HEIM OF GODS

Chapter 10: THE WEIGHT OF DESTINY

The news spread like wildfire, carrying the stench of death and destruction. The Mórka again, this time it had descended upon the village of Nørhaven's outskirts, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.

The Mórka's touch was a curse, a corruption that seeped into the very fabric of existence. It was said that its presence could wither the earth, turn animals mad, and reduce humans to mere husks of their former selves. The villagers who had crossed its path were forever changed, their eyes haunted by the memories of the horrors they had witnessed.

The reporting Vaktmaðr, Bjorn, had stumbled upon the carnage at dawn. His face was ashen, his eyes sunken with the weight of what he had seen. "It's as if the very gods themselves had unleashed their wrath upon us," he muttered, his voice trembling with fear.

Kael and Vigdis had just arrived at the burh, when the news of the Mórka's attack reached them. They exchanged a grim glance, their faces set with determination. Without a word, they mounted their horses and rode towards the village, the wind whipping their hair into a frenzy.

As they approached the village, the stench of death and decay grew thicker, clinging to their skin like a miasma. The village of Haugar, a small settlement nestled in the heart of the fjords, lay in ruins. The thatched roofs of the cottages were torn asunder, the wooden beams splintered and charred. The once-peaceful village was now a scene of utter desolation.

The survivors, shell-shocked and traumatized, huddled together in small groups. Kael and Vigdis dismounted their horses, their faces etched with pity and rage. The hersir, arrived soon after, his face grim and resolute.

Together, they tended to the survivors, providing what comfort they could. The wounded were taken to the nearby temple of Freyja, goddess of love and war, where the priestesses tended to their wounds with skill and compassion.

As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the ravaged village, Kael felt the weight of his destiny settling upon him. He was the chosen one, the warrior destined to wield the sword of the gods. The Mórka's attack on Haugar was a harbinger of the darkness that was to come.

The hersir's eyes met Kael's, and for a moment, they locked gazes. The hersir's expression was one of concern and curiosity, as if he sensed the weight of destiny that rested on Kael's shoulders.

Kael felt the burden of his fate acutely, the knowledge that he was chosen to wield the sword of the gods and face the darkness that threatened to consume the realm. The Völva Kaida's words echoed in his mind, a reminder of the path that lay ahead.

The fate of Nørhaven, of the entire realm, hung in the balance. And Kael, the young warrior, stood alone at the forefront of the battle to come, the weight of his destiny crushing down upon him.

Kael raced his horse with rage to the Völva Kaida's hútr again, but this time not as a messenger, but to ask questions that troubled his heart. He entered the hútr, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination.

"The inscription on the sword," he demanded, his voice low and urgent. "What does it say?"

The Völva Kaida, sensing the turmoil within him, turned to face him. She knew exactly which inscription he was referring to, and her eyes seemed to bore into his very soul.

She recited the words, her voice dripping with an ancient power: "Á handa mótar, vápnit er hættulegt öllum sínum kind."

Kael's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with the implications. "What does that mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The Völva Kaida's expression was enigmatic, but her words were laced with a deep wisdom. "In the hand of a mortal, the sword is dangerous to all of its kind."

Kael's face twisted in confusion. "But what does that have to do with me?" he asked, his frustration boiling over.

The Völva Kaida's eyes seemed to gleam with a fierce light. "I wouldn't have given you the sword, knowing what the inscription reads, Kael," she said, her voice dripping with a subtle menace. "I didn't hand it to a mortal."

Kael's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean?" he demanded, his voice rising in anger.

The Völva Kaida's response was like a slap in the face. "You have the breath of Eir in your nostrils, kael," she said, her voice dripping with an ancient power. "Andi ósandi Eir, þú áttu andan hennar í nefinu þínu."

Kael's mind reeled as he struggled to comprehend the Völva Kaida's words. The breath of Eir, the goddess of healing, was within him? His mother's last breath, given to him as she lay dying, had imbued him with a spark of the divine?

The implications were staggering. Kael felt his very identity shifting, like the tectonic plates of the earth itself. He was no longer just a mortal warrior, but a vessel for the gods, a chosen one destined to wield the sword forged for him.

As the Völva Kaida's words faded away, Kael felt a surge of determination course through his veins. He would make his mother's sacrifice worthwhile. He would wield the sword, and with it, shape the fate of the Nine Realms.

With a newfound sense of purpose, Kael turned to leave, the Völva Kaida's parting words echoing in his mind: "Fyrir móður þína sakar, og fjöldi níu heima, koma þú til að vera."

"For your mother's sake, and the fate of the Nine Realms, you must become."