Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Freydis, Gridd, and Karl were immersed in a deep sleep, made such by the stability of the vessel, on which the swell was practically imperceptible.

Master Kjell was awake, but he lay on his bench, contemplating the view around him, while Egill and Sander sat in the bow, side by side.

"Good morning..." Dag said in a low voice, intent on not waking the crew members who were still sleeping.

"Hello, Dag. Master Sander and I were wondering how long it'll take to get to our destination. We left the shores of Runar more than 24 hours ago, but we still don't see anything on the horizon" Egill said, who despite his experience on the battlefield, was not a very experienced sailor.

"Look up, in the sky" Dag replied, inviting his interlocutors to look at each other, while Reidar was also listening to the conversation, sitting a few feet away from them.

"What should I see? There's nothing but a few clouds" Sander said, continuing to keep his head up.

"That's right. There are no seagulls or other seabirds either... that means the land is still far away" he continued, sitting next to Reidar and looking out at the edge of the boat.

"Interesting... I hadn't thought of that..." Sander replied, looking around and noting that, in fact, the sea was not flown over by any kind of animal from the mainland.

"The important thing is that our hold is still full of provisions and that our morale is still high! Anyway, I thought about what you said yesterday, Dag, I've been thinking about it all night long... and I don't think we should dismiss that hypothesis" Egill replied, referring to Dag's words that had made Kjell nervous enough to force Sander to intervene.

"We won't know more until we get there... I thought of something else, about the alleged informant of our enemies" Dag continued. 

"Uhm? Do you have any suspicions, Captain?" Reidar asked, who had been thinking the same thing for days.

"Who knew our plans so well? I mean, excluding the birth of the Iron Alliance and these large-scale details that pretty much everyone knew... who knew about our travels, such as when we went to the south coast of Runar in defense of the villages? I don't know exactly who he is, but one thing I'm sure: anyone who has warned our enemies is a person very close to us Masters. Someone who overheard the plans and somehow communicated them to the warriors of Krypstorm" Dag said, motivating his suspicions.

"I too had thought of such a thing! It could have been a guard of Skjegg or the librarian of the Masters building!" Reidar said, who seemed to be waiting no further.

"How do you mind, boy?! What reason would my men have to help our enemies organize against us! That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Sander exclaimed, in an angry tone, looking at Reidar out of the corner of his eye.

"It's not necessarily Skjegg's, it could be in each of the cities of our Clans. Clearly, even if we knew who did it, we would not be able to easily understand how and why of his gesture. Helping enemies at the expense of their allies is a cowardly act, testifying to the lack of honor. But we can't pretend it never happened, so sooner or later we'll find the culprit" Dag continued, leading his interlocutors to reflect.

"Of course we will find him! And he will be punished properly! Its stupidity has caused so many innocent victims! Citizens of Runar who had not committed any harm! The spy must also know the power of your weapon very well, which means that he has seen you fighting at least once. After discovering what is possible to do with your axe, he thought about telling our enemies, perhaps receiving something in return" Sander said, touching his beard and trying to reflect on the chronological details.

"There are too many variables. Identifying the culprit by sitting on this boat will be impossible. For now, we should only keep in mind our goal, namely revenge against the Giants Of Ymir and the exploration of Krypstorm. When we return home, we will continue the investigation" Egill said, trying to put an end to those endless doubts, finding a meeting point from which to start.

Sander looked at him with a smile and put his hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention: "You would never have said such a thing as a young man! Hahahaha! You've really become a wise, bearded old man, haven't you? The Egill who fought alongside me would be willing to travel the world to find the culprit and punish him with his own hands! Hahaha!"

"Yes, maybe you're right, Sander... I'll tell you the truth, my character changed a lot after I met Magni, the Master Of Offense that preceded Dag. His way of seeing things opened my eyes, making me realize that sometimes the true meaning of things lurks beneath the surface and acting on impulse only moves us away from the truth" Egill smiled, proudly recalling his former colleague.

Sander nodded, appreciating that pill of wisdom and continuing to look at the sea, hoping to see something in the distance.

The talk continued throughout the afternoon, interspersed with moments of silence and boredom aboard the Iron Emerald.

Freydis and the others awoke, and Karl continued to practice the healing spell taught to him by Egill, holding a small dead shrub in his hands and attempting to resuscitate him.

While Gridd and Freydis were busy talking about 'private' issues of a sentimental nature, discussing the attraction between Reidar and the Sons Of Freya's Master Of Offense, Dag once again approached his wolf, to check his condition.

Thalos seemed to have become accustomed to the boat's slight movements and sea air, so he pulled a piece of dried meat out of his bag and fed his friend, pouring some drinking water into a bowl, treating him like a real domestic dog.