A Presence of the Dark

Meanwhile, Lagertha and Brant were walking on the long road saving their energy for the night. Lagertha would usually look back at Brant to make sure he is still behind her during her journey. The journey she ventured on was perilous and filled with blood and darkness; she feared no demon or a terrifying creature. Brant had his sword in his scabbard and became certain that his blade would never crack against any of his foes. Lagertha and Brant kept up with each other for as long as they could draw their breath.

"Lagertha, where are we going?" Brant asked.

"Where else should we go? We could go to a mead-hall and enjoy a fine bottle of ale, but it would distract us both," Lagertha answered.

"Is someone after you? Is this why we haven't stopped walking for the past three hours?" he asked.

"No, it's not like that. The reason we traveled so far is that there is already a powerful demon nearby. He has his own band of servants who obey him. Even while the sun is out, his power grows stronger each time he kills a human. We could try to put him out of his misery and be done with him, but I fear an even bigger threat will rise."

"What have you done to earn their rage? Yeah, you've slaughtered countless demons, so I'm told. But how is an entire army controlled by a more powerful creature coming after you?"

"He must've already known I defeated the demon king who controlled your village. That castle might still be infected by the night creatures, but that place will no longer suffer under the wrath of the demons. They can never truly do much without a king to guide their hand. All earthly kings and queens have driven away, and none of them were strong enough to fight back against the night. But I have something these people do not, and it must have been by some connection I have with my father."

Brant was more invested with how much Lagertha had told him, yet he was slowly receiving clues on how she got her powers. Lagertha already told him he should never know how she has the blood of Rollo; it is a curse she will carry for the rest of her life. The elder wolf did not give his blood to her to let her do as she wished, but he did so to make her achieve what no other human can do. Brant understood that there was too much about her that would cost her dearly if she gave it away to him, yet he wondered if she valued her privacy more than her friend.

"I mean... are you sure you're not hungry? I know for certain you can't fight anything or anyone with an empty stomach," Brant said.

Then Lagertha answered him, saying, "Well, you're not wrong about that. I used to be hungry three times a day. I used to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner as everyone else does. But then I just tired of eating that much. However, I'm not stopping you from eating as often as you like. I can look at you eat and drink, but it looks like I lost my appetite from almost everything."

"Oh, that makes sense. I may have overthought it when I asked that question," he said.

"Don't worry about it, Brant. If you ever feel comfortable cooking yourself something in the middle of the day, by all means. If I ever eat anything, it'll only be the animals that still roam the earth. But if it's for special occasions, then I'll think about feasting with you and a bunch of other people. But for now, I must continue my path."

"And I could be your assistant, or maybe... your second-in-command. If there is a monster that needs a thrashing, I will not hesitate to kill it with you. Yeah, if all the people could see us defending their city and killing their powerful demon, we could be rich! We could allow bards to tell stories of us in taverns and mead-halls! Imagine hearing them spreading the tales of how we ventured into a well-known village and ripped off the arm of a descendant of evil!"

As they walked, Lagertha became impressed at how much imagery Brant was thinking about in his mind. She could tell he wanted to do so many things with her before it is too late. She also noticed how much he heard of men telling valorous tales that were only meant to be spoken of. Lagertha had this feeling that she could know more from Brant about the things he discovered than walking to that location to better understand it. Then, she walked closer to him in case if she ever had something else in mind she wanted to share.

"Brant, you must save your breath until the night comes. You follow me, which means you can never sleep at night again. We will both fight as equals and fate shall decide the outcome," Lagertha said.

"Oh, alright. Where you go, I go," Brant said. Those words would be something Lagertha will remember whenever she is hunting something down in the bleakest of nights.

The nights they will endure will be nights that will remain in their lives forever. It was not long until the sun went down and the path to the nearest village would be blocked. Nobody could ever go in or go out of the village until the morning sun vanquishes the night. By law, every citizen of a certain village was required to stay in their homes while men and capable fighters defended their city. Lagertha and Brant walked on the road, and they were both on the lookout for some deer to eat.

The Wolf Queen's eyes were sharp enough to make her spot a lonely deer eating grass all by itself. It was a common deer and one that looked ripe for eating and being prepared to fight against the demons. The deer itself seemed like it did not have time to be bothered by anyone, yet that animal was their only chance. Brant noticed Lagertha staring at the deer, but he did not see as far as she could see; her wolf-blood gave her the power to see things from ten yards away. She pulls out her longsword and aims the blade at the animal to pierce its heart.

"Hey, Lagertha? What's going on?" Brant asked.

"You're about to find out," she answered. Then, she releases her longsword, and they both watch it fly straight into the deer's side.

The sword made the deer stained with blood and gore running from both sides of its body. The blade itself was large enough to make the deer breathe its last within a matter of seconds. At that moment, Brant knew that Lagertha's sword was unlike any blade he has ever laid his hands on. The design alone made it seem obvious that it was not a blade that a common human could wield. Then, Lagertha turns around and looks at Brant, and she saw that his facial expressions were nothing short of shocking.

"Brant, do you know how to cook deer?" Lagertha asked.

"Yes, of course," he answered. Both sides of his mind were altered, and he could not find the side that would make him overly impressed.

He wanted to congratulate Lagertha for having such brute strength, but he understood it was inhumane for anybody to lift a blade that could kill a dragon. Then, Lagertha and Brant bring the deer with them to cook it and eat it before the sun goes down. They walked away from the next village and into the wilderness to not be spotted by anyone. It would be worth it for them if they did not venture into the city closest to them and be forced to answer some questions. They knew they would never have the time to answer every question the people had in their minds.

Then, they both build a fire that would keep them company until they need to continue on the trail. None of them had a lot of logs to build the fire, but they used whatever seemed necessary to cook the deer. Brant was hungrier than Lagertha, yet she did not mind having her fill for the night. She would obviously be hungry for some food as soon as she is finished fighting the demons under the full moon. Lagertha had the deer with her as Brant prepared the fire on the logs, and they both began cooking the deer.

About ten minutes later, the deer was ready to be eaten, and Brant started slicing the animal to pieces. He hands one to Lagertha and the rest of the deer was for Brant to enjoy as a meal.