"Egil Iversen is dead, King Asmund," Askild responded in a stoic tone. King Asmund did not take him seriously at first, given the casual delivery of the message, but the expression on Askild's face said otherwise. Asmund couldn't help but think Askild was joking; after all, coming here with such news could only be seen as arrogance. Did he not fear for his life?
"King Askild, surely you know what will happen if Egil is dead, don't you?" Asmund's voice was threatening yet calm, but the seriousness in Askild's eyes told Asmund he was ready for the repercussions.
Asmund's calm face creased into that of anger, slamming the table and his brute strength splitting it into two.
Askild instinctively got to his feet with a hand on the hilt of his blade, the noise attracted the warriors standing guard at the door as they rushed into the room to see both kings about to face off. Ragnar, Erik, and Asger were surrounded with swords pointed at them from every direction.
"King Asmund, do you want to do something so undiplomatic?" King Askild asked mockingly. He, too, was soon encircled by blades pointed at his neck.
"Tell me one thing, King Askild..." Asmund muttered, and Askild's dull eyes looked into the eyes of Asmund.
"Tell you what?" Askild asked. He was unnaturally calm despite the swords shoved in his face because there was a possibility that Asmund would try to have his head right here and now but he could easily cut down these Vikings around him. They were like mere children compared to his swordsmanship.
"Did he die with honor?" Asmund asked in a mourning tone but Askild started to chuckle, that chuckle soon turned into full-on laughter.
"Honor? No, he died like a dog," Askild replied coldly. His words were dripping with mockery, adding insult to injury. King Asmund's anger flared, and he ordered his men to kill Askild on the spot. However, as everyone suspected, Askild's swordsmanship was far superior.
He cut every one of them down with absolute ease and minimum difficulty but Signy came in right about this time to check what the commotion was about, an opening that Askild exploited.
Askild subdued and took him hostage, Asmund valued his heir. The love of a father proved to be a weakness that Askild was glad to take advantage of.
"Are you sure you want my head or the head of your son?" Askild asked rhetorically, he noticed that Asmund was emotional when it came to Egil as he displayed this same heightened emotion in Kattegat.
"You bastard...!" Asmund muttered under his breath, he could not lose his son and knew it. Askild used his emotions against him and he just realized why he antagonized him.
He did it to force Asmund into a rash decision and that is precisely what happened. Now, he had a hostage, a life he placed more value on than his own.
-
"Erik... Take a deep breath," Asger urged. Erik was getting too excited, and they all knew what would happen if he started to fight. He wasn't called a Berserker for nothing.
"Hahaha! You fucking puny Vikings! Do you want us to have some fun?" Erik exclaimed, he was excited as hell because he knew the Kingdom of Vestfold had strong warriors if one could best Asger in a duel.
The words of Asger fell on deaf ears, suddenly an arrow pierced Erik through the chest.
"Erik!" Asger shouted, jerking his head in the direction the arrow came from and it was from a young boy that looked familiar. It was the boy he let go in the battle of Hillestad.
The enemies chuckled arrogantly, believing they could make quick work of Erik and his comrades.
"If you value your lives, step away from him," Ragnar said with a sigh. The others were confused; after all, Erik was the one injured. Why should they fear him?
There was no reason for them to fear and they called it a bluff but they soon realized this was far from a bluff. Erik bifurcated five men in a single swing, breaking their swords apart in the process.
"Hahaha! Now that is what I am fucking talking about!" Erik shouted, pulling the arrow right out of his body. It should have been fatal, that arrow hit a vital point in his body yet Erik brushed it off like it was nothing. Ragnar and Asger knew there was no stopping him now and watched as Erik rampaged, cutting down every enemy in sight.
The Vikings were scared, but they stood their ground regardless Erik saw Askild exit the building covered in blood, with a sword to the neck of Signy and this momentary lapse in concentration allowed the child that had buried an arrow into him moments ago to move unnoticed and bury his sword this time into Erik's torso.
The child smiled victoriously but Erik focused his murderous gaze on him, he was unfazed.
"Well, that tickles," Erik said, he was ready to behead the child in a heartbeat but his sword met resistance, it was another blade.
"What do you think you are doing, Ragnar?" Erik questioned, his blade did not bulge further, and Ragnar completely stopped his swing at full strength with relative ease despite the difference in body size.
"He's just a kid, Erik," Ragnar said calmly. The boy took the opportunity to retreat. Though a Viking warrior, he was still a child, and the fear of death loomed large in him. Erik was furious, but he knew that fighting Ragnar here and now would displease King Askild.
"You are too soft Ragnar," Erik muttered, retracting his blade in the process.
"You are too cruel, Erik," Ragnar responded, retracting his blade. The Vikings paused the moment they saw Signy in the grasp of Askild. This also surprised Ragnar and Asger because they did not know him to do something like this but this did mean that Askild was not confident he could kill King Asmund.
Asmund exited the building right after Askild and he looked furious, a face that his men had never seen before. They all backed away from their King, it was like a warrior's instinct.
This applied to both Asger and Ragnar as well, they felt it. It was a strange feeling but this was not killing intent, just pure contempt.
"What are you doing in my way?" King Asmund asked the man standing before him.
"Hahaha! I'm here to take your head, old man!" The figure stepped forward, revealing himself to be Erik the Berserker.