[32]

'This…is what Vidar is capable of…' I whisper in my mind trailing off as I see things that make me wish that I brought more rum with me.

Coming into a courtyard filled with piles of bodies seeing Vidar kneeling with his face pressed into that giant fuzzball's fur.

"Stay away from me." I hear Vidar plead as our eyes meet; they are bloodshot and hollow…before Vidar vanishes.

"I can't stay away…you're my family Vidar." I say softly as I run after him…only to find him shouting about a broken promise as he kills a blonde woman in a truly gruesome way.

Again and again a village is slaughtered, a city destroyed and shouts of broken promises fill the air.

'Vidar…I don't know what happened while you were trapped in your mind…but…but you are not the man I remember…' Jack says softly in his mind and with a broken heart he returns to the Caribbean the haunting melodies that Vidar sings while going on a rampage burned into his soul.

~ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ~

"Pain without love, Pain, I can't get enough,

Pain, I like it rough, 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all, You're sick of feeling numb,

You're not the only one, I'll take you by the hand, And I'll show you a world that you can understand, This life is filled with hurt, When happiness doesn't work, Trust me and take my hand, When the lights go out, you'll understand, Pain, without love, Pain, I can't get enough, Pain, I like it rough, 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all, Pain, without love, Pain, I can't get enough, Pain, I like it rough, 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all, Anger and agony are better than misery,.Trust me, I've got a plan, When the lights go up, you'll understand, Pain, without love, Pain, I can't get enough, Pain, I like it rough, 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all, Pain, without love,

Pain, I can't get enough, Pain, I like it rough,

'Cause I'd like to feel pain than nothing

Rather feel pain, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, That you're wounded

You know, you know, you know, you know

That I'm here to save you, You know, you know, you know, you know, I'm always here for you, I know, I know, I know, I know, That you'll thank me later, Pain without love, Pain, can't get enough, Pain, I like it rough, 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all, Pain, without love, Pain, I can't get enough, Pain, I like it rough,'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all, Pain, without love, Pain, I can't get enough, Pain, I like it rough, 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all,

Rather feel pain than nothing at all

Rather feel pain." I sing off key as people scream all around me as I butcher a city of thousands dozens of fires raging…where am I again? I can't remember all I can see are her beautiful blue eyes looking up at me, her slightly rough callused hand against my cheek, and then her being consumed by flames.

"Th-thank you my love…this life wasn't for me after all…I'm sorry I can't be your Shieldwife anymore." Lagertha says to me as I cradle her to my chest, my hand still wrapped around the white oak stake I stabbed into her heart, as the stake suddenly combusts into flames that rapidly consumes Lagertha's graying body.

"Brother…I'm sorry that you're in pain…but I can't allow this to continue…your rampage has lasted 50 years." Henrik says to me and he looks so much like a young yet old Chris Hemsworth with graying hair, but a youthful face with age lines.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT PAIN, BOY? ! ! !" I roar my question as I speed forward and grab Henrik by his throat and lift him into the air, there's no fear, hate or anger in his eyes, just sadness and love…it makes it hurt so much more.

"Plenty big brother…plenty…I love you, we love you…" Henrik replies back to me as we are surrounded by the spirits of thousands of witches and living witches…Ayana is here among the living I can feel her I can taste her on the air.

"But it's time to end this before you destroy the world." Henrik whispers to me as I set him down on the ground and pull the white oak stake I've kept for myself since the day Lagertha refused to kill me alongside her…and offer it to Henrik.

"End it Henrik…please…" I beg Henrik who's face twists in pain, "No brother you aren't allowed to die…" Henrik whispers back his refusal as he hugs me, and I feel Garmr come up behind me and nuzzle my back as Henrik lets go and backs away.

I feel myself being locked into place. I know I can absorb the magic and break free but I don't. I'm too tired, tired of it all…murder…slaughter war…battle…sex…all of it is pointless… meaningless without her…her ghost still haunts me 50 years later I still can't shake the effect of the cursed treasure.

I look up into the sky and see a corona of colors, "So you're just going to lock me away into another prison...brother...you are cruel." I whisper to Henrik as I feel myself ripped away from the world I know and send into an empty world with Garmr.

"Thank you Gar...out of everyone...I can only ever count on you." I whisper softly and feel Gar nip my ear playfully.

~ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ~

"VIDAR ! ! !" Freya releases a tortured scream that nearly shatters the Chambre de Chasse, as she grabs her heart as Vidar's stops beating.

Dahlia appears before her and grabs Freya's face, "Calm down girl before you kill us both!" Dahlia says in a soft but dangerous tone, as Freya sobs and curls in on herself.

"He's gone...my Vidar is gone." Freya mutters as she rocks back and forth on the bed sobbing.

'He's not dead you foolish girl...merely displaced.' Dahlia mutters in her mind though feels a surprising sense of worry for her nephews well being.

~ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ~

...

'Time has become meaningless here in this prison world...but Lagertha's voice no longer whispers in my ears, I no longer see her ghost every where I look...I think I finally shook off the effects of that curse.' I mutter in my mind as my veins burn in agony as I experience desication from lack of fresh blood my skin feels like sandpaper...Garmr seems to be immune to the effect the Prison World has on me.