Viking Story

I'm reworking the first chapter. I don't think I have written two whole chapters yet.

The sky was dark with shiny beads of light, racing towards the ground. With each collision, the little fat rain circlets went singing into the darkness until the air was still. Time was moving on and hearts were growing weary for a select few on the mount. In the middle of Mount Olympus, a conversation was taking place under the nose of Zeus

“The people have forgotten us,” insisted Ares as he walked to the back of the garden and rested his hands on a small wet glistening pillar. Not far away, two small birds perched nearby while the other Gods rested below.

Phobos looked at his nails and frowned slightly. “No, that’s not it, not it at all. These people have no real need for us. They haven’t forgotten us, they have shrines with our likeness centered in their gardens. Our people believe us to be dead and gone because they are defeated. We are caged like beast. We aren’t even permitted to walk amongst the humans anymore. As for Zeus and the others, they are too busy drinking their nectar and eating their way to, I dare say, merriment.”

“Don’t be so freely with your tongue. I’m sure the little fat birds are recording our words before we even say them. However, I do feel the people have forgotten us.” Aries pointed to the wind and held his hands above his shoulders. “Do you hear any prayers? Do you hear anything? Oh, wait! I hear Odin, Mighty Thor, and other names, but not a single Ares, or Zeus,” swore Ares.

“Awe, but it isn’t that bad, at least not yet. We can still come back. Besides, what did you think would happen? We are prisoners on the Mighty Olympus day and night. When was the last time you went down there? When was the last time you walked down the mountain? ” Phobos pointed downwards as he took a small circlet and flung it into the air. “Yet, there are still mortals who believe in Gods. Those mortals are panicking because they feel a great war is about to open up and pour chaos onto their grounds. They like it. Who prays for war? Some are worried about never being able to join their brothers in the great Valhalla,” snickered Phobos. “They are people wanting to die for the chance to be with their Gods. Of course, our people are silent. I have summoned you here because I see a clear path to our future. We can be great again. We can silence the other Gods by taking their believers. We need only one follower who can perform magical works by way of us, and bring back the Greek Gods.”

“Even if we could, these people know their Gods. Besides, we can’t walk amongst them. If we go down there…we will be killed by your grandfather’s guards. We are dead to them, Phobos. Zeus wanted all of the Gods forgotten and buried after the last battle. He wanted us to stay out of the human’s problems.”

Phobos sighed and cast a stone near the two birds. “Get away from here, you filthy things. Zeus is too weak. He doesn’t know any other way. He is no longer the ruler he was when you were young. Some of the others think he’s losing it and father, I believe it too. I mean he did the unthinkable. He gave his power up to protect the mount. We could have protected Olympus without becoming weak. And why are we to waste away because he is no longer great? Ares, you still have the power over war. You are the great Ares.  You can become the new leader over Mount Olympus. We are not dead, we are not weak, and we did not give up who we are, to be forgotten and stored away like these humans store away their winter meat. What if we can make new followers and bring people back to us, would it not be worth more? Just thinking about it makes me feel alive again, and I feel the need to thrive as we did ages ago. Are you with me, father? We can take these people and become great again.”

 Ares looked down at his dark trousers and picked up a small bug. “Yes, I suppose we can.” Smiled Ares. “Give me time, and I will show you a new Olympus with a new breed of followers.”

Norway Eve of Mischief

The sky was almost fully eclipsed by a vast shade of darkness as Aase ran behind a tall swollen tree. She dipped down and lowered her head hoping to hear a familiar sound. After seconds faded by she felt a strange chill run down her back. There she stood, holding her father’s relics in her hands while rival Vikings circled her domain. “Please, don’t let them see me.” She closed her eyes and prayed the Gods would bless the darkness to come with haste. With a complete blanket of darkness she would be allowed to hide without detection. After finishing up her prayer, she opened her eyes to cold blue orbs beaming up at her lips. “Get away from me, Hafling,” demanded Aase as she dropped the relics to the base of the tree while pulling her golden bracelet down her wrist, letting it fall to the grassy hole between her feet.

The blue orbs grew larger as the Viking came closer and pressed his hand against her breast. “I like them tall. I could use a new woman,”

 “I’m not for you.” Aase frowned deeply as she plunged her knee into his ribs a few times. Finally, he hit the ground. “Do you like tall lasses now?” Aase spit on the Viking and kicked a plum of dust into his face. Before she was able to deliver another blow, a large hand grabbed her by the hair and pushed her against the tree.

 “You’ll regret that.” The Viking wiped the spit off his face and motioned from behind.

Aase was forced around with her head merging into the tree. Before she could yell out for help, she felt her face being scraped against the tree’s bark. Another few minutes and she felt as if the bark was digging into her skin with an untouchable hint of madness. The trees and the ground were merging as one. She felt her feet being lifting into air and shadows around her bowing at her greatness. Soon a great thump was felt. She opened her eyes to the cold hard ground and the sky above her. The small man walked up to Aase and grabbed a handful of her golden hair. “Don’t you want to know, whose barn you carry?”

 Aase tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. He motioned for his servant to come into sight. “Meet my servant!”

Aase felt sick once again. She had been with a servant. She looked at the stranger and noticed his dark flowing hair. He frowned as she threw up near the Viking’s feet. “You vile creature, you allowed someone to ravish a Laird’s daughter. Odin will kill you for this,” whimpered Aase as she spit bark in the short man’s eyes.

“Worry about your womb,” grunted the Viking as he knocked her head into the tree.

          The servant looked back at Aase and smiled. “Tis already planned, you do your part and I will take care of the rest.”

          The Viking laughed as if he knew the meaning. A few hours later Aase woke up to a group of women standing around her. “Who did this to you? Can you hear me?”

 Aase looked at the mob hesitantly. “I’m alright. What are you standing around looking at me for? Go, I’ll be fine.”

A dark haired female knelt down and held her hand out. “You’re not fine, you are myki. The Laird must be notified.”

“I will be the one to tell him, Mona.”

“Tis fine with me, but you know he will make him marry you,” demanded her sister.

 “Nei Reason, I killed him.”

 Mona looked at her and frowned. “You said you didn’t see him. What if you’re pregnant?”

Aase rubbed her hands across her face. “I’ll think about that, when the time comes. Right now I need to take care of something.” Picking up a small pack of herbs and holding them tightly in one hand Aase rushed to the nearest isolated area. After she was safely out of sight she took the handful of herbs and stuffed them into her mouth. With a rising boiling in her abdomen Aase’s stomach began to ache immediately. Within a few minutes she was vomiting blood. “Come up, damn you.” Aase chocked up another layer of blood before a stranger came from nowhere.

“Not the plan,” whispered the stranger as he held his hand to her stomach and placed his free hand over her mouth. What are you doing?”

 “Get away from me. I know what I’m doing.”

 “You can’t do this,” demanded the stranger as he held his hand against her stomach. “You are carrying a marked child. This child will not die.”

Aase tried to push his hand away but his hand turned into a heated furnace pressing into her stomach. The touch was more painful than the herbs. “I’ll protect the barn. Just please don’t kill me.”

As the months advanced Aase’s stomach started to grow. She starting having dreams of wars between Gods of various regions. One night after she had fell asleep she saw the father of her baby standing at the end of her bed. He was looking over her smiling as he pointed up to the sky. Before he was able to speak, Thor’s hammer came crashing down. The dark haired visitor reached up and waved his hands towards his face. A giant army came racing down with bows and swords unlike anything Aase had ever seen.

“You’ll never have my child, Thor.”

Thor reached for Aries. “There is no place for you here, Aries.”

Aase woke up in a cold sweat.  She looked around the room. It was empty. She grabbed her cloak and reached for the door. She knew telling her father the truth would challenge her place in the family, but it might protect her child. The dreams of the child’s father were telling of a much different story than the one she lived in the woods so many nights before. She was now sure she was carrying a child of the Gods, but it wasn’t a child of the Norse Gods. Aase pulled her hood over her head and took off in search for her father. He was standing alone near the fire drinking from a stein. Aase took her father by the hand. “Laird, I have something to tell you about my barn’s father.”

Aase’s father looked down with green caring eyes. “What is it, Aase? Who is he?”             

Aase steadied her voice hoping her father would not see the shame in her eyes. “He is a slave and not from this place.”

Her father looked down at her stomach. “Have you told anyone?”

 “Nei, I wanted to tell you first. I lied and told the women I killed him because I didn’t want to shame you.” Guilt was starting to choke her as she continued with her tale.

 “Why didn’t you come to me sooner? You can’t have this barn. You know our clan will never let this go.”

Aase wiped a tear from her cheek. “I tried to kill the barn. I went head first down a cliff when I first found out I was with child. I broke my arm and leg, but this child was unharmed. It was as if the Gods had their hands on him. I have no choice I’m having the barn. I’ll leave if you want, I’ll go stay far away, but I know I have to keep this barn.” She remembered the hot hand that scorched a print into her stomach.

“Do you know what this means? If you have a sveinn, he will not be allowed here. You can’t bring it around here. He will never be able to take over these lands. ”

 “I’ll trade my valuables for a little piece of land. He will have what I have.”

Her father looked away once more. “Don’t go yet. We will wait and see what the child is and how this child looks. Maybe the child will look like you and your story can stay hidden.”