Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

His sister did not respond and inserted one of the keys into the door lock, which after emitting a deafening metallic noise, opened squeaking.

In front of them, Taya and Jens were seated at a table in the middle of a small, almost empty, rhombus-shaped room.

Dag noticed shelves holding old weapons and other sharp and rusty objects on the only furnished wall.

"Why did he come too?" asked Taya, in a calm tone.

"Because I felt it was necessary for him to be here, Master Taya" said Gridd, sure of her authority.

Dag said nothing, merely greeting the other two Masters with a nod.

He and Gridd sat in front of Taya and Jens.

"Then... I'll start. While we were waiting for you, I discussed with Taya what was proposed to us by the Hammers Of Thor, or rather, by Dag. I believe that by reviewing every single detail of his project, our Clan can benefit from it, as can the Kingdom of Okstorm. Besides, the emblem of which this young warrior is in possession gives him a high military charge, as well as increasing the credibility of his words. So I, Jens, accept your proposal, Dag" said the Clan's Master Of Healing, in a more serious tone of voice than usual.

Dag nodded his head, smiling.

"I also accept your proposal, for the same reasons that Jens mentioned. Although I am the youngest of this Clan's Masters, from the first moment, I put the Sons Of Freya above everything else, giving up everything, even my family. I think it's time to look beyond the boundaries of the fortress, beyond Hevnen, beyond Sjonir. If we reject such a proposal and the other Clans accept, we would find ourselves alone and unprotected" said Gridd, trying to reason with Taya, whose gaze was still puzzled.

Dag looked at his sister, thinking how clever her statement had been. In her words, she had put Taya in a difficult position, comparing the alliance with the other Clans to protection during possible battles. 

Gridd was an incredibly smart and intelligent Shieldmaiden, and she knew how to harness these skills.

Taya, before speaking, cleared her voice: "As usual, it's up to me to break down. I understand your words, Masters. But I still have a misgiving. You forgot that until a few months ago, this guy was training in the Jernhest Arena. I've seen him grow up and with him, I've seen his fighting style grow. Although as a child he had turned out to be such a terrible fighter, unable even to hold a sword in his hands, growing up he proved to be a skilled and determined warrior, exceeding my expectations".

Dag looked Taya right in the eye and she did the same.

"But are we sure that he has the right maturity to accomplish such a feat? I want to remind you of what happened to our two Clans the last time we allied?" she continued.

Jens looked down at the table, not knowing what to say, and for a moment, Gridd also found herself in trouble.

"I saw it, Master Taya. My Master Of Healing, Egill, showed me the battle. I know all about Brann and his greed that led to the death of many of your warriors. But the fact is... that I am very different from him. I have decided that I will not use my power just to achieve my goals, but I will make sure to make it available to the people, the weakest ones" Dag replied, trying to break through her heart.

"Your power? Dag, let's be serious. I feel affection for you, and you know that... but you've only been leaving with your Clan for a few months and you've also been able to get exiled! You're not ready for a business like that. I've been thinking a lot about your proposal, I couldn't sleep tonight. One question gripped my brain... If we build an alliance, it would need a leader. And who would be the leader of all the Clans of the alliance... you?! It's just ridiculous" Taya continued, underestimating Dag's strength, not being aware of his powers and his clash with Weland.

As Dag thought of an answer, Gridd interjected: "How do you elect the Jarl in charge to rule a city? We Vikings have only one way to determine who is in charge and who obeys. Fight. The strongest among us will be the leader".

At those words, Dag looked at her, opening his eyes wide.

Gridd spoke seriously: it was evident that she believed in his story when he had described his powers.

"Fight? We could even just vote! It would be a more civilized method" Jans exclaimed, trying to reason with Taya and Gridd, who kept looking at each other with an air of defiance.

"It seems a good idea to me. In this way, no one will ever complain about who is in charge. Whenever a new Clan joins the alliance, one of its Masters can choose whether to challenge the current leader. Of course, it will be a fight with fake weapons, aimed only at proving one's combat skill, without anyone being hurt. What do you think, Dag?" asked Taya, with superiority.

Dag looked at his sister, who nodded her head, trusting him.

Jens was puzzled, not knowing what else to say. 

"It's fine. But if you lose the fight, you have to accept the defeat without grudges. I know I can, but what if not everyone does?" asked Dag, referring to Taya and the unknown Masters of other Clans.

"A warrior is worthy to be called so if he also knows how to lose. If he doesn't agree to be beaten in combat, he and his Clan will be expelled from the alliance right then and there" Gridd interrupted, resting her hands on the table, ready to plan the next move.

"There's another problem though. By forming an alliance between Clans, we will go against King Einar, altering the order of things. The question is, what is the ultimate goal of all this?" asked Taya, trying to corner Dag.