Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

"The Red Executioner is too big and heavy... my fighting style is based on speed and counterattacks. I'd like you to make some changes to Brann's axe, making it a one-handed axe, so that I can use it, together with this one" Dag continued, showing Magni's hammer to Vegard.

"Where... where did you get that weapon?" asked Vegard, who as soon as he saw it began to step back fearfully, as if he had seen death itself.

"Well... this weapon has a long history, belonged to Magni, my Master. He sacrificed his life to save mine because he was convinced that I could do good" said Dag, with melancholy, as he looked at the black head of the hammer.

"Its power... it's dark! I don't understand how that's possible! You're just a human being..." continued Vegard, continuing to retreat towards the anvil.

"What does this mean? I managed to imprison the power of my late Master inside his hammer. I have powers, yes. That would be my second question for you" Dag continued, advancing toward him with his hands down, making him realize that he had no bad intentions.

"A human being cannot have that power! How did you do that?! Tell me, or I'll have to get rid of you!" the blacksmith yelled at Dag, resting his hand on the large anvil.

"Get rid of me? Vegard, what are you saying? I'm not evil, I swear! If you can feel things for real, then try to feel my intentions. Growing up, I developed these 'dark' powers, but I don't know where they come from. As I explained before, I come from Earth and have been subjected to the judgment of the Temporum, like all earthlings" Dag continued, as Vegard paused to listen, with the same frightened expression drawn on his face.

"When that alien machine showed the Xis the values of my blood, they found that a small part of it, 2% was unknown. For the first time, I saw them worried. After consulting, they still sent me here, on Skjold, because the highest percentage of my blood belongs to this place. The really strange thing is that, lately, I've found that shape-shifting beings, both humans and animals, are chasing me. And they all have one thing in common: their blood is not red, but magenta-colored".

Vegard gasped, as well as Reidar and Karl, who were watching the scene from behind Dag.

"All this is impossible... inside you... I feel there is something good. But the darkness... darkness will soon devour you completely! You have to leave, you have to get out of here before my Lord finds you out!" said the old blacksmith.

"What? What are you talking about? Who is your lord?"

"Silly of a boy... he's Odin! The Allfather will punish me if he finds out I helped a Frostsinner! Go away!" continued Vegard, approaching the lava pool.

Reidar and Karl continued to watch Dag, trying to figure out what his intentions were, and in the meantime slowly pulled out the weapons, ready to use them if necessary.

"Frostsinner?! I'm nothing like that, I don't even know what you're talking about! I beg you, Vegard. Help me understand!" cried Dag, desperate for Vegard's unexpected reaction.

"Only the Frostsinners possess that dark power. They have trapped the people of Midgard and Asgard on this planet, driving us away from our true home, Earth. I don't know how it's possible, you're a human being, and yet you're one of them, there's no doubt about it" he replied, bending over to the red-hot pool and tucking his arm into the lighting magma.

"A Xis?! Do you think I'm one of them?! Then this is it, I was right! That 2% of my blood... it's alien! How is that possible?! Please, Vegard, tell me more! I can't live anymore without knowing..." said Dag, kneeling before the blacksmith after the great revelation.

"You'll have to stop living, then" Vegard said, in a stern voice, pulling his arm out of the lava, with a large sword in his hand.

Reidar and Karl didn't know whether to be more surprised by what Dag had discovered or the fact that Vegard had just stuck an entire arm in the red-hot magma without feeling pain.

The blacksmith stood up and looked at the sword he held in his hands as if he was looking at a brother he had not met in 100 years.

Dag lay on the ground, standing in the same position, distraught.

"The Frostsinners..." he kept repeating in a low voice, when Reidar touched his shoulder, trying to get him back.

"Captain... maybe we should get out of this place!" he said, pointing to Vegard.

Dag looked up at him, tears streaming down his eyes.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again, Mimungr. I need my true form to drive these enemies out of the Great Forge" said the blacksmith, stroking the blade of the sword with one hand.

It was a magnificent weapon: the golden hilt had the black leather grip and head of a Valkyrie embedded in the center of the guard, which separated the lower part of the weapon from the sharp red and shiny blade, which seemed to contain flames inside.

As Dag rose slowly, Vegard pointed the blade of the sword at his own stomach and raised his head upwards, looking at the vault of the Great Forge.

In a determined gesture, he stuck his sword in his flesh, piercing his belly.

Dag and his companions could not understand what was about to happen.

Vegard knelt on the ground and rivers of blood gushed from his mouth as he placed both hands down, clenching his fists.

The blade of the sword was coming out of his back and the old blacksmith was losing a lot of blood.

At a point, when Dag recovered from the shock and wielded his hammer again, Vegard's body began to change, increasing considerably in volume: the robes he was wearing were torn and the sword that had just been thrust into his body fell to the ground.