A Viking's Rage

Chapter 2

"Kill the heathens!" Hemming’s voice thundered across the courtyard, cold and merciless. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his sword, the polished steel glinting in the sunlight. In one swift, brutal motion, he brought it crashing down across Noah's chest.

The blade bit deep into flesh and bone. Blood sprayed, and Noah crumpled to the ground, his body folding as though his strength had been torn away.

"No!" Aiya’s scream tore through the chaos, raw and anguished. Her knees hit the dirt hard as she lunged toward him, but she was held back by a guard’s iron grip. Her heart shattered as she met Noah’s gaze, his pain etched into every line of his face.

"The penalty for aiding a criminal is death!" Hemming bellowed, his voice a proclamation of his cruelty. He wiped the blood from his blade with the rich folds of his burgundy robe, a dark smear left behind as if marking his depravity.

The crowd gathered in silence, their faces hollow with despair. Dirty and sullen, they dared not act, though their eyes burned with hatred for the man who had just slaughtered one of their own.

Before the weight of the moment could settle, the air shifted. A scream pierced the quiet, and a fiery arrow streaked down from the sky, landing in a blaze on the cobblestones.

Panic erupted.

"Get him to safety!" barked one of the guards, rushing Hemming toward the castle. Flaming arrows rained from above, embedding themselves into roofs and igniting the thatched huts. A cacophony of screams and shouts filled the air as the village was swallowed by chaos.

The guard holding Aiya staggered as an arrow struck him in the shoulder, the fire licking at his armor. He let out a blood-curdling scream as flames consumed him, his grip on her releasing as he collapsed.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Aiya ran to Noah, falling to her knees beside him.

"Noah… Noah, open your eyes!" she begged, her voice trembling as she cradled his face. Her hands pressed against the gaping wound in his chest, but it was futile. Blood seeped through her fingers, staining her skin.

"Please, don’t leave me," she whispered, tears blurring her vision.

Noah’s hand lifted weakly to her cheek, his touch soft but firm, grounding her in the maelstrom around them.

"Aiya…" His voice was barely audible, a faint breath against the din of destruction.

Her sobs broke free as she watched the light in his eyes flicker, her heart fracturing with every shallow breath he took. "I can’t fight this world alone, Noah," she cried. "Stay with me."

His lips parted as though to speak, but no sound came. His hand slipped from her face and fell lifelessly to the ground. His eyes, once so vibrant, stared blankly at the sky above.

"No," Aiya whispered, shaking her head. "No, no, no!" Her hands gripped his shoulders, shaking him desperately as if her sheer will could bring him back. When he didn’t respond, her body slumped forward, and she rested her forehead against his, closing his eyes with trembling fingers.

The world around her dissolved into a haze of noise and fire. The screams of the dying, the clash of steel, and the roar of flames faded to nothing. She lay beside him, her cheek resting against his blood-streaked chest, and let herself drift into the blackness of her grief.

---

"Noah, what are you thinking about?"

The clearing was bathed in golden sunlight that filtered through the trees, painting the mossy ground in dappled patches of warmth. Aiya sat cross-legged, watching as Noah lay beside her, his arms crossed behind his head and his gaze fixed on the sky.

"Hmm?" he responded lazily, his eyes half-closed in bliss.

"What are you thinking about?" she repeated, nudging him with her foot.

He cracked one eye open, the corner of his lips twitching into a smile. "Do my thoughts interest you?"

She rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her own lips. "No, I just can’t stand the silence."

His smile widened, and for a moment, he simply looked at her, his blue eyes reflecting the light of the sun. "I was thinking about the kind of man I want to be," he finally said, his tone thoughtful. He sat up, brushing a strand of dark hair from his face. "I don’t want to be a farmer. I want to see the world—mountains, oceans, and places far from here."

He turned to her, his gaze steady. "What about you? What do you want from life?"

Aiya hesitated, her fingers plucking at the moss beneath her. "I want to be free," she said quietly. "To have a home, a family. To make my own choices." She looked up at him, her voice trembling. "But that’s not realistic, is it? You’ll always be a farmer, and I’ll always be a slave."

Noah’s expression darkened. "That’s not true," he said firmly. "You could marry me someday, and I’d take you far away from here." His smile returned, soft and sincere.

Aiya laughed, shaking her head. "You’re too good, Noah. I’m miserable company."

"No," he said, cupping her cheek with a hand. "You’re my favorite."

He stood suddenly, extending a hand to her. "Come on, I want to show you something."

She let him pull her to her feet, and together, they ran through the forest, the sunlight chasing them as they laughed. They stopped near the river, where three massive stones jutted from the earth, their surfaces etched with strange carvings.

"Noah, what is this place?" she asked, her voice filled with awe.

"I found it years ago," he said, running a hand over one of the stones. "I’ve never shown it to anyone."

He knelt by the largest stone, brushing away the dirt to reveal a glint of silver. Aiya’s breath caught as she saw the sword, its slender blade adorned with a single sapphire in the hilt.

"It’s beautiful," she whispered, taking it in her hands.

"It feels… important," Noah said softly.

"Then we’ll keep it safe," Aiya replied, smiling at him. "Our secret."

---

The memory dissolved as rough hands yanked Aiya to her feet. She didn’t struggle, her body limp as they dragged her away from Noah’s lifeless form.

"Ragda!" bellowed one of the men, his voice deep and guttural.

Another man approached, his icy blue eyes locking onto Aiya with cold curiosity. He knelt, his hand tilting her chin upward as he studied her face.

"She does not show fear," he said, his tone almost amused.

He straightened, his gaze lingering for a moment before he barked orders to his men in a language she didn’t understand.

"Burn the rest," he commanded in broken English, his accent thick. "We leave now."

As the flames consumed the world behind her, Aiya stared into the distance, her grief heavier than any fear.