Chapter 40: The Southern Scouts

The endless deserts of the Southern Kingdoms glimmered under the blazing sun, their vast expanses broken only by the occasional oasis or towering dune. Here, where golden sands and ancient trade routes shaped the rhythm of life, the southern scouts had departed weeks ago, braving the unfamiliar cold of the northern lands.

Sent by High King Rashan al-Kahir, their mission was one of urgency and utmost importance: to uncover the truth behind the tales of the northern war and the supposed god who had emerged victorious alongside the Vikings.

The scouts, led by the experienced and shrewd Malik, were not just trained in survival but also in the art of deception. Masters of blending in, they had taken on the guise of travelers and traders, weaving themselves into the very fabric of Viking society. Now, after seven days in the North, they were no longer skeptical of the stories they had once dismissed as mere exaggerations.

The first days in the Viking lands were a revelation for the southern scouts. They marveled at the stark beauty of the snow-covered plains and dense forests, so unlike the warm sands and open skies of their homeland. The cold bit at their skin despite their layered cloaks, but they endured it, knowing the weight of their task.

At first, they kept to the outskirts of villages, watching and listening. The Vikings, with their hearty laughs and fierce friendship, intrigued the scouts. These were not soft people; their lives were hard, shaped by the unyielding winter and constant threats of war. Yet the scouts noticed something else—an unmistakable pride and newfound hope that seemed to radiate from every corner of the settlements.

It wasn't long before the name Gabriel began to surface in hushed conversations and admiring tones. The scouts heard tales of his glowing wings, his power to heal, and his miraculous ability to bend the land to his will. At first, they dismissed the stories as embellishments. But on the third day, they saw him with their own eyes.

It was early morning when Malik and his team spotted Gabriel in the distance. He was walking through the village, his movements unhurried yet purposeful. Even from afar, his presence was striking. His wings, impossibly white, seemed to catch and reflect the faintest rays of light, casting an ethereal glow around him. He greeted the villagers with a calm nod, his serene demeanor a stark contrast to the raw power the scouts had heard described.

From their hidden vantage point, the scouts exchanged uneasy glances.

"Is it him?" whispered Nadia, the youngest of the group. Her wide eyes betrayed both fear and fascination.

Malik nodded, his jaw tightening. "It has to be."

Gabriel paused near a group of children playing in the snow. One of them, a boy no older than six, stumbled and began to cry. Gabriel knelt beside him, murmured something the scouts couldn't hear, and placed a hand on the child's knee. A soft golden glow enveloped the boy, and when it faded, his tears had stopped, replaced by a shy smile.

The scouts were silent for a long moment, the weight of what they had seen settling heavily on their minds.

Over the next few days, the scouts observed more of Gabriel's abilities, each display more astonishing than the last. On the fourth day, they saw him at work near a caravan stuck in a dense forest. The wagons had sunk into the snow, the path ahead blocked by trees. Gabriel raised his hand, and with a single wave, the trees parted as though answering an unspoken command. The snow melted into the earth, leaving a smooth, dry path for the caravan to continue its journey.

The scouts watched from the shadows, their breath visible in the cold air.

"He doesn't just command the land," said Rami, one of Malik's lieutenants. "It's as if the land obeys him willingly."

Kaida, the second-in-command, frowned. "This isn't human. No man can do this."

Malik remained quiet, his sharp eyes fixed on Gabriel. He knew his team was right, but he also knew they needed to remain objective. For now, their job was to observe and document, no matter how much the truth unnerved them.

The most extraordinary sight came on the sixth day when the scouts ventured toward the barbarian settlement. The sheer scale of the camp left them momentarily stunned—25,000 men, women, and children, all housed in what could only be described as a newly built village.

From their hidden vantage point on a nearby hill, the scouts watched as Gabriel moved among the barbarians. He raised his hands, and houses appeared as though plucked from the air. Entire sections of forest vanished, replaced by smooth clearings and cultivated land. Walls rose around the settlement, strong and unyielding, their design both functional and intricate.

At the center of the village stood a grand hall, its towering pillars carved with symbols the scouts did not recognize. The hall's construction was seamless, as if it had always been there, waiting for Gabriel to reveal it.

"I've never seen anything like this," Kaida murmured, her voice almost a whisper. "It's… divine."

Malik's expression darkened. "Divine or not, it's real. That's all that matters."

On the seventh day, Malik decided to take a calculated risk. Disguised as traveling merchants, the scouts approached the Viking village closest to the barbarian settlement. They brought simple wares—salt, spices, and silk—and exchanged them for stories.

"Have you met him?" one of the scouts asked a Viking elder, feigning casual curiosity.

The elder nodded, his weathered face breaking into a smile. "Gabriel? Of course. He's been a blessing to us all. Without him, we would have lost everything."

"And you truly believe he's a god?" Malik pressed gently.

The elder chuckled, stroking his beard. "A god? Who's to say? All I know is that he saved us. That's enough for me."

The scouts listened intently, careful not to reveal their true intentions. They learned how Gabriel had healed the injured, strengthened the Vikings' defenses, and even brought peace to the barbarian hordes who had once threatened their existence. Each account added weight to the stories they had already witnessed.

As the scouts prepared to leave the North, they gathered one last time to reflect on their mission. Malik sat by the fire, his face illuminated by the flickering flames. In his hand, he held a parchment containing a detailed sketch of Gabriel—a tall figure with flowing white hair, piercing eyes, and wings that seemed to defy the very concept of mortality.

"What will you tell the High King?" Nadia asked quietly, her voice heavy with uncertainty.

Malik stared at the drawing for a long moment before answering. "The truth. Everything we've seen, everything we've heard. No embellishments, no guesses. Only what we know."

"And what do we know?" Rami pressed, his tone tense. "That he's a god? A man? Something else entirely?"

Malik looked up, his eyes shadowed but resolute. "We know he exists. That alone is enough to change everything."

As the team began their journey back to the Southern Kingdoms, their minds swirled with questions that had no easy answers. Gabriel was no longer just a rumor or a tale to entertain the court. He was real, and his presence would ripple far beyond the frozen North.