275 CCLXXV. The Severing (1/2)

After those words, which seemed to elicit no sensation in her, Dag opened his jaws and bit her neck violently, right where the runic scar was.

Freydis, caught in uncontrollable pain, began to agitate with her last strength, trying to wriggle out of his grip and hardly scratching Dag behind his back, causing deep furrows in his skin, which stuck under her nails.

With a decisive gesture of the head upwards and his jaw clenched, Dag tore a thin piece of flesh from Freydis's neck, surgically removing the flap of skin on which Inguz was engraved from her body.

Suddenly, the girl's screams and groans subsided, as did Karl and the others, who were watching the scene expecting the worst.

Dag turned his head to one side and spat out the piece of flesh, which after twirling in the air, ended up on the dusty ground of the arena, which got wet by the blood of the young Shieldmaiden, whose eyes began to close, losing consciousness.

He lowered himself back towards her and bit her again, leaving the grip on her neck, in which air began to circulate again, filling Freydis's lungs.

Dag's cheeks curved inwards and he began to suck the inside of the wound.

Gridd walked towards him, unable to understand what he was going to do.

”You cut off the wound, saving her again, Dag... what are you doing now?! Did the smell of blood go to your head?!” he thought, walking with circumspection, while his brother looked like a feeding lion.

The dark veins that covered the girl's body slowly disappeared, letting that strange liquid flow into her neck, while Dag began to swallow it as if it was a valued food.

”Dag?! Brother, that's enough! The rune has been removed, Freydis is safe!” Gridd exclaimed, trying to communicate with him, who seemed to ignore those words, continuing to suck the liquid, until his woman's body was completely emptied.

With one hand behind her nape, he gently placed Freydis's head on the ground and then turned behind to Gridd, who was petrified.

Dag's left eye was still red, his skin black and his teeth sharp.

The demonic transformation had not yet worn off.

Dag looked again at Freydis, who had lost consciousness, but whose face had returned to the normal complexion, slightly paler than usual.

Karl ran towards them, beginning to extract potions and bandages from his healer box, ready to medicate his sister's wounds.

”Dag! You did it! Now move from there, let me heal the wound!” he yelled, thrilled that his friend had succeeded in his intent and anxious for Freydis to wake up again.

Seeing Karl arriving, Dag moved in with a snap, shaking his head and continuing to breathe deeply.

”Hey... you can stay calm now... tell me how I can help you...” Gridd said, reaching out a hand toward her brother, who was still uttering strange verses.

In addition to the enormous power absorbed from Roar, another external element was now circulating in his blood system.

That substance of which Freydis's veins were full was highly indigestible, despite Dag's metabolism, able to digest just about anything.

The dark liquid kept moving inside his intestines and his gaze began to cloud.