12 A Mixed Reunion

There was not much to be seen in Brant's bedroom, and there were merely just items found from his adventures. These were the items that one would find in a faraway cave or the top of a mountain. Brant sits down on his bed as Lagertha looks around at his stuff before he decides what he wants to talk about. Both Lagertha and Brant always had things to say, yet it would take them more than a few seconds to reach a decision. Then, the young hunter had one thing he had in his mind, and he was not afraid to let it out to the Wolf Queen.

"Hey, Lagertha. There's something I want to tell you," Brant said.

"Of course. What do you need?" Lagertha asked.

"You said you wanted something to tell me. In your shoes, I wouldn't want to waste an entire minute. Yet I would like to know the minds of those who are eager to tell of their adventures or tales of bravery," he said.

"Brant, there's nothing imaginary that I'm about to tell you. Everything in my mind is true. However, I don't recall accepting a kind of truce between us. We are still close, even if we are separated from our parents. Fate itself led me back to you, it seems. Indeed, I can't turn away or change a fate that has already been sealed. It's possible for some people, but for me, it's a nightmare I can never turn away from."

"Nightmares are just mere dreams. Some people get nightmares, yet they are not from some curse inflicted upon the city. Thankfully, no ghoul nor wraith has wondered these parts to ruin the lives of those who want to live peacefully. I don't know the things you dream about, but one thing can be certain. It was all just a dream. Of course, I learned that the hard way."

"Well, you're right. But these visions, so far, are true. Some moments happened during those days that I can never get out of my head."

If there was one thing Lagertha was certain about, it was the fact that not everything may be as it seems. As Lagertha walked on the road, she could see many visions and flashbacks that may lead to her fateful demise. She did not know how or even why they came in front of her, yet she knew she was watched by someone or something. Brant started to fully understand what may have happened to Mephiles after he left him and his mother. The thought troubled him so much that he could not resist bringing up the relationship between him and Lagertha's father.

"Lagertha... what happened to your father? Why is it that everything has gotten worse over the years? How is it that the nights have gotten longer than expected?" Brant asked. Lagertha's eyes widely opened, and she knew he was bringing up matters that bothered her to the very core.

She looked down at herself, and she could not understand the person she has become in Brant's eyes. All she ever longed for was to see him again, but the sleepless nights and the short days brought that hope to despair. A horrific image appeared before Lagertha's eyes; she had a feeling that none of this would end peacefully. They both understood that they will never find peace, despite being welcomed by everyone they come across. Brant was eager to know lots of things, but Lagertha was worried that her answer would force the young hunter to leave her again.

"Brant... my father... is the ruler of Midland. He sits on the throne of that kingdom. He has a cult following and remade everything in his image," she answered.

"What about my father? What about the generals and every knight that followed Julius until their last breath?" Brant asked. Instead of giving him a proper answer, Lagertha's eyes were closed tightly; she could not gaze upon him after hearing such a tough question.

A tough decision had to be made by the Wolf Queen to see how well it will turn out for Brant. The son of King Harald saw no answer meant something horrible happened to his father. His eyes began watering, and his mind was going into a mass of rage and sadness by having nothing good come from Lagertha. Even she became scared to speak with Brant because she did not know it would come to something like this. Then, she opens her eyes and looks at him, yet she could never assume the conversation will make her happy.

"Brant... your father is gone. Every knight who once followed my father is dead or has fled the kingdom. And all the generals who once served your father and his father have all died," Lagertha answered. Brant looks at his hands and tries to see what kind of person he is without having a father.

Brant lost his father, but Lagertha lost her mother during these cursed nights and these horrifying events leading up to the reign of Mephiles. The Demon Wolf did not expect mercy to come from his daughter, yet he became prepared for her to enter his castle. One of Brant's eyes had a tear stream down from his face, and Lagertha knew she messed up. She understood Brant would not be pleased by the words that came out of her mouth. Lagertha raised her hand to see if she could cheer him up. But losing a family member weighed heavily on Brant's soul.

"What... game is this, Lagertha? What have we done to deserve this? Your father... no. He couldn't. He wouldn't!" Brant shouted.

"My father is a tyrant. That much, I know. It seems as if a betrayal or an act of treason was committed one day. My father must've set the entire ordeal on your father," Lagertha said.

"I'll find that loathsome cur and gut him where he stands. I'll make his blood stain the very throne he sits upon! He must feel my pain!"

"You can't go by yourself. You'll die by his hand. He is beyond human. Only mythical weapons can kill him. He is now someone who allied with the ones he swore to rid of from the world. You may not know this, but he dominates the minds of the more powerful demons. You'll need more than your broadsword to end his life."

"What else do you know, Lagertha? I'm sorry if I'm pushing too much on you, but... I am a man who must know. I must know the truth about everything. That man, the usurper, the false idol... he will die as my father did!"

"Brant, you don't loathe him enough. Your hatred towards him will not get you where you wish to be. If anyone must kill him, it is I. I've seen all the terrible things he has done and all the things he plans to do. I'm sorry, but that cursed path will only bring you ruin and death."

Brant believed he could overcome any obstacle and believed himself to be victorious against all odds. Lagertha warned him it would not do him any good, but he did not seem to take her words into his heart. He became very skillful with his sword because he despised the night creatures and desired vengeance. Just as Lagertha was not prepared to share what happened to her father, Brant was not at all ready to tell her about his mother. He did not know what the outcome would bring him, but he did not care; he had to tell Lagertha, whether she likes it or not.

"Lagertha... I... left her. I left my mother," Brant said.

"Left her? What do you mean?" She asked.

Then he answered her and said, "She told me to leave her at Jorvik. She told me being with her would only bring her more agony. After she heard the news of what happened at Midland, she... could not talk to me. She could not eat or sleep. She was getting frail with each passing week, and there was nothing I could do. My mother believed me too worthless for her."

"The same pain bears both our hearts. Losing someone in a family and leaving your family's home always carried a heavy burden for everyone. Your greatest enemies deserve your vengeance. And so, give it to them. You should make them swallow their guts and make the river run red with their blood. But alas, you have every reason to hate the man who started it all, by making a deal with the Devil himself."

Lagertha knew almost everything about her father and what he did with the Demon Wolf inside of him. Lagertha only shared what she knew with Brant and refused to tell anyone else what she thinks about.

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