"Don't let them touch Ania! For the glory of Exile!" Bjorn roared viciously as he sunk his axe into the neck of a warrior.
A resounding cheer erupted from the crowd, who appeared bloodthirsty as they dove on the Jarl's men. Bjorn was beyond reason as he hacked away at the group of warriors who had travelled to Eraldsfen. 'I won't let them execute Harik or our warriors! Lord Exile has need of them!'
Ania stood in the back, her knuckles turned white as she gripped a spear that Bjorn had made for her. A dark look spread across her face as she eyed the sudden bloodbath. These warriors had been sent ahead to summon the families of the warriors who had gone on the raids. They were to witness their execution as punishment for spreading the names of gods amongst the warriors, despite the King's laws.
Both Ania and Bjorn had realised that Harik must have had contact with Exile somehow since he knew his name. Which meant that Exile must have plans for her father. The entirety of Eraldsfen now devoted themselves to Exile and, in fact, saw this as a provocation against their god and Pantheon.
Bjorn glanced around with a savage gleam in his eye. 'We were already planning to supplant the Jarl, but I hoped to have Harik here to lead the charge! This has just turned into a rescue mission!' A warrior charged him with a spear in hand, which only made Bjorn laugh.
"Come!" He yelled as he waited for the right moment.
Sidestepping the charge, he grabbed the shaft of the spear and yanked it to the side. The warrior behind it was thrown off balance and fell to the ground. Before he could cry out, Bjorn delivered a strike between his eyes. Putting an end to his life.
"What's with these people!" The captain shouted as a villager dove on his sword and dragged it to the ground with her, leaving him wide open.
However, he never got an answer, as five more piled on him and dragged him to the ground. The villagers tore at his skin and eyes as they beat him to death. Ania watched on from the rear as several skilled hunters watched over her with their bows. If anyone looked to be targeting her or Bjorn, they swiftly shot them down as soon as they had a clear line of sight.
'These people... Have no idea what Exile has done for us!' She felt an uncontrollable rage building in her heart. Not too long ago, she had felt as if something had changed within her. As soon as the fight began, she felt the need to strike at these men with her own hands. However, she knew that she had to maintain her place. Bjorn would never let her hear the end of it if she put herself in danger.
However, as she felt the anger surging inside of herself, she reached out towards one of the Jarl's men who was about to strike down a villager. She screamed in rage, and suddenly the air around her felt strange to the hunters. A crackling sound could be heard momentarily before a bright flash occurred. Before anyone could register what had happened, the man her palm had been pointed towards fell down dead. A black scorch mark was visible on his temple as smoke rose from the scorched skin.
"Witch!" One of the Jarl's men screamed in fear as he glanced from the dead man to Ania.
With the man being distracted, he never noticed Bjorn's axe as it dove into the back of his skull. By this point, the battle was almost over. Bjorn could not help but stare at Ania with a solemn expression. 'Hm... That was lightning...' Bjorn could not help but feel concerned at that sight. He had always had his suspicions that Ania would be able to use magic if she received training due to her unusual hair. 'That wasn't magic...'
He was an old warrior. He had travelled far and wide on raids in his younger days. He had seen witches and warlocks, as well as other strange sights. But he knew that these people spent decades learning to wield their power. 'This...' Bjorn's eyes narrowed as he gained a new suspicion. 'But... It's too soon...'
He threw it to the back of his mind as he turned to help mop up the battlefield. Although the battle was short, it was also extremely bloody. The villagers had crazed looks in their eyes as they stared at the Jarl's defeated men. 'He'll hold the execution in Korden. He has no idea it's already under our control. If we move fast, we can be prepared for his arrival.'
Ania, on the other hand, was staring at her own hand with a mixture of fear and shock. 'What was that? For a moment there I could have sworn that I felt Lord Exile's presence...' She was visibly shaken as she had no idea what had just happened to her. Although the presence felt the same there was something off about it.
It no longer felt warm and welcoming. Instead, she felt anger, cold and destructive feelings from it. 'Something has happened... Lord Exile, what have you done?' A tear ran down her cheek as her emotions got the better of her. For a distinct moment, she had felt as if Exile had somehow become more distant from her. That was the only way she could describe it despite being able to sense that they still had a connection.
Her eyes suddenly turned towards the sky as she shivered. 'I can feel him...' The sight of the cold and vast sky somehow made her feel like it was a link between the two of them. 'Please, help me save my father!' Her eyes wandered over the darkening clouds, but there was no sign of Exile.
"Ania..." Bjorn placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "We have to save Harik..."