Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 255: CCLV. Looking Inside

"Here, in less than half an hour, all Skjegg will be in the square and we will make our announcement" Sander said, sitting on one of the temple's stone steps, waiting.

The old shaman, after playing the horn, approached the visitors of the ruins again, looking closely at Dag and the other unknown warriors.

"You are the boy with the huge dark arms... welcome to the house of this humble Odin's servant..." Sivert said with his mocking voice, attracting the attention of Dag, who as soon as he turned, noticed his weird smile, his mouth devoid of most teeth.

"How does he know that?" asked Karl, who had heard everything.

"Yes, it's me. It's nice to meet you, Sivert. I don't think I saw you with us on Vaeren Island... how do you know these details? Did anyone tell you?" asked Dag, continuing to look at the old man and his strange feathered headgear, which on its top gave a glimpse of his bald head.

At that question, Kjell and Ellen began to giggle, whispering something to each other and sitting next to Sander, as the first citizens entered the Altar of the Raven Square.

"My body wasn't there, my boy, it's true... the Alfather allows me to see only a few things, sometimes partially, sometimes entirely, depending on his will... I am allowed to know what is happening to my people and my brave warriors in order to protect them and warn them of imminent dangers. But there's something strange about you, young Dag... I can't look inside the outer container of your body, something blocks my eyes from peering deep..." continued the shaman, approaching with his face towards that of Dag.

His breath smelled of sewer, so much so that Dag could not stand still in his position and stepped back.

"Look inside? I remember that even in Jernhest I met a shaman... but he didn't speak so cryptically and enigmatically!" chuckled Karl, trying to make fun of the old man, who as soon as he turned his gaze towards him, made him shudder.

"I can see better the inside of the outside, small, naive Karl" replied Sivert, who placed his hand in front of his right eye and stuck his two pointed nails around it, detaching it from his orbits and revealing that it was not attached to his head.

Keeping his eye between two fingers, he approached it to Karl's face, which failed to hold back a scream and turned backward, disgusted, provoking the laughter of Sander, Kjell, and Ellen, who knew all Sivert's 'singularities'.

"What a disgusting thing!" yelled Karl, with one hand in front of his mouth to hold back the vomit.

As the shaman put his eye back in its place, Dag continued to look suspiciously at him, trying to interpret those words.

"And what do you see?" he asked.

"Uhm?" 

The old Sivert didn't immediately understand that question.

"What do you see when you try to look inside me?" asked Dag again, drawing the attention of Sander and the other two Masters, who believed that Sivert was just an old fool and didn't care about his meaningless words.

"There is earth within you... but also air. I can feel the fire, but also the water. Darkness and light in the same room but your intentions... your fears... your most secret perversions... I can't see them" the shaman replied, squinting and continuing to look at Dag's purple eye, never looking away.

After those words, Dag felt a chill run behind his back, while his companions thought that old fool was just saying meaningless things.

He made no answer, and Sivert continued to look him in the eye until his gaze became unsettling and Sander's voice broke the silence.

"The square is almost full... I think we can start. I'm going to start talking, and then, whichever of you want to, can speak before Dag and Ellen's fight... do you agree?" 

Dag turned to him, positioning himself next to the other Masters and his sister Gridd and staying on the front line near the stone steps, in front of the altar, while Karl, Reidar, and Freydis were just behind them.

A large crowd of people stopped inside the square, arranging themselves neatly along with the stands that lined the walls as if they were used to that kind of call and knew perfectly the procedure to witness communications from their leaders.

After a few more minutes, everyone stopped talking, creating an incredible silence, given that large number of people. 

A small group of 3 Crows Of Odin warriors made their way in, carrying a rack and a large cloth sack, which probably contained training weapons.

Sander stood up and began to speak, taking a step ahead of everyone else.

"People of Skjegg! Under the eyes of the wise Odin, today we celebrate the victory against the Horns Of Heimdallr!"

The silence, which lasted only a few minutes, ceased and all the people sitting in the stands began to scream madly, raising their fists towards Sander and cheering their beloved warriors. 

He raised his hand to them and again swooped on the silence, which left Dag and Gridd astonished, who had never witnessed such a demonstration of obedience: the citizens of Skjegg looked and obeyed Sander almost as if he was a God.

"For those of you who did not know, some time ago, some of our warriors left for Vaeren Island, to carry out a diplomatic mission on behalf of the Clan. None of them returned, and almost all of them were killed, triggering our decision to declare war on the disciples of Heimdallr... none, except two girls, one of whom is here today. Step forward, Freydis" Sander continued, turning his gaze to Freydis, who, astonished, stood next to him, smiling at the crowd, who watched her happy with her return.

"Our hopes of finding her had vanished, until a young Master came from the north, after discovering that this girl, also his woman, could still be alive, left for the island just he and his team, without anyone's help".

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