IdeasGuy

Legends Never Die: Oath Fufilled (ch. 111)

Added 2025-03-12 14:31:23 +0000 UTC

“Tell me of your journey, Siegfried. I want to hear all of it,” Mother requested in a tone that felt more like an order. There was a point in time as a child that I hated that tone, as it usually meant my brothers had offloaded their chores onto me, but now it was a balm to my spirit. My family was seated together as we finally got a moment to reunite in the early morning the day after our arrival.

Words couldn't describe how good it felt to see my family all under one roof again. The children were all together, playing as the rest of us sat around a hearth. My wives, sisters, and goodsisters were all together while my immediate family sat at the same table for the first time in years.

I looked to my brothers, who both nodded, eager to hear the full tale. Even Haldur, who I’d expected to be more jealous. “The tale is a long one,” I warned, but Mother just reached out and grabbed my hand, her eyes shining with a silent pride.

So, I began the tale. I started with our departure, how we struggled to find a guide until we found a snake of the name Michalis. The journey down the Dnieper River, our arrival. Our campaign in Greece, meeting the child Emperor and his mother, then Regent now Empress Irene. The events of Crete, the battle of Ravenfeast, battles of influence with Chares… it was only when I began the tale that I realized just how many things had happened in a few short years. It almost felt like a full life time when I was describing it.

My family's reactions to some things were a highlight of the tale -- my brother's expressions when I explained what a eunuch was. My sisters and goodsisters when I described the cities and the riches within. In particular the silks and perfumes. There were times that my skills as a skald simply failed me -- how could I describe the Hagia Sophia to someone whom a Longhouse was the grandest building they had ever seen?

Even still, my mother looked upon me with a loving adoration, wearing her pride openly, which only intensified when she heard of every success.

“You've done well for yourself, brother,” Halfdan said as my tale finally reached its end. “Honestly, I wish you had held off on telling your story -- you're a tough act to follow,” Halfdan said with an easy grin.

“I'm sure you've had your own tales. I doubt that you have been idle for the past few years,” I returned.

Halfdan shared a glance with Haldur, and it was he who spoke. “Horrik has a strangled grip on Denmark,” he said, and there was an undercurrent of anger in his voice. “He's clever. I will give him that much -- you ended up giving him the perfect excuse when you recruited some thousands of our people,” Haldur said, his tone not quite accusatory but speaking as a matter of fact.

“I was worried about that,” I admitted. “I’d intended to sap his strength, but that's not what happened. But any news I've heard since is old.”

“There was a brief civil war in Denmark around the time the migration happened, and from the looks of things, most of the defeated Jarls went to your banner. Others came here to King Hoffer, or down to King Widukind. Horrik used the opportunity to purge anyone who wasn't a loyalist or cowed into submission.” Haldur elaborated and I nodded my head slowly, showing that I was following along. “He slandered you pretty well, then claimed that the gods approved his rule as he changed the farming techniques of our people, and now there is so much grain that some leave it to rot in the field as it's not worth the effort to sell.”

Meaning that the over production of grains had saturated the market and made the price fall to near nothing. I'm not surprised that Horrik made that mistake. It's not something that was immediately obvious, especially when our people had such a longstanding history of struggling to produce enough food for us all. I only knew better because I’d seen the same thing happen in Rome as a by-product of my own raids -- pigments and spices were expensive because of the effort to get them in any quantity, but when you flooded the market after raiding several cities worth of the good? It was more plentiful, thus less valuable.

“He's used the excess grain and gold to recruit from the surrounding areas to make up for the lost population. Gives people a bushel of grain and a weight of silver if they come to his lands to work them.” Haldur continued. “But, it's not without its issues. It's less of a civil war, and more of a low conflict, but…” He trailed off as his expression pinched.

I could guess the reason why. “There are a fair number of Christians among the people he has brought to Denmark. And of them, there are quite a few that have named you a prophet of the Christian God,” Halfdan said, having the exact opposite issue as he couldn't stop himself from cackling when my expression soured.

I had almost managed to forget about that particular headache.

“They're like nothing I've ever seen. The more Horrik grinds them under his heel, the more convinced they are that they're right,” Haldur groused. “Also seems like there's always one waiting to take the place of every one killed in a purge. There aren't that many, I don't think. But they’ve been treating your return as a thing of prophecy rather than an inevitability.” He continued, his lips twisting into a grin when he saw me pinch the bridge of my nose.

I'm glad at least someone was enjoying this. Because I wasn't. That, I'm hoping, would be a problem for another day.

“Beyond that, it's been a long few years of skirmishing raids on both our sides. Horrik wanted to sap Norway and Saxony’s strength before you returned. Same for us on Denmark. There are a lot of burnt out villages along the coastline, but there hasn't been a true clash between armies. Though, as soon as Horrik got word that you were on your way back, he started to muster his men.” Halfdan finished and I nodded, feeling I had a much better handle on the situation now.

“We should pick their armies off before they can group up. Three small battles will be easier to manage than one big one,” Haldur voiced, and that was good sense, I could acknowledge. Easier said than done, of course, but it was a good strategy.

However, I shook my head. “It is a fine idea, but it would be best for them to unite.” I voiced and Haldur looked at me with eyes full of suspicion.

There was a beat of silence as the tension swelled between us. He was happy to see me, I knew. And I was happy to see him. We were still brothers, still kin. But neither of us were keen to follow the other's lead. He saw himself as the head of our family and, despite whatever misgivings I had about it, by the laws of our people, he was. Yet, I was the one with a personal army and vast wealth.

Haldur was the head of the family in theory, but in practice? I was. And it grated on him.

Mother sensed the issue and nipped it in the bud before an argument could brew. It would do to taint our reunion, after all. “What do you have planned, Siegfried?” She asked and I offered a thin smile in response.

“It is something I must first speak to King Hoffer and King Widukind about,” I admitted. I could make all the plans that I wanted, but both men were heavily involved. I didn't think they would resist me when they were informed of my plans, and I figured both men could see sense, but you never knew. To that end, I had decided it was best to keep my plans to myself. “But I do have something planned. Under normal circumstances, Haldur's plan is wise. But under these… it would be best if they unite in Denmark. One great battle.”

Haldur’s brow furrowed, but it was Halfdan who spoke, “Well, given how your last idea turned out, I say you've earned the benefit of the doubt, Sieg.” He wore an easy smile. I could tell he didn't get it, but he was willing to extend some blind trust. Haldur, on the other hand, seemed like he was wracking his brain to figure out how such a thing could be to our benefit.

It was then that I heard a blowing of a horn, and everyone in the room went taut as they realized what it meant. I took in a slow breath before I rose to my feet.

“It's time,” I decided. “Best not to leave the gods waiting,” I added. I thought I would be more nervous, in all honesty. Even before a battle that I was certain I was going to win, I was always possessed by a nervous energy. An anxiety that made me question my plan or if there was some factor that I had missed. That nervousness was tempered by confidence and experience, but it was still there.

Instead, I felt almost at ease. There was some tension, of course, but… it felt different.

“No, you cannot,” Mother said, standing with me. “Your oath is one that must be fulfilled. Your destiny lies beyond this challenge, Siegfried. You cannot falter here,” she warned and I offered a thin smile.

“I don't intend to,” I told her, giving her hands a small squeeze. I wasn't abandoned by fear, I simply knew that I must win. It wasn't even faith that the norns wouldn't cut the thread of my life in the world tapestry that they weaved in a fit of irony -- I simply had too much that I wanted to do for me to die here. My ambitions would be realized. I was determined to see them through. “So, there is no need for farwells.”

I traded solemn looks with my brothers and sisters, all of them trying to swallow their concern. My wives stayed with our children, with Morrigan nowhere to be seen. She would be there, I knew, in her own way. It just wasn't like her to show her support so openly.

Turning to the door, I opened it to see a crowd had gathered before my door. Word had spread of my intentions like a wildfire. There were many who were still drunk from last night's celebrations, but they were still up to gaze upon me with expressions of awe. The crowd was so vast that most of it was lost in a heavy fog that clung to the land.

I said nothing, simply walking forward and the crowd began to part for me. Men and women alike reached out to touch me, as if it would bring them luck or bless them. Their hands glided over my fine clothing, or on Gram at my belt. I wore no armor and carried no shield. I had no reason to think it, but I had the feeling that they would be pointless to bring.

As I walked through the crowd, someone began to beat a spear into the ground. It spurred others on, stomping in sync and with such force the ground began to tremble. Yet, no one uttered a word as if they were afraid it would break the magic of the moment. This, I knew, would be a moment that parents would tell their children that they were here to witness -- Siegfried the Wolfkissed, who sailed to meet the wolf they called Fenrir. And, if the tales could be believed, he had gotten even larger than when I last saw him.

I made my way to the docks on the northern side of the island, and it was there a small dingy ship waited for me. Along with King Hoffer and… Morrigan. Her, I hadn't expected to see.

I stopped before them and Hoffer offered a hand that I clasped while Morrigan dipped her hand into a bowl of blood.

“It would help if you were not so freakishly tall,” Morrigan remarked as she reached up with her whole body and dragged her fingers down my face, leaving a trail of blood on one side. “T'is most vexing,” she uttered in a low voice, then reaching into a bowl of ash and soot that she then marked the other side of my face with.

“I'll be back soon,” I reassured her and, despite herself, concern did shine in her eyes.

“What you face is no mere wolf. It is a challenge set by the gods. They have watched you since you were a boy, as many tell it. They will know how to challenge you,” she warned and I nodded, taking her warnings seriously.

All the same, I climbed into the boat to see that the materials that I’d requested were inside. Grabbing hold of the oars, I began to row towards the island that Hoffer spoke of. Standing on the beach was everyone I cared about and loved, their firms slowly retreating under a blanket of fog. When they vanished from my sight, it was only then that the tension began to settle heavily upon me.

I would see them again. I swore it to myself as I rowed.

It didn't take me that long to reach the island as I simply had to row in a straight line. Within an hour, my boat reached the stoney shore of my destination. As I disembarked, I looked for any sign of the wolf, only to see a dense forest with a lone beaten path that carved out by those who made the trip to the grove. However, it was what I didn't see or hear that was more alarming.

I wasn't prepared for how silent the island would be. The only sounds to be found was the sea lapping at the shore and my own heartbeat. I rested a hand on Gram while my other grabbed hold of a bucket that was filled with a few things that I would need once the battle was done. Unnerving or not, there was nothing to do but press on.

Walking the dirt path, it felt like the wilderness was holding its breath. There were no birds singing or chirping, no errant twigs breaking in the distance. Just a loud silence that made every noise I made seem impossible loud as a result. I was going the right way, at least -- effigies started to appear hanging from the branches of trees, while others were painted with symbols to ward off malevolent spirits. Or invite them, if needed.

Because of the silence, I could hear the sound of trickling water before long, and soon after, I reached the source of it -- at the center of the grove was a natural spring. Steam rose up from it, the barrier marked with carved stones while overlooking the grove was a statue of Freya. My feet came to a stop at the edge of the pool, dropping my bucket of supplies and I bent a knee to test the waters with a hand -- they were searing hot, in a pleasant way.

There was no reason for me to know it was there, but all the same, I took in a deep breath and rose back to my feet. Drawing Gram from my belt, I turned around to find that I was nearly at eye level with the great wolf that I was here to slay.

He had indeed gotten bigger -- he was the size of a warhorse, and I was fairly sure that my head could fit nicely in his jaws. His black coat was dark as pitch, while a single lone blue eye gazed at me as it blocked the exit. More disturbingly, I hadn't heard him arrive and, even now, he was so still that it seemed like he wasn't even breathing. That being said, I imagine he had to be thinking much the same about me as I held the wolf's stare.

It was then that I heard the rest of his pack arrive, perking their heads through the bushes and seeming to materialize between trees. My body tensed as the scar on my neck began to ache with memories.

Yet, I was not that ignorant boy anymore.

“Come,” I demanded, and that was what they were waiting for. Wolves rushed down into the grove, rushing right for me me. There was a point when I would have been overwhelmed by them, but that was long ago. Gram lashed out with blistering speed, the blade cutting through the air like a song as it passed through the neck of a lunging wolf before it found itself plunged into the skull of another. Blood arced as I swung the blade, taking a step forward to behead another wolf that lunged for my ankle.

My years at war had honed my skills to a fine edge, while the boons granted to me by the gods turned me into something unstoppable. Gram felt right in my hands as the flawless teamwork of the pack was met with death every time that they came near. They were clever beasts, recognizing this fact and instead surrounded me as the grove became filled with their snarls.

Fenrir hadn't blinked since his arrival, but he did move. Silent as the grave, he stalked forward and utterly dwarfed his pack. Slowly, a snarl began to pull back his lips, revealing sharp fangs and I readied myself.

I couldn't afford a long drawn out battle. Not when I had so many to come. I had imagined this fight a thousand and one times since I made that oath, always wondering if I would be ready when the time came.

I was.

Fenrir lunged forward and I greeted him. A wolf lunged for my leg, another my sword arm, and I let their teeth sink into my flesh as I gazed into the maw of Fenrir, who intended to give me another kiss upon my neck. Lashing out with an arm, I wedged my forearm into Fenrir's jaws and snarled back when I felt their bone snapping bite. Fenrir began to yank his head to the side, determined to either tear off the arm or knock me off my feet.

With a howl of effort, I pivoted to match his momentum, my muscles straining with effort as I yanked the beast off its feet to slam it through the wolves that surrounded me on one side, before I heaved it into the hotspring. The waters splashed out and Fenrir yelped, releasing my arm as it started to scramble to its feet.

I gave it no time to.

Bring Gram up to my chest, I lunged with a thrust that caught the beast in the chest, skewering his heart. The other wolves immediately recoiled in shock and fear as, with a harsh yank, I pulled the blade free. Crimson sprayed out from the wound, immediately dying the spring water red and I could see the strength flee from Fenrir. It tried to stand, trying to force itself out of the scalding waters, but every attempt just made the waters more red.

My arm ached, and I knew the bone was broken. The flesh was ripped and wept freely -- it would be a scar equal to the one on my neck to any who saw it.

“Tyr showed me how to defeat you,” I told the wolf as more of its strength was sapped until it didn't even have it in him to muster another attempt. “Your namesake was a clever one, who demanded that if he was to be bound, then the God Tyr must put his arm in his maw, for he would lose it if there was any trickery. And as it is a tale of Odin, of course there was. The tale changes a bit depending on who's telling it -- some say Tyr was as deceived by Odin as Fenrir, while others claimed that Tyr sacrificed his arm as penance.”

Fenrir's cold blue eye seemed to stare at me, boring a hole through me. Then, in an almost human-like action, the wolf rolled his eye and closed it. His breathing stilled and I knew he was dead. As too did his kin as the pack of wolves immediately fled from the grove.

Morrigan was more and less right than she thought she was. This wasn't a test by the gods. Not truly.

They never once gave me a quest to slay the wolf. It was a task I had set for myself of my own volition. But, it was true that the gods had put the wolf in my path time and time again. Perhaps this was their intention. Perhaps not. The point was -- this was not a test from the gods.

This was a test I had given to myself. To see if I was worthy to lead. To see if I could sacrifice an arm so that I may win the fight.

I’d met my expectations of myself, I decided. Now, it was time for me to claim my prize.

Stripping myself, I stepped into the hotspring with a skinning knife. The hot blood soaked water stung at my wounds, but it would seem that the blood of the wolf was no equal to the blood of a dragon. It mattered little, I decided as I began to drag the body out of the spring. It weighed as much as a horse, too, but I got it clear of the waters.

My skinning knife was of no use against the pelt, so with a silent apology, I had to use Gram to do the skinning. And that was a blatant reminder that I likely would have had a much more difficult fight if I hadn’t completed the Quest to restore Gram. If I had tried to use a normal blade against the wolf… this could have gone a very different way.

The black pelt was pushed back little by little, revealing powerful muscle. Given the size of it, and the care I had to take, skinning the beast took the better part of an hour. I separated the head while leaving the pelt attached. It took another hour to clean the pelt to satisfaction and to assemble a frame for it to dry on.

The pelt itself would need to be tanned, but it would do for now.

During the meantime, I started to butcher the body for meat -- the organs were harvested alongside the muscle. It wouldn't be a good meal, I knew, but I was resolved to not waste any of my foe. All the way down to the bones, which I would likely end up giving to Morrigan. I could only imagine the protection charms she could create with the bones of this beast.

The process was a long one. Long enough that by the time I was done, the pelt had dried for the most part. After pulling a few teeth from the other wolves, I made a small button clasp for the pelt before I draped it over my shoulders. The head adorned my shoulder, and such was the size of the beast that despite my size, the end of the cloak still ended at my ankles. I felt sorry for my descendents in that moment -- if they weren't of even size with me, then they would drown in this cloak.

Legendary Artifact Created!

Cloak of the Fenrir

Armor: +25

Prowess: +15

Prestige: +2000

Monthly Prestige gain: +5%

Renown: +250

Monthly Renown gain: +10%

Norse-Germanic Opinion gain: +25%

Norse-Germania Dread gain: +25%

I breathed in deeply, letting the information wash over me. I hadn't noticed it, but the birds were singing again. “You shall serve my family well,” I told Fenrir, patting the head that adorned my shoulder.

My time in Rome had taught me many things, but one of the most important was the importance of symbols. It was the core issue in regard to Iconoclasm, but I saw it elsewhere too -- in crowns, in priestly garments, in the attire of noblemen, and even in the library. Things did not grant authority, but they could embody them. Define them. Just as a crown made all those who saw it know the man whose brow it adorned was a king, so too could a cloak.

I had planned this moment since before we had even set sail to the Mediterranean.

With my new attire, I began to fill the small boat up with the meat and bones of the wolf. It was laden heavy with it, but it still remained afloat.

It was as I stood on the beach, gazing out to the lands beyond that at long last did the gods grant me a quest that I had long awaited. A quest they had finally deemed me worthy of.

Grand Quest Created!

Objective: Unite the Baltic Sea

Description: Through Conquest, Diplomacy, or Guile, unite the lands around the Baltic Sea. Rewards are dependent on the method used to subjugate the territories. See Map for relevant territories that must be held.

Reward: 1 Boon. 1 Perk. 500 Prestige. 100 Renown

Objective: Subjugate Denmark

Reward: 1 Perk. 500 Prestige. 100 Renown.

Objective: Subjugate Norway

Reward: 1 Perk. 500 Prestige. 100 Renown.

Objective: Subjugate Sweden

Reward: 1 Perk. 500 Prestige. 100 Renown.

Objective: Subjugate Sápmi

Reward: 1 Perk. 500 Prestige. 100 Renown.

Objective: Subjugate Finland

Reward: 1 Perk. 500 Prestige. 100 Renown.

Objective: Subjugate Novograd