Any last words ?

"This is the formation you taught us, isn't it right, Froe?" Alfverin said as he crouched behind the shielded wall, My heart was racing as the what is now an enemy's taunts echoed in the closed circle, my eyes darted around looking for a way out , while looking for anything that could be used to get myself out of this dire situation.

"Why don't you kneel down before me like the pathetic wretch you are and beg for mercy? Maybe some of your so-called 'loyal warriors' might actually lay down their weapons," he taunted, his lips curling into a mocking smirk.

"Aren't you going to do something instead of just standing there like a sitting duck waiting to be hunted?"

"Hahaha, are you going to start crying like a little baby? You're such a wimp."

"I think you should take a look up at the sky and shout for your all-powerful Father to come down from Valhalla and help you out like the helpless baby you are!"

"Didn't you say let's kill each other like the animals we are? Go on!! I'm right here, come and kill me!! I bet you can't !! You coward."

"March!" he shouted suddenly, his powerful voice carrying effortlessly across the square. I saw the fierce warriors who encircled me take a step forward, their expressions hidden behind their shields. With sweat dripping incessantly from my forehead, numerous thoughts ran wild through my mind.

"Jump over?"

"Look for a gap!"

"Look for the weak link!"

Yet I knew deep down that nothing would work. These warriors were experienced and they were as calm as could be. There was no gap and no weak link in the encirclement. And, I couldn't jump over them since their weapons were rested above their shields, ready to impale me on the spot.

"Hooo" shouted Alfverin.

"Haaa!" The fierce, disciplined warriors replied in unison as they took another menacing step towards me. I taught them to slide their feet along the ground with each step to take out any possibility of tripping on something.

The dust gradually rose with each of their strides, which were now uniform and powerful. Intimidation is key in situations like this. It makes the other person feel small and powerless, which is exactly how I felt in that moment.

"Hoo!"

"Haaa"

With each dragging step, the shadowy distance between me and the imposing wall shortened. And with each step, my hope lessened. My mind was close to crumbling. I was close to shutting down. Just when I lost hope, I saw something that made me question myself. Yet I gazed on everyone present here. And I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

"Why? Why are they doing this?" I thought. "For my seat? Don't kid yourself, Luke. It's with nothing more than a headache. Did I do something wrong? When did all of this start?" I racked my brain for an answer, but came up with nothing. Nothing made sense anymore. Maybe it never had, yet I never ceased trying to understand. I was lost, and I didn't know which way was up. I felt like I was swimming in a vast ocean, with no land in sight.

"Fight!" my heart screamed. "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" my soul roared. I could feel the anger and adrenaline coursing through my veins, demanding that I take action. Taking a deep breath to calm what was left of my mind, I gripped my sword tightly and asked myself, "When did all of this start? Something isn't right!" .

"From him! Bo told me that there were some who were not content with my decision! Was I wrong to not let them sacrifice men and women? No, no," shaking my head vigorously while my sweaty palm began to slip from gripping the handle of my sword.

"Even the seer said nothing! That can't be it! But if Bo is with them, why would he even tell me?"

"So that I can stay up all night! So that I can entertain him!"

"No, that's not it! It doesn't explain why Hans is with them. I'm missing something."

" Didn't you always say to choose your friends wisely, Father? Well, look at what your friends are doing to me! I trusted them, and they betrayed me. I'm nothing without them. "

Suddenly, I remembered something that had been at the back of the late herald's mind for Months. That night, my father and mother died. That night! Yes! That night, Hans signaled to me to take his seat! And I asked him why he smelled like that!

As if all the pieces had fallen perfectly into place, Father calling Erik a lunatic, Mother laughing hysterically at Father when Erik died. Hans smelling like that when Father died.

"Is all of this...."

"But Herald said he was killed!"

"Shit!" I cursed under my breath as my head began to throb from all the deep thinking I did. In a matter of seconds, I was centimeters away from the shield, yet my hand was still gripping my sword. I refused to die like this, without any answers.

"Halt!" shouted Alfverin.

"My boy, I've killed more men than there are stars in the sky. And when they are close to death, they will always show their true colors. Some will beg for mercy, some will curse me to hell, some will cry for their mothers, and some will smile. So tell me, what kind of person are you? Will you beg, curse, or smile when I kill you?" He asked slowly raising his right hand, a signal to everyone to be ready. His eyes were as cold as ice and heartless, his mouth twisted into a cruel smirk.

"Hehe," I softly chuckled, barely hiding my anger. "Alfverin! Odin gave his eye for knowledge! And I will die soon, so can I know one thing!"

I saw the old man slowly rubbing his short, white beard while nodding and saying "What do you want to know!" in a gruff voice.

"I don't see it!" I said while squinting and eying the Loyalty mark that was on top of everyone's heads.

"You don't see it?" he asked back with a perplexed, tilted-head facial expression, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What on earth could you be referring to?"

"Still high !! your Loyal..." I said as the rest of my words were cut short by a notification that appeared in front of me.

[No clues can be dropped about the existence of The Other World. It is vital that you maintain the utmost secrecy about its location and existence or you will be executed.]

"Forget it!" I said as I pointed towards Hans, who was one of the few warriors surrounding me. After all, the more the encirclement closed on me, the less warriors it had and that is one of the weaknesses of this formation. "Tell me, Alfverin, did he really shit himself?" I ignored the system notification that had been blaring in my mind for the last few seconds.

"What the hell are you saying? Did you scare yourself into foolishness?" he said, his face betraying his complete and utter shock. His eyes were wide and puzzled, his pupils were dilated, and his mouth was hanging open slightly.

"Yes...Yeah! Hahaha! Yeah! Hahaha! Hans, you really did shit yourself !! HAHAHA, you pants shitter !" I said as I laughed uncontrollably, tears streaming down my face. My sword had long been dropped.

"I can't believe it! Hans you crapped yourself in fear !! AHHAHAHA

"Hahaha! no wonder! no wonder! Hans! This how you soiled yourself the day after Father and mother died"

"Huh?" Alfverin looked around frantically, maybe hoping to spot Hans. Too bad he had long since taken off after hearing my uncontrollable laughter. I had been laughing so hard, in fact, that tears were streaming down my face and my sides were starting to hurt.

After I had finally calmed down from all the laughter, I began cursing everyone present. I was so angry that my vision was blurred. I felt like I had been betrayed by everyone in the square—well, technically, they did, thankfully it was just a ruse made by Erik to test the next head chiefs , yet I knew that there was someone plotting against me ,after all Herald was killed.

"It'll be alright, Alfverin," Bo said as he placed a comforting hand on Alfverin's shoulder , the two of them were squating at the edge of the square while looking at the sight of Herald beating everyone with a wooden sword.

"But Bo! You don't understand! This is what I live for! This is the goal of my life!" Alfverin replied, his voice trembling with disappointment.

"I understand," Bo said, his face betraying the lie.

"No you don't! I made Bjorn scream 'I'm brainless' that day and to this day that was an achievement, and made Hans sh*t himself, but Herald! He is special. I wanted him to beg for mercy! But look at him..." Alfverin gestured to Herald who was beating other warriors.

"Don't you think we should flee since he is occupied with the others?"

"Heheh! He is vengeful, you better give up! Take your shirt off and get ready for a beating."

"Remind me again why we did that?" Bo muttered, shaking his head.

"Heheh, Erik said to create a character and of course, by now it's a legacy of some sort," Alfverin replied, rolling his eyes. While whispering words that could only be heard by him, he added "And to make him remember his role."

"Lunatic," muttered Bo.

"He certainly is," replied Alfverin, who was also well known for being the right-hand man of Erik the Lunatic.

*Bang*

I brought my crudely made wooden sword down onto the backs of some warriors who took their shirts off, revealing their muscular backs covered in sweat, and battle scars.

"You test me," I shouted, making spit fly, while my veins were close to popping out of my skin.

"You test your chief!"

*Bang* bang*

"If I deserve it, you say?" I shouted towards the warrior who turned to me and said, "You hit like a woman — you will never have what it takes!"

"Motherf*cker," I shouted, and without knowing it, I punched the warrior in the jaw while he was giving me some tips. "Weak little boy," he said. "Hit harder — clench your fists like this!"

"My sheep!" shouted someone close by.