Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

At their command was the young Kane, who, thanks to the knowledge learned from Master Dag and his other Masters, advanced swaggering towards the goal, knowing that even the most experienced soldiers who were following him would obey his orders as agreed.

The young Giants Of Ymir's warrior looked at Dag for a few seconds and the young Master turned his gaze back smiling and trusting in his abilities, knowing that after their fight in the arena, the recruit would no longer lose control and would stick faithfully to the plan.

The rest of the army continued to head in the direction of the forest and when the vegetation around them began to thicker, everyone slowed down the pace, aware that from that point on, any loud noise could be perceived by the guards of the enemy Clan, who were certainly stationed in the control towers, as every day.

"Coming back to this place brings many memories to my mind... I used to hunt with my brothers down here... my brothers and my only sister..." Bloodfang said, who still felt the need to talk to Dag as if looking forward to telling him more about his past.

He avoided asking the Packmaster what happened to his family members after intuiting the tone of his voice and the fact that he had never even seen hide nor hair of them, which perhaps they were no longer in the realm of the living.

Kranus, who rode in front of everyone, remained silent, closely followed by both his generals.

Atran, despite his injuries, after drinking water and eating some dry meat sticks that Kron luckily had in his backpack in case of need, seemed to have regained his lucidity.

"I don't think we should go any further" Reidar suddenly said, breaking the silence filled with terror and adrenaline.

"Why? The doors are still far away" Kron asked, not understanding why the archer had given that advice.

"I'm sure there are archers on the walls... in that case, if we keep stepping forward, we would be under fire. If we stay here, they won't be able to see us or hit us with their arrows... we are too far away" Reidar continued, explaining his theory.

Kranus looked at Dag and Thyrius did the same, as if they wanted to ask for confirmation of the reliability of his comrade's words.

"Reidar is the best archer I know, you too have had proof of his ability. I trust his judgment. From behind these trees, we have a clear view of the entrance to the city and in a few minutes we can reach the predetermined point" Dag replied, already imagining the practical progress of the plan.

"We'll do so then! Did you hear that? Take a stand and wield your weapons! At the signal, we will have to run faster than the wind!" Kranus exclaimed, who in those moments of tension had closed in unusual silence, focused on the goal.

"Captain!" Reidar said again, drawing Dag's attention, who turned to him, ready to listen.

"Let me come with you. I rode a long way without a fight and I think if I stay still for a while longer, my muscles will numb in the cold." 

"I had no doubt that you wanted to come, in fact, I had already considered the idea. But now that you've asked me, it's obvious that I want to have you by my side" Dag repeated, resting a hand on the shoulder of his faithful companion under Freydis' eyes, relieved that her boyfriend would not venture into unknown territory only in the company of hostile-looking unknown warriors.

Reidar, thrilled with the positive response, clenched his fists and smiled, happy that he could prove his loyalty to Dag again, who was the only one for whom he felt it was worth fighting for.

The young Master, as Thyrius gathered his 30 men, turned to Freydis.

"Hey, Freydis... you..." 

"You will stay here with Kranus and the rest of the army. Going in there with me and Reidar would be too dangerous... I know, Dag, I already know. Don't worry, I'm not afraid and I'm not going to follow you. We'll meet again inside the walls" she smiled, interrupting his words, and anticipating his response.

Dag felt a strong sense of affection for his girlfriend, who had once again exceeded his expectations, demonstrating her maturity.

He gave her a long kiss on the forehead and his nose got inebriated by the smell of Shieldmaiden's red hair, which despite the long crossing and the period of stress she had been subjected to, seemed as sweet as honey.

"Boy! It's time to go! Hurry!" Bloodfang exclaimed, nervous at the sight of the outpourings between him and Freydis and rushing, inviting Dag to join his men. 

Dag and Reidar, after sending a final glance at Kranus and the other generals, who tried to instill their courage, flanked Thyrius and together with his soldiers made their way through the fronds of the large bushes that separated them from the city walls.

The forest continued for about another three hundred meters and the vegetation was so dense that the faint rays of the morning Sun could not penetrate into it, letting the darkness reign unchallenged.

The Packmaster and his warriors, as if they were in their natural habitat, bypassed the protruding roots of the trees and dodged the tallest branches with incredible agility and speed, preventing those natural obstacles from slowing down their silent advance.

Dag and Reidar, despite having faced such situations in the past and had always been able to move without pointing out their presence, felt slightly distressed due to the ground covered with dry branches and leaves, which under their feet made more noise than the other soldiers.

Both of them looked upwards, noting that the forest was about to end and that a short stretch of about 40 or 50 meters separated the last trees from the walls.

"What if there are lookouts stationed right above our heads? Surely they would see us and give the alarm! And then, where is this secret passage?" the young Master whispered, getting closer and closer to Bloodfang and walking next to him.