Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons 301 CCCI. The Award

"I believe this hammer has never been so shiny, Reidar! Maybe you should do it as a job! Hahaha!" he chuckled, teasing his trusted ally, happy that he too was safe and sound.

After wearing his belt and armor, also maniacally cleaned, Dag left the room, which was actually the only one in that tiny house, finding himself in the center of one of the villages he only got a glimpse of, committed to averting the imminent attack. 

"You said three days... I suppose there were no other attacks, right?" he asked, looking at his sister, who nodded her head, confirming the fact that the villages had not suffered any kind of threat during his long sleep.

"M... Master Dag!" someone from a nearby hut exclaimed.

Dag turned around, realizing from the tone of the voice that it was a child.

A little girl walked towards him, holding a basket covered with a rag in her hands.

"Hey, hello! Need a hand? It looks heavy" he said, before noticing that behind the child there were a man and a woman, who looked smiling at him, that sensed they were the little girl's parents.

"Master Dag, please accept these gifts from the village! We know, it's not much, but we wanted to thank you somehow... we are fishermen and we thought we would give you our most precious good!" the man said, touching the shoulder of the little girl who moved the rag from the basket, revealing its contents.

Inside, there were several kilos of precious fish of all kinds, and the mere vision of all that food made Dag's stomach grumble, that after all those days spent in bed he couldn't wait to put something under his teeth.

"Thank you very much! You're so nice! I couldn't receive a more lovely gift!" he replied, stroking the little girl's head and smiling at her parents, who appreciated the kind soul of their benefactor.

Reidar took the large basket full of fish and shellfish, lightening the girl's arms, who looked him in the eye happily, before walking away.

"Wow, what delights! Could we eat them right away? I'm very hungry, Gridd!" Dag exclaimed, implicitly asking his sister to cook them for him.

"Why do you look at me with those languid eyes, little brother?" she smiled, who had already guessed the hidden message of that phrase.

"C'mon! You know why! I don't have the faintest idea how to cook these fishes and, even if I tried, I'd definitely end up ruining them! You're a great cook, you certainly already know how to proceed!" he continued, discovering the basket cover again, anticipating his next meal. 

Amid the general laughter, the three companions approached the geometric center of the village, sitting next to a large pile of circular wood, where the fishermen used to eat all together. 

Although it was still early in the morning, Gridd lit the fire and began rummaging through the crockery piled up nearby, looking for the one best suited to their needs. 

Within minutes, most of the fish that had been given to Dag was already clean and cooked, enriched with spices and leaves of all kinds, as well as strange types of vegetables that he had never even seen.

The smell also attracted some passers-by, who could not help but approach to smell the delight prepared by Gridd, who with her two crossed swords behind her back and the scratches still fresh on her face, did not give the impression of being an exceptional cook.

"Come! Come and eat with us! These fishes come directly from your nets, you absolutely have to enjoy them with me! Come closer! My sister is a great cook, you won't regret it!" Dag shouted, looking around and gesticulating with his arms, trying to lure villagers to the big bonfire.

The day continued between food and laughter, while Dag and Reidar entertained the children with tales of their travels, telling of the giant animals of the FossillWood Forest and other beasts they had managed to defeat. 

As the Sun began to go down, Dag touched his full belly, satisfied.

"Brother, you're such a greedy man! You alone have been able to eat almost 2 kilos of fish!" Gridd exclaimed, laughing.

"My dear sister... I told you I had to get three days' meals back! And then it was all exquisite, I haven't enjoyed dishes prepared by you for years" he said, who after each sentence burped and looked at the children nearby, making them laugh.

"By the way... Kjell and Ellen... you haven't told me about them at all, are they okay? I guess they're back in Skjegg" Dag continued, trying to take a serious tone.

"Yes, they're back in town and they're waiting for us... you managed to amaze everyone again, Dag. What happened on the other side of the coast was just… unbelievable" Gridd replied, looking up and recalling the final moments of the battle against the Jotunns.

"This time was different" Dag said, resting his back on the ground and crossing his arms behind his head.

"What do you mean, Captain?" Reidar asked, curious about the details.

"I mean, unlike in the past few times, when I was forced to give up my instincts to unleash my power, this time it was anger that triggered something in me... My weapons... I even managed to awaken their true power! It was as if the axe and the hammer listened to my thoughts and behaved accordingly! And then, the runes on my arm... at some point they began to shine in a white light" he said, continuing to look up.

"A white light?!" Reidar inquired again, squinting and slightly receding.

"Hey, all right, Reidar?" Gridd asked, noting his abnormal behavior.

He continued to look at Dag, focusing his attention on his arm.

Chapter end