Odin

The entire Fenoira kingdom was buried in snow throughout the winter. The kingdom was decked with a beautiful white carpet. A powerful blizzard was coming down from the north. Being an island with water on all sides, Fenoira was now covered in ice.

"What's up with you and these books, Odin? You don't forsake them." Vixen poked him. Odin looked up from the book he was reading to his friend, who was a little younger than he was. "Address me nicely," he said, pulling his ears and giving a playful headbutt. Vixen murmured an apology while writhing in agony. "Respected brother Odin, may we now depart? Remember that we have a little bonfire?" He gave a goofy expression.

Odin huffed and rose to follow Vixen, who was to him like a little brother. In order to warm up by the blaze, many soldiers had congregated in the castle's backyard. Atlas was waving and pointing at the seat he had reserved for them when they arrived. Odin approached him, grinned, and then sat down next to Atlas. On Atlas's left side, Vixen finds a seat. The audience started having impromptu chats. The scenario was so priceless that it had to be recorded; everyone was giggling and making jokes while discussing their odd experiences thus far.

"If winter were a person, I would have kicked him with my bare legs because the cold is ripping my flesh, I swear to God." One of the troops yelled as he furiously rubbed his palms together in an effort to warm up. When he made that remark, everyone chuckled, and Odin gave him some whiskey.

"The cold is definitely too much, as you say." said Atlas. "Let's enter the building again. Even midnight has come." He uttered the final phrase while seeming terrified. Alongside him, Vixen placed his hand on his shoulder while grinning.

"Ohh, do you feel anxious that the old folktale will come to pass?" Vixen made a joke, for which Atlas gave him a mild punch to the gut. He apologized after bursting into laughter. "Don't be a bore; such a warlock does not exist." He sat down once again.

"Who is a warlock?" Odin inquired.

Everyone's eyes went to him and seemed to be saying, "You don't know about the warlock?" Vixen asked with a soft chuckle. "The Warlock Tales, have you not heard of them?" Odin shook his head from side to side as he fixed his attention on Vixen. In Odin's eyes, a different kind of fire was blazing. Like a new milestone had been unlocked, he was interested in learning more about the warlock. "People in the town don't discuss the warlock. That may be the cause." Despite being long forgotten, the folktale about the warlock and magic was still written on the walls of every country in the world. Because they believed it to be a terrible omen and could lead to unfortunate happenings, they avoided talking about it. The tales persisted, nonetheless, as children's bedtime stories all throughout the world. Some even said that the warlock had a name, but that it is a bad omen. Eventually, as time went on, people lost track of the warlock's name and identity. While looking around for approval, Vixen noticed that all eyes were suddenly on him. What's wrong with telling him? It's merely a folktale. He pondered.

"There is a legend that a warlock walks through the air looking for a strong soul that is in need and would scream out for him. He has neither a name nor an address; he is present everywhere and is able to see into the soul of every one of us. He can identify those who are struggling or resolute. He selects them, responds to their pleas, and grants their requests, but." Vixen paused briefly as he noticed numerous sets of eyes fixed on him. " He pays a high price for that, not just monetarily but also their soul." In order to draw everyone's attention away from himself, he cleared his throat. Odin was confused by the story and his eyes betrayed passion for doing something against the rules.

"Who created him, and how? Anyone who has seen him?" Odin inquired.

Although no one remembers him, a few people claim to have seen him. I'm not sure if they are telling the truth or not. Odin shook his head in dismay. He didn't get the response he was hoping for. "However, as my great-grandfather once said. The warlock comes from a kind of mysterious place that isn't even shown on the map. In a land where the sun and moon never rise or set, where the seas can swallow you whole even if you are on a shallow side, where the mountains are so sharply angular that they resemble needles, and where the forest is so thick that no one can see through it, no one could approach him." Odin caught Vixen's attention. His eyes gleamed as though he had discovered something. "But all of stuff is in books. You know, it's simply a kid's fable to frighten them into going to bed." He laughed.

"Okay, enough with the scary tales. Let's return to our rooms." Again, everyone yawned in agreement with Atlas. After extinguishing the flames, they rose and entered the castle.

"Is everything okay, brother?" asked Vixen.

Odin simply grinned and nodded before entering his room. Vixen detected a problem with his behavior but chose to overlook it. And his biggest regret was that. Odin spends his days and nights trapped within the study beginning the following day in an effort to learn more about the folktale. He enquired about the alleged warlock among the residents of the castle, but he consistently came up empty-handed. He was gradually going insane. He was determined not to give up on his newfound interest. His eyes were ferocious, even after the restless nights he had spent studying the terrain. Everyone claimed it was only a myth, but he felt compelled to track down the warlock despite their claims. He thought the existence of the warlock to be as genuine as his devotion.

Weeks passed into days, and the routine did not change. Regarding his friend, Vixen was worried. Odin gathered every single map he could locate that might provide evidence of the region Vixen was referring to. There must be some kind of hint, even if the land is concealed. He went over everything Vixen said that night in his head. He wanted to find that land and the warlock more than anything. He had the impression that the magic itself was calling out to him. He felt drawn to the folktale as though it had been placed under some sort of enchantment.

He started getting ready early one morning, and Vixen was shocked to see him all dressed up. "Brother, where are you going?" he inquired.

"Home. Two years have passed since I last saw them." said Odin. He received a nod from Vixen, who wished him a safe journey. For a while, he held back from disclosing to the king his after-plans and the fact that he had requested a leave of absence. After two years, Odin went to see his parents, but he only stayed for two days. Despite leaving his parents' home, he didn't go back to the castle. Odin's disappearance was made known to Vixen when he visited the town and was unable to find Odin at home.

"What a surprise, Vixen son, and Odin didn't accompany you?" Odin's mother, Eldora, questioned him. Vixen kept his mouth shut while secretly knowing he wouldn't be at his parents' house.

"I suppose you could say the monarch is particularly focused on Odin. He's working hard at the castle." He avoided bringing up Odin's absence with his parents. "Oh, I forgot, I also need to go." He left Odin's house and went on the hunt for him.

The king sent out a search squad after learning of Odin's disappearance. " Where has Odin gone?" King complained. Vixen inhaled deeply before speaking fully about his uncertainty. Vixen had pleaded for this phrase to remain in the court, and they continued to give money to Odin's parents just like he used to. "He is a strong asset for us. We must find him." The king dispatched Vixen and a handful of his trusty warriors to look for Odin. In this manner, a year went by with no mention of him. The monarch gave up looking for him but kept this information to himself. Everyone else in the castle believed he had moved back home and begun a new life there.

When Vixen was wandering in the woodland in the late winter months on his way back from town to the castle, he heard the sound of rustling leaves. He clutched his jacket since it was late winter and the snow had begun to melt, revealing fresh leaves. When someone fell again, he initially believed that he was hearing things. Vixen moved swiftly towards the direction of the sound, holding his sword in readiness for any potential danger. But as soon as he arrived at the scene, his eyes widened as he noticed a partially naked man lying face down in some chilly ground. The individual's worn-out attire allowed him to identify who the man was. In a flash, Vixen knelt down to inspect the man in order to ascertain his doubts; when he did, a gasp sprang from his mouth.

"Odin." Vixen was astounded and moved to see his friend in such a situation; a tear rolled down his cheek. He didn't waste any time in running toward the castle while carrying him on his back. It would be an understatement to say that everyone was surprised. He was brought right away to the state healer. They were shocked to see that he wasn't physically hurt. He simply appeared weak from apparent malnutrition. When Vixen hugged Atlas, he finally let out the sob he had been suppressing.

Vixen was overcome with joy when Odin returned, but it only lasted a short while. He turned to look at Odin, who showed no emotion at all and just answered the questions posed to him. He remained silent, though, and his gaze was locked on his hands with a ring perched on his index finger. He never spoke again about going missing. Odin always covers his ears at night, seemingly attempting to block out all noise, Vixen observed. He did not, however, inquire about his whereabouts. He was being internally devoured by the silence. He used to sit alone in a pitch-black chamber and murmur things to himself. Days and weeks went by without his saying anything to anyone. He completely changed, becoming someone else. He refused to talk to anyone and instead merely played with the ring that was on his index finger, despite the best efforts of Vixen and Atlas to console him.

Days proceeded over weeks, then into months, but Odin's state didn't change. It was summer when the Feroina kingdom was invaded by barbarians traveling by water. Since they have been watching the area for some time, the barbarians are awaiting the ideal opportunity to launch an assault. And they decided on the day that the entire kingdom was getting ready for a spring festival. The entire town was in uproar. People were hiding from the barbarians by running in different directions. Although they were numerous and ruthless, the King's army engaged in combat with them. Few of the bodies falling were those of the king's men and even fewer were those of the barbarians. As they fired cannon after cannon, wounding a sizable number of people, the barbarians had the upper hand in this battle. They even infiltrated the woodland, moving toward the castle on the off chance. Odin got to his feet even though he wasn't quite ready to battle. After a little pause, Vixen instructed him to remain inside the castle. He ignored them, though, and moved in the direction of the town. There were dead bodies all around, and barbarians were pulling women for their own gain, making the scene before him terrifying. The lush forest, which was once a lovely tourist destination, turned into a forest of helpless, lifeless lives. Odin found the shouting to be intolerable because everything was too much for him. People's cries grew too much for him, and he covered his ears. He remained in the heart of the woods. Shaking his head, he took a look around. Odin's mind was blank, and he let his weapon slip from his grasp. His vision was becoming fuzzy, and his body was swaying from left to right. Vixen attempted to approach Odin while dodging the barbarians' strikes after spotting him out of the corner of his eye. He shielded Odin from every assault. Vixen muttered an expletive as they engaged in a brutal battle.

Everyone immediately closed their ears as a loud scream filled the air. The noise was so intense that it might have pierced someone's ear. " I'm calling if you hear their cries." It was Odin. He was yelling and making calls for someone. His voice cracked under the weight of his suffering. When he screamed at the top of his lungs, the entire kingdom was immediately enveloped in a brilliant light. Vixen only kept his head down and his ears closed for a split second. and in a flash, everything fell silent. Vixen was panting hard, as were the other soldiers. Odin's eyes slowly closed and his legs went up as Vixen watched him lose his composure. He stumbled and landed in the mud. Vixen's gaze was fixated on him, but he was in such a state of terror that his legs refused to approach his friend.

Vixen sobbed in the memories of the past as he told Alaric and Hermes the entire story. He was shattered. He witnessed his friend's passing in front of him. Vixen doesn't want to recall how he was feeling.

"As if the barbarians were on fire from within, and everything turned to ashes." Alaric and Hermes were silent the entire time, so Vixen turned to them and stated. "I don't know if the warlock is real, but if he is, I have a deep loathing for him. And I won't let anyone convince me otherwise." Hermes and Alaric nodded sympathetically. They understood Vixen was damaged. "Promise me that none of you would act in Odin's manner." Vixen shook Alaric's shoulders; he held them firmly and had a beseeching look in his eyes.

"Why would they go there, Vixen? Relax." In an effort to calm him down, Atlas After a time, Vixen settled down, and he began to nod off—whether it was because he was inebriated or because it was so late at night. But as he encircled Vixen's arms over his shoulder and secured him around the waist, Atlas moaned.

"I can't let any of you go."

"Odin… I apologize."

I'm sorry I was unable to save you.

"I'm solely to blame."

Even though he was sound asleep, Vixen kept blaming himself because he couldn't get over the idea that the folktale had ruined his friend's life. He watched as his friend, who had been like an older brother to him, passed away in front of him.

There were still some questions on his mind even after many of them had been resolved. Once Vixen was in his room, Atlas told Alaric and Hermes to retire to their rooms and called it a night. After the party was over, they gently made their way back to their rooms, but Alaric's mind was still clamoring for explanations. He was confident that even if he was drunk, he would not be able to fall asleep.

"You know what to do, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Alaric then slid his eyelids shut.