4 Kassia of Thrace

"Our lord's date is September 24, 6338, as to where is this place."

Kassia found a scroll among her objects and opened it on the desk, showing a very poorly drawn map. "Our tribe was the alliance leader of Sogn, a remarkable fjord in the north.

But ten years ago, with the death of your grandfather, a civil war broke out; during the internal fight, the tribal alliances of Firdafylki and Hordalandi invaded us.

Your father Sven fought against the invaders, but it was impossible to stop their advance, so in the end, it was decided that the entire tribe would exile.

When we left, we were more than 2000 people heading west, but a great storm occurred at sea. "

Max, who was boiling water, looked at the woman who could look quite melancholic.

"More than a thousand people died that day, including my husband and my son; fortunately, my daughter was with me.

The storm also diverted us from our destination, making us go north; for days, we did not see any trace of land until we could see a place covered with snow in the distance.

Your mother, with just a glance, decided to call it Island because our ships were damaged and the death of half the tribe, your father wanted us to stay in that land full of snow.

For which the entire tribe had to follow the outline of that land of snow until we found a habitable place.

In just 3 days, we discovered a bay that was full of hot springs and protected by mountains; your father called it Reykjavik. "

Max, who observed that the water was boiling, put a bandage inside the iron pot to sterilize it. "So this place is Iceland, but something is not clear to me; the date you are using is based on the Julian calendar, but the year is a bit strange.

I suppose you are using the Anno Mundi; if I remember correctly, the birth of Jesus is dated in 5509, so we should be on September 24, 829. "

From the pot, Max took out the bandage and began to clean the wound on his hand. "But now I have another more personal question, who are you and what are you doing in this place.

You don't seem like a normal woman; you can write, speak Latin, not to mention that you seem to know how to read Greek and have medical knowledge.

In the western world occupied by barbarians, women are just a worthless object, so the only place where a woman can have so much knowledge without being seen as a witch should be the Byzantine Empire, and you should be a noblewoman. "

Kassia looked at Max with some fear and bowed her head. "You are right I am not a normal woman; my father was an important nobleman in the court of Basilissa Irene, but after the coup d'état that Niceforo made, our family fell from grace.

If it hadn't been for your grandfather, I might already be dead, plots in Constantinople destroy families, nobles, or emperors. "

Max, who was cleaning his wound, watched as Kassia took out another small chest and, from the inside, took a little picture that had a woman with a crown drawn next to a man with a purple tunic.

"As for who I am, my name is Kassia of Thrace, bastard daughter of the late Empress Irene of Athens, I grew up in a small palace in Thrace with my father.

But due to my bastard origin, I could not leave that palace, so I could only read the books in it; I could read the works of Plato and the writings of Hippocrates.

At that moment, I understood that the world was much bigger than I imagined, so I decided to follow the writings of Hippocrates and Galen to become a great doctor.

My mother decided to support me for what I learned medicine from the greatest doctors in Constantinople, but all good things always end; Nicephorus overthrew my mother and started a cleansing of the nobility, so my father decided to hide me in Constantinople.

But he could never be with me after that day as he was killed by Niceforo.

In Constantinople, I was able to practice medicine for the first time, and I realized that the situation in Constantinople was quite disastrous.

We were sick in the streets, and from time to time, some orphans appeared dead in the streets. One day while I was helping a beggar woman, a priest looked at me and accused me of witchcraft. "

From the chest, Kassia took out a small gold crucifix, which she looked with contempt. "At that moment, I understood that the glory of humanity was eclipsed by religious worship.

Due to the accusation of witchcraft by that priest, I had to make the decision to escape from Constantinople that day; I took my things and went to the port where I met a group of Varangians led by a muscular man with red hair.

That man was your grandfather. After explaining my situation to him, he decided to take me out of Constantinople on the condition that I become the wife of his best warrior.

As my life was in danger, I accepted, but at the same time, I asked him to allow me to open and analyze the corpses of his enemies to improve my medical skills; in exchange, I would be the doctor of the tribe.

After that, there is not much to tell; I traveled up a great river to the north, I got married and had two children. "

Max sighed and scratched his chin as he saw his reflection in the water. "I understand your situation, and I think I can help you if you help me.

I don't know if Einar died or something happened, but what I can be sure of is that if I go to my parents, I'm going to arouse suspicions since I don't understand Nordic.

I have no memories of this body either; I'm just a guy from another time in the body of a Nordic teenager; I'd really like to end my life. "

Kassia could see how Max looked at his bandaged hand. "But by doing so, I will only be a coward who will not be able to see his family in the eye, if life put me in this abandoned place of all civilization believing that I am going to die as a dog is wrong.

Not only am I going to live to old age, but I will turn this island into a bastion of western development, and if that is not enough, I have a whole continent waiting to be conquered. "

Max put his hands on Kassia's shoulders. "You want to know about medicine, I can help you, I will not only explain to you about the world that you cannot see and that is the cause of diseases and other processes.

If not that, I will allow you to experience a whole new world, just help me understand the past of this body and the language.

I would also like to know how superstitious my father and the Godi are; if necessary, I will win over people by demonstrating the power of science by wearing a god mask. "