ã€ŠThe Son Of Ragnarã€‹


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    ?"Row! Row! Row!"

    The constant screaming of a man echoes as thunder thumped in the distance, the rough seas crashing against the heel of the boat.

    The screeching of shackled chains against the wooden floor revealed multiple people of different races in chains, and 3 men with whips standing above them.

    "This was quite the harvest! I bet these ves would fetch quite the price!" The bulky merchant bragged to his other two colleagues but they did not share his enthusiasm.

    "Shut up f. We are in dangerous waters!" The slender merchant with an eye patch warned but thest one among the three was focused on a child, his gaze was not one of curiosity but of perversion.

    "You cannot touch the goods, you know this Arne." The eye-patched man warned, but the thunderstorms made it impossible for his voice to reach the ears of Arne, not that it would.

    "Just a little taste wouldn''t hurt, Frode¡­." He urged while wetting his lips with his tongue.

    Arne approached the child with Frode watching him closely.

    "Hey, there little girl," Arne said but the child backed away in fear but Frode quickly grabbed the girl by the throat and raised her small body.

    "That''s not very nice now, is it?" Frode said but realized this was a boy, the dark-skinned boy with messy afro and brown eyes bearing a unique tattoo on the left pec of the child.

    "Hahahaha! Arne, you have a thing for little boys now, eh?" f teased,ughing hysterically but this only angered Arne.

    "Shut up!" Arne shouted, tossing the child off the boat without a second thought.

    "Oops, he slipped," Arne said with a grin but this made fugh harder with Frode shaking his head in disbelief.

    [Unknown Language] "H-Hel-!" The drowning child struggled to speak with the waves taking him further and further away from the boat, he managed onest look and realized no one was looking his way.

    "I-I don''t want to die¡­ somebody please save me¡­" This was thest thought of the boy before he waspletely submerged and swept with the waves as the wicked storm raged.

    "Did you think he could swim too?" f asked, barely containing hisughter as the boat sailed, leaving the boy to his fate.

    ------------------------------

    "Bjorn! that is not how you hold your sword." A 6''2 dark-haired man with a dragon tattoo etched on his left temple, donning a Mohawk which reached the nape of his neck thatplimented his dark green eyes who looked to be in his early thirties.

    But Bjorn kept swinging carelessly, much to the amusement of everyone around them.

    "Stop moving around Ulf!" Bjorn muttered and met the gaze of the man he was sparring. He did not seem to share the same excitement as the rest of the men cheering Bjorn on.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You think this is a joke, Bjorn?" Ulf asked and Bjorn momentarily froze up and with this, the ce fell silent for Ulf was known to be a stickler for rules.

    Raising his de to the neck of the boy, who stood at 4''11 with an attractive face, one that could easily pass for that of a girl. His blonde hair, which was styled in an undercut, brought out his piercing blue eyes, aged 11.

    With the de of Ulf against his neck, and Bjorn sweating profusely, a voice called out.

    "That is enough, Ulf. You have taught the boy his lesson, don''t you think?" A bald man reaching a height of 5''11 and a tattoo of Fenrir the wolf, sitting gently on his forehead and with a clean shaved beard who looked to be around the same age as Ulf, said.

    "If it isn''t Hagen, the boat builder. This doesn''t concern you." Ulf teased in a belittling tone with the warriors chuckling.

    Bjorn used this chance to back away from the de before lunging forward to try and tackle Ulf but Ulf didn''t move an inch due to the significant weight difference.

    "Not bad! You are truly the son of Ragnar Lothbrok, Bjorn!" Ulf said,pletely changing the mood as everyone burst outughing but a loud voice unsettled them.

    "SOMEONE WASHED UP ON THE SHORE!" A child, who was visibly out of breath, shouted.

    The Vikings were quick to rush to the shore with their swords in hand, for they did not know what awaited them with Ulf leading the charge.

    "Halt!" The mighty Ulfmanded with a raised hand, and the rest of the warriors stopped as he, alone, moved forward to investigate the unconscious body sprawled awkwardly on the ground.

    "Is he dead?" Bjorn asked his uncle but got no response from Ulf.

    "It is just a kid¡­" Ulf muttered to himself, but he did not for a moment lower his guard for even a kid was capable of killing a Viking if taken unaware.

    "IT IS JUST A SLAVE!" Ulf said withughter, much to the amusement of the rest of the Vikings. He could tell this child was a ve because of the branded stamp around his forearm.

    "Leave him for the vultures, he will be dead in no time..." Ulf said once more while walking away but Hagen stepped right in front of him to block his path.

    "What is it, Hagen?" Ulf questioned the man blocking his path but Hagen did not bother giving him a reply, brushing past him and going straight to the child.

    "Good, the boy still lives," Hagen said, flinging the child over his shoulder.

    "Shouldn''t the water have washed off the dirt?" A Viking questioned because this was the first time he had seen dark skin, this was the first time most had seen such a skinplexion.

    "No, dear warrior. That is just his skin." Hagen responded as he walked away with the child slung over his shoulder with Ulf looking at him with contempt.

    "That damn Hagen!" A thought floated in the head of Ulf with his fist clenched in anger.

 Chapter 2 The Thrall

    ?"Father! Father! I almost beat uncle Ulf today!" An excited Bjorn eximed, running into the longhouse with Ulf walking behind him. The longhouse had bowed walls, forming a ship-like outline. The walls were lined with y ced vertically into the ground, which supported the roof, along with two rows of internal posts. Outside the house was supported by sloping posts with the roof nted.

    "You did now?" A voice responded, but this voice was not that of a masculine figure.

    "Yes, mother! You should have seen me! I was like swoosh!" Bjorn said, embracing the woman.

    A beautiful blondedy came into view, measuring 5''8 in height with an average build but had an intimidating presence despite her feminine looks.

    She had grey eyes, with perky pink lips and the only blemish on her skin was the scar above her right eye gotten in one of the many battles she had fought.

    She wore a brown smock, that barely covered her luscious thighs with her average bust exposed slightly.

    Ulf, bending to get through the door, ignored the sight of the woman and instead scanned the room like he was searching for something or someone.

    "Where is Ragnar, Lagertha?" Ulf asked with his eyes still darting around the room.

    "Hello to you too, Ulf. Ragnar went to visit the Seer, he should be back soon." Lagertha responded in a yful yet stern voice.

    This prompted Ulf''s gaze to settle on the sight of Lagertha, his eyes looking at her luscious thighs, making their way up to her exposed cleavage before quickly turning away.

    "My eyes are up here," Lagertha said, letting go of Bjorn as Ulf''s eyes remained fixed on her cleavage.

    "Are you sure, Lagertha? I think I am looking at the right pair." Ulf responded in a tone backed by lust.

    "Are you? What do you think..." Lagertha paused, her eyes looking past Ulf beforepleting her sentence.

    "...Ragnar Lothbrok." The moment Lagertha said this, Ulf jerked backward, and behold, it was Ragnar Lothbrok.

    Ragnar was a muscr blue-eyed pale-skinned man with blonde hair, styled in a braided variation of a top knot and a rugged beard reaching his neck with a height of 6''0. On the right side of his shaven head, he had symbols representing his warrior spirit, and on the left side, symbols representing the interdependence of all things in life.

    He was dressed in a long-armed shirt without buttons, going down to the knees, and over his shoulder was a cloak, which was fastened with a brooch with his feetfortably in his leather boots.

    "B-Brother! W-Wee brother..." Ulf said, losing his cool upon meeting the gaze of Ragnar Lothbrok. Ragnar remained silent, breaking eye contact with Ulf and now focusing on Lagertha before bringing his eyes back to Ulf.

    The atmosphere tensed up as a cold bead of sweat rolled down the forehead of the proud warrior, but before he could exin himself, Ragnar threw an arm around Ulf and looked at Lagertha''s exposed cleavage.

    "This is a tough one but I will have to go with my Ulf here," Ragnar said in a yful manner in which Ulf could not help but chuckle nervously. Ragnar was his younger brother but his battle prowess was nothing tough about.

    "Father!" Bjorn screamed, running to hug his father.

    "Hey, little warrior," Ragnar responded to his excited son, taking him into his embrace.

    "Father! I almostnded a hit on uncle Ulf!" Bjorn eximed, telling anyone that cared enough to listen.

    "Is that so? As expected of my son so why did you not?" Ragnar asked, patting the head of Bjorn.

    "That is why I am here, to talk to you brother," Ulf responded before Bjorn could utter another word.

    "Is that so?" Ragnar said with his gaze focused on his son, his expression soft and warm.

    "You will tell me all about your great battle, Bjorn but after I speak with your uncle," Ragnar said, getting on a knee as he kissed his forehead.

    "Okay, father!" Bjorn responded as Ragnar walked out of the house with Ulf, who had lingered long enough to sneak another peek at Lagertha, before following behind Ragnar.

    "You want to tell me what brought you to my home, Ulf," Ragnar asked, getting straight to the point as both men stood a good distance from his house.

    "A strange boy washed up ashore, Ragnar," Ulf responded with a voice of contempt like he had more to add but wanted to hear what Ragnar had to say first.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "This concerns me?" Ragnar asked with both brows raised, looking right into the eyes of Ulf.

    "It should, Ragnar. He had a type of skin I have never seen before and that damn Hagen....!" Ulf stopped himself upon noticing the shift in Ragnar''s facial expression.

    "What do you mean by strange skin?" Ragnar asked, with a stern look on his face. One, which even surprised his brother, Ulf.

    "Y-Yes but Hage-!" Ulf was interrupted.

    "Where is the boy now?" Ragnar kept up with the interrogation.

    "He is with Hagen, Ragnar." Ulf said. He had wanted to tell Ragnar about how Hagen openly disrespected him but this seemed way more urgent than something that trivial.

    Immediately, Ragnar stormed off with Ulf trailing behind him, wondering just what had urred to make his little brother this unsettled.

    -

    [Foreign Tongue], "Am I alive?" The child, who had just opened his eyes, asked himself with his eyes spotting the intimidating physique of Hagen, he bore resemnce to the men who had taken him away from his home and instinctively tried to stand up but was too weak to.

    "Take it easy, child," Hagen said in a soft voice, getting up to hand him a cup of water.

    Hagen was a man that believed in the Gods, as well as fate. He didn''t believe that this child washed up ashore coincidentally and that was why he saved him.

    The boy was reluctant but knew he would be dead if this man''s intention for him was death and Hagen''s face was far from friendly looking.

    He epted the cup of water and stared at it for a good minute or two before gulping it down, but almost choking in the process.

    He nced at Hagen but Hagen''s eyes were fixed on the tattoo embedded on his chest, it was one he had never seen before unlike the one on his forearm, and the boy instinctively tried to cover up by raising his nket.

    "I am sorry. I did not mean to make you ufortable." Hagen apologized with a smile but it was pointless as this was a foreignnguage that the child did not understand.

    "HAGEN!" A voice called out, it was the voice of Ragnar Lothbrok as loud bangs against his door soon followed.

    "Do not break my door, Ragnar or I swear to Odin it is your arm I will break!" Hagen warned, walking towards the door as the bangs suddenly stopped.

    The rescued boy winced, he became very uneasy

    "It is fine" Hagen reassured in Old Norse and despite the child, not understanding, these words calmed him down as Hagen opened the door.

    Ragnar did not wait for an invitation, brushing past Hagen and into the house with little resistance from Hagen but it was different when Ulf attempted to do the same as Hagen blocked his path.

    "What do you think you are doing, Hagen?" Ulf questioned with disdain on his face.

    "You are not wee in my home. Ulf, brother of Ragnar." Hagen said with his eyes lowering to see Ulf grab the sheathe his de was in but even he was not stupid enough to harm Hagen in his brother''s sight.

    Ragnar approached the boy slowly, noticing his trembling but he kept going with a hand stretched forward in a bid to show he was not a threat, he knew he was a ve thanks to the brand

    "BOOO!" Ragnar screamed suddenly, taking the boy by surprise who screamed in return but it was one of fear.

    This made Ragnar burst outughing with Hagen shaking his head in disappointment.

    "You have not changed, Ragnar," Hagen muttered.

    "Hey, Hagen! Get in here! I think I killed him!" Ragnar shouted but in reality, the child had simply fainted.

 Chapter 3 City Of Kattegat

    ?The city of Kattegat was prosperous, this was due to King Askild''s iron w rule for he disposed of anyone or anything that threatened the peace, by whatever means necessary but it was not always like this, there was no town in Kattegat once upon a time but their ancestors changed that and built one because of the huge body of water around it, it was ideal for fishermen and the varying currents made it quite difficult for ships to navigate in terms of an invasion making it a perfect defense against attacks from the sea, they had to be specially made and Kattegat currently had one of the best boat builders in Hagen. But onnd was a different matter altogether.

    "King Askild, the unit led by Asger has asked for reinforcement in Vestfold!" A messenger, who was tattered and out of breath, requested while on the knee.

    "Asger is being pushed back?" The King questioned.

    King Askild was a tall man with a bulky figure as he stood at 6''0, he had numerous scars across his face with an eye patch above his left eyeplementing his grey right eye. He had a white waist long silky hair and a neatly shaved beard, with an armband tattoo reminiscent of a dragon''s tail around his left arm with a crown on his head.

    "Their army is being led by King Asmund himself, King Askild." The servant said but the expression on King Askild''s did not change because he had predicted this oue.

    "Hahaha! That crafty old man still has it in him! Even with reinforcement, we would not be able to win with him on the battlefield. Tell Asger to return home if he does not wish to reunite with his wife in Valha." King Askild said in a dismissive tone, which the messenger had no choice but to heed as he got off his knees and out of the building.

    "My king, I do not wish to question your decision but is this the best course of action?" A brte, who had the tip of her neck-length hair woven, beside the king questioned in a non-threatening tone.

    She had arge chest but quite an unattractive face and wore a crown that established her role as a queen with a silky brown strap dress, she had a petite frame measuring only 5''5 in height.

    "You wish to offer me counsel, Liv?" King Askild asked his wife, pausing as his gaze turned cold.

    "A woman with a cursed womb dares question my decision?" King Askild continued, with a scornful tone. Liv Vilulf was not a woman Askild loved but she was one he needed to ascend the throne due to her family''s influence in Kattegat.

    A guard looked at the queen''s face with disgust upon thepletion of what the king had said before quickly averting it but the King had noticed this.

    "You¡­ Step forward." The King addressed the guard responsible, which he did without question.

    King Askild got off his throne, his wife just as surprised as the rest of his guards.

    He walked down the stairs slowly, his cloak made of animal skin swept the ground until he was mere inches from the kneeling guard.

    Crouching, he ced his hand on the shoulder of the guard.

    "Hello there." He whispered before gouging out the right eye of the guard, much to the horror of his wife with the optical nerve still dangling from the eye socket.

    The room immediately resonated with the cries of the guard and a sadistic grin crept up on the face of King Askild, who shoved the eyeball right into the mouth of the guard to shut him up.

    "No one disrespects my wife. NO ONE disrespects the queen." He warned, pushing the lower jaw of the gagged man up, with his mping teeth severing the optical nerve.

    "Now, that that''s done. Go tidy yourself up, friend." Askild muttered in the most casual yet polite tone as if he didn''t just mutte him, patting him on the shoulder as he returned to his seat with a hidden smile on Liv''s face.

    Ragnar and Hagen sat across from each other inside the house of Hagen,ughing and joking with a cup of ale in both their hand. This was not what Ulf had in mind.

    "Ragnar, what is it that truly brings you here?" questioned Hagen

    "That boy, Hagen. I have never seen skin like his before. It is beautiful," Ragnar responded, taking a sip from his cup as he admired the skin of the kid.

    "That cannot be the only reason you are here, Ragnar." Hagen probed further but was notfortable with Ulf in the room for he did not trust him.

    "We will have to take him to King Askild, won''t we?" Ragnar asked visibly uneasy by this prospect and Hagen nodded to confirm his suspicion.

    "The King is a madman. There is no telling what he would do with the child." Ragnar continued.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It is because he is a madman that Kattegat became so powerful and I would not want to be on the receiving end of his wrath," Hagen said with a nervous smile catching a glimpse of Ulf.

    "Whatever the king intends can''t be worse than Ulf condemning him to death," Hagen said while shooting a nce to meet the hateful re of Ulf.

    "What is he talking about brother?" Ragnar asked, not sparing Ulf a nce as he took a sip of his ale.

    "I-I don''t know brother but we should take the child to King Askild at once." Ulf tried changing the subject and Ragnar didn''t mind either but this could be because of the ale in him as their gaze all focused on the sleeping child.

    -

    The battle of Vestfold waged on, Asger forces regrouped at their temporary camp they had set up in Hillestad but they had been let to advance and raided with little to no resistance from King Amund''s forces until they had reached Hillestad.

    King Asmundmanded his forces to surround them once they were deep enough into his territory, cutting off every possible escape route.

    The objective of this siege was to raid but Asger took this as an opportunity to raid in deeper areas due to the limited military might he thought Vestfold had. This was a deliberate act by King Asmund to not only lure them but trap them.

    "King Asmund, what shall we do?" A topless man named Egil, who was in histe twenties and his entire torso covered in burns said. The scars were ugly but they also struck fear into the hearts of those that saw them, this held for both his enemies and allies, with ck eyespleting his face.

    He had short wavy brown hair thatplemented his masculine frame standing at a whopping 6''9 in terms of height with King Asmund mounted on a white horse beside him.

    "It seems like the messenger we let through was of no use, I would have liked to lure more of them here but it seems that madman is not a foolish one," King Asmund said with a smile, he was an old man in histe fifties but he had the stamina of 5 men and this is why he had remained king of such arge county, standing at a height of 5''10.

    He had white hair gotten from old age that barely touched the nape of his neck, a stubble beard, and green eyes. He was a very handsome man despite the many wrinkles that creased his face.

    "What should we do with them?" Egil asked.

    "Kill them all, all except Asger." King Asmundmanded with Egil nodding in acknowledgment to thismand as King Asmund used the sole of his feet to tap the horse.

    "You aren''t partaking in the attack, King Asmund?" Egil asked while mounting his horse facing the opposite direction.

    "This little game was fun but I have more urgent matters to attend to, I thought hearing my name will force that brat in Kattegat to send more men but that didn''t work so there is no need for me to remain here." King Asmund responded, giddied up his horse, and began his journey back to the capital.

    "Leave the rest to me, My King," Egil said as a force of over 4,000 men stood behind him and a beheaded corpse mere inches from where he was,y on the ground.

    Meanwhile, the camp of Asger was filled with anxiety and unrest as they knew an onught was imminent, the whispers grew louder with each passing second.

    The messenger never came back, for the enemy had gotten a hold of him first to extract the information, not only leaving Asger clueless but also vulnerable.

    Asger saw the unease on his men''s faces and couldn''t me them but he did not share the same uneasiness as his ''soldiers''.

    They were told that this would be a simple raid on one of the smaller viges just outside the border with enough loot to feed their families but Asger got a little too clever for his own good as he had tried to ransack the more wealthy tows and now they were in a do or die situation.

    "This is bad, Asger. They are giving up." A slender man measuring 5''8 in his early 20s, with slicked back brown hair and tattered clothes whispered but Asger, who was a rather unattractive man with a big build despite his average size. He was bald with a tattoo running across his forearm that represented Thor''s hammer.

    "Giving up? You are wrong Arvid, they are preparing for Valha." Asger said with a satisfying smile.

 Chapter 4 Egil Vs Asger!?

    ?Ragnar, Hagen, and Ulf prepared the boy, with both his hands tied as they didn''t know where he came from or what he is capable of despite being a child and had no choice but to follow protocol when presenting him to the King.

    "You sure this isn''t a bit too much?" Asked Ragnar but Hagen shook his head as he met the frightened re of the child before looking away almost immediately.

    "I have a feeling the gods have great ns for him. I can feel it in my bones, Ragnar." Hagen reassured.

    "The gods have no great ns for him, he is just another ve," Ulf spoke, belittling Hagen.

    The animosity between both men was clear, and Ragnar knew his brother disliked Hagen but he did not know why and he was not about to step in the middle of their feud as long as it didn''t affect their working together.

    "You are wrong, brother. That child¡­ is no ordinary child." Ragnar said in a stern voice, with his sight fixed on the road ahead. Ulf could tell by his tone that he meant those words.

    "What is going on?" Ulf thought to himself because Ragnar has been acting strange ever since the day started and he took an unusual interest in this child despite him just being another ve.

    Was it because of his skin or was it something else? This inadvertently sparked the interest of Ulf as well.

    The child came to an abrupt stop, prompting his captors to halt alongside him.

    "Move it, we do not have all day," Ulf said in a stern tone prompting the child to instantly be on his guard, the aura the child gave was different from the crying and helpless child they saw moments ago.

    "I said move it!" Ulf said, grabbing the boy by the arm. The boy not only escaped the grasp of the much bigger Ulf but disarmed him by grabbing the de strapped to his waist and pushing it against his neck in one swift movement. He had good movements but it was nothing impressive as Viking warriors his age were stronger in terms of physical strength.

    He had an unorthodox fighting style, and this was the single thing that stood out about him.

    This was possible because Ulf had his guard down, as it would have been a different story if he did not but despite this, this was impressive for a child.

    "Careful now, Ulf. I don''t think Valha is for you if a child kills you." Hagen said as Ragnar chuckled.

    This infuriated Ulf, he immediately kicked the child in the stomach, forcing him to drop to his knees.

    He pulled his punch due to the overwhelming size difference as they were to deliver the child to King Askild in one piece because he was unpredictable when in a foul mood and they would rather not be on his bad side but something was clear, this child had fighting experience.

    And the three Vikings right there knew he had potential.

    "What was that?" Ulf thought to himself, feeling a bit uneasy.

    -

    Asger, they are making their move!" Arvid warned but Asger''s face wasn''t one of impending doom, it was one of glee and delight despite his men not sharing this enthusiasm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "This is it! This is why we are alive! The gods have decided that this is our fate! We did not choose to be here, the gods did and whether you die or live has been decided by them¡­" Asger said in a thunderous voice, unsheathing his de as he continued.

    "Let''s fight and die like warriors, and if we survive, we shall have even greater stories to tell our loved ones in Valha!" Asger said, his men seeing how unafraid of death he was rallied behind him as his confidence was instilled in them like a contagious virus.

    "We will ughter every single one of them and the ones we can''t ughter, our sons will ughter them for us!" Asger said as his menughed faintly.

    Arvil stared in admiration, hepletely changed the atmosphere with just a few words and in such a battle as this, morale was very important.

    But this didn''t change the reality of things, the probability of them emerging victorious from this battle was less than 1%, but these odds were better than 0 and Asger dly took it.

    The enemies were here, Asger braced himself as his men rallied behind him.

    He met the eyes of Egil, watching the man unmount his horse as he casually walked towards them without fear, the scars had an effect on everyone but Asger and Arvid who was not moved or impressed by it allowing Egil to instinctively narrow down who Asger was to these two.

    "I go by the name Egil. As you know it, today is the day you all will die but our king has offered mercy. He spares the life of the one named Asger so he may tell your stories to the Vikings that came after him. Do you ept the king''s mercy?" Egil''s words of mercy were delivered like it was a royal decree from Odin himself.

    Asger''s men shot him nces, they questioned if he would take this offer because they knew if they were the ones presented with this offer they would jump at the opportunity, they were just men after all.

    Asger stood for a moment and looked left and right.

    "I-I get to live?" He said in a timid voice, with Egil nodding in affirmation.

    Things weren''t looking, it seems like the offer to give up his men in exchange for his own life was one he would consider, what was the big talk mere moments ago?

    These were the thoughts going through the head of his men, cursing why they ever stepped foot on thisnd, but the sound of liquid hitting the ground soon brought them all back to reality and they could not believe their eyes.

    Asger was literally taking a piss right in front of everyone, causing his men to burst intoughter.

    "THAT IS OUR ASGER!" They shouted in unison.

    "I would have epted your offer but I would rather die with these low lives," Asger said, stretching forth his arm as Arvid tossed him a spear.

    "How about a duel? If you win, Ie with you and ughter my warriors myself. What do you say?" Asger muttered with a devious smirk stered across the face of Egil as he unsheathed his de.

    "I ept your offer. May the fallen embrace Valha," Egil said with a circle being formed around both warriors with no one permitted to interrupt this divine brawl that had been blessed by Odin himself.

 Chapter 5 Battle Of Hillestad

    ?"King Askild, we havee with news." Ulf led the conversation and it was clear from his tone that he was nervous but who could me him?

    The three men, on one knee, as King Askild liked the traditional courtesy shown to Kings despite the more unconventional approach of the previous King before he was killed in a duel he epted from young Askild, who then assumed the position of kingship and shaped Kattegat into a kingdom to be feared but hecked the diplomatic courtesy and this was where marrying Liv helped him in the political aspect due to her being rted to the previous king, Xenophanes Vilfulf, for she was his sister and their father took this political stance to retain some of the power lost.

    "What is the meaning of this, Ulf Lothbrok?" King Askild asked with his legs crossed, looking at the child from head to toe but he did not seem surprised by his skin color like some of the other Vikings.

    "This child washed up on our shores, King Askild." Ulf responded with his head down, he did not dare make eye contact.

    "Brandish him the mark of a ve and be rid of him. This matter is of no concern to me." King Askild responded, this was an underwhelming reaction but Ragnar saw an opportunity.

    "My King¡­" Ragnar said, pausing until he had gotten the go-ahead to speak or he could easily lose his tongue.

    "Ragnar Lothbrok, please do speak." King Askild said, showing a form of respect to the warrior that he had not shown his brother.

    "I wish to take this child as mine, King Askild," Ragnar said, raising his head to lock eyes with him.

    "You wish to im a ve?" King Askild asked with a raised brow.

    "I will pay his weight in silver, my king," Ragnar responded hoping to persuade the king.

    "Silver? What kind of man would I be if I took silver from the famous Ragnar Lothbrok? No, I do not want something as trivial as silver from you, Ragnar." King Askild said with a faint chuckle apanying the end of his sentence.

    "What do you want then, my king?" Ragnar asked.

    "I want you, Ragnar. Join me and I will give you much more than that child." King Askild gave his terms for he had never seen Ragnar interested in anything as he was this child.

    Ragnar hesitated, looking at the frightened kid before refocusing his gaze on King Askild.

    "Of course, you won''t be just a foot soldier, Ragnar Lothbrok?" King Askild kept up the pressure but Ulf did not like this, he had been faithful to King Askild in hopes of climbing thedder, and Ragnar, who had refused to join his raiding parties had now been offered a position most Vikings spend their entire life trying to attain.

    "This ungrateful bastard¡­" Ulf thought to himself, clenching his fist in annoyance.

    "Is this the only way?" Ragnar asked with King Askild nodding in affirmation.

    "I ept your terms," Ragnar said with no further hesitation, with even Hagen surprised due to Ragnar''s stand on such things, making him wonder just what or who this boy was.

    -

    The battle of Hillestad was about to begin between these two warriors and the excitement and cheer showed that these warriors saw this match-up as entertainment despite the importance of this duel for the losers will be vanquished but the honor of seeing both their leaders fight was one that they knew might nevere again.

    Both men stared at each other, none looked scared or nervous but rather, excited and bloodthirsty.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Asger whispered something directly at Arvid in a very low tone to make sure he was the only receiver but what this was, wasn''t known at this time.

    Egil, who had a broadsword in one hand, and a wooden shield in the other started moving towards Asger despite Asger, who just had a spear with no defenses.

    This move by Egil was reckless considering his advance would put him in the range of Asger''s spear and just that happened, with a one-handed thrust from Asger, but Egil expertly deflected it with his shield while continuing his advance.

    Asger was left open, and without his spear to defend him against the iing sh from Egil, certain death looked imminent or so it seemed as the horizontal swing meant to take off his head was dodged with a simple, fluid movement as he had crouched just in time.

    A moment of silence as the crowd were witnessing two great warriors fighting and the skills they had shown with this single exchange was enough to make these warriors cheer even louder.

    Amidst this, Arvid''s hand made a strange gesture behind his back, a gesture his men seemed to instinctively understand as everyone''s attention was focused on the ongoing battle.

    "Hahaha! You are quite nimble, Asger!" Egilplimented him as he quickly regained his distance and moved out of the range of the spear in the process.

    But he got no response from Asger, Egil was far too enthusiastic that he had momentarily forgotten that this was a battle between life and death which ultimately make him oblivious to the movements of Asger''s men.

    Asger did another one-handed thrust with his spear.

    "You fool, I am out of your range." Egil thought to himself but of course, Asger was aware of this as he let go of the spear, using the generated momentum to turn this move into a throwing spear assault which caught Egil off guard due to how Asger wielded it.

    He barely avoided it, as it grazed his left cheek before firmly imnting itself in the ground behind Egil.

    Egil looked back at the spear, then the unarmed Asger.

    "That was reckless, you have lost your only weapon now, Asger," Egil shouted.

    Asger cracked a smile and raised his hands.

    "I guess you are right, I lose this duel," Asger confessed but immediately he did this, Egil''s men were impaled with arrows from Asger''s men, as the gesture from Arvid was a signal for them to surround them, which they did.

    This made the volley from multiple directions, making the chances of every arrow hitting more than 95% apanied by assaults from the swordsmen.

    "What is the meaning of this, Asger!? You agreed to this duel!" Egil shouted.

    "Egil, the man of honor, I know who you are and I honored the terms of your duel, lost. But now, you shall honor the terms of my war." Asger said, as the men of Egil were cut down to more than half their original size due to being taken by surprise but they had regained theirposure and were now fighting back despite losing so many men in what seemed like a second.

    "Well then, shall we see who gets to Valha first?" Asger said with a smirk despite the furious look on Egil''s face

 Chapter 6 The Defeat Of Egil

    ?The shackles were taken off the child with the child now being one of Ragnar''s possession but this was equivalent to selling your soul to the devil because of the kind of man King Askild was, and even Hagen did not like the idea because he knew what this meant, Ragnar carefree life hade to a stop.

    "Ragnar Lothbrok, I King Askild, grant you this gift in exchange for your service. I look forward to working with you Ragnar." King Askild said with a broad smile, this was a rare sight and his wife''s eyes widened upon this sight.

    "Thank you, My King," Ragnar said as he got off his knees, with Hagen and Ulf following suit but Ulf wore a disdainful look on his face as he red at the child, who was confused about what was going on.

    "What the fuck is going on?" Ulf thought to himself.

    "Ragnar, are you sure about this?" Hagen whispered in his ears as they headed out upon King''s Askild dismissal but the look on Ragnar''s face was one of intensity as a smirk soon followed.

    "This child, Hagen¡­ This child will change the world." Ragnar responded with a glint in his eyes as if he had gotten an epiphany from Odin himself.

    The child walking without shackles was looking lost but for some reason, the atmosphere was not hostile, this didn''t make him rx one bit until Ragnar put his arm around him and tapped his chest.

    "You are safe now¡­ Lagertha will love you!" Ragnar said as he was on his way, leaving both Hagen and Ulf together.

    After a moment or two, Ulf started moving in a different direction but the voice of Hagen halted him in his tracks, looking over his shoulder in response.

    "Ulf¡­" Called out Hagen.

    "What do you want, Hagen?" Ulf said, sounding very irritated.

    "Ragnar is a lot smarter than he looks, he knows much more than you think," Hagen warned which was bizarre as he had no business spilling this information and Ulf discarded this information with a scoff as he continued on his way.

    "Crazy fucker." He muttered under his breath with his every step going further away.

    -

    The battle of Hillestad came to a conclusion with Asger securing a very unlikely victory as he had Egil and his men on their knees, for they had admitted defeat.

    Arvid yed a very crucial role in this because Asger was never interested in winning a meaningless duel, he was after the battle. Egil was honorable but with honor came naivety which Asger took full advantage of because, in a head-on battle, they had no chance.

    "What are you going to do with us, Asger?" Egil asked.

    "You fought well, Egil. If this was just you and I, I will be dead on this floor. I acknowledge you are the better warrior but a man as strong as you will always seek out battles to reestablish his strength and that''s where we are different." Asger said with Arvid cutting in.

    "We know about you, Egil Iversen, some call you the undead for the wounds you have survived, but you are feared for your overwhelming strength in duels, and you have a history of giving your enemies this exact option. You got arrogant, you believed yourself to be a god." Arvid said in a raspy voice.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hahaha! I have lived a good life but my men have not. Asger, grant me one wish as a warrior." Egil said, he was not scared of death, but he did not want to die this way.

    "You fool! You do not know your -!" Arvid was cut off by Asger.

    "I have acknowledged him as a worthy warrior, you dare not disrespect this man in my presence! Speak Egil Iversen, what is yourst wish?" Asger said, walking up to him.

    "Spare my men in exchange for my head, kill me with a sword in my hand so I may go to Valha and dine with my friends," Egil said with Arvid kissing his teeth in annoyance, how could he still be so calm with death staring him in the face?

    "Egil¡­ I have no intention of killing you but I can only let one of your men live to deliver what they just witnessed to your king, this is a more merciful proposal than what you offered me, don''t you think?" Asger said in a stern yetpassionate tone.

    "It''s okay Earl Egil! We were prepared to die the moment we stepped out on this field with you. The Valkyries will take us home." A warrior said with the rest cheering so loud, it shook the very ground they kneeled on.

    A small boy, no more than 15 years old stepped forward, he had bushy brown hair with light brown eyes. He wore an armor te that consisted of a metal te woven into a neat and he looked to be the youngest by far on the battlefield due to the expected ''easy'' difficulty of this battle.

    This was unanimous as no one was opposed to letting this child be the one to live.

    "It is decided then," Asger muttered, instructing his men to ce the swords that belonged to their enemies on theirps for he was granting them an honorable death.

    "I will grant you Valha, for I shall not deny the gods of such great warriors," Asger said and with a gesture, his men lined up behind them.

    "Farewell." The victorious warrior said with a downward gesture of his hand, and with this, the sword came down and beheaded every prisoner in one fell swoop.

    "Scram kid before we change our mind," Arvid said but the child threw up upon witnessing the gory sight which was understandable seeing as this was his first battle experience.

    "Congrattions on popping your cherry." A soldier teased with othersughing but what they got in response was a blood-curdling stare from the child, with vomit dripping down his chin.

    "That''s enough, go," Egil instructed as he was forced to his feet.

    ? "Go.." He said again with tears flooding the eyes of the child as he ran.

    Arvid looked at the back of the running child with his fingertips lingering on his bow but turned to find Asger already looking at him.

    "I hope you know what you are doing Asger. Move it you!" Arvid, pushing Egil forward as they had imed their spoils of war.

    "He is worth more than you know," Asger responded.

 Chapter 7 Lagerthas Lust

    ?Ragnar Lothbrok returned home. He was excited about the child he had in his possession but he did not know how his wife would take it and knew when to break it to her.

    Luckily, Bjorn was outside, maybe someone his age would get him to loosen up and Ragnar did just that, pointing at Bjorn and nudging him gently.

    "Go¡­" Ragnar said and the child looked at Bjorn and then returned his gaze to Ragnar, Ragnar repeated it and the child walked hesitantly to Bjorn, this was a new environment and the child knew they were not hostilepared to his vers, running away was thest thing on his mind because he was in unknown territory.

    "Bjorn! No bullying!" Ragnar shouted as the boy timidly approached the son of Ragnar..

    Ragnar, on the other hand, made his way into his home with Lagertha arranging some clothes on the table in the corner, Ragnar snuck up behind her and wrapped his hands around her.

    "Lagertha¡­" Ragnar whispered in her ear and this sent shivers down her spine, Lagertha was weak when it came to the sexual advances of her husband.

    A warrior that has conquered so many battles, including the body of his wife.

    "At least let me finish, Ragnar¡­" Lagertha whispered, she could feel his hot breath brushing against her earlobe and tried her hardest to finish but Ragnar saw her ''differently'' right now.

    "Lagertha, my beautiful Lagertha," Ragnar said in a sweet tone, his voice sending all the right signals to her brain as she stumbled back involuntarily.

    "Battles are won with aggression, my maiden but it is a lot different when ites to a woman''," Ragnar said, with his hands wandering.

    He could feel the heat emitting from her body, he liked it when he had to ''convince'' her to let him have his way, this was far more exciting than when she submitted without feigning resistance.

    "A woman''s body requires a gentle touch¡­" Ragnar kept whispering sweet words to his wife.

    "¡­ A touch that makes her yearn...''" The warrior continued and Lagertha was loving it.

    This was amon thing with Ragnar and Lagertha, she knew there was something her husband had to tell her when he puts on such moves on her and she also knew this was his way of making her morepliant to listen to his words and that was exactly why she made him work harder each time.

    Lagertha had taken the role of a traditional wife ever since leaving the battlefield and that was how she was able to raise such a respectable kid such as Bjorn and retain her feminine traits despite having been a warrior with a strong reputation.

    Ragnar won this battle, as he always did and the sounds they both made escaped the windows and it made its way into the ears of the children despite it being muffled.

    The kid heard the soundsing from the house and it startled him as it sounded like some sort of war within those walls despite the war being of a different variant. He was worried that maybe Ragnar was not so gentle after all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Don''t worry about it. Father is just ying with mother," Bjorn said in a casual tone, but his eyes soon noted the uniqueness in the child before him. Looking at him from head to toe, his darkened skin was seen differently by Bjorn.

    "Why are you dirty?" Bjorn asked, sshing water on him but nothing seemed to happen.

    "Where did father get you from?" Bjorn asked, with the boy shielding himself from another water barrage but this was his skin, something Bjorn soon realized as he was amazed by it as a matter of fact.

    "Are you a ve?" Bjorn asked, he noticed the brand of the thrall (ve) on the forearm of the child but the boy simply repeated the word "ve".

    "You do not speak ournguage?" Bjorn asked and the boy just stared nkly at him.

    "You will have to learn ournguage or you will be no use to mother or father." Said Bjorn, returning to throwing pebbles, the boy watched him.

    Ragnar was right, him being around someone his age made his tense shoulder loosen up a bit, watching closely as Bjorn skipped rocks.

    The boy copied him and picked up a stone, before removing the barrel of the almost emptied water tank slightly to the left.

    "What are you doing ve?" Bjorn questioned but the boy simply threw the rock and it traveled even further than Bjorn''s thrown rock.

    "Woah! How did you do that!?" Bjorn asked, he was taken aback by this and wanted to learn about it as soon as possible. Bjorn was an innocent child that did not have many friends as he preferred his ownpany and getting stronger by training with his uncle, Ulf.

    The thrall noticed his excitement, and picked up another rock to replicate what he did moments ago and this time it went even further thanst time, Bjorn could not believe his eyes.

    "Show me!" Bjorn asked but the boy did not respond. Bjorn face-palmed himself, he forgot that he did not understand their native tongue and he did not know how to speak thenguage of the boy either. He chose non verbalmunication as he began gesturing with his hands that the boy should show him but the gestures were not specific enough for his message to get across.

    Bjorn was not frustrated but quite the opposite, he was excited about the prospect of having whoever this person was in his life and now he was d that Hagen did not let his uncle Ulf kill him.

    Bjorn was apetitive child and met someone better than him in the one leisure activity he fancied and chuckled in content to this discovery.

    "I, Bjorn Lothbrok, dere you my rival!" Bjorn shouted, voice filled with conviction despite knowing the boy did not understand him and for the first time, the child smiled.

 Chapter 8 Tyr Ragnarsson

    ?"Ragnar, you have not made love to me like that for quite some time," Lagertha said, resting gently on his chest, cuddling the man she loved as Ragnar''s fingers ran through her silky blonde hair.

    "Hahaha! I fucked you, Lagertha." Ragnar teased, he was far from gentle with her and Lagertha liked it but Ragnar only did this for times like these, making her desire it even more.

    "You are so dirty, Ragnar," Lagertha said, chuckling but she knew there was a catch, there was always a catch when Ragnar fucked her like this and she was never the one to bring it up.

    "I need to talk to you, Lagertha." Said, Ragnar

    "There it is, the only man that uses good sex as leverage for negotiating with his wife." Lagertha thought to herself with a defeated smile before nodding to give her husband the go-ahead.

    "How do you feel about having a second son, Lagertha?" Ragnar asked her and Lagertha froze in ce, beforeughing it off. They have been trying to get a second child for years now but to no avail so this was a strange question from Ragnar considering he knew how badly she wanted one.

    "It almost sounds like anotherdy carries your child, my dear husband," Lagertha said in a joking tone that turned serious, but this only made Ragnarugh.

    "Don''t be silly, Lagertha. I was given a thrall on the condition I join the forces of King Askild." Ragnar began and Lagertha was taken aback by this development.

    "Ragnar Lothbrok, is amon thrall that important!?" Lagertha asked, her voice opposed to whatever Ragnar had going on.

    "He is not a thrall, Lagertha. He is to be our son. It is just as the seer said," Ragnar said and Lagertha''s curiosity spiked when she heard the seer.

    "Son? Seer?" Lagertha questioned and Ragnard nodded in response as the childrenughing and ying outside brought a brief smile to his face.

    "The seer said: out the sea, he shall arise like Freyr, this child carries a fate that you must guide as a son of Ragnar. He will bring the end to many enemies, he is the beginning or the end of the Viking era," Ragnar said excitedly but Lagertha was confused because the possibility of the Viking era ending was in the seer''s prediction so why would Ragnar want to risk it all? This was one of the seer''s more precise prophecies.

    "Ragnar, are you sure about this?" Lagertha was not in support but she had to respect the decision of Ragnar.

    "If he threatens the Viking era, I will personally drive my sword through his heart," Ragnar muttered, his wife could tell he meant these words by the look on his face.

    "But I am sure it won''te to that, but I want you to care for him like you do Bjorn. He is NOT a ve, he is our son starting today and his name will be Tyr." Ragnar said in an absolute tone that his wife did not have any problem with this and epted it, she always wanted more children but had problems conceiving.

    "This is fine by me but Ragnar, how about we seal the deal another way?" Lagertha said, climbing on top of Ragnar, with Ragnar''s hands behind his head.

    "What way do you propose, my dear wife?" Ragnar teased despite knowing exactly what Lagertha meant.

    "This way." She responded with a devious smirk, Ragnar wanted to rest but Lagertha took this news in stride.

    "I love you, Lagertha," Ragnar said, grabbing the waist of his wife.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I love you too, Ragnar," Lagertha responded as both of them made love.

    It did not take long for him to finish but Lagertha did not stop, she only increased her intensity.

    "This is not how I want to go to Valha woman!" Ragnar shouted. Lagarthaughed at just how silly her husband was but this was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with

    -

    A couple of days passed.

    Loud cheers could be heard from outside the throne room of King Askild, the crowd shouted the name of Asger repeatedly,

    "King Askild! Asger is back!" A man said and Askild gestured for the guards to open up the door that prevented Asger from seeing his king.

    Asger came in, but he did note with his men, it was a miracle he returned in the first ce but did so while taking minimal casualty and taking Egil captive, this was an admirable feat by any stretch of the imagination.

    He had Egil in ropes and binds, but he did not drag him like a wounded dog but allowed him to retain his pride and guide his steps because despite being defeated, he earned the respect of Asger as far as warriors go.

    "Wee back Asger." King Askild said with a half-smile because, despite this spoil, he did not authorize such a bold statement and attack. After all, with this, retaliation was inevitable.

    Instantly, Asger got on one knee and Egil followed suit because Askild''s cruelty was well known, even in Vestfold. He could feel the unease of his captor, what kind of king must you be to induce such fear into your men? His king was the opposite of Askild, people fight for him because they love him, not fear him.

    "King Askild! I have returned." Asger said while whispering to Egil.

    "Don''t you dare look him in the eyes," Asger warned Egil and Egil listened, keeping his head down?

    "I see you brought the famous Egil with you, I was certain Valha would wee you today." King Askild said, he did not sound impressed by the feat of Asger.

    "What happened to this being just a raid?" Askild asked, tapping his finger on the handle of his throne.

    "It could not be helped. King Askild. I hate to say it but I fell right into the trap of King Asmund." Asger said with a defeated smile that King Askild looked to appreciate because the tension was there, Askild condemned him to death by not giving him the reinforcements he asked for despite that Asger prevailed and he knew with Egil as a prize. King Askild might just spare him and his men for returning with gold or treasures.

    "Egil Iversen, the famed and feared warrior now tied like a mere ve before me. You did well Asger, take him to the cells, and we will extract all the information from him whether he cooperates or not. Keep a guard on him at all times, we wouldn''t want our guest taking his own life now, would we?" Askild said, with Asger nodding, before carting him away.

    "That fool¡­ So he is good for something." Askild thought to himself, watching them exit the throne room, this has given him the edge he needed in the scuffle with Vestfold and to think it came from something as simple as this was a blessing in disguise. He did not fear retaliation because he now had one of their best warriors as a captive.

 Chapter 9 A Year Later...

    ?A year and a few months passed since that day, Kattegat sat and enjoyed a fragile peace with other kingdoms not making any moves only due to their military prowess and disdain for one another.

    It was survival of the fittest and right now, Kattegat held that title, King Askild struck fear in his neighbors ever since the capture of Egil Iversen with something as simple as a raiding party.

    But King Askild was no fool, he knew he needed allies because even he would not be able to withstand an invasion from his neighbors if it was coordinated well enough but what worried him the most was that King Asmund did not reached out nor tried to get Egil Iversen back, it was like he abandoned him or rather, left him to fate.

    -

    The year saw a lot of progress, Ragnar bonded with Tyr, teaching him how to speak Old Norse as well as be a better fighter but Tyr did not seem like a stranger holding the de and learned the skills Ragnar taught him naturally like it was second nature to him begging the question of where he came from.

    Bjorn, however, started to feel neglected and began training extensively with his uncle, Ulf.

    He did not have a problem with Tyr beingbeled his brother but he did have a problem with his father treating him like more of a priority than him.

    This was no longer some pebble-throwing rivalry, it took the form of a true rivalry with Bjorn taking his training far more seriously, and Ulf acknowledging that he has greater potential than both him and Ragnar, his growth in a year was nothing short of breath-taking.

    "Uncle Ulf, I am headed home," Bjorn said after a training session, he managed to nick Ulf, even if it was just a little, but this was more than most Vikings have done but was it because Ulf was going easy on him? That could not be it, there was something behind the de that Ulf himself could not wrap his mind around, and it had a resolve to it.

    "Alright Bjorn, greet your father for me," Ulf said, sending Bjorn on his way.

    Bjorn was a lot more muscr and taller than he was a year ago, he was bigger than kids his age, and hisbat skills improved so much that he could hold his own against the slightly below-average Viking warrior, this was very impressive for a twelve-year-old.

    He arrived home and say Tyr, Tyr had a single tattoo strip on his forearm to cover up the stamp of a ve, he was now the son of Ragnar Lothbrok and was treated as one but people did find it sphemous that an outsider was given the name of one of their sacred gods.

    Unlike Bjorn, he was of average height despite being age mates, and a lot more slender.

    Appearance-wise, Bjorn looked a lot stronger but did that hold for skills?

    "Hey, Bjorn!" Tyr called out but Bjorn did not respond.

    "BJORN!" Tyr called out again and Bjorn responded this time, he did not hear him the first time due to the distance and instantly ran to Tyr.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Despite all this, the two kids were not on bad terms and shared a strong bond despite their rivalry.

    "Hey Tyr! I managed to cut uncle Ulf," Bjorn immediately gloated about his little victory to his younger brother and Tyr was awestruck by this news, with his mouth opening in admiration.

    "You did!?" Tyr asked him in admiration, he was not surprised about his brother''s little victory, he knew Bjorn was strong as he had never won a spar between the two, Bjorn had a unique fighting style he had to create to counter Ulf''s attacks and it worked wlessly for him, he was always evolving as he took into ount how to counter attacks he could not counter into his style so he came back stronger after each defeat, he knew he was years too young to win a battle against Ulf but this did not mean he would not try to, because he knew that Tyr''s potential was great but he did not know what the seer told Ragnar, only Lagertha was aware of it.

    "Of course I did, the awesome Bjorn fears no man beneath the heavens!" Bjorn eximed in an excited voice, with Tyr chuckling.

    "My rival is truly strong, you will be a great warrior!" Tyr said but Bjorn was quick to respond.

    "As will you, the sons of Ragnar will have to do our father''s name proud!" Bjorn said, with Tyr looking in admiration. He looked up to Bjorn, he was strong and the first person to ept him, even when he once had his status as a ve and when he became his brother, he treated him as an equal.

    They had grown close, and Bjorn finally got the brother he always wanted but Tyr was still cautious.

    The Lothbroks'' might have epted him but this could not be said for the other Vikings, he had to somehow prove himself to them or he was just a ve in their eyes regardless of his ties to Ragnar.

    He knew deep down that he was not a true Lothbrok but he also knew he owed his life to them because if Ragnar did not buy him, he would not be free to this day.

    "I hope I can join father in his next campaign," Bjorn said, he wanted to be on the front lines and who could me him, real battle experience forces growth in warriors due to the life and death terms attached to it, one mistake will result in the death of him or his enemy.

    This was something you could not get by just training and Bjorn realized that but Ragnar still saw him as unprepared, him and his brother.

    "I want to go too but father is strict," Tyr said with a sigh.

    "What if we snuck up on his boat, brother?" Bjorn said but Tyr knew this was near impossible.

    "I have a better idea, let''s meet Hagen!" Tyr eximed. He knew the boat maker might just make this near-impossible idea of Bjorn possible.

 Chapter 10 A Call For Help

    ?"Hagen! Hagen!" Bjorn called out in front of his house but all they could hear was moaning from within as both brothers look at each other and said at the same time.

    "They are ying!" Before bothughing but the moment theyughed out the moaning stopped and soon after, Hagen came out.

    "If it isn''t the sons of Ragnar, did your father send you?" Hagen said, looking around to try and figure out if they were alone and they were but they wanted him to figure it out himself.

    "Bjorn, what are they feeding you? At this rate, you will be able to bring down J?rmungandr with a single hand!" Hagen teased. Bjorn smiled sheepishly with Hagen''s gaze shifting and settling on Tyr.

    Tyr knew he would be dead if Hagen didn''t find him and owed him his life, he was not aware of the circumstances surrounding it but the fact that he woke up in Hagen''s care meant he was the one that saved him, he was not aware of what transpired before then, including Ulf''s actions.

    "Tyr, the one named after the true god of war. I expect great things from you!" Hagen said with a gentle smile that inadvertently made Tyr smile back in return.

    "Hagen, who is that?" Ady walked out to check just who Hagen was talking to.

    ? It was a brtedy, she had a gentle and soft appearance, it was hard to believe such lewd sounds wereing out of her mouth moments ago, she had the nkets wrapped around her to hide her nakedness.

    She went by the name Sif, she was the wife of Hagen, who he married a few months back.

    Sif was an extremely bustydy, with a plump but curvaceous figure

    She looked at Bjorn and then Tyr, but her eyes lingered a bit longer on Tyr, cracking a smile before whispering something into the ear of Hagen''s ear.

    Hagen chuckled in response to this, before shaking his head and saying.

    "They aren''t man enough yet to handle her, Sif," Said Hagen whileughing.

    "HANDLE WHO!? I CAN HANDLE ANYONE!" Tyr jumped in, without knowing what they were talking about but he thought it to be a challenge of some sort.

    "HEY! ME TOO!" Bjorn shouted, there was no way he was going to let his rival hug all the fun.

    "You are right, Hagen. They are not ready." Sif said with a peal ofughter before heading back in. She was referring to her oldest child being a potential bride for one of the brothers when theye of age.

    Sif had two children from her previous marriage, her youngest child Floki, who was 6, and her daughter Ursa, who was 10.

    The sons of Ragnar only had battle on their minds and love was thest thing on their minds, a far cry from their father but they are still kids, what do they know about love?

    "What brings you two here?" Hagen asked, shutting the door behind him as he walked towards the boys.

    "We want to raid!" Both boys said in unison and Hagen smiled, they were of age but Ragnar feared for their safety and that is exactly why they haven''t be ''men'' yet.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They needed to taste battle, but Hagen could not do anything about it without the permission of their father.

    "That is impossible, I am afraid." Hagen said in a stern tone, he made the boys understand that this was Ragnar''s decision but if Ragnar was not willing to lead them into battle where he could keep an eye on them, the chances of them entering the battle on their own without his protection grew increasingly high each day he refused them their ''rite of passage.

    Hagen knew this, and this would be a tragic fate for the children of Ragnar, but he offered a solution.

    "Let me talk to your father, I will convince him to let you guys go. We can''t have two of our best warriors on shore after all." Hagen said, inting the ego of both Bjorn and Tyr.

    "Damn right you can''t!" Both said in unison, but Hagen was hesitant. He did not know why Ragnar was keeping them away from the battle because this should be a proud thing for any father, which father would not want to watch his son be a man?

    "Thank you, Hagen!" Tyr said, bowing to show his gratitude with Bjorn following suit.

    -

    "Egil Iversen," A man called out in a dark prison cell, it was Arvid. Arvid did not changed during the year, he looked the same right down to his hairstyle.

    Egil, had been imprisoned and tortured for a year but refused to betray his king even if his king abandoned him. He understood the way of war and this decision was sound from a strategical standpoint as it would be considered a weakness but why did his captors not just kill him and be done with it?

    "It looks like this is your new home." Arvid continued, mocking the man but he did not like the look on Egil''s face. He did not look defeated, his mind and will looked far from being broken.

    A year of torture did not dent his resolve. He was malnourished, his ribs were poking out of his flesh and his lips were dried up and bleeding. He was in the worst condition possible.

    "That''s enough, Arvid," A voice called out behind the Viking, it was the voice of Asger.

    "Asger," Arvid said before shutting up. What he was doing was not wrong, so there was no reason nor cause for Asger to reprimand him but Asger wanted to talk to the fallen warrior alone and Arvid obeyed his superior''s wishes.

    "A-Asger," Egil muttered with a weak smile, he was d to see a familiar face that did not wish for his head to hang, but there was little to nothing Asger could do.

    "W-Why do you keep me alive?" Egil said but Asger''s face had a hint of sadness in them.

    "Not for long my friend, the King has ordered your execution," Asger said with Egil smiling broadly.

    "Atst, I can go to Valha," Egil said with his chapped lips bleeding.

    "Egil, King Askild has denied you Valha, you won''t be given a warrior''s death. I am sorry my friend." Asger said and for the first time, the look of hopelessness dawned on the face of Egil.

 Chapter 11 Kingdom Of Vestfold

    ?Vestfold had no intentions of showing weakness, King Asmund was not quiet because he did not want revenge. He was quiet because he was building the military strength needed to crush King Askild once and for all.

    King Asmund was a smart and loved king and this unprovoked transgression was not something he would allow for it would make his kingdom look weak but he could not attack Kattegat carelessly either because while King Askild might be younger than him, he was no joke when it came to battle.

    Both tactically andbat-wise, he earned his ce on the throne and Asmund knew if he was to hit Kattegat, he needed the support of the surrounding kings, an alliance but it was easier said than done as they hated each other and Askild was counting on this.

    "King Asmund, the Prince is here to see you." Asmund was informed by one of his guards, and Asmund permitted him with a gesture, prompting the doors to swing open, and in came a fairly slim man with narrow pale-blue eyes and short ck hair, with pointed bangs hanging between his eyes. He has a small, vertical scar over the right side of his mouth. He wore the typical Viking outfit but without armor with a ck sash and a pair of ck fingerless gloves. He wasn''t tall neither was he short.

    "King Asmund, I have returned." The 16-year-old boy said and King Asmund looked at his son with great pride.

    "My son, how was it?" Asmund questioned, getting up for m his throne as he walked towards his son.

    "It was great, my king. As the heir to the throne, you can expect nothing but excellence from me for I will uphold our name with my life." The prince reaffirmed his resolution.

    He was just 16 yet carried himself like an adult.

    "I do not see Egil Iversen, my king. Is he not in the Kingdom?" Prince Signy said. He was not aware of the fate that met Egil Iversen because he had gone on a journey to hone his swordsmanship skills and had been gone for 3 years and Asmund did not want to sully his mood for he just returned home. He put his arm around his son and kisses his cheek.

    "Worry not about Egil, my son. We must celebrate your return tonight." King Asmund said but the Prince did not bite.

    The man before him might be the king but he was still his father, and Asmund knew he was not the same kid he was 3 years ago.

    "I am afraid Egil has been taken," Asmund said, gesturing for his guards to leave them.

    "Taken? Who dares touch one of our own?" Signy questioned, despite being angry his tone betrayed him as it was as calm and smooth as the ocean.

    "King Askild, the man who rules Kattegat," Asmund responded, and Prince Signy''s face creased in shock.

    "When was he taken, is he dead!?" Signy asked. Asmund understood his concern seeing how close his son was with Egil but this was out of his power.

    He knew he could not win Askild in a confrontation and war with Kattegat will leave his kingdom vulnerable to attacks.

    "Egil lives for now but I can not imagine him being the same after a year," Asmund said, returning to his throne and before Signy could cuss out he realized that this must hurt his father just as much as it did him and swallowed the words he was about to spew.

    "I will get Egil back, even if it means challenging Askild to a duel," Signy said but Asmumd just sat on his throne and looked at his son in disappointment.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You have not grown at all, Signy. You may leave now," King Asmund said, and Signy realized his mistake at that moment. He had let his emotions get the better of him.

    King Askild has never lost a duel and his kingship has been challenged so many times but the challengers always ended up dead.

    He was not king because the people wanted him, he was king because no one could defeat him and such a king is the king needed for warriors.

    Loyalty inspired through fear rivals loyalty through love.

    "I am sorry, my king. It was not my intention to be so outspoken." Signy said. The way he spoke was far too formal even by Viking standards.

    "You will tell me about your journey after we celebrate your return, you may leave. I am d you are back, my son." Asmund said, not letting one heated exchange ruin the atmosphere.

    "Yes, father." Signy left but Asmund understood his rage and he knew waiting this long made his kingdom look weak but this was far from the case.

    -

    "Father! Father!" Bjorn called out to Ragnar, who sat with Lagerta resting on hisp.

    "Yes my son," Ragnar responded with his piercing eyes focused on Bjorn. Tyr waited for the punchline excitedly and Bjorn finally dropped it like an MC.

    "I have challenged Tyr to a spar tomorrow and I would like it if you could be the overseer of our battle," Bjorn said with Tyr smiling sheepishly.

    They knew the best way to convince their father might be a spar between both of them but Ragnar stared right in the eyes of Bjorn without blinking.

    "Do you think battlefield is a joke, Bjorn?" Ragnar asked in an attempt to unnerve him but Bjorn stood his ground.

    "No, father and that is why we want you to oversee it. We are not children anymore, father and you will not deny us Valha." Bjorn responded. He had grown balls because even Tyr gulped when these words left his mouth.

    Ragnar gently removed Lagertha from hisp and walked towards Bjorn with a stern look in his eyes.

    "....Ragnar?" Lagertha called out but Ragnar didn''t answer her.

    "That''s my boy!" Ragnar said, roughing up his hair, with Tyr breathing a sigh of relief as their father epted Bjorn''s proposal.

 Chapter 12 Spar Of Brothers [R18+]

    ?Ulf, the brother of Ragnar Lothbrok, grew a lot stronger in terms ofbat as he had partaken in raids set up by King Askild in hopes of earning his favor and despite his many exploits in battle, it was not enough. He was never recognized as anything more than the brother of Ragnar Lothbrok.

    He trained Bjorn and taught him his battle stance but this did not satisfy the Viking spirit in him.

    He needed something or someone to truly reignite his fading battles for fighting, he knew raids did not cut it anymore as Asger was the king''s favorite after his capture of Egil and even Ulf was impressed.

    He knew he could not manage such a feat, and how cunning Asger was in that situation but he also med Egil for getting toocent, this was a stupid mistake for a seasoned fighter.

    Ulf did not take a wife this year but he fucked multiple whores and took a liking to a ve girl, but it was nothing but sexual.

    Her name was Ottka, she had big breasts and a robust figure despite her face not being anything to write home about but Ulf foundfort in herrge bosoms. Her shape was curvaceous and any man that could get past the face was in for a treat.

    "Lord Ulf, I am here as you requested," Ottka said and Ulf eyed her up and down, she wore a top that exposed the top of her cleavage, and her upper thighs exposed.

    Ulf looked at her, like a predator sizing up its prey, she could feel the heat in the atmosphere as Ulf created a sexual tension that made her wet in no time. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel like she was at his mercy.

    "Come over here, Ottka," Ulfmanded her and she was hesitant in approaching her because she was scared of him, the look in his eyes was that of either extreme lust or murderous intent.

    But she listened regardless, she was just a ve and Ulf possessed a certain influence just by being rted to Ragnar and this gave her little to no choice but he did not touch her despite their meeting on numerous asions like other men.

    "Y-Yes..." She stuttered and started to walk towards Ulf and Ulf stared her right in the eyes, other men''s eyes would be fixed on her bosoms'' but it was like Ulf was looking into her soul.

    She stopped right in front of Ulf and he gestured for her to undress, he just liked looking at her naked body without touching her. This was a weird ritual he has been doing, he liked the sight of a woman''s naked body and despite his sexual experiences with whores, he did not treat the ve girl like one but she used her hands to cover both her nipples and private area.

    "I-Is my body to your satisfaction today?" Asked Ottka. She was nervous as Ulf previously asked her to lose a little weight on their next meet which was today.

    "It is perfect," Ulf said, sitting on a chair as he unfastened his trouser to take his stiff penis in his right hand.

    "Take your hands off," Ulf instructed and sheplied without hesitation.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He began stroking the shaft of his penis, while not even sparing the face of Ottka a nce and under his breath, he whispered.

    "Lagertha..." Ulf moaned the name of his brother''s wife.

    -

    The day ended and it was the day of the duel between Tyr and Bjorn, they were both excited to be showing their skills to their father, and to measure how far they came in terms of their rivalry.

    "Bjorn against Tyr, my two sons. Let me see you two battle it out." Ragnar said, but the two boys suddenly felt the pressure. Neither of them wanted to disappoint their fathers but this meant that they would give it their all and this was exactly what Ragnar wanted.

    "Are you ready?" Ragnar asked both boys, but instead of a wooden sword, Ragnar gave them actual steel to see how they handle its original weight inbat.

    "Start!" Ragnar gave themand and Tyr rushed immediately to strike his brother, he was fast, and Ragnar had seen his speed far too many times in their training sessions but he saw little of Bjorn''sbat prowess.

    Bjorn managed to block it and counter-attack in a single move but this was due to Tyr''s sluggish movement with a real sword, it was a lot heavier than the wooden one he has been using with his father.

    "Come on, Tyr! This cannot be all my rival is capable of," Bjorn teased, he managed to nick the cloth Tyr was wearing, showing Bjorn held the upper hand. Ragnar was not surprised as it was Ulf training him and he also had his blood.

    "I am just getting warmed up!" Tyr shouted in response, he was full of openings and this drew Bjorn to attack but this was bait. Tyr intentionally left himself open to draw the much slower Bjorn to attack and the bait was sessful as Bjorn lunged forward to cut him but his sword missed because Tyr evaded it. His speed suddenly increased, and he was able to nick the cloth of Bjorn to return the favor.

    "That was smart." Ragnar thought. Tyr did not use his full speed in the first exchange to give Bjorn a false perception of his speed and this way he could take him by surprise in the second attack.

    "Now that is more like it!" Bjorn shouted, he was getting hyped up because he saw that Tyr''s skills had also improved but before they could exchange blows once more, Ragnar stepped in between them with both boys halting their strikes.

    "That is enough training between you two," He said, unsheathing his sword.

    "How about you two fight me," Ragnar said in a rhetorical tone.

 Chapter 13 Ragnar Vs His Sons

    ?The turn of events saw the tables turn with Bjorn and Tyr now faced against their father, an opportunity to prove they were ready for the battles ahead.

    "You bettere at me like you are trying to kill me," Ragnar said with a devious smirk that made both boys nervous because they did not prepare for this mentally but they were excited nheless.

    Ragnar had unsheathed his de, he did not look like he was ying. Tyr knew this, he had never seen this look on the face of Ragnar in all their spars and nudge Bjorn slightly.

    "Can we get 5 minutes to discuss our strategy, father?" Tyr asked, and Ragnar heaved a sigh before granting him this request.

    "In battle, you won''t be allowed to get the opportunity to form a strategy," Ragnar said but Tyr was quick to counter him.

    "Every warrior or unit abides by a strategy, for they have ns in ce for when the unexpected happens," Tyr said with Lagetha chuckling, he got Ragnar there and Ragnar could feel a sense of pride welling up inside of him.

    "As expected of my son," Ragnar said before letting the boys have their battle strategy.

    They spoke for 5 minutes exactly and returned to the field where Raganr was waiting with his de in hand, they knew winning against Ragnar was an insurmountable task but it was not impossible.

    "Are you ready?" Ragnar asked and both boys nodded with the muchrger Bjorn stepping in front of Tyr, and it looked like they were going to go at it one at a time. An idea that Ragnar did not oppose nor support but it showed their naivety as well.

    Ragnar waited for Bjorn to make the first move, which he did as he jumped up and attempted a vertical sh, gravity adding more strength to his strike. Ragnar easily parried it with his de and focused his eyes past Bjorn, but he could not see Tyr. Bjorn was a decoy!

    Tyr had snuck behind him and attempted a horizontal sh to nick the legs of Ragnar, his position made it impossible for Ragnar to block this attack, and Bjorn''s attack above made jumping up impossible. They got him or at least so they thought, the idea of the two-pronged attack was a well-thought-out one but it had its ws as Ragnar simply sent a foot into the face of Tyr to send him scrambling back but once again, his attention had shifted to yet another of his sons'' leaving himself wide open for Bjorn''s follow up assault because he was practically on one leg now and this left him in a vulnerable position as Bjorn performed a sweep on his father and this one did connect.

    It was enough to make Ragnar unbnced but it was not enough to send him to the floor as he barely maintained his bnce before crashing his free hand right into the face of Bjorn to send him scrambling back. Both boys were bleeding but this did not concern Ragnar.

    This did not have the feeling of a spar, it felt way more intense than that and Lagertha momentarily thought she should step in and stop it. But the look on all their faces made her think twice, they were enjoying themselves despite blood running down the temple of both children.

    "That was clever, but not clever enough. You did not even touch me." Ragnar bragged but noticed his trouser had been nicked and this brought about a snicker from him.

    He was getting pumped up and was ready to show them just how strong he was and since their strategy had failed to draw blood, it was a failure as it could not work a second time on him.

    "The next one will draw blood, father," Tyr said as Bjorn readied himself by taking an attacking pose.

    Ragnar was in their middle, Ragnar was positioned in their middle and he theorized that their attacks would be simultaneous from both sides.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Someone is getting cocky," Ragnar said waiting for them to make their next move.

    It came just as he expected but Tyr reached him first due to his superior speed as opposed to Bjorn''s physical strength.

    Ragnar had to deal with him first and turned to do just that but what he met the moment he turned was sand tossed in his eyes, this effectively blinded him from Bjorn''s follow up but somehow Ragnar managed to get himself out of danger but this attack did draw blood just as Tyr said.

    It was a dirty move, a move neither Bjorn nor Ragnar anticipated.

    "Tyr, that was dirty!" Bjorn shouted, he was not happy with his younger brother and made it known he did not support such tactics but Ragnar stopped him quickly.

    "That is enough Bjorn," Ragnar said, cing his hand on his shoulder as his eyesight was back.

    "But father, he-!?" Bjorn shouted but Ragnar silenced him.

    "Deception is an important aspect in battle, there is no such thing as a righteous deception," Ragnar said and this calmed Bjorn down but Bjorn did not approve of his younger brother''s fighting methods.

    "Let''s call it a wrap. I have seen what I need to see." Ragnar Lothbrok said, but he knew what his sons wanted to hear.

    "Individually, you are average but together, you are quite fearsome so I will take you both on my next raid." Ragnar finally said those words and this brought about an explosive reaction from both children.

    Bjorn, who forgot what his brother did moments ago, hugged Tyr as both boys celebrated this little victory.

    Lagertha smiled, this was the epitome of a bonding moment between father and sons.

    "Where did he learn to fight like that?" Ragnar thought to himself as he walked away because he was not the one that taught Tyr such an underhanded tactic but it could trante to his desire to win this spar by all means so he did not ponder much on this.

    Grabbing Lagertha''s ass, he made his way into the house with her.

    "I am proud of you boys!" Lagertha shouted before the door shut behind her and both boys gave each other a knowing nce before whispering.

    "Fucking..." In unison.

 Chapter 14 The Execution Of Egil Iversen?

    ?The bells rang in Kattegatter that evening and everyone gathered, this included Ragnar, Lagertha, and his sons.

    The bells only rang when there was something of urgency going on and in this case, it was the public execution of Egil. Ragnar was surprised King Askild kept him alive this long, to begin with, but he assumed that whatever political reasons he kept him for did go through and it was best to do away with him.

    This was the first time his sons would see a man die right in front of them and they were looking forward to it.

    This was not unusual for children of this era, because death was not perceived as the end of life but rather as the beginning of it. Tyr did not understand all the traditions the Horsemen followed but he knew about the basic ones.

    "Egil Iversen, on the orders of King Askild you shall be put to death today and you will not be granted a Viking''s death." A man said, with the executioner walking up towards him.

    Tyr looked confused as he thought all warriors were granted a Viking''s death or they would not be able to see Valha and end up in Niflheim. He asked his father and Ragnar took his time to exin to him.

    "King Askild is not granting him Valha, he does not intend on giving him the honor of dying with dignity or pride. He is condemning his soul to Niflheim so Hel may do as she pleases with it." Ragnar whispered to his inquisitive son.

    This was cruel, even for an enemy but it was King Askild''s will, and Askild''s will was never questioned but the look in Egil''s eyes was still far from defeated.

    "You think you can deny me Valha?" Egil asked, and the crowd began to murmur with the executioner halting in his steps, they were willing to grant him his final words for this was the least they could do for him. They were present in Asger''s conquest and had an unspoken respect for Egil. He was a man of honor and it was a shame that he was given such a dishonorable death.

    "You think these chains and shackles stop me from seeing the halls of the All-Father!?" Egil shouted as he began flexing in a bid to break the chains but to no avail.

    "I will see those of you worthy in Valha!" Egil shouted, looking right at Tyr and this sent shivers down his spine. This man, at this moment, became the coolest person Tyr has seen in his life.

    He was defiant, even in the face of death but it did not change the oue as the de came down to take off his head but a loud ng was heard, it was his chains.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Egil masterfully manipted the shackles, meant to bind him, into a weapon to block the swing of the sword meant to take off his head. He did so and everyone looked in amazement as he cut down the executioner despite the wound being too shallow to take his life but it did not change the fact that Egil now had his de in hand.

    "That is enough!" Asger said, calling off the execution and no one was opposed to it. Ragnar had never seen such a thing happen before but maybe it was because this order was specific and this was a man with a greater warrior''s spirit.

    If they killed him at this point, he would have earned Valha and this goes directly against the order they were given as such, they could not execute Egil and Asger could be seen with a smile the moment Egil''s eyes met his.

    In his cell, the day he was informed of his execution. Asger told him this was the only way to escape execution and even if it was a technicality, no one had the guts to risk offending the King and he used that to his advantage but everything relied heavily on the skills of Egil himself as none of his men knew of this and the chances of Egil even pulling this off was rtively slim but Asger trusted in him. This was no way for a warrior to die. The crowd''s whispers got louder.

    ? "Odin did not permit this execution..." Ady could be heard saying and the crowds'' murmur was centered around the fact that the gods did not approve of his execution and wanted him in the Great Hall. This was how things looked to themon man but there was a far more logical exnation behind it and it definitely was not the will of Odin that kept him alive.

    Asger wanted him to die an honorable death. Ragnar suspected this much and confronted Asger after the ce had cleared.

    "Hey Asger, was this of your doing?" Ragnar said but Asger gave him the stink eye. These two warriors were not on good terms but they had mutual respect for one another. Ragnar was not looking for a response because his silence gave him the answer he needed.

    "I guess he must really be favored by the gods. No Viking should face such humiliation, even if he is an enemy." Ragnar said, walking away and this was his way of telling Asger that he supported the actions he took but if he could discern who was responsible so easily, so could King Askild.

    But Asger was ready for it, he knew the consequence this action might bring but he took it regardless as he knew it was the right thing to do. King Askild''s options were limited because now the crowd saw it as a sign from the gods and any action that might feel like he is going against these gods must be carefully thought out. He might be an iron d King but he knew what would happen if Kattegat thought he was going against their gods. A civil war is thest thing he needed.

    He was not so careless as to try and execute Egil once more, not when it was perceived as the will of the gods but was it truly the will of the gods that he was alive or was it due to his skills?

    One thing was certain, things were about to take an interesting turn.

 Chapter 15 Vestfold And Kattegat [R18+]

    ?King Askild got word of the failed execution and people called it the will of Odin. He did not take kindly to this but what were the chances that his order would backfire like this?

    He could onlyugh at the situation he had gotten himself into but maybe this was for the best as news of this failed execution might spread as far as Vestfold.

    This should hopefully force King Asmund into action, even though he was impressed by Egil''s tenacity and knew killing him would be a waste. It will be more profitable to sell him to vers than to kill him but he did not know if this would backfire on him because who knows the kind of master he might end up with, they could not let him out of their sight.

    He was in his room, with his wife Livying on the bed, but he did not pay her much attention. All because he was too consumed by his thought, he felt the hands of his wife wrap around his torso and heaved a sigh.

    "Why are you stressed, my love?" Liv asked, and Askild responded in a soft tone.

    "It''s men''s business, do not let me disturb your rest," Askild responded to Liv, he treated her differently than he did in public. He was a lot gentler with her in private.

    "Then let me stay up with you," Liv said, she gave himfort without uttering a word and Askild smiled and looked at her.

    "A man must not show weakness in front of his warriors," Askild said looking deep into her eyes.

    "You have no weakness, my love," Liv responded with a smile and Askild shook his head to disprove this idea.

    "I do have one and that is you, Liv Vilfulf," Askild said and this made Liv flush red. Askild did not want any warrior to see that a woman was his kryptonite or they might use her against him so treating her like that in public was his best cause of action. Of course, Liv understood this and even supported it, this was the reason why Askild went forward with it.

    "I am lucky to have you, Liv," Askild said, leaning in for a kiss which Liv reciprocated. It was passionate, their tongues intertwined, and they could feel each other''s breath.

    Their breathing got heavier with each passing second with Askild sliding his hand between her thighs, this triggered a soft moan from his wife as she broke away from his kiss momentarily. This made Askild kiss the side of her neck, and Liv moaned even louder.

    "A-Askild, you know I am sensitive there," Liv squirmed with Askild chuckling, looking her right in the eyes.

    "I am counting on that!" He said, pushing her t on the bed, spreading her legs slowly. She smelled so good, and Askild was about to relish it.

    He kissed her ankles, as his wet lips moved up her leg and her thighs. She liked the sensation, and between her legs was about to show Askild just how much she liked it.

    Askild tasted her, boy did he relish this taste? It felt like he was dining with Odin himself and the melodic tone that escaped her lips made Askild quiver with lust.

    Her insides were so wet, and his tongue made sure to explore every region, she held his head in ce as her moans got louder and louder.

    Askild knew she was getting close, he liked how sensitive she got when he used his tongue but he did not let her finish, it was far too soon to give her that release. Sliding his tongue up her navel, her body squirmed but they were interrupted by a knock at the door and the force with which it was hit showed it was an emergency prompting Askild to get up and attend to the door while Liv took shelter under the covers.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What is it?" Askild asked, opening the door but he soon calmed down. Liv watched her husband talk for a couple of minutes, and it looked like it was a serious matter and the door soon shut.

    "My dear, what is it?" Liv asked and Askild''s face brightened up.

    "King Asmund has requested to negotiate," Askild replied.

    -

    As expected, news of King Askild''s ''botched'' execution reached Vestfold, and King Asmund was appalled at the audacity King Askild had shown and knew they won''t fail a second of this.

    It was almost like this was a warning but he got the details of the event and knew it was the warrior spirit of Egil that kept him alive. Egil did not give up and Asmund was not about to let his resolve go to waste, for this very reason reached Kattegat to try and negotiate with Askild.

    He did not trust Askild but he knew even he wouldn''t be so foolish as to cause any problems because while Kattegat is strong, killing a King was not in their best interest.

    Signy came in upon hearing his father''s attempt to broker a deal and King Asmund dismissed the people in the hall so he could be alone with his son.

    "What brings you here, Signy?" Asmund asked and noticed his son looked displeased. He instinctively knew he was against his decision to talk.

    "What is it, Signy?" Asmund questioned his son.

    "I do not support your negotiation request! This shows weakness, why would you negotiate with someone that has directly opposed you!?" Signy said. He was quick to temper.

    "Do you not forget you are talking to your king," Asmund said in a t tone devoid of any fatherly love and Signy bowed his head immediately hearing this.

    "One must know the strengths and weaknesses of his enemy before taking action or he will be vanquished. Charging head-on only to lose is no revenge, how would we be perceived if we lose a war we started?" Asmund asked. He looked unimpressed with the tantrums of his son.

    "This was disappointinging from you, Signy. I fear you will notst on the throne with this attitude." Asmund said and Signy bit his lips in anger. What his father did make sense but he did not agree with it regardless, he was king and his decision was final.

    Swallowing his pride, he got on one knee and said.

    "Forgive me, my lord."

 Chapter 16 The Lothbrok Brothers

    ?Ragnar went to see his brother, Ulf. He was scarce and rarely came to visit him so he took it upon himself to visit him.

    Knocking on the door but he got no response so knocked once again.

    Once again there was no response but his door was not locked, so Ragnar pushed it aside and gained entry into it.

    It was his brother''s house so while this might be invading his privacy, it was eptable since it was his brother and Ulf would not mind either way.

    He could not see Ulf but he saw a nakeddy on his bed, he averted his gaze like it was no big deal, and entered a differentpartment of the house to see if Ulf was in there but no luck.

    "You, wake up," Ragnar said to the girl in his brother''s bed and she quickly moved to cover up her more private areas under the sheets. Ragnar did not once look away as he has seen a hundred nakeddies with his eyes remaining above her chest.

    "Where is my brother, woman?" Ragnar asked her in a tone, slightly aggressive. It took a moment for her to realize who was talking to her because she knew Ulf had family as he had spoken about Ragnar once or twice when he had a bit too much to drink and this made Ottka nervous because she did not know just what Ragnar was capable of.

    "Do you understand the wordsing out of my mouth?" Ragnar asked but he noticed the brand of a ve on her shoulder and this surprised him. Surely, his brother had not bought a ve.

    Ottka knew she could not speak anyhow for the life of a ve was nothing of value and she could not risk saying the wrong thing and potentially angering Ulf.

    "Forgive me but I do not know where lord Ulf has gone." Thedy said and Ragnar heaved a frustrated sigh, he did not understand why she was being so strange.

    "Hey brother," A voice called out and Ragnar looked back to see Ulf, he was sweating with bloodied fists but Ragnar did not say a word.

    "Get the fuck out, whore!" Ulf said to Ottkalta and she immediately rolled out of the bed and ran out while barely clothed and both brothers stood in awkward silence.

    "What brings you here, brother?" Ulf asked, walking towards his bed but Ragnar maintained his silence as he looked on at Ulf, he watched him intently.

    Ulf then proceeded to apologize for the state of his house and the presence of the thrall in his bed but Ragnar waved it off, and he was fine with it.

    "What happened to your hands? Ulf?" Ragnar said in a stern voice.

    "Oh this, it is just a scratch. Nothing to worry about," Ulf said, quickly taking his fists from the sight of Ragnar but Ragnar was not going to push it. Whatever reasons he had to keep it from him were best known to Ulf.

    "I came to talk to you about joining my expedition," Ragnar opened up the conversation, he got straight to the point as he had no time to waste.

    "Expedition? Who is leading this expedition, brother?" Ulf asked. It sounded rhetorical but Ragnar responded nheless.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am, Ulf and that is why I want you by my side. I need your strength, brother." Ragnar said and the way he phrased his words broke through the attitude Ulf was putting up.

    "You have my sword, brother," Ulf responded with a lighter demeanor.

    "I heard about the execution, that man made a fool out of us," Ulf said, wiping the blood off of his fists.

    "That was no ordinary man, that was a great warrior," Ragnar responded, sitting on the edge of the bed thedy was just on.

    "He is an enemy, brother," Ulf said but Ragnar brushed it off, he did not want to continue the conversation because he knew he and his brother did not see eye to eye on so many things but this did not mean they did not get along.

    "Who was the girl?" Ragnar asked, effectively changing the conversation.

    "She is a ve, a thrall. She is no one important." Ulf responded.

    "A ve, why are you with a ve? You do not own her, Ulf." Ragnar said. He knew the trouble it would bring if Ulf was doing this without her owner''s permission.

    "Hahaha! You do not need to worry about that, brother. How is Bjorn?" Ulf yed the Uno reverse card as he too had just changed the topic.

    "Bjorn is great, I have decided to take him and Tyr with me on this next expedition as well. The boys are of age," Ragnar said and this brought a surprised look from Ulf.

    "That is Bjorn for you!" Ulf said but he did not acknowledge Tyr in his excitement. Ragnar took note of this but it did not bother him as he knew just what sort of person his brother was.

    "How is Lagertha?" Ulf asked and a momentary silence followed, but it was broken soon after.

    "Why don''t youe to see her yourself? You liked doing that a lot once upon a time," Ragnar said in a suggestive tone and the panic in Ulf''s eyes was apparent. Ragnar knew Lagertha was beautiful, and a strong warrior so he could not me his brother for his attraction towards her but that was where it should end. She belongs to Ragnar, and Ragnar alone.

    "What? I can not see my sister-inw?" Ulf said in a yful voice but Ragnar''s blue eyes looked right at him like they had pierced his soul.

    "Ulf, she belongs to me," Ragnar said in a stern tone, maintaining eye contact and Ulf knew at this moment that he was not joking around as his muscles tensed up.

    "I know brother, I would never betray you," Ulf responded, and Ragnar smiled.

    "I know, brother. I know." Ragnar responded.

 Chapter 17 The Seers Prophecy

    ?The meet up between Ragnar and Ulf was over. Ragnar knew the day he leaves Kattegat for battle was near but this was not the most exciting thing happening.

    The next day came by and it was announced by a heavy downpour like Thor was trying to flood mankind for their sin but this was a good day for them as they stayed indoors to spent with their families.

    King Askild had been in contact with King Asmund, a meeting had been arranged but the rain dyed this. Askild took this opportunity to fortify his fortress because he did not know just what Asmund''s intentions were and himing to Kattegat was nothing but reckless.

    Askild went to see the seer for his guidance, the seer was an old woman of an unknown age for it is believed she has been here since Kattegat was founded. She has white hair and arge scaring down from her forehead to her nose, and a crimson line that stretches horizontally across her face right below her eyes with a insignia representing the moon drawn on her forehead.

    She was a very frail olddy, her brittle bones making it difficult for her to move as she pleased.

    She wore the skull of a goat with both horns covered in blood, her face was wrinkled with her hunchback and a staff in hand.

    "What brings the King of Kattegat here?" The seer asked and Askild sat but not before paying his respects which was rare and lowering his hood to reveal his identity to her.

    "I havee for your guidance, O wise one," Askild said, he was not stupid enough to act arrogant in front of a messenger for the gods and this is why the seer was virtually untouchable in Kattegat because she had Askild''s full protection. This was an unspoken rule between Kings because she was one of the most valuable assets.

    "This is unusual, my lord. Why did you not summon me?" the seer asked.

    "I dare do no such thing, you have earned my respect." Askild said. She had a knife and a cup on the table in front of her.

    "You honor me, what brings my lord here?" The seer questioned.

    "I wish to know if the wind favors me," Askild asked, this was vague but it was as descriptive as the seer needed it to be, he wanted to know if any misfortune was near.

    The seer did not say a word, all she did was take the knife from the table, with Askild stretching for his hand towards her and raising it above the cup.

    She made a cut on his palm as he squeezed his hand into the cup, the blood dripped with Askild showing no visible pain. Soon enough, the seer got enough blood to read the fate of Askild.

    Taking the cup, she emptied what was inside in her mouth, her eyes rolled back as if in a trance but it soon came back down like she underwent a brief metamorphosis.

    "King Askild, the wind not only blows in your favor but the gods ride on your shoulder. Death is no where near you." The seer said and this brought about a smirk from Askild. This was what he wanted to hear, this gave him the confidence to proceed with the negotiation with Asmund for whatever the oue, he had the blessings of the gods on his side.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The rain pounded the roof, but this did not stop Askild from leaving the house of the seer under the rain, the hoodie was back up and he told her farewell.

    Askild went outside but his horse was no longer present, the thundering sounds must have scared it off and Askild decided to walk.

    He took in the kingdom he had built, and how powerful it became but he also saw the poorer side of his kingdom, he saw a few men under the rain because they had no home but this was of no concern to him because he knew that the poor were just as necessary as the rich for a kingdom to strive or who else would do the work of themon man?

    But with his cloak up, no one knew who he was and because of this, a kid tried to steal his sword but could not unfasten it quick enough, and Askild just watched him quietly as he tried to do so.

    The kid could not unfasten it no matter how hard he tried and attempted to run. One would think Askild would let him go but he grabbed the child by the hair as the wind blew his hoodie down.

    The child looked up to see it was King Askild and just started sobbing as Askild slowly unsheathed his de and ced it on the neck of the boy.

    "If you steal, you must be prepared to die. If you fear death, the street is not where you belong. You stand up to death, otherwise you have no power over it." Askild muttered, stabbing the child in his shoulder.

    "That scar signifies the day this coward before me died," Askild said, with the child crying out loudly as he bled and this drew the attention of people close-by shortly after but only when Askild was out of sight.

    He returned to his throne room, and there he met Arvid who waited for an audience with him.

    "What brings you here, Arvid?" Askild asked, walking past him and unto his throne but Askild waited for him to be seated before speaking.

    "My king, I have brought news about Asger." Arvid said and Askild gestured for him to go on.

    "It is about the execution, my king. It was all Asger''s doing." Arvid said and King Askild did not look surprise by this revtion but he was more curious why Asger''s most trusted ally was betraying him.

    "And how do I believe your words?" Askild asked, as a thrall poured him whine.

    "I overhead him in the dungeon before the execution, my lord." Arvid responded, looking to the ground.

    "And you are just now telling me? Why is that, Arvid?" Askild asked and Arvid froze, he might not have thought this through but it was toote to swallow the words he just spewed.

 Chapter 18 Arvids Punishment?

    ?Arvid froze in ce the moment he heard Askild ask this because he knew what he implied with this question and he had to think carefully about what he was to say next or it would be thest time he breathes.

    "My lord, I wanted to confirm if there was any truth to the words he spoke before confirming here," Arvid said and Askild just stared nkly at him.

    He was soaking wet but he did not mind it one bit, because it reminded him of simpler times when he was a kid, but right now he had the decision to make with Arvid and the news he brought forward because he was aware of what would happen if this got out and how it would make him look.

    "And I should trust your word with no evidence?" Askild asked, taking a sip from his cup of wine but Arvid could not respond because he had no concrete proof, he hoped for a much different oue as opposed to being the one on the hot seat.

    "For all I know, this could be your plot to frame Asger and take his ce as one of my warriors. You bite the hand that feeds you but expect me to trust the words of a snake?" Askild said, and Arvid knew he could not remain quiet.

    "My lord! I will never insult you this way and this is why I brought this news to you!" Arvid said to him, but King Askild was having none of it.

    "You bit the hand that fed you, Arvid. Asger made you who you are, but you are willing to sell him out at the first chance you get. It seems you have no better use for that tongue of yours." Askild said and then it hit Arvid.

    "M-My lord, you already knew, didn''t you?" Arvid said and he understood Askild reasoning. If he could sell the person that made him who he was then he would have no problem selling the king if the time came and the fact that Askild was aware but made no move told him all he needed to know. Askild, of course, was not 100% certain about this but the probability did not elude him.

    The realization of his situation made him just start begging but he found out something very important about the kind of man that Askild was.

    "M-My lord! please overlook my misstep." Arvid begged but Askild gestured to his guards to have him seized, he was immediately held in ce.

    "A man that cannot control his tongue does not need it," Askild said, leaving his throne and the water that dripped from his clothes could be heard getting closer and closer to Arvid.

    "My lord! I did it because of Kattegat! I did it for you!" Arvid continued to beg but all he heard in response was the footsteps of King Askild getting closer.

    "A man must protect his sons regardless of the sins theymit," Askild said, finally stopping right in front of Arvid.

    "Worry not, I am not killing you or taking you to a dungeon. I am just taking away that pesky little problem," Askild said but he did not do anything other than that. Arvid expected him to unsheathe his de but he did no such thing and instead asked him to stick out his tongue.

    Arvid knew what wasing and was scared to death but anything was better than a non-warrior death, so heplied and stuck out his tongue.

    King Askild smiled before giving him an upper kick that sent his lower jaw crashing into his upper jaw like a rat trap only it was his tongue in the ce of a rat. It tore through his tongue but it did not sever itpletely, it hung like an iplete surgery procedure.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "This look is more befitting of you," Askild said, the tongue hanging off. Arvid was in visible pain.

    He was reminded why everyone feared Askild, and it cost him his tongue as the guards let go of his arm and he could move once again, all he did was hold in his voice and rip off his tonguepletely to show Askild he respected his judgment.

    Askild was impressed by this demonstration of willpower, blood spilled out of his mouth.

    "You may leave now, Arvid. I hope we won''t have any simr problems in the future." Arvid said and Arvid shook his head before bowing and running out.

    Liv walked in just then to see blood on the floor and her husband soaked in water.

    She moved to whisper into his ear, she told him to go change into something dry for it was not a good view for his warriors to see him in such an unrefined state. She had a point, and Askild listened to his wife leaving her alone in the throne room as he excused himself.

    A man walked in, he was scrawny but tall, and he had tattoos from head to toe. He had sharpened teeth, used kohl to darken his eyes with a red mohawk, and stood at 6''6. The moment he entered, all guards tensed up and entered a battle stance. He had a broad de almost the same size as he strapped to his back with a bag in hand. He was in histe twenties.

    The man walked like he owned the ce, he held the same rank as Asger and this meant he had his unit he led and just returned from a 2-year expedition in a neighboring country.

    This man went by the name Erik but wasmonly known as Erik the Berserker.

    "My queen," Erik said, bending the knee immediately, and Liv greeted him with a smile.

    "How was it?" Liv asked like a concerned mother.

    "It was great, my queen. I have brought spoils of war I would like to show the king." Erik said and Liv looked back before returning her gaze to the man.

    "He will soon be here, what is this spoils of war you have?" Liv asked, letting her curiosity get the better of her.

    Erik was so excited as he emptied the contents of the bag and a look of horror.

    It was a bag of decapitated heads from his expedition.

 Chapter 19 Erik The Berserker

    ?Erik The Berserker was the most ruthless Viking in Kattegat, and Askild had problems keeping him under control. This was why Askild sent him on the most dangerous tasks for he hoped that maybe one day, he would fall but he always came back.

    Erik never stayed too long in Kattegat, and this struck a bnce because he proved to be an invaluable warrior to Askild.

    Liv was frozen in fear but she knew he meant well and she managed to force an approving smile that Erik appreciated but she was not who he came to see.

    He came to see King Askild as he had business to discuss with him, this was rare for Erik but his arrival was weed considering what was at stake in Kattegat, and with King Asmunding the next day he could not have asked for a better time.

    "Where is King Askild, mydy?" Erik said. Despite being a barbarian, he has manners when he needed manners.

    He might be mad man but Askild tamed him long before and thus, was the only man he considered to be his superior. He did not respect any other person and was ready to give his life for Askild if need be.

    "Erik, I see you are back," Askild said, clothed in his traditional clothing and cloak made of skin like a true Viking. Erik bowed his head immediately, he did not dare look up.

    He was much bigger than Askild yet Askildmanded such respect and Vikings respected strengths above all else.

    Askild saw the heads on the floor and recognized one of the men as a famed warrior in Agdesiden but this Kingdom was on friendly terms with Kattegat, what was he doing in such a ce without him knowing, or did Erik deviate?

    No, Erik was a loyal dog that obeyed his orders right down to the bone, unlike Asger that used more of his brain than instinct.

    Erik was given a task to curb an extreme faction in a neighboring vige. These Vikings were not humans or so the rumors went as they ate the flesh of their fallen enemies as a tradition because they believed it multiplied their strength.

    All a warrior needs to be unstoppable is a strong belief, regardless of how delusional it may seem and they had such a belief, they thought themselves an embodiment of mortals turned gods.

    This was not a problem for Erik, he charged at the challenge head on but it was not easy and took years to emerge victorious and now he knew why.

    The kingdom of Agdesiden had a hand in this but it was one of those things, it was unfortunate that the warrior met Erik as he would have had a better chance at survival with Asger in charge.

    He thought nothing of the involvement of the Kingdom of Adger, they were far too weak in military might to prove a threat and King Asmund remained his priority.

    "Raise your head, Erik. You have earned the right to address me." King Askild said, crossing his legs. Liv could barely stomach the sight but she managed not to throw up.

    "Thank you, my lord," Erik said, looking right at Askild. He was like a god on a throne, this was how Erik''s mind perceived him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I wish to join the expedition, my king!" Said Erik but Askild was surprised by this request considering Erik has been satisfied until now with going to cause carnage because an expedition was far more delicate as it could easily shift the bnce scale.

    "Expedition, the only expedition is being led by Ragnar Lothbrok and I do not believe you will be a good fit," Askild said in a stern and absolute tone. Sadness soon danced in Erik''s eyes.

    "But I will not deny your request, convince Ragnar Lothbrok that you will be a good addition to him," Askild said and the moment he said this, Erik smiled. He did not have a pretty smile but his excitement was genuine, he was like a child that found a new toy.

    He left the throne room as his business with King Askild was done but not before packing the decapitated heads he littered on the floor. Askild gave him a very specific instruction and that was to hang the head of the warrior from Agdesiden on a spike at the entrance of Kattegat.

    This would send a strong message to Asmund and any other kingdom in case they think of doing something simr.

    King Asmund was with his son, Signy. Signy was to apany him on his journey to Kattegat because he was going to seed his father and needed to know how things worked firsthand.

    This was a golden opportunity and he knew Signy was not reckless enough to lose his head and risk making Vestfold look frail.

    Everything was ready, they were ready for the journey tomorrow. The downpour of rain was heavy moments earlier but it lightened up.

    -

    "Father, I heard King Askild has epted your audience, but I have a few concerns," Signy said, the was at the diner table with his father but his mother was nowhere to be seen for she died in childbirth.

    "I know what you want to say. It is foolish walking into enemy territory for a King must be protected at all cost,"

    Losing a king means forfeit and the worst-case scenario was King Asmund getting captured and humiliated for the pride of Vestfold would fall if this happened.

    "Yes father, I know but let me go. We cannot risk your safety! "Signy said but Asmund took a deep sigh,

    "I am the King. A King leads by example," Asmund said. Signy understood this but he hated that it hade to this, he also knew it was a necessary step.

    "Kattegat will face my wrath if harmes to Egil. This, I promise you, Signy." Asmund said, gulping down a cup of water to allow the meat to go down his throat easier.

 Chapter 20 Negotiation Begins

    ?The day finally came, and the streets of Kattegat were quiet and calm. The clouds were clear, and no signs of rain were to disturb these proceedings.

    Vikings were stationed outside. The citizens, however, were nowhere in sight because they did not know the motive of Asmund but tensions were high.

    Askild knew this was an opportunity of a lifetime to kill Asmund once and for all while trying to expand his influence in Vestfold but it will be in ill faith, no other kingdom would trust him and trust was a currency more valuable than money.

    The man of the hour came, Asmund was mounted majestically on a white horse with a multitude of Vikings with him, this was to be expected because it would be foolish if he came alone.

    The Vikings surrounding him were all huge men, the shortest man among them was 6''3.

    This did well to intimidate the other Vikings from Kattegat but not all as some wanted a swing at them. The bigger they are, the harder they fall and they were eager to test this.

    Signy was on a ck horse beside his father, they were the only two on a horse as the rest of his men were on their feet, they had walked here.

    "Wee, King Asmund." Asger weed the King of Vestfold, he was the one that was responsible for ensuring he reached the throne room safely and without incident.

    The man before him fitted the description given by the boy that was allowed to return to Vestfold to carry the news of Egil''s loss, Asmund knew the man before he was Asger.

    "Are you not Asger?" King Asmund asked the brawny man and Asger nodded, and they locked eyes for a moment too long.

    "I am honored that the King of Vestfold knows my name, but I can only permit you and another to advance past this point," Asger told the mounted King. Asmund looked right at him, there was no hostility from Asger despite the Vikings around him emitting killing intent.

    He unmounted his horse and signaled for Signy to do the same to which his sonplied. Signy came down from his horse but the moment his legs touched the floor, they became wobbly but regained hisposure just as fast.

    "I will take my son with me," Asmund said, Asger proceeded to bow his head before gesturing for them toe forward. The Vikings of Asmund were staring down Asger but Asger was the least bit concerned with them for he knew this was all they could do.

    The fact that they were here, deep in enemy territory, showed that Kattegat had the upper hand in this ongoing situation.

    King Asmund and his son followed Asger into the throne room, where Askild waited.

    Asger, however, stood outside as this was the wish of King Askild and Askild being the strongest warrior in Kattegat meant hisbat skills were far fromcking.

    "Wee to Katetgat, King Asmund. Who might the young man beside you be?" Askild asked,ing down from his throne to show that he saw Asmund as an equal for he too, was a king.

    Signy red at him but Askild looked right back at him and the moment their eyes met, Signy looked away in fear. The look in Askild''s eyes was empty, it felt like he was staring into a void.

    The feeling he got was like nothing before.

    "Who might this young man be?" Askild asked, there was no way a Viking would be brave enough to give him that look with their King present.

    "That is my son, Signy. Forgive his manners, he is still a hot-blooded boy," Asmund said to the descending king.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hahaha! We were once hot-blooded as well. I understand his feelings but let us get straight to why you are," Askild responded, now mere inches from both visitors. A table and 2 chairs were set up in advance of this meeting.

    "Please, do take a sit. We have a lot to discuss." Askild said in a raspy voice. Asmund took a sit with his son standing behind him.

    "Where is Egil?" Asmund asked in a very hostile tone.

    -

    "Father!" Bjorn called out to Ragnar with Tyr running behind him equally energetic.

    Both children ran into the house, they saw their father resting his head on the luscious thighs of his wife.

    "What is it Bjorn, can''t you see I am resting?" Ragnarined to his son, he was interrupting his resting time.

    "Father! Tyr just said he will beat me in a fight! Tell him he is wrong!" Bjorn shouted from the top of his lungs.

    "Tell him, father!" Tyr shouted back with Ragnar fuming internally, these little runts had ruined the mood because he could not get back into it now.

    "Damn it you little brats!" Ragnar shouted louder than both of thembined, jerking himself off Lagertha''s thighs and looking his children right in the eyes.

    "Soon, you will know there is more to life than mere fighting!" Ragnar continued but he saw a figure approaching from the window and rushed to the door but told his children to hang back.

    The man inched closer every second, and the closer he got the closer Ragnar got to the door.

    Tyr and Bjorn were both curious about who made their father act this way but they could not see through the window as their father had already instructed them to go back.

    "Everyone be quiet," Ragnar whispered before opening the door and jumping out at the person when they were close enough.

    Ulf, who was not interested in the visit of King Asmund, remained in his house like always.

    Ulf rarely went out, instead focusing on building his strength and skill these past years with the exceptions of his leisure time being spent with whores and ves.

    He secretly wished to be acknowledged by King Askild and knew the only way he could aplish that was to outshine Ragnar in theing expedition.

    Three bangs soon hit his door, someone was knocking on it aggressively and this put Ulf on guard as he slowly approached the door with a small butcher knife in hand.

    The door soon swung open and Ulf charged at him.

 Chapter 21 Old Friends

    ?Ragnar lunged at his guest and tackled him right before cackling like a madman.

    The man was Hagen, it has been months since Ragnar saw him and he was excited.

    "You let your guard down!" Ragnar teased the man he was on top but Hagen just took a sigh.

    "You never change, Ragnar," Hagen muttered with a smile. The voice was familiar, prompting both Bjorn and Tyr to run outside to see just what was happening with their father and Hagen.

    But all they saw was Ragnar on top of him and this drew suspicious stares from both boys but Ragnar did not care.

    "Boys,e greet Hagen" Ragnar encouraged his children as they too jumped on him, almost suffocating him to death. Ragnar noticed this and stood up, dragging Bjorn and Tyr off of him as they had gotten carried away.

    "What brings you here, Hagen?" These words escaped the lips of Ragnar but his eyes were fixed on his children, who were trying to cause trouble for Hagen. The sons of Ragnar had forgotten about their request but it did not matter because they had gotten what they wanted already.

    "I am here to speak to you about something of urgent concern, Ragnar." Hagen requested in a stern voice and Ragnar quickly told his children to go inside as he and Hagen sat outside to discuss their business.

    "What is it, my friend?" Ragnar started off the conversation with a question, and Hagen''s face turned serious.

    "It is about the expedition, Ragnar. I want you to tell me about it." This was the answer he gave Ragnar. Ragnar was hesitant at first but he gave in considering it was Hagen asking.

    "King Askild''s ambition is not just Kattegat, King Askild is after Norway. Little by little, he wishes to absorb the neighboring kingdoms." Ragnar informed Hagen of the n of Askild, and Hagen did not look surprised at all.

    "Norway? That is a bit far too ambitious, don''t you think? If one kingdom falls, the others will unite and attack Kattegat. I do not care how strong Askild is, he will not survive the war," Hagen responded, he knew that this was not some simple expedition as Ragnar had been saying.

    "We follow our king, if his ambitions damn us all to our death then we shall feast with Odin but it is not in our ce to question his decision. Kattegat has only stood this long because we follow the decisions of our Kings." Ragnar responded in a firm tone but Hagen did not look happy with his response.

    It was almost like he had be yet another loyalpdog to King Askild but saying anything other than that could be considered treason and as such, Hagen yed along.

    "You are right! Enough of that, have you decided to make your sons men?" Hagen quickly changed the topic because he did not want to let his true thoughts slip through.

    "Make them men? They have shown no interest indies." Ragnar responded with a faint snicker.

    "That is not what I mean Ragnar, your boys are ready for battle," Hagen said and Ragnar nodded in agreement to this statement.

    "You are right and that is why I am taking them on this expedition, those boys will be great warriors, Kattegat is in good hands." Ragnar''s pride echoed in his voice, and this brought a smile to his face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Have they gotten their arm rings?" Hagen inquired further, he was interested in both boys.

    "Not yet, I just decided. King Askild is busy with King Asmund right now so that will have to wait." Ragnar spoke to his old friend and they continued with their discussion.

    -

    Ulf answered the door but what he saw before him was Erik the berserker. He immediately put his head outside to see if anyone followed him but from what he could see, no one did.

    He then dragged the giant into his house, with little to no resistance from Erik.

    "What the hell are you doing here, Erik!?" Ulf shouted but all Erik did was smile while looking around his house.

    "I am starving! Do you have anything to eat?" Erik asked. This did not sit well with Ulf but regardless it was Erik he was talking about. Erik is a man that acts based on his mood and Ulf knew it would be in his best interest to keep him under control because he knew he would not win in a battle against Erik.

    "Fine, I aming. Do not move!" Ulf warned as he went to retrieve something for him to eat.

    He got some bread and ale for Erik, and Erik devoured it like a caveman. This was befitting of his appearance but why was he here? This was what Ulf was about to find out.

    "This is delicious!" Erik said. It was just bread and bear, it can not be that good.

    "What brings you here, Erik?" Ulf asked, sitting right across the seated Erik.

    "Why I am here? I want you to return the favor you owe me, little man." The voice in which Erik conveyed this message was anything but friendly but Ulf knew this day woulde.

    "What do you want?" Ulf asked him but Erik was once again too distracted with the bread in his hand.

    "I almost forgot what food tasted like, Ulf!" Erik said, gulping down the full cup of ale in front of him before mming it into the table but the force he used broke the cup.

    "I want you to talk to your brother, I want to join his expedition, Ulf!" Erik shouted like he was some prophet and judging by Ulf''s face, he was not a fan of this idea.

    "You are far too unpredictable to be on a battlefield, this is not just about rampaging, Erik," Ulf responded but it did not matter what he said, he owed Erik one for saving his life back in the day.

 Chapter 22 Traitor In Kattegat

    ?King Asmund got serious, he got to the point and the atmosphere tensed up. Signy felt the pressure in the air and got taken aback by how intense it was without either saying a word.

    "King Asmund, do not forget yourself... This is my kingdom and as such, you will obey my rules." Askild threatened despite it being subtle, and Asmund knew that he was in the enemy''s territory and had topose himself. He got emotional for a second there, something he has scolded his son for multiple times. Askild was a tougher man to crack than he thought, he had his emotion in check and he did not even show an ounce of weakness or otherwise, even his eyes were cold.

    It was no wonder people feared him, but he kept tapping his finger against the table.

    Each time Asmund spoke, Askild tapped his finger on the table continuously only stopping when it was his turn to speak.

    "Askild, I am not here for your games. I am here for Egil, so bring out Egil and do not waste my time." Asmund maintained his stance, he knew he could show no weakness in terms of negotiation or the power will shift in the favor of Askild.

    "Hahaha! Egil is safe, you do not need to worry about him but I am more interested in what you wish to offer him?" Askild asked smugly. This pissed off Signy but Signy was scared of Askild ever since that brief exchange between them.

    "What do you want?" Asmund asked the King of Kattegat.

    "2,000 pounds of silver in 2 days or the head of Egil leaves his body," Askild said in a blood curdling, his face looked expressionless as these words escaped his lips, and Signy could not believe the audacity of this man but he dare not speak.

    "1,000 pounds of silver, King Askild. I believe this is fair enough." Asmund counter-offered, this was a lot for a single man but it was far less than he anticipated.

    "1,500 pounds of silver, that is my final offer King Asmund. If you do not ept it, you may leave." Askild said.

    he was not looking impressed with the bargaining that was going on.

    "You have a deal, I request proof of life," Asmund spoke while looking right into the eyes of Askild.

    This old man was fearless, and this excited Askild. It''s been a long time since anyone has looked at him with eyes like that.

    "Proof of life? Do you want me to cut off a part of his body and show it to you? I will be more than happy to do that. I know you have spies in Kattegat, do not y the fool, Asmund." Askild mocked him, this was amon theme but this was to be expected as he has the upper hand in this negotiation.

    "F-Father, I think we should-!" Signy was cut short by the re of Askild.

    "A boy dare speaks in the presence of Kings, talk one more time and I will have your head on a spike." The voice of Askild reverberated in the ears of Signy and he choked on his words.

    The cocky little boy was humbled by a single threat and Asmund told him it was alright, he had it handled.

    "I ept your terms, Askild. In two days, we will be back with the silver." Asmund stood, this was his final words before leaving the throne room with a devious smirk creasing on the face of Askild as he watched them leave.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This turned out well, he was d about the result of this meeting because they just ransomed Vestfold, a kingdom famous for notpromising their morals for anyone but that changed today for Asmund''s love for his warriors might soon prove to be a downside.

    Asger was waiting outside and greeted Asmund and Signy by keeping his head down until they passed him but Asmund stopped soon after.

    "You, did Egil fight well?" Asmund asked Asger and without looking up, Asger replied.

    "He is one of the most honorable warriors I have met, King Asmund."

    This brought a smile on the face of Asmund as he continued his walk, mounting his horse alongside his son.

    "Signy, what do you think of King Askild?" Asmund questioned his son because this was his first meeting of such importance.

    "I see why you did not attack him, father. He is a frightening man." Signy said in a fearful voice to the snicker of Asmund, they finished their business in Kattegat and were on their way back to Vestfold.

    -

    Egil was in the cell, he was strung up like a pig but he was far from near death.

    He gained some weight, they had started feeding him properly when they heard that Asmund wanted to negotiate his release because now he became a valuable asset.

    They could not have him dying, Asger''s arrogance had once again garnered a positive result and Askild liked that he had an original thought process despite it meaning he frequently challenged him.

    Egil knew that Asmund came for him, the whispers were quite loud, and it was all anyone was talking about. Egil''s loyalty was paying off after all he has been through as he sobbed quietly.

    A year in captivity wasing to an end, and footsteps could soon be heard.

    It got closer and closer until it stopped right in front of him, the walls felt like they absorbed the sound and a bucket was there.

    "That''s right. Clean up my shit. I will be with my king soon enough." Egil teased as the chain that locked his cage opened up.

    The darkness made it impossible to see but whoever this was opened the wooden window that blocked out the light and the moment Egil set his eyes on the person in front of him, he gasped.

    What he felt next was a sharp pain right through his chest, someone stabbed him right in the heart, and thest words that escaped his barely parted lips were not audible as his lungs copsed.

 Chapter 23 Crisis In Kattegat

    ?Kattegat was put under lockdown the moment the death of Egil was known, but Askild kept it under control because he knew that Asmund had ears in Kattegat.

    "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!?" King Askild shouted in his throne room, Asger was the only one present with his head bowed. He had never seen Askild this angry and it terrified him.

    "I-I do not know, my lord," Asger stuttered in fear, it felt like his head would leave his body at any moment and that thought sent shivers down his spine.

    "THIS IS BAD! DO YOU KNOW THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS?" The king lost his cool, he was angry at theck of security and already took those on watch as prisoners.

    They were being tortured as of this moment for information but this would mean war with Vestfold. A war that King Askild was not prepared for but they have two more days before they had to worry about this.

    "My lord, you have to keep your voice down," Asger advised despite the state of Askild, the silence that followed felt like the ground would turn into gnawing jaws and devour him.

    Askild''s killing intent was all over the ce, it was not directed at anyone but everyone could feel it.

    He did not think there was someone so brazen as to kill a captive because everyone knew the value of that single man, and everyone knew that King Asmund came because of him.

    Despite the increased security, someone managed to slip through somehow but this was only possible if the person was of a higher standing than these guards.

    King Askild sat back on his throne and took a deep breath to calm down.

    "You are right, Asger. Anger will not solve this situation." Askild calmed himself down but he was uneasy because he knew a war with Vestfold will make the other Kingdoms wary of Kattegat and this might be the push they need to band together. And if they do band together, Kattegat will fall without a doubt.

    No miracle will save them, there is no warrior strong enough to defeat an entire army himself and now they were about to break the fragile bnce that held the other Kingdoms in check.

    "Asger, you must find out who did this. Find them and bring them to me." Askild was sounding like himself again with Asger nodding in agreement to themand of his King.

    He bowed before taking his leave and the moment he got outside, his breathing hastened.

    -

    That was relief, he was certain death awaited him in that room knowing King Askild but he was spared by the grace of Odin.

    "Asger..." Ragnar called out and Asger jerked his head in his direction before strolling to Ragnar.

    "Have you heard?" Asger asked his fellow warrior and Ragnar nodded.

    "How could this have happened?" Ragnar asked because he knew Asger was trusted by Askild and hoped he had information to share.

    "I do not know Ragnar but this means war with Vestfold." Asger''s voice cracked as these words left his mouth but it was not because he was breaking down but because he too was angry.

    "Do you have any suspects?" Ragnar asked because now they knew that a threat resided within the walls of Kattegat that effectively put their safety at risk but they did not know who.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Askild has far too many enemies within Kattegat but they all had a mutual understanding.

    That was the safety of Kattegat because they had families in this kingdom and Askild was the best candidate to keep their families safe.

    "Ragnar, we do not have any and I do not think you want to see King Askild right now. If you enter that room, you will not return." Asger warned him as he walked away leaving Ragnar in front of the door.

    "I had no intention of seeing King Askild," Ragnar responded but he was talking to himself at this point. Soon after, he heard his name being called.

    "Ragnar!" This was the voice of Hagen the boat builder.

    Ragnar turned back, he had walked ahead of him despite both men leaving at the same time forcing Hagen to search for and luckily they were not far apart.

    "Not so loud Hagen!" Ragnar warned with a finger over his lips to shush him.

    "Where did you run off to?" Hagen questioned his friend.

    "Go back home Hagen, the streets are not safe for you. Lock your doors for the night, and do note out!" Ragnar warned Hagen before turning around and leaving too but not in the direction of his home.

    He saw a giant, it was Erik The Berserker, and he looked down on Ragnar quite literally.

    The weather was chilly, it felt like it danced with death, and seeing Erik made Ragnar feel uneasy.

    "What are you doing here, Erik?" Ragnar questioned the giant.

    "Kattegat is just as much as my home as it is yours, Ragnar Lothbrok," Erik said under his breath.

    On a normal day, Ragnar would have questioned Erik but he was as loyal as they came.

    He would never do anything that would potentially harm their king or Kattegat. He knew that Erik was the most loyal person he knew despite his madness.

    ? "You are in my way, Erik," Ragnar said, looking right into the eyes of the much bigger man.

    "Maybe it is you that is in the way, Ragnar." Erik retorted before chuckling and stepping aside.

    "I am just kidding. But we will talkter, Ragnar Lothbrok," Erik said in a yful tone for he did not want to get into an altercation with the great Ragnar. Ragnar, on the other hand, had no problem with a little altercation as he walked past him and continued on his way.

    Then the sky finally cried, and rain fell as it only increased in tempo and force prompting Ragnar to seek shelter out of the rain. The rain was terrible and Ragnar stood there until the rain pellets reduced, which did not look like it would be anytime soon as someone soon joined him in the shelter he had found.

 Chapter 24 The Unknown Threat [R18+]

    ?The rain fell and thunder echoed, it was like the gods were angry. The downpour felt like a flood and the grounds became swampy, Ragnar looked on as the hooded stranger beside him stood still.

    "This rain is something else," Ragnar''s voice could barely be heard thanks to the heavy downpour but the conversation did not catch on as the hooded individual ignored his attempt at a conversation.

    Something was off, the silence felt a bit too loud and he noticed this person had a hand on the hilt of his de. Ragnar noticed everything, he was no fool when it came to battle and he sensed something was amiss.

    The stranger gripped his hilt even tighter and before the minute could unfold, the hooded figure made its move.

    ? Swinging his de swiftly, Ragnar barely avoided it in time by ducking down, it hit the wooden wall behind him. Whoever this was, was at least a warrior and Ragnar instantly linked him to the death of Egil.

    If this person was responsible for his death, he had to capture him alive or they might never know the motive or reason for the killing of Egil Iversen and maybe if they could get the right information, a war with Vestfold could be averted.

    "You are quite skilled with the sword," Ragnarplimented him, putting some distance between him and the person immediately because he had deduced from that single strike that he was quick.

    He got no response from the person, but Ragnar was reluctant to draw his de because he did not think he needed it against such a person. This was not Ragnar underestimating him, but unarmed he could react much faster to his blows despite his de giving him the advantage of blocking his strikes.

    The enemy noticed this, and this was what motivated him tounch another talk, he ran towards Ragnar and attempted a vertical strike but Ragnar once again dodged it but this time grabbed the wrist of the enemy.

    "Who are you?" Ragnar Lothbrok asked him this singr question, but before he could remove the hood to see the face of the man that attacked him, he was headbutted right in the face.

    This forced Ragnar to let go of his wrist and stumble backward to regain his bnce and when he came to it, the man was no longer there.

    He had vanished out of sight, blood dripping down Ragnar''s forehead as he looked around without venturing into the rain.

    The heavy rain downpour made it impossible for Ragnar, who had little to no tracking skills, to begin with, to follow the shallow depression on the earth as it was soon covered up.

    The attempt on the life of Ragnar had failed.

    -

    Ulf was in his house, amid the heavy downpour, he was not one to wander about aimlessly and the news of the death of Egil did not reach him for no one had informed him because of his rank in Kattegat. He was not privileged to such information.

    "Are youing to bed, Ulf?" Ady said. Ulf had brought a differentdy to warm his bed.

    She was a whore from a nearby brothel, and the rain meant she was stuck here until it subsided but Ulf did not enjoy herpany outside of sex.

    He ignored her call and she knew he did not require herfort. She turned the other way and went to sleep.

    "It is like the gods are angry," Ulf muttered to himself, he had a bad feeling about it. It felt ominous but from afar, he saw Erik the Berserker making his way back into his tent.

    "Erik, why did you return?" Ulf asked him but Erik''s eyes found thedy rolled up beneath the covers.

    "My, my Ulf. Who is that woman in your bed?" Erik''s voice was filled with lust and Ulf knew what he wanted even without replying.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "She is a whore," Ulf''s voice was disconnected, establishing verbally that he had no emotional connection to her and Erik was free to do as he pleased with her.

    "A whore sleeps in your bed? How far has the brother of Ragnar Lothbrok fallen?" Erik tried to get under the skin of Ulf.

    "Don''t you darepare me to Ragnar," Ulf fired back with anger oozing, this was apparent from the tone in which the words were said.

    "Scary..." Erik responded with a look of amusement, he did not take the threat of Ulf seriously because he could beat him if their des crossed.

    "You are right, I am sorry," Erik said, his tone sounding more mocking than sympathetic.

    Ulf appreciated this gesture and nodded in acknowledgment of this apology.

    "It was unfair to Ragnar Lothbrok that I mentioned his name in the same sentence as you, you will never be half the man Ragnar is," Erik said but the tone he used was stern and firm. This was not a tease, this was Erik being serious and Ulf swallowed whatevereback he had in mind because thest thing he wanted was to make Erik mad.

    "I want her, Ulf." This was all Erik said as he climbed into bed with her, she turned around and saw that it was not Ulf but she did not have a problem with his as long as she was paid well.

    "It''s been a while since I have felt the touch of a woman," Erik said, nting gentle kisses on her neck.

    She felt his touches and responded well to them, he was much different from Ulf, it felt like he was about to appreciate every part of her but she could not be more wrong.

    Erik picked her up, and positioned her in a doggy-style position, he forcefully pushed her back down so she could take all of him. Erik was big down there and even she was scared despite her upation.

    He held her face against the bed, and slid his big cock inside her, she squirmed and tried to break free but Erik was too strong for her.

    She moaned and cried, in pain and pleasure.

    "You are tight for a whore. Ulf must have quite the little friend there," Erik teased as he kept ramming his hips into her, momentarily letting go of her head but grabbing her hair soon after.

    Pulling it back as his strokes became more violent and her voice got louder.

    "Come on Ulf,e shut her up!" Erik encouraged him to join them and Ulf took a deep sigh as he unbuckled his trouser. He had no problem getting hard and gently slid his cock into her mouth to shut her up.

    "You''re too gentle!" Erik shouted, he noticed Ulf didn''t give her his full length and only what he knew she could handle.

    A mysterious grin soon crept up on Erik''s face, shoving his hips with such force that it sent her forward, inadvertently swallowing the entire dick of Ulf.

    The look on Ulf''s face was one of ecstasy, she could barely breathe but this singr action had switched something in Ulf''s brain.

    She tried toe up but held her head in ce before thrusting his cock in and out like a man devoid of sanity.

    "That''s it Ulf! That is how you use whores!" Erik shouted as he too showed no mercy.

 Chapter 25 The Build Up

    ?The heavy downpour subsided and the day passed into morning rtively peacefully. They were greeted by the sun as Ragnar told no one of the attempt on his life because he did not know who the enemy was or what connection they had within the walls of Kattegat.

    He requested an audience with King Askild, an audience that was granted. The throne room was as menacing as ever with the majestic presence of  King Askild.

    Ragnar bent one knee with his head down, something that became an unspoken tradition among Viking warriors when dealing with King Askild.

    "Raise your head, Ragnar. You, of all people, do not need to look away." King Askild said, he had fought with Ragnar on the battlefield during his youth but they had no personal connection or rtionship apart from being warriors.

    "Thank you, my lord," Ragnar said, King Askild noticed the wound on his forehead and asked him about him. Ragnar proceeded to narrate the ordeal to King Askild.

    Askild did not look surprised and was now 100% certain that this was being done by a Viking in Kattegat.

    "Did you see anything that would help identify your attacker?" King Askild questioned Ragnar Lothbrok but Ragnar shook his head.

    "I did not, my lord but he did not look to be a very skilled warrior," Ragnar said, this helped ce a scale on the skill level of the warrior that might have been responsible for both the attack on Ragnar and the death of Egil.

    This might mean that the person that did it might have been a guard that was assigned to protect him and this meant that he had to send a strong message to avert such a thing from ever repeating itself.

    "This means it could be anyone but who gave him the order is the question. The kingdom of Kattegat does not breed traitors and no one dares to defy me." King Askild said in a very calm voice yet it happened.

    "King Askild, it is Vestfold doing the fighting for them. This was their intention, I can only assume they expect you to fall in this war that is sure to happen with Vestfold," Ragnar said bluntly.

    "I know, but the wind blows in my favor. The Valkyries won''t be taking me to Valha anytime soon." Askild''s voice was still as cold as ice when these words left his mouth.

    Ragnar was puzzled by this statement but he did not dare question or make further inquiry.

    "What do you want to do now, my lord?" Ragnar asked the King''s opinion because they had until tomorrow to get ready to face Asmund.

    "We have to take the head of King Asmund tomorrow before the war can begin. Their warriors will lose their morale the moment they see their King''s head separate from his body and mounted on a spike for all to see," Askild''s voice stern, swaying his hand from left to right like he was riding a wave.

    "What if we try a political approach first? I do not think we are ready for a war with a Kingdom as big as Vestfold," Ragnar gave his suggestion and a momentary silence followed soon after because he was deep in thought about this suggestion.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "If it fails, King Asmund will be aware that his life is in danger. Taking him by surprise might be our only choice because even I do not know the oue if our des cross," Askild said, recognizing the strength of Askild to be close to his or even superior.

    Ragnar knew there was truth to this and had no choice but to see how things y out because killing King Asmund in such a disrespectful manner will deter other kingdoms from seeking the audience of King Askild. This would prove detrimental to Kattegat''s dealings with other Kingdoms.

    "I do understand your concern and will take it into consideration," Askild was always on his best behavior when talking to Ragnar despite his superiority.

    Asger soon entered and was surprised to see Ragnar but Askild already instructed Ragnar that the attempt on his life be kept secret for he could not afford even more panic.

    "Greetings King Askild..." Asger, on a knee, greeted before turning his head to nod at him, with Ragnar acknowledging his greeting by nodding back.

    "Wee Asger, do you have any leads?" Askild asked but deep down he already knew the answer. The person covered their tracks well and left no loose ends. It was almost admirable.

    "There is none, war with Vestfold is going to happen for sure. I have started making preparations for the uing war," Asger said and Askild was pleased with this news.

    -

    Erik and Ulf were seen discussing, Erik spilled the beans and told Ulf what was going on in Kattegat because he trusted Ulf to a certain degree despite this disobeying the instruction of King Askild.

    Erik, however, did not take these instructions as amand and knew there were exceptions.

    He was informed of the death of Egil and the brewing war as well as them having less than 24 hours to prepare for the war with Vestfild, time they did not have.

    "There is no way war would be dered tomorrow and the battle would be fought that same day. We still have time to prepare for this war,  because it won''t be fought tomorrow." Ulf said, he chipped in his 2 cents that were worth more than that. He was not wrong for a former deration of war simply means they are on hostile terms, and tomorrow will simply be for that deration of war, not the battle.

    "You are smart, I will give you that much praise... Ulf Lothbrok, brother of the great Ragnar Lothbrok." Erik said, the whore that they had fun with the day before was passed out on the bed with her semen drenched body.

    Both men did not hold back and made sure to have their money''s worth of fun with her.

 Chapter 26 The Trade With Vestfold

    ?The day came, and the sun shone brighter than it has in a long time. The clouds were cleared, the sunrays illuminating the streets of Kattegat but they chose a neutral location for the meeting.

    Asger, Erik, and Ragnar were to apany King Askild to the location of the meeting, it was at the border of both Kattegat and Vestfold, neither in a position of power.

    "Father! Father!" Voices called out and Ragnar looked down from the ck horse he just mounted only to see his two sons giving him puppy eyes.

    They wanted toe, but this was impossible because of the severity of this meeting. It was far too important.

    "I will be back, boys! Protect your mother in my absence." Ragnar gave the boys a task that would make them feel useful, but this trick did not work.

    "Mother is the strongest shield maiden in Kattegat! I fear for anyone that incurs her wrath!" Bjorn praised his mother and for good reasons, Lagertha was a recognized warrior just like her husband.

    Ragnar chuckled the moment Bjorn said this, he was right.

    Tyr, on the other hand, was more interested in the physique of Erik The Berserker. He looked strong sitting on his ck horse and spotted a very unique appearance.

    "Ragnar now is not the time for dys. Tell your kids goodbye so we can get a move on," Asger, who was also mounted on a ck horse, said.

    Erik noticed Tyr''s eyes were fixed on him but this was the first time Erik saw him, he did not know him to be a son of Ragnar as of yet but hisplexion did interest him despite it not particrly being a new thing. He was more interested in knowing how such a boy came to Kattegat.

    They started moving, and the kingdom of Kattegat''s security was increased with the gates being shut. No one was allowed to leave or enter while they were gone.

    "King Askild, what is the n?" Asger questioned the King on the ck horse, but Askild was focused on the journey ahead of him.

    -

    They journeyed in silence, it was clear that their king was in no mood to talk and they did not want to risk him getting angry at such a crucial time because they knew the situation will be a lot worse if he was angry.

    "Ragnar, do not let your guard down, not even for a second." Asger directed his dialogue to his other travelingpanion.

    "Understood Asger," Ragnar gave a simple response to Asger''s simple piece of advice.

    "Hey! What about me, any advice for good ol'' Erik?" Erik mocked both Ragnar and Asger.

    "Erik The Berserker, there is no way anyone can catch you off-guard, even Loki will have difficulties," Asger praised Erik, he might not approve of his method but there was no denying his skill in battle.

    Erik chuckled, it has been a long time since all three of them have been gathered up like this and he was d that this day came but he would rather be killing people right now

    -<novelnext></novelnext>

    They journeyed for a couple of hours, it was one with little to no hindrances despite such a high-profile figure traveling with only three Vikings. It was the ideal scenario for any mischief or bandit to have a shot at Askild yet none attempted as even the dangerous routes were made safe just by the presence of Askild.

    They arrived outside a heavily secured house, standing alone in what looked to be the middle of nowhere. They saw the horse of Asmund and his son racked up nearby but unlike Askild.

    King Asmund was already here with his son and secured the perimeter ahead of time, this meant they were more familiar with the terrainpared to Askild and his men.

    The Viking warriors watched as King Askild unmounted his horse alongside his men, this was the first time most had seen him. The grassy ground weed their descent, Askild was in no mood for small talk and the Vikings around could sense this and instinctively stood down.

    "Where is Asmund?" Askild asked and the men around were hesitant to show him where their King was unless they explicit orders were given.

    "Wee King Askild, my father is over," Signy shouted, popping his head through the door.

    Askild instructed his men to stay outside, there was a high chance that word reached Asmund and this was an ambush, the same way word reached Asmund about the botched execution of Egil Iversen.

    "King Askild, are you sure this is wise?" Ragnar questioned his king but this only made him halt in his tracks upon hearing this.

    "Do you question my decisions now?" King Askild asked Ragnar, he knew that despite the possibility of King Asmund knowing, there was also the possibility of him having no knowledge of it judging from the reception they got. Thetter looked more usible, and he could not afford to show weakness.

    He needed to maintain the illusion of an upper hand and this was the best way to do so.

    Ragnar swallowed his words and remained quiet as they watched Askild make his way into the building, everyone''s eyes were on Erik due to his towering height and unique appearance.

    They were envious of his physical attributes, it was a body every warrior craved.

    "Wee King Askild, I hope your journey here was not too rough." Asmund started the conversation, getting up from his chair the moment Askild walked in to not only show his respect but wee him as an equal.

    Signy closed the door behind him and left the building, leaving just Askild and Asmund in the room.

    Askild noticed the treasure box in the corner, noting that Asmund intended to honor his end of the deal but he did not trust it. Seeing a box was not enough to guarantee that the content was what they had agreed on in Kattegat.

    He sat opposite Asmund, locking eyes. Asmund looked a lot calmerpared to when he was in Kattegat and that was because they were in neutral territory and he had more men.

    "I do not see Egil, King Askild." Asmund''s voice was one of suspicion, and Askild knew he had two options.

    Take the head of Asmund while his guard was down, or tell him what has happened to Egil.

    Either of these decisions will change the fate of Kattegat.

 Chapter 27 Negotiation Failed

    ?"Egil Iversen is dead, King Asmund." Askild responded in a stoic tone and King Asmund did not take him seriously due to how the message was delivered but the facial expression of Askild said otherwise. He could not help but think Askild was joking becauseing here when Egil is dead could only be seen as arrogance. Did he not fear for his life?

    "King Askild, surely you know what will happen if Egil is dead, don''t you?" Asmund''s voice was threatening yet calm, but the seriousness in Akild''s eyes told Asmund he was ready for the repercussions.

    Asmund''s calm face creased into that of anger, mming the table and his brute strength splitting it into two.

    Askild instinctively got to his feet with a hand on the hilt of his de, the noise attracted the warriors standing guard at the door as they rushed into the room to see both kings about to face off. Ragnar, Erik, and Asmund were surrounded with swords pointed at them from every direction.

    "King Asmund, do you want to do such an undiplomatic thing?" King Askild asked in a mocking tone, as he too was soon surrounded by multiple swords pointed at his neck.

    "Tell me one thing, King Askild..." Asmund muttered, and Askild''s dull eyes looked into the eyes of Asmund.

    "Tell you what?" Askild asked. He was unnaturally calm despite the swords shoved in his face because there was a possibility that Asmund would try to have his head right here and now but he could easily cut down these Vikings around him. They were like mere childrenpared to his swordsmanship.

    "Did he die with honor?" Asmund asked in a mourning tone but Askild started to chuckle, that chuckle soon turned into full-onughter.

    "Honor? No, he died like a dog." Askild responded, his voice turning chillingly cold. He was mocking Egil and adding pepper to injury. King Asmund was not pleased with this response, it angered him and he instructed to kill Askild where he stood but just as everyone suspected before attacking him, Askild was far superior in terms of swordsmanship.

    He cut every one of them down with absolute ease and minimum difficulty but Signy came in right about this time to check what themotion was about, an opening that Askild exploited.

    Askild subdued and took him hostage, Asmund valued his heir. The love of a father proved to be a weakness that Askild was d to take advantage of.

    "Are you sure you want my head or the head of your son?" Askild asked rhetorically, he noticed that Asmund was emotional when it came to Egil as he disyed this same heightened emotion in Kattegat.

    "You bastard...!" Asmund muttered under his breath, he could not lose his son and knew it. Askild used his emotions against him and he just realized why he antagonized him.

    He did it to force Asmund into a rash decision and that is precisely what happened. Now, he had a hostage, a life he ced more value on than his own.

    -

    "Erik... Take a deep breath..." Asger encouraged Erik, he was getting a bit too excited and they all knew what would happen if he began to fight. He was called a Berserker for a reason.

    "Hahaha! You fucking puny Vikings! Do you want us to have some fun?" Erik eximed, he was excited as hell because he knew the Kingdom of Vestfold had strong warriors if one could best Asger in a duel.

    The words of Asger fell on deaf ears but an arrow soon pierced Erik through the chest.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Erik!" Asger shouted, jerking his head in the direction the arrow came from and it was from a young boy that looked familiar. It was the boy he let go in the battle of Hillestad.

    The enemies started to act arrogant and chuckle because they thought they would make light work of them.

    "If you guys value your life, get away from him," Ragnar said with a sigh and this confused everyone around because he was the one injured, he was the one with an arrow in him.

    There was no reason for them to fear and they called it a bluff but they soon realized this was far from a bluff. Erik bifurcated five men in a single swing, breaking their swords apart in the process.

    "Hahaha! Now that is what I am fucking talking about!" Erik shouted, pulling the arrow right out of his body. It should have been fatal, that arrow hit a vital point in his body yet Erik brushed it off like it was nothing. Ragnar and Asger knew there was no stopping him now and watched as Erik rampaged, cutting down every single person in sight.

    The Vikings were scared, but they stood their ground regardless Erik saw Askild exit the building covered in blood, with a sword to the neck of Signy and this momentarypse in concentration allowed the child that had buried an arrow into him moments ago. He moved unnoticed to bury his sword this time into Erik''s torso.

    The child smiled victoriously but Erik focused his murderous gaze on him, he was unfazed.

    "Well, that tickles," Erik said, he was ready to behead the child in a heartbeat but his sword met resistance, it was another de.

    "What do you think you are doing, Ragnar?" Erik questioned, his de did not bulge further, and Ragnarpletely stopped his swing at full strength with rtive ease despite the difference in body size.

    "He is just a kid, Erik," Ragnar responded, the child noticed this opening and retreated. While he was a Viking warrior, he was still a child at heart, and fear of death existed in it. Erik brought out the fear in people, and he had no problem-fighting Ragnar here and now but King Askild would frown on this.

    "You are too soft Ragnar," Erik muttered, retracting his de in the process.

    "You are too cruel, Erik," Ragnar responded, retracting his de. The Vikings around paused the moment they saw Signy in the grasp of Askild. This also surprised Ragnar and Asger because they did not know him to do something like this but this did mean that Askild was not sure he could kill King Asmund.

    Asmund exited the building right after Askild and he looked furious, a face that his men had never seen before. They all backed away from their King, it was like a warrior''s instinct.

    This applied to both Asger and Ragnar as well, they felt it. It was a strange feeling but this was not killing intent, just pure contempt.

    "What are you doing in my way?" King Asmund asked the man before.

    "Hahaha! I am here to take your head, old man!" The man in front of him was revealed to be Erik The Berserker.

    "

 Chapter 28 Erik The Berserker Vs King Asmund!?

    ?Erik challenged King Asmund to a duel, this was a foolish move even for him and the injuries he got did not look like they affected him much despite the areas in which they were inflicted.

    King Askild was not interested in Signy or taking him hostage, this action showed weakness but he did this to show Asmund what he could potentially lose should a war break out.

    This was more of a psychological thing than it was physical but it had the opposite effect.

    King Asmund''s anger was frightening but not to Askild, Askild was using this opportunity to measure the kind of man his enemy was.

    He did not, however, anticipate Erik challenging Asmund because he could not afford to lose a man such as Erik but was Asmund the kind of man to strike down an enemy without mercy?

    Askild wanted to know what made Asmund different from him, they imed he ruled with love but does this mercy extend to his enemies, it would be foolish if it did.

    Asmund looked up at Erik, he saw that he was shaking but it was from excitement and also noted his injuries showing that his warriors were capable of wounding him. He was not worth staining his sword with and walked past him.

    "Go treat your wound, kid." These words left Asmund''s lips, and Askild kept his eyes on him.

    These words infuriated Erik and he turned to grab the shoulder of Asmund but met no mass.

    "He is fast!" Erik thought and what followed next was an uppercut aimed below his chin to knock him out in one blow. Ragnar and Asger heaved a loud sigh because they expected this oue but Askild had a different reaction to this.

    Smiling, he now knew the single reason Asmund would lose this war, and that was his kind heart. This was a great opportunity to cut down Erik but he instead chose to spare him.

    Askild let go of Signy, who ran to his father like a scared child. He had no more use for a host as he walked towards

    Despite Asmund''s proximity, Askild knew he would not touch him. His principles were far too strong but this was a gamble, but it was as Askild thought.

    Picking up Erik, and looking Asmund right in the eyes with a sickening grin. He now understood where Egil inherited his honor, it was from their King. Despite him losing his cool moments ago, he recollected himself with such grace, something that Askild respected.

    -

    The meeting went better than expected, Ragnar and Asger quickly took Erik from their King, with Ragnar cing him on the horse he was riding. The blood-soaked ground and the bifurcated corpses caught the attention of Askild but the wounds on Erik showed he still had his bad habits.

    He was fighting recklessly without any regard for his own body due to his high endurance and stamina, he had the perfect physique for a warrior.

    "Askild...! You bastard. I, King Asmund, dere war on Kattegat!" Asmund said in a resolute voice.

    "Vestfold will fall," Askild responded to his deration and with this, they departed but with one horse less for the horse of Erik was left behind.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Father! That was the perfect chance to kill King Askild!" Signy shouted, he suddenly found his voice the moment Askild left and Asmund was disappointed that his son was such an easy target.

    "He had to take me as a hostage because he could not defeat you in a duel! He also had fewer men!" Signy continued, and it was a shame that these words came with such convictions.

    "Are you blind, Signy? Look around you and tell me how many of his men you seeying dead on the ground?" Asmund asked his son and among the dozen bodies, none was that of Askild''s men.

    Signy confirmed this but it was hard to believe one man did, assuming that this was just an exaggeration from his father.

    "Askild did note to fight, he came to make a statement." Asmund''s voice was calm and stern.

    "A statement? What statement could he possibly make?" Signy asked in confusion.

    "If you wage a war against Kattegat, you will lose your son," Asmund muttered under his breath and Signy''s face went pale.

    "D-Did he say he was going to kill me?" Signy asked. That confidence he had moments ago now draining with every word that escaped his mouth.

    "He did not have to," Asmund responded in a dismissive tone before gesturing for his warriors to give the fallen honorable send offs.

    It was set in stone, war was about to engulf these two Kingdoms.

    -

    "Prepare boys, we are going to war," Askild said with a sinister grin, he looked excited to be going to war with Vestfold even more so that he had met him today.

    Asger shed Ragnar a worried look, and Ragnar''s face shared this same worry.

    "I guess the campaign is off," Asger said what everyone was thinking but it hit Ragnar.

    He could not believe it took him this long but with the campaign off, his children''s first battle will be a war against Vestfold. They were not ready for a war but he could not take back his promise.

    "This is bad," Ragnar muttered to himself, and just then, Erik regained his consciousness.

    "Where is that old man!?" Erik shouted but Ragnar did not have the time or energy for a grown man to throw a tantrum and because of this, pushed him off of his horse

    "That hurt Ragnar!" Erik screamed but Ragnar''s mind was not there. He was worried about his children and Lagertha. They were all going to fight this war and Vestfold had a noticeably skilled warrior. Egil was one of many warriors that were in Vestfold and Asger knew if they were all as skilled as Egil. Kattegat might not win this war with the current military strength Vestfold has shown so far, not without recalling the other warriors that were out on raids and conquests like Asger and Erik respectively.

 Chapter 29 Prepare For War

    ?A day passed since that fateful meeting, and all of Kattegat was aware that there was going to be a war and soon. There was panic, but the Vikings rejoiced for they were ready to fight to the death and dly give their life to the cause.

    Kattegat was their home and they wouldy their life down for it, they carried about their day normally but they were training and preparing for the inevitable war.

    "King Askild, I have prepared the defenses." Asger had set up a defense consisting of timber covered with projecting spikes and strung with barbed wire.

    But Askild raised a brow upon hearing this because he knew that Asmund was not attacking anytime soon, but this was not why he raised the brow.

    "Why are we setting up defenses in Kattegat?" King Askild asked but all he got in response were confused looks from Ragnar, and Asger. The only two men present here in the throne room.

    "It will help us better defend Kattegat, my lord," Asger responded with an unwavering voice.

    "Do you think the war will be fought on the shores of Kattegat?" Askild questioned Asger but Asger did not understand the question because it felt rhetorical.

    "That is what we all thought, King Askild," Ragnar interfered because he could sense the unease of Asger, Askild''s focus shifted to Ragnar.

    "It will be foolish to allow Vestfold to march her. We are not defending, we are the ones going to desate their homes." Askild responded, now was the time to discuss these things among themselves.

    "Is it not advisable to recall the others, King Askild?" Asger suggested, he was very careful with how he phrased his words.

    "I have sent word to them, we need all the strength we can get," Askild said, beforemanding the men to get up and permitting them to speak freely. He needed that right now, their honest opinion because he knew that they might have ideas to swing the war in their favor.

    Ragnar was curious as to why Askild did not sh de with Asmund, he was right there for the taking but instead chose to take his son hostage.

    It was a strange decision but he knew that Askild had far more experience than himself when it came to battle and that is exactly why he was king. He was not only strong but great at politics.

    "I think your idea is sound, my king but we do not know the terrain of Vesfold." Ragnar started the moment he got off his knees, shooting Asger a nce.

    "Asger nearly lost his life because of this same miscalction," Ragnar concluded and Askild nodded because what he said was true.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "This is why I have granted Birger amnesty and asked him to return to Kattegat," Askild said and the moment these words left his lips, Ragnar and Asger had a look of dread on their faces.

    "K-King Askild, I do not think that is a good idea. He was exiled for a reason!" Asger said but Askild simply smirked because he was the only man that knew the terrain of Vestfold and there was no denying his skills when it came tobat, skills they were very much in need of right now.

    "I think you should reconsider this, King Askild," Ragnar suggested. Askild understood their worry, Birger was a dangerous man and the only man toy a scratch on King Askild. The man that went after the life of Askild relentlessly before he became King and had him and his loyalist exiled from Kattegat 5 years ago. He is very skilled and Askild knew he must have gotten stronger over the years and he would make an attempt to take his life should he be allowed into Kattegat.

    "Birger should not be allowed into Kattegat," Asger said once more, but Askild was not changing his mind because of Birger.

    "I am aware he killed your son and had his way with your wife before killing her too," Askild said but his voice was not sympathetic. Asger tried his hardest to recollect his cool but he could not.

    "May I be excused, King Askild?" Asger asked and Askild nodded to grant him his request.

    Asger stormed out and everyone in that room understood his anger but the moment he left, a woman entered.

    She had on fur made from a bear, she was extremely muscr, and was approximately the same height as Asger. She was bulky and with an axe strapped to her side, heh did not wear armor and despite her build, still had a pair ofrge breasts. One side of her hair was shaven, and her brown eyesplemented her masculine frame. She went by the name Herfj?tur, she was named after a Valkyrie.

    Ragnar was surprised to see her, but Askild was not because he was the one that summoned her.

    She was one of the many people in charge of her unit, the first woman under Askild that he recognized as a leader as well as a formidable warrior.

    She dropped to one knee to greet Askild but he gave her the same right he gave Ragnar and Asger.

    She has been away from Kattegat for 2 years, she was sent on raids to establish a base in nearby smaller kingdoms where they carry out continuous raids and send the spoils to Kattegat.

    Askild exined his strategy to her for her input but she did not say much because she agreed with the n og Askild. It would be foolish to let their enemies get close to their homes but even more stupid to storm blindly into unfamiliar territory.

    "My lord, if we stormed Vestfold it would not matter if we have a million men. If we march in blindly we will be killed. Asmund is a veteran when ites to war and we can not underestimate him." Herfj?tur contributed and unlike Ragnar and Asger, she was fine with letting Birger return to Kattegat. This was why Ragnar did not get along with her, her ideal was on the extremist side but it was needed in these trying times.

 Chapter 30 Who Is Erik? [TRIGGER WARNING]

    ?Erik was all bandaged up, he was up and about, these wounds were like scratches to him despite it digging itself into his skin. This is enough to kill the average man but Erik has an abnormal constitution that allowed him to take more damage and this is why he was still alive to this day.

    "Are you okay?" Thedy looking after him asked and Erik did not answer.

    "Come here." Erikmanded her but she was not a ve and rejected his offer to get closer because everydy in Kattegat knew about how perverse he was, it was no secret.

    "No, your wounds need to heal. It is a miracle you are still alive. Thedy said, but Erik was not paying attention but instead eyeing her up and down. If he could undress her with his eyes, he would but he was a Viking and was used to having what he wanted.

    Erik stood up from his seated position despite the protest of the caretaker and walked towards.

    "I asked you toe closer," Erik said once more and the look in his eyes reeked of death.

    "Ie to see you and walk in on this?" A voice said behind him, it was the voice of Ulf and he just stopped Erik from sexually assaulting her.

    "Ulf Lothbrok, what are you doing here?" Erik asked and thedy used this opportunity to scurry away but he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back.

    "Erik, she is not a bounty of one of your raids, let her go or even you could get into trouble." Ulf said, but Erik was not having any of it.

    "She is just a woman," Erik said before trying to rip off her dress despite her screaming and begging. Ulf looked unbothered by what was happening.

    "Herfj?tur is back in Kattegat, Erik." Ulf said and the moment these words left his lips, Erik''s grip on the girl loosened allowing her to run away.

    "I saw her on her way to see Askild, the war with Vestfold is going to be an interesting one, don''t you think?" Ulf said, but Erik was not listening, he stopped listening the moment Herfj?tur''s name was mentioned.

    "That bitch... I will kill her this time!" Erik said with anger. The campaign Ragnar was meant to lead was no longer relevant thanks to the uing war with Vestfold.

    -

    "Mother, where is father?" Bjorn asked as he devoured the piece of meat in front of him.

    "Yes mother, where is he? Father is rarely at home these days," Tyr followed up his brother''s question because since the spar, Ragnar was scarce at home for obvious reasons.

    Reasons Lagertha did not feel it was in her ce to tell them because they were just kids and she trusted her husband''s judgement.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Your father is busy with King Askild, something tells me you boys will soon have your arm rings." Lagertha cunningly changed the subject and her children took the bait.

    Viking leaders and warriors used arm rings to swear allegiance and loyalty to each other until death. During this oath, leaders would give their warriors arm rings as a binding factor of the oath. The exchange of arm rings created an unbreakable bond that both sides respected at all costs.

    This was something that Bjorn and Tyr wanted because it will show their own maturity as it was only given to those recognized by the king, for he was the one they all owed their loyalty to.

    They could not hide their excitement and began to smile uncontrobly.

    "You boys did not hear it from me," Lagertha said with a finger on her lips and both boys nodded like they had taken an oath of secrecy.

    Lagertha was aware of the war, it was no secret among the adults as she was going to be participating and despite her wanting her children to sit it out, she knew they could not.

    They are Vikings, and they deserved a chance at Valha and if she denied them this glory, she would never be able to forgive herself.

    "Mother, I heard you were a famous shield maiden, why did you stop?" Tyr asked Lagertha, breaking her out from her own inner thoughts with Bjorn equally as curious.

    "I fell in love with your father, my son." Lagertha said with a broad smile but the response she got from both her sons was expected, they cringed so hard when she used the word love.

    "I am never falling in love!" Tyr responded with disgust.

    "Me too, brother! Me too!" Bjorn shared the same support with his brother and all Lagertha could so wasugh. She loved Tyr just as she loved Bjorn, he brought out a side of Bjorn that she liked.

    She has been trying to conceive a child ever since she gave birth to Bjorn but to no avail and this was why she did not oppose the idea when Ragnar brought it up.

    Bjorn had a brother now and their rtionship was healthy, but this war threatened to tear it all away. This was even more reason why they must win it, for she could not lose this life she has grown ustomed to. Everyone in Kattegat knew the death of Egil the moment King Askild came back, as he had no more reason to keep a gag order on it, but the attempt on Ragnar''s life was known only between both men. Lagertha was not aware of it.

    "I saw an enormous man! I want to be like him! He had jagged teeth." Tyr said with Lagertha smiling, but the more he described the man, the less of a smile was on Lagertha''s face. The moment she realized he was describing Erik The Berserker, she stopped him.

    "Stop Tyr! You do not know what you are saying. How can you say you want to be like him!?" Lagertha said and this took Tyr and Bjorn by surprise as both boys just kept, the atmosphere turning awkward.

    "I am sorry boys, your mother needs to get some rest," Lagertha said as he carried the dishes and excused herself.

 Chapter 31 The Gathering

    ?Kattegat was tense, the citizens were not forcefully taken to go and fight for they were warriors and only warriors should die on the battlefield. Fathers and sons took this as an opportunity to gain honor, they did not need to force the men or boys because they were all excited to be fighting.

    Death was a weing thought because it is better to die on the battlefield as opposed to dying in their beds as old men with nothing to look back on.

    The Vikings were confident of victory and this was partly because of King Askild''s presence on the battlefield, a week passed and everyone was preparing for the war with Vestfold.

    The Vikings King Askild called were just as strong, if not stronger than Erik and Asger.

    But Herfj?tur was a different case together because she was one of the strongest Vikings in Kattegat despite being looked down on by her peers simply because she was a woman.

    In the throne room, they all stood, with 3 new faces present. Everyone but Birger had arrived in Kattegat and was ready for war. Each had a unit theymanded personally with Viking warriors they trusted but all wore the arm rings of the Viking that led them and not of King Askild.

    Their loyalty was to the one whomanded them, but with them, themselves, wearing arm rings of Askild. This in turn made their unit that of Askild.

    A massive, muscr man stepped forward. He had long, dark hair, a well-trimmed goatee, and remarkablyrge lips. He had tribal tattoos covering his left arm, multiple piercings in his left ear, and numerous scars stemming from a lifetime of battles. he went by the name of Skarde and was in his mid-thirties.

    "King Askild, I am d you saw me fit to partake in this war..." Skarde said but paused to spare Erik a nce.

    "...Even a less civilized man has use." Skarde finished his sentence but this dig was aimed at Erik, who scoffed in return but he kept quiet because he was in the presence of their King.

    He might be called a Berserker but he was a tamed one in the presence of his King.

    "War with Vestfold and a pardon for that bastard, Birger." A younger man said, he was the youngest in the room, aged twenty-five.

    He was an average-sized and handsome man, he has a kind face and a slender body. He has long, light hair, tied into a high ponytail, and green eyes. He went by the name Ulrik.

    "We still do not know who took the life of Egil. I think we should hang anyone to take the responsibility for his death and forget about it because the citizens will see you, King Askild, as one incapable of bringing justice to those thatmit such atrocities." A man with an eye patch over his left eye suggested that no one will be able to trust the person beside her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He was 6''1, but he was also muscr, he went by the name Sven.

    Askild kept quiet, watching them talk without a care in the world irritated him but now was the time to hear their thoughts and contribution regarding the uing war.

    Birger was the missing person they were waiting for, he was the most important and Askild knew the chance that he would decline was high due to the grudge he held against him. Kissing his teeth in irritation because this took a dig at his pride reaching out for someone he had exiled despite his atrocious crime. He knew Asger to be a calm and collected man but he did not me him for losing his head over the development, as any husband and father would.

    "Do not forget your ce. I am willing to hear your suggestion about the war, not about how to rule my kingdom." Askild said in a blood-curdling tone that instantly made them sink back into their shell.

    He was seated firmly on his throne, and the authority hemended was still as firm as ever and no one dared question it.

    "Ragnar, what do you think about this?" King Askild asked him, and everyone was surprised why he asked this man because most of them just met Ragnar for the first time.

    "I do not think hanging an innocent man will do the trick because if another killing urs, everyone in Kattegat will doubt you, and with doubtes mistrust. Whoever this person was, his only target was Egil Iversen and no one else." Ragnar said with full confidence, this assessment was not the whole truth as Askild was aware that they also went for the life of Ragnar Lothbrok. Ragnar has not even told his wife because the gag order given by his King was still active.

    Herfj?tur smiled, she was impressed by his deductive skills but during this week in Kattegat. She also discovered that Ragnar had taken a ve as a son despite not seeing the child for herself.

    "Ragnar Lothbrk, I have heard about you and I can see you live up to your reputation. It is an honor," Sven said, instantly trying to be in the good graces of Ragnar because he recognized that Askild held him in high regard. Getting along with Ragnar was the best course of action because it beats being seen as an enemy.

    "I am honored a Viking of your rank has heard of my name," Ragnar said, equally sounding humble.

    Kattegat was ready for war, but was Vestfold?

    Vestfold is a kingdom that has secretly bolstered its military prowess over a year for the very purpose of fighting Kattegat, so this war did not meet them at a bad time considering they have been training and preparing for it for quite some time.

    Now the question was, who will make the first move? This was like a literal game of chess where both kingdoms had to protect their King or lose the game.

 Chapter 32 Birger Helvig

    ?Vestfold made preparations but unlike Askild that wanted to invade, they were more than happy to sit back and wait for their enemies to venture into their territory because their terrain granted them an advantage. It was their home, with defenses and ditches prepared already.

    King Asmund was dressed differently, he did not dress like a king but more like a warrior because he was going to lead his warriors into battle.

    Unlike Kattegat, Vestfold was content with the warriors they had because this is what they have been preparing for. Their Vikings were strong than the average Vikings of Kattegat and they were more in numbers too.

    ? This meant that they had the advantage in this war, a war that King Asmund was confident in winning because he had stronger warriors than Egil in Vestfold, but he also knew the conclusive battle will be against Askild. He has to kill Askild for this war to end because Askild is a very prideful man that won''t stop until either he or his enemy was dead.

    However, King Asmund had second thoughts about his son joining this war because of Askild unspoken threat which he hoped he was misinterpreting but his guts told him otherwise.

    There was no way Signy could sit it out, not when everyone was willing to put their lives on the line, and should he fall in battle, no one will respect Signy as their king.

    This battle was pivotal in showing the other Vikings just what kind of person their next king would be. A man walked into the throne room of King Asmund, the throne room was a lot different from the one in Kattegat as there were tables and chairs for other Vikings to stay in there.

    It was more like a family room because Vikings were always present for they ate in this hall, it was never empty for Asmund did not have people after his life.

    The murmur and talk of the Vikings, drinking, and dining in front of their king created a strong sense of unity among them.

    A man walked in, he has nicknamed the Demon of Vestfold despite his average frame and physique, he did not stand out and looked like the average warrior.

    The noise quieted down the moment he walked in as all eyes were on him but he did not look worried or amazed. He was pale-skinned, had lifeless eyes, and a grumpy facial expression, he looked like he was in his mid-twenties but he also looked strong. He had curly ck hair and was named K?re

    "King Asmund, I have news from Kattegat...''" The man said in a t inexpressive tone, Asmund gestured for him to speak but he looked around as if to tell Asmund that too many people were here to give this piece of information but Asmund reassured him that he wanted to hear this news with everyone present.

    K?re did not mind and got closer to King Asmund.

    "We have gotten news that Kattegat ns to storm Vestfold, it is going to happen this month but this is not the most disturbing piece of information, my lord..." K?re said and paused as the silence drowned the room in itself.

    "The King of Kattegat has pardoned Birger, Birger Helvig..." K?re said, this was the only time his voice wavered and Asmund''s reaction was one of anger but he calmed down just as fast.

    "He has not answered the summon of King Askild, there has been no report of him in Kattegat and there is no proof that he is still alive either so this might be a hoax," K?re concluded and the panic in the eyes of the Viking around him, this was why he wanted to deliver the news to Asmund in private.

    "Birger is alive, there is no way that man will die but he needs to be killed! He cannot be allowed to get to Kattegat," King Asmund said in a distressed tone.

    "Is this not a good opportunity to kill him, King Asmund? It is better to get him out in the opening because no one knew where he has been all these eyes despite our hardest to track him down. He is the most cautious man I have ever seen," K?re''s voice was low, but stern.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Before the conversation could proceed further, Signy walked in confidently oblivious to the room setting but the tension was obvious.

    K?re was there, he was surprised that he was because he was not one to mingle with others.

    "The war will begin the moment Kattegat has Birger..." K?re stated bluntly, and a terrified expression crept up on Signy''s face.

    -

    Hagen, the boat builder, kept on perfecting his craft. His body became more toned due to the nature of his work. The clouds darkened and thundered roared in the distance.

    Sif came out to see her husband, she came with meals made with love and fruits to show her support.

    Hagen stopped briefly to eat, he looked exhausted as the sagging eyebags under his eyes did not do him justice for he has been working like a maniac these past few days.

    His wife did not say a word, she just watched her as her husband ate and cherished every bite.

    She knew the war was weighing on him and she knew there were no words she could say that couldfort him. Her presence was enough to tell him that she was there for him, now and always.

    "Hagen..." A voice called. It was the voice of Ulf, and Hagen immediately dismissed his wife.

    This was the first time that Ulf has seen Hagen with a woman, but what was more surprising was why Ulf was there.

    He wasn''t wee, and Hagen has made this very clear in the past.

    "What do you think you are doing here?" Hagen asked Ulf in a very hostile voice.

    "I need your help with something," Ulf responded, but he was hesitant. Something Hagen never saw before.

    "I give you points for your arrogance, that is for sure," Hagen said while heaving a dismissive sigh. He had no interest in helping Ulf.

    "Hagen! This could win the war, now is not the time for personal scuffles! I still hate you, Hagen but Kattegates first." Ulf shouted, sounding more like his usual self.

    Hagen was speechless but his curiosity got the better of him.

 Chapter 33 The Next Generation

    ?"Hagen, why was Ulf here?" Sif asked, a few minutes after Ulf had gone.

    Hagen did not suddenly look tired anymore but rather, excited at what Ulf told him for it was of significant importance in terms of the war.

    Sif noticed her husband''s mood and stayed by his side once again without saying a word but she knew of his hostile rtionship with Ulf so what could that man have possibly said to draw such a reaction from him? This did not matter.

    Ulf was on his way back but ran into both Tyr and Bjorn, who were on their way to see Hagen.

    "Uncle Ulf!" Bjorn called out, running to embrace his uncle who was equally as excited to see him.

    "If it isn''t the little warrior, Bjorn!" Ulf returned his enthusiasm but Tyr rarely saw this man so while he was his uncle in terms of their family tree, he was still very much a stranger to Tyr.

    His attention was divided, he did not even look in their direction but looked distracted by the passerby as he waited for Bjorn to finish up with their uncle.

    He did not even greet Ulf and when his eyes met that of Ulf, he saw the disgust in the eyes of Ulf but Tyr was not bothered by this prospect because that was all he could do. Ulf could not touch Tyr, no one could or they would face the wrath of Ragnar Lothbrok.

    Ulf was soon on his way, and Bjorn returned to his brother''s side as they continued their journey.

    "Why did you not greet uncle Ulf?" Bjorn asked his younger brother.

    "I do not like him and I do not think he likes me either," Tyr responded in a disinterested tone.

    They were in Hagen''s house in no time but neither Hagen nor his wife was there but their children were. They met Floki, the 6-year-old son of Hagen, who answered the door to see both sons of Ragnar at their doorstep.

    "What do you want?" Floki asked bluntly, he looked mischievous and troublesome but he was soon dragged inside by his sister, Ursa.

    "Father said you should not open the door to strangers!" Her voice echoed inside and a smack soon followed before deafening silence set in.

    "Who are you, people?" Ursa asked with her head peeking out the door, and both brothers were confused because they did not know Hagen had a daughter.

    She has short brte hair, cut and styled like that of a man, she was much smaller than both boys.

    "Who are you?" Bjorn asked her, answering her question with a question.

    "I asked you first!" Ursa shouted in annoyance, this was her home, and Bjorn''s attitude was as if this was his own home.

    "I do not care! Let us settle this in a duel!" Bjorn was quick to challenge her with Tyr ying the observer in this interaction.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Bring it!" Ursas shouted in response and came out the door, she was wearing a frail white dress.

    "Why is a boy wearing a dress?" Bjorn questioned Ursa with a raised brow and her face soon turned red.

    "I AM A GIRL!" Ursa screamed, attempting to p Bjorn but he caught her hand.

    "Girls should not be going around hitting people. It is udylike." Bjorn said with a sigh after confirming her gender, he had no intentions of fighting her after this revtion.

    "I do not fight women. The duel is off," Bjorn said in disappointment, but out of nowhere came Floki.

    Bjorn did not pay for his presence, even when he lunged at him but what he saw next was Floki being sent tumbling by his brother.

    "Hey Tyr! He is just a kid!" Bjorn shouted as Ursa broke from his grasp and ran towards her brother.

    "A kid, look closely Bjorn," Tyr responded while pointing at Floki, Bjorn jerked his head in that direction and was shocked by what he saw. Floki was with a dagger, that young boy intended to stab Bjorn and if not for Tyr, Bjorn would beying in his own pool of blood.

    "Even you cannot expect to get to Valha if a kid killed you," Tyr said, barely keeping a straight face as Bjorn was embarrassed. There was no excuse for his carelessness but none of the brothers held any qualms with Floki, he did the right thing by trying to protect his sister but what surprised them was the method he intended to use to do just that.

    "What is your name?" Bjorn asked the child in pain, Floki tried his hardest to hold back his tears because that would not be very manly of him.

    "M-My name is Floki..." Floki said through the pain, with Ursaforting him.

    "I am Bjorn and this is my brother Tyr, we are sons of Ragnar," Bjorn responded, crouching to the height of the boy. Ursa gasped the moment she heard the name ''Ragnar'' and she saw the knife in her brother''s hand and understood why Tyr took the actions that he did.

    They would have been in trouble if they harmed a son of Ragnar, even though they knew how important Ragnar was in Kattegat.

    "I-I am sorry! I did not know who you were!" Ursa quickly apologized, bowing her head to earn the forgiveness of the brothers for her and her brother''s transgressions.

    "Hahaha! You do not need to apologize! Floki has the Viking spirit! I would have made you my rival but my brother has that spot." Bjorn said. He was more excited than angry because he knew Floki would grow up to be a great warrior.

    "Keep looking after your sister, Floki. You did the right thing!" Tyr encouraged the young boy, who started crying thanks to the praise of these two but mainly because of the gut-wrenching pain in his abdomen.

    "And you girl, what is your name?" Bjorn asked and Ursa quickly introduced herself but neither of the boys looked to be interested in her. All that was on their minds was battle and Valha.

 Chapter 34 Invitation Accepted

    ?Lagertha was alone at home, she was sharpening her de with a rough stone because she knew war could breakout today if Vestfold dare attack Kattegat directly but there has been no movement from Vestfold, she knew of the situation, and every Viking knew.

    She hated that she was being drawn into this part of her life, for she almost lost her right eye in one of the many battles she has fought for Kattegat.

    She was more scared for her children than herself, this was her motherly instinct speaking because no mother will want to be the one to bury her child.

    A knock was heard at the door, and a voice followed, it was the voice of Herfj?tur.

    "Lagertha, open up. It is me Herfj?tur." Thedy said and Largetha rushed to the door to open it and embraced the much bigger Herfj?tur, she could not believe her eyes even though she heard that King Askild had called back the Vikings on a campaign.

    "How are you, Largetha?" Herfj?tur asked and holding Lagertha by the waist and pushing her back to break away from her suffocating embrace.

    "I heard you were in Kattegat but I could not believe it," Lagertha said despite knowing the circumstance that brought her back.

    "I returned not too long ago. The death of Egil Iversen has escted into a war. Who knew one man''s death could screw things up this bad." Herfj?tur said with a tired sigh apanying these words.

    "I am just as surprised as you are but it looks like this maiden will have to put on her battle clothes once again," Lagertha said with a worried smile.

    "You do not need to be worried Lagertha. You have skills I could only wish to possess." Herfj?tur said but her tone did not sound like one to give empty praises. She believed what she was saying.

    "You honor me Herfj?tur but I have not held a sword in years," Lagertha said, she was going to be rusty. Despite picking up her training, she was not as sharp as she once was and it worried her.

    "How are you?" Herfj?tur asked out of the blue despite the conversation having progressed past asking this.

    "I am good, the boring tale of a typical housewife," Lagertha said with a yawn.

    "I do not mean that, Erik is back," Herfj?tur said and Lagertha immediately tensed up, she did not give her a verbal response.

    "You have not told Ragnar, have you?" Herfj?tur said with a hint of concern but once again got no response from Lagertha.

    "Ragnar has nothing to do with this... This is my cross to bear, a cross I will carry alone." Lagertha said as a pretentious smile crept up on her face. She was not fine, and she could not fool Herfj?tur either.

    "I hope you know what you are doing Lagertha," Herfj?tur and Lagertha shook her head, and just then, a scream was heard outside forcing both women to run out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Wake up! Who could do such a horrible thing!" Ady screamed, she was holding the body of her bleeding son, his jugr had been severed and he slowly bled to death.

    Murder was a rare urrence in Kattegat, and for this to happen just when the war was approaching was no coincidence. Whoever was behind these killings aimed to inspire fear and chaos within Kattegat.

    Herfj?tur rushed to his side and help him up.

    "I need you to tell me who did this to you!?" Herfj?tur asked him but the boy couldn''t speak due to his severed jugr despite trying his best to speak. All that came out of his mouth was blood but his willpower was admirable as his fingers scribbled something on the ground but he passed away in the process.

    His mother crying profusely, Lagertha was surprised that such a thing happened on a broad day, and in no time the area was flooded with people who came to see what themotion was about.

    "Be careful Lagertha! The murderer could be in the crowd!" Herfj?tur whispered to Lagertha.

    Lagertha was cautious because no one knew who the killer was meant he could walk freely in Kattegat as he pleased.

    Herfj?tur looked down at what the man scribbled down but it was unreadable, all she could make out was the symbol l><l or M. This was hard to make out but it was at the end of whatever was written. It was a pity this warrior died without getting hisst word out but Herfj?tur took the hint she could scavenge for she did not know when it would be useful.

    The chances that this was the same person that killed Egil Iversen was evident but Herfj?tur scattered what was written in the crowd and Lagertha watched the crowd carefully to monitor the facial expression of the people in it to see if anyone would react strangely to the act of Herfj?tur.

    But no one did, if the murderer was in the crowd then he was an experienced one for an amateur would have taken that bait easily. Largetha shook her head for she did not find anyone suspicious other Vikings soon came to the scene as both women vacated the perimeter.

    "Stay indoors Lagertha. Something is happening in Kattegat." Herfj?tur warned but she paused for a moment, face creasing into a smile.

    "I forgot who I am talking to. Lagertha, the famous shield maiden, does not need my help." Herfj?tur stopped herself and thedies went their separate ways.

    -

    "King Askild! There has been another killing!" A Viking reported, but Askild did not look bothered by this development. He trusted that they would soon catch and hang the one responsible for this for all to see. He would do with him something far more heinous than he intended to do with Egil.

    He won''t just deny him Valha, but he will kill his family and all those they loved, but this was one of his lesser concerns.

    "King Askild! Birger! A man iming to be Birger is here!" Another Viking informed Askild and Askild''s face creased into an eerie smile.

 Chapter 35 A Deal With The Devil

    ?King Askild was happy that his summon was answered but all he saw was one man with an iron mask, concealing his face and identity.

    "Birger, is that really you?" King Askild questioned the man, who did not get one a knee as it is a tradition in Kattegat or when greeting one of superior rank as he did not recognize Askild as his King. This did not bother Askild, he did not need his respect but he needed his knowledge.

    "Askild, the man that took away my honor." the voice was hoarse but it came out crisp.

    "Why do you wear a mask before me, Birger?" Askild asked the man, the Vikings were wary of his presence in Kattegat because everyone knew the kind of man he was.

    "I wear this mask in honor of our temporary truce. The day I take it off is the day our truce and your lifees to an end, Askild... The Usurper." Birger''s tone was anything but friendly, openlymitting treason because it was Askild that needed him and not the other way around.

    This put Askild in apromising position, for he knew he could not afford to lose Birger or the war would be good as lost but he also knew that Birger would have his demands before helping them. This would ultimately be the bind that consolidates their truce.

    "I want your head, but after this war is over. I have a debt to settle with Vestfold and I need your military strength to pay that debt." Birger said, it was a miracle he could breathe in that mask.

    It looked incredibly ufortable, but this was no concern of Askild.

    "My head? I will ept your duel and leave it up to the gods to decide who dies that day," Askild said to which Birger agreed. This was vital progress as Birger was a pivotal part of Askild''s n.

    "Have you heard the news?" Vikings could be heard speaking of the arrival of Birger with bitterness, they were angry as they perceived this to be King Askild showing weakness.

    Desperate times call for desperate action but this was far too desperate an action.

    Erik overheard the fuss and he was excited that Birger was back in Kattegat, it felt like the old days before King Askild became King and changed everything.

    -

    Erik had a twisted ideology of what a Viking was, he believed that the strong can do as they please to the weak or those they conquer. This is why he submitted to King Askild.

    Erik kept walking and barged into the children of Ragnar, he intended to pass them by but Tyr caught his attention. He did not know Ragnar had another son until recently.

    Tyr nudged Bjorn like he just saw his idol, he was giddy and excited because Erik looked so cool to him due to his unique features. Bjorn, however, knew this man spelled danger the moment he saw him and his mother''s reaction was not an overreaction. The young Bjorn was not oblivious to these things despite his young age, unlike his younger brother.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What is wrong brother?" Tyr asked Bjorn, who drifted into his own little world and had to be dragged back to reality.

    "If it isn''t the children of Ragnar Lothbrok," Erik said with a smile, revealing his sharpened teeth. Tyr looked in awe but Bjorn soon stood in front of his younger brother.

    "Who are you?" Bjorn asked with his hand on the hilt of his de, something Erik noticed but he did not mind this action but rather appreciated it.

    "Do you want to fight me, boy?" Erik questioned Bjorn, Bjorn thought he might have a chance with Tyr by his side because they fought their father and managed to win that spar.

    This boosted his confidence, looking into the eyes of Erik The Berserker, but he choked. The intensity in Erik''s eyes was nothing like that of his father.

    Bjorn could not move as his body was paralyzed with fear, he found himself unable to speak or move but Erikughed when he noticed this.

    "Are you really the son of Ragnar Lothbrok?" Erik asked, moving past Bjorn and crouching right in front of Tyr. This question was not for the frozen Bjorn but rather for Tyr.

    "I am a son of Ragnar Lothbrok but you have not answered the question of my brother," Tyr responded to Erik but unlike his brother, he did not freeze up.

    "Those eyes... Those are not the eyes of a warrior, child." Erik told Tyr before getting back to his feet. Tyr had no idea what he was talking about but he was not interested.

    Patting his brother Bjorn on the back as both boys were on their way, Tyr might admire Tyr for his physical attributes but he was not sure he liked him outside of that.

    "What was that?" Bjorn asked Tyr, a feeling he was familiar with as he has felt it far too many times in Kattegat from Vikings that did not ept him as one of their own.

    "That is what it looks like when death lingers in the mind of others, a killing intent so strong that not even you will go scot-free." Tyr educated his older brother.

    "Why were you not affected by it?" Bjorn asked Tyr but his eyes settled on Tyr''s hands, they were trembling.

    "Who said I wasn''t?" Tyr responded to Bjorn, he was so close to shitting himself but he held his nerves because he knew that no one was so crazy as to touch the children of Ragnar or he would long be dead as he knew that some Vikings did not ept him as one of their own.

    As far as they were concerned, he was a ve that became a Viking through his father but this is why this war was so crucial to Tyr. Despite not knowing of the impending war, he would be a participant as King Askild could use all the Vikings he could muster.

 Chapter 36 Asger In Danger!? [R18+]

    ?Asger heard of the arrival of Birger and he was not pleased by this news but he had to ept it. He knew he was going to kill him, even if it meant being punished by King Askild.

    Asger saw a man walking away in a haste, it was strange considering no one was supposed to be out as the moon illuminated the beautiful city of Kattegat.

    Even the warriors standing guard were barely staying awake,  but Asger was awake because he took it upon himself to see that the guards do not ck because while Vestfold may not be expected to attack Kattegat, the possibility that they could exist.

    "Hey you, stop!" Asger called out but the person only increased their pace thus raising the suspicion of Asger even higher. Asger hurried in his steps in a bid to catch up to him but this was futile as the person he was chasing was not only faster but far more nimble than Asger.

    Asger lost sight of him in no time but the swampy ground allowed him to track the footsteps of the runner and unlike Ragnar, Asger was an excellent tracker. He followed the route but the footprints stopped at a dead end.

    "Where did they go?" Asger thought to himself but someone crept up silently on Asger, they intended to separate him from the view of others.

    -

    Herfj?tur went through the clues, and the news of the attempt on Ragnar''s life was made known to just her by King Askild but she was under the same gag order as Ragnar and thus could not tell anyone.

    Herfj?tur tried to figure out what it meant but that inscription was not a symbol but rather a letter.

    It was the letter "D" and she thought even deeper as to what it represented.

    Why would someone near death use hisst breath to do something of this nature, a letter that he used hisst strength to write? He wrote something but the contents were not exactly easy to identify.

    Why would anyone want to kill Ragnar Lothbrok? It made no sense.

    "Something is not adding up," Herfj?tur said, and a man was seated across from her and that man was Skarde.

    "What is not?" Skarde questioned her, showing his interest in her thoughts but Herfj?tur brushed it off. She could not tell him exactly what happened but she could present fragments of it.

    "Say Skarde..." Herfj?tur started, and Skarde gave her his full attention.

    "If someone tried to kill me, what reason would you think it to be?" Herfj?tur asked.

    "I would say it is personal. No one would go to the length of murder for any other reason." Skarde responded before getting to his feet and walking up to Herfj?tur.

    "Personal?" Herfj?tur asked as Skarde stopped behind her and began massaging her shoulders.

    "Anyone would be jealous of your beauty, Herfj?tur," Skarde responded and Herfj?tur began to moan softly, she felt the stress gradually leave her body as Skarde massaged her.

    "Now is not the time for this, Skarde¡­" Herfj?tur whimpered but Skarde kept massaging her intimately.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Even a strong woman like yourself must be treated like ady. You have¡­desires." Skarde continued as his hands slipped down her shoulder, making their way to her cleavage but she stopped him abruptly.

    "What do you think you are doing, Skarde?" Herfj?tur asked but she got no response as he stopped immediately and he felt she was opposed to it.

    "I am sorry, Herfj?tur. I meant no disrespect." Skarde apologized and proceeded to back away immediately but Herfj?tur chuckled faintly.

    "You are such a gentleman. I only asked what you were doing, I never told you to stop." Herfj?tur teased the warrior but things got awkward soon after because he did not know what to respond with and just kept quiet.

    "You are not a man of action, Skarde," Herfj?tur said, walking to him but Skarde backed away until he was up against a wall.

    "I am a woman that has needs¡­" Herfj?tur said, grabbing the crotch of Skarde, who grunted in pain.

    "Let me use you Skarde¡­ Let me use you to take care of my needs," Herfj?tur whispered into Skarde''s ear, Skarde could not resist it because Herfj?tur was a muscr woman with her masculine feature, she had the strength to overwhelm Skarde in terms of strength.

    "You always liked being in control¡­" Skarde whispered back, his breathing heavy with his hot breath brushing against her cold skin.

    "You know what I like," Herfj?tur said, stroking his cock from within his trousers while covering the mouth of Skarde simultaneously. It did not take long for her to take it out of his trouser and stroke it so gently and slowly.

    Skarde could not believe the pleasure that ran through his body, no woman could measure up to her and Skarde wanted to stay here forever. He moaned like a boy that just got candy but Herfj?tur''s hand across his mouth made theme out muffled.

    Herfj?tur kept stroking, spitting on it to give it moisture as she continued to stroke it with even more speed. She noticed the toes of Skarde curl up, he was about to cum, and then she stopped suddenly. The look on Skarde''s face was enough to make her legs weak.

    It was a turn-on seeing such a powerful Viking at her mercy.

    "On your knees." Shemanded and Skarde got on it with no resistance.

    "You really are pathetic, Skarde," Herfj?tur said as she raised her robe to reveal something she knew Skarde wanted, it took everything in his power to resist the urge.

    "You want it, don''t you?" Herfj?tur asked and Skarde nodded like a domesticated puppy.

    ? "Then have at it," Herfj?tur gave him the go-ahead and Skarde jumped at it as lustful noises filled the room.

    -

    Asger turned his head quickly, the illuminating moonlight gave away his position and gave away the position of the person that crept up on him thanks to their shadow.

    "You are¡­!" Asger said as blood sttered onto the ground.

 Chapter 37 The Blade That Strikes In The Night

    ?"You are¡­!" Asger said the moment his eyes fell on the person that crept up on him and blood spilled onto the ground soon after.

    It was not the blood of the assant, but the blood of Asger, his neck was bleeding but it was a shallow wound because he managed to dodge it but not quite.

    "What is the meaning of this!?" Asger shouted at the attacker but got no response.

    The fact that he was so brave to attempt to take the life of Asger was telling but his strike felt far more personal and they tried to end it in a single move but failed.

    Asger was bleeding, the wound might be shallow but the area afflicted would lead to blood loss if he did not wound up quickly.

    Asger brandished his spear, and squared up to the enemy under the moonlight, he had no intention of letting him escape but he also knew he had to get his wounds treated as soon as possible.

    They stared at each other, the cloak of the assant concealing their face but Asger was determined to find out just who the person was.

    Asger made the first move, going for a basic one-handed thrust aimed at stabbing his lower torso but this enemy was light on their feet, thus evading it.

    The weakness of a spear user was the time it took to retract that spear should the enemy close in, and this assant exploited that opening to get close to an otherwise defenseless Asger.

    It looked like it was over, the assant went right for his head once again but Asger revealed a dagger in his other hand to parry his strike.

    This took the assassin by surprise, this was the first time they saw a man wield both a spear and a dagger but it was possible due to Asger''s build.

    The attacker''s eyes began to dart left and right, they were looking for an escape and Asger noticed this and he confirmed it the moment the attacker moved out of the range of his spear.

    "I see, you are familiar with fighting a spear user." Asger''s voice was one of suspicion, this attacker was not just a random one.

    Asger tossed his spear towards him like he did against Egil but he could not kill the attacker as he managed to dodge it, a surprise move that had an 80% sess rate was dodged under this moonlight, that was nothing short of a miracle.

    The sudden movement, however, blew away the cloak that covered the attacker''s head.

    "I should have known it was you¡­" Asger muttered, pausing briefly to look at the face of the man that just tried to take his life.

    "...Arvid!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    -

    Ulf, who has been requesting an audience with King Askild, was finally granted one and this was a good piece of news for him because he knew that the King did not just see anyone but this also meant he could not waste the King''s time or suffer the consequences that were sure to follow.

    He got into the throne room and got on one knee, it was quitete but King Askild was there with his wife, Liv. Ulf knew the war was brewing and King Askild needed as many trusted men as possible.

    "King Askild! I am honored that you epted my request!" Ulf said with a resolute voice but Askild was not moved by his passion, passion does not cut down enemies on the battlefield.

    "What did you want to discuss by this hour, Ulf Lothbrok." Askild''s voice was t, he was not in a jolly mood but when has he ever been in one? Ulf gulped and thought about the words that were about toe out of his mouth but noticed that he had not shown the wife of Askild the same respect as he had shown her husband. They all perceived that Askild disliked her but that was far from the truth and Ulf did something that was otherwise overlooked by other Vikings.

    He greeted her with not only the proper courtesy but respect equal to Askild.

    Askild''s gaze softened momentarily upon witnessing this rare disy of respect from Ulf, he could also tell that this pleased his wife.

    "I am here to discuss my role in the uing war, my lord." Ulf started off, as he waited for permission to keep speaking to avoid rambling on.

    "Your role? I believe you are to fight under your brother, Ragnar Lothbrok." King Askild recalled them because of their rtionship.

    "It is about that, My King. I do not want to fight under my brother anymore for I have lived in his shadow for far too long I fear I won''t have great stories to tell in the All-Father''s great hall." Ulf wanted to stand on his own, for he has lived under the shadow of his brother for far too long and wanted to make his own path despite wanting the woman that belonged to his brother.

    "Ulf Lothbrok, son of Sigurd. I will only consider your offer if you have someone to fight under. You do not have my trust to lead a unit nor do you have the skills to lead men with greater tales than yourself." King Askild epted his proposal but under a condition.

    "Yes, My King. Erik The Berserker, I will fight under him and carve my name into the walls of time as the man that yed a major role in the conquest of Vestfold, even if I have to die to do it." Ulf said but Askild took this as just words.

    Even a coward could spew words that made him look like the bravest warrior in the room, everything will be determined on the battlefield.

    "No, Ulf.." King Askild rejected his proposal, index finger tapping his thigh.

    "I have an assignment for you, Ulf. You will fight under Birger, I need you to keep an eye on him." King Askild, the tapping stopping, and Ulf''s face froze the moment he heard that name.

 Chapter 38 Traitor

    ?The traitor was revealed to be Arvid and Asger was surprised because he never expected this from one of his loyal warriors but it happened regardless.

    He had to digest this information as he knew his spear could not spare the blood of traitors, and he had taken the lives of his fellow Vikings, betraying the arm ring that he wore and as such betrayed Asger in return.

    King Askild kept the punishment he handed out to Arvid from Asger and the reason why as well so far as Asger was concerned, Arvid had no motives for these atrocities.

    "Why did you do this, Arvid?" Asger''s voice was calm and collected, the betrayal hurt him but he knew it was his responsibility to clean up this mess.

    Arvid did not answer or it would be more urate to say he could not but with Asger not in possession of his spear, he was left with his dagger to defend himself against Arvid.

    Then he saw it, Arvid opened his mouth to reveal his tongue and Asger''s eyes widened in horror.

    This told Arvid that King Askild did not tell him about his betrayal or punishment but regardless, Arvidpleted his task and that task was setting the kingdom of Vestfold against Kattegat.

    He came here for a warrior''s death, he failed to kill Ragnar and ran but he was not running against Asger because he deemed this a duel.

    One of them was going to see Valha today, and Arvid stood a decent chance because he had seen Asger in battle numerous times before and thus, knew his tricks like the back of his hand.

    But he was so used to seeing Asger fight with a spear that seeing him with a dagger was a rare sight but Asger went from having the longer reach to having the shorter one in the blink of an eye.

    Arvid closed the distance but this time did not try to take the head of Asger like his previous attempts but instead went for the wrist of the hand holding the dagger, all Asger did was toss the dagger in his right hand into his left hand whilst simultaneously moving that right hand out of the way of the attack.

    This left Arvid open and Asger proceeded to sever Arvid''s hand holding the de, disarming him in the process. Arvid fell to the ground in pain, looking up at Asger as he muffled his scream for a warrior should not scream when Valha is near.

    "Dzzzo eeet." Arvid''s speech was barely understandable but Asger looked at the man that has fought numerous battles alongside him.

    Right now, all Arvid asked for was death for he had been defeated with rtive ease but it was no surprise considering the strength of Asger.

    "I wish I could, I really wish I could but King Askild has ns for you, Arvid," Asger said and the moment he heard the name of Askild, he frantically reached for his sword clutched in his severed hand but Asger kicked it away.

    Asger looked at Arvid with pity in his sorry state, he knew exactly what King Askild would do to him, and not killing him here was virtually the same thing as condemning his soul to an actual death. Other guards soon gathered around them, they saw Asger and an injured clothed enemy instinctively knowing which one of them was hostile.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Asger!" The Vikings that appeared called out, immediately apprehending Arvid with Asger giving specific instructions to not kill him, or they risk facing King Askild''s wrath.

    "Fire! Quickly!" A Viking shouted with torches lit already as they patrolled Kattegat so this request was easy as a torch was handed over.

    They held down Arvid and burnt his wound to get rid of any infection that might follow as well as stop the bleeding. This could note at a more perfect time because this should settle the unrest in Kattegat.

    Birger was in the city too, a man Asger has vowed to kill for he single-handedly ruined his life to this degree, but he was not sure if Birger got stronger as he was no match for him in the past.

    He was helpless.

    "Asger, are you okay?" A Viking asked and Asger nodded, raising his hand to see if he had been cut but he was just slightly nicked. He was impressed that Arvid was able to injure him but not surprised when a sudden realization hit him.

    "Arvid¡­ He uses poison!" Asger thought the moment he felt himself get light-headed, he had forgotten the very important piece of information as he fell to his knees.

    His body was numb, the other Vikings noticed this and gathered around him to see if he was alright but Asger could not even open his mouth to speak.

    "P-P¡­" These words escaped Asger''s lips as he gasped for air right before passing out.

    Erik was prowling in the dark, like a stealth mercenary but barely, as his enormous body frame gave him away. He noticed Arvid being taken away but he was not interested in why as he was among those on watch and could have easily stepped in to break up the fight but watching the fight between both Vikings was what he used to pass time.

    He saw Asger hit the floor soon after only then did hee to light, with all the other Vikings around Asger making way for the much bigger man.

    "It is disgraceful that you were done in like this but even you are sentimental," Erik muttered under his breath, showing a level of understanding of how difficult it must have been to bring down yourrade but his voice carried no empathy.

    "Sir Erik!" A Viking called out to get his attention but Erik was not interested in him because he knew that King Askild would not want anything to happen to Asger, not with the war brewing and this was the only reason he even bothered to help.

    Slinging Asger over his shoulder, he carried him and faded the darkness.

 Chapter 39 The Kings Cruelty [TRIGGER WARNING]

    ?Dawn came upon them and Kattegat and everyone was anticipating the execution of Arvid Ingouf and everyone was to attend for he was not only a traitor but a disgraceful warrior that took the life of the very brother he was sworn to protect.

    The death toll would have been higher and if he seeded in taking the head of the famous Ragnar, a gag order would not be able to stop the unrest that was sure to follow.

    Arvid was confined in the same cell where Egil Iversen lost his life, but nobody was in that cell but him. He was strung up like a pig and blindfolded.

    He was frightened, he knew the impending doom that awaited him.

    Arvid momentarily thought about taking his own life but that would do no good, a shameful death is one he must avoid at all costs.

    He heard approaching footsteps, he was certain it was not Asger as he should be dead by now seeing that the poison he had used was a very rare and toxic variant believed to have no cure.

    "Excuse us," The voice instructed and the moment the voice made it into his ears, he knew who it was.

    "K-King Askild!" This was a thought seeing as he is incapable of speech, what was King Askild doing in such a dirty ce as this when he could easily have him brought to him for punishment?

    "Arvid Ingouf, I came to tell you something I have never told anyone before." Askild started, he could hear the clicks of the door that held him right before having his blindfold removed to reveal an angry King Askild and in his hands a plier.

    "You made me look weak, Arvid. You caused a war that you will not partake in and death is not fit enough a punishment for you¡­" King Askild kept on speaking and this was rare because he was calm despite having his world flipped upside down.

    "I heard you have a wife, a wife you paid good coins to get out of Kattegat, is that correct?" King Askild said and Arvid''s reaction gave him his answer but also proposed a question, how did he know?

    Askild snapped his fingers, and 3 guards brought down ady with brte long hair.

    "This is your wife, is she not, Arvid?" Aksild asked and Arvid panicked as tears filled his eyes but these tears did not move Askild.

    "You took my trust for granted, Arvid," Askild spoke, gesturing to his guards as they threw her on the floor and held her in ce.

    "Now I will take the pride of thedy you call wife," Askild said, pping his hands as Erik came down the steps with a lustful grin on his face, he was like a  wolf that had seen fresh meat after a long winter.

    Arvid was fighting to break free from his chains but the chains felt like they had the strength of Mj?lnir, the hammer of Thor, and only those worthy to break the chains.

    He felt his heart sink as Erik tore the clothes from her body. Her screams and pleas fell on deaf ears as Erik did not care about these things but got, even more, excited the more she struggled.

    "You tried taking your parents to the city in the south¡­" Askild said as he slowly approached Arvid who tried to look away, Arvid knew this meant he had his parents too.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "If you do not watch, I will do worse to your parents, Arvid." King Askild warned but he got an idea and what happened next was his eyelids being ripped off his face with the pliers in Askild''s hand.

    The Vikings looked in difort at the mutted prisoner but they soon refocused on the task at hand. Erik was still struggling but thanks to his superior strength he was able to overpower her eventually.

    King Askild had no interest in witnessing such a thing and began ascending the stairs, leaving Arvid to listen to the cries of his wife and the moans of Erik The Berserker, who was probably going to keep going until she quite literally died.

    Exiting the dungeon, he resurfaced back up and the sun was kind to Kattegat, as the clear skies showed that rain was not on the menu today but he ran into Ragnar shortly after who wanted to see Arvid.

    -

    It was rare to see King Askild outside his throne room and there was no way in a million years that Ragnar could have anticipated he showed up here, yet here he was.

    He bowed his head to show his respect but King Askild soon permitted him to raise it.

    "I do not think you want to go down there, Ragnar Lothbrok," Askild advised him before gesturing for Ragnar to follow him.

    "My lord, did you find out why he did it?" Ragnar asked curiously, seeing as he would have lost his head if his guard was down for even a second.

    "It was for revenge, Ragnar. It is always for revenge," Askild gave him the answer to his question but revenge for what?

    That was for Askild to know and Ragnar to figure out, Askild soon left him and went on ahead.

    "Hey, Ragnar Lothbrok¡­" A voice called out behind forcing the Viking to turn around only to see Skarde, he had a bruised eye.

    "What happened to your face?" Ragnar questioned him but Skarde smiled sheepishly while scratching his head.

    "I-I fell," Skarde responded and that reason was good enough for Ragnar as he did not try to pry further and just let things be.

    "What do you want, Skarde?" Ragnar asked him in a polite tone.

    "I do not want anything Ragnar, I just wanted to see the kind of man I will be fighting alongside in this war, care for a drink?" Skarde asked, unlike the remaining Vikings. Skarde had manners despite his deceptively brute-like physique.

    Ragnar knew there was no harm in epting his offer and did just that.

 Chapter 40 The Assignment

    ?Ragnar epted the invitation of Skarde for drinks and went to a nearby tavern, the cheers, and songs sung by the warriors gave visitors a receptive wee.

    Skarde sat across the table with Ragnar at the opposite side, Skarde took charge of the ordering as this tavern served the best ale in Kattegat.

    The waiters knew just who Skarde was and he got a lively response.

    "If it isn''t Skarde¡­" A voice said behind the counter as he poured ale into two wooden cups.

    "Bring the whole bottle, Em!" Skarde shouted. Ragnar wanted to protest because he was not a heavy drinker nor was he good at holding his alcohol but that would be rude.

    Em rushed to their tables and mmed the cups on the table alongside the bottle.

    He was a bald chubby man, in histe thirties and below average in terms of height.

    "How much is it?" Skarde asked, reaching for his pockets but Em stopped him.

    "It is on the house, Skarde. Your money''s no good here." Em refused to collect his money and this told Ragnar that these two men shared some sort of history.

    "You spoil me, Em," Skarde responded with a broad smile. Ragnar was taken aback by the kind of man he was for the others were either arrogant or downright disrespectful but Skarde had a certain decency to him despite his ckened eye. Now was the perfect time to ask about the eye as it could serve as a good icebreaker.

    "What happened to your eye, Skarde?" Ragnar tossed the question up and hoped it did not hang in the air.

    "This? I thought I told you I hit a tree." Skarde said with confidence as he gulped down the cup of ale, but this was not what he told Ragnar.

    "He can''t even remember his lie?" Ragnar thought to himself with a puzzled expression, he was still sober at this point, considering he just told him mere moments ago that he fell.

    "Wait, I think I told you I fell earlier! Damn it! I can''t even keep up!" Skarde said with a tired sigh apanying his words before a slight snicker followed it.

    "Do you know about the ways of love, Ragnar?" Skarde asked out of the blue, this did not answer Ragnar''s question but Ragnar felt it had something to do with the answer he sought.

    "I am married to Lagertha, the most beautiful shield maiden so I will say I do know the ways of love and that of a woman''s body as well," Ragnar responded with a smirk across his face.

    "I will have to disagree with you there, friend. The most beautiful shield maiden is Herfj?tur." Skarde responded, watching Ragnar take sips of his ale like a child drinking for the first time.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Is that how you got your ck eyes?" Ragnar questioned and the most dramatic gasp followed from Skarde, loud enough to draw people''s attention nearby.

    "How did you know!?" Skarde followed up with a whisper, the volume low enough for only Ragnar to hear. Ragnar could not believe how airheaded this man was but it felt like he was doing this intentionally seeing as he had a few drinks in him already. He was downing cup after cup like he was drinking water and Ragnar was still struggling with his first cup.

    "I did not, you just told me, Skarde." Ragnar could not hide his poker face when saying this.

    "You sly devil! As expected from a man that King Askild recognizes! I got this ck eye because mydy likes it a bit rough¡­" Skarde muttered with a giggle, he was getting tipsy and Ragnar knew it but his curiosity got the better of him.

    "Who is thisdy?" Ragnar questioned, he did say she was a shield maiden prettier than Lagertha.

    "Herfj?tur¡­ Her name is Herfj?tur." Skarde said with a sense of pride but the disturbed look Ragnar got was enough to tell that he did not see thising.

    He forced himself to gulp down the cup of ale because the images of them having sex to such a degree that it gave Skarde a ck eye were not doing him any justice. It was traumatizing, to say the least because he now looked at both of them in different lights.

    -

    Ulf heeded the instructions of King Askild and went to find Birger, it was easy to find him because despite being in Kattegat, he was far from free as a multitude of Vikings kept an eye on him and were ready to strike him down should they see him attempting to do anything out of the ordinary. He was in a small house, but it felt like he was under house arrest.

    "Ulf Lothbrok? What are you doing here?" A Viking on watch asked him but he did not respond and they tried to stop him despite being hesitant.

    "Would you like to tell King Askild yourself why you are disobeying his order yourself?" Ulf questioned, and they all instinctively backed away.

    "M-My apologies! I did not know you were here under King Askild''s orders!" The apology was one filled with fear and Ulf liked this feeling of power despite it being on a scale as small as this.

    He shoved the Viking aside and made his way to the house, he was allowed to enter armed because no one knew what Birger was capable of and they would rather not find out.

    But Ulf decided to leave his swords outside. This was not an advisable thing to do, seeing the kind of threat Birger was, but there was nothing anyone could do to stop Ulf.

    He knocked on the door but got no response. He could feel the tension around him and this made him wonder just what kind of man he wasing to meet in the name of Birger.

    He did not know much about him except for his despicable act against Asger, but this was the first time he was meeting him face to face and Ulf knew he had to make a good first impression.

 Chapter 41 The Sweet Whispers Of The Devil

    ?Ulf knocked at the door of Birger but got no response, he did not expect a friendly reception and would have broken down the door on a normal day but King Askild trusted him with such a task and this might be his chance to gain the trust of King Askild, a chance he was not about to lose because of his impatience.

    He knocked once more, but once again got no response as he could feel the mocking re of the Vikings around him creep up on him like a shadow.

    This was embarrassing, but then the door was unlocked from within with Ulf heaving a huge sigh of relief.

    Despite being a prisoner to say, he was still allowed the rights of an average citizen and this included his privacy because while he might be dangerous, he was needed by Askild so they had to be very careful to not make him angry.

    Ulf opened the door and gained entry into the house, shutting the door behind him. He expected Birger to be hostile but this was not the case. He had on his iron mask, and Ulf was taken back slightly by this but there was also a very prominent stench that broke him from his dazed state but he had to get into character quickly.

    "Greetings Birger, I go by the name Ulf and I have been assigned to make sure no harmes to you so you may use me as you please," Ulf said, slightly bowing his head as he knew that this might not work but showing he was not a threat was the most important thing to establish.

    "Ulf¡­ Such a familiar name. Does the name Ragnar Lothbrok ring any bells?" Birger asked, this was a familiar feeling to Ulf as he waspletely disregarded and instead, interest was shown towards his brother.

    He rose his head in slight shame, assuming his neutral position as he cleared his throat in the process to answer this question.

    "Yes, Ragnar Lothbrok is my brother." Ulf''s mood changed with this response.

    "A man that lives in the shadow of his brother, a disposable Viking, and warrior¡­" Birger said as he picked up his axe, this inadvertently put Ulf on his guard but he had no way of defending himself as he had left his weapon outside.

    "But I can promise you something, Ulf Lothbrok and that''s a name that far surpasses that of your brother," Birger said, tossing the axe towards Ulf, who snatched it out of the air.

    "What do you mean?" Ulf questioned because he was confused about what he meant by calling him a disposable warrior.

    "I see you do not know who I am but you know me through the stories you have heard¡­" Birger said.

    "Do you think you''re the first your king has sent to do this task?" Birger asked and the moment this question was asked, the stench he initially smelled when he entered had gotten worse and it looked to being from a room. Birger noticed the wondering eyes of Ulf and snickered.

    "That''s right, Ulf. I have killed everyone that came before you and judging by your face, you thought this was some honorable task that that shrewd man could only entrust you with¡­" Burger''s words hit deep and Ulf hated he was made to look like a fool in such a manner.

    "I recognize that look in your eyes, you are a warrior with a lot to prove but I can promise you one thing if you pledge yourself to me¡­" Birger''s words of seduction danced gently on the earlobe of Ulf.

    "I will not treat you as something or someone disposable, Ulf Lothbrok will be the name all Vikings will fear and respect," Birger concluded.<novelnext></novelnext>

    King Askild might have tested the waters with Ulf, but this might soon be a mistake he would love to regret as Birger not only had charisma but knew how to seduce the mind of a Viking. It was for this exact reason, he was feared and hung on to his life for so long.

    -

    Asger was injured, he was still drifting in and out of consciousness as the healers had done all they could do. The rest was up to the gods and Asger himself.

    He kept whispering the name of Arvind, it was a sorry state to see him in but Ulrik stood by his side and watched the Viking fight for his life.

    It was an interesting thing to see for Ulrik, the only reason Asger got injured was because of his sentiment towards Arvid, that singlepse of concentration put him in this current state.

    "Asger, what a sorry fucking state you are in.." Ulrik muttered in annoyance, this was a shameful way for any warrior of his status to go but he did not think such a thing could kill him for Asger was stronger than this.

    The healer came in, she was an elderlydy that used herbs to lessen the effects of the poison but it was left to Asger to fight it.

    The poison Arvid used was rare, and the chances of survival were minimal despite the best efforts of the healer.

    "How long is he going to stay like this?" Ulrik questioned her, as she changed the damped rag on his forehead.

    "He might wake up today, he might wake up tomorrow or he may never awake. It all depends on the will of the gods." Thedy said, her answer did not help in any way to reassure him and this pissed Ulrik off but there was not much he could do so he bit his tongue.

    "Do not worry child. The gods have decided his fate, the same way they have decided our fate." The elderlydy said as he made her way from the room.

    "You don''t think I know that, you old hag! There''s no way the gods would let such a great warrior meet such a pathetic end!" Ulrik muttered but Asger moved immediately these words escaped the lips of Ulrik.

    A smile crept up on his face as Ulrik inched closer.

    "Hey, Asger! You there?" Ulrik asked in a hopeful tone but this movement soon became chaotic as Asger began thrashing around in his bed.

    Ulrik called out to the healers frantically as the mouth of Asger foamed. Asger was having a convulsion.

 Chapter 42 The Fall Of Arvid

    ?Arvid cried, and wished he did not have eyes nor ears to listen to what was going on as Erik made sure this would be the thing to make him wish for death.

    He was not gentle and made sure Arvid watched him defile his wife, this broke the spirit of Arvid but it also intensified his rage towards King Askild and Kattegat.

    They had nothing to do with it yet Askild could not show mercy to his family, he knew this would happen and that is why he tried to get them to safety but could not do that in time as Askild was one step ahead if he had his family why was he not the prime suspect?

    Arvid tried to make sense of what was happening but this could also be because he told his family to assume a new identity that no one knew about and their secret was well hidden until Arvid was captured and the search for his family intensified.

    In no time, they were able to piece together this piece of information.

    -

    Erik was done and shey dead in her puddle of blood, Arvid could not understand how anyone could be this cruel, he understood the fury of King Askild but what he just saw from Erik was enough to make him question just what kind of monstersid dormant in Kattegat.

    He was defeated, his eyes had lost all hope he had but he did not regret his decision because he knew Askild had to die, his wickedness was not fit for a king, and the thought of Vestfold ying Askild was the onlyfort he had at this moment.

    Erik stood up, the others did not even get to have a turn but they did not want to the moment Erik started for they felt pity for thedy.

    Getting to his feet, he smiled at Arvid affectionately, like a father that just taught his son a valuable lesson.

    "I must say, I can see what you saw in her Arvid," Erik said, walking to the chained man. He liked the look in his eyes but it was far too soon for him to be giving up.

    "Should I free you, Arvid?" Erik asked him and this was a strange question, forcing Arvid''s eyes toe back to life momentarily. He wanted to speak but no audible escaped those dehydrated lips.

    "Erik, King Askild did not permit us to do such a thing," One of the three Vikings said, interrupting Erik during his conversation. Erik chuckled to himself.

    "One minute Arvid," Erik said, turning away from the prisoner and walking towards the man that spoke, he had to tilt his head up to look Erik in the eyes. Erik was enormous and the man gulped in fear of what he anticipated was about to happen but even Erik was not so foolish as to kill a Viking in broad daylight, right?

    "Wait, why is my body over there?" The man thought to himself as he realized he had been decapitated by Erik without a second thought. This realization made thest thing he felt to be was fear.

    "Anyone else want to tell me what I can''t do?" Erik asked and both men left gulped, shaking their heads as they held their tongues.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Arvid, think about my offer. I think you need all the hope you can get," Erik said, walking out and leaving the other two to drag the corpse of their fallenrade and the body of Arvid''s wife.

    "Don''t touch her, I think Arvid wants to spend some time with his¡­" Erik paused, looking at her disfigured corpse.

    "... beautiful wife," Erik concluded with a snicker, as he ascended out of the dungeon with the other two falling behind him

    Erik felt happy, he liked that he could do such atrocious things under the rule of Askild, this was a fitting punishment for a traitor but was far too extreme.

    "Erik? What are you doing here?" Sven asked Erik, but Erik did not respond. Bushing past him as he continued on his way but he saw two others dragging the corpse of a fellow warrior and Sven instinctively knew who was responsible for such an outrageous thing.

    "Erik, you need to stop acting like a dog without a leash or you WILL be put down¡­" Sven said in a high voice, this prompted Erik to stop in his tracks but not the other two trailing behind as they wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

    "What did you just say?" Erik asked, looking over his shoulder, waiting for Sven''s response. It felt like a stand-off, he knew that he could take Erik in a fight or at least believed so because he was no pushover for him to have reached this level of rank.

    "You heard me, you dog," Sven replied with a mocking tone, Erik knew it would take work to kill Sven and if he did manage to, King Askild would be angry.

    No one wanted to face the wrath of Askild, Erik simply chuckled at this attempt at provocation and continued on his way.

    "It is a miracle that the mad dog is still alive," Sven muttered to himself as he walked into the dungeon that held Arvid but what he saw was enough to make him want to throw up.

    He thought Erik was torturing Arvid but to think this was what he was doing made him sick to his stomach. If he was brave enough to do something so obscene, it meant it was under the orders of King Askild.

    He saw Arvid, his eyes begging for death but there was nothing Sven could do, all he wanted to ask was why but the why did not matter as he now understood why their king kept him alive.

    "I do not know much about you but I am sorry I can not help put you to rest. Something tells me they will use you to set an example for the rest." Sven said. Taking off his shirt, he proceeded to cover the face of his wife and watched Arvid weep in gratitude.

    "I didn''t do it for you, you traitor. I did it for her, no woman deserves to have her honor taken in such a gruesome way just because she married an unworthy man. This is all your fault." Sven said, ascending back up as he had no intention to ask the reasons of a broken man.

 Chapter 43 Final Push

    ?The news of Arvid''s capture spread around Kattegat, no one could believe it as he was the trusted right hand of Asger, a very respectable man.

    This was good because it sent a message to everyone that no transgressions went unpunished, he was brought out at noon and hung by the feet for all to see, it was disgraceful.

    He was insulted and cursed out by Vikings and kids alike, but they did not know he was dead already. The offer of the man that took the honor of his wife rang in his head, this was his single ray of hope because even if it was a trap, a chance of escaping presented itself, and whatever they wanted to do could not be worse than they already did.

    He could not sleep, his eyes remained open like a zombie as he lost the ability to close them thanks to Askild cutting off his eyelids.

    Tyr and Bjorn saw the man, and they were surprised by the state he was in. It was a bit too graphic for kids but being aspiring warriors such a sight was nothing to them as they have seen sacrifices to the gods taking ce.

    "What do you think he could have done to get such a treatment?" Bjorn asked Tyr but Tyr was confused, he did not understand why he was being tortured but this was because he did not understand his crime, he was fascinated by the torture method because this way there was no way for Arvid to sleep.

    "That man deserves everything he is getting!" A voice said behind them, forcing both children to jerk their heads back to see just who was talking, and there they saw a 15-year-old boy.

    Despite his age, he was rtively small as Bjorn was muchrger.

    "What do you mean?" Tyr asked the stranger but Bjorn walked in front of his brother.

    "Do you have a problem?" The boy asked Bjorn the moment he saw him do this.

    "Do you not know it is rude to eavesdrop on someone''s conversation?" Bjorn questioned him, squaring up as he was mere inches from his face.

    "Maybe do not speak in public then. I know who you are, Bjorn Ragnarsson." The boy''s voice was one of contempt, Bjorn noticed his nostrils re and instantly knew that this boy was looking for trouble, the trouble he would rather avoid. Tyr luckily was there to control the conflict from spinning out of hand. He held Bjorn back and apologized for the behavior of his confrontational brother.

    "I am sorry on his behalf. I am Tyr Ragnarsson, tell me more about that man," Tyr changed the topic as Bjorn reluctantly stepped out of the way for Tyr to continue his conversation with this boy, who did not bother introducing himself.

    "That man is the reason we are going to war with Vestfold! He is the reason that Kattegat has been on high alert." The boy was angry and spat on the floor in the direction of Arvid when he finished talking.

    "What do you mean war?" Bjorn chipped in.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You are sons of Ragnar but aren''t even aware of what is going on in Kattegat?" The boy asked with a raised brow, he was both surprised and disappointed by this revtion.

    It was all the city was talking about but theck of interaction Bjorn and Tyr had outside of themselves was minimal at best so the information they do receive is limited.

    But they felt betrayed by this news because there was no way both their parents did not know about this meaning it was kept from them. The killings in Kattegat as well, despite both brothers noticing that their parents were a lot more opposed to them going out at night and the increased number of warriors around Kattegat. They should have picked up on this.

    "W-We knew about it. Of course, we did!" Tyr cleared his throat, trying to save face but there was no need to lie because their facial expression gave them away.

    The boy did not care much and returned to stoning Arvid, who was to be killed in 3 days but until then King Askild made sure he would do everything to strip away his pride as a warrior.

    Whether or not he would grant him Valha was a different thing as King Askild has been shown to grant even past criminals this much. Egil was a first and that was because he was from an enemy''s kingdom but with that possibility of sitting firmly at the back of

    Arvid''s head, this was the only reason he thought to consider Erik''s offer.

    He knew how Askild felt about traitors, he lost his tongue giving his king a heads up on Asger''s possible betrayal. He showed King Askild he was loyal to him above Asger yet Askild did not appreciate this gesture and treated him instead like a criminal.

    Arvid cursed them, his lifeless was full of rage as he began to struggle to get loose with thest bit of strength he had, everyone momentarily stopped what they were doing as he gnawed at the ropes in his mouth and growled like a wild beast.

    The kids stepped back and the adults halted their verbal assault, the look in his eyes was one of pure undiluted rage. He looked like a person that was ready to ughter everyone present and this struck fear into most of them.

    Erik, however, appeared right there and then, and their eyes met. Erik at this moment knew that Arvid wanted to live and epted his offer.

    "Cut him down," Erik said, and everyone began muttering but no one dared speak out as they knew the kind of reputation Erik had, some lives were simply more valuable than others.

    "Do I have to repeat myself?" The towering man asked, looking down at the person he instructed, they were hesitant but did so regardless.

    They cut down Arvid, the blow flowing to his brain had caused his eyes to be bloodshot and his nose to bleed, he was in a dazed state but Erik had shown a rare side to himself, and that waspassion.

 Chapter 44 An Unlikely Friend?

    ?Arvid was cut down by Erik and taken away, Erik''s eyes were not as hard as they usually were and Arvid noticed this too but he doubted that a beast such as Erik was capable ofpassion so he quickly pushed this thought out of his head because he did not trust him.

    Despite not trusting him, he was his only hope to regain his chance at Valha.

    This was a man that took away the honor of his wife, but this same man was the reason for his thread of hope and he bit his teeth into it because he knew he was incapable of anything else.

    He was too exhausted and tired to form coherent sentences, the crowd''s jeers felt like they were going to burst a hole through his eardrums.

    Yet he clung to the man he hated the most, he cried because he realized just how low he had fallen. But Arvid did not regret his decision as he began to see the death of his wife as a necessity for the fall of Askild, this was how he regained his sanity, he had to believe it was or the guilt would be too much to handle.

    Erik returned him to his cell but Arvid already had food and ale waiting in his cell, the food was not just scraps either but an actual delicacy. This was the first time he had seen such food and his suspicion of Erik grew even higher.

    He did not eat the food nor drink the ale, staring at it like something was wrong with it.

    "It would be foolish to save you from torture only to give you an easy death such as poisoning don''t you think?" Erik said. He presented a good point and Arvid acknowledged that this would be too easy a death for him considering the gravity of the crime he hadmitted.

    He dug into the food, and he ate like a hungry pig, spilling food everywhere but he did not allow the spilled food to go to waste, licking off the ground as he gulped a cup of ale.

    "Arvid, I have made preparations for you to leave Kattegat tonight," Erik said and Arvid stopped eating immediately, he was surprised that Erik was bending so far back for him but he was not one to question it because these things brought back the hope in his heart.

    Erik has gone against Askild multiple times already for him, maybe he felt guilty for what he did to his wife and this was his way of making it up to him?

    "But it is not for free, of course. I need you to ride to Vestfold and deliver this letter to King Asmund. I trust you will not open it, but this letter will guarantee your safety. I will clear the gates, and get you a horse well-fed with some food." Erik said, it sounded like Erik had some sort of arrangement with Vestfold and this made Arvid suspicious. There was no way the most loyal warrior in Kattegat was working with King Asmund.

    This did not concern him, he had found his way out of this hell hole as Erik tossed him the letter he was to deliver, hitting the ground. Arvid''s reflexes were too poor to react in time but who could me him, he has been in pain ever since his capture.

    Arvid bowed his head to Erik but Erik did not acknowledge his gratitude and just walked out of the little dungeon.

    Asger convulsed, he was fighting for his life and the healers rushed to his side thanks to Ulrik''s shouting, they quickly escorted Ulrik out because they needed space.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ulrik did not argue or resist but he did give one warning that may or may not hold any weight.

    "If you let him die, I will kill all of you fuckers!"

    Asger kept convulsing and was quickly turned to his side. Luckily, this was not a serious seizure as they were able to bring it under control but they did not know just how serious the next one was. Asger did not look to be getting better, and this concerned them.

    They needed to know the kind of poison that was used, and they could only get that information through Arvid, this should help with whatever antidote they needed to use because they only had a rough idea of the kind of poison it was but numerous poisons exist that require different antidotes.

    "That poison used on Asger is Cowbane, it is a miracle that he has held on this long but the amount he has in his bloodstream is little or he would have been dead long before now. So there''s a chance of survival." A strangedy said, walking into the door.

    They looked up and it was their queen, Liv. All thedies lowered their heads the moment they saw who had graced them with her presence.

    "That is fine, now is not the time for honorifics but we need to save Asger at all costs," Liv said and this motivated the healers as they were more active and hopeful.

    She noticed that Asger''s temperature was not as high as it was when they brought him in, she ryed this information to Liv and Liv heaved a loud sigh of relief.

    "Keep a close eye on him, he should be fine" Liv encouraged them.

    Liv walked out and confronted Ulrik, who looked worried despite not saying it but she knew he was worried about Asger.

    "Ulrik, is it?" Liv asked and his expression softened the moment she asked him this, he immediately got on one knee with his head bowed.

    "Hahaha! You can stand, I am not the king," Liv said with heartfeltughter but she knew what he wanted to hear.

    "Asger will be fine, the worse has passed. You are a good friend," Liv said, continuing on her way as Ulrik got to his feet but the relief on his face was evident.

 Chapter 45 A Saviour In The Darkness

    ?The night reached and Arvid was waiting in his cell for Erik The Berserker, Erik was not loyal to Askild. This was a surprising revtion to Arvid, he did not mind that Erik was not loyal to King Askild but he could not forgive Erik for his part in this twisted torture game, now was not the time to fight him, now he needed to get away from Kattegat as soon as possible.

    Footsteps descended and Arvid got on his feet immediately, and the person that came down was no one but Erik and he heaved a loud sigh of relief.

    Part of him thought this was Erik ying games with him but his being here showed he was not as the door opened up.

    Arvid could not believe he was this excited to see Erik, Erik shushed him and gave him a cloak to wear so his identity could be hidden properly.

    Arvid wore it with tears welling up in his eyes, he could not believe he was getting a second chance at life, and he was d that he was not the only one that saw King Askild''s cruelty.

    "Do not make a sound, the gate has been cleared. I will guide you to the horse. Erik whispered, Arvid nodding in acknowledgment.

    Erik led the way with Arvid trailing behind the bigger man, they walked for a bit and there was actually a horse there with a bag attached to it, this was food.

    "Hurry up!" Erik urged him, looking left and right for anyone that might potentially being, Arvid bowed his head to Erik and he mounted the horse.

    He rode off but in the back of his mind, he hoped this was not a trap as it would be troublesome if it was but the chances of it were low as it would put Erik in a bad position.

    "The gate¡­" Arvid thought. He saw the gates were cleared and opened. He had no idea how Erik managed it but he somehow did.

    The moment he exited Kattegat was the moment a wave of relief swept through his body.

    "I-I did it! I escaped!" Arvid thought as he kept riding at full speed in the direction of Vestfold but 20 minutes into his journey his horse came to an abrupt stop.

    Arvid was confused as to why the horse fell on its stomach and Arvid figured it was because it was tired. It has been running for 20 minutes but Erik did say it was well-fed.

    Arvid remembered that Erik told him he had food in the bag and quickly reached for it to feed the horse because he needed to get out of there as soon as possible.

    He opened the bag and what he saw made him throw up in disgust, this was not food.

    It was the severed heads of his parents.

    "Arvid¡­" A voice said in the darkness, and Arvid jerked his head immediately in that direction. The person that called out his name was Erik The Berserker.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The evil grin on his face told Arvid all he needed to know, this was some sort of sick game for Erik but he was not going to go down easily. Erik would have to kill him before he returned, he did not even have time to mourn the passing of his parents.

    "There is no fun killing an already broken man, Arvid. I needed to fill you with hope, I needed to give you a new reason to live but this was also a chance at redemption. If I was truly going to betray Askild, you chose to help me instead of reporting me to him." Erik said in a mocking voice, he was having the time of his life messing with Arvid.

    "YOU ARE SO FUCKING PATHETIC ARVID!" Erikughed his ass out as he watched Arvid frantically try to get away and a downward swing of Erik''s hand sent arrows right into the joints of Arvid that sent him tumbling to the ground.

    "You have been denied Valha with that action. The Valkyries will take no coward to Odin''s hall! How dare you turn your back and run in battle!? Is living that important to you? Look around you Arvid, everyone you love is dead!" Erik shouted, walking towards the crawling man.

    Erik never once betrayed or disobeyed King Askild, as Askild gave Erik full authority to handle Arvid the way he saw fit and this was the way Erik saw fit.

    Arvid cried, he could not believe he let himself believe that there was light at the end of the tunnel, but he was reminded that all that awaited him was darkness.

    Erik''s mockingughter pierced his eardrums and Arvid lost the little hope he had garnered.

    Arvid justid there, he was defeated but at least death wasing to him now.

    He waited for the sword of Erik toe down and take off his head but all he felt was the sharp pain in his legs and screamed in anguish.

    Erik had severed his legs but he had no intention of killing him. The point of cut-off was burnt so he did not bleed out but Arvid passed out. Erik keptughing like a maniac.

    "Take him back to Kattegat! I am done with him!" Erik shouted as he turned his back on him.

    Arvid was given hope and had it taken away from him in the blink of an eye, he knew not to trust Erik but when someone is pushed to the wall. They will find any reason to grasp at hope, this alone allows them to live through even the harshest situation and that is when you break a man.

    Because now, there was noing back for Arvid, he was a dead man despite still breathing.

    Erik was now focused on what was ahead, and that was the war, having fun with Arvid was a way to keep his mind focused because King Askild was well aware of his warrior''s darker tendencies and Arvid was the perfect scapegoat to keep his thirst under control.

    But now they had all the pieces to begin the war and King Askild was finalizing preparations.

 Chapter 46 The Man That Escaped Death

    ?A few days passed and Asger regained consciousness. He was stable now but woke to no one by his side despite Ulrik being there throughout his recovery.

    The healers did not say a word regarding this as this was the wish of Ulrik so they respected it as it did not concern them but they felt Asger somehow knew he was there.

    "Asger¡­" A voice called out, it was the familiar voice of Ragnar with Skarde following behind.

    "Ragnar Lothbrok, I apologize for my pitiful state," Asger said as he tried getting up to show his respects to the two Vikings. However, Ragnar told him it was fine and encouraged him to stay in his bed as he was still recovering from the effects of the poison.

    "How is Arvid?" Asger asked as he rested his head back on his pillow.

    Ragnar kept quiet, prompting Skarde to shake his head in a sorrowful manner, this meant that Arvid was far from doing well and Asger was hoping to hear that they had killed him.

    If he was still alive, he knew death was the one thing he wished for right now even if it meant him not getting into Valha.

    "Damn that fool! What could make him do something so stupid!?" Asger said in anger, he was angry because he did not see thising and his heart sank the moment Arvid raised his de at him. He was angry that he could not grant him Valha as he too had denied another that same grace so it was only fear that this was his fate for no warrior should be denied the halls of Odin.

    "King Askild, it is that simple," Skarde said and Asger raised his brow in question as his attention shiftedpletely to that of Ragnar for an exnation but Ragnar looked clueless.

    "King Askild, there is no other reason why he would start a war and attempt to take your life," Skarde said. This wasmon sense because there was no other reason why such a thing would happen if not for King Askild as he had family in Kattegat. The fact that he was relocating them, however, meant he intended for Kattegat to burn to the ground.

    "I heard Askild killed his family as well, I do not think you want to hear about the details," Skarde continued and he was right, Asger did not ask for the details for they were resting and they should be allowed to rest.

    "How are you feeling?" Ragnar asked, changing the topic as he sensed that this was a sensitive topic that should not be discussed right now and he was right.

    "I am good, Ragnar. I should be back to myself in a few days. How are the war preparations going?" Asger asked back as both Vikings sat down.

    "It is done, we are ready to strike but I do not know if we will win this war if I am being honest with you," Skarde said in doubt because he has heard stories of the forces that gathered in Vestfold as it is believed they are not fighting alone and if this news was true then it would prove troublesome for Kattegat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Where is your faith? Do you believe the gods will desert us in our time of need?" Ragnar said with a disappointed tone, they needed morals and he was not surprised that this came out from the mouth of Skarde as he was a realist.

    "I have no doubt we will win but the cost will be heavy, are your sons joining us Ragnar?" Skarde asked and Ragnar went quiet the moment these words left his lips. Asger felt him tense up and took a loud sigh to change the focus from Ragnar to him.

    "I think the sons of Ragnar are ready for this war, they will make their names in this war and if they fall, Valha will be their destination but I do not think they will fall before Ragnar," Asger said, and Skarde thought this was a bit too far but Ragnar just started cackling.

    "Asger¡­ You have always been bad at telling jokes!" Ragnar said as Asger joined in on theughter, Skarde was lost but that was partly because he did not understand the dynamic between both warriors.

    "I will tell my sons today, but I think they already know. Bjorn and Tyr have been training non-stop for days now." Ragnar muttered, he was more surprised that it took them this long to find out but he also understood how they would feel a sort of betrayal from him not telling them but he did not think of it as anything serious.

    He knew he needed to talk with them, but not now.

    They continued speaking and got all caught up as they understood that this might be thest time any of them could speak like this again.

    -

    Tyr and Bjorn trained vigorously, with Lagertha watching. She noticed that they both went at it like they were trying to kill each other and she instinctively knew that they were aware of the war brewing. She did not know Ragnar''s reason for keeping it away from them as they would find out eventually but she knew he had his reasons and did not question it.

    "Mother! Did you see that?" Bjorn shouted, he bested Tyr in their little duel and he was proud of this but he was out of breath. Bjorn had greater stamina yet Tyr managed to make him this tired despite ultimately losing this duel. She noticed that Tyr was inflicting more injuries the more they sparred. This surprised Lagertha because it showed that Tyr was improving at a significant rate alongside Bjorn but Tyr was adapting tobat at a much faster pace.

    He was not just fighting Bjorn to win, but he was fighting Bjorn to study his movements.

    She had watched them fight numerous times and it felt like Tyr was not interested in winning but in learning. Who is to say he could not win if he tried seriously?

    Lagertha had her doubts but she knew that Bjorn earned his victories as Tyr would not disrespect his brother''s honor that way.

 Chapter 47 War Draws Near...

    ?Kattegat was not the only one preparing for war, Vestfold was all but ready for war.

    They had their strongest warriors present and were ready for a Kattegat invasion.

    The news of Birger being in Kattegat reached them and King Asmund knew that it would be any day now before Kattegat attacked because he did not know just how they did n to attack.

    The warriors were assured of their victory, there was not a single shred of doubt in their minds as their morale was at an all-time high.

    King Asmund was not fighting this battle alone as Earls of neighboring kingdoms volunteered their sword, something which King Asmund epted without hesitation.

    Askild''s cruelty and hatred were nowing back as karma as others actively saw him as a threat and this created an alliance of some sort, even though Asmund was wary of those that imed to be his ally but he managed to convince them that if Vestfold falls. King Askild won''t stop there, he will eventually aim for the whole of Norway but only a few heeded these words as others dismissed it as mere spection because he couldn''t conquer Norway with his current military strength. There was no way he could aplish this on paper.

    "King Asmund, we have assembled the strongest des and are ready for the war," Signy said, he had taken on more responsibility ever since the death of Egil.

    Asmund was proud of his son but he knew he needed more than this to fill in his shoes.

    A messenger suddenly burst in without permission, he was bleeding profusely.

    "K-King Asmund! Kattegat have assembled their warriors! I believe they will begin marching in a week!" The messenger warned. This was far too soon, Asmund expected an attack at any moment but this was too soon for one.

    He has been keeping tabs on Kattegat and the information he had gotten said nothing of such a possibility but why was this man in such a state to begin with? Before he could ask, Signy took over interaction with this messenger.

    "What happened to you? Where are the others?" Signy questioned the man, he was not the only scout sent and for him to be in this state meant something happened to them.

    "W-We were ambushed! They got the rest of our scouts!" The Messenger said he. He could barely move and this meant that he was using hisst strength to deliver this message. This was how strong his resolve was.

    "Get yourself to the healer." King Asmund said in a fatherly tone, this information was important but if they intended to capture or kill everyone. This man would have never made it back so the fact that he was here was because this was the n of King Askild.

    Asmund entertained the possibility of this information being wrong and the reason Askild let him ''escape'' was to deliver this false information.

    What if they nned to attack earlier and the week-notice was to throw them off-guard?

    This now created uncertainty and Asmund had two options to pick from as Askild was fond of such mind games with Asmund having no choice but to entertain it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was delivered in such a public manner that made other Vikings wary as they thought this to be true, the messenger was taken away to the healers as murmurs filled the room.

    "It looks like the time to stain our swords with the blood of our enemy nears," Asmund said out of the blue with a smile across his face, disembarking from his throne.

    Everyone''s attention shifted to Asmund, it was rare for him to give a morale-boosting speech as everyone here wouldy down their lives without hesitation for him.

    They cheered as these words left his lips.

    "Our enemies think us to be stupid. They say one week but we are ready to send them to the grave today!" Asmund shouted and the cheers got louder.

    Signy looked at his father in admiration, this was what a King looked like.

    "From today, I want you all to take it as the war is starting! They will not catch us off-guard!" Asmund shouted and the Vikings in the room left it one by one for they were pumped as this war would give them a chance at glory.

    The room was emptied in a matter of minutes and the only person left was Signy as he stared at his father. The encouraging face he wore slowly faded.

    "Signy, I want you to kill that messenger, he did not escape. He abandoned his brothers in battle," Asmund said in a concerned tone. It was clear he did not want to do this but he had no choice.

    "W-What do you mean father!?" Signy questioned his King because such an order was out of character for Asmund.

    "Those wounds were self-inflicted, he betrayed Vestfold for a chance to live." King Asmund said. He was very analytical and observed the messenger. The wounds were not only shallow but they missed all vitals, and the blood he was covered in was not his either.

    Asmund exined the situation to his son in much more detail and Signy was amazed by this.

    He was right, there was no way the enemy could not catch up to him, and losing that much blood would make it impossible for him to get this far, let alone speak.

    "Signy, gather your unit and stand to watch at the gate. You will serve as thest line of defense," Asmund instructed as he got to his feet to wear his armor.

    "What about you father?" Signy asked his father but Asmund did not answer until he wore his helmet and equipped his battle hammer.

    "I am heading to the front lines. A king must boost the morale of his army through his presence. This is something Askild will never seeing." Asmund said. He knew the tides of the war would rest in whoever could secure the first victory in battle.

 Chapter 48 Good News?

    ?Tyr and Bjorn were called by Ragnar Lothbrok, he knew they already knew so he did not bother telling them about the war.

    "I think it is time for you boys to get your arm rings," Ragnar Lothbrok said and the look on his children''s faces was priceless. They could not contain their excitement and did not bother trying because this was the news they have been waiting for forever but they all thought about who they will swear their allegiance to.

    "I think you will make names for yourselves in this battle. The gods have decided your fates so do not worry about falling in the battle for it has been decided but make sure you die a death worthy of getting you into the great hall. That is what we Vikings live for!" Ragnar said, Largetha was dressed in her armor as she watched Ragnar motivate their children.

    She was d that he told their kids this because they needed to hear these words from their father. Bjorn and Tyr were covered in light scars but Ragnar encouraged them to take it easy.

    War wasing and he could not afford for them to not be at their best.

    "What about uncle Ulf?" Bjorn asked but Ragnar stopped to think because it had been a while since he had seen his brother so he could not even answer this question.

    "Ulf¡­ Where is Ulf, I wonder¡­" Ragnar said in a whisper as he was lost in thought.

    Come now kids, your father needs to rest." Lagertha said the moment she noticed Ragnar murmuring to himself.

    The kids followed her as Ragnar was not a fan of how he and his brother grew apart.

    He knew that Ulf was assigned to watch Birger meaning he was closer to the threat than any of them, this thought did not sit well with him but he trusted the skills of Ulf to at least survive should a fight break out. He was however disappointed that he did not hear it directly from the mouth of his brother because no one knew what fate had in store for them.

    -

    Birger was out of the house and the warriors watching him were dismissed by Ulf as this gave not only privacy with Birger but far more freedom for them.

    Birger was surprised that Ulf wasfortable alone with him even though he knew all this was meant to gain his trust, the trust he had no intention of gaining but he did appreciate the gesture.

    "Ulf Lothbrok, it seems like you have quite the reputation in this city," Birger said. No one had seen his face, not even Ulf so it was hard to point out what he looked like because of that damn metal but he did not mind not knowing what he looked like.

    "I am just the brother of Ragnar Lothbrok to these people. Nothing more, nothing less." Ulf said with a tone either of shame or indifference but Birger did not mind it.

    "They are probably looking at you, they call you all sorts of names," Ulf continued. Birger did not like that he was back in Kattegat but it was a chance to take the head of the usurper, Askild.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Erik walked into them, Birger was wary the moment he saw Erik due to his appearance. He had a very interesting build and an even more intimidating size but he was not worried.

    "Ulf, where have you been!?" Erik shouted but Ulf did not respond to him. Erikpletely ignored Birger, his eyes looked neutral. Unlike the stares he has been getting from others, Erik''s eyes held no contempt.

    "You too cool for me now since you are hanging out with your little friend?" Erik teased, looking Birger right in the eyes, this was an intimidation tactic by Erik.

    "What if I killed your little friend?" Erik threatened, his face changed from yful to stern in the blink of an eye that it was hard to tell if he was joking or he was being serious.

    It was Erik however, and there was no way to know if he was being serious or not.

    "Stop messing around Erik! Now is not the time!" Ulf warned, but Erik kept pestering them.

    "Hey you, take off that mask!" Erik said, and without even waiting for a response reached to remove it himself but the next thing Erik saw was him looking up at him. Birger swept him off his feet so fast that neither Erik nor Ulf saw what he did. Eriknded with a loud thumping sound and everyone watched in awe as Birger brought the man twice his size to the floor with a single move but the warriors that saw this were ready to strike him down should he do more than that.

    "W-What just happened?" Erik questioned because thest person to do such a thing to him was King Askild, it could be argued that it was because he was injured but Birger just demonstrated the gap between them both with a single move.

    "Let''s go, Ulf," Birger said, walking past Erik who was frozen in ce. He was surprised because this brought memories. Erik was the kind of man to submit to the strong and right now, Birger had struck a nostalgic cord in him that had his hair standing.

    "That man.." Erik muttered to himself in ecstasy, Birger stirred up something in him and this made Erik eager to know just who he was.

    Erik''s eyes fell on the children of Ragnar and with them was¡­

    "Lagertha?" Erik muttered to himself with a sinister grin as he began walking towards them moments after getting to his feet.

    "That is not a good idea, Erik." A voice said behind him and this voice was enough to make the vile Erik hesitant as he immediately turned back in a defensive stance.

    "You bitch!" Erik muttered the moment his eyes settled on her. The veins on his bulging as heat escaped his skin, this was undiluted rage and the person responsible was none other than Herfj?tur.

 Chapter 49 Arm Ring Ceremony

    ?Herfj?tur stopped Erik from intruding on Lagertha''s time with her sons or even harassing Lagertha. Erik hated Herfj?tur and she knew it.

    "Erik The Berserker, I am surprised you are not chained up beside King Askild like the dog you are," Herfj?tur insulted Erik, she was not afraid to anger him despite his animosity towards her because she knew Erik could not kill her not because it would anger King Askild, but simply because he could not.

    "Why you¡­.!" Erik wanted to strike her so badly but he could not bring himself to do so, he kept his rage controlled because he was well aware that things could spiral out of control if he did act recklessly.

    "Erik, do not speak to me like you could take me on in battle, or do I need to remind you about what happened thest time you tried?" Herfj?tur asked him in a cold-blooded tone as she walked up to Erik, she was mere inches from his face as she looked him in the eyes.

    "If you think you can kill me, Erik, I will ept your duel right here and now¡­" Herfj?tur said, Erik watched the fearlessness in her eyes and that is what irritated him. Why was a woman so confident, he hated it and it pissed him off the more he thought about it.

    "... but if you can''t, then please shut the hell up with the threats." Herfj?tur ended the conversation as she pushed past him and headed in the direction of Lagertha, stopping in her tracks briefly.

    "If youe close to Lagertha, Erik. I will make sure to make you less of a man, you piece of shit." Herfj?tur warned as she continued in her tracks.

    Erik gnawed on his teeth with his fists clenched in anger, he wanted to kill her so bad but he could not, at least not now so he epted that he had to let it go for the time being.

    He turned and watched her walk in the way of Lagertha, his intrusive thoughts were getting the better of him and this would be the perfect time to strike her down with her back to him.

    "You bitch!" Erik muttered as he reached for his throwing knife but a hand stopped him with such absolute strength that it made Erik jerk his head in the direction of the hand.

    "What do you think you are doing?" This voice¡­ It was the voice of Skarde but the malevolent nature of his voice made Erik question if it was truly him, even after looking him right in the eyes. It was Skarde but the killing intent he oozed was overwhelming.

    "Is that Skarde?" Erik asked yfully, he was not threatened by his killing intent as he has experienced a lot worse.

    Skarde abruptly let go of his hand and the moment he did that, his killing intent dissipated.

    "You should be careful brandishing weapons, someone might mistake you for a threat," Skarde said with a broad innocent smile but Erik knew just what he meant by this.

    "Things are getting interesting," Erik muttered under his breath, he liked how things were turning out.

    -<novelnext></novelnext>

    The day came to an end and the sun rose once again, this day was the day that Bjorn and Tyr were to swear allegiance to one of the leaders. It was like a ceremony for all warriors that were yet to receive their arm rings. It was approved by King Askild because he knew the importance of loyalty as most warriors honored it.

    Lagertha watched Tyr and Bjorn stand in line, with the prominent Viking warriors in a side-by-side line of their own.

    Each warrior was to walk to the man they sought fit to lead them, as Ragnar stood in this line and looked his sons right in the eyes. He could tell they were nervous but it was the good type of nervous so this brought a sense offort to him because he hoped they would pick him to watch over them better. But he had a bad feeling about this, he was not confident about their choices because his sons were different from him.

    Bjorn was more like his brother, even his fighting style prioritized strength over speed and Tyr¡­

    He had no idea why Tyr fought the way he fought but he knew he did not learn it from him.

    It took no time to reach the turn Bjorn, he looked at his father with a smile and Ragnar smiled back because this was a proud moment for him.

    Bjorn stepped forward and began walking in the direction of Ragnar, Ragnar heaved a quiet sigh of relief.

    "Good choice, Bjorn," He thought to himself but just then, Bjorn walked past him and this drew a surprised look from Ragnar. He got on one knee in front of the man called Asger with his sword outstretched showing he was willing to give his sword and life to Asger.

    Ragnar was satisfied with this decision because Asger was an honorable man. This was a good choice, it was better than the other men present despite him taking a liking to Skarde.

    It was Tyr''s turn, Ragnar trained him so he was expecting Tyr to pick him if nothing else.

    Tyr did not even look Ragnar in the eye, he did not acknowledge his presence and instead was looking in a different direction entirely. It was in the direction of Ulrik.

    It was a strange choice that Tyr was going with as this must be the first time he was seeing Ukrik, Ragnar as well did not know much about Ulrik but he knew Tyr could have picked worse.

    Tyr walked in that direction and Ragnar smiled in defeat, Lagertha too smiled as it was clear by this that their children did not want to follow the path of their father.

    But something happened, Tyr walked past Ulrik and the only person past that point was the man they dreaded the most, it was Erik The Berserker.

 Chapter 50 Sworn Warriors

    ?Tyr had chosen the worst possible person, Tyr was the only one that chose Erik in the selection as no one liked the stories they heard about him. Lagertha''s face dropped in horror as she felt her heart sink, Ragnar gnawed his teeth in anger because he knew that Erik was the worst possible influence on Tyr.

    Erik smiled sadistically as he epted the de of Tyr Ragnarsson as the selection came to an end. Bjorn looked over at Tyr, he had a feeling that was the choice his brother would go with because Tyr''s fighting style was anything but honorable and Erik was one that best fits that description but this was not why Tyr chose Erik.

    He wanted to be stronger and he wanted someone with the power to run him through the mud quite literally to be the one that guides him for the title of a son of Ragnar meant nothing to Erik The Berserker.

    King Askild noticed the anger in Ragnar''s eyes, he had never seen Ragnar so angry before as his eyes darted in the direction of Erik before a smirk creased his face. He had an idea of what was going on but he could not pinpoint it..

    The selection ceremony came to an end and the new warriors were taken by their ''leaders'' to get acquainted with, this meant Tyr and Bjorn would not be home for quite sometime as they had no business going home considering the war loomed.

    "Ragnar Lothbrok¡­" The voice of King Askild called out the name of the disgruntled Ragnar.

    Ragnar''s tense body loosened up, he realized that he was in the presence of King Askild and could not show such an ugly side to him in front of him.

    "My King." Ragnar said, bowing instantaneously but Askild permitted him to not only raise his head but to walk with him.

    -

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" Erik whispered in an ominous tone as they both walked away with the son of Ragnar, he had a unit of mischief under hismand but it has been awhile since he has led a child this young.

    "Sir?" Tyr''s voice was calm and devoid of fear, this surprised Erik but Tyr has always been good at masking his fear ever since that event. He had no memories of his time before Kattegat but this felt like a trait that came with his past life.

    "You are one crazy son of a bitch," Erik responded as heughed like a maniac, loud enough for those in the distance to hear, including Lagertha.

    It took everything in Lagertha not to run in that direction because everything in her body told her that if she let Tyr go, she would lose her son to Erik and this is something she would give her life to stop from happening.

    "Breathe, Lagertha¡­ Breathe," A gentle hand was ced on her shoulder, the voice was none other than Herfj?tur.

    "Breathe Lagertha¡­" Herfj?tur said once again and Lagertha listened to the woman that she swore her loyalty to but this was not the case a couple of years ago.

    Once upon a time, it was Herfj?tur that was under Lagertha but things changed ever since that event that shaped Lagertha.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Come, son of Ragnar." Asger instructed as Bjorn waved his mother goodbye, he was excited by the prospect of battle but Bjorn was just a child. He had no idea what war was for death was the only thing both sides had inmon once a war breaks out.

    "I admire you, Asger. You are a great warrior and I hope to learn from you!" Bjorn was polite and the respect he had for Asger was unspoken as he saw how he treated Egil despite him being an enemy. The speech of Egil resonated in him, he was truly an admirable warrior but it was a pity he met such a pathetic end but Bjorn knew that this was the next step he wanted to take as a warrior.

    "Thank you, but I am afraid honor does not win wars." Asger responded to the gigantic kid, Bjorn was well on his way to attaining the physique of Erik at the rate in which he grew.

    "We do not fight to win, we fight to be worthy of Valha," Bjorn responded and Asger had to check to see if it was a child he was talking to because this was an interesting mindset Bjorn disyed.

    "Now that¡­ that is an interesting look on things. We do not fight to win but to be worthy of Valha¡­" Asger repeated after him.

    "I like you, son of Ragnar," Asger praised him with a tap on the back but this gesture did not go well with the others as they sensed favoritism.

    -

    Ragnar was taken away by King Askild and he was alone with him, Askild did not look worried to say the least despite what was about to ur in terms of war.

    This was all because of the prophecy he got about the wind blowing his way, Askild began doubting it as there could be so many interpretations of this singr prophecy.

    "Ragnar, do you believe in prophecies?" King Askild asked Ragnar and this surprised him because Askild was one that you would think believed in guiding his own fate.

    "I believe prophecies are stories that can be changed if you reject them, my king." Ragnar said, this was in reference to the prophecy of Tyr being changed if he did not take him as a son for he would still just be a ve or if he killed him after hearing this prophecy.

    "What if you trying to stop the prophecy is what makes ite to pass, Ragnar?" Askild asked and this got Ragnar thinking because if this was indeed the case then one''s fate is truly decided by the gods and there was no fighting it. They had to ept it.

    "The will of the gods are never wrong, Ragnar Lothbrok but what if we misinterpret that message wrongly and that is what leads to our downfall?" Askild said as he was speaking strangely and it felt like he just wanted a listening ear rather than a response and Ragnar was more than happy to provide that listening ear.

    "Ragnar, we storm Vestfold in 2 days." King Askild said out of the blue and Ragnar''s facial expression was one of shock.

 Chapter 51 Tyrs Test

    ?The gods watched as they saw the final preparations being finalized, they made their bets on who would get to see Valha but they also knew that not every warrior with a sword would see the great halls of Odin, the gods were anxious about the valkyries waiting on the souls of who may fall in battle.

    Signy carried out the assignment of his father but that was his first time taking a life despite a war looming. King Asmund thought this was the best way to pop his son''s cherry as he needed to get that first kill off his chest and there was no better way to do this than with the life of a man that would draw out the conscience of Signy.

    Vestfold had assembled their forces with King Asmund''s position where the first battle would inevitably ur, they had the advantage of preparations and King Asmund was going to use this time to its fullest effect.

    The sons of Ragnar and the newly sworn warriors got ustomed to the individuals they would now be following. They swore their allegiance to these warriors but with these prominent warriors sworn to King Askild, this inevitably made them warriors of his.

    In his absence, however, they were to follow themands of the one to which they swore their allegiance.

    They spent a night in the camp and everyone had a seemingly normal night, all except Tyr.

    Erik''s camp was vile and Tyr noticed he was the only kid there.

    Whores and the stench of alcohol were prominent, they acted like bestial creatures that took the form of men but what was more amazing was how Erik managed to keep such wild men under hismand despite bringing a madman himself.

    "LISTEN UP EVERYONE!" Erik said and these undisciplined men got on their best behavior the moment they heard his voice. It was like a dog whistle that made them obey.

    "We have a son of Ragnar in our ranks!" Erik boasted and the warriors cheered in excitement as most were just happy that someone finally joined their ranks and not because he was a son of Ragnar, which held no importance here.

    "They see us as monsters because we kill to satisfy our hunger¡­" Erik said, and the warriors beat their shields with their swords. It felt like a chant but what was this atmosphere?

    "They call us barbarians because we devour the children of our enemies!" Erik continued his extreme speech and even Tyr was uneasy with the wordsing out of his mouth because they did not feel metaphoric.

    "And they call us predators because we enjoy the spoils of our battles! We enjoy their mothers and daughters!" Erik said with a chuckle with the warriors matching his energy.

    Tyr immediately understood why he was the only one to swear his arm ring to this man.

    "We are much more than that! We are warriors that came to wash the rivers with the blood of our enemies!" Erik said and while Tyr did not support the message.

    He was feeling the adrenaline pump through his veins with each word from Erik''s lips.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We do not need a reason to kill our enemies! We do not need a reason to kill anyone for we too shall be killed someday! What is our motto!?" Erik shouted, saliva spilling from his mouth as his passion resonated in the souls of everyone present there.

    "Kill! Plunder! Conquer! Die!" They shouted and Erik smiled in satisfaction because he liked this thought very much. He was d that he could call these men his people.

    He noticed the look of amazement in Tyr''s eyes, he knew Erik was bad news but you can''t fault his ability to raise the spirit of his warriors.

    Tyr then realized that he was in unfamiliar territory and noticed the gazes on him.

    They were not friends, he could feel the murderous intent oozing from them and his fight-or-flight response kicked in.

    "Rx son of Ragnar. You have not proven your strength to them or me. Tomorrow I will let you duel with a warrior of your choosing but it won''t be like any normal duel." Erik reassured him with a calm tone. Tyr has never fought anyone that was not his brother or father so this was an experience for him but he knew that these men had no fear of death. Not only that, they had the battle experience to back it up.

    Tyr could not sleep because he felt someone would try to take his life at any moment, he felt anything but safe here as he began to regret his choice but it dawned on him that fear was a constant feeling he has felt sinceing to Kattegat.

    He never once ran away, and he had no intentions of doing so now, he was ready to do anything to be a great warrior.

    The morning came and Tyr was up, his eyes red from hisck of sleep but today was a big day for him as he was going up against one of the warriors.

    He walked out of his tent and found that a circle was already waiting for him and in that circle, he met Erik''s imposing figure in it.

    He looked to his left and right, he was pre-selecting who looked to be the weakest here but most of these men were huge.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, wee." Erik said in a casual yet polite tone, this was out of character for him as Tyr walked up to him.

    "I am ready," Tyr responded with brimming confidence as his eyes darted around to pick a warrior. Erik was curious to see who he picked but the selection of Tyr surprised everyone as he pointed his finger to the left.

    "You, I pick you," Tyr said with a smile, it was a humongous warrior a few inches short of the size of Erik. They thought he would pick the weakest-looking person but he picked one of the most prominent people. He was a bald warrior and Tyr gulped anxiously as he waited for further instruction.

    "I forgot to mention the special condition I spoke about earlier¡­ This duel is not a spar, it is a duel to the death." Erik said in the most causal tone as a broad smile creased his face. The expression on Tyr''s face changed from eagerness to dread.

 Chapter 52 Tyr Vs Wolf

    ?Tyr found himself in a dire situation but he also knew he could not show fear despite these seasoned Vikings smelling it off him.

    "What is the matter, Tyr? You could back out if you do not want to fight." Erik said in a belittling manner, one which Tyr did not appreciate as it drew mockingughs from the warriors around them.

    No one will me a runt like you for running from the great wolf!" The Viking he picked boasted, with his arm spread to show he did not view Tyr as a worthy opponent, to begin with.

    This much was expected because Tyr was just a ve from an unknownnd that became a son of Ragnar, he was yet to prove himself outside of the privileges that came with being a son of Ragnar.

    Tyr thought about it for a minute but he knew for certain that turning tail was no option because now he had to defend the proud name that came with Ragnar.

    "I ept," Tyr said, looking at the man that called himself a wolf, straight in the eyes but the only thing different was the fear in his eyes vanishing.

    This response brought forth a deranged smile from Erik as he pped his hands and the moment he did this, the circle opened up to reveal a table with various weapons and shields on them.

    "Before we begin, I want you both to pick your weapons of choice for the duel." Erik gave further instructions as the challenged had his pick first, it was a broadsword with a very long reach, and his size made it possible for him to wield such a weapon apanied by a shield. This was the normal weapon for a duel but Tyr''s choice drew surprised looks from everyone that was watching. He did not pick up a sword or a shield but chose to go with two axes. It was rare to see someone capable of dual-wielding.

    An ax was not the easiest weapon to wield but Erik could tell he was still an amateur by the way he handled the weapon, he was more interested in him after seeing this.

    Both returned to the center of the circle with Erik exiting.

    "Only one of you survives¡­" Erik reiterated, and the starting signal was given.

    "I am surprised you are not shaking in your boots!" Wolf teased him.

    "Not shaking? I am scared shitless but I cannot let you guys know that!" Tyr thought, hisposure was not a reflection of his feelings.

    Both stood for what seemed like an eternity, Tyr was not making the first move but the length of the de that Wolf had extended his reach and he could easily reach Tyr at this distance.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Wolf swung that humongous de, the speed at which he swung it took Tyr by surprise because he expected a more controlled swing.

    He managed to dodge it in the nick of time by leaping backward, watching the steel smash against the floor he was previously standing but looking up, his line of sight was obscured by an open palm.

    "What!?" Tyr eximed, he could not believe that someone this big was so nimble, noticing he had let go of his shield to grant him more mobility.

    "Gotcha!" Wolf said but Tyr managed to jump out of the way in time thanks to his quick feet.

    The warriors cheered, the brat was not half bad and Erik was surprised he could even dodge the famous ''iron w'' move of Wolf because even more skilled warriors have had difficulties evading it.

    "What is that guy?" This was the only thought in Tyr''s head as heposed himself and watched him pick up his shield. He was full of openings but Tyr knew these openings were intentional. There was no way a warrior as strong as this would be this careless, or was he underestimating him? Tyr knew he had to catch him unaware because his only move had to be his final move, he could tell he was holding back and intended to make him regret it.

    "You are not bad, kid," Wolf said but this was only because this attack was meant to test his mobility to give him an urate measure of the speed of the much smaller opponent.

    He rushed forward and the speed with which he did betray his size, Tyr picked him because he thought he would be slower than his brother Bjorn due to his size but this man was faster despite being bigger.

    Tyr expected a sword swing but instead was taken by surprise with a shield attack that collided hard against his body despite trying to dodge it, he could not do so in time and this sent him crashing to the floor. Looking up, he saw the descending sword of the man he now deemed an enemy, he managed to roll out of the way in time and the spectators went crazy.

    Erik was enjoying this duel more than he thought he would despite Tyr not showing anything of worth.

    But the fact that he was still alive was impressive in its own right even though Wolf has had the upper hand since the battle started and Erik expected it to remain so for the entirety of this battle. If only Tyr had chosen someone thrice more his size, maybe this predicted oue might be different but Erik could not see Tyr winning against him.

    Tyr was out of breath, he barely had room to move because this man was closing the distance between them as soon as it was made forcing him to only evade or dodge but while Tyr was lost in thought, he took his attention from the sword in his other hand and this made him miss the iing sword that was swung with the intentions of taking off his head.

    ''I guess that is it then," Erik said, sounding disappointed as the floor was painted red.

 Chapter 53 A Day To The War...

    ?The bloodstained ground showed that first blood was drawn but by who? Erik''s pupils dted in excitement, he was shocked by what had urred and that was Tyr cutting the fingers of Wolf.

    The fingers holding his de, he had severed four of the five fingers forcing the broad de to hit the ground with a thumping sound.

    Tyr gained the upper hand as Wolf reeled back in pain, his face expressing so many emotions but the most prominent one was disbelief.

    Tyr nned on using this opening to his advantage seeing as Wolf could only defend himself right now. Tyr threw an ax at his head but he managed to block it by raising his shield, by doing this, he also blocked his line of sight.

    This was exactly what Tyr aimed for, Tyr was a strategic fighter and used his brain rather than strength in battle.

    Wolf felt his body buckle to the right side, Tyr had severed it when he raised his shield to block his ax earlier because it left his lower body vulnerable just as Tyr intended.

    Erik''s face creased into a grin watching such a little boy dismember Wolf, he was not the only one amazed by this performance. Every other person was impressed by Tyr despite him being on the verge of killing one of them.

    Wolf was left vulnerable but Tyr knew the only reason why he was in this state was that he underestimated him. If he fought like he wanted to kill him, Tyr knew he would be killed but something about being a kid made them underestimate him and Tyr fed this illusion by fitting that image into their mind. Only showing his true strength when their guard was down.

    Tyr stopped himself from killing him, listening to his screams of agony. He could not deliver the final blow despite this being a battle to the death.

    "What are you waiting for Tyr? Kill him." Erik''s tone was cold and heavy, Tyr knew that if he did not deal the final blow that it might infuriate Erik and Erik was thest man anyone wanted angry after King Askild.

    Wolf looked him in the eyes, it was not a look of anguish or anger because he knew he was in no fighting condition with the injuries Tyr had inflicted on him and this was the perfect chance to enter Valha. The problem was, this would be Tyr''s first kill.

    Erik looked on as the cheering stopped, their motto focused heavily on killing so they had no use for one that could not stain his blood with the lives of his enemy.

    Wolf nodded, he was ready to go and Tyr thought of this as him showing mercy by killing him.

    A mercy killing but it had to be done, he brought down his ax and buried it into the skull of Wolf.

    Erik''s face brightened up as this was an unexpected result, he was d about the potential of Tyr but the show was not over.

    Tyr removed his buried ax from his skull and kept hitting the head of Wolf like he was in a trance, shouting and screaming as blood sttered on his face. The brain of Wolf spilling from his skull, the Vikings'' faces creased.

    This was a bit extreme, but Erik was the only one smiling through this ordeal. Tyr just had his first kill and the expression on Tyr''s face was one of pure ecstasy.

    -

    Of course, the other camps were normal and they used today to get ustomed to theirrades in arms because these were the men they were going to trust with their lives.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Asger had taken a personal interest in Bjorn and this did not sit well with others, especially the older recruits because it felt like they were looking at another Arvid.

    They knew how that yed out, Arvid nearly took the life of theirmander and this is something that could not happen again.

    "Sir, you called for me?" Bjorn arrived in the tent that Asger was located in, he saw Asger sitting on the floor with ale right in front of him.

    "Wee, Bjorn. We will hit Vestfold tomorrow and I want to know how you feel about it." Asger''s tone was fatherly.

    "I do not like that Kattegat is facing such a threat but I am d I get to prove myself," Bjorn said in an unwavering tone. Asger chuckled faintly, he was d that he got such an honorable child in his ranks. He reminded him of Arvid, and Asger could not help but feel guilty that he was responsible for how Arvid turned out and wanted to get it right this time.

    Bjorn was his chance at redemption.

    "That is a good response, Bjorn. You will be by my side tomorrow. I want you to fight by my side." Asger said and Bjorn''s face immediately lit up.

    -

    Birger was under heavy security as usual but Ulf and he had gotten closer. Ulf knew he was no match for Birger but the war was beginning in a day and he had to meet King Askild to discuss the terrain. Birger met King Askild with Ulf walking behind him like a bodyguard.

    In the room where all themanders, Erik and Asger excluded.

    They both already had their roles in the war so there was no point in attending this meeting because the rest of themanders were going to get their purpose.

    Ulf was excited, he finally got his ce at the table even if it was at the side of Birger.

    King Askild was surprised that Birger had not killed him and this made him wary of Ulf.

    Maybe, just maybe he underestimated Ulf but he wondered just what Birger had in mind.

    He did not trust Birger but he could not deny his usefulness to the cause, a cause that would benefit him too because of his very special ties with Vestfold.

    "I want the head of King Asmund. I want the head of¡­" Birger said upon the conclusion of the meeting, pausing briefly to look Askild right in the eyes.

    "I want the head of my brother¡­"

 Chapter 54 A New Brilliant Idea

    ?And the day arrived, bells rang and the birds sang. Kattegat was armed to the teeth as the air was filled with anticipation, excitement, and dread.

    They marched forward, and their morale and energy were unparalleled for they knew that most of them would die but that did not frighten them because they knew they had to protect their home.

    Askild was not about to leave Kattegat defenseless either as they knew other kingdoms would use this opportunity to try and snatch the city of Kattegat in the absence of King Askild and his strongest warriors.

    "King Askild!" An out-of-breath Hagen approached the departing King, Ulf''s eyes pointed in the direction of Hagen because the reason he was here could only mean one thing. It wasplete.

    "What is it, Hagen?" Askild questioned the man that had dyed him, he was not in a hurry because the kind of man Hagen was meant that this was urgent.

    "I am sorry for stopping you, King Askild! But I have something!" Hagen responded, he was too tired to take note of the others surrounding him and King Askild unmounted his horse.

    He went to a quiet ce alongside Hagen, this was important because he wanted to be the first to hear this.

    "What is it, Hagen the boat builder?" Askild, who was clothed in full armor, asked the man that requested an audience.

    "I have built it! I have built the boat that can tear through the defenses of Vestfold!" Hagen boasted, the expression on his face was one of innocent bliss.

    "Ulf, you know what is going on, don''t you?" Birger noticed his reaction to Hagen''s interruption.

    Ulf however, had no interest in telling Birger what they had discussed because while it was good to travel bynd to fight the forces of King Asmund, it would be far more effective to sneak troops by the water behind the forces onnd. There would not expect this move because Kattegat barely had any boats fit for battle until now.

    "Ah, it is nothing. I never really liked him." Ulf responded but he felt the gaze of Birger pierce through the side of his face through his peripherals.

    "I see," Birger responded but the tone he used was not friendly, to say the least.

    Ulf knew he caught on but he did not care because despite his ambition.

    This was a chance to make a name for himself and if this fails, it was not him that presented it to the King. All he offered was the idea and should this y out the way he thinks it would then there was no way Hagen would not tell King Askild that this was Ulf''s idea.

    Birger was on a horse, with Ulf following behind him. Unlike the others, Birger did not lead a unit.

    Even Ulf was not under hismand but was there to keep a watchful eye on him but things were going just as nned for Ulf. Askild returned and everyone noticed the change in demeanor.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was less tense than it was a moment ago meaning whatever he was told was good news but Ragnar was curious as to why Hagen did not tell him considering how close they were.

    "We have a little change in n," King Askild said, it was not advisable to change strategy on the day of battle but Askild was flexible when it came to such things as long as it increased the chances of sess on his end.

    Everyone''s attention was on their King, the air was still, and the anticipation of what he had to say increased.

    Hagen came and stood beside King Askild, but King Askiild''s gaze focused on Ulf.

    "Come forward, Ulf Lothbrok," Askild called and this drew surprised looks from everyone.

    Ulf was a man that King Askild never showed interest in anyone so publicly before.

    "Y-Yes King Askild," Ulf stuttered as he walked towards the King. Ragnar wondered just what his brother had done to get this much attention.

    "Hagen and Ulf have devised a way for us to travel on water which our main forces will travel by but the forces onnd will be decoys. The chances of all ground forces dying are high but this will not be the end of your lives as the Valkyries will take you home." King Askild delivered this message like it was a normal thing to say.

    There was no hint of panic or distress in his voice despite him pretty much just dividing his forces into those that will die or live.

    "If it is as Hagen has told me then this war will notst long. I will lead the forces on water and I will leave Erik to lead the forces onnd¡­ Erik and Sven." King Askild instructed. It was only normal for him to take the safest route.

    Like chess, the king was the most important piece that had to be protected but the implication of this selection was that¡­

    Ragnar and Lagertha shed each other a nce because they knew what this meant, their son was to take part in this war as just a sacrificial pawn.

    Ragnar knew there was nothing he could do as other young warriors would also be part of the ground forces and there was no way the life of one child was more valuable than all of them.

    "We will move out in the cover of night but the ground troops should advance to Vestfold right now, I will leave the tactics to both Erik and Sven," Askild said. He was not worried because Erik had a habit ofing out of such impossible odds alive as missions most would deem suicidal, Erik came out of them stronger.

    Sven, on the other hand, had no problems utilizing lowly tactics for victory but they had never worked together in the past and Askild could not pick any duo as dangerous as them.

    "The wind will blow in your favor¡­" Askild whispered to himself as he began to understand just what the prophecy he received was.

 Chapter 55 The War Begins

    ?Two and a half days passed ever since the march to Vestfold began and the war was officially underway.

    "King Asmund! We have established visuals on the forces of King Askild! They hold the banner of Kattegat!" A man shouted to the heavy-armored Asmund.

    The area was grassy and neatly cut. A dense forest surrounded its perimeters to act as encasement. This was the area King Asmund chose for the first battle but the scout did not report any sighting of King Askild. It was only natural for them to protect their King.

    This was a careless move on the chessboard by Asmund but it could cause a very strong moral boost should things go well.

    "You heard him!" King Asmund shouted with his sword raised.

    "Our enemies are finally here! Likembs to a ughter!" King Asmund shouted but he knew the battle was not going tomence right away because they needed to rest in a camp they would need to set up.

    Attacking the moment they arrive would be impossible because marching for two days would have depleted their energy reserves even if they were warriors, they would need to rest.

    But Asmund had no intention of letting them rest and already assembled his warriors to engage.

    "King Asmund, are you sure this is a good choice? We have gone through so much to alter this battlefield to our advantage," A man with a ited beard asked, as he went by the name Gustav.

    "I think we should wait for them, they might not be alone. There has been no sight of King Askild and an ambush is very likely." Gustav warned him about the possibility of a different scenario.

    Asmund paused, he did entertain the idea of attacking them but Gustav made a very strong point.

    "If my King wishes, I will take a unit to surround and monitor their camp overnight," Gustav suggested. This was a solid n because it opened up another avenue for them to attack should the need for it presents itself.

    "How many men are there?" King Asmund questioned the scout.

    "I saw about 100-150 men, King Asmund," Asmund chuckled faintly when he heard this, the deduction of Gustav was spot on.

    King Asmund greatly outnumbered them as he had more than a thousand soldiers ready for battle, but he thought about the intentions of King Askild because it looked like he sent these men to their deaths.

    The Vikings from Kattegat moved towards gaining more territory in Vestfold.

    "Sven, they are aware of our arrival." A shabby-looking warrior that simply went by the name Oskar said.

    "Good, everything is going as nned," Sven said because this was the n that he and Erik came up with en route. Sven was not scared of dying or sacrificing his men for his goal and they were not frightened of dying for him either.

    "I cannot wait for this war to end," Sven muttered under his breath, riding his horse.

    "Are you all ready to die for Sven!?" Oskar shouted and they all began beating their shields.

    "For crying out loud, do we have to do this?" Sven questioned but Oskar nodded to confirm they had to do so because morale was important in war.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We should find shelter, it would soon be nightfall," Oskar suggested and Sven concurred because the sun had already set but they were not so foolish as to keep wandering without proper rest.

    The fact that they were not attacked while encroaching into Vestfold meant that King Asmund had no intentions of attacking them carelessly. Sven knew that it was because of their numbers, maybe they did not take them as an immediate threat or maybe they were onto their n.

    "We will set up camp here!" Oskar shouted after getting permission from Sven.

    It did not take long for them to set up camp but the terrain was unfamiliar to them. Despite this, they managed to find high ground because they knew how important high grounds were.

    Sven did not rule out the possibility of an attack nor did Erik but they knew they would have to buy as much time as possible for King Askild.

    "I want you guys to keep watch, we will rotate every 2 hours so you guys too can get some rest," Oskar said. He was the spokesman in terms of dialogue with Sven taking a more passive role because his men already knew what he required from them but it was around this time Gustav made his move.

    King Asmund granted him 150 warriors for the sole purpose of aplishing the task he suggested and due to their preexisting knowledge of the terrain, it was quite easy to aplish this task as the warriors from Kattegat found themselves surrounded.

    This would be the perfect opportunity to ambush them BUT Gustav waited for more information as he also had warriors covering his 6 for a potential ambush on them.

    "Something feels off," Gustav thought to himself as they continued to watch over the camp but there were no traces of Erik. There had been no signs ever since they arrived in Vestfold.

    A hand over the mouth and a sword slitting the throat came to light, and the victims of this were the Vikings of Vestfold.

    Gustav noticed the rustling of the leaves and the muffled sounds that came from it, he was a lot more cautious than the average warrior, and the perimeter he set up for a potential ambush paid off.

    "Vikings! The enemy is here! Paint your sword in their blood!" Gustav shouted and the people that were in stealth engaged with the ambush party.

    This ensuing battle alerted the troops of Sven but Sven had no intentions of fighting.

    "That madman, it is as he predicted," Sven said, resting peacefully in his constructed tent despite the stray one or two arrows that made their way into his tent.

    This did not affect Sven''s peace of mind but Oskar was quite the opposite as the Vikings in their unit brandished their swords in preparation.

    The first battle was important.

    Gustav noticed that despite them knowing the terrain better, they were still being overpowered with rtive ease.

    "You are¡­!" Gustav muttered the moment a blood-covered enormous Viking showed up.

    "Hi, I am Erik," Erik said with a blood-curdling grin.

 Chapter 56 Erik Joins The Fray

    ?Erik was face to face with the man known as Gustav, the strategy they had devised reaped benefits.

    Erik knew by dividing their forces to take separate routes will force Vestfold to implement such a strategy, he has been the victim of such an ambush before and surviving that ordeal only made him stronger and wiser when it came tobat despite his moniker.

    "You must be Erik The Berserker, I have heard quite a lot about you." Gustav said, there was no hint of fear in his voice and his body was full of openings like he was not standing in front of one of themanders of Kattegat.

    "I have heard nothing about y-!" Erik was interrupted mid-dialogue as he felt a sharp pain on his left ear apanied by an abnormal flow of blood.

    "Now that is impressive!" Erik said upon realizing that his left ear had been chopped off but this did not faze him whatsoever, realizing that Gustav was the one responsible.

    Erik missed the thrown dagger that left Gustav''s hand because of the darkness and Gustav was using this to his advantage because of Erik''s strength. He was susceptible to attacks he could not see or perceive.

    "Do not worry, Erik The Berserker. I will take pieces of you until you are the one that begs me to kill you," Gustav said, taking multiple steps back and he became one with the darkness.

    Erik could not see him or find him, he was waiting like a sitting duck because he understood now that Gustav was not one for direct confrontation.

    "Hide and seek?" Erik questioned but this was not one of judgment.

    Another dagger found its way into Erik''s upper right shoulder but it felt like a tickle to the man that was used to battle scars due to his enormous physicality.

    "I hope you do not judge me Erik but I expected such a move," Gustav said as there was no way he would make such a move without taking the possibility of a split force into consideration.

    "I knew there was no way King Askild would be so arrogant to send a force that would notst even 10 minutes in battle. This was a good strategy but it was not good enough." Gustav continued speaking and Erik could not pinpoint where his voice wasing from.

    "Hahaha! This really gets my blood flowing!" Erik shouted as he yanked out the dagger lunged in his shoulder, tossing it in the direction of where the voice came fromst but it met no body of mas. Whistling into thin air.

    "Come at me! Show me you are the one that can send me to meet the All-Father!" Erik was excited by this turn of events but this was not what Gustav wanted.

    He wanted Erik to feel the fear of his victims, but Erik did not look like a man capable of fear despite being at such a disadvantage.

    Gustav knew that his warriors might fall in this ambush but if he could just take out Erik, then their lives paled inparison to that because Erik was easily equivalent to a 500 strong army.

    Another dagger whistled towards him but this time, Erik dodged it but barely as it nicked a bit of flesh from his left forearm.

    "That is¡­!" Gustav thought because he was surprised that Erik dodged an attack he was not supposed to be able to see.

    "No, that had to be pure luck," Gustav thought because it was too soon to draw a conclusion as to what was going on.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am getting used to it," Erik thought as the next dagger that was thrown was dodged with no injuries, Erik snatched it from the air and threw the dagger in the direction of Gustav.

    The reaction he got from that thrown dagger told Erik that he was close as he heard the panicked footsteps of Gustav.

    This allowed Erik to rush at him with no hesitation, cutting the tree that was providing him shade into half with a single strike and Gustav could not believe such a monster even existed.

    Erik''s strength was unreal, and Erik had the creepiest smile on his face.

    "I found you, little mouse!" Erik shouted but Gustav found that his heart was beating fast too.

    This was not fear. Gustav was actually enjoying his battle with this monster.

    -

    Tyr was engaged in battle as he cut down one enemy after another, he was enjoying the thrill of taking a life more than he should.

    He was covered in blood, and this was possible thanks to his speed and mobility in terms of battle and his training with Ragnar Lothbrok finally proved to be useful.

    "Hear me! Enemies! I am the son of Ragnar Lothbrok!" Tyr shouted like he was a beast waiting for the emergence of the full moon as the battle continued around him.

    "I WILL DROWN THE BLOOD OF MY ENEMIES! I WILL DESECRATE THIS EARTH WITH THE CORPSES OF THOSE I CROSS BLADES WITH!" Tyr was screaming as this served to motivate the warriors around him.

    There was no way a kid should show them up and they were d with what they were seeing, understanding just why he chose Erik. His first taste of blood did not scare him but did the opposite. It awakened something dark in Tyr.

    And the battle began to shift, the losing forces of Erik rallied and began cutting down the enemies.

    "KILL THE SON OF RAGNAR BY ALL MEANS!" A Vestfold Viking shouted right before his head was separated from his body.

    Tyr realized what just happened and caught himself being disgusted by the words that escaped his lips, and could not believe just what he had said.

    He sounded just like Erik, and Erik was a man that he could not be like because that man was everything his father stood for but he could not help but think that Erik was the most simr to him.

    Tyr came to it and saw that the Vikings of Vestfold were all but defeated as the Vikings under Erik began chanting the name of Tyr.

    "TYR! TYR! TYR!" They chanted in unison as they lifted him and hurled him up like a local champion.

 Chapter 57 A Prisoner Of War

    ?Gustav''s trick did not work and Erik was now faced to face with him, the injuries he inflicted on Erik were not enough to make him even flinch.

    "You really are a monster!" Gustavughed out loud as he equipped another dagger. Gustav managed to take off his ear but injuring Erik was never a feat as Erik did not prioritize defense over offense.

    Erik swung his ax vertically in a bid to split Gustav into two but Gustav got out of the way in time as Erik''s ax shattered the ground he was standing on. This was terrifying strength and the fact that the ax did not shatter on impact showed that the ax''s durability was stronger than your average ax.

    "You are nimble!" Erik praised his enemy, Gustav was not a pushover he could kill with ease but this only excited Erik more, before they could continue. He could hear the cheers of his warriors.

    "It seems the battle over there has concluded," Gustav said, he knew that he had lost the moment the name of Tyr was being chanted and Erik retracted his Ax because he was not interested in fighting Gustav seeing as the fight was over and Gustav lost the energy he was fighting with moments ago.

    "Why did you stop?" Erik questioned his foe, he was enjoying the battle but this did well to kill the buzz they had going.

    "You have won this battle, Erik The Berserker," Gustav said, offering his surrender with these words as he dropped his daggers to the ground.

    "No! Pick it up! The battle is not over until one of us dies!" Erik shouted, urging him to pick up his weapons but Gustav did not answer him.

    "I will be a lot more useful as a prisoner and maybe then we can fight in a proper duel approved by the gods themselves," Gustav said and this brought a broad smile on Erik''s face as he was satisfied by this answer.

    "Very well then!" Erik approved of his suggestion.

    Sven was rxed despite the screams and the sh of metals around him, he trusted the strength of Erik. There was no way these men would be on the level of Erik but he was surprised that Vestfold would be so careless with such an impatient move despite them having the advantage in terms of numbers.

    "Why did they not just use their numbers to crush us?" Sven questioned, talking to himself but like a leech attached to his skin, Oskar heard him.

    "They were testing us," Oskar responded to hismander but Sven felt like something was missing. This was too rash for it to be a calcted move.

    King Asmund, during his youth, was a monster you would not want to meet in battle so it was surprising that Erik could outsmart him in terms of tactics.

    While Erik was an impressive warrior, he was no match for King Asmund in any way meaning that whoever was responsible was acting alone or there was something they were missing.

    Sven knew that these were just spections seeing as they were decoys in the first ce. So whether they lived or died did not matter as long as they were of use to their king.

    The battle concluded as silence was restored but Erik came down with Gustav tied up.

    "Who is that, Erik?" Sven questioned him but Gustav simply smiled the moment he saw Sven. He could tell with a single nce that he was strong but Gustav was now in the camp.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "He is the leader of these men and he is too skilled to just be a foot soldier," Erik said, pushing him to the ground as he stood over him.

    "Why did you not kill him?" Sven questioned his fellowmander but Erik was not interested in answering, he owed him no exnation and there was no way for him to force it out of Erik.

    The Vikings around noticed the escting tension between bothmanders.

    "NO ONE TOUCHES THIS MAN! HE IS MINE TO KILL!" Erik shouted, marking Gustav as his prey.

    Gustav knew with this, a certain level of security was guaranteed and that was all he could ask for right now.

    The whispers and murmurs showed that this action from Erik might cause a divide, Sven was not having any of this and unsheathed his sword to which Erik reacted with a raised brow.

    "What do you think you are doing, Sven?" Erik questioned Sven as the Vikings under their respective units unsheathed their weapons ready to defend themanders they swore their arm rings to.

    "You are not in charge here, Erik," Sven said, using his sword to poke Gustav but not hard enough to pierce through his skin.

    "I see you are missing an ear, did he do this?" Sven wanted to remind Erik that he was not talking to one of his underlings but to a man of equal standing with him.

    "Sheathe your sword, Sven," Erik said in a tonemanding authority but this did not move Sven, not one bit.

    "Surely such a warrior capable of taking a part of the great Erik must have a name¡­" Sven questioned Gustav and Gustav introduced himself in a calm tone.

    "Gustav¡­ Do you believe in an eye for an eye?" Sven questioned and Gustav was confused by this question but Sven did not want an answer because this was a rhetorical question.

    Swinging his de upwards, he took off Gustav''s ear with one swing.

    "Oops Eik, I think I touched your prey," Sven said with a chuckle, he tried to provoke Erik into a reaction but Erik just startedughing like a maniac.

    "Sven! You are one crazy bastard!" Erikughed out loud and this was enough to eliminate the building tension.

    Svenughed in unison as these men knew on a primal level that they needed to trust each other to hold out as long as possible and now they had a bargaining chip in the form of Gustav.

    A prisoner of war, this reminded them of the case with Egil but they did not know if Gustav held that much value.

 Chapter 58 Row!

    ?"Row! Row! Row! The rhythmicmand of the Vikings rowing the warship that Hagen had built, was strong enough to traverse these rough seas that have imed so many other ships.

    It was like Jormungandr himself was protecting the seas of Vestfold as the waves moved in the opposite direction making it easy for the shipsing out of Vestfold as they rode the waves but this was not the case for those that tried to make their way into Vestfold.

    This naturally acted as a defense against sea invasions because no boat builder has been skilled enough to conquer the forces of nature, not until now.

    The waves crashed on the wooden nt of the boat yet it stood just as strong, battling its way through the savage waters.

    "Hagen, you mad fucking genius!" Skarde praised him but it was the idea of Ulf that made this possible. Ulf knew there was a chance that his name would resonate in the world of Vikings as he had gained the recognition of King Askild.

    But Birger took note of the sudden change in Ulf, he knew that he could not lose him as Ulf was an important figure right now in the eyes of King Askild.

    "Ulf¡­" Birger called out in a low-pitched tone as he noticed Ulf was pulling away from him mentally. All Ulf ever wanted was to be recognized and he was finally getting that recognition.

    "Birger, can I help you with something?" Ulf inquired as he moved closer to Birger because he could tell by his tone that he would rather their conversation be heard by only both of them.

    Even though he doubted anyone could hear them due to the violent waves, he respected Birger''s need for privacy.

    "What do you think makes a great warrior?" Birger pulled this question out of the blue but it did not take Ulf by surprise.

    "The victories he earns on the field of battle," Ulf said and this brought a hidden smile on Birger''s face because he understood that despite this little victory Ulf had gotten, he still understood it was important to make his name on the battlefield.

    "What is with the question, do you now mistake me for a child?" Ulf fired back, and a faint chuckle escaped the lips of Birger. This was the first time Ulf had seen him express any form of emotion so this was quite a surprise.

    "Did you justugh?" Ulf had to ask again to confirm what he had just heard but he got no response from Birger, or rather Birger quickly changed the subject.

    "Ulf, my promise to you still stands. Do right by me and Ragnar would be the one to be referred to as the brother of Ulf. You will be the famous Lothbrok," Birger began whispering his seductive words into Ulf''s ear, and Ulf looked to be hypnotized by these sweet words.

    "But what do you think would happen if the famous Ragnar Lothbrok fell in battle?" Birger asked but this question sounded more rhetorical than an actual question.

    "Ragnar is favored by the gods, there is no way my brother would fall in battle," Ulf said, almost sounding proud and this did not go unnoticed by Birger.

    Despite their rivalry, it seemed that Ulf still held his younger brother in such high regard.

    "You are right, that is why you are the lesser Lothbrok," Birger said and thispletely changed the mood of Ulf just as Birger intended.

    Ulf was reminded of his inferiority but there was nothing he could do, Birger had reminded him of his reality and this was to ensure he does not stray from the course he had set for him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The thunder was violent and each bolt that descended from the heavens felt like it missed their ship by a very slight margin. It felt like the gods were testing their resolve and this only helped in boosting their confidence as the Vikings were all singing in praise despite the dreadful condition of the water they traversed.

    Ragnar had noticed that his brother was talking to Birger, Ulf did not know Birger personally so this troubled Ragnar as he knew just how maniptive he was and that was how he could survive what looked like a certain death sentence.

    He was the younger brother of King Asmund and unlike his graceful brother, he was quite the opposite and saw a bit of himself in Ulf as their story was simr.

    "Father!" Bjorn called out to Ragnar, breaking his focus as he realized he had been staring at Ulf and Birger the whole time he was lost in thought but luckily none of the men noticed this.

    "Hey, little warrior!" Ragnar greeted as he bent down to stroke the hair of Bjorn.

    Bjorn looked fired up and that was good considering his mother was left behind in Kattegat alongside Herfj?tur to keep an eye out for invaders.

    Ragnar knew it fell on Asger, rather than him, to keep his son safe as he nodded in the direction of Asger.

    "You should be with him right now, he is the man you swore your arm ring to," Ragnar nudged his son with no hint of judgment.

    "He told me I could speak to you if I wished, he is a very honorable man," Bjorn responded to his father, Ragnar was d he had taken a liking to Asger because even he respected the warrior. He noticed the excitement slowly fade from Bjorn''s face and Ragnar knew exactly why.

    "You are worried about your brother, aren''t you?" Ragnar asked and Bjorn tried to put up a tough act.

    "I don''t care! If he dies, then it means I am stronger but¡­" Bjorn''s bout of energy dissipated just as fast as it had gotten.

    "Tyr is strong, believe in your brother. He knows what it is to be a son of Ragnar. A son of mine," Ragnar spoke with such confidence that it rubbed off on Bjorn.

    "I will have more aplishments than him by the end of this war! Mark my words father!" Bjorn shouted and this brought a smile to Ragnar''s face because he liked the healthy rivalry that he and Tyr had going on. It will push both of them both to be stronger.

    He watched as Bjorn stormed off in Asger''s direction with his renewed resolve.

    Hagen had managed to build this ship in such a short time because he was not working alone and the ship could carry all their warriors as with smaller boats, the chances of the waves splitting them up was quite high but this also made them an easier target.

    King Askild sat in silence, weathering the rain pellets that beat them and the ship.

    "The sea truly is beautiful¡­" Askild thought to himself.

 Chapter 59 The Night Brings Darkness

    ?The moon was up, it took a crescent as it watched over the earth from above, the warriors weing thest day of peace as they were certain that they would be engaged inbat the next day.

    King Asmund received reports about Gustav''s defeat but he did not look worried as Gustav was a very meticulous man so the fact that he was their prisoner must be part of his n.

    "Get some sleep, Gustav is still alive. They are keeping him alive because he is of use to them," King Asmund instructed his men, but he wondered if King Askild somehow ambushed them.

    No, this was too cheap a ploy to be a n birthed forth by the king of Kattegat.

    The camp of King Asmund was calm despite them losing close to 150 men in a failed ambush because he knew Kattegat suffered casualties as well, reducing their already little numbers.

    The camp of Asmund called it a night with a few warriors staying awake to scout the area because they knew a surprise attack was not above their enemies.

    -

    King Askild smartly traversed the seas at night because he knew under the cover of the dark, the size of the ship could at least blend with the darkness as it was painted ck for this sole purpose, it was a camouge that was proving effective so far as they had made it through the roughest part of the sea, with enough food to keep them energized.

    Bjorn puked multiple times due to motion sickness, Asger helped him through it as Ragnar was thinking about his wife and hoped she was alright.

    "Brother¡­" Ulf called out to Ragnar quietly, getting the attention of his younger brother because it felt like it has been ages since they spoke.

    "Ulf, I see you are making a name for yourself," Ragnar showed his support for the aplishment of his brother but he was also curious about where he got this knowledge from.

    "Hahaha! This is nothingpared to your sess, brother." Ulf quickly rebuffed the praise he was getting from his brother.

    "Do not do that, Ulf," Ragnar said with a disappointed sigh apanying the end of his sentence.

    "Do what?" Ulf asked, confused as to what Ragnar meant.

    "Do not belittle your aplishments for mine. What you did was something no one but you could have done. Anyone could kill but not everyone can build," Ragnar praised his older brother.

    This had to be the first time Ragnar had said such words to Ulf and Ulf was taken aback that he had gotten the validation of his brother with such a simple act.

    "T-Thank you, brother," Ulf stuttered, trying his best to maintain his cool but he could not contain the smile that crept up on his face.

    "You have always been the smarter one among us but I am curious how you came up with that," Ragnar said, he wanted to know the inspiration for the genius of his older brother.

    "A wise man never tells his secret," Ulf responded with a wink and this made Ragnar chuckle.

    It has been a while since he had spoken to his brother like this so this much was very refreshing as Ulf was still the same man he had known all his life despite their brief time apart.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What are you doing with that man, brother?" Ragnar questioned Ulf as he did not like that he was with Birger, the mask Birger had on at all times was very ufortable for everyone involved as it felt like he was not even real.

    "I am watching him under the orders of King Askild," Ulf responded to his brother, taking a seat beside him.

    "King Askild?" Ragnar repeated. That did not look like he was just watching over Birger as he noticed that Birger onlymunicated with Ulf.

    "Yes, it is strange because I cannot help but feel he was sending me to my death," Ulf whispered and this drew a curious look from his brother.

    "I am sure you are exaggerating," Ragnar said, trying to dismiss the im of his brother but it was not until Ulf exined what happened to those he had sent previously that Ragnar knew this was not an exaggeration but he kept quiet and did not let out his true thoughts.

    "We really should get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day," Ragnar told his brother, getting to his feet as he walked away from Ulf.

    -

    In Kattegat, Herfj?tur was keepingw and order as criminal activities had increased around the city but this was to be expected as cowards existed even in a city such as Kattegat.

    They were abruptly dealt with because they mistook this all-female unit as lesser than the men that had left but they did not understand the training that Herfj?tur put every one of them under as they did not only build their body but their mind.

    Liv admired Herfj?tur because she did what most women could not do in their lifetime and that is gaining the respect of fellow Viking warriors despite being a woman.

    Lagertha did this too but she could not keep up with the blood-stained path that awaited her down the road, she gave it up for the sake of her family.

    A decision she was yet to regret.

    The gates were locked, not allowing anyone passage or exit because they understood that despite their presence, Kattegat was still highly susceptible to attacks.

    There was no escaping this so they had to be responsible for such things.

    Nighttime was here and the number of criminals that had been detained in just those hours was exponentially higher.

    Standing on top of the walls, serving as a watchtower, Lagertha met an exhausted-looking Herfj?tur and encouraged her to get some rest.

    "You know Lagertha¡­ I do not think we can afford to res-!" Herfj?tur was cut short by an arrow that flew past her and hit Lagertha, sending her tumbling over the watchtower.

    "LAGERTHA!!!"

 Chapter 60 Danger In Kattegat

    ?"LAGERTHA!!!" Herfj?tur screamed from the top of her lungs as she watched Lagertha''s body hit the ground below, but she immediately took a defensive stance as another arrow narrowly missed her head.

    Someone was attacking them but who, this was not just your average robbery, someone wasing for their heads.

    Herfj?tur''s mind was split as she was worried about Lagertha and prayed to the heavens that she was not dead but it would take more than that to kill her.

    She had to have faith in Lagertha and focus on herself.

    "WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" Herfj?tur screamed and the moment she said this, backup arrived almost immediately.

    "Commander!" They said, forming a shield wall to rebuff any potential arrows that may follow.

    But Herfj?tur felt something was amiss but before she could figure it out, a sharp pain was felt from her back as it slowly reached her torso and out of it was a sword that had impaled her clean through.

    "W-What''s going on!?" Herfj?tur muttered but the majestic warrior did not fall to her knees despite the severity of the injuries as she realized the reason she felt something was amiss was that these were not people she knew or recognized.

    These were strangers but how did they get into Kattegat, talkless of infiltrating her ranks in just a day? They had made brilliant use of the cover of night to manage a sneak attack on Herfj?tur.

    And with Herfj?tur injured, there was a chance that they could kill her.

    "Herfj?tur, I am surprised you are still standing after taking a sword through the torso, did I miss a vital?" Ady, half the size of Herfj?tur with a thinly shaped sword now covered in blood said.

    She knew who Herfj?tur was but then again, everyone knew who she was as she was famous.

    "I know you.." Herfj?tur muttered, applying pressure on her wound as she was surrounded by 30+ female warriors.

    "Wrong! You knew me!" Thedy said, gesturing as all warriors simultaneously charged at Herfj?tur.

    -

    "Where is she?" The warriors that reached where Lagerthay asked, she was no longer in the position that they had seen.

    This either meant that she was in moving condition or someone moved her out of harm''s way with thetter being less of a possibility despite it still being probable.

    "Find Lagertha! We need to kill Lagertha!" Thedy shouted as they spread out to cover more ground. This was a stealthy attack as the warriors under Herfj?tur had been drugged to sleep like they were in aa.

    This meant that no one wasing to help them and whatever they nned on doing had to be done tonight or the attempt on both their lives would have been futile.

    Lagertha was injured, luckily the arrow was lunged at her left shoulder and the fall was not as bad as it should have been as it was broken. She had leaned forward into the fall and managed tond on her side.

    Theposition of the ground also yed a major role, Lagertha managed to get away as she knew that the only way someone could even get a shot at her was because of the integrity of those that were supposed to be protecting Kattegat beingpromised.

    It was strange because they thought this thing would end with Arvid but it felt like there was something they had missed as of that moment.

    Lagertha was barely in any fighting condition but she knew that she needed to pick them off one by one now that they were divided.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She needed to believe in Herfj?tur but this was barely even 24 hours since King Askild had left, was this a revolution to take the throne?

    This was the only logical conclusion and Lagertha was not about to hide while their home was taken from right under their nose.

    She wanted her family to return to their home and she was willing to die to make that happen.

    -

    "Wow, that was some sleep!" Ady said. The morning hade and the multiple screams from outside served as their rm bell. They were surprised that they all slept so well and peacefully throughout the night considering they were on watch duties.

    They grew suspicious when they realized it was not just one person that overslept but all of them, that was not a coincidence as they all rushed outside to see the bloodbath.

    "W-What is this!?" Ady squirmed as she could not believe the horror before her.

    They all unsheathed their swords and scurried in every direction to look for their leader and Lagertha, they found a few injured warriors showing that not everyone was killed.

    ""Findmander Herfj?tur and Lagertha!" Thedy that led the charge screamed.

    She was a short brte girl with a slender build, the worry in her green eyes was telling as her porky lips barkedmands.

    This was no doubt an attack and to think they slept through it meant that the enemy was in Kattegat.

    The further they went, the more the dead bodies umted and they knew they were getting closer to knowing what happened to Herfj?tur.

    "The walls!" The brtedy barked and they climbed the walls in a rush while still being cautious as they prayed to the gods that they would not meet the body of Herfj?tur above.

    But what they saw was something they could not unsee, littered body parts in every single direction, and this included entrails.

    There was no doubt that this was the doing of theirmander and upon closer inspection, they saw Herfj?tur, backed against a wall, slumped over.

    "Herfj?tur!!!" The brtedy screamed as she ran in her direction to see if she was dead or alive, she could feel her heart drop into her stomach because this was a sight she never saw she would see as cuts were all over her body but the relief that overcame her when she found out that Herfj?tur was alive brought tears to her eyes.

    She started sobbing profusely as she felt like this only opened because they were careless but to think that Herfj?tur did this much damage alone was telling of theirmander''s strength.

    "I¡­" Herfj?tur tried to speak but she was urged to rest up as the brtedy noticed that she was bleeding Herfj?tur fastened a piece of cloth around her wounds but that cloth was the only reason she was alive.

    "I-It is the same," Herfj?tur muttered right before losing consciousness, the peace of mind she had gotten from her unit being her finally allowed her body to shut down.

    Tiril was confused by what she meant by this but this was not her priority, her priority was the life of hermander.

    "Tiril, we have a survivor!" Anotherdy said, standing over thedy that had injured Herfj?tur.

 Chapter 61 Tyrs Bravery

    ?The sun rose in all other parts of the world, and Erik was seen just staring at Gustav.

    He made sure he was well-fed for his duelter that day, Gustav was surprised as they did not try to torture information out of him, he was here simply because Erik was a deranged warrior that valued battle above all else.

    The rtionship between Sven and Erik looked to be a fragile one, and it surprised him to an extent that they could work together despite such differences but he also thought that this was an opportunity to exploit these fragile bonds.

    Tyr was praised in the camp but he was hit with overwhelming guilt, he knew he could not continue like this, or he risked losing himself in the thrill of battle.

    "Tyr,e here," Erik called out to the son of Ragnar his peripheral vision caught the sadness on his face, Tyr was snapped back to reality and he rushed to the side of hismander.

    "I heard about your conquest in battle," Erik said, tapping the free spot beside him for him to sit as his gaze left the direction of Gustav and focused on the little warrior before him.

    "You should be happy! This is your first taste in battle." Erik tried to cheer him up, this was not because he waspassionate but rather because he wanted Tyr to be a killing machine just like him, it has been years since a kid has sworn their allegiance to him.

    "Men were created to be killed, or Valha would not exist! This is our trial for the great hall," Erik said, and this change of perspective made what Tyr had done go down easier.

    "Y-You are right¡­" Tyr said, life returned to his dull eyes as he looked at Erik, right in the eyes but he was ovee by a sense of fear the moment his eyes made contact with that of Eriks''.

    Erik''s eyes felt like he was looking into an abyss, an abyss that was devoid of any life.

    "We live only to get into Valha," Erik said, breaking eye contact with the child and redirecting it back to Gustav.

    "Y-Yes, sir!" Tyr muttered as he noticed Erik''s attention was on the imprisoned man, Gustav.

    Sven obstructed his view by standing right in front of Erik, and Erik did not take kindly to this.

    "What do you think you are doing? Your duel is off until we get whatever information we can from him." Sven said in a stern voice and this forced Erik to get to his feet, towering over Sven easily.

    "Sven, get out of my way¡­" Erik warned and once again, the camp tensed up.

    Gustav was taking note of all this and knew that this could ultimately lead to their downfall as none of them were in sync, both units on opposite sides unsheathed their swords, ready to defend their respectivemanders.

    "And if I do not? Will you raise your sword against me, little Berserker?" Sven mocked Erik and everyone admired his confidence as even othermanders avoided trouble with Erik because once he saw red, only death and destruction await.

    Erik did not even reply to Sven and immediately swung his ax in a linear, horizontal motion aimed at taking off his head but Sven avoided it by leaping out of its reach.

    "I understand why they call you a berserker now, you really aimed to kill me with that strike, didn''t you?" Sven said as a minor cut was seen on his neck.

    "Hahaha! You did get out of my way in the end. You have a few screws loose yourself, Sven," Erik said, he was surprised that he could avoid his swing at such a range.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maybe Sven was not all mouth but Erik was confident he could take him in a battle as well as Sven, they shared this same belief.

    Before it could escte, Tyr jumped between them to try and de-escte the situation because the enemy was not one another but Vestfold.

    Infighting was thest thing they needed at the moment, but this was a bold move from Tyr considering the kind of personality the two men exhibited.

    "S-Stop fighting!" Tyr shouted, he could not hide that he was scared like every other time as he was trembling just by being in their presence and he did not know why.

    This was simply the mental strain men of their caliber put on others in their presence, it could be killing intent or the idea that they could be cut down at any moment.

    "You are in no position to tell us what to do, child," Sven said with a dismissive tone, he did not recognize Tyr as anything but a child linked to a powerful name. Nothing more, nothing less.

    Tyr stood his ground, it took every ounce of energy for him to remain on his feet, he could not believe he was even doing this in the first ce.

    He turned his head back at Erik, to see if Erik was going to back him up but all he saw was the iing swing of Erik''s gigantic ax.

    Tyr barely managed to dodge due to his nimble feet and this drew a surprised look from Sven despite the swing being a watered-down variant of the one he had just avoided.

    It was worthy of praise that despite his trembling, he couldpose himself well enough to avoid the de that was meant to split him in two from the head, all the way down to the toes.

    "Woah! He dodged it!" Sven eximed, it was not every day you saw someone so nimble as most warriors sacrificed speed for strength, this was also due to stamina reasons.

    "I am not the enemy!" Tyr shouted, he was quite frankly shocked he was about to lose his life for something so trivial and he could not fathom how such mad men rose to such positions of power.

    Tyr pointed at Gustav like he was on a mission.

    "They are! You are not fighting for yourselves! You are fighting for our King! Honor his name with your actions or our enemies willugh!" Tyr said and the moment he said this, he was filled with instant regret.

    "Crap! I have done it now," Tyr thought to himself as he got a little too caught up in the moment and said more than he should have.

    "You are an interesting kid," Svenplimented Tyr''s bravery as he turned his back and walked away. Erik, however, was not happy that he interrupted them but he was impressed that he could make Sven sheathe his sword. The Vikings around looked at Tyr with respect.

    "That kid¡­ That kid is dangerous," Gustav thought to himself as he watched him diffuse the situation with nothing but words.

    "I need to kill him,"

 Chapter 62 Signy, Son Of Asmund

    ?Signy was with his unit, that had a few Earls from nearby kingdoms, he was their leader but only by name as hecked sufficient experience to lead them but the Earls were not swords under hismand and were given the liberty to act freely.

    Signy was excited that this was his first taste of actual war and he knew that the expectations that were on his shoulders were high.

    Most did not see him as a worthy sessor to King Asmund and Signy knew should his father die, he would be trialed to a duel with potential challengers for the crown.

    Men with far more powerful names and aplishments than him so this was his chance to prove his name as the son of Asmund.

    But nothing was going on, they had to defeat the forces of his father to reach them but that was highly unlikely because King Asmund was strong enough to defeat Erik unarmed despite being well past his prime, this only showed a fragment of his strength during his prime.

    A man that made Askild thread carefully despite Askild being fairly confident in his abilities.

    Signy had quite the shoes to fill and he knew that no one might be able to ever fill the shoes of his father.

    ? A man called the name of Signy and what followed was a sense of urgency.

    "THEY ARE FIGHTING! WE NEED YOU TO STOP THEM!" A random Viking called the attention of Signy, this forced Signy to run in the direction in which the cheers could be heard.

    They were cheering and encouraging the warriors in a bout, Signy knew now was not the time for something so trivial as this could not be the worst timing.

    "What is the meaning of this!?" Signy butted in, bringing an immediate halt to the brawl. The cheers faded into silence and all eyes were on Signy.

    "Do you think now is the time to distract yourself with such trivial entertainment!?" Signy was furious but the warriors witnessing the fight were no fans of his behavior.

    He could tell by the side eyes and the murmurs that followed soon after because while what they were doing was not needed, it was helping with their morale and preparations for the war.

    "C''mon now Signy, you should not interrupt a fight between souls." A ck-haired muscr man said, stepping forward to confront the younger Signy, he was in his mid-thirties with a mohawk styled in a ponytail.

    "Earl Aksel! Are you the one that allowed this?" Signy asked and this only resulted in the Earl raising his eyebrow.

    "Allowed this? These are men with wives and children¡­ While you are a¡­" Aksel stopped short of finishing his sentence as this drewughter from everyone present.

    "You are nothing but a child with a privileged name," Aksel said and only half of those that wereughing remainedughing.

    "Earl Aksel, mind how you tal-!" Signy was cut short frompleting his sentence.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Or you will tell the King? The King is fighting on our behalf and you want to y pretend King?" Aksel said. This time he did not sound yful at all and his tone was a lot more firm.

    "You stop my men from enjoying themselves then lecture me about respect? We do not share the same culture as you Vestfold warriors." Aksel scolded Signy like a child and the more he spoke, the clearer Signy''s mistake was.

    "You speak for your men, Signy. You do not speak for mine. Warriors! Continue your fun and if this child wants to interrupt, we will have our own little brawl!" Aksel said. And this effectively took power away from Signy because how he reacted was how he would be addressed.

    Everyone was curious as to what Signy would do and Signy was aware of the importance of this moment but was it worth risking potential conflict with an ally or was his pride more important?

    "That is enough Earl Aksel," A man stepped forward to quell the conflict that was arising between both of them.

    He was a dead-eyed man with his ck hair shaved through the middle, and the moment he stepped up, the warriors that were shouting got there quite instantly.

    "You disrespect the son of our King, our future king?" The man questioned, he was not a fit warrior but rather on the chubby side.

    "This is none of your concern Earl Kjell," Askel tried to dismiss him but Kjell was not having any of it as he stood between both of them, despite his chubbiness, he was a giant by the average standard as he easily stood at 6 feet.

    "You think Signy was wrong? If the enemy decided to attack while you were all distracted with this pointless brawl, do you think you can arm yourself quick enough?" Kjell tossed the rhetorical question in the air and the murmurs that followed showed that they agreed with him.

    "You fail to realize the threat that Kattegat poses under King Askild, a man that rose to fame by killing his own King in a duel. A man that holds Kattegat with fear alone," Kjell took it upon himself to remind them about the gravity of this war because they all seem to have forgotten.

    "King Asmund trusted you a lot with his Kingdom, you better start acting like you are worth that trust. It is not in my ce to tell you what to do, but if you want to continue ying around then you can do just that," Kjell said and Signy heaved a sigh of relief because he did not know what he would have done if Kjell did not step in.

    He could tell by the look on Aksel''s face was one of defeat. Aksel kissed his teeth and left the area in irritation. The brawl came to an abrupt end.

    Soon, only Signy and Kjell were in the immediate vicinity.

    "You are a lifesaver, Earl Kjell," Signy thanked the man that backed him up.

    "Anything for you, young lord," Kjell said but this was a political move should Signy get into power, he wanted to be in his good graces should thate to pass.

    This was evident by the honorifics he used for Signy but he knew that Signy still had a long way to go.

 Chapter 63 King Askild In Vestfold

    ?The ship that the main forces of Kattegat traveled on made contact with thend, they made it through the wrath of the water and this only made Askild more confident of his victory as this was an unheard-of feat before.

    Despite it being a product of Ulf''s mind and Hagen''s building prowess, this still required the trust of King Askild to implement because there was nothing anyone could do if Askild did not approve of it.

    "I-It worked!" A random warrior eximed but he was quickly silenced by a re from King Askild, now was not the time to be making noise seeing as they were not aware of their situation yet or who was around.

    Birger studied the area to tell them where they had docked, it was an abandoned dock that was closed due to it being non-essible by others making it less than ideal for cargo.

    Vestfold had other docks but those docks were well protected and they would meet heavy resistance if they traveled that way so this path was the riskiest but also the one with the most reward.

    "This is the dreaded seaport that was abandoned after it suffered the wrath of Thor, thunder destroyed the port and the water flooded thend," Birger stated firmly, this showed that where they were was far from safe if it had been flooded in the past.

    they had to take higher ground to avoid the risk of being swept by the imminent flood despite the weather currently being in their favor but for how long?

    King Askild was suspicious of all this because he did not trust Birger but he counted on his hatred for his brother as his driving force. They were allies because they had that inmon and as long as that single thread connected them, there was no reason for Birger to betray him.

    They had sessfullynded in Vestfold and they were behind the forces of Asmund but further from the capital of Vestfold.

    Ragnar and the rest of the warriors settled on higher ground, Bjorn was somewhat seasick and needed to rest, everyone needed it because they found solid ground after being at sea for so long.

    "Father!" Bjorn called out to Ragnar, leaving the side of hismander and running to the side of his father, the newer Vikings under Asger did not like this as it felt like Bjorn had more freedom than them because of his title as Ragnar''s son.

    "Bjorn, I told you to stay with Asger!" Ragnarmanded but Bjorn informed him that he had gotten permission from hismander, Ragnar knew that just because he could did not mean he should as he noticed the gazes from the other warriors.

    Bjorn was looking like he might be the weak link, a daddy''s boy that cannot stay away for even a moment.

    Ragnar knew all this could have been averted if Bjorn just chose him as hismander but he went with Asger and now there was nothing Ragnar could do but send his son away.

    "Go over there, Bjorn! Do not return to my side until the war is over!" Ragnar raised his voice at Bjorn, something he did not mean to do but Bjorn took it surprisingly well as he was not upset or embarrassed by this behavior.

    "Fine, Ragnar," Bjorn said, calling Ragnar by his name before returning to Asger. Bjorn at that moment stopped seeing Ragnar Lothbrok as his father and just another warrior.

    "Your son has grown a sharp pair of fangs!" Skarde praised, hitting Ragnar a bit too hard on his back causing the smaller warrior to stumble forward but still firmly nted on the ground.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Skarde tried his best to hold in his cackle but he could barely do so as he found this funnier than it was.

    "Ragnar, I can see why King Askild favors you." Skardemended his fellow Vikings, even though his son was a menace just like him.

    He was envious that it was Asger that got to train him, not himself but he also knew that Asger was the best person for Bjorn.

    The skies darkened and this signified that it would soon rain, the wind became aggressive in the blink of an eye. It felt like a storm wasing, it felt like the gods were angry.

    The warriors felt a chill in their spine as the air felt like it danced with death.

    The ground shook with every thunder that descended from the heavens like the earth was about to split into two, this was a worrying sign as most saw it as the gods'' discontentment.

    "What is going on?" Skarde asked, talking to himself mostly but Ragnar heard him.

    "The gods¡­ The gods are angry¡­" Ragnar said in a demoralized tone.

    They all looked to King Askild but he had the same expression as he did a few moments ago as this did not bother him.

    This did not make the hair on his body stand as he knew it was time for him to speak to his warriors, they needed his leadership more than ever.

    Askild got to his feet slowly and turned to face the crowd, the scary King that had built his reputation through tears and blood was about to give a speech to his warriors.

    Bjorn gulped in anticipation because in his eyes, Askild was the pinnacle of what every Viking strived to be and he felt bad for Tyr that he was about to miss this moment.

    "You fear the wrath of the gods?" Askild began his speech in an ice-cold voice.

    "The same gods that brought us here? The same gods that protected us from the beasts of the sea?" Askild paused momentarily to establish eye contact with a few Vikings.

    "The gods are not angry at us¡­ No, no¡­" Askild continued, shaking his head to demonstrate his disapproval.

    "The gods are angry that these men dare to stand in our way," Askild said, despite his voice not even hitting high notes, this was enough to sway the perspective of his warriors in less than 30 seconds as they were pumped now, feeling like the gods themselves had ordained their victory.

 Chapter 64 Unrest In Kattegat

    ?Kattegat was on high alert, the citizens were reckless as the damage control was handled quite poorly. This was bad news as unrest was thest thing they needed but what was more worrying was that Lagertha was nowhere to be seen despite searching every nook and cranny of Kattegat.

    They suspected that Lagertha was dead but they could not see her in the heaps of bodies that were found around the city, so the next possibility was that she was taken or hiding somewhere.

    It was unlikely that she was hiding when Kattegat was under attack but it was not impossible.

    Herfj?tur managed to kill more than 30 warriors despite being injured, she was that strong as she fought all night alone and managed toe out alive.

    She was in the healer''s house and she was being taken care of, the injuries she sustained were not life-threatening, it was like she only defended against the vital strikes because she knew there was no way for her to defend herself against all attacks.

    Her stamina was her most prominent aspect, but she was unconscious right now thanks to the amount of blood she had lost.

    The healers were not sure she would wake up, they feared that she took more damage than they could currently ess.

    But the ringleader of the attack was alive, she did not share the same fate as Herfj?tur in terms of injury. She was treated like a prisoner, and guards were on her at all times because they knew she was a very important piece in figuring out what happened.

    "Do not take your eyes offdy Herfj?tur or that woman!" Tirilmanded because she was the one in charge now that Herfj?tur was out ofmission, and now was the perfect opportunity for any potential threat to strike.

    "There is still no sign of Lagertha!" A warrior said, naturally it was not only female warriors left in Kattegat as everyone answered to Herfj?tur without question.

    The man was out of breath and sweaty, this showed the effort he had put to find the wife of Ragnar because the announcement of her death will cause ripples.

    They kept it under wraps as they did so quietly, Tiril was visibly distressed as she med herself for the current state of Herfj?tur as well as the disappearance of Lagertha.

    "King Askild will have our heads!" Tiril muttered in fear.

    -

    "Where am I?" An injured Lagetha called out, she was still dazed from what happened the night before and was surprised she was not dead.

    She could barely recollect her thoughts, every bone in her body ached, she did fall from the walls so it was inevitable that she fractured or broke something with that fall.

    ? "Kattegat!" Lagertha said out loud, jolting herself out of the bed but she immediately copsed to the ground in pain. She saw injuries on her body that she did not remember getting the night before but she did not recognize the ce she was in either.

    It looked like a rundown tent, with rotten food scattered everywhere and a repulsive stench oozing from the ground with flies having their fill with the dposing remains and maggots dancing around in it.

    Lagertha crawled like she was fighting for her life, she very well could be depending on who carried her here, or did shee here herself?

    Her memories were against her but now was not the time to think, Kattegat needed her and she would do anything for them but she could hear footsteps from afar.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The ground was thumping, whoever wasing was running but Kattegat did not know who it was or if the enemies had found her.

    She checked her side but her sword was nowhere to be seen so she was unarmed and in an unfamiliar ce. This was the worst possible scenario for her but she had to find a way to defend herself, or this could result in her death.

    But she was bandaged and taken care of, which means someone had catered to her wounds.

    Why save her life if they were just going to kill her?

    Lagertha quickly crawled back into bed and feigned sleep just in time as the person that was running found their way into the tent.

    Whoever it was was out of breath, but there was no movement the moment they entered the tent so the motive for their actions was not known.

    "You are a lucky woman, I cannot believe that you wandered so far out in the forest," The person said, it was the voice of a girl.

    Lagertha''s eyes remained sealed shut but she wanted to peek at the girl to see who she was. She could not risk it, but it became apparent soon after that she did not know who she was.

    This was a breath of fresh air but who did not know who Lagertha was?

    What did she mean she wandered into a forest?

    Thest she could remember was slitting the throats of the attackers in the cover of the night.

    Finally, the footsteps came closer to her, and Largeta''s eye slit open partly, she tried to leap at the girl but she stopped halfway through due to her cracked ribs, crashing back into the bed.

    "You are still injured! Do not move around so muchdy!" The girl warned, she had a gentle face with freckles littered across her face, and she gently pushed Lagertha down.

    "Stay still!" The girl said. She had to be no more than 18 years old.

    "W-Where am I?" Lagertha managed to get these words out despite her body feeling like it would give up on her at any moment.

    "Kattegat, well the bad parts of Kattegat," Thedy said, this meant they were in the rural area of Kattegat, a ce cut off from the main city as a wall was erected to separate them.

    It was no surprise she had no idea who Lagertha was.

    "I need to get back!" Lagertha thought to herself.

 Chapter 65 Erik, The God?

    ?Erik allowed Sven to do what he wanted with Gustav, the men that were at each other''s necks moments ago were now working together all thanks to Tyr as they were reminded by the kid why they were there in the first ce.

    Gustav was brought to Sven''s tent, but Sven did not do anything. Sven did not do anything but stare Gustav right in the eyes for a couple of minutes.

    He did not break contact once and this made Gustav ufortable but he could not show it.

    "What were you thinking trying to sneak up on us?" Sven spoke finally, and this drew no reaction from Gustav but Sven was not bothered by his silence.

    "You need to work with me now, I have no problem taking pieces of you." Sven threatened, he was trying his best to take the civil approach because he knew torturing required a lot of work.

    Work he would rather not do, but he would not mind doing so himself should the situation call for it.

    "Are you sure you want to do that?" Gustav spoke his first words, words that sounded like he was in a position of power in this little negotiation.

    "I do not want to do it but I will have no choice if you do not tell me what I want to hear," Sven sounded tired of the back and forth.

    "You misunderstand me, I am not asking for mercy, you can take my life. It holds no value, but I do not think your friend will like that you took his prey from him," Gustav said, this was about Erik''s interest in him.

    This included the duel because if Sven took pieces from him, then it would be impossible for him to fight Erik at full strength.

    Sven knew this was what he implied but he did not care much about it if he killed Gustav right here and now. All Erik would do is throw a tantrum, a tantrum Sven could handle.

    "Is that your best shot?" Svenughed off the attempt at Gustav''s maniption, the fact that he thought Erik was that invested in him.

    "All I need to do is wave an even stronger prey in front of that hound and he will forget all about you. Maybe if your King was here¡­" Sven teased, also watching his reaction closely, and there it was, Gustav flinched lightly when he heard this and Sven knew he had struck a nerve.

    "You see, you are not the only one with scouts. I know that Asmund is beyond that hill." Sven said. The information he had kept from Erik.

    "This is thest time I will ask¡­" Sven was interrupted by Erik barging in and without even essing the situation, pulled Gustav by the hair and threw him outside.

    Sven wanted to protest but he kept shut, he already knew the moment he started talking to Gustav that this man would not break under any circumstances.

    "I am done waiting," Erik told Sven but Sven only heaved a defeated sigh as he acknowledged that Erik had exercised patience, even if it was just for a few minutes.

    Erik exited the tent and the Vikings surrounded both men, cheering and screaming because a battle with Erik was one everyone wanted to see.

    "Gustav, you have my warriors'' blood boiling!" Erik shouted, Gustav, chuckled because this brought back memories. This reminded him of when he was a younger warrior that lived for blood and battle. Erik must have seen this too and that is why he was here.

    "Hahaha! You Kattegat Vikings are nothing like I heard, Gustav said, getting to his feet.

    "Do you know why I am by the side of my King Asmund?" Gustav questioned the binds that were around him breaking apart.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This surprised everyone there because the ropes were strong enough to hold the strongest of men yet Gustav just cut it with his sheer physical strength.

    "Tell me, Gustav! Tell me why a monster like you is by the side of such a man!" Erik shouted like he knew who Gustav was, this drew questionable stares from the warriors around him.

    "That is the debt I owe to the king," Gustav said, with Erik gesturing for the onlookers to bring him his weapons, which included weapons for Gustav.

    "Erik The Berserker, stories have been told about your monstrosity, and the chaos you bring with your presence," Gustav said, picking his choice of weapon. It was a basic sword and a shield.

    Erik looked proud that Gustav knew about his stories.

    "Enough talking,e and take my head." Erik''s tone shifted from yful to stern in a second and everyone backed up to give them enough room to fight.

    Gustav rushed towards Erik, his footwork was different. He was not fast but he was nimble, but Erik dropped his weapons to the ground.

    And Gustav stabbed him right through his chest, slightly to the left where the heart was located.

    Everyone was shocked, everyone but Sven as Erik allowed Gustav tond the first blow that might result in his death.

    Even Erik could not survive a strike to the heart.

    "Why?" Gustav asked the giant, blood gushing from Erik''s mouth.

    "Why did you allow me to take your life?" Gustav questioned, leaving his sword inside Erik as he let the hilt go. Erik''s eyes momentarily became lifeless and everyone gasped because theirmander was about to fall in a battle that meant nothing to them but they could not interfere despite boiling with rage.

    "Sven, why did you allow this!?" Oskar asked hismander because he could not believe how calm Sven was despite a major battle power falling in battle.

    "HAHAHAHA!" Erik''s voice came to life and Gustav instinctively backed up in fear because he was sure life left his eyes.

    "I must have fallen asleep! Thank you for waking me up!" Erik said, dragging the sword from his chest and tossing it on the ground with Gustav''s head followed right after he muttered the word,

    "Monster," Erik was born with his heart on his right side, a defect.

    "Allow what? Erik''s fine as you can see," Sven muttered as he watched the headless body of Gustav drop to the ground.

    "WARRIORS! I CANNOT BE KILLED! THE GODS HAVE GIVEN ME IMMORTALITY FOR THE BATTLE TO COME AS YOU CAN SEE AND I CAN SWEAR ON MY AX THAT IF YOU FOLLOW ME! VESTFOLD WILL FALL!" Erik shouted, his warriors became ravenous and even the warriors under Sven were amazed as they truly believed Erik to be a man that cannot be killed, his men had seen this numerous times and the effect it always has was a core part of why they were under him, this was like a reaffirmation to their faith.

    Sven now understood why he allowed Gustav to fight him or even brought him here in the first ce. It was not because of something as trivial as a duel but Erik has been messing with Gustav by giving him the illusion that he had a chance against him and the weakened ropes he had bound him with, all that was for this moral boost. Erik might look to be a sociopath but he was far from stupid.

    "And he calls me crazy?" Sven thought as he watched the warriors'' confidence skyrocket in a way he has never seen before.

 Chapter 66 The First Battle Begins!

    ?Erik and Sven''s unit started their march towards King Asmund''s camp despite being outnumbered more than 10 to 1, it was odds that were nowhere near their favor but they had to do this to prevent King Asmund''s time to figure out their ploy.

    They needed to engage them even if they knew this might be thest time that they fought as death looked to be in their near future.

    "Sir Oskar! The camp is empty," A scout reported and Sven noticed that they were on a field that looked to be tampered with, prompting him to signal for his advancing unit to stop.

    Erik, on the other hand, kept advancing. Sven was surprised that he was unmoved by such an injury despite receiving it that day.

    An injury on that scale usually is enough to put people out ofmission but it was like a scratch to Erik, and now he had an army that believed that they were led by a god.

    A delusion he knew about but decided to go along with because of the effect it had, even Erik didn''t believe himself to be a god.

    Sven looked around, studying the terrain, he noticed that the field was cleared out but the surrounding forest acted as a cage or arena of some sort. They could be hiding anywhere and his gut feeling was telling them they were being watched.

    He knew Erik was walking right into a trap but better him than them, they had roughly over 300 men in total together, 150-155 respectively.

    He watched one of Erik''s men fall right into a pit and was impaled by multiple spikes in the same pit, this was the first casualty of war.

    "THAT LUCKY BASTARD GETS TO SEE VALHALLA BEFORE US!" Erik shouted, he did not show any remorse or sympathy for his fallen warrior but instead used his death as fuel for those that still lived, Sven now understood why Erik was amander.

    Sven noticed the ground was damp but there had been no rain for a bit, but the damped ground was only where Erik and his men stood.

    Erik noticed it in time but he did not care if it was wet or not but there was no enemy for them to charge at, Sven knew Erik was the perfect bait due to his personality and to give him the extra motivation he might need.

    "Erik, King Asmund is here¡­" Sven let loose the information that kept Erik contained, and Erik''s eyes lit up like a child that just saw his favorite snack.

    "He is here!? Where!?" Erik asked and Sven pointed at the surrounding forest, and without second thought Erik charged there but that was when Vestfold made their move.

    A torch was dropped to the damped ground from the forest and the mes spread like an inferno, ready to consume anyone in its path but this only confirmed Sven''s theory that they were hidden in the forest and thought that they had used oil to damp the ground was a smart move but he noticed it did not extend to the forest.

    Erik saw the mes chase him and consume a few of his men but he was out of harm''s way the moment he entered the forest.

    Sven noticed his path was blocked, there was no way for them to advance except into the forest but he noticed that the mes originated from a position and instructed his own men into the opposite side of the forest Erik ran into, the mes split them up and it worked.

    Sven was not concerned if Erik lived or died but he knew he needed Erik to cause enough chaos because of the possibility of fighting King Asmund right beneath his nose.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He knew there was no way Erik would fall until he reached him.

    Sven ventured into the forest and was weed by a volley of arrows that took down a few of his men before they could reach for their shield to form a wall.

    King Asmind greatly outnumbered them yet deployed a tactic that would minimize casualty on his side because he knew this was one of many battles and needed all the firepower he could muster.

    "Hold the formation!" Svenmanded as despite the raised shield, he saw his men barely survive the volley of arrows. They had taken multiple casualties without even seeing the enemies that were attacking them.

    But then a minuteter, Sven noticed noises from around them, and before long, the enemies finally came into sight to engage them.

    Sven noticed the shields were ruined already by the volley of arrows, they had holes and arrows sticking in them.

    Sven smiled the moment he noticed this, the volley of arrows was not to narrow down their numbers but to render the only means of them defending themselves ineffective.

    King Asmund lived up to his name.

    Sven engaged them in their overwhelming numbers as the real battle had just begun, the war against Vestfold was officially underway.

    -

    Erik''s unit had far more luck as they were used to fighting in harsher conditions than this. Erik was ripping through people and shields with a swing of his ax and sword.

    This struck fear in the hearts of his enemies but it was Tyr that was the MVP as he was leaping between tree branches like a creature that lived in the forest. It was a big disadvantage for King Asmund''s forces, the forest that was meant to be to their advantage was now at their disadvantage.

    Tyr saw that Erik could not be killed and bought into the delusion that he was a god. This meant his doctrines and thoughts were absolute.

    This was the one push that Tyr needed, the one push to corrupt the morals and principles that his father and mother had shaped.

    He was drenched in blood and the Vestfold warriors were wondering how a kid got so bloodthirsty because this was not strength, in terms of strength they were sure that he was no match for them but there was something he had.

    It was like he was plunging towards death with each swing of his dual-wielding axes and theughter and joy in his eyes showed that this was no longer a child, no.

    This was the making of a monster.

 Chapter 67 The Battle Intensifies

    ?Tyr was at an all-time high, his adrenaline was flowing as he cut through his foes like butter.

    He was fast and nimble, using the trees and tight space to his advantage as enemies found it hard to strike him because he used the surrounding trees as shields.

    Erik looked like a proud father, it was hard to believe this was the son of Ragnar because this was far from the proud behavior of Ragnar Lothbrok.

    But he was having a bit too much fun because he soon ran out of stamina, this was the one thing hecked in terms of battle prowess.

    He was out of breath and evading attacks became a lot harder as he started incurring actual injuries, Erik saw this but had no intentions of helping him out.

    He did not care much if Tyr died despite taking a liking to him, there was no preferential treatment as strength was what he valued the most.

    Erik had multiple arrows sticking out of his body but he was still standing, this made his enemies even more cautious about what kind of man he was and Erik noticed that they had started retreating in numbers.

    It was too easy, it felt like they were baiting them but Erik did not care for technicalities and ran towards them, he chased them without hesitation. Tyr noticed that their numbers have been cut down by more than half.

    At this rate, they would notst for a day and they needed to keep them busy for as long as possible because there was no way they could win if King Asmund got wind of their n.

    "Stop! I have a n," Tyrmanded the rest of the men and a few listened to him with the rest running behind Erik.

    -

    This same urrence urred when Signy was fighting, they retreated forcing them to be chased by Sven but unlike Erik, Sven was more cautious and did not give in to the illusion that they had the upper hand because he knew they did not. There was no way, not with the number of men he has lost so far.

    Sven knew that they did not want to fight in an open field and from what he saw earlier, there were traps everywhere. This made it difficult for them to advance carelessly.

    Sven thought about retreating but he could not, he suspected that King Asmund was waiting for them at the end of the forest.

    "Sven! Let us go!" Oskar shouted and began to follow the foot depressions left by the retreating enemies, Sven cautiously followed behind them as they gave chase.

    Things had heated up and they were nowhere close to their task.

    King Asmund was a step ahead and Sven knew they would be dead at the end of the day if they continued at this pace.

    -

    Birger advanced through the rough terrains of the hills, it was difficult but with his mental map of the area. This made it possible for them not to get lost in their journey.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The destination was Vestfold, they were headed right at the heart of the Kingdom.

    King Asmund was nowhere near there and there was no point in a war if there was no Kingdom to defend, this was the quickest way of ending this war and Asmund made a very costly miscalction by thinking King Askild would be with his forces in this field.

    Something that would have happened if not for the idea of Ulf and Hagen, this was the turning point of the war.

    "How much longer?" Bjorn asked hismander but this was something that Asger did not know because this was unfamiliar territory to him, one he did not have the slightest clue how to navigate.

    Asger boiled with anger he kept under control, it took everything in him not to kill Birger where he stood and Ragnar noticed how tensed Asger had be and he could not me him.

    "Birger, how much longer?" Ragnar asked the man with a helmet over his head.

    "We should arrive by nightfall," Birger said but he took a second look at the men around him for a reevaluation and retracted his earlier statement.

    "No, we should arrive there by morning," Birger said and Bjorn''s mouth dropped upon hearing this. Morning? That was another 36 hours give or take and Bjorn did not have the mental strength to even think that far ahead.

    "Morning!?" Bjorn could not hide his disdain and this prompted him to look in the child''s direction, then look at Ragnar, who already had his eyes on Birger.

    "You have a fine child, Ragnar," Birgerplimented him, before shing Asger a mocking nce.

    They could not act out of order, not in front of their King but that was about it, the little banter between them was not important but they had to stop it or risk getting under the skin of their King.

    "I hope you do not think the conquest of Vestfold would be easy even without my brother there?" Birger tossed the question in the air for anyone to answer.

    "Shut up and move," Askild said and what followed was silence, this was the first time Askild had spoken in such a manner. The path was too smooth, everything was going too smoothly and Askild felt something was amiss. There was no way war would be waged and areas left unprotected.

    "We are not in Vestfold yet, we are at a neighboring kingdom that did not get along well with them," Birger said but the moment he said this, an arrow whistled past them and right into the temple of a random warrior.

    "What are you talking about, stranger?" A voice called out Birger in the distance.

    Askild was not worried but he was curious who the man that spoke was, he was dressed in some sort of robe with a crest on it. It almost felt like he was a noble.

    "Who decided that?" The man continued, raising his sword and an army appeared behind him.

    "I am Earl Jan, and I wee you to Vingulmark,"

 Chapter 68 Vingulmark

    ?Askild saw that they wouldn''t have it easy after all and it looked to be a miscalction on the part of Birger as thest time he could remember, they were on hostile terms.

    There was no way Asmund united them or did he somehow use this way to banner neighboring kingdoms to his cause.

    "Earl Jan, why do you ally with Vestfold?" Birger asked, stepping forward but an arrownded right in front of him as a warning should he continue advancing.

    "That voice¡­ You are Birger!?" Jan eximed, it was clear from his tone that he was surprised. The audacity of Birger to not only betray his birthce but bring an invading force was one that Jan could not forgive.

    "I challenge you to a duel, Jan, If I win, your forces let us through," Birger said in a stern voice, as he continued his walk towards Jan despite the initial warning arrow.

    Ulf was worried because he knew that Askild had entrusted him with the protection of Birger and anything resulting in his death would spell doom for Ulf''s reputation.

    He wanted his king to know he was reliable and knew that he needed to do something about the impending danger Birger was walking to.

    He tried to advance but Askild stopped him with a single gesture, Ulf wondered why but he saw something in Askild''s eyes that sent shivers down his spine.

    He stood down without protest, and Askild watched to see how this interaction would unfold.

    Jan would be stupid to ept such an offer but Birger''s rtionship with the man was unknown.

    They knew each other by the look of things and the fact that a warning arrow was even fired told Askild that they would rather not kill him otherwise they would have taken a clearer choice with an intent to kill.

    "I refuse your offer," Jan rejected with a chuckle, he could not believe that Birger thought he would ept such an offer, especially when the war directly affected his kingdom''s stability.

    "You have always been a coward," Birger responded, and just then, Jan gestured for the archers toe forth.

    Ulf looked worried but Askild''s hand was still held out, meaning he wanted him to stay6 put as he was curious to see how this unfolded, could Birger be killed so easily?

    ? "Archers! Loose!" Jan shouted and Askild smiled upon the realization that those arrows were not for Birger but for them, it rained on their position with fury, taking down their men.

    "That bastard¡­!" Asger cussed out the moment he realized what was happening.

    These men were not here because of their allegiance to Vestfold, but to Birger.

    Birger had somehow informed them of their travel routes and the fact that he had a helmet on but they could recognize him because of his voice, the only thing that they could use as an identity marker was risky.

    "I guess we can stop pretending now," Birger said, turning back to face Askild. Everyone thought he wanted to remove his helmet and finally reveal his face but this was the opposite.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "This is Earl Jan, he watches over this territory¡­" Birger said in a casual tone that did not solicit any threat despite just having arrows kill a few of King Askild''s men.

    He noticed the anger from Asger but it was satisfying knowing he would not do anything with that anger.

    "Those men dead have contributed to this war more than any of you could do," Birger said to which Jan cleared his throat to take over the dialogue.

    "My kingdom holds a rather fickle peace with Vestfold and I would like to y both sides to suffer no risks," Jan said, unmounting his horse.

    "If I side with Vestfold and they lose, I am certain I will be perceived as an enemy and if I side with the invader and they lose, Vestfold will have my head as well," Jan said, and Askild already knew where this was going but wanted the words toe out of his mouth.

    "This way, it looks like we at least put up resistance. You lost approximately 60 men but gain my warriors in their hundreds in return. I think that is a fair trade. What say you, King Askild?" Jan said, and Askild could not believe that Birger snuck something this important right under his nose but he was not surprised.

    Despite the cost, he could not deny that this would bolster their military ranks, and with them by their side, they now had a haven to rest in.

    This was a necessary move from a military standpoint despite the sacrifices it had to incur.

    Jan unmounted his horse with the sole intention of giving it to King Askild, it was an honor to be standing before such a distinguished man.

    A man with the balls to go to war with Vestfold, a man that forced the peaceful Asmund into violence. Askild was a man that was worthy of all the respect that came with it.

    Jan gave Askild his horse, walking to him as he handed it to him, but he did not bend a knee because he was not his King.

    Askild did not show gratitude or any form of appreciation when he got the horse but this was a relief that they were noting under attack despite losing men.

    Jan''s n was sound as he was the only one of his warriors to have a crest on it, the rest were dressed just like the soldiers of Kattegat.

    Skarde heaved a sigh but his hand did not leave the hilt of his sword, not for a moment.

    "That was quite the shy show," Skarde muttered as he watched King Askild mount the horse that was given to him.

    "Focus, our journey is still far," Askild said, but on horseback, he could preserve his strength.

    The same could not be said for his warriors and he decided for them to rest in the Kingdom of Vingulmark.

    .

 Chapter 69 Luck Or Fate?

    ?The battle intensified in the areas they were being fought, Erik was the first to shoot out of the forest and there was a field where the full force of Vestfold awaited.

    "Now this is what I am fucking talking about!" Erik eximed like he was a wild beast let out of his cage.

    In the distance, he could see a man mounted on a horse but he could not make out whoever that was due to the proximity.

    But he recognized the horse, it was the horse of King Asmund but the men before him were so overwhelming that even Erik had to pause to take a deep breath.

    He noticed from his earlier battle that these men were not your average warriors and took a series of injuries from their swords.

    Erik''s men finally caught up to him except for Tyr and a few others, something Erik took note of but did not put too much thought into it.

    Erik smiled, raising his axes but just before he could give the order to charge so they could die in the most glorious way imaginable, Oskar popped out of the forest to his left with Sven and his men following suit soon after.

    "Sven? I am surprised you are still alive," Erik shouted as his voice echoed. These men did not like each other but they were relieved that they both lived.

    They needed all the strength they could muster because the person they wanted was King Asmund, this was a far stretch as Askild knew this was impossible but Erik thought it possible.

    He had a bone to pick with King Asmund and he was not going to throw in the towel until he got that bone.

    "Do not tell me you are getting cold feet now, Erik¡­" Sven teased the berserker but Sven also noticed that Tyr was not with him.

    "Did they get the punk?" Sven asked but Erik did not respond to this question, partly because it was none of Sven''s business.

    They knew this would very well be theirst day, this battle was not for survival but for Valha.

    Erik raised both his axes and screamed like a feral beast and his men followed suit, the floor vibrating with the mere frequencies of their various voices.

    This taunt did little to worry the enemies because they knew regardless of their taunt, numbers don''t lie.

    Erik led the charge with only a fragment of the overall army of Vestfold detaching and engaging them, Erik was enjoying this battle as he cut them down like they were not even there.

    But his men did not have this same luck as it was more evenly matched in their exchanges.

    Sven didn''t charge directly at the iing enemies but instructed his men to form what he called the "york formation." This involved the center of their formation being empty, they opened up, and in the process dodged their attacks.

    The enemies that made it into the center were brutally ughtered as the formation was reestablished with their shields raised to prevent any form of backup for the trapped enemies.

    They were cut offpletely, this was a brilliant n as it was enough to reduce the casualties Sven''s men suffered, but he knew that this formation could only hold up for so long.

    This was just the first wave after all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He spared Erik a nce and noticed that he was smiling despite the odds stacked against them.

    Did he not understand the concept of death or did he not care?

    Sven at that moment was sure that Erik did not think he would die today.

    That is an arrogant mindset but it was contagious as he too, started to believe he would not die today.

    Raising his sword in the air, he swung it down to instruct his men to charge forward and that is exactly what they did, they charged to provide Erik backup upon the detachment of the second wave from King Asmund''s army, the sh was more violent as Erik kept seeing his men fall around him in numbers but he did not care as they were making leeway, this was what he thought. There was no way Odin, the All-Father, would deny him a magnificent duel with Asmund.

    A man he has deemed worthy to send him to Valha should he fall, it would not be a death that shames him but he certainly could not fall to these nameless warriors.

    There was no way his life purpose was to die to give a scrub a semnce of reputation.

    Erik noticed the faces of their enemies contort into that of horror.

    "That is right! Fear me!" Erik shouted but he soon began coughing, but it was not just him as Sven and every warrior on their side began coughing.

    Looking back, they noticed the forest was on fire and it consumed the trees like a fire god was on a vengeance mission.

    ck smokepletely shrouded the battle in darkness, and this meant that no one could see anyone. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of coughing.

    "W-Wat is this!?" Oskar questioned, he knew they had to get out of the smoke and the only open field was in the direction of the army, was this another of their tricks to suffocate them instead?

    No, their reaction to its appearance showed that they were equally as surprised, so what happened?

    Oskar searched for answers but Erik knew what happened, this was not from the enemy.

    This was from that little runt he had taken under his wings.

    "That damn Tyr¡­!" Erik said with a wild grin but what was the goal of this as it put both sides at a disadvantage, the wind did not help to clear the smoke but only added fuel to the consuming mes.

    Vestfold retreated, or it was more urate to say King Asmund and a minority of his army retreated until they were some distance away from the main army, they could not lose this first battle nor could they lose their King. Retreating will also boost the confidence of the enemies, something he could not afford right now.

    Asmund caught his breath atst and waited to see just what the result of this battle would be.

    "Are you King Asmund?" A voice asked, and looking back, it was a warrior that was wearing their colors. No, it was more urate to say, warriors.

    "I am Tyr, I havee for your head!"

 Chapter 70 State Of Kattegat

    ?Lagertha was surrounded by multiple kids in her tent, they looked at her with admiration. She noticed that their skin was pale and scaly. They all looked ill and unhealthy but that wasmon considering where she was.

    This area of Kattegat had the highest rate of crime as warriors or the governing body did not take their safety under concern, they were protected in the general sense and by that, I mean they were policed so they do not cause trouble for others outside of this ce.

    King Askild visited this ce previously because this was where the soothsayer was located.

    Lagertha was on guard as the children seemed to be wooed by her, and the girl that had spoken to her previously walked in with the kids dispersing like runaway rats.

    "They do this every time..." She grunted in annoyance, focusing her gaze on the beautiful Lagertha.

    "They have never seen a woman warrior," She said, rifying why they were staring at Lagertha the way they did. They were even more surprised that such a beautifuldy wielded a sword.

    "What is going on in the main city?" Lagertha asked, sitting upright albeit barely.

    "The main city? I do not know but the security was tighter than usual," Thedy responded to Lagertha. Lagertha was not surprised that information did not get through here but there had to be some sort of rumor.

    She wanted to know how Herfj?tur was doing because she was not sure if she was alive or dead. Thest time she saw her, she was in a dire situation right after taking an arrow that made her tumble down.

    "Is there anything you are not telling me?" Lagertha asked in a suggestive voice but the girl went straight into thinking, she was thinking long and hard for a full 5 minutes.

    Lagertha granted her silence in return and just watched her do her thing because, in all actuality, this girl did not owe her a damn thing. She had not only saved her life but also granted her a ce to recuperate.

    "YES!" Thedy shouted out of the blue, this was a lightbulb moment in her little head but Lagertha waited patiently for her to talk when she was ready.

    "There was news going about an attack?" Thedy said but she was not sure if this was what she heard or not. She was a bit of an airhead when it came to information.

    "Please tell me more about it!" Lagertha asked, the urgency in her voice allowed the girl to know it was important to Lagertha.

    "Someone was severely injured. They must be of pretty high status because I heard that is why the security was buffed up but I do not know if she is alive or dead." The girl said, giving Lagertha a lifeline to hold onto.

    If Herfj?tur survived, there was no way she would die from whatever injuries she had gotten, this was what Lagertha had to believe to maintain her sanity.

    She had to believe that this was not what fate had in store for such a great warrior but fate can be cruel.

    -

    Herfj?tur was unconscious, it was a miracle she was still alive as she did not possess the same constitution as Erk despite their simr sizes. She was barely clinging to life as it was, she could not separate life from death.

    But the person that led the attack was under custody, she was conscious enough to start talking but Tiril did not know if she should begin interrogating her or otherwise.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She did not want to mess this up but the decision was hers to make, she did not understand why this thing had to happen because if Lagertha was here, she would have made the call for them but she was presumed dead at this point.

    "What the shit is going on here!" A voice rang out following the sound of the door busting wide open, this voice.

    Tiril turned only to see Ulrik standing right there, he was with a few of his men but there was no way he was in Kattegat when the others were fighting a war in Vestfold.

    "Ulrik!? What are you doing here!" Tiril barked with the warriors with her taking a battle-ready stance but Ulrik did not care much for her noises.

    He walked to the bed of Herfj?tur and just stared at her. Tiril wanted to know what he wanted because she knew very well that no one in that room could defeat him so it would be best not to provoke him.

    Ulrik looked like he wanted to do something to her but what?

    "Hey Herfj?tur, are you dead?" Ulrik asked but he didn''t get any response, he did not look like he was expecting one.

    "Move over," Ulrik said, and this drew puzzled looks from everyone present because she was unconscious so there was no way she could move over.

    "Fine, have it your way¡­" Ulrik muttered as hey beside her, or rather the little space her body mass did not cover-up.

    "Was he sleepwalking!?" Tiril thought to herself as she noticed he was not himself and even the Vikings that followed him looked embarrassed for theirmander''s behavior.

    A man with radish wavy hair stepped forward and apologized for the behavior of theirmander, this was the right hand of Ulrik.

    He was an elderly man, in histe 40s but he was not a warrior but an advisor to Ulrik.

    Ulrik was strong but he was also young and impressionable.

    "I apologize for his behavior, you see¡­" The man said, pausing to look at the snoring Ulrik.

    "Commander Ulrik got the information for the departure wrong¡­" The man said and Tiril could not believe what she had just heard.

    "I see you are in quite the dilemma, allow us to offer our assistance," The man offered and Tiril did not know if she should ept their kind gesture or refuse it. Damn it, Tiril epted the offer of the right-hand man of Ulrik.

    "Thank you¡­" The man paused for an introduction.

    "Tiril¡­" Tiril responded sternly.

    "I go by the name Karl," The older man introduced himself with a polite smile that made Tiril''s tense shoulder be more rxed.

 Chapter 71 Detour

    ?King Askild and the rest of his crew foundfort in Vingulmark, they rested and by doing so they extended their journey to Vestfold.

    Vingulmark was a strange ce, there were not many citizens but there were multiple high-quality structures as this was what one would call a Viking city. A cityprised strictly of warriors and the ones that were not in battle were those that sustained injuries one way or another.

    Ragnar was suspicious of the people around them, he did not trust this man that called himself Jan. Ragnar was going to allow them to help but he was not going to let down his guard, not even for a second.

    "This ce is different," Skarde said. He was amazed by the structure erected, he had never seen some of these yet there were so many things here that he never even thought existed.

    "Ulf¡­" Birger called out to the older brother of Ragnar, Ulf was sticking beside him and Ragnar was too distracted with Jan so his attention was shifted away from Birger.

    Ulf was beside Birger. Birger only spoke in low whispers so no one but Ulf could hear him.

    "When did you make contact with him?" Ulf asked Birger, he wanted to know, considering Birger wanted his trust for reasons unknown to him. He grew suspicious of Birger''s interest in him because he knew he was keeping things from him.

    "I made contact with Jan before we sailed," Birger responded to his question with little to no hesitation but was the contact made while Ulf was watching him or before?

    Ulf wanted to dig further but he did not want to make Birger cautious of him but he started to think of some of the questionable things Birger had been saying.

    But Birger did promise to make his dreame true, and this was one thing Ulf lived for, and that was why he joined this war.

    "Where did you get the blueprint for that ship¡­?" Birger asked a question of his own and Ulf''s body immediately froze because he knew he could not just y it off like he did his brother.

    "Hahaha, why the sudden interest?" Ulf asked Birger but he knew that Birger was not finding his tone humorous.

    "I asked a question, Ulf," Birger said. His voice was cold and sent shivers down Ulf''s spine. This felt different than the menacing energy King Askild exuded but it made him ufortable nheless.

    He looked Birger right in the eyes and kissed his teeth.

    "I am not your ve or servant, address me with more respect," Ulf said, he was getting tired of being addressed like a child and that had to stop because frankly, it was getting disrespectful.

    Birger chuckled, before going into full-on manicughter.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This drew the attention of everyone to his direction as this was the first time anyone had heard himugh sinceing to Kattegat. Ulf chuckled lightly in response because he did not know exactly what was funny as Birger threw an arm over him.

    Ragnar was not liking the familiarity one bit and Asger was fuming with howfortable he was. Ulf noticed the hateful stares and tried to break away from Birger''s embrace but he was surprised by his strength.

    "You see¡­ Just like that, I can make everyone think we are best friends. Do you want to be the odd one out among your peers? Do you want them to doubt your loyalty to your King? I can only imagine the pain thates with such a thing¡­" Birger whispered into Ulf''s ear and he gulped in response to this revtion. Birger had him wrapped around his fingers and Ulf was realizing that this man did not just pose a threat because of his superiorbat skills but his cunning mind.

    "I won''t ask again, Ulf¡­" Birger said, pausing to allow Ulf to answer the question he was asked moments ago.

    "It was something I found in one of my raids in the past, it was guided just like they would a treasure so I thought it must have some sort of value¡­" Ulf said. He was vague with the details and hoped that this summary was enough to satisfy Birger''s curiosity.

    "So you were the one, fate is indeed an interesting thing¡­" Birger said, letting go of Ulf but what he said gave Ulf the impression that he knew just what exactly he was talking about.

    He became the curious one and wanted to know what it was that Birger knew but he knew now was not the time.

    "Fate is fascinating," Ulf responded, officially bringing an end to the conversation because if he pried further, it also allowed Birger the same right.

    They finally reached a stop, they were in the heart of a kingdom and there was no King.

    Bjorn was the only one confused as to why there was not a king in such a kingdom.

    "Why is there no king?" Bjorn asked Asger, and Asger proceeded to exin in detail.

    "Earls are rulers that watch over a part of the king''snds, they act as the de facto king as they can implement their own rules and carry out what they deem to be justice but they ultimately answer to their king but it seems that this man called Jan wants more than just a single piece of the kingdom," Asger said, telling Bjorn of Jan''s betrayal to his King.

    This disgusted Bjorn, he chose Asger because Asger was a warrior worthy of respect, honor was what Bjorn valued above all else and a man that could not stay loyal to his King was the worst of them all. He could tell he was not the only one that held this sentiment as Asger looked at Jan with pure disgust, the fact that he was associated with Birger could mean nothing but bad news.

    They were ushered into a hall where food and snacks were given to the warriors as they could not fight a war on an empty stomach and no one knew when this war would end.

    They all dug in, all except themanders and King Askild as they did not trust this man one bit.

 Chapter 72 Tyr In Danger!?

    ?The ck smoke was getting thicker and thicker, the forces of King Asmund did not retreat because they did not want to lose grounds to Askild''s men, they needed to make a stand here but during this diversion, Tyr and a few of the men that listened to his n had circled the battlefield.

    "I am Tyr, I havee for your head!" Tyr said with certainty in his voice, there was no hesitation or hint of doubt. Tyr truly believed he could end this war himself, all he needed to do was take the head of the man before him.

    The men that were with Tyr were surprised by this deration but they all knew Tyr couldn''t defeat King Asmund, a person that even Erik could not beat or evenpare to.

    They, however, liked his confidence but they needed to cut through his guards first, these men were dressed differently from the rest so it was easy to discern that they were some elite guards of some sort.

    "Hey Tyr, have you forgotten where you are?" A Viking whispered to Tyr. They understood that he was young and passionate but they had to use their brains here.

    "Cut through them¡­" Tyr said, but this only drew confused looks from the men around him. It was like they were standing before Erik. Tyr was looking more like Erik as time went by.

    "Y-Yes," They said, charging right at the guards that were surrounding the horse, they were roughly even in numbers but the strength of the men guarding King Asmund was on another level.

    They cut down Erik''s men with little difficulty, and Tyr knew at this moment that his n was destined to fail if it continued like this but he received a warning before thest one of them was cut down.

    "Tyr, that is not-!" He could not finish his words before having his head chopped off, this left Tyr as the only surviving warrior. The enemies smiled, they had foiled the futile attempt of Tyr from fighting their King. Tyr found it weird that the king did not ept his duel but then it hit him.

    "It can''t be?!" Tyr thought, the realization hitting him a tad bit toote.

    Erik was lost in the smoke but this did not stop him from charging forward like a berserker, he cut down anyone in his path. Be they allies or enemies and he wasughing while doing it, he took a few minor injuries along the way but that was not enough to slow him down.

    No one was a match for him, and the smoke put them at a worse advantage, Erik had instructed the archers to blindly rain arrows in the position of the enemies regardless of the possibility of them being caught in the cross river. If the arrows hit them, then it was fate.

    No one could escape fate, not even the gods themselves, this was a reckless strategy and Sven was not aware of this n.

    All he heard was the scream of his men and arrows dropping around him.

    "Erik! You fucking crazy bastard!" Sven cussed as he had to fight with a shield over his head, and cut down the enemies with a sword in the other hand.

    They had to tie a piece of cloth around their nose, this was the only way not to suffocate immediately but this would notst for long.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They had to get out and the only way out was forward, they understood why Asmund left his forces here now, it was to create a barrier for their forces.

    They either fought against insurmountable odds or suffocated in the smoke, it was the perfect n from Asmund. He had turned a n to blindside them into one that worked against both parties but he knew that whoever set the forest on fire might have anticipated this.

    "Tyr! You little genius!" Erik praised the son of Ragnar as his body was drenched in blood and he had managed to push past the line of the enemies, and kept going forward.

    There was no way to stop or track him, the smoke came to his aid in this regard and the raining arrows doubled down as an effective deterrent as the enemies were on the defensive, negating offense as their strategy was sessful in keeping majority of Kattegat forces at bay.

    Erik was not your average warrior, it was no surprise that they could not stop him as one or two slipped through behind him before the enemy rposed themselves and reformed the formation.

    Erik was out of the dark smoke in no time but he met no one, a few of his dead warriors.

    He only saw a retreating horse and a few of the elite warriors that stayed back to stall him.

    On the floor, he saw Tyr''s ax. Erik instinctively knew that Tyr was not killed but taken.

    What would King Asmund want with a child, there was no way he knew he was the son of Ragnar.

    Erik''s face changed, and for the first time in a very long time, Erik was angry and the energy that oozed from him was nothing but evil. The enemies gulped as they shakingly held their ground but Erik made quick work of them.

    They tried to block his swing but he broke through their weapons while taking off multiple heads in a single swing. Such power and strength made the others know there was no way for them to kill Erik but they had no intentions of giving up either.

    They were prepared to die but Erik did not n on making it that easy for them, for the first time in a long time he put his bloodthirsty nature aside and used more of his brain.

    "Take them," Erik instructed the warriors that slipped through the cracks, and they captured him.

    Erik watched the horse in the distance and he admitted that Asmund had pulled one over their head but he could not help but be impressed by Tyr''s little n.

    "I am afraid we have lost this battle," Erik muttered.

 Chapter 73 He, Who Leads

    ?Ragnar requested to speak with King Askild outside of the dining hall, an audience Askild granted him because they could not risk anyone eavesdropping on their conversation.

    "King Askild, there is something off," Ragnar told Askild but this news did not look like a surprise to Askild. He knew exactly what Ragnar meant.

    "Birger''s ambition is bigger than he let on, I expected this much but I know one thing is for certain and that is himing for my head," Askild responded with an unbothered face.

    Ragnar was worried because Birger risked his life by evening to Kattegat.

    There was no way he did not have contingency ns should things go south.

    "We have to bid our time, we have a waring up but I have a question for you Ragnar¡­" King Askild said, turning to face Ragnar.

    "Is your brother, Ulf, trustworthy? I will take your word for it," Askild asked Ragnar, this was a difficult moment as Ulf has had his questionable moments but so has everyone.

    It would not be fair to paint his brother as a bad person when that was far from the case.

    "Ulf is trustworthy," Ragnar said without hesitation, Ragnar''s word was something Askild valued, and his asking this question implied he had doubts regarding Ulf.

    Who could me him? He was hanging around Birger all day and there had to be a reason why Birger kept him alive, it that reason was not something as superficial as him liking Ulf.

    "The food was not poisoned so I guess they do n to help us out. This is a war, no one joins if there is nothing to benefit them." Askild said. A sentiment that Ragnar Lothbrok shared with him.

    "When the war is over, we will be depleted and surrounded by enemies that became allies under this single goal, do you think these enemies will remain allies or will they turn their swords to their old enemies?" King Askild asked, he was already thinking about the conclusion of the war despite it not be guaranteed that they would win yet losing was never a part of his discussion.

    There were no ns for if they lose nor were there any talks of retreating, Askild was sure o victory, and Ragnar admired this sort of mindset from the man he called his King.

    "What is your n when Vestfold falls, my king?" Ragnar asked because he did not know what Askild intended to do after conquering Vestfold.

    "I will hold it, I will assign an Earl to watch and rule over it in my stead," Askild said in a suggestive tone, hinting that Ragnar might be that person.

    He knew Ragnar did not like the idea of himself ruling but it is for this very reason that he would be a good ruler, but the fact that Askild thought he could hold Vestfold was nothing short of arrogance as there was no way they would ept a foreign power to rule them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "King Askild, we do not have the men to hold both Kattegat and Vestfold, our forces will be split and we will be weakened on both fronts," Ragnar responded but judging from Askild''s unchanging expression, he had already considered this.

    "The Vikings of Vestfold are different from Kattegat, that old man has managed to instill in them a type of loyalty I never thought possible¡­" Askild began talking, these sounded like words of admiration towards Asmund, something that surprised Ragnar.

    "So what do you think they would do if we take their King alive? Their loyalty will decide if he lives or dies¡­" Askild said with a smile, almost like he could not believe the wordsing out of his mouth.

    "He will rather take his life than let that happen, won''t he?" Askild asked rhetorically because he knew the answer to the question already.

    This n would not work but he looked far too calm for someone that did not have it figured out prompting Ragnar to think that there was something he was not telling him.

    But he was not surprised, he did not expect King Askild to tell him all his secrets at the drop of a hat. The conversation came to a natural conclusion and King Askild was about to go back inside when Ragnar asked about Ulrik and why he was left in Kattegat.

    "That man has an instinct for danger, I have learned not to question. It is probably more useful over there than he is here either way," Askild said, entering the hall back.

    Leaving Ragnar to ponder on the conversation they had just discussed.

    -

    Ulrik was snoring like a mannerless dog right beside an unconscious Herfj?tur, who was fighting for her life. This was hardly appropriate but everyone knew better than touching him in such a state. Tiril watched awkwardly but then she saw a sudden movement from Herfj?tur, so subtle that she thought it was just in her imagination but then it happened again.

    "Herfj?tur!" Tiril shouted rushing towards her, her body temperature had gotten back to normal and she was d because it looked like the worst was over despite her still being out ofmission. They did not expect her to bounce back anytime soon leaving Kattegat in the hands of the foul-mouthed Ulrik but this relieved Tiril because now she could forfeit authority.

    She could not bare the responsibility of leadership, a role that she knew she was not suited for due to experience despite Herfj?tur''s best efforts to pass on more responsibility to her.

    Ulrik''s eyes gradually opened as he sat up from the bed, clearly dazed and lost.

    "Where the fuck am I? Have we arrived in Vestfold yet?" Ulrik asked, half asleep as he tried topose himself, after a full 5 minutes of silence. He looked around and was surrounded by familiar faces, and this ce was the same as the one Asger was in.

    "Fuck, I overslept again, didn''t I?" Ulrik muttered under his breath.

 Chapter 74 Imposter?

    ?Erik was angry that he did not get to fight King Asmund but he found it strange that Asmund would retreat knowing the repercussions of such an action. Asmund was no dunce when it came to battle, let alone strategy but thinking now would do nothing for Erik.

    Erik took a deep breath like he was trying to calm himself, before screaming.

    "LISTEN WARRIORS OF VESTFOLD! YOUR KING HAS CONCEDED DEFEAT! YOU HAVE LOST THIS BATTLE!" Erik''s voice echoed throughout the battlefield, the fact that his voice wasing from behind their lines gave authenticity to his words.

    The blind arrow barrage had cut down their numbers in great numbers. Erik''s gamble had paid off, and with this news, their morals dropped to the ground.

    They ran out of the smoke and Erik cut down one or two just to feed his axes but they were retreating, and the cheers of the Vikings showed that they had secured victory.

    They pushed out of the smoke, barely clinging to life as they coughed.

    The fresh air entering their lungs did wonders, they couldn''t believe that they had secured a victory on the first day, despite the odds stacked against them and it was because of Tyr''s reckless n that proved to y a pivotal role in this fight.

    A forest fire was reckless nheless and Sven knew to scold the boy, something he was prepared to do the moment he exited the ck smoke.

    "Where is he!?" Sven screamed and he noticed the look of anger in Erik''s eyes as he picked up ax Tyr from the ground, Sven''s eyes darted around to try and pick out Tyr''s dead body from those thaty around but could not find him.

    He could rule out that he was killed but it has been ages since he has seen that look in Erik''s eyes.

    "Tyr won us this battle¡­" Erik muttered, he was both proud and angry that a kid stole the spotlight. And Sven noticed this but he did not care too much if he was dead or alive.

    "We won because the gods willed it, I think we should try and circle their forces," Sven suggested as he knew that despite their demoralized state, the enemies still had numbers and he doubted that another trick would work on them.

    "Erik, we need to move now!" Sven shouted at Erik, Tyr was taken but there was nothing they could do, he would not be the first casualty of war either.

    "Move? I came here for the head of King Asmund and I am going to get it," Erik said, pointing in the direction he saw them retreat.

    Sven knew the real reason he wanted to go, those eyes he saw before were not one of someone that longed for just a battle but of one that had something taken away from him.

    Sven knew they could not split their forces due to their insignificant numbers and they did owe Tyr for the victory.

    "You will get yourself killed, Erik. Are you fine betraying your lies of being a god?" Sven said in a low tone, loud enough for only Erik to hear.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Asmund possesses the strength to send me to Valha and if I take his head, my name would be sung throughout the ages. I win in both cases." Erik said.

    "We should rest and secure our wounded before going into another battle, if they took the kid then they do not intend to kill him immediately," Sven responded, giving a more cool-headed analysis of the situation, an analysis that Erik agreed with.

    "WHAT WAS THAT YOU CRAZY MAN!?" A voice shouted, it was the voice of Oskar as he had just left the smoke and was fuming with Erik.

    Erik was in no mood for this and Sven knew that Oskar would lose his head if he bothered Erik at his particr moment.

    "That is enough Oskar, his strategy is what helped us win the battle," Sven said and Oskar was surprised that Erik was standing with a few arrows in him.

    "I think we need to take a breather, I need my wounds covered up and burned so they do not get infected," Erik said, ripping out the arrows buried in him, and tossing them in the direction of Oskar.

    "If you address me that way again, Oskar. I will kill you¡­" Erik said, looking right into the eyes of Sven''s right-hand man, Oskar wanted to retreat into his shell like a turtle but unfortunately, he was no turtle.

    "Let us celebrate our victory, I cannot help but feel like we have been had," Erik said, sitting on the ground with his wounds bleeding profusely and a warrior popping out of nowhere to tend to them. They had healers with them, healers that knew how to fight, and the Day 1 battle concluded with this.

    Kattegat had won the first battle. But they knew something was amiss with this victory but could not point to what.

    -

    Tyr was taken to a camp not far from the battlefield, this was more of a town than a camp and for some reason, this man did not give off the aura of the fearful Asmund and Tyr knew exactly why.

    The warning his allies gave him right before being cut down was not just any random warning but rather directed at the identity of this man that had captured him.

    The man noticed that Tyr''s eyes were opened and he smiled gently, an action that irked Tyr.

    "You are a son of Ragnar, I have heard great things about you," Asmund said with a smile, Tyr knew there was no way they killed everyone that night as it was only normal for some escaped back to their camp.

    Tyr looked the man on horseback right in the eyes and asked a question that was brewing in his mind.

    "You are not King Asmund, are you¡­?" Tyr asked, the tone he used hinted at it being rhetorical and the smile from the man confirmed this, the man before him was not King Asmund.

 Chapter 75 Stability Back In Kattegat

    ?Kattegat was regaining its stability with the search for Lagertha bearing no fruit, there was no way to confirm if she was dead or alive.

    Ulrik was in charge of Kattegat now and he told everyone not to announce that Lagertha could be dead as if this got out, it would be difficult to contain even if they do find her.

    Unless there was a body, Lagertha was alive until then and Ulrik took the interrogation of thedy that had led the attack himself.

    She was taken to the dungeon, while he was no Erik he knew how to break his prisoners.

    The mind was what Ulrik liked breaking, not the body.

    Tiril felt sorry for thedy that was now within the grasp of Ulrik, a fate she would not wish for her worst enemy but thisdy did hurt hermander.

    She wished her the worst possible kind of pain any human could bear.

    "Well, well. King Askild is gone a day and you fuckers try to take over?" Ulrik said, sharpening a dagger right in front of the tied-up woman.

    He noticed the fear in her eyes as he momentarily stopped sharpening the knife.

    "Oh! This? This is not for you." Ulrik said and the relief on the woman''s face was clear.

    But the fear was still in her eyes, she did not know what he nned to do with her but she knew it was something very unpleasant.

    "I do not harmdies, but my process is slow and a lot more of an attack on your mind. Food and water will not touch those lips of yours, you won''t be allowed to sleep¡­" Ulrik was saying all this with a satisfied smile as he was listing the things he would do to her.

    Thedy was not gagged but there was no point in talking and risking provoking the one that was in charge of getting information out of her.

    "But before I begin, I will give you a chance to tell me everything you know," Ulrik said as he returned to sharpening his dagger.

    "Who do you work for?" Ulrik asked but thedy held out. She soon realized by Ulrik''s smile that this was exactly what he was hoping for.

    "I-I can''t say their name or I am as good as dead," Thedy said and Ulrik''s smile disappeared with this.

    "I do not give a fuck, I could kill you now if you want. It makes no difference." Ulrik said.

    He was surprised by how stupid she was but he knew that whoever was responsible was someone with some sort of influence or there was no way she would hold out.

    "There is an interesting punishment I have in store for you," Ulrik said, pointing at the stone that was barely touching her legs as the rope wrapped around her wrists kept her suspended.

    She had to stand on the stone or she might damage the nerve in her hands, she had no problem bncing for now as she still had stamina but for how long?

    "Do you fear that person more than you do King Askild?" Ulrik asked and the horror that crept up on thedy''s face showed she did not.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She was stripped naked and he noticed that she had a strange tattoo embedded on her back.

    "I-I do not know the person''s name! You must believe me!" Thedy pleaded but this contradicted what she had said previously, she said she could not say the name and not that she did not know the name.

    Ulrik was no fool but he decided to y along with her games, fear does make people say things they do not mean.

    "What is that mark on your back¡­" Ulrik questioned her but that was when thedy chose absolute silence despite her fear. Ulrik was in no rush, they had days, weeks, or even months to break her.

    Lagertha was feeling better, she had regained the mobility in her joints and could stand on her feet, albeit barely as she fell each time she did.

    She was advised to lie down but she wanted to step out for fresh air because the inside house stunk badly due to the decaying organisms around her.

    She was held up by the girl and outside was one of the most unhygienic ces she had seen in her life, the ground was swampy and the road was littered with dirt and rubbish.

    Starving children on the road, devoid of energy as theyy there to die.

    This made her gesture even more selfless because this girl could easily have left Lagertha, this ce was already terrible enough for her to concern herself with one person.

    "Where did you find me?" Lagertha asked the girl, she had to know.

    "I found you copsed some distance away from here, I thought you might be a noblewoman because of your beautiful skin. If a noble dies here, we will all be in trouble," Thedy said, prompting Lagertha to understand just how unfair the world was to them.

    "You saved my life, I owe you so much more than my life and I will get you out of here," Lagertha said, and an idea came up as she remembered how they adopted Tyr.

    Nothing was stopping her from adopting this girl or taking her as a maid because she could not make her, her child without the consent of her husband who was currently at war.

    "W-What do you mean? That is not possible!" The girl firmly said. She did not believe Largetha. She lost her parents when she was little and learned to scavenge for herself.

    "I will take you out of here, what is your name?" Lagertha asked but the girl became flustered.

    "I-I do not have a name," The girl said, her head facing the ground as this brought a smile from Lagertha.

    "Do you mind if I give you one?" Lagertha asked and the girl''s face lit up as she shook her head to let Lagertha know it was alright.

    "How about Garda?" Lagertha said. a name that meant shelter, just like she had provided her.

    The smile on the girl''s face gave Lagertha her answer.

 Chapter 76 Askilds Troops Closes In...

    ?The day wasing to an end, the major events had yed out and Kattegat imed victory in the first battle. But despite this, they could not help but feel they lost something greater.

    King Askild and his men continued on their way to Vestfold, they were well-fed and energized so they could travel faster than when they were famished.

    They marched forward to Vestfold but Jan did not follow them, he simply assigned his troops to King Askild as they swore that he was their leader until the war had concluded.

    Jan spoke to Birger in private as Ragnar watched in suspicion but he heard his name being called, it was the voice of his brother.

    "What is it, Ulf?" Ragnar asked and Ulf gestured for him to follow to which Ragnarplied, he had no reason not to trust his older brother as he was yet to betray him.

    They went to a private corner and Ulf was ready to tell Ragnar why he brought him here.

    "Brother, there is something I want to tell you¡­" Ulf said hesitantly, this was unusual behavior for his brother and Ragnar noticed his hands fidgeting.

    "I am listening," Ragnar said, resting his back against the wall as he waited for Ulf to spill whatever it was he wanted to tell him.

    "That ship, the blueprint¡­ I got it from a fishing vige near the docks on the outskirts of Kattegat," Ulf came clean because he feared that Birger would use this very information to ckmail him into doing something but Ragnar did not look bothered by this information.

    "Is that it?" Ragnar asked and before Ulf could speak, Ragnar cut him offpletely.

    "We are Vikings. You did what you needed to do, theft is nothing heinous," Ragnar dismissed with a sigh, he could not believe that Ulf wasted his time with such nonsense but the look in Ulf''s eyes told Ragnar he had more to say, a lot more.

    "What are you not telling me?" Ragnar asked, his tone sounding a lot more serious.

    "They did not just hand it to me and I did not steal it either¡­" Ulf said, pausing and hoping that his brother puts things together.

    "Stop beating around the bush, brother. What did you do?" Ragnar asked his brother directly and noticed Ulf was uneasy. Ragnar instinctively knew what he did but he wanted the words to leave his lips.

    "I ughtered them all and that ce was¡­" Ulf paused as he noticed his brother''s face turn to rage.

    "It was the birthce of Hagen," Ragnar muttered under his breath, it all made sense and it exined why Ulf and Hagen did not get along on a fundamental level despite Hagen having no idea that Ulf was responsible for the massacre.

    "Why are you telling me this now?" Ragnar asked, swallowing his emotions as he wanted to know what brought about this sudden confession.

    "Birger, he knows about it too and I wanted you to hear it from my mouth rather than his. King Askild would probably have my head if this gets out," Ulf said but Ragnar took a deep breath before cing his hand on the shoulder of his bigger brother.

    "You did what any Viking does, you raided and plundered. It is unfortunate that the vige just happened to be where Hagenes from but I think you need to tell him and not me. I am not the one that will remove the burden you carry because that act is what brought us here." Ragnarforted Ulf despite not agreeing with his actions on a moral level, but in the Viking world just because you do not agree with something does not make it wrong.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ragnar understood this world more than anyone and it was not in his ce to judge for he too, had done atrocious things in the past.

    "Hagen already hates me," Ulf said with a nervous smile.

    "So it should not matter if he hates a little more, right brother?" Ragnar said with a chuckle and this brought about an equal smile from Ulf. He felt like the younger brother in this interaction but Ragnar was d that his brother trusted him enough to tell him this.

    But he also realized how big of a nuisance that Birger is proving to be.

    "Is there anything else you want to tell me?" Ragnar asked his brother, this was partly why he kept his emotions under control because if he acted out then there would be no way Ulf would trust him with any information as private as that.

    Ulf hesitated for a moment before putting his own hand on Ragnar''s shoulder.

    "No brother, there is nothing. I should probably go now. Thank you for this¡­ It really means a lot to me." Ulf said, before walking away but the smile on Ragnar''s face faded.

    "He is lying¡­" This was the only thought in Ragnar''s head.

    They continued their journey to Vestfold for hours and thanks to their rest in Jan''s kingdom, they did not need breaks mid-journey as they kept going and going.

    And they finally left the kingdom of Vingulmark, they crossed the border and the moment they did, they could feel the shift in the atmosphere.

    The border had a few Vikings of Vestfold but they were sparsely spread as they were not there to fight but they were there to alert the others of any danger.

    They could see a man on a horse, and they knew that if they messed up or were sighted, the man on the horse will be alerted and he would retreat to inform the others.

    This would take away their element of surprise.

    They were crouched over a hill with everyone contemting what to do but there was no way to get to the man on the horse without passing through the Vikings around.

    In other words, there was no way to reach the horseman without being seen and their arrows could not reach that far either. the sun had descended as well, barely illuminating the sky.

    They were stuck and did not know what to do. Bjorn noticed that this might just be his chance to take the spotlight.

    "I have an idea," Bjorn muttered, drawing everyone''s attention to him.

 Chapter 77 Who Are You?

    ?Tyr was captured but he was not treated like a prisoner and was even allowed a certain degree of freedom to wander around. This was strange considering he was an enemy but this could also be a trap to make him drop his guard around them.

    He had no intention of dropping his guard despite being disarmed long before, Tyr knew if he acted recklessly they would have his head, and as much as he would not mind dying.

    He had not done enough to even think of entering Valha, he was still known as only.

    "The son of Ragnar," something he wanted to change by all means, for he was more than just a son of Ragnar. He was Tyr Ragnarsson and everyone will soon know his name.

    "Are you hungry?" The man that captured him asked, he fitted the description of King Asmund but he did not give off the aura of a King.

    There was something off about all of this as everyone treated him like a normal person.

    Tyr was sure he was not the King a few moments ago but he was now doubting his earlier judgment because this man looked exactly like the man that was described.

    "Who are you?" Tyr asked him but the man did not respond, he always wore a gentle smile that made hime off as harmless but Tyr knew better than to trust appearances.

    "Does it matter who I am? Knowing who I am won''t impact the war your king started for the gods have already seen how it ends." The man said, tossing a loaf of bread to Tyr, who snatched it from the air.

    He examined it with suspicion because this would be the perfect way to poison him but if they truly wanted him dead, he would be dead and he was starving.

    Tyr dug into the loaf of bread and devoured it under a minute like a man that has not seen food for days.

    "Hahaha! You were starving. I hate seeing children fight on the front lines. Kids should be allowed to be kids, not being forced to be men," The man said,

    "You are King Asmund¡­" Tyr said, there was no way amon warrior could have such elegance, there was something superior in the way he interacted with Tyr.

    He had a certain refinery thatmon men did not have the luxury of possessing as Tyr was drawn in by his words the more they spoke like it was some sort of hypnosis.

    "I am whoever you want me to be, child but on the battlefield with my warriors, I am just a man. Tyr, the son of Ragnar, You have made quite a name for yourself at such a young age. I was surprised when I heard some of my men were cut down by a mere child." Asmund said.

    "I AM NOT A CHILD!" Tyr barked back to which Asmund chuckled.

    "You reacting that way is what makes you a child, Tyr¡­" Asmund responded, Tyr noticed his stiff body loosen up as he was growing fond of the man he was convinced was Asmund.

    "Why did you bring me here?" Tyr asked, he wanted to get straight to the point.

    "I want you to help me put a stop to this war, Tyr," Asmund responded and Tyr''s face visibly cringe before he carelessly blurted out.

    "Then offer me your head and the war will be over!" Tyr said, but he realized where he was the moment those words left his lips. He was getting toofortable.

    "That is what I intend to do but I need you to do something for me¡­" Asmund responded.

    A response that shocked Tyr because why would he want to give up his life and lose the war despite being the one to start it?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Did he realize he could not win it or was this him ying tricks? No, from their little interaction, this man seemed honest but what if everything was to gain the trust of Tyr?

    "What is it that you want?" Tyr asked nervously and Asmund proceeded to whisper something that made Tyr''s eyes dte in shock.

    -

    "I have an idea." Bjorn had alerted everyone around him, but the moment all eyes were on him he got a bit self-conscious. The moment his eyes met that of his father, he calmed down instantly and processed his thoughts into words.

    Bjorn began toy down his idea and it drew awe from those around him, but others did not like the idea either as it was visible from their faces but only one person''s opinion mattered.

    And that was King Askild.

    Bjorn looked at him and Askild maintained his silence as he watched the young Viking.

    Ragnar was shocked that this idea came out from the mind of his son and hoped that King Askild would reject it because it was far too risky and reckless.

    "You are Bjorn, are you not?" King Askild asked a question that Bjorn was not expecting but he nodded to confirm his identity.

    "Let''s give your idea a try," Askild said with an indifferent tone. There was so much on the line and Askild was leaving it in the hands of a kid.

    The warriors that were patrolling the border were soon startled by a scream and it was the scream of a child, it was Bjorn running towards them stark naked.

    He had wounds all over his body as he ran to the guards, the fact that he was naked and unarmed made them subconsciously dismiss him as a threat but told him to stop regardless.

    "THEY ARE HERE! THEY KILLED MY FAMILY!" Bjorn screamed, his acting was one that even the gods could not replicate because it was sublime.

    The moment he said they were here, the guards'' attention immediately spiked as they took a defensive stance against any iing threats.

    Bjorn instantly became a valuable asset to them because they wanted to learn what he knew but they could not do so here when the threat of an attack was high so they instructed Bjorn to go to the man on horseback and an arrow flew past Bjorn but narrowly missed him.

    "Go now, kid!" The Vestfold Viking shouted as that arrow only confirmed the authenticity of his story, Bjorn risked his life on such a cunning n that bore fruit.

    "Hurry! Get on kid!" The man on horseback said and the moment Bjorn climbed the horse.

    Bjorn took the dagger strapped on the man and stabbed right in the spine before slitting his throat soon after, forcing his body to fall to the ground.

    "W-What!?" The Vestfold Viking noticed that Bjorn had killed one of their own.

    "NOW!" Bjorn shouted and a volley of arrows bombarded the area of the patrolling Vikings, fatally wounding all the patrolling Vikings.

    "Advance!" Askild said and Ragnar at that moment could not believe how much his son had grown right there and then.

 Chapter 78 Hidden Agenda?

    ?King Askild''s men descended from the hill and ughtered every person here but one, and that was the Viking that begged for his life.

    It was only fair that not all warriors would be willing to give up their lives for their king, the fact that they were assigned such a task showed that they did not hold any importance in the overall war.

    "I-I can help you! Please spare me." King Askild was disgusted by this disloyal warrior but he knew it would be foolish to kill him based on that fact alone, not until they have gotten information out of him.

    "How can you help us?" Asger questioned the man pinned to the ground, he was hit in multiple ces and Asger knew from the extent of the damage that the man received that there was no saving him but the man was unaware of the severity of it.

    "I will tell you only if you promise to let me go," The man pleaded and Asger gave him his word.

    And the man began to spill all the information he had on him.

    Ragnar went to his son, and Bjorn looked at him, trying not to break his frame as he tried his best topose himself but this was his first kill.

    He did not like the feeling that came with it, his hands were trembling but it was subtle that only those close to him could see it, and the only person close enough was Ragnar.

    "What? My n worked, that is all that matters." Bjorn said, trying his hardest not to break down but looking at his father, smiling gently at him.

    "It is scary taking a life, isn''t it?" Ragnar asked, and Bjorn''s eyes widened as he noticed his father was sympathetic to his situation and was not about to scold him.

    "It is okay Bjorn, let it out," Ragnar said, embracing his son as Bjorn quietly sobbed in his arms.

    Ragnar expected this to be a pivotal part of Bjorn''s life as he had a feel for what it was like to take a life and his reaction was exactly as Ragnar hoped.

    He was d that Bjorn knew just how valuable life was but this would ultimately affect the psyche of his son during the remainder of this war.

    Asger noticed this but refocused on the man that had betrayed Vestfold but there was no way to know if the information they were given was true or false.

    Asger permitted him to go but he did not even travel up to 100 meters before copsing.

    "Is what he said true?" Skarde asked Asger but there was no way for Asger to know.

    "If it is true then we are in more trouble than we thought," They turned to King Askild but he did not look worried.

    "Trouble? Watch your tongue Asger or you will lose it." Askild threatened Asger for the first time, and Asger instantly swallowed the next words that were about to escape his lips.

    "We move forward," Askild said as they continued forward. At this pace, they would reach the capital of Vestfold soon, and by soon, they would be there by dawn but Askild knew there would be more battles ahead.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Son of Ragnar," Askild called out as he broke away from his father''s embrace, Askild''s expression was unchanged from seeing his tearful face.

    "You did good, that was a brilliant n." Askild praised the young warrior.

    "I expected nothing more from the son of Ragnar but the battle ahead is harder so brace yourself. Crying for your enemy is a sight I do not want to ever see." Askild threatened the young boy and it took everything in Ragnar''s power not to step in because Askild was crossing a line he should not have even thought about crossing.

    "If you can not bear to see your enemies die, I will cut out your eyes so you will not need to see the faces of those you kill. This is a war, the people you kill are fathers and sons of people too." Askild said and themanders were familiar with this tone.

    They knew that Askild should not be spoken to right now and that is exactly why the ce was quiet until Bjorn opened his mouth.

    Everyone''s eyes opened in horror because they did not know what careless words the boy would utter, not even being the son of Ragnar could save him from the wrath of Askild.

    "Understood!" Bjorn said with a salute and Askild cracked a feint smile at this response as he continued onward with his horse.

    Ragnar noticed something despite how scared Bjorn was, he was good at hiding it.

    "Where did you learn that from?" Ragnar asked as months ago, he did not disy this trait prior so this was sudden.

    "Tyr taught me," Bjorn said with a sigh of relief but Birger soon came into their proximity.

    "That was most impressive, child." Birger praised Bjorn and Bjorn was hesitant to respond because he could see his father giving him the death stare.

    Ulf, luckily, popped up to ease the tension that came with Birger''s presence.

    So far, they could navigate with little to no difficulty due to Birger''s knowledge of the area.

    "I once heard that Vestfold''s King was not the true king in one of the cities outside Kattegat, it was in a y," Skarde said. This was directed at Birger.

    "You are taking the words of a y seriously, don''t be silly Skarde," Ragnar said with a disappointed sigh but Ulf noticed that Birger''s silence was not the usual one he was used to, this information seemed to rattle him somewhat, and no one noticed it.

    Ulf felt his bodynguage shift for just a moment, but of course, this could all be in his mind, as there was no visual confirmation due to the helmet Birger had on.

    "It is just a stupid y. Asmund is the King of Vestfold," Birger responded.

    "I thought as much," Skarde said with a goofyugh apanying it.

 Chapter 79 Day 2 Concludes...

    ?Erik was bandaged up nicely and his bleeding had stopped with the risk of infection dropping drastically with this. Sven hoped he would have changed his mind with the time that he was getting his body fixed.

    He had never seen Erik this angry, and he was surprised that Tyr could even have such an effect on him but an angry Erik was even more powerful.

    There was no changing his mind, they were going to get Tyr back and that was final.

    Erik did not even rest as he started running in the direction the soldiers retreated in, it was easy to track them because of the footprints and Sven already knew they were running right into a trap but for some reason, he wanted to see how strong Erik was when infuriated.

    "Sven! We should not follow him! We can use them as a decoy and join up with the main force!" Oskar suggested as he ran behind hismander in that direction. Hours had already passed since the battle so the enemies had enough time to regroup themselves and with their higher numbers, there was no way that they would win even if another miracle happened.

    "There is no point, Erik has lost it for some reason. I know it is crazy but I do not think that he will lose this battle¡­" Sven said and this surprised Oskar because he was sounding like one of his warriors that were inspired by Erik.

    "Just this once, Oskar. I want you to believe in that man, he is about to show us why they call him a berserker." Sven said with a grin, a grin that surprised Oskar because Sven was pumped up.

    "Charge men! They have the son of Ragnar!" Sven shouted to give his men extra motivation because they all liked Tyr so this was easy for them as they were willing to risk their lives for him.

    They arrived at the end of the tracks shortly after but there were no shy traps.

    The soldiers met them, they were in formation and the formation soon opened to show Tyr leaving it.

    "What is going on? Tyr is not in danger?" Oskar asked Sven but Sven was just as surprised,

    He shot his head at Erik but Erik too was shocked as Tyr walked away and Asmund walked behind him. Erik looked at the man that was behind Tyr.

    "King Asmund!?" Oskar muttered, he could not believe it because there was no way they could win with Asmund on the field and Erik began walking in the direction they wereing from.

    It felt like a hostage exchange, but everyone stood back and watched Erik.

    Erik walked right in front of Asmund and Tyr walked past him and back into their unit.

    "Who the fuck are you?" Erik asked and Tyr wanted to talk but Erik had a primal instinct that he knew not to question. Before the man could talk, Erik swung his ax and took his head clean off.

    "Shut the fuck up, imposter¡­" Erik said in a blood-curdling tone and he set his gaze on the army ahead of him. Sven gritted his teeth in annoyance because that man would have made the perfect hostage, that was the fucking King of Vestfold in Sven''s eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Kill them all¡­" Erikmanded and his men charged forward with Erik walking casually and cutting everyone in his path down, he was like an immovable object and unlike his previous battles'' injuries, he took no injuries here.

    He was untouchable and he was not just using his axes but he was digging his teeth into the neck of his enemies.

    Oskar looked in terror, this man was not human but Tyr was surprised that Erik had killed the man that he had just spoken to. Despite him being the enemy, he could not help but feel sorry for him but there was no way Asmund was that weak.

    There was something strange about him, and Erik must have sensed it. Erik has fought him and lost to him so that could exin why he could sense what none of them could.

    Sven marveled as he now understood why Erik was not dead and how he managed toe out on top.

    "Oskar, take the head of that man. I feel like it will prove invaluable in this war¡­" Sven instructed his right-hand man and he hurried to pick the head before it was crushed beneath the feet of the fighting warriors. Sven then instructed his men to charge forward as he joined in the battle thatsted a good 45 minutes, they had lost their men despite winning due to insurmountable odds. They won because of Erik, he cut down over 250+ in this battle.

    He did not take a single injury to his body nor was he out of breath. Tyr looked at him covered in blood from head to toe, it felt like he was wearing the blood.

    He did not know if he admired Erik or feared him. Erik turned to face Tyr, who did not join the battle, and walked towards him.

    Tyr braced himself because he was worried that Erik was about to punish him, closing his eyes in anticipation but all he felt was the rough hand on Erik on his face, checking if they had injured Tyr.

    "You are not hurt?" Erik asked Tyr, wondering why his eyes were closed. Tyr''s eyes slowly opened and saw Erik''s murderous re that caused him to inadvertently stumble to the ground.

    He remembered what the dead man told him and wondered if he should tell Erik but he thought it best to keep it to himself for now because there was no reason to tell him.

    "I am fine," Tyr responded and Tyr let go of his face.

    "Good, I do not want problems with your father," Erik said but Tyr knew this was his cover-up to hide the fact that he was worried about him.

    "W-We won?" Oskar said but there were only 4 Viking warriors left among them, their army was done but they had done the impossible. Oskar understood at that moment why Erik was yet to be executed for his crimes because they had won this because of him.

    "They were already defeated when the battlemenced. I do not know who that man is or why he looks exactly like Asmund but he is not him." Erik said with certainty as thest action of the day in Vestfold had yed out.

 Chapter 80 Signy Prepares

    ?Signy was barely keeping it under control in the city of Vestfold, he was to hold the capital should any invader slip through the cracks of King Asmund''s defenses.

    But he feared that these men were taking it far too lightly as bets were being ced about if the enemies would even make it past King Asmund.

    Kattegat was strong but Vestfold had time to prepare for this war and this was evident in the attendance of Earls all around, these were men overlooking their portion ofnd that they made into their kingdom.

    They had more experience than Signy could ever have and that was why they found it strange a child would be put in their ce of them and the tension was rising.

    "Young lord, you should get some rest," Kjell advised the young prince of Vestfold, but Signy did not want to leave because he knew that an attack might take them by surprise.

    The look in Askild''s eyes, that look in his eye was something that made him want to quite literally shit himself and he knew those eyes brought nothing but death.

    He knew that if Askild came here, they had to be at their best to even think of touching him.

    "I cannot rest now! This is just the second day and I can smell the death dance in the air. Can you not feel it too, Earl Kjell?" Signy said and Kjell did not understand what he was saying.

    He was speaking in parables, parables he barely understood.

    Earl Aksel''s men were watching the walls, even though Vestfold had been termed an impregnable fortress but that was partly because of their seas and theck of invasions on theirnds.

    "Signy, we need to talk. You too, Kjell¡­" This was the voice of Aksel as he knew they needed a united front to withstand whatever wasing. He felt the same thing that Signy had just spoken about, and that made him uneasy.

    "The patrol, they have not reported back." Aksel started, he looked worried by this otherwise negligible detail.

    "This is a problem?" Kjell asked with an indifferent tone.

    "Now is not the time to y the protector, Kjell. My patrol unit always reports to me on time, that is their only use." Aksel said, focusing his gaze on Signy.

    "You wanted to prove you are worthy of leading us, right? What do you think this means?" Aksel asked the son of Asmund and Signy was lost in thought for a few seconds before muttering.

    "They are here." Signy''s head shot up the moment these words left his lips.

    "Who is, young lord?" Kjell asked, and Aksel looked to be impressed by this reaction from Signy because that is exactly what crossed his mind.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "King Askild is in Vestfold¡­" Signy reiterated and this information took Kjell by surprise because if a patrol''s unit report time was disrupted at such a crucial moment. It could only mean that they were impeded in one way or another from reporting the findings of their group.

    This was a basic thing that everyone knew, Signy more than most as he knew these things due to his training for months outside of Vestfold. He had learned the theoretical aspects of war but now he wanted to see if he could apply it in real life.

    This was why his father left him in charge, it was not because of his battle prowess but rather his analytical mind for battle as he saw things that most don''t even know existed.

    Vestfold had recorded defeat today but they had all but depleted the forces that were responsible for it. And the men that died were not seasoned warriors despite the reputation of Vestfold breeding stronger warriors. But what did they do with fathers and sons with no experience that wanted to create a name for themselves?

    They toss them at the frontlines to act as cannon fodder and it paid off because Erik and co were severely weakened.

    Erik''s unit was wild, they could easily fight 5 Vikings simultaneously while alone so this was a major blow to Kattegat. What everyone saw as certain death, King Askild saw them as the perfect force to begin the battle because Erik always somehow came out on top.

    But even Kattegat would feel this loss of his forces and Sven had lost his men as well.

    Signy was at the helm and for the first time, Earl Aksel showed him the respect he was due by bowing his head.

    An act that his men saw as they all followed the gesture of their Earl, he had relinquishedmand of his forces to Signy with that gesture because this either meant that the forces at the frontlines were defeated or they had managed to slip past them but it did not matter which it was. Because neither oue was good.

    "Gather at the walls! I do not know what has happened but something tells me we will soon be receiving guests. Archers! I want you all to assume your position for we do not know how close the enemies are but they areing!" Sigyn rallied the troops and everyone listened.

    They ran and took their positions because reality dawned on every man present that this might be thest battle to fight.

    Signy excused himself from the Earls with proper etiquette and this brought about a surprised look from Aksel because this was a strange gesture he had never seen before.

    "You see why he was put in charge now? He has a sharp mind." Kjell said to Aksel but Aksel shot him a re and said.

    "Or you are just too stupid. It is a miracle you became Earl in the first ce but I guess that is where daddy''s moneyes in," Aksel said with a scoff as he left the presence of Kjell, who had a sickening grin on his face because he found it humorous.

    But one thing they all knew was, the main battle was going to begin tomorrow and it felt like the forces that were meant to stall them did nothing of that effect.

    Asmund nned to use numbers to incur fear into Kattegat forces and force them to n their moves more carefully because he knew the men at the frontlines were just numbers with no actual skill exempting a few. But it was unfortunate that the person they met was Erik the Berserker.

 Chapter 81 A Secret Name?

    ?Hours passed and the day wasing to an end but Kattegat hadn''t heard of Lagertha yet. There was good news however, Herfj?tur was responding to the treatment rmended by Liv.

    She came to visit her, something she did often as she thought that this was the only thing she was useful for.

    She knew that Kattegat could not afford to lose a woman such as Herfj?tur because she was not just a warrior, she was a symbol for the young girls growing up, this prompted Liv to take an active role in her treatment and it was because of her that Herfj?tur pulled through.

    The worst was over and her condition was stable but she was yet to open her eyes.

    Liv did this previously and had left long before Ulrik ventured into the healer''s ce.

    Ulrik was torturing his captive but he was not using physical violence, he watched as she could barely maintain her footing, and each time she slipped, the rope dug into her skin.

    It felt like her wrists would be pulled off, it was excruciating.

    "Are you ready to talk? I do not n to kill you, I might leave you for Erik when he returns." Ulrik said this because he knew that Erik would be more than happy to handle things.

    "Let me be honest with you, there is no way that you are leaving here alive. You have two choices here, die an honorable death and be granted Valha, or die a disgraceful one and be denied it." Ulrik said. He did not try to give her false hope and was blunt about it.

    "This struggle is futile, why would you worry about another killing you when I have told you you aren''t leaving her alive even if you tell me what I want but I can give you Valha¡­" Ulrik blurted out, he did not try to sugarcoat her situation because he knew she was aware of it as well.

    "If I tell you what you want to know, will the execution be swift?" Thedy asked but Ulrik shook his head.

    "If Valha was that simple, everyone would get in. I have chosen the blood eagle for your execution." Ulrik said with a neutral face as he watched her face contort into one of horror, it was like she was screaming with her eyes.

    "I am sure you are familiar with the blood eagle, aren''t you?" Ulrik asked but regardless of her answer, he nned on exining it either way.

    The Blood Eagle was a ritual where the person to be executed was ced in a prone position, their ribs severed from the spine with a sharp tool, and their lungs pulled through the opening to create a pair of "wings" but there was a catch to this.

    The person could only enter Valha if they did not show fear or scream when this ritual was ongoing for any sign of despair would deny their soul Valha.

    This was a fitting punishment for her considering the damage she had done and with the presumed death of Lagertha. This way, it was entirely up to the captive as to if she would enter Valha or not.

    He watched her face go from horrified to resolute in a short time and he knew at that moment that she had epted his offer.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ulrik could have lied and promised her freedom but she would have picked up on his bullshit so there was no point, she had no choice in the matter.

    She proceeded to tell Ulrik all she had heard as well as who was responsible for the attack, and the moment he heard the name, his eyes opened wide because he could not believe it.

    "What!?" Ulrik shouted but before he could proceed, a warrior came down to announce that Lagertha had returned and Ulrik rushed outside, instructing the warrior that informed him to stay and watch over thedy in captivity.

    Lagertha was being supported by the girl that saved her, she had scaly skin and was assisting Lagertha. She could not believe how beautiful the main city was.

    The only reason she was let through the barricade was because of Lagertha and this was her first time outside, she got a disdainful look but she was not bothered.

    "Lady Lagertha!" Tiril called out in excitement,  she ran towards Lagertha with open arms.

    But Lagertha gestured for her to stay back because her body still hurt all over and thest thing she needed was pain from an embrace that was not even necessary.

    "Who is she?" Tiril asked and Lagertha noticed the girl got nervous with this question.

    "This¡­ This is Garda. She is going to be living with me from now on," Lagertha said with a smile, " Garda had momentarily forgotten that she had a name.

    "Yes, I am Garda¡­" She repeated after Lagertha with a smile but the look onTiril''s face was full of questions.

    "I will answer your questionster but I would have been dead without the girl beside me so treat her with the utmost respect," Lagertha said as the healers took her in.

    She had already been informed by the other warriors during her journey here that Herfj?tur was alright so she was calm as they took her inside the house that Herfj?tur was in and Lagertha heaved the loudest sigh of relief.

    Garda was allowed inside as well and she could not believe the structure of this building and the herbs that were ced around it. Garda had an interest in medicine and it was because of this interest that Lagertha was alive.

    Lagertha sat on a free bed, she was d that everything panned out, and then she saw Ulrik.

    "What the hell are you doing here?" Lagertha asked Ulrik but Ulrik was relieved that what he heard was true.

    "Lagertha! I am d you are okay but I need you to tell me everything that happenedst night!" Ulrik asked with urgency in his voice, what he heard in the dungeon made him uneasy and Lagertha knew something was up and chose to cooperate.

 Chapter 82 The Night Venture

    ?Night came but the marching of Askild and his troops did note to a halt, they kept going while keeping a wary eye on Birger. Hagen was there, and Ragnar noticed by this mood that Ulf had not told Hagen what he told him and it was not in his ce to interfere.

    Ragnar already knew Birger was dangerous but what was this feeling of uneasiness upon seeing that he was trying to ckmail Ulf?

    He knew his brother kept something from him in that conversation and this only confirmed that Birger had his ws in Ulf, but Ragnar believed in his heart of hearts that Ulf would not betray Kattegat.

    They advanced with the information of the patrol of the enemy in mind, Birger knowing how his brother''s mind worked did not recognize such a tactic as Asmund had never used it.

    Bjorn looked eager, and nervous at the same time, and Asger noticed this because despite being a warrior, he was still just a child.

    "Do you want to know a story?" Asger whispered to Bjorn and he nodded excitedly, he wanted to hear the adventures of Asger because he looked up to him.

    "How about I tell you after we win this war?" Asger said in a suggestive tone and this little gesture was enough to fire Bjorn up.

    "You better not go back on your word!" Bjorn eximed as he felt a sudden rush of energy coursing through his body, and Asger noticed Ragnar''s gaze on him as both men nodded to one another.

    Skarde was unnaturally quiet, but he was only talkative when he had booze in him as he walked beside Ragnar. He sensed that Ragnar would ascend in status and knew that he might be the man to take Kattegat to the next stage.

    He was not stupid, he knew that the war with Vestfold would only make the other kingdoms more hostile towards Kattegat and this might ultimately affect their ability to trade and in turn, affect Kattegat''s earning potential.

    This meant that King Askild not only had to win the war but hold Vestfold because they yed a major role in the trades with other kingdoms making them an economic powerhouse in that sense. Skarde knew that Askild had to hold Vestfold without needing to have a conversation like Ragnar did.

    "What is wrong Skarde?" Ragnar asked him because this was the quietest he has seen him since they got to know each other in that tavern. He had hoped that that brought them closer to one another as that was the point of the meeting.

    "Ragnar Lothbrok! I cannot wait to see your battle skills on the battlefield!" Skarde said loudly and Ragnar regretted even asking because it drew people''s attention to them.

    "Why are you so loud?" Ragnar asked as he shook his head in disappointment.

    "I am excited. It is hard keeping it together but I fear we cannot go to Valha with the future of Kattegat uncertain¡­" Skarde said, slowly easing towards what was bothering him.

    "I am worried that Kattegat might fall even with King Askild on our side¡­" Skarde said in a tone only Ragnar could hear as anyone else hearing this could cause potential trouble for him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I know what you mean but these are thoughts you cannot entertain right now¡­" Ragnar responded, trying to ease his new friend.

    ? "We cannot hold Vestfold, Ragnar. I am sure you are aware of this. The kingdom is massive and what makes you think they will willingly surrender just because their king is dead?" Skarde said, and this was exactly what Ragnar thought as well.

    "That is the way of the Vikings. Asmund mustn''t die until Askild can defeat him inbat in front of his warriors." Ragnar said and Skarde chuckled.

    "What''s funny?" Ragnar asked, looking him right in the eyes.

    "Asmund is a monster, I have heard tales about him and he has killed men stronger than Askild in his prime. The only reason why Askild has a chance is that age is on his side." Skarde said bluntly and Ragnar was curious as to why he thought this way.

    "What do you mean?" Ragnar asked him. If this was going on in the mind of Skarde then why exactly was he excited?

    "Asmund in his prime was like the reincarnation of Odin, there was no one that coulde close to his strength and that is why his warriors love him but there was something that happened to him in a battle that forced him to loathe battle going forward¡­" Skard said, pausing to gauge Ragnar''s interest in his story before continuing.

    "What do you mean something happened to him?" Ragnar questioned, he was too invested in the story and this gave Skarde the go-ahead to speak.

    "I would also like to find out, my dear friend¡­" Skarde responded as he did not know what happened to Asmund either but there was no way that Birger would not know.

    "Did it have anything to do with Birger?" Ragnar asked and he got no response from Skarde about his question.

    "Focus Ragnar, we have a long night ahead of us¡­" Skarde said, bringing an abrupt end to the conversation they were just having.

    "You are right," Ragnar responded because he did not want to push on information that Skarde did not have a full grasp on, he knew he would have to ask Birger if he truly wanted to know the kind of man Asmund was and why his brother betrayed not just him, but his kingdom.

    There had to be a reason that he sought refuge in Kattegat, not only that, he was protected. Ragnar''s mind tried frantically to connect the dots.

    Xenophanes was the previous king of Kattegat before losing in the duel against Askild, but Ragnar felt like he was missing a crucial piece to this puzzle, just like he had told Skarde earlier, now was not the time for irrelevant thoughts.

 Chapter 83 Resistance?

    ?The night was dark and long, the weather was cold and the wind furious but no one expected this path to be easy. They knew that this was what it meant to journey into an unknownnd.

    Birger''s help was pivotal and the allies he made, so they could cross over, was a weed move despite it being suspicious.

    They used the darkness to their advantage but they encountered something hours in, it was the forces that the patrol in had said, the information he gave was urate but the numbers he gave were nowhere close to what they were seeing.

    "How many men do these people have!?" Skarde asked Ragnar because the numbers they saw were easily more than a thousand, as opposed to the two hundred the man had told them.

    This was misleading information, the man managed to hide a subtle lie in his truth and Askild looked indifferent to this development because if these many men were here, there was no way they could leave them as they could prove troublesome muchter in the war.

    Askild liked that they had the cover of the night and this was a good time to test the Vikings he had gotten, he did not care if they died or lived but the men before him had to be ughtered.

    "Men of Vingulmark, this is where you will prove yourselves worthy of being under mymand," Askild said with a stern tone, he knew that they needed to chip away at the forces of Vestfold and this was the perfect opportunity for that.

    "Yes sir!" They all said as Askild looked at Ragnar Lothbrok and grinned.

    "Ragnar, you will lead them," Askild said, and everyone was surprised because they thought he was sending them to their death but by attaching Ragnar, this meant that this was not the case.

    Ragnar was confused but he could not deny amand from his king so he had no choice.

    This meant he was the leader of the forces for this charge, Askild had no n of putting forth all his warriors and wanted not only to test the strength of Vingulmark but also the ability of Ragnar to lead. Skarde took notice of this strange call and he muttered to himself.

    "King Askild, so this is your n¡­" Skarde said like he just had a premonition.

    Ragnar stepped forward but he did not do anything for a good minute and just watched the movement.

    "They are on guard¡­" Ragnar muttered, he was surprised that they were this alert, it was like something had set them off and Ragnar introduced a possibility to the situation.

    "Archers¡­" Ragnar said, raising his hand and the archers removed their arrows from the quivers strapped to their backs and readied their shots.

    Bjorn looked in admiration, this was his first time seeing his father take a leadership role.

    Ragnar looked like he was born for this, but he did not let them let loose first.

    "They know we woulde¡­" Ragnar said, and everyone looked confused. Everyone but Askild as he was d that Ragnar caught onto this. The movements were not natural, he understood it was a war but their movement was far too cautious for it to be just an overnight watch.

    "That is why he was on a horse¡­ It was not to alert them of intruders but to report back to them at a specific time interval. Time must have psed¡­'' Ragnar said and this once again did not shock Askild because he knew the element of surprise was gone but what if thinking the element of surprise was the element of surprise?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Askild was having fun with the mind games as he knew the main battle would start the moment the sun rises, these were what he considered warm-ups.

    He knew Ragnar had been out of it for years and this was why he gave him this role, to get the juices flowing once again and remind everyone why he was such a prominent warrior in Kattegat.

    "Hold¡­" Ragnar instructed, before instructing roughly 20 warriors to take positions around the camp, and they did just that in minutes as he instructed them to shout in exactly 30 seconds, excluding the warriors in his position as he did not want the enemies to think they had no escape route should they dare think of running.

    The 20 men sparsely ced around them was to give them the illusion of being surrounded and the silence in his position was to give the illusion of that being the only way to escape as a messenger will be sent to try and alert the capital of the enemy''s advancement.

    This is what he would do at least, and that is exactly why this was so effective.

    Then it came, the scream thundered as it echoed through the air, alerting them of an enemy attack, but they did not have time topose themselves as the volley of arrows rained down upon them, killing scores but it was not as much as Ragnar would have liked.

    They had armor on, this showed that these warriors were not your everyday walk-in-the-park fodder, further emphasizing the need to eliminate them.

    They looked around and waited for the enemy attack but they could hear noises around them.

    They heard it from everywhere but the position the main forces were stationed in.

    "Ragnar, what are you doing? This will not work¡­" Ulf whispered to his brother but Ragnar did not me his brother for not understanding the basics of war for he had always served as a footsoldier and never as one that was in charge of a battle n.

    And then it happened, a man on horseback rushed in the only direction that they perceived to be vulnerable but they could not be more wrong.

    The horse was abruptly brought to its knees with the messenger captured because capturing a messenger in the war was like getting a glimpse into the mind of the enemy.

    "Charge!" Ragnarmanded the forces staying dormant to charge, but those that surrounded and screamed earlier remained in the bushes.

    The moment the forces charged from the direction Vestfold had sent their messenger was the moment they knew their message did not get through and they did not know how many were waiting for them in the darkness as they had the misconception that they were surrounded despite it being a person or two in each position.

    This was all mind games and nothing is as sweet as when a nes off perfectly but the armors they had on proved to be a problem.

    Kattegat was losing this battle as they could barely chip away at their forces. These men from Vingulmark were strong but these men here were a level above that.

    "So the rumors were true¡­" Skarde said, upon witnessing their strength firsthand.

 Chapter 84 History Repeats?

    ?"These forces¡­ They are not ordinary soldiers¡­" Ragnar noted as he watched them easily cut down the men under hismand but he was not worried because they had more than enough men under theirmand.

    "Why are they wearing iron suits?" Skarde asked as they found that the warriors of Vingulmark were adjusting to their opponent, something that was unexpected as they began matching their rhythm and fighting on equal footing.

    "You take the Vikings of Vingulmark too lightly, watch," Birger said as they regained the upper hand, turning the tide of the battle in a single push, they were hesitant to retreat because they did not want to break formation.

    They were able to clear out the camp but they lost a lot of men. That much was to be expected, it was directly proportional to the number of enemies in.

    Askild was not satisfied with their strength because it showed they were not much stronger than the warriors in Vestfold.

    The battle was over in little over thirty minutes, and every one of them was ughtered despite Ragnar telling them to keep a few alive so they could interrogate them.

    "I said you should bring me prisoners and not kill them all¡­" Ragnar blurted out and the calmness in his voice did not do well to portray his displeasure but Birger stepped in on their behalf.

    "I apologize for their conduct, but that is their way of fighting. You canmand them but you cannot change their way," Birger said bluntly as they descended from where they were, into the fields to see if they could salvage anything from the camp.

    Askild''s eyes were nted firmly on Birger, he was up to something and he could feel it in his bones.

    "We will arrive at Vestfold soon," Birger said and Skarde was suspicious.

    "I expected far more resistance, this is too easy¡­" Skarde said, and he was right.

    It felt like Vestfold were leading them into a trap because there was no way of knowing what fate Erik and Sven met despite Askild ruling death out.

    "My brother has never been careless, there is no way he will be at the front lines," Birger destroyed the idea that King Asmund was at the front lines but this drew an irritated look from Askild because he had known about this but they were only now just finding out.

    "Do not look at me like that, Askild. Nothing would have changed if you knew, the truth is you cannot control Erik so you sent him away with someone who you thought could," Birger said, he spoke without fear because he knew they could not kill due to his knowledge of this area.

    "Shut up Birger," Ulf said, grabbing him by the shoulder, something that surprised everyone.

    "He might not be your king but he is mine and you will show king Askild the respect he deserves," Ulf warned sternly but the air around Birger changed and what Ulf felt was pure killing intent.

    "Ulf, I will count to 5 and if your hand is still on my shoulder, you will lose it," Birger warned, this put Ulf on the spot because everyone was watching to see if he would fold.

    He could not lose face here and he knew it, but he was not prepared to lose his hand either.

    He hoped Birger was joking but then the countdown began, and each second brought him closer to a moment he could not take back.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That is enough Birger, did you really think we would let you harm one of our own right where we stand?" Skarde said, and he walked right to Birger.

    Birger smiled beneath his helmet as he yanked Ulf''s hand off his shoulder.

    "Do not forget your promise to me, usurper," Birger said, walking forward to lead the way as they continued their journey.

    -

    A couple of hours prior, in Kattegat things had seemingly settled but a revtion had shocked Ulrik to the core, a name that should not be mentioned was mentioned as the one that had instigated the violence.

    Lagertha was speaking to Ulrik about the name that was disclosed and Lagertha was just as surprised as Ulrik when she heard the name. The look of fear and urgency in her eyes showed that this was not just a random name but someone they knew.

    She looked around and could not see Garda, she asked Tiril but even Tiril did not know as her attention was focused solely on hermander so Lagertha could not me her.

    The streets of Kattegat were on high alert and she knew that Garda did not understand what was going on and could easily be targeted as a threat but what followed during her frantic search was a scream that alerted everyone nearby.

    It wasing from the dungeon and in it, it was the voice of Garda.

    Lagertha recognized it and ran to her straight, and the sight she was was horrific.

    Thedy Ulrik was questioning was dead alongside the guard that was guarding her, she was stabbed right in the chest.

    "What is going on!?" Lagertha asked inwardly as Ulrik soon joined them and he was just as surprised but he did not care much because he had already extracted information from her.

    "You¡­ What are you doing here!?" Ulrik turned his attention to Garda because she conveniently saved Lagertha and showed up here only to be the first to find his prisoner dead.

    It was suspicious because they could not rule out anything, a well-coordinated attack was sessful the day before so it was not a far stretch to say whoever was responsible had infiltrated their ranks and no one knew who Garda was.

    Ulrik pointed his sword at her, pushing it against her neck and Garda looked on in horror as she saw that her life was in danger.

    "Put your weapon down, Ulrik. She could not have killed both of them. Look closely, the guard did not put up a fight so it must be someone that he is familiar with, possibly a warrior. Do not be ruled by your emotions!" Lagertha said and Ulrik looked to confirm her observation.

    This felt familiar and Ulrik said under his breath.

    "We got the wrong person¡­"

 Chapter 85 Development In Kattegat

    ?The death of yet another prisoner spread and they could not do anything to curb it.

    Garda was a suspect briefly but Lagertha dismissed this quite quickly.

    Garda would have served as a scapegoat because Ulrik was out for blood, and he didn''t mind who he needed to skin alive.

    He could not trust anyone but Lagertha at the moment, this timing and execution was not a work of an amateur, and this involuntarily put him on guard.

    "Lagertha, I need to speak with Garda alone to see what she might have seen," Ulrik requested as Lagertha was her guardian at this moment, it was discovered that Garda was a neen-year-olddy but she had caught the eye of Ulrik because he was interested in her.

    There was nothing to do and he needed to let go of some of his pent-up stress.

    Lagertha checked that Garda was fine and she did not look too shaken up about a dead body apart from the initial shock.

    "I will be fine,dy Lagertha," Garda responded with a broad smile and Lagertha gave Ulrik her permission despite her knowing that Ulrik did not need it, he only asked out of respect.

    "Follow me Garda," Ulrik led Garda to his private chambers, closing the door behind him.

    "I apologize for earlier, I am afraid if Lagertha was not there I would have done something bad to you," Ulrik said, taking off his shirt to reveal his well-toned body, and Garda was confused as to what he was doing.

    "Garda, I know you are from the slums but I do not mind but you need a shower and new clothes. You will be my woman starting today but before that, I need you to tell me everything you saw," Ulrik said casually and Garda''s face flushed red the moment she saw his body.

    "Are you not feeling well?" Ulrik asked, he was trying his best to be gentle and reduce his usage of profanity in the process as he wanted her to know he saw her as ady.

    "P-Put on your clothes!" Garda screamed as she covered her face but Ulrik was confused by this reaction.

    "Is something on my body?" Ulrik asked as he did not see this as a big deal but then it hit him and he quickly covered up.

    "Oh! I am sorry!" Ulrik quickly apologized as he made her ufortable and his proposal to her was sudden and abrupt, he did not even give her time to think but she knew she could grow to like him as she already found him attractive.

    "I did not see anything, I was interested in what was down there," Garda said and Ulrik was judging her bodynguage to see if she was lying or not.

    "You must have been scared, have you seen a dead body before?" Ulrik asked her, he was using this opportunity to interrogate her as she had no reason to have her guard up as he had already disarmed her with the rtionship proposal.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have seen loads of dead bodies," Garda said in a dismissive tone as she did not see it as a big deal in general but it was the state in which that body was in that shocked her.

    The guard was not stabbed but his head split right down the middle to reveal his brain.

    "That is good, you should go shower," Ulrik said as he stepped outside, leaving Garda alone in his house, signifying a level of trust.

    Lagertha was standing outside and she looked like she knew what Ulrik was up to without him even uttering a word.

    "Is that how you intend to keep an eye on her?" Lagertha asked, she had heard his proposal to Garda through the opened window.

    "It beats throwing her in a dungeon. She saved your life but who is to say she is not the one that put you in that state? It all is too good of a story, Lagertha." Ulrik said as Lagertha caught on to his point, it was sound but he could just be overthinking it as there was no proof to support his usations.

    "Fine, you can do as you please but don''t stick your cock in her, Ulrik," Lagertha said, walking away as she left Garda with Ulrik. Garda, of course, was not a prisoner of Ulrik as she could leave his house anytime and it was up to Ulrik''s persuasion to keep her there.

    He walked back in only to see Garda fully naked and she immediately covered up with her hands and screamed for him to get out, something Ulrik did without hesitation.

    "On second thought, maybe I will stick my cock in her after all¡­" Ulrik muttered to himself as she had quite the naughty body but he was in no rush as this was not one of his priorities at the moment.

    Now, in the present time, night hade and Garda had chosen to stay the night at Ulrik despite Lagertha offering her shelter as she had never felt the touch of a man and that exined her earlier reaction to seeing him undressed.

    She could feel his bulge pressed up against her soft buttocks, but he was not making any moves. She knew he was awake as she felt his hot breath against her neck.

    She squirmed but that only made it harder and made the position even more awkward.

    Ulrik found it strange that she wanted to stay with him but even she understood that staying with him would secure her ce in Kattegat. She was poor, not stupid and she was not about to pass up the chance that Ulrik had just presented her.

    Ulrik''s hand slowly crawled up her shirt and this was him testing to see if she was into it as he nned to stop if she showed any difort but she did not. The next thing he felt was her breast cupped in his left hand as his other hand slowly made its way into her panties. She silently moaned, grinding on the fingers that had made their way inside her.

    But beneath her raised clothes, right under her left breast, was a mark that should never be seen.

 Chapter 86 Asmunds Genius

    ?King Askild had survived the night and the kingdom of Vestfold was within sight. No one could believe it was this easy but Askild had no intentions ofunching an attack, not now.

    "The great kingdom of Vestfold is before us!" Skarde shouted and this was met by the cheers of the warriors behind him but they heard the ground shake the moment they arrived at Vestfold and it was noting from the kingdom. It wasing from the capital but behind them.

    "What is this sound, it sounds like horseriders?" Ragnar muttered to himself as he noticed the sounds originating from behind them.

    "Heh! So that was his strategy," Birger said and the warriors looked at him in confusion.

    "What do you mean, Birger?" Skarde asked in a neutral tone, Asger was quiet throughout the journey as he rarely spoke but this was partly because he was holding himself back from taking Birger''s head, it took everything in him not to.

    "King Asmund is here, the real battle begins. He has us sandwiched, we cannot retreat or advance." Birger said almost like he was admiring his brother and everyone was panicking.

    It could not be helped because this meant that Asmund''s forces wereing right for them and the war could be decided today but if this was true, it confirmed that Asmund was never on the front lines, to begin with.

    "This is bad!" Ulf muttered as he looked around and was partly relieved that he was not the only one that was fearful, and out they came.

    King Asmund was at the head of the charge with well over a thousand men at hismand, and they halted a good distance away from Askild and his army.

    "King Askild, I see you have graced us with your presence but I am afraid that this war is the war that I cannot show mercy¡­" Asmund said, but there was no sympathy in his voice as they noticed the walls guarding Vestfold had soldiers mounted on them.

    "This is bad!" Skarde said but Birger startedughing until thatugh turned into a peal of manicughter as he could not believe what he was seeing, he was shocked that he saw his brother so soon as he did not expect to see him until Vestfold fell. The borate means they took of staying under the radar was pointless because Asmund had anticipated every possible oue, and this was frightening as it gave the illusion of foresight, it felt like he was a man that could not be fooled.

    "I see you have my traitor of a brother in your ranks or you would not havee this far," Asmund said, he was on his trademark white horse but this begged the question, who did Erik kill?

    "Brother! My one and only brother! Have you forgotten why I turned my sword against you!?" Birger screamed at the top of his lungs, Birger had lost hisposure and this was a sight no one was used to seeing.

    "You lost sight of the visions we had, Briger. And you are only alive today because you ran like a coward." Asmund said and this angered Birger.

    "Calm down Birger, he is trying to get under your skin," Ulf said and he was right, Asmund knew exactly where to touch and if he pushed enough, he could make the man meant to be the ally of Kattegat their greatest enemy.

    "Hahaha! You are right Ulf, I guess I lost myself for a moment there." Birger said and he calmed himself down as Asmund looked at Askild, Askild had a neutral face on.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Askild, you are a smart and strong warrior, that is how you became king but I will end this war on one condition¡­" Asmund said, pausing momentarily.

    "Kill Birger right here and now, I will sweep this whole thing under the carpet if you do," Asmund said and Askild knew he was a man of his word but he also knew they hade too far to retreat.

    Signy looked from the wall and saw his father, he was shocked because his father did not share this piece of information with him and this left him surprised.

    "Hahaha! They are screwed! King Asmund is here!" A random warrior said and this boosted the morale of Vestfold warriors.

    "This is good news, young lord," Kjell said with a satisfied smile, it felt like they had won the war already with this revtion but Askild''s calm was worrying. Asmund knew he must have something hidden under his sleeves, there was no way he woulde here without taking into ount something like this even happening.

    "Asmund¡­" Askild said, unmounting his horse casually despite him having the advantage of horseback in battle, but there it was again. That unwavering calm.

    "Bring down the wall," This was the only word that escaped the lips of Askild. Everyone was momentarily confused as Askild faced the direction of Asmund.

    "King Asmund, I challenge you to a duel," Askild said, these two things would not only halt the advance of the main forces as they could end the war if one of the kings fall but they also gave the forces directly under Ragnar, Skarde, and Asger an opportunity to advance further.

    The men around Asmund could give chase and leave their king alone for this duel or stay to protect their king because there was no guarantee that Askild intended a fair duel.

    This simple action caused a divide but Asmund did not mind as he wanted to see how his son intended to defend himself against the assault.

    Ragnar and the rest of themanders rushed to the walls, but they were met by a hail of ming arrows, the mes made minor injuries fatal as they burned the enemy''s body once they dug their way into their skin.

    They protected themselves with their shields until they made contact with the wall, they did not have any ramming bats but another unit appeared from the distance like they were lying in wait, holding a tree trunk as they rammed the gate once before the rail of arrows forced a majority of the men holding the tree to fall.

    Askild noticed that it would take some time to conquer the wall and faced Asmund.

    "Askild, I ept your proposal," Asmund said, a response that shocked Askild as he did not think Asmund would ept it.

    "What?" For the first time, Askild''s expression changed.

 Chapter 87 Vestfold Is Impregnable...!

    ?Asmund epted the challenge of Askild as the assault on the wall began, Askild knew that Asmund had the advantage and this reminded Asger of a familiar scene.

    "I ept your challenge, King Askild," Asmund said and every single warrior on the battlefield fell speechless, Askild knew he was strong but he had also heard about what Asmund was like in his prime.

    Askild was the one who challenged so he had no choice but the honor this sacred tradition but he was wondering why Asmund did not attempt to aid his son.

    This was not arrogance, it was something else and Askild felt like he was ying right into the hand of Asmund.

    The wall did not bulge and they were being overwhelmed, they could not even pick the ram back because of the rain of arrows, and Bjorn was well hidden beneath his raised shield.

    "We need to get over the wall!" Ragnar shouted and this was something obvious but they could not. Something sizzling soon dropped from the top of the wall.

    And what followed were screams of his allies, Bjorn look to his side and watched a multitude of people have their skin melt right off their bones.

    "Fall back!" Asger shouted, oil wasmon in war defenses but there was nothing about hot oil because then there would be no need for fire. Vestfold used to set the floor aze and those that had it spilled on them. The ram they were using was a casualty so breaking the door proved impossible right now.

    "This is bad!" Ragnar said and everyone now understood why Asmund did not perceive them to be a threat because he was confident that they could not breach the walls.

    There was no way they could go near the wall because the floor was damped in oil and all it took to ignite it was one ming bow.

    "What do we do?" Skarde asked and Hagen shook his head as he realized that they were not prepared in the slightest for scaling that wall because they had nodder or tools to do so.

    There was no way they could climb it, it was impossible in their current state.

    "We cannot climb the wall, I need time to make the necessary tools!" Hagen muttered as he had observed what they werecking and knew exactly what they needed, this was his contribution to the war.

    "We need to fall back or we will lose more men in vain," Skarde warned and everyone agreed. This resulted in roars from the enemies on the walls, these were roars of victory.

    Asmund smiled upon hearing the cheers of his men as he dispersed the circle that had formed, he wasn''t stupid enough to let the enemies behind their lines.

    He was fine with Askild''s men standing behind and his, standing behind him as that was enough.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The momentum was in the favor of Asmund and Askild knew that if he loses this battle then Kattegat will fall, but if he won, the war could be over today.

    Aksild unsheathed his de but Asmund left his sheathed, this was a tant disrespect to the people of Kattegat as it showed that Asmund did not see Askild worthy enough to unsheathe his de.

    This made Askild chuckle, he found his confidence amusing considering he was not even in his prime. Askild knew that Asmund would be the one responsible for his downfall as he witnessed this when he did not kill Erik despite defeating him.

    Askild began the battle as he raised his sword to the sky, before pointing it at Asmund. The tension in the air was indescribable because the anticipation and excitement were there despite them being enemies.

    The day they would see the legendary Asmund fight the man said to be the strongest warrior in Kattegat was like a battle ordained by the gods.

    The moment Askild''s sword pointed at Asmund, he lunged at him attempting a vertical sh. This was to split his head down the middle but despite his age, Asmund showed he was still quick on his feet as he side-stepped the attack with rtive ease beforending a blow right on the neck of Askild, all in a single motion.

    Askild clutched his neck and dropped to his knees, this was a sight no warrior in Kattegat had ever seen. Asmund had brought their king to his knees in one blow.

    "Askild, you were still a child during the war so I cannot me you for not knowing just how strong I was as you only had stories to satisfy your mind¡­" Asmund said as he gestured for him to get back on his feet as he had no intentions of killing him, not yet at least.

    "Asmund! You are a monster, you hide behind your benevolence but I know what you have done!" Birger shouted and Asmund looked at him from the corner of his eye.

    "Birger, my dear brother. I did love you but there is something different about you¡­'' Asmund said, his voice held no hatred as he still saw Birger as his brother despite his betrayal, he just did not love him.

    Askild managed to regain himself as he got back to his feet, he understood the mistake he made and that was trying to go for the finishing blow in one strike, it left him open as he did not take into ount the agility of an old man.

    "Do you understand now, King Askild?" Asmund asked him as everyone looked stunned, Asmund nned to break Kattegat''s spirit by breaking their pir, Askild.

    "I do Asmund, I have to fight you at 100% even if you do not brandish your weapon," Askild said, taking a deep breath to calm his thoughts and clear his mind.

    "That is right¡­" Asmund muttered, as he waited for Askild tounch yet another attack. It came in a simr reckless fashion but Asmund barely avoided it not because he did not see the attack but rather, the sword technique that Askild used as it managed to cut the cloth of Asmund.

    "Let''s begin Asmund. Let''s end this war!" Askild shouted and Asmund smiled in response to this.

 Chapter 88 Two Kings Collide

    ?The fight for Vestfold intensified, and so did the duel between the two kings.

    Askild was fighting seriously and Asmund was making a fool out of him despite not being able tond a blow on him and barely evading his strikes as it felt like Askild got faster and stronger with each swing.

    Both sides cheered with Signy also watching the duel, wondering why his father was not using his sword as it looked like he had the upper hand and could bring an end to this war if he would take this duel a lot more seriously.

    They were speaking as they fought, and Asmund was being put on the defensive and the whole time, he had a calm look on his face. The gentleness in his eyes never left.

    "You chose to fight me instead of taking the life of Birger, is that wise King Askild?" Asmund asked as he narrowly dodged a sword to the face, and he unsheathed his de to block the next strike.

    "I am a man of my word and I have given your brother my word," Askild said and Asmund looked amazed by this as he did not know his brother was worthy of anyone keeping their word as he was a snake that slithered in anything as long as it helped him survive.

    "Do you know how I knew about your arrival in Vestfold?" Amsund asked but this was rhetorical and Askild raised a brow. He never once dropped his guard because he knew that a moment of carelessness would cost him his life.

    This could all be an borate n to make him drop his guard but he was interested in the information that he had to share.

    "What do you mean?" Askild asked as his horizontal sh was parried by Asmund with rtive ease.

    "Even I cannot see the future King Askild, there is no way I would know your every move if someone on the inside did not tell me about it," Asmund said bluntly and Askild connected the dots quickly as he recalled all the events that have urred so far and how everything looked to go ording to some kind of script.

    "That is right, there is a traitor among you. And that traitor might or might not be my brother but if it is not Birger, then that means someone has betrayed you." Asmund said, he was a lot more talkative than usual and this was not to persuade Askild.

    Asmund knew there were so many ways to dismantle an army and that was to break their trust.

    The swordy was like a dance between masters, it captivated everyone that watched it.

    They were speechless because it was a beautiful sight as no one has ever seen both men fight such an evenly matched battle before.

    The forces that attempted to scale the wall returned to their original formation and joined back with the main forces.

    Kjell was impressed as the hot oil was Signy''s idea, but they knew they could end this war if they lifted the gates and attacked them head-on but it would also leave them vulnerable.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Signy trusted his father the same way his father trusted him, he had no ns of backing him up as his job was to hold up the forte.

    "Signy! now is our chance! We can end everything now!" Kjell advised him, he was the little voice in his head but Signy was not listening to the devil on his shoulder.

    "We hold our position! We do not give chase or we risk losing the forte. We do not know what other trick Askild has under his sleeves." Signy saw the bigger picture.

    Earl Aksel was impressed by Signy''s leadership skills as he watched him hold his ground against Kjell despite the temptation.

    The battle between Askild and Asmund intensified and none had received any injuries from their exchanges, showing they were evenly matched to a certain degree even though it felt like both men never wanted this fight to end.

    But then there was first blood and it was Asmund that drew it, cutting Askild right across his right shoulder with blood dripping down his arm, onto his fingers.

    Asmund smiled and Askild looked taken aback because if he was losing to Asmund despite Asmund being past his prime then who in their right mind could defeat him in a battle to drive him back into Vestfold and turn him into a pacifist?

    "I have gotten weaker, that swing was meant to take off your arm." Asmund joked about the injuries he inflicted on Askild and Askild smiled as he was excited by this battle.

    "You are amazing, Asmund!" Askild said, rushing forward tounch an attack but he was cut once again, again, and again.

    He was injured and things were not looking good for him. Bjorn watched the fight and he could not believe what he was seeing.

    "Wow!" Bjorn eximed, this was the one thing that he never expected to see and to a child''s eyes, this was the epitome of excellence.

    This is why he wanted to be a warrior and he understood at this moment that his father was not as strong as these men, the man he looked up to because of his strength was nowhere near as strong as these two men.

    "Bjorn, stay beside me!" Asgermanded because he understood what would happen if things got out of hand. After all, the possibility of Askild falling in battle looked very likely and there was no way that they could withstand a Vestfold assault if Askild fell because the morale and momentum will be on their side and there was no way the warriors of Kattegat would retain that moral if their king fall, the battle is as good as lost.

    Ulf was surprised that this was happening and he wondered what Erik''s reaction would be like if he saw the man he revered as a god in such a state.

    This is the single sight that would break him.

 Chapter 89 Eriks Whereabouts

    ?Erik and Sven were out in terms of the war as they had lost almost all their men, but their strength was not to be taken lightly as they could still have important roles in the war.

    Tyr would have been a casualty if he joined this battle because of his stamina, he was quick and nimble but he had not built the stamina to sustain this strain on his body.

    "Are we done here, Erik?" Sven asked, Oskar looked on in horror as it felt like steam was leaving Erik''s body but something was strange because Erik looked furious despite getting Tyr back.

    Sven suspected that he was angry because of Tyr but he was wrong, he was not angry because of Tyr but he was angry that the men he had lost fell to unworthy warriors.

    He was angry that these men were able to push them as much as they did, and the survivors were few.

    "We are done, let us head to Vestfold. I must be the one to take the head of that old man." Erik shouted and luckily, this camp. They had horses so this was an advantage as it would help them travel faster but Erik was not familiar with the terrain so the probability of them getting lost was high.

    "I think it should be easy to find the capital. Follow my lead!" Oskar said, mounting a horse as with the others except for Tyr. Tyr did not know how to ride a horse as his father had never taught him nor did he think he needed to learn but Erik offered him his hand and his horse.

    Erik was willing to share his horse with the child, it was impressive that Tyr had won the liking of Erik in such a short time but that could be because of hisck of regard for human life.

    Tyr mounted Erik''s horse and they were on their way, they followed Oskar as he had been to Vestfold before but not to the capital.

    Sven looked at Tyr with curiosity because he knew that this boy would grow to be a great warrior but he knew that if it was Erik''s path he followed, the chances of him being a sane warrior were already at 0 due to Erik''s barbaric nature.

    Journeying, they encountered a small vige where men and women farmed. It was strange that they were not evacuated considering a war was being forward and this was what they needed as they needed food and rest.

    They were hostiles and it was clear that the farmers were aware as they tried to keep them up by having their men take up arms and blocking the entrance to the vige.

    Erik was covered in blood from head to toe and his cold eyes looked down on them.

    Tyr knew what wasing but these were not warriors, these were innocent people.

    Innocent people should not be dragged into this and Tyr quickly jumped off the horse before Erik could respond because the only response Erik knew was blood.

    "P-Please, we do not want to hurt you¡­" Tyr started the conversation as he pleaded with them.

    "We have defeated your army, but I wonder, why did they not evacuate you?" Oskar tossed the question out there.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It is because they do not consider you part of Vestfold and that is why you are in the middle of a war so give us passage and ess to your vige so you do not have to be casualties as well," Oskar concluded his dialogue and this resulted in them murmuring among one another.

    And it worked as they reluctantly gave them passage, Tyr heaved a huge sigh of relief because he understood that warriors wanted to die a warrior''s death, that was the thing he used to keep his morals in check but if they started killing innocent people then that would break his fragile moral code. But luckily, Oskar had sorted out their problem by letting them know of their reality as the farmers knew there was no way they could stop them if they decided to forcefully take over the vige.

    They were offered food and drinks for free, and Tyr was given water seeing as he wasn''t allowed to drink due to his age.

    "I need a whore¡­" Erik said out of the blue, as his eyes darted around to find one. He noticed a girl had been staring at him, but he did not know if it was lust or fear that brought this interest nor did he care. He ate his food like a wild animal, something that Oskar found distasteful.

    The luck they had was that a vige happened to be here. It did not take long for him to finish eating.

    "I will see you guyster, I need to empty my balls¡­" Erik said, standing up to go meet thedy that was looking at him. She had huge breasts, and he could see her nipples poking from her shirt.

    Erik did not speak at all, he grabbed her by the wrists and took her away, Tyr looked on as he was curious about what he was going to do with her after he fucks her.

    "Tyr, the son of Ragnar Lothbrok¡­" Sven called out his name.

    This was the first time that Sven had some alone time with Tyr and he wanted to know what was it about him that made him feel uneasy.

    "Yes sir?" Tyr responded, eating the meat in his front in a calm manner as he had eaten earlier in the camp, Sven noticed he was not as hungry too. He had no injuries or wounds on him so it means he was not tortured so why did the man they thought was Asmund after him in the first ce?

    "Have you betrayed Vestfold?" Sven blurted out and even Oskar nearly choked upon hearing this. Tyr looked right into Sven''s eyes.

    "Why will I betray the one ce that epted me?" Tyr responded, the look in his eyes told Sven all he needed to know.

    "Why did that man take you, what did he tell you?" Sven questioned, he was inquisitive now and wanted to see if Tyr would be transparent with him.

    "I need you to trust me, sir but this is something only I can do," Tyr said and Sven kept quiet because Tyr could have easily lied but he was honest about it.

    Oskar was with the head of the man in and this was because they believed in their hearts of hearts that this man was Amsund, they hoped he was because if he was, they could end the war.

 Chapter 90 Eriks Pleasure [R18+]

    ?Erik had taken the girl into a corner of a secluded area, he did not even bother finding a bed or hotel room to have his way with her because she looked to be interested in him.

    No sane woman in her right mind would look at Erik''s physique and the first thing would be to jump his bones so this woman was not in the sane frame of mind.

    "You are too rough!" Thedyined with a smile, it was clear that she had no problem with this but just wanted to voice it.

    She looked down at Erik''s crotch and what she saw made her mouth water, she could not believe the size she was seeing and she looked up at Erik to see his facial expression.

    But what she saw when he looked into his eyes sent shivers down her spine.

    It excited her, she was tired of the boring men in the vige and she wanted to know what it was like being with a warrior, and Erik looked like the epitome of what a warrior should look like.

    She felt his muscr hand on the top of her head, pushing her down to her knees.

    There was no way something so big would fit in her mouth but she wanted to try.

    "Take it in your mouth, it is not going to suck itself whore¡­" Erik said in a blood-curdling tone and this only excited her more, she could feel in between her thighs getting wet as she gradually took it in her hand.

    She looked at it for a moment before Erik grabbed his shaft and used it to smack her right in the face, the size and force it smacked her with forced her cheeks to redden, the girth was unbelievable. Was he even human at this point?

    "Open your mouth, I did note around to y¡­" Erikmanded her and she did just that, the tip nearly split the side of her lips open but she took it like a champ.

    Erik wasn''t impressed as she could only take the head, that was where she stopped but she then started running her tongue along the tip of his dick, she was good, too good.

    "Now this is a surprise," Erik said, gradually pushing her head to take in even more of his dick, despite gagging and choking on it with each inch that made its way into her mouth, she did not give up.

    Erik moaned, and this encouraged her. She made such a warrior moan, she took a sense of pride in this, she was notfortable that he was covered in blood but at least his dick did not have any on him.

    She tried toe up for air but Erik held her head in ce.

    "Where the fuck do you think you are going? I am not done yet¡­" Erik said as he began thrusting his dick back and forth, facefucking thedy aggressively like she was nothing more than a sex toy. That was how she presented herself so it was no surprise that Erik treated her as such even though that would not have mattered much.

    And she soon got her reward for a job well done despite tears leaving her eyes due to the asphyxiation caused by sucking on his dick.

    Erik gave her a thick facial as he was kind enough not to finish in her mouth, thedy was breathing hard as she finally caught her breath.

    This was far more intense than she thought it would be but why was it so hot?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Men in this vige treated her like ady, like a woman worth respecting but she wanted to be treated like a toy and she knew with a nce that this man would grant her that fantasy and he did.

    She was d that she followed him as she got to her feet and bid him farewell but Erik grabbed her by the wrist.

    "My balls are not empty yet," Erik said like he was talking to himself, tossing her against the wall with her ass facing him, she had on a skirt that barely covered her knees.

    Erik groped her ass and she let out a moan as she felt his huge finger slither into her like a snake, it was bigger than the dicks of the men she had been with.

    "P-Please at least be gentle¡­" Thedy whimpered but Erik stopped the moment he heard this and he turned her to face him.

    "Gentle? I will treat you how I please and there is nothing you can do about it," Erik muttered, wrapping his big hand around her neck as he gradually began to constrict it.

    "I could kill you right now but instead I am choosing to fuck you¡­" Erik said, it almost sounded like he thought he was doing her favor, or at least that''s how he presented it.

    She was much smaller than him as he ripped off her clothes until she was stark naked, her legs trembling because part of her knew what wasing and the thought that anyone could catch them at any moment only added spice to the situation.

    What she felt next was her feet leaving the ground like she was flying, she looked down and realized that it was Erik lifting her.

    "Youdies of Vestfold don''t have any shame!" Erik said with a grin, she felt his strong hands gripping her waist tightly as he lowered her hips to position her properly until his dick was touching the damp mess he had caused between her legs.

    She bit her lips in anticipation, there was something about this moment that she could not ce her fingers around but she knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    "Here we go!" Erik eximed, thrusting his entire shaft into her, her mind went nk for a second as Erik kept lifting her before dumping her aggressively on his dick.

    She had her arms wrapped around him so she wouldn''t be tossed from his grasp.

    She moaned like a bitch literally in heat as she was one as of this moment, and it was mixed with both pleasure and pain as Erik fucked her without mercy.

    Naturally, this drew passersby as they thought someone was being hurt, and to their surprise when they saw Erik fucking one of their most prominent women.

    Sven, Oskar, and Tyr came out to see what was going on and they were not surprised by the sight as Erik kept going despite people gathering and the girl moaning like she was having an aneurysm.

    Sven had to cover Tyr''s eyes to protect his innocence but that was ironic considering he had just killed scores of people.

 Chapter 91 A Big Win For...?

    ?"Are you ready to go Erik?" Sven asked the Berserker, and Tyr had a look of terror on his face because he saw what he thought would never happen.

    They had ughtered everyone in the vige and burned it to the ground, Erik personally killed thedy that had submitted her body to him.

    "Why!?" Tyr asked and Oskar took his time to exin to the young warrior.

    "We were never going to leave them alive because we do not know if they would alert the enemies of our whereabouts or not. Their words mean nothing, they might be disposable but they might have used this opportunity to get good with the forces of Vestfold." Oskar said coldly like he had seen simr things in the past as he was unmoved by it.

    "You guys are monsters¡­" Tyr blurted out, tears filling his eyes as he had seen that their brutality was not limited to their enemies but the innocent as well.

    We? We are all monsters Tyr. That is how our enemies see us. We encroached on theirnd, took one of their own, and executed him. We are the viins in this story, Tyr." Oskar rified as Tyr had a misced sense of justice. There was nothing good about this.

    "Erik, how are you feeling?" Sven asked the Berserker and Erik looked a lot calmer.

    "I feel light, now I want to go meet the man that I have sworn my life to," Erik said, he did sound a lot calmer and Sven heaved a loud sigh of relief.

    He didn''t get along with Erik but he understood that his strength would y a pivotal role in the war and with Tyr proving himself to be a valuable asset.

    They continued their journey on horseback as they journeyed right to Vestfold, they had gotten the direction from the farmers right before the massacre began.

    -

    "Askild, you must have understood that you cannot win¡­" Asmund said, looking at the sorry sight of Askild as he was covered in wounds and cuts of varying degrees.

    King Asmund was yet to sustain even a single scratch from the sword of Askild.

    "W-What is going on?" Skarde muttered in shock, they were surprised that their King looked like a normal warriorpared to Asmund, Asmund was not human.

    But why was Asmund not killing him when he had multiple chances to?

    If it was to demoralize the troops of Askild, he had already done that, and killing their king would seal the deal and bring an end to this war yet he stalled.

    "There it is! The weakness of Asmund, my dear brother¡­" Birger said with a smirk, taking out his sword.

    "You cannot take a life without thinking of that day, can you?" Birger said, walking in the circle to stand beside King Askild.

    "What do you think you are doing?" King Askild asked the treacherous brother.

    "In case you have not noticed, you are losing the fight. You dying means we lose the war and I die here. Forget your honor, it has no ce on the battlefield¡­"  Birger said, pointing his sword at Asmund as everyone began to murmur.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hahaha! Birger, nothing gets past you." Asmund said with a smile, dissipating all tension that had built up during their battle.

    "I know I cannot win you in a duel and our forces are heavily outmatched. You could finish us off at this moment but you won''t. And do you know why?" Birger questioned, basically dering that Askild had lost this duel.

    "And why is that?" Asmund asked, he looked amazed by the audacity of his brother to even speak to him after betraying his kingdom.

    "It is the same reason you could not kill me that day, the day that changed you into this shell of a man before me. The event that made me betray you¡­" Birger responded.

    "What is he talking about?" Bjorn whispered to Asger.

    "I am just as surprised as you are, child," Asger responded as he too was clueless.

    "Birger, I do not know what or how but I know you won''t survive this war. You have changed, I cannot wrap my fingers around it but something about you feels different." Asmund said, sheathing his sword as the duel he was having with Askild had been interrupted by his brother.

    "I do not want to kill you King Askild for I fear your death would make you a martyr for the next generation and they too shall seek vengeance¡­" Asmund said.

    "So I will show you mercy, the Vikings of Kattegat. I hope you remember this day as the day the man you all hate spared the man you all fear, for this is the power of a true leader. You do not rule by fear but by mercy. If anyone wishes to take my life, step forward and I will show you that you cannot conquer me," Asmund said and everyone could feel the fighting spirit leave their body.

    Asmund had used his strength to cement his strength and his words to sway the enemy''s mind.

    It was working, why would it not? King Asmund was victorious in this battle with no casualties on his side and Askild had not only lost the duel he had challenged Asmund to but he had lost a few men as well.

    There was only one viable option and that was to retreat, but Askild had to sound the retreat horns or his men would be ughtered.

    "Think carefully usurper, this is a war. You will lose a few battles, what is important is winning the war¡­" Birger whispered. Of course, Askild knew this but he knew the effect it would have on his men''s morale, and the words that Asmund said earlier rang in his head.

    There was a traitor among them and he had to figure out who or things would only escte.

    Asmund was always one step ahead, they stood no chance and Askild came to the realization in this battle as to why Asmund did not wait for them behind the castle walls but ventured outside despite the risk it posed.

    It was for this reason exactly, it was to break the mind of the enemy and he had done just that.

    "Retreat!" Askild shouted and everyone''s faces dropped, they could not believe that the man that they feared so much lost a fight against a man past his prime.

    "What are you waiting for? Retreat!" Skarde shouted to reiterate what their king had said, and this snapped them back to reality as Kattegat retreated and Asmund watched with satisfaction as they had won the battle on this day.

 Chapter 92 Lust Collide [R18+]

    ?Things were contained in Kattegat but Ulrik was surprised by the night before because she seemed so opposed to sex or anything physical but she let his hands wander.

    He did not have sex with her but he did touch her until she had an orgasm.

    But something felt strange, she submitted far too easily considering she had just met him making him curious about the type of girl she was and why exactly she helped Lagertha.

    Things were not adding up in his head but Ulrik was not known for his smarts so all this could just be in his head.

    Laying in bed with Garda in his arms, he knew now was not the time to y house but he could not shake the feeling that the woman in his arms was not just some average woman.

    "A-Are you okay?" Garda hesitantly asked and this snapped Ulrik back to reality.

    "My fucking arm is going dead," Ulrik responded and she jumped up to allow the blood to flow into his arm. This reaction made Ulrik chuckle because he was messing with her.

    She was flustered as she covered her body with the nket,

    Ulrik had seen her naked before but his eyes were focused on her tits and this made him miss other details of her body, but one could not me considering it was just for a split second.

    Ulrik was hard, it could not be helped because he had a bustydy in his front and he was a man when it came to primal urges.

    Garda noticed his erection poking from beneath the nket and got shy for a moment.

    Ulrik just watched her, he was curious to see what she would do in this situation.

    She adjusted her shirt properly before removing the nket from her body, Ulrik ced both his hands behind his head and watched her.

    She felt self-conscious because she knew what he expected her to do, and this was something she had no experience in but she had seen multiple times where she stayed, the area was not civilized and all sorts of indecent activities happened out in the open.

    "C-Can I touch it?" Garda asked timidly and this got a nod of approval from Ulrik.

    She took off the nkets and there it was, standing at attention like a soldier before hismander.

    Garda was intimidated but luckily, the size was of the average man so this dread soon faded as she touched it gently before removing her hand just as quickly.

    Ulrik watched her, he was studying her but he did want to be satisfied because touching her the night before had made him hard since it has been a while since he has touched a woman.

    He also remembered what Lagertha said about putting his dick in her and that was one of the main reasons he did not attempt anything else the night before.

    He held Lagertha in high regard and subconsciously never did anything that would put him on bad terms with her.

    Garda''s hand once again touched it, but her fingers wrapped around it this time.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Stroking the shaft like she was ying an instrument, Ulrik could not believe how good it felt as she did it so slowly but delicately.

    He arched his back and let out a soft moan because now, he was trying his best not to cum and Garda noticed this reaction as one that was good.

    He had made a mess out of her the night before and she wanted to return the favor, gradually increasing the pace of her stroke and Ulrik whimpered like a helpless boy.

    "S-Slow down!" Ulrik warned because he knew he was at his limit but Garda did not as she only increased the pace, Ulrik looked down to see what she was doing and she looked amazed by it.

    Pre-cum leaking everywhere and she proceeded to use her tongue to twirl around the tip of his dick while stroking it.

    The sensation was heavenly and Ulrik''s hands left behind his head as he clutched the sheets.

    "I-I''m going to cum!" Ulrik said and the moment he said this, she stopped.

    "Why?" Ulrik asked, he was breathing like a dog out of his breath. He was on the verge of climax and she had just ruined it by stopping and this only made his lust peak.

    "I-I want to try something," Garda said, tying her hair as she opened her mouth as wide as she could and just took in the whole length of Ulrik, he felt his dick hit the back of her throat.

    The tightness of it, and he ejacted the moment he felt the warmness of her mouth.

    He was shaking like he was having a seizure and he could not believe that she had made him finish in such a short amount of time but one could say it was because he had not gottenid for quite some time.

    Garda swallowed it all and Ulrik''s dick didn''t go down. Garda''s eyes looked like it was full of lust, they both knew what was next. They both wanted it as the pheromones of lust filled the room but two distinctive knocks hit the door and both of them snapped back from it.

    "Who the fuck is that!?" Ulrik shouted because he knew that that knock had ruined the moment.

    "It is Lagertha, is that how you should be speaking to me?" Lagertha asked behind the door.

    "Shit! Go get cleaned!" Ulrik muttered to Garda as he jumped out of the bed to fasten his trousers.

    "Disgusting thoughts, disgusting thoughts!" Ulrik thought to himself as he walked to the door, this did the trick in killing his erection right before he opened the door.

    "Hey Lagertha, you are looking well¡­" Ulrik greeted her the moment the door opened,menting on her physique because she did not look like someone that was injured.

    "I am here for Garda, tell her to meet me when she is done," Lagertha said and she knew just from looking at Ulrik that he was doing some extracurricr activity, but Lagertha was fine with it as long as Garda allowed it.

    "And you could not wait a day before doing it? Really? You men in this city have no control¡­" Lagertha said, walking away with Ulrik looking awkwardly.

    Ulrik had alreadymanded his men to take over the security of Kattegat and this made the aggressors retreat into the shadows because they understood they stood no chance against Ulrik''s unit, it was a blessing he was here because there was no way the aggressors would not have tried again, especially with the two famous shield maidens injured.

 Chapter 93 Deception & Betrayal

    ?Askild had sounded the retreat and the forces fell back with Asmund watching them with a sense of aplishment, he understood that he had done irreparable damage to them.

    "King Asmund, should we chase after them?" A Viking asked but Asmund shook his head to disapprove of this suggestion.

    "Return to the walls¡­" King Asmund said, and the gates were opened to wee Asmund back in, the cheers and roars were ravenous.

    Signy could not believe his father was this strong and knew at that moment he would never be able to fill his shoes.

    Asmund was loved and he had the strength to gain the respect of his Vikings, these were two importantponents that made him virtually invisible.

    "Father!" Signy shouted the moment he saw King Asmund, Amsund weed his son with a warm embrace as he had now assumedmand of the walls seeing as Signy''s part was done.

    "You did well in my absence, Signy. The hot oil was a brilliant idea," Asmund said, stroking the hair of his teenage son right before breaking his embrace.

    "Kattegat has retreated but they will be back!" Asmund shouted, bringing the cheer to a halt.

    "This war is not over and tomorrow, it could be our enemies cheering within these walls. Do not getcent, not even for a moment." Asmund shouted and the Vikings hit their shields with their weapon as Asmund journeyed back to his throne room on horseback.

    Kjell looked on in admiration, he was d he answered the call of Asmund because he knew this was a fight of a lifetime, turning his attention to Signy as he noticed how he was so different from his father.

    "Huh?" Kjell thought, noticing something on Signy as he inched towards him.

    "Young lord, you are bleeding," Kjell informed Signy as he saw blood on his cheeks but Signy was confused as there was no possible way he could have been bleeding.

    "It must have been when you embraced King Asmund, his armor must have bruised you," Kjell said, dismissing the relevance of the injury.

    "T-This is not my blood!" Signy thought before jerking his head in the direction of his father.

    "F-Father is injured?" Signy thought to himself, he was surprised because he was sure that Askild''s de did not touch him but he was too far to draw an urate deduction.

    "Ah, I should be more careful¡­" Signy said, verifying the assumption of Kjell.

    Asmund journeyed back, and the moment he was out of the sight of his warriors, he clutched his abdomen in pain, as he chuckled faintly.

    "That Askild¡­" Asmund muttered. Asmund could deliver so many blows to Askild because he did not care if he hit a vital or not but Askild was only aiming for vitals.

    This was why the battle looked one-sided but Asmund knew more than anyone there that this was far from the case, Askild had managed tond a graze on him that almost tore open his stomach but Asmund managed to evade it to prevent that degree of damage.

    He allowed Askild to retreat not because he wanted to, but rather because he could not continue the battle at the same tempo he had started or it would be discovered that he was injured.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This might throw the momentum back in the court of Kattegat and he could not afford that.

    He understood the importance of motivation more than anyone and giving it to someone as determined as Askild was a terrible idea.

    He was d that he could force Askild to retreat but he knew that this war was just beginning.

    -

    "W-We actually lost?" A Viking warrior of Kattegat trembled at this thought and he was not the only one that was gued by this prospect, as others trembled.

    Asmund made Askild look like a man, but Askild did not look bothered by this momentary setback as he now understood why Vestfold had stood tall for so long.

    No one was brave enough to approach him, no one but Ragnar Lothbrok.

    "King Askild, you should get your wounds treated," Ragnar suggested, not referring to the battle he had just lost but he got no response from Askild.

    "We should starve them out," Hagen tried to contribute but everyone knew how futile that would be seeing as they would have stocked enough tost them a couple of winters and at this rate, it would be them that would be starved off.

    "Hagen, we need something to get us above those walls or break through their gates." Skard blurted out bluntly, shooting the idea of Hagen down with this revtion.

    "I know! I know! I have just the thing in mind!" Hagen said excitedly as this war was bringing about a spark to his creative juices.

    All they needed was for the gate to fall but there was no way of doing that from the outside, they had to find a way inside those walls.

    Ulf took Birger to a corner to speak to him, and Birger was not opposed to hearing him out considering he had big ns for the brother of Ragnar.

    "What is it, Ulf?" Birger questioned and Ulf looked left and right to confirm they were not being followed or listened to.

    "Birger, I have thought about your offer¡­" Ulf muttered, the scene he had just seen with Birger and King Asmund yed a part in this decision, something that Birger did not look to be surprised about but it was hard telling beneath his helmet.

    "And what is your answer?" Birger asked sternly.

    Ulf gulped, feeling the hairs on his skin stand as he tried to utter the words from his mouth but it felt like something was stopping him from saying them. He knew once it came out, he could never take it back. But he had to say it, he understood why Birger connected with him.

    ? It was because he too lived under the shadow of his brother and there was only one way to break out of that shadow.

    "I will kill Ragnar Lothbrok¡­ I will kill my brother¡­"

 Chapter 94 The Fall Of An Idol

    ?Tyr was nk, his face looked like he was about to throw up, and he felt sick with himself because he could not help but feel responsible for what had urred.

    He knew that his father would be ashamed of him if he saw what he had be, it took killing these people to snap him back and remember the principles he was raised on.

    The journey to Vestfold was easy thanks to the horses, and it took a few hours until they were within sight of the kingdom, this meant that the information they had gotten was correct but it was far too calm, he saw the deceased bodies on the battlefield, they had left them to rot as a reminder that they had failed in their conquest.

    "The battle has already concluded," Oskar said, and by the way things looked, it was clear that they had failed but the body count was too low.

    But a scout found them and directed them to the camp where Askild and his men rested.

    Kattegat was watching the walls to report any movement from Vestfold while they recuperated.

    Erik arrived at their temporary camp and saw that everyone was okay but their look of shock was that he was alive.

    "What the fuck is with this mood?" Erik blurted out as Sven followed, both men unmounting their horses.

    Bjorn, who had earlier pretended like he was not worried about his younger brother, ran towards them the moment he saw Erik was there without hesitation.

    "I-Is Tyr okay!?" Bjorn asked. The desperation in his voice was telling.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson is alright and he has proved himself in battle, to be formidable," Oskar said, as Tyr unmounted the horse but Bjorn''s heart dropped the moment he saw the look in Tyr''s eyes.

    Tyr could not even look him in the eyes, and kept his eyes on the ground, he was mumbling to himself while fiddling with his fingers.

    "Tyr¡­?" Bjorn said and Ragnar noticed his strange behavior but he had to remain in character because he knew for certain Erik had something to do with this.

    "Where is the rest of your unit?" Skarde asked Erik, ignoring his earlier question.

    "Ah, they died¡­"  Erik said bluntly, it was clear he did not care about the people he had lost because this possibility had always existed. This was the way of his unit, they saw and weed death as some sort of honor and in doing so, they did not fear it.

    "Everyone died?" Skarde asked but Erik brushed past him, he wanted to protest but Sven stepped in and gave him the answer he was seeking.

    "Yes, everyone else died but we were able to kill our enemies despite being outnumbered. But that is not the most fascinating thing, where is King Askild?" Sven asked.

    And Skarde pointed to a secluded area and there he was, the leader of Kattegat that had just been humbled.

    Erik was the first to see him and he noticed that Askild had wounds all over his body, the fact that he was not in Vestfold right now could only mean that they were pushed back.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Erik stood right in front of him without saying a word,

    He could not understand who he was looking at, Askild looked him right in the eyes but Erik was not bending the knee and stared him down.

    Sven had to grab him by the shoulder and force him to his knees, Erik did not resist much as he was brought to his knees with Sven following suit.

    "King Askild, we have seeded in defeating the forces at the frontlines but we lost almost all our men," Sven reported, bringing the head of the man that they killed as heid it right in front of King Askild.

    "King Askild, we have managed to kill King Asmund," Sven said and Askild was surprised because this man looked exactly like Asmund.

    Birger caught a glimpse of this and rushed to their side to give them rification regarding this severed head.

    "That is not Asmund, but I understand what my brother did¡­ This is Earl Hakon, he was often used as a double for Asmund but that was all he was good at. He did not have any talent except that. The story of the false King of Vestfold was from this arrangement but it was never confirmed that it was a double so it remained a rumor." Birger said, and Sven looked at Erik.

    He could not believe that Erik could tell them apart with a single look, but it was more primal than it was logical, Erik was a creature of instincts.

    "King Askild¡­" Erik muttered, the voice he used sounded of repressed anger and Sven knew he had to do something to stop him but he wanted to see what he wanted to say.

    "What is the meaning of this, King Askild?" Erik asked and everyone''s face turned, no one had dared speak to Askild like this and Erik had no right to do so just because of his rage.

    Before Erik could blink, he felt a metal steel right at his neck, and the killing intent that oozed from Askild''s body was overwhelming, it was like a wolf reestablishing his hold on his pack.

    "Erik, who do you think you are talking to?" Askild asked a very simple question and Erik found himself unable to speak because he was reminded of what happened thest time he spoke up against Askild.

    "I am sorry, King Askild. I was just taken by surprise regarding your injuries," Erik said but Askild noticed his missing ear and wondered who was capable of doing that.

    He knew Erik was a man of passion and understood his outburst but this war reminded him why Erik was such an invaluable asset to them.

    He had a knack for violence, but this did not change the fact that they had lost the most important battle in this war and were now on the disadvantageous side.

    They could not act now, all they could do was wait for Hagen to finish constructing what he was making and that was projected to be in a month.

    They had a month to prepare for the second wave and despite being in the enemy''s territory, Askild knew that there was no way they wouldunch an attack on them in the meantime as they were safest behind the walls but he also knew that Asmund would have eyes on them. That thought made him recall what Asmund said as Askild thought to himself.

    "There is a traitor in this camp¡­"

 Chapter 95 A Month Later...

    ?A month passed, the tension was still high and King Askild had lost a few men due to starvation, the hunting parties he sent to scavenge for food rarely returned.

    And when they did, they were injured or near death, it was clear what Vestfold''s strategy was.

    Askild had to stop mutiny because with hunger, they slowly lost their sanity and with the little they did have to eat, themanders were prioritized, followed by the workers helping Hagen build his inventions. Erik, however, strived in such an environment as he had no problems eating human flesh.

    This was something that everyone frowned upon as they viewed it as dishonoring their fallen brothers but Erik did not care nor could anyone stop him so they could only murmur among themselves.

    Tyr looked emancipated, he had lost weight not because he was not being fed but because the screams and cries of the people that died in that vige still rang in his head.

    He had vivid images of that day, this included a disturbing scene where Erik grabbed a baby by the head before imploding the skull of the baby with nothing but his firm grip.

    Bjorn did not know how to snap his brother back and just watched him in silence because he knew that whatever Tyr saw, or did was something he would never know. It was a delicate case because he had no idea what to do.

    The only positive thing was that Hagen''s inventions were nearingpletion, and that meant they could begin the second wave in the city of Vestfold.

    "ARRRGGGHHH!" A scream rang out and everyone looked at the one responsible for it, it was Tyr. He was screaming as he rolled around on the ground while clutching his head.

    "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Tyr kept repeating and Bjorn looked on in horror.

    Ragnar''s anger had reached a peak and he looked in the direction of Erik with murderous intent.

    Erik was unbothered, he did not even spare Tyr a nce as he looked on into the distance.

    Ragnar took a step but was abruptly stopped by Asger.

    "Calm yourself, Ragnar¡­" Asger said, and Ragnar looked him right in the eyes.

    "You are not the only one that wants someone here dead¡­" Asger said. This was him referring to Birger and Ragnar understood where he wasing from.

    "But Kattegates first so calm yourself, Ragnar Lothbrok¡­" Asgre repeated as Ragnar took a deep breath as he walked to his son.

    "Tyr, listen to my voice¡­" Ragnar said but his voice was not reaching Tyr. Bjorn tried to keep a brave face as a warrior but seeing Tyr in this state broke him.

    He did not even know when tears escaped his eyes, he could not hold them back. Breaking down at the sight of his younger brother''s pain.

    This was a sad sight to see but it was the least of their problems.

    "Erik, I think Ragnar wants to kill you," Sven said, sitting beside the man he did not get along with but now grew a certain respect for after seeing his rampage.

    "He should be grateful I brought his son back, that little rascal nearly killed us too," Erik joked, remembering when he set the forest aze to blind and nearly suffocate them to death,

    "Erik and Sven, I have been watching you both for a while¡­" There was no mistaking this voice, it was the voice of Birger who was seated behind them.

    "Have you both noticed it? We are all going to die, what is left is to die a death worthy of Valha," Birger said and this brought about a chuckle from Erik.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But this conversation was cut short because of Tyr''s erratic behavior, he had grabbed a sword and begun swinging it at imaginary enemies.

    "Hahaha!" Erik could not help butugh out loud at this sight.

    "That little fucker has lost his mind," Erik said, standing and heading towards Tyr.

    Sven knew this was a bad idea but he was more curious to see how it would y out.

    "Tyr, have you gone insane?" Erik said callously, he had no sympathy for his current state and Ragnar gritted his teeth.

    Erik was loving the sight, and he noticed the tension his presence brought.

    "Should I put him down? I hate seeing wounded dogs," Erik teased, looking right at Ragnar.

    "Y-You bastard¡­ What did you do to my brother?!" Bjorn screamed and charged at Erik but a powerful open-palm p sent him flying, knocking him out in one blow.

    "Hahaha! Are all the children of Ragnar so energetic? It is a pity you do not have a daughter. I would have loved to see her energy in other ways." Erik continued his provocation.

    "Ragnar¡­" Asger said in a low tone, this was a reminder of what he had said earlier.

    "You all should rejoice! You are witnessing the birth of a Berserker!" Erik said, everyone was staying away from Tyr''s erratic swings but Erik walked right into it.

    Tyr turned and went straight for his neck but Erik did not bulge, nor did he defend himself.

    But the de somehow never made contact with his neck, stopping right before it did.

    "I am not like these people, Tyr. I do not think you are broken¡­" Erik blurted out and this brought Tyr back to his senses.

    "Wee back, my little Berserker," Erik said with a grin, and Ragnar could not believe what he was seeing. Erik was the reason that Tyr came back to his senses or did he not trust his son enough that he would not hurt him?

    Ragnar knew Erik was crazy but betting his life on a gamble as wild as this had to be above insanity, but it made Ragnar feel sick for some reason.

    Did this mean Erik had more trust in Tyr than he did?

    Tyr had been partaking in raids to hunt for food previously, and this episode was the first.

    "They are watching us¡­" Tyr said, with his cold eyes looking to the skies.

    "I will win this war," Tyr continued before looking at King Askild, who was seated and watching the mayhem.

    "I will win this war in the name of my king," Tyr said.

    "So he noticed¡­" King Askild thought to himself as his eyes darted to the left but nothing could be seen.

 Chapter 96 Split In Bonds

    ?King Askild called Tyr over and Tyr dashed to his position. Ragnar on the other hand went to check if Bjorn was alright, Tyr felt different from a month ago.

    He did not flinch despite seeing Bjorn knocked out by Erik, nor did he show any emotional response to it.

    He bent the knee but Askild did something that Ragnar had been the recipient of and that was telling him to stand up.

    "Tyr, was it?" Askild asked, and Tyr felt goosebumps all over his body the moment he heard his name on Askild''s lips.

    "Y-Yes my king!" Tyr responded with a smile and this motivated Tyr to just gush about everything that he had observed.

    "Tell me, what do you see¡­" Askild asked, he was taking a liking to Ragnar''s children because he hoped that they would inherit his greatness despite Tyr not being his biological child.

    "What do I see?" Tyr repeated, he was confused. It sounded like a riddle and he did not have the answer to it.

    "You aren''t Tyr, at least not the child from a month ago¡­" Askild said, pausing to spare Tyr a good look.

    "You have fractured both in body and in mind, but I want to know what you see¡­" Askild said. He was speaking in sybles that Tyr did not understand but Tyr was not about to get on his bad side.

    "I know we are being watched¡­" Tyr muttered, the tone uncertain and this brought about the biggest grin from Askild. He was d about this response, but this was general knowledge.

    "Was any of that true?" Askild interrogated him, this was about his earlier actions.

    "I do hear the voices, the screams, and cries of the innocent. I hear them all, I feel terrible but I do not remember why. I understand the consequences of being a candidate for the great hall of Odin." Tyr responded firmly.

    "The voices never stop, child¡­ You need to stain your blood to keep them at bay and that is why Erik does what he does but I believe he''s a psychopath incapable of remorse," Askild said, he spoke to Tyr in a calm voice despite their situation.

    "Do you remember your life before Kattegat?" Askild asked, he showed an interest in Tyr, an actual personal interest in where he was from despite not being new in Kattegat.

    "I do not, my king¡­" Tyr responded timidly, the aura of Askild was intimidating and with every word that escaped his lips, he had to force it out.

    Tyr knew this was his opportunity because he realized that he had all of Askild''s attention and he had to hold it if he was going to be useful.

    "I found something out about their raids, King Askild¡­" Tyr muttered and those words held the interest of King Askild.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What do you mean?" Askild asked and Tyr took this opportunity to be the main character.

    "They never leave their dead, they always return to get them. I have never seen a rotting corpse of theirs, only of ours." Tyr said but this was not new information to Askild or anyone as they would want to give their warriors an honorable send-off, and not let them rot with maggots.

    "I have a n that might change the tide of this war, it is something I have been preparing for a month..'' Tyr said with fire in his eyes, Askild looked at him as there was something he had noticed and that was the children of Ragnar had interesting ideas, this was seen with Bjorn''s n to strip naked to take the enemy by surprise.

    There was no reason not to give him a listening ear, he was d to even as Tyr began to exin his n in detail, and Askild''s face changed from curious to disgust.

    "What kind of sickening n is that?" Askild said out loud, drawing the attention of everyone around.

    Tyr looked scared as he reflexively got up and took a couple of steps back. He knew better than to stay at Askild''s side before the king''s de found his neck. He walked backward while facing Askild, until he bumped into something, that something was his father.

    "What is going on with you, son?" Ragnar asked. Tyr was confused about what he was feeling because one minute he was on the verge of a mental breakdown and the next minute he was as calm as a cucumber and this frightened him.

    He looked at an unconscious Bjorn and he looked at Erik, clenching his fist in anger because he knew there was nothing he could do as Erik was hismander and it was in amander''s right to defend himself if attacked, Erik could have killed Bjorn on the spot and no one would have batted an eye.

    "I am scared, father. I do not know what I am bing¡­" Tyr muttered, but Ragnar noticed something was strange with Tyr, it felt like he was looking at his son but at the same time he was looking at another person. The look in his eyes had changed.

    "Tyr, what happened on that farm?" Ragnar asked but Tyr looked confused as he muttered in response.

    "What farm?" This shocked Ragnar but Oskar, who was eavesdropping, intruded on the conversation between father and son.

    "He has repressed those memories, what he does not know can''t hurt him. He did the same when he washed ashore on Kattegat I was told. He has no recollection of where he is from." Oskar said, exining why Tyr suddenly seemed stable out of the blue as well as the change that Ragnar noticed,

    "Unlike Erik who revels in the act of killing, Tyr still haspassion in his heart. I do not rmend bringing up the incident anymore either, his mind might have forgotten but his heart remembers." Oskar said, before walking away but this gave Ragnar something to ponder upon.

    Ragnar knew he had to be a father right now and not a warrior, he bent down and took Tyr in his arms.

    "It is okay, son. It is okay¡­" Ragnar whispered and during this constion, Bjorn''s eyes opened and he was alone.

    He saw his father embracing his brother despite him being knocked out, he was left alone. Bjorn did not like this, gritting his teeth in anger as the look of resentment danced in his eyes. For a brief moment, Bjorn felt his father favored Tyr and he hated it.

 Chapter 97 A Glimpse Of The Past

    ?King Asmund has not been seen since his battle with King Askild, he was in his chambers and ryed all his instructions through his son, Signy.

    Asmund knew he was not strong enough as he realized that Askild had the strength to kill him.

    This was not the reason he remained in his chambers, however.

    Signy knew he had to keep their morals high, and went the extra mile to ensure this because this was a necessity, bringing their bodies back showed them that they would get an honorable send-off in death, and this gave them the extra incentive to give their all.

    Kjell watched Signy grow in this past month, he grew into his shoes and he had gotten the respect of the men he led. He starved Kattegat of their supplies in his father''s stead.

    "Signy¡­ We are making progress with trenches, the scouts have reported that the camp is still in peril." Earl Aksel muttered, he sounded happy about it.

    "The war would end at this pace, but I want to know why we are not rounding them up and killing them, we could easily do so with our numbers," Aksel said what everyone was thinking.

    "And then what happens to Kattegat?" Signy asked and Aksel''s look of confusion was evident.

    "What do you mean what happens to Kattegat? What happens to Kattegat is of no concern to us," Aksel said, dismissing the importance of Signy''s question.

    "You really don''t know anything, do you? Let me tell you a story my father told me, let me tell you about Xenophanes Vilfulf, the king that Askild killed¡­" Signy blurted.

    -

    A young man with green eyes stood over a heap of corpses, he was drenched in blood despite the rain droplets feeling like pellets against his skin.

    "Man, I''m hungry," The man said, wiping his sword on one of the corpses as his eyes darted around the battle, the rain had undone his brown hair ponytail, allowing the hair to sit gently on his shoulder.

    "Asmund! When are you going to be done!?" The man screamed, and a clearer view of the battlefield showed that the battle was ongoing, yet this man had not only let down his guard but removed himself from the battlefield just because he was hungry.

    Asmund was fighting for his life, he was injured and yet this man did not join in to help him all because he was hungry.

    "Xenophanes! I need help here! I will give you all the food you want if you help me!" Asmund screamed at the man and the biggest smile crept up on his face as he casually picked up a spear that wasying beside him.

    "It better have meat!" Xenophanes shouted, he threw the spear with not only excellent form but with such force that it went right through six men.

    "THESE MEN ARE MONSTERS! RETREAT!" The enemies sounded the rm as they retreated. Asmund was amazed by thebat ability of this man before him.

    They had been friends ever since they were kids, despite being from different kingdoms and this was thanks to the rtionship between Vestfold and Kattegat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The King of Vestfold at that time was terminally ill and Asmund had been chosen to seed him but Xenophanes Vilfulf was already the King of Kattegat at this time as he was older than Asmund but he was an immature individual.

    After the battle, Asmund held up his end of the bargain and watched Xenophanes dig into the food before him, he was both disgusted and impressed that he could eat this much.

    "Xenophanes, why did you be king?" Asmund asked him but he was too upied by the food in front of him that he did not even hear him speak.

    "What did you say?" Xenophanes asked. Asmund scoffed and allowed him to focus on his meal.

    Xenophanes Vilfulf was one of the strongest warriors he had seen, and what was shocking was he had never once trained to learn how to fight. If he did, there was no doubt that he would be the strongest man alive. He became king rtively young and his father was one of the most influential people in Kattegat, and this aided in his position as king.

    Xenophanes fought and aided Vestfold in their battles, this only grew their rtionship and with Amsund set to be King, it was sure to reap benefits for Kattegat.

    He had no personal ambition and just wanted a peaceful life where he could eat meat, drink ale, and sleep.

    But a battle that would change the course of both their lives loomed, and if any of these men knew what the gods had for them. They would have cut off ties with one another but this was the curse of man, they could not see the future or their fate.

    A few months passed and Asmund was inaugurated as the King of Vestfold officially.

    Xenophanes attended the inauguration as this solidified Vestfold''s partnership with Kattegat.

    "Congrattions friend!" Xenophanes cheered him, and he saw the brother of Asmund for the first time as well but he could not make out his facial features as he quickly faded out of sight.

    "Don''t mind him, that''s my brother. He is excited, he just thinks he is too cool to show it," Asmund informed Xenophanes, Xenophanes did not look bothered by this information but this sparked something up, like a light bulb idea.

    "I want to introduce you to someone! I took a kid under my wing, I wanted to see if I could do the parenting thing," Xenophanes said proudly, he knew he needed to be an adult and could not fool around forever. Asmund was eager to see who he wanted to show to him because he knew that Xenophanes was a carefree individual that did not take anything but food seriously.

    Asmund saw a child walking timidly, he was looking around in horror as he walked up to Xenophanes.

    "Who is this cute little thing?" Asmund asked with a broad smile so the kid would let down his guard and Xenophanes nudged him forward to stand in front of him.

    Before him was a child with gray eyes, and white hair. He quickly ran back to stand behind Xenophanes.

    "Hahaha! This is Askild, he is a shy bird." Xenophanes introduced the child as he would grow to be the King of Kattegat and the one that ultimately took the life of Xenophanes.

 Chapter 98 Tyrs New Resolution

    ?The story was interrupted by the call of a guard, this prompted Signy to tilt his head in the direction the voice echoed from, it called out his name with such urgency.

    "Signy!" the voice called, he waited for the person''s arrival with anticipation in his eyes.

    "What is it?" Signy questioned.

    "Our suppression party has not returned, I fear they might be dead," The person reported, Signy sighed in frustration because it has been a while since no one returned from this, this also meant that food reached the camp of Kattegat.

    The timing could not have been worse because they were aware of what Hagen was building and they knew they stood no chance because not only was Erik there, Askild and the famous Ragnar were there as well.

    "Send the retrieval unit to get their bodies, why are you bringing this to me?" Signy asked, sounding partly irritated because this was not something worth interrupting him for.

    "W-We did, they never returned." The man reported and the shock on both Signy and Aksel''s faces was telling. This was something that does not happen and should not happen yet.

    "What?" Signy responded. He was speechless because there was no reason for them to be able to overwhelm them, not with their current level of strength.

    "Where is King Asmund?" Kjell appeared, he had grown out his beard and looked different than he did a month ago.

    "Where is King Asmund now, we need to see him," Kjell said and everyone was murmuring, they agreed with what was being said. King Asmund had not been seen ever since his battle with Askild and it was telling on their morale because while Signy was apetent leader, hecked in ways that only Asmund could make up for.

    But a familiar voice soon spoke, making the hair on their skin stand the moment the words reverberated in the air, this loving andpassionate voice was no other than Asmund.

    "What is going on here? Do you not trust the judgment of my son?" Asmund asked, he was in his armor and his face looked better than ever.

    Everyone dropped their heads the moment theyid eyes on their king.

    "N-No King Asmund, I didn''t mean to disrespect the young lord," Kjell apologized but Asmund''s gentle hand on his shoulder calmed him down, Asmund took no offense to this.

    "Questioning authority is good, you are not sheep but doubting yourmander''s decision will only cause unease. What do you think would have happened if I did not show up?" Asmund asked and Kjell realized his mistake. There were no malicious intentions behind it.

    Asmund walked to the walls and looked beyond it, there was nothing in sight but the sky had darkened, it was about to rain and Asmund smiled at this change of weather.

    "It is about to rain," Asmund smiled, looking up to the sky.

    "F-Father¡­" Signy muttered timidly but he was not audible to anyone but himself. He was happy that his father was back on his feet because he had already feared the worst-case scenario.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I do not want the bodies of my people out there when the rain starts, bring them back so their families can look upon their faces as we send them off to the gods¡­" Asmund said, and everyone looked at him with admiration because he was willing to go the extra mile for them, even in death.

    "Signy, I want you to lead a unit to get them back," Asmund said, and everyone was surprised because he was putting his son in direct danger despite not needing to but it only showed that Asmund did not put the life of his son above the others, and this gave them a sense of equality.

    Signy did not have any problem with this announcement either.

    "Yes, King Asmund!" Signy said with a resolute tone but Earl Kjell did not want to leave Signy to get all the spotlight and opted to join him in the quest.

    Signy weed this but Earl Aksel had no reason to join them on this quest and chose to stay behind the walls because he was needed here.

    It took about ten minutes for Signy to organize a unit and he had a little over a hundred men under hismand as they were all on horseback.

    This already gave them an advantage over the foot soldiers but they knew the people to avoid in the ranks of Kattegat, and Erik was at the top of that list because he was a person devoid of reasoning, just a bloodthirsty monster.

    It would take approximately twenty to thirty minutes for them to reach their position, that was enough time for their enemies to prepare for them.

    -

    "Tyr, what has gotten into you?" Oskar asked him, he had tagged with Tyr and co to look for food. Tyr needed to leave the camp to clear his mind because he felt like he was being singled out by the gazes of the others. They began to look at him like he was an outsider of some sort.

    "What do you mean?" Tyr asked, cleaning his axes and Oskar pointed to the field littered with corpses and body parts. The good news was that they managed to get a good chunk of animals to their main camp, carried by a few of their men, cutting down their numbers presently to below ten. Tyr waited for them to return so they could continue hunting as he did not know when next such an opportunity would present itself.

    "Tyr, what did you say to get King Askild in that state?" Oskar asked, he was making conversation with him as they waited for the others to return.

    Erik did not tag along, they let Tyr and Oskar lead the food-hunting squad and this was a good thing as they were both level-headed.

    "It is a pity everyone is so short-sighted, Erik would have never had that reaction" Tyr muttered and Oskar noticed that he was down.

    "Enough pouting around, we need to get out of here before theye for the bodies and we need to get as much as we can back," Oskar said and Tyr sighed because he knew that he was right.

    "What is honor to a Viking? Why does someone like Askild put honor above victory? Why is honor so important and not victory? Fuck honor, I will do whatever it takes to win. Even if I need to chew off my arm to im it!" Tyr thought, digging his ax into the head of a corpse.

    "...Anything!"

 Chapter 99 A Maidens Scar [TRIGGER WARNING]

    ?The war on Vestfold was reaching a climactic conclusion but this was not the only ce that was changing as Kattegat was a lot different than Askild had left it.

    Herfj?tur was healed up but she relinquished her power to Ulrik because she knew he could protect Kattegat better than she could, and Garda had settled in nicely as well thanks to being the woman of Ulrik.

    "Ulrik, no word from Vestfold?" Karl asked hismander and Ulrik shook his head.

    "I have not heard anything from them, but if Askild fell in the battle word would have reached us so he is good," Ulrik dismissed Karl''s worry because he understood that the death of Askild would mean the end of Kattegat.

    Everyone would want to im it, Ulrik was a good leader but he was no king material.

    "Ulrik darling!" Garda called out, clinging to his arm and Ulrik smiled the moment he saw her.

    "Hahaha! Garda, what are you doing here?" Ulrik said with a smile and it was clear from Karl''s face that he did not support this union as he still had suspicion regarding Garda.

    He feared that Ulrik was losing his sharp edge and Garda was dulling his intuition that made him so renowned.

    "I am d you two are getting along," A voice said in the opposite direction, it was Lagertha.

    Lagertha was happy that Garda had cracked the hardened heart of Ulrik, it started with Ulrik wanting to keep an eye on her until they entered a rtionship.

    "Lady Lagertha!" Garda greeted, breaking away from Ulrik''s arm as she bowed her head.

    Lagertha was with Herfj?tur, Herfj?tur looked as majestic as ever, towing over everyone like a fucking watchtower.

    Herfj?tur looked at Ulrik and how lovey-dovey he had gotten with Garda, it was a rare thing to see because Ulrik was never one to let down his guard around people yet he was full of openings with Garda, this was love.

    "Any news about who might be responsible?" Ulrik asked, and both women shook their heads.

    They now had doubts that Arvid was the one responsible for the death of Egil and the random Viking on the street but he was guilty of the crime against Asger.

    Where did he get such a unique poison? These were questions they wanted to know the answer to because there was a greater threat that lurked within their very walls.

    "This uncertainty is not healthy as we have no way of disproving Arvid''s involvement. These are just spections so let''s keep it amongst ourselves." Herfj?tur blurred out, she wanted to hang onto the fragile peace Kattegat had managed to hold onto.

    Ulrik nodded in agreement, but Garda''s breast pressed up against his forearm sent the blood meant for his brain flowing in the wrong direction.

    He quickly bid Lagertha and Herfj?tur farewell as he rushed home with Garda to blow her back out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lagertha looked at Herfj?tur, both women giggling at this side of Ulrik. It was a refreshing side and Lagertha was also relieved that Garda was now in the care of one of the strongest men in Kattegat.

    "Lagertha, about Erik¡­" Herfj?tur started but Lagertha red at her with such intensity that Herfj?tur could notplete her sentence.

    "That''s enough Herfj?tur¡­" Lagertha warned but Herfj?tur had had enough, Lagertha was no longer her superior whom she had to take orders from and on the contrary, it was quite the opposite.

    "You have to tell Ragnar, Lagertha!" Herfj?tur warned.

    Lagertha was infuriated by her insistence and tried to walk away but Herfj?tur grabbed her by the arm.

    "Lagertha, I know it is not in my ce but the longer you wait, the harder it is going to be to tell him." Herfj?tur sounded like a worried sibling.

    Lagertha stopped in her tracks as she began to tremble, turning to Herfj?tur with tears in her eyes. This was a sad sight to see and she did not want anyone to see Lagertha in this state so she took her to her ce which was nearby.

    "Lagertha, I am sorry. I should not have said that¡­" Herfj?tur apologized, offering her a ss of water to cool off, but Lagertha hade to her senses.

    She calmed down and realized that Herfj?tur was right because she would not like it if her husband kept anything from her but she did this for his best interest or at least that was what she told herself. She was grateful for Herfj?tur because she told her as it was.

    She told her when she was messing up and this was one of those times.

    "You are right, Herfj?tur. I need to tell my husband what Erik did to me¡­" Lagertha muttered, gulping water.

    "Erik is a dangerous man, if he is infuriated no one knows what he is capable of because he is a very violent man. You fought him once before, didn''t you?" Lagertha asked Herfj?tur.

    "If you can call that a fight, Erik underestimated me because I was a woman. He told me that the only ce I belonged was in his bed. It was a scuffle that I won before it could escte but I am certain it would have been different if it was a life-or-death battle." Herfj?tur said, downying her victory.

    "Erik is a pig and I have no doubt that Ragnar is capable of subduing him if ites to it because Ragnar has even more impressive stories than Erik but each day you keep it from him is a day closer to losing him when you do tell him. Erik''s crime cannot go unpunished." Herfj?tur said and Lagertha''s eyes held a resolve.

    "You are right, I have to tell Ragnar. I have to tell him I was raped by Erik¡­" Lagertha had finally spoken these words out loud and this was a breakthrough in her psych.

    Every time she tried to say, she found herself unable to speak but right now, she knew that Erik must be stopped. He might have gotten away with it for so long because no woman spoke up but Lagertha was not going to keep lying to spare Ragnar the anguish.

    She had convinced herself she was doing it to protect her husband but the truth was, she kept it to herself because she did not want to sully her honor nor look down upon him with pity.

    Herfj?tur embraced Lagertha as she sobbed in her arms.

 Chapter 100 The Ambush

    ?The forces of Vestfold drew closer to the position of Oskar and Tyr, Oskar had gone ahead of Tyr to scavenge for valuables from the corpses. The dead had no use for jewelry and Oskar was not about to pass up on this opportunity.

    "I wonder how much these costs¡­" Oskar muttered to himself, trying on a ring on his left hand. It was a silver ring with a unique emblem attached to it.

    He heard the floor vibrate, the thumping sound got closer with each passing second and Oskar was surprised because they had arrived faster than usual but that was because they were on horseback.

    The first thought that entered Oskar''s mind was to hide beneath the corpses but that would be useless if they hade to retrieve them, this would make his death shameful.

    Oskar was not scared as he entertained the thought but what about Tyr? he had to warn Tyr of the impending threat.

    "I won''t make it in time¡­" Oskar said with a defeated sigh, he unsheathed his sword and tried to be a one-man army but an arrow found his neck, and before he could process what happened, another found his forehead.

    Signy had killed him from afar with a bow and arrow while on horseback, this was an impressive feat that even the best archers had difficulty with.

    Kjell was astonished because it was rare to see such a precise archer, Signy had drawn first blood without even dropping a sweat.

    "Secure the bodies of your brothers!" Signy shouted and they did just that, the horses had carts attached to their back, at least a few of them.

    They unmounted their horses to load the body of the deceased onto the cargo cart, Signy was on his guard because he knew that someone had to be skilled enough to cause this much damage.

    "Be on your guard, there could be more of them," Signy instructed as he remained on his horse.

    "There are more bodies ahead," A Viking said, and Signy raised his clutched hand, instructing his men to follow him with without making too much noise.

    They reached a new position and saw an ax dug into one of their men''s skull, but this was not something to give too much thought because all it told them was that someone killed this person with an ax.

    They packed the bodies of their fallen without interruptions, Tyr was nowhere to be seen.

    Signy was surprised by how smoothly it went and began to question it, it felt like they had walked right into a trap and his intuition was spot on as the Vikings  of Kattegat that took their goods back to their camp had returned.

    The battle was not the priority and Signy ordered them to retreat, they had what they came for and a battle would only im more of them.

    They ran and they had the advantage since they were on horses so their foes could not give chase as they were on foot.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "DO NOT ENGAGE!" Signy reiterated and then his eyes widened in horror when he realized who was standing in front of them, it was Erik The Berserker but there was no dead body around him meaning he did not make contact with those he left behind to gather the corpses.

    "T-That''s Erik! Do not stop! He cannot stop all of us!" Signy shouted, they all charged right at Erik without slowing down, hoping that the horses were enough to topple him.

    The first horse sped past him, then the second and third, Erik was making no effort in stopping them and even moved out of their way. He did this for all except one person, and that was Signy. Signy managed to bury two arrows into Erik''s body, with Erik dodging the third one aimed at his neck, despite it grazing him.

    "I know you," Erik muttered, right before stopping his horse''s charge with his massive body, forcing it to tumble to the ground with Signy on top.

    "Young lord!" Kjell shouted, he knew there was no way in hell he was about to leave someone as valuable as Signy in the enemy''s hand.

    "GO! DO NOT STOP! COMPLETE YOUR TASK!" Signy shouted, Kjell hesitated but he knew he had toply as Signy outranked him. He did just that as they continued on their way back.

    Signy understood that Erik could have killed him with a single blow if he wanted him dead so the only reason Erik even bothered to tackle his horse was because he wanted him alive.

    "Well, well. If it isn''t the son of Asmund. Tell me, are you as strong as your father," Erik asked but Signy did not respond. He was not about to give him the satisfaction of an answer.

    "Hahaha! I cannot kill you even if I wanted to, we gambled on someone of importance being sent here, the moment these fine men told us what had happened, but never did I think that the prince of Vestfold would be the one here," Erik rambled. Signylooked rtively calm despite being in the presence of Erik The Berserker. He noticed guts spilled from the corner of his eyes.

    "Erik, you cannot kill me and I am not interested in speaking with a primate being such as yourself, take me to your king," Signy said but this only made Erik burst outughing,

    "Where are Tyr and Oskar?" A Viking asked, interrupting their conversation and Erik''s attention shifted from Signy to this warrior. He did not particrly care either if they died or not. He knew there was no way that Tyr could be killed by likes of them or at least that was what he believed.

    "We found a body!" A voice rang out behind Erik and Erik did not speak a word.

    "It is Oskar! He is dead!" The voice concluded and Erik chuckled like a mad man. How amusing that Oskar died in such a pathetic way, he was dead before he could even make a name for himself by dying alone. Erik''s chuckle drew a confused look from his men. Erik could not wait to see Sven''s face when he hears this news.

    "We have found another body!" The same voice shouted and Erik was surprised by this because there was no reason for another body to be found.

    "It is¡­!'' The voice said and Erik''s chuckle faded the moment the name was called.

 Chapter 101 A Blessing In Disguise?

    ?King Askild sat in silence as he wondered what step he had to take for the wall to fall but his thought process was cut short because of the arrival of Erik. Erik was given the go-ahead after a brief conversation with Askild to provide them that backup in case they ran into enemies from Vestfold, they were lucky Erik was there because there was no one as crazy as him to stand in front of a horde of charging horses.

    "We are back," Erik said and Sven noticed that Oskar was not with them and sought to find out why. Erik, however, looked him straight in the eye with a sickening grin stered across his face.

    "Oskar is dead, he died like the pig he is," Erik blurted out, trying to get under Sven''s skin but all Sven did was smile upon this revtion as he looked to the skies.

    "Hahaha! You got to Valha before me," Sven''s voice was not one of sorrow but celebration.

    Ulf was seen with Bjorn, he was speaking to him but Bjorn was distracted because he knew his brother was with Oskar and if Oskar was dead and Tyr was not here. Did that mean that Tyr was dead too? He broke his concentration and went to Erik.

    "Where is my brother!?" Bjorn barked at Erik and Erik did not even acknowledge his existence and walked right past him but Bjorn held onto his clothes.

    "Did you not hear me? Where is my fucking brother!?" Bjorn showed a side of him that even Ragnar had not seen before. Skarde was watching this as he was surprised that Bjorn could confront him even when he was knocked out earlier that day.

    Erik looked back at Bjorn, the eyes he had were different from the kid in Kattegat.

    "Those eyes¡­" Erik muttered in amazement as he could see the killing intent in them.

    Erik tossed the axes of Tyr right in front of Bjorn, prompting Bjorn to look down at it before returning his gaze to Bjorn.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, son of Ragnar Lothbrok, has fallen in battle," Erik blurted out, these axes were his memento and he had given them to Bjorn.

    "There is no way my rival would be dead, stop lying to me, ogre!" Bjorn barked but Erik was not having any of it and was ready to cause harm to Bjorn if he did not let go of his clothes.

    "That is enough Bjorn," Ragnar finally stepped in because if what Erik was saying was the truth then that meant Tyr died alongside Oskar.

    Ulf never liked Tyr and did not even recognize him as the son of Ragnar, this brought relief to him. Birger noticed the camp fall apart but Askild looked far too calm as he observed the drama unfold.

    "But there is no way father!" Bjorn protested but Ragnar simply shook his head.

    "I did not return empty-handed," Erik said, as Signy was guided into the camp. Bound and gagged as Erik was not a fan of the way he spoke.

    "That is¡­!" Ragnar eximed and Erik nodded triumphantly. Birger could not believe his eyes.

    "I have brought the son of Asmund, Signy," Erik said and Askild was just as surprised as Birger that Asmund would make such a careless move so far into the battle and he could not believe that Signy was before him. He could use him as a bargaining chip, there was no way that Asmund would sacrifice his only child and if he did, his warriors would understand that he was not so loving after all, breaking the image they had built of him in their heads.

    He gestured for Erik to bring him over and Erik did just that, tossing him over to Askild.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Askild gently removed the gag from his mouth and Signy had cold beads of sweat rolling down his forehead but he maintained his cool.

    "Wee Signy, I hope you were not hurt," Askild asked, checking his body for wounds but all he saw were little bruises here and there.

    "King Askild, if you surrender. I can talk to my father to let you live." Signy blurted out carelessly with Askild staring nkly at him.

    "I am alive because your father could not kill me¡­" Askild responded, and this statement reminded him that Askild did injure his father in the duel, it was not as one-sided as everyone thought but why did he not use this to rally his men?

    "What is your goal, King Askild?" Signy was excellent in diplomacy as he has traveled around a lot and now was the best time to put it to use.

    "My goal? I have aplished my goal, I am a king." Askild responded.

    "Being king is not enough for you, is it?" Signy responded and Askild grinned the moment he heard this.

    "You are a sharp kid, I don''t just want Kattegat or Vestfold. I want the whole of Norway¡­" Askild responded. He was civil with Signy despite him being an enemy.

    "My father could have helped you with your goal if you allied with him like your predecessor," Signy said, This somewhat surprised Askild because it meant that Asmund had told him about Xenophanes

    "You know about Xenophanes?" Askild asked and Signy, who had gotten morefortable, shook his head.

    "I only know as much as my father told me, which is not much¡­" Signy said but Askild was not paying attention to this, he looked past Signy. Holding the gaze of Erik before giving him a knowing nod.

    "WARRIORS!" Erik screamed at the top of his lungs, this startled Signy because he did not know a human''s voice could be so loud.

    "THEY HAVE KILLED US FOR FAR TOO LONG BUT ARE WE GOING TO LET THEM KEEP SPILLING OUR BLOOD WITHOUT BITING BACK!?" Erik shouted, this message resonated with Bjorn as his brother was presumed dead.

    He wanted revenge, he wanted blood. Everyone did, Ragnar was angry too as he wanted so badly to let out his frustration.

    "LET OUT YOUR ROARS! LET THE GOD OF WAR, TYR, GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO KILL OUR ENEMIES!" Erik screamed as the roars and morale of the troops shook the foundation of the earth.

    "Sometimes, tragedy is the only motivation an army needs. Vestfold will fall tonight," Askild said in an indifferent tone and Signy looked on in horror as at that moment, he realized they had made a mistake.

    King Askild was nowhere close to conceding defeat.

 Chapter 102 A Condition?

    ?The news of Signy''s abduction reached Asmund and Asmund did not react to this news whatsoever. This reaction bothered Kjell because maybe he did not see his son missing as anything of concern.

    "Ah, I knew this might happen," Asmund muttered to himself, and just then, the rain began to descend from the sky, the water pellets soaking them in no time.

    "We should get some cover, King Asmund," Kjell advised but Asmund chose to remain on the wall, staring nkly into the field. Without saying another word, Kjell excused himself because it was clear Asmund wanted to be alone.

    He knew what happened thest time Kattegat held one of their own but he knew Askild would not be that stupid because Signy was the most valuable hostage he could ask for.

    But  Signy was also the best chance they had at making Askild surrender, this was thanks to his expertise in diplomacy, and this was the time to put his travels to use.

    Asmund was a father when it came to it, he couldn''t help but worry about the safety of his only child.

    "You are worried, are you not?" A voice said, Asmund jerked his head backward, this was a voice he was not familiar with. His eyes met a strange man with red inscriptions tattooed at the side of his face, he had his brown hair tied in a ponytail.

    "Who are you?" Asmund asked and the man immediately got on his knees, his wrinkled face creasing into a polite smile despite his intimidating aura.

    "I go by the name, Vigar, the son of Earl Hakon, My king¡­" The hairy man introduced himself and Asmund found it strange that he had not heard of him or recognized him begging the question of who he was.

    "You may not know me as King Asmund as we have never met." The boy in histe teens said, and Asmund was non-reactive because they looked nothing alike, and if he was going by first nce then one would assume that this must be a bastard son of his.

    He had an unpleasant face, Asmund knew that looks were the least important thing in their world but what he wanted to know was what he was doing here.

    "I am here because I heard about your son, King Asmund. It is most unfortunate but if you allow me to lead a party. I can get him back," Vigar said and all Asmund did in response to this was return his gaze to the empty field.

    "Can you defeat Ragnar, Erik, or Askild? You will risk the life of my son to stroke your ego?" Asmund asked, Vigar was visibly irritated by this response.

    "I didn''t mean it that way but we cannot leave Signy in their hands, we do not know the kind of information they can extract from him," Vigar responded, Asmund understood his concern as he had now be a liability but there was no way in hell that his son would betray Vestfold.

    Even if it meant taking his life.

    "I see, so you do not want to save him, do you?" Asmund asked, and this shocked Vigar as he was certain that he had not let his intention slip so how did Asmund pick up on it?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Vigar did not utter a word but his silence gave Asmund his answer.

    "That was not a bad idea but king Askild is no fool, he will see youing and what do you think happens if you cannot rescue my son?" Asmund asked, Vigar clenched his teeth in shame as he admitted that he had not thought about this as extensively as Asmund just did in seconds.

    "They have more hostages¡­" Vigar admitted his mistake with this statement.

    "I have heard about you, Vigar Hakonson. I have heard about how your father has been training you to seed him despite you having no interest in being Earl," Asmund said, Vigar was surprised because Amsund just said he did not know who he yet knew more about him than most as his father does not disclose this information to just anyone.

    "You did not want to be a warrior, you wanted to be a tactician. You cannot keep up with the warriors in terms of strength but you excel in the fight of the mind. I do not need a warrior right now, VIgar¡­ I need a tactician¡­" Asmund said and Vigar''s eyes lit up.

    He was ttered that Asmund knew so much about him as well as the fact that he recognized what so many had overlooked, including his father.

    "Yes, my king!" Vigar shouted, he was almost in tears as he was a very emotional individual despite his looks and Asmund smiled as he was now soaking in rain.

    "I think we should go inside before we catch a cold," Asmund said and Vigar concurred but not before letting out his thoughts.

    "King Asmund, I do not think the oil will work, they will be expecting¡­" Vigar started speaking, he was not about to miss the opportunity to impress Asmund and this was it.

    This war was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them to impress their various kings.

    "What do you say we do instead?" Asmund asked like a student eager to learn as they walked down the stairs of the wall. What Vigar said impressed him because he patted him on the back right before entering the building.

    Asmund saw that his son''s abduction did not affect the morale of his soldiers, this was an excellent thing. Vigar moved away from Asmund as he had gotten the approval of the king to implement his strategy.

    "Ready yourselves men, I believe King Askild will soon make his demands¡­" Asmund said but the moment he said this, his legs wobbled. Luckily, he was able to catch himself in time.

    "I am fine, I am just a bit tired¡­" Asmund said, shing a weak smile.

    "Man the walls 24/7, we cannot afford to be blind-sighted," Asmund instructed right before excusing himself. The moment he was alone, he clutched his abdomen in pain.

 Chapter 103 The Final Dance Draws Near

    ?The conclusion of the war drew closer, the soil had absorbed the rain, transforming it from solid earth into mud.

    The sun that was hidden behind the clouds fell to the ground, just like their fallen warrior.

    It was barely bright but the illumination was enough to see clearly.

    "Get King Asmund!" A warrior shouted and for the first time in a month, Askild showed himself in the ce he recorded defeat, he looked the same.

    The menacing aura that made him so feared was still present and behind him was his army.

    Askild was the embodiment of killing intent despite Erik standing a couple of meters behind.

    Erik felt small, this wasughable considering his side, Askild had such a presence.

    Asmund walked to the walls and saw that Askild had made his move, he was certain that the capture of his son was the reason that Askild was brave enough to do this.

    Askild snapped his fingers and Signy was brought to his side, he could feel the heart of his enemies drop the moment Signy was brought.

    "I have your son, Asmund!" Askild shouted, and he knew that he had the upper hand but he did not know what Asmund had going on in his head.

    "Signy, are you well?" This was the only thing that Asmund asked and he got his answer as his son nodded.

    "King Askild, it feels like we have had this dance before¡­" Asmund teased, his reaction was not what Askild expected. Asmund was not fazed by this whatsoever.

    "We have and you lost that dance, I only have one demand¡­" Askild said. He was getting straight to the point because he did not have time to stall.

    "What is it, King Askild¡­?" Asmund questioned, he was standing majestically on the wall.

    "Lay down your life and surrender Kattegat, I will spare your men and your son." Askild''s voice had a tone of absolute certainty.

    "Hahaha! You have be quite the jokester in this past month if you want Vestfold. You will have to climb over all our corpses¡­" Asmund said with a broad smile.

    The tension in the air was felt by everyone but the two kings, it could even be felt by Erik.

    "What is going on?" Skarde asked but he was quickly shushed by Ragnar.

    Ulf knew this was his make or break, he still had the confidence of Birger so he knew that Birger would help him make a name for himself. Speaking of Birger, where was he?

    Ulf looked around to find him only to see him conversing with Hagen, he got anxious the moment he saw this. His first thought was to go there and see what he was talking about but he thought about something.

    "I worry too much, what can he do to me?" Ulf thought to himself, Hagen was an average warrior with no special perks. There was no way Hagen could harm him, he was worrying for nothing. He understood from a fundamental aspect that he did not do anything wrong because that act is what brought them here today.

    "Do you want to lose your son, Asmund?" Askild asked and he got no response from Asmund, the Earls beside him looked nervous the moment this question was asked.

    "K-King Asmund?" Earl Kjell called out because he knew the gravity of the situation. It looked a lot like he was calling Askild''s bluff.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Askild unsheathed his sword and rested it on Signy''s shoulder, at this point everyone knew he was not bluffing yet Asmund maintained his silence.

    "I will count to 3 if you have not responded to my offer. You will lose your heir." Askild said, and the countdown began.

    "3¡­."

    "2¡­."

    "1¡­."

    Askild raised his sword to prepare for a swing. Signy closed his eyes in anticipation, mentally fortifying himself for the death that awaited him.

    "Wait!" Asmund gave in, Kjell heaving a loud sigh of relief. They knew as long as the gates remained closed then there was no way in hell that they could breach.

    "I will give you your answer when the nightes," Asmund said, this answer was an eptable one because he had to think about such a decision.

    Askild epted his terms but they did not leave the area. No, they nned to set up camp right there and then.

    "I am aware you know what I will do to him if you try anything funny¡­" Askild threatened, bringing a smile from Asmund. He was visibly shaking with anger. His calm exterior was cracking.

    Bjorn was focused, his eyes at the moment only saw red, he wanted to jump over that wall and just hack away. He remembered how he felt when he took his life but now he did not care about the consequences.

    Ragnar noticed that Bjorn was restless, this was not good, he had to find a way to calm him down or there was no doubt that he would be killed.

    "Bjorn¡­" Ragnar called and the moment Bjorn turned to face him, Ragnar grabbed his nose.

    Bjorn was taken aback by this as Ragnar protruded one finger.

    "I got your nose.." Ragnar teased with a smile, Bjonr burst outughing not because the joke itself was funny but by how awkward his father was. Thatughter soon turned to tears.

    ? "I cannot believe he is gone¡­!" Bjorn sobbed and this was what Ragnar was waiting for, Bjorn tried to bottle up his emotions.

    Signy took note of this, listening in on the conversation as he was curious about the sons of Ragnar but he knew that Ragnar had two sons. There was no way he would have missed the other one because he had a unique skin that was hard to miss.

    He looked around and noticed he was not there and wondered if he died in the fight with their raid party.

    Signy looked at Bjorn with interest, Bjorn was the weakness of this army but right now he had more pressing issues at hand because he did not know the card his father intended to y but he knew he had to be ready for anything.

    He was carted away with Erik as Kattegat gave Vestfold some time to make their decision.

    Kjell cursed under his breath, this war could have been over a month ago if Signy listened to him, and he began to believe they would lose this war if they listened to Asmund and Signy.

    He was an Earl, and this title meant he had his army, he was not going to sit idle anymore.

 Chapter 104 Vestfolds Next Move...

    ?When there is a deadline, time always feels like it went faster than usual and this was the case regarding this situation.

    "King Asmund, we have lined up the bodies to burn!" A warrior said but Asmund wanted all their families to be present before the burningmenced.

    "We will wait, I owe them this much. They gave up their sons, brothers, and fathers for us." Asmund muttered. He was seated on the throne, with themps lighting up the ce.

    Kjell walked in to approach Asmund because he had about enough, he trusted his judgment but he was growing to doubt it.

    "What brings you here, Earl Kjell?" Asmund was quick to ask because he wanted time to himself to weigh his decision.

    "King Asmund, I came here because you promised me fame and glory but can glory be gotten if the war is lost? Signy is important for the future of Vestfold, we cannot let him die nor can we let you die," Kjell was upfront with his worries, something that Asmund appreciated.

    "I understand your worry, but I have made up my mind¡­" Asmund said. Kjell looked confused because Asmund had not disclosed this decision to anyone.

    "Before you make a decision, I have a suggestion¡­" Kjell said and Asmund allowed him to speak. He knew he was not above learning and gave every single person a listening ear.

    "King Asmund, I want us to attack them in the dark of night but the gate has to be opened for this to happen," Kjell said and Asmund refuted this almost immediately.

    "The gates remain shut no matter what," Asmund responded and Kjell was confused because if he intended to free Signy, the gates had to be opened either way.

    "King Asmund, do not tell me you are nning to go outside alone?" Kjell blurted out with Asmund nodding to confirm his suspicion.

    "Do not be fo-!" Kjell stopped himself from cussing out his king, taking a deep breath before rephrasing.

    "You are going to let Signy die?" Kjell asked in a far moreposed tone.

    "Hahaha! I will kill myself, that is my intention!" Asmund said without fear or hesitation.

    "You cannot die, King Asmund. I will not allow it¡­" Kjell muttered, and Asmund raised a brow.

    "Allow it? I am not asking for your permission, I am your king. Do not forget your ce." Asmund retorted, he sounded a lot more serious.

    "Do you think Askild will let the heir to the throne live? There is no way he would let Signy live. He already showed he cannot be trusted when he killed Egil!" Kjell was trying his best to convince Asmund to fight and the points he was making were spot on.

    Asmund remained silent as he listened to Kjell state what was troubling him.

    "We could have killed them, they were hungry and weak! We could have brought them to their knees and taken Kattegat!" Kjell was frantic and like a father, Asmund listened.

    "Taken Kattegat? Hahaha! You speak like a child, Kjell. Do you not know our history?" Amsund asked and Kjell looked confused because he was aware of certain aspects but not all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What do you mean?" Kjell questioned and Asmund took his time to exin.

    -

    "I cannot believe we are both kings! You did it Asmund!" Xenophanes cheered on, but Amsund did not share his excitement despite him being the one crowned.

    "Why don''t you look happy!? Drink up, you buzz kill!" Xenophanes shouted, he was hammered already but Asmund was trying to calm him down.

    "I have been king for over a year already, Xenophanes¡­" Asmund responded, Xenophanes was a carefree spirit and Asmund tried his best to keep him grounded.

    "The Kingdom of Raumarike has made inroads into Vestfold, I am tired of the bloodshed¡­" Asmund said, averting his gaze.

    "YOU ARE VIKING! VIKINGS LIVE FOR KILLING!" Xenophanes shouted, but he was not one to talk considering he rarely even fought. Kattegat did not have any enemies because of the importance they yed in trading.

    No one wanted to make an enemy of them but their alliance with these kingdoms meant they could not jump to aid Vestfold. This was the condition and Xenophanes did not worry because Asmund was strong enough to protect his kingdom but he knew that Raumarike might just be the kingdom to break through the defenses of Vestfold. They were fairly powerful and were growing rapidly in military prowess, it was going to be a matter of time before they could challenge the other kingdoms.

    "You are one to talk, how do you rule Kattegat despite not wanting to be king?" Asmund asked, this was partly due to wanting advice as well.

    "I just do whatever I want and don''t allow people to do what I would not do myself! They love me over there!" Xenophanes said with a grin, Asmund was not surprised because he had that effect on people, he was genuine.

    "Are you scared of Raum The Old?" Xenophanes questioned. Asmund had fought multiple battles but he was worried about this one.

    "He is the worst of the worst, he has recorded victories against far more formidable, and I have no idea what he would do¡­" Asmund muttered to himself, and Xenophanes would yawn in response to this.

    "Fine, I will help you!" Xenophanes responded. Asmund was surprised by this because this would threaten the tranquility that Kattegat had managed to maintain for years and it was a decision made without much thought from their king. He did not mind the consequences as he valued friendship and loyalty above all else.

    "Xenophanes, are you sure about this!?" Asmund asked and the urgency in his voice was telling.

    "Why are you shouting!? I can hear you just fine!" Xenophanes reacted brazenly, almost falling to the ground, but this was an exaggeration to lighten the mood.

    "We are brothers! I will always have your back!" Xenophanes said with a goofy smile, and Asmund let out a sigh.

    "You are truly a fool¡­" Asmund teased but the weight off his shoulder was evident.

    "You dare speak to a king like the-! Fuck! I think I am going to throw up!" Xenophanesined.

    "HEY! FACE THE OTHER WAY! NO! WHAT THE HELL!" These were thest words of Asmund before he was covered in vomit.

 Chapter 105 Raum The Old...

    ?Xenophanes was focused on raising Askild, Askild had grown to be a prominent warrior and had made a very distinct name for himself on the battlefield.

    Xenophanes loved watching him fight and with Raumarike stalling in their onught on Vestfold for years, they kept Asmund on his feet. Xenophanes had not met up with Asmund for those years as he had his kingdom to rule.

    They defended against raids, and Xenophanes was beginning to lose the glow in his eyes as he realized the world of Vikings was filled with bloodshed and death, this was no way for their people.

    "Askild, why do you raise your de?" The King asked, having invited the younger boy to his chambers, Askild was confused by this question because he was sure he already knew.

    "I want to protect Kattegat," Askild responded but this was a generic answer.

    "And what if you can protect Kattegat without blood, will you take it?" Xenophanes tossed this question up in the air.

    "Hahaha! I do not think peace can be maintained without blood. Fear is what is important and power brings fear¡­" Askild said proudly. He was not wrong but Xenophanes did not like that a child was speaking like this. It showed everything wrong in their world.

    A ce where kids were killed and did inconceivable things, there was something wrong in the world and Xenophanes did not know where to start.

    "Askild, don''t you just want to be a kid?" Xenophanes wanted to know how the mind of the kid under his wings worked.

    "I aim for Valha! Is something wrong with you, King Xenophanes?" Askild because something was strange, Xenophanes was not sounding like himself but before the conversation could go any further, a man barged in.

    "King Xenophanes, Raumarike has broken through the defenses of Vestfold! King Asmund is requesting your assistance!" The man shouted and Xenophanes looked serious because he knew with certainty that Vestfold would fall, and nothing was standing in the way of Raum The Old and Kattegat.

    "We need to go to their aid¡­" Xenophanes muttered but Askild was not a fan of this decision.

    "My king, pardon me but do you think this is a wise decision?" Askild asked, he could ask because he had established some sort of rtionship with the king.

    "Wise decisions are for wise men, we fools have to y our roles," Xenophanes responded. He was going to risk it all for the sake of Asmund. He was not going to let a single de touch him but this decision was the beginning of the divide between Askild and Xenophanes.

    Xenophanes rode to the rescue of Vestfold with over 5,000 men behind his back.

    They rode past numerous mutted corpses, this showed that the men that did these killings took their time in humiliating their victims.

    Askild tagged along because there was no reason not to, he was interested in seeing Xenophanes in battle as it has been a very long time since he has seen his king raise his de.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He wanted to relive the moment he began to worship the man that had the feats of the strongest man alive.

    "King Xenophanes! I am so d you came!" Asmund greeted him, the man before him looked like an empty husk, he had dull eyes and this was not surprising as the war had taken the wind out of him. He looked tired and wretched.

    "Are you okay, friend?" Xenophanes asked, taking him into his arms as both men embraced one another. Xenophanes was different from thest time they met, which was seven years ago.

    "I am well, the king of Raumarike is one of the most despicable people I have seen. He disrespects the corpses of our dead and there is no way to find out his next move." Asmund gushed, he told Xenophanes everything he needed to know about the situation.

    This man was a depraved genius and Asmund, whocked experience, could not keep up with him. Maybe his predecessor would have had more luck.

    Xenophanes and Asmund had never lost a battle before and this was something they were proud of because it showed the world that they were unstoppable together.

    They walked on the battlefield. Where the final battle was to be fought, with their army amassing a massive ten thousand men. These were overwhelming numbers.

    But they met an empty field or so they thought, a closer look showed a single man sitting on a horse. This was the famed Raum The Old, he was a powerful man that grew stronger as he aged because he knew how to break his enemies. He knew how to break their most powerful asset which was their mind.

    "He is alone?" Askild asked, he was confused because there was no way he was strong enough to take an army as big alone, even if he was Odin himself, he would have difficulties.

    "Careful! This man is a crafty bastard!" Birger said. He was familiar with his tactics as he had fought multiple times on the frontline already.

    He respected Xenophanes, Xenophanes'' strength was more urate but his older brother reaped the benefits of another''s work and this was the problem in inheriting a reputation that was not his, he attracted enemies that were interested in testing it.

    "What do you mean?" Xenophanes asked Amsund''s younger brother but before he could answer, he saw multiple bodiese into view behind the lone man.

    "W-What is this?" Asmund asked, his eyes widening in horror as he realized who they were fighting. Xenophanes'' face did not change but his eyes dimmed in sadness.

    "They are kids¡­" Xenophanes muttered, realizing that these were kids ranging from 5-9 with swords in their hands. The murmurs behind them got louder and louder as well.

    "Asmund, we are fighting fucking kids¡­!" Xenophanes repeated but this time, his face did change. It was a look no one had ever seen on him. For the first time, Xenophanes was angry.

 Chapter 106 Crossroads

    ?Raum The Old never had a very sick sense of humor and these men were about to be his punchline, the battle did notst long but the imprint it left in Asmund''s mind was enough to break him. He was ovee with guilt and even Xenophanes could not bring himself to kill a single child. Askild had no problems cutting them as well as a few other Vikings.

    "Asmund! Snap out of it brother!" Birger screamed, the battle was not over and Asmund''s eyes showed horror because why did he recognize these children?

    He should not be able to recognize a single one if they were Raum''s warriors.

    "What is going on?" Asmund muttered under his breath, Birger caught on too because he saw multiple kids he knew, cut down like dogs and they found this out toote.

    "STOP!!!" Asmund screamed but his voice was drowned out by the nking of swords, but he already knew it was toote.

    He looked at Raum The Old with contempt, Xenophanes knew what he was about to do but before he could stop him Asmund charged towards Raum on horseback.

    He was alone so this was the perfect opportunity to kill him, but Xenophanes knew that this was a trap because there was no way he would onlye and fight with children.

    This tactic was to trigger this exact reaction.

    Xenophanes followed behind him in a bid to stop his friend, he screamed for him to stop but to no avail. What Asmund was seeing right now was red and the smile on the old man''s face even made him angrier.

    But before both men knew it, they found themselves on the floor, but how?

    Asmund had dislocated his right arm during the fall as he noticed that the horse he was riding had been impaled from below and out of the sand, emerged Raum The Old''s army.

    They came out like zombies. Xenophanes and Asmund found themselves surrounded by thousands of Vikings.

    "A man''s emotion is his worst enemy¡­" The man on the horse said, the man known as Raum The Old looked as ugly as his reputation. He was a bald elderly man with an emascted appearance, he had dark green eyes. He had typical clothing seen with Vikings of that era, nothing extravagant.

    Asmund looked at Xenophanes because he knew no matter how strong they were, there was no way they would survive this because they were not nearly strong enough to take on these many people and their army could not charge carelessly because they did not know what consequences that that action would sow.

    "I told you to wait¡­" Xenophanes said in aical voice, Asmund was surprised by his tone because he might as well walked into his death all because he wanted to save Asmund.

    Asmund was a lot calmer, Xenophanes had snapped him back to reality as they both focused their attention on the man that was responsible for this.

    "I know you are wondering who those children are but I know you have figured it out by now but they are children of Vestfold and the surrounding viges. Who knew you could get kids to do anything if they thought it would save their parents¡­ Of course, it did not but I do admire their determination." Raum said, he had abducted the children and told them they would spare their parents if they fought for them but this was a lie as their parents were long dead,

    "Asmund, the famed strongest man. I admit you are strong but you are not capable of the stories I have heard¡­" Raum was a smart man as his eyes settled on Xenophanes.

    "King Xenophanes of Kattegat, it is an honor to finally meet you but I am sure you are aware of your current situation so I have a game for you both to y¡­" Raum The Old said. He gave Xenophanes the respect he was due despite being enemies.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "How about a duel to the death among kings? Whoever wins gets to kill me¡­" Raum said, and this condition surprised both Xenophanes and Asmund because he had no reason to do this.

    He could have easily killed them without offering such a condition.

    The circle momentarily got distorted and this was because Birger had directed the army, alongside Askild, to break through the enemy lines.

    Asmund knew they wouldn''t break through in time and he did not want to test the patience of his enemy, he did not know what to do until he saw Xenophanes pick up the de that had flown out of his hand during the crash.

    "What are you doing?" Asmund asked Xenophanes and Xenophanes looked confused as to why he was asking this question.

    "You wanted to give up? Do you not want to avenge your fallen?" Xenophanes asked, and Asmund realized that Xenophanes wanted to do a final stand or at least that was what he understood by this gesture.

    He also picked up his sword despite one of his arms being useless for the time being.

    "Are you ready Xeno-?!" Asmund stopped in horror as he watched Xenophanes align his sword to his torso, their eyes met and Asmund knew what he was about to do.

    "Asmund, this is your fight, not mine. My chapter ends here¡­ Goodbye friend!" Xenophanes said with a smile, holding the hilt of his de with both hands as he raised it so he could generate enough force to impale himself.

    "Xenophanes!" Asmund screamed, running to his friend. Raum had the most disgusting smirk on his face but Xenophanes did something clever.

    He let the hilt of the sword slip from his hands, and this turned it into a throw as it impaled Raum right through his heart, sending him crashing off his horse.

    "You disgusting piece of shit! Did you think I would let you have your way¡­" Xenophanes had done something Asmund had never seen him do.

    "I am going to kill every single one of you..." Xenophanes muttered, looking at the stunned Vikings that had them surrounded. The look in his eyes told them he was not bluffing.

    "...Xenophanes?" Asmund was puzzled, confused because he did not know who he was looking at.

    The war ended on that day, and without their king, they could not survive the onught from both Kattegat and Vestfold but the psychological damage lingered in the mind of Xenophanes and Asmund, turning Asmund into a pacifist. Asmund cut ties with Xenophanes after it was revealed by an unknown person that he was working with Raum The Old, this was the beginning of the hostile rtionship between Vestfold and Kattegat. Birger tried to defend Xenophanes but he was exiled by Asmund, and this was why he dropped Vestfold for Kattegat.

    But this showed just how fragile trust was because Xenophanes motives were never known or stated nor did Asmund offer him a listening ear despite all they had been through in the past.

    The face he saw that day made him realize he did not know Xenophanes at all.

 Chapter 107 Taboo Broken?

    ?Kjell was left stunned by this revtion because it left a bitter taste in his mouth that Asmund was so willing to give up on Xenophanes despite the king of Kattegat being willing to give up his life for Asmund.

    "Why did you give up on him?" Kjell could not help but ask, his curiosity had the best of him but Asmund did not mind the question and that was why he told the story.

    "Hahaha! It was because he was a traitor¡­" Asmund said in a joking manner, the tone not matching the seriousness of the situation but his joyful face turned sour.

    "... Or at least that was what I forced myself to believe. I knew there was no way he would turn his back on me not after risking the stability of his kingdom on a whim but I am not like Xenophanes. I had to do it for the sake of my kingdom. I had to treat him like we do traitors¡­" Asmund said, but Kjell did not believe a word he had said.

    "You did it for him, didn''t you? You knew his loyalty to you would destroy his kingdom¡­" Kjell muttered and Asmund went silent, he did not utter a single word letting Kjell know that he had struck gold.

    "I think we have spoken enough, Earl Kjell. You should return to your post." Asmund dismissed the Earl because he knew that he had said too much.

    "M-My apologies, King Asmund!" Earl Kjell blurted out nervously as he excused himself soon after.

    -

    Signy was with Askild at all times, and he knew he might as well try to get a conversation out of him in a bid to persuade him to lower his arms but he knew he would have to do more than just talk.

    "King Askild, do you intend to let me live?" Signy asked, he did not sound scared despite subconsciously knowing the answer to his question already.

    "I think you know the answer to that, young prince¡­" Askild said. He had no intention of letting Signy live. This was not a very honorable way to win the war but Askild was never a man big on honor still, this attack was too sudden.

    It was far too impromptu for it to not have been nned, but no one else but Askild knew what was going on in his head.

    "You injured my father, did you not?" Signy asked, recalling the blood that was smeared on his face, and judging by Askild''s reaction, he was aware.

    "Why did you wait a month to attack, King Askild? I thought it was because of what you had your men building but now I do not think that was the case¡­ Why did you wait a month?" Signy questioned. He was safe for now because Askild could not kill him or attempt to, not until his father was beyond the wall.

    "You ask a lot of questions, do you know that?" Askild responded but Signy knew he was onto something, there was no doubt about that but he had to figure it out before his father came out.

    "I am going to die either way so I would like to know what we did wrong," Signy dismissed Askild''s suspicion and maintained that it was mere curiosity.

    Ragnar approached them, prompting the conversation to end abruptly. Ragnar greeted Askild, it was clear he wanted to talk to Signy and Askild was more than willing to let him have this conversation.

    He carted Signy off, taking him to a secluded part of their temporary camp.

    Askild did not trust what Ragnar would do and gestured for Erik to keep an eye out for them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Do you know who I am?" Ragnar began the conversation in a calm tone and Signy nodded.

    "You are Ragnar Lothbrok, it is an honor," Signy replied, recalling him from the meeting with his father.

    "I am sorry we are meeting under such circumstances," Signy added, he had no hostility behind his voice but this did not mean Ragnar could trust him either. He was an enemy after all.

    "It is a pity but this is war¡­" Ragnar responded, sharing a non-hostile conversation with an enemy. Bjorn sprung out of nowhere andnded a blow right across Signy''s face.

    The other Vikings around them startedughing, there was no reason why Bjorn could noty his hands on him as long as he did not kill him.

    "You bastard! You killed my brother!" Bjorn cussed out. Signy did not offer any form of resistance and took all the blows as they came. Ragnar did not try to stop Bjorn either and he did not need to because Bjorn stopped on his own. His uncontrolled rage was reced by sorrow, sobbing profusely as his tears trickled down Signy''s face.

    "You must be Bjorn, or should I say, Ironside?" Signy whispered, his lips swollen and his right eye ckened.

    ''Ironside?" Bjorn asked, sliding off him and allowing him to regain himself.

    "It is what my people call you¡­ I hate to be a bearer of hope but your brother did not fall by my sword or any of my men." Signy blurted out and the reaction from both Ragnar and Bjorn was telling.

    "What do you mean?" Ragnar asked, and Signy had no problem spilling the beans as he said those words that both Vikings yearned for.

    "Your son is still alive¡­"

    -

    "Ready the bodies to burn in 10 minutes!" A Viking shouted and a resonating response followed. The hold-up was over and it was time to give their warriors an honorable send-off.

    The fire was burning and the skies had darkened, it was almost time.

    Hidden in one of the corpses was Tyr Ragnarsson. He had dug out the organs of the corpse, organs Signy saw right before he was captured and his emancipated state allowed him to hidefortably in one of the much bigger Vikings that had been in.

    Tyr exited the body, covered in blood and filth, he used the darkened skies to his advantage to slip away undetected and unnoticed.

    He had done what no one could and that was infiltrating the walls of Vestfold but what now?

 Chapter 108 The Plan

    ?"What do you mean Tyr is alive?" Bjorn questioned, his father did not trust the words of Signy but Signy had no reason to lie at this point.

    They did not see Tyr''s body but they also did not see the body of Oskar so this could mean nothing, Ragnar hated it but he clung to that glimmer of hope that his son was still alive.

    "We only killed a man that did not match the description of Tyr, if Tyr died it was not from my party. Did you see his body?" Signy brought it to their attention and Bjorn shook his head.

    Before they could continue their conversation, Erik interrupted them by sitting between them.

    "Are you guys bing chummy buddies?" Erik asked, throwing an arm around Bjorn.

    Bjorn began to boil the moment Erik did that, he hated him with every fiber of his being but he knew there was nothing he could do.

    Ragnar was not bothered by his presence but the discussion they were having stopped telling Erik it was one not fit for his ears considering that Ragnar did not like him, that could be another factor.

    "Erik, what are you doing here?" Ragnar asked, and Erik noticed that both of them were a lot calmer than they were a few minutes back, this meant that Signy told them something about Tyr.

    "Signy, are you ready to watch your father die?" Erik asked, he was always trying to get under someone''s skin and Signy was unfazed by it as he had time to ept his reality.

    "I will watch him ascend to Valha. Erik The Berserker, I do not fear you anymore¡­ You are a product of what the world broke" Signy muttered but it was the calmness in his voice that pissed Erik off. He could not stand him, Signy spoke like he was better than him.

    "What do you think you know about me? A spoiled brat like you could never understand me¡­" Erik fired back but this was more of a banter to him as he did not take Signy''s words seriously.

    "You are strong Erik, I think you have the potential to be even stronger than your king but something is holding you back. You need someone to submit to, someone to guide you. You are like a lost child seeking daddy''s approval because you never got it from yours." Signy said and Erik for the first time was left speechless.

    "W-What the fuck?" Erik blurted out, he had fear in his eyes, even if it was for a second.

    "I do not judge you, Erik. The day you be your own master is the day that no one will be your equal." These were words Erik had never heard before, he had been called a monster and looked at with fear and contempt but he sensed none of that from Signy.

    Ragnar noticed this and intervened in the conversation before Erik did something reckless.

    Signy''s face was injured and swollen, Ragnar inched closer to Signy to check it out and the injuries were not as bad as they looked.

    "Signy¡­" Erik muttered, before getting to his feet. He was so used to people being scared of him that he forgot whatpassionate eyes looked like.

    "I see why you are dangerous. It is not because of your skill with your sword, but the words with your mouth. That is why Asmund sent you, part of him knew you would be captured. And those words you weave are dangerous." Erik said, excusing himself.

    This was the first time Ragnar had seen Erik humbled with anything but violence and he understood the threat Signy posed as well as why Asmund even considered Askild''s proposal.

    He was the future of Vestfold and even Askild must have realized this. This was the reason he was certain that Signy would not make it out alive.

    Bjorn was amazed by how articte he was, Signy had attained peace of mind aftering to terms that he was going to die alongside his father. This eliminated the fear in his heart.<novelnext></novelnext>

    -

    The bodies of the warriors were set aze, and their purity was retained thanks to the rituals.

    This gave their family closure as King Asmund stood to watch, and everyone chanted his name with pride and honor.

    He was the beacon that kept Vestfold alive, they knew what was toe and they wanted to give him a send-off worthy of praise. A song that the gods danced to and Asmund smiled in response to this reception because he did not expect this.

    Tyr had taken shelter and stolen clothes to blend in, but there was only so much he could do as his skin tone stood out. He concealed himself like someone traveling through the desert, covered from head to toe but he was smart enough to stay away from sight.

    He noticed the striking resemnce between King Asmund and Earl Hakon, you could not tell them apart except that Asmund was slightly taller and had a broader face.

    This made Erik''s deduction even more impressive but Tyr recalled what Hakon had told him.

    He had told him how to lower the gates of Vestfold, but he had also told Tyr how to end the war in a bloodless manner. The first thing he needed to do was get into Vestfold.

    Tyr knew if he could take Amsund''s head, he could end the war but who was he kidding?

    There was no way in hell he could defeat Asmund if what he heard was true.

    He knew that they would lower the gates to let Asmund through because Signy had been captured, Tyr got the gist of what was happening from the guards as it was a hot topic right now.

    But this also told him that despite King Askild''s earlier repulsion regarding his n, he listened.

    Tyr smiled but he was not sure if Askild had any intentions of following through with the n.

    But he had to do his job, once the gate falls.

    He was confident that they would storm the ce and it will give them a fighting chance in terms of attaining victory. Askild opposed the n but this was him testing Tyr''s earlier resolve of doing anything it takes to win, even if it meant going against his King.

    Every single thing that happened, happened exactly as Tyr predicted. Not a single thing was amiss and this was nothing short of impressive.

    Signy was a hypothesis that he proposed and the moment Askild got him in his possession was when he confirmed that Tyr knew exactly what he was talking about.

    The Vikings gathered around the gates to lower them and allow their king beyond them.

    "It is almost time¡­" Tyr muttered to himself but just then, he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

    "Who are you?" An unknown voice asked.

 Chapter 109 Ulfs Motives?

    ?Ulf was uneasy as he had made his resolution to kill his brother but now it was all about the opportunity, he watched Ragnar closely and his interaction with Signy.

    "Are you okay, Ulf?" Birger asked, showing a false sense of concern.

    "I am okay, I just have a lot of things in my head. It looks like this war mighte to an end without more fighting¡­" Ulf muttered.

    "You think your usurper has any intention of letting Vestfold remain independent? Askild ns on absorbing Vestfold into Kattegat and expanding his territory." Birger said behind his helmet.

    Ulf looked at his eyes but he could not shake off that something was off with Birger, he was calm and collected but he had also shown to be a lot more prone to his emotions since arriving at Vestfold.

    "Ulf?" Birger called out upon noticing that he was staring right at him without any sort of reaction.

    "I sort of nked out¡­" Ulf said, saving himself the embarrassment but Birger did not mind it.

    "Are you sure you have theposure to kill your brother? If you do it, you can have the fame and glory Ragnar possesses, including his possessions." Birger whispered because these were words no one dared get an earful of or they would be executed on the spot.

    "I can have everything Ragnar has¡­?" Ulf thought and the only thing that came to his mind was Lagertha and a renewed resolve followed this. He had always felt that Ragnar stole her from him as they were friends long before she met Ragnar but Ulf never made a move.

    The moment Lagertha set eyes on Ragnar, the rest was history because her interest in him was from day one, and partly because of his reputation.

    This was part of the reason Ulf strived for status, he was tired of Ragnar getting everything that he deemed rightfully his just because he was more famous than him.

    "I want Lagertha¡­" Ulf muttered to himself, but Birger did not hear him as these words were only audible to Ulf.

    "Ulf! I am surprised someone like you shares the blood of the famous Ragnar!" Skarda shouted, sitting right beside Ragnar''s brother. He knew that his presence was not weed judging by the dismissive looks he got but he did not care much because he wanted to measure the kind of man Ulf was. Ulf had not done anything of note on the battlefield except the ship idea he had coborated on with Hagen. Even the children of Ragnar were more impactful than him.

    "Skarde, I do not think you should be here," Ulf responded. He wanted to say everything on his mind but he could not because despite Skarde''s friendliness, he was still ranked higher than him so he was owed respect.

    "I have heard quite a bit about you, but not enough to see how you stand out from the average warrior. So what kind of man are you, Ulf?" Skarde asked, he was sober and Skarde liked it best when he had alcohol in his system.

    "I am your average warrior," Ulf said with a weak smile, but Skarde was not buying it.

    "I know you are strong, and something tells me you have not shown your true strength but the question is, why are you hiding it, and from who?" Skarde questioned. This question even took Birger by surprise because Ulf did not stand out in his eyes too but he did not need superiorbat skills to kill Ragnar considering Ragnar already trusted him so his guard should be done around Ulf.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am just teasing! You should see your face!" Skarde blurted out, pping Ulf''s back in the process as he cracked himself up.

    Ulfughed awkwardly because he did not know what was going on but he did not have to figure it out because Skarde soon excused himself.

    "That was weird¡­" Ulf was left confused but Birger did not look bothered by what just happened. Skarde had a yful side to him but he was no fool.

    "We should probably be more careful about how we speak, but you cannot kill Ragnar in this camp. I do not know if Aksild will be sessful in scaling those walls but if he is, then an opportunity will definitely present itself."

    -

    "He did not bulge¡­" Skarde thought because he had used a better part of his strength to do that and for Ulf not to bulge showed he had excellent physicality.

    This confirmed Skarde''s suspicion that the only reason Ulf had not stood out on the battlefield was that he did not want to, not because hecked the ability to.

    "Skarde¡­" Sven called out and Skarde immediately walked towards him.

    "You look like crap, Sven." Skarde blurted out without censor, he called it as he saw it because he looked like shit.

    "We are in the middle of a war, am I supposed to look like some princess?" Sven fired back, Skarde chuckled as he had forgotten just how sharp a mouth his fellowmander had.

    "What do you think about this?" Sven asked, this was about the hostage exchange because he did not know if it would go as smoothly as Askild envisioned but he doubted it.

    "I do not think Asmund is one to use tricks but I do not know Asmund so I can not say for sure. I think we should be prepared for anything. The only grace we have is that the moonlight is not hidden behind the clouds so we can see to a degree but Vestfold still holds the advantage. All it takes for them to win this war is to deny the prisoner we hold. I do not think we can scale those walls even with Hagen''s creations." Skarde spoke his mind and this drew a worried look from Sven.

    "That means everything would have been for nothing¡­" Sven muttered under his breath. Skarde noticed he was feeling down and knew he had to console him.

    "They are in Valha, dummy! No death has been in vain but I trust Askild. He has yet to fail me! We will win this war, I have no doubt!"  Skarde sounded pumped, and Sven just smiled to himself.

    "Haha! I guess you are right." Sven responded. The death of Oskar had affected him more than he cared to admit.

 Chapter 110 A Missing Person...

    ?Kattegat recognized Ulrik as the temporary king and this meant that he held more power than normal as Kattegat was still a kingdom that needed to be ruled.

    Ulrik did not have what it took to be king but with the advice of Karl, he was not lostpletely.

    He did not sit on the throne, however, as he respected Askild far too much to do something so brazen even if he had the right to.

    But what Ulrik was enjoying the most was thepany of Garda, the woman that brought Garda into his life was Lagertha but Garda was still adjusting to her new environment.

    "I am home, Garda¡­" Ulrik muttered, letting his body thump against the bed in front of him.

    The sole of his feet was aching and he was relieved the moment they left the ground.

    Garda was doing some chores but stopped the moment Ulrik got in.

    "Are you okay, my love?" Garda asked but all she got from her man was an exhausted sigh.

    "I just had another reason as to why I never want to be king!" Ulrikined to which Garda giggled like a schoolgirl.

    He just wanted to be babied, embracing him into her arms as she gently stroked his hair.

    "I do not think I can sustain Kattegat, I have done my best but I do not think I can keep the order as King Askild did," Ulrikined, he poured out his heart to the woman he was once suspicious of because she offered him a listening ear every single time.

    "It must be tough but you are doing so well¡­" Garda praised him, she had managed to tame Ulrik but this could be because of Ulrik''s own need forpanionship.

    He did not believe in raping women and unlike most Vikings, he believed that sex was something sacred that should only be shared with someone you hold dear.

    "And we have heard nothing from the frontlines, night hase once again and there has been no word of what is happening¡­" Ulrik kept talking, he could not seem to stop.

    "I do not know what is going on but I feel like we are pawns in someone''s game¡­" Ulrik said, but the softness of Garda''s breasts pushing up against his face made it difficult for him to concentrate. He raised her shirt and the sight of her erect nipples excited him.

    "You are a hopeless horn-dog¡­" Garda teased Ulrik because he was always ready to go at the drop of a hat but she also knew he was tired.

    "Lay down, let me serve you.." Garda said, guiding Ulrik to lie on his back. Of course, she noticed the bulge but before they could go any further a scream echoed in the distance.

    Ulrik immediately went into protective mode, instructing Garda to stay indoors as he went out to investigate what was responsible for that scream.

    He located the victim and it was just a case of theft, Ulrik could not believe he left his woman for something as simple as burry but he was also relieved that this was a case of theft.

    Dragging his feet, he returned home, shutting the door behind him but with his back faced to the bed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You would not believe what just happened¡­" Ulrik sounded tired but when he turned, he did not see Garda. He would have thought nothing of this but there were clear signs of struggle.

    He could even see a little blood on the ground.

    GARDA!" Ulrik screamed but there was no response. He rushed outside to check if there would be any signs of her but there were not. He was scared and he did not know what to do about it.

    There was only one person he knew he could turn to and that was Lagertha, he ran to her house like a helpless puppy. There, he met her and Herfj?tur having a conversation. A conversation that stopped the moment they saw the state Ulrik was in.

    "Well¡­ You look like shit¡­" Herfj?tur said without hesitation but she saw that Ulrik was close to tears so she knew after she said those words that something had happened.

    "G-Garda! She is gone!" Ulrik shouted, what came to both their minds was she had been killed.

    That would exin why he was crying but Lagertha wanted to hear more.

    She stood up and walked up to Ulrik, but she did notfort him, pping him across the face.

    An action that shocked even Herfj?tur.

    "What do you mean she is gone? You can cry on your own time, tell me what happened." Lagertha blurted, this snapped Ulrik back to his senses because he had promised Lagertha that he would keep her safe and considering he was the most powerful person in Kattegat right now.

    Ulrik proceeded to exin the situation to them, he was using a lot of hand gestures, something he did when he was scared.

    ? "Hahahaha! I thought she was dead! I bet that blood was not hers!" Herfj?tur downyed the situation. Garda was not the same woman she was a month ago and that was why a struggle was even ensured or she would have been taken easily.

    "Whoever is responsible did not want her dead, I do not think they care about Garda, Ulrik. It is you they are trying to send a message¡­" Lagertha said. She was a lot calmer after hearing that Garda was taken and not killed.

    "What do you mean?" Ulrik asked and Herfj?tur chipped in her two cents.

    "The attack in Kattegat stopped when you appeared. Ulrik, the man that did not have a weakness¡­ Until now that is." Herfj?turid it out inyman''s terms so he could grasp the message that Lagertha was trying to pass across.

    "You are why they took Garda and you need to think about your next move carefully¡­ It could very well decide if she lives or dies but one thing you cannot do is let your emotions overwhelm you or you will lose whatever game you are being forced to y¡­'' Lagertha said, Ulrik could tell she was angry by how tightly her fist was clenched but these were the words he was looking for.

    He nodded in agreement as he wiped the residue tears from his face before saying.

    ''I will find her!"

 Chapter 111 The Truth Of The Past [PT 1]

    ?The time for the final dance hade, and the cheers from within Vestfold could be heard from where the forces of Kattegat were stationed, Skarde and Sven were curious to see what choice Asmund would take because the war was still in their favor.

    Creaking noises could be heard, it was the sound of a singlepartment of therge gate opening. Out of it came Asmund alongside Earl Aksel and Earl Kjell, all on horseback.

    They stopped at a considerable distance as Asmund unmounted his horse, he was not stupid enough to think that Askild would honor his word.

    "Where is my son?" Asmund''s voice echoed, carried through the wind with the breeze that danced softly on their skin.

    King Askild snapped his fingers and Signy appeared from behind him, his swollen face had somewhat reduced but it still looked terrible.

    "Sorry, one of my men had a bone to pick with him. You understand, don''t you?" Askild exined the current state of his son to him so he does not get the wrong idea.

    Askild nudged Signy gently, and Signy was confused as to what he wanted him to do.

    "Go, don''t you want to return home?" Askild asked, and Signy did not know if he was ying mind games with him but this was not the time for redundant thoughts.

    Signy began to walk towards his father with Asmund doing the same, the hostage exchange was underway as both began their walk.

    Everywhere was quiet as there were so many things that could go wrong, but Askild did not make a move because he knew what would happen if he did. He could not be careless, they hade too far.

    He also knew how he killed Asmund would shape how his warriors and enemies viewed him.

    They were both within range and Asmund winked at his son right before walking past him.

    Signy looked at Kjell and Aksel, Askild had told him he was going to kill him yet he was letting him go. He knew once he got behind the walls, there was no way for Askild''s sword to reach him. They bothpleted their walk at approximately the same time.

    "Asmund, my dear friend¡­" Askild greeted with a smile but this was not a genuine smile but a sadistic one.

    "You have me now, how do you want to end my life?" Asmund questioned, and Askild chuckled.

    "You are too hasty. You might be my enemy but I do respect you¡­" Askild said. He was trying to make conversation with Vestfold''s king. He was trying to change how he was perceived as he watched Kjell alongside Sven and Signy return to the walls.

    They rode as fast as they could because they expected Askild to try something but to their surprise, he did not. He actually let Signy go.

    Askild watched with intent as the same partialpartment of the gate was raised to wee Signy back within the walls but he had the biggest fish of Vestfold in exchange.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was nothing he could do but he had his hands on Asmund, the prize of the war.

    Erik saw him and could not help but salivate, he was drooling like a rabid dog that had not eaten for days. He wanted a bite out of Asmund and Askild could sense his bloodlust.

    "Hahaha! Erik The Berserker. It is good to see you too¡­" Asmund greeted but he soon clutched his abdomen subtly because a sharp pain shot through his lower torso.

    "Are you in pain, King Asmund?" Askild asked and Asmund tried to y it off but looking into the single eye of Askild told him that he knew.

    "You are aware?" Asmund asked and Askild chuckled.

    "You know King Asmund¡­ a sword smeared in shit and piss is a far more effective weapon than one covered in fire," Askild said, and Asmund immediately knew why his wounds had not healed properly and the constant pain that rocked through his body.

    "You are as repulsive a fighter as I remember, there was no way you killed Xenophanes with skills alone.." Asmund responded. Everyone was listening to the back and forth between these two men and Erik looked to be the most disappointed.

    "King Xenophanes was a sentimental fool, he was going to run Kattegat into the ground if I did not do what I did¡­" Askild said.

    "You killed him for such a reason?" Asmund asked, he knew Askild had ambition but he was not stupid. Askild was filling Asmund in on the information that he had missed.

    "I have wanted to kill Xenophanes for a long time but I knew it was not possible with Vestfold allied with Kattegat, I knew there was no way you would let me seed him if I killed him so I had to find a way to sever your bond¡­" Askild said in a very suggestive tone and Asmund''s eyes dted in shock, feeling his heart drop.

    "Don''t tell me¡­" Asmund muttered, the missing piece he has been searching for for years was right in front of him the whole time.

    "That is right, I was the one that helped Raum The Old. I gave him the information he needed to break through your defenses. Did you not find it strange that they broke through so easily after 7 years?'' Askild asked and Asmund never thought about it, he just assumed that Raum found a way around their defense as his reputation had shown that this was within his skill set.

    "You bastard¡­!" Asmund cussed out but Askild just giggled, he was getting under Asmund''s skin.

    "You tossed your friend to save yourself and your kingdom, the nature of man is indeed cruel." Askild teased but Asmund wanted to find one thing out, how Xenophanes died.

    "How did he die?" Asmund muttered, trying his best to suppress his rage but his voice betrayed him.

    "The old fool could not bring himself to kill me¡­" Askild said and the story of how Xenophanes was in his final days began.

 Chapter 112 The Truth Of The Past [PT 2]

    ?Xenophanes reacted to the news of Kattegat allying with Raum The Old, he was indifferent to the usation but what broke his heart was Asmund cutting ties with him.

    He felt betrayed, if it was so easy to break the bond they had built for years then what was it all for? Xenophanes could not believe this was the man he was ready toy down his life for in a heartbeat but he also knew this was good because now he knew not to risk the welfare of his kingdom for personal rtionships. Asmund put Vestfold first and it was about time he did the same. The personal bond between both men was terminated on both sides.

    But the trauma did not leave his head, the trauma of children being cut down because it was ironic that he was just having this conversation with Askild.

    A few years passed and Kattegat still struggled to regain the trust of former allies because everyone was wary of them, and their image was smeared all because of Xenophanes'' loyalty to Asmund.

    Askild became one of his most trusted acquaintances and he was made his right hand at such a young age, Xenophanes never took in a wife as he was not interested in having one.

    And now he had a son in Askild, Askild had a different more extreme mindset and each time he presented an idea to Xenophanes, it was abruptly shut down.

    "Askild,e here¡­" Xenophanes called out to the upied child, who dropped what he was doing and rushed into his chambers.

    ? "Yes, my king!" Askild answered his call with his head bowed.

    "Do you want to be king?" Xenophanes asked bluntly and Askild was taken aback by this question as it was so random and there was nothing that led to it.

    "You carry yourself like a ruler. Do you wish to seed me?" Xenophanes reiterated, rephrasing his words differently but asking the same question nheless.

    "I am not fit to be a king, you are the best king we could ask for!" Askild said, but Xenophanes knew this answer was not from his heart, he was being politically correct.

    "Hahaha! I was not fit to be a king once upon a time but I think men that do not want the crown, rule the best," Xenophanes responded, focusing his gentle gaze on Askild.

    "You have grown so much, and I think you can make Kattegat great¡­" Xenophanes said and Askild''s face creased to reveal a broad smile.

    "Y-You really think so?" Askild question and Xenophanes nodded but he was not done talking.

    "... But, you are not fit to be a king," Xenophanes said with a saddened look on his face.

    He could see the disappointment on Askild''s face the moment these words left his lips.

    "Why can''t I be king?" Askild asked timidly, the irritation in his voice present.

    "You want it too bad. Power corrupts people like you, and I cannot trust you to continue my legacy. I have tried to convince myself but on the frontline is where you belong. Not on a throne." Xenophanes said sternly, there was no hesitation in his voice.

    "Do you n on having a son to seed you?" Askild asked bitterly.

    "No, I have found my sessor¡­" Xenophanes said and Askild was surprised by this revtion with his curiosity peaking.

    "Who do you n to make the next king of Kattegat?" Askild asked but just then, Birger made his way inside the house of Xenophanes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have returned King Xenophanes," Birger greeted and Xenophanes'' attention shifted to Birger.

    "Wee back, Birger. You may be excused now Askild, we will pick this upter," Xenophanes dismissed Askild and Birger had a smug look on his face as he never liked Askild.

    The moment Askild was outside, his jaw dropped on an assumption he had thought to be fact.

    "He intends to make Birger king!?" Askild thought and this idea made him throw up.

    He could not conceive the idea of Kattegat being ruled by someone that was not even from the kingdom, there was no denying that he was against this.

    Askild had no ns on ever letting that happen and used Birger of being responsible for ruining the mind of his king with such nonsense. He had trained years under Xenophanes for the sole purpose of seeding him and now even that was in doubt.

    "Move it¡­" A voice said, this was the voice of Erik but he was not known as a Berserker in this era, but he did have a vile reputation.

    "Hey, you!" Askild shouted and Erik stopped, jerking his head back.

    "Are you talking to me, shrimp?" Erik questioned with a raised brow, he was not afraid of confrontation and Askild knew that was what he was looking for.

    "How would you like to be rich?" Askild asked but Erik was not moved by this offer, and his disinterest was conveyed by resuming his walk.

    "I am not interested in money, scram bitch!" Erik warned but then Askild offered him something he knew he could not refuse and that was battle.

    Erik epted in a heartbeat because he always wondered how strong Askild could be, considering he was trained by Xenophanes himself.

    Erik, however, was easily defeated because despite being bigger than Askild, hecked technique and relied on brute strength alone.

    This was the first time Erik had tasted defeat and his inferiorityplex kicked in, he expected Askild to kill him but Askild offered him his hand instead, helping him to his feet.

    This man had bested him and he was willing to let him live? This was something Erik would have never done so it was alien to him.

    "Erik, is it? What if I told you there is a world where fighters even stronger than I exist? Would you let me guide you to such a world?" Askild asked as he asked for Erik''s loyalty in return.

    Erik was a man with a shred of empathy and he knew he needed such a person by his side because morality was often the ve of man but a man devoid of it is an uncaged beast.

    "You have my sword. Askild!" Erik epted his offer and gave Askild his loyalty.

    This proved to be the most crucial piece in his quest to overthrow King Xenophanes.

 Chapter 113 The Truth Of The Past [FINAL PT]

    ?Askild''s move to overthrow Xenophanes was gaining a foundation and he had recruited one of the most ruthless killers but his ns would have to wait as they were sent to curb an attempted incursion by a neighboring kingdom. There, Askild almost lost his life but was saved by Ragnar. This was the battle that made Ragnar and themanders of the present stand out as they had defining contributions to the sess. Lagertha was a well-known maiden but a maiden that was far less famous was ady known as Ulfhild, who was the wife of Asger.

    She was ady with unparalleled beauty, making Lagertha look ordinary beside her.

    Asger was smitten with her and made her his wife at a young age, every man wanted her but no man could have her except Asger.

    Birger was interested in her like every man with blood in his body but he did not make a move on her because she was married.

    The incursion was pushed back, the strength of Kattegat was simply overwhelming in every aspect and their enemies stood no chance.

    "Ragnar, I want to thank you for saving my life, I will not forget it¡­" Askild showed his gratitude. Ragnar tried to y it cool but in reality, he was flustered, and he did not know how topose himself.

    "I saved your life? I can''t remember the faces of everyone I saved¡­'' Ragnar bragged loudly but an arm grabbed his shoulder.

    "You did not save anyone else, brother!" Ulf countered his brother''s bragging.

    "ULF! YOU ALWAYS SPOIL MY SHINE!" Ragnar barked and Askild could not help but chuckle at the brother''s interaction.

    "You are Askild, are you not? You always hang around King Xenophanes¡­" Ragnar asked, he was interested in conversing with Askild because he was the only one that was close to their king.

    "Yes, I am. I am d you have heard of me." Askild said with an embarrassed smile.

    "Heard of you!? You are famous!" Ragnar eximed and Ulf had to calm him down because he was sounding far too excited for something as simple as an interaction.

    "You are embarrassing me, brother," Ulf said but he also noticed Askild''sck of interest in him.

    It always happened, and he had gotten used to it as Ragnar was the fun one to be around.

    But someone soon covered his eyes, and a whisper followed.

    "Guess who it is?" A feminine voice asked Ulf.

    "I will always recognize that voice. If it isn''t Lagertha¡­" Ulf said, prompting thedy to remove her hand. Ulf looked back to see Lagertha pouting, she tried her best to disguise her voice yet Ulf could easily tell it was her.

    "You look pissed¡­" Ulf said but Lagertha did not respond and held her face.

    Out of nowhere came Ragnar, he was walking with Askild and this was the first time Lagertha caught his attention.

    "If you keep your face like that you will get wrinkles, no one likes wrinkles¡­" Ragnar outright insulted her. She was perplexed by his rudeness and audacity, Ulf tried his best not tough and despite aplishing this goal, he could not hide his goofy face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lagertha had seen Ragnar around but she had never bothered in knowing, all she knew was that he was Ulf''s brother.

    "Who do you think you are!?" Lagertha shouted, prompting Ragnar to jerk his head back.

    "Ulf! I will see youter!" Ragnar said, before continuing his walk. He hadpletely ignored Lagertha and this had her fuming, it took everything in Ulf to calm her down.

    -

    Xenophanes'' health suddenly started to decline, it was unexpected and sudden but it did not stop him from his daily activities despite no one knowing what was wrong.

    King Xenophanes was being given medicine made by his sister, Liv, and that was part of the reason hested so long, to begin with.

    "Liv, am I dying?" Xenophanes asked, but he did not sound worried because he knew that even if he was dying, it would take a couple of years for whatever afflicted him to kill him.

    "I do not know but it is not looking good," Liv responded and Xenophanes'' face lightened up the moment he heard this.

    "Liv¡­ I have something to tell you¡­" Xenophanes whispered in a dire tone, gesturing for his younger sister toe closer, which she did. Fear danced in her eyes as she had never seen Xenophanes look this serious before.

    "What is it, brother?" Liv asked and Xenophanes coughed faintly before saying.

    "I am your father¡­" Xenophanes muttered and Liv wore a disappointed face.

    "This is why no man hase for your hand, Liv. You do not have any sense of humor." Xenophanes teased his little sister.

    "I hope you die sooner." Liv retorted and Xenophanes could not hold in hisughter, he burst outughing like a madman. Even in the face of death, Xenophanes remained fearless.

    It continued like this and it got to the point that his joints stiffen and his overall health plummeted. Soon, the medicine stopped walking altogether, and Xenopanes was on a steady decline toward death. Askild knew that this was his chance to challenge Xenophanes. He did just that, challenging Xenophanes to a battle for the right to rule over Kattegat.

    Xenophanes epted despite Birger urging him to decline, but he refused.

    He bested Askild despite his handicapped condition but could not bring himself tond the final blow despite taking one of his eyes in the duel, offering Askild a hand to help him get to his feet but this moment is what cost him his life as Askild impaled him clean through the heart. Everyone witnessed it and no one could believe it, no one could believe that Askild dug his de into the man who made him who he was. It was a duel and by all rights, Askild did not do anything wrong as Xenophanes had gotten sentimental.

    He could not kill Askild because he still saw him as the kid he raised, for a brief moment that shy boy was all he saw.

    This was how Askild killed Xenophanes and became king but there was a twist to this story. He lost an eye but gained the crown.

 Chapter 114 A New King?

    ?"Who are you?" A voice called out to Tyr, he clutched a dagger he had stolen off one of the corpses, ready to jam it into the throat of this person.

    "There you are darling! Forgive him, he is drunk!" A woman apologized, he could tell she was a woman by her voice as he did not turn around. Tyr was visibly relieved because he was about to kill an innocent man.

    He also knew that even while disguised, it was dangerous for him to remain on the street and thus got off it, using more of the shadow rather than moving where light reflected from the fire.

    The bodies had been burned, and Signy had not arrived yet within the walls during this timeframe.

    Tyr managed to climb the walls, it was crowded because everyone scampering to see what was happening and how the exchange would go down.

    Tyr noted that it was almost time to act but he was curious as to what Askild had in mind.

    He wanted this to be bloodless, he made this promise to Hakon and intended to keep it but what Askild did next would determine it.

    He let Signy go and Asmund walked towards him, Tyr heaved a loud sigh of relief as he returned to the bottom of the wall.

    Tyr waited for the gate to lift and in came Signy and the Earls. Signy immediately assumedmand of Vestfold with such purpose, but there was something strange.

    It did not sound like he had any intentions of waiting for Asmund''s execution.

    "Vikings of Vestfold! Kattegat attempts to trample on our pride!" Kjell shouted, it was clear that he had spoken to Signy on their way back because Askel had a bitter look on his face.

    He had opposed whatever they were about to do.

    "But I say NO!" Kjell shouted, and the Vikings began beating their shield.

    "WE WILL SAVE OUR KING! GET READY FOR BATTLE!" Kjell shouted and the moment Tyr heard this was the moment he knew that things had gone to shit.

    Askild was supposed to retreat with Asmund as a captive yet he was not doing that.

    It was almost as if he was taunting them, Tyr was furious because it became clear that he had no ns on following his n and he had riled up Vestfold into attacking.

    Signy was not going to take this lying down. Tyr would whisper to himself about the recent development.

    "This is bad!"

    It did not take long before the gate burst open, and it was not just part of it this time, but the entire gate, and out of it came an army amassing a massive 5,000 men, all in heavy armor and led by Kjell. Kjell was done ying a passive role in this war and he had no interest in watching his king being ughtered like a dog.

    He saw Erik standing in front of Asmund but he was not worried, Asmund should be able to handle the brute as they had one advantage and that was being familiar with the environment.

    "It is tim-!" Tyr''s train of thought was interrupted by what sounded like another gate being opened.

    "What? They have two gates!?" Tyr thought as he watched Signy exit the walls with 3,000 men.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Tyr looked terrified, he had been tricked by Hakon because he made no mention of a second gate but the second gate should not have been a problem if Askild retreated with Asmund but why the fuck was he not retreating!?

    Tyr was livid because he knew his brother and father would be in harm''s way should they fight this battle. Tyr did not see them winning but he still had a job to do.

    Tyr managed to jam the gate, preventing it from closing but something was strange. He was certain that he had ruined the gate''s mechanics, but these men did not try to close it.

    "Why the fuck were they not trying to close it?" Tyr thought because that meant they intended for it to be open.

    -

    Kjell advanced and he was within respectable distance from King Askild, Asmund looked angry that he was there. Looking past him, he saw that the gate was still open and he wondered why they were not lifting it.

    "Kjell! Return to the walls!" Asmundmanded but Kjellpletely ignored him.

    "I am sorry, Asmund but you stopped being King the moment you fell into enemies hands, I follow the orders of King Signy!" Kjell said and Asmund''s eyes widened, realizing that this n was from his son.

    "Signy?" Asmund thought but despite all this, Askild did not look bothered by this.

    "King Askild of Kattegat! You are a threat that has been allowed to live for far too long and tonight is the night that you will meet your end." Kjell said.

    "You do not care what happens to Asmund?" Askild asked in a belittling tone.

    "Archers!" Kjell instructed his men to knot their bows and they did just that.

    "This is not a negotiation! We are done with that." Kjell shouted, he was angry that Asmund had been socent with this war.

    "Loose!" Kjell instructed and a rain of arrows was fired into the air and the darkness made it nearly impossible for them to even see what they were avoiding.

    "Hahaha! If I could die, the gods would have taken me long before today!" Askild bragged, he sounded like he had lost his mind and did not even attempt to protect himself against the arrows. And something interesting happened, not a single arrow touched him.

    "Kill Asmund," Askild instructed Erik and he was more than happy toply, swinging his ax downward with absolutely no hesitation, he was like a robot awaitingmand.

    Erik could not believe it, he had managed to injure Asmund but that was partly due to Asmund being distracted momentarily. Erik had managed to knick his cheek slightly but it did not feel as satisfying as he thought it would be.

    "Did you ever wonder why I waited a month, Asmund?" Askild asked as Asmund took a defensive stance against Erik. Askild had applied shit to his de and managed to cut Asmund with that sword. This afflicted him with lockjaw, a disease that causes painful muscle contractions, particrly in the jaw and neck. It can interfere with the ability to breathe but this was not the only thing Asmund was afflicted with. Asmund was also affected by another disease known as gangrene, which is the death of body tissue due to ack of blood flow or a serious bacterial infection. Itmonly affects the arms and legs, including the toes and fingers. Blood had stopped flowing to particr parts of Asmund''s body.

    "You knew, did you not? That is why you offered up yourself¡­" Askild said. Asmund, panting like a dog on itsst legs, looked at Askild with nothing but contempt.

    ".... Askild, you bastard!" Asmund cussed.

 Chapter 115 The Gate Has Fallen!?

    ?Erik against Asmund, round two. Kjell watched because he did not mind if Asmund died in this battle. He was aware of how huge a blow the death of Erik The Berserker would prove to be.

    He entertained the bout, not making a single move to interfere with the battle because this was the day he was waiting for, the day that Signy would be recognized as king as he had already conditioned him to a certain degree.

    The death of Asmund would prove beneficial to him, but he had more important things than politics right now and that was surviving the war.

    "King Asmund, what happened to you?" Erik asked, he did not like the fact that he was fighting him when he was not at his prime and even in a weakened state.

    Erik swung his ax in a bid to take off his head but Asmund barely avoided it while simultaneously rupturing a vein in Erik''s wrist, forcing blood to spill like a water hose.

    It was impressive that in this state he could still best Erik and Erik was satisfied with this too.

    "I am not interested in killing, you are spoiled good," Erik said, sheathing his de and walking away, this was the first time Askild had seen Erik walk away from the battle.

    Kjell clicked his tongue in irritation but he still did not give the charging signal, the silence was deafening and instead, it was Askild that gave the signal for his men to charge at them.

    Whatever he was waiting for, he was not interested in seeing it, forcing a full-on attack.

    "Die for your king!" Askild screamed and the roar of his soldiers felt like they were being possessed by being not of this world. A sh was not enough to kill them, they fought like beasts with 9 lives and the sheer intimidation was overwhelming but regardless of their motivation and strength, Kjell was an Earl when it came to it and was easily on the same level as themanders of Kattegat, if not greater.

    He cut down the soldiers in his path with ease and grace, it looked like he was fencing and not shing and hatching like a madman.

    This was a sword technique that no one in Kattegat had seen and he killed them like he was dancing, Askild knew he could slip his troops past them, as they were busy engaging.

    It looked like Tyr had seeded and the tricky thing about this was, Askild had no way of telling that Vestfold left the gate opened and it was not because of Tyr at all.

    If he knew, he would not have taken the action he just took, charging right past Kjell, who was engaged with part of his forces, with Vestfold being his target.

    Kjell did not try to stop him, why would he? They wanted Askild and his men to take this exact action.

    -

    Vigar had takenmand of the remaining troops within the walls, he did not know what was going on because he did not know what Signy nor Kjell spoke about.

    Earl Aksel was within the walls, but he left Vigar to handle things because this was not his forte.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Vigar had taken it into his hands to align barrels around the gate but Tyr noticed the muddied ground had been disturbed. What was inside those barrels?

    Tyr knew he had limited time to stop Askild but he did not how or what was going on at this point.

    Hakon had fooled him into trusting him and Tyr felt so foolish that he did because it looked like Hakon used the fact that he was a kid to manipte him into doing just what he wanted.

    "Men of Vestfold!" Aksel shouted and they beat their shield to wee his chant.

    "Are you afraid!?" Aksel asked with a resonating scream and they all shouted.

    "NO!" The aura their voices carried sent shivers down Tyr''s spine.

    "The enemies wille through that gate! I can not say we won''t die but I can promise one thing and that is we will all meet again!" Aksel screamed, he had to rally the troops because he knew how important morality was for battle and he was not about to take any chances.

    "Roar for Vestfold! Roar for victory! Roar for Odin!" Aksel said and they all took a defensive stance with their shields up.

    Vigar watched from the wall to monitor their advance, and he gave the coordinates to Aksel so they could prepare how they would engage the iing forces.

    Vigar knew they may very well die but he was d that they were fighting back, he was d that they were not just going to allow Asmund to die a dog''s death.

    Askild had charged with his main force but they noticed there was a smallpany around Asmund, this included Erik because he knew that Kjell might attempt to get him.

    He stood as a buffer, but everyone else was with Askild, he needed all the men he could muster for this final battle and would do everything in his power to snatch victory.

    Askild reached the walls and made their way into Vestfold, the soldiers were far less than he thought they would and he heard a warning scream.

    "King Askild! It is a trap!" Tyr shouted and Vigar''s head shot in the direction of the scream but it did not matter. This was where what Tyr did to the gate came in handy as they could not shut the gate to trap them inside.

    "T-The gate is not lifting!" A warriorined and there was Bjorn, on the verge of tears that his brother was alive, he felt a huge weight off his shoulders.

    "ughter them all, including Signy." Askildmanded but this was not part of the n.

    Tyr now understood that this was Askild''s n from the start and that was theplete conquest of Vestfold in blood.

 Chapter 116 The Fighting Intensifies!

    ?"Asmund, you have raised an interesting child," Erik said, and this was the first time Erik had spoken to him like a person that can think outside of fighting.

    "Why did you not kill me?" Asmund asked, despite injuring Erik he knew that Erik had the advantage of durability.

    "I am no longer interested in you, you have been spoiled and you smell of death¡­" Erik said and this did not bring as muchfort to Asmund as he thought it would.

    "Hahaha! I am an old man, it is no surprise you lost interest in me," Asmund said but he wanted to know why Erik of all people chose to stay with him when anyone could have killed him.

    Why were they keeping him alive, he already knew whatever he was afflicted with was too far into his system to cure at this stage so death was certain.

    "Do not worry, King Asmund. I have found a new toy to y with." Erik said, and he had a perverse look in his eyes, a look that made Asmund ufortable.

    "You can''t mean¡­!" Asmund realized who he was talking to.

    "Yes, I want Signy¡­" Erik responded with a sickening grin before getting to his feet the moment he saw Kjell approaching him, he used a very thin-like needle de.

    Despite the size, he could parry swords twice their size and weight with no difficulty and deliver fast blows that almost looked to be blinding.

    "Erik The Berserker, move aside and I do not need to stain my de with your tainted blood," Kjell said but Erik did not bulge, there was only one way past him and that was killing him.

    "Are you deaf?" Kjell asked and the moment these words left his lips. Erik swung his ax to try and take off his head, he expected him to dodge it but somehow Kjell effortlessly parried it with his needle sword, this should not be possible.

    "You are strong Erik but you are a man without technique. You are an unrefined killer," Kjell teased but Erik was unmoved.

    "Did I not swing hard enough?" Erik questioned himself, but Kjell was irritated that he was not listening to him. Erik swung his ax once again and Kjell parried it once again but this time counter-attacked by piercing his chest.

    "Got you now¡­" Erik said calmly, grabbing his sword with one hand and swinging his ax with the other, Erik''s attacks were linear and relied solely on power.

    Kjell had to let go of his sword to avoid this attack, this meant that he lost his weapon but he was more surprised that Erik did not fall despite stabbing his heart.

    He was not stupid in thinking Erik was a god, the fact that he bled already eliminated that possibility so did he miss his heart or was there another reason?

    "You cannot beat him by fighting logically. Erik is a beast that is willing to sacrifice his body if it meant taking your head." Asmund advised and Erik tossed the de that had pierced him onto the ground before charging at Kjell instantaneously.

    "H-He is fast!" Kjell thought, Erik''s speed did not match his size whatsoever and he nearly caught him by surprise.

    "Stay one y so I can cut you in half. Stop running around." Erik said, he was tired of Kjell being on the defensive but there was nothing he could do, he needed his sword.

    This was the problem with such a weapon, it had impressive piercing prowess but he could not sh. If Erik had his heart in the normal ce, he would have been dead because he could not react to the stab, all he knew was something had pierced through his skin.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You really are a monster," Kjell reiterated a statement everyone knew.

    -

    "Tyr! Brother!" Bjorn shouted, and Tyr smiled at his older brother, he was d that he was still alive. His eyes darted to his father and Ragnar gave him a nod of acknowledgment.

    "Men! Charge!" Akselmanded his men and they charged, the battle had begun,

    In the fight for Vestfold, Askild cut down the people in his path like they were not even there.

    Aksel realistically knew he could not win, he was up against themanders of Kattegat.

    There was no way he could win, Ulf was like a beast charging head first.

    It felt like he wanted to die and Aksel knew that he was the one charging the momentum for some reason and knew he needed to halt his advance.

    He intercepted Ulf because he knew that he could cut down their manpower.

    "Who the hell are you!?" Aksel questioned, and Ulf was surprised that he was about to cross swords with a high-ranking warrior from Vestfold, he could tell because of his clothing.

    "I am Ulf!" Ulf responded but Aksel had a confused look, he did not know who he was.

    He was surprised that he deemed him a threat when Ragnar and the others were cutting down his men with rtive ease.

    "I have never heard that name before, but something is telling me to kill you, Ulf!" Aksel said, swinging his broadsword, Ulf blocked it but the sheer force and vibration shook his bones.

    The reverberation was powerful, and Ulf immediately knew he could not block the swing of this man because it felt like his arms would fall off.

    "What strength!" Ulf thought, his arms shaking as Aksel moved in with a vertical swing, aimed at his upper torso, Ulf bent low enough to allow it to swing over his head, simultaneously lunging forward in an attempt to counterattack before he could retract his broadsword.

    "I have caught him now!" Ulf thought but he felt a foot collide with his forehead that sent him crashing backward.

    "I am the mostplete warrior I know, I do not just know how to fight armed but I know how to fight unarmed as well," Aksel bragged as hended the first blow.

    Birger was not an active participant, only killing the warriors that went for him, he did not go out of his way to attack anyone as his eyes watched Ulf and Ragnar.

    If Ulf was going to kill Ragnar, it was going to happen here.

 Chapter 117 The Siege On The Capital!

    ?Bjorn was having difficulty killing, he was focusing on trying to knock them out but this proved difficult, and he was driven into a corner where he was surrounded by two warriors.

    Bjorn was certain he was about to die but they both fell, dead, with Tyr appearing from behind him.

    "Are you okay, brother or do I need toe to save you every time?" Tyr teased, Bjorn was surprised he could take lives so easily because this was the boy that supposedly had a mental breakdown days ago.

    "I-I thought you were dead!" Bjorn shouted, he felt all sorts of emotions well up inside him but Tyr''s face did not change upon hearing this.

    "I know, that was my intention. I am not sure but someone is working with Vestfold within our ranks." Tyr said, and Bjorn quickly remembered what King Asmund said a month back about a spy giving him information on their whereabouts but Bjorn brushed this off as an attempt to cause unrest.

    "How did you get in?" Bjorn asked but Tyr bit his tongue because he knew his brother would not approve of his methods. Bjorn had a far more noble view regarding the battle and that exined why he picked Asger.

    Asger had lost in his duel against Egil, and he had admitted defeat. This was not trickery, but rather Egil was na?ve in his thinking. Bjorn would never look at Tyr the same if he found out what he did as he had problems even killing without guilt.

    "We are in the middle of a war! Focus!" Tyr shouted, this was an effective conversation changer.

    Bjorn screamed and cut down one person and another, he felt guilty for every life he took but it was either them or him and he chose him.

    Tyr''s eyes caught a glimpse of Vigar, and he could not help the primal need to im his head.

    He was a primal warrior like Erik, they existed such warriors but they were rare.

    Tyr noticed when Bjorn fought, he was full of openings and this was something that he never showed during their spars. Tyr instinctively knew that Bjorn hated doing this but that was normal.

    This was his first war, so it was understandable but there was something familiar with killing. Tyr just felt like it was second nature to him and he did not know why.

    "Bjorn! Calm your mind! You are my rival! If I can kill, you should aim to kill twice as many! This is the path we chose, and we will keep killing until we be the strongest Vikings known!" Tyr shouted and these words resonated deeper in Bjorn. He smiled upon hearing this and his openings immediately closed, he was more focused.

    Tyr knew if he did not say these words, there was no way Bjorn would not die in this battle but now the probability of him surviving shot up.

    Ragnar listened to his words and he realized how important Tyr was to the growth of Bjorn.

    The rivalry was the single thing that kept Bjorn going, Ragnar noticed Ulf was on the back foot as he was being pushed back by Aksel.

    -

    "Is this all?" Aksel asked, Ulf was breathing hard and panting. Aksel was not an ordinary warrior and he was not sure even his brother could defeat him.

    "How are you so strong!?" Ulf blurted out but Aksel was not surprised by this question.

    "It is moremendable that you have survived this long," Aksel praised him, but this sounded like sarcasm or at least that is what Ulf said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A curly ck-haired warrior stepped between them, before looking back at Aksel.

    "What are you doing here, K?re?" Aksel questioned but K?re did not respond, focusing his eyes on Ulf.

    "Don''t you know who that is?" K?re asked but it was clear from Aksel''s face that he did not.

    "That is Ulf, the brother of Ragnar," The moment the name Ragnar was called, the look of surprise that crept up on Aksel''s face surprised Ulf.

    Why did this man know who he was? He knew he was not a threat and had intentionally stayed under the radar for this very reason so who was this man?

    "Does it matter, he is an enemy. Step aside¡­" Aksel said. There was no doubt he possessed the skills to kill Ulf.

    "Thest thing we need is to provoke Ragnar Lothbrok, we just need to stall them. Do not get carried away¡­" K?re warned and Aksel clicked his tongue in irritation but he knew that he was right. The strategy here was to stall for as long as possible.

    Ulf heard this and knew something was up, he knew that whatever Askild thought he was doing was quite the opposite.

    "I am going to take one of you down!" Ulf shouted, charging at K?re because he looked weak but all it took was a blink to lose sight of him, K?re had demonstrated unparalleled speed.

    Ulf felt a hand on his shoulder, and he could not believe that he could move before he could even attempt an attack.

    "You are mistaken if you think me weak, I am the strongest in Vestfold after my King," K?re warned, before walking away. Ulf froze, he could have died in the blink of an eye if this man wanted him dead and that thought made him realize that there were monsters worse than his brother.

    Ragnar had not fought in a while, there was no way he could fight as he did in his prime.

    Aksel charged at Ulf and what followed next was a huge stter of blood on the floor.

    -

    Erik was covered in wounds, and he fell face down, crashing into the floor unconscious.

    Kjell, on the other hand, was missing an entire arm quite literally.

    He was huffing and panting, he now understood why Erik was feared.

    He was stronger than Erik on paper, but Erik was still able to take off his left arm and inflict multiple wounds all over his body before he was defeated. His defeat could be because of the umtion of injuries he had gotten from the beginning of the war until now.

    Kjell barely held onto his consciousness as blood was spurting out of his wound.

    "You are not here to save me, are you?" Asmund asked his supposed savior.

 Chapter 118 K?res Dominance

    ?Tyr managed to escape the horde of enemies in his way as they were engaged with warriors on his side. Vigar was alone on the wall and observed the battle on the ground like a watchdog.

    Tyr knew he was the brains behind whatever absurd strategy this was, he did not know what he was ying at, but he did not want to find out.

    He knew whatever was inside those barrels was not a good thing, he would have suggested they retreat, but they were already too deep.

    "You! What are you nning?" Tyr shouted the moment he got near Vigar. Vigar was non-reactive to his arrival, as he did not even reach for the weapon strapped to his side.

    Tyr noticed he was watching the battle unfold below; his attention was not on Tyr.

    "If Erik is here, it means my father fell in battle¡­'' Vigar muttered. He knew this fate befell his father long ago, but he was processing it correctly now because he felt a tiny part of him hoping against the apparent evidence.

    "I am talking to you!" Tyr shouted; he wanted an answer to his earlier question, but Vigar did not look scared or concerned with his erratic behavior.

    "If we fight right now, there is no doubt you will kill me, Tyr. I have heard about you, son of Ragnar, and I have nothing but respect for you even if you are my enemy." Vigar said, not once peeling his eyes away from the battle below.

    Tyr did not know how to feel about this. He felt no maliceing from Vigar, which was surprising considering they were enemies.

    "Focus your eyes down; an interesting battle is about to begin. It would be a shame if we missed it," Vigar said, and Tyr did just that, albeit hesitantly.

    -

    Askild had no equals, he cut down everyone in his path like butter, but for the first since Asmund, his sword met resistance, and someone blocked his swing.

    "Hmmm," Askild muttered upon realizing this, and the person responsible for this was no other than K?re.

    "King Askild, it is an honor to meet you," K?re greeted as Askild slowly withdrew his de.

    "I do not remember a warrior like you in Vestfold¡­." Askild said, but he did not look surprised.

    "I am the sheathed sword of my king, and I havee out of my sheathe to redeem my wielder," K?re responded. Sven tried to intervene.

    He attacked K?re from his blind spot because he was amazed by the arrogance shown by this man; Askild should not have to bother himself with the likes of him.

    K?re easily side-stepped the downward swing and gave Sven a shallow cut on his neck.

    "Do that again, and I will take off your head," K?re warned, and this surprised everyone present, including Ragnar, because Sven was amander that could give Erik a run for his money.

    "I am only interested in Askild¡­" K?re said, and this indirectly meant he was challenging Askild.

    Birger watched intently, chuckling at this revtion because he knew who K?re was.

    K?re was not originally from Vestfold. He was a stray that Asmund picked up along the way.

    He came from a vige that is no more.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Askild stepped forward, and without hesitation, K?re made his first move.

    He was here one moment, and the next, he was nowhere to be seen.

    "You are fast¡­." Askildmended, but he grabbed the hand that attempted to impale his eye.

    "But it takes more than speed to win a battle,'' Askild said, prepping to end the fight.

    "You are right¡­." K?re muttered, and the dagger''s head separated from the body and sprung forward like a dart from point nk.

    It grazed Askild''s cheeks, forcing him to let go of K?re''s wrist.

    "A-Askild was injured?" Sven muttered under his breath, it was understandable that he was injured by King Asmund, but no one even knew who this man was.

    He used a deceptive trick that nearly took out Askild''s other eye.

    The battle waged on around them. Everyone was too preupied to intervene, and the few that could dare not or risked hurting their King''s pride.

    "You are a sly fighter¡­." Askild said, and K?re smiled like an innocent child.

    "Hahaha!" K?reughed out loud as he noticed Askild''s bodynguage had changed.

    He leaped backward, which was strange considering his weapon of choice required him to fight at close range, but he unsheathed a weapon Askild had not seen before.

    It was a crossbow, and Hagen was fascinated when he saw this weapon.

    Askild braced himself, but the speed at which it wasunched exceeded his expectations. It was faster than the typical arrow and managed to graze his left thigh, dealing enough damage.

    K?re fired yet another arrow aimed at the feet of Askild, who leaped backward but to dodge this attack meant he had taken his eyes off K?re.

    He returned his eyes to where K?re should have been, but he was nowhere to be seen. Askild reacted at the veryst second by blocking something about to make contact with his head. He noticed this attack through his peripheral vision but did not know the nature of the attack.

    K?re''s speed was overwhelming, his wavy hair swaying with the wind, it was difficult to keep track of him, and Askild turned his head to see what he had blocked.

    "Checkmate," K?re muttered. What Askild had blocked was his crossbow. K?re had customized it so a sharp metal shrapnel could be at either side of the limbs, making the crossbow an effective close-range weapon.

    But in this situation, Askild blocking meant he had no way to stop the firing aspect of the weapon. He had trouble avoiding it from afar, so there was no way he could dodge it from point-nk.

    "KING ASKILD!" Tyr called out, but his voice was drowned out by the shing and collision of des beneath, and just then, the arrow left the barrel.

 Chapter 119 A Defining Point?

    ?Asmund was looking right at Kjell. He knew the Earls were strong but had intentionally downyed their strength because he understood that people ran their mouths.

    It was general knowledge that Vestfold warriors were strong, but even this was absurd.

    "Asmund, I think you realize it, but your era is over¡­ You trained Signy for this day, and I think he is ready¡­." Kjell spoke to his former King, stopping the bleeding by jamming a burning arrow into his wound. Kjell bit his lips so hard that blood dripped from them.

    "Are you doing it for Signy or yourself?" Asmund questioned.

    Kjell walked towards Asmund, grabbing Erik''s ax on the floor as he inched closer to Asmund.

    Asmund would have no problem defeating him in his current state, but he was a dying man unlike Kjell. He knew he wanted to me his death on Erik, which would make Signy stronger.

    He needed that drive, and Asmund knew his death would grant him that. Kjell stood in front of him, this was the perfect opportunity to kill Erik The Berserker, but the fact that he was barely conscious and Asmund was his target prevented this action.

    "You are dying, King Asmund. It would be best if you died as a martyr for Signy to grow. I know you have sensed this too, but you are why Signy has not taken that next vital step." Kjell said, and there was no lie in what he said, but before he couldnd the blow on Asmund.

    He copsed to the ground unconscious. Asmund took what Kjell said seriously and held no malice that he was about to kill him.

    Asmund knew he was a dead man already, but how he died was very important, and Kjell made him realize how important.

    "You are right, Kjell¡­." Asmund knew there was only one way for this to happen, to die in battle. He did not see Signy and knew that Vestfold would fall at this rate.

    The gates were lowered for some reason despite them having the advantage when it was shut.

    Asmund knew that Vestfold was lost, but where was Signy? The ground thumped from afar, and the thumping became even louder.

    "Horses?" Asmund muttered, looking in the direction it wasing from. It was Signy alongside his army, and they had circled using the second gate and the cover of darkness to move unseen.

    "Father! Kjell!" Signy shouted. The army immediately secured Kjell alongside his father.

    "What are you doing, Signy!?" Asmund asked, and Signy looked his father right in the eyes.

    "I learned in a battle that the enemy expecting the element of surprise is the element of surprise. I am going to cut off their escape and sandwich them from behind. There is something wrong with the gate. They should have been lifted by now¡­." Signy said. He had a n, and Asmund knew that now was Signy''s time, he kept silent.

    "I will join you¡­ My King." Asmund said, and this brought a smile to Signy''s face.

    "Yes, father!" Signy eximed, but before they could charge forward, a warrior asked what they should do with Erik, and Signy looked at him with pity.

    "Leave him, he has been humbled today," Signy muttered, advancing to the walls with his father given a horse but Asmund''s condition had worsened tremendously.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He could feel the light-headedness, but he held on. He needed to give it one more go.

    He knew this was going to be his final battle.

    -

    Tyr was shocked by what his eyes had seen, Askild had managed to avoid death, but the arrow had somehow hit Ragnar. Ragnar had pushed King Askild out of the way and, unfortunately, took the arrow in his stead. It hit him right in the shoulder.

    It dug deep into his flesh, rendering his left arm almost useless as blood trickled down his fingers onto the ground.

    "FATHER!" Tyr screamed but did not rush in like a blind fool because he knew he stood no chance against him. This man casually held his ground against their King.

    He used strange weapons, which gave him the element of surprise as Askild was overwhelmed by this peculiar foreign invention.

    "Do you wish to die for a man that won''t do the same for you, Ragnar?" K?re questioned with a raised brow, Bjorn noticed that his father had been injured, but he also knew that if he could not do anything to save him.

    He had to trust his father and he did just that, exchanging blows with his enemies. Each enemy brings him to a closer understanding ofbat.

    K?re noticed that the string to his crossbow had been cut. This meant that Ragnar had managed to not only save Askild but destroy his weapon all in one move but to destroy it, he had to be within range of his arrow.

    A risky move that paid off, and amendable one at that, but before the battle could continue any further. The forces under Signy charged from behind, effectively boxing Kattegat on all sides.

    This made it harder for Kattegat to hold formation because they now had to protect their backs.

    Askild noticed that Asmund was still alive, but this meant that Erik was defeated.

    A feat worth praising, Kjell had been carried away from the battle by several of Signy''s men.

    K?re, Aksel, and Vigar looked surprised when Signy returned, they thought he had abandoned them, but he had not, even boxing them inside. Vigar looked restless, and Tyr noticed.

    "This was not part of your n, was it?" Tyr asked, and all he got in response was Vigar''s gritted teeth.

    They were not supposed to be here. Signy had yet to be informed of Vigar''s n, but the gate being raised yed a crucial role which they failed to do thanks to Tyr''s sabotage.

    Tyr''s eyes noticed Asmund, he looked pale, but he knew that for Signy to go to such lengths to save a dying man only showed how strong their bond was.

    "Asmund is the key¡­." Tyr muttered to himself, clutching the de in his hand.

 Chapter 120 Tyr Ragnarsson Vs Vigar?

    ?The fight waged on, and it was drawing to a conclusion. One thing was sure, and that was by dawn. Vestfold would either still be standing or have fallen to the onught of Kattegat.

    Ragnar had saved King Askild, just like he once did in the past, and that came at the price of an arm.

    Aksel wondered what they were doing. The n they had discussed was for Signy to retreat while they held off the enemies so they could not give chase, but his being here threw everything in the air because they had no idea what he was thinking.

    Ulf exploited thepse in concentration. Ulf had been holding back throughout the war as he did not want to exert more energy than needed, but he was fighting at full strength against Aksel and somehow could not break through.

    "What is he doing here?!" Aksel questioned, looking uneasy, shooting his head up to look at Vigar, but there, he also saw Tyr before returning his eyes to Ulf, and he saw nothing. What followed next was a sharp pain in his abdomen, but he had somehow managed to dodge the brute of the attack at the veryst second.

    He used the brief distortion of the gentle wind around him caused by Ulf''s rapid movement to approximate where he was, but even with that, the damage he took was no joke. If he were a secondter, his guts would be on the floor.

    "Damn it! I let my guard down¡­." Aksel cussed, but he could still hold his own against Ulf despite Ulf giving himself more of a fighting chance with this injury.

    -

    Signy watched the chaos and instructed his men to charge. Kattegat was going to lose at this rate because nothing was stopping them.

    Signy was not aware of the n that Vigar had discussed with his father, and even if he was, Asmund was not told the entire procedure, but that did not matter because they looked to be on their way to victory.

    He was on horseback and did not join the battle. This way, he could better control them.

    Asmund stayed on another horse beside his son and knew it was time to pass the torch.

    Signy also noticed the barrels around them and the disturbed ground beneath them.

    He thought nothing of it because it did not matter.

    "King Signy, why don''t you join them?" Asmund asked his son, giving him the honorifics that came with being King despite being his father as Asmund had every right to take that title away now that he was out of his enemies'' grasp, but he did not.

    "Something is amiss. I do not know what it is, but all this feels strange," Signy said, and just then, a ming arrow hit his horse, sending it into a frenzy as it threw the young King off its back and crashed on the ground.

    "SIGNY!" Asmund called out, unmounting his horse despite every fiber of his body aching and the overwhelming pain making his mind go nk, apanied by a feeling of nausea.

    "I-I am fine. I would be a target seeing as I am King now. We cannot lose our heads." Signy said. Asmund was so proud of the boy before him, he once had problems controlling his emotions and was quick tosh out, but he felt so different now. He felt like a king.

    -<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Those fools!" Vigarmented, and Tyr saw he had be visibly tense ever since Signy''s appearance, which was strange considering Signy''s appearance put the war in their favor. He also noticed the momentary panic was because of the arrow and not the target.

    He was not worried for Signy because the arrow''s trajectory would never get him. Anyone could tell by its traveling path.

    Tyr knew he was close to figuring it out, but he could not wrap his head around it, and just then, Vigar unsheathed his weapon to face Tyr.

    "Son of Ragnar, I need you to move out of my way this instant or something disastrous will happen!" Vigar warned, gnawing his teeth at Tyr, but Tyr was not about toply.

    "What is in those barrels¡­." Tyr asked, and he could see the desperation in Vigar''s eyes, but he had no intention of moving aside because he knew whatever Vigar kept from him was vital.

    Vigar charged toward him. Tyr had grown used to wielding dual weapons that a sword felt alien in his hands because it limited the versatility he was used to in battle.

    The battle between the two began, but Tyr was putting one and two together with each collision.

    Fire and barrels, whatever was there, had to be mmable.

    Vigar was desperate but why? Was this not a n he had discussed with his King before carrying out, or did he omit it?

    Tyr watched him like a hawk prior, and there was no way he could miss the surprised look of everyone when Signy arrived, telling him that Signy was not meant to be there.

    "BJORN! IT IS THE BARRELS!" Tyr shouted in his brother''s direction, hoping his voice would reach him, but Bjorn was too caught up as he was engaged in a battle of his own.

    Bjorn was barely holding his own because he was fighting multiple enemies simultaneously, Hagen was helping him, but Hagen was not known for his skills on the battlefield.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson. You are as smart as you are strong¡­." Vigar said. He did something that surprised Tyr because, unfortunately for Tyr, his voice did not reach Bjorn, but it told Vigar that he had caught on.

    "That was a lucky guess, but your reaction gave me my answer," Tyr said; he had tricked Vigar into confirming that the barrels were vital.

    Vigar silently cut himself, inflicting self-harm on himself like a sociopath, and the look on Tyr''s face conveyed the situation perfectly. He was shocked, but he did not have time for frivolous emotions.

    Vigar was not here to y either as he charged at Tyr with his sword firmly in his hand.

    ? Tyr braced himself to repel him, but Vigar used the blood dripping from his fingers as a screen to blind Tyr, sprinkling it into his eyes to blind him momentarily.

    "Goodbye, son of Ragnar," Vigar said his farewell right before lunging his sword aimed right at the chest of Tyr.

 Chapter 121 Ragnars True Strength

    ?The battle was chaotic, with a newly fallen warrior every second, with everyone fighting for their lives because this was a decisive battle. There was no room for mistake, as they had seen; even their Kings were not absolute. K?re had nearly taken the life of Askild, but Ragnar Lothrok saved him.

    K?re was strong because of the weapon he used and not because of his skill set because Askild easily kept up with his supposed superior speed.

    Asmund was a shell of himself, and Erik The Berserker had been defeated for the first time in this war by Kjell; Sven could see they were in a terrible situation.

    He watched the arrow hit Signy''s horse, he knew he needed to cut off the head, and the limbs would fall. Right now, Signy was that head.

    Sven ran towards them, cutting everyone in his path as if they were no match for him, but Signy noticed his arrival and did not look remotely threatened despite the gap in their experience.

    Signy quickly took his bow and arrow, the speed at which he equipped it was nothing short of spectacr, this was his default weapon, and he was a master in archery.

    Signy let loose; his fingers looked elegant as the bow fired two arrows simultaneously.

    Sven was surprised because he had only seen archers firing one arrow at a time, and this was his first time seeing two, both arrows aimed at his head and lower torso, respectively.

    Sven could not crouch to dodge the one aimed at his head, or he would get hit by the one aimed at his lower torso.

    Sven instead moved out of the way, but the moment he did, an arrow dug right into his right leg, an arrow he did not even seeing as Signy had let a third arrow loose a second after the two in the predicted path of Sven''s evasion.

    "W-What?" Sven thought. He mistook Signy as easy prey but Signy was far from easy, considering his skill set, but Sven knew once he got close enough Signy would not stand a chance.

    "I can predict his movement. My arrows are shot in a way that only gives him a choice regarding evasion, his brain would always choose the path with the most chance of sess, and in this case, it was his right." Signy told his father because he could by Asmund''s face that he was surprised how he hit Sven so quickly.

    The arrow in Sven''s leg meant that his mobility and speed would be affected, just as Signy intended, making it even more difficult for him to avoid Signy''s arrows.

    "You punk!" Sven cussed out. This matchup was intriguing because Signy was in no way stronger than Sven, but he had the advantage regarding distance and intellect.

    Asmund stood before his son, showing that Sven must go through him first.

    "Asmund! You smell of death! Step aside, and I will make this painless for you both!" Sven warned him, but Asmund smiled.

    "I am not fighting you alone¡­'' Asmund said as Signy stood beside him.

    Sven was surprised by this match-up. He knew individually they were no problem, Asmund looked like literal shit, but Signy was surprisingly formidable. He had to be wary of him.

    Asmund charged toward him Sven, which allowed the distance between Sven and him to be maintained, Sven attempted to bifurcate him, but Asmund blocked it, and an arrow flew right past Asmund and straight at the head Sven.

    This forced him to break the power tussle with Asmund and move to avoid the arrow. This created an opening for Asmund to knick right beneath his eye.

    Sven was panting; this fighting method that Asmund and Signy used requiredplete trust in one another.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Shit¡­" Sven muttered. What he thought would have been an easy kill had drawn him into a battle that might be his graveyard.

    -

    K?re''s attention turned to Ragnar, and there was no longer any point going easy on any of them, seeing as their n had gone out the window.

    "Ragnar Lothbrok, I did not want to kill you, but there has been a change in ns," K?re said, tossing his broken crossbow as he grabbed his sword from its sheath and braced himself to fight Ragnar.

    "You knew you could not win¡­." Ragnar muttered. Skarde had been fighting and noticed that their tactic was more of them dying than killing.

    "Were you waiting for backup? Judging from your earlier surprise, I would say no.." Ragnar spoke. K?re kept quiet and allowed him to run his mouth.

    "Come, try and take my head. I will show you why Ragnar still lives to this day," Ragnar warned, pointing his de at K?re.

    K?re did not hesitate to make the first move, appearing in front of Ragnar in the blink of an eye.

    He dragged his de along the ground, and Ragnar''s attention was naturally drawn to it.

    But that meant his attention was not focused on K?re''s other hand.

    A weapon slipped from his sleeves and was thrown right at Ragnar''s face but he could not get Ragnar with such petty skills.

    Ragnar dodged it while simultaneously stepping on the t surface of K?re''s sword to force it into the ground, eliminating the threat, and themander of Kattegat shed horizontally to counter attack.

    K?re dodged by ducking, he could not move backward due to the position Ragnar had forced his body to take. Ragnar disyed surreal dexterity because he suddenly redirected the momentum of the swing halfway, something that should not be possible, seeing the force he swung it with.

    It stopped right above his head and instantaneously turned to a vertical sh.

    K?re looked up with surprise because there was no way for him to avoid this.

    It followed the exact mechanics of a Brazilian kick but with a sword.

    Ragnar damaged K?re with his superior dexterity despite only using an arm to fight.

    Everyone looked in surprise because Ragnar had not fought seriously in a very long time, and seeing him in his former glory was magnificent.

    "Y-Younded a hit?" K?re was in shock as a shallow cut appeared across his chest.

 Chapter 122 Friend Or Foe?

    ?Tyr was blinded, but he managed to avoid the attack by taking a calcted jump back, trying to rpose himself as it was clear that Vigar was a fighter that did anything to win. Despite Tyr being a kid, he did not intend to underestimate him.

    "You are nimble. You managed to escape the reach of my sword before I could reach you," Vigarmended the young warrior, but silence followed soon after. Tyr looked left and right frantically because he was still blind.

    But an attack never came; the effects wore off in a minute or two, and Vigar was nowhere to be seen. He had no interest in fighting Tyr, and that whole sequence was for him to escape.

    "That geezer!" Tyr cussed under his breath, and his eyes soon caught a glimpse of his father standing over K?re, a sight that took him aback because this was a man even King Askild had failed to harm, but that was partly due to the man wielding strange weapons.

    Tyr''s eyes shifted to Sven fighting Signy and Asmund; he was surprised that Sven thought he could take them on alone, which was nothing short of arrogance.

    Signy''s arrows had even hit Erik The Berserker in their brief encounter.

    Sven looked like he was about to fall; the duo had inflicted multiple injuries upon him. This included arrows protruding from his body and sword shes that hit a little too close to being fatal.

    The puddle of blood beneath his feet told Tyr that he would notst much longer, but Tyr saw an opening in all of this, he had the aerial advantage, but he knew he had to time his jump to perfection because if Signy saw him mid-air, there was no way to dodge his arrows.

    -

    "H-How are you so strong together,...?" Sven asked, coughing up blood, but he got no response.

    The road to retreat was non-existent as he could not turn his back, or he was sure an arrow would find him.

    Sven fell on one knee, still barely maintaining his bnce. He was surprised that he had umted so much damage; the arrows did not just hit random parts of his body. They hit vital spots. It felt like his joints had been clogged, and his perception of time dulled.

    He made a mistake, ending in his defeat, falling face-first to the ground unconscious.

    Sven was out of the battle, themanders of Kattegat were strong, but they could only do so much with limited nutrition over the past month.

    Asmund turned and returned to his son; Signy was so happy because it reminded him of better times when he was younger. This was something they asionally did when hunting.

    His father''s footsteps caused the foot depression, and Signy soon heard a thumping sound behind Asmund, his father.

    The position and body size of Asmund not only hid the assant''s physique but made it impossible for Signy to provide backup.

    Asmund tried to react, but Tyr, a warrior known for his speed, sliced open Asmund''s tibia at the back of his ankle, forcing him to his knees.

    "FATHER!!!" Signy screamed, his calm exterior finally cracking as he realized his father was in danger. There is nothing as devastating as losing someone you thought you had saved, and the defeat of Sven had instilled a sense of nostalgia in Signy, reminding him of simpler times.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But on the brink of losing it all, Signy dashed towards his father like he was in a race against time because he quite literally was. He could not hold back the tears, and he was approximately within five meters when his father''s head was separated from his body, and with the absence of his head, Tyr was revealed. Even in his dying moments, Asmund wore a smile on his face.

    Signy''s face felt like he was the embodiment of wrath; every high-ranking warrior on the battlefield felt the killing intent that leaked from his body.

    "W-What have you done?" Signy asked in disbelief, but Tyr was not surprised. He was lucky that Sven had provided the opening he needed, he used what they deemed an advantage to their disadvantage, and that was distance.

    Maybe, just maybe, Signy might have been able to do something if he was closer, and the decline of Asmund''s health finally caused him, but Tyr could not shake off a weird feeling he got before beheading Asmund as the king had whispered something.

    "This is a war, and you have just left yourself wide open," Tyr warned; Signy tried to unleash his arrows on Tyr, but Tyr was a much smaller target than Sven and much faster to boot.

    The arrows missed their marks, with Signy not in a stable emotional state either.

    "A king that loses his cool just because his father died? Do you think your warriors have not lost more in this war, yet they fight? I will kill anyone in my king''s way, for you have killed fathers too!" Tyr shouted. He wanted to give Signy a reality check because Signy was losing his head.

    "Mourn your father, retreat and surrender Vestfold, or you will join him!" Tyr warned. He hoped he would get through to Signy because Tyr was unaware that Asmund would stop being king the moment he was in the enemy''s hands, or he would have devised a different strategy, but something told him that Askild did. Askild had no intention of following his n to begin with.

    Signy looked at Tyr, and he could not believe the audacity of this child after killing his father.

    The other warriors around noticed this as well, including those currently engaged in a fight.

    This affected the morale of Vestfold negatively but had the opposite effect on Kattegat.

    Bjorn looked especially disgusted by how his brother had killed Asmund; it was a backstabbing attack devoid of any honor whatsoever. Hagen had bought him breathing space, and there was no way he would miss his brother leaping from above as he knew his position prior.

    "You just showed me that barbarians do not deserve my mercy¡­." Signy said, firing an arrow that dug into Sven''s unconscious body, killing him instantly as he regained hisposure.

    "The only thing you brutes understand is blood¡­ I understand now." Signy said. His eyes had turned cold, and Tyr knew words were pointless at this point.

    Tyr moved to end the war, closing the gap between them both, and was within striking distance of Signy. He was about to deliver a fatal blow but met resistance from another metallic object; this was the sword of a man he was yet to meet.

    It was the sword of Jan, the Earl of Vingulmark.

    "Hello, children¡­"

 Chapter 123 From Bad To Worse

    ?Jan had made his appearance something that no one had anticipated, not even Birger himself, as this shattered the illusion of Vingulmark taking a neutral role.

    "Who are you!?" Tyr questioned. He knew with one look that Jan was a man he could not beat, and this suspicion was confirmed by how he was repelled.

    The strength of Jan sent Tyr tumbling a couple of meters away, smashing into the dead body of Sven.

    "Wow, this ce has gone to shit¡­." Jan said, looking around and behind him. An army was there, and this sealed the fate of Askild and his men.

    Even the men he had given to fight under Askild switched allegiance back to Jan when he made his presence known. They were surrounded and rounded up in a circle.

    The fighting momentarily stopped, and they were on the brink of defeat. Even Ragnar could not deliver the finishing blow to K?re, and he slipped away into the crowd as Ragnar''s attention shifted to the more significant threat.

    "Jan, you traitor!" Skarde barked, but Jan was confused by everyone''s surprise.

    "Traior? I have been nothing but honest. You hurt my feelings¡­." Jan was being dramatic; he did not care about the titles theybeled him under because he did say he was ying both sides.

    Jan looked at the body of Asmund, and he could not help but smile, but this was a smile that Signy never saw.

    "King Signy, you have the assistance of Vingulmark," Jan said. Signy was suspicious of Jan, but he hade through and even saved his life, but something told Signy that he had been watching them.

    His arrival was too convenient, but it did not matter because now he owed him his life, a debt he knew he had to pay back one way or another.

    Bjorn was beside Asger, who contributed vastly to the overall battle, but there was only so much he could do. Bjorn was beside him as even Tyr found himself in this encirclement.

    "Jan, so you were the traitor," Askild said. He did not look frightened, but he was sure that this battle was lost; there was nothing more he could do.

    They managed to breach the gate, but that only meant they could not escape.

    "Yup!" Jan responded bluntly before turning his attention to Signy.

    "What shall we do with them?" Jan asked Signy. He had hoped for one answer only with this question, the fire around illuminating the area.

    "ughter them all!" Signy gave the instruction, and Jan had on the creepiest smile.

    "We should leave my king," Jan suggested. He knew there was no point in staying because the battle was won, and Signy agreed.

    But before Signy left, he dubbed Tyr a nickname that he deemed fitting because he was a remarkable warrior despite being his enemy.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, I dub you the King yer¡­." Signy said right before mounting a horse.

    He left with Jan, but Jan''s army made its way into Vestfold to make the odds even worse. They knew they had to ughter everyone; no one could escape.

    Ulf looked at his brother and closed his eyes in embarrassment, ashamed that he even considered killing him. For that to be possible, he knew he did not have the loyalty Ragnar had for him, and he just realized it.

    Birger looked rtively calm by what was happening despite the death sentence being certain.

    "Are we going to die cowering? I want to die as a warrior!" Bjorn barked, and this resonated with hisrades as they chuckled upon hearing him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He still had the fire in him, which they all seemed to have lost.

    "I expect nothing less from my rival," Tyr said, but he noticed that Bjorn did not even look him in his eyes, something that had never happened before, but he swept it under the rug as he overthought things.

    But Tyr had an idea like a switch had just been flipped in his brain.

    "The barrels!" Tyr thought; he cut off a piece of cloth from his body and wrapped it around his sword before he darted his head frantically to check for an enormous Viking.

    Skarde was the person that caught his eyes as the enemies slowly closed on.

    Ulf noticed his strange behavior, he never liked Tyr, and he was even more surprised that he had survived this long when the likes of Oskar and more prominent warriors had fallen.

    "What is that little bastard nning?" Ulf asked himself, but he noticed that Bjorn was making a name for himself in this war, the only son of Ragnar he recognized as a son of Ragnar.

    Tyr dashed in the direction of Skarde; Skarde noticed himing and raised a brow because what the hell was he nning to do?

    "H-Hey! Have you lost your mind!?" Skarde questioned, but Tyr shouted.

    "Duck and lift!" And this was precisely what Skarde did, allowing Tyr to climb his back and lift him into the air. He gained great altitude, but no one knew what he was up to, but everyone''s attention was on Tyr.

    "KILL HIM!" A voice shouted; it was Vigar''s voice because he knew precisely what Tyr was about to do, but Kattegat began theirst stand. They pushed against the encirclement and began to struggle against the enemies.

    This effectively divided the enemies'' attention, but Tyr began to step on their heads and shoulders, leaping from one person to the other, but this was not done with ease as they were attacking him.

    Scratching and bruising him, but none could attack carelessly, or they risked injuring the person he was stepping on, and the archers could not either.

    "He is running? THAT FUCKING COWARD!" A Viking from Kattegat shouted.

    "Hey¡­" Bjorn called out, forcing the Viking that had just spoken to look at him.

    "Talk ill about my brother again, and I will fucking kill you." Bjorn threatened, the look in his eyes; this boy was not joking. He might not possess the strength, but the look in his eyes felt like, at that moment, he could kill anyone in his path.

    Everyone watched Tyr hop on individuals like they were his stepping stone. They were cramped together; this was part of their formation and why Tyr could do this.

    "I am almost there!" Tyr motivated himself as he was within range of the fire.

    "Hey, kid! Watch out!" Skarde shouted, but it was toote, an arrow found its way right into Tyr''s chest, and he fell into the sea of enemies.

    Skarde hated he could not do anything, but what the hell was he thinking in the first ce?

    Ragnar and Bjorn were so focused on the enemies before them that they missed this pivotal moment.

    But as of this moment, it was a safe guess to say that Tyr was dead¡­ Again.

 Chapter 124 The Big Boom!

    ?"You are king now, Signy. What do you wish to do with Kattegat?" Jan questioned Signy, and he was curious as to the kind of King Signy wished to be.

    This would determine if he would ally with or dispose of him; Signy was secluded from his army, so it would be easy for Jan to carry out.

    He had his hand on the hilt of his sword for this very reason, Jan wanted what would benefit his kingdom, and there was no way he would let things go if Signy threatened his way of life.

    "Kattegat wille for revenge, and another war will happen, but in the end, you need power for vengeance," Signy said, and Jan waited for him tond his point as he kept quiet.

    "I do not wish to conquer Kattegat, and I wish to burn it to the ground and upy its territory," Signy said. This was a delightful response, and Jan showed his approval with a broad smile.

    "I like you already, king Signy!" Jan praised the young King but was not nearly done with the conversation.

    "Say¡­ Vingulmark, I do not wish to be Earl anymore. I wish to be King." Jan said. This meant that Signy would relinquish any control of Vingulmark, giving Jan full authority.

    "What do you mean, King?" Signy asked, his tone indifferent. This war had changed him, but Jan knew he was still a kid in the end, and like every kid, he should be susceptible to maniption.

    "I want Vingulmark to be mine, independent of Vestfold." Jan presented his proposal artictely.

    The war was not even over, and Signy had not been King for up to 24 hours, yet Jan was already asking for the independence of Vingulmark.

    "Earl Jan, why did you not ask this of my father?" Signy questioned, and Jan bit his tongue because he knew he had to think of his answer to sway Signy carefully.

    "I know of your betrayal. You helped Kattegat, and your assistance resulted in the death of good men. There is no forgiveness for that." Signy blurted out. He was not biting the bait that Jan dangled in front of him.

    "Hahaha! I am ying the game of politics! A game you, too, will soon y!" Jan teased, but Signy wondered where they were going.

    "Where are we going?" The new King of Vestfold asked, but Jan maintained his silence.

    Signy did not want to push things further. He might be King, but he owed Jan a debt.

    A debt he now had an idea of how to pay back. In front of him was a small camp.

    A camp he did not know about, implying that Jan had been in Vestfold for a while, but with their attention focused on Kattegat, they missed something right under their noses.

    "How long have you been here?" Signy asked, and Jan chuckled right before saying.

    "A week, but who can remember¡­." Jan said, unmounting his horse to grab an item wrapped in clothes.

    "Let''s head back¡­." Jan said, prompting Signy to question just what he came to take.

    "Why did you bring me here?" Signy asked, and Jan looked him right in the eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Well, that is an easy question. I was going to kill you, King Signy, but I have changed my mind," Jan said bluntly, and Signy was shocked by how bold he was.

    "Did you just admit to treason?" Signy asked Jan, taking a defensive pose on his horse.

    "Hahaha! Rx, do you think you inherited the strength of your father alongside his crown? You are still just a boy. If I wanted you dead, you would be dead, my King." Jan warned him because, for some reason, Signy thought he could defeat him, and he was giving him a reality check because this was far from the case.

    Signy kept his mouth shut; he understood his situation as he was still a child that knew nothing of being King. If Jan wanted to kill him, he could do nothing about it.

    -

    "F-Fuck!" Tyr cussed out; the arrow had narrowly missed him and only grazed him under his armpit, but he had managed to aplish his task.

    "I-I did it!'' He muttered to himself, watching the cloth burn, but he had more significant problems right now as he felt the hateful gaze of the enemies around him.

    He was already exhausted and knew there was no way he could win, but he also gambled on this move because they had nothing to lose.

    Death was certain either way, but Tyr could not win this fight. He did not n to win it.

    "What was your n, you little shit! You killed Asmund! We should make you suffer!" A man barked at Tyr, and Tyr stuck out his tongue to mock, but this only resulted in him being hit.

    The blow was exaggerated as Tyr used this opportunity to get a clear view of the barrels; the fire was still in its genesis. The material he had wrapped burned slowly due to theposition of the material.

    "We are going to take our time with you, Kingyer!" The same man threatened him but this was good news because it meant they would not kill him immediately.

    This gave him a little more time because he did not know what would happen if he did this, but he knew whatever it was, it would give them a fighting chance.

    Vigar was scared of the barrels for a reason; it was not a coincidence that Vigar specifically deemed him a threat in this situation, seeing as their death was all but secured.

    "Kingyer? I did not know Kings were so weak." Tyr retorted, and he was struck once more. This time he used the momentum of the force to run forward, and the conditions for his next move were met.

    Tyr had only one shot at this, and he threw the sword in the direction of the barrels; a bow and arrow would have been the ideal choice of weapon, but he had to use what he had.

    Tyr crossed his fingers as he was face down on the ground; he had tumbled after throwing the ming sword. An action that seemed inconsequential.

    It made contact, and the mes soon went out.

    "H-Hah! It went off! The fucking mes went of-!" Vigar was interrupted as a powerful explosion tore through the battlefield, ripping through the ground and above it as they had buried barrels beneath the environment.

    The explosion consumed everything and everyone in its path; it did not discriminate.

 Chapter 125 The Danger That Sleeps

    ?Ulrik was distraught as he had just lost the most important person to him right after getting her; this left an emptiness in his heart that could not be described.

    He could do nothing as he returned home; he recalled something Lagertha had told him. If whoever took Garda was after him, there would be demands, and for that to happen, they would have to contact Ulrik.

    Ulrik med himself; naturally, he thought about what would have happened if he had stayed home. He could still smell her in his home, her scent was prominent, and this made him realize how this stranger had be so important in his life.

    Ulrik was not about to lose her and ordered Kattegat to be on lockdown. This was a strange decision considering Garda was no one important; her only importance was being his wife.

    Liv allowed him to act as a de facto King despite her holding the real power, but she knew it was best if she let Vikings handle Viking problems.

    She knew Askild killed her brother, but she was a girl that believed in people having redeemable features, and she did not give up on Askild.

    Eventually, she fell in love with him when he showed her his vulnerable side and despite him being known as a man that ruled with fear, he never once put his hands on Liv nor has he ever been violent towards her.

    Liv visited Ulrik''s house that night, not because of his missing woman but because of his order to lockdown Kattegat without her approval. She understood his anger, but a kingdom should not be ruled by emotion, and he was no King.

    Ulrik weed her in his home, he had no choice and Liv came alone despite her high-ranking status in Kattegat because no one dared touch her as they understood not only was her father an influential man but her husband was the King of Kattegat.

    "Greetings, mydy," Ulrik greeted with a bow, but Liv tapped him on the shoulder before making her way into his home.

    "You do not need to bow your head to me, Ulrik," Liv said, making herselffortable as she sat on a chair tucked into a table.

    "I apologize for my tardiness! I was not expecting you." Ulrik quickly began putting things away, but Liv did not mind.

    "You know why I am here, don''t you, Ulrik?" Liv questioned in a motherly tone, to which Ulrik nodded, sitting down as he was mentally prepared for a conversation.

    "Why did you decide without my knowledge?" Liv got straight to the point, and Ulrik could feel his shoulders tense.

    Liv had always been understanding, but doing this directly undermined her authority, something she knew her father would not take lightly.

    Ulrik could do nothing but apologize. He did notice something strange; it felt like Liv was looking over her shoulder for some reason, and she was ufortable.

    "Are you alright?" Ulrik asked. Liv looked at him, but her eyes softened.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am sorry, Ulrik¡­." Liv apologized and just then, two hefty men barged into his home.

    These were men he had never seen before, but they had on the crest of the Vilfulf, and he immediately knew that this was not a casual visit. Still, they were others making their way into Ulrik''s home, and this was Liv''s father, one of the most powerful men in Kattegat.

    He walked with a golden cane to support his fragile body, his height was nothing to write home about, but there was something that could not be mimicked, and that was the sheer feeling of supremacy Ulrik felt beneath him with just a nce.

    "We have not met, but I think you already know who I am. You must excuse me but I have to put a stop to this act of treason." The older man said. He was well in his fifties, with his silky white hair swaying as he abruptly stopped.

    "Treason? What are you talking about?" Ulrik asked; he was confused and did not understand what was going on, to begin with. All he did was execute an order for Kattegat to be locked down because someone had been taken. There was no need for such a drasticbel to be stered on his name because he knew the implication of treason.

    "Hahaha! There must be some mistake¡­." Ulrik tried to downy the allegations, but the two men with Fredrik Vilfulf drew their swords.

    Ulrik shot Liv a helpless nce because she had the power.

    Her father could not decide independently, but Liv was ady her father loomed over; she did everything to please her father, as his approval was like oxygen.

    Despite finding the redeeming qualities in Askild, she would never have married the man that killed her brother without her father''s push.

    Ulrik realized he could do nothing the moment Liv avoided his gaze.

    At that moment, it briefly crossed his mind to resist, but he knew it would look bad if he were going to appeal this.

    "T-There is no need for violence. I wille along willingly¡­'' Ulrik raised his hands to show his surrender, but he had every right to know why he was being taken.

    "Can I ask why I am being taken?" Ulrik asked, walking forward with his hands still held up.

    "Ulrik, you tried to take control of Kattegat¡­." Liv said as she shed her father a nce, and he gave her the go-ahead nod.

    "You decided, without my knowledge, one that put the whole city of Kattegat at stake, and you will now be taken in for questioning and tried based on the result of the questioning." Liv finalized her dialogue, and Ulrik knew all this was a big misunderstanding, but heplied as he had no reason to. He maintained his silence as he was taken away, but in the distance, a cloaked figure smirked upon this revtion, muttering under their breath in a raspy voice.

    "It is time..."

 Chapter 126 Winners And Losers

    ?Boom! The explosion destroyed and consumed everyone in its path, and the warriors present were all affected. It killed every one of Jan''s forces he had brought inside the walls due to their proximity, littering body parts everywhere.

    The screams of the injured echoed, but they soon subsided as they took theirst breath.

    Tyr was in a position of advantage as he was one of the few people lying down and not within the immediate proximity of the barrels, but he was dazed despite the shockwave passing above him. He could not believe what he had just seen, and now he understood why Vigar was so tense.

    "T-These crazy bastards! They wanted to blow us all up!?" Tyr eximed silently, struggling back to get up; he noticed he had a nosebleed, and his head felt heavy.

    "What the hell have I done?" Tyr thought, looking at the mayhem that ensued from his rash decision. He only cared about two people right now, his father and brother.

    Everyone else could eat shit; Tyr noticed he was the only one standing, multiple structures were aze, and his darting eyes tried to find Vigar but to no avail.

    This was no surprise considering the state most of these corpses were in, but further, out from the explosion, the bodies maintained their shape, showing that the effects got weaker as they spread out.

    "B-Bjo-!" Tyr tried to call out to his brother, but his lungs felt heavy; it was difficult to breathe more, so talking as he regurgitated blood. He had taken some internal damage, but he was lucky this was all his damage.

    Clutching his stomach, he saw people screaming and crying as their limbs were missing. Some tried so hard to keep their internal organs from spilling out that the warriors of Kattegat died.

    The warriors were stationed or instead engaged with the enemies closer to the barrels. Still, luckily, the majority of the others were out of range of the brute of the explosion, but there was no telling what damage they had been inflicted with because Tyr, despite being the furthest and face down, still took this much damage, talk more of those that were on their feet.

    He looked around and saw Birger, he was on his feet already, but his helmet was cracked. He had somehow managed to escape the explosion.

    Birger was not looking for anyone but instead went around and began stabbing them to death; for some reason, his helmet had reduced the concussive force, but he was not unscathed as his movements were sluggish.

    Tyr was anxious, and he kept up his search, but someone grabbed his ankles; he looked down and saw it was the man that was hitting him previously.

    "I-I will kill you, kingyer¡­." He muttered, barely conscious. Tyr was ovee with rage as he began stomping on the face of the man uncontrobly until the man''s skull caved in.

    Tyr caught sight of his father and brother, but he also noticed that people were regaining themselves; this meant he would not have as much freedom to move on as he would have liked.

    Tyr was in no fighting condition, and he knew that this was the best situation they could ask for as he dragged his feet and continued his journey to his father and brother.<novelnext></novelnext>

    If he could confirm they were alive, this uneasy feeling would leave him as the constant thought that he was responsible for their possible death yed through his head.

    But the closer he got, the further he felt. His vision was blurry, and he could not see straight for his life as others had started getting to their feet, they were a few as the majority had died or remained unconscious during the explosion.

    The burning structure generated dark smoke, it was not as dense as the smoke from the burning forest, but Tyr knew if they inhaled too much of it while unconscious, then the chance of them dying could be high, but this might also be him not thinking straight. He had to wake them up, and he was surprised that Birger did not show any emotional response to his brother''s death.

    He might have hated him, but in the end, it was his brother, and he thought he and Bjorn could grow that far apart or somewhat entertained the thought.

    Tyr stumbled to the ground; his body could not handle the mental strain it was put under, he was just a child after all, but he already showed a high IQ in his deduction and strategic skills.

    "I-I cannot stay awake¡­." Tyr muttered, falling face-first into the ground, but he was not giving up. Crawling his way forward, but his head hit an obstacle.

    He looked up but could not see the person standing above him, but he heard these words.

    "Hey, little Berserker," Tyr was banged up so badly that he could not even discern whose voice it was, but only one person had called him this and that was Erik The Berserker.

    Unlike the injured enemies, Erik''s injuries were gotten from another battle, and his abnormal constitution allowed him to regain consciousness quickly.

    Erik began to ughter the enemies indiscriminately, ughtering both the conscious and unconscious. Birger noticed that Erik was still alive, but he noted he was not in the best condition. In this condition, Erik was still often superior to the average warriors.

    Birger noticed that Aksel, Vigar and K?re were nowhere to be seen. He was looking for these three people because he knew the importance of killing them.

    The sound of a gate being raised was heard, and he darted his head in that direction.

    Birger did not remember a second gate in Vestfold, meaning it was a new invention.

    He saw three men on horseback that he presumed to be his targets and multiple other warriors running behind them as they fled, but this meant one thing and one thing only.

    Vestfold had fallen to Kattegat.

 Chapter 127 Aftermath

    ?Jan and Signy, from afar, saw the explosion and immediately halted in their tracks.

    Signy looked in horror because he did not know what had happened, shing Jan a re.

    "Rx, King Signy, I knew nothing of this, but I am d we were not there when that happened." Jan expressed relief that he was not caught in Vestfold''s chaos.

    "We need to go there!" Signymanded, and Jan had no problemsplying with Signy as he had proven himself to be theplete opposite of his father.

    A weed change in leadership as Vestfold had been too passive despite their influence over the smaller kingdoms.

    Signy was worried about what would happen to his people because if the explosion were that big, most of the people he had gathered there would die.

    This would not only prove detrimental to Vestfold, but he would not be able to rebuild his army in time if things went south.

    "I hope you guys are okay¡­." Signy muttered under his breath, something Jan noticed and frowned upon as they increased their speed.

    -

    The forces of Kattegat were slowly regaining consciousness, surprised to see no more enemies in sight, but this was because the ones that could walk had retreated, and the ones that remained were dealt with by Erik and Birger.

    Birger was disappointed with Ulf, disappointed that he could not take his brother''s life, but he understood that the opportunity was not as clear-cut as he had wanted.

    He looked at Erik, his body full of injuries, yet he was still in fighting shape; this man had to be studied because strength alone could not be achieved.

    It took an equally firm resolve to make your body move in that state, so what was the driving force for Erik? It felt like each time he got closer to death, the stronger he became.

    This is a prime example of learning from your mistake, but this time it was Erik''s body learning from that mistake as he involuntarily adapted to his enemies'' fighting styles.

    King Askild woke up, he was injured and bleeding, but the good news was that he did not die.

    "W-What happened?" Askild was dizzy and still trying toprehend what was happening because thest thing he could remember was a ming sword being thrown through the air.

    "Tyr¡­" Askild muttered, and just then, Ragnar regained consciousness as he held his head. He felt excruciating pain ring throughout his body. Asger soon regained consciousness but fell asleep right after as his body''s fatigue kicked in; this peace of mind came with a victory that allowed the body to let itself go.

    Bjorny beside him, and Ragnar tapped him gently to wake him up.

    "Wake up, Bjorn¡­" Ragnar kept tapping him, but he was not moving. Ragnar thought it was because of the recoil of the explosion. It did cause so much damage to an adult he could not imagine the damage it had done to Bjorn. Bjorn was not the only one, as Skarde was also motionless, but they were not the only ones.

    Ragnar had an intrusive thought, cing his hand below Bjorn''s nose, and his worst fear came to pass. Bjorn was not breathing!

    -

    "Where am I? Where is this ce?" Tyr questioned. He was a lot younger in this illusionary world, he had lost consciousness in the real world, and it felt like Tyr was in a lucid dream because he retained his current memories and could recollect what had just happened.

    In this dream, Tyr was no more than nine years old and in a strange hut; it was not a house or a tent. That was a weird transition from what he was used to.

    "He is awake!" A young girl called out; she had the same skin color as him.

    "Wait!" Tyr called out, chasing after her as she ran out of the hut, but he found himself in the middle of a battlefield, and the scale of this battle was on a scale he could not even conceive.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He was scared; his legs were trembling, and his anxiety spiked through the roof.

    He looked back, trying to return to the hut, but the shed had vanished.

    Instead, his eyes settled on a warrior covered in markings from head to toe.

    Tyr could not see whoever this was, for his face was concealed by a strange light, but he too had the same skin color as him; they were all dark-skinned.

    "Who are you?" Tyr asked, and a voice echoed in his head.

    "Your enemies were put in this world for you to trample. Only after you die can you be reborn¡­" The voice reverberated in his head, and Tyr found himself drowning the next thing.

    He was gasping for air, but regardless of how he fought, he went deeper and deeper.

    "Let the water in¡­." The voice said again, and Tyr lost his strength in the process.

    Tyr allowed the water in and closed his eyes to ept his fate. He let his life sh before his eyes, including Asmund''s final words to him.

    "Do not be afraid, warrior, take my head," Asmund had said, but Tyr found that he was being drawn to a voice, a single name being called that brought him back.

    "BJORN!" This was the voice of Ragnar, jolting Tyr back to reality.

    Tyr continued crawling; he noticed that warriors were patting themselves on the back, and this was a good thing as it confirmed that they had won the battle.

    Ulf was standing above Bjorn, beating his chest to get his heart beating, but he was not responding.

    "Wake up, Bjorn!" Ulf shouted; this was a personal moment as no one else looked to be saddened by his passing, but a miracle happened.

    Bjorn returned to life; they had gotten his heart beating again, internal damages did not cause his temporary death, or he would not have been revived.

    It was from the smoke, he had suffocated, and Ulf knew he had to get his heart pumping again.

    Ragnar, for the first time in battle, showed emotion as he let out joyful tears upon realizing that he had not lost his son, and Ulf had a satisfied look on his face.

    But that look soon changed to disgust the moment he saw Tyr, he was infuriated with his outrageous action, and he was going to let him know.

    Ulf charged at the child, picking him up by the cor and lifting him off the ground.

    "What the fuck was that!?" Ulf barked. Tyr did not even struggle.

    Ragnar was too busy processing that Bjorn was alive, embracing him with his back faced to Tyr; it was understandable considering the circumstances.

    "Put him down right now, Ulf¡­." A voice said behind them, Tyr expected his father or brother to stand up for him, but the man that did was Erik. Tyr saw Bjorn was looking right at him when this happened, but the look in Bjorn''s eyes was the same look he had seen others give Erik.

    Bjorn, in that brief moment, feared Tyr.

 Chapter 128 Rift Between Brothers

    ?"King Signy, are you sure it is wise to go there?" Jan was right to question because this was based solely on emotion; there was no other reason for them to return, considering what they had just seen.

    The retreating forces soon intercepted them, and Vigar called out to King Signy as he was the only one with the mental faculty to speak as the others were still reeling from the side effects of the explosion, even the foot solders could barely walk but they had to seeing that the alternative was death.

    They halted in their tracks as the interaction began; the darkness around them felt like an empty void. They went from a sure victory to losing over 80% of their forces alongside Vestfold.

    Vigar narrated what happened, and Signy was speechless; he did not know what to do because this put a dent in his resume as King; he had lost Vestfold.

    "Hahaha! You win some, and you lose some." Jan yed it off; losing Vestfold did nothing for him because he knew that it was not only their forces that would bear these losses.

    But he knew King Askild would deem him an enemy and eventuallye for him when he rebuilt his strength.

    "We should head back to Vingulmark. I think that is where you are the safest. I hate to say it, but the n of your little henchmen backfired." Jan said. He was surprised that they would even attempt such a thing, but how could they create explosions that big?

    If such a thing could be done, he needed to learn how.

    "Y-You bastard, you helped Kattegat!" Aksel managed to speak; each word felt like his throat would copse.

    "Did I? You only got this far because of my information before someone thought it was a good idea to go suicide¡­." Jan mocked, looking right at Vigar.

    This was his fault; he wanted to do something so extreme; he tried to blow them up because the possibility that they would lose existed.

    He would instead blow them to smithereens than let them have Vestfold, but not only did they lose Vestfold, but he had his men blown up by Tyr.

    "I hate to say it, but they got us¡­." Jan had a satisfied smile as he said this.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" Signy whispered to himself.

    "What was that?" Jan questioned; he was the only one that barely used any honorifics when addressing Signy because right now, Signy was no King.

    A king without a kingdom is no king, and Jan realized that Vestfold falling was the best thing to happen for Vingulmark.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, I need to know just who he is¡­." Signy was more straightforward this time.

    "We won''t find anything right now. Let''s go." Jan led, turning his horse around, but he noticed Signy talking to his men in low tones before turning around to follow Jan.

    His men did not, they went in apletely different direction, but Jan thought nothing of this. And with this came the conclusion of a brutally fought war.<novelnext></novelnext>

    -

    Ulf was on the verge of a confrontation with Erik, but he knew the kind of man Erik was because Tyr was under hismand, so he had every right to butt in.

    "Stay out of this, Erik!" Ulf barked. Erik and Ulf got along, but at this moment, they disagreed.

    "That is enough, you two." The unmistakable voice of King Askild echoed, prompting Ulf to drop Tyr the moment he heard this as Askild walked up to the child.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson. I, King Askild, recognize you as a warrior. Tyr is the reason Vestfold fell; all this was his doing," King Askild praised the son of Ragnar, and everyone was stunned because this was the first time Askild had given another recognition and respect in the manner that he did Tyr.

    Ulf hated this but was not the only one; murmurs could be heard, and hateful res shot at him. At that moment, Tyr realized that everyone was okay with his existence as long as he was not a threat to them in terms of influence because, in the end, he was nothing but an outsider. The burning structures had calmed down, and luckily they did not burn other facilities.

    "We won this war because of Tyr Ragnarsson! Why are you all so solemn!!" A random warrior said hesitantly, and the murmurs momentarily stopped.

    "We also lost these many men because of Tyr!" Another fired back; Tyr hung his head in shame because he knew that the only reason they were dead was because of him.

    They were turning against him; Erik did not interfere as he liked what he was seeing.

    Erik knew that everyone needed a push to break, and he was curious to see this little Berserker''s breaking point.

    On the other hand, Hagen would not let them drive him into despair.

    Hagen made his move, but before he couldplete it, Bjorn had already forced himself to his feet, and it was apparent that every second on his feet was excruciating.

    "B-Bjorn?" Ragnar muttered, Ragnar understood civil unrest and how certain situations had to y themselves out naturally, and this was one of them.

    He could not force them to respect or recognize Tyr. Only they could do that, but he was curious about what Bjorn wanted to do.

    Bjorn stood beside his brother, but he averted his gaze from Tyr while walking up to him.

    "You are all shameless!" Bjorn started his conversation, and the silence followed was one of disbelief.

    "You would not be alive even to hate him if he did not do what he did! You all draw breath because of Tyr Ragnarsson, not because of your strength! He is a hero! All hail Tyr Ragnarsson!" Bjorn had to remind them why they were even alive in the first ce, and before long, they were chanting the name of Tyr, but Tyr did notice one thing in Bjorn''s speech. Bjorn did not call him "brother."

 Chapter 129 A New King?

    ?The long night drenched in blood and cmity finally came to an end, and the morning sun rays weed a new day that everyone hoped would be a lot different.

    Hagen was at work, the gate had been lifted, and the repair was ongoing because there was no way they could defend Vesfold if the gate were down, and the second gate allowed them to go in and out while work on this gate continued.

    They chose to rest rather than party and celebrate as they were wary of the night, but the moment morning came, they marched to the throne room of Asmund for all to see.

    It was a statement that Vestfold had a new ruler and was not Signy. They all looked like shit, and every able man that could walk was instructed to escort Askild because there were sure to be a few leftover warriors.

    The murmurs of the citizens could be heard; they whispered and whined, the fear in their eyes visible. Erik liked the smell of fear as he noticed that Vestfold''s women had excellent waists for breeding; a perverse look crept up on the brute''s face as he knew he would have fun in this kingdom.

    Tyr walked side by side with Bjorn, but neither spoke a word to one other; the awkward silence was all they could write home about.

    Asger, who had been passive much of the fight, had fought bravely and the fact that he was still alive showed that he pulled his own weight.

    He was no fool, he noticed the rift between Bjorn and Tyr. He knew that Ragnar was also knowledgeable, but they were kids; kids always fought and made up, so this was nothing new. But Asger could not help but feel this stemmed from something more profound.

    No one in the crowd dared speak because thest thing they needed was to be used as a scapegoat for their new rulers, but the reason they were so scared was revealed, what was left of Asmund''s head after the explosion was strapped to Erik''s back.

    It took little to no time until they were in the throne room of Asmund, and Askild heaved a loud sigh because the war was finally over; they had fought for this moment for more than a month.

    There, they met an older man in his 80s, seated on one of the chairs in this room as the setup differed from the one in Kattegat.

    "You have arrived." The older man said. He looked like he was on the verge of death but this was no surprise considering his advanced age.

    "Who are you?" Askild questioned but Birger took over the conversation the moment he saw the man. He rushed forward and grabbed him by the hand.

    "You¡­ I do not know you¡­" The man said, feeling the palm of Birger, and Askild realized at this moment that he was blind.

    "Birger, I believe our alliance ends here¡­" Askild blurted out and coincidentally, his helmet cracked further, it was barely holding up but it held up just fine for now.

    "You are too hasty, don''t you think you have more important things to worry about?" Birger said, returning his attention to the older man.

    Asger was doing a tremendous job of hiding his raging anger toward the man who killed his pregnant wife.

    "This man here is known simply as Ga; he is the one that will see if you are worthy of being king, and only after he approves will the people ept you," Birger exined their current situation and the moment he touched his hand was to see if he was worthy of being king.

    "Is he a seer?" Askild asked, but Birger shook his head to put this question to rest.

    "Askild, step forward. He is calling for you¡­" Birger said despite no one hearing him say a thing.

    Askild took a step, but Birger gestured for him to stop.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Unarmed¡­" Birger stated. Asger was reluctant and suspected Birger had something sneaky nned, but Askild was alright with this as Birger himself was unarmed.

    He gave his weapon to Asger as he walked down to the strange older man.

    "Stretch out your palm," Birger instructed, to which Askildplied, and he felt the wrinkly fingers of the man caressing his palm.

    Askild thought this was nonsense, but he wanted to give it a go as he found it amusing that this man thought he could decide on a king just by reading his palm.

    "Well, are you going to give me the crown now?" This was rhetorical, and the man''s fingers stopped moving.

    "You¡­ You are no king, but among you exists a true king¡­." The older man said, and this particr phrase triggered something in Askild; these were the words of Xenophanes when he was younger, prompting him to yank his hand out of the man''s grasp.

    He was uneasy, and Birger noticed this; everyone heard what the man had said. He had just stated that a king was among them and said Askild was unworthy.

    "Do you think anyone believes your antics?" Askild asked, but he saw the looming shadow of someone standing behind him; there was only one person this big.

    "Erik, what do you think you are doing?" Askild asked, Erik was interested in hearing what the man had to say, and it was not up to Askild to make this decision because it did not matter who ruled; they were all sworn to Askild.

    "King Askild, I want to know¡­." Erik blurted out. Askild had given Erik a special privilege thanks to their special rtionship. Askild knew he had nothing to lose and allowed Erik his moment.

    One by one, everyone began stepping forward to have their palm read. It would have been a pointless ceremony if this man did not explicitly state that there was a king among them.

    It reached the turn of Tyr, but the man did something he had not done with anyone else.

    He touched Tyr''s face before revealing a toothless smile and saying.

    "You should not exist," This was as cryptic as theye; Tyr raised a brow before muttering.

    "Weiro¡­" The only person that understood what this man had just said was Ragnar.

    The man suddenly looked in Ragnar''s direction; he was blind, so there was no way he could see him; hence he perceived him some other way.

    "You¡­ Come," The elderly man called out to Ragnar, who initially had no intention of stepping forward before, but the man had explicitly called him forth.

    He read the palm of Ragnar, and a calming smile creased his already wrinkled face.

    "You... You are the one.." The older man said, and everyone had a surprised look stered across their faces, everyone but Askild.

 Chapter 130 The Fate Of Ulrik?

    ?The news of Ulrik''s arrest became news in Kattegat, and the lockdown lifted; everyone was surprised because Liv had always been passive in this type of matter, so this shocked both Lagertha and Herfj?tur.

    Naturally, they requested an audience with Liv, but she rejected it. Something was not sitting right with them, but they faulted Ulrik for his emotional approach to the situation.

    Where was Karl? He was Ulrik''s right-hand man yet could not advise him against such a foolish decision making them question his usefulness.

    Since Liv rejected their offer, they turned their attention to Karl, meeting him in a tavern.

    Karl was concerned but knew everything would clear once Ulrik exined himself.

    Pushing for his release would only worsen the situation as they may be tried as co-conspirators, leaving no one on the outside to see what is happening.

    "Wee, Lagertha and Herfj?tur; please do sit," Karl started the conversation, showing his chivalry as an older man who knew how to speak todies.

    "I think you know why we are here, so let''s get straight to it," Herfj?tur responded. She had no time to waste because she felt uneasy with Ulrik gone.

    "I know you are both thinking it, but whoever did that knew Ulrik would react that same way¡­ It was no coincidence that Garda went missing." Karl got right down to business, tossing his theory out there.

    "Garda''s abduction was nned; whoever did this has been studying Ulrik¡­." Karl concluded, but Lagertha''a gaze was suspicious.

    She knew the only person that could get close enough to get this done was Karl. Right now, Karl looked like the prime suspect because he was the only one that knew Ulrik that well.

    "You can say it, Lagertha¡­." Karl knew they suspected him; it was written all over their faces.

    "Are you the one responsible for this?" Herfj?tur butted in, taking over the conversation.

    "What do I have to profit from Ulrik getting taken?" Karl asked, and bothdies went quiet. He was right; he had nothing to gain, and this only disadvantaged him.

    "I wish everything could be in ck and white, but Ulrik made a decision he did not even pass through me," Karl said. Despite being his right hand, his role was limited because, when you think about it, Ulrik has always been an emotional person, which was another prime example of that. Whoever did this manipted him perfectly.

    "What do you think is going to happen to Ulrik?" Lagertha asked; she was worried because she knew he would be used as a scapegoat by Fredrik, who was using his daughter to carry out his will.

    "I believe Ulrik will be sentenced to death; treason is punishable by death," Karl said bluntly, kicking back.

    Considering his bond with Ulrik, he looked rtively calm, which was strange.

    "D-Death? That is a bit too extreme¡­." Lagertha muttered, but Herfj?tur was not surprised.

    This was nowhere to discuss something of this caliber, but this was also the least suspicious ce.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Karl did not rule out the possibility of being watched, even as they spoke.

    "There is nothing we can do, but I believe Fredrik will give him a choice; Ulrik has the choice for a trial bybat, and there is no one stronger than him in Kattegat, right," Karl said; bothdies shot each other a nce because he did not include them in this calction of his, but thedies allowed him to have his moment.

    "Oi Karl!" A feminine voice called out, and Karl immediately flushed red, something his guests had taken note of. They were curious to see who was making him blush and jerked their heads in the direction of the voice.

    They saw something they did not expect, and thisdy was huge but not in height, but in width; she was definitely in her mid-thirties with a very curvy figure.

    Herfj?tur immediately turned her head the other way, an action that did not go unnoticed by Lagertha because her eyes were focused on her lips; they looked mesmerizing.

    "Is that who I think it is?" Thedy called out, looking right at Herfj?tur.

    "Fuck!" Cussed Herfj?tur under her breath; she quickly smiled and looked toward thedy that called out. Karl looked equally as surprised as Lagertha because Herfj?tur was someone people hardly knew on such a level.

    "I knew it was you! I can never forget the behind of a beautiful woman!" Thedy joked, and Lagertha could not believe what she was seeing; Herfj?tur looked nervous and avoided looking the woman in the eyes.

    "H-Hi Bergdis¡­" Herfj?tur greeted her, but before she could speak further, Bergdis embraced her.

    "I cannot believe you are back in Kattegat; I am just getting shbacks cuddled up like this!" Bergdis said; Karl and Lagertha immediately knew what she meant.

    Thisdy was one of her past sexual partners, Herfj?tur is a very sexual individual and was not in amitted rtionship, but she picked her partners very carefully.

    "We are in public¡­." Herfj?tur muttered because they were drawing stares from people around them.

    "How about we take it somewhere more¡­" Bergdis said, pausing briefly as she leaned in.

    "... Private¡­" This sent a cold breeze down the spine of Herfj?tur, and the nostalgia that followed made her weak in the knees.

    Karl was shocked; he did not know what to make of this because he did not realize that Bergdis swung that way or even Herfj?tur. They had discussed and established that Ulrik would be fine, but Karl could not help but think that whoever was responsible for this.

    Their objective was not to kill Ulrik; it was to momentarily take him out of the picture as the attack they had stopped suddenly was when Ulrik appeared, so what would happen now that he is under investigation?

    Karl knew the men under Ulrik would be under watch as well, as they had lost Kattegat''s trust until the investigation was cleared up; this, unfortunately, meant that their weapons were ceased.

    But before he could process it, Herfj?tur was dragged into a cabin by Bergdis despite Bergdis being the one that called out to him earlier.

    "Women¡­" Karl muttered, forgetting that Lagertha was there.

 Chapter 131 Herfj?turs Sexual Encounter [R18+]

    ?Herfj?tur was taken to a room without resistance; despite being much bigger than the woman, she could not help butply.

    Herfj?tur was flushed, she knew what was about to happen, but she had lost all control.

    Something was alluring about Bergdis, something that made her brain stop working when she was around her. Despite Herfj?tur being a dominant female both on the battlefield and in the bedroom, she found herself submitting as Bergdis descended from Asgard.

    "You are so stiff, Herfj?tur¡­." Bergdis muttered, and Herfj?tur smiled.

    "I am just a bit nervous. Thest person I was with was Skarde¡­." Herfj?tur said, sitting on the neatlyid bed, the room''s scent was rxing, but she could not discern what it was.

    "Skarde is off fighting a war; you must be lonely¡­." Bergdis responded, sitting beside Herfj?tur; Herfj?tur could feel her hot breath brushing against her skin.

    Bergdis had a body to die for; she was what one would call "th" in the modern day.

    "... Very lonely¡­" Bergdis continued, and Herfj?tur felt her hand on her thighs.

    She gulped in anticipation because she knew how good Bergdis was with her hands.

    "You want it, don''t you?" Bergdis asked, waiting for Herfj?tur to give her consent.

    "Say it¡­" Bergdis''s tone was gentle, her hand moving higher and higher with every second dy.

    "I want it¡­." Herfj?tur gave in, and the moment she did, Bergdis stopped and took off her hand from her thigh with a devious smirk.

    "Beg for it¡­." Bergdis whispered; there was something about watching a Viking of her status beg for something she could get anywhere else, yet here she was, begging for it.

    "C''mon Bergdis, I am already a wet mess!" Herfj?tur called out in frustration, she got wet so fast, and that only showed how much she hadcked physical touch since Skarde went to fight a war. Bergdisughed because Herfj?tur had loosened up from her nervous state.

    Bergdis returned to caressing her thighs, soliciting soft moans from the lips of the bulky Viking.

    And there it was, her fingers slipped right into Herfj?tur; she was tight despite her size.

    Bergdis'' fingers danced inside her, and Herfj?tur did not even try to hold in her moans.

    It felt like a symphony; she hit notes that singers would envy.

    "You are getting too excited¡­." Bergdis said, but the truth was Herfj?tur''s moans got her excited as well; she was soaking wet.

    "I have a surprise for you¡­." Bergdis muttered, removing her fingers from Herfj?tur, and for her to stop mid-way, the surprise had to be good.

    "Come in¡­" Bergdismanded, and someone entered the room; he was stark naked as Bergdis gestured for him to step forward, and the man timidlyplied.

    He was a young man no less than twenty-four with a face that only a mother could love, but he had one of the most enormous dicks that Herfj?tur had seen.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "He is magnificent, is he not?" Bergdis whispered in Herfj?tur, taking the devil''s ce on her shoulder. Herfj?tur only had thoughts of what it would be like inside of her.

    The man was shy and did not know what to do; he had to bemanded and guided, and that was where Herfj?tur came in. Bergdis wanted to watch her.

    "Go on, Herfj?tur; he is all yours¡­." Bergdis encouraged her; Bergdis was now positioned behind her, nting gent;e kisses on her neck.

    Bergdis'' hands were not idle; she grabbed Herfj?tur''s breasts, sneaking her hands into her clothing before ripping it open to reveal them bare.

    The man could not believe such a body was on a muscr woman.

    "Oh, it looks like he likes what he sees, Herfj?tur," Bergdis whispered in her ear regarding the erection before them. He was not only a shower but a grower as well.

    Before Herfj?tur knew it, her hands were around his dick, stroking it slowly and delicately.

    "That''s right, Herfj?tur. Can you feel it throb in your hands?" Bergdis whispered, nibbling on her earlobe.

    They listened to him whimper as he thrust his hips back and forth within her hands.

    There was something about his dick; it was slippery, meaning he had applied some ointment beforeing in; he kept thrusting back and forth helplessly until Herfj?tur gripped his dick firmly, sending a jolt of pain through his spine.

    "Who said you could pleasure yourself?" Herfj?tur said; she had a mad look on her face.

    "That''s it, tell him what to do¡­." Bergdis said, slipping her fingers into herself as she watched Herfj?tur have her way with her "man-toy" she touched herself to the sight.

    "I-I am sorry, mistress¡­." The man pleaded, and Herfj?tur continued to stroke it, but she was more aggressive, and this aggression only brought him closer to an orgasm.

    She could tell he wanted to climax by his bodynguage, his dick responded to the intense simtion, and just before he could cum, Herfj?tur blocked his pee-hole with her thumb.

    She kept stroking his shaft so his dick would remain sensitive to stimtion and making sure the cum shot would be massive as preventing it only made sure he would erupt like a volcano. She did not allow him to cum, and the helpless look on his face gave her pussy a heartbeat.

    She could hear Bergdis moaning beside her, and she had an idea the moment she saw this.

    Herfj?tur directed his dick toward Bergdis, and like a locked barrel, she removed her finger, and an insane amount of cum drenched Bergdis.

    Bergdis was surprised as she opened her eyes to see what it was, and she smirked when she realized what Herfj?tur had done.

    The man was panting and huffing, but he was still hard as steel, not nearly satisfied with the amount he had let out. Bergdis had edged him for days prior, never letting him once finish because there was something about him when he finished.

    Once he cums, it flips a switch in him, and Herfj?tur is about to learn first-hand why Bergdis brought him in.

 Chapter 132 The Dead Back To Life? [R18+]

    ?Herfj?tur was surprised he was still as hard as a rock, but not only that, his demeanor changed the moment he let out that first shot.

    "You¡­" He muttered under his breath. Herfj?tur raised a brow because she could see his dick throbbing like crazy; he must still be sensitive, considering he just came.

    Herfj?tur yawned, but the moment she yawned, he jammed his dick right into her mouth, and the look of shock on her face conveyed her surprise perfectly.

    Bergdis giggled, this was precisely what she was waiting for, and she wanted to see how Herfj?tur responded. Herfj?tur knew they were having a moment, and he might have gotten carried away, but this was a bit sudden.

    It could barely fit in her mouth, it felt like he would dislocate her jaw, and soon it reached the back of her throat, sliding seamlessly like a well-oiled engine. Herfj?tur had to push him away so she could catch her breath. This man had no intention of pulling his dick out, and she looked him right in the eyes to see if he was the same person, an absurd action considering he did not leave her sight, but the drastic switch in personality was what made her uneasy.

    "What do you thi-!" Herfj?tur was interrupted as Bergdis had slipped something in her mouth mid-dialogue, choking her in the process, but she swallowed it all up.

    "Don''t worry, that is an aphrodisiac to get you as excited as my toy here¡­" Bergdis whispered in her ears before grabbing her hands and holding them firmly behind her back.

    This made it difficult for Herfj?tur to resist physically as this aphrodisiac also made her far more sensitive regarding being touched in her more private areas.

    Herfj?tur felt her legs being spread, she was already soaking wet and could do little to nothing to resist, and the man was much more tender.

    "That is right, surrender yourself. Let us make one more memory together¡­." Bergdis whispered in her ear, her fingers gently twisting the nipples of Herfj?tur.

    They were so hard, and the man immediately plunged his tongue into her pussy.

    Herfj?tur''s back arched; it slithered like a sea snake in her, and the odd movement made her clutch the bedsheets, almost ripping them apart.

    She was feeling it, this felt better than it needed to be, and she had what Bergdis slipped her to thank; it felt like she was experiencing a divine epiphany. She could feel herself getting closer to the big O, and with Bergdis stimting her nipples, it only heightened what she was experiencing. She grabbed him by the head and forced his tongue deeper inside her.

    He could not breathe, but she did not care much about it; all she cared about was her pleasure.

    It did not take long for her to have the messiest orgasm right in his mouth before letting go of his head simultaneously, her legs were shaking like she was having a seizure, but he did not allow her to regain herself. What she felt next was something hard making its way inside her.

    "There it is¡­." Bergdis said, leaving Herfj?tur''s side, allowing her to fall t.

    The man could not help himself, moaning as he slid more of his shaft inside Herfj?tur.

    Her inner walls mped on his tight, constricting, but the wetness made it easy for him to slide it in her.

    He felt like cumming the moment he was in her, but the man was grateful he had cummed moments ago. He slowly slid his dick out until it was just the tip in before thrusting his whole length in her aggressively.

    Herfj?tur moaned like a wild beast, and Bergdis did not want to be a bystander anymore. She got involved, stripping stark naked to reveal a body that would make any man drool.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Lie down," Bergdis instructed the man that was fucking Herfj?tur''s brains out, but he was too caught up with how good she felt; it took Bergdis grabbing him by the neck and throwing him on the bed to snap him back to reality.

    "Do not lose yourself; you are still my toy¡­." Bergdis reminded him of his ce, and his dick was dripping with Herfj?tur''s juices; it was glistering even.

    Herfj?tur caught her breath, she had no idea how she got into this situation, but she loved it.

    Bothdies looked at each other and smirked, they proceeded to suck the man off, but it was not just one mouth; it was both of them.

    They put their lips together and began sliding it up and down his shaft as he squirmed.

    "Ah! Fuck!" He finally spoke; they had taken back control. This was the best day of his life. To think he would get to fuck Herfj?tur, the excellent shield maiden, was something that he could not process mentally.

    That thought alone nearly made him cum, and he shot it right in the air, falling like rain on both the faces of Herfj?tur and Bergdis.

    He was out of breath and felt like his heart would give out at any moment because of how intense it had gotten. He thought it was over as he reverted to his timid self.

    He looked at the ceiling, satisfied, but what he saw next was someone standing above him.

    "Eh?" He muttered in confusion, only for Herfj?tur to sit on his face; her size and mass made his face feel like it would copse at any moment.

    He was suffocating and felt his dick sliding into something wet, warm, and tight. The squishy feeling made his dick want to melt in it.

    At that moment, he realized he did not have the stamina to keep up with them.

    -

    Ulrik was seated in a cell. He was dehydrated and looked terrible, but he was not the only one in this cell. In it sat a man in silence; he had sunken eyes and barely looked alive.

    It almost felt like they were doing the bare minimum to keep him alive; he was mutted and had missing limbs.

    "You¡­ You are... I know you, don''t I?" Ulrik asked rhetorically, but this man was but an empty husk.

    He had absolutely zero awareness of himself or the people around him.

    There was no doubt about who it was; it was Arvid.

 Chapter 133 Nostalgia?

    ?Hagen had finished the gate; it was stronger than it was the day before despite it being sealed; it was barred because he could not riskpromising the mechanics as he did not fully understand it.

    Hagen jammed it, and he examined the second gate. He noticed that Skarde had a high temperature, but something was wrong with him; he still had yet to wake up.

    It was worrying because the majority had already woken up or been dered dead, but he was hanging between life and death.

    "Hagen! We have finished with the gate!" A voice called out, he was a younger man with a scar right across his neck, but it was not gotten from this war.

    "That is great! Check on Skarde. How is he doing?" Hagen instructed the man, and he did so immediately. Skarde was a man they could not afford to lose, they had already lost Sven.

    "Skarde is not looking good!" He responded. Hagen knew at this rate Skarde might never wake up, citizens were watching them with suspicious eyes, but they were not stupid enough to try and harm anyone of them because these were men that had taken Vestfold, there was no way they would fall to warriors of their caliber, and they knew it.

    A girl was watching; she was intrigued because these men were more like beasts than humans; she could feel these things.

    But she wanted to help, she walked forward, and the whispers from those around her were enough to see that everyone was just as curious as to why she was walking forward.

    A Viking stopped her from Kattegat as he pointed his de at her.

    "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" The man said, but he noticed that she was on the busty side, and only one thought popped up in his mind: it was not a holy one.

    Before he could carry on with whatever he had in mind, Hagen stepped in to take charge before things escted.

    They were the vanquished, and Hagen knew there was no way they would ept them right now, but showing them that they werewless would only make it even more difficult.

    This is why King Askild was not reckless in his dealings either; he knew they had to show these people that they respected theirws, which was the first step to eptance.

    "What do you think you are doing? Lower your weapon¡­." Hagenmanded, and all Hagen got was a dirty look from him.

    "Who made you amander? You are just a measly boat builder¡­." The man challenged Hagen. Hagen was trying to do the right thing, but this man was right.

    These were the spoils of war, not just the treasures but the women.

    "I wonder what King Askild would think with you threatening the man that has gained his praise¡­." Hagen pulled this card because he knew anything associated with Askild''s name struck fear into their warriors.

    He suddenly became less arrogant because Hagen was right. They all saw Askild praise him, which already meant that Hagen had gained the favor of their King.

    A man that no one dared cross, and this bluff was effective, and he lowered his weapon allowing thedy passage.

    "I apologize, but we are still on high alert. We meant no offense." Hagen apologized, but the woman''s attention was not on Hagen but on Skarde.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She kept walking forward, and Hagen did not try to stop her; everyone watched.

    The spotlight was on her as Hagen gestured for everyone to watch her.

    He wanted to see what she wanted to do; she knelt beside Skarde.

    It was strange enough that he was outside, but this was unfamiliar territory.

    They did not want to venture or leave their men in vulnerable locations. They had already lost too many men to have them spread out; this would make them susceptible to being picked one by one.

    The girl touched his forehead, which was burning; she looked at Skarde like she knew him from somewhere, but that was impossible because this was his first time in Vestfold.

    She looked concerned, and the whispering began, and these whispers did not escape Hagen''s ears.

    -

    Ragnar Lothbrok was chosen as King by this blind man, and everyone was shocked, especially his children, as they wondered what it meant.

    On the other hand, Ulf hated this because this meant that his brother only ascended further, leaving him in the dust, but he did not regret not killing him on the battlefield.

    Some part of him was happy for his brother, and another was jealous; Birger chuckled upon hearing the man.

    "Askild, do you have a problem with this deration?" Birger asked. Now was the time to test Askild''s pride because everyone was watching; there was no way that Askild could be in two ces simultaneously. He needed someone to watch over Vestfold if he would rule over them, and Ragnar had already shown he could be trusted.

    Ragnar could act as a temporary King subservient to King Askild because Askild had every intention to expand Kattegat, including absorbing Vestfold into Kattegat to make them one, but even he could not overlook such vast territories alone.

    Askild was also aware that power changes people; even the humblest of people can get corrupted by power.

    "Ragnar Lothbrok, what do you have to say about this? Do you want to be King?" Askild questioned, a clever deflection as he had put Ragnar in the spotlight to see how he would react to this news.

    "I have no interest in being King, King Askild," Ragnar said, and a feeling of nostalgia shot through his entire being; it reminded him of King Xenophanes.

    He sounded exactly like Xenophanes, and then it hit him, listening to what the old man had said.

    Akild could not believe he had missed it. All these years, he thought that the person Xenophanes wanted to make King was Birger. It was not. It was Ragnar Lothbrok.

 Chapter 134 Birgers Sin? [TRIGGER WARNING]

    ?"King Askild, you are King now, but I am yet to stain my de with a strong warrior of this new world you promised," Erikined as he had been recruited prior by Askild, but Askild rarely interacted with Erik because he knew about the reputation the berserker had.

    He kept a respectable distance from him, but now that he had ascended the throne, Askild knew he had to keep his bargain as he was the only thing keeping Erik in check. ''

    King Askild was still adjusting to having a single eye. Despite his eyeball being there, he could not see anything with it.

    "You need to be patient, Erik. We need to bid our time properly." King Askild responded to his tantrum, but Erik was not having any of it.

    "I want something to entertain me," Erik responded, but Askild did not know what to say to this.

    Erik looked to the sky and wondered if the rest of his days would be as dull as today; if they were, he would instead fall on his de and end his suffering because this was no way for one to live.

    He lived for battle and blood, but Askild had him tamed like a dog; he could not act as he pleased.

    Erik got up, and Askild watched silently as he left his sight, but he knew that Erik would be a problem. Asksild had momentarily thought of killing him, but he did not want to dirty his hands as Erik had a type of loyalty that could not be bought, but he realized he was only loyal as long as his needs were met.

    -

    Erik walked down the street of Kattegat, and he was as tall as he was in the present day but a lot more slender; this allowed him more speed but less destructive power.

    "Man, fuck this!" Erik cussed under his breath, visibly distressed, as he mumbled angrily.

    "Are you okay?" A soft feminine voice called out, but it was not just the voice of anyone. It was the voice of Ulfhild, Asger''s wife.

    She was pregnant, evident by her bloated stomach and how she carried herself; her skin was as radiating as ever despite being pregnant.

    Erik turned to her, and something was calming about her face; the anger in him seeped through his bone and left his body. Erik was surprised at what this was, but it certainly was not love.

    "You are¡­" Erik muttered under his breath; she approached Erik because they were battlerades, and she hoped they could establish a bond because Erik was always alone. Before the conversation could progress further, Asger joined in.

    "Erik, I see you have met my wife." Asger quickly established the nature of their rtionship, everyone knew they were involved with one another, but only a few knew they had gotten married. Erik did not care much for this information and brushed past them without saying a word, but Ulfhild had his interest. Erik wanted to explore what it was that was making him feel this way.

    He knew that he could not do what was on his mind during the rule of King Xenopanes, but he knew Askild''s secret and how he had been poisoning King Xenophanes before dueling him.

    Erik knew he wanted her, or was it safe to say he wanted her to despair? He did not like the content smile on Asger''s face either.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Erik¡­ I heard your peers call you a Berserker." A man called out behind, and he did not need to look because he already knew who this was; it was Birger.

    "What do you want?" Erik asked, but Birger did not say much, walking right in front of Erik.

    "Nothing in particr," Birger said, standing right in his way. Erik knew he was a foreigner, but he had not heard the stories about Birger, nor could he identify him by appearance, and he had one thought at that moment to fight him

    "You fancy her, do you not? A man lusting after the wife of another. A pervert? I do not know your name, but I know you are the one," Erik started his provocation games, something he was pretty good at.

    Birger had kept his distance the moment Ulfhild was wedded and imed fully by Asger because he respected the sanctity of marriage.

    "Not every treasure is meant to be acquired. My infatuation with Ulfhild is no secret," Birger fired back. He was not defensive and epted Erik''s allegations without hesitation.

    "Fight me, Birger! I want to taste the strength of a King''s brother!" Erik was fired up for no reason, but Birger did not y into it.

    "I have no reason to fight you, nor desire¡­." Birger turned him down abruptly before walking away, but Erik was not done.

    "If you don''t fight me, I will make you fight me¡­." Erik whispered to himself with a blood-curdling grin that would make even the fiercest gods question his creations.

    There was only one person in his line of sight as of that moment: Ulfhild.

    -

    A few days passed, and Ulfhild was walking back home from an errand at night, but Birger approached her. It was a friendly conversation that she had initiated, but she never made it home that night.

    Her body was found the next money defiled with her stomach ripped open and the unborn child visible for all to see. Asger could not believe his eyes because which sane man would remain sane after seeing his wife in such a deplorable state, but this was when Askild took the opportunity to get rid of Birger. Multiple people had seen him with her that night, and everyone was aware of his interest in her. It was easy to frame him and sum this up as a crime of passion as he was also the brother to an enemy despite his residing here.

    Asger''s hatred for Birger grew, and Birger did not even fight it or oppose the allegations.

    Something was telling in Asger''s eyes; he needed someone to me, someone to hate, or he just might not survive the ordeal.

    Birger was exiled from Kattegat, and Erik, seeing he was not punished despite King Askild being aware he was the one, had this epiphany, a feeling that he was untouchable.

    Shortly after, he raped Lagertha and a few other women within the walls of Kattegat.

 Chapter 135 Ragnars Speech [ARC END]

    ?Ga listened to both men speak, Askild did not like the idea of this one bit, but he had no interest in looking like a tyrant as he needed the support of his people now more than ever.

    "I will lead Vestfold as an emissary of King Askild. I am no King, just a vessel to carry out my King''s will." Ragnar said sternly, downying his role because he knew two Kings could not exist in a kingdom.

    The tension was visible, and everyone waited for Askild''s reply because if he did not ept Ragnar as the ruler of Vestfold, then the chance that the citizens would receive a foreign body as the ruler was low; this man named Ga looked to be a vital part in Vestfold''s submission.

    "I ept, I approve of Ragnar Lothbrok ruling Vestfold in my name, but Vestfold is now a part of Kattegat starting today," Askild said, and Birger was surprised because Askild had gone through the such length to make sure he was King and there was no way he would not feel threatened by Ragnar, even though Ragnar was loyal to the bone.

    "A new King of Vestfold has been chosen, all bent to their knees to recognize his position¡­." Ga instructed, but naturally, this did not apply to Askild as he was the only one with authority to remain standing because, as of this moment, Ragnar had be an Earl.

    Askild found something that surprised him, and he found that even Birger had bent the knee to recognize Ragnar''s authority and Erik The Berserker.

    They had all seen his strength against K?re; he saved Askild''s life and showed his superior swordsmanship tond a hit on the man that even Sven could not touch.

    Erik had always known that Ragnar was more potent than him, and that fight confirmed it.

    What made Ragnar scary was how calm he was, it won''t be a long shot to say he could defeat Askild in his prime, but did Ragnar ever leave his prime? That was the question.

    Askild chuckled internally, the irony of this as he was the one that made Ragnar pick up his sword again. It was almost like the gods had a path for Ragnar that even he could not stop.

    And there was no opposing fate; he could only ept whatever the gods had in store.

    Askild kept quiet as minutes passed, and the door to the throne room swung open with Ga leading the walk.

    A crowd was already waiting outside, and behind him came Ragnar with a ceremonial robe worn by their Kings during the inauguration, and the whispers began as everyone knew just how significant Ga was in terms of power transition. He was not just an old man but a seer.

    They had no choice but to ept Ragnar if Ga approved of him; he had seen Kingse and go.

    "People of Vestfold, this is your new King. King Ragnar Lothbrok!" Ga said, and the mutters continued, but no one doubted Ga''s judgment.

    He was not a man that could be bought or intimidated as he was a messenger from the gods, and that was only when his prophecies worked. Only when it came to the ascension of Kings.

    Askild was curious; he knew that if the people of Vestfold disapproved, then there was no way that Ga''s prophecy would hold up.

    No one bent the knee, and no one nned on epting Ragnar Lothbrok as King.

    "Let me¡­" Ragnar said, prompting Ga to step aside and allowing Ragnar to take the lead.

    The ce fell quiet as Ragnar removed his bandaged arm from the robe''s sleeves.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I understand¡­" Ragnar began as he looked at them right in the eyes; his head was raised like a proud warrior.

    "A war will always have winners and losers; this cannot be changed. I wish it could, but this does not make me your enemy. I am here not to rule you but to ensure you never be conquered again, and I will die to fulfill this desire. I will not abandon you; I will not abandon you like Signy¡­." Ragnar said. It felt like he was talking to his children; everyone could feel the fatherly love oozing with every word he said.

    "I know you have lost fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters in this war, but so have we. If we keep trying to avenge those we lose, then we will only lose more and, losing more, have even more to avenge. It will never stop." Ragnar said, and everyone could feel the hostile crowd be less aggressive as Ragnar''s speech went on.

    "I am Ragnar Lothbrok and hear me today, people of Vestfold. My life now belongs to you as it does mine," Ragnar concluded, and the silence followed was loud. Everyone was speechless.

    "There is no way that little speech would work. It does not change that their beloved Asmund was killed in this war. People are ruled by hate when love is taken from them." Askild thought to himself; he understood the nature of man, and hate was the only thing that could conquer love. They needed to be forcefully subjugated and felt all this was a waste of time.

    But it happened; a single person in the crowd bent the knee, which triggered an effect as everyone bent the knee one by one to recognize Ragnar Lothbrok as their new King.

    This was a good thing, but something in Askild manifested, a feeling he had long forgotten.

    Askild felt envy; the only person to ever manifest this exact feeling was King Xenophanes.

    For a narcissist, this is equivalent to emotional torture as the moment they recognize envy is the moment the grand image they have built of themselves crumbles.

    Askild knew he had to return to Kattegat but wanted to explore Vestfold some more.

    -

    Signy had settled in Vingulmark and was surprised to see the number of men under Earl Jan, but with Vestfold having fallen, Vingulmark''s alliance with them stopped by extension.

    Jan was no longer an Earl at this point but a King, for if he were still an Earl, he would have to answer to the new King of Vestfold, which was not something Signy would want.

    Signy had lost all his power, despite Jan losing this war from a political standpoint.

    He knew that Signy, if he were ever to go or regain Vestfold, everyone would recognize him as a King, and not only that, he would owe Jan yet another debt.

    The forces of Vestfold returned that morning with Kjell and the wounded; Jan realized then that Signy still had a substantial number regarding his military prowess.

    Jan realized at that moment that Signy had separated his forces as more than a thousand men returned to seek shelter in Vingulmark.

    The curtain to this chapter came to a close.

 Chapter 136 New Beginning, Old Threat

    ?A new era was about to set in; a week had passed since the conquest of Vestfold.

    Peace and normalcy slowly returned under Ragnar''s rule, but Askild remained to see if they could cart any valuables away to help strengthen and rebuild Kattegat''s army, as they had lost far too many men.

    But while searching for these treasures, Askild found a map of a newnd.

    And he had never heard about, he had only heard rumors about such a ce, but this map confirmed it existed. This ce was known as En-Land.

    Askild could not believe that the world was this vast, he had heard of Hagen''s exploration, but it was to poverty-stricken or barrennds that could not benefit them.

    But Askild had to confirm the authenticity of this map, and he carried it back to him to Kattegat.

    Ragnar stayed back, but his sons would follow the majority back to Kattegat; Skarde had regained consciousness, but he had lost the usage of his eyes.

    This effectively meant he could not continue to be a warrior, but Ragnar had found a use for him.

    Skarde stayed behind with him as his right-hand man, he nned to support Ragnar as King.

    -

    "King Askild, are you sure you are fine with this?" Erik asked Askild, but Askild remained quiet, staring at the map in his hand with a sickening smile.

    The moon was hidden under the covers of the dense clouds; darkness was what they knew.

    The waters were gentle because they were exiting Vestfold and did not risk going against the tides. Hagen had abandoned his inventions. He felt he wasted both his time and energy before, as they did not even use the designs Hagenhad created, and he found out that the only reason Askild allowed him was to give Vestfold a false sense of security and time.

    "I have something greater. I always thought about conquering Norway, but to think bigger kingdoms exist. Erik, things are about to get a lot more interesting." Askild said.

    Ulf sulked in a corner; he did not know the use of him watching Birger because even Birger could not give him what he promised.

    "Ulf Lothbrok, you look terrible¡­." BIrger said, sitting beside him, and Ulf quickly rearranged his face and posture.

    "What are you talking about?" Ulf said, and Birger, still behind his worn-out helmet.

    "I have not forgotten my promise to you, but I must do one more thing¡­." Birger muttered.

    Ulf felt a sense of relief, he thought that Birger was deceiving him, and he very well may be, but these words were like a lifeline for him now.

    He bit his teeth into it and held onto it; he was not letting go, but what was this thing he wanted?

    "What are you talking about?" Ulf asked Birger, trying his best not to get carried away with his thoughts.

    "Ulf, I am going to kill Askild on this ship, and I need your help," Birger said, looking forward.

    Ulf was surprised because there was no way he had the strength to kill Askild, and it was also impossible to sneak up on Askild as everyone was already wary of him.

    "What are you talking about? You cannot kill him! Not here, not now!" Ulf said, his face visibly distressed.

    "I am not the one that is going to kill him, Ulf. You are." Birger said sternly and with certainty.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ulf looked shocked, but who could me him, considering what he had just heard?

    -

    Kattegat had not made any announcement regarding Ulrik, but he was still under arrest.

    He had not been tried; it had been over a week.

    Liv was also out of sight; no one had seen her, and Garda was still missing as a search party was not deployed to look for her yet.

    They could not afford to weaken the defenses of Kattegat by looking for one outsider, a person with no power in terms of influence.

    From a political standpoint, this was the right choice as Garda''s life was as insignificant as they came, but Lagertha knew this was Liv''s choice; it could not have been.

    Someone was controlling her, and they needed Askild back more than ever; they had heard rumors about Vestfold falling, but the information was all over the ce.

    This could be why Fredrik had not done anything drastic with Ulrik because Askild knew his wife well as she was a verypassionate woman, so there was no way she would order the execution of Ulrik without being influenced.

    Lagertha was waiting for her boys and her man, she wanted to tell Ragnar about what Erik had done, and she was confident it would result in Ragnar fighting Erik. There was no way that Ragnar would let this go; which sane man would?

    Karl desperately tried to get in touch with Liv, but everything proved futile. He was sitting on an empty grassy field, secluded from the crowded city of Kattegat.

    He needed to be alone; he needed his peace of mind, and he needed to think.

    Karl needed so many things but could not get them out of his head.

    "Fuck, what do I do?" Karl cussed out and always put up a calm exterior, but in reality, he was scared of what might happen to Ulrik.

    "Hello, old man." Someone greeted him, and he jerked his head in the voice''s direction because no one was supposed to know of this location.

    It was Tiril, the right-hand woman of Herfj?tur.

    "O-Oh! You startled me! I apologize for my tardiness!" Karl quickly got up like a gentleman.

    "Why do you do that?" Tiril asked, and Karl looked confused by this question.

    "Do what?" Karl questioned, trying to understand the nature of her question and avoiding her eyes.

    "Why do you pretend like you have it all¡­." Tiril stopped mid-conversation, and Karl felt a warm liquid spill on his face.

    "...all togetzzza," Tiril slobbered her words, and Karl had to look up to see what was happening, but what he saw shocked him; an arrow was sticking out from her head.

    Her face changed from calm to terrified right before dropping to the ground dead.

    "TIRIL!!" Karl screamed.

 Chapter 137 Fight Or Flee? Karl In Trouble!

    ?Karl could not believe what had happened; his eyes opened as he frantically searched for where the arrow came from or who had shot it.

    Karl knew he had to get out of there, he felt threatened and was right to because someone was watching them, but Tiril was a prominentdy. Karl knew he needed to exin what happened because saying it as it urred might be doubted.

    Tiril came and tried to speak to me but was killed by an arrow, this sounded like an unbelievable story as questions would be raised, and he might end up suffering the same fate as Ulrik at this rate.

    He was so caught up in his head that he did not see the man emerging from the bushes, but luckily, the rustling of the leaves alerted him of this presence.

    Karl took a defensive stance, taking a couple of steps backward as he noted the man approaching him.

    "You are the right-hand man of Ulrik, are you not?" The man asked but got no response from Karl.

    "You can breathe easy; he told me to bring you back alive," The strange man said. He had a cloak on, and the only reason why his gender could be discerned was because of his deep voice.

    "W-Who are you!? Do you know what you have done!?" Karl questioned the man, and the man was kind enough to answer his questions because he was sure no one wasing to the rescue of Karl.

    "Who I am is unimportant, but Tiril had to die; themanders will all fall. No one can ovee the feeling of loss, not even the strongest warriors. For a warrior to be absolute, they have to have nothing they can lose," The man said, casually unsheathing his sword.

    "What do you mean? Are you after themanders? What is it you truly want?" Karl regained hisposure, his rational sideing back.

    "You ask many questions, but as I said, I have no intention of killing you, so how about youe along quietly? I don''t mind using force, but I would rather avoid it," The man said as he walked towards Karl. Karl tensed up because Tiril had just died, but then he remembered who he was. He was Karl, the right-hand man of Ulrik.

    And just like that, his entire demeanor changed like a switch had been flipped in him.

    "Ha! I see, so you guys are the ones that made mymander go crazy. That is an unforgivable act. You asked me to surrender?" Karl asked rhetorically as he, too, unsheathed his sword.

    "Over my dead body," Karl said, and all that could be seen behind the cloak was the menacing smile of the attacker, but before Karl knew it, he was hit in the kneecap by an arrow from his blindspot, forcing his knee to buckle.

    "He is not alone?" Karl thought. He would not make this easy for them; he had to find a way to escape this ambush to inform thestmander in Kattegat, he had to tell Herfj?tur.

    "I am sorry for my methods, but I have no time for games," The voice as another arrow was let loose from his blindspot, but Karl had to show them why he was Ulrik''s right-hand man.

    He turned swiftly and in time to dodge the arrowing at him with such ferocity.

    Dodging it effectively made the arrow the problem of the man approaching, but all he did was simply sidestep, allowing Karl to notice that he was nimble on his feet.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Realistically speaking, he knew he might not be able to beat them because Karl did not know how many of them were hidden, so he had to conserve his strength and prepare for an attack at any moment from his blindside.

    "I have to get out of here." Karl thought. The only good thing about this was they were not going to kill him, which was strange considering he was a liability and there was no one that his death would prompt such drastic actions from, so why did they want him?

    Part of Karl wanted to give himself up to find out, but another part told him if he did, it just might be the end of Herfj?tur, as she seemed to be their next target.

    -

    Ulrik was still in the cell, being well-fed and watching how Arvid was treated; Arvid barely even ate. They had to force it down his throat as he sat in his feces and urine, but luckily for Ulrik, they were not in the same cell.

    Ulrik was surprised that they were keeping him alive. Was this some of damnation?

    This was cruel, and no one should have to live like this, regardless of their sin.

    "Ulrik¡­" For the first time since Ulrik being imprisoned, Liv hade down into this filthy ce to see Ulrik.

    "Mydy!" Ulrik eximed; his voice was full of respect for her despite what she had done to him, with hers being more sympathetic.

    "I am sorry for keeping you in such a state, Ulrik.." Liv was remorseful, but Ulrik knew it was not her doing, so he did not hold against her.

    "It is fine, mydy. What brings you here to such a ce?" Ulrik asked her, and Liv leaned closely.

    "King Askild was victorious in his conquest of Vestfold, and he is on his way back," Liv said and Ulrik heaved a sigh of relief because he knew this ordeal would be over when Askild returned but that could not be the only reason why she was here, a guard could have delivered this.

    "I came here to inform you of another thing, Ulrlik¡­." Liv said, her voice softened, and Ulrik, for some reason, tensed up.

    She had Ulrik''s full attention. He was curious about what she had to say.

    "Ulrik, I came here to offer my condolence¡­." Liv said, and Ulrik''s eyes immediately widened in fear; nothing good coulde after the word condolence.

    Liv whispered something in a low tone, and Ulril''s suspicion was spot on.

    Someone important to him had died.

 Chapter 138 The Wise Words Of Asger

    ?Birger had just told Ulf that he was the one going to kill Askild, this had to be some sort of joke because even if he killed Askild, he would be doomed.

    They would kill him on the spot, and there were no two ways about it, as he could not even run due to being on a ship. The alternative was jumping into the sea, but there was no way anyone could survive.

    "I refuse!" Ulf vehemently rejected Birger''s proposal because while he did want to be a famous warrior, he was still loyal to King Askild.

    "Where does your loyalty lie, Ulf?" Birger asked, and Ulf responded without any hesitation.

    "My loyalty is with Kattegat!" Ulf''s resolve was unshaken, admirably so that Birger could not help but smirk beneath his helmet.

    "I will hold you to that¡­." Birger muttered, but the tone he used was only audible to himself.

    Tyr sat alone; he felt isted as no one was around or talking to him.

    There was hatred in their eyes, and he finally understood that the only sheltering him from these things since arriving in Kattegat was the title of being a son of Ragnar; despite his contribution to this war, he felt isted.

    Asger noticed that Tyr was more conscious of this only because Bjorn had begun looking at him with those very eyes because, in reality, these eyes had always existed.

    Tyr was blissfully ignorant as he was content as long as he had Bjorn on his side, but their rtionship fractured.

    "Bjorn¡­" Asger called his name as he sat beside him; the calmness of the night was refreshing as the lingering water moisture in the air rxed their tense muscles.

    Most had yet to recover from their injuries, so this was a much-needed break.

    One week was not nearly enough to recuperate, but Skarde losing his sight was a tragic loss as they had lost such a warrior, but that was only because of thedy that helped him, or the alternative would have been death.

    "Yes, sir?" Bjorn answered respectfully; with Ragnar in Vestfold, Asger felt a sense of responsibility for his children, especially Bjorn considering he was under hismand.

    "Are you alright?" Asger asked because while the war was over, the mental toll it must have taken on him would need to be discussed, or he might crumble under the pressure.

    "I am great!" Bjorn responded with a smile, but Asger saw through the fake smile.

    He knew Bjorn was putting on a brave face, they all had their wounds bandaged up and checked from the moment the war was over, but the excruciating pain still made it near impossible for them to move about freely.

    "Bjorn Ironside¡­ Do you know why enemies single someone out to give a title like that?" Asger questioned. He knew he needed something to hook his attention with, and what better way than a conversation about himself?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Bjorn''s eyes lit up with curiosity as he was curious, he had only heard that name from Signy''s mouth, but he was curious what the origin was.

    "They do it for warriors they recognize as a threat; your enemies recognized you as a worthy enough warrior to name," Asger said, and he could feel Bjorn get tingly with this piece of good news.

    It meant that the war was not in vain, but Asger was not done as he could feel Bjorn''s mood gradually shift to being more positive.

    "But that also includes your brother, Tyr, your brother. In a war, someone has to do the dirty work. Strength is not enough to win a war of this scale," Asger said. He wanted Bjorn to understand that Tyr should be considered a tactical genius instead of how Bjorn viewed him.

    "We won this war because of your brother, Bjorn, or we would all be dead. What would have happened to Lagertha if you all died?" Asger said. It hit differently because Asger was someone he looked up to.

    "I have fought with honor, but Egil bested me¡­" Asger said. This surprised Bjorn because if he was bested, why was Egil the one that was caught?

    "B-Bested!? You won the battle!" Bjorn eximed, but Asger shook his head to deny this.

    "I lost against Egil, he was the better warrior, but I won the battle because I was smarter. I have learned something from my time as a warrior. Just because you fight with honor does not mean your enemy would." Asger educated Bjorn on the harsher side of reality.

    He knew that Bjorn was a kid when he came to it, it was no surprise he wanted to be the most honorable warrior, but this was no fantasy world.

    "H-Honor is everything! Without honor, we are nothing but beasts and monsters that fight without a code!" Bjorn fired back, and as expected of a child, his reasons were based solely on his emotions.

    "Tell me, what would you choose, your honor or family?" Asger tossed the question up in the air for the son of Ragnar to catch, which he did.

    "I-I¡­." Bjorn choked as he had never given this much thought. Asger had caught him, and cracked the illusion that Bjorn clung onto,

    "I would choose my family," Bjorn responded because he knew he could not lose them, and Asger had a relieved expression on his face because he had finally gotten through to Bjorn.

    "So why do you punish Tyr for choosing his? For choosing you¡­." Asger said, and it hit Bjorn deep. He had realized at that moment that he had been looking at all this wrong.

    "Damn it!" Bjorn cussed silently, looking in Tyr''s direction only to see how defeated he looked.

    He kissed his teeth because he could not help but feel responsible; he had ''abandoned'' his brother.

    "Go on. It''s not toote." Asger encouraged him with a genuine smile, he would have made such a good father, but fate had other ns for him as he had possibly resolved the feud between brothers.

 Chapter 139 King Askilds Assassination!?

    ?King Askild looked into the vast sea, pondering what he wanted to do next.

    He had expanded his control, but such a thing would only mean he would have more enemies because people would grow wary of Kattegat.

    This would inevitably mean that other kingdoms might begin to merge to stand a chance against Kattegat, a thought that did not sit well with Askild as they did not have the men to hold these territories.

    Erik had fallen asleep not too far from him, he did not understand what he wanted, but Signy''s words sat deep in his heart. Erik knew he wanted to meet Signy again, he had a feeling that Signy could give him something Askild could not, but this did not mean he intended to betray Askild or Vestfold.

    "I will conquer the world¡­." Askild muttered to himself, but a voice soon called his name.

    "King Askild, it was Ulf. Ulf had gained the respect of Askild because he had managed to stay close to Birger and watched him throughout the war.

    "What is it, Ulf?" Askild asked as he adjusted to allow Ulf to sit beside him, which surprised him because Askild had never recognized him until now.

    Askild granted him an audience on the spot. That was unusual for someone like him.

    Ulf took this chance. He contemted telling Askild about what Birger had nned, but that would ruin his dream because he was aware that Birger was the one that could give him the power he sought.

    "I am grateful for the trust you put in me to watch over Birger, but I know he is the brother of King Asmund. I know nothing else about him." Ulf said. It was no surprise he did not because the information regarding what Birger did was limited.

    It was intentionally contained to just a few people; even Asger obeyed the gag order.

    All most people knew was that Birger was exiled; this was the only way he could avoid death because Askild did not know what killing him would have done at that moment.

    But Birger did not leave Kattegat alone; he had a following of loyal warriors sworn to him.

    Asger''s wife''s killer was killed as far as the public was convinced.

    "Birger is a threat I knew you could handle, Ulf Lothbrok, but I also know he is a man blessed with the devil''s tongue. I sent you to watch over him because I trusted you could not be swayed. Ulf, I trust you¡­." Askild, and there was something about hearing Askild say these words that made him question whether he should tell him about Birger''s n to kill him.

    "King Askild, there is something I need to tell you¡­." Ulf said; he looked anxious because he did not know how Askild would take what he was about to tell him.

    Askild was no fool, he knew that Birger was after his life, but there was a twist to this.

    If Ulf told Askild, he would be questioned further, and Askild would find out that he had withheld this information from him for quite some time.

    This single act might undo everything he had gotten since the war started, and he might lose the respect he had worked so hard to gain from King Askild.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He choked; the words could not leave his mouth because he reconsidered his whole thought process.

    Most of the warriors were already asleep and resting because they were exhausted and hungry; it was almost like they had forgotten the threat Birger posed.

    Not only was Birger''s ally the snake that gave Asmund the upper hand, but Birger had publicly undermined Askild''s authority.

    Ulf swallowed the words but saw that Birger had somehow closed the distance between King Askild and himself. Birger was no easy prey. If he couldnd a sneak attack on King Askild, there was no way Askild would survive.

    He noticed that Askild was exhausted, one could not me him as he was always on his guard, but no one was above being tired, not even the sleeping Erik.

    Ulf could see Birger approaching from Askild''s blind spot, and with Askild''s attention focused on Ulf, he was left vulnerable.

    A vulnerability that was about to be exploited, Ulf had two options.

    Alert Askild of the impending threat or keep silent and allow Birger to carry out his n.

    But there was a third option, an option he nned on taking: killing Askild himself.

    If he killed Askild, he should be King by default, right? Is that not how Askild became King?

    Ulf clutched the hilt of his sword and casually allowed his fingers to caress it. Askild thought nothing of this, but Birger was d because this would be a two-pronged attack; Askild would be unable to avoid it.

    "That''s it, Ulf.." Birger thought, and the moment he was close, he swung his de to take off Askild''s head, an action that Askild himself did not register.

    And Ulf unsheathed his de simultaneously, this meant that Askild''s attention only remained focused on him, but Askild''s face showed no fear. This momentary indifference from Askild was enough to sway the mind of Ulf, who redirected his de in Birger''s direction.

    Birger caught this from his peripheral vision, but there was no way he could dodge this at this point.

    Birger smiled in defeat as he realized the side that Ulf had taken.

    "It is just as I expected¡­." These were Birger''sst words right before his head left his body as Ulf had just hit a home run, sending it into the sea as his headless body dropped to the floor in one fell swoop. Ulf was breathing hard, a strong warrior, and he used the element of surprise to his advantage.

    Birger fell to his de, and Askild did not turn back. Askild simply smiled, and this single action told Ulf that Askild was aware of Birger''s presence.

    This test showed that Askild was equipped to evade the attack if need be, but if he needed to do that, he could rule Ulf out as a traitor. Luckily, Ulf made the right choice.

 Chapter 140 Karl On The Verge Of Defeat

    ?Ulf had killed Birger with a single swing of his sword, and everyone, including Erik, awoke the moment the body hit the deck.

    Ulf was breathing hard; he did not expect that he could kill Birger, no one did, but everyone hated him. Askild was satisfied with this oue; he knew something was up the moment Ulf approached him, and despite him ''dropping'' his guard, this was only so he would look vulnerable because it was no secret that his life was a target.

    "W-What happened?" A random Viking asked, and Askild stood up gradually above Birger''s headless body.

    "Ulf Lothbrok just saved my life," Askild said, and everyone was shocked, including Ulf himself.

    And it did not take long before they cheered his name; people were cheering Ulf''s name.

    He wanted to bask at this moment forever, and Askild looked at him right in the eyes, but something was threatening in those eyes. It almost looked like Askild was saying, "I know what you were about to do," without actually saying it.

    Ulf felt his heart drop, but he soon felt the warm embrace of someone a lot smaller than him.

    He looked down, and it was Bjorn. Bjorn was amazed by how his uncle had killed Birger in a single move; he felt like a hero.

    "YOU ARE AWESOME, UNCLE ULF!" Bjorn eximed; the spotlight was on Ulf.

    "You managed to kill Birger, not bad¡­." Erik said,plimenting Ulf.

    Erik knew Birger was strong, but he had not measured Ulf''s strength; it felt like Ulf was hiding something.

    Erik looked at Tyr and noticed he was isted; the grin that creased the face of The Berserker was blood-curdling, he loved what he was seeing, but all it took was a blink, and by the time he opened his eyes, he saw Hagen beside Tyr.

    He was not interested in Ulf''s celebrations; he was not interested in anything at that moment but Tyr. Tyr was the one he wanted to watch, the one he wanted to mold, and Tyr had the potential to be everything Erik had ever wanted.

    "I want him. I want him for myself!" Erik muttered to himself like a possessed man.

    -

    Karl had been fighting with this strange man for a few minutes now, and one thing he could say was that he was most likely on the same level as amander.

    He was too strong, and Karl knew there was no way he could defeat him, even without his injured leg, as he was barely hanging on.

    The man was clearly holding back as well because he needed him alive.

    "Who the hell are you!?" Karl asked, but he got no answer to this question.

    "I am no one. I am just a sword¡­." The man responded with an eerie-looking smile.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Karl was on high alert, but he missed the arrow that impaled his second thigh, making mobility an impossible task.

    "You are a wounded dog right now; you can do nothing now. I do not mind continuing, but that will only worsen your condition. You cannot stop us from taking you; you can only dy," The man said.

    "Damn it! I would rather die than let you people have your way!" Karl said, pointing his sword to his neck; Karl was threatening them with taking his life.

    For whatever reason, they wanted him alive, and he would do anything to ensure they did not.

    "You do not want to do that, Karl." The man said, but a voice originated from behind them.

    "He is right; you do not want to do that, Karl¡­." Karl recognized this voice; it was Herfj?tur, and boy, she looked fucking furious.

    She saw Tiril lying on the floor with an arrow protruding from her head, but it did not draw the reaction this man had expected.

    "Tiril, you fool! I told you to wait for me," Herfj?tur said; she was sad that her right-hand woman was killed in such a manner, but she was happy that she got to see the person responsible for it.

    She had a target for her wrath, and her killing intent was focused on one person alone; even Karl felt a chill run down his spine despite him not being the target.

    "Lady Herfj?tur, we meet sooner than expected, but this won''t stop me; you cannot stop me." The man said arrogantly, but Herfj?tur did not give shit about whatever wasing out of his mouth.

    "Careful! He is not alone!" Karl warned, and judging from the arrows in his legs, it was clear that it was an archer, a weapon that the man before them did not possess so it was safe to say that it was not him.

    "Do not worry, Karl, neither am I," Herfj?tur said. This drew a raised brow from the man, but all he heard was a scream filled with pain where his archer was positioned.

    Herfj?tur knew Tiril wasing to this exact location and went despite Herfj?tur''s insistence that she should wait for her, but she has always been stubborn about such things.

    That was why Herfj?tur chose her as her right-hand woman, and in the far distance emerged Lagertha, dragging the passed-out individual with the bow and arrow before dropping him on the ground.

    "The two famous shield maiden, I do not think even I could take you both alone¡­." The man said. He was far too calm for their liking; it felt like he was saying he could leave here at any given moment.

    "Both?" Herfj?tur asked, pausing momentarily to equip a gigantic spiked baton; this was her weapon of choice and the weight could crush one''s skull with a single swing.

    "I am the one that is going to grind your bones to dust," Herfj?tur threatened, she had gone into battle mode, and Karl was astonished by the level of her killing intent.

    At this moment, he realized how stupid he wasparing Ulrik to her, Herfj?tur was a different kind of monster, and she was ready to bare her fangs.

 Chapter 141 Herfj?turs Wrath

    ?Herfj?tur was infuriated, and she was about to enterbat; Karl instinctively took a couple of steps back because he did not want to get in her way.

    "I guess I will y with you a little-!" Before he could finish his sentence, Herfj?tur appeared right before him, she was big, yet she had the speed of a much smaller person.

    Herfj?tur swung her club downward, it was done with such incredible speed that even the man had no choice but to block it, but he found himself being forced to his knees because of the sheer force of that swing.

    "You are as strong as they say¡­!" The man eximed; he had lost the skirmish in strength and was barely holding on, but he managed to elude it and force the baton to the ground.

    Herfj?tur could not recollect herself in time, prompting her foe to mistake this as him having the upper hand but in reality, it was Herfj?tur baiting him.

    A bait he took, swinging his de in a bid to wound her. Herfj?tur gave the illusion that she needed two hands to wield her weapon, but this was a misdirection from Herfj?tur.

    She let go of her heavy weapon, grabbing the wrist of the man. Something shocked him as his eyes widened because he thought Herfj?tur was fighting with full strength.

    "She was holding back?!" The man thought. Herfj?tur, despite her rage, was an intelligent fighter, and it showed just how much experience she had.

    "Is this the hand you used to give the order?" Herfj?tur asked, and the man''s silence was all she needed, snapping his wrist like a twig right before kicking him in the torso to send him flying like a rag doll.

    Karl could not believe his eyes. For some reason, Herfj?tur had grown more robust from thest time they met, and Karl could not help but wonder if the others were just as strong.

    The man got up to his feet slowly; he did not look to be in pain or any distress at all.

    This told Herfj?tur one thing: this man was used to pain.

    "Lagertha! Take him to the capital!" Herfj?turmanded. It was night but felt like day; the clouds were split like the red sea.

    "This is a good thing; you are stronger than our intel. I am d we had this fight, but I would have to end it here." The man said, and Herfj?tur just stared nkly. She could not believe Tiril was dead or understand why anyone would want her to be killed.

    "You are not going anywhere; I am taking you in for questioning¡­." Herfj?tur eximed and gestured for Karl to close in on him to take him into custody, but this was impossible.

    The strange man vanished into thin air, he had absconded, and Herfj?tur told Karl not to give chase because they had what they wanted, they had managed to capture one of them, or so they thought.

    "L-Lady Herfj?tur! He bit off his tongue!" Lagertha eximed; the man just took his own life to protect whatever secret he was holding, and Herfj?tur had no choice but to ept defeat at that moment.

    "ARRRRGGGGGHHHH!" Screaming echoed from afar, and Herfj?tur jerked her head in the direction of the scream. It wasing from the capital as she could see mes rising from afar.

    "W-What is going on?" Karl questioned, confused but now was not the time for questions but actions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Lagertha! Let''s go! Karl, evacuate as many people as you can! I think Kattegat is under attack!" Herfj?tur said, rushing to the scene alongside Lagertha, leaving the man''s dead body momentarily in their possession as Karl took a different route to the city.

    -

    "Hold your ground! The enemies are using the cover of darkness to fight like cowards!" A random warrior eximed; he looked to his left and saw another fellow warrior.

    "I know what you mean, but what if I am that enemy?" The fellow warrior had said.

    "Now is not the time for jok-!" Before he could speak, his neck was sliced open by the man he mistook for his ally.

    "We are wearing your colors! Dumbass!" The man said. The cover of the dark and the fact that they were wearing their colors made this attack effective because it made everyone doubt each other. Chaos was the quickest way to besiege a nation, and that was precisely what these men were doing.

    Ulrik was imprisoned, and his men had their weapons seized, so they were defenseless; this made it easy for them to be targeted and killed but not without resistance.

    After defeating them, a few fought back and got weapons from their enemies'' corpses.

    This gave them a fighting chance, but even this was not enough because the burning buildings diverted and split their forces because they had to attend to the threats that had infested Kattegat.

    Tiril was dead, and Herfj?tur was away, but despite this, her forces had more disciple, and they had a better chance at fighting.

    They focused on protecting Liv, their Queen, and surrounded the throne room.

    Not letting anyone close or near it because they understood what would happen if Askild came back only not to see his wife dead. He treated her with the most respect.

    "QUEEN LIV MUST BE PROTECTED!" They screamed in unison, but they knew whoever was attacking did so because they were reasonably confident they could take Kattegat.

    The screams and shing of swords could be heard all around them; the terrible part was that they used civilians as human shields and distractions to weaken the formation of Kattegat.

    -

    King Askild was on his ship; they were on their way to Kattegat, chanting and cheering Ulf.

    They were expected to have arrived by dawn, but this unprecedented attack was not only sudden, but no one could have predicted it.

    Would Askild still have a kingdom to rule when he arrived or would Kattegat have fallen during the long night?

 Chapter 142 Blood And Chaos

    ?"This is bad, this is really bad." Karl cussed. What was carrying him at this point was sheer willpower because the arrows that had hit his thighs earlier had handicapped him severely.

    He limped and limped; in his path were corpses scattered around.

    "Queen Liv! I have to protect you!" Karl thought to himself, barely standing upright.

    Karl was helped by a few men that saw him struggling, these were men under Ulrik, and he was d he did not run into an enemy, or that would have been the end of him because, in this condition, there was no way he could defend himself efficiently.

    "What the hell is going on?" Karl asked, hoping for information from these men, his men asmand switched to him when Ulrik was imprisoned.

    "We are still gathering information, but Kattegat is under attack! We do not know who or why, but things look bad!" The man said, slinging Karl''s arm over his shoulder to support his weight with another man doing the same.

    "Is Queen Liv okay?" Karl was quick to ask, but the men were quiet.

    "We do not know; we have not heard anything about Queen Liv or her father, we have been in the dark, but I know she is the target. This is not just an attack¡­." The man said.

    "... It''s an invasion!" Karl helped himplete his sentence, making the situation even direr.

    "They are dressing like us. There is no way of telling who is who under cover of night, and by the time they get close, it is toote! They have us cornered; whoever is responsible for this knows Kattegat inside and out. I do not think it is an outsider!" The man said, and Karl kissed his teeth, darting his head left and right as he tried to assess the situation.

    At this rate, there might be no Kattegat by the time the sun rises, and Karl knew how disastrous this would be.

    "We need to get Ulrik free!" Karl muttered under his breath.

    -

    "What is themotion above ground?" Ulrik asked the guard on watch, he was visibly tensed and did not want to divulge the information to a prisoner, but he knew who Ulrik was and held a certain level of respect for him.

    "Something terrible is happening; Kattegat is under attack!" The guard said. He gave the information Ulrik wanted without much pressure showing how dire their situation was.

    "Attack!? Quickly! Let me out!" Ulrikmanded, but if he was indeed an enemy, it would be foolish to let him out as he would bolster the enemy''s strength tremendously.

    "I cannot do that, Ulrik. I wish I could, but I am here to ensure you do not get out." The man was resilient and had no intentions of allowing his prisoner out.

    "I need you to trust me right now! Why the fuck would I want to destroy Kattegat when I have risked my life to protect it! You know me! If I was a fucking traitor, then why did I not fucking take it when Herfj?tur was injured?" Ulrik asked, and the man had to think about it briefly.

    "I-I¡­" The man was hesitant, but they heard something, and it wasing from Arvid''s cell.

    "R-R-R-R¡­" Arvid tried to speak for the first time after months of imprisonment.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But the words could not leave his mouth, but the desperation in his eyes told them he wanted so bad to be heard.

    "What is it?'' The guard asked, inching closer to Arvid, and he noticed that he kept tapping the floor. He asked for something to write on it, and the man saw his condition and knew he was no threat.

    This was the first time Arvid had attempted any form ofmunication with them, and everyone was curious to hear it, Ulrik as well, because it had something to do with this.

    The guard quickly tossed him a stick, and Arvid caught it without hesitation despite his hands looking like they could fall off at any moment.

    He was malnourished and looked like a skeleton at this point, but he persevered.

    Arvid began scribbling something on the floor, and the guard tried to make out what he was writing. It took him a good minute to finally see what Arvid had written.

    And what he read at that moment made his skin crawl; it was a warning from Arvid.

    "Run!" was all that was written.

    -

    Herfj?tur and Lagertha had arrived in Kattegat, and the only positive thing about the burning building was that it provided light.

    "We need to spread out, Lagertha!" Herfj?tur barked, and Lagertha agreed they needed to cover more ground even though they would be stronger together.

    "I will go and get the Queen!" Lagertha eximed, and Herfj?tur agreed with her decision.

    Lagertha ran to the throne room where the forces of Herfj?tur were meant to be protecting. Still, upon reaching there, she saw that every single one of them had been ughtered, but this was no surprise considering they were just fifteen in number protecting the throne room as they could not risk putting more or less because everyone else was at stake.

    "They got in!?" Lagertha eximed; she rushed into the throne room without a second thought because their queen was in danger.

    Liv was not a fighter; she would quickly be subdued; Lagertha walked in to see the corpses of the two guards always with Fredrik. This told her one thing and one thing only.

    They had gotten to Liv, and Lagertha could onlyment what they had done to her because whoever was behind this executed it at such a perfect time.

    Kattegat fell in less than twenty minutes, which was unheard of as it had stood tall for years prior, yet it fell so quickly.

    "Well... well, if it isn''t the famous shied maiden¡­." A voice said, and Lagertha''s eyes dted in horror the moment her eyes met the one that had called her.

    "I-IT IS YOU¡­.?!"

 Chapter 143 The Return Of Askild

    ?The sun was rising on the horizon, and the headless body of Birger had been thrown overboard as they had no use for it otherwise.

    "We are nearing the shores of Kattegat¡­." Hagen said; he had spoken to Tyr a few hours prior because he knew what was happening to the child, but he also knew things would only get worse from now on as he was associated with Erik The Berserker, who had a nasty reputation.

    Bjorn felt guilty; he was hesitant to approach Tyr because, in the end, he did abandon him.

    He looked at him as a monster and not as his brother, but he knew he had to speak to Tyr and do it now.

    Bjorn shot Asger a curious nce, and he was met with the approving nod of hismander.

    He walked towards Tyr, and Tyr''s tired eyes were not even present; it felt like he was there but also not there.

    "Hey Tyr¡­" Bjorn greeted him, and Tyr''s mind returned to the present, but he looked confused.

    One could not me him for the confusion because why was Bjorn here?

    "W-What are you doing here?" Tyr questioned, but Bjorn kept silent until he sat beside his brother.

    "I want to talk to you¡­." Bjorn muttered under his breath; Tyr knew he owed him no exnation as he already knew the kind of person Bjorn was, so this was not outside his character despite it stinging like a bitch.

    Tyr kept quiet as Bjorn awkwardly tried to string along his words.

    "I am sorry for judging what you had to sacrifice to win us the war¡­." Bjorn started his apology; the regret in his voice reverberated in Tyr''s heart.

    "If everyone turns their back on you, I should be among those that never do, and I am sorry I did. I did not know better. I only thought about myself and never how much these decisions affected you. I will understand if you do not forgive me, but I just wanted to let you know I am sorry, brother." Bjorn said; he was too ashamed to look Tyr in the eyes and hung his head, but he was curious to see what face Tyr wore.

    He peeked and saw Tyr''s wide smile; all his gloom seeped away from his body when his brother apologized.

    "Of course I forgive you! You are my rival!" Tyr said, and the life returned to his lifeless eyes as the brother began talking about their aplishments in this war; this included the titles they had both gotten.

    Asger looked content as he saw the brothersughing and talking; they had been far too much bad blood between brothers for far too long. Asmund and Birger was prime example of this.

    Ulf and Ragnar were shaky as well, no one knew the current standing of their rtionship, but one thing was sure, Ulf and Ragnar''s rtionship was not as solid as they believed.

    Hagen could see the docking port and was d they had arrived at Kattegat in one piece; it felt like they had been away for decades, but he was delighted to be back.

    He missed his wife and children and could not wait to see them. The closer they got, the more anxious he became.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Erik saw something, he did not like this, and he knew that as long as Bjorn was in the picture, Tyr would not flourish into the warrior he knew he could be, but he was not stupid enough to incur the wrath of Ragnar Lothbrok.

    He had no intentions of touching Bjorn, but he could sense something was amiss in Kattegat.

    It was a gut feeling, but he did not need to tell anyone about it.

    They neared the dock, but no one was there; there was no party there to wee them, which was strange.

    Asger looked at Ulf with disdain; he had taken away the one life that was his to take; the source of his rage and hatred had been stolen from him and left an emptiness in his heart.

    "Everyone, be on your guard," Askild said out of the blue, confusing everyone, but they had no intention of questioning him and simplyplied with this demand.

    Despite not being in the best conditions, they were ready for whatever threat lurked in the city, and the ship arrived soon after.

    "King Askild has returned!" Someone shouted, and the citizens went to greet King Askild, pping and cheering as they weed their King.

    Askild did not know what to make of this as this would typically be how they weed them, but something just felt off, and Askild could not wrap his fingers around it.

    Tyr and Bjorn basked in the praise and cheers; they were so happy that their first war seeded despite nearly dying on multiple asions.

    They left the ship one by one, walking and waving to the citizens as they carted the goods from the boat they had gotten from Vestfold.

    "Where is mother?" Tyr asked Bjorn, they were supposed to be aware of their arrival as a messenger had been sent to them long before their journey, yet Lagertha was not there?

    Tyr and Bjorn knew their mother would not miss this for the world, and if even the kids could sense something was amiss, there was no way Erik and Askild did not.

    "Man, what a fucking bore," Erik muttered with a yawn right before slicing open the skull of a woman that was cheering them.

    "Shut the fuck up and reveal yourselves¡­." Erik said, blood dripping down his ax as he did not care if his intuition was wrong; the burnt structure was much deeper in the city, so no one could see that at all.

    And it was as Askild suspected; the people that were cheering for them kept quiet, but they did not show fear despite Erik just slicing open a woman''s head.

    "They don''t have the eyes¡­." Erikughed, the people of Kattegat always looked at him with fear, but these people did not couple with his gut feeling. He did not hesitate.

    "Kattegat has¡­. fallen," Askild muttered with an exhausted grin.

 Chapter 144 Bad Is Good, Good Is Bad

    ?Ragnar Lothbrok was dealing with the rising tension in Vestfold, they had epted him as their King, but this meant that the Earls sworn to Asmund would have toe to Vestfold to pledge their loyalty to Ragnar Lothbrok. However, this was the least of his worries right now.

    Ragnar had to meet with political figures within Vestfold; for a man who has never liked politics, he was not looking forward to this but luckily he was not doing it alone.

    "King Ragnar, they have arrived," A beautifuldy in herte twenties informed him. Unlike the women Ragnar was used to seeing, she had an enormous chest proportional to her ass size. She was attractive, but Ragnar only had eyes for Lagertha despite his urges surfacing frequently.

    "Thank you," Ragnar simply said; he did not know her name, but she had already told him multiple times. He knew it would be awkward if he asked her again for it, so he steered clear of it.

    "You have forgotten my name again, have you not, King Ragnar?" The girl said, and Ragnar started looking around like he was searching for something to stall, but Skarde walked in on them in time.

    He had lost his eyes and was forced to use a came to navigate; this was enough reason to send anyone into a depressive state but not Skarde. Skarde was d he was alive and grew tired of seeing the world''s ugliness.

    A certain peace of mind came with darkness, and Skarde was now out of the battlefield for life, a dream that Ragnar once sought and achieved.

    "Hello, Porunn," Skarde greeted her; even without eyes, he knew who she was.

    Ragnar was happy that Skarde walked at the moment he did as she greeted him too.

    She was thedy that saved Skarde''s life, and she did not seem crazy or has not shown that side to her yet, despite Skarde being curious about why she saved him.

    Ragnar also noticed she acted differently when Skarde was around them; it was easy for him to point out that she was interested in Skarde despite his handicapped state.

    And why everyone was wary of her was strange, but he did not want to put too much thought into it.

    "Porunn, I will be ready shortly; inform them," Ragnar quickly said like he had always known her name, but this was not the case, and everyone in the room knew this.

    "There is one more thing you need to know, a new kingdom wishes to ally with Vestfold; it goes by the name "Rognd¡­." Porunn said, her eyes shifting from Ragnar to Skarde.

    She could not focus on the conversation, which Ragnar noticed but did not mind.

    "Rognd made several attempts multiple times on Asmund''s life, did they not?" Skarde questioned; this was information Ragnar was oblivious to, and Porunn confirmed this with a "Yes."

    This already sent significant red gs to Ragnar because why would he trust a kingdom that had tried to kill Asmund?

    "King Ragnar, I know what you are thinking, but we do not need their trust but their strength. Vestfold is vulnerable to attacks, and Rognd is a strong kingdom. As your advisor, I would say it is worth meeting him," Skarde gave his two cents as he was Ragnar''s advisor.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ragnar was not a stubborn man, he listened to Skarde, but they were not expecting any people like this until a few days.

    "You are right, Skarde; I will see him," Ragnar said, but Porunn''s face showed relief.

    "That is great to hear, King Ragnar, because King Rugalf is here right now," Porunn said, and this surprised Ragnar as he was not informed prior by her or anyone.

    Ragnar followed behind her because he was curious about who this man was and what he wanted.

    "Skarde, you will attend to the political heads. I was never good with politics and trust you to do what you feel is best." Ragnar said without hesitation. He was d Skarde chose to stay with him, as one could not rule a kingdom with strength alone.

    "Skarde will take my ce in the meeting¡­." Ragnar said, pausing momentarily as he stared nkly at Porunn.

    "You forgot my name again, didn''t you?" Porunn asked, and Ragnar started to stall like he did earlier by pretending to be searching for something. Ragnar was not like how she thought he would be; it was no wonder why Ga had chosen him to be King. He was different.

    Porunn walked in front of Skarde, who used his cane to guide his steps; one thing Skarde did not want was a pity as he was blind, not dead.

    The moment they left, Ragnar heaved a sigh of relief before heading to the throne room to see the kind of man this ''King'' was.

    -

    King Askild was backed into a corner; he noticed that his men had trouble keeping up with these attackers because of their injuries, and it would be pointless to lose more men now.

    He needed them alive; he had already lost far too many men in the war, and there was no reason to lose even more.

    "That is enough," King Askild said, abruptly ending the battle. It was clear that whoever this enemy was had Kattegat under their wraps, and it would be stupid to lose men without even knowing what was going on.

    "That is enough; take me to your leader¡­." Askild said, sheathing his de and prompting everyone else to follow the lead of their King.

    "Wee back to Kattegat¡­." A voice said behind the crowd, and they gave way one by one to reveal who that person was, but this voice. It was not one that Askild remembered.

    The voice of the cloaked man had fought Herfj?tur, his injury wrapped.

    "The King of Kattegat has been expecting you, Askild," The man said, and everyone''s jaw dropped. They had conquered a kingdom but had lost another, a cruel trade.

 Chapter 145 The Man In The Shadows

    ?Askild was allowed passage, but only him; everyone else was held at the harbor.

    He could not believe that Kattegat fell despite having twomanders here, and he was confident that neither of them would betray him, but that is the thing with betrayal, and that is what makes it so terrifying. Askild also wondered what happened to his wife.

    Askild began to probe who could be responsible as his mind raced, but there was no way for him to know until he met this leader.

    "Askild, I know you are probably wondering who was responsible for this," The man spoke to Askild like equals, without the title they were. The one title that gave Askild power was no longer his, and with a new king, the men of Kattegat were no longer sworn to Askild.

    Everything will soon be revealed, but there is one thing you need to know," The man said. He was not stupid enough to escort Askild alone as he could not even defeat Herfj?tur, so there was no way he could touch Askild if a fight would ensue.

    What is it?" Askild questioned calmly; he was worried but hid it well.

    "There is thisdy we found in the throne room; she is quite a marvelous woman." The man said with a sickening grin as his cloak slipped from his head to reveal his face.

    Askild looked at him with a disgusted look, he had a very innocent-looking face, and Askild could estimate his age to be in his mid-twenties.

    He was a rtively small man, measuring 5''9 in height, but Askild could tell he was in no way weak.

    "I think her name was Liv¡­." The man called out the name of Askild''s wife, and this prompted Askild to stop in his tracks the moment he called out her name.

    "What did you just say?" Askild questioned; the murderous intent in his eyes forced the others escorting him to clutch the hilt of their de in anticipation.

    "She has such beautiful skin¡­. Especially when exposed¡­." The man said, licking his lips as the men around him giggled. He was trying to provoke Askild, and it was working.

    "I have a habit of mixing names, so I might be wrong," The man said, ying it off as a joke, but he knew the trigger button of Askild with this little joke.

    "What did you do with mymanders?" Askild asked, but he got no response.

    The walk felt like an eternity, but it was in less than seven minutes.

    The men stopped at the entrance and gestured for Askild to move forward.

    He was surprised that they would let him in alone; did that mean they did not consider him a threat, to begin with? No, that could not be the reason.

    Aksild stepped into what was once his throne room, and what he saw horrified him.

    He saw Liv, half-naked and tied to the throne, but no one else was in this room apart from her.

    "What is going on?" Askild asked; he looked around to see if anyone was around, but there was not, so why did they bring him here?

    "K-King A-Askild? Is that you!?" Liv said desperately, but her voice was not one of a maiden in distress but fear for her potential savior.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Take it easy, Liv; I am here. No harm wille to you," Askild said calmly; he tried his best to reassure his wife, but it did not sound like she needed his reassurance.

    "GET OUT OF HERE! KING ASKILD!" Liv screamed in desperation, and Askild was surprised because he had never heard his wife speak this way.

    She was blindfolded, so she could not see, but Liv could hear everything, and right now, her husband''s life seemed to be in danger, a danger she alone perceived.

    Askild naturally assumed a defensive stance because there was no way he was nning to leave Liv, his wife, alone with the enemies because he did not know what would happen to her if he did.

    "I am not leaving you here¡­." Askild said sternly, his voice threatening as he gazed right at her.

    "Did they¡­" Askild stopped himself frompleting the question, but Liv knew precisely what he wanted to ask.

    "I am fine, no one touched me, King Askild." She reassured her husband and still gave him the respect that came with his title as King, even though that title might very well be lost.

    Askild began walking towards his wife, but he was cautious as he did not know if a trap awaited him. He was relieved she was fine, but why did they want him here?

    Where was the leader? Did they just want to show him that they did not hurt Liv?

    Why go through this much trouble? Askild soon realized why he was there.

    He saw Lagertha, but unlike his wife, she was unconscious and bound to a chair close to the door.

    He only realized she was there after walking a few meters forward as his attention was focused solely on Liv.

    "Lagertha?" Askild was confused; who possessed thebat skills to defeat Lagertha?

    Lagertha was far from weak, as herbat prowess was rumored to be on par with amander.

    Before he could figure out what was happening, he could hear someone pping their hands in the distance. It got closer with each passing second. Liv looked terrified; she kept whimpering and sobbing.

    "He is here!" Liv muttered under her breath, and Askild was sad to see his wife in such a state.

    He expected to return to feasts and celebrations as they had done what most once deemed impossible, but now he understood why. That was why Kattegat fell.

    "Well, well¡­ If it is not the usurper, wee back to Kattegat¡­." The man paused, his faceing into view, and Askild''s eyes widened in surprise; he could not believe what he saw.

    "You¡­." Askild muttered under his breath.

    "You are Birger Helvig!" Askild shouted upon seeing the man standing behind his wife.

 Chapter 146 The Second Coming

    ?The man behind the fall of Kattegat was revealed to be Birger.

    Aksild had so many questions, but he did not know how to ask them because how could he not know that the person with them was an imposter? It must have been why he wore the helmet.

    "You look like shit, Askild, but I know you have many questions," Birger said, gently caressing the neck of Liv as she squirmed and whimpered.

    "Do you remember what I told you? The day you see my face is the day our truce and your lifees to an end," Birger said, looking right at Askild as Askild watched his hand slowly leave the neck of his wife only to go lower towards her breasts but stopped just before he reached them, removing his hands from herpletely.

    "Hush now there, I might not like you, but you are still the sister of King Xenophanes even though I cannot believe you married the man that killed your brother," Birger said in disgust.

    He noticed Askild was tempted to charge at him, but he was cautious because Birger had his wife hostage.

    There was no doubt that this was Birger; he had the same eyes as Asmund with his wavy ck hair.

    "Birger, but I am certain you were the one I met on the first day," Askild asked this question, trying to stall for as long as he kept him talking; his wife should be safe.

    "That was me, but it is easy to switch ces when you don''t have a face to show. Did you not find it strange that I wore a helmet despite having never done so before?" Birger asked.

    Askild found it strange, but he did not bother to probe as long as he was helpful, which he was.

    Before Askild could ask another question, Birger put his index finger on his lips to gesture for Askild to shut up.

    "That is enough questions for now; I will answer all your questionster but now, let us y a game," Birger said. Askild could not believe he was fooled by something so simple.

    But before he could process what was happening, a de was tossed before him,nding right at his feet.

    "What is the meaning of this? You wish to duel?" Askild questioned, staring at the de.

    "Duel? No, Askild. I want you to choose who lives." Birger said, forcing Askild''s head up only to see the sickening grin on Birger''s face.

    "Yes, I want you to choose who dies here today. Lagertha, the wife of King Ragnar, or Liv, your wife." Birger reiterated, and Askild''s gritted teeth told him how he felt.

    -

    Ulrik had managed to convince the guard to set him and Arvid free.

    He carried Arvid on his back and escaped amidst the chaos; that was why it was possible in the first ce because Arvid had information that most did not know about. And Ulrik was interested in it.

    "Arvid, what have you done¡­." Ulrik said; there was no way information reached Arvid, and the fact that he reacted the way he did showed that this was something he knew about long before it happened.

    Ulrik did not expect anything from him. He did not expect Arvid to cooperate after what Kattegat had done to him; no one in their right mind would, yet Arvid warned them to run away. It meant the threat looming was more significant than his hatred for Kattegat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Night had passed, and they had hidden out in a cabin as there was no way his escape would go unnoticed. Ulrik was sure he would have been killed if he remained a prisoner as there was no way they would keep amander alive; Ulrik was d he listened to Arvid''s warning, even though that was not why they escaped. He escaped to fight back, but by the time he came out.

    Kattegat had already fallen, so he could only hide out until he came up with a n.

    Ulrik knew all his men could not be dead, and the cheer he heard earlier also signified that Askild was back as he could listen to his name being chanted, but what did this mean?

    Now that he was back and right where the enemies wanted him, what would happen now?

    Did they know he would be back today? Is that why they took the bold step of snatching Kattegat?

    He looked at Arvid and knew that this man would be better off dead, but he had a role to y and maybe redeem himself as Ulrik already knew he would be in trouble for freeing him, but it was a worthy risk.

    "Arvid, I need you to tell me everything you know," Ulrik said, but the stench from his body was overwhelming; he had to shower first.

    "Let us get you cleaned up first," Ulrik said, helping him into the tub in the corner.

    Arvid washed himself; he had found a new reason to cling to life.

    He washed, but each scrub made him wince in pain. Ulrik was d that Arvid was returning because he had more than paid for his sins with what Erik and Askild did to him and his family; that was enough psychological trauma to make even the strongest men buckle.

    Two knocks on the door forced Ulrik into a defensive position, but the voice behind the door was familiar; it was the voice of Herfj?tur.

    Ulrik rushed to the door but was still cautious because he did not know who he could trust.

    "Open the fucking door!" Herfj?tur barked, and Ulrik instinctively did just that because things must be dire for Herfj?tur to cuss out the way she did.

    "These fuckers have Lagertha," Herfj?tur said, barging at the moment the door was opening.

    Ulrik was shocked because no one should be strong enough to defeat Lagertha.

    He tried to shut the door, but a hand stopped it from closing; it was Karl and a new face.

    "Karl, what the fuck is she doing here!?" The urgency in Ulrik''s voice was telling, and the silence from Herfj?tur told everyone that whoever was with Karl was not meant to be there.

    "Hello Ulrik, or should I saymander¡­." The woman said, and Ulrik fell silent the moment she spoke.

    "I am back.... cousin."

 Chapter 147 King Rugalf Gardsson

    ?Ragnar met with King Rugalf Gardsson, and this man was the most intimidating man Ragnar had seen; he was covered in tattoos from head to toe, with the whites of his eyes pitch ck.

    He was easily bigger than Erik The Berserker and far more muscr, defined as a giant.

    "King Ragnar, it is most refreshing seeing another reputable name on that throne¡­." Rugalf said. He had manners despite his appearance, and Ragnar did not know if his confidence was admirable as he came alone to a hostile kingdom.

    "Wee King Rugalf, you have to forgive my tardiness, I was not expecting you," Ragnar said, sitting on the throne that now belonged to him.

    "It was sudden. I apologize for not informing you, but I just had to meet the new King of Vestfold. The man who nearly killed K?re¡­." Rugalf said with a smirk, and Ragnar was even more surprised that he had this information.

    Ragnar remained quiet and listened to him speak, but it made him curious about who K?re was because he did not understand why it held such importance.

    "K?re? Who is that? They all look the same to me." Ragnar joked, and Rugalf smirked upon hearing this, but he was also interested in one person.

    "Erik The Berserker, does he still live?" Ruf asked Ragnar. This was a strange question as he had no business with Erik, but Ragnar again chose to y the fool.

    "Who knows with that man, one minute you think he is dead, the next he is chopping off someone''s head, but I want to know what brings you here¡­" Ragnar not only dismissed the question but countered it with one of his own.

    "I know you are weakened, Kattegat and Vestfold alike. You need all the allies you can get right now because I fear the smaller kingdoms will soon start merging. After all, they know they stand no chance alone. King Askild taking Vestfold and not simply raiding has ruined the bnce that once held the kingdoms together." Rugalf said, but this was something Ragnar was aware of.

    "And what do you want in return?" Ragnar asked. He would not mind the alliance but understood far too well that such things always came with a price.

    "You catch on quick, King Ragnar. I want our children to be wed when theye of age to solidify our union; I would be honored to be associated with your name, not by mere association but through the family." Rugalf said, and Raganr was speechless because he had not even thought about such a thing despite knowing arranged marriages were quite popr between kingdoms.

    "W-What? Is that not a bit too sudden?" Ragnar asked. He was confused because he did not understand what was going on. Bjorn and Tyr had hit puberty but showed no interest in girls as far as he was concerned; all they thought about was fighting and getting strong.

    "There is no question your children would grow up into warriors just as great or even greater than you, no king would not want to bask in that fame, but in return, you have my sword, King Ragnar, whenever you need it." Rugalf continued. He looked to be in his mid-thirties; despite his brutish appearance, he did not seem like Erik, quite the opposite.

    "Hahaha! You tter me! I am not that great!" Ragnar said with a goofyugh, flustered because he was not used to suchpliments.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Do we have an agreement, King Ragnar?" Rugalf asked. He needed an answer to this crucial question, but Ragnar also knew the gravity of such promises.

    Rugalf did not mind which of the sons Ragnar offered up, but what if the child of this man was not on the attractive side? Ragnar did not want his grandchildren to look like mini goblins and hoped his kids looked nothing like him.

    "I will have to think about it, King Rugalf," Ragnar said, and Rugalf understood his decision.

    He did not expect an answer immediately and instead chose to give Ragnar his sword while he thought it over.

    King Rugalf nned to show Ragnar why he deserved to be part of his family, and with this alliance, Ragnar knew the insecurity Vestfdol faced was gone.

    -

    Skarde was in a room with a few powerful men, but hisck of sight meant he could not perceive them physically; they had a few problems regarding trade, as a few kingdoms were hesitant to support this new regime, including work.

    This interested Skarde; he was a bit disappointed with how these men thought it was a miracle that Vestfold had the finances to sustain itself after seeing what these men were.

    They were greedy and only interested in trades that grew their personal wallet as opposed to businesses that benefitted Vestfold. Of course, they did noty their intentions for all to see and hid them behind fancy words, words that Skarde saw through.

    "You are the figures that hold Vestfold together? I do not doubt your influence, but I doubt yourpetence." Skarde shot down all their ideas; this was why Ragnar had chosen, for this exact reason.

    "At a time like this, you suggest we cut ties with people we traded with only because they did not aid you in the war? That is rash and short-sighted." Skarde said, and he was not done.

    "Trading is trading, Vestfold does not need the loyalty of neighboring kingdoms, but we need their business. I do not care if they hate us with the fury of a thousand men as long as they keep trading with us. Remove your sentiments; you aren''t children!" Skarde finalized, and the room fell silent.

    "Did I overdo it?" Skarde thought to himself; considering this was their first meeting, he knew he had to make a strong first impression.

    "Mr. Skarde is right," A voice said; she was clearly one of the political figures, but the moment she agreed with Skarde, like ants serving their queen, the rest agreed as well, making Skarde question just who this woman was.

 Chapter 148 Kill Me Twice, Shame On Me

    ?Asger was suspicious of what was happening; it was strange that they were not killing them but holding them hostage.

    "What is happening?" Asger whispered to Bjorn, but Bjorn had no response to this question.

    They were being held hostage for some reason, he suspected they would not survive this ordeal, but something strange happened.

    They instructed them to follow them, and the direction in which they walked was the throne room. Everyone walked like prisoners; even Erik listened because he had no interest in fighting small fries. He believed he could kill everyone here; no one was his equal.

    "Are you going to kill us?" A random warrior asked, but he got no response.

    It did not take long for them to arrive at the throne room, but something strange happened.

    They were separated in sections, and Asger was carried alongside Tyr and Bjorn.

    Tyr could see from the corner of his eyes that they were killing the people they had no use for as they were asking them to shift their allegiance, but loyalty built on fear was not true loyalty.

    This was evident when they had no problem switching their loyalty so quickly.

    "Where are you taking us?" Asger asked, but the man that was carrying them did not say anything but said something unrted to the question he was asked,

    "He does not wish for you three to be harmed, for the truth would soon be revealed," The man was awfully cryptic, but there was a sense of relief when they confirmed their life was not in danger even though this did not change the imminent threat.

    They were smart, they did not ughter indiscriminately, and they offered them a chance to switch their allegiance. A chance people took as Askild was no longer a King byw, so this meant that they did not owe him their loyalty.

    Their loyalty rested in the King of Kattegat, whoever that was, but Asger knew he could not switch his allegiance; a few stood firm, but it felt like this was the end of King Askild.

    -

    Erik The Berserker was being taken by over fifty people, they were all with their swords drawn already, but luckily Erik was not interested in what was happening.

    He was present but not his mind; he was lost somewhere, and everyone could tell he had no interest in them.

    "I wonder¡­ Could I kill King Askild?" Erik muttered to himself, and this caught everyone by surprise because everyone knew Erik''s loyalty to Askild was absolute. Even as a joke, he has never had such extreme thoughts, but this was all thanks to Signy.

    "Report this to him," The man leading the walk whispered to one of the lesser Vikings to inform the higher-ups of this development because if Erik was thinking this, there must be a way to use him.

    Was Erik''s sanity finally on the brink of disappearing, or was this an act to throw them off?

    -<novelnext></novelnext>

    Askild was given a choice to kill Lagertha or his wife; he pondered on this because he was confident he would not have his way in this situation. Things were not looking good; he casually picked up the sword from the ground.

    There was no way he would kill his wife, and he knew the consequences of killing Lagertha. He would not be that stupid when Ragnar became a King that even his men recognized.

    "Birger, I know you hate me," Askild said, trying to stall for time.

    "I do not feel anything for you, usurper. I do not hate you for what you did to me; I hate you for what you took from me," Birger said, standing firmly behind Liv.

    She was sobbing and whimpering; this was strange, considering her husband was there.

    It was almost like she believed he could not save her, like she wanted him to leave because she knew that he would choose he over Lagertha.

    "You must understand, everything I did, I did for Kattegat," Askild said, but Birger saw through what he was trying and ripped the shirt off Liv, exposing her breasts.

    "I yed the role of a monster for so long that I asked myself, could I be that monster?" Birger started a monologue, groping Liv''s breast with one hand.

    ".... The answer was yes," Birger concluded as his hand slowly left the trembling chest of Liv, by touching her he had vited Akild''s pride but he could have done so much worse.

    "I was responsible for everything, every single thing in Kattegat. I manipted Arvid to carry out my will when I sensed he hated you¡­." Birger said, but Askild was trying his best to remain calm. He knew he needed to stay calm, or he risked losing the plot.

    Birger was trying to provoke him into a reaction, and despite fuming with rage, he maintained his outward calm.

    "That is nonsense; you just came to Kattegat¡­." Askild said; the view of his wife sickened him, but Birger had all the cards, and something told Askild he could lose everything with one wrong move.

    "Hahaha! I have been watching you, Askild. I have been watching everything," Birger said, but his eyes were not focused on Askild but instead on Liv''s body; he could feel something stir up in him.

    "That is impossible; how did the person that took your ce know all those things?" Askild questioned, but Birger was getting tired of the questions.

    "Information can be taught, Askild, and impersonation is easy for one that is a lover of ys," Birger said, and it all made sense now that Askild thought about it.

    ''Birger'' red up when a y was mentioned like he was being triggered by it, but that was not the only thing he recalled.

    ".... You have changed, I cannot wrap my fingers around it, but something about you feels different¡­." Askild repeated the exact words that Asmund had said. [Chapter 91]

    It all made sense; everything that had happened was Birger''s doing, but who carried out the killing of Egil?

 Chapter 149 Violence And Lust

    ?"What the fuck is she doing here?" Ulrik did not like seeing the woman before him, but no one knew why. Herfj?tur was tired of the noise, and just a look from her was enough to make Ulrik keep quiet.

    "I am tired of this; I am going to kill every single one of them!" Herfj?tur was angry, and she walked back and forth, thinking of what to do.

    Ulrik realized that his cousin was the reason they could find him, this was their hiding spot when they were younger, but he had questions for Herfj?tur and Karl regarding what was happening.

    Ulrik remembered that Arvid was here; he did not know what Herfj?tur would do if she saw him and moved to inform her of the current situation.

    "Herfj?tur, I have to tell you something." Ulrik tried his best to get Herfj?tur''s attention, but he was frightened for some reason. His body told him this was not the time, but he had to.

    "Arvid?" Herfj?tur muttered, and Ulrik knew things were about to get rough, but for some reason, Herfj?tur was calm; it was safe to say that seeing Arvid calmed her down.

    Arvid immediately teared up the moment he saw her. This was strange, considering Arvid had no way to react the way he did; the look in his eyes was not that of fear but rather regret.

    Herfj?tur kept quiet, prompting Ulrik to question what was happening, but he soon felt a hand on his shoulder.

    The feel, the hand size; Ulrik looked back only to see thedy in her mid-thirties touching his shoulder.

    Without a moment''s thought, Ulrik jammed his first right into her jaw, sending her tumbling to the ground.

    But he did not stop there; he mounted her and pummeled her face.

    "DON''T YOU EVER FUCKING TOUCH ME!" Ulrik screamed as he pounded away, Karl tried to stop him, but the rage in Ulrik''s blow was too powerful for Karl to stop.

    It took the intervention of Herfj?tur to stop him, yanking Ulrk off the woman, who had a smile on her face all through the beating.

    "ULRIK! CALM DOWN!" Herfj?tur tried to calm him down, but she wondered what the woman could have done to make Ulrik so riled up.

    Even the disappearance of Garda did not draw such an extreme reaction from him.

    "Oskar is dead¡­." Thedy sprawled awkwardly on the ground.

    "That is why I have returned¡­." Thedy said, getting to her feet as she walked toward Ulrik. Herfj?tur''s eyes squinted; there was something off-putting about this woman.

    "S-Stay back!" Ulrik was panicking as she got closer, it was almost like he had shell shock, and whatever it was, it was caused by this woman.

    Herfj?tur stood right in front of the woman, blocking her path. She was a woman no one knew much about except being an orphan alongside her brother Oskar.

    Ulrik and Oskar were once close friends, but no one knows what happened between them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The man that rules Kattegat is not some child you can beat¡­." Thedy said. Herfj?tur was confused by this statement.

    "What do you mean?" Herfj?tur questioned thedy with a bloodied face; the state of her face showed that Ulrik did not hold back.

    "The person that is leading Kattegat is King Birger!" Everyone froze when these words left her lips as they were brought into the loop on what was happening in Kattegat, but they were even more surprised why this woman knew about it for this was the same name the prisoner they had uttered but Birger was meant to be with King Askild.

    -

    Ulf was taken alone; he was sure he would be killed because he did not have as much influence as themanders. He mentally braced himself, maybe killing Birger was the wrong choice because he would die either way. This was going to be as anti-climatic a death as a filler character.

    "Ulf, this is where we were instructed to bring you, sir." The man in charge said, bowing his head slightly. Ulf was confused because this was no way; it was a tree.

    "What am I going to do here?" Ulf asked the men, thinking this would be his execution ground.

    "I have not forgotten my promise to you, Ulf Lothbrok," The man said. Like he was reading from a script, and the moment those words were spoken, Ulf stumbled backward until his back hit the tree trunk.

    "He said you would know what it means, but we will have to ask you to wait here," The man said. His tone was polite; he addressed Ulf like he was addressing a superior despite Ulf being his captive.

    "Birger is alive!?" Ulf thought. He had so many questions, but the most important thing was

    Birger was not going to kill him. He heaved a sigh of relief as he was soon guided into a house with food and drinks on the table, evendies all ready for consumption.

    He saw so many gorgeousdies around him; it almost felt like this ce was separated from the chaos outside, and Ulf intended to enjoy this moment to its fullest extent.

    He knew he could not surpass Ragnar, each step he took, Ragnar took ten more, and there was no more extraordinary title than being King, but he wondered what Birger had in store for him.

    He would not do him favors for free; there had to be a price. It did not take long for Ulf to get aroused by thedies around him just as his host intended.

    One could not me him; it had been a while since he had been in thepany of women.

    They wore exposing clothes, showing off their best attributes, he suspected they were whores, but he could use any hole to stick his dick in right now.

    But one woman, in particr, caught his eyes, he looked at her from head to toe, and everyone else seemed to fade from his sight.

    Thedy before him was Bergdis, and he wanted her like everyone who glimpsed at her.

 Chapter 150 Birger, The Sadist

    ?Asger knew that he had to get the children away. He was sure that they could do something because of the feat they had aplished during the war.

    "Bjorn, Tyr¡­. You need to get out of here. I do not know where they are taking us, but I cannot let them get their hands on you¡­." Asger whispered to the kids, away from the ears of those around them, because he was wary of the dangers that came with such conversations.

    "I cannot leave you alone, sir," Bjorn responded, but it was clear these two boys did not realize that they were no longer average warriors but the children of a King, the children of King Ragnar.

    They were far too powerful a bargaining chip because the person that did this was knowledgeable, and there was no telling what he would do with the children.

    Tyr, however, caught on. He did not say a word, but the look in his eyes told Asger all he needed to know.

    Tyr had grown so much in the past month, and Asger was d to witness it.

    "I will cause a distraction; you both have to get out of here," Asger said, but he did not wait for the children to respond as he immediately tackled one of the guards.

    This created an opening that Tyr and Bjorn exploited as both boys ran.

    Asger did not resist much, and his being here meant they could not chase them or risk Asger getting away. Of course, this did not mean they would not give chase as three guards chased them.

    Bjorn was a lot slower, but this was no problem for the young warrior before he could even react to the men chasing him. Tyr jumped over his brother and mmed his ax right into the forehead of the man about to get his brother.

    This killed him instantly as Tyr tumbled to the ground, but he was not done. He yanked his ax out of the corpse and threw it right into the neck of the second man behind him.

    Bjorn watched his brother take down these men like they were nothing; this was a lot different than when they sparred because Tyr took these lives like he was brushing his teeth.

    "Bjorn!" Tyr screamed, Bjorn had spaced out, and the man had closed in on them.

    "N-No more¡­" Bjorn muttered, clenching his fist as the man was within striking distance.

    Bjorn''s eyes burned with fury. He looked at the man with a renewed resolve because this was the life he had chosen; how could hepete with his brother if he could not take the lives of his enemies?

    Bjorn managed to dodge the thrusting sword of his foe before slitting his throat with a smaller knife on him, forcing the man on his knees to choke on his own blood before falling face first, dead. They had managed to kill their pursuers but what next?

    -<novelnext></novelnext>

    Askild was impressed by Birger''s intelligence; Birger had been plotting for years for this exact moment. The fury of a patient man was a force to be reckoned with.

    "I have taken the very thing you killed for, King Askild. But you still have more to lose¡­." Birger said. He returned to touching Liv, but what Askild''s wife would feel something pressed against her neck was cold and hard; it was his sword.

    "I will count to three, Askild, and if you have not decided, you will lose a second," Birger warned, but the feeling of control, he loved it.

    He loved how helpless Askild was and how he had to y his games, but Askild did something that surprised both Liv and Birger, pointing his de at Liv.

    "You make one mistake, and that is thinking I care about her. I will stain my de with her blood as I can always marry a prettier and morepetent wife." Askild said, and Birger''s lips curled up like some Disney viin.

    He slowly withdrew his sword and gestured for Askild toe forward, Liv was used to Askild saying harsh words to her, but this felt different; he meant these words, but she did not plead for her life as hers was less significant than Lagertha as it stood.

    "That is close enough," Birger said. He did not want Askild to get too close because he did not know what he had in mind, but it could not be good.

    "Can I say myst words?" Askild asked, and Birger gave his go-ahead; there was something poetic about this.

    "Liv, you are a strange woman. I do not understand how you could love me after seeing just who I am; you knew I was a man that would do anything for my ambition. I killed your brother, yet you love me? I have never understood this insanity, but I did not want to, so you became my biggest weakness. I know weaknesses are meant to be purged, but you are a weakness I want forever embedded in me¡­." Askild finally said. He had openly shown affection to Liv, and this moment overwhelmed Liv with emotions she could not control.

    "I love you, Liv¡­." Askild said; Liv smiled with contentment.

    He was right; she knew her husband, but she had forgotten for a brief moment that Askild was not a man to let his emotions stand in the way of his dreams.

    "I love you too, Askild¡­." Liv said, and Askild moved to thrust his sword at his wife, but it was parried. Askild looked up to see Birger standing in front of her, and he had a look of ecstasy.

    "Hahaha! You said it. You actually said it! Do you know why I could sway Arvid to do what I wanted him to do even though he was so scared of you? It is because I promised him I would wound you the same way you would him¡­." Birger said, looking at Liv sobbing profusely.

    "Oh, sweetheart, you think this is bad? Wait until you see what I have in store for you. Your husband is familiar with it," Birger teased with a sickening grin. Askild''s eyes widened in horror, he knew the fate that awaited Liv and tried to lunge at Birger, but the hole in his leg gotten by the arrow in the war made his movements a lot slower as Birger blocked his de.

    "You have mistaken my motives, Askild. I have no intention of killing you now¡­ That would be too easy," Birger warned, and Askild soon felt his legs buckle, and an arrow had pierced his thighs from behind.

    "You see, I also have a show for you, my dear usurper," Birger said right before knocking Askild out, but Birger noticed that his shirt had been cut, showing that despite Askild being injured, he was still a formidable fighter.

 Chapter 151 Ulfs Reward [R18+]

    ?Allmanders were put in a cell, excluding Lagertha. Of course, it was not just them, everyone was put in it alongside an unconscious and newly wounded Askild.

    Askild was unconscious when he was dropped, and this made everyone question just what had happened, they looked at each other for answers but they could not think of anything.

    Erik felt disconnected, it was almost like his mind was not present as it was a surprise in itself that he listened to them.

    Askild had broken the grand image he had of him, this war showed him that Askild was just a man in the end, a man he had seen bleed and he felt his respect for Askild slowly slip away.

    Askild woke up but he was injured, and Asger rushed to his King''s side to see if he was alright.

    "King Askild!" Asger still saw him as his King, as with most men here but there was something different in Askild''s eyes.

    Those fearful eyes that had kept men in check for years were losing that fire, Askild did not speak or respond to Asger. For the first time in his life, Askild felt hopeless but was this karma for his past sins?

    "I have helped the children of Ragnar escape, we cannot risk King Ragnar''s children falling, we do not know what would happen if they do," Asger informed his King of his decision to help the kids escape but once again, Askild did not respond.

    "I wonder¡­." Erik said; he did not care for the state of his King and had his mind somewhere.

    "If all themanders are here¡­. Where is Ulf?" Erik said and everyone began looking around to see if they had missed him but Erik was right, Ulf was not there.

    Askild''s eyes narrowed in rage, Askild''s helpless eyes soon changed to one of a feral beast.

    Askild was pissed and Erik could swear he could see the face of death momentarily on his face.

    "What is this?" Erik thought; this was the first time he was feeling something so intense and could not help but feel excited by it. Erik was not just excited by the killing intent of Askild, he was aroused.

    -

    Ulf stuffed his face in food, he could not believe he was getting this treatment.

    He gestured for Bergdis toe closer, he wanted her perverse body.

    Ulf was smelling like alcohol, he had gulped down multiple cups of ale.

    "Girl, more ale!" Ulfmanded one of the pretty girls and it was allughs and giggles among them, these girls had continued their means of living despite the change of leadership as they understood that Birger was not interested in them. Birger reassured them when he set this little surprise for Ulf.

    He smacked the girl''s ass, it was soft and plump but not nearly as big as Bergdis''s.

    Ulf slowly guided the girl''s hand to his dick, she had no problem doing this as she slipped her hand into his trouser and began stroking his dick gently.

    Bergdis was making eye contact with Ulf, and the sexual tension was evident. Ulf watched her bite his lips and he knew that was his cue as she walked away into a room like she was calling him to follow her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ulf, like a dog given a bone, stopped the girl jerking his dick and followed behind Bergdis.

    He shut the door behind the room, locking it as he saw Bergdis in fewer clothes than he remembered but not nude.

    "You must be an important person if our new ruler went through this much trouble," Bergdis said, but Ulf was not listening to any of this, he was ovee with lust as he walked up to Bergdis.

    She noticed his dick throbbing within his trousers but at that size, he was not small¡­

    Ulf ripped off her shirt to reveal her chest and Bergdis tried to take control of the scene but Ulf was not having any of that as he tossed her on the bed.

    Bergdis tried to adjust by going off the bed but Ulf grabbed her ankles and dragged her towards him, her crotch making contact with his hardened dick.

    Bergdis could not believe this strength, and her heart was beating hard as Ulf lowered his trouser to show Bergdis the weapon that would be inside her.

    "W-Wait!" Bergdis protested but Ulf had his hand around her neck as Ulf said one sentence.

    "Shut up¡­" Bergdis was anxious because she knew what wasing, this man was not going to give her the control she wanted but something strange happened as Ulf''s hand around her neck started constricting slowly but that was the least of her worries as she felt her panties shift to the side and Ulf''s dick slipping right inside her, she was wet.

    Ulf moaned upon entry, the warmth was like a coat for his dick, and he could not believe that a pussy this good was right under his nose.

    Bergdis bit her lips, she tried to retreat and almost seeded but Ulf grabbed her by curvy waist with both hands and mmed his entire dick inside her, and Bergdis back arched on the bed.

    She was breathing hard and panting, Ulf kept mming his dick in and out of her, it was kissing her cervix and Bergdis was certain Ulf was going to ruin her insides.

    "Fuck! You fucking whore." Ulf degraded her and she loved it, getting even wetter and she gripped Ulf even tighter.

    Ulf saw her face and what he saw was not Bergdis, who he saw was Lagertha and he kept moaning but that delusion soon broke as he saw the face of Bergdis soon after.

    Without warning, he turned her around and pushed her back down so her ass was up.

    Bergdis was loving this, being forcefully taken, and Ulf slid it in and began fucking her like a madman on some sort of drugs.

    "Y-You are going to kill me!" Bergdis begged but Ulf was not listening, and Ulf pulled her hair back with one hand and wrapped the other hand around her mouth, but Ulf''s big hand covered her nose as well causing asphyxiation. Bergdis had the most aggressive orgasm she had had as her legs shook like she was having a seizure, but Ulf never pulled out.

    He kept fucking her because, in his drunken mind, this was Lagertha and Bergdis was about to feel everything he felt for Ragnar''s wife.

 Chapter 152 Ruled By Fear, Betrayed By Hatred

    ?Ulrik found out about the death of Tiril and understood why Herfj?tur was livid and angry.

    But she had calmed down. But he knew he needed to find out about her current mental state.

    "How are you, Herfj?tur?" Ulrik asked. He had experienced loss, but unlike her friend, Oskar died in battle.

    Herfj?tur was quiet. Ulrik noticed her muddied hands. Dirt was beneath her fingernails.

    He knew what she did. She had buried Tiril andid her to rest. He knew she did not want to talk about it either, and bit his tongue.

    Herfj?tur was interested in Ulrik''s rtionship with that woman because she recognized the looks in his eyes; she had seen them before.

    "I am worried, Ulrik. I am worried about what happened to Lagertha, and I am even more worried about what happened to King Askild. We were lucky to run into her or we would have met an unknown fate as well. She imed to have seen you and we had no choice but to trust her. We knew we might be walking into a trap, but Karl recognized her as someone you knew." Herfj?tur said. She knew she owed him an exnation. After all, she did not mean any disrespect by bringing her here because she did not know their history.

    Karl, on the other hand, knew everything and hung his head in shame.

    "I am sorry for my outburst earlier. I have been on edge ever since Garda went missing." Ulrik was not proud of his outburst but Herfj?tur guaranteed him that it was fine, but she wanted to know his story.

    "What is your rtionship with that woman?" Herfj?tur asked bluntly, and he tensed up.

    There was no doubt in Herfj?tur''s mind. This woman had done something to Ulrik as she recognized this behavior in Lagertha.

    Ulrik was about to speak, but Herfj?tur knew this was a sensitive topic and it would be selfish of her to satisfy her curiosity by making him relive something he would rather forget.

    "Get out¡­" Herfj?tur said out of the blue, but it was not clear who she was talking to as everyone looked at her, puzzled.

    "... You, get out now," Herfj?tur said calmly, pointing right at the woman that they had brought. She had done her job, and they had no more use for her.

    "Get out? Are you sure you should be telling me that,mander?" Thedy said mockingly and Herfj?tur stood up, her towering height making thisdy look like an ant.

    "Do you want to test me?" Herfj?tur asked. Once again she was calm throughout this exchange, but Ulrik had to step in because he knew what was about to happen.

    "Linnea, what do you really want?" Ulrik asked her, getting to his feet.

    "I want Arvid¡­" Linnea said bluntly and this request, everyone but Arvid surprised everyone.

    "Linnea. Now is not the time for jokes." Karl hesitantly said. He sensed the tension in the air and did not want it to escte.

    "Ulrik, you are still a stupid clueless boy, do you not see it?" Linnea said. She had a forgettable face and a more masculine-than-feminine physique.

    Ulrik might hate her, but Linnea was a skilleddy. She was unmatched when it came to gathering information, as she had an exceptionally high IQ, which meant she was a good asset despite his traumatic rtionship with her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Herfj?tur looked at Ulrik for his permission, and he nodded, prompting the giant to stand down.

    "What do you mean?" Ulrik questioned her. He was looking like himself again.

    "Arvid has an affiliation with that man," Linnea said, and Ulrik already picked this up when he was aware of what was going on, but Herfj?tur was not.

    "I know he was, but he is here to help us¡­" Ulrik said and Linnea giggled at how gullible Ulrik was, and she pointed to a space in the streets from the window.

    "If he was going to help you, why did he leave a trail that led right to you?" Linnea questioned, and Ulrik was confused. Linnea had nned to try and break Ulrik out amidst the chaos or at least that was what she had told Karl but he had escaped on his own, so she tracked him for a bit until he was safe but she noticed something strange, Arvid was leaving a trail from the prison to their location.

    She did not have some lucky guess that Ulrik was here. She had followed the trail led by Ulrik.

    Linnea hoped she was wrong but unfortunately, she was not and the gods were on her side as she ran into Karl alongside Herfj?tur, who she knew Ulrik had a close rtionship with and would let them in if they were the one that came knocking.

    Ulrik knew that Linnea had always been an excellent tracker. She excelled at this when they yed hide and seek at a younger age, and it was also part of the reason he could never seem to hide or get away from her.

    Herfj?tur was suspicious of this woman''s information and there was no way she was not going to question it.

    "You think we would believe your words?" Herfj?tur said in a dismissive tone. She wanted a morepelling case and information regarding her usation.

    "I do not need you to believe me¡­" Linnea said, looking at Herfj?tur.

    "... But he does," Linnea said, looking right at Ulrik, blood seeping into her eyes to give them a bloodshot appearance.

    "She is telling the truth¡­" Ulrik assured Herfj?tur before shifting his gaze to the now nervous Arvid, but before they could speak further, they heard hurried footsteps.

    "They are here¡­" Linnea said and everyone immediately tensed up, but they looked at Linnea.

    If she saw and followed the trail, why did she not destroy it?

    Linnea knew what the stares meant, and she looked at Arvid with a smile.

    "I know what you are all thinking but I never said I was on your side, I came here to see Ulrik¡­ Onest time," Linnea said and the moment she said that, the door was kicked in and men soon filled the room. Linnea had gathered them all in one ce so they could get them together. This was a lucky coincidence, running into Karl and

    She vanished into the crowd but she was not the only one that disappeared, so did Arvid.

    People''s hatred for Askild was deeper than anyone could believe. They were all waiting for this moment.

 Chapter 153 The Sons Of Ragnar Make Their Move

    ?Bjorn and Tyr had broken free, they hid and wondered what happened to their mother.

    This was their priority, the safety of their mother, and they hated that their father was not here either.

    They recalled what Askild was told before being carted away and they knew they needed their King now more than ever, this made their next move clear to them.

    They had to somehow get Askild free even though they knew this might be an impossibility.

    "Bjorn¡­" Tyr whispered and the moment Bjorn''s eyes met Tyr, he tried his best not tough out loud.

    Tyr had dirt on him and Bjorn could not tell the difference, the ground was muddy as the weather had been rainy as ofte despite it having not done so in days.

    "Bjorn! Shut up!" Tyr had to warn him but seeing Bjorn trying not tough only made him suffer the same fate. In the end, these were just children but they had grown faster than most because of the path they had chosen.

    Bjornposed himself and told Tyr what was funny but this joke gave Tyr an idea.

    One thing that Tyr was good with wasing up with unorthodox methods to overwhelm his enemies and right now, this joke had given him a valuable idea, an idea he did not share with his brother.

    The brothers arrived at the throne room but they took longer to reach there because the streets were busy. Surprisingly, the citizens epted their new rulers without much protest.

    No one knew how much people hated Askild until now, and Bjorn recognized some of the men on the street as people that fought in the war, confirming that once Askild''s title was gone.

    Unlike Asmund, they had no deep loyalty to him as a person, just his title and now Birger had managed to turn them against him.

    Askild had lost everything but the boys knew that it would take a lot more than this to make Askild give up.

    Something soon caught their eyes and that was them carting away two women, they had a cloth over their heads but the boys could recognize their mother even with her face hidden.

    Bjorn moved forward but a hand held him back.

    "Stay put!" Tyr warned his brother, he understood Bjorn''s eagerness but he knew they could not take on so many people, save the hostages, and escape. Someone would be caught in the crossfire.

    "Tyr! Let me go!" Bjorn said but one look into his brother''s eyes made him calm down. Tyr was equally as angry as Bjorn but they needed to be smart.

    "They have queen Liv and mother¡­." Tyr said, and he knew that they could not get their hands on them too.

    Lagertha was not just any hostage, she was the Queen of Vestfold.

    Tyr and Bjorn trailed them quietly, the priority shifted from Askild to their mother without a second thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Have you gathered themanders?" Both boys heard a guard escorting their mother and Liv say, and the man he spoke to nodded to affirm this but he also said this.

    "We have Asger, Askild, and Erik The Berserkers in the prison alongside those that refuse to swear allegiance to King Birger but Ulrik and Herfj?tur are pinned down in the north wing." The man responded.

    This information was a bit overwhelming for the boys, they were certain that Birger had been killed; they saw it themselves so what was the meaning of this?

    Tyr knew they could not act now regarding their mother''s rescue but luckily they had just found out that all themanders were not under capture.

    If they could help Herfj?tur and Ulrik, this would increase their chance of rescuing their mother and Liv, both boys gave each other a knowing look, they knew what they had to do next.

    -

    Herfj?tur, Ulrik, and Karl were surrounded in the building, they were allowed to surrender or switch sides but they took neither.

    Askild remained their King and there was no way they were going to betray him.

    The fight began and they held their ground for a certain amount of time but the cramped space made this only temporary, eventually, they were put on the defensive.

    Karl was the first to get injured, as he was nicked in multiple ces but still stood gantly to fight; there was only so much they could do.

    With the others imprisoned, that meant they could allocate the majority of their forces here but this was not the most insane aspect of their assault.

    Herfj?tur found it strange that they were not attacking simultaneously as they would have a better chance at winning if they did, it almost felt like they were trying to tire them out and minimize the losses they incurred.

    She took this as an insult and began swinging her gigantic spiked baton, taking off people''s heads with one swing but fighting like that in a confined space left her vulnerable to attacks from her blind spot. Luckily Ulrik was there to cover her.

    "We need to get out of here!" Ulrik said. This was something everyone knew but the question was how? Ulrik was worried about Garda and had hoped that Arvid would have information regarding her. Ulrik connected the dots as well, the trail Arvid left was not just for anyone, it was for Linnea specifically, being a skilled tracker she could follow even the most subtle of trails and that exined why she found them, not anyone else...

    She relied on Ulrik''s rage for her to cloud his deduction skills and it worked, and Ulrik realized something at that moment. She was the one responsible for his imprisonment, she knew his triggers and he yed right into her hand but they soon saw smoke filling the room.

    "W-What?" Ulrik muttered under his breath as he realized that they had set the building on fire from the outside, but why were the men inside not leaving?

    "They intend to take us with them," Herfj?tur said, tired and already out of breath, the smoke could not havee at a worst time. And only then, did they start attacking simultaneously.

    Herfj?tur was not sure they would make it out alive, it would take the grace of the gods.

 Chapter 154 Erik Defies Askild!?

    ?The chaos in Kattegat was confined, Askild''s rule hade to a supposed end as no Kingdom can be sustained with fear alone and Birger had just shown everyone in Kattegat that he was not some unstoppable force, this broke down the illusion of absolute power that Askild exuded.

    The death of Xenophanes might have been epted by most but it created friction.

    Xenophanes was loved, and Askild took him away from them but Askild was not some helpless puppy, he still had cards beneath his sleeves.

    "Erik¡­" Askild called out and Erik, who had a renewed interest in Askild, looked at the former King of Kattegat.

    "I need you," Askild said, getting to his feet to which Erik licked his lips the moment he heard this. Askild had not said this in a long time.

    Asger was curious about what Askild had in mind because there was no way breaking out was enough, they could not overpower the forces of Kattegat, not in their depleted state.

    Asger hoped like Bjorn and Tyr, Ulf managed to escape the grip of his captors.

    The other exnation was that he was killed but that was highly unlikely considering his importance.

    "King Askild¡­. King Askild¡­ You have shown me a wonderful world." Erik spoke, he had a manic smile on his face and Askild listened patiently as he did not want to interrupt him.

    "I have grown strong, stronger than I thought possible but I can get stronger once I break out of my shackles¡­" Erik said; of course, this shackle was metaphoric as nothing was holding him back.

    "... You are my shackle, King Askild¡­. I need to break free from you," Erik said and Asger was surprised by this. Erik was speaking like this to the man he idolized like a deity.

    This was bad, thest thing they needed was to lose control of Erik, Askild was the only one that could keep him under control and if he lost it, there is no telling what Erik would do.

    "I see, do you think you can break your shackle if I am the one that holds it?" Askild asked and the moment he did, Erik got to his feet and a stare-down ensued.

    Askild did not flinch despite the size, Asger wanted to interfere but he knew that would only do more bad than good, everyone watched in anticipation, and this included the guards assigned to watch them.

    Askild knew the moment his eyes met Erik that someone had changed the leash on his dog.

    Erik did not hesitate to attack him, he swung his hand downward in a bid to squash Askild but Askild did not dodge the attack but instead caught Erik''s fist.

    Erik was surprised because Askild was not only much smaller but he had used his full strength.

    There was something different about Askild, Erik could feel it.

    He was nothing like the man he fought years ago because right now, Askild had something more important than himself to lose and that was Liv.

    He kicked Erik''s knee, forcing him to his knees with that single action and bringing him down.

    "You do not have the right or power to look down on me," Askild said in a chilling tone before Erik could even react, he grabbed his neck and began squeezing the life out of him.

    "I have no use for a rabid dog that has forgotten its owner." Asger listened to his King speak and he could feel the killing intent hanging on every word.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Erik struggled, but the look in his eyes was not fear but excitement. Askild was once again showing him why he was the one with his chain.

    Erik could not break free, he felt life slowly leaving his body as his eyes closed.

    He realized at that moment why Askild had him tamed all these years but Askild let go of him just before he lost consciousness.

    Everyone looked in astonishment, they could not believe that Erik was defeated so easily but Askild felt different, and this made it clear he would kill anyone that stands in his way.

    But this feeling was refreshing, this was the man his men needed to see right now and this boosted their resolve by extension.

    Erik coughed, trying to catch his breath and he looked up at Askild with a wild grin, revealing his sharpened teeth.

    "If you raise your hand at me again, Erik. Be prepared to lose it," Askild threatened him.

    "Yes¡­. My King," Erik responded, there was no doubt in his mind now and he had devoted himself to Askild once again. Askild had one thought on his mind and that was escaping this prison but he could not be reckless or he risked losing Liv.

    -

    Herfj?tur was thest one standing, Ulrik and Karl had fallen due to theirck of oxygen.

    Being out of breath meant they could not hold their breath when the smoke came about.

    She was surrounded and surprised they used such a reckless option but she was bing light-headed, stumbling to her knee, as she looked up to see a man that had his wrist broken by her, she knew if she fell that would be the end.

    Herfj?tur established one thing however, they were trying to take them alive.

    Birger was not stupid, he knew the importance of themanders, and if he can get one under him, this, in turn, will make the soldiers pledge to thatmander his.

    Kattegat was weakened, Askild had taken a majority of their forces to war and Birger knew if he was going to be a King of any sort, he had to secure the safety of Kattegat from outside forces first. Herfj?tur''s eyes narrowed, she had held on as long as she could but she soon heard the dropping of bodies and shing of weapons. A voice screamed.

    "Hang in there!" Herfj?tur recognized this voice as the children of Ragnar hade.

    Tyr cut down his enemies, his size made it difficult for them, and he intentionally lowered his body to aim for their lower bodies. And the fact that they were crowded together meant that they could not swing their des carelessly.

    Bjorn, on the other hand, lured them into a more open space to not only diminish the enemies in Tyr''s path but create an opening for his brother but Bjorn recognized most of these men.

    Not because they fought on the frontlines, but because they volunteered to stay back to protect Kattegat.

    "Tyr! Do not kill them!" Bjorn told his younger brother and Tyr was visibly irritated by this request because in his eyes, they all deserved to die the moment they turned their de on Kattegat but he chose to respect his brother''s request. Bjorn saw an opportunity that Tyr did not.

    Because did these men betray Kattegat? One could say they were protecting it from Askild, for he was no longer the King of the Kingdom.

 Chapter 155 The Devil In Disguise

    ?Liv and Lagertha were both in a room, but unlike Lagertha that was tied to a chair, Liv was tied to a bed.

    Lagertha was conscious, she regained consciousness before she was carried here, a relief on her end but she was confused as to why they had Liv on a bed.

    "Lagertha, you are awake¡­" Birger said, walking into the room, he had a genuine smile on his face when speaking to her but Lagertha was boiling with rage but she could not speak as she was gagged.

    "I can tell by your eyes you want to kill me but I do not need you to understand. I know you do not know but your husband is a King now, Lagertha. You hold the same importance as Liv, she is no longer your superior, she is your equal¡­" Birger spoke with respect.

    Lagertha was surprised by this news, this was the first time she was hearing about her husband''s ascension to the throne but this was only because Birger controlled the information that entered Kattegat.

    He noticed Lagertha''s eyes drift to Liv, Birger could tell what she wanted to know and he nned on telling her his n. He knew it was a long shot but if he could get Lagertha on his side, then he knew everything would be in his favor.

    He removed her gag so she could speak but she did not utter a word because he still had more to say.

    "Lagertha¡­ No, Queen Lagertha¡­ I know you think I am a beast, a man that is without conscience but everything you have heard about is a lie made up by Askild." Birger said, sitting across Lagertha.

    "You killed Ulfhild, you are no better than the man you think has done you wrong," Lagertha spoke, she had a lot of questions but knew understanding his motives was more important than her personal questions.

    "Ulfhild¡­. I loved Ulfhild, why would I take the dignity and vite a woman I love? Ulfhild was a gem, a treasure I had epted I could not possess but I was content admiring her beauty from afar." Birger spoke about Ulfhild with such admiration but a pathological liar can tell the prettiest of tales without them never having urred but his eyes told her otherwise, the eyes never lied.

    "I epted the me for one reason only, it was to atone for my sin¡­." Birger concluded.

    "Your sin?" Lagertha questioned him; she was surprised about how calm and level-headed he was at the moment.

    "Yes Queen Lagertha, my sin was not being able to protect Ulfhild¡­." Birger said, pausing briefly to look Lagertha right in the eyes.

    "... from Erik The Berserker," Birger concluded, and Lagertha''s reaction to this name was not subtle, she showed visible surprise and shock, averting her gaze the moment Birger said his name.

    "Queen Lagertha, is something wrong?" Birger asked and Lagerthaposed herself.

    "W-Where is Erik now?" Lagertha asked Birger.

    "He is imprisoned alongside the others, why?" Birger responded and Lagertha clenched her fist telling Birger he was not alone in his loathing for Erik, this was weed information because it meant he had a bargaining chip Lagertha wanted.

    "That bastard! Birger, I ask you only one favor¡­" Lagertha said. She was trying her best to remain calm as she looked Birger right in the eyes.

    "I want to be the one to take his life!" Lagertha said and a wide smile soon appeared on Birger''s face, he could not have asked for a better oue because this action alone meant that Lagetha was willing to hop on his program if he offered her the life of Erik, a deal he had no problems epting.

    "Anything you want, Queen Lagertha," Birger said with a sinister grin.<novelnext></novelnext>

    -

    Linnea had carried Arvid on her back, and Arvid was d that she hade.

    She was the only one that visited him during his time in prison, where Arvid told her about BIrger and his circumstances.

    Arvid imnted the idea into her mind that Birger was the King Kattegat needed because she did not like how Askild ruled. And eventually, she was indoctrinated into the ideology of Birger.

    "Arvid, you did well." Linneaplimented him and he responded with a weak smile, he was exhausted and one could not me him as his body was barely functioning at this point.

    "It will all soon be over, Kattegat is about to change," Linnea said. They were away from the chaos.

    Arvid had a saddened look on his face, he did feel regret for what he did to Asger as Asger had done nothing wrong to him.

    He had time to reflect on his action and realized his hatred should have been channeled on Askild alone. Maybe if it was, he could have hurt Askild in other ways.

    Askild always gave the illusion of not loving Liv so it was hard for Arvid or anyone to pick up on it, not for Birger though.

    Linnea had a strange interest in Ulrik despite being older than him and that interest started when they were kids, she disregarded the age gap between them and had sexually assaulted him on multiple asions. This naturally took a negative toll on his rtionship with Oskar as he could never tell him what his older sister had done.

    But biology was on his side, he grew older and stronger, and Linnea could no longer overpower him and she disappeared from his life suddenly.

    Linnea and Arvid seemed to be waiting for someone, they were passing time and Linnea could not have a verbal conversation with Arvid because of his missing tongue either.

    And the person they were waiting for finally came to light, it was ady.

    "You are finally here, Inga¡­" Linnea said and thedy came within proximity.

    "Or should I call you¡­" Linnea said, pausing as a grin covered her face.

    "... Garda¡­" Linnea concluded.

    "You can call me whatever you like," Inga responded, there was no mistaking it.

    This person was indeed Garda, Ulrik, and Lagertha yed right into their hand from the start.

 Chapter 156 Tyr Vs Brynjar!

    ?Tyr and Bjorn were fighting, the difficulty increased because they could not kill them.

    But they too did not try to kill either Tyr or Bjorn, these were valuable hostages if they could be caught.

    "Bjorn, this is not working. They have the advantage in numbers and we have the advantage because they are not trying to kill us!" Tyr said. He was confused about why Bjorn wanted this.

    "EVERYONE STOP!" Bjorn screamed, his echoing voice shaking the eardrums of all those present.

    "W-What the fuck is wrong with you!? Did someone stick a fucking sword up your ass!" Tyr shouted at his older brother because his screaming created apse in concentration.

    It could have proved detrimental if they had nefarious intentions.

    "When did you get so foul-mouthed? I me that Erik¡­" Bjorn was disappointed with his brother''s use of profanity.

    Everyone, however, had stopped and listened to the brothers bickering and some even cracked a smile but Bjorn knew how important his next move was. With the house burning, he had limited time to sway them.

    "You people¡­ I know you all! I yed with you when I was younger but now I am your enemy? I say that is ridiculous! We went to fight a war, we fought to protect you and your families! What about those that died in battle? Was their death in vain? The man you serve took advantage of the war and betrayed your King! I am not surprised a foreigner betrayed King Askild, but I am surprised you people allowed it!" Bjorn barked, Tyr understood what his brother was trying to do and chipped in.

    "My brother is right. Commander Sven fell in battle, and so many others and we seeded. We conquered our enemies but do we have to consider the people we protect as enemies too?" Tyr added, he hoped that this would work and the men they were speaking to were mumbling among themselves, their heads hanging in shame as they could not believe they were being schooled by children, it felt shameful.

    "Raise your swords and fight for your King! Fight for King Askild!" Bjorn screamed at the top of his lungs, they knew they had gotten to them but now they were waiting for a positive response. They did not have to wait long as one person raised his sword, and the others around him were hesitant.

    "Tha-!" Bjorn stopped speaking abruptly the moment he saw a sword protruding from the man''s chest, and behind him was the man with a broken wrist.

    "What is this?" The man asked, looking around to see that the resolve of the men meant to be under him had been peeled away like a face mask by these children.

    "Children of Ragnar, it is an honor to meet you. I go by the name Brynjar and I would love it if you followed me." Brynjar had not only introduced himself but established his need to take them captive.

    Bjorn looked at Tyr, before giving him a nod as both boys ran toward Brynjar. Bjorn ran in front of Tyr, his size concealing the smaller boy who was yet to regain his weight.

    Brynjar did not panic, he unsheathed his sword, ready to fight them because he understood in the end, they were just children and that came with physical limitations.

    "Now!" Tyr shouted from behind Bjorn and his brother ducked immediately. Tyr tossed a handful of mud right into Brynjar''s eyes, but he had no intentions of allowing his enemy to go free and moved for the killing blow. Swinging his ax right for his jugr but Brynjar managed to kick the smaller boy away before regaining his sight.

    "You are a naughty one, are you not?" Brynjar said, slowly opening his eyes. He managed to close it in time and that was why his blindness was only momentarily.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Heh! I aplished my task," Tyr said. Just then, he noticed that Bjorn was nowhere to be seen, he had run into the burning building.

    Brynjar was surprised his men did not stop him, and he shook his head as he understood it could not be helped. He would have to discipline themter.

    "You wish to throw your life away? Very well, I will send your head to your father as a gift from Askild," Brynjar said, his stance changedpletely. A stance that made Tyr uneasy because he could not see any opening.

    Tyr knew he could not worry about Bjorn right now, the fire had worsened and exuded dense ck smoke.

    "I challenge you to a duel to the death, Brynjar," Tyr said, and this was because he did not want anyone interrupting as it would be bad if the men behind Brynjar decide to attack him.

    "I will be honored to be the one to kill you¡­. Kingyer," This surprised Tyr, there was no way Brynjar could know this, meaning his knowledge extends to what urred in the war.

    He gripped both his axes, eyes squinting to focus on his bigger enemy like an archer narrowing his aim on his target.

    "Come!" Brynjar said and Tyr''s feet instantly left the ground, like a god that was ascending into the sky, his eyes full of resolve and his axes calling for the blood of his enemy.

    Brynjar did not seem impressed by this, side-stepping the attack.

    Tyr watched his attack meet thin air, and he was about to fall on Brynjar''s de, it wasing from beneath him in a bid to slit him into half from beneath but Tyr showed excellent footwork.

    Stepping on the t surface of the sword right before leaping backward, using the momentum of the swing to his advantage.

    ? "Not bad¡­ Not bad at all." Brynjar praised the nimble dark-skinned boy and everyone watched in admiration, this war had turned Tyr into quite the warrior and his serving under Erik had proven to be useful.

    The moment Tyr''s feet touched the ground, he noticed that this man was fighting with one hand yet he was this strong or was he simply too weak?

    "You are not so bad yourself, but one of us dies today¡­." Tyr said, pointing his ax at Brynjar.

    "..... And that person is you," Tyr said, and behind Brynjar was Bjorn with his brandished de.

    He was not only in his blind spot but Brynjar had not perceived him yet and what followed was the earth weing the blood of someone but who?

 Chapter 157 One Brother Down?

    ?The blood on the floor was revealed to be that of Bjorn, Brynjar had stabbed him right through his torso. It was a clean stab through his stomach.

    Tyr''s face went numb but his brother did something that surprised him, he had no intentions of attacking Brynjar but Brynjar doing this eliminated the rule of the duel allowing Bjorn to get involved.

    Bjorn grabbed his wrist with both hands, and he could see the calm look on Brynjar''s face crack.

    "D-DO IT NOW BROTHER! I WILL GLADLY DIE HERE IF IT MEANS KATTEGAT STANDS FOR EVEN ANOTHER SECOND!" Bjorn screamed and Tyr, who had tears in his eyes, ran towards Brynjar with such speed that it looked almost blinding.

    It was a lot faster than his previous attack, and Brynjar struggled in vain to break free from Bjorn''s grip. Bjorn knew this might be hisst act and wanted it to be a fruitful one.

    Tyr swung his ax in a bid to take off Brynjar''s head but Brynjar sacrificed his broken arm to act as a defense, watching the ax dig into his arm but this was the reason why Tyr used two axes.

    Brynjar was more desperate in his attempt to break free but Bjorn did not flinch.

    And this allowed Tyr to deliver the fatal blow, the flight of his assault sliced his head into half vertically, starting from his jawline.

    Brynjar fell dead and the ce fell silent as Bjorn fell as well but he was not dead.

    Everyone could not believe what just happened, Bjorn had selflessly given his life to protect Kattegat and the sons of Ragnar had taken down someone as strong as Brynjar.

    Tyr wept with his tears trickling down Bjorn''s face.

    "I-It feels like you are peeing on me¡­" Bjorn said, cracking a joke and despite their dire situation, Tyrughed.

    "So much for being called Bjorn Ironside, you are not invulnerable to swords, my stupid brother," Tyr teased and Bjorn chuckled in response. Tyr did not know how to process this but for some reason, he just knew that his brother would be okay and he was right.

    It had triggered a change of heart in those that had turned their de against the sons of Ragnar, Bjorn''s act was not in vain.

    A man moved forward, applying pressure on Bjorn''s wound, instructing the men around him to get him a cloth so he could stop the bleeding. Luckily, Brynjar''s sword did not hit a vital organ but it would not matter if Bjorn bled out. Tyr was surprisingly calm and watched as they somehow swayed these men back to their side, increasing their fighting chance.

    Herfj?tur and the others were safe, the smoke had knocked them out and Bjorn could somehow snatch them from those that had carried them mainly thanks to the element of surprise, waiting until they were outside to do so.

    This was done swiftly as only seven men were carrying them as they had slipped through the backdoor, with the rest of the forces regrouping with those watching the fight with Tyr.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­." A man called and Tyr looked in his direction but he did not see anyone, he had to look down to see a man on one knee but he was not the only one.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They had their sword in their hands, outstretched like they were offering them to him but they were in a metaphorical sense.

    "W-What is going on!? Go help my brother, you dimwits!" Tyr said. He did not have time for whatever this was.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, we offer you our sword and strength," The man reiterated and Tyr''s jaw dropped literally, he was known as a kingyer and that title gave him a certain level of prestige even in Kattegat but this was a big surprise to him and he did not know what to say or how to process this.

    Because Tyr at this moment, had his own unit.

    -

    Birger was an expert in maniption and he had somehow gotten into Lagertha''s mind even though she was not swayed 100%, she still doubted his story but the name Erik seemed to be her kryptonite. Liv was quiet, it was more urate to say she was unconscious and the moment she regained consciousness, she began to struggle.

    Lagertha snapped back to reality and decided to ask the important question.

    "What do you n to do with Queen Liv?" Lagertha asked in a gentle tone, she knew that Birger had all the cards and talking calmly was the best course of action even though she hated the man before her as much as she did Erik but of course, Birger was not aware of this fact as Lagertha was a splendid actress.

    "Liv¡­ I have a lot of things I n to do but I do not want to bother you with the details," Birger said casually, one would think he just wanted to talk to her but Birger''s n was worse than death.

    "What do you n to do with Kattegat?" Lagertha quickly changed the subject, sweeping the conversation under the carpet. Birger''s face turned cold the moment she asked this, a strange reaction considering how fluid their conversation was until now.

    Birger put her gag back on, and Lagertha was left puzzled by this drastic reaction.

    "Lagertha, I want you to watch. I want you to see what the man you serve does to his citizens for having a will of their own... If you close your eyes, I will bring in four more men making it worse for your friend here." Birger said, pping his hands as four bulky men walked in.

    Liv looked in horror because she had an idea of what was about to happen.

    She was about to be vited, and she could not take her life because of the gag in her mouth.

    Lagertha was about to see her trauma reenacted on another person and the thought alone was heartbreaking but there was nothing she could do at this moment.

    "Now thendies, shall we begin?" Birger said with a sickening smile as the four men took their position around the bed.

 Chapter 158 Ulfs Rage [TRIGGER WARNING]

    ?Ulf was spent, his balls were empty and the room''s stench changed to that of semen.

    He could not believe how good Bergdis felt but the fantasy he held up in his mind was what helped him finish.

    Bergdis was not conscious, that was to be expected considering the way Ulf had fucked her but with lust out of his eyes. His mind reprocessed the situation the moment his eyes nced at the naked woman beside him.

    It was not Lagertha, he jumped to his feet not because of this realization but rather because he had not seen Lagertha, even at the harbor.

    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Ulf cussed his stupidity, he knew Ragnar would not forgive him if anything happened to his wife. No, he would not forgive himself.

    Bergdis awoke thanks to the noise caused by Ulf, and she was curious where he was in a hurry but she also knew it was not in her ce to ask.

    Ulf rushed out, leaving Bergdis to wonder what was troubling him, she tried to stand up but her legs had not recovered from the sex session, and fell to the ground.

    "I hope he visits again," Bergdis muttered under her breath, despite Ulf quite literally rearranging her insides.

    -

    Ulf was outside, and he noticed that guards were around, but what were they protecting him for?

    "Get back inside Ulf, you should not be outside," A man said and Ulf instantly knew what this borate scheme was to keep him subdued in some other way.

    He needed to find Lagertha and Bjorn, he did not care much for Tyr and because of that, he was not part of his priority.

    "Get out of my way!" Ulf barked, and the guards noticed his aggression, gripping the hilt of their swords.

    "I won''t ask again, Ulf. Get back ins-!" Ulf did not have any weapon but he did not need one to take on these warriors, he had smashed the face of the guard in, breaking his nose in the process.

    "Do you think you can hold me here?" Ulf asked, there was nothing but rage oozing from his voice, but they stood their ground. Not everyone had seen Ulf fight with his full strength but they were about to witness it.

    "We do not need him! Kill him!" The man who had just broken his nose.

    They quickly circled Ulf, cutting off his ability to escape but Ulf was unflinching.

    "Do you think I won''t kill you all? I will kill you, find your family and kill them too," Ulf threatened them and they all gave one another a questionable stare.

    "Arrghh!" A warrior charged, trying to take stab Ulf right through his chest but Ulf spun elegantly, like a dancing willow to evade the attack right before jamming his elbow right in his enemy''s face.

    Ulf stood over him, he was a true menace and they knew it but he did not stop there.

    Ulf stepped on his neck, choking him, he was the grim reaper at that moment and he was here to collect their souls.

    Of course, the others did not just watch Ulf do as he pleased, another charged at him and Ulf ripped out his lungs with his bare hand before he could even swing his sword.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He was the brother of Ragnar, how stupid to think he was weak when he spent the majority of his time training.

    Ulf did not n to beat them and leave them unconscious. No, he nned to kill them all to send a strong message to Birger. One thing Ulf did not joke with was Lagertha''s safety breaking the neck of the man beneath his feet.

    "I will ask only once, where is Lagertha?"

    -

    Liv whimpered, cried, and asked the gods to save her but everything fell on deaf ears, for she could not even speak.

    She was paying for the sins of her husband with her body but Birger watched nkly.

    Something was missing, there was an importantponent that made this iplete.

    "Pause¡­." Birger instructed the men that were far too eager to get started.

    Lagertha looked at him, she prayed that this was Birger''s way of instilling fear in their hearts because it worked.

    He stared nkly at Lagertha and the only thing that came to her mind from looking into his eyes was not a pretty thought.

    "You are not meant to be sitting on that chair¡­" Birger said, face palming himself upon realizing that he had got it set up all wrong but beneath his palm was a smiling face.

    "Liv, think of this as a preview. Do not worry, I do not n on killing you after all this is over. I am hoping the experience will make you do it yourself." Birger''s tone was sadistic.

    Snapping his fingers, the men that were positioned on the bed came off of it just as fast as they climbed it.

    "Yes, Askild has to watch this," Birger said but he was not stupid enough to bring Askild here, Askild had to remain in his cage so he nned to take Liv to him.

    "Take her," Birger instructed the men and one of the bulky men threw her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing as they left but Birger assigned a man named Reidar to see to it that nothing inhibits this task.

    Birger noticed that Lagertha wanted to speak and granted her that grace.

    "What are you going to do to her!?" Lagertha questioned Birger, who raised a brow in return.

    "Me? I am not that vile Queen Lagertha. I think what you meant to ask is what they intend to do," Birger said,ying on the bed. He was not going to follow them because he had work to be done with Lagertha, and there was no one that

    "I will cut the web of lies Askild has built this kingdom upon. I wonder how Asger would react if he learns the King he has sworn his life to is protecting the monster that destroyed his world¡­" Birger was speaking to himself at this point. Meanwhile, Lagertha was using her ring to slowly cut her bind while he was lost in his monologue.

    "I am almost there¡­." She thought to herself, she was not just watching Liv in silence, she was enacting her escape.

 Chapter 159 [Bonus ]

    ?Tyr had a unit under him, he watched Bjorn being bandaged up as the attack had not hit any major organs but there was something he knew he needed to do.

    He needed to get his mother, but could not leave Bjorn here, out in the open and vulnerable.

    "Bjorn, do you see the halls of Valha?" Tyr called out to his brother but all he got in return was Bjorn''s middle finger.

    This was reassuring because it told him that Bjorn would be okay but now it was up to him to save their mother. He looked to the sky, the sun was scorching hot and sweat dripped down his clothes. Tyr took off his shirt to lose his shirt because of the heat, his glistering skin shone like a precious stone as Tyr had a few scratches on him, they were amazed that such a young boy was this smart, there was no doubt that Tyr was a prodigy that was not scared of making hard decisions as he had demonstrated multiple times.

    He was the decisive element in the war but could he replicate that right now?

    Tyr took a moment to recognize how far he hase, it was just a dream a few months back but he had tasted battle and been forged in the mes of war.

    The sliced-off face of Brynjarying on the floor, with his brain slipping out of his skull, onto the ground for the earth to eat.

    Brynjar was one of Birger''s trusted men, he was by no means weak but the injury he sustained in his battle with Herfj?tur proved to be his ultimate downfall otherwise it would have been the sons of Ragnar in this state.

    Tyr had no intentions of letting death im him, it was far too soon and now, he had a new target, the person he wanted next was Birger.

    "I have an idea¡­" Tyr said as everyone leaned in closer.

    -

    Liv was being carried away like livestock, she kicked and struggled to break free but to no avail, it was futile and she could not even scream for help as her mouth was gagged.

    Everyone saw her yet pretended not to, averting their gaze in shame for they were not warriors, just some people meant to be ruled over.

    It made no difference who ruled them, as long as their way of life was not disturbed for Askild''s rule was no one of benevolence.

    But someone stood in front of them, it was a child that looked wretched and weak, and in his hand was a knife.

    "S-Stop!" The timid childmanded but no one would take the words of a child seriously.

    This was the child that tried to steal from Askild on Askild''s way back to his throne room after seeing the seer and right now, he was standing up for what he believed was right.

    But like a fly, he was swatted out of the way, one would think this would be enough to dissuade him but it did quite the opposite.

    He got back to his feet, legs shaking from the impact and blood gushing from his nose yet he stood tall, everyone pretended they did not know what was happening.

    They were far too ashamed and conflicted on what to do, jumping in might make them mistake this as some sort of revolt that was punishable by death.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The man known as Reidar walked up to the child, he had his waist-long hair tied in a ponytail.

    Everyone held their breath because they expected only one oue and that was death.

    Reidar crouched, looking the child right in the eyes with a stern face, but the boy did not buckle.

    "Do you wish to die?" Reidar asked but got no response, he felt the resolve of the child waver yet he still stood.

    "Hahahaha!" Reidar burst outughing, he could not believe someone so young could be this brave. He looked at the adults around, cowering and lowering their gazes like they had been castrated.

    He patted the boy on the head, before saying in a friendly tone.

    "You will make a great warrior someday, but that day may nevere if you continue with this foolishness," Reidar said, the 5''8 man getting back to his feet to reevaluate the situation.

    "Reidar!" A man called out, forcing not only Reidar but everyone else to jerk their head in the voice''s direction.

    Reidar was surprised by what his eyes met, he saw Tyr restrained and in the hands of the men under Brynjar but where was Brynjar?

    "We have caught Tyr Ragnarsson but unfortunately he imed the life of Brynjar before we could subdue," This was strange, Brynjar was in no way weak and this news did not sit well with Reidar despite them having captured Tyr.

    Unlike most warriors, Reidar was not only empathetic but somewhat of a pacifist when it came to bloodshed, he hated that this was going on but knew it was important for the future of Norway.

    Askild opened a paradox when he invaded and conquered Vestfold as now others would see it is possible to invade and assimte a kingdom with no repercussions.

    "I hope they were not too rough on you, Tyr Ragnarsson." Reider inquired, but he got no response from Tyr.

    "I have heard wonderful things about you, I would not mind discussing some milkter as I do not like ale myself, but I have pressing matters to attend to right now," Reidar said, but he had yed right into Tyr''s hand.

    His first mistake was allowing Tyr to get close to him and his second mistake¡­.

    Well, he would realize what it was the moment the men around him had their throats slit.

    Reidar was not aware that they switched allegiance and thus, it was easy to kill the little men he had around him, using Tyr as the bait. Reidar and the men that had ns to vite Liv remained.

    "Hahaha! I did find it strange that Brynjar would fall with how many men were under hismand, now I understand why he did." Reidar came to the realization the moment they turned their sword on him despite his odds. Reidar did not look frightened and they would soon find out why.

 Chapter 160 Erik Acts!

    ?Erik, who had lost interest and momentarily questioned his purpose had finally found it again.

    Askild had regained himself and he was in a state no one had ever seen him in before.

    A fuming volcano, waiting to erupt and consume anything or anyone in its path.

    The veins in his body rushed with blood to keep up with his heart that beat with rage.

    Birger had made a big miscalction and was thinking he could sway themanders to switch sides, if he had only killed them then Askild would not have a fighting chance but he did the opposite of that.

    In Askild''s head, someone was inside his wife right now and she was begging for them to stop, that was the image he needed to keep himself focused.

    "Erik¡­ Now." Askild''s voice was calm yet cold, it felt like the gravity around them had increased, this was how tense the atmosphere was.

    Erik grinned like the sociopath that he was and Asger knew things were about to get messy.

    Birger could have used Liv''s capture to keep Askild in check, but right now, death was the kinder of the two fates for Liv and Askild would dly choose death.

    Erik gripped the prison cell''s metal bar, the guards mocking him as they could not believe who Erik thought he was.

    "You think you possess the strength of Thor?" One teased, using the hilt of his sword to pound on his finger hard, but Erik did not remove his hands from the metal bar.

    It was like he did not feel it at all as he began to pull the bar in the opposite direction.

    "I have been asked multiple times why I have not jailed Erik The Berserker¡­." Askild spoke under his breath, redirecting everyone''s direction to him.

    "... No one can confine Erik when he goes Berserk, not even me," Askild said and the moment he said this, the bars that Erik was forcing apart bent, this not only showed his unbelievable strength but his ruthlessness.

    Something was different in Erik, his eyes were rolled into the back of his head and one of the men attempted to use his de to sever Erik''s hand but that was his mistake.

    Erik retracted his hand, forcing the de of the man to recoil against the metal bar but Erik did not stop there. He grabbed the wrist of the man and yanked him forward, thanks to the bar that had been bent, his head could fit into the cell and Erik dug his teeth into his neck like a vampire, ripping out a huge chunk of his neck with his teeth.

    "Arrrggghh!" That was the only sound Erik made as he devoured the flesh, Asger was terrified by this sight because no one had ever seen Erik like this, no one but Askild.

    The guards there panicked and before they knew it, they ran away because this was not something worth dying for, not when they had nothing to gain from this.

    You see, Birger had used the services of mercenaries as well to fill in for the men hecked, and there was no way they wouldy their lives down for a cause when they have no interest in it.

    They could not spend their money dead, Erik had torn the bar open and the unfortunate person that followed after Erik was killed instantly by the Berserker.

    "This is why Erik is known as the Berserker, do not go close to him or he will attack you. He cannot discern foe from an ally." Askild said. Asger was speechless but everyone else was terrified, including Hagen.

    Erik went outside and Askild, who was limping, used Asger as a support to walk.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He had no intention of joining the fight because he knew with Erik, there was no way anyone woulde near them as they would be too busy fighting Erik.

    This was the same day they had arrived, Askild knew he could not face Birger and he knew Birger was strong.

    He needed to recuperate away from Kattegat but he needed to save his wife if he could or kill her if he could not. It was a decision he had already made, Birger wanted to hurt him and he was not going to let him have his way.

    "Quickly King Askild, we need to leave," Asger said, and Askild concurred because leaving the cell was the first thing, they could hide in Kattegat once they escaped resting.

    They went up and as Askild predicted, Erik was surrounded but no one could touch him, he was mowing them down like a gardener cutting away at the grass.

    Body parts littered and Erik was killed mercilessly with no remorse or fatigue.

    Asger used this opportunity to carry Askild but of course, they would not go unseen and that is exactly why Asger instructed the men there to form a wall to hold the enemies.

    Hagen, on the other hand, followed them on Askild''smand as Askild made it clear that he needed Hagen with him. A request the boat builder happily epted.

    Askild managed to sneak away with Asger and Hagen, leaving Erik for dead.

    But one thing they knew was, the more helpless a situation seems, the more likely it was that Erik would survive.

    -

    Ulf had cut down everyone, and he did not have a single scratch on him, and his eyes were lit with pure rage. Birger had awakened the sleeping monsters within Kattegat but no one knew if this was his intention because Birger always seemed to be one step ahead of them so it was hard to tell with him.

    No one knew where Lagertha was or at least that was what they told Ulf but he did not wait around to find out where she was.

    "LAGERTHA!!!" Ulf screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing like he was calling down the thunder from the skies but there was no answer.

    Ulf cursed Ragnar, his brother was nowhere to be seen to protect the woman he imed to love, what kind of man leaves his wife to fend for herself?

    Ulf, deep down, knew Ragnar was not to me but he knew if he was here he would know what to do, Ulf was clueless.

    Ulf knew he had to move and move fast, he began his journey to the throne room because he remembered that Askild was taken there and he was certain he would find a clue or two there.

    "Ulf, Lagertha is with Birger¡­" Bergdis, who watched this man ughter every single person in his path said, she had heard the men talk to one another earlier and had information but she was not sure which side Ulf was on, but that doubt had been cleared.

    "They are at the west wing house four blocks from the throne room¡­" Bergdis finished and like a robot given new coordinates, Ulf marched in that direction.

    Birger had be a beacon for multiple people, and they were all homing in.

 Chapter 161 Reidar, The Pacifist

    ?Reidar was unbothered by his current situation, he was on a different level than these people and Tyr might have overestimated his ability in this situation.

    "I do not know why you have turned your sword against Birger but I am willing to look the other way if you all leave Kattegat. Enough blood has been spilled today," Reidar said, he did not try to unsheathe his de and genuinely tried to have a dialogue.

    "Where are Birger and my mother?" Tyr asked, and Reidar looked surprised by his request as one would think he would be interested in Liv, she was right there after all but he weed Tyr''sck of interest as it meant he was more open to epting dialogue.

    "Queen Lagertha is¡­." Reidar said, pausing as he pointed in the direction he just came from.

    ".... there but you better hurry," Reidar, who had continued his march forward, had said.

    "What do you mean¡­" Tyr asked but all Reidar did was smile.

    "No one can fool Birger¡­." Reidar was cryptic, something Tyr could not decipher at that moment but he did not need to.

    Liv''s eyes looked like they begged to be saved but Tyr did not even acknowledge her existence, he was certain that Reidar would resist and was surprised that he was this cooperative.

    But this decision did not go unnoticed by the people under him, should Liv not be their priority?

    Reidar walked past Tyr, with the men carrying Liv following suit and Tyr going in the opposite direction to where his mother was said to be.

    "They are alone¡­" Reidar offered one final clue and the kid in his path was overwhelmed by the gore and carnage that came with Tyr''s appearance. He stumbled to the ground, he did not have the stomach for it.

    "Um¡­ Tyr, should we not save Queen Liv?" A man asked.

    "Kattegat is in this state because of her ipetence, she is not my responsibility. She had never been, I am going after my mother. If you wish to follow me, you are free but if you do not want to, you may go after Liv¡­." Tyr said in a seemingly indifferent tone but his aura changed suddenly as these words left his lips.

    "If anything happens to my mother¡­. I won''t be as understanding as I am now with you," Tyr said but the moment he said this, he stumbled to the ground.

    The recoil of pushing his body resulted in fatigue, he could not even stand up straight without his legs shaking, he need to rest and this was a good enough time to do so.

    Tyr knew he needed his strength and he was just moving on willpower at this point but there was only so much his body could do in this state.

    "You need to rest, you have not rested sinceing back to Kattegat," The man said, they had gathered vital information regarding Lagertha but theycked the strength to act on it.

    And no one knew how urate this information was, to begin with, no one knew who Reidar was but for some reason, they knew his words were not lies.

    Tyr was carried away by his men and they disappeared from the streets of Kattegat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    -

    Ulrik regained consciousness, he found himself close to Herfj?tur and Karl, who was still unconscious. To his left, he saw Bjorn injured, the injury looked a lot worse than it was but Ulrik was dazed. He did not know what happened but he knew they had been moved.

    Bjorn had managed to knock out the people transporting them within a minute and back up his brother. He had circled the house to intercept them but this set of individuals were bound because they retained their loyalty to Brynjar and were visibly distraught by his death.

    They were not exposed to Bjorn''s selfless sacrifice nor the speech by the brothers so in their eyes, these were the enemies.

    "What the fuck happened!?" Ulrik was confused, dazed as he had hazy recollections of what happened, thest he could remember was being in a burning building.

    "The sons of Ragnar saved you," The man said and Ulrik could not believe that children came to their rescue. Herfj?tur regained consciousness soon after and the first thing she saw was the corpse of the man she had fought earlier.

    She was surprised, she wondered if they turned on him and killed him but this was the least of her worries, she wondered why they turned around and killed him.

    "Why?" Herfj?tur asked, holding her head in her hands.

    "Why did you kill him?" Herfj?tur sought to feed her curiosity, she wanted to know the reason for their betrayal.

    "We? We did nothing, it was the sons of Ragnar," The man standing over her said and Herfj?tur''s face portrayed her disbelief, she darted her head left and right to search for these boys but her eyes met the wounded Bjorn.

    "T-That is impossible!" Herfj?tur muttered but no one could me her for her skepticism as she was not aware of the development that these boys underwent away from Kattegat.

    Brynjar was a smart fighter, she also noticed the tactic he used against Karl, he did not confront him one on one, he had injured him first.

    Herfj?tur was certain he underestimated the children of Ragnar but this did not take credit away from their feat.

    "We are out in the open¡­. We need to retreat¡­" Herfj?tur said, getting to her feet and takingmand of these men.

    "I have just the ce to go," Ulrik muttered, and this drew an end to their participation in the recapture of Kattegat for that day as Bjorn alongside Karl were carried gently as they retreated.

    But while they were packing up and covering their tracks, Linnea could pick up on any clue or trail left behind and they had to be thorough. Tyr was exhausted and Herfj?tur instinctively knew why, this boy had been fighting non-stop with such a frail body and the recoil was sure to take its toll even though Tyr looked a lot better than he did a few months back.

 Chapter 162 Reidar Meets Erik

    The day was drawing to a close and Ulf was extra cautious as the bodies he was responsible for had been discovered and he was now a wanted man.

    He knew he had to be careful because he did not know the kind of men that Birger had under hismand, nor their strength as it is believed he had strong warriors under hismand.

    That was the only exnation for Kattegat''s fall.

    Ulf knew Birger wanted something from him or he would not go to such lengths to garner his favor, he wanted to keep him inside and safe, a sophisticated prison of his own.

    Lagertha only became a target because of Ragnar and he did not know what fate awaited her but he knew Birger was not stupid enough to be the recipient of Ragnar''s wrath because it was only a matter of time before Ragnar would hear about the state of Kattegat and there was no telling how he would react.

    Ulf was spotted on the road and he knew if he left anybody''s trail he would be easy to track so for now, he needed to run and avoid confrontation.

    He was like a man on the run, Ulf wondered why the security was heightened but unknown to him, Askild had escaped his captors and no one knew about his whereabouts as he was an experienced fighter and was not stupid enough to leave any loose ends.

    This made it harder for Ulf, noticing the security was amped up around his destination as he got closer confirming that Bergdis''s information was spot on but how would he get it was the problem.

    He knew forcing his way in would put Lagertha in danger, and that was even on the off-chance that he could defeat Birger, who was one of the most skilled fighters in Kattegat right now.

    He saw him topple and humble Erik in one move, that movement was not one of one that did not possess the necessary strength to make one submit.

    Ulf could not believe he did not notice the difference, he spent the most time with Birger yet could not see through his deception.

    Ulf knew he had to redeem himself, Birger had made him look like a fool if anything else because now, the name he had made for himself was quickly taken away from him.

    Ulf waited patiently for the sun to go down, he knew he needed the cover of night and if it is as he thought, then Lagertha was safe¡­. For now.

    -

    Reidar arrived at the cell and the moment he saw Erik free, he knew Askild had escaped but Erik''s eyes settled on Liv in his maddened state.

    Without warning, Erik charged in their direction and Reidar was not scared despite Erik''s state.

    "Worry not, I am here," Reidar reassured the huge men before him but before they could shift their gaze down to look at their leader, he was nowhere to be seen but they heard his voice behind them.

    "Worry now, I am no longer there!" Reidar shouted, he had taken to his heels as he had no intentions of fighting Erik, and the bulky men followed suit, running away with Erik chasing.

    This wasedic and Reidar always avoided conflict by whatever means possible.

    Only fighting if he had no choice, a trait that was rare in this world.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Reidar looked backward and he beganughing when he saw how everyone was running, it felt like they were in a marathon and he could not be more thankful for his smaller frame.

    Reidar took a sudden turn, cutting around the corner with such agility that the men chasing after him could not replicate.

    But upon turning, they lost sight of Reidar, it was a space between two buildings, it almost looked like an alley, the only difference being that it was barely 40 meters long.

    The bulky men stopped, looking confused as they frantically searched for Reidar but to no avail.

    They could not wait around because Erik was hot on their heels, they considered fighting but they knew they could not risk losing Liv as the oue with Erik was unknown.

    They kept running but they would soon realize that their stopping momentarily would have repercussions.

    Being on the bigger side, they had difficulties elerating allowing Erik to not only catch up to them but bifurcate one of the men with one swing, everything seemed lost.

    They were surprised that Reidar had abandoned them because Erik was a high priority, even among the people to watch out for specifically stated by Birger.

    Erik was one to be avoided, if possible because Birger knew the kind of monster he was, and knowing his men could not kill him, he would rather not lose men in the futile attempt but these instructions were only to his foot soldiers, it had nothing to do with his more skilled warriors.

    Erik was about to cut down the second person, which would not have been a problem but this person was carrying Liv.

    Reidar had not run, instead had climbed high up toy in wait for Erik, effectively entering his blind spot as this was to take The Berserker by surprise but Erik felt pieces of small stones bouncing off The Berserker''s shoulder making his surprise attack all but pointless.

    "Well¡­ This is awkward¡­" Reidar said with a broad smile as he looked right at Erik and the disappointed faces of his men.

    Erik knew instinctively that Reidar was a threat, ignoring the other menpletely and giving Reidar his full attention. Reidar was not taking this seriously for some strange reason and seemed to be messing around. Erik threw his ax right at Reidar, who had no choice but to let go of the curved wall he was holding onto, forcing him into a free fall.

    This put him at a significant disadvantage.

    Erik''s weapon was stuck on the wall, leaving him with only one weapon now, and he held that ax with both hands, doubling the destructive power.

    "H-Hey! Let us talk about this!" Reidar pleaded but all Erik knew was blood and right now, he craved the blood of Reidar.

    Erik swung his ax the moment Reidar was within proximity, the air distorted and it felt like Erik was cutting through space itself. Reidar knew he would be stupid to try and stop this attack, he was sure no one could but the irony of this was that Reidar''s attention was not on Erik but rather, his eyes had caught a glimpse of the panties Liv had on.

    "Pink¡­" Reidar muttered right before being battered by Erik''s ax.

 Chapter 163 Reidar Vs Erik [PT.1]

    Reidar was sent flying into a nearby wall, which was strange considering he was meant to be sliced in half considering the force of Erik''s swing.

    "One would think I stole your wife in our previous lives¡­." Reidar teased, clutching his torso as he got to his feet slowly, there was a faint metallic sound when Erik''s ax made contact with his torso. It was revealed he was wearing body armor made of very durable material.

    Erik was crazed and was not interested in a conversation, but Reidar had used himself as a decoy, allowing the other men to slip away with Liv.

    "Your ax has dulled, I would be dead otherwise," Reidar muttered, he first noticed this with the thrown ax. Erik''s ax had been drenched in blood ever since the war, it was only natural that his weapon would dull and be in the process of rusting as Erik''s fighting style did not rely on the cutting power of his weapons but that was exactly what prevented a one-hit kill right now.

    Reidar did note out unscathed, he could feel his torso bleeding as Erik''s ax had caused the armor to bend inwards from the collision and burrow into his skin but it was not deep enough to cause him immediate concern.

    Erik charged towards him and with Reidar backed up against the wall, there was nowhere to run. Reidar had no intentions of running as Erik tried to take off his head but a simple duck from Reidar was all it took for him to escape Erik''s wrath.

    Erik found that his ax was further dulled with the collision, Reidar knew exactly what he was doing. He had brought Erik into this confined space to limit his movement as well as the freedom in which he could swing his ax.

    "Damn! Your strength is nothing to joke about!" Reidarplimented Erik but he knew in the battle of stamina, Erik would have the upper hand, he needed a method to win but he knew that if he got too close to Erik, it would be his doom.

    He has already seen what a dulled weapon could do to his once-thought-to-be invincible armor.

    Reidar needed to make his weapon useless and that was what he was trying to do.

    Erik, despite being the epitome of madness, somehow perceived the threat Reidar posed and this alone eliminated his victimized role, he was not fooling Erik.

    Erik noticed the tip of his ax had broken, or it rather, cracked against the wall.

    He looked down at his feet and saw the broadsword on the body of the man he had killed moments earlier.

    Erik bent to pick it up but this was the opening Reidar had been waiting for, Erik soon heard a noise behind him, forcing him to look behind him despite Reidar never being there in the first ce, he had thrown a stone in that direction to collide against the wall.

    This left Erik blind to his attack, Reidar''s first and only attack was a clean hit into Erik''s chest, using his sword, he had heard stories about Erik''s durability and thus, twisted his de counter-clockwise to increase the hole in his chest.

    Reidar did not want to kill Erik if he did not have to but Erik was a threat that needed to be eliminated.

    Reidar was surprised by what happened next, Erik looked to be unfazed as he was forced to let go of his sword before skidding backward and out of Erik''s range.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "W-What? You know, normal people die when their heart is destroyed!" Reidar shouted as he was not aware of Erik''s birth defect but for some reason, he did not show fear of this unforeseen situation.

    Erik''s eyes had returned to normal, he saw his blood and looked at Reidar.

    "Who are you?" Erik asked in a calm tone, sticking his finger into his wound, and stirring it inside with a sickening grin. At that moment, Reidar realized Erik was far more dangerous sane than he was in his crazed state but maybe he could talk some sense into him.

    "I am Reidar, I have heard great things about you, Erik," Reidar spoke in a friendly manner despite Erik being his enemy at this moment. Erik did not care about anything he had said but his name.

    "Are you the one that injured me, Reidar?" Erik asked, getting straight to the point.

    "Me? Odin forbid! The person that injured you has been killed by you," Reidar said, pointing at the corpse close to Erik but he mistook one thing about Erik.

    Erik had a primal instinct when it came to strong figures but Erik burst outughing.

    Reidar did not know what to do and awkwardlyughed with Erik but Erik''sugh quickly subsided. He had long seen the damaged body armor of the man in front of him alongside his weapon of choice.

    Erik''s question was rhetorical, he never expected a serious answer from the man.

    "Do you know why I do not use a sword?" Erik asked, with the broadsword gripped firmly within his right hand.

    "Hahaha! And I do not n to find out either, good day sir," Reidar said as he began walking away from Erik but he was stopped in his tracks by what Erik said next.

    "I know who you are, Reidar¡­. The bastard of-!" Erik was interrupted the moment he was about to reveal who his father was, Reidar had thrown a shard of metal in Erik''s direction, which The Berserker dodged easily. Reidar lost the friendly look on his face and he looked a lot different.

    Erik remembered everything in his crazed state, the only thing he could not control was his bloodlust, and he had a knack for triggering his enemies.

    "Don''t you dare say his fucking name!" Reidar barked and Erik licked his lips, the look on Reidar''s face was everything he wanted to see. Pure undiluted rage.

    "That is right, those eyes! Those are the eyes I want to see!" Erik was happy with the reaction he had gotten from him and he did not need to convince Reidar to charge at him.

    Erik swung the broadsword in a bid to cut him in half, the advantage of such a weapon was that it could get targets before they could get within proximity. There was no dodging it, Reidar was running right into his death.

 Chapter 164 Reidar Vs Erik [PT.2]

    Reidar ran right into Erik''s swung sword, it was nothing short of impressive how Erik had the aptitude for different types of weapons but this could be attributed to the ring-like fights he asionally hosted in his camp.

    Reidar knew he could not stop in time but he used the muddy floor to his advantage, falling to his knees to not only dodge Erik''s attack once more but the mud on the floor act as a slide, making sure the distance between him and Erik was closed down with this.

    Sliding past Erik, he managed to inflict a small cut on his right upper thigh but unfortunately for Reidar, it was not deep enough.

    "You are still holding back?" Erik asked, he looked disappointed by the level of injury Reidar had inflicted on him, he expected something far more devastating.

    "Did he leave himself open intentionally? He really is crazy!" Reidar thought. Erik was scarier than his reputation, Reidar was more curious why a blow to the heart did not kill him.

    "How are you still standing?" Reidar asked,ing to a stop. Erik turned around to look at him in his new position.

    "Standing? I cannot be killed, Reidar," Erik said before dropping the broadsword and flexing his arms to loosen up his tensed-up muscles.

    "What are you doing? Pick up your sword¡­" Reidar said, but his request fell on deaf ears.

    But that was not the only thing Erik did, Erik removed his shirt and he was riddled with scars that matched his mutated face and a missing ear.

    It was easy to tell that Erik has had multiple brushes with death and Reidar knew there was an unfathomable gap in their experience and strength.

    ? "I only need my hands for you, I will crush your skull with these hands¡­." Erik threatened, Reidar was intimidated momentarily but he took a deep breath.

    "Erik, can we just pretend we did not see each other and go our separate ways? I would have suggested it but I am afraid I have to kill you now¡­" Reidar said, dropping his weapon as well.

    Erik found this strange because the only reason he did this was so the fight couldst longer but he did not mind a good old brawl fest.

    Reidar rushed towards Erik and Erik did not even bother avoiding his punch, Reidar had punched Erik right in the torso but he felt like his hand would fracture the moment it made contact with Erik''s hardened body, forcing him to quickly return to his initial position to avoid any counter-attack but Erik did not make any move.

    "On second thought, I think I will use my weapon," Reidar said, picking up his sword. Erik liked his energy, he danced with death yet he did not fear it.

    Reidar''s battle with Erik was interrupted by a woman, but this did not look like just any woman as she had on simr clothing to Reidar.

    "Oi Arild, tag in?" Reidar shamelessly requested and Arild remained silent, watching both men intently. Arild had a forgettable face but her body was anything but that.

    She had thick lips, and average-sized breasts, but her ass was the perfect size.

    Erik looked at her with lust, already imagining what he could do with those lips.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Arild noticed Erik looking at her sensitive parts but she did not flinch, she could not me him.

    She wore exposing clothes, wearing a metallic brace te that only covered her chest, and animal skin wrapped around her waist, barely reaching her knee with a huge battle ax hanging around her neck, supported by her hands.

    "You should not be looking away, Erik," A voice said mere inches from Erik, Reidar once again exploited hispse in concentration and he tried to sta Erik once again but Erik caught the de with his bare hand, and it dug into his skin but it could not cut clean through his hand.

    Erik turned and looked right at Reidar, before looking back at Arild.

    "I have no more interest in you," Erik said, bending the sword with his brute strength right before jamming his fist right into Reidar''s jaw. The blow shook his brain and sent the smaller Viking flying, that should be enough to knock him out. Erik looked at Arild but she was nowhere to be seen.

    "You live up to your name, Erik. I do not know why but I have been instructed to take you alive," Arild said in the calmest of voices, despite seeing what he had just done to Reidar, she was unimpressed.

    "Are you done messing around, Reidar? If the answer is yes, assume formation B," Arild was unsympathetic to Reidar''s situation and for the first time in this battle, Erik was surprised.

    There was no way Reidar should be conscious or even able to function properly yet he was doing just that.

    Reidar was like a ragdoll, Erik has been pummeling him andnding hits that should otherwise be fatal but Reidar found a way to get back on his feet.

    Reidar, however, dislocated his jaw and was in visible pain but he nodded.

    "A woman thatmands a man? I have better use for you and it does not involve your hands," Erik made a sexual remark that did not bother Arild as she was focused on the task before her.

    The moment Reidar was on his feet, she moved but Erik noticed that Arild''s giant ax was not on her but that was not the strangest thing. She was running on all fours.

    Reidar tried to speak but his dislocated jaw forced him to recoil in pain, feeling the overwhelming sharp sting but whatever was about toe out of his mouth was best left unsaid.

    Erik could not believe what he was seeing, she was fast but Erik was certain he could keep up.

    Interlocking both his hands, he sent it downwards, he knew the force would snap her spine if it made contact with her back and Erik had no problems fucking a cripple.

    But then her movements became unpredictable the moment Erik brought his hand down.

    She not only dodged his attack by leaping up but she twisted in the air beforending a kick right into Erik''s jaw, replicating his move and showing him that force was not necessary, Erik stumbled backward and found himself falling and then he realized why her ax was not with, it was right behind him and Erik knew the fate that awaited him if he did not break his fall but boy, was he fascinated by Arild.

 Chapter 165 Eriks Proposal [R18+]

    Erik was on the verge of death but that was what Erik loved the most, flirting with death that is.

    Arild had hidden her ax behind the body of the deceased man, something that Erik missed because he had his attention on the duo rather than his environment.

    But Erik showed unnatural flexibility, managing to twist his body to generate enough momentum to avoid the axst minute. Looking up, he saw Rediar descending with his weapon but Erik had lost interest in this fight.

    Grabbing Reidar by the neck mid-air and tossing him aside like the ragdoll he is.

    Erik got back to his feet, he wanted to have fun and that was why he dropped his weapon but now he had a different definition of fun.

    "Reidar, you said you wanted to talk¡­." Erik asked, uprooting Arild''s ax from the ground.

    Erik admired it, it had a certain craftsmanship to it, unlike his simplistic-looking weapon.

    Reidar nodded in response and Erik returned his gaze to Arild.

    "I want to fuck her right here and now, then I would follow you wherever you want to go," Erik offered, fighting had gotten his dick hard and Reidar could not believe what he was hearing.

    Erik had sexualized her earlier and Reidar also knew it was not in his ce to ept this offer despite preferring this method to fighting him.

    They had been fighting Erik at full strength and it can''t be said that Erik was doing the same.

    Erik had a hard-on, the fight, and pain he had gotten had given him one.

    "Who do you think you are?" Arild asked and Erik walked up to her slowly, hawking over her like an eagle about to scoop up his prey.

    Reidar could not believe Erik''s audacity and secretly wished he had those balls.

    Arild looked at the Berserker''s bulge, she knew that this would be the easiest way to take him despite being confident in herbat skills.

    "I am Erik, and I want my dick in your mouth," Erik was raw, it was clear he had no experience sweepingdies off their feet because this approach was quite repulsive or so someone would think.

    "Reidar, don''t you dare look¡­" The much smallerdy said, loosening Erik''s trousers in the process but only if she knew the kind of person Erik was, she would have kept on fighting him.

    She did not need to get on her knees due to the vast height difference.

    Arild could not understand why sex was going through his mind in the middle of a battle but all she needed to do was make him cum and it would be over.

    Her tongue hugged the tip of Erik''s dick, coiling around it, Erik felt her breath brushing against it. She had experience with her mouth, it was no surprise with those attractive lips but she was not taking it deep enough, she could barely take in half of his length and Erik knew he would never cum at this rate.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I think you need a little help¡­" Erik said with a grin, putting his hand on the back of her head and forcing her to take even more of it. The look of defiance in her eyes only made Erik want to break her even more, she managed toe up for air, fighting for her life on a different battlefield.

    "W-What the hell do you think you are doin-!" Erik pped her across the face with his dick, and again.

    "Open your fucking mouth and stick out your tongue," Erikmanded, that look of defiance was still prominent in her eyes but she did as she was told.

    Erik tapped his dick on her tongue, rubbing his spit-cover shaft all over her face.

    Erik was ready, he did not care where he fucked her as he was like a wild animal despite Arild requesting that they go somewhere more private.

    Erik ripped off the metal te covering her chest, her nipples were inverted yet they were poking out effortlessly, showing that she too was aroused.

    "Hurry up and turn around," Erikmanded, and she did just that, Erik pushed her against a wall, his hand firmly ced at the back of her neck to hold her in a ce like a dog,

    She took a deep breath, she could not wait to get this over with but she felt Erik rubbing his shaft along her slit, and in turn rubbing her clit. She could not help her pussy juice drenching his dick even without pration.

    She actually wanted to be fucked by this brute? This realization surprised her but she knew it was nothing as deep as an attraction rather, it has been a long time since she has been touched by a man and now she had a reason to, it was for Birger.

    Soon, Erik slid his dick into her but he did not stop sliding it in until his whole dick was inside her. He had to crouch because of the size difference but he got up to his feet, lifting her too.

    Erik did not support her weight, he allowed his dick and her being sandwiched between a wall and him to do the bncing.

    Erik did not go easy on her, squishy sound with every thrust only getting louder and his hand on the back of her neck only getting tighter. He was surprised that such a small body could take his dick without breaking.

    "Reidar¡­" Erik called out, Reidar did not need to be called twice as he jerked his head instantly in that direction and even he found this scene somewhat attractive.

    "This is your reward for injuring me," Erik said, allowing the man to watch him.

    Arild''s sharp mouth was nowhere to be heard, she could barely breathe and talk more of talking as she could feel her mind nking out with each thrust, it was both painful and pleasurable.

    But for whatever reason, Erik The Berserker would no longer prove to be a problem for that day, forsaking Liv for his own pleasure, Askild was the one he owed his loyalty to, not Liv.

    Askild never explicitly told him to either, so he was not disobeying his King.

 Chapter 166 Dawn Of Night, Tyr Makes His Move!

    The events of a chaotic day finally came to an end, the sun was done witnessing the atrocities of the Vikings and switched ces with the moon.

    Tyr and co were in a secluded ce, a ce he had never been to but he was certain that it was not in Kattegat, he could discern this much because of the reduced security.

    Bjorn was stable and the bleeding had stopped somewhat, he was going to be fine but he was with twomanders and did not know what to do or say.

    Tyr told them everything that happened in the war, right down to the minute detail and so did themanders. Herfj?tur and Ulrik returned the favor and Tyr did not understand why Ulrik did something so drastic because of a woman he just met despite her saving Lagertha but he did not dare say it.

    "We have not thanked you, Tyr. If it was not for you and your brother, I cannot imagine the fate that awaited us," Ulrik said, he had regrouped with his men, and Herfj?tur regrouped with hers as well. They were once scattered but now they were together but in no condition tounch a counter-attack.

    "H-Ha! It is fine! I am d you are alright!" Tyr could barely maintain his excitement but Tyr could not believe their ipetence, there was no point leaving them behind if the end goal would be the same but once again, he dare not say it.

    "If Ragnar is King, why can''t we request to help of Vestfold?" Ulrik suggested, but the answer to this question was obvious. Birger had not only seized the boat that brought them there but closed off travel routes to Vestfold. Their silence allowed him toe to this conclusion himself.

    "Vestfold does not have the manpower toe to our aid if what Tyr told us is true," Herfj?tur pointed this out, it was far too soon for that to happen.

    "I need to get my mother out of Birger''s grasp," Tyr said out of the blue, he did not even know if she was still where Reidar told him she was and that was the most troubling thing.

    "Lagertha¡­ I am sorry I could not protect her," Herfj?tur apologized to Tyr but he could not fault her. Lagertha is a renowned fighter and if she was bested, Herfj?tur being there would have made no difference judging from what they told Tyr.

    The attack was not random, Birger was certain he could take Kattegat at that moment and the only person to me was Liv and her father for imprisoning Ulrik, handicapping his men, and cutting down their fighting power drastically.

    Tyr did not regret his decision for prioritizing his mother over her because they now held the same title meaning she was not more important than his mother. It could be said Lagertha''s life held even more value.

    "You can apologize to her when we save her, I know where she is. She is with Birger," Tyr said and Herfj?tur''s muscles instinctively tensed the moment she heard Birger.

    He had done so much damage to Kattegat with so little effort, and only the worst-case scenario came to mind when she thought about what Birger could be doing to her right now.

    "I am in! Tell me what you need me to do!" Herfj?tur was eager, and one could not me her but Tyr was skeptical because he knew what could happen if they were found out, but he was partly surprised that Ulrik did not volunteer.

    "Um¡­ I guess," Tyr was uncertain but he had one thing on his mind and that was using Herfj?tur as bait, she was apologetic so surely she would not mind giving up her life for the woman she could not save.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "... Only if youe alone," Tyr said and Herfj?tur epted instantly. Ulrik found this suspicious but he swallowed his words because there was no way Tyr had any nefarious intentions.

    "That is fine by me, Ulrik will watch over here," Herfj?tur said as both of them got to their feet.

    "I will tell you the n on our way!" Tyr eximed and Herfj?tur concurred as both returned to Kattegat.

    -

    It took them a couple of minutes to arrive and Tyr noticed the amped-up patrol, it felt like they were searching for someone. Herfj?tur noticed the erratic behavior of the guards supposedly guarding the gate, they were restless but this created a loophole for them to exploit.

    Herfj?tur suggested they use the path they had used to sneak out of Kattegat but Tyr was against it, partly because he was aware that these paths would be watched a lot more closely now than the more obvious routes.

    They managed to gain entry because of this very reason, Herfj?tur was fascinated because it looked like Tyr could predict their movements, he had a keen eye for these things and this only made her curious as to where he came from. No one knew anything about him, only that he washed up on their shores but he was not new tobat.

    Thanks to Ulf being chased up and down in Kattegat, they had narrowed down his position and allocated more men away from Birger''s and Lagertha''s positions.

    "Are you sure she is here?" Herfj?tur questioned, they were hiding but had already seen a few guards walk past their position.

    "I am positive, that is what I was told," Tyr reassured her, he understood Herfj?tur''s skepticism but Reidar had no reason to lie to him.

    Tyr began removing his clothes and Herfj?tur was surprised by this development but she was indifferent regarding this development because she knew he had a n.

    He began covering himself with the mud around him, and it hit Herfj?tur, Tyr was about to use his dark-skinnedplexion to his advantage as he intended to camouge himself with his surroundings, even with lights she knew they would not be able to see him.

    This was an ingenious idea but she wondered what n he had for her, was it to back him or be his watch out? Whatever it was, she did not give it too much thought.

 Chapter 167 Tyr, The Boy That Should Not Exist!

    Tyr began crawling on the floor, in the house''s direction, Herfj?tur was speechless because this was quick thinking from the kid but she noticed his body was leaving a trail.

    There was no way someone would not think something was amiss and Herfj?tur knew it was up to her to make sure nothing befalls the son of Ragnar.

    He might not have been conceived by Lagertha but she viewed him as her child.

    Herfj?tur took the limelight, running past Tyr and in the direction of the house, Tyr froze in ce the moment he heard the chaotic vibrations of the floor.

    "I-It is Herfj?tur!" The guards guarding the door screamed with their weapons raised, but Herfj?tur turned back and ran in the opposite direction.

    These men could not see the obvious bait and chased after her, this not only left the building temporarily defenseless allowing the smaller boy in his mud covered underwear to gain entry into the house but he noticed that it was not empty, his eyes already registered four guards. But he knew the possibility of even more guards being present existed.

    Tyr tip-toed, his muddy feet acting as a cushion for his steps, but there was a big disadvantage to this and that was that anyone would be aware of his presence if they saw the dirty floor.

    Tyr had both his axes and knew he needed to take them down as quickly as possible, he jammed the ax in the back of one''s head and before he dropped to the floor, Tyr removed it from the back of his head and threw both of his axes like a projectile, mming right into the other two''s forehead, reducing his enemy to one but he only had no weapon on him.

    "Y-You!" The man said, and Tyr noticed he did not shout or call for backup, telling him that these were the only guys here.

    But he did try to run into the other room, Tyr assumed that that was where Birger and Lagertha were and promptly tackled the running man, Tyr was a lot faster and he was thankful for his speed for times like these.

    Tyr held the floored man in a headlock, choking him until he lost consciousness but Tyr did not stop there, continuing until he was no longer breathing.

    He had just taken down four people in the space of a minute, he had unnaturally good aim with his ax throw, something Ragnar Lothbrok never taught him.

    He was like an assassin, stalking and closing in on his target, and Tyr could feel his breathing be heavier.

    "I aming to rescue you, mother¡­." Tyr thought to himself, he opened the door slowly, enough for him to peek through and he saw no one, the room looked empty but there were blindspots so Tyr knew he could not rush in.

    But something soon made him throw caution out the window and that was hearing the pained whimpering of a woman. Tyr barged in and what he saw horrified him.

    Lagertha had been beaten to a pulp, her beauty looking like a shell of itself as it was swollen in multiple ces, Tyr saw bruises all over her body or at least the part exposed.

    Tyr stood in shock for a moment, and Lagertha''s eyes soon caught a glimpse of her son but she became erratic like she was trying to tell him something but Tyr just stared.

    She could see his face go from horrified to lifeless like a switch had been flipped in him.

    BOOM!

    A huge sword descended, and the way Tyr moved was fluid as he not only dodged the weapon that was meant to split him down the middle but slit the throat of the man, all in a single move.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This made his blood gush out like a fountain, the blood washing away the mud that clung to his body.

    Tyr rushed to Lagertha to remove her gag, the life in his eyes returned with Lagertha wondering what just happened. Tyr had effortlessly dispatched a Viking that was in no way weak.

    How strong was her son or rather, how strong did the war make him?

    Tyr''s eyes were filled with tears, he could not believe someone had touched her, and he could not ept that he was not there to protect her.

    Lagertha tried to jump Birger but it ended terribly, Birger was aware that she was cutting loose but wanted to see if she would carry through with it. This was a moment he had to teach Lagertha how hopeless her situation was.

    "Did Birger do this to you, mother?" Tyr asked, his shaky face ringing with hatred.

    "I-I am okay, we need to get out of here!" Lagertha tried to talk to Tyr but she could feel it deep in her bones that something changed with Tyr, something she did not recognize.

    Tyr freed his mother but her legs were severely wounded, and she could not walk.

    He knew they had limited time but he had murder on his mind right now, he wanted Birger dead.

    In thispartment, one more doory ahead and Tyr was certain that Birger was there.

    "I am going to kill Birger!" Tyr growled, spit leaking from the edges of his lips like some feral animal and this made Lagertha back up momentarily in fear.

    But they were interrupted by a loud bang, Tyr immediately rushed to the door, hiding right beside it awaiting whoever it was.

    The moment he saw a foot protruding out of the door, he swung his ax without a care in the world with the sole intention of killing this person.

    But the collision of metals informed Tyr that his attack was stopped.

    "TYR! STOP!" Lagertha warned him as the person revealed to be behind the door was Ulf.

    He had managed to block Tyr''s death blow, Ulf saw the bodies in the other room but he was d he did not drop his guard. Ulf''s face creased in rage the moment he saw Lagertha but he held in his words, no it was not the time for talking, now was the time for action.

    Tyr''s eyes held disdain, Ulf could tell that Tyr no longer had a passive view in regards to him, Tyr genuinely disliked him like he dislikes Tyr but right now, they had amon enemy and that was Birger.

 Chapter 168 Lagertha Rescued?

    Ulf had joined the fray, escaping being killed by Tyr as the younger Viking retracted his weapon.

    Lagertha noticed the friction between both of them but right now, they needed to get out.

    She knew that Ulf was no match for Birger, nor was Tyr and right now, Birger was nowhere to be seen. You do not go seeking the devil, you only prepare when he finds you.

    Ulf kissed his teeth, scooping Lagertha''s in his arms and instructing Tyr to guard them.

    Tyr was equally irritated because he was certain that Birger was behind that door.

    "TYR!" Ulf called and Tyr reluctantlyplied as he swept the room, clearing and checking for threats he might have missed but they were the only ones there.

    He opened the door and his eyes did not register anyone outside as he opened the door and the coast was clear.

    Ulf carried Lagertha outside but the moment they stepped outside, they were surrounded.

    Tyr assumed a ready-forbat stance but Ulf could not because he was holding Lagertha, this was a trap and they had walked right into it.

    "I can handle these small fries! Take mother away!" Tyr reassured his uncle, Ulf had no problems leaving him to die but he knew Lagertha would never forgive him if he did.

    "Ulf Lothbrok¡­" A voice called out in the darkness, and Ulf stiffened up instantly, but he was not the only one that was panicked by this, Lagertha''s body went numb.

    "Where the hell are you!?" Tyr shouted, he did not know who he was talking to.

    "Tyr, run¡­" Lagertha muttered, but Tyr was so pumped up on adrenaline that he did not hear his mother, all he wanted right now was blood.

    "TYR! RUN!" Lagertha shouted, the urgency in her voice told Tyr all he needed to know about their current situation.

    "What is wrong, mother?" Tyr asked.

    "He is here! Birger is here!" Lagertha was hysterical, Tyr had never seen her this frightened before and this only reaffirmed his need to kill Birger.

    "I am not the only one that is here¡­." Birger said; voice echoing in the darkness and Herfj?tur''s muffled screams could be heard.

    "I found your little friend snooping around and I could only imagine how lonely she must have been without you, Lagertha. So I brought her to you," Birger said.

    "I think she wants to say something¡­" Birger continued and everywhere fell silent.

    "LAGERTHA! HE IS NOT AFTER YOU OR YOUR CHILDREN! HE IS AFTER RAGNAR!" Herfj?tur screamed from the top of her lungs but silence once again shrouded the atmosphere.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hahaha! I think she might be onto something but I am afraid I can''t have her spilling all my secrets." Birger said, no one knew where he was, that was the terrifying thing, and the capture of Herfj?tur, made their escape all the moreplicated.

    "What do you want?" Lagertha was ready to negotiate but Ulf was against it because he knew they were ying right into Birger''s hands.

    Ulf realized the only way to beat Birger at his own game was to sacrifice a few pawns, they could not save them all.

    "Lagertha, do not¡­. You have to let her go, she knows too much, and there is no way Birger would let her go with what she knows. She was condemned the moment she caught wind of this information." Ulf tried to make Lagertha realize that her attempts to save Herfj?tur were in vain but Lagertha was not about to give up on her friend.

    "I want you to return to that house and I will let everyone go, including your son and Ulf," Birger said. He chose for Lagertha to remain captive for the release of her friends.

    It was an easy decision to make for her, Birger was not going to kill her or he would have done so already. With the information provided by Herfj?tur, Lagertha made an educated guess that Birger nned to use her capture to lure Ragnar here but she had absolute faith in her husband.

    There was no way Birger would best Ragnar, and with that faith, she knew everything would be alright in the end.

    "Ulf... Put me down¡­" Lagertha instructed but Ulf did notply, he was going to take her away by force. He did not care if she hated him for the rest of her life, at least she would have a life to hate him with.

    "I am not sacrificing you for Herfj?tur, and I am sure Herfj?tur would want this as well. You will reunite with her in Valha," Ulf tried to show her a silver lining, one he hoped she would grab.

    "Valha? I am afraid this is thest time you will see her both in this life and the afterlife," Birger was clear with his intentions for Herfj?tur, he had no intentions of letting her into Valha.

    This would not only condemn her but her soul, and Lagertha looked Ulf right in the eyes and said for thest time.

    "Ulf... I said put me down," Ulf could no longer resist, Birger had his ways with words and managed to exploit Lagertha''s vulnerability.

    "Fuck!" Ulf cussed under his breath, dropping Lagertha down gently and Tyr was confused about what was happening.

    "W-What are you doing?" Tyr knew what he riskeding here and he was not about to let his mother be a captive without a chain.

    "It is fine, Tyr. I will be fine¡­" Lagertha tried to reassure him. She tried to smile but this only opened up her partially healed wounds.

    "If you die, I will never forgive you!" Tyr said. Lagertha was one woman he could not oppose because of the love and respect he had for her. Like every child, he believed his mother knew best and submitted to her decision.

    "I have not seen my Tyr grow into a man yet, of course, I will live!" Lagertha said and she struggled back into the house with Tyr trying his best to hold back his tears and his hatred shifted to Herfj?tur, only if she died, none of this would have happened¡­. Only if she died.

 Chapter 169 News Reaches Vestfold

    King Ragnar was exhausted with his engagements during the day and night and offered no reprieve as King Rugalf Gardsson was being hosted with a feast. He stayed the night and celebrated with fellow warriors and ale with Ragnar present in the throne room.

    This marked a new alliance but Ragnar was cautious due to this man''s past rtionship with Vestfold. He was once an enemy and Ragnar knew better than to blindly trust him because of a change of leadership, he suspected he had a different motive but had nothing to go for his suspicion.

    Ragnar missed Lagertha and wondered what she was doing at this very moment but he was soon dragged into the celebration by Rugalf.

    "King Ragnar Lothbrok! The foreign King was epted by the masses! The true King that will restore Vestfold to its glory days!" Regalf was drunk and boasted as he had his arm around the nape of Ragnar''s neck.

    The warriors in the room cheered, not everyone partook in the war or was fortunate enough to escape, they had submitted and epted Ragnar as their new King as this is tradition.

    Naturally, there would exist those that harbored ill intentions toward him but as long as they did not act it out, Ragnar had no qualms with them.

    "KING RAGNAR! KING RAGNAR!" The men cheered, and Ragnar smiled awkwardly, he could swear he was the only one that was sober in this room.

    The room''s stench was sickening but this wasmon in their world.

    "H-Hahaha! Stop, this is embarrassing¡­" Ragnar flushed red, he liked blending into the background but this was no longer possible being a King.

    "Rubbish! Your reputation precedes you! Your swordsmanship is renowned in my kingdom. It is believed that Thor takes control of your body once you take to battle!" Rugalf praised Ragnar but Ragnar was surprised that such a myth existed about him and was curious as to why it even took hold.

    But their ceremonial mood was soon interrupted by a messenger. He was breathing hard, it took a full minute for him to catch his breath despite him traveling on horseback at full speed hence why he could arrive in the space of a few hours as opposed to days.

    "K-KING RAGNAR!" The man shouted, but no one heard him amid the cheers and noises made by the drunken men. He knew he needed Ragnar''s attention, fighting his way through the crowd of bodies in his struggle to reach Ragnar.

    He tried calling out but each time he did, his voice dissipated into thin air but he soon had Ragnar Lothbrok in sight.

    Ragnar was with Rugalf, and the man did not know how he would perceive this information if he told Ragnar the news beside a foreign King but there was no time for second-guessing.

    He ran to Ragnar''s side and the moment he did, everywhere fell silent because they knew what a messenger being present meant.

    Ragnar did not know if he should receive this in private or in front of everyone but Skarde whispered something in his ear, or what he thought was a whisper was in actuality, a scream as Skarde was just as drunk as the rest.

    "You should follow your heart, King Ragnar," What Skarde was referring to was a mystery because it was sure as hell not rted to the ongoing situation.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ragnar knew he needed transparency among his men if he was to get them to trust him that is.

    Ragnar knew this was an important step concerning that and permitted the messenger to speak.

    "King Ragnar! Kattegat has fallen! Your wife, Lagertha! She has been taken hostage by an unknown! He has requested you arrive in Kattegat by tomorrow or she will be dead!" The messenger said but Ragnar''a face was indifferent when he heard this.

    ? He walked casually over to a cup of ale, everyone looking over to see how Ragnar would take this news as he gulped down the whole cup before smashing the cup on the table, breaking it into pieces.

    "K-King Ragnar," Rugalf called out cautiously, trying to make sure it was the same man he was talking to that was there, but veins could be seen on Ragnar''s forehead and this sent a cold shudder down Rugalf''s spine.

    "I will kill anyone that dares threaten my family!" Ragnar was furious, this was the angriest anyone had ever seen him be and they all seemed to sober up upon sensing his killing intent.

    For the first time, Ragnar''s bloodlust was awakened and he was going to bring it all down on the person responsible for this, he was going to bring it down on Birger.

    -

    Ulrik waited for news on Lagertha, Tyr, and Herfj?tur because he was eager to know if their mission was sessful or not because failure most likely meant death.

    He was restless, constantly tapping his feet and his knee with his fingers, like he wasmunicating in Morse Code. Karl had yet to regain consciousness as well meaning he had taken more damage than they originally thought.

    A thought Ulrik did not want toe to pass but he entertained the possibility, and he could not help to worry about what happened to Garda because Birger had what he wanted.

    There was no reason to keep her captive, no one knew what happened to Liv''s father either.

    Soon, Ulrik heard hastened footsteps running in their direction and instantly took up his guard because it was the steps of a single person and Ulrik was certain it should be two as far as Ulrik and Herfj?tur were concerned.

    But Ulrik soon lowered his weapon when he saw who the person running towards him was, it was Tyr and he was covered in mud from head to toe (he reapplied it) but that was not the only thing that was different with Tyr. He was wounded in multiple ces, meaning a battle of some sort ensured before he escaped but this begged the question, where was Herfj?tur?

 Chapter 170 Tyrs Recurring Nightmare

    "Where am I?" Tyr questioned, he was lost in his dream, he was in a familiar environment despite being certain he had never been here before, he could not recollect ever being here.

    "Is this a dream?" Tyr questioned, he was confused because thest he could remember, he was saving his mother.

    "What are you doing brother? Come! Mother is looking for you!" A little dark-skinned girl called out, dragging Tyr''s hand in the process.

    "Wait! Who are you!?" Tyr questioned but the girl looked back and for the first time since having these kinds of dreams, he made out her face.

    She was a young chubby girl, dressed in tattered clothes and a big potbelly.

    Tyr had no idea who she was but she called him brother.

    "You left me to die, brother¡­" The young girl suddenly stopped in her tracks, turning to look back at Tyr but what he saw was a grotesque form. She had no eyes, with blood dripping down the empty eye sockets and her chest had been cut open.

    "W-WHAT!?" Tyr was frightened by this sight, wrestling his wrist from her grasp, and stumbling onto the ground in terror.

    "Why did you leave me, brother¡­ You promised¡­." The girl said, walking closer to her eyes, as her head began to twist until it was a full 180 degrees.

    "S-Stay back!" Tyr screamed, trying his best to get to his feet but he could not move, looking down he saw rotting hands holding him in ce.

    "Come, stay with me, brother! Forever and ever!" The girl said as the hands began to pull Tyr underground, dragging him beneath the earth. He tried to resist but he could not break free no matter how hard he struggled.

    Tyr was horrified, he did not even know who she was but he had lost his memory so he could not discern if this was a memory or just a nightmare.

    "This isn''t real! This isn''t real!" Tyr closed his eyes, muttering himself, and the moment he reopened his eyes. He found himself standing alone in an open field.

    Crying could be heard in the distance, the crying sounded familiar, and it sounded like Bjorn.

    Tyr ran in the direction of the cry, he took off like an athlete in a marathon but he never seemed to leave this spot regardless of how far he ran.

    "BJORN!" Tyr called out and suddenly, he saw Bjorn in the distance, and almost like teleportation, he found himself right in front of Bjorn.

    "Tyr, please save me!" Bjorn begged and Tyr rushed in without second thought, but he saw someone or something standing over Bjorn with a knife in hand.

    "STOP!" Tyr screamed but his words fell on deaf ears as the de of the person standing above Bjorn stabbed him repeatedly, ripping and roughing up his organs. Bjorn coughed up blood as the knife found his face, and Bjorn died soon after but not before saying.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "W-Why could you not save me, brother?" Tyr fell to his knees in defeat, clutching his head in confusion as a sorrowful scream echoed in the distance.

    "This is the fate of everyone you love¡­" The man that had just killed Bjorn said, but Tyr was ovee with sorrow and just stared nkly.

    He looked at the man but s, he had no face, he looked like a nk canvas

    "You cannot save anyone, for your love is a curse that kills anyone it touches. To protect those you love, you must run! Run and never look back!" The featureless man said as it had taken the appearance of Tyr.

    Tyr found himself on the boat that had carried him into what was supposed to begin his life as a ve and for the first time, he had regained a lost memory as the three vers that had captured him and tossed him into the water appeared.

    He rewatched the scene, but as a spectator, watching a smaller version of him being subdued to this fate and Tyr''s teary eyes turned cold.

    "That is right! This is what you are! You will burn this world down¡­" The voice echoed but before this strange dream could go further. Tyr woke up.

    The sun was out and he could feel the blistering heat pelting his cleaned-up body, Tyr was light-headed and could barely think straight thanks to his mind-numbing headache.

    "You are awake," Ulrik was the first to notice him, Tyr noticed his wounds had been closed-up and treated. He was lucky it was not infected considering the amount of dirt on him at that time.

    Ulrik had to clean him quickly and cover his wounds because he knew they could get infected if he did not.

    Tyr tried to speak but Ulrik put a finger over his lips to shush him, he knew Tyr had a lot to say but he was in no condition to speak.

    His sneak attack was smart, there was nothing wrong with wanting to save his mother but Birger had shown once again, that he has always been two steps ahead.

    "You need to focus on your strength, I do not know what happened but whatever it was. I am sure it appeared in your dream. Look around you Tyr¡­" Ulrik said, and Tyr lifted his head slightly to see what was around him as per Ulrik''s intention but what he saw was everyone''s head mounted on a spike.

    "You did this, Tyr¡­ You killed us all." Tyr returned his head to face the talking man but behold, his head too was mounted on a spike. Screaming, he awoke¡­ Again.

    But he did not know now if this was reality or yet another dream, he looked around him immediately and saw that everyone was as expected. There were no spikes or a severed head.

    "It is about time you woke up, we have a fucking lot to talk about!" Ulrik barked, he did not care that Tyr was injured, he cared about the information he possessed.

    There was no mistaking it, this was Ulrik, Tyr heaved a huge sigh of relief as the morning was unnaturally chilly; his wrapped wounds were taken care of while he was unconscious.

 Chapter 171 What Happened That Night?

    Birger''s intention was unknown, no one knew the goal or ambition of this man.

    It was thought he wanted to punish Askild for killing Xenophanes but recent development showed he wanted Ragnar in Kattegat, which would only bring more of his enemies around him.

    Tyr was injured, but his injuries were not severe, the fate of Herfj?tur and Ulf were unknown.

    Tyr recollected the eventst night and knew that Ulrik did not have the patience to wait for Tyr''s recovery and as such, Tyr narrated the event of the previous night to him.

    -

    After Birger''s offer, Lagertha returned to the house she was imprisoned in and did not attempt to escape again but things didn''t go as nned.

    "A son that cannot protect his mother? Then again she is not your mother, is she?" Birger attempted to provoke the young boy and Tyr, who was already on edge, gnawed his teeth in anger.

    "The boy with no home," Birger continued and Ulf watched in silence as the provocation continued. Things becameplicated the moment Tyr entered Kattegat, Ulf had begun to see Tyr as some sort of bad luck, he did not understand what was so special about him that even his brother took him as a son.

    Maybe Kattegat''s bad luck woulde to an end here if he died but Ulf could not do anything because he knew the importance Lagertha ced on his life.

    "Tyr, that is enough¡­" Ulf tried to calm the raging child down but this only made Birger focus his taunts on Ulf as well.

    "Tyr, there is a secret Ulf is keeping from you¡­" Birger''s voice echoed, but Ulf was unbothered by this, watching Tyr shoot him a curious gaze. Ulf knew it was better Tyr heard it from his lips than that of Birger.

    "When you first washed up on the shore of Kattegat, I wanted to kill you and I would do it again if given the chance only this time, I would make sure I seed," Ulf said in an indifferent tone and Tyr''s hatred only grew as he now began to perceive Ulf as an actual threat, not someone he just disliked.

    "Hahaha! I was not talking about that, Ulf," Birger said, Ulf had unknowingly yed into his hands and he kissed his teeth in irritation.

    "I was talking about how you wish to fuck Lagertha and steal her from your mother," Birger said and Ulf''s surprise at this revtion was telling, there was no way Birger should know about this.

    "W-What?" Tyr muttered, and now they had a problem, Ulf had only one job at this moment and that was to either confirm or deny this.

    But something happened that diverted their attention away from this conversation, and that was distant screams and panic from the void of darkness.

    "She has escaped! Don''t let her escape!" A man shouted but this was a strange thing to say considering Birger had epted to release her.

    "You guessed it, Ulf. I n to kill you three tonight," Birger replied and the moment he said this, arrows came out of the darkness with the sole intention of killing Tyr, Tyr was the first target.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The trajectory of the arrows made it impossible for Tyr to avoid it and all he could do was brace himself and hope that this minimizes the damages to some degree.

    But Tyr felt his small body tumbling onto the ground, someone had pushed him out of the arrow''s path and he could not believe the person that was responsible for this, it was Ulf.

    "R-Run!" Ulfmanded, and he was impaled with an arrow sticking out from his stomach and left shoulder respectively.

    "W-Why?" Tyr asked but Ulf did not answer him and instead unsheathed his sword.

    "Just go! I will hold them off here!" Ulf said and without thinking, Tyr ran but of course, they gave chase and that was why he reapplied the mud to conceal himself and blend with the environment amid the darkness but not before engaging a few of them, this resulted in the injuries around his body. Tyr knew the situation was hopeless, and Herfj?tur escaping gave him his go-ahead to retreat because that meant she had somehow managed to escape her captives.

    This was all the information Tyr could give, Lagertha was naive in thinking Birger was a man of his word.

    -

    Ulrik''s eyes widened in horror, he was devastated because he knew what losing Herfj?tur would mean for them as a whole as the war had already imed far too many.

    Herfj?tur would have returned if she wanted to, Ulrik assumed she was stuck in Kattegat and did not want to risk being followed back to the camp.

    Ulf, on the other hand, if what Tyr said was true then Ulf was most likely dead, his survival was low but he was surprised Ulf risked his life to save Tyr.

    "Thank you for telling me, I am sorry about your mother¡­" Ulrik said; he was d that Tyr was transparent with him.

    "It is fine," Tyr said, he looked over his shoulder and saw Bjorn sleeping soundly, both boys were injured but they were alive. Tyr was reminded how weak he was, he was nowhere near strong.

    Only if he was stronger, he would not need to live like such a coward and he knew there was no way he could protect anyone as he currently was.

    "I have to be stronger¡­" Tyr said; he could feel his sight be foggy as tears poured out uncontrobly. Tyr''s mind was tired, only if he stayed the night then maybe Herfj?tur would be okay. He had gotten carried away, Tyr cursed his arrogance and felt helpless.

    Heughed at the idea that he thought he could kill Birger, Birger was not someone that was killed.

    A man that bested Askild in wits? Tyr had been given a reality check.

    Ulrik watched in silence as the young warrior wept, he did not say a word because he knew how important those tears shed were.

 Chapter 172 Beauty And The Beast [R18+]

    Erik had been imprisoned, he did not resist much as they treated him with utmost care as they understood the only way to keep him in his cell is only if Erik wanted to stay in it.

    Arild was d that she was alive but she was part of the conditions that Erik listed to stay in his cell.

    She was not pleased with it but she had epted the condition because she knew how important Erik was Birger''s n and she would give her life to make sure his goals came true.

    "Oi Arild, Erik is requesting you in his cell," Reidar said with a perverted grin, Arild did not bother with a verbal response and simply went to his cell because they were both aware of why Erik was requesting her presence.

    Erik began salivating the moment he saw her. Arild, for some reason, was calm and collected.

    The moment she entered the cell, Erik moved in to manhandle her but Arild was not having any of that. If Erik was going to have continuous ess to her body, he had to y by her rules.

    She was not a fuck doll that he gets to fuck however he wants. Now was the time for boundaries.

    "No, Erik," Arild said at once, Erik was confused as he was not one to seek consent in the first ce. What he wanted, he got it by force or otherwise yet here she was, telling him "no"?

    "My dick is hard, hurry up and sit on it," Erik said,ying on the ground but Arild did notply.

    "I am not your whore, Erik," Arild said, looking Erik dead in the eyes and Erik did not know what to do. Arild knew Erik could easily overpower her so she had to follow up with something that would not trigger him.

    "Erik, what if I told you you could get even better pleasure?" Arild said and this piqued Erik''s interest as hey up.

    "More pleasure? Do you mean killing?" Erik asked, clueless as to what this woman was saying but she had gotten him into a conversation, that was progress.

    "No Erik, do you mind letting me take control for today?" Arild said, but Erik was not quite following because he has fucked tons of women so what else could sex be if not to release your pent-up lust into a woman, was that not what women were for?

    But there was something about the way Arild looked at him that made Erik interested in whatever she had in mind.

    "Go ahead," Erik was surprisingly tame today, but this could be because he was bored and needed something to pass time.

    Arildid Erik on his back, and Erik''s dick was soon removed from his pants, she began stroking it gently as her soft moist lips wandered around his chest.

    Erik was surprised by this, he had always used women to satisfy his urges but had never had a woman use him to satisfy hers.

    Arild''s face was aligned with Erik''s own, and she did something that shocked The Berserker.

    Arild kissed Erik, and Erik immediately pushed her off him and scrambled away the moment their lips met.

    "Get out," Erikmanded, this was a first for Erik and Arild looked at him, Erik was distressed but it was just a kiss. How could a kiss trigger this sort of reaction from him?

    "I am sorry, I did not mean to take it that far¡­" Arild apologized but she was not dramatic in terms of her reaction to the event and had her neutral face on.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Why did you kiss me?" Erik questioned her, Arild took him by surprise with that action.

    "Was it your first kiss?" Arild asked and Erik fell silent but his silence only gave Arild her answer.

    "Come here, Erik," Arildpassionately called out to him, Erik looked at her.

    "I wille to you then," Arild said, walking towards Erik.

    Erik''s back was against the wall, legs spread out in front of him. Arild sat on hisp, facing him.

    "Do not be afraid of Erik, right now. You are not on the battlefield. Let down your guard," Arild said, caressing his face, her hands were warm and nurturing. This was a far cry from the aloof personality she showed inbat.

    Then she leaned in, but she went in slower than before, this allowed Erik to back away if he was notfortable but he did not.

    Both of them kissed, it was hard to believe this was the hardened Erik that everyone was scared of, he looked like a tame little puppy right now.

    "You see? It was not so bad now, was it?" Arild said with a smile, Erik could not believe what was happening. He recognized this strange feeling, he felt it when he saw Asger''s wife.

    Arild didn''t take time, Erik was still hard as she wrapped her arms around him after sliding his dick into her, Erik fought all his primal instinct to revert to his old habits.

    Arild began moving up and down, this felt different, it felt a lot more intimate and the intensity was not something Erik was used to.

    Arild looked right into his eyes as she did, before kissing him deeply, their tongues dancing together. This felt like a scene taken right out of beauty and the beast.

    -

    Lagertha was in her room, her wounds were being attended to but Birger had found a way to keep her shackled. He had intentionally left her rope loose to see if she still was defiant.

    He did not make that mistake twice, Birger walked into the room as if nothing happened.

    "Good morning Queen Lagertha, I hope you slept well?" Birger greeted her but Lagertha did not offer him a response, she was no longer gagged.

    "I know you must be hungry, I apologize for my earlier treatment but when someone misbehaves, one ought to discipline them. You were a bad girl, Lagertha so I had no choice but to punish you. My apology did note empty-handed." Birger said, pping his hands.

    A covered food tray was brought into the room, Lagertha had not eaten in a while so it was only logical she was hungry. She looked at the tray but looked away.

    "I am trying here, Lagertha. Fine, at least see what is inside," Birger sounded apologetic, and the tray cover came off but Lagertha''s horrified face showed what was beneath that tray was anything but food. It was a head and one that Lagertha recognized.

    "Lady Herfj?tur?!"

 Chapter 173 King Ragnar Has Arrived!

    The chaos in Kattegat did not go unnoticed by others, the surrounding kingdoms took note of it but they remained silent because they were not aware of what would happen if they were to intervene prematurely.

    But a very prominent man was on his way to Kattegat or was it safe to say he was already there? That man was King Ragnar but he did note alone.

    King Rugalf apanied him with his men, marching over two hundred strong.

    Ragnar came with a fury, he came with one thing and one thing only, which was taking his family back to safety.

    "K-King Ragnar?" A guard guarding the gate screamed, the two Kings were on horseback with the remaining marching behind them.

    "Allow them through!" A senior Viking instructed, Ragnar, to wear a stern face as well as King Rugalf, he knew the seriousness of the situation as this might directly encroach on his ns to wed into Ragnar''s family.

    Everyone was intimidated by Rulf''s appearance, he looked a lot scarier than Erik and his size was even bigger than the Berserker.

    Ragnar already knew where he had to go, he was headed to the throne room to meet the new King of Kattegat. The fate of everyone was unknown, Ragnar didn''t even know what happened to his sons but he knew right now his mind was thest ce he needed to be in.

    He was d Rugalf apanied him, this show of force should send a message to Kattegat.

    The whispers were loud, and Ragnar could hear people looking at him with envious gazes.

    Ragnar entered the throne room alongside King Rugalf as his men

    "Wee to Kattegat, King Ragnar Lothbrok." The familiar voice of Birger greeted him, Birger was all smiles despite noticing the infuriated gaze from Ragnar, Birger turned to Rugalf.

    "Now this is an unexpected truce," Birger said, seatedfortably on the throne that once belonged to Askild.

    "Where is my family? What have you done with King Askild?" Ragnar asked, trying his best to stayposed because he knew the moment he lost thatposure, Birger would gain the upper hand in the negotiation.

    "I am no monster, King Ragnar. I can promise you your family is safe." Birger said, and before long, people walked into the throne room with loads of food and drinks to serve the Kings.

    "I wee you, King Ragnar and King Ruf in good faith. We have a lot to talk about!" Birger said excitedly, Rugalf was surprised at how calm Ragnar was but maybe that is because Ragnar knew being emotional would do him no good right now.

    "Thank you, King Birger. I see you have taken Kattegat, that is impressive." King Rugalf praised Birger, this was strange considering he came here with Ragnar. Ragnar took note of this, and now he found himself questioning the motive of King Rugalf.

    "Hahaha! I do not like to praise myself but it was a lot easier than it sounds," Birger responded, not only insulting Kattegat but its security.

    Ragnar bit his tongue, he watched the men jest but Ruf dug into the foodid out on the table and drank the ale presented in front of him.

    He did not even question if it was poisoned or not, Ragnar was surprised at how free he was in enemy territory but he realized that Rugalf was emotionally disconnected from the ongoing events. Birger proceeded to exin everything that urred in utmost detail and all Ragnar could do was sit and listen. The only person that was truly interested in this story was Rugalf.

    Birger sent a messenger to Vestfold or rather, allowed one ''slip'' through his defenses the moment Askild arrived, this was what allowed the current timeframe to be in sync.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    -

    "King Askild!" Asger called out, he was out of breath and Askild gave him the go-ahead to speak.

    "What is it, Asger? What is so important that you would interrupt my rest?" Askild asked.

    They were in a rundown building, it looked like it was barely standing, the chipped wood showed that this house was crawling with termites and rats but Askild was not bothered.

    They had escaped and slipped into the poorer part of Kattegat, disguised as mere beggars and cripples.

    "King Ragnar is in Kattegat!" Asger blurted out and this was enough to make Askild jump up.

    This was good news, if Ragnar was there then there was a fighting chance for them.

    Askild hated the state he had been reduced to but he knew what to prioritize at that moment for as long as he lived, Kattegat had not truly fallen.

    "We need to get back to Kattegat right now! We do not know why Ragnar is here but one thing is certain, Birger''s intentions are not good!" Askild said, but Asger remained silent.

    In reality, Askild had be a liability with his injuries and if he fell, then all this would have been in vain.

    Asger''s hatred burned fiercely, he had his reasons for hating Birger but little did he know the reasons for his hatred were misced.

    Birger held the matches to burn everything down, Askild knew the threat that man carried.

    Hagen had hastily constructed a tool that supported Askild''s body, allowing him to walk even though the pain he endured was excruciating.

    The arrow had hit a tendon and Askild knew it would take time for him to recover from this blow.

    "Everyone! Get ready! We are going to Kattegat!" Askild instructed.

    -

    "King Ragnar is in Kattegat!" A warrior informed Ulrik, and Ulrik was surprised by this news because he suggested it but Birger had positioned his men to close off the routes.

    "F-Father is here!?" Tyr questioned, one would think Tyr would be happy but he looked troubled the moment he heard this.

    "T-This is bad! Father cannot be here! It is all part of Birger''s n! He wants Ragnar, Askild was never his target! I do not know why but if father is here! I fear he will never make it out alive!" Tyr was hysterical, and Ulrik did not know how to react.

    "If it is as my brother said, then we need to go to Kattegat. Father cannot fall, no matter what. This will be our final stand!" Bjorn said, clutching his torso in difort but the look of determination was irond.

 Chapter 174 For Better Or For Worse

    Birger finished narrating what he had done, this included the physical assault on Lagertha, and Ragnar''s face dropped, the look in his eyes held the rage of a thousand men.

    Even Rugalf that was interested in the story found it sickening, most especially what he intended to do with Liv.

    Rugalf looked at Ragnar, he felt like he was looking at death itself but this might be an opportunity to see Ragnar''s skills in person.

    Ragnar grabbed the hilt of his sword, all he wanted to do right now was run it through Birger''s heart.

    "What happened to Liv?" Rugalf questioned, the story had left it out and this included whose head was served on a tter to Lagertha moments ago.

    Birger ignored Ruf''s question, he had no obligations to answer, the reason he told the story was for one purpose alone and that was to get under Ragnar''s skin.

    However, Ragnar let go of the hilt of his sword and looked Birger right in the eyes.

    "Huh? Am I sweating?" Birger thought; he could feel cold beads of sweat running down his forehead.

    "Am I scared?" Birger was confused, it has been a while since he has felt true fear.

    But he knew he had to show Ragnar Lagertha, pping his hand.

    A man came in, Lagertha had a bag over her head and was ushered into the room.

    Ragnar''s rage dissipated the moment he saw his wife, sorrow filled them and his lips quivered.

    Ragnar was not a King at this moment, he was a father, a husband.

    "Lagertha¡­ I am back¡­" Ragnar apologized to his wife, the dried-up blood on her clothes showed him the pain she has gone through.

    "My husband¡­ Wee back home," Lagertha''s voice was as nurturing as ever.

    Seeing Lagerha, despite her ragged state, lifted the weight off Ragnar''s shoulder.

    Ragnar Lothbbrok began walking towards his wife, but a sword was soon ced against her neck.

    "Now, now King Ragnar. Let us not be hasty," Birger said, expecting Ragnar to stop in his tracks but Ragnar did not, he kept walking towards his wife.

    Birger found that he could not move, something was overwhelming about Ragnar Lothbrok. There was something heavy about his killing intent, he ignored Birger''s presence and took the bag off his wife''s head despite Birger threatening him mere moments ago.

    Birger stood awkwardly behind her with the de against her neck, Ragnar casually pushed the de aside and Birger found himself not resisting because every fiber in his body told him if he did, he would die.

    "You look terrible¡­ Are you sure you are my wife?" Ragnar teased Lagertha, caressing his wife''s bloodied face.

    "Y-You are still terrible at talking to women. How did we even get married?" Lagertha fired back, Ragnar chuckled in response, right before looking at Birger.

    Birger instinctively took a few steps back, he was on high alert, something Rugalf took note of.

    "King Ragnar, if you take Lagertha, you will never see your brother again¡­" Birger had a backup bargaining chip, and Ragnar was surprised his brother was caught but it made sense.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Ulf would rather die than let Lagertha be harmed to such a degree.

    "I see¡­. Hear me, Birger. I will have your head at the end of all this," Ragnar threatened him.

    Rugalf had goosebumps hearing Ragnar speak, he could not believe such a man existed.

    Ragnar was everything he had about, and more.

    "Hang in there, Lagertha¡­. I will get you out of this mess," Ragnar said, gently moving the strand of hair hanging in front of her face, past her ear.

    Birger was both intrigued and terrified of Ragnar, but he knew he would redirect his anger elsewhere in a moment. Birger was not stupid, he knew Erik did something to Lagertha and he gambled on the chance that Ragnar was not aware, Erik drawing breath was what he based this hypothesis on.

    "Erik The Berserker¡­." Birger blurted out and Lagertha immediately tensed up, something that Ragnar noticed.

    "Was he the one that did this to you?" Ragnar asked, but he had just heard Birger''s story moments ago and there was no mention of Erik. BIrger only told them about the fall of Kattegat.

    He left out the part about Erik raping Asger''s wife, he had ns for the ultimate reveal but the condition for those ns was yet to be met. Birger was curious about the kind of history Lagertha shared with Erik, it can''t be a good one because he saw how much she wanted him dead a day ago, even though he did not know everything about it seems.

    "Ragnar, I have to tell you something," Lagertha''s voice was a perfect reflection of the emotions coursing through her body.

    -

    Arild wasying on Erik''s chest, Erik could not believe that such a feeling was possible.

    What he was feeling right now is a feeling he was not familiar with, a feeling he had never experienced himself. It was almost like Erik had an epiphany.

    "You see, Erik¡­ All you need to do is to let go," Arild said but this level of vulnerability was something Erik was not used to and he did not know what to do with the emotions flowing through him.

    "Erik?" Arild called because he was not responding to her, she sat up to look at him in his eyes.

    Erik had a soft look on his face, his eyeballs darted in the direction of Arild.

    "You are just like her¡­" Erik blurted out, sitting up with his back against the wall.

    Arild smiled, she was curious to hear who thisdy was, was Erik once in love?

    "I am just like who?" Arild asked, the anticipation evident on her face but Erik did not respond.

    His soft face suddenly changed to a sinister one, what Arild felt next was Erik''s hands around her neck.

    "People like you should not exist!" Erik was furious, and his hands constricted, Arild struggled in vain but it was impossible to break free from the much bigger Erik.

    Her body soon went limb, and just then, Erik snapped her neck like a twig.

    ".... Disgusting¡­" This was Erik''sst word as he stared at Arild''s lifeless body.

 Chapter 175 The Call Of The Damned

    Tyr and Bjorn knew that their father was in danger, from what Birger had done so far they could only assume the worst. Tyr knew something was up but he could not wrap his fingers around it.

    They had to sneak into Kattegat but with their numbers, it was impossible, they had no choice but to gain entry through the main gate.

    It was a gamble because they were certain that if they entered this time, there was noing out. Tyr and Bjorn were the first toe into sight, and the guards picked them up immediately.

    Tyr was topless, he had on ck trousers, unlike his brother that was fully dressed.

    "I-It is the sons of Ragnar!" A guard shouted and the moment their presence was registered, Ulrik emerged behind them with his men and the remnants of Herfj?tur warriors.

    They numbered a measly hundred in total, they knew they could not be forceful or they would be ughtered even though they would put up a good fight.

    Killing Ragnar would set off a chain of events that would not only affect Kattegat, but Norway itself.

    Tyr and Bjorn, however, were the only ones that stepped forward to enter Kattegat, Ulrik and the rest remained outside and their presence alone made them divide their forces as more men were stationed on the walls to keep watch on Ulrik.

    Tyr and Bjorn were high-priority targets, they would be allowed into Kattegat and everyone knew why they were there but these two have proven to be troublesome.

    They underwent a search and we were disarmed, they were surrounded by armed guards but they were not escorted to see Birger. They would not be stupid enough to bring these two boys where their father was, not without explicit orders from Birger.

    Tyr and Birger knew that they could not be reckless right now, they were both injured and were not as nimble as they were a day or two ago.

    "What are you people doing!?" A guard screamed; he gestured for them to bring the boys in his direction but that was the direction of the throne room.

    "Birger has requested you bring the sons of Ragnar to him should theye after hearing of their father''s arrival!" The guard was their superior. Tyr was no longer surprised, Birger had predicted they woulde, maybe that was why he was not bothered by their escape because he knew they woulde to him themselves once Ragnar came to Kattegat.

    Like flies to a moth, they were all drawn to Kattegat by Ragnar''s presence.

    -

    Askild arrived at the gate shortly after, Ulrik was relieved to see that his King was still alive, he could not believe it as he had already thought of the worst possible scenario regarding him.

    Askild, however, did not acknowledge his existence, despite Asger and Hagen greeting Ulrik with a nod. Ulrik knew he had failed Askild, this only happened because of his ipetence and he was facing the consequences of that action.

    "Askild and Asger! Both of you may step forward! King Birger is expecting you!" A man screamed at the top of his lungs informing these two men that they had authorized entry.

    "The sons of Ragnar are already inside!" Ulrik informed them and Askild was not surprised by this, Ragnar was in Kattegat after all.

    He epted the invitation and walked to the gates alongside Asger, who walked slowly behind his King, in case he should fall.

    It felt like Birger was hosting a meeting with high-ranking officials, if he wanted to kill them, he could have easily rounded them up the moment they arrived.

    Askild wondered about the fate his wife had experienced, he had not heard anything regarding her, making him wonder if she had gone through the most traumatic moment in her life.

    Asild knew whatever it is Birger had in mind, everything wasing to an end today.

    Like the sons of Ragnar, Askild, and Asger were disarmed.

    -

    "Erik! You bastard!" Reidar cussed at The Berserker, Arild''s lifeless body was sprawled on the floor and Erik smirked. He was back to a familiar feeling, he was satisfied with the look on Reidar''s face. Reidar clutched his sword but he was stopped by a group of guards approaching the cell.

    "Erik The Berserker, King Birger has requested your presence in the throne room. He also said he would consider a duel with you should youe without incident," A man said, Reidar bit his tongue when he saw this man, no one knew who he was but he was the only one that Birger trusted.

    He had no name, the only thing that stood out was the ne across his neck.

    It was a rope with a lion''s tooth as the pendent, he looked rtively normal and did not stand out whatsoever.

    Erik liked what he heard, the man looked at the lifeless body of Arild and looked at Reidar.

    "Bury her," The man said, he recognized Reidar''s anger and did not dismiss it but Birger''s needs supersede everything else, their emotions included.

    "Y-Yes sir¡­" Reidar responded; Erik was allowed out of his cell, he was ced in shackles but these were not your everyday shackles, they were a lot more durable and made of a special material that even Erik could not break free from. He was only able to bend the metal bars because they were old and rusty. Erik was not some superhuman god in human form, every feat he had had a logical exnation.

    Erik walked out but on his way out, he stepped on Arild''s head, crushing it beneath his weight.

    "Oops," Erik muttered, the nameless man watched with an indifferent look, guiding Erik to the throne room. Birger had summoned every one of importance.

    The only reason this was possible was because of the drastic action Birger took.

    He orchestrated everything to absolute perfection and now, the reason why he invaded Kattegat would soone to light.

 Chapter 176 Eriks Trial?

    Ragnar''s face dropped the moment he heard what came out of Lagertha''s mouth, his hands trembled and his killing intent intensified. Lagertha had never seen him like this, no one has.

    p¨£§ád¨£ §«?¦Í¨º1,§ã¨°§® Rugalf subconsciously gulped, the atmosphere was that intense.

    "King Ragnar, I brought you here to uncover all the lies of Askild and his watchdog, Erik," Birger blurted out, he had found the emotional trigger he was looking and it was surprisingly brought forth by Lagertha.

    Now, Birger had something to work on, like a parasite, hetched onto this opportunity given to him by Lagertha.

    "Where is he?" Ragnar asked coldly, BIrger was concerned because he knew what would happen if Ragnar saw him in his current state, Erik would not survive.

    Ragnar was shaking with rage, gritting his teeth with his eyes bing bloodshot.

    Birger instinctively took a step back, Ragnar was setting off all his rms and his body was responding to them subconsciously but just then, the throne room opened.

    "FATHER!" Bjorn and Tyr called out in unison, and Ragnar''s darkening heart cracked the moment he heard the voices of his children. This was Bjorn''s first time seeing his mother and he could not believe the bloodied mess she was in.

    Rugalf had seen the children of Ragnar and they in no way looked weak, this only made him want to join their houses all the more.

    Ragnar noticed the state both his children were in, and he shed Birger a re.

    "They are warriors, King Ragnar. You cannot be angry that they have got a few scratches on them," Birger said but Ragnar did not say a word.

    " Tyr and Bjorn, how are you two still alive with wounds like that? Are you sure you are my children or you two were swapped too?" Ragnar said with a serious face, grabbing the hilt of his de as he began walking towards it, prompting everyone to wonder what he was doing.

    But Ragnar suddenly started running towards them like an abnormal titan.

    The guards surrounding both Bjorn and Tyr backed up, and Ragnar unsheathed his de and swung it to decapitate his children.

    "K-King Ragnar!" Rugalf called, the only thing he had shown interest in sinceing here was this action from Ragnar, had he finally gone mad?

    Tyr halted his swing mere inches from their necks and his children had not even flinched, nor blinked, they knew their father would not hurt them and even if he did, then it would be a worthy death.

    "Hahaha! There is no mistaking it! You are my children!" Ragnarughed off his joke but he was not the only one that found it funny. Both Tyr and Bjornughed with their father.

    Rugalf was second-guessing his decision to marry into their family because this was a twisted joke.

    "You two sure have grown to be strong warriors," Ragnar rubbed both their heads, Birger permitted it as a show of good fate to Ragnar, he had no intentions of angering Ragnar further.

    A knock on the throne room''s door could be heard and the one responsible for that knock informed Birger that they had brought "him", this was vague and not descriptive for reasons best known to Birger.

    BIrger walked down the throne, he had unbound Lagertha for her to reunite with her children properly, Rugalf found it strange that he went through all that trouble only to release Lagertha under such circumstances.

    It was like he used Lagertha''s capture to lure Ragnar, for what man would note to the aid of his family?

    Birger watched as Lagertha embraced her children as he walked past them and towards the door but before opening the door, he needed to confirm something.

    "King Ragnar, from here on out, I want your word that you will behave like a person fit for your title." Birger waited for Ragnar''s reassurance and Ragnar did just that, he had his family, and all he needed was Erik''s head. Birger still had the upper hand as Ulf''s whereabouts were unknown.

    And then, the familiar creaking of the wooden door shutting the throne room was pushed open.

    Ragnar could not believe his eyes, it was Erik The Berserker!

    Ragnar walked outside, alongside every other person in the room, and a gathering of people was already waiting outside.

    These were not warriors but civilians, it felt like a trial as Erik was bound to a metal pole, specifically constructed for this day.

    Ragnar did not say a word, seats were prepared for the men of prominence.

    Ragnar, Rugalf, Birger, and Lagertha all sat down, watching to see what Birger had in mind.

    Around this time, Askild and Asger arrived; they were also granted seats for this hearing.

    Everyone was confused, they had no idea what BIrger had in mind but they were all about to find out. Birger got up his feet as he walked a few steps forward.

    Every single thing Birger did was for his moment, and he had a satisfied smile across his face.

    "Hahahaha! Fear the fury of a patient man, I have waited for this day ever since I was exiled from Kattegat¡­." Birger said, looking at a fuming Asger.

    ".... Ever since I was falsely used of raping and killing your wife, Asger," Birger finished his sentence, Asger remained calm on the outside but he raged on the inside.

    "Asger¡­ The man responsible for the crimes pinned against me is that man, Erik The Berserker," Birger said.

    "You are lying, Do not mistake me for a fool!" Asger finally exploded after years of pent-up rage.

    "I have been biting my tongue because of my respect for King Askild but if you want to throw dirt on my wife''s name then I will strike you down right now!" Asger said but Ragnar grabbed his arm.

    "You are in the presence of Kings, control yourself," Ragnar said, the coldness in Ragnar''s voice and his trembling hands told Asger that Ragnar felt the same way as he did.

    "Asger, the man you swore your loyalty to is right beside you, or do I lie usurper?" Birger asked. Asger initially dismissed this but Askild didn''t look shocked or unmoved by this usation.

    "Hahaha!" Erik beganughing hysterically, this drew everyone''s attention to the madman.

    "YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!? I WILL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED!" Erik screamed, devoid of remorse.

 Chapter 177 Battle Of Wits

    Erik narrated everything in grim details, and this included how he vited Asgeer''s wife and how Askild was aware of it, Erik was done with the games because he was on a certain high after killing Arild, but he did not stop there, Erik bragged about having his way with Lagertha.

    Everyone''s jaw dropped, Tyr could not believe he was serving under the man that had caused his mother such pain, Lagertha''s reaction made sense now.

    Askild remained quiet, he did not look moved by this revtion despite everyone expecting an exnation. If Erik was punished ordingly, Lagertha would have never been touched so the fault all fell to Askild.

    Birger was satisfied with this development, he always knew Erik was a loose canon but it seemed even Askild had lost control over him for some reason.

    "You have all heard it from the culprit''s mouth, Erik has admitted his guilt and Askild''s involvement in its cover-up," Birger was triumphant, he had been waiting for this moment all his life.

    "W-Why did you not fight the usations?" Asger asked, he had to know why because if he spoke against it, people would have at least kept an eye on Erik subconsciously.

    "Who would have believed an outsider? I saw it in your eyes, Asger. You needed someone to hate and it would have been a lot easier hating me than anyone else, I was just as responsible for failing to protect her¡­ I loved her," Birger said and Asger clenched his fist in anger.

    He could not believe the man he would give up his life for was a King that could not even share in his loyalty.

    "This does not exin why you took over Kattegat, King Birger," King Rugalf spoke. Many were not familiar with him but they knew he was a King for he wore a crown.

    "I took over Kattegat because I knew this was the only way to be heard, I only have this audience because you all consider me a threat but I have no interest in being King, I took his crown so you may choose your own King! Askild is no one now, he has no forces or army behind him as I am now the one with that power. He ruled through fear and that is why no one dared question him but I have questioned him on all your behalf! I have torn down the invincible Askild from his throne and shown you all, he is only a man!" Birger said and everyone could feel the public opinion swaying in his favor.

    "Y-You bastard!" Lagertha cussed out, she was not having any of his bullshit and knew he did this for his selfish reasons.

    "You killed Herfj?tur!" Lagertha said but Birger jerked his head in her direction before saying.

    "Herfj?tur? I did not kill her, Lagertha, I admit my joke might have been in poor taste but I did not kill Herfj?tur, I found her dead," Birger said, but there was no one capable of killing her except Birger.

    "Or I could be lying¡­" Birger said with a sinister grin becausepared to the others, Herfj?tur''s life was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

    Everyone that stood in his way was cut down, with no exceptions as he was not scared to put his hands on Lagertha despite her being a queen, more so Herfj?tur being just a meremander.

    Ragnar got to his feet casually and stood right in front of Askild, looking down at the seated man.

    "Is there anything you would like to say?" Ragnar asked Askild, Askild knew he was in a dire situation but he was not worried about the situation.

    "Is Liv alright?" This was the only thing that came out of his mouth, his eyes unmoved as he got up to his feet, looking Ragnar right in the eyes before brushing past him.

    Birger, however, did not give him an answer but instead, shrugged his shoulders.

    Askild felt a firm grip on his shoulder, it was Ragnar''s hand.

    "I am talking to you, Askild¡­" Ragnar said. This was a big moment as Ragnar stopped acknowledging him as a King, Askild yanked his hand away.

    "You all knew deep down in your hearts that I was the necessary evil needed to take Kattegat to the next stage and that is why I was never questioned. You all chose to be ignorant for you knew ignorance is bliss.I am not begging for my life because I am certain of one thing, and that is the people will choose me as their King yet again. Which King has promised you a Kingdom and given it to you?" Askild said, before looking at Erik.

    "I knew about Asger''s wife? What manner of lie is this from someone that has forcefully taken over Kattegat? Someone that has killed your sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers?" Askild said. Askild was not done because he had the advantage in the end.

    "Erik was imprisoned by the enemy, I have no idea what lies they have fed him but you all know that Erik''s loyalty to me is absolute, if he speaks against me it is because those words are lies. I am unmoved by this farce of a trial and I am disappointed that the men I risked my life on the battlefield with question me! I cannot, however, tolerate what I have heard about Lagertha. A famous shield maiden that is a beacon of hope to the younger generation of girls defiled and robbed of her honor? That is unforgivable and I sentence Erik The Berserker to death." Askild said despite losing his title as King, his words still held weight.

    "What do you think you are doing Askild? You are no King." Birger responded.

    "Do you want to spare Erik like I once did you? Was that the agreement you had with him to tell this lie? I spared you Birger because of Asmund but now I know better." Askild said, his bandaged wounds bleeding showing he was in pain every second he spent on his feet.

    "I don''t think you understand your situation here, Askild. Archers!" Birgermanded Askild''s former warriors to get ready to shoot but Askild had a calm look on his face.

    "I do not think you understand, Birger. I am not King because of a crown, but because I have the loyalty of these men, I understand why they opposed me before. They did not know better but now they do, I have shown mercy before, no one is above mistakes so I am willing to look the other way just this once, but I do not give second chances," Askild said, and the fear that these men thought they were free of returned in folds as their hands suddenly became as heavy as lead, they were rooted in ce.

    "Birger Helvig, on the acts of treason and vition of the dignity of Kattegat. I sentence you to death," Askild said, with words alone, he hadpletely shifted the tides in his favor.

    Birger''s n had backfired disastrously or was everything going exactly as he had nned?

 Chapter 178 Ragnar Points His Blade At Erik But...!

    Birger found himself on the back foot as the men that once served him moved to cease him.

    Ragnar knew things were not adding up and had no intentions of letting Askild have his way.

    "Stop this," Ragnar said, but the men did not stop in their attempts to restrain him.

    But a nce at Ragnar stopped them in their tracks, and Ragnar walked beside Birger.

    He knew Birger was not stupid enough to gather them here if he was just going to tell them a lie.

    Askild always had a sweet mouth, Ragnar knew Askild was lying because if anything, Erik''s loyalty to Askild made his words even truer despite Askild denying it.

    Ragnar looked at Erik before looking at Askild.

    "That is enough, we are here for Erik The Berserker, not Birger. You may do that after I have Erik''s head," Ragnar said, the yful Ragnar was serious because this situation called for it.

    "His head?" Birger asked; he wanted a swift execution but it sounded like Ragnar wanted to duel the monster.

    "King Ragnar¡­." A voice called out behind him, Asger was shaking with anger because he did not know who to believe but he chose to stick by Askild''s words, he had to or these years would have all been in vain but deep down, he knew.

    "You do not hold such authority in Kattegat, that is King Askild''s call to make," Asger said and Birger just smiled upon realizing this.

    "What do you want to do?" Askild questioned Ragnar, he wanted to get in the good graces of Ragnar because he knew Ragnar had doubts about his story.

    "I want to kill Erik, unbind him. Erik The Berserker, I challenge you to a duel to the death," Ragnar''''s voice was cold and King Rugalf was happy about this development.

    Rugalf had heard stories of both Erik and Ragnar but now, he was about to witness both men fight in earnest, but he had to contain his excitement.

    Lagertha felt guilty, she med herself for not telling Ragnar sooner because she knew something in him broke the moment he heard another man had vited his wife.

    Ragnar had a sense of guilt, he had failed to protect Lagertha, and she could have easily suffered the same fate as Asger''s wife.

    This is why Ragnar was certain that it was Erik that was responsible for Asger''s wife as well.

    Ragnar stepped towards Erik, Erik looked ecstatic, he was going to fight the famed Ragnar Lothbrok.

    He could not have asked for anything better, this felt more like a reward rather than punishment.

    The guards with the key were hesitant because it would be easier to just execute Erik right now.

    All this looked like Erik was being given a way to survive, Ragnar hated that Erik exposed his children to such a vile act against their mother but one thing Erik was good at was survival.

    Erik was freed from his shackles and the sinister smirk on his face never left.

    "Give him his weapons," Ragnar further instructed and the murmurs grew loud, the crowds were confused as to why Ragnar wanted to give Erik a fighting chance as he was handed two sharpened axes, the tip was as sharp as a katana, the weight was perfect for Erik but something was strange, Ragnar was not brandishing his weapon.

    "King Ragnar! I have been waiting for this moment all my life!" Eik screamed; he had nothing to lose anymore and he could feel his primal instinct taking over.

    Erik knew Ragnar would be the one to break his shackles, and without even waiting for the go-ahead. Erik charged right at Ragnar, everyone had their heart in their mouth.

    They could not believe they were witnessing this, Asger secretly hoped that Ragnar would make him suffer because Erik had always been a loose cannon but he was now a pawn Askild needed to sacrifice to survive.

    Ragnar watched, his eyes steady and his emotions in check. Erik swung his ax vertically, aimed at Ragnar''s midsection, with the other weapon simultaneously swinging horizontally in an attempt to split him in half. This skill set was impressive, Erik was not holding back because he understood that it was Ragnar he was fighting, he did not need to hold back.

    Ragnar, who did not equip his weapon, stopped Erik''s vertical swing towards his midsection by raising his knee to collide against his wrist and catching Erik''s wrist to halt the vertical sh.

    Everyone was stunned that Ragnar had the physical strength to contend with Erik.

    "Is that it?" Ragnar asked, and Erik instinctively took a couple of steps back.

    "HAHAHA! RAGNAR LOTHBROK!" Erik screamed, Ulf had underestimated his brother''s strength in the war once because no one had ever seen Ragnar fight with bloodlust.

    His children were stunned, they never thought their father would be this strong but Lagertha was worried about what this would trigger in Ragnar.

    Erik charged at Ragnar once again but his speed was faster than it was before, Erik swung his axes randomly, which made it harder for Ragnar to predict and he only managed to dodge his swings at the veryst moment. And against Erik, too close was not good, Erik soon cut through Ragnar''s shirt but he did not harm him.

    "You are gettingfortable, Ragnar. Show me the man that became King!" Erik said. Rugalf could not hide the smile on his face, something Tyr noticed because he could feel his heart beating. After all, this fight was making him anxious but he did not understand why.

    Ragnar finally went on the offensive, Erik swung at his head but Ragnar duck down only to meet the iing swing of Erik''s other ax.

    "Gotcha!" Erik bragged but Ragnar ducked even lower, Ragnar was not aiming for Erik''s torso, he was aiming for his kneecaps because he knew regardless of how strong a person is, there would always be weak points.

    Erik could not react to this attack, this was the con of dual-wielding, Ragnar dumped his full weight on Erik''s kneecaps, managing to fracture one, and forcing Erik to tumble onto the ground, disarming him in the process.

    Erik looked up at Ragnar from the ground, it felt like he was looking at god as the alignment of the sun concealed Ragnar''s face.

    "All-father," Erik muttered right before Ragnar punched him right in the face, he kept on punching him right in the face. Each blow sttered Erik''s blood on Ragnar''s face.

    Ragnar''s eyes were cold and Lagertha knew why she was feeling uneasy, this was why.

    She closed her eyes, she could not witness this brutal nature but Ragnar was in his world right now, he did not see anyone but Erik right now.

    Erik had a sickening grin on his face all through, even when he lost his teeth, he still smiled but Ragnar soon felt a metallic de pressed against his neck.

    "That is enough¡­" The voice said, everyone was shocked by this, more so Ragnar, looking over his shoulder to confirm if it was truly the person he thought it was.

    ".... Father." It was Tyr Ragnarsson.

 Chapter 179 The Berserkers

    Everywhere came to a standstill because Tyr had just interrupted a fight to the death that his father was winning.

    "BROTHER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Bjorn screamed at Tyr but Tyr did not take his de away from his father''s neck. Ragnar thought Tyr was doing it because he did not want him to corrupt his soul but every second Tyr''s de was pressed against his neck told him otherwise.

    Tyr was saving Erik, Erik saw this opening and managed to kick Ragnar off him, spitting out his broken teeth covered in his blood.

    Ragnar got up to his feet but so did Erik, but Tyr stood between them before turning at Ragnar.

    "What do you think you are doing Tyr?" Ragnar questioned his son, Ragnar was angry that he had stopped him from killing Erik but he wanted to know why.

    "Because Erik did nothing wrong," Tyr said, and these words hit Bjorn''s heart, it felt like an arrow that had pierced his heart, Lagertha was speechless because there was no way Tyr did not believe them but Ragnar knew he had to be calm right now.

    "What do you mean? You think Erik is innocent?" Ragnar questioned his son, who was now protecting Erik, Askild could not believe this was happening right now and knew he could twist this in his favor depending on how the scene yed out.

    King Ragnar now had a decision to make as a King because Tyr had publicly raised his de against him, a King.

    "I do not doubt in my heart that Erik did that to mother," Tyr gave his father the answer to his question.

    "Then why do you oppose me for him?" Ragnar asked and Tyr looked at the disbelief on his mother and brother''s faces before returning his face to focus on Ragnar.

    "Erik is a Viking. Vikings plunder, rape, and kill but you condemn a man to death for doing that simply because it was done to you? I did not know what being a Viking was, I feared you people when I came here but you taught me your ways, and that became mine¡­" Tyr spoke, everyone''s attention was glued to him and he knew it.

    "Erik is a product of your world, he is what you all created and you all looked the other way as long as you were not the recipient of his depravity. My heart goes out to you, mother. It does and I say these words with rage coursing through my veins but in this world, Erik''s actions are just, and not deserving of death. He is mymander, I have sworn my loyalty to him¡­" Tyr continued speaking, he noticed the whispers had begun but he was not done.

    "King Ragnar, if you want to kill Erik, you will have to kill me," Tyr blurted out. Lagertha was sobbing so loud, she could not understand why her child would choose Erik over her honor.

    Rugalf, on the other hand, was fascinated by Tyr''s ideology, and in hindsight, what Tyr said was true but Rugalf dare not show his excitement.

    "Brother¡­" Bjorn called out, he knew he had to intervene because right now, he had directly challenged Ragnar Lothbrok.

    "Step aside, brother¡­ Now isn''t the time to mess around you goofball," Bjorn teased, trying to make Tyr get back to his senses. Bjorn gestured for Tyr to move out of the way with a smile.

    "I am sorry, Bjorn," Tyr responded, right before pointing his de at Ragnar.

    Erik never looked at Tyr like he was filth regardless of what he did, Erik''s eyes were always epting but was this enough to make Tyr oppose the man who raised him?

    Askild was d this was happening, and even Birger caught the brief smirk on his face.

    He knew if Ragnar killed his son, in front of all these people, Ragnar would never be the same again.

    "Very well then," Ragnar unsheathed his de, Erik was loving this, and he grinned widely.

    "Hahaha! That is right! My little Berserker!" Erik bragged, iming ownership over Tyr.

    Ragnar remembered the prophecy and knew if this was the path Tyr was going to take.

    It was up to him to kill him, Ragnar shed Lagertha a look, and Lagertha recognized the look in his eyes.

    "RAGNAR! DON''T!!!" Lagertha screamed at the top of her lungs but her pleading fell on deaf ears. Ragnar rushed towards Tyr but Birger stopped Ragnar''s de that was about to take off his son''s head.

    "King Ragnar! Calm yourself!" Birger said, he understood where Tyr wasing from with his speech, most people did but seeing that Ragnar was directly affected, he could not look past his emotions and if he killed his son right now.

    There is no way that these people''s view of Ragnar being benevolent would remain if he did this and Askild found a loophole to exploit to further win the people''s trust.

    "I agree with Birger, King Ragnar. Tyr''s speech is the passion of a young boy, I think many people agree with what he has said, for we are all guilty of this in one way or another but we should not do so with one of our own. You do not hurt your pack, you protect them," Askild said, taking center stage and diverting the attention Tyr was getting toward him.

    "So now, I will let the people decide the fate of both Erik and Tyr Ragnarsson," Askild said and Ragnar''s eyes widened, Tyr knew this was painful for Ragnar but most importantly, he knew his father had no intentions of killing him.

    Tyr saw him switch from the sharp side of his de to the blunt at the veryst second before Birger blocked it. Ragnar''s dexterity was on such a high level that everyone missed it.

    "People of Kattegat, what do you say!" Askild asked.

    "E-EXILE!" A man shouted and that was the single seed that needed to be nted as everyone else began chanting this too.

    "Tyr¡­ What have you done son?" Ragnar asked, and Tyr responded with a smile.

    "I saved you, father, I saved you all..."

 Chapter 180 Tyrs Exile [ARC END]

    The events in Kattegat were something no one could have conceived happening, Tyr alongside Erik had just been sentenced to be exiled.

    Ragnar was filled with rage that his son would side with the man that vited his mother and caused her so much pain. Bjorn felt betrayed, and Lagertha was the only one with a heart big enough to understand where her son wasing from but she knew the consequences that came with his actions.

    The sentence had been given and the fact that Askild allowed the citizens to decide their fate not only undermined Birger as the supposed King but took away what little chance he had left of the control he thought he had. Birger had only one course of action and that was to kill Askild, he charged toward the injured man, no one was within proximity to stop his attack, Askild had to defend himself yet he remained calm.

    "Birger! You bastard!" Ulf shouted, for some reason he was bandaged up, Birger looked in his direction to see Ragnar''s brother wielding a bow and arrow.

    Before anyone could speak, the arrow burrowed into Birger with Ulf, Birger fell with a thumping sound and even Askild was surprised because no one knew where Ulf came from and if he had been watching what was happening but they were thankful he came.

    Ulf rushed to Birger to confirm he was dead, everyone apuding his act of bravery.

    "Birger is dead." Ulf dered upon checking his pulse with another warrior confirming this as well. Ulf then noticed everyone present, this included his brother and Lagertha, he had no knowledge of Ragnaring here or rather it did not seem like he did.

    "R-Ragn¡­ I mean King Ragnar!" Ulf blurted out, he could not believe his eyes but he noticed the tense atmosphere as well, he knew now was not a good time for a reunion.

    Ulf held his tongue, but his eyes softened momentarily when he saw Lagertha, something that Ragnar took note of.

    "Ulf¡­ Thank you for saving my life but now is not the time, to get rid of Birger''s body," Askildmanded Ulf to whichplied and picked up Birger''s body. Ulf knew with this, there was no way that King Askild would not recognize him because he had done his part.

    This was a very anticlimactic way to go for a man such as Birger and what was even more fascinating was how everyone glossed over his death.

    "Erik The Berserker and Tyr Ragnarsson, you have been exiled from Kattegat. You have been stripped from all titles and association you have had with Kattegat and should you try to return, you will be hunted and killed." Askild gave the final sentence, everyone was satisfied with this verdict.

    "Father, mother, brother¡­ I hope one day you can all forgive me but this is the path I have chosen as a warrior," Tyr said, Erik had a cocky look on his face throughout.

    Once again, Erik had escaped death as he does so often.

    "King Ragnar, I hope we meet again to finish this marvelous battle!" Erik said.

    Tyr and Erik were being escorted out of the vige, Lagertha rushed towards her son and handed him a ne, it was a pendant with a moon crescent.

    "Stay safe Tyr! I will always love you!" Lagertha reassured him, embracing him. Tyr tried so hard to keep a brave face throughout the whole proceeding but he broke down the moment Lagertha showed she would never abandon him.

    Tyr wept loudly, he did not hold back his tears and everywhere felt silent.

    Ragnar closed his eyes because he knew if he looked right now, he would be ovee with emotions; with everything he had sacrificed for Tyr, he had grown to love him.

    This war changed everything, Erik had enough time to sink his ws into Tyr and that changed him.

    Tyr was just a kid when it came to it, and right now Lagertha knew he needed all the love she could give, for a mother''s love is supposed to be unconditional.

    Bjorn Ironside, on the other hand, looked at him with utter disgust and hatred.

    Whatever bonds the brothers shared had been fractured, Rugalf looked at one of his men in the crowd and nodded at him, a subtle gesture but for what?

    It was finally over and Askild emerged victorious in the game of politics.

    -

    Ulf was seen carrying Birger''s dead body into a strange secluded area,ying his body gently on the ground. For someone dead, he was sure to handle it with care.

    "Birger was right when he said he could trust you," Linnea said, emerging out of the blue alongside two others; Inga with Arvid strapped to her back.

    "I do not know what you dipped the arrow tip in but it killed him instantly, I made sure to shoot the arrow as he instructed me but¡­ He still died," Ulf muttered but he saw Linnea carrying a strange fluid and pouring it into Birger''s mouth before repeatedly hitting his chest like some sort of savage.

    "H-Hey, he is already dead! What are you doing?" Ulf muttered but in reality, the arrow he had used was something that rxed his muscles and nerves. This included his heart but it was only temporary and if Ulf had been a few minutester, this ''resurrection'' would not have been possible.

    Birger came back to life, coughing vigorously as he tried his hardest to catch his breath.

    Birger had caught Ulf the night before, sparing him under one condition, which was this.

    Birger was no fool, he knew there was a possibility that things would go backward and devised a n B. He had promised Ulf the fame he wanted because everyone would think he saved Askild and withmanders falling left and right, nothing was stopping Ulf from ascending to the ranks ofmander with so many vacant spots. Birger presented all these possibilities to Ulf and Ulf has always been someone swayed by the premise of fame and glory.

    Ulfplied because he was not hurting anyone and Kattegat would return to Askild.

    The signal was Birger charging at Askild, Ulf was within hearing distance of themotion and he did in fact, know his brother wasing and had seen him already.

    "What was the point of all this, Birger?" Ulf questioned the green-eyed man.

    "You may not realize but the seed of doubt has been nted, Kattegat will soon tear itself apart," Birger said, getting to his feet as he was supported by Linnea. Birger knew for a King to truly rule, the people had to select them, he also caught Asger giving Askild the look that was once directed at him. Asger did not buy Asger''s exnation and it was only a matter of time before he acts out. Birger was no longer ''alive'' for him to direct his rage at but Birger''s job was done, he was returning to the shadows.

    "The game does not stop because you take the head of the King, he will just be reced with another... I was never after the crown but the one who truly led Kattegat in the shadows," These were Birger''sst words as Ulf noticed the decapitated head of Fredrik in the corner and an unconscious Liv.

    "This is my parting gift to you, Ulf. The man who killed me twice," Ulf was bandaged, barely recovering from his injuries from the day before and the only reason he could work was because the arrow missed vital organs.

    -

    The sun had set, and Erik and Bjorn were sent on their way with nothing but the clothes on their shoulders. Ragnar had fucked up Erik''s face pretty well, and the swelling barely reduced but it did not bother Erik, this was a man used to mutations.

    Winter wasing and there was no way they wouldst out there once it hit.

    They had been journeying for over thirty minutes, Erik was d he had someone as loyal as Tyr by his side, it felt like he was looking at himself through the mirror.

    "Little Berserker, why did you help me?" Erik questioned, he was walking with a limp because even he could not ignore a fractured bone, not when that leg is supporting his weight.

    "Because you are mymander, Erik," Tyr responded but his tone was devoid of emotions, and Erikughed out loud.

    "That is a good respons-!" Erik stopped the moment he saw his leg flying in front of him, he looked back to see one of Tyr''s axes bloodied.

    "What?" Erik said, right before dropping to the ground, he met Tyr''s lifeless eyes.

    "Which hand was it¡­" Tyr asked but this sounded like a rhetorical question, he was referring to the hand Erik had used to knock Bjorn unconscious, it was his right hand and Tyr brought down his ax like an executioner to sever it.

    Erik was at his mercy at this moment and Tyr was not about to give him a quick death either.

    "Those eyes¡­ Yes! You have the eyes!" Erik eximed. Erik, despite his condition, tried to attack Tyr by lunging his hand to grab his neck but Tyr severed all his fingers in one swing.

    "I curse everyone that loves me, this is the only way. I did not save you, Erik. I saved them," Tyr said, he looked at Erik''s crotch and brought down his ax like Thor''s hammer, slicing his dick and crushing his balls in one swing.

    "Hahaha! Kill me, little Berserker! You are worthy!" Erik proimed, Tyr squatted over him and said.

    "My name is Tyr Ragnarsson," These were the words he said right before slicing Erik''s eyes out with his axes, effectively blinding him.

    "I am not granting you, Valha Erik¡­" Tyr said and only then did Erik''s arrogance halt and a look of confusion followed.

    Tyr took Erik''s weapon and tossed it aside, and this was the only time Erik showed dread.

    If he was denied Valha, then his life was meaningless.

    "You can''t do this to me!" Erik barked but Tyr was not listening.

    "Goodbye, Erik," Tyr said, bringing down his ax once more to sever Erik''s head, killing him.

    Tyr had just killed the man everyone feared, the man everyone thought he had saved.

    Tyr killed everyone he thought was a threat or he deemed responsible for his family''s safety.

    That was why¡­. He killed Herfj?tur, he had managed to kill her because she had her guard down around him, and even with that, she still managed to inflict multiple injuries on him.

    Tyr killed her for the sole reason that she was a liability that made his mother remain captive, if she was never caught, Lagertha would have been freed but this was unknowingly the single thing that ruined Birger''s n as people assumed it was him and thus the usations, this was why Birger was extra cautious in not killing themanders for this reason. But Tyr med her and he would do it all over again.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson," A voice called out behind him, it was the guard that Rugalf had given the nod to, he had been tracking him to deliver a message to him but he was horrified by the state of Erik''s corpse and that Tyr even killed him in the first ce.

    "What is it?" Tyr asked and the man just gave him a handwritten letter before walking away, this was the best course of action.

    Tyr opened up the letter to read its content before putting it in his pocket, Rugalf had offered him amnesty in his kingdom on the condition he married his daughter but Tyr had something he needed to do for now as he walked into the distance, the thundering clouds acknowledging the feat of the god of war.

 Chapter 181 Four Years Later! Tyrs Growth!

    Four years passed, four long years and one thing the earth never stopped observing was the continuous evolution of man.

    The winter was harsh, snow poured down from the sky and froze anything unfortunate enough to bear its wrath.

    The freezing fog masked the environment and made it near impossible to make use of one''s vision, this was the worst time of the year to venture out but there was one man that dared defy nature itself.

    He walked the terrain, leaving his courageous footprints within the snow that made up his path, he was covered in animal skin, with the head of a bear ced firmly on his head.

    This man had conquered the wild, he had gone against nature and even nature could not bring him to his knees.

    He was reborn multiple times on his journey, and each time he ''died'', he returned even stronger than hest was, his weapons consisted of two axes that had lost their sharpness and were barely usable at this point.

    Three heads of strange-looking men were strapped around his waist as trophies.

    These tribes were often known simply as Savages and even the strongest of Vikings feared them yet these Savages now feared this man. He was a stranger in their world and made it his own, the threats that came his way were dealt with. Tyr not only had to survive the weather but the savages, and the foggy weather heightened his natural perception of things, this included his eyes.

    Beneath the clothing, was a man with his dreads swaying to the skin stinging blizzard.

    He walked into a nearby vige, standing at an intimidating 5 ''11, everyone looked at him with both fear and suspicion, one could not me them.

    "W-Who are you?" A man worked up the courage and confronted the stranger but he noticed from his appearance that he was not one of the savages that raided their viges.

    "Are you the leader here?" His voice was deep, showing that this was an adult beneath.

    "N-No, the leader was killed in a raid sometime ago, it is a game the savages y. Theye here, ask for the leader and kill him before abducting a bunch of our girls, Now everyone is scared to take up the role of leader because they know they will be killed." The man spoke with tears in his eyes.

    Turning, the stranger showed him the heads around his waists, and just as he expected, these were the men that had raided this vige.

    "THAT IS THEM!" The man eximed frantically, and he noticed the masked man had a bag he was dragging behind him.

    "You do not need to worry about them anymore, I have ughtered them all," The stranger said, before dropping the bag on the floor and turning around.

    "You are the leader now, distribute as you see fit, this winter will be long," The stranger said as he began walking away, the man rushed to the bag and it was a lot heavier than it looked.

    Opening it, he saw three dead pr bears, and the man could not believe his eyes.

    "THANK YOU!" He screamed, crying profusely as the others around him circled quickly like hyenas but the man had one more question.

    "What is your name?" The man asked with the stranger looking over his shoulder and saying.

    "I am¡­" The stranger hesitated because he had not used his name for so long that he had almost forgotten what it sounded like before he couldplete his sentence.

    A woman fell to his feet and he already knew what she wanted to ask after hearing about the missing girls.

    The moment her eyes met his, he shook his head and she began sobbing profusely.

    "I have taken the pain from them and given them a proper burial," The stranger said but this was aforting lie because Tyr did not see the girls they spoke of but he did see bones and skulls shaped into various essories. These men had no sexual interest in the girls, they took them to feed on them, they were cannibals and these vigers were livestock.

    They thanked him and the man revealed to be the stranger was no other than Tyr Ragnarsson.

    He did not know people lived this far out, but he had explored the darker regions that had restrictions to stay away from and this was one.

    It was cruel that these people were left to fend for themselves but Tyr knew he had only taken out a small fragment of them, the man he saw three years ago was the man he needed to kill.

    He is their leader, and he hoped this was enough to dismantle them.

    Tyr once again journeyed through the snow, he had one more job because he had tested his strength by facing off against this man three years ago but not only were his movements unpredictable, he fought like some sort of man-beast. Tyr could not predict or read his movements and it almost cost him his life.

    But he did not have to go far, the savages spotted him and quickly surrounded him. Tyr knew they had been observing that vige for a while and him going there was to alert them of his presence, and the heads of their friends were a marker.

    They would deem him a threat naturally whenever they encountered him and it worked but they did not attack him. This was a smart move as they grunted at him, and one nudged him lightly.

    Tyr knew they wanted him to follow them and he did just that, this was the first time that they had attempted such with him and he assumed it was for dialogue, and if it was not, he could easily ughter them all, killing two birds with one stone He, however, hoped that man was there, the man he fought three years ago, this would allow him to gauge how far he has gone.

    "It is almost time," Tyr thought to himself as he was carted away.

 Chapter 182 Skol, The Warhammer!

    Tyr arrived in their camp shortly after, and he was surprised by what he saw, they were a lot more than Tyr thought, numbering up to thirty men and women.

    He could hear their grunts and growls like animals, but Tyr did not buckle, he was confident that he would get out of this alive because he still had his trump card under his belt.

    "Where are you taking me?" Tyr asked but all he got in response was a growl and he sighed.

    But they soon reached a stop and Tyr saw a house in the middle of nowhere.

    "He will see you now," One of the savages said right before opening the door and out of it stepped a gigantic shirtless man.

    Tyr immediately knew who he was, he was stunned that he could even function in such weather without a shirt, but this was the least of his problems right now.

    "You¡­!" Tyr eximed, reaching for the weapons on his back but there was nothing there.

    They had disarmed him without his knowledge, showing just how proficient they were when it came to certain things.

    Tyr was impressed as he was forced to both his knees, looking up, he saw the shirtless man standing right in front of him with a sledgehammer.

    The choice of weapon bore an eerie simrity with Herfj?tur and Tyr remembered briefly how he killed her. He had buried his ax into her back and neck, and the look of shock on her face remained with him but not because he felt remorse but because he realized thatmanders were just people in the end, they could be killed by anyone. He once revered them but the war had shown him that they were just human, humans anyone could kill.

    Even with her fatal injuries and Herfj?tur barely hanging to consciousness, she was still able to inflict injuries on the smaller and faster Tyr in that state but that could be because he had no weapons, seeing as they were buried in her.

    "I know you¡­" The man said, pointing his sledgehammer at Tyr, he burned Tyr''s image into his head because of his strange skinplexion as none of them had ever seen something like that before. All but the man, telling Tyr he was not born a savage but rather, he was someone that conquered them. Sjkol had beaten him to a stupor years ago but Tyr jumped off a cliff that was meant to kill him but something miraculously broke his fall.

    "I never formally introduced myself, I am Tyr Ragnarsson," Tyr said and he could tell by the brief surprise on the man''s face that he had heard about Ragnar, confirming his suspicion.

    "... Ragnarsson? Are you by chance rted to Ragnar Lothbrok?" The man questioned and Tyr nodded to answer his question.

    The man immediately swung his hammer down, forcing Tyr to roll out of the way, barely making it in time.

    "I never knew the gods would bless me with a son of that man!" The man was d and when the savages wanted to jump into butcher Tyr. Honor was a concept that was lost on them.

    But a loud growl echoed and they all scurried away like scared animals, they were all slouched abnormally and acted more like wolves than they did people.

    Tyr looked forward at the man that growled, it was their leader and it looked like he wanted to fight him alone.

    "I want to fight you alone. You are a Viking, a remnant of what I once believed in. I go by the name Skol and I will have your head as my revenge on Ragnar," Skol threatened and this was all Tyr needed to hear.

    One thing Tyr never took lightly was any threat directed at his family and Skol had unknowingly crossed that line.

    A weapon was tossed in his direction, it was a jagged sword and Tyr knew he had to fight Skol seriously because he was in no way weak.

    Tyr began to take off his clothes, he understood that he was not supposed to wear ayer of clothes as it affects his movement and if Skol could survive under such cruel conditions, there is no reason why he should not be able to do the same.

    Tyr made the first move, he rushed towards Skol and his gigantic sledgehammer, he was anticipating where the swing woulde from but he realized it never came.

    Skol had no intentions of swinging and Tyr was so focused on it that he almost missed the blow aimed at his chest, Skol had used his bare fist and despite Tyr blocking his blow, he could feel his hands trembling from the recoil.

    "H-He is strong!" Tyr thought; he was nothing like the men he had fought until now but Skol noticed he was missing a finger.

    He could not believe that Tyr not only managed to block him but counter-attack in the little time frame he was given to react. Skol knew he only lost one finger thanks to the jagged edges of the sword not having the necessary cutting power to sever his fingers.

    "You are good," Skolmended Tyr, but this only made him get serious as it was clear he was fighting a different boy from three years ago.

    There it was, their trump card, the irregr movement that they used. No matter how close you pay attention to them, one''s eyes can''t follow them.

    Even Skol, despite his size, could do it effortlessly but Tyr had learned to fight without relying entirely on his sight. If he could not follow his movement then all he needed to do was sense his blows in time to react to them.

    "There!" Tyr though, ducking down and simultaneously thrusting his de backward, Skol''s body momentum from his attack made it impossible to react to this blow.

    Tyr drew blood once again with their second exchange but he had missed his vital organs intentionally.

    "Y-You! How did you get so strong?" Skol asked as he stumbled backward, tripping over himself as he hit the ground.

    "That is easy, it is because I am a son of Ragnar," Tyr responded as his eyes became lifeless.

    "I will beat you to death now," Tyr followed up, tossing his de aside.

    Skol had dropped his weapon during his tumble and tried to pick it back up but Tyr''s hands got there first.

    "You fool! You cannot pick it up! Only I have the strength to wield it," Skol bragged.

    "Are you certain?" Tyr asked, lifting it off the ground with little to no difficulty. Skol spoke as his weapon belonged to Thor but it was just a sledgehammer in the end.

    "I-Impossible!" Skol said, and the savage''s reactions told Tyr that this was something that should not be possible.

    "I concede!" Skol quickly said and the savages soon started to growl at Skol, himself.

    "Concede?" Tyr asked rhetorically with a raised eyebrow.

    Tyr brought down the sledgehammer multiple times, crushing all his limbs, they looked like a ttened toothpaste tube the moment he was done with them and Tyr had a sickening smile on his face all through, cackling uncontrobly because of this feeling¡­

    This feeling felt euphoric.

 Chapter 183 Tyr, The New Chieftain!

    Tyr punched him until his face caved in, but even with that, he did not stop. Tyr was enjoying it and he only came to his senses when the savages began cheering for him.

    These were creatures that held no loyalty, as long as the one who led them was killed, they would submit to the victor.

    Tyr, however, did not know and braced himself for any potential attack that they might initiate.

    But all they did was crouch on all fours and lower their heads to the ground.

    Tyr was not oblivious to how animals behaved, he knew that this was how wolves submitted, but he did not know if these people could be led.

    "Heh! I see what is going on¡­" Tyr muttered under his breath, this was a fortunate development and one of them approached the shirtless Tyr.

    He looked at Tyr and then looked to the ground where Skoly, asking permission for them to devour the body.

    Tyr nodded and they ripped into Skol''s body like animals, tearing off his limbs. Tyr thought they at least cooked their food but they did no such thing, they devoured him raw.

    "Well, that is not something you see every day," Tyr muttered under his breath, picking up his fur clothes to wear, wearing the head of the bear back as a mask but he abandoned the heads that were strapped around him.

    Tyr had passed the final test he had set for himself but what would happen to these savages? They were cruel and he knew with every disadvantage, there is an advantage.

    He knew if he took them under hismand, he did not have to worry about their mental state deteriorating because this was something they were used to but what could he do with a measly thirty men?

    He watched in silence as they stripped Skol''s flesh to the bone in no time.

    The man that had nodded earlier stood to his feet, attempting to start a conversation with Tyr.

    "Others¡­ Chiefs¡­ Angry," The bald man said, but Tyr did not understand his speech pattern.

    "What do you mean?" Tyr asked.

    "He has a speech impediment, that one there is Finn." Ady said,ing into view, these savages were dressed in animal skin, normal fabric was not something they could find after all.

    Tyr jerked his head in the voice''s direction and his eyes settled on ady that looked nothing like ady, she had pale skin and one would think she was dead with a single nce.

    "Who are you?" Tyr questioned, she was a lot shorter than him and he could not make out her other physical attributes because of the clothes she wore,

    "My people call me Nora, Chieftain," Nora said, with a bow but that name rolled off his tongue effortlessly.

    "Chieftain?" Tyr thought, there was no escaping it now, he was their leader whether he liked it or not.

    "What did he mean by others?" Tyr questioned and he noticed everyone''s head hanging like they were ashamed of what Nora was about to say.

    "There are three other ns of savages. n Haukd?lir, n ¨¢sbirningar, and n Sturlungar but the n that you should worry about are Sturlungar. They are being led by Sighvatur, they are currently at war with the other two. A war we do not have the strength to fight¡­" Nora was exining their current situation to Tyr because she knew he had to know where the n stood.

    ".... So you ran and hid? What do you think would happen after this battle is over? Do you think they would let you be?" Tyr asked and Nora fell silent, Tyr noticed she was the only one that understood him excluding Finn.

    "We had no choice, we did note from thesends originally but we learned their ways. We understood that survivales above all in this world, these people do not care about anything else and right now we have submitted to you because we know you have the strength to help us survive. This was Skol''s way of surviving, show us yours, chieftain." Nora''s speech made sense, Tyr understood why all these people could growl like animals, it was because they did not speak or understand any othernguages.

    If they were like animals, then he would need to teach themmands, that would be enough to instruct them. Nora looked at him and noticed he was in thought so she kept quiet.

    Tyr knew this was an opportunity to expand but he did not know if other savages followed the same rules as this one, did he just need to kill their chieftain?

    "Chieftain?" Nora called out in a hushed voice.

    "Survive? I have no intention of doing that, we are joining the battle." Tyr said bluntly. Nora was surprised about this revtion and the people around noticed her surprised look.

    Nora knew she had to trante and she did just that, it was weird because Tyr doubted these were actual words she was using but the moment she did, the savages were ecstatic, howling like wolves. This was not the reaction Tyr was expecting but something told him these savages loved battle even more than Vikings. Skol made them weak and Tyr now had a new objective.

    Tyr wanted his army.

    "Can you get in contact with any of the other chieftains? I am sure if that man is as strong as you say then they would be looking for all the help they can get, we will exploit their desperation. I was fortunate to wander into this strangend for I had lost sight of my purpose but my first battle with Skol gave me an epiphany. It showed me as long as people exist to kill, their purpose would never run out. He knew if he was going to protect anyone, he would need to have the power to destroy anyone as well, they go hand in hand.

    "I will try my best, chieftain!" Nora said, and Tyr smiled at this, looking up to the skies.

    "It looks like the gods have not forsaken me," Tyr muttered

 Chapter 184 Kolbeinn Ungi ArnÃ³rsson

    A few days passed and Nora had journeyed alongside Finn and a few other men numbering, but she ought to be back by now, but Tyr understood unexpected situations ur in such scenarios.

    He understood that Nora and the others might be dead but that was highly unlikely because they knew this ce like the back of their hands, unlike Tyr.

    Tyr looked around and realized he would have to find a way to feed these men with him, but the plus side was that they ate anything that they could digest.

    With this information, Tyr killed one of them for the others to feed on, he had no qualms about doing something so brazen and they had no moralpass to gauge this action either.

    Pr bears had be increasingly scarce, they were migrating from these parts for some unknown reason.

    But Tyr had to eat as well, and luckily, he was on friendly terms with the neighboring vige but he also knew he could not be seen with these savages because it would be tooplicated to exin his rtionship with them to the vigers.

    Tyr knew one thing he would never do is conform to their way of life, and chose to remain a human but luckily he did not have to do this for long.

    Nora was back, or so he thought, an injured Finn was seen traveling the snow with multiple tongues wrapped around his neck in the form, and he was immediately retrieved by the savages under Tyr.

    "Nora¡­ Chieftain¡­. Take¡­ You¡­. Go," These were the words he said before copsing.

    The severity of his wounds, there was no way that he escaped and Tyr correctly deduced that he was ''allowed'' to escape.

    "Heh," This was the only word that left Tyr''s parted lips, as he walked past the unconscious Finn, and looked around.

    "That was smart," Tyr blurted out, and out of the fog in the distance were multiple people, stepping out of it one by one.

    "You allowed him to escape so you can trail him back to his camp, the footprints in the snow make it easy to do so," Tyr said and to his surprise, these people looked anything but savage.

    They all were concealed by thick fur, amon trend in these parts as it best protected them from the harsh weather but he was curious about one thing.

    "Do you speak mynguage?" Tyr asked and a man stepped forward like he was the representative of these men.

    "Where is Skol?" The man requested, Tyr could see the savages behind him sink into themselves; they intentionally appeared small so these people would not perceive them as a threat.

    "I am Inskan of ¨¢sbirningar and I will not ask again," Inskanmanded. Tyr knew he had to make a strong statement because it was clear that Skol never did that.

    Tyr began walking towards the man, but no one batted an eye, it became clear that they underestimated whatever n this was, and who could me them? His men had already submitted even before the battle began.

    "You do not need to ask again because I have no intention of answering. Where is Nora?" Tyr asked, he was not scared because he was confident in his abilities but he also understood that with the objective he had in mind, he could not afford to show any weakness whatsoever.

    "Who are you? I have not seen you here before, are you the one that killed that kid?" Inskan questioned, stepping forward to meet Tyr halfway.

    "Nora was not lying it seems but you have vited the agreement we had with Skol. We agreed to leave you all alone if we never saw you in our territory so I will have to take your head," Inskan said, brandishing his weapon.

    "I would love to see you try," Tyr said, as he had made the sledgehammer that Skol was using as his primary weapon due to its durability and having the ability to allow Tyr to exert his full strength.

    -

    Nora was left outside, she was ced in the freezing snow and stripped down to her underwear, she was passing in and out of consciousness as the breeze that brushed against her rough skin gave it the sensation of it being peeled away alongside the nerves beneath.

    The torture was mind-breaking but she knew she had to hold on as much as she could or she would die; there was only so much the body could take.

    Seconds felt like centuries, the pain felt like it was going tost forever and she wanted it to end.

    The only way for it to end was if she closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall asleep.

    "Nora, I am surprised you had the gall to walk in here afterst time¡­" A man said from afar but this voice caused visible panic in Nora even in her horrid state.

    She tried to speak but her lips were frozen, she could not speak without them tearing but she had to get the words out.

    "I do not know how true your story is but my men have gone to confirm if your story is true," The man said once again and Nora finally gathered the resolve and embraced herself for the pain that was to follow.

    She opened her mouth as her skin tore, flesh mangling as she muttered under her breath.

    "Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson¡­ Your man¡­ He will not return¡­" Nora blurted out, her lungs feeling like it was being rubbed against sandpaper. Nora soon lost consciousness, but thest thing she saw was a man approaching her.

    Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson was arge and broad individual with a bald head, ck eyes, bushy eyebrows, and a long brown beard. He was donned in the standard fur that was popr here but his fur was different, a symbol representing their n had been smudged into it.

    A ne with multiple fangs was around his neck but these were not the teeth of pr bears but white wolves.

    "Get her inside," Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rssonmanded, he wanted to hear more about this mystery man on the off-chance that he was real. If this did not break her, then they had to be some truth to her story.

 Chapter 185 Tyr Meets Kolbeinn Ungi ArnÃ³rsson!

    Nora woke up in the house, she was surrounded by other people drinking and talking like normal people. She was surprised they had so much food with a firece in the middle of the house, providing them warmth in this terrible weather.

    Nora was surprised she was alive, but d nheless because she had no intentions of dying.

    "Nora!" A voice called. It was the dreaded voice of Kolbeinn, he was in the corner with twodies by his side. He had an intimidating aura around him but she could not defy him in his home because she had managed to find the audience she was seeking and it only took killing the people she was with and a few hours in the snow to get it.

    Her body was sore everywhere, and she could not do anything about the overwhelming pain either but Kolbeinn had called her, she dared not defy him.

    She walked towards him, everyone looking at her, she was clothed in fur and every step she took sent a jolting pain throughout her body.

    "Chieftain Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson, I am thankful to be the recipient of your mercy," Nora said but the Chieftain was in no mood for her to kiss his ass.

    She saw his hands in the clothes of the two girls by his sides, fondling their breasts.

    "Spare me the formalities, who is this man you speak of and how did he possess the power to kill Skol?" Kolbeinn questioned, Nora was d he wanted to get straight to the point because it would spare her the exnation.

    "He is a man that possesses a strange skin, and he killed Skol in only two exchanges," Nora said but Kolbeinn was not impressed by this feat.

    "I did it in one, Skol is the weakest leader among the ns so why do you think I would want to meet him?" Kolbeinn asked her

    "The ns are at war, do you think a n that cannot wipe its ass has any say on how they can help my n? You cannot even survive on your own," Kolbeinnughed off her attempts at negotiation, and thedies beside him joined in on his mockery.

    Nora kept quiet because he did have a point.

    "One would think you sleeping for three days would knock some sense into you but here you are sprouting nonsense, do you wish to insult me?" Kolbeinn spoke and Nora was surprised because she did not realize she had been asleep for that long.

    "I was asleep for three days?" Nora asked and just then, a man stumbled into the house.

    It was Inskan, and to everyone''s surprise, the tongues of his own men were wrapped around his neck in the form of a ne.

    Tyr did exactly what was done to Finn to Inskan and just like Inskan, he trailed him back to this ce. This act definitely got the attention of Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson.

    Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson granted him the audience, he stepped out first with the rest of his warriorsing out one by one until Tyr was surrounded.

    Kolbeinn noticed Skol''s sledgehammer strapped to this man''s back so there was no way that Nora''s story wasn''t true.

    "Who are you?" Kolbeinn questioned, looking at him dead in the eyes but he noticed the look in Tyr''s eyes, these were the eyes of a true warrior, it was nothing like Skol''s eyes.

    "I am the boy who will unify all ns under one ruler, under me. Do you want to submit to me the easy way or the hard way?" Tyr asked and even Nora knew this was a bit overboard because the gap in terms of strength between Kolbeinn and Skol was vast.

    Tyr challenging him was a bit of an overstretch.

    Kolbeinn looked at Tyr then tilted his head back at Inskan before bursting outughing.

    "VERY GOOD! YOU HAVE THE TRUE MAKINGS OF A WARRIOR! WELCOME! WELCOME!" Kolbeinn shouted in excitement, gesturing for Tyr to follow him inside the house.

    Tyr was momentarily confused because he thought he would be more hostile considering what he had just done. Tyr came here alone so it would have been easy to kill him or at least that is what an enemy should be thinking.

    Tyr noticed the blisters on Nora''s skin but he did not care much about what she went through as long as shepleted her task, which she did not.

    She had failed woefully but it still worked out in his favor.

    "I go by Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson, I am the head of the ¨¢sbirningar n! What is your name, friend?" Kolbeinn was excited, he offered Tyr drinks and food, and he was providing him hospitality he did not know existed in this world.

    "I go by the name Tyr¡­" Tyr said, omitting his connections with Ragnar Lothbrok.

    "Tyr, like the god of war? Do you think yourself a god, boy?" Kolbeinn questioned but Tyr cackled in response.

    "I am no such thing and certainly no boy," Tyr responded, stopping his cackling.

    "I think my warriors would not mind a good story! We have been here for far too long! Tell us about your adventure, Tyr!" Kolbeinn said and everyone cheered.

    Tyr was all smiles, but never did he drop his guard, something that Kolbeinn took note of.

    Nora got closer to him, she was curious as well about how Tyr survived all these years alone.

    It was no secret he was a child when he first encountered Skol, and everyone presumed he died because of the fall yet here he was.

    Nora had so many questions but she hoped the story would clear it all up, all she knew was he was the son of a man named Ragnar.

    Tyr knew he would need allies, and his arrogance might have found him a friend in Kolbeinn.

    He also noticed the women here were a lot different from how the women in his ''n'' were but it could be because their living conditions varied greatly.

    Tyr was d that Kolbeinn did not take his threat seriously because now he had been given a second chance at a first impression, one that he did intend to mess up.

    And for this exact reason, Tyr gave in to their requests.

    This was the story of Tyr during the "nk Period"

 Chapter 186 Blank Period [PT.1]

    Tyr was exiled, and he had just ughtered Erik like the dog he was but hecked the experience to survive on his own. He wandered, he had an invitation from King Rugalf but Tyr knew he was not ready for that lifestyle right now.

    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® He was a warrior and he needed to tame his animalistic side, he knew he loved killing and understood that he was closer to Erik than he was to anyone else.

    But he had no intentions of bing like Erik, Tyr knew winter was near and the chances of his survival were low.

    Tyr used an inhumane tactic to gather food while the sun still shone, he injured animals just enough to immobilize them so they don''t rot, leaving them alive but in a crippled state.

    He fed them and cared for them but when winter came, the freezing effect brought forth by this weather made preserving the food easier, he did not need to keep them alive anymore as he had enough food tost him through the first winter and their skin served as the extrayer of clothing he so desperately needed.

    Tyr, however, wanted to explore his environment and ventured out into the wild to see what lurked in these parts.

    But he feared shutting his eyes, he was frightened because of the recurring nightmares getting more vivid. But each time he slept, it felt like he was recovering lost parts of himself.

    And three faces became clearer, these were the faces of his vers.

    Tyy knew finding them was the first step to finding himself, they would know where he came from, they had to know something but Tyr did not even know where he could look.

    But he knew he needed to start the moment winter was over. Unfortunately for Tyr, he would soon run into a group of savages and everything he knew aboutbat was destroyed.

    They were not only fast, but they also had an unorthodox fighting style and had inflicted multiple injuries on him before he could even raise his weapon.

    He tried to fight without blinking but it was impossible, and the moment he did, they vanished.

    It was like they moved out of his line of sight and into his blind spot, this should not be possible.

    A blink takes less than a second so it was clear they had an unparalleled level of observation and unnatural speed. Tyr tried to run, he gave up his pride and chose survival, but no matter how far he ran, they always found him.

    He wondered how because he covered up his tracks and like a prey, he remained in hiding for as long as he could remember, until that fateful day. The day he ran into Skol.

    "W-What do you want!?" Tyr was horrified, these people could not be humans, and there was no way they could be. He had fled from them and ended up at a dead-end, the only escape was to jump down from a hill but death was the imminent result from such height.

    "We are savages, we do not want anything but prey¡­" Skol said and Tyr noticed they were a lot more, the blistering snow camouging the majority of them. But he knew their numbers were on the high side.

    Tyr knew he would not survive if he fought Skol, he had the primal instincts of Erik and right now, his body was telling him to run away but he knew if he did, he would only keep running.

    He had to fight against that instinct, and he stood his ground against Skol, he was trembling yet he stayed. But he did not know if it was fear or he was cold.

    Tyr made the first move, running in a circle in a bid to go around him, his speed was limited because of the snow.

    But Skol looked straight ahead, he did not even move his head to try and follow Tyr''s movement and just stayed stagnant, looking ahead.

    Tyrunched an attack, attempting to jam his weapon into his temple but Skol caught the wrist of the boy, halting his weapon from ever reaching him.

    Tyr struggled to break free from his grasp but the gap in their physical strength was overwhelming, he attempted to use his other hand but it met the same fate as his wrist got trapped beneath Skol''s hand.

    He began thrashing him around on the floor like he was a ragdoll, disarming him but Tyr was grateful for the snow on the ground because if it was not for it, he was certain he would have died. If he took this much damage even with the cushion, he could only imagine his fate without it.

    He finally flung him a few feet from the edge of the cliff, Tyr had dislocated his right arm but he was still in functional condition. Skol was messing around at this point, he was more ustomed to the weather, this was his world and Tyr knew he was a rookie in it.

    There was no way he was going to defeat Skol but he also knew he could not die disgraced like this and so he took a gamble.

    Skol walked towards Tyr, dragging his sledgehammer along the ground to which Tyr bolted in the other direction, he leaped off the edge of the cliff and fell to his presumed death.

    Tyr lost consciousness the moment he hit the ground, every part of his body echoed with pain, blood spilling out of his mouth. Even if the fall did not kill him, Tyr should very well be dead from this fall because this was the worst possible climate for one to lose consciousness in.

    "A-Am I dead?" Tyr woke up from his slumber, but he found himself in a different location with a cast, this told him that someone saved him but who?

    "I see, you are awake, child¡­" A voice said in the barely lighted cave, Tyr tried to make out the features of this man but it was impossible.

    "W-Who are you¡­" Tyr stuttered, the pain still echoing throughout his body.

    "I am no one but I went by the name Thorvald Asvaldsson¡­" The man introduced himself

 Chapter 187 Blank Period [PT.2]

    Tyr did not know who this was but he had saved him and that was all that mattered. Tyr owed him his life but something he had learned over his time in the Viking world was nothing was done for free. The question was, what did he want?

    p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® "Why did you save me?" Tyr could not move an inch from where hey, that was how badly he was injured.

    "I did not save you, the gods did," Thorvald said, putting steaming cattle on the makeshift table beside Tyr and cup.

    "You must be dehydrated, drink up," Thorvald said, pouring Tyr a cup of water and gradually lifting his head to make sure it did not spill on Tyr''s body or it would burn his skin.

    Tyr gulped down the water but it did not taste like just water, it had a bitter taste mixed in.

    "I mixed in your meds in there, you are lucky to be alive. I do not think your spine is affected but I will have to observe you closely for a few days. I do not believe in coincidence, I believe I found you for a reason," Thorvald said,ying Tyr''s head back gently.

    "Craaaazzyyy" Tyr thought himself listening to Thorvald talk, he was sounding a little delusional and Tyr waited for the part where he would list what he wanted but it never came.

    "I have no reason for saving you. Just as I did, another one once saved me, a man wild as a beast yet he saw it worthy to save me, I named my child after him." Thorvald went on and Tyr had no choice but to listen because he owed this man everything.

    -

    A weekter, Tyr could walk but barely, it took a full month for him to feel like himself again.

    He was grateful for the existence of Thorvald because if he was not there when he was, Tyr''s journey would havee to an end. Maybe Thorvald''s story about fate had meaning.

    "I am ready to go. Thank you Mr. Thorvald for everything you have done for me!" Tyr expressed his gratitude with a bow.

    "What do you think would happen if you ran into them again?" Thorvald asked him and Tyr kept quiet the moment he heard this, stopping in his tracks.

    "Winter will soon be over, stay here until then," Thorvald advised his young friend, but it was ultimately Tyr''s choice if he was going to stay or not.

    Tyr turned back and headed inside, Thorvald did not ask for any identification which he found strange but he found a lot of things in this world strange.

    Tyr stayed under the tutge of Thorvald, and Thorvald offered to train him once winter was over, an offer Tyr jumped at because, despite this man''s advanced age, Tyr knew he could learn a thing or two from him.

    He was in his mid-tote fifties and his figure was that of a warrior, he did not look weak but even he could not escape the shackles of old age.

    Tyr trained under this man for months, but Thorvald taught him something unique and that was how to control his breathing for increased stamina and endurance. An exercise he found strange but it proved to be useful because it expanded his lung capacity.

    Thorvald used the winter for this. For some reason, Tyr did not run into one savage since Thorvald took him under his care, it felt like they were actively avoiding this ce intentionally.

    When the frosty snow subsided, Thorvald began training him in a fighting style that relied on your sixth sense. Unlike the savages that made use of a person''s blind spot, Thorvald made use of one''s ears and senses to bypass this.

    If he could not use his eyes, he would have to learn to fight without them. Thorvald blindfolded Tyr for months, he was carrying out his daily activities without his eyes including hisbat training. The beginning was painful, he could not cope with it but it eventually got easier.

    It took a whole year for Tyr to fully adjust to being blind, hisbat skills skyrocketed the moment he could fight blindly as it improved his natural reflexes. Tyr''s workout schedule was brutal and left his body sore after every rep.

    A year and a halfter, Tyrpleted his training and his body underwent significant change in the process. Thorvald taught him everything he knew but he grew curious about the man''s past.

    Why was such a fine warrior this far out and why did the savages avoid him? But Thorvald never revealed his secrets or past to Tyr because he thought doing so might endanger those he wants to protect. He had seen the darker aspect of Tyr''s nature and knew he was not a man that had his impulses under control.

    "Tyr, my training with you has ended, I have taught you everything I know so in a sense, I now live on through you," Thorvald said, his body was getting each passing winter and winter was here once again, this was when the savages were most active and it happened, they encroached into hisnd soon after.

    A battle ensued where Thorvald held the savages off, Tyr wanted to fight alongside him but Thorvald gave him onestmand as his teacher and that was to escape for this was his way to Valha. He had lived a long life, and he had no intentions of dying old in his bed, he wanted to die on the battlefield, de in hand but Tyr was not sure who attacked and why Thorvald, who had no problems curbing the savages was suddenly speaking about death?

    It had to be because they were strong enough to make him contemte death.

    Tyr began to suspect if they were other savages, and this was when the theory of the existence of other ns began as Tyr ran, he saw Thorvald being cut down not by a sledgehammer, but by a broadsword.

 Chapter 188 Trust Or Deceit?

    Kolbeinn listened to the story and kept quiet, he looked excited about the other parts but the moment Tyr mentioned a man with a broadsword ughtered Thorvald. A shift of energy that Tyr noticed because he was paying especially close attention to Kolbeinn during his narration.

    He left out some information. He did not go into details about the kind of training he did with Thorvald nor did he speak his name because he did not know anything about him, including enemies he might have nor did he say what his life was like after he trained with Thorvald.

    "This man with the sword¡­." Kolbeinn spoke and everyone''s attention shifted to him. The joyous look on his face had faded.

    "Did he have a nted scar across his face?" Kolbeinn asked Tyr in a stern voice.

    "I could not tell. Not only is my memory fuzzy, but it is also been so long. I could also not see his face clearly," Tyr said but he knew whoever killed Thorvald had some sort of connection with Kolbeinn or he would not react this way otherwise.

    "What can you tell me about this man?" Kolbeinn pressed on with the topic and this all confirmed that this piece of information was something that he coveted.

    Tyr could y this to his advantage, he now had something Kolbeinn wanted and Kolbeinn had established from his story that they had a simr person of interest.

    "He had a very slender build, he was tall but I remember thinking about how such a slender person could wield such a big sword," Tyr gave him the missing piece of information he needed to identify this person of interest.

    "I knew it¡­" Kolbeinn muttered under his breath, everyone knew story time was over and returned to doing what they were doing before the story began.

    "You knew what? You know the man that killed my teacher?" Tyr questioned, he could tell by his face that this was not someone he was on friendly terms with.

    "Those men were not savages that you encountered under Skol, Skol''s weapon is what you use now. The man you saw was Gissur Torvaldsson, the Chieftain of the Haukd?lir n," Kolbeinn said and Tyr was d he was sharing information with him, this meant he had gained a certain level of authenticity with him. But he knew he could not be hasty with his ns because if he took over Kolbeinn as leader of this n, he would not be able to use them to their fullest potential if he entered some sort of truce with Kolbeinn. He could not only learn how to use them but gain useful intel on the other Chieftains from Kolbeinn.

    "H-He is a Chieftain? Why would a Chieftain hunt down a man that was barely surviving himself?" Tyr inquired, Thorvald was not a threat to them and stayed on his own most of the time. Kolbeinn did not answer, instead looking Tyr right in the eyes before mming a cup hard on the table.

    "What is with this dull atmosphere? I must wee my guests properly!" Kolbeinn eximed but Tyr was happy with the progress he had made so far.

    But he noticed the moment Kolbeinn said this, the women soon came close to him. Like always, two women made their way beside Kolbeinn, they hadrge breasts which Kolbeinn was not shy about fondling, he sunk his hands in their respective articles of clothing and began to squeeze on them as if they were stress balls. Tyr noticed two girlsing to sit beside him as well and they looked at him like they were expecting him to do something but Tyr had no experience with girls and simply offered them a drink.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Bothdies giggled amongst themselves as they tried to grab Tyr''s arm but the warrior in him reacted instinctively, he restrained bothdies immediately and with force.

    "Have you never been with a woman?" Kolbeinn asked Tyr, there was no reason he would be so aggressive with girls that merely tried to offer himfort.

    "I-I am sorry," Tyr immediately released them but Kolbeinn did not seem to mind this.

    "It is fine," Kolbeinn gestured for thedies to leave Tyr''s side and two men soon came to take their ce.

    "You are morefortable around men, are you not?" Kolbeinn asked Tyr, not understanding the context behind the question, Tyr nodded.

    "I do," Tyr reaffirmed with his words, he confirmed he did prefer thepany of men.

    "I do not judge your way of life, I believe everyone should be free to explore their desires," Kolbeinn said, showing support for Tyr but once again, Tyr did not understand the context.

    "I have done things with men on the battlefield, it was all over before I knew it. I trust them with my back as they do me," Tyr said and the problem was that this had two interpretations. Tyr meant one thing but they understood somethingpletely different from it.

    A man beside him soon slipped his hand onto Tyr''sp, he did not flinch but he soon realized what was happening the moment the man tried to move his hand higher up his thigh.

    Tyr immediately grabbed his wrist, he looked horrified because he could not believe he could not read the situation.

    "Fuck no! Absolutely not!" Tyr cussed out, stumbling back. Kolbeinn chuckled, his reaction was a tad bit over the top considering pleasure is a pleasure regardless of gender.

    Something that most people did not understand, Kolbeinn did not see anything wrong with a manying with a man or a womanying with a woman, it was all about pleasure in the end.

    "Tyr, I think a man of your skills would be very useful in this war my n has found itself with. You might have the title of Chieftain but you do not have the men for even a unit. I will allow you fullmand of your men and not only that, you will be only second to me as you will outrank everyone here but you do notmand my men. If you could beat Inskan, you are in no way weak and I need all the help I can get. I did not know Gissur Torvaldsson had entered these parts, I do not know how long he has been here or surveying the area but that man is mad as he is smart. He is always a step ahead no matter what I do," Kolbeinn said, and Tyr knew this was a golden opportunity and he would most likely never get another. Tyr epted his proposal, but the gravity of the situation made Kolbeinn overlook one thing, and that was Tyr being a threat to him.

 Chapter 189 Threats Of This Unknown Land

    Tyr had entered an alliance with the ¨¢sbirningar''s n Chieftain, Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson and this marked a major mark in his personal goals as he found out that this n had not joined the war just yet.

    They had intentionally removed themselves from the conflict, but Kolbeinn knew he had no choice but to join or it might prove to be toote.

    Gissur Torvaldsson had made inroads in his territory even without him knowing, he did not know what else he had done but he was sure if he could do this much under his nose.

    Skol must have been the one covering his tracks, and if Tyr did not defeat him ande to him with this information then he would have been none the wiser.

    Tyr was now his second inmand, this was Kolbeinn''s way of showing respect to the title he held. He found out his n operated under no name, they were not known or feared in these parts and that was why Skol sought security and protection under Kolbeinn.

    Even though it looked like Skol had dealings with a more dangerous man.

    "Who is this man? He looked to be troubled by him," Tyr said, he knew if they were going to work together they needed to share all the information they had or the alliance would not work.

    They had amon enemy and Tyr needed to know if this enemy had any weakness.

    Kolbeinn dismissed thedies beside him and took Tyr into a more privatepartment of the room. Tyr was more than everything Nora thought he was, he had not only gained the recognition of Kolbeinn but made Kolbeinn see him as an equal of sorts, something Skol could never aplish, Tyr did so in minutes and with a single story.

    Tyr gave Nora an instruction and that was her bringing the rest of the n here because he knew they were at risk where they were but Nora was also in charge of keeping them in check.

    She knew any trouble or fighting would not be tolerated, it was hard to believe this was just a boy.

    -

    Tyr sat opposite Kolbeinn, he noticed this room had multiple fur clothing and weapons of different varieties stacked neatly in the corner of the room.

    "I don''t have many guests but Tyr, there is something about you¡­" Kolbeinn said. Tyr''s face was indifferent when he heard this.

    "I know who you are, Tyr Ragnarsson. The Kingyer, the warrior with skin bathed by the earth," Kolbeinn said and Tyr understood the moment he heard this why Kolbeinn was so respectful towards him but if he knew about him, it meant that they had a way of knowing the current affairs of the real world.

    Tyr wanted to know how his family was doing but he could not bring himself to ask Kolbeinn, and bit his tongue but Kolbeinn noticed this, Tyr was not as subtle as he thought he was.

    "Bjorn Ironside¡­." Kolbeinn blurted out and Tyr''s attention immediately peaked, his eyes came to life like a child waiting on candy.

    "I heard Bjorn Ironside has proven himself to be a formidable warrior and became amander under the rule of King Askild but Vestfold has ceased to be an extension of Kattegat making King Ragnar a true King," Kolbeinn said and Tyr was still stuck on Bjorn being amander as a smile snuck up on his face but then he processed the rest of the information like aggingputer.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    "Hahaha! I always knew that rascal would be recognized one day! Bjorn has always been strong¡­" Tyr said, the smile on his face slowly fading as a painful memory soon took its ce.

    "There is no doubt he would make a greatmander with father by his side," Tyr was confident that Bjorn would grow stronger.

    "I am sorry to say but Bjorn is amander for King Askild, not King Ragnar," Kolbeinn shot down his praise and Tyr''s jaw dropped. This suddenly did not seem like good news anymore because he understood the kind of man Askild was. Kolbeinn had the same look in his eyes.

    It was almost like Askild had Bjorn under hismand as a hostage of some sort and to keep Ragnar under control. Lagertha remained in Kattegat because she knew she could not leave Bjorn alone.

    Tyr did not follow up with the conversation, he knew this world was not of his concern anymore and Bjorn must have his reasons for serving Askild.

    "I see, enough of that. I want to know about Gissur Torvaldsson¡­" Tyr quickly changed the conversation.

    "Gissur is a man that no one can beat, this is why everyone avoids him, including me. Rumors say it is because of the strange god he serves," Kolbeinn hinted at his strength being attributed to a different god.

    "God? What do you mean?" Tyr questioned, he only knew about the Norse Gods so hearing there were other gods was interesting.

    "I do not know what God is, but he calls himself Aurgelmir Reincarnate¡­" Kolbeinn registered the look of confusion on Tyr''s face.

    "What kind of god grants a warrior such power? What is a Aurgelmir Reincarnate?" Tyr questioned even though he knew he would not get an answer.

    "He is the father of all giants, he was created from the drops of water that formed the ice of Niflheim. He is a man who does not wish to go to Valha but Niflheim¡­," Kolbeinn responded but this got Tyr thinking because if he was as strong as Kolbeinn said, why was the n war still ongoing?

    "..... We are nothingpared to those two," Kolbeinn concluded his dialogue, giving Tyr the answer to his thoughts, these two n heads were at the pinnacle of this world.

    But Tyr wondered how strong because even he knew he would have difficulties with Kolbeinn but one thing remained clear.

    They were men he needed to conquer, not only as a measurement of his strength but for his renewed rivalry with his brother, Bjorn Ironside.

    "Who is the second person?" Tyr asked

    "He is Sighvatur Sturluson, a man you do not live twice to fight against," But this revtion only made Tyr want to fight him even more.

 Chapter 190 Whispers Of The Night

    Tyr rounded up his conversation with Kolbeinn and he had finally had a moment to himself, the skies were dark but the moonlight illuminated the path he traversed.

    He wanted to go for a walk, he wanted to take in his environment in case something happened, Tyr wanted to be prepared for the worst possible scenario because he did not trust these people, not in the slightest.

    "S-Stop," This was no doubt the voice of Inskan, Tyr rolled his eyes as he turned to face the man. It was dark and there was no one around, surely he wanted to revenge for what he did to him earlier, or at least this was what Tyr thought.

    "What do you want?" Tyr was blunt, and he was ready to kill the man where he stood should he make a move, but Inskan dropped to his knees with his head bowed.

    "Your fighting technique! I have never seen anything like it! Please teach it to me!" Inskan looked to be prideful yet here he was, on his knees and begging for a younger Tyr to train him.

    This certainly was not what Tyr was expecting but he appreciated the gesture nheless.

    "T-Teach you? I am not a teacher," Tyr quickly dismissed his proposal by disqualifying himself, this was the most harmless way to reject someone.

    "I do not think your Chieftain would like that one of his men is asking me to teach him, especially when it means your loyalty will be to me," Tyr further said as he continued on his walk but Inskan was not about to give up.

    He towards Tyr and Tyr immediately went into defensive mode, restraining Inskan the moment he got within proximity.

    "Those reflexes! Do you have eyes in the back of your head!" Inskan could not get enough of it, Tyr''s reaction was extraordinary but he knew he would have to stop there because he did not want to risk offending him.

    Tyr kept walking for minutes, surveying the area but something was strange, he saw footprints in the snow leading away from the camp. Kolbeinn had a rule, and that was no one was to cross the perimeter but someone had done that, catching Tyr''s interest.

    Tyr trailed the footsteps, he had it in the back of his mind that this might be a trap, Birger had taught him to be cautious of everything for what may look ordinary might be a web someone has woven.

    He soon heard voices, speaking in a low tone, there were two people but only a single trail of footsteps was on the ground he traveled. It was clear that a meeting was arranged but with who?

    He wanted to get closer to see what was happening but he also knew he could not be seen as he did not know if Kolbeinn trusted him enough to believe him over one of his own.

    "A little closer¡­" Tyr muttered; he peeked over the horizon and even he gasped the moment heid eyes on the people his eyes registered/

    -

    A couple of days passed and Tyr had settled in well in his new environment even though he knew they were still wary of him, it would be stupid if they were not but Kolbeinn did his best to make him feel weed. He kept the fact that he was Ragnar''s son a secret as well because even they had heard of Ragnar but the information was limited in these parts because they were cut off from that world.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    It was clear that Kolbeinn was not born in this world, like Skol, he conquered this n but he did not know for how long he was.

    But the other two n heads were born and raised here, they were true warriors, and this was why they were so feared, even by Kolbeinn.

    Nora arrived with the remnants of his n, Tyr was d that Finn was alright because their divided numbers were worrying hence why this alliance would prove beneficial.

    He did not tell anyone what he had seen that night and kept it to himself for reasons best known to him but Tyr knew now was the time to gain the respect of Kolbeinn''s men and if he had their respect, it would be easier to lead them when the time came but first, he needed to make them undermine Kolbeinn''s ability to rule them.

    "Chieftain Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson," Tyr called out in a less than subtle tone, downing the ale in front of him so Kolbeinn just assumed he had too much to drink and did not think much of this.

    "Tyr! I see you!" Kolbeinn responded with as much energy, raising his cup to Ragnar''s son.

    "Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson, the third strongest Chieftain," Tyr blurted out, despite Nora trying to hold him back. Nora noticed his cup was not even half empty, she was his cup right before Tyr spilled his supposed drink over, prompting it to pour all over him.

    The smell not only exaggerated the alcohol stench on him, Nora bit her tongue because she knew Tyr was being intentional about this.

    "I think it is best you sit back down, Tyr," Kolbeinn warned, everyone kept quiet because they knew Kolbeinn was serious right now but this did not deter Tyr whatsoever.

    "Come on Kolbeinn! I know your men are tired of sitting around at the mercy of another man. What if they decided to attack today? What then? Do you think the All-Father would allow such wimps into his hall?" Tyr shouted and he had gotten the reaction he wanted from them as he could see the shame in their eyes but he could also see the rage in Kolbeinn''s eyes.

    ".... Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson is the man that will break this cycle!" Tyr said. This eliminated the illusion he had created moments ago that hinted at Kolbeinn being a coward but instead now put him on the spot for him to take action. Everyone''s head turned in Kolbeinn''s direction as they raised their cups to him.

    "You will face victory on the battlefield this winter as long as I am beside Kolbeinn, we will live and die like warriors!" Tyr said, before holding his mouth and running out as the other warriorsughed. Kolbeinn never discussed the timeframe for which he nned to attack but Tyr had imposed that on him indirectly and if he opposed it right now, he would be proving Tyr right.

    "Hahaha! He is a loud one when he drinks!" Kolbeinn teased as his menughed, he could not be angry at Tyr as he had been informed in one of their many conversations that he is quite talkative when he drinks but that was a lie to set up this exact moment.

    Nora followed after Tyr and he was still not ''sober''.

    "What was that? That was dangerous." Nora said in a passive-aggressive tone because he had risked their lives but a look into Tyr''s lifeless eyes was enough to shut her up.

    "Nora, who did you meet that night?" Tyr asked in a blood-curdling voice.

 Chapter 191 Gissur Torvaldsson

    Nora went into defensive mode the moment she was confronted she knew ying dumb would only make him angry as she was meant to have left the area.

    "I-I can exin," She stuttered, fearing for her life because she knew the wrong move would only guarantee her death. Tyr has already shown himself to be ruthless but she needed to calm first.

    "I know you can exin and that is why I am asking you to," Tyr said but there was something scary about his eyes, she felt like it was sucking her life from her body. It was so intimidating that she had to look away, but Tyr held her jaw and raised her head.

    "You look at me when I am talking to you," Tyr warned her, Nora gulped loudly.

    "I-I am sorry for not leaving immediately but I went to spend some time with him, Chieftain," Nora said. Tyr was confused by what she saw. She was speaking like she expected him to understand.

    "Nora, why do you speak in riddles?" Tyr asked with a tired sigh, letting go of her chin in the process.

    "I met with my lover, Chieftain," Nora said awkwardly but this did not answer Tyr''s question and he did not need to speak before she exined herself properly.

    "He is from the Haukd?lir n¡­" Nora said and Tyr''s eyes instantly widened. Nora quickly rushed to exin but she saw a smile on Tyr''s face which confused her.

    "I swear! I do not tell him anything! I met him during one of Skol''s meetings with their general!" Nora knew it would take everything in her to convince Tyr.

    "Liars tellplex lies to be believed, when something sounds as simple and as unbelievable as this, it is often the truth," Tyr reassured her, telling her in his way that he believed her.

    "Thank you Chieftain! Thank you very much!" Nora thanked him, she knew Skol would have never been as understanding and that was why she hid it from Skol when he was alive but if Tyr was epting, she hoped that this would be the first step for their love.

    "I would like to meet the man able to woo you, Nora," Tyr teased, and Noraughed nervously because she did not know if he was joking or he was serious but she did not want to risk misreading the situation.

    "You can tell him he has a ce over here if he ever wants to leave his n," Tyr said. Nora''s eyes lit up, and Tyr could tell she was in love with this man and he would only know it was reciprocal once he met the man.

    But he also knew this was an opportunity, Tyr was d Nora had such a person because this man might be their way into the Haukd?lir n.

    -<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    In the dark of night, a man stood over multiple corpses of bears, their ws imprinted on his chest, but this man held no weapon and could barely see the white bears camouged within the snow. His fists were bloodied and another man arrived behind him and tossed a cloth on his back.

    This man had beaten these bears to death with his bare fists and a sinister grin creased his scarred face, and in the corner of his eyes, he saw a cub.

    He began walking in its direction and it tried to run but the speed in which he used looked more like teleportation than it was running, he was simply too fast despite his tall slender boy.

    And he punched the cub right in the face, killing it with a single blow, he was simply that destructive.

    He was covered and drenched in their blood, ripping the cub''s heart out, he sunk his teeth into it and began munching away at it. The 6''6 ck-haired man with a scar across his nose was no doubt the man Kolbeinn had spoken about, and he was a lot more menacing in person as he had little to no clothes on despite the weather. His face was rough and wrinkled, befitting his age, thirty-eight.

    "Chieftain Gissur Torvaldsson, your wife has requested for you," A timid-looking boy came out to call the man and Gissur wiped his bloodied hands on the cub''s corpse before leaving, and his men immediately moved to secure the bodies of the animals because it was food in the end.

    This ce felt like a small vige as opposed to other ns shown so far.

    "My love, are you alright?" Gissur asked, the concern in his voice was genuine because like most men, the world might see a monster but to their wives, they were as soft as a baby.

    "I had a vision, I had a vision but it was not clear¡­" His wife was quite ugly in every sense of the word but in Gissur''s eyes, she was god''s sent. Beauty was truly in the eyes of the beholder. Gissur cut his hand without hesitation and fed her his blood, his wife was a seer that only had visions regarding her husband and she had never given him a prophecy that worried him.

    She sunk her teeth into his hand and began sucking his blood but the man did not flinch or show any visible pain as he watched as his wife''s short hair fell, hiding her hunchback from his view.

    "What do you see, my love?" Gissur asked but his wife had not had her feel and kept sucking.

    But she soon stopped and her eyes immediately rolled to the back of her head, her husband was a bloodied mess but she did not care much about what he was doing as she knew the importance she yed in Gissur''s life as a soothsayer.

    "A boy made of earth ising, cursed by the gods a lot more will fall to his sword, this includes your husband but the gods have shown me how to stop him¡­ No, they have shown me how to kill him," This was why Gissur was so strong, his wife was not just any ordinary soothsayer, she could alter fate itself for she possessed the knowledge on how to stop the visions she sees from happening. And right now, she knew how to kill Tyr Ragnarsson.

 Chapter 192 A Peek At Kolbeinns Strength

    The concept of kingdoms was nonexistent in these parts, just unupiednd that had been upied. Hence the ever-raging battle over more pieces ofnd, this battle has been passed down from generation to generation. It has never ceased and eventually the purpose of the fight became lost, they just knew that they had to continue the battle started by their predecessors.

    Tyr had found a loophole he thought he could exploit but he also knew it would not be easy.

    He apologized to Kolbeinn the next day after his act but the Chieftain did not take it personally because he understood the effects of alcohol better than anyone.

    They spoke about andughed at the position that Tyr had put him in, Kolbeinn knew the younger warrior was right, and listening to him sparked a fire in him.

    He remembered the old world, a world where he was a forgotten warrior with no remarkable feats to be remembered,

    Tyr was hungry, he was ambitious but Kolbeinn knew how ambition corrupts people and was cautious of Tyr but he did not need to worry about Tyr now because they had amon goal.

    Nora was envious and grateful for Tyr''s understanding nature, she thought he was just a child that had impressivebat skills but he had shown the ability to disy empathy.

    It was feeling more like a family and she could not wait for Tyr to meet him, and had dropped a letter in their usual meeting ce to tell her lover to meet in a few days.

    She was giddy, it was in a sense her introducing him to her father for Tyr was the Chieftain,

    Kolbeinn and Tyr went out for a walk that morning and Kolbeinn was firm about no one following them as they were reluctant to leave the Chieftain alone with Tyr but they did not fear for his safety because he was strong.

    They walked a good distance away, and Tyr was visibly on guard, he did not know why Kolbeinn brought him out here but the fact that he instructed him to take his weapon triggered his red g signal.

    "Are you nervous?" Kolbeinn noticed Tyr''s unease, anyone could tell with a look that he was getting tense the further out they got.

    "Hahaha! You caught me, it almost feels like you brought me out here to dispose of me," Tyr joked but he did not even have time for a response to his joke as he had ducked down instinctively, and above his head was the horizontally swung sword of Kolbeinn.

    Tyr went into fight mode but Kolbeinn chuckled the moment Tyr dodged his weapon.

    "The stories are true, you do have eyes at the back of your head¡­" Kolbeinn said, retracting his sword. Tyr was confused because it did not look like Kolbeinn wanted to fight yet he had just attacked him, an attack that had the necessary ingredients to kill him.

    "What is the meaning of this?" Tyr''s voice was cold and Kolbeinn knew at that moment that he had made him drop his mask, he had heard stories about Tyr and this included his tale as a ''Berserker''. Tyr''s eyes always looked lifeless when he switched into this state, a state triggered by his killing intent but he had no killing intent towards Kolbeinn.

    "I want you toe at me like you want to kill me, I want to see the measure of your true strength for even stories can be fabricated. A coward could look like the bravest hero if he wins a war for history is written by the victors, not the vanquished¡­" Kolbeinn said, gesturing for Tyr to unsheathe his sledgehammer.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    "Do you wish to die here?" Tyr asked but there was a sense of certainty in his words, he knew if he unsheathed his weapon, Kolbeinn would die or so he believed.

    Was this arrogance or did his strength truly match with his words?

    Either way, Kolbeinn was loving the confidence as he watched Tyr equip the sledgehammer, and from the way he wielded it, he could tell his strength was on par or greater than Skol but he was surprised that this boy was not even a fully-grown adult yet.

    This was impressive but strength is irrelevant if thebat skill iscking, that is one thing that he had learned over time.

    Kolbeinn moved, Tyr expected some trickery or unique skill but he just linearly charged at him, leaving himself full of openings.

    This confused Tyr but he did not care much to overthink, he simply assumed that Kolbeinn was underestimating him, something he was not about to take lightly.

    He swung his hammer but in the blink of an eye, Kolbeinn''s entire bodynguage changed like he could predict where Tyr wanted to attack.

    He not only dodged Tyr''s attack but Tyr did not even register Kolbeinn''s sword resting gently on his neck.

    "W-What?" Tyr thought to himself, he was surprised that he could have died in a single exchange despite all his training.

    "I was so focused on his opening that I did not see his attacking!" Tyr thought to himself but he soon retracted this thought.

    "No¡­ That is not it¡­." Tyr thought, a cold bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. He never knew Kolbeinn was this strong, now he understood why Skol submitted to him.

    "The art ofbat is not how hard or fast you swing your sword¡­" Kolbeinn warned as he withdrew his sword from Tyr''s neck.

    "He left himself open on purpose, this drew my eyes to focus on those spots but knowing I would attack one of the openings already gave him an advantage because it meant I would not act outside the options he has given me. I could not react to his attack because of how he timed it, he timed it at the same moment as my attack, no matter how nimble I am, I cannot react to such an attack mid-attack due to the momentum and force in which I swung my weapon. It was a perfectly executed counter-attack!" Tyr thought.

    "I do not doubt your strength, Tyr Ragnarsson, but there are monsters out there that exist. Monsters that strength alone is not enough to kill them¡­" Kolbeinn said and this only brought a smirk from the dark-skinned Viking.

    "Monster? I have killed such a monster before¡­." Tyr said and Kolbeinn raised a brow in confusion because he did not know what the child was talking about.

    "I am the one that killed Erik The Berserker¡­" Tyr revealed.

 Chapter 193 Defending Her Honor!

    Tyr''s brief spar with Kolbeinn made him realize he was nowhere near where he should be if he was going to stand on his own as a renowned warrior.

    A warrior that could challenge even the top fighters but Tyr had killed twomanders despite being significantly weaker and he also had a King on his list of in enemies.

    Kolbeinn was stronger, there was no doubt but Tyr grew to understand that superior strength was only a fraction of the needed skill needed to outdo an enemy.

    Kolbeinn had also shown his hand, Tyr now knew what to expect should they cross swords with intent to kill one another, he would not be as stupid to take such a bait twice.

    Kolbeinn was not surprised when he told him he had killed Erik, this was a very impressive feat because Erik was a monster whose atrocities had reached even his ears and beyond.

    Tyr conceded defeat honorably, bowing slightly to show Kolbeinn that he epted his defeat in good faith.

    "We should head back," Kolbeinn said and Tyr agreed but the smile stered across his face left the moment Kolbeinn turned his back. Once again, he was full of openings but Tyr had no interest in trying to exploit them because it was hard to know if it was intentional or not.

    They returned to the house and Tyr realized it was almost empty, except for Nora and a still injured Finn. Of course, a warrior or two remained but it looked like everyone was getting along better than he could have hoped.

    "Wee Chieftains," Nora greeted, bowing her head.

    "Hahaha! Nora, what are you doing here? Why did you not go out with the rest?" Tyr asked, he spoke to her like she was his daughter, something Kolbeinn noticed, it was a drastic change from his initial dialogue with her when he first came to her. He often ignored her altogether.

    "N-No, I wanted to stay here with Finn¡­" Nora said with a nervous smile.

    "What is your rtionship with Finn if I may ask?" Tyr questioned, he began to take a personal interest in Nora''s life.

    "Finn is my brother," Nora responded, and that exined why he was the only one other than her to understand and speak Old Norse but Tyr could feel something wasing.

    He did not know what or when but he knew some sort of cmity could being.

    Tyr was exhausted, he wanted to sleep briefly as he has had trouble sleeping as ofte due to his recurring nightmares, and they granted him that silence out of respect for him.

    -

    "Brother! Father is injured!" A voice called out to Tyr, but Tyr looked down only to his hands drenched in blood standing over a faceless dark-skinned man; there was a detail that went unnoticed until now and that was his body covered in scars.

    "Why did you kill father!?" But this was not the voice of a girl but a boy, a voice he had never heard before.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    "Father?" Tyr managed to utter these words, as he trembled in fear but what he saw next was him standing over his supposed brother''s dead body, and a girl crying.

    "Monster!" She yelled, she was scared out of her mind and Tyr did not know but a new scene appeared in this dream.

    There was a mass grave, a mass grave where Bjorn, Ragnar, and Lagerthaid, the only people he had ever loved in his life.

    "You did it! You monster!" A voice said behind him and the moment he looked back, he found himself back on the ship but this time he was not a spectator as he reprised his role as the defenseless kid that was tossed overboard.

    He saw the man reaching for him and Tyr jammed a knife in his neck but cked out, only toe to it and see everyone on the boat dead, including the other ves.

    "I did it, for everyone is reborn in death. This is the way of the warrior, the de must stain only then will you take," A voice echoed and Tyr''s eyes were devoid of emotions this time.

    "You are not Tyr¡­. You are¡­." Before the voice could conclude, Tyr was jolted awake by a scream, he was pissed off because he was about to reach an epiphany, and at the climax, reality pulled him back

    But what Tyr saw was someone mounted on top of Nora, trying to forcefully have his way with her, Tyr was confused as he looked around for the Chieftain but he was nowhere to be seen and Finn was beaten to a pulp.

    "What do you think you are doing?" Tyr questioned and the man on top of Nora immediately got up. Tyr hated this, the disgusting notion that men could treat women as they pleased.

    This man, whoever he was, had no right and all Tyr could see was another Erik.

    That triggered him, Tyr dragged the man to the floor and he was certain that the man was not aware of his presence or he would not have proceeded with his act but that was because of the nket ced above Tyr.

    "I-I can exin," He pleaded but his words were useless as the light already left Tyr''s eyes.

    A punch shattered his teeth and another ruptured his nose but what Tyr wanted to do waspletely bash his face in. He tried to call for help but Tyr quickly wrapped his hand around his neck with one hand to strangle and kept punching him with his other hand.

    Nora was d Tyr was there and knew what might happen if someone saw him but she could not help but remain frozen in fear.

    Tyr had never portrayed himself as someone ruled by emotions, until now.

    "C-Chieftain¡­" Nora hesitantly called out but it was toote, Tyr had beaten him to death.

    A mistake, he would soon face the consequences of.

 Chapter 194 Trial Of Combat! Tyr Fights For His Life!

    Tyr had unknowingly broken a rule imposed by this n, he had just executed a person he ''deemed'' guilty without a trial and even Kolbeinn had a look of disappointment on his face because there was nothing he could do.

    Tyr''s story was not believed, because Tyr could have very well beaten Finn and killed the other man when he tried to stop him.

    Then try to have his way with Nora but Nora was too scared to speak up against her Chieftain so this was the ultimate result.

    Kolbeinn knew he had to look at every possible angle, he could not be biased just because it was a son of Ragnar thatmitted this crime.

    It would have made more sense if Tyr kept him alive for him to confess to his sins and not take matters into his own hands.

    The dark-skinned boy was forced on his knees in front of Kolbeinn, Kolbeinn looked at Tyr.

    He was not stupid, he had tested Tyr''s sexual appetite on numerous asions and Tyr had shown no interest so why did he suddenly lunge at Nora?

    But if he went this way, people might start to question why he would trust an outsider this much over a ''respectable'' member of his n.

    Kolbeinn''s hands were tied but Tyr had a chance to prove his innocence, he did not look frightened or worried.

    Kolbeinn read out what he was being charged with but Tyr only chuckled in response before saying.

    "Whatever it is I am used of, I wish to defend my honor, I choose trial bybat for if I am guilty, the gods will strike me down," Tyr said and Kolbeinn was slightly relieved by this because he knew all he had to do was pick a representative which he was sure that Tyr could defeat.

    "I choose you, Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson, you are the warrior I choose for the gods¡­." Tyr pointed at him, the look in his eyes was different and Kolbeinn knew he might have sealed his fate with that. Maybe he thought Kolbeinn would go easy on him? If that was not the case, he was wrong because this would be an insult to the gods.

    The warriors around looked excited because they knew with anyone else, the murderer might get a chance to escape but with Kolbeinn, they were sure justice would be served.

    "Very well then," Kolbeinn epted his condition.

    -

    They did not waste time in setting the ce in which they would be fighting, the warriors were excited as it had been a while since they had seen their Chieftain inbat.

    The savages were worried because they knew once Tyr died, there would be no ce for them.

    They were asked to pick their weapons and Kolbeinn went with his default sword with no shield because a shield greatly limits his movements.

    But Tyr did not go with his sledgehammer he had to learn to use it on a whim, he instead went for the two axes that were there.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Everyone was confused as it took exceptional skills to dual-wield and Tyr did not strike them as someone skilled enough to do so.

    "Yes¡­ This feels better," Tyr muttered, it has been a while since he has fought with an ax, but would a change of weapon make any difference?

    "The rules are simple, you cannot kill until you make your opponent submit, only then can you pass judgment with your weapon," Kolbeinn read out the rules, it was a bit different than Tyr was used to but it made the battle all the better.

    But Tyr began doing something strange, he removed his coat to reveal his upper body revealed different degrees of injuries and everyone kept quiet. They knew at this point that Tyr was not just some boy and the injuries he had were a representation of the battles he has survived.

    Kolbeinn was cautious, Tyr felt like a different person and the battle began.

    Tyr''s speed was so refined that he closed the distance with Kolbeinn in a literal second, Kolbeinn reeled back in surprise.

    Tyr attempted an overhead sh, which Kolbeinn barely avoided but that swing soon turned to a throw as Tyr threw the ax at Kolbeinn''s feet with the force generated from the swing, turning it into a two-in-one attack.

    This forced Kolbeinn to deflect it because he could not avoid it without getting injured but looking up, he saw the iing ax of Tyr aimed at slicing his neck open.

    It made contact with Kolbeinn''s neck but the cut was shallow, Kolbeinn immediately distanced himself from Tyr. Tyr overwhelmed the senses of his opponent, making it difficult to follow all his moves.

    Tyr casually picked up his ax buried in the floor and looked at Kolbeinn with a sickening smile, Kolbeinn knew at that moment that Tyr wasing at him with intent to kill.

    Everyone was stunned, what was this fighting style and how did he manage to wound their Chieftain? The savages, however, were excited as they began to cheer for Tyr because they knew their lives relied on Tyring out victorious.

    "You¡­" Kolbeinn muttered, rubbing the wound embedded in his neck. If this was a straight-up death match he might have lost his head.

    "You are strong¡­" Kolbeinn said as his bodynguage changedpletely, and Kolbeinn attempted to attack Tyr but what Tyr did next shocked him, Tyr left himself full of openings, just like Kolbeinn had done previously.

    "It was like this if I remembered¡­" Tyr said and Kolbeinn was impressed that he could mimic this skill to this degree only after seeing it once and realized why Tyr was such a good fighter.

    But then Tyr vanished the moment Kolbeinn blinked, entering into his blind spot.

    Kolbeinn, however, registered him before he couldnd a hit, thrusting his de in a bid to impale him.

    Unfortunately for him, Tyr predicted this as Kolbeinn had unknowingly attacked one of his openings allowing Tyr to dodge his attack andnd a spinning jump kick right into his face to send Kolbeinn crashing into the ground.

    "That makes two hits in two exchanges. There won''t be a third," Tyr threatened, licking his blood off his ax.

 Chapter 195 Tyr! The Unstoppable Warrior!

    Tyr had shown Kolbeinn he was not who he thought he was, he had taken off his shirt in this cold weather so he could truly excel with hisbat prowess.

    Kolbeinn smirked as he burst outughing. Yes, Tyr was living up to his name as a son of Ragnar. This was the strength he expected.

    Tyr had assimted Kolbeinn''s fighting style with the savages, this deserved praise as he had effectively made up his unique fighting style.

    Kolbeinn knew he could not charge at him nor could he rely on his earlier tricks but this fight was not about superior strength, they could get one another to submit.

    Tyr cracked his neck, he was ready for the third exchange and he intended for it to be thest.

    Tyr pointed his axes to the sky and then pointed it at Kolbeinn but the moment he did, the light in his eyes vanished and Kolbeinn instinctively knew his life was in danger.

    Nora was frightened as well, Tyr did not hide his killing intent and everyone knew he intended to kill Kolbeinn right here and now, he wanted to stain his axes with Kolbeinn''s blood.

    "It will be decided with this blow¡­" Kolbeinn thought, bracing himself as he waited for Tyr toe at me, which he did.

    Tyr charged at him but Kolbeinn held his swing until thest minute, he did not swing carelessly and saw through Tyr''s obvious bait.

    Tyr tried to draw him into making an early attack but had failed, and Kolbeinn''s outstretched fist wasing right at Tyr.

    He had ample time to evade it but he had seen how Kolbeinn fought by drawing him into predictable actions where he would strike so the only thing he could do was do something that he could not predict.

    Tyr moved his head forward to meet his fist halfway, greatly diminishing the force of his blow and the distance made it difficult for Kolbeinn to swing his sword.

    Tyr nodded harder a second time, blood dripping down the forehead of both of them, causing them to reel backward due to the concussive force.

    Kolbeinn swung his de, hoping to gain the upper hand in Tyr''s current state but Tyr dodged his swing and instantly swept the older Chieftain off his feet and onto the ground.

    Tyr was dominating this fight, he was young yet had experience because he had fought a broader range of enemies, enemies with different fighting styles allowing him to be far more flexible inbat. Kolbeinn was afflicted by a certain limitation as his enemies have been pretty much the same for the longest time and the battles he has been fighting, he always crushed with overwhelming strength.

    The battles he was not certain to win, he did not engage and that is the same reason he was avoiding Gissur.

    Kolbeinn fell with a loud thump and Tyr stood above him like a menacing god.

    "W-Wow¡­" A man muttered, he could not believe how strong Tyr was, no one could.

    "Do you concede or do you still think the gods want me dead?" Tyr asked and Kolbeinn simplyughed at this, he was stronger than Tyr, there was no doubt about that.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Yet he was the one with his back on the floor, Kolbeinn was d that this boy was on his side.

    Tyr Ragnarsson had emerged the victor but Kolbeinn had not yet conceded defeat.

    He stared at Tyr in the eyes, these were not the eyes of a kid, and he knew Tyr had no qualms about killing him right now.

    "I concede," Kolbeinn gave up and everyone gasped because there was a rule to this and that was, Tyr got to decide if he got to live or not.

    The air was tense, and everyone knew what would happen if Tyr killed him, Tyr clenched the hilt of his weapons but before Kolbeinn noticed the light in Tyr''s eyes had returned.

    Tyr could kill him and be their new leader but Tyr knew he needed them to trust him more than he needed to lead them.

    Dropping his axes, he stretched out his hand to help Kolbeinn to his feet, and a smile creased the boy in dreads'' face.

    "That was a good fight Chieftain Kolbeinn, I enjoyed it very much¡­" Tyrmended him and Kolbeinn took his hands, Tyr had demonstrated to everyone present just why they needed him.

    He was not some random warrior they could find anywhere, witnessing someone''s strength is a lot different than hearing about it,

    The trial was concluded and Tyr was deemed not guilty, not a single person opposed this verdict and this was further helped by Finn''s testimony, he was unconscious and did not see the events that transpired. It matched Nora''s testimony but something was amiss.

    He had no reason to want to rape Nora, there were plenty of beautiful women that would happily sleep with him. Nora was the least attractive woman here but then again, beauty was subjective.

    Kolbeinn knew something was amiss but he could not wrap his fingers around it and summed it up as him overthinking.

    Tyr had something else to look forward to, and that was meeting Nora''s lover the next. Nora trusted Tyr with every fiber of her being after she watched him go that far to defend her honor and every second thought she had about trusting Tyr left her body.

    The day went by with no more trouble, the body of the man that Tyr had killed was thrown and disposed of like garbage.

    -

    "King Ragnar, we still have no report on Tyr Ragnarsson, Erik''s body has still been the only body that has been found. I hate to say it but I fear whoever killed Erik took your son," Skarde reported to his friend that ascended the throne,

    "No¡­. He cannot die that easily, Tyr is¡­. Tyr is special and when he returns¡­ This world that we know, it will cease to exist," Ragnar said, his beard had grown exponentially, reaching his lower chest. Vestfold had recovered their strength as more people were willing to pledge their allegiance to Ragnar when he cut off ties with Kattegat as he concluded with,

    "Tyr will rebuild the Viking era."

 Chapter 196 Current State Of The Viking World

    Kattegat was in a somewhat stable state, Askild had surrounded himself with even more capable warriors than he had previously, but he was keeping his ears out for news about Tyr.

    Erik was discovered days after his death and the killing did not look random.

    Whoever did it had a grudge against Erik, it was personal and King Askild could not shake off the feeling that it was Tyr Ragnarsson.

    A gut feeling he knew was right but Tyr still had the name of Ragnar so he had to be careful with his usations.

    Ulf had ascended to the rank of amander, just like Birger had predicted but Kattegat was losing its economic prowess ever since Fredrik died and Liv was a shell of herself because she had lost everything she held dear and she did not know if she loved or hated Askild.

    Everything that happened was a direct consequence of how recklessly he lived his life.

    She heard about the terrible thing he did to Arvid''s wife and how he aided Erik after Asger''s wife was vited. Liv knew Askild more than most, this was a man sheid in bed with for years, and she knew what he was capable of.

    Birger''s words sat with her, she was informed that Askild was the one that poisoned King Xenophanes to weaken him before killing him.

    She doubted this until she heard what happened to King Asmund and how he looked near death on the day he died and more so after his fight with Asmund.

    There was a fracture and Askild could sense this, he knew Liv knew everything about him and the sins he kept hidden from her.

    -

    Asger was in a better ce, he fell into depression a year after Birger''s ''death'' because he did not know what to do with all the rage he had. He had time to think about it and he realized that everything Birger said added up and he slowly built resentment for Askild.

    He tried to end his life a yearter but he was saved by the gods, or was it punishment?

    Asger knew he would not get rest until he avenged his wife, but what would be of his loyalty? Asger left Kattegat because he could not stay without the overwhelming urge to kill Askild.

    And his absence. Bjorn took the role of his formermander, and this effectively shifted Bjorn''s allegiance from his family to Kattegat. Lagertha opposed it, she thought that Bjorn was too young to take on this level of responsibility but Bjorn did not listen.

    Lagertha wanted to move to Vestfold but she could not leave Bjorn to be poisoned by Askid, like Tyr was poisoned by Erik.

    She too, in that sense, became amander and took over Herfj?tur asmander of her all-female battalion. Ragnar knew this was a delicate situation because if Vestfold were to be hostile to Kattegat, his family inadvertently bes an enemy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Bjorn was strong, he was taller than most standing at 6 ''1 at seventeen years old. He trained under Ulf. Ulf was spending more time with Lagertha after she found out what he did for Tyr.

    She felt indebted to him, and she began to let her guard down around him a lot more,

    Ulf would spend some nights there, something he never dared try when his brother was there but Ragnar was too busy ruling a kingdom and with Lagertha and Bjorn under Askild.

    They could not travel to Vestfold, a kingdom that had ceased its alliance, freely because they were important warriors to Kattegat.

    Askild hoped that Ragnar would reconsider his stance on their alliance as Kattegat was crumbling slowly, Birger had taken the foundation and it was only a matter of time before the structure copsed. New faces had taken up the mantle ofmanders as well.

    -

    King Ragnar had not heard anything from King Rugalf regarding the marriage proposal, Rugalf had gone quiet soon after Tyr''s exile but he was still very much in contact with Ragnar.

    He was against him cutting ties with Kattegat because they benefited from both a financial and political aspect.

    Kings should not make decisions driven by emotions and Ragnar was slowly understanding that he would be better off reestablishing this alliance.

    The Viking world was on edge and with the map that Askild had found, he had offered both King Ragnar and Rugalf an opportunity to explore whateverndsy at the end of the waters in the east. A scout had been sent but they returned with no news of suchnds, and Askild knew he was missing a piece, A piece he soon found as he discovered he was looking at the map wrongly, and he ventured to the West. And they foundnd so vast, and rich that it made Norway look like crap. King Rugalf encouraged Ragnar to join King Askild on this expedition or he might miss out on the loot.

    But everyone had an interest in Tyr''s whereabouts because he had affected them in one way or another but Tyr was nowhere to be found.

    -

    But there was one person who knew who he was, the person Tyr took everything from and his name was Signy. Signy had kept tabs on him but the region Tyr wandered into should have eliminated his possibility of survival but he had underestimated the son of Ragnar, or rather, Signy underestimated the favor the gods showed Tyr and now knew he had to use his own hands to snuff out Tyr''s life, a task he knew would not be easy and had used these years to increase the probability of his sess. Signy knew someone saved Tyr, he just did not know who.

    He was done underestimating the son of Ragnar, and intended to crush him with everything in his power, Jan loved this new side to Signy as he had crossed a line that his father never dared to and offered his full assistance because of this.

    They knew they needed to wait until summer tounch their campaign against Tyr and focused on intel gathering in the meantime.

    One thing was certain however, Tyr''s life was in danger.

 Chapter 197 The Bond Grows Deeper....

    The day concluded and night crept up on the new day just as fast as the sun rose. Tyr did not know what the outside world had in store for him nor did he care but he understood that he needed to conquer thisnd if he was to stand a chance against the outside world.

    He had ventured into the secret meeting ce he had stumbled upon previously to meet Nora''s love, she was excited to show Tyr who the man that had her heart and even more excited to tell him that Tyr has given the go-ahead for him to jump ship, and join his n which he still did not know the name from as it somehow never made it into their conversations.

    "I am so excited for you to meet him!" Nora said as he guided Tyr to a different location soon after they arrived at the previous one.

    It was only logical that they would not meet in the same ce twice, to say the least.

    "I hope he is as excited to meet me as you are," Tyr sounded nervous, something Nora found cute. It was easy to forget his age, because Nora was older than him by more than five years and the man they were meeting was even older.

    "I am sure he is¡­ We are there¡­" Nora said and he was already there, waiting for them but he was not alone, he came alongside one other man but Nora did not look to be rmed by this telling Tyr it was a normal urrence as he too did not give it much thought.

    Before Tyr stood two men, he was clearly more attractive than the other so Tyr assumed the handsome one was the man that Nora had spoken so highly about because he could see why she liked him. He had golden eyes, crisp ck hair that was packed in a ponytail, and stood roughly at 6''1 in histe twenties.

    But the man that Nora embraced was the other man, he was a 5 ''5 man with quite the face and this is in no way apliment, he had saggy cheeks and looked older than his age implying he was no stranger to alcohol. He had a bald spot and terrible stature, it was hard to believe he was a warrior with such attributes.

    "Is this him?" The handsome man asked and Tyr was surprised by how casually he was addressing him despite his title as Chieftain; an offense that many do not take lightly.

    "Hey, Isak! That is the Chieftain! Show some respect, brother!" The shorter man immediately put his brother in check and Tyr now understood why Nora was with the other brother, he was the one with the etiquette.

    "I apologize for my brother''s rudeness, Chieftain! I go by the name Noa. I am honored to be before the man that killed Skol." Noa bowed his head to show his respect to his brother awkwardly following suit but Tyr maintained his silence and Nora became nervous.

    Isak was always like this, and Nora did not know how Tyr would take it.

    "Hahaha! Isak, I can see why Nora did not fall for you, your brother is the catch¡­" Tyr blurted out but another silence filled the air.

    "Um¡­ Chieftain¡­" Nora said, walking towards Isak who smiled sheepishly.

    "They are both my lovers," Nora''s face creased into an awkward smile and Tyr''s Jaw dropped.

    "O-One man cannot satisfy you!?" Tyr eximed and this eliminated the earlier tension because Tyr had just disyed that he was just a boy in this department.

    "Um¡­ Chieftain. I see both of them as one. They bothplete each other. What onecks, the other has. I love them both equally," Nora said and both brothers smiled.

    "Did youe alone?" Tyr questioned out of the blue, this was random because it had no relevance to the current discussion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Both brothers looked around confused, before returning their gaze to Tyr.

    "We came alone, did you see something?" Noa asked but Tyr remained quiet, looking past them like he saw something that none of them saw.

    "Ah, it is nothing¡­." Tyr muttered and they continued with their discussion long into the night.

    Tyr enjoyed the conversation they were having, their stories seemed so ordinary.

    It was refreshing from the war stories or stories that involved violence as this was one of love and coincidence. Nora told them about how Tyr beat a man to death for trying to take her honor and the epic battle between Tyr and how he bested Kolbeinn in the duel.

    How enemies be lovers and before anyone knew it, both brothers dropped their guard.

    They were not the only ones as Tyr did the same, Nora held back her tears because this was everything she had hoped for.

    But they had to go back, they could not stay for too long, Tyr intentionally avoided asking any questions directly about their n or they might grow wary of him and he wanted Nora to have the happy ending she craved. Tyr wanted to do this one thing for her.

    He could not protect his mother, so he was going to do right by her by protecting Nora.

    It was time to say goodbye and Isak showed Tyr the respect that came with his title as both men were on their way.

    Nora asked Tyr who he liked more between both men and Tyr simply looked at Nora.

    She could tell he was d he met them but what came out of his mouth surprised even her.

    "I like them¡­ both," Tyr teased with a wink, a reference to Nora''s polygamous rtionship with the brothers and a joke she immediately caught up on.

    "Hahaha! You are mean!" Nora fired back but she quickly covered her mouth because she had momentarily addressed him without the necessary title.

    "I am sorry Chieftain!" Nora quickly apologized but Tyr onlyughed at this reaction.

    "You can call me Tyr¡­"

 Chapter 198 Tyrs Love Interest? [R18+]

    Nora and Tyr returned but they could hear loud noises escaping the house, it almost sounded like a fight broke out within the house prompting Tyr to rush out and what he saw would be enough to traumatize anyone.

    Everyone was having sex with one another, this was what one would call an orgy and so much was going on that he did not know what to do.

    Nora rushed in the moment she saw her Chieftain dazed state but she had a more pleasant look on her face. She liked what she was seeing but she knew she could not partake even though she was in a polygamous rtionship, she respected the boundaries of her partners as they did hers.

    "TYR!" Kolbeinn called out to the boy, a girl was sitting beside him but she looked quite young to be there as well, Tyr shed Nora an exhausted look before rolling his eyes in annoyance.

    Nora held in her giggle as Tyr went into the house and walked towards Kolbeinn who had a space reserved for him.

    "Tyr, just the man I wanted to see! I would have asked where you snuck off to with her but I know a man has urges¡­" Kolbeinn winked at the younger Viking, who was not as oblivious as he previously was to such social cues but he did not refute as it was better than the truth.

    Tyr smiled awkwardly and he could see from the side of his eyes that the younger girl was gawking at him. Each time he looked in her direction, her head immediately tilted down.

    "I wanted to introduce you to her a lot sooner but she just finished her training! This is my daughter, Gudrun!" Kolbeinn eximed, Tyr was confused because he did not know he had a daughter in the first ce.

    And where was she? Why would a Chieftain let his daughter out of sight?

    Tyr looked at her closely but she could not hold his gaze, something that Kolbeinn found amusing because it reminded him of when he was younger.

    "Are you sure she is your daughter? You both look nothing alike!" Tyr said, and Gudrun mistook this as an insult and the embarrassed look on her face was telling.

    "Hey, you should look people in the eyes when they are talking. You cannot hide those pretty eyes forever¡­" Tyr said with a smile, he did not know what he was doing but he knew it had to work. He had listened to one of his father''s many tales when he was younger and was recycling the lines he had heard in those stories.

    Gudrun immediately flushed red, Kolbeinn could not hold in hisughter, pping Tyr on the back as heughed.

    "You see! Gudrun is a maiden! An untouched maiden! I could not allow her to stay here because my men are dogs! We fuck anything that wants to be fucked! But I wanted to surprise you, Tyr." Kolbeinn shouted, his men too engrossed in satisfying their sexual partners to care because they knew their Chieftain was right.

    Kolbeinn barely had any clothes on, only covering his dick but the rest of his body was exposed, his daughter was dressed appropriately because there was no way he would allow just anyone to see her nakedness.

    "F-Father! Don''t! I am sure he does not want to hear that! I heard Vikings like l-lewd women¡­" Gudrun said, looking away once more but Tyr burst outughing, a reaction that shocked Kolbeinn.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I have never touched a woman as well, but I do have thoughts about what it would feel like¡­" Tyr said, slowly looking at her chest, Gudrun was surprised to hear he too was a virgin.

    "Y-You!? You have never touched a woman!? But you are¡­" Gudrun stopped herself frompleting these words, looking to the floor.

    "I know I am a fine young man but I have never had much interest in these things. I am a brute that only thinks about violence," Tyr carelessly blurted out with a crazed look in his eyes.

    Kolbeinn sighed loudly, he thought Tyr knew what he was doing earlier but it was clear he had no idea what he was doing and that is exactly why he would make a perfect match for his daughter.

    "Gudrun, I would like us to talk in a ce less¡­." Tyr paused, looking around as if to cement his point.

    "..... obscene," Tyr said and Gudrun agreed but Tyr waited for the unspoken permission from the Chieftain. Kolbeinn gave them his permission and Tyr took her to a differentpartment of the house. He looked back to search for Nora but all he saw was Kolbeinn''s dangling dick, and he instantly regretted looking back.

    Nora looked at Tyr, but she was even more surprised that he was leaving with a woman but she was so preupied with what was happening that she gave this more than a momentary thought.

    -

    "We are alone now¡­" Tyr said, shutting the door behind him and upon looking back, Gudrun was already naked. Tyr immediately looked away, a warrior that had seen death and violence countless of times being defeated by the nude body of a woman.

    "Shit! You startled me!" Tyr once again acted on instinct, and he could hear hurried movements from behind him.

    "I AM SO SORRY!" Gudrun apologized, she was sobbing and Tyr was confused about what was happening because this was something too naughty for a timid to do on a whim.

    "F-FATHER SAI-!" Gudrun muttered and Tyr sighted the moment she did.

    "Of course he had something to do with it," Tyr said but now he had the responsibility offorting her, a task he was not looking forward to considering he had just seen her nakedness and he realized that his reaction could have been a lot better.

    He sat beside her and awkwardly patted her back, wondering how this came to be.

    "It is fine, Gudrun. Don''t cry, you did nothing wrong," Tyrforted her but his voicecked genuinepassion, something that Gudrun did not pick up on.

 Chapter 199 Tyrs Memories Resurfaces!?

    Gudrun slept in Tyr''s arms throughout the night, this felt a lot more intimate than actual sex because Tyr did not know how to tell her he was not interested but luckily, he did not need to because she felt the same way.

    She was being pressured by her father because he knew who Tyr was and no one in their right mind would not want their name associated with Tyr, but Kolbeinn kept his true identity a secret.

    Gudrun woke up first and to her horror, Tyr was not waking up and his body temperature had shot through the roof.

    He was having a terrible fever but this was random because he did not show any symptoms the night before. Gudrun quickly rushed to get a wet towel at the break of dawn.

    Everyone was passed out on the floor, Gudrun knew that they would be no use at this point and focused on Tyr''s health.

    She recalled his warm embrace and how he did not attempt to have his way with her even though he could without any consequence due to Kolbeinn advertising his daughter like a priced goods to Tyr, going as far as manipting his daughter to do so.

    Gudrun noticed something strange soon after and that was the door of the room they stayed in being slightly open, she shut it soon after and suspected that the reason Tyr got so sick was because the cold had seeped in.

    Gudrun was hysterical and she popped her head out to look for Nora, she was the girl that had entered the house with Tyr, she was also of his n as she did not want to be alone with Tyr if the worst possible scenario hit.

    Nora was awake, she noticed Gudrun run and gestured to ask her what was going on.

    Gudrun hysterically gestured for her toe and Nora did so without hesitation to see Try unconscious and luckily, she had a method tobat fever in such devastating weather.

    But it would put Tyr''s mind in a trance-like state because she understood that fevers were dangerous, especially in the Viking era when theycked medicine.

    -

    Tyr woke up in a tent, but for some reason, this felt a lot more lucid and vivid.

    Something was strange, Tyr could not distinguish if this was a dream or reality.

    He had regressed into an eleven-year-old boy, he was taken aback as to where he was.

    He heard a noise outside of his tent and before he knew it, he found himself outside of the tent.

    And it was not the chaotic scene he had grown used to in these nightmares.

    The sun shone brightly, almost blinding as he had to use his hand to shield his face from the rays. The ground was grassy and full of life, the opposite of the deste ground that once manifested in these dreams.

    "What is going on?" Tyr said, but he realized there was a full-grown man in front of him.

    Tyr looked up and atst, he could make out the appearance of this individual.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He was a very muscr dark-skinned man with light brown eyes with his ck hair styled into a mohawk. Multiple red markings ran along his limbs.

    But the look in his eyes was not one ofpassion, but of pure hatred, he was staring Tyr down and this was sending all the wrong signals down Tyr''s spine.

    "B-Brother!" A voice called out behind the man and Tyr managed to slip away from this man, what stood out about him was the hundred sword wounds on his body.

    Tyr thought he had gotten away but he felt a firm grip on his hair, yanking him backward. Dragging and tossing him onto the floor, it was therger man.

    "Y-You monster¡­" The man blurted out, his eyes were bloodshot, and the veins protruding from the side of his head looked like he was about to have an aneurysm at any moment.

    "Father! Don''t!" The voice that had called out to him earlier said and Tyr looked up at the man.

    "Father? This man is my father?" Tyr questioned, he was confused why he held so much hatred for his son, but it was because he killed his mother at birth.

    "You should not have been born! It should have been you and not her! You monster," The father screamed as he began punching Tyr''s face. Tyr lost consciousness with the first blow because this man''s strength was on another level especially when he was an eleven-year old.

    Tyr woke up and he saw a man watching over him, his face was swollen and his body felt like it would give in at any moment.

    "You are awake¡­." A voice said, it was the voice of his supposed brother.

    "I thought you would not wake up this time¡­." He tried to crack a joke but it was toome to make Tyr even crack a smile, not in his current condition.

    "I am sorry, that wasme. I am sorry I could not protect you... Father was not always like this¡­" His brother said, Tyr managed to open his swollen eyes to see the boy before him.

    He looked like an older version of Tyr, and his light brown eyesplimented his ck afro.

    But Tyr could not believe he was trying to justify their father''s action and gnawed his teeth because that was the only thing he could do.

    "Father does love you, brother. He loves us¡­" The older brother kept talking but the more he spoke, the angrier Tyr got.

    "He didn''t mean to hurt you¡­" His brother kept defending his father''s action and when Tyr felt his rage build.

    He tried to scream but the moment he did, he found himself standing over the dead bodies of both his father and brother and in his hand was a bloodied weapon.

    "I remember now¡­." Tyr muttered under his breath with a crazed look in his eyes. The voice that has been talking to him in his nightmares was.... him.

 Chapter 200 Awake! A Different Side!

    Tyr woke up and he saw Gudrun standing over him looking terrified at the prospect of losing Tyr.

    The dark-skinned boy could see the fear in her eyes but he was still in a dazed state.

    "Mother?" Tyr muttered but which mother was he referring to?

    He soon snapped out of it when he felt the warm tears of Gudrun dripping down his face.

    "I-I was so scared!" Gudrun said and Tyr was confused as to why she was scared he would die considering they only just met, did she already be this attached after spending just a night together? A night that they did not even have sex?

    He shed Nora a confused look but what he saw was a relief on her face, showing his condition was better but he also saw a very sober Kolbeinn watching over him.

    "What day is it?" Tyr questioned, barely sitting up in his weakened state.

    Tyr was disgruntled but the worst had passed already, the fact that he was fully conscious told them that.

    "It has been two days ever since you fell sick¡­" Gudrun said but the moment Tyr heard how long he had been asleep, he looked panicked for a brief second but it was a facial expression that everyone missed.

    "I-I have to go¡­" Tyr said. He still had a splitting headache and he did not know if what he just experienced in his dream was just a dream or some locked-away part of his memory.

    Gudrun had kept the details regarding the opened door to herself because she did not think much of it.

    "You cannot go anywhere, you can barely move!" Gudrun shouted at him, and Tyr once again could not understand why she was so invested in him.

    This was a far cry from the timid girl he had met a few days back and Kolbeinn could not help but smile at this revtion, Gudrun was taken with him and she reminded him of his wife when she was younger.

    "G-Gudrun? What is going on?" Tyr said; he knew he was sick but he did not know if this was real or just another dream.

    "You were sick, I do not know if it was a fever or something else but you were out cold for two days!" Gudrun informed him and Tyr chuckled weakly, he was feeling much better than he did a few days ago but the fact that he could not recollect it was strange.

    "Thank you, Gudrun. I am d you were here¡­" Tyr said, and Gudrun flushed red but Kolbeinn was wary of Tyr, there was something off about him and he asked everyone in the room to leave.

    "Can I have some privacy?" Tyr requested and Kolbeinn granted him this request but Tyr held Gudrun by the hand.

    "Not you¡­" Tyr noted that she was the exception to his request and Gudrun was giddy because her perception of Tyr was changing at a rapid pace.

    She thought he was a tyrant that would hack and sh anything in sight. Tyr had a soft andpassionate side.

    Kolbeinn, however, began to grow wary of Tyr, there was something unnatural about this, and how quickly Gudrun fell for him was something he did not anticipate seeing as Tyr, himself, had no experience.

    Gudrun was left in the room with Tyr, she thought he wanted to get intimate with her but Tyr only asked her to stay because he had a few questions for her.

    "Gudrun, I need to ask you something¡­" Tyr said, and Gudrun gulped the moment he said this. The intensity in his tired eyes and her guts told her he was about to confess something to her, hopefully romantic.

    "Did you tell anyone what you saw?" These were the only words that escaped Tyr''s mouth and Gudrun''s hopeful face immediately dissipated.

    "I-I do not know what you are talking about¡­" Gudrun was hesitant but that hesitation left her face the moment she saw the look in Tyr''s eyes.

    "I t-think I should go back," Gudrun said and she heard a mockingugh from Tyr.

    She turned back to inquire what that was about, why was heughing?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Gudrun, why do you think you are here?" Tyr asked bluntly, prompting the girl to stop in her tracks.

    "What do you mean?" Gudrun asked, and Tyr tapped the space beside him.

    Gudrun reluctantly went to sit beside Ragnar''s son, but thepassionate gaze that lingered in her innocent eyes soon faded.

    "Gudrun, you are nothing but a tool used to secure the favor of men your father deems worthy of having their way with you. Like a product, you were presented to me to fuck like you were amon whore," Tyr said and Gudrun clenched her fist because while what he was saying was hurtful, it was the truth.

    "You DO NOT have a choice. You cannot leave my side of your own volition and you should be doing everything in your power to be of use to me or your father might have no use for you," Tyr said, striking her insecurity with pinpoint uracy.

    Tyr established that she wanted her father''s approval by her crude act of undressing herself in front of him the way she did, and he knew he could take advantage of thatpse.

    "But you see Gudrun, I do not see you as a whore and that is why I did not take your honor because I know you are a flower that should not be plucked. I want to water you until you bloom but I need you to¡­." Tyr said, cing his hand to tilt her face in his direction, he had told her previously that she should not look away when he is talking to her.

    ".... You have to tell me everything, let me allow you to bloom," Tyr reassured her, he was surprisingly smooth with his words.

    Gudrun was speechless, a moment ago she was willing to walk away but now she found herself willing to tell Tyr everything, this was a testament to how weak her resolve was.

    "I-I will¡­" Gudrun responded timidly, Tyr had broken past her hastily set-up defense, and if Gudrun was ying dumb, there was a huge possibility that she did not tell anyone about it.

    A gamble Tyr was willing to take.

    "I am d you are by my side, Gudrun. I promise you, you will never have to worry about anything ever again¡­" Tyr said in low tones as he buried her head into his chest and stroked her hair lovingly even though he held no shred of that for her.

    Gudrun''s body rxed and Tyr Ragnarsson knew that he had done just enough to sway her mind. He knew if he could make himself the object to which she would devote herself like she does her father, then Gudrun would make an invaluable asset in taking over this n.

    Kolbeinn had given him his daughter in a bid to entice him but Tyr had found a way to exploit her daddy issues.

    -

    The brothers had still not arrived, and Njal began to search for them with as little resource as possible but he did not know where, their trails had gone cold, no pun intended, so there was no lead.

    But he did not give up, he knew they did not just disappear into thin air, and with the enemies breaking through their defenses, he was worried that they had somehow gotten them.

    The brothers were weak links to the n but Gissur was a fair leader and gave everyone a chance as long as they were willing to die for him.

    Gissur took over the n violently, he did not wait for the natural order of session and instead, killed his father in one of his tantrums. Njal was intrigued because Gissur was the ruthless brute needed to give them the edge in a war that has waged on since their forefathers.

    And he was right in believing in his younger brother, and right now, because the enemies had taken the bait he had set up for them by giving them a false sense of advancement.

    The line that they had broken through in all actuality was bait, Gissur might not be intelligent when it came to certain things and has the temper of a child but his taste for warfare was something that cannot be mimicked.

    This was all an borate n to draw them out, a n that might have backfired.

    Njal''s feet soon stepped on some metal through the snow, a good distance away from their camp but he did not recognize these weapons as the ones the brothers used were the typical sword so Njal was a bit confused as to why he found a weapon within their territory.

    "What is this?" Njal thought to himself, he dug through the snow and in it he found a weapon.

    It was not the weapon of the brothers but rather, an ax¡­. Tyr''s ax.

 Chapter 201 The Tension Rises!

    Gudrun exined what she had seen and Tyr kissed his teeth the moment he heard that she had seen him leave the room multiple times in his sickened state.

    Tyr was sick but he was not incapacitated, Gudrun exined that it was almost like he was sleepwalking. But Tyr knew what this was, and he was conscious the whole time but she did not know where he went and did not bother asking him because that was the least of her worries.

    "Thank you for telling me, Gudrun¡­" Tyr showed his gratitude, but he was curious if she was the only one to see him.

    Gudrun smiled, she liked it when he praised her and she found itforting to a certain degree but it did not beat her need to please her father.

    "Where did you go?" Gudrun mustered up the courage to ask him and Tyr simply shed her a smile.

    "That is for me to know. Gudrun. Tell me about your father?" Tyr asked her and Gudrun was surprised by this sudden change in conversation. This is where she shut her mouth, there was no way she was going to betray her father or her n.

    Her face stiffened and the shaky aura around her ceased as she red at Tyr.

    Even Tyr knew he had crossed a line he was not supposed to and he quickly rephrased the question when he spotted her suspicious look.

    "What is with the look? I need to know a bit about the man whose daughter I am going to make mine, don''t you think?" Tyr asked with an innocent smile. Gudrun had misinterpreted it as him wanting information he had no business knowing about her father.

    Gudrun, however, was done enjoying hispany for one day and got up to her feet.

    Tyr was d he had this little conversation with her because now he had found a way to buy her silence.

    Soon after she left, Nora made her way into the room but she looked rather worried and Tyr''s social battery had run out. He was exhausted but he needed to suck it up because he cared about Nora to a certain degree.

    Nora immediately hugged Tyr, and he was surprised by this gesture because he did not know when their rtionship got this physical but he did not mind it.

    "Are you okay?" Tyr was the one asking about her despite being the sick one.

    Nora quickly collected herself, taking her hand off her Chieftain but Tyr knew he was not the only one she was worried about.

    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1~§ão§® "I dropped a letter and Noa did not respond to it, I do not know what this means but I have a feeling something might have happened to them," Nora was most likely overreacting, or at least this was what Tyr thought.

    "Have you considered that they might just beying low after sneaking off in the night?" Tyr tried to keep the hysterical woman grounded.

    "No, this is the first time this has happened and I cannot help but feel something is wrong," Nora nagged and Tyr wanted to jam a knife through his ears.

    "It will be fine, Nora. You have my word," Tyr did not know what to say and was just throwing random words her way in hopes that one would reassure her, this struck gold.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Noraposed herself and Tyr was relieved but it was down to business.

    "Nora, do you trust me?" Tyr asked out of the blue and Nora nodded without hesitation.

    She trusted him, how could she not trust him besides she was also the only one that couldmunicate with the rest of the savages.

    Tyr''s n was picking up steam and the next phase of his n was about to begin, all the pieces were in ce and Kolbeinn had unknowingly dropped his best pawn.

    He had snuck out that night but no one knew what to do because when he came back, the fever took a hold of him implying he stayed out for longer than he would have liked.

    This must have urred when Gudrun slept, and everyone was drunk and passed out everywhere making it possible for this to happen.

    "Now, for the main treat¡­" Tyr thought to himself.

    -

    Gissur had asked a few of his men to stall the advancement of the Sturlungar n even though he knew that they could not do much but he needed Sighvatur Sturluson or his son, Stu.

    This was his goal and he did not mind losing more men for this goal.

    Gissur knew he could kill his son even though it would be difficult but now he had to worry about the prophecy from his wife rather, it would be more urate to say he did not worry about the prophecy from his wife because he knew how to stop it.

    "Chieftain! We have news! Stu has joined the battle!" A man reported and Gissur''s chapped lips cracked as an eerie grin creased his monstrous face, blood leaking into his mouth.

    "What do you want us to do, Chieftain?" The man asked but Gissur''s happy face creased as he stared the man down, gripping the hilt of his broadsword.

    "If you kill everyone, you will have no one to lead, brother.." Njal stopped him from killing the man whose only sin was wanting to know their next move.

    "NJAL!" Gissur eximed, clearly excited but he did not need to tell Njal why he was excited because he knew exactly why. Njal had overheard them talking and filled himself in.

    Gissur''s strategy had worked, and Njal was about to make sure one of the foundations of the Sturlungar n falls because Sighvatur Sturluson was a monster, and with his son by his side, there was no way they could win and this was why they never attacked directly.

    "I will go and bring the head of Stu for you, brother." Njal took on this responsibility, but what he wanted to discuss with his brother was the ax he saw in their territory.

    It had the insignia of the ¨¢sbirningar n embedded on it

 Chapter 202 Bjorns Target

    "Bjorn! Bjorn!" A man called out to the boy that now had a goatee around his face.

    Bjorn looked menacing in every sense of the word.

    His body mass had increased, and his arms were gigantic.

    There was something different about the look in his eyes, he looked more focused and menacing, Bjorn had quite the reputation in Kattegat, he was loved because he showed no mercy to anyone that threatened Kattegat or its people/.

    "What is it?" Bjorn''s voice had gotten deeper, sitting with a cup of ale right in front of him.

    "I have news!" The man said; the man speaking was a 5'' 7 individual; twenty-seven years of age.

    "The man we have been searching for, we have found him!" The man reported and Bjorn spilled the ale in his mouth the moment this news was delivered.

    "WHAT!?" Bjorn eximed, springing to his feet but he caught everyone''s attention doing this.

    Bjorn cleared his throat and sat back down quietly.

    "Have you told King Askild?" Bjorn asked and the man shook his head to deny this.

    "I have not,mander¡­" The man responded and Bjorn''s tensed-up body eased up.

    "Keep your mouth shut! I will handle this myself," Bjorn instructed the man and the look of confusion on his face showed that this was a strange request.

    They were interrupted by a man, he popped his head between both men.

    "Is this piece of shit giving you any problem,mander?" A man in his early twenties asked, his scalp was painted pitch ck, and he was approximately the same height as Bjorn but his physique was slender.

    "Settle down, Viggo!" Bjorn warned and Viggo did just that, Viggo was a man that liked to provoke people but he was not rash, he did not kill indiscriminately.

    "Who is this person that has you so riled up?" Viggo was curious because he had not seen Bjorn this riled up before.

    "You have no business knowing¡­" Bjron responded, sitting back down with his cup of ale in hand but this did not satisfy Viggo.

    He stuck out his tongue to reveal it had been split down the middle like a snake.

    "That is not fair,mander!" Viggoined but Bjorn knew he needed to keep this under wraps; he also was aware that he could not keep the person that delivered the news to him shut.

    Bjorn knew gold was the only way to buy such silence, he knew Askild would eventually find out but all he needed was a day or two to get his affairs in order.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Bjorn had men and boys that were inspired by his tales and rtion to Ragnar Lothbrok and swore their allegiance to him just for those two things. Asger''s men were relieved of their loyalty to Asger, he had allowed his men to choose their own path and only a few remained with him but the rest deserted to Bjorn as they knew he was the future with a strong im on Vestfold should Ragnar Lothbrok pass away.

    This would not only bring Vestfold back under the influence of Kattegat but reestablish Askild''s power over them but Ragnar had amassed too powerful of an army to be messed with.

    This was what kept the fragile peace, and all it needed to go to shit was a single spark.

    "Who was the person that Bjorn was watching? It was Signy Asmundsson.

    -

    King Rugalf had taken an unhealthy interest in Tyr ever since that, it was almost to the point of obsession. Ragnar had spoken to him about how the alliance should hold up because it was looking like he could not reach the conditions for Rugalf''s loyalty.

    Yet Rugalf had no problems providing support to him, because as long as Ragnar did not take away Tyr''sst name. Tyr remained the Ragnarsson he wanted for his daughter.

    His daughter was an unparalleled beauty, she had silky white hair that oozed wealth.

    It was hard to believe she was the daughter of a Viking because of how clear her skin was, and her yellow eyes felt like two mini suns.

    King Rugalf treated her like a goddess and did not allow any of his men even look at her and this only made her estimation of her self-worth skyrocket through the roof.

    She was the same age as Tyr, but her body said otherwise because her proportions were not that of a sixteen-year-old.

    "Father, how long do I have to wait to see this brute you have chosen for me?" The girl asked and King Rugalf could onlyugh because he knew his daughter could marry anyone she wanted but her spoilt nature made her develop a form of narcissism.

    She was picky and felt she was better than everyone, and Tyr was no better.

    Tyr would not be the only one King Rugalf had proposed to his daughter but he gave her the decision to ultimately decide who she wanted to be with because his wife would nag him if he did not allow his daughter this much control.

    "Estrid dear, you have to be patient¡­" King Rugalf said, he knew that Tyr would change her mind and he was not bad-lookingpared to the rest.

    "King Ragnar sired a thrall¡­ Father, do you think a thrall is worthy of me?" Edtrid was disgusted by her father''s obsession with a thrall, that is what she saw Tyr as.

    She could see herself marrying Bjorn because he was a direct descendent of Ragnar but not Tyr. King Rugalf, however, had no interest in Bjorn for his daughter even though he knew Bjorn would make a good husband as he was very much like his father in that regard.

    A man that would sacrifice his family for the world or a man that would sacrifice the world for his family, the sons of Ragnar were different sides of the same coin.

    And King Rugalf had chosen his own side of the coin, that side was Tyr Ragnarsson.

 Chapter 203 The Mask.... Slips!

    Njal exined the current situation to his brother with impable details, Gissur was in disbelief because he could not believe the ¨¢sbirningar n dared to touch on their own.

    Gissur knew he could not war on two fronts but this only made them warier of the ¨¢sbirningar n.

    If they touched one of their own, it was clear that they were now officially joining the war and Gissur had no problem with that.

    He knew a few of his men would be more than enough to dismantle the ¨¢sbirningar''s n.

    He had let them be because he did not see them worthy to be conquest and despite their supposed transgressions, he still did not worry about them.

    Njal was going to join the main forces with part of their army, they had a little over 1,500 men and women under theirmand and there was no way he would give his brother the majority of his army.

    "Gissur, I trust you have it handled, don''t you?" Njal asked his brother and Gissur reassured him that he had it handled.

    Gissur''s wife was indoors all day but she came out to see Njal before he left.

    In Gissur''s eyes, she was a goddess, but in everyone else''s eyes, she looked like a troll.

    "Leave it to me, I will release the Mad Hound.." Gissur responded and Njal''s indifferent face soon showed worry.

    "The Mad Hound is in chains for a reason, brother. And it is only the missing brothers that could handle him¡­" Njal said but his only made his older brother chuckle like he knew something that Njal did not.

    "Imagine how crazy he would go when you tell him that the ¨¢sbirningar''s n killed his ''owner''." Gissur teased and Njal rolled his eyes because his brother did have a point.

    The Mad Hound would be more than enough to tame the ¨¢sbirningar''s n and kill their Chieftain if need be because his strength was unknown but he inherited this nickname because he had the habit of biting his enemies in the throat, often ripping it out, to damage the trachea and the major blood vessels of the neck.

    -

    Tyr was still sick but he could not stay idle, and Gudrun kept an eye on him.

    Gudrun stayed in the room with Tyr even though he was constantly trying to manipte her.

    Tyr rested, back resting against the floor as he stared at the ceiling nkly.

    Gudrun mounted him but Tyr showed no reaction to her sitting right on top of him.

    "What do you think you are doing?" Tyr asked but Gudrun felt different as she ced both her hands on his chest.

    "What does it look like I am doing?" Gudrun said, Tyr tried to get up but she pushed him back to the floor, hands firmly ced around his neck.

    "How long have you been pretending?" Tyr asked her and Gudrun giggled.

    "Why do men always fall for the innocent act?" Gudrun asked, staring Tyr right in his eyes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I know what you are, Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" Gudrun spoke but Tyr did not look intimidated by this.

    "Have you betrayed your n?" These were the only words that escaped Tyr''s mouth but Gudrun giggled once more. There was no way a Chieftain''s daughter could be as timid as she was considering they were a warrior tribe.

    "Betrayed? Hell no! I just think it is about time a change in leadership urs. What do you think?" Gudrun asked and Tyr simply smiled.

    "I see you as the leader, Tyr. With your name, men will take up arms under your name and I know when you left that night¡­" Gudrun said and now, Tyr''s mask finally cracked as a surprised look crept up on him.

    "I followed you, you see. I am quite nosy and I want to know why you were meeting two people from the Haukd?lir n, our enemies¡­ Are you a spy?" Gudrun asked.

    Tyr knew he had been had with this revtion but he was not worried, Gudrun could have exposed him and all but secured his execution but she did not.

    The n''s best interest was clearly not on her mind, or she would have reported any threat aimed at them. But what was her personal goal?

    Tyr was not worried and it would soon be revealed why, the back door that he had snuck out of a few days ago silently opened.

    Tyr kept quiet despite hearing footsteps inching toward him because it was clear whoever this was, was there to do something malicious.

    He pushed Gudrun off him and managed to evade the attack but the assant lost the element of surprise with this. He was covered from head to toe so no one could make up his physical appearance,

    Gudrun froze in ce, she was used to battle but there was a reason her father did not expose her to it. Tyr shed des with the assant, but he was nowhere near full strength due to the sickness that weakened him.

    "Gudrun! Go!" Tyr instructed her, he had not only saved her life but she knew if she left him that Tyr might die, and in her lost state. The assant saw his opportunity to exploit the weak link and lunged right at Gudrun who was frozen in ce, scared.

    In actuality, Gudrun was the target of this man and he noticed

    She tried to call for help but nothing could be heard, she choked on fear as she closed her eyes to embrace the inevitable. A warm liquid spilled on her face prompting Gudrun to open her eyes slowly.

    It was Tyr, he had thrown his body in front of the sword, it impaled his right Pectoralis major and had exited through the back

    "I-I told you I would protect you, no matter what, did I not?" Tyr said, turning back to greet her with a smile, Tyr''s handicap state became obvious and Gudrun finally screamed for help.

    The assant immediately let go of his sword as Tyr reached for his wrist and fled before anyone could enter the room.

    Tyr fell on one knee and Gudrun instantly went down to support him, she could not believe that Tyr was about to sacrifice his life for her. She did not know he was that kind of person.

    Kolbeinn rushed into the room and saw the state Tyr was in.

    "What happened in here!?" Kolbeinn barked.

 Chapter 204 Kolbeinns Declaration [R18+]

    An attempt had been made on Gudrun''s life, an act that would not be overlooked by Kolbeinn.

    He gathered a small unit almost immediately and gave chase to the assant as he had no intentions of letting them go scot-free upon Gudrun exining what had happened.

    Tyr had saved her life and this act was enough to buy 100% of Kolbeinn''s trust.

    He had no doubt in his mind that Tyr had the best interest of the n in his heart if he chose self sacrifice over self preservation.

    "Tyr! You have my gratitude!" Kolbeinn thanked him, bowing his head, an act that had never been done by him.

    Nora, however, was fuming in the corner because she began to perceived Gudrun as a weakness.

    Tyr would not be in this state if not for her and in terms of how valuable one''s life was.

    Tyr''s life easily outweighed hers, he was a cautious individual with immeasurable skills but he should not be wasting his time with a girl that cannot even defend herself.

    Tyr yanked the sword stuck in his chest, throwing the bloodied sword to the ground.

    Kolbeinn picked up the weapon, it was not a weapon in their inventory but he recognized the design of this delicately crafted de.

    It was the work of an infamous cksmith that only the Haukd?lir has ess to and there was no doubt about who was responsible for this.

    Kolbeinn could tolerate a lot of things but an attempt to the only person he truly loved was an act he would not overlook.

    The prospect of his n joining the war was not certain before but this attempt on Gudrun''s life all but guaranteed their participation

    The party that gave chase, however, could not catch the assant because he was not only fast but somehow managed to cover his tracks while retreating, an impressive skill but it did not matter because he had the person responsible for it right here.

    Tyr noticed the look in Kolbeinn''s eyes and smirked.

    "That''s it¡­ Those are the eyes I want to see¡­" Tur thought.

    From his experience, a war is best fought when it is personalized for he knew how much hatred could fuel the spirit of warriors and right now, Kolbeinn had a reason to hate the Haukd?lir n.

    In a few minutes, everyone was gathered for Kolbeinn to address, Tyr was surprised how angry everyone else was considering Gudrun was not tied to them remotely but he soon discovered that everyone saw her as their younger sister, the innocent they wanted to protect.

    "They have crossed a line that even the gods themselves do not attempt¡­." Kolbeinn started his speech, and Tyr listened with intent as he was curious what Kolbeinn wished to aplish with this.

    "They tried to touch my daughter! They tried to touch your sister! To take her away from us!" Kolbeinn barked, his eyes were red for the rage that coursed through his body was insurmountable.

    "Now. I will take away their fathers, their brother, their sisters and most importantly, their Chieftain!" The cheers that followed was thunderous. While Tyr had been exposed to better pre-war gyration, this was not bad as it had the same effect as others and that was to boost the morale of those exposed to it.

    "Tyr¡­" Kolbeinn called him up to join him, an act that Tyr was not expecting evident by the look on his face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He walked up to Kolbeinn, with apuds from the warriors around him, his wound had been patched by Nora. Nora knew with the war brewing, and her lover''s being given a ce in the n, their contribution would be invaluable due to the information they possessed.

    "This man saved my daughter! And I, Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson, swear on my life to repay this act." Kolbeinn swore an oath to Tyr.

    Tyr went from being a threat to a person that Kolbeinn now trusted with his life.

    "Hahaha! It was nothing. I would do the same for everyone of you¡­. We are brothers!" Tyr eximed.

    "You hear that warriors! We are brothers!" Kolbeinn repeated after him as the cheers continued.

    -

    Njal had gone to the front lines, leaving just Gissur in their stronghold, and Gissur had all the necessary information he needed to act.

    He had not spent time with his wife recently, and decided to dedicate the day to satisfying all her needs, be it sexual or otherwise.

    The prophecy about Tyr sat in the back of his mind because he did not know when this prophecy woulde to pass.

    "My love¡­" Gissur called out to his sleeping wife, she was anything but hygienic was not one of them.

    Her stench stunk up the room but it did not bother Gissur as he was not ''alright'' upstairs.

    The stench aroused him even and that was one of his sexual triggers.

    He was aroused the moment he stepped into the room, and his wife, who was faced down on the bed, was alerted of her husband''s presence only because she could feel something hard pushing against her butt cheeks.

    But before she could brace herself, she felt his powerful hand push her head against the bed with such force that it felt like he would squash it beneath his immense hand.

    Gissur knew this body belonged to him and he wanted to explore it to his satisfaction today.

    Gissur did not bother lubing up his dick because his wife was as nasty as she was perverse.

    Gissur''s dick made its way inside her, kissing her cervix, the jolt of pain and pleasure that shot up her spine was like a drug.

    Gissur''s hips kept going back and forth, he was anything but gentle considering he was meant to be pleasuring his wife yet he was fucking her like he would any whore in a copsed doggy position.

    She could not move, all she could do was moan like a wild beast as her husband fucked her like she was done sex toy to be used by him only.

    She did not mind this, because this was how she liked to be fucked, like she was nothing.

 Chapter 205 A Romantic Night

    Another day came to an end and Tyr''s sickness was gone but he had a wound that now needed healing so he was not at a hundred percent.

    The rtionship he had with Gudrun deepened because he had unknowingly yed into her fantasy of being saved.

    Gudrun could defend herself in reality but she gambled on Tyr''s earlier words, she wanted to see if they were just words or if he meant everything that came out of his mouth that day.

    Kolbeinn was making war preparations, giving each of his men a weapon of their choice from the inventory.

    Kolbeinn knew it was inevitable that they would be attacked but he wanted to be the one tounch an attack.

    But Tyr was injured, and Kolbeinn could not stress just how important his presence would be in the uing war.

    Tyr had been acknowledged by everyone but no one could tell that this same boy was bing mentally unstable with each passing nightmare.

    Each nightmare he had, brought him closer to a version of himself that was locked away for good reasons but the fragments wereing together gradually.

    Tyr was losing his identity but the only thing he knew connected who he was before Kattegat and who he is right now was blood.

    The need to kill, that insatiable hunger as he slowly came to develop his primal instincts.

    Only a few warriors possessed this, true warriors that were forged from the ashes of the fallen gods.

    Tyr was one of these warriors but did this mean he could escape the fate that awaited him should he cross swords with Gissur?

    That was to be seen as Gissur was an enemy that Tyr could not even begin to conceive his strength.

    A man whose primal instinct made Erik look like a child, for he had honed it to perfection.

    Primal instincts are traits that allow warriors instinctively gauge the strength and danger of an enemy or situation, giving them an analytical edge.

    Tyr had only just be aware of this skill after his dream despite passively disying it in previous battles.

    Kolbeinn had assigned people at the parameters set up, he had amped up security as he had gotten toofortable with not being a target until now.

    Now, he had to act like a Chieftain and not some passive-aggressive n that clung to survival by feeding off the carcasses left by the hunters.

    Now, it was time to hunt and feed.

    -

    Night fell and the camp was quiet.

    The days of booze, partying, and orgies were over.

    Right now, they needed to stand strong.

    Gudrun stayed with Tyr in what had now be his private room, and she knew that this was the person she wanted to lose her virginity to.

    Tyr did not think much about sex but even he was subject to puberty so the thought did cross his mind.

    Gudrun crawled up to him under his sheets and tried initiating but she was stopped abruptly by Tyr.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Why?" She questioned defeated.

    "This might be thest time we have together," Gudrun said because, with war, no one knew the oue.

    She wanted to lose it to Tyr so she may pass on with no regrets but all she got in response was a mockingugh from Tyr.

    "You think I will die?" Tyr asked but he got no response from Gudrun, only watching her avert her gaze.

    "Who can tell with these things?" Gudrun responded, it was clear she had fallen for Tyr.

    She was not here just because her father ordered her anymore, she was here because she genuinely cared about him.

    "I can tell you. I''m the son of Ragnar. The boy that yer a King and a Beast. If anyone threatens what hold dear¡­" Tyr said, turning to look at Gudrun, repositioning her face with his cold hand.

    "I will kill them with these hands¡­" Tyr said; he could feel himself connecting with her at this very moment.

    His heart was beating fast and suddenly, her lips looked a lot more desirable than they did moments ago.

    Gudrun could feel it too, and she made the bold first move by leaning to which Tyr reciprocated, leaning in.

    But a loud bang interrupted what would have been Tyr''s first kiss, and this was the earth-shaking sound of lightning descending from the skies.

    "It is almost like the gods don''t want us to kiss¡­" Tyr joked and Gudrun giggled.

    "I think knowing you would kiss me is enough," Gudrun was satisfied with how this ended as she snuggled up even tighter.

    -

    The hours went by, but the moon still illuminated the dark skies.

    A man, huffing and puffing beside another, was dressed the same as the man that had attacked Tyr a day before but who were they?

    "How did it go?" The taller man questioned the shorter man that had done the deed.

    "We will know soon enough, this is the meeting ce, right?* The shorter man responded, he looked exhausted but one could not me him considering he was on the run for close to a day despite not going far from the camp in actuality, this was the advantage of covering one''s track.

    "You did not kill the girl!?" The taller man asked, the aggression in his voice showed just how important thempleting their mission was.

    "If you thought it would be that easy, such a condition would not have been attached to it!" The shorter man fired back, he was the one that had been in harm''s way, and his partner had no business talking to him like that.

    "This is the only way¡­" The shorter man said.

    "He is right, this was the only way¡­" A voice echoed in the distance but these two men did not seem to be on guard.

    The individual slowly came into view as both men hurriedly removed their hoods and bowed their heads.

    "You have passed the test, wee to the n." The person revealed to be responsible was Tyr Ragnarsson with Noa and Isak acting on his orders to ''kill'' Gudrun.

 Chapter 206 A Page From The Devils Book

    Tyr had orchestrated everything, he had taken a page out of Burger''s book and this gave him the edge he needed for this strategy he had utilized.

    The sexual assault on Nora was no coincidence, Tyr had manipted the person responsible in the end, every man was blinded by the promise of gold or sess but killing him was never part of the bargain.

    Tyr had noticed his lustful eyes trailing Nora everywhere she went and as the Chieftain, Nora had to do everything he said.

    But Tyr never had any ns of letting him live, his dying was always part of his n because he wanted to test the hypothesis of what one would do when their life was saved.

    And the result wasplete and absolute loyalty, for a sixteen-year-old boy still finding his ce in the world.

    This was an invaluable experiment that bore fruits.

    Tyr''s n was adjusted to fit every new information that he had assimted, this included Gudrun and Nora''s lovers.

    He knew strength was not the only thing that made a warrior, Birger had taught him that much with his attempt at overthrowing King Askild.

    Plotting and scheming for years, was almost admirable but Tyr wondered why he did not kill Askild and hismanders to cement his ce.

    That is what he would have done in his ce and that was why Birger failed in his conquest.

    He had discreetly told Noa and Isak where to meet him, unbeknownst to Nora who had no clue what was going on as she had excused herself for a minute to urinate.

    That night, he snuck out to meet the brothers in the designated location where he told them the condition for joining the n was to kill someone.

    He had given both brothers two different tasks.

    Noa''s and Isak had no problems with their task but this was not the only thing Tyr benefited from, he had gotten valuable information regarding their n.

    Tyr told Noa when to strike or rather, gave him a date and this was part of the reason he spent so much time with Gudrun in his room.

    She was the target of this attack and he knew as long as she was alone with him in his room, he could y hero once again and trigger that same effect he had triggered in Nora but the results he got from this were grander than he expected.

    Isak''s task was to drop the ax Tyr had with him deep in their own territory. A task Isakpleted without fail.

    Tyr was ying with fire and he knew it, he did not know he could trust these two but a charismatic and approachable demeanor was enough to create an illusion that he could be trusted.

    The brothers looked happy that they had finally gotten into the n, they had betrayed their own but it was worth it.

    But Tyr was not stupid, men that could betray their own for the love of a woman are men that cannot be trusted.

    Tyr dropped his ax on the floor and both brothers looked confused.

    "The one who picks it up gets to live. I own your lives, if I want it to end right now, you will enforce my will." There he was, Tyr''s true nature had resurfaced and the brothers did not know who they were looking at.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But they knew they were in trouble, Noa was reluctant to pick up the ax because he knew it would result in the death of his brother but Isak did not share that same sentiment.

    He lunged at the ax without a second thought, when presented with death is where man shows his true nature.

    "I-I got it! I go-!" Isak was cut short by the sledgehammer that came crashing down on his head, splitting his skull into two and spilling his brain everywhere, his neck was sent a few inches into his body, crushing his spine in the process.

    Crimson red stained the snow, and Isak''s lifeless body fell with a thump.

    Noa looked up at Tyr, it was hard to believe that this was the friendly boy that Nora had introduced to them.

    He had killed Isak with absolutely no hesitation and Noa knew he was next.

    At this moment, Tyr was the god of death that decided if he lived or not but if he was going to die, he was going to die a warrior''s death.

    Tyr did not do anything, he just watched him to see how Noa intended to get out of this situation but Noa had second thoughts about fighting Tyr.

    He did surrender his life to him the moment he swore loyalty so his life was not his anymore.

    He cracked a weak smile, resigning to his fate.

    "You can do as you please with me, Chieftain. I am d I was of use to you in your goals but I beg of you, grant me Valha¡­" Noa said and this seemed to amaze Tyr.

    "Fascinating. You had the chance to survive but you did not take it because you knew it would result in the death of your brother." Tyr said; this wasmendable because it showed Noa had some semnce of loyalty in his bones.

    "Noa, I will take you under my n, cast away who you were. For today, you are reborn anew. You''re reborn as my sword and shield, you will kill and die for me¡­"

    Tyr said and Noa''s eyes teared up because while his brother had just betrayed him, Isak was still his brother.

    "You are my brother now, Noa. And thanks to you, I am a step closer to my goal. You will return to your camp, and tell them that Isak was killed by Kolbeinn Ungi Arn¨®rsson but you will give them the wrong attacking routes. Tell Gissur we are nning to attack from the north. This is an important task that I entrust to you¡­." Tyr said and Noa wiped the tears from his face, his face turning stern. This was misinformation as they intended to attack from the east.

    "Yes, Chieftain!" But there was a problem, Gissur would doubt this information as Noa had no injuries on himself.

    Tyr picked up the ax and handed it to a confused Noa.

    If Isakpleted his task, the purpose of nting the first ax in their usual patrol routes was so that they would find it, and the reason he used the second ax was to back up Noa''s story.

    "I want you to impale yourself thirty minutes to your n district with it, and tell them. Tyr, The God Of War, ising¡­"

    "Tell them¡­ Death ising¡­" Tyr warned with a sinister grin.

 Chapter 207 An Unexpected Ambush

    Tyr snuck back to bed toy beside Gudrun but unbeknownst to him, she was awake but feigning to be asleep. She wondered, where was Tyr going every time?

    The night passed on with rtive peace but everyone was awakened by the smell of smoke, the building burning and screams of anguish echoed in the next room.

    "Gudrun! Wake up!* Tyr called out, shaking the sleeping girl awake. He was surprised she could sleep through the chaos. No l

    Tyr was happy there was a back door to escape from and he rushed there first to see what had happened.

    He was confused because there was no reason this building should be on fire, the only thing that came to his mind was an ident urring but there was no reason it would escte this badly.

    What came to his mind next was the burning building in Kattegat where he had rescued Ulrik and co.

    Tyr went into survival mode but the door he had tried to leave through was jammed shut, something was blocking it from opening.

    Gudrun was coughing, Tyr knew they did not have much time but he also knew people were waiting behind this door.

    He ruled out his earlier hypothesis, this was an attack but it could not be my Noa or otherwise.

    It was too soon, and Noa should not have even arrived untilter today so this was not possible.

    He equipped his sledgehammer, mming it into the door handle and bursting it into pieces.

    And an arrow was fired into the room but Tyr had gotten out of the way in time.

    This only confirmed his suspicion, taking his sledgehammer, he smashed a hole through the wooden wall and instantaneously found an exit seeing as their attention was focused on the door.

    They had to readjust and the much faster Tyr, who had assimted the fighting style of the savagesbined with his training with Thorvald.

    He had ample amount of time to exploit their blindspot and by the time they readjusted their gaze in the direction of the loud bang, they did not register anyone.

    Tyr had always been nimble, and quick on his feet.

    He needed it now more than ever because he had instructed Gudrun to do so.

    He knew if they saw her, she would be killed on sight and he did not know if Gudrun could even defend herself in the first ce.

    But she came bursting out the front door, using their distracted state to her advantage.

    Tyr heaved a loud sigh of relief because this created a window for her to escape but Gudrun did not do that.

    She threw a small dagger right into the neck of the archer, she took out the long-distance fighter first.

    Gudrun quickly retreated into the house after taking a deep breath, Tyr was shocked because he never took her to be a fighter, especially after her freak out during his fight with Noa.

    Tyr was injured but he had no intention of letting this opportunity go to waste as he snuck up behind the remaining three men.

    With one swing, he swung his sledgehammer and killed three people with one swing but this action slightly opened up his sewed wound.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The sledgehammer had a blunt side and a sharpened one, Tyr had used the sharp side for this act.

    He tumbled into the snow because of the sheer force he swung it with, this weapon was not ideal for him in his current state.

    Gudrun came out of the building and Tyr realized he was not the only one ying games.

    The shing of swords could be heard around the house, Tyr knew he had to join but he did not know what to do about Gudrun.

    It was only logical she knew how to fight considering she was the Chieftain''s daughter after all.

    Tyr watched her equip the bow of the person she had killed, along with the arrows.

    She was a long-range fight, she had on white so it was easy for her to camouge within the snow.

    Tyr watched her blend into the snow, she had no intention of shying away from the battle and had circled.

    Tyr knew he did not have time to worry about her because he saw a man rushing towards him.

    The sledgehammer suddenly felt a lot heavier, Tyr could not lift it as he should as he stumbled onto one knee.

    "W-What?" Tyr muttered to himself, his head was ringing, and his body trembling.

    Tyr looked at the man that was about to take his life but before he could do so, an arrow flew right into the back of his head.

    Tyr was no Erik and his stamina and endurance were nowhere close to his. And his body was feeling the effects of the injuries as he could not wield such a heavy weapon but he has to see the current condition of the battle that was ongoing.

    He ran and what he saw surprised him, his n had all but been exterminated with only three savages left excluding Nora and Finn.

    But this was not the most shocking thing, Tyr saw a hulking man that was nothing short of a giant standing at 7ft and in his right hand, was a defeated Kolbeinn who was raised like a trophy.

    He was choking the life out of him and Gudrun shot a few arrows into his arm but it did not do anything.

    This giant had on a helmet with horns on his head, his hands were bigger than their heads as he could easily crush it should he please.

    Begging the question, why was Kolbeinn alive?

    This man was mocking them and Tyr knew just how devastating it would be if Kolbeinn fell right now.

    He noticed the n insignia on this monster''s helmet.

    "Haukd?lir n!?" Tyr muttered to himself.

    "HAHAHA! IS THIS ALL!?" This man was so strong, he was the man known as the mad hound.

    And right now, ¨¢sbirningar was his hunting ground.

 Chapter 208 The Mad Hound Descends On Tyr And Kolbeinn!

    Tyr knew he had to get Kolbeinn down or Kolbeinn would die as he was already unconscious.

    He was not at full strength and could barely use his sledgehammer yet a monster that could defeat Kolbeinn was rampaging.

    Tyr realized at that moment that they had found the ax he had nted, and Gissur had responded in a way he could not have foreseen.

    They hadunched the first attack and this attack was in no way just a warning, he intended to crush them with this and judging by the number of men he allocated.

    Gissur was in no way underestimating them.

    Gudrun became a target eventually, the Mad Hound grabbed an enemy and crushed him between his hands before throwing him like a pebble in Gudrun''s direction.

    The speed and force with which he did allow Kolbeinn to slip between his hands, crashing into the snow beneath.

    "Clumsy me! Here!" The giant joked as he tried to stomp Kolbeinn to death but his foot met no mass.

    "Huh?" The giant muttered, taking away his foot, there was nothing beneath it.

    He looked to the left and understood what had happened, Tyr had managed to get Kolbeinn out of harm''s way.

    "W-What is that monster!?" A man shouted, Tyr had seen this before.

    The morale of the army had been broken, once that''s done even the strongest of warriors would lose the will to fight, something that even Askild could not escape.

    But there was nowhere to retreat, and they were surrounded. They had to make their stand here.

    Gudrun had managed to bury herself in the snowpletely, after dodging the throw, effectively masking her presence and leaving the watchful eyes of the giant.

    In hindsight, it looked like the attack was a sess, the Mad Hound had no reason to doubt it otherwise.

    But where was Nora, Tyr''s eyes darted left and right only to see a couple of men carrying her away as she fruitlessly struggled. Their eyes locked momentarily and the terror in them screamed despair but she met Tyr''s cold gaze as he focuses on the Mad Hound, ignoring the fate that awaited her.

    You did not need to be a genius to know what they intended to do, they had the upper hand but Tyr also knew if they lost too many men that they were as good as doomed.

    The Mad Hound focused his gaze on Tyr, and Tyr braced for a fight he knew he could not win.

    Every fiber in his body told him to run, this was his primal instinct talking to him but now was an opportunity for him to demonstrate his strength.

    Tyr predicated that this giant''s durability and endurance were greater than Erik''s.

    He was tall and extremely muscr, he looked like a contestant right out of the "World''s strongest man"

    Tyr knew the first thing he needed was a change of weapon but his eyes could not find his preferred weapon among the corpses littered around him.

    This would put a lot less strain on his body than the sledgehammer.

    But what happened next was something Tyr could not have predicted, the giant lunged at him suddenly.

    Tyr had made a fatal miscalction and that was thinking he was slow, but he had a spring in his step that put him in Tyr''s proximity almost instantly.

    Tyr could not even ready before the giant sent his foot crashing into Tyr''s stomach, sending him flying a football into the burning building.

    "Strange child¡­" The giant muttered with Tyr most likely out ofmission with that hit.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    -

    Gudrun knew she had to be the one to save Nora, she saw her being taken and there was no way she was going to let someone do something so terrible to her.

    Gudrun camouged herself in the snow, a man was already on Nora as he had ripped off her shirt but before he could go further, an arrow whistled through the air and right into his left eye, exiting through the back of his head.

    He dropped dead on Nora and the remaining two men looked around but they could not see Gudrun.

    This was her specialty, she was an archer that could use her environment to remain out of sight despite being present, like a modern-day sniper.

    And before the men could register that their lives were in danger, the other man fell to the ground.

    There was one more but this man had registered the direction the arrow wasing from so he was waiting but him being on high alert made it so that Nora was not deemed a threat.

    She stabbed his ankle and simultaneously an arrow burrowed its way into his chest.

    Nora was safe and it was all thanks to Gudrun.

    Gudrun ran to Nora.

    "This is bad! I don''t think Father and Tyr can defeat that monster!" Gudrun shouted but Nora did not share this opinion as Gudrun wrapped a cloth around her.

    "No¡­. You are wrong. I do not know who I saw but that man was not Tyr¡­"Nora said, drawing a confused look from Gudrun.

    "What do you mean¡­" Gudrun said, she could see the unease on Nora''s face.

    "I am not worried about Tyr, I am worried about the men that raise their swords to oppose him. Right now, I do not know what will happen but I think we should stay out of his way¡­" Nora warned. Gudrun did not know what she meant by this but she agreed that they needed to stay away from confrontation.

    -

    The Mad Hound was untouchable but he was because no one seemed to be his equal.

    He looked at Kolbeinn and decided to question him about the whereabouts of his "owners"

    He squatted, but he was still taller than most on the battlefield.

    "Hey! Wake up!" The Mad Hound barked but Kolbeinn was already out cold.

    He was confused as the burning building copsed in on itself but he could see a figure amidst the ck.

    Out of the fire, emerged Tyr but there was something strange about his appearance.

    Tyr''s eyes were rolled back yet he was ''conscious''

    "You must die¡­. to be reborn¡­" Tyr muttered under his breath and his hands, was a pair of axes as he raised it towards the Mad Hound.

    "Let the madness consume you¡­ Kill¡­. Kill¡­. Kill¡­" Tyr blurted out and the battle around them momentarily stopped upon witnessing this.

    Tyr was something straight out of a fairytale.

    He had emerged from the mes¡­. unharmed.

 Chapter 209 Tyrs Defeat?

    Tyr was up against the Mad Hound and for some reason, Tyr could still stand in his weakened state.

    But this did not feel like Tyr, was he even conscious?

    His actions suggested so but what was this immense killing intent?

    It was usually something that could be felt by higher warriors but everyone here felt it, including his allies.

    It had no target, and this was the singr thing that stopped the fighting around them.

    "You are not just a kid¡­. Are you?" The Mad Hound grinned, but words were not reaching Tyr.

    This was the showdown that would decide which side the momentum swayed.

    Tyr had the snow to thank for not burning as he had broken through the floor and into the snow beneath.

    Tyr disappeared, his speed was so fast that no one present registered it.

    The Mad Hound did not show fear, all that was on his face was excitement as he questioned just who the boy was.

    He moved to grab Tyr and only then did he realize three fingers on his left hand were missing but he did not even see when Tyr attack him.

    Tyr was muttering something in a foreignnguage, anguage no one else knew so they assumed it to be gibberish.

    "W-What?" The Mad Hound shouted. He moved to grab Tyr but Tyr vanished out of sight the moment his hand was within touching distance.

    Tyr was not making use of his eyes, this much was evident by the state of his eyes but how was he perceiving his environment?

    Thorvald''s training might have yed a factor but for some reason, this felt different.

    The Mad Hound, however, was nowhere near his full strength because he could crush these ants with half of it but now, he had met a boy that had the power to im his life, something he has not experienced in a very long time.

    "Ha! You are strong but let''s see how you handle this!" The Mad Hound said and the veins around his body became a lot more prominent.

    And so did his muscle mass increase, how was this possible?

    Tyr on the other hand might be impervious to pain right now but the longer he moved the way he did.

    The faster not only was his stamina depleted but his body deteriorated.

    Tyr stumbled, his feet bing wobbly as blood slowly trickled down his nose.

    He was reaching his limit, but he had gotten the interest of the Mad Hound.

    He did not want to kill Tyr because he saw a pet in him but Kolbeinn on the other hand, that was a man that had to die today alongside the rest of the n.

    Speaking of Kolbeinn, where was he?

    The Hound looked in the direction in which hey but he was nowhere to be seen.

    "Where is the other one?" The Mad Hound questioned and his metallic teeth biting his lower lips.

    But he soon felt a de impale his left leg, the best part of fighting a giant was their lower body was the most vulnerable aspect of themselves.

    The Hound turned around and saw Kolbeinn there.

    All he did in response to this wasugh because, in reality, the mass of his muscles had prevented the sword from even reaching his tendons.

    He p Kolbeinn away like he was some fly and Tyr was free of his trance-like state, dropping to his knees as his breathing heavied.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    This man, Tyr knew he would not be able to defeat him even at full strength because what was this power?

    Was Gissur stronger than him? If that was the case then they stood absolutely no chance at victory.

    The Hound''s "transformed" state made bypassing his muscles a near impossibility. It was like his skin had armor beneath them that even swords could not breach.

    "Which one of you killed him?" The Hound questioned, he had seen the skills Tyr had disyed and knew he might just not be an innocent bystander despite his earlier train of thought.

    Kolbeinn was silent because he did not know who he was talking about but Tyr on the other hand, wanted to know but maintained his silence for now.

    "WHO KILLED MY TAMERS!?" The Hound screamed amidst the battles that continued around them.

    They were not evenly matched yet the death toll was minimal.

    "Your tamers?" Tyr asked, there was no way the brothers could have been the ones he was talking about because they were weak by the very sense of the word.

    "NOA AND ISAK! WHO KILLED THEM!?" The Hound had somehow reverted to a child throwing a tantrum.

    Kolbeinn looked over at Tyr, reaching for his weapon but Tyr shook his head to show disapproval of his action.

    "Noa is alive¡­." Tyr muttered and the Mad Hound immediately dropped his weapon and rushed to Tyr.

    Tyr braced himself because he mistook his advance as an attack but he stopped right in front of Tyr, crouching.

    "Y-YOU ARE NOT LYING, ARE YOU!?" The Hound screamed and Tyr was taken aback by this.

    But this was an opportunity, he did not seem to have the brain to match his immense physique.

    "I am not, you can take me as a hostage and if my words are false, you may kill me." Tyr proposed.

    He knew in reality that this man could kill him as he pleased but this proposition would somehow distort that suppose advantage.

    "But if this was why you attacked us today, then I think the purpose is gone. It is admirable that you avenge your friends, I wish I was as strong as you. Maybe I could avenge¡­." Tyr paused but the 7ft man was invested, Tyr had drawn him in.

    ".... Nevermind¡­" Tyr said.

    "Did someone kill your tamer too?" He asked and Tyr nodded with a saddened look in his eyes.

    "But I was not as brave as you¡­" Tyr praised his courage and thepliment seemed to get in his head as he smiled sheepishly.

    "STOP!" The mad Hound screamed and the battle subsided, his men standing side by side as they retreated.

    "I am taking you with us and if you have hurt Noa I will kill you!" The Mad Hound said and just like that, the fight was over.

    Tyr had noticed something strange with these people, they all felt like they were deformed or something.

    Be it one''s grotesque appearance or brothers sharing wives.

    Tyr suspected that these people practiced incest, which would exin a lot about their regressed thinking.

    The Mad Hound had the body to be the strongest warrior but his mind was one of the weakest.

    He went from raging, to hopeful, to agreeing despite having the advantage.

    It was thought that no one could control him, and that was because he was a child mentally that threw tantrums against anyone that was not his "parents" and the people that had "imprinted" on him and filled that role were the brothers.

    Tyr was slung over his shoulder but something told Kolbeinn this would be thest time he saw him. Tyr''s quick thinking had no only saved them but the majority of their forces remained.

 Chapter 210 General Njals Release PT. 1 [R18+]

    "General Njal!" A man called out, Njal had managed to join them at the frontlines and everyone was happy to see him as he had arrived with backup.

    Njal intended to hold them here and with Stu rumored to be here, it was an opportunity for them to take him out.

    "Ah, hello there. What is the current report?" Njal asked, speaking to the man that seemed to be in charge until he arrived.

    "They have broken the line but there is something strange! They are not advancing!" The man said, the man that spoke looked sickly and pale.

    Njal knew that the cold had gotten to him, it was colder here as the n of their enemy stayed in the coldest region.

    Despite being at their border, the cold seeped in only making him imagine how cold it was beyond the border but no one has dared venture out there.

    Because they understood what would happen to them if they did, death.

    "That is strange, they should have tried to upy more territory to push us back. Do you have scouts on them?" Njal questioned, trying to anticipate the strategy of their enemy.

    "Yes sir! We cannot get too close but we have established that they have not moved¡­" The man said but there was something strange that caught Njal''s attention.

    "What do you mean get too close? Did you see them set up camp?" Njal asked, sounding concerned and the man''s silence only agitated him.

    "Speak!" Njal said and the man cleared his throat before blurting out.

    "No"

    "You fucking idiot! Send more scouts to cover more areas! The camp is a decoy!" Njal said, he had takenmand and this was his first action.

    "If it is not the great Njal¡­" A voice called out behind him and a smile crept up Njal''s face.

    "You are still alive?" Njal asked, turning around to see a woman, she had a very muscr build but this wasmon with female warriors in their n alongside multiple tattoos all over her body.

    She had three distinctive ck dots right under her left eye, the color matching her eyes.

    Hair was cut short because it had proven to be a disadvantage, especially in a battle as the ck hair dangled just above the nape of her neck standing at 5''7.

    "Do you wish me dead?" Thedy asked as she approached Njal, and Njal could only smile.

    It has been a while since he had seen her.

    "I could never wish you dead, Torvi," Njal said as he embraced her intimately.

    "The Chieftain is finally making his move if he sends you.." Torvi said, breaking away from his embrace.

    "I believe so," Njal responded but he noticed Torvi leading him by the hand into a tent.

    He had no objections and followed because he needed to rest, it had been a somewhat long journey.

    "You must be tired¡­" Torvi said.

    Njaly on the makeshift bed set up in the tent but Torviy behind him. There was not much he could do, he had already assessed the situation and given instructions for their next actions.

    Now, all he had to do was wait but he knew he was no good to them, exhausted.

    Torvi was the big spoon but Njal understood at that moment just how starved she was of physical touch.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She wrapped her hands around his torso.

    "I missed you Njal¡­" Torvi said and before he could respond, her cold hand had snuck into his trouser.

    It became clear to her that she was not the only that missed this.

    "I missed the feeling of your dick¡­." She said and she began stroking it slowly and gently.

    Njal bit his lower lips, he was trying his best not to moan but Torvi wrapped her hand around his mouth so it was not even possible.

    "Let me make you feel good¡­" Torvi said, licking his ear. Her legs wrapped around him from behind, grinding against him.

    Njal''s breathing heavied, and his toes curled, he was about to have an explosive cumshot but Torvi removed her hand from his dick abruptly.

    "That is for abandoning me¡­" Torvi said, and Njal had the look of a lost puppy in his eyes.

    He was so close to climax yet he was denied, it has been ages since he had seen Torvi and it was not fair that she had gotten him to this state only to abandon him.

    Njal was not thinking straight, right now all he wanted was to cum but he had no intentions of using her hand to do so.

    "Torvi¡­" Njal called out to her and thedy looked at the back of his head, licking the precum off her fingers.

    "Yes?" Torvi responded with a gentle tone, still acting as the big spoon.

    "It has been a long journey, can I get some rest?" Njal said and Torvi epted. Njal most likely wanted to be alone and she had no problem giving him that privacy.

    She released him from her grasp and stood up.

    Njal adjusted his body, with his back on the bed, grabbing Torvi''s wrist and dragging her towards the bed.

    Shended right on top of him and Njal''s hands firmly grabbed her waist.

    "What do you think you are doing¡­?" Torvi asked but Njal responded with his erection pressing against her crotch. It felt like he was knocking on the door to paradise that only Torvi had the keys to.

    Torvi got the message, she began slowly grinding on the bulge.

    Njal was as sexually frustrated as she was, and right now they both had an outlet as it should also help with the cold.

    Njal threw his head back with his eyes closed as he whispered.

    "Fuck¡­" This was the sound of pleasure, and Torvi could tell he was about to cum just from her grinding on him but if he did, who would pleasure her?

    No, she was not going to let him as she abruptly stopped whatever she was doing.

    Njal opened his eyes in frustration after a minute but looking up, all he saw was a nude Torvi lowering her hips. Before he could speak, her wet plump pussy was on his face.

    "Not so fast¡­" Torvi said with a sinister grin.

 Chapter 211 General Njals Release PT.2 [R+18]

    Njal''s face was soaked in her pussy juice, he could not breathe but this excited him.

    Torvi was in the prime position to initiate a 69 act but she saw how Njal''s dick was twitching and his precum bing visibly through his trousers to show just how horny he was.

    She began slowly grinding on his face, cing both her hands on his chest for support.

    She moaned softly as her clit gently rubbed against his nose, but Njal was not going to allow her to have her way.

    He was going to assault her from beneath and he did just that with his tongue, she was tight even with just his tongue, or was it because Njal had a slightly bigger tongue than most?

    He started by gently licking her clit and Torvi''s moans gradually amped up in volume; her voice was serene, a voice worthy for the ears of the gods.

    "Fuck Njal! Keep going¡­!" Torvi said, her grinding bing even more erratic, moving it in a circr motion.

    And during this, Njal''s tongue slipped into her pussy and the moment it did, Torvi had an explosive orgasm, or rather squirt as she drenched his face.

    Her legs twitched and she was satisfied but she noticed that Njal''s dick was twitching even more.

    "Do you want it in my mouth?" Torvi asked, she was ready to return his favor by also giving him oral sex.

    But the thing with squirting is that not only does it take a toll on your stamina, but it also makes your pussy far more sensitive.

    This was Njal''s intention, and that is why he allowed her to have her moment even though she did not allow him to have his.

    Torvi was still sitting on his face, bending over to remove Njal''s dick from his trouser.

    It was throbbing aggressively, precum leaking down his shaft as one would think he covered it with lube.

    It was sticky, but before Torvi could do anything more.

    Njal pushed her off him, and quickly pinned both her hands between his, holding them above her head.

    He had one free hand, and Torvi had none, the look in his eyes excited him, she felt beautiful.

    "Open your mouth¡­" Njal instructed and Torvi did just that but she did not predict what he wanted to do next.

    She assumed he was checking to see if her hygiene was up to his standards but he was not doing anything like that.

    Njal gently rubbed her lower lips, before sticking both of his fingers down her throat, but Torvi did not respond with a gag.

    Njal smirked, she still did not have any gag reflex and he was going to have fun with that throat of hers.

    There was something attractive about how helpless she looked, her chiseled abs, Njal wanted to feel it¡­ from inside her.

    The tip of his dick was pressed against her pussy slit, all he needed to put it in was a thrust but he did not.

    Torvi, however, began grinding on it once again.

    Njal smirked, slowly sliding it inside her.

    He had her pinned, and his throbbing dick found warmth inside her, the inner flesh firmly gripping his shaft and the wetness providing a type offort that made him never want toe out.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He slid it back out slowly, before thrusting it back with an equal pace.

    But with each thrust, not only did his speed increase but the force with which he fucked her did.

    Torvi''s lustful moans were hard to miss, with how sensitive how pussy she was it was to be expected.

    But he had no intentions of cumming into her but Torvi had used both her legs to hold him in ce.

    "W-What are you doing?" Njal asked.

    "I worked for it. Fill me up!" Torvi smirked and before long, Njal came inside her.

    It felt like an exorcism was being performed on him with how much he shook but he was not the only one that reached the peak of sexual gratification, Torvi had an orgasm as well.

    Torvi giggled as she saw the helpless look on his face.

    He came so much that when he pulled out, it leaked right out of her.

    Njal had always found her abs attractive, running his fingers through them.

    "Stop, it tickles," Torvi said but Njal had an idea.

    He had seen what it felt like from inside her, how about what it felt like from the outside?

    He grabbed his dick soaked in her pussy juice, sticky and warm from the cum he had just blessed her insides with.

    He ced his dick on her abs, using his hand to press it down so he could feel the bumps and shape.

    It felt better than he imagined and even Torvi was surprised by this act because she did not know that Njal was into such things but it was hot.

    Njal bent his head to get her erected nipple in his mouth while dry humping her abs like a horny dog, and with his current state. It was not far-fetched to call him one.

    Now, Torvi was beginning to feel it because the way he sucked her breast felt like he was looking for milk, milk she did not have, and the warm sticky feeling rubbing against her stomach was getting her even more excited.

    Njal was lost in his own world, biting on her nipple gently before twirling his tongue on her now sensitive nipples.

    She closed her eyes, she was enjoying this moment to its fullest extent and taking it all in.

    Moaning softly, she thought they were done yet here was Njal using her body to satisfy a fetish of his.

    "I am cumming¡­" He muttered but Torvi opened her eyes in shock the moment she felt something slip into her mouth and right into the back of her throat.

    Njal held her head in ce, thankful for herck of a gag reflex as he began using her throat as a means to stroke his dick. The longer he stayed, the harder she struggled for air but this only made it feel better for Njal.

    It didn''t take long for him to dump and empty his balls sac right into her stomach and she had no choice but to drink it all up.

    Before removing his entire dick from her mouth, sloppy with strings of saliva attached to it but Torvi had passed out.

    "I guess I overdid it¡­." Njal said with a weakened smile as he covered her up and cuddled behind her to try and get some rest too.

 Chapter 212 Tyr, A Prisoner Of War

    The scouts sent out by Njal had traveled for a while but they had to split up to cover more ground.

    They knew they were not supposed to engage should they see anything, they were meant to slip away and report back to the camp.

    A man known as G¨­ was in charge of this expedition, he was a small man, barely 5 ''2 making him perfect for the job because one would rarely spot him from afar.

    He had gone a route that made him travel in an arc around the border.

    This allowed him to cover more ground in a shorter time but he could not shake off a terrible feeling that something was wrong the further he traveled.

    If they had deployed the decoy as Njal had suggested then it was a fool''s errand because they had had days to cover grounds as opposed to them.

    It was unsettling that they could have been the ones watched by the enemies.

    But Stu, his name alone was enough to make Njale here to the forefront which was an indicator of this man''s strength because Njal rarely left the side of Gissur.

    G¨­ was cautious but he saw something from the side of his eyes; when he turned to confirm, his eyes met nothing.

    This was a frequent urrence throughout as he ventured further out, the frosty mist brought forth from the snow made it difficult for him to see from afar but he was well-dressed for the weather.

    "Something is wrong, something is very wrong¡­" G¨­ thought to himself, but he knew seeing things that were not there wasmon with the mist so he did not pay it too much attention but then he heard a sound.

    G¨­ immediately stopped and fell face down into the snow so it could swallow up his smaller body frame.

    The voices got closer and closer, these were unfamiliar forces because they had a strange ent attached to them.

    But if they had reached this far, there was no point in returning as they had alreadypleted a full turn around the forces meant to hold them but if he fought them, he was certain to die so that was out of the equation.

    G¨­ contemted his choices, thinking about what to do next. A footstep mere inches from his face, and that is when he realized he needed to get out of there.

    Njal was right, that was a decoy but he needed the report to Njal.

    He soon heard them hurrying; like they had amped up their pace, chasing something or someone.

    They were traveling in the cover of the mist, that is what made it possible for them to go around them.

    G¨­ waited for a few extra minutes for the noises to quiet down, and he immediately dashed in the direction in which he came from.

    He ran as fast as his small limbs could carry him because he knew the faster he returned to the camp the better but while traveling, he saw the body of one of the scouts that were to investigate an area not too far from where he was. The body was mauled to death.

    This could not have been the person responsible for their increased pace because they generallycked any threat in actualbat but they were notpletely useless as they each trained in different aspects.

    An army did not only need fighters, it needed so much more.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I have to report this to General Njal! They have breached our second line of defense!" He muttered under his breath but from the corner of his eyes, he could see something approaching him and fast.

    It was a white wolf, he knew he could not outrun it but this did not look to be a stray wolf because it had a cor around its neck.

    Instinctively, he knew this same creature was responsible for the death of the corpse before him.

    He could not be found, not yet and something fortunate soon happened as the wolf lunged at him.

    In an act of self-sacrifice, the body he thought had died threw himself in front of the wolf while simultaneously stabbing it in the eye but not after it had taken a huge chunk out of his neck.

    There was only one fate that awaited him and that was death but the look in his eyes.

    He wanted to tell G¨­ something but he could not speak for his throat had been crushed.

    And before long, he took his final breath, then he heard voices but he did not wait to see who they were.

    Running straight ahead without looking back, the mist working in his favor.

    The enemies studied the scene and assumed that the wolf hade to finish off its prey.

    This left G¨­ in the clear and the footsteps that would otherwise be imprinted in the snow had been concealed by a very unique trick he had devised.

    By attaching a metal bar at the heel of both his respective feet, each hole he made with his feet was covered as the bar served as a leveler.

    It was not perfect but it did just enough, especially in this area.

    -

    The Mad Hound had carried Tyr, the forces did not look bothered by his sudden need to retreat because if anything, this reiterated their superiority over that n.

    This man that was carrying him not only defeated the Chieftain but made light work of Tyr.

    That was impressive, and to think that Tyr thought Erik was a monster.

    This was the definition of a real monster, they had been traveling for quite some time and Tyr was fortunate he had allowed Noa to live because if he had as much control over this thing as he thought.

    He could prove to be an invaluable asset.

    Tyr knew trying to escape would prove stupid because now he was being brought directly to Gissur.

    This would be an opportunity to meet him but unknown to Tyr, a prophecy made him the biggest threat to Gissur and Gissur was ready to do anything to make sure it neveres to pass.

 Chapter 213 Tyrs Proposal To Gissur

    Hours had passed, night hade and just then, Tyr could see a lit fire in the distance.

    He noticed that this was their base and it was a lot more advanced than Kolbeinn''s settlement.

    Multiple buildings stood, and a small fence acted as a form of security.

    Tyr was not impressed because he had seen walls as tall as buildings, and armies that could crush a civilization with their might.

    A man rushed out to wee the Mad Hound, telling Tyr he was not just some random foot soldier.

    He had humbled him in battle and showed him the gap within their strength but he was curious as to what Gissur looked like.

    "WHERE IS NOA!?" The Hound shouted and the man showed him, he carried Tyr with him because she did not trust him to wander around alone.

    Besides, he had to follow procedure and be bound, something which was immediately done as he arrived.

    The Mad Hound allowed them to do so before dragging his ropes to go see Noa.

    Tyr had a vivid shback to when he was in shackles back in Kattegat and he could only chuckle at this irony.

    Tyr was taken to a cell that contained prisoners, but he was kept in a secluded cell, he noticed the other cells had multiple people in them.

    But he was curious as to what these people did when they were imprisoned and not ughtered.

    Imprisoning them meant they were sharing their resources, something that they did not have an unlimited amount of especially during winter.

    That meant that they were better alive than they were dead, Tyr knew they might want to get information out of him but he had no intentions of letting them have their way. It was freezing, and he could feel his body''s temperature drop the longer he stayed there.

    But he did not stay long when he heard the footsteps of someone.

    The prisoners immediately looked tense, looking to the ground like they dared not look at him.

    Tyr did not need to be a genius to know that whoever wasing was a man that they feared but he did not look away.

    He looked right at the man and before him was the feared Gissur.

    "You are the boy of the prophecy?" Gissur had a look of disappointment, he expected someone a lot bigger and more menacing than this child.

    He began to doubt his wife''s prophecy because there had to be some sort of mistake.

    "You are Gissur¡­." Tyr said but Gissur was not as hostile as he thought he would be.

    "I heard what you did for Noa, you saved him from Kolbeinn¡­" Gissur said; this was a surprising development because he did not tell Noa to say this but it was a weed development.

    For this very reason, Gissur did not perceive him as a threat as of this moment because he could easily be in but Tyr still had a role to fulfill that would allow his wife''s prophecy about the child''s death toe to pass.

    "Why do you wage war against him?" Tyr questioned, he technically had the same status as Gissur and did not intend to show weakness just because he was his prisoner.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "War? Is this what you call a war?" Gissur mocked Tyr. A quarter of his forces were enough to nearly wipe out their supposed enemy.

    "I thought I had heard thest of the ¨¢sbirningar n after thest Chieftain died¡­" Gissur sighed after being briefed by the soldiers that went with the Mad Hound. Gissur was not angry but he was not pleased that they were not killed.

    He, however, had bigger problems.

    "Thest Chieftain?" Tyr questioned, he was using this opportunity to gather as much information as possible because the information was one of the most important things in this world.

    "Yes, the older brother of Kolbeinn Ungi¡­ My cousin," Gissur said and Tyr was visibly confused.

    Cousin? Didn''t that mean they were rted?

    Kolbeinn made no mention of this but this would exin why Gissur allowed them to live, maybe it was because of the sentiment that he had for his family.

    This had been seen with his brother and wife, he treated them with respect but how did Kolbeinn''s older brother die?

    "Your cousin?" Tyr asked but Gissur had no interest in continuing this conversation.

    "Tyr¡­." Gissur muttered as a sinister grin crept on his face the moment this word left his mouth.

    Tyr was confused because he did not tell him his name but he assumed that his name would not be a secret in this world because information traveled albeit slowly.

    "Why did you reallye? Did youe to kill me?" Gissur questioned but Tyr simply chuckled.

    Gissur was menacing, but he had no idea that Tyr was with Thorvald when he killed him.

    He, however, had no interest in vengeance as Thorvald was just a man that saved him, nothing more.

    "I am sorry, I did not mean to disrespect Chieftain Gissur but as you know, I am a man that has no interest in something so trivial," Tyr said and Gissur raised his brow in suspicion.

    "What do you mean?" Gissur questioned, he wished his brother was here to handle this because he was the diplomatic one among the two.

    "I want to bring both ns together, I know that your n is fighting a war but you are losing. Forgive me for being blunt but what do you think would happen if you joined forces with the ¨¢sbirningar n?" Tyr proposed and Gissur was quite appalled at this proposition.

    He stared at Tyr nkly beforeughing, augh that The mimicked but he had clearly misread the situation because what he felt was the tip of Gissur''s broadsword digging into Tyr''s wounded shoulder.

    "YOU FUCKING COME HERE AND GIVE ME ORDERS!?" Gissur barked, losing his cool as the other prisoners scurried away into the dark corners of the cell.

    "You must not know who I am but I am Tyr¡­" Tyr said, getting to his feet as he walked into the sword slowly, allowing it to dig further into his skin.

    "... The son of Ragnar Lothbrok, and one day, I will rule the whole of Norway. You cannot kill me Gissur, the gods forbid it because if you do, your n will bear its fury. If you want to test this, take my life right now Chieftain." Tyr said as a smirk creased his face.

    "I dare you."

 Chapter 214 Gissurs Response

    Kolbeinn was dazed, he had suffered a concussion.

    He had managed to match the Mad Hound''s strength for a short while before he grabbed him.

    But Kolbeinn realized the Mad Hound was not even fighting at full strength during their exchange.

    But Tyr had saved them, by possibly sacrificing himself but this did a number on the troop''s morale.

    They started to look at Tyr as a martyr, a man that would even give his life to protect them, but they also began to question Kolbeinn because he did not offer himself for their sake but then again, he was the Chieftain.

    Kolbeinn''s life held more weight than theirs because he was the head, but these were intrusive thoughts brought forth from the situation.

    If they truly felt this way or not was up for debate.

    Gudrun had rejoined with them but she saw Tyr was nowhere to be seen, Nora followed behind her and noted the same thing.

    "Father, where is Tyr?" Gudrun asked, darting her head around in hopes of catching a glimpse of him.

    Kolbeinn bit his tongue, but he did not respond because he knew if Gissur had him then the chance of him surviving was slim.

    "They took him¡­" A warrior said without the permission of his Chieftain, something that had never been done before and Kolbeinn''s re confirmed this.

    "What do you mean took him?" Nora butted in, she was confused how they allowed the event to take Tyr without so much as a fight because the majority of their forces were alive and the corpses on the floor supported this im.

    "Father, is that true?" Gudrun asked, she was angry because Tyr had not only saved her life but she was certain that he had saved their n.

    "He went on his own volition¡­" Kolbeinn said, but he looked defeated and Gudrun did not like this look.

    He was the backbone of his army, he did not have the luxury of giving up now.

    "I was reminded why power is absolute," Kolbeinn muttered but Gudrun was not having any of this.

    Gudrun pped her father across his face, this was the first time she had ever raised her hand against the man whose sperm shaped her.

    Everyone was shocked, but no one was as shocked as Kolbeinn.

    "You would not have a n without that man! You would not have¡­. YOU WOULD NOT HAVE A DAUGHTER!" Gudrunshed out.

    "YOU WANT TO GIVE UP ON HIM!? IF YOU DO NOT GO, I WILL GO MYSELF!" Gudrun screamed at the top of her lungs.

    Mind you, everyone was used to the gullible and innocent persona she had worn for years so this was an utter shock. Gudrun was done wearing her mask, not when Tyr was in danger.

    No, when the boy she loves was in danger.

    Kolbeinn smiled weakly before chuckling.

    "You have grown Gudrun¡­" Kolbeinn said, she reminded him so much of his wife and seeing his daughter go this far told him that what he was about to do was what a coward would do.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "My daughter has grown the set of balls I lost!" Kolbeinn said, getting to his feet with a renewed vigor.

    "I AM NO COWARD! I AM CHIEFTAIN KOLBEINN UNGI ARN¨®RSSON!" Kolbeinn shouted, beating his chest like a gori. This was the man they all needed right now, not the pathetic shell he had shown them moments ago.

    He had picked himself up because of his daughter and Kolbeinn knew if he was going to save Tyr, he needed to move fast but he could not be reckless.

    But he knew for a fact that he needed to move today and what better time to travel than the cover of the night?

    -

    Noa had done exactly as Tyr instructed, he had impaled himself but luckily he could be saved after he delivered the information to Gissur about the point of attack.

    Information that Gissur dismissed because he had taken measures to eradicate them himself, but even that did not work as Tyr had managed to talk the Hound down.

    The Hound was relieved when he saw Noa was alive but he felt guilty about attacking the person that had saved him, Noa told him about Isak''s death which devastated him.

    He asked for how he died or who killed him but Noa chose silence because he did not know how Tyr intended to spin the story but he knew that he could not act on his own.

    The Hound was instructed to return to his ''cage'', Noa noticed he was missing fingers and was impressed that Tyr could injure him, but with that many fingers missing that hand was as good as useless.

    But if Tyr was here, he was within the grasp of Gissur.

    Noa asked and he was told that Gissur was talking to Tyr and his eyes dted in fear.

    He was in a bad state but he knew he had to go meet Gissur because Gissur was a lunatic, he knew exactly what would happen if he spoke to Tyr.

    He was advised to stay put but he was not a child, he was allowed to do as pleased and no one attempted to use force to stop him.

    He managed to go to the building that held the prisoners but all he heard was a continuous thumping sound.

    Noa scrambled towards the noise, he noticed the prisoners averting their gaze and he managed to get within sight of the noise.

    There it was, Gissur was mounted ontop of Tyr, and punching away at him.

    Tyr''s face had be disfigured and his nose breaking from the impact, blood sttering everywhere with a menacing look in Gissur''s eyes.

    This was a man that could kill bears with his bare hands, one could only imagine the force his fists carried. Tyr was not moving and Noa hoped he was not toote but the assault soon stopped.

    Gissur just startedughing, this was a full blownughter as he nced over at Noa.

    "I like him," This was all Gissur said but why the hell would you beat someone this badly if you liked them?

    Gissur was not a stable individual so it was pointless using logic when he was involved.

 Chapter 215 The Sturlungar Clan Onslaught Begins

    G¨­ arrived back at the camp and the urgency in his eyes as he searched for Njal.

    "WHERE IS GENERAL NJAL!?" G¨­ screamed as he frantically searched for him but Njal was nowhere to be seen.

    G¨­ kept shouting and eventually Njal came out to check what themotion was about, he had spent the day with Torvi but he was surprised that the scout he had sent out returned this early.

    That must mean they have found something that they deemed worth reporting.

    "What is the matter, G¨­?" Njal asked the shorter man and he proceeded to divulge the information he had umted during his scouting expenditure.

    He gave him an abridged version because he knew time was not their friend at this moment.

    Njal could not hide his unease, he could not believe that they had found a way to circle them but he was more disappointed in how they conducted themselves.

    They needed to move fast because they were well-rested, a luxury that their enemies did not have.

    If they broke through this line, there would be nothing stopping them from reaching their main camp making their strategy to bait them ineffective.

    Stu, there was no way he would not be with them if they were advancing to the main camp because rumors about his strength being on par with Gissur was never-ending.

    A rumor that Njal dismissed because he had seen the strength of his brother first-hand.

    He was a monster not born of this world but he was the monster they needed.

    "We need to double back, they cannot remain divided due to the hills that stand in the east but I do not think they are nking us from only the east so we will need to cover the west as well¡­" Njal was surprisingly calm despite the urgency of the situation.

    He was d that he caught on, this was why experience is essential in wars.

    Njal knew they would need the grace of the gods to catch up and if they were to have any chance, they needed to move now.

    But before he could give thatmand, the warning sound of an attack rang from the front.

    Njal was confused because this would mean they were under attack but by who?

    He looked at Torvi, Njal had one thought and this was that they intended to hold them here because what they had was the element of surprise.

    He needed to inform his brother or they would be caught off guard by this assault, something he had no intention of letting happen.

    "Torvi, go!" Njal shouted at her, but he knew she needed a good amount of the army to stand a chance because the objective was no longer to fight them but rather to find a way to inform Gissur about the impending danger.

    "General Njal. I am no match for Stu and if it is as you said then he is with the main forces! If I go there, I would only die but I have a fighting chance here! You must be the one to go, General Njal!" Torvi said; this was a sound assessment because no one stood a chance against Stu except Njal.

    Njal knew there was no time to protest as he immediately left with 75% of the forces.

    "My finalmand to you Torvi is, survive ande back to me!" Njal said and Torvi smiled at him.

    "Yes sir!" But both of them knew deep down that this would be thest time they saw each other.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    There was no way they could withstand the onught, not with them dividing their forces.

    Njal left Torvi behind and advanced toward the army and thest thing he heard her say was.

    "WARRIORS! THIS MAY BE WHERE WE DIE BUT LET US TAKE AS MANY OF THEM DOWN WITH US!" Torvi''s war cry showed she did not fear death but rather, embraced it for she knew that she would die on the battlefield one day.

    "Thank you, Torvi¡­." Njal whispered to himself as they advanced.

    -

    Kolbeinn was advancing with his forces, he wanted to arrive before dawn because the cover of the night was their biggest advantage.

    He knew if they saw them before they arrived, it would be over

    If they were to stand a chance at victory, they had to have the opportunity of an ambush because they knew if Gissur caught wind of it before then.

    Then it would be over, they traveled at full speed but he expected Gissur to station men at their border but he saw no one.

    They had a free passage, Kolbeinn could not believe how badly they underestimated them.

    Gissur must have predicted that this defeat would damp Kolbeinn''s confidence but Gudrun''s action was one that he did not factor into his calctions.

    To be fair, Gissur needed all his men, he could not afford to have them split because this victory against Kolbeinn reaffirmed how little of a threat they posed.

    But now he was about to make him regret this.

    Kolbeinn had breached their lines, and with each hour that went by, they inched closer to the settlement.

    But Kolbeinn was also more cautious.

    Nora was worried, she could not shake off the feeling that something had not only happened to Tyr but to Noa and Isak as well.

    They had traveled all night but this also meant they would be fatigued by the time they arrived.

    Kolbeinn knew it would be pointless to arrive tired so he took a brief break, not even up to 10 minutes to feed and hydrate before continuing.

    But Nora had mixed in something in the food that gave them all a sudden burst of energy, it was a herb she used to strengthen the savages when they had to fight for long durations, and why she was useful to Kolbeinn.

    She was not much of a fighter, but she could defend herself against the average man but she could barely do that against warriors as seen numerous times already.

    Nora nced at Gudrun and saw howmitted she was to rescuing Tyr, it was clear she was in love with him but Nora feared that this love might justplicate things for she was not thinking logically but emotionally.

    But the settlement was within sight, the onught was about to begin.

 Chapter 216 Torvi Stands Her Ground!

    Torvi was doing well in holding her ground, cutting down men with her sword like butter.

    Her muscr frame granted her not only enhanced physical strength but endurance.

    "We can win this!" Torvi screamed, and her man cheered because they were managing.

    But one could argue that the enemy was not taking them seriously, it was almost like they were doing this simply to split their forces.

    Torvi knew Njal had an uphill battle ahead of him but she did not have time to worry about him right now because she saw a light at the end of the tunnel.

    Torvi was strong and a man that was equally as impressive stepped up as they both had each other in sight.

    The battlefield was chaotic, Torvi could not even concentrate on just one enemy because another might try to strike her from behind.

    This was not a duel, and she knew that this would be difficult.

    She saw one of her men about to be executed by the enemy''s de but she ran her sword through his neck before he could do so and the man that she had just saved impaled the man that had snuck up behind her.

    "We d-!" An arrow impaled him right in the head.

    Torvi knew it was only a matter of time before they all fall but she wanted to buy as much time as possible.

    "WE ARE DOING IT!!! PUSH THEM INTO THE FUCKING GROUND!" Torvi screamed and her men had their second wave and began to overpower their enemies but this momentum onlysted a few seconds.

    They could not change their reality, they were outnumbered but Torvi had no interest in giving up.

    She had to hold the line because if they got past them, they would be able to chase after General Njal.

    A luxury she could not afford, she gnawed her teeth s she began beating her chest.

    The look in her eyes looked feral, she kept hitting her shield and walking towards the man that was cutting down her warriors with rtive ease.

    She cut down the ones that challenged her and the man noticed she wasing toward him and grinned.

    He was a lot bigger than her but size did not matter in warfare, just skills and experience, something they both had plenty of.

    "It''s funny seeing a woman give her warriors balls!" The man teased but Torvi was not having any of it.

    She needed to be calm, if she could weaken them in any way she would take it.

    This man looked strong, he was dressed differently from the rest of his forces, and this could only mean one thing.

    "He is the one leading them¡­" Torvi thought as she took a battle stance, she knew she had to cut off the head of the army.

    The battle around them did not stop and only intensified, this was not some fancy battle but rather a chaotic one.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The man did not give his name but Torvi was not interested in it either.

    He had a sword and shield in hand, but he would soon disy his superior reflex by raising his shield to block the arrow that nearly killed him.

    Torvi was not fighting him alone, there was no honor in war and she had no ns of fighting like there were.

    The man lowered his shield but Torvi was nowhere to be seen, using the moment his vision was obstructed by his shield to her advantage.

    He darted his head left and right but all he saw around him were people fighting, and correctly assumed Torvi was using this as some sort of camouge for her movement.

    Another arrow was soon fired but he managed to block it with his shield once again, this told him two things.

    One, he could not look for Torvi the way he pleased or the archer would get him.

    Two, he could not focus on the archer because he did not know where Torvi was so this made him question his next choice of action. But the man was confident he could see through this deception.

    "Clever girl¡­" The man muttered under his breath but there was one thing that they did not take into ount and that was their enemy''s capabilities.

    "It''s useless if you can catch me," The man muttered as he dashed towards the archer with such pace that it would be physically impossible for Torvi to catch him. The archer tried to stop his charge with multiple arrows but the man easily blocked it with his raised shield.

    "Fools!" The man barked as he lowered his child but he did not see the archer anymore, and due to the position of his shield, he could not see Torvi crouched right in front of him.

    Torvi impaled his right leg, twisting her sword to open up the wound and increase the rate at which he lost blood. The fall of the man only made his wound worse, his leg was barely hanging on.

    He was in pain and his scream was proof of that.

    Torvi could not believe she had done it but this was meant to affect the army''s morale yet they kept fighting like they did not hear his scream.

    Everyone disregarded him and Torvi was confused As to why this was.

    But his cries were soon cut short by an arrow that burrowed its tip into his skull, killing him.

    Torvi noticed that their reinforcement, well over a hundred men, had arrived.

    But that was not the most terrifying thing, everything now made sense why they disregard the cries of this man who was supposedly their leader.

    "I-Impossible!" Torvi muttered; her weapon and shield slipping from her hand as she saw the man standing before them. The fighting gradually died down as they allid eyes on the man that was behind the reinforcement, and everyone justughed.

    They realized at that moment that their struggle was in vain, there was absolutely no doubt now.

    "You are¡­.?!"

 Chapter 217 Sturla Debuts

    General Njal had advanced and he knew time was not their friend. He braced himself for any interference because it would only be logical to detach a part of your army to buy time yet he did not see anything.

    Nothing was blocking their paths but they could see the footprints showing that they were going the right way.

    Njal noticed his men were looking tired, but they could not rest because he knew what would happen if he did.

    "Onward! We must save the n even if we have toy down our lives!" Njal screamed but this did nothing to boost them because, in the end, they were only human.

    It was eerily quiet and the darkness limited how they could perceive their environment.

    Njal knew something was strange and they eventually reached the hill that stood in the east, this was the ce the nked army would otherwise converge but the footsteps he had been following were almost nonexistent.

    General Njal made the call to stop, the moonlight was to their advantage because he knew they would give their position away if they used to fire on sticks.

    "What''s wrong General Njal?" A man asked, surprised that the man that denied them rest was stopping suddenly.

    Perhaps, his body was finally reaching its limit but that was highly unlikely. Njal looked left and right, and it looked like the army never converged at this point.

    "Don''t tell me¡­" Njal muttered to himself right before looking at the hill with a sense of urgency.

    But before he could warn his men, a hail of arrows rained down on them with no mercy.

    The arrows naturally found a few unfortunate targets but they did poorly in terms of reducing their numbers.

    Njal knew they were going to meet interference but he did not know they would use their environment to their advantage.

    They had managed to climb the hill and waited in wait for them.

    General Njal knew they could push ahead as they had the advantage seeing as the archers could not give chase.

    They raised their shields, strapped to their back, above their heads, and advanced.

    Njal questioned what the purpose of those arrows was because surely they had to have ground forces as well.

    They had the aerial advantage as it stood.

    "Do not let down your guard!" Njal warned and the moment he sounded this warning, they were surrounded as the enemy created a circr formation but there was something strange about this.

    Their numbers, this was not numbers you used for a distraction, these were numbers used to eradicate your enemies because they were heavily outnumbered.

    General Njal had taken an estimate from the army that had collided with Torvi and these men.

    This was approximately the max number of men under their enemy so this could only mean that they were not moving piece by piece.

    No, they were moving their entire army.

    "You cannot hold us here! We will break through and destroy the enemies thaty ahead!" A man screamed, trying his best to keep his spirits up.

    This was a gesture that Njal appreciated but things were looking quite bleak.

    "Enemies thaty ahead?" A voice said, originating the formation.

    He was out of view but Njal''s face showed he knew exactly who it was.

    Like the red sea parted by Moses, the men of the man that spoke slowly split, allowing him to walk forward uninterrupted.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "We are the enemies thaty ahead." The man said as he came into view.

    It was Sighvatur, the Chieftain of the Sturlungar n.

    Njal instantly knew they were in trouble but there was no way for them to retreat, they were boxed in.

    He had it all wrong, these men had no interest in barracking Gissur right now.

    He was a man that wore a helmet, he had a long brown beard that reached his lower chest but his head did not share that same luxury, seeing as he was bald beneath the helmet.

    No, they wanted to wipe the forces stationed at the border out and gain more ground in their territory.

    They had nked them not to sneak past them, they did so so they could not warn or call for backup.

    "Now then, let''s begin the massacre." Sighvatur''s blood-curdling words echoed.

    -

    The area in which Torvi stood was devastated, all the forces were in and littered everywhere.

    Torvi had lost but this was only natural seeing her enemy was Stu, the son of Sighvatur.

    Stu was a lot bigger than his father in mass and height, but he had his beard shaped neatly as opposed to his father''s long beard.

    He had brown hair styled in a mohawk, but he looked like the typical warrior of this day and age.

    He had a tattoo of a staff inked on his forehead.

    What the staff represented was unknown.

    "Are we done here?" Stu said, looking at the corpses of the men he had killed, they did not lose much of their own men showing the difference in skill.

    "Yes sir!" A man shouted in response but the moment she did, an arrow flew from beneath the corpses. Stu snatched it out of the air with his bare hand like he was swatting a fly.

    "You are a stubborn one¡­" Stu said; the person responsible for this sneak attack was Torvi.

    She was apprehended immediately with her head pressed against the ground and a sword already raised to execute her.

    Torvi looked at Stu with hatred, cursing him with what was supposed to be herst breath but Stu gestured for his men to stop.

    "I understand your rage but the moment you stepped into this battle, you understood what would happen. We are not the bad guys, we are simply the victors¡­" Stu said, looking over at the men with the sword.

    He gestured for them to strip Torvi, watching the whole process with an indifferent face.

    "... And you just became a spoil of war¡­" Stu said. She saw his men''s hungry eyes descend on her and Torvi knew what wasing next.

    But she was not going to be dishonored, she bit off her tongue, killing herself but not before killing at least three men.

    Stu was indifferent, he did not look impressed or disturbed by this because he knew that a harder battle awaited them.

    They had conquered this battlefield, now he was going to join his father in his battle against General Njal.

 Chapter 218 Kolbeinn Confronts Gissur

    Tyr was in a critical condition, he was unconscious and barely hanging onto his life after Gissur was done with him but this was no surprise.

    Tur had gotten arrogant and forgot about the warning Kolbeinn had given him, but he thought the same trick with Kolbeinn might work with him but he could not be more wrong.

    Gissur was a primal man that had mastered his instincts, he could feel it in his bones that Tyr was a threat despite being just a boy.

    But Gissur did not like his tant arrogance and would have killed him if Tyr did not have an important role to y in the prophecy his wife had seen.

    Tyr was saved, and he was rushed to be treated but his condition was serious and there was no way he would be ready for any battle for quite some time.

    Gissur did not know the dangers that lurked from all directions because the fate of his brother was all but sealed and if they managed to im that territory, Gissur would not stand a chance at the onught that awaited them.

    Gissur was with his wife, resting on herp as he stroked his hair like a child.

    She sang old songs for her husband and he smiled as her voice allowed his muscles to rest.

    He was d that she was in his life but Gissur was not interested in her because of her appearance but because of her nurturing nature.

    She had a mother''s touch, a touch he yearned for, for the longest time.

    "The boy, he came just like you said¡­" Gissur told his wife.

    "Your visions have never led me astray, my love¡­" Gissur said with a big grin, adjusting his head.

    "I want to see the child¡­" His wife said. Gissur got quiet quickly because she did not tell her what he did to Tyr, and had no intentions of telling her that.

    "I do not think he is in any condition to see you," Gissur teased but his wife did not understand what her husband meant and she also knew better than to press Gissur for answers.

    This was how she kept her marriage to him peaceful, she knew when to keep her mouth shut because being Gissur''s safe space was so much more important than satisfying her curiosity.

    Soon, chaotic noises echoed outside, but Gissur did not look worried even though he knew they were under attack.

    "My love, I will be right back," Gissur''s tone was casual as he got up to his feet to equip his broadsword.

    His wife did not look troubled either, he did not even bother wearing a shirt and just stepped outside like he was going for a stroll.

    He looked around and he could see the battles around him ensuing, but Gissur began to whistle the song his wife had just sung him.

    He was even doing a few dance steps, swaying his hips from left to right as he cut down anyone that dared challenge him.

    Gudrun shot an arrow in his direction but all he did was sway to the left, the arrow missing its mark.

    Gudrun could not get him no matter how many arrows she fired but it should not be possible.

    The cover of the dark was meant to be to her advantage and despite Gissur not having a proper view of the arrows, he still dodged them.

    But he suddenly stopped dancing and looked around after he realized who it was that was attacking.

    He looked disappointed, seeing the n crest of the ¨¢sbirningar.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "What the fuck?" Gissur cussed, he turned around and began heading back to the building he had just exited.

    "GISSUR!" A voice called out and Gissur turned around to see who it was that was calling him.

    "Kolbeinn, you should take your punks and leave before I ughter you all," Gissur dismissed him like he was a mere child, he did not take him seriously but Kolbeinn knew he could not back down until they got Tyr back.

    "I think you know why I am here!" Kolbeinn fired back and Gissur just startedughing.

    He could not believe Kolbeinn thought he stood a chance.

    "And if I told you I killed him, would you leave me to my wife?" Gissur asked and Kolbeinn kept quiet as he looked at Nora, almost like he was giving her the go-ahead.

    "Chieftain Gissur, Tyr is not just a Chieftain. He is the child of¡­" Nora said; this was the first time that they were going to make it public knowledge.

    "..... Ragnar Lothbrok." Gissurpleted it for them.

    This surprised them because Tyr had kept it under wraps for as long as they knew.

    "While we are at it, I wanted to ask¡­" Gissur said, turning his body to face them.

    "Which one of you killed Isak?" Gissur asked and Nora immediately lost her thought process.

    "I-Isak is dead?" Nora involuntarily blurted out before covering her mouth, hoping no one heard her but they did.

    "It seems you know something about it," Gissur said, pointing his broadsword at her.

    "Where is Tyr?" Gudrun took over the dialogue before they veered off subject.

    "I beat him to a pulp, he just kept talking and talking. It never ended, so I bashed his face in and just kept punching until he could not speak again," Gissur looked happy as he recollected what he had done to Tyr but this only made everyone angry.

    Something Gissur did not care about because rage is useless if one does not have the power to channel it.

    "But I cannot kill him¡­ Not yet. The prophecy forbids it." Gissur said and everyone wondered what he was talking about but their attention was focused on the person standing behind him.

    "Y-You hurt him!?" Gissur''s wife said, looking panicked but Gissur did not understand why she was outside, she rarely came outside.

    "My love, I just touched him a bit," Gissur said nervously and his wife screamed like a maniac.

    Dropping to her knees as she began to pull out her hair.

    "T-This is wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!" The woman said and Gissur tried tofort his wife.

    But the one thing that went through everyone''s mind was.

    "What the fuck am I looking at?"

 Chapter 219 Sighvaturs Game Of Chance

    The battle at the hills had concluded, and before Sighvatur was a defeated Njal.

    His army had been crushed with Sighvatur suffering minimal losses, but this was no surprise.

    It was no surprise why he was mentioned in the same breath as Gissur, Njal understood why now.

    This man was strong but that was not the most fearful thing about it, his ability tomand an army while in battle was to be feared.

    They had not killed everyone, and Njal knew there was still a chance at survival if he yed his cards right.

    "Chieftain Sighvatur, you live up to your reputation." Njal praised him but this was not a man with a fragile ego, he did not need it fed for he knew that he was strong or he would not be the Chieftain.

    "You fought well too, Njal. I am certain your father would have been proud," Sighvatur returned the praise, but he was already looking at the next battle thaty ahead.

    "Can you grant a warrior''s dying wish?" Njal asked but Sighvatur raised a brow upon hearing this.

    "Dying? No friend, I still have one more role for you to y. You want to warn your brother of our arrival, is that correct?" Sighvatur questioned him, he would want to do this in his shoes so this was an educated guess.

    Njal did not know if this was bait but he had nothing to lose at this point so he gave him an answer.

    "Yes, I do," Njal replied bluntly, watching Sighvatur stroke his beard in thought.

    "I will allow it¡­" Sighvatur said, but one of his men handed him a spear.

    ".... On the condition that he can avoid my spear, I will give whoever you choose a five-second head start," Sighvatur wanted to toy with Njal but Njal saw this as an opportunity

    The fastest person they had under their ranks was G¨­, who luckily was not among those that fell in battle.

    This was by the grace of the gods as it was not his skills that kept him alive.

    "I agree to your terms," Njal said and he saw Sighvatur''s stern face crease into a smile.

    G¨­ got up to his feet as they had all been made to kneel. G¨­ did not even wait for the signal and he was off, the archer on the hill knotted his bow but Sighvatur gestured for him to hold his fire.

    G¨­ was smart, he did not run in a straight line but instead took the zig-zag alternative to increase his chance at survival.

    Sighvatur''s smile ceased and the focus that followed was unparalleled, he did not blink as he studied the pattern and the bodynguage of G¨­.

    Njal knew this moment right here might very well be the decisive moment in this brewing war.

    Sighvatur''s spear left his hand, flying through the air and everyone held their breath.

    Sighvatur was confident in his spear-throwing ability, the darkness made it impossible for G¨­ to know where it wasing from and everyone prayed to the gods quite literally.

    But the spear was a clean hit despite his evasive measures, and Njal knew their fate was decided by this single blow, or was it?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    They saw G¨­ stand, the spear had hit him but it did not kill him, despite severely injuring him.

    "Yes!" Njal eximed, the gods were still on their side.

    "Hahaha! I have gotten rusty. These old bones are not the same as when I was young," Sighvaturughed off his tant failure but theugh soon ceased.

    And the moment it did, everyone that was forced on their knees lost their head, except Njal.

    As for Njal, he was simply knocked out.

    -

    Gissur''s wife freaked out, and Gissur did not know what to do because he had never seen her like this.

    But this created an opening, an opening Kolbeinn could exploit but what kind of victory would that be?

    He asked his men to stand down, at least until Gissur had his affairs in order.

    Gissur looked panicked, a man that had faced death so many times without flinching was frightened because of his wife''s behavior.

    An arrow flew and was aimed right at Gissur''s back but Kolbeinn threw himself in the way, the arrow belonged to his daughter.

    "You do not strike down a man while he is taking care of his wife, Gudrun¡­" Kolbeinn said but this would be the single gesture that unknowingly changed everything, luckily the arrow only grazed his arm, altering the trajectory.

    Gissur saw the arrow hooking on the wooden house in front of him and saw that Kolbeinn had defended him despite them being enemies.

    "Some things do not change¡­," Gissur mumbled to himself, Kolbeinn always stood up for him alongside Njal. Even now, when he had his back turned, Kolbeinn protected him.

    "Why did you do it?" Gissur asked as he embraced his wife, this seemed to calm her down.

    "My body¡­ It moved on its own," Kolbeinn responded and all Gissur did was burst outughing.

    These were the exact words he always said when they were younger. Suddenly, Tyr''s proposal of an alliance did not look far-fetched but Gissur was not interested, for he still had the illusion all his forces were untouched, including his brother, Njal.

    Noa came out amid themotion and Nora''s eyes immediately spotted him, Gissur was too upied to notice her slip past him, and everyone''s attention was focused on Gissur''s wife that they paid little to no attention to Nora''s movement.

    "Noa! I am so relieved you are safe! Is it true what they said about Isak?" Nora asked, she kept her hands to herself because she did not know who might be watching.

    "It is true but we do not have time to mourn! Tyr is in danger, I fear Gissur ns on killing him!" Noa warned her, but he also knew that they could not move Tyr or he would most certainly die.

    Right now, Tyr''s life was in the hands of the gods.

 Chapter 220 Ulf Crosses A Line

    The sun rose atst, what a long night that was and key events had taken ce everywhere.

    But with these events, the conclusion drew nearer but this was not the only ce that something interesting happened in the cover of the night.

    In Kattegat, Ulf had gotten close to Lagertha and she had let him because, in the end, she knew Ulf before Ragnar.

    Ragnar met her after she had helped the brothers avenge their grandfather, Siward but Ulf knew her before then, and seeing her do this only heightened his feelings for her.

    Ulf yed it safe, he never took any risky moves because he was content being in her presence but this harmed how Lagertha perceived him.

    She did not see him as a sexual candidate but seeing Ragnar fight in battle was what drew him to his younger brother.

    Unlike Ulf, Ragnar was callous and carefree, he spoke what was on his mind yet his swordsmanship was so refined.

    Ragnar teased her and the two went at each other whenever they got the chance and Ulf could only watch Lagertha slip through his fingers.

    But now was his chance to correct that mistake.

    Ragnar had not seen Lagertha for quite some time and like everyone, Lagertha had carnal needs that needed to be satiated.

    Ulf had always slept on the floor or the chair during the time he had spent there but he decided to be brave today.

    He wanted to take the chance his younger self did not have the balls to.

    Ulf did not think Ragnar woulde back, and it would be a safe assumption to say Ragnar had moved on.

    He knew that this was what Lagertha felt deep down and Ragnar cutting off ties with Kattegat put a strain on their marriage as Lagertha''s loyalty was sworn to Kattegat.

    Ulf and Lagertha shared their memories through stories and how ridiculous Ulf was as a kid.

    Theyughed andughed but there was a moment.

    A very brief moment that Lagertha looked at Ulf with eyes only meant for her husband.

    A moment Ulf had noticed, and he had ns to take advantage of as he immediately kissed Lagertha.

    This stunned Lagertha, and without hesitation, she pushed him off her and gave him a resounding p.

    "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?" Lagertha barked, she knew the thought had crossed her mind but never would act on it and betray Ragnar.

    And she was repulsed that Ulf thought her to be such a woman. Ulf was embarrassed because he knew he had crossed a line that he should not have but one could me the heat of the moment.

    "I-I am sorry Lagertha! I thought you wanted to!" Ulf pleaded his innocence.

    "GET OUT ULF!" Lagertha was furious but she med herself, what was she thinking letting another man sleep in their home?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She trusted Ulf and suspected he had feelings for her but she did not know he was stupid enough to act on them.

    Ulf hung his head down and exited the house, Lagertha mmed the door but she suspected themotion had woken Bjorn up, she had forgotten about him in her fit of rage.

    She gently entered his room to check if he was sleeping and she was thankful that her son was a heavy sleeper when under this roof.

    She heaved a sigh of relief as she left the room and just then, Bjorn''s eyes opened and boy, did he look mad.

    -

    King Ragnar had taken the advice of King Rugalf regarding their rtionship with Kattegat.

    He knew he could not let his personal feelings get in the way of what was best for Vestfold and right now, an alliance with Kattegat profited them the most.

    Skarde had been an invaluable asset to him, he heard about the death of Herfj??tur.

    He was proud of how she died, she died fighting for Kattegat but he did mourn her.

    Skarde knew he would reunite with her in Valha should the time of his death evere as he had lived a life worth the rewards of the Great Hall.

    Ragnar hadmanded Skarde earlier that night to make contact with Kattegat for a meeting.

    Ragnar had an army with seven individuals on par or even stronger than the warriors that bore the title, mander" that Askild had given his strongest warriors.

    Ragnar was advised to take a wife, but he refused nor had heid with a woman despite not seeing his wife for so long, he remained faithful.

    The temptation was resounding, he had urges and every girl in Vestfold wanted his seed so they could be Queen.

    But not everyone epted Ragnar as King and there have been rumors of a force being formed within Vestfold that posed a threat.

    They had one goal and that was to overthrow Ragnar but no one could get close enough to Ragnar.

    Ragnar was cautious, he knew he had enemies but he knew the best way to keep them in check was to make them understand that they needed him.

    When one is useless, being liked is a necessity or they would be disposed of but what happens if one bes indispensable? Being liked bes an option. And right now, Ragnar wanted to be thetter.

    Ragnar had set up a councilposed of the average people, they would discuss the affairs and needs of themon people and pass it on to Ragnar to see if it was worthy of implementation hence creating a sense of inclusivity but the political figureheads did not like this as they sensed that their influence was diminishing with this new unprecedented form of ruling.

    Ragnar noted this but he knew how to keep them happy. Skarde was left in charge of that affair because he was better equipped to handle the rich and powerful. Skarde was getting closer to the woman that seemed to have everyone else under her control but he was no fool, he knew this was her attempt in wrapping her webs around him.

    One thing was certain, the Viking era was about to enter a new age.

 Chapter 221 Tyrs Prophecy? Glory Or Doom!

    Kolbeinn and Gissur had an understanding, the day had progressed since both men made contact with each other. They did not cross des but still recognized each other as enemies.

    Gissur was nostalgic and had weed Kolbeinn into his home to have a drink but he was still an enemy.

    This truce would onlyst for a few hours as Kolbeinn had triggered the soft spot he had for family.

    Everyone rested but they were still on extremely high alert as Gissur could easily change his mind and dere them enemies on a whim.

    But they would soon have more important things to worry about and that came in the form of G¨­.

    G¨­ was injured and looked like he was barely clinging to his life, he was and the only thing keeping him moving was his will for his body would otherwise copse under the wound he had acquired.

    "C-Chieftain! They have broken through our second line! Sighvatur! Sighvatur has joined the battle!" G¨­ shouted, he did not know if his body wouldst any longer hence why he reported without any hesitation.

    He did not even take the visitors he had into consideration because this was of utmost importance.

    "What do you mean Sighvatur has joined the battle? The reports said Stu, and that was why Njal went to curb their forces so what is this?" Gissur was finding it hard to believe what he was hearing because he knew that if this was the case then Njal''s life would be in danger.

    "It is true! They surrounded us! We tried to fight back and report to you but that was when we encountered Sighvatur. We were swiftly defeated!" G¨­ was ready to divulge as much information as he could before he lost consciousness.

    Gissur could not believe what he heard but what he hated more was that this man left his brother to his devices and ran.

    G¨­ would soon sumb to his injuries and lose consciousness, this single act saved him from Gissur''s wrath as he was ready to pounce on the man and beat him like he did Tyr.

    He was a valuable source of information and this granted him a chance at life as he was rushed to the center where Tyr was.

    Gissur now had more important things than Kolbeinn to deal with, but Kolbeinn sensed this might be a chance to crush Sighvatur.

    If they joined forces, that is because Sighvatur did not have this much power when his brother was still alive. After all, he knew the threat they posed if they fought together.

    The rift between them is what gave Sighvatur that push he needed to be stronger, this and the skills Ymir granted his son.

    Gudrun was called by Nora, and she rushed to her side because she had noticed that Nora was not there with them a few minutes earlier.

    She snuck in that direction as Kolbeinn began his pitch and reason as to why they should join armies to face Sighvatur.

    -

    "What is it, Nora?" Gudrun asked her but Nora was not verbal, all she did was tilt her head in the direction of the building where Noa stood despite his injuries.

    "Tyr is in there, I thought you would want to see him but I have to warn you¡­." Nora paused, her face saddening.

    "It is fine, I am ready," Gudrun reassured her as she walked into the building where Tyr rested.

    What she saw brought tears to her eyes, Tyr did not look like¡­.Tyr.

    His entire face was swollen, and she hoped that this did not cause any brain damage as she had seen men never wake up from such an injury.

    She hoped that he was truly favored by the gods, or this might be the end of his journey.

    She did not realize when tears started streaming down her face and dripping onto Tyr''s wounded face.

    After sorrow came anger, but she had heard stories about Gissur, it was more surprising that he left Tyr alive than it was that he beat him to a pulp.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But she wondered what he was talking about regarding a prophecy, what was his wife''s reaction to hearing he beat Tyr?

    Something was going on but she knew there was no way for her to find out or at least that is what she initially thought. She saw that one of these men was helping Nora for some reason.

    "Hey¡­" Gudrun called out to Noa but Nora entered the house the moment she noticed this to see what was going on.

    Gudrun asked what was wrong with Gissur''s wife as well as what this prophecy was but unfortunately for her, Noa only held the answer to one of these questions. He exined the gift that Gissur''s wife had.

    They doubted it but entertained the idea because whatever the reason, that was what kept Gissur from killing Tyr.

    But everyone was greeted with an overwhelming stench, it was a mix of urine and shit.

    They looked in the direction in which it originated from and behold, it was Gissur''s wife.

    It took everything in them not to throw up, but they also knew they could not leave Tyr with her because she is mentally unstable.

    Noa lowered his head, she was the wife of Gissur and deserved the respect that came with that title.

    Nora and Gudrun followed suit as they were visitors but the woman did not even recognize their presence.

    "That boy¡­" She muttered, walking beside the Tyr.

    The closer she got, the worse the smell got.

    Nora was worried about what she wanted to do and if she had any intentions of harming him.

    She would not hesitate to put her down, Gudrun shared this same sentiment.

    But all she did was lick Tyr''s blood, this was something she had never done except for her husband.

    For she could see the fate of anyone whose blood she ingested.

    Nora and Gudrun had a grossed-out expression because they knew this woman was far from hygienic and her licking Tyr''s wound could very well infect it.

    But Noa''s warning gaze told them that they had no choice but to look.

    Thest thing they needed was that madman outside toe here and beat them to a pulp too.

    But all that happened after she took the blood was her having a seizure, she dropped to the ground and began shaking uncontrobly.

    Noa wanted to call for help but even in this state, she was conscious enough to tell him,

    "No." The seizure soon stopped and she looked terrified by what she had seen.

    "What a wonderful future fate has in store for you! You cannot die! You must not die! A boy lost to his past! That past will take everything from you!" The woman said, pausing as she looked around.

    "No¡­ it will take everyone from you!" She warned but it was like she was in a trance. She had seen a future that supersedes the glories she once saw her husband achieving but Gissur touched Tyr before he needed to drastically change the future she had seen for her husband.

    Gissur had lost a great future due to his impulsive nature.

 Chapter 222 Ulfs Guilt

    Ulf had crossed a line and he knew that this would cause irreparable damage to their rtionship.

    But he was lucky that it did not escte. No, he was lucky that Ragnar was not here.

    The sun had risen and a messenger from Vestfold had arrived, Ulf knew he was from Vestfold because of the crest on his clothes.

    "A messenger? What do they want?" Ulf was curious as this man was guided to the throne room where King Askild sat.

    "What''s going on?" Ulf thought to himself, he was not the only one that was curious about this.

    "It seems Vestfold has made contact with Kattegat," A voice said behind Ulf, Ulf turned to see that it was Ulrik.

    Ulrik looked a lot meaner, and with his wrinkled forehead showing he had grown older but maybe his face did not give an urate representation of his age anymore as he looked older.

    Ulf did not bother responding to him.

    "You should be happy, you might get to see your brother soon if it is what I am thinking," Ulrik said with a broad smile but Ulf maintained his silence.

    He kissed his teeth and excused himself.

    "What''s gotten up his ass?" Ulrik questioned but he got his response in the form of Reidar.

    "It''s what has not gotten up his ass, I believe, my liege!" Reidar was under Ulrik, he had changed his allegiance the moment Aksild reimed the throne because he knew that death was not worth the trade-off for a man that nned for years only to botch the final delivery

    "Drop the liege Reidar!" Ulrik barked.

    "Okay, my Lord!" Reidar said once again but now we understood why Ulrik''s forehead had wrinkled.

    Reidar was stressing the living shit out of him.

    "Why do I even bother¡­" Ulrik said. He had taken Reidar under hismand after seeing he had no ulterior motives or interest. He just wanted a stress-free life.

    -

    Ulf was anxious, he knew what would happen to him if word reached his brother.

    Ragnar did not take betrayal lightly, betrayal of any form. He found himself fidgeting and paranoid.

    What could the point of the messenger be?

    What was he doing here after years of being at odds with Kattegat?

    "Uncle Ulf." Ulf jumped the moment he heard Bjorn''s voice.

    "O-Oh! It is you, Bjorn." Ulf nervously said, but he soonposed himself.

    "Did you see the messenger from Vestfold as well?" Bjorn asked his uncle and Ulf nodded to confirm.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I am d father is attempting to reconcile with Kattegat," Bjorn was happy with the development because he knew that this might bring his father back.

    "I am d too," Ulf said but Bjorn''s eyes squinted at this response.

    "Are you sure you are?" Bjorn asked and Ulf raised a brow to this question, why was Bjorn speaking like he knew something?

    "What do you mean?" Ulf asked and Bjorn looked him right in the eyes without uttering a word.

    "Hahaha! I am just joking around Uncle Ulf," Bjornughed it off and Ulf awkwardlyughed along with him but what he felt across his face was a fist jamming his lower jaw.

    Bjorn had punched him right across the face, this was no longer the punch of a boy and the force that he hit Ulf with was proof.

    "You are a pathetic man and I do not want to ever see you near my mother," Bjorn was disappointed because this was once the man he looked up to yet he could not even honor something as sacred as a marriage.

    Ulf did not retaliate, he could not even begin to think about the consequence of his action.

    "Bjorn¡­" Ulf said weakly but all he saw in Bjorn''s eyes were disgust. Bjorn had be a lot colder, he was no longer the naive jolly boy he was four years ago and Ulf just learned that firsthand.

    -

    King Askild weed the messenger with open arms, he knew what would happen if he acted hostile towards him as Ragnar''s cooperation was of utmost importance.

    He was not going to screw it up, he did not hide that he needed Ragnar, everyone knew as he had tried to be in contact with him multiple times in the past.

    This was the only time Ragnar was responding.

    The messenger dropped to one knee, bowing his head to show Askild the respect due for a King.

    "Greetings King Askild, I bring you news from King Ragnar!" The messenger was as polite as they came.

    "Ah, King Ragnar, my old friend! Do tell," Askild gave him the go-ahead to deliver the message.

    "King Ragnar has epted your offer at an alliance but he has conditions¡­." The messenger paused, waiting for Askild to give him the go-ahead and it came in the form of a nod.

    "He has requested that you allow him entry into Kattegat to see his family as well as free passage to them whenever they want toe to him in Vestfold for the two kingdoms are allies¡­." The messenger said. Askild knew this would happen, he was counting on it. This was part of the reason he gave Bjorn such an important role because a father could only stay so long away from his father.

    "This is quite the surprise but you tell King Ragnar that he has a deal. I agree to his terms, he is wee to Kattegat anytime to discuss the details." Askild said; this was a huge weight off his shoulders as this should stabilize Kattegat. A powerful economical move.

    Fredrik''s death left a vacuum, and the broken down rtion with Vestfold made things even worse as Askild has defended his territories from minor incursions but the fact that they dared to attempt this only showed how far Kattegat had fallen.

    Birger had taught him one thing and that was the ws in his ruling system, he could not risk gathering more enemies outside his kingdom or they might collude with the ones within the walls.

    An act he needed to avoid at all costs.

 Chapter 223 A Form Of Betrayal?

    A month passed, and the Sturlungar n did not make another move but instead fortified their new base of operation but this put everyone on high alert.

    And it only solidified Kolbeinn and Gissur''s alliance.

    Gissur never found out that his wife had "imprinted" on Tyr because what she did was a sacred act that he had thought was exclusive to him.

    This was a form of betrayal because she had no business wanting to know the future of anyone that was not her husband, and Noa had no interest in telling Gissur or he mightsh out at him.

    Gissur was impulsive as shown on multiple asions, Tyr wasing back to it, fortunately.

    The injuries he had gotten were all but healed, this included the stab wound he had gotten from Noa''s assault.

    This could be attributed to the herbs that had been preserved, Gissur never once visited him there.

    Each passing day only confirmed what G¨­ reported because there was no way that Njal would go this long withoutmunicating with him.

    Gissur was livid but Kolbeinn was there to keep him in check or he was at risk of imploding.

    "Tyr, you''re up and about?" Nora asked but something seemed different in Tyr''s eyes.

    It was cold, there was no sign of the warm boy that cuddled Gudrun to sleep or protected Nora from being defiled, it was hollow but the girls attributed this to him being in such a devastating state for so long.

    Each time Tyr came close to death, he regained a lost part of himself and it was not always in the form of memories but something else, something unknown and dark for each close encounter with death brought him closer to being death itself.

    "I am fine, Gudrun," Tyr responded but his tone was disconnected and cold.

    Gudrun could not hold in her emotions and just started crying, she embraced him and sobbed profusely.

    The coldness left Tyr''s eyes the moment he felt her warmth, there was something familiar about her, something loving.

    "You were worried, weren''t you?" Tyr asked, stroking her hair gently.

    "I thought you were going to die!" Gudrun barked and one could not me her considering the state Tyr was in.

    Kolbeinn came to see the boy, he wanted to inform Tyr about everything he had missed as Tyr saw things a lot differently than they did.

    His input would be invaluable but Gissur did not apany Kolbeinn on this, he instead spent the rest of the day with his wife.

    "It is good to see you two are getting along well," Kolbeinn said, sitting on the chair on the opposite side of his bed.

    "She worries a lot, I don''t like when she worries," Tyr said as he kept stroking her hair.

    He was more weing to public affection, and Kolbeinn knew it was only a matter of time before hepletely lost his daughter to Tyr, the day every father feared.

    "You could say the gods did not abandon me yet," Tyr teased, but Kolbeinn agreed with this statement.

    Kolbeinn proceeded to tell him about every single thing that Tyr missed when he was out, this included Gudrun''s speech to save him.

    Gudrun buried her head deeper in his embrace, trying to hide her flushed face because it was a moment of weakness but Tyr found this amusing.

    Heughed his ass out, and could not believe that Gudrun had gone to such lengths for him but he appreciated it.

    Holding her face, he aligned it to look him directly in the eyes but she could barely maintain eye contact because there was this intense tension.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Her heart was beating fast, it felt like it would tear through her chest.

    Tyr did the triangle method, where he would look at her eyes individually before looking at her lips.

    "Does he want to kiss me here!? In front of my father?" Gudrun thought, she did not mind it but she did not want her father to be in the same room for her first kiss.

    Tyr''s face already began closer and she did not know what to do so all she did was close her eyes to ept this kiss. She puckered up but the kiss never came, instead, she felt something moist yet warm make contact with her forehead.

    She opened her eyes and saw that Tyr had kissed her forehead and for some reason, this felt even more intimate than a kiss on the lips.

    "I am one lucky bastard to have you by my side," Tyr said with a grin.

    Gudrun knew at this moment that she would do anything for this boy, she knew for certain that she was in love with Tyr.

    "You are still clueless, Tyr¡­" Kolbeinn said with an exhausted sigh.

    "What do you mean, Chieftain Kolbeinn?" Tyr questioned.

    "She wanted to be kissed on the li-!" Kolbeinn was interrupted by Gudrun''s deafening scream.

    "SHUT UP DAD!"

    -

    Gissur was with his wife, he wanted to know what his fate was in the battle against the Sturlungar n.

    He knew his wife''s most valuable trait was her ability to see into the future.

    And now he needed her powers more than ever, would Kolbeinn betray him? Would they win the war? Would he survive? There were so many things he wanted to know.

    She ingested her husband''s blood like usual, but there was something strange.

    "I cannot see it¡­ It is empty¡­" She blurted out and Gissur did not know what she meant by this.

    Maybe she needed more blood? He cut himself even deeper and gave him more of her blood.

    But it was the same thing, she could not see anything but that could only mean that the gods'' favor was no longer in the favor of her husband.

    "What have you done?" Gissur asked, but his wife looked panicked because she realized that the gods had chosen Tyr over him.

    But that was only possible because she had imprinted on him, the imprinting was a secret act that made her the vessel of the one that the gods deemed worthy to tie her to but this was something Gissur knew.

    "Was it that boy?" Gissur asked, veins bing visible on his forehead. It looked like he was going to have an aneurysm at any moment.

    "Y-Yes, my love," She responded and Gissur immediately punched the floor, bursting a hole right through it before storming towards the door.

    "Where are you going my love!?" His wife called out.

    "I am going to kill that little shit!"

 Chapter 224 Sighvaturs Plan? They Strike Soon!

    Stu and Sighvatur sat by the fire, the flickering mes casting shadows across their faces. The sound of the wind howling outside filled the room, reminding them of the harsh winter they were enduring. They were both battle-hardened warriors, with years of experience under their belts. They had fought many battles, but this one felt a tad bit different.

    Stu leaned forward, his eyes glistening in presence of the fire.

    "We cannot let those savages. continue to exist right under our noses, we have had the upper hand for a month now. It is time we put an end to this once and for all." Stu was tired of waiting as the winter got harder to endure. Sighvatur nodded.

    "Agreed. But how do we do it? This battle will be won anytime we attack but we will lose a great number of men in a confrontation, which will greatly weaken our n in the long run. Remember, there are others which we must conquer for ''him''." Sighvatur said, but whether this showed they were under themand of someone or otherwise was left to the imagination.

    Sighvatur rubbed his beard, deep in thought.

    "We need to catch them off, guard. We''llunch a surprise attack when winter is at its peak when they least expect it." Sighvatur said.

    "But the winter is the harshest time of the year. It''s difficult to travel, let aloneunch an attack." Stuid a counterpoint.

    Sighvatur grinned upon hearing his son''s concern.

    "That is exactly why they will not expect it. We will use our knowledge of the terrain that we have gained in this past month to our advantage. We know thesends like the back of our hands now. They don''t stand a chance." Stu''s brow furrowed as these words escaped his father''s lips but that furrow soon resulted in a smile as the chaotic fire burned in his eyes.

    "I like the way you think, Father. What is our strategy?" Stu asked. Prompting Sighvatur to lean back, and pull out a manually drawn bag from his bag. He spread it out across the table, pointing to several locations. "We will split our forces in three. You and your men will attack from the east, drawing their attention. I''ll lead the main force from the west, nking them. And our third force, led by j?kull Steinfinnsson, will hit them from the north, trapping them in between our attacks." Sighvatur told his son the strategy they would be using to attack Gissur and his newly found ally.

    Stu squinted, studying the map, nodding his head in agreement.

    "It is a well-thought-out n. But what about our supplies? It is not easy to travel in the winter, and we are already almost out of food and water." Stu questioned what he thought was a w in his father''s n but all Sighvatur did was grin before saying.

    "That is where our scoutse in. They have been keeping an eye on the enemy''s camp, and they have reported that they have left their stores unguarded and we will not be staying here long for winter is already at its peak. You will begin your attack with the primary objective of drawing them away from their camp and bringing them here allowing us to not only steal their food but disce their forces in a single move. This battle will not be over in a day, a perfect n does not go exactly as nned but make amends for when it does not."

    Stu''s stern face broke as he chuckled.

    "Brilliant! I can see why you are the leader of our n, Father!" Stu praised his old man. Sighvatur smiled upon hearing the warm words from his son.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "But it is not just me. It is our entire n. Our warriors are the toughest in all thends. We know what it takes to win." Sighvatur did not take all the credit, instead giving his warriors their due des as well. Stu concurred with his father''s statement as he nodded in agreement.

    "Aye, but we need to be careful. They are also no strangers to battle. They will not go down without a fight." This showed that Stu in no way underestimated them despite their resounding victory a month ago. Sighvatur, however, raised his hand, silencing Stu.

    "I know. But we have one advantage they do not. While we are not just fighting for ourselves but our families, our homes, and our way of life as they too are fighting for these things but we have a very important piece in our possession¡­" Sighvatur paused, ncing over at the vacant space in the corner of the room to reveal a bound person with a bag over their head.

    "... The brother of Gissur himself, General Njal," Sighvatur concluded.

    The two warriors sat in silence for a moment, staring into the fire. The wind howled, outside a reminder of the danger they would face. But they were not afraid. They were Vikings. And they were ready to fight.

    "You will leave at dawn, son," Sighvatur said, pausing, as he rose to his feet.

    "Get your men ready. We have a battle to win." The Chieftain concluded.

    Stu stood as well, gripping his sword tightly.

    "I will send word to j?kull Steinfinnsson. We will be ready." Stu said; he had a renewed vigor in his eyes because his father never doubted their victory, he only cared about the price in which they would pay for it.

    Sighvatur ced a hand on Stu''s shoulder.

    "Good. Together, we will show those people what it means to face the Vikings of the Sturlungar n," Sighvatur was ready to make his move.

    The two warriors sped arms, their eyes gleaming with determination. They knew the battle ahead would be one of the toughest they would ever face. But they also knew that they were Vikings. And they never backed down from a fight.

    "Let us burn down our enemies. This is the first foundation for our establishment¡­" The ns these people had was something grander than conquering a few territories.

 Chapter 225 A Brothers Hate

    The month witnessed a change in the other world as well, the great Viking era wasing to its peak as warriors and prophecies backed this up.

    Bjorn had grown to be a great warrior, he was strong with a sense of justice to boot.

    He saw betrayal as the ultimate sin, and now Ulf had shown his true color by coveting someone that did not belong to him.

    Bjorn had an army under hismand and their loyalty to him was absolute, they would jump on a sword for him if he willed it because they knew the honor that came with serving the son of Ragnar.

    Viggo was one, he was a rough person that did not follow the conventional rules but he was no criminal. And listened to thews but the morality of others did not apply to him.

    Bjorn was his anchor and had be his life, he was older than Bjorn but he had no problems submitting to him. Ragnar was rumored to being to Kattegat, and this could exin why the security had been amped up because Askild had no intentions of risking this meeting.

    Ragnar wasing to Kattegat, this was a risky move even for someone of his skill set because he was not sure of King Askild''s intention but he also knew that Vestfold stood at the pinnacle right now.

    "Bjorn Ironside. How did you get that name?" Viggo questioned hismander, he was curious to know more about hismander because all he had heard were stories about his feat.

    But tales tend to be exaggerated, and he wanted to hear it from the horse''s mouth directly.

    "It was nothing impressive¡­" Bjorn quickly shot his idea down.

    "What? You are far too modest! I heard no weapon could harm you! I heard that swords bounced off your skin! Your skin is invulnerable to all and every enemy weapon!" Viggo was giddy like a child but Bjorn knew the real story was anything but embarrassing.

    "King Ragnar ising, we have to be ready for his arrival¡­" Bjorn changed the subject and he was d that his father wasing to Kattegat. It has been years since he wasst year and that was under less favorable conditions.

    "You should be more excited! King Ragnar ising! Your father ising!" Viggo tried his best to hype him up.

    "Hahaha! Do not be silly Viggo!" Bjorn tried to y down his excitement even though he wanted to burst out in songs like he was a character in a high school musical but he kept on a stern face.

    "Say, Bjorn¡­." Viggo said, pausing to draw hismander''s attention.

    "What is it?" Bjorn responded with an annoyed facial expression.

    "It is about your brother¡­" Viggo said with a sinister grin, knowing this was sure to get under his skin. Bjorn always had a calm look on his face, but he could not keep up the pretense.

    "Your brother¡­. Don''t you miss him?" Viggo questioned in a sarcastic tone and Bjorn immediately tensed, only his eyes showed his hatred but his body soon rxed.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, the son of Ragnar and brother of Bjorn Ironside. I doubt there is anyone that could beat you three if you joined forces." Viggo was right in his thinking but the only thing was. Bjorn did not view Tyr as his brother anymore, he viewed Tyr as an enemy that betrayed Kattegat and his family.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr was ungrateful, Ragnar took him in as family yet he chose Erik The Berserker over his family. He wanted to kill Tyr with his own two hands but he did not know if this wasing from a ce of pain or if he wanted to kill him.

    He remained silent because he knew if he showed a reaction to this, then it would only motivate Viggo to keep pushing his buttons.

    That was thest thing he needed so Bjorn swallowed all his anger and rage at this very moment and shed a smile,

    "You are quite the troublesome one¡­" Bjorn said and Viggo burst outughing, he knew that Bjorn wanted to smack him across the head because he had hit a nerve.

    "You do not need to worry about Tyr anymore¡­" Viggo said and Bjorn raised an eyebrow in confusion.

    "Why?" Bjorn questioned Viggo. Hoping he knew something he did not know about Tyr.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson is dead," Viggo said and Bjorn could not contain hisughter.

    "Tyr is dead? You do not know him! One thing he knows how to do is survive, and he will do anything he can to do it. This includes betraying his family so the question is¡­ Who will he betray next?" Bjorn had not only a genuineugh and the tone of his voice betrayed his feelings.

    -

    Tyr had given Kolbeinn his take on warfare and this included telling him about why anyone would wait that long despite having the upper hand, that was because they had an even bigger advantage by waiting.

    Kolbeinn was impressed but Tyr only acquired this knowledge because of the war he partook in, he had Askild to thank for this but there was a different factor in this case, the enemy was the one with the advantage.

    "Winter is going to hit hard this year, I do not think they can withstand," Kolbeinn suggested but this drew Tyr''s attention to something he had missed.

    He remembered why no one dared enter the Sturlungar''s n territory, it was not just because of their strength but their dangerous weather.

    Gissur was confident he could take them on for so long with his brother by his side, and one thing Tyr has established is Gissur would use any excuse to showcase his strength so this was not a matter of strength. And the Sturlungar n only happened to make a move during this particr winter when it would hit harder than it has in forever.

    Tyr had broken it all down in his head and weighed up the possibility.

    "It is the weather¡­." Tyr blurted out but before they could continue the conversation or it could advance, Gissur walked in.

    "I will kill you¡­" These were the only words that left the mouth of the furious Chieftain.

 Chapter 226 Gissur Vs Tyr, Round Two!

    Gissur was angry with Tyr and Kolbeinn was confused as to why but Gudrun had an idea and it had to do with his wife.

    "What is the meaning of this Gissur?" Kolbeinn asked, he did not know what Tyr did that could make him so angry, he was unconscious until recently and if anyone had the right to be angry then it would be Tyr.

    "Step aside Kolbeinn, I will handle it," Tyr said as he left the bed he was on and confronted Gissur. Even he did not know what his wife had done nor the words she had uttered as Gudrun and Nora thought she was just crazy and kept it to themselves.

    There was no way that Tyr could be interested in her and Gissur thinking only confirmed the saying that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

    "What is the meaning of this Gissur? I have shown you your due respect and I think it is about time you showed me mine¡­" Tyr said; he was tired of being looked down on by Gissur.

    He had seen and aplished things that Gissur could only dream about but somehow Gissur thought he was better than Tyr.

    "What did you do to my wife?" Gissur asked and this was what had Tyr confused, he did not know what he was talking about but he had a bone to pick with him.

    "I am going to kill you!" Gissur barked. Tyr was tired of the threats and he was ready to fight Gissur.

    "Now is not the time to be fighting, we have an enemy to face!" Kolbeinn tried to stop them, cing his hand on Tyr''s shoulder to stop him in his tracks.

    "Kolbeinn¡­." Tyr muttered, Kolbeinn hoping he had knocked some sense into Tyr.

    "... If you do not take your hands off me, you will lose it," Tyr threatened him, and Kolbeinn did not know why he removed his hand from Tyr''s shoulder but he just did.

    Gissur did not wait anymore and charged toward Tyr, Tyr was at full strength this time and he was not bound. They were both without their weapons so this was going to be a fistfight.

    Kobeinn knew respect was essential as Gissur gave him the respect he deserved and knew that this might do more good than harm.

    Gudrun wanted to speak but Kolbeinn gestured for her to stay still, this was not an affair she could interfere in because Gissur, had to settle their differences the same way men have been settling them for ages and that was with their fists.

    Tyr dodged his uppercut effortlessly with a backflip while simultaneouslynding a kick right below Gissur''s jaw.

    Gissur stumbled backward from the recoil, Tyr was not only faster but he knew what would happen if he allowed Gissur to grab him.

    Kolbeinn was surprised hended a hit but this was due to Gissur not only being blinded by rage but because he had underestimated Tyr.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Gissur looked excited, spitting out blood as he cracked his knuckles and charged at Tyr again.

    Gudrun could not believe hended a hit, she knew he was strong but it took a different kind of skill to injure Gissur.

    Gissur attempted a sweeping kick, forcing Tyr up as he had to jump to dodge it, but Gissur was not going to let him have his way. Gissur grabbed Tyr''s trousers while he was in midair, and smashed him into the ground.

    Gissur was no stranger in hand-to-handbat, and he was showing Tyr just how skilled he was but his eyes did not look at Tyr with the same resentment they did moments ago.

    It held respect, Tyr had earned his respect bynding a blow on him with their first exchange.

    Tyr got up to his feet as fast as he was put on his back, and he and Gissur had bothnded a hit.

    "You are not bad!" Gissur shouted, but Tyr did not care about hispliment because the fact that Gissur couldnd a blow on him told him he still had a lot to learn.

    He had misjudged how flexible this monster was and now he did not know what else he had misjudged from their first encounter. It was hard getting a read on Gissur, he could with others but Gissur was like a nk te.

    There was no third exchange as Gissur understood that this might be a kid but the fact that his wife did what she did despite her absolute loyalty to him told him that Tyr was an important person in whatever prophecy his wife had. He just wanted to find a way to vent, and Tyr had provided him with that luxury.

    "I hate you brat but I can now see how you are better to me alive than dead," Gissur said, pausing as he turned his back to Tyr before saying.

    "....But you have not earned the respect you seek," Gissur said but a piercing sound soon made its way into his head, and it was a warning.

    "TYR STOP!!!" Gissur saw a looming shadow that grewrger andrger, but this shadow held two axes, Tyr did not have any sense of honor, and the moment Gissur turned around.

    Tyr went to take off his head, but Gissur simply chuckled because it was clear that Tyr still had steam to blow off but there was a reason Gissur was feared.

    He dodged the attack effortlessly, but Gissur not only dodged Tyr''s attack but nted a punch right into his guts before his feet could even touch the ground.

    "You are a hundred years too early to im my head, child but I know what you are, You are a warrior that fights on primal instinct! Like a dog! Every fiber in your body is screaming for you to kill me because it recognizes me as a threat¡­" Gissur said, watching Tyr drop to the floor in pain. He was speaking like he had experience with this because everything he said was what Tyr felt at that moment.

    "Hahahah! You are an interesting kid," Gissur said, walking out of the house but Tyr had earned his respect with this gesture. A boy was willing to take his head regardless of the consequences. Now that is a boy he can respect.

 Chapter 227 King Ragnar Arrives!

    The rumors about King Ragnar''s arrival turned out to not just be rumors for the King of Vestfold arrived that day on a white horse and behind him, there were only five men on ck horses.

    They were dressed differently from your average warriors, showing that these were warriors of some prominence.

    Everyone gathered, staring at Ragnar like he was an entity that descended from Asgard because the stories that they had heard about him were something.

    Ragnar did not mind it but the five warriors around him were tensed up because they did not know Ragnar was so popr here despite their hostile status for quite some time.

    They mistook this as some sort of impending threat.

    Ulrik was at the throne room entrance as he approached Ragnar with a stern face but he did this to be professional. However, this mask soon cracked and he had a wild smile on his face.

    "Wee King Ragnar¡­" Ulrik said, his face twitching as he struggled to keep his face straight.

    King Ragnar did not even pretend not to be happy to see Ulrik, embracing the younger warrior.

    An act that surprised everyone considering he was a King and certain acts would now be questioned.

    "It is good to see you, young friend¡­" Ragnar said, breaking apart from his embrace as he looked him right in the eyes.

    "You have¡­. aged quite terribly," Ragnar said, Ulrik looked like a grumpy older man.

    "COMMANDER ULRIK!" Reidar shouted and Ulrik''s happy face immediately changed into that of frustration. Reidar ran toward hismander but this was his excuse to see King Ragnar up close.

    Ragnar''s blue eyes were intimidating and he found himself not being able to hold his gaze.

    He bent his head, and exaggeratedly greeted Ragnar, dropping titles upon titles.

    Even Ragnar was getting flustered because he had never been good withpliments.

    "Reidar, that is enough!" Ulrik warned and Reidar started to apologize like he was just put on death role and at that moment, Ragnar understood why he aged terribly but the joyful atmosphere soon took a serious tone as they knew Ragnar was not just a warrior anymore but a King and even familiarity had its limit when it came to weing one.

    Ragnar looked around, and Ukrik knew who he was looking for without him asking.

    "King Ragnar, only you may advance past this point," Ulrik said. Ragnar knew the procedure already and had unmounted his horse but when he was walking past Ulrik. He whispered in his ear.

    "Your son and wife are safe, I will inform them that you are here¡­." Ulrik knew he could not give him this information otherwise hence why he waited until Ragnar was walking past him.

    Ragnar showed no outward reaction to this but his bodynguage told Ulrik that he was grateful for this gesture.

    But now it was time to meet the despicable man known as King Askild.

    -

    Hagen was working, he had been hard at work these past few years with a few inventions of his own.

    He had modified the ship that took them to Vestfold because he sensed that the waters that awaited them were far harsher than that of Vestfold.

    He wanted to send his friend and the rumors quite frankly excited him hence why he hurried to work for he wanted to craft something for his friend.

    Sit had not seen her husband this excited in years but this showed just how pure their friendship was.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Hagen had be somewhat popr as he had been visited by some renowned inventors around Norway where they exchanged knowledge.

    They wanted to know how he conquered the waters in Vestfold but this was the one secret he never shared for it had the potential to put his friend in danger.

    This included the crossbows that nearly killed his King for such a weapon was too dangerous to be general knowledge.

    He knew Ragnar had arrived because he could hear the chatters around and this included cheers.

    "I need to hurry up!" Hagen thought to himself as he rounded up his creation but he knew this creation had the potential to change everything.

    This included how the Vikings fought, Hagen had noticed that theycked any form of warfare on water because swords would be useless.

    There had to be a way to fight from their ships withouting down, and the mainponent that made this idea usible was the crossbows.

    Was there a way he could mount those crossbows on the boats he was creating so they would rain down arrows?

    He knew he could increase the force of the arrows but making the mechanics of the crossbow bigger and the string thicker but it would also be a lot harder to pull back. Hagen had the blueprint created and that was what he was looking to create, he was finalizing it.

    -

    Lagertha had heard about her husband''s arrival and she could not contain her happiness.

    She was giddy even though Askild had told her to watch a different area of Kattegat.

    She knew that she could go see Ragnar after he was done with his business, but even with that, she could not wait.

    "Lady Lagertha, King Raganr has arrived." Ulrik had found her quickly because she was nearby and he knew exactly where Lagertha already knew but hearing Ulrik said it made her face crease into a broad smile.

    "I know!" Lagertha eximed despite trying her best to remain calm.

    "I could watch over your post for you, we could switch until the day is over¡­" Ulrik offered with Reidar behind him, admiring Lagertha.

    Lagertha was a breathtaking beauty, but this was not what was important right now.

    "Y-You would do that!?" Lagertha''s face lit up, something was calming about seeing a woman so in love with her husband.

    But it reminded him of Garda, Ulrik never knew what happened to her, she just vanished into thin air.

    Ulrik gave up and mourned her so he could move on from it but he knew he did love her and it was because of that love, he wanted to protect both Ragnar and Lagertha''s rtionship.

    He switched ces with Lagertha and she ran in the direction of her husband and Ukrik just smiled, watching her go.

    "Are you interested in her perhaps, sire?" Reidar whispered in his ear and Ulrik had had enough.

    Smacking him on his head.

    "Shut it!"

 Chapter 228 Old Enemies, New Allies!

    "Wee King Ragnar! I have been looking forward to this day for the longest time!" King Asked did not hide his excitement.

    The throne room had changed, it looked a lot more like the one in Vestfold, but even better.

    He had multiple tables and chairs there, it looked like a dining hall and Askild was seated on one of the tables.

    Ragnar looked at him right in the eyes, before smiling.

    "King Askild. I would be lying if I said I did not miss you¡­" Ragnar said and Askild was surprised by this warm reception but he was not that gullible.

    He knew this was an act, they were going to be allies so Ragnar had to y nice but he did not mind this.

    "Come, old friend! We have quite a lot to catch up on!" Askild said, gesturing for Ragnar toe meet him at the table he was seated in.

    The table had cups and drinks on it, Ragnar liked the reception he was getting so far but that was because he held all the cards in this negotiation.

    He also knew what Askild was capable of, his little fight with thete Asmund was proof of it.

    Ragnar sat but he avoided the alcohol because he was a lightweight despite Askild insisting he took just a sip.

    "I have seen that Kattegat has changed since thest time I was here, there are a lot more security outposts," Ragnar said, staring at the cup in front of him, he had seen Askild take a sip from the same bottle he had poured from yet he was skeptical.

    The death of Xenophanes followed a simr mechanic, Ragnar was never letting down his guard around him.

    "Hahaha! Kingdoms thought us to be weak when you cut ties with us so I had no choice but to go on the defensive¡­" Askild was upfront with his answer, he had no reason to lie.

    "Leave it to King Askild to show them who''s boss!" Ragnar eximed excitedly.

    "Hahahah!" Askildughed his ass out, but thatugh soon dissipated as his face turned stern.

    "You can drop the act, Ragnar, I do not remember your bloodlust ever being this potent," Askild said, taking a sip from the ale in front of him.

    "I am d you picked up on it, I was getting tired of it¡­ I am here to see my wife and child,ing here was to show respect for the rules that govern thisnd¡­"Ragnar said; this meeting was a pretend meeting.

    Ragnar knew Askild needed a good public image and Ragnar came to Kattegat to meet him, he needed to be all smiles with him so people would truly know that an alliance was in ce.

    The word spread, and this was exactly what Askild needed at this point.

    They sat together, drinking ale from the cup, Ragnar gave in and took a sip because why not.

    He was nervous, he was excited to see Lagertha, and boy was he going to show her.

    He stayed in the room with Askild for a few minutes, rounding up their discussion about how they nned to explore the West.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The information they had regarding this was strictly the information of the scout but from the description, it didn''t sound like a warrior''snd.

    People with crosses inhabited thend, but that was about it. King Askild wanted to explore thend with a small army of a hundred men, consisting of these other kingdoms, for he wanted to use this expedition to gauge the strength of his army.

    They were not oblivious to this fact, but they too saw this as an opportunity to gauge the motives of Askild.

    If it was as he said, then war in Norway might cease for everyone would want a piece of this adventure.

    This might be the one thing that would bring the whole of Norway together, and under one banner nheless.

    Ragnar was a big part because who did not want to fight alongside Ragnar, Ragnar''s reputation preceded him and Askild was going to use it to his advantage.

    And this would bring Askild closer to his ultimate goal.

    The goal is to be the one to rule not only Norway but conquer Ennd as well.

    -

    Ulf had heard about his brother''s arrival and looked extremely panicked by this prospect.

    Ulf was petrified because he knew there was no way that Lagertha would keep what he did to herself or that would be betraying Ragnar as he had done.

    "Damn it! What the fuck! It was not my fault! She was leading me on!" Ulf tried to justify his action, throwing a tantrum in his house as he rampaged through his house but then he remembered his status as amander.

    Ragnar could not touch him because he had worked so hard to build this reputation he had, and he was not going to lose it just because of a kiss.

    Lagertha must have wanted it, why else did she allow him to sleep in her house?

    She was aware that Ragnar would never allow her to do this so why did she allow him?

    Ulf started to piece together that he was not the only one in the wrong and began to doubt that Lagertha would tell Ragnar or she would have to tell him about her non-existent boundaries with him.

    But he knew he needed to see his brother, if it was going toe out of anyone''s mouth it should be his.

    This would sway the argument in his favor, Ragnar was most likely to believe the version of whoever told him the story first.

    Ulf wanted to gamble on the fact that Lagertha would not tell him, she did not tell him about Erik either until muchter so what was going to happen now?

    Would she choose that same route?

    Ulf crossed his fingers and prayed to the gods but he would not have to wait long because Lagertha was on course to meet her husband.

 Chapter 229 A Couples Night Of Passion PT.1 [R18+]

    Ragnar and Askild put on a grand disy, patting andughing with each other for all to see.

    All was well but deep down, they both hated each other despite their reasons for doing so varying.

    But then, Ragnar set eyes on the love of his life and his heart began beating like it was trying to rip itself out of his chest.

    Lagertha looked even more beautiful than he remembered and a sheepish smile crept up on his face.

    "Ragnar, is that really you...?" Lagertha questioned, tears welling up in her eyes and Ragnar, like usual, had a smart response to this.

    "You are dreaming Lagertha! Wake up!" Ragnar shouted but this only made his wifeugh.

    "Yup, you are definitely my husband!" Lagertha said as she ran into his arms.

    Ragnar missed this, her warmth. His hands went lower, grabbing her butt and this surprised Lagertha.

    "R-Ragnar! We are in public!" Lagertha reminded him and Ragnar immediately let go of her, clearing his throat in embarrassment.

    He looked left and right, all eyes were on him because of his status but he did not regret groping his wife.

    Lagertha grabbed him by the hand and both of them eloped but this made his Generals look in confusion because they did not know what to do now.

    Should they follow Ragnar or should they wait here?

    They decided to wait here because they knew Ragnar wanted alone time with his wife and it would be weird if they intruded on his quality time.

    -.

    Lagertha did not hesitate, she dragged him into the house and began stripping Ragnar.

    Ripping the clothes he had on his body, Ragnar has never seen Lagertha this hungry for sex.

    She was ovee with lust and the only thing she wanted right now was Ragnar''s dick between her luscious thighs.

    Even Ragnar could not get anything in, before he knew it, he was thrown onto the bed.

    For a warrior that had conquered battlefields, it was ironic that Ragnar could not conquer his wife in the bedroom.

    "I have missed you, Ragnar!" Lagertha said, she had ripped Ragnar''s clothes apart like a wild animal yet slid out of hers like a delicate princess.

    "Damn! Lagertha! Did your body get even more naughty?" Ragnarplimented his wife.

    "Why don''t youe and find out?" Lagertha teased, she could see Ragnar''s dick already throbbing, waiting for her gentle touch.

    Ragnar tried to stand but Lagertha forced him down on the bed, she was freakishly strong but not stronger than Ragnar Lothbrok.

    Ragnar loved it when she thought she was in control because she was rough with him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She looked right into his eyes and both of them kissed passionately, burying their tongues into the mouth of one another.

    Their tongues danced like they were one, and Ragnar''s hands wandered, he grabbed the ass of his wife, digging his nails into her butt cheeks.

    Lagertha moaned lightly, Ragnar could feel her dripping wet pussy marinating his dick, his nted shaft being warmed by the heat emanating from his wife''s pussy.

    She began grinding on his shaft slowly, Ragnar grabbed her waist to control the rhythm.

    Her pussylip felt every vein that protruded from Ragnar''s dick rubbing against not only her clit but pussy slit.

    "Fuck Ragnar! You know I will go crazy if you keep teasing me! Put it in!" Lagertha had given up and was now begging Ragnar. She thought she was in control but had conceded because each time she felt Ragnar''s rough hands on her gentle skin, it sent a jolt of lighting through her spine.

    She kept grinding on his shaft and even Ragnar knew he would cum at this rate because the noises that escaped the lips of his wife were not only slutty but she sounded anything but refined.

    Ragnar wanted to take his time, he wanted to cherish this moment and the moment he felt like he was about to cum from Lagertha grinding and moaning, he threw Lagertha off of him.

    The lust in his eyes, feeling the pheromones of lust escape the delicate skin of his wife.

    Ragnar''s tongue trailed her body, from her neck down to her belly button.

    The sweet taste of her sweat danced on his tongue, and before long Ragnar, Ragnar''s tongueid on her pelvis.

    "Spread your legs." This singlemand from Ragnar made Lagertha''s coochie literally have a heartbeat, she was dripping wet and she felt her clit tingle with every word that came out of his mouth.

    Without any resistance, Lagertha''s thighs parted like the red sea.

    Her husband''s hot breath, brushed against her clit as Lagertha bit her lower lips but Ragnar had been married to her for far too long not to know her weak points.

    Ragnar had a skill he could do with his tongue and that was to make it vibrate, it almost looked like he had ced a vibrator on it to get it to move the way it fits but he did not. He ced his tongue on her clit and the moans that escaped Lagertha''s lips were chaotic.

    She held his head in ce, sping her thighs to trap his head. Ragnar could not breathe but the more he struggled the better it felt for Lagertha.

    "That is it, Ragnar! im me, let me make a mess on your face!" Lagertha was not thinking straight at this point and Ragnar was surprised by how strong her thighs were. But Ragnar found this equally as hot and he was fighting everything in him not to cum.

    Lagertha had an orgasm, making a mess on her husband''s face, soaking his beard in her cum.

    She began twitching like she was having a seizure but she was still fully conscious, and she was not nearly down with Ragnar.

    She was going to use him for years of pent-up sexual frustrations, and Ragnar knew he had a long day ahead of him as Lagertha had a very high sex drive.

    "I am just getting started! Next, I am going to empty your balls in me!" Lagertha said and Ragnar had a sheepish smile on his face.

    This was definitely worth the wait.

 Chapter 230 A Couples Night Of Passion PT.2 [R18+]

    Lagertha was with her husband, their bodies sped together like they were trying to make another baby.

    Maybe they were and Ragnar could see how that could benefit him considering his new title as King.

    Ragnar felt his dick inside his wife, it was warm yet tight, she mounted him and wrapped her left hand around her husband''s neck.

    Lagertha began moving her hips up and down, swallowing up her husband''s dick like a ck hole, she was moving delicately, it looked very much like a dance as her juices dripped down his shaft.

    Ragnar moaned, Lagertha loved hearing him do so.

    It allowed her to know she was satisfying her man.

    "You can be rough with me, Ragnar¡­" Lagertha gave him the go-ahead, Ragnar was gentle with his wife and only gave her rough sex when she needed to be persuaded because he knew how much she liked to be slutted out by him.

    Watched as she rode him, his hands groping her perky chest, squeezing as she kept riding him.

    The collision of flesh resonated through the room.

    "Fuck me, Ragnar!" Lagertha said, and Ragnar knew he could make an exception for this scenario.

    He grabbed Lagertha by the neck and tossed her to the bed, but Lagertha thought her husband wanted to fuck her missionary but he flipped her over.

    And before Lagertha could talk, she felt his dick spreading her insides apart, like a vacuum Ragnar was sucked right in.

    There was something different about this, Ragnar was not treating her like a fragile object but rather, an object he wanted to break.

    Lagertha felt her head arch back due to Ragnar pulling it with one hand and the other one pushing her waist down so her ass was the only thing up.

    That back arch made it even better, his dick traversing through her bumpy insides.

    "R-Ragnar¡­ T-T-!" Ragnar''s hand had left her waist and covered her mouth because he had heard enough.

    And his gentle strokes became increasingly chaotic, and he went with force instead of force.

    The reverberation of her cheeks pping.

    "I almost forgot what good sex felt like!" Ragnar blurted out, he was enjoying every moment of it.

    Lagertha found herself unable to breathe but this only made her pussy tighter, wriggling Ragnar''s dick.

    But he caught himself soon after, letting go of Lagertha''s neck because he did not want to kill her.

    "Is that it Ragnar?" Lagertha mocked him in-between moans but a loud p echoed from behind her as his handprint was stered across her cheeks.

    With each thrust came a spank, Ragnar closed his eyes trying to take in the euphoric feeling as he was nearing orgasm.

    Lagertha''s pussy was so slippery, it was a perfect fit for his dick and he could fill her up as much as he wanted to because she was his wife.

    Ragnar had resisted years of temptation, years of girls trying to fuck him and this was why.

    This beautiful and lustful woman before him was the only woman that could handle it.

    She was the only woman deserving of it and Ragnar was reminded about how much he loved her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lagertha was matching him in every battle, Lagertha started throwing her ass back to make it even harder for Ragnar to hold back.

    Ragnar tried to back up but Lagertha was not letting him have her way and eventually, he emptied his balls inside her.

    Ragnar came so much that his toes curled and her womb epted the gift of his seed and even when he pulled out, he was still cumming like a hose.

    Lagertha was surprised that he had so much backed up because somewhere in her she thought that Ragnar might have moved on from her but if he came this much, it must have been forever since he came.

    Ragnar fell to the bed, he was tapped and he could not even move.

    "That was wonderful Lagertha!" Ragnar eximed, but all he saw was Lagertha climbing on top of him with a puppy-like face.

    "I am still horny, Ragnar¡­" Lagertha blurted out and Ragnar look horrified because he knew that Lagertha would not allow him to catch a break until he satisfied her.

    And he could never leave not satisfied.

    Lagertha knew what she wanted, she did not mind Ragnar using his tongue.

    Ragnar remembered why Lagertha did not just have his heart but his heart as well but he knew that Lagertha would always beat him in their duel in the bedroom.

    A bang on the door, however, came to Ragnar''s rescue.

    He was thankful to the gods because he knew that his wife was insatiable. Ragnar had nned on spending the night here before returning to Vestfold the next day.

    Yet Lagertha was fucking him like he only had an hour left to live, she was using him as an object for her lust but he was happy that only he got to see her in this state.

    "FATHER!" The person behind the door was Bjorn Ragnarsson, there was no mistaking it.

    Ragnar jumped to his feet without hesitation and ran towards the door but Lagertha screamed.

    "Ragnar! Wait!" This forced Ragnar to stop in his tracks and look back at her.

    "What is it Lagertha?" Ragnar wanted to know why Lagertha was dying his reunion with their son.

    "You are naked..." Lagertha said with a disappointing tone and Ragnar recollected himself.

    "You cannot me me! The blood meant for my thoughts, you have sucked it right out of me woman!" Ragnar said and Lagertha giggled.

    "Father, I can hear you! That is disgusting?" Bjorn responded from behind the door prompting Ragnar to join in on his wife''sughter.

    It took less than five minutes for Ragnar to put on some pants but Bjorn was hesitant in hugging his father who was covered in sweat, he knew for a fact that they had just finished having sex but Ragnar was perplexed by his son''s height.

    He was almost the same height as Ragnar.

    Ragnar''s eyes lit up, he could not believe the man his son had grown up to be.

    "It is good to see you, son¡­" Ragnar said, cing a hand on his shoulder.

    "It is good to see you too, Father."

 Chapter 231 The Clan Wars Begin!

    Tyr, the Ragnarsson that had no family yet he had somehow be the most feared son of Ragnar. He was getting the experience even his brother and father might never have yet he was getting it at such a young age.

    He was experiencing multiple fighting styles and warriors, but for some reason, he was assimting their fighting style and making it his own.

    This was an innate skill that Tyr was developing, but he could not assimte Gissur''s fighting style showing him there was a limit to what he could learn.

    The night hade and Gudrun had snuck into his bed, he knew she was there but he pretended not to.

    Gudrun did not try anything perverse and justid in silence beside him, wrapping his hands around her because all she wanted was to feel his warmth but Tyr was beginning to find this to be more of a burden thanforting.

    He liked being with her at first but she was bing increasingly clingy, and invading his personal space now, he knew he could not risk offending her right now.

    She has proven to be a lot more useful than anticipated, a girl that could move the Chieftain to action.

    "I love you Tyr," Gudrun whispered to him. Tyr did not feel his heart skip but he felt disgust welling up in his stomach, and he knew the consequence of being in her wrong graces.

    He was thankful she thought he was asleep or he would have had to say it back.

    "ENEMY ATTACK!!!" A voice called out, Tyr had barely been asleep but this made him alert to the potential danger that lurked.

    Tyr jumped up, breaking away from Gudrun''s embrace as she too woke up due to the warning.

    Everyone gathered outside, Tyr was armed to the teeth with his two axes equipped.

    He was ready for battle and he was searching for a blood, Tyr was looking around for the enemies but his eyes did not see anyone.

    There was no one outside, he was not the only one confused, the murmurs of the other warriors told him he was not the only one confused.

    "Where are the enemies?" A warrior asked. It did not take long for Gissur and Kolbeinn toe out with their weapons drawn.

    Tyr knew he needed to find a way to establish his leadership amongst these people as they still saw him as a kid, Gissur''s men that is.

    The silence was shattered by a hail of arrows raining down from one specific direction, but Gissur''s men were surprisingly organized as they raised their shields to block the hail.

    Gissur did not lose a single man but Kolbeinn did not have the same luck, arrows being thest thing some of his men saw.

    "SPREAD OUT!" Giussrmanded but this was a decision that Tyr did not agree with because it felt strange that archers would be used so carelessly if they did not have an ulterior motive.

    "Stay your ground!" Tyr countered him but Gissur''s men did not take orders from him, and they rushed in the direction the arrows fell from; Tyr was notfortable with this move but they needed bait and Gissur was the perfect man for that job.

    Gissur was a sociopath and this was evident by how he charged right at the danger instead of thinking about what the enemy''s intention might be.

    "They are trying to draw us out! Archers out of sight yet there are no forces that they are supporting!" Tyr brought this to their attention, and Kolbeinn agreed with him despite him not having problems with Gissur''s course of action.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The enemies did not attack in the cloak of darkness, they attacked when the sun was still yet to rise but outside was not pitch ck either.

    This allowed visibility and made it even more suspicious that they waited until it was bright outside, they wanted them to see the attack.

    Kolbeinn rushed to Tyr''s side, he wanted to know what he was seeing and Tyr broke down the aforementioned assessment to Kolbeinn and Kolbeinn was perplexed by how his mind worked.

    Tyr was a genius, there was no mistaking it but he knew what needed to be done.

    "They surrounded Njal, I believe they intend to use the same strategy," Tyr said.

    Tyr immediately turned his attention in the opposite direction and focused on the empty horizon.

    Everyone was confused as to what he was staring at, there was no one but Tyr was a warrior that trusted his intuition.

    "Tyr¡­?" Kolbeinn called the young warrior. Tyr was happy that Kolbeinn did not treat him like a kid and actually gave his opinions and thoughts a good listen.

    "They are there¡­." Tyr muttered under his breath, pointing his ax at the horizon.

    Kolbeinn was confused but he too knew that their method of attack was a bit bizarre considering they had the element of surprise which they botched terribly.

    A whole month to get ready and this was the result?

    He had a choice right now to make and that was, should he trust Tyr Ragnarsson or should he back Gissur up in whatever battle that he may have entered?

    Kolbeinn decided to trust the boy that made this alliance possible in the first ce.

    Ever since Tyr arrived, Kolbeinn''s warrior spirit had been rekindled as what was once thought impossible was made possible by Tyr.

    He decided to put his faith in the young boy and allowed him to be the one solely responsible for their strategy.

    If they were going up against Sighvatur and his son, then they needed fresh ideas that even they could not predict. Tyr was given the go-ahead and he led the forces in that direction.

    Gissur would be fine, but Kolbeinn was more curious to see how good this young boy''s intuition was.

    Tyr had based this on the fact that they had rounded up Njal ording to G¨­ and defeated him.

    They cut him off from not only reinforcement but he had no support or supply so even if he found a way to escape, his camp was already taken by the enemy.

    Tyr knew this was a wild guess but he knew if he was right, then this war might not be hopeless.

 Chapter 232 Do Or Die? Gissurs Lunacy!

    Gissur was a lunatic, and it showed by how he approached the battle. He charged right at whatever danger without a second thought and right now, he was ready to cut down anyone and everyone.

    Gissur had his broadsword brandished, and he wanted to cover it in the blood of his enemy.

    He saw footprints leading away from their camp, and he knew full well that this was a trap but he did not care about this.

    Gissur was a man who believed if it was his time to die, then he would die, and the fact that they were brave enough to challenge them as they did.

    Gissur had no intentions of letting things go their way, he looked back and noticed that no one wasing or backing him up but this only made him smile.

    "Ah! Very good!" Gissur thought to himself, it was almost like he had perceived what Tyr did.

    Gissur and his men followed the footprints and the enemy clearly did not put into ount how eager he was to cut them down, he had outrun his men, leaving them for dust and it was because of his speed that he could catch up to the archers and warriors that were responsible for the hail of arrows.

    "Heh! Found you~!" Gissur called out and they could not believe he caught up with them at such a pace.

    "Shit! He caught up!?" A man shouted, visibly distressed.

    "D-Do not be afraid! He is just one man!" Another man said and the moment he turned around was the very moment his head disconnected from his body.

    "He is right! I am just one man!" Gissur said as he found himself surrounded by up to fifty men, but neither Stu nor Sighvatur was there, but Gissur was not surprised by this.

    The archers could not shoot carelessly because if they missed Gissur, they risked friendly fire.

    The men were scared, Gissur''s killing intent made them weak at the knees because they could tell by one look that this man was something they could not hope to defeat but they had no choice.

    They did not attempt to fight him one by one.

    No, they all charged at him in hopes of killing ornding a blow that would take him out ofmission.

    It took a little over ten minutes for them to catch up with Gissur but all they saw when they came was carnage, Gissur did not just kill them but dismembered their bodies in such a grotesque manner and the only person left alive was too traumatized to speak or move.

    He was conscious yet felt like a hollow husk.

    Gissur left him alive for one reason alone and that was for him to interrogate him.

    If this was Sighvatur''s n then it was a poorly executed one.

    -

    Tyr had led his forces into what looked to be a dead end, there was nothing nor anyone in sight.

    Kolbeinn did not question him, Tye could not have lived this long if he did not have a nose for such things.

    Nora looked puzzled as to why he brought them out there but Gudrun put all her trust in him.

    "They are here¡­" Tyr blurted out but there was no one in sight so who exactly was there?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "We followed yourmand but you have led us to a dead end!" A warrior protested right beside him but Tyr did not say anything.

    He looked at the man and smiled, the man immediately broke eye contact and kept quiet.

    "Archers¡­" Tyr said. They were confused as to why he was calling them but once again, Kolbeinn chose to trust him.

    He nodded, giving them the go-ahead as they still needed Kolbeinn''s approval to carry out these actions.

    The archers prepared their bows but they were not aiming at anyone in particr.

    Tyr gestured with his hand, instructing them to point it skywards and they did just that.

    When it was aligned the way he wanted it, he brought his hand down and the arrows were fired into the air.

    Everyone fell silent, they wanted to see what happened and the arrows were simply buried in the snow.

    Everyone looked at each other in confusion, this confusion extended to Kolbeinn.

    But Tyr remained focused, but that focus broke as he began to chuckle.

    "So that is what it is¡­" Tyr muttered to himself, he was seeing something no one else was.

    They began to notice the snow that the arrows had hit turn red, they had buried themselves beneath the snow and they burst out.

    Tyr''s intuition was spot on and everyone was stunned, this included the enemies because they were certain they left no trace.

    "How did you know?" A man with a helmet that looked very much like a bear''s skull emerged.

    He had a rough appearance with a bald head, he had no beard because his mouth and under his jaw were burnt. This was the man known as J?kull Steinfinnsson. He stood at an impressive 6'' 2 with tattoos on his fingers.

    Tyr did not give him a response but instead wore a creepy smile, Kolbeinn could not believe this.

    Judging by their numbers, this was the main force of the enemy.

    Try knew simply because he would do the same thing in their shoes, the hiding in the snow was an ingenious move because even if they marched here, they would see nothing out of ce and they would miss the tiny holes that they had punched through the snow to breathe.

    Tyr did not know how long they were but judging from their pale skin, he could surmise that they have been here for quite some time.

    "I know who you are¡­" J?kull said, pointing his sword at Tyr.

    "You are Tyr¡­. Tyr Ragnarsson." J?kull blurted out.

    "That is nice, it is only fitting to know the name of the one who would im your head," The moment Tyr said this, a murderous intent enveloped him.

    J?kull was his, and everyone instinctively knew the fate that would await them if they try to interfere, allies and foes alike.

 Chapter 233 Tyr Vs J?kull!

    Tyr was up against J?kull, and both men stared each other down but J?kull was fuming because he knew that this put a hitch in the n.

    Try had his sledgehammer strapped to his back despite having his two axes equipped.

    It was strange considering the weight ought to slow him down but it acted as a symbol of his kill.

    This did not stop the battles around them from proceeding, as the familiar chaotic scene of war soon epassed the battlefield and despite Tyr''s attempt to warn people of the danger that came by standing in his way, not everyone heeded this warning and lunged at him but Tyr defeated those that dared draw their de against him all in a single move, not wasting one single motion.

    "You are strong," J?kullmended Tyr, he recognized him as a worthy foe to die on his de.

    Tyr was not in the mood for chit-chat because he knew the longer they dyed here, the higher the chance of reinforcement, and the best way to make any army lose morale is by taking the head of the one in charge.

    Tyr charged at the bald man, who had on a helmet, his dreads swaying with the wind as the blistering winter shot through his body.

    Tyr was surprised that their body did not give out after staying beneath the snow but this should dull their movements because their body temperature was low, they needed to warm up before they could fight at full strength, this was their window to cut down their numbers before this happens, and that was why Tyr was focused solely on J?kull because he did not know what this man would be like if he allowed him to regte his body''s temperature but he knew that the battle would be a lot more difficult.

    Tyr swung his ax in his left hand but it was not aimed at his head but at his midsection.

    J?kull dodged this with rtive ease as all he had to do was take a step back but this was exactly what Tyr intended as Tyr''s bodynguage changed in an instant as the spring in his step allowed him to close the distance even before J?kull couldplete that step back.

    Tyr swung his ax in his other hand but this time he wanted to take off his head, the awkward positioning of J?kull''s body at that very moment eliminated him from dodging this attack or at least that is what Tyr thought. J?kull simply fell back-first into the ground to dodge the follow-up, the snow cushioning his fall and Tyr had lost bnce momentarily due to the force in which he swung.

    Tyr felt a gut-wrenching pain throughout his body but the focal point was from his lower torso.

    J?kull had kicked him during this time he was opened, he would have stabbed him but kicking was the best course of action as he knew this window would have closed if he used his sword.

    Tyr was sent crashing into the snow, he was on the floor and in a vulnerable position.

    Tyr blinked once and twice but he did not even have time to regain himself as J?kull came flying like an eagle that had swooped down for its prey, thrusting his sword forward in an attempt to impale Tyr''s heart but Tyr managed to avoid it by rolling to his side.

    This man was strong and this was exactly what Tyr expected, this was the kind of battle that his body ached for.

    Battles that brought him closer to his potential and what better way than a life-or-death struggle with an enemy?

    He jumped to his feet and quickly distanced himself from J?kull, who casually removed his sword from the ground after his missed attempt to kill Tyr.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Kolbeinn was fighting but he was keeping an eye on Tyr.

    He knew who J?kull was, a man that had the same potential as Stu and Sighvatur but his servitude and respect for them never allowed him to advance past a certain stage for he thought it sphemous to be on the same level as the very people he revered.

    Tyr was an unknown, his potential that is so this was a good opportunity to gauge just how strong he might be.

    J?kull''s skin was not looking as pale as it did a few minutes ago, he was warming and if he was this skilled when his muscles contracted, then one could only imagine how strong he truly was.

    J?kull charged at Tyr with his sword, he was faster than their first exchange but it was nothing that Tyr could not handle as he expertly parried J?kull''s downward swing with the ax in his left hand and simultaneously attempted to bury the ax in his right hand in J?kull''s skull but J?kull grabbed Tyr''s wrist right with his unequipped hand before headbutting the younger warrior.

    The force dazed Tyr as he stumbled backward, his body was full opening and it looked like this battle was over as he had no way of defending himself against J?kull''s finishing blow.

    "You have fought well¡­" J?kull muttered right before thrusting his de to impale Tyr''s heart.

    -

    Gudrun saw this and the fear in her eyes was telling as she tried to aim her bow in that direction but she was stopped by Kolbeinn.

    It was not in their ce to intervene but this was not why he stopped her, he stopped her because this battle was over but it was not J?kull that was the victor.

    -

    The de made contact with Tyr''s skin but like a dancing willow, it rolled right off his body as the younger warrior spun around it and Tyrnded his first hit, an important one at that.

    Tyr always downyed his abilities so his opponent would have a false gauge and sense of his abilities, but he would assimte and adjust to theirs.

    He had used a refined version of Kolbeinn''s skill, he had refined it after his second sh with Gissur.

    An opponent is more likely to go for a finishing move if their action is the one to create that opening, and the headbutt from J?kull was powerful but they were nothingpared to Gissur''s fists.

    These little things that seem insignificant are what gave Tyr the victory.

    "Is that it?" J?kull asked and Tyr looked up in shock because J?kull showed no visible distress to being injured and that was because he was not.

 Chapter 234 Two Steps Ahead

    Tyr''s ax had made contact with the armor J?kull had on, J?kull was not fazed but Tyr was because he was certain that it would not work a second time.

    He had yed his hand and he could not believe he did not take the armor into ount as Tyr immediately let go of his ax that was stuck and gained some distance.

    "You should have gone for the head¡­" J?kull mocked Tyr because if he did, J?kull would have been dead.

    This was not the most worrying thing. Tyr noticed his skin had returned to normal, and J?kull was all warmed up.

    Kolbeinn knew he had allowed Tyr to have his fun but this man was clearly stronger than him.

    "Tyr, I am afraid but I do not think you can defeat him alone," Kolbeinn said but Tyr knew he stood a chance because he was not fighting at full power, to begin with, this was to lure J?kull into that one mistake which he failed to exploit.

    "Kolbeinn, I said it once already. He is mine," Tyr reiterated his interest in a one-on-one battle with J?kull and Kolbeinn chose to grant him this even though his chance at victory was a lot lower.

    Tyr equipped the sledgehammer strapped to his back, this was a weapon he was not as proficient in using as opposed to his axes but he did not just pass thisst month on bed rest.

    He also knew that it would be harder for J?kull to block his strike as he was confident in his physical strength despite his age, he was stronger than the average warrior but J?kull was no average warrior.

    "Is that weapon not a bit too big for you?" J?kull questioned but Tyr did not care because he had the physical strength to wield it even better than Skol did.

    They were both about to go at it with their full power, and this would ultimately result in one of their deaths.

    Tyr charged at J?kull, he had the intention of taking off his head this time.

    But an arrow grazed Tyr''s shoulder, someone interfered with their battle and Gudrun quickly shot him down before he could bury an arrow in Tyr.

    She was providing him back up by not letting anyone interfere in their battle and it took everything in her not to bury an arrow in J?kull.

    Nora was holding her own, striking down warriors even though she had difficulties doing so because these average warriors were not-so-average.

    She did not have the luxury to be distracted by Tyr''s battle as she was barely hanging on with hers.

    Fatigue soon set in and she was pushed back, Gudrun provided her support as she was the long-range support.

    This was why Nora was still alive, Gudrun''s uracy was terrifying, and no one has had better uracy other than Signy.

    -

    Gissur had ughtered a little over fifty men all by himself, he was strong but this was not the battle he sought.

    His men gathered around him and questioned what their next course of action should be but Gissur just stood in silence like he was lost in thought.

    He recalled how they conquered Njal, they cut him off so what if they intended to do that?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    What if they nned to cut Gissur off from the rest of his forces; if that was the n then they would have made a move by now.

    "My wife¡­.!" Gissur knew she had prophetic powers and if they had somehow gotten knowledge of this then she might be a potential target.

    Gissur just began running back, and once again left his people in the dust.

    He did not see iting but this would make sense considering that G¨­ was not even sure whether his brother was killed or not, they were targeting people he cared about or at least he had only entertained this notion right now.

    He arrived at their base and the few men that were there were ughtered. Kolbeinn and Tyr were nowhere to be seen nor were their forces but he could hear an ongoing battle in the distance.

    Gissur ran to his home but his wife was missing, she was nowhere to be seen and on his bed was a man he hoped not to see at this very moment.

    "Gissur, it is an honor to meet you but I am afraid I have to return with your head," Stu blurted out.

    Gissur gritted his teeth in anger, the veins around his head popped as the anger in his eyes showed his hatred.

    "Gissur, you have always had a bad temper," Stu was calm despite standing in front of the feared Chieftain, and Gissur proved him right.

    Gissur swung his broadsword down in an attempt to split him clean down the middle but Stu was equal to the task as he blocked the attack without bulging an inch with his sword despite Gissur''s immense strength.

    "I am here to talk, pipe down," Stu showed his strength with this single exchange.

    "WHERE IS SHE!?" Gissur barked but Stu did not look bothered by this as he repelled Gissur''s broadsword.

    "If you keep shouting, you will never see her again¡­" Stu said, getting to his feet.

    He did not see Gissur as a threat but was this arrogance or a testament to his strength?

    Thetter seemed more likely and Gissur had to calm himself down.

    "Where is my wife?" Gissur questioned calmly.

    "I think the right question is, where are they¡­ Your brother is still alive, Gissur." Stu said, it took everything in Gissur not to strike him down but he had to control himself because he did not know what Stu wanted.

    "What do you want?" Gissur finally asked the elusive question, and Stu smiled.

    "Give me your head Gissur and I will guarantee the continuity of your n''s existence as well as the safety of your family but if you resist, we will kill them," Stu gave him the condition for his family''s safety and silence followed. Stu could only imagine that this would require much thought so he understood the silence but what he heard from Gissur''s lips was a burst of uncontrobleughter.

    "What is funny?" Stu questioned as Gissur''sughter soon ceased.

    "You think I value my family''s lives above mine? Go ahead, kill them and I will just rece them but you, Stu¡­. I am going to kill you right here and now!" Gissurughed off his threats because he quite frankly did not care.

 Chapter 235 A Humbling Moment...

    Gissur was standing his ground against Stu, the leverage they thought they would have with capturing his family was nonexistent, Gissur was an extreme person and knew he would reunite with them in Valha.

    Stu was here, the elusive Stu, and this was his chance to strike a vital blow to Sighvatur, or would it be more urate to say the Sturlungar n?

    Stu was surprised that their n did not go as expected but his father had considered this and still aplished their end goal; did they just want Gissur''s wife?

    That seemed a bit short-sighted but it was a possibility nheless.

    "Very well then," Stu said and before he could even equip his de fully, he saw an iing flying kick from Gissur, he managed to block it with the hilt of his de but the force in which the kick packed was enough to send him crashing out of the building as he rolled in the ice, screeching to a halt by burying his sword into the ground and out of the hole came Gissur.

    Gissur looked happy, this was the first time he was fighting Stu, and he was skilled, to say the least. He could block his attacks and he was smart enough not to use his body to block his blows.

    "I see that the stories about you being a hothead were true¡­" Stu said, dusting the snow off of his body. The fight was about to begin and he was not worried about Gissur''s men backing him up because he knew that he could take on every one of them and Gissur simultaneously or at least this was what Stu thought.

    Gissur swung his sword down without warning and Stu managed to get out of the way with a single step back but Gissur used his sword and plunged into the floor as an anchor to propel himself forward attempting tond another flying kick and this caught Stu off-guard,

    What was this unorthodox way of fighting? Stu could not predict his moves at all but he was well equipped to counterattack, Stu thrust his de forward in a bid to impale his chest.

    But Gissur easily caught the de between his thighs and kicked Stu''s chest as it acted as a foothold for him to execute his next action, which was to disarm the enemy.

    Gissur had taken the de of Stu and Stu did not even know what had urred.

    Gissur was mixing both sword fighting and hand-to-handbat, it was an advanced level of fighting but it would all be in vain if he did not kill Stu and he knew this.

    Stu was not moved by this, and he dashed toward Gissur, despite not having any weapon in hand.

    Stu''s hand was reaching for Gissur''s neck, Gissur cut his hand into two but for some reason, he still felt Stu''s hand firmly around his neck.

    "What?" Gissur thought as Stu began to squeeze the life out of him, but he could swear he cut his hand into two so why was it around his neck?

    "You look confused¡­" Stu said, noticing the look of confusion on his face, but Gissur tried to struggle in vain and he could not believe Stu was this strong physically.

    "What you saw was an afterimage, it is easy to trick the human eye if you know how the mind works. In reality, you never cut me¡­" Stu said as his firm grip tightened around his neck, choking the life out of Gissur.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The skill he had just disyed wasmonly known as a sleight of hand.

    But at that moment, reinforcements arrived, and Stu found himself facing an army but he wasn''t concerned. Multiple archers let loose, but all Stu did was use Gissur as a human shield. Gissur took the arrows in his ce before Stu tossed him into the building he had kicked him from earlier.

    "I guess the fate of this pathetic little n has been sealed¡­" Stu said, walking away and no one dared attack him despite him being alone.

    They knew if they fought him, the bodies of their enemies Gissur had littered mere moments ago would be theirs but this time, done by Stu.

    Stu was quick and had used some skill to trick Gissur into thinking he had him and that momentary opening was all he needed because there was no way that Gissur could wield his broadsword when he was being choked out.

    Stu had demonstrated his strength and it was equal to GIssur begging the question of just how strong Sighvatur was; if his son was this powerful. It was a well-known fact that Sighvatur surpassed his son in both skills and intellect.

    "What is happening? Check on the Chieftain! Find the wounded!" A manmanded as they began a search effort to urately assess the damage of this attack. In terms of casualties, it was surprisingly low meaning the enemies'' primary objective was not to grind down their numbers.

    "Sir! The Mad Hound was defeated!" A lower-ranked warrior barked but another one soon joined him in the sharing of bad news.

    "Sir!" The other warrior screamed as he ran towards the man temporarily in charge.

    "What is it?" He asked; he could tell by the urgency in the lower-ranked warrior''s voice that this was something of importance but he did not have time for beating around the bush.

    "O-Our food! It is all gone! Our water has been contaminated!" The lower-ranked warrior said and before he could speak, Gissur walked out of the building.

    Everyone was surprised he could still walk despite the arrows sticking out of his body.

    Gissur did not have any other injuries and he did not consider this a defeat because Sttu knew if he tried to go any further, he would be drawn into a real life-or-death battle.

    Stu came here to deliver a message and he had delivered that message, but he did not want to "trigger" Gissur because Gissur was most dangerous when his life was in danger.

    "I see! They intend to starve us out!" Gissur said. Sighvatur had orchestrated this as he had taken into ount that his n would not go ording to n and had orchestrated another.

 Chapter 236 A Twist In Fate?

    Tyr was about to sh with J?kull again but a man whispered something into his ears that made J?kull lower his weapon.

    "Retreat!" J?kull ordered and the battle ceased immediately, which was strange because they were not losing ground in terms ofbat because Tyr knew that this was the main force, it was evident by their number so why were they retreating so easily?

    J?kull should be confident in taking his head considering he has had the upper hand in this battle throughout but something was strange.

    If they were retreating, then their objective must have beenpleted meaning it was never to wipe them out.

    "W-We won!?" A warrior asked; he could not believe how easy it was to push them back and the rest of the Vikings began to shout as they were celebrating the victory.

    "You are a genius!" Kolbeinn shouted, shaking and hugging Tyr but Tyr did not share in this excitement.

    Tyr could not help but think that they had somehow lost this battle.

    He looked around him and noticed the casualties were not even high, a few dead bodies but it did not diminish the numbers of either army

    Sighvatur had predicted everything, and Tyr danced right in the palm of his hand.

    "We need to get back¡­" Tyr blurted but his voice was drowned out by their celebrations.

    "WE NEED TO GET BACK NOW!" Tyr shouted, cutting their celebration short as Tyr led them back to their camp.

    The look of urgency in his eyes told Kolbeinn that Tyr had sensed something because, for some reason, it was looking like Tyr''s tactical genius was in vain as the enemy still aplished their objective.

    They arrived back in the camp in a few minutes but what they saw only confirmed why Tyr was so paranoid.

    They saw the arrows sticking out of Gissur''s body showing that he was just out of the battle and they also noticed his house had been shattered.

    The battle was fought here, whoever drew Gissur out could not hold him meaning that the stronghold was their target but something was strange even with that because they had no intentions of holding it.

    "They got us good. That clever devil Sighvatur got us!" Gissur said and Tyr realized at that moment that their food was gone and water contaminated.

    Tyr was reminded of his time in Vestfold, this tactic was a bit too familiar but the thing about this was that the weather made it near impossible for them to hunt for food as Tyr was certain that a perimeter would have been set up around them to make venturing for food Impossible.

    "Fuck! This is bad!" For the first time in a long time, Tyr had shown visible worry, and the fact that he was outyed so severely scared the living shit out of him.

    -

    Sighvatur was informed by the scout, who had watched the battle, about its progress.

    He was surprised that someone saw through the first n he had enacted but it did not matter.

    "They are trapped in the web now¡­" Sighvatur said with a grin, he was d that the war had begun because now he could either wait for them to starve to death as the winter was going to make it impossible for them to hunt or he could slowly chip away at their defenses with gueri tactics, hit and run making it impossible to not only rest but fight back because how effective could they be if they fought on empty stomach.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Stu was holding the backlines, and J?kull was responsible for the nks as they had no intention of reuniting but rather, they had new territories to hold.

    They had divided their forces but was this a weakness or strength?

    What was the next step in their n?

    -

    King Ragnar had reunited with his family, and he was d that he did because this was worth it.

    Ragnar''s reunion with Bjorn was short-lived as he had to get back to work watching Kattegat because even he was not free of Askild''s wrath.

    Lagerthay on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, it was gentle and peaceful.

    She was d that he was here, she never thought this day woulde or rather did not expect it so soon even though years had passed.

    "I missed you, Lagertha¡­ I missed everything¡­" Ragnar began the conversation, breaking thefortable silence.

    "Do you ever think of him?" Lagertha asked Ragnar out of the blue, and Ragnar knew exactly who she was talking about but Ragnar chose silence.

    "I think about him all the time. I miss him, Ragnar¡­ I miss our son," Lagertha said and this was enough for Ragnar to break his silence.

    "He chose his path, it will be a hard and tedious path but he is my son. He will emerge out of that dark tunnel all the stronger." Ragnar reassured his wife.

    Lagertha giggled when Ragnar spoke, forcing her husband to wonder what was wrong.

    "It is the first time since the incident I have heard you refer to him as your son, that is all.." Lagertha reminded Ragnar of his stance.

    "I do still love him, you know¡­" Ragnar blurted out, and hearing him say this was reassuring, to say the least.

    "I know you do," Lagertha responded with a wild smile.

    "I need to see my brother. I am sorry but you cannot have me all to yourself, my greedy shield maiden." Ragnar said as he got up to his feet.

    Lagertha knew this was her window to tell him what if had attempted to do with her but she also did not want to ruin his reunion with his brother.

    She was conflicted but she chose to let Ragnar have one day with his brother because she knew he would never see him the same after this.

    Lagertha chose to bite her tongue and from a different point of view, this sounded like a selfless act as she chose to allow her husband to see his brother as his brother onest time but only if she knew what Ilf had in mind, she would have taken a different route.

 Chapter 237 All Hopes Lost?

    The hunger soon swept through the camp like a tidal wave, it did not take up to an hour before the hunger and thirst began.

    The ones that were sent to hunt or scout the surrounding area never came back, and this showed that Sighvatur was closer to them than they thought.

    "What is going on?" Kolbeinn thought, at least one should have returned yet none did, there was no oneing back.

    Tyr knew that they were not looking for any hostages, they had two and the bargaining had failed so what was their next move?

    He knew that they would notst a week at this rate if the hunger had set in this soon.

    "This was a mistake¡­" Tyr blurted out, and everyone was surprised by this because Tyr always seemed to have the answer.

    "What do you mean?" Kolbeinn asked but Tyr was lost in thought.

    "They have the upper hand, I do not know who this man is but there is something I am missing," Tyr said, but he was talking to himself rather than Kolbeinn.

    "There is something familiar about this¡­ Sighvatur, I fear he is not working alone¡­" Tyr muttered; he thought that Sighvatur was a regr man like the rest of these people but something was strange, it was not adding up.

    This felt like a taunt, but Tyr knew if it was what he was thinking then the chances of them surviving were extraordinarily low if not zero.

    Gissur was the one that had lost the most in this attack, he had lost his family, the only two people that kept him grounded and in control.

    "Sighvatur, that bastard¡­ He has gone and created another monster like him," GIssur joked with the men around him, he found this funny despite knowing the danger that lurked.

    "You know, I thought I cut him but his sleight of hand is impressive!" Gissur continued to talk, his voice was the only thing keeping most of them sane.

    "Do you know that they have taken my family?" Gissur was talking gibberish, he was not drunk either and his men thought he had lost his mind atst.

    Gissur had never been stable but he was most dangerous when he felt threatened and right now, he felt very threatened.

    Gissur had allowed the others to do it their way but he was done losing men and manpower over this.

    Gissur knew violence was the only way to stop them, if they were surrounded then that means that they were split, and divided.

    Gissur knew he needed to exploit the weak link but he did not know who was stationed where, and it would be disastrous if he ran into Sighvatur or Stu.

    He knew he would note out of a battle with them alive because they were the head of this army but there was a third, Gissur knew he had to attempt this because he knew waiting for them to make their next move would prove disastrous.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Gissur stopped his rant and called both Tyr and Kolbeinn into his home to discuss their next step and this included hitting them on all three fronts.

    "You want us to attack them?" Tyr asked, he was confused because this was reckless, to say the least, and judging from their army''s strength,

    "We will not split up, we will hit a single spot at once, We just need to break the encirclement and if we seed, we can kill the others." Gissur was surprisingly calm and civil, maybe he does have a brain after all.

    "This is reckless, Gissur! We might have the advantage in numbers but what is the n after we break the encirclement?" Kolbeinn asked but Tyr quickly reeled back, this was something he knew the others might not like to say the least.

    "I have an idea but you might not like it," Tyr said but the other two men were interested in finding out just what he wanted to say and nodded for him to continue.

    "Allow me to go alone, we are being watched so any major move will be reported but no one would notice a missing person in an army. I will sneak through their lines and give the illusion that we have slipped through or have backuping, this will force them to expand their lines to amodate this possibility," Tyr said and this n was feasible if he could execute it, and trust was thest thing that Tyr needed to worry about as Kolbeinn could swear he had him on his side.

    "That is genius! If you die, we will just go with my n," Gissur said, he did not care if Tyr lived or died but this was worth considering.

    Kolbeinn, however, was skeptical, he was somewhat worried about this development because the chances of Tyr making it through were slim but he was certain that this was a move that Sighvatur himself would not predict. He approved this move, and he knew he could not follow Tyr as a missing Chieftain would not go unnoticed by them.

    "Tyr, our hope is on you. You better not die!" Kolbeinn said, giving his consent.

    "I cannot die, I am Tyr Ragnarsson," Tyr responded with a reassuring smile.

    -

    Signy was seated on a chair, he looked a lot more rugged than he did a few days back. Signy was obsessed with killing Tyr.

    "I have never seen anyone hate someone as much as you do the boy that killed your father," Jan said, he had a woman sitting on hisp and his hand down her pants, she was making naughty faces so it was obvious what his hand was doing.

    "I will avenge my father and regain his honor," Signy said and Jan was impressed by just how much hate one person could have considering Signy has killed people''s fathers as well.

    That was how battle worked, one should not take it so personally, and his Generals had aided in Vingulmark''s growth by training their forces.

    "You would go to such lengths?" Jan asked as thedy on hisp let out a lustful sound.

    "I will do anything! Even if it means using those barbarians¡­" Signy muttered under his breath confirming Tyr''s suspicion.

 Chapter 238 Ulf And Ragnars Reunion

    King Ragnar had ventured out to meet his brother, Ulf.

    He was surprised that his brother was not at home considering Ulf was reclusive but that came with the title of being a Commander, he had a lot more responsibilities.

    But he helped himself inside his home regardless because Ulf and he both shared that sort of bond.

    He was surprised by how mature his house lookedpared to before, Ulf''s house looked like a home.

    Ragnar explored some more and he saw a book on the table, it was strange.

    Ulf was never one for books so what was this about?

    Ragnar picked it up and noticed it was a journal that highlighted Ulf''s life but just before he could snoop through it, the door creaked open.

    Ragnar cocked his head in that direction and a sheepish smile crept up on his face, he could not contain his excitement as he threw the book on the table and hugged his older brother.

    Ulf felt an overwhelming sense of guilt but judging from Ragnar''s reaction, he could discern that Lagertha had not told him just like he had predicted.

    "It is good to see you brother!" Ragnar said, breaking the embrace as he looked him right in the eyes.

    "The farmer who became a King! My brother! King Ragnar!" Ulf bragged, he was d that his brother was here.

    "We have a lot of catching up to do!" Ragnar shouted, he could not contain his excitement nor could Ulf.

    Ulf hurriedly rushed to a cab, and there was a bottle of refined ale, not the normal rubbish you would see in a bar but this was one of actual quality.

    Ragnar was back and Ulf knew it was time to bring out the big guns to celebrate his brother''s arrival.

    "I have a lot to tell you!" Ulf blurted out as he poured them both a drink.

    -

    [Four Years Ago]

    Shortly after the exile of Tyr and Erik The Berserker.

    Ulf returned with a rescued Liv, despite Birger virtually handing her over to him for this exact reason.

    Ulf was hailed by everyone, he had gained the respect of his peers.

    He not only killed Birger but rescued King Askild''s wife, a woman Askild loved so deeply that he prioritized her rescue over everyone else.

    Ulf was not seen as an ordinary warrior anymore but he was soon told about what Erik did to Lagertha and a sickening feeling shot through his body.

    Ulf was angry and hated every moment of it, and he swore to himself that he would hunt down Erik and kill him himself.

    Ulf was the one that found Erik''s corpse and rumors started going around that he was the one that killed Erik The Berserker but these were just rumors.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The majority of them did not believe in this rumor because there was no way Ulf could defeat him but people still did only elevating his status.

    Ulf was made a Commander shortly after, taking the status that Erik once held and his vacant spot.

    Erik had no men under hismand or his trial would have never been held as he led a bunch of psychopaths that were just as crazy as him.

    This was how Ulf''s status rose in Kattegat, but this was not the singr act that was his catapult to fame.

    Ulf went on an expedition in a not-so-distantnd and there he met a very famous man.

    He met Thorvald, the very same Thorvald that had saved the life of Tyr but this encounter was before his exile.

    A battle ensued that resulted in Ulf''s victory and this was the loss that contributed to Thorvald''s exile for his Kingdom scorned him for losing to the less renowned Lothbrok brothers.

    Thorvald would eventually lose it and kill a few of the people that mocked him resulting in his exile.

    Everyone underestimated Ulf, and Thorvald was surprised that no one knew just how strong Ulf was because if they did, his defeat would note as a surprise.

    Ulf has lived afortable life ever since then and all this happened in two weeks with the starting point being the day "The Berserkers" were exiled.

    -

    Ragnar was perplexed by his brother''s tale and was even more surprised that he had defeated Thorvald because he knew that Thorvald was strong.

    This was not an unfamiliar name in the Viking world, Ragnar was d that his brother was getting everything he wanted from life.

    He had finally gotten a name for himself that separated him from the title of "Ragnar''s brother" and was gaining his individuality from being rted to him.

    And with Ragnar being King, Ulf was no longer just a regr warrior but the brother of a King further aiding on his quest up thedder of his ambition.

    The brothersughed and told each other about smaller mundane tales and Ulf eventually asked his brother if he had been with any other woman ever since bing King.

    Of course, this was something Ragnar denied because he has been faithful to Lagertha but it did not mean his eyes did not wander.

    Ragnar met a woman that had caught his interest, she was named Aug and was among the many visitors of status toe to Vestfold.

    Her beauty was said to be unparalleled but she wore a veil to conceal that beauty because every man quite literally has paid an insurmountable amount of money to buy her hand in marriage but all attempts were rejected. Ragnar was curious about who she was like any other man but that was where his curiosity ended.

    It was nothing sexual, but Ulf was surprised because this was the first time his brother had spoken about another woman that was not Lagertha.

    "Brother, there is something I need to tell you¡­" Ulf''s tone was serious and Ragnar''s interest peaked.

    "What is it?" Ragnar asked his brother.

    "It is about your wife, it is about Lagertha, brother¡­"

 Chapter 239 The Lone Wolf

    It was easy for one man to sneak away and Tyr was soon on his way with nothing to eat or drink.

    He knew he had to reach his destination today or it might as well prove to be his death.

    He was cautious, and Kolbeinn gave him what little food he could muster but this could not satisfy even a toddler, much less a fully grown man.

    Tyr wore multipleyers of clothing consisting of white to better camouge himself within the snow as this was a stealth mission.

    If he was seen or caught, there was no way he would not be killed on sight and even he had a limit to what he could do on an empty stomach.

    Tyr was on his way, and as he predicted, the people that were watching them did not take note of his disappearance because it was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things but one could argue that his camouged state yed a major role in this possibility.

    Gudrun wanted to go with him but even she knew this was an impulsive thought that she needed to bury deep down inside of her because she did not want to be a burden to the man she loves.

    He would not be able to do what he needed if he needed to not only watch out for himself but for her as well.

    Gudrun remained strong, saying a silent prayer to the gods because the sess rate of this particr mission was exceptionally low and the possibility he would never see her again was far higher than he would.

    She felt a gentle hand grasp her shoulder, tilting her head to catch the figure of Nora.

    "He will be fine, Gudrun. That boy¡­ He is strong," Nora said with a voice of certainty.

    She has seen that Tyr was capable and impossible was a word that did not exist when it came to him.

    "I am confident we will win this war, I just worry what we might lose to win it but victory is one thing I never doubted." Nora further said and hearing these words from her calmed her down.

    Gudrun had a brief shback as to when Tyr was fighting her father and how he was able to push the experienced Chieftain back.

    Kolbeinn had more experience in battle, but Tyr had experienced more diversity in his battles because Kolbeinn has been fighting the same enemy for years but Tyr had more enemies.

    Gudrun noticed the pendant that Tyr always had around his neck at all times, and began to grow curious about it.

    She wanted to know more about Tyr and promised herself she would not take their next reunion for granted.

    -

    Tyr traveled through the treacherous weather, his skin stung with every wind that brushed against it but he had a mission, he had his sledgehammer strapped to his back with his axes strapped on both sides of his waist.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr could hear voices but he could not see anyone, he knew that if he killed them then the camp would be on high alert so he had to wait them out.

    But being in a stationary position only made things worse as his body temperature lowered with the cold.

    Tyr was rethinking his choice but he was lucky that the men soon left the vicinity to scout another and Tyr was on his way once again, sneaking past them and continuing his way to their camp.

    Tyr was not certain that he could aplish this, Sighvatur was interesting in the sense that he had a superior strategic intellect.

    "I''m almost there¡­" Tyr thought to himself but from the corner of his eye, he saw multiple people on horseback traveling which was strange because there was no way that these people had the means to maintain a horse in such conditions.

    Tyr stayed hidden but the mist did not allow him to get a clearer view as to who was riding those horses; it was within the encirclement so it had to be the enemy or else there would be no other way for them to wander within the encirclement.

    Tyr had discovered something new and he had two options, continue with this mission or return to the camp to inform them of this development so they could better prepare themselves.

    Thetter was the best course of action but Tyr had no intention of going back and because of this, he risked damning everyone but himself.

    -

    "Chieftain Sighvatur, we have sessfully cut them off from the outside world and any reinforcement they might have had¡­" A random warrior said, but Sighvatur was calm. He understood where his son wasing from but he failed to see the bigger picture.

    He looked like he already knew this would happen and would be more surprised if it did not, this was how much he believed in himself. If narcissism was a person, then Sighvatur would be at its helm.

    He did not need to wait for long when a voice called out behind him, a hint of familiarity resonating within it.

    "Father¡­" Stu had regrouped with his father rubbishing the theory that Gissur and Kolbeinn had because if he was here, and if they were together, this begged the question as to who was manning the other positions. This was the big question.

    "What is it Stu?" Sighvatur asked his son, in the corner was a gagged Njal and Gissur''s wife.

    "Are you sure it is a wise choice to trust him?" Stu asked but Sighvatur remained silent.

    "We can conquer them without any assistance, why do you ept help from outsiders?" Stu questioned his father, this was something he did not agree with despite going along with it.

    "Would you rather we lose our men or they lose theirs?" This was the only thing Sighvatur said to get his son to keep quiet.

    "Do not make the mistake of thinking they are using us, we are the ones using them¡­"

 Chapter 240 Scheming Behind Closed Doors

    "Commander Bjorn," A man called out to Bjorn, it was the same man that reported to him earlier that he had to keep shut with a bribe.

    Bjorn carried him to an abandoned alleyway because he knew it would not be a good look if anyone saw the two men together.

    This man was known for sketchy businesses but Bjorn did not mind this because the information was the one thing that he had to sell and boy, did he sell it well.

    "What do you have for me?" Bjorn asked, this was something he should not be seen doing, even by his men because any information he ''bought'' would be ''forgotten'' by the man quite literally.

    "I cannot remember¡­" The man said, scratching his head but Bjorn knew this was code for payment.

    He looked left and right before slipping something into his hand, it was gold in its purest form, and this surprised the man as Bjorn had never given him something as valuable as this before.

    "W-Woah! You struck gold recently, Commander Bjorn?" The man questioned but Bjorn was simply in a good mood because of his father''s arrival so he decided to make this man a recipient of that excitement.

    "Tell me what I need to know, Scar," Bjorn said, he did not have time to veer off-topic because he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

    "We have confirmed reports of Signy sending troops to an unspecified location but he did not just send his men¡­" Scar said, pausing as he observed the gold, momentarily getting lost in thought.

    "What do you mean he did not just send his men?" Bjorn questioned and this drew Scar''s attention back to the conversation at hand.

    "He has sent his generals, Kjell as well as Aksel to this location," Scar said l, and Bjorn''s eyes widened in shock.

    Why was he sending generals in the middle of nowhere, especially with the weather in such a dire condition? It made Bjorn question just what was going on in Vingulmark, he knew that whatever Signy was up to, it just might lead him to Tyr.

    Bjorn wanted to reunite with Tyr, the only brother he has known and loved, so he could kill him with his own hands.

    Viggo soon interrupted the men talking, he strutted along ever so proudly and the conversation immediately ceased the moment they registered his presence.

    This told Viggo that they were discussing something of your importance, but the unkempt man did not care that they stopped as he wrapped his arm around Scar.

    "If it is not Scar, the ears of mercenaries¡­" Viggo said, looking at Bjorn with a suspicious gaze because hismander had no reason to be talking with someone of such a reputation for it was a bad reflection of him.

    Scar has proved invaluable to Askild thanks to his ability to gather information but his services came with a price.

    He particrly wanted to be on the good side of Bjorn because he was the son of a King.

    No one knew where Bjorn was going to end up in the future but they would like to be remembered as an ally rather than a foe.

    "Let''s gomander, you should not be hanging around rats," Viggo said, removing his arm from Scar and walking away, Bjorn knew Viggo was right and did not say another word to Scar, following behind Viggo.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "For someone that ims to hate his brother, you sure are obsessing over him," Viggo blurted out, he knew what they were talking about without even hearing them because there was only one reason Bjorn would want to talk to Scar.

    "You do not know what you are talking about, Viggo¡­" Bjorn said and Viggo only chuckled upon hearing this.

    He knew exactly what he was talking about.

    -

    Jan had assembled the army of Vingulmark, they were on high alert ever since Vestfold announced that they were re-entering an alliance with Kattrgat.

    But this was not what was strange but rather the fact that King Rugalf had tried to make contact with them.

    They rejected his attempt to make contact because King Rugalf''s strength was unknown and they only had stories to judge his strength.

    They were also aware of his close ties with Ragnar Lothbrok.

    Signy walked around the kingdom, he was a man of high status so it was only natural that he was sexually active but there was one woman he wanted more than most and that was Aug.

    He was among the people that had requested her hand in marriage but he had lost his crown and his kingdom so it was highly unlikely that she would choose him.

    Signy knew if he regained what he lost, he may have a chance at her hand.

    Jan watched the young man orchestrate his n, he was curious to see how his story would unfold because the stories in which he heard about Tyr were nothing short of spectacr.

    "Signy, what do you intend to do after you kill Tyr? I am afraid if you kill him that King Ragnar would not sit still. I do not have the men to contend with his army," Jan said bluntly, he did not act like he could take Ragnar because pretending he could was stupid.

    Making an enemy out of him to settle a vendetta was even dumber because it felt like Signy had truly lost Vestfold as Ragnar had the citizens on his side.

    "Jan, do you forget your ce now?" Signy asked and Jan kept quiet not because he was scared but astonished by how much Signy had grown.

    He had fostered his rage for four years and he was about to release it all on Tyr Ragnarsson.

    The boy that took everything from him.

    "Hahaha! Of course not, I trust you have a way to kill King Ragnar¡­" Jan said in a dismissive tone but he did not believe the words that came out of his mind.

    "I do," Signy responded with a stern look on his face, and this answer clearly stunned Jan.

 Chapter 241 We Meet Again, Old Friend

    King Ragnar had left Ulf''s house but the look on his face was another but joyful, he was fuming as Ulf had clearly said something to upset him but what that is, one cannot discern.

    King Ragnar had learned to control his emotions because he knew if he threw a tantrum, it could be seen as a sign of weakness.

    That was one thing that Ragnar did not need, he needed something to take his mind off the conversation he just had with his brother.

    Ulf did not walk him out but he was seen shutting the door after Ragnar left, holding his bloody nose.

    Ragnar walked for a few minutes, and everyone looked at him with admiration but someone soon stood in front of Ragnar and he felt all the anger he had umted lift off his shoulders the moment he saw who the person was.

    "Hagen!" Ragnar called out.

    -

    The two men had gone to a nearby tavern to drink and catch up like old times, Hagen had little difficulty finding Ragnar considering how freely he was walking around Kattegat and the whispers of the people.

    Ragnar was a light drinker but he missed spending time with Hagen.

    "It is so good to see you, King Ragnar!" Hagen said, as he poured himself a cup of ale before mming the bottle on the table, the durability of the bottle did not allow it to break or chip.

    "I cannot say the same of you, friend. You look like shit!" Ragnar teased his old friend and this made Hagen chuckle.

    "I sometimes ask myself why Sif is still married to me, but I am even more surprised that Lagertha married you," Hagen fired back, making himself the object of the joke he was about to y on Ragnar.

    But he noticed the brief change in Ragnar''s demeanor that made Hagen wary of the next words that came out of his mouth.

    "Are you okay?" Hagen asked, and Ragnar''s forced smile did not convince Hagen as this only confirmed his suspicion that Ragnar was not okay.

    "I am okay Hagen, but I think I should head back to get my men," Ragnar said, he tried to end the conversation but Hagen was not going to let his friend just leave like that when they had barely caught up.

    "King Ragnar, I want you to meet my kids¡­" Hagen said, and Ragnar was surprised by this because he had never really spent time with Hagen''s kids.

    Ragnar''s eyes lit up as he liked kids himself.

    "Absolutely!" Ragnar eximed, forgetting what he had just said earlier.

    -

    Hagen had guided Ragnar back to his home after both men had a few drinks together, Ragnar was tipsy but he was still fully conscious.

    Hagen and Ragnar stumbled into the house and Sif was speechless, she did not know how to act or what to say because this was the first time she had a King in her house and part of her worried about what her husband had done.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    There was a limit to their friendship, Ragnar was not the man her husband knew and there were sure to be consequences that Hagen could otherwise get away with as Ragnar was no longer an ordinary man.

    She had heard stories about him and wondered if he was a man at all.

    Sif immediately tried to excuse the two men as she was also about to gesture for her two kids to leave the house to give the men the space they needed.

    They lived in a wooden house that Hagen had built himself, itcked additional rooms even though Hagen had ns to expand his home as he has been trying with Sif for another child but to no avail.

    Hagen told his wife that it was okay, King Ragnar wanted to meet them after all so there was no need for her to excuse the men.

    Sif hung her head, not daring to look Ragnar in the eyes, Ursa noticed what her mother was doing and found herself mimicking her.

    Floki, however, was different as he walked up to Ragnar like he was about to greet him.

    Ragnar looked at the kid and smiled, Hagen looked excited.

    He was d that the years and titles did not make Ragnar, he was still the same man he has known over the years but Hagen could not have predicted what happened next, not even in a million years.

    Floki, 10, had pulled Ragnar''s beard out of the blue and Sif could already see herself burying a child as her heart dropped quite literally.

    Sif nced over at Hagen, expecting to see her husband panicking just as she was but Hagen did not look worried and instead, watched both men burst intoughter.

    Sif was both confused and perplexed as she saw Ragnar trying to reciprocate what Floki had done to him to the child but Floki did not have any beards prompting the younger child tough.

    "W-What the hell is happening?" Sif thought to herself as she did not understand just what kind of rtionship her husband shared with this man known as Ragnar.

    Floki was made to feel among, and Ragnar showed his charisma did not just apply to adults but kids as well.

    Ursa peeked at her brother who was seated on the right side of Ragnar and shed her father before looking at her mother like she was looking for approval.

    Sif did not know what to do but a voice soon rang out.

    "Ursa! What are you doing over there? Come here!" Ragnar called out to her and Ursa could not contain her excitement but she still needed her mother''s approval.

    Sif sighed before nodding, allowing the fourteen-year-old girl to enjoy the same kind of treatment her younger brother was enjoying.

    This showed that despite his title as a King, not much had changed with how Ragnar has be as a person.

    The only thing that had changed was his rtionship with Askild and not Kattegat as a whole.

 Chapter 242 Tyrs Hopeless Task

    The hours passed and Tyr traveled through the snow, but Tyr did not take into ount the trail that his movement would have left, the weather made it near impossible for anyone else to take notice of it but near impossible was not impossible.

    There was a possibility that it was possible, but Tyr did not gamble on the fact that this would be the one time in a million when it would be.

    Tyr did not have the luxury to do it or he would be stranded or freeze to death in this weather.

    He had to keep moving to keep his body from shutting down, and if he did not, he risked dying of hypothermia.

    Tyr was getting closer to the camp, he was surprised that it was stationed this close, and it was just as they suspected, they were surrounded as the area was lit up by sticks illuminating the darkened area because the clouds had blocked out the sun.

    This was what Tyr nned to exploit because he knew his target should be those lights.

    If they could go out, then that would be his leeway to sneak through the camp in the cover of darkness.

    But there was a problem and that was that Tyr had no idea how he could aplish this.

    There was only so much his camouged clothes could do, and he knew if they got a clear view of him then there was no helping it.

    But he needed to move and fast, Tyr attempted to circle them to see if there was a weak link but there was none, each position as firm as the rest.

    He knew he could not charge in, he was no Erik so he had to use his brain.

    He had to wait it out, he had to wait for night to fall but this also meant he had to regte his body temperature.

    Theyers of clothing helped a great deal despite it slowing down his movement and if he was this cold with it, he could only imagine what state he would be in without it.

    Tyr waited in a nearby encampment, it looked abandoned but it barely held up.

    Tyr was d that he found this because this might be the very thing that saves him.

    Tyr spent time there, munching away at the food he had left but there was no water to wash it all down nor could he absorb the snow for liquid.

    Time went by slowly, and every second here felt like he could drop at any moment.

    "I can do this! I can!" Tyr spoke to himself, he knew he needed that edge because his mind was crumbling under the pressure.

    "Are you sure about that?" A voice asked him and Tyr immediately jerked his head in the direction the voice came from but he could not move fast enough due to his body temperature at such extremes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Who is there?" Tyr asked and his eyes made contact with a man standing above him.

    The man was Kjell, Kjell had only one arm after having the other one torn away by Erik The Berserker.

    Tyr immediately took a defensive stance, but he knew he was no match for him even despite the man having a single arm.

    This man defeated Erik in a one-on-one deathmatch and Tyr was certain he was not on the level of Erik but he was confident he could devise a means to defeat him for he too had his strengths.

    "I am Kjell and I think you know what fate awaits you," Kjell said bluntly, Tyr noticed he had a horse behind him but what was he doing here in the first ce?

    This strategy they were using, now made sense.

    Tyr knew there was something familiar about it but never could he have guessed that Signy was involved in any of this but now he had no doubt.

    Tyr knew he was as good as dead if he was captured and he had seen the potential fate that awaited prisoners of war and that was being the ultimate glory of Valha.

    He would rather die here than be captured and despite Tyr drawing his weapon, Kjell never reciprocated his hostility and instead just watched the boy.

    "What were hisst moments like?" Kjell asked Tyr but Tyr was confused by this question, a confusion that did not go unnoticed by Kjell as he had to rephrase his question.

    "I want to know what Erik''sst moments were like. I know you are the one that took his life," Kjell said bluntly, everyone was aware of what Erik did to Lagertha as well as the trial for news traveled fast.

    The state of Erik''s corpse varied from the people that told the tale but there was no way he was not killed by someone that held a personal grudge against him.

    Kjell just knew it was Tyr, and he wanted to confirm if this much was true but seeing how fearless the boy has be only supported his im.

    "What makes you think I am the one that killed him?" Tyr wanted to know what good this information was before he gave it away so carelessly for it could prove to be a potential bargaining chip.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, you might think you snuck out of the camp unnoticed but you have been watched all through. I can confidently say, you will not be leaving here alive¡­." Kjell said and like a defensive dog, Tyr pointed his ax at Kjell but he noticed that his slender needle-like sword was still holstered around his waist.

    ¡­. Or that is what I would have said., I think we can help each other, Tyr Ragnarsson," Kjell revealed his intention and this exined hisck of hostility.

    He did not know how Tyr managed to kill Erik and survive for this long but this only showed just how capable the young warrior was as he was leading a group of savages, having killed a Chieftain to cement his authority as its ruler.

    But just what did Kjell want from Tyr, the boy that Signy wanted to kill by all means possible?

 Chapter 243 A Strange Alliance?

    Kjell had offered Tyr a very strange proposal and it looked like he was acting on his own rather than the orders of someone.

    Tyr did not for one second believe a single word that came out of his mouth, he did not drop his weapons.

    Kjell watched, waiting for Tyr''s answer and Tyr gave him his answer but lunged toward him.

    Tyr did not even see or register when Kjell unsheathed his de, but all he felt was a sharp sting on his left shoulder that forced him to abandon his attack.

    Leaping backward as he noticed the injury on his shoulder was shallow but he also knew that Kjell could have killed him with this single strike if that was his intention.

    Tyr second-guessed his course of action and knew that Kjell was serious with his proposal.

    "What do you want?" Tyr gave in, showing he was willing to cooperate depending on the terms.

    "I want the head of Sighvatur and his son. If you could fool Erik into dropping his guard then I am certain you are capable of this¡­" Kjell said bluntly but why did he want their head considering they were allied?

    It was a strange request but Tyr knew he was in a tight spot and needed all the help he could muster.

    "Why do you want them dead if they are helping you with the war?" Tyr asked and Kjell chuckled the moment he heard this.

    "War? You call this a war? You have fought a war, son of Ragnar¡­" Kjell reminded him of the past, a past where they were enemies and still were.

    "Signy is making a mistake, by using them he is admitting to the world that he is incapable of handling his affairs, this is not a good look for my King¡­" Kjell said but this brought Tyr to question just one thing.

    Why was Signy going to such lengths to crush a n that could not be a threat to him even in a million years?

    "He wants to kill me, does he not?" Tyr could read between the lines, and he was no fool.

    He wanted to confirm it now that he was aware of Signy''s involvement.

    "That is correct but this is no way for a warrior of your caliber to die, you do not deserve to die like a dog but a warrior¡­" Kjell said; he knew that Tyr was going to die with utmost certainty without his help and he could prolong his death to aplish his interest.

    "And all I need to do is kill Stu and Sighvatur? You say it like this is a simple task." Tyr said but Kjell had no intention of assisting Tyr in the forting battle rather, turning a blind eye to his movement should be more than enough.

    Kjell would allow Tyr to sneak past the encirclement, he intended to stay out of his way and make sure no one stood in it either but this was the only assistance Kjell intended to give him.

    If they met on the battlefield, he had every intention of killing Tyr and his men but he trusted that Tyr could find a way to do it without his assistance.

    All he needed to make sure was that he snuck behind the defenses, Kjell knew his intentions without Tyr voicing it out.

    "You have a n in ce¡­ Sighvatur and Stu are together, positioned in the East and the other one is positioned in the South, and in the direction you''re going is my camp where I and Aksel are manning¡­ I will guarantee you passage but you have a task right now. There is one more person I want dead," Kjell said, walking towards Tyr, who was rooted in ce despite his defensive stance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr did not move an inch as Kjell whispered something in his ear, prompting Tyr''s eyes to widen in surprise.

    "What!?" Tyr blurted out.

    -

    The people in Gissur''s camp were feeling the aftermath of the raid, the hunger was creeping up on them and luckily, the winter helped somewhat with how fast their metabolism worked but thirst was the order of the day, they were dehydrated after the brief battle they had.

    Gissur was surprised that Tyr was attempting to do something so drastic but this only made him like the younger warrior even more.

    Gissur was reckless, he did not want Tyr to have all the fun because he knew there was no way that Tyr would make it back alive.

    Gissur did not show any sorrow despite losing his wife and brother, he knew that these things were part of life and he could not protect everyone.

    Kolbeinn was talking to his men, trying his best to keep them from breaking apart because hunger was the number catalyst for dismantling an army.

    Gissur spoke about a n with the other Chieftains but he never had the intention of following it through.

    Gissur was always going to do what was in his mind and right now, he needed to fight more than ever.

    There was no food and waiting would only make them weaker so what exactly were they waiting for?

    Sit until the enemy decides to wipe them off the map?

    No, Gissur wanted to hit them while his men were still capable of fighting.

    They still had the strength to stand so they should have enough strength for onest battle.

    If they were going to die, Gissur intended for them to fight and die like warriors.

    He had assembled his men, and Kolbeinn watched him do so but he never thought that he had any intentions of going to fight because if he did, Kolbeinn knew he would have no choice but to join him or their forces would be divided and significantly weakened.

    Gissur made his intentions known with a battle cry, and the moment he did, his men raised their swords in a frenzy.

    It was clear that their morale was not affected despite their stomachs rumbling, this showed the mental fortitude of the men under him.

    Gissur proceeded to shout that they were going to battle and this was the perfect time as the weather was in their favor, the fog had grown thick enough to hide an army but Gissur did not take any of this into consideration and Kolbeinn found that his men''s spirit lifted upon hearing Gissur''s speech.

    He knew he had no choice but to join in the assault despite being against it but if Gissur went alone he would most certainly die or lose his men in an already disadvantageous war so Kolbeinn had to join in to fatten up that slim chance but only if he knew what awaited them in the path they traveled for the men were unknowingly on course to meet Sighvatur and his son, Stu.

 Chapter 244 Backline Breached!

    The dread of night and the blistering wind whistled throughout, for the weather was cruel for anyone that dared to walk it.

    Kjell had kept his end of the bargain he had with Tyr, allowing him past their camp as he was in charge of the night watch for the day coincidentally.

    This was a plus, but an arduous task still awaited Tyr because he now knew the positions of the men stationed, this was invaluable information he would not have gotten otherwise and it would not make sense for Kjell to lie to him in this situation considering he had nothing to lose.

    Tyr was skeptical but he knew where he had to be and who he had to convince, but he was not arrogant enough to think he could kill both of them alone

    Heck, he knew he could not kill one considering that even Gissur could not, but that only applied if he was facing them head-on.

    Tyr had deployed less honorable tactics throughout his life and this included killing King Asmund by stabbing him quite literally in the back.

    He understood that strength was a part of the battle, but intellect was far more important for it allows you to use your strengths to their fullest potential.

    Kjell gave Tyr a bow and A few arrows that had unique pointed tips wrapped in a moist cloth but this was not all as he gave him a small bag to hang on his hips.

    Kjell walked him right through the camp, the way Tyr was dressed it was near impossible to make him out and the fact that he was walking side by side with Kjell made him blend right in.

    "Kjell¡­" A voice called out behind the one-armed man, prompting both of them to halt in their tracks.

    "Where the hell do you think you are going? Should you not be manning the entrance?" Aksel questioned, rubbing his eyes as if he had only just woken up mere moments ago.

    "Shut up Aksel and go back to sleep," Kjell said before continuing on his way. Luckily, this response did not raise any suspicion from the sleepy Aksel as he did not even bother asking who the man with him was.

    "I have held up my end of the bargain, I wish you to hold up yours¡­" Kjell said as he bid the warrior farewell.

    He did not trust Sighvatur or Stu, and he was surprised that Signy promised them tond close to their home despite the history of the duo.

    This was an act he was notfortable with but what was even more strange was Signy permitted them to handle it as they saw best but they had toplete the objective which was to capture Tyr and bring him back alive to him.

    Luckily, Kjell ran into the young warrior first because he knew Aksel would have taken a less diplomatic approach.

    "Do not take any action that will bring shame to my name," Kjell muttered, repeating the words of his king as he faded away into the darkness.

    This was the sole reason he was using Tyr.

    -<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr had made it past the first hurdle through the most unlikely of assistance but now came the hard part.

    He rummaged through the bag that Kjell gave him to see if there would be anything implicating inside the bag but he was surprised by what he found.

    He found a piece of bread, clean water, and some oily material in a small battle that he correctly guessed to be for the arrows.

    Tyr could not only regain his strength but quench his hunger, this would do plenty to help him in regaining his strength.

    The wound inflicted on him by Kjell was all but closed up already, showing how negligible it was.

    Tyr was too hungry to start questioning if it was poisoned or not and dug into the food.

    The bread was hard but it was tasty nheless. Then again, to a hungry person, everything is tasty as long as you can swallow it.

    Tyr gulped the water down but he did not drink it carelessly because he did not know how far he had to travel so he left a good amount of water and food.

    This took less than five minutes and the things he was carrying made it harder for him to travel as his body felt heavier but this proved to help his body kickstart its metabolism due to the weight hence helping with his overall body temperature in this death-inducing weather.

    Tyr was not familiar with thesends, and the more he walked, the less optimistic he was that he was going in the right direction.

    His current situation made him question his life choices until now, why he was here in the first ce, and what he hoped to achieve when he could easily be in a Kingdom, living a life that most people could only imagine but he knew what came with such a lifestyle.

    That was his freedom, these years were meant to be the most important moments of his life and he was not going to trade it forfort as he was sure he was not the only one getting stronger.

    He wanted topete with Bjorn, he did not know where they stood but Tyr wanted to be able to hold his own should he fight his brother.

    But it also got him thinking about what new skills Bjorn might have learned, Tyr was feeling nostalgic for some reason.

    "I will survive!" Tyr muttered to himself, gritting his teeth as he took matters nto his own hands.

    He dragged his heavy self across the snow, he must have been traveling for more than an hour but at longst, he saw a sign that the gods had not forsaken him.

    In the distance, he could see a faint fire, it was clearly a checkpoint but it was a lot more intense than the camp he had juste from.

    It was now or never, Tyr had to be smart about it, and above all else, he must not be seen.

 Chapter 245 Bjorns Request

    A few hours prior, Bjorn was seen walking around Kattegat with Viggo trailing behind him like a dog.

    Ragnar was here yet Bjorn was dealing with some shady person instead of spending time with his father.

    It was a bit strange but he understood Bjorn''s obsession with Signy because he thought it would lead him to his brother.

    "I need to see King Askild," Bjorn blurted out, Viggo was surprised that he was actually giving him the time of day as Bjorn was rarely vocal with what was going on in his mind.

    "Are you sure that is a wise choice? It is King Askild we are talking about¡­" Viggo said, Askild''s reputation as a cruel King had somewhat changed after he showed "mercy" to Tyr Ragnarsson and forgave the Vikings that revolted against him but Viggo could feel it in his bones that Askild had gotten even more dangerous.

    Evil is less evil when it can be perceived but now, Askild had learned to conceal that evil.

    Bjorn was within sight of the throne room and he saw the men his father came with. They were five men and they all looked strong.

    The moment their eyes settled on Bjorn, they began walking his way and Viggo immediately stood in front of his Commander in case of any potential threat.

    "I did not mean to put you on guard¡­" A man approximately the same age as his father had said upon seeing Viggo''s reaction to them approaching.

    Bjorn walked past Viggo to see the men that had approached him in all their glory and a show of respect.

    "Forgive his manners, what can I do for you?" Bjorn asked, had Viggo just smiled as his body loosened up?

    "Forgive me saying, but you look just like your father, and to think a sixteen-year-old looks this intimidating, the gods really took their time creating you," The man joked, he had a softer face than Ragnar but a lot more wrinkles, this was what gave away his age but there was nothing special about his other features except his golden eyes, it felt like one was looking right at the sun.

    "I would be frightened if I looked like my father! I look a lot more like my mom, the shield maiden Lagerha," Bjorn joked, and the men had a lightughter but Viggo stood there, with a creepy smile stered across his face.

    "This one¡­ He is a good actor¡­" Viggo thought to himself as he focused on the man that was speaking to Bjorn. The man was approximately the same height as Bjorn but he had more of a presence than the younger warrior.

    "What is your name?" Bjorn asked him, Bjorn did not need to introduce himself seeing as his reputation preceded him.

    "I go by the name Gudleif," Gudleif said and Bjorn acknowledged this before nodding, effectively ending the conversation as he had no intention of wasting time with these people.

    He understood why they wanted to meet him in person being the son of Ragnar and all that, that was the singr reason he granted them an audience.

    Bjorn walked away but Viggo stared Gudleif down, Gudleif did not look away as he did not know what was going on. Not until Viggo whispered into his ear.

    "If you ever think about harming him, I will kill you¡­" Viggo said and Gudleif''s polite face soon contorted into something nothing short of repulsive but he did not say anything in response to what Viggo had said, watching the man follow after his Commander.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The other four standing behind him did not see Gudleif''s face nor hear what Viggo whispered into his ear but it was unknown if Viggo actually sensed any ill intent from him or he just wanted to stir up trouble.

    -

    Bjorn had walked into the throne room and he saw King Askild and his wife, Liv beside him.

    Liv was rarely in the same room with Askild, and it was rare seeing her beside Askild in the throne room ever since the day her father died but everyone thought she was simply grief-stricken.

    Bjorn immediately got on one knee, a gesture that remained despite the supposed change in Askild.

    "What brings Bjorn Ragnarsson here?" King Askild questioned, he was surprised that Bjorn was here when his father was in Kattegat.

    One would think he would want to spend as much as he could before Ragnar returned to Vestfold even though they were allied now and he could visit Ragnar there if he wanted to.

    "My king, I apologize for my tardiness but I request a favor¡­" Bjorn''s voice was unwavering, Askild was surprised and assumed this favor had to do with his father.

    "Go ahead," King Askild permitted him to continue with his request.

    "King Askild, do you trust me?" Bjorn asked out of the blue and this surprised Askild because most people did not care if he trusted them or not as long as they were recipients of his grace.

    "That is a strange question¡­ Have you done anything to betray my trust?" Askild asked, trying to y a little mind game with the younger warrior but Bjorn was not about to take the bait.

    "I want Signy''s head, my king but I have a feeling he will lead me to something I seek the most in this life¡­" Bjorn was cryptic with his words and Askild naturally requested for him to rify what he meant.

    "What do you mean by something?" Askild asked but Bjorn had no intentions of telling him what.

    "I need you to trust me, My King¡­" Bjorn said and Askild found that this might be an opportunity to make Bjorn indebted to him because a conflict of loyalty was sure to ensue with the presence of Ragnar Lothbrok.

    But Askild was no durd, he knew it was about his brother as Bjorn was not the only one that had information regarding him.

    Askild knew that no matter what, he could not let Tyr return and he might just have the answer to that dilemma.

    Askild could sense the hatred in Bjorn''s voice, he knew that Bjorn''s target was not Signy, it was Tyr.

 Chapter 246 The Missing Pieces

    With the saga drawing closer to a conclusion with each passing day, the tale of Tyr Ragnarsson was only going to get a lot darker for a boy with such a fate on his shoulder, it was difficult knowing the path that Tyr would choose or if he would even live long enough to aplish that fate.

    Noa proved to be a great find for he was Tyr''s way into a hostile n and the only reason that Gissur did not kill him on the spot.

    Gissur was a primal creature and knew the potential that the boy had and only after he beat him to a pulp did he realize that potential was still a long way from manifesting.

    Gissur''s wife had told him how to kill the younger warrior but she also explicitly told him that Tyr could not be killed until a certain condition was met.

    But unknown to his wife, Gissur never thought her prophecies to be a hundred percent for even fate could be altered if the gods willed it or there would be no loopholes in the visions she saw.

    Gissur beat Tyr to keep him incapacitated, in that state, it did not matter how strong he was because he knew that he could have killed him if he wanted to.

    Tyr was not alive because of the gods but because of Gissur, did this make Gissur the gods his wife was talking about? Absolutely not.

    Tyr''s memories have beening to him piece by piece but there was something wrong.

    The memories did not make sense and he could not even remember most of the dreams he had when he was in aa.

    But Noa had sold him as a friend that saved his life, and the fact that he could convince the Mad Hound to take him back to their base was nothing short of impressive considering the Mad Hound had the temperament of a child, let''s not forget his ability to wound him.

    Tyr could feel his personality splitting into two, sometimes he felt like the one in control of his body, and other times, he did not but was this more psychological than it was a mental disorder?

    No one could tell at this point because the strength and skill he momentarily showed against the Mad Hound after losing "consciousness" was beyondprehension.

    But Tyr''s existence was under threat the longer he was in this ce, he had enemies everywhere because his name still held power even though he was exiled and Ragnar had "abandoned" him.

    He was free for taking, and everyone had a reason to either want his head or want his alliance.

    King Rugalf did not put too much thought into Tyr because he knew the young son of Ragnar would eventuallye to him after his trials and tribtions, Tyr had every intention of living up to his name, the god of war.

    He was a young red-blooded warrior that had just lost everything due to his inadequacies.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    This is why he chose to face them for four years and now he had not only attained the title of Chieftain by conquering a n but he was the architect of an unlikely alliance that unknowingly increased his chances of survival because there was no way that Gissur would have survived alone on the first day considering how he was not only outnumbered but someone that possessed equal or even greater strength that he was present.

    The only reason he survived to fight another battle was because of Tyr but Tyr was also the reason their way of life came under threat, he was the genesis of everything.

    But even his enemies began to admire his tenacity, some found themselves rooting for his survival, and among these people was Kjell.

    Kjell had grown fond of the younger warrior and he got first-hand news about his whereabouts, this included Skol''s first attempt at killing him, everyone thought he had died and Kjell found himself feeling disappointed that someone capable of killing Erik met such an anticlimactic end but as months passed, they began to hear strange news of a boy matching Tyr being seen around or reported being seen but these were just rumors. This was when Kjell found himself rooting for Tyr Ragnarsson. He was rooting for his survival and hoped that the rumors were true.

    He, however, had to wait a few more years for confirmation about Tyr''s survival shortly after the death of Thorvald, another person of interest as he was a fallen warrior, an old friend, that gave into the ridicule he faced after he lost to Ulf Lothbrok.

    This was like a tale written by the gods themselves, Tyr had risen from the dead and ughtered Skol.

    After his death, that was when his journey truly began.

    And Kjell did not want to see it end, not now at least.

    Sighvatur was a dangerous man that he knew Signy was underestimating but he also understood why Signy wanted to keep their involvement in it low-key because if word got out that they aided or possibly killed a Ragnarsson then Vingulmark would be the next kingdom to fall hence why he augmented the strength of Sighvatur''s army.

    Kjell was making sure no loose ends remained because people talk, and from the rumors he has heard regarding the father and son.

    They were far too dangerous to be left alive hence why he decided to y a part in the story of the boy he had grown fond of.

    Tyr had managed to turn fate on its head, Tyr had killed a King and won a war at the age of twelve.

    And the only person that could prove to be a challenge to Tyr right now was Bjorn, for he was the yin to his yang, and everyone wondered what could potentially happen if they met again.

    The Viking world was about to undergo a very interesting change, one that would pave the way to glory or destruction.

 Chapter 247 The Fightback!

    Kolbeinn and Gissur covered grounds and they could see the shining light in the distance.

    "Halt.." Kolbeinn said but Gissur wanted to charge right in and begin the bloodbath because the darkness was in their favor but on second nce, the light that they had seen was not just a bonfire.

    Normal bonfires do not ooze such dense dark smoke.

    "What is going on?" Kolbeinn questioned and Gissur too was surprised, but there was only one natural conclusion to this.

    "Tyr¡­" Gissur blurted out, he could not believe that he could cause such chaos on his own but that was the thing, Tyr had assistance unbeknownst to them.

    They could hear screams in the distance and the urgency in their voices as they tried to put out the fire before it could burn the camp to the ground.

    "Father! We need to go!" Gudrun said but Kolbeinn was adamant on his stance to wait it out.

    The fire was not just lit, it must have been burning for at least ten-fifteen minutes meaning that they had arrived just in time.

    Tyr was able to make it a lot sooner than them due to the path he traveled being shorter.

    Kolbeinn and Gissur had to take the longest route because they had to avoid running into any potential blocks that might have been set up in anticipation.

    They were fortunate that the timepse aligned with Tyr''s action but that meant that the enemy was on high alert as well.

    Gissur had the right idea, this was the perfect time to hit them but Kolbeinn thought otherwise because they would be expecting an attack now so the element of surprise was lost. The fog had covered their travel and the cover of the night further aided them.

    But what if they were already expecting them either way? Then his paranoia would make no difference.

    "I¡­.. Do¡­. it¡­." Finn, who has been quiet and insignificant throughout, finally decided to take an active role in this battle.

    No one knew what his talents were and they could not judge his battle prowess because he had rarely fought.

    Kolbeinn wanted to speak but Nora gestured for him to be quiet, Noa watched because he was curious about what his girlfriend''s brother wanted to do.

    He scribbled something in the snow and kept scribbling and scribbling for a good five minutes.

    Finn had drawn something of importance in the snow and Kolbeinn was perplexed.

    What Finn scribbled was a perfect n of attack that exploited the perceived weakness of the enemy''s burning camp while using their strength to their fullest potential.

    "T-This is perfect!" Kolbeinn blurted out, he could not believe that Finn had such a skill yet he remained silent, but Finn was a man that did not speak much or do anything that he did not absolutely have to.

    Right now their livesy in the bnce and Finn was aware of a potential mutiny at this rate.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He wanted to protect his sister and this was his way of doing it, Gissur nced over at the scribble.

    "Now, this is a fucking surprise!" Gissur cussed out, pping Finn in the back.

    -

    "Put out the fire!" A man screamed but the water was not nearly enough to do that, and if they wasted the water they had, then that would be a great inconvenience to them.

    Their attention was focused on the back lines, and they had sent out a small portion of their army to venture out to see just who was responsible for it.

    "This is bad, this is very ba-!" The man was cut short as an arrow found its way into the top of his skull, making him slur over his words before dropping to his knees and then face first into the ground, dead.

    But he was not the only one that suffered this fate as dead bodies dropped around him.

    Another hail of arrows rained down on them, and another, with nowhere to hide; they could only hope to the gods that the arrows did not touch them.

    The fire spread, and it was out of control.

    And then a roar echoed, and the ground shook like an earthquake was about to rupture the ground but all it was, was the Mad Hound, with Gudrun strapped tightly on his shoulder where she was to act as support for the giant.

    Arrows escaped the tip of her fingertips like she was ying an instrument, and the destructive force of the Mad Hound made it near impossible to even injure him, he had not even gone full strength yet.

    The army was drawn to him, he was like a sinkhole that drew all enemies into the center.

    Gudrun was not indestructible and the enemy tried their hardest to shoot her down but it was difficult as the Mad Hound was constantly moving.

    And with Gudrun fastened to his shoulder, she could fire away without fear of being thrown off but she knew it would only be a matter of time before an arrow found her but the strategy was working.

    With everyone drawn to the rampaging monster, it was easier for the others to divide and conquer.

    Gissur and his men nked them from the right wing while Kolbeinn and his men nked from the left.

    This gave them a fighting chance and the battle did notst long before their enemies were forced to retreat.

    But they could not be allowed to retreat or they would inform the others about what had happened.

    They needed time to regain themselves and they did not have the strength to fight another battle without rest so they used theirst ounce of strength to chase them down, Kolbeinn tried to stop them because this may very well be a trap but he understood it was futile and simply allowed them to do as they please.

    Their next course of action was to try and salvage any food that they could see, and luckily, it was just enough to feed them.

 Chapter 248 The Climax Draws Near...

    Tyr was on the run, he was being chased and he knew he was in no condition for a fight.

    At least not now, the illusion of an army would be debunked if they caught sight of him and this would defeat the purpose of his assignment.

    The fact that his action had somehow weakened the main army as they split their forces to confront this perceived danger but in reality, it was just Tyr destroying their camp.

    Tyr maneuvered around the terrain and tried to mislead them by firing burning arrows in the opposite direction or intentionally leaving trails to derail them.

    Tyr had taken extra measures to conceal his track, and eventually, the men stopped chasing him after a while because it was a wild goose chase and they might be running right into a trap.

    Tyr was surprised Stu or Sighvatur did not lead them but it also made him question where they were.

    The men were so close to catching Tyr but they gave up just before they could as the younger warrior had buried himself inside the snow.

    Taking a page out of the book of the enemy he had fought earlier that day.

    But not before he heard whispers of their conversation, they returned with urgency after speaking about the enemy forces being present elsewhere.

    Tyr thought nothing of this but unknown to him, they had just coordinated one of the best assaults that took advantage of each other''s actions.

    Finn was the catalyst, Sighvatur had awakened something in him as he saw a worthy tactician to go up against.

    Sighvatur might be superior in terms of strategy but Finn was no b, Nora was surprised he took an active part as he preferred keeping this side of him secret, even Skol was not aware of this skill but this showed just how much of an impact that Tyr had made on him.

    Tyr rose from the snow like he was a walking dead, but his body temperature took the brute of it as the moisture had now soaked into his skin making him far more susceptible to the blistering cold.

    Tyr quickly dug into his bag but his hands were bleeding, the cold had affected him more than he cared to admit but he was curious about what these men meant.

    He used hisst ounce of strength to go to the camp that the enemies were moments ago but he was extra careful to maintain his distance in case the information he heard was misinterpreted by him.

    He soon heard screams in the distance and the sound of battle ongoing elsewhere from the camp but it was from his surroundings, the backlines, prompting him to question just who else was here.

    If Signy was involved, it was no long shot to assume that others were as well but Tyr was soon brought back to reality when he saw a warrior running right at him with his de drawn. He was one of the retreating enemies that had broken away from the battle to ensure his survival but he saw Tyr in such a pathetic state and wanted his head.

    Tyr was far too exhausted to defend himself and his movements were sluggish but he was saved by an arrow that impaled the charging man right in the back of his head.

    Blood spilled on Tyr''s face but he was unmoved by this and in the distance, he saw a humongous silhouette that approached him but Tyr could no longer remain conscious.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Falling face first into the ground, but he heard the desperate call of someone familiar.

    "TYR!!! STAY AWAKE!" The gentle voice echoed like a luby, and Tyr''s chapped lips parted to whisper.

    "G-Gudrun¡­"

    -

    Sighvatur and Stu were not at the camp like Kjell had said but this was not because the information he gave them was false, but rather the duo had moved a few hours before the onught as Sighvatur regrly moved about because he knew the power information held.

    He did not trust the Vikings that were allied with him and never stayed in one ce for too long or he would be a sitting duck should they attempt to take his head even though he was confident in his strength.

    This was a happy coincidence because if the duo were there. Not only Gissur but Kolbeinn and the rest of their n would have been ughtered without mercy.

    Sighvatur''s methods were unorthodox but Sighvatur entertained that he might have to fight his supposed allies after the war so he could not risk his army getting depleted for it is better to be safe than sorry.

    Tyr was lucky that they were absent as well or he would have been caught as Sighvatur would most likely have taken a different approach to capture him.

    The gods were on their side and it was evident by this fortunate day that everything just seemed to work in their favor.

    "Father, are you sure it was wise leaving the camp?" Stu questioned his father but Sighvatur chuckled upon hearing this.

    "My scouts reported irregr and unusual movement from our allies¡­" Sighvatur responded and this surprised Stu, this meant that his father was not only watching his enemies but allies as well.

    He wanted to question further but held his tongue because his father had a knack for these things.

    He has never been wrong, and Stu was aware of the strengths that Kjell and Aksel possessed so a confrontation with them was far too early, not when they had another enemy that they needed to get rid of.

    Things were getting a bitplicated and Stu was notfortable with where this was going but he trusted his father wholeheartedly and knew everything would work out in their favor as long as he followed his father''s n right down to the bone.

    They arrived at a different camp, approximately the same time that the other one went down in mes establishing a timeframe between the attack on that camp and this one.

    "What an honor to be visited by Chieftain and his son¡­" A woman blurted out, this woman was known as Skaei and held the same rank as the J?kull.

    This drew the curtains to a chaotic day riddled with good fortune.

 Chapter 249 Sturlas Decision

    Skaei weed them, the night would be passed here as they had unknowingly avoided a battle that might have potentially put an end to this war.

    But this was a fortunate event. They were informed of the fall of the camp a few hours after and the men that Sighvatur worked so hard to preserve had fallen in battle but he did not look upset because the men that fell were not much, this was the weakest camp with the least amount of men stationed there.

    This was why Sighvatur and his son stayed there to even out the disadvantage.

    He was impressed nheless that they had the gall to attack head-on.

    A head-on attack that took them out and he knew this had to be Gissur''s doing.

    He was the only one mad enough to do something so brazen but this was why Sighvatur enjoyed him.

    He was the exact opposite of his careful nature, Gissur looked for immediate victory without thinking about the future but this was exactly what made him a difficult opponent.

    The camp was supposed to contain his wife and brother but these two had been moved as well.

    Sighvatur left the camp but he never predicted an attack.

    "Y-You bastards!" Njal cussed out, he was furious as to why they were not killing him.

    Keeping him alive each day only fuelled his rage and the fact that they had turned Gissur''s wife into a "urinary" was disgusting, to say the least.

    They took turns urinating on her because of her mind-numbing stench, they made fun of her and Gissur because they were surprised that a man of his status was fucking such a horrible-looking g.

    Nobody wanted to fuck her, that was how unappealing she was because they did not want to catch something that she might have.

    Stu nced at Njal, he could see the anger in his eyes amid the flickering mes.

    Gissur''s wife seemed to be the focal point of his gaze so Stu casually walked up to her.

    He understood his wife, this woman was the pride of his brother but what happens when you take away that prude?

    It is a direct insult to Gissur, Stu unfastened his trouser, he knew the woman was dehydrated as they did not give her the same treatment they gave Njal, who was being fed and cared for adequately.

    Meanwhile, the only hydration this woman was getting was by drinking the urine of these Vikings.

    She opened her mouth the moment the warm fluid left Stu''s dick, drenching her in piss.

    Njal gnawed away at him but Stu did something strange, he gestured for the warriors around him to release Njal from his confines.

    Njal had been seething with rage and Stu grew tired of the dirty looks he has been receiving from the captive.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Njal was momentarily confused because what could Stu profit from releasing him?

    Stu kicked Gissur''s wife right in the jaw, knocking her out in that single blow and this triggered Njal.

    Njal charged at him, tackling Stu, the warriors around wanted to interfere but Sighvatur gestured for them not to intervene.

    Njal wrapped his hands around Stu''s neck, nted firmly on top of him, and began squeezing away, his grip was firm and the air in Stu''s neck constricted.

    Stu simply smiled as he stood up, despite Njal being on him, he stood up regardless of that weight showing his immense physical strength.

    He grabbed his hand and removed his hands from his neck easily, Stu was establishing his dominance because people had a misconception about his strength as they saw him as inferior to his father.

    But this could not be further from the truth, Stu had not only learned everything he knew about battle from his father but he had a younger body that could tolerate and evolve beyond that of his father.

    Stu was unimpressed by Njal, he was nothingpared to Gissur because Stu knew if it was Gissur that had grabbed his neck, he would be dead.

    "This is why you are not the Chieftain and if you look at me with such eyes again, I will kill the woman," Stu said, right before snapping Njal''s right wrist into half.

    Njal screamed in pain, showing his low tolerance to pain but one could not me considering his hand had just been broken.

    He dropped to his knees, grunting away but Stu crouched and raised his face to look him in the eyes.

    "Those are the eyes that fit you the most. I have no interest in your life so just sit still and you might all live¡­" Stu said; the rebellious look that Njal had moments ago was non-existent as he looked far more submissive.

    Njal was bound again and Sighvatur chuckled at his son''s disy of brutality, he was like the upgraded version of himself but he was d that he had raised such a fine young man.

    "Father, I am going to kill Gissur when daybreakes. I am not requesting your permission, I need to destroy the morale they have built or this might prove troublesome. I will go alone if need be¡­" Stu said. The mind games his father was ying with them were beginning to make him suspicious, it was a risky game and he felt it archaic because power was absolute in the world.

    He wanted to show them his power and why the Sturlungar n should be feared.

    Sighvatur did not give his son a verbal response but his eyes said it all.

    Stu was free to act on his own, he trusted his judgment and knew that Stu taking a personal interest was out of his hand.

    Stu rarely showed personal interest and simply followed his father''s goals and ambitions but now his blood lust had umted and he needed an outlet.

    "I wille along if you don''t mind," Skaei muttered behind him, she was not asking for his approval because he did not have a higher ranking than her in the n but rather, equal. Sighvatur had no problem with her joining his son.

    "Very well then. Bring Tyr back alive, he is our bargaining chip," Sighvatur instructed as he entered a tent to get some well-needed rest.

 Chapter 250 Ragnars Dilemma

    King Ragnar had returned home and spent the night with Lagertha but he refused her advances to have sex with him, which Lagertha found strange considering that they had not seen each other for such a long time.

    She was worried but Ulf came to mind, surely he did not tell Ragnar about what he did?

    Lagertha began to panic and slept beside her husband wondering if this would be thest time she did.

    Ragnar was a sucker when it came to loyalty, he saw it as the mainponent of everything in life.

    Love is a bonus because he knew he could grow to love a woman that dedicates herself to him but what is love without loyalty?

    Ragnar noticed his wife''s heart was racing that night, she was hiding something from him because she had no reason to be this nervous.

    It was just sex, Lagertha had never thought anything about Ragnar refusing it, although they had never been apart for this long so this was an exception.

    They were all over each other the moment they met so what changed, Lagertha''s guilty conscience was getting the better of her and she could not sleep throughout the night even though Ragnar slept like a baby.

    The morning came and Ragnar woke up but without Lagertha by his side, Ragnar did not mind this because he assumed she had gone to do her duty as a wife which involved chores and preparing food.

    He was right, his nose picked up the scent of food that struck a cord within him, he missed Lagertha''s cooking because she knew exactly how he liked his food with down-to-the-minute detail.

    Ragnar got out of bed and saw Lagertha, she looked as beautiful as ever but the moment her eyes met his, he averted his gaze and focused on the food in front of him.

    "I missed your cooking," Ragnar said. Lagertha was now certain that it was not just in her head, something was bothering her husband and she had every intention of finding out what it was.

    "Is something bothering you?" Lagertha asked as she watched her husband sit in front of the meal she had prepared but Ragnar smiled and shook his head.

    Lagertha knew he was lying, they have been married for far too long for her to not know when his smile was fake or genuine.

    But she did not want to ruin a perfect morning and allowed him to wallow in his lies for now.

    "Have you seen Bjorn?" Ragnar asked out of the blue and Lagertha raised a brow considering Ragnar knew how busy he was as a youngmander, he had a lot more to prove as he had yet to make a solid name for himself.

    "I have not seen him, not since yesterday¡­." Lagertha said; they have been together all through so naturally the time frame fits but Ragnar knew he could have visited during the time he was asleep.

    Ragnar''s bodynguage was strange, he looked restless before digging into the food before him.

    The soup was enriched with pork meat and bread on another te to help wash it down.

    Lagertha made sure there was no alcohol present but instead, a fermented drink made from honey, water, and spices for a healthy breakfast.

    Ragnar ate and his tensed body loosened, prompting Lagertha to question her thoughts once again.

    She doubted it but the moment Ragnar finished eating, his body tensed up once again.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Lagertha, I need to talk to you," Ragnar said and Lagertha could feel her stomach tighten the moment Ragnar said this.

    "What is it, my love?" Lagertha responded, she tried her best to not allow her thoughts to get the better of her.

    "Bjorn¡­ Is he really my son?" Ragnar asked and Lagertha was dumbfounded the moment she heard this.

    She could not believe Ragnar was even asking her this and she felt offended, Ragnar noticed the rage on his wife''s face.

    He cleared his throat because he knew he had to rephrase his wording. After all, this was a sensitive subject so he had to approach it carefully.

    "Forgive me Lagertha, I didn''t mean it like that, forget it¡­" Ragnar quickly dismissed it but the cat was already out of the bag and Lagertha knew if she left it untouched that Ragnar would only worry about it more.

    This was whenmunication was key and not her personal feelings regarding the subject.

    "It is fine my love, you can talk to me about anything. What do you want to know?" Lagertha put her husband''s worry above her feelings.

    Just because she felt offended did not make it offensive but now she had an idea of what was bothering him.

    Bjorn''s birth had coincidentally matched the day that Erik had vited his wife, and the fact that they had been trying to get her pregnant since then but to no avail only raised his suspicion to if Bjorn was his son or that of Erik, Lagertha did not need him to say it in ck and white, Ragnar''s awkward silence told her he was still considering her feelings.

    He did not want to open an old wound.

    "Nothing will change, Bjorn will always be my son, I just want to know¡­" Ragnar said, Lagerha saw the look in his eyes and understood the urgency.

    But where was thising from?

    "Ragnar Lothbrok, you are the silliest man I have ever met. Why else would he have blue eyes?" Lagertha said. Erik did not have blue eyes nor did she.

    Ragnar face-palmed himself as he just began tough the moment his wife revealed this very obvious clue he missed but that was the problem with overthinking, logic goes out the window when met with fear.

    Ragnar began tough but Lagertha knew these were not her husband''s thoughts.

    "What brought this about, my love?" Lagertha asked but Ragnar waved it off as nothing but Lagerha knew that Ulf had something to do with.

    Ulf was now trying to actively destroy her marriage, and this was a line he should not have dared cross.

    Ragnar had not punched or wounded Ulf that day, Ulf had slipped and hit his nose on the table, Ragnar was simply angry because Ulf presented this possibility to him but Ragnar would soon have a reason to be angry at his brother.

    "Ragnar, Ulf kissed me¡­" Lagertha uttered bluntly.

    "What?" Ragnar''sugh ceased as the rage reced it.

 Chapter 251 Iceland?

    The truth and plots were unraveling, the world was vast but this came with secrets.

    Secrets unknown to most for forces lurked that far exceeded their expectations.

    King Rugalf had gone quiet, he was busy securing the future of his Kingdom.

    They had enemies but Rugalf had no intentions of calling the attention of Ragnar Lothbrok because settling this himself was a great way to show Ragnar that he was capable of protecting his people.

    Besides, Ragnar had problems he was handling.

    Rugalf was in contact with d or was it more urate to say that d had been conquered and turned into a militarized kingdom?

    Rugalf thought nothing about it but he heard a name that worried him.

    King Rugalf had quite a big family, having eight brothers but three had been killed by the person that was responsible for the conquest of d.

    "King Rugalf, your brother has requested for you!" A man called out, he was dressed in tattered clothing showing he was of a low status but this did not stop him from addressing King Rugalf.

    "Which of my brothers?" Rugalf questioned, and the man looked hesitant to say the name prompting Rugalf to sigh, he knew just who it was.

    "It is Fr?ygard, isn''t it?" Rugalf asked and the man confirmed by nodding.

    Fr?ygard was the most troublesome of his brothers, he was a drunk that was taken as a joke among his peers.

    Rugalf, however, cared about his siblings and would do anything for them.

    Rugalf was reluctant to go see him now, he had a kingdom to rule and he could not do that if he was babysitting his siblings.

    "Go and fetch him¡­" Rugalf ordered, surely he did not expect him to leave what he was doing ande to him.

    "King Rugalf, he is in no state toe here¡­'' The man said, but Rugalf did not need to say another word before the man rephrased his words.

    "He is currently¡­ indisposed, my king." The man said and Rugalf sighed, but he reluctantly got up and journeyed to where his brother was.

    His other brothers were not as troublesome as Fr?ygard, they were mostly responsible and had a life outside of their brother.

    He arrived at his cabin and all he could hear were moans and groans within the building.

    Judging from Rugalf''s face, this was a familiar urrence as he knocked on the door and the moans soon stopped.

    King Rugalf, like most people, had a soft side for his family and it showed by how he interacted with his brothers.

    "Fr?ygard!" Rugalf called out and the whispers and murmurs followed behind the door, hasty movements could be heard before the back door soon shut.

    "Come in brother¡­" Fr?ygard muttered, sounding sickly and weak.

    Rugalf entered the room and saw his brother covered in a nket from head to toe, feigning being sick.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "What is the meaning of this?" King Rugalf asked, and he was surprised that Fr?ygard would even attempt something this stupid, to begin with.

    The stench of alcohol was prominent in the room, but this was not what bothered Rugalf.

    *Brother¡­ I have a favor to ask¡­" Fr?ygard muttered but Rugalf already knew what he wanted to ask.

    "I am not giving you more money just so you can waste it on booze and women¡­" Rugalf shut him down before he even had the chance to ask.

    "B-Brother, that is not why I wanted to see you¡­" Fr?ygard responded but both men knew he was full of shit because he had used this trick far too many times already allowing Rugalf to see through his ruse.

    "Then why did you want to see me?" Rugalf asked as Fr?ygard popped his head out of the sheets.

    Fr?ygard was a red-eyed young man in his early twenties, twenty-one to be precise but he looked to be in his mid-thirties thanks to his detrimental drinking 0?habits.

    "I-I wanted to see how you were doing brother¡­" Fr?ygard responded in an unconvincing tone but Rugalf looked disappointed in his younger brother.

    "When are you going to grow up, Fr?ygard?" Rugalf asked the all-important question.

    But in Fr?ygard''s defense, he was not always like this and this side of him only surfaced after he lost three of his brothers,

    Everyone processed grief differently, and that was why Rugalf cut his brother some ck but it had been months now.

    The thing that made this all the more painful was that they did not all fall in a single battle.

    No, they all died in different battles against the same enemy, Rugalf kept his eyes on him because he did not know the consequences if he killed him as the enemy had made some rather powerful allies.

    They eventually reached a ceasefire but Rugalf knew this was just a ceholder as the man had set his sight on d

    Now that he had conquered d and expanded his power, it was only a matter of time before they set their eyes on Rognd.

    This man was named Ing¨®lfur Arnarson, and he was a man that had not only conquered thend but also the sea.

    They had developed a powerful presence on the sea because of how isted d was, this made d virtually impregnable because of the strength on the sea but this could also make them an asset.

    This was why Rugalf had made it a priority to uphold the fickle alliance they had.

    He knew they could prove pivotal in their nned voyage to Ennd.

    But Rugalf knew he had to keep his brothers in check because they wanted blood for their fallen brothers.

    "Brother¡­" Fr?ygard called out, but Rugalf had walked out of the door.

    He had enough of Fr?ygard and his drunken tales because this was one of the things he knew woulde to bite him in the asster but he also knew his brothers were not open to the idea of a foreigner marrying into their family, potentially bing his sessor but Rugalf did not care.

    It was a son of Ragnar, that name alone should secure their future and he was not going to pass up on the opportunity.

 Chapter 252 Victory.... Short-Lived?

    The day had advanced, Tyr was nurtured back to health and he was back in full form.

    Luckily, there was no damage to the nerves in his fingers so it just needed to be defrosted slowly.

    Finn was praised and hailed, he was the hero of this victory, not Tyr despite Tyr ying a pivotal role in this.

    Tyr noted that they were able to save a few houses from burning to the ground, this was made possible because of the cold, and the fire died out quickly.

    This provided them shelter to pass the previous night with, they had eaten and restored their health.

    The starvation tactic did not work and it had backfired even because the demoralized army was now reinvigorated but there was something that no one knew about and that was the force of nature that was headed their way, Stu alongside a few others were already on their way to crush the enemies.

    "TYR RAGNARSSON! YOU ARE A CRAZY SON OF BITCH! I AM GLAD I DID NOT KILL YOU!" Gissur screamed at the top of his lungs.

    He could never imagine the fortune they had, running into each other like this had to be nothing but fate.

    Gissur thought Tyr would die yet here he was, without a scratch on his body.

    "Hahaha! I have to thank you both for trusting in my strategy! I would have never thought we would meet like this but it was a fortunate mistake. This, however, would not be possible without Finn!" Tyr said, he did not hug the spotlight all to himself and gestured for Finn to join the table of the Chieftains.

    This was an honor because it showed that he was being recognized by each Chieftain, Nora could not believe her eyes because she never thought this day woulde.

    She had always thought that his disability would inhibit his journey to the top but to think he had a skill that was far more valuable than physicalbat was something that took the weight off her shoulder.

    Finn did not say a word, he was far too flustered because the men that surrounded him were all greater than him in both name and status.

    Being in their presence was honorable enough as the warriors behind kept changing his name.

    Gudrun was relieved that Tyr was okay, but she did not like how she felt when he was gone.

    She knew that if anything should happen to Tyr, her heart might not be able to take it but she did not have time for such baseless thoughts.

    The present was important and she wanted to spend as much time as she could with Tyr but she knew she could not overdo it or she might scare him away.

    She was no fool, she noticed him getting ufortable with how clingy she had be.

    Her eyes turned to Nora, she was in a rtionship after all so she could maybe help her get her thoughts together.

    It was funny that amid war, this was what was troubling the young girl.

    She needed it off her chest as soon as possible.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Girl talk, that is what she wanted right now as absurd as it sounded.

    Nora and Gudrun spoke about it.

    "Nora¡­." Gudrun said timidly and Nora already knew what she wanted to ask because Gudrun could not take her eyes off Tyr.

    "You are hopeless, Gudrun. I know you are in love with him, and I bet I am not the only one that noticed it," Nora teased her but Gudrun was not worried about this because she wanted people to know that Tyr and her had a thing so this was good news to her ears.

    "I do not know what to do with these feelings, I fear I will go mad at this rate¡­" Gudrun said with a show of genuine fear. Nora could not help but giggle at this prospect because she was once like her.

    The dilemma of a girl''s first love but Nora wanted to reassure her about one thing, and that was whatever she was feeling was normal.

    "You know¡­ That is how love is, it is beautiful, is it not? Knowing you will not hesitate to die for a person¡­" Nora said, eyes momentarily settling on Noa before returning to Gudrun.

    "Stop trying to control it, let it run amok and consume you. You have fallen in love with a fine man," Nora said, and Gudrun sighed in relief.

    That was all she wanted, she wanted to hear that her feelings were valid.

    "Thank you, Nora¡­" Gudrun thanked her with a wide smile.

    This kindred atmosphere was soon interrupted by someone screaming, it was one of the many scouts they had stationed to watch their nks because thest thing they needed was an unsuspecting attack.

    "ENEMIES ARE INCOMING!" The ever-reliable G¨­ had informed them.

    "They took longer than I expected¡­" Gissur scoffed as he down the cup of ale in front of him before getting to his feet.

    "ARE YOU READY FOR YET ANOTHER VICTORY!?" Gissur screamed and his men roared.

    Kolbeinn was d that he did not face him as an enemy, there was something primal about the men Gissur led, there was no way his men would have been a match for them.

    Tyr looked over at Finn and the man nodded, a nonverbal instruction had been given to him.

    "I want ten men that would not mind dying to go with Finn, this may very well be yourst battle but boy will your tales be sung far and wide because your sacrifices will help us achieve victory!" Tyr said but the way he phrased his words made it seem like dying was a good thing and the next thing he knew, people began fighting to die for him.

    They were bickering among themselves and Kolbeinn watched in amazement because Tyr had just made people fight to die.

    But this right here, scared Kolbeinn down to his bones because he knew that Tyr was far too dangerous to be left with even more authority within his n.

    "What is he?" Kolbeinn thought as they prepared for battle.

 Chapter 253 Finns Plan

    Stu andpany journeyed, they were close to the camp but Stu could not shake the feeling that something was off.

    "Skaei, I want you to hang back. I fear they are prepared for our arrival. My men, follow me¡­" Stu said; the thing about this attack was that it was not a product of his father''s strategy so he did not have the advantage of a fail-safe n that he had grown so ustomed to.

    "Why? Would it not be more effective if we hit them together and hard?" Skaei questioned, this was a strange move by Stu because this would not only divide their forces but make her susceptible to a counterattack.

    "No, we cannot risk losing men carelessly if my instincts are right. We need to be as cautious as we can be¡­" Stu was surprisingly calm, and the number of men he had with him was equivalent to the army around the camp, Sighvatur was a cautious man and did notmit too many men for this task.

    Skaei reluctantly epted this proposal, she knew he had the strength to conquer these people.

    Stu was equivalent to a small army but one thing about this was, Stu was human.

    Even he would fall if he charged in there alone hence the existence of an army.

    Stu knew he was strong but he was not conceited and understood that he needed a n to win.

    This camp might have been their weakest but to think it fell in such a short amount of time and no one was spared was nothing short of impressive.

    A feat that made Stu want to put an end to their momentum.

    He advanced with half the army, the other half hanging back with Skaei.

    Stu advanced and what he saw in front of him was Finn alongside ten other men standing in his way.

    It was a strange approach considering theycked the numbers or strength to hold their lines.

    Stu knew he could run through them with ease but he was curious as to what they intended to do.

    He stared Finn down, Finn was visibly shaken but he had to hold his nerve.

    He had anticipated they woulde and had taken preemptive measures byying multiple traps throughout the night, this was a task that left his body feeling fatigued but he knew they needed his help more than ever right now.

    "I do not want to fight a battle I do not have to. Drop your weapons and I will spare your lives." Stu said bluntly, he wanted to try to negotiate with Finn but Finn could not speak properly so he chose silence seeing as he had no intentions of epting whatever it was that Stu proposed.

    "Very well then, you have sealed your fate with your silence," Stu said as he raised his hand, and about twenty men charged forth.

    Stu was smart, he did not know what Finn had in mind but he had no intentions of underestimating the enemy, this was why he was testing them.

    Stu would soon be d he did because the men that advanced would soon be met by a tragic fate.

    They stepped on a boobie trap that Finn hadid beforehand.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Spikes immediately shot up from beneath the snow, impaling them but the spikes did not stop there, they kept rising and eventually surrounded Stu and his men, it was like they were trapped in an entrapment.

    Unfortunately for the men that died, they were at the genesis of the spiked parameter.

    Stu was fascinated, to think that they had erected this at such a pace was nothing short of impressive.

    "I see, so you are one full of tricks¡­" Stu said but he noticed something else, the ten men that were with Finn drew the bows and began firing away.

    Now this was a problem, Stu had to use one of his men as a human shield to survive the onught but his men were not so fortunate.

    They could not leap over the entrapment because then they would have no way to defend themselves.

    This was a clever trap that worked in dying them but Finn underestimated something.

    That was just how much Stu wanted this.

    He ran towards them with the dead body acting as a shield, the rest of his men had formed a shield wall and began advancing towards Finn and co at a steady pace, they had managed to kill a few of them but now it seems that was over.

    Stu hurled the corpse right at them, forcing the archers to momentarily take cover.

    Thispse was all he needed as unlike his men, he had the muscle strength to leap over it with no difficulty but even Stu could not defend himself effectively while in mid-air hence why he took preventive measures.

    Stu was out of the entrapment with a single move and with everyone''s attention now on him, the arrows stopped raining as Stu made quick work of the archers before they could draw their bow, Finn tried to defend himself but Stu easily disarmed him.

    Grabbing him by the neck and raising him off the ground.

    Stu was choking him, his hand constricting as he had every intention of snapping Finn''s neck.

    While he had not lost a lot of men, he was still ashamed that they could cut down their numbers with such a small army.

    "You¡­ I need to get rid of you now or you will be a problemter¡­" Stu said and Finn''s eyes slowly rolled to the back of his head.

    He was on the verge of death but Finn felt a rush of oxygen entering his airway as he dropped to the ground.

    Stu had let go of him, Finn looked up to see why and he saw Gissur and Tyr standing right in front of him with an army at their back.

    "I cannot let you kill our little genius here, Stu," Gissur teased, he was the one that forced him to let go of Finn or he would have lost his hand this time.

    Tyr and Gissur were about to face off with Stu.

 Chapter 254 Skaei Vs Kolbeinn!

    ?

    Skaei allowed Stu to have his way and hung back, she was not surprised by his actions because she understood his power.

    Stu could easily overpower her if he wished for it, she was nowhere near him despite their simr rank in the n.

    Sighvatur did not show favoritism and treated them with the same respect but Stu was a genius that could adapt to battle styles while in battles.

    He has never been injured with the same attack twice, which was noughing matter considering his body muscles tend to react to it at a subconscious level.

    Skaei was soon drawn out of her thought process as she saw people approaching from a distance.

    She initially thought it was Stu returning but this was highly unlikely considering the kind of person that he was.

    "Get ready men, I think we are about to have our hands full¡­" Skaei blurted out and her men raised their weapons and shields.

    Kolbeinn stepped forward but he was not alone, he was with Gudrun, Nora, Noa, and the Mad Hound.

    This was more than enough firepower to make up for their deficiency in numbers.

    The Mad Hound was a crazed warrior but what was surprising was why this woman was here when Stu was fighting with Gissur and co.

    Were they underestimating them?

    No, that could not be it, there was no way that was the case from what he had seen so did they see through Finn''s deception?

    Regardless, they acted on G¨­''s information and Kolbeinn, who had the intention of circling them but he was surprised when he saw Skaei.

    "What is going on, Father?" Gudrun asked but Kolbeinn remained silent. Kolbeinn was strong but he knew that this woman was equally as strong.

    Unlike their n, the Sturlungar n had a more oppressive view of women as they believed them to be inferior to men so for Skaei to rise to such rank only showed her strength.

    The two armies faced off, staring at each other as they waited for their various leaders to give the attack signal but it never came.

    "I am Kolbeinn, I am certain you have heard about me¡­" Kolbeinn blurted out, confusing everyone because now was not the time for talking, now was the time for blood.

    "I am Skaei and I must say, it is an honor meeting you and even more of an honor being the one to kill you," Skaei was polite despite having told Kolbeinn she was going to kill him.

    Gudrun noticed what her father was doing, he was stalling and she understood why.

    He had seen the force of this army, if she was somehow to join Stu then all will be lost

    G¨­ told them that the army was huge but he never expected it to be on this scale, they easily outnumbered them and warriors of the Sturlungar n were reputed to be fierce warriors.

    "Hahaha! Let us hope it does note to that. I have a proposal for you, Skaei," Kolbeinn said, this piqued the interest of the woman as her bodynguage gave him the go-ahead he was looking for.

    "How about we duel to the death? I am aware you know that you will lose more men than you would like to if we fight right now but a duel will eliminate this. I want us to fight to the death and the victor may decide the fate of the vanquished," Kolbeinn proposed, this was a good idea that will preserve both strength and time of the victor.

    Skaei entertained this idea, rubbing her chin.

    "That is one fine proposal but there is a problem¡­" Skaei said, pausing as she snapped her fingers, a spear was given to her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ".... I like chaos, I like blood, and most especially, I like the helpless screams of my enemies," Skaei said, she was covered in armor to protect her lower torso and thighs but the armor served as a corset due to how it pushed her breasts up.

    Kolbeinn immediately knew that his n had failed, and before he knew it, a full-out battle was about to begin with Skaei charging with an army.

    Kolbeinn knew this was a dire situation but he was not about to back down.

    "Archers! Let loose!" Kolbeinn instructed and the backline of his warriors rained down arrows.

    They kept raining because Skaei had a considerable distance to cover but Gudrun did something clever.

    She had instructed part of the archers to fire their arrows in a linear manner making how they protected themselves limited.

    If they raised their shields, then they were susceptible to the arrows aimed at their chest from the second line.

    Skaei did not try to establish a formation and they all just kept running but Kolbeinn soon noticed why.

    It was eerie but they split, diverging into two extra paths.

    An arc from the left, an arc from the right, and then straight down the middle with Skaei leading the charge.

    This meant that the arrows no longer had a focal point and their effectiveness was significantly reduced.

    Kolbeinn told the men at the front to equip their weapons because he knew this was about to be bloody.

    The Mad Hound charged right at Skaei, with Kolbeinn holding formation behind as they braced for the impact from their nks, the uracy of the archers reduced until they were no longer hitting their mark.

    Gudrun, however, was not having this problem.

    She was knocking them down and being a long-range fighter, she was ineffective in close quarters.

    "Look at the size of you!" Skaei barked the moment she saw the Mad Hound charge right at her.

    Kolbeinn had seen his strength, Skaei should not stand a chance against him.

    The Mad Hound mmed his de right into the ground, where she stood as the snow rose to momentarily mask the area.

    Kolbeinn believed he had gotten her, everyone did but this was further from the truth.

    Skaei had not only dodged his sword but used it as a foothold to jump and slit the Mad Hound''s neck.

    "The bigger they are, the harder they fall! Boy, do I love that saying!" Skaei teased as the Mad Hound dropped behind her.

    "What!?" Kolbeinn thought to himself, she had one tapped the Mad Hound that had defeated him with rtive ease.

    "Now then, how about you big guy," Skaei said, pointing her spear at Kolbeinn right before her men ran past her, concealing her presence.

 Chapter 255 Sturla Vs Tyr And Gissur Begins!

    ?

    Gissur and Tyr were about to face Stu, it was a showdown that was bound to happen in this war.

    Stu did not look frightened by this, it was a child and a man he had bested already.

    "You are picking on a kid now, Stu? By the looks of things, it looks like he got the fucking drop on you! I see up to twenty men dead!" Gissur mocked Stu.

    He was clearlycking in terms of his father''s intellect but his keen sense for battle was there.

    "Why did you think you could beat me just by bringing another?" Stu asked Gissur, he understood that this boy was of great importance but Stu had every intention of crippling him should he stand in his way.

    "Let us not do it here¡­" Gissur said, noting that the battle that was about to ensue would be chaotic and he would not want to be caught in the center of it.

    "What do you mean?" Stu questioned, with the spiked sprung wood being uprooted by his men.

    Finn''s dy tactic was smart but that was all it was, a dy.

    "I want us to have our battle elsewhere, I do not want to be interrupted by one of your goons!" Gissur barked.

    Stu looked over his shoulder before diverting his gaze back at Gissur.

    "Very well then," Stu knew Gissur would not fall to one of his men''s des, he was far too strong for them, and taking him out of the equation would significantly reduce the casualty he would incur with Gissur involved in the battle.

    Stu had no reason not to ept and this was a good thing, Stu looked for a secluded location and began walking, with Gissur and Tyr following behind him.

    "Oh... Before I forget, kill them all¡­" Stu casually said, and the battle began behind them as he kept on walking.

    Tyr knew it would be a difficult battle but it had to be fought, this would be a decisive battle.

    Stu took them far from the ongoing battle and he stood, fifteen meters apart from them.

    "Tyr, that man is a freak of nature so I will need you to work with me¡­" Gissur whispered, Tyr had never seen him this concerned before, the aggressive tone he was speaking to Stu with had all but disappeared.

    "Support me Gissur, that is all I need from you. Leave his head to me!" Tyr responded; he was full of confidence.

    "Now that is what I am fucking talking about!" Gissur screamed like a madman.

    "I take it you are done talking? Here Ie." Stu''s tonecked any killing or malevolent intent.

    He did not feel threatened whatsoever but was this confidence or just arrogance?

    He walked towards them, his de dragging in the snow as Gissur stood in front of Tyr, but Tyr was no longer a child that could hide behind others and use his small size to his advantage.

    Gissur swung his de in his left hand with ease despite its size after Stu had breached his proximity, trying to take off Stu''s head.

    Gissur expected him to dodge it but Stu stopped it with the back of his hand despite his sword being in that same hand.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "What!?" Gissur thought to himself but upon closer inspection, he saw a metallic wrist brace at the back of Stu''s hands.

    There was a problem with Gissur using such a big sword, he was left open each time it was swung.

    And now was one of those times as Stu buried his fist into Gissur''s lower torso, this was a powerful punch that forced Gissur to cough up a small amount of blood.

    "D-Damn! You really are a freak of nature!" Gissur grunted but he proceeded to grab Stu''s hand with his right hand, this made sure both of his hands were upied leaving Stu vulnerable to a counterattack from Tyr.

    Tyr emerged out of nowhere, flying over Gissur as he came crashing down from above with his sledgehammer equipped.

    "Interesting¡­" This was the only word that left Stu''s mouth, he should not be able to block this two-pronged attack, that was the n and Gissur was applying pressure on the hand that had blocked his de so if he removed his hand, the momentum of the de would be restored and the attack continued.

    Stu did something that neither predicted, he dropped his body at the veryst second after removing the hand that was blocking Gissur''s de and squatting simultaneously to dodge this very attack andnd his own simultaneously with his sword.

    Stu had managed to nick him when he squatted but the cut was far too shallow for it to be fatal or anything to worry about.

    Tyr made a miscalction on his end and that put him in the way of Gissur''s broadsword, this effectively nullified his attack because if he proceeded with it, Gissur''s de was going to bifurcate him.

    Tyr thought quickly, he stepped at the t surface of Gissur''s de outswing de to propel him into the air and out of harm''s way.

    Hended with his back faced to them and the moment he turned back to face them, Stu''s fist made contact with his face sending him flying.

    The force it packed was terrifying, rolling in the snow until Tyr came to a halt.

    He was dazed, he felt his visions momentarily blur.

    Tyr caught a glimpse of Gissur, he too was floored.

    "W-What the fuck!?" Tyr thought to himself, for the first time in his life, his body was screaming at him.

    It was telling him to run, Tyr felt true fear as Stu walked towards him, dragging his de along the floor.

    Tyr was frozen in fear, he tried to move but his body was not responding.

    Each second felt like an eternity, death drew near and Tyr could feel cold beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

    "Y-You are not human!" Tyr barked and this made Stu stop in his tracks.

    "Oh, but I am very human, child. The gods that gave me my strength are giants of J?tunheimr. There is no way you both will be a match for me,'' Stu said.

    It was amazing, Stu had easily pushed back both Gissur and Tyr alone, and right now, he was about to kill the son of Ragnar.

 Chapter 256 Sturla, The Indomitable!

    ?

    Tyr was amazed at his strength, Stu bent down to meet his eyes.

    "You are the boy that everyone wants, and rejoice, for this is the only reason why you live," Stu said, Tyr knew this was a man that his weapon could not touch.

    Stu stood back up and began walking towards Gissur, who was just getting to his feet.

    Tyr was defeated even before he could put up a decent fight, this was how menacing Stu was.

    "Y-You bastard!" Gissur cussed out, getting to his feet as Stu casually approached, once again dragging his sword along the ground.

    "You are strong Gissur, I have to admit it but you are nothingpared to the strength that Ymir has granted me." Stu was calm and collected, but he knew now he would get to see Gissur''s true strength because he was "threatened".

    "Now Gissur, show me the strength that my father is wary of," Stu said as he raised his sword from the ground and pointed it right at Gissur.

    Gissur began to chuckle, it has been ages since he had gone all out and now he knew how ridiculous it was that he thought his brother could defeat Stu.

    "Careful for what you wish for¡­" Gissur said with a smirk right before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

    He appeared right in front of Stu with a sinister grin on his face, Stu was not arrogant enough to try and block this swing with his hand because Gissur felt like a different person.

    The fact that he was wielding such a big sword with one hand said a lot about his strength, Stu managed to block it with his de but Gissur was overpowering him.

    Gissur was pushing his de back on him and Stu''s stoic expression finally broke.

    Stu smiled, this was the man he had heard stories about, but before he could counter Gissur.

    He saw Gissur''s clenched fisting in from the other side, and just before Stu could move his own free hand to block it. He felt his legs leave the ground simultaneously.

    "Huh?" Stu thought to himself as hended on the ground, Gissur had distracted him with his fist, making Stu unaware of what was going on beneath him.

    This left him wide open, an opening Gissur had every intention of taking advantage of because he was not sure if he would get something as good as this again.

    He thrusted his de at the floored enemy, Stu had no time to evade, not with his back against the floor so all he could do was defend himself.

    He managed to parry his de, redirecting Gissur''s de to bury itself into the ground beside him but Gissur had managed to nick Stu in the shoulder.

    But there was a problem, Gissur''s de was stuck in the earth-covered ice.

    Stu thrusted his de forward, and Gissur could not react in time because he did not realize that his de was stuck until he tried to use it to defend himself.

    His fate was sealed, Stu''s de was going to impale him or that was what it looked like.

    He was shoved out of the way just in time by Tyr, who had snapped out of his delusional state.

    Stu was a man, as long as he was a man, he could be conquered.

    Tyr had killed Erik but that was only because the Berserker was severely injured and trusted him, it was more urate to say he backstabbed him.

    Stu''s de made contact with nothing as he got back up on his feet.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Gissur nearly killed him but this also meant that he could fight seriously as well, Tyr had never felt so out of ce before.

    But he knew that this would be a defining battle in terms of the war.

    -

    Kolbeinn had begun battle in his field but he did not have the same luck as Gissur in luring her to a one-on-one battle putting him at a disadvantage.

    Skaei was strong, he did not expect her to be this strong as she had defeated The Mad Hound with the barest of effort.

    "Father! Snap out of it!" Gudrun screamed at him, they needed him now more than ever tomand them.

    The battle had begun and it was chaotic as fuck, Kolbeinn could barely hear his thoughts because of the shing metals around him.

    Skaei charged right at him with her spear but her weapon was different, it had a chain attached to the hilt which was wrapped around her forearm.

    She twirled it above her head and with it, multiple people lost their heads.

    Kolbeinn knew he had to take her out, there was no one strong enough to stand up to her.

    He was a Chieftain, it was about time he showed why he was leading his n.

    Kolbeinn gathered his wits, and Skaei noticed he had his eyes fixed on her, she smirked the moment she saw this.

    Skaei threw her spear like a projectile towards Kolbeinn, who managed to deflect it, watching it hook the ground behind him and she was left without a weapon.

    Kolbeinn charged at her, hoping to reach her before she could retract but Skaei did not look bothered by this. She instead manipted her chains to trip him up right before retracting her spear to impale the falling Kolbeinn from his blindspot.

    "Another one bites the dust¡­" Skaei muttered but something halted the advancement of her weapon.

    Gudrun had fired an arrow that hooked the chain between them before burrowing into the ground.

    "GO NOW, FATHER!" Gudrun shouted because she had eliminated Skaei''s ability to attack, and Skaei started to panic.

    Kolbeinn regained his footing and continued advancing but something was unsettling about this.

    He felt something was off, he could feel it in his bones but this was not the time to be having second thoughts.

    Kolbeinn was within striking distance and Skaei''s panicked face soon creased into a smirk.

    "Tricked you," Skaei muttered as a knife dropped from her sleeves like she was a character from assassin''s creed as she ran it right through Kolbeinn.

    "Two down¡­" She muttered with a sickening grin.

    "FATHER!!" Gudrun screamed.

 Chapter 257 Gissur On The Brink Of...!?

    ?

    Stu''s bodynguage was a lot different than it was moments ago, he was surprised that this man was this strong but what was more puzzling was Gissur''s strength.

    He feltpletely different than when they fought, there was no way he could have touched Gissur if he fought him seriously because what he was feeling from him was like someone opened up an endless abyss of bloodlust.

    It was hard to breathe, Tyr could feel the tension, this battle felt different from all the battles he had fought until now.

    "Are you going to choke again, Tyr?" Gissur questioned, noticing he had just saved his life even in his frozen state which was impressive because he knew the tension would be too much for most to handle because these were men that craved blood at an unprecedented level.

    "I am good¡­" Tyr said, dropping his sledgehammer on the ground after noticing that this weapon of choice was not working for him but only weighing him down.

    But this wasn''t the only thing he dropped, he removed the multipleyers of clothes he wore during his travel.

    "What are you doing?" Gissur questioned him but Tyr did not respond to him as he took a deep breath and his concentration peaked as he equipped both his axes.

    Stu was amazed, he noticed the change in Tyr, the fear had disappeared but something was unsettling about his eyes.

    It looked nk, it was like he was looking at Stu but through him.

    Gissur expected the boy to give a n to attack but Tyr simply charged at Stu without saying a word to Gissur, prompting him to sigh.

    *Do not get carried away or you will die¡­" Gissur said as he observed what Tyr wanted to do.

    He did not even rush in to support him, he watched just what Tyr had in mind because Tyr did leave him to fight Stu alone momentarily so you could think of this as payback.

    Tyr was within range of Stu, and all it took was a blink from the older warrior for Tyr to disappear from his line of sight.

    This did not mean Stu was not aware of where he wanted to strike from because Tyr''s shadow betrayed him.

    Stu blocked his strike as he tilted his head to the left to see Tyr, he certainly was fast but his strength was looking. He noticed that Tyr brought his other ax to strike from below, this strike was aimed at Stu''s finger that held the weapon.

    The fact that the hand targeted not only had his de between them but was locked in with Tyr''s axe. This severely dulled his response time because, in terms of speed, Tyr had the edge.

    There was only one way he was not going to lose his fingers and that was letting his de go.

    He dropped his de and moved backward but Tyr kicked the falling de right at him, giving him little to no time to catch his breath.

    Stu pped the iing de that was about to take off his head with the back of his hand, thanks to the metallic tes there.

    But he lost sight of Tyr once more and all he felt was a sweeping kick from below that left him falling.

    Tyr had actually managed tond a move on him, and he stole a page right out of Gissur''s book.

    Gissur was nothing short of amazed and frightened by how fast Tyr was developing but he knew better. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    There was no way a warrior as experienced as Stu would fall for the same trick twice.

    And he was right, the momentarypse of concentration from Tyr was all Stu needed to grab both his wrists before he could even move them.

    Tyr struggled to break free but it was futile, this was a man that could easily overpower Njal and was on the same level as Gissur.

    "I cannot kill you but I can break you¡­" Stu said and began squeezing away at his wrists.

    He wanted to break them like he did Njal but a flying kick from Gissur forced him to break his contact with Tyr to block it. The kick sent him skidding backward in the snow.

    "You are starting to annoy me, Gissur¡­" Stu said as he dusted himself, and re-equipped his de.

    "Right back at you! Why don''t you just die?" Gissur mocked, before looking at Tyr.

    "We are even now," Gissur said as he returned his concentration to Stu who had controlled the narrative of this battle.

    Stu was not in any hurry to end the battle either because he knew what killing Gissur would mean but he also knew that Gissur was dangerous.

    He never once underestimated him but he also found it impressive that Tyr did not attempt to use his weapons to attack his lower body.

    "He must have sensed it¡­" Stu thought to himself, he was growing wary of Tyr and was beginning to understand just why Signy wanted him.

    They all charged at each other and after a series of blows and exchanges, Stu began to realize that Tyr''s movement was bing more and more irregr, making it harder for him to defend against them as he had Gissur to contend with.

    If he could kill him, it would have made everything a whole lot easier but he could not and that limited the course of action he could take and it was hard to kill Gissur as well.

    Stu knew this would drag on for far too long if it continued at this pace, he had to gamble.

    Stu blocked Tyr''s axes aimed at taking off his head with the back of his hands right before nting a powerful kick into the side of his head that was certain to take him out ofmission.

    Tyr was sent flying like a rag doll, and Gissur tried to exploit this opening but there was none.

    Stu had grown ustomed to his fighting style, Gissur brought down his de like an executioner with a wide grin on his face because Stu could not use his sword to defend this strike.

    It was going to be a clean hit and because of this through, Gissur used his full strength so he could cut him in half but Stu send his clenched fist crashing into his elbow, this snapped his arm into two, breaking it as Stu used his attack against him.

    Gissur''s de dropped to the ground as Stu tackled him to the ground and wrapped both his hands around his neck.

    Gissur fought in vain but there was only so much he could do with a single arm.

    "It''s over, Gissur¡­ You can rest now,"

 Chapter 258 The Abominable Act!

    ?

    Things were not looking good, the forces under Stu had the upper hand in all battlefields for Kolbeinn had been injured and Stu was about to take Gissur''s life.

    It was a dilemma because the war could very well be decided today if all things go as they were.

    Kolbeinn was impaled clean through by Skaei''s de, there was nothing he could do about it because she had executed it wlessly, she was no ordinary warrior and Kolbeinn knew this when she took down the Mad Hound.

    Skaei stood, looking triumphant, she wanted to relish this victory because she had just wounded a Chieftain or possibly killed him with this strike.

    "You were never the one they were worried about, I heard about how your brother died¡­" Skaei had every intention of shaming him for losing so easily.

    Kolbeinn''s knees buckled, dropping to one knee.

    "If it was your brother I fought here today, I would be the one to fall. This n really has gone to shit¡­." Skaei kept talking.

    Kolbeinn tried to talk but he could not muster the strength to let the words out.

    He was losing blood and she had not even pulled out her weapon, this was the only reason he was still conscious.

    "I can not hear you, you want to beg for your life?" Skaei mocked him but she saw a shadow looming over her, someone huge was behind her.

    "It can''t be!?" She blurted out, turning her head to see the Mad Hound, he had used his muscle mass to minimize the damage to his neck.

    That unique trait of his is what kept him alive, Kolbeinn knew he was not dead because Skaei had misjudged just how dense his muscles were and became the decoy to take away her attention.

    And the fact that she had no prior knowledge of this made it all the worse because she had misjudged the strength required to inflict the necessary damage needed to kill him.

    But he did not leave unscathed, he was injured and this damage had the potential of killing him if it bleeds for too long despite it not being as deep as Skaei intended.

    The Mad Hound clenched both his fists together and Skaei tried to avoid the strike that wasing but two arrows found their way into her thighs to limit her mobility greatly, this took evading out of the equation.

    Gudrun''s uracy was wless and Skaei felt threatened, she raised her de ready to defend against his attack but she did not possess the physical strength to do so.

    But all this was irrelevant because Gudrun had buried more arrows into her shoulders, and just then, the Mad Hound''s fists made contact with her de; she did not have the necessary strength to sever it so it pushed the de back on her and pummeled her into the ground.

    Skaei coughed up blood, she too medium damage and she knew she would die if he attacked her again.

    She did not want to die and she could see her life sh before her eyes.

    "S-Stop! I have information!!" Skaei said bluntly, she had given up without much resistance because she did not want to die.

    Not everyone saw death as a noble end, some still craved to hang onto life, Skaei was no different.

    The Mad Hound stopped but with Skaei yielding, that meant that this battle was over.

    Kolbeinn was in a critical condition, Skaei had hit a vital organ and he was losing blood much faster than a regr stab.

    He was out cold and they rushed to make sure he was good, Kolbeinn became their priority.

    They had every intention of taking the enemies back alive to pump them for information.

    Gudrun held her nerves as she rushed to her father''s side, she applied pressure on his wound as she desperately screamed for them to do something about it. She wanted Skaei dead, she did this to her father but she had to bite her tongue; this would be a decision everyone would soon regret for Skaei did not yield because she lost the will to fight but for a rather nefarious reason.

    She knew she could win but if she lost over 50% of her men, Sighvatur would not like it so she had to thread carefully because she wanted to return with more men than Stu.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She knew that if they took them prisoner, it won''t matter because Stu was going to kill Gissur and his men so this was temporary as they had nowhere to take them.

    She watched them struggle to save Kolbeinn, applying first aid hastily but she kept quiet.

    "Now we wait¡­" Skaei thought to herself, Skaei was a dirty fighter and the only reason no one had heard of her was because she had in all enemies she encountered.

    -

    "You need to get up, Tyr¡­." A voice resonated in the head of the disgruntled Tyr, the blow had dazed him and he could feel his head rocking from the aftermath.

    He saw Stu strangling Gissur but his body was not responding. Stu had his back to him because the force of the blow was his full power.

    "It has been an honor fighting you, Gissur. Your legacy will not end with your death," Stu reassured him, showing him the respect he deserved as Gissur slowly lost the strength to fight.

    Gissur could feel his mind going nk and spit leaking out the edges of his mouth. Stu was so preupied with Gissur that he had a momentarypse because as far as he was concerned, Tyr was out ofmission or possibly dead.

    Gissur tried to gasp for air but it was trapped in his lungs.

    Gissur was losing consciousness as his eyes rolled to the back of his head but a warm liquid soon dropped into his face and the hands that were firmly nted around his neck loosened.

    Gissur opened his eyes to see a de sticking right through Stu''s chest but he could not make out the person behind but his eyes soon saw it was Tyr.

    "Tyr! You did i-!" Gissur was soon interrupted as he realized that the de had ran through him too. This was Gissur''s broadsword.

    "W-What!?" Gissur coughed up blood, Tyr had struck a vital organ, right before he saw Stu''s head leave his body as Tyr had equipped his ax after abandoning the de he had used to stab them.

    "Everything is predestined, this is what we are thought to believe but we are never told that there''s always a variable¡­. Gissur, you are strong and with your death here today, you will be a martyr, you will be immortalized. Fate is fate but I''m the variable to whatever fate one may hold. I''m Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" Tyr blurted out, he had made a deal with Kjell and this included killing Gissur for killing his old friend, Thorvald but this was not why Tyr killed him.

    Tyr knew his life was in danger, and he needed an army more than ever if he was going to survive, and by killing Stu and presenting his head, something no one has ever been able to do.

    There was no way the Haukd?lir n would not recognize him as a worthy sessor to Gissur and in turn, give himmand.

    Gissur, however, was not done. He got to his feet, he was losing blood at an astronomical rate and Tyr just stared at him nkly.

    "Do not worry, I will send your wife and brother to you once I find them," Tyr said, Gissur charged at him one final time but in his state, he was no match for Tyr as the younger warrior slit his throat casually while moving past him.

    "It''s funny, is it not¡­?" Tyr paused as he looked over his shoulder to nce at Gissur gasping for air on the ground.

    "... When the predator bes the prey," Tyr said with a blood-curdling grin as Gissur dropped to the ground.

    He knew Gissur was going to die today but Tyr had only nned to do so if they managed to kill Stu.

    Because Stu''s death was the one thing he knew he needed to rule over the Haukd?lir n for they recognized strength above all else.

    Tyr soon clutched his head in difort, Stu''s blow had incurred more damage but he did not know how he managed to do what he did at a speed he has never disyed until now.

    "It is just likest time¡­." Tyr noticed; he felt like his body did not belong to himself anymore.

    And each time it surfaced, the path of him that felt empathy slowly diminished.

 Chapter 259 Tyrs Speech!

    ?

    The battle proceeded, Finn was fighting through teeth and nails but he could not stand the onught much longer.

    They were being pushed back, he wanted to retreat but he knew if he lost ground then this battle might very well be lost, he was smart enough to know that.

    He could not give themand to hold the line because of his speech impairment but he did not need to speak; he was also surprised by the number of casualties.

    The casualties were on the low side, everyone was fighting cautiously, it was a shocker because he thought they would be more aggressive.

    It was like when the Mad Hound attacked their camp.

    Despite his overwhelming strength, the casualties were on the low side. They have been fighting for close to an hour and their body was giving into exhaustion, and Finn realized that the n was to wear them down so they would be easy pickings and it was working.

    "VIKINGS!" A voice echoed, it was Tyr''s voice and everyone''s head turned in his direction.

    And what followed was a shocked expression, Tyr was holding up the decapitated head of Stu.

    His men instinctively dropped their des as even the men under Gissur were astonished.

    "I HAVE KILLED YOUR LEADER, THE MAN YOU ALL REVERRED WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A BODY FOR MY SWORD! GISSUR HAS FALLEN IN BATTLE BUT HIS SACRIFICE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN! WITHOUT HIM, I WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KILL STURLA!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs because he knew this was a big step.

    He had shown once again that having superior strength was not enough, strength was not a deterrent to death and Tyr has proven it times without number.

    ".... I offer you all mercy, for Gissur has given me the mantle to guide his n! He saw me as a worthy sessor¡­" Tyr continued talking as he saw the enemy give up, Stu was known as the stronger variation of Sighvatur and if he fell in battle, what stopped Sighvatur from following?

    The armor of invincibility had been stripped away and by a child nheless.

    "I will not condemn you to death just because you were born on the other side of the earth, you were raised and taught your ways and I do not think that deserves death¡­ They want us to fight amongst ourselves because they fear what we can do if we join forces together. The chaos, the death, it is not on our hands, IT IS ON THEIRS! STURLA AND GISSUR, THEY KILLED HIM!" Tyr said; everyone was confused as to the message he was trying to deliver.

    "You have the choice to decide your fate right now. Stu was a great warrior and I do not think he deserves to go to Valha alone, I know some of you wish to apany him and I will grant you that honor¡­. But some of you are questioning your choices, and I can promise you another chance at life, a better chance at conquest so even Odin, the All-Father, would give you the grandest of wees in his halls! The Sturlungar n will fall, for I have cut off one head of the two-headed serpent so I ask you¡­ Which one of you will join me in my conquest of Norway?" Tyr said, his speech was passionate and it struck a string in their hearts.

    Tyr did not see them as enemies for he understood that they were only enemies because they were born in different ns. If Tyr could unify them, then he would have a massive army on his hand.

    He had taken over the Haukd?lir by killing Gissur and lying that he had permitted him to rule over them, his word was the only thing that they had to go by and they had zero reasons to doubt him.

    This battle was over and the warriors in the Haukd?lir n bent the knee, but they were not the only ones that did this for Tyr''s words had touched the hearts of those from the Sturlungar n as they too bent the knee to recognize him as their ruler.

    The others that remained standing were those that wanted to be sent to Valha with Stu, and that is exactly what Tyr granted them.

    Tyr had not only conquered the battlefield, but he had somehow turned his enemies into friends.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The cheer was thundering, and Tyr knew how dirty he had to get his hands to reach this far, he had managed to gain power because once news of Stu''s death spreads, everyone will be shaken to the bone and this was sure to affect their confidence level.

    Tyr was not the strongest warrior, but he was a warrior that was willing to sacrifice anything and everything to survive.

    -

    Kolbeinn had been secured and they were rushed back to camp with the prisoners of war.

    They did not need to travel for too long before they heard the earth-shaking cheers.

    "Could it be?" Nora thought to herself, she was worried about her brother because Tyr had sent him to his death with his assignment but by some miracle, he was still alive and they secured victory.

    Then this would be nothing short of amazing.

    Skaei looked confused, there was no way that Stu could have fallen, and as they got closer.

    She realized that this was, in fact, the case, Tyr had his body retrieved and brought back there, but it was not just his body that was retrieved but Gissur''s corpse as well.

    Tyr wanted to mount Stu''s head but he had opted to give him an honorable burial to show his men that he respected him as a warrior.

    They were being sent off respectfully, Tyr had opted to do this so they could see his intentions were pure.

    Everyone arrived in time to see the corpses of Gissur and Stu, and they were speechless.

    Skaei''s eyes immediately teared up as she looked left and right, before asking.

    "Who killed him!?" Skaei was furious as she struggled to break free from the binds holding her.

    "I did, but not without the help of Gissur¡­ Take them back to the camp¡­" Tyr said, instructing them to carry the prisoners back.

    Everyone knew that Tyr was Gissur''s sessor because just like he did with Skol, he had taken Gissur''s weapon but had discarded the hammer that had proved rather ineffective inbat.

    Gudrun and Nora looked at Tyr and they instantly knew that this boy had what it took to conquer Norway.

    This was irrefutable proof that he could make the impossible possible.

    The gruesome battle hade to an end and Tyr had imed victory as Stu and Gissur were no longer of this world.

 Chapter 260 Bjorn Rides Forth

    ?

    King Ragnar had stormed off to meet his brother, Ulf but this time, he was not alone.

    His five men that had traveled with him were finally with their King, and Ragnar knew this was their duty.

    Ulf dared kiss his wife? Ragnar was livid.

    He did not even bother knocking on the door, Ragnar kicked it in.

    "ULF! SHOW YOURSELF!" Ragnar shouted but he was met with silence telling him that Ulf was not around.

    The Generals were there for that sole reason, they did not know what was going on but they had never seen their King this livid.

    Ulf was his brother so what could he have done to get him so mad, this was the question on their mind.

    "King Ragnar, do you want us to find your brother?" Gudleif asked but Ragnar ignored him.

    This was a family matter but with Ulf being a Commander, he could noty his hands on him despite their rtionship or it could be deemed an act of aggression.

    Ragnar had the time to calm down, Ulf was lucky he did not meet him in the house or he would haveid his hands on him even though Askild would have most likely swept it under the rug as a show of good faith.

    Besides, it was a family matter so an exception was in order.

    Ragnar thought it strange that he had yet to see Bjorn that day considering he was supposed to depart.

    He thought Bjorn would want to spend more time with him so this was kind of a kick in the gut as he began to wonder if he did anything wrong.

    A man soon appeared in front of Ragnar, it was the man known as Scar, the same man that was selling information to Bjorn.

    "King Ragnar, it is an honor to finally meet you." Scar said and Gudleif immediately stood in front of Ragnar to act as a barrier between this strange man and his King.

    "I do not know your face¡­" Ragnar blurted out, he did not look interested in having a conversation with this stranger.

    "I go by the name Scar and I think I have the information you might want to hear," Scar said, pausing theatrically as he knew that if he took even a step forward, Gudleif would cut him down.

    This made him second guess his decision, he knew Ragnar was not a rash King, and spilling blood in Kattegat was not going to be a good look for him.

    "What information could you have that I would need?" Ragnar asked and Scar smiled inwardly because Ragnar had taken his bait.

    "It is about your son, Bjorn Ironside." Scar said and this indeed piqued Ragnar''s interest.

    Scar now had the attention of the Vestfold''s King and he had every intention of leveraging it.

    Information was true power.

    -

    "Commander Bjorn, are you sure this was wise?" Viggo asked as Bjorn was traveling with as many as a hundred men and they were all on horseback increasing not only their travel speed but how much of a threat they posed on the battlefield.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    A horseman was thest thing exhausted enemies needed because they not only had to worry about the horses, but the men riding them.

    Bjorn had set out the ce where people were gathering with Askild''s approval.

    Askild knew Tyr was alive and had hoped that Bjorn would be the one to kill him or die at the hands of Tyr.

    This would give him the only excuse he needed to hunt down Tyr and make sure he dies and Ragnar would not be able to do anything because Tyr had killed hismander after all so he had every right to seek the head of Tyr.

    Bjorn knew Tyr might not be able to withstand the storm that wasing but for the past few years.

    Bjorn had been entertained by the thought of killing his brother.

    He trained and got stronger because of this sole purpose, he knew it would be an embarrassment if he faced Tyr and he could not even stand up to him.

    "Viggo, focus! We have a long journey ahead of us!" Bjorn responded as he increased their speed.

    It didn''t matter how fast they traveled because their time to arrive there was already fixed at three days from now and Bjorn knew it would be stupid if they exhausted their horses so he was sure to take breaks all while having fate in Tyr to stay alive.

    -

    The day advanced further, the ballet was over, and the corpses of the fallen were collected and burnt ceremonially.

    With the flickering of the fire, the whispers grew loud among the men under Skaei.

    They looked at one another with contempt for their brothers who had switched allegiance creating a division but Tyr had every intention of converting all of them and it started with Skaei.

    He had been informed about how she surrendered telling him she did not want to die.

    Tyr had instructed the men to untie her as he invited her into the house in which he resided.

    Skaei knew she could not act rashly because while he might be a child, he was the one who killed Stu, even though she did not know the conditions surrounding his death.

    Kolbeinn was injured and currently unconscious, making Tyr the leader, being the second inmand.

    This entire army belonged to him alone and this sort of authority came within a day.

    Skaei was skeptical when she came in as she should be, she wanted to know why Tyr wanted her here.

    Did he want to rape her? That was the only thing that came to her mind because most men thought with their dicks.

    "Are you hungry?" Tyr asked, gesturing for her toe forward as just enough food was in front of them.

    Tyr knew they could not feed an army, this was of concern but he knew that this was a problem they would have to face tomorrow, not today.

    Today was for celebrating, the fact that he had convicted members of the Sturlungar n to fight under his banner showed that loyalty could be swayed with a good enough speech, something he learned from Askild during the day of his exile, it was admirable how he turned a certain death situation into him regaining his crown.

 Chapter 261 Tyrs "Generous" Offer

    ?

    Skaei dug into the food but her bodynguage showed Tyr that she did not trust him.

    She trusted him enough to feed, Tyr remembered the traditions that Skol had the savages indulge in.

    That was cannibalism, Tyr noticed that she enjoyed the food and by the way she salivated, it must have been a while since she has eaten meat.

    Unbeknownst to most, only a few were aware that they were being fed human meat, Tyr had preserved some of the corpses on the battlefield because he knew that hunger would devastate them otherwise but he only fed the new additions this serving.

    They had enough for themselves and with some of them falling tonight, this created abundance.

    "Skaei, you must be a strong maiden if you could injure the Mad Hound and Kolbeinn¡­" Tyr said, sitting opposite her.

    "Maiden?" Skaei questioned with a raised brow, she did not see any difference between her and the men that fought with her.

    "You are a woman, are you not? Do not tell me you think you are a man¡­" Tyr said; he had on a goofy smile. There was something innocent in his eyes that made Skaei doubt he was the one that killed Stu.

    "Stop ying games with me and tell me what you want¡­" Skaei barked, she was in no mood for chit-chat, understandably so.

    "I want you, Skaei¡­" Tyr said, the look in his eyes changing into one of determination.

    Skaei misinterpreted what he meant by this, she assumed once again that he wanted to rape her.

    "I would rather die than be raped by a kid!" Skaei barked but Tyr''s puzzled look soon turned intoughter.

    "I have no interest in such things, I want you not for your body because I know you are more than that. I want you for your strength, Stu is dead and Sighvatur would soon follow¡­" Tyr proposed, he was mature for his age as he weaved his words carefully.

    But Skaei just startedughing, she could not believe Tyr''s arrogance just because he took down Stu, even though she doubted that he was the one that did.

    "You think Stu is the pir of this army! You have only angered Sighvatur, you do not know the hell that awaits you!" Skaei threatened him but Tyr was unmoved.

    He has been told this all his life, and he has proven time and time again that there was no one he could not cut down, no one!

    "Sighvatur is an old fool, the Sturlungar n will be disposed of after they have been used by Kjell¡­" Tyr said, and this name piqued her interest.

    "How do you know that name?" Skaei questioned, Tyr should not be aware of their assistance or presence.

    It was also clear that they had not made contact with Tyr or they would be informed.

    "How do you think I made it to the backlines?" Tyr asked her, and Skaei fell silent.

    "Kjell helped me, he had no intention of upholding your deal and that is why he allowed me through on the condition that I kill Stu¡­" Tyr was being honest with her but Skaei was finding it hard to believe.

    "Think about it¡­ I am sure you will find your answer. I have no reason to kill you for you''re not my enemy. Kjell and the others are, we do not need to direct our rage amongst ourselves but towards them¡­" Tyr said as Skaei had finished eating and just stared at him.

    "I will give you the night to think it over. If you do not want to join our cause, I will let you and your men go." Tyr said and Skaei was surprised because why would he let them go?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Are you messing with me!?" Skaei wanted to test this guarantee because this could very well be a trap.

    "No, but I only ask that you consider my offer¡­" Tyr said firmly, he had trusting eyes that forced Skaei to take his word for it.

    "Fine, you have my word¡­" Skaei reluctantly said and Tyr smiled at her as he pped his hands.

    Forcing men to enter the house to take her away and in cake Gudrun like a substitution.

    "Hey, you¡­" Tyr said, gesturing for her toe to sit beside him.

    Gudrun did just that, but she had just finished crying.

    Tyr knew she was scared of her father dying.

    "I know it is hard but I am here to tell you that you are not alone. I am here either you Gudrun like I always have.

    Tyr reassured her but the tears did not stop running down her cheeks, she was frightened and no one could me her.

    "Tyr¡­ I cannot lose him¡­" Gudrun tearfully dered, clutching his clothes and Tyr soon lifted her face and looked her right in the eyes.

    "If you lose him, I will take his ce in your life. I am not leaving your side, not now or ever¡­." Tyr had yet to see Kolbeinn or how he was doing.

    But he had heard that his injuries were severe, and the likelihood of him making it out alive was slim but not zero.

    Gudrun could feel her heartbeat, she wanted to kiss Tyr but she did not want to make the first move because if he did not reciprocate, then that would potentially ruin the night.

    She was beginning to think Tyr did not see her in the same light as she did him and tried looking away but Tyr held her jaw.

    "You know¡­ I have never kissed anyone before¡­" Tyr said, and Gudrun immediately knew what was happening but before her brain could process it, Tyr gently nted his lips on hers, they were cold.

    And sought shelter on hers, Tyr slowly withdrew and said in a soft tone while caressing her cheek.

    "You never have to fear for anything nor want, because if your father died, the people will look up to you, to us to lead them¡­" Tyr said and Gudrun wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded.

    "You are right¡­ Thank you, Tyr!" Gudrun''s mood lifted as she rested on his legs.

    Tyr''s face contorted into something so deformed that it would have its ce in a horror movie.

    Everything was moving ording to

    the n and the final battle drew near.

 Chapter 262 Ulrik Learns The Truth

    ?

    Ulrik wondered what happened to Garda, she just disappeared and he never found out what had happened to her in the first ce.

    He looked for her but nothing turned up so he assumed she was killed.

    Ulrik never had any luck withdies because of his past trauma but somehow, Garda saw him.

    She saw him for who he truly was and she stayed either way, and that was a scared man that became strong so no one could hurt or take advantage of him again.

    Ulrik did not know what the future held for him but he knew the path he wanted to take, he wanted to be of use to King Askild by whatever means possible.

    Lagertha soon ran into him, she looked distressed.

    It was a long shot from what he had seen the previous day, something must have happened but he did not know if it was in his ce to inquire about it.

    "Are you alright, Lagertha?" Ulrik asked her but Lagertha fell quiet, she did not want to trouble him with the things that were going on in her home.

    Lagertha knew that it was best to keep the problems of marriage at home and not involve third parties or that could prove detrimental.

    There was no way she was going to tell Ulrik that Ulf kissed her or that Ragnar suspected Bjorn of being Erik''s son.

    Lagertha, however, could spin a hypothetical story because she needed someone to talk to.

    Ever since Herfj?tur died, she has been feeling somewhat lonely because she did not have anyone to talk to, except her husband

    This was not healthy as it meant that she kept things bottled in.

    She was tired of pretending to be alright, Reidar could tell by her deposition that she was not good.

    She looked exhausted and defeated but he was also aware that she saw her husbandst night so maybe this exhaustion was from the sex marathon that they had.

    That was a possibility, one he knew that Ulrik did not even consider because he was clueless when it came to such things.

    "I am alright, Ulrik. I am just a bit tired, you know. Seeing Ragnar made me realize just how much I missed him," Lagerthaughed it off, and Ulrik could rte. He would do anything to see Garda again.

    "I know that feeling¡­" Ulrik muttered under his breath and only then did it hit Lagertha that he lost someone he loved.

    "I am sorry, Ulrik. I did not mean to remind you of Garda¡­" Lagertha immediately said but Reidar was confused.

    He knew that name but he could not recall from where he knew that Ulrik''s lover had disappeared but that was all about it.

    He never inquired further because he was not interested in Ulrik''s failed love life.

    "Garda¡­" Reidar thought to himself, or so he thought as he had unknowingly blurted it out.

    Promoting both Lagertha and Ulrik to jerk their head in his direction, he was once an enemy so it would not be a long shot to think he knew something even though he had earlier denied knowing any other thing than Burger''s attempt to overthrow Askild.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The technical aspect was withheld from him and Ulrik knew that Reidar was not the smartest person so there was no way he would be told the n.

    "Do you know that name?" Ulrik questioned Reidar but he assumed this was one of Reidar''s usual antics.

    He was expecting a "no" but Reidar had such a serious facial expression on his face.

    "I know that name, I am sure I have heard it before but why do I know that name?" Reidar thought.

    His concern was valid because there was no reason he should if Lagertha imed she was in the slums all her life, Reidar was never raised there and had no business knowing her so maybe this was a case of mistaken identity because surely, she would not be the only one to bear this name in all of Kattegat.

    "You must have met a differentdy, there is no way you would know my Garda¡­" Ulrik dismissed his im but Lagertha wanted to hear more.

    "Describe this woman," Lagertha asked, she was not taking any chances because she was whatnded Ulrik in this mess and she was going to make sure she left no stones unturned.

    Ulrik had the right idea the first time when he suspected Garda but Lagertha vouched for her.

    Ulrik looked up and trusts Lagertha so he was naturally inclined to believe her judgment as superior to his.

    Ulrik rolled his eyes because he was so sure that Reidar was messing around but then he opened his mouth to describe Garda.

    Each word that came out of his mouth transformed Ulrik''s aloof facial expression into one of shock.

    The woman he described was no doubt, his Garda.

    "W-What!?" Ulrik could not believe his ears but Reidar was not done talking.

    "There is one more thing I picked up, she had a different name¡­" Reidar said but that should not be possible considering Lagertha was the one that gave her name because she did not have one so what they were expecting was a slur, the people in the slums were often referred to with slur words.

    "And what did they call her?" Lagertha asked, she was level-headed and they had unintentionally made a breakthrough in the Garda''s case.

    Reidar caught his tongue, he was surprised that he was divulging information so freely but he also remembered that they were no longer the enemy.

    Ulrik has treated him right despite his past sins, he gave him a second chance even though it was partly to keep an eye on him.

    Ulrik put up with his bants and antics as well, this was something he did not have to do but he did.

    Ulrik smiled, as he reopened his mouth to keep talking.

    "They called her Inga, she is one of

    Birger''s acquaintances¡­" Reidar revealed.

 Chapter 263 A Harmless Suspicion? [R+18]

    ?

    Tyr had an intimate moment with Gudrun, he did not know which was her real personality as he had entertained the soft side of her as well as the maniptive side.

    But she was a girl in the end and she wanted love, the idea of love was something that Tyr did not understand because he could not differentiate the love he has for his family from the love he has for another.

    Tyr knew he was not in love with Gudrun but enjoyed herpany immensely.

    She fell asleep in his arms as the day probably progressed into night, the wind whistled outside.

    Kolbeinn was in critical condition and the camp was on high alert as they knew they had to watch the prisoners and even those that had sworn loyalty to Tyr.

    This was a tense situation because now they had brought the enemies to camp.

    Tyr left the sleeping Gudrun in his bed and walked outside because he knew what the atmosphere would be like then.

    This was a lot better than he expected because the worst-case scenario was having them fight amongst themselves.

    The moment they saw Tyr, everyone eased up because they understood that while he might just be a child, there was a certain feeling offort surrounding him.

    He was a breath of fresh air to what they have known and one could say the future but his presence did not dissipate the tension entirely.

    "You bastard! Sighvatur will have your head!" A man shouted but Tyr simply looked at him with no malice in his eyes.

    "Then I go to Valha, is that not the reason for our existence? The same way you want to protect your n is the same way I want to do mine¡­ You can call me a demon or even hate me but I know, if the tables were reversed, you would do the same except you would not grant your enemies a second chance at life.

    That is the difference between you and me, I do not see you right now as an enemy but if you wish to avenge Stu, pick up your sword. I will ept any challengers¡­." Tyr said and the man immediately went quiet, Noa was perplexed by what was going on.

    He had managed to kill Stu, someone that even Gissur could not beat.

    Noa knew there was something he was not telling them, he had seen how deceptive Tyr could be first-hand and suspected he had a hand in Gissur''s death.

    For one, he had no serious injuries, there was no way someone would fight at that level but this was because Noa was not aware of the condition.

    They did not want to kill Tyr, but it was because of this wed thinking that he found himself doubting Tyr.

    Would this prove to be what unsettles Tyr or not?

    Noa was viewing him with eyes no one else was, Tyr had the right words to say, and while he epted his terms for joining his n.

    He did not know that Tyr had far greater ambitions, was this why he wanted to be on friendly terms with Gissur? Was it to gain his trust?

    Noa was in anguish but Nora whispered for him toe meet her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    This snapped Noa back to reality, scurrying away like a rat to meet his lover, he already knew what she wanted.

    -

    Noa was weed into a room by Nora, and she did not even wait for him to speak as she simply pulled down his trouser.

    Noa was not on the big side but it did not mean he was small either, it was average at best.

    It has been a while since they have had sex so this reaction from Nora was no surprise.

    She had an unnatural high libido and that was why she required two people to satisfy her but Noa knew he had to step up if he was doing anything.

    "Do not say a word¡­"Noramanded as she began stroking his dick like she was trying to milk it, she spat on it to make it slippery and kept stroking it.

    Noa did not even know what happened next but all he knew was Nora was covered in his semen.

    He had cum all over her face and he wanted to apologize but he remembered what she had told him.

    "You have been backed up¡­ I am sorry, I will make you feel all good with my mouth¡­" Nora said and before Noa knew it, he could feel the tip of his dick being squeezed between her throat.

    She took it all in, and Noa could feel himself cumming again but this was only because his dick was sensitive after just cumming but he managed to pull out his dick before he did.

    He was breathing heavily but the look in Nora''s eyes was filled with lust.

    "Why?" Nora said, pouting and Noa did not know what to do but part of him was scared that he would not be able to satisfy her.

    "Nothing¡­" Noa brushed it off but now Nora was concerned, she understood if he did not want to do it and was willing to apologize for putting him in an ufortable position to satisfy her need.

    "I miss Isak¡­" Noa said, and Nora realized that he had not had enough time to mourn his brother.

    She had no idea what came over her but there was something about today that just made her in the heat but then she realized, who was her lust directed at?

    Who was she thinking about when that dick was down her throat, it was a disgraceful thought but Nora knew it was not the man before her, she had simply used him as a medium and this could exin why she did not want him to talk.

    She missed Isak but she had moved on quickly because she could not afford such an emotion right now.

    It could prove detrimental in battle but she consoled Noa for the rest of the night, he was ap erson that needed to be looked after but the real reason was that Noa had began to question if he could trust Nora.

    He had gotten over Isak''s death, he did try to kill him after all.

 Chapter 264 Another Falls...

    ?

    Morning came but it did note with the peace or quiet that came with that time of the day.

    It came with a dreadful stench of death.

    It came with the death of Kolbeinn who had died from his injuries, the news gripped everyone in the camp and now they called for Skaei''s head.

    She was the one that killed Kolbeinn, it was her stab that put him in that state and Tyr was just going to send her back?

    They were not having, two Chieftains died in the space of twenty-four hours, this was a huge blow to their military prowess but it made Tyr the unopposed ruler to these two ns.

    Gudrun was hysterical, she cried and cried but Tyr stood there, motionless because he actually thought that Kolbeinn would scale through so this was a surprise.

    Tyr walked into the house where he was and he saw his lifeless body, he could not believe this single battle came with so many casualties.

    Kolbeinn was cold, the wound he had gotten looked darker than the rest of his body, there was no doubt that that was what killed him.

    Tyr closed his eyes and like a reel, everything he had experienced with Kolbeinn yed through his mind.

    Tyr, however, was not feeling this on an emotional level but rather mental, he saw this as a loss overall.

    News flew around the camp about how a Sturlungar n member killed him in the cover of the dark but everyone denied it.

    The tension was boiling over but Tyr ignored it all because he was inside and with the corpse of Kolbeinn.

    Gudrun soon joined in despite the guards'' best efforts to keep her out as she was not in the right frame of mind to deal with something so traumatic.

    "F-Father¡­" Gudrun muttered before looking at Tyr with tears in her eyes.

    "Y-You said he would be fine!" Gundrunshed out at Tyr, she needed someone to fix her anger on and Tyr happened to be there.

    She began stroking him repeatedly, repeating the same thing over and over again.

    Tyr did not move an inch or even try to stop her, he allowed her to do it.

    "I should have been by his side, Tyr! He died alone! You promised me, you did!" Gudrun said, she was shaking and her strikes stopped.

    "I am sorry Gudrun¡­" These were the only words that escaped his lips, he knew she needed to feel what she had to.

    There was no rushing grief, he was not going to tell her that everything would be alright because he knew she already knew that deep down, he knew she would scale through this but right now, he wanted her to experience loss without telling her how she should process it, there is no fixed way to.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Gudrun cried in his chest as Tyr stared nkly at the corpse before him.

    And the echoing outside calling for Skaei''s head grew louder, she was the prime suspect in this but Tyr had given her his word so would he break it on this ount?

    He went outside, after spending the entire day in the tent where Kolbeinn had died with Gudrun, and he saw the sight; the people there had gotten more violent as they began beating the prisoners.

    Tyr did not say a word and just watched, he wanted to see the truth behind their actions but Tyr soon brought an end to this.

    "Enough!" Tyr screamed, and the noise ceased, silence fell and the boy that had conquered them remained as his cold gaze was focused on Skaei.

    Skaei looked worried, which was a far cry from her calm and collected attitude from the night before.

    "Skaei, give me your answer¡­" This was all Tyr said, and Skaei knew denying him would be certain death but she also wanted to test his word.

    Would he still hold it even when everyone wanted her dead?

    "You gave me your word Chieftain and I have decided to return to my camp," Skaei said, she could feel the murderous res around her.

    "Very well then," Tyr gestured for them to release her but Skaei stood like she was waiting for something else but she never said what.

    Tyr, however, picked up on it because she was not subtle at all but the was a chance to test Skaei''s will to live.

    "I never said I would grant the others freedom, they will be dead before nightfall and I have the perfect means to test the loyalty of those that gave their allegiance to me. You can stay and die with them or you can save yourself," Tyr gave her a condition and she did not need much convincing, she jumped at the chance at saving herself, and the disbelief from some of the faces of her men said everything there was but some understood this decision so they were split.

    This was just what Tyr needed, if they were split they could not stand tall and act as one.

    Tyr had expertly sliced through the middle of their loyalty without violence but rather, with a perceived act of kindness as the honorable thing would be dying with her men.

    Skaei shamelessly retreated but she left with one important thing and that was information.

    The men looked at Tyr, they knew that they were all going to die but they did not want to die a coward''s death and pleaded with Tyr to let them die as warriors.

    "I am not killing you but I cannot let you go just yet. I just wanted to show you how little your lives mean to them yet you want to throw it away for some cause? Tell me, are your lives not equal to hers?" This was all Tyr said as he returned to the ce approximately twenty-five minutes after, to what he now called his house, leaving the prisoners to ponder on something worth thinking about.

    "Fuck! Kolbeinn, you stupid son of a bitch!" Tyr cussed under his breath, clenching his fist as he mourned the death of his friend but behind him, stood a cloaked figure with a dagger in hand.

 Chapter 265 Bjorn Ironside

    ?

    Bjorn journeyed through the night but they had to rest because otherwise they risked exhaustion and thest thing he needed was his horse buckling from the stress but he was grateful that Askild granted him this much support.

    Bjorn felt a sense of relief because this was the first solid lead he had on Tyr ever since his departure.

    He was happy about it and knew he could pay back his treacherous brother.

    Viggo noticed the change in Bjorn''s personality but that was something interesting to note because Bjorn did not look angry or distressed about meeting his supposed mortal enemy.

    They chose to spend the night in an unmarked and unknown territory, Bjorn knew he had to be careful because these werends that Askild avoided.

    That not only signified the danger it posed but it also meant that they were people capable of causing him difort.

    They ate and drank, it looked like it was going to be a peaceful night for them but they soon heard footsteps in the distance.

    It was unnerving because they were supposed to be the only ones as they had surveyed the area andbed it''s surrounding thoroughly but they were not worried because their numbers were nothing to joke about, they knew they could crush anyone or thing that attempted to raid or steal from them.

    This included bandits, bandits were not as stupid to target an army as they usually picked on vulnerable people.

    A howl echoed in the distance and they realized that it was wolves, they eased up a bit but that was before they heard the shrieking cry of one of their own.

    But that cry soon went silent and another followed.

    "Viggo, handle it¡­" Bjornmanded him as he went to sleep, he was not worried despite a few of his men falling but this also showed the trust he had in Viggo despite his brazen nature.

    Viggo equipped a curved sword strapped to his back and ran into the dark like some deranged lunatic.

    "Commander Bjorn¡­" A voice called out, prompting Bjorn to open his eyes slightly.

    "What is it, Ivan?" Bjorn questioned Ivan. Ivan was another formidable sword he had under hismand.

    "Is it wise to send Viggo out there alone? We do not know the dangers out there¡­" Ivan said but Bjorn kissed his teeth in annoyance.

    "It is either a bunch of wild wolves or bandits, Viggo is my right hand because I trust his strength.." Bjorn said bluntly. Ivan was visibly irritated by this statement because he saw himself as someone more worthy of the respect given to him.

    Ivan had a tattoo depicting the numerical value, 0, between his brows. He was a lot smaller than Bjorn but his frame was just as big, if not bigger than Bjorn.

    He had focused on his muscles to make up for the disadvantage brought forth by his smaller height but this meant one thing, he had sacrificed his speed in return.

    "Viggo is a wild beast, he is no different from Eri-!" Before he couldplete his sentence, a sword found its way to his neck, pressing against his jugr.

    Bjorn did not even look at him yet this was so precise and urate.

    The sword inflicted a small wound as blood dripped down Bjorn''s de.

    "I-I am sorrymander! I did not mean to anger you!" Ivan immediately apologized.

    "If you ever speak of his name, I will kill you where you stand. Do not forget your ce, Ivan¡­" Bjorn warned as he retracted his de and returned to rest.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He wanted to sleep and in the distance, the crying of wolves echoed, showing that Viggo had reached the threat and had begun doing what he does best.

    "BRACE YOURSELVES!" His voice echoed and Ivan raised a brow upon hearing this warning.

    Why would they need to brace themselves when they did not need to as he was taking care of them?

    Ivan looked at Bjorn with anger and irritation through the back of his head.

    Wolves had slipped past him, this was only normal considering that he was one man but now their horses were in danger.

    Bjorn was still unbothered as he did not get up, it was tricky fending off the wolves as the Vikings barely had the advantage of sight and could barely see anything.

    Wolves thrived in such an environment and one had managed to slip past everyone as they attacked in groups and went right at Bjorn.

    Ivan moved to protect hismander but a sharp pain at the heel of his feet stopped him in his tracks, one had managed to bite him as he had his guard down.

    His concern for Bjorn was what made him vulnerable to this attack.

    "Commander!" Ivan shouted but Bjorn did not respond to his call and the wolf lunged at Bjorn but once again, without looking, Bjorn grabbed the wolf by its neck.

    The wolf gnawed and struggled but he could not bite Bjorn.

    Bjorn causally stood up with the wolf in hand, he looked exhausted and right now, pissed because his sleep was interrupted.

    The wolf''s neck snapped and he tossed the dead body like a rag doll, throwing it right into the wolf that had snuck its teeth into Ivan''s heel.

    This blow was enough to kill it and free Ivan from its clutches but the fight did notst long as his men had made quick work of the wolves as the remaining few retreated.

    They had no casualties excluding the ones that fell before the siege but they had unfortunately lost a few horses, but it wasn''t something to worry about.

    Bjorn had shown a glimpse of his strength, he was not amander just because he was a son of Ragnar, but rather because he was a formidable warrior.

    Viggo returned, drenched in blood and the corpses of the wolves, they were managing food but with this.

    They could feast tonight without a care in the world.

    The men were happy, this was proof that the gods did not abandon them amidst the skinning and cooking of the food.

    Ivan felt an arm around him, looking to his side, he saw it was Viggo.

    "Ivan, Ivan, Ivan¡­ My sweet Ivan, something tells me you will die in the forting battle and your killer might be closer than you think if you keep going at this rate¡­" Viggo whispered into his ear before letting him go to join the feast.

    "... Right back at you¡­" Ivan muttered to himself.

 Chapter 266 Cuckhold Abuse [Trigger Warning/R18+]

    ?

    Ulf was in an unfamiliar ce, it was not his home but it was a home of a ghost from the past.

    Ulf had grown fond of Ottka because of her minuscule resemnce to Lagertha and had bought her freedom from her owner.

    She was a free woman and Ulf had allowed her to live her life as she seemed fit and she had even found a man but this man was anything but a warrior.

    "I am honored that you havee to see me, sir," Ottka owed him her life because she had never had a dream where she saw herself free from the shackles ced on her.

    "It has been ages, we have a lot to catch up on," Ulf responded with a smile, he was aware she was in a serious rtionship and had respected it even by distancing himself from her so this begged the question as to why he was here.

    Ottka grew visibly ufortable and this was evident by the silence that drowned the room.

    "What can I help you with? My fiance will soon be back¡­" Ottka muttered, hoping to dissuade Ulf from staying longer than he had to.

    "You are engaged now? I was not aware of that," Ulf responded, casually standing up from his chair and sitting beside her, she stiffened up.

    Ulf never had sex with her, he had only masturbated to the image of her while picturing Lagertha in her stead but something felt different today.

    Ottka had no intentions of betraying her man but she felt like she owed Ulf and knew she might not be able to say no to him because of his status in Kattegat now.

    "I-It just happened," Ottka nervously said.

    Ulf could tell she was ufortable but this did not stop him, he was in a bad ce mentally and needed an outlet.

    "What if I were to ask you to strip now? Would you?" Ulf asked directly and Ottka''s worst fears came true, she was now certain why Ulf came here.

    Sheughed off his question awkwardly and the distinctive knock on the door saved her.

    Ottka was d her fiance had returned and rushed to the door with no hesitation because she hoped that his presence would deter Ulf from his lustful actions.

    He came in and he immediately set eyes on Ulf, this man was nothingpared to Ulf as he was not even a warrior so he did not have any real standing in Kattegat but he had an intimidating frame.

    "Commander Ulf, what brings you here?" The man said in an upbeat tone, it was an honor to have a king''s brother in his home and he was not taking it for granted as few would ever get this opportunity.

    "I came for your wife man¡­" Ulf said and the room fell silent before the manughed with Ottka hesitantly following after her husband but Ulf was notughing.

    "Do you mock me?" Ulf asked, getting to his feet and walking towards Ottka''s fiance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The man tensed up and Ulf''s eyes red at him with killing intent.

    "I-I am sorry I did not mean to offend¡­" He quickly apologized but this power trip was getting to his head.

    "You know, I could kill you right now and no one would ask anything¡­" Ulf said, drawing his de and cing it on the man''s neck, but that was all he did, he did not do more than that.

    The man gulped and Ottka began pleading, she was frightened because she did not know what bad came over Ulf.

    He made her a free woman and had allowed her to live her life so what came over him that he would go as far as threatening her fiance?

    Ulf just startedughing; no one knew why but he was not stable mentally at this moment.

    "Fuck! Life without power must suck¡­" Ulf said as he pressed his neck closer against the neck of Ottka''s fiance, nicking his skin as a drop of blood fell on his de.

    "PLEASE! DO NOT HURT HIM! I WILL DO ANYTHING!" Ottka begged Ulf with the utmost urgency.

    "Anything? Do you hear that? Yourdy will do anything to save your life¡­ including taking off her clothes¡­." Ulf teased the man before setting his perverse gaze on Ottka and without saying a word, she began to strip.

    Ulf missed the sight of her body, she did bring out a dark side of him.

    He had only watched her until now and jerked off but today, he wanted to try something a lot different.

    He forced her fiance to sit down and instructed Ottka to stand in front of him as he began stroking his dick to her sight, this was a shameful thing for her because her past hade back to haunt her.

    She thought she had escaped this part of her life but in reality, the only thing that changed was the person that held her leash.

    Ulf had a sickening grin on his face, and he did not want to stop here, seeing her husband watch in anger as he vited his woman, sending shivers down his spine.

    "Ottka,e here¡­" Ulf told her and the moment she was within range, Ulf dragged her by the hair and her knees.

    He rubbed her lower lips with his thumb, her breathing was heavy not because of lust but because of fear.

    His thumb soon split her lips open, slipping it in and out of her mouth, and he watched the angry eyes of her man but this was just the beginning of what Ulf nned for her, he had always seen her as a proxy to Lagertha, and Lagetha had pissed him off.

    This was the only reason he was doing this, in Ulf''s twisted mind, he was punishing Lagertha as what was slipping in and out of Ottka''s mouth was soon seen to be the dick of Ulf but this would trigger something in Ulf that would ultimately never leave him the same again.

 Chapter 267 A Kings Meeting

    ?

    King Ragnar had requested an audience with Askild that night, an audience the King of Kattegat granted.

    Despite thete hours, Askild weed Ragnar into the throne room because he was set to leave the next day.

    "King Askild, I havee to ask you one thing¡­" Ragnar said the moment he sat down across Askild.

    "What is it?" Askild asked him.

    "How long have you known?" King Ragnar questioned him and this prompted Askild to raise a brow in confusion.

    "Know what?" Askild questioned.

    "How long have you known that Tyr was alive?" Ragnar asked him and judging from Askild''s facial expression, he knew exactly what Ragnar was talking about.

    "I have known ever since the day that Erik was killed¡­ You have raised quite the dangerous son, Ragnar and I''m afraid that I cannot let him roam freely¡­" Askild admitted to the usations.

    "King¡­." Ragnar said, but Askild was confused.

    "What?" Askild asked.

    "King, King Ragnar¡­. That is how you will address me," Ragnar said bluntly. He was different from the Ragnar that Askild had always known.

    "My apologies, King Ragnar," Askild did not mind apologizing to Ragnar but it was hard to believe how far Ragnar hade in such a short time.

    He was ruling a thriving Kingdom that superseded his by not only military might but economically as well.

    "What do you want with Tyr" Ragnar returned to his original question.

    "What do I want with him? I think the right question is what Bjorn wants with him¡­" Askild said and the surprised look on Ragnar''s face was satisfying.

    "I am not going to kill your son, King Ragnar. Bjorn is." Askild informed him with a sickening grin and Ragnar lost his cool.

    The smug look on Askild''s face pissed him off and he did not realize when he grew his de.

    He could joke around with anything but his family and Askild had now established his weakness.

    "Rx, King Ragnar. What you are doing is akin to dering war," Askild informed him as Ragnar reluctantly sheathed his de.

    "I admire you, you know. I have been trying to sire a child but I have had no such luck¡­" Askild opened up out of the blue and this was something that Ragmar could sympathize with because he has been trying to have a child with Lagertha but to no avail.

    "Why are you telling me this?" Ragnar asked. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You are the only one that I see as an equal even though we have been on bad terms¡­" Askild''s tone was different, he sounded sincere but Ragnar was not buying any of this because Askild was highly maniptive, he was a master at feeding off people''s insecurities.

    "I was not aware of what Erik did to Lagertha, if I had known he touched your Lagertha, he would have been dead but I did know what he did to Asher''s wife and that makes me at fault for what happened to Lagertha because I protected him. I never apologized, and I am sorry, King Ragnar¡­." Askild said.

    Ragnar remained silent because this was too random, he did not know what to say but Askild was only saying what he was confirmed.

    "It is toote for an apology," Ragnar said bluntly, he was not letting Askild get into his head because Askild was trying his best to change how Ragnar perceived him.

    "I know it is but I just wanted you to hear those words. I do not know what is going to happen to Tyr but I know you will soon be burying one of your sons," Askild informed Ragnar of his reality but Ragnar did not take offense with this statement.

    He now understood why Bjorn was nowhere to be seen, he had gone to meet Tyr but this brought about a satisfied smile from their father, a smile that made even Askild uneasy.

    "What''s so funny?" Askild asked.

    "Funny? I am d that they are experiencing life as it is, this meeting will shape both their fate. I leave it up to the hands of the gods and trust me when I say this, even the gods would be amazed by the experience those two boys will face!" Ragnar had finalized what he wanted with Askild, he had confirmed that Tyr was alive, and more so, Bjorn was on his way to meet his brother, and Ragnar for some reason believed everything would work out.

    -

    Sighvatur sat in his camp, the flickering me barely staying on but he had a bad feeling in his gut that he could not seem to shake.

    Sighvatur trusted his son''s strength but there was a reason he liked to control everything, it is because he feared if he was not the one that controlled it, things would go wrong.

    But judging from the reports he had gotten about the enemy''s camp''s current strength, it was fair to allow his son to do something of that nature.

    Stu needed to grow out of his shadow and make a name for himself, he needed to be viewed independently for him, his own identity.

    And he could not do that if he remained sheltered but this would be a decision he would soone to regret because his son had died.

    Sighvatur was none the wiser at this current time and had drafted ns if his son did fail because that was the kind of man he was.

    He always prepared for the worst while praying for the best because a man makes ns, and the godsugh.

    Sighvatur had sent word to Kjell and co, a message that they would strike at once and end this little battle.

    But this came with a condition he could not stress enough, and that was that they would lead the charge; Sighvatur would only join in with his men as reinforcement should they need it but Kjell was yet to respond to this offer.

    This was a smart n as they knew they had limited time because winter would soon be over and thus, their advantage.

 Chapter 268 Tyrs Life In Danger!

    ?

    The cloaked individual standing behind Tyr, his shadow unfortunately gave him away as Tyr could react in time to his attack, although he did lose a single strand of dreadlock.

    He rolled away from the assant before equipping his two axes, but one could tell just from a look that Tyr was in no mood for this.

    An attempt had been made on his life? They had to be more to this than meets the eye because there was no reason one would want to kill him, was there?

    Of course, there was, he was the leader of an entire army, and not everyone would be pleased with this, not even his supposedrades.

    He was an outsider in the end, a title he was familiar with as it hung over his head all his life.

    "Who are you?" Tyr asked but part of him knew he would never get an answer to his question.

    He was a tad bit disappointed but his question was received with an attack from this assassin.

    Tyr could easily call for help but that might allow him a chance to retreat but if whoever this was was confident that he could kill him, then he must be a skilled warrior.

    The weapon of the assant was a curved de in the form of a crescent moon in his right hand, dripping with a strange purple liquid.

    Tyr knew whatever it was, it could not be good, and had no intentions of finding out what it was, Tyr blocked the attack from his left with the ax in that respective hand and swung the ax in his right hand in a bid to cut open his lower torso but the enemy was light on their feet, easily evading this by jumping over Tyr, bncing over his shoulder by cing his left hand on it.

    Hended behind Tyr while still holding onto his shoulder, throwing Tyr over himself and into the ground, disarming him the moment he made an impact.

    Tyr grunted in pain but he did not even have time to collect himself because the assant''s de was descending on him from above.

    He managed to dodge it, but now Tyr was without a weapon and all it takes was a single scratch.

    Things were not looking good, and he could sense the situation was getting dire.

    But should he fold? Absolutely not.

    He could not afford this person getting away because he disyed skills that no one so far has but he was also aware that the could be anybody.

    The person charged at Tyr once again, Tyr was not so proficient in hand-to-handbat but he had no choice in the matter.

    He braced himself for the onught and the onught dide, Tyr was dodging the shes but each came closer and closer to him.

    He knew eventually the de would touch him but he was so lost in thought that he did not make up for his environment, he found his back quite literally against the wall.

    And then it happened, the de''s tip had nted itself into Tyr''s shoulder and whatever it was covered in, made its way into Tyr''s body.

    Tyr managed to kick whoever it was back but what he suspected was confirmed, this would have the potential to be fatal and he stumbled back.

    The assant would not have minded his head but if he could not get it, then they would settle for the next best thing. That was the purpose of the poison. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The assassin soon vanished and escaped through the tent as someone from outside noticed something was off and called out to Tyr.

    Tyr could barely remain conscious, his vision was blurry and his throat sped shut, he could not even breathe as he fell to the ground.

    "You will be dead in thirty minutes," This was thest thing the assassin said, right before he fled the scene.

    "CHIEFTAIN!! STAY WITH ME!!" A voice called out to him but it was no use, Tyr was no longer "there".

    -

    Skaei arrived at camp just before dawn, she was uninjured but what was more puzzling was why she was alone.

    She was nervous because such a thing has never happened before, and that was Sighvatur losing this many men before, but this was not even the worst part.

    Sighvatur weed her return and granted her a private audience with him to discuss what had happened.

    Sighvatur assumed that Stu had sent her back to inform them of their victory because in his eyes, there was no way that he could have died yet he did.

    "Chieftain¡­" Skaei began the conversation, her time was shaky as she did not know how to tell him about their humiliating defeat.

    "How many did you lose?" Sighvatur asked, he assumed the loss was what was making her uneasy but he never put a loss into consideration.

    "Chieftain¡­ It is Stu¡­" Skaei wanted to deliver the news but she could not muster the strength to do so.

    "What about Stu? Did he get carried away and kill the child? Sighs! I was afraid this would happen¡­" Sighvatur was jumping to conclusions without even letting her say what she had nned to say but this was partly because she was beating about the bush.

    "STURLA IS DEAD!" Skaei opened her mouth atst to deliver the dreadful news.

    "Stu is dead, Chieftain¡­" She reiterated with tears in her eyes and Sighvatur''s majestic body frame slumped.

    "My son is¡­dead?" Sighvatur repeated in disbelief, and he just started chuckling hysterically but that chuckling soon stopped.

    The anger in his eyes and the blood-curdling aura that surrounded him made Skaei momentarily pass out; she could not believe he possessed such rage.

    Sighvatur had enough of sitting around and ying casualty control.

    "Who killed him?" Sighvatur''s voice was calm but it was filled with malicious intentions.

    "It was the boy¡­" Skaei said, pausing as she raised her head to look her Chieftain right in the eyes.

    "It was Tyr Ragnarsson but I have taken the necessary steps to make sure he does not make it through the night, Chieftain!"

 Chapter 269 Tyr Falls...

    ?

    The sun came up at longst and where Tyr rested was heavily guarded, even Gudrun was not allowed in.

    Nora was inside alongside some other Vikings versed in medicine. They had been there ever sincest night because they did not know who to trust.

    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® Tyr''s life was in danger, with Kolbeinn and Gissur dead, they could not afford to lose Tyr too or that would be the end of them because theycked leadership.

    Everyone was praying for his health, they knew he would not die because he was the only one that could face Sighvatur if he indeed did kill Stu.

    Gissur was dead, he was the edge they needed but Tyr knew he would not see a better chance to kill him than that moment but it looked like the gods were done with Tyr Ragnarsson.

    A scream reverberated in the building, it was Nora''s cry, and the sobbing got louder and louder.

    Gudrun tried to muscle her way through but shecked the physical strength to aplish such a feat but this did not stop her from trying.

    Nora came out soon after, the look on her face told everyone that this was bad news.

    "No! No! Please do not say it¡­." Gudrun cried, she did not want Nora to utter those words because if she did, then there was no going back, there was absolutely no way she lost the two people she loved in the space of a day.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson is dead¡­" Nora blurted out and Gudrun immediately dropped to her knees, she could not believe what she was hearing. The man she had devoted herself to, physically and emotionally, was now dead. This had to be a cruel joke.

    The whispers began and she could see everyone lose hope, Nora knew she could not lead nor the charisma that Tyr possessed.

    Not to mention the fact that they were women, this was a far stretch but it was no surprise because they had yet to prove themselves in battle.

    They all looked lost but she noticed that the majority of the prisoners did not look pleased with his news either despite it being a big win in terms of the war.

    A few, of course, were delighted by this and could not contain their excitement.

    "He is dead! That is what you get for messing with the Sturlingar n!" A man shouted and the rest followed, but what would happen to the men that had switched sides?

    They only did so because Tyr had sold them a dream but he was no longer here to carry out that dream so this made it a false promise of something hecked the power to relish.

    But they could not return because their brethren would not trust them anymore.

    "Which one of you fuckers did it¡­.?" Gudrun questioned, the killing intent in her voice echoed, everyone present could tell she had malicious intent.

    She clenched her fist, she was seeing red right now and wanted the head of anyone she could get her hands on because she knew the killer was there.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Count the prisoners!" Nora instructed, stepping in front of Gudrun to stop her from doing anything rash.

    The count began, the prisoners themselves were unaware that they had taken a body count, it was done without their knowledge. It took a whole five minutes for the count to bepleted.

    "We are missing two people!" Noa responded and Nora punched the snow in anger.

    "You fuckers! He offered you a second chance at life and you killed him!?" Nora was angrier than Gudrun because he was the future of the Viking world yet they had taken him away from them, they had prevented him from fulfilling his fate.

    This was unforgivable, but this meant that whoever did this was already on their way to inform Sighvatur about what happened.

    They had no way to defend against him or whatsoever because information was currency in these parts and with their weakness, Sighvatur was sure toe.

    "I will grant everyone here a single favor, if you wish to return to your camp, you may fucking go! And if you wish to stay and help our martyr make his dreamse true then I wee you all to join me!" Nora said; Gudrun was clearly opposed to this.

    This was the reason Skaei allowed herself and her men to be captured, it was so they could assassinate the Chieftains from within the camp. Luckily for them, Kolbeinn died before they could do anything as there was already little chance that he would survive.

    They could not approach him the same way they did Tyr because he was heavily guarded due to him being in a vulnerable state.

    Skaei''s n might have worked out a tad bit too perfect but it got the desired result.

    Men began standing up and running because they did not know if she would change her mind. Gudrun wondered just what she was doing, she had no right seeing as she was the natural sessor to her father but shecked the overall battle experience to lead a n.

    "What is happening? Why is she letting them go?" The warriors bickered among themselves, but Nora stood tall, even Noa questioned her decision.

    But to her surprise, the people that left were a lot fewer than she expected, less than 10% of the overall forces left and the remaining stayed to swear their renewed allegiance to Nora.

    This was worth it, and it took approximately ten minutes for them to sort themselves out.

    "Sighvatur ising¡­" Nora said and she could tell by the look on everyone''s face that they were worried. Sigvatur''s name carried power but there was another person that was making a name for himself.

    "That is right, Sighvatur ising¡­" The door to the house where Tyr''s corpsey creaked open and out came Tyr Ragnarsson.

    "Information is power, if we control the information, we control the narrative¡­" Tyr said; he looked anything but dead.

 Chapter 270 The Power Of Information!

    ?

    Tyr was smart, this was an ingenious idea by the young warrior because he knew that the only reason Kjell or SIgny was interested in this battle was because of him.

    If he took himself out of the equation, then they had no reason to join in the battle.

    Sighvatur was going to take this after he heard his son had been killed, there was no reason why he would not want to avenge his son.

    He was a father, one thing Tyr had learned over the years was to never underestimate the love a father has for his children.

    Tyr was about to take advantage of that, Sighvatur would throwmon sense out the window, Tyr had hoped that Sigvatur would make a decision emotionally driven as the sole reason for Vingulmark''s contribution would be gone.

    During the time he had spent addressing them, the night before, before he went into the house where a battle ensued, a man had spoken to him.

    A man under the toon of Skaei, who turned ally, had informed Tyr of the attempts on his life.

    But this was not all he did, he had given Tyr a tube containing a strange fluid.

    This was why it took Tyr that long before he returned to his ce, it was because he was being informed but Tyr wondered how he could use this to his advantage.

    He had allowed the assant to have the upper hand throughout the fight because, in reality, he could keep up quite easily but had downyed his strength.

    The poison, he allowed it into his bloodstream intentionally because this was the single thing that could supposedly kill him, Tyr knew it was a risk trusting a stranger but that stranger had nothing to gain by informing him of a n for his life.

    He took the liquid right after the assassin left, and this was the antidote to the poison. Tyr had escaped death once again but he gambled because what if the antidote did not work?

    He knew he had to take that risk if he was going to scale the path he had set for himself.

    Everyone was speechless because Tyr had managed to also get rid of those that did not have their loyalty rooted in ce.

    He knew that the possibility of traitors still existed but they hadpleted their mission of killing him so there was no other reason to stay.

    "That was a bit extreme¡­" A voice said behind Tyr and Gudrun''s eyes immediately widened in shock, there was no mistaking this voice.

    It was Kolbeinn, he was still alive but the wounds he had incurred still limited what he could do, unlike Skaei that the arrows did not damage any major nerves.

    She was bandaged and allowed to go, and her injuries were the reason it took her so long to arrive at Sighvatur''s camp.

    Gudrun was confused as to what was going on but she was not the only one, everyone was.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr knew the battle would soon be decided but he was aware and he knew this chapter of his life would soone to an end seeing as he had every intention of taking Rugalf on his generous offer but he would not be defenseless, he would have an army behind him that he could use to protect himself.

    "What is going on¡­? I thought you were both dead!?" A random man shouted but all Tyr did was chuckle.

    "Come now, don''t you know I cannot die?" Tyr teased and the man involuntarily blurted out.

    "Tyr, The Undead!"

    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® Tyr liked this name, it was a good representation of how many death situations he had conquered because so many times, people have thought him dead and so many times, he proved them right.

    But this was not entirely his idea, Finn had spoken to him in secret the day that Kolbeinn was injured, and this n had worked in weeding out the weak-willed.

    Saying Kolbeinn was dead gave Skaei a false assessment of their military might but faking his death was entirely on him, and no one could have guessed it as there was no way the assassin would think he had the antidote.

    -

    A few hours passed, and the men that had retreated arrived in Sighvatur''s camp, Sighvatur had already amassed his army and sent word to J?kull and Kjell, they were going to attack that night and wipe them off the face of the earth.

    Kjell received the news of the passing of Stu and he was amazed that Tyr could do it but he was more surprised that he was able to kill Gissur, even Kjell was not certain he could aplish this feat, at least not with his single arm.

    Aksel was d it wasing to an end, but with Sighvatur only receiving news of Tyr''s demise, he knew it would do him no good if he told Kjell and co so he kept this information to himself.

    He was not going to inform them and this might have worked in his favor if Kjell did not have spies in their ranks, Kjell was experienced in this sort of thing and was informed of Tyr''s death.

    Kjell kissed his teeth in irritation, he did not know how he died but from what he has been told and by the mood of his army, the war was as good as won.

    Aksel wanted to join the fray because it has been a while since he has been in an actual battle but Kjell was not interested in this.

    They had lost the primary reason they came here in the first ce and now joining the battle only put losing men needlessly.

    Kjell decided to sit still, he had no intentions of joining the battle, not until the status changed because Sighvatur did not keep his end of the bargain.

    Aksel, however, was not nning on taking the same passive stance as Kjell, he had prepared his men forbat simply for the sake ofbat.

    Tyr''s ingenious maniption of information had given them a fighting chance.

 Chapter 271 The Final Battle...

    ?

    The final battle drew near and the preparations were made on all sides, Tyr knew the casualties would be insurmountable, it won''t be like any battle he has ever faced before.

    Blood and chaos, the heads of both foes and allies, this will be a lot of people''sst battle but Tyr had no intentions of making it hisst.

    Kolbeinn was in no fighting condition but seeing him raised the morale of his n members, this was what Tyr needed for a soldier is most dangerous after experiencing an extreme low right before an extreme high, that euphoric feeling.

    Switching hopeless to hopeful in the blink of an eye, Finn was allowed to act independently as he has proven himself worthy of such responsibility.

    It was urate to say that he had more respect than his sister Nora despite his presence being less noticeable.

    Tyr did not dismiss him and gave all his ideas a thought, he was willing to learn from him and did not think himself the better strategist which surprised Finn considering the aplishments Tyr had under his belt.

    One would think he would be more arrogant regarding that, but he was humble.

    The camp was on high alert throughout the day and the day eventually bled into the night.

    The sun had descended but fires were lit, and set up around the camp, they could not afford to be taken by surprise.

    Tyr had hoped that his death would deter Vingulmark from partaking but all it did was split them into half, a good thing but this put victory overwhelmingly in Sighvatur''s favor.

    Tyr knew he had to expect the unexpected because he had not even taken J?kull into the equation. J?kull was strong and nearly killed him on multiple asions and with Kolbeinn injured and Gissur gone, there were not many men that could match him.

    Tyr knew he could not handle them all alone but that was where Finn''s original idea came in.

    Gudrun spent time talking to her father because she had been neglecting him and this death scare reminded her of how fickle life was.

    Tyr sat alone, looking at the flickering mes as he wondered how he got into this mess.

    He went from being the son of Ragnar, a king to a Chieftain in the wilderness, he had grown strong but he was not strong enough because the stronger he got, he always managed to meet someone even stronger than him in that regard.

    There was no cap to strength and he knew as long as he lived, there would always be someone stronger but could they use their brain as well as he?

    Tyr has demonstrated that strength is not all it takes or Erik, Stu, and Gissur would still be here.

    He missed Bjorn, he missed simpler times but he knew he could not return to them but Rugalf was the key to his next phase in life and the marriage to his daughter.

    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom Gudrun was in love with him but he had no feelings for her, he never nned on marrying her because this was not in his best interest.

    He was interested in Rugalf''s daughter because he knew she would bring him status and that was the single most important thing right now.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It would put him well in line in being King but Tyr had no idea that Rugalf had so many brothers, he never put any thought into that because his daughter would always take priority.

    He wondered why he did not take Bjorn to marry her, considering he had Ragnar''s blood in his veins, Tyr knew he was not a biological son of Ragnar so the genes were never there.

    Tyr was certain that everything would work out fine, he knew deep down that the gods were protecting him, that had to be the only exnation as to why he was still alive.

    Tyr looked into the distance and he saw a figure with a staff and a crow above his shoulder, he squinted his eyes to make the figure out but to no avail.

    Tyr wiped his eyes and looked there again but his gaze met nothing.

    "I need some sleep¡­." Tyr muttered to himself with a sigh, he was calm.

    He knew everyone here was looking up to him, they had made a switch and he was certain that Skaei would have informed Sighvatur of this as well but he was counting on this.

    Gissur''s wife''s prophecy hade to pass, she said that Tyr would kill him and the reason she could no longer see anything when she touched Gissur was because his fate could no longer be changed, it was etched in stone.

    -

    Sighvatur had assembled his army, and they were ready for battle, J?kull had joined up with Sighvatur but Aksel was going to act independently of them but he was aware of their method of attack so there was no way he would sabotage them as Aksel was a fine warrior himself.

    Gisssur''s wife had seen the fate of Tyr, only she knew how this battle would end and what fate awaited this battle.

    "He will lose everything¡­." She muttered to herself, she was too exhausted to speak in clear tones, no one understood what she said, including Njal.

    Njal was injured but still alive, he was surprised as to why he was being kept alive after the demise of his brother, he could not believe that Gissur was dead but not just him, Tyr as well.

    Njal was curious what kind of person Tyr was for him to have killed Stu, a warrior that made quick work of him but it was understood that he tagged with Gissur.

    Njal knew he had to escape and his window would open when they leave, that is if they were not killed before they left.

    Gissur''s wife beganughing hysterically, one could not me her if she lost her mind considering how she has been treated so far.

    "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" A Viking said, punching her right in the mouth, knocking a few of her teeth loose in the process.

    "Everything¡­. Will¡­. Be ¡­ Lost!" This was all she said before losing consciousness.

 Chapter 272 Switcheroo!

    ?

    "Commander Bjorn, we have crossed the border, we should be arriving in a day if we keep up at this pace!" Ivan said and Bjorn nodded as they continued their journey.

    Bjorn wanted to somehow cut the time needed to arrive into two because he had a bad feeling in his gut that something was going to happen.

    Ivan was keeping track of their path and informed them when they crossednds because he had an understanding of the terrain that the otherscked.

    "Onward!" Bjornmanded but everyone knew they ought to rest considering night hade and they did not know where they were. Bjorn''s excuse was that they needed to keep the horses'' bodies warm for as long as possible to stave off the cold.

    Their strength and energy were preserved, that was the whole reason they were on horseback and only when the horses were tired would they rest.

    They had already lost a few but they had lost the equivalent of men in those parts.

    Bjorn Ironside, Ivan was certain that the wolf he caught like it was nothing had grazed him but he saw no wound on Bjorn.

    He was beginning to understand his nickname, it was either his skin had some unholy density or his eyes were ying tricks on him, it had to be thetter because he had heard stories about Bjorn''s exploits but Ivan was a realist and knew that stories were often exaggerated,

    "We should allow the horses to rest, Commander Bjorn. We will reach our destination soon and we cannot afford for them to tire out¡­" Viggo said, he was the only one not scared to air his thoughts and he sounded serious for a change,

    Ivan hated him but the feeling was mutual, Ivan shot him a murderous gaze with Viggo responding by flipping him off with his middle finger.

    "You are right Viggo, we will pass the night here¡­" Bjorn said; he was eager to see his brother after so long but everyone was simply curious about what kind of person the famous Tyr Ragnarsson was and was he stronger than Bjorn?

    It is a miracle he survived this long in the first ce, that was nothing short of impressive.

    Ivan found himself thinking about why Bjorn was so obsessed because Tyr simply showed loyalty to the man to who he swore his loyalty, even at the cost of his family.

    To him, Tyr was the ideal warrior that was not ruled by emotions, this was how he viewed him but of course, he never said that.

    Everyone was certain that Tyr killed Erik, but not Ivan, Ivan was convinced that Tyr was framed somehow as there was no way he could do such a thing.

    A few people knew where Erik came from but no one cared because Kattegat weed all.

    Now was the time for action and no one knew what fate awaited them the next day but everyone was curious as to if they were going to meet Tyr.

    -<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Signy was curious as to what was happening, he had not heard a word from anyone, just silence.

    He was restless and Jan noticed he was bing too invested in this.

    This could prove to be disastrous if things did not go ording to n or if Ragnar heard about their involvement.

    Jan knew they had to y their cards carefully but Signy had made big progress in figuring out where Bjorn came from for he had made contact with the trio that brought him to their waters.

    Signy had to pay arge sum to get them talking but he was not familiar with thends they mentioned and thought they were more people like Tyr, with the sameplexion.

    Sgny assumed they were equally as strong as Tyr and knew that he had to find a way to kill Tyr before he could bring them all here.

    That was what Signy believed, he believed Tyr was a spy that they sent to learn their ways and culture so he could teach them.

    Signy knew there was more to Tyr than meets the eyes, he refused to believe he randomly washed up on Kattegat and became the son of one of the Vikings of such level.

    What was he missing? Tyr had to be part of a much bigger n and he had every intention of killing him before whatever n he thought Tyr had coulde to fruition.

    "Signy, I have no idea what you n but if you do anything that threatens the well-being of my kingdom, I will not hesitate to kick you out. You are no longer king, you are just a boy¡­" Jan said bluntly, he had only kept Signy around if he could reim the throne of Vestfold but that was looking like an impossibility.

    Ragnar only grew stronger each passing day and Signy, was weaker and that was why he wanted his son or at least that was what he thought.

    "Shut up Jan, do you think you would have a kingdom without my father? He might be dead but do not test my patience because I have the means to make you lose everything just as I have¡­" Signy said; this was an interesting threat.

    "Watch your tongue, you are talking to a King!" Jan had to establish his authority before Signy forgets his ce.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel "Do you think I have been sitting idle all these years?" Signy questioned, casually getting to his feet as he walked to Jan with intent to harm.

    "Have you gone mad? I will not ept treason, even if it is from you.." Jan dismissed the threat that Signy thought he posed, he snapped his fingers and instructed the two guards standing behind him to apprehend him but neither moved.

    "Are you guys deaf? I said I should apprehend him!" Jan instructed but the men did not move an inch.

    "Vingulmark stopped being yours the moment I stepped foot into it¡­ ''boy''..." Signy said as Jan became the one that was apprehended.

 Chapter 273 Sighvaturs Troops Arrives, Fight!

    ?

    Time went by slowly, each passing second increased the nerves of the warrior.

    "THEY ARE HERE!!!" A man screamed and the lights that lit up their camp shut off, concealing them inplete darkness.

    Finn was responsible for this because he was aware of what would happen if they saw them with those numbers, they would be sitting ducks, he waited for arrows to descend from above because that was a strategymonly known.

    "What is going on?" Finn thought to himself, he did not see anyone advancing or arrowsing down.

    "They are not attacking?" Another Viking said and Finn was surprised by this because they were informed that the enemy wasing but no one came.

    "Fuck! We have been made!" Another man screamed, and he was right, the turning off of the light only informed them of their presence.

    Why did they choose the cover of darkness to attack?

    The conditions were strange but they had no choice but to fight in it because death did not wait for anyone.

    And then it began, Sighvatur hadpletely ignored this decoy and had gone around them, Finn was shocked because this should not have been possible, it was simr to the strategy he used for Stu but Sighvatur saw through it easily.

    "We have to inform the others!" Finn thought to himself as he jerked his head behind to establish that they had bypassed them.

    Finn had used the lights as a beacon to draw them and turned them off when they were within range to trick them into thinking the forces were here and force them into being cautious.

    But in reality, he had dug multiple ditches and covered them with light wood before covering them with snow to conceal them.

    Finn wanted to run to inform them but he could hear the footsteps marching towards them showing that Sighvatur had no intentions of leaving them to their devices.

    He was going to wipe them all off the face of the earth, but Finn''s trap was momentarily sessful as it did well to dy the forces from reaching them but it did notst.

    The men eventually started to slip past it, the fighting began, there was no time for Finn to even go back to inform them that they had failed to buy time.

    "This is bad¡­!" A random Viking screamed right before he was cut down, the enemy was angry and wielded their de with vengeance, a vengeance so overwhelming that even Finn could not withstand it.

    -

    "The final battle has begun. I am afraid this is thest time I might be seeing you all¡­" Tyr whispered, they wereying low. They had abandoned their main camp that was well-lit, he knew that the enemies would go there first to confirm if they were there.

    Tyr knew they could have the jump on them, and hoped that things would go ording to n.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Kolbeinn had volunteered to be the decoy considering he could not contribute to the fight, this was the only way he could be helpful and he waited in one of the many buildings around it.

    Everyone thought Tyr and Kolbeinn were dead but this did not mean that SIghvatur had any ns of underestimating them, he was going to kill everyone.

    Like Tyr predicted, they ran rampant in the camp, the forces stationed there were the members of Kolbeinn''s n.

    They braced themselves and the battle soon began, the shing of swords could be heard but Tyr picked up on something weird and that was the number of forces that were sent by the enemy, they were far too few.

    Sighvatur had yet again caught on this ploy, this was troublesome because Tyr had yet to either see J?kull, Sighvatur, or Skaei.

    And then they began to hear footsteps around them and they remained quiet, but that was the thing being partly buried in the snow on the floor, someone was bound to get stepped on.

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® This soon happened and the person stepped on bit his tongue, he did not let a single sound escape his lips because he knew if he did, he was as good as dead.

    The foot soon left his back and he breathed a sigh of relief but a sword soon found its way through his head.

    "They are on the floor, huh?" J?kull blurted out, he had seen through this because it was a strategy he had used, if it was as Skaei said, then there was no way that these were all the men they had so they had to be somewhere else.

    Tyr knew they had been had, their n had gone to shit because Sighvatur had somehow seen through everything so Tyr was on the defense.

    Tyr remained in the snow but the men around him rose, and the fight began around him, but this allowed the focus to be on those that stood up.

    Tyr had to keep the illusion of his death and his eyes were focused on J?kull, he was waiting for an opening because he only had one chance at this.

    Tyr had no interest in fighting fair and the men that were fighting right now were Sturlungar n members that had switched allegiance.

    He wanted J?kull to drop his guard enough for him to deliver the finishing blows, J?kull was cautious and he could tell by his bodynguage as he cut them down one at a time.

    J?kull eventually turned his back to Tyr and this was the moment Tyr was waiting to take down one of their higher-ranked warriors and he managed to leave the snow like he was Ghost in COD, camouged by the snow as he inched towards J?kull.

    Tyr swung his ax without hesitation intending to bury it into J?kull''s back but his metallic ax made contact with something, a spear to be precise.

    "H-How are you alive!?" A feminine voice asked, it was Skaei''s voice and with this, J?kull turned around to look at Tyr. Tyr did not know Skaei was present or he would have never made his move because now he found himself in a 2V1 situation.

    "Well, fuck¡­" Tyr thought to himself.

 Chapter 274 Tyr Vs Skaei!

    ?

    Tyr found himself facing off against both of them, he was snickering because he knew he could not win. He had seen how strong J?kull was and Skaei was no walk in the park if she was able to down Kolbeinn even though he knew Kolbeinn had let down his guard for a moment was all it took.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson? How are you alive?" J?kull questioned because everyone was convinced he was dead.

    "Would you believe me if I said you were seeing a ghost right now?" Tyr tried to joke a little because he knew what was about to happen was the opposite of funny.

    J?kull was patient, he was in no hurry to sh with Tyr because he could not believe that Tyr Ragnarsson killed Stu, there was no way he did.

    "How did Stu die?" J?kull questioned, he wanted answers and he was going to get them despite the battle happening around him, he was also curious as to how he made his n members switch sides.

    "I killed him," Tyr responded with a straight face but J?kull was having none of this.

    "You do not have the strength to kill him nor did Gissur¡­" J?kull was calm and collected, he did not look upset by Stu''s death and looked more interested in how he died.

    Stu was like an icon in their n, the improved version of Sighvatur and the one to take the n to greatness yet he met such a pathetic end.

    "Now that is a bit offensive, don''t you think?" Tyr said with a goofy smile but J?kull was not falling for the innocent act.

    Skaei did not like what J?kull was doing because he was allowing Tyr to calcte his next move, Skaei knew he was a threat and experienced firsthand how he moved people''s souls with words.

    She thrust her spear right at his head, interrupting the conversation he was having with J?kull, something that J?kull did not like and Tyr ducked down to avoid the attack.

    He knew if he attacked Skaei, then a battle would be initiated and he would rather continue the conversation with J?kull.

    "What the fuck are you doing? I spared your life and you cannot even allow me to have a conversation?" Tyr said and this statement clearly surprised J?kull.

    "What do you mean you spared her life?" J?kull questioned with a raised brow, shing hisrade a nce before returning his eyes to Tyr.

    "It is as you heard, I do not see any of you as my enemies but if your des are raised at me, I have no other option than to defend myself but once the battle is won, I do not kill the prisoners," Tyr said, J?kull could not believe what he was hearing.

    "Does that not make them your enemies? If you raise your sword at anyone to defend yourself, that person bes your enemy. You were foolish in letting Skaei go because you failed at depleting your enemy''s forces. Compassion does not exist in war and I will not show youpassion," J?kull said bluntly and that brought an abrupt end to the conversation they were having.

    Skaei took over from here, she was the weaker among the two and J?kull had no time to waste his energy on Tyr because with the child alive, their deal with Vingulmark remained.

    This was not him underestimating Tyr but allowing Tyr to correct his mistake in letting Skaei live before he captured him, it would be fun to gauge his strength against Skaei.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Skaei was d she had this opportunity and she thrust her de towards his mid-section, Tyr side-stepped it and dodged it easily.

    He could not believe how easy this was, but the moment he dodged it, the chains at the hilt were manipted. Tyr, however, was no fool and was up to the task as he jammed his ax into the chain, burying it into the ground.

    This halted its advance, Skaei was impressed by this move considering he had never seen it, this was his first time encountering it and yet he was able to defend against it.

    Tyr lunged forward at her, thinking he had taken away her only means of defense and she put on the same act as she did with Kolbeinn; down her sleeves came a de but Tyr had a unique skill where he did not need to rely on sight to perceive an attack.

    Tyr easily blocked it with his ax before jamming his fist right into her jaw but she did not move an inch. This showed she possessed impressive physical attributes, to begin with,

    Skaei spat out blood and punched Tyr right back, her fist packing a lot more punch than his as it sent him skidding backward in the snow beforeing to a gradual halt and he noticed that Skaei had detached the chain attached to the hilt of her spear and went for his head just before he came to a halt but Tyr had enough of this weapon.

    She was good but there was a weakness spear possessed that very few people exploited and that was the wooden structure of the weapon.

    Unlike swordsposed entirely of metals, spears had wood and Tyr jammed his ax into that wood, cutting it into two with a single sh, snatching it out of the air, and throwing it right at her feet.

    Skaei was surprised by his dexterity, and she had to jump up to evade the attack but this put her at a disadvantage because she was now vulnerable.

    Tyr had already begun his run towards her the moment he threw the sharp end of her spear.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel And during the run, he had taken the ax he had used earlier to pin her chain and tossed it toward her while she was airborne with the sole purpose of impaling her torso.

    Skaei could not block it and the wood would not be strong enough to block it as it had chipped but she had no choice.

    Skaei used the wood to defend against it, while it did somewhat reduce the momentum, it did not block it but luckily for Skaei, she was wearing armor but this was what Tyr expected from his experience with J?kull.

    This was the move he expected and Skaei was so upied trying not to die that she lost all perception of Tyr''s presence, allowing the warrior to run past her with his ax, a second before her feet could touch the ground, to take off her head.

    Blood stter was what followed and a sinister grin crept up on Tyr''s face as a single word left his lips.

    "Ha!"

 Chapter 275 A Name...

    ?

    The fight intensified and Tyr might have killed this woman a lot easier than he had anticipated and he had Kolbeinn to thank for that.

    Kolbeinn informed him of her tricks so Tyr incorporated it into his fighting strategy should he fight her.

    "Ha!" Tyr blurted out as his ax was stained in her blood, but he could not deliver the fatal blow he had intended because Skaei had thrown her hand in the way, sustaining a serious injury.

    Tyr realized she was still very much injured from her previous battle and it was quite stupid to put her in battle in such a state as she would be severely weakened.

    "You are one crafty bastard, aren''t you?" Skaeiplimented him but Tyr did not look impressed by her skills.

    "Skaei, my offer still stands¡­" Tyr said and J?kull raised his brow in suspicion, what was Tyr talking about? Skaei noticed that J?kull was growing suspicious of her interaction with Tyr and she had every intention of nipping it in the bud because it was beginning to look like Skaei was not just his captive but much more.

    Skaei omitted what they discussed from the reports she told Sighvatur, which was strange considering it was an innocent conversation.

    Tyr had injured her but that was not the intent behind his strike, he wanted to kill her.

    Skaei thought she could take him in her current state but that was proving to be false, she could barely keep up because Tyr was not only fast but he yed off his strength and exploited the weakness of his enemies intelligently.

    "You are strong and I am sure you will be a great warrior in the future but this is not enough to kill Stu¡­" J?kull blurted out, walking in front of Tyr with his de drawn.

    Tyr had bested hisrade and J?kull allowed this because he wanted to see if Tyr would disy some god-like skill but nothing of that sort was shown.

    He now understood why they did not fight Stu individually, maybe that was why they won because Tyr was full of tricks and Gissur was a freak nature.

    Together, they just might stand a chance, J?kull had reevaluated his earlier assessment of the situation and it was looking usible now.

    He had never crossed swords with Gissur but stories were he was equal to Sighvatur and he had a lot more experience than Stu in terms ofbat.

    J?kull sensed the threat that Tyr could potentially be in the future and the thought made him uneasy, he was not having it and decided to defeat him here and now.

    He held his sword tightly and Tyr looked over his shoulder to see if the female warrior had any intentions of joining in.

    He knew a 2V1 would put him at a massive disadvantage, he could not conceive how he would win but thedy being injured and her weapon of choice destroyed, gave him a fighting chance.

    "You have been holding back¡­" J?kull said under his breath, an observation that surprised Tyr because this was how he fought, he held back to give the enemy a false perception of his ability, and he only used his full strength when a supposed opening presented itself.

    J?kull was not a fool and he walked towards Tyr, but Skaei began to think about what had just happened, she could still use the hand that Tyr''s ax injured, this meant the force he used for this attack was not even enough to kill her if it did make contact with her neck.

    Skaei thought she was overthinking it but why would he want to spare her during battle?

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel The fact that J?kull did not even jump in to protect said a lot about how the Sturlungar n operated. They were not a family, just aption of warriors gathered in one ce to fight with no loyalty to one another but to the n.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    J?kull did not care about hisrade and Tyr noticed the battle around them, they were losing the fight even without J?kull fighting.

    This was the difference in their power and they could only put up this much resistance because of the Sturlungar n members that Tyr managed to acquire or this battle would have been over already.

    "I have been holding back because I know what ising after this fight!" Tyr eximed, he had picked up his ax right in front of Skaei, but she did not move a muscle to attack him.

    The moment Tyr picked up his ax, he charged at J?kull intending to kill him but J?kull easily blocked his strikes, Tyr was swinging and attacking from every possible angle but not once did he trouble J?kull.

    J?kull was stronger than he was when they first fought or would it be more urate to say that he had only just now shown his true strength?

    He was only defending, he wanted to see the full strength of Tyr before he captured him as the order to not kill him still stood so this granted Tyr room forcency.

    J?kullnded a blow right in his torso, sending the dark-skinned warrior buckling, falling to his knees as the pain felt like a shockwave had been sent through his body.

    "You see?" J?kull said, right before kicking him square in the face to send him tumbling on his back, Tyr could feel the pain rock his head, his brain felt like it had taken a beating.

    J?kull ced his foot on his neck and began to slowly choke him out, he wed away but he could not remove J?kull''s foot from his neck.

    Tyr showed his acrobatics, as he raised his lower body, cing both his feet around the arm of J?kull, then returning it to the ground, taking J?kull with him.

    J?kull hit the ground with a thumping sound; Tyr could feel the oxygen shoot right through his lungs, but he did not have time to be idle but there was a huge problem.

    Sighvatur was nowhere to be seen, he could not try to take his head and he had encountered the worst-case scenario.

    He wanted to end it in a single strike because realistically speaking, Tyr was their only chance at victory as he was currently the strongest warrior on their side seeing as Kolbeinn was in no fighting condition as his injury was far more severe than thedy he had fought.

    J?kull dusted himself off but his expression did not change, he was not impressed or unnerved by this and expected such a fight.

    "I want to share something with you, Tyr¡­" J?kull said, trying to establish dialogue once again with the younger warrior.

    "What is it?" Tyr questioned with a raised brow and his defense amped up.

    "Sighvatur never had any intention of handing you over to the outsiders¡­" J?kull blurted out but Tyr remained quiet, waiting for him tond.

    "You are the son of Ragnar, you are the most powerful bargaining chip and someone wants your head more than Vingulmark¡­." J?kull paused momentarily.

    "It is someone you know well, he goes by the name Askild,"

 Chapter 276 Kolbeinns Desperation

    ?

    Kolbeinn could hear the shing of des outside and the battle was intensifying, the idea was for him to stay here and fight them in a closed-off space but Kolbeinn was notfortable sitting idle.

    The Mad Hound might be there, smashing the enemies to pieces but he did not know for how long he could keep this up as everyone had their limit.

    Kolbeinn opened the door and he was greeted by the aggressive air that shot through the door, he squinted his eyes to shield himself from it but this did not mean he would back down.

    He powered through and went out, to his surprise they had the upper hand and the casualties were anything but controlled.

    Bodiesy everywhere, and the Mad Hound fighting and killing with ease, Kolbeinn noticed he was not even at full strength yet which was interesting.

    They still had the upper hand but he noticed the enemies were focusing more on him, they were trying to kill him because he was the main threat, but this also meant that they were unaware of Kolbeinn''s existence.

    Kolbeinn looked for his daughter but she was hidden on top of one of the hastily constructed building, shooting her arrows like a sniper as it burrowed into the enemies.

    She was providing backup for The Mad Hound because his importance in this fight could not be underestimated.

    The Mad Hound saw Koleinn, who was cloaked from head to toe so the enemies could not discern his identity.

    He knew if Kolbeinn moved too much, his wounds would simply reopen and he would bleed to death because everyone was too preupied not dying to rescue him.

    Gudrun soon saw her father, she was angry that Tyr kept his n from her but she understood why he did it because he needed her reaction to be believable and she was certain her reaction sold the illusion.

    Gudrun was not about to allow her father to die a second time and took extra care in ensuring that. Kolbeinn was spotted and the enemies rushed to make quick work of him because of his intimidating frame.

    These attackers were met with multiple arrows but Gudrun gave away her position with this attack and the house she was taking refuge on was soon set aze.

    She was going to burn if she stayed and if she jumped, she would be surrounded by enemies.

    A nightmare for a long-distance fighter but she had no choice.

    Gudrun leaped from the building, letting arrows fly chaotically, killing two people in front of her before shended, giving her space to run even though she knew she would be chased.

    But someone stood behind her to halt the advance of these enemies, it was Nora.

    Nora remained, with her de drawn as she began fighting but this time was enough for Gudrun to shoot arrows to provide her friend support as they were proving to be a formidable team.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel They made quick work of their enemies but they noticed that they too had lost far too many men, the Mad Hound had also killed the enemies focused on him.

    They needed to regroup because Kolbeinn knew the enemies had a lot more men and if another wave was toe, then there was no surviving it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Fall back!" Kolbeinn gave the orders and everyone ran from the camp, the Mad Hound picked up the Chieftain and ced him on his shoulder as he ran into the darkness.

    This was a victory for the Sturlungar n as they celebrated, they had sent them running but there was nowhere to run.

    Because they were on course to meet Aksel and his men, this was the worst possible oue because the warriors under Aksel were far more seasoned than your average warrior under the Sturlungar n.

    -

    Tyr was locked in with J?kull, he was surprised that Askild had ordered for his head and how Sighvatur had no intentions of holding up the bargain he had made with Signy.

    He now understood why Kljell was worried, Kjell''s suspicion was spot on and that was why he wanted the heads of Stu and his father.

    Kjell suspected this and had taken it into his own hands to ensure that Kattegat does not gain even more power by using these barbarians because if they did and Signy does grant themnd.

    They will be sharing territory with a potential enemy, but this was the least of Tyr''s worries as he took a look around him and knew that his men would not hold up for much longer but was retreating the right thing to do?

    Tyr knew it would take a hit on their confidence but at this rate, he would die alongside his men.

    There was still so much he wanted to aplish, Valha was thest thing on his mind.

    "You wish to retreat?" J?kull asked, noticing the young warrior darting his head left and right like he was searching for a way out.

    "Retreat? I will never leave my men to their death. If they die today, I will die with them," Tyr said, and the look on Skaei''s face was one of disbelief.

    "THAT IS NONSENSE! YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW THEM!" Skaei lost her cool, she was growing tired of the chivalry act and opposed it as being pretentious.

    "Know them? They swore their lives to me, they are a part of me," Tyr said; the men under him heard this and this renewed their fighting spirit as they now knew if they died, Tyr was going to die alongside them.

    He was not going to abandon them, they were no longer fighting for their new Chieftain but his survival depended on their survival.

    Skaei was quiet, she had always been taught that people are meant to be used, and once they were of no use, you discard them as J?kull just attempted to do.

    Tyr was breaking through to her, he was breaking through her hardened heart because there is no warrior that does not admire loyalty.

    J?kull, however, remained resolute and Tyr''s words were just words because words be useless if one dies, eventually, history would forget about those words but not the actions, actions are eternal.

    The victor of this battle is what history will remember.

 Chapter 277 A Strange Dream

    ?

    Bjorn was awake, he could not sleep because he felt unsettled, he did not feel safe where he was despite his men resting.

    He needed to clear his head, he needed to go for a walk, the majority of his men were asleep with only a few awake. Those asleep included Ivan and Viggo, meaning Bjorn could walk freely because if they were awake, they would follow him.

    Bjorn was especially restless tonight because he did not know what fate awaited him or his men tomorrow.

    He ventured away from their temporary camp and into the distance, this cold was something else, how did people survive living in such cruel conditions?

    e¦Áglesnovel`c,om But that was what made him believe that his brother would be even stronger than before considering the harsh conditions he was living in as opposed to his own pampered lifestyle even though Bjorn had been in numerous high-difficulty battles since then.

    He knew the environment yed a crucial factor in terms of development and knew that Tyr had to discard what he knew if he was going to survive in such a cruel ce where they were not protected by rules.

    "Tyr, what are you up to¡­?" Bjorn asked under his breath but he soon heard a crow, the cawing sound echoing and Bjorn found himself drawn to it like it had a hypnotic effect on him.

    He followed the sound because why not? He knew there were no enemies around as the scouts had reported, he knew that they were alone here so there was no harm in exploring the environment because no one knew when it would be useful to them.

    Bjorn walked and walked, but he found himself in a strange ce as the crow that had made noise was pecking away at the frozen ground.

    "What are you doing, little buddy?" Bjorn asked the crow and the crow soon stopped pecking the ground, looked at Bjorn, and continued pecking away at the snow.

    Bjorn found this strange, it was almost like this crow wasmunicating with him, telling him to help unearth whatever it was it was looking for.

    Bjorn gave in to its demands and unsheathed his de, he began hacking away at the solid ground to reveal whaty beneath the solid surface.

    He began digging the snow with his bare hands, it was cold but he could manage this much without feeling like his fingers were about to fall off.

    Then he touched something weird, this must be what the crow wanted out.

    This outline, it was a body, there was no doubt about this but why did the crow bring him here of all ces?

    Bjorn investigated and what he saw horrified him, he knew this person but before he could say the name, he jolted awake but not before seeing a one-eyed man with a staff and crow on his shoulder.

    Bjorn screamed himself awake, startling everyone around him. He just had a nightmare but could not recall his dream for some reason.

    "You must have had one hell of a dream¡­" Viggo said, he was wide awake, and a lot more of his men were awake than in his dream.

    This was expected considering their state of mind, they had to be alert at all times.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "What do you mean?" Bjorn asked, he was confused as to what Viggo was implying.

    "For someone you im to want to kill so bad, you sure utter his name a lot,mander!" Viggo teased Bjorn, and this showed that the name that escaped his lips was that of his brother.

    He had just seen Tyr''s dead body in his dream but he could not even recall it.

    Bjorn could not shake off something terrible was about to happen.

    "We need to move! We have rested enough," Bjorn instructed, waking everyone up as they mounted their rested horses and continued their journey in the cover of the night.

    -

    "You are strong, Tyr Ragnarsson but there is only so much your strength can do¡­" J?kull said, sheathing his sword and with this, an unconscious Tyr was revealed, showing he had suffered defeat. The son of Ragnar was down with the warriors around him cheering.

    "You chose to sacrifice yourself to save them? You are a strange child," J?kull said, Tyr had ordered his men to retreat and chose to stay to ensure that they made it out alive.

    Sighvatur''s rage was certain to quell once he heard that the boy that killed his son was alive and captured.

    Tyr knew he could not be killed, and that alone put him at an advantage hence why he did something so reckless. But he knew if he was captured, the chances of him being killed increased exponentially but not by Sighvatur. If he did, Sighvatur would break the alliance that he had with his ally.

    J?kull threw Tyr over his shoulder but also noticed that Tyr had managed to inflict damage on the armor he had on, something he did not even realize happened.

    J?kull knew without the armor he had on, he would have been in trouble, and even Skaei was surprised by how much of a fight he put up but this battle made it clear that Gissur yed a major role in Stu''s defeat.

    "This battle is over, we have to regroup with Sighvatur¡­" J?kullmanded, he had no intention of chasing the people that retreated because it was possible that Sighvatur''s strategy would change if he found out that Tyr was alive.

    J?kull did not want to rob his Chieftain of this choice, and they did not need to lose any more of their men either.

    The head of their army has been cut off so what was their next move?

    They held the positions they had just fought in, they reestablished their dominance and reminded everyone why they were so feared; even the Vikings that had switched sides began to question if they made the right choice.

    Sighvatur had disyed his superior intellect once again, Tyr''s n had failed woefully.

 Chapter 278 Aksel Arrives!

    ?

    The battle had resulted in defeat for Tyr and his men, Tyr had fallen in battle to save the majority of his troops because he understood as long as they had numbers, they had a fighting chance.

    J?kull was interested in Tyr, the man that emerged victorious against two monsters.

    The troops remained, attending to their wounded and killing the enemies that remained.

    They celebrated, cheering and screaming like beasts.

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® The battle around all battlefields did notst up to thirty minutes, it was heavily one-sided despite the precautions that they had taken.

    J?kull arrived where Sighvatur was waiting, he never joined the battle and the men he had standing idle were in great proportions, it was insane to think that this was not his full strength yet he crushed the enemies with no effort whatsoever.

    "Chieftain, we have secured victory and we have brought back Tyr Ragnarsson for he still lives," J?kull said bluntly, he had bowed his head in respect but Sighvatur looked especially disappointed with Skaei''s failed attempt at killing Tyr and her current state.

    He could not believe a child could kill his son and injure a high-ranking warrior in his n even though she was partly injured.

    "Skaei, what is the meaning of this? You told me you took care of him¡­" Sighvatur said, seated on a wooden chair with a drink in front of him, he had no ns of joining the battle judging by this state.

    "I-I thought I did, he must have found a way to fool us!" Skaei barked, she immediately got defensive because she knew what Sighvatur was implying.

    "If I may, Chieftain¡­" J?kull requested and Sighvatur permitted him with a raised finger.

    "It was not Skaei''s fault because the men that escaped reported the same thing, they reported his death which means that the assassin''s de struck him without a doubt or he would have disproved this in his report when he returned. I have fought Tyr, he is a skilled warrior that has the potential to even injure me¡­" J?kull was quick to disprove what Sighvatur was driving at not because he cared about what happened to her, but because Sighvatur was failing to see just how much of a threat this young warrior posed even though he was pulling back his punches to not kill him.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson is strong, very strong. I do not wish to see his journey end here¡­" J?kull said and this surprised everyone listening considering that Tyr had killed Stu.

    "Exin yourself J?kull¡­" These were the only words that escaped his lips.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson is far more valuable alive than he is dead. I asked myself why everyone wants him dead, and it dawned on me. Everyone fears his potential¡­ If he was able to kill Stu, your son¡­" J?kull paused because he knew he was trending on dangerous grounds the moment he mentioned his son but it had to be said.

    "A child having the power to win over the hearts of people that have sworn their lives to you should not be taken lightly. I want you to consider taking him under your wing¡­ He killed Stu so he is worthy to take his ce, and with him on our side, I am certain we can absorb the n we are at war with¡­" J?kull said, and his thoughts were sound.

    Sighvatur could see the logic behind his thoughts because there was no doubt that Tyr could be an indispensable asset to them if they could sway him but they would also be targets of the other kingdoms.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Fighting against an entire kingdom was a lot different than fighting against a n with limited men and resources, the scale of Vestftold''s war was on a degree and scale that they could not possibly conceive.

    "I have heard you, J?kul and I have concluded¡­" Sighvatur said as he got up from his chair, and looked right at Tyr.

    "I am not going to give him to Vingulmark or Kattegatt¡­" Sighvatur said and J?kull was satisfied with this response from him because he knew Sighvatur was logical when it came to such things.

    "I have decided to sentence Tyr Ragnarsson¡­.. to death." Sighvatur handed him his sentence and J?kull looked disappointed by his Chieftain''s response but he expected it.

    "Very well, Chieftain¡­" J?kull said, raising his sword as he prepared to decapitate the unconscious child but Sighvatur stopped him.

    "No J?kull, he will not be in like a dog. If he truly killed my son, he deserves a warrior''s death. Execution bybat will decide this¡­" Sighvatur said and J?kull was content with this decision.

    -

    Kolbeinn had retreated, hours had passed and they thought that they were safe, away from the jaws of danger. Kolbeinn felt bad doing this considering Tyr was fighting on a different battlefield but he was certain that Tyr would perceive that they could not win the battle and just because they lose this battle does not mean the war is lost.

    "A-Are we safe?" Gudrun asked her father and Kolbeinn was not even sure of this, he knew that they did not give chase but their enemy was Sighvatur, someone who acted like he had some sort of foresight.

    Kolbeinn was paranoid, and he had every right to but he soon realized that his suspicions were valid as he could hear people advancing from the other side.

    "ADVANCE MEN! LEAVE NONE OF THEM ALIVE!" Aksel''s voice echoed, and Kolbeinn realized at that moment that their chances of survival had eclipsed zero.

    "W-What?!" Kolbeinn eximed because his men were exhausted already.

    "Wait! Do not kill the women! We will use them to soothe our balls!" Aksel''s voice echoed and Kolbeinn knew at that moment that this was a battle that could not be lost or his daughter would suffer a fate worse than that of a ve.

    Kolbeinn''s panicking face became stern as he pointed his sword in that direction and with a voice no one has ever heard him speak in before, he gave a singlemand.

    "Kill them all¡­"

 Chapter 279 Aftermath Of The Clan War....

    ?

    Morning broke and the sun rose, the death toll was insurmountable, and bodiesy scattered everywhere on the battlefield in various conditions.

    The gods feasted for many souls and joined them in Valha, warriors that would fight for the All-Father.

    Kolbeinn was defeated swiftly but he had narrowly escaped death despite him bleeding profusely, he could barely move an inch as hey on the floor with the bodies of him and his men everywhere.

    "G-Gudrun¡­" Kolbeinn muttered under his breath, tears welling up in his eyes.

    The night of the battle, he had a chance to kill her, something she had begged him to do but he could not do it, he could not kill his daughter and now, he did not know what fate awaited her.

    She was a young virgin with a good face, he knew that she would be targeted amongst the men there.

    Aksel had no reason for joining the battle, the battle was over before he could even arrive but he saw a few pickings and decided to have fun with what was left.

    Kolbeinn felt empty, why did he think they stood a chance against the Sturlungar n?

    Why did they not just stay in their territory and live life under the thumb of the other ns?

    Was it toote to concede or was this the end?

    Kolbeinn had lost every ounce of confidence he had in this war.

    Gissur dying, was the turning point because his strength was what they needed at this exact moment.

    Everything looked hopeless and now, Kolbeinn could feel his own lifeing to an end despite all he had done to make sure it did not.

    Kolbeinn lost consciousness, he thought this to be death as his body went limp, he was not content with this fate that the gods had cursed him with but he could not fight it either.

    The men that could still fight had fled that night, they ran for their lives and Kolbeinn understood that not everyone could ept death, not every warrior was in a hurry to go to Valha.

    Some chose life over death and Kolbeinn could not fault them for that.

    He had failed as Chieftain, his contribution to this war was nothing to write home about.

    It should have been him that died, not Gissur because if GIssur was the one in his shoes, he was certain he would have put in a lot more fight.

    He did not see himself fit for Valha, there was no way Odin would want him in his halls.

    "Kolbeinn!" Kolbeinn heard someone call him but assumed this to be one of the voices in his head as he had been hearing them throughout the night, slipping in and out of consciousness.

    "Death? Have youe to take me?" Kolbeinn tried to speak these words but his mouth could not utter them.

    "Hurry up! We cannot let him die!" An authoritative voicemanded and Kolbeinn soon felt hands on him, applying pressure to the wound that had reopened.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Why do you keep saving me?" Kolbeinn thought to himself, he did not know what to do and he hated it, for the first time in his life, he questioned if he was fit to be Chieftain.

    -

    Tyr regained consciousness and he was bound, an experience he had gotten used to, he was in a conducive environment, they did not leave him out in the snow or put anything that would cause harm to him.

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Tyr found it strange, he quite frankly did not expect to wake up, he was certain that an eternal slumber awaited him making him question just what Sighvatur intended to do with him.

    Did he want to give him to Askild? Tyr was not about to allow that because he would be as good as dead if he did.

    Askild would kill him or use him to destroy his family, he experienced first-hand how maniptive Askild was, and that put him on high alert.

    "Why am I still alive?" Tyr asked himself and the moment he did, he heard footsteps in the ce he was housed.

    "You are awake¡­"  Skaei was the first to greet him as she was in charge of watching over him, her injuries made this the only task that she could do properly.

    "I would not celebrate being alive if I were you, Sighvatur does not n on turning you over¡­"  Skaei said and Tyr instinctively knew what she wanted to say next.

    "Heh, he ns on killing me, does he not?" Tyr was rhetorical in his response and Skaei was curious what kind of face he had on.

    She was both surprised and irritated when sheid her eyes on him.

    Tyr did not look frightened but rather excited because if he was not dead, it meant that he stood a chance at victory.

    The god would forever favor him and for some reason, he just knew everything would work out as he recalled the words of the blind man in Vestfold when he touched him.

    "The child that should not exist, I think I understand now¡­" Tyr whispered to himself but Skaei was close enough to hear him.

    "Have you lost it?" Skaei asked him because she did not understand what the hell he was talking about and had no interest in figuring it out.

    "When I kill Sighvatur, would you join me then?" Tyr asked her and this surprised her, she looked left and right as if the words he had spoken could implicate her.

    "Shush!" Skaei shut him up because this was thest thing she needed right now but unfortunately, his words had reached the ears of Sighvatur who was coincidentallying down at approximately this time.

    "Kill me? You wish to duel me?" Sighvatur came into sight and the Chieftain of the Sturlungar and all it took for Tyr to lose his ability to speak was a stare.

    This feeling, was a lot denser than what he felt with Stu, his body felt like lead and his throat closed up but Tyr powered through and said.

    "I do not wish to duel you, Chieftain, I wish to kill you,"

 Chapter 280 Loots Of War [Trigger Warning]

    ?

    Kolbeinn was well enough to open his eyes, he awoke and took a quick survey of his environment and saw that the people around him were no other than the members of the Sturlungar n that were fighting under Tyr.

    Kolbeinn heaved a loud sigh of relief the moment he saw them because he had hoped that Tyr was safe considering the scale of the battle and if Tyr was safe, then things were certain to work out in their favor.

    "Where is Tyr? T-Those bastards have Gudrun!" Kolbeinn cried out but the man he spoke to looked confused because he did not know any Gudrun.

    "Tyr is gone¡­" These were the only words that left his lips and Kolbeinn''s face looked hopeless the moment he heard this.

    "What the hell do you mean gone!?" Kolbeinn barked, gripping his torso but the pain that rocked his body forced him back down.

    "They have him¡­ He protected us! We were his enemies only a couple of days back and he threw away his life for us¡­ I do not know if that is admirable or crazy¡­" The man said, clutching his face as tears streamed down his cheeks.

    Kolbeinn had to calm down as he realized he was not the only one stressed out about what has been happening.

    He did not know what was happening but he knew that these people needed a leader.

    Should he go and save Tyr, the sess rate of this was close to zero but he had a higher chance of saving his daughter.

    Kolbeinn had a very difficult decision to make.

    -

    Aksel was changing andtching, his men were happy about their harvest in this battle because they had acquired quite some women.

    Aksel was a man that could best Ulf inbat so he was by no stretch of the imagination, weak.

    He watched his men have their way with the women that they had conquered.

    Aksel could not believe that Kjell did not join in on this feast and he did not return to camp either.

    He had set up a temporary camp to enjoy this because he nned to kill the girls when he was done with them.

    The girls were in a cage and people took turns in picking out the one they would assault but they could not skip, they had to pick the girl before they could move on to the next so if one warrior was not interested. They had to sit it out until the girl present was picked and so on.

    Gudrun was further down the line up so she still had time to contemte an escape.

    But things were looking hopeless, Aksel was no ordinary warrior and these were no ordinary Vikings.

    They were Vikings that had fought real wars.

    "Calm down Gudrun, they wille for us¡­" Nora whispered, standing right next to her as she tried to reassure her.

    Gudrun has never had sex and this was no way for a girl to lose her virginity either.

    Nora was just going to let it happen, she knew Gudrun had feelings for Tyr and this was no way for a girl to lose her virginity.

    "Gudrun, let us switch," Nora said, she wanted to buy as much time as she could for Gudrun as thedies swapped ces.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Aksel noticed this and called them out on it because other girls were begging to swap amongst one another but the true nature of mankind prevailed as each looked only after themselves yet there was Gudrun and Nora, looking after each other.

    "Fuck, act natural¡­" Nora whispered to Gudrun. Gudrun''s face looked pale, she was terrified because these men were not even hiding their brazen acts, they were viting them in the open and some girls died during the act.

    Aksel walked towards the girls in the cage, and a sinister smirk crept up on his face.

    Unlike the other girls there, Gudrun looked young and fresh, Aksel decided then that he would take her for himself.

    He did not need to obey the lineup and immediately yanked Gudrun by the wrist.

    "Please! Take me!" Nora begged; the sun was barely making it through the dense clouds but it was past noon at this point, easily around 4:54 P.M

    They allowed them to rest the night before and fed them considering what they had in mind.

    Aksel pped Nora, knocking her to the ground as he carried Gudrun away.

    Nora was dazed, she had hit her head on the wood that the cage wasposed of.

    Gudrun screamed and struggled in vain but all this drew mockingughs from the Vikings around them.

    "Hahaha! You will all have your turn when I''m done!" Aksel said as he carried her into a tent.

    Nora got back to her feet, she noticed how fast the line was depleting after this act because they feared that Aksel might break his new toy ande for another one. Nora knew at this rate, she would be taken in less than two minutes.

    -

    "Nothing beats a young girl''s flesh," Aksel said out loud, and Gudrun immediately took a defensive stance.

    "If youe any closer! I will kill you or myself!" Gudrun barked, Aksel did not look impressed by this threat and just stared nkly at her.

    "Scream," Aksel instructed, the look he had on his face when outside had disappeared.

    She had seen him partake in this inhumane treatment of women as he had his way with one already but his face was not the same as it was then.

    "I will show no fear!" Gudrun barked.

    Aksel kissed his teeth in irritation and crawled towards her and there was the scream.

    The cheers outside echoed, Aksel had changed since the war because he realized there was no honor in defeat, no one remembers the honorable warrior and it all started with Egil.

    If only Egil had killed Asger, then none of this would have happened as Kattegat would have no grounds to wage war considering Asger had encroached on their territory. Askel had thrown away all shred of dignity he had a

    nd now, Gudrun was about to be a statistic.

 Chapter 281 Sighvatur And Tyr [TRIGGER WARNING]

    ?

    Tyr had challenged Sighvatur, something that surprised Skaei.

    "Shut the fuck up! What gives you the right to talk to the Chieftain like that!?" Skaei was furious because there had to be a limit to his arrogance but Sighvatur raised a finger and Skaei''s lips mped shut.

    "You wish to kill me¡­.?" Sighvatur asked, crouching to look the boy on the floor in the eyes.

    ".... Or, you wish to provoke me so I will throw caution in the wind?" Sighvatur saw through Tyr''s tactic and he was not biting such a cheap bait.

    He knew giving Tyr a shot at him would give him far too much importance and notoriety he did not deserve.

    Tyr was nervous, this man had a presence even his father did not have prior to leaving Kattegat.

    Sighvatur made him feel small, he wanted to sink into himself.

    "Tell me one thing¡­" Sighvatur asked, he was calm despite talking to the boy that supposedly killed his son. Tyr''s bodynguage told Sighvatur that he was willing to tell him anything he needed to know.

    "How did Stu die?" Sighvatur questioned, he wanted to know how his son spent hisst moments.

    "He died gantly, I killed him by decapitating him but that was only because he could not kill me and he was upied with Gissur. I did not kill him fairly," Tyr said, and he could see the pride on Sighvatur''s face because everyone knew how strong Gissur was and to think he gave birth to a person that could hold his own against Gissur was a blessing in itself but this did not ease the loss he felt at his son''s death.

    It felt hollow, but he knew Stu had done enough for the Titans to be proud so he was not worried about never reuniting with his son.

    "At least he killed Gissur¡­" Sighvatur said to himself but Tyr simply chuckled upon hearing this.

    "Killed Gissur? I killed Gissur after I killed Stu¡­" Tyr said but SIghvatur did not look surprised by this revtion.

    "Hahaha! Of course, I knew that! I knew you could only kill my son if he was distracted and there was also no way Gissur would sacrifice himself, he is not a noble fighter. If Stu fought you alone, you would have never touched him so if you killed him, at that moment, Gissur must have been alive to enable it so how did Gissur die? That is where youe in," Sighvatur was brilliant and Tyr was speechless because he had just dissected their entire fight in mere seconds.

    "That is why I want to give you the death of a warrior. I do not hold it against you, this is a war and we fight to protect what is ours. I do find it sad that my son met such an end." Sighvatur said, getting to his feet.

    "I do not hate you, Tyr Ragnarsson. I understand why so many people want you but I also realize just how dangerous you are. I want to make sure I end your life with these hands," Sighvatur said, walking away from the Tyr and into the distance.

    Tyr, at that moment, realized he needed to leave there as soon as possible or he would die.

    The calm in Sighvatur''s voice was rming, he could feel his immense killing intent yet he was still so calm. Tyr had never seen anything like this before and he knew he would with absolute certainty, die.

    -<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Nora''s turn reached and she was taken, she did not even bother resisting.

    Tyr was noting, no one was and she only could imagine what Gudrun was going through.

    This was it, this was how her life was going to end and she regretted being ady now more than ever because if she was a man, she would have at least died with honor.

    The Viking that took her tossed her to the floor and began to rip her clothes apart but Nora did not even respond.

    The man on top of her was heinous and he smelled of something terrible.

    Nora had given up and just started to think about the oue of the war if Tyr was victorious, she smiled at the thought of both of them celebrating and drinking ale.

    Nora knew this was not how things were supposed to end and she hated that it was ending this way.

    She didn''t even know if her brother was alive or not, she could not afford to lose Finn but the chances of him being alive were slim, but this did not mean she needed to ept the harsh reality that might be as she had room for delusions considering this was going to be herst day on earth,

    She was not going to be defiled by some nobody warrior as she ced her tongue between her teeth, she was ready to end it all but she felt a blow so strong that she felt herself momentarily nk out.

    The man had caught on, he knew what she was attempting to do and he had no intentions of fucking a dead body but a chaotic sound soon ensued.

    Nora was too dazed to know what was happening but she could hear the shing of swords.

    She thought she was hallucinating until she saw an arrow impale the head of the man on top of her.

    His limp body dropped on her, suffocating her under his weight, Nora struggled because there was no way in hell she was going out like this. She managed to throw him off of her and rise to her feet.

    The punch had damaged Nora''s nose, she could not believe she had lost hope, there was no way that Kolbeinn would allow his daughter to disappear for as long as he lived.

    But that was true, where was Gudrun!?

    This was not the only thing Nora noticed, these people that had ''rescued'' them, she did not recognize a single person.

    Aksel''s men were no match for them and Nora stumbled back but bumped into someone in the process. She looked back in dread because she thought that this would be thest thing she saw, the blue eyes of a humongous man.

    "Is this it?" This was Nora''sst thought.

 Chapter 282 Bjorn To The Rescue!

    ?

    Aksel came out to see what themotion was about and he was surprised the moment he saw men on horses and the crest they carried, Aksel chuckled because what were the odds that they would run into them, warriors from Kattegat?

    The man that Nora saw gave her his jacket to cover up her nakedness.

    "T-Thank you," Nora was cautious about what she said and how she acted because she did not know who this person was and just wanted to get out of there before things escted.

    "I cannot believe my fucking eyes¡­!" Aksel eximed, he looked excited as he set his eyes on the blue-eyed man that had given Nora the jacket she had on.

    "Aksel, so the rumors were true¡­ What business do you have here?" The blue-eyed man brushed past Nora and walked straight to Aksel, Nora had seen Aksel''s strength and knew he was a very strong foe and she was even more amazed that his men were able to regroup and fight back despite being ambushed as they were initially without their weapon.

    "I should be asking you that, Bjorn Ironside,"

    The moment this name was called, Nora froze in ce because she had heard about him from Tyr, she knew who exactly he was.

    "That is Bjorn Ironside?! Tyr''s brother!?" Nora gulped at this thought because Tyr had spoken very highly of him. Nora snapped back to reality, Gudrun, where was she?

    She had to be in that tent and Nora had every intention of getting her out of there.

    "You can join the show, son of Ragnar¡­" Aksel proposed as there were still a lot of women to go around, or at least reusable but Bjorn was disgusted by this ce.

    It was sickening and he could not stomach it personally nor partake it in.

    "I have no business with you, tell me where Tyr is¡­" Bjorn requested bluntly.

    "Tyr¡­. I do recall someone by that name¡­" Aksel teased but Nora knew this was her chance to get good with Bjorn by telling him what he needed to know.

    "S-Sir!" Nora called, Bjorn turned his head to see what she had to say but the moment he did, Aksef lunged at him with the intention of slicing him in half but Bjorn had anticipated this.

    He unsheathed his sword and swung it with such power that Aksel abandoned all idea of attacking him and switched to defense, blocking Bjorn''s attack but his physical strength sent Aksel flying a few meters away.

    "You chose to attack me when my back is turned to you? You have fallen, Aksel." Bjorn said, Aksel could feel the recoil, the hand he had the sword in began to shake.

    "W-What?" Aksel was surprised he packed this much punch and he could feel his fingers tremble.

    Bjorn had always been a physical type and this was why Ulf trained him, and Bjorn had disyed superhuman strength at such a young age.

    -

    Nora used this opportunity to rush into the tent to grab Gudrun but she was surprised by what she saw, Gudrun was untouched, not even her clothes were touched.

    "Are you okay?" Nora asked her and Gudrun did not look as traumatized as she was when he dragged her in here.

    "He just spoke to me¡­ He knew I was a child and took me out of the cage so the others would not touch me¡­" Gudrun looked surprised, she sounded like she was still in disbelief because she had assumed the worst, and so did Nora.

    "He protected you?" Nora asked and Gudrun nodded to affirm this.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She saw Nora''s current state and was too frightened to ask if they had touched her because it was a sensitive subject and she did not know how Nora would respond to it.

    "I am fine, they did not touch me¡­" Nora said with a reassuring smile but she felt Gudrun''s hand touch her wounded face.

    "I am sorry Nora¡­" Gudrun apologized, Nora was surprised why she was apologizing considering there was nothing she could do.

    "Now is not the time, I do not know what is happening but Bjorn Ironside is here and he is fighting that man! We need to get out of here!" Nora said, getting to her feet;

    "Tyr''s brother!? We can get him to help us rescue Tyr!" Gudrun said, getting on her feet and sprinting outside without second thought.

    "Wait!" Nora called out because she did not know the current situation of the battle outside as she doubted that Bjorn could defeat that man.

    Nora ran behind Gudrun and they both saw something that neither expected.

    It was Bjorn standing above a floored Aksel, with his sword pressed against his neck.

    Whatever battle that urred did notst very long, and Bjorn was the victor.

    They saw multiple wounds on Aksel and none on Bjorn, it was a one-sided battle that did not evenst up to five minutes.

    "You have gotten stronger, Bjorn Ironside!" Askelmended him but Bjorn did not care for thepliment, he wanted to know where Tyr was and that was the only reason Aksel was still alive.

    "Your de has dulled, Aksel¡­" Bjorn responded, Aksel had not gotten as strong as he should have because of the lifestyle he adopted, he had lost that hunger that made him a warrior in the first ce.

    "Where is Tyr?" Bjorn asked once again, pressing his sword deeper into his neck, just enough to draw blood.

    "You might as well kill me because your brother is dead!" Aksel mocked him because he was aware of the strength that Sighvatur possessed and there was no way Tyr would survive.

    This was the exact reason that Signy was cautious with this.

    "Tyr¡­." A voice not belonging to either Bjorn or Aksel, muttered.

    Bjorn cocked his head in that direction, once again taking his eyes off Aksel.

    "Tyr is in danger! We need your help!" Gudrun eximed and the moment she said this, Aksel moved to attack Bjorn but before he could do anything, his head left his body.

    Aksel could not defeat Bjorn for one reason alone and that was he had abandoned the essence of what a Viking is, and he had stopped seeking strength as he should and in doing that, his senses dulled. This could not be the man that held Ulf to a stalemate a few years back.

    "Take me to Tyr Ragnarsson," Bjorn said. Nora was speechless the moment she came out, everyone had been defeated, and every single enemy had been killed.

    "W-What is this?"

 Chapter 283 Kjells Fleeting Loyalty

    ?

    Things have gotten interesting, Bjorn had arrived with such an impact but how did he manage to find them? Should he not have gone through Kjell first before he could reach them?

    Bjorn did make contact with Kjell and Kjell had told him about his brother''s demise.

    This did not weaken Bjorn''s resolve whatsoever as Bjorn knew that Tyr could not be dead.

    He argued with Aksel despite the dream he had backing this im but why would a crow lead him to a corpse, more so struggle to break the ice as if it was trying to save him?

    Bjorn, unfortunately, could not remember this dream but he just knew that Tyr was alive.

    It was like his body was telling him otherwise and he was going to trust it.

    Bjorn challenged Kjell but Kjell had no interest in Bjorn because he knew he would lose men and thest thing he needed was to oppose Kattegat so brazenly because it would cause problems for Signy.

    He gave Bjorn a passage and told him where he could find Aksel as Aksel was the one that had joined in the war.

    Viggo wanted a go at Kjell because what was a handicapped man doing there if he did not wish to die, Viggo was certain that Bjorn would kill them all but he did not do that.

    Bjorn did not have the time for such a fruitless battle especially now, and he took Kjell''s word for it.

    Ivan was surprised by how friendly Kjell was and how quick he was to betray his own but this was not betrayal, Kjell had always acted out in Signy''s best interest. This was evident when he tried to kill Asmund because he thought he was making Signy weak and right now, Aksel was that weak point.

    He has lost his visions, his goals and is now a liability. Kjell chose Signy''s well-being above all else but Kjell was no fool, he had secretly sent a scout to follow them from a distance so he could determine the oue of the battle because it would be troublesome if Aksel returned.

    -

    Tyr was dragged outside, he was still bound and he was thrown into a makeshift arena, with wooden spikes establishing the ring and a lot of angry-looking Vikings around it.

    They were shouting and screaming, but Tyr was unbothered by this because he was familiar with this as he has been in multiple duels but this felt different.

    "Is this what you have all turned to?" Tyr mocked them, seeing that if he was going to die he had every intention of making them as angry as he possibly could because he had nothing to lose.

    "You are all so pathetic! I killed Stu, what makes you think I cannot kill everyone that steps in this ring!?" Tyr kept shouting, he had lost it or rather that was how it sounded.

    "I am Tyr Ragnarsson! The son of the great Ragnar Lothbrok! Do you think yourself strong enough to stand against my father''s army? You have no idea what box you are about to open but even in death, I will be victorious!" Tyr said; Sighvatur allowed him to run his mouth because these may very well be hisst words. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I took away your symbol of strength, I took away the pride of your n and I will die smiling," Tyr said and the cheers soon stopped as they began to look at one another in confusion.

    He was supposed to be scared because his life wasing to an end but the opposite seemed to be happening.

    "That is quite the speech. I understand how you could sway the hearts of my men¡­" Sighvatur praised Tyr''s ability to move people''s hearts.

    A person soon walked into the ring and Tyr gritted his teeth the moment he saw who it was, it was no other than J?kull, Tyr kissed his teeth because he wanted a shot at Sighvatur but he also noticed that J?kull did not have his armor on, meaning they intended for this to be a fair fight.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, I will be your executioner¡­" J?kull spoke, he was as calm as a cucumber as he had with him a de, it was curved like the one that had failed to take Tyr''s life earlier.

    "Am I going to defend myself unarmed?" Tyr questioned but a sword and a shield were thrown in front of him.

    Tyr''s weapon of choice has never been a shield or sword, it would not be a far stretch to say that this was his first time using thisbination of weapons.

    "You will have a chance at victory, pick up your weapon so we can begin the execution," Sighvatur said and Tyr noticed their choice of word.

    They did not use trial, they used execution meaning if he managed to kill J?kull, nothing would have changed.

    He entertained this possibility but all this would only matter if he managed to kill J?kull.

    J?kull was strong and was no weakling by any means as he had effortlessly defeated him in their earlier encounter as he did not make the same mistake as Stu. He knew he should not kill him but he would have killed him if he had to as Sighvatur was not even aware of his existence so there would be no harm in it.

    "Are you ready?" J?kull asked him and the young warrior rushed to pick up his sword and shield.

    Tyr nodded, he respected J?kull as he has proven to be a man of respect, he was calm and calcted.

    All his motions had a purpose and not a single one was wasted, this was how precise he was.

    Tyr was visibly ufortable with the shield in hand but even he knew he needed it against J?kull and without his armor, he had a fighting chance.

    The fight began the moment Sighvatur gave the signal

    And both Vikings charged at each other for the execution of Tyr Ragnarsson had officially begun.

 Chapter 284 Tyrs Execution Begins!

    ?

    Tyr Ragnarsson was locked in what could prove to be the most important fight of his life, he was going up against J?kull.

    A man who has bested him on two asions and Tyr still has not figured out how to defeat him but it could be said that his armor helped him greatly on those two asions but this also meant that J?kull had seen some of the tricks Tyr had up his sleeves and was better equipped to counter them for experience is the best teacher.

    J?kull brought down his weapon on Tyr''s wooden shield, the force almost splitting it into two, this forced Tyr to gain some distance between them.

    He did not remember J?kull being this physically strong so where did this strengthe from?

    J?kull was not in a hurry, allowing Tyr to rpose himself as the warriors around mocked the dark-skinned boy.

    Sighvatur was curious to see what Tyr could do first-hand and the handicapped he gave Tyr was J?kull being without a shield.

    Tyr knew he had to fight smart, he could not rely on his skills alone as oftentimes, it has proven to be insufficient.

    He took a deep breath, and J?kull''s eyes slightly widened in surprise.

    "You fool! You are full of openings! Are you even a warrior? Gahahaha!" A random Viking said but only a few sensed that this was no careless stance but an actual battle stance.

    "Interesting¡­" Sighvatur thought to himself as he found himself growing more invested in this battle as time passed.

    J?kull knew he had to be cautious because such a careless stance, meant that Tyr was giving up on defending and focused on counter-attacking.

    He was the faster of the two warriors so this was an effective means ofbat for him.

    J?kull made a miscalction and was thinking that Tyr was waiting for him to make the first move but that was not the case.

    Tyr charged at J?kull, Tyr knew his shield would not hold up for much longer and knew he had to find a way to defeat J?kull before it gave in.

    Tyr was expecting an attack with the sword and thus, prioritized J?kull''s upper-body movements.

    But this did not mean he neglected his lower body as he had learned a thing or two about this from watching Gissur fight Stu. He umted the knowledge of battles he has witnessed and experienced to further improve his fighting.

    But all J?kull did was use Tyr''s shield as a stepping stone to jump over him, preemptively evading whatever attack he had nned to begin with.

    J?kullnded behind him and before Tyr could turn, J?kull had thrust his de to impale the young warrior from his blindspot yet Tyr dodged it perfectly without seeing it by simply sidestepping the attack like he was a dancing willow, this effectively changed his bodynguage.

    Everyone went silent, and the jeering stopped as they could not believe just how good he was to be able to dodge an attack from his blind spot.

    It was like he had eyes at the back of his head.

    Tyr spun like a ballet dancer around the attack and aimed his elbow right at J?kull''s face before he could retract his sword but the experienced warrior blocked it with his other hand.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Forcing Tyr to once again gain some distance from J?kull, everyone thought this would be a one-strike kind of execution but this was turning out to be a lot more entertaining than they had bargained for.

    Tyr knew he had to be patient, he could not rush this.

    "I see¡­ He met Thorvald¡­" Sighvatur thought to himself and understood how Tyr survived for so long suddenly made sense to him.

    Tyr knew he needed to be faster if he was going to break through J?kull''s defense.

    Tyr charged at him once more but he did something strange, he threw his shield like a projectile after reaching close-proximity to J?kull, J?kull knew he could not dodge it because if he did, he would be left open to Tyr''s attack.

    He had two choices here, dodge the attack and increase the probability of getting injured to 70% percent or block it and reduce it to 50%.

    Tyr smiled because he knew he had J?kull beat when it came to speed, but what he did not ount for was there is a third option.

    J?kull kicked the shield right back at Tyr and the only reason Tyr could dodge it was because of his speed and that was even barely,nding awkwardly.

    J?kull was going to end it with this final attack as he grabbed the hilt of his de with both hands to increase his striking power, there was no way in hell that Tyr could block it for his strength has never been the most impressive aspect of himself.

    J?kull brought down his ax like an executioner and Tyr''s body made it impossible for him to dodge.

    Tyr, however, had nned this as he had learned this earlier regarding loopholes.

    He had created an opening by deceiving J?kull into thinking it was of his own doing.

    Everything he had learned was tweaked until it was refined and unique to him alone. This time, it worked in his favor.

    Tyr had always been nimble and this was what made it possible to side-step the attack that came crashing down and now J?kull was the one in a disadvantageous position.

    He had swung with all his strength so there was no way he could recollect himself before Tyr attacked.

    Tyr gently rested the cold steel de on J?kull''s neck, J?kull''s de struck the ground at approximately the same time. This single motion showed that Tyr had bested J?kull in their brief exchange. The whispers began because no one had ever seen J?kull being pushed this far.

    Tyr moved to decapitate him without hesitation but he realized at that moment that the de they had given him was blunt.

    And what followed was a blow to his right temple, sending the young warrior flying into the wooden spike, grazing him in the process.

    "This is not looking good," Tyr thought to himself.

 Chapter 285 Wait For Me, Brother

    ?

    Bjorn spoke to thedies and gathered all the information he could about his brother from these twodies. This debunked the rumor that he was dead, and Bjorn was d he listened to his gut feeling.

    Gudrun was amazed by how Bjorn looked, he looked nothing like Tyr nor did he act like him.

    Bjorn was a lot more stern and looked more intimidating than his younger brother.

    He got the information he needed, he got and they were on their way.

    The women wanted toe with him, or was it more urate to say Gudrun and Nora?

    Bothdies mounted the horses and freed up as Bjorn had lost a few of his men in this attack.

    Even he could not leave unscathed as the casualties he took were a reminder.

    Gudrun and Nora rode beside Bjorn, and they told him stories about Tyr and how he killed Skol and conquered their n.

    Bjorn went from uninterested to asking questions to chuckle, he was a lot warmer than he was a few minutes and Viggo noted this.

    He looked at both thedies, he did not like what he was seeing because Viggo sensed that thesedies might prove to be a problem.

    Gudrun found herself stealing nces at him, there was something about his blue eyes that drew Gudrun in. Bjorn was a lot different than she thought he would be and it was refreshing.

    "Tyr has made quite the name for himself here," Bjorn said with a cackle.

    "Tyr has given all of us hope and I know the future that awaits me if I stick by him," Gudrun said and Bjorn simply smiled in response.

    Viggo was beginning to doubt that Bjorn had what it takes to kill Tyr because frankly, Tyr was a frightening individual going by these stories and no one in their mind would want to make him an enemy.

    Ivan listened too, Tyr was just as impressive as he had hoped. No, he was even more impressive and this showed. Viggo and Ivan found themselves feeling excited at the prospect of meeting this boy.

    They arrived where thest battle was fought with Aksel but no one was there, just frozen corpses; the good thing about this was they could follow the footprints.

    They had passed here, and the fact that it had not snowed for a day allowed them to follow these tracks.

    "Urgghh.." A troubled voice echoed, and Gudrun''s eyes darted from left to right, she searched for the source; to her surprise, she met The Mad Hound.

    He was still alive after a day here and that was surprising. He should have frozen to death but logic did not apply to the Mad Hound.

    He was a man that could strengthen his muscles to be impervious to damage, something no one else could do.

    Gudrun unmounted her horse and rushed to him; he was injured when he tried to fight Aksel.

    Aksel was strong enough to beat him as the Mad Hound was fast for his size but not against someone on Aksel''s level even though Aksel was weakened.

    But his muscles had saved him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "We do not have time for this," Bjorn said and he was about to continue forward but he realized he did not know where he was going.

    He gestured for his men to help her and they did just that, Bjorn had no intention of waiting until he recovers but he did not need to, the Mad Hound was a freak of nature.

    They realized his muscles had somehow stopped the bleeding, he had flexed it but this only reduced the bleeding thus how he was allowed.

    "Hey! Close the wound!" The Mad Hound screamed and the Vikings were surprised he had so much energy left in him, his body was cold as ice yet it did not shut down.

    They wanted to bandage his wound but he stopped them, a huge cut was across his torso and it looked like if he stood up, his guts would spill out.

    "Sew it!" The Mad Hound said, tapping the thread hanging out from his clothes.

    Bjorn was surprised by his resilience and it had him questioning just what kind of warriors existed in these parts.

    His men did just that, they sewed his wound and The Mad Hound was on his feet in the blink of an eye as it is revealed the only reason why heid on the floor was because of that.

    "Fascinating¡­" Bjorn muttered under his breath, he offered this man a horse but he preferred to walk as he needed to regte his body temperature.

    Bjorn had no problem with this and they were on their own less than ten minutes after because The Mad Hound imed to know just where they were, he had seen Kolbeinn rescued by a bunch of men and Gudrun was relieved to hear this.

    The only thing they needed to say to get the Mad Hound''s blood pumping was that Noa was in danger and he was cooperative,

    -

    Tyr was bleeding profusely, his condition was not looking good as he had a ck eye with a busted lip, he had multiple cuts of varying degrees on his body and the cheers were back.

    At this point, J?kull was just messing with Tyr, he was beating him like a ragdoll.

    Tyr''s legs were wobbly, he now understood the purpose of this whole execution was to show everyone that he was just a boy.

    The stories about him needed to be debunked, and Sighvatur was destroying the myth once and for all.

    Tyr could not stand this humiliation but there was also nothing he could do about it but what if he could? Tyr, for the first time in a really long time, was ovee by pure undiluted rage.

    He gnawed his teeth and clenched his fists so hard that blood leaked through.

    "I¡­ will¡­. kill¡­. You!" Tyr threatened and the moment he said this, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and Sighvatur immediately got up on his feet, looking terrified for the first time since

    this war started.

    "I-It can''t be!"

 Chapter 286 Sturlungar Clan Past

    ?

    Sighvatur was born and raised in this environment, he was not always such a powerful man and like everyone, had a youthful phrase where all he cared about was fucking and drinking.

    He was not the n leader or Chieftain as he had two older brothers, Snorri and Thordus.

    Sighvatur knew he might never be the Chieftain so this was not a part of his goals, because his two older brothers would alwayse first.

    Sighvatur was blessed with an unusually high IQ that made him grow fond of Talf, also known as Hnefatafl. This was a great game for strategy building and learning.

    Sighvatur was undefeated, no one had beaten him and people began to suspect he was cheating and this included Snorri.

    The Chieftaincy was shared between Snorri and Thordus, but Thordus was the calmer of the brothers but one this was certain and that was the Sturlungar''s n prospering.

    Thordus took Sighvatur''s skills seriously, he did not invalidate it and even began rewarding him each time he won a game.

    This encouraged him to improve and be better at it, and what was once known as a useless skill proved invaluable because Thordus began presenting hypothetical scenarios and asking Sighvatur what the right move would be and Sighvatur''s answer always granted them victory but Sighvatur was unaware of what he was doing.

    He never knew Thordus was applying it in real-time and assumed it was merely a hypothesis.

    Thordus eventually told Sighvatur but this confession came with him offering him a joint title of Chieftaincy.

    Sighvatur was excited, he could not believe such a thing was happening but not everything was all good as Snorri vehemently opposed this, he was against it because Sighvatur was not respected within the n but Thordus did not back down.

    Sighvatur did not want to push it and was content not being a Chieftain because he never had it in his sight so this was just a bonus, a kind gesture from Thordus but not one he deemed necessary.

    The matter was decided as Sighvatur was denied this but the rtionship between Thordus and Snorri took a turn for the worse as they began disagreeing more than they agreed, this created a division in loyalty amongst the troops.

    Thordus stoppeding to Sighvatur for hypothetical scenarios, and thissted for approximately two years but on a fateful day, Thordus met Sighvatur, who was now eighteen years old, and yed a couple of games with him, the nostalgia that came with it was enough to make Sighvatur smile and Thordus had snuck in a couple of hypothetical scenarios.

    Sighvatur thought nothing of it and answered them, this was a good reunion but the Sturlungar n was losing men to some unknown enemies and the corpses they retrieved were barely salvageable.

    They all died violent deaths and one of the people to fall in these attacks was Snorri.

    Snorri was mourned because he was the strongest warrior they had and his body was retrieved from the battlefield, no one could recognize him but it was Snorri without a doubt.

    Sighvatur noticed some inconsistencies with the other corpses but he thought he was overthinking it and wanted Snorri to rest in peace.

    But a few months after Snorri''s passing, Sighvatur heard how the circumstances in which Snorri died and the pattern was a lot like what he had told Thordus.

    Sighvatur had a high IQ so he saw things most could not and he knew at that moment that he had unknowingly helped Thordus kill his brother.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    With only one Chieftain, the Sturlungar n was no longer divided but Thordus also changed a he stopped being the supportive brother he had always been, he was the sole Chieftain now and had the power to make him a joint Chieftain if he really wanted to.

    Sighvatur soon fell in love, he found it in the form of a woman who shall remain unnamed as she died soon after giving birth to his son, and the woman he had married was Kolbeinn''s sister, Halldora Tumadottir and this was why the Sturlungar n never targeted Kolbeinn individually, it was because of this but this was also the thing that fractured Gissur and Kolbeinn''s rtionship. Halldora died in battle, she was a formidable warrior and Sighvatur had pleaded with her to stay and raise their son because he knew in battle, she would be targeted because she was a woman and this proved to be true.

    Thordus was sympathetic to his brother because the people responsible for her death were the hidden threat lurking and Thordus officially dered war on them.

    But this war almost resulted in their n extinction, what they fought had human forms but there was no way that they could be humans.

    The way they fought, was chaotic and they did not go down even when injured fatally even with their head chopped, their bodies swung their weapons violently before ceasing to move.

    They walked like beasts and wore the furs of wolves, they howled at the moon and acted like animals.

    If they could not use their hands, they used their teeth, sharpened so they could bite their enemies'' throats right out.

    The Sturlungar n noticed something, they were only hostile when their territory was encroached on but SIgthvatur never forgot the horrifying experience he experienced that day.

    Thordus incurred serious injuries and Sighvatur informed him on his deathbed that he was aware the had a hand in Snorri''s death before killing Thordus with his own hands.

    Sighvatur became the new n leader and migrated away from the area, into an unupied territory that was deemed too cold to live in as he knew his n was no match for this group of warriors, they called them "Berserkers"

    -

    Sighvatur could not believe what he was seeing, the sensation he felt around his body was the same he felt when they fought those Berserkers many years ago.

    But there was no way that Tyr could have originated from that tribe considering his history and skin color, he hade from a ce in Africa but this was information that Sighvatur was not privy to.

    "KILL HIM NOW J?KULL!" Sighvatur warned, his voice startled J?kull and this was the split second that Tyr needed because J?kull''s attention shifted to Sighvatur in that second.

    Tyr traveled a 5-meter distance in that second and smashed his blunt weapon into J?kull''s head, stunning the experienced warrior before jamming his teeth into his neck. J?kull pushed him away but in doing so, Tyr left with a huge chunk of his neck.

    Tyr did not stop there, he rushed to the stunned J?kull, who was holding his bleeding neck but Tyr had already tore through his jugr so there was nothing much he could do.

    Tyr tossed the sword aside and began to just pummel away at his face until his mashed brain became visible from his caved in face.

    Everyone looked on in horror as Tyr was covered in J?kull''s blood, who he had ironically defeated because of Sighvatur''s voice distracting him.

 Chapter 287 Tyr Rescued?

    ?

    The long n conflict wasing to an end today, the months of fighting and dying were concluding but would it have been worth it?

    Tyr disrupted their world and threw it into chaos, he was the bad egg that needed to be thrown out yet but they had no way of knowing just how rotten he truly was.

    He was anything but good, he had orchestrated the deaths and falls of people with no remorse as long as it got him his end goal.

    The death of J?kull was another such case, everyone was surprised and Sighvatur knew he had made a mistake, a mistake he had never made prior and that was not seeing this possibility.

    "Kill him!" Sighvatur; instructed he was done ying his game, he was fond of such games as this trait was seen with the scout he let escape when he captured Njal.

    But he was not taking any chances, Tyr jumped over the barricade after equipping J?kull''s sharper de and began cutting down his enemies.

    Tyr was ruthless and no one was spared, he was moving like he was a demon and used all the fighting styles he had learned so far.

    Dodging and weaving every attack while simultaneously killing them.

    Tyr was in a trance, he was not thinking straight and all he saw at that moment was red.

    Sighvatur equipped a spear and tossed it straight at Tytr but all Tyr did was dodge it as the spear burrowed into his own men, Tyr was surrounded.

    He was outnumbered and alone yet the men feared him, they were scared to draw their weapons.

    Tyr was intimidating and they noticed he only attacked if they attacked so they just did not because they knew they could not kill him.

    "Is he human?" A Viking asked. Sighvatur''s game had backfired as everyone began to question what Tyr was, going as far as to call him a god but Tyr was losing blood.

    He was not impervious to damage and fighting so many people, it was only fair he would be injured in the process.

    Yet he stood, Sighvatur chuckled, he could not believe that a child was capable of striking fear in his heart, it was ironic, to say the least, but Tyr was nothingpared to the monsters he had seen many years ago.

    He recollected himself and instructed his men to kill Tyr but they hesitated. They were more frightened of Tyr than they were of their Chieftain but Sighvatur persuaded them.

    The men attacked with renewed vigor and Tyr''s fatigue was surfacing as his movements became a lot more sluggish, they were grazing him all over now yet Tyr still stood.

    The snow had absorbed his blood and the trance he was in, broke.

    SIghvatur instructed everyone to stop, he wanted to be the one to take his heat.

    He dragged a giant ax along the floor, and he looked happy that he got to experience this.

    Whoever this boy was or wherever he came from, it was intriguing, he was like a possessed beast but he had reached his limit.

    The fact that a child could cause this much damage was astonishing, the crowd opened up to allow Sighvatur passage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr was breathing heavily and his skin had gone pale, but his eyes still had a fight in them.

    He was not about to give up because he refused to believe that this was the fate the gods had for them. He was going to oppose them directly.

    Tyr''s limb was shaky but he still managed to raise the sword that felt like it weighed twice his body.

    "I-I got you to draw," Tyr said but Sighvatur was not buying this.

    He watched how Tyr fought and realized this was part of his trick to make his opponent drop their guard.

    Sighvatur stopped and instructed an archer to shoot an arrow at Tyr and there was nothing he could do about it.

    The arrow fizzled through the air and impaled Tyr right in the stomach, Tyr''s knees buckled but Sighvatur''s men began to question him because this was beginning to look like their Chieftain was scared of him.

    Sighvatur on paper had the skills to kill Tyr but seeing Tyr in that state triggered some deep-seated fear, and post-traumatic stress disorder originating from his battles with the Berserkers, he was losing credibility among his warriors as they were beginning to see him as just a man.

    Tyr was on his knees, yet the look in his eyes was anything but defeated.

    Sighvatur raised his ax, and it came down intending to take his head clean off but SIghvatur met resistance.

    Something had stopped his strike, and it was an unlikely savior in the form of Skaei.

    Skaei watched the whole thing, she could not believe that Tyr was able to kill J?kull and make Sighvatur scared all in the same day.

    This was something she had never seen in her life, and now she was certain that Tyr was not just a random warrior but a man worthy to follow.

    Sighvatur lost all credibility when he showed fear, but Skaei could not defeat him inbat.

    She did not know why she opposed him but she just found herself doing it.

    "What is the meaning of this, Skaei?" Sighvatur asked, Skaei was scared shitless because she knew there was no going back now.

    "I-I do not know Chieftain but I have a feeling the gods would not forgive me if I let him die here today," Skaei said, she was trembling and Sighvatur noticed the blood dripping down her limbs.

    Her wounds had reopened, such was the strength of Sighvatur.

    Sighvatur pped Skaei away like he was swatting a fly, she was sent flying, knocking her out with a single blow.

    But this was all the time needed for Skaei had bought enough time as Kolbeinn and his forces arrived just in the nick of time.

    "Sighvatur, you fucking bastard!" Kolbeinn gnawed his teeth in anger and Tyr fell face-first into the snow the moment he saw Kolbeinn, his body rxed

 Chapter 288 A Choice Or A Trick?

    ?

    Koleinn arrived just in the nick of time and he stood before Sighvatur, he knew he could not defeat him but he could not let Tyr die.

    He was thankful for the decision he took because if he did note here then Tyr would be dead.

    He did not even know if he was alive currently but he had faith that he was not toote.

    He braced himself and instructed the men under him to charge forth and the battle started.

    Tyr had done an excellent job in making them question themselves so they were easier to cut down.

    Kolbeinn did not have the luxury of trying to win over their hearts like Tyr.

    Sighvatur could not believe how badly this war had gotten but he med himself because he did not want to lose men.

    He was thinking about the war that could be instead of the war that is but he was not going to make their mistake twice.

    "Kolbeinn, I do not want to kill you but I will¡­" Sighvatur warned, raising his gigantic ax.

    "I will dlyy down my life if it means that Tyr lives! You must have sensed it too, Sighvatur¡­" Kolbeinn said, he could barely walk as it was but he was not epting any support either.

    This was a battle he had to fight and he knew it.

    "Lay down your life? You can barely even stand, Kolbeinn. Do you insult me now?" Sighvatur questioned, Tyr was right in front of him.

    Nothing was stopping him from taking off his head yet he did not because Sighvatur just loved games.

    He did not want to take away the hope they had clung onto, he found it fascinating that they thought this littlest rally could do anything.

    Kolbeinn knew charging at him would be a death sentence but what other choice did he have?

    "You are alone, Kolbeinn and if you do not charge at me, I will crush this boy''s head beneath my feet¡­" Sighvatur said; he wanted to see if Kolbeinn truly meant the words he said.

    Kolbeinn walked towards him, barely able to lift his feet and Sighvatur just startedughing because Kolbeinn was someone who could not defeat him even if he was at his best.

    "H-He is not alone¡­" A voice said from the opposite direction, it was Skaei.

    She got up to her feet, she was injured but she was in far better condition than Kolbeinn.

    This meant one thing, she did not see Sighvatur as a leader worthy to be served.

    The Vikings noticed this and the battle intensity slowly deteriorated because they no longer knew who or what they were fighting for.

    Sighvatur was one of the smartest warriors to grace the Sturlungar n but that didn''t mean he did not feel fear and that momentarily fear he felt towards a wounded child was the turning point in everything.

    True fear does not need a reason to manifest nor can it be conquered, The Berserkers were a tribe that instilled that fear in him.

    "This is poetic¡­" Sighvatur muttered; the girl that had reduced Kolbeinn to this state teaming up with him.

    He had seen this before, he saw it with his brothers right before the n divided.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The look in his warrior''s eyes, they were doubting him.

    Sighvatur took a deep breath and ran multiple scenarios in his head in the space of a second to see which would bring forth the best oue.

    "I see¡­" Sighvatur muttered to himself as his eyes slowly opened.

    "Everyone, stop fighting¡­" Sighvaturmanded because this way, he could retain control as his Vikings were barely fighting to begin with.

    "These two have challenged me and in turn, challenged the Sturlungar n. I want you all to remember why fear is associated with my name.." Sighvatur was calm, he had retained his train of thought because he was letting his emotions get the better of him.

    Sighvatur dropped his weapon, he had no intention of arming himself against these two because there was no way that they could kill him.

    There''s a reason he waspared to Gissur and he was about to show why.

    Skaei was the first to charge at him but all it took for her to freeze in fear was a look from Sighvatur.

    "What is wrong?" Sighvatur asked but Skaei felt like she was having some sort of panic attack.

    The look in his eyes, if she took another step, she would certainly be killed.

    No one could me her as it had even momentarily affected Tyr as well but Tyr''s willpower was one made of steel.

    Sighvatur slowly walked up to Skaei, who was sweating profusely as it took everything in her to remain standing.

    He bent his head to whisper something in her ears and these words were.

    "Skaei, I will give you a chance to regain your honor. Kill Kolbeinn and I will forgive you your transgressions¡­" before stepping aside to let Skaei decide her next course of action.

    "Choose carefully Skaei,"

    -

    "Father! Brother!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs when he saw himself standing over his father and brother with his hands bloodied.

    He was back here, trapped in a nightmare he wanted to forget so badly.

    "It''s okay, big brother¡­" A little girl said, and Tyr looked to his left. He recognized the girl, it was the girl he saw the very first time he had this dream.

    "You always protect me, big brother¡­" She reiterated.

    "Who are you?" Tyr asked her but before she could respond. Tyr found himself in a room but he was hiding behind his covers, he could hear her screams and her father telling her to be quiet.

    Tyr peeked through the covers and what he saw horrified him. Tyr remembered the rage he felt that day and the girl suddenly appeared beside him in his covers. Tyr was visibly shaken by what he saw and he felt the cold hand of the girl grip his.

    "My name is Kahina, big brother."

 Chapter 289 The Truth Will Set You Free?

    ?

    Sighvatur had given Skaei an ultimatum, and that was to kill Kolbeinn.

    Skaei walked past Sighvatur, standing in front of him.

    She was trembling and Kolbeinn knew something was up, Sighvatur had said something to her but if she was an enemy, Kolbeinn had no problems cutting her down.

    "I am sorry Kolbeinn¡­" Skaei said and Sighvatur smiled in satisfaction because he knew that Skaei was about to attack him, her bodynguage gave her off.

    She suddenly turned but Sighvatur caught it by the side before yanking it towards to send Skaei flying in his direction as she had wrapped the chains she usually attaches to it around her forearm.

    Sighvatur caught her by the face airborne, his big hand covering her entire face as he smashed her into the floor.

    Sighvatur''s strength was so immense that despite the snow meant to act as a cushion, Skaei''s head was crushed into a pulp, caving in from the pressure.

    Sighvatur did not look remorseful as he began the casual walk toward Kolbeinn.

    Kolbeinn knew he meant business and he could not let his guard down at all.

    Sighvatur charged at him, the spring in his steps made it feel like he was gliding.

    Kolbeinn swung his sword but Sighvatur''s fist made contact with his ribs before his de could reach, fracturing a few of said ribs.

    Kolbeinn instinctively grabbed his ribs but this made him even more vulnerable to other attacks.

    Sighvatur grabbed him by the neck and flung him with such force that it broke through the wooden fence they had set up for the arena.

    Sighvatur did not like that Kolbeinn was weakened because he wanted to beat him at his best but he did not have that luxury.

    Kolbeinn was coughing up blood, he had incurred massive internal damages and he could barely stay awake.

    "W-What is this power!?" Kolbeinn was surprised by his strength but the longer they fought, the more time he bought for Tyr

    Sighvatur casually walked up to him, Kolbeinn knew death wasing but at least he died like a warrior.

    "I do not fear death¡­" Kolbeinn said but this was something Sighvatur knew because no one that feared death would be stupid enough to challenge him.

    "Why do you fight so hard to protect him?" Sighvatur asked Kolbeinn, he was curious to know the source of his loyalty.

    "H-He is the future¡­" Kolbeinn responded; he could not stand up even if he wanted to. His body had reached its limit.

    "The future? Even after he killed Gissur?" Sighvatur asked but he got no response from Kolbeinn.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I see, he did not tell you¡­" Sighvatur said, sitting beside Kolbeinn as he knew the man could not move any part of his body at the moment.

    "You must have found it strange that Tyr was the one that came out of that alive with minor injuries¡­" Sighvatur owed Kolbeinn because despite how this turned out, he did love his sister, and if he could avoid killing Kolbeinn, he would take it but Kolbeinn would have to submit.

    The Sturlungar warrior that Tyr had acquired began to whisper among themselves.

    "I have a witness, you see¡­" Sighvatur said and Kolbeinn''s interest piqued. This was all Sighvatur needed, all he needed was for him to give him a listening ear, and in Kolbeinn''s current state, he had no choice.

    "Who is this witness?" Kolbeinn asked and out came a familiar face, out came Noa.

    "I witnessed the whole thing¡­." Noa came forth out of nowhere and Thai granted credibility because he was a Viking under that n.

    Noa narrated the story, exactly as Tyr had confessed but in thir-third person, Noa was not there so all this was a lie but considering he was someone that Gissur wanted enough to send the Mad Hound, he held a certain standing in the n hence why these words were a lot more believableing from his mouth.

    Noa had stood at the entrance when Tyr was confessing, but he had already made the switch long before.

    This could exin his absence throughout the war, he was nowhere to be seen as well as why Sighvatur seemed to be one step ahead at all times.

    Noa had divulged their strategies to him and the fact that it was exactly as he said only made Sighvatur all the more willing to ept him.

    It had nothing to do with Sighvatur''s intellect but everything to do with Noa''s betrayal but could one truly call it betrayal?

    Gissur was no longer his Chieftain but he was still a man that Tyr was allied with and he began to question a lot of other events, such as how Tyr forced Isak to make that choice that would force one of the brothers to die.

    But one could argue that both brothers would have lived if neither took the weapon that Tyr had presented to them.

    Kolbeinn''s face went blue, he could not believe what he was hearing but the sad thing was, part of him had suspected it.

    "That is not all, Kolbeinn¡­" Sighvatur looked excited as he said this and he gestured for Noa to speak up.

    "I was the one that tried to kill your daughter on Tyr''s order, this was the only way I could make it into his n, this was the only way I could be with her. Tyr saved her from his nned assassination attempt so he could save her and gain your trust and he ordered my brother to nt a weapon closer to the Sturlungar n which was found. They suspected you lot abducted us so they sent the Mad Hound to find out what had happened¡­" Noa spilled the beans from the very genesis and Kolbeinn recollected a vital piece of information on how Tyr was able to calm the Mad Hound down during the attack.

    He thought Tyr just had his way with words, he did but it made a whole lot more sense right now.

    "Tyr has yed us all, I am afraid." S

    ighvatur was not ashamed to admit it.

 Chapter 290 Still Allies?

    ?

    Kolbeinn had a choice to make and the eyes with which he looked at Tyr, changed.

    He did not understand how he was so blinded that he could not see the obvious signs but he wanted to confirm from Tyr.

    "I want him to tell me¡­." Kolbeinn muttered and Sighvatur sighed upon hearing this.

    "I do not think he is still alive¡­" Sighvatur said, gesturing for one of his men to check to which they did.

    "He still has a pulse, Chieftain," The Viking said and Sighvatur gave him the go-ahead to treat him.

    Tyr was exhausted, and the blood loss was quite something but none of these wounds hit anything vital so he was good.

    "He has gained a partial immunity to the poison¡­" Sighvatur thought to himself, revealing this was the real reason as to why he copsed although the blood loss also yed a vital part.

    No one knew if he would survive even if he was treated, but it was worth giving it a shot.

    "Stand down¡­" Kolbeinn blurred out, and this showed he no longer had any intention of fighting Sighvatur.

    This was not a boy worth saving, he knew he had made a mistake losing so many good men for this cause, including his daughter.

    Kolbeinn just began to weep, he was overwhelmed by the emotions he was feeling because he sacrificed his daughter for this sick bastard.

    Tyr turned their ns against each other, Kolbeinn would have still been alright if he did not challenge Gissur or gotten involved with the whole mess.

    He would still have his daughter.

    The longer he looked at the unconscious Tyr, the angrier he got and this was something that Sighvatur did not miss.

    Even men under Gissur were on this battlefield and their rage was directed towards Tyr.

    Information was indeed powerful and Sighvatur managed to turn this situation around with just that.

    -

    Kjell sat back, wondering what the oue of the war would be like as he was not sure if Bjorn would be enough for Aksel but the look in his eyes convinced him.

    Bjorn was different from the uncertain child he met many years ago in the war even though Kjell did not cross swords with him and what he saw of Bjorn being short-lived as he was more focused on his own battles.

    If Aksel was to fall, that would be one less liability that Signy had to deal with but Kjell was also aware of Rugalf''s interest in Tyr.

    Kjell knew killing Tyr will open a lot of boxes that were not meant to be opened but if the sons of Ragnar could grow at this pace then that said a lot about Ragnar as their father because he was responsible for the fundamentals in whatever training method he taught them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "We have reports from our scout, Earl Kjell!" A warrior said to him, out of breath and Kjell permitted him to carry on with this report.

    "It is about The Ragnarsson! He is alive!" The Vikings said and Kjell could not contain his excitement as his face contorted into a smile and that soon escted into a smile.

    "That is fascinating! That is fucking fascinating!" Kjell was ted and everyone was surprised to see him so happy.

    "What do you want to do, Earl Kjell?" The Viking asked but Kjell stood up from the chair he was seated on.

    "Nothing, I do not want to do anything! Tyr Ragnarsson will write his own story and we will all witness it! King Signy needs him, King Signy needs him to grow!" Kjell blurted out, and his men just shook their heads.

    This was a side of him they have missed, the fire had died after the war but it was ironic that an enemy was the one to ignite it.

    Kjell had a point, Signy had grown ever since he focused his rage and attention on Tyr, and taking Tyr away would do more harm than good.

    Kjell was eager to see it through, Jan was a pawn in a much bigger game that Signy was ying.

    -

    Bjorn and co were journeying, luckily they had faint footprints in the snow and the fact that it had not snowed for a few days was a bonus as this meant the prints remained for an extended period.

    The fact that they were on horses made it a lot easier for them to travel as this impacted their travel speed, allowing them to travel much faster.

    Gudrun did not understand why she was drawn to Bjorn but she was stealing nces all through the journey, and Nora noticed this.

    But she kept quiet because it was not in her ce to call Gudrun''s attention to it as she was in a rtionship with two brothers so she understood.

    She was young and of that age, Bjorn was attractive so she could not me her, and she was unsure of her rtionship with Tyr.

    "How fucking long do we need to travel!?" Viggo shouted but this seemed to irritate Nora because he has beenining since the journey began like a whimpering child.

    "We will soon be there, you just have to be patient¡­" Nora responded, she wanted to curse him out but she chose to maintain her cool.

    Bjorn neared as his eyes narrowed, he could see something in the distance. He was cautious as he instructed everyone to slow down because he did not know whaty ahead.

    Viggo noticed hismander''s caution and he immediately kept quiet and held the hilt of his de with Ivan following suit because why not?

    They began to travel at a much slower pace, Bjorn knew he was strong but he did not want to fight battles he did not need to.

    "Everyone, stay behind me, I will go first," Bjorn said, and Nora was surprised because if he went ahead first, he would be an easy target for whatevery ahead but Bjorn was a leader that led by example, and this was why everyone respected him but there was no doubt about it, they had arrived at Sighvatur''s camp.

 Chapter 291 Bjorn Meets Sighvatur

    ?

    Bjorn had arrived at the camp and naturally, he was perceived as a threat but the men there knew he was not somemon warrior by the number of horses that came their way.

    "Stand down warriors!" A voice rang out and out came Sighvatur, he looked ted the moment his eyes saw Bjorn,

    "Do you not know who that is? That is Bjorn Ironside!" Sighvatur knew exactly who Bjorn was but Bjorn had no idea who he was; he knew he was the one that led them.

    He looked over at Nora and he could see the rage in her eyes.

    "Is that him?" This was all Bjorn asked, ignoring Sighvatur in the process. Nora nodded to give him confirmation and Bjorn''s attention returned to him.

    Sighvatur found that he was arrogant but he had every reason to be considering who his father was so it was understandable.

    "Hey, our Chieftain is talk-!" Before the Viking on Sighvatur''s side could talk, a dagger was buried in his forehead, killing him instantly.

    "Shut the fuck up! You are talking to a King''s son, what the fuck is a Chieftain?" Viggo barked, retracting the hand that had thrown this dagger soon after.

    Sighvatur knew he had to make an example out of them but unlike Tyr, Bjorn was still very much on good terms with Ragnar so an attack on him was an attack on Ragnar.

    Bjorn unmounted his horse, he was far more imposing than his younger brother because his body took up more space.

    "Where is Tyr Ragnarsson?" Bjorn did not pretend to want a conversation with him.

    The battle with Tyr, up to an hour had passed since the whole fight.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson is our prisoner, I am afraid I cannot release him to you," Sighvatur said and Bjorn raised an eyebrow in confusion because he did not understand what he meant by this.

    "I will not ask a second time," Bjorn was uninterested in the conversation because if he needed to, he was willing to use force.

    "You do not need to ask again, I have no intention of letting him go," Sighvatur responded and without doing anything, Bjorn took a few steps back.

    "What is this feeling?" Bjorn thought to himself as even the horses were restless.

    Sighvatur had directed his blood lust on Bjorn but Bjorn took a deep breath to rx himself as he knew it was all in his mind.

    "Very well then," Bjorn said as he unsheathed his sword.

    "Commander! You do not need to stain your de with the likes of him! Let me have a go!" It was none other than Viggo that spoke.

    "You will die if you fight this man, Viggo," Bjorn said bluntly, he had no intention of sugarcoating it but Viggo was fine with it because it has been forever since he has seen Bjorn fight seriously.

    "Do we really need to do this?" Sighvatur asked with a sigh.

    "You are strong, and I know my strength might not be enough but I am going to see Tyr and kill him with my own hands," Bjorn said. The moment he said this, Gudrun and Nora were livid because what the hell was he talking about? They thought he wanted to save his brother only to hear he wanted to kill him.

    "Yo-!" Before Nora could speak, she felt a sword pushed gently against her back, it was Viggo''s de.

    "Shut the fuck up or I will pierce your heart," Viggo threatened and Gudrun knew if she made a move, Ivan would cut her down.

    "You want to kill him?" Sighvatur asked, he could tell just by looking him in the eyes that Bjorn meant every word.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Bjorn nodded, Sighvatur entertained the thought that this might be a trick, he was no fool when it came to deception but if it was Bjorn that killed him, there would be no repercussions.

    Sighvatur found it strange that he came all the way here just for that considering that Askild had ordered for him.

    "That is strange¡­." Sighvatur thought something was off, it was not adding up.

    If Bjorn killed Tyr then Askild would have no reason to hold up his end of their undisclosed bargain.

    "I am sorry but I cannot let you do that¡­" Sighvatur said.

    "Why?" Bjorn asked, he wanted to exhaust his diplomatic options first.

    "Askild has asked for him, which is why I find it strange that you havee here," Sighvatur said and Bjorn''s eyes shot open.

    "That damn Scar!" Bjorn thought but if Askild knew then why was he here in the first ce?

    "Hahaha! It makes sense!" Sighvatur shouted but there was nothing funny about the current situation as he turned around to equip a sword on the floor behind him.

    "It all makes sense now, I am sorry Bjorn but I will have to kill you," Sighvatur said and Bjorn was ready to fight him.

    "If that is how it is going to be," Bjorn responded; sword in hand.

    "It is too early to fight Bjorn, how about I see just how long you willst against mine¡­" Sighvatur had the advantage in numbers and he wanted to flex it.

    With a downward motion of his hand, his men charged forward to kill Bjorn and his men.

    Sighvatur retreated into the tent where he kept Tyr and Kolbeinn because he knew that Tyr was an asset that he could not lose.

    He was a powerful bargaining chip but what was the deal he had with Askild that was so important? Sighvatur was far too calm but he had the numbers to be cocky.

    Bjorn had fought enemies but he had never fought anyone as smart as Sitghvatur.

    -

    Bjorn was surprised by their strength despite none being able to touch him but they were targeting their horses forcing the riders onto the floor and some were even killed by their horses.

    The horses trashed and smashed their skulls and one on the floor, they were easy pickings.

    This forced them to unmount their horses and fight on the floor, shing their des.

    Bjorn began walking towards the tent he saw Sighvatur walk into and he casually sheathed his de in the process despite the chaotic scenes around him.

    The Mad Hound was still such a threat despite his injuries as he killed his enemies with ease.

    The enemies saw this as an opportunity to take Bjorn''s head but Bjorn did not move to defend himself, this showed just how much Bjorn trusted Viggo as Viggo appeared out of nowhere and cut them down in a heartbeat.

    No one could get close to him and Bjorn walked into the tent to begin the real battle.

 Chapter 292 Arise O Son Of Ragnar

    ?

    Tyr was sweating profusely, his body was losing warmth, he was barely clinging to life.

    And with this came the nightmares, a constant he experienced every time he had a close encounter with death,

    Tyr had met his sister and everything wasing together but a vast majority of his memory was still missing but he was slowly reconnecting them.

    "My name is Kahina, big brother." The girl said and Tyr did not know what to make of this but before he could speak, he saw himself on a battlefield.

    "Kashina¡­." Tyr muttered; he saw his helpless sister on the battlefield amidst the warriors but he could not do anything.

    She looked his way, tears in her eyes with blood dripping down her legs.

    ''Do not move!" Tyr called out but unfortunately, she did not listen as Tyr was the only safe space she has known all her life and she knew as long as she was not with him, something bad will happen but if she was, Tyr would protect her as usual.

    Kashina ran towards him with all her might with Tyr running to meet her halfway but he saw a horse charging in her direction with a de in hand.

    "KASHINA! STOP!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs with tears welling up in his eyes.

    "Big bro-!" These were thest words of his sister right before she was toppled over, the horse had killed his sister on impact as this was a war that was instigated by his father over a meager piece ofnd that they had no business with, for this reason, he risked his family.

    Tyr was seven-years-old at this point and there was not much a seven-year-old could do.

    He soon returned to the scene where he was standing over his father and brother''s body but the details were different.

    "You do not know the whole story, you do not want to ept the truth of what you have done so you lie to yourself¡­" A voice echoed in his head, Tyr looked around hoping to find the voice but the two bodies in front of him decayed rapidly until their flesh liquefied, and their brain turned to rancid grease.

    "Who is there!?" Tyr asked, he was confused as he jerked his head frantically like a scared little boy.

    "This is not the truth, this is not what happened¡­ Remember! REMEMBER!" The voice reverberated, Tyr fell to his knees, holding his head in anguish.

    "What is it? I am not the evil one! They are!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs but all he heard wasughter.

    "You did not protect her. You are the one thing she needed protection from," The voice spoke but this could not be true, judging from what Tyr saw he was the only one his sister trusted.

    "The truth will soone to light and on the day it does, you will kill everyone around you¡­. Just like you did here," The voice said.

    "It does not matter, I am already¡­" Tyr recognized this was a dream, it was not as vivid as his other dreams.

    "Dead?" The voicepleted his sentence before a mockingughter soon echoed.

    "You are not dead, you are awaiting your rebirth¡­" The voice echoed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Remember who you are¡­" It said and just then, the world went nk.

    Pitch ck, Tyr could not see a thing as everywhere was pitch ck, Tyr could feel the mushy ground but he soon felt hands grabbing his legs, and shoulders, dragging him down into the earth and there was no way for a seven years old boy to resist but if Tyr was sessfully taken, he was never going to wake up.

    -

    Sighvatur rushed into the tent expecting to see Tyr, or Kolbeinn there as they were in no walking conditions.

    Sighvatur knew he had to take Tyr away but the moment he entered the tent, neither Kolbeinn nor Tyr was present there.

    Sighvatur just chuckled because he had predicted this, he had predicted that Kolbeinn was not genuine with his intentions and this was why he had Noa watch them.

    Noa proved himself useful and Sighvatur knew he could trust him with this much because Tyr was still fighting for his life and Kolbeinn was too injured to put up any decent fight.

    Noa was more than enough to take care of them should a fight break out.

    Sighvatur knew he was a snake and had every intention of getting rid of Noa after he was done.

    But if Kolbeinn was able to escape, did that mean Nora aided him?

    Sighvatur did not have much time to ponder on this thought because Bjorn was there, Bjorn walked into the tent and Sighvatur knew he had no choice but to fight the older brother.

    He was a kid, how strong could he possibly be?

    Sighvatur was willing to put it to the test as he was done with the conversation and so was Bjorn.

    Bjorn charged at him, his veiny hands clutching his de but Bjorn held his sword with both hands to make use of his full strength.

    He was a physical fighter and knew he needed to utilize his full strength in battle.

    Sighvatur blocked his attack with a single hand but he found that his de was being pushed back on himself forcing him to take a more aggressive approach.

    Bjorn had no way to defend himself with both his hands upied, Sighvatur swung his fist right into Bjorn''s face but Bjorn thrust his head forward suddenly to meet his punch halfway, greatly dissipating the punch.

    Sighvatur had to gain his distance because if he did not, the sword would have made contact with his flesh, this was the worst thing to do in a battle and that was to boost your enemy''s confidence but this could also be a bleeding as it could give one''s enemy a false sense of security.

    "He is strong¡­" Sighvatur muttered under his breath but strong was all he was. On paper, Bjorn was no match for him.

 Chapter 293 Bjorn Ironside Vs Sighvatur!

    ?

    Bjorn was standing in front of the famd Chieftain of the Sturlungar only because he wanted to kill Tyr.

    But Sighvatur''s earlier reaction implied that something fishy was going on here.

    Bjorn did not have time for passive thoughts, all he wanted right now was Sighvatur''s head, he wanted to kill so he could look for Tyr.

    Tyr was clearly not here but he could see a blood-stained bed at the corner of the room.

    "Bjorn Ironside, is it true your body is made of steel?" Sighvatur asked because he was curious but Bjorn did not answer him, choosing to respond instead with force.

    Bjorn charged at him with intent to kill, he had every intention of killing Sighvatur and the only thing that could change his mind is if he gave him the information he sought.

    Sighvatur braced himself, Sighvatur was still an unknown as he has not even shown an ounce of his true strength but Bjorn had no way of knowing this.

    Bjorn wanted to end this as quickly as possible as he attempted to cut Sighvatur into half, his sword falling like a guillotine but Sighvatur parried it with his own de, he used a single hand for this as he jammed Bjorn''s sword further into the earth by stomping.

    This left Bjorn without a weapon and what within Sighvatur''s reach, a badbination for any warrior but Bjorn was not just any warrior.

    Bjorn''s bodynguage was set up for him to use his legs, there was no way he would use a fighting style that would leave him so susceptible to attacks and he had seen his father''s fight with Erik.

    Ragnar targeted the giant''s lower body because this was his weakness and Bjorn also noted how Erik could not even defend against a tackle properly.

    Sighvatur swung his sword horizontally in hopes of taking off his head but Bjorn ducked efficiently.

    And what happened next was something that even Sighvatur could not have predicted.

    Bjorn''s de, the hilt detached to reveal a dagger, it was almost like the sword was the sheathe to the dagger.

    The upper-hand that Sighvatur thought he had evaporated in the blink of an eye as it was now his body in a disadvantageous position.

    Bjorn proceeded to plunge the dagger right in his right thigh, and he managed to do so twice before Sighvatur could counter attack with Bjorn gaining distance soon after.

    He had drawn first blood and this would definitely impact Sighvatur''s ability to fight at 100% because he had lost a leg.

    The leg began bleeding profusely, Sighvatur was surprised by the amount of blood that was leaking.

    Bjorn had struck an artery, people always focused so much on their upper body because that''s where their major organs are that they think any damage below is not as serious but Bjorn incorporated this into his fighting style expertly, targeting vital nerves and arteries in the legs like he he had just done here.

    "That was a little neat trick¡­" Sighvatur said.

    "A trick? My sword has an unusual outline, would you call it a trick if a warrior unsheathed his de from a scab?" Bjorn said, wiping the blood from hus dagger.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I will give you one more chance to tell me where he is and I will let you live¡­" Bjorn said but Sighvatur spat in his face.

    "You fool¡­ You do not even know what is going on with your body¡­" Sighvatur mocked Bjorn and the moment he said this, Bjorn fell on one knee.

    He was huffing and puffing ad he noticed that Sighvatur had grazed him during their exchange.

    "I am not feared just because of my physical attributes, I am feared because of my smarts and what kind of poison do you think someone as smart as me can make?" Sighvatur asked Bjorn but Bjorn was in no condition to speak.

    Bjorn soon fell to the ground, head first, cursing himself for not seeing such a thing as a possibility.

    Sighvatur was a fan of poison because he saw it as the most effective way to kill his enemies because if he couldnd even a hit, their death sentence was all but guaranteed. He did not just make one poison but he had made multiple variants for varying effect.

    This was a paralytic poison that rendered Bjornpletely paralyzed, he could not even blink.

    Sighvatur walked towards him with a limp in his step, Bjorn had been defeated and it was done with rtive ease as Bjorn was not armed with information but in fairness, neither was Sighvatur and this was evident by how their current state was.

    "So much for a son of Ragnar¡­" Sighvatur mocked, wrapping up his leg to avoid blood loss as he raised Bjorn by the hair, throwing him like a rag out of the tent.

    He wanted to make a statement with this defeat, following soon after.

    And just like he thought, seeing Bjorn in such a state was not a good sight for his men.

    Viggo wanted to rush to his side but he was barely surviving with the battle he was currently faced in.

    These warriors were stronger than they looked and to have so many was outrageous.

    They were going to lose at this rate, Bjorn was conscious all through as this was part of the poison''s effect. He would see and experience everything.

    Sighvatur sat on Bjorn''s back, using him as a chair as he watched the battle before him like a spectator.

    This angered Bjorn''s men because he was making a mockery of theirmander.

    Sighvatur was having the time of his life because he knew how much he could get if he sold Bjorn into very, it would set his n up for life.

    This was the only reason Bjorn was alive but everyone looked on in horror as their head tilted in Sighvatur''s direction but they were not looking at him but past him.

    Sighvatur was curious who they were seeing and Bjorn managed to split open his lips to mutter.

    "T-Tyr¡­"

 Chapter 294 The Ragnarssons Brothers Reunite?

    ?

    Tyr had survived because he too, caught on to Noa''s suspicion, he caught Noa''s eyes following him on multiple asions ever since the death of Gissur.

    Noa was not as subtle as he thought and Tyr confirmed his suspicion when the assassination attempt failed but a few of the prisoners were let go of that night alongside Noa''s disappearance.

    Tyr knew only one was responsible and if they had multiple targets, then he would understand why but Noa was nowhere to be seen.

    Tyr knew how he got Noa and was prepared to lose him that same way but Tyr also saw an opportunity in this betrayal.

    He kept it all to himself and allowed everyone to carry out their n as intended to give whatever information Noa was about to give Sighvatur credibility but to also confirm if he indeed did betray them.

    The battle that day confirmed he did but Tyr was not bothered as everything always worked out for him, all he needed to do was stay alive and that was one thing he excelled at.

    Tyr knew with Noa at their side, there was one thing he could do, a card Tyr knew he could y but part of his n involved getting caught for this strategy to work even though he could not foresee under which circumstances this woulde to pass.

    Tyr knew how love worked, it defiedmon logic and was the cause of betrayal in their case so what was the best way to persuade Noa?

    Tyr threatened to kill Nora and despite Noa suspecting his lover of having a hand in Gissur''s death, he still loved her immensely and would not want to be the one responsible for her demise.

    Noa, however, argued that if Tyr died no harm woulde to get but Tyr asked a simple question.

    "Who would be scared of touching her without my protection?" Tyr was smart and knew if he died then men would pounce at the opportunity to sleep with her without fear of repercussion and Noa was barely an average fighter at best.

    This was what made him cave into his demand and this was why he was not in the tent when Sighvatur arrived. This conversation happened on the night of his capture, Tyr told Noa to do anything he had to do if it allowed him to be perceived as valuable to Sighvatur.

    Noa did just that, fueling Sighvatur''s im and exposing Tyr''s secrets to him in abundance, and telling Kolbeinn was the nail in the coffin.

    Sighvatur assumed there was noing back from this and thought it would be in Noa''s best interest if Tyr did kick the bucket but he could not be more wrong.

    The day broke and the fight happened, Tyr was afflicted by Sighvatur''s poison but he exaggerated its effect because the poison Sighvatur used could not kill him.

    Tyr was not a fool and he knew he might encounter this poison on the battlefield, this encouraged him to get a dosage that night, he did not just get one but two just in case.

    And boy, did thate in handy because Sighvatur was not worried about Tyr escaping and did not trust Noa to watch over him because the supposed antidote given to Tyr was a dud, that was no antidote.

    Tyr was supposed to be dead and this was why Sighvatur treated his "escape" as a trivial thing.

    It was futile, there was no sane man that would treat the wounds of the enemy because Tyr had shown times without numbers that if even a small probability of surviving existed, then he would survive that event.

    Noa treated him and bandaged his wounds, stopping the bleeding but Tyr could still very well move despite losing consciousness briefly.

    Noa stayed behind to watch over Kolbeinn, and Tyr returned to kill Sighvatur but Sighvatur''s poison was potent, Tyr did fight for his life and even with the antidote, it still had the potential to kill him.

    -<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "T-Tyr¡­" Bjorn muttered but Sighvatur''s face was in disbelief, jerking his head backwards to see a murderous Tyr standing behind him with Gissur''s broadsword in hand.

    "You bastard¡­ What the fuck do you think you are doing?" Tyr asked Sighvatur and Ivan''s heart began to beat so fast, he had seen Tyr and right now, Tyr looked a lot scarier than the stories he had heard of him.

    Sighvatur could feel his blood lust, how was he alive?

    Sighvatur stood up from Bjorn, and only then did Tyr notice the boy on the floor but he did give him a closer examination, his attention was focused on Sighvatur.

    Tyr said that only because he saw how calm Sighvatur was and this only fueled his rage, Sighvatur had hurt him but Tyr also noticed the blood-soaked cloth wrapped around his leg so that means someone managed to hurt him.

    This forced him to scan the area to look for warriors as he casually stepped over Bjorn and in doing so, he saw Nora, Gudrun and a bunch of people he has never seen.

    "Is that Tyr?" Viggo asked and Gudrun nodded.

    "Fuck, I do not want to be his enemy¡­" Viggo said in disbelief, no one could have ever expected a kid this young to have such a powerful bloodlust.

    "Sighvatur, I am going to kill you¡­" Tyr said bluntly.

    Sighvatur knew he was in trouble because Tyr arrival only further supported the fact that he was supported by the gods but the gods had nothing to do with it.

    It was all Tyr''s doing.

    Tyr charged at Sighvatur without a second thought, Sighvatur tried to move but he could feel the muscles in his leg twitch, greatly limiting his evasive options.

    Both shed des but Sighvatur was the stronger of the two in terms of physical strength so Tyr could not overpower him but Tyr was a dirty fighter.

    He spat directly in Sighvatur''s eyes to momentarily blind the warrior, and he did just that.

    Sighvatur reacted to whatever was in front of him but he felt no body mass, just a sharp pain in his wounded leg as Tyr had stomped it with all his might.

    The pain forced him into a defensive reflexive action, and that was his muscles temporarily contracting.

    Sighvatur managed to stay on his feet but there was something strange about Tyr''s saliva.

    It was not just spit, it felt like dirt was mixed in with his spit meaning Sighvatur was left vulnerable.

    "Stop! Or my men will kill your brother!" Sighvatur threatened Tyr and Tyr''s de immediately stopped.

    "Brother?" Tyr followed Sighvatur''s gaze and saw two men standing above the boy, who was now turned to face Tyr.

    "Bjorn?"

 Chapter 295 A Son Of Ragnar Falls!?

    ?

    Tyr could not believe his eyes, Bjorn was right in front of him and it suddenly made sense why Sighvatur was injured, Bjorn was strong enough to inflict damage on him but the poisons got him.

    Tyr was happy, he smiled at Bjorn and what Bjorn saw was the boy that washed up on that shore.

    Tyr looked so innocent and it was hard to believe that this boy was the maniptor and killer that he was.

    "Hahahaha! You have grown big brother!" Tyr eximed before returning his gaze to Sighvatur but he soon looked past him to make eye contact with Gudrun.

    Tyr gave her a knowing nod as Gudrun buried two arrows into the men that were standing over Bjorn.

    Sighvatur had partially regained his sight, it was blurry but he could see.

    Tyr was not going to let Sighvatur have his way and had every intention of killing him.

    The fact that no one tried to help Sighvatur or interfere with the battle showed that this was what would decide both men''s fate.

    The war wasing to an end with this battle, and the winner would determine the future of these ns.

    They were tired of fighting and hearing that Tyr killed Gissur was something that made them lose faith in the young warrior.

    Tyr raised Gissur''s broadsword and said.

    "I am using the de of the man that I killed because I know what power is, and I seek to unite everyone under one Chieftain and that Chieftain will not be me¡­" Tyr said and everyone was shocked as he smiled at Gudrun.

    "That person will be Kolbeinn¡­ He is a better man than I could ever be and I know I am not worthy of such loyalty when I was focused on my own selfish reasons. I do not know, maybe it is because of my brother being here that I want to show him how cool I have be but¡­." Tyr said, pausing as he watched Sighvatur recollect himself.

    ".... I realized I do not want to be this person," Tyr said with a weak smile as he nced over at Bjorn; he hated what he was bing and the look Bjorn gave him on that day, the day he opposed their father, yed in his head.

    "Vikings, Sighvatur only has power because you follow him! If you drop your sword, the Sturlungar n ceases to exist for it cannot stand with one man¡­." Tyr urged them, he wanted to minimize the bloodshed because there was no way Sighvatur was getting out of this alive.

    They needed to see Sighvatur fall or their thoughts will always be divided but Tyr wanted to beat him fair and square.

    He allowed Sighvatur to rpose himself while he asked a random Viking to give him the axes he had.

    Heplied with little to no resistance because he knew how important this battle was going to be.

    "Sighvatur, I hold no grudge against you but what is happening here, this is the world you all created¡­" Tyr said; he was right.

    He was a visitor in their world and these were the things that they glorified so Tyr grew up glorifying it as well.

    Sighvatur kissed his teeth in irritation and lunged at Tyr but Tyr did not move an inch with his arms at his side like he was on a crucifix.

    Sighvatur found this strange and thought Tyr had some hidden trick up his sleeves.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Tyr!" Gudrun shouted but all Tyr did was smile at her right before being run through by Sighvatur''s de.

    "Only when one dies¡­." Tyr muttered as blood escaped the edges of his lips but he raised his head to see Sighvatur''s neck with his two axes buried at either side.

    ".... will he be reborn¡­"

    Both men fell back first into the ground, Sighvatur was dead and Tyr was about to die.

    Tyr knew he could not kill Sighvatur but the majority of warriors drop their guards, even if it was for a split second the moment they delivered a fatal blow.

    This was the only way Tyr knew he could beat Sighvatur, Sighvatur was far too strong to defeat in a straight-on confrontation so he used his life as bait.

    All Tyr did was make sure he did not get his heart as that would be game over.

    Gudrun ran to Tyr with tears in her eyes, she saw his current state and was quite hysterical because she did not know what she would do without him.

    Nora could not believe her eyes, she fell to her knees and began sobbing.

    The atmosphere was solemn despite the war finally being over as the Vikings under Sighvatur began beating their shields to show both of these fallen warriors respect.

    Tyr knew Bjorn wanted him dead, and he granted him that wish; he turned his head to look at Bjorn.

    "What the fuck? He is even crazier than me¡­" Viggo muttered in horror because this tactic was suicidal.

    But Tyr had witnessed Erik do it multiple times even if it was for the wrong reasons and there was a pattern in his opponent''s behaviour that always made them drop their guard.

    "W-What are you all staring at!? Go and save them!" Ivan screamed at the dumbfounded observers as they rushed to Bjorn''s side but they quickly diagnosed that his condition was not fatal because the poison Sighvatur used was just to paralyze him.

    But Tyr was a different case altogether as his blood soaked into the ground.

    "I-I will be going ahead, brother¡­" Tyr said as the voices became fainter and fainter.

    "I still have so much to tell you but I guess that can wait until when you join me in Valha¡­" Tyr was coughing blood as it slowly filled his lungs, he could barely breathe as he felt Gudrun''s tears trickle down his face.

    "I-I am d your face is thest thing I see before I die," Tyr smiled as he caressed her face.

    "Y-You are as beautiful as I remember¡­" These were Tyr''s final words as his limp hand dropped to the ground, Tyr was no longer conscious. No, that is not correct.

    "HE IS NOT BREATHING!" Tyr was dead.

 Chapter 296 The Past Of Tyr Ragnarsson PT. 1

    ?

    Tyr was dead, his heart had stopped and his body non-responsive.

    He saw a glorious gate before him, Tyr was happy he had made Valhall because he knew that this was the dream that all warriors wanted and he was also d he died so Bjorn''s rage could quell.

    There was this overwhelming shame that came when he saw his brother that made Tyr realize just what kind of monster he had be, a monster he swore never to be and all it took was a brief near death experience with his little sister and the shameful look in Bjorn''s eyes for him toe to this realization.

    But here he was, the gates of Valha were before him. His life, everything he has done was for this moment.

    "I am really dead, huh?" Tyr thought to himself, the absurdity.

    He had done so much to avoid this fate yet it came all the same. There was no running from fate as everyone seemed hell-bent on killing him.

    The gates slowly opened, Tyr was full of tears as he felt a rush of emotions coursing through his body.

    He could hear theughter and cheers of warriors leaking through the creaks.

    "I guess this is¡­ I will wait for you all here¡­" Tyr muttered as he tried walking towards the gate but he could not move, something was holding his feet.

    "Where did you think you are going?" Tyr looked down to see a grotesque corpse, skin melting off its body, holding his legs but this was not all.

    A dozen others soon followed, Valha was right there yet he could not go in.

    Surely, he was not being denied Valha, there was no way he was being denied Valha.

    He did everything but he soon realized this had nothing to do with being denied Valha but rather preventing him from going into Valha.

    Tyr struggled but the more he struggled, the faster he sunk into the earth.

    "You really thought I would let you go?" The familiar voice he saw in his dreams echoed in his head.

    "W-WHAT!?" Tyr was terrified because he did not know where he was being taken to, his breathing heaved.

    "You have to remember everything¡­" The voice said as Tyr was soonpletely submerged into the earth and just then, his eyes shot open.

    Tyr awoke in a hut and he walked outside this hut to see multitudes of people with the same skinplexion as him, and everyone bowed their heads to greet him the moment they saw him.

    "If it is not the Chieftain''s son¡­" A voice uttered behind him and Tyr immediately tilted his head as this startled him.

    He saw a muscr bald man with a scar above his left eye, which was blind.

    "What is wrong? You look like you have seen a ghost!" The man in his thirties jested; pping the seven-year-old Tyr across his back.

    "Who are you?" Tyr questioned and the man looked surprised by this question.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Did you hit your head or something? How can you not recognize your uncle?" The bald man asked a confused Tyr.

    "It is probably because of your new look, the bald head was not a good choice, Uncle Akawel¡­" A boy, a few years older than Tyr, teased.

    "I hope your brother does not grow up to be like you¡­" Akawel said with a facepalm but what he felt soon was a hand rubbing his shining head.

    "There, there. We can''t all be good-looking besides my brother will be way more handsome than me, right?" The handsome young man said but Tyr did not even know who he was talking to.

    "Are you with us?" Tyr''s supposed older brother questioned, snapping his finger right in front of his face.

    "I said it¡­ There is something off about him today, Azenz¨ºr," Akawel said.

    "Where am I?" Tyr asked but this was not a dream.

    He was dead and there was no way he could be dreaming.

    It was obvious he was someone of prominence but he did not have to dive too deep into his thoughts.

    A small hand gripped him, Tyr looked down to see Kahina. She was approximately two years old and could barely stand on her own due to her weight.

    She liked Tyr and always hung around him even when he was asleep, she crawled into his bed and always ended up sleeping beside him.

    "Kahina?" Tyr questioned as she led him away, Tyr was confused, was he reborn into another world as these people''s brother or was this a piece of his memories?

    Could he actively influence actions here or was everything already set in stone? These were past events so surely, he could not change the past, could he?

    "Where am I?" Tyr asked but the kid was too upied with her own little thoughts.

    Of course she was, she was only three years old, she paid little to no attention to what Tyr said as she just kept dragging his hand like she was guiding him somewhere.

    Tyr was dragged until he was before a bulky man, measuring 6 ''5. This was a man he recognized as he had appeared in multiple of his dreams.

    This was his father and this was the man he had seen assault his little sister but the age did not match up.

    She was a lot younger, did this mean the assault was yet to happen? He watched his sister strut to sit on her father''sp, he was visibly kind to her which was strange as it made Tyr question what he saw that day.

    Tyr knew he had to follow protocol and he got on one knee as this was a custom he learned in Kattegat and assumed it carried on here.

    "What are you doing?" The man asked, his voice was so deep that Tyr could feel the earth beneath his feet vibrate with every word he spoke.

    "Never get on your knees for another! Never! You are still soft but the ceremony will change all that," This was the only warning the father gave and that very sequence ended.

 Chapter 297 The Past Of Tyr Ragnarsson PT.2

    ?

    Tyr had grown, he was nine years old and he had experienced these years like any other.

    He fought battles and was sent out on assassination missions to kill army heads as they withstood so many invasion attempts due to their mastery of their environment and fighting prowess.

    Tyr saw the strength of the man that was his supposed father and he was far too strong for anyone to stop.

    He had never seen such brute strength before and dexterity, not even from Ragnar.

    But the day of the ceremony drew near, Tyr had no idea what it was about but he did not give it too much thought.

    He knew it would not be anything too extreme but everyone was surprisingly cagey about it which only elevated his suspicion, but his older brother had supposedly done his ceremony a year ago and he changed.

    He became a lot more reclusive and did not talk as much as he once did, he had lost that yfulness and became a lot more serious and focused.

    Tyr was curious as to what happened but the thing with repressed memories was that not every single detail woulde rushing in, just enough for one to connect the dots and make that connection yourself or one risked their mind breaking.

    "Are you ready for the ceremony tonight?" A voice rang out behind Tyr, startling him.

    It was Azenz¨ºr''s voice and Tyr has never really had a one-on-one conversation with him so this was a surprise.

    "Hahaha, of course I am!" Tyr responded; he could not exin it but he felt extremelyfortable with him all of a sudden but this had to do with his emotions aligning with how he felt then, he could recall his emotional connection to his older brother.

    A connection that was previously lost.

    "I want you to remember, everything you do is for the tribe not for yourself. Never put yourself first or you will lose a lot more¡­." Azenz¨ºr said; he was cryptic and Tyr did not think to decipher it because he knew he would understand what he was referring to soon enough but he looked to his right and his older brother was no longer there.

    It was like he vanished into thin air, at this point Tyr had forgotten that this was just an experience that has already happened because he had spent a couple of years here so it had to be real but he found it strange that no one had called him by his name or anything to be exact, it was almost like he did not have an identity.

    "Big brother¡­" Kahina called out and Tyr''s face lit up, he loved his younger sister with all his heart.

    She was the only thing that stood out for him.

    "Hey, little warrior¡­" Tyr said to his younger sister, he was yet to witness any abuse from their father towards her and she was treated like a princess by everyone in the tribe, even the solemn Azenz¨ºr had a soft spot for her. Everything she wanted, she got.

    "I AM NOT A WARRIOR! I AM A GIRL!" Kahina fired back, crossing her arms and pouting in the process.

    Tyr could not contain hisughter and let it loose.

    "IT IS NOT FUNNY BIG BROTHER!" Kahina barked as she charged towards him but she tripped over herself and fell to the ground.

    Tyr soon stoppedughing the moment he saw her eyes, she took the longest deep breath known to man before letting out a thunderous cry.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr had to rush towards her to try andfort her but to no avail.

    It felt like he was fueling her tears because she was not responding to anything and he knew he would get a scolding if others heard her, that was thest thing he needed.

    "Stop crying! Come on! Girls do not cry like this¡­" Tyr said and the moment he said girl, she kept quiet and a smile creases her innocent face.

    "That was not so hard," Kahina said as she picked herself up from the ground and Tyr realized he had just been yed.

    "You little sh-!" Tyr stopped short ofpleting this because he could see his father standing over him from the corner of his eye.

    "Shit¡­" Tyr thought to himself because he could already anticipate the scolding that was to follow.

    "Follow me¡­" His father said and this surprised Tyr because his voice was calm but this only meant what he wanted to show or discuss with him was of utmost urgency and Tyr could make an educated guess.

    It was for this ceremony.

    -

    Tyr was taken into a room where his father sat, alongside his brother and three elderly people that he had never seen before.

    They dressed like Shamans and had white markings all over their bodies but this was not a strange sight because Tyr has seen them around multiple times but never has he seen three of them in one ce.

    "Son, we need to talk¡­" The father said but here it was once again, no one was calling him by his name.

    Azenz¨ºr was averting his gaze, looking away from Tyr, like he knew what their father was about to say.

    "Our n has a tradition, it is a tradition where we sacrifice to gain favor from the gods¡­ Not just any god, but the goddess Tannit. She blesses us with fertility and strength to fight our wars but we must give to her for our tribe to strive." His father said and Tyr was confused because if this was all, why were they so dramatic?

    "I will do it!" Tyr shouted, eager to impress but the Shaman took over the conversation.

    "It is not just anyone you can sacrifice. This is the responsibility thates with being the tribe head," Shaman #1 said, pausing to allow the other to continue.

    "You must sacrifice someone you love, to show the gods that there is no one that stands above your love for them¡­" Shaman #2 said.

    "That is right, you must sacrifice your sister." Shaman #3 concluded and Tyr''s heart dro

    pped.

    "You want me to kill¡­. Kahina?"

 Chapter 298 The Past Of Tyr Ragnarsson PT.3

    ?

    The tribe had a very unique tradition as they believed the gods were made to be appeased.

    Tannit was the goddess of fertility and war, it was because of that fertility that they only sacrificed the female children of a tribe as they had tried to sacrifice a male before but tragedy befell them and threatened their extinction.

    They took this as a rejection from Tannit and they never attempted to do this again but this burden fell on the Chieftain of the tribe alone.

    Tyr recollected the memory of the girl he saw his father assaulting, he thought it was his sister but that memory became clearer the more he thought about it.

    It was not his sister, it was his mother and it was not done somewhere as confined as a bedroom.

    No, it was done in a ritualistic circle for all to see but Tyr heard them say something about love.

    Did this mean it was because he loved his little sister that her life was in danger?

    He knew his brother had changed and Tyr realized his brother''s lover had disappeared but his older brother had told him they broke up so he did not probe further but something changed in him ever since that day and he knew exactly what.

    "You guys are kidding, right?" Tyr questioned, his tone skeptical because there was no way in hell he would do something so outrageous, to begin with.

    "If you do not do it, we will all be damned¡­" Tyr''s father said; this was the first time he had given him a choice and part of Tyr wanted to impress him.

    Tyr also recalled his brother''s words a few moments ago and now he understood what he meant by that.

    Tyr also understood why his father treated her preferably and gave her everything she ever wanted in life, it was so she would not have any regrets or wants in death.

    It was predestined, it was like fate had decided the moment she was born and Tyr''s love was what was condemning her to death so in a twisted way, it was his fault.

    Tyr knew he could not be careless with his decision because if it was for the tribe, if her death could serve a bigger purpose then she would have lived a life far more worthy than any of them.

    Martyrdom would be her reward but she was his little sister and he loved her with all his heart.

    Tyr had promised to protect her but it was looking like he would not be able to keep that promise.

    "Am I allowed to make it quick?" Tyr asked, on the brink of conceding defeat.

    "You may do it as you please," His father responded and everyone in that room knew this was not an easy decision because they knew that Tyr stood to lose the most.

    "Can I spend her final moments with her, if that is okay with you all?" Tyr asked, and everyone epted.

    The sun was setting, and the time of the sacrifice was fast approaching.

    Tyr was ying with his sister,ughing and teasing her as she threw her usual tantrums.

    She looked so energetic, but amidst this, Tyr began trembling unshakably.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "What is wrong big brother?" Kahina asked. It was rare seeing Tyr cry as he had not shed a single tear ever since whatever this began.

    This showed how important she was to him and Tyr knew at that moment that he would never forgive himself if he let his sister go.

    "Do you want to y a game?" Tyr asked as he quickly wiped the tears from his face.

    His sister was confused but she assumed that his tears were part of the game.

    A game she was willing to indulge in so she nodded excitedly and this was all Tyr needed.

    He was going to run away from the tribe with Kahina and there was nothing that would stop him.

    Minutes passed and a man was sent to retrieve Kahina so the ritual could begin but neither she nor Tyr was in the room.

    The rm was sounded and everyone scurried away in different directions looking for them.

    These were experienced warriors and they could not possibly run from them.

    Tyr knew he might need to find somewhere for them to hide until the search died down but he knew they could not be here when the day broke or their chances of escaping dropped to zero.

    Tyr grabbed her tightly by the hand and ran through the bushes like an animal, he was desperate because he knew there was noing back from what he had just done as he demonstrated with this action that Kahina is more important to him than the tribe.

    Kahina''s name was called, echoing as Tyr could now see the me torch, which meant they were getting closer.

    Tyr was constantly looking backwards to estimate how close they had gotten and during one of these lookouts, he saw his younger sister''s eye settle on something and a smile soon creased her innocent-looking face.

    Tyr saw a figure dance in her pupils thanks to the moon that sat perfectly above them, he was scared to look back as he heard what he might see.

    He grabbed his dagger and turned but before he could fully cock his head in said direction, he heard Kahina say.

    "Brother Azenz¨ºr!" Kahina said excitedly and Tyr could feel the hope leave his eyes the moment she said this.

    "We are done for!" Tyr muttered because Azenz¨ºr was as loyal as they came when it came to the n so this was the worst possible oue in terms of encounter.

    The fact that Kahina did not know what was happening made it all the moreplicated because if they fought right now, they will frighten her and that is not something Tyr could afford.

    "What do you think you are doing?" Azenz¨ºr asked Tyr but Kahina was the one that responded.

    "We are ying a game¡­" Kahina responded with a broad smile as Tyr cautiously gripped the hilt of his dag

    ger. He was going to have to kill his brother.

 Chapter 299 The Past Of Tyr Ragnarsson PT.4

    ?

    Tyr was standing against Azenz¨ºr but there was no time to fight because then, the other would catch up to them but why was Azenz¨ºr not drawing his sword?

    "You are saving her¡­" Azenz¨ºr muttered under his breath as he realized what Tyr had to sacrifice to even think about doing something so outrageous.

    For the first time in years, Tyr saw his older brother smile.

    "Hahaha, I wish I could have thought of this," Azenz¨ºr muttered as he slowly walked up to a smiling Kahina.

    "Can I join this game?" Azenz¨ºr asked while stroking her afro hair, Tyr was surprised by this reaction considering the kind of person he was.

    "Yes!" Kahina said excitedly.

    "But I want to add a new rule," Azenz¨ºr requested and Kahina poured before looking at Tyr, asking for his permission nonverbally because he was the one that made the game up, not her.

    "It is fine, go ahead Kahina," Tyr gave the go-ahead.

    "Okay! You may add one rule but only one rule!" Kahina said, still pouting and Azenz¨ºr smiled.

    She was so pure, he looked at Tyr before returning his gaze to Kahina.

    "You must keep quiet and listen to everything your brother says," Azenz¨ºr said.

    "Go¡­" Azenz¨ºrmanded as he could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer.

    Tyr did not question him because he knew this action that he just took was probably the hardest he has made in his life but this was just how important family was, it had the power to shift loyalty.

    Tyr grabbed her and ran into the distance, with Azenz¨ºr staying behind to mislead their pursuers.

    He ran in apletely different direction, shouting.

    "This way! I have found them!" Azenz¨ºr screamed at the top of his lungs and it worked, everyone followed him. And it was because of this single act from Azenz¨ºr that they could escape.

    -

    Tyr was in the clear with Kahina, they had managed to escape thanks to his older brother and there was no catching them as they had travelled quite far but Tyr was soon reminded that he was travelling with a child as she stopped in her tracks.

    She was tired and hungry, and Kahina was a spoiled kid that got anything she wanted, Tyr knew it would take some getting used to readjust to her current lifestyle but this was the least of his concern right now, he wanted to escape from her as soon as possible.

    He needed more distance but he had no choice but to rest.

    Tyr scavenge for food for his younger sister because he knew she would be hungry, that was one thing he could not allow as they still had a long way to travel.

    Tyr knew that his brother could only do so much, and eventually, they were like pick up on their trail.

    And unlike them, stamina was not his ally so he was at a huge disadvantage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He knew if they caught up to him, there was nothing he could do because Tyr was a firm believer in the gods so he dared not pray to them or things might get worse.

    Luckily, he found a snake, which he killed and skinned for his sister to eat after roasting it with fire.

    It was not enough to go around because Kahina had a huge appetite.

    After eating, she rested on hisp and dozed off, having no idea just how serious the situation was because this was all a game in her mind but this was also why she was so calm.

    Tyr knew he could not afford to sleep because it was not only humans he needed to worry about but animals as well.

    He could not sleep with the fire on either or he risked them finding him, something he could not afford.

    The cold was something else but Tyr knew he could use his body as a source of warmth for Kahina and he did just that.

    -

    The night passed peacefully and at the first hint of sunrise, Azenz¨ºr was back at their camp but there was no luck in finding his siblings.

    No one suspected that he helped them get away because they knew what he had sacrificed himself so questioning his loyalty would be the ultimate disrespect but it was indeed strange that a boy, deemed the best hunter could not find Tyr or Kahina.

    Two children that somehow expertly covered their tracks? There was something else at y here.

    Azenz¨ºr was called into the room where his father and the Shamans waited as they had some questions for him.

    He was the one that they handed the monitoring duties to, he was the one that was in charge of making sure something like this did not happen yet it happened so easily.

    No one saw Tyr or Kahina sneaking out, it was almost like there was no one watching them to begin with but this was not the case as it was revealed that the security ced there had been killed and their corpses hidden. Tyr might have been the one responsible considering he was a skilled assassin that his father trusted him enough to carry out high-profile killings but the timeframe was all wrong.

    There was no way he would kill one person without the others sounding the rm meaning this was done by someone that they could let their guard down around.

    All fingers were pointing to Azenz¨ºr but he did not mind this because that was all this was, fingers.

    There was no concrete evidence but his father instinctively knew with a single look in his eyes and Azenz¨ºr was aware that his father knew.

    But that was the thing, his father hated shame above all else and because of this, he feigned ignorance to save not the face of his son but the face of his family.

    Azenz¨ºr was dismissed and he did not have a single thread of regret in his heart whatsoever.

    Now, it was all up to his younger brother because he had done everything he possibly can to help them with this, he never had an

    y intention of letting Kahina be killed.

 Chapter 300 The Past Of Tyr Ragnarsson [End]

    ?

    A year and a half passed and Tyr was working on a farm with his younger sister under his care.

    He had to disguise her as a boy but this meant she has to do the manualbour that came with it.

    Tyr knew what happens to girls here, and the discrimination was something he never understood but all he cared about was keeping Kahina safe.

    Everything was going a lot better than he thought even though he had the ideal life prior.

    He sacrificed everything for his sister but part of him wonders if his sacrifice was enough.

    What if he never loved Kahina, would everything have been different then?

    Kahina took on her new role effortlessly, she still thought they were ying games after so long but she was beginning to dislike this game.

    Kahina wanted to go back home and Tyr had told her on numerous asions that they would soon return but soon had turned into months.

    Tyr fed his sister most of his food ration in addition to hers because she was a chubby girl with a big appetite but she had be a lot more muscr since she started with the farm work.

    Tyr was content with this life but did the gods have something else in store for them?

    Would the gods let them off without any repercussions?

    Tyr was ready to oppose the gods and everything they stood for if he meant he could save his sister and he did just that.

    "Hey¡­" A pale-skinned boy whispered to Tyr in the dark but Tyr was unresponsive.

    "Hey!" The boy called out once again with more authority than he did the first and this caught Tyr''s attention.

    "What?" Tyr questioned, this boy was simr to him in the sense that he worked the fields, they all slept in a room together.

    "I have a bad feeling about tonight¡­" The boy blurted out,  prompting Tyr to roll his eyes in annoyance.

    He knew he was being dramatic and wanted to sleep because he knew the work he had tomorrow would be back-breaking work.

    But little did Tyr know that night would be thest time things were the same.

    There had been raids on the farms around by unknown people, they ughtered and raided livestock.

    They were thieves that had one purpose and that was to plunder.

    No one could stop them, at least not the farmers so they were sitting duck, they had to start paying these same thieves money to be left alone.

    Tyr had a feminine appearance and he was often mistaken for a girl as opposed to his younger sister, which was ironic as it felt like they had switched roles.

    Unknown to everyone, the group of bandits that have been paid for protection had been wiped out a few days back and another group took its ce.

    This group was far more ruthless than the previous group and try had set their eyes on this farm.

    They attacked under the cover of night, setting houses aze and specifically targeting the men to kill as they knew that men put up the most resistance but here''s where things got tricky.

    Tyr could hear the screams in the distance and the sinisterughter of men that spoke a strange tongue, anguage he did recognize showing that these men were not of the area but this did not matter as what mattered right now was Kahina''s safety.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Stay close to me Kahina!" Tyrmanded, running out of the burning building but outside wasplete and utter chaos.

    The number of people running and crashing into them made it hard for Tyr to keep track of his younger sister.

    The only thing telling was because he was holding her hand and even that, he struggled with it.

    "I need to find a horse!" Tyr thought to himself as the assants were mounted on horses and the horses that this person had, ran off the moment the chaos began so there was no way to flee unless he killed one of the riders.

    Tyr equipped a dagger from one of the corpses of the farmers that did try to fight because he knew what he had to do.

    An enemy mistook him for a girl, salivating like a dog that had just found his bone, he charged toward Tyr on horseback but Tyr expertly threw the dagger in hand right into his forehead, killing the man instantly as his corpse fell off the horse.

    "Now Kahina!" Tyr screamed, but he realized his sister was no longer close to him.

    Tyr looked around frantically, desperately calling her name but he got no response.

    But he soon saw Kahina, at the corner of his eyes as he quickly mounted his horse and rode in her direction.

    Tyr knew that if anything happened to her then everything would have been in vain.

    All the sacrifices, and he could not even imagine the pain he would feel as he journeyed towards her.

    Kahina saw her older brother and Tyr could tell by her expression that she felt relieved.

    "Stay put!" Tyr instructed but just when he was close enough, someone ran right In front of his horse identally, causing the horse to topple, throwing Tyr off it.

    Tyr was close to his sister yet still far and this was the moment Kahina ran towards him with a smile on her face despite Tyr protesting for her to stay back.

    His worse fear came through as a raider saw her running and fixed his sights on the girl he thought was a boy.

    Tyr at that moment begged the gods to save her, he dropped his pride and was ready for whatever wrath or punishment the gods had as long as they saved her but his prayers fell on deaf ears.

    Kahina was cut down right in front of him and Tyr''s world froze, the world became quiet as everyone faded out of sight.

    All he saw was his sister''s body on the ground, Tyr walked towards her, he no longer cared what happened to him and this was evident by how he lost any awareness of his surroundings.

    "K-Kahina¡­" Tyr tearfully called out as he crouched over to see his sister.

    She was stabbed clean through the chest, there was no way she was surviving this as the de was still dug into her.

    "I-I really do not like this game, brother¡­" Kahina said with tears in her eyes, Tyr sobbed profusely.

    "D-Did I win¡­?" Kahina said but these were thest words she said as her blood soon filled up her lungs. Tyr was trembling, but he did not even have time to mourn her as multiple rides soon surrounded him.

    "You won, Princess¡­" Tyr responded with tears dripping down his cheeks as he could feel his sister''s pain gradually lessen with each shallow breath she took.

    Tyr closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reopened his eyes but they were emotionless.

    This was the moment Tyr buried his emotions as he took the de out of his sister''s chest, and ughtered the riders in such a gruesome manner that it forced the others to retreat. Tyr had ironically killed his sister as taking that de out of her chest was what ended her already fleeting life, Tyr gave her a proper burial but shortly after, Tyr was captured by vers and thus began his life in Kattegat.

 Chapter 301 The Rebirth Of Tyr Ragnarsson!

    ?

    Tyr remembered, he remembered a huge part of his life that he had lost and this included thebat experience and fighting style.

    Tyr''s eyes were cold, but what did any of this matter?

    He was dead, was he not?

    Tyr epted the deeds he had done in the past and recollected crucial information about his family and the kind of tribe he belonged to but a huge chunk of his memories were still missing.

    "I killed her?" Tyr thought and before him, was the younger version of himself.

    "Yes, you did¡­ Your love kills everyone it touches¡­" Tyr watched his younger self speak but he just smiled at him.

    "You must have carried that all alone, how lonely it must have felt¡­" Tyr said; he had found a reason to live, to love.

    "It is our curse, you cannot run from it¡­" Tyr watched his younger self harp on about how he was not worthy of love or to give love and Tyr simply listened to him without uttering a word as he began to walk towards him.

    "W-What are you doing?" He watched his younger self get flustered, he knew this was a part of him he had denied since that incident and only now, was he ready to embrace him.

    This was the part of him that only manifested itself when his life was on the brink of death.

    Tyr understood everything now as he stopped right in front of his younger.

    "My love is cursed and that is why I have extinguished that curse with my own two hands. If I do not exist, I cannot afflict anyone else¡­." Tyr said as he embraced his younger self.

    "How would my love ever be worthy¡­" Tyr said as he gripped his younger self even tighter.

    "... If I cannot love myself?" This was all Tyr said as his younger self kept quiet.

    "Geez, you really are a smooth talker¡­" Younger Tyr spoke as tears began streaming down his face.

    "I am sorry for abandoning you¡­" Tyr apologized as this was the moment he became one again.

    His younger self had forgiven him and in doing so, merged back with Tyr.

    Tyr had forgiven himself and in doing so, found himself at the gates of Valha.

    The gates opened once more and Tyr knew it was time to leave this world behind and he was content doing so.

    "Farewell," Tyr said as he began walking towards the golden gates but something strange happened.

    He felt a familiar hand gripping him, this feeling¡­

    "Kahina?" Tyr questioned as he looked back to see his younger sister.

    "It is not time yet, big brother¡­" Kahina said but this confused Tyr, he was no doubt dead so what was the meaning of this?

    "What do you mean?" Tyr asked and Kahina smiled innocently as she responded.

    "Do you want to y a game?" Kahina''s voice was as kind and innocent as he remembered.

    "Sure¡­" Tyr said; the gates were still open so he could go in anytime and seeing Kahina brought him an indescribable peace.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Live.." This was all she said and Tyr felt something wet trickle down his face.

    Tyr opened his eyes to see Bjorn over him, but the tears were that of Gudrun, Bjorn had continuously pushed and beat against his chest to get his heart to restart.

    There was no way he was going to let Tyr die like this, even when everyone had given up, Bjorn kept on doing this for close to ten minutes after Tyr''s heart had stopped.

    "B-Bjorn?" Tyr called out weakly and everyone fell silent, no one could believe it.

    This was nothing short of a miracle and Tyr saw Bjorn shedding tears for him.

    Nora quickly shoved Bjorn aside and immediately instructed everyone to give him space because she did not know what was going on.

    Tyr was back to life and that could only mean that Sighvatur''s attack had missed his heart, even if it was by a few inches.

    That was the only reason he was alive but that did not mean his condition was not dire.

    Tyr had taken massive internal damage and he was still in a critical condition, his wounds did not just magically close up and the only reason he was revived was because of Bjorn''s determination.

    Bjorn had been paralyzed in the fight but after Sighvatur fell, there was no longer any need for the Sturlungar n to oppose them as they heard what was at stake in the battle hence the antidote.

    -

    Kolbeinn awoke to hear what had happened and he was both surprised and disgusted by Tyr''s genius.

    This was something no sane person would do but the fact that he had managed to make his n stronger than ever was something he did not take for granted.

    Kolbeinn was willing to forgive everything he did because Bjorn had saved his daughter.

    He knew the fate that awaited her and this was his way of showing gratitude to the brothers.

    Gudrun excitedly narrated what happened to Kolbeinn and he regretted not being present to witness this act of the gods because who rises from the dead?

    That question was now answered, Tyr did.

    Everyone waited outside the tent he was being treated in, they hoped and prayed that he would pull through because Tyr had done what nobody else could do and that brought them all under a single banner.

    The night passed with Tyr slipping in and out of consciousness, with the healers not sure if he could pull through as his body could go into shock at any moment but s, the gods had different ns.

    The healers came out after thirteen gruelling hours of trying to stabilise him and made the crucial announcement that Tyr Ragnarsson was going to live.

    The cheers echoed through the camp and even Bjorn found himself smiling.

    Just like Viggo suspected, Bjorn did not hate his brother as much as he let on but Viggo was scared of Tyr Ragnarsson, a man that conquered death.

    Thi

    s was the birth of his normen. Tyr, the undead.

 Chapter 302 The Truth

    ?

    A week had passed and Tyr was now only regaining consciousness, he was out cold for a full week but he was still far too weak to get up from bed.

    Njal alongside Gissur''s wife were brought to Kolbeinn and asked what to do but Kolbeinn told them every single thing that happened and how Sighvatur, Stu and Gissur died.

    Njal was sad that his brother had died but Tyr was a warrior that he could respect.

    It was like the prophecy said, this was the first time that Gissur could not change a prophecy and it resulted in his death.

    But Gissur''s wife did not take her husband''s passing well, she was lost and chose the option to reunite with him in Valha.

    There was no longer any ce for her in this world but first, she requested a private audience with the bed-ridden Tyr. Tyr granted it, but he was in an extremely vulnerable state and even with this, he allowed her toe in alone.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" She began and Tyr kept quiet because he had an idea of what she wanted to say.

    "You took the light of my world from me but I know it is what the gods willed¡­" She said, showing surprisingposure.

    "I do not know who you are or where youe from but there''s a darkness in you¡­" She said and this was where Tyr started to get confused.

    "Darkness? What are you talking about?" Tyr asked, puzzled because this was a woman that loved speaking in codes.

    Gissur''s wife just smiled after saying this before redirecting her gaze to his wounds.

    "The gods did not allow you to live because they favour. There wille a day you will wish for death but death will note¡­ You cursed child from a cursed tribe! It is not Odin the All-Father that favours you! It is something else, something dark and sinister." Gissur''s wife blurted and Tyr, who had just gotten a huge chunk of his memory back, could guess what she was referring to.

    She was referring to the goddess Tanit, a goddess he had only just found out about a week before but she was the goddess his n served.

    "Hahahaha, I have no idea what you are talking about¡­" Tyr tried to y it off but she had a creepy smile stered across her face as she looked him right in the eyes.

    She did not say another word as she had spoken to him, she wanted to remind him that he was a pawn in some game that the gods were ying but it was not their gods that were responsible.

    Tyr had questions but he did not want to give her too much information as she might let that information loose the moment she gets out.

    He bit his tongue and watched her walk out, the stench oozing from her body leaving with her.

    Tyr knew she had chosen death to reunite with her husband even though she would have proven useful to Kolbeinn and co.

    Tyr sighed, there was something that died in him for this rebirth had made him remember the most difficult moment in his life but the effects it had on his empathy were detrimental.

    Tyr had grown to love and feel since losing his memory, he had actual empathy andpassion but now they felt fake.

    Tyr had forgiven himself and in doing so, the split personality he had shown, especially inbat, became a single person.

    Every aspect of his younger self was merged with his older self, and unfortunately, not everything was at a bnced ratio.

    Tyr had lost that part of him that felt but now, he had first-hand experience on how to fake these emotions even though it could be argued that what he felt for his current family was real but this was the one part of himself that his younger self hadpletely overridden.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Kahina¡­" Tyr muttered under his breath as he looked to his side to see Bjorn entering his tent.

    Bjorn was thest person he wanted to see right now because he was guilty of directly hurting him.

    Tyr knew loyalty was independent of emotions, and that was why he still felt shame for betraying Bjorn on that day or was it betrayal?

    But Tyr knew there was a possibility that his love was only limited to his family, the family he discovered before this whole mess.

    Tyr knew why he did what he did, he believed his love was cursed and tried to take it away from those he ''loved'' but this discussion was needed.

    "Hey¡­" Bjorn greeted Tyr, it was awkward because he did not know if he should call him brother or Tyr.

    "Hey right back at you¡­" Tyr responded and the room fell silent as Bjorn sat on his bed.

    "You know¡­ I have hated you for so long¡­" Bjorn began the conversation and Tyr kept his lips shut because he knew these were words that Bjorn had to say to get closure.

    "I have thought about how many ways I would kill you but I knew I could not do so without asking you why. Why did you choose your loyalty to Erik over your family?" Bjorn questioned Tyr, Tyr knew from his voice that his answer might very well mend or forever fracture their rtionship.

    "I did it for you all, brother¡­" Tyr said.

    "Bullshit!" Bjorn fired back, drawing his de as he ced it on Tyr''s neck.

    "I did not save you because I had forgiven you, I did so because I swore so many times that you would die by my hands¡­" Bjorn said and Tyr smiled.

    "Yet I live¡­" He could feel Bjorn''s hand tremble.

    "It is okay, Bjorn. If my death will lift the burden on your shoulders, then you may take my head¡­" Tyr said; he had just escaped death and had no problems dying as he knew what awaited on the other side.

    "That day, I did what I did because our father had interrupted a trial and if he executed Erik with his own hands. Askild will have the power to trial him, father had not yet cemented his power in Vestfold so he would have received any support. Everything would have been lost and so¡­" Tyr paused as he smiled weakly at Bjorn.

    "..... I became the bad guy for the sake of our family but I did kill Erik and I denied him Valha. I protected our mother''s honour and father''s life¡­ Everyone was so ovee by emotions that day, everyone but Askild and he was ying you all against your emotions. I am sure you found it strange when Birger parried father''s de¡­" Tyr said.

    Birger caught on to what Askild was trying to do a momentter than Tyr and took it upon himself to prevent it even though Ragnar had no intention of killing Tyr.

    Bjorn was lost in thought for a moment, recollecting the events of that day as a few strange things did happen.

    "I-If this is true! Why did our father try to kill you?" Bjorn was trying to find a reason to hold onto his hatred.

    "If Father wanted me dead, I would be dead brother¡­" Tyr said bluntly and Bjorn clenched his sword so tightly, that his hand began to bleed.

    "I am so fucking sorry, brother¡­" A tearful Bjorn apologized as he tossed his sword to the side and embraces Tyr.

    "T-Take it easy! I thought this means you would not kill me! Keep hugging me this tightly and I just might die!" Tyr called out and he did not know when tears welled up in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe Tyr''s emotions were not gone.

 Chapter 303 The Birth Of Tyr, The Undead [ARC END]

    ?

    Bjorn stayed by his brother''s side around the clock, both boys telling each other stories about their conquests and achievements in battle.

    Tyr''s were far more impressive but Bjorn''s was fought on arger scale.

    "And what is with the girl? Does she always stare at people?" Bjorn asked and Tyr immediately knew he was talking about Gudrun.

    "Ah, that must be Gudrun. She means well," Tyr dismissed it but since they were on the subject, he thought it best to tell him about his first kiss.

    "You know¡­. We sort of kissed¡­" Tyr muttered weakly like he was shy about it.

    "Hahaha! I bet you did¡­" Bjornughed off Tyr''s im because he just could not picture Tyr doing anything remotely romantic with another person so this was random, to say the least.

    "Wait¡­ Bjorn, have you ever been with a woman?" Tyr saw this opportunity to throw a jab at his older brother and the amusement on Bjorn''s face slowly slipped away.

    "O-Of course! I have been with loads of women!" Bjorn cleared his throat like it would make the lies more believable but Tyr just busted outughing.

    They joked about things that should not be joked about, the brothers were back on good terms but this made it the second time that Bjorn had given up on his younger brother.

    Tyr was not oblivious to this, he knew that Bjorn''s loyalty to him was not as absolute as his was to him.

    Tyr knew that Bjorn was susceptible to being manipted as all it would take to turn Bjorn against him was a well-crafted story.

    But who permitted Bjorn toe out here with these many horses?

    It could be no other than Askild but Askild had a deal with Sighvatur for his capture so why would he send Bjorn?

    Was Bjorn the person that was to bring him back?

    Was all this some trick?

    No, it could not be, Bjorn has always been an honourable person, to say the least, but he was not the smartest so how was Askild using him?

    "Brother¡­" Tyr''s lips opened and Bjorn''s raised brow showed he understood that what was about toe out of his younger brother''s mouth was important.

    "Did you know that Askild was involved with Sighvatur?" Tyr asked but he did not need a verbal response to confirm that Bjorn was oblivious.

    "Involved? Why would Askild be involved with him?" Bjorn questioned as it did not make sense or else why would Askild send him on this journey if he had the means to bring Tyr to Kattegat?

    It was simple, Askild knew Signy had been in contact and did not trust Sighvatur enough to think he would make the right decision but ironically, it is because of Bjorn''s arrival that made everything go to shit or Tyr would have been dead, an oue that would benefit all involved.

    "Bjorn, do you trust me?" Tyr asked and Bjorn was hesitant to answer this question considering he only just got his brother back but he made a vow to give Tyr the benefit of the doubt starting then.

    He was not going to believe anything, regardless of how damning the evidence looked until he heard it from his brother''s mouth directly.

    Bjorn nodded with a stern face and Tyr''s face rxed.

    "I need a favour from you brother. You are the only one I can trust," Tyr said and Bjorn''s posture immediately changed as he leaned in.

    Tyr knew that there was somewhere deep down in Bjorn that wanted to make it up to him so the probability that he would ept what he was about to ask was astronomically high as he let loose what he wanted Bjorn to help him do and judging by Bjorn''s visual expression, this was something that shocked the young warrior.

    -

    Kjell was informed of the oue and all he could do was marvel at the events.

    Aksel''s death did note as a surprise to him but he heard about Tyr''s faked death only to hear that the boy had risen from the dead.

    Kjell was bbergasted but he was even happier that he did not have a hand in his demise; he could tell Signy this because there was no way that such a thing would not circte around the Viking world.

    He was the son of Ragnar, a King, this already made his feats bound to be heard by all.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Kjell knew this would shake the Viking world as some might even revere him as a god.

    Kjell had no further intention of doing anything, the fact that Tyr could kill Sighvatur, Stu, and Gissur was a testament to his cunning abilities and strength.

    He had done a task that Kjell thought impossible even though Tyr did die at Sighvatur''s hands.

    But what he found troubling was Tyr handing ownership of an army to Kolbeinn because he knew the kind of leader Kolbeinn was. He would be a far more effective ruler than Sighvatur and Gissur.

    He never had the military strength to pose a threat but now he did.

    -

    Unknown to everyone, Tyr did not hand him the army as some sort of kind gesture because he knew Kolbeinn would feel indebted to him in some way if Tyr gave up everything for him even with what he had done and he was right.

    Shortly after he tookmand, Kolbeinn swore his allegiance to Tyr Ragnarsson, believing him to be some kind of god for he had conquered death.

    Tyr relinquishingmand seemed like a selfless act, did it not?

    But this was Tyr''s intention from the get-go or would it be more urate to say he had ns to reunite everyone under Gudrun after meeting her but he had seen that Gudrun was not cut out to be a leader after he faked both his death and Kolbeinn.

    Tyr had nned on killing Kolbeinn as well but entertained this possibility hence why he tested it first; Gudrun failed him but he knew how taken Gudrun was with him.

    The n was as good as his because if Kolbeinn died, Gudrun was certain to seed him and knowing Kolbeinn, he would take measures to make sure she was ready before then.

    Why could he not lead them directly?

    It was simply, no sane King would allow a stranger, not even if he was the son of Ragnar, to walk into his kingdom with an army capable of opposing them at his back so Tyr kept this little trump card away from everyone. What Noa did was kept buried under the carpet as he knew he had fucked him over so with this, they were even.

    Finn was found alongside a few others, he was injured but the injury was only minor and they were lost so they could not return to camp until they were found by scouts sent to look for them by his sister who refused to believe he died.

    This belief was gotten from Bjorn, watching Bjorn fight for Tyr''s life was admirable despite his ims of wanting to kill him.

    She knew deep down that Bjorn did not want to kill his brother but he did not have any other way to ce his hatred and Bjorn had every right to.

    -

    A few weeks passed and Tyr was fully healed, but so was the winter,ing to an end.

    Tyr had spent four years in this part of the world, he had no idea what was going on in Kattegat or around the world but he was about to rejoin the world.

    Bjorn had left a few days back because he was not there on some sort of holiday but he returned with something that Tyr entrusted him with.

    Bjorn wanted Tyr toe back with him but if what he said was true, then Tyr would be in danger in Kattegat; he had first-hand confirmation that his little brother was alive and he had every intention of spreading what he had just witnessed.

    The dream that Bjorn had made a lot more sense now for it depicted, Bjorn was the only that could save Tyr but did that dream mean this particr event or it had something a lotrger in mind? That, we shall soon see.

    Gudrun was heartbroken that Tyr was leaving them but she knew that this was not the end of their journey.

    She has to stay back as she was the heir to this newly merged n so the prospect of love would have to be on hold for now.

    Kolbeinn thanked the son of Ragnar as Noa was taken under his wings but Nora and Finn opted to follow Tyr on his new adventure, a request that Tyr granted as this would indirectly keep Noa in line knowing the love of his life was close to the boy he has already once betrayed.

    And a new chapter began, for Tyr was on his way to Rognd to ept King Ruga

    lf''s offer, and Tyr was officially seventeen-years-old.

 Chapter 304 Tyrs New Life

    ?

    Tyr was an adult and this was perfect considering the kind ofmitment he was expected to enter.

    He had approached Rognd on horseback, thanks to Bjorn as this eliminated his fatigue but at such a young age, Tyr''s body was already riddled with scars.

    Nora and Finn looked excited as they were not originally from thesends so leaving that area and exploring the rest of the Viking world with such a capable leader was refreshing.

    They looked starstruck at how massive the gates of Rognd were but Tyr did not look impressed as it was something he saw regrly back in the day.

    The gates sprung open the moment they saw Tyr and this was a surprise as they did not even wait for King Rugalf to formally give permission.

    This was because Rugalf had given them explicit instruction to open the gate whenever Tyr decided toe without hesitation. After all, Tyr was a guest of utmost honour.

    Tyr looked around and the air smelled different, he had fought for years and survived like a caveman but this was his reward at the end of that struggle.

    Tyr was weed like a lost Prince as he could not believe the reception he was getting.

    The Vikings looked at him with admiration and respect, Tyr realized then just how significant his return from the dead was.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, it is an honour to meet you¡­" A Man greeted Tyr, who abruptly unmounted his horse to show his respects as a first impression was important.

    "Thank you for having me, I am here on King Rugalf''s invitation¡­" Tyr said and the man smiled before saying.

    "I know, my brother has been expecting you," The man said and Tyr was d that he showed him basic etiquette as he would never have realized that he was talking to King Rugalf''s brother.

    Tyr knew the tradition, and that was leaving hispany behind unless explicitly allowed by King Rugalf himself otherwise they had no business listening to private discussions.

    This man before him was beautiful, he looked like an actualdy with long silky ck hair and luscious eyshes that sat gently around his piercing brown eyes.

    Heck, he looked more like ady than Nora.

    Tyr did not understand how a man could look so beautiful, to begin with, but he had no interest in probing any further.

    Tyr followed him, he looked back to tell Nora and Finn to remain here but the Vikings around them were a lot friendlier than he ounted for but this was a breath of air considering that they have been locked in battles before now.

    Such an atmosphere was a weed change.

    "May I ask your name?" Tyr questioned as he followed Rugalf''s brother. If he was going to stay here, he would rather be on everyone''s good side.

    "I am Salgard Gardsson," The 24-year-old introduced himself to Tyr right before opening the door to the throne room for Tyr to walk inside.

    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Salgard.." Tyr said but he found the smile constantly on his face a little unnerving as it made it difficult to know what he was thinking.

    Tyr walked into the throne room and this had to be the biggest throne room he had ever seen.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He was surprised by its size but this wasn''t the thing he should have been focused on.

    King Rugalf was on the throne with a girl by his side, a ce where the Queen was meant to be seated but this could not be the Queen, she was approximately the same age as him.

    Tyr was about to get on one knee but he remembered what his biological father had told him about kneeling and luckily for him, King Rugalf had no problems with him standing but the girl beside him did.

    "Kneel! You are before a King, thrall!" Estrid barked like a deranged dog, she did not like the look in Tyr''s eyes as it almost felt like he thought they were equals.

    This infuriated her and all Rugalf could do wasugh at his daughter.

    Tyr stared at her nkly because he knew she was a brat from the moment she opened her mouth but there was a feeling of nostalgia to her nagging

    It reminded him a lot about Kahina.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, I want to formally wee you to Rognd and I am most interested in how you rose from the dead," Rugalf was polite as he stood up from his throne but the look on Estrid''s face was priceless.

    "D-Dead?" She blurted out, her skin turning pale as her gaze settled on Tyr.

    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN DEAD!? HE IS CLEARLY BREATHING! FATHER! THAT HAS TO BE AN OBVIOUS LIE TO GAIN YOUR FAVOR SO HE MAY WED ME!" Estrid nagged.

    She was infuriated that her father was so easy to deceive with fancy words because there was no way in hell this was true.

    Rugalf liked how outspoken his daughter was and encouraged it, Tyr''s face tightened the moment he saw that Estrid would be the one he was marrying as he sat on the chair across Tyr with only a table separating them.

    "Not to be rude, King Rugalf but do you have any other daughter?" Tyr requested and Estrid''s face shot red.

    One could feel the fumes leaving her body as she was livid by the audacity that Tyr possessed.

    "You ve! I should have you executed for such sphemy! I am the prettiest girl in this kingdom and I will not tolerate any disrespect from a bastard!" Estrid barked, Rugalf knew he could step in but he knew how important this moment might prove going forward so he held his tongue.

    "I saw a dozen prettier girls before I even unmounted my horse but if that is what you want to believe, be my guest¡­" Tyr responded in an unimpressed tone.

    "FATHER! YOU ARE LETTING HIM TALK TO ME LIKE THAT! TELL HIM I AM THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN ROGALAND!" Estrid barked, trying to drag her father into the mess she had created because she was used to people kissing her ass and mistook Tyr for one of those people.

    "And do not call me a ve or I will k-" Rugalf immediately grabbed Tyr''s head and smashed it right into the table, splitting the table in half.

    "F-Father?" Estrid muttered because she knew even this was going a bit overboard.

    "What was that?" Rugalf thought to himself, his body had reacted on its own the moment he sensed Tyr''s killing intent.

 Chapter 305 Salgard Gardsson

    ?

    Salgard had left the throne room, he was eager to tell his other brothers about Tyr''s arrival but the majority of them were already aware. All except Fr?ygard.

    Salgard did not knock as he just barged into his younger brother''s room.

    And as he expected, he saw numerous girls engaged in some trauma-inducing sexual act.

    The ce smelled of alcohol and sweat, he was unimpressed by how Fr?ygard turned out.

    He was such a disappointment and Salgard had no problems reminding him.

    The moment they saw him, they all left the room in haste as if they were scared about what he would do if they stayed.

    "It is just like you to spoil my fun, Salgard¡­" Fr?ygardzily said as Salgard casually strolled towards him.

    "What the hell do you want?" Fr?ygard said but what he felt was a resounding p that shook his skull.

    Fr?ygard looked in Salgard''s direction only to be met with a punch that sent him crashing off his bed.

    "W-What are you doing?" Fr?ygard questioned as he tried to crawl away from his older brother but Salgard grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him back.

    Fr?ygard struggled in vain to overpower Salgard but he could not, Salgard was deceptively strong.

    "You want to live like a rat for the rest of your life? I would rather have you dead, Fr?ygard, than to allow you to bring disgrace upon our family name¡­" Salgard as he stomped Fr?ygard''s head to momentarily stun him.

    This allowed Salgard to mount his brother, sitting on his torso as he gently ced his hand around his neck.

    "The son of Ragnar is here, you best be on your best behaviour or I will not stop here next time," Salgard threatened him as he got up, he did all this was that eerie smile stered across his face.

    Fr?ygard was visibly shaken from the encounter but he did not look surprised by what had just happened.

    "Master Fr?ygard!" A couple of Vikings noticed that their master had been beaten but they saw who did it hence there was nothing they could do.

    Out of all the brothers, Salgard was the most sadistic but did this also mean he had ulterior motives?

    -

    King Rugalf immediately took his hand from Tyr''s head and apologized for his behaviour but it was amazing that Tyr was not fazed by this despite the stream of blood leaking down from his forehead.

    Tyrughed off the incident as he too was out of line with the way he addressed her.

    He might be the King of a son but here, he was just Tyr Ragnarsson.

    "What are you? Stupid?! You are bleeding!" Estrid said, despite her tough look she was not a fan of violence.

    She red at her father and he smiled weakly at her because he knew she would not understand, she was not a warrior but what was that bloodlust?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Estrid walked up to Tyr and she tried to check his injuries.

    "Do not get any funny ideas! You are still beneath me but my father took it a bit too far¡­" Estrid said as she began to treat Tyr''s wound.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, you being here means you have considered my proposal, yes?" King Rugalf said and Tyr nodded but Estrid smacked him on the head.

    "DO NOT MOVE!" She instructed, Tyr noticed she had stopped calling him a ve and was a lot morepassionate than she initially led on.

    "Why you¡­!" Tyr thought, this girl got on his nerves but there was nothing he could do at the moment.

    "I am sorry to say Tyr but you are not the only one that has shown interest in my daughter''s hand. I cannot force this marriage unless my beautiful princess wishes it to be. I have given you the edge for in my kingdom, you would have an easier chance to woo her so she may eventually choose you on the day of the ceremony¡­" Rugalf said, talking like he did not just try to smash Tyr''s head moments ago.

    This sounded like some borate scheme to massage his daughter''s ego but surely there had to be another reason that Rugalf wanted Tyr so bad.

    And Tyr had no intention of beating around the bush, he wanted to know everything.

    "Why am I really here, King Rugalf?" Tyr questioned and Rugalf took a deep breath.

    "Everything will be revealed in due time but now, we need to celebrate," Rugalf said, getting to his feet.

    "He is dodging the question?" Tyr thought but he knew it was not in his ce to press further so he let it be for now.

    -

    Bjorn had briefed his mother about everything that had urred and how Tyr rose from the dead.

    Lagertha was ted, she always knew that Tyr was favoured by the gods and a great fate awaited.

    This was why Ragnar took him under his wings in the first ce but she was also worried.

    From what Bjorn had told her, Tyr was a log colder than he was when he left Kattegat but that was to be expected for he needed to survive.

    News of Tyr''s feat spread around Kattegat like wildfire as the exiled boy was slowly gaining a reputation in Kattegat, and this could not be good for Askild because thest thing he needed was Tyr being favoured by the citizens.

    Ragnar, however, could not share in this tale as he returned to Vestfold long before now but Tyr''s revival circted the world just as Bjorn intended but not everyone believed this tale.

    Bjorn knew that the expedition to Ennd was about to begin so the task that Tyr trusted him with would have to wait until then because they did not know what waited for them at the end of the sea.

    If Askild''s ims were anything to go by, he clearly found something that frightened him or he would not be assembling such a huge cooperative cease-fire with the surrounding Kingdoms and offering them a chance at this recently discoverednd.

    "Bjorn, I need you to help me kill Askild¡­" These were the words that left Tyr''s mouth that day.

 Chapter 306 What Is Skarde Up To?

    ?

    Skarde had aged quite gracefully and adjusted to his life without his eyes quite magnificently.

    He could guide himself around without any aid now and with him handling the political affairs.

    This allowed Ragnar to focus on other things but there was something that Skarde had begun to notice.

    The so-called council looked like they were puppets of one person and that was the woman that Skarde noticed trying to get a tad bit too close to him.

    Skarde was a man in the end and no woman would want to be with a man as heavily handicapped as him as he could not even enjoy the sight of breasts or ass anymore.

    But this was what thedy had exploited to get close to Skarde, his feeling of inadequacies as she made Skarde feel wanted by subtlyplimenting and flirting with him over the past couple of years.

    Skarde was no fool, he knew what she was doing but he also enjoyed the attention he was getting from her.

    But she did not give in, she always teased and just when something was about to happen, she left him hanging.

    Thai conditioned Skarde into craving her more as he began to see her as something he could have, something that was hanging just by the tip of his tongue.

    "Skarde¡­" Skarde looked in the direction her voice echoed from, he missed his eyes because then he would know what the hell was going on.

    "What do you want?" Skarde asked; he sounded helpless and he hated it because he was a sitting duck to anyone that wanted his head as he understood that politics came with severe consequences if it was not yed well.

    He knew he had to appease these people one way or another or it would prove to be detrimental in the long run. Skarde heard footsteps approaching him but it was only one.

    This meant she was alone but Skarde knew he could not drop his guard around her.

    He found it inappropriate that she would visit him in his chambers but this was not the first time.

    He failed to nip it in the bud the first few times she did so it eventually became a habit.

    She did not respond to his question but Skarde could hear the sound of clothes loosening and dropping to the ground but this only made him anxious.

    "Lady Anja, what are you doing here?" Skarde questioned but he felt her finger against his lips to shush him, it was moist.

    "You do not need to talk, let me take care of you¡­" Anja said; this was strange considering she had led him on for years so why was she suddenly giving in?

    Skarde knew she did not have feelings for him neither was she smitten by his looks as a woman in such a position as her couldy with any man she desired so the fact that she chose Skarde, she wanted something.

    She was bargaining sex for something but Skarde was game because it has been ages since he actuallyid with a woman and this was an opportunity toy with one of such status, Skarde was going to take this opportunity with both hands.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He felt her soft hands gently push him on the bed, and Skarde did not resist whatsoever nor y hard to get.

    This was partly because Skarde was a submissive individual when it came to sex and the power dynamic made it even better.

    Skarde rested on his back, he did not know what was going on but he felt his trouser drop to his ankles.

    Skarde took a deep breath and Anja was surprised that he was not getting hard.

    She had seen him hard numerous times when she teased him so why was he not excited for the main treat?

    Skarde could not see so his lust was not based on physical attraction so what was it?

    Did he like being teased? Of course, he did, Skarde was a masochist when it came to sex and did not like it when it followed the conventional sense but unfortunately, Anja did not know this.

    She stopped any attempt to further this because Skarde was clearly not interested in whatever she was doing and what followed was an awkward silence.

    Skarde sat up and pulled his pants up before staring at what he perceived to be Anja''s position.

    He did not know what to say but thankfully, he did not need to say much because Porunn walked in at that very moment.

    She was one of the few people Skarde trusted enough to let into his private chambers as she took care of the cleaning and cooking. She took care of his hygienic needs only until a year back as Skarde had adjusted to his situation soon after.

    Porunn stood nkly, staring at Anja and looking at Skarde, she instinctively knew what was going on or was about to go down, involuntarily partaking in the awkward silence.

    She thought about excusing herself but Anja scurried out of the room as the door shut behind her.

    "Porunn, you could not havee at a better time. I think I need to stop Anja from entering my private chambers alone¡­" Skarde said; he knew it was time he set some firm boundaries with Anja because he knew the trust Ragnar had ced in him.

    He was not about to lose it or trade it for some pussy.

    "Alone? Then who was it that I just saw with her?" Porunn thought to herself as another girl of a simr build had apanied Anja.

    Anja had no intentions of engaging in any sexual activity with Skarde and it was so easy to fool a blind man but luckily, Skarde''s kink had saved him from whatever Anja had in mind.

    Porunn did not disclose this information to Skarde, she thought it to be insignificant but she could not be more wrong. This would prove to be a very important moment in terms of discerning just what Anja''s motives were.

 Chapter 307 Ulfs Karma

    ?

    King Ragnar heard that his son was going to join King Rugalf in Rognd, a decision he supported because this would cement their alliance as he would have reached his terms of the bargain.

    Ragnar entertained this thought for so long but the fact that Tyr had returned to their world was an exhrating feeling even though Tyr was deemed a criminal.

    The fact that he rose from the dead only heightened his reputation as he became somewhat of a myth.

    Ragnar liked the attention because it only aided his reputation.

    He had brought Vestfold stability and power, he knew that no Kingdom could challenge his head one without being ughtered.

    He was confident in his defence but a group of rebels that opposed his ascension as King were gathering once again but Ragnar knew an attempt on his life was imminent.

    He had figured out the people he could trust and the people he could not during his tenure as King.

    He knew he could not even trust the warriors that swore their lives to him because, to some, he was a usurper.

    They still viewed Signy as the rightful King, something Ragnar knew he had no control over.

    He allowed them this delusion, he did not try to punish them for having a biased opinion even though Skarde opposed it because whispers give birth to actions.

    Skarde wanted Ragnar to imprison anyone that openly discusses rebellion but what good would that do?

    They will simply hide better and this would greatly suppress the information that gets through to them.

    Ragnar visited bars and spoke to people that directly opposed him one-on-one.

    Ragnar could change a few minds and this made him realize this could be solved diplomatically.

    Ragnar did not block Vestfold''s entrance as more immigrants began to settle in Vestfold, growing their economy as these people''s contribution to the evolution of Vestfold could not be underestimated.

    But Ragnar knew that among every good egg, there must be a bad one and he was right.

    Enemies used this opportunity to migrate into Vestfold and thus, grow their army.

    Ragnar knew the possibility that they infiltrated his army was high as well but yet, he was calm.

    They had not made any move because they were waiting for Ragnar to go to this newnd called Ennd and if Ragnar stayed, he would be a sitting duck as his army would be severely weakened.

    But this was thest thing on Ragnar''s mind.

    Ragnar was set to wee Aug once again, she fascinated him for reasons he did not know.

    He was surprised that she wasing considering he had no business with her Kingdom, at least not at this point.

    So he was safe for now, they would not make a move until that expedition.

    Asluag was in Vestfold but she came along with a few guards and maidens.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Ragnar knew he could not turn her back, it would send a bad message to her family as they would most definitely see this as an insult.

    Ragnar was advised to take her as a wife but he was married and was not a polygamous man.

    Ragnar, however, was curious about her face but it is said that only the man that will wed her would have the privilege of seeing her first.

    This made Ragnar realize he would only see her after she was married, which he did not mind but he knew whatever marriage she was going to have would be one that could benefit her kingdom the most.

    Ragnar knew of her visit to Vingulmark but the door to his throne room soon sprung open and with it, came Aug.

    "Lady Aug, it is an honour to have you," Ragnar greeted her, she was not alone as she had walked in with a single of her maiden.

    She had no intention of speaking to Ragnar directly, the maiden would do all the talking.

    The conversation was brief, Aug came to Vestfold for some personal business and it had nothing to do with her Kingdom.

    Ragnar allowed it and both of them were on their way but something was appealing with mystery.

    Something that Ragnar could not quite wrap his fingers around but he found himself drawn to her.

    -

    Ulf heard the stories about Tyr and knew that Bjorn must be ecstatic considering he was the one that spread this information.

    Ulf knew that Bjorn''s rage towards Tyr was gone if he went this far from him but he was tired of hiding around Kattegat like a dog even after his brother had left.

    Ulf had seen Ragnar barge into his house from a distance and instinctively knew that Lagertha had let what he did slip.

    Ulf would rather not be the recipient of his brother''s rage and avoided him altogether because he knew his opportunity to exin himself woulde.

    Ragnar needed to be left alone for now.

    Ulf contemted visiting Lagertha but she was off-limits at this point and he also knew he had lost Bjorn''s respect.

    Ulf heard a knock at his door, and he walked outside only to see multiple Vikings.

    "What?" Ulf barked rudely as he walked through his door to look at the person responsible for knocking. Ulf was taller and older than him, not that that mattered.

    "Ulf Ragnarsson, you have been charged for uwful abuse of a woman named Ottka. King Askild has requested your presence in the throne room," The Viking said leading these men dered.

    Of course, Kattegat was not somewless Kingdom where Vikings could do as they please with the women there because these were not just ves, they were actual citizens of Kattegat and if they could be abused without repercussions, then there would not be much of a Kingdom to begin with.

    But Ulf did not care about the consequences at that moment because he never thought Ottka would ever report this. Ulf was about to learn first-hand that he was not invincible.

 Chapter 308 Ulf Found....!?

    ?

    Ulf was transported to the throne room, everyone shooting him a curious nce because he was surrounded by multiple warriors.

    That could only mean he was about to stand trial and this was not a private trial either.

    The trials in Kattegat were a public affair so Ulf''s charges would be for the whole of Kattegat to hear.

    It would be a disgrace to his name and that of his brother but Ulf was hoping that there would be an exception.

    Ulf did not look worried, even with these factors in y as he had on a smug look all through.

    Bjorn saw his uncle being carted away like a criminal and grew curious about what was going on.

    Ulf has been away from their home ever since that incident so Bjorn had no idea what his uncle has been up to.

    "What is going on?" Bjorn asked a random citizen but even he did not know so Bjorn trailed behind Ulf.

    Ulf made Ottka a free woman and it was because of this freedom that she could dare challenge Ulf this way.

    Ulf stopped right in front of the throne room, his head held high like he was proud of what he did.

    The door sprung open and out came King Askild, alongside Ottka and her husband.

    Her husband looked at Bjorn with hatred, he was fuming with rage but he knew he did not have the physical strength to oppose him.

    This was why he did not put up a fight that night, he did not know what Ulf would have done to him or his wife.

    "Ulf, do you know what you stand used of?" Askild questioned the brother of Ragnar.

    "I do not know what is happening King Askild¡­" Ulf responded with a stern face.

    "You stand used of viting Ottka and their family has asked for justice. They wish you to be castrated," Askild said and Ulf''s acting skills came alive as he had a look of shock on his face.

    "V-Vite? Ottka is a woman I know well, I bought her her freedom so why would I do such a thing? If I harboured any unjust thoughts I would never have freed her and kept her a ve to do as I please. I am not guilty of these usations, King Askild¡­" Ulf vehemently denied the usations and what he said did make sense.

    The people listening found themselves nodding as it was not umon for a low-ranked family to falsely use a higher-ranked family in hopes of getting some sort of fine.

    This often worked because reputation is everything for most and they settled it behind closed doors but what they requested here showed that this was not a case of just money.

    "Y-You bastard! I was there that night! You came into my home and made me watch you vite my wife!" Her husband was furious, who in their right mind would not be?

    "Do you have no shame? Who in their right mind would watch a man vite their wife in such a manner without fighting? Or did you forget your balls in your life?" Ulf teased him and he could hear the crowd giggle at his joke.

    King Askild raised a hand and everywhere fell silent.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Just then, Ulf''s eyes made contact with Bjorn.

    Bjorn looked so disgusted, he could not believe that this was the man he once looked up to.

    Bjorn walked away and Ulf''s smug expression broke the moment this happened.

    He liked Bjorn, and he knew that Bjorn had a great future ahead of him but to see the boy that once looked up to him as a role model

    Ulf knew that the expedition to Ennd expected to take ce in two weeks was on everyone''s minds but there was one more card he could y.

    "King Askild, did you hear these words from Ottka''s mouth?" Ulf asked, his demeanour a lot more serious and Askild denied it, it was all from her husband''s mouth.

    Ulf smirked inwardly because he knew the loophole he needed to spin this around had presented itself.

    "Now I understand. Ottka, did I ever touch you?" Ulf asked her directly, ignoring her husband.

    Ottka knew that Ulf had the power and influence to destroy her family.

    And if he was found guilty and castrated, then her family would have no future as they would have robbed Ulf of the most important thing for a Viking of his status, an heir.

    Ottka was not going to answer thoughtlessly because she was aware her answer had the potential of ruining the rtionship she had with her fiance so this was an extremely tricky situation.

    Askild gave her permission to speak because he knew whatever she said should be the truth.

    Ottka came forward to tell her truth, everyone anticipating the words that woulde out of her mouth and it was not what they expected.

    "Ulf did not abuse me¡­"Ottka blurted out and her fiance was so mad that the veins around his forehead became visible.

    "What?" This was the only word that escaped his lips.

    Ottka put her family into consideration, a family that might very well note to fruition after this decision. The crowd began to jeer because they had wasted their time as this turned out to be a false usation.

    Her husband held his tongue only because he was in front of King Askild but his wife had just made him look like a fool.

    "Is this the truth?" Askild asked and Ottka nodded without hesitation.

    "It was my idea, my fiance only listened to what I had to say because he was drunk that night and has no recollection of that night so I lied to him. I wanted to get a fine but he suggested castration because he thought it to be true but that is too harsh a punishment for a lie. I could not, in my good heart, allow to go on any further." Ottka not only took the me but cleared her husband of any wrongdoing.

    She managed to help him save face too, she was walking a thin line but this would note without punishment.

    Ottka was sentenced to thirtyshes as punishment for false usation, this was to dissuade others from doing such and she was to be flogged at the town square.

 Chapter 309 Night Of Celebration

    ?

    Night fell and the festival in Rognd began in earnest, a big celebration was held for Tyr.

    He was one of the most important guests that King Rugalf has had in his kingdom in recent years.

    Everyone looked at him, amazed that the story about his skin held as not everyone had seen a dark-skinned individual but Tyr was used to this sort of bewilderment by now.

    It happened mostly everywhere he went, alcohol and the stench of lust filled the room but they were a lot more refined than the orgy he experienced when with Kolbeinn.

    Tyr still shuddered at the thought of that day, Tyr watched Finn having his fair amount of fun.

    It was not a sight he was used to and even Nora was surrounded by men that were eager to hear her tales and of course, get in her pants.

    These were clean men, they did not look as rough as the men in the ce she called home.

    Tyr, however, only got curious stares as if he was off-limits and he knew this was Rugalf''s doing even though he had seen a few beautifuldies that far superseded Estrid''s supposed unparalleled beauty.

    Tyr was alright with this, it mean a lot less interaction as he did not even drink so he avoided alcohol.

    He trusted Rugalf because he knew what Rugalf would benefit from him marrying his daughter was far greater than what he would benefit from him dying.

    Tyr felt an arm around him and he jerked his head in that direction to see a young boy, this boy was approximately his age but he had a deceptive body frame that made people perceive him as older.

    This was yet another brother of Rugalf, Thorgard, who was eighteen years of age.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson! I have heard great things about you! I am Thorgard Gardsson and I would like for us to be friends!" The boy, who was not nearly as attractive as his older brother, said.

    He had a chiselled jawline and it was quite obvious that he prioritized his physique over his looks, not that he had any to begin with.

    Tyr noticed he had the same muddy eyes as Salgard.

    "I would like that very much, Thorgard," Tyr responded, this was the second brother of Rugalf he was meeting and wondered just how big his family was.

    "What do you think about my niece?" Thorgard asked, pointing the ale in hand in Estrid''s direction but despite not looking at them, she somehow registered this action with a slight flinch of her head.

    "Um¡­" Tyr responded with an awkward smile, he did not know if this was a trick question.

    "It is fine. I know she is a stuck-up brat!" Thorgard barked, but Tyr kept quiet as he knew best not to get in the middle of family drama. But he also knew all this might be a test.

    "You know she is looking at you¡­" Thorgard said but Tyr was confused by this statement because she clearly was looking straight ahead with her father beside her despite Tyr being positioned on the left of the gigantic room.

    "What are you talking about?" Tyr asked and Thorgard pointed to his eye and said.

    "The corner of her eyes," Thorgard as he quietly gestured for Tyr to watch closely as he was about to do something.

    Tyr paid attention even though he expected whatever Thorgard was doing to be pointless.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Thorgard tilted Tyr''s head in her direction and the moment he did, Estrid''s whole bodynguage changed.

    "You see?" Thorgard said and Tyr was amazed, what sort of sorcery was this?

    He began to wonder how many people were watching him like Estrid in that room because Tyr was clueless about these things, he took it as a sign of danger.

    Was this a set-up? Thorgard chuckled when he noticed Tyr''s not-so-subtle paranoia.

    "You are so silly, Tyr!" Thorgard teased his new friend before downing the cup of ale in his hand.

    "Estrid is a brat but she is still ady. You are a boy that has lived a cruel life and conquered death. There is nody here that would not be intrigued, Estrid is no different," Thorgard said, but his carefree demeanour soon ceased the moment Salgard walked into the room.

    Tyr noticed this, he knew this feeling a bit well, it was the feeling of fear.

    "I-It has been fun Tyr but I have to go now!" Thorgard abruptly ended the conversation and left.

    Behind Salgard was Fr?ygard, Fr?ygard actually looked well as he had shown and carefully groomed himself for that asion because he knew he would not like Salgard angry, no one liked Salgard when he was angry.

    "Wee brothers!" Rugalf weed them with so much affection oozing from his voice that everyone knew the love he held for them was genuine.

    Salgard was all smiles as usual as his eyes found Tyr like a radar, before returning his focus to his older brother, Rugalf who had his arms outstretched.

    Salgard embraced his oldest brother with a smile, he was happy to see him in such a good mood.

    Fr?ygard was reluctant to hug his older brother but a single nce from Salgard made him submit as he hugged Rugalf.

    Everyone looked at him with disdain, they looked at him as a joke but this could not be helped considering the kind of life he had lived after the death of his brothers.

    They understood everyone dealt with grief differently but this was no longer grief rather Fr?ygard had found an excuse to bezy about it all.

    "Let me introduce you to our guest of honour¡­" Rugalf said but Fr?ygard''s eyes started around the room.

    "Where are Vegard and Grj?tgard?" Fr?ygard questioned.

    "Grj?tgard and Vegard are not in Rognd right now," Rugalf responded but Fr?ygard scoffed before saying.

    "They are probably dead¡­" The moment he said this, Salgard''s smile disappeared for a second and even Fr?ygard knew he had fucked up with what he just said.

    "B-Brother¡­ Wait! I can exin!"Fr?ygard was visibly terrified of what might happen to him.

    "Hahaha! You jokester! Let''s go have a drink!" Salgard teased, wrapping his hand around Fr?ygard but his grip on his younger brother was anything but friendly.

    "That Salgard, I need to watch out for him¡­" Tyr thought as he picked up on the brothers'' fear.

 Chapter 310 The Gardsson Family

    ?

    Tyr watched how scared Fr?ygard was and his hunch about Salgard being weird was spot on.

    It was strange because he sensed no killing intent from Salgard.

    This made it hard to detect if he had any hostile intentions but why were they walking in his direction?

    Tyr wanted to bolt but he knew if he did, it would be far too obvious it was because of Salgard.

    "Hello Tyr, we meet again¡­" Salgard greeted with his ever-smiling face.

    Tyr felt uneasy, he was not feeling threatened by him but his body just told him this man called Salgard was bad news.

    Tyr got up to his feet, he knew how easy it was to make up an excuse to leave but before he could even talk.

    "Sit down, Tyr," Salgardmanded and Tyr did not even know when his bodyplied but he found himself seated on the bench he had just stood up from.

    Salgard and Fr?ygard sat on both sides of Tyr respectively.

    "Salgard, what can I help you with?" Tyr asked with a friendly smile.

    "Hahaha! I just want to make sure our guest of honour had fun. It would be a shame if something happened to you, you know." Salgard said.

    Tyr did not even know if he was threatening him or not because of his tone.

    Once again, he did not feel any malicious intenting from him.

    "This is my younger brother, Fr?ygard," Salgard said and Fr?ygard smiled to greet Tyr.

    He sounded like a well-mannered child that their parents forced him to greet a distant rtive.

    Tyr could feel how tense and awkward the atmosphere was despite the men around them drinking andughing.

    "Nice to meet you Fr?ygard, I cannot wait to get to know you¡­" Tyr said and Fr?ygard reciprocated his tone and gesture.

    "You do not want to know him. He is somewhat of a failure, you see¡­" Salgard teased but everyone knew this was no joke.

    "Are you not, Fr?ygard or am I a liar?" Salgard asked and Fr?ygard quickly confirmed he was a failure.

    This was kind of twisted because it looked like Salgard was enjoying mentally abusing his brother but Tyr knew he had to be on his good side if anything else.

    The drinks kepting and Fr?ygard was self-conscious about taking any because he knew that Salgard would not take a liking to it.

    Before the men could go any further, someone cleared their throat behind Tyr.

    Tyr jerked his head only to see Estrid behind.

    "If you will excuse me, I will be borrowing Tyr," Estrid said, standing majestically because her uncles had no choice but to listen to her considering she held more power than them being the King''s daughter and all.

    Tyr was allowed to get off as Salgard did not protest or resist, Estrid gestures for Tyr to follow her and Tyr could not be more grateful.

    "There is something seriously fucked up about him¡­" Tyr thought to himself.

    "My uncle Salgard is bad news, stay as far away from him as possible¡­" Estrid said like she could read his mind.

    "What do you mean?" Tyr questioned quickly as he noticed that Estrid was taking him to a secluded ce, away from the drinking and womanizing.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Just stay away, he creeps everyone out! We will return in five minutes," Estrid said and Tyr realized she came to get him away from them because she was concerned about him.

    "Were you concerned about me?" Tyr asked but the reaction he got made him doubt this.

    Estrid literally almost threw up before shing Tyr a very disgusted look.

    "Do not ever say that again or I will give you to Salgard! I brought you here because you are the only one of my age that is a child of a King and I hate Salgard more than I do you," Estrid rified because Tyr was getting things mixed up.

    "You did not have to react like that, geez.." Tyr was defeated but for the first time, he heard Estridugh.

    If anything, herugh was nothing short of cute as it was high-pitched yet soft.

    Tyr found himself smiling, Estrid was not as bad as the first impression she gave.

    Five minutes passed and they were back at the party, Rugalf was curious as to what they did but they did not look to be on bad terms.

    He was happy that they were getting along because he really hoped Estrid would choose Tyr.

    Rugalf deserved credit for this, he did not treat Estrid as some political pawn with no free will and allowed his daughter to have a say.

    This was something rare in Kings as they often married their daughters to the highest bidder despite how their daughters felt about it.

    Their daughters were not warriors nor sessors so this was their only use, political marriage.

    "Where did you go princess?" Rugalf questioned.

    "I went to fuck Tyr, father," Estrid blurted out and Rugalf immediately spilled the ale in his mouth.

    "I am joking! I am joking!" Estrid responded as she burst outughing, a peal ofughter that once again made Tyr smile.

    -

    The moon was shining, it was a beautiful night and Ragnar wanted to go for a walk to enjoy this.

    He wanted to let the wind blow against his tired skin as he has been cooped up in his throne room for a bit too long and needed to stretch his legs.

    He wondered what Lagertha was doing and if Ulf dared to speak to her again.

    There was no way Ragnar knew how stubborn his wife was and he trusted her wholeheartedly.

    Ragnar was lost in his thought bubble as he found himself walking by ake.

    But he saw multiple men in the distance staring at something and Ragnar came just in time to see what they were looking at.

    They were looking at maidens with Aug showering, it was weird that they would resort to peeking when they could have consensual sex with the women in Vestfold.

    Ragnar did not know what kind of offence thedies would take if they found out that they were being spied on and Ragnar discreetly made his presence known.

    This was enough for the warriors to scatter but the noise drew the attention of the maiden.

    Ragnar did not know why but he found himself running behind the men before he w

    ould bebelled a pervert by thedies showering.

 Chapter 311 The Hypnotic Tongue Of The Serpent

    ?

    Ragnar returned to his throne and he wondered one thing, that was if Aug was among those nakeddies.

    Ragnar found himself growing increasingly curious about this woman and he knew it was not a healthy hobby he was developing.

    She was ady of renown and he knew how his men treated her was a direct representation of Vestfold but there would be no sane man that would not spare such beautiful women a nce.

    "Ragnar, you should head to bed¡­." Skarde advised his friend but Ragnar was too preupied with his thoughts that he did not hear him.

    Skarde had just walked in and Ragnar waspletely oblivious to his surroundings.

    "Ragnar¡­" Skarde called out and only then did Ragnar respond to him.

    "Ah! Skarde, what are you doing here, old friend?" Ragnar asked him.

    "Is something worrying you, King Ragnar?" Skarde asked, even though Ragnar did not like it when he used honorifics with him.

    He knew it was custom and could not fault Skarde for that.

    "There is nothing Skarde¡­." Ragnar denied it and a silence followed that told Skarde something was indeed worrying Ragnar.

    "Say Skarde¡­." Ragnar started and Skarde gave his King his full attention.

    "What do you think of Lady Aug?" Ragnar asked out of the blue, this took Skarde by surprise but he knew if he pressed it, it might dissuade Ragnar from continuing with the conversation.

    "Lady Aug is an interestingdy, to say the least, she protects her beauty from the eyes of men so she may not tempt them, it is honourable in a way," Skarde said, he was blind so it mattered little if she protected her beauty or not because he could not see her either way.

    But were Ragnar''s eyes wandering?

    Skarde knew that if Ragnar did marry Aug, it will boost Vestfold tremendously but Ragnar was already a married man and he loved Lagertha with all his heart as distance only strengthened their love.

    "I do wonder the kind of woman that is behind that veil¡­" Ragnar carelessly blurted out.

    "I DID NOT MEAN IT LIKE THAT!" Ragnar quickly dered as he knew what he said could have an alternate meaning.

    Skarde understood Ragnar might be married but he was still a man when it came to it.

    Something like this would surely intrigue him and from what he has heard, there was nothing perverse about Ragnar''s curiosity, just a genuine interest in another person.

    Even after all these years, Ragnar has not changed.

    "It is fine King Ragnar, I do understand," Skarde reassured his friend but their conversation was cut short soon after.

    The door to the throne room sprung open.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Speak of the devil¡­" Skarde muttered under his breath and in came Aug with a few of her maidens.

    Ragnar cleared his throat nervously, as Skarde just shook his head.

    Ragnar was so awkward, and Skarde knew it might be up to him to find out why they are here in the first ce.

    "What brings you here?" Skarde asked, considering the time it was strange that they woulde here if it was not for something urgent.

    "I am sorry to bother you, King Ragnar and his right hand, Skarde but we have something that distressed mydy," The answered as usual for Aug.

    Ragnar spared Skarde a nce, non-verbally giving him permission to continue the conversation in his stead instead, an idea that Skarde supported.

    "I apologize in advance for whatever it was that distresseddy Aug but how can we help?" Skarde requested, it was obvious by his tone that he was addressing ady that had a higher standing than him.

    "Men were watching us bathe, Lord Skarde. I do not know why but we did not think the men of Vestfold were such¡­." The maiden controlled her tongue but everyone knew what she wanted to say without her evenpleting it.

    "They were watching you bathing? In your home?" Skarde questioned, he was fairly confused because there was no way they would not be watched if they bathed outside and he wanted to hear it directly from her mouth so maybe she too could see how ridiculous it sounded.

    The maiden gave what she was about to say a second thought but before she could open her mouth.

    "We were washing ourselves in the stream that is prohibited from being visited once I am there. This has always been the rule of Vestfold, King Ragnar. I want your word that it will not happen again," Aug spoke and everyone was stunned in the room, including the maiden with her.

    "Mydy!" She eximed as Aug had just broken a taboo, her voice was soft and tender, oozing divinity.

    Ragnar was whipped and he found himself wanting to hear her speak some more but he had topose himself because he was King and could not lose face.

    "I will make sure it does not happen again, you have my word," Ragnar said, for her to speak he knew that this was of great importance to her but Ragnar had no idea how he would do this, if it was done before then it could be done again.

    Thedies left and Skarde noticed that Ragnar''s interest in Aug just might not be innocent.

    -

    "Lady Aug! Why did you speak?" The maiden asked her as she refrained from speaking all this time, what was so different now?

    "You were instructed by your father not to speak, mydy. That is why your maidens are here!" The maiden said, sounding genuinely concerned because if word got out of this, then Aug''s "value" might plummet.

    "You have nothing to worry about, King Ragnar is not the kind of man to speak of such things¡­" Aug said and the maiden was confused, she spoke like she knew Ragnar.

    "What do you mean mydy?" The maiden questioned, wanting to satisfy her curiosity.

    "I have chosen him to be the man I wed," Aug responded and that was why she spoke in his presence. Aug knew exactly what she was doing.

 Chapter 312 Normalcy

    ?

    "Commander!" A voice called out from his window.

    Bjorn was still living with his mother despite having enough money to start a life of his own.

    He still clung to Lagertha because he knew he needed to protect her now that neither Tyr nor his father was here.

    Lagertha was a skilled warrior and she could beat most men in Kattegat but her reputation as a King''s wife made her a target, for she was Ragnar''s weakness.

    Bjorn awoke to this voice, he recognized it.

    It was Ivan''s voice, Ivan had been making more attempts tomunicate with Bjorn and Bjorn did not appreciate him invading his privacy like he had just done. It was inappropriate, to say the least.

    "Ivan? What are you doing here?" Bjorn questioned through his window, not even getting up to see him.

    The moment he did, he got no response from the man.

    "Is it about my brother again?" Bjorn asked but he got no response once again.

    Bjorn reluctantly got up from his bed and peeked out of his window, it was about Tyr.

    Ivan became obsessed with the younger Viking upon meeting him, the stories he heard did not do Tye justice.

    Ivan was convinced he was some sort of god that came to usher in a new age of Vikings.

    This was ironic seeing as the soothsayer had said something simr to Ragnar years ago.

    "I had a dream about him¡­" Ivan said and Bjorn was surprised that this was what brought him all the way here, a dream?

    To be honest, Bjorn was rather interested in what he had dreamt about.

    "What happened in this dream?" Bjorn asked, he wanted to head to bed but he knew Ivan would not leave him alone until he was satisfied.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, I dreamt he transformed into a three-headed dragon and turned the sea to drynd with his mes¡­" Ivan said with a serious face.

    "Ivan¡­"Bjorn muttered.

    "Yes, Commander! Ivan shouted.

    Bjorn gestured for him to lean closer and the moment he did, Bjorn pulled him in by his cor before asking.

    "Do you want to die?"

    Ivan soon his head fervently, Bjorn was amazed that he even dared to do such a thing at such a time.

    Bjorn saw something move in the distance, he squinted his eyes but pretended like he did not see anything.

    Ever since Fredrik''s death, a power tussle ensued for the void he left among the more influential men of Kattegat. Bjorn knew that Askild was the only one keeping them in check because Askild may be as cruel as he is but he was no puppet.

    Bjorn was conflicted because he knew Kattegat would fall apart should Askild fall.

    They were barely hanging on after the mess Birger created and Fredrik''s importance was showing.

    This was why Askild, despite his attitude, never opposed anything Fredrik said.

    But it is also safe to say that Fredrik was the one keeping Askild in check as certain decisions, Askild could not make but now he was free to do as he pleased and thus included going to Ennd.

    Bjorn knew they were being watched, this was a frequent urrence and one of the reasons he could not leave his mother alone. He was fine with them watching but for how long?

    "Ivan, I assure you. My brother is no dragon. Now, can I go to bed? Bjorn dismissed his warrior''s worry.

    ".... Are you sure, Commander?" Ivan was not satisfied with Bjorn''s answer.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Ah, forgive me, Ivan. I must have missed the horns on his other two heads¡­" Bjorn was so annoyed.

    "Hahaha! I knew it!" Ivanughed victoriously, missing the obvious sarcasm in Bjorn''s voice.

    "I WAS OBVIOUSLY JOKING!" Bjorn shouted and this inadvertently woke his mother up.

    Bjorn turned around briefly to see if his mother was within sight, he knew he was about to get the scolding of his life and upon looking front, Ivan was nowhere to be found.

    "That bastard!" Bjorn cussed, Ivan had run away because he was not about to get a scolding from Bjorn''s mother.

    "Bjorn Ironside!" Lagertha screamed as she charged into his room but she met no one.

    Bjorn had jumped out of his window and followed in Ivan''s footsteps.

    -

    Tyr was back at the party, he watched everyone drink and have fun to their hearts'' content but he also noticed no one dared look at Estrid.

    He was certain that she believed herself some sort of goddess that was not worthy of anyone''s eyes.

    She was the textbook definition of a narcissist but Tyr was yet to figure out what her deal was.

    It must be tasking being the only girl in such a big extended family and that is why they treated her like a princess.

    Thorgard was the exception but Tyr liked Thorgard and that was who he tried to find the moment he returned with Estrid. He found the young Viking eating and drinking with his peers.

    Tyr has not been around someone his age for a very long time and seeing Thorgard was a pleasant sight.

    He knew he could learn more about Salgard from him as Thorgard already had a few drinks in him.

    Tyr rushed to the young Viking''s side but he could feel Salgard''s eyes trailing him.

    Salgard did note here to celebrate Tyr, he came here to see what kind of person he was and right now, Salgard was wary of the son of Ragnar.

    "Thorgard!" Tyr excitedly called out, he did so in a manner that let everyone know the two were getting along. This would, in turn, create a sense of unity seeing as Tyr befriended the King''s brother.

    This would, in turn, make everyone more trusting because if the King''s brother could trust him enough to befriend him, surely he must be friendly.

    This was what Tyr was banking on and luckily, Thorgard reciprocated his energy.

    "Friend! Come! Come!" Thorgard gestured for him toe to sit with him, pushing thedy beside him away.

    Tyr took him up on his offer but Thorgard offered him a cup of ale Tyr knew he had to drink.

    It would be rude to turn it down, especially after that big showing.

    Tyr had tried ale before, he hated the taste, but he could suck it up this once.

    Tyr gulped the cup of ale down in a go but Thorgard and everyone around looked at Tyr with awe.

    "What?" Tyr asked.

    "That was not just any ale, it was ale gotten from a neighbouring Kingdom! It packs X10 the power of normal ale and you just drank a full cup! As expected of the son of Ragnar!" Thorgard said.

    "What is he saying, I am perfectly fine¡­" Tyr thought or so he thought as he had said this out loud with the biggest grin on his face.

    "That fool¡­" Estrid thought, looking at Tyr''s stupid grin, there was no way she was going to marry such a clueless person.

 Chapter 313 Estrid And Tyr

    ?

    The night passed with little to no problem, Tyr wanted to get information from Thorgard but ended up being the one that got hammered. He hoped he did not do anything that would dent his reputation during his cked out state level of drunk as he had no conscious control of his actions.

    Tyr could not recollect the events of the night prior and he woke up with a devastating headache to boot.

    He could not think straight and his staff Mach turned.

    The young warrior woke up in an unfamiliar ce, this was not the room he was given.

    Rugalf gave him a room upon arriving for him to rest, the same held for Finn and Nora who had the time of their lives at that party. Tyr liked this for them, they deserved some semnce of happiness in their lives.

    Tyr did not even pay them any attention and could not recall a single thing they did.

    "You are awake¡­" Ady he had never seen before asked and Tyr immediately froze.

    He was notfortable because his clothes were missing as well as thedy''s'', this could only mean one thing in his young mind. They had sex?

    Tyr immediately pulled the covers up to his neck as he looked around the room for more clues.

    This woman was no doubt a beauty but Tyr was not even interested in her sexually because he did not know her.

    "Where am I?" Tyr inquired, his voice calm but anyone could tell he was ufortable with his current situation, who would not be?

    "You are in bed¡­" Thedy replied sheepishly with a giggle apanying her words.

    Tyr knew he was in a bed and did not appreciate the woman messing with him at such a delicate time.

    But Estrid soon walked in, and gestured for thedy to leave them.

    "Did we¡­.?" Tyr asked, too shy toplete the sentence and all thedy did was wink at him before walking out the door.

    Tyr looked at Estrid, but Estrid looked unbothered by his dilemma.

    "You are a virgin?" Estrid asked and Tyr''s bodynguage immediately changed.

    "And? What does that matter?" Tyr responded, there was no hint of shame in his voice.

    Estrid looked genuinely surprised, rarely were men virgins at such an age as most saw sex as a rite of passage.

    "Do youy with men?" Estrid asked, this was the alternative, maybe he was just not attracted to thedy.

    "Are you an idiot?" Tyr fired back, Estrid''s eyes widened in shock.

    How dare he speak to her in such a way, she was livid.

    "You are an ungrateful little punk, you know that?" Estrid barked at him, losing all form of etiquette in the process.

    "It is funny you should use the word, little. My knees are taller than you," Tyr teased as he rolled his eyes.

    Estrid literally removed her sandals and threw them at Tyr, she had such a short temper that she was so used toshing out violently

    Tyr easily caught the sandals and shook his head.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Ady should not act so violently. More so, a beautiful one such as yourself¡­" Tyr gestured for her toe closer as he sat on the edge of the bed.

    Estrid saw his shirtless body, it was filled with scars.

    No one in her family, be it immediate or distant has these many scars showing that whatever life Tyr had lived beforeing here must have been a difficult one.

    Estrid felt her attention shift from rage to surprise and amidst this surprise, she tripped over herself, but Tyr caught her.

    "You are so clumsy¡­" Tyr said with a smile, this was an actual genuine smile as Estrid was momentarily taken back by it.

    But she soon snapped back to reality, headbutting Tyr to break herself free from his grasp.

    Tyr had on a poker face because he did not know what he did to deserve that.

    "Unhand me! You fiend!" Estrid dered but she soon saw blood streaming down Tyr''s bandanged head.

    Estridpletely forgot that he was injured the day before thanks to her father.

    "You really are your father''s daughter¡­" Tyr mocked her, Estrid had no feminine trait.

    She was neither soft or gentle, just an aggressive hunk of flesh that masqueraded as ady. Estrid quietly walked over to Tyr.

    "You are not going to hit me again, are you?" Tyr asked.

    "Only if you move. Now shut up and stay still¡­" Estrid responded, she was so confrontational for no reason whatsoever.

    "Say¡­" Estrid said, her voice softening.

    "How did you get those scars?" Estrid asked, as she delicately changed the bloodied bandage around Tyr''s head, no one asked him what happened to his head and simply treated it as a fashion choice due to the way Estrid dressed it.

    "My scars?" Tyr was surprised that she was showing interest in anything other than herself but he also know there would be no harm in sharing this part of himself with her.

    "It is a reminder of how many times I came close to death¡­" Tyr said, grabbing Estrid''s hand and cing it on a wound located on his chest.

    "This is the one that took my life¡­" Tyr said, Estrid could feel his heart beat beneath his scar riddled body, she could feel the warmth of his skin.

    Tyr had already let go of her hand yet it remained in ce as Estrid was clearly lost in her little world.

    Tyr did not say a word, but he did not need to, Estrid soon snapped back to reality, and yanked her hand away.

    "Whatever!" She eximed as she finished bandaging his head.

    "Hey! You asked!" Tyr eximed, growing tired of her shitty behaviour.

    "Well! I un-ask!" Estrid fired back, she always had aeback ready and Tyr knew there was no winning with her.

    "That does not even make sense¡­" Tyr blurted out.

    "Shut up!" Estrid once again countered but both of them found themselvesughing at how absurd this situation was.

 Chapter 314 Rugalfs Warning...

    ?

    Salgard was called on by Rugalf, Rugalf knew the kind of man his younger brother was and it was his duty to keep him in ce.

    He did not want him to extend his sadism to Tyr or things might get ugly, he alreadyid his hand on the son of Ragnar after he sensed his killing intent towards his daughter and that was thest act of aggression he wanted the younger Viking to face.

    The expedition was in two weeks and Rugalf wanted everyone on good terms before then even though they were only sending a very small percentage of their forces.

    It would barely make a dent in their overall army, as Kattegat and his Kingdom were the only three going there. Each nned to allocate fifty men to this expedition as this should be more than enough.

    "My King¡­" Salgard greeted his older brother with his head bowed.

    "Salgard, we have a guest of the utmost importance. You understand the importance this holds for our Kingdom, don''t you?" Rugalf asked.

    Salgard was surprised his brother brought him all the way here just to say something so obvious.

    "I know, King Rugalf. I have taken extra measures to make sure our brothers behave," Salgard reassured his older brother but he was failing to see that it was him that Rugalf was worried about.

    "Fr?ygard, what did you do to himst night?" Rugalf questioned but Salgard raised a brow in confusion.

    He was not following, and he wanted to know what exactly his brother was talking about.

    "What are you talking about, King Rugalf?" Salgard asked, and one would believe he truly had no idea but something else urred after the partyst night.

    Someone had beaten Fr?ygard to a pulp and left him on the brink of death, and Rugalf instinctively knew this person was Salgard.

    Salgard has always been a sadist, he likes inflicting pain on others just for the fun of it and this was a trait that he exhibited for as far back as Rugalf could remember.

    This was why his brothers were so frightened of him except his two older brothers as they were the only ones that Salgard listened to.

    Salgard knew the gig was up as Rugalf was not buying his innocent act.

    "I did as you say but I did warm him, King Rugalf. If someone disobeys me, they must be punished or it will happen again," Salgard said bluntly, there was no remorse in his voice.

    "And what if it is you that disobeys them?" Rugalf asked, he was trying to see how his brother''s mind worked.

    "If they have the means to punish, so they may," Salgard said; he was the third strongest in their family after Rugalf and Grj?tgard.

    "I do not want you anywhere near Tyr," Rugalfmanded.

    "I am sorry King Rugalf but that won''t do. He may be a son of Ragnar but he is still an outsider until he weds Estrid. If you break your own rules, who punishes you then, big brother?" Salgard asked.

    Salgard had a point, he was responsible for such things, it was his duty and he was not about to forsake it just because of a name.

    Rugalfmanding him not to do so contradicts the very assignment he has given his younger brother but this tone, was it a threat?

    No, it could not be a threat, Salgard might be a lunatic but he never forgot his ce.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He was simply asking Rugalf a question in the same manner that Rugalf previously asked him.

    Rugalf did not know what to say, Grj?tgard could handle him better than he ever could but unfortunately, Grj?tgard was not here.

    "Do not go overboard with Tyr," Rugalf admitted his defeat as he knew while he might be King, the Kingdom cake first and what Salgard said was sound.

    He could not be biased or his men might perceive this as weakness.

    "I will not, My King," Salgard responded with that same ol'' creepy smile stered on his face.

    -

    Bjorn Ironside did not spend that night at home and instead, passed it at Ivan''s house.

    Ivan lived alone, he did not have much of a personal life or even women to fawn over.

    All he had was his obsession with Tyr but he was a skilled warrior nheless.

    Bjorn knew he was an emotional individual, and a person driven by emotions will eventually be a liability.

    Bjorn woke up to Ivan training outside, he always strived to be better and his work ethic was one of the things he respected about him.

    Bjorn knew he could not spend all day here and left the area, but Ivan''s house was so far out that one would think it was not even in Kattegat.

    Bjorn was journeying back, the area waspletely deserted as only a few people lived in these parts but Bjorn sensed he was being followed.

    This could be a simple coincidence but Bjorn did not believe in such things.

    He took an unnatural turn into a ce that had no road, just trees and nothing else.

    And whoever it is that was on his trail followed, confirming Bjorn''s suspicion.

    Bjornid in wait, he was experienced in these things and the unfortunate person that was following him was soon met with a de pressed against their neck.

    Bjorn did not recognize this person but he was so frightened the moment he felt the sword pressed against his neck, that he almost pissed himself as he thought he was going to die.

    Bjorn had every intention of defending himself should he be attacked otherwise, spilling blood in broad daylight was forbidden as prisons existed for a reason.

    "P-Please! Do not kill me! My father will give you anything you want!" The man pleaded, Bjorn already knew he was a high-ss individual because of the clothes and pieces of jewelry he wore.

    "A noble¡­" Bjorn muttered under his breath.

    What Bjorn could not figure out was what a noble wanted with him.

 Chapter 315 King Signys Heated Moment [R+18]

    ?

    Kjell reported what happened to Signy and the King of Vingulmark was not pleased, especially since he lost even more than he had anticipated.

    This included Aksel, Signy knew he did not have the military might just yet to make any major moves.

    He was surprised that King Ragnar had note for his head yet, was he holding onto the chance that they could be peace among them?

    Signy was no fool, Ragnar killing him would split the opinions of the people in Vestfold but leaving him alive would make the people attribute him with kindness.

    Signy had a n in motion to take Vestfold back from Ragnar.

    He was sneaking warriors in Vestfold, he has been doing this ever since Ragnar opened his gates to wee migrants to bolster their economy as the work that these people put in could not be underestimated.

    Jan had no problems submitting to Signy, Signy expected him to put up a lot more resistance but Jan took it on the chin.

    Jan regretted not killing him when he had a chance but then again, there was no doubt that Signy had strengthened Vingulmark.

    Signy took a huge sigh, he needed to be patient.

    He was so close to his ultimate goal but now, he needed to wait for things to y themselves out, he could not force it.

    Signy returned to his chambers to rest, it was time for him to truly take in how far he hade.

    He looked back on the war on Vestfold and saw the numerous mistakes that they had made.

    Asmund''s error was not hitting them hard when they were weak, he gave them a chance to recuperate as his strategy to starve them out proved to be their downfall.

    Signy wanted to let everything go, he wished none of this happened.

    He would be in Vestfold, probably seeding Asmund as King not living off scraps and a Kingdom that barely had any standing in the Viking world.

    "King Signy¡­" A voice called out, Signy''s eyes focused on the person that called his name.

    She walked through the door, barely clothed but the clothes she wore were very revealing.

    Signy was non-responsive.

    She knew exactly what her job was and that was to take care of his sexual needs, she had an average face but her body was anything but average.

    She was a tall youngdy with ck hair that she wears in a bun with bangs swept to the right side while she has neck-length hair strands hanging on either side, ck eyes, a slim waist, a voluptuous body andrge breasts. She wore a skirt that allowed her ass cheeks to hang out because she knew she was noting into his room to talk, she wasing into his room for an entirely different reason.

    She unfastened Signy''s trousers but he was not hard, she tried stroking it but he was still not hard.

    He was not responding to her touches and she wondered if it was stress.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Everything is his fault!" Signy eximed and thedy in the room was confused as to who he was talking about. She knew it was not in her ce to speak, all she was there to do was get him off and since he was not in the mood, she had no business staying there.

    She got up and attempted to leave but she felt a hard pull on her hair dragging her back onto the bed.

    "IT IS ALL HIS FUCKING FAULT!" Signy lost it, the woman was pushed head first into the mattress as she felt her skirt being ripped apart by Signy but there was a huge difference right now, he was erect and he was a lot more forceful.

    "M-My King¡­" Thedy said; she sounded frightened because she had never seen Signy like this.

    He usually justid down and allowed her to do what she does best, and that was to satisfy him but today, he was taking an active role.

    He was showing aggression and an actual willingness to partake even though it could be termed hostile.

    She could not resist, not that she wanted to, Signy did not even bother lubing up his dick but he did not need to because thedy was already wet.

    Signy held her head down in ce and she was finding it a bit difficult to breathe.

    Her eyes rolled back the moment she felt Signy''s dick slide into her, the girth of his dick made its way as far as it could, it was not the size that was the problem but the force in which he thrust it.

    Each thrust brushed against her G-Spot.

    She clenched the sheets, the sweat dripping down her naughty body as the pheromones oozing from her skin made every single part of her body sensitive.

    Her breasts swayed with each thrust, this was the kind of fucking she was not used to.

    You see, this was a woman that Signy, himself, had taken her virginity as he was a man of prominent stature so one could say she was his personal whore.

    Signy did not like it when she moaned but today, she could not hold back, her ass cheeks pping each time his dick slid into the fountain between her legs.

    She was gushing and gushing, she wanted every inch and she was going to get it.

    She began throwing her ass back to meet his thrust halfway, it felt way too good for both parties.

    "I will kill him!" Signy blurted out and right there, Signy came inside her, filling her with his cum.

    Pouring every single ounce of frustration and stress on his shoulder into her. Both of them were breathing hard but she was more than him.

    Signy picked himself up from the bed and walked away, leaving the woman both stunned and terrified as the back of her neck was sore.

    It made her wonder what would have happened if he did not cum when he did.

 Chapter 316 Bjorn Inherits...!?

    ?

    Bjorn Ironside was in a pickle, he was wondering what a noble would want with him as he left his de pressed against his neck for his own safety.

    He knew this might incur punishment but he knew whatever punishment it may be, he had a higher standing than any noble in Kattegat all thanks to his father''s title as King.

    "What does a noble want with me?" Bjorn questioned, he was not going to let down his guard for even a second.

    "It is not I that wants something but my father! I was sent to bring you to him as a sign of respect!" The man blurted out, Bjorn raises a brow despite understanding the concept.

    He sent one of his own to approach him and not a messenger to show that they held Bjorn in a higher standing.

    A messenger could be tranted as being disrespectful and that was something they could not afford.

    Bjorn knew whatever it was, had to do with politics and this was one thing he was not interested in but maybe he could learn something that could be useful in the future.

    When next will such an opportunity present itself?

    "Wait, were you the one watching mest night?" Bjorn asked and he was hoping the answer would be yes as that would solve the mystery.

    "Following you? I am sorry but I have no idea what you''re talking about," The man said, he had a very ordinary face.

    Bjorn found nothing interesting about him physically.

    "What is your name?" Bjorn requested.

    "I go by the name Magnus," The man introduced himself, if Bjorn could guess his age he would say he was in his midte twenties.

    "Well, Magnus, take me to your father." Bjorn gave in.

    This news excited Magnus because he would have aplished his task.

    Like eveey child, he wanted to make his father proud.

    He was not a warrior to say the least nor did he have the courage or bravery to be anything great.

    He was just an ordinary boy with a powerful name.

    -

    Bjorn arrived at a hugepound, this part of Kattegat was a lot different, even the air smelled rich.

    Bjorn felt so out of ce as he knew that there were categories to being rich, and this was at the top.

    Magnus gestured for Bjorn to follow him, Bjornplied because he already came this far so why not see it to the end.

    He saw thedies stealing nces at him, Bjorn did not realize how handsome he was and always mistook these nces as curiosity in seeing a son of Ragnar.

    He never put too much thought into these things and even with that, he still looked dashing.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Bjorn walked into the huge house, a little villsgr could easily fit in here yet it was a single family that upied it.

    "Father is right this way¡­" Magnus pointed and Bjorn followed him through a door, it was the door to a room with a bed.

    "Huh?" Bjorn thought to himself, the man looked sick as heid on his bed coughing.

    He was easily in histe seventies so it was kind of a miracle he was still alive in such a state.

    "Father, I have brought Bjorn Ironside¡­" Magnus said, Bjorn did not need to bow or go above and beyond in terms of honorifics.

    "Wee, Prince of Vestfold¡­" The old man said, this was the first time that someone had used such a term.

    It was a strange term but this was Bjorn''s reality nheless.

    Bjorn stood there awkwardly because he did not even know what to call him, the introduction had yet to be done.

    "I am Lars. As you can see, this husk is reaching its limit¡­." Lars said, pausing as he looked over at Magnus for him to leave.

    He wanted to talk alone with Bjorn Ironside and Magnus granted his father this privacy.

    "Bjorn Ironside, your name is known far and wide. It is fortunate that you are from Kattegat or we would have never met in this lifetime¡­" Lars said, he was warming up to the main point of the conversation

    "I am in Kattegat and this is the first I have heard of you," Bjorn thought, he dare not say this out loud but this was also the case with Fredrik before his passing.

    The only reason he knew him was because his daughter was Queen.

    "As you have seen, Magnus is not nearlypetent enough to carry on the name I have built for this family and it is unfortunate because he is my only heir. He is neither a warrior or a ruler, he is simply an average man that is best suited for an average life¡­" Lars got to the point atst.

    Bjorn was a little eager, what was it that he was trying to say? Was he going to give all his wealth to him because he trusted him more than his son, Magnus?

    Bjorn''s head was racing and his mind had pieced together numerous events that ended up with him in possession of all this.

    He gulped, all he wanted was for Lars to say it, the next words about toe out of his mouth were the words that Bjorn thought would shape his future.

    He already had ns on how he would spend the money.

    "I want you, Bjorn Ironside¡­" Lars said, pausing but Bjorn could barely take the suspense.

    "I want you to make Magnus into a man, a warrior such as yourself¡­" Lars said but Bjorn, who heard somethingpletely different the first time around, had carelessly responded with.

    "I will do it!" Bjorn eximed, his enthusiasm surprised Lars but it was weed nheless.

    "Wait, what? Did he just say I just should train Magnus?" Bjorn thought to himself but he realized at that moment that he just made one of his biggest mistakes in his life.

    Bjorn might be a seasoned warrior but in the end, he was just seventeen-years old.

 Chapter 317 Salgard Vs Tyr?

    ?

    Tyr was enjoying his time in Rognd so far, Estrid might be a brat but she was someone he knew he could grow to like if he tried hard enough.

    Thorgard, however, was his main focus but he knew he might have difficulty with Salgard in the picture.

    Salgard was an unknown variable, Tyr felt no hostility from him yet his gut feeling kept telling him that Salgard is bad news.

    Tyr grew to listen to that gut feeling, he escaped the clutches of Estrid and decided to go for a walk around Rognd.

    He was yet to see Finn and Nora but he knew that they were free to live as they wanted.

    They were not his ves and neither did they decide to follow him as underlings but Tyr did not see them as equals for they were yet to endure the kind of life that he has.

    This Kingdom was a lot different than the ones he has been in, namely Kattegat and Vestfold.

    The citizens did not pay him any heed and went about their business like he did not exist.

    The Vikings here did not move about with weapons as conflicts were resolved with fists.

    They beat it out of each other as Rugalf believed that weapons were for killing.

    Tyr took in the freedom, but amidst his walking around, he ran into a little boy that bore an uncanny resemnce to Kahina but the only difference was his skinplexion, he was pale-skinned.

    "Move!" The child barked but Tyr did not feel like it.

    He might be a kid but that does not give him the right to speak to him anyhow.

    "No, I will not. What are you going to do about it?" Tyr questioned and before he knew it, the child stomped his leg before running past Tyr.

    "Why you little¡­!" Tyr grumbled as he arched his head back but he saw ady pulling the boy''s ear.

    "Apologize! I told you to stop making trouble!" Thedy warned the boy but he refused to speak.

    He kept his lips sealed, and thedy holding him rolled her eyes in annoyance.

    "I am sorry for his behaviour, he is doing through that rebellious age¡­" She said with an awkward smile.

    She was as t as a boy, she had no distinguishing feature except for her brte hair andzy eyes.

    "What the fuck are you looking at?" Tyr asked thedy because this was the first time he had seen a person withzy eyes.

    "I am looking at you¡­" Thedy responded with a raised brow.

    "You would be looking at me if I was a hundred meters to the left¡­" Tyr fired back and this struck a nerve in thedy.

    "You know what¡­. Fuck it!" Thedy said as she let go of the boy who proceeded to stomp Tyr''s other foot.

    Before he ran away, Tyr wanted to chase him and give him a knock on his head but a voice brought him back.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" The voice called, Tyr returned his head to face forward only to see Salgard.

    "Hahaha! Fancy meeting you here, Salgard. I would have thought you were following me¡­" Tyr said with silence following, both of them stared each other right in the eyes but once again, Tyr could feel no malicious intent.

    "Come with me, we need to talk," Salgard said as he began walking forward with Tyr following behind him.

    Tyr was skeptical but there was no way that Salgard would be stupid enough to attack him considering how high Rugalf held him.

    "Where are we going?" Tyr asked but Sged remained quiet, walking and walking until he came to an abrupt stop at a dead end.

    The ce was deserted and this was no ce to have a conversation, Tyr looked left and right to confirm they were not lost but it was clear that Salgard intended to bring him here.

    "This ce smells¡­" Tyr said, he was a good distance away from Salgard and made sure not to get too close.

    If Salgard wanted to fight, Tyr was fairly confident in his abilities to take him on.

    Tyr recognized this smell, it was the smell of a rotting corpse, he looked around once again in hopes of finding the body responsible for such a smell but nothing was found.

    "If I told you I killed yourpanions, what would you do?" Salgard tossed the question up in the air, this caught Tyrpletely off-guard.

    "I would say you are joking," Tyr responded sternly as Salgard turned around to look at him.

    "Does this look like the face of a man that is joking? I brought you here away from everyone else to give you a chance to avenge them¡­" Salgard said.

    Tyr was confused, was this some sort of kind of game if it was, he had no intentions of ying.

    "Stop fucking around or I just might kill-!" Tyr was interrupted mid-speech as Salgard''s hand grabbed his mouth before he could even register his movement.

    "Oh dear son of Ragnar. You could not kill me, not even in a hundred years. I am surprised you killed Sighvatur and his wayward son¡­" Salgard said. Tyr could not move an inch. He removed his hand from Tyr''s mouth.

    "H-How do you know of them?" Tyr questioned, there was no reason for Salgard to even know those names because the term he used was personal.

    He clearly did not hear it from Finn or Nora.

    "You are asking the wrong questions, I happened toe across that pathetic n when I stumbled upon an even greater threat¡­" Salgard said, pausing briefly before looking Tyr dead in the eye.

    "What did you see?" Tyr was curious, Salgard''s expression changed and the smile on his face was undone.

    "Death¡­" Salgard muttered before reaching for Tyr''s head once again and the younger Viking was able to respond a lot quicker this time as Tyr jumped back.

    Salgard rummaged through his trouser and he brought out a finger to show Tyr. Tyr did not think anything of this finger but upon closer inspection, he saw a ring that belonged to Nora, Noa gave her as a physical representation of their love right before she went away with Tyr.

    "Do you believe me now?" Salgard asked and Tyr''s entire personality changed and with that came Tyr''s killing intent.

    "Delicious¡­" Salgard said, licking his lips.

 Chapter 318 Bait Taken!

    ?

    Tyr was face to face with Salgard, the fact that weapons were not allowed meant that neither could identally kill each other unless they meant it.

    Salgard basked in his killing intent, this killing intent was raw and impure, not just anyone could do this.

    This told him one thing and that was that Tyr was worthy of his name.

    "You bastard! What did you do!?" Tyr barked but Salgard was surprised that he was this emotionally invested in people he did not even know for up to a year.

    He heard about how he killed Erik, this news wasmon among the brothers but them alone.

    It was a guided secret but Salgard wanted to experience what Tyr was about in person.

    Erik was strong but Salgard knew he could defeat him if it came to it, Erik had reached the height of his potential, there was no more room for growth.

    Salgard was an endless vessel of potential, no one could pinpoint why he was so strong.

    "I just told you, I killed her¡­" Salgard repeated with his creepy smile and this was all Tyr needed to charge at him.

    Salgard was impressed by his speed, he was certainly fast but Salgard had no problems matching his speed.

    Tyr attempted to punch him right in the face but Salgard easily caught it with his open palm.

    "Is that it?" Salgard teased but he noticed that Tyr''s mouth opened and Salgard instantly ducked down instinctively.

    "What!?" Tyr thought; he was about to spit in his eyes but somehow, Salgard had predicted it.

    No, it was safe to say that he sensed something was off the moment Tyr''s lips split at such a distance.

    Salgard grabbed his clothes and pulled him over his shoulder and onto the ground.

    "You fight like a savage¡­" Salgard mocked Tyr as he slowly got up to his feet, looking down at the floored son of Ragnar.

    Tyr knew he needed a calm head, rage would not help him here and the thing with Tyr right now was that he had recollected a better part of his memory and this included newbat skills he utilized in his past life.

    Tyr got up to his feet, he was surprised that Salgard waited for him to do so but this only told him that Salgard nned to humiliate him.

    Tyr began to cackle, and Salgard wondered what he found amusing.

    "You know, I just figured something out¡­" Tyr said; Salgard was clearly interested in what he had to say.

    "I do not care about what happens to Nora or Finn. I just wanted a reason to test you¡­" Tyr said and this was no bluff, he meant the words that left his lips.

    "But you, Salgard, there is something seriously wrong with you," Tyr said, pointing at him.

    "I am going to teach you that I am not one of your brothers that cower at the sound of your name," Tyr said and Salgard was fascinated by this development because Tyr directed his killing intent at Salgard not because of Nora but for a reason as simple as this?

    Salgard weed this challenge and Tyr charged at him but he was faster than before, but before he could even get close, he saw the iing foot of Salgard aimed right at his head.

    Tyr managed to duck down but he felt a concussive force at the back of his head.

    Salgard had utilized the Brazilian kick, Tyr never fought anyone skilled in hand-to-handbat in terms of technique but Salgard was even scarier unarmed than he was armed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr was falling face-first into the ground but he managed to collect himself by using his hands as a spring tounch himself away.

    Salgard was impressed by his flexibility but this would make it 2-0, two times that Salgardnded a hit.

    Tyr knew he was strong but he was still feeling no killing intent from Salgard.

    Tyr smirked as he moved towards Salgard once again but this time, even faster and Salgard was caught off guard as Tyr managed tond a punch right on his face.

    Tyr showed visible relief because if his fist could touch him, then he could defeat him.

    "I got you, you bastard!" Tyr blurted out but he heard a voice that was not Salgard.

    "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING ATTACKING SALGARD!?" Tyr looked over his shoulder in utter shock.

    It was Thorgard and Fr?ygard, they looked furious and Tyr looked back at Salgard, he had a sadistic look on his face.

    "You bastard¡­!" Tyr muttered, Salgard had set him up and now it looked like Tyr had attacked him for no reason.

    "Salgard harmed Nora!" Tyr tried to defend himself but Thorgard was confused as he looked to his left.

    Then came Nora and Finn eating something, they have been showing them around Rognd and Nora looked perfectly fine.

    Tyr''s only reason for attacking him became null with that reason.

    "What is going on here?" Nornua asked.

    Salgard allowed Tyr''s fist to touch him because he knew Rognd more than anyone and had specifically told his brothers to show Nora and Finn around on the off chance that Tyr would want to head back to confirm, he would not have met anyone.

    And this route was specifically selected.

    "You do not know the rules of Rognd since you are new¡­" Salgard said, holding Tyr by the shoulder and forcing him down to his knees.

    Finn tried to rush in but Thorgard stopped him, there was nothing anyone could do as Tyr had vited a sacredw.

    Heid a hand on the King''a family and this could be termed treason in most cases.

    Salgard yed off his emotions and Tyr''s inexperience, he manipted him into attacking him and when the moment was right, he allowed his hit to give a false narrative of what was happening.

    His brothers were aware he nned on meeting Tyr and he even informed them toe join him as Salgard believed they were not given enough hospitality.

    And right now, in less than two days of being here, Tyr was on the verge of being executed.

    "What the fuck do you think you''re doing?" Tyr asked and Thorgard noticed the bandages wrapped around Tyr''s head were bleeding.

    He knew Salgard had attacked him but he did not witness so there was nothing he could do in this case.

    Not to mention, that no one dared get on Salgard''s bad side.

    "You cannot execute him here, even King Rugalf would not excuse you. He is a son of Ragnar, he should be tried like everyone else¡­" Thorgard blurted out, this was hisst-ditch attempt in saving Tyr because while Salgard was a depraved sadist, he was highly intelligent. Salgard listened to his younger brother and Tyr found himself at the jaws of death once again.

 Chapter 319 Devils Temptation

    ?

    Bjorn finished his discussion with Lars and he left his room feeling a lot more disappointed than he felt before going in.

    Magnus was eager to find out what they discussed but Bjorn was in no mood to.

    There was no way this person before him could be a warrior, even if the gods intervened.

    But Bjorn knew just how important this was because if he yed his cards right then Magnus could prove to be a powerful ally in his attempts to kill Askild.

    Bjorn was still not certain how he would do it because he knew he could not defeat Askild in a direct confrontation and Askild was a very paranoid person.

    No one was let near him, even his food tasted first before he ate it.

    Bjorn informed Magnus of his father''s proposal and Magnus looked ted, Bjorn thought he would take offence that his father saw him as ipetent but he must be more self-aware than Bjorn gave him credit for.

    He knew he was ipetent and wanted to be morepetent, Bjorn could respect that but Magnus was in no physical shape for arduous training but he had an idea.

    Not everyone was fit to fight with a sword in their hand and Bjorn was well aware that there was no way Magnus would suddenly be good at it.

    He started at ater time than most, there was no way that he would catch up to warriors that have it ingrained in their bones but archery was another thing entirely.

    He had a chance when it came to archery but this was not Bjorn''s strong suit unfortunately, he knew just the person that might be able to help and that was Ivan. Ivan had a diversified skill set, which included archery.

    Bjorn knew that he was about to take one of the most powerful families in Kattegat under his wing but he also knew the risk that came with it.

    He was being watched for the longest time and he was not sure it was this family as they had no reason to and if they somehow managed to kill Magnus, that will eliminate the threat that this household held.

    Because his father was too old and frail to sire another heir so that was not a possibility.

    Bjorn knew the importance Magnus might potentially have in Tyr''s n.

    Magnus was to stay at the estate until Bjorn explicitlymanded him to because Bjorn could kit guarantee his safety at this time.

    And whoever was watching him probably already caught wind of this, he ran into Ulrik and Reider.

    "Fancy seeing you here, Bjorn¡­" Ulrik started the conversation but Bjorn remained silent as he tried walking past Ulrik.

    "Be careful Bjorn¡­." Ulrik muttered under his breath promoting Bjorn to stop in his tracks.

    "What is that supposed to mean?" Bjorn asked.

    "You know what it means, you are not the only one being watched¡­" Ulrik said as he continued walking alongside Reidar.

    Reidar became someone he could trust to keep his mouth shut as it was even Reidar that first discovered that they were being watched.

    Bjorn found this strange, why were they watching Ulrik? He understood why he was being watched due to his status but Ulrik?

    Were they watching all themanders?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    That had to be it, Bjorn knew he needed to find a way to lure one out and capture him or things could blow out of proportion if left untouched.

    -

    King Ragnar had a very strange dream, waking in a heap of sweat but this was not a dream of violence and blood but rather, lust.

    And thedy that featured was not his wife, it was Aug.

    Ragnar woke up with one of the hardest erections he has ever had but the problem with such dreams was, now the thought of sleeping with Aug danced around in Ragnar''s mind.

    Ragnar kept this information to himself, it was just a dream and Skarde had no reason to know such a thing.

    She was all Ragnar could think about at the moment, the curiosity was once in her appearance alone but now it extended to her naked body.

    He was cracking but he knew he had to remain strong because there is no honor in disloyalty.

    Ragnar sat on his throne, entertaining all guests as a few citizens hade forth with their various disputes that he put an end to but Aug walked into the throne room.

    Vikings were there and Aug knew this would be the case as she asked to meet Ragnar privately.

    Ragnar looked left and right, her maidens were nowhere in sight, she hade alone.

    Ragnar thought about clearing out the throne room but that would be in bad taste to his warriors and show preferential treatment despite her title.

    Aug gestured, she dared not speak and let just anyone hear her voice or it would lose its value.

    She was so alluring because she was shrouded in mystery, a mystery she had every intention of maintaining.

    Luckily, there was a private room within the building, Ragnar ushered her inside it with the Vikings around paying no mind.

    They knew that there was no way King Ragnar could bed her as he had shown a faithfulness that made them respect him all the more.

    "Lady Aug, what can I help you with?" Ragnar asked, he found himself trying to discern her facial features but to no avail.

    "I had a dream about you, King Ragnar¡­" Aug said and Ragnar''s eyes shot open in surprise because he too had dreamt about her but he kept his mouth shut.

    Aug''s hands moved to her face as she slowly lowered the veil but Ragnar looked away right away.

    He did not know what she wanted to do but he did not want to break the vow she had upheld even though he was equally as curious to see what she looked like.

    "King Ragnar, I want to make that dream¡­." Aug said, raising Ragnar''s face to align with hers.

    ".... a reality."

 Chapter 320 Salgard Did What!?

    ?

    Rognd was in an uproar, Tyr had attacked the most despicable of the brothers.

    The citizens feared Salgard, he was a lunatic and they were partly d that someone dared to put their hands on him despite the consequence being them losing their lives.

    King Rugalf did not y with the safety of his family, he put them first in everything and the only violence he allowed was when they fought among themselves.

    This was why Salgard had free reign to abuse his brothers but Rugalf was fair in hisws.

    He prohibited his brothers from attacking the citizens as well for they were also forbidden even though Salgard has crossed this line numerous times without consequences.

    No one was brave enough to report him to Rugalf for they feared Salgard more than they did the King.

    Tyr was thrown in a cell as King Rugalf was briefed on what had happened.

    "Fuck¡­" Tyr knew this was one big power y from Salgard, he wanted to show Tyr that he was not untouchable just because he was the son of a King and he did just that.

    Tyr was used to being imprisoned but this prison was in far better conditions than the few he has been in.

    Tyr was not frightened because he knew he could not be killed by Rugalf or he would face the wrath of Ragnar.

    "Hey, dumbass¡­" A voice called out and Tyr looked through his cage to see Estrid, peeking through.

    "What do you want?" Tyr asked, thinking she hade to make fun of his current predicament.

    "You really went and did it¡­ I told you to stay away from him¡­. Why do boys never listen," Estrid said with a defeated sigh.

    "If you came here to make fun of me, how about you just leave?" Tyr blurted out, he was in no mood for jokes.

    "You are bleeding?" Estrid noticed the dried blood on his forehead and she instinctively knew what happened with that single piece of information.

    "Uncle Salgard attacked you first, did he not?" Estrid asked and Tyr was confused as to what she was getting at.

    What did he matter if he attacked him first? No one saw it happen, the only thing they saw was his fist making contact with Salgard.

    "Yeah, right before I punched him¡­" Tyr said but this was another thing that Estrid found strange.

    "You punched Uncle Salgard? That is impossible¡­" Estrid said; she thought Tyr was imprisoned for a different reason entirely.

    " I do not care if you do not believe me! I am not going to go about exining my strength to you!" Tyr barked.

    "You overreact a lot, you know that right? I do not care how strong you are, there is no way you could have punched Uncle Salgard¡­" Estrid reiterated her im, she stood firm in this belief.

    "What makes you so sure?" Tyr asked, there was no way that Salgard could be that strong.

    "I heard your stories in the wild and how you defeated Sighvatur and his son¡­" Estrid said; Tyr was confused as to what this had to do with anything.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "And so¡­?" Tyr asked, raising a brow. He was surprised that those two were known as far as here.

    But that would exin why Signy had heard about them, they were not as unknown as Tyr was led to believe.

    "Uncle Salgard defeated Sighvatur and his son alone¡­" Estrid said but this was not impressive.

    He also defeated Sighvatur alone, so what was the big idea?

    "I killed them¡­ I think I take the lead here," Tyr bragged, rolling his eyes.

    "Listen, you dumbass! Uncle Salgard fought against both of them alone and won!" Estrid made herself a lot clearer and Tyr''s face said it all.

    There was no way that Salgard fought those two monsters alone and won because if he had the amount of power Estrid imed then that would make him virtually invincible.

    "You are messing with me," Tyr was in denial and no one could me him.

    "I wish I was but if you did punch Uncle Salgard. You will be punished¡­" Estrid said with a sigh.

    "I cannot be killed, I am a son of Ragnar. Even King Rugalf is not careless enough to kill me for such a reason¡­" Tyr yawned, he was getting bored being seated in ce for so long.

    "You are right. Father will not kill you¡­" Estrid said and Tyr had an uninterested look.

    "But you will lose the hand in which you hit Uncle Salgard with¡­." Estrid said; she knew how important it was for a warrior to have both hands so Tyr losing an arm would cut his power in half.

    He would barely be able to function as a Viking and Tyr initially thought she was messing with him due to her aloof facial expression but it made sense or Salgard would not have gone through such trouble to implicate him.

    "Well, I will see you when the punishment is done," Estrid said casually like losing an arm was no big deal.

    "Do you think one arm will stop me from killing Salgard? If I lose my arms, I will chew away with my teeth. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow but I will kill him," Tyr said. Estrid found this a bit cringe considering that he was nowhere near Salgard.

    Rage was fine as a motivating factor but power is power, emotions will not close that gap.

    But before Estrid could take another step, she felt something dark and ominous behind her.

    She froze in ce, she was terrified because it felt like if she looked back, she would meet her end.

    "What is this?" Estrid muttered shakingly but Tyr''s mind had left the vicinity.

    He was prepared to give an arm but he swore if he lost that arm, he would take the life of Salgard despite not knowing how, one thing that Tyr''s life had taught him was that just because someone was stronger than you did not mean they possessed the skills to utilize those strengths to their fullest potential.

    "I will kill him!"

 Chapter 321 An Unexpected Twist

    ?

    King Rugalf was briefed and it was exactly as Estrid said, Tyr was going to lose his right hand because even he was not more important than the love Rugalf had for his family.

    Estrid kept her mouth shut despite knowing what truly transpired not because she was scared of Salgard but because she was generally uninterested in what was about to happen.

    They brought Tyr in front of everyone, Rugalf noticed that Tyr had the crowd on his side even though they did not verbally express their support.

    Salgard was disliked and even Rugalf could not me them.

    He hated that Tyr yed into Salgard''s trap as he knew Tyr would not just wake up and attack him.

    Tyr also hid the reason as to why he attacked him, it was not important as it might be perceived as a weakness.

    Nora had momentarily given him her ring due to Salgard lying about wanting to check what material it was crafted with so he could give one to hisdy.

    Nora took this opportunity to get on friendly terms with him, giving him her ring.

    Rugalf looked tired, he stared at Tyr and Tyr stared right back. He did not like the impression Tyr was having about his family and he knew if he severed his hand, there would be no going back.

    Their rtionship would be severed before it even reached anywhere but there was a third option.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, son of King Ragnar, you have been used of attacking one of the King''s brothers. How do you plead?" A Viking, who was reading from a script, asked.

    "I plead guilty. I attacked Salgard." Tyr said bluntly, he was not offering up any excuse or reason as to why he did what he did.

    "What is that idiot doing¡­" Estrid thought to herself, she expected him to deny the usations but she also understood there was no point seeing as there were witnesses present.

    Tyr knew he was at fault, he was not thinking at that moment as to why Salgard wanted to pick a fight with him out of the blue but then again, this was the first time such a thing was happening to him.

    "May I speak freely, King Rugalf?" Tyr asked and Rugalf permitted him, curious to what he had to say.

    "I attacked Salgard simply because he threatened my people, that was the only reason I did what I did and I will do it again because they are my family. I do not care whatws I would have to break or what faces I would have to bash in because a threat to my family is a threat to me. Which man would not have done what I did?" Tyr questioned and he got the people around him whispering. Rugalf understood this logic, he attacked Tyr the moment he senses his killing intent aimed in his daughter''s direction. It was an instinctive move.

    "I broke thews of thisnd and I am willing to ept whatever punishmentes with that action and if that means me losing an arm, I still have another to bash in anyone''s face that does so! If I lose my arms, I will use my legs! But the gods should bear me witness as I swear a vow¡­." Tyr said, pausing for dramatic effect.

    This showing was not for the citizens or even Rugalf himself, it was for Estrid and she looked rather surprised.

    A man that would break thew and sacrifice his limbs for the sake of those he cared about.

    Tyr did not just preach it, he literally just did it.

    One could say Estrid''s interest peaked.

    ".... I will die for what I love," Tyr swore, looking right into the eyes of Estrid.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr was soon pushed to the ground and held in ce, an executioner prepared the broadsword that was to be used for the dismemberment.

    "STOP!!" Estrid halted them just before they could bring down the sword.

    "What do you think you are doing, princess?* Rugalf asked but Estrid was not done talking.

    She ignored her father''s words and the executioner looked at King Rugalf for what to do next.

    He instructed him to wait for his daughter to say what she wanted to say.

    "Father, I believe the rule was that family can ''discipline'' family and the only reason Tyr is being punished is because he is not family¡­" Estrid said.

    "That is correct," Rugalf confirmed her summarization.

    "So if I was to wed Tyr Ragnarsson, he would be family, would he not?" Estrid asked and everywhere fell silent. This was an unexpected development that stunned everyone involved.

    "That is correct," Rugalf confirmed once again.

    It was happening, Tyr had somehow gotten through to his daughter and now, it looked like they were about to be one.

    "If youy a hand on that man, you would haveid a hand on me and my Father does not take kindly to people touching me," Estrid said and this was enough to make the executioner drop his weapon.

    "You fool, what are you doing?" Tyr whispered as she leaned to unbound him.

    "I am saving my ears from another weird ass speech, I never tore them off!" Estrid fired back as she struggled to untie him.

    "Fuck you!" Tyr countered.

    "Oh darling, not even on our wedding night," Estrid responded, she did not want Salgard to have his way because she knew that this would have dire consequences in the future.

    This was the only reason she sumbed, it had nothing to do with Tyr''s speech as she found it cringe, to say the least.

    They were just cutting off his arm, the speech was really unnecessary in her opinion and she could tell from the look in Salgard''s eyes that she had pissed him off but that was the advantage of being the King''s daughter.

    Anyone that daredid a finger on her, be it her uncles ormoners, will be put down.

    She was untouchable in Rognd and this was what fueled her narcissism but she liked that she could banter with Tyr as people her age were too scared to haul any negativements her way.

    "Well, Father¡­ Is my husband not cute?" Estrid said, squishing Tyr''s cheeks together as everyone giggled.

    The trial had turned to Estrid taking Tyr as her husband but it was clear that neither had that emotional attachment called "love"... At least, not yet.

 Chapter 322 Can Ragnar Resist?

    ?

    Things were moving quickly around the world with less than 14 days left before the expedition in Ennd.

    Ragnar found himself in quite the dilemma and this was in the form of Aug.

    Aug had to be the most beautiful woman that Ragnarid eyes on, he could not believe how smooth her skin was.

    She had a sharp jawline and Ragnar melted in her pitch-ck eyes.

    He tried to look away but Aug held his head in ce, her beautiful brown hair dancing over her shoulder.

    "If you do not want this King Ragnar, all you have to do is say so but I believe the gods had a reason for putting you in my dreams.." Aug said, Ragnar felt all his strength leave his body.

    He could not cheat yet the thought of him being with Aug did not sound like a bad idea either.

    Ragnar took a deep breath, grabbing Aug but the shoulder as he moved her back gently.

    "I am married¡­" Ragnar stopped her before it could go any further, his body betrayed him as the erection he had was visible and one could say the dream he had yed a very important role in this.

    "You are also a King¡­" Aug whispered, walking back to Ragnar.

    "And you can do¡­" She said, pausing as she looked at him right in his blue eyes.

    "... whatever you want¡­" She said as she gradually moved in for a kiss.

    Ragnar was stunned that she was this direct, he would have never guessed it, she always gave a modest impression.

    Aug knew all she needed was a little push but she also wanted Ragnar to crave her as bad and the best way to do that was to give him something to think about.

    "Your hands could wander anywhere on my body, you could put your fingers in me if you please, or ask me to get on my knees and worship you like the King that you are¡­" Aug''s hot breath wasing closer and closer. Ragnar took a deep breath and put an end to her advances.

    "That is enough. I love my wife. " Ragnar said, pulling away and walking away.

    "I do not want your heart, King Ragnar. I just want your cock and it seems it wants me too." Aug said, her mouth-watering and Ragnar knew he wanted it as much.

    Aug, however, knew now was the time to stop as she had already made her intentions clear with this.

    She was partly impressed that Ragnar remained faithful to Lagertha even though she was younger and far more beautiful than the shield maiden but there was one thing that was the problem.

    Ragnar wanted more sons and Lagertha seemed to have a problem conceiving children as they have been trying, even after Bjorn was born.

    "Whenever your cock decides it needs a sheathe, I will be for three days, King Ragnar¡­" Aug said before walking out but only after wearing her veil.

    Ragnar could not believe what had just happened but he thanked the gods that he was able to resist the temptation in the form of Aug.

    Ragnar barely held his own but now he had to fight his inner demons to resist her temptation.

    Was that dream just a coincidence or was it some sort of premonition? Did the gods already decide that he would sleep with Aug?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Ragnar was lost in his head, just as Aug intended.

    -

    Aug walked out of the throne room and the warriors stole nces at her figure for she had a banging body even beneath all thatyer of clothes.

    Aug met up with her maiden outside, who was curious to hear how it went.

    "It worked, I am certain King Ragnar had a dream about mest night," Aug said proudly as she had instigated it. But that was because she did.

    Aug wore a very distinctive perfume, one that oozed only from her body as people associated that smell with her and she had bribed one of Ragnar''s guards to put that perfume in his room right before he got in.

    This was a harmless request so the Viking thought nothing of it, during Ragnar''s slumber, he inhaled the faint smell and that was what triggered the dream.

    Of course, the chances of him dreaming of her were exceedingly lower than actually dreaming of her but the gods were on her side.

    "As expected of Lady Aug, so King Ragnar is yours?" The maiden asked.

    "You are too hasty but King Ragnar did resist me¡­" Aug said with a giggle.

    "T-That is impossible!" The maiden fired back.

    "King Ragnar is a man that makes the impossible happen, I want him¡­" Aug muttered with a sinister grin beneath her veil.

    ".... And I will get him," Aug muttered to herself.

    It was strange that she wanted Ragnar considering far more powerful men wanted her hand in marriage.

    Ragnar might have a reputation but his wealth was severely limited so he could not evenpare financially to them.

    The Viking that had helped them came into view, he was afar, waiting in front of an abandoned house.

    "Go reward our friend¡­Eva," Aug told her maiden and she took a deep breath upon hearing Aug say this before exhaling.

    They both knew he woulde in handy in the future so it was best to wrap a leash around his neck while they still could and what better way than sex?

    The women from her ce prided themselves in sex as they had found a way to weaponize.

    Good pussy will entrap any man once he has a taste of it, and that was exactly what this warrior was about to get.

    He waved down Eva, and Eva was ready to give this man the best sex he would ever have in his life.

    Aug''s sexual history was unknown but how she was preserved and presented.

    One could naturally assume that she was a virgin but was this truly the case?

 Chapter 323 Bargain Honored [R18+]

    ?

    Eva was weed into the abandoned house by the warrior, he had a rather forgettable face and his body was slender, as opposed to the bulky men she was used to seeing making it somewhat hard to believe that this man was truly a warrior.

    But right now, all she needed to do was drain his balls even though the possibility that he would just want to pump and cum was quite high.

    She knew she needed to take her time and make this a memorable experience

    He tried to get rough with her, it was just like she expected.

    "I am not a whore, do not treat me like one and I will give you the best fuck you will ever have¡­" This was a subtle warning that did not even sound like a threat but it was.

    The man surrendered, he just wanted to bust but for some reason, he saw that Eva was quite enthusiastic to have sex with him.

    One would think she would want to get it over with and fast but here she was, wanting to take her time.

    The man felt her hand stroke his dick through his loose trousers right before squeezing his balls slightly, catching him to flinch.

    "T-Take it easy¡­" He whimpered and Eva just smiled.

    Men were not as strong as they thought themselves to be because all it took to get a man to submit was through sex, at that moment Eva felt like she could do anything.

    She pulled down his pants and he had an average sized dick, this brought a sigh of relief because that means her throat would not be bruised.

    The man closed his eyes, anticipating his dick between her lips but that did note. Rather, Eva had taken one of his balls into her mouth and the sensation it sent through his body nearly made his knees buckle but he stood strong.

    Eva did something strange, she tied a piece of cloth around his balls making the Viking question just what she had in mind as he has never seen nor heard of such a thing.

    This was Eva takingplete control of his pleasure as it would be quite difficult for him to cum without her permission with his balls tied in such a manner.

    He did not mind it, it did not hurt after all so what was the worse that could happen?

    Eva opened her mouth wife and looked at him dead in the eyes before taking his entire cock into her mouth.

    He winced, he did not expect her to be able to take in his entire length and she did not do it aggressively.

    She took it in very slowly so he could see how his dick disappeared into her mouth.

    "Fuck¡­" He moaned but Eva knew she was just getting started.

    She allowed his dick stay in her throat for quite sometime, and she could see his balls twitch like it wanted to cum but he could not.

    And then she slowly brought his dick out of her mouth and began stroking it gently.

    She could tell that he was in heaven and she knew she would not be caught dead doing this to just any random person as this particr warrior was of use to them so he was an exception.

    She increases the pace at which she was stroking his dick and precum was already leaking out of his peehole.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You are way too good at this!" The man praised Eva but his ttery went over her head. Of course she knew she was good.

    "Lay down¡­" Eva instructed him and he did just that, she was impressed that his dick was this hard.

    It literally felt like it was hard as steel, this was the power of lust.

    She stood above him, she saw just how hungry he was. All men are truly the same.

    "Stroke it¡­" Eva instructed him and without hesitation, the man began to stroke his dick viciously but it did not matter how hard he stroked, there was no cum even though he felt the sensation of ejacting.

    Eva smiled at him, before lowering her hips, she made sure to turn around so he could enjoy the view of her ass pping against his dick.

    She devoured that dick and due to its size, it was an easy feat.

    Now was where the work would begin, this was the main treat.

    Men were used to fucking fast and finishing, paying no heed to the woman''s pleasure and very few men ever allowed their women take charge as they were the "leaders" of the household so how dare they submit to their wives in bed.

    The man grabbed her waist, Eva instructed him not to but her pussy felt far too good for him to listen.

    Her waist movements were heavenly, she was moving sensually with his dick inside her but that''s when the Viking began fucking her from beneath.

    He could not bear it, her pussy was not only dripping wet but she knew how to clench it to induce tightness for his average sized dick.

    This man was¡­ good, Eva underestimated him and she found herself enjoying this more than she bargained for as his dick found a way to hit her sweet spots.

    The man soon threw her on all fours and kept pounding away, she could not resist.

    All she could do was moan, grabbing her waist to hold her in ce as his dick, covered in her juices went in and out of her and during this aggressive pounding.

    The cloth she had tied around his balls came loose.

    Eva noticed this and tried to stop this but for someone so skinny, he possessed unnatural physical strength.

    "D-Don''t!" Eva warned but this man was far too gone as he pushed her back down so she would truly feel these final strokes and boy, did she feel it.

    She could barelypose her words and every single thing stored up in his balls poured into her.

    The man has the best orgasm of his life right there as he had every intention of breeding Eva.

    Eva found her legs shaking, she could not believe that being filled up excited her enough for her to cum as well.

 Chapter 324 Estrid And Tyr

    ?

    Tyr''s trial was over before it began, and the moment he became Estrid''s betrothed he shared the privilege she had.

    Tyr could now not be touched even by Salgard, he attained the highest possible rank for someone in his position and the wedding was nned already.

    Rugalf was excited by this idea, he was d that Estrid did what she did not because it saved Tyr but because it secured their Kingdom''s future.

    Estrid was to spend alone time with her husband to be in their private chambers.

    This was not to have sex but rather to get ustomed to one another.

    "You did not have to do what you did¡­ I feel bad for taking away your chance at a happy married life," Tyr said and Estrid raised her brow.

    "You n to make my life miserable?" Estrid asked.

    "No¡­ That is not what I meant¡­" She could tell that Tyr did not like the circumstances in which they were getting married but it could not be helped.

    "You know Tyr¡­" Estrid said with Tyr giving her his full attention.

    "I do not think you would make the worst husband¡­ You are strong, you protect your family, and you have risen in the world despite the odds. That is a man I can respect," Estrid said, trying her best to ease Tyr''s unease.

    "Pfft! So my speech did have an effect¡­" Tyr muttered and this only made Estrid regret every word that just left her mouth.

    "You are such a dumbass!" Estrid fired and Tyr could not help butugh.

    He did not think much of Estrid when he came to Rognd but he was certainly growing fond of her now.

    He could not read her, she felt like a nk te but he did not mind. He preferred it this way.

    "Tyr, when we are married. I expect you to bemitted to me alone¡­ You must not love me but you must be faithful to me¡­" Estrid said firmly, Tyr understood the logic behind this and luckily for Estrid.

    Even after puberty, Tyr did not show any intense interest in the opposite gender as he was too preupied with his personal goals.

    "Why are you so easygoing about marriage?" Tyr asked, he expected her vision to be marrying some tall handsome warrior that could bend reality, seeing as she believed she deserves only the best of the best.

    "Marriage has always been a political tool. I was going to stall for as long as possible because the men I have met so far did not feel genuine. They wore a mask to try and win me over. My Father is the best man in the world to me but I know I would hurt him if I told him I had no interest in marriage but then he brought you up. I have to admit, you are a lot worse in person than the stories he told. He spoke about how you sided with Erik only to kill him in the most gruesome manner¡­" Estrid said and Tyr was surprised that Rugalf told her all this because it could have easily been a deal breaker.

    "I was fascinated and then I met you, the first person I spoke to that did not have on a mask¡­" Estrid said; Tyr was beginning to understand her.

    "You are strange¡­" Tyr carelessly blurted out.

    "And you are stupid. I want you to swear to me that you will uphold my honour and be faithful to just me¡­" Estrid reiterated her earlier message.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I swear on my life, Estrid. I will honour you, and I certainly hope I do grow to love you¡­" Tyr said and he could tell how these words seemed to ease her worries.

    "You say the silliest things, Tyr Ragnarsson," Estrid responded with a smile. Neither could see it at this time but they were bonding on a deeper level.

    -

    Salgard sat in his room, he did not look particrly disappointed by the oue as he did consider this.

    He just did not know his niece would do something so drastic but it was a weed development nheless.

    Salgard knew the expedition to Ennd would be a defining moment and he was notfortable with someone not belonging to his family holding such authority over the expedition.

    Tyr Ragnarsson was among the Vikings expected to go alongside a few of his brothers as Salgard was to remain in Rognd to keep King Rugalf safe.

    In hindsight, what he did could be regarded as reckless but a more neutral look made his actions justifiable.

    Tyr was a stranger with a history of betrayal, most notably his father but Salgard also knew he took loyalty seriously hence why he did what he did with Nora.

    But he discovered then that Tyr did not view Nora as a family, with emphasis on family.

    This meant that Tyr did not care about anyone he did not deem family indirectly making him a threat.

    This meant he could switch up on them at any time.

    Something Salgard had no intention of having so he was about to make sure that Tyr would not raise a hand against them by quite literally taking away a hand.

    But Tyr marrying his niece showed that his loyalty now belonged to their family seeing as she became his family the moment the proposal was made.

    That and the speech he gave at the botched trial.

    Salgard was brought back to reality by the loud banging on his door, they knew he did not like being disturbed so this had to be an emergency.

    "What is it?" Salgard asked, he had no interest in attending to the door.

    "Lord Salgard, I came to inform you that your brother, Grj?tgard Gardsson. He has returned!" The man behind the door informed Salgard and Salgard''s dull eyes came to life as his whole momentarily ceased.

    "Grj?tgard is back?" Salgard repeated, he quickly threw on something as he rushed outside to meet his brothers.

 Chapter 325 Grj?tgard And Vegard

    ?

    Salgard rushed to the throne room, Grj?tgard was his favourite sibling among the others as he was the embodiment of everything he wanted to be.

    But the moment Salgard entered the throne room, the atmosphere was anything but cheerful.

    He could feel the seriousness on everyone''s face

    Salgard''s excitement soon died down the moment he saw his motionless younger brother on the floor.

    "What happened?" Salgard asked, the anger in his eyes evident as he sought answers from everyone present.

    Grj?tgard looked over his shoulder and shook his head.

    Grj?tgard was almost as big as Rugalf but he had a far more attractive face than his older brother and a build a tad bit slender from his older brother.

    He did not mutte himself either but he had a tattoo covering the entirety of his left arm.

    He was bald with a huge scar on the top of his head, he too had muddy eyes.

    Salgard''s gaze was focused on his motionless younger brother and he refused to ept what his mind was telling him.

    "Salgard¡­." Grj?tgard muttered but Salgard did not pay him any heed and kept advancing towards his brother.

    "Vegard¡­" This would make another brother that he had lost but as he reached down to touch Vegard.

    The young boy suddenly jumped up, this caused Salgard to fall square on his bum.

    Everyone burst outughing with Salgard looking both confused and lost.

    "We got you!" Grj?tgard screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice carried such a bass that the floor vibrated ever slightly upon him speaking.

    Salgard could not believe he fell for such an obvious prank as he quickly got to his feet and recollected himself before waking out awkwardly.

    Vegard looked a lot more like Rugalf, Rugalf had styled his ck hair by weaving it into one big ponytail with the sides of his head shaved and this was the exact look that Vegard had adopted.

    Tyr looked in astonishment, this family was a lot different than he would have thought them to be.

    For a ruling family, they were far more down to earth than he had anticipated.

    "So you must be Tyr, The Undead¡­" Grj?tgard questioned, and Tyr nodded.

    "I like listening to words¡­" Grj?tgard said; Tyr could tell with a single nce that this man was a monster.

    Standing at 6'' 10, it would be a miracle if anyone could physically overpower him but first impressions were important.

    "My apologies, I am who you have heard about¡­" Tyr said and Estrid shook her head because she knew what wasing as she simply stood and walked a couple of paces from Tyr.

    Why was he being so damn formal with them when he technically held a higher position in Rognd than them?

    "What is with the formality!? We are family!" Grj?tgard eximed as he tossed Vegard into the air on impulse.

    Vegard floated through the air with a broad smile on his face.

    Tyr''s eyes were focused on the floating child, he was so high but this was not the thing that caught Tyr''s eyes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He could swear he saw the boy taking out his penis mid-air.

    "Show him your secret attack Vegard!" Grj?tgard encouraged.

    "Yes, big brother! The Rain Of Odin! Pees Shower!" Vegard screamed at the top of his lungs and the moment Tyr heard piss, he knew exactly what wasing.

    "This little fucker wants to piss on me!?" Tyr thought, he looked over to his left where Estrid was meant to be but she was nowhere to be found.

    He noticed that she had moved when he was distracted with the borate show and just like the name suggested, a showerposed of piss rained down on Tyr.

    Tyr managed to leap out of the way but Grj?tgard was there waiting, Tyr slid between his legs and away from him.

    "Hoooo! Not bad at all!" Grj?tgardplimented him as he got Vegard.

    The irony in this, despite how dumb the attack looked, it could prove effective in actualbat depending on if certain conditions were met.

    "Why did you not warn me!?" Tyr questioned his wife-to-be.

    "It is more fun this way," She responded right before walking away again.

    "Wait!" Tyr called out but she pointed behind him.

    "You should look behind you," Estrid advised him and the moment he did, he felt a gut-wrenching pain in his abdomen.

    He looked down to see Vegard''s head being the cause of this pain, Grj?tgard hadunched him like a cannonball right into Tyr''s stomach but what was more impressive was how strong Vegard''s head was.

    It felt like he was punched by Gissur, the force it carried was not quite there but it was the second hardest after Gissur.

    "This is fun! Again!" Vegard shouted but the throne room soon opened to reveal King Rugalf walking.

    Grj?tgard gestured for Vegard toe over to him and the younger brother did just that.

    Grj?tgard proceeded tounch him like a cannonball towards his older brother he had not seen for months before this.

    Rugalf knew this wasing and caught Vegard easily before throwing him right back at Grj?tgard like he was some toy

    Tyr thought they were normal? Yup, he took all that back the moment their less sane side manifested.

    "I am not catching that¡­" Grj?tgard said, literally stepping aside and somehow, Vegard''s head made contact with Tyr again in the same spot.

    "W-What the fuck?" Tyr muttered as his knees buckled.

    He did not even know if this was them having fun or trying to inflict pain on each other.

    He raised his head to see both brothers staring each other down.

    "Here we go again¡­" Estrid muttered, sounding irritated as she casually walked over to Tyr to pick him up.

    "This is the family you are marrying into¡­" Estrid sounded embarrassed as they watched in awe to both men beating their chests like goris and grunting like they were speaking anguage only both of them understood.

    "What the fuck is wrong with these people?" Tyr thought to himself.

 Chapter 326 Wedding Tomorrow?

    ?

    ytime was over and now came business, everyone excused Rugalf and Grj?tgard.

    Rugalf''s demeanor waspletely different, as well as Grj?tgard''s.

    "It is as feared, King Rugalf¡­" Grj?tgard said and the worry that crept up on Rugalf''s face was evident.

    "This is bad¡­" Rugalf muttered under his breath.

    "Ing¨®lfur Arnarson haspletely shut off d from the outside world, we could not infiltrate nor get any information from the ce but I fear he might not be an ally in the uing expedition," Grj?tgard said outright.

    "How do you know this?" Rugalf asked his younger brother.

    "He was meeting with various people, none of which I recognized¡­" Grj?tgard said.

    "This is of concern because?" Rugalf asked, he knew there was more to it because this itself should not be a concern.

    "They all wore crowns, he was meeting Kings. I do not know what he ns but I fear it is something big. He is aware of our expedition to Ennd so he might be waiting for that time to strike¡­" Grj?tgard said.

    Rugalf heaved a frustrated sigh, the only reason this man even knew of their expedition was because Rugalf reached out so he could not help but feel it was his fault.

    He knew how much his brothers hated this man but he also knew the importance he posed on the sea.

    This was slowly spiraling into a bigger problem because he was meeting other Kings.

    The underlying question was for what?

    "I am afraid that he is growing into someone we cannot touch," Grj?tgard added.

    "What do you propose?" Rugalf sought the counsel of his younger brother. Since ascending the throne, what Rugalf could do in terms of battle was severely limited and this allowed his younger brother to catch up in terms ofbat experience.

    "I think we will have to cancel our participation in the expedition of Ennd to prepare for a potential incursion¡­" Grj?tgard advised but one could tell by Rugalf''s that he was not in support of this.

    "If we do that, we show the enemy we are weak. It might deter an attack but for how long?" Rugalf responded

    "That is all we can do right now, all we can do is survive unless you are willing to request aid from King Ragnar¡­" Grj?tgard suggested but Rugalf shook his head, asking for help was out of the question as that was one thing he had no interest in doing.

    "We cannot do that. I will not cancel this expedition but I will not send you to lead them as I intended. I need you by my side if this threat is real and Salgard will stay as well¡­" Rugalf said, he was not going to send two of the best fighters he knew out there.

    He saw how Kattegat almost fell to Birger and this was a mistake he was not ever found to make even though he trusted his men but the possibility of a bad egg existing was exponentially high.

    "Who do you intend to send in my stead?" Grj?tgard asked and a faint smile creased Rugalf''s face.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" Rugalf muttered but this surprised Grj?tgard, Tyr was always in the n but he never expected him to lead their expedition.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Are you sure this is a wise choice? A Gardsson must be with him and even then, I do not think our men trust Tyr enough to lead them¡­" Grj?tgard proposed a very good counter to this.

    "Thorgard and Vegard will escort Tyr. Both are far too inexperienced to lead and with Tyr marrying my daughter, it makes him part of the family¡­" Rugalf rified his younger brother''s misunderstanding.

    "That could work but must Vegard go? What about Fr?ygard?" Grj?tgard asked.

    Rugalf understood that Vegard was the sibling that Grj?tgard liked the most and he was notfortable sending him away when he was not there to protect him but Fr?ygard was a brother that he knew needed redemption and this might provide that.

    "I cannot risk it. Salgard will not be there to keep him in check, this is too important as it shows our allies how wepose ourselves," Rugalf said and Grj?tgard sighed in defeat.

    He had no intentions of pressing the matter because he knew that Vegard would be safe.

    "Do you trust Kattegat?" Grj?tgard asked his older brother.

    "No, I do not but King Askild will not be as stupid as to try something. Right now, he is trying to win our trust so he will be on his best behavior¡­" Rugalf said, resting his back on his throne.

    "Things are about to get really busy¡­" Rugalf sounded like he was tired in advance.

    -

    Tyr had to go back home to take a bath, the piss had spilled on him.

    He could not believe how strange this family was but something wasforting in seeing them act that way.

    They acted like an actual family and he found himself giggling at the joke that they yed on Salgard while in the bath.

    "I like¡­ this," Tyr muttered to himself, and Estrid, who was standing at the door, heard hisugh.

    She could not help but smile because this was the first time she heard him giggle.

    Estrid could not believe that this would be her husband but the thought did not repulse her as much as it did when she first heard about it.

    She could see why her father saw him as the perfect match for her despite her numerous suitors but King Rugalf did not close the door to others.

    Not until they were officially married as anything could happen between now and the wedding ceremony in a day and if they should somehow split, he asked his daughter to have her options open even though he had sent wedding invitations to these Kingdoms.

    King Rugalf had something he wanted to test out and this was the perfect opportunity to test it out.

    "We are getting married¡­. tomorrow¡­" Estrid thought but for some reason, this thought made her warm inside.

    There was no denying it, these twoplimented each other perfectly and Estrid could not have asked for a better match.

 Chapter 327 News Travels Fast!

    ?

    TYR IS GETTING MARRIED!?" Bjorn eximed as his mother broke down the news to him.

    He was in utter disbelief, how could Tyr be getting married before he and Bjorn realized he did not even have a love life, to begin with?

    The story that Tyr told him about having his first kiss suddenly made sense.

    Lagertha was proud that Tyr had risen from what many said was his doom back to glory.

    He survived the wilderness and came back into their world to marry the princess of a formidable Kingdom.

    "He is truly my rival. He has outssed me here but I will not be defeated!" Bjorn ran out of the house, darting his head left and right like he was looking for any random girl and he found one in the corner of his eyes.

    Bjorn dashed in her direction like a lunatic and this startled the poor girl, she immediately put up her guard for what she perceived to be an attack.

    Born was out of breath as he said.

    "Marry me!"

    The girl was both shocked and disgusted by the audacity of this young warrior.

    She could not believe what she heard as this was no girl, it was a woman in her midte twenties.

    She was already married and it took everything in her not to p Bjorn across the face.

    She walked away prompting Lagerha to confront her son.

    He was so hopeless when it came to women, this was not a duel where you challenge an individual and they give you a response on the spot.

    "You have a lot to learn¡­" Lagertha blurted out with a sigh.

    "You will teach me, right mother!?" Bjorn asked, his hopeful gaze settled on Lagertha.

    Lagertha knew even she might not be able to save him because Bjorn saw things in ck and white.

    Hisck of interaction with women in the romance aspect was sure toe back to bite him in the ass now.

    She was partly surprised that Rugalf held out for Tyr to marry his daughter as it has been four years but this told her that he had made his decision long before then.

    Lagerha was proud of Tyr, she never stopped loving him and after so long, she would finally get to see her son. It was ironic that Ragnar was worried she would not ept him as her own yet Lagertha was the one that loved Tyr the most.

    "Mother?" Bjorn called out as tears of joy streamed down Lagertha''s cheeks.

    She did not even know when she started crying nor could she stop it.

    "You boys sure have grown up¡­" Lagertha said amidst the tears and this brought a smile from Bjorn.

    "Let us get ready, Mother¡­" Bjorn said with a hand on his mother''s shoulder.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Let us go see a Ragnarsson get married!" Bjorn reiterated; he was full of energy.

    He wanted nothing but the best from Tyr but with an invitation sent to Kattegat, this also meant that King Askild was expected to attend.

    Bjorn was worried, he was worried that Tyr might take killing him into his own hands but Askild could not die, not yet.

    The pieces were not in ce for his death would certainly spell the end of Kattegat.

    Kattegat was their home after all, it needed to be protected at all costs but these were frivolous thoughts.

    All that mattered right now was Tyr''s wedding which was expected to be held the next day.

    -

    The news of Tyr''s wedding spread across Kingdoms, and everyone wondered what kind of man he must be for King Rugalf to favour him as he did or why Estrid picked him to wed.

    Rugalf invited a lot of people, this included people that had shown interest in his daughter but he knew that these men would try their hardest to dissuade Estrid from marrying Tyr.

    You could think of this as theirst stand, but it was not only allies that this news reached but enemies as well.

    Tyr Ragnarsson''s marriage will tie Vestfold and Kattegat, binding them by "blood" and thus their alliance will be a lot stronger than one signed on paper.

    King Ragnar expected this but he could not believe it was happening so fast.

    Tyr was only back for a few days and he managed to woo Estrid in that short amount of time?

    Ragnar respected that Rugalf gave his daughter the free will to choose and she was so close to choosing another but Rugalf pleaded with her that she wait for Tyr to return and she did just that and this paid off spectacrly.

    Ragnar was fighting his own temptations back in Vestfold, his heart belonged to Lagerha but his body craved Aug. Lust wasmon, discipline was not.

    He knew that leaving Vestfold would help him survive this temptation and even more, he wanted to see Tyr get married because he was a Ragnarsson.

    Ragnar was worried about the prophecy, it was always in the back of his mind but he knew the more roots Tyr put down, the more likely he was going to stay on their side. Ragnar also knew he had a role to y in all of this but he did not know what.

    The gods ced the fate of Tyr on his end and Ragnar has had thoughts of killing his son or if he would even be able to should the timee for it.

    He quickly pushed such depressing thoughts out of his head because he had a wedding to prepare for.

    The wedding of his son, and as usual, he left Skarde in charge of Vestfold in his absence but Ragnar knew about the threat that lurked in the shadows.

    He had no intentions of taking more than ten men with him to Rognd as he knew no one would be foolish enough to test him and if an attempt was made on his life, he was more than equipped to handle said threat.

    "To Rognd!" Ragnar eximed.

 Chapter 328 The Hotspot, Rogaland!

    ?

    Rognd was going to be one of the busiest ces because Rugalf made it so that he invited as many people as possible as this would do them good from an economical standpoint.

    He knew the pull the name, Ragnarsson, had and who in their right mind would not want to see the boy that conquered death?

    The day progressed without much trouble but Rugalf kept his ns for Tyr leading the expedition to himself for now.

    He wanted Tyr to focus entirely on his daughter and guests had already started pouring in from all around.

    Men of prominent status and political pull from various kingdoms graced them.

    All were eager to see Tyr but Tyr was to spend the day alone in his room and away from Estrid, as she was also subjected to the same fate.

    This was tradition and Rugalf had every intention of following said tradition. Besides, not seeing Tyr as soon as they came only made them more curious.

    Increased curiosity is a good thing but Rugalf knew about the man he was waiting on the most.

    A King he respected like no other and that was King Ragnar but it was King Askild with his escorts that arrived first.

    This escort happen to beposed of Lagerha and Bjorn, both were giddy as they immediately began to look for Tyr as they walked with Askild but there was no luck.

    "King Askild, it is an honour that you have epted my invitation!" King Rugalf was ecstatic as he embraced the King of Kattegat like they were old friends despite this being the furthest thing from the truth.

    "I am d to be here, King Rugalf. I would not miss the union for the world¡­" Askild said and both menughed.

    "The other Kings are there," Rugalf said, pointing to a hall where cheers and celebrations could be heard within. Askild went on ahead without Lagertha or Bjorn, they could not enter seeing as they are not Kings.

    "Lady Lagerha, you look well! This must be a joyous day for you!" Rugalf was excited and he did not even attempt to hide it.

    He embraced the current situation with open arms as he nned to make the best out of it.

    "WHERE IS TYR!?" Bjorn butted in, forgetting he was before a King but Rugalf did not mind this behaviour despite Lagertha apologizing on behalf of her son.

    "I am afraid you will not be able to see your brother until tomorrow, the couples will spend a night alone as this would be thest time they would be regarded separately for marriage will make them one!" Rugalf eximed.

    It was surreal, Tyr was getting married at such a young age but he was of age for such amitment.

    "I do not see Ulf¡­" Rugalf said as his eyes shuffled through the remnant of the people that had tagged along. He noticed Lagertha''s bodynguage change.

    Rugalf immediately knew this was a sensitive subject and thought it best not to press on.

    "Are you Bjorn Ironside?" A voice called out and Rugalf looked over his shoulder to see Thorgard with Vegard seated around his neck.

    "Who is asking?" Bjorn responded with a raised brow thinking this was someone that had a problem with him.

    "Thorgard Gardsson requests that you speak," Thorgard said with Rugalf standing awkwardly in silence. This was not how Thorgard spoke on a normal day and knowing his younger brother, he was about to start something.

    "Am I supposed to know who that is?" Bjorn asked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Vegard gasped dramatically from where he was seated.

    "Big brother, he does not know who you are," Vegard repeated.

    "I HEARD HIM!" Thorgard raised his voice before clearing his throat and theatrically pointing at Bjorn.

    "Bjorn Ironside, I am Thorgard Gardsson, brother to King Rugalf and I want to wee you to the Gardsson family!" Thorgard said.

    Thorgard was an upbeat person, he was friendly and got along with most people evident with his initial interaction with Tyr and now Bjorn.

    "That is awesome!" Bjorn responded as Rugalf watched both boys take their conversation elsewhere.

    "Lady Lagertha, I hope you found your journey here easy?" Rugalf began small talk with Lagertha.

    "It could have been worse. I must say, Rognd is a lot more beautiful than I imagined¡­" Lagertha said; she was more interested in how they were all disarmed at the entrance and thoroughly searched regardless of their status. This was Rognd''s irond rule.

    "You honour me, Lady Lagerha. We should get you somewhere to rest," Rugalf said, whistling as Lagerha was soon surrounded by multiple shield maidens that would take care of her every need.

    Rugalf was the host, he could not spend too much time conversing with a single person.

    -

    "Bjorn Ironside! I have heard a lot of great things about you!" Thorgard was excited to meet him.

    They were approximately the same age yet Bjorn had so many aplishments under his belt.

    This was a recipe for envy but not for Thorgard, he admired Bjorn for this very reason.

    Bjorn and Lagertha left their unit in Lagertha as Kattegat was also conscious of anyone trying to do what Birger did again.

    "You tter me but yes, I am impervious to attacks," Bjorn bragged, folding his arms in the process.

    "Awesome¡­" Thorgard knew that was why he had the name Ironside but Vegard, who was seated around his neck pointed and said.

    "Why do you have wounds if you are impervious to attacks?"

    Both Thorgard and Bjorn paused with silence filling the atmosphere. Bjorn thought of so many excuses as to why he had scars but Thorgard moved to defend the boy he admired.

    "Those are not scars! They are the birthmark of a true warrior!" Thorgard eximed.

    "Y-Yes! These are birthmarks!" Bjorn followed up with the lie.

    "Woah! That is so cool!" Vegard being Vegard believed without much convincing.

    The Ragnarsson family just expanded and Bjorn was loving it already or was it more urate to say that he liked both Thorgard and Vegard?

 Chapter 329 A Ghost From The Past!?

    ?

    The day of the wedding came and everyone was hyped up not because of the wedding itself but rather how Rugalf had presented it.

    Bjorn was restless, he did not know that Tyr was not bluffing when he spoke about having his first kiss but now he was getting married and would finally do the deed.

    Bjorn wanted to see Tyr and Lagertha could tell that her son was rather excited, more than she was.

    But the most important man in her life arrived in Rognd and that was King Ragnar.

    Lagertha ran to him without a moment''s hesitation with Bjorn casually walking behind her.

    Lagerha wrapped her arms around her husband with Ragnar gripping her waist tightly as both kissed passionately.

    All Bjorn could see was Tyr doing this to his new wife and he cringed at the thought of it because he was still not ready to see Tyr in this light.

    "My love, what took you so long?" Lagertha asked and Ragnar smiled awkwardly before saying.

    "We ran into a little problem. You know how important I am now¡­" Ragnar said, and Lagertha rolled her eyes because she knew this was Ragnar''s subtle way of reminding her that he was a King.

    "I am also important¡­." Lagertha pouted.

    "Of course you are! You are the most important woman in my life!" Ragnar said immediately, trying his best to dig himself out of what he had unknowingly entered.

    "I am not just your wife, Ragnar!" Lagertha countered.

    "She called me by my name, I have really entered it now¡­" Ragnar thought to himself.

    "I am the famous shield maiden, Lagertha!" Lagertha said and Ragnar nodded profusely to agree with her.

    This was why he loved Lagertha, she was fierce.

    "O-Of course! The most famous shield maiden in all of thends!" Ragnar tried to butter her up, hoping it would be effective but Ragnar found his attention shifted by the two women behind Lagertha.

    "Aug?!" Ragnar thought to himself.

    Lagertha turned because she felt the presence behind her and even she knew who Aug was.

    It was not a surprise she was here as she was the representative of her Kingdom seeing as her father wanted his daughter to get ustomed to such things now that she still had the freedom to do so.

    "Lady Aug, it is an honour to meet you," Lagertha greeted her and her maiden wanted to respond in her stead but Aug stopped her.

    "I cannot believe I am meeting the famous shield maiden, Lagertha. The honour is certainly mine." Aug said. Lagertha was surprised she was speaking as she was well aware of their custom but this only showed the level of respect that Aug held for her.

    "King Ragnar, If I knew you would be here. We would have journeyed together," Aug and Lagertha were confused by what this meant.

    "Together? You were in Vestfold?" Lagertha asked and Aug nodded, Lagertha turned her head to Ragnar.

    "No wonder you werete," Lagertha said and Aug smiled beneath her veil because the best way to break apart a marriage is to sow the seed of distrust.

    "I can exin¡­" Ragnar said with an awkward smile.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "... I would bete too!" Lagertha said and this was not the response Aug was looking for.

    She expected Lagertha to be insecure that her husband was spending time with another woman, and not just any woman, the famous Aug.

    A woman coveted by almost every man.

    "Lagertha! Do not say such things!" Ragnar countered his wife because she had the wrong idea and she was also giving Aug the wrong impression but Lagertha simplyughed in response to this.

    "I know! I saw the chance¡­" Lagertha said as herugh slowly settled.

    "You must forgive my husband, Lady Aug. He does not know how to treat a woman if she is not me¡­" Lagertha said this as a flex because she was a woman, she knew exactly what Aug was attempting to do but her trust for Ragnar was far too strong to be shaken by such a thing.

    -

    Estrid walked out of her room, she was dressed in a beautiful grey dress that exposed the upper part of her chest, she looked like a goddess by the literal definition of that word.

    Estrid recognized some faces as she was allowed toe out of her room but what she did not ount for was one particr person being present.

    The man that caught her interest enough for her to want to marry him in the past.

    Estrid was stunned and wondered why her father would invite him in the first ce, was this to rub salt to injury?

    "You look well, Estrid¡­" The man said; he was in histe teens, namely neen.

    He looked stunning, his skin was wless and without a single scratch.

    He was a pretty boy by every sense of the word, his smile was beautiful and that was what Estrid fell in love with.

    "Lord Ludvig, I did not know you would be here!" Estrid looked nervous but that was to be expected. This was a man she liked enough to want to spend the rest of her life with.

    "I would not miss this day for the world. Even if it is not with me, I want to see you happy¡­" Ludvig said with a smile, the atmosphere was tense and this made one question how it came to an end.

    "You told me to wait¡­" Ludvig muttered under his breath.

    "I waited for you, Estrid¡­." Ludvig said, his golden eyes looking a bit disappointed that Estrid did not choose him but rather, a son of Ragnar.

    "I am so sorry¡­." Estrid apologized but Ludvigughed awkwardly because he did not mean to make her feel guilty for her choice.

    She had every right to choose who she wanted to choose, but he still loved her deeply.

    "You know¡­ It is not toote, "Ludvig muttered under his breath with Estrid raising her head.

    "What do you mean?" She asked.

    "Marry me, Estrid Gardsson,"

 Chapter 330 The Ragnarssons Reunion!

    ?

    "Marry me, Estrid Gardsson," Ludvig muttered and Estrid was perplexed that he would even utter such a thing on her wedding day but she felt like all this was partly her fault.

    Estrid was an arrogantdy yet she showed a more levelheaded side to this man showing his influence over her but she found this disrespectful.

    She took a deep breath, and her bodynguage changed from uncertain to certain.

    "Lord Ludvig, do not disrespect me or my husband by ever proposing such again or I will have my father throw you out," Estrid said bluntly before walking away.

    Ludvig clenched his fist in shame, he was desperate and he could not let her go, not yet anyways.

    He was not ready to ept this reality but where was the man she was marrying? He was nowhere to be seen.

    Ludvig looked at Estrid but his gaze was no longer gentle, he had a scowl because, at that moment, Estrid crushed the remaining pride he had.

    A man''s pride was both the greatest and most fragile aspect of himself.

    The thundering cheers soon reced the quiet atmosphere, and with that was the revtion of Tyr Ragnarsson.

    He looked intimidating, and he was not only bigger than Ludvig but now held more status than him.

    Ludvig could not believe an outsider was taking a woman that should have been his.

    Why was he favoured over him, Ludvig was not ready to ept defeat, not yet.

    -

    "Is that Tyr?" A voice murmured and the whispers became louder and louder. Tyr did not like the attention he was getting because he did not know if the whispers were good or bad.

    "I do not like this," Tyr muttered to himself as he walked around and awkwardly greeted people he had never seen before. He had to keep up appearances but his eyes soon met a man that he knew far too well.

    It was the eye of Askild, who had the bandage over his other eye.

    Askild could not believe how much Tyr had grown, he felt like apletely different warrior than the boy he knew.

    Askild could tell by the look in Tyr''s eyes that he had not forgiven what he had done but what could he do about it? Nothing.

    Askild was not bothered and even dared to approach Tyr.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson. My, my, you sure have grown," King Askild greeted him but this was his way of provoking a reaction from Tyr Ragnarsson.

    "Hahaha! King Askild, I am surprised you could make it!" Tyr said with a bright smile and Askild was impressed by this.

    He did not just grow physically it seems, he also improved his acting skills but before anything could transpire between them, Tyr''s eyes caught a glimpse of his mother.

    Tyr''s hatred and anger immediately subsided, it has been so long since hest saw Lagertha and he excused himself before moving past Askild.

    Lagertha was staring right at him with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

    She could not believe she was looking at her son right now. Tyr did not care who was looking, he ran to Lagertha like a child in desperate need of his mother''s embrace and Lagertha swung her arms open.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    After four long years, the pair were finally reunited.

    Tyr was trembling the moment his arms wrapped around Lagertha.

    In the darkness, in the moments when it seemed that hope was lost, the knowledge that Lagertha loves kept him going.

    That single act was what allowed Tyr to survive those lonely nights and now he was meeting her once again.

    "You have grown so big, Tyr!" Lagertha said, tears flowing uncontrobly.

    "I missed you mother¡­" Tyr said, hugging Lagertha tighter and she realized that he just wanted to hug her without saying anything, he missed her warmth.

    Lagertha sighed with a smile and muttered.

    "I missed you too, son," Lagetha responded.

    "HEY! ARE YOU TRYING TO BREAK HER SPINE? DON''T HUG HER SO TIGHTLY!" Bjorn appeared out of nowhere to yank Tyr off Lagertha.

    "Bjorn, are you trying to pick a fight?" Tyr asked.

    "A fight? We both know I will win¡­" Bjorn countered him as he reached for the weapon that was usually strapped to his back but there was nothing there.

    "Right! They took it before we entered!" Bjorn remembered and this caused Tyr to giggle.

    "This is exactly why it is not you getting married today, big brother!" Tyr mocked him and even Lagertha found this funny as she cackled.

    "Do not encourage him, Mother!" Bjorn said but this only made Lagertha''s cackle progress into full-onughter because she remembered how Bjorn randomly asked a woman to marry him on the street so Tyr was not far off.

    "Tyr¡­ Is that really you?" A voice called out behind the dark-skinned Viking.

    Tyr turned back but he was startled by what he saw as he moved a couple of paces away from this person.

    "Who are you?" Tyr asked and Ragnar could not believe he did not recognize him.

    "It is your father," Ragnar said with a smile.

    "The father I remember was a handsome man, I do not know you," Tyr said and once again, Lagetha was caughtughing because this was the kind of joke that Ragnar asionally yed on her so it was funny seeing the tables turned in such a manner.

    "I said the same thing when I saw that beard¡­" Bjorn muttered to himself.

    They had no idea why Ragnar was keeping such a thing in the first ce as it made him look like he was without a home.

    Tyr could not pretend for long, however, as he embraced his father.

    Tyr never thought this day woulde, he thought about how it would go down so many times but to think they would all be reunited in such a way was a blessing.

    "I am back home," Tyr said with a broad smile on his face.

 Chapter 331 Estrid In Danger! [TRIGGER WARNING]

    ?

    The wedding was in a few hours and everyone was getting acquainted.

    Tyr wasughing and joking around with his family with Salgard nowhere to be seen.

    Tyr noticed that he had not seen Estrid yet but she was probably bonding with old friends as well.

    He did not think much about her absence as he was well aware that she had a life outside of him.

    She could do what she wanted and interact with whomever she wanted.

    Tyr could not wait for this to be over as it grants him a certain degree of immunity and he was not sure his exile would hold should he decide to go to Kattegat as an envoy for Rugalf

    This decision had the power to change his entire life but Tyr was also aware that there are people that opposed this so the chances of them doing something to actively disrupt it was quite high.

    This was a gamble that Tyr had no interest in taking.

    He caught sight of Thorgard and went to him, excusing himself from his family.

    "Hey Thorgard, have you seen Estrid?" Tyr asked but Thorgard shook his head.

    "I do not think I have seen her ever since you came out. Maybe she is hiding and wants you to find her?" Thorgard responded and Tyr heaved an irritated sigh.

    It was just like her to make him worry unnecessarily but what was this feeling?

    Tyr felt uneasy for some reason as he was soon approached by a man in his early twenties.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­ So it is you she chose," He sounded bitter prompting Tyr to instinctively know that this must have been one of her suitors.

    He was rather in looking and had a forgettable face, to say the least, Tyr had no intentions of memorising his facial features but what stood out about him was his grey eyes, this must be the first time that Tyr had seen such eye colour.

    "Hahaha! I guess it is me she chose¡­" Tyr responded with a fake smile.

    He did not belong here and he hated talking to these people, he was keeping up appearances and it was exhausting as fuck.

    "Estrid, where are you?" Tyr thought to himself.

    -

    Thorgard was right about her whereabouts, Estrid Had indeed gone to her room in haste.

    She was searching for something on the bedside table but it was not there, she looked on the floor but no luck either.

    "Damn it! Where is it!?" She looked anxious but the door behind her soon closed.

    Estrid yanked her head in the donor''s direction but all she saw was a man charging at her, full speed ahead.

    She could not even scream because that was the first thing the person made sure to take away.

    Wrapping his hand around her mouth before tackling her to the bed.

    She tried to speak but could not as she knew exactly who this was, it was Ludvig.

    She saw what she was looking for on him, it was a ne she nned on giving Tyr as a gift yet it was on Ludvig?

    Estrid looked more angry than scared, she struggled and struggled but biology was against her seeing as Ludvig was not only bigger than her but heavier.

    "You ungrateful spoiled brat!" Ludvig cussed as he looked like he was ovee by rage.

    "You could have had everything you ever wanted yet you chose amon thrall!?" Ludvig said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He was belittling Estrid''s choice of men because he could not ept the fact that Tyr was a better man than he was for Estrid.

    "If I cannot have you, I will take away something that you can only give your husband!" Ludvig said as he began to eye Estrid''s chest.

    "I will take your virginity! The one thing you hold dear!" Ludvig muttered, licking her face in the process.

    His disgusting hand caressed her thighs but Estrid had sped it shut.

    She was not going to let him take away the part of her that conveyed purity but once again.

    He was too strong, he forcefully split open her thighs and positioned himself between them so it would be difficult for her to close it.

    Estrid had tears in her eyes, she could not believe that something like this was about to happen on her wedding night.

    Ludvig had a sadistic look on his face as he unfastened his belt.

    "If you married me, you would not be going through such a thing! I love you Estrid yet you chose him! I only do this because I love you!" Ludvig kept trying to justify his disgusting act.

    "Tyr, please save me!" Estrid thought to herself as she felt Ludvig getting ready to shift her panties to the side.

    "Well then, let us begi-" Ludvig could notplete his sentence as a fist mmed right into his mouth, sending him flying into the wall.

    Estrid wondered who it was, they did not hear the door open but that was partly because the door did not creak.

    Estrid''s eyes saw Tyr Ragnarsson but the look in his eyes was something entirely different.

    Tyr looked enraged as he quietly shut the door behind him.

    "You bastard! Do you know who I am!?" Ludvig said but Tyr was not responding.

    He looked at Estrid momentarily before returning his gaze to Ludvig, there was no mistaking it.

    This man was trying to rape her.

    "You¡­. You are just like Erik," Tyr muttered to himself as the crazed look in his eyes intensified.

    Ludvig partly expected him to shout or call for security due to his position as a King''s son but Tyr had no intention of doing such a thing.

    Estrid curled up on the bed, resting her back against the wall as she watched Tyr.

    Ludvig tried to punch Tyr with his left hand but Tyr caught his fist with his right hand before giving Ludvig''s elbow an uppercut to snap it into two.

    Ludvig wanted to scream but Tyr wrapped his hand around his mouth before mming him into the ground.

    "Tyr¡­.?" Estrid called out but Tyr was not having any of it, right now he was seeing red and Ludvig was the sole source of that rage.

    "How about the other hand?" Tyr muttered to himself as he ced his foot on Ludvig''s neck to restrict the air in his lungs from flowing freely, this prevented him from screaming. Standing up, he grabbed Ludvig''s right hand, and all that followed was a snapping sound.

    Estrid was horrified by the sheet violence that Tyr disyed but she was also intrigued by it.

    Ludvig deserved it and she found herself wanting Tyr to inflict more pain on him.

    "K-Kill him!" Estrid muttered with tears in her eyes.

    Tyr looked back and shed her an innocent smile.

    "As my wifemands¡­" Tyr said before snapping Ludvig''s neck like a twig with his foot, killing him but these things had consequences.

 Chapter 332 A Kings Son Is Dead!

    ?

    Tyr had just killed Ludvig and he was well aware that this woulde with severe consequences as all they had to go by was their word.

    There was no concrete evidence even though he knew Rugalf would believe his daughter but this wouldn''t be the case with his allies.

    The story could be twisted as anyone pleased and the fact that Rugalf overlooked their request to marry his daughter could trigger their innate bitterness.

    Estrid looked horrified, she began to panic because, at that moment, she was not thinking straight but Tyr was calm.

    This was not his first rodeo and he knew exactly what to do in such a situation.

    He learned his lesson over time about leaving behind evidence, so what would happen if Ludvig''s body was never found? There would be no case.

    Tyr found out that his wife might be in danger after talking to the man that she had rejected in the past.

    He let slip information that Tyr had no business knowing and this included seeing her talking to the ''man that had her heart," that was exactly as he put it.

    But this was nothing to go on about, he also noted that the man seemed angry so whatever Estrid told him angered him but the most telling part of this story was him following Estrid. He ran his mouth but it was because of this that Tyr could figure out that Estrid might be in potential danger.

    "W-What are we going to do?" Estrid asked.

    "Hahaha! Leave it to me but did he¡­." Tyr did not want toplete his sentence.

    "No, you came before he could¡­ You kept your promise¡­" Estrid said with a smile and the relief on Tyr''s face was telling.

    "Go back downstairs and tell no one of this¡­" Tyrmanded her and Estrid nodded.

    She was a lot more submissive now because, at that moment, she realized that Tyr would truly do anything for her, this included killing the son of a King.

    Estrid did as he said and left the room with Tyr alone with the body, Tyr locked the door from inside so he would not be disturbed but he also knew he had a limited amount of time before people started asking questions.

    This would be the secret that bound him and Estrid together for the rest of their life but Tyr was disgusted that someone would try something so disgusting on the day of his wedding because there was no way he would have gone scot-free if he carried out that act knowing how much Rugalf loved his daughter.

    If it was just for sex then he could get it anywhere, it was strange that he would risk it all for a taste of Estrid.

    Tyr knew things were not adding up but now was not the time for frivolous thoughts, he needed to get rid of the body and with the ce this packed, this was an impossibility.

    Tyr needed to hide the body until the ce cleared up otherwise things would go haywire if they found him carrying a King''s son''s corpse.

    Even he could not escape such a dire situation so this was something he needed to worry aboutter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr wrapped his body in a thick cloth and shoved it into a treasure-looking box that could luckily amodate this body size due to its length and width but one could say that the broken limbs made it easier for Tyr to position him in it. This should do for now and this took no less than ten minutes before walking out of the room and back to where the crowd were.

    -

    Estrid had blended right back into the crowd, it was as if nothing happened so did this mean that she was that good an actress or the traumatic event did not affect her as much as they thought it did?

    All this could have been an act for Lagertha resented Erik for years but never did anything, to say the least until years after so maybe this was the case?

    Salgard finally appeared, and everyone''s attention turned to him. He was quite famous as he had fought some of these people when they were still enemies and emerged victorious and it was because of that victory that they agreed to Rugalf''s proposal of an alliance as that way, they could keep ownership of their Kingdom without installing a foreign power like Vestfold suffered.

    The whispers became loud but Salgard was looking for someone, it was clear by his darting eyes as he looked at the empty seat beside Estrid.

    Tyr was nowhere to be found and Salgard found this suspicious bit luckily, Estrid caught on and interrupted her uncle before he could go look for Tyr.

    Salgard was not like the rest, he was unpredictable and had an unorthodox way of conducting himself.

    "Uncle!" Estrid greeted him as she appeared right in front of him.

    Salgard was surprised because they never really spoke as they both had no interest in each other''s personal life.

    "Where is Tyr?" Salgard asked but Estrid yed it cool.

    "How the hell am I supposed to know what that weirdo does with his time? He is probably in the toilet, he did look nauseous like he had eaten something bad¡­" Estrid brilliantly diverted Salgard''s attention with a usible lie.

    "Did they let you in the kitchen?" Salgard asked with a raised brow and what made this even more insulting was Salgard was not joking.

    He meant these words exactly how she interpreted it but Estrid knew she had to leave on her mask for the duration of this conversation.

    "Hahaha, very funny, I will tell him you are looking for him when I see him," Estrid said and this was enough to make Salgard back down as he walked away without saying another word but in the opposite direction of where he intended.

    She soon felt a hand around her shoulder, she did not need to look back to know it was Tyr.

    "Is it done?" Estrid questioned, she did not know what Tyr intended to do but she also knew the less she knew, the better. This was called usible Deniability.

    "Is what done? I do not know what you are talking about," Tyr responded with a smile as he took the hand of his soon-to-be wife and walked into the crowd.

 Chapter 333 Tyr And Estrid Become One!

    ?

    Salgard was seated but there was a space beside him but that space was soon upied by Grj?tgard but Grj?tgard was serious now.

    The yful act he only put on when Vegard was within his immediate vicinity but this was not the case now.

    Grj?tgard put on this silly act so Vegard would understand that there is more to the Viking world than war and violence.

    "I heard what you did Salgard¡­" Grj?tgard muttered and Salgard immediately froze.

    "You darey your hand on your brother? Who gave you that right, Salgard?" Grj?tgard asked and for the first time, Salgard showed a submission that he did not even show Rugalf.

    "I can exin big brother," Salgard said but Grj?tgard ced a finger over his lips.

    "Did I say you should speak?" Grj?tgard asked and the cold shiver that ran up Salgard''s spine was enough to petrify him.

    Salgard immediately swallowed whatever words he wanted to say next, Grj?tgard was the opposite of Rugalf.

    He was known as the Warhammer because his primary choice of weapon was a hammer he used in smashing his enemies'' heads.

    He was so strong that he was oftenpared to as an equal to Rugalf but it was his methods that made him so fearful.

    Salgard knew that Grj?tgard was the true definition of aplete warrior and he was yet to lose a battle but his family was never a recipient of his violence and he went out of his way to make sure they had a taste of life without violence but he noticed something dark in Salgard ever since he was born.

    Everyone thought he would outgrow these habits but not Grj?tgard, Grj?tgard actively threatened him and subtly hurt him to keep him in check and this has proved effective but seeing his younger brother''s busted face infuriated Grj?tgard.

    "I warned you about what would happen if you touched your brothers again, did I not?" Grj?tgard asked and Salgard cracked a weak smile.

    "You did not really mean it, did you?" Salgard asked, he doubted that Grj?tgard could carry out his threat.

    "You are right, I cannot do that to my little brother¡­" Grj?tgard muttered with a defeated sigh but in the blink of an eye, he grabbed Salgard''s pinky finger and snapped it, breaking it.

    Salgard bit his lower lips to not let out a sound.

    "It seems I have to recondition you, unfortunately¡­" Grj?tgard said before letting go of his finger.

    "F-Forgive me, brother! I did it so brother would not embarrass us!" Salgard tried to justify his action as he hid his broken finger from everyone''s eyes.

    "Oh Salgard, when will you realize you are the one embarrassing us? You are lucky you are my brother or I would have killed you long ago but I also heard what you did to the son of Ragnar," Grj?tgard said and Salgard was getting lost.

    "I want to know what you think about him¡­" Grj?tgard asked and Salgard was more than willing to tell Grj?tgard all he has gathered so far on The Ragnarsson.

    -

    Tyr sat beside Estrid and he looked surprisingly calm but Estrid could not believe he killed for her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    This was the first time someone had done something so extreme for her and she did not know how they process it but she was getting butterflies looking at Tyr.

    "He was not bluffing¡­" Estrid was giddy inside because she knew that she made the right choice.

    Tyr caught her looking at him and she did not even realize when she looked away.

    "What am I doing?" Estrid thought to herself as Tyr smiled, he would kill anyone that tried to harm his wife without exception and this was not limited to strangers.

    It included anyone in the Gardsson family because, after this marriage, they would stop being individuals and be one.

    The wedding was about to begin but he noticed a couple of people looking uneasy, they were looking around the room for someone.

    Tyr correctly guessed that these people were looking for Ludvig.

    "What is themotion? Rugalf asked as he got up to his feet to start the ceremony.

    "I am afraid my son is not here, King Rugalf," A voice responded, a chubby man measuring 5''5 with a crown on his bald head telling Rugalf.

    "You were young once, weren''t you, King Gryting? You understand the heartbreak of a man," Rugalf said and the Kings gatheredughed at this but this was not because it was funny but rather rtable.

    "Hahah! To the women that broke out heart!" Gryting said as he raised his ale and everybody in the roomughed as they responded by raising theirs.

    The King of Orkdalen did not think much about this as Rugalf did raise a good point and the wedding could officially begin without further interruptions.

    It involved Tyr and Estrid cutting themselves and pouring their blood into a cup for their partner to drink to signify unity, but this was not the only thing that stood out as the usual exchange of rings happened but Tyr was given a pristine sword, the sharpest sword he had ever seen but he did not have anything to give her in return and Tyr looked rather lost because this was his first wedding ever but Estrid also gave him a ne as a symbol for her evesting prayer that the gods should protect him.

    Tyr could not help but smile, Estrid was looking at him differently and Tyr could tell that something had changed in her.

    "I think I love you, Tyr Ragnarsson," Estrid said with Tyr smiling.

    "It took you long enough, I fell in love the moment I saw you¡­" Tyr responded. Estrid loved what she was hearing and her cheeks reddened but only one of them truly meant the words that came out of their mouth.

    "Without further ado, I join you two into one! Kiss!" Rugalf exined, and this was where the true test of their affection woulde into y.

    Estrid leaned forward without hesitation and the woman that momentarily shed through his mind was Gudrun. She was the first woman that he kissed but they were not in a rtionship or anything so everything that was going on was ordained by the gods.

    Tyr quickly pushed her out as he leaned forward and the moment his lips touched hers.

    For the first time in his life, Tyr was ovee by lust.

 Chapter 334 Confusion In Paradise?

    ?

    The wedding ceremony went off without a hitch with Bjorn looking happier than his brother that was getting married, he cheered the moment they kissed.

    It was weird seeing Tyr kiss a girl but fascinating nheless and Bjorn was all for it.

    Lagertha was equally as excited, her son was going to be a man with this marriage.

    Everyone was excited and cheery, but the atmosphere slowly became restless as a few Vikings from the Orkdalen Kingdom came in to report that they could not see Ludvig anywhere.

    There was a way Gryting expected his son to conduct himself even if he had his heart broken and this was not it.

    There was no way his son would leave without telling him and Rugalf noticed themotion again but this time, he did not treat it passively.

    Rugalf halted the celebrations momentarily because he could tell that this was bing a problem.

    Rugalf looked at Grj?tgard and gave him a nod.

    Grj?tgard got up quietly and left the building, he assembled a small unit that spread far and wide to look for Ludvig.

    Tyr was calm because he knew there was nothing that could tie him to this but Estrid looked anything but calm, she looked quite panicked on the contrary.

    She had nothing to be afraid of because even if someone was to take the me, it would be Tyr.

    Ludvig tried to vite her and the fact that Estrid did not tell her father the moment it happened already limited what Rugalf could do if she did tell him now as credibility would becking.

    It would have been far more effective if Ludvig was captured alive and presented before them but the fact that he was dead took away the only chance at a confession.

    There were no weapons allowed so this should have been an easy feat and the only way anyone could die is if that person deliberately wished them death.

    Like Tyr did to Ludvig.

    The search was ongoing but Tyr knew there was no way they would find him even if they search every inch of the Kingdom because he hid the body in a ce no one would ever think to search.

    Tyr noticed his wife was visibly uneasy and he grabbed her hand in a bid to calm her down and reassure her.

    "Tor¡­" Estrid muttered but Tyr was confused as to who she was talking about. He followed her gaze and saw that she was looking right at the person that had informed him of Ludvig''s actions.

    Tyr realized at that moment that there was a loose end, if he spoke about it then the chances of him being a suspect were high.

    Tyr still did not look worried as he took a deep breath and looked Estrid right in the eyes.

    "You worry too much, my beautiful wife¡­" Tyr said. Estrid was confused as to why he was so calm.

    "You do not understand¡­" Estrid said but Tyr knew he needed to calm her or people might pick up on her nervousness.

    "I understand and I am telling you, everything will be okay¡­" Tyr said but Estrid broke away from him and walked away from the wedding ceremony.

    Everyone''s attention shifted to her, they could tell she was visibly disturbed and wondered why.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr knew he needed to salvage the situation.

    "I guess I am not the only one with a weak stomach for ale!" Tyr blurted out and the Vikings there cheered.

    Tyr excused himself and because of what he said earlier, no one suspected anything strange with his behaviour.

    Tyr rushed out to confront Estrid because this was thest thing he needed, things were going well and if Estrid lost it, then everything would be in vain.

    "What are you doing!?" Tyr asked, grabbing her by the arm.

    "I need to breathe!" Estrid replied and Tyr could see the Vikings swarming about, he knew that they could not make a scene.

    "What is wrong with you!? That piece of shit tried to rape you!" Tyr whispered but Estrid''s face looked uncertain.

    ".... Right?" Tyr asked but Estrid did not reply, breaking away from him once again. She, however, stopped in her tracks and looked back.

    "Tyr, you need to kill Tor," Estrid said and Tyr was left puzzled because he knew that Tor was harmless and also knew he would not talk about this with anyone.

    Tor did not look bright and there was a high chance he would not evenprehend what was happening.

    He was wasted and passed out on the table making him an easy target but the crowded hall made it a tad bit challenging.

    Tyr did not know what was up with Estrid but he had no problem killing, he just wished he knew why he was doing it. Tyr was not some hitman that would kill at themand of his wife, that would be problematic, to say the least.

    "What have I gotten myself into?" Tyr muttered, he had no regrets about killing Ludvig, he tried to rape his wife and Tyr believed that rapists deserved death.

    It was a repulsive act and the fact that his mother was a victim made it even more uneptable despite it being promoted in this world.

    The victors of battle decided these things but this was a world that Tyr was beginning to reject.

    Tyr knew Estrid''s concerns were valid but he also felt something was off in all of this.

    Tyr made his way back into the hall because he could not be gone for too long.

    Tyr sat back down and Rugalf knew something was off but he did not want to indulge.

    For starters, Estrid did not drink, she hated the taste of ale so there was no way that she would drink now.

    The hall was a lot more calm than when Tyr left, and this made him relieved but where was Tor?

    Tyr could have sworn he saw him before leaving but he was now absent.

    Was he the reason that the hall had settled down?

    "I do not like where this is going¡­" Tyr thought to himself.

 Chapter 335 A Lie In Paradise?

    ?

    Tyr was confused, he was certain that Tor was passed out so what was the problem now?

    How did he vanish into thin air before his brain could look for a solution? He felt a hard p on his back, he looked back and saw Bjorn.

    "Hahaha! My brother is now a man!" Bjorn bragged and Tyr could not help but smile at his older brother''sment.

    "I have always been a man," Tyr countered.

    "I have to admit defeat in this, you have defeated me in this battle¡­" Bjorn conceded defeat because he did not see himself getting married soon which was fine as he had the rest of his life.

    "You are acting weird, Bjorn¡­" Tyr cringed, he was not used to seeing Bjorn act so gullible.

    "Shut up¡­ I am really d that things are working out for you, you deserve such a life after all you have been through," Bjorn said, Tyr noticed he was being serious.

    "It has been a long ride, brother but I made it here because of all of you¡­" Tyr blurted out but Bjorn looked away because he knew that he had abandoned his brother in his times of need.

    Tyr was alive because of his own strength, not because of anyone else.

    "You do not need to lie, I know I abandoned you," Bjorn muttered but Tyr quickly put him down.

    "Nonsense! You¡­ You drove me, our rivalry kept me going! I kept getting stronger because I knew I could not be left behind by you! Mother''s love kept my heart from going cold and Father''s title helped me realize my ambition!" Tyr said and Bjorn was surprised by this.

    He never knew that this was how Tyr viewed everything and this changed his perspective.

    "I trust you with my life, brother and that will never change," Tyr reassured. Bjorn could feel his eyes get blurry but this was because of the tears that welled up in his eyes.

    "I love you, Bjorn¡­" Tyr said and he meant these words that came out of his mouth.

    Bjorn could not contain his excitement as the tears drilled down his cheeks.

    "I love you too, Tyr," Bjorn responded, he could feel the guilt on his chest the moment he said this.

    Bjorn hearing that Tyr would trust him no matter what only made him want to do good by his younger brother all the more.

    "Bjorn, how are things going with Askild?" Tyr asked and Bjorn visibly tensed up the moment he heard this.

    This did not go unnoticed by Tyr, Tyr noticed this but he allowed it to pass because what he needed right now was an answer.

    "I cannot kill King Askild¡­" The moment Bjorn said this, Tyr looked disappointed with this response.

    "What do you mean you cannot?" Tyr asked with a raised brow.

    "I mean not now, Kattegat will fall if King Askild dies¡­" Bjorn quickly corrected himself because he realized that Tyr misunderstood him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "What is going on in Kattegat?" Tyr questioned.

    "There is a power tussle in Kattegat. I might have what I need to take down Askild but I need you to trust me on this," Bjorn said and Tyr sighed.

    He was worried that Bjorn might have had a change of heart but that was not the case.

    Tyr could focus on other pressing matters now and that included the disappearance of Tor.

    He had no intention of telling Bjorn what was going on because he knew he could handle it and the more people he involved, the moreplicated it could be.

    "You will have to excuse me, brother¡­" Tyr said, getting up to his feet as he walked away.

    Bjorn wondered where he was going but he realized it was Tyr''s wedding day so he would most likely be nervous; he did excuse his brother but Tyr soon stopped in his tracks before walking right back at Bjorn.

    Bjorn was seated close to him and knowing how vignt Bjorn was, there was no way he would have missed him if he did leave.

    Tyr realized that Bjorn might be able to tell him where Tor was.

    "Say, did you see where the passed-out Viking was close to you? I have some business with him," Tyr asked and Bjorn thought nothing of this sudden change in conversation.

    "Oh, he was carted away by a few Vikings of his kingdom, I do not know where to though," Bjorn said and this information was all Tyr needed.

    If he was carted away, the chances that he was still passed out and not spoken to anyone were high.

    Tyr heaved a relieved sigh, he thought that the man had woken up and bbed his mouth, Tyr still did not believe he deserved to die.

    Without saying another word, Tyr left but Bjorn already knew not to tell anyone of their discussion without Tyr having to say it.

    -

    Estrid kept walking, she looked visibly stressed and she soon bumped into someone. It was no other than Salgard.

    In all of Salgard''s years, he has never seen Estrid look this terrified and unlike everyone else, Salgard''s train of thought waspletely different from the average person so he could spot these things.

    "You had something to do with Ludvig''s disappearance, didn''t you?" Salgard asked the moment he set eyes on Estrid and her bodynguage gave him his answer despite Estrid verbally denying it.

    "Tell me everything," This was all Salgard said and Estrid knew that there was no point hiding it from Salgard. She understood that she had been made, Salgard was not easily fooled and he could sense a lie. He knew Estrid was lying to him back at the hall, she was not the best liar seeing as she never needed to hone this skill as Rugalf never got angry regardless of what she did but even with this, not everyone could see through her "acting" so to speak. Salgard knew whatever was going on was troublesome the moment she told her first lie and he kept his eyes on her throughout.

    He noticed that she got uneasy the moment Ludvig''s disappearance became a problem and he tracked her after she left the hall. He even witnessed her little confrontation with Tyr despite not hearing what they said due to the hushed tones they spoke in but he knew from the atmosphere that something was going on.

    "Okay, Uncle Salgard," Estrid conceded

 Chapter 336 Madness Or Love?

    ?

    Tyr left the area and thanks to the power of being a resident in this Kingdom, he knew where the individual lounges were and this included Tor''s ce of abode.

    Tyr knew he could approach two ways, knock the guards out and finish him off in his sleep but this would only raise rm and make disposing of Ludvig''s body even more difficult and the other option was formally requesting an audience with him.

    He was the son of Ragnar, even Tor would be honoured to give him an audience.

    Tyr thought about his options but ultimately, option B would not be applicable if Tor was wasted and Tyr had no idea what would happen if he was allowed to wake up with a sober head.

    "Who is there?" A voice questioned, Tyr knew who it was the moment he heard it.

    It was Grj?tgard, Tyr had a view of him that was false and this was the yful version of Grj?tgard.

    "Oh, it is you, Tyr. What are you doing here?" Grj?tgard questioned and Tyr heaved a sigh of relief.

    He did not know what would have happened if it was Salgard that found him as these two have not met alone ever since that incident and Tyr wanted it to stay that way for as long as possible.

    "Grj?tgard, I just thought I would stretch my leg," Tyr said casually, he was an expert at lying unlike his wife so Grj?tgard did not have any reasons to doubt his words but his timing was something else.

    He had no reason to be walking outside the hall when everyone was on high alert.

    Grj?tgard was no fool and judging from what Salgard told him, Tyr was not either.

    "Hahaha! It is important for a man to stay nimble," Grj?tgard muttered and Tyr responded with a heartfeltugh right before Grj?tgard swiped his hand towards Tyr''s head. Tyr immediately ducked but unknown to him, he was not Grj?tgard''s target, but rather the bug that was flying close to Tyr.

    Grj?tgard smiled the moment Tyr made a move as he looked him right in the eyes.

    "It looks like you still have reasons to be on guard, how bizarre¡­" Grj?tgard''s voice was different, he soundedpletely different than he did a second ago.

    Tyr slowly rose to his feet because he knew something was up.

    "Y-You startled me¡­ You cannot me after what happened before," Tyr used the Vegard incident as some sort of deflection but Grj?tgard was not having any of it but decided to y along.

    "Forgive my manners, I was a little excited but things are not looking good considering that Ludvig is missing," Grj?tgard intentionally phrased his words this way because he wanted to see how Tyr would react.

    "Who is that? Was he the one that man was searching for?" Tyr asked.

    "You mean King Gryting. And yes, he was the one," Grj?tgard was keeping up with the conversation and spoke about it.

    "Well, I hope he finds him," Tyr said as he walked past Grj?tgard, he had no business dragging the conversation.

    "You know¡­" Grj?tgard said, prompting Tyr to stop in his tracks.

    "The wordsing out of your mouth did not match the look in your eyes¡­" Grj?tgard said and the tension in the air was evident.

    "What do you mean by that?" Tyr asked.

    "A man''s eyes do not lie, Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" Grj?tgard said, Tyr acted surprised but never once did the look in his eyes change.  Tyr kept on walking as he did not bother trying to exin himself because he realized that the power he had made him just as invincible as Estrid.

    He was lying and Grj?tgard picked up on it.

    -

    The conversation with Ludvig had gone a lot differently than everyone originally thought.

    Estrid did shit him down but that was not the only time that they spoke that night, Ludvig had a few drinks in him before speaking with Estrid once again.

    The conversation was a lot calmer and there was nothing out of the ordinary so to speak.

    He was not inappropriate nor did he attempt to disrespect her marriage as he did previously, he epted that Tyr was the better man.

    This was a far cry from the image that was initially painted about existing hostility.

    Estrid briefly left him and spoke to Tor regarding their past but Tor was not emotionally attached to her so it was a lot easier conversing with him.

    She informed Tor that she would be going for a bit and that if Tyr was toe, he should inform her husband about her whereabouts.

    She returned to conversing with Ludvig before leaving the area but Ludvig followed soon after.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Are you sure this is alright, Estrid?" Ludvig asked and Estrid nodded, Ludvig was reluctant because he knew that marriage was a sacred thing yet Estrid was suggesting such a thing.

    It was a consensual non-consent and Estrid gave him that ne as a sign of her approval for him to act as he pleased.

    Ludvig was a man in the end and he could not pass up the chance of bedding Estrid even if she wasmitted to another as he believed it was him she loved. Ludvig was convinced and he was down for some role-y, and that was why he did what he did.

    Ludvig was not a scum, he was just a man that let his hormones get the better of him.

    Estrid did this to stroke her own ego, she knew that Tyr woulde, and she had set up the scene for that.

    Estrid could have fought harder but she did not and now it made sense.

    Ludvig simply thought it was a scene but he did not know it would cost him his life.

    Tyr came but Estrid did not count on him being so violent as she assumed he did not like her.

    This was her extreme way of testing his love for her, and it backfired when Tyr broke his arm.

    Estrid knew that Ludvig would spill eventually, he did not tell Tyr it was Estrid''s idea because he knew if he did, it might ruin whatever little chance he had with her and that was why he attempted to fight Tyr to show Estrid his masculine side.

    But the moment Tyr broke his arm, Estrid knew that Ludvig could not live or he risked exposing what she did.

    Estrid knew her father would not believe him but that is the thing with rumours, there would always exist a few that believe it. Estrid did not want or need that kind of attention hence why she gave Tyr the go-ahead to kill him.

    Ludvig could not speak even if he wanted to because Tyr made sure to eliminate that part of him or he could scream for help so dialogue was not even an option after the first punch.

    -

    Estrid was done telling Salgard the raw truth because if anyone could understand, it would be him.

    She expected to be scolded or for Salgard to look surprised by this action but he was as aloof as ever with that creepy smile on his face.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson killed Ludvig for a reason such as that?" Salgard questioned, he was more interested in the reason as opposed to the person killed.

    The Kingdom Ludvig hailed from could not pose a threat to Rognd and Salgard knew this.

    Estrid nodded to confirm his question and all she saw was Salgard''s smile bing more twisted.

    "That boy is fucking insane¡­" Salgard muttered, this was the first time that Estrid heard him speak like this.

    "Do not say anything to anyone, I will handle it," Salgard said as he walked away.

    Estrid was surprised she was not scolded or judged, Salgard did not even seem to care for the most despite this having the potential to start a war.

    "Uncle Salgard, what are you going to do?" Estrid asked but she got no response, just as she expected.

    However, she knew that Salgard would never do anything that would negatively impact Rognd.

    -

    Thorgard was suspicious of what was happening but there was nothing he could do.

    He watched King Gryting, Gryting had removed his coat around his back to reveal his heavily scarred right arm as it had been burnt.

    Thorgard could not shake something off with this entire thing but Vegard soon muttered something under his breath, still seated around the neck of his older brother but he was barely audible.

    "What did you say?" Thorgard asked and Vegard reiterated but a lot clearer than the first time.

    "It is the cripple¡­" Vegard repeated and Thorgard immediately shushed him. Thankfully, no one heard him as he quickly removed his brother from his neck to caution him. This was no way to address a King.

    "Vegard, watch your tone!" Thorgard said but he paused briefly, why did Vegard speak as he had already seen him?

    "He is the cripple I saw when I was keeping watch when big brother went to find food," Vegard said, he had no idea what the implication of what he had said meant but the problem was, neither did Thorgard.

    Only Rugalf and Grj?tgard were aware that anyone seen in that mission was an ally to the man that had ughtered their brothers and this meant that King Gryting, was a traitor.

 Chapter 337 Morning Rise, Another Falls [R18+]

    ?

    The night passed without furthermotion, Rognd was tense even though no one spoke about it.

    They were aware that something had happened, there was no escaping it.

    King Rugalf also found it strange that they could not find Ludvig considering that no one reported him leaving.

    This meant he was still within those walls but where?

    He could not be hiding, that would make no sense and Rugalf did not even dare think about the other possible oue.

    Maybe he drank himself into a stupor and passed out somewhere, that was what he was holding onto.

    Rugalf trusted his brother to handle it, he had experience regarding such things.

    The door to his throne room soon sprung open, this was unorthodox considering no one knocked on the door and in came King Tryggve fsson, the ruler of Ranrike holding a motionless body.

    There was no mistaking it, this was Tor''s body and judging from the state of it, he was dead.

    His throat had been slit but by who?

    King Rugalf was quite surprised, this was one thing he could not have predicted as things were going to shit.

    "King Rugalf!" Tryggve shouted as he gentlyid his son on the ground in front of him.

    "What happened!?" Rugalf asked as he rushed down from his throne to meet King Tryggve.

    "My boy¡­ Someone killed my boy!" Tryggve cried out.

    Rugalf had no words, he did not know what to say.

    This should not have been possible considering his no-weapon policy in his Kingdom.

    "I will make sure no one leaves until your boy''s killer is found!" This was the only reassurance that Rugalf could give as a lockdown was announced.

    No one was allowed to leave or enter the Kingdom.

    King Rugalf knew he had to nip this in the bud before it escted but the bizarre thing was that only high-ranking individuals were invited so who would want Tor dead?

    Tor was harmless, he was talkative but he had his head screwed on straight. He did not look like the kind of person to have enemies either but Rugalf began to entertain the thought that this might be an inside seeing as they were the only one with ess to the armoury.

    "T-Tyr! He conquered death! Maybe he can bring back my son! WHERE IS TYR!?" Tryggve called.

    He was not ready to grieve his son, not yet but there was nothing anyone could do.

    Rugalf stood in silence and watched one of the only things capable of bringing a King to his knees and that was the death of his loved ones.

    "I am sorry King Tryggve but Tor is gone. The only thing I can guarantee you is that he will not go unavenged¡­" Rugalf said and Tryggve angrily got to his feet with the guards in the throne room taking a battle stance, ready to engage him should he attempt to do anything funny.

    "Stand down men," Rugalfmanded, Tryggve was a father mourning his child and he felt responsible considering it happened in his Kingdom.

    -

    The lockdown was issued and everyone was surprised that such a thing could happen.

    Estrid was relieved because Tor, the only loose end in her n that went horrendously wrong, was taken care of.

    "Strange, is it not?" A voice said behind her that clearly startled her.

    Estrid looked back to see a blue-eyed man approximately the same age as Tyr, this was no doubt Bjorn Ironside. This was the Ragnarsson that Estrid thought worthy of her and now she could see why.

    He was muscr and extremely handsome, rarely did a warrior have those two things.

    "B-Bjorn Ironside¡­" Estrid said, showing him his due respect as he was the blood of Ragnar.

    "I did not mean to startle you. I would have liked to wee you to the family under better circumstances but it seems someone used this to settle a feud between Kingdoms¡­" Bjorn said.

    Estrid felt rxed around him, he was the opposite of Tyr in terms of that.

    Bjorn had a kind aura around him and people could sense that but Tyr was the opposite which made people perceive him as a threat.

    "It is fine, I am just as surprised that such a thing could happen. I hope they find the culprits," Estrid said and Bjorn chuckled when he heard this.

    This confused Estrid as she did not say anything but before the conversation could proceed any further, Tyr intervened.

    "It seems your bad luck has robbed off on this Kingdom as well brother¡­" Bjorn teased, pausing before saying.

    "It almost feels like you are the one responsible for these misfortunes," Bjorn concluded and Estrid immediately tensed up.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Bjorn, now is not the time¡­" Tyr cautioned his brother as the atmosphere was already tense.

    "Fine, fine. You are right." Bjjorn said right before walking away, Tyr wondered where his parents were.

    -

    Ragnar was in his room with his wife, he spent the night talking to her all night.

    He did this because they had a lot to catch up on even though he knew Lagertha wanted to jump his bones.

    She had an unnaturally high sex drive.

    They were not aware of what was going on outside, they were in their own little world.

    "Ragnar, what did that woman want with you?" Lagertha questioned Ragnar, she knew that something must have urred for her to have such audacity.

    "Would you believe me if I told you she tried to kiss me?" Ragnar asked and Lagertha did not look surprised. She just sighed because she knew that the woman had eyes for Ragnar.

    This was the power that they had,plete transparency and Lagertha knew that Raganr could take a second wife if he pleased as other Kings practised this but Ragnar was always a one-woman man. Lagertha was more than enough for him to handle, he could not imagine adding anotherdy to the mix.

    "Do you like her?" Lagertha asked and Ragnar looked visibly irritated by this question, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

    "If I liked her, I would be in her bed and not yours¡­" Ragnar countered, this made Lagertha giggle as she mounted her husband.

    "You know, I would not mind her in our bed¡­" Lagertha said, Ragnar knew that Lagertha was an adventurousdy so this was not something strangeing from her.

    "Lagertha, she is looking for a husband," Ragnar said, he knew Aug would turn down Lagertha if she proposed a threesome and Lagertha had no intentions of bing a second wife to Ragnar either.

    "You are right and I do not want to share my husband, not in that sense," Lagertha said, she had pride in being Ragnar''s only wife.

    Lagertha began grinding on Ragnar, it did not take long for Ragnar''s boner to poke her from beneath.

    Ragnar ced his hand on her waist, applying pressure to her hips to make it more enjoyable for himself.

    Lagertha''s slit could feel that bulge, and grinding on it sent a wave of pleasure up her spine.

    She was wet and her panties were proof of this.

    Lagertha''s hand reached for Ragnar''s dick inside his trouser as she began stroking it up and down.

    She used his precum as lube, Ragnar moaned but the moment he did, Lagetha buried her tongue right in his mouth as she kissed him.

    The stroking became faster and faster but before Ragnar could cum, Lagetha stopped.

    She could not waste good semen, especially when she was trying to have another child for the King of Vestfold.

    Lagetha took out his dick, and Ragnar looked excited to see what she wanted to do with it but Lagertha opted for something that Ragnar had not experienced in a very long time.

    Lagetha was blessed with beautiful feet, so soft and elegant despite her upation as a warrior.

    Lagetha ced Ragnar''s throbbing dick between them.

    Ragnar looked ecstatic as he watched Lagetha''s curved toes touch the other feet as she began stroking his dick with them.

    Ragnar arched his head backwards, his breathing heavied as he tried everything in his power not to finish.

    "Tell me who you belong to, my love?" Lagetha asked and Ragnar smiled.

    "I might have forgotten¡­" Ragnar teased as he was slowly reaching his limit.

    "I guess I will remind you, my love," Lagetha said. She tried to change position but Ragnar tackled her.

    Ragnar rarely took charge because he liked to allow his wife to have her fun.

    "My poor shield maiden, it is I who will be reminding you who you belong to¡­" Ragnar said, wrapping one hand around Lagertha''s neck and the other around her hips as he slid his dick into her wet pussy.

    It twitched but it weed the King of Vestfold.

    Lagetha wasid on her back, each stroke made her back arch upwards but this only made it possible for Ragnar''s dick to travel even further.

    Ragnar was gentle, he was not aggressive and that was why Lagertha loved having sex with him.

    He knew when to fuck her like a slut and a Queen.

 Chapter 338 Infighting?

    ?

    Aug cussed Lagertha, she could not believe she had such control over Ragnar.

    Her maiden tried her best to calm her down but Aug looked visibly distraught by what was happening.

    Aug could not believe that a man existed that could refuse her, this has never happened before so why was it happening now?

    Aug knew her way to Ragnar would have to be through Lagetha.

    Little did she know that something far more important was going on, she tried to pick herself up because themotion outside was getting in.

    She asked Eva to go and inspect what was going on because she was too lost in her own little thoughts.

    Eva returned and she looked rather terrified.

    "Mydy, Tor is dead!" Eva said and Aug''s heart dropped.

    "A death? Here?" Aug asked, this should not be possible as she knew the possible repercussions of such a thing.

    "Get ready Eva, we leave now!" Augmanded.

    "We cannot leave mydy, a lockdown has been called¡­" Eva said but why did Aug fear staying here? A lockdown had no reason to cause such a panic.

    "You do not understand! We need to leave, that pig is here!" Aug said and this brought Eva into the fold.

    She realized what Aug was talking about.

    "He cannot be here¡­." Eva muttered as she realized why Aug was scared.

    Aug ran out of the house, she knew she was not safe and the fact that someone as high ranking as Tor could be killed destroyed the illusion that security was assured in here.

    This was why she hated men, they found a way to indulge in conflict wherever they were and it seems that even weddings were not off limits.

    "Eva, find Ragnar Lothbrok! We might have a problem," Eva ran out the moment Aug said this, she has never seen her mistress this distressed.

    -

    Ragnar just finished having sex with Lagertha and he needed time to recoup, this included eating.

    Ragnar walked out to the ensuingmotion, but luckily, he found Bjorn Ironside.

    "Father, get back in!" Bjorn instructed his father but Ragnar wanted to find out what was happening.

    "FATHER! GET BACK IN! NOW!" Bjorn shouted at his father, the urgency in his voice told Ragnar that whatever was happening outside had escted.

    Ragnar did not know what was happening, but he trusted his son enough not to question it, at least not then.

    Ragnar soon heard obvious signs of fighting outside, he tried his best to see what was happening but he knew that it was something that was above his power.

    Tor was dead and now fighting had broken out, Ragnar soon heard banging on his door.

    He looked around because he knew that if he attempted to open the door, whatever was behind that door would slip in.

    "OPEN UP RAGNAR!" A voice called out but Ragnar was no fool. He was not scared but he had no intentions of actively putting his wife in danger.

    "Get lost, if you enter¡­ Prepare for whatever consequences thate with it," Ragnar threatened but his tone was calm.

    This did not stop the threat behind the door, the room was broken into and in came four hefty men.

    They quickly surrounded Ragnar, but Ragnar did not look worried as long as they did not raise a finger in the direction of his wife.

    "Come with us, King Ragnar," A man said and Ragnar raised a brow, these men were not King and were in no position to even demand such from him.

    "What is the meaning of this?" Ragnar asked, Lagertha covered up and Ragnar could feel their eyes wander.

    This was something he had no intention of tolerating, King Ragnar grabbed the man that was speaking by the neck.

    "You do know who you are talking to, right?" Ragnar asked and the other men readied up, ready to fight but the man that Ragnar had by the throat instructed them to stand down.

    There was no way in hell they were going to defeat Ragnar, they would just incur injuries that could be avoided.

    "K-King Ragnar. Prince Tor is dead and I am afraid that fighting has erupted in the Kingdom. We are to take away all Kings on Rugalf''smand." The man said and Ragnar raised a brow.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    How long was it out? King Rugalf was requesting the arrest of all Kings. Is that why Bjorn shouted for him to stay back?

    "And why did he not send one of his brothers? Why would he send a warrior of your rank to take me to him?" Ragnar asked, this was a very good question considering that he was not a random King but one that had just joined but Ragnar did not need to say another word because his question was answered.

    Grj?tgard walked into the room, Ragnar knew at that moment that this order was truly from Rugalf.

    "King Ragnar, we do not mean any disrespect but there has been a recent development¡­" Grj?tgard said and this has Ragnar''s interest.

    "What happened?" Ragnar asked right away.

    "We found a bloodied weapon, someone killed the guards guarding it and took the weapon. We believe that is the same weapon that killed Tor," Grj?tgard responded sternly but this was not convincing.

    They had already locked the ce down and this sounded a bit excessive.

    "Let me speak to King Rugalf," Ragnar requested but Grj?tgard abruptly turned him down.

    "King Ragnar, I could take you by force or you maye peacefully," Grj?tgard said and Ragnar looked back at Lagertha like he was seeking her permission to engage in violence.

    Lagertha heaved a sigh before looking away, this was her way of giving Ragnar her permission and Ragnar had every intention of fighting his way through because something told him that this was not Kihg Rugalf''s order.

    -

    Tyr noticed the uproar and it was from the Viking of Ranrike, this was strange because they were calm moments ago

    They all had weapons and were taking prisoners, killing those that resisted.

    They found a murder weapon but this weapon belonged to someone familiar to Tyr.

    It belonged to someone from the Kingdom of Orkdalen, it had the insignia and the only person missing was Ludvig.

    People began to suspect that Ludvig was responsible for this killing as everything seemed to point at him.

    He was missing at such a convenient time and a weapon belonging to them had been found bloodied and discarded elsewhere.

    But this was not the only thing, there was a trail that implied that whoever did this had left Rognd.

    But the possibility that the attacker grabbed a random weapon that happened to belong to that Kingdom also excited hence why they did not go straight for King Gryting''s head.

    They were rounding up every high-ranking individual because they could not risk a King falling in Rognd.

    That would cause something that is beyond the control of everyone, war would most likely be the oue.

    A prince could fall but it would not incur the same consequences as a King and the most eerie part of this all was that there was a witness ready to testify.

    He was injured and barely survived whoever attacked him.

    "Tyr!" Bjorn called out, he was somewhat out of breath but he also looked exhausted.

    "What is it?" Tyr asked and Bjorn Immediately pointed behind him, Tyr saw people with weapons approaching.

    "How did this get so bad?" Tyr thought; his first day as a married man was proving to be a very stressful one but there should not be any problems if they just surrendered right? That was wrong.

    Rugalf might have ordered this but this was against theirws, they had no right to retain Kings even if something as dire as this happened.

    Naturally, there were a few that opposed them but they also were some that supported them and such an action might cause friction.

    "Bjorn, where is Father?" Tyr asked, he knew that King Ragnar will be a target as he held such a high importance between both Kingdoms.

    On one side, he was the Father-inw of Estrid and on the other side, one of the most powerful Kings.

    The enemies will want to take care of him first and allies would want to secure him.

    "I do not know but I fear he might be in danger¡­" Bjorn said. Tyr knew something was not right, he knew that someone must have influenced King Tryggve to take up arms because there was no need for something so drastic considering that Rugalf had it handled.

    "Do you think Askild had a hand in this?" Tyr asked Bjorn but Bjorn doubted, putting Ragnar in danger benefited no one.

    King Askild might be someone that Tyr hated but Tyr also knew what he was capable of but he would never do anything that would not benefit.

    Tyr did not see how this would benefit him as it had the potential to even ruin the expedition he had nned in less than two weeks.

 Chapter 339 Rogaland In Chaos!

    ?

    Ragnar stood against Grj?tgard, he had no intention of backing down.

    Grj?tgard heard tales of Ragnar and the warrior in him wanted to test this hypothesis.

    But now was not the time, before they could go any further, armed individuals barged in.

    It was just as Grj?tgard predicted, Ragnar was a target and he knew that even more men woulde.

    Ragnar might be strong but ultimately, he is just a man.

    With the right amount of men, even he could be overpowered.

    Grj?tgard sighed as none of this would have happened if Ragnar just came with him but now he found himself surrounded by armed individuals numbering five in total.

    His men attempted to fight back but they were cut down, these were not normal warriors but warriors handpicked by the King himself.

    They ranked above these men in that sense.

    "Step aside Grj?tgard," The man that seemed to be in charge of these men,manded but Grj?tgard stood in front of Ragnar.

    Ragnar realized at that moment that Grj?tgard was not a threat but he knew that he could not let his guard down.

    "You have really grown some balls, Sander The Bear Killer," Grj?tgard said, he might not have a weapon but he knew that he could take these men on.

    "King Ragnar, you must forgive me but I will have to ask you to leave¡­" Grj?tgard muttered to Ragnar.

    Ragnar wanted to stay and fight with him because he did not think that Grj?tgard had it handled but he needed to find his sons.

    "Get him! Do not let him leave!" Sandermanded and the warriors by his side charged towards him with intent to kill.

    Ragnar could not believe their arrogance, these men were no doubt warriors that belonged to Tryggve.

    "All this because Tor was killed?" Ragnar asked but Sander was confused by this statement.

    "Tor? King Ragnar, it is not only one weapon we found¡­ We found a weapon that very well resembles yours!" Sanders said and Ragnar raised a suspicious brow.

    He did not believe that Sander knew what he was talking about because what was this absurd usation?

    "Watch your tongue¡­" Ragnar warned but Grj?tgard''s bodynguage told the King of Vestfold that this was not as absurd as Ragnar initially thought.

    The murder could have taken ce at any time during the night, so just because Ragnar was present in the hall during the celebrations did not mean he could not have killed Tor after the celebrations were over.

    "King Ragnar, you cannot kill them!!" Grj?tgardmanded and the moment he said this, Ragnar dodged the attacks, aborting his initial intention to kill them.

    "Why can I not?" Ragnar asked as he casually evaded their barrage of attacks.

    "Trust me and leave it to me!" Grj?tgard warned and this tallied with Bjorn''s warning.

    Bjorn was not scared of Ragnar''s safety but rather, making sure that his father did not kill anyone while protecting himself.

    Grj?tgard knew he had to stop the attack but Sander was a man that he could not turn his back to.

    Sander was a man that could kill bears bare-handed with minimum effort.

    Ragnar sighed, he did not know what was going on but he had no intention of letting things get worse than they needed to, he knocked each of them out with a firm blow to their jaws.

    Grj?tgard and Sander looked a little surprised by this, they knew Ragnar was strong but it should not be this easy regardless.

    "Let us go, Lagertha¡­" Ragnar said and Lagertha followed behind him quietly, she looked irritated that these men had ruined their fun because if they never came then this would have never happened but she also did not regret it, seeing Tyr was worth every trouble.

    "Why are you protecting a foreign King?" Sander asked Grj?tgard.

    "Protecting? If Ragnar falls, it will open up a box that none of us is ready to deal with at the moment¡­" Grj?tgard warned.

    "You have gotten soft, what happened to the man I met many years ago?" Sander asked

    "He is still here, you will find out if you raise your de at me," Grj?tgard retorted and for a brief moment, they stared each other down but Sander eventually stood down. He knew hecked the power or ability to beat as things stood because he would need to expend more energy than he currently had.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Sander also could not let Grj?tgard go because he would prove a threat to his men.

    "I have no intention of awakening the man feared to be a god of war but I cannot let you go either so you see, I am caught in a bit of a dilemma here¡­" Sander said and the moment he said this, Grj?tgard lunged at him but he was without a weapon.

    Sander knew that he was strong but the fact that Grj?tgard was unarmed naturally swayed the battle to his advantage.

    He dodged Grj?tgard''s attempt to grab his face by simply side-stepping it before twisting a full 180 degrees with his de in a bid to decapitate the giant but his sword met no mass.

    Grj?tgard had dodged the attack like expected and Sander felt a blow that ripped through his body originating from his lower torso.

    This single punch sent Sander to his knees as Grj?tgard stood above the much smaller man.

    He watched him struggle to breathe for a moment or two before sending a kick right into his jaw, knocking Sander out cold.

    This battle was over before it even began but just as Grj?tgard expected, more came flooding in.

    "This is looking like it will take some time¡­" Grj?tgard thought to himself.

    -

    Rognd was in a chaotic state, King Rugalf lost control of the situation when the weapon was found with a few of his men killed, Rugalf feared that this might be a lot bigger than he initially thought and he was right.

    The wedding of his family was ruined by senseless vendetta, he hated that he could not do anything about it and did not even know where his daughter was.

    But he was aware that there was no way Tyr would leave her to her devices as she was his wife.

    If she''d died, Tyr was as good as dead himself as Rugalf entrusted him with this responsibility.

    That was the purpose of the handing-over ceremony.

    Vegard and Thorgard were nowhere to be found and Rugalf only hoped that they would be safe.

    He knew he could easily squash the little revolt in his kingdom but he did not want to spill blood.

    If he killed the King, the new King would simply inherit the rage of the previous one and new enemies would be made.

    Right now, Rugalf needed all the allies he could get and an order to bring King Tryggve back alive had been issued but also to bring King Gryting considering that his son was missing and there was evidence that someone had absconded

    He was the only one missing as everyone else could ount for their numbers.

    "Salgard¡­" Rugalfmanded as Salgard appeared from behind one of the veils concealing the window.

    "Yes King Rugalf," Salgard responded with a smile.

    Rugalf knew if he sent Salgard outside, the casualties would be insurmountable as he was a radical individual that would take the life of anyone that threatened him in the slightest.

    Rugalf was hesitant but he had no choice, he needed to make sure that Vegard and Thorgard were okay.

    "Go out and bring your brothers to me¡­" Rugalfmanded and Salgard nodded inpliance right before walking out of the door.

    Rugalf recalled how things got this bad; shortly after his meeting with King Tryggve, the bloodied sword of Ludvig was found alongside a trail that someone had left. This made the situation look like it was a closed case seeing as the evidence to support this was kind but then came a problem that opened the door to a whole new possibility.

    Ragnar''s sword among others was found, begging the question of knowing just how many were involved in this nned assassination of Tor.

    King Tryggve was not going to take it sitting down and forcefully overran the armoury where their weapons were kept and began killing the people whose weapons were found and this made King Ragnar the target.

    Rugalf had already called a lockdown and he knew that he could not lift it, not yet because, in the end, Tor was killed.

    This was why Rugalf attempted to "confine" these men so he could better protect them or draw Tryggve in but things were not looking good.

    Everything had backfired as the men he sent to bring these Kings were either locked inbat with Tryggve men or the men that he thought to protect as everyone saw each other as an enemy right now.

    King Rugalf knew at this rate, the death toll would be on the high side if he did not personally interfere.

    There was another way to make Tryggve submit and that was by force.

 Chapter 340 King Tryggve Appears!

    ?

    Tyr was with Estrid and around him was a litter of corpses, he did not hesitate to ughter anyone that came within proximity of him or his wife.

    Tyr noticed something strange, he noticed that these men attempted to take his life and that of his wife.

    Why would they want to kill them?

    They were being targeted, and these were warriors that hailed from the same Kingdom as Ludvig.

    There was no way that they could have known so were their actions independent of that result?

    Tyr was curious, he knew that they could not afford to let them have their way and he armed himself with the sword of the fallen warrior.

    Estrid was traumatized, she could not help but think this was her fault because none of this would have happened if she did not attack Ludvig but was this the case? Why were they being targeted?

    Tyr knew he had to find out what was going on but there was so little time.

    A scream echoed closely, Tyr instructed his wife to hide even though they could not have sex to seal the marriage the night prior due to the circumstances surrounding them.

    Tyr rushed to the scene and he saw Eva and Aug being surrounded by multiple hungry-looking men, things were bing chaotic and everyone took this as a free pass to do as they pleased.

    "S-Stay back!" Eva warned but the men had no intention of listening.

    Tyr was tired of seeing the same cycle, was rape and violence such a normalized thing in this world to the extent that even someone as high ranking as Aug was not safe?

    Tyr knew that this world was rotten and these Vikings were so strong because they had embraced that rot and turned it into strength.

    "Enough!" Tyr screamed, and this drew everyone''s attention to him, giving room for Aug and Eva to sneak away.

    The leader of these men clicked his tongue in annoyance the moment he saw that the women had escaped, he would have instructed his men to give chase but even they would be in trouble if they were seen chasing Aug.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson? We have no business with you! Run along now!" The man barked, this set of Vikings belonged to Tryggve.

    "Do you like picking on helpless people?" Tyr asked, he looked rather angry because this was a sensitive topic for him considering his mother had experienced it.

    He was reminded each time he saw this and Tyr wondered if Lagertha was as scared as this woman or if she had the reaction of the next woman, he hated it.

    "Get lost or even you would not escape judgement!" The Viking warned but Tyr just chuckled.

    "Judgment?" Tyr asked, walking towards them in a very casual manner, Tyr knew that they would attack if he got close enough and he had no problems killing anyone or anything.

    There was no way anyone could point fingers at him if there were no witnesses.

    Tyr, however, felt the wind at the nape of his neck distort, signifying that something was homing in at him from that direction, Tyr quickly moved out of the way by ducking but it grazed him.

    Naturally, the warriors around him were stunned because he reacted like he had eyes at the back of his head but this did not stop all three from attacking him.

    Tyr could not make out where the archer was but he knew whoever was firing the arrow was doing so from his blindspot making the fight a little more difficult.

    The two Vikings attacked simultaneously from his right and left, Tyr had a weapon in only one hand so his only choice was to dodge their attack, he did so by leaping back but the moment his feet left the ground, another arrow whistled through the air but once again, Tyr managed to dodge it at the veryst second but not unscathed.

    "You are a strong boy¡­" A voice said behind him, Tyr could tell by the men before him that this man was of prominent standing.

    Tyr was now sandwiched between them as he jerked his head back to see who it was that was talking.

    It was no other than King Tryggve, who had on his battle armour and a huge sword strapped to his back.

    "Why are you doing this!?" Tyr questioned, hoping to get some sort of answer.

    "It seems the gods do not favour my son as they do you¡­" Tryggve spoke, ignoring his question.

    Tryggve looked confused as to why he was seeing wounds on Tyr as well as why they were in such a secluded ce.

    "Did my men harm you?* King Tryggve asked, he sounded a lot calmer and moreposed than he did when he first found out that his son was dead with the long sleeves he had on swaying with the wind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He epted this cruel fate and tookfort in the fact that he was in Valha.

    Tyr did not speak because he did not know what angle this man wasing from.

    Tyr knew not to trust so blindly because he was aware of the consequences but Aug came into view soon after alongside Eva.

    The Vikings immediately tensed up and Tryggve knew that Aug must have been responsible for what was going on.

    "King Tryggve, your men tried to have their way with Lady Aug!" Eva blurted out and Tryggve''s anger was visible. Of all the women to set their eyes on, they chose Aug.

    Tryggve walked in their direction, instructing them to get on their knees and they obeyed with hesitation.

    Tyr was surprised, he stood in ce as Tryggve walked right past him.

    The men looked like they knew what wasing and in the blink of an eye, they all lost their heads with a single swing from Tryggve''s sword, killing them.

    "You must forgive their manners, Lady Aug but that is the effect your beauty has on them¡­" Tryggve said before returning his attention to Tyr except he was not sheathing his sword.

    "I am afraid I cannot let you go, Tyr. You are a son of Ragnar and Ragnar is suspected to have a hand in my son''s death¡­" Tryggve said and this caught Tyrpletely off-guard.

    One look at Tryggve and Tyr could tell that this man was strong, if he fought him alone then it would be a tightly contested fight and he could not afford such as Estrid still needed his protection.

    He had so many questions but experience taught him that people rarely spoke unless they had to.

    This was no different, Tyr had to somehow beat the information out of him.

    "I am a son of Ragnar as well¡­" A voice said behind and Tyr cracked a smile the moment he heard it.

    It was Bjorn, this was the perfect situation for him as Bjorn walked to his brother''s side.

    "I thought you were dead, it seems you really cannot be killed," Bjorn joked.

    "Die before my rival? Such nonsense¡­"Tyr fired back because both brothers were about to enter a life-or-death situation with King Tryggve even though everything in their body told them that he did not want their heads.

    "Two sons of Ragnar? I could not have asked for a better match up¡­" Tryggve said as he bent down to grab a sword and tossed it in Bjorn''s direction.

    "It seems he does not take us seriously, brother¡­" Tyr said but Tryggve interrupted him.

    "On the contrary, it is because I take you seriously that I have allowed you to die like a warrior. I only need one of you alive but I cannot incur the wrath of Rugalf so that makes you¡­" Tryggve said, pointing his sword at Bjorn.

    "... The odd man out," He concluded.

    Bjorn told Tyr to stand back and Tyr was rather surprised by Bjorn''s willingness to engage in violence.

    He injured Sighvatur in a proper fight so he must be strong but Tyr was yet to see just how much his big brother had improved in terms ofbat.

    "I allowed you an advantage and you threw it away?" Tryggve asked, confused by this recklessness which he could only attribute to their age.

    They did not know their limits and Tryggve had every intention of reminding them that they were just kids.

    Bjorn picked the sword up and inspected it, it was a standard sword with no special features or characteristics.

    It was just nd but this should do, the sword did not have any chip in it and was rather sharp.

    "Alright, good enough¡­" Bjorn muttered and King Tryggve waited patiently but he did not have to wait much longer as Bjorn charged at him with the sword in hand.

    Tyr found himself worried about Estrid but he also realized that she knew this Kingdom like the back of her hand so finding a ce to hide should not be difficult.

    "You can do it, Bjorn¡­" Tyr found himself cheering Bjorn as this was the perfect fight to see just how strong his big brother had grown.

 Chapter 341 The Target? The Gardssons!

    ?

    Bjorn found himself facing a King, he knew what might happen if he did kill him but something told him that this would not be as easy as he thought it would be.

    Bjorn charged at the man of equal height, Tryggve was an older man in his early forties so one could argue that he was past his prime but with age came the most important thing inbat and that was experience.

    Bjorn swung his de down in a bid to split him in half vertically but Tryggve easily blocked it with his sword, Bjorn found that he could not overpower him despite his strength.

    Bjorn was parried by Tryggve, sending him flying a few meters back with the younger warrior skidding to a half by burying his sword into the ground.

    But he saw a looking shadow, implying that Tryggve was not going to let him catch his breath but luckily, Bjorn could react in time as he rolled to his left, dodging the sword that impaled the ground he was just located in.

    "You have good movement¡­" Tryggvemended Bjorn but Tyr noticed something.

    The fact that Tryggve had on such armour and could still match Bjorn in terms of speed left a lot to the imagination as to how strong he would be without it as this was clearly weighing him down in terms of defence.

    Tyr looked at Bjorn, waiting for his brother to call on him but that call never came.

    Bjorn got up to his feet, he knew he would have to fight Tryggve like he intended to kill him otherwise he stood no chance, and even if he did, he was still not sure of victory.

    Bjorn charged at him once more but Tryggve did not look threatened or bothered but could this be because he underestimated Bjorn?

    This was what Bjorn thought and he was about to make him regret it.

    Bjorn thrust his de forward but once again it was parried, something happened, the cross guard of Bjorn''s detched onto Tryggve''s own.

    Tryggve was taken by surprise as this temporarily eliminated his ability to defend himself with said weapon, creating an opening.

    Bjorn had every intention of exploiting it as he sucked down suddenly, this change of body stance made it a lot harder to follow what he had nned.

    Bjornnded a blow right on his left thigh before being kicked away like a bug by Tryggve but the force wascking.

    "Bjorn Ironside, you are more dangerous than I thought," Tryggve said as he noticed that Bjorn had managed to momentarily make the muscles in his thigh cease as he hit a pressure point.

    This was why the kick did not pack much force but there was no serious damage done as Tryggve could counter before things escted.

    "Tyr! What are you doing here?" Bjorn called and this caught the younger warrior off-guard.

    "I am here to back you up, brother," Tyr responded but Bjorn looked back at him.

    "Does it look like I need backup!? You have a family now, go and make sure your wife is safe!" Bjorn said, and Tyr knew he was right.

    If they attempted what they did with Aug then there was nothing stopping them from doing the same with Estrid. It was clear that Tryggve did not haveplete control of his men as they were running amok.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr clenched his fist as this was where trust came in, he knew he had to trust that his older brother would be good.

    "Don''t you dare die on me!" Tyr said as he gestured for Aug and Eva to follow him.

    "Not even if you killed me!" Bjorn responded with a grin.

    Tryggve had no problems letting Tyr go because he knew he might be a potential threat if he did join the battle, Tyr was an unknown in terms of strength as the stories told only made him seem like a god as opposed to Bjorn''s stories that paled inparison.

    Tyr left Bjorn to his devices but Bjorn knew with the few exchanges with this man that there was no way in hell he could win but he could stalk him long enough for Tyr to get somewhere safe.

    -

    "Find them!" A voice screamed and everyone spread out, they were looking for both Thorgard and Vegard.

    These were Vikings under Gryting, the supposed traitor that Vegard had seen but the only thing he had to recognize was the burn mark.

    "They cannot be far! We just saw them!" The man said and he was right, they were not far at all.

    Thorgard and Vegard were hiding beneath a shed in a house, but no one knew a room existed below so they did not think to look for it.

    Thorgard''s warrior instinct was to fight them but he knew that would put Vegard in a vulnerable position.

    Vegard''s safety came first and the problem with this was, Rugalf was not aware that King Gryting was taking advantage of this ensuing chaos to hunt down his family.

    In Rugalf''s mind, the chaos was caused by Tryggve and Tryggve was the one he needed to worry about but this could not be further from the truth.

    King Gryting had every intention of wiping out the Gardsson bloodline that day as more of his men he had left on standby managed to make their way into the Kingdom to bolster their strength. On paper, King Gryting''s n looked quite achievable.

    "I-I am scared¡­" Vegard whispered, Thorgard was scared out of his mind as well because he understood the situation that they were in.

    He did not know what was going on but he knew that these men wanted their heads.

    "You have me! Your big brother will protect you!" Thorgard whispered back, striking his hair.

    Thorgard wondered if everyone was okay but he knew that as long as his older brothers were allowed to fight then there was no way they would lose but he did worry about one person.

    Thorgard worried that Fr?ygard mightck the capacity to survive, and thedy thing he wanted Vegard to lose was yet another sibling.

 Chapter 342 A Missing Princess!

    ?

    Fr?ygard was resting when themotion broke out, his instinct surprisingly was not to hide but rather wanted to safeguard the citizens.

    He did not want them caught in the crossfire as he was beginning to regain himself, he could not risk getting Salgard angry as his face was still bruised from the beating he had gotten.

    Fr?ygard was angry that he was slowly bing the ck sheep of the family, no one was taking him seriously and he knew he needed to change that soon.

    The noises outside affected his concentration, and he knew he needed to see what was going on.

    The noise got closer and closer, and with it, bodies dropped in turn.

    "What is going on?" Fr?ygard questioned but he got no response.

    His door soon sprung open and Fr?ygard was relieved when he saw a familiar face, it was the guard responsible for guarding his door.

    "R-Run¡­" He warned before falling to the ground, dead but Fr?ygard could not retreat.

    There was nowhere to run, to begin with, Fr?ygard was trapped in the confines of his room but luckily, he was not unarmed as a small knifey on his bedside table.

    Fr?ygard rushed to get it, and before he could turn back, he saw three hefty men enter his room.

    He could tell who they were by their crest, these were Gryting''s men but why were they here to begin with?

    "What do you want!?" Fr?ygard questioned.

    But the men lunged at him with every intent to take his life, but Fr?ygard had no intentions of running.

    He was a Gardsson and in no way weak, Fr?ygard had every intention of fighting them.

    The first man that tried to stab was easily disarmed and simultaneously impaled right in the neck.

    Fr?ygard now had a weapon in hand, exempting the knife he had in the other.

    "Do you bastards know who I am!? I am Fr?ygard! A brother of King Rugalf!" Fr?ygard shouted as he was pumped, he felt invincible as some alcohol was still in him.

    Fr?ygard had no problems cutting them down with little to no hesitation, he killed the three men but he wanted more blood.

    Fr?ygard was in a frenzy and he stepped out of the room to see the carnage that ensued.

    Fr?ygard looked angry that this was even happening, the audacity of these men.

    To think they thought they could kill him, Fr?ygard was a formidable warrior even when he was not at a hundred percent.

    He saw multiple bodies around, some were severely injured, others dead.

    "Fr?ygard Gardsson¡­." A man called out, Fr?ygard''s eyes darted at the door, the only door blocking his way outside. Fr?ygard could tell with a single look that this was not an average warrior, to say the least.

    "Who the fuck are you?" Fr?ygard asked and the man simply smiled while saying.

    "I am the man who will take your life," The man threatened but Fr?ygard did not look impressed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    -

    Tyr went in search of Estrid and something concerned him, she was no longer at the location that she initially was in and he could see signs of struggle.

    Tyr could feel his heart pumping, he knew that he could not lose Estrid and followed the trail diligently but in his path, he saw multiple bodies.

    There was no way that Estrid was the one that killed these men and judging from the wounds, it was someone extremely proficient in using a sword.

    Tyr knew he could not lose her, not now or ever so this was his top priority.

    He soon ran into an injured enemy, this was his chance to find out what happened.

    Tyr grabbed him by the cor, shaking him to get his attention as it felt like he would lose consciousness at any moment, this was something that could not happen or information would be lost.

    "Where is Estrid!?" Tyr barked but the man was in a dazed state, barely able to hear the wordsing out of Tyr''s mouth until Tyr struck him across the face and asked again.

    "E-Estrid¡­ She w-was taken¡­" The man blurted out but by who? This at least confirmed she was alive but her safety would depend heavily on who took her.

    "Who took her!?" Tyr asked.

    "A-A m-man with an¡­."'' The man could notplete his sentence unfortunately as he passed on.

    Tyr struck him in a bid to wake him up.

    "A MAN WITH WHAT!?" He shouted but he got no response. All he managed to do with this was to draw nearby enemies to himself but before they could converge on his location, Tyr was gone.

    Tyr was quite good at evasive manoeuvres, a skill he honed during his exile as he saw that the men that circled his previous location had the same crest on as the man that died.

    This meant that they were most likely looking for whoever was responsible as well.

    Tyr was getting exhausted, he wanted to rest and he did not even know how all this happened.

    Oh right, it was his wedding. Maybe if Estrid did not marry him then none of this would have happened.

    "Yeah right¡­" Tyr quickly rubbished that idea with a smirk as he stepped out in the open to face the enemies he had seemingly hidden from.

    "Now¡­ Which one of you will tell me where my wife is?" Tyr asked right before charging at them.

    He ran right through the middle and it made it hard for them to swing their sword without the risk of hitting one another.

    Tyr cut them down without mercy, each time he swung his de, a head flew and they could notnd a hit on him due to how nimble he was.

    Tyr killed almost everyone, leaving only two alive albeit severely injured.

    "Which one of you will tell me where my wife was?" Tyr asked and he noticed one of the men trying to get smart with him so he severed the hand with the weapon, kicking the severed limb away.

    "If you do not tell me, you will never see the gates of the All-Father¡­" Tyr''s voice was cold and this was the one thing that every warrior feared as it would make their life meaningless but Tyr was going to get his answer one way or the other.

 Chapter 343 The Calm Before The Storm PT. 1

    ?

    Ragnar and Lagertha were walking casually down the street, it was deserted but neither worried about their safety because they were confident in their strength.

    Ragnar was a King and Lagetha was one of the strongest female shield maidens.

    Ragnar did not even raise a finger, Lagertha disposed of anyone that attempted to touch either her or her husband.

    Ragnar''s guard was down, he was not worried about anyone touching him because he trusted his wife wholeheartedly.

    "My love, is this not a bit too tedious?" Ragnar asked Lagertha, who was unarmed yet able to knock out the enemies with rtive ease despite the difference in size.

    "You have grown old Ragnar, I have killed men stronger than these men¡­" Lagetha bragged.

    "You turn me on when you speak like this¡­" Ragnar blurted out and Lagetha giggled because she knew her husband was a pervert.

    "Do you want to fuck me now, Ragnar?" Lagetha asked, grabbing his crotch.

    She could feel her husband get hard within her hand but out came a man with a friend and a sword.

    "King Ragnar and Lady Lagertha, how convenient¡­" The person was revealed to be King Gryting.

    Lagertha stepped in front of her husband like she was the one going to fight him but Ragnar knew that the man before them could hurt his wife.

    "Lagertha, stand down. It is my turn to get my hands dirty," Ragnar said and the tone he used told Lagetha that this was serious.

    She stepped back and Ragnar picked a sword from one of the unconscious bodies.

    It has been quite some time since he has fought a proper battle but the thing about this particr one was he had no idea who King Gryting was.

    Lagetha watched her husband, it has been ages since she has seen Ragnar fight, not since he nearly beat Erik to death with his bare hands.

    Lagetha was curious about what fate awaited this man but she noticed the enemy had on armour, this was bing increasingly popr in the Viking world even though most did not utilize this.

    "I am honoured to be facing the legendary Viking. I have no qualms with you but it seems like you might be a problem when I take your son''s head," Gryting threatened but Ragnar shed Lagetha a confused look before returning his gaze to Gryting.

    "You want to kill my son? I am afraid that I cannot let you do that," Ragnar said but he was confused as to why he felt the need to tell him his n.

    All King Gryting did was give Ragnar a reason to take this fight seriously.

    Ragnar walked towards him, he was within striking distance yet none attacked, they just stared nkly at each other like they were processing their respective enemy''s strengths and weaknesses.

    With a single twitch of the muscle, both men shed their des with equal force.

    Ragnar smiled as he broke the statement with a headbutt that sent Gryting reeling back.

    "A Viking''s power is not in his sword alone," Ragnar said as he charged towards Gryting but Gryting attempted to cut him in half, swinging his de from the ground up but all Ragnar did was take a step back and the problem with such a wild attack meant that Gryting was vulnerable to a counterattack.

    Ragnar swung his sword to impale him in the shoulder but a piercing scream soon reverberated.

    "RAGNAR! WATCH OUT!" Lagertha screamed at the top of her lungs and it was because of this warning that Ragnar was not struck down as he narrowly avoided an arrow that flew right past Gryting''s head prompting Ragnar to halt his attack.

    "Did you really think I would fight you alone, Ragnar? I am not that arrogant," Gryting said as multiple men approached but these men looked different from the fodders that Lagetha had been fighting.

    Ragnar knew he could not rush his cattle with Gryting because this man clearly took precautionary measures.

    The archers'' presence also limited the actions that Ragnar, himself, could take.

    He did not worry about Lagertha because she was more than capable of handling herself, she had experience most warriors could only dream about.

    More arrows rained down and Ragnar had to roll out of the way but Gryting used this opening to his advantage because the moment Ragnar came to a halt, he was met with Gryting''s iing de.

    Ragnar was already on his knees so there was not much he could do, the only option was to block his enemy''s de, which he did.

    Gryting began applying pressure on his sword, pushing Ragnar''s weapon back on him but Ragnar saw an arrow from the corner of his eye flying right at him.

    If he dodged it suddenly, he was sure to get cut by Gryting''s de but there was an option Ragnar saw that most would not.

    Ragnar tilted his head back and caught the arrow right at the center in his mouth before jerking his head forward and cutting Gryting''s arm, this broke Gryting''s hold on his weapon allowing Ragnar to gain the upper hand and sh him across the chest but the metal te there protected Getting.

    Gryting kicked Ragnar in the head before taking a couple of steps back.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You are true to your name, King Ragnar¡­"

    -

    Thorgard and Vegard knew they could not hide forever and they could hear the enemies close in.

    Thorgard knew he had to distract them or they might be found out.

    "Vegard, I want you to stay here and count to a thousand quietly¡­" Thorgard said, getting ready to leave but he felt Vegard''s hand grab his clothes.

    "Please don''t go¡­" Vegard begged but Thorgard had no choice because if these people found them then Vegard would most certainly die.

    "Do not make a sound," Thorgard said right before leaving. He snuck through the back and once he was far enough from Thorgard, he intentionally caught one of their attention because he knew the rest would flock in his direction and he was right.

    "HE IS OVER THERE!" A man shouted and they all chased but Thorgard was not the fastest on his feet and it did not take long for him to be cornered but Thorgard knew this would.

    Thorgard knew he would die attempting this but he did it in a heartbeat because it meant that Vegard might live.

    He was without a weapon andcked the experience to get himself out of this situation as these men were seasoned warriors.

    "Bring it on!" Thorgard screamed. He had no intention of dying with fear in his head.

    "That is very good Thorgard," A voice behind him said as a brown-eyed man came into sight but he was not alone.

    He had a battalion behind him and they were all armed to the teeth.

    "Y-You are Salgard!" The man came to that realization right before losing his head.

    Rugalf wanted to avoid bloodshed but Salgard knew that violence must be met with violence, telling people not to kill those that try to kill them is an unfair handicap and Salgard had no interest in this.

    "Kill them all," Salgard instructed and the massacre began, they killed every single person there within five minutes.

    "Where is Vegard?" Salgard asked, his duty was to retrieve them. He was not here out of the love he had for them but rather because their Kingmanded it.

    This was why Rugalf was reluctant in sending Salgard because he knew he was a merciless butcher when it came to such a thing despite his actions being justified.

    Salgard had no idea why they thought it was appropriate to rampage in his Kingdom but he was not interested in finding out even though he wondered why it was Gryting''s men he encountered here.

    Salgard could sense killing intent and there was no doubt that these warriors wanted to kill Thorgard.

    Thorgard ran in the direction that Vegard was because he knew that was not the safest ce he could be.

    Salgard followed behind but his unit spread out to kill and eliminate any threat to Rognd.

    This was why Salgard respected Grj?tgard more than he did Rugalf because there was no way Grj?tgard would treat this with such little urgency.

    -

    A giant was covered from head to toe with blood, but it was not his blood.

    Every single person that opposed him had their head smashed in, Grj?tgard ughtered them all but he looked angry.

    Rugalf did not have the whole story, there was something much bigger going on.

    If Ludvig killed Tor, why were Gryting''s men here to try and kill him?

    They were not looking for King Ragnar either, they wanted his head but that was an impossibility.

    The only reason he did not kill Sander is because he did not truly feel any killing intent directed at him but anyone that dared do otherwise was guaranteed this fate.

    "General Grj?tgard!" A voice said, walking into the room where the blood had soaked every inch of the ground, the scene was gruesome but this was a sight most of them were used to.

    The man worried that Grj?tgard was injured but the moment the General turned, he saw that he had not a single scratch on him.

    "I fear things are a bit moreplicated than we thought¡­" Grj?tgard blurted out.

 Chapter 344 The Calm Before The Storm PT. 2

    ?

    Bjorn was huffing and puffing, he did not know that this man was this strong even when they initially crossed swords.

    This was the strength of a King, the strongest warrior in said Kingdom but he also wondered why Tryggve was not striking the finishing blow.

    Bjorn could not count how many times this man could have fatally injured him yet he stood.

    The only thing that Bjorn suffered was fatigue.

    Tryggve stared at him like he was thinking of something to say.

    "Bjorn Ironside, is throwing your life away your idea of redemption?" Tryggve said and this caught Bjorn off guard.

    "Throwing my life away? I am still standing, am I not?" Bjorn tried his hardest to remain confident but Tryggve pointed at his clothes with the sword in hand.

    Bjorn looked down and realized that Tryggve had inscribed a message in it while they were fighting.

    It read, "fool" but this also told Bjorn how easily he could have been cut as not injuring him would take greater control than injuring him.

    "You are only alive because I allow it," Tryggve said before sheathing his sword.

    "Y-You do not want to fight anymore!?" Bjorn asked him, he hated that Tryggve was looking down on me.

    "I was blinded by the rage of losing my son that I did not realize what King Ragnar might do if he lost and from what I just saw, you have no problem throwing your life away for your family. The will of a coward does not run in your veins and that can only mean you inherited the will of your Father," Tryggve said.

    Each time he crossed des with Bjorn, his soul cried because he would be no better than the people that took his son''s life.

    Tryggve realized that Gryting is who he should be pouring his rage at as it could have simply been a person that admired Ragnar that used his de.

    If they broke into the armoury, this was possible but the fact that Ludvig was missing and signs showed that someone fled Rogndst night.

    Tryggve heaved a loud disgruntled sigh, he was d he fought Bjorn or he might have made the greatest mistake in his life.

    "Bjorn Ironside¡­ Tell me, what kind of man is your father?" Tryggve asked, the aura around him settling as his disposition became a lot calmer.

    "I can tell you all about him¡­" A voice said behind him and it was Rugalf, he had arrived on the scene just in time alongside Eva and Aug.

    They had brought him here and judging from things, the battle seemed to have died down.

    Rugalf did not know what happened but he realized it did as it looked like he might not need force after all.

    "King Rugalf¡­ I am¡­" Tryggve wanted to apologize for ruining such a beautiful day, a day that was meant to be joyous for the couple turned deste.

    A gentle hand on his shoulder told him that Rugalf had no hatred for what he did as he would have done worse if harm was to evere to Estrid.

    "Our children¡­ They will always remain our weakness but they are the best weakness to have for hard men like us so I understand why you did what you did, King Tryggve but now I need you to ask your men to stand down¡­ No more bloodshed," King Rugalf said but Tryggve twitched the moment he heard bloodshed.

    He was certain that none of his men killed indiscriminately even though assaulting women was the one thing he could not vouch for but this, he could.

    "What do you mean by bloodshed?" Tryggve asked.

    "You have killed quite some people, King Tryggve but if you surrender, I will spare your men any form of punishment¡­" Rugalf said; Bjorn was intimidated by the presence this man had and he bore a striking resemnce to Erik The Berserker.

    "I have not killed anyone, King Rugalf¡­" Tryggve established his innocence but Rugalf did not believe the man because he had no reason to.

    "I am sure you did not, so just stop it¡­" Rugalf tried to reassure him as he did not want Tryggve to feel like he was cornered.

    Rugalf knew what might happen if he did feel cornered.

    Bjorn had met this man before yet he felt like apletely different person, he did not look yful or even in the mood to mess around but considering the situation, that was understandable.

    Tryggve knew what Rugalf was going to do even without him saying a word.

    "You are going to kill me, aren''t you?" Tryggve asked and Rugalf nodded without hesitation to confirm this.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "That is right, this cannot go unpunished I am afraid but I can guarantee you a warrior''s death," Rugalf reassured him. He could have easily chosen the route of deception but instead, he chose the honest one.

    "King Rugalf¡­" Bjorn called out, and this caught the attention of both Kings.

    "What is it, Bjorn?" Rugalf asked, he saw Bjorn''s current state and realized that Tryggve could have easily killed him, the son of Ragnar and one of the major targets for his vengeance yet he did not.

    "I have encountered a few enemies that did not belong to King Tryggve. They wore different crests as well," Bjorn informed the clueless Rugalf of what was happening.

    Bjorn had no reason to lie but without evidence, all this was useless but he was not going to kill Tryggve on the spot either, everything was going to follow due process.

    "Then who is responsible for these deaths?" Rugalf asked but he was met with no answer.

    -

    King Ragnar was panting, he was growing exhausted Because he was not just fighting King Rugalf but the long-range archers as well.

    Lagertha was in a bit of a bind herself as she had to be careful because Ragnar was not the only target of these archers.

    "King fucking Ragnar! I cannot fucking believe that you havested this long! It makes my skills look like that of a childpared to you!" King Gryting praised Ragnar but his demeanour has also changed.

    His armour was full of scratches and cuts but unfortunately, none made it to his skin so he remained unscathed.

    Without that armour, he would most certainly be dead but Ragnar soon recalled the warning not to kill him.

    This was the reason he was yet to direct his attacks at his head or he would have taken it by now.

    "I cannot believe I was worried about such a man killing my sons¡­" Ragnar sighed, this was tant disrespect to Gryting''s skills.

    "You can go ''kill'' them¡­" Ragnar said with a chuckle but he was not done.

    "... And whoever is shooting those arrows! Does it not tire you to fight for a man that cannot even fight his own battles and would rather hunt children that he cannot even kill?" Ragnar mocked but Lagertha was confused as to what her husband hoped to aplish by provoking them into a reaction but Lagetha soon realized what he was doing.

    Ragnar took a stance that Lagetha had not seen since his teenage years and that involved holding his sword with both hands.

    "Ragnar¡­" Lagertha muttered, she realized at that moment that Ragnar was in a lot more trouble than she initially thought.

    Gryting charged at Ragnar, but he threw his weapon like a spear, this move caught Ragnar off-guard and he barely managed to dodge it despite losing a huge chunk of his clothes.

    "That was close¡­" Ragnar muttered but now, Gryting had lost his only weapon and Ragnar did not see any arrowing.

    This was his chance or so he thought, an arrow impaled him clean through the shoulder.

    "RAGNAR!" Lagertha screamed but this should not have happened. Ragnar realized where he made the mistake.

    Gryting might not be as strong as him but he was full of tricks, that was for sure.

    Ragnar realized he threw his sword to temporarily conceal the iing arrow from his blindspot, something Ragnar did not register when he turned back for a second to check because the sword had blocked it from his line of sight perfectly before hitting the ground. All it took was this second.

    "Are you worried now, King Ragnar?" Gryting asked, hended a hit that had the potential to swing the battle in his favour.

    "I see, so that is what it was¡­" Ragnar muttered once again, he left the arrow there because he knew he would lose much blood if he yanked it out carelessly.

    "What are you muttering to yourself?" Gryting asked mockingly.

    "You only have three archers," Rsgnaf said as he raised his hand and signalled the number three to Lagertha to which she immediately bolted, leaving both their sights, the arrows that tried to stop her had no luck.

    "You bastard!" Gryting cussed, he realized that Ragnar was not fighting him seriously and was simply buying tone to feed his wife this information as a distant cry soon echoed. Lagetha was hunting down the archers as their positions and numbers were established.

    "I have no intention of killing you. You are a King but what I am interested in is to know if you are the only one after my sons¡­" Ragnar said with a blood-curdling tone, he was unfazed by the arrow in him and Gryting at that moment realized he had made a big miscalction. He should have never picked a fight with Ragnar.

 Chapter 345 The Calm Before The Storm PT. 3

    ?

    Tyr searched, Aug and Eva were not his priority and he soon abandoned them after he departed from his brother.

    Tyr did not have the mental capacity to worry about multiple people or he risked putting himself in danger.

    "Fuck!" Tyr cussed because he knew that if anything happened to Estrid, he might as well be dead. After all, there was no way that Rugalf would let it slide.

    Tyr was seen given a silver lining, he saw a piece of clothing worn by Estridying trampled on the ground.

    Tyr saw it was at the entrance of a door, he was not stupid and knew that this was most definitely a trap.

    But whatever was behind that door would answer his question.

    Tyr opened it but no traps were waiting for him inside which was a surprise.

    This made him more paranoid as he could notprehend why the cloth was there.

    Did Estrid manage to drop it there without anyone noticing? That was highly unlikely but then again, the piece of fabric could belong to anyone and the fact that it was trampled showed that no one paid much attention to it.

    The door creaked, eliminating the element of surprise but Tyr did not need that.

    The room was empty, which was strange but he noticed the ground around had a trail of blood.

    It led to a corner of the room and there it was, a door with "here?" written on it in blood.

    "What the fuck is this?" Tyr thought, whoever was doing this was clearly ying a game with him.

    "Estrid!" Tyr shouted but what he got in response were muffled cries.

    Tyr rushed to the door without a moment''s hesitation but before he twisted the door knob, he considered what might be behind it.

    He tightened his hand on the sword in it before breaking through the door with force.

    Tyr noticed the floor beneath him had broken shards of ss littered but this was the least of his worries as he saw the person bound and gagged on the chair.

    The person there was not Estrid, Tyr was disappointed by this development but behind the person was another message written in blood.

    "Try again"

    Tyr hesitated, he did not know if he should save the girl or leave her to her devices because she was yet to even see his face.

    But did she know anything? She must have and Tyr knew he needed all the information he needed.

    He removed her gag and she immediately began making whimpering noises.

    Tyr changed the tone of his voice as a precaution so she would not recognize it or the fact that he was here.

    "Who did this to you?" Tyr asked but the girl was not speaking, she kept making that insufferable sound.

    Tyr realized soon after that whoever did this had cut out her tongue.

    Tyr was certain that whoever did this was well prepared, this was not a random act but rather, nned.

    It was not something nned overnight, whatever that was happening would have happened regardless of the circumstances.

    Tyr knew he could not leave her and tried to move her but the moment he did, he heard something cut and what followed was an arrow impaling the girl.

    Tyr immediately gained distance, looking around but he saw no one.

    This was a booby trap but this was the first time Tyr had seen such a thing.

    Tyr knew he needed to get out of there as soon as possible but he could perceive smoke.

    Tyr jerked his head back and he could see the smoke entering through the spaces of the door.

    Tyr soon heard hurried footsteps, someone was trying to kill him.

    There was no doubt about this, Tyr found himself in a dire situation and did not know how to navigate through this.

    "An exit?!" Tyr was relieved when he saw an exit exempting the one he came through.

    Tyr immediately tried to barge through the door but it did not bulge, the ck smoke slowly filled the room and this limited the oxygen he could breathe.

    Tyr kept banging on the door but each time he did, he became weaker.

    The strength was leaving his body and he eventually would sumb to it, buckling to his knees.

    Tyr''s throat tightened but he soon heard the door being broken through from the outside.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The anime had filled his lungs and in that moment, Tyr saw a silhouetted man with a crow on his shoulder but this could be what we know in modern times as deathbed visions.

    Tyr felt his body leave the ground but this was not because of some divine intervention but rather because the individual hitting the door from the outside seeded.

    Tyr caught his breath, coughing aggressively as his eyes teared up due to the asphyxiation.

    He looked up and saw Finn, Finn had managed to save him in the nick of time and Tyr could not have been more grateful that they followed him here.

    "I am so fucking d to see you¡­" Tyr muttered under his breath with Finn smiling in response and nodding.

    "Where is Nora?" Tyr asked as he managed to regain himself, standing on his feet.

    Finn scribbled his response on the floor.

    "She is chasing the person that set the building aze, huh?" Tyr read out loud but he was worried about her safety because he knew he could not risk losing her as her life served a greater purpose.

    It was the one thing keeping Noa in check and thest thing he needed was for Noa to go rogue.

    Nora was smart enough to leave a trail that they could follow but Tyr began to wonder how they knew he was there. Now was not the time to suspect his own people of foul y.

    Right now, all that mattered was Estrid''s safety as both followed the trail left by Nora.

    -

    Grj?tgard took this as an incursion as opposed to what they initially thought, he assembled his men as they were prepared for actual warfare.

    Grj?tgard was a powerful warrior but an even better leader, the fact that he decided to treat this with such a firm hand only showed just how serious it had gotten.

    They spread out, hunting and killing anyone that dare put up resistance but they also noticed that Gryting''s men were far more prone to resist than Tryggve.

    Tryggve''s men did not resist at all, they surrendered the moment they knew things had escted.

    Their target was limited but a horn had been sounded moments before.

    Grj?tgard suspected that this had something to do with their surrender but what he wanted to know was why Gryting''s men were fighting so desperately.

    He sensed an ulterior motive and knew that maybe the suspicion surrounding Ludvig was true.

    But things wereing to an end because the Vikings under Gryring were no match for those of Rognd.

    Rognd had a very gruelling training method for their Vikings that resulted in the death of some but those that survived became powerful warriors.

    Of course, power doesn''t mean invulnerability as they were prone to be outmatched by skilful warriors.

    Grj?tgard knew that Rugalf entertained this idea and this might have been bait by his older brother to force the event into attacking before the expedition.

    They had established with this that they could not rely on their supposed allies as their allegiance might have beenpromised along the line.

    They had no intention of being stabbed in the back should an actual war break out.

    The standby forces waiting a couple of distance away did not go unnoticed by them and it was even reported to Rugalf but Rugalf did not think that they would be so brave as to attempt such a bold attack on them.

    He gave them the benefit of the doubt that they did so for security purposes but there was no way that this could be a coincidence.

    Grj?tgard cautioned his brother that this would happen and they should confront King Gryting but Rugalf opposed it. A man could hide his true intentions when confronted but true intentions acted on would tell you all you needed to know.

    Even at the cost of lives because now there was irrefutable proof that King Gryting was not an ally.

    Grj?tgard sighed, he could not believe that everything yed out exactly as they thought it would but the death of Tor was the one thing they did not seeing.

    Did King Gryting kill Tor because he knew King Tryggve would react the way he did, this would put a smokescreen on his own assault, leaving them unprepared. The dots were connecting a little too well for any of this not to be connected.

    "B-Big brother!" A voice called out, and Grj?tgard adjusted his head to see the direction Vegard''s voice wasing from.

    He saw his younger brother running to him, snot rolling down his nose as Grj?tgard heaved a loud sigh of relief the moment he saw him.

    "Vegard, you little runt! I am d you are alright," Grj?tgard said. Vegard knew not to stay there because he did not know if Thorgard would return or the enemies'' night would find him so he just ran as fast as he could.  Luckily, they ran into Grj?tgard.

    "It is the cripple, big brother¡­." Vegard warned.

    "Cripple?" Grj?tgard asked to which Vegard responded.

    "King Gryting¡­"

 Chapter 346 The Calm Before The Storm PT. 4

    ?

    Things wereing to an end and there were no closer to finding out who killed Tor as the chaotic scene allowed King Gryting to implement his n.

    He was now fighting Ragnar, a man that he wished he did not pick a fight with due to his impable battle prowess.

    Even though hended a hit on Ragnar, he realized that Ragnar''s mind was focused on something entirely different.

    King Gryting heard his archers being cut down in the distance and he realized it was just him and Ragnar.

    The armour he was so confident in, he realized that Ragnar''s strikes were not to test its durability but rather, forced the metal to cave in around his joints.

    This made it a lot more difficult for Getting to fight and the only option he had if he was possibly going topete with Rsgnar was to take it off.

    And that is exactly what he did, Gryting took off his armour as he watched Ragnar remove the arrow protruding from his shoulder.

    "Who are you working with?" Ragnar asked, he caught onto something and that was Gryting was not the kind of man to engage in battles he did not have a chance of winning and with his troops alone, there was no way he could have won even if mother nature was on his side.

    "What are you talking about?" Gryting chose to y dumb but Ragnar knew he had to get him to submit if he was going to get any information from him.

    Ragnar dropped his sword, he wanted to give Gryting that false sense of an advantage because this would increase the possibility of him slipping up.

    "I will beat it out of you," Ragnar threatened and this angered Gryting.

    Gryting swung his de in an attempt to bifurcate Ragnar horizontally, the target was his lower torso.

    Ragnar jumped high enough to escape its range before stomping the de to the ground in mid-air, stepping on the t surface.

    Ragnar proceeded to p him like a child, Gryting could not believe how unmatched he was.

    Gryting let go of his de and tried to punch Ragnar but like a dancing willow, Ragnar dodged it andnded yet another p.

    Gryting grabbed his face in disbelief, he began looking to his left and right for an escape route because he knew that this battle could not be won.

    He was stupid in thinking that he could defeat Ragnar but Lagerha soon came into view, covered in blood.

    "You are not going anywhere, King Gryting¡­" Lagertha said and Ragnar could tell he was defeated mentally.

    "I could kill you right here and now without any consequences, I would be justified," Ragnar said and Gryting bit his lower lips in anger.

    "You bastard! I am a King, you cannot kill me without consequences!" Gryting said and Ragnar chuckled when he heard this.

    This man clearly was not aware of his situation.

    He lost that immunity when he attacked Rognd, right now he was an enemy but Ragnar knew he needed to follow due process.

    "I cannot kill you?" Ragnar questioned right before King Gryting felt a sword rested on his shoulder but it was not Ragnar''s sword but rather, Lagertha.

    "You see, I am not the hot-headed one in the family, she is¡­" Ragnar said and Gryting gulped loudly because he could see the fury in Lagertha''s eyes.

    He hurt her husband and she was not going to forgive him. He knew that Lagertha would take his life.

    "W-Wait! I can exin!" Gryting finally broke; ast-ditch attempt to cling to the life he held so dearly.

    "Go on¡­" Ragnar instructed.

    "You were right, King Ragnar. I was not working alone!" King Gryting said desperately because he knew just by saying this, it made his life valuable hence Lagertha won''t kill him, not yet at least.

    "Who are you working with? Why are you targeting my sons and why did you kill Tor?" Ragnar asked but warm fluid soon sttered on Ragnar''s face, temporarily blinding him.

    Ragnar stumbled backwards as he struggled to clean his eyes and when he came to it, he saw Gryting dead body on the floor with an arrow clean through him.

    "What the hell!?" Ragnar said out loud, he was certain. That there were only three archers and Lagertha had taken care of all of them or was there a fourth?

    Ragnar kissed his teeth in annoyance because he was so close to figuring out who wanted him or his sons dead.

    "What was that¡­" Ragnar thought to himself but this was not about Gryting being killed.

    Ragnar knew Signy wanted his head but did his influence extend here? He could see it happening considering that his involvement in the n war that just concluded was evident but if he was willing to go this far to im the lives of his son then Ragnar could no longer sit idle, he would have no choice but to take drastic actions against Vingulmark.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Whoever he allied with would rather have him dead than allow him to spill the beans, indicating that King Gryting might have just been a pawn in a muchrger conspiracy.

    -

    Nora followed the man desperately, she hoped that she could catch up to him as she knew how important information was so if she could capture him.

    That would prove invaluable but she was also aware that she might have to kill him.

    Nora was angry, the veins bulging on her forehead were proof of this as she did not take it lightly that someone had just attempted to kill Tyr.

    Of course, she trailed him undetected as she knew this person might take an alternate route should they figure out that they were being tailed.

    Nora hoped that Tyr was okay but she trusted Finn, Finn was attached to Tyr on a level she has never seen from her brother so she was certain he would do whatever it takes to make sure that Tyr was alright.

    Nora slowed down as she noticed the assante to a halt before suddenly jerking his head backwards.

    Nora had to quickly duck out of sight and fortunately for her, she was not detected.

    Nora knew she had to be more careful, sticking out her head once more but the person had vanished.

    "Shit! Where did they go!?" Nora cussed in her mind, she could not afford to make a sound.

    But she noticed that there were footprints on the ground, this was heaven-sent as this person probably relied on the high probability that they would not be followed and this gamble was about to bite them in the ass.

    Nora followed the set of footprints on the ground but she was also aware that enemies mighty ahead.

    Everything would be pointless if she was found out and killed because then, the information she learned would go to waste.

    She had two options, should she wait for backup or go in herself while the opportunity still presented itself?

    -

    King Tryggve, King Rugalf, and Bjorn were met with silence after Rugalg asked his question.

    "I think I know who is responsible for this," Tryggve said as he clenched his fist, Rugalf was willing to hear him out even though he would still face some sort of punishment for causing such unrest.

    The only saving grace he had was none of Rugalf''s brothers was injured as of this moment.

    This would drastically reduce the punishment that Tryggve was going to receive and the fact that he sounded the horn even while knowing that death might be a possible factor gained the respect of Rugalf.

    Rugalf always thought of Kings as warriors that would rather choose self-preservation over sacrifice but Tryggve proved him wrong with his choice.

    King Gryting was the threat and his attempt to do whatever he intended was for naught.

    Rugalf heaved a loud sigh before saying.

    "That fool really did carry on with it¡­"

    Bjorn was shocked by this because this statement meant he knew that King Gryting was likely tounch an attack so why did he wait until it came to fruition for him to act?

    "King Rugalf, I will ept whatever punishment you give me but allow me to help you protect your Kingdom," Tryggve tried to redeem himself because he could not help but feel like he was to me for all of this.

    "Help? You mistake something King Tryggve. We are more than capable of defending ourselves, I worry more about what he might do¡­" Rugalf said with a tired sigh.

    "What he might do?" Tryggve repeated and Rugalf simply said.

    "Yes, what Grj?tgard might do¡­" Rugalf let loose the name. He was not worried about Salgard because Salgard was a cheap imitation of Grj?tgard.

    Grj?tgard was the real deal, and Rugalf knew he would not stop here either.

    There was no longer any doubt, King Gryting was the one with the most motive to want Tor dead with King Tryggve himself personally clearing Ragnar''s name of all suspicion thanks to his little fight with Bjorn.

    But none of them knew that the man known as Gryting was dead as he was only a clog in a much bigger machine.

 Chapter 347 The Calm Before The Storm [END]

    ?

    Tyr and Finn trailed Nora thanks to the clues she left behind, allowing them to follow her.

    Finn led the way with Tyr following behind him in case of any impending danger.

    Finn was willing to act as the human shield for his leader because he knew if Tyr died, he would lose the single purpose in his life and that was to help Tyr aplish his goals.

    But this did not mean his sister fell down his priority list, he could not lose Nora either and would do anything to ensure she was safe. Tyr was the strength that every one of themcked and as long as he kept Tyr alive, he kept Nora alive as well because Finn saw just how vicious Tyr could be when it came to those he cared about and his sister happened to fall under that umbre.

    Finn and Tyr arrived at where Nora wasst seen but she was nowhere to be found; however, a cloaked man in a mask ambushed them.

    "Who are you?" Tyr asked but the person did not answer as expected.

    He noticed that Finn was worried and he knew exactly why.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson?" The cloaked man asked but Tyr had neither the patience nor time for such pointless exchanges and chose the aggressive route.

    He wanted to subdue this person and ask him questions as he could not help but feel he was connected to them somehow.

    "Go ahead Finn," Tyr instructed and Finn did just that because he knew that there was no way that Tyr would be defeated.

    The person did not even try to stop Finn, allowing the warrior to run past him but Tyr noticed this person had no weapon on them except a medium-length chain that was attached to their wrists, it was long enough that it did not affect their movement whatsoever.

    Tyr guessed that this was their weapon of choice as he could see blood stains on it.

    Tyr knew he had to be careful as he charged towards the man, closing the gap between them with a single step; he had quite the spring in his feet to aplish this.

    Tyr proceeded to try and cut off his right arm with a horizontal swing but this person blocked his attack with the metal braces around his wrists before attempting to wrap Tyr''s hand in his chain.

    Tyr knew if he seeded then even he would be in trouble, this was his first time witnessing such a strange fighting style and he was curious to learn more about it as he fought.

    But Tyr realized it was not going to be easy to get away from this person as he closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

    "He is fast¡­!" Tyr thought and he was right, this person was fast and before Tyr could say anything.

    He found that those chains had somehow managed to seize the weapon he had on him, disarming Tyr before a sweeping kick followed up but Tyr was well equipped to dodge this as he somersaulted through the air before skidding to a stop a few inches back.

    Tyr found that he had a little scratch on his forearm and realized that the chain''s edges were rough.

    Tyr took a deep breath, this person was strong and underestimating would be stupid.

    It was time to incorporate all the fighting styles he has learned over the years.

    The look in Tyr''s eyes changed and both charged at each other.

    They exchanged blows, evenly matched or would it be more urate to say that this strange person had the upper hand seeing as they used their chains to block Tyr''s blows, bruising the dark-skinned warrior''s fist but there was something strange about it.

    It felt like Tyr''s blows were getting stronger and stronger and the enemy was starting to feel the recoil.

    He could feel his hand shake, trembling, forcing them to dodge Tyr''s next barrage of attacks.

    But there was an opening, an opening they had every intention of exploiting.

    The enemy attempted to wrap his chains around Tyr''s neck because if they could, it would be game over but Tyr manipted this false opening to force his hand and he had the speed to counterattack

    He ducked at the veryst second, thus the chain caught nothing but air as the dark-skinned warrior buried his fist right into his lower torso but all Tyr felt was pain. This familiar metallic feeling, there was no doubt about this, this person had on armour.

    Tyr retreated a few paces back as he needed to re-evaluate his approach to this fight.

    Whoever this was, he was strong and extremely skilled but Tyr could not tell anything about him due to the cloak that shrouded the enemy in mystery.

    Tyr looked at his weapon and realized that he needed it to put his n into action but from his blindspot, he felt a brief distortion of the wind blowing against the nape of his neck promoting him to duck as an arrow whistled past him but the trajectory of the arrow also put the enemy in sight.

    The enemy blocked it with his chain but he was surprised that Tyr could even dodge that.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was like he had eyes in the back of his head.

    Tyr looked back to see if reinforcement hade but he realized that it was Vikings from Rognd.

    Tyr was clearly not their target but the archer overestimated his skills as his mistimed arrow nearly killed Tyr but the relief on the archer''s face was visible.

    Tyr returned his head and he saw no one in front of him. The enemy had escaped but Tyr was curious to find out who it was.

    "Find him!" Tyr instructed the men, and they listened to him because of his rank in the family this way, Tyr did not have to tell them that Estrid was missing.

    This was information he could not let loose so he would rather divert their attention to a lesser problem.

    Tyr''s duty was to protect Estrid and he just hoped that nothing happened to her.

    Thankfully he did not need to waste his time any further and headed to where Finn was.

    -

    It took a couple of minutes for him to arrive as he followed their trail and in front of a building was where that trail stopped.

    Tyr took a deep breath before opening the door gently and he was rather surprised by what he saw.

    "Wee Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" The person before him was no doubt King Askild and Tyr''s fist immediately clenched up.

    "You bas-!" Before Tyr couldplete this sentence, an unharmed Estrid rushed out to hug her husband.

    She worried that something had gone wrong.

    Tyr was confused as to what was happening, he looked over his shoulder and saw both Nora and Finn digging into some food.

    "What is going on?" Tyr asked.

    "King Askild saved me!" Estrid said and from the look in her eyes, it was clear that she meant those words.

    Tyr looked over to Nora for further boration, they were not aware of his hatred towards Askild.

    "King Askild was confined as per the instruction of King Rugalf but he had his men make sure that nothing harmed Estrid. He was also the one that directed us to you because he was aware that you would not trust anyone but people you picked yourself to follow you, that is how we were able to find you in time," Nora said as she devoured the chicken before her.

    "I was taken by some strange men before King Askild''s warriors swooped in to save me! I was so scared, Tyr!" Estrid said as she hugged her husband tighter.

    Tyr knew that this piece of news could exin the sick little game that the person responsible attempted to y with him.

    "I am aware that you know this was not a random attack Tyr, King Gryting was working with someone and I suspect that person to be¡­" Askild paused, waiting for Tyr toplete his sentence.

    "... Signy," Tyr muttered under his breath but before the conversation could proceed further, someone walked into the room and Tyr immediately got on his guard.

    However, he noticed that he was the only one on guard, everyone else looked rxed.

    The individual removed their cloak and Tyr saw a face he had never seen before meaning he was a warrior that only caught Askild''s eyes as of recently.

    "You¡­!" Tyr called out and the person before him was someone of simr height.

    He was bald and had scars all over his face with tattoos covering the knuckles of his fingers.

    It was hard to tell his age by his face because the scars made up the majority of it.

    "I see you have met Rolf¡­" King Askild said as he patted the grey-eyed man on the back.

    He had done a fabulous job in bringing them here but Askild was not aware of the method that he used, and this included setting the ce aze that Tyr was in but Rolf made sure that Finn and Nora were within sight. This also made it easier to identify the building that Tyr was in as well as trigger a sense of urgency in their response.

    Tyr hated to admit but he owed Askild one but the worse over.

 Chapter 348 The Wolf In Sheeps Clothing

    ?

    The chaotic scene wasing to an end, King Gryting had fallen and his men were rounded up by Grj?tgard.

    Grj?tgard showed no mercy, they were all executed despite surrendering, Grj?tgard was ruthless and the fact that Vegard was put in danger made this all the worse as Grj?tgard did not mess around when it came to Vegard.

    Rugalf didn''t like his methods but he could not interfere, they brought this upon themselves and death was the penalty for anyone that tried to harm them. The throne room was filled with his brothers, none were harmed but Askild''s involvement was praised as King Rugalf thanked the King of Kattegat for saving his daughter and Tyr or he would have lost two very important people.

    King Ragnar had a bandage around his shoulder but apart from that, he was fine.

    Ragnar knew for certain that if Askild wished harm on his children now would have been the perfect time but seeing as he did not and rather, protected him made him a lot more human in Ragnar''s eyes.

    They hated to admit it but King Askild was slowly redeeming himself, this was crucial for the alliance.

    Tryggve was arrested, his saving grace was that his men did not take any life even though they wanted to kill a specific set of people.

    Tryggve was true to his word, he epted whatever punishment Rugalf saw fit despite Grj?tgard''s insistence that he too be executed as this would send a clear message to everyone but Rugalf was not on-board with this. Rugalf wanted to end the cycle that gued them because he knew if he killed Tryggve or punished him, it will take a hit at his pride and that would make people question his authority over time.

    Rugalf knew he could let this slide, they did not provide adequate security and that was how Tor died so they were partly to me for this as well.

    Salgard agreed with Grj?tgard as he expected, but how other brothers agreed with Rugalf as there was already too much blood spilt.

    Tyr was indifferent about the situation because as long as Estrid was safe, he did not really care but he realized why Rugalf chose him specifically.

    Tyr did not have a Kingdom seeing as he had been exiled, this meant he did not need to lose his daughter to another Kingdom but rather she could remain here as Tyr had the potential of seeding him if Grj?tgard did not want to be King.

    Grj?tgard has always been a free spirit that would rather explore the outside world than be confined to such duties.

    Salgard was far too sadistic to be King, he would be nothing short of a tyrant.

    Tyrggve was to have his arm amputated but Kung Rugalf showed him mercy as he had lost his son.

    He waved the punishment, and only taxed his Kingdom a certain amount of gold and silver.

    The lockdown was lifted, but the search for Ludvig was ongoing but they were focused outside of the Kingdom.

    Tyr could breathe a sigh of relief because everything somehow worked out in their favour.

    He noticed that Estrid was a lot calmer as well, something that put him on alert as he did not think his wife had such a darkness in her but he did not ''not'' like it. Tyr knew that with such darkness in his wife, he did not need to hide who he really was from her.

    "Tyr, follow me," A voice said behind him, it was Salgard. Tyr did not like him one bit but he was family so there was nothing he could do but try to maintain some sort of rtionship with him.

    Tyr knew another incident likest time would not be tolerated by Rugalf so he could rule that out fortunately and this was the only reason he even considered entertaining this idea.

    Tyr followed him because there was nothing else he could do and Salgard led him into a secluded area.

    "You are not going to try and fight me again, are you?" Tyr asked, but Salgard remained quiet.

    He noticed Estrid was at this location, waiting for them and he could only imagine what this was.

    "How did you do it?" Estrid asked both of them.

    She did not know who did but the idea was genius, there was no way in hell that they could have pointed it back to them even though she suspected Salgard as this looked like something more up his alley.

    "What are you talking about?* Tyr asked Estrid, he thought she was the one that did it as it would have been easy for her to make it past the guards.

    "I told Uncle Salgard everything, he knows Tyr," Estrid said, looking over at the ever-smiling Salgard.

    She could not tell what was going on through his mind but she knew this was her chance toe clean to her husband about what truly happened.

    Estrid told Tyr everything, every single detail of what she did; she even went into more detail than she did with Salgard as she owed Tyr this.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She thought that her husband would hate her for this revtion but Tyr just took a deep breath.

    "I will never understand women. You could have just asked¡­" Tyr said in an indifferent tone.

    Frankly, he did not care as he knew something was off, but he was d that he knew exactly what was now.

    "YOU WOULD NOT GET IT! I WANTED TO KNOW!" Estrid fired back, she hoped for more of a reaction from her husband but nonchnce was the word of the day.

    "Tor is dead and I was not the one that killed him¡­" Tyr said bluntly, looking at Salgard.

    "I did not kill him either¡­" Salgard said but this was where the concern crept in because they knew from a single look at Estrid that she was not responsible for it.

    Tyr wanted to doubt Salgard but he had no reason for lying, there was nothing to gain as he could easily say so and nothing would happen.

    "What the fuck is going on?" Tyr asked the question that was going through everyone''s mind but no one had the answer.

    The big question remained if it was not them then just who was responsible for this?

    -

    A few hours passed since the conclusion of the saga as everyone was allowed to leave but the revtion that the Gardssons were not responsible for the Tor''s death made them question just who was.

    "It is done atst," A man was seen undressing, the windows and blinds in his room were shut, shrouding the entire ce in darkness and all the details of the room.

    Footsteps could be heard, he was walking to the otherpartment of his house.

    "I am surprised¡­" Another voice said, still in the darkpartment of the room, pausing.

    The air was dry but the voices of these men felt both familiar and unfamiliar as the door to the otherpartment was opened to reveal who this person was.

    ".... To think you would kill your own son," The voice concluded as the person revealed was King Tryggve who had a sickening grin across his face but what was even more interesting would soon be revealed.

    "Tor has always been a loud-mouthed fool. At least he died for something far greater than himself," Tryggve said coldly, he sounded like he was devoid of not only emotions but affection for his deceased son.

    "Tyr and Bjorn Ragnarsson, I fear that they might prove troublesome in the future. I hoped that the fool called Gryting could take care of them for me but he chose to fight King Ragnar instead¡­" Tryggve said.

    Tryggve had the opportunity to kill Bjorn but he could not because there were multiple witnesses.

    There was no way he would not be held responsible if Bjorn died and that would put a huge wedge in his n but what was the n?

    "They are the children of Ragnar Lothbrok, what did you expect?" The voice in the other room said.

    Tryggve was exhausted by putting up an act for so long, he grew tired even and a scar was revealed on his arm.

    The same scar on Gryting''s arm was seen on his but Tryggve looked down at it with a contented smile.

    "This was good work¡­" Tryggve said under his breath as he sshed water on it and it slowly faded.

    It was paint, it was anything but authentic.

    "Why did you help me with my n?" Tryggve asked the strange man behind the door.

    "Would you believe me if I said I was bored?" The man responded with a yfulugh but this was bullshit and Tryggve knew it. This, however, was the least of his problems.

    "I am honoured that you of all people chose to join my cause¡­." Tryggve paused briefly as he slicked his hair back beforepleting his sentence.

    ".... King Askild."

 Chapter 349 King Askild And Grj?tgard

    ?

    King Tryggve was the one responsible for everything but what really happened?

    The Kingdom of Ranrike that Tryggve led made contact with the Kingdom of Orkdalen led by Gryting.

    King Gryting initially had no interest in attacking Rognd because he had nothing to gain from it but he was not the sharpest tool in the shed either.

    Tryggve was a cunning man and it took a little convincing but he promised King Gryting wealth beyond hisprehension and that was enough to convince the King of a struggling Kingdom to partake in this attack.

    King Tryggve already ensured a fail-safe n and that was what he did in d, he was aware of the Gardssons'' presence there and knew that they were watching.

    That was why he did what he did with his arm, this would further give credibility should he result to this.

    But he did meet Ing¨®lfur Arnarson and whatever he discussed with the man was unknown but that was not the first time they met and this whole n was Ing¨®lfur Arnarson''s idea.

    The n was to kill Estrid first by using Ludvig because they shared history and it would be a lot easier for him to approach her without anyone suspecting him but that n went down the barrel the moment Ludvig disappeared.

    It was ironic but Ludvig''s death is what dyed the attack until morning because they had every intention of attacking that night but the keyponent was gone.

    If they could kill Estrid, King Rugalf would be ovee by rage and a man filled with rage was bound to make questionable choices but that did note to pass unfortunately for them.

    King Askild was not left in the dark, King Gryting had previously contacted him to aid them in their attack but Askild abruptly turned them down.

    Gryting worried he might tell King Rugalf of their n but they were surprised that he did not, King Askild had no interest in whatever they had nned.

    Well, not until he overheard what Estrid told Salgard.

    Askild knew that Gryting was the weak link and with his son dead, the n was already over before it could begin but there was an alternate route.

    Askild convinced Tryggve to betray Gryting by not partaking in the attack at all but this was not the only thing he suggested, Tor had to die.

    Askild thought that Tryggve would oppose this but he was down to abort his n to kill the Gardsson.

    Tryggve killed his son in cold blood but he never loved Tor, he was in every way inferior to his younger brother but at least he was useful in death.

    The n was no longer to kill the Gardssons but rather to gain their trust while making them question King Ragnar''s loyalty. There was more benefit in gaining their trust at this moment in time as their deaths would greatly affect the expedition nned in Ennd.

    Gryting was not even aware of the usation against him before heunched the attack, he mistook Tryggve''s actions as the signal, an intentional action from King Tryggve to get him to start attacking Rognd and it worked.

    Rugalf did not suspect Ragnar''s involvement but the same could not be said with Grj?tgard.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Grj?tgard knew Ragnar had the Kingdom to gain if they died through Tyr.

    He entertained this possibility and with Askild gaining their trust to a certain degree, Grj?tgard called him into his private chambers to discuss with him because Askild had far more information on Ragnar than anyone else.

    -

    "Grj?tgard, I am surprised you want to see me¡­" King Askild said, seated right across Grj?tgard.

    "I had you wrong King Askild¡­" Grj?tgard muttered.

    "Hahaha! I get that a lot but I am d that your family is safe," Askild responded with a warm smile.

    "What can you tell me about King Ragnar?" Grj?tgard got straight to the point.

    "King Ragnar is an excellent warrior and a good King. I think more people ought to be more like him¡­" Askild responded.

    "Cut the bullshit. I know Ragnarbetrayed you and cut your influence in Vestfold. I am also aware that King Raganr has made ns to absorb the smaller Kingdoms," Grj?tgard said bluntly and Ragnar was d that his n worked out the way it did because an opportunity to turn the Gardssons against him presented itself.

    "King Ragnar did betray me under a set of conditions that I, myself, could not me him for but I do not think he is the threat you should be worried about. Ragnar is a man of his word and a cautious man so it would be quite ridiculous for him to dispose of the single thing that would implicate him so carelessly." Askild was surprisingly siding with King Ragnar because he knew that this was a test. If he spoke against Ragnar then Grj?tgard would discover that Askild might have an agenda but defending Ragnar would prove the opposite.

    "Who is the person we should worry about?" Grj?tgard questioned.

    "King Signy of Vingulmark¡­" Askild said.

    Askild nned to give everyone a false enemy to focus on even though Signy had nothing to do with any of this; Signy remained a threat he was wary of.

    "King Signy? Tell me Askild, have you heard the name Ing¨®lfur Arnarson?" Grj?tgard asked, the conversation was surprisingly calm but Askild knew he had to be careful because this man was clearly a lot smarter than King Rugalf because he entertained every possibility regardless of the kind of individual the person in question was.

    "The man who conquered d and currently dominates the sea¡­." King Askild said to which Grj?tgard nodded.

    "He also killed my brothers¡­ You see, my brother thinks he should be left unpunished because of the potential aid he might be able to provide us but it seems like Ing¨®lfur was not satisfied with killing a few of my brothers, he wants us all dead¡­" Grj?tgard said sternly, Askild was surprised that he was revealing this information to him.

    ".... I am tired of following my brother''smand, King Askild and I know you are the kind of man that understands why¡­" Grj?tgard was right in a sense, King Rugalf''s need for peace was being tranted as weakness by the enemies and Grj?tgard knew he needed to send a message that showed Ing¨®lfur Arnarson that they would not ept such transgressions. He got the gist of it from Vegard, Gryting met with Ing¨®lfur Arnarson so that could only mean one thing.

    "I do not know this King Signy but if you aid me in my little problem, I will be more than happy to return the favour. I believe this could be the start of a good rtionship with you, King Askild," Grj?tgard proposed.

    "What do you have in mind, General Grj?tgard?" Askild asked as a partnership that had the potential to throw the entire Viking world into chaos was manifesting

 Chapter 350 Compassion And Lust

    ?

    Thorgard was in a room with Vegard, the silence was quite loud because Thorgard was willing to throw away his life for his younger brother.

    Vegard knew this but he did not know what to say, neither did Thorgard so they sat in silence, eating the food before then.

    "Big brother¡­" Vegard called out awkwardly and Thorgard wanted the floor to open up and swallow him the moment his brother called him but nothing of such was going to happen.

    "Thank you for saving me," Vegard concluded with a flustered face and Thorgard became incredibly awkward because Vegard did not need to thank him for doing his duty as his older brother.

    "H-Haha! It was nothing!" Thorgard tried to y it off but the price he was going to pay was with his death.

    "I will never forgive you if you die," Vegard said and Thorgard''s face looked a little sad when he heard Vegard say this.

    The deaths of their brothers still yed in Vegard''s mind and he could only imagine what such a thing was doing to his younger brother.

    It had the potential to turn his older brother into a drunk so what damage could it bring to the impressionable Vegard?

    The door soon creaked open and in walked Salgard, Thorgard''s body immediately tensed up because he knew what to expect if Salgard was here.

    Vegard was never the recipient of Salgard''s sadism because he was the brother that Grj?tgard held above all, making him off-limits.

    Salgard did not say a word as he quietly sat down across Thorgard.

    Thorgard averted his gaze as the silence drowned the room once again.

    "Look at me Thorgard¡­" Salgard instructed.

    Thorgard slowly raised his head to look his older brother in the eyes but he noticed that Salgard was not smiling as usual.

    Salgard''s hand stretched forth and Thorgard closed his eyes in fear because he knew what came next or so he thought, Salgard''s hand held the back of Thorgard''s head and pulled him in until both their foreheads were touching each other.

    "I heard what you did and I just want to say I am proud of you! I would never have forgiven myself if I lost anyone of you¡­" Salgard, in a rare moment, was showing a side of him his brothers hardly saw.

    "You have grown up Thorgard and I promise you on this day that I would be the one to put my life on the line before I let anything happen to either one of you," Salgard vowed as he slowly let go of his head.

    Thorgard could not hold in his tears as they began falling, he did not know his life held this much importance to Salgard because all Salgard had taught him was to fear him. Salgard knew that fear was essential to keep people in line and that included his siblings.

    Salgard stood up and left the room the same way he entered, all he wanted Thorgard to know was that he was proud of him and those words meant a lot more to the young warrior than Salgard ever realized.

    -

    Estrid was quiet, she felt ashamed and could not help but think this whole thing was her fault.

    She expected Tyr to scold her or give her attitude yet her husband acted the same as he always did.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Tyr¡­ I am sorry¡­" Estrid apologized but Tyr sighed in frustration because this was all she did, apologize.

    The cocky, arrogant girl he met was nowhere to be found but he could not believe how insane she was.

    "Estrid¡­." Tyr called her name.

    "Yes?" Estrid responded in a rather submissive tone.

    "Do not ever fucking lie to me again," Tyr''s voice was heavy and stern, Estrid knew he was not messing around with a single look into his eyes.

    "I-I won''t¡­" Estrid responded, breaking eye contact.

    "Then we should not have a problem¡­" Tyr reassured her as he was back to his usual self once again.

    Estrid was seated at the edge of the bed, she was wearing a rather revealing outfit and Tur could not help but wonder how she looked without it on.

    ".... Tyr," Estrid called out and when Tyr looked at her, it was not his eyes she was looking at but rather his crotch. Tyr looked down and saw that he had a bulge.

    "How did that get in there¡­" Tyr joked as Estrid giggled nervously, she was a virgin so the thought of sex both scared and excited her.

    "Tell me Estrid¡­" Tyr said as he walked up towards her. Estrid looked up at him, waiting for the next words toe out of his mouth.

    Tyr caressed her face, but his bulge was right in front of her and she did not know what to do.

    "Does the thought of being vited excite you?" Tyr asked but this was more rhetorical than an actual question.

    "... Or is it me killing for you that gets you off?" Tyr asked, looking down at Estrid.

    "You are so ful-!" Estrid could notplete the words she wanted to utter as Tyr had covered her mouth.

    "You only answer my questions, Estrid. You do not speak out of line nor do you disrespect me¡­" Tyr said.

    His other hand crept up on her chest as he cupped one of her breasts in his hand.

    "You belong to me now, Estrid¡­" Tyr said as he let go of her breasts before waking out of the room.

    Estrid was breathing heavily, her heart was pounding because, at that moment, it felt like Tyr had every intention of forcefully having her way with her yet she found that between her legs were moist.

    "W-What was that?" Estrid thought to herself, all her life she was used to being the one in charge and untouchable yet Tyr had just done something no one ever did and that was put her in her ce, degrade her if you will and she liked it. Her body''s response was proof of this.

 Chapter 351 Signys New Warrior

    ?

    Rognd regained order amid the chaotic scenes that transpired a few hours ago.

    The majority of Kings had left before another unfortunate incident befell them but a few remained in Rognd but King Tryggve was not among those that stayed as even he knew his presence would not be weed if he stayed for too long but he also needed to bury his son a befitting burial true to a Viking.

    Tor was seen as a liability because of the way he ran his mouth and his not taking fighting seriously but was more interested in chasing skirts or rather, men.

    Tor had no interest in women but men and Tryggve took note of this and it was around this time he began to grow a grudge against his son.

    There was no way he could seed him or he would bring shame to the Kingdom but Tryggve could not skip him in the line of session without causing serious friction between him and his younger brother so Tryggve instead found a way to use his death to benefit his cause as he now on Rugalf''s good side.

    -

    "My love, are you alright?" Lagertha asked her husband, who was lost in thought.

    "Of course I am!" Ragnar tried to brush it off but Lagertha knew her husband far too well for such a thing to work but she did not speak another word.

    She knew if Ragnar wanted to talk then he would.

    Lagertha had no intentions of pressuring him too.

    "It was King Gryting¡­" Ragnar muttered.

    "What happened to him?" Lagertha questioned her husband, urging him to speak up.

    "He did not know about Tor¡­" Ragnar muttered, the look on Gryting''s face right before he bit the dust was proof of this.

    Lagertha remained silent because she knew that this was something that did not need discussion either.

    "I will need to go to Vestfold soon my love¡­" Ragnar as he knew it would be a while before he sees Lagertha again. Ragnar could tell his wife did not want him to go but he had no choice.

    "Must you?" Lagertha asked, pouting.

    Ragnar ran his fingers down the scar on her face before nting a kiss right on her lips.

    "I must but that does not mean I cannot give you a gift¡­" Ragnar said. Lagertha''s eyes lit up the moment she heard this because Ragnar only used this specific wording.

    She nodded as sheid back on the bed with her legs spread but before they could proceed any further, Bjorn entered the room.

    Lagertha immediately sped her thighs shut with Ragnar trying his best to y it off but Bjorn did not care that his parents were about to jump bones.

    He had more pressing matters he wanted to discuss with his father and seeing as he might not have this opportunity when Ragnar returns, now was the best time for that.

    "Mother, I think you should return with Father to Vestfold. I will have Viggo cover for you¡­" Bjorn advised his mother.

    "What?" Lagertha was taken by surprise, and even Ragnar had a look of shock on his face.

    "I want you to stay in Vestfold with Father for a while, I need you to trust me on this, Mother." Bjorn was rarely like this so Lagertha knew this was serious.

    She would love this in actuality, she missed living together with Ragnar even though she knew this would be temporary.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lagertha excused herself without further persuasion, leaving only the two men in the room.

    "What is it, Bjorn?" Ragnar began the conversation.

    "There is something I have to tell you, Father, it is about Tyr¡­" Bjorn said and this piqued Ragnar''s interest.

    "Tyr, what happened to Tyr?" Ragnar asked. He could sense Bjorn''s hesitation.

    "I am afraid Tyr is going to do something that he might regret¡­" Bjorn responded with a worried look stered all over his face.

    -

    The drama in Rognd concluded and with Bjorn looking like he was about to spill the beans to his father about Tyr wanting Askild''s head, this would only show that he was truly untrustworthy if he does divulge this information but everyone was focused on the expedition to Ennd that drew near.

    King Signy was not part of this expedition but he knew that this would broaden the horizon in terms of thends Vikings could conquer.

    Maybe this will make them stop fighting amongst themselves and focus on greener pastures.

    Because if thisnd was as they said then he could only imagine the othernds that waited for them.

    Signy did not want to admit it but this was an exciting thought, he knew that this would be the future.

    Jan was kept under the watchful eye of Kjell but the thing was, Jan did not look bitter that he got outyed by Signy but rather this was a testament to just how much Signy had grown as a person, a growth worthy of praise. Kjell was d that King Asmund died that day or Signy would have still been a boy but Kjell was worried about a man that Signy expected to join his ranks to rece the fallen Aksel.

    K?re, who had been left to his own devices to act as he pleased had recently returned to Vingulmark.

    This was a man that had King Askild on the ropes, and even held his own against Ragnar for a short period. But just how strong had he be?

    K?re still had the same physique as he did four years ago but he had a lot more experience.

    Vigar was also there and he had fortified the defences of Vingulmark under Signy''s orders.

    K?re met with Kjell, Kjell was the most level-headed among the Vikings under Signy and this was why K?re was more interested in conversing with him than he was with others.

    "It has been a while K?re¡­" Kjell greeted his old friend but K?re did not share this same friendliness.

    "Have you heard of the Viking joining King Signy?" K?re asked Kjell because he knew that he was curious.

    "I have no idea but I know it is someone worthy of working under King Signy," Kjell responded immediately.

    "Do you know what they call him?" K?re asked, he had an interesting-looking bow strapped to his back, a new invention.

    "Huh?" Kjell questioned and K?re did not need much persuasion to divulge the information that Kjell sought.

    "They call him the Ghost of Kattegat,"

 Chapter 352 The Expedition To England

    ?

    Hours passed and King Ragnar returned to Vestfold but not before talking briefly with Askild in regards to Lagertha returning with him.

    King Askild allowed it because he knew that regardless of their affiliation, Lagertha was still his wife and needed to spend time with her husband.

    King Askild returned to his Kingdom as well soon after because the event had concluded and unfortunately, it ended in casualties.

    "It is finally over," King Rugalf muttered to himself.

    "King Rugalf, what shall we do with the Kingdom of Orkdalen?" Grj?tgard asked his brother.

    Rugalf was surprised by this question, he would think that things would end with Gryting''s death but it seemed that Grj?tgard was not satisfied.

    "What do you mean? We leave them as they are¡­" Rugalf responded to his brother.

    "King Rugalf, as long as they exist they will want to have vengeance¡­" Grj?tgard alerted his brother, hoping he would see reason.

    "That is true but the cycle will only continue. How many do you want to kill before you are satisfied, Grj?tgard?" Rugalf questioned but Grj?tgard had a disgusted look on his face.

    He could not believe that he was hearing this right now, Gryting dared to attack them in their home and this was all Rugalf intended to do?

    "The cycle cannot continue if they are all dead. They need to understand the consequences of trying to attack Rognd. Other Kingdoms are watching, King Rugalf. How we respond will be vital¡­" Grj?tgard tried his best to remain calm because he knew the kind of person Rugalf was.

    He always tried the diplomatic approach before the violence but Gryting was once perceived to be an ally only for him to stab them in the back.

    He could not trust their Kingdom anymore and Grj?tgard knew the only way to be sure that they would not attempt something like this again is by burning it into the ground, killing everyone that resides there.

    It was extreme as this would mean killing hundreds of innocent people but Grj?tgard did not care.

    "Enough Grj?tgard! I will not hear any more of this!" Rugalf barked and Grj?tgard kissed his teeth in irritation.

    Grj?tgard hated the fact that his brother made them look weak but he was no longer going to sit back and let Grj?tgard dictate how they act.

    A man that had ughtered their brothers was walking freely all because Rugalf was trying to ce peacemaker and Grj?tgard was fine with it but they crossed a line by attacking Rognd directly.

    "King Rugalf, one of these days, you will regret your choices but I will never forgive you if another of our brothers should fall¡­" Grj?tgard said bluntly.

    The moment Rugalf heard this, he mmed his fist on the table in front of him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "How dare you¡­!" Rugalf said; Grj?tgard disrespected him so openly and this was one thing Rugalf did not tolerate but Grj?tgard had had enough.

    Grj?tgard realized he had overdone it and despite not believing he was wrong, he knew he had to apologize as he had disrespected a King, not just his brother.

    "I am sorry King Rugalf. I must be a lot more stressed than I thought. Forgive my words," Grj?tgard apologized as he dropped to one knee.

    Rugalf sighed and recollected himself, he understood why Grj?tgard was angry, they nearly lost Vegard.

    "That is fine, you sound go and rest up¡­" Kind Rugalf dismissed him but he had seen a side of Grj?tgard he had not seen since they were younger and he feared what might happen.

    Rugalf saw sense in what he was saying but genocide was not the answer to this.

    "Grj?tgard, do not do anything stupid¡­" Rugalf thought to himself.

    -

    Rugalf announced that Tyr would be leading the expedition in Ennd, no one had a problem with this and Thorgard was even d because he would get to witness Tyr''s strength in person.

    Thorgard was appointed the second-inmand, something that delighted him because he got to work hand-in-hand with Tyr Ragnarsson but Rugalf cut down the numbers he was nning to send there from fifteen in light of the recent development.

    But this number was more than sufficient considering it was going to be a joint effort and Askild also reported that they were not fighters.

    Tyr was seen discussing with Thorgard, both of them looked serious as the sun settled on the horizon.

    "How do we even approach this? We do not know how many Vikings the other Kingdoms are approaching. Do we need to coordinate with them or individually?" Thorgard was bombarding Tyr with questions yet Tyr remainedposed.

    "It does not matter what the other Kingdoms are doing, we are going to coordinate individually as I do not see other Kingdoms trusting us enough to let us in on their strategy. This may be a joint operation but do not mistake it as cooperation, they just want to use our numbers to scare the enemies, whatever happens after that is left to us," Tyr said, Thorgard was surprised he already thought that far ahead considering he was just made General.

    Tyr was right, they needed to coordinate their unit, that was their responsibility because whatever goods that is gotten in the expedition is to be shared evenly among all Kingdoms as a sign of good faith. Tyr knew how greedy man could be but something told him that King Askild would home true to his word because he was only starting to be looked at favourably by other Kingdoms.

    "It is really happening, we are going to Ennd!" Thorgard said excitedly but Tyr did not share his excitement because he knew the devastating effects war had and he was also aware that the sea could rebel against them, killing them before they even reached their destination.

    "We need to make a sacrifice¡­" Tyr muttered under his breath, this was his way to appease the gods and ask them for journey mercy.

    ".... A human sacrifice," Tyr was clearer the second time around.

 Chapter 353 Human Sacrifice

    Tyr was happy to see that his words were taken seriously, and that very night, an borate ceremony was held but the gods would only ept a sacrifice if the person was willing to do so.

    A temple was set up with Tyr having runic white paint stered across his skin, but Tyr did not have a sacrifice, not yet.

    A crowd gathered as the temple behind him burnt, the Vikings remained quiet but Tyr was not the one carrying out the proceedings seeing as he had no experience regarding this.

    He did not know much about it as he has never experienced it first hand so it was left to Estrid.

    Estrid looked like a goddess, Estrid wore a loose white dress, and each step she took made her look like she was gliding.

    This was not her first time experiencing sacrificing a human and this idea excited the warriors around them.

    They found this honorable and anyone that would go to Valha today weed it.

    "People of Rognd!" Estrid shouted as she stood In front of her husband and the warriors that were expected to go on this expedition.

    "The gods shall receive one of you in Valha today and Valkyries shall carry you in their loving arms but I ask, which one of you wants that honour?" Estrid asked and to Tyr''s surprise, multiple raised their hands.

    It was almost like they were fighting to be sacrificed and Tyr was amazed, it was clearly because of Estrid.

    They rarely heard her speak and now she was asking them to die for the gods; not to mention the beautiful dress she had on made her presence especially godlike tonight.

    The fire burnt behind her but there was one volunteer that no one could have predicted, Estrid knew that it had to be a great warrior.

    Vegard had volunteered and Tyr immediately wanted to call it off, he expected the others to be panicked yet all he saw were smiles on their faces. It reminded him of Kahina and he began to understand that what they did in the past was no different from this, the only difference was because it was someone he loved, Tyr knew he would not have cared if it was anyone else and he realized this as an adult.

    This was an honour, dying as a sacrifice for the gods was the most honourable way a person could go.

    Tyr realized at that moment that the Gardsson did not put their lives above any others, just like his biological father.

    "A brave warrior wants to sacrifice himself!" Estrid praised Vegard but everyone there knew that Vegard was not qualified to be a sacrifice but they understood at that moment that he was braver than most men were. Vegard, however,cked any aplishments.

    Heck, he has not even killed a man yet.

    "I am sorry, little guy but I will have to take this one," A man with quite the forgettable face uttered, walking towards Estrid and co.

    The Vikings began beating their shield as they hummed in rhythm

    "My name is Skar and I offer my life to the gods," Skar said as he got on his knees.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Estrid nodded, she epted him as the sacrifice, there was a wood, untouched by the mes, behind her.

    She gestured for Skar to go there, he did so without any protest as she bound his hands behind it.

    "Oh All-Father, tonight we offer you a warrior, a man that is ready to dine in the halls of Valha. We offer you a human in exchange for your protection! Thor! We ask that you guide our men with your lightning in the skies! Light the path to their destination! Njord! God of the sea! Let your waves carry their ships like Valkyries! We offer you this sacrifice!" Estrid said, she was speaking like she was in a trance, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

    She began to dance and the humming got louder, it was almost like she was speaking anguage that no one knew about.

    The dancing got more intense as a cup wooden bowl was brought forth with a knife, given to Estrid.

    Rugalf watched the ceremony, it was magnificent and he was surprised that she had established a link with the gods themselves as she was speaking to them directly, that was how everyone interpreted it.

    Estrid took the knife and bowl from the person that had brought it to her.

    She walked up to Skar, and Skar had a broad smile, he looked at Estrid then his wife and kids.

    They all looked so proud of him and they should be.

    "Are you ready?" Estrid asked him and Skar nodded.

    Without hesitation, Estrid slit his throat and blood gushed out of it. Skar gasped for air as the life slowly left his body but not once did he show any hint of fear.

    This was where the bowl came in, Estrid allowed the bowl to fill up with his blood as she kept muttering gibberish.

    Estrid took the bowl and gave it to Tyr to take a sip out of, Tyr took a deep breath and took a sip out of the bowl, staining his lips with blood.

    The bowl was passed around as Thorgard did the same alongside Vegard.

    The moment they all took a sip, Skar died like his life had been absorbed by the warriors.

    Estrid dipped her fingers in the bowl and ran it down her lips.

    "The gods have epted the sacrifice," Estrid said as the humming continued. If Skar died before they could finish ingesting his blood then that would have meant that the gods rejected their sacrifice and were against their expedition but this was not the case.

    Tyr was fascinated, this was a lot more empowering than he thought it would be, he felt a sudden rush of energy course through his veins as impossible just seemed like a word with the way he was feeling yet he could not help but feel guilty that he condemned a man to death.

 Chapter 354 Tyrs First Time [R18+]

    ?

    Tyr was feeling powerful that night and seeing Estrid perform that act triggered something in him that he could not exin but at that moment, he wanted Estrid.

    Estrid and Tyr returned to their room, Estrid wanted to wash up but Tyr forbade her from doing so.

    Tyr found out he was sexually attracted to his wife on their wedding day but now, his lust had leaked.

    He did not know how to go about it but all he knew was that he wanted Estrid right now.

    "Estrid,e over¡­" Tyr called out to her, sitting on the edge of his bed.

    Estrid had no problemsplying as she walked right in front of Tyr, she could see Tyr''s bulge inside his trouser, it looked a lot bigger than the first time she saw it.

    "I want you now, Estrid¡­" Tyr said; the pheromones oozing from his body filled the air, and the sexual tension was evident.

    Estrid smiled as Tyr grabbed her waist firmly.

    "I want you too Tyr¡­" Estrid muttered under her breath, her breathing heavy.

    "Take it out¡­" Estrid whispered nervously, this was not their first time.

    Tyr was nervous, he was hesitant even because he did not know what to do due to hisck of experience; he was going on an expedition and did not know if he would return or not but this was one thing he wanted to do right now.

    "Are you shh?" Estrid asked as Tyr was acting awkward the moment he heard her request.

    "Shut up¡­" Tyr said as he unfastened his trouser to expose himself.

    Estrid gulped, she did not know that they came in such sizes so she was rightly nervous.

    Tyr got up to his feet and looked Estrid right in the eyes, these were not the eyes of a warrior but the eyes of a man in a vulnerable state.

    "You look so beautiful¡­" Tyr said, cing the strand of hair dangling in front of her face behind her right ear before leaning in to kiss her.

    Their soft lips made contact, and Estrid''s heart began beating like it was trying to leave her chest.

    She felt Tyr push his tongue in her mouth but she also felt his dick poking her belly button, it was as hard as steel. Tyr was not violent, this surprised her considering what happened thest time he had an erection.

    Tyr''s hands were gentle, they grabbed her lovingly like she was some breakable, fragile object.

    They both pulled away, salivating as they caught their breath.

    Tyr kissed her neck, and Estrid''s body was far more sensitive as she quivered.

    Tyr pulled her closer to him by the waist as his lips wandered lower, she felt the moistness on her corbone down to her breasts.

    Tyr liked how erect her nipples were, there was no way he would not put it back in his mouth.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr put her nipples in his mouth, blood spilt there during the sacrifice yet the taste of iron only drove him wide.

    Tyr sucked harder and harder, Estrid held his head in ce because she liked the sensation that it triggered in her. Tyr''s tongue wrapped around her nipple, flicking it as she began moaning.

    Tyr knew he was doing something right if she was getting this response from her.

    Estrid wanted to take it slow and so did Tyr, they both had no intentions of rushing things because this was their first time.

    Tyr stuck his finger between her legs and s, she was soaked down there, Tyr stuck that finger in his mouth and boy, did he love the taste.

    Tyr wanted to taste it directly from the source and due to him being stronger than Estrid and her body weight on the low side so she was easy to pick up.

    Tyr picked her up, she wrapped her legs around his neck and Tyr began to eat her out.

    Estrid squirmed and moaned, this was Tyr''s first time yet he was somehow so good because Tyr was treating it like a fruit.

    It did not take long before Estrid made a mess on her husband''s face, Tyr almost dropped her to the ground because it got into his eyes but he managed toy Estrid gently on the bed before wiping his eyes.

    "Sorry¡­" Estridughed and judging by the look on Tyr''s face, he had no idea what this was.

    "Did you just piss on me!?" Tyr asked with a sense of urgency as Estrid burst outughing.

    She could not believe that Tyr did not know what this was, it was hard to think that he was truly a Viking as it was a miracle he was even a virgin at this age.

    But before Estrid could tell him what it was, Tyr blurted out.

    "You are just like Vegard! Fucking pissing all over the ce!" Tyr cussed out and this ticked Estrid off.

    Why the hell would Tyrpare her to Vegard in the first ce?

    Estrid wanted to stand up and argue with Tyr but Tyr was just messing with her, he knew exactly what it was as even he had woken up with unexined substance in his trousers before.

    He cuffed her wrist above her head with one of his hands, his hands were a lot bigger so it was easy for him to hold both her wrists beneath his.

    "You are so cute when mad," Tyr said as he kissed her right on the lips, Tyr''s lower body was between her thighs so she could not close it, she did not want to do so and epted Tyr wholeheartedly.

    Tyr knew it would be painful for her, he was on the big side and it was her first time so he had to be careful in how he approached this.

    Slowly but surely, it entered her and she bit her lower lips. Tyr could tell she was in pain but she did not want him to stop because she was also feeling good.

    This was the night that Tyr and Estrid lost their virginity.

 Chapter 355 The Expedition Draws Near...

    ?

    A week passed since that fateful attack and things had settled down, the day of the expedition was in less than four days now, and everyone had assembled their army.

    Rognd was contributing fifteen men, Kattegat was contributing twenty, a drop in what they initially said they would provide but this was understandable as they were reminded of the threats that still existed in these parts, and Vestfold also reduced their allocated men to twenty in light of the threat that lurked bringing the total number to fifty-five.

    If the expedition was as Askild said then they did not need to worry too much about the numbers but rather the size of the boat that they would use to cart away the potential goods they would make off with, that was what they prioritized.

    Kattegat gave themand to Bjorn Ironside, Askild thought it wise as he knew the sons of Ragnar would be the ones to shape the future and he had no intention of standing in their way and Bjorn was going with both Ivan and Viggo, he also decided to take Magnus because this would be a give the spoiled man a taste of the world he was stepping into.

    What better way than an expedition that had a very low-level threat but who was going to lead Vestfold?

    The man known as Gudleif was given that responsibility alongside multiple warriors that showed promise butcked overall experience in terms ofbat. Ragnar was trying to usher in a new generation as this expedition was not just for goods but a message to other Kingdoms that demonstrated the strength of their alliance. This should halt any nned assault from external forces in the meantime but the Kings of these Kingdoms knew that this was just the beginning.

    Everyone was ready but this did not just mean those nning the expedition but the enemies that lurked in the shadows.

    -

    King Signy had fortified his new Kingdom, he did not even know if he still wanted Vestfold but he knew for certain he wanted King Ragnar''s head.

    The buzz of the new warrior that was to join him unsettled his men as they could notprehend why King Signy would seek to recruit a warrior that he did not know.

    The throne room opened and in walked Jan, he sought to talk with Signy and Signy granted him that request.

    They were still working together despite Jan losing the title he sought the most.

    "What is it Jan?" Signy asked and like always, Jan wasposed as he got on one knee to show that he had epted Signy as his King but also respected him.

    "King Signy, I heard you have been quite busy¡­" Jan said in a tone that sounded condescending but Signy did not mind this.

    "What is that supposed to mean?" Signy asked sternly, Jan was amazed by his growth but he could not let his excitement get the best of him.

    King Signy was a lot sterner than he was four years ago and this included Signy''s analysation skills.

    He could see things that most could not, including Jan.

    "Ghosts are meant to remain dead, my King¡­" Jan responded.

    "Jan, what is your ambition?" Signy asked out of the blue, this was not even rted to the ongoing conversation so Jan was a bit surprised as to where this wasing from but he knew better than to question it, all he could do was give Signy an answer.

    "My ambition? My ambition is to help you achieve yours, my King¡­" Jan said but both knew that this was bullshit because Signy never forgot that Jan had a hand to y in the invasion.

    "Is that so?" Signy was disappointed with his answer as he got up to his feet.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Jan, themoner that rose to a King did so because he had no ambition?" Signy asked rhetorically as Jan knew exactly what Signy was getting at but before both men could proceed any further with their conversation, K?re walked in.

    K?re had to be the strongest warrior under Signy followed by Jan. Kjell''s fighting style allowed him to excel even with an arm.

    "He is here, My King¡­" K?re said the moment he got in as he too got on a knee.

    "Excellent. Let him in¡­" Signy responded, he sounded excited and that was rare in itself.

    Jan heaved a frustrated sigh, disappointed that he could not change the mind of his King.

    The door opened once more but there was no one.

    "What is the meaning of this?" Signy asked and the look in Jan''s eyes was that of amusement.

    Of course, there was no way he woulde to Vingulmark, he was called a Ghost for a reason.

    "It seems you have been stood up, King Signy¡­" Jan joked but Signy was unmoved by his ploy.

    "How dare I stand up to the great King Signy¡­" A voice said behind the door.

    "That voice¡­." Jan thought to himself as he jerked his head backwards.

    "You¡­ So the rumours were true¡­" Jan muttered as a man with a helmet came into view.

    "Birger Helvig, King Signy''s Uncle¡­" Jan said.

    Birger had stayed in Kattegat for so long that people forget that he once originated from Vestfold and shared blood with Signy.

    Right now, Signy reunited with his uncle to bring about the change he sought.

    "Take off your helmet¡­" Janmanded him, he knew how sneaky Birger was.

    "There is no need for that, the less people know, the better. That is without a doubt, my uncle¡­." Signy vouched for the man before him because this was not the first time he had made contact with Birger over the years.

    "Is everything in order?" Signy asked. Both K?re and Jan were confused as to what he meant but they now understood why Signy was confident in killing King Ragnar. It was because of Birger.

    "Yes, My King¡­" Birger responded as a grin creased Signy''s tired face.

 Chapter 356 Skardes Decision [ARC END]

    ?

    "King Ragnar, are you sure you want to let Gudleif take the lead in this expedition, would his strength not be most efficient here?" Skarde suggested.

    He was not against him going but there was no doubt that Gudleif''s skills would best be suited here but Ragnar knew he needed an experienced warrior to guide them because this would show the other Kingdoms just how powerful they were.

    "We have no choice, this is not just about our Kingdom but we need to show our allies that we are more than capable to match their strength¡­" Ragnar said calmly.

    He knew what was toe and he looked forward to seeing just how his sons would perform.

    "This is exciting, Skarde. I have a feeling our era will soone to an end," Ragnar said, he was feeling sentimental about what was happening.

    It was like they were passing the torch but he knew with this, the prophecy got closer to fulfilment.

    Skarde looked at Ragnar before scoffing.

    "You wish. We still have a lot of time King Ragnar so don''t you go passing the torch just yet¡­" Skarde countered, Ragnar smiled upon hearing this before saying.

    "You cannot even see, my blind friend¡­" Ragnar teased Skarde and Skarde could not help butugh.

    Even with his condition, he still wanted to die a warrior''s death so he could join the woman that understood him the most in Valha.

    Ragnar knew Skarde was living to die a worthy death, he was looking forward to death the most and Ragnar wanted to grant him the grandest death possible.

    Skarde did not show it but losing his sight changed his life for the worse as it stopped him from being the best warrior he could be.

    Skarde was formidable, and he missed swinging his sword to take off the heads of his enemies but he knew with or without his sight, he would never find a woman as beautiful as Herfj?tur.

    Ragnar knew Skarde needed something more, this was not enough to satisfy his need for battle as he had observed that Skarde was practising in secret in terms ofbat.

    Ragnar did not make this known to Skarde because he did not know how he would receive being watched in his private time so he kept it to himself.

    Ragnar had a thought and that was sending Skarde in ce of Gudleif but that would simply make him a liability which might damage his ego beyond repair.

    He needed a woman''s touch but Ragnar noticed that he did not have much luck in that department either as he was aware of Skarde''s unique fetishes.

    This included being dominated in a rather aggressive way, a sweet tooth that only Herfj?tur could satisfy.

    "King Ragnar¡­" Skarde muttered, prompting Ragnar to calm the thoughts that were prominent in his head.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "What is it?* Ragnar asked.

    "What kind of death do you see yourself dying¡­" Skarde asked, this question caught Ragnarpletely off guard as he hurriedly cleared his throat so he could think of an answer but in reality, he has never given this much thought.

    "W-What are you talking about?" Ragnar questioned, still stalling for time.

    "You know King Ragnar, I once wanted to die by sacrificing my life for Kattegat in a battle so grand that it would shape the future itself. I wanted my sacrifice to be the reason we won and as Iy dying, I see my beautiful Herfj?tur smiling down at me. Telling me how good I did¡­ I wanted to see the sun onest time before my eyes shut forever¡­" Skarde said and the amusement on Ragnar''s face left just as quickly.

    ".... But I neither have my eyes nor my beautiful Herfj?tur. I am not even a warrior sworn to Kattegat anymore¡­" Skarde blurted out with a defeated smile, in a rare moment he was showing vulnerability and Ragnar had no intention of making light of this.

    Skarde felt a warm hand on his back, it was undoubtedly that of Ragnar.

    "Skarde, I will give you a death that supersedes the one you have envisioned for yourself¡­ And I know I cannot take Herfj?tur''s ce but I will be there to tell you just how good you did as you reunite with her in Valha but first, we need to receive your warrior''s spirit!" Ragnar said; he reassured Skarde and his words made an impact because it resulted in a warm from Skarde.

    "Thank you, old friend¡­" Skarde said, he was not talking to Ragnar as a King but as a friend.

    "How would you like to go on this expedition, Skarde?" Ragnar offered because he knew that Skarde being cooped up in the house was the thing damaging his ego. Ragnar knew that presenting Skarde with this opportunity could not do more harm than denying him.

    "K-King Ragnar but I am blind. I will just hold everyone back¡­" Skarde responded; he was hesitant to take Ragnar on his request partly because he knew that he would be more useful in Vestfold than he was on the front line of some battlefield yet Ragnar suggested it.

    "It is because you are blind that you can see things that we who can see do not see¡­" Ragnar responded; he wanted to sound cool for his old friend.

    "All I see is darkness, King Ragnar¡­" Skarde responded bluntly to Ragnar''s supposed wise words.

    "READ THE ROOM!" Ragnar screamed as Skarde burst outughing, Ragnar really had not changed after all these years. It was refreshing, to say the least, and Skarde appreciated his old friend trying his best to cheer him up and Skarde realized at that moment how much he wanted this.

    It would be selfish of him to go and potentially be a liability to everyone but he wanted to feel like a warrior again.

    "I will do it, King Ragnar!" Skarde said, full of resolve resulting in a smile from Ragnar.

    "That is good! I promise not to die before you get back," Ragnarughed.

    "Your jokes are getting darker my King¡­" Skarde said while having on his poker face.

 Chapter 357 Welcome To Lindisfarne!

    ?

    The moon shone on a strange ind, an ind that was neither Norway nor d.

    The habitants of thisnd were dressed in robes that carried the cross with a hairstyle that everyone seemed to have.

    They shaved a round patch at the top of their head and cut the remaining hair short all around.

    They were in a chapel, a building where a huge crossy on the wall as they prayed to the God they worshipped.

    "Father Uttredus, I have a feeling that God has favoured us above the others¡­" A young boy, approximately Bjorn''s age blurted out but his body frame was nothing like a warrior.

    He looked timid and why, always looking to the ground when he spoke as he did now.

    "God favours all his children, our God is not biased, Wychard¡­ Do not utter such careless words," Uttredus warned the young monk.

    "I am sorry, Father!" Wychard immediately apologized but it was not Uttredus that needed his apology, it was God.

    "You will ask God for penance once the mass prayer is over, but I do understand what you mean. We are a small Kingdom that has never known war or battle yet we strive just like the rest¡­" Uttredus said; Uttredus looked like every old person out there, he was a man in his fifties that had a rather frail constitution.

    He looked sickly yet still clung to life as he believed that God was keeping him alive for a divine purpose.

    "Yes sir! May God forgive my arrogance," Wychard responded bluntly as he did not want to say any other thing that might put him in trouble.

    He paid his respects and left the room where Father Uttredus was but as soon as he did, Uttredus coughed up blood whilst stumbling backwards slightly.

    "Father Lord, do you give me the pain to test my faith? I will never question your will, my faith will forever be unwavering¡­" The man said as he wiped the blood from his mouth.

    Lindisfarne, also called Holy Ind, and the Holy Ind of Lindisfarne, is a tidal ind off the northeast coast of Ennd, which constitutes the civil parish of Holy Ind in Northumbend. This was where they resided and in recent times, this ind began to thrive because of what they believed to be God''s mercy.

    The mass prayer concluded and everything looked like it would just be another night, a peaceful night only to repeat the same thing the next day.

    This might sound tedious but they could not have wished for a better life. This was the ideal life for them as they were away from violence.

    They abhorred violence and thought this to be the ultimate sin.

    Muchter in the night, approximately 3 A.M or so, a warning scream echoed from the walls.

    "Intruders!" A man screamed prompting everyone to wake up from their slumber but they neither had the skills nor weapons to defend themselves.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But they had God, God was on their side and they thought this was sufficient but a cruel lesson was about to be learned.

    "What do they mean intruders? This is God''snd! No evil cane on it!" Father Uttredus said sternly but there is a saying.

    God only helps those who help themselves, and right now, these Christians had nothing to help themselves with but faith.

    Father Uttredus rushed to the shore alongside multiple of his monks, it was true.

    Intruders hade but for what? Uttredus hoped that these men were lost or better yet, wanted to give their life to Christ but thetter was highly unlikely.

    Father Uttredus showed no fear, he knew that if he did, it would make the monks behind him question their faith but as long as he stood tall, there was no way that God would forsaken them as they held a burning stick that illuminated their path and environment.

    He stood still with Wychard mimicking the resolve of the Priest and eventually, the boats made contact with thend and oute multiple people.

    Father Uttredus gulped nervously because this was the first time so many people woulde onto thisnd without prior notice or warning but he did not want to jump to conclusions either.

    He knew what the worst-case scenario might be and he was not ready to entertain that thought.

    He had to remain positive, the footsteps headed in their direction but it was only a single footstep as the rest hung back in the darkness, Uttredus could not even tell how many they were as unlike them, the enemies did note with lighters as they intended to use the cover of dark to their advantage.

    The only reason they were discovered was that the illuminating moonlight that shone brightly on the way was almost like there were not any clouds present in the sky.

    The person that came into view was Gudleif, Gudleif had strict orders from Skarde not to do anything stupid as if these men were willing to surrender then there would be no need for bloodshed. Skarde held a higher position than Gudleif in Vestfold but Gudleif was the one in charge of their men.

    *"Greetings foreigners, what may I help you with?"* Uttredus questioned but there was anguage barrier as expected, Gudleif had no idea what he was saying but he could tell by the tone of this man that he was friendly, he also noticed that none of them had any weapons which was strange.

    "Is this some sort of trick to make us drop our guard?" Gudleif thought to himself but he also knew he could not act rashly.

    *"Does anyone here speak Old Norse?"* Gudleif asked and the look of shock on everyone''s face implied that they were shocked as this confirmed one thing.

    Whoever these people were, they were not from around them and this information put the monks on guard as Uttredus muttered.

    "Norsemen¡­" and Gudleif picked up on this as he nodded and repeated.

    "Yes, we are Norsemen!" The moment Gudleif said this, he unsheathed his sword and swung it at Uttredus intending to take off his head.

 Chapter 358 Father Uttredus

    ?

    Gudleif swung his de to take off his head but he halted it right before he made contact with the Priest''s neck, Uttredus did not flinch.

    "You¡­" Gudleif muttered, realising that this man spoke theirnguage but how?

    "What are Norsemen doing here?" Uttredus questioned, the monks behind him surprised that the Priest could speak thenguages of pagans.

    Gudleif knew something was off with the man before him because he was the only one that did not show visible fear the moment he heard that they were Norsemen.

    This was why Gudleif swung his sword and Uttredus not flinching confirmed this.

    "How do you speak ournguage?" Gudleif asked as he saw the shorter men behind him holding their cross and muttering to themselves.

    "This is God''snd, what do you want?" Uttredus questions him, he had no intention of answering a question that would not further this conversation.

    "God? Do you mean the gods?" Gudleif asked with a raised brow, he knew he had to make a good first impression on the other Kingdoms present as he had no intention of making King Ragnar look bad.

    Bjorn and Tyr soon joined in the conversation as they held equal authority with Gudleif so they did not see why he should be the one to make the decisions.

    "Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour! You pagans will not understand but before my God shows his judgement, I advise you all to turn back without inconveniencing us further!" Uttredus warned and the audacity he had was intriguing because he had no means of protecting himself.

    "Jesus Christ?" Gudleif muttered but before he could tackle the question at hand, Bjorn and Tyr took over the conversation.

    "What kind of weapon does he wield!?" Tyr asked anxiously with Bjorn chipping in.

    "I bet he cannot beat the All-Father!" Bjorn added.

    "You truly are pagans¡­" Uttredus said but Gudleif pped him the moment he said this.

    "Do not mistake my patience for tolerance¡­" Gudleif said as he nced over Tyr and Bjorn who clearly disapproved of his action.

    "Do not forget why we are here. We are here to raid and plunder¡­" Gudleif reminded the boys.

    Bjorn was surprised this was the same man he met back at Kattegat.

    The monks cowered at this sight, brandishing their crosses in the direction of the perceived Pagans.

    Gudleif saw a man crucified on the cross and was surprised by this depiction.

    "Your God is bound to a cross? How does he protect you then?" Gudleif questioned as the elderly Uttredus got back to his feet and said.

    "We are Christians, we do not believe in violence nor do we believe in hate. Jesus guides us through love¡­" Uttredus said but Gudleif spat right in his face.

    "You say all this yet you smell of a Viking, you traitor," Gudleif said as he grabbed Uttredus by the neck.

    "I have no interest in you or your God. All I want is gold and silver so take me to it," Gudleifmanded.

    He could not kill Uttredus because he was the only one that spoke theirnguage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Gudleif briefly let go of his neck and walked right to Wychard with his weapon brandished.

    ".... Before I start killing Christians," Gudleif mocked him as the Vikings that were in the dark came into view, each unit serving a different person.

    "All you can do is kill us, Pagan," Uttredus said, he had no intentions of folding but unfortunately for him, the monks behind him did not have this same resolve.

    Gudleif found a weak point as he saw them trembling in fear of what was about to happen.

    "You are first¡­" Gudleif said, looking right at Wychard with a grin following up soon after.

    Wychard did not know what he said but he knew his life was in danger, this was the time his faith would be tested and all he did was close his eyes to embrace death. Yet the sting of death never came with Wychard slowly opening his eyes to see a dark-skinned boy standing right in front of him, he had blocked Gudleif''s attack with his axe with Bjorn''s de on his neck.

    "That is enough, Gudleif¡­" Bjorn said; Gudleif could not even react to this simultaneous move by the brothers.

    "You are not in charge of the expedition, your influence ends with your men. Do not act rashly without consulting us or you will be the one to lose your head," Tyr added, everyone was in awe but Gudleif''s men were visibly uneasy as they took a battle stance.

    But there was a dilemma, these were children of their King so what could they do?

    Wychard for a moment, thought Tyr to be his guardian angel but that illusion was dispelled just as quickly.

    Fortunately, they did not have to do anything as Gudleif gestured for them to stand down.

    Gudleif lowered his sword as well because he knew it would be arrogant of him to think he could subdue these two without killing them.

    They were the children of Ragnar, this alone gave them the edge in this expedition.

    "You are both right, forgive me. I got carried away¡­" Gudleif said and this was all it took to dissipate the tension.

    "Wow! They are so cool!" Thorgard thought to himself with Vegard wrapped around his neck as usual.

    Tyr walked to Uttredus, he knew why this man might be opposed to handing them what they requested but he would rather they be no bloodshed.

    He had to try and convince him, Bjorn was on his side so by majority rule, Gudleif''s approach became null.

    "I do not know you but I understand why you view me as your enemy, it is because I am¡­" Tyr said bluntly as he momentarily paused to look at the frail old man.

    "... You are not just responsible for your life. Look around you, would you rather we burn your home to the ground and ughter everyst one of you?" Tyr questioned but there was something about his tone that made even his brother uneasy, it sounded like this was an action he was willing to carry out.

    "... If you were a Viking, you know of our way because we may yet still find what we are looking for even after you are all dead so do you wish to die in vain?" Tyr asked and Uttredus''s stern expression softened the moment he was asked this question.

    "You are right¡­" Uttredus muttered weakly with Gudleif looking fascinated by how easily words rolled off Tyr''s tongue.

    "Now I understand¡­" Gudleif thought to himself.

 Chapter 359 Defiance?

    ?

    The Vikings were led to the castle peacefully, Skarde was impressed by how Tyr handled a potentially hostile situation with such a pose.

    He was fast bing a fine warrior and Bjorn was following in his footsteps.

    Gudleif might be a problem, Bjorn was noticing a different side to him but this was something that Viggo had picked up on the moment he met Gudleif.

    It was not just a fluke but Viggo saw through him.

    Viggo was growing more terrified of Tyr the longer he spent with him, Tyr oozed something dark that he could not shake off and the way he convinced Uttredus, a man willing to give his life to protect the secrets of the castle.

    Ivan, on the other hand, was ecstatic about this. He could not believe that Tyr was this amazing in person.

    The way he moved, he was so fast despite his size and the dexterity of the axes he wielded was unmatched.

    Ivan wanted to see him fight but these monks could not put up a fight.

    The expedition was underway and it might be done a lot sooner than they anticipated as luckily for them, these men were willing to cooperate.

    They were in but something was off, the ce was deserted and Tyr noticed Uttredus''s bodynguage change. It was rxed, he should not be rxed meaning that something was going on that Tyr did not put into consideration.

    Uttredus stopped in his tracks, Bjorn looked confused as to why as they found themselves in front of a strange building.

    "Move¡­" Bjornmanded but Uttredus stood still and this confirmed Tyr''s suspicion.

    Uttredus tried to reach for Bjorn''s sword strapped to his waist but all he got in that attempt was a broken nose as Bjorn had smashed his elbow right into it.

    "I see¡­ So that is what you have chosen," Tyr blurted out coldly, Thorgard was in awe because Tyr had such a presence. It almost felt like he was the one leading this expedition.

    Bjorn was uneasy by his brother''s tone and knew he needed to say something or risk it escting.

    "Take it easy, Tyr¡­" Bjorn muttered; he was different from the wedding but this was simply because Tyr was slowly bing who he was before his life at Kattegat began.

    "Easy?" Tyr questioned right before burying his axe in one of the monk''s heads. Gudleif''s face lit up the moment Tyr did this.

    "Tyr!" Bjorn called out but Tyr was surprised why his brother was growing so sentimental for people he did not even know.

    "Yes, brother?" Tyr responded. Bjorn knew this might be the case but these men all looked so harmless.

    They were not a threat and killing them just might be unnecessary when you look at things this way.

    "Thorgard, find the monks that are hiding, I am certain they did not leave this ce¡­" Tyr instructed Thorgard. Thorgard sighed because he partly hated beingmanded but he listened nheless.

    "What should I do when I find them?" Thorgard asked but Tyr remained silent for a minute before saying.

    "I will leave that up to you¡­" Tyr said; this was interesting considering he had a big speech about Gudleif not being in charge yet this was exactly what he was doing.

    "Or does anyone object?" Tyr asked, he knew he just needed Gudleif on his side as the majority rule stood.

    Gudleif shook his head before saying.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "None so far¡­" Gudleif said with Bjorn biting his tongue, he could not showpassion as he was aware that most people present here agreed with what Tyr was doing. He did give Uttredus a choice and Uttredus made his decision.

    The monks cowered but Tyr was interested in the pendant around the neck of the corpse.

    He ripped it off the corpse and observed the man on the cross.

    "Why is he like this?" Tyr asked and Uttredus saw this as an opportunity to buy time.

    Magnus was scared shitless, he did not know that killing would be involved or rather, assumed they would not be killing innocent people that were not even putting up a fight but he dare not speak because no one recognized his authority over there. Here, he was just a warrior.

    "He was crucified so we may live. He died for our sins," Uttredus blurted out and Tyr chuckled the moment he heard this.

    "So your God is dead?" Tyr questioned.

    "How dare you¡­! He still lives! He rose from the dead and with His rebirth came our salvation!" Uttredus blurted out. Bjorn was surprised that Tyr was showing particr interest in another religion.

    There was no point in trying to understand them.

    "I see¡­ Tell me, who put him on this cross?" Tyr asked, rubbing the blood of the ne as his eyes settled on the cowering monks.

    "Pagan''s di-!" Before he couldplete his sentence, Tyr burst outughing.

    "Something is wrong with Tyr¡­" Bjorn thought to himself, the change between the wedding and now was far too drastic. Something must have happened a few days before the expedition.

    "I have an idea¡­" Tyr said as he removed his gaze from the monks, they felt a sigh of relief but something told them that things were just beginning.

    Bjorn grabbed Tyr by the hand and yanked him away to talk to him. Surprisingly, Tyr did not resist his older brother.

    "Tyr! What the fuck has gotten into you?" Bjorn questioned his brother away from prying eyes.

    "I am fulfilling the task at hand¡­" Tyr said but Bjorn was not having any of it.

    "You are killing innocent people!" Bjorn shouted; he thought that Tyr of all people would be tired of the needless bloodshed but the moment he said this, he felt Tyr''s hand on his shoulder.

    "Bjorn Ironside. I am not talking to you as your brother but as an equal. What do you think will happen if we leave them alive?" Tyr asked this question.

    "They can give us what we want! You just said this!" Bjorn said but Tyr shook his head.

    "Uttredus is giving them strength¡­ I can see it in their eyes, he is the only reason they have not pissed their pants yet but I need you to trust me, Bjorn. I know exactly what I''m doing¡­" Tyr said coldly.

    Bjorn knew there was no point, Tyr was not the kind of person to change his mind.

    "I trust you¡­" Bjorn caved in.

    "You fucking traitor..." Tyr thought to himself.

 Chapter 360 Untrustworthy!

    ?

    In their absence, the Vikings began to see Tyr more as their leader than Gudleif or Bjorn.

    "Viggo, is he not amazing?" Ivan blurted out.

    "Terrifying, more like but his methods are the best way to do this," Viggo said bluntly, he did not sound emotionally distressed but his focus was on Gudleif.

    Viggo could not help but think that Gudleif had other motives that exceeded this expedition.

    Viggo wanted to approach him but he knew things would be a lot more different than their first meeting but Skarde walked to Gudleif.

    "Gudleif, what is going on?" Skarde asked, and without hesitation, Gudleif briefed Skarde.

    People frowned upon Skardeing, they knew he was the weakest here yet Gudleif was not among those people. Gudleuf respected Skarde as a warrior and hising along this expedition deepened that respect.

    Skarde walked to Uttredus, who was down on the ground. Skarde was a seasoned warrior and knew what wasing next, he could not stop it because he understood it was a necessity.

    "Why have you doomed your people?" Skarde asked Uttredus.

    "Doomed? Would you pagan say you are doomed in death or would you im salvation even if this is a delusion¡­" Uttredus was not backing down.

    His mouth was sharp, matching them word for word as he openly defiled them.

    Skarde did not respond, the conversation would be pointless.

    "Gudleif¡­" Skarde called out.

    "Yes sir," Gudleif responded, despite being the head of the operation he openly recognized Skarde as a superior.

    "Spread out, search the houses for anything valuable¡­" Skarde said and the moment he did, Gudleif instructed his men to do just that.

    In a sense, Gudleif was the eyes and Skarde was the true power.

    -

    Thorgard was searching every nook and cranny but they could only do so much with so few men.

    This would take a couple of hours at best but they stumbled upon valuables.

    "Checkpoint!" Thorgard blurted out as their priority quickly shifted. Thorgard instructed the men to begin carting away these goods as he kept searching for the monks. He was surprised that the goods were out in the open making the entire point of Uttredus resistance in vain begging the question, why did they resist?

    Was he hiding something far more valuable than treasures? Thorgard had every intention of finding out what that was because things should ease down a bit now that they have found this.

    Vegard was perplexed by how shiny they looked, they came in the form of golden bowls and silver spoons among many other things.

    Further search resulted in them finding small picked chests that contained coins but it was not nearly enough to share amongst themselves.

    Thorgard was over the moon but he had a mission to do and that was to find the monks hidden.

    Thorgard left the cheers behind him and wandered into a building where a cross hung at the door.

    It was the same symbol on their chest, Thorgard knew this could not be a coincidence.

    Thorgard broke into the building and it was a church. Of course, he did not know that but he was hesitant to walk in for some reason.

    Seeing a giant cross on the opposite side of the room was a bit off-putting but that cross looked valuable.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    There was no way Thorgard was not going to take it, he began walking towards it but Vegard tapped his head.

    "What is it Vegard?" Thorgard questioned but his younger brother got down from his neck and stomped the floor.

    "Huh?" Thorgard thought; Vegard kept stomping the ground like he was searching for something.

    "Below?" Thorgard put the pieces together without Vegard verbally saying so.

    Vegard had an eye for hiding spots because of the kind of games he yed with his older brother, Grj?tgard.

    He was the one that found their hiding space as well during the Gryting incident.

    But they could not find anything, however, Thorgard knew that it could very well be covered.

    It would not make sense for them to hide underground without being covered.

    Thorgard tossed it over and stomped the floor and behold, it was hollow.

    Thorgard proceeded to reach for the floor and just like he thought, there was apartment beneath the ground.

    Thorgard grabbed his sword, readying himself for any iing threat but what Thorgard saw the moment he opened this cer sent chills down his spine.

    "These are¡­!" Thorgard said.

    *"Please do not kill us,"* The people in the cer blurted but Thorgard could not understand them.

    "These are children¡­" Thorgard now understood why Uttredus was hesitant to guide them to the grand treasure, it was because the kids shared the same space as where the real valuables were.

    Thorgard was left with a difficult decision, to bring these kids to Tyr and leave them to their fate or pretend he did not see anything.

    -

    Tyr and Bjorn were speaking, there was a fraction in the brother''s rtionship once again.

    What happened in the few days before the expedition?

    Tyr changed far too drastically for this to be a coincidence, something clearly happened but what?

    Here''s what happened.

    After Tyr had finished talking about their course of action with Thorgard, he excuses himself to get some fresh air, Tyr felt like he was suffocating and needed to breathe.

    A strange man came up to him and gave him a letter, something scribbled on paper.

    Tyr wanted to ask him what this was but the man was gone in the wind.

    Tyr opened up the paper, and the longer he stared at it, the angrier he looked.

    "I know¡­" It read, and this was unmistakably King Askild''s handwriting and this came shortly after Bjorn renewed his loyalty to Askild after leaving Rognd.

    Tyr thought nothing of this at first as it might be a way for Bjorn to make him lower his guard but with this letter, it inadvertently ced doubt in Tyr''s mind and the timing was impable as well considering Askild had left a few days prior.

    Tyr was done giving his brother the benefit of the doubt and Bjorn needed to prove his loyalty or he was an enemy.

 Chapter 361 Wychard

    ?

    Tyr returned and noticed that the Vikings were cheering and returning with treasures but this was not nearly enough to fill their pockets.

    If it was as Askild said, then there should be far more treasure than this making Tyr stick to his initial n.

    He was getting irritated and impatient, he did not understand why Uttredus was doing something so stupid but he was not going to entertain it any longer.

    Tyr grabbed the priest by the cor and dragged him into the building but he gestures for the remaining monks toe with him, they had no choice and did just that.

    Bjorn walked in after his brother, watching to see what he intended to do, he hoped it was nothing barbaric and just a scare tactic to get them to talk.

    He justice that there was a wooden pir that stood out in the middle of this building.

    Tyr had asked him if he trusted him and Bjorn had given him his answer verbally but now his actions must match his words.

    Other Vikings were curious as to what Tyr had nned as they too soon entered the room but Magnus could not believe that Tyr was Bjorn''s brother.

    He was a lot darker than his brother and that was not about hisplexion.

    Tyr proceeded to bind Uttredus to this giant piece of wood, tying his hand behind it.

    Tyr did not stop there, he proceeded to strip him until he was stark naked, this was the ultimate humiliation and Bjorn did not like what his brother was doing but if this stopped Tyr from killing him then it was a small price to pay.

    Bjorn hoped that this could be resolved with no bloodshed or rather, the least amount of bloodshed seeing as blood had already been spilled.

    Uttredus still stood tall and Tyr heaved a loud sigh because the scars on this old man''s body were no doubt battle scars, the monks looked away because they could only imagine the amount of pain he had to go through to get those scars.

    But Tyr confirmed he had Viking blood in him with this meaning he converted to whatever this religion was when he came upon this ind but why did he not teach them to fight and defend themselves?

    If there were othernds around here, were they the same? Tyr was curious to find out as something told him this was the first stepping stone.

    This Ind might be great but there was something that did not make sense and that was where they got their treasures from.

    It meant that they were in trade with a Kingdom that was not known to them but what could these people possibly have to trade?

    Tyr could not understand but he knew something was off with these people.

    Wychard looked scared shitless and no one could me him, this was the first time in his lifeing under such a threat.

    Tyr knew Uttredus would not submit the moment he confirmed Gudleif''s Viking theory to be true.

    "Let''s begin¡­" Tyr said; Bjorn wanted to intervene but he already gave his younger brother his word.

    There was no way he could go back on it with all he has done to Tyr.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr, who had his axe equipped, looked at the Priest with disdain but Bjorn heaved a sigh of relief the moment Tyr put away his axe.

    He thought his younger brother was about to hack away at him but this relief was short-lived as Tyr equipped a uniquely shaped dagger.

    It looked like the kind of knife people used for ying and that was exactly what Tyr had in mind.

    The Vikings cheered as Tyr began to skin this man alive, they cheered andughed because this was their way and the monks began to throw up at the sight of this.

    Tyr made sure he was slow and precise, ripping a huge chunk of flesh from his chest. The pain was so immense that even the brave-faced Uttredus cried in pain, his shrieking screams were a joy to the Vikings.

    Bjorn looked nkly, he did not feel empathy towards the man but he was concerned that his younger brother was bing a lot more like Erik The Berserker.

    The ying continued for a good thirty minutes and the monks'' wills were broken or is it more urate to say Wychard? Not everyone was brave and wanted to be a martyr for their cause, Wychard wanted to live or die in the least painful way possible because he knew if he stood up to them then this was what awaited him.

    Uttredus lost the defiance on his face, and in turn, the strength that the monks were hanging onto crumbled yet Tyr continued to y and a voice that they had not heard until now, screamed.

    "Stop!" Everyone jerked their heads in the direction of the monks and found out that it was Wychard who had said this but this was in theirnguage.

    They understood him and Tyr took it upon himself to find out who if he truly understood.

    "You speak ournguage?" Tyr asked. Wychard but Wychard made a terrible miscalction, he had taken the only valuable thing keeping Uttredus alive.

    Tyr buried the knife into the Priest''s neck, killing him instantly but Bjorn was partly relieved that he was out of his misery.

    "He is the real deal¡­" Viggo thought to himself, he could see the potential in Tyr because hecked the one thing that would hold anyone back and that was empathy.

    "Y-You monster¡­" Magnus blurted out, he could not believe the unnecessary brutality that these people were being subjected to.

    "That idiot¡­!" Bjorn thought in response to this, now was not the time or ce to criticize Tyr because his methods were yielding results as much as he hated to admit it.

    Tyr began to walk towards Magnus and Magnus gulped in fear as to what was about to happen but Bjorn stood in their way, he needed to de-escte the situation.

    "Tyr, it seems like that one over there speaks ournguage¡­ We need to get the information out of him," Bjorn said and Tyr knew that this man''s face was not one he recognized nor did he carry himself as a warrior but Bjorn was right.

    "What is your name, Christian?" Tyr questioned.

    "I am called Wychard and I will guide you to what you seek but please, do not hurt anyone else!" Wychard pleaded to which Tyr nodded before saying.

    "That depends on you, Wychard¡­"

 Chapter 362 Bullseye!

    ?

    Things were going well so far and Tyr had found a leeway, only if Uttredus cooperated like this young monk was about to do then maybe everyone would still be alive.

    The bloodshed was a necessity, they needed to understand to show these monks that they were a real threat and the man they clung to for hope could easily be put down.

    This broke their delusion and brought them back to the harsh realities of life.

    They were preys for greater evil and right now, they were standing in front of the greatest evil there was.

    Wychard guided Tyr towards where the supposed treasures were, his legs were wobbly and his entire body trembled at the prospect of the threat that these Vikings carried.

    Uttredus had thought him how to speak theirnguage because he did not know when it woulde in handy but also because he was grooming Wychard to seed him.

    Never did he imagine it would be in such a manner, Wychard looked hesitant but Tyr was not threatened by this because he knew he could take him unarmed if the situation requested it but this in no way meant he nned on underestimating him.

    Tyr knew all it took was one surprise blow to kill even the strongest of warriors and now would not be the exception, he was not so arrogant to think that he was untouchable by death.

    Wychard noticed the box that covered the treasure had been removed so he rushed over to see what had happened. Tyr halted in ce and allowed the monk to do as he pleased, there was no need to rush.

    Tyr knew that the warriors were distraught that no women were present but it gave him some form of peace of mind because he knew what they would do if they found women.

    Tyr watched Wychard throw over the huge object and open the cer before walking casually behind him.

    Tyr was pleased with what he saw but by the look on Wychard''s face, something looked to be missing.

    There were no kids, this could only mean one thing and that was Thorgard had taken them away from the cer but only Wychard was armed with this information and by the look of things, he did not want The to pick up on it either.

    -

    Thorgard did not know when he reacted but he found himself taking the kids away from danger.

    Thorgard knew this would count as him going against Tyr but Tyr''s specific instruction was finding monks.

    These kids did not have the same weird hairstyle that the older men deemed to have so from Thorgard''s assessment, they were not monks or he could be wrong.

    This was, however, just a guess on his end as he had no way of knowing if this was the case for certain.

    Vegard thought this was a game and Thorgard asked his brother to help find a ce that would be hard to seek but he noticed something about these children.

    They had bruises all over their bodies, what could they be doing that they would have such bruises?

    These kids were approximately four-five years old and we''re up to nine in total.

    They looked scared but somehow, they did not offer any resistance but why was that?

    Vegard pointed to a house that had already been raided for goods.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Good thinking!" Thorgard blurted out, the chances of them checking houses that they have already raided were extremely low, this was their safest bet.

    Thorgard ushered them into the said building but there was no cer in this, not that he expected one to be present. He had other ideas of hiding them and that was using the cloth that seemed to act as blinds in these houses, curtains to be exact.

    Thorgard hushed them, this was universal, he did not need to speak theirnguage for them to understand him. The kids tensed up as Thorgard ced them into different corners of the room before cing the huge piece of cloth above them.

    This was for the event that a Viking randomly stumbled into the building, but this was more of a fail-safe measure

    Thorgard was worried about the bruises that he saw on their body but this was of no concern to him.

    From what he just saw, Tyr was the bigger danger.

    -

    Things had finally concluded as Tyr was pleased with what was in the cer, it was more than enough for everyone.

    They had giant crosses that looked to be made of rich material, such impressive craftsmanship made Tyr wonder who created it but this was not what mattered.

    All manpower was directed to clear the cer and they had so much that the boats they came with could barely fit them, prompting Tyr to question.

    What was their trade?

    Wychard looked defeated, he could not even look anyone in the eyes as his head was focused on the ground but he felt an arm around him.

    "How is such a small Kingdom so rich?" Tyr questioned. Wychard hoped that Tyr''s interest would end the moment he revealed this and they would be on their way but the thing with riches was¡­

    People always wanted more, Tyr was no different because he wanted to see just what othernds awaited them beyond the sea.

    He was walking with the monk, the monk did not give him the answer he was looking for so he kept his arm around him like they were buddies as they worked.

    They heard a scream and Vikingsughing, they had found the hiding ces of the other monks that resided here and brought all of them out.

    They were all forced on their knees exempting Wychard, who Tyr knew had more use.

    "Wychard, I want you to choose¡­" Tyr said, pausing as he handed Wychard the bloody dagger that he had used to kill Uttredus.

    There were more than thirty monks on their knees.

    "... Kill yourself and I will let the others live or save yourself and condemn the others to death," Tyr said with a wide smile on his face.

    Wychard gulped because this was where the true strength of his faith would manifest itself.

 Chapter 363 Norway

    ?

    Vestfold was calm, but Ragnar felt more vulnerable than he would like to admit without Skarde: luckily, he had his wife keep himpany.

    This was the first time that the people of Vestfold hadid eyes on Lagertha, she was a beauty.

    Lagertha was in her prime and she only got prettier as she aged so one wondered if she would ever leave it.

    She sat beside Ragnar, Ragnar knew that this was where she belonged but he knew she could not renounce her loyalty to King Askild so easily.

    It was strange, a Queen that was bound to serve another Kingdom.

    Ragnar knew that Lagerha would be happier here but he also knew she was in Kattegat to protect Bjorn from Askild.

    One would think Askild''s influence would have been affected but he had learned a thing or two from Fredrik because it looked like his hold on the world was only strengthening.

    Birger did his best to put Askild in apromising position while an internal power struggle was already in ce. Askild was only increasing his influence, making it harder to rece him.

    Xenophanes was a King but he made all the wrong choices as he was a man guided by his emotions and loyalty to his friends rather than his people.

    In a sense, Xenophanes was not fit to be a King if things continued the way they did, Kattegat would have plunged into a chaotic state.

    But what troubled Ragnar was what Bjorn told him that day, Bjorn told Ragnar that Kattegat would fall soon and if the time shoulde that he needs his father''s aid, he hoped Ragnar would respond.

    Bjorn was cryptic, this was the only thing he told his father but Ragnar wondered why he was keeping Lagertha out of the loop seeing as she would prove to be invaluable in terms ofbat.

    Bjorn was talking aboutmitting treason and he did not want Lagertha to be punished should he fail.

    Bjorn renewed his vow to King as this was formality considering what happened in Rognd and the fact that he was to lead the expedition.

    It was a bit strange but Bjorn did not question it seeing as it was something that he had done already.

    But little did he know that this was Askild''s attempt to y mind games with his younger brother.

    Bjorn never said a word to Askild but Askild was no durd. He had years of experience under his belt and noticed the change in Bjorn ever since he returned.

    The fact that he did not kill Tyr told him one thing, Tyr won him over.

    King Askild entertained the possibility that his involvement in this had gotten to Bjorn somehow.

    This was a thought but Askild could tell by the look in Bjorn''s eyes that he held genuine hatred for him.

    Eyes Bjorn did not possess before setting out on his journey, eyes that were once focused on his brother were now focused on him.

    But Askild could not do anything rash, Bjorn was not just a random warrior and the only reason he was alive was because he was a son of Ragnar.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Unfortunately for Bjorn, Tyr believed this deception showing just how much faith he has in his older brother.

    Their bond was fragile and could be shattered with a drop of stone. This was due to Bjorn''s ever-shifting loyalty.

    Vestfold still had an immigration problem, they were reaching their capacity to house these people but Ragnar saw this as an opportunity to expand his territory.

    In the end, Ragnar was a King and Viking, conquering was in his blood and he did just that.

    Ragnar conquered a territory known as Larvik, it was a small vige whose inhabitants were suffering and dying at a rather rapid pace so in Ragnar conquering them, he inadvertently saved their lives because their living conditions drastically improved.

    But this was one thing people never sawing and that was Ragnar redirecting every single migrant that had been pouring into Larvik and away from the main Kingdom.

    Larvik had quite the unexplorednd and this meant that it had the potential to expand as the vigers had not even explored half of its potential.

    The migrants made it possible but this threw a huge wrench in Signy''s ns as Ragnar had effectively purged them out of Vestfold but in such a way that he could still keep an eye on them.

    Now, they could not move as they pleased and Ragnar could easily pick out those that might be a potential threat as it was easier to distinguish them.

    He had a fixed set of Vikings patrolling that area to protect the viges but in actuality, it was to keep a watchful eye on them.

    -

    Grj?tgard knew he had to be careful in dealing with Asilld judging from his reputation.

    Asking was a cert cunning man that could turn any opportunity into an advantage.

    He was well aware that Rugalf would not take kindly to his talks with Askild behind his back.

    However, Rugalf owed Askild a favour considering Askild saved his niece.

    Grj?tgard made ns in silence, reaching out to Askild as he trusted Askild to make the necessary arrangements for their move to d.

    Grj?tgard knew they would need all the firepower they could get but he also hoped to get Rugalf on his side before then or they could not hit d with full force.

    He considered an assassination but this was a man that kill his brothers, who were quite strong in their own right not to mention Ing¨®lfur was an extremely paranoid individual. Ing¨®lfur could not be allowed to expand his influence or no one would be able to stop it when the time doese.

    He had to be taken care of now and he needed to make Rugalf understand the urgency of this matter.

    Rugalf always allowed the enemies to strike first, a habit that resulted in the loss of something precious to Grj?tgard and that was his brothers.

    He was not going to let that happen.

 Chapter 364 Selection

    ?

    Tyr heard Uttredus talk a lot regarding their religion but he wanted to see just what kind of people Christians were. Tyr briefly looked around for Thorgard and Vegard but they were nowhere to be seen which was strange considering the monks had been found.

    Tyr knew he had Gudleif''s support so what Bjorn felt was irrelevant but Bjorn began to sense that something strange was going on with his brother.

    Tyr felt cold and unlike before, this coldness was now directed at him.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­." Gudleif called out beside him.

    "What is it Gudleif?" Tyr responded sternly, the way he carried himself was like a leader and that was to be expected considering the life he had to live when he was exiled. He had an idea of what true leadership looked like and now he could exude that aura like it was second nature to him.

    Skarde had no problems with what Tyr was doing and was rather impressed that he was able to take such a strong stance.

    This is how it has always been and Tyr did give them an out but Uttredus decline that help and the fact that he gave him a chance was kindness that most would not extend

    "I know you must have noticed it but these monks¡­ We cannot leave any alive or we risk being found out, we do not know what lies further ahead but we cannot lose the element of surprise¡­" Gudleif whispered and judging from Tyr''s face, he knew that this was Tyr''s exact thought. Coincidentally, this was when Wychard made his decision, he chose to save himself and condemn the rest to death.

    Tyr''s face creased into a smile, Wychard was the closest thing to a coward he has seen in quite some time and choosing self-preservation showed an innate selfishness that could not be ovee by faith or religion.

    Gudleif watched to see what Tyr intended, was this some twisted game of reverse psychology or would he kill them exempting Wychard?

    Tyr did not want to make it easy, he wanted to imprint this image into the mind of Wychard for eternity.

    Tyr equipped the axe hanging on his back as he casually walked towards one of the monks.

    They had no idea what was going on but Tyr knew that if he was going to get Wychard''s full cooperation he needed him to fear them with all his heart and if possible, more than he did disobey his God.

    Tyr mmed his axe into one of the monk''s stomachs, tearing it open so his entrails poured out but he was not done there, he began to m his axe into the body of this helpless man, even after he had died.

    Tyr was covered in blood but the respect of those around him only grew.

    Tyr embraced something dark in himself that he did not know existed until recently.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He gestured for the Vikings behind him to do the same with the other monks and some of Gudleif''s men found themselves obeying Tyr despite him not being their leader but they did this subconsciously, only realizing that themand was not from Gudleif after they had begun.

    Wychard winced, he closed his eyes as he could not watch them being ughtered but Tyr forced him to watch.

    "I-I will tell you anything¡­" Wychard said but his voice was calm, it was almost like he felt relief at the death of the monks.

    "You asked about how we made our fortune earlier? We partake in the ve trade, those that are willing to give their life to Christ, we save. But those that do not, we sell to be used. This was what Father Uttredus brought with his arrival and we prospered so no one opposed it¡­ Well¡­" Wychard paused briefly as he raised his shirt to show a huge scar.

    "... I did and nearly lost my life in the process, I was isted but Fatter Uttredus liked my fighting spirit and took me under his wings to seed him. I knew the only way for me to change this was to take control so I looked the other way until I could do that¡­ These men were no Christian," Wychard said. These monks, he did not view them as people who went by God but he did not think they deserved condemnation, allowing them to live will only subject more kids to such treatment.

    Unknown to most was Tyr''s history and this story seemed to strike a cord within the dark-skinned warrior.

    "vers?" Tyr asked, his bodynguage changing the moment he heard this.

    Tyr wondered if there was any connection between these vers and the one that captured him.

    It would make sense, there was no doubt that those men were speaking Old Norse and if Uttredus was a former warrior, this would mean that those vers'' influence could very well extend to this newnd.

    Was this the fate that awaited him if they did not throw him off? Tyr began to understand that Uttredus was using this Christian faith to cover up as Wychard showed signs of disgust.

    He had no reason otherwise to lie but Tyr was now getting information that might potentially have a link to his past.

    "Yes sir, vers¡­ They raid farawaynds and bring them here for Father Uttredus to see which he wants to keep and which he wants to sell¡­" Wychard responded.

    "Would you look at that¡­ You just became quite valuable to me," Tyr said loudly, catching everyone''s attention.

    "No one touches him, this one belongs to me now," Tyr said and everyonepiled because they had just seen what it was like getting on the young warrior''s bad side.

    And at longst, Tyr just might be able to find the people that enved him many years ago and tore him from the world he knew but there was one big question, did the kids they took be monks or did a different fate await them altogether? Tyr had so many questions but there was enough time for now, they had to explore thisnd further for any more goods that can be taken.

 Chapter 365 Faith

    ?

    Things had settled in Ennd, the raid was technically over and it ended in a massive sess.

    It was exactly as Askild had said, they met zero resistance and if othernds were like this then the Kingdoms of Norway would have no reason to fight among themselves, this was revolutionary.

    Thorgard eventually knew he could not keep the kids hidden and brought them to Tyr Ragnarsson.

    Tyr noticed one thing he had inmon with them and that was the mark of the ve on various parts of their body.

    Tyr looked at Thorgard because Thorgard was honest that he had hidden them, fearing what Tyr would do to them.

    Tyr was relieved. Finally, someone who was honest and had a mind of his own to act upon.

    Tyr knew that this was disobedience but if he had someone like this during Erik''s reign then maybe he would not have been so traumatized.

    Tyr knew he would need an anchor as he noticed the change in him, Tyr knew he would need that person to keep him grounded and Estrid was turning out to be just as twisted as him.

    Tyr could not help but think that this was Thorgard''s way of setting an example for his younger brother.

    Something he could respect but Tyr was not a monster.

    He was never going to hurt these kids but he liked that Thorgard entertained the possibility.

    Tyr told the Vikings to treat them as one of their own because they very well might be returning with them to Rognd.

    The ve trade was quite popr but Tyr, being a former ve, could sympathize with them to a certain degree. He understood what they were feeling at the moment more than anyone and that was hopelessness.

    There was no guarantee that they would not still end up as ves even if he takes them to Rognd but they would have a far better life.

    But Tyr soon realized that there was a problem, to amodate these kids they would have to let some of their share of goods go otherwise the boat would most definitely capsize.

    This was a test of Tyr''s morality because he had ns to take Wychard with him to Rognd as he knew a lot more about this region than they do and his information could help them raid deeper.

    The Vikings feasted and celebrated, they were d that this was a sessful raid and this created a sense of brotherhood among them even though they hailed from different Kingdoms.

    At that moment, they were brothers but Tyr did not join in the celebration but instead took Wychard to one side to discuss with him.

    "Wychard, I need to find out something from you," Tyr said and Wychard was surprised by the change of tone.

    Tyr no longer sounded authoritative but rather like he wanted a favour, Wychard knew it was in his best interest toply.

    "Yes, sire¡­" Wychard responded with the utmost respect.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Tell me about thends beyond here¡­" Tyr questioned.  Others were celebrating the sess of this conquest yet Tyr had his eyes on much bigger things.

    This was not enough to satisfy him even though they did cart away such valuables.

    Tyr noted one thing about this ve trade and that was what use would ves serve in thend beyond.

    Whatever it was, it could not be good but Tyr began to suspect that they were not as tame as these monks.

    "Northumbria lies ahead, it is a Kingdom ruled by King ? and one of the four major Kingdoms in Ennd," Wychard responded without hesitation.

    Tyr was interested, he knew there were othernds but never could he have guessed that thesends were Kingdoms.

    "Kingdoms? Tell me more!" Tyr was excited and he let it show, he found himself wanting to explore othernds and warriors.

    "King ? is a powerful King with an army that can crush any threat in their way but he is not alone, the four Kingdoms are united in theirmon goal of serving Christ¡­" Wychard said; this implied that there was no fighting amongst them.

    "Christ? Who is this Christ?" Tyr asked; for the first time, sounding genuinely interested.

    He knew that there were other gods as he came from and with a different god.

    "Jesus Christ, the son of Virgin Mary¡­" Wychard paused upon noticing the confused look on Tyr''s face.

    "The son of a virgin?" Tyr asked, scratching his head.

    "Hahaha! I understand your confusion and I will exinter but Jesus Christ died so we may live, he taught us to love our enemies as we do ourselves. Even in death, we would be weed in his embrace in paradise and sing his praises. I do not know what kind of false gods you serve but there is only one God¡­ Earthly treasures mean nothing, my true reward is in heaven," Wychard sounded so passionate and it was that passion that intrigued Tyr.

    "Love your enemies? Are you saying you do not hate me for invading your home and killing your friends?" Tyr asked and Wychard looked him right in the eyes.

    "I do not hate you, everything that happened today was ordained by God. If I died today then God wished it so but it seems like he is not done with me just yet," Wychard said and Tyr could tell by the look in his eyes that he meant these words but there was a contradiction.

    "You say this yet thends beyond here have Kingdoms and an army, why so? If love is the principle for your religion then why do they have an army to kill their enemies? Why not give up these earthly possessions?" Tyr questioned. Wychard was surprised by the quality of questions he was asking.

    He was not belittling his faith but rather trying to truly understand it. Wychard had one thought at that moment and that was winking Tyr over.

    Wychard proceeded to exin what his faith stood for in-depth and Tyr listened attentively.

    Hanging onto every word and he was intrigued by the concept that love was the weapon the Christian used to fight but they were also inclined to use force as they thought their God would protect them from the hands of evil; however, he did not like the concept of heaven, it sounded rather dull.

    Tyr didn''t agree with his faith but he understood why it would exist in such a cruel world.

 Chapter 366 The Past Or The Future?

    ?

    Morning came and most Vikings were passed out from the drinks and meat that they ingested.

    Tyr was sober and kept an eye on not only Wychard but the kids as well.

    He was still deliberating what to do with them as he knew killing them would be the easier course of action but something inside him did not allow him to take this action.

    He knew that if he crossed this line then there would be nothing making him any different from Erik The Berserker.

    Tyr contemted and reached a solution that he thought to be best. He had gotten all the information he needed from Wychard so in hindsight, there was no reason to take him back so what if he left him here to take care of the kids?

    He could start a new monastery and raise the kids properly, judging from what Tyr had heard Christianity had no ce in this world of chaos but this ind protected them from that chaos.

    He did not know how the vers would feel about Uttredus being dead but Tyr was curious if these vers were the same as the ones who took him.

    Tyr recalled their faces, and he felt this unspoken rage towards them as they tore him from the life he knew.

    Wychard had told him that they would arrive in the next couple of days with the next shipment.

    Tyr knew they had nothing to lose by waiting except time, they had a realistic timeframe to return because the Kings put into ount that these monks might fight back but that was not the case.

    Tyr also knew if they returned, he had no idea when their next expedition might be approved so he was left wondering.

    He had to talk to Bjorn and Gudleif for starters, unlike before he needed both their cooperation because if one boat returned, questions about the others were sure to surface.

    This was not part of the task given to them so Tyr would be acting on his agenda.

    It took little more than ten minutes to gather these men, as expected they had controlled their alcohol so they were more than sober when morning came.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, what is so urgent that you would request to speak to us privately?" Gudleif asked, he respected Tyr but he did not fear him.

    "Forgive me but I have a favour to ask of you both," Tyr started, getting right to the point but Bjorn chipped in at that moment.

    "What do you intend to do with the monk and kids?" Bjorn asked and quite frankly, he was beginning to get on Tyr''s nerves. Not every one that did not wield a weapon is harmless and one would think Bjorn would have learned that by now but his kindness might prove to be his weakness.

    "I have decided to leave Wychard here to take care of the kids, he has told me all he knows so there is no need to kill as he may prove to be an ally in the future hm but the reason I am leaving him alive is that I cannot bring myself to condemn those kids¡­" Tyr said, picking his words carefully as he knew just what Bjorn wanted to hear and Bjorn has proven easy to manipte in the past. Why would now be any different?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "... But there is a problem¡­" Tyr said; Bjorn''s question allowed Tyr to manipte the situation to his advantage.

    "What problem?" Bjorn asked with Gudleif looking just as curious.

    "The vers¡­ I am afraid they will not take kindly to Uttredus'' death and might finish what we started¡­" Tyr said; Bjorn knew that this was a possibility if they were Vikings. They only dealt with them because of Uttredus, a fellow Viking.

    "I do not think it is our business what happens here¡­" Gudleif said bluntly and looking at things objectively, he was right. They had raided and now it was time to go.

    "Would you change your mind if I told you that there are other Kingdoms beyond thesends?" Tyr said and this surely got Gudleif''s attention.

    "Kingdoms? That cannot be possible¡­" Gudleif responded; they had raided smaller inds around Norway and none posed a real threat and could barely be called a Kingdom, this made him believe that Norway was the ce where true warriors resided.

    "We are yet to understand just how big this world is¡­ But I want us to protect these children by all means necessary and I need all your support to do that.." Tyr said, if more children were already on their way then leaving Wychard was the best possible choice.

    He noticed that there were crops on their way here, meaning that they grew their food which was good.

    Tyr, however, could not underestimate the importance of money. They had taken more than enough so leaving a few of those goods would not dent their pockets in any way but it would be a good way to show Wychard that they are not monsters, increasing the possibility that he would cooperate with them in the future. It was like an investment in a sense.

    Tur knew how mind games worked and confirmed how important it was, he could not do any of this alone and needed people to y the roles he needed them to y to achieve this goal.

    "Hm¡­" Gudleif pondered on this, he knew he could not give his answer so quickly because a lot of things could go wrong if they stayed here for too long.

    "You have my support¡­" Bjorn said; Tyr already knew his brother''s support was guaranteed even though he suspected his brother of betraying him.

    Bjorn was gullible when it came to it, Tyr was convinced of this now without a doubt.

    "You will only have my support if you share the information you have regarding this new Kingdom¡­" Gudleif said and Tyr had baited him perfectly too.

    There''s one thing all Vikings had inmon and that was conquering newnds.

    If there was something even greater, they would want to experience it for it will only make them more worthy of Valha.

    "Very well then¡­" Tyr muttered.

 Chapter 367 A Mix Up?

    ?

    A few days passed since Tyr convinced the others to stay their hand, it was refreshing because he knew he could gather clues about where he came from.

    Tyrid in wait, he instructed Wychard to wee them as the rest of themid in wait for a possible ambush.

    Tyr knew things might very well go south because from what Wychard told him, Uttredus was the one that they were used to doing business with.

    The men, however, did not just drop the ves at the shore, collect their money, and head to their next destination.

    They were going to rest and freshen up before they headed back, this gave them time to inspect the ves that they might be interested in.

    Tyr knew they might be suspicious but he knew there was no way the vers would pay attention to the monk''s face. He would have had a warrior do the hairstyle to escort Wychard but Wychard guaranteed he had it under control because the men were sturdypared to the monks''nky body stature exempting Uttredus.

    Tyr did not trust him and knew he might do something stupid by informing these vers of what happened to save himself but there was something about him.

    Tyr decided to trust him ording to what he had told him about Christ, there was no way he would go against something he had preached about so passionately.

    This was one of the rare times that Tyr wanted to believe in a person and he granted Wychard that trust because he had made a fail-safe in case Wychard told them but of course, this was unknown by Wychard.

    Archers were on standby, hidden among the grass as they watched the proceedings.

    "It is here!" A man whispered in low tones and Wychard was informed of their arrival.

    He took a deep breath and braced himself.

    Gudleif was against letting him go ahead but he had no say seeing as he had forfeited this right in exchange for information. This operation was entirely down to Tyr.

    Tyr knew he had to set things in motion and he had to be careful.

    The boat got nearer and nearer, the boat was filled with children as they suspected.

    The other Vikings did not understand why Tyr was so interested because very was also part of their world and assumed he wanted to loot their cargo, that being kids, to sell.

    Bjorn had an idea of why his younger brother was interested but he was not certain.

    He hoped that they triggered a soft spot in his brother, he was d to see that Tyr had a line he would not cross.

    -

    The boat was onshore and out of it, came multiple kids with their hands bound with a chain connecting them.

    "Oi, where is Uttredus?" Ady asked, the sight of ady excited the warriors on standby because they were yet to see one ever since setting sail to this ind.

    "I am afraid Father Uttredus is not well today, and has asked me to wee you on his behalf¡­" Wychard said and the vers were surprised he could speak theirnguage, only granting him more credibility.

    They had seen this particr monk multiple times with Uttredus and the fact that he thought to teach him theirnguage, they could only assume it was for a need such as this.

    "I have to give it to him, he is always prepared.." A man with ck fur as a boat said but there was one more person on the boat.

    One that was familiar as he got up to his feet, this was no doubt Frod¨¥ except he was without an eye patch, this was one of the people that had captured Tyr a few years ago yet there was nothing wrong with the eye that was hidden behind the eye-patch.

    "Wychard, take us to Uttredus," Frod¨¥ said sternly, he was a man that did not joke around and treated the ves solely as goods and never once maltreated them for he believed that goods should not be damaged, unlike his acquaintances.

    Wychard began walking but they did not walk up to five minutes before Frod¨¥ ordered Wychard to stop in his tracks.

    "Something is wrong¡­" Frod¨¥ said, he was cautious and noticed the Wychard had a bodynguage he had never seen before, he was tensed but he had no reason to considering this was not his first time meeting them alone.

    "Is anything the problem?" Wychard knew there were a thousand ways this could go wrong and wanted to avoid that possibility by all means possible.

    One mistake and those kids could be killed just as swiftly, Frod¨¥ was cautious and he knew this.

    "What kind of sickness did Father Uttredus have again?" Frod¨¥ asked and Wychard knew he could not hesitate, not even for a second, or this particr man would pick up on it.

    "Father Uttredus is ''busy'' with a ve¡­" Wychard said clearing his throat as he had just revealed something personal and Frod¨¥ was indifferent to this information but it did give him the answer he sought.

    Wychard knew he had to rx and he did just that by convincing himself that Tyr was truly on his side.

    They kept walking and walking until they were at the town, Frod¨¥ walked in with the handful of ves.

    It would have been easy to kill them but Tyr gave explicit orders not to and the Vikings had no intention of shooting thedy because they nned to have fun with her.

    The moment they stepped in, their exit was immediately cut off as Tyr''s men led by Thorgard appeared from behind to form a wall.

    "W-What the fuck is this?!" The female Viking eximed, these men were Vikings but what were Vikings doing here?

    "Calm yourself, Agot¡­" Frod¨¥ instructed, he did not look panicked by any of this.

    The fact that they were alive meant that whoever was responsible did not want their heads or they would be dead the moment their feet touched the ground.

    "Alf, protect the merchandise¡­" Frod¨¥ said; he had multiple weapons strapped to his back showing he either had excellent dexterity to be able to wield that many weapons or he was a collector.

    Tyr, Gudleif, and Bjorn approached the man that was known as Frod¨¥, Tyr recognized him right away and could not believe it.

    "Is this a ploy to steal our merchandise?" Frod¨¥ questioned the men before him, correctly guessing that they were their leaders.

    Bjorn was confused because The looked like he knew this man but that confusion soon cleared up.

    It was easy to forget that Tyr was once a ve and he made the connection atst and understood why Tyr was so invested.

    ¡¤?¦Èm "Merchandise? You truly do not remember me¡­" Tyr said but Frod¨¥ looked at Tyr, trying to recall if he knew him however there was no luck.

    "I do not know you, I say this with full certainty because I never forget a face¡­" Frod¨¥ said.

    "I see you got rid of your eye patch¡­" Tyr said, there was no reason for him to know this piece of information if they did not meet.

    Frod¨¥ face painted himself before shaking his head.

    "I think you are talking about my older twin brother, Frode. I go by the name Frod¨¥," The man said but he knew that this might not be enough to convince Tyr.

    "Did my brother do something to you?" Frod¨¥ questioned but Tyr did not respond, instead casually walking towards him.

    "Hey! Stay where you are you arrogant boy!" Agot lost her head but Frod¨¥ was not going to have it.

    "Hush Agot, do you not know who he is¡­" Frod¨¥ said, but Agot was not interested or so she thought.

    "He is the son of Ragnar¡­ The ve that rose to attain such ranks is nothing butmendable," Frod¨¥ praised Tyr.

    Agot became speechless the moment he heard who he was and her defiant bodynguage soon became submissive.

    "That is Tyr!?" Alf eximed. He had heard stories of a dark-skinned Viking so it was a lot easier for people to recognize Tyr with one look as there was no other dark-skinned warrior in Norway.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson, you have my full cooperation," Frod¨¥ said with no hesitation, getting on one knee.

    This was something his crew had never seen him do showing just how powerful Tyr''s presence was.

    They had no choice but to follow suit and this surprised Tyr as he expected resistance.

    "Is that so?" Tyr questioned, his suspicious nature not letting him believe that they would easily bend the knee.

    "That is so," Frod¨¥ said and Tyr just chuckled faintly. Reputation was truly everything in this world.

    He realized that despite the striking resemnce, this was not the person he was looking for.

    He had no problems with Frode, but the one person that Tyr ached to kill was Arne.

    "Tell me, what is the way to Northumbria?" Tyr asked, he was slowly realising that he was not interested in just Norway, but in this newnd.

    He wondered if his name had even reached thesends, he was growing excited about this new adventure that awaited him.

 Chapter 368 Tyr Challenges...!?

    ?

    The expedition came to an end and Tyr paid off Frod¨¥ and his fellow vers, buying the kids and leaving them in the care of Wychard.

    He did this and made sure the money was taken from his share so there would be no discord.

    Wychard took note of this supposed selfless act and looked at Tyr differently from the rest of the Pagans.

    Tyr bought the services of Frod¨¥ too, he knew in the end money was the thing people valued above all else and if such wealthy in a defencelessnd then he could only imagine how rich the othernds were.

    Frod¨¥''s services being acquired in a way meant he would stop his very, Tyr realized that the trade must continue as this could be an opportunity to sneak in warriors, younger warriors to say the least.

    Tyr already drew up a n but he needed the approval of Rugalf and a lot more men and boats.

    Tyr, like always, did not give them the full gist of things as he intentionally left out details of what Wychard told him.

    If Gudleif decided to venture out to Northumbria right now, he was sure to be lost at sea because Tyr gave him the wrong coordinates.

    He had no intention of sharing this new adventure with anyone, he wanted to make that make for himself.

    Tyr did not want to be known as the son of Ragnar but a man of his own.

    He needed to be more famous than Ragnar so Ragnar would be the one associated with such a great warrior.

    In the end, this was a monastery and that being said, there were no women present there for they were considered to be temptations meaning that Frod¨¥ would deliver these girls to Ennd just like he always did, Bjorn knew they could not save everyone and Wychard could not raise everyone alone as they had just taken his earthly possessions away.

    "Bjorn Ironside, are you sure that is your brother?" Magnus asked Bjorn, Tyr was cruel and he was not even trying to hide it.

    "That is Tyr, the only brother I have known. Is there a problem?" Bjorn asked Magnus as Magnus''s eyes settled on the muscr dark-skinned warrior in the distance.

    "He is scared shitless!" Viggo popped into the conversation unannounced, wrapping his arm around Magnus.

    "I must saymander, your brother is the real fucking deal!" Viggo said; he had returned to his usual self because even he was slightly unsettled by how different they were.

    "Unhand me!" Magnus said, trying to break free from Viggo''s hold but to no avail. Viggo was far stronger than him.

    "Unhand me?" Viggo repeated as he could not help but chuckle, Magnus was so used to people doing as they were told that he failed to realize that this did not matter in this world.

    "Commander, are you sure this man-child is cut out for this?" Viggo asked Bjorn.

    "He has to be because I have a feeling we just opened a door that cannot be closed," Bjorn said, the fact that Vikings had made their way to Ennd would not go unnoticed.

    Bjorn did not know if Wychard would keep his mouth shut or inform the others that they had been attacked.

    If he did the former and they find out that they were attacked some other way, it would diminish the trust they have in him.

    If it was the former, then it would put him in their good graces but also make future raids more difficult because they would meet resistance.

    Bjorn did not know what his brother was capable of but he was well aware that Tyr was prone to make unorthodox choices when he had to.

    Bjorn could not judge his brother for what he had be, he had to be this person to survive out there and it could either be his strength or his weakness.

    "He scares you too, huh?" Viggo''s voice brought Vjorn back to reality, who was lost in his head for a brief second.

    "What are you talking about?" Bjorn asked Viggo.

    "Nothingmander! I am just messing with you," Viggo quicklyughed it off because he knew that Bjorn was not ready to ept the reality that his little brother was no more.

    "I will advise you to watch out for Gudleif, he looks like a man that has personal ambitions, those are often the most dangerous kind of people,mander," Viggo''s voice was stern, he truly believed Gudleif to be a threat.

    "I know¡­" Bjorn responded and Magnus felt so lost in this world. He missed home, and thefort that his status provided him.

    Magnus did not understand how anyone would willingly partake in such carnage and violence.

    Thorgard was within proximity and listened to every word they said, he thought that Tyr and Bjorn had a bond he admired but it turns out it was as fickle as any other thing.

    This was rather disappointing but he understood where Bjorn wasing from, he would be worried if Vegard became as cruel as Tyr too even though he admired Tyr greatly and did not share the same fear.

    He knew that this lifestyle would destroy his younger brother.

    -<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tyr was done with the preparations to leave, he noticed that eyes were on him but he did not mind this considering what he was capable of.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" Gudleif called out behind Tyr but Tyr did not even turn to acknowledge his presence.

    "What do you want, Gudleif?" Tyr questioned.

    "Do not be so hostile, Tyr Ragnarsson. I just came to say you are worthy of being the son of Ragnar¡­" Gudleif said but Tyr did not understand what he meant by this, it sounded rather disrespectful even.

    "What do you mean?" Tyr questioned, hoping he was wrong but Gudleif leaned in closer and said.

    "Well, it is obvious your brother is not fit to be a s-!" Gudleif could notplete his sentence before he found himself blocking Tyr''s axe that was clearly meant to take off his head.

    Gudleif barely reacted because if he was a secondte, he would have no doubt lost his head.

    "He actually meant to kill me?" Gudleif thought to himself as he quickly gained some distance.

    The ensuingmotion was noted by everyone as Gudleif''s men quickly raised their weapons in Tyr''s direction but Tyr justughed.

    "Do you think any of you have the means to stop me from taking Gudleif''s head?" Tyr questioned, equipping both his axes in the process.

    "Bring it on!"

    -

    Tyr did not tolerate any disrespect directed at his family, even if he was not on good terms with them.

    This was how strong his loyalty was and Gudleif was in no position to disrespect Bjorn whatsoever.

    Tyr knew he had to remind him of just how little he was and he was willing to do that by force.

    Tyr challenged everyone, they had the numbers yet none of them could move.

    Sweating profusely, they felt the overwhelming killing intent of this enemy and they knew if they raised their sword, they would die.

    Tyr was not messing around but Gudleif was surprisingly not bothered by this, he was unaffected even.

    "Tyr! What do you think you are doing!?" Bjorn rushed over to break up the chaotic scene.

    He knew the consequences of Tyr killing Gudleif, King Rsgnar would have no choice but to cut off ties with Rognd and dere Tyr a wanted Viking.

    A tale that sounded familiar, he had only just been exonerated from his exile thanks to him marrying Estrid.

    Bjorn was not going to allow him to make a stupid mistake, one that would break up the family again.

    He stood before Tyr and Gudleif, acting as the barrier.

    "And you people know damn well that you cannot hurt my brother so why do you raise your sword!? Do you want to be killed? Put it away now!" Bjornmanded and his tone was enough to make them back down.

    "Bjorn Ironside, you really have be soft¡­" Tyr said but he was not putting his weapons away but instead raised one and pointed it at his older brother.

    "Let us do this the proper way. I challenge you, Bjorn Ironside, to a duel," Tyr said and everyone gasped in disbelief. There was no way this was happening, it was not even Bjorn that was involved in the conflict.

    But the Vikings wanted this to happen, even the ones that were on their side.

    "You grew way more stubborn than I remember and I guess you have forgotten your ce. I ept your challenge," Bjorn said and the cheers echoed.

    It was so loud that the ground shook.

    Tyr smiled because he knew that Bjorn was losing face amongst these people.

    If Gudleif felt like this, the chances that others did was quite high and this was the only way to dispel that assumption.

    Bjorn, however, epted it for another reason entirely, he felt that Tyr thought he has outgrown him and Bjorn realized he needed to show his younger brother he was the older one.

    A circle was quickly made and both brothers were standing against one another.

    The Ragnarssons were about to fight, just like in their childhood

 Chapter 369 The Spars Conclusion...?

    ?

    Tyr was face to face with Bjorn, they have not fought ever since being reunited and this was the perfect time to do so.

    Tyr still looked after his older brother despite his supposed betrayal, showing his loyalty was not so easily shaken.

    Bjorn chuckled at this sight, everything felt different in this dark world yet right here and now, it felt like home.

    Tyr charged at Bjorn with his weapons equipped.

    Bjorn took a battle stance, and this stance had no openings, it was a far cry from Tyr''s bodynguage which was full of openings.

    Tyr expected his brother to strike when he was within proximity but Bjorn maintained his form, which was impressive as Tyr swung the axe in his right hand vertically towards his older brother''s chest; Bjorn parried it with minimum effort but that was exactly what Tyr intended because he was wide open now.

    This was the disadvantage of wielding a single weapon.

    "You are wide open, fool¡­" Tyr thought to himself, not allowing Bjorn to retract his arm but Tyr found himself unbnced.

    "What¡­?" He thought; Bjorn had used the momentum of his swing against him, parrying it in such a way that Tyr''s body momentum would be affected as well.

    Tyr found himself falling forward and unable to defend against whatever counterattack his older brother might have or do he thought.

    Bjorn swung his sword right at the jugr of Tyr''s neck but instead of Tyr to try and break his fall, he allowed gravity to do its job and let his body go.

    A dodging method he has experienced before today, Bjorn managed to cut a piece of Tyr''s dreads but that was it.

    Tyr proceeded to immediately attempt a sweeping kick but Bjorn jumped with his knee colliding with Tyr''s chin in the process, sending him skidding a couple of inches back.

    "Not bad¡­" Tyr said as he rubbed his jaw, that blow was powerful and Tyr realized he had underestimated his brother''s physical strength because that had the potential to knock anytime else out.

    The warriors were amazed by how fluid this fighting was, they did not just incorporate swords but hand-to-handbat.

    Bjorn was skilled in finding people''s weak spots and this was not any different, Tyr felt the effects of the kick but he was simply more durable than Bjorn anticipated.

    Tyr slowly got back to his feet but Bjorn was not going to let him have breathing space.

    The moment Tyr got to his feet, he found himself dodging an attack from Bjorn.

    Bjorn dragged his sword along the ground, upwards like he was trying to cut Tyr in half.

    Tyr knew all he needed to do was leap back and he did just that but Bjorn had anticipated this.

    Bjorn''s sword changed from a sh to a thrust mid-journey, and everyone gasped because this was an attack that King Ragnar himself became known for.

    Tur could not move because his feet had left the ground so the one way out of this was to block but he had gauged Bjorn''s physical strength and knew he was no match for his brother when it came to that.

    Tyr did not have the luxury of time, he crossed both his axes together, cing one behind the other and Bjorn''s attack was blocked.

    Bjorn was using just one handpared to Tyr who was using both, yet Bjorn could still push his younger brother back.

    "You have really improved," Bjornplimented his brother as they seemed to be evenly matched.

    Bjorn retracted his de and Tyr saw that he had dented both the cheeks of his axes despite them ovepping.

    The scary part about this high-level fight that already far exceeded the average warrior''s was that neither of the brothers was using their full strength.

    Gudleif took back everything he said, Bjorn was skilled.

    And unlike his father, Bjorn''s attacks were powerful as he dented metal with the strength of an arm, one could only imagine what he could do with two.

    Gudleif noticed that Tyr might have tanked the knee to his chin but it affected his overall reflexes.

    This was why he could not dodge thest attack from Bjorn, he could have waited for his feet to touch the ground and dodge it at thest second.

    This should be nothing considering the speed he attacked initially so while it may look like they were even.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Gudleif noted that Bjorn''s fighting style was a lot deadlier than that of Tyr but unknown to him.

    Tyr had numerous fighting styles and there was no way he was going to show it to people that might be enemies tomorrow but did this hold for Bjorn too?

    Both brothers were satisfied to call it a draw but they knew that they were both holding back.

    Tyr found himself wondering just how strong his brother had gotten with Bjorn also wondering the same.

    Thorgard was impressed and could not believe he was now rted to two great warriors.

    But this awakened something in Thorgard, he found himself wanting to be stronger.

    He found himself craving strength and power, the drive topete with these two before him.

    Vegard, however, was uninterested as he found the fight boring, violence did not excite Vegard.

    The expedition came to an end and everyone said their farewells, this chapter had closed but it opened the doors to so many other opportunities.

    -

    Days passed, and the young Vikings were on their way back but there was no way that their transgression would go unnoticed.

    It was like they feared, someone informed the Kingdom of Northumbria and King ? did not appreciate this one bit. The Vikings made a mistake and that was thinking the monks that they ughtered were all they were, some had escaped out of the castle and this included a prominent Bishop, the one that was forced to step down the moment Uttredus came.

    It was disguised as a handover but in actuality, Uttredus threatened to kill them all if he didn''t but this threat was made in private.

    This was how Uttredus became a Christian because this was the only way for him to assumemand but this attack presented an escape route for them.

    They had slipped through a secret passage that even Uttredus was not aware of, the Bishop and monks faithful to him were able to escape the ensuing ughter and ind.

    King ? was revealed to be an average-sized man, he was on the bigger side in terms of weight and this was not muscles either.

    His slicked-back ck hairplimented his beards that were part of the middle.

    "Pagans encroached on our holynd?" ? could not believe the audacity of these people.

    He knew that men might exist beyond the sea but never did he think they would cross paths.

    "Yes King ?, I am afraid the devils have gathered enough strength to challenge a Kingdom protected by God.." The Bishop that escaped the ughter responded, he was named Bishop Higbald.

    Bishop Higbald was a wise and learned man, with a gentle demeanour and a kind smile. He is tall and thin, with a bald head and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were deep brown. He wore a long, flowing robe made of fine material, with a simple cross around his neck. Bishop Higbald was known for his deep faith and his dedication to God. He spends most of his time studying the scriptures and teaching others about the ways of the Lord. He was respected by all who know him.

    "This man named Uttredus, you say he was the one that brought them?" ? asked and Higbald nodded to confirm this, this was false but Higbald spun the narrative to make himself into a selfless hero.

    ording to his version of the story, Uttredus came to try and forcefully subdue them but he did not seed.

    Higbald took credit for the exploit and sess that came to Lindisfarne during Uttredus'' rule there.

    In his story, Uttredus came a few days before the Vikings and he came under the guise of trying to convert to Christianity.

    King ? got the information a lot sooner than they would have liked but he kept this information to himself, there was no way he was going to let the others know that they were raided and the people that did so left unpunished.

    This would weaken his Kingdom''s stance, despite the unity, a show of strength was necessary.

    King ? was known as the cruellest King and he was heavily involved in very as he often groomed those ves into soldiers that would die for him.

    They were best equipped for suicide missions and the fact that they were Pagans made him do so with a clean conscience.

    He did not ask them to convert for this very reason and a crueler fate awaited the girls as they were confined to a fate crueler than death.

    However, Northumbria prospered because of these very things that were frowned upon by their faith.

 Chapter 370 Tit-Tat

    ?

    Tyr arrived back in Rognd, and he was weed with deafening cheers.

    They could not believe that such treasures could exist in such quantities, Salgard was the one that personally weed them.

    Vegard and Thorgard were both left uninjured, that was the first thing that Salgard checked without setting off rms.

    He gave the go-ahead and the goods were hauled off the boat, this would do well in bolstering the economy of Rognd.

    Askild possessed the map to this newnd so he was sure to get far more allies after this first sessful expedition, and this would only strengthen his hold on Kattegat.

    Bjorn''s window to kill him was gradually closing, he had to act before this became widespread.

    "You have done well, Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" Salgardmended him, he expected a full report but for now, he was certain they would be tired.

    This was why he allowed them to rest, he did not ask them to partake in the clearing of goods.

    "Thank you, Salgard but I could not have done it without everyone here," Tyr gave his crew credit.

    They had a renewed respect for Tyr after watching him fight, his skills earned it.

    The warriors began to blush, they could not believe that Tyr was praising them.

    "I want to see big brother¡­" Vegard said, he looked bored and everyone knew he was attached to the second-born.

    Salgard watched him strut past him, he did not say a word because thest thing he needed was a tantrum.

    Salgard''s eyes settled on Thorgard who had a look of resolve in his eyes.

    This made Salgard wonder what happened on this expedition because Thorgard took life rather leisurely and just needed to gain the power to avenge his fallen brothers but this look was different.

    It felt like he could see past vengeance or had found his calling and Salgard had a feel for such things.

    Tyr left the boat and Salgard noticed that the men onboard looked at Tyr with envious eyes.

    "Salgard, I need to see King Rugalf¡­" Tyr got to the point and Salgard knew it was to brief his brother so he tagged along.

    Tyr and Salgard reached King Rugalf in little to no time.

    Rugalf looked to be rather excited but that was to be expected considering the exploits they had with no casualties.

    "King Rugalf, I have returned¡­" Tyr said; he noticed Estrid was seated beside her father and she looked happy to see him.

    Tyr remembered their night together briefly and smiled inwardly, Estrid left her chair, which was unusual for her and ran towards Tyr.

    She quite literally could not keep her hands to herself and hugged Tyr tightly.

    Rugalf was surprised that his daughter was this taken, this was the first time she showed Tyr affection in such a public manner.

    "I am d the gods returned your safety to me," Estrid heaved a sigh of relief, she was d that they did the human sacrifice because her husband had returned home with no injuries or problems.

    "I conquered death once, there is no way I would not conquer it again to see you¡­" Tyr said sternly.

    Rugalf felt giddy watching them, the son of Ragnar was not only blessed with his swordsmanship it seems.

    Salgard was indifferent, wearing his default smiling face.

    Estrid soon realized her father was watching and quickly got off Tyr, she let him go as she cleared her thrust and walked back to her chair.

    The silence was loud but it was not an awkward one, Rugalf was d that Tyr was able to win over his daughterpletely because now, he knew that Estrid truly wanted Tyr.

    "Tell me, how did the expedition go?" Rugalf asked.

    On a normal day, Salgard was not supposed to be in the room but Rugalf treated his brothers like they were a part of him and granted them this level of trust.

    "The expedition went better than we could expect but I have information onnds even further¡­" Tyr said and this piqued Rugalf''s interest.

    "Othernds? Askild said nothing about othernds¡­ Tell me about this," Rugalf responded, confused.

    Tyr proceeded to go into full detail and told Rugalf about everything that he experienced in thatnd.

    Rugalf''s excited face soon changed into that of concern because now, they had potentially made an enemy that they had no gauge on their strength.

    Rugalf was cautious and avoided battles he could but encroaching on anothernd and raiding might force his hand. However, his thought process was interrupted by Tyr.

    "I believe this is a good thing, King Rugalf¡­" Tyr said and Rugalf permitted him to speak, he wanted to hear what this n was.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "The existence of a Kingdom on such a richnd can allow us to expand your influence," Tyr said, but he knew he had not sold the idea yet.

    "Northumbria is a ce we raided and we cannot wait for them to make the move either, King Asmund once did this and we all know how that ended¡­ I believe we need to assemble an army to explore this Northumbriand because I believe even greater riches lie ahead¡­" Tyr said, and this was a solid point.

    Tyr used an experience to drive his point and this was what convinced Rugalf to consider it.

    Salgard, however, knew Tyr wanted to go for a reason entirely different.

    "What is your ambition, Tyr?" Salgard asked out of the blue and Tyr looked right into Salgard''s eyes.

    "I want to be known as the man who conquered the world, the most famous warrior to ever exist. Norway is not enough for my ambition, I want Ennd as well," Tyr said bluntly, he was not hiding his motives.

    Rugalf sighed because this was typical of his younger brother but he also knew the importance of these little scuffles.

    "What do you mean conquer, do you intend to conquer Norway? Does that mean you intend to go against King Rugalf?" Salgard asked and there was an awkward pause in the conversation, it looked like Tyr hesitated to answer.

    "Go against King Rugalf? I have no such intentions but King Rugalf will not live forever either and I will swear my loyalty to him as long as he is alive," Tyr was honest despite his words being controversial, to say the least.

    "And what happens after that?" Salgard asked and all he got from Tyr was a smirk.

    "That is enough you two!" Rugalf shut it down, he understood that Tyr would not be shackled by this Kingdom from the very beginning.

    Tyr always struck him as a man of great principles, even when he was a kid.

    There was no way a child with such a mindset would not have the ambition to go with it.

    This was exactly why Rugalf contemted giving him the title should he die and not his younger brother, who was the rightful sessor.

    He knew that Tyr would help Rognd achieve prosperity and fame never thought possible because he had survived this long and lived a life that none of them had experienced at that age.

    But he did not know how his brother would take it, Grj?tgard was showing extreme tendencies and Rugalf was cautious in giving him this responsibility.

    He would throw Rognd into chaos because he believed in a much more forceful approach.

    Rugalf, however, was yet to decide because while he considered Tyr, he knew his brother would be the King that the people were more likely to ept because he could not risk his family splitting over this.

    -

    Kattegat weed Bjorn and his men, the cheers reminded them of earlier times as everyone began praising Askild. He was the one that made this whole thing possible in the first ce and they understood how important this was for Kattegat.

    Bjorn went to the throne room to meet Askild but the only person that was there was Liv.

    She was seated there because her husband was not there at the moment.

    "Queen Liv¡­ I have returned¡­" Bjorn greeted, Liv stopped taking care of her appearance and looked tired. It was funny that a woman who could get anything she wanted was in such a state.

    "Wee back Bjorn Ironside¡­" Liv greeted him but she sounded disconnected from reality.

    She was not here despite being "here".

    "Forgive my boldness but I do not see King Askild," Bjorn said, he wanted to get right to it and Liv was clearly not in the right frame of mind for any conversation.

    "King Askild is not in Kattegat right now, I am afraid," Liv responded.

    "I understand. Are you alright, Queen Liv?" Bjorn had to ask, he knew that speaking to her directly was frowned upon because of how protective Askild was.

    Askild once cut out a person''s tongue for speaking about his wife so everyone avoided anything personal with her so one could understand her brief surprise when Bjorn asked.

    "M-My apologies, I am just worried about my husband¡­" Liv apologized but she had no reason to.

    But Bjorn was not an average warrior and had status, he was a son of a Queen as well.

    "King Askild will be fine! He is our King for a reason. Hahahah!" Bjorn reassured her but he could tell that these words were false.

    "You are right, hahaha!" Livughed but it was fake.

    Bjorn could tell from her bodynguage that something was off.

    "Queen Liv, you are a strong woman. You cannot let others see you break. I know how you feel, you do not need to pretend with me¡­" Bjorn said. Liv remained silent because she was speechless that Bjorn was even talking to her on a more personal level, this had to be the first time. And this conversation ignited the hope that she thought was lost.

    "Thank you, Bjorn Ironside¡­" Liv said as Bjorn walked out of the throne room. This little conversation, was it the start of something new? That was to be seen.

 Chapter 371 IngÃ³lfur Unlikely Guest [R+18]

    ?

    "Halt! Where do you think you are going!?" A guard standing at a gate ordered a man that was closed and on horseback.

    He got no response because there was nothing to say, the man had already studied his environment so he was noting in blindly.

    This environment was a lot different from the one in Norway, it was isted and could be the perfect fortress with a little more work.

    "So this is d¡­" This thought shed through the stranger''s mind.

    He expected d to be and of ice yet he could see vegetation, that was unexpected but it did not change anything.

    The water surrounding it made it impossible for any surprise invasion and the huge warships they had would make any boat inferior.

    He unmounted his horse and began walking towards the guard who held his spear against the stranger''s neck.

    "Take another step and lose your head," The guard threatened but the stranger had no intention of causing any problems.

    He could not lower his hood outside or he risked exposing his identity because he did not know who was watching in the shadows.

    He whispered something in the guard''s ear that made him immediately lower his spear, whilst trembling.

    "F-Forgive me," He muttered as he gestured for the gates to be lowered to allow this person ess.

    "He awaits you," The guard said and the stranger walked past the guard, guiding his horse on a leash as they entered the Kingdom and the gates dropped.

    The cloak was removed and the person behind it was revealed to be King Askild.

    "I now understand why he chose this ce¡­" Askild thought to himself.

    He was weed by a robustdy of average height. She had brown eyes and long, waist-length, red hair. The most noticeable physical trait was her slender yet curvaceous figure even for ady, especially in terms of herrge breasts. She had on a robe, showing she was not a fighter but her erect nipples were poking out of it telling Askild she had no armour on either.

    "Wee to d King Askild, right this way," Thedy instructed him.

    King Askild could not deny, she had the perfect body and seeing as Liv was a shell of her former self.

    His sex life had plummeted during the years but he had enough things to keep him distracted so sex was the least of his problems.

    However, unlike King Ragnar, Askild had no problem looking outside of his marriage for sexual gratification even though he had not done so yet.

    She guided him into a bathhouse, a weird ce to be meeting but Askild knew this meeting''s importance could not be stressed enough.

    "King Askild, it is a pleasure to finally be meeting you¡­" The man spoke; he had a deep,manding voice that demanded attention with every word uttered.

    He was over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a muscr build. His face was chiselled and angr, with a sharp jawline and piercing grey eyes that seemed to look right through you. His hair was dark and tousled, with a few strands falling over his forehead.

    He was naked in the big bathhouse but as expected, he was not alone.

    Two beautifuldies sat on opposite sides of him. Askild noticed one had her hand inside the water, he could not see what she was doing but the rhythm of her arm gave him his answer as Ing¨®lfur had his arm around the other girl, groping her breast firmly.

    "King Ing¨®lfu-!" Askild was interrupted by the man, who raised a finger to tell him to stop.

    "I am not a King but a conqueror, remember that King Adkild," Ing¨®lfur corrected him.

    Askild did not know if he was to join him in the water or if Ing¨®lfur nned to get out.

    But by the look of things, he was not nning to, not with those beautiful women there.

    "Take off your clothes and join me, King Askild," Ing¨®lfur instructed, the bass of his voice made everything he said sound like amand.

    Askild saw nothing wrong with this request and did as he was told, he removed his clothes but what he did not anticipate was the girl that had guided him here joining in.

    She assisted Askild to remove his clothes but Askild looked back and found out she was already naked.

    She looked a lot sexier without her clothes on but Askild knew business came first before pleasure.

    Askild got into the water and thedy sat beside him, Askild managed to control his erection when he was out of the water but he could no longer do so when he felt her warm hands going up his thigh.

    Askild wanted to stop it but it had been far too long since he felt the touch of a woman.

    "Well then, King Askild, what brings you here¡­" Ing¨®lfur requested bluntly.

    Askild hesitated, he was not sure if it was wise to speak in the presence of others but if they were here, it must be because Ing¨®lfur trusted them.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Thedy ran her hand down his shaft, but she was not stroking it just hard, she knew she could not distract him but she could definitely tease him.

    "Ing¨®lfur, I want you to back off from the Gardsson brothers¡­" Askild responded.

    "Is that a threat?" Ing¨®lfur asked, squeezing the breast within his grasp even harder, prompting the girl to bite her lower lips to conceal any sound.

    "It is advice, I am afraid you do not have the strength to take them on as of this moment. Further provocation might destroy this newfound Kingdom of yours¡­" Askild responded as he grabbed the girl''s hand to stop her from proceeding further.

    Ing¨®lfur chose this setting because he knew lustful men were more susceptible to being agreeable as their dopamine levels would be increased.

    This was why he liked meeting people here, lust was the weakness of every man.

    Well, that and because Ing¨®lfur just loved thepany of women.

    "Is this an insult? I have killed most of them already with these hands!" Ing¨®lfur boasted with augh.

    "They did not have Tyr Ragnarsson¡­ You cannot withstand the army of Vestfold, and Rognd alone. Even your allies will hesitate going up against Ragnar, the farmer who became King," Askild brought Ing¨®lfur back to reality, not everything could be aplished by force.

    "Does this mean you will not stand by me?" Ing¨®lfur asked, his tone was threatening.

    "I will stand with whoever my Kingdom benefits the most from," Askild said bluntly and this caused Ing¨®lfur to burst outughing.

    At longst, someone with actual balls because he could just as easily kill Askild and no one would be the wiser but Askild was extremely useful in the future he had envisioned for himself so he need him on his side.

    If halting his ns to eradicate the Gardssons would do that then so be it.

    "Your reputation is befitting of you, King Askild. I ept but that is not all that brought you here, is it?* Ing¨®lfur asked and Askild''s face creased to reveal a sinister grin.

    "Let us enjoy ourselves first," Askild said, guiding the girl''s hand to his shaft as she began stroking it.

    Ing¨®lfur liked the way his mind worked but he also knew that this was a matter that Askild thought better discussed with just the two of them.

    Ing¨®lfur was in no hurry either as he watched Askild.

    "What are you doing? Open your mouth¡­" Askildmanded her and the girl did just that.

    Askild stuck his finger in her mouth, the feeling of her breath brushing against his fingers intertwined with her saliva was a feeling he has missed.

    Askild yed with her tongue like he had discovered a new fetish as thedy kept jerking him off.

    Askild felt no guilt or shame, he med Liv for starving him sexually.

    Askild used his other hand to grope herrge breast, flicking her nipple in the process.

    He wanted to explore every inch of her body, he did not know when next he would get such cravings but right now, his lust was at an all-time high.

    Askild tugged on her nipple, her warm soft flesh felt through his roughened battle-torn hand.

    She was wless, her skin was as beautiful as she was as Askild removed his hand from her mouth.

    Ing¨®lfur expected him to just stick his dick in her and get it over with yet Askild was taking his time for some reason.

    Askild stuck out his tongue and wrapped it around her nipple before his lips stuck to her are like a suction cup.

    "Hhmmpphhh!" She tried her best to contain her moan but Askild was not letting her go, he wanted to hear it.

    It has been ages since he heard it and thedy''s lips parted the moment Askild''s fingers entered her otter lips. The symphony began as she began moaning.

    Her mind was so overwhelmed with pleasure that she had forgotten what she was doing, she could not concentrate enough to jerk him off and that was good.

    Askild had technique, he slid two fingers in and arched it upwards to brush against her g-spot.

    In and out at a steady pace, it did not take long for her to have an orgasm just from Askild using his fingers.

    "He is hungry¡­" Ing¨®lfur thought as he smirked before instructing the other two girls with him to go meet Askild.

    One thing was for sure, Askild was going to empty his balls today.

 Chapter 372 King Askilds Foursome [R18+]

    ?

    Askild was just getting started, this was what a sexually starved man looked like, he had no intentions of going easy. Askild caught the other two girlsing his way and he smirked.

    He was going to ept this gesture whole-heartedly as he slowly slid his fingers out of the girl that just had an orgasm.

    Askild''s mouth watered as he got up to his feet and his throbbing erection was in view for all to see.

    The girls embraced the King of Kattegat but all Askild did was guide their head down. Forcing them on their knees.

    They looked rather horny, the look in their eyes was like someone that had found the food they have been craving for a lifetime.

    Askild pushed their heads together, and the girls began making out with one another; Askild slowly slid his lips between those lips so the tip of his dick was at the center of this making-out session.

    The kissing was hot, heavy and sloppy so one could only imagine the pleasure that Askild was feeling at this moment as he began to thrust his hips back and forth.

    The soft feeling of their lips, the way their breasts jiggled with every motion was enough to make the average man cum ten times over but Askild was no average man.

    He was a King that understood how important sex was to keep his Queen satisfied for he knew what being sexually deprived might lead to. What was happening right now was a prime example.

    The girls were excited, who could me them, a King found them worthy enough to y with and that was the ultimate honour for girls like these.

    Askild removed his dick from between their lips. It was dripping in their saliva and spit webs formed around it, this was a good sight.

    The girls stopped making out the moment he did that but Askild noticed that these two had far smaller breasts than the girl that he had made cum.

    What he had next in mind, these two would not cut it as he sat at the edge of the depression that made up the bathhouse, only his knees were submerged in water but his dick was very well out of it.

    "Come over here¡­" Askildmanded the girl that was catching her breath and she did just that with no hesitation whatsoever.

    "Yes, sire¡­" She responded like an obedient girl and this was something that fuelled his ego because submission was the one thing he lost from Liv amongst many other things.

    "Put it between your breasts, show me just how good you are at using something so big¡­" Askild said and the girl shed the other two girls a triumphant look.

    Her breasts were already wet from the water and what Askild felt next was his dick being sandwiched between two softballs. It felt so good, it covered every inch of his dick.

    Askild was excited and the girl did not wait for hismand before she started sliding her breasts up and down, Askild yanked his head back in pleasure as he tried to control his breathing but the other two girls had no intention of letting her have all the fun.

    They sat beside Askild and began licking his nipples, the King of Kattegat missed this feeling.

    But this was not enough to make him cum, he noticed his dick pop out at the top of her cleavage when she moved it downwards, Askild pushed her head down so she would take it in her mouth each time it did but this girl had a trick up her sleeves that Askild could not have anticipated.

    After a few thrusts, Askild found that thisdy had decided topletely take his dick down her throat, and the fact that she was gagging as it entered made the intensity even better.

    Askild held her head down in ce, he could feel himself getting there.

    She managed to wrestle her way back up, she caught her breath looking Askild right in the eyes.

    She looked dazed, like a sex-crazed vixen and Askild expected her to try and rx but she plunged her head down, taking his dick in and out of her mouth but this was not the regr blowjob but the very definition of a deepthroat.

    She was bruising her throat but she did not care, this man''s pleasure was her responsibility and she was not going to let up until he came or she would have failed.

    She nearly seeded but Askild yanked her head back, the precum leaking from his pee-hole as he was breathing a lot harder.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "You are a lot more formidable than I thought," Askild teased but before long, the other two girls that had their tongues around his nipples found their way to his dick.

    "You are giving her all the attention, that is not fair King Askild," One pouted as they resumed what they were doing, running their lips up and down his shaft from the opposite direction.

    Askild\s dick had be sensitive so he let go of the other one''s head but she was going to join in the fun.

    She took the tip of his dick and began sucking it. These threedies had triple-teamed to give Askild one of the best blowjobs he would ever have in his life.

    The King was so close, each second he could feel the cum ready to burst forth but he knew he could not give in when he still had two other girls he was yet to explore.

    Askild flipped the girl that was pouting moments ago over and slid his dick right inside her, she was surprised but honoured he picked her first.

    Askild held her waist firmly, this position was called the standing doggy and that was exactly how Askild fucked her, like a dog.

    She felt her insides stuffed with something hard yet meaty, it was the thought of who was fucking her that stimted her.

    "The King of Kattegat is inside me¡­ I am going to cum!" She thought to herself and she did just that, soaking Askild''s dick with her juices as his dick slowly slid out of her but this girl fell headfirst in the water before her and that brought her back to reality.

    She had momentarily passed out, Askild did not even have time to breathe before he found his dick in the mouth of the bustydy that had guided him here.

    She was desperate, she wanted to be the one that made him cum and Askild could understand why, thesedies werepeting among themselves to see who could aplish this.

    Askild knew he had one moredy he had not made to cum yet, she had a slender body and her breasts were average-sized but she was one beauty.

    She had the most attractive face among them all so Askild knew exactly where he would want to nut should he nut at all and that was her face but on the hand, he wanted what it would look like on the girl with big breasts. Luckily, time was the one thing he had.

    Askild sat down and gestured for her to cum forwards, the spit of the girl that his dick was just dripping down his shaft. She lowered her hips, she looked hesitant so Askild helped her out by grabbing her waist and forcefully pulling her down, she took it up the base and there was no doubt that she was the tightest among them all.

    Thedy began to grind seductively on the dick, taking it in and out like she was riding a horse, the technique she exhibited was quite high as Askild had to hold her waist to slow her down but this was where the otherdy came in.

    She put one of her breasts in his mouth to tame the King, and Askild felt his grip on the other girl''s waist weaken and she resumed aggressively pouncing on him.

    Askild was about to cum, there was no doubt about it because whoever thisdy was, she knew how to ride a dick with such precision.

    Askild realized he was fooled into thinking she was hesitant and it was because of that notion that he did not take into ount how good she had the potential to be.

    Askild was so close to cumming and he resigned himself, but it was she that came first, she shook like she had gotten a seizure and she inadvertently fell off his dick.

    Askild was so close but he was d that he had yed the third girl without cumming but his dick was still very sensitive and would let loose if anyone touched it.

    "I guess it is my turn¡­" The girl, who had one of her breasts in his mouth, said.

    Askild smirked, he wanted to dy but what was the point, he wanted to cum just as bad.

    He stroked his dick and realized just how much it was throbbing, it felt like it had a heartbeat of its own.

    "I did not forget about you, now spread your legs," Askild said as he realized that this was the woman that he would cum in.

 Chapter 373 Askilds Proposal [R18+]

    ?

    Askild was not done yet, he was d that onest person was standing, this was thedy he had admired but that was mainly because of her enormous breasts.

    Askild got up to his feet to stretch, his dick was glistening from the juices that coated it but Askild was energetic.

    The girl got on the floor but she did not spread her legs just yet, she wanted Askild to take control and he did just that.

    Askild used his brute strength to spread her thighs, she could not resist, she did not want to resist either and allowed the King to have his way.

    Askild slid his dick inside and realized he did not have as much energy as he initially thought, his knees were weak but he certainly liked how wet thisdy was.

    Askild was partly surprised as to why Ing¨®lfur was not partaking and he looked back to see Ing¨®lfur without another woman, a woman he had not seen beforeing here.

    She was riding him and thedy in front of him knew he sought answers.

    "That is Hallveig Fr¨®ead¨®ttir, Ing¨®lfur''s wife¡­" She said and this confused Askild, did this mean his wife permitted him to sleep with other women without causing a scene?

    The fact that they were having sex in front of him told Askild that they did not have a problem when it came to sex.

    "He is allowed to sleep with others?" Askild asked and thedy giggled the moment she heard this.

    "Ing¨®lfur has never slept with any of us nor has he allowed anyone but his wife to make him cum," Thedy said. Askild was confused, this seemed unnecessary but Askild was skeptical about this.

    "And his wife is satisfied with this arrangement?" Askild asked, he knew a woman had a jealous nature so allowing this might mean she never loved him but then again, what was he doing here?

    "Ing¨®lfur is not the only one benefitting from this arrangement, Lady Hallveig Fr¨®ead¨®ttir benefits as well. She makes good use of us," She giggled, this was no doubt a polygamous rtionship as they prioritized each other above all else and the restriction about not cumming or having sex with anyone other than themselves was a good one because it did not allow Ing¨®lfur to form any emotional attachment to these girls.

    Askild admired thismitment but he was only married to Liv on paper, they were no longer a married couple in the bedroom.

    The thought seemed to anger Askild, one would think he would reconsider and stop this act but this had the opposite effect on Askild.

    Askild med Liv for his current condition, it was not like she did not know he killed her brother even though her father dying must have been the changing point.

    Fredrik had such a hold over her that anything he said, she did so now that he was gone, she began to see things through her lens.

    She could make her decision herself, she understood the monster she had married otherwise Askild would have never covered the vile act of Erik.

    She could barely look Lagertha in the eyes, she wanted out but she knew there was no way to escape her marriage with Askild so all she could do was suck it up and give him just enough of her to survive.

    Her soul nor body no longer belonged to Askild. Askild could easily have his way with her but even though he was a monster, Liv remained the one person he still could not hurt.

    In his twisted way, he does love and he has demonstrated this numerous times through his acts.

    Askild;''s eyes returned to thedy, his body convulsing with energy as he grabbed her by the waist and slowly pulled her towards him, and in doing so put the entire length of his dick in her.

    He moved his waist back until only the rip remained in her before thrusting it as hard as he could, the force made her breast dance around like an earthquake had just hit.

    Askild kept doing this and thedy did not know if she was enjoying this as much as she should but it felt different. Before she knew it, Askild''s hand grabbed her neck with his other hand pping her breast rather hard, his handprint visible on her skin.

    Thedy looked genuinely worried now as Askild flipped her over, putting her on all fours as he pped her ass cheeks, she winced in pain but this was just the beginning.

    Askild put his dick back in her, pulling her hair back with such force that it felt like he would decapitate her at any moment.

    She tried to tap out but Askild was not having it, pushing her waist down so only her ass hung, Askild plunged his entire dick inside her, and thedy''s eyes rolled to the back of her head.

    Her tongue hung out of her mouth like she was waiting for a treat, and the pping of her ass cheeks echoed throughout the room.

    Unlike Ing¨®lfur, who was having sex with his wife like someone he loved, Askild was fucking thisdy senseless because something had switched in him.

    The other girls were jealous that he did not fuck them with the same energy because it did look like she was having all the fun.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    She was moaning, her lustful voice filling the room because all the girls knew that Askild could not hurt them or Ing¨®lfur would intervene. This was why they gave him theirplete loyalty, Ing¨®lfur was a man that did not have any ves, everyone that followed him did so because they wanted to, this was why he did not see himself as a King or it would mean he saw himself above those that followed him.

    It was a simple but effective gesture that everyone appreciated and Askild would have seen a side to him if he hurt thedy he was fucking but Askild narrowly escaped this scuffle.

    Askild eventually pushed her face to the ground as he kept hitting it from the back.

    Thedy''s feet curled as she began to mumble gibberish, she bit her lips as saliva escaped the edges. She was going to have an orgasm at any moment but she was not the only one.

    However, Askild closed his eyes and reced the image of thisdy with that of Liv.

    His thrusts became less aggressive and had a rhythm, this made it even harder for thedy to hold herself back as she began throwing her ass back.

    It did not take long until both of them had an orgasm, Askild shooting all his pent-up cum inside her but only after he opened his eyes did he realize what he had done.

    Askild did not have any children and the chances that he would have any with Liv grew increasingly dim with each passing day.

    The other girls were surprised that Askild finished inside, he was not the first man of high profile that they serviced and everyone else removed their dick because cumming as they could not risk fathering a bastard but the King of Kattegat decided to do this.

    Ing¨®lfur was finishing on his end too, he shot his load up his wife.

    Askild felt the tension leave his shoulder, years of pent-up stress and frustration.

    "It seems you got a bit carried away, King Askild," Ing¨®lfur joked as his wife entered the bath and sat between her husband.s legs, he rested his head gently on her shoulder.

    She was nude and Askild was surprised that Ing¨®lfur did not bother hiding her nakedness from another man but one thing he had learned was that they had a different view regarding sex.

    He had only heard of such practices but never actually witnessed them.

    Even with that, this was a little too specific in terms of requirements, they had rules to still make sex sacred despite having the freedom to explore with others.

    "Hahaha! You could say that," Askild responded, sitting back in the pool.

    "This is my wife, Hallveig Fr¨®ead¨®ttir," Ing¨®lfur said. Fondling her breasts, she had a strange look, she had eyes that made Askild feel uneasy, it was like she saw what was in his mind.

    She smirked at Askild, Askild did not show any visible response.

    "King Askild, you fuck well," His wife said and Ing¨®lfur chuckled the moment he heard her say this, this was how a secure man looked.

    A man that had epted both sides of his lifestyle, he was d that this was the result.

    The meeting hade to a sessful conclusion as Askild had managed to convince Ing¨®lfur to drop his vendetta against the Gardssons. This did not take as much convincing as he thought, it was almost like Ing¨®lfur was aware of it.

    Askild could not help but think that he yed into Ing¨®lfur''s hands but this did not matter.

    "Now, the real reason why I am here, Ing¨®lfur¡­" Askild said, his bodynguage changing as the girls exited the room the moment they were done having sex.

    "Go on¡­" Ing¨®lfur encouraged as Askild''s eyes looked past his wife and right at Ing¨®lfur.

    "It is simple, I want to attack Northumbria," Askild said with a smile. Of course, he would know thends beyond, Askild was aware that thereid multiple Kingdoms.

    And Ing¨®lfur being a conqueror, there was no way he would pass up this opportunity to conquer morends.

    The difference between this and the proposal that Rugalf had offered was that this was more than looting, but an actual conquest. Askild knew if he could get Ing¨®lfur to aid him then the conquest might be sessful because Askild used these years to gather information regarding their military strength and it was nothing tough about, they needed to throw everything at them if they were to stand a chance

    The war that was about to ur would make the one that urred in Vestfold child''s y but that was only if Ing¨®lfur epted to join and the mighty conqueror whispered something in his wife''s ear, prompting her to giggle as she looked at King Askild.

    "We refuse," She responded sternly.

 Chapter 374 Lagerthas Big News

    ?

    Ragnar weed back Gudleif and everyone was excited by the goods as expected.

    Lagertha was d that things went smoothly, Askild was slowly regaining his credibility.

    Gudleif requested a private audience with Ragnar to give him an in-depth report of what happened.

    Lagertha excused men, she knew her role as a Queen and she was in no way equal to Ragnar in terms of title.

    King Ragnar permitted Gudleif to speak, and Gudleif went into full details about what happened, this included a Viking-turned-Christian being the one in charge of things there.

    What did this mean? It meant that the Vikings had made contact with thisnd but for how long?

    Ragnar also heard about his sons'' spar and found himself giddy, he did not look worried despite the tone in which the message was delivered.

    Ragnar smirked, he was curious as to who won and the moment Gudleif said it was a tie, Ragnar looked a bit disappointed.

    He wanted to see which of his son was stronger, but this was satisfying in its own way.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­" Gudleif muttered and Ragnar''s eyes widened, looking at the warrior before him.

    "Hm?" Ragnar thought to himself, Gudleif was rarely expressive and was the definition of a foot soldier that carried out his orders to near perfection.

    "Tyr Ragnarsson is¡­ a magnificent warrior," Gudleif said, Ragnar did not think anything was wrong regarding the method that Tyr used and was impressed.

    He also did not see Bjorn''spassion as a weakness, what Tyrcked, the others had.

    Theyplimented each other. This was what made them such a formidable duo.

    "Hahaha! He is my son! Of course, he is¡­!" Ragnar bragged but this was not what Gudleif meant.

    "No, that is not it¡­" Gudleif thought to himself as he soon excused himself, Ragnar was d with this information and the Kingdom of Northumbria was something that he did not pay too much attention to.

    Ragnar did not want to put too much emphasis or importance on this, he was not mentally ready for another invasion on the other side of the world.

    They did not know the terrain, they did not know the enemy''s strength and if the Vikings did attack their territory then negotiation was most likely on the table.

    Ragnar knew that this was vice-versa, or was it? Ragnar established that they made contact with Norsemen so they might have an idea of their way of life.

    The only thing Ragnar caught from this was the fact that they were Christians.

    A bunch of strange men with crosses, it sounded like gibberish to Ragnar''s ears.

    "You cane out now¡­" Ragnar muttered and out came Lagertha, she was eavesdropping because there was no way she would not hear about her sons and how they handled themselves.

    Ragnar already knew she was going to do this, this was a habit of hers and she came out shamelessly, she looked even more excited than Ragnar.

    She too did not care about thend he spoke about, only her children because she knew thatnds could be conquered and lost.

    Ragnar almost lost everything with Vestfold, family was the most important thing.

    Lagertha sat on her husband''sp, she was about to drop something.

    Ragnar looked up at his wife and Lagertha looked chippy.

    "What is it, my love?" Ragnar asked, and all Lagertha did was ce her husband''s hand on her stomach, and Ragnar instinctively knew what she was trying to tell him. She was pregnant.

    -

    Kattegat was in a stable state, Magnus returned to hispound because he knew he was not safe wandering about.

    Bjorn encouraged it too because the man needed time to digest what he had seen and if this was truly the life he wanted to follow as a man.

    He needed to want to do it and not because his father willed it or he wouldck the resolve needed to win the difficult battles.

    Bjorn was walking down the street and he caught a glimpse of Ulf in a nearby tavern.

    Ulf did not see him and was lost in thought, Bjorn thought about it.

    He did not know if he should approach him or just let him be, Ulf might have lost his respect but he was still a warrior with a lot to give.

    Ulf was no longer taken seriously after that trial because not everyone believed the verdict and this took a hit at his reputation.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "Fuck it¡­" Bjorn muttered under his breath as he walked towards his uncle and only when he was within proximity did Ulf notice him.

    Ulf''s senses had dulled and this was proof, he turned his head slightly and when he saw Bjorn, he simply returned his attention to his drink in front of him.

    "What do you want?" Ulf was cold and distant but who could me him?

    Bjorn did not respond and simply sat opposite him, he had a look in his eyes that had a hint of sadness.

    Ulf might have made a move on his mother but he should not let his skills go to waste.

    Personal matters should not dull his sword and this was sad, Bjorn did not like the state his uncle was in even though he was yet to face Ragnar.

    They both knew what would happen if Ragnar found him, the probability that they would fight was close to a hundred per cent.

    "Is that how to greet your nephew?" Bjorn questioned and Ulf''s eyes nced at him before returning to his alcohol.

    "Nephew, huh?" Ulf muttered before downing the cup of ale in front of him.

    "You have seen better days¡­" Bjorn said before getting to his feet.

    "Walk with me, there is something I need to discuss with you," Bjorn said sternly as he walked away, Ulf noticed that this was no longer the child he knew and trained with.

    Bjorn had be a man and while he had no reason to follow him, Ulf wanted to be worthy in his nephew''s eyes.

    He knew Bjorn was the future and would do anything to mend their broken rtionship.

    He followed behind Bjorn after dropping a coin that was enough to cover the tab.

    They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, Ulf waiting for Bjorn to get right to it because he knew it must be something important if he was willing to talk to him after so long.

    "Ulf.." Bjorn finally broke the silence, both men stopped in their tracks briefly.

    "You are not going to try and kill me, are you?" Ulf tried to crack a joke but this did not hit and Bjorn remained stern, what he was about to say was that serious.

    "Are you still loyal to this family?" Bjorn asked and Ulf was taken aback by this question.

    It seemed random, there was no premise for it but Ulf knew the answer to this question.

    "I am, and I will do what I can to redeem myself," Ulf said; Bjorn took a deep breath before saying.

    "I know it is not your fault¡­" Bjorn said, pausing briefly as he looked in his uncle''s direction.

    "I know that you love Lagertha and there is nothing you could have done at that moment. The heat of the moment," Bjorn said, he wanted to put his uncle''s mind at ease because he did show remorse for what he did.

    That was only fair, it is not like he forced himself on Lagertha, he simply misread the situation and while this was a betrayal to his father. Bjorn believed everyone deserves a second chance after he had condemned his brother in the past.

    He vowed never to do that again, Tyr forgave him and now it was his turn to be just as merciful to others even though he did not look at Ulf with the same lens he once did.

    Ulf was left red-faced by what Bjorn had said, but this was the reality, he always had a thing for Lagertha even though she chose Ragnar.

    Ulf knew if Ragnar was not in the picture then things would have worked out with Lagertha but he did not hate his brother for taking her away either.

    He could not think of a better man for Lagertha but he let his weakness get the better of him.

    Ulf, for a moment, wanted to believe that maybe there was a chance with Lagertha.

    He was not thinking at that moment and just let it happen.

    "I do not hate you, Ulf¡­" Bjorn said and Ulf could feel the reliefe off his chest.

    "Bjorn¡­" Ulf muttered, his hardened exterior softening.

    "There is something I need you to do for me and I am cing all my trust in you, uncle. Do this for me and I promise you, our family just might be whole again¡­" Bjorn said and he meant everything he said.

    "What do you need me to do?" Ulf asked and this was the sentence Bjorn has been waiting for because this meant that Ulf had mentally surrendered himself to whatever was about toe out of his mouth. Bjorn was not foolish, he was aware of the times that Tyr tried to manipte him but it was nothing malicious and he did need to make it up to his brother so he yed along but now, he was using that exact trick on Ulf. Ulf was Ragnar''s brother, the only blood rtion of the mighty warrior so he was the only one that could do this.

    "How would you like to be the next King of Kattegat?"

 Chapter 375 Thorgards Request

    ?

    "Tyr, can I have a word with you?" Thorgard asked the dark-skinned warrior.

    Tyr looked over his shoulder and this brought a brief shback as to when Salgard did this to him. However, Thorgard was a lot different from Salgard so Tyr entertained his request.

    Tyr met him and they walked to a secluded ce, and to Tyr''s surprise, Thorgard equipped his sword.

    "What is the meaning of this?" Tyr asked but there was no malicious intent behind Thorgard''s action.

    "Please Tyr, can we spar? I beg of you to go all out!" Thorgard said and Tyr heaved a sigh of frustration, he knew there was no way for Thorgard to defeat him so why did he even ask?

    That was simple, he wanted to test his strength and knew if he did not do it, he would not know where his limitation was.

    Tyr was reluctant at first because he knew idents happen and thest thing he would want would be to kill Thorgard, that was one thing that would be sure to put him to death.

    Thorgard''s sword was beautiful, theposition of his steel was a lot different from the average warrior because it was crafted with superior materials.

    Tyr''s axes had seen better days but they were still very much durable.

    "Fine," Tyr epted, unsheathing both his axes because he was curious to see just how strong Thorgard was, Salgard was a monster that bested him with little to no difficulty so he wanted to check if Thorgard had the potential to be a monster.

    Thorgard smiled and charged at Tyr with no warning, Tyr could understand his excitement but wielding his sword with one hand left him vulnerable.

    Thorgard swung his de at Tyr but the speed was not impressive, it looked slow to Tyr considering the kind of enemies he has fought until now.

    He ducked with rtive ease and thought about grabbing his nuts but knew that would be in bad taste, Thorgard attempted to kick him. This would be a stupid move inbat because he could easily sever the leg with his weapon but this was just a spar so Tyr rolled over to the side to evade it, whilst grabbing his other foot that was still nted firmly on the ground, and pulled it back to make Thorgard fall to the ground.

    Tyr could not believe how easy this was but he noticed that Thorgard did not have his sword in hand, he looked around and it was not there either.

    "Above¡­!" Tyr eximed, jerking his head up and there it was, falling right above his head and with this trajectory, it would impale the top of his head clean though.

    Tyr parried it but by the time he looked at where Thorgard was, the warrior moved to tackle Tyr but used the hilt of his axe to hit the side of his head.

    This dazed Thorgard, long enough for Tyr to gain some distance, that was not a bad move at all and it would have worked but Tyr was extremely skilled in such trickery; if he was even a secondte, he would not have been able to defend himself.

    He could not dodge it, that was why he parried it, Thorgard''s head began to bleed but this did not bother either of the men.

    "Not bad, Thorgard," Tyrplimented the young warrior who was all smiles even though he knew that if this was a death battle, he would have died multiple times already.

    Tyr knew he meant what he said and he had to respect him as a warrior.

    Tyr was going to use all the skills he had learned during his exile as he charged at Thorgard on all fours like he was one of the savages, this battle stance startled the young warrior who had reequipped his sword.

    He swung it downward to collide with Tyr but before his sword could even connect with Tyr, he had jumped up into the air, and the height he propelled himself was unreal, this was the power of using both one''s leg and arm muscle for this.

    Thorgard''s sword made contact with the ground and in the air, was Tyr but the look in his eyes was.

    Thorgard knew he was in trouble, he could not retract his sword fast enough and his body was in an awkward position, there was no way for him to get out of the way.

    Tyrnded a drop kick and this was enough to make the muscr warrior''s knee buckle as he hit the ground.

    The force of the kick was powerful, Tyr utilized gravity to his advantage, and Thorgard could not even touch him, not even once.

    The gap in their strength was far too vast and Thorgard realized just how strong he was, he wondered about the trials and tribtions that he had to go through to be this strong.

    He was even more amazing than he thought, Thorgard could not stand up.

    He had to stay on the floor for a couple of minutes to regain himself but Tyr gave him a hand to get on his feet.

    A hand Thorgard epted, grabbing his hand as Tyr yanked him to his feet.

    "W-What was that movement?" Thorgard was amazed but Tyr simply smiled, he did not give him a response.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "You are strong Thorgard and I am certain that with enough battle experience, you will be a great warrior!" Tyr encouraged him and these words meant a lot to him.

    Tyr knew not everyone could be as strong as him but they could be a lot stronger than the average warrior even with that handicap.

    Tyr heaved a huge sigh, he was d that this bout ended peacefully because Tyr''s bloodlust had heightened, he could not control it either.

    Thorgard wiped the blood dripping from his head but he also knew he needed to get it stitched; he was d he had crossed swords with the great Tyr.

    Tyr had bigger things on his mind right now and that was how he intended to kill Askild since he thought that Bjorn had betrayed him.

    Tyr grew cynical and this impacted his ability to trust people.

    He did not know how he would do it but he knew he had to be patient.

    "Is something on your mind?" Thorgard asked upon noticing his distant stare.

    "Ah! Nothing is wrong, I was just thinking about what to get Estrid with the treasures we got," Tyr responded, an obvious lie but it did the trick.

    "Why not just give her the treasure?" Thorgard suggested; anyone could get the treasure, there was no sentimental value attached to it.

    He needed something to symbolize his love for her and although this was a lie, Tyr did think about what to get her.

    He watched his father over the years getting his mother even the simplest of things and this seemed to make her happy as she spoke to her sons about how they should treat a woman.

    This was one of those things, Tyr agreed with Thorgard just so he could escape his questions and that seemed to do the work.

    -

    "Bjorn Ironside, Queen Liv has requested your presence," A Viking said, Bjorn was rxing in his home all alone because Lagertha was not even there.

    Bjorn was confused, what could she possibly want with him?

    He had no business with her and would rather not be mixed up with her considering how protective Askild was of her.

    Bjorn had no choice and went with the Viking to the throne room, she cleared out the room and this meant it was only Bjorn and her in that room.

    Bjorn looked around and thought it was something important she wanted to talk about or she had no reason to clear out the room.

    "Bjorn Ironside, wee¡­" Liv said; she sounded a lot more lively than she did moments ago.

    "Queen Liv, I am d to see you are doing better," Bjorn said with a broad smile.

    "It is thanks to your words, I have been thinking about only myself but I have a Kingdom to rule," Liv said with a smile.

    "Until King Aksild returns," Bjorn said and the smile immediately wiped from her face, and her face became stern.

    "It is because of King Askild that I brought you here¡­ I need your help, Bjorn," Liv said, the sense of urgency in her voice was something that Bjorn would not have predicted.

    "Is something the matter, Queen Liv?" Bjorn asked and Queen Liv gestured for him toe closer because she knew that the walls might have ears.

    Many people were loyal to Askild, Liv did not have a presence and very few people respected her, and Fredrik''s death made sure of that.

    She was only important because she was King Askild''s wife and without that title, she was nothing. Bjorn walked to her, calcting every step as he knew that Askild had killed men for less, this was him crossing that line.

    Bjorn stood right in front of her, and Liv gestured for him to lean in which he did, she whispered something in his ear that made him go from neutral to shocked.

    "What¡­?"

 Chapter 376 A Peek Into IngÃ³lfur

    ?

    Northumbria, as everyone had predicted, amped up their defence so this meant any potential invasion that might ur in the future would not go unnoticed by them.

    But the other Kingdoms in Ennd noticed this move by King ? but King ? was not on friendly terms with the rest. He was a powerful man but one could understand why he was so hostile to the others, it is because they did not support how he got the crown.

    They frowned upon it and condemned his actions but he did not care, he was the King.

    "King ?thelberht, we have reports of King ? gathering his forces¡­" A man said, he was in full armour and had on a helmet to boot.

    A man sat on the throne majestically, he carried himself like a true King because he was not frightened by the prospect of King ? amassing his army.

    King ?thelberht was an imposing man despite having a slender figure but the majestic crown on his head was like it was made for it.

    He had fierce ck eyes, with ck hair sitting gently on his shoulder.

    "King ? is a brute that usurped his father but he is no fool. He knows better than to be a nuisance so that means what we heard about Lindisfarne is true, someone has dared desecrate thend of God," King ?thelberht did not look pleased by this.

    "Bishop Heahmund, will you let thend of God be disrespected by Pagans?" King ?thelberht asked the man before him.

    This man was a Bishop but not just any bishop. Bishop Heahmund was what one would call a warrior Bishop were men who yed Pagans that dared to desecrate thend of God.

    They knew that the Bible was not enough to protect them, God gave them his word and now they had to use their arm to defend that word.

    "Yes, King ?thelberht. I will send those people to hell where they shall repent for their sins for all eternity," Bishop Heahmund said with a stern look on his face.

    The Vikings had opened a door that they could not close themselves, and now everyone was on edge.

    The existence of an external threat brought things into perspective, the Kingdom of Wessex was a beautiful Kingdom.

    Wessex haddies, children, and men living in harmony, the women were not allowed to fight and it was even frowned upon as it was a man''s job. A wife was meant to stay at home and support her husband.

    -

    Bishop Heahmund left the room and walked outside the pce looking into the throne room, he did not look worried by this.

    Bishop Heahmund had slicked ck hair styled backwards with a gentle face but he had quite the body on his holy sword, he had killed for God and his King with a cross around his neck.

    He was a respected Bishop and had taken his role from a man that did not believe that Christians should not shed blood and exercise forgiveness.

    Such a mentality was archaic and King ?thelberht adopted the idea of warrior Bishops and so far, he had no regrets.

    These were men of God that had attained such majestic height and they gained all the respect that came with the title of being a bishop.

    This allowed them to amass a radical army that truly believed that spilling blood in the name of God was a divine task, this gave them a fortitude that could not be matched by just any warrior.

    "Bishop," A man called out behind him, Heahmund looked back to see a man that had a cross around his neck but he made his irritation visible.

    He rolled his eyes and the man noticed this but simply smiled in response.

    "I am happy you are well, I heard disturbing news about your demise," The man said but Heahmund knew that this was nonsense. The church was divided and split, Heahmund had a faction that stood firmly behind him but there was another that opposed him vehemently and supported the man he unseated, Eahlstan.

    "God guides my path for I fight for him," Heahmund responded.

    "You condemn people to death, there is no way God would approve of something so barbaric," The man responded; Heahmund smiled the moment he heard this.

    "You will soon understand why we are needed, Henry." This was all he said before walking away but what did he mean by this?<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    -

    Ing¨®lfur was surprised that Askild would propose such in the first ce, Askild had left d but he gave him a lot to ponder on.

    Ing¨®lfur consulted his wife for everything he did and she did not like the idea of her husband leaving d. Ing¨®lfur had conquered the majority of d but not that was only seventy-five percent of it.

    There was strong resistance in other regions and this resistance happens to being from men that coincidentally called themselves "Christians".

    They came there on a mission to win souls over for Christ and they were seeding at a rapid pace but something urred, or was it more urate to say someone?

    Ing¨®lfur swept d by storm, he met allies here that opposed the Christians'' influence but what they did not take under consideration was the warrior Bishop stationed there.

    He went by the name Guemundur and he had a belief that poverty was ordained by God as wealth corrupted the mind of man, it led them astray.

    He rejected Ing¨®lfur''s attempt to eradicate Christianity from d and was ready to fight it with force, and he had quite the gathering.

    He managed to convert a few powerful Vikings to fight his course and this was where the problem began, Ing¨®lfur could not fight the battle himself and the fact that he conquered so many territories was nothing short of impressive.

    This should be impossible but this was partly due to his wife''s brilliance. None measured up to her strategic skillsplemented by her husband''s brilliance.

    They made the perfect team, and this was not a metaphor, it was meant by all sense of the word.

    The first Gardsson Ing¨®lfur killed was Hord, this was a man that had him on the ropes and would have killed him but his wife had set up a trap that the brother unfortunately fell for.

    Hord gave his life so his men could live but this made little difference because his men died in that battle. The idea was to separate them and it did, they used Hord''s selfless behaviour against him.

    This triggered an endless cycle of revenge but Hord was the most troublesome Gardsson, he was stronger than even Rugalf at the time but he was a lot more naive than him.

    This was why the revenge cycle began, Trym was the second Gardsson to go but he did not put up much of a challenge.

    He did not stand a chance with thebined intellect of both Ing¨®lfur and his wife, he fell on the first day of battle and no one was left alive.

    Ing¨®lfur had cemented his ce as a prolific warrior and no one dared question his strength but that was until a Gardsson ventured forth without the permission of Rugalf.

    Despitecking in strength and skills, he had a mind that was quite interesting.

    He knew how to turn disadvantageous situations into ones that favour him, he managed to kill Hj?rleifr Hr¨®emarsson, the foster brother of Ing¨®lfur.

    This tore his heart and for a moment, Ing¨®lfur was nearly killed as well after he ran into an ambush that nearly imed his life, Ing¨®lfur had to run with his tail between his legs and the enemy made a mistake not giving chase because he feared he was being led into a trap like the one that killed his brother.

    This man went by the name Rognvald, and his body was never found unlike the others; stories spread about him having survived that battle and this was partly what made Tyr so fascinating because he reminded Rugalf of Rognvald.

    Ing¨®lfur was close to conquering d and he had the Gardssons on the ropes, but now he had to conquer the Christians that opposed him.

    He could not show weakness, if they knew that there was an enemy he could not defeat then the enemy of my enemy bes their friend.

    Ing¨®lfur had quite a number of enemies and this was why he was gathering allies for one final push against them.

    The Christians were holed up in a fortress, and this fortress was near impregnable and Ing¨®lfur had lost a lot of men trying to conquer it that he just stopped.

    They were not advancing towards his Kingdom so he let them be but something told him that they were waiting for reinforcement; if this was the case then it would mean that the Christians might trample on dic soil very soon as he was certain they would not stop at Norway.

 Chapter 377 Warrior Bishop Guemundur

    ?

    Askild was a man known around the world, every day he strengthened his hold on the Viking world and this went unnoticed by everyone.

    Askild had built such a backing that it would prove impossible to overthrow him and the couple of days that passed showed him back in Kattegat.

    Askild arrived with a thundering reception, Ulrik had done well to maintain the peace in his absence.

    Askild could not help but smile even though he had failed the objective of his mission there but something was interesting because Aslild had gone with Rolf yet Rolf was nowhere to be seen when he saw Ing¨®lfur.

    Begging the question, where he was considering that he was nowhere near them.

    They both returned to the throne room but something that has not happened in years urred that day and that was Liv embracing her husband.

    Askild was confused because Liv showed her hatred for him by her actions so he knew something happened in his absence.

    "I am d you returned safely!" Liv was ecstatic and Askild had to look around because he thought someone had put her up to this.

    "What is going on Liv?" Askild asked, breaking from her embrace and gripping the hilt of his sword in anticipation, Rolf followed suit.

    "I missed you, I think your time away from me made me realize you are the only thing I have left in this world," Liv said and this added up, she had lost everyone she cared about and no one wasing to save her but Askild.

    She knew that Askild kept her safe and she had to fulfill her duties as his wife to remain useful to him. If she meant these words, it was another thing entirely.

    "Hahaha! You must forgive my doubt, Liv. Are you sure you are okay?" Askild asked her once again because something was off about his wife.

    Askild wanted to believe his wife was back but he had a brain that learned patterns.

    She was plotting something but what? Askild knew to y along because he had nothing to lose. If she thought he bought it then it would be a lot easier for him to discern what her motives were. He dealt with Birger, there was no way his wife would be more cunning.

    "You have always been paranoid, my love. I will wait for you in the room so please hurry," Liv was more expressive but Askild did not mind this, she had to step up to rule Kattegat in her husband''s ce as she was no longer a puppet.

    Askild hoped this was the case but he entertained the thought that Liv had simply found a new puppeteer.

    Askild was left alone with Rolf, and he wanted to know how things went on his end.

    Askild was going to leave d with something and part of him knew that he could not rely on Ing¨®lfur to back him on his quest to Ennd and anyone not backing him would be seen as an enemy.

    This was what Askild believed because this was his opportunity to conquernds outside of Norway and he would not be deterred whatsoever.

    "Tell me, what happened Rolf?" Askild asked as he slowly sat on his throne, he did not look defeated for some strange reason despite not getting Ing¨®lfur to support his cause.

    "I made contact with Bishop Guemundu," Rolf spoke freely and this was surprising considering the kind of man Askild was.

    "What did he say? Get to it Rolf," Askild instructed him outright, he had no time for dys.

    They could have easily spoken on the boat but that was not the time to talk about something so important. Now, the question might be how he managed to sneak Rold onto d and that was easy, Hagen had built him a boat that had a hiddenpartment beneath.

    Rolfid down throughout the journey and while it might not be deemed necessary, Askild did not know which part of the sea was under the man he wasing to see.

    Rolf had met the Christians and assisted them in attacking Ing¨®lfur, and the thing about this was that Ing¨®lfur did not know that Askild came with an aplice but if he came back onshore, that meant that his host was not aware.

    Askild wanted to confirm with absolute certainty that Ing¨®lfur would not support his cause because he already had Grj?tgard''s support so now he could kill Ing¨®lfur and still reap the benefit of Grj?tgard''s alliance.

    They were going to side with the Christians to kill Ing¨®lfur so it could not be tied back to them but med on the Christians.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Askild was not going to be present but instead sent his warriors there to aid them but the condition he gave the Bishop was that they would not kill the Vikings there.

    These were seasoned warriors that worked under Ing¨®lfur so they would no doubt be a blessing to add to Askild''s military.

    Askild knew that under a change of leadership, he could lead them to even greater things.

    "The Bishop told me about the fight with Ing¨®lfur, they have reached a stalemate that neither of them could break. He has asked for warriors but he said something strange¡­ He said he would only ept warriors that convert to this Christianity that they preach," Rolf said and Askild was confused by this request because what does it matter what their faith was?

    Askild needed Ing¨®lfur dead and found a way to do it, he was going to take it because if this Bishop does manage to kill him then the Gardsson would have no reason to uphold his end of the bargain.

    "That is a stupid request. We can easily pretend to convert and return to our ways when done," Askild said, and he found this rather silly.

    "The Bishop guaranteed me that once they converted, they would not want to return to our ways," Rolf responded and Askild chuckled when he heard this.

    "Such arrogance¡­" Askild muttered under his breath.

    "We will send sixty men there¡­ This should be enough to even out the odds. It is impressive that they could hold on for so long with so few men but the fortress yed a major role in this," Askild said firmly, he liked how things were going but he had not yet been briefed by Bjorn about their expedition so he did not know that he was not the only one with knowledge about Northumbria. Askild initially used this raid to hype up his allies, they met no resistance so naturally they would assume other raids would be as simple and thus more inclined to participate in his next expedition.

    "Who do you think should lead the charge in terms of our forces? We cannot leave them for the Bishop to use or he might use them carelessly, we need someone that they respect." Rolf said; he would have suggested himself for this task but no one respected him or even knew him enough to trust in his leadership.

    He was a Commander but he was rarely in Kattegat so he was not as known as the rest of them.

    "I wonder who could handle this task¡­" Askild thought momentarily but an idea came to his mind. A warrior that was respected and known by his warriors?

    "Ulf¡­" Rolf muttered under his breath and this was exactly what Askild was thinking.

    Ulf had fallen off somewhat recently and this could be the perfect thing to get him back on track.

    Ing¨®lfur did not know who Ulf was, he had never met him in battle and only heard stories where he was portrayed as some sort of deity.

    The image of Ulf most people had in mind was a lot different than who he was, this allowed him to move about unrecognized to those who did not know him.

    And with someone that renowned, he would more than earn the cooperation of the Bishop.

    The Bishop was a cautious man and Askild knew the only way to make him lower his guard was to give him a man that was loyal to Kattegat and that was Ulf.

    He shared the blood of Ragnar but Askild did not know why Ulf did not attend the wedding of Ulf but he was aware that he was not the biggest fan of Tyr from the onset.

    Ulf wanted to kill him right off the bat but Hagen had saved him.

    This was perfect because this would be a fresh start and environment for Ulf until they conquered Ing¨®lfur, and if Ulf did die, it would only give Ragnar a reason to make Ing¨®lfur an enemy so there was no losing in terms of this.

    Askild could disguise it as a peace talk that Ing¨®lfur went crazy and killed him, Ragnar was already aware of his hostile rtionship with King Rugalf but he did not know why.

    However, Askild knew why and already had a n B in ce in case Ulf would die in this.

    Askild did not see Ulf as a valuable asset, he had lost his hunger but he retained his title as a Commander because he held in importance.

    The connection to Ragnar ultimately made him valuable, not his skill as a warrior but as a political pawn.

 Chapter 378 Askild And Liv

    ?

    King Askild was done conversing with Rolf and wanted to see what his wife had in store for him.

    Askild, who had just been unfaithful to her, walked into the bedroom with a nket on her.

    She was covered from her upper cleavage down, and Askild could tell she was naked beneath.

    "Liv, are you cold?" Askild asked as he went to freshen up, he had not had a shower in days so it was only fair because he stunk up the ce.

    Askild did not know what Liv was up to but he was going to ruffle her feathers, he has been married to her for years so he knew how to push her buttons and that was exactly what he intended to do.

    Liv remained quiet as her husband sat in a wooden bath that was filled with water, that was where he scrubbed himself clean.

    Askild pondered what he wanted to do, he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and believe she had changed.

    Askild was done with his shower and walked out of the tub with Liv waiting for him with a towel.

    Askild squinted his eyes because what his wife wore was something transparent.

    He could not help the boner that followed, this was a sight of his wife that he missed.

    Askild wanted her to make the first move otherwise he mighte on as forceful.

    Liv noticed the erection of her husband and it was no surprise that he found her attractive.

    She kept fit, she did not let her body go as it served as a constant reminder of what Askild could not have.

    Askild felt her warm soft hands around his body, he missed this.

    No one came close to his wife but Askild broke away from her because he needed to be honest with her about what he did in d.

    Even if their marriage was falling apart, he was unfaithful and Liv''s reaction would tell him if she still cared about him. The eyes, they never lied and this was one thing that Askild was good at reading.

    "Liv, I need to tell you something," Askild said and Liv was curious what this was considering the sexual tension in the air. Askild had no problems lying to her for years or was it safe to say she never asked the right questions?

    "What is it?" Liv questioned, voice full of curiosity.

    "I have forsaken your honour, I have given myself to other women," Askild said bluntly, but he was focused on his wife''s reaction rather than the gravity of his confession.

    He did not necessarily care that he cheated but he wanted to see if she cared enough to feel any sort of genuine emotion.

    Years of hatred do not disappear overnight so he did not expect this to be the case with his wife but for a moment, he saw Liv flinch.

    For a split second, before she put her mask back on, Askild saw the disappointment in her eyes.

    This made his heart drop, it showed that Liv still loved him to an extent despite all he had done.

    "T-That is fine, I am sorry for neglecting your need," Liv responded with a forced smile.

    "No, it is not¡­ I am not the only one suffering and yet you remain faithful to me," Askild said, grabbing her hand.

    "I have been thinking, Liv¡­" Askild said and Liv''s attention peaked.

    "I think it is time I set you free," Askild said and Liv was shocked by this.

    The reason she did not leave Askild was because he would not let her go and this is what he vowed even before her father died.

    "F-Free?" Liv stuttered and she stumbled backward in shock, Askild meant these words.

    "Yes Liv, my darling wife. You have been nothing but perfect to me and I do not want to burden you anymore with this. You have honoured me¡­" Askild said as her eyes teared up.

    She felt her husband''s hand on her cheek, wiping away the tears.

    "I did things that would make me unlovable and yet only you stood by me. I am very sorry¡­ I was a terrible husband." Askild said and these were not just words, he meant everything that left his lips.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "I can only apologize and I promise you, I will make Kattegat as great as your father wished it, everyone will hear of our Kingdom and I will do anything to make it happen. Everything I do, I do for our home but I lost sight of what was important to me in the process¡­" Askild said; Liv could not control her tears because she never knew that this man could still bring out such emotions in her.

    "... I lost sight of you¡­ I took your love, loyalty and dedication to me for granted. I neglected you but no more. You are free to do as you please now Liv and I promise you, you will uphold the power your father once held. You are from a powerful family! You are not Liv, the wife of Askild. You are Liv Vilulf! A powerful strong woman that can finally live outside of her father''s shadow and not just his, mine as well¡­" Askild said, letting go of her face.

    Liv was frozen in ce, this man before her reminded her of the man she fell in love with.

    The kind and gentle Askild, the vulnerable Askild that protected her and put her above all else.

    Liv now had the free pass to leave, this was something she craved for years but there was a problem now.

    She doubted her decision, what if Askild could be fixed and she was the only one that could do so? What if her leaving was the one thing that pushed Askild past the point of no return?

    "I-I.." Liv stuttered; she could not finish her sentence and Askild turned away and began walking away from her but he felt an embrace behind him.

    "I choose to stay with you, my love," Liv said and the emotion behind her voice was packed with love, she meant it.

    Askild heaved a sigh of relief because now, Liv was no longer a hostage but more so because his gamble worked.

    Liv was there because she wanted to be and a gentle smile cracked Askild''s face.

    "I will make it up to you, I swear Liv," Askild said, and he was d he had gotten his wife back but he wanted to know why she tried to seduce him even when her heart was not in it.

    Askild wanted to know what happened in Kattegat while he was away and now that he had his loyal wife back on his side.

    Everything she discussed with Bjorn, she was about to brief her husband about it and by everything, I mean everything.

    -

    Bjorn had not yet seen Magnus since returning, Magnus had locked himself inside his estate because he could not face the Vikings outside.

    When he saw them, what he saw were monks being disembowelled and killed in such gruesome ways. This was known as shell shock.

    Bjorn knew he needed to have this experience to decide the path he would take, this was the only way for him to know where he stood.

    "Bjorn Ironside," A voice called out and it was Reider. Reider was not with Ulrik and his demeanour was different.

    "What is it?" Bjorn asked bluntly, he had no ns of having small talk with him because time was something that he could not waste.

    "I need to talk to you about something very important but I need you to give me your word that it will not leave your lips¡­" Reidar said; Bjorn was surprised by the shift in demeanour.

    "You have my word, Reidar¡­" Bjorn reassured him and this was enough for Reidar to trust Bjorn.

    Bjorn was a man of his word and Reidar grabbed him by the arm and led him somewhere else.

    They went somewhere quiet and away from sight so it would be easier for them to talk about it.

    Bjorn''s radar went up, his hand subconsciously reached for the hilt of his sword because he knew that Reidar was once allied with Birger and he knew nothing about him outside of that.

    Reidar took a deep breath and his callous bodynguage changed and his eyes focused on the man before him, that was Bjorn Ironside.

    "Do you know who I am?" Reidar asked and Bjorn found this question strange.

    "Is this a joke?" Bjorn asked, he did not understand the point of this stupid question.

    He rified the moment he saw the look of confusion on his Commander''s face.

    "Erik The Berserker was the only one who knew but there is something you need to know because of who you are," Reidar said and Bjorn''s curiosity peaked.

    He wanted to hear what this man wanted to say even more now.

    "This is my story, Bjorn Ironside¡­"

 Chapter 379 Who Is Reider? PT. 1

    ?

    "It is a boy!" Ady said, raising the baby high and the mother was far too exhausted to speak.

    She couldn''t speak because childbirth had taken a lot from her.

    The baby''s cry echoed and this seemed to worry the mother even though the crying of a baby was considered a good thing, even a necessary thing

    Thedy with the baby in hand noticed the mother''s worry and tried to make the baby quiet.

    Voices outside could be heard talking, and the mother''s face turned to one of panic.

    She had given birth in the middle of an enemy''s raid, this was the worst-case scenario for anyone and the woman''s panic only increased the moment they heard people running in their direction.

    "G-Go," Thedy that just given birth used herst strength tomand thedy with the baby, she knew what would happen to the bedriddendy if she left

    Vikings were cruel and these particr warriors were especially known for that.

    She left the tent but not before doing one final thing.

    A few minutes passed and she was running through the woods, she was being chased by two Vikings to be exact, and arrows flew past her.

    She knew she could not keep it up because these men were fast and were gaining in on her.

    They also knew she had a baby so there was no escape, they would kill her and the baby if they caught up and this was something she couldn''t afford.

    An arrow soon found her lower back but the woman powered through the pain with sheer resolve and kept up her pace, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as this was herst act. Fight or flight, she chose flight because she could not fight and defend the baby.

    The men had put up resistance but they could not hold out for long and the fact that they held out for as long as they did was impressive.

    She needed to save the baby because this was just a baby that was yet to even live life but another arrow found the back of her head, dropping her.

    Her lifeless body hit the ground head first, this was an instant kill and the men gathered around her corpse, they looked excited about their kill.

    "Hey! I will go first!" One of the men nudged the other as he unfastened his trousers but the other one protested, he wanted to go first.

    These men wanted to have sex with the recently deceased body, her body was still warm so they had no problems doing this.

    But a muffled cry rang out beneath thedy, and then the men remembered that there was a baby.

    They wanted to kill it and proceed with viting the corpse of this woman but a stern voice rang out behind them.

    "Stop!" The voice wasmanding enough to make these two degenerates panic as he walked slowly in their direction.

    They immediately stood at ease as a frightening man came into view, he had no nose implying he had lost it in battle and made no effort to hide this deformity.

    The man arrived at the tent where the birth was and met the woman dead already as the woman with her baby had killed her before fleeing but he recognized her, she was not a lowborn and held quite the reputation.

    He gave chase the moment he realized what had happened because he knew how depraved his men were and the baby would most certainly die.

    He was not going to allow this because this baby had the blood of someone renowned.

    This man was Eir¨ªkr and he had an imposing figure. He walked to the baby covered in blood.

    The baby stopped crying the moment it saw him and smiled instead.

    This surprised Eir¨ªkr because he was used to disgusted looks because of his face yet this baby was smiling at him.

    He shoved the two warriors aside and grabbed the baby, who kept smiling.

    He did not say a word to the warriors and turned around to leave.

    They did not care that the baby got to live because now they were alone with the corpse.

    They stripped it naked and the bulge in their trousers was noticeable as they proceeded to vite it.

    -

    A few years passed ever since this massacre and the baby grew to recognize these people as his family. He called the man father and adopted their way of life which was not much different from the one he would have had if his mother lived.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    The boy was approximately six years old when the men of this little tribe bit on something more than they could chew and that was an assassination attempt on King Xenophanes of Kattegat.

    Xenophanes showed them why he was King and effortlessly killed his attackers before the rest retreated.

    King Xenopahes, however, chose to chase them down in a rare form of cruelty because he recognized their crest. The boy hid and did not daree out when the attack on his settlement began.

    The people were ughtered but he watched King Xenopahes discuss with the man he called father but his distance did not let him hear anything.

    Ultimately, the man was cut down by Xenophanes after pleading and this was when the boy lost his cool and charged at King Xenophanes with a sword in hand.

    A Viking stood in his way, prompting the child to bump into him and fall on his ass.

    The Viking was about to cut him down but once again, the man that was about to take this child''s life was stopped by someone of higher authority.

    King Xenophanes unmounted his horse and walked towards the grounded child.

    He anxiously reached for his sword and Xenophanes gestured for them to stay their hand.

    The Vikings around were on guard because they knew one mistake was all it took for even the greatest of warriors to fall.

    King Xenophanes crouched and the boy gulped, he thought that he would be sold into very and even he had heard tales about how ves were treated.

    He turned his dagger on himself but Xonphanes just watched, he had no intentions of stopping him because taking one''s life to preserve their honour required an iron-d resolve.

    Xenophanes wanted to see if this child had it so he allowed him to choose how he died.

    The child gulped but he dropped the knife, he did not have the resolve and Xenophanes looked somewhat disappointed even though he was a kid and the fact that he even considered ending his life was as extreme as he got.

    He began to sob, his eyes looking at the man he referred to as his father and Xenophanes followed his eyes before getting to his feet.

    "I see¡­" Xenophanes realized he had just taken someone important from him but this was the world they lived in.

    Kill by the sword, and die by it. There was no other way and the boy was taken in as a captive.

    It would have been a lot easier to kill him because a man that craved vengeance was a man that would have the resolve for power.

    This boy pleaded not to be sold into very but Xenophanes had no interest in doing this.

    He was a child and should be given a chance at life and this was where his alliance with Asmund came in handy.

    The boy was sent to Vestfold for Asmund to incorporate as a citizen, Asmund made him a worker because ording to Xenophanes, he wanted him to live a life as normal as possible.

    Birger, however, had other ns. Birger used his status as Asmund''s brother to gain the impressionable child''s trust and painted him in whatever colour he desired.

    Birger began to feed him his extreme ideology but these ideologies were not against his brother nor Xenophanes but his enemies in general.

    Birger had a belief that only extremists would stand to the end and burn their Kingdom down before they let the enemy have it. This was his belief.

    "You are a strange child. You have flexibility that surpasses even mine," Birger praised him and it was because of this flexibility that he helped him develop a fighting style unique to himself.

    "T-Thank you," The child was d to hear thispliment from such a great man and over time, Birger kept feeding him morepliments until it was only Birger''s validation he sought.

    Xenophanes met with Amsund soon after in person.

    "What do you think you are doing Xenophanes!?" Asmund was livid because he did not know where this child came from but he knew that Xenophanes must have had his reason.

    This was why he helped him first before questioning.

    "I can exin Asmund," Xenophanes said and the fact that his yful attitude was absent showed Asmund that he took this seriously.

    Xenophanes went into details and Asmund listened carefully.

    "Go on," Asmund said, calming himself in the process.

    "Here is what happened¡­"

 Chapter 380 Who Is Reidar? PT. 2

    ?

    A few years before the tragedy that befell the mother of the boy was a time that was unknown to most.

    "King Xenohane, I am shocked!" A woman said; it was revealed to be Liv but she was a lot younger and happier.

    Xenophanes rolled his eyes at his younger sister, he hated when she used his title because it made her feel like a stranger.

    Shut up! Do not make it a big deal!" Xenophanes barked at his sister.

    "Does father know?" Liv questioned her brother but Xenophanes'' silence gave her the answer she was looking for.

    "Father will chew you alive!" Liv smiled in anticipation of what was about to happen because her brother just told her something that she had no idea was possible in his lifetime.

    Xenophanes never showed interest in anyone but war and being carefree.

    But it would be strange for a fully grown man to not have had sex at least once.

    Xenophanes was a man when it came to it and there was a woman he told his sister about.

    Liv was in support of their rtionship but she knew her father would flip out because this woman was not even a Dane.

    She did not have their blood making her an outsider but this made sense as to why Xenophanes was so taken with her.

    She stood out in the crowd but where was her origin?

    Xenophanes did not care as he liked the mystery and nned to take his time to unravel it.

    "The love of a woman keeps not only the heart warm but the bed," Xenophanes teased and Liv cringed the moment she heard this as this made her unintentionally picture her brother having sex.

    "You thought about it, did you not?" Xenophanes said, bursting outughing because he knew that Liv had quite a vivid imagination and her brother knew this.

    Xenophanes met this woman in one of his many expeditions and he formed a sort of bond with her; she had the body of a warrior and the mind of ady.

    This was a rarebination in this time and age, Xenophanes liked that she had a strange ent as well and the way she pronouncedmon words was cute.

    Liv knew all about her, she was the only one that did as everyone else assumed he simply had a good rtionship with that small vige.

    He was happy he had someone to talk to about it, he could not keep his excitement all to himself but he did not know how to break it to Fredrik because Fredrik was strict.

    He would never ept someone that was not of thisnd as his family.

    Xenophanes met with his father and the tension in the air was evident.

    "What brings you here? Do you not have a Kingdom to rule?" Fredrik asked in a cold tone.

    "I am King and I have the right to see you when I please. I am your ruler, Father¡­" Xenophanes said bluntly and this seemed to amuse Fredrik who cracked a cheeky smile.

    Xenophanes knew when to be serious and his father was proud that he could stand up to him.

    "Well said, what does MY King want?" Fredrik made sure to stress the word "MY" as a form of mockery and Xenophanes hated this but he understood he would not be where he was today without his father so he was grateful for that much.

    Fredrik did love his children, he just gave them tough love.

    "I have met a woman I would like to take as my Queen," Xenophanes said bluntly, he was not taking his permission. He was King, he could do as he pleased.

    "A Queen? Who is this woman and have youe to ask for my blessing?" Fredrik questioned his son because that was what it looked like.

    "She is with my child, I came to inform you. You may do with that information as you please," Xenophanes blurted out but he was startled by a loud bang, flinching as he looked at his father banging the table in front of him.

    "YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY!" Fredrik raised his voice and Xenophanes was surprised.

    The fact that Fredrik could make a seasoned warrior such as himself flinch showed that he put his hands on him when growing up and Xenophanes body responded instinctively to this before bursting outughing.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "Fredrik, the man feared throughout Kattegat and my despicable father and yet, the man I love the most. I cannot deny your genius but if you speak to me that way again¡­ I promise you Father, you will lose the ability to ever speak to me again," Xenphanes threatened his father for the first time and Fredrik was not offended but rather, happy despite not showing it.

    Xenophanes always portrayed himself as a carefree person but this was his true personality, this was who he was behind that smile.

    "You truly are my son," Fredrik said proudly as their discussion concluded.

    A few weeks passed since that fateful encounter as Xenophanes wasying in his room.

    A messenger rushed into the room he was in, Xenophanes raised his brow because he made it clear that no one should disturb him in his alone time so this had to be urgent.

    "King Xenophanes!" The messenger screamed as he handed him a piece of paper.

    The moment Xenophanes grabbed the paper, his eyes widened in horror because he recognized the handwriting.

    "Irmuska!?" Xenophanes thought; this was the name of his love. It took him less than an hour for him to assemble a party.

    The letter was her calling for Xenophanes toe to her aid, she could not move about because she was pregnant and almost due.

    Her water was going to break at any moment from now and Xenophanes wanted to witness the birth of his child more than anything in the world.

    Xenophanes rode off, he knew he would kill anyone that dared to touch his family because he understood how important family was.

    But he was toote, he met carnage and death, there was nobody that was left alive,

    Xenophanes'' face broke, he jumped off his horse and called her name, he called it but there was no answer.

    The silence told him one thing and that was, she was either dead or found a way to escape but he knew with how far in she was, thetter looked highly unlikely.

    He rushed into the tent and his knees buckled, Xeonphanes broke down the moment he saw his dead woman on the bed with her neck slit.

    Xenophanes held back his tears because he knew that this was no time to mourn.

    "The baby¡­" Xenophanes muttered as he looked to his right and left.

    Xenophanes started to look around for the child but he could not see him nor a corpse.

    "Spread out! Find any baby you see and report to me!" Xenophanesmanded and they did just that. They spread out but they could not find anybody and this told Xenophanes that maybe his child was alive.

    He looked won at the corpses and burned the crest into his memory, he did not know where to search for them because they moved around constantly but he knew that there was no way that Irmuska did not have enemies but this attack did not feel personal.

    She had a Germanic name, this was her heritage but that was about it, the vige she stayed in. They took her in because she had knowledge of medicine and gave them that knowledge in exchange for this hospitality.

    The rest was history, Xenophanes reported that his wife and child had died because something told him that his father had a hand in this.

    He did not need to approve of their marriage if he could remove the girl from the equation.

    Everything now made sense, this was why Xenophanes sent him to Vestfold for a new life.

    -

    Asmund did not know what to say, he did not know that this was the cross he was carrying on his shoulder. He could not believe he did not know that his best friend had experienced so much grief in such a short period and wondered how he could still put on a smile for the rest of the world.

    Asmund stood up and walked quietly towards his friend before embracing him in a bid to console him.

    "I did not say I am into men, Asmund¡­" Xenophanes teased and Asmund immediately regretted his decision as he let go of Xenophanes but if Xenophanes suspected Fredrik of having a hand to do with the death of Irmuska, a motive came into y.

    Why did Fredrik endorse Askild''s ascension as King going as far as giving him his daughter after killing his son? What if Fredrik was the one manipting Askild to do these evil deeds?

    What if that was why Birger killed him? There were so many what ifs but they were only spections at this point.

 Chapter 381 The Berserker Clan

    ?

    Bjorn was speechless, Reidar had just revealed that he was the son of King Xenophanes but that in turn made him the next in line to seed him.

    The people of Kattegat would have never epted Askild as their King even if he did kill Xenophanes but Bjorn knew how politics worked.

    Birger was able to convince him to join his attack on Kattegat because of the information he gave to him, this included Fredrik''s role in his mother''s death.

    But Bjorn had questions, there was no way that Reidar would divulge such information considering he could be targeted if it got out.

    "Everything makes sense now¡­" Bjorn said; he wondered why Fredrik would endorse the man who killed his son. Bjorn made the connection that Fredrik was the one that killed Xenophanes using Askild as the medium.

    This was the only way he could hold onto power as Xenophanes saw his father as an enemy and was getting closer to the truth. He nned to tear down everything his father had built because he took the one thing he cared about the most in his life.

    "You are the son of Xenophanes¡­" Bjorn repeated but he could not take his word at a moment''s notice.

    "I know you have your doubts and you have questions¡­" Reidar said and Bjorn certainly did have questions, who would not?|

    "Why have you kept this hidden for so long? Why did you not oppose Askild or avenge your father?" Bjorn asked his questions, starting with the easy ones.

    "I did not hide it. I weaponized it, if Askild or Fredrik knew I lived, I would not be here today¡­ I do not hate Askild for killing Xenophanes for this man was not my father. The man I knew as a father was killed by Xenophanes. Do not have it wrong, Commander. I do not hate King Askild." Reidar said and Bjorn''s bodynguage changed.

    "But I knew the man who ys the fool would never be considered a threat. This was the one thing I learned from Xenophanes so I yed the fool¡­" Reidar said but he was not done talking and Bjorn wanted him to say everything currently on his mind.

    "The only person that knew who I am other than Birger was someone you knew quite well¡­" Reidar said; he expected Bjorn to connect the dots but there was nothing to connect.

    "He was called Erik The Berserker¡­" Reidar blurted out and the moment he did, Bjorn''s body tensed up.

    "What the hell are you saying? How could he have known and not Askild? Erik is Askild''s loyal dog!" Bjorn eximed. Things suddenly stopped making sense.

    "What do you truly know about Erik?" Reidar asked and this was when Bjorn kept quiet.

    "Erik is not some monster that spawned into existence¡­" Reidar said.

    "Like every one of us, he was made into one¡­" Reidarpleted his sentence.

    He knew these were things Bjorn needed to know because, unlike the rest of the warriors in Kattegat. Bjorn was not afraid to stand out.

    "And how do you know so much about Erik?" Bjorn calmed himself, the name Erik triggered him because he remembered what he did to his mother.

    He was not going to pretend that this did not bother him but he knew now was not the time for tantrums.

    "Erik The Berserker¡­ The cheap imitation of the Berserker n¡­" Reidar muttered with a mocking smile. He did not know why they called Erik this but he knew that they had no idea who or what the true Berserker tribe were capable of.

    "... My mother was not from thisnd but there was a boy she told stories to about where she came from¡­ That boy was Erik. This was how he came to be and Erik moulded himself to be the person she told him about in that story," Reidar paused momentarily as he adjusted himself.

    "Erik suffered abuse as a child and it is believed that this affected his brain to a certain degree, Irmuska''s stories were the only thing that gave him hope," Reidar said and Bjorn was listening to every word that came out of his mouth because he realized at that moment that things were not as they seemed. There was a lot he did not know and he was grateful that Reidar trusted him enough to tell him this.

    "She told him stories about how a n existed that killed and devoured the flesh of humans, how they were revered as gods and could not fall in battle even if they lost their heads.

    Erik idolized this and eventually ughtered his family at only the age of four before disappearing from the vige because the crime for such offences was death." Reidar was spilling everything because he knew that Bjorn needed to know this.

    "My mother, Irmuska, med herself for this because how he killed his family was reminiscent of the stories she told him. Teeth marks could be seen around his mother''s breast with her other nipple missing implying he had bitten it off." Reidar was trying his best to humanize Erik but there was no justification for such a violent act; Bjorn was beginning to understand why Erik was the way he was.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Erik kept his past to himself and considering that Reidar was part of that past, he kept his identity hidden as well. How Reidar knew so much was what troubled Bjorn.

    "Who is Erik?" Bjorn was blunt.

    "Erik is a creature that should not have existed¡­" Reidar said before pausing once again.

    "But I also think Tyr is another creature that should not exist,"

    Bjorn''s hand gripped the hilt of his sword and Reidar noticed this but was not worried about this, he expected it.

    "I am not a threat, Bjorn¡­" Reidar reassured him.

    "You mentioned Berserker¡­" Bjorn returned to the conversation but he did not take his hand off his sword because this man before him was not the Reidar he knew.

    "They are a group of Germanic barbarians that migrated and settled in Norway. These people¡­ They are not humans," Reidar said; he looked visibly worried.

    "My mother ran from her n because Xenophanes told her a world was possible without violence and this is why I hate him. He lied to my mother because it was the same violence that took her life. He took her away from her people and left her to be ughtered like a dog," Reidar said as his eyes focused on Bjorn.

    "... I have heard stories about your brother, Bjorn Ironside¡­" Reidar said; he had told Bjorn all he knew and now he was getting back to his point.

    "But I am not the only one that would have heard about him¡­ The man who rose from the dead¡­" Reidar said and Bjorn raised his brow because this wasmon information at this point. Tyr the undead was a title that resonated throughout Norway and it helped in boosting his younger brother''s reputation.

    "What the fuck do you mean by that?" Bjorn mistook this as a threat but it was anything but a threat.

    "My mother left me a journal, Xenophanes found it and gave it to me as a memorial. I took a glimpse into how my mother lived her life right until the day I was born," Reidar said.

    "Xenophanes had a role to y in her eloping from the tribe but ultimately, she did so to save me¡­ There exists a prophecy that has been echoed for centuries¡­" Reidar said.

    "A man will exist that will preside over life and death. He will be blessed with the wisdom of the god but his hands will be cursed with the touch of death. The day wille when this man will destroy the world," Reidar muttered and Bjorn raised a brow.

    All this simply because his brother rose from the dead?

    "In your effort to immortalize your brother, you condemned him. They wille for him, and there will be no stopping them but they will not do so until the next eclipse¡­" Reidar said so and the tone he used implied this was what he wanted to tell Bjorn.

    He wanted Bjorn to understand that Tyr was in danger and hoped that they would have enough time to prepare for this threat.

    The Berserkers could not be that much of a threat, Bjorn naturally thought he was blowing it out of proportion because how could they be as strong as they were and live in the mountains?

    It made no sense that no one could speak about their strength as everything was dipped in stories.

    Bjorn watched Reidar turn his back and begin walking away but not with a final word,

    "You can save Norway if you hand Tyr over to them when the timees. Only you, Bjorn. Can do that," Reidar said as he faded into the distance.

    He knew he was not supposed to tell anyone what they had just discussed because that was part of the reason Reidar trusted him with this information.

    He was shocked by everything he had just heard, he did not know about Erik nor did he understand how such a depraved warrior could exist.

    He was seeing everything in a different light because if this was true, there was no way he would hand Tyr over to them. Time, however, was on his side because the eclipse was not until a few more years.

 Chapter 382 All On Borard, England!

    ?

    Rognd were preparing for the expedition into Ennd, they informed Askild but Askild doubted that now was the time to go on such a faraway expedition with little to no information regarding it.

    King Rulf was interested in going there, he wanted to expand his influence because if he could conquernds, this would increase his influence around the world.

    Askild took this map during his raid on Vestfold while everyone was busy hogging treasures.

    He focused on something a lot more valuable than treasure.

    That was the future of Norway, a path he was shaping himself but he did not know about Tyr''s ambition.

    Thorgard took being a warrior a lot more seriously, training viciously in hopes of honing his skills to the max. Thorgard knew who he wanted to follow and that was a leader capable of mercy.

    Tyr did not ughter the children even though he had every right to.

    "Tyr, you have been strange since returning¡­" Estrid said, seated on the edge of their marital bed.

    "What do you mean?" Tyr, who was taking off his shirt, questioned his wife.

    Estrid gulped the moment she saw her husband shirtless because it brought a shback of their first night. She sped her thighs shut and gulped.

    She could not get distracted, not now because she had something to do and that was finding out what changed in her husband.

    "You have been distant and you no longer sleep¡­" Estrid said and Tyr sighed the moment he heard this.

    He did not even consider that this was something that could worry an individual but this was what told him that Estrid truly cared for him as a person.

    Tyr had trouble believing this, he began to think that everyone that showed this care hoped to gain something from him and this troubled him.

    He didn''t know his enemies and allies, this made it difficult to sleep.

    "It is hard to fall asleep with such a beautiful woman by my side¡­" Tyrplimented his wife but Estrid was not buying it, she saw through the facade even though thepliment did make her blush.

    She tapped the side of the bed for Tyr toe to sit beside her, Tyr needed to maintain his frame outside and be the hard warrior that everyone thought him to be but not here.

    This is supposed to be his safe space and Estrid had every intention of making it so.

    "Tyr, I love you and what bothers you, bothers me¡­" Estrid said and this caught Tyr off guard because he expected her to scold him about not telling her what was going on.

    "You do not need to tell me what is wrong if you do not wish it but please, do not lie to be okay when you are not. I will always be here for you," Estrid reassured him.

    Tyr squinted his eyes to make sure it was Estrid that was talking, this was far from the girl he saw on Day 1 that had a narcissisticplex.

    "What happened to my wife?" Tyr questioned with suspicion prompting Estrid to giggle as she nudged him slightly.

    "You are my husband now. I will dedicate my life to making you happy." Estrid said and Tyr wanted to put this to the test.

    He had no problem speaking and intended to give her just a tip of the iceberg to see how she digests it.

    "You know¡­ You are right, I am not alright¡­" Tyr said and Estrid''s silence told him that she was listening.

    "I cannot sleep because I keep having a dream¡­ A nightmare would be more urate," Tyr said and this caught Estrid''s attention.

    Tyr was a man that had lived a hard life so it was surprising that something as trivial as a dream could keep him up.

    It had to be something extreme to keep him up and Estrid wanted to know.

    "What is it, Tyr?" Estrid asked and Tyr jerked his head in her direction before saying.

    "My death¡­"

    -

    King Ragnar was proving to be the best King that Vestfold had, hid diplomatic policy and his inclusion of themon people made him highly respected amongst the people but there was a dark side to kingship that Ragnar hated.

    There has been someone that has been attacking Vikings, he did not kill them outright but inflicted injuries on them thatter evolved into their insides melting and turning to rancid grease.

    They were kept alive by the medical expertise of the women that had saved Skarde but barely.

    They had found the man, he was unknown. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    No one knew where he came from or how he got here making people frown upon Ragnar''s immigration policy.

    This man was sentenced to death by Ragnar but he was arrogant, he did not fear death as he had a bargaining chip that not even Ragnar could ignore.

    He offered a cure to the poison he had contorted.

    Ragnar knew if he killed him that the warriors would be sentenced to death as well but the condition for this man to help was immunity.

    Of course, Ragnar could not agree to this because this man was a criminal.

    This was where the tension began as the citizens were against negotiating with this man because they did not know how many more people he had killed.

    They med him for their loved ones dying from unexined illnesses despite this man having nothing to do with it.

    They know had someone to me for their grief and they were taking it.

    King Ragnar did not care about their bickering, he was King and whatever he decided would stand.

    He looked to Skarde for guidance and Skarde advised his friend to go through with the execution.

    This was not just about the warriors but this would show how King Ragnar treated criminals.

    He had to show a firm hand or this would send a message that Ragnar negotiates with them and might make people even bolder tomit atrocities.

    The execution was held and the guillotine dropped, decapitating this man and killing him but this wasn''t what worried Ragnar, it was the looks he got from the Vikings he led.

    He knew that look and that was them doubting his leadership because Ragnar showed how little he valued their lives if he was willing to sacrifice it despite a potential cure existing.

    Ragnar owed it to his men to seek this route but he did not, and thus a divide began.

    Skarde knew this was a possibility and Ragnar''s sweet mouth should be able to quell them but A King is not meant to be liked by everyone.

    He was meant to be respected and Skarde knew that Ragnar held these men''s respect because, in the end, Valha was the goal everyone wished to attain.

    The dying men were in critical condition and Ragnar knew that they would soon die.

    The pain they were in was excruciating, they could not take anymore but Ragnar knew there was something that he could do.

    He could grant them mercy and make sure they entered Valha, these men weed it with a smile on their faces.

    Ragnar ced a sword in their hand, and the Vikings outside knew what was going on inside.

    They did not like it but they understood why Ragnar was doing what he did emotions aside.

    Ragnar killed them himself, there was no greater honour than falling on the sword of a King.

    He could have allowed anyone to do it but he did not.

    Skarde knew he made the right choice because now the warriors saw him in a different light.

    Everyone viewed Ragnar as a nice forgiving King but they forget that he was a King that would put Vestfold above all else, including himself.

    The moment he stepped out of the building the meny, everyone got on one knee to show their respect for their King.

    Ragnar sighed, he did not like the dirty aspect of ruling but he had no choice but to take up this burden himself.

    Ragnar was now focused on Ennd, and this was his primary goal because something told him that this expedition would be key to shaping Tyr into the man that the prophecy had predicted.

    He knew that this was a possibility and the fact that he could not do as he pleased anymore did not please him. Ragnar nned to join this expedition because the enemy might be greater than they thought it to be but they also needed to scout the area first.

    He agreed with Rugalf to assemble a small scouting unit to check the area before going there. This was necessary and they had left Askild out of this n.

    They did not know why Askild told them about thisnd but there was no way he would not be aware of whaty ahead.

    These were Ragnar''s thoughts that he shared with Rugalf. Rugalf did not know much about Ragnar but he understood that Ragnar knew Askild.

    Ruf trusted him and he had epted to send his brother, the general, to lead this scouting party as he had the most experience and could make quick decisions on his feet but he was also sending Tyr to go with him because, for some reason, Ruf knew that this would be a good way for Tyr to earn the approval of his brother as a warrior and not just a husband to Estrid.

 Chapter 383 It Begins...

    ?

    Not much changed after that day and a couple of days went by, King Rugalf and King Ragnar had a change of heart and included Askild in their n.

    They brought him into the fold and as they expected, he was not going on the expedition himself and would rather act as an observer. This decision was based on wanting Bjorn to partake in it and Lagertha advised him to.

    King Ragnar could think of going because he knew that Lagertha was strong enough to eliminate any threat that woulde forth even if she was pregnant.

    There was no way she could tag along, Ragnar forbade it because they have been trying for so long for another child and the fact that she took in was excellent news.

    Ragnar was not going to risk it but something did worry him about Bjorn, he did not know what his son intended to do but he knew it was something that Bjorn had no intention of backing down from. He kept his lips sealed, Bjorn must have had his reasons for not telling Lagertha.

    He respected that decision because Bjorn was no longer a child.

    Ragnar used the days leading up to the expedition to heighten the defences of Vestfold as he also stopped taking in immigrants after that crazy man was put to death.

    He could not risk something endangering his wife because Raganr had a lot more to protect now and that was his third child on the way.

    King Ragnar was assembling his Commanders, Gudleif was one of the more prominent ones because he got along well with everyone but Ragnar knew that the other two in his ranks were two of the most dangerous men he had watched over.

    They were even more dangerous than Erik The Berserker and Ragnar kept them away from Vestfold by giving themnds in one of their smaller territories.

    Unlike Erik, their depravity was confined to their enemies and not their citizens.

    The moment they stepped into Vestfold, even Gudleif could not look them directly in their eyes.

    Everyone greeted them and this was expected as they were revered as the swords of Vestfold.

    They were warriors whose reputation was so terrible that it was erased from the world itself, everyone thought they were a myth but they were real.

    Baard was a man with a long woven brown beard that had a sharp metal shard at the tip, his hair was just as long and styled in the same way as his beard with a sharp metal shard at the tip.

    The other one had their face covered from head to toe with bandages except her torso but it was obvious from the chest that this was ady.

    She had average-sized breasts and a rather fit stomach, abs breaking through it.

    No one knew what to call her, she never had a name and only responded to Baard.

    This was why they were always together and everyone began to call them the "Masochistic Duo" even though they have not shown that they do in fact like pain.

    Baard and thedy got in front of King Ragnar and got on one knee, Ragnar was delighted that they were there as he thought about leaving Vestfold under their protection and taking Gudleif but he needed their strength.

    King Ragnar decided to do the opposite and that was leaving Gudleif while taking these two with him. One thing he knew with them around was the enemy would never get close to him as they were extremely loyal to Ragnar.

    Ragnar found them locked up when he assumed the throne of Vestfold and he knew that they were war criminals but their crimes were directed towards their enemies,

    Asmund had condemned them here because he knew what fate awaited him if they ever saw him as their enemy.

    They would most certainlye for his head and not being a fan of their method or way of life, it was only a matter of time before this happens.

    -

    Ruf was content with what was going on and left Grj?tgard in charge of it, one could say it was Grj?tgard that influenced the decision to include Askild on this expedition.

    Grj?tgard knew he had to show Askild that he was an ally or things might fall apart before they even began. It did not take much convincing from Rugalf to make Ragnar agree.

    Skarde was a man that saw past emotions and hostility, he agreed with the Gardssons that ostracizing Kattegat was not in their best interest.

    Grj?tgard had no ns on taking Vegard with him despite the young warrior''s insistence and with their enemy in d seemingly standing down as they had withdrawn their troops from a foreignnd and back in d.

    This meant that they could allocate more fighting power to this expedition and Rugalf nned to do just that, He did not just send Grj?tgard, but Salgard and Thorgard as well.

    He sent three of his brothers because he knew that with Salgard and Grj?tgard there.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    They would most certainly return and this in turn will give everyone peace of mind,

    Tyr was supposed to stay back but he did not agree to this and told Rugalf outright that he wanted to explorends beyond Norway.

    Rugalf knew better than to stand in the way of a man''s ambition for a man''s ambition is what gave him that fire.

    The gods must have brought him back to life because they saw a fate that muste to pass.

    Maybe that fate was to conquer Ennd? Rugalf was not much of a superstitious man but he slowly began to believe in this idea each passing day.

    He wanted to exclude Tyr because the young warrior looked terrible, the eye bags were more defined and he had lost weight as well.

    The night he told Estrid he could not sleep, she did not try tofort him or tell him that things would be better.

    All she did was instruct him toe over to bed and she wrapped her arms around him, making Tyr the little spoon as they cuddled and for some strange reason, this seemed to do the trick.

    Tye slept like a baby and that was for one reason alone, he felt safe around her.

    Estrid had been gone for a few days however as she went to further her study on medicine so she could be of use to her husband if he ever fell ill.

    She did not like feeling helpless and maybe with the right herbs, she could help him sleep as well. Tyr found that with this he would be dependent on his wife and this was something he did not like the idea of.

    He had a taste of this and now found himself wanting more like an addict waiting for his next fix.

    Tyr knew he had to go on this expedition but what was this recurring nightmare that had the warrior shook?

    -

    King Askild got the invitation and he knew that Grj?tgard had a hand to y in it.

    He allowed Bjorn to lead the expedition but he nned on having Rolf tag alongside him.

    This was to keep a watchful eye on him after Liv told Askild about the series of discussions she had with the young warrior.

    He wanted Ulf to tag along but he did not want to risk his pawn falling in battle or his n for d might fall apart.

    Askild was meticulous in his nning and how Vestfold fell was proof of this.

    He was a man that could outsmart Asmund, a seasoned warrior and strategist, this was no small feat but one could say Asmund''s leniency was what brought about his downfall.

    A man of honour but honour knows no ce in war, Asmund learned this through his death.

    Liv had whispered in Bjorn''s ear that she wanted to break free from her husband, Bjorn mistook her for the missing piece in his n because Liv had genuine reasons to hate Askild.

    He was the cause for her family''s downfall and her hatred for him was not news.

    Everyone knew she hated him, she became a shadow of herself hence Bjorn making a mistake that would prove to be fatal.

    He guaranteed Liv that she would soon be free of Askild but this was all he said, he did not go into details because she had no business knowing it but the message was clear.

    Bjorn was scheduled to meet her one on one again to exin what he meant but he was a no-show seeing as Askild was back.

    Askild knew what Bjorn meant by this, Bjorn nned to take his life but Askild was not worried as the warrior did not have the skills to enact this.

    Askild was good at ying pretend, the old Askild would have executed or tortured him on the spot but he saw the fruit of that when Kattegat fell and people turned against him.

    That, and Bjorn was the son of a King, he could not act carelessly when it came to him.

    This was what happened during the days leading up to the expedition.

 Chapter 384 Northumbria? Here We Come!

    ?

    The boats were off as they left the coast of Norway but the number of warriors was easily over 300 men and women.

    King Ragnar was joining the expedition and that meant that the morality of the army would be at an all-time high.

    Ragnar left Vestfold in good hands, as they were all on separate boats.

    Tyr and Bjorn hid their excitement, they had to because their men would pick up on this.

    Their father was going to join them for the first time in forever and they were eager to prove themselves.

    This was a fragment of their army but it would do to send a strong message that they were not to be messed with, Ragnar also wanted to see the threat that they possessed with his own eyes.

    Bjorn journeyed on the same boat with his brother even though it was not advised as he needed to watch over his men but also because he needed to talk to his brother.

    Tyr was instructing his men how to navigate the sea, the waves were gentle enforcing the belief that the gods ordained this quest.

    "Tyr, you have been acting strange¡­" Bjorn said as he sat beside his brother but Tyr wasn''t paying him much attention.

    "Strange in what sense?" Tyr asked, the tone he used was unfamiliar. It was like he was talking to a stranger.

    "You have been strange ever since our expedition," Bjorn muttered.

    "Hahaha! It is all in your head brother but I want to know if there is anything you would like to tell me," Tyr said, changing the conversation and shifting the momentum against Bjorn.

    "I actually do but I want to know that it is still my brother I am talking to," Bjorn needed reassurance that his brother was still with him.

    "It is I. Tyr the undead and kingyer!" Tyr tried his best to be upbeat but this was an act Bjorn saw through. He did not want to push further as what he wanted to tell him was far more important.

    "It is about Askild and Kattegat¡­" Bjorn said and this had Tyr''s attention.

    "Askild? No more King?" Tyr asked in a mocking tone but Bjorn could sense the hostility in this joke.

    "I have a n to get rid of Askild. I have made allies that support my cause. I also have a feeling that Liv would be on our side," Bjorn said. Tyr was surprised that his brother was still on board despite renewing his loyalty to Askidl but what was more surprising was that he was letting this information loose with anyone willing to listen.

    "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Tyr asked the moment he heard this, this was not the reaction that Bjorn was expecting and the surprised look on his face was evidence.

    "What?" Bjorn involuntarily muttered.

    "Liv!? Why would you tell the woman that is most loyal to the man I want dead?" Tyr questioned Bjorn but if he was mad at this then he did not know how he would react to the other news.

    "Tyr, you can be madter but there is a lot more I still need to tell you," Bjorn was taking a firm stance, he was not going to let Tyr''s tantrum or attitude throw him off.

    Tyr was not the only one allowed to have a say in these things, Tyr had his way and Bjorn had his,

    It was about time his younger brother realized this and Bjorn had enough.

    "King Xenophanes¡­ King Xenophanes had a son," Bjorn said but Tyr did not believe this.

    "That is impossible," Tyr shut it down immediately, he was not going to entertain this foolishness any further.

    " I did not believe this too at first but he had more to lose than gain revealing that information to me because if Askild found out his identity¡­" Bjorn said, pausing momentarily.

    "Tyr, I have one more thing to say¡­" Bjorn was dropping all the information he had umted since theyst saw in the icy environments of a distantnd.

    "I am afraid your life might be in danger," Bjorn said and for the first time, he saw fear in his brother''s eyes.

    "W-What do you mean?" Tyr looked panicked and Bjorn picked up on this.

    "Are you okay brother?" Bjorn asked but Tyr did not answer his question.

    All he wanted from Bjorn was the answer to his question and now.

    He did not need any other thing because that was the most pressing matter.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "Tell me!" Tyr eximed and Bjorn heaved a frustrated sigh as he proceeded to tell him everything that Reidar told him about the Berserker n and the prophecy that they believed woulde to pass.

    Tyr knew without a doubt that his dream was connected to this but it made him anxious because if he was dying in these dreams then there was no doubt that his strength was not enough to survive the threat that his future self was about to face.

    Tyr just chuckled, Bjorn also told him about the condition that Reidar had given them and how he would side with him and this was when Tyr cracked.

    "Bjorn, do you think me a fool?" Tyr questioned him but this caught his older brother off guard.

    "Never! You are a lot of things but a fool is not one," Bjorn was stern.

    "So why do you continue to lie to me?" Tyr asked, looking his brother right in the eyes.

    "What the hell are you talking about?" Bjorn questioned his brother.

    "You sided with Askild against me, you not only renewed your vow with him but you also informed him about my n to take his head," Tyr finally spoke about things that have been building up inside him.

    "I did that because Askild requested it, not because I wanted to. That is not surprising considering I am the one he has entrusted to lead this expedition¡­ I never spoke to Askild about you, he never brought you up and I never had a need to either," Bjorn responded with a raised brow.

    Tyr did not give him a verbal response and simply rummaged through his pockets to bring out a crumpled piece of paper.

    It was the message that Askild had passed onto him, he showed Bjorn and Bjorn looked even more confused because this could mean multiple things but the fact that Tyr thought that it was Bjorn betraying finally revealed how little he trusted his brother.

    "That has nothing to do with me," Bjorn said bluntly but something told him there was no need to verbally say so because Tyr already looked like he believed him.

    "That cunning bastard¡­" Tyr muttered under his breath with a grin.

    "He knew I would react this way if he did what he did¡­ Fuck, he is good!" Tyr looked proud of Askild.

    "Bjorn, my dear brother, I am sorry for ever doubting you but it seems that our belief in each other is not as strong as we believe," Tyr said and Bjorn looked disappointed in this.

    "I know¡­ I do not believe ou-!" Bjorn was cut short as Tyr did not allow him to finish his sentence.

    "We will have to work harder on fixing that broken bridge but I am going to start by trusting you. Deal with Askild as you will, I give you my full trust. And I believe everything you have just told me," Tyr said. Bjorn was about to suggest that they both walk away from each other if they could not build the trust but Tyr was not letting go of their bond.

    "There is something I need to tell you too," Tyr said to which he proceeded to tell Bjorn about his nightmares, the dream where he was cut down by a warrior mounted on a horse.

    This warrior was a silhouette, it had no distinctive feature that was identifiable.

    "The dreams started ever since we got back from the raid.." Tyr said.

    "Maybe the Christian God is punishing you," Bjonr joked but this was a joke that Tyr did not find funny.

    "Too soon¡­?" Bjorn asked.

    "What do you fucking think?" Tyr fired back prompting his older brother tough, the tension in the air had been cleared and all it took was something as simple asmunicating.

    The misunderstanding had been cleared up and this was excellent because something told Tyr that they would need to trust each other for this expedition to be a sess.

    -

    Northumbria had strengthened its borders with their warrior bishops waiting on standby.

    But this was not the only worrying thing because these people had boats and not just any kind of boats, they had ships, warships.

    These ships were equipped with weapons and this meant that they intended to take the battle to the sea, a battle that the Vikings were ill-equipped to handle.

    And the man in charge of this fleet was known as Bishop Calvin and he was a very dangerous man who took his religious beliefs to the extreme.

    "Praise God¡­" These were the only words that left the mouth of the mysterious bishop.

 Chapter 385 Row! Row! Row Your Boat!

    ?

    "King Ragnar, we will soon be arriving!" A Viking said; this was the man in charge of the navigation as not every Viking could traverse the seas.

    The water was gentle, their fleet was not threatened by the wave.

    Hagen has been focusing on his family but Floki was worried about his son.

    Unlike his daughter, Floki was beginning to show that he was more of a trickster than a warrior.

    His wife did not share the same concern as she saw this behaviour as normal, Floki was still a child but his trickery was bing more and more worrisome.

    Hagen left him in Kattegat as he did not know what kind of tricks his son would pull if he brought him on this expedition.

    Hagen joined the moment he heard Ragnar wasing, but the thing about this was that Ragnar had built the boats that Hagen had given him the blueprint for when he returned to Kattegat.

    He was amazed by how beautiful the boats looked even though his pride did not allow him to be epted as a superior product but rather, inferior.

    Night had fallen and Hagen was one of the few warriors that opted to stay awake despite the weather being chilly.

    They needed their rest because they did not know how long it was going to take to get to Northumbria. After all, this was an unexplorednd.

    The Vikings found themselves shaking with excitement, it has been forever since they fought like this. Side by side against people that were not of theirnd.

    Heck, this was the first time for most of them so they were filled with excitement.

    Hagen had his eyes on Rolf, Rolf was quiet and never spoke to anyone about anything.

    He did not even look at them, he was trapped in his little world.

    Humming and humming but that was the only thing he did. Rolf did not even sleep, he just looked at the vast sea. The air was humid and the water calm, it was like a meditative sort of ritual for Rolf.

    Hagen did not know this boy''s origin but he was young; for him to rise through the ranks as quickly as he did could only mean he had potential equal to or greater than that of the Ragnarssons.

    Hagen was disappointed that Ulf was not selected, no one knew of his attempt to try and kiss Lagertha for it was kept among themselves.

    But the trial that he vited the wife of another man almost ruined him but he managed to escape this.

    Hagen needed to feed his curiosity and sat beside Rolf, who did not even pay any attention to his presence.

    "I have not seen you around," Hagen started a conversation but the moment he said this, Rolf got up, walked a couple of paces away from him and sat down once again.

    He continued humming but this time, rocking his head back and forth.

    He had no interest in a conversation and he was making it known.

    Hagen heaved a frustrated sigh, these youngsters were so rude and if he was younger, he would have definitely smacked some sense into him but their time wasing to an end.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Hagen realized he did invade his personal space so he had every right to react the way he did.

    But he noticed one thing that was constant with this man and that was where he was looking.

    Despite changing location, his eyes were still fixed at the same ce.

    Hagen looked in that direction and noticed he was looking at the boat that Bjorn and Tyr were in.

    He understood that the Ragnarssons were warriors that were respected but something told him that this was not the case.

    -

    Salgard watched the brothers in suspicion, he did not like that Bjorn was there because even if they were the children of Ragnar they had to follow protocol.

    They were not above the rules and the only reason that Grj?tgard allowed this was because he did not see any harm in it.

    Grj?tgard was a seasoned warrior that Salgard never questioned no matter what, this was the sort of respect that he held for his brother.

    Salgard noticed how excited Thorgard looked and this was a look he did not like because it meant that he was being influenced by external factors.

    Grj?tgard liked this because it gave Thorgard a goal to reach, with rivals his potential was endless.

    Tyr was curious to see how strong Grj?tgard was because he usually had a read on warriors but the feeling he got when he looked at this man was the same he felt when he looked at Gissur during their first exchange.

    Everything in his body told him not to touch whatever this man was or he would be destroyed, it was an instinct that drove him.

    The boats were getting closer and closer but they would not have arrived until a couple of days.

    Thorgard joined the Ragnarssons conversation, he felt awkward but he knew what he needed to do.

    He wanted to be among them, he wanted them to recognize him as a brother because unlike his, these were his age mates with aplishments he might never see in this life.

    Thorgard sat between them with a loud thump disrupting whatever conversation was ongoing in the process.

    The brothers looked at him with confusion because he had no reason to do this.

    "Hey, brothers!" Thorgard greeted excitedly and Tyr could not help but smile.

    Thorgard was the Gardsson he liked the most because he reminded him of how he was during simpler times.

    "Hey right back at you!" Tyr greeted him with Bjorn chuckling, the atmosphere changed as they wanted Thorgard to feel among them. They did not want him to feel left out because he was the future of the Gardssons with them being the future of the Ragnarssons so this would provide a bond for future generations. This would prove to serve as a link to make them allies for generations toe.

 Chapter 386 Days At Sea!

    ?

    Days passed and they were still at sea, the warriors began to question if there was trulynd beyond as they were told.

    Hunger was setting in as the provisions were running low, things were not looking good.

    This was the quickest way to destroy an army, hunger does things to the mind and body that were out of one''s control.

    Everyone was afflicted by it but they kept their mouth shut as they believed that there was something at the end of this journey that would make everything worth it.

    Or so it was believed.

    "I CANNOT TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" A Viking shouted but this was a Viking in Tyr''s boat.

    It was one of his own, he was losing his mind and no one could me him.

    "WE HAVE BEEN TRAVELING FOR DAYS AND WE ARE YET TO SEE LAND! WE ARE SAILING TO OUR DEATHS!" The manined as everyone silently listened to him vent.

    If he was that frustrated, he should prioritize conserving his strength yet here he was, making a scene.

    Tyr thought he should say something but he was not the leader and something told him that Grj?tgard would not appreciate that.

    He looked over his shoulder and Bjorn was fast asleep, this was the most effective way to conserve one''s strength and that was hibernating.

    Tyr gulped, he hated that he could not sleep or he would dream about his death once again.

    This instilled a feeling of fear in his heart, it was not dying that frightened him but rather how he died that troubled him.

    Everyone was quiet, this man was saying what they all thought and Grj?tgard knew it.

    This was thest thing they needed and that was discord, Grj?tgard knew he had to squash it before it escted.

    Grj?tgard got up to his feet and walked towards the man, the man was spouting nonsense and did not see Grj?tgard approach him because his back was turned to Grj?tgard.

    A looming shadow forced the words from his mouth to halt as he turned out to see the gigantic Grj?tgard looking down at him.

    "G-General¡­" The man muttered in fear but Grj?tgard did not say a single word, he just stared nkly at him.

    Tyr was watching, he wanted to see how he would handle himself, the best course of action would be to kill him to serve as a warning to the others yet Grj?tgard just stood there without saying a word.

    The man submitted and did not utter another word as he quietly sat back down.

    Grj?tgard had everyone''s attention as he intended, this included his brothers.

    Grj?tgard took a deep breath. Inhaling like he wanted to swallow the sea.

    "AAARRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Grj?tgard screamed at the top of his lungs and his voice echoed far into the distance.

    Everyone was jolted awake, and even the boats around wondered what had happened for such a scream to be released.

    Everyone sleeping jolted awake as Bjorn reached for his sword, mistaking this for an attack but as his eyes cleared, he saw nothing of that sort.

    "You have me, I will share the same fate as you all. If the gods will us to die by sea, I could not have asked for better men to die with but I do not believe the gods will take us now so no one should be rmed.," This was all Grj?tgard said and the effect it had was enormous.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Everyone calmed down immediately with the man that had just thrown a tantrum looking away in shame.

    Tyr was amazed, the authority and presence he held was like nothing he had seen before.

    The scream gave him goosebumps and Tyr realized why this man was so respected.

    It was not because of his bloodline or rtion to King Ruf but rather because he had the traits fitting for a King.

    Grj?tgard turned to Tyr, and Tyr did not know why but he averted his gaze the moment they made eye contact.

    "My brother is awesome, is he not?" Thorgard bragged.

    "He sure shouts a lot!" Bjorn was frustrated because his sleep was disrupted and he knew he would have problems falling asleep again.

    This was going to be another long night but Tyr was intrigued as a smirk creased his face.

    "He is magnificent¡­" Tyr responded and this caught Bjorn by surprise.

    He jolted his head to look at Tyr and noticed that his brother''s eyes were not one of admiration but rather, one of depravity.

    Whatever was in Tyr''s mind, it was nothing good.

    Tyr was a warrior that craved battle, this has been ingrained into him and his fights until now proved to him that he could not die.

    Tyr was a strange warrior and that was the fact that he could assimte and somewhat steal the fighting styles of others after fighting with them a couple of times.

    This was why his potential was limitless but what made Bjorn have simr potential?

    This was yet to be seen but Bjorn right now was Tyr''s equal from what has been seen so far.

    "Tyr¡­'' A voice called, this was the repulsive voice of Salgard.

    Tyr did not like this man but he understood that he could be trusted as Estrid confided in him.

    THorgard''s bodynguage did not tense up at the mere presence of his older brother telling Tyr that something had changed while they were in Rognd.

    Salgard gestured for the young warrior to follow him, Tyr did not understand how this man could still move about as he did because he could barely get on his feet as it was.

    Tyr mustered thest energy he had in him and walked towards Salgard.

    "What is it?" Tyr asked, he was freaked out by how Salgard always smiled but who was not?

    "Tyr Ragnarsson¡­ We have a long journey ahead. Do tell me¡­" Salgard said, pausing momentarily.

    "... How did you kill Sighvatur and Stu?" Salgard asked. Tyr realized that the reason that Salgard had called him over was for him to be his entertainment with his story.

    Tyr wanted to be stubborn and decline but he realized that this might be a good opportunity to ease some of the tension that existed between them.

 Chapter 387 A Couple Of Days More...

    ?

    Tyr willingly divulged the information Salgard sought, recounting not just the answers he sought, but also sharing the tale of his rise through the ranks. As the words flowed from Tyr''s lips, a spark of genuine admiration flickered in Salgard''s eyes, impressed by the intricacy of Tyr''s journey. Yet, amidst the fascination, a seed of caution began to grow within Salgard''s mind.

    The borate scheme Tyr had orchestrated to climb the ranks left Salgard wary of how cunning Tyr was. If Tyr could mastermind such aplex n, who was to say what other borate schemes he might have in store, especially when it came to Rognd. Salgard couldn''t ignore the possibility that Tyr''s intentions might not align with their interests.

    Tyr was careless, he lost himself in the narrative, momentarily forgetting the delicate bnce of trust and suspicion that existed between him and Salgard. He was taking a risk, exposing vulnerabilities to a man who could easily be his enemy tomorrow. However, this was Tyr''s subtle way of conveying to Salgard that he was willing to let down his guard, hoping to build a foundation of mutual trust between them.

    "I knew you could not best them inbat alone with your current skills¡­" Salgard spoke, disappointment evident in his voice, as if expecting more from Tyr.

    "I heard you beat them alone, how did you manage something that ridiculous?" Tyr inquired, this was why he chose to open up to Salgard with the hope of gaining valuable insights in return. Salgard''s smiled in response but this seemed different.

    "Sighvatur was a strong warrior, but his son was the real freak of nature," he acknowledged, giving credit where it was due, although he had initially belittled these warriors when talking about them to Tyr.

    Tyr couldn''t help but wonder about Salgard''s own strength, realizing that it could never match that of his older brothers. The idea of fighting as a team was deemed a weakness by Salgard, a notion that Tyr understood all too well. When fighting together, they had to rely on one another, and if the teamcked synergy, they became vulnerable as they dragged each other down.

    However, the conversation took a turn when Tyr confronted Salgard about something that had clearly unnerved him in the past. The question was direct, and Salgard''s interest in the conversation seemed to wane, perhaps hinting that certain matters were best left untouched. Tyr sensed the shift in Salgard''s demeanor, realizing that he had touched upon a sensitive subject.

    This was the question about the thing that frightened him during that journey.

    Despite the momentary tension, the exchange between Tyr and Salgard had revealed more than just stories of their past. As the voyage continued, the unspoken understanding between the two men would shape the course of their future actions, and whether it would lead to an alliance or an eventual sh of wills remained uncertain.

    -

    King Ragnar was taken aback by the sudden, piercing scream that echoed through the air, but he quickly reassured himself that there was likely nothing to worry about, given that his sons were also on the boat. As a King on this expedition, he felt a responsibility for the safety of all those aboard his vessel.

    Among the boats in the fleet, King Ragnar''s stood out as the most unique, boasting mounted arrows that served as unconventional cannons.

    While he was pleased with this addition, he hadn''t anticipated encountering anybat while at sea. The prospect of violence on the open waters was not a weing thought.

    However, Baard, one of the men in King Ragnar''s crew, seemed more agitated by the situation. He gripped a spear, ready tounch it towards the boat from which the scream had originated. Yet, King Ragnar intervened, uttering just a few words that were enough to quell Baard''s aggressive stance.

    "They are not a threat," Ragnar calmly stated, relying on his authority and wisdom to sway the impulsive man. He knew that if Baard followed through with his spear-throwing idea, it could lead to disastrous consequences, potentially capsizing the other boat.

    Baard was known for his unpredictable and rash behavior, but under King Ragnar''s guidance, he respected and obeyed the King like a child would heed their father''s word. Ragnar was thankful that his authority held sway over Baard''s wild impulses.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    The unsettling noise had certainly left an impression on them all. Baard, the more vocal one,mented on the strangeness of the sound, while ady who was part of the duo remained silent. Her gaze was fixated on King Ragnar, almost as if she could cut through the very air that surrounded him with her intense stare.

    King Ragnar felt increasingly ufortable under her unyielding gaze, trying to meet her eyes in a contest of wills, but she refused to back down. Unustomed to such direct and prating stares, Ragnar found himself breaking eye contact multiple times, not being a fan of this sort of unnerving intensity.

    As hunger gnawed at them and the fatigue from their journey weighed heavily on the crew, Baard appeared to be the only one who managed to maintain his energy and alertness.

    -

    Hagen and hispanions were startled by the loud, piercing scream that tore through the air. Even Rolf, who seemed stoic andposed until then, was shaken enough to leap to his feet, trying to catch a glimpse of the boat where the sound had originated.

    As Hagen observed the situation, he couldn''t shake the feeling that this was not a mere coincidence. Someone was intentionally keeping a close eye on Bjorn, and Hagen suspected that it was none other than King Askild who had ordered Rolf to do just that. This discovery only served to pique Hagen''s curiosity further.

    "You are a jumpy fe," Hagen remarked, but his words went unnoticed by Rolf, who remained preupied with his unwavering vignce over Bjorn. It had been days since Rolf uttered a single word, leaving Hagen uncertain whether the man even slept. Thest image he saw before falling asleep and the first upon waking was Rolf keeping a hawk-like watch over Bjorn, leaving him to wonder if Rolf ever rested during that time.

    Hagen finally grew impatient with the enigmatic stranger and decided to confront him about his behavior. He rose to his feet, positioning himself squarely in front of Rolf, who appeared to be agitated, attempting to peer around Hagen.

    Undeterred, Hagen adjusted his stance to block Rolf''s line of sight.

    ".... Move," Rolf finally spoke, his tone authoritative andmanding.

    "Ha! I knew you spoke," Hagen retorted with a light-hearted jest, trying to ease the tension, but Rolf remained stern and unamused.

    "Move or I will kill you," Rolf issued a direct threat, but his words did little to unnerve Hagen. He had seen his fair share of battles and challenges, far surpassing the experiences of this young man, which only added to Hagen''s irritation. Rolf''s arrogance rubbed him the wrong way, and he felt the need to bring him down a notch or two.

    Despite the brewing tension, Hagen chose not to engage in a physical altercation on the boat. Instead, he decided to keep a close watch on Rolf, recognizing that this man had other motives.

    Their boat,rger than the others apanying them, afforded Hagen some room to move around.

    "You are a hot blooded one, aren''t you?" Hagen said as he found himself stepping away from Rolf, knowing that fighting amongst themselves on this voyage would be foolish and counterproductive.

 Chapter 388 War At Sea

    ?

    As the first light of day broke, the Vikingsy in slumber, oblivious to the imminent danger that lurked nearby. Abruptly, their peaceful rest was shattered by a piercing scream from one of the warriors.

    "ENEMIES AHEAD!" The cry rang out, jolting Ragnar from his sleep. His eyes snapped open, a mix of confusion and concern filling his gaze. How could they be facing foes while still at sea?

    Reacting swiftly, King Ragnar sprung to his feet, scanning the surroundings for any signs of threat. Ahead, an unfamiliar boat with a distinctive shape blocked their path, serving as a barricade against their advance.

    What set this boat apart was the dense wood used to construct it allowing it to withstand blunt force, it wasn''t created for sailing and the assault began.

    These warriors had coated the arrowheads with oil-soaked cloth and set them aze,unching a deadly rain of fire down upon the Viking boats. The uracy of their attack was uncanny, leaving the Vikings with little chance to avoid the loss of a few vessels.

    A few were forced to abandon their boats and take to the water, the Vikings struggled against the powerful currents. Their foes wasted no time and swiftly attacked with spears, ending the lives of those who couldn''t help but be washed up right in front of them.

    Recognizing the dire threat posed by the enemy''s strategy, Ragnar sprang into action, determined to rectify the situation. However, during this momentary distraction, an arrow descended menacingly upon him from above.

    Yet, King Ragnar was never one to leave his fate to chance. He had surrounded himself with loyal and trustworthy individuals, among them, the dependable Baard. In an astonishing disy of bravery, Baard leaped into the air, catching the descending arrow between his teeth and extinguishing the mes with his tongue, despite suffering burns that didn''t seem to bother him.

    With the arrowhead spat out shortly after, Ragnar''sposure remained unshaken, for he knew he was surrounded by people who would go to great lengths to ensure his safety. The battle raged on, and as the sh of steel and war cries echoed around him, Ragnar stood firm, ready to lead his loyal warriors into the heart of battle.

    "These bastards!" Baard''s expression contorted into a mask of fury as he witnessed the audacious attack on Ragnar. This was precisely what Ragnar had anticipated ¨C he had deliberately left himself vulnerable to provoke such a reaction.

    Baard had little tolerance for insolence, and hissck ofprehension of sarcasm or the unique rtionship dynamic that Ragnar shared with his friends; most especially Skarde, would have cost Skarde his life long ago if not for Ragnar''s intervention to send him away.

    Those who dared to be rude or insult Ragnar often met a swift end at the hands of Baard''s de. He seemed like a man possessed, with "Ragnar" being the only word that triggered his wrath.

    Though Baard appeared enraged, thedy by his side eclipsed his fury. She was livid at the mere sight of an arrow aimed in the direction of her King.

    With a newfound assurance, Ragnar settled back into his sitting position. He realized that the threat might not be as dire as he initially feared, especially with the loyal and ferocious warriors at his side. The enemy had chosen an ill-fated day tounch their attack, for Ragnar''s defenders were not to be trifled with.

    -<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "Shield Wall!" Salgard''s powerfulmand echoed over the tumultuous sea, and the warriors acted with swiftly, forming an imprable barrier with their shields. The shower of arrows harmlessly rebounded off this formidable canopy, cascading into the waters below. It was a calcted defense, sparing their lives and preventing needless casualties in the face of the enemy''s deadly assault.

    Among the determined warriors, Thorgard''s fervor burned brightly. He sought not only to impress Ragnar''s esteemed sons but also to earn the respect of his own brothers. He yearned for more than just physical strength; he aspired to be the mightiest among them. Secretly, he envied the reverence and admiration others bestowed upon his brothers, as if they were gods reborn. Such respect held immeasurable value in his eyes.

    Bjorn and Tyr found themselves taken aback by the sight of the enemy''s boat. It served as a devastating blockade, causing multiple boats to collide into it. The number of spears and skilled archers on board thwarted any attempt to board their foe''s boat, denying them any foothold to engage inbat.

    Tyr''s mind raced as he assessed the rapidly deteriorating situation. Each passing second added to their peril, and the entire fleet''s fate hung in the bnce. The gravity of the threat was something they couldn''t afford to underestimate, and Tyr felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on him.

    "This is bad...!" Tyr muttered to himself.

    In the face of this challenge at sea, Tyr acknowledged the necessity of trust and the council of others. But he also recognized that, as a leader, he must consider all possibilities, no matter how improbable they seemed. Even the unthinkable, such as the fall of his father, Ragnar, had to be entertained. The burden of leadership demanded not only trust but also independent action incase that trust should fail.

    "Brother! What can we do!?" Bjorn''s voice brought Tyr back to the present. The urgency of the situation required quick thinking, and Tyr was determined to leave no stone unturned in his quest for a solution.

    Tyr''s mind raced, and though uncertainty clouded his thoughts, he knew they must act. Trust and camaraderie were vital, but now was the moment when his own ingenuity and decisiveness would be put to the ultimate test.

    As they rapidly approached the boat, Tyr knew they faced the same peril as theirrades. Leaping onto the enemy boat would surely lead to a deadly encounter with the spears, and even he, as a valiant warrior, could not emerge unscathed. It was too early to be reckless, for caution and strategic thinking were important.

    On the other hand, Grj?tgard seemed unperturbed by the unfolding crisis. He viewed the enemy blockade as an opportunity, knowing that once they closed in on the opposing vessel, a close-range assault would be possible. He understood that this blockade aimed to diminish their fighting power, but he had witnessed their sess in mitigating this thus far and maintained hisposure.

    However, Grj?tgard''s calm demeanor quickly shifted to worry as he caught sight of Tyr and Bjorn plunging overboard. Perplexed, he rushed to their aid, determined to get them out of the water but he was toote.

    "Search for the Ragnarssons!" Grj?tgard''s urgent cry resonated, but anxiety gnawed at him as he realized that neither of the brothers resurfaced. A deep concern took hold as he slowly grasped that their dive might not have been voluntary.

    The fact that they weren''t resurfacing could only mean one thing, that they had drowned.

 Chapter 389 Recklessness

    ?

    Grj?tgard was not the only one who had noticed the dire situation unfolding; Rolf had also caught on to the perilous scene. With a surge of anxiety, Rolf swiftly rose to his feet and cast an urgent gaze over the water, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of Bjorn. In his mind, Tyr held little significance, so saving him was not even a consideration.

    "Bjorn!" Rolf''s voice rang out in a desperate scream, and Hagen mirrored the intensity of his expression as he sprang to his feet.

    "What happened!?" Hagen inquired, and surprisingly, Rolf''s typically haughty demeanor seemed to vanish in that moment.

    "I cannot see him! He fell over!" Rolf''s response wasced with concern. As much as he wished to plunge into the water and assist Bjorn, he knew that would only seal his own fate.

    Rolf had witnessed the dreadful oue that awaited those who dared to venture into those treacherous waters. He was not about to jeopardize his life to save someone who wouldn''t reciprocate the same sacrifice.

    Yet, the urgency in Rolf''s actions conveyed a crucial piece of information to Hagen - whatever Askild had assigned Rolf to do, it was intricately tied to Bjorn''s safety.

    Askild''s intention wasn''t as important as their current predicament, for there was no way that Ragnar wouldn''t notice the ensuring chaos. Despite being seated, Ragnar''s men diligently worked, utilizing their new invention and unleashing a barrage of arrows with a force surpassing that of a human archer.

    The arrows proved to be not only powerful but incredibly swift as well. Baard took charge, dropping his hand, and the arrows were set loose from the weapons mounted on the boat, a feat made possible by Hagen''s ingenious blueprint.

    As Hagen observed his creation in awe, he couldn''t help but wonder if Ragnar had somehow modified his design. The effectiveness of the arrows tearing through the shield defense erected by the men seemed imusible with his own design, yet it was happening right before his very eyes hence his conclusion.

    "The bowstring! It was the bowstring!" Hagen eximed, his face lighting up with a smile. Ragnar had opted for a thicker string, significantly enhancing both the arrow''s range and strength. However, this choice came with a downside - tying such a string required extraordinary strength, a feat his men seemed to possess, at least those in charge of the weapons.

    But there was a catch; during the recharge process, they became vulnerable due to the intricacies of knotting the thicker string. Baard, though, wasn''t about to underestimate the situation.

    "Shield wall!" Baardmanded the men, and they promptly formed a protective barrier, shielding themselves from the iing arrows.

    Baard knew that this tactic would buy them some time, but they couldn''t afford to linger. He retrieved the spear he had intended to throw at Bjorn''s boat earlier, knowing they were about to make contact in less than two minutes. Stepping out of the defense line, he focused on the boat ahead.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Arrows descended upon Baard the moment he became visible, he was a hard man to miss. However, he disyed remarkable skill, effortlessly deflecting each arrow with his expertly wielded spear. The way he handled the weapon almost seemed as if the spears were maized, drawing the arrows towards them. But, in truth, it was a testament to Baard''s unmatched proficiency with the spear.

    "My turn..." Baard dered, taking several calcted steps back before sprinting forward and hurling the spear with all his might. The spear sliced through the air, defying resistance as though even the fabric of space couldn''t hinder its trajectory. Upon impact with the boat, the spear cracked its hull, causing damage that led to water rapidly seeping inside.

    Though the boat didn''t split in two, it had taken enough damage, and the water flooding in posed a significant threat to the thirty men aboard. Baard realized that the challenge wasn''t merely making contact with the boat; it was about boarding it with the least amount of casualties.

    As the situation escted, King Ragnar rose to his feet, grasping his sword firmly in hand. The time hade for him to take charge of his men himself.

    -

    "Hahaha! God is on our side, warriors! Do not let these Pagans get past you, even if it costs you your life! The holynd must not be desecrated by these vermins!" A man in light armor, undoubtedly their leader, rallied his troops, and their morale soared to new heights.

    In stark contrast, the Vikings found themselves at a disadvantage. The Christians were adept at engaging inbat with fewer numbers while still inflicting maximum damage. Bishop Calvin''s strategic genius was evident, and the Vikings''ck of experience in sea battles was proving to be a costly weakness.

    However, their wellid ns were about to be disrupted. From the other side of the boat, an unexpected hand gripped its edge, catching everyone off guard. The focus had been solely on the Vikings in front of them, leaving no room for this unforeseen turn of events.

    This hand undoubtedly belonged to Bjorn, and his other hand tightly clutched onto something - it was Tyr. Tyr hadplete faith in Bjorn''s abilities, especially in matters of strength, and he was right to do so. Bjorn''s physical prowess far exceeded his own, making him perfect for the n he had conjured up on the spot. Tyr knew he wouldn''t be able to grab on to the boat''s edge while submerged in water; he knew the limits of his abilities, whereas Bjorn had managed to do so despite the odds.

    With a disy of immense strength, Bjorn hoisted Tyr up into the air and out of the water, using the enemy''s blind spot to their advantage. As Tyrnded, he wasted no time in burying both of his axes into the back of the first enemy in sight. The sudden attack drew all the adversaries'' attention to their vulnerable backs. Behold, they saw two boys smiling menacingly at them, they were there to take their lives and the Christians knew it.

    "Let us begin brother!" Bjorn urged his brother and the bloodlust he felt from Tyr told him that his younger brother understood the situation.

 Chapter 390 The Breakthrough!

    ?

    With limited time to seize the leader of these Christian men, he was easily distinguishable as hispanions hurried ahead. Unlike hisrades, hecked any armor, preferring to maintain the ability to swim should they be thrown into the sea.

    "You filthy vermin! How dare you set foot in a boat protected by God?" the man yelled, while his men charged forward to confront the two Vikings.

    "Tyr, take his head. I''ll deal with these men here," Bjorn reassured Tyr, unsheathing his sword. In a single mighty swing, he bifurcated three warriors in one fell swoop.

    The advancing Christians halted in their tracks, unwilling to face the wrath of the Viking who had just dispatched their brethren.

    They swiftly closed in, surrounding Bjorn, but Tyr felt no concern for his brother''s safety. He knew these men posed no real threat to Bjorn; after all, Bjorn was one of the mightiest warriors present, and he had full confidence in his brother''s abilities. With a determined focus, Tyr skillfully wielded his axes, expertly severing the necks of his enemies who dared to block his path.

    The leader of the opposing group couldn''t help but notice the swift and devastating efficiency with which Tyr dispatched his men. Realizing that continuing to attack the Viking with his men would result in heavy losses and hinder their ability to halt the main advance of the other Viking forces, he made a strategic decision.

    "Step aside! Concentrate on killing the other one!" the leadermanded, as he moved forward to personally handle Tyr.

    Meanwhile, Bjorn found himself encircled by more than twenty men, the odds seemingly stacked against him.

    Tyr nced beyond his enemies and sensed the urgency of the situation. Time was running out, and he couldn''t fathom how this man leading the charge could be strong enough to justify such a reckless and suicidal strategy. While the enemy''s n was working to some extent, it was clear that putting so few men against the Viking fleet showed that they were either disposable or they underestimated their enemies.

    With a swift and agile leap, Tyr soared into the air, his dual axes descending like a guillotine, aimed at the top of the man''s head. However, Tyr deliberately left himself vulnerable during his fighting style, a tactic that had often worked to his advantage. Surprisingly, the man chose not to exploit this opening and allowed Tyr''s axes toe dangerously close to his head before swiftly stepping back.

    "What?" Tyr mumbled, feeling his head jar as if it had been struck. In a split second, he had to regain hisposure, taking a step back. The man''s fist was tilted up the moment Tyr jumped, almost like he knew that Tyr wouldnd on it, putting it in his blind spot and with ack of motion that rendered it almost imperceptible, Tyr couldn''t have seen the attacking.

    Tyr''s ability to spot blind spot attack used the distortion in the air around him but this man did not move hence Tyr couldn''t perceive this attack.

    "Now, I will take your head," the man dered, a chilling confidence in his tone. In that moment, Tyr realized he had underestimated his opponent, and he had no intention of making that mistake again.

    -

    Ragnar was rendered speechless as he witnessed his sons'' actions, yet his face beamed with undeniable pride. Baard was poised tounch another spear, but Ragnar restrained him, cing full trust in his sons'' judgment.

    "Baard, stand down," Ragnar instructed, and the remarkable thing about Baard was his unwavering obedience. He never questioned Ragnar''s will; he simply followed it.

    The battle was swift, and Ragnar couldn''t fathom how his sons had managed to board the boat. He suspected Tyr must have yed a crucial role in this unexpected feat. Had they fought their way through like others attempted, they would have undoubtedly been noticed. Yet, to everyone''s surprise, they had managed to slip aboard unnoticed.

    It was a moment of both astonishment and admiration for Ragnar as he observed his sons'' daring and strategic prowess. In his heart, he knew they were destined for greatness.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Their boat hurtled forward, a minute and a few seconds away from making contact with the enemy''s boat. Ragnar had faith in his sons'' abilities, although their job would be done if they kept the warriors upied. Yet, Ragnar knew his children well enough to know that they would face no opposition by the time they reached the enemy''s boat.

    Amidst the chaos, Bjorn stood like a fearless titan, facing more than twenty men alone. The onlookers watched in awe as he held his ground, deflecting every enemy strike with an almost godlike grace, though he was still just a mortal.

    Meanwhile, Tyr appeared motionless, his mind clearly at work, calcting his next move with precision. Ragnar observed his son closely, aware that Tyr saw something that he himself did not.

    "Tyr, what are you doing..." Ragnar pondered silently.

    Grj?tgard felt relief as he observed the brothers'' daring actions. He understood why they did what they did the moment he saw them on that boat. that they were driven by the reckless n they had hatched.

    "He''s even more reckless than the tales," Grj?tgard remarked to Salgard, who nodded in agreement.

    Tyr''s penchant for extreme tales was no secret to Grj?tgard; he had heard about the explosion that had cost Skarde his eyes, and yet, the reality seemed to surpass even the wildest stories.

    Thorgard, the youngest of the brothers, couldn''t help but worry about Tyr and Bjorn, seeing them surrounded and in apparent danger.

    "Should we not help them!?" he anxiously asked his older brothers.

    "No, leave them be. They''ve got it under control," Grj?tgard replied curtly, and without hesitation, he proceeded to give instructions to his men.

    "Prepare to ram through the obstacle!" hemanded, intending to clear a path.

    Thorgard, however, had doubts about this course of action, knowing that his newfound brothers were still on board the enemy''s boat. He tried to interject, but a single nce from Grj?tgard silenced him. Usually, that look would have been enough to deter Thorgard, but the stakes were too high now. His concern and sense of responsibility for his new brothers pushed him to voice his objections further.

    Thorgard was done being pushed around, if he wanted to be seen as their equals he needed to start acting like it.

    "We cannot ram through or they will be washed along the sea current! I beg you to think it over General Grj?tgard!" Thorgard pleaded.

    "Please brother! Let me take the lead!" Thorgard begged, eager to make a name for himself and that authority was given to him.

    "Very well then, I will allow it," Grj?tgard said as he took a step back.

    "Vikings! Prepare for battle!" Thorgard screamed at the top of his lungs as they began beating their shield with their lost morale restored.

 Chapter 391 Victory...!

    ?

    Tyr knew he had to pull his weight and this was not because the situation required but rather, because his ego was at stake.

    He gave his word that he would handle it and this man was proving to be a lot trickier than he anticipated but this was mainly because Tyr had no intention of showing his full fighting capabilities, not yet at least.

    *"You vermin! I will send you right to hell!"* The man said in anguage that Tyr couldn''tprehend but he knew that whatever he was saying wasn''t good.

    He didn''t care much for it.

    Tyr cracked his neck and then it appeared, a bloodlust so intense that it made his enemy momentarily see a vision of himself dying.

    Tyr''s eyes had changed, they became lifeless and every high-ranking warrior felt it.

    It was like a chill that came with the wind, the enemy''s bodynguage changed to a defensive one as Tyr began walking towards him with his bloodied axes drawn,

    The enemy had never felt such hatred directed at him but he assumed this was the work of the devil.

    "Ha! I see you have taken your true form, devil!" The man blurted out but a blood-curdling grin crept up on the young warrior''s face.

    Tyr liked that he could see fear on the man''s face, this was enough to tell him that whoever this man was, he was not as resolved as he thought.

    Tyr chuckled as he kept walking towards him and the closer he got, the more intense the feeling of fear got for the man of God.

    He knew he had to strike and he did just that, the man attempted to stab Tyr and Tyr did not even attempt to dodge his sword, it stopped mere inches from his body as if the man''s mind had broken. It was like he was in a trance-like state.

    Tyr casually walked past him and slit his throat in one move bringing the man back to reality.

    He helplessly held his throat, trying his best to stop the bleeding but Tyr had severed an artery.

    There was no way he was surviving as he fell to his knees before falling face-first into the boat.

    The boat was filling up and they had to leave, everyone cheered the Ragnarsson''s brothers as they just wiped out an entire unit by themselves but the element of surprise aided them in this

    The enemies were distracted because they knew they also had to hold their line in case the others boarded the boat.

    There was no way that they could kill or even harm Bjorn if they were distracted but the notion of God protecting them made themcent as it seemed that the deity that won that battle was that of the Norsemen.

    "YYYAAAYYY!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs, raising his axe to the sky as a thundering cheer echoed. The men screamed as this was the boost they needed but this boost was not because Tyr had defeated one man but because Bjorn had defeated multiple.

    These warriors were in no way weak but Bjorn gave the Vikings that impression and now they had the belief that they could kill them just as easily.

    This might be false but it was a good thing to have right before entering battle, shifting the momentum to their advantage. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    King Ragnar was terrified of Tyr, he didn''t know that Tyr had such a powerful killing intent, no one should have something that intense as this far surpassed that of Erik.

    Baard, on the other hand, was excited because it has been a very long time since he had felt something like that, the goosebumps he got told him that. This was a skill that only high-ranking warriors could achieve, one that Ragnar himself had not. Suddenly, the prophecy did not just feel like a prophecy anymore.

    The boats made contact with the barricade and with no one there to oppose them it was a stroll in the park.

    Bjorn and Tyr returned to their boats but the only difference was that Bjorn returned to his where Hagen and Rolf were because he wanted to be with his men should they encounter more men while Tyr returned to his.

    Bjorn stole the spotlight among the low-ranking warriors but the superior ones, they all noticed that killing intent from Tyr and he was the unsung hero.

    "Fascinating¡­" Grj?tgard blurted out, he was interested in Tyr but Salgard felt a strange shudder.

    "What the fuck was that? It is just like¡­!" Salgard thought to himself with a sense of urgency.

    "Are you okay brother?" Thorgard asked Salgard who quickly snapped back to reality.

    "Of course, why do you ask?" Salgard questioned with a raised brow.

    "Your hand¡­" Thorgardmented; Salgard looked down to see that he had reached for the hilt of his sword.

    It was a reflex upon sensing Tyr''s killing intent, Salgard brushed this off by not even offering a response, letting go of his sword.

    They had ovee the obstacle but they had lost over fifty men doing so, if this loss would y a major role in the battle toe would be seen soon enough.

    -

    The Vikings passed the first obstacle but this was a show of strength.

    Bishop Calvin never expected his men to halt their advance but he wanted to use them to see how strong the Vikings were on sea.

    This battle established one thing and that was the fact that the men weren''t as skilled on water as they were onnd.

    Calvin had every intention of ending this battle on the sea as he had assembled his main forces already, in boats bigger than that of the Vikings and with real weapons that could be considered advanced for their time but this was because they had knowledge due to trading information with other regions across the sea.

    They prioritized knowledge over wealth and in time that knowledge made them wealth so there was no downside to this as they had the edge over their invaders.

    If they could not be defeated on water then there was no way for any Pagans to step foot onnd ordained by God himself.

 Chapter 392 Lord Ecgberht

    ?

    King ? had made all necessary arrangements, he was ready for the Pagans but how was Northumbria in itself?

    It was a powerful Kingdom no doubt but were the citizens in support of how their King ruled?

    Did they support the idea of a warrior Bishop for each had their own interpretation of Christianity?

    "Fuck this man! King ? is doing as he pleases with no regard for how the people think about it!" A young manined; he was approximately in his early twenties and his gentle features showed he has not had a hard life.

    "Shush! Do not speak so loudly! Someone might hear you, young Lord!" An elderly man with the traditional monk aesthetic warned in a hushed tone.

    This young man was dressed in an expensive robe, he had long brte hair with golden eyes and he looked irritated by what was happening.

    He was not a child and took an intense interest in what was happening around the world.

    "He is not the rightful King!" The young boy called out but this was when the elderly man ced a hand around his mouth.

    They were in a public ce and with security amped up, soldiers were everywhere so he couldn''t risk them hearing him or even he wouldn''t be spared.

    "You need to be quiet, young Lord! Do not utter such things carelessly!" The man warned.

    "My father Osberht was usurped by that tyrant! Do not try to silence me, Bada," The young man''s name was revealed to be Ecgberht.

    "I will regain my father''s owner," Ecgberht muttered, he was furious but the fact that he couldn''t do anything about it further infuriated him.

    He was a bastard so he had no legitimate im over the throne and this was why King ? allowed him to dwell within the walls of Northumbria as a sign of good faith to his brother that he had usurped.

    Osberht was in no way weak despite losing his crown, he was exiled but he had built an army that could threaten Northumbria should they rub him the wrong way so he was treated with the utmost respect.

    But the reality of this was, Ecgberht was a coward that only used words to fight and never his hands for he thought violence to be against the will of God.

    He was against the formation of the Warrior Bishop. Bada knew that he was all talk but talk like that could get him killed.

    "I see Bada is still babysitting you, Ecgberht¡­." A man in his early thirties walked in, he had a scar above his eye and a neatly trimmed beard around his face.

    "What do you mean by that? Have you forgotten your ce?! Eadwig!" Ecgberht barked but the older man was not paying any attention to his tantrums.

    He noticed that they were the only two in this tavern, this meant that Ecgberht had used his money frivolously to buy out the tavern so he could have this much privacy,

    "Forget my ce¡­?" Eadwig asked with a raised brow as he casually walked up to the man-child.

    "I would rather forget my sword in your head¡­" Eadwig threatened and Bada could not believe the audacity.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "You bastard! Do you know who yo-!" A firm m to his face sent the older man tumbling to the ground.

    "Do not dare raise your voice at me, priest¡­" Eadwig said as his cold eyes descended on Ecgberht who suddenly forgot how to speak.

    No warrior in Northumbria respected him because while his father was a great man, he was nothing but a disappointment.

    It is believed that the exiled King had left his son here because he was too embarrassed to take him and who could me him?

    Ecgberht could not handle him and he hated that everyone disrespected him so openly despite the blood of a King flowing through his veins even though he had wealth and status.

    He found himself wanting respect but that could not be bought unfortunately for him.

    "You forgot how to speak?" Eadwig teased but Ecgberht kept his mouth shut because he did not want to be smacked.

    It looked like it hurt because Bada was still not getting up, he wasying down in visible pain.

    "Pagans would soon descend on thisnd and I was informed by our gracious King to inform you so you can hide like the coward that you are. Are you, not a coward, Ecgberht?" Eadwid asked and something told Ecgberht that if he did not respond then his face might be next.

    "Y-Yes I am a coward. Thank you for bringing the King''s message to me," Ecgberht said, his eyes looking to the ground and the mockingugh that echoed in his ears made him feel disgusted with himself.

    He hated the fact that he was weak but this in no way meant that he was going to take any of it lying down. Ecgberht was going to restore the honour of his father and once he did, he would kill everyone that had disrespected him.

    Another man soon walked in and Ecgberht''s body seemed to rx the moment he saw this new addition.

    "Wealdhere!" Ecgberht eximed; he had suddenly found his voice back and the man that was bullying him mere moments ago was the one looking at the ground.

    The man was heft, he was huge not just in size but weight and he had on heavy armour despite his frightening size.

    "General Wealdhere, it is not what you think¡­" Eadwig quickly tried to dismiss what was going on to save his behind but a resounding p soon rocked his head.

    It was not Wealdhere that pped him but Ecgberht.

    "You fucking piece of shit! You have some nerve! Wealdhere! Take his head! Kill him!" Ecgberth barked like a child throwing a tantrum.

    "My lord, we need to go to your safe house. The Pagans, I am afraid that they are on their way here and your safety is the reason why I live," The man said sternly and Ecgberht reluctantly agreed but not before spitting on the man.

    Bada was on his feet and they all left the building but the rage on Eadwig''s face was a perfect representation of what he thought about him.

 Chapter 393 Which "God" Will Answer?

    ?

    The Vikings overcame their first obstacle and their morale was at an all-time high.

    They steamed at the top of their lungs, their hunger seemingly gone as they were cheerful.

    This told them that they were headed in the right direction, they thought they were lost but now it has been confirmed that people did exist beyond the obstacle.

    Tyr was quiet, he didn''t know why but he felt uneasy because he could not only sleep but something told him that he might die on this battlefield.

    Tyr knew he had to ovee this challenge and he had conquered death once already but this time felt different.

    "Are you okay, Tyr?" Thorgard asked him, sitting beside him.

    "Something feels strange about this invasion. I fear that we might have underestimated their strength. They managed to do so much damage with such little men¡­." Tyr blurted out, this was not what worried him but it would do to keep Thorard distracted from what really bothered him.

    "We will be fine¡­ My brothers are here, they both have the strength of a hundred men," Thorgard tried to reassure Tyr.

    Tyr looked beyond the sea, he was anxious about whaty ahead but it has been ages since he felt his heart beat so hard. Tyr felt alive and wanted to fight these new enemies.

    They were rowing, the adrenaline was not infinite and Tyr knew that they would soon give into exhaustion.

    He understood that cannibalism was practiced by some people but it was still frowned upon as it involved desecrating the corpse of a warrior meant for Valha.

    Vikings knew that despite being enemies, they loved fighting and shouldn''t be denied an honourable send-off just because they were ughtered but this depended on their rtionship as seen with Tyr and Erik.

    The blistering sun did not do them any favours and they were thirsty as fuck but could not drink the seawater.

    Tyr knew they had to findnd soon or they might die at sea, the situation was not looking good if he was being honest with himself.

    Tyr stood up, he was not about to let everything go to nought. He was the only one on his feet as he walked towards the edge of the boat.

    Everyone''s attention shifted to the dark-skinned warrior as he raised his axe to the heavens.

    "ODIN ALL-FATHER!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs and the other boats took notice of this, Tyr had everyone''s attention on the water.

    "WE HAVE COME ACROSS AN ENEMY THAT DARE DEFIES YOUR MIGHT OH ALL FATHER! GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO SLAUGHTER THESE CHRISTIANS IN YOUR NAME! GIVE US THE POWER TO SHOW THAT WE ARE INDEED WORTHY OF VALHALLA!" Tyr screamed and coincidentally, lightning struck down the moment he said this.

    The skies were clear so this looked like a divine intervention and everyone was shook.

    They froze in disbelief as they looked at Tyr as he stood majestically, like the reincarnation of a god and the cheers that echoed could disrupt the bed of the sea.

    But they were not the only ones stunned by this phenomenon, Tyr was stunned by what had just happened and his heart was beating even harder.

    -

    "Bishop Calvin, it seems the Pagans have pushed past the blockade," A warrior in shining armor muttered but Calvin did not look surprised by this.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "Ha! God is testing us brethren! God is testing our faith by giving us foes to renew it!" The Bishop eximed and his men looked delighted by the prospect.

    They were surprised that they dared to attempt another attack so soon but this gave them a chance to avenge their fallen brothers.

    Calvin knew that they would encounter the enemies muchter in the day, the sea was his home so he could estimate these things easily.

    He knew that the blockade would be breached but he also knew that even a single man could make a difference.

    But Calvin did not want to wait, he pioneered his boats right at the problem.

    Calvin was itching for battle, he wanted blood and he was going to do everything in his power to satisfy this need for it.

    "Onward!" Calvinmanded as they began roaring the boat.

    The boat was equivalent to what one would call a small ship, this was his invention but it was once described as not suitable for sea as it moved a lot slower.

    Calvin proceeded with this invention because it did not need speed, it had the power and durability.

    Calvin''s earlier invention could not float on the sea and went straight to the bottom of the sea but he bettered his invention over time even though the boat was still far from perfection.

    This was the first time that Calvin was taking it into battle.

    "God is good," Calvin eximed with a wild satisfied smile and coincidentally, the same lightning and thunder that Tyr had seen was seen simultaneously here.

    Begging the question, of which ''God'' was answering their calls.

    Was it Odin, The All-Father or was it the God that the Christians worshiped?

    -

    King ? was d that things were going as nned, he was not worried about the threat that the Pagans posed because even if they should conquer Bishop Calvin and his men.

    He had an army waiting onshore to wipe out whatever was left of them.

    But he was worried about Ecgberht, he was bing more of a nuisance than he had anticipated. He could not kill him and he also could not get him under control without being forceful but Ecgberht was not defenseless, he had a small following of loyal warriors and this extended into his court.

    ? knew that their loyalty was divided because not everyone saw him as the rightful King and that was how he ascended the throne.

    This was what held the fragile bnce and why he allowed Ecgberht to do as he pleased as long as he was not a threat to his rule but things were slowly changing,

    The older he got, the wiser he became. Ecgberht might be a coward but he was no fool.

 Chapter 394 Contact! I Repeat! Contact!

    ?

    The time for the battle drew near and by near, it was minutes away because the minutes bled into hours and that meant that the day had advanced much further.

    "VIKINGS!!! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" A voice echoed, carried through the air as they could see a boat quadruple their size approach but it was not just one boat either.

    Everyone sprung to their feet, ready for battle and despite their morale, the fatigue was taking a toll on them and this battle could not drag out or there was no way that they would survive this.

    Tyr knew he had to be careful, he could not use the same trick as before because the boat was a lot bigger in terms of height meaning that his hands would not be able to reach the edge of the boat.

    The waves were a lot gentler but Tyr knew how vulnerable he would be in water.

    Hagen''s jaw dropped the moment he saw the size of the boat, he could not believe something like that was even possible.

    "What is this beauty?" Hagen blurted out, this could very well be the boat that kills them yet he admired it, which was a fascinating urrence.

    Hagen was a lover of art and he assimted this structure and burned it into his mind.

    "Hagen, what do you think we should do?" Bjorn, despite being the leader, sought the counsel of the more experienced Hagen.

    Hagen was a boat expert so he should be able to find a weakness that they could exploit.

    There was no way they could conquer that boat because he saw how much difficulty they had with something a lot smaller.

    "I need time to think! I have to see what it is capable of before I can check for these weaknesses," Hagen responded as he observed the boat.

    It was stationary, he noticed that the boat was not advancing towards them which made it strange because what were they waiting for?

    Ragnarmanded his men to stop rowing and everyone followed King Ragnar''s lead as the other boats halted in their tracks.

    Grj?tgard had taken backmand from his younger brother and he trusted Ragnar''s judgement the moment he halted.

    Bjorn did so as well but Rolf was not a fan of this decision, he found it strange even because this seemed like an overreaction.

    They should be able to encircle them, their boats were smaller so the probability that the enemies could even catch up with them was slim.

    "Why are you not moving? We can go around them and head straight to Northumbria¡­" Rolf said, his tone was neithermanding nor suggestive.

    "You are right¡­" Hagen said, agreeing with the Vikings and this was a good idea in hindsight because they could not have a drawn-out battle at sea as they were already at a huge disadvantage but what happens after they go around them?<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "But there is a problem, what do you think would happen after we go to Northumbria?" Hagen questioned, he wanted to see if the young warrior had thought that far ahead.

    "We kill every Christian and take over thend¡­" Rolf said without hesitation.

    Hagen was happy that he had so much faith in their battle prowess but this only showed his inexperience when it came to warfare.

    "We will lose even more men onnd, if we engage in this battle then there is no doubt that men would unite with the All-Father. If these men do not back up theirrades onnd, they would no doubt block off our path to retreat. With fewer men, we cannot ovee this obstacle nor can we receive reinforcements. We also have no guarantee that the other Kingdoms would not try to attack us. We will not survive that onught," Hagen gave a level-headed assessment but Rolf looked indifferent.

    "Do you fear death, Hagen?" Rolf asked and this put an instant stop to the conversation that was being had.

    "Death? I wee it." Hagen responded immediately, without skipping a beat.

    "Then that is settled. If we do not conquer Northumbria, we die. That is all there is to it," Rolf said; Bjorn was taken aback by such an extreme ideology but he found it refreshing because this could prove to be useful.

    "Rolf is right¡­" Bjorn said and Hagen was surprised that Bjorn was agreeing with him but he was not going to draw any conclusions yet, waiting for him to finish what he wanted to say.

    "... We will conquer Northumbria or die trying¡­" Bjorn said to which Hagen let out an exhausted sigh. He knew he was getting old because the next generation of warriors had a mentality that made him realize that the fate of the Viking race was in good hands.

    "You are both crazy¡­" Hagen said as he conceded, he was not going to try and stop them anymore because he could not.

    Hagen was more worried about the man that built this boat, he wanted to meet him because this was a rare urrence that he would have the opportunity to meet someone with this much creativity.

    Thest person he met was K?re but he could not converse with him for obvious reasons as this man tried to kill his best friend, Ragnar with his very strange invention even though Ragnar soon bested him inbat once the weapon was rendered ineffective.

    -

    Salgard was interested in this battle, this was the first time that he had experienced something like this and his heart was racing.

    He wanted to start the battle but he knew that he could not rush in or they were prone to make a fatal mistake if they did.

    Salgard wanted to see what else they had in Northumbria; this boat was something he wished to take back to Rognd as a trophy.

    It was too beautiful to be destroyed at sea but more so, Salgard needed to satisfy his blood lust right now but they were currently at a stalemate.

    Neither side was eager to break it because they knew this battle could either make or break the expedition.

 Chapter 395 Dont Shoot The Messenger

    Chapter 395 Don''t Shoot The Messenger

    It stayed like this for a while but the Vikings saw a smaller boat heading in their direction, it was a single boat with one person in it.

    The Vikings were wondering what was going on, there was no way this man was sent to fight them so he could only be a messenger.

    Ragnar held the highest ranking here so it was only fair that he was the one to speak to this man. He ordered everyone to stand down, the archers were already itching to bury their arrows into him.

    The other two leaders followed in Ragnar''s lead, they ordered their men to stand down and they did just that.

    The man was rough looking, he did not look like the other Christians that they hade across thus far and looked a lot more like one of their own.

    "I know you¡­" Tyr blurted out, this was Alf no doubt but he had a look of urgency on his face.

    It made sense that they would send one of their own to deal with them because he had an understanding of bothnguages even though his Old English was shaky, he could understand the gist of it.

    "King Ragnar?" Alf asked, his eyes hopeful as Ragnar gave him a nod to confirm this.

    "I am honoured to be before such a great man!" Alf said, bowing his head to show respect.

    He could pick out Ragnar because of his appearance but mostly because of his blue eyes.

    But more so because of the crown on his head, Ragnar was a simple man and did not like the concept of a crown but he knew he needed to carry himself as a King.

    This would make it easier for others to know his status.

    "I go by the name Alf and I am here as a messenger for Northumbria¡­" Alf spoke further.

    Alf looked at Baard and knew the moment he set eyes on him that this man would rip him apart if he so much as pointed at Ragnar.

    Baard was intimidating and Alf gulped because he did not know how intense this would be.

    They looked at him with disgust and he could not me them because he had betrayed their way.

    This was a shameful ce to be on the rankingdder, and the fact that he did so for Christians made it even worse.

    "What brings you here, Alf?" Ragnar questioned and Alf proceeded to clear his throat because he knew how important this was. He had to deliver it effortlessly, he had already made eye contact with Tyr but quickly averted his gaze, he was hesitant which was strange.

    Tyr kept quiet, he did not want to think too much of this because they had sworn their loyalty to him but they were ves, they were driven and influenced by money.

    It would not be a long shot to say their loyalty was given to the highest bidder.

    "Pagans, you have stumbled upon holy waters and with the teaching of Jesus Christ. We''re willing to forgive this incursion if you turn back right now. But if you do not heed this warning, then you will be sent to the bottom of the sea," Alf said sternly and Baard could not believe the audacity of this man.

    He reached for his spear but Ragnar gestured for him to stand down the moment he noticed this because Baard was going to kill him.

    "I see and if we refuse?" Ragnar asked sternly, his voice was unwavering.

    "Silly me, you have already given me my answer¡­" Ragnar said but Tyr quickly intercepted the conversation because he had something to say.

    "King Ragnar, allow me¡­" Tyr shouted from his end and Alf rowed in his direction to listen to the man that they had sworn their loyalty to.

    Tyr had no intention of making it a public showing either and this was why he boarded Alf''s boat so they could have a private conversation.

    "What is going on Alf? Where are the others?" Tyr asked but Alf could not even look him in the eyes.

    "Why can''t you look at me? Have you betrayed me?" Tyr asked, his voice turning cold.

    "No. I would never betray you. The Christians, they have the others. They have said they would kill them if I do not get you to turn back¡­" Alf said.

    "You told them everything¡­?" Tyr asked, he did not care what happened to them, what Tyr wanted to know was how much these Christians knew about them.

    "We had no choice," Alf said but this was one thing that Tyr did not believe.

    There was no way that they had no choice because every man had a choice.

    There was no excuse for betrayal and Tyr looked visibly disappointed by the events.

    "No wonder they knew exactly where we woulde from, I thought that they did so because they only had one route but the fact that they were so ready to engage us meant that they knew we would be using this exact route¡­ The same route was given to us by you¡­" Tyr said.

    This was a guess, Tyr had no way of confirming this but he had his answer by the way that Alf reacted.

    "I am sorry," Alf said but a smile crept up on Tyr''s face.

    He knew that with every misfortune, there was an opportunity and an opportunity had just presented itself right in front of them.

    "Alf, they know I am the son of a King, correct?" Tyr asked and Alf nodded to confirm this.

    "Take me to their leader, I need to speak to him. I promise you, I will not let anything happen to your friends¡­" Tyr reassured him. Alf could not believe how kind and understanding Tyr was.

    He had just told him about his betrayal yet he had offered to help.

    Tyr knew that whoever the leader was, he did not want to lose men unless necessary and that was why he even presented this option of retreat.

    And the fact that he knew everything about them could y to Tyr''s advantage, there was no way that they did not understand the importance of a King''s son.

    They sent a random Viking as their messenger but the Vikings were sending the son of a King.

    Tyr informed the others of his n but everyone thought it was reckless because he could easily be killed in the process but the chances of this were slim because who would see one man as a threat realistically?

 Chapter 396 Bargaining.

    Chapter 396 Bargaining.

    "Bishop Calvin, the pagan is returning with another pagan! Should we shoot him down!?" A warrior asked, the urgency in his voice telling.

    "You are too hasty, if I am not mistaken that is the son of their King. If we shoot them down, war is sure to happen. I did not know that there would be this many boats¡­" Calvin said, admitting that there was a miscalction on his part and this was why he even attempted to negotiate.

    He could not risk losing men here because even he was not so arrogant to think that he would leave unscathed.

    Calvin was about to wee Tyr onboard and he needed Alf as this was the only way he could understand the Pagan.

    Alf was going to act as a trantor, the moment Tyr stepped on their boat, he could tell that these warriors were nothing like the one they had just fought.

    Tyr looked intimidating despite being 5'' 11 but these men looked at him with disgust, just as he would expect.

    They saw their "God" as superior and as such, would look down on or altogether deny all other gods, unlike the Norse who could amodate the thought of other gods.

    Tyr was impressed by the build of the boat but what caught his eyes were the stationary weapons that were mounted on it.

    It looked a lot like that of his father but it was a lot bigger and refined.

    Tyr wondered if they could even operate such a thing because it looked very much like a slingshot.

    A warrior that Tyr could tell was higher ranked than the rest guided the two men to see Calvin.

    Tyr nced over at the security, he was surprised that they were this many men, they intended to end this battle on the sea.

    Tyr took in their military strength and noticed that the other boats were slightly smaller than this one and thus, contained fewer men.

    "Be careful Tyr Ragnarsson, these men are much more vicious than you think," Alf warned him as he noticed Tyr''s wandering eyes like he was nning something.

    He spoke in Norse in a whisper, that was why no one picked up on their conversation.

    Tyr did not respond, he was not scared either because he knew that whoever this man was, he wanted him here.

    He walked in to see a man with a gigantic cross around his neck, Tyr was surprised a cross so big could even be worn but this was the only feature that could be made out for now because his back was turned to them.

    He was kneeling in front of a cross, in prayer and Tyr found this stupid because he could take the head of the man if he wished.

    But maybe this was a trap? Maybe others were lurking in the room that he could not see.

    Tyr looked at Alf, confused as to what was going on.

    "He is praying¡­" Alf whispered to Tyr. Tyr had no problem with this and sat down.

    He was surprised that the room was not filled with security, it was just them.

    It was either this man was confident in his strength or he underestimated the threat that Tyr posed.

    "Amen¡­" The Bishop said before turning and his features were intimidating.

    He had a rough appearance and his face was heavily wrinkled despite being in histe thirties.

    This was because of the harshness that this man had experienced in his youth.

    He was a powerful man as he had made a name for himself on the sea.

    *"Wee Pagan¡­"* The Bishop said and Alf tranted this to Tyr.

    [The dialogue from now henceforth will now all be tranted by Alf "off-screen" but it won''t be denoted, this is to reduce unnecessary word count and preserve everyone''s coins]

    "We have received your proposal¡­" Tyr muttered with a grin.

    The man did not even offer him anything to drink but Tyr knew they must be close tond if they met this man here.

    "And what say you? We can give you a little piece of gold and silver to send you on your way," Calvin proposed but Tyr giggled.

    "You insult us now?" Tyr asked but Calvin was unimpressed by how he carried himself.

    "I know your men are tired and weak, we could crush you right now if we wanted to but Jesus Christ spoke about forgiveness and we are offering you that second chance," Calvin said bluntly.

    "Your Christ also said to turn the other cheek, did he not?" Tyr said and Calvin''s face contorted in shock.

    "What? Why does a filthy pagan know the sacred words?" Calvin questioned, he sounded more surprised than angry.

    "Condemnation is against your religion as well. How can you im to be a messenger for your God but do the exact opposite of his teaching? That cross around your neck should very well be a hammer¡­" Tyr mocked him, he knew that sphemy would not be taken lightly as these Christians seem to hold their God to such a high degree but he did not get the reaction he expected from Calvin.

    "Gyahahahaha! You are an amusing Pagan!" Calvin eximed; he was impressed that Tyr took his time to learn a little about their religion.

    "He isughing?" Tyr thought to himself but he knew he needed to get back to the conversation.

    "I am surprised your King sent one of his own but I am more surprised that your skin differs from the rest of them. Are you truly a King''s son or a ve?" Calvin asked, his eyes looking at Tyr''s body as if he was looking for the marks branded on ves.

    "I am a King''s son. Take my head and you will understand how much significance I hold," Tyr said and this manner of extreme speech surprised even Alf.

    "I think I will take you up on that offer,"

    Now was not the time to try and agitate Calvin and all it took was a blink from Tyr to see the bigger man charging at him and he soon felt the familiar metallic de pressed against his neck.

    "Ho! You did not even blink," Calvin teased.

    "I am afraid, I am a man that cannot be killed," Tyr responded with a cocky grin, he did not even flinch. He was either not scared of death or he knew that this man was bluffing.

    But Alf realized something about Tyr at that very moment.

    "This man¡­ He is fucking insane¡­" Alf thought to himself as he nced upon the embodiment of chaos in the form of Tyr Ragnarsson.

 Chapter 397 What Is Tyrs Motive?

    ?

    Tyr discussed what his proposal was, and Calvin was impressed that he had such demands in the first ce.

    This included food, a condition that Calvin epted because he didn''t know how far they sailed from but dying of starvation was a bad idea; Tyr took a risk because Calvin could easily capitalize on this information.

    Then again, this was within his calctions, but he knew that hunger would not stop the Viking from killing his men, he was going to lose men regardless.

    This was a peaceful way of resolving it and Tyr returned to the boat but without Alf, Alf was calm after seeing Tyr because the son of Ragnar had guaranteed that his people would not be harmed.

    Tyr returned empty-handed because the food was not enough for them.

    The Bishop had sent his men back to Northumbria to bring these goods back, this included the treasures that he had promised. Tyr asked that the vers be handed to him but Calvin struck this off the table or was it more urate to say that Alf denied Tyr''s request?

    vers were not owned by anyone, and Alf intended to leave it that way, but Calvin did give his word that he would not harm them.

    Tyr briefed everyone, and they were surprised that he had agreed to the terms of the Bishop but they were not leaving empty handed at least so this meant that they could return muchter.

    The Gardssons'' were satisfied with this along with Ragnar and Bjorn,

    "You have done good Tyr," Grj?tgard praised the young warrior but this was anything but what Tyr had in mind.

    Tyr had bought them time; this was the reason he did something so reckless because he knew that if they fought right now than they would no doubt lose.

    They did not have any experience fighting on water, it was certain that they would fallpared to enemies that were well-equipped for just that.

    Tyr did not tell anyone what he intended, they needed to get some food into their bodies, that was a priority, but he had a n.

    "Tyr¡­" Thorgard called out to which Tyr permitted the warrior to sit beside him.

    "Are we really just going to turn back?" Thorgard asked him but Tyr did not give him a response.

    "The weather is nice¡­" Tyr said out of the blue, eliminating the need to answer his question.

    "Do you think I will truly return to Norway when I am yet to kill another King?" Tyr asked with a sinister grin, this was rhetorical.

    Tyr trusted Thorgard with this piece of information as this man wanted his validation more than anything. Thorgard looked up to Tyr despite being older and Tyr relished in this.

    "The gods¡­ Are they trying to save me?" Tyr thought to himself. Why else would they pave the way for them to retreat? Tyr knew something about fate and that was, he controlled it.

    He was never going to let the gods decide his fate and Tyr would always go against them.

    This gave him a resolve he thought he lost, he could not believe that a dream affected him this much and he shook his head in disbelief.

    He looked over his shoulder to see King Ragnar''s boat right beside theirs, Ragnar gestured for his son toe onboard but he could not without Grj?tgard''s permission.

    Tyr looked over for approval as Grj?tgard nodded, there was no way that the General was going to stop Tyr.

    Tyr boarded the boat of his father, and it has been a long time since Tyr has had a one-on-one conversation with his father.

    -

    "Bjorn, what do you think?" Hagen asked Bjorn, this was concerning his brother''s reckless decision.

    This was bad for morale because the Vikings looked like they were d that they would not be fighting despite having a fiery spirit moments ago.

    They were d that they did not need to spill blood to get something out of this trip.

    The Vikings looked triumphant but in actuality, this was akin to giving up.

    "I think my brother has done more harm than good¡­ We are warriors and while I might not agree with everything. I know how important an indomitable will is," Bjorn said but he heaved a sigh of frustration.

    "But I know my brother, I know things are not as they seem, and he would surely turn this around," Bjorn said. Bjorn knew his brother and the kind of person he was.

    "Tyr Ragnarson has no intention of giving up¡­" Bjorn muttered, and Hagen''s face creased into a smile because the next generation of warriors were looking like they just might surpass them.

    Hagen was surprised that Tyr came back, he walked right into the lion''s den and walked right out.

    "Tyr, do not do anything stupid¡­ Everyone is watching you," Bjorn thought to himself,

    He has seen first-hand how extreme his brother was and he knew that if he showed this side to everyone, they would see him as the monster that he is.

    Bjorn knew that everyone remembered Erik the Berserker, he was a man that changed their perception surrounding what a warrior was like.

    They went from admiring him to loathing him after they found out what he truly was, this was a wake-up call and if Tyr showed that he had simr tendencies.

    Then King Askild''s exile might have justification, and some might even want to uphold it.

    It was politics and Tyr needed the people on his side now more than ever and he had already scored some major points after what he did earlier with the blockade.

    Rolf watched Bjorn and the only time he took his eyes off his target was to look at Tyr when he boarded Ragnar''s boat. Hagen was having this discussion with Bjorn, but he only did so to see how Rolf would react to their exchange.

    Rolf looked at Tyr. not with admiration but with contempt. Hagen noticed this look; Rolf had been indifferent up until now.

    "Tyr¡­" Rolf thought to himself. Rolf at that moment knew he had to take Tyr out of the equation.

 Chapter 398 Husband And Wife [R18+]

    ?

    Things were going surprisingly well but while there was a stalemate on the sea, this didn''t mean that things were not moving back home.

    King Askild had the freedom to move without supervision from Ragnar, Ragnar had a hostile rtionship with Askild and with Askild''s house back in order, he could finally feel the touch of his wife, the woman he loved the most in the world.

    He missed Liv, he could not believe that she had forgiven but the sincerity in her eyes was no doubt that of the woman he loved.

    He knew that look but Askild pushed the outside world away as Liv was naked on his bed.

    Her nipples were erect as Askild admired the body of his wife.

    Liv missed her husband''s lustful eyes and while what he has done could be deemed unforgivable, she was the one person that was meant to offer him unconditional love.

    That was the duty of a wife because she had sworn the rest of her life with him.

    "I missed you," Askild said, his dick was hard, and Askild was butt-naked as he looked down on her.

    Liv began to feel a little self-conscious because it has been a while since she has been intimate with her husband.

    She did not know if his appetite had changed since thest time that they had sex.

    Askild climbed on top of her, interlocking their hands between one another.

    He saw that his wife was ufortable but he did not me her.

    Askild looked her right in the eyes before cracking a smile.

    "You make me the happiest man alive, my love. I have no idea what I would do without you," Askild said and Liv could not help but be flustered the moment he said this.

    Askild was a vicious man to the world but even while she refused him sex, he never once forced himself on her or became violent towards her.

    Askild respected her enough to not impose on her personal space.

    Liv could feel her heart beating, this feeling right here was what she felt the first she told Askild she loved him.

    It was like they were back to day one and Liv was the young girl getting flustered at everything her husband said or did.

    "S-Stop¡­" Liv said but she soon felt her husband''s gentle lips on hers.

    "I love you Liv. I will always love you no matter what happens¡­" Askild reassured her and this soothed her heart.

    Askild could easily marry a second wife, he has had opportunities as well but he stuck to his wife even though he just cheated.

    Askild did not feel remorse but he told his wife, that was the one thing he had and that was honesty. This had the potential to end his marriage but Askild was highly maniptive as well.

    "I love you too," Liv responded, spreading her legs as the tip of Askild''s dick slowly split her pussy lips, entering inside her.

    Liv was a lot tighter than he remembered but the wetness told him just how much she missed him. His dick felt like it was home because it was.

    Liv bit her lips but Askild''s tongue entered her mouth, this wasn''t just fucking, this was what one would call lovemaking. The passion in every stroke told her how much Askidl loved her.

    The lustful kiss told her how much he desired her, his tongue dancing hers.

    Liv was ovee with pleasure, this was different, this was very different.

    Askild was touching every inch of her pussy walls, and she loved it.

    Their interlocked hands momentarily broke and Liv wrapped her hands around him.

    Digging her nails in them as Askild kept on thrusting, they maintained eye contact throughout.

    Liv knew at this moment that this was a man she would never leave.

    She began to moan into his mouth and the Askild knew he was soon going to cum.

    No sex came close to the one he had with his wife because it was not just sex, it contained bother hearts.

    Askild filled his wife''s womb with his cum as Liv bit his lower lips and Askidl kept going despite having juste.

    He did not know when next he would have this opportunity but he had every intention of making his wife finish.

    Liv has not had sex in years so Askild knew that she had to remember what an orgasm by him felt like and she did soon remember.

    Liv shook aggressively, drenching the bed in her fluid as Askild soon pulled out his dick, proceeding to rub her clitoris rapidly to increase the stimtion.

    This increased the flood and the intensity of the orgasm.

    Liv''s heart was pounding, this was far too intense, it was far more intense than she had anticipated.

    "T-That was¡­" Liv could notplete her sentence as she was struggling to catch her breath but Askild knew exactly what she wanted to say.

    "It was magic," Askild said and Liv smiled the moment she heard this.

    Askildid on his back with his wife resting on his chest. Askild did love his wife, he has shown that time and time again.

    "My love, what do you n on doing with Bjorn?" Liv asked, what she told her husband was unknown but the general gist of it was out there.

    "Bjorn? I like Bjorn, he is a strong warrior that has sworn his loyalty to me," Askild said but this made Liv question his words.

    Bjorn was suggestive but he never said the exact words so all they could act on was assumption but everything was okay until Tyr came into the picture.

    "But¡­" Liv wanted to speak but Askild ced a finger over her lips.

    "That is enough, my love, we can talk about all thister¡­" Askild said and Liv agreed with this as she closed her eyes to catch some sleep.

    But what she did not know was Askild had already moved the pieces around enough to guarantee that this little problem would be resolved.

 Chapter 399 Birger Schemes!

    ?

    King Signy has been hard at work with his n for vengeance, he was aware that Ragnar was no longer in Vestfold but he was also aware that the person in Vestfold right now was Lagertha.

    Signy had a single objective and that was killing Lagerha so Ragnar would feel the pain he felt that day when he loses the person he loves the most in this world.

    Birger was an indispensable warrior to Signy even though Signy didn''t respect his uncle.

    He had betrayed Asmund and sided with Xenophanes, this left his father in a weakened state.

    If the King''s brother could desert him without consequences, others wouldn''t see this as a problem eventually but luckily for Asmund, he got the loyalty of his men because they wanted to be loyal and not because they were forced to.

    Signy had captured Vingmark and he was nning tounch an attack on Vestfold but he knew this would draw them into a battle with Ragnar''s allies and this included Askild.

    "My King¡­" Birger said, removing his helmet to show that it was truly him, he looked the same.

    "How are you alive?" Signy asked.

    "That''s a secret and I have seen the size of your army. I''m afraid to tell you but you won''t be able to defeat Vestolf''s military even in ten years," Birger said bluntly, he would have been the king of Vestfold by now if he didn''t betray his brother but one could also say his brother would still be alive but all that did not matter when push came to shove.

    No one knew what Birger''s motives were or what he has been doing these past few years.

    The fact that he came here under a nickname that was not even his showed how crafty this man was for the "Ghost of Kattegat" was a title reserved for a very specific warrior that seemed to be lost, the only thing they had to point to his life was the M.O of his killings.

    "What do you mean?" Signy questioned.

    "You think Ragnar couldn''t crush your little army any time he feels like it?" Birger proposed this question but Signy raised a brow.

    "He has not done so because he can''t¡­" Signy said bluntly and Birger shook his head.

    "You are alive because killing you might make the people of Vestfold rise against him, that is the only reason he has not raided this little kingdom and ughtered you all," Birger said.

    He was before a King yet he spoke so casually, Signy was no tyrant and did not know how strong his uncle was and had no ns of finding out.

    This was a man that has escaped death numerous times, it was almost like he saw the future yet he was no seer.

    This made Signy question what sort of future he saw for him for Birger to be willing to return to Vingulmark and the warriors he once betrayed.

    Signy realized this long ago, he just wanted to see if Birger saw things the same way he did and he was relieved that his uncle''s eyes had not dulled.

    "I know you are tempted to attack Vestfold now that Ragnar is away, and perhaps kill his wife¡­" Birger said, prompting Signy to sigh.

    "I know I cannot do it now¡­" Signy responded but this only resulted in a faint chuckle from his uncle.

    "Who said you could not?" Birger asked and this got Signy''s interest.

    "Go on¡­" Signy permitted him.

    "It is already in motion," Birger responded with a wide grin.

    -

    Lagertha was enjoying Vestfold, the people treated her like she was a goddess, she was beautiful but one would think the scar on her face would make people see her differently but that scar is what made the men respect her.

    They viewed it as a souvenir frombat and thedies felt intimidated because very few would ever dare enter the battlefield.

    "Queen Lagertha, I see you have settled in quite well," Skarde greeted his queen and Lagertha smiled.

    "It is a pity you cannot see my smile," Lagertha teased and Skarde chuckled the moment he heard this.

    He liked that Lagerthat did not show him pity for his blindness, she still treated him as an equal.

    "Hahaha! Queen Lagertha, I am afraid the only woman''s smile I want to see is no more," Skarde retorted and Lagertha heaved a loud sigh.

    "You will see her in Valha, you know? Your sights will be restored and Odin will wee you at the high table so why do you sound so sad?" Lagertha asked.

    Skarde realized that Lagertha was closer to Herfj?tur than he so it was obvious she would feel her absence a lot more.

    But before the conversation could go further, one of the guards guiding the door walked in to make an announcement.

    He got on one knee, showing Lagertha all the respect that came with her name.

    "Queen Lagertha, you have a guest," The man said but this was strange as there was no prior knowledge of expecting anyone within the walls of Vestfold.

    "Who is the person?" Skarde spoke and Lagertha was content with him handling the conversation.

    This was a man that acted as a temporary King when her husband was not around so this was not outside his expertise not to mention his superior political knowledge.

    "It is Lady Aug," The guard said and Lagertha raised a brow.

    Was this amon thing for her to drop in unnoticed and without prior notice?

    There was no way thisdy was not aware that Ragnar was absent so this could only mean that she came to see her.

    "Let her in," Lagertha said even though Skarde was about to turn down her request as this was what one could call a tant disrespect of etiquette.

    The man returned and the throne room sprung open to reveal Lady Aug but she was without her maid.

    Lagertha smirked the moment she saw her because she was a woman, she knew personally that there was not any woman that would not want her husband and she weed the challenge.

    Lagertha''s smirk soon seized the moment thedy before her copsed.

    "LADY ASLAUG!"

 Chapter 400 Night Will Come With Death!

    Chapter 400 Night Will Come With Death!

    A couple of hours had passed and this meant that Tyr had been with his father for quite some time.

    Tyr and Ragnar were together and they were about to have a serious conversation but this conversation wasn''t just about what was about to happen but things that he wanted to speak to Tyr about ever since he came back from his exile.

    "Son¡­" Ragnar called out.

    "Yes Father," Tyr responded with the utmost respect.

    Ragnar remained one of the few people he looked up to and Tyr was d that he was adopted by such a great man or his life would have been a lot more different.

    "What are you scheming? This war isn''t one that we can simply turn our backs on after being paid off, we aren''t mercenaries or bandits. We are Norsemen, we are Vikings," Ragnar said.

    "Hahaha! Father, you are the biggest advocate for peace that I know of, you have the power to y Signy yet he lives even though you know he poses a threat," Tyr said but he was not done.

    "I have no intention of retreating¡­" Tyr paused as he saw the boat that the Christians had sent out, returned and they had brought back the treasures and food.

    "I see, we are less than a day away," Tyr said with a smile and with that single sentence, Ragnar was caught off guard because Tyr was clearly seeing something he was not.

    "What are you talking about?" Ragnar asked.

    "We are less than a day from Northumbria. No, they went and returned so it is safe to say we are a few hours away," Tyr said.

    "I see¡­" Ragnar paused as a proud smile creased his face.

    "You never had any ns of retreating, did you?" Ragnar asked his son but this was a rhetorical question.

    "That is correct father, I just wanted to know how far we were away from their home¡­" Tyr said with a grin and Ragnar chuckled in disbelief.

    Even he could not have thought about this on the spot the way his son did.

    "So why the treasure and food?" Ragnar asked.

    "It is so we can feed, we will ''retreat'' out of sight but we will certainly hit them at night. We have established the distance so now we can draw up a n with that information. I do not n to return to Rognd until I get to Northumbria." Tyr said and Ragnar did not know where this ambition stemmed from but it seemed to be a grand one.

    Ragnar knew these enemies would not be easy, they only had a little taste of their military strength and it was nothing short of overwhelming.

    It took Tyr''s n to prevent them from losing even more men.

    "I cannot believe how much you have grown Tyr," Ragnar said and Tyr smiled at his father.

    Ragnar wanted to ask if he had anything nned with Bjorn but he knew that Bjorn would not appreciate it if he told Tyr anything.

    The boats of the Christians were on their way to give them the food and treasure that they had retrieved. They were received with open arms from the Vikings and a war was seemingly averted.

    The food was distributed among the warriors and the Vikings feasted with huge smiles on their faces. They left their seas just as they had agreed and this was a good thing.

    Everyone was back on their boats and Tyr knew that the leaders needed to do something now.

    The fact that he had done this without informing his General could be interpreted as him undermining his leadership but Tyr''s impact so far has trumped that of everyone else exempting Bjorn so he had the attention of everyone on his side.

    The sun was setting and that was when the boats of the Vikings came to a halt.

    Grj?tgard Gardsson listened to Tyr''s request to stop as he assumed he wanted them to take a rest but Tyr knew that they were being followed from afar, this was Northumbria''s way of seeing if the Vikings had any intentions of honouring their bargain but now, that boat had turned back.

    Tyr was the only one that took notice because he was the only one that expected it, and the distance made it very difficult, it was only because of his paranoia that he could make out a very small dot in the distance.

    "General Grj?tgard Gardsson. Do you trust me?" Tyr asked.

    "No," Grj?tgard responded in a heartbeat and this almost made Salgard snicker because he did not know the kind of answer that Tyr was expecting but Grj?tgard was not one to spare a person''s feelings with his words.

    "Northumbria, General¡­ I want it, I never nned to retreat," Tyr finally let the cat out of the bag but Grj?tgard did not look surprised by this.

    "The person that was trailing us has stopped as well, you got the food so we can replenish our strength but I do not understand why you got the treasures¡­ You made a smart choice and I have a feeling it is not just me that caught on because retreating goes against everything I have heard about you Tyr," Grj?tgard said.

    Tyr could not believe the insight this man possessed and he now understood why he was feared a lot more than Rugalf himself.

    "VIKINGS!" Grj?tgard raised his voice for the first time since this journey had begun and with filled bellies, everyone was energized as it felt like they were just arriving.

    "WILL ODIN ACCEPT US INTO VALHALLA IF WE RUN AWAY FROM THESE CHRISTIANS?" Grj?tgard screamed, it was not just his warriors that heard him but those on the other boats nearby.

    "NO!" They responded and this brought a smile from Grj?tgard with Salgard standing right beside his brother.

    "THESE CHRISTIANS THINK THEY CAN PAY US OFF AFTER DISRESPECTING OUR GODS? WE WILL TAKE THEIR HEADS AND THAT OF THEIR GOD!" Grj?tgard screamed and this brought an end to his speech but Tyr could not believe the effect it had on everyone.

    Without exining the situation or anything, he had gotten warriors that were ready to return moments ago, bloodthirsty.

    "So this is a General," Tyr thought to himself.

 Chapter 401 Alf Comes Through!

    Chapter 401 Alf Comes Through!

    Bishop Calvin was satisfied but he had no intention of moving his fleet from the position they upied because he did know there was a possibility that all this was an borate decoy.

    Calvin, however, doubted it and this was because Tyr did a convincing job of portraying this

    The bishop nned to call this a victory because he had just deterred an invasion that could have imed the lives of multiple soldiers of God.

    Night fell and the sea was quiet, the boats that trailed the warriors returned prior and reported that they had left the area.

    This brought a satisfied smile from Bishop Calvin as he could not believe how easy it was to trick them into leaving.

    Calvin did not give them real treasures and only shiny things that held no real value so in his mind, he had just fooled these warriors.

    This gave him a superiorityplex and the notion that they were mindless barbarians seemed to be true.

    He was surprised that they could even move on water and he took note of the weapons that were mounted on Ragnar''s boat.

    There was no doubt that they had quite the innovator on their end and Calvin found himself curious as to what else these barbarians had in mind.

    A few warriors were around Calvin but now, he wanted to be alone.

    "Leave me be, I need to rest," Calvin said and the warriors around him did just that.

    Calvin was left alone in his room and he fell on the floor, clearly exhausted.

    He was sleep deprived as he could not afford to rest until now, fatigue was one thing everyone was subject to.

    Calvin closed his eyes to sleep but his slumber was soon interrupted a few momentster.

    It felt like it was a few minutes but it was for hours, Calvin awoke due to the scuffle at the entrance of his door.

    This was unusual and the bishop jumped to his feet the moment he heard themotion.

    He got his sword and wore his cross because he was hearing loud thumping outside, it was like bodies were dropping yet no one called out.

    Calvin walked outside of his room only to see bodies littered around, their throat shed.

    It looked like whoever did this, attacked them in their sleep but there was no way any external threat could do this.

    It had to be someone within and Calvin raised his head only to see Alf standing with a bloodied sword and a satisfied grin.

    "You fucking Pagan¡­" The war bishop cursed, entering abative mode as he charged at Alf.

    Alf knew there was no way to defeat him, Calvin was a different monster but if it was him that killed Alf, Alf was certain that Odin would ept him.

    The metallic de of Calvin was aimed right at the neck of Alf, his dexterity was something that Alf did not expect as he could not even react to the swing but did he need to?

    -

    [After the meeting between Calvin and Tyr]

    "Alf, do you wish to be part of my story?'' Tyr asked as he was walking back to the boat and Alf nodded eagerly, who would not want to be in the story of the great Tyr Ragnarsson?

    "I need you to do something for me, something only you can do," Tyr said and Alf listened to the young warrior go into details about what he needed from him.

    Calvin mistook Alf''s motive, thinking it was to his fellow vers but little did he know, it was to Tyr himself.

    He knew that hisrades held captive would rejoice that they were sacrificed to aid Tyr in his goals but Calvin thought by taking them hostage was a shortcut to buy Alf''s temporary cooperation. He was wrong.

    Alf was instructed to kill everyone on this particr boat quietly so he wouldn''t alert those on the other boats. Alf remembered what it was like being a Viking, killing and ughtering those that posed a threat to Tyr but there was a problem, who would defeat Calvin?

    "Before you go Tyr, there is something I need to tell you," Alf said and both men had one final conversation before going their separate ways

    -

    A familiar sound of swords shing echoed, Calvin''s sword met resistance and he was even pushed back.

    "What are you doing here?" Calvin asked because before him, was the son of Ragnar, Tyr.

    "You have done wonderfully well," Tyr said with a grin and Alf was beyond honoured that he could fight back against these Christians.

    Tyr had given him a reason to live that went beyond enving people and that was a purpose he had lost long ago.

    He could feel his blood boil but Calvin had so many questions and that was obvious by his look.

    "I know you are wondering how I got here¡­" Tyr said, judging from things he was the only one around, there were no other warriors present.

    "We had an agreement! Is this how little the Vikings'' words mean to them!?" Calvin questioned but Tyr only chuckled at this absurdity.

    "You not only gave us fake treasures but you poisoned a small portion of the food you gave to us¡­ Is that how you honoured yours?" Tyr fired back, and Calvin''s eyes immediately looked at Alf.

    "That bastard¡­!" Calvin cussed the ver in his mind but there was nothing he could do about any of this.

    This had always been the n, Tyr knew he had to get rid of Calvin no matter what for if you cut off the head of a serpent, the rest of his body goes to waste,

    Alf had snuck him onboard after he quietly killed the warriors keeping watch and those sleeping, that was all him. The cover of the night made this possible because the clouds were dense and blocked out the moonlight. Tyr boarded the boat and the rest was history, he had briefed the heads of the various armies about this n that very night and Hagen was surprised because this eliminated his earlier worry about them proving a threat to them as he knew how demoralizing it was for a unit to lose their leader.

    Calvin now found himself in a pickle and the fact that he could not have guessed this troubled him.

    This was madness, this was reckless, and if anything, this was something no sane human should not even think possible.

    Yet it was happening because of the man known as Tyr, the undead.

 Chapter 402 Tyr, The Undead Vs Calvin, The Bishop Warrior!

    Chapter 402 Tyr, The Undead Vs Calvin, The Bishop Warrior!

    Tyr stood against Calvin, with his dual axes equipped and Alf standing behind the warrior.

    Alf knew better than anyone how strong Calvin was but he also knew that Tyr was yet to show his true strength ever since returning to the Viking world from his exile.

    He has been ying and messing around, it was like he was scared of his strength but one person that had a gauge of his strength was Thorgard.

    Tyr had shown him a glimpse of it during their spar.

    "May I know the name of the man I am about to kill?" Tyr asked calmly but Calvin took this request the wrong way.

    "You have some balls, I give you that but I will show you the difference between a soldier anointed by Christ and an unbeliever worshipping false gods¡­" Calvin muttered as his sword was held up.o

    "God this, gods that¡­ You do talk a lot but you misjudge¡­" Tyr said as he began to walk towards Calvin, Alf gulped in anticipation as the honour that came with witnessing such a high-stakes battle dawned on him.

    "I do not need the gods'' protection, they are the ones that need protection from me," the moment these words left Tyr''s lips, he vanished from sight and his next position was right in front of Calvin.

    Alf could barely follow his movement, Tyr was simply that fast but Calvin was another case entirely because the moment Tyr appeared in front of him, he was met with a kick aimed right at his head.

    The way his body was positioned made it impossible for him to use his weapons to block it so he had to leap backwards to avoid it but Calvin wasn''t going to give him any time to waste.

    The moment the young warrior came to a halt, the looming shadow of a slender object from above prompted him to cross his axes to block the downward swing of Calvin.

    Calvin was strong and Tyr could feel his weapon being pushed back on him but a gut-wrenching pain soon originated from his lower torso.

    Calvin had kicked him and this forced Tyr to momentarily break his defence, allowing the Bishop''s weapon to break through.

    Calvin''s swing no longer had any obstacle and it was headed right for Tyr''s head but the young warrior grinned the moment he saw this.

    "Did you really think it would be that easy? Compared to Gissur, your attacks feel like a tickle," Tyr muttered, this made it obvious that Tyr had intentionally done this to make Calvin think he had the upper hand.

    Tyr''s body suddenly shifted, he managed to lean back with the sword narrowly missing his head but splitting his loose clothes down the middle.

    Calvin''s sword made contact with the wooden floor and Tyr immediately went for his fingers holding the sword.

    Calvin found this fighting style strange because it was like Tyr didn''t want to kill him and he was more focused on disarming him for some reason.

    Calvin let go of his de as Tyr''s axe made contact with the hilt of the sword with Calvin using this opportunity to gain some distance.

    "What is that fighting style?" Calvin thought to himself, Tyr''s movements were unpredictable and his body stance betrayed the limitation of what he could do.

    "Where is your God, Bishop? Does he rest in this sword of yours?" Tyr said, strapping his axes as he picked up the sword.

    "Does this mean that he is now on my side?" Tyr asked but Calvin was triggered.

    The audacity this pagan had but Calvin was soon left speechless the moment he caught a glimpse at Tyr''s body.

    "What the hell? How did you get those wounds!?" Calvin asked, the fact that this man before him was barely seventeen made him question just what kind of life he has lived.

    "These are the wounds that have brought me here¡­ And now with the weapon blessed by your God, I will take your life," Tyr said and Calvin''s face cracked.

    Alf was speechless, this battle was swift, it didn''t evenst five minutes and Calvin was not only disarmed but he was about to be killed by his own weapon.

    "S-Stay back you filthy pagan!" Calvin barked, he knew he had to find a way to leave but he had to get through Tyr first to do that.

    "I am Tyr, the undead, Tyr the kingyer but I wonder what it is like¡­" Tyr paused before vanishing and appearing right in front of Calvin once again but this time he was faster.

    "... To y a God," Tyr''s face creased into an eerie grin as blood spatter was the next thing that followed with the swing of the sword.

    -

    "Brother, why did you allow Tyr to go?" Thorgard asked his older brother, trying to understand his reason for risking Tyr on such a reckless mission.

    "Allow him? Tyr is a true warrior that is ready to do whatever it takes to make this seed, even if it means doing something so crazy. I do not know why but I just know that he will seed¡­" Grj?tgard said.

    Salgard took note of this, this was a strange side to his older brother that he had never seen but Salgard was not convinced just yet.

    He couldn''t help but believe that Tyr had an ulterior motive and his power of persuasion was the most dangerous thing about him.

    Tyr could sway even his brother but Salgard also understood that this boy might prove to be an important piece in the conquest of Northumbria.

    Tyr was not afraid of making decisions, at that age, it was impressive how little he valued his life or was he simply that confident about his strength?

    But he had to survive this ordeal first, there was no guarantee that Alf would carry out his task or even not betray him, it was stupid of Tyr to trust a ver that gives his loyalty to the highest bidder in hindsight.

    The warriors waited anxiously for up to an hour because they didn''t know if such a thing was even possible in the first ce.

    But there it was, they saw a boat headed in their direction and the warriors cheered the moment that they established it was Tyr.

    Tyr had taken Bishop Calvin captive, he understood the power of bargaining and this would stop the enemies from carelessly attacking their boats seeing as they had one of their own.

    And on his left, was Alf. Tyr''s n was a resounding sess.

 Chapter 403 Touchdown! Northumbria!

    403 Touchdown! Northumbria!

    The night passed and the shores of Northumbria were about to wee a threat that they had underestimated.

    "Man, I cannot believe we were made to do guard duty¡­" A man Ained, yawning but this also showed the mindset of the warriors that were onshore.

    "I know right, it is not like Bishop Calvin would lose on the water so why is everyone going to such lengths to do this?" Man B questioned with a raised brow.

    There was no superior here, these were all average warriors with the responsibility of reporting back to the castle what they saw on the sea.

    They knew that they could not do much in terms ofbat but they could at least buy time for reinforcement to arrive.

    "Hey, did you hear about the rumours flying around?" Man A said with a chuckle but the other man was clueless as to what these rumours were judging from his facial expression.

    "What rumours?" Man B questioned with a raised brow.

    "They say God is punishing us for spilling blood in his name," Man A said and this resulted in Man Bughing out loud.

    "That is absurd! God blesses our crusade and that is why I know he will protect Bishop Calvin alongside the others. We are God''s chosen warriors!" Man B said proudly.

    The blistering sun made their body reek of sweat, their clothes drenched in it and this was why they wereining.

    They could be indoors rxing yet they were here waiting for an enemy that would nevere.

    Or so they thought.

    "Pagans! Enemies have been sighted!" A man screamed at the top of his lungs and these two men immediately turned their heads in that direction with a dumbfounded look on their faces.

    "What!?" Man A eximed because they saw the Bishop whom they held in such high regard strapped to the figurehead of the boat that Tyr was in.

    "That is impossible¡­" Man B muttered, This demoralized their army because Calvin was humiliated, he was stripped naked and the men held their weapons with shaky hands because in their minds, these Vikings had destroyed the ships but little did they know that they simply travelled around them after capturing Calvin.

    Calvin was proving to be more useful alive than he would have been dead, he was badly beaten and could barely speak, and it was clear that the Vikings did not treat him with care.

    Tyr was developing quite a sense of humour because Calvin was hung like the man on his cross, that was Jesus.

    This was Tyr mocking their God for its inability to protect his worshippers.

    The boats touchednd but no one opposed them, The soldiers were in no mood to fight and thought about surrendering but that was not an option.

    The Vikings had sessfullynded in Northumbria and they could not believe that they were here. They had tossed the treasure from their boats to free up space for the real loot.

    Tyr''s feet were the first to touch this foreignnd, and a smile appeared on his face.

    He bent down and took the soil in his hand, his heart was beating fast but this was only his excitement as he slowly got back to his feet.

    Tyr allowed it to slip from the gaps in his fingers back onto the earth, the Vikings looked pumped, they felt invincible and who could me them?

    An arrow was fired right at Tyr, it was going to impale his head and the young Viking not only dodged it but snatched it out of the air and threw it back at the archer like a boomerang.

    It hit him right in the head and everyone was in awe, including the warriors on their end.

    Tyr looked back at Alf, he knew that this was where Alf would shine and that wasmunication, they had anguage barrier.

    The English warriors were shaking and this was because of the state Bishop Calvin was, this little reverse psychology was effective.

    Tyr stepped forward and the archers remembered what had happened to the first person who tried to shoot their arrow in this young man''s direction, Alf walked beside him.

    Tyr looked around, there had to be someone else of authority around her, it couldn''t be this easy. Tyr whispered something into Alf''s ear because he knew without a doubt that the battle was only beginning now but negotiation should be the first thing they attempted.

    If nothing, to buy them time to sort themselves out.

    "Hear me Christians, we are Norsemen and we havee for plunder. You may give us this plunder by choice or we will take it by force. Take this to your King, we will wait here for your answer!" Alf screamed at the top of his lungs and silence fell.

    This silence did notst as the murmurs began, Tyr had takenmand of this entire operation but this was partly because the heads of this army were family.

    This was why he was allowed to spread his wings as he was yet to make a bad call.

    Every choice he made brought them here and they did not want it to stop anytime soon.

    Tyr smiled because he could sense the fear in the air, fear was good as it showed inferiority.

    These men were scared and Tyr had a hostage that he knew they would not want to lose.

    Calvin was not only strong but influential and how he lost the battle on the sea remained a mystery. They did not know that he did not lose.

    "What have you done to that warrior of God?" A man asked, walking past the fidgeting men who immediately stood at attention the moment that he appeared.

    Tyr could tell by the way he carried himself that this man must have a rank of some sort tomand such a reaction from those around him

    He walked past Tyr and headed right to Bishop Calvin but the man ran into Baard.

    He tried to walk around the Viking but Baard grabbed him by the throat.

    "If you kill me, the King will never see you," The man said bluntly and Alf raised his hand in the air to signify that Baard could not kill him or there would be consequences.

    Raganr told his warrior to stand down and allowed the man to do as he wanted.

    He cut Calvin down and took the clothes off his own back to wear for him, leaving himself only in his garments.

    "Bishop Calvin, I promise I will return to you," The man said; getting up to his feet and began walking back towards Tyr.

    "I will ry your message to the King but if that man dies, then you will suffer the wrath of not only God but the men that fight in his name," The man said bluntly, Tyr found the look in his eyes somewhat intimidating, he was not scared of them whatsoever.

    Tyr watched what he had just done and this was the closest resemnce to Christ that he had seen. But this also gave them time to rest as they did not even know where the Kingdom of Northumbria was.

 Chapter 404 The Plan To Take Northumbria!

    404 The n To Take Northumbria!

    The Vikings settled down at the shore, and the Christians kept an eye on them but that was all they could do right now.

    Tyr had called Bjorn, Ragnar, and Grj?tgard to the side to discuss their next course of action, Salgard tagged along considering he was just as respected as his older brother.

    This could be what one would call a family n as they were all rted as of this moment.

    "Why did you not use force?" Grj?tgard asked the young warrior and Bjorn opted to speak on his brother''s behalf.

    "We have been to Ennd and had contact with less formidable men, they will not yield so easily," Bjorn said and this was true, the monks kept their mouths shut even when Uttredus was being skinned alive by Tyr.

    Tyr understood that these men were not defenceless and had every intention to fight back and should be forced to.

    Right now, they held the upper hand and that was fear, the warriors did not know how to approach the threat that the Pagans posed as they were willing for a dialogue but these boys were all missing a crucial factor.

    "We have enemies at the sea, should they turn back while we are waiting for the King to respond, what then?" Ragnar asked Tyr and for the first time, Tyr did not give a reply immediately.

    "I hope for the gods, and I hope for the swift response of the King of Northumbria," Tyr said but Tyr had forgotten that things would most likely not go ording to n.

    He could formte ns and strategies based on information but these people were an unknown variable. The strategy he would otherwise use for Vikings, he could not use it here.

    "You encroached on theirnds and the first thing you ask is for negotiation? That shows weakness, if I were King, I would assemble an army to kill us¡­" Grj?tgard said, offering a different perspective to the situation.

    "We are invaders¡­ But more so, we are Vikings, words are not our way," Salgard said.

    Tyr was nk, he thought he knew what he was doing but they were right.

    This might very well be suicide but he had to stick with his guts, it was foolish for him to act on his own without seeking advice from the more experienced warriors.

    Ragnar did not rely on his son as he understood that Tyrcked the experience to lead them.

    This was why Ragnar instructed Baard''s partner to track the men down; she did something interesting as she plunged into the water and swam away from this popted area.

    She managed toe out of the water but she was far from where the initial forcesnded.

    "I have taken measures to make sure that this conquest is a sess," Ragnar understood that Tyr took this method as they didn''t know where the Kingdom was but he did not know the strengths of those around him or he would have devised a better n surrounding it.

    Thedy that Ragnar had instructed was exceptionally good at swimming, this was one of her fortes and Ragnar was going to exploit it.

    Ragnar knew the longer they waited, the more dire their situation would be.

    Ragnar informed everyone of this and they were surprised that Ragnar was personally getting involved but then remembered just who this man was.

    Ragnar was one of the greatest Vikings right now and they were getting so carried away with his sons that they began to overlook him.

    Ragnar was taking over and Tyr knew it was time to learn a thing or two from the man deemed the greatest Viking.

    "We will have to attack the moment the location of the Kingdom is known, we cannot wait for their King as we have established with the other one that these Christians are not as honest as their God it seems. We will have toy siege to the Kingdom," Ragnar said and Grj?tgard grinned the moment he heard this.

    It was refreshing seeing someone put Tyr in his ce, he was getting a bit too cocky.

    "General Grj?tgard, I have heard about your exploits as well as Salgard. I will need us to split our forces, you will take a smallpany alongside your brother and circle the Kingdom¡­" Ragnar said; he was devising a n on the spot as he had the most experience when it came to things like this.

    "We will put on a show at the front, we will make sure all their attention is focused on us so you guys will have easier ess to the Kingdom¡­" Ragnar said.

    "And what happens if there is no gate at the back?" Salgard gestured and Ragnar reached into a bag by his side to reveal a grapple.

    "The n was never to use any gate, you need to climb the wall to induce that element of surprise, they cannot know you have breached their walls," Ragnar said.

    Ragnar proceeded to inscribe something into the soil, it was a drawing that showed their cement to give a more urate representation.

    The n was sound and everyone there was happy about it but the question was, how will the split affect them?

    "You will take Salgard and a small number of warriors of your choosing, they cannot exceed ten in number but Tyr and Thorgard will stay here with me. Something tells me that they will be looking for him on the battlefield, he spilt the first blood here and I wish to have a brother of King Rugalf by my side to keep your men at ease," Ragnar said bluntly and Grj?tgard had no problems with his request, it was sound.

    "I would like to see the strength of Bjorn Ironside in person," Grj?tgard said and Bjorn agreed to this because they needed their best warriors to do this.

    "What do we do after we get in?" Salgard asked but this was a test, he wanted to see how far Ragnar was willing to go.

    "You need to find a way to spread them thin so you can open the gates from within to let us in, that is where the real battle willmence. How you do so, I will let you decide that amongst yourselves," Ragnar said in a very suggestive tone, this was his way of allowing any atrocities that these people intended to do.

    "We do not even know if we can breach the gate¡­" Bjorn said.

    "That is where Ie in," A voice said behind the young man.

    "Hello, I am Hagen and I will make sure you get those gates down,"

 Chapter 405 A Proposal?

    ?

    King ?lle received news about the invadersnding onshore and his anger was visible.

    He gripped his fist because he did not expect Bishop Calvin to fail in deterring them.

    ?lle was furious and this also meant that the possibility that he would even want to negotiate with them was exceedingly low.

    ?lle knew he would seem weak if he negotiated with them, they should not negotiate with Pagans for they were everything that Christians stood for.

    He had to crush them and send them to hell where they belong but he also knew he could use this to his advantage.

    "King ?lle, what should we do?" A man asked, one knee bent to show his submission to his superior.

    King ?lle was curious to see what kind of people these Pagans were as he had only heard of them but he had never seen them with his own eyes.

    "We will y their games but I want the head of their King before nightfall¡­" King ?lle said with a sinister grin, the fact that he thought it would be this easy showed how much he underestimated them.

    But he wasn''t a fool, he knew this area better than them and the only way he could negotiate with them would be on his terms.

    He knew he had to do this before the sunset as he did not want the Vikings getting toofortable otherwise it would prove to give them a false perception of their limitations.

    King ?lle knew he had to be careful because for them to defeat Calvin, it meant that they at least had a certain level of skill, he would lose men no doubt if he confronted them head-on even though he knew he would emerge victorious.

    This will shake the faith of those who follow him if they see that Pagans could prove to be a threat, even if they win.

    And this was why King ?lle implemented the n he had in mind.

    -

    The day progressed and the sun was setting, thedy that Ragnar had sent returned to the shores and this meant that they had the location of the castle.

    "King Ragnar, what do we do now?" Hagen asked his best friend but Ragnar had no answers to this for now because there was an envoy that came for negotiation.

    Ragnar knew that whatever Hagen wanted to discuss with him had to wait.

    The men here were different from the ones that had clothed Calvin, they had on armour and they looked a lot more equipped forbat than the quivering men that they met here earlier.

    They had a different aura and everyone present realized that maybe Christians were not snivelling cowards.

    Grj?tgard was the first to intercept this envoy, the men stopping in their tracks as they unmounted their horses the moment they saw the giant stand in front of them.

    They were in awe that such a big man existed and they rightly perceived him as a threat.

    They noticed among all the men in armour, there was one that wasn''t but he had a bag over his head.

    A man almost as big as Grj?tgard stood in front of him to read from a scroll that was handed to him by the King.

    These words contained the words of their King and Alf was at the forefront to wee this news. Alf stood beside Grj?tgard to receive and trante what was about to be said.

    "King ?lle has heard your request and being a man of God has offered a chance at dialogue so we may solve this without bloodshed. He has offered an audience to your King in the castle but in turn, he gives you his nephew as a hostage to guarantee that your King returns to you unharmed. If harmes to him, you have the right to take the life of his nephew," The man read and Alf tranted it word for word.

    Before anyone could protest or verbalize their thoughts, King Ragnar stepped forward.

    He had nothing to hide and he knew this was the best-case scenario he could ask for.

    "How do we know that he is indeed the nephew of the King?" Ragnar asked and Alf didn''t trante this to them.

    "I can tell you, King Ragnar¡­ I have seen Ecgberht on numerous asions," Alf said and Ragnar liked that he knew even his name.

    This meant that they could not trick him by bringing someone who was not even rted to the King. Alf proceeded to tell them to remove the bag from the man''s head.

    They did just that and Alf confirmed it was in fact Ecgberht but knowing Ecgberht, he was curious as to what King ?lle must have offered him to get his cooperation.

    Thest time he checked, they did not get along so what could he possibly be offering him to get him to willingly enter such a dire situation?

    Tyr kept quiet, he did not worry about his father because Ragnar was a warrior that he respected, he knew that his father must have a n as he was not only wiser but smarter than his sons.

    Bjorn too was quiet, he did not think much of this because Ragnar had already told them what to do even though it would be a lot trickier if he was within the enemy''s walls.

    Ragnar needed to know the kind of man King ?lle was but he also needed to make sure that his n worked.

    It was easy to identify Ragnar due to the crown he wore, he stood out and this aura around him was different from everyone else here.

    Ragnar looked back at Tyr and Bjorn.

    "I will be f-!" Ragnar was cut short.

    "Father, do not be so dramatic¡­ You are just going to talk, the only thing I worry about is you boring their King to death!" Tyr said, rolling his eyes in the process.

    "Hahaha! Father will probably get himself killed by telling a bad joke!" Bjorn countered.

    "Then King ?lle will be doing all of us a favour!" Tyr added to the joke that the Vikings around did their best to hold in theirughter because they did not understand this dynamic that these people shared.

    "You know what, I might just get myself killed so you both live with the guilt," Ragnar responded immaturely and the warriors around could no longer contain theirughter as they burst outughing.

 Chapter 406 Hostage

    ?

    The terms were set and Ragnar was off, he was taken to the King of Northumbria.

    An army was stationed around the shores that the other Vikings were.

    King ? was not taking any chances and he knew what he needed to do to keep them away.

    Ecgberht was taken in by the Vikings and considering his age, one would think he could be the King of Northumbria using the same methods that his uncle utilized.

    Ecgberht sat in silence, he didn''t know what to do as no one spoke his tongue.

    Alf was forbidden to go with Ragnar as they assured him thatmunication wouldn''t be a problem considering his loyalty had beenpromised.

    They did not want Alf but rather, they would use one of the prisoners they had taken to get Alf''s loyalty.

    This meant that Alf could help inmunicating with the prisoners and this was what they intended to do.

    Everyone was ignoring the prisoner, they knew he was a hostage and they now had Calvin and Ecgberht. This gave them the upper hand in terms of hostage body count but they didn''t understand what Ecgberht influence was in Northumbria.

    If they knew, they might have had second thoughts regarding the whole thing.

    Tyr was not one to ignore an opportunity to peer into the enemy''s mind.

    Tyr just stared at him and Ecgberhy could not hold his gaze considering that the look Tyr was giving him was like that of a wild animal looking for any excuse to pounce on its prey if it made any sudden moves.

    Ecgberht was frightened, these men oozed something that could only be described as pure evil.

    "He is a coward, he does not even have the spirit of a warrior. No wonder their King has no use for him," Tyr mocked him out loud and everyone elseughed.

    Ecgberht instinctively knew that they wereughing at him but it was better than them touching him.

    Ecgberht was used to being the punchline of everyone''s joke so this felt like home but he knew that this was not the only thing the man before him intended.

    Thorgard soon joined Tyr, he wanted to spend more time with Tyr.

    "Tyr Gardsson! You are amazing!" Thorgard heaped praise on him.

    "I wish to live in your mind for a day¡­" Thorgard said but Tyr was spaced out.

    He felt like he was talking to himself, Tyr was distant.

    Then Ecgberht said something that made Alf''s eyes open in surprise.

    "What did you just say?" Alf asked him in thenguage that the Englishman knew.

    "I am not your enemy and your King will die by the next sunrise. King ? has no intention of letting any of you live," Ecgberht had said earlier.

    "What is it, Alf?" Tyr asked the moment he saw him speak a foreignnguage.

    Ecgberht remained silent after he said that and that didn''t stop Tyr from seeking further information regarding this.

    Tyr knew the smell of dogs and this man didn''t have that smell so Tyr suspected that this man wasn''t a rat but a man with ambition.

    "My King? You mean that you intend to kill King Ragnar?" Tyr questioned and Alf tranted every word the young man said.

    "I am afraid it does not matter how strong a warrior is even the best of warriors have their limitations and your King is no different," Ecgberht said bluntly and Tyr smiled the moment that Alf tranted this to him.

    "You mistake my father for a man, Ragnar is no man and you will all understand why he is feared in Norway," Tyr said with a content smile.

    -

    Ragnar was taken to Northumbria where King ? was, King ? was amazed because Ragnar was a lot different from what he had in mind.

    This was a King but it was hard to tell by his facial features, he had a beard that was almost sweeping the floor.

    King ? was the opposite of what Ragnar was, he was well-groomed and had the necessary etiquette for a King but what could one expect from a Pagan?

    "Wee King of pagans¡­" King ? weed Ragnar and of course, he had a trantor for this conversation.

    Ragnar did not respond to his greetings, Ragnar was a veteran warrior.

    There was no way that he did not think of ways that this could go wrong.

    He had examined all the possible oues and still found that he would emerge from this alive.

    Ragnar was simply that confident, he knew that he had to be or the people around him would perceive his weakness.

    Vikings believed in strength and if they found that strength was no longer enough then there was nothing else for Ragnar to do in terms of leadership.

    "Why do you bring me here?" Ragnar asked and ? smiled as he pointed at the food in front of Ragnar.

    "What kind of host would I be if I did not offer my guest some refreshments? Please, help yourself¡­" King ? suggested.

    They just came from the sea so they would be hungry if anything, this was a smart move on ?''s part but it was not something that Ragnar was falling for.

    Ragnar knew it was rude to reject things given to him but there had to be an exception to such things.

    Ragnar looked to his right and noticed that there were multiple soldiers standing guard, they were ready to smite him should he do anything out of the ordinary.

    Killing King ? was out of the question but he could discern his motives from a conversation.

    This was what Ragnar hoped as he knew how powerful a foe he was facing in such an unknownnd.

    Ragnar took the food and put it in his mouth, he wanted to show King ? that he was as simple-minded as he thought him to be.

    Ragnar shoved the food in his mouth like a hungry vulture and the soldiers around could be heard snickering.

    They found it amusing that a man who called himself King would stoop so low but a hidden grin snuck up on Ragnar''s face.

    He had discerned from this gesture that these men underestimated them and that gave them the advantage.

 Chapter 407 Bargain Amongst Kings

    407 Bargain Amongst Kings

    The familiar feeling of darkness came, the sun had descended and the moon had taken its ce. It was beautiful but this night wasing with not only blood but chaos.

    This might be the night to shape their journey in Northumbria and the troops were ready.

    Ragnar has been gone for quite some time and Tyr has been talking with Ecgberht for the entirety of his stay here.

    No one knew what they were talking about except Alf and Alf''s loyalty was to Tyr alone, not anyone else.

    "It is time, General Grj?tgard," Bjorn said. Tyr knew he could easily join them but he had to hang back to make sure that these men were okay.

    Thorgard was staying with him too, this should give them leadership but Salgard and the others were going to scale the wall as nned despite Ragnar being there.

    This was a strange choice because they had a lot more to lose if things went south but it was exactly because the King of Vikings was within their walls that they wouldn''t expect this from the Vikings.

    "They are preparing for something¡­" Tyr muttered, he noticed the movements of the warriors.

    They were a lot more active than they were during the day and something told Tyr that an attack wasing but this was an assumption.

    He could not sound the rm just yet, so he decided to let things y out.

    "Tyr, will you be okay by yourself?" Bjorn asked his younger brother.

    "Are you asking the man who conquered death if he would be okay?" Tyr asked with a raised brow.

    "Why do I even bother," Bjorn scoffed with a grin, this was the kind of energy he expected from his body as he looked at Grj?tgard.

    "Bjorn Ironside, are you ready?" Grj?tgard asked bluntly; he did not seem to share the same concern that Bjorn shared for Tyr for Thorgard.

    Thorgard was d about this, this would be his first real challenge.

    Bjorn nodded and the moment he did, Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs.

    Drawing everyone''s attention towards him, including his enemies.

    They had fire lit around their camp but it didn''t cover every corner, the Christians on the other hand had their positions burning bright with fire.

    This allowed Tyr to establish the perimeter and it was quiterge, there was no way that Grj?tgard and co could go past them but they had established that it was possible to swim past them.

    But first, they needed a worthy distraction, Tyr grabbed Ecgberht by the shoulder and yanked him to his feet before cing a sword at his neck.

    Even the Vikings were surprised by this action, it was far too random and they also understood that Ecgberht was the only thing keeping them alive.

    If this hostage was killed, nothing kept them at bay but this got the reaction it needed from the enemies. They all unsheathed their weapons and were ready to engage but the Vikings did the same.

    Ecgbeht had no intentions of letting things escte, there was no way they would engage when he was yet to be harmed.

    "Stand down!" Ecgberhtmanded them in theirnguage and the men did just that and the Vikings followed suit after Tyr gestured for them to lower their guard.

    This foolery was enough to let the others slip away.

    -

    King Ragnar was talking to King ?lle about how they could help each other out.

    "You wantnd here?" King ?lle was perplexed by this request, he thought that they would want gold or something along those lines.

    "That is correct, King ?lle. We wantnd, we wish to settle here for yournds are a lot greener than ours. You might not know this but I was once a farmer," Ragnar said proudly.

    King ?lle nearly jumped from his seat because how does a farmer be King?

    "Y-You? A King?" King ?lle asked, clearly confused as he looked at his trantor to make sure he had tranted it right.

    "How does a farmer be King?" ?lle asked, intrigued by Ragnar.

    "People are like crops, water them well enough and they flourish to support your survival, this is how I became King. I nourished those around me until they bloomed and people did not forget who watered them. I did not be King out of ambition, it was given to me by those around me and now I lead one of the most powerful Kingdoms in Norway but I miss farming¡­" Ragnar said with a cheeky smile.

    King ?lle hated to admit it but Ragnar was a lot more interesting than he was.

    "I like that but that is not always the case. Betrayal is in the blood of man, don''t you think?" ?lle asked.

    "Are you saying you are incapable of trust, King ?lle?" Ragnar retorted and a silence soon followed.

    "That is correct, King Ragnar and something tells me that you are plotting something even as we speak," ?lle said but Ragnar knew this was him bluffing or at least that was what his thought process was at that moment.

    "That is correct, I am a King who will put my people first and it all depends on this conversation. That will decide if we are friends or enemies," Ragnar said bluntly. Even the trantor was hesitant to say these words but they had no choice.

    Ragnar watched closely to see how King ?lle would react, this man didn''t carry himself as a warrior and as such, Ragnar could surmise he wasn''t a warrior but there had to be someone around who could wield a sword.

    This Kingdom was far too big not to have faced formidable enemies and Ragnar began scanning the room.

    "You amuse me, King Ragnar," King ?lle said with a chuckle, he did not know if Ragnar was stupid or if it was because he had some sort of n in ce.

    Someone soon walked into the room but it was not someone d in armor, but looked more like a messenger.

    "It seems I was right, King Ragnar," King ?lle said, getting up to his feet.

    "You were up to something," King ?lle muttered and everyone around Ragnar unsheathed their sword.

    "It looks like you intend to take my head tonight¡­ Just as I do yours," ?lle said for the messenger had informed him of the people heading right to the castle.

    Ragnar knew it wouldn''t be that easy but judging from the look on his face, he was not surprised

 Chapter 408 A Hitch?

    408 A Hitch?

    General Grj?tgard was leading them; they had taken the water route but unfortunately for them, they had been spotted but no one engaged them.

    They allowed them to maintain the perception that they had the upper hand, an ingenious move if you think about it.

    But Grj?tgard was a seasoned warrior and realized that something was wrong, so he asked everyone to halt in their tracks.

    "What is wrong, Grj?tgard?" Salgard asked.

    "That is the problem, there is nothing wrong," Grj?tgard responded to his younger brother.

    Bjorn did not understand what he meant by this; was this not the purpose of a surprise attack?

    But fortunately for the son of Ragnar, he wouldn''t be in the dark much longer.

    "Don''t you think it is strange for a Kingdom to be on such a high alert and only have one line of defence?" Grj?tgard asked this rhetorical question.

    "They could be underestimating us," Bjorn responded even though he knew it was unlikely, it could still be a possibility.

    "There is no way that they would underestimate us after we got the man named Calvin, he was a high-ranking warrior. You can tell by the way they cowered when we first came, it was because we had that man so if anything, they should be overestimating us," Grj?tgard said.

    This was a sound observation and everyone caught on to what he was trying to say.

    Grj?tgard had taken a measly ten men with him, Bjorn and Salgard included.

    "It is an ambush¡­" Grj?tgard said and this kicked everyone into defensive mode.

    Before they could even speak further, they heard men on horses approach and surround them.

    The Christians rained insults and curses at them, not that the Vikings understood but something told them that they did not want to talk.

    Grj?tgard equipped his sword, his size made him their primary target and an arrow travelled right at him.

    But it made contact with a shield, one of the men had used their shield to protect him.

    "Should we not use the shield wall formation?" Salgard asked his brother.

    "No, they are on horses. Our formation won''t hold. They will trample us¡­" Grj?tgard said with a straight face; it was almost like he hadn''t registered the threat yet but he had survived far more extreme situations than this.

    "We will face them head on and none of you will die. I do not permit any of you to die¡­ We will ughter these people and tear down the castle walls. That is all," Grj?tgard said.

    Bjorn was perplexed by hisck of fear but even if it was him saying this, there was no way that the Vikings would feel motivated by such a thing or so he thought.

    The Vikings began beating their shield in rhythm, it sounded symphonic and this was something that Bjorn had never experienced before.

    Grj?tgard smirked the moment this was done but the Christians were unsettled by it.

    "What is happening?" Bjorn asked Salgard, the man who always had that creepy smile on his face.

    "That rhythm¡­ I have heard stories about it¡­" Hagen said with a hint of fear in his voice.

    "That is right. Grj?tgard is about to be possessed by the gods and deliver their justice directly upon the Christians," Salgard responded. There was something different about his smile, it actually looked genuine.

    "It has been ages since I have seen Big Brother like this," Salgard thought to himself.

    -

    Tyr had let Ecgberht go and allowed him to sit right in front of him with Alf acting as a trantor.

    "King ?lle is no fool, there is no way that your n would not have been predicted by him," Ecgberht said. Tyr chuckled when he heard this.

    "If things don''t go ording to n then what? They either fight their way out or they go to Valha, there is no downside to battle for a Viking," Tyr responded.

    "Do you not care if they live or die?" Ecgberht asked and Alf found himself eager to hear the response of the young Viking. Tyr, without missing a beat, said.

    "No."

    He noticed the movements of the men around him bing more erratic.

    "They are getting into formation?" Tyr muttered.

    "I am not as important as you think, King ?lle can get rid of me and me it on the Vikings. This will secure the alliance of my father to avenge his son," Ecgberht informed Tyr.

    Tyr was not interested in the politics that was going on in Northumbria but something told him that this would be an important factor.

    "What do you mean?" Tyr asked and this was when Ecgberht told him the history of King ?lle; how his father was usurped and why he was still under King ?lle''s Northumbria,

    "That exins it," Tyr said, prompting Ecgberht to raise a brow.

    "What do you mean?" Ecgberht asked.

    "They had no killing intent despite a sword being drawn to your neck," Tyr said before getting to his feet. This was why he stayed back, he knew that they were nning something as he could have easily tagged along with his brothers to storm the castle.

    But he hung back because of the irregr movements witnessed by the others.

    Ecgberht, of course, did not understand what he meant by this seeing as he wasn''t a warrior.

    He was just some coward and he intended to leverage his position as best as he could.

    "Vikings! Prepare for battle! We are having Christians tonight!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs but he did not lead the charge and told Thorgard to hang back.

    The Vikings charged without hesitation because they had been ready for battle for quite some time, Tyr threatening to kill Ecgberht was for two purposes.

    The first was to see how they would react and have all their attention on him, the second was to make sure the Vikings were always on their guard.

    The battle was about to begin and this could ultimately be decided before sunrise even though the fate of King Ragnar remained unknown.

    Author here.

    Yes, I have been very bad in terms of uploading and I have no excuses even though I have been running on stockpiles for all my books due to my sickness.

    But I won''t abandon you people... Ever!

    Not when I made you all a promise.

 Chapter 409 He Is The Target!?

    <h4>Chapter 409 He Is The Target!?</h4>

    The battlemenced at the shoreline, Tyr was not fighting nor was Thorgard.

    They had to preserve their strength and knew this was the best way to do that.

    Baard was cutting down people left and right, Tyr had a brief shback about Erik as he was just as destructive but Baard looked to be a lot more tamed than that monster.

    "Tyr, why did you engage!?" Thorgard questioned him, this was not the n.

    "Why? Look around you, do they look like they are worried about losing this brat here?" Tyr asked Thorgard.

    Thorgard looked around and saw that these men were fighting with the intent to kill.

    Thorgard, however, didn''t understand what he meant by this, he needed more rification.

    "If they truly valued the hostage, they would retreat instead of fighting back and risk him losing his life," Tyr pointed out.

    "This can only mean, my father is in danger," Tyr said but his voice was not one of worry.

    He sounded unaffected by the development because he trusted his father woulde out of this unfazed.

    "T-That is absurd¡­" Thorgard tried to downy it, he knew that if things were as he said then his brothers would also be in danger.

    "I''m afraid we have been had¡­" Tyr said with a defeated smile, he knew the repercussions of this but Tyr could allow his thoughts to wander.

    He had to remain focused or they would fall, the enemies were a lot stronger and Tyr took note of their strength, they weren''t as strong as the Vikings but they were far more organized.

    They fought in formation, the Vikings had none and that was because they were warriors from different Kingdoms, each having their formation that Tyr unfortunately couldn''t incorporate.

    Baard and thedy who clung to him were the deciding factors, they gave them the upper hand.

    Thorgard looked back and saw the warrior Bishop.

    He nudged Tyr to draw his attention to the man but Tyr was too focused.

    He was watching the battle unfold, he knew he had to move them around like pieces but he could not get a hold on the enemies.

    He did not know what they were doing but it was working and Baard was finally injured.

    An arrow burrowing right into his shoulder, fatigue was kicking in.

    Tyr didn''t have everyone advance, he still had a handful of men around him in case he needed them.

    "Tyr!" Thorgard shouted, drawing Tyr''s attention to him and Tyr looked over his shoulder to see that some of the enemies had slipped through their line ande right for their head.

    *" Got you fucking pagan!"* A man barked, swinging his sword to take off Tyr''s head but Tyr''s expression didn''t even change.

    Tyr sighed, he knew that they would attempt this but he did not know that they would break through so fast.

    Tyr knew at this rate, they would lose and a casual swing of his axe took off the head of the enemy before his sword could touch him.

    Thorgard was amazed at how quick Tyr was because this man clearly swung first yet Tyr''s ax met his neck first. The warriors around him made quick work of the rest.

    Tyr knew he had to take action

    and he looked over at Ecgerht who looked a lot more concerned than relieved which was strange.

    "WARRIORS!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs, amid shing swords and battle cries.

    His voice drowned it all, it was like the thunder that came with lightning.

    "I DO NOT CARE WHAT KINGDOM YOU ARE FROM FOR YOU ALL SERVE THE SAME GODS! YOU ALL WANT THE SAME THING AND THAT IS VALHALLA!" Tyr knew he needed to raise their morale and he was quite skilled when it came before them.

    "I HAVE SEEN THE FACES OF THE GODS, I HAVE SEEN ODIN AND HIS SONS! I AM A MESSENGER FOR THE GODS AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY WANT THIS KINGDOM!" Tyr said and everyone''s heart began to thump.

    Tyr did conquer death so this was a possibility and it was clear that Tyr was getting through to them because they began overpowering the Christians like they all had a sudden power up.

    "THEY WANT THE HEADS OF THE CHRISTIANS. WE ARE VIKINGS! WE LIVE AND DIE FOR THIS! SHOW THEM! SHOW THEM WHY WE ARE THE STRONGEST OF THEM ALL!" Tyr screamed and this was enough to give them that boost.

    Baard yanked the arrow out of his shoulder, he looked to be reinvigorated and his rampage renewed with much more energy.

    He did not know what he felt when it came to Tyr but he knew that Tyr was something that he had never experienced before.

    "He is truly the son of Ragnar," Baard thought to himself, fighting alongside

    "Y-You are amazing¡­" Thorgard heaped praise on Tyr.

    "You''re up next," Tyr said to Thorgard but Throgard didn''t quite get what he meant.

    "They need one of us to join the fray, seeing you fight alongside them will lift their spirits even further. You wanted to show the world your strength, I have set the stage for you¡­ Brother," Tyr said and the word brother put the wildest smile on Thorgard''s face.

    Thorgard did not need further motivation, he raised his sword and screamed

    "Warriors! With me!" Thorgard''s voice echoed but it was nowhere as loud as Tyr.

    In came the second wave, the warriors that had stayed back charged with him.

    "That is strange¡­" Tyr thought; he jerked his head in Ecgberht''s direction.

    There was something that became ring to him and he knew that something was off.

    Why did Ecgberht look so frightened?

    "They are after your head¡­" Tyr concluded. Ecgberht had told him his story and if it was reported that the Vikings killed him.

    The King of Northumbria would have gotten rid of his problem but also turned the wrath of Ecgberth''s father on them.

    "You¡­ You''re the key," Tyr said, Alf had stayed with him because Tyr tasked him to keep an eye on him as he was invaluable in terms ofmunicating with him.

    If they did not have Alf, all of what he knew right now wouldn''t have been a possibility.

    An arrow flew in Tyr''s direction but he realized it was not aimed at him but Ecgberth.

    "There is no doubt, they wish to kill him," Tyr confirmed his suspicion.

    Alf, luckily, blocked the arrow with his shield, Alf knew he had to get Ecgberth away from here but he didn''t know how to.

 Chapter 410 Faith Or Madness?

    <h4>Chapter 410 Faith Or Madness?</h4>

    Grj?tgard was drenched in blood, covered from head to toe with crimson red, one would think it was his skinplexion.

    Hagen and Bjorn were speechless because what they had just seen was something that should not even be possible.

    Grj?tgard faced them all on his own and did not even get a scratch.

    Salgard looked at his brother with pride, this was the very reason why he respected Grj?tgard.

    Grj?tgard had even yed the horses so they could not retreat, he did not need a prisoner as he could not speak theirnguage.

    "W-What was that?" Bjorn asked, dazed by what he had seen.

    "That was my brother, the man feared as the god of war," Salgard said.

    Grj?tgard took a deep breath and recollected himself, the beating of shields stopped the moment this happened and the men got on their knees.

    Bjorn, Salgard, and Hagen remained on their feet as Grj?tgard turned to face them.

    At that moment, he did have the aura of a god.

    "Bjorn, I am afraid we have to entertain the possibility that King Ragnar has fallen," Grj?tgard said. Hagen wanted to speak but he knew it was not in his ce.

    Grj?tgard had a point, if they caught wind of this then that could only mean that Ragnar''s n had failed.

    And with him in the enemy''s territory, this was the worst-case scenario.

    They knew carrying on with the n was a risk, they should have aborted it the moment that Ragnar was within their grasp.

    "I just do not want your emotions risking our lives. Our objective remains the same, lower the gates," Grj?tgard said and he was right to worry,

    Valha might be what every warrior sought but this did not mean they were immune to the feelings of loss, some more than others.

    "Father dead? I do not think the gods are ready for such a great man to fall. Say, General Grj?tgard¡­" Bjorn said.

    "Yes?" Grj?tgard responded, giving Bjorn his full attention.

    "Shall we make a wager?" Bjorn said and Grj?tgard did not know what this was about but there was nothing to lose.

    The men on their knees rose to their feet as Grj?tgard walked towards Bjorn.

    Hagen did not know how to feel about it, he wanted to interfere because he knew that Bjorn was about to do something reckless.

    Grj?tgard stood right in front of him, his size was intimidating but Bjorn looked at him right in the eyes without flinching.

    "If my father survives, I want you to grovel before me¡­" Bjorn said.

    Salgard wanted to smack him because he found this disrespectful but Grj?tgard raised one hand to halt his brother from carrying out his action.

    Grj?tgard liked Bjorn''s confidence, he carried himself like the son of a King.

    "And if he dies?" Grj?tgard asked, there had to be a fair waver.

    "I will fall on my sword and die right in front of you," Bjorn said.

    This surprised Salgard, he looked at Bjorn with a raised brow, this was a tad bit too extreme considering that he was the one that was proposing.

    The wager was against him, was this faith or simply madness?

    Hagen shook his head, there was no way that Grj?tgard would ept something so outrageous.

    Bjorn was bing reckless because even Hagen knew he could not make such a wager.

    He could have sworn that King Xenophanes would live a long life yet here they are.

    Nothing was certain in this Viking world, death could sneak up on anyone.

    "I ept your offer," Grj?tgard said without skipping a beat, Salgard and Hagen did not know what was going on in their heads but there was no way that Bjorn dying would be a good thing for any of them.

    But that was why Bjorn offered to fall on his sword, it would be him taking his life so no one would be held responsible.

    Grj?tgard liked his guts and without saying a word, Bjorn had earned his utmost respect.

    They continued their journey to the wall but with much more at stake.

    -

    Ragnar was panting, he had ughtered multiple enemies but being in the enemy''s base, they just kepting.

    Ragnar knew he had to get out of there because he did not have an infinite amount of stamina.

    The King of Northumbria watched him in amazement, he did not expect Ragnar to be this strong.

    But he had to get rid of him, archers fired arrows and Ragnar narrowly dodged it, getting grazed in the process.

    Ragnar thought he would have a chance to fight King ? but that was not the case.

    King ? hung back, observing the strength of Ragnar and he had sessfully run down his stamina without raising a sword.

    Ragnar gritted his teeth but he didn''t have any time to rest as a spear was aimed right at his lower limbs, Ragnar leapt into the air to dodge it but then arrows rained down on him while he was airborne.

    "They are good!" Ragnar thought; the arrows were not only aimed at him but around him, and this took evading out of the equation.

    Ragnar used the spear as a foothold, his body weight sending it plunging into the ground.

    He knew he could not get injured or he risked impeding his ability to defend himself.

    Ragnar used his sword to block the arrows before leaping forward and towards the man holding the spear to dodge the arrows he could not block/.

    He used the position of the enemy to his advantage and with the spear being a long-range weapon, the enemy could not retract it in time to defend himself.

    Allowing Ragnar to slit his throat, killing him in the process but Ragnar did something that even King ? could not have foreseen.

    Ragnar grabbed the spear andunched it right at the King of Northumbria.

    "Let us see you defend against that," Ragnar thought; he wanted to confirm his theory if this was a warrior King or not. If he was not, King ? would be a dead man but if he was, then Ragnar could have a proper battle.

 Chapter 411 Tyrs Desperate Struggle!

    411 Tyr''s Desperate Struggle!

    The battle intensified at the shoreline and Tyr was having more troubles than he thought he would but his eyes caught a glimpse of Rolf, he wasn''t fighting but he seemed to be doing something however Tyr could see clearly due to the darkness.

    "TYR! THEY ARE PUSHING US BACK!" Thorgard screamed and Tyr knew this.

    He knew there was only so much a moral boost could do, these men were strong and they didn''t seem to have a leader either so there was no one for him to target.

    Tyr took a deep breath, there was no way this would be the ce he died, at least not ording to his dreams but they were in trouble no doubt.

    Tyr knew it was time to tap into a state that would leave him exhausted but this would be the only way to level the ying field.

    "Thorgard! I want you to follow Alf and secure Ecgberht," Tyrmanded and Thorgard listened without question as he ran to Alf''s side.

    Tyr looked at Calvin and he knew that this man was someone of prominence, his death would instil fear in their hearts or make them angry, and this would force them into making mistakes, mistakes he could exploit.

    "What are you going to do, Tyr?" Thorgard asked because it left a bitter taste in his mouth to be abandoning him in such a dire situation.

    "Ha! Are you worried about me?" Tyr asked and Thorgard was surprised how he could be so calm in such a situation because they were losing men.

    At this rate, they would all be ughtered but Tyr knew he had to make a statement.

    "Tyr, be careful¡­" Thorgard said and Tyr found his worryforting but he was yet to show what he was capable of. No one knew the limits of Tyr''s strength and he needed to bring it out today if they were going to survive.

    "Trust me, I will be fine but I need Ecgberht alive, do whatever is in your power to make sure this is the case." Tyr tried to reassure him.

    "But they will follow us," Thorgard said and Tyr chuckled because he knew that this possibility existed.

    "Then you show them why you are a son of Gardsson¡­ I trust you to handle this Thorgard and the signal¡­ You will know the signal," Tyr showed that he had faith in him and these words lit the fire in his soul/

    Tyr walked up to Calvin and picked him up by his hair before screaming.

    "CHRISTIANS! WATCH AS I SHOW YOU WHY YOUR GOD CANNOT PROTECT YOU!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs and he could tell that they had their eyes on him.

    Tyr proceeded to bury his axe into the top of Calvin''s head before swinging the other axe horizontally to take off his head.

    The men were infuriated just as he suspected because whoever this Bishop was must have been respected but if they engaged in battle then they must have anticipated this oue.

    "ARCHERS! TAKE OUT THE LIGHTS!" Tyrmanded and even the people on his side were confused because there was no way they could fight in darkness.

    They needed to see to fight and defend themselves so why did he want to take away the only thing that would enable them to do so?

    The archers fired to take out the lights and some were sessful but others failed, this significantly reduced the light that illuminated.

    They could barely see a meter in front of them and this was the signal. Thorgard and Alf used this opportunity to take Ecgberht to safety.

    "It is time to go a little crazy¡­" Tyr said with a smirk and the look on his face changed, the light leaving his eyes.

    Tyr charged at them in the darkness and all that echoed were screams of despair and pain.

    Tyr could fight in the darkness but he was a man and was prone to fatigue.

    He yed them like dogs and without mercy and no one knew what was going on.

    "Fall back!" Baardmanded because they didn''t know if it was their men or the enemy dying but they had to take a step back to reevaluate their next course of action.

    "Archers, fire¡­" Rolf said coldly, and they obeyed because he was the one prominent warrior from Kattegat seeing as Bjorn or Hagen weren''t there.

    The screamssted approximately ten minutes before the area fellpletely silent.

    "What the fuck is going on?" A Viking asked only for a light to be picked up from the floor.

    "That''s Tyr¡­!" A man muttered; Tyr was covered in blood but it wasn''t his.

    "TYR! TYR! TYR! TYR!" The Vikings cheered, he was a source of strength to them but Tyr was just a man in the end.

    He took a deep breath to regain himself before falling on one knee due to exhaustion.

    "What? He is alive?" Rolf thought to himself, he knew that Tyr was the one fighting and that was why he rained the arrows but for none to touch him, how was that possible?

    That could be nothing short of a miracle but Rolf refused to believe that the gods favored Tyr.

    The Vikings cheered the moment that this happened, they began to feel invincible as long as they had Tyr on their side.

    "That was¡­ close." Tyr thought to himself because in actuality, an arrow had grazed his left shoulder but it was due to the hail of arrows that he was able to make quick work of them.

    They weren''t just defending against the shadow that hunted them, they were defending against the arrows so their attention was divided but they weren''t the only ones that were wary of this.

    "Son of Ragnar¡­" A voice called out to Tyr, Tyr looked over his shoulder to see Baard offering his hand.

    Tyr looked at him and knew that taking his hand would imply that he couldn''t stand on his own.

    This was a kind gesture but it had a deeper meaning than what met the eyes.

    Tyr got up on his feet and for the first time in a long time, he looked worried.

    "My father¡­ He is in trouble," Tyr thought to himself, this army was far stronger than he thought and before they could even celebrate their small victory.

    An army was already on their way to crush them and with Tyr exhausted, the probability of victory for Northumbria was a whopping 80%,

    "We are all in trouble!"

    Author here, I didn''t want to drag out this fight as it is sort of irrelevant nor did I want to do it off screen as Ecgberht''s escape needed to be shown and a little hype for Tyr as well to state the condition he would be in for the main fight!

 Chapter 412 Ragnars Rampage!

    412 Ragnar''s Rampage!

    Ragnar''s weapon toss was blocked not by King ? but by a man who held up a shield before the weapon could even touch him. This was not the traditional shield because it had spikes around the edges.

    This could easily be a weapon as it is a shield, and the size was triple that of a regr shield with the materialposed entirely of metal.

    It was Wealdhere and this could exin why King ? was calm, it was because he had a capable warrior.

    Weadhere was a powerful warrior and quite renowned.

    He might be in charge of Ecgberht but he was also loyal to Northumbria.

    "You¡­" Weadhere called out Ragnar but now, dialogue could no longer be understood as the trantor was nowhere to be seen which was normal.

    Ragnar smirked because he could tell that this man was different from the ones he had been fighting.

    He was huge so that meant his agility and speed should be against him so that should give Ragnar the upper hand but Ragnar couldn''t be more wrong.

    The man tossed his shield at Ragnar like a boomerang but Ragnar couldn''t do much at that moment.

    He knew blocking it would leave him open and dodging it might create an opening for the archers around him.

    Ragnar knew he had to think fast and the shield was aimed at bifurcating him from the middle but Ragnar had an idea.

    He bent backwards, the shield moving just above him and this made it impossible for the archers to rain arrows on him due to the shield ironically acting as a defence.

    Ragnar noticed that he was wide open and charged towards the man with the intent to kill, picking up a sword from one of the corpses in the process.

    The archers let loose but Ragnar''s propelled movement at the moment of release made each arrow miss their mark.

    He had the enemy within his range and he attempted to stab his chest but a nging sound echoed, showing that his sword met resistance.

    Ragnar realized that this man had a chain wrapped around his wrists but this chain was painted to match the color of his clothes so it was hard to discern what it was.

    The man proceeded to grab Ragnar by wrapping his arm around his waist and dragged him towards his humongous body.

    This was to suffocate Ragnar but this wasn''t all, the shield that had missed Ragnar retracted, and the purpose of the chain wrapped around his wrist was revealed.

    A smaller fragment of it was attached to it so he could retrieve it in case he missed his target.

    Ragnar was going to be impaled from the back but Ragnar sighed the moment this happened.

    Weadhere was surprised that he wasn''t worried because anyone would panic in this situation.

    But Ragnar wasn''t anyone, he was a Viking and his name alone was enough to make enemies yield.

    "You think you''re stronger than me physically just because you have a bigger body?" Ragnar questioned in Old Norse, he stretched his arms apart to break free from his hold before grabbing him by the neck.

    Ragnar smirked because the iing shield was headed right at him but what if he moved out of the way?

    No, Ragnar had no intention, of lifting the man off the ground and tossing him right at the iing weaponised shield.

    Everyone was stunned that Ragnar possessed such physical strength but this was the man that could overpower even Erik The Berserker.

    "Fire!" King ?manded; he was desperate due to him being within striking distance of Ragnar but Ragnar smiled the moment he saw the hail of arrows.

    "Fear does make one do irrational things," Ragnar said, dodging the hail of arrows with rtive ease

    He was beginning to understand the trajectory of these weapons because they had to control their range due to King ? proximity to him.

    Ragnar observed and noticed that Weadhere had managed to escape death but he was injured as the shield had dug into him; however, the wound wasn''t fatal.

    He managed to minimize the damage and Ragnar held his face in disbelief, he was getting excited and knew the gods were watching him.

    He nned to give them a show and more warriors came.

    Ragnar was surrounded by warriors that could easily pass as Generals but he was unfazed.

    "I have to admit, you are all strong¡­" Ragnar said as he walked towards them.

    "... it''s a pity your opponent is me," Ragnar said with a smirk, he knew that this might be a close battle considering he was fighting six general-ranked individuals simultaneously alone with archers looking to exploit any openings.

    This was going to be a hard battle but it was not one that Ragnar nned on losing.

    "W-Why did he not kill me?" King ? thought to himself, that Ragnar was within striking distance to end his life yet he didn''t do it.

    Ragnar was like a possessed man, he charged right into battle and King ? felt true fear for the first time in his life.

    "So this is how the Pagans fight?" King ? thought but this sense of urgency only made him want to eliminate them all the more, this was when themand to send an army to the shore was given.

    Coinciding with the current timeframe of his son, Tyr Ragnarsson.

    -

    Grj?tgard was within sight of the wall, he was yet to scale it but he knew that another battle was thest thing he needed right now.

    The enemy was aware that they were headed towards the castle but they had no reason to expect that their entry would be by climbing the wall.

    They closed the gates the moment the army assembled left it and they manned the walls but their focus was only at the entrance.

    It was time for Hagen to shine and he did just that, Hagen knew he had to find a way over the walls and he had the tools for that.

    But there was a problem, these people had men roaming around outside the walls, the security was tight and this meant that they needed a decoy.

    "Brother, are we doing?" Salgard asked as they hid in the darkness but Grj?tgard knew what was going to happen. Ragnar had told them to keep their numbers small yet Grj?tgard took a small unit with him instead.

    "Men¡­" Grj?tgard called out and they all stood at attention.

    "Go and die for me," Grj?tgardmanded and Bjorn was speechless, Bjorn wanted to talk but he saw these men cry tears of joy.

    It was like they were happy to die and without hesitation, they charged towards the gates to draw everyone''s attention and focus there.

    They screamed and cheered, they knew all they needed was to buy time for their General and he chose them to do it because he had faith in them.

    "What is this? Why is my heart beating so fast?" Bjorn thought to himself but this was simply a result of witnessing what a warrior''s passion was like.

    Grj?tgard always intended to sacrifice them and this was why he showed them the famous dance that made him so feared, it was a tribute to their sacrifice.

    This did wonders because it created just the opening they sought.

 Chapter 413 What Is Ragnar Thinking!?

    ?

    Ragnar fought for his life, he was injured but these injuries were minor despite having three people passed out on the ground.

    Ragnar was tired but the aura around him made even these seasoned warriors think thrice before approaching him.

    The fact that Ragnar could defeat them without killing them said a lot about his strength.

    It was a lot harder to defeat them without killing them, begging the question as to why Ragnar was taking this approach.

    ? knew at that moment that Ragnar was more valuable alive to them than dead.

    He pped his hand and the trantor emerged from his hiding ce.

    King ? knew that the Generals stood no chance as they were breathing and panting heavily.

    Their injuries were a lot more severe than Ragnar but it wasn''t life threatening.

    "Enough King Ragnar! If you surrender! We will spare your children!" King ? said and this message was conveyed through the trantor.

    Ragnar looked at him and knew this might be the only way out of this.

    He did not kill these people because he knew if he did, negotiation would be thrown out the window and they would seek his death without mercy but not doing so gave him a chance.

    But Ragnar also knew he couldn''t show weakness, he had to leverage his upper hand properly.

    "We cannot give yournd, King Ragnar but we can let you return to your Kingdom with your children if you drop down your weapon¡­" ? reiterated, wanting Ragnar to see sense in his negotiation.

    King ? thought he could take Ragnar but there was something about him that made him question just what kind of warriors such a King wouldmand.

    He wasn''t about to risk his life to find out because he knew that he might not need to.

    If Ecgberht could be gotten rid of in this conflict then he would have his brother back on his side.

    Ecgberht might have usurped him but their divided strength no doubt weakened the kingdom.

    They were not as strong as they could be and Ecgberht was the factor that would correct this imbnce.

    Ragnar still had fight in him as this could be a ploy to get him to lower his guard.

    Ragnar, however, knew that it was not Tyr''s time to die or the seer would have foreseen this.

    There was no way his sons would die here and Ragnar was more concerned about losing more men than he needed to because if they were to take Northumbria, they needed as many men as they could to hold it..

    This was the only way to have a negotiating hand or they would not be taken seriously.

    The only reason he could take Vestfold was because of that strange seer that had said something about him, that was what got the people behind and even with that, some still opposed.

    Ragnar returned his gaze to the men and screamed at the top of his lungs suddenly.

    "BOOOO!" Ragnar screamed and he watched men of such calibre clench up in fear with their swords raised towards him.

    Ragnar could not help butugh at the absurdity, he could not believe he could strike such fear in their hearts in such little time but he dropped his sword the moment he did that.

    "I agree to your terms and I wish to be executed in the morning with my sword held by your most formidable warrior," King Ragnar said to which ? agreed.

    The warriors around were visibly relieved as they moved to restrain Ragnar.

    King ? might be a ferocious man but he was no fool.

    He understood the kind of influence Ragnar would have on his warriors.

    All they needed to do was make it known that the life of their King depended on their surrender.

    King ? walked towards him after he had been restrained and wondered how such a monster could even exist.

    He brought out a knife yet Ragnar did not flinch.

    "Does he not fear death?" King ? thought; he moved the knife swiftly, aiming to impale Ragnar''s forehead, only stopping when he was mere inches from his skin yet, Ragnar did not flinch.

    King ? felt his heart thumping and part of him wished that Ragnar was a warrior of his own.

    He brought the knife to his chin and cut off his beard, this was proof to show the Vikings that they indeed had Ragnar within their possession.

    "Take him to the cell but do not harm. I wish to discuss with him after we kill these heathens," King ?manded and Ragnar was taken away.

    Weadhere got, he was wobbly and King ? looked at him with disdain, he could not believe how ipetent Ragnar made them look.

    He now understood how he was a King, it was due to his strength and with that logic, it was safe to say that Ragnar was the strongest of these warriors.

    "Weadhere¡­" King ? called out and the humongous man tried to stand upright to show his king respect.

    "Yes King ?," Weadhere responded without hesitation.

    "Find his children¡­" King ? said; he knew Ragnar''s kids due to the information that they had gotten.

    They knew about Tyr and Bjorn as well but they did not consider them to be much of a threat even after capturing the vers and having that information divulged to them.

    "Yes Your Majesty," Weadhere responded, walking with a leap.

    "One more thing¡­" King ? said, prompting the man to stop in his tracks.

    "Bring me their heads," King ? said and Weadhere felt sick to his stomach that he was following a King that could not even honour his words.

    Ragnar could have killed them but he did not yet King ? was going back on the one thing that made Ragnar surrender without bloodshed.

    Then again, this was a good quality to have as a King, Ragnar would be deemed naive in the history books if he did die here.

    "Yes your Majesty," Weadhere responded without missing a heartbeat, he had every intention of following through with his King''s request even if he did not agree with it personally.

    Weadhere walked out of the room, injured but with a goal.

    -

    Grj?tgard, Bjorn, Salgard, and Hagen were on their way, they were scaling the walls with the tools that Hagen had crafted, there was no way that those men would have been able to do so.

    This showed that Hagen had a sense of what was going to happen to the men that he brought but it was not in his pce to speak about it.

    Everyone sought Valha and if they chose to die for Grj?tgard, it showed how much his warriors believed in him.

    They should be respected and not pitied for this was the highest honor when it came to death.

    The lower half of the wall was smooth, it was a bit difficult to climb at first and this was what made it impossible for normal climbers to scale over it.

    It would also exin theirck of caution regarding protecting points that were not the entrance.

    Hagen''s tool relied heavily on what mountain climbers use today even though the design was far more archaic and riddled with ws for this was a prototype.

    "Hagen, you are amazing¡­" Bjorn praised the man he hade to see as family.

    Hagen knew there was still work to be done with this invention but it was getting the job done for now.

    Grj?tgard did not speak much but the look he gave Hagen non-verbally told the much older man that he respected him.

    Salgard was indifferent, wearing that smiling face he had grown to be known for so it was hard for Hagen to discern what it was this man was feeling.

    They managed to get to the top undetected, all of them crouching to avoid being detected.

    They could tell that there were warriors around them and it would be difficult to get through unnoticed.

    "What next?" Bjorn asked because he was out of ideas, not like he has had that many since this incursion began.

    "We need to sacrifice another piece¡­" Grj?tgard said sternly, this was the only way to do so.

    Bjorn disagreed with this, everyone here was essential as they all held varying titles.

    "What do you mean sacrifice? We cannot afford to lose any more manpower¡­" Bjorn said, expecting Grj?tgard to stop him but the giant did not.

    He wanted to hear what Bjorn had to say.

    "I think we should use the tools that Hagen has crafted to go around, if we walk on the walls, we will be seen by those guarding it but if we take them by surprise, we have the element of surprise," Bjorn''s n was a tad bit extreme because they did not even know if the tools that Hagen crafted would hold.

    They looked at Grj?tgard for approval seeing as he was the one that they had decided to allow to have the final say due to his experience.

    "And if we fail?" Grj?tgard asked, a strange question to say the least and without missing a beat, Bjorn said.

    "Then we die and feast with Odin but if we seed¡­ We be gods. The four men that took down a kingdom¡­ History will remember us," Bjorn said and Salgard''s smile disappeared the moment he heard his older brother chuckle.

    "Bjorn Ragnarsson, you''re truly the son of your father," Grj?tgard said, giving his approval to the n that Bjorn had suggested even though he had a few things to add of his own.

 Chapter 414 This Will Be A Long Night!

    414 This Will Be A Long Night!

    Tyr was exhausted and he had snuffed most of the lights out and eliminated the enemies but at the cost of his stamina.

    Tyr was relieved that Thorgard had taken the hostage away because something told them that as long as that man was alive, the chances of them being alive increased as well.

    "Are you okay?" Thedy who had no name asked Tyr, but Tyr did not give her a response.

    He knew he had to coordinate his army and fast or they risked losing even more.

    "What is your name?" Tyr asked thedy, this was a question that many have asked her and she always gave the same answer.

    "I do not have a name," She responded bluntly but Tyr wasn''t satisfied with this.

    He needed something to call her by.

    "Not anymore," Tyr said and this caught Baard''s attention because everyone was content with her being nameless.

    "I hereby give you the name, Sigrid the Proud¡­" Tyr said and thedy''s face lit up.

    This was the first time that someone had taken the time to name her.

    Baard smirked the moment Tyr did this because this was a moment he had been waiting for.

    "Sigrid¡­" She muttered to herself and Tyr nodded.

    "Vikings, this is just the beginning! I need you all to lend me your strength as I have lent you mine! This is war and a lot more of us will die but death is the beginning of a new life for us! We do not fear it! We do not shy from it! We face it and die like warriors!" Tyr said.

    He knew he still had to fight but he also knew that there was only so much he could do.

    "You have me, a son of Ragnar by your side! I have conquered death! But I want you all to lend me your strength so we may conquer an army far greater than ours!" Tyr screamed.

    The Vikings around were beginning to believe that they were invincible even though this was not the case.

    Tyr knew they could not have another battler without losing and bringing an end to this venture.

    If the gates were dropped, it wouldn''t make a difference if there was no army to exploit it.

    Tyr began to formte a n in his head because he knew that was what they needed.

    Tyr looked at Rolf, he did not like him but Rolf was strong and it was clear that he was not afraid to make decisions that put others at risk.

    They needed to preserve as much fighting power as they could.

    Rolf fought Tyr and his strange technique was what gave him the upper hand in that battle even though Tyr wasn''t overwhelmed by him either.

    "Rolf¡­" Tyr called out and the young man looked at Tyr, getting up as he walked towards Ragnar''s son.

    "What is it?" Rolf asked bluntly, the fact that he responded to Tyr meant that he recognized his authority because even Rolf understood their dire situation.

    If everyone died here, he too would fall without a doubt and it was too soon for him to die.

    Tyr was about to tell his n to Rolf because he knew the warrior had the means of executing it.

    -

    Bjorn''s n was in motion, they began to climb the edges of the wall, sticking to it like spiders.

    But not everyone did so, it was only Hagen and Bjorn that did so.

    Grj?tgard and Salgard remained on the wall but they were crouched and slowly moving in the direction that the others were crawling to.

    Salgard was surprised that his brother listened to Bjorn but he was a son of Ragnar so he was not just any warrior.

    "Salgard¡­" Grj?tgard whispered and his younger brother stood at full attention.

    "Do not doubt my choices or I will throw you over that wall," Grj?tgard warned Salgard and this was to put him back in line because he needed his full dedication to the task at hand.

    Uncertainty made him a liability and Grj?tgard could not risk the task at hand even if it meant sacrificing blood.

    Salgard gulped but he quickly got in order, he had to trust the process and then the signal was given. Like an assassin, Bjorn crept up on the enemy from behind the wall.

    There was no way that they could have anticipated this and the first thing he did was run his de right through their throat to destroy their vocals.

    They were incapable of screaming and this was a smart choice as Bjorn immediately took the person to the ground so no one could see him.

    The only person who could see him was killed by Hagen doing the same thing that Bjorn had just done.

    The honourable Bjorn was using underhanded tactics, this was to show that he understood the severity of the situation.

    The life of his father was at risk and that was enough for him to take such a drastic measure.

    Bjorn was slowly understanding why Tyr was the way he was.

    They had managed to take down two guards and they dragged the bodies towards where the others were, this was good but Hagen noted that the tools they had used would not hold up.

    They could not do what they had just done again but now they had ess to their clothes.

    They had on the same clothes and everyone knew what it was that they had to do.

    They had to wear it so they could blend in, Grj?tgard wearing it was out of the question due to his size, there was no way that this would size him.

    Hagen also did not wish to wear it as he had to rectify the broken tool to see if he could salvage it.

    This left Bjorn and Salgard to undertake this task, without much discussion, they wore the clothes without a second thought.

    They thought about throwing the bodies over the wall but they risked being detected so this was the best thing to do for now.

    They left the bodies and instead, chose to guide it, luckily they had a bow and arrow but the warriors present did not have that much proficiency with these weapons.

    Or so they thought, Grj?tgard picked it up and reassured the two that he would provide support.

    The rescue of Ragnar was underway, their target was no longer the gates because they knew that the others would not make it in time.

    Grj?tgard also noted that these parts were scarce, this could mean that they had sent their main force out the gates already defeating the purpose of their n.

    "General Grj?tgard, do you think we can take Northumbria?" Hagen asked the man in charge, seeking his honest opinion and he gave one response as he let loose an arrow from the bow that quietly took

    a warrior that was approaching their position.

 Chapter 415 Tyr Falters!?

    415 Tyr Falters!?

    The army arrived at the shore, they were a lot bigger than they had anticipated, showing that Northumbria had every intention of ending this fight.

    But upon reaching the shoreline, they saw nothing but the corpses of their friends.

    "What is going on?" A random warrior asked, curious because the threat that was reported was a lot different from the scene where they met.

    There were fewer corpses around than anticipated, making him raise a brow in suspicion.

    "It looks like we had nothing to worry about," Another warrior bragged but this wasn''t the case.

    The lighting was against them and they could barely see in front of them, Tyr made sure of this.

    There was a man on one of the biggest horses that anyone had seen, his size was intimidating as he was not only covered in heavy armour and a helmet that concealed his face.

    He was approximately 6'' 7 and he was the one in charge of this great army.

    "Look carefully, the bodies of the enemies do not match the numbers that were reported¡­ They couldn''t have fled and left their King either. Not with how vicious they were fighting." The man was calm and collected, he needed to be in this situation.

    "Do not let down your guard, they are around," The man instructed his army on horseback.

    They were all vignt, this was an army that was experienced inbat and the Vikings might have underestimated their intelligence.

    "The arrows, burn their ships," The manmanded, this was a bold choice because it would cut off the Vikings'' only escape route but this wasn''t a problem.

    They nned to eradicate the Vikings here, King Ragnar had demonstrated first-hand why they must be eradicated.

    The archers lit their arrows and fired them into the ship and by doing so, illuminated the environment as the ensuing mes lit up their path.

    "We can still not see anything Bishop¡­" A warrior said as they began to move around to check where they could be.

    The man''s eyes were focused on the sea, even though this was highly unlikely due to suffocation.

    There was no way they could stay underwater for that long without dying but there was a possibility.

    This unnamed Bishop raised his hand and the archers prepared to fire once again before swinging it down and the arrows found their way into the water.

    The area fell silent as the warriors desperately clung to the hilt of their swords.

    There it was, the water turned red and this showed that this Bishop''s guess was right on the money.

    Without even giving the enemy a chance to process what was going on, a small unit on horseback rushed to the shallow water with their spears in hand and began to chaotically stab the ground.

    And as they expected, there was even more blood spilling forth and the archers provided support as they continued to rain arrows down into the water.

    "Form a perimeter, make sure none of them escape," The Bishopmanded and they did just that, the massive army had to spread out to amodate for therge beach but the Bishop had well over a hundred men around him.

    "Stupid Pagans, did they try to hide in the sea protected by God himself?" A warrior bragged but then something happened that stunned everyone.

    The bodies began to flow to the surface and to their surprise, these people were weighed down with stone.

    The spears had inadvertently removed the weights that were holding them down and this was a big reveal.

    Before the Bishop could give his nextmand, the Vikings rose from the soil beneath like the undead, this startled the horses and some of these warriors were thrown off it as they ran away.

    The chaos left those in front confused as they had no idea what was going on

    "W-What?" The Bishop barely managed to utter these words before seeing someone lunging right at him.

    He wondered who could be that insane to not even consider his environment and then he understood why.

    "You''re the target," The Bishop muttered under his breath as he moved to defend himself, Tyr established that he was the leader but this meant that he had a n to take him down.

    Try removed both his axes, ready to bury them into the enemy''s head but the man was prepared for him however he couldn''t have anticipated what came next.

    The man couldn''t move an inch as a chain of some sort had wrapped around him, restricting him.

    It was Rolf and no one could move to protect the Bishop amid the confusion and chaos

    Tyr knew they had a limited window to exploit and he approximated this to a minute or two.

    This was why he went straight for the Bishop and this was what he discussed with Rolf, who he knew wasn''t a fan of his.

    The n was simple, they buried themselves within the soil and ced the corpses in the water, the corpses were still fresh so this included the blood, Tyr knew he needed to draw their attention away; from the battles he had fought.

    The leader rarely joined the fray until they needed to or their lines were broken.

    Tyr relied on this piece of information to execute his n.

    Tyr had used the strategy he learned from his time in exile, everything he learned there was indispensable and was proving to be invaluable.

    "You''re done," Tyr muttered as he plunged his axes into the neck of the man but something happened soon after.

    At that moment when his axes were about to be plunged into the enemy''s neck, he had a shback.

    The dream where it all came to an end and this made him hesitate at thest second, allowing the Bishop to slightly move his body to cushion the blow with his armour.

    Rolf couldn''t restrain him any longer and the chain he had used to wrap him shattered into pieces.

    Tyr was not only left vulnerable to any follow-up that the enemy might have but had also lost the opening he had created in the process.

    "It is over," The Bishop warned right before swinging his de vertically, the familiar sight of blood soaked the ground with entrails following suit.

 Chapter 416 Tyr And Rolf Join Hands!

    Chapter 416 Tyr And Rolf Join Hands!

    Blood dripped on the floor, the ground absorbing the crimson-coloured fluid.

    "TYR! A voice echoes but the chaotic sound of battle drowned out this urgent call.

    "I''m okay," Tyr responded, blood dripping from his torso he managed to leap back at the veryst second to evade certain death.

    The wound was minor but Tyr knew that this man before him shouldn''t be underestimated.

    They blew their chance at killing him with a surprise attack and instead, Tyr got injured.

    This didn''t do their fellow Vikings any good moral-wise.

    Tyr couldn''t understand nor believe that he had made such a mistake at such a crucial moment.

    "What''s wrong with you?" Rolf called out but Tyr was in a daze, he couldn''tprehend what was happening to him.

    Rolf rushed to Tyr''s side, an action that surprised the dark-skinned Vikings seeing as Rolf was King Askild''s puppet and Tyr dying would do them more good than harm.

    Rolf quickly used the remnants of his chain to deflect the iing arrow aimed at Tyr.

    "You need to snap out of it or we will all die," Rolf reminded him that it wasn''t just his life he was responsible for but all of theirs.

    "Am I scared of¡­ dying?" Tyr thought to himself, the realisation finally hit him.

    The man that conquered death fears it?

    That couldn''t be right, this moment of opening would be exploited by the enemy.

    The bishop that had nearly taken his life swung his de vertically, attempting to split Tyr in half.

    Rolf could not defend against such an attack but he knew that if Tyr fell today.

    There would be no hope of them surviving, he didn''t like Tyr but he understood the importance he serving on this battlefield.

    Rolf managed to shove him out of the way but he didn''t do so unscathed.

    Tyr was safe but what was this fluid that had touched his face, he looked over his shoulder and saw Rolf with a sh across his chest.

    "Y-You fool," Rolf insulted him before falling to the ground face-first.

    "Why the hell would you do that!?" Tyr screamed and the Vikings around noticed that Rolf had fallen.

    "N-No way¡­" One muttered right before being cut down by the relentless sword of their Christian enemies.

    "You''re the son of the man that is scheduled to be executed tomorrow and I must say, you''re nothing like him.. boy," The man said.

    Tyr''s bodynguage changed the moment he heard that not only was his father alive they nned to execute him the following day.

    "It''s okay to be scared, I wish I could have said a prayer for your friend but then you wouldn''t be able to see him in the next life," The man said, bringing down his de once again to achieve what he originally tried to do the first time and that was split Tyr into two.

    However, before the de could even reach his target''s head, he felt a concussive force right below his jaw.

    Even with armour, he felt it and the man established that Tyr was no longer in his previous position.

    He looked down but was quickly swept off his feet, falling right on his back.

    The problem with heavy armour was that despite the increased defence, it heavily restricted movement and mobility, this man had no way of defending himself against a warrior that is well-known for his speed.

    Tyr threw everything away, his thoughts, his feelings, everything.

    The only thing on his mind was to kill them all.

    "What!?" The man muttered as Tyr mounted him.

    "You''re supposed to be-!" The man was interrupted by a blood-curdling voice.

    "See¡­ no¡­ evil," Tyr spoke his tongue and the man was bbergasted.

    The look in Tyr''s eyes was empty, it was like he was a husk that housed only carnage.

    "In God''s name, what the hell are you!?" The Bishop said. Tyr had no idea what he was saying, he only knew a few words due to his brief interaction with the man of God that they had spared in their earlier raid.

    However, there was no way that these people would let their Bishop fall, an arrow was fired towards Tyr''s blind spot but no one knew that Tyr could fight blind if he wished for it.

    Tyr not only snatched the arrow out of the air without looking back, but he jammed it right into the eye of the man he was on top.

    Tyr had pinned him down, using the weight of the armour to his advantage.

    The bishop managed to push him off before Tyr could take away his second eye.

    He was in pain and this was slowly turning the tide of the battle back in the favor of the Vikings.

    The Warriors couldn''t help but be drawn to this battle between their respective leaders.

    "You fucking Pagan! I will send you to the depths of hell myself!" The Bishop lost his cool.

    Who could me him, he had an arrow sticking right out of his eye.

    "See¡­ no¡­ evil," Tyr said once again in theirnguage but before he could even take a step forward tounch an attack.

    The Bishop was surrounded by his men.

    "How dare yo-!" One of the warriors spoke but before he could evenplete his sentence, Tyr had moved past not only him but all of them in what seemed like a second. l with only one axe in hand.

    Tyr''s killing intent was chaotic, it targeted everyone, be it allies or foes.

    In actuality, it was the fear that made them perceive his movement wrongly.

    "How did you¡­!" The Christian said but before any of them could do anything.

    Their throats split open showing that Tyr''s attack had urred at approximately the same time he opened his mouth to speak.

    This would have been an easy attack to evade by any experienced warrior but these men were too scared to raise their hands against Tyr, talk more of defending themselves.

    Tyr charged right at the Bishop, this was a lot different from the man who missed a killing blow.

    A flip had switched and Tyr was rampaging, killing everyone that opposed him.

    The Bishop tried to bifurcate Tyr with a horizontal sh but Tyr simply jumped into the air, using the t surface of the inswinging sword to propel himself higher into the air.

    The Bishop was left vulnerable, there was no way he could reach and he moved to protect his neck by cing his hand around it.

    This hand was, of course, covered in metal so Tyr''s axes couldn''t prate but this wasn''t what Tyr was after.

    Tyr stuck his finger right into the man''s other eye, he had damaged it enough to cause himplete blindness before skidding to a stop behind him.

    The bishop was in pain and began to swing his sword randomly but it met no body mass.

    "You''re too weak to be the man I see in my dreams," Tyr muttered as he casually walked up to the blinded Bishop before kicking him to the floor and ripping off his helmet.

    The battle had stopped at this point and everyone focused on what was happening.

    Tyr rolled him over so he could stare at the man who had dared attack him.

    Tyr''s value for family has always been immense, he would do anything for them and this included casting his fears aside.

    "Speak¡­ no¡­ evil," Tyr muttered, taking away his tongue.

    "Hear¡­ no¡­ evil," Tyr said, taking away his hearing.

    Tyr was drenched in blood and the Vikings revelled at this sight.

    Tyr ended it by decapitating the Bishop and raising his head for all to see.

    If their warrior Bishop could be killed in battle, what chance did they stand for themselves?

    The Christians were shaken by this, they couldn''t believe that a child was capable of such a thing.

    It was hard to remember that Tyr was only a teenager.

    "I''m Tyr Ragnarsson and as long as I stand with you all, we will not fail!" Tyr screamed and the fight back began.

    The Vikings began mowing down the Christians, they were so bloodthirsty that it didn''t matter if they had a sword sticking out of their torso, they would still try and take down the enemy.

    "Don''t they feel pain!?" A Christian eximed but the Vikings were only this bloodthirsty because now they truly believed that they were fighting in the presence of a god. They were fighting in the presence of Tyr, the reincarnation of the god of war bearing that same name.

    Tyr rushed over to Rolf, he couldn''t understand why Rolf would do something so stupid but this could only mean one thing however, it was something that Askild wanted.

    Askild wanted Tyr alive and he had sent Rolf to do so even if it meant sacrificing himself or was this an independent act from Rolf?

    It was hard to say but Tyr was going to make sure of one thing, Rolf''s survival.

    "You aren''t dying here today, I''m afraid¡­" Tyr said as he began to apply pressure on the wound.

    The Christians were retreating, they were defeated spiritually and mentally as they wondered why God allowed one of his most distinguished warriors to fall at the hand of the Pagans.

 Chapter 417 Ragnars Rescue?

    417 Ragnar''s Rescue?

    General Grj?tgard and the rest of the gang had sessfully scaled the wall and managed to assume the identity of a few of the guards.

    Grj?tgard knew that the reinforcement to invade the castle wasn''ting, he knew that they meant business and Northumbria wasn''t like anything that they had encountered.

    They were disciplined and Grj?tgard knew even if Tyr was to emerge victorious, it wouldn''t be at the cost of losing men.

    The weaker they got, the more likely failure looked but Grj?tgard knew that their priority was freeing Ragnar.

    He made a bet with Bjorn and Grj?tgard was ready to gamble on the young man''s faith otherwise the smart thing would have been to retreat.

    "Bjorn Ragnarsson, you''re an impressive warrior," Salgardplimented Tyr''s brother.

    This was rare for the young man, he only did so with exceptional warriors.

    Bjorn couldn''t letpliments derail him and knew he had to remain focused as he didn''t know how long the bodies could remain hidden.

    Bjorn and Salgard blended in with their skinplexion, they weren''t sure if they recognized their warriors by face in which case, their disguise woulde undone but it was a risk that they had to take.

    Whatever they wanted to do, it had to be done tonight, anythingter than that would spell disaster.

    They had no idea where to go or what to do next as they were visitors in thisnd and didn''t know where their prisoners were kept.

    Grj?tgard knew they had to split up to increase the possibility of sess but he soon second guessed this as he saw someone transporting a man with a cloth over his head.

    There was no doubt that this was a prisoner and most likely, Ragnar.

    Everyone but him missed it as their eyes were focused on different parts of the kingdom to make sure they had all their axes covered.

    "King Ragnar, hang in there," Grj?tgard muttered and Bjorn heard him say this, Bjorn wondered the kind of rtionship he had with Ragnar that would make him take such a risk.

    "I will cause a diversion, you two sneak in while the guardse to me," Grj?tgard said and Hagen was confused with this reckless decision.

    Hagen knew the warriors within these walls would be a lot stronger than the one he had disposed of outside them.

    "Are you sure, General Grj?tgard?" Bjorn asked, he expected Salgard to share his worries but Salgard was ecstatic because this meant he too was allowed to go all out.

    Grj?tgard had ced a restriction on his younger brother because when he allowed his blood lust to take over, he was a very dangerous man to stop, even for Grj?tgard himself.

    "Hagen, I want you to remain on the wall and be ready to pull me up when I signal you," Grj?tgard said, this confidence. He looked at Bjorn and whispered something in his ear.

    He was sure he was going to make it out even when the odds were stacked in his favor.

    Hagen nodded to show agreement and Grj?tgard took a deep sigh.

    "Here I go!" Grj?tgard screamed as he jumped down from the wall like some wild beast, plunging his sword right head top of the first person hended on.

    Of course, before he did this, he gave Bjorn and Salgard the necessary information that they would need to get Ragnar.

    "Enemy attack!" The alert was up in no time and even the guards on the wall had to rush down.

    Salgard and Bjorn used this opportunity to descend and they proceeded to fade out of sight.

    Grj?tgard sighed, he knew things were about to get hectic but he wasn''t worried because there was no way their sword would touch him and he was right.

    Grj?tgard cut down multiple people with one strike and the moment he did, the other warriors that surrounded him took a step back.

    They couldn''t believe what they had seen, they took a couple of steps back in a bid to try and stay out of his range but Grj?tgard already knew what came next.

    "Nowes the arrow," He muttered, grabbing one of the corpses of the men he had killed and used as a shield against the arrow before throwing the dead body with such force that it basically scattered upon impact with the archer.

    Unknown to this warrior, Northumbria were blessed with warriors equally skilled and there were multiple that resided within these walls.

    Grj?tgard didn''t have an easy battle ahead and this could very well be where he fell.

    -

    Salgard and Bjorn managed to use the loud distraction to their advantage, they moved within the cover of darkness, avoiding the well lit ces and guards that were rushing towards Grj?tgard.

    "General Grj?tgard is amazing," Bjorn heaped praises on the man because he was casually doing what others couldn''t.

    That was something to be feared and respected at the same time but Salgard didn''t have time for conversations, they needed to remain focused.

    gard had on his creepy smile and Bjorn didn''t know if it was some sort of facial expression or that was how his face was naturally.

    There was no way someone could be smiling that much without their face hurting.

    "This is the ce," Salgard said and Bjorn''s attention readjusted to the situation at hand.

    "You''re right," Bjorn confirmed, it was obvious as there were two guards stationed at the entrance of the door.

    They had no reason to remain here when everyone else was off fighting except they were guarding something more important than that.

    Salgard knew they just couldn''t rush in as they didn''t know if there were any guards inside, they had to find a way to sneak through the door.

    "We need a diversion," Salgard said, he wanted to go out to draw them out but his hand

    "What are you doing?" Bjorn asked and Salgard scratched his head in confusion.

    "I''m going to kill them," Salgard responded bluntly before yanking his hand away from Bjorn.

    Bjorn quickly picked up a rock and threw it somewhere not too far away, this alerted the guards and Salgard immediately squatted back down before looking at Bjorn.

    "What was that for?" Salgard asked.

    had split off from the other in a bid to investigate the area the sound came from.

    12:31

    "I don''t know what you are thinking but your actions don''t just affect your life. It affects both mine and my father. I will not allow you to be reckless," Bjorn said and Salgard noticed one of the guards had split off from the other in a bid to investigate the area the sound came from.

    Salgard remained quiet but Bjorn could feel a cold bead of sweat trickle down his forehead.

    He knew that if he tried what he just did again, Salgard would kill him.

    He knew this without the man even uttering a word due to the killing intent that he felt oozing from him and this made him remember what Grj?tgard whispered into his ear.

    "If you can prevent it, do not let my little brother kill anyone before you save your father¡­"

    This was a warning that Bjorn didn''t quite understand but he didn''t have time to question it.

    Bjorn looked over his shoulder to see if there were any more people around and before he returned his head, Salgard was gone.

    "Damn it! Where did he go!?" Bjorn said, if Salgard was gone, this meant that his window of opportunity was closing.

    He had to make a move now or things had the potential to go south.

    Bjorn took a step forward and noticed that the other guard was getting agitated due to his partner taking some time to return to his post.

    Bjorn knew he had to exploit this because if he raised an rm, then their mission would have been rendered a failure and there is no telling if they would execute Ragnar upon this.

    Bjorn was shocked when he saw that the man returned, this meant that Salgard didn''t sneak off to go kill him when he was inspecting the sound.

    So where was he?

    Bjorn saw a shadowy figure sneaking up behind the guard that had stayed put, a hand wrapped around his mouth to make sure he couldn''t scream as he slit his throat.

    The other guard noticed this toote and was decapitated before he could even escape.

    Bjorn''s jaw dropped, he didn''t know how he did it but he did, those skills were fit for an assassin as he killed two men in no less than five seconds.

    Bjorn wasn''t sure he could replicate this feat but he would like to try.

    He walked towards gard, his footsteps uncertain as he didn''t know what Grj?tgard warning was about and knew it was in his best interest to be cautious.

    Salgard was crouched down, back turned to Bjorn with the teenager having no idea what he was doing with the bodies.

    "There you are," Salgard said right before tossing Bjorn a set of keys.

    "Go inside, I will keep watch," Salgard said, dragging the bodies out of sight.

    This made Bjorn wonder what Grj?tgard was so worried about, Salgard looked to be perfectly fine.

    He wasn''t acting strange or doing anything out of the ordinary, Bjorn opened the door and gained entry into the prison that potentially held King Ragnar.

    But what was Grj?tgard warning, did Bjorn fail to stop the cmity that would jeoperdize their mission or was this Grj?tgard just being cautious?

    This would soon be known.

 Chapter 418 Grj?tgard Vs...!?

    418 Grj?tgard Vs...!?

    Grj?tgard was cutting them down one after the other like they were ants beneath his feet, it got to the point that they stopped attacking him as they knew numbers wouldn''t do them any good.

    Hagen watched from the wall and he was amazed by how strong this man was.

    Hagen noted the resemnce between him and Erik the Berserker even though Grj?tgard was a smarter fighter than Erik.

    "What are they waiting for?" Hagen asked and rightfully so, this was unusual as shouldn''t they want to tire him out even if it meant them dying?

    They had the numbers and Grj?tgard couldn''t fight forever but by backing off, they were giving him a chance to rest.

    However, it all soon made sense as the warriors gave way to a rather intimidating man right through them.

    Grj?tgard looked right at the man and grinned because he knew that this man was no fodder.

    He was slender and was easily as tall as Grj?tgard even though his body mass was far less.

    He had a cross hanging around his neck despite not having on any shirt, just trousers.

    "You are a Viking, aren''t you?" Grj?tgard asked but the man chuckled upon hearing this.

    "Was¡­ I was saved by Christ and now I kill for him," The man said.

    "Hahaha! I see¡­" Grj?tgardughed it off because it made no difference to him.

    Anyone that stood in his way was going to be killed.

    "What is your name, pagan?" The man asked Grj?tgard and Grj?tgard found it ironic that he was being called a Pagan by someone that once did what he did.

    "I go by the name Grj?tgard Gardsson, the brother of King Rugalf," Grj?tgard said and the man before him showed his surprise.

    "You''re Grj?tgard?" The man asked with a wide grin, he looked menacing yet malnourished at the same time.

    "Grj?tgard The God of War!?" The man eximed and it was clear that he had heard of Grj?tgard but who in the Viking world hadn''t?

    "I see you know my name, do you still wish to fight me or will you tell me where King Ragnar is?" Grj?tgard asked him directly, he knew the people around couldn''t eavesdrop due to them speaking theirnguage.

    "King Ragnar? What do you mean?" The man asked, showing confusion as there was no reason for someone as big as Ragnar to be here.

    "You do not know that King Ragnar is here?" Grj?tgard asked.

    "Ha! I know I was just messing with ya''," The man said right before charging at Grj?tgard, his weapon of choice was a strange hammer that a normal person wouldn''t even be able to lift and talk more of wielding.

    "I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs, bringing the hammer down vertically, in a bid to smash into Grj?tgard''s head but he was up to the task.

    He simply sidestepped it and with the force in which it was swung, it should be impossible for the Christian to defend himself but this was where Grj?tgard was wrong.

    The man redirected his swing mid-strike and smashed an unsuspecting Grj?tgard right on the chest.

    The force was enough to send him flying a couple of meters back but he came to a halt soon after.

    Grj?tgard remained on his feet and the Christians watching were surprised because that was the first time they had seen anyone survive a strike from him.

    Blood seeped through his parted lips, showing that Grj?tgard took damage.

    "You''re still standing!? You live up to your name!" The Christian praised him but Grj?tgard knew who this person was even without an introduction.

    "A man that wields a hammer like a whip, exiled from his Kingdom because he wanted not just his King''s crown but his wife as well¡­" Grj?tgard muttered.

    "That''s right, you''re Guthrum¡­" Grj?tgard said, spitting out the blood in his mouth.

    Guthrum stopped in his tracks the moment Grj?tgard called his name, tears filling up his eyes.

    "You know me? The great Grj?tgard knows my name!?" Guthrum said as he began to sob profusely.

    Grj?tgard knew he had to take him serious, there was something that came with being a Viking that no other warrior had.

    This was what they lived and died for, they all wished to die on the battlefield and while Guthrum might have changed his faith, it didn''t change who he was at the core.

    It simply meant he was willing to die for this new God called Jesus Christ.

    Grj?tgard cracked his neck and flexed his arm.

    "You''re finally getting serious?" Guthrum asked, wiping the tears from his face.

    "I guess I should also get serious," Guthrum said, reaching for his back to equip a shield but theposition of this shield wasn''t wood.

    It was metal and it was another heavy item that showed just how deceptively strong Guthrum was.

    Guthrum charged at Grj?tgard once again and tried to bash in his right side with an inswinging horizontal attack but Grj?tgard managed to block it with his sword and this was where Guthrum turned his shield into a weapon.

    He flipped it and tried to use the edge to bash Grj?tgard''s neck but despite being so big, Grj?tgard disyed impressive agility.

    He ducked down andnded an upper cut right below Guthrum''s jaw.

    This sent him stumbling back as the blow shook his brain and thus came an opening for Grj?tgard.

    Grj?tgard, however, didn''t take it.

    He stood there and allowed Guthrum to regain hisposure.

    "He didn''t fall for it?" Guntrum thought to himself.

    Grj?tgard wasn''t not fool and understood this was Guthrum trying to lure him in.

    "Are you done with the tricks?" Grj?tgard asked.

    "You know what I said earlier? Yeah, forget that. You''re better than the stories!" Guntrum eximed.

    But what Grj?tgard did next surprised him, Grj?tgard tossed his weapon to the floor.

    "What are you doing?" Guthrum asked, tone changing.

    He clearly felt disrespected and who could me him?

    "I don''t need any weapons against you," Grj?tgard said bluntly and like a switch, Guthrum charged towards him but all he felt was a hand around his face.

    "Huh?" Guthrum muttered right before being smashed into the ground.

    He couldn''t even react to the attack.

    "In battle, it''s important to keep a cool head¡­" Grj?tgard offered him a piece of advice.

    "You''re right," Guthrum responded with a grin.

    Grj?tgard realized he didn''t have his weapon in him anymore.

    He looked around frantically to see where it was but nothing which only felt like one more possibility.

    "Above?" Grj?tgard looked up but couldn''t get his entire body out of the way in time.

    The hammer mmed into his right shoulder, dislocating it in the process before hitting the ground hard.

    Guthrum threw it right before he was mmed into the ground. They were in motion so what Grj?tgard''s eyes could register was severely limited.

    This, however, mitigated the original attack that Guthrum had nned because there was no telling what would have happened if itnded on his head.

    "You dodged?" Guthrum sounded disappointed because he did take damage for this gamble.

    But the oue of the battle now looked uncertain.

    -

    Thorgard, Alf and Ecgberht had managed to get to safety. Thorgard wondered what could have possibly happened but the fact that they wanted him dead didn''t make sense to Thorgard.

    Alf was following Ecgberht''s lead because ording to him, he had contacts for times like these but he didn''t know if this was a trap.

    They were his enemies after all even though they had just saved him.

    Thorgard shared this suspicion and wondered if it would be better to kill him now to avoid furtherplications down the line even though this had the potential of strengthening their position in Northumbria.

    Ecgberht wasn''t just anyone, he was the son of the usurped King and this attempted assassination had the potential of drawing his father into the fray.

    For any of this to happen, they needed Ecgberht.

    "Alf, are you sure this is a good idea?" Thorgard asked.

    "We don''t have a choice, this is the only way¡­" Alf responded.

    *"Alf and Thorgard, I''m most grateful for this opportunity¡­"* Ecgberht was quick to show his gratitude, Alf told Thorgard what was said.

    "That bastard¡­ I will make him pay!" Ecgberht cussed under his breath but Alf knew better than to trust his words.

    Ecgberht''s hatred for his uncle was no secret but he was a coward first and foremost, he couldn''t do anything but give empty threats.

    Something told Alf this was another of those charades.

    They reached their destination shortly and to everyone''s surprise, it was up in mes already.

    *"T-That''s impossible!"* Ecgberht blurted out.

    "It looks like they were one step ahead," Thorgard muttered to Alf.

    "We need toy low, he has to stay with us. It looks like there are some serious politics at y, as long as we hold this card. There might still be some hope for us," Alf said and with that, they dragged Ecgberht and made their way away from this area.

    Who knew what oue this war could have as long as Ecgberth remained alive?

    That was what both of these men gambled on.

 Chapter 419 "I Trust You My Sons!"

    Chapter 419 "I Trust You My Sons!"

    Ragnar was in chains, bound to the wall but he wasn''t frightened, this wasn''t enough to frighten the great Ragnar Lothbrok.

    He noticed that he was the only one in this cell and the chains had spikes that had dug into his limbs.

    If he struggled to break free, it would only do more damage, it was impressive, to say the least.

    Ragnar could have easily killed their King and ended things but why didn''t he?

    It was clear that Ragnar still had some sort of n, he knew that they had ns of scaling the walls at night.

    Ragnar knew there was no way that his men would be wiped out, he had faith in their strength and knew that they were more than capable of doing this.

    Ragnar chuckled loudly before that chuckle evolved into a full-onughter.

    "Now my children, what are you willing to do to free your father?" Ragnar muttered under his breath as he heard the door creak open.

    This wasn''t his time to shine, Ragnar could have easily killed everyone who challenged him with little to no difficulty, they had skill however theycked the experience Ragnar had but he surrendered for one reason only.

    A test for his children, he wanted to see what kind of decision they would make with their backs against the wall and a demoralized army behind them.

    Ragnar knew the effects his capture would have and this was why he chose this approach.

    If he had taken a single life, the option of imprisonment would have vanished alongside it.

    "I cannot believe you have found me so fast, Bjorn.." Ragnar said in the darkness.

    Bjorn was surprised that his father knew it was him the moment the door opened.

    Ragnar could sense the panic in the air, it was evident that someone had made it through the wall.

    The fact that they chose to carry on with the attack even with Ragnar in enemy territory made Ragnar proud as this told him that his capture alone wasn''t enough to make them abandon the n.

    "Father!" Bjorn eximed but Ragnar kept quiet after that.

    "Leave Bjorn, go and find Tyr¡­ You must strike at the dawn of my execution." Ragnar gave his son a stern warning.

    Bjorn didn''t know what to make of this, he hade all the way just to be told to go back.

    "What do you mean father!? I''m here to save you!" Bjorn was losing hisposure because he knew that they didn''t have much time.

    "Do you think I couldn''t break out of these pesky binds if I wished to? Northumbria will not fall by force, I''m sure you know this," Ragnar said and this told Bjorn that his father was already two steps ahead of them.

    Ragnar had a n, people had yet to witness his brilliance and what made him so renowned and respected in the Viking world.

    "Go Bjorn! You must find your brother," Ragnar reiterated and Bjorn knew he had no choice but to listen to his father.

    Ragnar knew best and Bjorn had to trust in his father, his father clearly saw things that he couldn''t perceive yet.

    "Okay, father!" Bjorn said but before going, Ragnar gave him one more message to deliver to Hagen for him.

    -

    Tyr survived but his body gave out, Rolf was being treated and luckily for the man, the wound wasn''t as deep as they initially thought.

    Tyr thought it would have spilled out his entrails but everything was still intact.

    He hadn''t only saved his life but he managed to get out of the way just in time, which was impressive even for a seasoned warrior.

    Whoever this man was, he was showing great potential and Tyr knew he could rely on him somewhat as he just showed he was willing to put his life on the line for their cause.

    "Are you okay, Tyr?" A woman whispered into his ears, Tyr hadn''t seen her before so she must hail from either Kattegat or Vestfold.

    "I''m good," Tyr said, trying to get back to his feet; his legs were wobbly but the woman stood behind him so he didn''t fall.

    To observers, it looked like he was standing on his own, the illusion he wanted to give.

    "You cannot fall, everyone looks up to you as their pir of strength. They only remain standing because you do," The woman said.

    "We need to retreat," Tyr muttered and thedy was surprised by this deration.

    "Retreat? We''re winning!" She eximed, Tyr broke away from her as he walked a couple of paces forward. He looked at his exhausted army, they were standing by willpower alone and they needed to tend to their wounded as well.

    There was only so much they could do in such a state and Tyr wasn''t going to push them until they broke. This was a war, it wasn''t going to be won on the first day.

    He looked around to see who it was he was talking to, and he saw the woman, it was thedy he had just named.

    "Sigrid¡­ You must understand that I have yed out all the scenarios in my head and I do not see us winning this war. We won a battle, I have fought wars, winning a battle means nothing," Tyr said, he wasn''t letting his emotions get the better of him.

    He would have charged right at the capital and demanded that they release his father otherwise but that would only seal their fate.

    Sigird conceded and kept quiet, Baard observed their interaction and realized that Tyr had tamed her. Something that few have ever managed to do.

    "We need to regroup, we have instilled fear in the hearts of the enemy but we need to keep that fear in their hearts," Tyr said.

    Sigrid watched him in silence, waiting on the nextmand he wished to give.

    "And I know just the message to send to them¡­" Tyr said but a devious grin creased his exhausted face.

 Chapter 420 Initiate Plan B!

    Chapter 420 Initiate n B!

    The Vikings had managed to drive back the army but Tyr knew that they would return, they had to leave the area or they wouldn''t survive the second wave.

    Bjorn was given a mission by his father and he needed to find his brother right now otherwise they would lose their father.

    Bjorn and Salgard left the area with Grj?tgard still engaged in battle, Bjorn momentarily thought about leaving him because this would allow them to escape.

    But this wasn''t who he was, this was something his younger brother would rather do.

    Bjorn rushed to the Grj?tgard but Salgard wasn''t bothered and instead, chose to climb back to the wall.

    Salgard knew his brother wouldn''t fall regardless of who his opponent was, Grj?tgard was far too strong and if his opponent was alive, it was only because he wanted him to.

    If Grj?tgard killed his enemy, then even stronger ones woulde and his threat level would be increased.

    Grj?tgard was putting on a show to keep them focused on him and at the same time, take the threat he posed lightly.

    Grj?tgard was breathing heavily, there were cuts all around his body with Guthrum standing tall.

    "I must have spoken too soon, you''re nothing like the stories," Guthrum yed down his threat.

    "I cannot believe this is the state of the current Vikings," Guthrum teased Grj?tgard.

    Grj?tgard sighed, there was no doubt that Guthrum was strong but Grj?tgard was holding back.

    "How long¡­" Grj?tgard muttered to himself but he didn''t know how long he could keep up this act.

    Grj?tgard soon saw Bjorning into view but Ragnar was nowhere in sight.

    "What''re doing here?"Grj?tgard asked him, he expected to see Ragnar with him.

    Guthrum raised an eyebrow upon seeing Bjorn, he couldn''t believe that there was more than one person that had managed to sneak in.

    Guthrum informed the other Christians around to search for the others, the warriors quickly dispersed but this would work to the advantage of the Vikings.

    It was obvious where they would go, they were headed to where Ragnar was.

    "What are you doing here?" Grj?tgard asked Bjorn.

    "I havee to deliver a message, we must find my brother at once," Bjorn spoke and Guhrum took offence in being ignored.

    There was no way that this kid could be as strong as Grj?tgard and Guthrum rushed to get rid of Bjorn.

    But Bjorn just stared at him nkly, he didn''t move an inch because he knew that he could handle this man, his body wasn''t only full of openings but the weapon he used put him at a disadvantage however, he knew he would hurt Grj?tgard''s pride should he fight him.

    Grj?tgard stood in front of Bjorn and Guthrum swung his weapon to get rid of him.

    Grj?tgard''s face looked different, he clenched his fist and jammed it right into the side of the hammer to throw its trajectory off course.

    Before Guthrum could recuperate enough tounch a counterattack, he felt a devastating blow crash right into his ribcage, breaking a few of them in the process.

    "W-What?" Guthrum muttered as his weapon slipped from his hand onto the ground before his knees followed, buckling in the process.

    "Guthrum, you''re strong and it is because of your strength I will spare you today," Grj?tgard said and this surprised Bjorn.

    "He is showing mercy?" Bjorn thought to himself.

    "You bastard! You were holding back?" Guthrum said as he slowly got back to his feet, clutching his torso.

    "Would I use my full strength to crush an ant?" Grj?tgard asked and Guthrum was disgusted by this.

    Guthrum charged at him but the moment he looked at Grj?tgard''s eyes, he knew that if he took another step, he would be ughtered.

    He froze in utter fear, his body didn''t respond to him anymore and he began to tremble.

    "You see it, don''t you?" Grj?tgard asked, for the first time a sinister grin creasing his face.

    "See what?" Bjorn thought to himself, he had no idea what was going on.

    Guthrum didn''t dare move because he knew if he even blinked then his head would leave his body.

    "This is what it means facing the man who has the power to kill the gods, now kneel," Grj?tgard said and Guthrum didn''t understand why he did it but his knees fell to the ground.

    Bjorn was speechless, he didn''t feel any killing intent from Grj?tgard so what was it that was making Guthrum so scared?

    The remaining warriors around didn''t understand what was happening either but it was clear that Grj?tgard had defeated Guthrum.

    They didn''t know if they should engage him or report this to their King and as such, decided to do both.

    They split up and charged at Grj?tgard but he simply turned his back to them as he knew that Bjorn had it handled.

    Bjorn''s physical strength was enough to slice them in half, right through the torso, killing them in an instant as he showcased his physical strength.

    Before the enemy could process the ongoing threat, the gates fell and they had to further split their forces once again, leaving leeway for Grj?tgard and Bjorn to escape.

    "Pull up the gates! What the hell are you people doing?!" A man screamed.

    "T-The gates, they aren''t going back up!" The other responded.

    Hagen had damaged it, they had lost the only thing keeping the enemy out and this meant that they would prioritize defense as opposed to offense.

    This was a neat little trick by Hagen because fixing the gates wouldn''t be done instantly, he wasn''t idle and made sure the enemy had something else to focus on other than them.

    Grj?tgard and Bjorn made it back and Hagen knew there had to be a reason that they didn''t return with Ragnar but now wasn''t the time to ask.

    They scaled down the wall and one could say that Hagen''s decision shaped the course of the battle toe significantly but was it for better or for worse?

 Chapter 421 The Summary Of The Night!

    Chapter 421 The Summary Of The Night!

    The night wasing to an end and the Viking had taken heavy casualties and with Ragnar in their possession, the enemies held the upper hand.

    Tyr was smart to retreat as reinforcement soon returned but what they saw horrified them.

    Tyr had decapitated each of their soldiers and kept their heads mounted on a spike with their tongues ced on the top of their heads.

    This was a gruesome message and the enemies searched the area but Tyr and his men were nowhere to be seen.

    Tyr had absconded but they left their boats vulnerable and the Christians had every intention of making sure that the Vikings never got back home.

    They ced warriors at the border with the boats of the Vikings all destroyed, this was a good move on their part.

    They knew invading a newnd would be difficult but they could never have anticipated this level of difficulty.

    Tyr couldn''t believe it, this was one of the hardest battles he had fought, they were barely hanging by a thread and his father was nowhere to be found.

    They had lost a valuable warrior to the enemy even though Tyr knew Ragnar must have anticipated this.

    There was no way that anyone could fill King Ragnar''s shoes and his loss would signify their defeat.

    The King of Northumbria allowed the news of Ragnar''s execution to leave the walls of his Kingdom and into the Vikings'' midst.

    He knew that there was no way they would allow their King to be killed and with news reaching him that the Vikings'' location was unknown.

    He knew he had to draw them out, they couldn''t wander in thisnd because he understood what would happen if things escted into other Kingdoms.

    The whereabouts of Ecgberht were unknown as well, this was the news that concerned him the most. It looks like the Vikings had picked up on something that King ? never knew that they could have anticipated.

    The war was just beginning and the Vikings had demonstrated their strength, they had shown that they were more than capable of disposing of whatever force stood in their path.

    King ? couldn''t deny it but he had severely underestimated them.

    The war, however, was just beginning and King ? thought about asking for the assistance of his brother even though he had offered up his son for this hostage exchange.

    He controlled information and he could easily spin it to his advantage, the Vikings made it through their walls and he thought of spreading the news that Egberht was taken by them.

    This would be hisst resort, he needed to make sure Ecgberht was dead first for a corpse that couldn''t defend itself.

    The night was long and Vikings had escaped the wall.

    Bjorn was now looking for his brother to deliver the news of their father but with Tyr no longer at the ce where the original battle was fought, there was no telling where he could be.

    Grj?tgard kept an eye on his younger brother, he knew that Salgard was strong but he was well aware of the danger that he posed.

    Salgard was no ordinary Viking and there was something about him that made him overpower even the Sturlungar n couldn''t stand up to him once he was in that ''state''

    Grj?tgard knew he had to keep him from entering for even he would have difficulty restraining him without taking his life.

    Tyr, on the other hand, had found a ce where they could rest, he was d that things worked out in their favour.

    They were able to escape and find a ce up some mountain to rest, Tyr could navigate the mountains with rtive ease due to his time in exile.

    This allowed him to find a spot that not only gave them high ground but also a clear view of their surroundings.

    An aerial view so to speak so there was no way another person could climb these mountains without him knowing.

    He wondered how his brother was doing but there was no way to tell if Bjorn had rescued their father or not.

    Tyr knew that things would be difficult moving forward but he wasn''t about to give in.

    Tyr was ready to fight this war and he knew he was going to win despite not knowing how.

    Rolf was recuperating well, Tyr didn''t like him but what he did was no doubt a selfless act.

    Rolf had his wounds bandaged, the Vikings had treated his injuries and he was conscious.

    This was a good thing even though he wasn''t in a state to battle but his presence would prove to boost the morale of the warriors in Kattegat.

    Baard was d that Tyr led them, there was no telling what could have happened if they were under another warrior.

    Tyr was truly the son of Ragnar even though they didn''t share the same blood but little did they know that Tyr was an abomination even among his people.

    lights¦­¦Ïvel "You should try and get some rest Master Tyr, we will keep watch," Baard said, adding a title to the young Viking''s name.

    Tyr wanted to sleep but he couldn''t, he feared the nightmare that awaited him should he close his eyes.

    "Brother¡­ Father, I hope you''re both well," Tyr muttered to himself, he took Baard up on his offer.

    He knew he needed all the strength he could muster and he couldn''t do this without them.

    Tyr knew his brother would return and in anticipation, he trusted that Bjorn knew him well enough to know where he would go.

    This was what Tyr gambled everything on and if his brother didn''t find him before dawn.

    He would move with the assumption that this brother had died, this was a war and Tyr knew he had to move ordingly.

    He was d that they came to Northumbria, it had given him a challenge that he couldn''t have gotten in Norway.

    Tyr was d that he came here, these Christians¡­ They were worthy opponents and he wondered just who it was that would take his life.

 Chapter 422 Liv Is...!?

    Chapter 422 Liv Is...!?

    Earlier that day back in Kattegat, things were looking quite good. King Askild had cemented his ce as King and with the recent development that was worthy of praise and celebration.

    Liv was pregnant with his child, Askild was going to be a father and have an heir to the throne of Kattegat. This was a miracle considering how long they had been trying and it was believed that she could not have a child either.

    But all that was wrong, Askild was d that this had happened as he could never have guessed it happening and the timing was fortunate too.

    The gods were finally on his side and he relished it, Lagertha had also taken in and Askild couldn''t help but read meaning into this.

    For the gods to bless him, the path he has taken right to this very moment pleased them and this was why they blessed him with a child.

    "I thank Odin for you, my love," Askild said with a smile, he couldn''t believe that his fate was changing.

    "I thank him too! The gods have finally heard our prayers," Liv eximed. Of course, there was no way to confirm that she was pregnant, all they had to rely on was the seer''s prophecy that hinted at this possibility.

    "King Askild, you have a visitor!" A man informed King Askild, who was in the throne room with his wife. He no longer hid the fact that he loved her, he was d that he could show it so openly now without fear of it being used against him.

    If anything, Liv strengthened him and Askild was beginning to understand the power behind a queen.

    "Who is it?" Askild requested and the man hesitantly said.

    "It is Ulf, my King," He informed Askild, Askild made it clear that he shouldn''t be disturbed so why was Ulf here?

    "Ulf? Let him in," Askildmanded, he knew that Ulf was an important piece in his puzzle, and he couldn''t risk losing him. He had to keep him happy.

    Ulf walked into the throne room and got on one knee to show his submission.

    "What brings you here, Ulf?" Askild asked.

    "King Askild, I didn''t wish to disturb you but I wish to know when you will have me go to this ce called d?" Ulf inquired but Askild sighed the moment he heard this,

    Ulf was bing quite desperate and a little too ambitious for Askild''s liking.

    He was nothing like his brother and would never reach the heights that Ragnar had reached.

    "I have told you to be patient, Ulf, I need to put certain things in ce. I need to assemble a unit that is worthy of you," Askild said, trying to stroke Ulf''s fragile ego but Ulf knew that Askild was stringing him along.

    He simply smirked before getting up to his feet, this surprised Askild.

    "I''m sorry to bother you, My King. I will be on my way now," Ulf said bluntly as he walked out.

    He walked out of the throne room, looking disgusted with himself as it was clear that Askild was taking him as a joke.

    "It is as I told you, isn''t it?" A cloaked man whispered into Ulf''s ear. Ulf clenched his fist in anger.

    "You were right, King Askild doesn''t view me as a warrior anymore," Ulf muttered.

    "You know what you have to do, don''t you?" The mysterious man asked.

    "I know what to do," Ulf responded with a sinister grin on his face.

    -

    Vestfold was enjoying prosperity under Lagertha, Lagertha was d that her husband had left her here.

    She got acquainted with the people here and they all respected her.

    The fact that she was so beautiful, even with her scar but Lagertha had an unexpected guest in the form of Aug.

    Lagertha didn''t know what she wanted but she weed her with open arms.

    She knew that Aug had eyes for her husband but she wasn''t threatened because she knew it would take more than a pretty face to sway her husband.

    She wasn''t a warrior and this was the one thing that Lagertha knew Ragnar valued in women even though this meant she would be softer than Lagertha as she had been sheltered from the cruel world that the battlefield provided.

    "Lagertha, are you sure it is wise to keep her here?" Skarde asked but Lagerha only giggled in response to this.

    "You forget I''m your Queen, Skarde." Lagertha reminded him and Skarde immediately cleared his throat as he readjusted his tone.

    "I''m sorry! Forgive me Queen Lagerha," Skarde said, Lagertha liked that he didn''t allow familiarity to get in the way of the respect that came with the title.

    "I''m just messing with you, Skarde!" Lagertha said,ughing in the process.

    "You have the same sense of humour as King Ragnar," Skarde said with a sigh but this didn''t stop Lagertha''sughter.

    They were soon joined by Aug in the throne room, Lagertha gave Skarde a knowing look and he got the nonverbal message.

    He gave them the privacy they needed and Lagertha was left in the room with Aug.

    Aug was injured for some unknown reason but she recovered quite fast, it wasn''t anything serious but Lagertha knew she needed to know what happened.

    "You should be restingdy Aug!" Lagertha eximed but Aug needed to see her urgently.

    lights¦­¦Ïvel She didn''t sustain any injuries and fainted due to exhaustion but what was she running from?

    "I''m fine, I''m sorry foring unannounced, Queen Lagerha¡­" Aug began, she had her face covered as usual.

    But Aug needed to convey the desperation that came with the message she carried and for this sole purpose, she let down her veil.

    Lagertha now understood why men were all over her, thisdy was gorgeous. Not only was her skin wless but even in her exhausted state, she was still the most beautiful woman that Lagertha hadid eyes on but Lagertha had a duty to listen to her.

    She nodded to give Aug the go-ahead.

    "Queen Lagertha¡­ My father is in danger!... No, my kingdom is in danger!" Aug spilled and Lagertha had a decision to make.

 Chapter 423 Whats Going On In Rogaland?

    Chapter 423 What''s Going On In Rognd?

    The chapter below urred earlier that day)

    King Rugalf governed his Kingdom with discipline and with his brothers not present, he couldn''t show weakness.

    This was one thing he could never do because then, the other Kingdoms would invade without hesitation.

    King Rugalf was expecting a guest and he had beefed up his security after thest incident that urred during his daughter''s wedding.

    Two distinctive knocks banged against his door to the throne room to alert him of the arrival of his guest. Estrid was seated beside her father, Rugalf was training her to rule as he saw her as more than just a normal girl.

    Even though the person to inherit the throne would likely be his immediate younger brother.

    King Rugalf wasn''t expecting anyone but he also couldn''t turn whoever it was away.

    This was part of being King, he had that responsibility and he wanted to train Estrid how to deal with people.

    "Come in," Rugalf gave his permission without even asking who it was that was there.

    It didn''t matter who it was because Rugalf intended to grant everyone an audience.

    lights¦­¦Ïvel But he could never have expected the person that walked through his door.

    It was King Trygvve but Rugalf''s bodynguage didn''t change.

    "King Rugalf, it''s good to see you''re well¡­" Trygvve greeted sternly before focusing his gaze on Estrid.

    "Lady Estrid, you''re even more beautiful than I remember," King Trygvve greeted her.

    "E, don''t remember me at all you old creep," Estrid thought to herself, she dared not say these words out loud.

    "Wee King Trygvve, I wasn''t expecting your visit," King Rugalf was quick to make this known as this was unorthodox and something he wouldn''t encourage.

    "I understand but I couldn''t make my arrival known and my visit here will let you know why," Trygvve said.

    "What do you mean?" Rugalf questioned, leaning forward.

    "Can we have this discussion in private, King Rugalf?" Trygvve requested, implying that his daughter wasn''t fit to hear whatever it was that they were about to discuss.

    "I''m going, I''m going¡­" Estrid muttered like a brat before getting to her feet.

    "No, Estrid. You stay, whatever you have to say can be said before my daughter, King Trygvve," Rugalf said sternly.

    Trygvve was surprised by this because this was no business of a woman but he couldn''t say this without incurring the wrath of Rugalf.

    This was thest thing that he needed.

    "Very well then, I''m afraid that your Kingdom has a traitor, King Rugalf," Trygvve said and Rugalf''s face went from shock to amusement.

    He couldn''t contain hisughter and just beganughing at this absurd statement.

    "That''s a serious usation, King Trygvve," Estrid chipped in, returning to her seat beside her father.

    "I''m sure you have evidence to support this im or do you wish to nt the seed of distrust?" Estrid pressed on.

    Her father stoppedughing and was surprised by his daughter''s line of questioning

    "Oh? That''s my princess!" Rugalf boasted, which embarrassed Estrid somewhat as her cheeks turned slightly red.

    "Not now, you old man!" Estrid whispered to her father.

    She was the only one that could speak to him this way but that was the case with most fathers.

    They had a special soft spot for their daughters.

    "Forgive my bluntness but I came to speak to your father, Lady Estrid," Trygvve tried to politely tell her to shut up.

    "Answer her," Rugalf''s voice was stern and aggressive, his bodynguage changing.

    Trygvve just walked into his Kingdom to tell him that they had a traitor with no evidence whatsoever.

    Whatever respect he got, he firmly believes his daughter should be respected just as much.

    "My apologies, King Rugalf," Trygvve was polite and cooperative because he was in a foreign Kingdom.

    King Trygvve pped twice and a man came in, he was battered and wounded.

    He was brought in by King Trygvve''s men, who dumped him on the ground in front of Trygvve.

    The men stood tall, not bending their knees despite standing in front of a King.

    "You¡­" Rugalf muttered, he looked quite angry that one of his men was in this state.

    This was one of his Vikings, no doubt as Rugalf made it a habit to remember the faces of those he went into battle with.

    "Rx King Rugalf, I mean no disrespect and that is why I have returned this man," Trygvve said.

    Rugalf didn''t know what was going on but he also knew he couldn''t lose his cool now.

    "Brought him back? Exin yourself¡­" Rugalf said, rxing on his chair.

    Estrid could feel her father''s rage, it was rare for him to get this angry but she understood her father''s anger.

    "That is right. You see, an attempt was made on my life, King Rugalf¡­" Trygvve said before making a gesture to one of his men.

    Without warning, the man''s right hand was severed and his scream of agony echoed.

    "What do y-!" King Rugalf was cut short.

    "King Rugalf, I came to you out of respect but don''t you think for one that you hold more authority over me. We''re equals and I expect to be treated with as much respect as I have given you," Trygvve said.

    He was right, he had every right to execute this man before him.

    "Speak," Trygvve instructed the man and the man looked up at King Rugalf with tears in his eyes.

    It was clear that they had broken this man because this wasn''t a warrior that Rugalf was looking at.

    No, it was a man that had given up.

    "Tell him what you told me," Trygvve reiterated.

    "T-The person who sent me to kill King Trygvve was your brother, my King¡­." The warrior said.

    Estrid''s heart dropped, there was no way that one of her uncles would do something so reckless.

    Estrid knew there was no way that her father could take this seriously and as such, expected him to shut it down before it escted.

    "And which of my brothers did this?" Rugalf asked sternly, Estrid realized at that moment, the seriousness of that situation.

    And out came the name, a name that Rugalf would have never guessed, not even in a million years.

    "What did you just say?"

 Chapter 424 The Night Before Ragnars Execution

    Chapter 424 The Night Before Ragnar''s Execution

    That was the summary of the event that transpired in the other Kingdoms but none of them knew of the fate that awaited those that partook in this conquest of Northumbria.

    Tyr had managed to make a statement and in his attempt at intimidating them, they understood that the Vikings needed to be eliminated and they had lost their only way of leaving this ce for their boats were no more.

    Tyr was showing more bravery than any warrior present but even he knew that they couldn''t win this fight.

    He wondered where Alf and Thorgard were, he wasn''t sure if they were alive but he couldn''t worry about such frivolous things right now.

    They had lost the first battle, there was no doubt about that but the war was far from over.

    Tyr knew they would have stood a better chance with more men but this would also leave their respective Kingdoms vulnerable.

    "Tyr, son of Ragnar¡­" A voice called out behind him and Tyr realized it was Baard.

    Tyr didn''t know much about this man as his tales were yet to reach his ears but he was no doubt a formidable warrior.

    One couldn''t deny that, Tyr was keeping watch and Baard came to keep himpany or so it seemed.

    "What is it Baard?" Tyr responded, his tone was cold and distant.

    Baard could only imagine the pressure the young warrior was under as this was a position he never found himself in in his youth.

    "You''re a lot different than I expected, you''re no blood of Ragnar yet you fight just like him," Baard said, he meant no disrespect by this statement as he was just stating the obvious.

    "Ragnar is my father and that is why I have the strength I possess," Tyr said sternly.

    "I don''t think that is true," Baard responded, engaging Tyr in an actual conversation.

    "What do you mean?" Tyr asked.

    "What you have wasn''t gotten from Ragnar¡­ It has always been in you, that look in your eyes. It is the look of a man that can never be satisfied," Baard said.

    Tyr scoffed, he didn''t know what he was talking about but Tyr knew that Ragnar taught him how to control these things.

    "Ha! You know what they say, I''m the man that was too good for death," Tyr teased.

    lights¦­¦Ïvel "I worry your brother might not be as great a warrior as you," Baard shifted the conversation, not indulging Tyr in his attempt to take out the seriousness of this interaction.

    This wasn''t Tyr''s first time hearing someone speak ill of his older brother.

    "Bjorn is a greater warrior than I am," Tyr responded but he wasn''t going to scold Baard for this.

    "How so?" Baard asked, genuinely curious.

    Tyr killed Erik The Berserker, and killed a few strong Chieftains, uniting them all under one ruler.

    This was nothing short of astonishing considering he was just a teenager.

    At this rate, he would surpass Ragnar but Bjorn was yet to leave hisfort zone andcked the experience that Tyr had.

    Even though it is said that Bjorn saved his younger brother when he rode out to find them.

    "You will understand when the timees," Baard muttered but Tyr knew that this wasn''t the case.

    Tyr knew that these people didn''t know who Bjorn was and all they had to know him by was stories they heard.

    However, Tyr knew that his brother was the most dangerous of them all and he would be able to reach his true potential if he was willing to throw away his honour.

    -

    Bjorn and the rest managed to make it out of the Kingdom walls and the cover of darkness was in their favour.

    Salgard didn''t know what was next but they knew that they couldn''t return to the shores.

    The ce would be crawling with warriors but this begged the question of where they should go.

    Bjorn remembered what his father had told him and knew that they couldn''t dy any further.

    Ragnar''s life depended on Bjorn''s sess.

    "Where should we go?" Hagen whispered to them.

    Bjorn knew that Tyr wasn''t stupid enough to go somewhere that didn''t give him the advantage.

    There was no way that he would hide in a ce where he could be found as well.

    And then it hit him, the only ce that these people didn''t own.

    "The mountains," Bjorn muttered but before they could go any further, they were ambushed by a small unit of warriors.

    "Salgard, handle them," Grj?tgardmanded his younger brother and proceeded to advance.

    A Christian soldier tried to stop him but was cut down by Salgard.

    "With pleasure, brother," Salgard responded, this was the seal of approval he sought and now nothing was holding him back.

    Bjorn admired the faith that both brothers shared even though they were aware of both their prowesses and weaknesses.

    Bjorn advanced behind them but wondered if Salgard would be alright because there was no telling what opponent was before him.

    "Pagan," The voice of a man on a horse said, Salgard looked up to see that he wasn''t wearing any helmet or anything that could weigh him down.

    "Christian," Salgard responded with a smile on his face looking even more creepy.

    Salgard was surprised that the men around him weren''t jumping him, they backed off instead.

    The man on the horse remained on it and Salgard realized that this man must be what they called a Bishop.

    However, the darkness wasn''t to his advantage, the moonlight barely shone through.

    The warriors around him could have easily exploited this but they didn''t, they instead chose to torch the area so they could illuminate the area but the men were fewer, meaning that they were chasing the rest down.

    "God is good but God is also fair¡­ If my sword doesn''t cut you down before the sunrises. I will take it as God''s will to let you live," The strange warrior said but his words were wasted because Salgard had no idea what he was saying but even Salgard could perceive the threat that this man posed just by looking at him.

    "This is going to be fun," He muttered under his breath

 Chapter 425 Salgards Treat

    Chapter 425 Salgard''s Treat

    Salgard stood before the man and he realized that this battle wouldn''t be the same as the ones he had fought since stepping foot on thisnd.

    The man''s weapon of choice was a spear and this told Salgard that he was a long-range fighter.

    "I need to be careful, this man looks dangerous," Salgard thought to himself.

    He recognized the danger but he also knew that he needed to cut him down.

    The man unmounted his horse, losing the advantage he would have had if he stayed on top.

    The men around him began to pray for the man who was about to enter battle.

    The chanting and prayers made Salgard uneasy, it sounded like an incantation of some sort.

    "Is this magic?" Salgard thought to himself but before he could probe further as to what was happening.

    The spear of the Bishop was thrust forward, trying to impale his chest but Salgard easily sidestepped it but it was redirected with the wood almost mming into Saldard,

    However, Salgard could even react to this surprise attack, ducking down.

    "He is good but the spear would limit what he can do at close range. Does he have a melee weapon on him? Is he trying to draw me in so he can catch me off guard?" Salgard was analyzing the man before him as he should.

    He wanted to explore these options and used the opportunity to close the distance before he could retract the spear. The man, however, anticipated this happening.

    A seasoned fighter would take into ount all the weaknesses his fighting style possessed but oveing them was what made them seasoned fighters.

    The man showed impressive sleight of hand to switch his weapon to the other hand.

    Salgard hadn''t had a decent fight in ages and was about to show why he was able to encounter the Berserker n and live.

    "Impressive," Salgard thought but his perception and agility were on par with the threat of this attack.

    The wood came towards him and Salgard, who hadn''t even unsheathed his sword yet, grabbed the hilt with his bare hand before yanking the spear away from him.

    The warriors around him seemed surprised by this but Salgard was using this opportunity to warm up for the battle that would decide everything.

    "A loose grip?" Salgard thought to himself as he tossed the spear to the side.

    He knew that this was strange, the grip shouldn''t be that loose.

    "It was intentional¡­" Salgard concluded as he watched the man unsheathe a de with an immacte design.

    Salgard knew the battle that was about to ur was the real deal and judging from the look of that sword, this man was skilled at meleebat or his spear would have had that same unique design.

    Salgard rushed towards him, he wanted to study him even more, this was the kind of fighter that Salgard was.

    He analyzed his opponent for the sole purpose of breaking them, it was like a puzzle he wanted to take apart.

    Salgard swung his sword down, gripping it with both hands but the man easily parried it with one.

    Salgard''s body momentum was against him due to the sudden shift and in came the Bishop''s de attempting to cut Salgard into two.

    Salgard only managed to get out of the way by burning his sword into the ground to get a tform to change his body trajectory,unching himself up.

    This allowed the sword to narrowly miss him and Salgard managed tond a spinning kick right in the jaw that sent the Bishop stumbling back.

    "This can''t be his full strength," Salgard thought, refusing to ept it.

    They had to be more to him than this even though he showed impressive dexterity in handling his weapon.

    However, the prayers of the warriors around them stopped and that was when Salgard felt it.

    The killing intent of a Christian warrior.

    "Good¡­ Very good," Salgard muttered to himself but all it took was one blink, the man was out of his sight.

    "He is fast¡­" Salgard muttered, looking to his left and right briefly only to realize that the Bishop had ducked and out of his sight.

    The Bishop attempted a vertical sh, attempting to split him from the torso up.

    Salgard managed to parry it but the sting that came with it made his entire arm vibrate.

    "This is getting fun," Salgard said as a genuine smile reced the fake one.

    -

    Alf and Thorgard managed to keep Ecgberht alive, they were doing an excellent job protecting him. Every piece was important in this little puzzle that was brewing.

    "Damn it! Where the fuck are we going?" Ecgberht muttered.

    He wasining and who could me him? He wasn''t used to this sort of condition as he was anything but a warrior.

    "Thorgard, what should we do? We don''t know if anyone survived," Alf said, ignoring Ecgberht''s dilemma.

    "Hahaha! Fear not, there is no way that Tyr could die after marrying my niece or she would reach for him in Valha and yank his back to the real world," Thorgard responded.

    Thorgard knew that they weren''t dead but with them scattered, their chain ofmand was all over the ce. And with their chain ofmand scattered, there was no way to win this war.

    Thorgard looked at Ecgberht and had to figure out what it was that was going on.

    Of course, he had Alf to help him trante whatever it was that he wanted.

    "Ecgberht, why does your uncle want you dead?" Thorgard asked, he wanted to hear the words directly from his mouth.

    "My father¡­ He had his throne taken away from him by my uncle¡­" Ecgberht said.

    "Then it is simple, we help your father take it back," Thorgard said bluntly.

    "Hold up, that is a great fucking idea!" Ecgberht responded with a wide smile.

    How could something so obvious skip his mind? This could solve all of Ecgberht''s problems but at what cost?

 Chapter 426 A Vision?

    Chapter 426 A Vision?

    Tyr set up his camp on the mountain, he didn''t permit them to use any mes or they risked attracting unwanted attention.

    This was the one thing he couldn''t afford even though he needed to give the others a sign that they were here.

    They needed to regroup, things had gone to shit right from the get-go and with Tyr''s message, the Christians took them more seriously.

    This meant that they prioritized the King''s safety and the pce security was amped up.

    Tyr''s conversation with Baard was brief as Baard needed his rest, he was surprised that Tyr didn''t pass out the moment he came here but this showed just how strong his mind was.

    Baard began to realize that this young man might have seen a life that these adults couldn''t even dream of experiencing.

    Tyr wanted to sleep but couldn''t otherwise the dream he had been trying to avoid would resurface once again.

    "That dream¡­ It is strange, it feels real¡­ It''s like my body remembers it," Tyr thought to himself, pondering on if this dream woulde to pass.

    Tyr looked at the moon, he wondered if the gods were watching himment this.

    Death should be the ultimate glory for every warrior but Tyr hadn''t aplished even a quarter of what he wished to aplish.

    He couldn''t bow out now, and if it meant defying fate so be it.

    Tyr knew it would be hard but not impossible, nothing was truly impossible.

    The young Viking remembered details about his past, a past he knew would have been better forgotten.

    Tyr knew what had to be done, he recalled the kind of monster he was, even from a young age.

    He was a seasoned killer and Tyr was aware that this power woulde with consequences.

    He got up to his feet but his vision was blurry, he needed to rest but he needed to confirm Rolf was alright.

    Tyr walked up to the passed-out warrior to see if he would be able to handle himself for the battle tomorrow.

    He didn''t care if he was injured or not, they needed all the men that they could muster.

    Rolf wasn''t the only injured Viking here, there were multiple, each varying.

    Tyr knew that some wouldn''t make it to see tomorrow but Rolf had to be one of them.

    He wasn''tfortable with Rolf putting himself in harm''s way for him because what would happen if he died?

    What leverage would this give Askild? Askild was intelligent, more than Tyr gave him credit for.

    He was always one step ahead no matter what they did and Tyr had to think more like him.

    The battle wasn''t only fought on the battlefield but in the mind as well.

    And Askild was superior when it came to mind games, no one came close to his scheming abilities.

    He knew how to manipte people to get what he wanted, he knew what they wanted and how to exploit their inner desires.

    Tyr reached for Rolf''s chest, he was already bandaged to stop the bleeding.

    If the sword connected the way it should, Rolf would not have made it this far regardless of how well he was bandaged.

    Tyr knew that he had no choice but to wait until the sun rose to know what fate awaited Rolf.

    He was well aware of the potential that Rolf carried and he was a warrior that they couldn''t lose.

    At least, not right now but Tyr knew he had to keep an eye on him.

    An hour passed and most of the Vikings around him were fast asleep but Tyr''s eyes remained open.

    Tyr saw something in the distance, it was a shadowy figure but he couldn''t make out what it was because of the distance.

    He knew that there was no way the enemies could have climbed the mountains without him seeing them so this had to be something else.

    An animal perhaps? That would do them wonders as they could have something to eat before battle.

    Tyr grabbed his axe and headed in that direction, he was quiet because he didn''t want to wake anyone up or startle whatever it was he was about to hunt.

    Tyr''s eyes were barely open and this affected his vision, he could make out a strange crow but it was on the shoulder of something.

    Tyr didn''t know what it was and decided to get closer to whatever it was.

    The closer he got, the clearer the man became, this was no doubt a man and not an animal.

    Tyr''s bodynguage changed with this new information, ducking slightly.

    "Tyr?" A voice called out behind him and Tyr immediately attempted to behead whoever was responsible for calling his name.

    However, his strike was blocked by whoever he attacked. Tyr had to see the person before he knew who it was.

    It was Bjorn, Bjorn had found them but Tyr immediately turned his head in the direction of the figure he had seen but it was no longer there.

    "Did I imagine it?" Tyr thought to himself but this wasn''t what mattered right now. He looked back and realized that he had wandered further from the camp than he initially thought.

    "What? I couldn''t have wandered that far¡­" Tyr''s thoughts wandered further.

    "I''m d I found you brother or we would have gotten lost if you weren''t here," Bjorn said with a sigh of relief.

    "I-I''m sorry brother, I didn''t mean to attack you," Tyr apologized quickly but Bjorn knew something was off with him.

    Tyr was on edge, Bjorn wrapped his arm around his younger brother before whispering in his ear.

    "You look like shit¡­" Bjorn teased his younger brother.

    Tyr snickered, this was newing from Bjorn but for Bjorn to say this, he knew how dire his condition was.

    He noticed Hagen and Grj?tgard were there but Salgard was nowhere to be seen.

    "Is Salgard¡­" Tyr wanted to ask but Grj?tgard cracked a smile upon hearing Tyr show concern for the man that nearly cost him his life back in Rognd.

    "Salgard is fine, he should be joining us shortly," Grj?tgard said, there was no doubt in his voice.

    This level of faith was admirable but was it misced?

    "Where is father?" Tyr asked, if they carried out the mission as nned then there was no reason for Ragnar not to be with them.

    "Brother, I have a message from our father," Bjorn warned.

 Chapter 427 Day 1 Concludes. Result? Vikings Loss.

    Chapter 427 Day 1 Concludes. Result? Vikings Loss.

    Salgard''s enemy was breathing heavily, he couldn''t believe that someone this strong existed.

    Salgard was still in pristine condition, his breathing wasn''t affected by this battle.

    He didn''t look impressed by the Bishop''s strength because his brother had fought a stronger opponent.

    This wasn''t enough for a warm up and Salgard watched the man charge towards him.

    He tried to slice him into half vertically but Salgard simply sidestepped the attack while simultaneously slitting the man''s throat.

    Blood sttered everywhere but Salgard wasn''t moved by this as he turned his attention to the other men around him.

    They didn''t even offer to fight and simply dropped their swords to signify their surrender.

    Salgard, however, had no ns on epting it because leaving them alive couldplicate things.

    Salgard cut them down too, sending them to the afterlife alongside their Bishop.

    He proceeded to search the bodies to see if there was anything worth possessing.

    Salgard knew that they might have something on them that coulde in handy during the war but he had more things to take care of when he saw a unit on horseback heading right to him.

    Salgard sighed, he knew that he could hide and let them pass but there was no way that the others would have travelled without leaving any tracks.

    Salgard knew it was up to him to dispose of them even though he knew his brother would make light work of them.

    He couldn''t let them have that honour and this would be a good warm-up.

    This told Salgard that they had informed the others of their discovery and he knew they would lose the advantage if they figured out that they were in the mountains.

    "I need to get rid of them and then cover the tracks¡­" Salgard muttered to himself, picking up the sword of the fallen Bishop.

    Even though he had him; he knew that he needed to draw their attention.

    "AAARRRGGGHHH!" Salgard screamed out of the blue and the thumping sound got closer.

    The lighters were still on, aided by the moonlight, Salgard was a sitting duck.

    The archers wasted no time in letting loose multiple shots that tore through the air.

    Salgard managed to grab a corpse and use it as a shield against the arrows before tossing it to the ground.

    "Why do they always fire arrows?" Salgard thought to himself because this was pointless.

    There was no way that an arrow would take his life.

    He was surrounded by the horses and his escape route was cut offpletely but Salgard never intended to escape.

    He was d he stayed back because he knew that if he didn''te here then they would have lost the upper hand.

    Salgard, however, knew this man before him wasn''t the same as the one he had just killed and he was right.

    This was Bishop Weadhere, the man who had just fought Ragnar and survived even though he had yet to recover from his injuries.

    The archers all knotted their bows and with Salgard surrounded, there was no escape.

    Salgard wasn''t worried about this because something told him this man wanted to take him alive.

    Weadhere was sent to dispose of Ragnar''s sons and here stood Salgard, a warrior more fierce than bothbined.

    Weadhere knew that dialogue might be a possibility so he brought someone along that could speak theirnguage.

    The man stepped forward and before he could even open his mouth, his head fell off his neck.

    Salgard found these Vikings more repulsive than he did the Christians.

    The fact that they gave away their beliefs to bep dogs was infuriating.

    "I see, so you have no intention of dialogue¡­" Weadhere said with the archers ready to fire.

    "Very well then," Weadhere before swinging his hand down and with it, the arrows were let loose.

    There was no way that Salgard could dodge everything yet the calm on his face implied that he had this under control.

    -

    The party that followed Bjorn and co were hidden at the foot of the mountain, they had sent a different attachment to inform the people back at the castle of this development.

    However, they were wiped out by Sigrid before they could regroup.

    There was no way that she was going to sleep when Tyr wasn''t and she was going to make sure that nothing happened to him.

    The fact that these men were able to track the Vikings without them being aware showed how skilled they were in this department and Sigrid woulde to know why.

    There was one person that remained and this man was clearly not like the rest that she had disposed of.

    He stood tall but he wasn''t a match for Sigrid, Sigrid thought about killing him but she had a much better idea.

    She took him in alive because she wasn''t sure if Tyr would need him, information was key in this prospect.

    However, she wasn''t sure if he would be of any use to him but it was worth the try.

    Sigrid dragged him back to the camp but would this prove to be a mistake on her end or would it aid them in one of the biggest wars that was about to engulf Northumbria?

    -

    King Ragnar was in his cell with a broad smile, Ragnar knew that he was going to die if his sons could not pull this off however he had faith.

    Because even if he did die, this would only shape his children into greater warriors but Ragnar knew that they just had to show Northumbria that they were capable of conquering them.

    Maybe with this show of strength, they would realize that the Vikings could potentially aid them in the future.

    This would be solid grounds to grant themnd here, Ragnar waited in his cell with a satisfied smile on his face.

    "The impossible doesn''t exist with my children. People think that Northumbria wouldn''t fall but it is because of that¡­ This Kingdom will fall," Ragnar muttered with a sinister grin.

 Chapter 428 King Ragnars Message

    Chapter 428 King Ragnar''s Message

    Things weren''t looking good for the Vikings in Northumbria but they had managed to survive the first day of their conquest despite Northumbria iming victory in this fight.

    Luckily, this was a war and not a battle, the Vikings knew that this war should have concluded by the end of the next day.

    They needed to give it their all, with the sons of Ragnar reunited.

    Nothing was stopping them from fulfilling the faith that Ragnar had shown in them.

    Ragnar knew if he died, then Northumbria would create monsters that even they couldn''t possibly hope to conceive.

    However, he knew that the gods wouldn''t abandon a man like him, he was everything a warrior ought to be.

    "The gods haven''t forsaken us¡­" Tyr said as he stared at the prisoner that Sigrid brought a prisoner that they could question but none of them could speak theirnguage.

    Tyr didn''t know what to do, things would have been a lot better if they had Alf with them but they didn''t.

    There were, however, nonverbal ways tomunicate with people even if you didn''t speak thenguage.

    Tyr crouched and looked at the frightened man right in the eyes, the look in Tyr''s eyes felt like he was staring death right in the face.

    The man didn''t know when he lost control of his dder and soaked himself in urine.

    Tyr sighed, there was no need to torture him, this man was going to tell them everything they needed.

    Tyr began to scribble something on the floor, it was a drawing, a skill the others didn''t even know he had even though the drawing wasn''t the best and could be considered mediocre.

    It was clear enough to pass his message, the pictorial question was how many soldiers were there?

    The man looked at the drawings before looking at Tyr, he was tied so he couldn''t write down a response to this question.

    Tyr looked at Sigrid and gave her a nod to which she severed the warrior''s bind.

    Bjorn watched as his brother handled the matter, he wasn''t using violence and he hoped it stayed that way.

    They needed to show these Christians that they weren''t just barbarians ruled by death.

    The man was hesitant to answer but Tyr just stared at him, handing him the stick he had used to scribble.

    He tapped the ground twice and the Christian knew he wasn''t going to ask again.

    Tears began to stream from his eyes, this was how scared he was but who wouldn''t be?

    The fact that their job was to locate and report back meant that they were aware of the threat that these Vikings posed.

    Otherwise, they would have engaged the Vikings that they were tracking.

    The man began to scribble down a response and the others watched on as Tyr had managed to get rid of thenguage barrier that existed before them.

    The man wrote a strange numerical value that no one even understood.

    He could tell by Tyr''s face that the young Viking had no idea what was written and decided to quickly show him what he meant.

    He raised his hand and a de was soon pressed against his neck as they perceived this as an attempted attack even though Tyr didn''t flinch.

    Tyr raised his hand and the sword was removed from his head.

    The man began to speak his foreignnguage, counting as he used his fingers to demonstrate the numbers represented.

    When he reached then, he kept repeating it before clearing what it was he had written and instead chose to use dots to represent what it was he was talking about.

    He put down a dot and repeated the number "10" in hisnguage before doing it again with the same procedure.

    "What is he doing?" A random Viking asked but Tyr understood what was happening.

    "The dots, each one represents the number 10," Tyr informed the man.

    "Bjorn Ironside¡­" A man called his name and it was Baard.

    "Baard, was it?" Bjorn had to confirm to which the man nodded before taking a seat beside the son of Ragnar.

    "Tyr¡­ He is amazing, isn''t he?" Bjorn didn''t hesitate to heap praise on his brother.

    Baard expected him to be envious but those beautiful blue eyes, they were anything but envious.

    They truly held admiration for Tyr because only Tyr could think of something so practical on the spot. This never crossed anyone''s mind, they would have ughtered him on the spot otherwise or used him to send some kind of message.

    The Christian was done scribbling into the ground and there were well over a hundred dots.

    The Vikings around looked terrified because their numbers were few, they barely even scratched a hundred men.

    However, Tyr wasn''t and now understood the message that Ragnar had ryed to Bjorn.

    "He knew¡­" Tyr muttered to himself prompting confused looks from those around him.

    "Father knew we couldn''t take it if we fought head on¡­" Tyr said in realization.

    Ragnar was thinking ten steps ahead, just when he thought he was catching up to his father.

    "BJORN!" Tyr called out to his older brother to which Bjorn responded by getting up to meet his brother.

    "Did you figure something out?" Bjorn asked and Tyr gleefully wrapped his arm around his older brother with a wide smile on his face,

    One would think that they had acquired victory in the war with how wide his smile was.

    "Father is a genius, his execution was a ruse!" Tyr said but Bjorn wasn''t following.

    "We don''t need to kill these Christians! We just need to take their King!" Tyr said and Bjorn was beginning to catch up.

    "Father''s capture was a distraction? Now they expect us toe and save him, the attempt to rescue him already shows how important Ragnar is to us," Bjorn said.

    "And whose idea was it to scale the walls?" Tyr asked, waiting for Bjorn to answer,

    "Father¡­" Bjorn said as his confused face soon changed into a smile.

    "Father knew he would be captured, didn''t he?" Bjorn asked to which Tyr nodded.

    Ragnar knew that these were newnds and the King would always attempt "dialogue" for the illusion of democracy, this was why Ragnar didn''t take their lives otherwise this n would have been nought. He needed himself to be captured and the fact that the Vikings "failed" to rescue him showed his importance to them.

    Northumbria was expecting a full-scale attack, however, Tyr understood exactly what his father wanted.

    "Father didn''t kill their King¡­" Tyr muttered before Bjorn helped himplete it.

    "... Because he wants us to kill him in front of everyone," Bjorn concluded.

    The execution ground wasn''t for King Ragnar, it was for the King of Northumbria.

 Chapter 429 Which King Shall Die?

    429 Which King Shall Die?

    Things were taking shape in the war against Northumbria, the Vikings had a n to take Northumbria and it was all thanks to Ragnar''s recklessness.

    Ragnar knew he had to show the King of Northumbria his strength and he did so by beating his best warriors.

    This allowed King ? to realize that Ragnar was no ordinary warrior and was deserving of a proper execution.

    ? expected the Vikings to be snuffed out that night but he had made a miscalction on his part, things didn''t go as he nned.

    He amped up the security in Northumbria, there was no way that the Vikings could break through, theycked the numbers and the power to do so.

    Killing Ragnar in such a public showing would show his people that Ragnar was just a man.

    It would boost the morale of his soldiers once they see his head roll.

    King ? sent multiple search parties out to retrieve Ecgberht or would it be more urate to say kill him?

    He knew that Ecgberht was the only thorn in his n, he had the perfect execution n for his nephew and the fact that his men failed woefully could backfire if his nephew should ever see his father again.

    King ? would have vited the only condition given to him by his older brother and that was keeping his son safe.

    He was confident that the Vikings would be killed by sunrise but a thought came to his mind.

    He wanted to know how Ragnar found thisnd even though they weren''t the first Vikings that they had heard of.

    They didn''t know them to be this organized and capable of raising an army let alone strategize.

    That wasn''t very barbarian of them and ? knew he had to have a conversation with Ragnar before his execution.

    He went to his cell that night and saw that Ragnar was in a rather strange condition, none of his men had touched him.

    He expected Ragnar to be beat up but for some reason, something told him that his warriors might see Ragnar as an enemy but respected him as a warrior.

    ? had a trantor with him so he could have a proper conversation with the Viking King.

    "King Ragnar¡­ I must say, I''m surprised such a warrior as yourself exists¡­" ? began the conversation to which Ragnar smiled upon hearing it from the trantor''s lips.

    "If youy down your sword, give your life to Christ and swear your fealty to me. I can guarantee your life. I wouldn''t mind giving you yournd but you will no longer be a King. They cannot be two Kings on mynd, you see¡­" ? said.

    Ragnar was surprised that he was even proposing this considering that Northumbria should have the advantage but Ragnar knew there was an opportunity here.

    "I don''t wear the crown because I want to, I wear it because I was chosen by the gods. Do you mock the decision of my gods?" Ragnar''s eyes slowly opened, prompting ? to gulp in fear.

    Ragnar was like a wild beast that no one could tame and King ? was worried not because of Ragnar''s strength but because he didn''t know how many more warriors of this caliber existed.

    "Pagan¡­" King ? muttered under his breath on instinct but Ragnar had heard him.

    "Youe to bargain but do not respect me as a King? You don''t understand, do you? I''m not the one in danger¡­" Ragnar said with a smirk.

    This was ambiguous and ? didn''t take this seriously, he thought Ragnar was just rambling.

    King ? knew it was pointless and began to walk towards the door but the trantor didn''t leave with him.

    "Hey! What do you think you''re doing!" ? shouted and the trantor quickly ran to King ?''s side amid suspicion from ?.

    "What did he tell you?" King ? questioned.

    "Nothing, my King. I was making sure the cell was locked properly," The trantor said.

    "I''m d I bought you, you''re really worth the coins I spent on you!" King ? boasted and the ve forced an awkward smile.

    To be fair, he was treated better than most ves and King ? didn''t harm him physically and made sure he had all the food he wanted.

    One wouldn''t even think he was a ve with the way he was treated but this was also because King ? understood that ves were the closest people that could get to a King.

    He couldn''t risk doing anything that would make them act irrationally even though he trusted that he could handle himself against them.

    "Tick¡­ Tick¡­ Tick¡­" Ragnar muttered under his breath but there was something strange about Ragnar.

    He wasn''t calm orposed, he knew about the prophecy that awaited Tyr and was yet to tell the young warrior what fate had in store for him.

    But Ragnar also knew that it was his duty to guide Tyr to this destiny, it was Tyr''s destiny to topple and conquer Kingdoms, not his.

    This was the first step in fulfilling that prophecy and as long as it was left unfilled, Tyr couldn''t die.

    Ragnar knew this might be him bing arrogant but this would be the driving force behind Tyr''s ascension.

    -

    The night came to an end and the sun slowly rose on the horizon, the soldiers of Northumbria were already mounted on the walls with their arrows ready to rain down on the enemies.

    However, there were no enemies in sight which was strange considering Ragnar''s execution was in less than an hour.

    "The pagans are nowhere to be seen!" One Christian mocked and the rest of the warriorsughed out loud.

    They were worried for nothing because the men that they feared were nowhere to be seen but someone was running towards them in the distance.

    "Hey, someone ising¡­ Archers, get ready," A manmanded and the archers aimed in that direction, waiting for him toe within distance.

    "Wait, he is one of ours¡­" They could identify him by the clothes he was wearing but what he was running from was unknown.

    That question was soon answered as over fifty Vikings were running after him in the distance.

    The Christians were amazed that the Vikings chose to charge right at them but the distance the warrior had managed to gain from them made it possible for them to open the gates and close it well before the Vikings reached.

    Hagen had sabotaged the gates so there was no way that they could close but they allowed the man through.

    This was the Christian that they had captured the night before and he was to serve as the messenger for Tyr, Tyr gave him a message to deliver to their King.

    The moment he went through, the Vikings stopped advancing, they were out of the range of the arrows and everyone was confused about what they were doing considering this was an open field.

    Tyr was the one in charge of this army and from past experiences, he wasn''t to be taken lightly.

    He had a creepy smile on his face as he pointed his axe right at the Kingdom before saying.

    "Which King will die today?" Bjorn heard this and didn''t understand what Tyr meant by this statement because surely, he had no intention of taking Ragnar''s life, did he?

 Chapter 430 Tyrs Plan, What Is It?

    430 Tyr''s n, What Is It?

    Tyr waited for the messenger to return to them, he noticed that the gates were sabotaged and instinctively knew that Hagen had something to do with it.

    Tyr was a proud warrior but his rtionship with Hagen wasn''t as when he was a kid even though they were still rtively close.

    "Brother¡­ What are we waiting for? They could be executing Father as we speak," Bjorn said but Tyr chuckled upon hearing this.

    "You underestimate Father¡­" Tyr said but Bjorn was worried that his n wouldn''t work as it was based entirely on assumption.

    "He will want to talk, he might not have realized it but he did give us a very valuable hostage¡­" Tyr said; Bjorn knew he was referring to the young man that was in their possession.

    Speaking of which, where was he?

    Bjorn knew now wasn''t the time to question his younger brother because Tyr wasn''t a reckless warrior, everything he did was calcted.

    This must be his n even though he didn''t know the full scale of it, he knew he could trust him.

    He soon noticed amotion at the front gate but it was just as he predicted, the King responded to whatever message he had.

    The messenger came out andid a sword right at Tyr''s feet.

    It was the same Christian that they had captured, he was very cooperative and Tyr appreciated this.

    Not like he had a choice because it was between that and death, it seemed the Christians weren''t as eager to meet their God as they were.

    Tyr knew what this meant, it meant that Ragnar was still alive and this King was willing to negotiate.

    But he wasn''t going to walk into the same trap that his father did.

    Gesturing for the warrior to tell the King to meet them here alongside his father.

    All this was said without words and the Christian understood every bit.

    The Vikings watched in amazement, all they had known was violence but never would they have thought that dialogue was possible.

    Especially with an enemy as great as this.

    It wasn''t just his battle prowess that made him the monster he was, but this right here.

    Tyr picked up his father''s sword with a smile on his face.

    "What''s so amusing?" Bjorn questioned, trying to get a peek on what was going on in his brother''s mind.

    "Bjorn, do you trust me?" Asked Tyr.

    This was a random question but Bjorn didn''t hesitate with an answer.

    "I do trust you, brother," Bjorn responded.

    Salgard didn''t understand what it was about this man but he had an aura that drew people to him.

    He was beginning to understand how he survived his exile and made such a drastic change that no one has been able to.

    Ending a war that had been waged for years in less than five, wherever he went, these were the kinds of changes that followed.

    And this was why Salgard wasn''tfortable with him marrying his niece, he didn''t know what Tyr''s ns or motives were but he knew it had to be something grand.

    He hated that his older brother looked at him with such respect, Grj?tgard was impressed that he found a way to survive with this many men.

    This not only showed great leadership but also showed Tyr knee when to abandon a battle that was lost even though he technically defeated his enemies.

    Tyr handed their father''s sword to Bjorn.

    "If father does die, he will live on through you, brother¡­" Tyr said.

    This was cryptic because it implied that there was a possibility that Ragnar could die.

    Tyr began to walk forward but Bjorn didn''t oppose this, standing ce.

    Baard followed suit, no one knew exactly what the n was, they assumed it was a typical hostage exchange.

    The Christians could confirm that Ecgberht was alive as there was nobody and the initial attack had failed.

    This was reported by those that initially retreated.

    Tyr continued his journey and the Christians fired a few arrows to warn him not to proceed further but Tyr didn''t heed this warning.

    "What is he doing?" A random Viking asked.

    "I do not know but you all should prepare for anything¡­" Bjorn advised.

    -

    Back in Rognd, King Trygvve had reported the crimes of a Gardsson to King Rugalf.

    He expected retribution and that was having the one responsible for this attack handed over to him.

    The name he mentioned was the least important Gardsson, the drunk and theughingstock of the family.

    It was Fr?ygard and Estrid already knew this was bullshit and it was a way of holding her father hostage.

    They couldn''t trust the words of a prisoner who was imprisoned.

    He could have been tortured to give this false confession, she hated that her father was even considering it.

    Estrid knew she had to do something because Rugalf had asked for 24 hours to make a decision.

    One that Trygvve dly gave but while Fr?ygard may be a good-for-nothing drunk, this was something that he wasn''t capable of.

    Estrid knew she had to speak to her father regarding this and barged into his room.

    At this moment, he wasn''t the King to her but the father that spoiled her.

    "Estrid, my darling, what brings you here?" Rugalf questioned but Estrid wasn''t having any of this.

    "What do you think you''re doing old man!?" Estrid barked at him.

    "Hahaha! You must mean with your uncle, Fr?ygard?" Rugalf asked.

    Estrid was confused as to why he was so carefree but she realized why, there was an empty cup of ale right in front of him.

    "Y-You have been drinking?" Estrid asked and out of nowhere, someone shouted.

    "TA-DA!"

    This almost sent Estrid into a full-on panic but she realized it was her uncle, Fr?ygard.

    "Father, what''s the meaning of this?" Estrid questioned, surprised that she was the only one taking the situation seriously.

    "Nothing is going on princess but we have to put on a good show," Rugalf said.

    "What do you mean?" Estrid questioned.

    "We need to y along to see what it is that King Trygvve wants. But one thing is certain¡­ I will not let this disrespect pass," Rugalf said, the tone he used to convey thest sentence sent chills down Estrid''s spine.

    For the first time in a long time, she had seen her father angry.

 Chapter 431 Alf And Thorgard

    <h4>Chapter 431 Alf And Thorgard</h4>

    There was no way that any of them had the means to kill him because he was a fearless man who knew that his fate was much more than this.

    The Christian returned with a messenger and Bjorn was surprised that the King of Northumbria listened to him.

    He had no reason to yet he did, making him wonder what it was that Tyr told him.

    "King ? needs confirmation of life before he considers your reques-!" The man who was tranting what the Christian warrior was saying lost his head.

    Everyone looked on in confusion, they were too far to know what was going on but they knew that this was an act of aggression from their leader.

    They didn''t know if this meant that they would have to charge forward to fight but the Christian warriors weren''t making a move to attack him.

    "If I wanted to speak about such stupid things, I wouldn''t be here¡­" Tyr said, grabbing the decapitated head of the warrior he had just in and cing it in the hands of the messenger.

    Tyr was ready for war and he knew that he had the greatest card to bargain with and as long as that card existed, there was no way that the King of Northumbria would do anything daring.

    He knew the man didn''t understand what he said but this should be more than enough to send the message which he wanted to but all in all, where was Ecgberht?

    -

    Alf and Thorgard had managed to survive through the night but upon waking up, they saw that Ecgberht was nowhere to be seen.

    "Thorgard! Wake up!" Alf woke the young warrior and Thorgard sprung to his feet immediately.

    "Alf, you were supposed to keep watch!" Thorgard eximed, he couldn''t believe they had allowed him to slip away.

    One would think that Ecgberht would want to stay here considering that his uncle had tried to kill him and pinned it on the Vikings however, this meant that Ecgberht was well aware that he was going to be used in some sort of deal to free their King.

    There was no telling what ? would do to him considering the failed assassination attempt.

    "We need to find him!" Thorgard was panicking because this was the only thing that Tyr had assigned him to do.

    He knew that his new brother would be disappointed that he couldn''t even handle such a simple task.

    But there was no way that this could be a coincidence or so Thorgard thought.

    Thorgard was angry but he was also suspicious, looking Alf right in the eyes.

    "What the fuck did you do?" Thorgard asked but this question surprised Alf seeing as it was out of the blue.

    Thorgard knew there was no way in hell that Alf would let him slip away, he was a ver and should be a master at keeping prisoners so this could only mean one thing.

    Ecgberht wasn''t here because Alf had allowed him to leave, this was what Thorgard was sticking with.

    "What do you mean? Are you using me of something?" Alf asked outright and the silence that followed was a perfect reflection of the tension in the air.

    "Ha! Got you!" Thorgard said with augh but the moment he said this, he unsheathed his sword with such speed that it should be impossible to defend against if caught unaware yet Alf managed to defend against it.

    Alf was expecting an attack but he shouldn''t have been expecting one if he was truly innocent.

    "It is just as I thought, what did he offer you?" Thorgard questioned but Alf didn''t give him a reply.

    "A ver will always choose money over honour¡­" Thorgard muttered to himself, angry that the man who was supposed to be Tyr''s ally was betraying him.

    Thorgard noticed the footsteps leading in the opposite direction and knew that it belonged to Ecgberht. He just had to get past Alf but it wasn''t going to be easy.

    Thorgard quickly moved away from him and Alf took this opportunity to swing his sword, almost cutting the inexperienced warrior in half but he managed to get out of the way in time.

    Alf knew with that attack that the fighting skill of this man was limited and with this new information, he rushed towards the younger warrior.

    He kept swinging and thrusting his sword with Thorgard barely defending against them and in no time, his defence was overwhelmed.

    Thorgard was about to be killed and with the inswinging trajectory of Alf''s sword aimed to deliver the finishing blow to his head.

    Thorgard smirked, he fought with Tyr and learned a thing or two from the dark-skinned warrior.

    A strike not perceived by the enemy is the single strike needed to win a fight and this was exactly the opportunity that Thorgard was waiting for.

    Thorgard not only dodged the swing with no difficulty but smashed the hilt of his sword right into Alf''s jaw to knock him unconscious.

    Thorgard gave chase, hoping that Ecgberht hadn''t gone too far because there was no telling what would happen if they lost him but he was aware of what could potentially happen if he did.

    The war would be over but this was the side effect of thenguage barrier, Thorgard didn''t know what they discussed and only knew what Alf told him Ecgberht said.

    Alf could have said anything whatsoever and Thorgard would have no other choice but to believe as he had no reason not to.

    He saw clues but he also saw horse tracks, but it wasn''t just one but multiple.

    That wasn''t the only interesting thing, he noted that there was some sort of struggle here.

    He couldn''t ce his fingers around it but he knew that Ecgberht might have been taken against his will.

    "What?" Thorgard thought; he realized that Alf wasn''t working with the hostage but Alf was working with the very people he tricked Tyr into believing he was against.

    But didn''t they want him dead? Why didn''t Alf just kill him?

    Was he hoping to maintain his cover by delegating this task to another?

    "Huh?" Thorgard was confused as he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, an attack he couldn''t even perceive.

    A warm liquid streamed down his arm and onto the ground, this was when he realized that an arrow had managed to find him.

    Thorgard looked in the direction in which it came, realizing that there were enemies all around him but he wasn''t scared.

    He could take them on, there was no way he could fall here and he noticed that a few of them were on horses.

    There was no doubt that these were the people that took Ecgberht but he had to conquer them so he could save the young man.

    "You are something else¡­" Alf said from behind him and Thorgard turned to face him, surprised that he had regained consciousness so fast.

    "What have you done?" Thorgard asked.

    "How could you betray Tyr!?" Thorgard barked but Alf didn''t look impressed by this and simply smirked upon hearing this.

    "Betray?" Alf asked, walking casually as the men hidden slowly came into view, Thorgard was surrounded. There was no escape.

    "Tyr is only here because I helped him but my service can be bought. You see, I don''t believe in loyalty if it doesn''t make me money," Alf said but Thorgard knew he would be at a disadvantage fighting him so he had to be smart.

    "Can it be bought? How about it Thorgard, I double whatever it is that they are offering you if you get me out of this mess¡­" Thorgard proposed and this interested Alf but there was no way they could match the wealth that was offered to him even though he still gave Thorgard a chance at wooing him.

    Thorgard knew the only thing keeping him alive was the fact that the archers hadn''t let loose and that was thanks to Alf.

    "What do you have to offer?" Alf requested.

    "Land! I don''t know what you were offered here but you can y both parts, Alf¡­ I will make you an Earl and give you yournd to spend your riches on, all the women you want and thew will be as you deem fit. You will be a god but I forgot the best part¡­" Thorgard said, pausing to see if he had caught the ver''s attention.

    "... Go on," Alf gave him the go-ahead he was looking for.

    "I will make sure my brother, King Rugalf, not only gives you treasure but gives you the freedom to operate your ve trade without tax," Thorgard spoke on the spot but this offer was way more valuable than what he was offered her.

    This would set him up for life but he couldn''t trust Thorgard''s words.

    "How can I trust you to hold up your word?" Alf asked to which Thorgard smiled.

    "It is simple¡­ I''m a Gardsson," Thorgard said and Alf knew that there was one thing known about this family.

    "A Gardsson always keeps his word," Thorgard reassured him and this was an example of why a good reputation was important, it was because of this reputation that Thorgard survived.

    *" Lower your bows, he is with me,"* Alf spoke to the Christians and they did just that.

    Did Thorgard have any intention of honoring these words he just spoke or was this a ploy for something greater?

    "I will take you to Ecgberht but that is all I''m doing," Alf said but this was more than enough for Thorgard.

 Chapter 432 Fate

    432 Fate

    Things were going ording to n and Tyr was right in front of what could very well be the ce where he died, he knew he had to risk it and this show of force should give the message that he wasn''t here to be dyed.

    Of course, it could easily backfire and maybe it did as men on ck horses exited the condemned gates and charged right at him.

    "Bjorn! We need to do something," Hagen brought Bjorn''s attention to the situation but Bjorn didn''t flinch, looking ahead with determination.

    "No, we watch," Bjorn said, Tyr asked for his trust and he gave it to him.

    Tyr was one of the smartest warriors he had encountered despite them being agemates, there was no way that Tyr didn''t take this into ount and he was right.

    The horsemen surrounded him, this was an intimidation tactic but Tyr didn''t even pay them any attention, looking straight ahead.

    However, he could tell from a single look that these weren''t the average warriors.

    If he fought these people, he was sure to note out unscathed.

    They couldn''t speak so why were they here, Tyr looked up at the man who oozed the most intimidating aura, he was in armour.

    But his armour was intricate and looked like it was personally crafted for him, whoever this man was, he wasn''t amon man.

    He looked Tyr right in the eyes and he could tell that this was a killer before him.

    He wanted to strike him down because he sensed evil oozing from him and his gut instinct was telling him to kill the young warrior where he stood.

    However, he had orders and like a soldier, he had no interest in doing anything outside of what he was told.

    He grunted before yanking his horse in the opposite direction, looking back at Tyr before gesturing for him to follow him.

    No one else but this man was leaving the area and Tyr realized that these horsemen weren''t to intimidate him but rather to act as a buffer should things go south within the walls.

    Tyr knew if he did, he walked right into the jaws of the enemies, there was no telling what could happen if he stepped foot inside.

    He could be used as yet another bargaining chip but this only made him confirm what he had only suspected.

    Ecgberht was a very important person and the fact that they knew this meant that they had hoped the Vikings would kill him the moment they sensed they were betrayed but Tyr''s awareness allowed him to notice these small things.

    He chose to save the hostage and because of that unorthodox decision, they had a chance at victory.

    Tyr followed the man but he felt ufortable, the nightmare he had been having for quite some time reyed in his head.

    "Are you the one that would take my life?" Tyr thought to himself but this thought excited him as he couldn''t help but grin.

    This was one of the most important steps that would be taken in the conquest of Northumbria but would it seed or fail?

    -

    Back in Kattegat, King Askild was seen wearing a cloak, hidden from everyone''s sight as he dressed like amon man but this was only because he wanted his movements and whereabouts to be unknown.

    "You havee¡­ King Askild," A voice said, it was the soothsayer that had told him about his heir being born but Askild wanted to find out more.

    "My apologies for disturbing you, O wise one," Askild was very respectful when it came to her because she had a direct link with the gods.

    A messenger for them and fate was one thing Askild believed in, he was right where he was in life because fate saw it fit, not because of his power or otherwise.

    "What brings such a great man here so frequently in weeks?" She asked to which Askild sighed.

    "I want to know my fate¡­" Askild said and this surprised her as this was one topic that Askild always avoided talking about.

    "Your fate?" The soothsayer asked with an eerie smile on her face.

    "Or is it more urate to say you wish to know the sword on which you would fall?" The soothsayer said, Askild scoffed in disbelief.

    She really did know everything and that was why she was the only one that could give him his answers.

    "There is no escaping it¡­ That is correct, I want to know who will take my life," King Askild let out his true intention.

    And stretched forth his hand, the soothsayer proceeded to ce a wooden cup beneath it and cut open his palm.

    His blood trickled into the wooden cut and Askild didn''t even flinch, this pain was nothing to him.

    The soothsayer proceeded to drink it and the moment she did, her eyes rolled back.

    But something that had never happened, happened that day.

    She began to convulse, it was like she was experiencing whatever it was she was seeing or rather, it was triggering this exact response.

    Blood began to pour drip from her nose and Askild was visibly worried but he knew there was nothing he could do.

    This was part of the process, even if it was something that had never happened before.

    It wasn''t in his ce to interfere with the ritual even if it did kill her but he doubted that the gods would take her away and he was right.

    The convulsion stopped and her eyes rolled back but for the first time in his life, Askild saw the soothsayer terrified.

    Whatever it was she saw, something told him he was better off not knowing but her lips parted and muttered something.

    Aksild got up to his feet the moment he heard this but this was an instinctive action, he was in disbelief but he shared the same look the soothsayer had.

    Askild knew his fate and it horrified him but could fate be changed or was it etched in stone?

 Chapter 433 King Ragnar Is...!!

    433 King Ragnar Is...!!

    Ragnar awaited his execution but there was nothing outside, he could hear themotion.

    Ragnar''s face creased into a smirk, his sons were here.

    King Ragnar was a man who could defeat Erik the Berserker unarmed, there was no way his equal existed in this world or at least this was the ideology that people had adopted.

    This blurred the line between viewing him as just a man or as a god.

    Ragnar didn''t care much about his condition because he expected this oue.

    There is no way his sons would let him die and this was the key to the victory.

    Tyr had demonstrated that he was a skilled warrior and tactician even though his actions ultimately ended up in his advisor losing his eyes but it was what won them the war.

    The gates to his prison opened and Ragnar was ushered out, people watched him like he was some demon from the bible.

    In no time, they began to throw dirt and mud at him, swearing and condemning him but all Ragnar did was smile.

    "So these are the Christians?" He thought to himself, they were no different from any other person.

    Ragnar didn''t me them for their reaction, he was their enemy and he expected to be treated as such but where were they taking him?

    This was Ragnar''s thought because something told him today wouldn''t be the day he died.

    But then he caught a glimpse of his son, Tyr and he understood what was happening.

    Tyr had made some sort of bargain with the King but would this guarantee the release of Ragnar?

    That was to be seen and Ragnar soon saw an exhausted person on horseback, running through the gates even though he didn''t understand what was about to be said.

    "King ?! I bring news!!!" The messenger barked and Ragnar instinctively knew his son was in danger.

    Tyr stopped in his tracks the moment he saw the man on horseback and that was when his eyes caught a glimpse of his fathers''.

    ? was already outside, waiting to wee Tyr but instead, he saw his messenger.

    He gestured for the guards to halt their advance and this allowed the horseman toe through.

    "What is it?" ? asked, wanting to know why he was being stopped by a mere messenger.

    "It is Ecgberht! Alf has found him!!" The messenger said, thankfully, Tyr had been around enough to know how his name sounded and Alf''s name was called as well.

    There was no denying that the news delivered was about the young man but what did it say?

    Well, Tyr could figure it out by the way King ?''s bodynguage changed.

    "It is just as I expected¡­" Tyr thought and before the archers could even let loose their bows, Tyr showed why he was feared for his speed and not strength.

    He appeared right in front of King ?, everyone was shocked and Ragnar knew that Tyr couldn''t kill this man.

    This people didn''t follow the Viking tradition, killing him wouldn''t mean defeat because there was no telling what system they had in ce and with them outnumbered, they couldn''t win even if the King fell.

    "You littl-!" King ? couldn''tplete this sentence as Tyr grabbed his face and smashed his head right into the table behind him.

    Tyr knew he had a limited timeframe but he understood the dangers of killing a King.

    "Father, how long are you going to pretend?" Tyr asked Ragnar, no one could move because he had his axe pressed against King ?''s neck.

    The chains were rusty, this was Tyr''s n all along.

    He knew that Alf might betray him and he also understood that the man he had just taken hostage never had any ns to negotiate with them.

    No, he nned on stalling for time and the only reason he epted for Tyr toe in alone was not only because he was a son of Ragnar, but also so he could seclude him from the rest of his army.

    However, this was exactly what Tyr wanted and if the horseman had arrived a few minutes earlier.

    Tyr would have been killed at the gate and this was why he tested this theory by walking forward despite the warning shot.

    They would have ughtered them all otherwise without hesitation like they were so keen on doing the night before.

    Alf served his purpose even though he ultimately betrayed Tyr but that betrayal was what helped Tyr aplish his goals.

    The Christians were panicking and the warriors gritted their teeth, furiously looking at Tyr.

    "Whew! If only looks could kill, am I right?" Tyr joked and that was when the rusty chains binding Ragnar broke apart.

    The men around him quickly attempted to restrain him but Ragnar knocked them all out with a single blow each.

    Ragnar walked towards his son and he could tell from the look in King ?''s eyes that this man was more afraid of his son than he was of him.

    They couldn''t kill the King but they had managed to capture the most important hostage without spilling a single drop of blood that day.

    King ? had once again overestimated his ability and underestimated that of the Vikings.

    He thought Ragnar was the monster, but that wasn''t the case because who was this soulless demon before him?

    That was what he saw when he looked into his eyes and this paralyzed him in fear.

    "Do you have this handled, father?" Tyr asked and Ragvar nodded but he noticed his son step forward with his axes unsheathed.

    "What are you doing Tyr?" Ragnar asked, one would think capturing their King was enough.

    "We cannot kill the King¡­ No one said anything about these people," Tyr said and his eyes weren''t even focused on the warriors but rather the citizens.

    He noticed his father was covered in dirt and their hands as well which only meant that Tyr was going to kill them for that sole reason.

    "Tyr¡­ Stop," Ragnarmanded, hoping he still had any sort of control over his son.

    "I''m afraid I will have to disobey you, father. Do they think us monsters? I''m about to show them exactly what monsters do," The look in his eyes changed and this was when Ragnar understood just what kind of danger his son posed but could he prevent the ughter of Innocents?

 Chapter 434 Things Arenâ€™t As They Seem...

    <h4>Chapter 434 Things Aren''t As They Seem...</h4>

    Tyr was about tomit a ughter and Ragnar didn''t see himself fighting his son but the soldiers there couldn''t move.

    They could tell by Tyr''s bodynguage that their King would be killed if they moved and this meant that they had no choice but to stand and watch.

    Tyr walked up to a child, he was frozen in fear with his mother behind him, sobbing.

    Tyr looked at her before returning his gaze to the kid.

    "A child thinks he has the right to dishonour my father?" Tyr couldn''t believe the audacity.

    He chuckled the moment he saw this and it slowly evolved into a maniacalugh.

    But what followed was blood stter, the child felt blood dripping on his head but it wasn''t his before a body dropped beside him.

    The child looked over only to see his mother, her throat had been slit and the blood kept gushing.

    He watched her struggle for air, wing at her severed throat which only made it worse.

    This only made her erge the hole in her throat and quicken her death but death was the best thing that she could hope for right now but she was trying to say something to her child but unfortunately, these words never made it out of her mouth.

    It was a sight no kid should see but Tyr was a person that would do anything for his family.

    The citizens saw that they were about to be killed and ran helter-skelter.

    "Father, do you see them?" Tyr mocked them.

    "They are only powerful when you''re in chains¡­" Tyr said before turning around but the look on Ragnar''s face was one he didn''t recognize.

    ".... Father? What''s wrong?" Tyr asked because he recognized the stance that Ragnar took.

    It was a defensive one and the look in his eyes showed that he might have felt threatened.

    Tyr then realized what he had done and dropped his axe in disbelief.

    "Huh? What did I just do?" Tyr thought to himself, looking back to see that he had not only killed the mother of the boy but the boy as well.

    This act not only confirmed what the Christians were using them of but it also showed that these ''barbarians'' had no problem killing kids.

    The soldiers around saw this as an opportunity to try and put Tyr down even though their King was a hostage.

    Tyr had gone too far but they mistook this momentarily realization of Tyr as him being vulnerable to attacks.

    Tyr raised his head high and a grin epassed his face the moment the soldiers were within range.

    Tyr ducked down and took a 360 spin with the axe in his other hand, severing all their legs with this attack.

    There was no remorse in his action, this was an act to bait the enemies into attacking him.

    Tyr would do anything for his family and this wouldn''t be the first time that Ragnar would doubt the integrity of his son.

    Tyr, after all, stood against his father against Erik The Berserker but he was turning out a lot worse than that man could ever be.

    The soldiers screamed in agony and Tyr closed his eyes to take in their screams.

    It sounded like a symphony, the cries of Christians that dared try to humiliate his father were divine, to say the least.

    Tyr walked up to his father, he knew that Ragnar was wary of him but there was no way he would do anything to him.

    "Tyr¡­" Ragnar muttered under his breath but felt a firm hand on his shoulder.

    "This is the way of the Viking, is it not, father?" Tyr was rhetoric and Ragnar couldn''t utter another word because his son was right.

    The King of Northumbria was petrified and backed away from Tyr, Ragnar held his son''s arm.

    "What is the matter father?" Tyr asked.

    "You have done enough, leave the rest to me," Raganr reassured his son.

    "Aren''t we going to kill him either way?" Tyr asked and Ragnar was concerned by Tyr''s extreme approach.

    Tyr hated the Viking way so why was he suddenly embracing it and making it his code?

    "No, not yet¡­ We need to know more about thisnd, we need to know how the other Kingdoms would respond too," Ragnar said, letting go of his son''s arm.

    Tyr respected his father''s decision, this told Ragnar he hadn''t lost control entirely but he couldn''t overlook the fact that his son had just taken the life of a mother and child.

    But what next that they had the King? That was to be seen.

    -

    Alf and Thorgard managed to reach the camp with the guidance of the others.

    Thorgard was quickly thinking on his feet to get Alf on his side because this could have easily resulted in his death.

    The fact that Alf didn''t slit his throat in his sleep meant that he wasn''t Alf''s target.

    There was no point fighting for the sake of pride when there was an alternate route to be taken.

    They arrived at the location where Ecgberht was kept and he wasn''t even being treated like a hostage.

    Ecgberht had full freedom to wander around and the soldiers were drinking and looked happy to have him back.

    "What the fuck is going on?" Thorgard thought to himself bute to think of it, if they wanted Ecgberht dead, shouldn''t they have killed him the moment they got their hands on him?

    Something wasn''t right and Thorgard could feel it.

    Ecgberth''s eyes lit up the moment they saw Thorgard and Thorgard knew that this wasn''t the face of someone whose life was in danger.

    "What is going on Alf?" Thorgard asked/

    "Thorgard, the mind will believe anything it wants to believe¡­" This was all Alf said but Thorgard knew that if Ecgberht didn''t want toe with him.

    There was no way in Asgard that he was going to break him out of here.

    He didn''t want to admit it but he had failed his mission of keeping Ecgberht away from the enemy.

    The single bargaining chip that they had had slipped right through his fingers.

 Chapter 435 The Spiderâ€™s Trap!

    <h4>Chapter 435 The Spider''s Trap!</h4>

    Things were getting intense and the Vikings outside were granted safe passage into the Kingdom with little to no resistance.

    Bjorn made eye contact with his father and he didn''t need words to know that Ragnar had witnessed something he would rather not have witnessed.

    Bjorn looked at Tyr and saw that he was covered in blood but it was a miracle that his n worked out.

    The Vikings'' belief that everything would work out as long as Tyr was on their side wasn''t far-fetched.

    "Brother! You did it!"?Bjorn praised Tyr but Tyr looked flustered by this.

    "It was nothing¡­" Tyr brushed it aside and the Vikings cheered but they had no intention of leaving the enemies as they were.

    They began to tie them up because they realized that these people were still their enemies.

    Ragnar was surprised by how easy this was and began to think that this was not enough to test his sons.

    The fact that Ragnar could have broken free at any time but didn''t show he was ying a rather dangerous game.

    But he was d that he did because the boy he had seen wasn''t the sweet Tyr that he once knew.

    However, Ragnar was aware that this change must have been what allowed him to survive during his exile so he understood.

    "Father¡­ Here," Bjorn''s voice brought Ragnar back to reality as he noticed that Bjorn had his sword.

    This brought about a slight smile on his face, realizing that Bjorn was the one person who seemed to have kept his morale.

    Then the piging began, they began to ransack the houses for treasures and tried to outright rape the women wherever they could find.

    This was the cruel world that the Viking came from but this was something that Tyr wouldn''t tolerate.

    He walked up to the first man that he saw trying to do just that, everyone''s attention turned to him.

    "I''m sorry, I didn''t know you wanted to go first," The Viking under the banner of Bjorn said with a disgusted look on Tyr''s face.

    "Does your dick harden at the sight of helpless women?" Tyr asked.

    Bjorn wanted to step in to stop his brother but Ragnar stopped him.

    Ragnar wanted to see what his son intended to do because this would be a good way to see the kind of man that he is.

    But Ragnar would soon regret not interfering because Tyr didn''t warn the man but straight up executed him.

    The man fell to the ground and this infuriated the other Vikings as they felt that Tyr was trying to deny them their reward.

    "If you wish to rape a woman, I will kill you where you stand. If you don''t mind going to Valha, I advise you to focus on gathering the treasure," Tyr said but naturally, people opposed him.

    "You stupid child! Who do you think you are?" A Viking under Bjorn shouted and Tyr just began to chuckle but thatughter soon faded and the look in his eyes changed.

    "What the fuck did you just say?" Tyr questioned and before the man could even respond, Tyr was already behind him.

    The man turned around but Tyr''s axe was pressed against his neck.

    "Brother, that is enough," Bjornmanded and the Vikings began to whisper because ording to theirws, this was their right that Tyr was denying them.

    "Sure thing brother," Tyr responded, sheathing his de and the Viking smirked but this arrogance was his downfall because Tyr punched his spine with all his strength, snapping it into two and crippling him in the process.

    "Oops¡­" Tyr said as the man copsed on the floor in agony and everyone there knew that Tyr meant business.

    They couldn''t beat him either so they couldn''t do as they pleased because Tyr had no problem killing his own.

    However, he had killed a Viking from Kattegat, this was sure to have future repercussions.

    "You say this is your reward for conquering this Kingdom? Tell me why your swords are clean?" Tyr insisted and the Vikings began to realize that they hadn''t done much.

    The only reason they were here was because of Tyr and not sticking their dicks intodies was a small price to pay.

    Tyr wasn''t asking for much, Baard knew that killing that man was a mistake but he kept his mouth shut.

    However, Bjorn confronted him as the leader of these men and he didn''t look pleased.

    "What have you done, brother?" Bjorn asked but Tyr didn''t look bothered.

    "I killed one of your men, do you wish to defend the honour of a rapist?" Tyr questioned but Ragnar''s past was unknown and if his father even partook in such activities before he met Lagertha wasrgely unknown.

    They could only specte that Ragnar wasn''t that kind of man but Tyr could say with certainty that he hadn''t partook in this sickening ritual and never nned to.

    Bjorn unsheathed his sword and pointed it at his younger brother, and the murmur began.

    The King of Northumbria was beginning to see that these Vikings weren''t as united as he initially thought and this could give him something to work with.

    -

    Thorgard was still dazzled by what was happening but they had spun the entire story to fit the narrative of Ecgberht.

    They had nted the idea that if they wanted to kill him, they would have killed him with certainty, the only reason that attempted to and ''failed'' was because they wanted the Vikings to think that the hostage was a threat.

    Alf was nted there to me this allegation by telling them of Ecgberht''s origin and his importance to Northumbria. This would in turn force the Vikings to protect their ''valuable'' hostage.

    It was a very believable story even though Ecgberht hated his uncle, he knew that this was something that he was capable of considering how cunning he was.

    Thorgard was unaware of this but he knew that this was a lost cause because now they not only had Ecgberht on their side but they nned to use him to summon his uncle.

    The King of Northumbria had predicted that his Kingdom would fall or rather, it falling was part of his n.

    He was one step ahead because with the Vikings within their walls, they would want to celebrate their victory with food and drinks, this might replenish their energy but was that it?

    If he had predicted this then surely he would ensure the food would do more harm than good?

    There was a reason he was able to overthrow his brother without being much of a fighter himself and that was because of his brains.

    The Vikings had stepped right into his web and he had no intention of letting them go.

    Word had already been sent to Osberht about the fall of Northumbria before it even fell and the keyword was that Ecgberht was in danger.

    The fact that Ecgberht was in the Viking''s possession for a full night allowed those loyal to him and his son to confirm this.

    Osberht was more brawn than brain and if he chose to intervene, the Vikings'' defeat would be guaranteed.

    Alf was the key to this and Tyr might have thought that he was the one in control but he was about to learn that he was nowhere near the strategist he thought he was.

    -

    Osberht was an elderly man, he had a masculine frame despite his fragile-looking face.

    One could tell with a look that this was a man who had seen the harder part of life.

    "I see, so they have my son¡­" Osberht muttered under his breath.

    He had dull ck eyes, and eyebags showing the stress that came with his new life even though he was leading a much smaller Kingdom but the men he had could rival that of Northumbria.

    However, Osberht had no intention of fighting with his brother not because he didn''t want to but because it would only weaken Northumbria even if he did manage to reim his throne.

    This was why he had to ept defeat as long as Ecgberht was safe but the emergence of foreign invaders told him that he might have to step in for the sake of Northumbria.

    Osberht''s wavy ck hair tinted with gray swayed as he pondered on what action he would take.

    "My Lord, we have to make a choice right now or I''m afraid we might run out of time," A man who held rank suggested.

    "How do I know this is not another ploy by my brother?" Osberht had grown paranoid, it was no secret that his younger brother wanted him dead but the only reason he hadn''t done so was because of the effect it would have.

    Osberht''s death had the potential to trigger a civil war but what if he had found a way to get rid of him with these invaders present using his son as leverage to lure him out?

    Osberht had to think long and hard but unfortunately, time wasn''t on his side.

    He had to make a choice now or all would be lost and the tired man sighed.

    "I have made a choice¡­" Osberht blurted out, everyone was eager to hear what this decision was.

    "We''re going to rescue my son," Osberht said sternly and the Christians around were satisfied with this response.

    "Let us purge ournd of the evil that dares try to take it!" Osberht said with a lot more energy and this was enough to get his warriors pumped. But with this decision, the worst-case scenario for the Vikings was in y.

 Chapter 436 Holmgang!

    <h4>Chapter 436 Holmgang!</h4>

    Back in Rognd, Tyrgvve was offered the best service that he would find in the Kingdom despite his usation of the attempt on his life.

    Tryggve was satisfied with this move because he now had the perfect chance to have one of the Gardsson under him.

    He had no ns of executing the younger brother but rather used him as leverage in the future.

    A bargaining chip to say the least but the men he was in cahoot with were unaware of this move of his.

    "King Trygvve, King Rugalf has requested to see you," A Viking of Rognd said, they were keeping an eye out for him.

    Tryggve''s guards tried to escort their King but the Vikings hailing from Rognd stood in their way.

    "He wishes to see you alone," The man reiterated and this had Tryggve questioning just what the King could have wanted.

    "I see¡­" Trygvve responded.

    "Enjoy yourselves, men, I will be right back," Tyrgvve responded as his men slowly lowered themselves back to their chairs.

    King Rugalf wasn''t even in the throne room but rather, he was outside with multiple people gathered.

    Tyrgvve was confused about what the man had in store for him and questioned why there were so many people in question.

    "King Rugalf, it seems you have prepared a show for me?" Tyrgvve joked; he saw an empty chair beside Rugalf and assumed it was for him.

    He ascended the steps to take it but the Vikings protecting their King interrupted by gripping their swords.

    Estrid soon appeared and sat in the unupied chair, this brought about a change in Trygvve''s bodynguage as the man that he had used of attempting to take his life appeared behind him.

    Trygvve turned around and saw that it was him, Fr?ygard and he had a sword unsheathed in hand but the next person that came out was the man that had used him of the attempt on his life.

    "What is the meaning of this, King Rugalf?" Tyrgvve asked and Rugalf just smiled.

    "King Trygvve, you have used my brother of an attempt on your life with this man as your witness, correct?" Rugalf asked sternly.

    "That is correct King Rugalf, we had this conversation yesterday or do you think I''m a liar?" Trygvve asked and Rugalf shook his head.

    "Not at all, King Tyrgvve, I''m surprised my brother would attempt something so ridiculous considering he had been incapacitated at the time you im the attempt was carried out¡­" Rugalf wasn''t bothered by the usation but the fact that he didn''t try to deny it either was surprising.

    Trygvve expected him to confront him with solid evidence but there was nothing that could disprove his im so he was in the clear.

    "And on that note, my brother has exercised his right and has challenged you to a trial bybat, Holmgang," Rugalf said.

    A Holmgang allowed anyone offended, to challenge the other party to Holmgang regardless of their differences in social status. This could be a matter of honour, ownership or property, demand of restitution or debt, legal disagreement or intention to help a wife or rtive or avenge a friend.

    "King Rugalf, do you wish to insult me?" Trygvve asked because he knew there was no way this young warrior would be a match for him so why did he think challenging him would make a difference?

    Or did Rugalf truly believe that this man possessed the skills to best him in a one-on-one duel?

    "Very we-!" Trygvve was cut short as Fr?ygard got on one knee, lowered his head and raised his sword.

    "And in this challenge¡­" Rugalf said as he got up to his feet and descended the stairs, it had been a long time since anyone had seen him fight or even pick up a sword.

    He had his brothers do that in his stead but they weren''t here right now.

    "My younger brother has chosen me as his warrior," Rugalf said and Estrid smiled the moment her father said this.

    The smug look on Tyrgvve''s face changed with that announcement because this was an usation that had no concrete evidence except the words of a warrior that could have easily been bought.

    This was a way to settle that dispute that was approved by the gods themselves so he had no reason to refuse.

    Trygvve looked visibly shaken because this wasn''t something he had predicted, no one predicted that they would see King Rugalf pick up a sword yet it was happening.

    This only increased the crowd''s excitement despite being shocked by the allegationsid on Fr?ygard, they knew he wasn''t capable of such due to his reputation as a good-for-nothing.

    Rugalf walked past him and picked up the sword offered to him by his brother, the gigantic man then looked at Trygvve.

    "Do you ept the Holmgang?" Rugalf asked, he knew what rejecting it would do especially to a man of his status.

    He would lose any shred of respect from even his warriors as this was the biggest shame any man could tolerate, there were only two options.

    ept and fight Rugalf or reject and lose his honour, he wasn''t going to lose that honour because that was equivalent to the death of a warrior.

    Trygvve gritted his teeth but he knew he had no other choice as he unsheathed his sword.

    "I ept the Holmgang," Tyrgvve responded and just like that, the stage was set for two Kings to cross des.

    -

    Back in Kattegat, it was unknown who the person in Ulf''s ear was but Ulf was gaining some perspective on where he stood.

    The respect he had as a warrior was being taken for granted, he was slowly bing aughingstock.

    He knew he needed to let out his stress in some way but he knew that he had to be careful as to how he does it.

    Ulf couldn''t believe how far he had fallen, he had done everything right yet he remained a shadow in Ragnar''s path.

    There was no respect in his name, the only significance he got was being the brother of the Great Ragnar Lothbrok and it was beginning to weigh on him.

    The mission to d that Askild wanted to send him on remained shrouded in mystery.

    This was the only reason he didn''t join the attack on Ennd yet Askild was vague about it.

    "Are you okay, my lord?" A woman called out behind him, wrapping her hands around him.

    "Not now whore," Ulf said, the sexual gratification he got wasn''t enough

    He needed something far more intense, something that gave him that edge.

    He needed control, the woman''s hands slowly left his body but Ulf turned around.

    This wasn''t the typical whore, she was quite expensive and this meant that not every man had ess to her.

    A relief to say the least but this only made Ulf angry, if everyone didn''t have ess to her, did she think she was better than them? Better than him?

    "Do you know who I am?" Ulf asked out of the blue and thedy was surprised.

    She had the body of what one would call a thick woman in modern times, her breasts were huge apanied by an ass that jiggles with every step she took despite her stomach being on the slightly chubby side.

    "Of course, you''re the great Ulf, the brother of Ki-!" She was interrupted by the hand on her neck.

    "Say his name and I will fucking kill you!" Ulf barked, he hated this and before he knew it, he found his hand slowly constricting around her neck.

    This would have been hot on a normal day but with the look in his eyes, the woman realized her life was in danger.

    "I''m Ulf! I''m a great warrior! The greatest warrior that this world will see!" Ulf gave himself some affirmation but his dick hardened with this.

    The airflow from the woman was slowly getting blocked, she tapped his hand to alert him of this but Ulf wasn''t listening.

    He took out his dick and slid it in her, only tightening his grip around her neck.

    The woman began to dig her nails in an attempt to break free but this didn''t work.

    Ulf began to fuck her in that state, this was what he was looking for, that feeling of power.

    "That is right! I''m a great man!" Ulf said as he began to thrust even harder and the woman''s hand slowly became weaker and weaker, her eyes losing the life it had and this was the very thing that made Ulf bust right in her.

    Ulf''s grip loosened momentarily as he came and this allowed her to breathe, she began to cough aggressively and knew she had to leave.

    She managed to kick Ulf off her and tried to flee but he grabbed her by the wrist.

    "Where the fuck do you think you''re going? I paid for you, whore!" Ulf said, throwing her back on the bed but there was something about her resisting him that he couldn''t understand.

    Why did he like it so much? It was simple, Ulf had lost control of his own life and having that control over another person gave him a level of satisfaction that he didn''t even think possible.

 Chapter 437 What Next, King Ragnar?

    437 What Next, King Ragnar?

    Tyr was confronted by his older brother but he found it insulting that Bjorn would dare raise his sword at him.

    "What do you think you''re doing, brother?" Tyr questioned, his tone cold and void of emotions.

    "You have gone too far," Bjorn responded and all Tyr did was chuckle and before Bjorn knew it, another of his men was right in the torso before he could react.

    "Is that far enough for you, Bjorn Ironside?" Tyr mocked, Ragnar didn''t recognize the person before him.

    Bjorn gritted his teeth because Tyr gave him no choice, Bjorn had to show his loyalty was far greater to Kattegat than it was to his family or he could lose his armring.

    The Vikings muttered and murmured, there was no doubt that Tyr was in the wrong but was Bjorn strong enough to halt his brother?

    "Bjorn, if that sword is still pointed at me at the count of fi-!" Tyr couldn''t finish his sentence because Bjorn had swung at him, attempting to cut his brother in half but Bjorn had seen Tyr fight too many times to know that this wasn''t enough.

    This swing was to create an opening for a follow-up attack but how would Tyr counter this, that was the question.

    But it dawned on Bjorn that Tyr wasn''t nning on dodging it and this forced Bjorn to halt his de mere inches from cutting his brother in half.

    Right there and then, Bjorn''s weakness was revealed and Tyr smirked in response.

    Before Bjorn could retract his sword, Tyr had already closed the distance andnded a blow right at the underside of his jaw, sending him flying to the ground.

    "That is the difference between you and me, brother¡­" Tyr said but before he could proceed, he felt the Grj?tgardbmetallic de of his father resting on his shoulder.

    "That is enough, Tyr¡­" Ragnar said; he noticed that Tyr''s bloodlust had peaked for some reason.

    He had heard about such things happening to warriors, it was a state that Erik The Berserker was constantly in but something must have triggered Tyr''s bloodlust.

    Ragnar retraced it to the rage he felt when he saw the dirt thrown on him by people not even worthy to gaze at him to Tyr.

    Tyr took a deep breath the moment his father said this and with it, his axes dropped.

    This was enough to calm him down because Tyr''s loyalty to his family was on the fanatical side.

    ''Y-You hit like a girl, I guess being married must have dulled your sense¡­" Bjorn teased his brother as he got up to his feet.

    "...Bjorn," Tyr muttered and the person that Tyr had seemingly killed woke up, he had used the blunt side of his sword to knock him unconscious.

    Bjorn heaved a sigh of relief but he also knew that it wasn''t his brother''s fault, to say the least.

    Bjorn chuckled because Tyr could have easily killed him after he showed his inability to but he didn''t despite his frenzy.

    "Everyone back to work, there is nothing to see here," Bjornmanded and the Vikings did just that.

    Salgard watched the brothers fight and something about what he just experienced irked him to the soul.

    "This feeling¡­" Salgard thought; it was the same feeling he felt when he encountered the Berserker tribe.

    Salgard kept his mouth shut because there was no telling if Tyr was associated with them but judging from his skin tone and how he came here in the first ce.

    He could question that possibility but the way Northumbria fell was far too easy.

    The enemies could have easily crushed their forces so why didn''t they?

    What did Tyr say to the man that they had captured that made him take such a careless risk?

    "Something isn''t right," Grj?tgard said bluntly.

    "You feel it too, brother¡­" Salgard muttered.

    The gigantic man then proceeded to confront Ragnar, they had captured Northumbria but did they n to hold it? They couldn''t hold it with the men at their disposal.

    That would be a fool''s errand, he didn''t care much for what Tyr had done in terms of stopping the Vikings from raping as this was something he, himself, never partook in.

    The n was to raid and get as many treasures as they could get before returning.

    The first n was seemingly sessful but how would they get away?

    Their ships had been burned so there was no escape even if they wanted to.

    "King Ragnar¡­" Grj?tgard said and the conversation he was having with his children came to an abrupt stop.

    "General¡­" Ragnar responded, showing him the respect that he was worthy of.

    "We have taken Northumbria thanks to Tyr''s genius but what next? The enemies and the other Kingdoms should be on alert for the fall of Northumbria," Grj?tgard said, raising concerns to their predicament.

    There was no way that at least one person hadn''t slipped through the cracks after Northumbria fell.

    It was impossible to secure the Kingdom that fast so it was a good guess to assume that someone had gone to inform the others.

    "We have the King, the other Kingdoms might be wary but they wouldn''t do anything stupid," Ragnar responded.

    "King Ragnar, you assume that the others are allies with this Kingdom but if that was the case, why didn''t those allies help in the defense of Northumbria?" Grj?tgard pressed on and this was a good point.

    Ragnar had studied this King and it was clear that the other Kingdoms didn''t chip in because he thought he had it handled.

    "His pride got in the way, Grj?tgard," Ragnar said.

    Grj?tgard sighed, Ragnar was right but he could tell by Ragnar''s face that he too knew something was amiss.

    They had far too few men to do anything, they couldst at most an hour if the enemies decided to pounce on them without considering their King.

    Time wasn''t their friend and Ragnar knew it.

    They had to get out of there as soon as possible.

    -

    Thorgard was weed with drinks and food, he was starving so this was an offer he couldn''t refuse.

    He devoured the meal before him without hesitation but he hadpany, Alf sat across him.

    "Do you see? Ecgberht has chosen to stay so what do you intend on doing?" Alf asked the young Viking.

    Thorgard, however, was busy with the meat in his mouth.

    The seasoning was something else, he hadn''t eaten something this good in ages, even in Rognd.

    The vors melted right off his tongue but he wasn''t oblivious that he was within enemy territory.

    His eyes constantly scanned the camp, trying his best to establish how many there were but this was nought.

    This was a camp that had existed for quite some time, it didn''t just spawn out of the blue.

    "Ecgberht, I''m afraid there is no convincing him¡­" Thorgard managed to respond amid the chewing.

    "What''s your n?" Alf asked, he was surprisingly eager to know what Thorhard was up to despite being an enemy.

    But Thorgard knew he was loyal to riches above all else, typical of someone in his position.

    "You do know Tyr has been killed, right? There is no way even he could have survived 13:51

    that attack¡­" Alf wanted to give Thorgard a reality check.

    The Vikings for some reason believed him to be this unstoppable force of chaos but he was just a man that wouldn''t be able to ovee situations such as that.

    He has seen it so many times already, great men fall in battle.

    "Are you familiar with the title he has?" Thorgard asked as a smile creased his face.

    "Title? Is he not a Prince?" Alf questioned, this showed that while he might know who Tyr was, the information he had on him was severely limited.

    "Tyr the undead, you simply can''t kill the man¡­" Thorgard boasted proudly.

    "As long as he bleeds, he can be killed," Alf shot down this notion immediately but Thorgard wasn''t about to argue and he didn''t need to.

    The messenger reached them, he was on horseback so it made his travel a lot faster and the proximity they were from the distance they were from the Kingdom aided in the message being delivered within a few hours after its fall.

    He said something in anguage that Thorgard couldn''t understand but the sense of urgency in his face and Alf''s stunned facial expression told him all he needed to know.

    "I-It can''t be¡­!" Alf blurted out, he was sure he had sided with the winning side because, on paper, the Vikings stood no chance.

    "I told you, you can''t kill Tyr¡­" Thorgard bragged as he took a sip from the cup before him.

    "That''s not just it¡­!" Alf eximed and Thorgard raised a brow because what could be more surprising than a dead man walking?

    "Speak up Alf," Thorgard requested before taking another sip.

    "Northumbria, it has fallen!" Alf revealed and the moment these words made their way into Tyr''s ears, he spat out the drink in his mouth.

    "Say what now!?" Even Thorgard couldn''t believe this, there was no way that they should have the power to topple a Kingdom with a raiding number.

    "You need to leave Thorgard¡­" Alf whispered, this development would no doubt put Thorgard on their radar and Alf could no longer guarantee his safety because he was with the enemy.

    "Hit me and run! A horse is waiting on the east, just keep heading that way!" Alf said and Thorgard knew he had no time to waste.

    He mmed Alf right in the face before setting off to which the enemies gave chase.

    "You better survive¡­ Thorgard Gardsson," Alf muttered under his breath.

 Chapter 438 What Is My Fate? [R18+]

    438 What Is My Fate? [R18+]

    King Askild had heard about what his future held and it wasn''t one that he would have been better off knowing.

    Askild sat on the edge of the bed, looking disturbed.

    He couldn''t hide what was ailing him, even from his wife, Liv.

    Liv noticed her husband wasn''t in the best frame of mind but she also knew that he might very well not want to talk about it, at least in the meantime.

    She wrapped her loving arms around him, Askild was surprised that he still got this amount of love from her despite everything he had done.

    He killed her brother and indirectly killed her father via association yet she still loved him.

    "How did I get so lucky¡­" Askild muttered under his breath prompting Liv to smile.

    "You didn''t get lucky, my love. We were fated for each other," Liv said and this made Askild remember the fate that awaited him.

    "Fate, huh?" Askild responded in a low tone.

    "Do you think our fate is etched in stone?" Askild asked and Liv could tell that this must have been the thing bothering for it was too random a conversation to start up.

    "I believe so my love and that is why we fight the way we do, it is because we know all our actions are guided by fate." Liv hoped that her words would reassure him.

    "So it was Erik''s fate to be a monster?" Askild asked, pausing as he turned to face his wife.

    The moment their eyes met, Liv could see fear in her husband''s eyes.

    "It was your brother''s fate to be killed by me?" Askild asked but he realized that he might have gone too far with this particr topic.

    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to¡­" Askild apologized but felt Liv''s hand on his.

    "Yes my love, it was all fate and that is why I do not hate you for it. You were part of the gods'' n," Liv said. This perspective made it understandable why she had such a forgiving mindset.

    And why she stuck by Askild regardless of the monstrosities that hemitted.

    Liv was the one thing keeping him from falling on the deep end and she is the most important thing to him in the world right now.

    "So it is my fate to¡­." Askild paused before gritting his teeth. That''s when Liv caught on, she was aware that her husband had gone out but she didn''t know where to even though how he was dressed gave her an idea.

    "What did she see, my love?" Liv questioned.

    This wasn''t forced seeing as the conversation took a natural detour here.

    "I cannot say, not right now¡­" Askild shot her down and Liv was fine with this.

    "Then, allow me to help you forget all about it¡­" Liv whispered as her hand slowly reached for his crotch.

    Askild closed his eyes as she began to rub her hand up and down his shaft.

    "Do you feel better, my love?" Liv asked.

    "....Not yet," Askild responded but his dick betrayed him, it got hard as a rock in her hand.

    She removed it from his trousers andid her husband t on his back.

    Askild didn''t resist because he did need something to get his mind off what just happened.

    Liv opened her mouth as wide as she could but she only allowed the tip of his dick in.

    It would have easily reached her throat but she didn''t want to rush this.

    She wanted her husband to feel like the King that he was, she wanted to worship his dick and make him feel like he had the best in the world.

    She sucked the head of his dick, the most sensitive part.

    Askild was enjoying it but her lips soon left it as she ran it down his shaft.

    Up and down while simultaneously stroking it.

    She noticed her husband''s body rxed and this brought a smile to her face.

    Returning her lips to the tip, she took in an inch then brought it back out then went back down but this time took two.

    Askild knew he couldn''t treat his wife the same way he would treat whores, he had too much respect for her to even do that.

    Askild was d that he married Liv because he was sure there was any other woman who would be asmitted as she was to him.

    Slowly but surely, Askild felt her take in everything and he couldn''t help but grip the sheets.

    Sex was a lot different when it was done with someone you love, it was a lot deeper.

    Liv''s fetio skills were sensational, Askild couldn''t believe how good she was but maybe it was because it had been awhile ever since that day that they had felt truly connected.

    Askild was close and Liv could tell by how his dick was twitching in her mouth so she immediately removed her lips wrapped around his cock.

    "How selfish of you¡­" Liv muttered as she mounted her husband, she wanted it in her and the fact that she was already dripping so much made it extremely easy for Askild''s dick to slide in.

    Liv bit her lower lips, cing both her hands on his chest for bnce with Askild grabbing her waist.

    Liv started by grinding on the dick inside her, making sure that it touched her in all the right ces.

    Askild weed this because he could feel her coochie mp down on him.

    He pulled her head down for a kiss, their tongues dancing like they were woven from the same thread.

    This was love and Askild began to slowly move his hips to match her momentum.

    Liv tried to moan but her lips were buried into that of her husband.

    Askild''s finger identally dug into her skin, he wanted to apologize but he noticed that she only got tighter.

    And she began to ride him, she started slowly but it escted quickly into her riding him like a horse trying to throw her off.

    Askild supported her motions by directing her waist up and down his dick, her pussy juice dripping down his shaft.

    Askild couldn''t believe he had cheated on his wife, she remained the best woman he had ever had.

    And it didn''t take long for him to fill her womb up with the cum she craved but she didn''t stop riding.

    What had turned to Askild''s distraction had now turned to her satisfaction, Liv kept bouncing on his dick.

    Each bounce made her ass jiggle and Askild realized that his wife was close.

    This was why she had damn near lost her mind in the heat of the moment.

    Askild smirked and met her bounce halfway with thrust of his own, he sat up and buried her breasts in his face.

    Putting on the nipple in his mouth as he sucked on it aggressively, there was no way that she could hold on and have the orgasm she very well craved but so did Askild.

    His dick was still sensitive from the first orgasm that he had so it was perfectly normal for this to happen.

    Because Liv brought out something in him, she was a goddess.

    She copsed on his chest, both breathing heavily.

    "D-Did that do it?" Liv asked, panting and huffing like she had just run a marathon.  Well, she did but on a dick.

    "My memory is so refreshed, I don''t even remember who you are¡­" Askild responded.

    Liv giggled at this but while this was a good distraction, there was no way that what Askild was told could be pushed out of his mind that easily but he couldn''t tell his wife that.

    She snuggled up to him and slept in her husband''s arms.

    "I know what must be done¡­" Askild murdered under his breath, Liv heard this but pretended not to as she was meant to be asleep but she grew concerned for her husband.

    -

    Ulf was up and about again, he felt refreshed from the sex he had just had.

    He picked up his sword and began to train on his own, swinging at trees but it was clear that this was a man with something to prove.

    His physical strength had grown to the point where he was able to cut fully grown trees in half.

    Ulf was a freak of nature and now he had something to prove. He was no longer going to sleep in his brother''s shadow.

    He was going to be known by his name, be it good or bad, Ulf was ready to do whatever it took.

    The cloaked figure that had whispered words in his ears watched him diligently as he trained.

    "Ulf, you know what must be done, don''t you?" The figure questioned the man drenched in sweat.

    Ulf stopped momentarily, the look on his face looking more determined than ever.

    "Yes¡­" Ulf responded with a sickening smile creeping up on his face.

    It was unknown who he was talking to but whoever this person was, it was clear that they were responsible for the man that Ulf was slowly bing. A monster was being created

 Chapter 439 Bishop Wilfrid

    439 Bishop Wilfrid

    Hagen was fast at work, repairing the gate he had damaged with the help of the other Vikings.

    Even the Christians were amazed by how proficient he was in this craft, it was like watching a master at work. He fixed what they couldn''t fix but in their defense, they were also guarding against a potential enemy attack.

    Hagen could do so easily because he was the one that was destroyed and hence knew the root of the problem, they didn''t have time because he knew that there would be resistance from beyond the wall so the best thing they could do was fix it.

    This would increase their chances of survival, the bodies that Tyr had left at the shore were seen by the returning party.

    They noticed that Bishop Calvin was missing alongside the massacre that took ce on the other ship so they returned to Northumbria.

    They correctly guessed that the Vikings must have made their way while this might be good news because there was now something that could transport them out of here.

    It was terrible news because it only strengthened the enemy''s army but luckily, Northumbria fell before this.

    Tyr knew that they had to move fast and so did Ragnar, time was the enemy and every second counts hence why Ragnar did what he did.

    He knew that it would force everyone to react swiftly or risk losing him.

    They may be at odds with one another but they knew the implication of losing Ragnar.

    Not that his sons would ever allow it in the first ce but sometimes these things couldn''t be avoided.

    The warriors at the shore saw the state of their dead Bishop, it was surprising that the Christians didn''t offer them a proper burial but instead chose to leave them in that state.

    Even though the warriors on the boat met some Christians looking after the shoreline to make sure that the enemy didn''t have any more surprisesing from the sea.

    This wasn''t the time to mourn but they were taken down from the spikes in which they were mounted and arranged in line.

    The graves had been dug but they were yet to drop the bodies inside.

    "Bishop Calvin!?" A warrior screamed at the top of his lungs, the sorrow in his voice resonating with how Calvin''s men were feeling.

    "The devils did this¡­" A man with a shovel muttered but they didn''t need to be told twice.

    "The devils came from the sea, I don''t know how they managed to take Calvin and get past you but they did," The man with the shovel continued, pushing the me at their ipetence.

    If they had noticed this a lot sooner or Calvin was guarded a lot better, there was no way that they would have survived a battle on the sea with the boats that they came in.

    "Say that again¡­!" The man mourning wanted to confront the one holding the shovel but a man appeared that brought this building conflict to a halt.

    "That is enough¡­" His deep voice echoed and everyone that just arrived looked surprised that this man was present.

    "B-Bishop Wilfrid!" The man who was about to beat the individual with the shovel muttered.

    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say this was the most fearsome warrior Bishop in Northumbria.

    He rarely partook in battles because his strength was never matched on the battlefield, he always yed his enemies with a single hit and this earned him the nickname, The Sword Of The Divine.

    They immediately stopped their bickering and gave the Bishop the respect he deserved.

    "I bring you all bad news but it isn''t just Bishop Calvin that has fallen," Wilfrid began, he didn''t address them as his inferiors but gave them the same respect he would have given anyone else.

    "Northumbria has fallen as well," Wilfrid delivered the news and everyone froze because this shouldn''t be possible with the numbers that they saw.

    Northumbria should have easily gotten rid of them if anything but to say they fell was something that shouldn''t be possible.

    "There is no time to bury the dead, I know they won''t forgive us for putting them to rest when the Kingdom they died to protect has fallen," Wilfrid said, providing an answer as to why he didn''t bury them.

    "We will make a promise to the dead before us, that we will give them a befitting burial once we reim Northumbria," Wilfrid said and this acted as a prep talk, giving the warriors around him a new reason to believe.

    The belief that God was on their side, the belief that this was a test for them to ovee.

    Wilfrid walked up to a horse that had a unique helmet on it, before mounting.

    It was a ck horse that had a fiery look in its eyes but this was the only horse that Wilfrid had ridden ever since he became a Bishop.

    Wilfrid had slicked-back ck hair with a slender body frame, begging the question of how he was able to kill his enemies with one strike, was this an exaggeration by his people or was this truly how strong he was?

    He was small and had a rather average height of 5'' 9, the man was in his early twenties yet already had such a name for himself.

    Everyone believed that if he was in Northumbria when the Vikings took it over, they wouldn''t have seeded.

    Wilfrid looked at the dead onest time before doing the sign of the cross, he knew that they were cut down before their time but he also knew that God''s time was the best.

    There was no fighting against it for God''s will is supreme but this angered Wilfrid.

    The fact that people thought they coulde in here and do as they liked?

    "Tyr¡­" Wilfrid muttered under his breath, he knew the sons of Ragnar were a target but something told him that Tyr was the most troublesome of the sons.

    Wilfrid had decided that Tyr would fall on his sword and no one else.

 Chapter 440 The Awaited Spar!

    440 The Awaited Spar!

    The Vikings enjoyed their victory, they cheered, drank and sang because they knew this might very well be theirst drink.

    Hagen had fixed the gate and this meant it would be difficult for enemies outside to get in without passing through that very gate.

    This might seem like a small victory but it wasn''t, they had taken a Kingdom with a raiding party, and this was the first of its kind.

    It was all possible due to Tyr''s thinking, his extreme strategy bore results even though he knew he was against time.

    They had all the treasures they could carry and Tyr watched as the people watched them with fear in their eyes.

    He was once like them, powerless and scared but he did something about it, Tyr wondered if it always had to be this way.

    Why was fear such an importantponent in conquest, why couldn''t love take its ce?

    There was no answer to this and Tyr knew even he would view those that trampled hisnd with hate yet he was willing to work with vers.

    It was ironic but Tyr knew there was nothing that could be done but to use those at his disposal for his ultimate goal.

    He was alone, away from the Vikings who were celebrating, the Christians wouldn''t try anything funny as long as they had their King.

    Ragnar made sure that nothing would happen to the man because his life was the only thing keeping him tame.

    Tyr felt someone sit beside him, he looked over his shoulder expecting Bjorn but it was Salgard.

    "What do you want?" Tyr asked him, he wasn''t scared of Salgard anymore because he saw that he was off limits now that he was part of the family.

    "I must say, when I heard you were marrying into my family, I was skeptical that you were a warrior worth much," Salgard responded with a cup of ale in hand.

    The wine here tasted a lot different from what they had back home, it was sweet and this made it a lot more enjoyable to gulp not that they wereining about the one back home.

    "I can''t say I thought much about you except that creepy smile of yours," Tyr responded but Salgard didn''t care much for teasing and thus didn''t give him a reaction.

    "Tyr Gardsson, I wish to spar you here and now," Salgard challenged him.

    "And what if I refuse?" Tyr asked but Salgard simply chuckled.

    "You''re like me, your body is whispering to you to pick up your de and strike me down, it is the voice of the strong," Salgard said but this meant that this was only happening because he had only just acknowledged Tyr''s strength.

    Tyr smiled, this would be a good thing to take his mind off things and the day had progressed well into the evening.

    There were people around but they weren''t paying much attention to them but the two Vikings knew this would be a good way to motivate their warriors.

    "Very well then, I ept your challenge," Tyr responded, Salgard knew that Tyr was holding back in their first exchange even though it wouldn''t have made a difference otherwise.

    A Viking noticed them squaring up and began to beat his shield, even the tied enemies couldn''t help their curious gazes.

    They were wondering what was happening and why these barbarians looked so happy to see their fight.

    Before they knew it, they were surrounded but the important figures were not present, neither of their brothers were present alongside Ragnar.

    "Don''t hold back," Tyr said as he unsheathed both of his axes.

    "If I don''t, I might kill you," Tyr responded but this only made Tyr grin, such arrogance.

    Before Sgrd could even process what was happening, Tyr had closed the distance between them.

    "He is fast¡­" Salgardmented that he was a lot faster than when they initially fought.

    However, this speed wasn''t enough, Tyr swung both of his axes with an out-swinging strike to sever his jugr but all Salgard did was duck and proceeded to try and stab Tyr''s midsection with a thrust.

    What made this counterattack so effective was the force that Tyr had used made changing his bodynguage near impossible but near impossible was all Tyr needed to make anything possible.

    Tyr shifted his body to the side, using the momentum of the very swing that was meant to work against him while simultaneously attempting a kick right into Salgard''s face but Salgard brought the hilt of his sword to his face to block the kick.

    But then a descending shadow from above him told him that Tyr had no intention of letting him catch his breath.

    Tyr''s axe wasing down like a guillotine but Salgard managed to roll out of the way,ing to a halt by digging his sword into the ground,

    There was something different about Tyr, Tyr was attacking Salgard with the intent to kill and this meant that for Salgard to survive, he didn''t have the luxury of holding back.

    He loved this feeling, the feeling of someone making him think in battle, the feeling of blocking and counter-attacking his strikes. This was what made fighting worth it and that was the possibility of death.

    "Running away?" Tyr teased but Salgard chuckled at this taunt; Tyr noticed the energy shift around him, he didn''t know that Salgard possessed such strong killing intent and it was all directed at him.

    "What is this feeling¡­" Tyr thought to himself, uneasy but this only triggered his primal instincts.

    Salgard charged at Tyr, dragging his sword along the ground but this was to make Tyr focus his attention on the ground and expect an attack from below.

    This strategy worked but this was a dummy move because the attack he was waiting for never came and out of Salgard''s sleeve came a dagger that was thrown at the Viking.

    This was where Tyr''s training came in handy, without even seeing the attack, Tyr dodged it.

    This surprised everyone watching, including the enemies that were watching this battle.

    Tyr''s eyes shifted to Salgard but Salgard expected it, the dagger was the dummy.

    Salgard swung his sword upward to slice Tyr into half from below.

    There was no way he would be fast enough to block this attack but Tyr had no intention of blocking it.

    He kicked the blunt side of the sword, drastically changing its trajectory in the process, this made Salgard not only miss his target but his body was thrown off bnce.

    And there it was, the first hit of the spar as Tyr mmed the hilt of his axe right into Salgard''s face.

    Everywhere fell silent and at that moment, Tyr knew that this was no longer a spar just from the look in Salgard''s eyes.

    "There he is¡­" Tyr said with a smirk.

    "There is the monster I wish to y," Tyr was ready for the battle that was about to begin.

 Chapter 441 The Scheme Of The Devil

    441 The Scheme Of The Devil

    Tyr managed tond the first hit but something told him he would regret this.

    There was a statement that Salgard''s brother had said to Bjorn and it had something to do with blood but was he ever talking about the blood of his enemies?

    The moment Salgard saw the blood dripping down his nose, the smile on his face disappeared.

    Tyr braced himself for what was toe because he was about to get what he wished for, he was about to see Salgard''s true strength.

    Salgard charged at Tyr but this movement was unorthodox, Tyr couldn''t predict this pattern.

    He fought a lot of warriors but never have they moved like this, Tyr has to take a couple of steps back so he can better react to the threat before him.

    The moment Salgard was close enough, he jumped high into the air but this was a strange move considering that he would be left vulnerable to counterattacks from below.

    Tyr nned to exploit this but what he saw next was Salgard tossing his sword like a javelin right at him, all Tyr did was step back, it was an easy attack to evade which told him that this wasn''t the attack and he was right.

    Salgard bnced on the hilt of his sword rather gracefully, and this made Tyr''s swing miss as it was aimed for the moment hended.

    However, Tyr did manage to hit the sword which threw Salgard off bnce but this little mishap didn''t matter because Salgardnded a spinning kick right into Tyr''s face.

    Everyone was in awe, the Christian warriors were beginning to understand why they lost the fight.

    These people were monsters and there was nothing they could do to stop them.

    Tyr showed excellent resilience, this was a man who had taken the blow of Gissur directly to his body and survived, this was nothingpared to that monster even though Salgard was stronger than him overall in terms of skills.

    Salgard could hear him chuckle behind the impact and Tyr grabbed his ankle and mmed him into the ground.

    Salgard was wondering if he hadn''t taken any damage but the nosebleed he suffered gave him his answer.

    "That''s enough," Grj?tgard intercepted the battle with Ragnar and Bjorn appearing at the venue as well.

    Grj?tgard was relieved that he came when he did because something told him that his brother was the one in danger.

    Tyr''s origin was unknown but Grj?tgard was beginning to understand that wherever he came from.

    He was just an ordinary boy, he had experience that couldn''t be taught.

    -

    Vingulmark had amassed their army, they couldn''t believe that they could develop this fast in such a short amount of time.

    King Signy was monitoring what was going on around him and this included the raid that they had set on.

    He knew which Kingdom was vulnerable and which wasn''t.

    Right now, Vestfold was the most vulnerable and Signy knew that he could do infallible damage to Ragnar should he take his wife''s life.

    However, Vestfold''s Vikings were now loyal to the Lothbroks.

    This threw a major wrench into Signy''s n even though he knew that there would be others that were still loyal to him.

    He could no longer take Vestfold without shedding blood and what would his people think when they saw the King that abandoned them kill his own?

    This made Signy cautious, he needed a way to get Lagertha but it was looking like an impossible task.

    "My dear nephew," Birger entered Signy''s pce and he noticed the men protecting Signy tensed up.

    This was a good reaction as no one knew why he had returned home after abandoning his brother for Xenophanes.

    "Birger, what do you want?" Signy addressed him as he would do amon man because, in his eyes, Birger wasn''t a man to be trusted.

    He was only here because he wanted something even though he hasn''t yet made it known.

    "I havee to you with the solution to your dilemma," Birger proposed.

    "My dilemma?" Signy questioned, he hasn''t told anyone about his n to topple Vestfold and kill Lagertha.

    "Can we speak privately or are you frightened of me?" Birger requested, his demeanour changing.

    There was a hint of malice in his voice but Signy knew how uncle wouldn''t be that stupid as to harm him.

    Signy gestured for his guards to leave them be.

    And they did just that but they red at Birger on their way out.

    "I''m impressed that you managed to gain their loyalty even after usurping their Earl," Birgermended his nephew''s efforts.

    "Speak Birger and you will address me as a King," Signymanded, trying to exercise the authority he possessed but Birger didn''t like this one bit.

    "Signy, do not push your luck. You only sit there because I have no interest in the crown¡­" Birger was right as he could easily challenge Signy to a death duel and im everything just like Askild did Kattegat.

    "I know you wish to kill Ragnar''s wife but do you want to turn his wrath against us?" Birger said.

    Signy gritted his teeth in anger but Birger was experienced and had seen the scouts he sent out.

    They always came from one direction and that was the direction of Vestfold.

    "Are you scared?" Signy mocked his uncle.

    "Of Ragnar? One would need to be a fool not to fear a man that bested Erik The Berserker with his bare hands, a man that even Askild fears, a man that took everything you held dear and made them his. And you will be wise to fear him too." Birger spoke about Ragnar with such high regard because he had no problem with Ragnar personally.

    "But the thing with such great men is that their enemies can be found all over the ce. How about you leave this to me, nephew?" Birger requested.

    Signy didn''t want to get him involved as Birger has proved to be quite the slippery urchin, escaping death like he was in bed with it but he was a genius.

    A man who would do whatever it takes to seed.

    Why did Signy kill Lagertha and turn Ragnar''s wrath on themselves when they could use another?

    "Birger, what have you done?" Signy asked.

    Birger smirked menacingly, the look in his eyes told Signy all he needed to know.

    Birger had already taken the necessary steps to kill Lagertha.

    -

    Lagertha was resting in her room, she was a pregnant woman so fatigue was a natural part of her routine.

    But beside her, stood a figure clutching a knife.

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