever looking away, making him feel the center of attention.

 610 DCX. My Name Is Frigg

    "Eh... where... where am I? How long did I sleep?" Dag asked, trying to get back on the ground and not be distracted from all the beauty concentrated in the room, thinking of Freydis and all his other companions.


    "You slept for three days, but fear not. You can stay and sleep a little longer if you want" she smiled, acting with him as if she was an apprehensive mom.


    "Three days? How is that possible? Where are all my comrades? Where did you take me?" Dag continued, who immediately warned that the people who had healed his wounds and washed his clothes were not hostile, but still wanted concrete answers.


    The woman had a sweet and moderate laugh, resting her hand slightly in front of her mouth and ajar her eyes.


    "Your mortal friends, you mean? Well, I guess they''re still on Skjold, my husband didn''t tell me about any more mortals except for you."


    "What?! Mortal?! Her husband?! It''s not possible?! This woman is... she''s..."


    "My name is Frigg, Odin''s wife and I am here to welcome you to Asgard, the kingdom of the Aesir" the blond-haired woman smiled once again, opening her arms and showing Dag her benevolence.


    "As... Asgard... um... mmh..."


    After barely uttering the first syllables of that word, Dag lost his senses for the second time and fainted on the floor, unable to hold back all that sudden emotion.


    About 30 minutes passed, which in Dag''s head seemed only an instant.


    *clap*clap*


    The young Earth warrior felt light slaps on his face as someone tried to wake him up.


    When he opened his eyes again, in front of him were two of Frigg''s handmaidens, who as soon as they realized they had been able to wake him up, timidly rose up and returned close to their mistress, timidly.


    Dag, still trapped in a whirlwind of confusion, laid his palms under his bottom and sat down, gradually trying to get up from the ground and knowing that, having fainted at the mere mention of the word ''Asgard'', he had not made a good impression in front of the Goddess of heaven, love, and fertility, as well as the wife of the Alfather, the chief of all the Gods of the Norse Pantheon.


    "I didn''t think your mind was so fragile, Dag of Midgard. What''s the matter? Ask me what you want, I''m here to answer your questions" Frigg said, anticipating every word of her interlocutor, who took the opportunity to get up from the floor leaning on the window shelf.


    Asgard, in all its splendor, stood on the crest of clouds high in the sky, while the false Sun of the Xis illuminated its tall white and silver palaces, one next to each other.


    The tower on which he was at the time was so high that it was difficult to see the streets below, but from that position, Dag realized that Asgard''s location, unknown even to the most attentive Viking researchers, was in the skies of Skjold.


    "It''s beautiful, isn''t it? I also stop to look at her splendor every now and then" Frigg continued, drawing the attention of Dag, who turned to her, catching his breath and trying to calm down to face a sensible speech.


    "It''s magnificent, yes. Maybe it''s even better than what ancient legends tell. It is an honor to meet you in person, my queen" he exclaimed, taking a walk towards Frigg and kneeling with his gaze turned downwards, as a sign of respect, failing to believe that, in a short time, he had known the two most powerful Gods of his world.


    "Your humility amazes me, young warrior, but at the same time, it makes me feel good. You are the only one capable of killing one of the strongest Frostsinners, yet your behaviors are absolutely ''human''. I congratulate you on what you did on Skjold, I saw every moment of your last fight."


    "Thank you, my queen. I just did what I needed to protect my people from those disrespectful invaders. I promised myself that I would make him pay for what he and his race did to us at all costs..."


    As he spoke, Dag realized that next to the coat hanger where his clean, polished armor was there neither Magni''s hammer nor Giantbane.


    "You can stay calm, Dag. Your weapons were taken under the custody of Odin himself. He''s waiting for you to wake up so he can tell you about the plan he has in mind for you, young man. When you''re ready, You''ll be escorted to the throne room, where the Alfather looks forward to meeting you again" Frigg replied, moving her hands gracefully and speaking in the same tone of a gentle voice.


    "I will wear my armor and go to Odin, in the throne room. My body was cleaned and healed and my armor was polished. Thank you very much for the care you have given me, dear Frigg, I owe you and the Alfather my life" Dag humbly answered, resting a hand on his chest and keeping his head down even after standing up, ready to approach the coat hanger.


    "You mustn''t thank me. My three handmaidens took care of you, undressed you, and cared for you in their loving embrace, and now here you are, in all your mortal glory. I repeat, welcome to Asgard, boy" Frigg replied, who after those words, without giving Dag the opportunity to answer, turned and walked towards the door.


    Gn¨¤ and Hlin opened the large front door and let their long-haired queen pass by, while Fulla, well recognizable by the golden ribbon that wrapped her dark hair, followed her, closing the line.


    Before the door closed to leave Dag his privacy, Fulla, who had both of her hands resting on the handles she was closing, once again looked at Dag with her big green eyes.


    The beauty of the Frigg Goddess''s handmaidens was otherworldly, but Frigg''s was absolutely unimaginable.


    Even the most lovesick man could not resist the temptation to admire that beauty and that grace and, indeed, even the young Dag could not help but reciprocate that look.


    With a little final noise, the big door closed and Dag found himself alone in the middle of that huge bronze room.


    He looked at his own hands, trying to realize that he was actually in Asgard, a place he had never seen other than in the illustrations on his old school books when on Earth he studied the Nordic myths that characterized the planet Skjold.


    For a moment, the young warrior forgot about Freydis, Reidar, and all those who had remained on the planet and thought only about him, recalling that Odin himself had come down from his kingdom to save his life and help him defeat the strongest of his opponents.


    "I can''t believe it... the Alfather took me with him to his kingdom and I have just met his wife Frigg, the Goddess that all the women of Skjold pray when they cannot have children or when they are deeply in love... she was right here, before my eyes, in this room!" Dag thought aloud, who was so excited and let himself go to the most sincere and real feelings as an eighteen-year-old boy, without worrying too much about having to look like an adult warrior or a daring leader.


    After brooding over what happened, the Alfather''s face came back to his mind and the desire to tighten his weapons back into his hands prevailed over everything.


    He approached the coat hanger, grabbed his armor, and wore it one piece at a time, making sure he looked presentable, not knowing if besides Odin, in the throne room, someone else was waiting for him.


    "Okay, calm down Dag. Focus, don''t get caught up in the heat of feeling like an important person. You are not an Aesir, but you are here because the most important and famous of the Gods was impressed by your powers. Proceed calmly and be sure of you, remember the mission" Dag said in a low voice, believing that hearing his own words, he would take courage and leave that room, heading towards the throne room of Odin, without knowing in the slightest how to reach it.


    Looking around and making sure he had collected every piece of his armor from the coat hanger, Dag began to walk, tucking his hand into the inner pocket of his jacket and that of his trousers.

 611 The Handmaid

    After opening the door, which despite its exaggerated size was incredibly light and easy to open, Dag found himself in the middle of a long corridor made of the same bronze material as the ceilings in the previous room.


    "You made up your mind, I see!"


    "Uh? Eh?!"


    A very close female voice caused the young warrior to jump, who bumped with his back against the wall, turning the other way.


    Next to the infirmary door, Fulla had been waiting for him and now she was looking at him with her sensual green eyes, while Dag''s gaze could not help but fall on the neckline of her dress, from which he could glimpse her abundant and firm breasts.


    Blushing on his cheeks with his usual awkward behavior, Dag straightened his back, pretending that the situation did not embarrass him.


    Luckily for him, Fulla started talking again, without asking him any questions.


    "Follow me, I will escort you to the Alfather palace till the Hlidskj¨¤lf" Frigg''s handmaid said, beginning to walk down the corridor.


    Dag immediately recovered from the scare and followed her, accelerating the pace.


    "I see you already know many things about Asgard, Midgardian. But I''m not surprised at this... the wise Alfather would never bring a mortal here without being sure of his worth" Fulla continued, making a slight smile and trying not to show it to Dag, who noticed it, realizing that he had managed to break the ice.


    "And you?" he asked, flanking the beautiful handmaid and continuing to walk beside her.


    "And me what?"


    "Are you immortal?" he replied, driven by his innate curiosity.


    Fulla remained a few seconds silent, smiling embarrassed and slightly accelerating the pace.


    "I don''t think anyone''s ever asked me a question like that..." she answered timidly.


    "Yes, but... you haven''t given me an answer yet" Dag replied, jokingly, unable to express in words what he was feeling while walking down the corridors of one of Asgard''s palaces.


    "Yes, I too have been granted immortality. I live and exist exclusively to serve Frigg, Odin''s wife and Queen of the nine kingdoms" Fulla replied, reciting those words as if they were indelibly written in her mind.


    "Yes. Thousands of years ago, the Queen gave me this gift, promising me immortality and perennial youth and asking me for my eternal loyalty in return. From that day on, my mortal soul had a new beginning, but... this has nothing to do with you, don''t ask me these things" she replied, who without thinking about it had responded freely to Dag and was talking to him about her personal life, which she had not told me to anyone, without thinking about the consequences.


    "Did you accept slavery just to live forever? Mh, I don''t know if I approve of your choice very much, you know?" Dag replied, continuing to ask questions and ignoring Fulla''s request when she explicitly asked for a change of speech.


    Although she had no intention of giving Dag all that confidence, Fulla, during that conversation, felt incredibly comfortable: even if she had never met her interlocutor before that time, talking to Dag was very pleasant and relaxing and she did not feel she was judged by him.


    In addition, the young Earthly warrior''s good looks helped generate interest in Frigg''s beautiful servant, who, after taking a long, deep breath, answered his questions.


    "It''s not real slavery... just... look around you. We are in Asgard, the kingdom of the Gods. In my life, I have always served their will and since the Queen wanted me by her side, I have done nothing but continue to do what I was doing in Midgard, only more practically. I never regretted my choice and it''s been thousands of years" Fulla said without going too far with the explanations, not knowing Dag''s true intentions well.


    "It would scare me..."


    "What? Living in Asgard? You seem very comfortable here!" she replied, looking at the way Dag moved through the corridors.


    "Be immortal!" he exclaimed.


    The handmaid thought for a moment about what to answer, not being used to dealing with such topics, and continuing to walk up to a large staircase.


    "Usually mortals fear death, I have never met someone who thinks the exact opposite" she continued, exposing her perplexities.


    "You will never fall in love... you will never be able to see your children grow up or grow old together with the person you love. You''re going to stay young and beautiful forever, that''s true, but... what is life if it doesn''t have a beginning and an end? That''s the idea that scares me... having to live for eternity" Dag explained, gesticulating and making Fulla understand that his words came from the bottom of his heart.


    Beginning to go down the stairs, she thought back to the words she had heard, thinking that Dag, despite looking like a normal Viking warrior and despite being so young, was actually a much deeper person and wasn''t judging her just for her outward appearance, but was considering her point of view, which for the Gods she served daily, had no meaning.


    "I was in love once" she said, breaking again the awkward silence that had been created, while other people who popped up here and there in the corridors of the tower looked at Dag in amazement, realizing with a single glance that he was not an Asgardian.


    "Ah, yes? And then? What happened?"


    "He was a young and strong warrior, like you. There was only one thing he loved more than fighting: winning. He was obsessed with victory and this led him to achieve increasingly important goals, but at the same time made his life so much harder, forcing him to face enemies beyond his expectations. In the end, he even forgot about me, never returning to our country house... I still remember the scent of fresh grass and the bleat of mountain goats..." Fulla continued, telling the short story of her life in Midgard and closing her eyes for a moment, immersing herself in some deep memories.


    "And after that? What happened to him?" Dag asked again, fascinated by that tale.


    "More than a year after our last meeting, with the promise of seeing each other again, I learned of his death. One of the few companions in his raids came to my house and informed me of what had happened. He came in with arrogance and tried to... he tried to..."


    While the handmaid was trying to find the best words to end the story, Dag, without warning, touched her arm, drawing her caught off guard.


    "You don''t have to keep it going. I understood what happened and I''m very sorry" he said, trying not to make the girl feel uncomfortable after realizing that she had suffered physical violence from her boyfriend''s comrade.


    Fulla''s gaze suddenly darkened, just like the brilliance of her eyes, showing all the strong feelings that those memories had caused in her mind.


    A thin tear fell on the girl''s cheek, who before it could fall to the ground, quickly wiped her.


    "I don''t even know why I''m talking to you about this. We just met and I already told you my story, not knowing anything about you. You''ll think I''m a good-for-nothing or that I''m not worthy of being one of the Queen of Asgard''s personal handmaidens. Please don''t say anything to Frigg" the girl replied, after catching her breath and trying to hold back more bitter tears from that memory dating back thousands of years.


    "And why should I tell her anything? You were right to vent, fear not. If you carry this heavy burden inside you since then, it means you''ve never talked openly about it with anyone. I am honored to be the first to know a little truth about you¡­ and I thank you for that" Dag answered, who with his sweet words made the handmaid blush while she suddenly felt very inappropriate, despite having a much longer life experience than that of the young warrior who was talking to her.


    "Don''t thank me, it must not have been a pleasant thing. Come, this way" she continued, whose expression had returned to normal, gesticulating with her arm and pointing to Dag the direction to follow.

 612 DCXII. The Divine Melody

    During their walk and chat, Dag, despite having no intention of flirting with her, could not help but notice how transparent the handmaid''s dress was: it was cream-colored, with two splits at the hips, just like Frigg''s, but much more breasty at the top.


    In addition to the ''U'' neckline that hinted at the young girl''s chest, both of her firm breasts were clearly visible under the silk, which, bending softly, perfectly fit every curve of her athletic and dry body, almost statuesque.


    Each of her movements, even the banalest, stood out in the eyes of Dag, who was forced to focus on his facial expressions so as not to make Fulla realize that he was incredibly attracted to her body.


    In addition to her eyes and thick, soft hair, the girl''s face seemed to have no flaws, from full lips to tall, proportionate cheekbones.


    "Mmmh, no... was absolutely not unpleasant. Anyway, my name is Dag and... as I think you already know, I was not born on Skjold, but in Midgard, like you, from what I understood" Dag exclaimed, starting again to speak after a pause that seemed to last an eternity, so as to familiarize himself with the handmaid, knowing that sincere friendships to someone who lived in Asgard could only do him good.


    "Yes, I too was born on Earth, as was Gn¨¤ and Hlin, the other two handmaidens of her Majesty the Queen. Frigg loves terrestrial women, she believes they are more polite and sensitive than females of the other kingdoms of Yggdrasil" Fulla replied, referring to her ''colleagues''.


    "Yes, but you knew the Earth when it was not yet under the rule of the Frostsinners, right? The real Sun was illuminating its surface, teeming with plants and other living things, wasn''t it?" Dag asked, who couldn''t wait to know what his home planet was like before all that chaos originated.


    "Before the Frostsinners, Midgard was a magnificent place. Animals and plants of all kinds, many climates, and so many biomes... it was the Alfather''s favorite kingdom, you can imagine why. Thor too loved the Midgard of the past, he spent a lot of time camouflaging himself among mortals to learn their habits and language" Fulla confirmed.


    "Thor..." Dag whispered, who finally heard the name of his Clan''s God spoken loudly by someone who had really known him.


    Fulla looked at him timidly, instantly realizing that she had just named the idol of the young Dag, the divine warrior who had inspired him during his battles.


    "Apparently, our only hope is you, or rather, is what Alfather said when he decided to go down to Skjold to come to your rescue" the girl continued as if she wanted to foment her interlocutor, who marveled at those words.


    After uttering that phrase, Dag looked away from the girl and his eyes darkened, hinting at all the hatred he felt for the alien race, which had taken everything from his biological family to his childhood friends.


    As they continued the speech, more than 15 minutes after Dag had left the infirmary, the two exited the large bronze tower, crossing a huge door of the same material overlooking the street.


    Once out, Dag could only admire the surreal panorama in front of him, unable to believe he was walking the streets of Asgard.


    With a few small differences from the images that portrayed it in his school books, the capital of the Aesir, perfectly mirrored the descriptions of legends and shone under the rays of the artificial Sun: among all the bronze and golden palaces, there was one twice as tall, a castle entirely made of shiny silver, with the upper end consisting of a pointed tower.


    "That''s the V¨¤laskj¨¤lf, right?" Dag asked, pointing to the tip of the castle that rose above everything.


    "That''s right, that''s where the Alfather lives. And that''s where we''re going. He has been waiting for you for days in the hall of the Hlidskj¨¤lf, his divine throne" Fulla replied with confidence, who had been commissioned by Frigg himself to escort Dag to the royal palace.


    The road under Dag''s feet was made up of so many small square white stone tiles, so clean that he imagined that no one had ever stepped on them before.


    Plants and other objects of dubious nature adorned the corners of the palaces and the edges of the many paths that like the branches of a tree spread within the city.


    Despite its wealth and splendor, Asgard was not so big, because of its small population: from his past studies, Dag was perfectly able to remember that the Aesir and some of the Vanir who were allowed to live in the kingdom of heaven were just under a hundred individuals, but that each of them was entitled to choose loyal servants and bring them to the shining city.


    Few people walked down the street and the mere thought that they were Gods or demi-Gods, goosebumps came up to the young earthly warrior, who timidly avoided crossing his gaze with that of all passers-by, especially those who looked at him insistently.


    "I don''t have to calm down... I''m in Asgar, fuck, it all sounds like a great dream, but... that is not the reality. I left Freydis and Reidar in Krypstorm, leaving the planet against my will. The Alfather''s choice was not much different from a real kidnapping, when I''ll meet him, I will ask him to return to Skjold and carry out the prophecy. There''s also Claire in Tungvek... she and Freydis could be in serious danger if Reidar can''t..."


    While Dag frantically thought of everything that had happened to him before waking up in the comfortable bed of the Asgardian infirmary, his thoughts were gently interrupted by a harmonious and gentle sound that came from the road he was walking with Fulla.


    His gaze fell right in that direction, where about ten people were gathered in a circle and were listening smugly to an artist who was performing and was making Asgard''s already surreal atmosphere even more magical.


    "What''s going on over there? Who''s playing?" Dag said, who without asking Fulla''s permission, deviated from the road leading to the castle and approached the group of people, walking slowly so as not to disturb the musician.


    Fulla, smiling, followed her host, believing that a little detour would not be too big a problem.


    Making space politely among the people, Dag finally managed to see the musician, and his mind remained trapped between the notes of that harp, which played the most beautiful and engaging melody he had ever heard in his entire life.


    A man with a long beard and long brown hair, wore the typical bard dress, consisting of a skirt of fabric above the knees and a kind of tank top of the same green fabric, which left his arms uncovered, able to move easily between the long ropes of the instrument.


    The lower part of the harp was resting on the ground and the bearded man was sitting above it, consisting of a small block of wood, created specifically for that purpose.


    In addition to having a wonderful sound, the workmanship of that stringed instrument was also incredible: it was all made of wood and its edges were embedded with thin golden designs, depicting some of the exploits of Odin and Thor, such as the fight between the God of thunder and Jormungandr, the world serpent, whose long tail covered the edge of the harp to the lower edge.


    The bard''s dark hands, consumed by time and full of calluses, continued to sinuously sway the fingers, which grazed the strings in quick succession, allowing them to play as if they were the natural continuation of the tendons of his arm, which moved in time.


    With his eyes closed and partially covered with long, careless hair, which, coupled with a growing beard, gave him a homeless look, the musician continued to sound undaunted, never stopping.


    The minutes passed but seemed to fly away as Dag, along with Fulla and all the rest of the small audience that had been created in the middle of the street, became trapped in that melody, which almost suddenly ended, dispersing into the air and interrupting everyone''s breath.


    After his performance, the bard received applause worthy of his song, in which Dag and Fulla also participated enthusiastically.

 613 DCXIII. The Inspirer

    "Wow... he was very good... that harp sounds beautiful! I''ve never heard anything like that, who is that man?" Dag asked, who despite studying the inhabitants of Asgard for a long time, did not know them all and did not remember the names of some of them.


    Before Fulla could answer, the bard, who had his ear trained to distinguish sounds in the crowd, identified an unknown voice among the buzz of the people and stretched his eyes, sharpening his sight.


    He looked at Dag immediately and without saying a word, the bearded man walked towards him.


    Dag, looking at Fulla''s face, realized that he had caught someone else''s attention and when he turned around, he noticed that the musician had now arrived in front of him and was staring closely at him with his piercing light brown eyes, almost orange.


    "Oh, fuck! H... hello!" the young Earth warrior exclaimed, taking a step back so as not to lose his balance, after that close and unexpected encounter had frightened him.


    The people around them expanded as if suddenly the centerpiece of the show had become Dag, who for some reason had caught the bard''s attention.


    Dag looked again at Fulla, who was giggling up her sleeve, suggesting that the man posed no danger.


    Then he looked at the other people, observing the amazement in their eyes.


    "The Midgardian! I''ve already written a song about you, hahahaha! You''re finally here! Welcome! Welcome to Asgard! Hahaha!" the man suddenly exclaimed, abruptly changing his gaze, which a few seconds earlier seemed incredibly suspicious, but had now become cheerful and smiling.


    After his words, the people around him began to talk to each other, amazed that a Midgard native had arrived in the divine city, ignoring its true motive.


    "Uhm... yes, it''s me, ehehe... I was walking and I remained ecstatic by the melody you were playing! I''ve never heard anyone play the harp like you!" Dag exclaimed, trying to mask his nervousness arising from the ambiguous situation and to compliment the street artist.


    "Oh, well... finding someone who plays the harp better than the God of music and poetry is impossible for you too, boy! Hahaha! My name is Bragi and I am one of the sons of Odin who chose to dedicate his life to the sacred art of music! Hahah!" the man replied, as if he was a madman out of himself, alternating moments of lucidity with moments when he lost control.


    "Son of Odin? I didn''t know the Alfather had so many sons! Anyway, it''s a pleasure to meet you, Bragi. The sound of your harp is awesome, I couldn''t resist the temptation to approach and hear it better!" Dag replied, extending his hand towards the God of music, intent on formally introducing himself to him.


    "You have just arrived in Asgard, mortal, however, your deeds are already known! I''ve created songs that talk about it and I can''t wait to play them! Hahaha!" the bard exclaimed again, happy to meet in person one of the subjects from whom he had taken inspiration.


    Dag was incredulous at those words and his gaze fell again on Fulla, who confirmed what Bragi had said nodding with her head, making it clear that the street musician had already spoken of Dag since the first time the dark power manifested itself.


    The people around them, who before realizing that that boy was the earthling that was talked about so much had remained on the sidelines, after finding out that the real Dag was right in front of them, gasped.


    "So you are the mortal that Odin strongly wanted to have by his side?"


    "Dag? Dag the earthling?"


    "It is a real pleasure to meet you, we people of Asgard are happy to welcome you into the kingdom of heaven, boy!"


    The strong words of solidarity from unknown people gave the official welcome to the young warrior of Okstorm, who could not believe his ears.


    "I didn''t think what I''ve done in the past in my fight against the Xis had so much resonance... these people are Gods or demi-Gods, and they all know my name! I wish Freydis and Reidar were here with me... if I became so well known, I owe it to them too!" Dag thought, who was saddened for a moment, thinking back to his dearest affections left on Skjold.


    "So, boy... what are you doing here? Do you have to meet my father?" Bragi asked, strangely approaching Dag''s face as if he wanted to see the details of his eyes up close.


    "Uhm... yes... I think so. During my last battle, Odin came to my rescue and saved my life. It''s a real honor to be here and meet you in person, but I''m afraid I''m late. The Alfather is waiting for me in Hlidskj¨¤lf" he replied, trying to take his leave courteously, after the effect of the music that had caught his attention vanished.


    "Yes, Dag. We have to go" Fulla added, helping him unravel from that situation.


    "Oh, sure, sure! Go, earthly boy, and bring my greetings to my father! He is always so busy fighting, conquering, and maintaining order in the kingdoms, he never has time for good music, or to listen to my poems... but I am sure that when this nightmare will end, we will sit down together to drink good mead and I will be able to play the harp and the cittern singing your deeds! Goodbye, earthly warrior, see you soon! Hahaha!" Bragi exclaimed again, who, as if he wanted to suddenly drive Dag away, pushed him forward playfully.


    He thanked the bard for paying him so much attention and as he greeted all the intrigued people, he continued his walk to the V¨¤laskj¨¤lf, the royal palace.


    Fulla noticed Dag''s strange silence, walking and looking down, smiling in disbelief.


    "What did you expect? That the Asgard''s bard didn''t know you after what you did? Dag, not even Thor, and Asgard''s strongest Gods have ever managed to kill the most powerful Frostsinners, of course you''re already so popular!" Fulla said, thrilled that her host was happy with what he had just heard.


    "All this is amazing... I remember very well my first steps in the Jernhest Arena when my greatest dream was to become a warrior... and now... here I am, walking through the streets of Asgard between Gods and Goddesses, flanked by a gorgeous girl like you. For the first time since I remember, I''m... I''m... happy!" Dag replied, looking up towards the street and continuing to smile.


    The handmaid''s cheeks blushed, not believing that her interlocutor could confess so explicitly and in such a short time his physical attraction to her.


    Gn¨¤ and Hlid, Queen Frigg''s other two handmaidens, had been talking about Dag since before his arrival in Asgard, discussing his physical characteristics and good looks, almost as if they were both in love with him; Fulla, on the other hand, who was the calmest and even smartest of the two, had not seen anything special in him.


    However, during those moments, a strange sensation in her stomach made her realize that she really liked something about him, that she was attracted to the way he spoke and to his humility.


    Dag''s eyes turned to her, which immediately looked away, embarrassed.


    "What about Thor? Where is he?" he asked, hoping that his idol would be with the Alfather in the palace.


    "I am a simple handmaid, Dag... I have no idea where he is. But knowing his warrior nature, he will be going around one of Yggdrasil''s kingdoms. Thor is a traveler, an adventurer... he spends very little time here in Asgard" she replied, diverting the direction of their walk and following a wide curve around a huge golden palace.


    Amid the embarrassment of their first meeting, Fulla and Dag remained silent for the rest of the journey that separated them from Odin''s palace.


    The earthly warrior merely looked around and marveled at everything, imagining what it felt like to live in a city like Asgard, so beautiful and perfect.


    "Behold, this is the V¨¤laskj¨¤lf. We have arrived" Fulla said, pointing to a very high staircase leading to the main door of the royal residence.


    Not wanting to waste any more time hearing useless explanations or admiring the landscape, Dag immediately began to climb the stairs, noting that that palace was so high that its summit lurked in the dense clouds that enveloped the floating city.


    Continuing to touch the sides of his belt almost as if it was a habit, he felt naked without his weapons.


    "What do you have in mind, Odin? If you Gods can''t kill the most powerful Xis, then why did you bring me here? Maybe you just want to give me your consent?" Dag thought, who, at that point, totally ignored Fulla, who was walking behind him and watching him carefully, curious about his reaction in front of that wonder of divine architecture.

 614 DCXIV. The Vè„¿laskjè„¿lf

    "Hey, wait" Fulla said, resting a hand on Dag''s shoulder and causing him to retreat, walking in front of him.


    Soon after, the two colossal golden statues by the door came to life and crossed their long spears, preventing anyone from passing without permission.


    Dag, who did not expect to see two inanimate objects moving, stepped back.


    "I''m Fulla and he''s the mortal the Alfather talks so much about. Let us through, he is waiting for us" the girl exclaimed with a serious expression as if she was not afraid of the giant humanoid faces that were looking at her.


    The two statues depicted two colossal Viking warriors, identical in every detail: heavy armor covered their bodies and helmets horned their heads.


    Both spears they held were similar to Gungnir, the infallible weapon.


    Without saying a word, the guardians of the V¨¤laskj¨¤lf raised their weapons and let the visitors through, opening the heavy silver door for them.


    *boom*


    A deep noise marked the opening of the majestic door, which finally showed Dag the interior of the palace: a very wide entrance hall stretched for hundreds of meters and in its center, a statue of the Alfather slightly smaller than the guardians of the door had the spear in his hands and with his eye looked towards the exit.


    Along the circular walls, which took up the shape of the base of the palace, there were artifacts and relics of all kinds.


    Dag, unable to resist the temptation, without asking permission, walked away from Fulla, approaching the wall, in particular a kind of glass showcase.


    Inside of it, there was a thick braid of blonde hair, tied by a rope at both the top and bottom.


    "To whom does this hair belong? Why are they here among all of these relics?" Dag asked, knowing Fulla was behind him.


    "In this room, there are all the most important objects for the Alfather. Some of them were destroyed during the Frostsinners'' assault, but most of them remained intact. What you''re looking at is a braid from the hair of Bestla, Odin''s mother" Fulla explained, who knew by heart every object in the entrance to the royal palace, like all the servants of the Gods.


    "Bestla? Do you mean the ice giantess? Mimir''s sister and..."


    "And Borr''s bride, yes, I''m talking about her" the handmaid continued, who felt some satisfaction with Dag''s enthusiasm.


    "Amazing... the sister of the wisest of giants... it is said that it was precisely because of Mimir that the Alfather lost an eye... is it true?" Dag continued, who could not believe that such ancient legends could be real and tangible.


    "Shall we proceed?" he exclaimed, suddenly turning to her handmaid and explicitly asking her to continue their walk to the throne room, avoiding wasting any more time and being distracted by all those relics.


    Fulla smiled and with a gentle movement of her hand invited him to follow her.


    Behind the large Alfather statue, a circular staircase led to the second floor of that high tower.


    Every step, every detail of the carved wall, every edge, and every corner, was made of pure silver.


    Continuing to climb to the top of the tower, Dag could not help but be amazed more and more: on the second floor, other precious relics and statues slightly smaller than those of the entrance adorned its corners.


    In addition to Thor and Frigg, the colossal stone works depicted V¨¬li and V¨¨, the Alfather''s two brothers.


    Going from floor to floor, Dag retraced Odin''s genealogy, seeing before him the statues of all those who had preceded and succeeded him, of all the Gods and Goddesses who had somehow helped maintain the balance among the nine kingdoms.


    Fulla hastened the pace, knowing that the tower had more than 20 floors and that at the last of them was their destination, however, Dag lagged slightly behind, stopping to look at a statue in particular.


    It was located on the 16th floor and depicted a long-bearded man, with the top of his armor torn off and an endless series of runes on his right arm.


    Unlike the other statues, on which every detail was highlighted and drawn to perfection, on the face of that one, in the eyes there was no pupil, they were completely white.


    The mythical warrior with short hair and a long beard held two swords in his hands, one longer in his right hand and one shorter in his left one.


    His facial expression represented a battle scream and the position of his body, intent on jumping to hit a target, made the statue particularly fascinating.


    Under his feet, a large marble plaque enunciated the title of the work, as well as for every statue in the V¨¤laskj¨¤lf.


    "Primal Thunder..." Dag whispered, reading aloud the inscription engraved in marble.


    "Why are you so much interested? He was a Skjold resident like you, but... his power was not comparable to the Gods you observed earlier."


    After Fulla''s words, the handmaid noticed that Dag continued to stare at the statue without answering as if his mind was trapped by an unquestionable spell.


    The girl looked at his face and then the statue, then again his face and the stone face of the Primal Thunder.


    "I must admit that there is a certain resemblance between you two. So what the Alfather hypothesized is true... you are a descendant of the Primal Thunder!" Fulla continued, drawing Dag''s gaze upon herself.


    The young earthly warrior thought back to the story his trusted friend Reidar told him the first time he used the powers of the Primal Thunder, the human being closest to the Gods.


    The runes on the same point of the arm, the same look, the electricity released by his weapons: the similarity between Dag and that statue was evident, despite the man depicted was much older than him.


    Suddenly, as if he had just awakened from a dream, Dag shook his head and began to walk again, not wanting to waste any more time, noting that the sunlight coming in from the large windows of the palace became increasingly reddish.


    "What happened, Dag? You suddenly changed your expression... does anything upset you?" Fulla asked, climbing with him up the stairway leading to the 17th floor.


    "No, I''m not upset... It''s just... I do not understand how I can be a successor to that divine warrior, to the man represented in that sculpture. I don''t know the true identity of my parents and... well, this thing is killing me" he confessed, looking down as hundreds of thoughts crowded his head.


    "You''ll find out!" Fulla exclaimed, with confidence.


    Dag''s hopeful gaze fell on the handmaid.


    "How?"


    "I don''t know how... I told you, I''m a simple handmaid, I''m not allowed to know about such important things, but... inside of me I feel it. I feel like you''re going to find out who your real parents were and at that point, no one will be able to stop you anymore" she said, smiling and blushing on her cheeks, daring to go beyond compliments and trying to cheer up the morale of Dag, who had been kind to her since the first moment they met.


    "I hope that so much" he replied, returning the smile and empathizing with his interlocutor, who was endowed with great sensitivity.


    Continuing to chat about this and that, after about an hour and a half after Dag''s awakening in the infirmary, they found themselves at the great door of the hall of Hlidskj¨¤lf, the divine throne of the Alfather.


    Dag took a deep breath, trying to dismount the tension and remember the real reason why he was in Asgard, keeping in mind all the questions he had to ask Odin when he could talk to him.


    "Are you ready?" Fulla asked, noting his state of agitation and somehow sharing it with him.


    Dag put his hand on the large door handle, which consisted of a silvery ring that hung from the beak of a crow''s head and pushed hard, noting that with minimal effort, the gigantic door opened.


    Without making any noise other than a slight creaking, the entrance door of the throne room opened completely and Dag and Fulla entered the big room.


    Occupying all the space on the top floor of the silver tower, the huge room in front of them was conical in shape and its ceiling continued to the tip of the sloping roof.

 615 DCXV. The Divine Siblings

    In front of the gigantic window, a large throne with its back facing the door stood in all its magnificence: formed by a simple square stone block, dug in the center and embedded on all sides, the Hlidskj¨¤lf was there, in front of the window overlooking the sky of Asgard.


    In addition to the great throne, several people were in the hall, but due to the strong light, Dag could barely see the contours of their shapes.


    Keeping to hold a hand before his eyes, which gradually regained sensitivity, Dag took a few steps forward, making sure that the Alfather, certainly present among those figures, noticed his presence.


    "My Lords! I led the Midgardian here, as I was ordered!" Fulla exclaimed aloud, noting by everyone, who turned to her.


    The girl bowed and held her arms backward and her head down, taking a few steps back from Dag and stopping next to the door as if she was not worthy of being in the same place as Asgard''s highest representatives.


    When Dag''s pupils got used to the almost afternoon light entering unfiltered from the throne room window, the figures in contrast to it finally became visible.


    Frigg was the first to advance towards them, walking elegantly and with a slight smile drawn on her face.


    Behind her, a blond-haired, good-looking man stood next to a woman very similar to him, also characterized by overwhelming beauty.


    The man, who wore light leather trousers and was bare-chested, had a tight belt at the waist to which a one-handed sword was attached, elegantly inserted into its leather lining.


    The woman next to him, on the other hand, had long blonde hair, so long, that the braid in which they were gathered reached up to her legs.


    Behind them, the Alfather was turned the other way, looking outwards the window, focused on admiring the view.


    "You were impeccable Fulla, as always. I knew I left young Dag in very good hands. Now you can go" Frigg said in a kind voice, politely inviting her handmaid to leave the room.


    After one last friendly look between her and Dag, Fulla obeyed and walked out the front door.


    Dag, not knowing how to react before all the Gods in front of him, knelt down, lowering his gaze as a sign of respect and submission.


    As he stared at the luxurious floor of the hall, a sound of nails similar to the one Thalos made when he walked, echoed in the silence.


    Unable to figure out where that strange sound came from, getting closer and closer, Dag looked forward and noticed that two large wolves were threatening-looking in front of him.


    The grey wolf was approached his nose to his head, intrigued by the new smell, different from that of the Gods, while the other wolf, completely white, was a few meters behind as if he was studying the situation.


    Relying only on his instincts and knowing that neither of those big beasts would hurt him, Dag held out his hand forward, allowing the grey wolf to smell it.


    The animal approached it and with its large black nose touched it, trying to obtain as much information as possible.


    After a few seconds, Dag, as if he had forgotten the existence of the other people who were in that room, stroked him, scratching his neck and head.


    The white wolf, seeing his companion bask in Dag''s cuddles, approached them, demanding the same treatment.


    "Odin, look what your faithful wolves are doing... it seems that they betrayed you" Frida smiled, who did not look away from Dag for a second.


    The young warrior returned the smile and stood up, noting that both wolves were still close to him: despite their appearance as ferocious beasts, both looked like two cubs, with low ears and a thick tail that did not stop wagging.


    The scene caught the Alfather''s attention, who stopped looking out the window and approached Dag, making room between his two blonde-haired guests.


    "Look at that... I''m not surprised Freki came close, but Geri... it''s hard for him to give anyone so much confidence..." Odin said in a low voice, positioning himself beside his wife.


    Dag, who had not immediately realized that those two wolves were the Alfather''s most trusted companions, after hearing those names, marveled that he had easily managed to caress divine beasts like them.


    "Geri, Freki... come here, I need to talk to our host" Odin said again, ordering his two four-legged friends to leave Dag alone.


    They obeyed immediately and sat next to their master, continuing to look at the young warrior in front of them with a playful air.


    "They are magnificent, they remind me of my Thalos. He stayed in town watching over a dear friend of mine, otherwise, you would have met him too, Alfather" Dag answered, smiling and turning his gaze towards his interlocutor.


    "Wolves are only fond of humans with a pure heart. It is impossible to convince them or buy their trust, they are incredibly intelligent and lonely beasts, they always know how to behave" Odin replied, resting one hand on Freki''s head, the grey wolf, and another on Geri''s, the white one.


    "Thank you again for saving me, Alfather. If I''m still alive, I owe it to your attentiveness" Dag continued, nodding his head as if he wanted to formalize those words.


    "It wasn''t just my decision. The people in this room supported my hypothesis and convinced me to get down on Skjold to help you when the Frostsinner was about to get the better of you. Freyr, Freya, step forward and introduce yourself to our host" Odin exclaimed, inviting the two blond-haired siblings to approach.


    "Are they Freya and Freyr? I can''t believe I''m really in front of them! I feel breathless!" Dag thought, who was evidently excited and speechless.


    "Good morning, Midgardian and welcome to Asgard" Freyr exclaimed, while his blonde hair floated naturally, giving his face an appearance that bordered on perfection, like that of his sister Freya, who spoke soon after.


    "What the Alfather says is true. My brother Freyr and Queen Frigg encouraged the King of Asgard to come to your rescue so that in our opinion, you represent our only hope" Freya said, trying to get to the point immediately without making too many mince words.


    Dag tried to stay calm and reason lucidly in front of all that beauty, while his mind thought about what his friends would do to be in his place at that moment.


    "I have made a promise, my Lords. I promised that I would avenge all the Aesir and Gods, killing the Xis and showing them that the era in which they dominated the human race will soon come to an end. However, I sinned with pride and, believing that I was already up to defeat one of them, I stupidly risked dying, jeopardizing the great plan that the future has in store for me" Dag explained, looking at Freyr and Freya with conviction and knowing that also the King and Queen of Asgard were listening carefully to his words.


    "You were going to avenge your mortal father and help your new allies regain possession of their kingdom. Your goal was noble and pure, you couldn''t have known that one of the Frostsinners would descend on Skjold to take a piece of your power. This is the first time this has happened in thousands of years..." Freya continued, reflecting on that detail.


    "My sister says the truth. No Frostsinner has dared to walk on Skold''s surface since that day... but you didn''t give up, and even though you knew you could die, you persevered and managed to go beyond your limits" Freyr added, referring to the day when all of Asgard''s Gods were driven out of Earth.


    Before Dag could answer, Frigg took the floor.


    "No matter how you managed to survive, the important thing is that you are here now. Remember that for a mortal like you, it is a privilege to be able to walk through the streets of Asgard and meet in person the Alfather, the father of all Gods."


    "I''m aware of it, my Queen. It''s a real honor" Dag replied, nodding his head again.


    "My friends..." Odin interrupted, beginning to walk back to the window, followed by his wolves and attracting the attention of all present in his throne room.


    "The real reason I brought Dag here to Asgard is that now the Frostsinners know his true power, they know how far he can go. If that enemy had any reinforcements, maybe I wouldn''t have been able to protect him either. However, when I personally went to Skjold, some of the allies of this young Midgardian warrior, made me complicit in their great discovery" the Alfather continued, who had never spoken to Freyr and Freya about the prophecy.

 616 DCXVI. Two New Mentors

    Odin walked back to his throne and grabbed something that was on it, hidden from Dag''s sight.


    His two weapons, the Giantbane and Magni''s hammer were now in the hands of the strongest God of the Norse Pantheon, who held them high to show them to everyone.


    "Dag''s dark power derives directly from that of the Frostsinners, but it is more powerful, although it is still in the early stage of its growth. But this, this axe..."


    "What is it?" Freyr interrupted, who had never heard of the Giantbane and looked at it curiously.


    "I don''t know why, but this axe has the power to kill the Frostsinners!" exclaimed the Alfather, leaving his listeners speechless.


    Freya approached Odin, extending an arm towards him and asking him to see the weapon in his hands.


    He agreed and handed over the Giantbane into the hands of the beautiful Vanir, who later became Aesir.


    "I don''t understand, Alfather... how can this axe be more powerful than Gungnir, the infallible spear?"


    "Wise Odin, I was convinced that it was the dark powers of the Midgardian who defeated the Frostsinner! This changes everything!" Freyr added once again, approaching his sister and looking at the Giantbane up close.


    Odin grabbed the axe, looking at it once more.


    "I know what you''re thinking. You think that, with such a weapon, any of us could defeat our enemies and claim our place in the skies of planet Earth, but that''s not how things will turn out" he said, walking toward Dag, who had not said a word.


    Frigg followed her husband with her eyes, already knowing what he was going to say.


    "The Giantbane, the divine weapon capable of killing the Frostsinners, can only be used by the best of Midgard''s warriors. Dag''s dark power, combined with the fiery power of his weapon, is the most dangerous weapon our enemies have ever known" Odin said with conviction, handing the axe handle to Dag, who gasped, not believing he was praised by Odin despite having evidence of his weakness.


    Trying not to tremble, Dag''s hand grabbed the handle of the axe, squeezing it hard: at that moment, it was as if a piece of his body returned to its place.


    Freyr and Freya continued to look at the weapon in its owner''s hands, imagining whether things would be different if they used it against enemies, having their divine powers at their disposal and failing to surrender to the idea of being weaker than Dag.


    "Thank you for having so much confidence in me, Alfather. I will give my best to fulfill the prophecy and save you all from your exile. But what about the comrades I left on Skjold?" Dag asked, thanking Odin for his gesture of confidence.


    The Alfather took a long breath and after a silence that lasted a few seconds, he spoke again.


    "Yes, Alfather!" Dag replied, with a sad expression painted on his face.


    "Going back to Skjold wouldn''t be wise, boy. Not now. I have the task of preserving your power, no one in this world can protect you as I will" Odin continued, looking the young warrior straight in the eye.


    "I know that. Freydis and I are used to not seeing each other for long periods. If I come back to her, I''m sure she''ll wait for me, but... I need to stay on Skjold to know the details of the prophecy. It comes from an ancient manuscript, of which you Gods also do not know the existence, right?"


    Freya, after realizing that Dag''s woman''s name was very similar to her own, looked at him fondly, thinking that despite him being a mortal, his spirit and virtues had led him to achieve the greatest goal of all: to meet the Gods.


    "What prophecy are you talking about, Alfather?" the heavenly-eyed woman and long blonde hair asked.


    "I think it''s best if you tell them, Dag!" Odin replied, leaving the floor to his terrestrial host.


    Dag, within minutes, summarized the history of the Crystals of the elements and planets that contained them, explaining to everyone present, including Frigg, who was not so up-to-date on every detail of the prophecy.


    "... it is precisely in the red gem of the Giantbane, the Crystal of Fire, that the power of the primordial Sun is, the one that illuminated the Earth when you could still live in its heavens" Dag exclaimed, concluding the story that was able to amaze even the Gods with whom he was talking, who in their lives had seen almost everything.


    "And how are you going to travel between the planets?" Freya asked, who became trapped in that ancient story, trying to catch the highlights.


    "Apparently, the Crystal I have can activate the teleportation mechanism that is located in Jernhest. With it, I could reach one of the planets of my choice without being traced by the Xis... hmm... I mean the Frostsinners" Dag replied, who had already thought about what his next move would be after the Battle of Klorr.


    The silence enveloped the throne room and the Gods and Goddesses looked at each other.


    "Even if any of us wanted to take the form human and follow you in your journey, this would not be possible" Odin announced, sure of his words.


    Dag remained motionless.


    "What do you mean with ''it wouldn''t be possible''? So can none of you help me fulfill the prophecy? Why did I come here then?" he asked, almost as if he was losing patience, hating to waste time on useless chatter.


    "We Gods cannot get so far away from Asgard. The Frostsinners didn''t just exile us to this planet... a curse envelops us and our people, and if a God tries to travel from planet to planet, he will die instantly" the Alfather continued, while his only blue eye expressed the sadness of which his soul was imbued.


    "Would you die? How can you die? You are not..."


    "Immortals? No. No being in the cosmos is truly immortal. We can''t be killed by mere Midgardians, that''s true, but... the most powerful Frostsinners would be able to do so. And you''re capable of killing them, who think they''re immortal. As you can see, the life circle closes once again, young boy" the Alfather explained, from the top of his wisdom.


    Frigg, the Queen of Asgard, stepped forward, ready to speak in her husband''s place, having waited until the end of his speech to talk.


    "As you said a moment ago, the machine that will allow you to travel from one planet to another has been created by our enemies. As a result, anyone traveling with you will be identified and killed instantly. Also, even if you were able to travel in two or three people, they would be tracked and monitored constantly and would put you in danger for all the duration of the mission. This is a risk we cannot take. You will travel alone, Dag, this is your destiny" Frigg exclaimed, opening her arms and trying to instill courage in Dag, who, on the contrary, felt a strong fear explode in his chest.


    "Alone?! And how am I going to do that?! How will I find the other 5 crystals without anyone''s help on unknown planets? It will take a long time, I''ll risk never seeing my companions and my family again!" Dag exclaimed, who had not imagined having to leave for his true mission counting only on his strength.


    "That''s exactly why you''re here, boy. We will train you so that you can defeat every enemy. We will make you the strongest warrior of all, you will be even stronger than me" Odin said with confidence, resting his hand on the head of Geri, his white wolf, while Freki was sleeping lying near the Hlidskj¨¤lf.


    Dag stepped back, looking at the faces of everyone in front of him at the time and trying to guess from their expressions whether Odin was telling the truth.


    The faces of Freyr, Freya, Frigg, and the Alfather were incredibly serious, as if that decision stemmed from their long and careful reasoning, premeditated before deciding to lead him to Asgard.


    The Midgard''s young warrior looked at his hands as he used to do every time he had to take such an important decision, but this time, it was not a real choice.


    "I... I don''t..."


    Odin''s hand rose towards Dag with his palm open, nipping in the bud his next words.


    "You don''t have to say anything else. You''re a warrior worthy of inheriting the divine powers of Asgard''s Gods, so stop underestimating yourself. Freyr and Freya will be your mentors, your trainers and now they will explain to you what will happen in the immediate future" Odin continued, without giving Dag even time to answer.

 617 DCXVII. The Demi-God

    Freya approached Dag, who couldn''t look away from the Goddess''s statuesque physique, dressed in a very low-cut white silk jacket and tight black leather trousers, which hinted at the shapes of her legs and lower body.


    "Time flows differently here in Asgard. Training in the divine arena is an experience you can''t even imagine, Midgardian. A week in the divine city corresponds to about a day on Skjold, did you know this?" the Goddess of beauty and war, as well as carnal love and seduction asked.


    "No, my lady. I had no idea... this means that long workouts here in Asgard take a small amount of time on Skjold and the other planets, right?" Dag asked, answering with a question.


    "I see you''ve already figured out how it works. In addition to lasting less time, they are also more effective. When your mortal body starts training in the divine arena, it will benefit almost immediately. Believe me, you won''t be able to recognize yourself anymore... your physical strength will become three or four times greater than that of other mortals and..."


    "Odin intends to make you a demi-God, there''s no reason to dwell" Freyr suddenly interrupted, breaking his sister''s sentence and anticipating the verdict of the Alfather, who was letting them speak for him, having accurately explained the directives to be followed.


    "A demi-God... Dag whispered, beginning to believe that what he was experiencing was just a dream from which he would soon wake up.


    "Yes, that''s it, in a nutshell" Freya confirmed, crossing her arms and waiting for her interlocutor to respond to the final verdict.


    Dag remained silent for a few minutes, continuing to think about everything he had gone through to get there and the fact that, if he accepted, his life would change drastically: he would not only have more power but also his responsibilities to the Gods would increase, blowing up the plans he had for his future with Freydis, with whom he had always dreamed of spending a quiet life and start a family.


    A new statue would be added to that of the 16th-floor of the V¨¤laskj¨¤lf, representing the Primal Thunder and a new warrior would gain the favor of the Gods, traveling between the planets for the first time.


    However, the eyes of all the Gods in the throne room were on him, as if they were hoping that Dag would accept the almost obligatory proposal, accepting his fate as the savior of humanity.


    "Seven days... it''s about seven weeks on Skjold... a month and a half" he whispered, thinking out loud, trying to make a decision.


    "If in seven days your qualities as a warrior will not be improved as we believe, then we will do as my brother said. You will decide whether to return to your planet or continue training here in Asgard. Are you in?" Freya asked again, eager to satisfy the Alfather''s will and curious to see Dag in action.


    A whirlwind of mixed emotions affected the young warrior, who was cheered by the proposal but at the same time frightened at the idea of having to leave his companions in Krypstorm all that time without being able to tell them a word.


    "Odin''s eyes are on me and it seems Frigg is also hoping that I will accept the deal. This could really be the turning point, it could change my life forever! Combining my dark power with that of the Gods, I could finally defeat even the strongest Frostsinners and I could reach the Crystals of the Elements in record time... only a fool would reject such a thing... it''s just seven days..." he thought, clutching his Giantbane in his hands and using a few more precious seconds to examine all the details, all in his favor.


    The giant artificial Sun visible from the palace''s large window continued its slow path to the horizon as sunset time approached.


    Although time seemed to flow normally in that room, after Freyr and Freya''s words, Dag knew that was not the case.


    "Boy!" Odin said, breaking the silence that had been created.


    Dag looked at him without saying anything.


    "Come closer, come towards me" the Alfather continued, heading towards the big window and turning his back on Dag.


    The young warrior made a slow walk towards the father of the Gods and when he arrived at his majestic stone throne, he stopped.


    Frigg, Freya, and Freyr stood still without knowing what their King had in mind.


    "Throughout Asgard''s story, I allowed only one person to sit on the Hlidskj¨¤lf besides me, do you know that?" Odin asked, continuing to look out the window.


    Dag turned his gaze towards Frigg, knowing that she was the person the Alfather was talking about and the Queen of Asgard smiled, confirming his thoughts.


    "I''ve had so many women and so many children, Dag. But just like any mortal man, I chose to marry only one of them, making her Queen of Asgard, as well as my loyal counselor. I''m sure Frigg still remembers the day I allowed her to sit on my divine throne" Odin continued, slowly turning to everyone else.


    "Yes, I remember, my husband. How could I forget one of the best days of my life?" Frigg said, bending his head slightly, out of respect for the decision of the King of Asgard, who had deemed her worthy to support him throughout his life and had given her an entire kingdom to rule.


    Odin''s hand rose to the throne, his palm facing upwards and his eye shifted to Dag, penetrating straight into his soul.


    At that moment, Dag felt microscopic, a small being helpless before the most powerful of the Viking warriors, the strongest of the Norse Gods.


    "Come on, sit down."


    Those words, though spoken in a low voice, rumbled into the room as if they were screams, leaving Freyr and Freya speechless, so much so that they changed their expression.


    "Wh... What?! Alfather, I... I can''t! I''m not worthy to sit on your throne, I''m just a mortal guy!" Dag exclaimed, bowing before Odin, pretending not to accept the proposal while within himself he couldn''t wait to experience that otherworldly experience.


    Odin''s hand stood still in mid-air and he said nothing else, not going to convince him to do something he didn''t want to do.


    Dag, realizing that if he continued to pretend that he did not want to accept the answer, he would lose his only chance to sit on the throne for a few seconds, stood up and walked forward, ready to receive instructions.


    Freya and Freyr were upset, as was Frigg, whose astonished expression was less evident than theirs.


    Dag positioned himself before the throne of Odin and the two great wolves looked up at him.


    Lowering his hand and making a gesture towards the two divine beasts, Odin ordered them to remain still in their position.


    "When you''ll sit on the Hlidskj¨¤lf, you might feel a little dizzy. It will give you the chance to travel wherever you want between the nine kingdoms, peer into every place, every hidden corner you want to discover. Try to focus on your mother''s figure, visit her. See how she''s doing with her two children away from home" Odin said, who somehow knew a little bit about Asa''s story, having kept an eye on Dag since he began developing his dark powers.


    Dag took a deep breath and put his hand on one of the armrests of the imposing stone throne, which had been stationary in its position since Asgard''s creation.


    As soon as his fingers came into contact with the rough, cold stone surface, an immediate feeling of power enveloped his arm and then his whole body.


    Dag also put his other hand on the other side and, continuing to breathe and focus on memories related to his mother, slowly approached his back to the base of the throne.


    Under the incredulous eyes of the other Gods, the young earthly warrior did what no one but Odin and Frigg had ever managed to do in history: sit on the Hlidskj¨¤lf.


    When his back came into contact with his backrest, his eyes opened wide in the direction of the window and inside him, something wonderful happened.

 618 DCXVIII. The Hlidskjè„¿lf

    Flying at incredible speed, Dag managed for a few moments to look around, noting that he had already overcome all the city of Asgard, leaving it behind him.


    As if he was a small meteor, his ethereal and invisible body swooped towards Skjold, barely visible from the height where Asgard was, impossible for anyone to reach.


    Taking a final look at the floating city, Dag noted that the Bifrost, the sacred rainbow bridge, was broken: the enormous fractures that plagued it for many years were blackened and imbued with a strange purple substance, very similar to the dark matter.


    The indestructible bridge connecting the sky to the earth, Asgard to Skjold, had been destroyed by the Xis.


    With bitterness in his heart, Dag tried not to be distracted by that horrible vision and continued his quick journey home, materializing Jernhest''s memories in his mind and trying to imagine what was going on on his farm.


    In about ten seconds, crossing the clouds and passing through a flock of birds, who did not even notice the presence of his ethereal body, Dag arrived above the capital of Okstorm, stopping in mid-air.


    "The farm... mom, I''m coming to you!" he thought, who could not believe that in such a short time he had managed to travel all that distance and that he was witnessing real-time events.


    In the twinkling of an eye, he passed the walls of the city, traveling without ever stopping to his beloved hill, the slopes of which led him for years to the Arena where it all began.


    When the farm was finally visible, Dag catapulted himself into it and what he saw was so beautiful that it moved him.


    His mother Asa was there, in the same place she was the last time they had met: sitting on her squeaky wooden stool, the woman who had previously been one of the strongest Shieldmaiden ever was now milking her beloved cows, stroking them and taking care of them.


    Some of the animals Dag loved to play with as a kid were gone and one of the two fences had become partly a store of wood and other groceries.


    The house did not seem to have changed at all, remaining the small and modest dwelling ever.


    Seized by a sense of deep love for Asa, Dag got even closer, stopping less than a meter from her, sitting by her stool, on the grass.


    His mother''s face was marked by the advancing age and obvious wrinkles stretched from the side of her eyes to the top of her cheeks, without changing her gentle beauty.


    A braid of white hair fell on her shoulder, dangling in front of her brown linen robe.


    "If you only knew how much I miss you, Mom..." he whispered as if his mother could hear him.


    He quickly noticed that the front door to the ''secret'' room, the one in which the Red Executioner was located together with all Brann and Asa things, was closed.


    When she lay the bucket of milk next to two other identical buckets, she leaned on her knees and got up with difficulty, heading for the bedroom.


    Dag followed her again, knowing that Odin would allow him to stay there for a few more minutes.


    Unexpectedly, none of that room had changed over time: in addition to the double bed on which she and Stein slept, the other three small beds had never been moved.


    Like every morning, Asa spent her time tidying up the room and tidying up the beds, only one of which was used by Eirik, who despite being 1.80 m tall, kept sleeping on the bed he used as a child, about 1.60 m long.


    The bed closest to the door and the one next to it instead, were those of Dag and Gridd.


    With tears unintentionally starting to flow from his eyes, he continued to watch his mom caress the sheets of his bed, sitting on it, as if it was ready by the time her children finally returned to the farm, despite knowing that by now their lives had led them very far from Jernhest, making them part of a totally different reality.


    Dag approached her and, without thinking about it, tried to put a hand on the woman''s shoulder: his hand passed through her body and Asa did not notice his presence, continuing to caress the bed of the youngest of her children with her eyes closed, as if she was praying for him.


    "You don''t know anything about what happened, do you, Mom? I think Gridd hasn''t come to you yet to tell you our story... if only you knew that we were able to reach Krypstorm, one of the places dad had dreamed of seeing since he was a child... my sister will come back and explain everything to you... I too will come back and I will be able to hug you once again... I miss you so much..." Dag whispered, continuing to think aloud and leaving room for his most hidden emotions, giving free rein to every sensation he was feeling at the time, knowing that this was the only opportunity to be close to his mother and that his adventure would last a long time, preventing him from returning home.


    "Where are you, Gridd? Why haven''t you arrived yet? Did King Einar let you go? What happened to Master Egill and everyone else?" Dag continued, who looked at his mother one last time before raising in the air and crossing the roof of his farm, catching a glimpse of Eirik''s carriage approaching in the distance.


    His brother had not changed at all: his physique was even more robust and his face was very similar to Stein''s, characterized by very marked lineaments and a squared jaw, covered entirely with a beard.


    Above the coach pulled by a single horse, kilos and kilos of cut wood were stacked and neatly arranged, as his father had taught him since he was a child.


    The lumberjack''s work, though modest, had allowed Eirik to take care of his mother, while Dag and Gridd had preferred to live more rich and combat-based lives, choosing to enter two different Clans and move away from Jernhest.


    "Thank you too, Eirik, for taking care of her from the day Stein died. I will be able to reward you properly, go home and bring you many gifts, including a new horse and a new carriage for your work. See you soon" he whispered again, as his ethereal body continued to rise towards the clouds until the farm became just a dot on its modest hill.


    After visiting his mother and brother, Dag flew at great speed to Gurn, the port of Runar region, knowing that King Einar''s ship, with all the Golden Army and his friends on board, had certainly docked there.


    As if it was a comet, he traveled hundreds and hundreds of kilometers in seconds, passing by the peaks of some of Okstorm''s highest mountains, which grazed him without ever touching him, disappearing on the horizon as he passed them.


    All he had to do was think of a particular place to travel to it, just as the Alfather had explained to him.


    The sunset light still reigned over the moors of the western nation when the young warrior, whose body was sitting on the Hlidskj¨¤lf, arrived at the small port of Gurn.


    Several ships were moored at its pier, including the small Brass Arrow, which looked even smaller next to a colossal boat, larger than the Iron Emerald.


    It was covered in gold on an entire side and had three large sails furled and rolled around three masts arranged in a row on the main deck.


    There was no one on board, but many of the harbor hubs were intent on cleaning the outer surfaces, polishing them to perfection.


    Dag immediately realized that it was the boat King Einar had used to reach Krypstorm and the mere fact of seeing it moored at Gurn harbor without a scratch allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "If the ship is here, it means that Gridd, Karl, Egill, Sander, Kjell, and all the others who were forced to come back, arrived safely, or at least, so I believe..." Dag thought, flying down to the dock and noting that old Frank was directing the cleaning work of his majesty the King''s ship.


    Beyond him and all the men engaged in looking after the ship as if it was a rare item, the port was almost deserted: Dag''s first thought was to check inside the stable, to verify that his horse was still where he had left him.

 619 DCXIX. The Harbor Square

    "Aslan and Light are not here... Gridd must have gone away and she must have taken my horse with her, knowing that I would never leave him here alone waiting in vain for my return... I have to check with my own eyes" Dag thought again, that as if he was a bee passing from one flower to another, got up again in the air and flew to Skjegg, getting over its gigantic walls and flying past the Rocky Crown, on which many of the Crows Of Odin soldiers had returned to their Clan headquarters.


    Not wanting to waste any more time searching for Kjell and Sander, believing that their well-being was less important than that of his sister Gridd and his friend Karl, Dag continued to fly, heading to the city stable.


    Skjegg was identical to how he had last seen it, with its gray, dull palaces piled up in the center of the walls and along its streets, life flowed as it did every day, as if nothing had ever changed.


    As soon as he arrived at the stable, Dag entered, turning one way and the other and looking around, in search of his beloved horse.


    "Fuck... Aslan and Light aren''t even here! Where did you end up, Gridd?!" he exclaimed aloud, beginning to worry about his sisters and his closest allies, who were still missing from the appeal.


    Soon after those words, Dag felt an indescribable force pressing on his chest, as if magic was compressing his lungs and other organs enclosed inside his rib cage.


    Unable to touch even his body made of air and particles of some ethereal substance unknown to him, the young Master was catapulted away from the stable and away from Skjegg, unable to fly and move freely.


    In less than ten seconds, Dag saw the capital city of Runar disappear before his eyes and the world shrinking more and more.


    His body was shot at great speed towards the clouds and after a few seconds, he finally opened his eyes.


    ...


    "What... where am I? Am I back here?! But... but Gridd... and Karl..." Dag whispered, failing to form a complete sentence and feeling a great confusion in his head.


    "Your time is up, Dag. One day of these I will allow you to sit on the Hlidskj¨¤lf again, if you will be worthy of it" the deep voice of the Alfather stated, who had remained beside him throughout the magical journey.


    "But... but I couldn''t find my sister! She, my master, my dear friend... they weren''t in Gurn or Skjegg either! What happened to them?! Not even my horse was there!" Dag explained, noting that his shoulders were clenched in the hands of Odin, who had lifted him from the throne to manually interrupt his astral throughout Okstorm.


    "Really?"


    "Yes. I told you, if you carefully follow Freyr and Freya''s instructions, in the next few days I will give you the opportunity to check with your own eyes so that you never lose touch with your reality. Know that even if you''ve seen more than one place, your astral journey took about three seconds."


    "Three seconds? In just three seconds I traveled thousands of kilometers flying through the skies of Okstorm?!" Dag asked again, unable to believe that the Hlidskj¨¤lf was so powerful.


    "My divine throne is the most powerful and ancient relic I possess. Your mortal body couldn''t resist the prolonged use of its power, I just wanted to give you a chance to try. Consider it a welcome gift of mine" Odin replied, grabbing his Gungnir, which had been leaning against the back of the stone throne, and walking to the stained glass window.


    Dag, after thinking of his sister and his friends, imagining the scene of the three of them who, on horseback, were traveling at full speed towards Jernhest, felt a wave of positivity flowing through his veins.


    "Gridd doesn''t know I''m here, but surely she can feel I''m still alive. When she and the others will arrive in Jernhest, they can finally tell my mother and brother what happened to us, I''m sure this will lift their morale! Thank you, Gridd!" Dag thought, clenching his fists as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    After that reflection, he turned to Freyr and Freya and with a convinced and determined air, saying: "I''m ready."


    The two Gods who had offered to mentor him were still amazed that that mortal young man had the chance to sit on the throne of the Alfather and for an instant, felt a feeling similar to envy.


    However, by attributing that event to the infinite wisdom of Odin, who in that way had easily managed to convince Dag, they realized the importance of that unknown prophecy, which at that time, although not certain, represented the only way to their salvation.


    "If you are ready, with the Alfather''s consent, we can proceed. My brother and I will accompany you to the Asgard Arena and your training will begin!" Freya exclaimed eagerly as if she was more excited than Dag at the thought of making a normal human being as strong as a demi-God.


    "Go, I''ll catch up with you later. My mind is full of thoughts..." the Alfather answered, without even turning to them.


    "Alfather!" Dag called, drawing his attention.


    Odin turned his face slightly towards him, standing still in the same position.


    "I won''t let you down. I will be able to save you, it is a promise" he exclaimed with confidence, turning to Freya and Freyr and walking at a decisive pace towards the exit, without even giving Odin time to answer back.


    "I really hope that, boy..." Odin said, continuing to look at the sunset sky from the window of Asgard''s tallest tower.


    When he left the throne room followed by Freyr and Freya, Dag met Fulla, who had remained next to the door waiting for him.


    "Hey!" he said, waving his hand and greeting her with education.


    The girl, after seeing the two Gods who were following him, avoided answering his greeting, merely keeping her head down as a sign of submission in front of them.


    "Come on, Dag. There''s no more time to waste, we''re already late" Freyr said, walking down the corridor leading to the descending staircase.


    Dag slowed the pace and the two golden-haired brothers overtook him, leaving him behind and proceeding at a quick pace.


    "Fulla, hey! Come, come with me!" Dag said, moving his hand and asking the girl who had been so kind to him to follow him.


    Her cheeks blushed suddenly and, despite knowing that she would not have to walk away from the door of the throne room without Frigg''s consent, Fulla followed Dag, smiling and unable to look him in the eye for embarrassment.


    "Did you hear what we said?" he asked, enthusiastically.


    "The walls of the palace are made of silver layers more than a meter thick, it is impossible to eavesdrop on what happens in the throne room" she replied timidly, moving the black hair from her face and putting it behind her ears.


    "The Alfather made me sit on his throne, on the Hlidskj¨¤lf!"


    "What? The Hlidskj¨¤lf?! But it''s forbidden! Only the Queen is allowed to sit next to Odin and his two faithful wolves, Geri and Freki! What... how did you get him to do such a thing?!" she replied, upset by that news.


    "I didn''t ask for anything, Odin proposed it to me himself! Thanks to the power of his divine throne I was able to return to Skjold and visit my mother, traveling thousands of kilometers in less than a second! I''ve never done anything like this in my life, it was like having all the power in the world!"


    "Wow... the Alfather is storing all his confidence and hopes in you, isn''t he?"


    "Yes, I think so. But I won''t let him down! Now I''m following Freyr and Freya to the Arena of Asgard, where my training will begin, which in seven days will turn me into Skjold''s strongest warrior... or at least¡­ I hope so" he continued, increasingly galvanized, realizing what had happened to him one small step at a time.


    "I imagined it would happen. If you will be Asgard''s savior, you''re going to have to be Asgard''s strongest warrior, otherwise, that wouldn''t make sense... well, I''m very happy for you, Dag. It was nice to meet you and..."


    "When I''m done, I''d like you to accompany me around town! There are so many things to see! What do you think, could you do it for me?" he asked, with an innocent expression painted on his face, making his good intentions shine through.

 620 DCXX. The Exiled Guardian

    "Uhm... I don''t know, I should ask my Queen and..."


    "Come on, just a little walk! I promise it''ll take a short time! You will explain to me what are the most important monuments and where the Gods that we humans worship live! Talk to Frigg, I''m sure she''ll understand..." Dag continued, smiling.


    "All right, I promise I''ll talk to her! Now hurry up, Freyr and Freya are waiting for you!" Fulla replied aloud, stopping and greeting Dag with her hand, making him realize that she did not have permission to get so far away from her queen, that in a few seconds would leave the throne room, demanding her presence.


    Dag reciprocated the greeting and accelerated the pace to reach his mentors, who had silently witnessed the whole conversation.


    "You shouldn''t spend your time with a slave, she''s just a distraction" Freyr said, expressing his opinion.


    "If you want to achieve good results quickly, you will only have to focus on the fight" Freya added, reinforcing her brother''s words and continuing to descend the stairs of the palace.


    "I guess I can take a few breaks between workouts, right? What I asked Fulla to do is to guide me through the streets of Asgard, I''m curious to find out how the city of Aesir is made. I''m sure anyone in my place couldn''t wait!" Dag replied with conviction, not letting himself be subdued by his interlocutors, knowing that he was under Odin''s protection.


    "Who spoke about breaks?" Freyr asked suddenly, turning his head towards him.


    "Uhm? I''ll never pause my training?"


    "Your workouts will only be interrupted when you''ll not be able to stand anymore... and as soon as you don''t give up, you will start again harder than before. Only in this way will you be able to improve your mortal body, pushing it beyond its limits" the God of beauty continued.


    Dag swallowed empty, not believing that his mentors intended to take him to the highest level of his potential.


    "It''s not just the passage of time that''s different here on Asgard. Your body will get tired with more difficulty, you will be able to last longer. By training with these external conditions, you will develop skills that you will continue to use even when you''ll go back to Skjold, or anywhere else. You will feel light as a leaf and hard as a rock. But it will be a difficult condition to achieve, sometimes you will wish to die, begging us to kill you instantly" Freya said, trying not to deceive Dag and making him understand that the feat he was about to accomplish would not be an easy walk.


    "I should have died so many times already, my lady. The idea of death no longer scares me, I am ready" Dag replied with ardor, breathing intensely and beginning to focus on his next goal: to meet the expectations of his two mentors.


    They immediately realized that that boy had been chosen by Odin because he was different from other human beings, he was stubborn and determined and would not give up in front of anything, he would be ready to face with his head held high even an enemy much stronger than him.


    "All right then. I will not tell you anything else, you''re going to find out with your own eyes" Freya replied, satisfied.


    Along with his two mentors, Dag descended the stairs of the V¨¤laskj¨¤lf and found himself on the streets of the city where, once again, the sweet notes of Bragi''s harp resounded, as he was playing that melody sitting somewhere.


    On one side of the palace, a large road interrupted right at the Bifrost, which Dag had been able to see during his ethereal journey, noting that the holy rainbow bridge had been broken.


    Thinking about the Bifrost, the young warrior thought back at the legends he had learned as a young man, that spoke of the rainbow bridge and its unmissable guardian, Heimdallr.


    "Can I ask you a question? It has nothing to do with my training, it''s just a curiosity" Dag asked, walking next to Freyr and Freya and drawing their looks at him.


    "What is it?"


    "What happened to Heimdallr? Does he live here in Asgard?"


    "He used to live in Asgard... but then he decided to reject his role as guardian and the Alfather was forced to exile him. Why this question? Are you wondering who''s looking after the Bifrost?" Freyr said, trying to guess why Dag was perplexed, as he kept looking behind, in the direction of the broken bridge.


    "You know, we Skjold warriors are arbitrarily divided into Clans, or groups of warriors, each of which has about three Masters, or three particularly strong warriors with unique abilities, who are tasked with coordinating the other Clan members" Dag began, capturing the attention of his interlocutors, who knew about the Clans only summarily.


    "So... the peculiarity of these Clans is that each of them symbolizes a particular God, an Aesir, a Giant, one of the magical beasts of our world, and so on... I, for example, am the Master of a Clan called ''Hammers Of Thor'' who draws the power of its skills from the God of Thunder" Dag continued, knowing that they would soon interrupt him to ask questions.


    "The power of... what? Skills? What do you mean by ''skills''? Everyone has abilities" Freyr continued, unable to figure out what Dag was referring to.


    "Yes, this is true but... each Clan allows its warriors to learn particular skills related to their God of reference... let me give you another example... the Hammers Of Thor have many skills at their disposal that allow them to control electricity, while the Sons Of Freya specialized in the use of spears and magical wings, ready to lift their bodies and allow them to fly..."


    "The Sons Of Freya?" Freya asked suddenly, who had remained silent to listen.


    "That''s right! They are a group of people, very large, completely devoted to worship you, my Lady! My sister Gridd, for example, is one of them and chose to address her prayers to you, my Goddess!" Dag exclaimed again, explaining to Freya that one of Okstorm''s Clans was based on her divine teachings.


    "Yes, okay, but now... without further ado... there''s no point talking about my sister, what does Heimdallr have to do with it?" Freyr interrupted, continuing to walk disinterestedly in the Sons Of Freya tale, imagining that no one had created a Clan to bear his name.


    "I was getting to that... all these Clans, in addition to being very different from each other, have some alignment... some of them pursue ideals of love and peace, others prefer to pursue hatred and chaos... you can therefore deduce that between these two ''factions'' of Clans, there are continuous and bloody wars. Well, the Horns Of Heimdallr are among the ''bad'' Clans, that is, those who fight against the Clans of Freya, Odin, Thor, etc." the young Midgardian explained.


    "After the Frostsinners attacked Asgard and exiled us around this planet, the Bifrost was destroyed and the connection between the heavens and the Earth was broken, thus not allowing travel to the kingdoms of Yggdrasil, the tree of life. Heimdallr found himself alone and without a goal to follow, with nothing to watch over in the absence of Odin, one of his most faithful friends. Seized with anger and a sense of bewilderment, the former Bifrost''s guardian turned against his own comrades, imagining that he could counter the power of Odin and the other Aesir of Asgard to hand the city over to his enemies once and for all" Freyr replied, recalling those details very well as if they were indelibly fixtured in his mind.


    "The man who had always been one of Asgard''s most loyal allies, allowed himself to be infatuated with the false promises of the Frostsinners, who swore to him that he could increase his power and convinced him to rebel against his brothers, his family. Heimdall even managed to steal Freyr''s sword, the only weapon capable of fighting alone, without being touched" Freya added, who like her brother remembered that cursed day very well.


    "I fought against him, but he managed to defeat me in a duel, owning my weapon, until Thor, the God of Thunder, arrived. After his arrival, Odin''s beloved son reduced Heimdall to an inanimate body, ready to accept his fate. However, the Alfather, from the top of his clemency, by virtue of all the thousands of years of loyal service of Heimdallr to Asgard, decided to spare him and exiled him to Helheim, the home of the dead and the damned, forcing him to stay there for eternity" Freyr concluded, touching the hilt of his sword as if it was a scar that reminded him that day.

 621 DCXXI. Godlike Training Session

    "Things have changed since the days of legends. None of us have seen Heimdallr since that day... only the Alfather has the power to travel with his mind to Helheim and control the state of the old Guardian of the Bifrost, subjected to cold winds and rains, under the chilling gaze of Hel, daughter of Loki and Queen of the dark kingdom... but he never said anything about it and no one dared to ask him. So, Heimdallr question belongs to the past now" Freya continued.


    The Goddess of Beauty''s answer left Dag astonished, not believing that the Aesir still hold all that grudge against Heimdallr, who had been condemned to a sad fate.


    Continuing to speak, Dag, Freyr, and Freya found themselves in the middle of a huge tree-lined square, in the center of which there was a large natural fountain, formed by a kind of geyser that threw hot water upwards and conveyed it on black rocks with a smooth surface, which made the water slide down to restart the cycle.


    In addition to the prosperous vegetation and clear water show of the fountain, the afternoon sky helped make that atmosphere incredibly magical, reflecting its reddish colors on the glossy surfaces of the palaces.


    After that place, other squares and streets in sparkling colors appeared before the eyes of Dag, who didn''t know where to look, without ever stopping to marvel at all that architectural beauty.


    Finally, at the end of the straight road from V¨¤laskj¨¤lf leading out of the town, he and his mentors arrived in front of a giant amphitheater-shaped structure, built with a shimmering white stone, which recalled the bright colors of Asgard.


    "Here is the Arena in which your training will begin. At least for the next seven days, it will be your new home" Freya exclaimed, presenting to Dag that magnificent engineering work, wider than high, with many small windows along the sides of the structure and two gigantic arched gates carved into the rock, from which it was possible to enter.


    Dag paused for a few seconds, trying to make a comparison between that Arena and Jernhest''s, which was the biggest and most beautiful he had ever seen, but of course, the comparison did not stand up to him and the Arena of Asgard won the challenge.


    Passing through the two doors with his mentors, the young warrior discovered with astonished eyes the interior of the structure, formed by many rock rings that rose along the walls to form a kind of funnel, consisting of small stone steps to make the audience sit.


    "It was in this place that Thor defeated his first giant, a mammoth being, more than 10 meters high. I was just a boy, but I remember that moment very well. I sat not far from the Alfather and Queen Frigg, who was the only one of the two to rejoice after her stepson''s victory" Freyr said, who evidently had not entered the place for a long time.


    "Wow... it must have been a great sight, I would have liked to have seen it" Dag replied, looking around and walking behind Freyr until he and his sister stopped in the middle of the Arena.


    Freya walked slightly away, decentralizing and positioning herself to watch the two men standing still in the same position.


    "What''s going on?" Dag said, smiling and oblivious to what was about to happen.


    As Freyr continued to look at him with his arms crossed, a metallic noise echoed through the air and, under Dag''s astonished eyes, his sword floated out of the leather lining.


    Dag stood still, with both hands resting on the handles of his two weapons, knowing that Freyr would immediately test him, without unnecessary explanation.


    "The level of strength between me is my sister is very different, boy. I mean Freya''s always been a better fighter than I was, no doubt about it. We have decided together that your training will start this way.


    "How?" Dag asked, pretending he didn''t understand what Freyr was referring to.


    Exactly after the last syllable of the young Midgardian''s last word, Freyr''s sword spun through the air, stopped with its tip pointing at his target, and was fired at Dag at very high speed.


    Predicting a trivial frontal attack, Dag easily dodged the blow and the sword missed the target, touching his side and overtaking him.


    He only managed to extract the Giantbane, lighter than the hammer, when Freyr''s divine weapon turned on itself, stopping a few inches before the ground and returned to Dag, trying to hit him again.


    Not believing that his opponent could strike two shots in less than five seconds, Dag failed to dodge again and parried the tip of Freyr''s sword with the Giantbane''s blade, diverting its trajectory and suffering a backlash that pushed him away.


    Unbalanced by the blow, Dag dropped to the ground and nimbly, made a backflip, rising to his feet and also detaching Magni''s hammer from his belt.


    Freyr''s sword, who was still stationary without even moving a finger, turned again and traveled to Dag trying to hit him with a side strike.


    He crossed both of his weapons, preparing to parry the blow, and when the sword struck the metal surface of Magni''s hammer handle, Dag''s feet crawled to the ground for a couple of meters, dissipating the energy of the hit, which despite being successfully parried, had been incredibly strong.


    "I must try to get closer to him, otherwise he will continue to attack me non-stop and break through my defenses... looks like he''s getting serious... fuck this guy, I can make it! Oh, there it comes!" Dag thought, as he saw the sword coming towards him again at great speed.


    Electrical sparks first enveloped the hammer, then the arm and finally the legs of the young warrior, who after lowering himself for an instant on his knees, snapped sideways, exiting the trajectory of the sword and slightly approaching Freyr, who turned to him, ordering his weapon to reach him.


    Dag continued to run and parry the sword when, at one point, it began to shine, covered in a celestial aura.


    "Don''t try to fight me using that miserable power... Odin told me what you''re capable of, remember you''re in front of a God, not one of Skjold''s warriors!" Freyr yelled, whose sword grew instantly, becoming five times larger and exceeding six meters in length, including the hilt.


    The young warrior who was running safely to reach his target in time, when he saw that giant sword fall towards him, was forced to divert his trajectory and jump to avoid the impact.


    The sharp blade of the weapon hit the ground and sank into it, lifting the first layers of soil and rising back into the air after missing its target.


    "What?! His sword got huge and destroyed half of the Arena! It just seems that Freyr is going to kill me!" Dag thought again, trying to reason frantically and find a solution to counterattack.


    Meanwhile, behind Freya, a group of people gathered in the stands, drawn to the loud noise triggered by Freyr''s attacks, which echoed beyond the Arena''s high walls.


    Two tall, sturdy men sat in the middle of the bleachers, surrounded by dozens of slaves and servants, ready to watch the fight.


    One of them greeted the Goddess of beauty, who reciprocated with a gesture of the hand, turning her gaze again towards Dag, slightly bored to witness that dull clash.


    The giant sword again became of its normal size and headed for Dag, chasing him from his shoulders.


    The Okstorm''s warrior, trying to imagine an attack plan, charged his legs even more with electricity and snapped forward, letting the weapon chase him.


    When Freyr was sure to hit him, the sword grew enormously and attempted to pierce Dag, who, as he had calculated, used the forces accumulated in his legs to jump as high as possible.


    The tip of the blade pierced the ground, once again missing the target and Dag made a wide backflip in mid-air, stretching his legs and landing on Freyr''s sword blade.


    In an athletic gesture worthy of a warrior of his fame, Dag used his opponent''s weapon to jump towards him, loading a powerful lightning strike, during which his hammer unleashed small purple flashes and accumulated energy to hit Freyr.

 622 DCXXII. The Flying Sword

    The hammer stone head impacted in the center of the arena and the ground around it exploded into a thousand pieces, lifting in the air the scales of ground cut just before by the divine sword.


    Taking advantage of the dust that prevented Freyr from locating his opponent, Dag vigorously threw the still electrified hammer at him, trying to hit him by surprise.


    Freyr, once again bending back, dodged the blow and called back his sword, which shrank and flew towards its master, pierced the dense cloud.


    When Dag''s electric weapon brushed up against the God''s face, he noticed that the final part of the hammer was wrapped in a strange dark liquid, which elastically extended to the arm of his young and promising opponent, now visible in the middle of the dust.


    Dag suddenly moved his right arm in the opposite direction to Freyr''s and his hammer, as if tied to an elastic band, splashed back at great speed retracing the same trajectory.


    Unable to predict that strange move, Freyr leaned so low that he fell to the ground, and Magni''s hammer, missing his target, hit the floating sword that was still flying towards his master''s open hand, causing its trajectory to deviate and making it skewer the ground meters away.


    Not satisfied with what had just happened, Dag firmly grabbed the hammer that came back into his hand and jumped back towards Freyr, repeating the same attack as before, as if it was a tireless machine.


    Unlike his last attempt, this time his right arm absorbed the dark matter and went totally black, boosting the lightning strike.


    "Aaaargh!"


    Emitting a scream and trying to hit Freyr with all his power, showing him what he was capable of, Dag fell in dive-bombing on him.


    A loud explosion followed that scene and purple flashes from the weapon were released around it.


    Freya, nervous that she could not see anything from the dust, moved a hand forward, emitting a shockwave that immediately dispersed the cloud, showing her and the people who had gathered in the stands, the result of Dag''s attack.


    To everyone''s surprise, Skjold''s young warrior''s hammer was stationary on the blade of Freyr''s sword, which, as fast as an arrow, had managed to fly back and save its master, as if it had its own will.


    Dag''s face, although he was still expressing all the tension arising from that attack, remained pointed at his opponent''s eyes, while the veins of his neck and forehead continued to swell for effort.


    Freyr''s sword trembled like a leaf under the weight of the hammer, which he kept pushing down, even though he had run out of electricity available.


    The divine strength of the God of the sun and beauty contrasted with the dark force of Dag''s right arm, which had superhuman physical stamina.


    When both opponents grabbed their weapons with both hands, the ground under Freyr''s back cracked and the body of the God lowered further and further below the ground, slowly disappearing at the sight of his sister, incredulous of what she was seeing.


    "Urrgh... you''re... you''re strong!" Freyr exclaimed, looking Dag in the eye and stunned that he was managing to hold up to the physical strength of a powerful being like him.


    "You haven''t seen anything yet! Aaaargh!" Dag yelled, who let the dark liquid flow over his other arm and legs as well, increasing the pressure on his opponent''s sword by more than twice as much.


    Freya, who imagined Dag to be incredibly strong, was incredulous to discover that after less than five minutes, his brother, one of the strongest warriors serving the divine crown, had been practically defeated.


    "That black substance that wraps around his body... it is the source of his superhuman energy... all this is incredible" the Goddess said in a low voice, letting the people behind her hear her words.


    In a short time, the Arena stands filled with all those who, intrigued by the presence of Freyr, Freya, and an unknown warrior, intended to watch the fight with interest.


    With a kidney hit and using the divine power deriving from his sword, Freyr managed to get down on his knees and, little by little, his thrust on Dag''s hammer increased, until Skjold''s young warrior let go of his grip and took two steps back, continuing to keep his weapons in his hands.


    "He managed to counter my body almost completely shrouded in dark power! His strength is on another level... and he also said Freya is much stronger than him! Fuck, it''s kinda bad here!" Dag thought.


    Across the center of the Arena, Freyr, who had just got rid of his young opponent''s body above him, adjusted his hair and moved his hands on his clothes, wiping them from the soil.


    His sword continued to float in the air, remaining beside him, without even a scratch.


    "I want this guy to get stronger than me... I have to do it for Odin and for all of us, our future depends on him, but... a lot of people are coming into the Arena, I can''t look that bad! My hair got dirty and my clothes are no longer of their original color!" Freyr thought, who, as Dag contrived what his next attack should be, thought about the way he appeared in front of the audience, being obsessed with his good looks.


    "So? I don''t know what training you were talking about! I''m not even remotely committed!" Dag exclaimed, who had noticed the way his opponent was focused on looking at the people behind him, fearing their judgment.


    "You don''t want to be a jerk, kid. You just got lucky. My sword managed to predict your attack and block it with ease, I just needed to warm up a little bit" Freyr replied, continuing to touch his blonde hair and moving it backward.


    "Perfect! That means that now your muscles are warm enough to give your best!" Dag replied, who immediately after finishing speaking, snapped at his opponent, summoning other dark matter that began to float behind his shoulders.


    Freyr''s gaze returned serious and his sword increased its size once again, ready to defend its master and counterattack Dag.


    He jumped forward and struck first with the Giantbane, then with the hammer, hitting the surface of the blade repeatedly.


    Turning on himself and trying to coordinate in the best way, Dag hit Freyr''s weapon so quickly that God was forced to retreat, fearing that the young warrior would reach him.


    One shot after another, the sound of the metal echoed inside the Arena, attracting the gaze of all the spectators, who had passed thirty units and continued to increase.


    A long dark arm took shape from Dag''s back and was quickly fired forward, attempting to evade the giant sword.


    The divine weapon, however, somehow realized that something else beyond the two weapons was trying to reach Freyr and positioned itself diagonally, immediately after the passage of dark matter.


    That blade so large and sharp that it would have severed even the most resistant of the tree trunks clearly hit the dark arm.


    For a moment, even Dag, in addition to all the others, remained impassive to watch, curious about what would have the better: when the sword struck the dark arm, its blade passed through it as if it was made of water and its trajectory was not changed in the slightest, reaching in a few tenths of a second Freyr, convinced he was safe.


    Unlike his many past fights, this time Dag had turned the tip of his arm into a large hand and in an instant grabbed Freyr''s torso, lifting him into the air and then slamming him violently to the ground.


    The sword continued to sway and repeatedly hit the dark arm, passing through it like a few seconds before.


    Extracting a second arm from his back, Dag stretched him towards his prey, as if he was an infallible predator, and tightened his grip on Freyr''s torso, which had his arms immobilized.


    "He can''t counter the dark matter! So what Odin said is true! Only I am worthy of saving Asgard, only I can counter the dark power of the Xis! Now everything returns! When Freyr''s sword tried to hit the extent of my body it went through it! It''s unbelievable!" Dag thought, who didn''t believe he could immobilize a God twice in a row, despite having already had a similar experience against Weland.


    Realizing that the fight would not end until his opponent was knocked out, Dag dashed to him, activating the hammer''s electrical power.


    Although the Giantbane''s firepower was not activated, because no one had lost blood, Dag approached it to the hammer and attempted to hit Freyr, who was on the ground, knowing that his attack, if it would hit the target, would do him much damage.

 623 DCXXIII. Like A Human

    Freyr''s sword suddenly turned on him, who was not ready to receive an attack and was in an offensive position, failed to parry a hilt strike.


    After being hit in the chest, Dag rolled to the ground for several meters, sticking the blade of his axe into the terrain to prevent his body from moving too far away from his target, knowing that the length of his dark arms was not infinite.


    Freyr''s divine weapon became as small as a dagger and having turned in the air, flew towards Dag, leaving behind only a thin trail.


    "He''s trying to distract me and drive me away, so as to free himself from my grip! Freya knew it, she''s sure Freyr can defeat me! My body... I don''t feel any kind of tiredness, yet I''m using almost the maximum of my powers... Asgard Arena training works!" Dag thought again, dodging the flying weapon and charging again in Freyr''s direction, making his spectators realize that he understood that elementary tactic.


    As the dark hands tightened their grip more and more, the sword turned back as if it was a boomerang, emitting the same celestial aura as when it first turned into a giant weapon.


    Just moments before he was shot in the back, Dag used his dark arms to drag his body toward Freyr''s, lifting his feet off the ground and managing to dodge the blow.


    "Take this! Aaargh!" the young warrior shouted when his electrified hammer hit Freyr''s chest, once again destroying the ground of the Asgard Arena.


    After the explosion, the young warrior saw his opponent''s body in front of him, free of dust.


    His hands were grabbing both of his weapons, keeping them away from his chest, while the electric sparks of Magni''s hammer were released non-stop.


    Even the Giantbane was stopped and its blade was cutting Freyr''s hand, which lost blood and activated the power of the axe, whose crystal began to shine with its own light.


    Freya''s expression changed as soon as she saw the power of Dag''s divine weapon in action.


    The Giantbane''s glowing blades kept pressing against Freyr''s bare hands and the hammer did the same.


    Dag''s rabid face expressed his nervousness at not yet being able to beat him and his arms kept pushing forward, while the young warrior noted that Freyr''s face was not at all worried.


    "This duel is over, Dag. As I imagined, you lost!" Freya exclaimed, raising a hand to the sky without even moving from her position.


    "Eh?! What?! I''m not the one on the ground!" he exclaimed, confident that he had managed to pass the first test.


    After his words, his eyes widened.


    The metal tip of Freyr''s flying sword was touching him and with a simple movement, it could have detached his head from his neck.


    When the last adrenaline rush in his body was exhausted, Dag recalled all the dark fluid he had summoned, causing it to re-enter his back, his gaze pointing downwards.


    His hands continued to tighten his weapons as if he did not want to resign himself to the idea of losing the first fight against the God, being sure he had the victory in his hand.


    "I was sure to give him the coup de grace and I put all my energy on that... I didn''t really assess what might have happened if my shot hadn''t been enough... it takes much more to defeat Freyr..." the young warrior thought, raising his gaze full of remorse towards his opponent.


    "Aaargh... what a struggle..." Freyr whispered, rising to his feet and wiping his clothes from the dust, wiping sweat from his forehead and looking at Dag out of the corner of his eye.


    Freya walked towards the two challengers, keeping her eyes on Dag.


    "I know, there''s no need to tell me how distracted I was. Although I dominated the last part of the fight, I did not assess the risks I would take by giving my back to my opponent''s weapon, capable of flying and moving at great speed. I was sure my final shot would be enough to stun Freyr and end the fight... I made a miscalculation..." Dag confessed, anticipating the words of Freya, who had a critical expression painted on her face.


    "A miscalculation that would have cost you your life, young Dag. Do you agree?" the Goddess asked as if she wanted to rage on him to make him understand the true meaning of his mistake.


    Dag nodded sadly.


    "Hey! What''s that sad face? Boy, you practically destroyed me! Remember, I''m a God, not everyone can knock me to the ground! My sword barely managed to hit you once!" Freyr exclaimed, breaking the silence that had been created and trying to cheer Dag up.


    He looked up and pointed his eyes at the blond-haired God, who was smiling.


    "You really are the strongest Midgardian of all time, Dag! I mean it! There''s only one little problem... your fighting style... is dominated by anger. You still fight like a normal human being, it doesn''t work" Freyr continued, as his sword floated slowly until it slipped into its lining on his leather belt.


    "Like a... a human?"


    "That''s right! Let anger and feelings take over you as you fight... don''t get me wrong, you must be angry, but... you don''t have to let that affect your concentration! Stop fighting like a human and start fighting like a God!" exclaimed Freyr again, opening his arms outwards and trying to foment his interlocutor.


    The people in the stands, who had witnessed the whole fight, were amazed to hear those words come out of Freyr''s mouth, who usually thought of no one but himself.


    Freya remained silent, waiting for Dag''s response to check on his mental stability.


    The young warrior, continuing to tighten his weapons, stretched out his back and assumed a proud posture, saying: "Thank you for the valuable advice, Freyr. I''ll apply it as soon as I get the chance."


    Those words were so confident and determined, that Freyr and his sister looked each other in the eye and smiled, determined to continue Dag''s training, who would have to spend several more days in the Arena of Asgard before he was ready to face his true mission.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on Skjold and more precisely in Okstorm, Gridd, Egill, and Karl were riding from south to north, traveling in the direction of Jernhest.


    Gridd, on Light''s back, her faithful steed, held with one hand the bridles of Aslan, Dag''s horse, who ran beside her without any riders.


    Master Egill was just behind them and next to him was the young Karl, now one of his best students, despite not yet having reached the age of formally joining the Hammers Of Thor.


    "When far are we, Gridd? I can''t understand anything if I look around, I''ve never traveled along these roads" Karl asked, who was impatiently waiting for the moment to be able to meet his parents again, thinking of the serious illness that afflicted his father.


    "After those headlands, we should spot the tallest tower of King Einar''s Castle... Jernhest is not far away, we are almost there" Egill replied, anticipating Gridd, who was focused on looking forward, lost in her thoughts.


    "Dag, what are you doing? I knew you''d never accept the idea of throwing away all the sacrifices you made to get to Krypstorm, but... was it really worth it? Reidar decided to follow you, I hope he managed to catch up with you and didn''t get lost in those frozen, inhospitable lands... damn... I wish I was there with you too..." the Shieldmaiden thought, oblivious to the divine journey her brother had made.


    The false Sun that illuminated the plains and hills of Jordst?l was now low on the horizon and the reddish sunset light made the view very suggestive.


    Keeping on riding in the cultivated fields of the capital region, the three companions continued their journey made of a few words and many kilometers traveled, in the hope of being able to tell the exploits of Dag and his loyal companions to the people of Jernhest, starting from Asa, the mother of the one who was destined to fulfill the prophecy that would save the human race from slavery.


    Aslan, Dag''s faithful horse, by the time his master left for Krypstorm, had never allowed anyone to climb on his back, not even Karl, one of his most trusted friends.


    It was as if the horse wanted to remember his rider''s name, patiently waiting for his return and trusting only Gridd, following her in the hope of seeing Dag again somewhere.

 624 DCXXIV. The Bark

    "And so what? What do you mean?" the Shieldmaiden replied with superiority.


    "I''m just saying that the information about Dag and our adventure at Krypstorm could be altered by the King, who obviously has more credibility than we do, who are just warriors serving the Clans..."


    "The King doesn''t care about Dag... my brother''s name will never even be pronounced... he is only interested in claiming Krypstorm under the rule of the crown. He will say that thanks to a winning strategy, he has managed to reach the land of perennial ice and conquer a fort that will serve as a support point for the next missions... a lot of bullshit, of course..." Gridd answered, looking forward and trying to imagine the scene.


    "Einar is a clever man... very good with words. Knowing him in person, I can assure you that he will certainly organize an event in the central square of Jernhest, during which he will talk about Krypstorm to all the citizens who will gather before him. Gridd''s prediction is correct, I''m sure it will go as she predicted" Egill added, who after Jernhest would reach Mount Torden and the Temple Of Orn, to spread Master Dag''s message of hope to his former teammates.


    Finally, after many hours of travel without ever stopping, starting from the port of Gurn, the three adventurers passed the mountains that isolated the capital from the rest of the region.


    Jernhest, in all its magnificence, was illuminated by the red light of the Sun, which shone on the roofs of his houses and palaces.


    As if it was a celestial vision, unable to help but compare it to Tungvek and the desolate places that characterized all of Krypstorm, Gridd and Karl breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling at home.


    Egill was also impressed by that vision, thinking that the last time he visited the capital was during diplomatic missions on behalf of his Clan, when he had closer relations with King Einar himself.


    The main road that continued straight up to the huge stone gate on which there was the name of the city engraved in the runic alphabet, branched out into many small dirt roads, both to the right and to the left.


    Gridd, who was leading the line, almost automatically swerved to the right, heading up the hill of her farm.


    Karl followed her without saying a word, while Egill, intrigued by the change of direction, tried to understand why.


    "Why didn''t we get into Jernhest? Is there anything I should see first?" the elder Master asked, who compared to the two young warriors, was the most tired for the trip because of his age.


    Dag''s companions continued to travel following Gridd and in just under thirty minutes reached the top of the hill, on the opposite side of Karl''s house, which was on the other side.


    The first house on the street was the farm of Asa, from whose fireplace came a thin strip of white smoke.


    "While you will stop here, I will continue along the way and go and greet my parents... they will definitely be worried for me and Freydis and will not react well when they''ll know that she has chosen to follow Dag to Krypstorm... besides, I hope my father''s condition hasn''t gotten any worse since I left..." Karl said, slightly pulling his horse''s bridles and slowing down his pace, adjusting to that of Light, who next to Aslan opened the line.


    "Of course, you are free to go and do what you believe... if you want, when you''re done you can visit us on the farm. We have many things to talk about to my mother and I haven''t seen her in months too" the Shieldmaiden replied, turning her gaze for a moment towards her partner and smiling as if the atmosphere of that place had made her return to good humor.


    Egill also sensed the friendly gaze of the two friends and as Karl moved away spurring his horse and running across the hill, he and Gridd approached the modest dwelling.


    As in Dag''s vision during his ethereal journey on the Hlidskj¨¤lf, few animals populated one of the two small fences near the farm entrance, a few meters away from the drinking water well, where often little Dag had to go and drop the bucket to supply the house.


    A ramshackle carriage, one side of which was half broken and patched with two planks of wood of different colors was parked near one of the two fences, the one used as a warehouse, in which a new horse was drinking some water.


    "Eirik''s carriage is here, my brother must have come back a little while ago" Gridd said, spurring Light and pulling Aslan''s bridles, allowing them to tackle the steep, slow-paced climb.


    "I didn''t know Asa had a third child... isn''t he around with members of his Clan?" Egill asked, who ignored Eirik''s identity, having never met him before.


    "No, my brother is not a warrior. He decided to continue my father''s work as a lumberjack. The two of them sold wood at Jernhest Market and when Stein died, Eirik was able to continue with what he had been taught, expanding the stall and creating a real shop. It''s only thanks to him that my mother hasn''t been completely alone since Dag also started traveling" Gridd replied, trying to give her traveling companion a clear picture of the situation.


    "I got it. Well, I can''t wait to meet her then! We haven''t seen each other for years!" Egill said eagerly, getting off his horse and approaching walking towards the animals'' wooden fences.

 625 DCXXV. The Heretic Words

    After they tied all three horses, a sudden bark blew the two adventurers.


    A small dog with a ringing voice continued to bark at them after they had woken him from his sleep and he had run in their direction from inside the cow and pig fence.


    "Hey! Who are you? I''ve never seen you here, have you just arrived?" the blonde-haired girl exclaimed, as if the dog could answer her.


    Not fearing in the slightest the unintimidating barks of that little dog so small as to pass under the wooden fence, Gridd lowered herself towards him and stroked him on the neck, making him calm down.


    The door of the farm suddenly opened and the yellowish light of a torch illuminated the faces of Gridd and Egill, standing next to the horses and grappling with the dog.


    "Well, even if it''s not very big... it looks like he''s a good watchdog, brother" Gridd smiled, standing up and spreading his arms toward Eirik, who had the torch in his hand and a confused expression painted on his face.


    "Gridd?! Hahaha! Is it you! Little sister, come here and hug me!" he exclaimed, whose voice had changed completely when he became a real grown man.


    In addition to his dark hair tied behind his back, a thick beard filled his face, making him more similar to his dad Stein.


    Gridd and his brother hugged each other in a fraternal embrace and Egill stood on the sidelines looking at them, smiling.


    Before Eirik could ask Egill who he was, someone else walked out the door and uttered Gridd''s name aloud, walking towards her and hugging her as Eirik had done.


    Asa''s long white hair, gathered in one of her unmistakable braids shone in the living light of the torch, and the old Shieldmaiden squeezed her daughter into her arms, resting her nose on her hair and getting lost in the smell she so much missed when she was away.


    "My daughter, you''re back! And you''re prettier than before!" Asa exclaimed, grabbing Gridd''s shoulders and pushing her a few inches away so that she can see her better.


    When she pushed her away, her eyes fell on Egill, who without saying a word, was still watching that moving scene from afar.


    Asa left Gridd and walked forward, unable to believe her eyes.


    "It can''t be... is it really you?" she asked, advancing cautiously due to age-related joint problems.


    "Yeah, I think so¡­ here we meet again, my friend" Egill smiled, handing with his usual elegance a hand towards the Shieldmaiden, who immediately shook it, as a sign of affection.


    The two old friends, caught up in the atmosphere of love that reigned at the moment among them, hugged each other and whispered innocent words in their ears as if to verify that neither had forgotten about the other.


    "What are you still doing out here? It''s so cold! Quick, come in! I just made a great soup with the mushrooms from the woods!" Asa said, making the two unexpected guests feel immediately at home.


    Gridd and Egill, particularly tired of the long journey, immediately followed the hosts inside the farm, taking off the bulky furs that had kept them warm before entering and making sure their horses had access to the water to quench their thirst.


    "Come on Egill, my old friend! Sit wherever you like, I will arrive immediately!" Asa said smiling, approaching the fireplace, on which boiled something in the pot.


    "We haven''t seen each other in a century, Gridd! Where''s Dag? Didn''t you meet him? I noticed you brought two horses with you... did he go to Jernhest?" Eirik asked naively, who strangely was eager to meet his younger brother.


    "Ehm... that''s one of the main reasons why I came here. Before you can get upset, Mother... Dag''s alive. Sit down and I''ll tell you what''s happened in the last month" Gridd replied with a very serious air, filling the glass in front of her and beginning to sip some mead.


    Asa and Eirik, after the Shieldmaiden''s harsh words, rushed to complete the preparations for that makeshift dinner and within minutes sat at the same table as the two guests.


    "So? Where''s my Dag? I thought you''d come together... did something happen to him? Rumors had told me he had become Master of his Clan, didn''t he?" Asa asked, addressing both Gridd and Egill with a worried air, looking for answers.


    Egill nodded affirmatively with his head, making it clear to the old Shieldmaiden that, despite that being good news, it was not Dag''s newest.


    "Dag, I, Egill and other Clan Masters who came together under the name of Iron Alliance, of which my brother is the Warchief, left some time ago for Krypstorm, the land of perennial ice..."


    Gridd began to talk before dinner and her story ended long after the soup and all the food consumed on that table.


    Late at night, while nothing could be seen outside the farm''s tarnished windows other than darkness, Gridd continued to explain to Asa and Eirik all the deeds he and her brave brother had accomplished in those unknown lands, winning the trust of the Ice Giants Clan and seizing Fort Hvit, who had been forcibly taken away from them by King Einar himself.


    "Have you met the King? What kind of person is he?!" Eirik asked, who as soon as he heard that name seemed to forget about everything else.


    "He''s a son of a bitch, that''s what he is!" Gridd replied abruptly, almost as if those words had automatically come out of her mouth.


    "What? Why are you saying this, he''s our King! When we were little, I remember you and Dag worshipping him like he was a God! I''m sure King Einar is a great man and a powerful warrior! The Golden Army is said to be the most powerful army ever to trample on Skjold''s surface lands!" Eirik continued, praising the King of Okstorm and Krypstorm, not knowing that he had taken the Fort from Dag and his men, taking credit for the exploratory successes and even convincing the Hunters of Ullr to leave their home to settle in Okstorm.

 626 DCXXVI. The Sixth Sense

    "What? What are you saying, Gridd? What does the Frostsinners have to do with my son?! Why can''t you live a normal life like all the warriors of Skjold?!" Asa inquired, who was not pleased to hear of the Xis for the umpteenth time.


    "Asa..." Egill said, joining the conversation and attracting the attention of the old Shieldmaiden, to help Gridd wriggle out of that delicate conversation.


    "Egill, why didn''t you direct these boys on the right path? Why do they have to meddle at all costs in matters bigger than them? Not a day goes by in my life when I don''t pray for their health, hoping they''re safe... I find out that they have become strong and famous warriors, overcoming the fame achieved by their mother and approaching that of Brann and then? They get lost in this nonsense! My heart won''t hold up for long" she replied, with tears in her eyes, as if she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.


    "They don''t need to be guided by me, quite the contrary... your son Dag proved to be a man beyond all expectations and gave us all a purpose, a meaning, something worth continuing to fight for. Traveling to Krypstorm we discovered things we never imagined... a prophecy, for example, written in an ancient book. It tells of a warrior capable of exterminating the Frostsinners and traveling from one planet to another! That warrior is Dag, Asa! Your son is the key to break the chains of our slavery!" Egill exclaimed, resting both of his hands on the table and speaking with an open heart, hoping that she and Eirik would believe his words.


    "Prophecy? What kind of prophecy are you talking about?" Eirik intervened, anticipating his mother, who could not believe that even the wise Egill had helped Dag follow his revolutionary path.


    After that question, Egill tried to briefly but concisely explain the question of the Crystals of the Elements, explicitly saying that what contained the flame of the first Sun was embedded in Dag''s weapon, previously belonging to Brann.


    The Hammers Of Thor''s Master of Healing continued to speak uninterruptedly for more than an hour and his two interlocutors hung from his lips, storing every word in their hearts.


    "So... this man is saying that Dag..." Eirik whispered, looking at her mother and noticing that she too had remained speechless, not expecting her old friend to tell her something like that.


    "The Crystals of the Elements... I''ve never heard about this story... how did you know about all this and how do you make sure it''s all true?" the Shieldmaiden exclaimed, resting both of her arms on the table and leaning forward, eager to know more.


    Gridd and Egill looked at each other and for a few seconds, they felt a strong empathy thinking of Dag and everything they had gone through to realize that that young warrior had a much more important destiny than anyone else.


    "Why would I ever tell you a falsehood, Mother? What would I gain? Don''t you even believe your daughter''s words now?" Gridd said, making Asa realize that Egill''s words just before were true and that the time to have doubts was over.


    "It''s not about that, Gridd... Dag... Dag is just a boy! I remember like it was yesterday that he couldn''t even hold a wooden sword in his hand, and now... now is down there, in Krypstorm, an uncharted land full of pitfalls to fight against unknown warriors and save the world from destruction! How can I, I can''t believe everything you''re telling me! My little Dag... why didn''t he come back with you?! Why did he decide to commit suicide like this?!" Asa yelled, who could no longer hold back the typical pain of a mother who knows she no longer will see her son.


    "We have only obeyed Einar''s orders, Asa. You''re probably right, if we went back in time I''d stay with Dag, trying to help him with my advice, as I''ve always done. yes, you''re right about that. But... you said something inaccurate... Dag is no longer just a boy, he never really was," Egill interrupted, taking Gridd''s side and continuing the speech for her.


    Eirik looked at the old Master of Healing, unable to believe that an anonymous person like Dag had gained the respect of someone so important and famous among warriors throughout Skjold.


    "Egill, my friend... how can I not be worried?! At night I have horrible dreams, I happen to think about everything that can happen to my son and... now that I know he''s alone over there... my hopes will slowly begin to fade. I die at the mere idea that I can no longer hug him" Asa continued, who immediately after being able to pronounce these words began to cry sobbing.


    Old Egill, seeing his friend unable to hold back all that pain, got up and walked towards her, intent on showing her his true feelings.


    Under the watchful eyes of Eirik, who immediately sensed that the man would do no harm to his mother, Egill placed his hand on that of Asa, clutching it in a gesture of fraternal love.

 627 DCXXVII. The Message of Hope

    "Dag is not alone, my dear. Freydis is with him and... not just her. I know your son very well and I am sure of one thing: wherever he is, he will have more allies than enemies. His character is splendid and surely this is thanks to the sweetness and love with which you raised him. Remember, Asa, that if Dag has become what he is now, it is mainly thanks to his mother and father."


    Both Egill and Gridd talked about Dag and his deeds, not knowing that he had managed to avenge Stein''s death and defeat Hakon and a member of the Court of the Xis, but the words of the Hammers of Thor''s Master of Healing reassured Asa, who had long hoped to meet her son again.


    "So... you''re really saying that... will he be able to travel between the planets in search of these ''Crystals''? The Dag I know? That clumsy, mediocre kid?" interrupted Eirik, joining the conversation with arrogance.


    "Dag is no longer as you remember, brother" Gridd said, preceding Egill''s response, who he stepped aside, knowing that she was the only one who could keep her brother at bay, now that he was now the man of the house.


    "The last time we met he looked like a real warrior, that''s true, but... what you''re talking about is the most dangerous thing I''ve ever heard! Maybe not even King Einar could do that! Traveling between planets and recovering ancient relics and then defeating the Frostsinners and freeing all humans from slavery... what slavery?! My life keeps flowing normally and I''m nobody''s slave! Why are you all obsessed with this absurd story?!" the young lumberjack exclaimed again, venting his anger on the matter.


    "You just don''t want to understand, uhm? Eirik! It''s not about me or our mother! It''s about all humans scattered around the planets! Dag has exceptional power, the greatest power that exists on the whole Skjold! No one can stand up to him, not even your beloved and useless King! If an ancient prophecy explained that only the owner of the Fire Crystal could bring the other crystals together there will surely be a reason! Only Dag can do it, just him!" Gridd shouted, approaching her brother in a grumpy air, angry that he did not want to understand the real reasons behind that speech.


    Egill and Asa, despite being in their own room, felt like a third wheel, unable to calmly meddle within the conversation.


    "Of course, Egill. I was going to do it from the beginning, but I don''t understand how even my family doesn''t support what Dag is suffering for all of us. I will gather my forces and organize another mission to Krypstorm, whether the King wants it or not! I have no intention of stopping fighting on his side!" Gridd exclaimed once again, with conviction.


    During that heated speech, someone knocked on the door and Asa went to open it immediately.


    "Karl! Oh, Karl, you''re here too!" the white-haired woman said, hugging the young healer as if she was one of her children.


    "Hello, Asa. How nice to see you again... it''s been a long time... hello Eirik!" Karl replied, turning his greeting to both the family members of his best friend, despite the fact that he and Eirik had never had a good relationship.


    The rest of the night passed between short stories and other speeches, during which Karl and Gridd recounted step by step the evolution of Dag''s powers, talked about the enemies they had defeated to get to Krypstorm, and described the rescue of Freydis held captive on Vaeren Island.


    Despite the tiredness, curiosity, and desire to tell those stories were stronger than sleep and Asa''s guests fell asleep only for a few hours as soon as the dawn sunlight entered powerfully from the windows of the farm.


    ...


    While life on Skjold proceeded regularly in both Okstorm and Krypstorm, Dag was still struggling with his training: having left for Asgard for about 24 hours, his intensive training session had been going on for almost a week.


    Throughout those days, the young warrior tried several times to defeat Freyr, but without success, reducing him to the exhausting of his strength, but losing the fight at the very last moment, as he first did.


    For the umpteenth time, the blond-haired God''s flying sword touched Dag''s back, while his hands tightened Freyr''s neck, almost breaking it.


    "Oh fuck! It''s not possible! You won again!" Dag exclaimed angrily, dropping both of his weapons and moving away from his opponent, who rose from the ground despite being battered.


    "The winner of the fight is..."


    "¡­Freyr, yes, I know. It''s always him. I tried everything I could to beat him... only with the dark matter, changing my fighting style, with surprise attacks... all useless. Every time I''m about to defeat him I lose sight of his sword and find it behind me" Dag interrupted, looking at Freya with a sulky air.


    Although he believed that he had not yet achieved good results, Dag was not perfectly aware of the progress his body and mind were undergoing: his musculature had strengthened in both the upper and lower parts of the body, and the power of thunder, that derived from Magni''s hammer had strengthened, such as that of the dark matter.

 Chapter 628: DCXXVIII. Youre Strong!

    "Don''t take you down, young Dag. Even if you don''t think you''re getting better, you''re wrong" Freya exclaimed, in her usual pragmatic tone.


    "Yes, all right, but... how much can I face you, Freya?" Dag said, approaching her and looking down, not wanting to disrespect her.


    "Face me? Why are you in such a hurry to face me?" she asked, resting a finger under Dag''s chin and making him look up.


    When the young warrior''s eyes crossed with those of the Goddess, her beauty was so disruptive that he stuttered for a few seconds, not believing that in his life he would ever find himself so close to Freya.


    "I... I... uhm... the Alfather said you two are my mentors, but so far I''ve only fought your brother Freyr. Don''t get me wrong, I''m honored to have such a chance, but... if I have two mentors, why am I fighting only one of them?" Dag replied, trying to be as sincere as possible.


    "Well then" Freya said, without answering Dag''s question and walking forward, heading towards the center of the arena.


    "Sister, what are you doing? It wasn''t in the plans..." Freyr commented, imagining what was about to happen, continuing to fix his clothes, all dirty after his last fight against Dag.


    "Come on... didn''t you want to challenge me?" the Goddess exclaimed, turning to the young warrior and opening her arms towards him, causing the murmur of the crowd in the stands, which had increased exponentially over the last few days.


    "Uhm, but... your weapon? What weapon are you going to fight with?" Dag asked, who saw only an unarmed woman in front of him.


    "An enemy would never tell you what weapon he''s going to kill you with. Is this information so important to you?"


    Dag smiled mockingly, grabbing his weapons from the ground and continuing to look at Freya, implicitly accepting her challenge.


    "No, I don''t need it at all" he declared with confidence, while on the white dress of his enemy appeared a light armor, formed by some metal plates on the upper chest and on the hips and legs, which gave a glimpse of areas of her body previously hidden.


    Freya''s belly was now uncovered and on it, hundreds of runic tattoos were etched into her skin, continuing downwards, ending up on her leg and then under the tall metal boots.


    The neckline at chest height was very pronounced and other tattoos adorned Goddess''s body at that point, even on one of her prosperous breasts.


    On her head, however, specifically on the temples, two metal wings popped out from nowhere, like the rest of the armor, and grew sinuous backward, reaching a size of about ten centimeters.


    Dag, who despite having fought relentlessly against Freyr was still in strength thanks to the simple fact that he was in Asgard, began to run towards her, without wasting any more time and without holding back, knowing that the one in front of him, was not a woman, but one of the most powerful Gods of his Pantheon.


    "Aaargh! Don''t underestimate me!" Okstorm''s young warrior yelled, taking a powerful shot at the Goddess and attempting to hit her with his hammer.


    Freya remained motionless, waiting for the hammer''s head to get closer to her head to move: when she dodged the blow, the shockwave caused by the simple vertical movement of the weapon cut through the air, carving the ground next to her feet.


    Knowing that the first shot would be the most predictable, Dag also moved the axe with a horizontal slash, at the height of Freya''s stomach.


    Still moving without weapons, the Goddess took a quick step back, continuing to dodge Dag''s shots with ease, as if to guess their direction and speed before seeing them leave.


    "I never underestimate anyone, earthling" the woman said, looking at Dag with her typical serious expression, while Freyr stood firm with his back resting on the wall and was enjoying the show with the audience.


    Dag tried not to be deconcentrated by those words and waited before attacking for the third time, noting that Freya''s fighting style was very different from that of her brother: while in Freyr''s case, the only weapon from which to protect himself was his flying sword, Freya was only using her body to fight, which made her strategy unpredictable.


    He regularized his breath and, leaving all his spectators amazed, did an unexpected thing.


    Suddenly, he approached both metal grips of his weapons to his belt and put Magni''s hammer and the Giantbane back in their places, remaining unmoved with his bare hands.


    "Uhm?" Freya whispered, ajar her eyes and looking at him with a confused air.


    "You don''t need to know which weapon I''m going to use, right? If this rule applies to me, it must apply to you too!" Dag exclaimed, who with that gesture was challenging Goddess''s foresight ability.


    "Well, I see that at last, your mind is also making progress. You realized that, in this case, using two weapons against me can only harm you" she said, beginning to walk towards him, who instead of responding, snapped forward.


    "But what are you saying, sister? What kind of teaching is this? Give up your weapons against an unarmed enemy? It''s the worst technique I''ve ever seen!" Freyr interrupted, yelling his opinion from afar as if that mattered at the time.


    Dag''s fist reached Freya''s face, which dodged the first shot, then the second, and finally the third.


    "I can''t give you an advantage that you didn''t give me... in this way, we will fight on equal terms and... ough!" Dag exclaimed, who as he answered the sentence before, was punched in the stomach so hard that he bent in half.


    "Your body is already strong... but you don''t know how to use it..." Freya continued, who clenched a fist, loaded it backward, and conceded Dag a small time to think.


    "What? What do you mean?!" he exclaimed, crossing both his arms and trying to parry the blow.

 Chapter 629: DCXXIX. I Am Darkness

    *boom*


    Freya''s fist triggered an explosion that spread throughout the arena, hitting spectators with a gust of wind.


    When he finished coughing by the dust and managed to open his eyes, Dag noticed that his two arms were still crossed in front of him and that he had managed to stay on his feet.


    His opponent was more than ten meters from him and all that way, his feet had dug into the ground, crawling to his current position.


    "What?!"


    "Do you understand what I mean now? I said your body is strong, Dag! Use this strength!" Freya yelled, who for the first time since meeting the Okstorm''s warrior raised her voice.


    After those words, the Goddess disappeared from her position and teleported in front of Dag, running so fast that she was imperceptible.


    A violent punch struck the young man in the stomach, causing him to bend for the second time: Dag grabbed Freya''s forearm and with all the force he managed to impress, pulled her backward, trying to open a window to hit and momentarily immobilize her.


    Through a game of levers, similar to the one Taya used on her novice little pupils when they trained in Jernhest''s Arena, the Goddess pulled Dag''s body forward, placed a leg behind his ankle, and caused him to lose his balance, slamming his back to the ground and cracking the terrain.


    *booom*


    "Yeeah!"


    "Go, Freya! Show that mortal what you''re made of!"


    After days of absolute silence, all the people who populated the arena stands began to cheer and behave like a real audience, shouting the name of the Goddess, the favorite between the two challengers.


    "Aargh!" Dag yelled when his back slipped into the ground, as he tried with a kidney hit to get up immediately.


    Just then, in front of his eyes appeared Freya''s foot, which stomped on his face, causing him to sink even lower.


    "Cough! Cough! Ouch!" poor Dag exclaimed, who looked like a training bag being kicked and punched.


    Completely ignoring his pupil''s verses of grief, Freya continued to hit him until he stopped moving.


    At that point, after more than fifteen blows from the immense power, the woman grabbed him by the neck of the armor and lifted him from the ground, detaching his shoulders and hips from the soil in which they were wedged.


    "And you should save all of us? You can''t save yourself either!" she exclaimed, looking at Dag on his face full of bruises and throwing him to the ground soon after as if it was a disposable object.


    As Freya walked away at a slow pace and the audience continued to scream her name, Dag stood still to look up at the sky above his head, with his body and face full of wounds.


    "I will not save anyone... I can''t even save myself..."


    Images of his childhood came to his mind and began to flow fast before his eyes: training in the arena, fighting against other recruits, Gridd''s departures, the Clan''s choice, Freydis'' anger.


    "I won''t save anyone... I will not save anyone..."


    Stein''s death, the exile from the Temple Of Orn, the battle against Hjalmar and his Renegades, Magn''s death.


    "I can''t save myself either... how can I save everyone else?"


    His memories began to flow as fast into the sky as the pages of an infinite book and after the dark moments of his life, he remembered the most beautiful episodes, such as the encounter with Freydis on Vaeren Island and the creation of the Iron Alliance, which had led him to travel to Krypstorm and learn about his true destiny.


    "I can''t save myself... but... who says I need to be saved... I chased my destiny... I have already saved the lives of hundreds of people and killed hundreds of enemies... It was me! Me and no one else! I can do it! No one can tell me what I can do!" Dag said, increasing the volume of his voice more and more until he shouted the last words of the sentence, continuing to look at the sky above his head.


    "Aaaaargh!" the young warrior''s scream continued for several seconds and his body reacted to that sudden stimulus, healing the deepest wounds and progressively diminishing the feeling of pain that pervaded his bones and muscles.


    He turned his palms towards the ground and squeezed the soil with strength: suddenly, a huge bundle of dark matter splashed out of his back and chest, wrapping all four of his limbs and quickly lifting his body upwards.


    "I don''t have to be saved... I must not fear darkness... I am Darkness!" shouted Dag again, giving voice to his thoughts and letting the anger and frustration of that hard training turn into pure power.


    All the noise caused by him soon caught the eye of Freya and Freyr, who turned backward and were enchanted by that unprecedented spectacle: a kind of whirlwind formed by dark matter rotating on itself was holding Dag''s body in mid-air and the fluid substance that had wrapped his limbs had penetrated their tissues, becoming one thing with his body.


    Letting all his power flow, the last bundle of dark matter floating attached to his shoulders enveloped his entire head, continuing to rotate and emit that strange viscous fluid sound.


    "What happened to the earthling?"


    "What is he doing?! That dark aura... it looks so much like that of... it looks like that of..."


    "It looks like a Frostsinner!"


    The crowd in the Arena stood up, as soon as they saw that Dag''s body was totally wrapped in the same material that characterized the powers of the Xis, began to agitate.


    "This is enough, Dag. Stop it!" Freyr yelled, noting that his pupil was pushing his body over his limits.


    Freya remained silent to watch, while the darkness of Dag''s power reflected in her sky-blue eyes.


    After a few seconds of noise caused by Dag''s black arms and legs wriggling from side to side, the liquid that wrapped his head suddenly compressed, entering it.

 Chapter 630: DCXXX. Youre Too Weak!

    Dag''s blonde hair slowly fell down, attracted by the force of gravity, and two small black horns popped up on his forehead, as during his last transformation on Skjold.


    "What the hell is he doing? Maybe that''s what worried the Alfather! That dark power is getting out of his control!" Freyr yelled, who began to feel the same fear like everyone else, not knowing how to counter that demon.


    "Fight, boy... don''t give up... prove me wrong! Don''t let the darkness control you, Dag! You have to control the darkness!" Freya shouted aloud, taking a step toward her interlocutor and making sure he could hear her voice, knowing that at that moment, two contrasting forces were fighting inside his body.


    "Uaaagh! Aaarrgh!"


    Demonic screams rumbled in the arena, and Dag''s dark aura greatly increased its intensity.


    His eyes, one purple, and one red were immediately pointed at Freya, who stood still in her position.


    "I am the Darkness... I am the Darkness!" the young warrior continued to think, no longer managing to control his body.


    The swirling bundle of dark matter that had so far kept his body suspended in the air, threw him forward at great speed.


    Dag opened his arms outwards and they grew exponentially, attracting a huge amount of fluid, which took the form of two huge hands with sharp claws.


    Continuing to scream like a senseless man, Dag violently waved one of the two hands at Freya, who raised her arms towards him and created a circular magic barrier above her head.


    *baaam*creeak*baaam*


    One shot after another, Dag''s huge black arms continued to hit the Freya barrier, which after a few blows began to shatter under all that dark energy.


    "Freyr!" she exclaimed in a worried voice, explicitly asking for her brother''s help, knowing that if no one distracted Dag, the two arms would destroy the barrier and she would be in serious danger.


    "Freya!" he answered desperately, screaming loudly and fearing that his sister, one of the most powerful Goddesses in the whole Norse Pantheon, would be crushed by that attack of extraordinary power.


    "I will destroy everything! I''m not afraid of darkness anymore, that''s enough! I''m going to show you what I''m capable of! Uaargh!" Dag continued to scream, who violently raised and lowered his huge dark hands, struck Freya''s magic barrier again and again, while the beam of dark liquid summoned shortly before kept him in mid-air, allowing him to move as he pleased.


    Not knowing how to save his sister as quickly as possible, Freyr snapped forward and simultaneously drew the power of his flying sword, which suddenly became giant and unleashed a slash towards Dag, ready to strike him.


    Almost simultaneously, knowing that his young student possessed by dark power could dodge the blow, Freyr jumped at him to hit him after the dodge.


    Acting against any scheme calculated by Freyr, while attacking the barrier, Dag turned his demonic eyes towards the colossal sword and did not dodge it: one of the two huge dark hands violently struck the blade of the weapon, which deflected its trajectory, emitting sparks by crawling against its sharp claws and continuing to fall down after him, at great speed.


    Before Freyr or anyone else could intervene, the men and women who had gathered in the arena stands were forced to evacuate the area immediately.


    *boom*


    A violent thud broke out in the air along with a shockwave. Simultaneously, the blade of the giant sword destroyed half of the Arena di Asgard, shattering the thousand-year-old rock of which it was formed and crumbling the wooden platforms that separated the bleachers.


    "It struck it! Dag didn''t dodge my sword, he hit it hard!" Freyr thought, a moment before turning his gaze back towards his target and realizing that that huge dark hand had already reached him.


    "Aaargh!" Dag yelled, striking Freyr with the palm of his hand and projecting him to the ground, creating a massive crater beneath his body, which like an asteroid impacted the ground.


    Although Freyr''s attack was a total failure, he had nevertheless been useful in distracting the young warrior and allowing Freya to catch her breath.


    Taking advantage of that unrepeatable occasion, the blonde-haired Goddess made her barrier disappear and jumped forcefully upwards, reaching in less than a second Dag.


    As her blow cut through the air as if it was a sharp metal body, a great sword with two blades sprang into her hand, generating itself from a blinding celestial light.


    Dag noticed that Freya was about to hit him and for a few moments, as she flew towards him with the two blades pointed at his chest, time seemed to slow down.


    "What?! What''s going on?! What did I do to Freyr?! But... but that''s Freya, and she''s... she''s trying to kill me with one of her legendary weapons!" Dag thought, whose consciousness came back original only for a couple of seconds.


    With one of his hands pointing down after knocking Freyr to the ground and the other heading for the magical barrier protecting Freya, now disintegrated, time suddenly started back flowing naturally, and Dag had no chance to parry or dodge Freya''s attack.


    Both tips of Goddess''s magic sword blades penetrated the young earthling warrior''s black chest, but then, just before Freya''s eyes, something unprecedented happened.


    While Dag''s red and purple eyes were pointed at his own chest, fearing that that would be his end, the two blades stopped after penetrating his flesh for a couple of centimetres, as if under that layer of skin, they found a material too solid and durable to be passed.


    "What?!" Freya exclaimed, turning her scream of charge into words of astonishment.


    In an almost automatic gesture, Dag''s dark hand grabbed that weapon and the arm that held it and forcefully moved Freya''s body like a puppet in the hands of his puppeteer.


    "You... you can''t fight the darkness! You''re too weak!" Dag shouted, whose conscience was again under the rule of his evil power, clutching the body of his prey with huge claws.

 Chapter 631: DCXXXI. The Raging Beast

    The two-bladed sword fell to the ground and, bouncing about twice, the dark red blood from Dag''s chest splashed here and there.


    Freya was immobilized in the grip, and when Dag was sure that the Goddess had no escape, the dark beam that kept him in mid-air led him down, causing him to rest his feet on the ground.


    "Freyr! Freyr! Dag, stop! Look at Freyr, look what you did to my brother! Stop it, you''re hurting me! The training is over!" she yelled, who had suddenly lost her characteristic calm, seeing from a few meters away her brother''s unconscious body stuck in the ground, with the bone of an arm evidently broken.


    "Training? You Gods are just a bunch of inferior beings! You can''t counter my power! You have no chance of surviving the dark matter!" Dag replied, filled with rage, clutching Freya''s neck with both hands.


    The Goddess wriggled with the rest of her body, grabbing the Okstorm''s warrior''s wrists with her hands and clutching them with the maximum of her strength, which diminished more and more as her senses gradually abandoned her body.


    After its stands were destroyed, the Arena of Asgard has wholly deserted: all the spectators who had witnessed the fighting between Dag and Freyr in those days had escaped in fear.


    Dag''s hands kept pushing, and his eyes were pointed at the blue ones of the beautiful Freya, who looked at him without being able to say a word, due to the air in her lungs that was running in short supply.


    Just moments before the Goddess''s neck was broken, a glitter struck Dag''s eyes, whose gaze rose to the sky, drawn by something above his head.


    A small luminous globe made its way through the clouds, and a metal body ripped through the sky, heading at great speed towards him.


    Instinctively, Dag, who had reached almost the complete demonic form, losing control of his actions, left Freya''s neck and threw her away, jumping backwards and dodging the blow from above.


    *boom*


    A mighty roar echoed through the arena''s destroyed walls, and a cloud of dust covered the view, forcing Dag to retreat even further.


    Amid the dust, a yellowish light shone ardently, like a fire that could not be extinguished.


    Gungnir had stuck in the exact spot where, moments earlier, Okstorm''s warrior had immobilized Freya, who kept coughing on the ground, touching her throat.


    "Uhm?!" Dag gasped when he perceived a presence beside the divine spear.


    It broke off the ground and crows that appeared out of nowhere flew in its own direction in less than a second, turning themselves in a human-like body, which materialized next to the weapon and firmly charged towards Dag.


    "Alfather..." Freya whispered, realizing that Odin had just saved her life.


    Even before he saw the next blow fired by the Gods'' father, Dag crossed his huge dark hands in front of him: a shot of unprecedented power struck him, making him fly ten meters away and slamming his back against the walls.


    After that masterful blow, Odin stood still, rotated Gungnir, and put its lower end on the ground, pointing his gaze at Dag, who slowly managed to pull his body out of the rubble.


    "Grr... Alfather..." he whispered, growling and looking at what for his eyes was the greatest of his enemies.


    "I shouldn''t have left you alone with Freya and Freyr... your powers have awakened earlier than expected..." Odin said, in a calm and controlled tone of voice, as usual.


    "Aaaargh!"


    Without thinking about the consequences, Dag stuck the claws of both of his dark hands into the ground, penetrating the first layers of soil and giving himself the push to charge towards Odin. The latter remained impassive, waiting for the impact with his opponent.


    A purple aura wrapped the right arm of the earthling warrior, who at an almost imperceptible speed to the human eye reached the Alfather, trying to hit him with a predictable frontal attack, convinced that even the great Odin could not counter it.


    Contrary to Dag''s expectations, the Alfather dodged the blow laterally and with a rapid movement of his spear, used Gungnir''s metal rod to hit Dag''s jaw and knock him to the ground.


    Continuing to growl like a raging beast, he quickly turned around. He attempted a second blow, moving his right arm and generating a powerful shockwave that consumed the ground around Odin''s feet.


    The God kept Gungnir in rotation and in an instant, a yellowish protective shield appeared before him, destroying itself into a thousand pieces under the blow of the human-like demon.


    *boom*scratch*


    While Dag awkwardly tried to hit his target for the third time, Odin''s spear pierced his dark arm, nailing it on the ground and preventing him from moving.


    "Guarrggh! Die! Die! I am the darkness, and you can''t stop me!" Dag yelled again in the demonic voice, trying unsuccessfully to pull Gungnir out of his arm.


    Odin left his spear and stepped forward, positioning himself at the exact spot where Dag could not reach him with his other arm.


    "You defeated Freyr and Freya in one fight. However, you can''t control your power. You''re not ready yet, Dag" the Alfather affirmed with conviction, looking at him as if he was a caged beast.


    "Aaargh! Fight! Let me go of my arm and fight! Aaargh!" he continued to yell, resting both feet in front of his body and grabbing Gungnir with his dark hand that had not been injured, clutching it with the maximum of his physical strength.


    Meanwhile, despite being injured, Freya got up and rushed to Freyr, trying to make him regain his senses.


    Odin looked at his young earth pupil, knowing that despite his outstanding strength, enhanced by his demonic spirit, he would not be able to move his divine spear by even an inch.


    Just as this thought floated in the Alfather''s mind, Gungnir''s long metal bar moved a few inches under Dag''s grip, which was dedicating his entire body to that supernatural movement.

 Chapter 632: DCXXXII. The Demon Body

    "What?! He moved Gungnir! Only the strongest Xis managed to counter the power of my spear! I have to stop him immediately!" Odin thought, who was visibly worried about what he had just seen.


    With a quick forward movement, the Alfather grabbed his spear and rotated it vertically, widening the wound in Dag''s arm and preventing him from freeing himself.


    Soon after, he put a hand on the young demonic boy''s head, and a golden aura wrapped his arm as if activating a powerful spell on him.


    "Aaargh! Let me go, Alfather!" Dag kept screaming, who could not move, blocked by Gungnir and Odin''s grip.


    The Alfather closed his eyes and the light that enveloped his arm increased, attracting the attention of Dag, who could not understand what was happening to him.


    "I feel it... I feel the darkness that lives within you, boy" the father of the Gods stated.


    After those words, Dag''s eyes opened wide for a moment, and his soul was sucked into his memories.


    It was as if in those infinite moments, his body had become only a simple container of organs as his spirit detached from it, recognizing its identity.


    "What am I doing? I almost killed Freyr, and the one next to him is Freya! I hurt them! What about the Arena? What happened to the sacred Arena of Asgard?! Was it me?! Did I create all this chaos?! Odin, please help me!" Dag thought intensely, communicating with the Alfather without even saying a word, believing that the wise Odin could help him control the darkness from the top of his powers.


    "I hear you, Dag... I can hear you... but I can''t help you. The dark matter that permeates your body is too powerful. Too much, even for me, the Alfather!" Odin exclaimed, drawing the attention of Freya, who turned to him with worried eyes, having never heard the Alfather admit his inferiority so bluntly.


    "Dag! Dag I know you can hear me! My provocations worked, and you finally managed to awaken your full potential! But that''s enough! The true strength of a warrior lies in self-control, not destruction! Show everyone who you are, Dag!" the blonde-haired Goddess yelled, as the veins of her neck swelled in despair and her clothes and face were soiled and dusty.


    Freyr''s unconscious body was still next to her, partially covered in debris from the recent explosions generated by Gungnir''s arrival in the Asgard Arena.


    "I... I can hear you! I can hear you, but I can''t answer you! The dark matter has totally taken over my body and is expelling my true soul!" Dag shouted again, knowing that his words would remain confined within his mind, contained in that demonic body.


    "No, Dag! You have to stop the darkness from winning! If your spirit is removed from your body, you will no longer be able to return to it, and I will be forced to kill this demon, who will otherwise destroy Asgard under his powerful blows! Self-control is what you need boy, you have to try at all costs, your life hangs by a thread!" the Alfather yelled, paralyzing Freya, who had never seen him in those conditions since the Frostsinners seized Asgard and exiled the Gods to Skjold.


    "I''m starting to feel my body... my hands, my legs... the dark matter has taken over Dag... I am just a shapeless and aimless spirit... I lost, Alfather... I couldn''t save me, and I won''t even be able to save you..." the spirit of Dag whispered, speaking only to Odin, who still had his hand resting on the forehead of the demonic body.


    Just then, a dim greyish light, similar to a kind of low-asleep smoke, began to soar through the air from Dag''s head.


    That substance immediately took shape, taking on human appearance: in addition to the body, easily recognizable, the last part of taking on a definite shape was the head, adorned with long hair and the typical traits of the Okstorm warrior.


    "Alfather! Don''t tell me that... that''s the spirit of young Dag! What''s going on?! He''s abandoning his own body!" Freya gasped in terror, who had meanwhile managed to get up and regain her strength, healing the wound on her neck, which had turned into a clearly visible scar.


    "He''s giving in! Dag''s stopping fighting! His body manages to contain all this power, but to do so, it must expel his soul! There is no room for his human soul when he is forced to live with such darkness!" the Alfather admitted, who, standing still in the same position and holding in place Dag''s body, that tried to free himself from time to time, could only look up to heaven and hope that something unexpected would happen.


    The spirit just pulled out of Dag''s head finally opened his eyes and looked down, assuming an expression of sadness and anger and stretching his hands towards the Alfather, as if desperately seeking his help.


    "I can''t abandon my body! Not after everything I''ve had to go through to get here! I was wrong to unleash all this power! I should have known I couldn''t control it!" the Spirit of Dag exclaimed, who as he climbed upwards immediately stopped.


    "motlhbe''choHlu''be''! motlhbe''chu kackun!" the demon body of Okstorm''s warrior said in a voice so deep and severe that it annoyed the eardrums of his listeners.


    As those foreign words were spoken, Dag''s spirit began to rise again, getting closer and closer to the point of no return, after which he would no longer be able to reach his body.


    When Odin and Freya watched that lugubrious spectacle helplessly, something unexpected happened, and Dag''s soul stopped again in mid-air, gradually returning to his body.


    A hand made of his own substance grabbed his ankle and pulled him back forcefully.


    As the hand pulled, the arm attached to it slowly came out of the head of Dag''s real body, revealing the identity of the second spirit contained in it.

 Chapter 633: DCXXXIII. Rise!

    "What are my old eyes seeing?!" Odin whispered, who had never seen anything like that before.


    "Magni! Master! Is it you! Master Magni!" Dag''s spirit yelled, spreading his arms and pointing them towards the spirit of his late master, who had lived within him all that time, enhancing his electrical abilities.


    "Dag. The time of your death is not yet here. Your fate has not yet been fulfilled. You have to go back into your body and regain possession of the darkness. It is the most powerful darkness of the Universe and has been given to you. Only you can control it. You and no one else" the spirit of the valiant Magni affirmed, continuing to pull down Dag''s soul, while he gradually came out of his body as if he was making the opposite movement.


    "What? Was it donated to me? Who gave it to me? You told me about my parents, and you said they might still be alive somewhere, but... you never told me how to reach them! Master, I still needed you! There were still many things I had to learn!"


    As Magni and Dag''s dialogue continued, the anger that the young warrior''s spirit felt was enough to give Magni enough strength to pull him back.


    "The prophecy, Dag. The prophecy is your only goal! You can save us all! You''re no longer a kid. You''re Okstorm''s strongest warrior!" Magni continued, who literally climbed onto his adept''s body, causing his spirit to slide down while his soul was finally freed so as to reach Valhalla.


    "My task here is over. You don''t need my guidance anymore, kid. Be the guide of yourself. Be the light in the darkness!" the Iron Thunder exclaimed once again, under the astonished gaze of Asgard''s most powerful Gods, who stood by and watched helplessly as the life of their promised saviour hung by a thread.


    When Dag''s and Magni''s faces approached each other, the young earthling wrapped his arms around his master, and with a thread of voice, resigned to the idea that that was the only solution to preserve his soul within his mortal body, embraced him forcefully and said: "thank you, Master. Thanks to you, I understood who I am. I won''t let you down! Go, great Magni, you''re free!"


    An ethereal tear ran over Dag''s face and simultaneously at that of Magni, who reciprocated the embrace with a smile, knowing that finally, the real goal that kept him confined to the mortal world had been achieved and that finally his spirit had reached salvation, earning the favor of the Aesir.


    "Powerful and valiant Magni! I, Odin, the Alfather, free your soul from that body! May the Valkyries lead you safely into Valhalla, where we will toast together for eternity, witnessing the deeds of our brave Dag! Fly away, Magni!" Odin screamed with all the force in his body, grabbing his Gungnir and raising it to the sky, invoking the power of the powerful winged Shieldmaidens.


    After looking at the boy who had been the son he had never had, Magni, without thinking twice, pushed Dag''s soul down with all his might, forcing it to enter its body again.


    With that gesture, his spirit was able to detach and began to float towards the sky, lighter than the air itself.


    A yellow light spread to the ruins of the Arena of Asgard and, as ordered by the Father of the Gods, starling figures began to soar through the air, flying in a circle and surrounding the spirit of the late Magni, the strongest warrior the Hammers Of Thor''s Clan had ever known.


    Two huge and mighty Valkyries grabbed Magni''s arms, pulling him to themselves and preventing him from continuing to float upwards aimlessly and get lost in the infinity of the cosmos.


    The third Valkyrie, with long white hair fluttering from under her winged helmet, looked for a few moments at the Alfather, her only ruler, who nodded his head, giving them consent to ferry that soul into the kingdom of heaven, the only place above Asgard.


    A caress pierced Magni''s face, which fell asleep like a newborn in the arms of the mighty Valkyries, warlords and soul-saving.


    After only a few seconds, the same powerful yellowish glow clouded the sight of everyone present, and when the light subsided, both Magni and the Valkyries were gone forever, leaving only a halo of golden dust shining with their own light.


    Freya, with her brother''s body in her arms, looked at the Alfather, knowing that he was the only one who could solve that desperate situation. Just then, Freyr opened his eyes, gradually regaining his senses: "Fre... Freya... sister..." he said, when the first thing he saw was the Goddess''s gorgeous blonde hair, while her blue eyes immediately fell on him, glad he was back in the realm of the living.


    "Freyr..." she whispered, smiling.


    The pommel of the sacred Gungnir spear was laid on the ground, while Odin used it as if it was a stick to approach Dag''s body, lying on the arena''s destroyed floor.


    His skin and appearance were back in their standard colour, as well as his hair, soiled with dust and blood, covering his head.


    The Alfather, as if he already knew what to do, grabbed young Dag''s light armor and lifted him off the ground as if he was an inanimate object: his head fell slightly backwards and when his closed eyes were pointed at the sky, at the exact spot where Magni''s soul had finally been able to achieve its ascent, they opened wide.


    A deep and strong breath filled Dag''s lungs, who, when he realized that his feet were not touching the ground, wriggled for an instant, coughing up blood and other dust.


    *cough*cough*


    "Al... Alfather!" he exclaimed, trying in every way to take a respectful attitude despite what had just happened.


    Odin left his grip, and Dag''s feet touched the ground, allowing him to stand before him.


    "Rise, warrior of Asgard! See the world with your new eyes and feel your new divine blood flow through your veins!" Odin shouted with conviction, smiling and spreading his arms.


    "He said... did he really say ''warrior of Asgard''? What... what happened at the Arena?! I fainted right at the most exciting part!" Freyr exclaimed, trying to stand up, but to no avail.


    When the blood stopped squirting from Dag''s mouth, he wiped his face with one hand and looked up again, framing Odin''s shape in front of him and accepting his last words as a verdict of his rebirth.


    Different energy than usual was flowing inside his body. It was very intense, similar to the dark one, but at the same time lighter, as if it was part of him from the very moment of his birth.


    Dag''s spirit had finally returned within his body, and the darkness that had taken over continued to coexist with it, but with submissiveness, like an obedient slave ready to accomplish his master''s every wish.


    Dag clenched his fists and stepped towards the Alfather, aware that he was finally ready to fulfill the prophecy that Kranus had brought to light. Finally, he was worthy of the favors of the Gods of Asgard.

 Chapter 634: DCXXXIV. The Western Capital

    Dag spent six days on Asgard, but on Skjold, where time kept flowing normally, it had already been 42 days since his departure.


    In particular, in Krypstorm, rebuilding the city of Klorr after its near-total destruction had not been easy.


    The Claws Of Fenrir, from the moment of the epic battle that marked their victory over the Lies Of Loki, remained allies of the Giants Of Ymir and, together with them, rebuilt their ancient city from the foundations, from which they had been driven out at a time that belonged to the sad past.


    Taking advantage of the physical strength and bulk of the Jotunns, Bloodfang''s werewolves had restored Klorr Castle to its original glory: to return the favour, they had decided that all members of Giants Of Ymir, regardless of their age or social rank, could visit and stay in Klorr as they pleased.


    Huge tables packed with all kinds of foods had marked those 42 days, useful to celebrate the long-awaited peace of Krypstorm and to cheer the name of the powerful Dag, the warrior who had put an end to the Lies Of Loki hegemony and who had now ascended to Asgard along with the Gods'' father, the almighty Odin.


    Freydis and Reidar, though strangers in the land of perennial ice, were now bound to the two Clans they had accompanied in battle; therefore, they were regarded as elite warriors, as those who had helped Dag accomplish that crucial mission.


    As the days went by, they had strengthened their bond with the two Clan Leaders, especially with Thyrius, who, despite his harsh and somewhat violent character, from the moment Dag disappeared along with Odin treated them like his siblings.


    Bloodfang, after the fight against the Keeper of Klorr Castle, no longer needed to fight anyone and had spent his days helping his men with the reconstruction of Klorr and training on anger management.


    Kranus, on the other hand, had continued his studies, reading day after day what was written in the last pages of the ancient tome of the prophecy and knowing that, in that way, he could find out what Dag''s fate would be.


    The city of Klorr had finally returned to its former glory, and huge banners colored red and black stretched over the buildings and along the streets, symbolizing the Clan of the Claws Of Fenrir, whose people had completely abandoned the Rocky Prison, in which they had been forced to live beneath the surface.


    That day, during one evening like any other, an air of tranquillity floated among the streets of the new capital of the west and Reidar, Freydis, Kranus and Thyrius were walking, discussing the final touches that could make that place even more beautiful than it already was.


    "You told us about the Hunters Of Ullr a long time ago. I remember you saying that they chose to travel to Okstorm to follow the false king, Einar. Well, that''s a real shame. If they had stayed here in Krypstorm, we could have welcomed them to our capital, and we could have joined our forces!" Thyrius exclaimed, turning to Freydis and Reidar and recalling their past.


    "It''s true, and I''m sorry too. I have no idea what they''re doing now, but I''m sure they''re better off than when they were at Fort Hvit, risking every day being killed by the ice giants!" Freydis smiled, looking at Kranus and making a clear reference to his men.


    "Don''t look at me, Freydis. I could not know that all this would happen. I could not know that I would meet the man destined to fulfill that ancient prophecy! If I had known it from the beginning, I would certainly have avoided making the choices I made. The Hunters Of Ullr Clan, though ancient and glorious, hindered my men, occupying that old abandoned fort and looking for trouble. I just made them realize that the Giants Of Ymir''s name had to be respected!"


    "Don''t worry, old Kranus... I''m just kidding. The only thing that matters is that we''re all safe and sound now. And by all, I mean everybody" Freydis replied, looking up at the sky and trying to peer over the clouds as the moon shone in the darkness above their heads.


    "The Captain is fine. I feel it" Reidar added, who until then had not said a word, limiting himself to following his companions with his arms folded, as if he was their bodyguard.


    "I have positive feelings, too. But the fact that I can''t see him with my own eyes wears down my soul. We spent a lot of time without talking or touching each other, and I thought that period was over. Suppose Kranus'' prophecy is really as we believe. In that case, Dag will return to Skjold when he is ready and can finally gather all the Crystals of the Elements to face the real enemy once and for all!" the red-haired girl repeated, looking forward and continuing to walk, heading to a tavern.


    "Until now, everything written in that damn book has come true! Grragh! That boy''s going to make it... he always made it. It is said by who was always the first to bet against him, so¡­" Bloodfang added, referring to himself.


    Shortly before arriving at the tavern where they would drink mead to hydrate their tired bodies after the final touches at the Castle, the four warriors passed in front of a large group of people, intent on talking to each other with joy, while their faces expressed serenity and happiness.


    None of them focused on all those people, knowing that the streets of Klorr since it had become a free city, were constantly crowded at every hour of the day and night.


    As they continued to walk and talk, a man broke away from the group of people and followed them at an average pace, staying about five meters behind them.


    After a few seconds, Reidar, who, as usual, was a quiet person and never lowered his guard, turned his gaze backwards and framed the man.


    "What''s going on, Reidar?" Freydis asked, before turning around and finding out someone was following them.


    In front of their eyes, there was a man of medium stature and constitution, dressed in a long black cloth dress and a wide hood that completely covered his head, making his appearance unrecognizable.

 Chapter 635: DCXXXV. The Winter Flower

    "Um? And who is that?" Bloodfang mumbled, growling in that direction and attracting the attention of Kranus, who was talking to him a few seconds earlier.


    The eyes of Freydis, Reidar and the two leaders of Krypstorm''s major Clans remained focused on that ambiguous figure, who seemed to have come out of nowhere.


    The hooded man stood still in the middle of the street, but when he made sure all four of them were looking at him, regardless of all the other people on the streets of Klorr, he took off his hood, revealing his true appearance.


    Long, silky smooth, night-black hair fell in gravity downwards, touching the final part of his back, and his white face rose under the yellow light of torches attached to the walls of the city''s palaces.


    His skin was whitest than that of a dead body. However, the distinctive traits that made him easily distinguishable were his penetrating and glassy purple eyes, wide open toward the four warriors in front of him.


    Moments after seeing those eyes, Freydis immediately pulled out her spear, and Reidar held an arrow over his bow, pointing it at the man.


    "Grrr..." Bloodfang''s recognizable roar rumbled through the streets of Klorr and ended up irreparably attracting the gaze of all the soldiers who were around at that time of night, enjoying that quiet atmosphere.


    The Claws Of Fenrir''s werewolves approached the man by stealthily walking behind him, and within seconds, a dozen of them surrounded him, sensing that their leader had recognized that man as a danger.


    The silence lasted for another long and interminable seconds, until Kranus, with one hand behind his back and the other clasping on his staff, stepped forward, positioning himself in front of his companions, ready to interface with the stranger who had all the air of being a Xis.


    "Hi," exclaimed the ice mage with a solemn expression.


    The man sighed deeply, looking around and back, intimidating all of Bloodfang''s men only with his appearance, which made him as terrifying as death itself.


    His long black hair followed every movement of his neck and it was so smooth and perfect that it looked fake. However, his hands and arms were still hidden under the long sleeves of the long black dress, stretched out along his hips.


    "I note with amazement that great progress has been made in this part of the planet. A city rebuilt in just over 40 of your days, without the help of technology. That''s... remarkable", the man said, in a voice too deep to be human.


    "Klorr was rebuilt with the sweat of our men, who after years and years of exile, reconquered what once belonged to our Clans. Now, can I know who you are and why did you come here?" Kranus continued, who intended to address a peaceful discourse with that terrifying humanoid monster, which exuded pure wickedness.


    "Skjold is the only planet on which we have been forced to set foot. It has never happened, in thousands of years, that our personal intervention was needed, you know?" the Xis replied, turning left and beginning to walk, heading towards the front of one of the buildings overlooking the street. "However, it seems that not even one of my trusted servants was able to accomplish the mission for which he had been sent here. What a shame. I apologize for his incompetence."


    Bloodfang''s men, though in stark numerical superiority, recalling what Dag''s last Xis had been capable of, stepped back as soon as they saw that the black-haired man was walking.


    "Your calculations were wrong then" Freydis exclaimed, taking courage and forcibly entering into the conversation between the Xis and Kranus, who, as soon as he heard those words, made a gesture with his hand towards her, ordering her to be silent.


    The Xis stopped immediately at the steps leading to the private house to which he was walking. Two large rectangular vases adorned a small porch that served to beautify the street.


    "Mhmhmh..." the white-skinned man malignantly chuckled, "our calculations were wrong," he said, continuing to smile, as one hand stretched out towards the coloured flowers beneath his eyes.


    "We know what you are, and we know your power. Please tell us your name," Kranus replied, trying to erase Freydis'' last words by repeating his request.


    "The name... you human beings are obsessed with ''names'', right? Your limited minds give forced names to everything, to every person, to every inanimate object, as if there were a need to catalogue everything and find out how it can be exploited as you please. I don''t have a name, just a role, a task. When they turn to me, they call me ''the Overseer''."


    The enemy''s words echoed among the crowd of fearful warriors, making Bloodfang''s ears vibrate, who remained silent to restrain his anger, knowing that if he attacked that Xis, he would probably cause the deaths of dozens of his loyal soldiers.


    "We know the real reason that drove you here, Overseer. I''m afraid you''re wasting your time," Reidar exclaimed, taking the reins of the speech and positioning himself next to Kranus, storing the Failnaught and sticking the arrow in the quiver.


    The Xis''s hand gently vented the petal of a yellow flower that stood out in the vase more than its own kind, rising upwards. Reidar''s words were accompanied by a long silence, during which the Xis seemed to dissociate himself from their dialogue, devoting all his attention to that flower.


    When his snow-white finger moved away from the petal, the flower began to close on itself: all the petals rolled inwards and, under the astonished eyes of those who could see that scene, that ''Crocus'', a typical winter flower, returned to the ground that had given birth to it, as if it was living its life in reverse, returning to being a seed that has not yet blossomed.


    "Even time is just a foolish convention of yours. By dividing it into seconds, minutes, hours and days, you think you can manipulate it, but you can''t. Time exists, but it can only command, not be commanded."

 Chapter 636: DCXXXVI. Hes Not Here

    Those words generated a sudden silence, and all the warriors walking down that street, seeing Bloodfang''s men ready to attack, stopped to watch, trying to figure out how an enemy had managed to enter the city, overcoming the guard''s surveillance.


    "Tell me... where is the human you call Dag?" the Xis asked suddenly, taking a step toward them and clarifying his request, specifying the reason that had pushed him within the walls of Klorr.


    A wave of sudden anger permeated the body of Freydis, who, after hearing that phrase, thought back to the last time she saw her man while risking his life against one of the Xis who was probably under the command of that long, black-haired monster.


    Reidar and Kranus stood still and watched as the cold emanating from the alien began to graze their skin, entering the flesh into the bones.


    "Dag is not here" Kranus exclaimed with conviction, wanting to see the enemy''s reaction and knowing that those words would not be enough to satisfy him.


    "It''s not here, that''s right. I can feel that. So where is he? Do not abuse my gentle nature, mortals" the Xis continued, whose arms returned along his hips and whose eyes remained pointed at the four warriors who had helped Dag accomplish his last feat.


    "If this Frostsinner keeps asking this question, it means he can''t sense the Captain''s aura! Odin must have taken him where they can''t see him!" Reidar thought, remaining silent and studying every word spoken by that terrifying stranger.


    "None of us know his position. After confronting the Frostsinner who came here before you, Dag disappeared, and we didn''t hear any more news about him," Kranus said, trying to be as vague as possible.


    "Disappeared? You, humans, do not possess such abilities. This is very strange. Our eyes can''t see him. Even I can''t feel his aura. It''s like he''s not on this planet anymore, or on any other planet," the Overseer said, sighing. "Patience is not one of my greatest virtues, human. If you do not tell me where 813666 is, you will be forced to pay the consequences of his outrageous actions against the Xis Supreme Council. Do you accept these conditions?"


    The Overseer, unlike the Xis they met up to that point, spoke in a calm, relaxed tone of voice, as if bored with what he was doing to repair the mistake that, before him, some of his colleagues had committed. It was as if he wasn''t in the same hurry that the last Xis was in bringing Dag back to Earth.


    "Dag saved us, freeing us from the domination of Lies Of Loki, the Clan that for many years forced us to live underground and let our families starve or freeze to death. Women, children... even our elders couldn''t resist the low winter temperatures of Krypstorm when we lived in the Rocky Prison. If you are convinced that saving other human beings from slavery is an outrage... well, then we are all as guilty as he is" Thyrius interrupted, joining Reidar and Kranus and saying his own, defending Dag''s name against all odds.


    "Mmh... haha... mhahahaahah!"


    A mad laugh echoed through the streets of Klorr and the long black-haired Frostsinner bent forward for the effort, laughing continuously for more than ten seconds at the statement of the Claws of Fenrir''s warchief, who continued to look at him in disgust, acknowledging that that abominable being knew no values such as honor and friendship.


    "But death is the only certainty of your miserable humans! Are you foolish enough not to understand it yet? Your lives count nothing and do not belong to you! They belong to us, to the Xis ever since we saved you from extinction, you useless, filthy human beings!" the Overseer exclaimed aloud, completely changing expression, but only for a few seconds: a vein on his forehead swelled and small veins around his eyes did the same, as if suddenly madness and thirst for power had taken over rationality.


    "Tell me where 813666 is!"


    After shouting for the second time the numerical code that distinguished Dag, the Xis broke his feet off the ground and began to levitate, rising about half a meter from the street''s tiles.


    The Claws of Fenrir soldiers retreat in fear by looking at their head out of the corners of their eyes and hoping Bloodfang will not order them to attack the monster in front of them.


    "He''s safe now! They can''t see the Captain, and they desperately need him! But why?! Why do they keep looking for him everywhere?! Just because his dark power is so great that it scares even them? No, no, no! There must be another reason! They don''t have to find him! We have to hold out until the Captain comes back! I know he will!" Reidar thought intently, clutching the Failnaught in his hands and holding back a scream of anger.


    Freydis grabbed her spear and pointed it at the enemy, ready to sacrifice herself for what she believed in, but, as soon as both she and Reidar wielded their weapons, Kranus got in the way of each other again and the Frostsinner, who looked down on him.


    The old ice wizard rested on the ground the lower tip of his staff and a thin stream of icy air began to twist around it with upward movement, reaching to its summit and continuing to float.


    The gaze of the Giants Of Ymir''s general, the one who discovered the sacred prophecy, rose to the Xis, whose veins had returned to normal.


    "Is that young man''s life really worth more than all our lives?" Kranus asked, in a melancholy tone, knowing that his interlocutor''s answer would not please either him or everyone who was hearing that conversation.


    "Oh, yes. It''s worth a lot, much more," the Xis coolly replied, when his purple eyes lit up, and his black hair continued to flutter behind him as if they were not subjected to normal force of gravity.


    Before responding to that statement, Kranus let his magical power flow inside his body, and his eyes also changed colour, turning deep blue.

 Chapter 637: DCXXXVII. The Icy Hand

    "Mmmh... and what was that?" the Overseer said again, marvelling that magical powers came from a human being, who, according to the Xis knowledge, lacked any spirituality. "My colleagues had told me that the powers of you human beings had increased a lot in recent years, but I preferred not to believe those words. However, you have a compelling aura, old man" he continued, never looking away from Kranus.


    "It is evident that your knowledge is not as absolute as you believe. If you continue to underestimate our powers, one day it may be too late for you" Kranus said, leaving his comrades speechless, who watched him astonished, not believing that such a wise man dared to outrage the Xis with those sincere words.


    "You were born here, on Skjold. Don''t you?" the Overseer asked again, curious about the truth, not knowing Kranus''s past, who did not answer the question.


    "I guess so. I wonder where the powers of you human beings come from. I admit my ignorance."


    Just as the long black-haired Xis continued to talk to Kranus, who had unlocked his full potential, Bloodfang also stepped forward, alongside the ice wizard and growling subtly, inevitably attracting the enemy''s gaze.


    "I don''t know much about you Frostsinners, but what I know is enough to order you out of my town right now" Thyrius affirmed, evidently filled with rage.


    Freydis and Reidar, who were the only two left behind and decided not to challenge that dark entity, looked each other in the eye, fearing Bloodfang might make a bad end by succumbing to his uncontrolled rage.


    "It''s your Gods, aren''t they?" the Overseer asked, without adding anything else.


    A frosty silence suddenly fell, and the fear of answering that question was so dense that it overloaded the air. All the warriors present quivered from the desire to attack the invader and drive him away by force, but the fear shared by the two warchiefs was so intense that it curbed their fearless souls.


    "Yeah, I got it... although we have exiled and weakened your Gods, you continue to believe in them... until they have worshipers, they won''t stop getting on our way. Eeeh... I knew we should have been more foresight about this. Well, apparently, 813666 isn''t here. I''m going to have to look for him elsewhere," the Xis continued, whose feet touched the ground as if he suddenly stopped threatening the warriors in front of him.


    "You have no idea what it''s like to ''believe'' in something because you only believe in yourself", Bloodfang suddenly answered, generating curiosity from the enemy, who began to look at him, rotating his head slightly.


    "Believe? There''s nothing to believe. The only absolute value is our science, our technology, our supernatural capabilities. Dark Matter. Everything else is fantasy, an abstract concept that does nothing but make you who you are: inferior beings from elementary biology", the Overseer replied.


    "Blah, blah, blah... have you finished babbling nonsense? Since I was just a child, my parents have always taught me to love and worship the Great Wolf Fenrir with all my might, even more than I loved them. I was just a boy when I cut my own father''s throat with my claws to get his inheritance, which is the command of our sacred Clan, whose name you''re blackening. In my life, I haven''t had time for love for children or a wife. No... the only thing that has never abandoned me, and that has driven me to continue fighting is faith. Blood, war, victory and defeat. These are the only realities in this world and other worlds. You beings from the cosmos will never understand that."


    After his profound words, Thyrius clenched his fists and veins on his arms began to swell. The padded leather jacket for the winter widened, and the laces that closed it at the front tore as the chest and bust of the Claws of Fenrir boss increased in size during the transformation into a Werewolf.


    The Overseer did not respond to Thyrius'' accusations and stood still in the same position, with the black dress covering his arms and hands, still standing along his hips.


    The icy air emanating from the enemy, combined with that generated by Kranus''s staff, contrasted with the body heat released by Bloodfang''s transformation, determined to prove to the invader that the Claws Of Fenrir Clan would stop in front of nothing.


    "Your lives are devoid of values. Unlike some of my colleagues on the council, I''m not going to kill you. I just think it''s an unnecessary waste of resources. Step aside and take over," the Xis replied, speaking very calmly, while his piercing purple eyes were fixed on the fangs protruding from the Packmaster''s mouth.


    Bloodfang''s transformation was completed, and, under the astonished eyes of his disciples, he managed to stand still and not act impulsively, keeping anger perfectly under control.


    The fur behind his neck rose up, and his arms were resting on the ground, in front of his feet, ready to snap forward, while the ferocious beast saliva dripped over the street''s floor and his eyes red as the fire framed their next prey.


    "You have tarnished the name of our Gods and that of the man who managed to save these people. You don''t deserve to live! Grrargh!" Bloodfang growled again, turning to Kranus, who received that message as a signal of attack.


    Without further warning, the ice wizard slammed the lower tip of his staff to the ground, and the current of icy air around it was channelled forward, entering the terrain and extinguishing itself inside it, into the shallower layers of soil, flashing with a dim blue light.


    Within seconds of that movement, an earthquake-like tremor shook the feet of everyone present, and from the point where the blue light had vanished, a gash opened into the floor of Klorr''s street, destroying tiles and making way for a shapeless mass of earth and ice.


    The mash rose like a mountain upwards, and the ice permeated every molecule of earth, shading that mass, which became a vast, icy hand.

 Chapter 638: DCXXXVIII. Avalon

    *boom*


    The fingers of that enormous hand, about two meters wide, anchored to the ground and pulled outwards the rest of the body connected to the arm.


    From the ground''s breach came a second arm, then a small head devoid of eyes and mouth and finally a robust and colossal body, entirely made of ice.


    Under the incredulous gaze of Reidar and Freydis, who could only remain silent to admire the power of that spell, Kranus summoned his greatest Ice Golem, ready to fight the enemy to the point of exhausting strength.


    Soon after the golem''s last foot touched the ground, weighing it down with its colossal bulk, Bloodfang also prepared for the attack, spreading his arms and opening his hands, letting the true power of the Packmaster flow into his veins.


    Small fiery skis began to swirl around his claws and forearms until both of Thyrius'' arms were covered in flames.


    The two warchiefs of Krypstorm''s most powerful Clans were ready to fight to the fullest of their strength, but the Xis before their eyes did not seem at all worried and looked at the golem with interest as if it was the most fascinating attraction of a circus.


    "Kranus, now!" Bloodfang growled, who made an incredible leap to the back of the Ice Golem.


    Simultaneously, the ice wizard moved his staff forward, ordering his magnificent creature to attack and uttering solemn words. "The land that joins the ice, becoming one thing only! The solid water that strengthens the rock, making it its armour! Admire the ancient power of Avalan, the Colossus!"


    With a slow and predictable movement, the Golem raised a fist upwards and then smashed it in the Xis direction, who did not move a millimeter.


    *boom*vvrooom*


    A loud roar shook the ground, and a geyser of earth and ice splashed upwards from the point of impact, where Avalan''s huge fist appeared to have hit the target.


    "I can see you, I can see you, mother fucker! Grrargh!" Bloodfang growled again, who, while in the air, had managed to identify the Overseer, who was floating in front of Avalan''s face, unharmed.


    Bloodfang opened both of his arms wide and spread every muscle in his chest, loading an attack with extraordinary power.


    The Packmaster''s massive fiery arms grew even more, reaching several meters in size, and before his feet touched the ground, he closed them both toward the enemy, who a moment before being struck by the red fire of that attack disappeared into thin air.


    "Eh?! What?!" Reidar exclaimed, who had taken a few steps back with Freydis, knowing he could not compete with the extraordinary strength of Thyrius and Kranus.


    "He''s up there! Be careful! He teleported over your heads!" Freydis gasped, yelling and pointing her spear at the exact spot where the Xis had reappeared.


    The Colossal Avalan rose to its feet again, and its small head, formed by a pile of pseudosphere ice, tilted upwards as if it had pointed its eyes at the Frostsinner.


    "Grrr... teleport?! Get down and fight! Bloodfang shouted, slowly succumbing to anger and the desire to let his enemy''s blood flow on the earth.


    In contrast to the moonlight, the Overseer''s long dress''s shape was clearly visible as he stared at his human opponents, looking down on them.


    "If I didn''t have the urgency to find 813666, I''d gladly stay here and play with you. Who knows, maybe one day not too far, I will decide to meet you again. Farewell", the Xis said, who, before Thyrius, Kranus or anyone else could say anything, disappeared into nothingness, compressing his body.


    "No! No! Grrr... fuck him! Aaargh!" Bloodfang exclaimed again, not surrendering to the idea that the Xis had thus abandoned the battle and jumping to the point where he had disappeared, striking two consecutive shots of his claws and hitting nothing but from the cold air of the night.


    "Bloodfang..." Kranus said, in a low voice, as his warchief friend continued to look for the Xis, believing he was hidden somewhere, exploiting the gift of invisibility.


    "Thyrius!" the ice mage yelled, finally attracting the Packmaster''s attention. "He''s gone. The Frostsinner is not here anymore. Come back to you. Your men are watching."


    Bloodfang turned in front and back, looking around and realizing that everyone was watching him and that the danger had now escaped.


    "Ggrragh! What does all this mean? How dares he provoke us and then run away without a fight?!"


    "His goal was not us. He said it from the beginning. The real question is another, Thyrius..." Kranus continued, his eyes returning to standard color, looking at Avalon, the most mighty of the Ice Golems.


    Reidar stepped forward, followed by Freydis.


    "If he''s not here, where did he go looking for Dag?" the archer inquired, looking at the moon shining high in the sky.


    ...


    The Overseer, one of the most powerful on the Xis Supreme Court, was able to manipulate space and matter as he pleased. After disappearing from Klorr, he had relied on information obtained through Skjold''s animals'' eyes, the narrators of the young Dag''s story, from childhood to adulthood.


    His feet sank into the foliage of the undergrowth, and his white hands moved shrubs to pass. The forest in which he had transported was so dense that the moonlight could barely pass past the tall oaks'' foliage.


    Step by step, the Overseer overcame the roots of the trees and passed the bushes, which became less and less dense as the forest reached its limit.


    The last trees opened on to a small dark green clearing, in contrast to the night sky. The square outline of a farm appeared in the distance, and the light verse of some pigs in the fence echoed in the air.


    From the two front windows of the building came no light. However, the Overseer perceived the presence of more than one human being inside, imagining that, being late at night, the inhabitants of that farmhouse were immersed in a deep sleep.

 Chapter 639: DCXXXIX. The Investigation

    After walking a few meters slowly away and approaching the farm, something caught the Xis'' attention.


    "Arf! Arf, arf!"


    The new little dog from Dag''s adoptive family began to bark compulsively, stopping at the door and warning everyone present that an unwanted guest was approaching with a suspicious air.


    "Arf! Arf!" the little dog continued, until, to the sound of his barking, it joined that of heavy steps on the wooden floor of the house.


    *Screeck* The door was opened wide, and Eirik, still half-sleepy, looked outside the house with a confused air.


    As the little watchdog continued to bark at the stranger, the mighty lumberjack''s gaze fell on that strange figure, particularly on his black robe, which covered every part of his body, including his head.


    "Hey! Did you get lost? Who are you? What are you doing in front of my farm in the middle of the night?" Eirik yelled while other footsteps were heard coming from his shoulders.


    Before the Xis could answer, Gridd and Asa looked out of the door, getting closer to the man of the house. In particular, Gridd, highly foresight, took her two swords with her, hiding them behind her back, sensing a bad feeling.


    While barking compulsively, the small dog with white and brown spots began to tremble and, less than a minute after the stranger arrived, took refuge in the house.


    Although the outside temperature was not particularly cold, being the coldest period of the year gone, Eirik also began to have chills along his back and arms, noting that his breath was visible in front of his mouth in the form of water vapour.


    "Brrr! So?! Answer my question! Who are you?!" Eirik repeated, rubbing his arms and trying to warm up, while with hand gestures, he invited his mother and sister back inside.


    The Xis took off his hood, revealing his purple eyes and long black hair, looking forward.


    "Oh, no... no, no, no! Eirik, get back in the house! Go!" Gridd yelled, without giving further explanation, holding her swords behind her back and grabbing her brother''s arm with the other hand, pulling him backwards.


    "Sister... what are you doing? Do you know this man?!"


    "That''s not a normal person, Eirik... he doesn''t come from this world or even from Earth. Please, brother... go back inside the house with our mother and stay there until I tell you", the Shieldmaiden replied, making Asa guess that the figure in front of them was a creature of incredible strength and that he had not come in peace.


    "Eirik, let your sister handle this. Let''s do as she says. Come on, follow me. If Gridd needs our help, we will go out and help her," Asa confirmed, grabbing her second son''s other arm and accompanying him inside the house.


    "Help her? Gridd, do you want to get hurt? I can drive him away with ease, he seems quite unathletic and ..."


    "Eirik!" Gridd shouted suddenly, interrupting her brother''s words and looking at him with her piercing blue eyes, making him understand the gravity of the circumstances and ordering him to keep quiet as if he was her subordinate.


    "You are his adoptive sister, am I right?" the Overseer asked, speaking in his usual calm and relaxed voice, always keeping the same serious expression.


    Gridd closed the door behind her. "Yes, it''s me. Who am I talking to?" she said, clutching both of her two swords with one hand, knowing that the Xis was wise enough to have already realized that she was hiding something.


    "I visited your companions just now. The old ice izard, the rabid wolf, the archer and the bride," the Overseer said, speaking through metaphors and comparisons, glimpsed in Gridd''s attentive gaze a certain degree of intelligence.


    "The bride... the archer... you''re not talking about... Reidar and Freydis! This son of a bitch has been in Krypstorm!" Gridd thought, touching the wooden door with her back and noting that Eirik''s eyes and his mother Asa, popped up from behind the window glass.


    "I asked you who you are, not where you come from. You Xis would never set foot on our planet without a specific goal in mind," the Shieldmaiden exclaimed, showing self-confidence.


    "Oh. Finally, someone who pronounces that word well, not crippling it with that foolish way of saying that you inherited from your Norse ancestors. You look a lot smarter than your Krypstorm buddies. Tell me then, what''s the reason that pushed me here?"


    "You have talked about several people I know, but not about my brother. Yet you were referring to him when you asked me if I was ''his sister''. So I assume you didn''t meet Dag," Gridd replied, beginning to think of all the possible reasons for that unexpected visit in the middle of the night. "Besides, no Xis has ever survived my brother. If he had met you, he would probably have torn you to pieces."


    "Mhmhmh..." the Overseer chuckled, "you greatly overestimate your brother''s strength. Aren''t you worried about him? If I came all the way here to look for him, there must be a reason, don''t you think?"


    "I didn''t overestimate him at all. But I saw with my own eyes what happened the last two times he met Xis like you who wanted to hurt him. In all sincerity, I was sure he was in Krypstorm, but... no, I''m not worried about him. Dag can take care of himself and has always been a traveller", Gridd replied, who actually marvelled at that news, starting to worry about Dag, convinced that he was with Reidar and Freydis in the land of perennial ice, knowing nothing about his rise to Asgard and his encounter with the Alfather.


    "813666 is no longer on Skjold. That''s a fact. Our eyes have been monitoring him all these years constantly, ever since the first moment he set foot here, on this farm. Now we can''t see him anymore, which means he''s not here, or on any other planet," the Xis continued, taking a solemn tone, trying to figure out if Gridd knew anything she wasn''t confessing.

 Chapter 640: DCXL. The Midnight Stroll

    "There are two options then: either Dag is dead, or your ''eyes'' no longer see as they used to do" Gridd promptly answered, showing a coldness worthy of a Sons Of Freya''s Master.


    The Overseer shook his head, not biting the blonde-haired girl''s trap and continuing to talk without showing violent intent.


    "Everything you say is highly unlikely, if not impossible. I kindly ask you to tell me where your brother is, remembering that any information in your possession could be useful. Your Earthly brother is significant for the research about Dark Matter. By studying his body, our science could take important steps forward, and humans living underground on planet Earth could benefit. Don''t you want to contribute to the well-being of your own species?"


    Gridd remained silent for a few seconds, studying every sneaky word of the Xis and knowing that his only intent was to obtain information for the location of Dag. "All he says is a lie. He''s just trying to hit me where I''m weakest, convincing me that, in case I helped him, I''d do good to my people. What a motherfucker!" he thought.


    "I was born and raised in Skjold. The people of Skjold are my people. I have no interest in Earthlings, apart from Dag. If I had remained in Krypstorm, I''m sure Dag would have been safe with me, but I was forced to come back here. The only culprit for this is the one who calls himself King and answers to the name of Einar. If I were you, I''d take it up with him," Gridd replied, trying to shift the Xis'' attention to the person she hated the most in the world at the time.


    "You''re just trying to waste my time. Einar is just a homunculus who thinks he''s a God. What he would tell me would be completely irrelevant. Rather... the people who live with you on this farm. They are the mother and brother of 813666, right? I''d like to talk to them a little bit too," the Overseer continued, raising his hand toward Gridd and then moving it to the window from which Asa and Eirik were eavesdropping the conversation.


    "Forget about it. They haven''t seen Dag in months, and they know less than I do. You can''t talk to them," Gridd exclaimed, carrying both hands behind her shoulders and clutching both of her swords, ready to pull them out and fight to the death to protect her family.


    "Gridd?" a distant and familiar voice from the road leading to Jernhest suddenly exclaimed.


    The Overseer''s and Gridd''s eyes immediately pointed to the direction of origin of that voice, discovering that a skinny red-haired boy was still looking towards the farm.


    "Karl! What are you doing?! Go back to your house, you''re not safe here!" Gridd exclaimed aloud, whose legs continued to tremble from the cold emanating from the Xis.


    "I couldn''t sleep because of a nightmare, and I was walking around to clear my head a little bit when I heard you talking very loudly. What''s going on? Who is this m..."


    When the young healer''s gaze crossed with the Overseer''s two purple eyes, Karl immediately realized that the one in front of his best friend''s sister was not a human being.


    "That... that''s a..."


    "Hello, young man. I know you. You are the healer..." the Overseer whispered, turning towards Karl and taking a step in his direction.


    "Kaarl!" Gridd shouted, pulling out both swords and running towards the enemy, fearing he might hurt her childhood friend.


    The Xis opened his palm towards the Shieldmaiden, and suddenly, her feet came off the ground, preventing her from running.


    "Run away, Karl! That''s not a man! He''s a Xis! He came all the way here because he can''t find Dag!" the young Master Of Offense of the Hevnen''s Clan yelled, wriggling her arms and swinging her swords in panic, unable to free herself from that invisible grip.


    "Calm down, Karl. I''m not going to hurt you. I''m not here to use violence, just to get information," the Overseer said, keeping Gridd suspended in the air under the astonished gaze of her loved ones, who didn''t know how to help her.


    "What... what do you want?! Is it true what she said? Are you really looking for my friend Dag?! He''s on the other side of the world, you''re completely off the road!" Karl said in a flickering voice, slowly retreating and beginning to regret taking that night walk.


    "What kind of nightmare disturbed your sleep, boy?"


    "W... what?"


    "You said a nightmare didn''t make you sleep, right? I''m asking you what was scary enough to alter your peace," the Xis continued, trying to put Karl at ease, terrified of that vision.


    "My... my sister. I was dreaming of my sister Freydis. Horrible things were happening to her, and she was in danger of dying in battle. But that has nothing to do with the reason why you''re here, don''t try to fool me! Don''t underestimate me, Frostsinner! I''m not as incapable as you think!" Karl replied, clenching his fists and confronting his interlocutor.


    "Freydis? I met her less than an hour ago. She''s a beautiful young woman. You look a lot like her."


    "Less than an hour ago? It''s not possible. Freydis is with Dag, far away from here. Travelling such a great distance in such a short time is impossible even for a Frostsinner!"


    "Time and space are not a problem for me. Your sister''s in Krypstorm with your friend Reidar, but Dag''s not with them. Did you know that?"


    Karl''s gaze fell beyond the Overseer, framing Gridd, who, suspended in the air, did not seem to feel any kind of pain.


    "Is he telling the truth, Gridd?" the young healer asked, not trusting the Xis'' words.


    "I don''t know..." the Shieldmaiden whispered, unable to give a specific answer to that question.


    "Why would I come here if I found your friend in Krypstorm? Dag must be where my eyes can''t see him... tell me, Karl¡­ where did he go?"

 Chapter 641: DCXLI. The Balance

    "Let Gridd go, and then we''ll talk. You need our information. You can''t demand it by force," Karl said, knowing that the Xis would break his grip on his friend.


    With a quick hand gesture, limiting himself to carrying it along his hips, the Overseer left Gridd, who fell to the ground on her knees, dropping one of her swords and grabbing it soon after.


    "You still don''t understand how important Dag is to us, Xis. He is the perfect hybrid, more like us than you," the Xis said, walking forward over Karl, who watched him pass by, looking at him in fear.


    "Dag is a human being like us, in all things. Stop talking like that about something you don''t know. Although you have observed him since his arrival here on Skjold, you have never lived by his side. I won''t let you talk like that about him! Karl and I don''t know where he is. None of us knows where she is!" Gridd angrily exclaimed, stretching her sore legs because of the spell that had kept her stuck in mid-air.


    "My time here is running out, and I haven''t found the answers I''m looking for yet. I found only hostility, anger towards my race, and zero collaboration on the part of you human beings. You ungrateful... venerate the Gods of the past without focusing on your race''s present and future. We are more powerful than the Gods you worship, we are more powerful than anything and anyone else, and we have allowed you to live despite the impurity that stains your soul! You are sons of sin, but you continue to act as if you have the right to choose!" the Overseer exclaimed, evidently troubled by the irreverence of Karl and Gridd, beginning to lose patience.


    "Do you really think we''re foolish enough not to know that it was you who caused our end?"


    "Uh?!"


    While the black-haired Xis'' gaze was pointed at Gridd, Karl''s words struck him deeply, inevitably drawing his eye.


    Even the Shieldmaiden was amazed at her young friend''s courage and fearfully looked up at him, fearing the worst.


    "What did you say, human?" the Overseer asked, turning to Karl and opening wide his piercing purple eyes.


    Karl clenched his fists and swallowed empty. "You heard what I said. Don''t believe that we humans don''t know the truth about you. You believe that the danger is only Dag, but you are blind! You can''t realize we''re one in the same! You should kill us all so that you can continue to act in the dark, no one excluded! But you can''t do that, right? You can''t exterminate us!" Karl replied aloud, whose speech was also heard by Eirik and Asa, still standing behind the window.


    Karl stopped talking, breathing hard due to cold and nervousness. Just as he looked his interlocutor in the eye, pretending not to feel any fear, the Overseer disappeared from his position and suddenly appeared in front of the young healer, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground.


    "Aaargh!"


    "Karl! Let him go!" Gridd shouted, unleashing a celestial aura around her, as two wings of the same colour popped up from behind her back and shone in the darkness of the night.


    After slamming the blades of his swords on each other and causing a loud metallic noise to distract the Xis, Gridd leapt forward, flapping her large celestial wings and rising into the air, pointing at her enemy.


    The farmhouse''s door suddenly opened, and Eirik stopped at the threshold, shouting his sister''s name, fearing that that mysterious being with superhuman powers might hurt her.


    Gridd, without listening to Eirik''s screams, swooped toward the Overseer, pointing both blades of her swords forward, ready to hit him.


    *puff*


    Before the Shieldmaiden''s swords reached their target, both Xis and Karl disappeared into thin air: Gridd, who did not expect such a breakthrough, failed to stop in time and crashed into the ground, rolling forward for a few meters, twisting into her own wings.


    "Gridd! Sister!" Eirik yelled again, running towards her, as Asa watched the scene from behind the window, afraid.


    "Where are they?! Where did they go?! Karl! Kaaarl! Where are you?!" Gridd shouted, returning back on her feet and refusing her brother''s help, looking around frantically, unable to find her friend anywhere.


    ...


    "Aaargh! Help! What... where...?! Aaargh!" Karl screamed desperately, clinging forcefully to Frostsinner''s arm and begging him not to leave his grip, looking down and noticing that his feet were floating in the air, a hundred feet high.


    "You are aware of the truth, yet you continue to cling so desperately to life! Why?! What drives you to live on, if you know that your masters are actually the architects of your end?!" the Xis asked, as the wind moved his long hair swirling and the cold emanating from his body grew more and more, expanding on Karl''s arm, which never stopped shaking.


    "I... I... I don''t want to die! You... you do not have the right to choose who lives and who dies! Dag told me lots of things about you! He told me what you were doing to the children who weren''t chosen by your machine! He was just a child, and you forced him to abandon his friends and his childhood, throwing him into an unknown planet and forcing him to get by with his own strength! Try to imagine if you were in his place! You wouldn''t have survived for a second!" Karl yelled, whose hand clutching the Xis'' robe stopped moving, freezing.


    "Me?! How dare you speak to me with such disrespect and compare me to a filthy human being?! When my civilization conquered worlds, the first single-celled aquatic life was beginning to be born on your planet! It is evident that this planet has begun to rot, and it is all the fault of 813666, who put these stupid concepts in your mind, altering the balance of things!" the Xis exclaimed, opening his eyes as if he had finally decided what to do with the young healer, whose hands were frozen and were slowly giving up his grip, the grip that kept him alive.


    At one point, as the wind continued to blow strongly, the Overseer took a deep breath, calming the tone of his voice and looking Karl back in the eye. "The balance must be restored. That is my mission. If I can''t reach 813666, then he''ll reach me."

 Chapter 642: DCXLII. The Healing Stream

    A tear dripped on Karl''s face as his eyes looked at the enemy who had his fate in his grasp, thinking of his friend Dag and ready to sacrifice himself for him.


    "I''m not afraid! You can do what you want to me, but one day, Dag will kill all of you, and the real balance will be restored! May the mighty Odin and the brave Thor curse your race!" Karl yelled, continuing to cry, as his hands lost his grip on the Overseer''s tunic, who, after looking at him for the last time, with a smile on his lips, pushed him away, letting him fall into the void.


    Despite the courage shown in the final moments of that speech, Karl couldn''t hold back a scream, venting his fear of dying and thinking about everything he hadn''t done in his 16 years of life.


    "Did it really end like this? I faced Gods, fought alongside my friends in unknown and uninhabited places, defeated monsters, elementals, even other Xis... please, Dag... avenge my death! We all believe in you!" the young healer thought, closing his eyes and preparing to impact the ground, which was getting closer and closer as his body was in freefall.


    Quick images of his past began to flow like an old movie in front of his gaze: they represented the happiest moments in the archive of his memory, including the first times he set foot in the Jernhest Arena and met Dag, the time Taya gave him her magnificent shield, the face of his sick father, which he would never see again and those of his mother and sister, the women of his life he had failed to protect.


    A feeling of emptiness and failure pervaded Karl''s body, which imagined the shining palaces of Valhalla, knowing that, soon, the Valkyries would gather his soul and lead it into the high heavens, far from that mortal planet.


    Just as the young healer uttered his last prayers, his body was enveloped by a green light, which in a few seconds expanded, slowing down his fall.


    "Kaarl!" Gridd screamed, tens of meters away from him, running to her friend''s rescue, wielding her two swords.


    Karl''s hands warmed up immediately, and his body was immediately pervaded by a feeling of well-being and tranquillity, returning to maximum physical health.


    After a few seconds, which seemed to last an eternity, his body fell back to the ground, emitting a slight thud. The green light vanished into nothingness.


    "Karl! Karl! You... you''re alive! You''d disappeared! I... I..." Gridd stammered, not knowing what to say, having realized a few seconds before her friend''s body had fallen from the dark sky of the night.


    "This... this light... Seems... it looks like a healing stream, but I don''t possess all this power! What... how did I save myself?" Karl thought aloud, without stopping to look at his hands, noting that his fingers were no longer frozen.


    "Karl! Watch out!" Gridd screamed, grabbing her friend by the arm and pulling him backwards.


    *boom*


    A loud noise followed an explosion in front of their eyes, and a crater widened into the ground, exactly where the young healer had landed a few seconds earlier.


    The thin dust caused by the rising soil quickly dispersed in the air, and the shiny purple eyes of the Xis caught a glimpse of the fog, pointing at Karl.


    As soon as the black mantle of the Overseer took shape inside the crater, he turned backwards, realizing that Karl had not saved himself: inside the forest, in fact, the green light that had accompanied his fall, saving him from certain death, shone among the branches of the trees and the shrubs, illuminating the area.


    Gridd, Karl and Eirik, who had just rushed to help his sister and friend, were all enchanted by that charming light, so beautiful and intense that it seemed divine.


    "Who dared disobey the laws of the cosmos?! Who stopped me from restoring balance on the planet Skjold?!" the Overseer suddenly yelled, shaking the ground with the power of his voice.


    The birds that were resting in the woods in front of him fluttered in the air in fear, flying away from their nests due to the loud noise that had once again disturbed the stillness of that peaceful early spring night.


    Under the incredulous eyes of the two warriors and the bearded Eirik, whose face seemed more and more to that of Stein, his late father, a foot trampled the ground over the trees of the woods, approaching their position.


    Along with that foot and the body moving with it, the end of a wooden staff was resting on the ground, propagating green spherical waves that spread through the ground like those generated by a drop in a body of water.


    When the other foot followed the first, the figure who safely held that staff became visible under the Overseer''s gaze, who immediately recognized his face, unaware that his power was so great.


    A scar ran through the man''s face from his forehead to his cheek, overlapping his right eye; long white hair was lying sinuously on the shoulders and behind his back, as well as the long, loose beard, which extended almost to the abdomen.


    The dark green tunic and lack of metal equipment were typical features of a wizard of his power, who needed only his magic to fight and defend his protectees.


    Despite being marked by age and the thousand battles fought, his left hand tenaciously tightened the long bracket, the source of the mysterious light that had saved young Karl from the fall.


    "Master..." Karl whispered, while that light reflected in his shiny eyes, still filled with tears of remorse.


    The Hammers Of Thor''s Master Of Healing, Egill, had just rescued his youngest disciple and, with firm eyes looked at the Overseer, showing that he felt no fear, continuing to walk forward with pride.


    "You... I know who you are! You''re the real culprit! You are the one who pushed 813666 to cultivate his powers, to go beyond his limits and to dig into his past! In all his memories, during his every discovery... I remember your face! How dare you get in the way of my mission, old man?!" the Overseer exclaimed contemptuously, looking at Egill with a disgusted expression.

 Chapter 643: DCXLIII. The Exchange

    "You''re outraging the family of Skjold''s strongest warrior, silly Frostsinner. When I heard the girl''s screams, I came to check and... here you are, I found you," Egill wisely replied, countering the Xis'' accusation.


    "Outrage?! Who do you think you are? This young boy''s life must be sacrificed to restore the cosmic balance. Once finished, I will take care of you too", the Overseer replied, holding back the anger manifested by his body in the form of a dark aura.


    "Master Egill! Be careful! His powers go beyond our imagination! He''s not like the other Frostsinners!" Karl exclaimed, standing next to Gridd.


    Egill, without answering, put the tip of his staff on the ground and left his grip. The wizard''s magic staff remained stationary vertically, against the force of gravity, under the confused gaze of the Overseer, who knew that the old Egill would have no hope against his powers.


    The green aura emanating from the magic rod completely enveloped it, and, one small piece at a time, from top to bottom, it disappeared into nothingness.


    *swissh*


    The same intense green light appeared again in front of the eyes of young Karl, who retreated in fear, not understanding what was going on.


    After a few seconds, the bracket appeared under his eyes, vertically, in the same position where Egill had left it.


    When the hands of the Hammers Of Thor''s old Master Of Healing returned along his flanks, his weapon fell forward, finding Karl, who grabbed it firmly, watching Egill from afar.


    "I inherited that staff from the Master Of Healing that preceded me, and he, in turn, inherited it from those who lived and fought before him, protecting the ancient library of the Temple Of Orn. Its immense power comes from the ''tear of Eir, the Goddess of Healing'', of which its wood is impregnated", Egill said, speaking to Karl as if the Overseer were not in front of him. "Now it belongs to you, my boy."


    After those words, the green light of the staff shone intensely, and the young healer was able to perceive its excessive healing power, remaining inextricably attracted to it and continuing to look at it with amazement.


    "Master Egill..." Gridd whispered, taking a step forward and extending her arm towards the white long-bearded magician, who ordered her to stop with a gesture of his hand.


    "The balance is the basis of everything. The imbalance creates and destroys, while balance maintains. I have watched over this principle all my life, teaching it to my disciples and spreading it among my acquaintances", Egill continued, interrupting Gridd''s words and taking a step towards the Overseer, looking at him in the depths of his purple glass eyes. "Thank you."


    "Um?" the Xis exclaimed, bending his neck slightly sideways.


    "Although I was not part of the great picture, you gave me the opportunity to restore balance. My body isn''t worth as much as that young boy''s, that''s true¡­ but my powers and knowledge are much wider than his," Egill continued, smiling.


    "What... what are you going to do?" Karl thought aloud, who hoped he had not heard well, looking at Gridd and noticing that a tear was flowing over her cheek while her eyes were fixed on Egill.


    In those moments, Asa found the courage to exit the farm and, along with her son Eirik, stopped by the side of the door, knowing her old friend Egill and realizing that what he was about to do would probably save everyone from that night''s nightmare.


    "Karl!" Egill exclaimed aloud, drawing the attention of his successor, who immediately looked at him, not knowing what to say. "Eir''s tear is the mirror of the soul. Her great power depends on you," the magician repeated with conviction while Karl stammered meaningless words, continuing to look at the staff and beginning to fear the worst.


    "Are you really convinced of what you just said, old man?" the Overseer asked, who remained silent until then.


    "You can take my life in exchange for Karl''s. But don''t think I''m going to let you do it without fighting first. I''m an old man, that''s true, but... as long as my feet walk on this earth, I am still a warrior of Skjold!" Egill stated, evoking from his body the same green aura coming from the staff and letting it surround his arms, putting himself in a combat position.


    "Ah, yes. Hahah... dying fighting means reaching Valhalla, is it? That''s ridiculous. All right. Like I said so far, I didn''t come to create chaos but to cancel it. I accept your offer."


    "Noo! Master! Master Egill!" Karl screamed desperately, clutching his rod and taking a step forward, before Gridd grabbed his shoulder, stopping his advance.


    "Despite your innate intelligence, you Frostsinners are still stupid, faced with the ideas that bind us inextricably to our Gods. You will never understand that even if our mortal bodies belong to you, our souls will forever be guarded by the Gods who have watched over us since our birth. But don''t be afraid, Frostsinners! I''m sure Dag will teach you everything there is to know when your last survivors will be forced to bow before him!" Egill replied with ardour, increasing the adrenaline level in his body, ready to fight to the death.


    The Overseer''s expression remained severe and cold, and after listening to everything Egill had to say, he disappeared into a thin cloud of black smoke.


    "Egill!" Gridd gasped promptly, warning him of the impending danger.


    Just a few moments after the Shieldmaiden''s screams, the Frostsinner materialised behind the Master Of Healing and fired a quick and violent blow with one hand, pointing it at Egill''s back as if it was a blade.


    With an out-of-the-ordinary speed, Egill turned on himself and, under the astonished eyes of everyone present, who had already resigned to witness his sad fate, he grabbed the Overseer''s white hand, blocking it in mid-air.


    "Uh?!" the long black-haired Xis exclaimed, looking up at the old mage.


    "You''re still underestimating me!" Egill yelled, resting the palm of his other hand on the enemy''s chest and unleashing a violent explosion, which released a green, dense aura.