Ch 32 Balgrud The Stewmaker

(⚠️ BEWARE TERRIBLE TORTURE AHEAD ⚠️)

The Infantry was marching steadily toward me as the Wolf Pits And Cheval de Frise served to funnel them in just enough.

I held the severed head high as blood dripped from it.

I could see the terror in the many enemy footmen who had never been in a real fight, they imagined it was their own dripping head that was being held up by the terrifying Giant who just cleaved seven mounted horsemen apart as if he were swatting flies.....

"WHO IS NEXT!!! I AM THENN ODINSON AND I SHALL REAP ALL OF YOUR LIVES!!!" I Roared out and my men let out a fearsome warcry which stopped the Northumbrian infantry in their tracks....

I had them frightened and now was the time to press the advantage.

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King Aelle watched all of this from a distance with fury in his eyes.... Four hundred soldiers stopped by a single man.... This was unacceptable.

He turned to his commander and yelled. "GET DOWN THERE AND MAKE THEM ADVANCE!!!!" He bellowed out loudly.

But before the Commander could even reach her his horn or move down to encourage the men he saw Thenn rush forward with his fearsome Axe Raised.

His vision seemed to slow as he saw the giant heathen launch himself at the already frightened infantry.

Every swing of the large Axe cleaved four or five men in half as the ones nearby tried to attack but were quickly dashed to bits.

Soon after they all tried to back up but ran into the Infantry behind them, Many raised their shields to protect themselves but found the wood shattering and the devilish Axe cutting through their bodies and heads as if going through butter.

The Commander held his breath as he watched the horrendous massacre that was taking place below....Then arrows began flying at his men from the right side as screams of terror echoed throughout the battlefield.

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My vision turned Red as my body seemed to move on its own with each swing and step flowing perfectly as dozens of men were hacked to peices by my Great Axe.

Stabs and slashes from spears and swords flew at me but I moved with disregard at the enemy, as their horrified screams entered my ears through my heavy steel helmet that glanced off more than a few blows.

I could see the infantry shrinking back from me as all nearby quickly realized I couldn't be cut down....

...

they watched as spears and swords seemed ineffective.....

they watched as their friends and neighbors were cut in half by the handful with every swing...

they watched as the Demon in human skin neared closer every second while walking past a swath of dismembered corpses....

they regreted not taking that maids warnings more seriously....

they would have deserted if they knew she spoke only the truth that day.....but now the Axe came for them as well.

...

I cleaved through the hundredth man before a cry if surrender was called out....

I cleaved through the men as they bumped into each other while trying to flee as I yelled with all my strength so my men could hear. 

"CHAAAAARGE!!!!!!!" I Roared and immediately a warcry Resounded as my men sprinted forward like Hyenas against a wounded foe.

Every single one of my men knew this was their moment....this was their chance to become engrained in legend along with their Commander and they would cleave through every single Saxon to make that happen.

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King Aelle saw all of this with horror....one man made an army run.

He looked over to his commander who quickly yelled at him. "My King we must flee!!! They are coming and we need to cross the bridge!!!" His commander yelled but the shocked King did not move an inch as he stared at what seemed like his kingship crumbling before his very eyes.

The commander grabbed the Kings Reigns and pulled the white horse along at a fast pace as the King's personal guards followed close behind while they fled to the Castle. 

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My archers quickly shot down dozens of men who moved to cross the narrow bridge and soon enough more and more fell into the five foot ditch, they'd usually be able to climb out but their heavy armor made them too heavy and most were too scared and confused to think clearly.

Just above many were squeezed into a mass crush of panicked and desperate men who only wanted to run from the monsters that sprinted toward them.

I jumped at the packed Soldiers and began in a wild rampage of carnage as the ground below me ran thick with fresh blood from the crying and screaming Northumbrians.

Cries of {"WE SURRENDER!!!"} And {"MERCY!!! PLEASE MERCY!!!} Resounded but I continued hacking at them as a few of the smarter ones tried to fight back but ti no avail.

Soon after I saw my warriors clash against the Northumbrians as we began tearing their numbers apart like wild beasts.

I spotted Balgrud crushing one mans head with his Warhammer and breaking the face of another with his sheel reinforced shield.

Hasta to my right was in formation as Ragnar beside her hacked and slashed wildly with his small axe.

Rollo threw himself at the Saxons with an unmatched rage....it seemed as he had gone berserk from a blood rage.

During this horrible massacre my archers who were stationed nearby launched arrow after arrow into the mass of Saxons who were too tightly pressed to even raise their shields.

The smarter ones jumped into the ditch to avoid the arrows or mad Vikings only to find themselves unable to climb back out.

The few that made it out and turned to help the others were quickly met with bodkin arrows to the chest and slumped just on the edge.

A cacophony of blood and violence filled my ears as my men vented all their rage out on the helpless men who wished only to surrender and be allowed to return home to their families.

After half an hour of hacking and slashing only two dozen climb out of the ditch and escape after they stepped on the dead bodies to climb out.

The unlucky ones were filled with arrows or hacked apart by my men like livestock.

Once we finished hacking them all apart on the surface we all surrounded the trench and gazed at the trembling fifty or so men in there.

I walked up and they all cried out and began praying....I smiled down at them and spoke.

{"FIGHT AMONG YOURSELVES....THE FIVE WHO SURVIVE WILL BE SET FREE."} I spoke and they all looked at each other then back at us.

I saw the first man to attack, he drove a dagger into another man's neck and soon enough the ditch became a death pit as they fought like wild beasts for the chance to survive.

My men all watched on in amazement. Balgrud turned to me and asked."BOSS WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM....ARE YOUR WORDS MAGIC?" He asked with wide eyes.

I just laughed and sat on a relatively dry corpse to rest myself...I could feel a dozen shallow wounds around my body but they were of little importance now.

Then I heard a strange noise....what was that..

Was it...a giggle.....no....it couldn't be....

No.... definitely was.... 

I looked up and soon enough every single one of my warriors began laughing and giggling uncontrollably as some held their bellies in pain from all the laughs.

I thought it was strange until I saw it from their perspective....it was certain death.....no man thought otherwise even if no one said so....but they survived.....all of them.

They laughed at the absurdity that they were still breathing and would return to their families which none thought they ever would.

I just sat there and removed my helmet as my men calmed down from the electrifying experience of avoiding certain death.

Then I heard a man shout out. "How many Christians did I kill, Floki?...How many?

Do you think Odin is still angry with me now!!!" Rollo roared out at Floki who was poking removing a noses from dead bodies.

All of my men turned to listen in to the conversation.

"It was the Allfather who granted Thenn the strength necessary to win this battle for us.....you were not in his thoughts during such an important time....hahahaha....but you have lain with a foreign God and betrayed the Aesir....even now you wear that Cross...." Floki spoke and pointed at his neck.

My warriors eyes all opened wide and stared at Rollo to see if that madness was true.

Before long Rollo pulled out the shimmering gold cross and ripped it off his neck before throwing it down and storming off back to camp.

Floki stood and pointed. "EVEN DURING THE GREATEST VICTORY OF ANY MAN WHO EVER LIVED HE TAINTS IT WITH HIS TREACHERY!!! WE SHOULD SACRIFICE HIM TO THE ALLFATHER!!!" Floki yelled and I heard grumbles of agreement from my men.

"BOSS I DONT WANT TO SAIL ON A SHIP WITH SOMEONE THE GODS HATE....IT SCARES ME...." Balgrud spoke out and his sentiment was repeated by dozens of my men.

"Very well, we shall Sail with Rollo back to Kattegat, but if you all do not wish to raid with him I do not object." I spoke and I got many thanks from my Men.

Before long the five men who survived the battle to the death were pulled out, they were all bloody, exhausted and covered in mud and guts but they'd live.

"Tie them up and bring them back to camp, they will be my messengers to King Aelle.

I spoke and the five men were snatched up, then I turned to Floki who was still cutting off noses.

"Floki what are you collecting those for?" I asked him and he giggled.

"People in Norway will need proof of today's victory....I was thinking of taking their cocks but they would rot on the way home...hahahah..." He giggled and I just sighed and walked away to camp, there was no arguing with madness after all.

We reached the Barn where Aethelwulf was being kept and my men looked at the once proud man as he looked at us I'm submission.

I walked up and kneeled next to him on the hay covered floor.

{"It seems your brother, the Fat King, does not care if you live or die Aethelwulf.... remember what I told you when we first met?"}

I asked and his face turned pale as he remembered my words.

'Hell is what my enemies experience before the life fades from their eyes.' He never forgot those words spoken to him not long ago.

I removed my helmet and he gazed into my Milky Eye as his entire body trembled.

{"I...If you let me t...ta...talk to him,

I will persuade him to honor his p...ple...pledge."}

he begged me with a shaky voice but I just smiled for a moment before standing up and turning to my men.

"I want the largest pot filled with water and plenty of firewood brought....I will return Aethelwulf to his King brother before the day is done."

I spoke and several of my men scurried off to find what I wanted.

I ordered fifteen men to comb through the corpses for any valuables, only gold and silver no swords or clothes....we needed all the room we could get after I sent in my new deal to the King.

I walked into one of the houses with Tostig and we both sat down and breathed out a heavy sigh.

"It still feels as if this is all a dream....I was sure I would die on that field." Tostig spoke and took great big gulps from his mead skin.

"Perhaps you are really dead... This could all be the afterlife..." I spoke and he laughed heartily.

"I wouldn't spend the afterlife with you Brute, I'd find me a beautiful Valkyrie and offer her a drink." He spoke and I just shook my head and grabbed what I needed for my letter to the King as my men lit the fire of the large cauldron outside.

Soon enough a bound up Aethelwulf was tossed into the tepid water as it was slowly heated around him.

Balgrud even came by with onions and carrots then tossed them into the water.

"MOMMA ALWAYS USED ONION AND CARROT FOR THE BEST STEW.... I'M SURE YOUR BROTHER WILL LOVE THE TASTE."

Balgrud spoke and patted Aethelwulfs head then walked away as the Saxon cried out for mercy.

"PLEASE!!! I CAN PAY!!! I HAVE GOLD!!! LOTS OF GOLD!!!!" 

"MY BROTHER WILL PAY FOR ME!!! JUST ASK ONCE MORE!!!!" 

"MERCY!!! PLEASE HAVE MERCY!!!" 

"GOD SAVE ME!!!!"

I sat nearby after finishing my letter as the five men who survived the pit were forced to watch as the King's Brother was slowly cooked alive in a cauldron.

Before long Aethelwulf screamed as the bottom of his legs and feet were cooked by the hot bottom of the cauldron while the water rose up to temperature.

~~~"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"~~~~

His haunting screams were heard for miles around as the water began to bubble....the poor man only survived a few minutes before his body went into shock and cardiac arrest.

We all just stared at his body as the scent of his flesh permeated the air....almost smelled good apart from the piss that leaked out of him after dying.

We all watched the pot bubble for half an hour before I deemed it enough.

Aethelwulfs face was lightly cooked by the steam but the rest of his body was cooked quite well....not fall of the bone but I hoped King Aelle would at least take a bite.

We poured out half of the liquid in the cauldron and I heaved it onto a cart and tied a spare horse to it.

The five men were placed aboard and given a letter for the King.

They all had thousand yard stares after being forced to watch some of the most horrific things imaginable after being forced to kill their comrades and cousins in that pit.

We all watched the cart with the cauldron roll away with smiles on our faces.....it was a day of hard work and now we'd get to relax.

I saw Floki was returning from the field with a big sack full of human noses, he had a happy look on his face.

"How many did you get to Floki?" I asked the Man.

"Three hundred and forty six total....a wonderful haul for our crew...and only one died before the battle even began." He spoke and opened to show me the sack.

"Nice work, you missed the boiling though." I spoke and he giggled.

"I heard it all clear as day though....hahahah...what a screamer.." He giggled and walked back to the walked town.

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(Too sleepy to edit so there might be more mistakes than usual)