Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 474: CDLXXIV. The Help Request

"Diplomatic missions can be successful, but they can also fail. In case the Claws Of Fenrir will be not interested in a truce and decide to attack you, there will be so many warriors waiting for them and they will be forced to retreat. Having their forces decentralized and believing that your men are scattered among the various Outposts, they will never expect to be outnumbered... their defeat will be inevitable" Dag explained.

"Mmmh... I've never done diplomatic missions before and I don't think any of my men can do that. Besides, recalling to Tungvek the warriors who years ago left to defend the Outposts, will involve a reset of the army, it will be necessary to find a new configuration to be able to maximize the efficiency of the soldiers..." Kranus thought aloud, who was going to seriously consider the idea.

"I can help you with this. If you trust me, thanks to your knowledge of Krypstorm and the weaknesses of the enemy Clans, we will make your men invincible. Your generals are very attentive and prepared, but... Wrage, no offense... your men should be trained differently" Dag said again, speaking for the first time with the Shield Master, who until then had remained silent to listen politely, like Freydis.

"What do you think, Wrage? Dag argues that your Jotunns warriors are not strong enough to allow us to expand our borders" Kranus said, allowing his underling to speak and respond to the young Master's perplexity.

"What makes you think such a thing, Master Dag?" he asked, ready to answer in favor of his men.

"I faced them, not so long ago. I fought them one vs one, troop against troop... even outnumbered, that is, me against dozens and dozens of Jotunns warriors. Their techniques, based mainly on brute force, were clumsy and predictable. In just under a week, my colleagues and I trained our soldiers to fight against yours and they defeated them without any problems, in fact, our losses were minimal" Dag replied, without fear of provoking a reaction from Wrage, who seemed much quieter than his friend, who knows where outside the room door.

"I deal with defense techniques. We teach our warriors what the Masters of the past have handed down to us, without whom, our Clan would not be so important and powerful" Wrage continued, as if he wanted to justify himself to Kranus, but without blatantly contradicting Dag's words. 

"I know that maintaining traditions is very important, but... believe me, your warriors need something new. Even the wizards were predictable: their spells weren't very advanced, and there were too few of them to reinforce the soldiers on the front lines. You should have trained curators or at least wizards who could buff your warriors with protective shields or barriers, thus preventing them from falling like leaves under the incessant hits of our arrows. I know that the transformation into Jotunns multiplies their physical strength, but I am the clear proof that all that force if it is not channeled in a specific direction, is quite well, useless" Dag continued, looking for a moment at Freydis and noting that the girl had a calm expression as she listened with interest to his words, learning how to behave.

"And what do you think we should teach our warriors? They just have to be ready to fight the threats that loom over Tungvek, like the wolves of the Claws Of Fenrir, for example. The way is not important, what matters is to win every battle! Perhaps the warriors you managed to beat were simply tired of the journey, having topped the waves for a week without ever walking on land!" 

"Wrage. I really want to give you the reason, but I can't. Before allowing Dag and his men to have an audience with me in Tungvek, he by himself killed my bodyguards, who were two of the strongest warriors in our entire army. He defeated them with such ease, that I pitied for them, so much so that I did not regret their death either. If young Dag says that our warriors are not able to win this war for good, there must be a reason" Kranus interrupted, who after listening to the opinion of his Shield Master and realizing that he had no intention of admitting his mistakes, again took control of the conversation. 

The indifferent expression on Wrage's face turned into a slight disgruntled grimace, unable to digest the words of his superior. 

"Commander Kranus..." he said, having been in total silence for more than twenty seconds. 

"Yes? What is it?" 

Wrage stood up, looking at Dag and took a long breath.

Dag looked back, but with a confused air, not understanding what the huge man had in mind.

The Shield Master bowed to him, put his hands on the table, and closed his eyes, saying: "Master Dag, it would be a real pleasure to know your fighting tactics! Please stay here in Tungvek and teach our men how to win the war they've been fighting for years! If necessary, I will offer you accommodation at my house, but please accept the proposal!"

When Wrage exclaimed those words, Kranus looked at him in amazement, not believing his ears and not knowing how to intervene, dismayed by his proposal.

Dag did the same, but after a few seconds, he smiled and turned to Kranus, as if with his eyes he was asking permission to help them.

"It's a very unusual request, Wrage! I don't know how you came up with that. Dag said the Fort that housed him and his men got lost and asked me for asylum here. It's okay for me, now we have to hear what his answer is" Kranus replied, again passing the word to Dag, who in such a short time had passed from enemy to precious ally.

"Hahah! I never expected a request like that, but I really appreciate honest people like you, Wrage. So... I'll help you. But... to my own terms."