Eyes Of Allegiance
"Is that it?" I whispered eagerly, my heart pounding in my chest. I'm so nervous for my first war! I really need a win under my belt to prove to myself and to others that I can do this.!!
I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart and hid behind a tree. I peeked out from its side, my eyes fixed on the target in front of me. I was sweating profusely, and my heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest.
"Calm the F down!!" I shouted inwardly, trying to silence the anxious thoughts racing through my head.
In front of me was an open village with small, flimsy huts and houses made of wood, scattered about haphazardly. Cattle were running around freely while the dogs barked loudly in our direction. It was too bad for them that no one was paying attention to their safety. Outside the village, there were no obstacles for us to attack it. The village was a distance from the river and the dense forest where we were, settled in a flatland. There would be no High ground advantages for the enemy.
I counted approximately twenty or so physically fit and able-bodied warriors patrolling the area, armed with deadly-looking battle axes and swords. In this age, any warrior of a tribe has the responsibility of keeping the tribe safe. I saw no bows and arrows, which meant they were likely not expecting any long-range attacks or any attack, for that matter. The lack of bows and arrows also meant that they were not planning on attacking any other tribes soon.
"Yes!" Ivar's short, eager reply came from behind me. Without turning around, I studied our battle location. This village should be easy for us to take, yet the problem was that there would be few casualties among us. And that won't do! I wish that there will be zero casualties in our midst. To achieve that, I needed to carefully plan each and every move.
"I should have waited until I finished training the warriors in formations!" I thought in silent frustration as I turned around to look at Ivar. Ivar was a tall, skinny man who was deceptively strong. He was looking at the ground, lost in thought with a creepy smile on his face. Above his head, a game-like panel hung, saying [Ivar, Loyalty 0].
One of my fears, when I came here, was the potential for underhandedness and betrayal, like my grandfather did to become the chief of the tribe. I fear the same will happen to me.
I looked Ivar dead in the eye and asked him, "Are you loyal to me?", studying his every facial expression and movement for any clues that he might be lying. I knew his character pretty well though. He is always pretty straightforward and honest, the kind of person who only knows how to kill. Lying? He doesn't even know what that word means. But people change.
When you first lay eyes on Ivar, you will immediately think "He would make the best scoundrel in a low-budget movie." He has an oval-shaped face and deep-set light green eyes that seem to shine with a strong light, making him look fierce. He has a big, long nose and always has a tight-lipped expression on his face. He always looks angry about something, but he never expresses it verbally, only through his facial expressions.
A lean man with well-toned muscles and a shaved head, without a single strand of it, that has a tree tattoo - each leaf represents a life. Right now, the tree is half full. His bald head is making his small ears stand out. Eyebrows shaped like a straight sword. Favorite weapons? Everything.
A master using any weapon, his ruthlessness knows no bounds. They say when he makes love to women, he always has a weapon on him. One of the spearheads in any fight, one of the first to fight and the last to rest. His poker face remains unchanged, only when he is in a fight. He is one of the fearsome warriors.
"No," he replied plainly and instantly, his face had no emotion apart from the deep frown that seemed to be permanently etched into his features. He didn't even seem surprised by the question I asked—I tried to do that to get some sort of reaction out of him.
I shot back "Why?" not even remotely shocked by the answer.
"Why would I?" He looked deep into my eyes as he asked this question. He seemed genuinely puzzled and interested in my answer.
"Yes .....Why ...Let me ask you another question , Are you in any way not loyal to me? " I asked with my brows furrowed, trying to see if he was secretly working with someone or if someone had tried to invite him to overthrow me. My heart raced as I waited for his answer, half-hoping that he would say no and half-fearing that he would say yes.
"No!" His short and direct reply made me immediately feel relaxed.
"This is more than satisfactory, you've done well! Now go collect the rest of the boys, today we will bathe in the blood of our enemies and emerge victorious! FOR TYR "I shouted back while glaring fiercely at the Tribe myself, while I positioned myself to keep a line of sight of Ivar. With just the edge of my vision, I saw him walk away as he mumbled something under his breath.
Ivar barely let out a chuckle before he quickly hid it away, replying so softly under his breath that no one heard what he said. He continued on his way, leaving me behind.
It's easy to talk to Ivar since I know what he desires; all he wants is to see the light slowly leave the eyes of the one he kills. He wants to look into their eyes as they gradually turn... blank.
As I observed his slight frame that was hiding his well-defined muscles disappear into the dense forest, I finally released a pent-up breath and cursed under my breath, "I'm surrounded by Lunatic fools." My right hand, which had been clenching the handle of my sword since the beginning of the conversation so tightly that my knuckles had turned white, finally released its grip. I felt the tension I had been holding in my body for what felt like hours start to dissipate and I took a deep breath that managed to calm me down for the first time since laying eyes on him.
The "Eye of Allegiance" is a skill I bought from the store that allows me to see the loyalty of my people. Yes, now I have a store where I can buy supernatural game-like merchandise, such as this. The merchandise varies greatly, from skills that can make you see the future, to game add-ons like stats or inventory. Its currency is honor points, which can only be gained from the Other World.
The eyes of allegiance, which didn't change much in my appearance, need three conditions to be fulfilled in order to activate them.
Firstly, I need to receive the full name of the said person from the person himself or herself, and not from another source. In short, that person needs to introduce him or herself to me.
Secondly, that person needs to be free from any duty-bound, meaning a Free Man.
Lastly, he or she needs to acknowledge him or herself as part of my tribe.
In the morning, when I woke up from that world, I had a sudden understanding of how to use "The Store" and how to be teleported to the other world. By using the simple commands "In" and "Out", I can be directly teleported there. However, there are also conditions that need to be met. In conclusion, of the many conditions, the two most important are that I can be teleported only 1 time each day and I simply need to be in a safe place with no enemy close by.
Also, The other world is like a never-ending cycle of death and resurrection. Any life I take or cause the death of will be resurrected there. Unfortunately, not everyone is equal in life. The more noble or strong someone is, the stronger they are in the other world. What is more, is that from Today any beast that my people will hunt will also rise from the dead in that world, and that is like a curse!!
In seven days, I'll meet dozens of flesh-eating zombies, and that is driving me insane! The last thing I want is for those pesky barbarians to cause me trouble like backstabbing me! And it seems those 'Entities' knew it too since there was only one item worth one honor point and that is the skill I bought.