Runeblade Saga Omnibus by Matt Larkin

Author:Matt Larkin [Larkin, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Incandescent Phoenix Books
Published: 2018-10-26T06:00:00+00:00

15

They must’ve known how bad they’d be outnumbered. Must’ve had an idea before they raided the first seaside town. They did it anyway.

And here Ecgtheow was, leading men—five men for every one Bjalmar had with him—on bloody revenge. Oh, and there was a lot of blood. Blood and guts, strewn across the village, turning all of it to muddy slush.

At his side, Haethcyn flung a torch into another building, third one they’d lit, but already half of Bjalmar’s town was aflame. Before that, they’d razed the fields. Herebeald was sacking villages along the coast. Hrethel said if he was going to make an example of Bjalmar, he was going to make sure no one forgot.

Ruthless is what it was. Ruthless in a way only a man who feels betrayed can stoop to. Good men pushed too far might make the worst kind of enemy, Ecgtheow supposed.

Across the bloody street, a woman screamed for help inside a building. Not likely help was coming to her, though. Whatever warrior was having his way with her, the best she could hope for was being manacled and sold as a slave. Otherwise, she’d be one more corpse.

There were a lot of corpses this day. And the day had been long. Already the sun was dipping below the horizon. No man wanted to continue the fight at night, but Bjalmar’s walls were just past this town.

Ecgtheow supposed they’d have to breach them now. Let it all be ended sooner rather than later. They all knew how it had to end, after all.

More of Bjalmar’s warriors—thought they’d got them all, but more kept cropping up—came charging around the corner, these bearing swords and proper armor. The last lot hadn’t had that much, just clubs and wooden stakes and whatever they’d found at hand. Those had died real quick.

This group though, they moved together, had clearly trained together. Haethcyn took a force of five men and charged out to meet them.

Orvar slipped up by Ecgtheow’s side, come from Odin alone knew what shadow to whisper in his ear. More harsh truths, Ecgtheow supposed. No matter how tired he got of hearing them.

“That one …” the draug said, pointing to an older man among Bjalmar’s warriors. “He’s the champion, Gunther Blueshield. Once a master warrior … Still Bjalmar’s most trusted … And you … must slay him.”

“I …”

“Destroy him.”

Oh, and Ecgtheow could see it in his mind. Him cutting down the aging champion, Naegling glistening with blood. Body hung as a warning to all not to question the rightful king. He could see it … He shook his head. Awful visions he wouldn’t have wished upon anyone.

“Destroy … him. Cut him … to shreds.”

“I …” It did seem the fitting thing to do. Sounded like … justice. Bjalmar had started this fight, no doubt using Gunther or men like him on his own raids. No one was innocent, anyway. An old warrior was just one who was better at killing than those around him. A hot anger began to rise up from Ecgtheow’s gut, settling in his chest, scorching his lungs.

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