The First Steps

1/7/975 AD

It's been just over a week since we left our village.  Irene and I have journeyed a long ways down the river and it is only a matter of time until we come upon a village.  On another note, I feel as though Irene and I's relationship has only grown stronger during these times of struggle.  Living with her for a week straight has definitely helped me understand all her wants and needs.  I'm so lucky not to be alone.

3/7/975 AD

"Morning, Irene!" I smiled over at Irene as she began to stir.

"Good morning," she yawned as she sat up from our makeshift bed that was just an empty sack.  It wasn't comfortable, but at least it kept us off the dirt.  "What are you making?" she asked sleepily as the scents of our breakfast flowed into her nostrils.

"Oh, it's just fish again!" I answered as I flipped a fish over on the fire.

"Fish, again?!  How much longer are we going to live off fish for?!" Irene spoke, rather annoyed.  It's understandable, we'd been eating fish for breakfast, lunch and tea for almost 2 weeks!

"Hehe.  Well, it's the only thing I know how to catch," I scratched the back of my head nervously.

"Ugh, whatever.  I just hope we find a village soon.  I need to eat something different!" her attention seemed to drift away as she began imagining all the great dishes, other than fish, she'd be able to eat in a village.  Now that she was silent, I could focus on cooking the fish to greatest of my ability!  I flipped and prodded the pieces of fish with a stick to make sure it was cooked evenly on all sides.  Thanks to my expertise in cooking fish, it didn't take long for me to finish preparing the fish "Irene, the fish is ready!"

Pulled from her imagination, Irene responded confusedly "Huh, fish?  Oh, right, this is the real world now,"  She got up out of the sack bed and made her way over to the fire, across from me.  I took the fish out of the fire and placed them on a plate made of leaves.  I handed one plate to Irene and kept the other for myself.  "Enjoy," I smiled gently before taking a bite of my piece of fish.  The taste of fish that I was so familiar with filled my mouth as I took another bite.  Only a few bites later and I'd already finished my piece of fish.  Looking over the fire, I'd noticed Irene hadn't even taken a bite yet, "Come on Irene, just eat it!  We'll find a village soon and we won't have to eat fish anymore, I promise," I spoke convincingly, staring deep into her sparkling blue eyes.

"That better be true," she sighed as she finally gave in and took a bite of the fish.

***

Although Irene did eat slower than me, she eventually finished her breakfast.  We then packed up our quickly put together camp which was just our empty sack of a bed and a fire pit, set up right next to the river.  We then said our goodbyes to the small little section along the river we'd called home last night and set back off along the river.  "I hope we find a village today," Irene spoke wishfully, her small delicate hand tightening around mine.

"We'll find one.  I just know it," my hand squeezed back as I responded confidently.  Irene smiled at me before looking back out ahead of her.  "Let's just hope your intuition is correct," she whispered hopefully.

***

A few hours after we set off on the journey, we found a small dirt path leading up from the river.  It was a sign that people came down here frequently.  "Hey, Irene!  Do you see that?!" I pointed out the path excitedly.

"Huh?  That's just a path, what's so special about it?" she asked in confusion; clearly she wasn't as smart as me!

"Think.  Why would there be a random path out here in the middle of nowhere?" I nudged her on to the right answer.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she realised what the path meant, "T-there's people around here?!"

"That's right!  Now, let's follow the path!" I burst into a light jog, making my way up the path, into a clearing.  I looked around a bit and spotted a small wooden hut which was most likely some storage house.  But that confirmed that people definitely did live around here.  "There's definitely a village somewhere nearby!  We're close," I exclaimed as Irene ran up behind me.

"F-finally!  It's a village!" she shouted out in excitement and relief as our long journey had finally come to a close...  As we were rejoicing, I smelt a familiar smell.  It was smoke.  I looked up a bit and spotted a massive plume of smoke rising higher and higher into the sky.  "That's probably just a campfire!" I tried reassuring myself.  For a moment, I really did believe it was a campfire until I noticed another plume of smoke streak the sky.  And then another, and another, and another, until the whole sky had gone grey.  One could even hear ever so faint screams.  It was definitely no campfire.  It was Vikings.  I clutched at my head as I felt a storm of horrible emotions brewing in my mind.  I could barely even think.  My mind was purely focused on hatred and revenge.  "I must kill those foul Vikings," I roared in the darkest voice I could muster.

"Don't do it Aslerta!  Think!  Don't give in to the anger!" Irene pleaded, her hand on my shoulder.  I spun around and slapped her cheek.  She was sent tumbling into the ground.  I could barely even recognise her amidst the whirling tornado of terror that was wreaking havoc within my mind.  I burst into a sprint, my legs taking me forward on instinct.  My feet crashed into the ground with each step, releasing a spray of dirt and rocks up from the ground.  As I ran out of the forest, my eyes caught site of the village.  All the buildings were on fire, there were people running around screaming as Vikings cut their bodies apart brutally.  No one could survive this massacre.  The anger within my mind burst into a raging hellfire, completely consuming all remnants of sanity I had left.  The sole thought that existed within my mind was "Kill,".  I bolted out across the fields, my eyes locked onto a Viking in the process of murdering a poor family.  I came up behind him and swung my fist with as much strength as I could muster.  "Die!" I roared as my fist slammed into the side of the man's head.  Looking at me with a mocking look, the Viking laughed, "T-that was pathetic!  HAHAHA!  And you call yourself a man?  You can barely even punch!"  The man lifted his axe high above his head before it came crashing down over my head.  I screamed out in agony as the axe cut cleanly down the middle of my body, splitting me cleanly in two.

"A-aslerta?" Irene called out in shock as she witnessed the horrific way I was slaughtered.  It was her first time seeing me die.  "W-what?  What happened?!" tears spilled down from her eyes, dampening her clothes as they fell off her chin.  My mind was swiftly brought back to my body as grotesque strings of flesh shot out from each half of my body.  These strings of flesh combined, stitching my body back together.  The moment I gained control over my body again, I launched my leg into the Viking's leg.  I heard a loud snap as his leg bent in half very unnaturally.  "Argh!  H-how are you alive?!" the Viking cried out in agony as he fell to the ground.

"Lucky you.  You're about to be the first life taken by the great immortal Aslerta!" I giggled like a madman as I rose my foot up high.  "Bye bye!" I grinned as I brought my foot soaring down through the air.  A tsunami of blood exploded from the man's mouth as my foot crushed his throat.  His throat bent inwards, blocking his airways, making it impossible for him to breathe.  "Oh, I like this!" my blood boiled with excitement as I revelled in the feeling of murder.

"W-what was that?!" Irene spoke in between sniffles, her eyes overflowing with tears.

"What was what?!" I spat angrily as I turned to look at her.  Her small frame was trembling with fear, her hair covered in dirt and grime, her eyes blurred by tears.  "Y-you...  You died a-and t-then you're body...  I-it.  What was that?!" she stuttered, her tone a terrified sort of curiosity.

"I'm immortal.  That's what," I snarled angrily as I searched for another Viking to murder.

"I-I know that...  I just never believed it was true," she admitted guiltily.

"I don't care about all that.  I must end this band of Vikings!" I turned away from the woman and began searching the village for more Vikings, which didn't take long; they were everywhere.

"D-don't go Aslerta!  I don't want to lose you!  P-please!" Irene begged as her hands reached out, grabbing a hold of my clothes.  She tried pulling me back with all her might but I just wouldn't budge.  "Unhand me you foul woman!" I hissed as I tore her off me, throwing her to the floor.

"D-do you not recognise me?!" she asked desperately, shocked I was being so rough with her.  Ignoring her, I started back into a sprint.  I ran deeper into the village.  The houses around me were crumbling as a terrible flame leapt from house to house.  Screams resounded in all directions as the Vikings tore the place apart.  I spotted a Viking walking out of a house, brandishing a long sword stained red with blood.  The perfect victim.  Without thinking, my body moved, running straight at the man.  The man's head spun around, his calm eyes latching onto mine.  "Too much anger.  You're weak," he muttered in a cool voice.  I swung a right hook with my fist as I came into range of the man.  "Too obvious," he sighed as he brought his blade in line with my punch.  My fist slammed into the edge of the sword, moving cleanly along the blade.  The sharp sword easily cut through my fist, leaving it hanging off my wrist in two halves, dripping blood.  "And, I win," the Viking muttered as he swung his sword right through my neck.  My head flew off my shoulders, swiftly ending my life.

The Viking looked down at my headless corpse with a look of disappointment.  "When will I ever get a good fight," he sighed as he stepped over my lifeless body.  "All these angry little boys," he shook his head, muttering to himself.  I looked around and all I saw was black.  I was dead again.  Looking up, I awaited the bright golden light that always shoots down only a few moments after I die.  I never get to experience this great realm of death.  And, with that, the darkness was drowned out by a holy golden light that shot down from the sky, smothering me with a gentle warmth.  My mind ejected from death and transplanted back into my body.  I felt my neck tingling as long strings of flesh connected my head back to my body.  I sprung up from the floor, my body flowing with newfound energy.  My fist catapulted into the back of the man's head, sending him tumbling forwards.  'What?  I'm sure I killed him,' the Viking thought to himself as he glared behind himself.  His eyes widened as his gaze fell upon me, my body back to normal.  "H-how are you alive?!' the man, struggling to keep his cool asked nervously as he stood up slowly.  "Were you rejected from Valhalla?" he asked curiously, thinking that this could be what happens when one can't reach Valhalla.  "Valhalla?  What's that?" I asked, not letting him have any rest as I shot my leg out.  He responded instantly, dashing to the side before taking a step towards me and swinging his sword.  I felt the tip of the blade cut through the surface of my cheek.  "You don't know what Valhalla is?  It's where men who die valiantly in battle go," he answered knowledgably as he took another step towards me.  "Never heard of it.  But, I can tell you this.  That Valhalla thing is false," I grinned as I leapt towards him.  I tried to get a swing in at his head but he seemed to be expecting that as he dropped down.  He swept his sword out at my legs, slicing cleanly through them.  Large amounts of blood began pouring from the stubs of my legs.  I cried out in anguish as a tsunami of pain washed over my body.  The blood loss was severe as a large puddle of red pooled beneath me.  My eyes fluttered shut as I passed out from blood loss.

"Perfect.  I captured him," the Viking muttered proudly as he gazed upon his masterpiece; a short legless man who was passed out, suffering severe blood loss.  He took his shirt off and tore it into two halves.  He wrapped each half tightly around the stubs that were now my legs, preventing any more blood less.  He wasn't going to let me revive.  "A-Aslerta!  Are you alright!" Irene came running towards my passed out body.  "So his name's Aslerta.  Interesting," the man spoke quietly, stroking his chin thoughtfully.  "Anyway, who are you?  His girlfriend?" the Viking spoke as he watched the woman crouch down beside Aslerta.  She was very beautiful with her great long golden hair (which didn't look so great at the moment), her piercing blue eyes and soft, delicate features.  'Lucky guy,' the Viking thought to himself, watching the woman as she bawled her eyes out over the man.  'Guess she didn't hear me.  But, she's definitely his girlfriend,' he concluded as he read the woman's emotions.  "Miss, you're very beautiful.  So, I don't think it's a good idea for you to follow us.  You'll be raped then sold as a slave.  The men are very restless these days," he warned as he pulled Aslerta out of her arms.

"N-no!  Please, leave him here!  I don't want him to go!" she cried, pulling desperately at Aslerta's arm.  "I'm not leaving him.  As second in command of this band of Vikings, I can't just give up this guy's powers.  He's like a god with the way he can revive like that.  So, if you'll excuse me, I best be off," the Viking answered professionally as he tore Aslerta out of Irene's grip. 

"Please!  He doesn't want to live that sort of life!  Just let him go!" she begged desperately as her arms wrapped around his leg, trying to stop him.  "Stop acting like a child.  I'm taking him with us and that's final.  If you wish to tag along, then tag along.  But I can't stress enough how terrible your future will be if you follow us," 

"I don't care!  I will save Aslerta!" she declared stubbornly, following them in blissful ignorance of the horrors of this world.

"Suit yourself," the man muttered as he carried Aslerta's unconscious body away from the village, towards the river edge.  It was a rather brisk walk.  The man was seemingly very eager to bring this catch to show his fellow Vikings.  They walked quietly through the desolate streets of a once thriving village that was now just a pile of rubble and corpses.  The Viking didn't seem to care but Irene was almost crying on behalf of the villagers as she looked around at the destruction.  "We're nearly there," the Viking declared as they walked out the edge of the village.  In the distance, two massive red and white sails could be seen, held up by a large wooden mast peaking up over the trees.  They were ships.  As we neared the ships, sounds of men rejoicing and swords clanging became more and more clear.  There was also the faint sound of women screaming out words like "Stop it!", "P-please no!", "I have a husband!".

"Hey, um sir.  A-am I going to end up like those women I can hear?" Irene gulped nervously as she asked the question.

"Yes.  I already told you that.  No going back now, they've already spotted you," he nodded his head in the direction of two Viking men staring at Irene with a strong lustful look in their eyes.

'I-I should've listened to him!  Stupid me, I was so caught up in my love for Aslerta, I forgot about myself!' Irene thought anxiously.

"Sir Guttorm!  I bring to you a special young talent." the man declared confidently as he walked towards a massive man, two heads taller than himself.  His two dark eyes looked down at Aslerta curiously before his deep voice spoke "What is a man without any legs going to do.  As my second in command, Asger, I thought you, of all people would be more sensible.  But it seems that I was wrong,"

"Oh, but there's more, Guttorm.  Just watch," the Viking man, Asger smirked before unsheathing his sword.  Asger placed Aslerta down on the ground and with one swing, Asger's blade move cleanly through Aslerta's neck.  Aslerta's head tumbled off his shoulders.  "What, was this all a ploy to show off your swordsmanship?  I already know how good you are with a sword, that's why you're second in command, Asger," Guttorm responded in disappointment, glaring at Asger.

'Please be true.  Please tell me you can actually resurrect,' Asger begged within his mind as he watched Aslerta anxiously.  Guttorm's eyes widened as he looked back down at the corpse.  Long fleshy strings shot from Aslerta's neck and legs.  The strings gave one tug and his head reconnected to his neck; his legs reconnecting to his knees.  "I'll kill you!" Aslerta roared as threw a punch into the air, still lying down.  When the punch didn't hit anything, he looked around, confused of his surroundings. 

Aslerta View Activate

"Huh.  Wasn't I fighting someone?" I asked in idiotic confusion.  "Oh, I understand.  You're all here to fight me, aren't you?  I can finally avenge my parents!" I leapt into a standing position, poising myself for a fight.

"Very interesting Asger.  Very interesting, indeed.  May I have a try?" Guttorm asked, with evident intrigue.

"Go ahead," Asger nodded at Guttorm.  Guttorm shot him a grin before pulling his fist back a bit.

"I'll kill you!" I roared as I realised that this big Guttorm guy in front of me must've been the leader.  He had to have been the one to lead that raid on my village.  My fist rocketed out at his stomach, but it merely rebounded.  "Uh oh.  Sorry?" I apologised slowly, realising the mistake I'd just made.  Guttorm gave me one look before launching his fist forward.  His fist impacted with my face, making it crack and contort, wrapping around his fist as he drove me into the floor.  A loud thud resounded throughout the clearing, followed by a bunch of nervous whispers from the Vikings.  I died again.  I've been dying an awful lot recently.  As the bright light of the death dimension beamed down upon me, I felt my mind transported back to my body.  I could feel the bones in my face reconnecting, restoring my face to its previous glory.  "Oh?  He really can resurrect!  This guy's amazing!" Guttorm laughed cheerily.  "I say we keep 'im!  Now, buddy, what's your name?" he bent down slightly, moving his face in front of mine.

"Why I'm the great immortal, Aslerta!" I answered pridefully, puffing out my chest.

"Well then, Aslerta.  What do you say about becoming a member of our band of Vikings?" Guttorm asked convincingly, making a wide gesture to all the Vikings within the clearing.

"Why would I join you demons?  That is betraying the trust of my late parents!" my face furrowed in anger as I stared daggers at the man.

"I see.  It seems it's going to take a little nudging," the man's mouth warped into a wicked grin as he turned slightly to look at Irene.

Following his gaze, I found myself captured by the otherworldly beauty of Irene "I-Irene?  W-what are you doing here?"

"So, her name's Irene.  Anyway, is she perhaps someone...  Special to you?" Guttorm nodded, enunciating each word slowly.

"Y-you wouldn't dare do anything to Irene!  I-if you do, I-I'll kill you!" I yelled out in anger as I tried to move forward.  But, I couldn't move.  Someone was holding me back.  I thrashed against their grip in frustration as I saw a few Viking men approaching Irene.

"N-no...  You wouldn't!" I struggled desperately at the hands holding me down.  I could hear Irene's screams as the men tore her clothes to shreds, revealing her bare body.  "P-please!  Don't do that to her!" I begged hysterically, my eyes filling quickly with tears that began to spill out like a flash flood.

"If you don't want your poor Irene to suffer, all you have to say is 'I hereby pledge my undying loyalty to the great Guttorm,'!" Guttorm whispered in my ears as he watched the sight in front of them with a proud look.  I looked at him with a frown as my pride and love for Irene fought for dominance within my mind.  'Do I want to keep my pride?  Or, do I want to save Irene?  Which is it?'.

"Think about it.  Look, they're about to start," Guttorm emphasised every single word with great pressure.  I looked over to where Irene was and sure enough, she was pinned to the floor, naked, a man kneeling over her.  "F-fine.  I accept, I accept!" I blurted out, giving up my pride to save Irene.

"Accept what?  You must say the words 'I hereby pledge my undying loyalty to the great Guttorm,' for your acceptance to matter," Guttorm whispered, a great deal of meaning behind his words.

"B-but I don't!  I'll never be loyal to you!" I spat, staring angrily at Guttorm like a feral animal.

"You will pledge your loyalty to me!  Even if I have to force it out of you!" Guttorm's voice burst as his fist slammed into the side of my head.  I felt his fist penetrate my skull and slam directly into my brain, turning it to mush.  I died instantly.  But, as my life returned to me, I could hear Guttorm screaming out in agony.  "Argh!  My hand!  W-what have you done!" Guttorm cried out, trembling in pain as he looked down at his hand.  It was now nothing but a mere stub, his hand missing.  'His hand probably got caught in the reformation of my skull!  I've gotta use this more in the future!' I thought to myself with great pride.

"Asger!  Use that brain of yours to convince that psycho!" Guttorm ordered as he clutched at his hand, now just a bloody stub.

"As you command sir." Asger's cool, calm voice spoke from behind me; so he was the one holding me.

"I-it's you!  You're that one strong guy I fought earlier!" I beamed as I looked up at Asger in awe, clearly forgetting something important.

"Yes, indeed.  Now, this is no time to get distracted.  Look ahead of you, look at how those men are handling your girlfriend.  Are you sure you want her to go through more of that?" Asger's voice whispered, with a calm sort of enticement.  I turned my head shakily towards Irene.  Tears started pouring from my eyes again as I saw what they were doing.  They had already "started".  Irene's pale white body was covered in red slap marks, her hair was a terrible mess.  Her eyes were shut as she groaned in pain.  "Don't worry Irene I'll save you!" I declared with strong confidence as I tried breaking from Asger's grip again.

"You won't be saving her that way, Aslerta.  You are weak...  Just pledge your loyalty and save the poor girl!" Asger spoke, his calm voice fluctuating into a slight beg.  There were, however, some words that stood out to me, being "You are weak,".  'I-I'm weak?  I suppose so, I can't even break free from Asger's grip!  I need strength!  I need the strength to save everyone!  If only I had power now!  I could save Irene without giving up my loyalty,' these thoughts washed over me like the lapping of waves on a beach.  Not able to bear the guilt of letting the Vikings rape Irene, I finally caved in and spoke those fateful words "I hereby pledge my undying loyalty to the great Guttorm,".  I wrinkled my nose in disgust as the words left my mouth, leaving a disgusting taste on my tongue.

"Hahaha!  A fledgling god has just pledge his loyalty to me!  My path to Valhalla is assured!" Guttorm, ignoring his pain cackled in glory.

"Now, unhand Ire-  W-wait?  Did you just call me a fledgling god?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, I did.  Are you not a god?  Those powers of yours seem rather godlike to me," Guttorm regarded me with great honour, quite befitting of a god.

"Then, as your god, I command you to set Irene and I free!" I commanded, in an attempt to use my "god" permissions.

"Haha, I thought you'd try that.  I'm sorry, but you pledged your loyalty to me, not the other way round," Guttorm pointed out, a mischievous grin dancing across his lips.

"W-well I'll relinquish your access to Valhalla!" I blurted out, still unsure why they all believed so strongly in this "Valhalla".  Death is just darkness, nothing more, nothing less.  "You can't do that.  You're only a fledgling!" Guttorm's smile brightened as he messed around with me.

"W-well, at the very least uphold your promise to free Irene!" I cried on behalf of Irene as I watched her suffering, sympathetically.

"No!" Guttorm answered defiantly, his cheeky grin brightening.

"B-but you said-" I pointed out frantically.

"I know what I said, but I'm a Viking and Vikings never keep their promises!" Guttorm cut in.

"N-no...  I-I'm sorry Irene!  I can't save you..." I murmured quietly, disappointed in my lack of power.  My face bore a serious expression as I watched Irene with great sadness and guilt, my mind racing with regret.  'I need power!  Come on!  There has to be more to this immortality thing than just resurrection!  Think Aslerta, think!' my mind screamed as I desperately tried to rake my mind for ideas.

1/8/975 AD

But none came...

On that fateful day, the 3rd of July 975 AD, I officially become my biggest enemy.  A Viking.  I still feel regret for what Irene and my parents had to go through.  It's been gnawing away at the back of my mind, fuelling my fast growing desire for power.  Irene lost her innocence that day and it was all my fault.  I shouldn't have let myself become consumed by anger and attack the Vikings blindly like that.  If only I'd waited out that Viking raid, Irene and I would still be together.  Unfortunately, I didn't and now Irene's a slave and I'm a Viking.

Yes, that's right.  A few days after we were captured by those Viking scum, Irene was sold off to a slave owner and became a slave.  It was absolutely devastating.  I never even got to say bye since Guttorm didn't let me see her at all after we'd been captured.  I can only wonder what these terrible, terrible Vikings did to her during that time.  I gulped guiltily, shaking my head.  "What are you thinking about there, Aslerta?" Asger's eyes were focused on me, observing me closely.  He was delegated as my guard, to make sure I didn't escape.  Not that I was thinking of escaping.  The only thing I was thinking of was murdering Guttorm.  But, anyway, it's kind of odd that they made second in command bodyguard of a mere weakling like me.  But hey, they think I'm some sort of fledgling god from Valhalla or something.  "Nothing you need to know of, Asger," I muttered, shooting him a glare.  "Hey Asger, have you ever thought about killing that Guttorm guy?  You're smart enough, you could probably do it," I asked, watching closely for his reaction.  If there were even tiny bit of animosity Asger had for Guttorm, I could use that to my advantage and get this guy on my side.  But Asger was a hard guy to read; he was quite the expert of hiding emotions.  "No, I have never thought about such a thing," Asger's eyes narrowed, drilling deep into my mind.

"I find that hard to believe.  Considering your intelligence, your mind must be racing with thoughts all the time.  So one of those thoughts ought to be about ending that foul Guttorm, right?" I seemed to hit the nail on the head as a flicker of hatred shone in his eyes for a moment.  "Knew it," I grinned, clapping my hands together.  "So, Sir Asger, why don't you help me defeat him?" I leaned in close, whispering the question into his ear, so no one would hear.

"Defeat him?  Do you wish to have a fight with him?" Asger asked curiously, probably thinking they could easily assassinate him in his sleep.

"Yes, that's right.  I want to defeat him with my own strength!  It would be the perfect debut for the legend of Aslerta the Immortal, don't ya think?" I slapped him on the back encouragingly.

"You're weak.  You stand no chance against Guttorm," Asger responded cautiously.

"That's why I want your help.  So, will you train me?" Asger looked at me thoughtfully before his eyes softened, his decision made.

"Sure, sounds fun," Asger smiled slyly as he nodded.  "Our first training session will be the next village we raid, be prepared,"

"Yes, sir," I exuded a confident aura but really, I didn't want to have to kill innocent people - I'd be making them go through the same suffering as I did.

2/8/975 AD

"Boys!  Get ready, there's a village in sight!" the excited voice of a Viking, who I believe is called Brynjar, roared over the top of his lungs so everyone, spread across the two boats could hear.  His alert brought shouts and cheers of even more excitement as men unsheathed their swords and stared ahead hungrily.  I was getting nervous; I really didn't want to have to fall to the level of Vikings and kill innocent people.  But, if I wanted power, I'd have to get used to killing the innocents - I'd have to get used to killing itself.  Our massive boats soared through the water, catching onto a vicious breeze headed straight for the village.  Luck really wasn't on their side.  A gentle spray of ocean water sprayed back over the ship from the prow, covering everyone with water.  It wasn't long before our ships came to a halt just off the shore of the village.  "Go forth and attack, men!" Guttorm's voice exploded, loud enough that everyone could hear.  And, with his command everyone leapt overboard and ran up the shore, through the water.  I jumped off the edge of the boat and landed in water that came up to my waist with a loud splash.  Asger quickly followed behind me, landing in the water.  For him, however, the water barely passed his knees, really showing how much taller than me he was.

I was nearly tempted to go for a fun little swim but I refocused my attention to what really mattered; this raid was the perfect opportunity for me to become stronger.  Asger alongside me, we stormed up the shore and into the village.  I could hear the sounds of terrified children screaming, trying to wake their parents.  I could see some people already stepping out of their homes to get a look only to be sliced in half by an oncoming Viking.  I gulped nervously before shaking my head and filling my mind with reassuring thoughts of 'I must do this if I want to become stronger and save Irene!'.  Using that goal, it was easy to justify any atrocities I commit, at least from a personal standpoint.  "Man, Aslerta!  You are fast!  I can barely even keep up with you!" Asger heaved as he struggled to run beside me.  "I guess I'll incorporate that into your training!  Now, show me what you got," he shouted over the cacophony of screams and battle cries, nodding his head to a small untouched house.  Recognising his intentions, I bolted for the house, mindful not to go to fast, so Asger could keep up.  "I really don't understand how your small body is so fast!" he exclaimed, his calm demeanour a bit shaken up.  Leaving no time for second thoughts, I kicked the house's door down, revealing a cramped interior.  The inside of the house was pretty much just a table and beds.  My hands trembled as my eyes fell upon a small family that consisted of the parents and one young boy.  It reminded me of me and my family.  Before the memories of my past could engulf my mind, I took a deep breath and focused on what mattered at this very moment 'I must train and become stronger!'.  With my restored confidence, I dashed past the table to where the family was huddled.  I took a large swing and my sword cut cleanly through the necks of the mother and father, leaving the child crying and screaming in the arms of his dead parents.  The screams made me lose focus for a moment and I tripped over my feet, faceplanting into the floor.  "Tch.  You can't be losing focus like that," Asger spoke as he pierced the small boy's heart, letting his lifeless body slump over.