City of Vikings

by Farah Cook

  “That’s never going to happen,” I say. “I’ll not switch sides.”

  “I have to go now, Nora,” Allan pulls away from me. “This may be the last time you see me as the Republic is on to me and has been watching me for quite some time. I may have to go into exile.” He turns to leave.

  “Allan, wait,” I shout. But it’s too late. He leaves quietly like the mild summer wind and I’m left with more questions than ever. How does he know all this? Does he work for Karen? Quickly I rush back to speak to Maja. On my way, I cross the large entrance hall, and duck deeper into my silver hood to avoid being seen. The hall is crowded with people as the third event is about to begin.

  Someone pushes hard into me, so hard that I lose my balance and wobble. Strong arms grab hold of me, and gently pull me against a firm body.

  “Excuse me,” I say and look up. “Frederick Dahl, we meet again.” I try not to flutter my eyelashes too much. Instead I clear my throat and straighten my spine. He’s taller than before. Different with all the mysterious Viking tattoos defining him.

  “Nora Hunt. I see you’ve settled well into your dynasty and I wish I could say that it suits you,” he says arrogantly. His eyes are Arctic blue and cold, I brush my hand against his, and his skin is dead pale and cold. “But do you know what will really suit someone like you?” Someone like me? Does he too think that my heart is an iron fist? That I am drained of emotions?

  “I’ll never join the Rognvald Dynasty Frederick. I’ve made my choice.”

  “Regretfully,” he snaps.

  “Blissfully,” I retort. “The only regret I have—”

  “Nora…” Frederick takes a step toward me, and places my scarlet face into his cool hands. “I have no regrets, only that I didn’t do this sooner.” He kisses me. His cold lips touch mine and for a moment, I forget where I am.

  “Don’t!” I say and pull away. “How dare you?”

  “There’s no glory without danger,” he says, and this time I give in and let him kiss me. His cold lips are soft like velvet, and I don’t want him to stop, I want this dangerous moment to last forever. When he pulls back the crowd thins out and we’re alone. Lovers or enemies? There’s no denying that my heart belongs to Frederick, but my mind, my mind must remain loyal to the Empire.

  6

  CONFUSED. THAT’S THE first thing I feel, which given the circumstances makes perfect sense. Why shouldn’t I be? I didn’t expect this to happen not now. I was hoping to wake up tomorrow morning with a clear mind. No Frederick to worry about. Did I ever trust him? Did he ever betray me? I did trust him.

  Reluctantly I let my eyes meet Frederick’s. His warm breath is a comfort I could easily get used to. If loving him sends my emotions into turmoil, then how must it feel to be loved by him?

  Frederick and I were a team at the raider academy. We understood one another, we worked well and shared a great synergy together. He’s the poor rich boy hoping that one day he’ll finally get to meet his father’s sky-high expectations. I’m the girl people are afraid of and would want to stay away from when they find out I’m the assigned Viking assassin of the Empire. I will be asked to go after the Republic before they launch an attack on us. It’s inevitable and then where would I be with Frederick? He stands behind his clan, his band and his corrupt Republic.

  I’m not sure what I’d do, if I was asked to assassinate the one boy I ever loved. But I can’t tell him that. So why in the name of the gods is he taking such a big risk by kissing me in broad daylight? Has he lost his mind? Or dare I believe he’s in love with me too?

  “What was that for?” I say and move away from him. “Don’t say good luck,” I bite my lower lip. Blood pulses through my veins and I look into his eyes – clear blue like a summer sky.

  “We were never meant to be friends,” he says. His long face withdraws slightly. Truly, I notice the color of his skin now. White, cool marble. No tan to hide behind. He doesn’t need to blend in with anyone here. He’s with his kind. This is who he is – his raw, naked self.

  Frederick’s blond locks settle, as I run my fingers through his hair. This feeling is new. I could easily get used to it. These new emotions feel like a wild summer dream – only this dream could easily turn into a nightmare.

  Magnus is wrong. I am fearless standing here with my rival, and I have emotions – plenty of them. I feel things like everyone else. I’m no different and right now I feel like being with Frederick is the right thing. Suddenly it’s the only thing that matters. But I know I’m a fool, and a fool cannot make wise choices.

  “We were never meant to be anything else,” I say coldly. I don’t want my knees to turn soft so I push myself further away from him. He pulls my hand. Rage sweeps over him. But I’m not afraid.

  “You belong to me, Nora – your heart…”

  “My heart, is mine, and I will give it to whomever I like. It’s not yours to just take, Frederick Dahl.”

  I stride toward the arena and force through the crowd. I punch my fist into the wall next to me and my anger plunges into despair. I shake out my hand, it’s red and my knuckles are bleeding. Blood droplets burst on my shiny silver cloak flaring in the warm wind.

  I take the spiral staircase up to the balcony, and can’t withhold my tears from falling. I can hear the echo of Frederick’s voice still screaming my name. NORA! And then just like that it vanishes.

  I fly back to my seat. Maja is still there and seconds later Tene jumps in behind me. Magnus is still missing. Tears stream down my cheeks, and there’s nothing I can do to hold back the river gushing out my eyes.

  I turn to the last event of the games, which is in motion. It’s a terrifying sight. Five giant ogres are being tamed by three small men. One of the ogres breaks loose from his chains and crushes the man in one go with his bare foot. Just like that his life is over, and the arena is filled with screams of horror.

  “Let’s split,” says Maja. “This discipline is dead.” She looks at me and furrows her thin eyebrows. A question. What happened? I shake my head slightly. But she knows something isn’t right, as I continue to wipe away my tears.

  “Okay, let’s move over to the Jarl residence now!” Maja snaps her fingers, and we hurry out, while Tene plays catch-up. We walk out into the scorching heat. Tove walks in our direction. She takes hold of Maja’s shoulder.

  “Where do you think you’re going? Nora is getting knighted,” says Tove.

  “You must be insane to even think that,” says Maja. “Wilhelm was never meant to carry out the ceremony. There are consequences when supporters of the Republic attend imperial duties, especially—”

  “What do you know about imperial duties?” sneers Tove.

  Maja rolls her eyes. “Dammit! Nora needs to get out of here, she’s not getting knighted by Lord Wilhelm.”

  “Forget about it,” says Tove. If looks could kill Tove would assassinate me on the spot. I wonder why she resents me. “She’s going to get knighted one way or the other. She’s becoming an elite.”

  Maja grabs Tove by the collar. “This settles now! Do you want her to join Rognvald? The awakening is not a joke Tove.” Tove’s forehead creases. Even she seems confused by Maja’s sudden and unforeseen gesture.

  “You’re in for a treat,” says Tove and looks warily at me. “I guess the Empress has to knight you, but that day doesn’t happen to be today.”

  Magnus walks in on us. He raises his eyebrow into a perfect little arch, and slumps a little when he sees us all in an unexpected confrontation. I hope I don’t appear red and blotchy from crying earlier.

  “Good, you’re leaving. I was about to come and get you. I’ve spoken to the senate and Lord Wilhelm will not be knighting Nora.” Maja raises her eyebrows and stares at Tove. “We need to get out of here.”

  “But she can’t just…” Magnus cuts through Tove’s words.

  “Nora, prepare for what I’m about to tell you!” says Magnus and smiles at me like he’s about to tell me something uncomfortable. I consider his
gesture slightly intimidating for someone who just received bad news.

  “You’re not serious, Magnus—” says Tove through gritted teeth, shooting him a glare, before turning to look at me. She knows something, and I wonder if that’s why she’s being cross.

  “I’ve made up my mind,” he says and looks at me approvingly. “Nora, we need to skip this ceremony and let Rognvald knight their own kind. Never in the history of the Jarls have members of the Republic knighted our elites. The Empress is not fit enough to awaken your heart right now – and we cannot have someone like Lord Wilhelm carry out the ceremony on her behalf. It’s too dangerous and we’ve lost good members of Jarl to Rognvald before. Elite Raiders of our dynasty should only get knighted by the Empress – a coveted privilege which is your right to receive.”

  “What happened to Empress Benedikte?” I ask.

  “There’s been an attack on her mind, and she believes some of her thoughts were stolen. Nora, she’s under a death curse, the worst kind and is dying. In her last hours, she has asked to see you, she doesn’t have a lot of time.”

  A shiver runs down my spine. Dying? She may have seemed a little weak and uncomfortable, but not to the point where I thought she’d be sent to her deathbed.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” I say, and my voice almost breaks. Magnus’s ash-gray eyes are small and sadness crushes him. He’s numb for a while.

  “Let’s go,” he says. Magnus’s sharp tone of voice indicates he’s used to ordering people around and doesn’t take no for an answer. If I am to serve him as the new Emperor either he’d have to change or I would. But I can’t see any of that happening. We leave Slotsplads and head back to the Tower of Swords. The entire way back no one says a single word. But our eyes say it all. Sometimes silence says everything.

  We storm into the south wing. Magnus pushes the wall, it opens and we follow him into a large bright room. Blank as a new canvas. No chairs, no tables, nothing. Outside the sky is azure and reminds me of Frederick’s eyes. I try not to think about his kiss, his breath or the warmth from his body.

  We stand in a circle facing one another. The silence feels heavy between us.

  “By the Norse gods we will seal our trust today and welcome Nora to our elite circle.” Magnus’s tone echoes through the room. At first I don’t register what he’s said. I’m too busy staring at him, and at Tene and Tove. I guess being an only child comes with some perks. One of them being the attention I pay to detail.

  How I’d escaped this detail, though, I do not know. Maybe it’s the room, bright daylight, and skies splitting through the thick and high-vaulted glass. I see exactly how much Magnus resembles Tove and Tene. Magnus and Tove have the same jet-black hair, the same bushy eyebrows that give them a youthful look. The same ivory-bisque skin, and they all share a subtle arrogance. Tene perhaps has more than the other two.

  Magnus stands out with memorable facial features. Small fog-gray eyes, high forehead and dimple chin. Tene was always beautiful and goddess-like, perhaps an image of the Viking god Freya, with her long blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. Tove’s long lashes add a feminine touch to her hidden personality, and her red full lips are always half open like she’s questioning the world around her – in silence. Maja doesn’t fit into their triangle. She’s not a child of the Empress. She’s assertive, dangerous and hard-headed. I’m beginning to like Maja more and more.

  “I’m sorry, did you say by the Norse gods?” I raise an eyebrow and look toward Magnus. He whispers inside my head.

  “We know who you are. That’s why we chose you, or rather you chose us.”

  “No more secrets,” says Tene out loud. “That’s the rule of the Jarls.”

  “I’m not the one keeping secrets,” I scream. The echo of my voice is sharp and screeches in the empty room.

  “You’re not coming clean either,” says Tove. “Why don’t you tell us what’s really going on inside your mind. Or shall I say on your back?”

  “She has time,” says Maja. “Let her speak for herself.” I take off my cloak and reveal my back sealed behind my black corset. It feels hot like coals on fire.

  “Yes, I carry Yggdrasil on my back and I’ve been carrying the world tree for as long as I can remember, and it’s getting heavier. The tree often speaks to me via my visions.”

  “So, it’s true,” says Magnus and runs his hand over my tattoo. His fingers feel like cool ice against my flaming back. “The ancient Viking legend of the nine worlds – you’re the girl selected by the gods to carry the map that will bring us to the nine worlds. The prophecy is true.”

  “I thought Lady Hunt was just talking nonsense,” laughs Tove. “The Viking tattoo she carries doesn’t look like a map of the nine worlds – could be one of the replicas.” She examines my back.

  “Shortly after I was born my mom hid me in the East from the eyes of the Republic. Soon they’ll be after the map.”

  “We know, Nora,” says Magnus in a hushed voice. “Lady Hunt has an alliance with us. We’ve been secretly leading a sedition against the corrupt Republic. They hold strong power over the senate and our chancellors and embedsmen. We’ve been a minority for a long time and don’t have the powers they do. They’ve been undefeatable, but that’s all about to change.”

  “Nora, we need to know what powers you have,” whispers Tove in a hoarse voice, widening her eyes. My surprise is only momentary. They’ve known about me for a while I suspect. Karen must have told them everything.

  The reason Magnus kept an eye on me was all part of a bigger plan, to recruit me and to get me to the West to join the Jarl Raiders – a dynasty supported by the Empire.

  “I don’t know what I’m truly capable of. I’ve never known,” I walk to the edge of the room and look into the sky. Deep blue and abrasive. The city underneath is buried in snow clouds. “I have to find my dad. He may know,” I turn to look at each one of them.

  “Nora, we’re your family now. Members of the Jarl Dynasty stick together,” says Tene shifting her mood. She walks toward me and puts her hand on my shoulder. She is no longer hostile but charming. She’s a goddess – enchanting and persuasive. But I’m not easily fooled by her changing personality.

  “You’re already family – children of Empress Benedikte,” I turn to catch a glimpse of their expressions. They look at one another but don’t seem worried.

  “It was only going to be a matter of time before you figured it out,” says Magnus. “Much like yourself, we descend from an unbroken Viking bloodline.”

  “You’re all siblings are you not?”

  “We’re not your concern, Nora. Why don’t we talk about your dangerous friendship with Frederick Dahl? Or is that a secret?” asks Tove unexpectedly.

  “There’s nothing to tell. He is a Veran. I only recently found out that I too, descend from the Goth line of Vikings.”

  “You never suspected anything? But you carried Viking tattoos.” says Magnus condescendingly and stares at me. I don’t detect a single emotion in his glassy gray eyes. Does he not care about what I just told him?

  “Of course, I suspected something wasn’t right with me when I lived in the East, it’s hard not to.” I say. “But just because I had Viking tattoos doesn’t mean I naturally assumed to descend from them. I’ve been searching for answers and I only found out when…”

  “As Goth, you’re meant to know your calling – we know, because we’re Goths too. But we’re not carrying a map that leads to the nine worlds. Our mission was never to raid and find the artifacts that awaken Yggdrasil.”

  “What do you mean?” I say.

  “We’re Vikings of an ancient Empire,” says Magnus. “We shall rule again once we defeat the Republic and you, Nora Hunt, are chosen to serve the Empire. Just like your ancestors before you.”

  “Don’t tell me that’s the news?” I say without hiding my irritation. “Isn’t that why you brought me back?”

  “The news is that the ancient Viking artifacts have been brought to the secret city
– the City of Assassins. The Empress has seen them there with her wandering eye.”

  “Wandering eye?” I say.

  “The Empress possesses Odin’s lost eye, and it sees all,” whispers Tene, smiling. “A privilege for her dedication and knowledge – she gets the eye that moves across the sky and it helps us spy on our enemy.”

  “Does the Republic suspect you’re plotting against them?”

  “Not yet,” says Magnus. “They consider us too weak and powerless.”

  “If they suspected anything they’d have found a way to remove what little power we have, or maybe even kill us,” says Tove through gritted teeth. “We’ve all made sacrifices, Nora. You have no idea how it feels to live in fear. At least you’ve had a free life, living in oblivion for as long as you could. Ignorance is bliss.”

  “Nora, don’t let someone like Frederick Dahl manipulate you. If you trust him, over time, you will weaken and your powers fade.” Tene looks at me seeking a response, her sparkling blue eyes wide open.

  “You have nothing to worry about,” I hear myself lie. Although he might have manipulated me when I showed him trust into finding the golden horn in Eldor. He did after all admit trying to manipulate me.

  “Frederick and I were just friends. We relied on one another to survive when missioned to the Forbidden Areas. Along the way, he noticed my abilities as much as I took note of his.”

  “Does he know you carry the map that leads to the nine worlds?” asks Magnus fearfully. I nod without looking into his eyes. I can’t bear the disappointment he so obviously carries in them.

  “Before the Republic plans an attack on us we must strengthen our defenses. If they ever gain control over the nine worlds we will all fall slaves to serving Lord Nourusa.” That’s exactly what Solvej said. The old housekeeper was telling me the truth.