Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

"What if the Giants Of Ymir weren't the first enemies in our path? I mean... two other Clans live in Krypstorm and we don't know how their domains are geographically distributed..." the Shieldmaiden replied.

"I too thought of this probability a few days ago. Krypstorm is very large, but I'm sure we'll be able to find out the location of the Jotunns' base of operations, at the cost of using 'unkind' methods with whoever we find on our way. I want to know more about this crystal... they traveled to Okstorm just to steal my weapon? Well, what if I'm now traveling towards them?" Dag continued, with a serious and determined air, clutching with one hand the handle of the Giantbane, which he had no intention of giving in to anyone.

*grrr*mumble*

"I think your wolf suffers from seasickness Dag" Egill said, sitting not far from Thalos, who emitted strange verses.

"Hey, buddy... I warned you, the journey will be long, relax, take a nap" Dag whispered, who as he spoke with Freydis got up and went to sit next to Thalos, starting to massage his neck, trying to help him relax.

Slowly the wolf closed his eyes and after only a few minutes began to snore, falling asleep like a stone.

The Sun illuminated the shores of Runar to the left of the boat, which traveled fast on the surface of the sea.

For some strange reason, Dag, looking at the water, remembered an episode in Grün Forest with Stein, in which his adoptive father showed him the pond a few minutes from the farm, nestled in the forest.

"I feel guilty every time I think of you, Stein. If only I'd been stronger, I'd have been able to save you. You lost your life trying to protect your family, and I never avenged you. The Lies Of Loki are in Krypstorm, no one knows where. If I ever meet one of them, I will have no mercy, I will kill them from the first to the last. I apologize" he thought, turning his gaze to Gridd, who spoke with a smile with Reidar, full of optimism.

Freydis noticed that her boyfriend was immersed in his thoughts, as was often the case, and approached him, hugging him from behind.

"Whatever you're thinking, I'm sure you'll make it. No matter how long it takes, your determination will lead you to your goals, Dag. You will see, after this mission, many things will change" she said, trying to strengthen her man's soul. 

"I hope so too, Freydis... I hope so too."

A few hours passed when in the distance it was possible to see the destroyed fishing villages, along the stretch of coast affected by the attacks.

The highest part of the headland was all shattered by Dag's powerful attack, so violent that it compromised the rock beneath the three villages, whose citizens owed their lives to him and his men, who had managed to save them.

On the other hand, the only thing visible was the boundless horizon and a huge expanse of saltwater.

"Masters, we're ready to officially move away from Okstorm!" one of the two soldiers at the rudder said, asking permission.

"Allowed, go ahead, boy!" Sander said, who had placed his heavy shield on the ground, realizing that even for a man of his size it was impossible to bear its weight for all the duration of the journey.

With a slight right turn, the ship changed direction and the sails filled with wind, which increased the speed of movement, pushing the Iron Emerald to its full potential.

"Imagine how small we are seen from heaven" Dag said, speaking to Freydis, who was distracted listening to Sander's words

"What do you mean?" she replied, intrigued.

"If we could look at our boat from hundreds of meters high, it would be nothing more than a small dot in this huge expanse of water that we call the sea. We, humans, are small, in comparison to the greatness of the cosmos" he continued, stunning his woman with that phrase, romantic but gloomy at the same time.

She remained silent, trying to imagine that she was a seagull, or any other bird capable of flying over the sea undisturbed and enjoying the view.

The five Masters chatted with each other to fool the clock until the Sun set on the horizon and their stomachs began to grumble. 

"I think it's time to put something under our teeth" Sander replied, accustomed to eating with every sign of appetite.

Taking advantage of the strong offshore wind, the rowers also managed to take a break, and the entire crew of the ship, with the permission of the Masters, ate something, enjoying that brief moment of relaxation.

Dag, after finishing eating a large portion of dried fruit and meat, began to walk on the ship, heading for the bow, looking up.

The sky was full of stars, many of which had to be planets.

He recalled when, as a child, during lessons on Earth, Lady Ysabel explained to him and his companions what the polar star was and why it was so important, always pointing to the north.

He tried to reflect on the stars that could be seen by Skjold and the fact that the astronomy and astrology of that place were completely different from that of Earth, because of the different position of the planet in the solar system, which of 'solar' had only the name. 

"It is incredible how after millennia of technological development and innovative naval and aerial techniques, everything is back to its beginning. Right now I'm on a boat made of iron and wood and I'm sailing on an imprecise route, established only by our sixth sense, without a compass or an effective method to keep the same direction" he thought, while the sound of the sea and the darkness of the night helped his mind to reason, wondering the why of things.

He also thought of the advanced technology of the Xis and the Vortex, the machinery that was used to teleport from one planet to another in seconds.