423 CDXXIII. Tungvek

The two continued to talk about Dag for about half an hour, and Terje recounted other events that led him to value his leader so much as Dag became the youngest Master in the history of the Hammers Of Thor.

"I see something in the distance... it looks like a village!" Kjell interrupted, sick of hearing that speech. 

"Yes, we have arrived. It's our destination! Be ready, I don't know what lies ahead!" Orvar said, who was in mind calculating the time it took for them from Fort Hvit to that point. 

In the distance, large walls with irregular geometry sprang up behind the hills, covering a very large area, several kilometers long. 

Behind the walls, which seemed tens of meters high, they could see only the peaks of four huge buildings with pointed roofs, from which came a thick blackish smoke, a clear sign indicating that the village was inhabited. 

"That place is huge! It doesn't look like a village, but a real city... you didn't say it would be that big..." Kjell said, flanking Orvar and looking him in the eye, berating him for his summary description, which had caused them to leave too recklessly. 

"Uhm, you're right, Kjell... but... I assure you it was much smaller years ago, the last time I saw it. Its population must have grown dramatically... let's try to see the bright side, there's more chance that their leader is in there" Orvar said, swallowing empty in fear.

"Anyway, it's too late to back down. Stand behind me and don't talk if I don't tell you. We must proceed very carefully..." Kjell continued, who even though he knew his strength well, was as afraid as they were to be among all those enemies. 

As they continued to approach, they noticed that around the walls, the carriages of merchants and builders moving in different directions, were much less than those around Skjegg or Hevnen, and perhaps this was due to the climatic conditions, that prevented most of the trade routes.

Whatever lurked behind those walls, it had to be a self-sustaining system, able to allow its population to grow without too many interactions with the outside world.

A huge, single gate, consisting of two heavy stone slabs, formed the entrance to the city.

Above it, there was an ancient runic engraving, incomprehensible to Kjell and Terje, but not to Orvar, who being a resident of Krypstorm, read without any problems aloud: "Tungvek? How is that possible? This doesn't make any sense!" 

"Tung... what? What is it, the name of the city? What doesn't make sense?" Kjell asked, demanding quick explanations before arriving at his destination.

"Tungvek is the main base of the Giants Of Ymir! But it was not here, it was located far from anywhere else, miles away from this place! They moved it!" Orvar replied, who couldn't believe his eyes.

"That's right... this is not as we imagined, maybe we should just go back and warn Dag and the others. If we study a new plan, we could..." 

"Don't even talk about it. I have already expressed my opinion! By now that we have arrived here, there is no point going back, there is no room for fear! If you were afraid to die you would have to stay at the fort, as you have done all these years!" 

Kjell's rigidity, as Orvar's courage began to falter, was particularly helpful in restoring his pride and spurring him to move forward.

"Maybe they didn't choose to move their base, but they were forced..." Terje intervened, who instead of unnecessarily worrying was trying to understand why this phenomenon, which perhaps they could exploit in some way.

"What would you say, kid?" Kjell asked, who had chosen Terje personally and trusted his instincts and his calculating brain.

"I don't know exactly... what I mean is... what if someone destroyed their real base or forced them out by force? We know little about them, but we know a very important detail... they are at war with the Claws Of Fenrir, who apparently are the cruelest and most ruthless Clan in these areas..." Terje answered, trying to argue his thinking.

"Mmmh... actually, I hadn't thought about that possibility. The Claws Of Fenrir conquering the Jotunns base... as hard as it is to imagine, something like this could really have happened!" the archer said, who after the boy's words, looked at him.

Continuing to speak, the three adventurers arrived about a hundred meters from the front door, which in addition to the inscription engraved in the stone above it, was flanked by two mammoth statues, symbolizing two Jotunns holding heavy spiked maces, resting on the ground.

In front of the door, six bare-chested men were stationary and armed.

"I think they are the first step to get in... get ready, if I give you the signal, you run away... all clear?" Kjell explained, speaking softly as the guards had their eyes fixed on them.

Orvar and Terje nodded and stayed behind him, continued to the great stone door.

"Stop!" one of the men on guard said, raising his hand to the three travelers, who immediately stopped the horses.

The guard was a tall, bearded man, with a few gray hairs that fluttered over his forehead.

As a good guard should do, he began to turn around the three companions, looking at their horses and their faces, immediately identifying them as foreigners.

"Where are you from?" he asked, after carefully analyzing Terje, who tried to stay serious and not give in to fear.

"We're travelers from Okstorm, si" Kjell coldly replied, pretending to bring respect to those in front of him.

"Okstorm? Mmmh... and why did you come all this way to get here, travelers of Okstorm?" the guard asked again, suspiciously.