Chapter 288 A Choice Or A Trick?



Koleinn arrived just in the nick of time and he stood before Sighvatur, he knew he could not defeat him but he could not let Tyr die. 

He was thankful for the decision he took because if he did not come here then Tyr would be dead. 

He did not even know if he was alive currently but he had faith that he was not too late. 

He braced himself and instructed the men under him to charge forth and the battle started. 

Tyr had done an excellent job in making them question themselves so they were easier to cut down. 

Kolbeinn did not have the luxury of trying to win over their hearts like Tyr.

Sighvatur could not believe how badly this war had gotten but he blamed himself because he did not want to lose men.

He was thinking about the war that could be instead of the war that is but he was not going to make their mistake twice. 

"Kolbeinn, I do not want to kill you but I will…" Sighvatur warned, raising his gigantic ax. 

"I will gladly lay down my life if it means that Tyr lives! You must have sensed it too, Sighvatur…" Kolbeinn said, he could barely walk as it was but he was not accepting any support either. 

This was a battle he had to fight and he knew it. 

"Lay down your life? You can barely even stand, Kolbeinn. Do you insult me now?" Sighvatur questioned, Tyr was right in front of him. 

Nothing was stopping him from taking off his head yet he did not because Sighvatur just loved games. 

He did not want to take away the hope they had clung onto, he found it fascinating that they thought this little last rally could do anything.

Kolbeinn knew charging at him would be a death sentence but what other choice did he have?

"You are alone, Kolbeinn and if you do not charge at me, I will crush this boy's head beneath my feet…" Sighvatur said; he wanted to see if Kolbeinn truly meant the words he said. 

Kolbeinn walked towards him, barely able to lift his feet and Sighvatur just started laughing because Kolbeinn was someone who could not defeat him even if he was at his best. 

"H-He is not alone…" A voice said from the opposite direction, it was Skaði.

She got up to her feet, she was injured but she was in far better condition than Kolbeinn.

This meant one thing, she did not see Sighvatur as a leader worthy to be served.

The Vikings noticed this and the battle intensity slowly deteriorated because they no longer knew who or what they were fighting for. 

Sighvatur was one of the smartest warriors to grace the Sturlungar clan but that didn't mean he did not feel fear and that momentarily fear he felt towards a wounded child was the turning point in everything. 

True fear does not need a reason to manifest nor can it be conquered, The Berserkers were a tribe that instilled that fear in him. 

"This is poetic…" Sighvatur muttered; the girl that had reduced Kolbeinn to this state teaming up with him. 

He had seen this before, he saw it with his brothers right before the clan divided.

The look in his warrior's eyes, they were doubting him.

Sighvatur took a deep breath and ran multiple scenarios in his head in the space of a second to see which would bring forth the best outcome.

"I see…" Sighvatur muttered to himself as his eyes slowly opened. 

"Everyone, stop fighting…" Sighvatur commanded because this way, he could retain control as his Vikings were barely fighting to begin with. 

"These two have challenged me and in turn, challenged the Sturlungar clan. I want you all to remember why fear is associated with my name.." Sighvatur was calm, he had retained his train of thought because he was letting his emotions get the better of him. 

Sighvatur dropped his weapon, he had no intention of arming himself against these two because there was no way that they could kill him. 

There's a reason he was compared to Gissur and he was about to show why.

Skaði was the first to charge at him but all it took for her to freeze in fear was a look from Sighvatur.

"What is wrong?" Sighvatur asked but Skaði felt like she was having some sort of panic attack. 

The look in his eyes, if she took another step, she would certainly be killed. 

No one could blame her as it had even momentarily affected Tyr as well but Tyr's willpower was one made of steel. 

Sighvatur slowly walked up to Skaði, who was sweating profusely as it took everything in her to remain standing.

He bent his head to whisper something in her ears and these words were.

"Skaði, I will give you a chance to regain your honor. Kill Kolbeinn and I will forgive you your transgressions…" before stepping aside to let Skaði decide her next course of action.

"Choose carefully Skaði,"

-

"Father! Brother!" Tyr screamed at the top of his lungs when he saw himself standing over his father and brother with his hands bloodied. 

He was back here, trapped in a nightmare he wanted to forget so badly.

"It's okay, big brother…" A little girl said, and Tyr looked to his left. He recognized the girl, it was the girl he saw the very first time he had this dream. 

"You always protect me, big brother…" She reiterated.

"Who are you?" Tyr asked her but before she could respond. Tyr found himself in a room but he was hiding behind his covers, he could hear her screams and her father telling her to be quiet. 

Tyr peeked through the covers and what he saw horrified him. Tyr remembered the rage he felt that day and the girl suddenly appeared beside him in his covers. Tyr was visibly shaken by what he saw and he felt the cold hand of the girl grip his.

"My name is Kahina, big brother."