Yesteryear

Sacrifice

TW: Gore, human sacrifice, child murder
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It was only a matter of time until both Ljóðey and San had to leave the cosy hut together. They allowed Wooyoung to roam free upstairs so he wouldn't get trapped in an emergency, but they advised him to keep the fire out and make no noise. With Bein at his side, he looked after the couple worriedly when they left to have dinner with their village for the winter solstice.

In the first hours, nothing special happened. Wooyoung played a game with Bein and taught him how to give him his paw when Wooyoung asked for it. The fire simmered low with time and the warmth provided by the sweltering coal thickly filled even the coldest corners of the room. It wouldn't last all night, and San and Ljóðey had been unsure when they would return.

For a while, Wooyoung flicked through a book on Norse myths that San had given him. Only once the room got too dark and the skies outside provided no sunlight for him to read in, Wooyoung stopped the strain in his eyes. He put the book away and huddled into his spot in front of the fireplace with Bein in his arm to share the dog's warmth. Since he had a lot of sleep to catch up on from last night, he fell asleep soon and hoped to slumber through the cold hours until the owners of the house would return.

To the sound of a nearby crow in the forest croaking its nightly call and the distant sound of drums sounding from the town hall, Wooyoung drifted in and out of his light slumber. His senses were attentive to any noise, whether it was San returning or the storm outside setting back in.

The more time passed, the more tired he became, and the more assured his brain got of its safety. Thus, when the door finally opened too suspiciously quiet to be homeowner coming back, Wooyoung slept through the initial entrance of the two men.

It was only when Bein jerked up his head to eye the intruders that the icy breeze filtering through his blanket startled Wooyoung awake, too.

"So you returned, huh? Found no place to stay at?"

Before Wooyoung knew what was happening, the two Vikings with their scary faces already knelt next to him. They launched him from his position as if he weighed nothing. Too used to the village inhabitants, Bein just sniffed at the group curiously.

"No, wait-" When Wooyoung gained awareness that he was being taken away, he yanked on his arms. The two tall men held one of them each and their rough fingers dug into his flesh until they left bruises. Far too weak to escape, Wooyoung got dragged outside into the frosty night. His breath formed white clouds in front of his face as he got yanked toward the main cluster of huts. His feet struggled to find a footing on the snowy path, so they slid along more than he walked.

"Right on time. We found no good alternative, so we planned to sacrifice a buck instead, but you will make for a better offering. Your stubbornness will impress Odin," the man left of Wooyoung said. A nasty scar split over his eye to blind him partly, and in celebration of the winter solstice, he had painted runes on his face. The red colour shimmering on his left cheek had to be blood.

Wooyoung resisted to the best of his ability, but he was no match for two mighty Vikings. Unable to defend himself, he soon landed in one of the biggest huts. The usual grand halls were filled with various women that hurried around to provide festivity guidance to the people. Two of them applied makeup to a group of people's faces. Two others picked out fruit and meat in baskets to offer to their gods.

Wooyoung got hauled over to a group of two boys and two girls in pretty garments and golden accessories that decorated their wrists, necks, and hair. He stumbled when he was thrust roughly toward the overseeing woman, but caught himself to stare at the group with big eyes. Just as confused, the kids that had to be between six and ten years old stared back.