Village of Läu
It was an ordinary day like any other, and there was a lot of work to be done in Läu. The Futhark ordered many more Nyskirians to Läu to cultivate more food. The innovative Ondol system provided many residents in Nyskiria with comfort and security. No one had any idea yet how cold it could get in this region, and everyone seemed happy to complete their daily tasks.
One of these happy individuals was Bernhard, a simple farmer who was plowing the field. He saw his Celtic brother-in-law walking by and called out to him, "Heil Hetrix, are you coming over for dinner? Ulrike is cooking a feast today; you can bring your sister along!"
Hetrix looked overjoyed and said to Bernhard, "Ave Bernhard, I'm looking forward to the feast. I'll bring some wine from Burdigala!" Bernhard's mouth watered at the mention of the famous Aquitinean wine, one of the best wines he had ever tasted.
A while later, Bernhard came fresh from the field into the newly built home, and the smell of freshly roasted goose filled the air. Bernhard opened the door and saw Hetrix already seated with his sister, Trixia. Ulrike came from the kitchen into the dining room and placed a cooked goose on the dining table. Ulrike looked at Hetrix and blushed with excitement. "Uhmm, Hetrix, I dedicate this meal to you, my dear! Please carve the first piece," and she handed a dagger-sized knife to Hetrix.
The roast smelled excellent, and Hetrix looked deeply into Ulrike's eyes and said, "Your blue eyes shine like the sky, your smile is as warm as the sun, and your hands are those of an artist. My dear Ulrike, I dedicate the first piece of the roast to you!"
Outside the house, a storm began to rage, with lightning and thunder battering Läu. Ulrike looked out the window and was startled by the storm. "Bernhard, it looks like Dunar himself is raging."
"Ughhh."
Ulrike heard a strange noise and then a dull thud, as if something had fallen to the ground. Ulrike looked in the direction of the sound and was shocked. "BERNHARD!"
Hetrix stood with a bloody knife and with red, rage-filled eyes over Bernhard's body. He began to kick Bernhard until his neck snapped. Ulrike ran towards the stairs to the second floor when a chair struck her back, causing her to nearly fall.
"Come here, German bride!" Trixia shouted at Ulrike, watching her prey like a lion on the hunt.
Bruised and injured, Ulrike reached the second floor and saw a few small pieces of furniture, vases, and laundry. Panicked, she threw everything down the stairs and screamed, "HELP, PLEASE HELP ME!"
Hetrix climbed the stairs and was hit in the head by a nightstand, while Trixia was caught in the bed linens and couldn't see where she was going. Trixia fell backward down the stairs as Hetrix, with the knife, advanced towards Ulrike, trying to stab her. The knife struck Ulrike in the right thigh, and driven by adrenaline, she ran into Bernhard's room and pushed a small cabinet towards the door. Ulrike hid in a wardrobe, trembling with fear as Hetrix and his sister, Trixia, broke into the room. Trixia looked at the wardrobe and violently opened it, staring contemptuously at Ulrike.
Ulrike screamed, "WHY? I THOUGHT WE LOVED EACH OTHER, HETRIX. PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO ME!"
Trixia took the bed linens that had caused her to fall and wrapped them around the bruised and battered Ulrike. Trixia dragged her to the bed's elevation and said in a sinister monologue, "You Germans have no place in Gaul."
Ulrike couldn't breathe and reached out her hand towards Hetrix: "Darling, help me."
Hetrix's heart suddenly raced more with fear than with anger, and the long knife trembled in his hand. Ulrike's skin turned bluish, and her eyes were bloodshot. Suddenly, Hetrix stabbed Trixia in the heart, freeing Ulrike. Trixia fell onto a candle, setting her clothes on fire.
Hetrix supported Ulrike and said, trembling, "I didn't want this! Something had controlled me! Please believe me, Ulrike! My dear, wake up!"
Ulrike's eyes opened, and she touched Hetrix's cheek: "I love you, Hetrix."
Hetrix had hope in his eyes, and Ulrike kissed him lovingly. His eyes closed as he felt a stabbing pain in his heart. He looked down at his body and saw the knife in his chest. "You will always be my one true love, Hetrix, and that's why I'm sending you to Valhalla." Hetrix reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch before the last light of his life faded.
Ulrike looked into the pouch and saw a golden Celtic bracelet inscribed: "United in love, my Valkyrie Ulrike, from Hetrix."
With tears in her eyes, she limped out of the burning room and down the stairs. She dragged Bernhard out of the house and left him lying in front of it. She sat on one of the rocks protruding from the ground and watched as the Celts, like possessed, slaughtered people.
This situation triggered emotions in Ulrike, and she started crying while hugging the golden bracelet.
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Läu
The Nyskirian warriors gather in the hinterland of Läu, and they seem extremely tense. A roar of thunder unfolds on this day of darkness. Blood-red war paint is applied, and axes and spears are sharpened. Anton is away from the crowd with his war strategist, Kýros, the healer, Frijja, and his three generals, Thorvik, Göll, and Thorismund. A map made of Roman parchment lies on a wooden barrel that serves as a table, and the city of Läu is drawn on it.
There are no fortifications yet, nor is it anywhere near big enough to be dangerous for Nyskiria. Everything seemed peaceful when the Gauls lost their minds. An eerie noise has been hanging in the air for hours, and all the Gauls are displaying an aggressiveness as if they had been provoked by us for years.
Frijja points to the map and speaks up: "My Futhark! I have a suspicion about the Gauls... I think they were struck by a war ritual. Even if Gauls appear more civilized than us Germanic people, it is not unusual for druids to sacrifice people in times of need."
Thorismund Turciling agrees Frijja and looks on the Map. He points outside the map and as an experienced general, analyzes the big picture. His finger draws an imaginary line towards the northwest and says: "I call that the horn of war, and the direction of the sound comes from beyond the river Rona. I will travel on with a small troop and stop this perverted ritual. If I arrive in time, we can prevent anything worse from happening. I will take twenty warriors and horses. See you later, my Futhark."
Anton nods to him and climbs onto one of the wooden wagons. He shows his presence undaunted and breaks the tension of the warriors with a speech: "Together we stand as a tribe of different peoples against one of our own. The Gauls are just as much a part of Nyskiria as the Pontians and Skirians, and today we are faced with a decision! Huge numbers of us have been killed, and the Gauls now occupy Läu. I see your anger and your willingness to hold the Gauls accountable, but remember that they may not be at fault at all."
Anton looks at the burning city of Läu, plagued by screams, and calls: "Let's end this curse. Try to capture the cursed Gauls or lock them up. Use violence if necessary, but don't kill anyone, MARCH!"