Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 227: CCXXVII. The Cow

Dag placed a foot on the man's chest, holding him to the ground, and with the Giantbane he struck him in the middle of the head, splitting it in two.

With strength and helping with his foot in support on the body of the enemy, he pulled out the axe, whose blades became glowing moments later, smashing his enemy's cranium.

"Okay... never mind..." Karl said, noting that Dag was continuing his unchallenged advance, without saying a word, leaving behind the red-hot trail of his weapon, which illuminated the rest of the dark staircase to the surface.

Once out of the cave, the incessant rain began to slam over their heads and made the orientation on that unknown island even more irksome.

"Dag? What's the plan now?" asked Karl aloud, looking around to see nothing but water and mud.

"There's someone down there... I can smell them, even if this rain greatly limits my senses... we need to find out where they hold Freydis captive and especially if she's still alive" Dag said, beginning to walk quickly to the left.

"Wait, Dag!" shouted Gridd, as she and the others prepared to follow him to avoid losing him in the rain, which reduced the field of view to a radius of a few meters, on that gray, windy night.

The clouds of the sky were so dense above the island that the dark blue sky of the night had been replaced by a grayish and gloomy atmosphere, sometimes illuminated by the lightning flashing bolts that impacted a few kilometers away from them.

With his eyes ajar because of the water, Dag kept walking straight to that smell of human breaths.

The Giantbane's glowing blade emitted smoke continuously, due to the rain falling on it, evaporating instantly, being that flame of magical, divine nature.

At one point, unable to orient himself, Dag was forced to stop when a large animal appeared before him, scaring him.

"A cow?!" asked Karl, positioning next to him, motionless looking at the large cow with her nose pointed in their direction, intrigued.

Before the four friends walked away from the cow, someone whistled at her, calling her back.

The beast, reluctantly, turned and began to walk very slowly in that direction, following the call, which continued to break the sound of rain.

Reidar, from behind, began to load an arrow over the bow, ready to fire it in case of need.

The cow disappeared in the rain, amidst the mist that had risen on the muddy, swamp-like ground. 

Dag continued to walk forward, crouching, and his companions did the same, trying to remain invisible behind the cow, which advanced by grazing here and there, heedless of the persistent rain.

After walking about a hundred meters, a fence appeared in front of him, beyond which it was possible to catch a glimpse of some pigs and other cows, similar to that of before, with long fur and a large, protruding nose.

He climbed over the fence and proceeded to the hut at its center, from whose windows a dim light could be seen.

A small stone chimney suggested that it was inhabited and that somebody was in there, considering the adverse weather conditions. 

"Get ready..." he whispered to the two comrades behind him, who had already held up their weapons and followed Dag over the wooden fence. 

"The cow before, meanwhile, had entered on her own, and strolled among the other animals.

Dag, trying not to make too much noise, leaned against the walls of the hut, eavesdropping on what was happening beyond that walls. 

Because of the rain, he could barely distinguish voices, but his sense of smell had sniffed something to eat, a smell similar to a vegetable soup.

He looked at his companions, nodding his head, indicating to them that there was someone in there.

They too leaned from the wall of the hut, following the movements of their young leader, who slid to the entrance, ready to fight anyone who lived in that house, without delay.

With his companions right behind him, Dag kicked the puny wooden door, knocking it to the ground and broke into the hut: a man in his 60s was sitting at a large wooden table, while a woman, probably his wife, stood by the fireplace, spinning something in a large pot, perhaps the soup of which he had perceived the smell.

"What... who...?!" exclaimed the man, who being unarmed and not knowing how to react, at the sight of Dag and the others raised his hands, helpless, followed by his wife, who did the same, dropping on the ladle filthy of food on the floor.

With a hand gesture, Dag ordered the couple to remain silent and avoid screaming unnecessarily, while Gridd, when Karl and Reidar also entered, closed the door behind them.

"The Crows Of Odin prisoner... where is she?!" asked Dag aloud, approaching the man holding both of his weapons.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about... we are peasants, we are not Clan warriors..." exclaimed the man, sincerely terrified.

Dag stopped in front of him as the Giantbane's scorching blades continued to emit smoke, allowing the last drops of rain to evaporate on their surface.

"You better talk, our captain doesn't have much patience" Reidar said, threatening the man to hurt them.

"My husband and I know nothing, it's the truth! We provide meat and milk to the members of the Horns Of Heimdallr, we never get involved in their affairs, we are mere inhabitants of Vaeren!" exclaimed the woman, opening her hands to them, trying to calm their rash spirits.

Dag put the hammer back, freeing his right hand, with which he grabbed the man sitting at the table by the linen jacket, lifting him to his feet. 

"Try to remember. We're not going to get out of here without a lead" he continued, menacingly looking at him with his purple eye, which further intimidated his interlocutor.

"Roar and Sondre! These are the only names I know! They're two of the Island's Clan Masters! I don't know anything else, I swear!" said the man, beginning to sweat cold.