章 18: Ch 18 Scourge
On the shores of Lindsfarne a young monk walked near the sea as he collected marsh Sampire bunches for that evenings dinner.
The sea was covered in a thick mist but the monk could hear the sounds of demons emerging from the Sea.
He held the basket tightly and looked out toward the ocean while straining his eyes trying to make out the shadow in the mist.
A huge Dragons Head emerged from the mist and the monks eyes played tricks on him as he saw demons on its back as they cackled with sinister voices.
He dropped the basket and ran back up the sandy hill arms towards the monastery in a panic.
He ran and screamed to all that would listen. "RING THE BELLS!!! TO THE DEVILS COME!!! THEY'RE ON THE SEA!!!" The monk shouted which started a panic among the other monks who began running off to hide in the main monastic room or different areas throughout the monastery.
Soon enough Cuthbert the Old leader of the monastery walked out of the room where he was praying and asked Athelstan who was nearby.
"Whats going on, what's with the Bells?" The wrinkly old bastard asked with confusion on his face.
"They come for us, they are here." Athelstan spoke.
"Who is here!" The old coot yelled and smacked his walking stick on the cobblestones.
The Monk who saw the ship responded.
"ITS HELL!!! AND ALL ITS DEVILS!!! THEY RODE FROM THE SEA ON A DRAGON!!! GOD PROTECT US...." He spoke with tears in his eyes.
"L..Lock the Gates....And Stay Inside...." The old man spoke then wandered off to the largest building as a few brothers shut the heavy iron and wood gates and barred them shut as brothers with their half bald heads ran to to the main building for protection.
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(Elsewhere)
Our ship landed onto the white sands as the tolling of a bell Resounded nearby.
*CLANG
*CLANG
*CLANG
*CLANG
As the bells tolled I turned to my men and spoke as they readied themselves.
"They know we are here..... but it is of no matter, we move in carefully....I want none of you to die today, all of you take a few hooks with you." I spoke and everyone nodded and grabbed two or three hooks and placed them into pouches on their sides.
They'd all been instructed on how to use the meat hooks properly and all seemed to like it.
Once we were all prepared we disembarked and lined up on the beach.
I turned to my men and spoke. "My first wife wishes to obtain some books, will you all willing to offer them up?" I asked.
"You can have any books you want Boss, it's the least we could do." Tostig spoke and the other men nodded.
"AYE, ANY BOOK FOR OUR BOSSES WIFE.....OH CONGRATULATIONS ON THE UPCOMING CHILD CAPTAIN..." Balgrud spoke gruffly and patted his huge belly as he burped.
"Thank you, let's move." I spoke and my men followed me closely in their shining heavy mail hauberks and battered steel helmets.
It was easy to tell which were Ragnars men by the paltry armor they wore.
We marched on and spotted a flock of fat sheep on our walk towards the tolling bell.
My men all looked at them hungrily and Balgrud spoke. "NOTHING LIKE ROAST SHEEP AFTER CRUSHING A FEW HEADS OPEN..."
The rest of my men laughed a bit, we'd definitely roast some of the flock after ransacking the place.
The constant tolling was heard as we reached the top of a small hill and saw the Monastery in the distance.
I looked closely with my Odin's Eye and didn't see anyone defending the fifteen foot walls.
"There's no defenders on the walls but still move cautiously." I spoke and they all agreed as we walked forward.
Soon enough we reached the gates without anyone shooting arrows or throwing rocks or Javelins.
Balgrud and Anguy get working on the gate." I ordered and both came forward.
Anguy held a large chisel on the hinge as Balgrud swung his heavy mace against it.
*THUD
*THUD
*THUD
*THUD
*CLANG
They worked for five minutes in breaking two hinges and we pushed the gates open to reveal an empty courtyard except for a few chickens that scratched at the ground nearby.
We could all hear faint murmurings from one building so I walked towards it and urged my men to follow....
I reached the double doors of the Monastery and listened in closely through my helmet then kicked the doors as they burst open as splinters of wood flew inward.
The scared shout of the monks Resounded as the dook was kicked open.
I ducked my head to fit into the doorway then stepped inside as the monks all began to pray in a panic at the sight of a Monstrous Demon who came to reap their souls.
Father Cuthbert was the one who prayed the loudest. "IN NOMINE PATRE ET SPITIRU SANCTUS..." He prayed as my men piled into the room.
I moved forward with my now engraved and gilded great axe and swung downward onto Cuthberts head.
My axe cleaved clean through the old monk and split him in two parts as blood and gore sprayed everywhere while the other monks cried and screamed while the smarter ones moved to run out of the back of the room.
"Drag them out, I want them hanging on hooks with broken hands...and pluck out their right eyes." I ordered and my men moved forward like ravenous beasts and beat the monks into submission and dragged them out after crushing their hands with strikes from their weapons.
Then my men reached into their eye sockets and scooped out their right eyes while they cried in Saxon for mercy.
I could hear the screaming outside as my men drove hooks into their backs and hanged them up onto the walls, buildings, trees and the like.
We moved forward through each of the rooms and began a terrible slaughter of those men.
I cleared rooms alongside Tostig and Ragnar as we pulled out monks from their hiding places.
I found two under a bed and dragged them out and crushed their wrists before passing them along to my men who prowled the halls as they were dragged outside by their hair.
Eventually I moved out and spotted Anguy and Balgrud packing books into sacks while crying and screaming monks were dragged across the floor to the courtyard while screaming for mercy and praying to their god.
"DONT GET BLOOD ON THE BOOKS!!! THEY'RE FOR THE CAPTAIN'S WIFE!!! AHHHH!!!" Balgrud screamed at one monk who was squirting blood so he grabbed him and slammed his head into a nearby wall where his brains spattered violently.
"SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO LITTLE MAN." Balgrud huffed and went back to shoving books into the huge sack.
I walked past them and thanked them both for their work before heading to the chapel with Tostig, Ragnar and Leif Marteinnsson, one of Ragnars men.
I pushed the doors open and we walked in slowly while looking around at all the gold crosses, chalices, and chests.
Torstein was the first to speak. "So much treasure unprotected....there must be some magic spell to keep us from taking it." He spoke while we eyed the gold and Ruby encrusted solid gold cross at the center of the room.
Leif picked up a golden cup. "It appears not old man.... Just gold waiting to be taken..." He spoke with a greedy smile.
"My wife spoke of their God to me....Althea is from a land called Italy where the center of the world resides....They believe their God protects holy places from us...." I spoke and Tostig laughed while looking at a cross with the crucified Jesus nailed onto it.
"Hahahaha....this is their God....Dead, unlike Odin, Thor or Freyja who still walk the land....he has no power anymore." And pulled the silver cross off the wall and stuffed it into his bag as we all laughed.
Then we heard a noise from behind the large wood pedestal where the largest gold cross stood.
We all quieted and Ragnar approached and pulled out Athelstan as he panicked and tried to scurry away.
"Please!!! Don't Kill Me!!!" Athelstan shouted in nearly perfect Norse while holding a large thick book in his hands.
"You speak out language?" Ragnar asked while we all observed him.
Athelstan didn't speak so Ragnar pressed a dagger to his throat which made the half Bald monk cry out and speak.
"O...Our God...Required us to travel....and spread his word...please don't kill me...." He begged while holding the book tightly.
Ragnar asked. "Out of all the treasures you chose to keep that book...Why?" Ragnar asked the trembling Athelstan.
"It's...Th...The Gospel of Saint John....without the word of God...there is only darkness." He spoke while looking Ragnar in his eyes and let him go.
I walked up to Athelstan as he shrunk before me, I was a mountain of a man after all, and my veiled helm spattered I'm blood and milky eye brought terror into his very soul.
I spoke in Latin to him which Althea taught me.
{"This is mine Monk, My Wife Wants More Books."} I spoke and his eyes widened.
{"H...How do you speak Gods Language...are you a believer..."} He asked with a hopeful voice in Latin.
I responded by grabbing his ear with one hand and ripping it off with sheer force as he screamed in pain and blood gushed, Ragnar looked at me in shock and spoke.
"Don't Kill him Brother, please." He spoke and I nodded.
"Aye, he will teach us his language or I will hang him on a hook, Althea taught me Italian and Latin but I need to know Saxon which the inhabitants of these lands speak." I said and Athelstan responded in Norse.
"Yes!! Yes!!! I'll teach you!! Please!!!No More!!!" The bleeding monk begged And I just laughed and began opening the chests to reveal hundreds of Gold and Silver coins in each chest....by the Gods this was substantial.
I ran my hands into the chests to transfer a portion into my inventory, then I pulled my hands out It looked as if I didn't take a single coin.
I turned to Athelstan and asked. "Where is the rest Monk.....answer truthfully or I shall geld you." I asked and he trembled in fear and pointed beneath the wooden pedestal where the gold cross stood.
Tostig and I moved the cross and gold candle holders then pushed aside the wooden structure to reveal just the hardwood floor.
Tostig was about to bash Athelstan's head in but I stopped him and swung down on the wooden floor with my axe which shattered everything.
I gave it a few more bashes which revealed several dusty chests and a stone tomb.
We pulled out the chests to reveal hundreds of Roman era coins....perfect...
I pried open the stone sarcophagus to reveal a bony corpse dressed in white silk garbs that were completely worn and tattered with stains from the body fluids then he was first entombed.
There were more gold ornaments in the coffin which I quickly fished out along with Tostig.
"Good work Monk, but if you don't behave we'll pass you to Balgrud." Tostig spoke and we all laughed except for Ragnar.
Athelstan felt a pang of fear...how bad could this Balgrud be compared to them.
Soon enough Rollo walked in and spoke with a smile.
"This...is a strange place...we have looked everywhere....and found no Women...only these strange men with the tops of their heads shaved...at least Balgrud doesn't mind, he's enjoying himself as if they were Women." Rollo spoke and we all laughed out loud while Athelstan trembled in fear.
"What's with this one, why have you not killed him?....I will kill him for you." Rollo spoke and walked up to Athelstan while drawing his axe.
"That one lives Rollo, he is worth more than he seems.....it's his knowledge we need." I spoke and Rollo stopped and put his axe away, I could see the displeasure in his face but he couldn't say anything against me.
"Very well, I'll kill off a few others so we have more room on the boat." He spoke and walked off.
More of my men walked in and began taking the chests of gold, crosses, Ornaments, Cups and more outside and piling it at the center courtyard while others ripped off the silver and gold embossing on the nearby furniture.
I stepped out into the courtyard while Ragnar dragged Athelstan to the center and shackled him along with the few other slaves, all young and healthy
all older priests were the ones currently responsible for the terrible Whailing that Resounded through the monastery nearly half a hundred monks writhed in pain from the hooks which held them up from different places like so many haunting ornaments.
The ones who died quickly from their arteries or hearts being peirced were lucky while all the rest groaned in pain while their weight dug the meat hooks even deeper.
I could hear the grunting of Balgrud inside one of the sheds while a young monk cried from the pounding he was getting...that might be the most unlucky of them all.
I walked to a few of the Monks who weren't hanging too far from reach and buried my hand into their chests and pulled out their still beating hearts as all who dangled on meat hooks nearby saw and screamed.
The monks in chains trembled in fear at the sight of what they believed was the real Demon who led these monstrous men.
Athelstan and all the rest trembled in fear at the sight of me ravenously eating a dozen human hearts from living men.
After a half hour of men continuimg to bring anything of value out of the many dozens of rooms and buildings they all gathered, together while Balgrud walked out with a completely limp young Monk over his shoulder.
"BOSS CAN I KEEP THIS ONE, I LIKE THE WAY HE SQUEEZES." He spoke and slapped the young Monks ass while my other men yucked at the sight.
"Does any Man have a claim on that....boy..or do we allow Balgrud to keep his new....toy." I asked aloud and everyone giggled as I wiped the blood that dripped from my mouth and hand.
"Very well, he's yours Balgrud....don't wear him out too fast." I spoke and he smiled while feeling up the crying priest.
Balgrud set the small monk down and shackled him next to Athelstan who looked at Balgrud as if he were the most terrible of monsters.
I looked at my men and spoke. "The Earl will have the right to claim most of this treasure...there is more treasure here than in the past ten raids.....we will take a tenth of the Gold and present it as our haul, the rest we will deposit nearby and distribute later." I spoke and everyone agreed.
"Aye...Fuck that stupid Earl..."
"I wouldn't doubt that he would steal from us."
"Seems like something he would do."
"WHY'D HE HAVE TO BE OUR EARL."
All my men voiced their complaints but I reassured them.
"Everyone here will take an oath of secrecy to what we are going to do." I spoke and every man came forward and spilled some blood while taking their oaths.
After everyone was done I spoke out.
"A few of you bring back some of those fat sheep, prepare some if those geese as well." I spoke and ten of my men ran off to catch some lambs while a few others chopped off some geese's necks and plucked their feathers.
I walked with Tostig into their kitchen and began grabbing salt and firewood for our feast.
I also found casks of wine and some hard cheese which we rolled out.
Within the hour we had twenty Sheep twirling on rotisseries while the Geese were boiled in huge cauldrons with carrots and cabbage as we drank and ate heartily.
The slaves laid shackled nearby, the only shackled monk who ate that night was when Balgrud walked over and spoon fed his new boy toy after he got drunk.
I spent my time going through the books and tossing any which I didn't think Althea would like into the flames.
Many were books of tax reports, family lines, and beauracratic nonsense.
After more than half of the books were tossed out I found the hilt grail....an ancient Roman map of the southern part of the island.
I headed inside and placed the large book into my inventory where many other valuables where secretly stashed along with nearly ten pounds of gold and silver coins that i swiped secretly.
I returned and sorted through the rest of the books with the light from the campfire as I nibbled on a lamb hock and drank Goose stew while melting some hard cheese onto a peice of bread.
It was good food after eating dried meat and hard double baked bread on the ship
Men were already laying down and finding places to sleep so I walked to the few monks who were unlucky enough to still be groaning on the hooks and I ripped their hearts out so we could sleep in peace and quiet.
After killing the last of them I washed myself with the well water and found a comfortable bed inside one of the rooms and laid down to rest.
That night I dreamt of my Wives as we celebrated a holiday together....
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(Next morning)
I left one Monk alive from those we shackled to tell the tale after I plucked out one of his eyes.
{"TELL YOUR KING THAT THENN ONE EYE GAVE YOU MERCY."} I spoke in Latin and he cried and trembled while nodding rapidly.
I smiled down at the sniveling runt before walking away.
Word needed to spread of me after all, I wanted dread and terror to be in the minds of every person on the Isle of Brittania who was against me.
We reached the beach then packed the longships with chests of gold and books while my men sang happily at all the gold they had plundered.
They were happy after we split the loot into what we would present to the Earl and what we would keep for ourselves.....after this we'd all be filthy stinking rich.....I'd kill the Earl soon enough and take his wealth but earning the neverending loyalty of my men was far more valuable.
Once we were all boarded our ship rowed away across the open sea, this time no one was afraid and no one feared that we wouldn't make it.
They believed Floki's words were right....Thor Loves this ship and so do the other Gods because why else would they allow us such easy plunder of Gold....
Ragnar and I spoke with Athelstan as he taught us Saxon, I learned almost immediately since I seemed to have a knack for languages.
Our trip back was marked with calm seas and good winds, instead of the five days we had taken last time now we made the trip in only three.
We all saw the coast of Norway and felt butterflies in our stomachs....we were triumphant.
I ordered for us to head south of Kattegat to a different area then we landed in a hidden bay.
We unloaded all the treasure we didn't want exposed then swore a blood oath that none would come to steal it while we were away.
the flock of Crows that cawed at our Oath made everyone think Odin oversaw us....none would dare try.
After that we rowed back out to sea and toward Kattegat where that bastard Earl awaited us.
. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
(Elsewhere a few days before)
Svein the fat bald assistant of the Earl walked up to my gates and called out to a slave who was brushing my horse....
One of Ragnars men had invited Canute, half brother of the Earl to join us but he snitched us out instead so now Svein was here for answers.
"Hey you!!! Slave Girl!!! Come here!!!"
Svein called and the Woman set down the brush and walked over to the Gate.
"I am Earl Haraldsons Castellan, open the gate right now....I need to speak with your Masters." Svein spoke in his most authoritarian voice.
"I can't." The slave woman spoke.
"Why not, go get someone who can!!!" Svein shouted but the girl didn't blink.
.
"Master left orders that none will leave and any who try and enter will be put to death.. 'no matter who they are' were Master Thenn's exact orders." The slave woman spoke Sweetly and Svein snarled.
"What's to stop me from breaking down this gate and coming inside!!!" He shouted.
"Well....Master Thenn would chop you in half if he finds out....but right now you can try hehe..." The slave Woman giggled and walked away just as my pack of huge wolfdogs and several heavily armed slave women stepped closer.
They were more than enough to tear Svein and his two men to shreds.
"Away with you small fat man... None here wish to speak with you." Jarra spoke and the Huge beasts snarled at the trio of men.
Svein mounted his horse quickly and rode off...he'd wasted half the day coming here for nothing.
When Svein returned to Earl Haraldson the Earl was furious...but the Girl was right, Thenn would chop them all in half if he found out they tried to break into his home.
Siggy sat nearby listening to everything the two spoke about, Earl Haraldson still believed her to be loyal even though he hadn't fucked her in years...idiot.
"Svein I want you to head to the city of Bergen...Hire Thirty of their best warriors, it's time we get rid of Thenn." Earl Haraldson spoke and Svein smiled and bowed.
"How much gold will you offer my Lord?" Svein asked.
"One pound per man....make sure their weapons and armor are the best quality, I will take no chances." Earl Haraldson spoke and Svein scurried away.
Siggy grabbed Earl Haraldson's arm and spoke. "It's about time Husband.....it's been a long time coming, I only wish this happened sooner." Siggy spoke while thinking of Thenn taking over from Haraldson meanwhile the Earl thought she was supporting him.
"Aye...he has simply grown too powerful, I will claim his ship and any treasure they make if they return..." Earl Haraldson spoke gruffly and his wife smiled.
"Of course you will." She spoke with a smirk and drank more wine while imagining herself being claimed as a fuck toy by Thenn once he returned.
She had stopped having sex with anyone but Thenn in hopes that he would see fit to keep her as a mistress....her pussy dampened at the thought and she turned to Earl Haraldson.
"I'm a bit tired Husband, I will head to the baths early." She spoke and he shooed her away.
Siggys new favorite slave girl followed close behind, after Thenn had her clean out her hole Siggy kept the girl as her personal 'Attendant' after all.
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