Unexpected Treason!

The inky black clouds gradually swarmed the light blue sky, as if it was being consumed, the sun slowly disappeared. The wind began howling, and far from the small settlement, the river was a mass of whitecaps, and the trees shook.

The hastily-built barracks were nothing more than a flimsy wooden fence surrounding a square plot of dirt. Inspired by medieval castles, the structures were as follows: Inside the fenced settlement was another wooden fence, this one with a single entry point that was guarded day and night. Inside it was a ramshackle house made of wood, and a small square.

Twenty or so well-equipped men were gathered in the small square around Herald. He was, as always, lost in thought and worrying needlessly about the future.

"What if Harald was acting and wasn't a Simpleton after all? Maybe the head of those who want me gone is Ivar?" I thought to myself, feeling silent and worried, as I still couldn't think of the head of those who want me gone, suddenly. As if hearing my father's voice, Bjorn's rough voice whispered to my ears. The memories of a fine evening when Bjorn's drunk rumbling said "Old friends are the last to break away. So choose well, my son!"

Looking around me with bleary eyes at the stern-faced warriors who had already encircled me, I couldn't even remember how I got here. Shaking my head to clear it while putting on a stern facial expression, I shouted towards the warriors who were still standing, asking why they were here, or if there was another raid.

"Silence, you imbeciles!!" I shouted towards the gathering.

"Lad, you can't just willy-nilly call up a gathering like that! We need to plow the land and sow the seeds!" Shouted someone from behind.

"Aye, rain is coming. We need to plant the crops!" Added another.

"Ye wasting our time!"

"Come say it to my face, you wretched coward!" I shouted, my face turning an apoplectic red with anger. As I added, "Willy-nilly! You dare say it! My word is law! I dare to come and say it to my face!" I already had my sword drawn, ready to spill blood.

When I received no reply, I angrily shouted towards the back of the area, "If I say to gather, you gather. If I tell you to speak, then you speak. If I command you to breathe, then you breathe! Do you hear me, you worthless pieces of garbage?!" I cried out as I pointed my sword toward everyone. As I began to understand how the loyalty marks work, it does not mean what I thought it meant. My mind was spinning with the implications of what that could mean for my future.

"Now let's talk about why we are gathered here !"

"Aye! the lad had grown some guts from the last time we saw him ,let's hear him Boys " shouted Bo while looking around and nodding around. Some chuckled in response while others were bored out of their minds, just nodded back.

"Let's get things straight! I want you all to pledge your life to me! And to me alone!" I said as I stabbed the sword in the ground.

"And why would we do that?"

"You didn't even come of age!!!"

"Aye! Lad, we didn't even have a sacrifice!!"

Some shouted in response, while some made striking facts. Yet, I couldn't care less. I looked around me, noticing that the majority didn't speak, while few of the twenty spoke. I nodded in delight as I said directly, "Tell me, do I look like I care?"

"HAHA, you don't, why is your face like that?"

"Do you want to take a sh*t, lad?"

"Maybe his tummy hurts, bobo gaga?"

"Silence!" shouted a voice from behind. And silence did reign upon his words. A path was made as a weaponless, old man made his way with his signature smile. He directly asked, "Tell me boy, what do you want to do?"

"I want power! I want Authority! I want strength! I want more of you!" I shouted with vehemence, gripping my sword tightly. I pulled it out and pointed it toward every man in the circle. "I want more of you! Loyal men of my father and my father's father!"

The middle-aged man chuckled and crossed his arms. He said directly, "Loyal men", suddenly he laughed out loud " Loyal men you say !! then tell your loyal men to draw their weapons !"

"Huh?" I didn't comprehend what he was saying, so I asked, "What?" I instantly felt the heavy atmosphere in the area and thought, "What the f*ck?" while eying every man encircling me.

"You don't understand, young Herald!" said the middle-aged man softly, as he slowly raised his right hand and swiftly put it down.

*Shling*

Weapons were drawn, and shields, that were leaning upon the legs of the warriors were equipped. I instantly found myself surrounded by a shielded wall. It took me seconds to understand what happened, and in those 10 seconds I went from shock to anger, and from anger to a sort of liberation, I trembled and shook uncontrollably in sheer fright, feeling lightheaded and nauseous from what was happening. My heartbeat rose and, like my father said, my heart felt like it was going to leap from my throat. I was petrified; I couldn't think, let alone move. I was paralyzed by fear and shock.

"He was the head!" I mumbled under my breath.

"Even my brother?" I rubbed my eyes, finally understanding that my beloved brother was with them. "Even Harald!!!"

"Treason!" I shouted inwardly, as a part of me knew it would happen eventually. But, I never thought it would happen this soon - and definitely not with them.

"If I die, then it's all good! There will be no more zombies to fight," I thought. I was surprised that my hand was still gripping the sword while I slowly lost hope.

"Aren't you a Froe! Didn't you want us to pledge our lives?! You think pledging loyalty to you is as easy as you heard?" The middle-aged man still had his signature smiling face. I saw him circling me while I was completely out of touch and still reeling from what had happened.

Even though I still had a pulse and was technically alive, I no longer wanted to live. Yet, at the same time, I wanted to live , a contradiction. The thought of death was far more appealing than the pain and fear I was feeling at this moment. Treason! Half of me didn't care about the men who were in front of me, yet the other half was bleeding tears from the sheer terror, and horror of what was happening.

"Traitors?" I wanted to say, my heart pounding in my chest. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud since they didn't owe me a single thing.

"You fought with my father and my father's father" I wanted to shout, yet still I couldn't. Maybe it's what they call honor, but every time I tried saying it, the words got stuck in my throat like a lump.

I wanted to appeal to my brother and those I call friends, yet half of me didn't want to. I didn't even want to look them in the eyes from the sheer shock of seeing them there.

"Go on, young Froe. What of the loyal men you wanted to have? Is this all you amount to? A spineless man who was born in his seat?"

"Hehe," I chuckled softly to myself as I thought of the endless future I could have. Yes, I saw possibilities far away in the future, but I didn't see what was happening in the present.

"Go on, tell your men to drop their weapons!"

"HAHA"

"Tell them...."

"HAHAHAH!" I cackled uncontrollably as I shouted. "Better to die with honor than to live with shame! That's what you always said, right Father?" The saying of Bjorn, who was fixing my gashes from a fight with a wolf I had years ago, resonated with me.

"You f*ckers! Come! I'll at least take three of you!"

Holding my sword with two hands, I circled myself while shouting "Who wants to be King?"

"You!" I pointed towards Bo, who was looking at me with his piercing gaze. Shaking my head, I said out loud, "You don't have boldness!"

"You?" I pointed towards Ivar. Then I shook my head while saying "You lack speech!"

"You?" I pointed towards the tall Harald. Shaking my head, I said "You lack brains!"

"You?" I pointed towards Hans, who was holding two swords. Shaking my head, I said "You lack tongue!"

"No, no, no, all of you lack something. No one is better than me, no one deserves this seat! But maybe this one here..." I said as I pointed my sword towards the middle-aged man known for his smiling face. "Isn't that right, Alfverin?"

"Come, let's tear each other apart like the animals we are," I shouted.