Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 221: CCXXI. Ragna

"Hello, Ragna. My name is Dag, I don't think you know me. I come from afar and I would like to know more about that day when you and your companions traveled to Vaeren Island... can we get in? My sister's with me..." said, approaching his ears at the door, to hear what was going on on the other side.

Ragna did not answer, but she was there, he could sense her presence.

"I don't care anything about your Clan and your duties to them. I want to ask you about Freydis. You know, she and I we were together, and I traveled a long way to meet her again. Please, Ragna. You're the only person who can help me..." continued Dag, resting first a hand, then his forehead on the door, heartbroken and sad.

"I warned you... I'm very sorry, but Ragna doesn't like to get visitors" the Shieldmaiden's father interrupted, pointing the exit door to Dag and Gridd.

Just then, the room's door opened and she finally went out.

She was a medium-sized girl, very thin and with long brown hair, frizzy and unappealing. 

She was wearing a quite dirty white robe and walked barefoot. 

The most immediate detail Dag and Gridd noticed was a large rune-shaped scar on her forehead.

The light in the hallway barely illuminated her face, when Ragna gestured with her hand towards Dag, inviting him to enter, under the astonished eyes of her parents, who watched the scene on the sidelines.

He stepped forward, entering the room, and as Gridd followed him, the girl looked at her, implicitly asking her not to go any further.

"I believe she doesn't want me to come in with you, brother. I'll wait for you out here" said Gridd, who, not perceiving that young woman as a threat, let his brother continue alone.

After both of them were inside the room, lit only by a candle resting on a nightstand next to the bed, Ragna closed the door, locking it. 

"What is that scar, Ragna? What did those bastards do to you?" asked Dag, merciless in seeing the young woman's grieving expression.

She touched her forehead, sitting on the bed, without answering.

Dag approached her, who got up the bed and slid back, frightened.

"Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you. I just want to help you! Tell me what happened that day... what happened to Freydis and your other companions? I met Sander, your former Master, but apparently, neither he nor anyone else knows anything about that story" Dag continued, sitting on the bed next to her and trying to make her realize that he was not his enemy.

Ragna stopped touching her forehead and slowly raised one of the sleeves of her white dressing gown, showing Dag her arm.

"Oh my goodness" whispered him, when he noticed that the whole girl's arm was full of scars of all shapes and sizes.

"Have you been tortured? Who did it? Tell me the name of who did this to you and I will kill him with my own hands, whatever it costs!"

She made no answer, clutching her legs in the arms on the bed.

Dag stood up, realizing that Ragna wouldn't say a word if he hadn't found a way to prove to her that he was seeking revenge.

He opened his arms and closed his eyes.

At that very moment, the girl's gaze fell on the candle resting on the bedside table, whose flame began to swing, as if struck by a light wind, which was impossible, since the window in her room was closed.

"Look at me" Dag said, as the gray smoke billowed out of his arms, immediately becoming liquid and floating around him.

She opened her eyes wide, incredulous.

"These are my powers, Ragna. I want to avenge you and I need to know if Freydis is still alive" Dag continued, as a beam of dark fluid moved toward the girl, who stood motionless on the bed.

"Mmh! Mmmh! No!" she said, moaning, frightened by that vision.

"I don't want to hurt you... look".

The liquid moved towards the candle, grabbing the small clay plate that held it and lifting it from the nightstand, moving the light across the room.

Ragna calmed down, realizing that Dag had no bad intentions, despite those strange supernatural powers.

Gently, he placed the candle again in his place and recalled the liquid to his body, which absorbed it immediately, leaving himself astonished too, who feared that he would not be able to control his powers so perfectly.

"Inguz..." whispered her, looking Dag in the eye.

"What? Inguz? Is that the name of the man who did this to you?" he asked, approaching her and sitting on the bed.

She shook her head, denying.

Soon after, she touched the rune-shaped scar on her forehead again, continuing to repeat that word with a flickering thread of a voice.

"Inguz... Inguz..." 

"I get it! The rune! Inguz is the name of the rune, isn't it?" asked Dag, urging her to speak.

She nodded her head, confirming. 

"I don't know its meaning, but I'm sure some of my friends can help me understand... try to talk to me, Ragna, please. Everything you tell me will not come out of this room, I will keep the secret if you will" replied Dag, who was trying in every way to earn her trust.

"Freydis... she didn't want to... Inguz..." Ragna continued, clasping her legs tightly in her arms and swinging them as if saying those words reminded her of the trauma she suffered.

"Yes! Freydis! Well! Keep it up, you can do it! Did she refuse to have the rune engraved on her skin? But, I don't understand... did you consent instead? Why would you? So, wait. Let's start from the beginning" said Dag, who was so eager to ask questions that he feared he might put her in a confused state.

"They killed everyone... except me and Freydis... we were supposed to be... we had to be..."