Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Dag winked at his friend and held his arm towards him.

The two greeted each other clapping their fists.

Dag got on horseback again and quickly rode to his house.

In his mind, he thought that if Karl had made significant progress in the meantime, he would be a perfect travel companion for his expedition to Hevnen.

It would be a safer hypothesis than an unfamiliar comrade.

After about ten minutes, Dag finally began to see the farm, with the cows and the pig in the fence.

Everything looked like when he left, on the other hand, he missed for nearly a month.

"Mother! Mother, I'm home!" he yelled.

No one answered.

"Mother!" continued Dag, fearing that something had happened.

He tied the horse to the fence and walked quickly to the door when someone opened it.

"Who is... uhm? Dag! Dag, it's you!"

Asa was safe and sound.

Dag ran towards her and hugged her tightly, lifting her slightly off the ground.

"Mom!" continued Dag, downing Asa back on the ground.

"What brings you here, my son?" she replied.

"Let's go in, there's a lot I'd like to talk to you about" Dag said.

They both entered the farm.

Before sitting down at the table, Dag laid the hammer on it.

"Well... it all started on my journey to Temple Of Orn..."

Dag and Asa spent several hours sitting at the table. Dag recounted everything that had happened to him since his departure until that day.

While he was still talking, Eirik entered through the door.

"Dag?" he said, in a startled expression.

"Hello, brother" Dag replied, rising from his chair and opening his arms toward him, intending to hug him.

Eirik left the bag he was carrying on the ground and walked toward Dag.

For a moment he was hesitant, but after a few seconds, he put aside the grudge and reciprocated the embrace.

"I saw the horse outside... I didn't know you'd come back. That horse is a beautiful stallion, one of the best I've ever seen. It will have cost you a lot of money" Eirik said.

Dag smiled: "No, I didn't pay for it. He's part of the clan, like me."

Eirik made a wonder.

"Eirik, look at your brother. He looks like a real man now, he's officially become a Warrior of the Hammers Of Thor. He told me about his adventures... probably, he will soon earn the title of Master of his clan. Isn't that great?" exclaimed Asa, rising from his chair and taking part in the conversation.

Eirik continued to look at Dag from head to toe.

"Yes, it's magnificent. I congratulate you, Dag. Honestly, I thought you were a good-for-nothing earthling. Instead, you managed to amaze me. This armor, the horse, the weapon on the table... The story you told our mother must be authentic" he said.

"It is, brother. But there's something I didn't tell her either. I was waiting for you to tell both of you. Come, let's make dinner, sit down and eat" Dag said, taking Eirik's bag and helping him sort out his things.

Eirik observed the scene with wonder, never expecting a gesture of kindness from Dag. Throughout most of his childhood, he had always treated him badly and mocked him. He had never helped him in anything, even in his time of need.

They both helped Asa preparing dinner, which was ready in no time.

Dag also put the advanced supplies in his fabric bag and mead at the table.

They all sat down at the table when Dag began to talk: "Mother, as I explained to you, before being one of my Clan's new Masters nominees, I was exiled from the same members who accepted me back".

Asa nodded his head.

"Exiled? Why did they exile you, what did you do?" asked Eirik.

"During a friendly training session, I was attacked simultaneously by two warriors, and defending myself, I injured one badly. They attacked me with real weapons, if I hadn't reacted, I would have been hurt" Dag said.

"But... but then it was an injustice!" exclaimed Eirik.

"That's not all. I don't think that's the only reason I was turned away from Temple. You have to know that since I started fighting seriously, I've found that I have some… particular powers" Dag continued.

"What do you mean by 'particular'?" asked Asa.

"There's something dark inside me. Very powerful energy, which I can only partially control and that makes me capable of things that otherwise I would not be able to do with my normal strength".

"Explain better, please".

Dag recounted precisely the episode of the first undead he encountered on the bridge and the first time he ingested magenta blood.

"Bleah! That sucks! How did you come up with the thought of drinking the blood of a corpse that had come back to life? It's a lousy thing!" said Eirik, disgusted.

Asa remained listening to Dag without interrupting.

"After ingesting that strange blood... my powers have tripled! Over time I found that the increase in power is proportional to the amount of blood I ingest.

"With time? That means you've done it more than once!" continued Eirik, who couldn't believe what he was listening to.

At the time, Dag also recounted the episode of his kidnapping, Mork Castle, Hjalmar and Myr, both owned by the Xis. About Magni's death.

"Fuck! I'm so sorry about what happened to your Master. I didn't know him directly, but I've heard of him many times. Not only that, I feel sorry for you too, brother. For everything you've been through. I feel like a worm thinking I blamed you for my father's death. I apologize" Eirik confessed, in a heartbroken and displeased tone.

"Don't worry, Eirik. It was a moment of despair, your reaction was more than normal" Dag said.

"I'm glad you're back, snotty" Eirik continued, smiling at Dag and rubbing his hair with his hand.

Meanwhile, Asa remained silent.

"The hammer on the table. It was his. I was able to imprison his powers inside the rock of which its head is made" Dag said, turning his gaze to Asa as well, trying to give her some reaction.