Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 253: CCLIII. Setting Up The Challenge

He immediately remembered his fight against Kenneth, the warrior capable of turning his body into a rock: he thought of their battle and the trap that his parents had tended to him and his companions in order to warn their son.

"Of course! His parents! They were not human beings, but Xis! But... I don't understand... why would they want me to earn an emblem? What was their purpose?!" Dag kept on thinking, putting the bronze eye back in place and calming his ardent spirit eager to conquer the highest peaks.

"Well! By the looks of it, I understand that you agree to join the Iron Alliance and that Master Ellen will challenge the current Warchief!" exclaimed Gridd, trying to change the discourse and return to the real reason that drove them there.

Ellen confirmed with a nod and Sander, after finishing yet another glass of mead, rose from the chair that had now taken the shape of his backside and approached the shelves on the wall next to the window, taking a metal stamp and a candle.

"Well, I see you've already guessed how it works! The official seal of your Clan and your signatures go here, next to these others..." she continued, approaching Sander and explaining to him and the other two where they should write their names.

Dag, meanwhile approached the window, still nervous about what had happened.

Despite completing the Crows Of Odin deal and saving Freydis, he was still not fully satisfied.

His ambitions were much broader and finding that he could not face Kjell for a while still destabilized him.

"If I had been able to access every rank with this emblem, I could have already challenged the King himself, rising from the eighth position to the first in one fell swoop. I recognize that this makes no sense, I was stupid, I spoke without reflection, blinded by the thirst for power!" he thought, watching the people crowding the streets of the city at the foot of the Rocky Crown out of the window.

"Hey, Dag! You did it, my Masters agreed to join you! Why that sad face?" asked Freydis, approaching him from behind and stroking his hand.

He turned to her, escaping his mind and returning to reality and answered with a smile, shaking his head.

"Now that we are officially allies, you will have to help us with the Jotunn issue. Don't tell anybody about the attacks in the south, the citizens of Skjegg would panic. We understood that the number doesn't count against such strong enemies, who individually manage to decimate entire Allied troops. All we need is incredibly skilled warriors with unique abilities, like you and your teammates" Sander said, turning to Dag and Gridd after signing the contract.

"We will help you, Master Sander, you have our word of honor. If necessary, we will call the other Masters of our Clans and the enemies will be permanently removed. How is the current situation?" asked Gridd, confirming their involvement in the issue and trying to better understand the overall situation.

"Three fishing villages have been completely razed to the ground. Their warehouses supplies stolen and their inhabitants killed and mauled, without any distinction. Supposedly, these lousy beings prefer women and children, perhaps for their tender flesh" Kjell replied, looking down with a genuinely sorry air, thinking back to the victims of those brutal attacks he had witnessed personally.

Gridd swallowed empty, horrified by those words.

When Ellen had also signed the parchment, Sander lit the candle and poured dark grey wax on it, pressing the stamp and imprinting the official symbol of the Crows Of Odin, the back of a crow with open wings, with Gungnir between its claws, the spear of the Alfather.

With the air satisfied, Gridd wrapped the parchment and tied it with a snare, putting it back in her bag.

"Well, now that the agreement has been signed... how do we want to proceed? What kind of fight will decree the winner of the 'Warchief' title?" Ellen asked, eager to take on Dag, who didn't break away from Freydis for a moment.

"When the Hammers Of Thor and Sons Of Freya allied, an official announcement was made in the city's main square, which was followed by combat, with not edgy weapons" explained Gridd, who unexpectedly had excellent explanatory skills.

"That is it? What does it consist of? If the weapons are fake, no one can really get hurt. How will we figure out who will win?" Ellen continued, looking at her opponent from head to toe, as Kjell and Sander also watched the scene.

"The first of you two whose back will touch the ground will have lost the challenge" Gridd replied, as Ellen nodded her head, approving of the combat modes. 

"Then, if you too agree, it is better to take advantage of the euphoria after the war to declare our alliance to the people of Skjegg. We will bring down our training weapons and carry out the fight immediately after we present you to the citizens" Sander said, walking slowly toward the stairs leading downstairs, circling the bloody head of the Jotunn.

Gridd, Reidar, and Karl turned to Dag, waiting for his approval.

"Yes, that's fine with me" he said.

Ellen, after her words, clenched her fists upwards, letting her enthusiasm shine through, sure of bringing home the victory.

The five friends and the three Masters of the Crows Of Odin made their way to the elevators, walking the road above the Rocky Crown, as the Sun began to shine radiantly in the sky.

During the walk to the city's main square, located shortly after its main entrance, Dag continued to chat with Freydis and his other teammates.

"Don't be fooled by its title of Master Of Healing, Dag. Ellen is a strong Shieldmaiden, she was my first mentor when I got here, that's why she's so fond of me. Actually, I think she's a very feminist woman, she thinks men are slightly inferior to us women for a variety of reasons..." Freydis said, trying to help Dag get the full picture of the situation.

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