Erik, who had lost interest and momentarily questioned his purpose had finally found it again.
Askild had regained himself and he was in a state no one had ever seen him in before.
A fuming volcano, waiting to erupt and consume anything or anyone in its path.
The veins in his body rushed with blood to keep up with his heart that beat with rage.
Birger had made a big miscalculation and was thinking he could sway the commanders to switch sides, if he had only killed them then Askild would not have a fighting chance but he did the opposite of that.
In Askild's head, someone was inside his wife right now and she was begging for them to stop, that was the image he needed to keep himself focused.
"Erik… Now." Askild's voice was calm yet cold, it felt like the gravity around them had increased, this was how tense the atmosphere was.
Erik grinned like the sociopath that he was and Asger knew things were about to get messy.
Birger could have used Liv's capture to keep Askild in check, but right now, death was the kinder of the two fates for Liv and Askild would gladly choose death.
Erik gripped the prison cell's metal bar, the guards mocking him as they could not believe who Erik thought he was.
"You think you possess the strength of Thor?" One teased, using the hilt of his sword to pound on his finger hard, but Erik did not remove his hands from the metal bar.
It was like he did not feel it at all as he began to pull the bar in the opposite direction.
"I have been asked multiple times why I have not jailed Erik The Berserker…." Askild spoke under his breath, redirecting everyone's direction to him.
"... No one can confine Erik when he goes Berserk, not even me," Askild said and the moment he said this, the bars that Erik was forcing apart bent, this not only showed his unbelievable strength but his ruthlessness.
Something was different in Erik, his eyes were rolled into the back of his head and one of the men attempted to use his blade to sever Erik's hand but that was his mistake.
Erik retracted his hand, forcing the blade of the man to recoil against the metal bar but Erik did not stop there. He grabbed the wrist of the man and yanked him forward, thanks to the bar that had been bent, his head could fit into the cell and Erik dug his teeth into his neck like a vampire, ripping out a huge chunk of his neck with his teeth.
"Arrrggghh!" That was the only sound Erik made as he devoured the flesh, Asger was terrified by this sight because no one had ever seen Erik like this, no one but Askild.
The guards there panicked and before they knew it, they ran away because this was not something worth dying for, not when they had nothing to gain from this.
You see, Birger had used the services of mercenaries as well to fill in for the men he lacked, and there was no way they would lay their lives down for a cause when they have no interest in it.
They could not spend their money dead, Erik had torn the bar open and the unfortunate person that followed after Erik was killed instantly by the Berserker.
"This is why Erik is known as the Berserker, do not go close to him or he will attack you. He cannot discern foe from an ally." Askild said. Asger was speechless but everyone else was terrified, including Hagen.
Erik went outside and Askild, who was limping, used Asger as a support to walk.
He had no intention of joining the fight because he knew with Erik, there was no way anyone would come near them as they would be too busy fighting Erik.
This was the same day they had arrived, Askild knew he could not face Birger and he knew Birger was strong.
He needed to recuperate away from Kattegat but he needed to save his wife if he could or kill her if he could not. It was a decision he had already made, Birger wanted to hurt him and he was not going to let him have his way.
"Quickly King Askild, we need to leave," Asger said, and Askild concurred because leaving the cell was the first thing, they could hide in Kattegat once they escaped resting.
They went up and as Askild predicted, Erik was surrounded but no one could touch him, he was mowing them down like a gardener cutting away at the grass.
Body parts littered and Erik was killed mercilessly with no remorse or fatigue.
Asger used this opportunity to carry Askild but of course, they would not go unseen and that is exactly why Asger instructed the men there to form a wall to hold the enemies.
Hagen, on the other hand, followed them on Askild's command as Askild made it clear that he needed Hagen with him. A request the boat builder happily accepted.
Askild managed to sneak away with Asger and Hagen, leaving Erik for dead.
But one thing they knew was, the more helpless a situation seems, the more likely it was that Erik would survive.
-
Ulf had cut down everyone, and he did not have a single scratch on him, and his eyes were lit with pure rage. Birger had awakened the sleeping monsters within Kattegat but no one knew if this was his intention because Birger always seemed to be one step ahead of them so it was hard to tell with him.
No one knew where Lagertha was or at least that was what they told Ulf but he did not wait around to find out where she was.
"LAGERTHA!!!" Ulf screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing like he was calling down the thunder from the skies but there was no answer.
Ulf cursed Ragnar, his brother was nowhere to be seen to protect the woman he claimed to love, what kind of man leaves his wife to fend for herself?
Ulf, deep down, knew Ragnar was not to blame but he knew if he was here he would know what to do, Ulf was clueless.
Ulf knew he had to move and move fast, he began his journey to the throne room because he remembered that Askild was taken there and he was certain he would find a clue or two there.
"Ulf, Lagertha is with Birger…" Bergdis, who watched this man slaughter every single person in his path said, she had heard the men talk to one another earlier and had information but she was not sure which side Ulf was on, but that doubt had been cleared.
"They are at the west wing house four blocks from the throne room…" Bergdis finished and like a robot given new coordinates, Ulf marched in that direction.
Birger had become a beacon for multiple people, and they were all homing in.