Prince Fastúlfr flew backwards, rolling across the table and into the crowd. His followers immediately drew their weapons, the first axe getting blocked by the shield of ice that formed on Einar’s arm. He then summoned a spear made out of pure amber-coloured flames, taking up a stance he learned from his father years ago.
“Halt!” A voice boomed through the main hall, freezing everyone in their steps.
They could barely move their eyes, seeing King Baldr and his warriors walking over to them with hurried steps. When the king and his men reached the group, the oppressive force disappeared along with Einar's mystical shield and spear.
“Get him up from the floor,” the king said and some people helped Fastúlfr stand up. “What’s going on here?”
“Father,” the prince tried to speak, but the blood in his mouth and the dislocated jaw made it nigh impossible. “He hit me in fr...”
“I’m not blind,” King Baldr growled, silencing his son as a healer helped fix his jaw and stop the bleeding. “I want to know why.”
“I offered him a place among my men and he refused. When I asked...”
“Silence!” Baldr said and the prince froze in place as if invisible hands grabbed his mouth the prevent it from moving.
The king looked at one of the God-marked sitting nearby, pointing at him.
“You. Tell me what happened and leave nothing out!”
Compelled by the mystical force behind the command, the fidgety youth began to recall the events, his last words echoing through the now dead-silent hall.
“He then said that if he refused the duel, the prince would send King Bladr’s soldiers to his home island to ravage and kill everyone he ever... I guess he wanted to say ‘cared for’ but couldn’t finish it before getting hit.”
“I see,” Baldr sighed and turned toward his son. “Do you admit saying that?”
“I... I do.” Fastúlfr tried and failed to deny the claims under his father’s power, earning a slap that was strong enough to send him hurling across the table once again.
Gone was the noble visage of the king, replaced by cold fury that chilled everyone to the bone in the main hall. As the people helped Fastúlfr up, the king finally spoke.
“Look around you,” he said to no one in particular. “What do you see?”
“I...”
“Vikings!” the king roared. “Every God-marked in this hall, whether they serve you, your sister or neither, are Vikings. They are meant to be your allies, not your enemies. When you reach the Torn Serpent Isles, you won’t just face the beast and horrors of the isles of the gods, but the God-marked of the other great kingdoms. Who will fight by your side if you openly threaten those who refuse to bend the knee with the death or rape of their loved ones?”
“I...”
“No one!” King Baldr said with a tone that could rip people apart. “Only a tyrant would resort to such things and they tend to live short lives, ended by a blade in their back. Now go. Take your warriors and do not leave your table for the rest of the night. If you cause any trouble, I swear to the gods I’ll bear their punishment but I will not let you sail out tomorrow. Do you understand?”
“Yes, father.” Fastúlfr said with a creaky voice as he nodded, leaving with his head hung down.
King Baldr then turned toward Einar, his voice equally cold.
“You might have been in your right to retaliate for my son’s actions, but you still struck a member of my house.”
As he said that, Baldr slapped Einar, forcing him to take two steps back from the force that would have sent others flying.
“Let this be your punishment since the gods need you elsewhere. And do not cause any more trouble for us tonight.”
“As you command.” Einar acknowledged, knowing that he got off easy due to the gods wanting them alive and in fighting condition.
The king and his warriors headed back to their table the young giant sitting back down where he sat before the ordeal with the prince.
“You are an absolute madman,” Arvid said with a laugh as he pushed a new mead-filled tankard toward with. “To think you had the balls to send the prince flying like that...”
“It was glorious!” The young woman across Einar said while raising her drinking horn, the others following her cue.
Soon the whole thing became yet another tale for them to laugh over, the feast continuing for a while before the sound of a horn silenced the crowd. They look toward the table of King Baldr, the man standing up from his seat.
“Tonight’s feast is held in your honour,” he began. “A feast meant for warriors marked by the gods and meant for glory. Tomorrow morning you will fail out to the isle of the gods and it is time for you to know why. As you can all recall, last winter was terrible, filled with frozen winds and lightning storms. The sea raged on weeks end, trapping people on their islands. Everyone could feel that something was off about it, but you ought to know the truth.”
A deep silence filled the hall as everyone was eagerly waiting for him to continue
“The gods of the great kingdoms put their differences aside for a short while to unite and fight an enemy we can’t even imagine. The harsh weather you survived last winter and spring was a result of their battle. They were victorious, but it cost them dearly. I do not know how many, but some of them died to protect this realm from the enemy.”
A murmur spread across the hall as the young God-marked couldn't stop themselves from hissing and speaking up after hearing the king’s words.
“Each of the great kingdoms had lost a god or more, leaving a few seats among them empty. Those seats are waiting for you.”
His words now earned shocked gasps and feverous whispers, forcing the king to raise his hand to silence the young warriors.
“The seeresses received a vision, telling them that all of you are to sail to the Torn Serpent to fight the creatures it holds and other God-marked to grow in strength and prove yourselves worthy of becoming one of the new gods. Champions will rise among you, leading you to glorious battles as they earn the favour of Harald and his fellow gods. And in doing so, they shall rise to power and take their seat among them.”
The young God-marked cheered and boasted about how they would fight for glory, some of them stealing glances at the more prominent warriors as if measuring the competition. King Baldr raised his hand once more, the crowd quieting down to listen.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
“However, as I said before, you won’t be alone. All the gods of the great kingdoms had put their differences aside during the battle with the great enemy, however, that truce is now over. Make no mistake. The Torn Serpent is a hunting ground with a limited amount of resources. It is a battlefield of epic scale where you are to make sure that our people will be able to nurture new gods for the sake of all Vikings.”
The youths showed their agreement with cheers and boasts about how they would defeat the God-marked of the other kingdoms. However, it was obvious that something had changed in them and the king could see it as well.
“I know some of you think that everyone here will be vying for the same glory. The same prize. You are right. However, right now you are all allies in a battle meant to be waged against the other kingdoms. I cannot go with you nor can I command you how to fight and whom to fight.”
Silence filled the hall once again after his honest words.
“I can only hope that you will leave fighting each other as the last part of your race for glory after no other enemy remains. You are all Vikings and you owe at least that much loyalty to each other. I do not wish to find out that our new gods rose to their seats by stabbing each other in the back, nor would the gods welcome you with open arms if you did such things. Fight, when the time comes, but fight with bravery and honour. You are Vikings!”
“We are Vikings!” The crowd of God-marked roared in unison, chanting it as they raised their tankards in a battle frenzy, ready to fight!
The king raised his drinking horn, chugging down whatever it held to signal that the feast was meant to continue. He had said whatever he wanted to. Einar felt someone bump into his shoulder, Arvid nudging him to get another drink.
“I didn’t expect any of this,” the youth admitted. “To think we will be fighting for a chance to become gods...”
“You would make a shitty god.” One of the people sitting at the table remarked with a laugh.
“I would outdo any of you as a god.” Arvid argued while emptying his tankard.
“And what would you be the god of? Drinking and whoring?” A young woman across Einar asked, her words earning another wave of laughter.
“Someone has to do it,” the man replied. “It might as well be me.”
“Dream on.” Another one said from the crowd, laughter and curses filling the air as the feast went on.
The night went by with plenty of food and drink making its way to the tables, some holding drinking contests while others just enjoyed the company of like-minded warriors. Einar got his fair share of refills throughout the night, and there was plenty of strong mead to haze even his thoughts. As the night faded away the young giant woke up with his head still aching. Trying to sit up, he felt something pulling him back and as he looked to the side he noticed a familiar face right next to him.
The broken pieces of the previous night’s memories slowly began to reappear as he stared at the naked young woman who was still soundly asleep beside him. It was the same girl who sat across from him at the table, their mead-fueled adventure filling Einar with a sense of shame and self-loathing. He had barely left his home and Kari behind, yet he was already sleeping with another woman whose name he couldn’t even remember.
The youth tried to stop himself from his darkening thoughts, justifying his current situation with Thorwald’s advice but it felt futile. He slowly slipped out of the bed, making sure not to wake up the young woman. Einar then put his clothes and armour back on, forcing himself to calm down. Looking back at the woman, he was torn between leaving without a word and staying till she woke up, his remaining sense of honour making him stay.
Sitting down on the ground beside the wall, he took in the room through the faint moonlight that came through the window. It was a small room with a bed and a wooden chest inside, but nothing else of importance. Not knowing what else to do, he calmed his mind to enter his inner world, something he should have done a long time ago. A moment of darkness and a sensation of falling later he opened his eyes and found himself staring at the crude stone altar with the stone wall behind it.
The young giant walked closer, touching the stone figurine on the altar that depicted a warrior. Amber-coloured words flickered into existence on the stone wall behind the altar, the familiar yet strange description greeting him.
{Name: Einar Arnessen}
{Title: none}
{Ancestry: dragon/human/giant}
{Age: 18}
{Valour: 1240}
{Calling: Seeker}
{Renown: unknown}
{Attributes}
• Charm:13
• Deftness: 20
• Divinity: 3
• Grit: 15
• Heart; 24
• Luck: 11
• Might: 29
• Mind: 14
• Soul: 18
Vigour/Spirit/Fortitude
69/62/63
There was an obvious change in the description compared to how it looked when he left his home. Touching the figurine that showed a giant holding a dragon, the list of his acknowledged skills appeared on the stone slab. Thanks to his continued swimming and diving practice throughout his journey to the capital, he gained two related skills which he had already raised in level. Some of his other skills, mainly the ones meant for fighting had also increased. Looking at their descriptions made the change in his attributes clear.
{Swimming}
{A warrior must know how to swim fast and far to survive on dangerous waters. Every fifth level will increase your fortitude by 2 and your vigour by 1. Every tenth rank increases your deftness by 1 and grants a minor perk. Every twenty-fifth rank allows you to choose a specialization.}
{Rank: 21 (beginner)}
{Rank progression: 7/30}
{Fortitude increase: 8}
{Deftness increase: 2}
{Vigour increase: 4}
{Perks: firm pace, breath control}
{Diving}
{A warrior must know how to reach and navigate the deep waters if they want to take its treasures.} Every fifth level will increase your fortitude by 2 and your vigour by 1. Every tenth rank increases your heart by 1 and grants a minor perk. Every twenty-fifth rank allows you to choose a specialization.}
{Rank: 13(beginner)}
{Rank progression: 11/20}
{Fortitude increase: 4}
{Heart increase: 1}
{Vigour increase: 2}
{Perks: clear vision,}
{Axe mastery}
{The path of the axe helps clear both the forest of trees and enemies. Wield your axe with skill and the will to chop down everything in your path. Every fifth rank increases the harm you cause with your weapon by 1. Every tenth rank increases your might by 1 and grants a minor perk. Every twenty-fifth rank allows you to choose a specialization.}
{Rank: 20 (beginner)}
{Rank progression: 15/20}
{Might increase: 2}
{Harm addition: 4}
{Perks: firm grip, firm stance}
The rest of his skills didn’t rise enough to be worth his attention so the youth willed the words on the stone slab to change, showing new things to him. {Rituals and spells}
{Fire/ice spear}
{Weave your spiritual power into your talisman and form a spear of condensed fire or ice to use in battle. Each level of mastery increases the elemental harm caused by 5. Each level in mastery strengthens your soul by 1. Every two points’ worth of soul increases the spell’s power by 1.}
{Spell type: elemental}
{Spirit cost: 10}
{Elemental harm: 25}
{Casting time: 3 seconds}
{Range: 150 feet}
{Spell mastery: 0/20}
{Mastery progression: 1/10}
{Frost shield}
{Weave your spiritual power into your talisman and form a shield of condensed ice to use in battle. Each level of mastery increases the harm it can negate by 5. Each level in mastery strengthens your soul by 1. Every two points’ worth of soul increases the spell’s power by 1.}
{Spell type: elemental}
{Spirit cost: 20}
{Harm negation: 50}
{Casting time: 2 seconds}
{Spell mastery: 0/20}
{Mastery progression: 2/10}
Einar felt a slight sense of accomplishment as he looked at his growth in power and the new skills and spells he now had.