The wind's howling. The Moon is shining. A clear sky. Twenty men still did not die.
From a cliff he was watching them. Like a wolf preparing to attack, he waited and kept watch. Árbol, got down and closed in to his prey.
These men were pillagers. They kept raiding nearby villages and nobody stopped them. Once there were some who tried their luck yet failed horribly.
"Say, where is the next raid."
"Eh, I don't know ask Floki."
"Nah he's gonna yell at me again."
"Then shut up. Go and get some meat, I'm starvin'..."
Árbol was silent and looked around for the rest of them. Two near the fire, another two kept watch for any unwelcomed visitors.
He dashed thorugh the bushes and inside the old ransacked building, Here were the rest of them. Most of them asleep and three upstairs drinking and discussing the next raid.
"Say Floki, do we have enough for this week?"
"Can't say, if the men eat they eat, can't keep that from them. They eat too much, we raid more. Simple, very simple. There is a problem, the next target... It's very close to the shore, probably a big one. The twenty of us... No, can't do."
"Then we must get rid of some..."
"Aye, aye, aye... Get rid of five."
As they were ending the discussion the sound of footsteps drew closer.
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"Kol, is that you?"
Árbol knocked the door and looked at them as if they were mere pests.
"Say, you don't happen to have some more food? Got rid of around five of your men."
"You heard us... How many did you kill?"
"Thirteen."
His axes were dipped in blood.
"You killed them in their sleep... I like it, but you will die here and now."
Floki got his sword and shield and noded to the other two "Get him!".
Árbol jumped on one of them and sliced his neck. The other one tried to get him, but he was too quick and the man got thrown out of the window.
The other four outside saw their friend dead in the snow and rushed in to check what was happening.
The duel between Árbol and Floki was fierce. None of them giving any signs of giving up. Floki bashed him with the shield and made Árbol drop his axes.
"Seems I win."
He wasn't done yet. Árbol rushed in and got Floki by surprise throwing him on the ground. He started punching him in the face again and again until finally Floki couldn't grasp his sword anymore.
The others were left shocked by such a feat for their leader was no common bandit. He used to be a great hero in the north, but fate turned him into this mess.
As Árbol removed his helmet they recognized him. A massive warrior, with a black beard and long hair. Weapons rumored to be made from the wood of Ygdrassil. He is one of the most renowned hunters.
"Love meeting ya. I'm Árbol and you are dead."
He kicked one of them between their legs and cut the other ones head right off with Flokis sword. The remaining two ran off only to be pierced by his arrows.
The last one which was on the ground howling in pain tried to crawl out.
Árbol steped on his head.
"I would let you go, but you are just another filthy thief. Someone going on that path ain't coming back. So, I'll have pitty on you and end it all right now."
With all of that being said he crushed his skull and returned to get his axes and helmet.
"Hah, showing my face like that was funny. They got so damn scared, thought one of them nearly pissed himself. AHAHAHA... What's that now?"
He noticed some tracks in the snow. Crushed trees leading towards east.
Árbol followed the tracks until he reached a cave. He had no good adventures in quite a while thus he was very excited to see what was inside.
"HelloOOO!"
There was only his echo.
"Is anyone here? Anyone big enough to leave a trail that is impossible to miss?"
A sudden hissing put Árbol on his guard.
He kept walkind inside the cave and there it was a spot illuminated from outside through a crack in the caves ceiling.
There it was... The giant white snake.
"I am Jormungandr."