Dag looked up, not understanding what was happening, then looked behind him, to check on his companions.

They were gone.

Karl and Reidar were no longer by the fire and there were no horses either.

"What the fuck...?" he said when one hand gently touched his arm.

Dag immediately raised that arm, but even the hammer he had in his hand had disappeared.

With his face frightened, he looked at the hooded figure: from the large hood, long red hair sprang out.

As if he were mesmerized, he could not restrain himself and with both hands, he gently removed the hood of the woman in front of him.

The sunlight coming through the ceiling of rocky branches illuminated the scene: the young woman looked up at him.

When his large brown eyes looked at Dag, he felt a pang in his chest and tears came down from his eyes.

The hooded woman was Freydis.

Dag could not say a word, his mouth was dry and paralyzed.

Freydis stroked him softly on his face.

Dag closed his eyes, trying to feel Freydis's hand grazing his cheeks, in ecstasy.

"Hello, my love... I came to you..." Freydis said.

Her voice was heavenly and the sunlight that illuminated her long red hair made the atmosphere surreal.

"Fr... Freydis... is that you?" stammered Dag, as his heart beat wildly.

"Yes, of course, it's me. Don't you recognize me?" she asked.

Dag hugged her, clutching her tightly.

He put a hand in her hair, which smelled the same as the last time they had seen each other.

For a moment, he had completely forgotten everything: his friends, the horses, the forest, the dangers... all. There was nothing left, just him and her.

"How do you... how did you find me?" he continued, in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter... I knew you were here, I felt it. Now come with me, let's go... let's start again, you and me. I want to travel, I want to see all the places in the world, while I'll keep loving you infinitely" she continued, holding Dag's face in her hands.

"Your brother, Karl... he was here with me a moment ago. Now he's gone" Dag said, looking back at him.

"Karl is waiting for us... Come with me, let's go to him" replied Freydis, who put her lips close to Dag's and kissed him sensually.

His lips were warm and soft.

Dag let himself be carried away by the passion and clutching his woman's hand, he walked with her.

...

"Dag! What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Dag!?"

...

"Did you hear that?" he asked, hearing voices.

"They looked like Karl and Reidar! They must be nearby!" he continued.

Freydis shook his hand even more, preventing him from giving up his grip.

Then she turned to him.

"I said you have to come with me" she said.

Dag pulled his arm towards him.

"You are not Freydis! A moment ago it was late at night and my companions were right behind me, lying next to the bonfire. What's going on?"

...

"Come back, Captain! Grab my hand!"

...

"Reidar?! Where are you? I can't see you!" continued Dag, looking around.

Freydis unbuttoned the dress that covered her entire body and threw it to the ground, standing naked in front of Dag.

"Do you prefer your friends to me?" she continued, in a sensual voice.

Dag looked at her from head to toe, sighing.

"My desire for you has never diminished, Freydis. I love you every day more and more, ever since I left Jernhest" he said.

"So what? What's the problem?" she said, touching her breasts, urging Dag to do the same.

Dag longed to touch that young, athletic body, warm and ready to make love.

"I know you, Freydis. I remember every detail of your body and your voice... Where's the tattoo you had on your right thigh?" he asked, starting to step back.

The girl looked towards her pelvis, without tattoos.

She passed a hand on her thigh and immediately a tattoo identical to Freydis's appeared.

"Is that better?" she asked.

"What the fuck are you? Karl! Reidar! Where are you?!" yelled Dag, trying to get away from her, but unable to move: his body was as if blocked, he couldn't get more than a few feet away.

The fake Freydis looked him in the eye as her pupils began to enlarge and become yellow and flattened.

Her eyes grew out of proportion, turning into two huge black and shiny spheres and her clear, flawless skin became greenish, covered in an oily substance.

Dag witnessed the gross scene, fortunately, he had managed to understand that that being wasn't the real Freydis, but perhaps it was too late.

As Freydis continued to transform, a slime substance appeared under Dag's feet, which soon covered all his ankles, blocking his movements.

"What the fuck!" he said, as he tried to pull his legs out of the slime.

The girl in front of him had completely transformed: the long red hair had disappeared and her mouth had widened dramatically. Her flat, sculpted abdomen had become a huge flabby, swollen belly, and her athletic legs were now two palmed legs, immersed in the same substance in which Dag's feet were dipped.

Freydis had become a giant green, smelly toad, located about two meters far from Dag.

As soon as he noticed it, the sky shook again, even the daylight had been caused by an illusion.

"Captain! Grab my hand!" shouted Reidar behind him.

The voices of his companions had become sharper, he seemed to be back to normal.

Dag turned to Reidar, who was stretching his arm towards him, while Karl held him from behind, to avoid dropping him into the slime pond.

He tried to grab his partner's hand, but his feet continued to sink, preventing him from fully twisting his torso.

"I can't! Fuck!" yelled Dag, who turned again to the abominable being that had trapped him.

The toad was still there. It looked at Dag with huge black eyes, beginning to enjoy its prey.