3 Salazar Adventures
I am Salazar. A mercenary who is hired for all kinds of missions. My motto is: If you have enough money, I can kill anyone.
Today I was hired by an erilaz, apparently, he is a runic master, he needs a sacred stone that a Viking king asked for. He wants the erilaz to engrave his exploits on that stone to be remembered by future generations. My mission is to go to Asgard, the land of the Norse gods, to find a sacred stone to sculpt the exploits of a king.
What is strange is that the letter did not say a meeting place ...
As I did not know where I had to go, I decided to go to sleep in the hope that the next day a letter would arrive with the location of my mission.
TINK! TINK! TINK! TINK!
It was the first thing I heard when I opened my eyes. I woke up on top of a cliff where the wind howls fiercely and it is very cold. Up in the sky, the sun is shining. Far below the waves crash against the stone wall of the cliff and the onslaught sounds like the thunder of a storm.
Where am I and how did I get here, I thought.
TINK! TINK! TINK! TINK!
The sound continues. In front of me a short, strong man is making inscriptions on a stone using a hammer and chisel. That's where the sound came from! The man hadn't realized he was there. He had the chisel resting on the stone and was striking the metal tool with the hammer.
TINK! TINK! TINK! TINK!
I silently approach the man and he looked at the stone. The man is writing something on the stone. It is written very large between drawings of dragons engraved in the stone. When I'm close enough I can read what he says:
"Salazar"
It's my name!
What is my name written there doing? I thought.
-AAAAAAHH! -the scared man shouts as he turns and looks at me with a surprised face.
-AAHH! -Shouted I also scared by the cry of the man.
The man has a beard, thick mustache, and long hair, he is slim and small with light brown hair. Red like fire. His eyes widen and his expression of fear transforms into one of surprise and joy.
-It has worked! Are you here! I have written your name on the runestone and asked the gods to send you. I am Aldair, a runic master. I write and draw pictures on stone.
-What do you want from my Aldair?
-You see ... The son of King Emund the old is dead, and the House of Munso to which Emund belongs will end him because he no longer has any descendants. King Emund has commissioned me to carve the great deeds of his ancestors into a runestone so that they will always be remembered.
"What deal do you want to do with me?" I said, hoping that he would give me a somewhat simple mission and explain how I ended up in that place because the last thing I remember is that I went to sleep. I just wanted to earn quick and easy money.
-The deal is the following mercenary: I need a huge runestone… Sorry, I mean: E-NOR-ME !, to be able to write on it the deeds and great stories of King Emund and his ancestors. But I don't want just any stone. Emund and his family deserve a holy stone. To get it I need you to travel to Asgard, the land where my gods live and extract one of the great stones from there to bring it.
Aldair gives me a map that he has wrapped around his belt. In it, there is a large tree and strange drawings
-You will not be alone. You will be responsible for one of our best ships and I will also give you money to hire a crew. If you return successfully I will reward you with a magic rune and also engrave your name on the sacred stone of the Munso house so that you will be remembered.
-To steal a huge stone from your Gods… You are crazy! I said, surprised by the barbarity that the erilaz had told me.
Aldair laughs.
-Hahaha! Of course, I'm crazy! But I'm serious. King Emund deserves it! And he remembers the reward. Magic runes have a lot of power, and that power is only known to the person who keeps them. Do we have a deal?
"If there is a deal," I said confused by the madness I had just heard and not understanding how he was going to get to Asgard.
Aldair smiles broadly and starts jumping for joy.
-Great! He knew that deep down he could count on you. Have.
The erilaz gives me several bags full of money. In total there were 500 gold coins.
-Preparing the trip is as important as making the trip itself, so the first thing we will do is go to the port. There are already people there willing to be hired by you, but you will not be able to hire all the people. You must choose your crew wisely. You will also ride in the best of our ships and it will be your responsibility to buy the supplies and objects that you think are important for the mission. When you have everything ready you can leave for Asgard. To manage your money well. You can keep what is left.
Aldair and I walk a path that descends from the cliff through a pine forest. Along the way the erilaz continued talking to me about the trip:
-You will sail on a knarr, one of our best merchant ships. In addition, two dragon ships will serve as an escort and protection for the knarr. By the way, dragon ships can reach fourteen knots. You'll be here in a moment!
Well, as I was saying, you will be escorted by two dragon ships, here they are called drakkar, but each of those dragon ships needs a chief or a captain to direct them. In the port, there are three chiefs who are willing to offer their services and their men in exchange for a price.
After almost an hour of walking, we went down the cliff along a path through the pine forest, until we began to see small houses scattered on the coast. Before my eyes, a small port stretches out on the beach. People are very busy carrying barrels, boxes, weapons, and other personal utensils to the ships under the watchful eye of the seagulls, which fly over the waves and perch on the masts of the ships.
Aldair opened his arms as if he wanted to embrace the entire landscape and shouted with a smile:
-Welcome to the port of Uplandia! Come, I'll introduce you to the three bosses.
I followed aldair. He guided me to the shore of the beach where three dragon boats are moored. In front of each of the boats is a group of armed men and women, and in front of the group is their leader.
The first longship is called the Sea Wolf. It has a capacity for 23 crew members and its captain is Patricia one hundred tusks. She and her men and women of hers can offer me her services for 200 coins. They are the most loyal troops in this region, although their ship is not the fastest.
Patricia greeted me by grabbing her forearm with her hand and giving me a good squeeze.
The second drakkar is called a tempest. It has a capacity for 25 crew members. Their captain is Konha. He and his sailors offer his services for 160 coins. They are the most numerous and their ship is the fastest, but they are not very good in combat.
Konha gave me a slight nod of his head.
The third drakkar is called La Fatigue. She has a capacity for 26 crew members. Well… Actually for 22, because their captain is Fat Nuggar. A fearsome warrior worth four men. They are the most experienced troops in this region, but obviously, she is the slowest ship of the three. Her service costs 240 coins.
Nuggar raises his massive ax above his head and gives a war cry. His men scream with him. I have no doubt that they are fearsome.
I have to choose two bosses. Since we're only going to look for a stone, I don't think I need a fearsome army. So I'll go with Patricia and Konha, and that Viking Nuggar gives me a lot of mistrust.
Pay 360 coins for the service of both. The rest I spent on food and things necessary for the trip.
Patricia and Konha are happy to be part of this adventure. They gave orders to their men and women to load and prepare the ships. The two drakkars will be ready to set sail tomorrow at the first light of day.
Accompany Aldair to a tavern on the port.
"I'm going to drink some jugs of mead." You can either wait out here or come in and find someone else who can accompany you on the merchant ship that you are going to direct. Aldair said as he rubbed his beard, he looked a bit cheerful.
From my point of view, a good warrior cannot be found inside a tavern, so I went for a walk through the market. I walked along the shore of the beach, it was starting to sunset. It was a little chilly and a relaxing breeze was blowing. When I arrived at the small market, the smell of freshly cooked fish whetted my appetite and I entertained myself looking at the objects that are for sale in the different stores.
Suddenly Aldair comes running up to me. With a beard dripping with mead.
-Hey! Don't ever leave without telling me anything! - He tells me while he catches his breath. - I was scared when I left the tavern and I did not see you.
After I had regained my calm and encouragement from him, the erilaz guided me to another part of the beach where a merchant ship is moored.
Aldair and I arrived at the boat moored on the beach. There is an old man on it who is checking the interior of the ship.
-Look at Salazar, that man there in Einar, the carpenter who will accompany you, and the ship that he is reviewing is a knarr, one of our best merchant ships. Besides Einar, there will also be 26 rowers. The round trip to Asgard shouldn't take more than 30 days, so I've left you 900 kilos of food for the ship's crew and an additional 1800 kilos of food and drink for the two drakkars.
Aldair hands me a runic alphabet and route map and a drawing of Yggdrasil.
-You never know when you will need to read something that is written in runic. Come, we still have one last thing to do. We have to visit the village volva. She is a fortune teller. She will give you travel tips and she will tell you what You will need for the gods to accept you in Asgard.
As night fell, Aldair and I headed for the foothills of a cliff. We trudge over mossy rocks as the waves try to throw us against the ground. Not far from where we are I could see torchlight inside an opening in the stone wall of a rock that stands alone very close to the coast.
-It is there. - says the erilaz.
From the opening, you could see a small hunched silhouette. The volva is waiting for us.
We entered the cave of the volva. There are a foul smell and moss everywhere. The fortune-teller is a short woman with a hump. She is bald and she has a red pearl instead of one left eye. She has white skin but with a small shade of gray and is full of wrinkles on all sides. She gives repels.
The old woman does not speak, she only limits herself to making a gesture for us to follow her to the center of the small cave where there is a perfect circle drawn on the ground.
Aldair sits on one side of the circle and I did the same. The old woman approaches with something in her hands. She is whispering something in a language I don't know. She then opens her hands and throws a few bones into the circle.
The fortune-teller observed the position of the bones and she spoke. Since I don't understand it, Aldair translates it for me. She says:
-There is only one God who will allow you to enter Asgard. It's about Odin. But you will only have his favor if you die heroically in battle.
-How?! - I asked for. - I don't think I get it. How am I going to get to Asgard if I die on the way?
The erilaz looked at me and the old woman remains silent.
These people are insane, they want me to die to go see their God. And after I die, how will I return ?! What the hell did I get into… I thought as I got a little paranoid.
-Salazar, listen to me. If you want to reach Asgard you will have to face the fighting without fear of dying. Only by having a heroic death will you have the favor of Odin.
-This is crazy. I have gone to battles without fear of dying, but I have never gone on a mission where I have to die to complete it. - I said as I shook my head and put my hands on it.
-I already told you this was going to be crazy ...
At that moment a crow flies into the cave and lands on my shoulder.
-This raven is Munin, one of Odin's two ravens. It will accompany you on your trip. Remember: Odin only wants brave men next to him.
-Yes, already… To the brave dead.- I said as I looked at the volva.
Aldair nods. He seems very sure of what he says although I am not very convinced. Munin the crow looks at me and twists his head.
I have not had good experiences with birds like you. I thought.
With great fear and paranoia, I accepted the mission. The crow squawked so loudly it almost made me deaf.
The volva also gave me a Viking shield made of wood with metal edges and a semicircle with a rope in the middle. According to her, everyone should wear one even if they don't know how to use it. I thanked. Then Aldair and I said goodbye to the old woman and left the cave.
On the way to Aldair's house, I saw some groups of Vikings drinking and laughing on the beach.
Aldair's house is a small wooden hut on the edge of the forest. The erilaz prepared some fish for dinner and we both slept there.
Aldair woke me up before sunrise. We made the last preparations and headed for the beach, where the knarr and the two drakkars are waiting.
I got on the knarr while the rowers of the three ships load their belongings into large boxes that they will use as seats inside the ships.
As he climbed the knarr he wondered if he was about to do the right thing or completely insane. I started to think if I was crazy or the erilaz was the crazy one. Most likely, we both are. He for wanting that magic stone and I for accepting this mission. All for money….
From the shore, Aldair waves his arm to say goodbye to me. Little by little more people leave their homes to watch us set sail, although the vast majority do not know our true destination. The sea was calm, the sky was clear, and the breeze was cool and gentle. There were no signs of a storm.
The sun rises on the horizon and the little fleet moves away from the coast. My journey to the land of the Norse gods has only just begun.
Wherever I look, there is only water and a horizon that seems infinite. Being surrounded by the vastness of the Baltic Sea makes me feel tiny.
About fifty meters in front of the knarr are the drakkars, covering the vanguard to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
And so began this adventure in search of a sacred stone and a heroic death.
The first day passes without danger. In the early morning of the second day, the drakkars sound their warning horns. The crew of the knarr where he traveled awoke quickly alerted by the sound of the alarm. I peeked over the side while wondering what was going on. Suddenly I saw the dragon ships that I hired approaching in my direction.
When they are near the boat I was in, the chiefs tell me:
"We have sighted a strange vessel in the distance." She is adrift. - Said the Konha captain surprised by what was happening.
- Do you want us to come closer? - Captain Patricia said while she saw the ship with a spyglass.
"We will get away from that ship." We don't know if it could be a trap, a ghost ship, or something worse, "she answered as she asked me what that strange ship was doing there.
I gave the order to the crew and the entire fleet veered slightly off course.
When dawn breaks we have already lost sight of the strange ship.
After almost a week of travel, we left behind the coasts of Sweden and Denmark. We sailed beyond the Norwegian coastline, into the North Sea. The cold is almost unbearable.
We have already left Norway without knowing where we are going or rather where I am going. I am looking for Valhalla without knowing how to get to it or where it is. I can only think of the words the cavewoman said to me:
"If you want to get to Asgard, you will have to face the fighting without fear of dying." Only by having a heroic death will you have the favor of Odin ...
Dying ... What I've come to and all for money.
Will the people who accompany me be aware that to finish this mission you have to die? Are these people looking for their heroic death to go with Odin? Better not keep thinking about it because I'll end up going crazy. I thought.
So far the last few days have passed calmly but the wind that whips the sails of the ship warns me that there will soon be a storm.
After a few hours sailing, I see how the sky on the horizon turns dark and furious. Lightning breaks through the dark clouds. My heart is beating very fast. The storm is slowly approaching us. The flora is waiting for my orders. You have to flee from the storm. I thought.
I quickly gave him the order to turn the boats in the opposite direction. We sail as fast as possible in the opposite direction of the storm. Although the knarr is too slow we managed to leave the storm behind.
During the following days we face a worse enemy: Hunger, it has been so long since we left the port that our supplies have run out.
We lost track of time and space. We are hopelessly lost and hungry. The crew is extremely weakened.
Despite everything, what I saw in the sky filled me with courage ...
A new dawn is near. The first morning lights caress the Norwegian Sea, which stretches before my eyes like an infinite blue blanket with thousands of wrinkles that appear and disappear here and there. It is very beautiful until a shadow appears under the boat and makes my body shudder. The shadow stretches under the water like a dark black stain.
The ship shakes and rumbles as if it had collided with something invisible. Suddenly huge tentacles emerge and wrap around the knarr.
I blew the horn terrified, although it is useless in the conditions we find ourselves. Suddenly a gigantic octopus emerges from the sea depths and engulfs two rowers with its huge mouth full of sharp teeth. The oars break and the Vikings everywhere shouted the same word: KRAKEN!
All is lost… I am certainly so hungry that the fact of seeing the Kraken makes me think that she could survive for three whole years on the octopus.
The giant octopus was destroying everything and killing everyone, but despite that, the Vikings continued to fight bravely, while I was terrified and immobile. I remembered a moment when the volva had told me, so I saw this as an opportunity to enter Valhalla. Take a deep breath, calm my fears, and pluck up the courage to fight the Kraken. I took my sword out of his sheath and took my shield.
I stuck with my sword at the shield to get the attention of the giant octopus. When he sees me he throws one of his tentacles towards me to catch me. With a single movement of my sword, I cut it.
By doing so I got his undivided attention. He threw another blow at me, I parried him with my shield and stabbed my sword into his tentacle. But he quickly grabbed me by the ankle with another of his tentacles and threw me into the air.
My shield flew off, I couldn't see where it fell. As soon as I fell into the sea I swam quickly towards the ship to continue facing the Kraken. As soon as he managed to climb the knarr, the octopus poked his head a bit and I saw the perfect opportunity to end this battle.
Take a little momentum and grabbed my sword with both hands. I leaped towards his head and held the sword higher than my head, point down, to drive it into his skull.
I fall on his head and bury my sword as hard as I can. The octopus grabs me with one of its tentacles and begins to sink. I try to let go but I can't do it. The kraken is going lower and lower. I started to run out of air and didn't know what to do. I stabbed my sword repeatedly into his skull but still, he wouldn't let go.
I begin to lose strength and everything around me is turning dark. I no longer feel my body ...
Everything is darkness and silence ... Until I heard the cawing of a crow. It's Munin!
My body shakes involuntarily. I feel my arms and legs dangle in the void. I open my eyes.
I am on the back of a great white horse but I am not the one who is directing it. The rider is a woman in armor and a silver helmet. On her back, she carries a shield and a spear. Munin, Odin's raven, flies near me.
I looked at the ground and behold in surprise that we are riding on the rainbow. It's the Bilrost! But wasn't he dead? I thought.
-So is. - Says the woman who rides with me, as if she had read my thoughts. Her voice is fierce and clear as the spring sun.
"You have died heroically and my duty as a Valkyrie is to bring you before the raven god." Bilrost guardian Heimdal will clear the way for us.
Ride on the world. Days and nights go by and I'm still riding on the Bilrost. But just when I thought the journey would never end, I reached the end of the rainbow, where a giant watches us and let us enter an incredible city.
"Welcome to Asgard, Salazar," said the giant as we entered the place.
The Valkyrie did not stop her advance. Now her marvelous steed rides stronger, under me were beautiful lands the most fertile that my eyes have ever seen. We gallop between majestic streets and great towers and palaces with gold walls and jeweled columns that shine with the light of an eternal sunset.
"Is there a long way to go to see Odin?" - I asked anxiously and curiously.
When I asked that question the Valkyrie turned to me and shot a stern look.
- Soon we will arrive at Valhalla.
- Al Val… what?
- Valhalla. The Hall of the Fallen. It is there that you will speak to the god Odin. The Hall is right behind the Glasir, that glowing tree.
Soon we passed a gleaming tree and entered a great hall that has lances as large as beams and the ceiling is covered with gilded shields and gleaming armor. It is Valhalla. A place with 540 doors and where thousands of heroes I don't know drink mead laugh and fight. In one of the large doors, a wolf is chained, and on it, an eagle rests.
The Valkyrie stops her horse before a huge, strong man with a left eye patch, a long white beard, a winged helmet, and golden armor. The man is seated on a sturdy throne and has a raven resting on his shoulder and two wolves lying at his feet.
- Munin! - Says the one-eyed man when he sees the crow that accompanies me. - Come, tell me how our friend died.
At that moment Munin separates from me and perches on Odin's shoulder, and the raven speaks in his ear to his master. After a few seconds, Odin raises a hand and suddenly there is silence in the great hall. Everybody is looking at me now. Odin speaks:
- Good Salazar, Munin has told me about your heroic death in combat. You would have earned a place at my table along with the hundreds of warriors who also fell before you… If it weren't for you not coming to stay, or would you?
At that moment they all raise a cry of joy and raise their jugs. They wait for my answer ...
"I can't stay… Great God Odin." I come for a sacred stone — I said with fear inside me, I thought that my answer could get Odin angry.
"A sacred stone." - Repeat Odin. - For what purpose?
"To record the exploits of King Emund." Of the Munsö house and his ancestors.
When he pronounces the Munsö house, one of those present in the Great Hall approaches Odin:
- Father, Yngvi founded the house of Munsö. If what Salazar says is true, then we should let him go with an Asgard stone to honor the descendants of the Ynglings.
- I know. - Odin says slowly. - Also do not forget that I know the secret of the runes and that I was the first erilaz. And no one but me would like my practices to continue to spread across Midgard. But that does not depend on me.
Odin watched me with his one eye.
"You have my blessing and my permission to wander Asgard, Salazar, but it is not for me to decide whether or not you should take a stone from our land, which is sacred to the humans of Midgard." Only Norns can reveal your destiny to you. You should ask them.
"What are the Norns?" "Ask the deity."
—You mean "who s "are the norns. Norns are female spirits who weave tapestries of the fate of all creatures. They are entities much older than the gods themselves and even we have our tapestries created by them, but they don't let us see them. They will give you the answer you need and will tell you if your destiny is to take the stone with you or not. You can find them in the roots of Yggdrasil.
"How can I get to Yggdrasil?" - I asked confused.
"My Valkyrie can take you to the Yggdrasil tree, but then the rest will be up to you."
"Okay, take me to Yggdrasil." Then I'll take care of myself.
The Valkyrie takes the reins again and after almost half an hour riding through Asgard we arrive again near the Bilrost, where there is an immense and beautiful tree that she had not seen before.
"I must leave you here, the rest of the way you should do it on foot." It shouldn't take more than an hour to get to Yggdrasil. From here it is always visible. Now you must seek the favor of the Norns.
I got off the horse and said goodbye to the gleaming Valkyrie. The raven Munin now perches on the rider's shoulder, for he has already accomplished her task.
Then I walked across the plain towards the great tree that links the nine worlds of Norse mythology.
After an hour walking in the shadow of Yggdrasil. As I move forward, four deer move out of my way. Carefully dodge the thick roots of the great ash tree sticking out of the ground. Of all of them, there are three that are the largest and most twisted.
I finally got to the trunk. Around him are 3 hooded women. They are concentrating on weaving beautiful and huge tapestries with strange threads by hand, but even though they do not take their eyes off their work they know that I am here, because as soon as I stopped one of them spoke with her broken voice:
"I told you I would come," said the first hooded woman.
"Yes, Skul." Now we know because he is here. — replied the second hooded woman.
"He made a long journey to see us," said the third hooded man. "And exactly how he wants to know if he can take a stone from Asgard." The third woman commented.
"He came seeking our wisdom," said the second norna.
- And he will find her. - Said the norna called Skuld.
"But first you must guess which tapestry is yours." With that, the third norna ended the conversation.
And then the three of them stop weaving and raise their heads at the same time to watch me. Their faces are cloaked in shadows and they wait for him to point to one of the tapestries they have. Each tapestry has a word written in runes.
I quickly remembered the role the erilaz gave me. I took it out and began to translate the tapestries, the tapestry that had the second norna says my name. I chose that one.
When they realized that he could translate what he was saying, the norns throw themselves on the tapestry with open arms:
-OK OK! Don't look at it! Don't look at it!
The other norna, whom the other two called Skuld, remains calm and smiles:
"I told you I'd know, but they never listen to me."
The 3 norns continued to weave my tapestry.
"What could be is now tied to the fate of the god Yngvi," said the norna named Skuld.
"And now you must go to Freya's palace and ask for him," one of the norns told me.
"Yes, because Yngvi was the founder of the house of Munsö, and he will be pleased to help his descendants remain in the memory of the world, and in the tapestries of other creatures." -Commented the other old woman
"Go on now and tell Freya all this." That we in your tapestry will show you which path you should follow from here. You have our permission to fulfill your mission and take the stone to Midgard.
"Yes, but before you go, Servandi will give you something." The old woman named Skuld asserted.
"Oh yeah? ... Ah, yeah!" Verdandi replied.
Norna gave me a ball with which she weaves part of my tapestry. In the eyes of others, it is a normal ball but you see that its threads are bright and bright colors.
—Keep part of this, my thread, your thread, so that you have more power when choosing your destiny. Decide your future from the present. Now go away!
I thanked him with great enthusiasm and quickly marched towards Freya's palace.
Guided by the fate that the Norns are weaving into my tapestry, I took the fastest and safest path to the palace of the goddess.
It is already night when I arrive at a white sand beach where the gigantic hull of a ship rests upside down. The ship's hull is so large that inside it looks like a palace with beams and carved wooden walls. Inside there are long tables full of varied foods and seated at the tables are multitudes of male and female warriors who drink mead, sing, and laugh.
I stopped before a wooden throne where a woman is sitting. She is beautiful and her long wavy hair is red and bright like fire. No doubt. It's about freya.
Take a breath, excuse me, I introduced myself and I told him everything that happened. She listens with understanding and patience, for she is the goddess of love and happiness. When she finished telling you everything I asked about her brother Yngvi.
Upon pronouncing that name, a tall, bearded man with long hair appears in the room. With him there is a resplendent light, for he is the god of the rising sun, followed by a great golden pig:
"No one has called me by that name for a long time, because everyone here calls me Freyr." I have heard your Salazar story, and I will be pleased to help my children's children. Follow me
We left the living room and approached the shore of the beach.
The stars illuminate the sky and the golden pig that accompanies us illuminates our footsteps on the white sand
Freyr holds a bag in his hand. He opens it and throws its interior into the sea. I was amazed at what happened next. In the same way that a napkin unfolds with the sea breeze, so does an immense ship built with countless pieces before my eyes. Her sails are white and flutter in a favorable night wind. And did all that fit in that bag? I thought.
"Once again I will sail to the land where I had mortal children, and you accompany me." - Freyr told me while he turned to see me.
"And the sacred stone?" I asked curiously.
-Yes of course. I have not forgotten. Freyr replied kindly.
Freyr approaches some cliffs and screams so loud that the earth rumbles and the waves are churning. Then a large stone, more than ten meters high, is detached from the cliff, and the god carries it on his back.
We got on the boat and sailed to Midgard where, according to Freyr, as soon as I set foot on the earth I would become part of it again, my spirit returning to my body.
We reached upland safely, crossing seas and land with this magical ship. It is still early morning and there is no one in the port. Everything is silent. He got off the ship and Freyr embedded the large stone on the beach. I thanked him and he says goodbye.
"It is a pity that King Emund has no descendants, but House Munsö will always be remembered."
And after saying that he rides in his ship and disappears with the first light of the sun.
I remain with my back resting on the big stone and soon people leave their houses to do their homework, go to the market, load the boats, and so on, but little by little their gazes fixate on me and form a circle around me.
Among the people appears Aldair, who approaches in amazement without taking his eyes off the great sacred stone. The erilaz smiles and hugs me tightly.
-Are you crazy! HAHAHA! I knew you will! But what happened to the rest of the crew? How did you get here? I don't see your ship ...
I tell him everything and I glorify my actions. Aldair is delighted that you tell him everything.
"It was a long time since he heard such great feats." They remind me of Beowulf's exaggerations. Long live the myth! I'll make you a legend Salazar. I will engrave your name and your actions on the stone along with the story of King Emund and the Munsö house, but first, let's go to a discreet place
Aldair pays some warriors to guard the stone and we both walk away from the beach. We enter the pine forest and there the erilaz shows me two pendants from which hang small stones that have runes inscribed.
"This is the Tyr rune." It represents the god Tyr, the god of war. He will give you strength in combat and it will be easier for you to finish off your enemy. And this is another one is the Feoh rune. It means "wealth." It will give you a fortune and thanks to it it will be easier to find valuable objects. Pick one of the two and stick with it.
I chose the rune of Tyr. If this rune makes me stronger I can get the money with my hand. If it is magic. I thought.
"Salazar knew choice." I hope it helps you with your adventures. I was very happy to meet you and I hope to see you again another time. Now I must go, I have a lot of work to do. A huge stone is waiting for me!
The erilaz says goodbye to me and goes to the beach. I continued on my way to the end of the story, walking at a leisurely pace through the forest until a flash caught my eye.
The glow comes from a large hammer that a crow carries by its legs. The bird flies through the trees and then disappears almost instantly. A strange feeling of satisfaction runs through my body.
Later, like the raven, I too began to disappear because this adventure came to an end. And I'm walking through the trees while he smiled.
