114 CXIV. The Option (1/2)

Reidar advanced, positioning himself ahead of his team-mates.

Karl approached Dag's horse by the side. He was evidently troubled by what had happened.

”Hey, Dag! I remember as if it were yesterday when you told me you were going to be King of all Vikings. Look at you now... you have the n° 8 emblem! Isn't that great? If you continue at this pace, your dream may soon come true!” he said, smiling at Dag.

Dag reciprocated the kind words with a forced smile: ”Don't you think it's strange that I managed to get two emblems in just over a month? When we trained in the Jernhest Arena, Taya told us many times that getting the emblems was a long and difficult task, even for the greatest warriors”.

”Well... but Taya has never seen you smashing the chest of one of Skjold's strongest warriors with a magic hammer! Hahahah!” chuckled Karl, pleased with the power of his Captain and drawing a sincere smile from him.

”Since I was a child, I have done nothing but suffer misfortunes in my life... Maybe I can be lucky too?” asked Dag.

”Fortunes, sooner or later, happen to everybody. Imagine the faces of the members of the other Clans, when you'll propose to join us, showing the emblem n° 8. You will be a feared and loved leader at the same time!” said Reidar, turning his head back.

After those words, Dag thought of Brann: ”He had the n° 6 emblem, not much more prestigious than my current one. But on one thing, maybe he was right... you can't conquer the strongest emblems with good manners. You have to fight mercilessly, never losing sight of your goals.”

”You're right, boys. What happened on that farm was a great fortune!” he said.

”And the soup wasn't so bad!” exclaimed Karl, prompting laughter from his friends.

The three adventurers continued their journey to Tyven.

When they passed yet another mountain, the FossilWood Forest was finally visible.

”Have you noticed that the Sun sets more slowly? I think spring is approaching” Dag said, watching the sunset on the horizon.

”You're right, Captain. I noticed that too” Reidar said.

Dag rode forward to his companions, making his way.

”That way! I can see a path. If we are lucky, we will be able to get down from the Mountain and enter the Forest” he exclaimed, pointing his finger in front of him.

Karl, as he rode, was flipping through the almanac.

”Dag, the book says that a 'transfusion' will not make the union of the two types of blood definitive. By injecting the blood of the hawk into your veins, you would prolong the effect of your powers, but after a few days, they would vanish because your body would slowly regenerate your own blood, which would replace the stranger one” Karl said, his gaze fixed on the almanac.

”Then it was just like Reidar said” sighed Dag, looking at his companions.

”Wait. We must not lose hope. I'm confident we'll find a way” Karl continued, trying to focus.