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A Cruel Destiny
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A Cruel Destiny was a virtual representation of one of Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan in 2020 through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.[1]
Description[edit | edit source]
Eivor and Sigurd confronted Kjotve the Cruel at his own stronghold.
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
Eivor traveled to Florli and met with Sigurd and Guthorm the Wise to plan a raid on Kjotve's camp.
- Sigurd: Eivor, you missed the opening act. Kjotve's forward camp melted like a spring thaw at our approach.
- Eivor: It is from here we launch our attack?
- Guthorm the Wise: We do indeed, and we are ready to fight. King Harald's forces are well in place. Only give the word.
- Sigurd: I will. But before we strike, I have a request.
- Guthorm the Wise: Name it.
- Sigurd: That Eivor may give challenge to Kjotve at the gates of his fortress. A battle to the death in single combat.
- Guthorm the Wise: Is...is this what you want?
- Eivor: Kjotve robbed my father of all honor and dignity. I will win it back.
- Sigurd: When honor is at stake, let none interfere. And if Kjotve should die before the battle begins, all the better for our chances.
The three approached the table.
- Eivor: I have waited years for this, but I will not risk losing it through rashness. We should wait until the time is right.
- Sigurd: We set sail when you are ready.
As the trio left the tower, Basim spotted Eivor.
- Basim: Eivor, a word.
- Eivor: Basim. Hytham. This feud is not yours, yet you fight it all the same. I find that strange.
- Basim: You find it strange because you are wrong. Our clan, the Hidden Ones, have been fighting with Kjotve's Order for centuries.
- Eivor: You came from Miklagard to kill Kjotve yourself?
- Basim: We did. Or rather, we came so that Hytham could kill him. My apprentice has been studying this target for many months
- Eivor: Is Kjotve's reputation so great outside Norway?
- Basim: Not his reputation alone, but the order to which he belongs. Something of a rival clan to our own.
- Eivor: Hytham, I mean no disrespect to you or the Hidden Ones, but Kjotve is mine. My family's honor is at stake.
- Hytham: I understand. All that matters is that Kjotve dies this day.
- Basim: On that, we are agreed.
Eivor walked away to sail to Kjotve's fortress.
- Norse Warrior: KJOTVE! KJOTVE! KJOTVE! KJOTVE! KJOTVE! KJOTVE!
- Kjotve the Cruel: Sigurd Whoreson! You slink around my walls like a thief in the night! Face me here, now!
Eivor walked out of the crowd.
- Eivor: The fight is mine, Kjotve. Sigurd is only here to watch me feed your innards to my raven.
- Kjotve the Cruel: Look at this! Once again, Eivor Wolf-Kissed appears to take a swipe at me!
Eivor turned back to her crew and allies and raised her father's axe.
- Eivor: This ... this is my father's shame! Today I take back the honor he lost.
She shouted to be heard by Kjotve and the men in his fortress.
- Eivor: I call a holmgang (duel)! Here against the oath-breaker.
- Kjotve the Cruel: I will make you beg as your father begged, Wolf-Kissed! Squeal as your mother squealed!
Kjotve dug his axes into a post beside him and faced Eivor bare-handed. A conspiracy of ravens flew from the field, and the fight began.
- Eivor: You destroyed my life. I will take yours.
- Kjotve the Cruel: You are weak like your father was weak.
I need no weapons but these hands.
You dance better than you fight.
The fight went on for a while before Kjotve ran back to the post to retrieve his axes and faced Eivor again.
Kjotve knocked Eivor to the ground and she had a vision, kneeling in a dark, empty place. Odin came to her.
- Odin: Rise Eivor. This is not your day to die.
- Kjotve: Why do you refuse to die?
- Eivor: We are not alone, Kjotve. The All-Father watches.
- Eivor: My blade will drink your blood.
- Kjotve the Cruel: Your flesh will feed my wolves.
After Eivor had weakened him, Kjotve grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder and running them both off a short ledge into a pit. They faced each other to continue the fight, when suddenly Hytham leapt from the ledge, attempting to assassinate Kjotve. He was unsuccessful, as Kjotve saw him, dodged and threw Hytham into the wall.
- Eivor: Hytham!
- Hytham: Ah!
Kjotve resumed the duel.
- Kjotve the Cruel: A shameful trick, Wolf-kissed. You are your father's child.
Finally, Eivor managed to defeat and kill Kjotve in a duel. She fell into a vision in the Memory Corridor; a dark, infinite place, the ground covered in shallow water and fog. From the water rose a forest of skeletal trees, backlit by faint light. From beside the largest stood an old greybeard, spear in hand and face shadowed by a hood.
- Odin: Rise, Eivor... and awaken.
- Eivor: Odin?
Eivor stepped forward warily, trying to see him better. Around Odin, a conspiracy of ravens flew off, cawing.
- Eivor: What do you want of me?
Odin turned around, and suddenly Kjotve appeared.
- Kjotve the Cruel: You've won your prize, Wolf-Kissed. The glory of my death.
Odin slammed the end of Gungnir to the ground, light flashed through the trees and Kjotve yelled in pain, falling to his knees and dropping his axes. He picked one back up and stood.
- Kjotve the Cruel: All for this...
Odin slammed Gungnir down again, and again Kjotve yelled and fell.
- Kjotve the Cruel: ...your coward father and his empty sacrifice.
Kjotve attempted to get up again, and failed each time as Odin struck Gungnir against the ground. Finally, Kjotve reached out to grab a small sapling and pulled it from the ground. Wrapped within its roots was a human skull.
- Kjotve the Cruel: Heed the price of our war, Wolf-Kissed. The harvest of three dead generations. All their names, unknown. It all means nothing.
- Eivor: No. My clan will not be forgotten!
Eivor grabbed Gungnir from Odin's hand and slammed it on the ground, a tree rose out of the ground, impaling Kjotve on its trunk.
- Kjotve the Cruel: I fought as I did, as hard as I did, to survive. For I know what awaits us in the end.
Odin took the spear back from Eivor and placed a hand on her shoulder.
- Kjotve the Cruel: Only darkness.
Kjotve's body spasmed, and from his mouth flew a raven, carrying a silver medallion that it dropped into Eivor's hand. The vision faded and Eivor stood again on the field. Upon the fortress wall, Kjotve's son, Gorm, called out, taunting the Raven Clan.
- Gorm: Raven Clan! Your lives are forfeit! Come forward if you must, into the crucible of your doom!
- Eivor: Your father is dead, Gorm! His debt repaid! Open the gates and you will be spared!
- Gorm: Wallow in shit, Wolf-Kissed! Archers, take aim!
- Eivor: Ravens! Show no mercy!
- Gorm: Archers... Fire!
The Raven Clan and their allies stormed Kjotve's fortress.
- Eivor: Forward to glory!
- Dag: Get those ladders up, you soft pricks!
- Sigurd: Get over that wall and take down that gate!
Eivor climbed up the wall to unlock the outer gate from inside. When the outer gate opened, the Raven Clan started flooding in.
- Eivor: Odin is with us!
Eivor opened the inner gate, letting in the rest of the clan.
- Eivor: Hew their heads and spill their blood!
- Sigurd: The cowards hide behind yet more walls! Onward! Eivor! Gorm fled into the church!
Eivor pushed further into the fortress and then into the temple, where Gorm waited, standing on the second level, out of reach.
- Gorm: A blind pursuit of vengeance has made you predictable.
- Eivor: You are a shadow of your father, Gorm. Weak and witless.
- Gorm: And you will leave this place as ashes on the wind.
Gorm lit the temple on fire and escaped, leaving Eivor inside. She managed to climb out on the roof to see Gorm riding on horseback from the fortress.
- Eivor: The coward Gorm flees. His father dies twice today.
Sigurd called up to Eivor.
- Sigurd: Eivor! We have the day. Let the coward go.
Eivor descended from the rooftop and spoke to Sigurd.
- Sigurd: Eivor! The breath-of-battle rises from my brow! The skalds will sing of this night!
- Eivor: We have won the day, but Gorm escaped. He fled north, to King Harald's domain.
- Sigurd: Let that bruised piglet run where he may. His father is dead, his clan is no more. We are the masters of Rygjafylke!
- Eivor: A toothless cub may grow to be a dangerous wolf.
- Sigurd: Eivor, stop. And listen. You have reclaimed your honor. Enjoy the night's victory, tomorrow we will celebrate.
- Eivor: You're right, Brother. You are always right.
- Sigurd: Guthorm! Relay news of our victory to your nephew, the king.
- Guthorm the Wise: I have done so already, Sigurd. He'll be more than pleased, and will ensure you pride of place at his Althing (clan gathering) at Alrekstad.
- Sigurd: Tell him we will come! Battle flushed and singing songs of glory.
- Eivor: Keep company with kings and you will soon have a crown of your own.
Sigurd laughed.
- Sigurd: If the fates have spun it so. Linger here and loot what you can. I will bring news of our victory to Father before he leaves for Harald's Althing.
Eivor and Sigurd parted ways and Eivor heard Sýnin squawk.
- Eivor: I know, Sýnin. Another time...
Outcome[edit | edit source]
Eivor defeated and killed Kjotve in duel combat and stormed his fortress. Kjotve's son Gorm fled before Eivor was able to eliminate him.
