Chapter 9. The War of Iceborn 2

Far to the north, troops rode on frosty boars. Some of the troops marched on foot, while in the distance lurked the tribe of ursines. Fierce bears capable of tearing their enemies apart. Even their allies feared and avoided them.

Leading all the troops was Bjorgulf Ragnarsson. He became the leader by killing the previous chief in an honorable duel. The duel under the Eye of the Gods took place bare-chested, each warrior taking only one weapon, and only one could emerge victorious. After receiving several cuts, he managed to kill his opponent. Becoming the leader of his clan, he immediately unleashed vigorous activity, as the previous chief had grown too old and become soft. Under his rule, the Fury of the Wolf ceased its raids - in his fear, he was afraid to stick his nose out of the ancient woods. Now, his warriors, who had seen many battles, were true berserkers.

Once, he was visited by a divine apparition of Odin himself, descending to him. He acknowledged them as his true followers and true iceborn, ordering them to punish those who deviated from his teachings. From that moment on, life changed drastically; they attempted several times to destroy the caravan of the Bear Claw clan, but their warrior named Kailen was unbeatable. Even the bravest warriors, who had survived bloody battles, began to fear him.

The successes that had begun came to an end when one of the ursine tribe arrived. The angered bear expressed his thoughts, saying that they thought he was like warm-blooded creatures and couldn't defeat the enemy. In his thoughts, Bjorgulf thought, "Stupid beast, it's easy for you to say, you haven't fought him. I've seen him freeze my brothers, turning them to dust. Such power cannot belong to a human." However, he still did not dare to speak out and provoke the wrath of the emerging god, then he realized that they were simply being used. Volibear didn't care how many of his warriors would die; the main thing was to achieve his goal.

"Tell your god that we are not going to the slaughter anymore, we need help. Your warrior has a divine gift, so give it to us," Bjorgulf rebuked the bear. At that moment, when the bear roared and showed clear aggression, he thought his days were numbered, but the bear did not rush and said that help would come.

A month later, a huge herd of frosty boars came to them. People thought that today would be their final battle, but it turned out that they had submitted to the ursines, who then handed over the animals to them. The new weapon allowed them to gain incredible capabilities. For guaranteed victory, he decided to capture other clans, forcing them to cooperate; their frosty boars became the decisive factor, causing the clans to submit almost without a fight.

Only a few times did he have to fight one-on-one with the leader of another clan. Uniting the forces, which until then belonged only to the three sisters, he set out to conquer the region. They were ruthless, cutting down all allies of the Bear Claw, leaving them completely alone. Sweet victories shattered with the news that the caravan had returned unharmed, and they couldn't stop it, even the frosty boars were useless against it.

"How I want to bury the axe in your head," thought Bjorgulf.

He practically single-handedly destroyed the entire squadron of a dozen riders and a dozen warriors.

But now he wouldn't be able to withstand such an army. Today, the decisive battle will take place. They were already approaching their lands. He understood that they were only using them to eliminate the undesirables, but to him, it was only a plus. He would become the one who would unite all the cold-born and head south to conquer new lands.

Meanwhile, their forces were discovered, and a couple of scouts rushed back to the village; they spared no effort and ran with all their might.

When they reached the village, they shouted to close the gates and rushed to the longhouse. When the people saw the warriors running past, they became worried, but did not panic. They rushed up to the chief and took a moment to catch their breath.

"Chief, the enemy forces will be here in a few hours. There are many of them," the scout said.

"Sound the alarm, call everyone to the gates," Hrolf ordered.

Kailen, who was meditating near the old spring, opened his eyes when he heard the bell that signaled trouble. He had spent all the time available to him preparing for battle, trying to increase his strength bit by bit.

Standing up, he breathed in the frosty air and sensed the approach of the enemy. He made an icy path and moved forward. When he arrived at the village, he found the gates closed, but that was no obstacle for him. Using the ice he created under his feet as a springboard, he jumped and landed on top.

The warriors were already lined up against the wall, their projectiles and weapons in their hands. They were all clad in the same armor of the god, inspiring confidence and faith in victory. From the wall, he could see his home on the outskirts of the city, where his family was, and he was bound to protect them, no matter what. Besides the men, there were also women here; they wouldn't engage in battle, only shoot arrows at the enemy. Of course, there were those who were skilled with the sword, but the armor was made for men only, so they acted as support.

"Brother, let's bathe in the blood of the enemy," Yorund said, noticing him and approaching.

"Idiot, put on your helmet," said Kailen. His friend neglected to protect his head and often paid for it with scars on his face, but that didn't stop him.

"It hinders my fighting; I can see the enemy better and feel the space around me without it," Yorund replied.

"Don't be foolish; now is not the time," Kailen said.

With a heavy sigh, Yorund put on his helmet.

"Son," Ermund's voice sounded. The father had aged considerably, and all his hair was already gray.

"Father," Kailen nodded.

"You've rarely visited us lately," his father continued. Indeed, Kailen had begun to communicate less with his parents; he couldn't even make time for his family.

"I'm making up for lost time," Kailen said.

"Well, are you ready for battle?" his father asked.

"More than ever. They'll regret coming here," Kailen replied firmly.

"Warriors!" Hrolf shouted, drawing attention to himself. "Today we fight for our home, for the future we will build together. We fight for our descendants and their lives, so let's bathe the enemy in blood and drive them beyond our home!"

"ARR!" came a supportive cry from the warriors.

The first enemy warriors emerged from the forest, two hundred meters from our village. The settlement had deliberately cleared all the trees to have a good view of those approaching the gates.

There were many of them, and more were appearing by the moment. The most frightening were the frozen boars and the riders on them. Then came the growl of a bear, and out of the forest came the ursine tribe. There weren't many of them, not more than ten, but they were worth at least fifty warriors. Their intelligence allowed them to act with high combat efficiency; they didn't allow themselves to be surrounded and could avoid traps, unlike their wild relatives.

In front of the army, a tall man stepped forward, holding two swords in his hands and seemingly disdaining protection, for he wore neither helmet nor shield. The entire army halted, and he approached us fearlessly. It was as if he had decided to speak before the battle.

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He stopped a few feet from the gate.

"My name is Bjorgulf, son of Ragnar, of the Clan of the Fierce Wolf. I lead this army. To whom am I speaking?" he shouted. He could not know the name of our leader and decided to check if he was hiding in his house.

"This is Hrolf, son of Torbin. I am the chief of the Bear Claw. You may speak to me," our leader replied, standing above the gate and looking down at the approaching man.

"I will not be eloquent. I have more strength. With me are two hundred men, we have ursines, and you have only the protection of weak walls, which we can climb in one leap," Hrolf shouted. He could be killed right now, but they wouldn't; it would dishonor their clan.

"Perhaps you have more, but each of my warriors is worth five of yours. You came to us with a sword, and you will die with it," Hrolf replied. Our warriors supported him.

"Do not be foolish, you will die in vain. We only need one of your warriors, and we know him, Kailen. Volibear is displeased with him and wants to cleanse the world of his sins," said Bjorgulf.

"Your words are amusing. What kind of leader would I be if I abandoned my man? Enough words, either leave or your bodies will litter this land," Hrolf replied.

"Enough words indeed. Our swords and axes will decide everything," Bjorgulf replied and walked back to his army.

As he approached his troops, he raised his hand, and immediately shouts rang out as they began to form. Those with shields went first, but they were the minority; it seemed they had decided to make a quick attack.

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"Archers, volley!" cried Bjorn, who commanded the troops during the battle.

A multitude of arrows flew at the enemy. Some missed and stuck in the ground in front of the enemy's feet, others hit the shields. Only a few broke through and caused injuries. The first volley did no significant damage. The enemy's orderly formation continued to advance, and in response they were attacked with arrows. As they approached the halfway point, the enemy horn sounded and the riders charged forward, heading for the walls.

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Kailen knew that if the enemies managed to climb the wall, they would not win. Therefore, he had implemented his plan in advance. A large number of ice spears were hidden underground. He created them to conserve power during the battle.

As the enemy approached the walls, their shields were pierced with arrows. Within seconds, the frozen boars reached them and advanced alongside the infantry.

"It is time to act," Kailen said.

He stepped to the edge of the wall and jumped down. Magic began to form in his hands. Striking the ground with all his might, he directed a surge of power into the spears, causing them to shoot upward. In an instant, the entire field was littered with spears, piercing warriors and boars alike. Unable to stop abruptly, they impaled themselves on the spears. One boar managed to stop, but its rider couldn't, lunging forward and impaling himself in turn.

Kailen ran to the shields; he needed to remove them as quickly as possible. The enemy soldiers panicked, trying to break free of the icy trap, but they still held their formation and didn't lower their guard. With one swift movement, he crashed into the shield wall and broke through. With his bare hands, he smashed wood, instantly creating two ice swords, and the bloody harvest began.

His eyes gleamed with a blue light as he focused on the fight, pushing his body to the limit. He sliced through the enemy, meeting only weak resistance. They were terrified, for everyone had heard of the Frost Demon. His blue eyes sparkled in the darkness, the cold penetrating to the bone.

Tilting his head to the side, he dodged a spear. It passed within millimeters of his cheek, and with a sharp upward thrust, he broke the shaft. Crossing his arms, he unleashed his swords, severing the head and legs of one unfortunate warrior. Seeing that they were beginning to surround and corner him, he focused his magic again. Directing it into his legs, he leapt into the air and landed several meters away. Spreading his arms, he aimed his palms upward and numerous ice arrows began to form in the air.

"Shields, form up, DAMN IT!" shouted voices in the enemy ranks, but it was already too late.

A multitude of spears rained down on the enemy, piercing their bodies. Screams and pleas rang out as many began to panic and flee. A signal sounded from a horn, and all the troops began to retreat in an organized fashion. Kailen did not follow, but returned to the wall.

In the enemy camp, Bjorgulf clenched his jaw in anger. He hadn't been able to take the walls from the first offensive; the frosty wyverns were stuck in bloody ice captivity. How he hated Kylen. So many had died at his hands. He retreated into the forest and bowed to the bears.

"We need your help. We can't handle the Ice Demon," Bjorgulf asked the Ursinians, holding back his anger.

"No wonder you're pathetic, you're weak and worthless," the Ursin snorted.

Bjorgulf thought to himself, "Let's see how many of your boastful kin die in battle with them."

"ARRARAR!" the bear roared, and the Ursin tribe moved forward.

"Attack!" Bjorgulf ordered. They regretted that they had to march again, for they had not caught their breath.

The mighty bears were known for their ferocity and fighting prowess; typically, steel could not pierce their bodies, and their claws could cut through stone and metal. The first arrows fired at them barely made a dent and bounced off. When they reached the icy barrier, they didn't slow down and charged through it, shattering the ice into fine powder.

Meanwhile, Kailen began to focus his magic between his palms; he needed to slow the bears' movement; only he could kill them. He had to focus all his strength on this task. When he had gathered enough power, he unleashed a dense stream of magic at the approaching bears. The powerful surge of magic froze and immobilized their bodies. Their leader broke free almost immediately, shattering the ice into pieces, while the others struggled to free themselves under the pressure, gradually cracking the ice and soon breaking free as well.

Without hesitation, he leapt down and charged the main bear, creating ice spears on the fly and hurling them at him, but they shattered against the bear's thick fur.

"You've gotten pretty cocky, thinking you can go against the will of the gods. You're a pitiful human who's been given a drop of power," the Ursine said. Roaring, he rushed at him.

"Your god is bloodthirsty. He knows no pity or kindness. I will not worship such a god," Kailen admitted, slipping under the bear and avoiding its lunge. The bear slammed into the wall, shaking it with the force of the impact.

"And that's why you will remain weak, just like your tribe," the ursine quickly turned and launched a new attack.

Kailen summoned ice swords, hoping they would help. Dodging the bear's new attack, he countered, but to no avail; the bear's hide was too resilient. He was facing an opponent who was not only strong, but perhaps even stronger than he was.

At one point, he failed to dodge the creature's claws, which grazed his clothing. But the armor the god had crafted remained intact, easily withstanding the blow.

"That can't be. Where did you get that armor?" the ursine muttered, surprised at the durability of the clothing.

"None of your business," Kailen replied, launching an attack, confident in his defense.

In a fierce fight, they tried to kill each other. The other bears had freed themselves and were now climbing the walls. Bjorgulf's forces would soon arrive, and the enemy would have the advantage in numbers. The bears were formidable opponents, but luck favored them, for only their leader proved to be so strong; the others were less protected. Their pelts were wounded, and the god's armor withstood the claw blows. But it offered no protection against the powerful blows of the bear's paws, which knocked the man off his feet and left him stunned for a long time.

Kailen saw the dire situation, but there was nothing he could do; the enemy before him demanded his full concentration. A plan began to form in his mind; he had to find a way to channel his magic into the bear's body and destroy its internal organs. Several times he tried to attack its eyes, but the bear skillfully defended itself with its paws, striking painfully in return and knocking him away.

He had to seize the moment. Give the bear a chance to attack him, then he would carry out his plan.

"Volibir, the most pitiful of gods, just like your tribe," Kailen said, trying to provoke his enemy.

"You will die for your insolence," the ursine roared angrily, opening his mouth and lunging at him.

It set its jaws and tried to bite down on the wretched human. Kailen didn't dodge, allowing the bear to grab his arm. The bear clenched its jaws fiercely, almost biting through the flesh. Even divine protection couldn't withstand such a powerful bite, and it began to give way. The bear began to shake its head from side to side, tossing Kailen's body around like a toy and slamming him to the ground.

Kailen pushed through the pain and concentrated on creating magic in his hand. The cold magic began to freeze the ursine's insides. Feeling the cold inside him, the bear tried to release his grip, but Kailen stubbornly held onto his throat and froze the ice around his mouth.

The bear's fierce blows were his last resistance as leader of the ursine until his hand froze. The ice destroyed all of his internal organs, and the drops of life left his eyes. Seeing the ursine fall to the ground, and Kailen lying nearby, Bjorgulf ordered them to attack; he knew they had to act or they would lose. Inside, however, he gloated over the bear's foolishness, thinking that it served him right.