"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 slaughtered everyone in the village and burned it to the ground, Erik personally killed the lady that had submitted her body to him.
"Why!?" Tyr asked and Oskar took his time to explain 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 similar 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 their land, took one of their own, and executed him. We are the villains in this story, Tyr." Oskar clarified as Tyr had a misplaced 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 play 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 warrior compared 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 place on the battlefield…" Birger said, pointing his sword at Asmund as everyone began to murmur.
"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 declaring 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 slaughtered.
"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 escalate.
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.
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