Tyranny of Steel

On the shores of Reykjavík, a thick mist persisted in the air. A fog so dense that one could barely see a few feet in front of them should they be foolish enough to visit the snow filled coastline during the dead of winter. Yet, despite the dangers one might encounter in this scenario, a young girl no older than thirteen sat silently in the frozen wasteland by her lonesome.

Her reasons for visiting the frost bitten beaches at this time of year, where the days were coldest, were known only to herself. However, as Siv Eriksdóttir lie in the snow with a gloomy expression on her childish face, she noticed something appear within the fog.

At first, the girl thought that perhaps a trader had come to visit her isolated homeland. However, as time passed slowly by, the form of a massive steel warship gradually revealed itself from among the mist, soon enough the towering guns on board the deck arrogantly pointed towards the city, causing an intense sense of dread to overcome the young girl's fragile heart.

By the time Siv even realized that this massive warship was heading towards the port, she had already begun running towards the city's heart, where her father's castle lie. Frightened out of her mind by what she had just witnessed.

The young girl frantically pounded the door to her father's home, screaming for the man to come out and see her. Nearly a minute of her terrified shrieks filled the air, before the door opened and revealed a tall, and muscular blonde haired man, who gazed upon his own daughter with a sense of fury in his pale-blue eyes.

Erik could see that something had terrified his daughter, but not the slightest bit of fatherly warmth existed on the man's face as he groaned in displeasure at being interrupted during his nightly session with one of his slaves. There was an obvious tone of irritation in the voice as he practically yelled at the girl, who had become scared witless.

"What the hell is wrong with you Siv? Pounding on my door at this hour of night! You should be asleep in your quarters, so why are you out here alone in the snow, screaming at me as if it is the end of times?"

Siv did not bother to deal with her father's usual callousness, and instead spoke of what she had seen with a terrified tone in her voice.

"Father, on the coast, a giant warship, larger than anything I have ever seen, is approaching! It has no sails, and is made entirely out of steel!"

A look of contempt was on Erik's face as he gazed upon his daughter as if she was a foolish child mistaking a simple nightmare for reality. He immediately responded to this claim by backhanding the girl across the face before chastising her.

"Stupid girl! You're seeing things again. What you are describing is impossible. There is no Kingdom in this world that is capable of making so much steel! You interrupted me for something so foolish! You're lucky you are getting off with a simple slap! I should spank the hell out of you for this! Now get to bed!"

Though Siv wanted to protest her father's cruelty, she simply bit her tongue and bowed her head in submission. There was no use trying to reason with the man when he was already in a state of fury. Thus, the young girl was quick to walk off to her own quarters within the castle's courtyard.

A small thatched hovel existed in a corner of the courtyard, where the young girl resided. She was not allowed to live in the main house, as she was nothing more than a bastard. Once she was inside her home, she lit a fire and climbed into bed, yet she did not sleep. She was too terrified about what was about to happen. As she knew full well, what she saw was no trick of the mind.

Someone had come from across the sea, and they must have wielded unimaginable power to create such a monstrous warship. Whatever their reason for visiting, it could not be good.

---

Berengar was asleep in his own quarters when the Linde-class Battleship arrived off the coast of Reykjavík. He had no idea that his vessel had been spotted by a young girl in the dead of night, while pulling into the harbor.

? Not that it really mattered, this wasn't a stealth mission, and King Alvar had given him permission to visit the Island with however many troops he saw fit to ensure his own protection. While the German sailors properly docked the vessel, Berengar continued to sleep. Dreaming of the same thing he had dreamt of for the past few months.

Freyja lied naked beneath the weight of Berengar's chiseled body, as he finished inside her womb for the twenty-seventh time since he had first entered this dreamscape. The goddess of fertility had her tongue hanging out of her mouth and her eyes crossed as she climaxed alongside her competitor. </>

Despite giving Freyja the same treatment he had used to condition Linde into becoming the perfect woman, the Germanic goddess of sex and fertility had yet to fully come under Berengar's control. Even though their amorous actions felt like the real thing, it was still just a dream, after all.

However, after finishing this time around, Freyja suddenly stopped grinding her hips, and sat up straight. Staring Berengar deep within his mismatched eyes, before sighing heavily in defeat.

"It appears you have finally arrived. You will be talking with Odin soon. I doubt he would appreciate my scent all over you. In fact, I fear how he might react if he were to ever learn of our little nightly exercises and how they began. I will leave you now, and will not return to your dreams until after you leave this place."

Berengar did not respond to the goddess's words, and instead silently nodded his head in understanding, an act which caused Freyja to bite her lower lip in irritation. The least this man could do was say goodbye after all they've been through. Sometimes she did not know why she even bothered with these nightly visits.

In the end, Freyja's naked figure vanished into thin air, allowing Berengar to finally return to the real world, where he found himself alone in his private quarters. With a heavy sigh, the man got up from his bed and shook his head before dressing himself for this monumental occasion.

After stepping out of his quarters, the two marines who constantly stood guard immediately greeted Berengar. The Kaiser simply nodded his head towards the two men as they stood at attention and saluted him, before going deeper into the interior of the battleship. Eventually Berengar arrived at the helm, where the Captain of the vessel was quick to approach him.

"My Kaiser, we have arrived in Reykjavík just as planned. It would appear the local population still hasn't noticed our docking. As a result, I have dispatched a company of marines to secure the harbor. Once you are ready, you can begin your journey to wherever it is you wish to visit!"

Berengar nodded his head and looked out upon the frosty wasteland that was Iceland. A snow filled fog filled the air, and obscured his vision. In all honesty, he could barely make out the shape of the ship, let alone the harbor where they were now docked.

With a deep breath, Berengar calmed the nerves within his heart before giving his orders to the crew.

"I want the marines who are not currently protecting the vessel to form a convoy. We will be heading deep into the icy wasteland. Make sure we have enough provisions for the journey. As for the rest of the crew, they are to stand by, and await for my return. Try to foster some ties to the locals if you can. We are going to be here for a while."

The captain snapped to attention and saluted Berengar before responding in affirmation to his orders.

"Yes, your majesty!"

After saying this, Berengar simply waited for his convoy to be established. While this was happening, the local population had begun to emerge from their homes, and witness the large steel warship which was docked in their port, while flying the banners of some foreign nation they had never heard of before.

Iceland was truly isolated from the rest of the world and had not been the slightest bit aware about the monumental shift in power during that had occurred under Berengar's rise to power. In fact, it might be safe to say that it was the last bastion of Catholicism left in this world.

Having been completely spared from Rome's war against the Reich, and the monumental social upheaval that followed. Even the Bishop of Reykjavík was entirely unaware of the papacy's cruel fate. Thus, the interactions between the German sailors and the local population was sure to cause some civil strife for the isolated island.

---