Naruto: Viking Demi-God (CH 7)

A/N: This story is rated M for mature content not suitable for children.

This chapter was commissioned.

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Chapter 7: Life and Death

Eastern England

Ragnar observed his men as they established a makeshift camp following their clash with some warriors, during which they had taken Aethelwulf, the brother of King Aelle, captive.

They had arrived at England and Aethelwulf and his men had seen them but instead of attacking they watched and waited underestimated them which led to there down fall.

It was comical how Aethelwulf was defeated, he was praying in his tent while the Vikings attack the basic, he set up near the savages base to keep an eye on them.

"What are we going to do with him?" Rollo inquired, glancing at the captured knight, who remained silent and composed. The Viking pondered how long that calm demeanor would hold up once they started torturing him.

"We ought to offer him up to the gods," Froki proposed, his laughter echoing with madness as he gazed at the captured man, his eyes filled with a twisted mix of excitement and hunger for blood. "He would make a perfect sacrifice for the flames."

Ragnar glanced at his friend and brother, then turned to the other Viking warriors who were chanting about sacrificing the Christian. He realized that they were not considering the potential advantages of having a king's brother as a hostage.

"That's enough, we will not offer him up," Ragnar declared, silencing the crowd. "Instead, we will negotiate his release with his brother. This is a valuable chance, and I refuse to let it slip away."

Aethelwulf addressed the Vikings for the first time, saying, "If you believe my brother will fulfill your desires, you're mistaken. He prioritizes his role as king over our bond as brothers; he would leave me behind to protect the kingdom. So you might as well end my life right now."

"I beg to differ. No matter if your brother is king or not, he is still your brother, and I am sure he will want to keep you alive," Ragnar stated to Aethelwulf, whose hands were tied behind his back and legs tied together.

The Royal Villa Of King Aelle

Ragnar and his companions journeyed to King Aelle's villa, mounted on horseback, with their hands bound to prevent any chance of escape.

Ragnar and his crew approached the fortress with smug grins, revealing to Aelle that his brother was still alive, but they remained silent and made no move to attack.

A soldier emerged from the gate and conveyed the king's message: "King Aelle has requested your presence for a discussion regarding the safe return of his brother."

Ragnar and his crew remained silent despite the soldier's repeated attempts to engage them. Instead, they gazed up at the Villa walls, where King Aelle observed them with a smirk. Afterward, they turned and walked away, leaving everyone else in a state of confusion.

Days later, Ragnar decided to accept an invitation to the villa of Aelle, bringing his men along as guests. In his own Viking style, he expressed a desire to witness the king's way of life.

At the villa, Ragnar and his men found entertainment in watching the Christians as they prayed and sang before their meal. Meanwhile, King Aelle grew more and more furious, but Ragnar remained unconcerned.

King Aelle frowned as he inquired, "What must happen for you to set my brother free and depart from my territory?" He was reluctant to engage in discussions with these barbarians, but his brother's fate rested in their hands.

Ragnar chose to disregard his question and instead posed one of his own while glancing at a man next to the king, who was clad in white robes and adorned with a cross necklace.

"Is that man next to you a priest?" Ragnar inquired, skillfully sidestepping Aelle's question. The king appeared irritated but refrained from reacting aggressively.

"He is a man of God, though I don't expect you and your kind to understand that," King Aelle snarled, wishing he could command his soldiers to behead these barbarians.

"I had my own holy man," Ragnar said with a smile. "I caught him after setting fire to what I believe you refer to as a church."

Ragnar's remarks caused the Christians present to stiffen, their faces contorted in anger and shock at his words. Their outrage was palpable, and it took King Aelle's intervention to calm them down enough to continue the discussions.

"That's enough!" Aelle shouted in exasperation, tired of the Vikings' behavior. If they didn't answer him, he was prepared for a fight. "What will it take for you to leave my territory and ensure my brother's safe return?"

Ragnar remained silent initially, simply gazing at the king and surveying the wealth surrounding him, as if absorbing the opulence. "I want my weight in gold, or even better, just load a wagon full of it, and then we will do what you desire," he said with a sly grin, causing his men to chuckle.

King Aelle's troops were on the brink of launching an attack due to the Vikings' outrageous demands for money, which could devastate their town. As tensions escalated, the Vikings stood up, poised for combat. However, Aelle signaled for his soldiers to remain calm and stay in formation.

“I’ll provide you with what you desire, but you must free my brother first,” King Aelle insisted, making it clear that he wouldn’t allow his brother to remain in the vikings’ custody any longer than necessary.

"I don't think that will work; he is our insurance after all," Ragnar stated with a smile. He knew that the moment Aelle gets his brother, he would not hold up the end of the bargain.

Aelle expressed her skepticism towards the Vikings, saying, "How can I be sure that you'll bring my brother back instead of killing him once you have the gold?"

Ragnar glanced at Aelle and said, "How can I be sure you won't turn on us once you've rescued your brother? We can't predict how the others will behave, but you possess something I desire, and I have something you want, which puts us in a difficult situation."

"Your Majesty, if I may interject," the priest standing next to King Aelle said, prompting the king to signal for him to go on. "We cannot rely on what pagans say, but if one of them were to be baptized and embrace Christianity, then we could place our trust in them."

The Vikings were visibly horrified at the thought of pretending to be Christian, but Rollo surprised everyone by stepping forward to volunteer. Ragnar was taken aback by this decision, while Froki glared at Rollo with a mix of anger and disgust, yet chose to remain silent.

Fast Forward

A week had gone by since Ragnar's meeting with King Aelle, during which they reached an understanding. In return for vacating the land and returning the king's brother, the Vikings would receive a wagon loaded with gold.

"Charge!" shouted an English soldier as he and a small troop launched an assault on the Vikings. Unfortunately, his bravado was greater than his strength, as he was struck in the head by an axe just moments later.

King Aelle made the choice not to pay the Vikings. Instead, he devised a cunning plan by placing a wagon filled with empty crates in a clearing. When the Vikings approached to investigate, his army launched an attack with the aim of wiping out the invaders.

"Die!" a Viking shouted with enthusiasm as he plunged his weapon into an English soldier. Unfortunately for King Aelle, he had misjudged his adversary, believing them to be foolish. This grave error would cost him dearly, as it would ultimately lead to his brother's demise.

Once the Vikings gained the upper hand against their assailants, Ragnar swiftly killed King Aelle's brother, tied the corpse to a horse and sending it to Aelle's villa as a grim demonstration of the consequences of his actions.

"Those cursed Viking scum! I swear to God, I will put an end to them, and Ragnar will take his last breath at my hands," King Aelle bitterly cursed as he observed the Viking ship leaving his land after he had paid them to avoid further bloodshed.

The Vikings may have triumphed in the battle, but the conflict was far from concluded. By taking the life of King Aelle's brother and humiliating him with the defeat of his forces, they had created a lasting enemy. King Aelle would not overlook or pardon their actions as long as he lived.

Kattegat

Naruto let out a sigh as he fulfilled his responsibilities as the new Earl, which primarily involved listening to people complain about their issues, whether it was someone’s spouse being unfaithful or a dispute over a stolen goat.

"I understand why Earl Haraldson was so eager for death; this is unbearable," Naruto lamented in exasperation next to his companions Thyri and Siggy, who seemed perfectly suited for their roles as Queens, while he would much prefer to be back in his blacksmith shop crafting weapons.

Naruto, fed up with the constant complaints, stood up and interrupted the man who was going on about his neighbor stealing a goat. "I can’t handle this right now, so Thyri will make the decision for me. Take her words as if they were my own."

Once Naruto finished speaking, he walked away without listening to Thyri or the man's complaints. He headed towards his smithy, but before he arrived, he unexpectedly encountered Lagertha, the last person he anticipated seeing.

The blonde shield maiden regarded Naruto with a blank expression, leaving the resurrected shinobi curious about her thoughts. However, he didn't have to ponder for long before she began to speak.

"You haven't been coming by to collect your payment," Lagertha said, gazing into Naruto's eyes. "Have you lost interest in me now that I'm expecting a child?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "Did you actually want me to come see you? I figured you wouldn’t want me around, especially now that you’re expecting," the blonde Viking remarked, carefully observing her reaction to gauge her true intentions.

Lagertha rested her hands on her stomach, emphasizing her words. "I'm simply wondering about a couple of things. For example, did you cease our intimacy because you think I’m carrying your child, or have you just lost interest? And what about the woman I assisted with her child, who is clearly not her husband’s—is that child yours?" The shield maiden inquired, leaving Naruto's expression blank in response to her questions.

Naruto approached Lagertha directly, and she remained still, observing the blonde man intently. Their eyes met in a silent display of determination, and she only reacted when she felt the hands of the revived shinobi on her pregnant belly.

"Does any of that even matter?" Naruto responded, feeling the baby move under his hand. "You need to look after yourself more so that you can have a safe delivery."

Naruto turned and walked away without glancing back, aware that Lagertha's son was nearby, keeping a watchful eye and prepared to defend his mother if necessary. The resurrected shinobi didn’t dwell on Ragnar’s son much, seeing him merely as a mama's boy. Unfortunately for him, Naruto intended to resume his intimate relationship with Lagertha once she had her baby.

Lagertha observed Naruto leave in frustration, feeling disappointed as she had been wanting to be intimate with him ever since finding out she was pregnant. Her desire had been constant.

With Ragnar absent, she found herself lacking a way to fulfill her desires. While she could seek out a stranger for that purpose, she didn't want to resort to such actions, as it felt beneath her and could lead to further complications. Then there was Athelstan, the devout man, but he was too shy, and she didn’t find him particularly appealing. Additionally, she worried that it would seem as though she were exploiting him.

This means that Naruto is the only option left for her. Over the past few months, she had been making an effort to entice him into giving in to his primal instincts with her, but he hadn't reacted in the way she had anticipated.

The blonde Viking had been distant with her, maintaining space unless she initiated contact. This used to please her, but now, feeling sexually frustrated and lacking fulfillment, she longed for him to be as passionate with her as he had been before her pregnancy.

Fast Forward

Lagertha was known for many qualities, but above all, she was a courageous fighter. However, at that moment, she experienced a sudden, intense pain in her abdomen and began to feel a wave of panic, much like any other woman might.

"It's too soon!" Lagertha exclaimed, while being cared for by two midwives. They exchanged anxious glances, unsure of how to proceed other than bracing themselves for the worst.

The shield maiden offered a prayer to the gods, hoping that her baby would survive. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her child before she had the chance to hold him or her close.

“Damn, there's a lot of blood,” one of the midwives swore, her expression somber; Lagertha was experiencing a miscarriage.

"I understand that it's difficult, Lagertha, but you need to remain calm to avoid risking the baby. Take deep breaths and focus on relaxing," the other midwife advised, aware that her suggestion was a slim hope, but it was the only option they had.

Lagertha was overwhelmed with despair at the possibility of losing her child. It wasn't because she intended to use the baby as a pawn against Naruto; rather, the thought of losing the child awakened her maternal instincts. She desired for her baby to survive, not for any ulterior motive or strategy, but simply so that they could enter the world healthy and live their lives.

"Is this divine retribution for my intentions regarding the child?" Lagertha pondered as agony coursed through her body. "If you permit me to keep this child, I will abandon all thoughts of vengeance and dedicate myself to raising it as a noble warrior who honors you, All-Father."

As blood streamed from her, Lagertha prayed desperately, unsure of what to do next. It was evident that her pleas were going unheard. Tears streamed down her face as she cried out in anguish and suffering.

Lagertha shut her eyes, bracing herself for the worst. She had experienced a miscarriage previously, and some claimed she was cursed to never bear children again after Gyda. Despite this, she had held onto hope until now, as she felt blood trickling down her thighs.

Lagertha suddenly felt a hand on her abdomen, and an unfamiliar warmth began to radiate throughout her body, easing the pain she had been experiencing. As she opened her eyes in surprise, she saw none other than Naruto, his hand glowing green as it rested on her stomach.

Lagertha exclaimed in disbelief, taken aback by his sudden presence, especially in such a moment, "What are you doing here?"

"I’m doing my best to save the baby," Naruto said, concentrating on fixing the tears in the amniotic sac. He also observed that Lagertha was suffering from a bacterial infection, which could have contributed to the miscarriage. Additionally, given her history of previous miscarriages, her risk of losing the child was significant if he hadn't intervened.

Lagertha observed as Naruto alleviated her suffering, the discomfort she had experienced fading away. The soothing warmth enveloped her body, making her feel so relaxed that she nearly drifted off to sleep.

The midwives were witnessing the incredible scene and offering prayers to Odin and Thor, much to Naruto's irritation, as his abilities were unrelated to those deities.

"There, you should be okay now," Naruto said, having cursed the infection affecting Lagertha and reinforced her womb, ensuring she would be able to carry the baby to full term.

Naruto managed to free his hand, but Lagertha surprisingly held onto his wrist with a strong grip, preventing him from moving it without exerting more force.

"You’re okay now, so it’s time to relax," Naruto said softly as he carefully loosened Lagertha's hold on his wrist. She seemed alarmed for a brief moment when his hand released its place on her stomach, but he remained calm and stayed with her for a few minutes to reassure her that the pain wouldn’t return and that she would be alright even without his touch.

"Why have you come?" Lagertha inquired as Naruto gestured for the midwives to attend to the shield maiden, who was still covered in blood and fluids between her legs.

"I sensed that you might require my assistance," Naruto said, partly truthfully; he had detected her unease through his ability to perceive negative emotions, a skill he carried over from his previous life.

"Thank you for coming to my aid with my baby," Lagertha said after a brief pause, offering Naruto a radiant smile he had never seen from her before. "And I’m grateful to the All-Father for bringing you to my rescue."

Naruto didn't say anything but simply nodded and walked away. He sensed that the relationship between them had changed a bit since he rescued her, but he chose not to focus on that at the moment. Thyri and Siggy had been growing frustrated with him for not prioritizing his responsibilities as an Earl over his time playing in his blacksmith shop, as they would often complain.

"Those two had essentially schemed to get me into that powerful role, but now that they actually have to put in the effort instead of just reaping the rewards, they’re grumbling about it," Naruto sighed as he made his way home to his two expectant partners.

Chapter End

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A/N: This chapter is largely based on season one, episode seven, but with Naruto stepping in to rescue Lagertha's baby. Initially, Lagertha intended to use her child as a weapon against Naruto, but she has a change of heart after nearly losing the baby. This shift alters the dynamics between them, but it raises the question of whether it's a positive or negative change. When Ragnar comes back, the situation will be different. As always, thank you for your support, and take care!