Chapter 9: Birth of a Hero
Chapter 9: Birth of a Hero
Max walked to the wooden door, and when he arrived, he could hear a person speaking.
“Kassia god morgen, vi har kommet som du ba om.”
Max sighed, not understanding what the man had said, so he only opened the door to see who it was.
When the door opened, Gerd and Ibssen were surprised to see young Einar looking at them with some curiosity; Gerd wasted no time and hugged Einar for a moment.
“Anoint Einar, jeg er glad for ae se at du har det bedre.”
Max smiled forcibly and, after parting with Gerd, motioned him to pass with a hand signal; Ibssen and Gerd looked doubtfully at Einar but couldn’t ask any questions as Kassia invited them to sit at the table.
Once everyone was at the table, Max rested his head on both hands as he stared at Gerd and Ibssen.
“Tibi gratias ago pro adventu artifices et auxilium interpretari Kassia”
The two craftsmen looked at each other doubtfully when they heard Einar speak a strange language; Kassia tapped the table and began to translate Einar’s words.
“Einar wants to thank you for coming, and he also wants to say a few words, which I will translate.”
Max could only see how the attitude of the artisans changed, so he decided to trust Kassia so that her words could be translated.
“First of all, I want you to know that something happened to me after I lost consciousness, something quite magical, but I paid a great cost for it.”
Gerd and Ibssen crossed their arms and prepared to listen to Einar’s story.
“When I lost consciousness, I woke up on the outskirts of a huge palace covered in gold, which was adorned with precious sparkling stones,” Max said as he spread his hands.
“I was so surprised to see such a structure that I decided to enter, the first thing I could see was a large room where there was a large bream table filled with various foods and behind it a large source of mead.”
Max closed his eyes and looked up at the sky. “I knew at that moment that I was in Valhalla, but then I wondered where were the Valkyries and my other companions with whom I would fight in Ragnarok.”
Max’s eyes widened, and he looked into the fire of the lamp. “Then, out of nowhere came a crow that turned into an elderly man with a large beard and an eye patch.
He told me that it was not my time to die yet, but because of my courage in my duel, he offered me three options. “
Max clenched his fist and raised three fingers. “The first was that my soul would return to my body without pain or glory, the second option was that my soul would stay in Valhalla but my body in Midgard.
The last option was for me to become the guardian and guide of all the Norse before the onslaught of the cross and the moon, he would give me knowledge, but in return, my memories would be erased. “
Gerd quite curiously asked, “Which option did you choose, Einar?”
Max sighed and pointed to the scroll on the table. “As a warrior, I cannot choose the first option; the second is even more impossible because it is a cowardly way to escape reality.
That is why I chose the third option and sacrificed my memories, now; let me present you some drawings that I need to help me create. “
Gerd and Ibssen looked at the parchment and were surprised to see almost realistic drawings on the parchment; this caused any doubts they had to be abandoned.
They knew Einar and Kassia, so they knew that neither could draw anything like the one shown on the papyrus, not to mention that Einar was just a young man who only cared about the fight.
“The first group of schemes will help us improve our fighting power against any enemy and are relatively easy to do.
Although you can ignore the last drawing since before I can do it, I will have to talk to my father about some necessary reforms. “
Max then pointed to the second group of schemes “These schemes will help us improve trade because these tools will allow us to make Salt, Alcohol, and paper.”
Finally, Max pointed out the last group of diagrams “These two projects are a bit more complicated; the first is a simple plan for a brick kiln while the second is the model of some pools to be able to make salt.”
Ibssen and Gerd reviewed the drawings and understood how these objects should be made, although, in their eyes, Max could see that they were not very convinced.
“If they can fulfill this commission, they will be paid for their work, also if they have any questions about how to assemble or build these objects, they can consult me.”
Gerd, after hearing Kassia’s translation, felt a little more relaxed and accepted Einar’s request, while Ibssen held his chin.
“I have no problem making these tools, but for the brick kiln and the salt pools, we will have to wait for your father’s authorization.”
Max smiled. “Don’t worry about it as I’ll have to talk to him in a few hours.
But before I forget you have some beer or mead, you can sell me. “
While this was happening in a dark room, Sven removed the reddish hair from his forehead and then used his hand to stroke his wife’s forehead.
“Elin, we have to wake up, today is the start of the Haustblot, and we have to help Godi Asgot prepare everything for the party.”
Elin opened her eyes and looked fondly at Sven. “I will prepare something to eat, and before we see the Godi, we have to go see Einar.”
Sven watched as Elin changed her gaze to a more concerned one. “I’m kind of anxious that our Einar doesn’t wake up.”
Sven’s arms embraced his wife “You don’t have to worry, he carries in his blood the resistance of his father and grandfather.
I’d be more concerned that he wakes up and can only eat the porridge that Kassia makes. “
Elin just shook her head as she chuckled a little on Sven’s shoulder.