Upon reaching the border town, which was a military post of the kingdom, Haldor felt much calmer, but he never stopped considering that someone might be thinking of killing him; after all, he was supposedly a prince.
But these were the least of his worries for now.
In understandable terms, since Haldor traveled through time a few days ago, he faced gods, natural disasters, and wars, so he was already cautious of everyone. Not only had his personality changed, but he had also become insensitive to seeing people killed with the utmost tranquility in the world.
He thought he wouldn't survive, but after sacrificing so much to get here, he finally gained confidence in being able to continue surviving. Therefore, after thinking for a moment, Haldor simply placed a stool behind the door in the provisional room he had been given just as he requested to avoid drawing attention, then removed the straw and clothes from the bed, spreading them out to one side to analyze the place where he was about to lie down.
The sword in his hand had not left his side since the journey began, and his trembling hands from the cold had eased, and only now that he was in this border town was he able to calm down.
The place where he found himself was an area where soldiers slept, a very quiet place where he could sleep.
Perhaps he was too tired. As soon as he relaxed, he immediately fell asleep.
But suddenly, he didn't know how long he had been asleep when the sound of a bird singing on the roof made him alert. The next moment, he clearly heard some movement outside the door. Immediately, he held the hilt of his sword and secretly stood up.
A hand slipped through the crack in the door, pushed the latch aside, and then the door, almost ajar, slowly opened. At that moment, the rain outside seemed to have stopped, so he didn't know if it was the moonlight or the starlight that clearly illuminated a figure approaching.
When this person entered the hallway, Haldor, who had been walking at the end of these days, recognized him behind the door almost instantly. It was Hans who had accompanied him on the first part of the journey, meeting other people.
Except for the door, the room was dark. The man entered the hallway at his door and drew a double-edged dagger while searching the rooms.
Seeing this situation, Haldor hid behind the door and had nothing to think about. He waited while his breaths became lighter, and when he saw that no one else followed outside the room and that there was no other figure, he stepped aside, holding a knife and seeing the figure walking slowly to attack him with all his might.
But as soon as he attacked, the air left Haldor's lungs when he realized a rather important detail. It turned out that in such a narrow place, the hallways were very muddy, and this caused a noise of alert that Hans had noticed beforehand.
When Haldor attacked, his attack had been anticipated before it impacted his target. The sound of the ground betrayed his movements, which made Hans discover him.
Fortunately, Hans was also surprised and did not take the opportunity to defend himself. When the man regained his senses and raised his dagger to stab Haldor, who was his target, Haldor had taken a step back, grabbing his helmet to block the stab.
The dagger hit the helmet, caused a spark, and deflected. Hans did not dare to neglect it and quickly extended his other hand to pinch the wrist of his target, who held the dagger, and the two hands connected. His enemy also extended his other hand to grab the helmet, and finally, with crossed arms, the two twisted together, but the hallway was very small and narrow. After several struggles, they simply rolled to the ground.
At this moment, Haldor, whose mind was blank and almost relying on his instincts to fight for his life, felt that the so-called cold energy between his chest and abdomen surged again, but he took advantage of the situation and used it.
That energy that had been with him and connected with his dragon began to move everywhere; a layer of ice began to form over his right arm, which instantly increased in strength, overwhelming his enemy, and his hand that held the man's arm squeezed so hard that it broke.
Crack!
"You..." Hans was surprised to notice something, then opened his mouth, not knowing whether to scream or say something.
However, Haldor was relentless. While holding the wrist, Hans, who held the dagger, used his energy to hold his knife and slowly turn it.
"No one will save you, warrior..." Haldor, gritting his teeth, slowly stabbed Hans in the chest, and as the force increased, the knife advanced more and more.
"Young prince..."
Haldor approached Hans and asked, "Who sent you?"
"Haha, if it's not me who will kill you, it will be the long night."
This was the fifth time someone had told him he would die; he was tired of it, so he took the helmet with which he had deflected Hans' attack, and without any compassion while holding the hilt of his dagger with his left hand, he struck Hans' head repeatedly with his helmet.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
One blow, two, three—Haldor shouted loudly for everyone to hear, and only after a few minutes did he stop hitting Hans' head, who had long since stopped moving.
When he dragged Hans' body using the strength left from his own adrenaline, he walked towards the exit of the rooms, and before the guards approached, Ravyn stopped them all.
Everyone was speechless because the body Haldor was dragging had no head. The most terrifying thing about all this was that the prince was bathed in the blood of his attacker while a cold look crossed his face.
"Who else wants to come kill me?" Haldor shouted at the top of his lungs while stabbing his sword into the mud.
All the refugees from hunter villages that had been ravaged by natural disasters approached to see what was happening, only to end up surprised.
Ravyn was even more surprised; he couldn't see the weak boy from a few days ago and now was facing a fearless prince willing to confront his enemies head-on.
"Who else seeks my life?" Haldor asked again, waiting for someone to step forward to attack him.
All this time, trying to survive for someone to try to kill him again was something that filled him with uncontrollable fury that surged from within.
But at that moment, from afar, a thick group of soldiers completely different from the Vikings around approached, and when they saw Haldor covered in blood, they knelt. "My prince, forgive us for not being able to keep you safe."
"Prince?"
"He's a prince?"
The murmurs around grew louder, gaining the attention of everyone in this military station.
"My prince, we have prepared a special residence for you to stay in this city. Additionally, someone is looking for you." One of the guards had blue armor, very different from the Vikings around him, which was very disconcerting.
Haldor looked at Ravyn and asked, "Will you return too?"
"I will accompany you wherever you go, my lord; I will ensure to keep you safe."
"I don't think you've been doing a good job so far." One of the envoys to take Haldor back looked coldly at Ravyn, who just lowered his head.
Haldor had no time for this, so he said, "Then we return now; as I have nothing more to do in this place, make sure to feed this animal to the wolves."
The guards around bowed to their prince and began moving the body with the crushed head under everyone's gaze.
Meanwhile, in the sky, Haldor's small dragon, now much larger, flapped its wings freely and closely followed him to never stray from its lord again.
...
In a large building, there was an open hall with many seats; the architecture was much better than Haldor had thought.
This border town is known for its solidity and strength, combining elements of defense and habitability in its architecture. The city is surrounded by a robust wall of logs and stones, designed to withstand invasions. Watchtowers, built at strategic points, allow sentinels to spot potential threats from afar.
Within the walls, the main structures are large communal houses and banquet halls, built with sturdy wood and thatched roofs. The wooden beams, carved with intricate Norse designs, showcase the skill of Viking artisans. The windows are small and covered with animal skins to retain heat during cold winters.
The streets, though made of dirt and stone, are surprisingly clean as the inhabitants strive to maintain order and hygiene, aware of the importance of a healthy environment for the morale and health of the warriors. Waste is managed carefully, and waste pits are located outside the wall to avoid diseases.
The city has blacksmith and carpentry workshops where weapons and ships are made, vital for raids and trade. The blacksmiths are built with stone walls to contain the fire and protect the surrounding structures.
On the outskirts of the city are the stables and training areas, where soldiers practice their combat skills and prepare for battles. The training grounds are well-maintained, with designated areas for different types of practice, from archery to hand-to-hand combat.
This city maintained cleanliness very well; undoubtedly, whoever designed this city had more knowledge about architecture than it seemed at first glance.
"You have a distant visitor; his name is Baba Voss, and he says you gave him food when he needed it." The Lord Commander of this city announced the entry of the man Haldor had fed beneath the mountain.
Haldor, still stained with blood, asked, "Are you here to kill me too? Many have tried over the past few days, but now they are all dead. To be honest, you would save me a lot of energy if you drew your sword and attacked me right now. Have some honor."
Ravyn looked at Baba Voss with concern. This man was very robust, even without his long fur cloaks, so he was undoubtedly a formidable warrior, and all the other warriors knew this. They approached Haldor to ensure his safety.
But Baba Voss had no intention of attacking. He drew his sword and, once kneeling, said, "I wish to pledge my loyalty to you. You, more than anyone, my prince, must have strong warriors by your side."
"And do you believe you are strong enough, Baba Voss?" Ravyn's pride was wounded by Baba Voss's words, who simply spoke the truth.
"A sorcerer can keep a prince safe."
Haldor was intrigued; his gaze never failed, and when he saw Baba Voss, he knew he was a good warrior. So he said, "Bring him some wine."
"A pledge?"
Everyone was impressed; it was rare to pledge loyalty to another man, but a boy, even if he was a prince, was seldom seen.
Heitstrenging, also known as Hietstrenja, Heitstrengingar, or Strengdir, was a solemn Viking oath ritual widely used in Scandinavia. This practice arose during the period of Norse paganism, possibly with Persian roots, and disappeared with the introduction of Christianity in the region. Traditionally, the oaths took place during the blóts to Bragi, the deity of the skalds. The speaker would stand, place one foot on a rock, and pronounce their oath.
"I, Baba Voss, solemnly swear on this horn of wine loyalty to Prince Haldor. I will use both sword and magic to ensure his safety until you decide otherwise." Baba Voss said and then drank the horn of wine.
Haldor, of course, was amazed—not by having another strong warrior protecting him, but because this man was a damn sorcerer. That meant that magic existed in this world, in addition to dragons.