Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons 234 CCXXXIV. The Final Hurdle

Dag took another step forward, positioning himself about a meter from Sondre, who was still lying on the ground without an arm and had lost consciousness, due to the enormous amount of blood lost.

After making sure Freydis was tied tightly, the man pulled out his double-headed axe and jumped out of the building, landing on both feet in front of its entrance, emitting a thud and creating two furrows into the ground because of his weight.

"If you really worship Heimdallr, why did you want to offer Ragna and Freydis as a sacrifice to the Frostsinners?! Do you think your God is satisfied with it?!" asked Dag, who was somehow managing to keep his composure more than expected, trying to understand the man's intentions. 

Around him, thanks to his skill, Niva, he saw a purple aura.

Whoever he was, his strength was far greater than that of the other two and every other warrior he had met before.

"I told you, it was Sondre's idea... But actually, now that I've seen your powers, I'm intrigued. Freydis... so that's how the girl's called, right?!" exclaimed the man, looking back at her.

"What's that got to do with anything?! I asked you a question! I thought like any Clan, you had a code of ethics... but apparently, you're just heretical fools. I don't know how you managed to communicate with the Frostsinners, but know that theirs are just lies! They fear my power and the sacrifice of someone I love would not serve your purpose, which is unattainable" Dag continued, keeping on advancing toward his enemy, walking next to Sondre's body.

"I don't care about this emotional nonsense, kid! Your insolence is starting to bother me! To me, your lives are worthless. I can see with my own eyes that you have killed many of my men and you will pay for it. I will kill all your friends and then you too, after sacrificing your beloved Freydis before your eyes! Oh, by the way… I didn't even introduce myself: my name is Oyvind. They call me 'the portal warrior'" he replied, resting the lower part of the axe handle on the ground.

"The portal warrior? What the fuck is that guy talking about?!" asked Karl in a subdued caption, who had finished medicating Reidar, sitting behind the wall and approached Gridd, trying to make himself useful in some way.

"I don't know, Karl. Usually, the nicknames of warriors state some unique kind of power... only the strongest are given such names, useful to increase their fame. Despite this, I have never heard of him, perhaps this is because this island is very far from Sjonir..." answered Gridd, who continued to look puzzled at the enemy that stood between Freydis and his brother, trying to study his abilities.

"Then you leave me no choice" Dag exclaimed, pointing the hammer at him and beginning to emit beams of black fluid from his back and arms, floating around him like a dark aura, enriched by the purple eye, shining like an amethyst crystal.

At the sight of Dag's power, Freydis gasped, unable to explain what was going on. 

"This is going to be interesting" said Oyvind, motionless in the same position, with the double-headed axe resting on the ground.

"I'm one step away from you, my love. This warrior is the last obstacle that separates us... I'm going to kill him and get you out of here. I promise you!" thought Dag, who looked at Freydis with a smile before he started fighting.

She looked back, kneeling on the ground, unable to do anything but wait and hope for Dag's victory.

He began to walk towards his enemy, who looked at him with an air of superiority and strangely did not seem at all intimidated by the dark fluid.

Suddenly, Dag dashed towards him, trying to hit him with the Giantbane, which during the movement, unleashed a blaze. 

At that very instant, he saw Oyvind smiling.

The enemy grabbed the handle of the axe with both hands and quickly rotated it.

...

"What... whaaaat?!" yelled Dag, whose feet suddenly stopped touching the ground.

He found himself in the air, several feet high and in free fall.

"Umpf!" he exclaimed when he managed to land on the ground without falling.

He looked around and his body began inexplicably to tremble with fear, for what had just happened.

Beneath his feet, the soft mud of Vaeren Island had become limestone rock and the village, the houses, the enemy warriors, his companions... they were all gone.

Around the rocky platform on which he stood, there was only a boundless sea, stretching to the horizon, illuminated by the light of the moon. 

"Hahaha! Then?! How do you feel, kid?!" exclaimed Oyvind, who in an instant materialized in front of him, striking him violently with a punch in the stomach, causing him to bend in pain and kneel on the ground.

"Where are we...? Where are Freydis and everyone else?! *cough*" said Dag, with a thread of voice, after losing his breath.

Oyvind struck him once again, with a kick that made him crawl to the ground, causing him to end up on the edge of the rocky platform, more than 30 meters high, under which, sharp rocks sprang from the rough sea, whose waves continually impacted the rock, splashing water upwards.

"Since you're so strong that you beat both my Masters colleagues... I decided to start the fight with my best technique. Do you like it?! Hahahaha!" exclaimed Oyvind, laughing like a madman, while Dag rose from the ground, returning to combat position.

"What happened? Is it an illusion?!" continued Dag, who looked around trying to figure out if it was real.

Chapter end