Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 386: CCCLXXXVI. The Harshness

Dag's words were a clear reference to Kjell's mistake, who exchanged glances with some of the soldiers, who looked at him out of the corner of their eyes, trying not to be noticed.

"And to protect you, I need you to adapt to my rules, to follow my orders. Only in this way will you make my life easy and the exploratory mission to the North of Krypstorm can continue. The two surviving warriors of the Crows Of Odin... Step forward!" he yelled again, looking around and trying to locate them.

A young man and a Shieldmaiden in her thirties came forward, passing the front rows and stopping in front of their Warchief.

"Do you want to make the deaths of your comrades vane?!" he replied, still in a stern tone, similar to the one he had used earlier with Kjell.

"No, sir..." both of them answered, with a thread of voice and their eyes turned downwards.

"Well. Because I'm sick of seeing my men die before my eyes... you are warriors of Okstorm and you have been trained in the greatest Clans of Skjold! Your life is worth much more than you may think, you must never forget it! Your companions did not die in vain, but because they believed in something, they believed it all the way! What about you?! What do you think?!" Dag yelled again, slightly struggling to breathe as he raised his voice because of the wounds on his hips.

"In the Iron Alliance, sir!" 

"Our new alliance..." 

"The Iron Alliance..." 

In addition to Shieldmaiden in front of him, other warriors also muttered an answer, including Terje, always ready to express his allegiance to his commander.

I didn't understand! What the fuck do you believe?!" 

"In the Iron Alliance, sir!" all the warriors in the building shouted in unison, looking up proudly and fearlessly.

"And then fight for it to the death! We will find the wolves that managed to escape and hang them with their own guts! Giants Of Ymir, Claws Of Fenrir... Every Clan who will set out on our way will be swept away and will experience the fury of Okstorm's mighty warriors!" Dag continued, raising his arm with fewer wounds upwards and moving his purple eye among the soldiers in front of him, who after his speech had regained courage, as usual.

Amid the general screams of the crowd, the warriors began to argue with each other and to cheer the name of Dag, who, in light of recent events, had earned their trust and knew that from that moment on, all the remaining warriors would obey his orders first.

"I am glad that my men will carry out your orders, brother. For me, it's like a dream come true. You'll see, Master Sander will recover and all together we will start traveling north again" Gridd said, smiling.

"How many supplies do we have left?" 

"Not many. I think that's enough for another three, maybe four days. Then we'll need to refuel again, hoping the temperatures outside will be better than when we arrived."

Dag nodded, realizing that he had to get back in his strength as soon as possible, and when he headed to his room to rest, Master Egill left Sander's room, with an expression that promised nothing good.

The Master Of Healing followed Dag into the room and after entering with him, he closed the door.

"How come you used that tone of voice with Kjell before? Don't get me wrong, that man really needed a lesson, hearing you talk like lifted my spirits, but... I didn't know this side of your character. What happened?" 

"I didn't know it either, Egill. During the last phase of Memory Of Mjllnir, Magni's spirit again appeared before me, to give me the courage necessary for me to be able to lift his hammer and recall the energy of the Asgardian Thunder. He told me that I had to stop thinking only of others and I had to use my power for myself as well. From those words, I understood what he was referring to. Thanks to your consent, I firstly became Master and then Warchief, but I do not stop acting like an irresponsible kid, who always needs the help of others." 

"Did Magni tell you that?" 

"Yes. I too was astonished by his words, but it was his spirit that was speaking. It's time for me to make some strong decisions. From today I will no longer be conditioned by anyone, I will only follow my instincts and I will trust only those who have always been close to me, like you and my sister Gridd" Dag replied, in a strong and determined tone.

"If we are here now, in these unexplored lands, it is only because of your resoluteness, Dag. You've managed alone to convince the Clans' strongest warriors to come together and embark on such a risky journey. Believe me, for an old Master like me, it's an honor to follow your orders. I still remember when you arrived at Temple Of Orn, with your face disoriented, trying to mask the worry with a harsh expression, with which you looked at your companions! Hahah!" Egill chuckled, looking at the ceiling.

Ironically, the two of them retraced the moments when Dag began studying the scrolls of the Temple library, always paying close attention to the teachings of his Masters.

Before discovering his dark powers, he had never stood out for his combat skills. 

Dag was a good warrior, but wherever he went, there was always someone stronger than him.

According to Master Egill, his true virtue had always been his strong determination: despite having ended up with his back to the ground hundreds of times, the blond-haired little earthling always got up, starting to fight with his head held high again, even though he knew he had little hope. 

"Who would have thought that in a few months you would be able to master such great and unknown dark powers and defeat the King of the Renegades, a God, and other powerful warriors, Emblems' holders?"