It had been several months since Sigurðr "Ringtaker" Randvérsson had been visited by the Norse angel of death, the one whom the Iskjerne settlers refered to as the Olde Mother, a very old blind woman who had foretold the future of their kingdom. Olde Mother had made several predictions, many of which it seemed were now coming to pass. "I see your destiny, Great King Sigurd" she had told him. "I see wonders that no king before you has ever laid eyes upon" she said more intently. She would fumble with the rune some more. "I see a castle, and the great hall in which the throne sits, larger than this very room" the creepy old woman added. "I see that you have been favored by the gods," she paused for a moment to catch her breath, after dropping the rune on the table. "I see your doom, Great King Sigurd" she said quietly. "I see ashes and giants, nightmares and terrors that your fathers never spoke of" the creepy woman continued. "You will have a great choice to make," she said. "Depending on what you do, it could be your last" she prophesied, before collecting all of her bone runes and putting them back in her bag.
The oracle was wise beyond belief, and now seven months later, her words were coming to pass. King Sigurd contemplated silently as Azaka and Kamidake quietly kept their defensive stances, watching as everyone began to assemble around them. Yukiko made her next move too, sliding the wooden tiara onto her head, threading it through her hair, and adjusting it so it sat securely like a crown around her head. This provided her a mental link to the royal tree Mizuho. Yukiko quietly prayed to it, pleaded with it to come and help. Status symbols flicked across her field of vision, a HUD moving through her ocular cortex and becoming superimposed into her field of vision. The hybrid ship would arrive in due time. They only had to hold out long enough, it's weapons were more than enough to vaporize the entire settlement. Or so they believed.
But the gods did indeed favor the Geatish konung, just as the oracle had foretold. Though it wasn't exactly the way Sigurd Hring had imagined. For the gods were indiscriminate it seemed, as Eras continued to slowly drain the Lands of Gaia of their energy, disabling any and all incompatible technology, both foreign and domestic. "So much as a drop of my blood gets spilled here..." Shimizu warned, pointing to the sky as his Tenchi-ken continued to flicker and weaken with every word. "That thing up there, that is the Sõja, it is my personal flagship" Shimizu said, slowly stepping forward, almost challenging King Sigurd as he looked up briefly towards the sky. But there was more than just the Soja up ahead, and King Sigurd took note of all the happenings in the clouds above.
"So much as a drop of Taiyou blood gets spilled..." Shimizu continued to speak, but by now the Norsemen had began to notice an even greater threat up above. For there in the distance, over the horizon, some of the Weargtooth Mountains had began to move. The great pastel blue silhouette of Asvith Thrym could be seen towering over the sky from miles and miles away, his colossal humanoid jotunn form standing out like a distant tornado reaching from earth to sky. But the late great King of Iskjerne Bay would never say a word, instead allowing Emperor Shimizu to figure things out on his own. "Everything you have worked so hard to build destroyed! With so much as a push of a button," Shimizu continued on, completely oblivious to the whole situation and also to his immediate surroundings.
Just then and without warning, Emperor Shimizu turned and stepped in towards King Sigurd, preparing to strike him down with the Tenchi blade, but before he could follow through, Shimizu would suddenly feel a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Stop," Princess Yukiko urged her younger brother, her words still audible to the vikings who surrounded them. It all seemed to happen so fast as Gwyneth the Shield-maiden kept her arrow notched and aimed at Yukiko's torso with every move she made. Sigurd would stand perfectly still, keeping his round viking shield in front of him as he braced himself for combat. As this was happening, some of the women in the black veils started chanting, while Hrollaug held up both axes menacingly, gazing at Azaka and Kamidake from behind his father's shield. The guardian's were correct in their own thought process. This wasn't going to end well for either of them. For despite their alleged power, King Sigurd had the advantage, something which Emperor Shimizu failed to acknowledge.
Another crack of thunder filled the bay...
"Shimizu, please... let's go home." Yukiko pleaded. Shimizu kept his gaze locked with Sigurd, before he extinguished Tenchi and whipped around. He shoved Yukiko aside, knocking her to the ground as he stormed towards Kayabuki, grabbing the middle aged woman by the collar, and pulling her close to him. King Sigurd gritted his teeth. Hrollaug suddenly tried stepping forward to put an end to the tyranny, but Sigurd pushed him back, keeping his son from getting involved just yet. "Wait," he said quietly, his angry eyes gazing at Emperor Shimizu with contempt. "I want an army commissioned, equipped, and trained to fight on this world." The Emperor hissed. "These people will be made to pay for their impudence" he added. King Sigurd briefly glanced over to Jarl Evan and Jarl Ivan, gesturing them to move into position, before turning his attention back to Shimizu.
Just then, the Taiyou emperor would shove Kayabuki away from him, causing her to stumble backwards several paces before Azaka moved to catch her. Hrollaug kept his attention on both of them, but now his hatred was turning into pity. What kind of a coward would treat his women with such disrespect? Surely, he would pay for his tyranny and for his personal behavior. Emperor Shimizu raised Tenchi in the air again, and used it to mentally call out to his flagship. A spherical portal opened up several paces away from Shimizu, crackling, and hissing, it took several moments to stabilize. Shimizu began to walk towards it, leaving Kraiger Nallesson where he sat. But as the Taiyou emperor went to leave, a large group of Northmen would gather into position, stepping in between Emperor Shimizu and his escape route, blocking his pathway to the portal.
It was Jarl Ivan and Jarl Evan, along with their gangs. The standing viking army would form yet another wall, locking their shields together to prevent Shimizu's escape. "Shimizu Takayama!!!" King Sigurd shouted, tossing his shield aside before stepping forward behind him slowly. Gwyneth never lowered her bow for even one second as she pointed her arrow at the guardians, motioning for them to step back as King Sigurd stepped forward. Hrollaug would look over to Azaka and Kayabuki as he too stepped forward, but now they could see that his expression towards them had changed considerably. Deep down in his stomach, the prince almost felt sad for them. Although he was still prepared to kill them at a moment's notice, the prince had eased up in his aggression. It was clear that he did not really want to fight them. The real enemy here was Shimizu, but Prince Rollo the Walker still kept a watchful eye on the guardians, taking note of their fancy staffs and of their every move.
Lord Bruce of Essex would glance back at Takao Eguchi, who was still helping the wounded, before turning his gaze upon Seno Miyagi, never allowing either of them to leave his sights. King Sigurd would gaze down at Princess Yukiko quietly, fury in his eyes as he gritted his teeth, gazing down over her with his viking sword. At that moment, it appeared he had the perfect opportunity to strike her dead. He waved his sword in front of her eyes, the runic inscriptions on the blade reflecting off her face as he gazed down at the fallen princess in the wet snowy mud. He would touch the tip of his blade to her chin, lifting her chin up, before gently trailing his blade up her cheek along the side of her face. To her surprise, the blade was slightly dull and cold to the touch. Sigurd's hand was gentle, however, his movements slow as he drew his blade along the side of Yukiko's face, never even so much as scratching her skin as he peered down into her eyes.
With the tip of his sword, Sigurd would slowly loop the wooden tiara around his blade and remove it from Yukiko's hair. He gazed down at her briefly, dangling the wooden gem incrested tiara on the tip of his blade in front of her eyes before lifting it away from her reach. As he lifted his sword, the tiara would slide down the blade towards his hand guard. He had no idea about the magic qualities of the tiara, nor did he care. But the gemstone was fascinating to him, and the intricately carved tiara would make a lovely gift for his daughter, who was also a princess. Sigurd handed the tiara over to Lord Bruce before removing one of his gloves. Then without warning, King Sigurd did the unthinkable. He extended his free hand, offering to help Princess Yukiko back to her feet.
Afterwards, he turned his hateful gaze again towards Shimizu, who was still being prevented from escape by the king's jarls and their leidangs. A slight smirk formed upon the Norse king's face as he pointed the tip of his sword again, this time at Shimizu himself as Gwyneth kept her focus on Yukiko for even the slightest hint of an attack. This time it was personal. Jarl Evan and his Harii warriors gazed at Emperor Shimizu menacingly, as Sigurd Hring waited patiently for the emperor to address him. All the while, other forces around them continued to be at play. There was magic in the air, unseen and unfelt, but very much alive and active as the women in the black veils continued chanting softly behind the shieldwalls.
The oracle was wise beyond belief, and now seven months later, her words were coming to pass. King Sigurd contemplated silently as Azaka and Kamidake quietly kept their defensive stances, watching as everyone began to assemble around them. Yukiko made her next move too, sliding the wooden tiara onto her head, threading it through her hair, and adjusting it so it sat securely like a crown around her head. This provided her a mental link to the royal tree Mizuho. Yukiko quietly prayed to it, pleaded with it to come and help. Status symbols flicked across her field of vision, a HUD moving through her ocular cortex and becoming superimposed into her field of vision. The hybrid ship would arrive in due time. They only had to hold out long enough, it's weapons were more than enough to vaporize the entire settlement. Or so they believed.
But the gods did indeed favor the Geatish konung, just as the oracle had foretold. Though it wasn't exactly the way Sigurd Hring had imagined. For the gods were indiscriminate it seemed, as Eras continued to slowly drain the Lands of Gaia of their energy, disabling any and all incompatible technology, both foreign and domestic. "So much as a drop of my blood gets spilled here..." Shimizu warned, pointing to the sky as his Tenchi-ken continued to flicker and weaken with every word. "That thing up there, that is the Sõja, it is my personal flagship" Shimizu said, slowly stepping forward, almost challenging King Sigurd as he looked up briefly towards the sky. But there was more than just the Soja up ahead, and King Sigurd took note of all the happenings in the clouds above.
"So much as a drop of Taiyou blood gets spilled..." Shimizu continued to speak, but by now the Norsemen had began to notice an even greater threat up above. For there in the distance, over the horizon, some of the Weargtooth Mountains had began to move. The great pastel blue silhouette of Asvith Thrym could be seen towering over the sky from miles and miles away, his colossal humanoid jotunn form standing out like a distant tornado reaching from earth to sky. But the late great King of Iskjerne Bay would never say a word, instead allowing Emperor Shimizu to figure things out on his own. "Everything you have worked so hard to build destroyed! With so much as a push of a button," Shimizu continued on, completely oblivious to the whole situation and also to his immediate surroundings.
Just then and without warning, Emperor Shimizu turned and stepped in towards King Sigurd, preparing to strike him down with the Tenchi blade, but before he could follow through, Shimizu would suddenly feel a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Stop," Princess Yukiko urged her younger brother, her words still audible to the vikings who surrounded them. It all seemed to happen so fast as Gwyneth the Shield-maiden kept her arrow notched and aimed at Yukiko's torso with every move she made. Sigurd would stand perfectly still, keeping his round viking shield in front of him as he braced himself for combat. As this was happening, some of the women in the black veils started chanting, while Hrollaug held up both axes menacingly, gazing at Azaka and Kamidake from behind his father's shield. The guardian's were correct in their own thought process. This wasn't going to end well for either of them. For despite their alleged power, King Sigurd had the advantage, something which Emperor Shimizu failed to acknowledge.
Another crack of thunder filled the bay...
"Shimizu, please... let's go home." Yukiko pleaded. Shimizu kept his gaze locked with Sigurd, before he extinguished Tenchi and whipped around. He shoved Yukiko aside, knocking her to the ground as he stormed towards Kayabuki, grabbing the middle aged woman by the collar, and pulling her close to him. King Sigurd gritted his teeth. Hrollaug suddenly tried stepping forward to put an end to the tyranny, but Sigurd pushed him back, keeping his son from getting involved just yet. "Wait," he said quietly, his angry eyes gazing at Emperor Shimizu with contempt. "I want an army commissioned, equipped, and trained to fight on this world." The Emperor hissed. "These people will be made to pay for their impudence" he added. King Sigurd briefly glanced over to Jarl Evan and Jarl Ivan, gesturing them to move into position, before turning his attention back to Shimizu.
Just then, the Taiyou emperor would shove Kayabuki away from him, causing her to stumble backwards several paces before Azaka moved to catch her. Hrollaug kept his attention on both of them, but now his hatred was turning into pity. What kind of a coward would treat his women with such disrespect? Surely, he would pay for his tyranny and for his personal behavior. Emperor Shimizu raised Tenchi in the air again, and used it to mentally call out to his flagship. A spherical portal opened up several paces away from Shimizu, crackling, and hissing, it took several moments to stabilize. Shimizu began to walk towards it, leaving Kraiger Nallesson where he sat. But as the Taiyou emperor went to leave, a large group of Northmen would gather into position, stepping in between Emperor Shimizu and his escape route, blocking his pathway to the portal.
It was Jarl Ivan and Jarl Evan, along with their gangs. The standing viking army would form yet another wall, locking their shields together to prevent Shimizu's escape. "Shimizu Takayama!!!" King Sigurd shouted, tossing his shield aside before stepping forward behind him slowly. Gwyneth never lowered her bow for even one second as she pointed her arrow at the guardians, motioning for them to step back as King Sigurd stepped forward. Hrollaug would look over to Azaka and Kayabuki as he too stepped forward, but now they could see that his expression towards them had changed considerably. Deep down in his stomach, the prince almost felt sad for them. Although he was still prepared to kill them at a moment's notice, the prince had eased up in his aggression. It was clear that he did not really want to fight them. The real enemy here was Shimizu, but Prince Rollo the Walker still kept a watchful eye on the guardians, taking note of their fancy staffs and of their every move.
Lord Bruce of Essex would glance back at Takao Eguchi, who was still helping the wounded, before turning his gaze upon Seno Miyagi, never allowing either of them to leave his sights. King Sigurd would gaze down at Princess Yukiko quietly, fury in his eyes as he gritted his teeth, gazing down over her with his viking sword. At that moment, it appeared he had the perfect opportunity to strike her dead. He waved his sword in front of her eyes, the runic inscriptions on the blade reflecting off her face as he gazed down at the fallen princess in the wet snowy mud. He would touch the tip of his blade to her chin, lifting her chin up, before gently trailing his blade up her cheek along the side of her face. To her surprise, the blade was slightly dull and cold to the touch. Sigurd's hand was gentle, however, his movements slow as he drew his blade along the side of Yukiko's face, never even so much as scratching her skin as he peered down into her eyes.
With the tip of his sword, Sigurd would slowly loop the wooden tiara around his blade and remove it from Yukiko's hair. He gazed down at her briefly, dangling the wooden gem incrested tiara on the tip of his blade in front of her eyes before lifting it away from her reach. As he lifted his sword, the tiara would slide down the blade towards his hand guard. He had no idea about the magic qualities of the tiara, nor did he care. But the gemstone was fascinating to him, and the intricately carved tiara would make a lovely gift for his daughter, who was also a princess. Sigurd handed the tiara over to Lord Bruce before removing one of his gloves. Then without warning, King Sigurd did the unthinkable. He extended his free hand, offering to help Princess Yukiko back to her feet.
Afterwards, he turned his hateful gaze again towards Shimizu, who was still being prevented from escape by the king's jarls and their leidangs. A slight smirk formed upon the Norse king's face as he pointed the tip of his sword again, this time at Shimizu himself as Gwyneth kept her focus on Yukiko for even the slightest hint of an attack. This time it was personal. Jarl Evan and his Harii warriors gazed at Emperor Shimizu menacingly, as Sigurd Hring waited patiently for the emperor to address him. All the while, other forces around them continued to be at play. There was magic in the air, unseen and unfelt, but very much alive and active as the women in the black veils continued chanting softly behind the shieldwalls.