Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 472: CDLXXII. The Ruler Clan

"Look what's next to it. Do you see this kind of cave?" 

"Yes, it's a few miles from your outpost in the far southwest. What is it?" 

"It's one of the many bases of the Claws Of Fenrir, here's the reason why our camp is right there so that we can attack them incessantly in the event of war" Gunnar interrupted, anticipating Kranus's explanation, who looked at him with his piercing eyes, not content with his intervention.

The Master of Arms of the Clan looked down, realizing that he no longer had to interfere in the discourse between his commander and Dag, who as soon as he heard that news, thought of the cave that he and his men had been forced to overcome to reach Fort Hvit.

On the map, in addition to these minor details, there were some points of interest that it was impossible not to notice, namely two large cities to the west and a huge mountain chain that stood right in the center of the island.

"And these cities? Who lives there?" Dag asked, pointing to both of them.

"Dolken, the one in the far north, was the capital of Krypstorm, as well as its largest city. This was when all the Clans of the nation were united under one council, led by the grandfather of your current king, Alfang." 

Dag looked at Kranus, astonished that in addition to knowing King Einar, he was also informed about his genealogy, going back two generations.

"And what is this castle? Forgive me, but I can't read the name, I don't understand your alphabet" Dag asked again, apologizing.

"That's Hoffnarr Castle, the headquarters of Lies Of Loki, the Clan that took over the city after the Great War that made Krypstorm what it is today." 

"The Lies Of Loki..." 

After quietly repeating that name, Dag's mind traced him back to that fateful moment, during which his adoptive father, Stein, had been brutally killed by one of the warriors of that cursed Clan, who as his sole goal had to steal Brann's axe. 

A moment later, the young Master laid his hands on the table and stepped back, staring into the void and looking more astonished than before.

"Dag! What's going on? Are you ok?!" Freydis asked, who immediately touched his face, trying to figure out if his faltering body was the cause of some physical illness due to the intense cold to which he had been subjected during the last hours.

"The Lies Of Loki... many years ago, before I chose to join Hammers Of Thor... some of them attacked my farm on the outskirts of Jernhest to seize the Crystal of Fire!" he exclaimed, leaving Kranus and his Masters open-mouthed.

"All this is impossible, it doesn't make sense!" Kranus replied in a stern tone of voice, refusing to believe Dag's words.

"Really, I'm not lying! I just remembered this detail! After the death of its first owner, Brann, the Crystal of Fire was jealously guarded by my mother, Asa. Before I went back to Jernhest to get the axe and take it to Weland, someone had already tried to steal it! The same man, before he died, killed my father. I will never forget that day..." Dag continued, who was forced to sit down, perceiving his weak legs, because of the strong emotions he was experiencing at the time.

"How can they know the prophecy, if the only book that mentions it is in my hands?" Kranus asked, hoping that Dag would know the answer to that dilemma. 

"It's obviously not the only book... or there must be another way... after that episode, Lies Of Loki stopped attacking the farm. Also, when they arrived, they didn't even show up with the name of their Clan..." Dag said, beginning to reason.

"Do you think it was something only a few of them knew?" the ice mage replied.

"It's possible. Or those who knew it had tried to tell someone else, but they just weren't believed. Otherwise, why were there only three of them? Lies Of Loki are masters of deception and disguise, if they wanted to, they could have attacked us in many! Instead, there were three, two of whom were mediocre warriors. If we are lucky, their 'secret' died with them." 

"Are you sure none of them have returned to Krypstorm?" Kranus said, trying to get as much information as possible.

"Of course. I saw their bodies with my own eyes, I remember that day as if it was yesterday" Dag replied, without thinking twice.

"Umpff... the Lies Of Loki are now watching over the city of Dolken and in addition to it, they have also taken over Klorr, another big city just to the south, which was once the headquarters of the Claws Of Fenrir" the magician continued, pointing to the last major city on the map.

Dag continued to watch carefully, and after only a few seconds, he realized that the God Loki warrior's Clan was probably Okstorm's most powerful and was the only one who 'owned' two cities.

Clutching his fists, he tried to hold back the hatred he felt for those men but never forgetting the promise he made to Gridd when they were children, intent on respecting it, only with a small modification: after traveling back in time and seeing with his own eyes what kind of person Brann was, he would only avenge the name of his father, Stein, who bravely sacrificed his life for that of his wife and children.

Trying not to lose focus, his gaze fell on the large circular mountain range in the center of the map, which looked like a huge ring, opened only to one side.

"Randt's Massif. It's so weird that mountains grew in this shape next to each other... there had to be a volcano here, or maybe a glacier" Dag said, who without doing so on purpose began to lay out his idea on the geology of that place.

"Historians say that there was the largest glacier in Skjold, that's right... how did you know?" the mage asked, who was astonished despite his great culture.