Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Even the warriors behind them were pleased to hear strangers calling their Master by name, known even beyond the confines of Jordstäl.

With the help of some stable boys, they tied all sixteen horses firmly, holding the two who carried the wagon.

"When you're done with the horses, follow me. The Crows Of Odin Masters are waiting for us" Dag exclaimed, full of himself, looking at his soldiers, who obeyed orders and arranged themselves neatly in a row, two at a time.

He, Reidar, Freydis, and Egill walked ahead of the troop, toward the wooden elevators, while the soldiers continued to marvel at everything, despite Skjegg's architecture left something to be desired.

The few people on the street, at the sight of all those soldiers, so disciplined and composed, moved, letting them pass.

In two rounds, they climbed the platform and reached the top of the Rocky Crown, while some of them looked down and suffered from vertigo.

After arriving in front of the Masters's building, everyone stopped at Dag's signal, who raised his arm.

A few seconds passed, when all three Masters of the Allied Clan left the palace, heading towards Dag and his troop.

"Hahaha! Incredible! I told you he wouldn't let us down, not even this time!" Sander chuckled, spreading his arms toward Dag and clutching him in a hug, avoiding suffocating him like last time.

Behind him, Kjell and Ellen remained composed, studying in detail Dag's soldiers and looking curiously at Egill, who stood beside him.

"As promised, this is the Hammers Of Thor's contribution to the Krypstorm mission!" Dag exclaimed, turning his torso toward his warriors and officially presenting them to the Allied Masters.

At that moment, Egill stepped forward, attracting Sander's attention.

"Despite our own age, your beard has always been thicker and glossier than mine! Hahaha!" Sander said again, looking at Egill and making the same gesture as before, spreading his arms, ready to embrace him amicably.

The warriors of the Hammers Of Thor looked on in amazement at that scene, not being used to this sort of thing, especially from Master Egill, who in the last few days was giving more hugs than usual.

"Sander, my old friend! My beard is nothing compared to your physique! Look at those arms! They're as powerful as they used to be!" Egill replied enthusiastically, embracing his friend and almost moving Dag and his companions, who sensed the brotherly love between those two Berserkrs, forged by a thousand battles and experiences.

"Then, it's time for presentations! Hello everyone, Hammers Of Thor! My name is Sander and I am the Master Of Defense of the Clan that watches over the city of Skjegg!" Sander said aloud.

All the warriors raised their fists at the same time, respectfully greeting Master Sander.

"They are Kjell and Ellen, respectively Master Of Offense and Master Of Healing of the Crows Of Odin!" he continued, prompting the warriors in front of him to salute him.

During the salute, Ellen stepped forward, stopping in front of Egill and kneeling slightly.

"Master Egill, it's an honor to meet a healer with your experience. I've only been Master Of Healing for a few years and I'd really like to be able to learn some tips from you!" she confessed, all in one breath, leaving Dag and the others open-mouthed, being a very proud Shieldmaiden who hardly admitted the superiority of others.

"Of course, my friend. The honor would be mine" Egill replied in his usual calm voice, grabbing Ellen's arm and inviting her to stand up.

"Master Sander, before we talk about the mission... our men are tired from the journey, they need rest. How did you think to host them all?" Dag asked, proving his warriors that he had thought of every detail.

"They just have to go into the dorm and follow the instructions of my warriors. They will guide them to the free rooms, while yours are the usual, upstairs" Sander said with a smile, ready to answer that question.

"Did you hear Master Sander? To the dorm! Tomorrow morning we will give you more instructions! Untie the lines!" Egill yelled, ordering the entire troop to walk to the rooms and rest.

Kjell, a lover of discipline and order, looked at Egill with interest after realizing that he was a stern and pointy Master, but continued to remain silent, merely listening to their conversations.

"Then, Sander... I spoke to Master Egill and our soldiers about the mission, explaining the details for what will come next... what's the status of the preparations for the boat?" Dag asked.

"I personally brought to Gurn the project sheet I showed you, to allow Frank to review it and make some changes. Tomorrow morning, if you want, you can come with me and we can see the first results. What do you say?" Sander answered.

Dag accepted the proposal and Egill did the same, eager to discover other places of Runar, which he had not visited for many years and did not know outside of Skjegg.

After speaking for about half an hour, Dag and his friends left, too tired to continue arguing.

He, Freydis, and Reidar headed to the dormitory, while Egill and Sander remained there, just outside the palace, continuing to talk about the old days, with smiling and melancholy faces.

Upon reaching the dormitory, the three friends climbed the stairs and reached the rooms, putting themselves to bed and falling into a deep sleep, venting the weariness of the long journey.

...

The next day, Dag awoke on time, greeted Freydis, and left the room, noting that Master Egill was already there waiting for him.

Together they left the crowded dorm and met Master Sander at the same spot the previous day, in front of the Masters building.

Late in the morning, they arrived at the port of Gurn, which since Dag had last seen it, was much busier and busier.

Dozens of sailors and carpenters moved from side to side, dragging some long curved wooden beams with the help of wagons and beasts of burden.