Chapter 118 Kåre's Dominance

Tyr managed to escape the horde of enemies in his way as they were engaged with warriors on his side. Vigar was alone on the wall and observed the battle on the ground like a watchdog.

Tyr knew he was the brains behind whatever absurd strategy this was, he did not know what he was playing at, but he did not want to find out.

He knew whatever was inside those barrels was not a good thing, he would have suggested they retreat, but they were already too deep.

"You! What are you planning?" Tyr shouted the moment he got near Vigar. Vigar was non-reactive to his arrival, as he did not even reach for the weapon strapped to his side.

Tyr noticed he was watching the battle unfold below; his attention was not on Tyr.

"If Erik is here, it means my father fell in battle…' Vigar muttered. He knew this fate befell his father long ago, but he was processing it correctly now because he felt a tiny part of him hoping against the apparent evidence.

"I am talking to you!" Tyr shouted; he wanted an answer to his earlier question, but Vigar did not look scared or concerned with his erratic behavior.

"If we fight right now, there is no doubt you will kill me, Tyr. I have heard about you, son of Ragnar, and I have nothing but respect for you even if you are my enemy." Vigar said, not once peeling his eyes away from the battle below.

Tyr did not know how to feel about this. He felt no malice coming from Vigar, which was surprising considering they were enemies.

"Focus your eyes down; an interesting battle is about to begin. It would be a shame if we missed it," Vigar said, and Tyr did just that, albeit hesitantly.

-

Askild had no equals, he cut down everyone in his path like butter, but for the first since Asmund, his sword met resistance, and someone blocked his swing.

"Hmmm," Askild muttered upon realizing this, and the person responsible for this was no other than Kåre.

"King Askild, it is an honor to meet you," Kåre greeted as Askild slowly withdrew his blade.

"I do not remember a warrior like you in Vestfold…." Askild said, but he did not look surprised.

"I am the sheathed sword of my king, and I have come out of my sheathe to redeem my wielder," Kåre responded. Sven tried to intervene.

He attacked Kåre from his blind spot because he was amazed by the arrogance shown by this man; Askild should not have to bother himself with the likes of him.

Kåre easily side-stepped the downward swing and gave Sven a shallow cut on his neck.

"Do that again, and I will take off your head," Kåre warned, and this surprised everyone present, including Ragnar, because Sven was a commander that could give Erik a run for his money.

"I am only interested in Askild…" Kåre said, and this indirectly meant he was challenging Askild.

Birger watched intently, chuckling at this revelation because he knew who Kåre was.

Kåre was not originally from Vestfold. He was a stray that Asmund picked up along the way.

He came from a village that is no more.

Askild stepped forward, and without hesitation, Kåre made his first move.

He was here one moment, and the next, he was nowhere to be seen.

"You are fast…." Askild commended, but he grabbed the hand that attempted to impale his eye.

"But it takes more than speed to win a battle,' Askild said, prepping to end the fight.

"You are right…." Kåre muttered, and the dagger's head separated from the body and sprung forward like a dart from point blank.

It grazed Askild's cheeks, forcing him to let go of Kåre's wrist.

"A-Askild was injured?" Sven muttered under his breath, it was understandable that he was injured by King Asmund, but no one even knew who this man was.

He used a deceptive trick that nearly took out Askild's other eye.

The battle waged on around them. Everyone was too preoccupied to intervene, and the few that could dare not or risked hurting their King's pride.

"You are a sly fighter…." Askild said, and Kåre smiled like an innocent child.

"Hahaha!" Kåre laughed out loud as he noticed Askild's body language had changed.

He leaped backward, which was strange considering his weapon of choice required him to fight at close range, but he unsheathed a weapon Askild had not seen before.

It was a crossbow, and Hagen was fascinated when he saw this weapon.

Askild braced himself, but the speed at which it was launched exceeded his expectations. It was faster than the typical arrow and managed to graze his left thigh, dealing enough damage.

Kåre fired yet another arrow aimed at the feet of Askild, who leaped backward but to dodge this attack meant he had taken his eyes off Kåre.

He returned his eyes to where Kåre should have been, but he was nowhere to be seen. Askild reacted at the very last second by blocking something about to make contact with his head. He noticed this attack through his peripheral vision but did not know the nature of the attack.

Kåre's speed was overwhelming, his wavy hair swaying with the wind, it was difficult to keep track of him, and Askild turned his head to see what he had blocked.

"Checkmate," Kåre muttered. What Askild had blocked was his crossbow. Kåre had customized it so a sharp metal shrapnel could be at either side of the limbs, making the crossbow an effective close-range weapon.

But in this situation, Askild blocking meant he had no way to stop the firing aspect of the weapon. He had trouble avoiding it from afar, so there was no way he could dodge it from point-blank.

"KING ASKILD!" Tyr called out, but his voice was drowned out by the clashing and collision of blades beneath, and just then, the arrow left the barrel.