302 CCCII. The Primal Thunder

"Yes Reidar, this is what I remember... I noticed that just before the powers of Magni's hammer and the Giantbane went wild, my runes became shiny... does it mean something to you? Do you know more?" Dag asked, sitting on the ground.

The archer approached his comrade, allowing only him and Gridd to listen.

"Master Egill once told us about an ancient legend, dating back to when the first humans populated Skjold. It is said that, hundreds of years ago, a man and a woman gave birth to the first child on the planet, a male. Growing up, this little boy became a warrior, dreaming of becoming as powerful as the brave God Thor" Reidar said softly, looking into Dag's eyes.

"Mmmh... Okay. And then?" he asked, impatient to know the rest of the legend.

"His determination and fighting prowess led him to become King of all Vikings, reaching the top of success. It is said that this man, who became King, was unbeatable... and do you know why?"

Dag shook his head.

"Because when he fought angrily, the symbols tattooed on his body became snow-white, making him the only human being able to establish contact between Asgard and Midgard, between Thor and himself. The 'primal thunder', that's how he was nicknamed. He was the closest mortal to the Aesirs and other divine beings" Reidar continued, perfectly reminiscent of that magnificent story that remained etched in his mind.

Dag turned his gaze towards Gridd, then again towards his companion: "and what would you say with that? My runes lit up for a few seconds, it's not the same thing".

"What if there is a match? Captain, think about it. Have you ever heard of a human who managed to defeat a God? No one, only you did it! And a man who was able to eliminate two Frostsinners in one battle? You, always you, Captain!" Reidar replied, also looking at Gridd and trying to make her understand his point of view.

"Then, just wait for a second... defeating powerful enemies does not make me the 'primal thunder' or whatever... then what do you think of my dark powers? Did the boy of the legend possess the same powers?" Dag exclaimed, countering his companion's thesis.

"No, I don't remember ever hearing about it, but... could be something different! Your blood that flows in your veins may be the same as that of the first Viking King, as well as that of the Frostsinners!" Reidar gulped, intending to assert his opinion.

'There is earth within you... but also air. I can feel the fire but also the water. Darkness and light in the same room...'

After Reidar's speech, old Sivert's words rumbled into Dag's mind, shaking his head.

"Dag, maybe Reidar's speech is not fooling. I remember when we met the shaman of Skjegg..."

"Yes, I also remember what the shaman said... so what? They were just nonsense, meaningless words coming out of the mouth of an old madman! I don't have time for this crap. Now let's get out of here, Freydis will be waiting for me" Dag exclaimed, interrupting Gridd and getting up annoyed.

As he walked to the hut where he had rested, to check that he had taken all his stuff, he thought back to what he had just answered to his friends, not believing his own words, while Sivert's piercing gaze in his mind and the legend told by Reidar made him shudder.

"Hey! The horses are that way…" Gridd said, pointing in a precise direction, where along a fence, Light, Ace, and Aslan were drinking and grazing fresh grass.

"Right, the horses! What happened to them? I was afraid they had run away!" Dag answered, running towards Aslan and stroking his snout.

"They were incredibly scared, but they came back to us on their own, not least because they were intimidated by all this sea around here" Gridd replied, standing with Reidar, who remained silent, sure that Dag only needed some time to think seriously about his words.

The three companions greeted the villagers, who did not stop for a moment to thank them and after riding on a horse, they made their way to Skjegg, while the moon replaced the Sun in the sky.

Gridd and Reidar chatted with each other, while Dag remained silent for about an hour, immersed in his thoughts.

"Changing the subject... why did that Jotunn steal your axe?" she asked, who had waited for her brother to wake up from his sleep to know the truth behind that mystery.

"I don't know. The Jotunn who stole it was just a boy... and before he died, he came back into his human form and told me he hadn't killed anyone… or anything like that" Dag said, recalling that confusing scene.

"Even if they wanted to take your axe, don't you think attacking with hundreds of warriors is a little excessive? I mean... Yes, it is really a beautiful and powerful weapon, but is it worth the life of all those men?" Gridd thought out loud, reasoning with her brother.

Dag detached the Giantbane from the belt magnet and watched it closely, turning it in his hands.

After being cleaned by Reidar, it had returned to its original splendor, just as when Weland handed it to him at the Great Forge.

Gridd, dodging a large boulder on the ground, approached his horse to Dag's, and the torch that held the Shieldmaiden illuminated the axe, particularly the red crystals embedded between the handle and the blade, which shone, reflecting the firelight.

Dag continued to stare at his weapon, enchanting on those two small crystals and recalling the words of the little girl from the first village, the one who claimed to have eavesdropped on a conversation between two Giants Of Ymir warriors.

When Light returned to her steps, walking away from Aslan again, the torchlight stopped illuminating the two little rubies, and Dag placed his axe on his belt, thinking that there was no match between the theft of his weapon and the words of that little girl, which were perhaps only the result of her fervent imagination.