Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 598: DXCVIII. The Rebelliousness

...

"Will it really end like this? Was it enough for a single Xis to end the life of such a great and powerful warrior? That means... for us human beings... there is no longer any hope of breaking the chains... to free us from slavery" Reidar commented, who was still on his knees and looked at the palm of his hands, as if questioning his very existence, wondering why he was still allowed to live.

"What are you doing here impaled?! Do you really want to watch him die without doing anything?! I can't let Dag get killed without even trying to save him! Come on, cowards! Let's help him!" Freydis yelled, who with tears in her eyes, after uttering those words, pulled out her spear from behind her back and began running towards the center of the square.

Kranus and Bloodfang try to stop her, but the Shieldmaiden nimbly escaped their hands, managing to wriggle out and keep running to achieve her goal.

A dozen warriors behind her, managing to understand her sense of despair and inferiority, shared those feelings with her and charged in the same direction with their weapons clenched in their hands.

"Stop! It's suicide! Freydis, stop! Bloodfang, order your men to go back!" Kranus yelled, turning to Thyrius after noticing that those ten soldiers were all Claws Of Fenrir. 

Bloodfang looked at Freydis, then looked at Reidar, still standing on the ground.

"My men are free to die the way they like, I will not stop them" Bloodfang said, who immediately after speaking, dropped the stick.

Under the astonished eyes of the ice mage and his two generals, Bloodfang turned into a Werewolf, covering himself in black fur and sharpening his jaws and claws, growing in height and musculature, despite his injuries.

"Before today, I've never seen the reality of things. Our life is not this city, Kranus. It's not the castle, it's not a roof over the head, it's not good food. No, we're so much more than that, and that kid's sacrificing his body to make us understand... our soul, Kranus. That's what we need to save. If I stay here and watch the end of who brought reality to light, I'll just be an accomplice to that bastard who's about to kill him and my life won't make any sense" Thyrius continued, resting one of his huge bestial hands on Kranus' shoulder.

As soon as he finished talking, without even giving his interlocutor time to answer, Bloodfang followed his men and Freydis, running on all fours and roaring like a fierce beast.

When they saw their Packmaster and some of their comrades running on the attack, all the soldiers of the Claws Of Fenrir, except for someone less confident, dashed in unison, screaming and transforming.

"Commander!" Kron exclaimed, returning Kranus to reality, noting that he was so afraid that he could not make a decision for his army.

Bloodfang's two generals were the last two that left the castle to follow their leader, while Kranus was still standing there, his mouth open and his eyes unblinking.

"It's... it's too dangerous! I can't put your lives in danger in this stupid way! If we all die, we will leave Tungvek and all its inhabitants without an army capable of protecting them! Are you really sure that you want to abandon your wives and children to this sad fate?!" Kranus shouted, addressing his generals and men violently, as if hoping that everyone would agree on him, fearing to sacrifice his life in vain.

No one answered and most of the soldiers retreated in fear, fearing that their commander would give them orders to attack, being their defeat already written. 

Just then, behind Kranus, a sound of blades being unsheathed. 

The ice mage and Kron turned around, noting that Atran, who had been silent all the time, had wielded his daggers and with his arms open downward, seemed to be doing some kind of prayer before throwing himself into the heart of the battle.

"Atran! Won't you dare disobey my order?! Did you save yourself by a miracle, do you really want to throw away your life like this?!" Kranus exclaimed again, unable to believe his eyes.

"Commander, I'm sorry, but... I'm already dead. If you now pretend nothing and let all the Claws Of Fenrir die, you will never find salvation. For Master Dag! For Valhalla!" the blond-haired, good-looking warrior yelled, made less beautiful because of all the injuries sustained after his kidnapping.

Disobeying the orders of his own Commander and sure he had nothing left to lose, Atran ran to Dag and the Xis, quickly following all the other brave warriors.

"Commander..." Kron whispered, who caught Kranus' attention.

"Please, Commander. Give me the order." 

"What are you saying, Kron? You went crazy all of a sudden too?! We have no hope against that being! Dag couldn't make it, with those incredible powers, why would we do it?!" the ice mage asked, frightened as if he was a novice warrior.

"I believe in the prophecy! The book, Commander Kranus! You said it yourself with confidence just a few moments ago... Master Dag can't die today, the prophecy hasn't been fulfilled yet! That is our destiny, we must save him no matter the cost! Give me the order, I beg you!" Kron yelled again, who for the first time in his life raised his voice talking to his superior. 

"I... I can't... Kron" Kranus answered, who knew very well the family of his general, that had a splendid and young wife and three sons, who, during his time in the Outpost, had become as grandchildren for elder Kranus.

"Well. Then you will have to stop me by force, Commander!" the General repeated, unlining his sword and beginning to run after his colleague Atran, knowing that Kranus would not have the courage to stop him, acknowledging that he was wrong.

The Giants Of Ymir observed their Commander, but just as he was about to utter his next words, Freydis, Thyrius, Kron, Atran, and all the other soldiers who had followed them, had arrived close to the two fighters.

...