The Son Of Ragnar

"King Askild, you are King now, but I am yet to stain my blade with a strong warrior of this new world you promised," Erik complained as he had been recruited prior by Askild, but Askild rarely interacted with Erik because he knew about the reputation the berserker had.

He kept a respectable distance from him, but now that he had ascended the throne, Askild knew he had to keep his bargain as he was the only thing keeping Erik in check. '

King Askild was still adjusting to having a single eye. Despite his eyeball being there, he could not see anything with it.

"You need to be patient, Erik. We need to bid our time properly." King Askild responded to his tantrum, but Erik was not having any of it.

"I want something to entertain me," Erik responded, but Askild did not know what to say to this.

Erik looked to the sky and wondered if the rest of his days would be as dull as today; if they were, he would instead fall on his blade and end his suffering because this was no way for one to live.

He lived for battle and blood, but Askild had him tamed like a dog; he could not act as he pleased.

Erik got up, and Askild watched silently as he left his sight, but he knew that Erik would be a problem. Asksild had momentarily thought of killing him, but he did not want to dirty his hands as Erik had a type of loyalty that could not be bought, but he realized he was only loyal as long as his needs were met.

-

Erik walked down the street of Kattegat, and he was as tall as he was in the present day but a lot more slender; this allowed him more speed but less destructive power.

"Man, fuck this!" Erik cussed under his breath, visibly distressed, as he mumbled angrily.

"Are you okay?" A soft feminine voice called out, but it was not just the voice of anyone. It was the voice of Ulfhild, Asger's wife.

She was pregnant, evident by her bloated stomach and how she carried herself; her skin was as radiating as ever despite being pregnant.

Erik turned to her, and something was calming about her face; the anger in him seeped through his bone and left his body. Erik was surprised at what this was, but it certainly was not love.

"You are…" Erik muttered under his breath; she approached Erik because they were battle comrades, and she hoped they could establish a bond because Erik was always alone. Before the conversation could progress further, Asger joined in.

"Erik, I see you have met my wife." Asger quickly established the nature of their relationship, everyone knew they were involved with one another, but only a few knew they had gotten married. Erik did not care much for this information and brushed past them without saying a word, but Ulfhild had his interest. Erik wanted to explore what it was that was making him feel this way.

He knew that he could not do what was on his mind during the rule of King Xenopanes, but he knew Askild's secret and how he had been poisoning King Xenophanes before dueling him.

Erik knew he wanted her, or was it safe to say he wanted her to despair? He did not like the content smile on Asger's face either.

"Erik… I heard your peers call you a Berserker." A man called out behind, and he did not need to look because he already knew who this was; it was Birger.

"What do you want?" Erik asked, but Birger did not say much, walking right in front of Erik.

"Nothing in particular," Birger said, standing right in his way. Erik knew he was a foreigner, but he had not heard the stories about Birger, nor could he identify him by appearance, and he had one thought at that moment to fight him

"You fancy her, do you not? A man lusting after the wife of another. A pervert? I do not know your name, but I know you are the one," Erik started his provocation games, something he was pretty good at.

Birger had kept his distance the moment Ulfhild was wedded and claimed fully by Asger because he respected the sanctity of marriage.

"Not every treasure is meant to be acquired. My infatuation with Ulfhild is no secret," Birger fired back. He was not defensive and accepted Erik's allegations without hesitation.

"Fight me, Birger! I want to taste the strength of a King's brother!" Erik was fired up for no reason, but Birger did not play into it.

"I have no reason to fight you, nor desire…." Birger turned him down abruptly before walking away, but Erik was not done.

"If you don't fight me, I will make you fight me…." Erik whispered to himself with a blood-curdling grin that would make even the fiercest gods question his creations.

There was only one person in his line of sight as of that moment: Ulfhild.

-

A few days passed, and Ulfhild was walking back home from an errand at night, but Birger approached her. It was a friendly conversation that she had initiated, but she never made it home that night.

Her body was found the next money defiled with her stomach ripped open and the unborn child visible for all to see. Asger could not believe his eyes because which sane man would remain sane after seeing his wife in such a deplorable state, but this was when Askild took the opportunity to get rid of Birger. Multiple people had seen him with her that night, and everyone was aware of his interest in her. It was easy to frame him and sum this up as a crime of passion as he was also the brother to an enemy despite his residing here.

Asger's hatred for Birger grew, and Birger did not even fight it or oppose the allegations.

Something was telling in Asger's eyes; he needed someone to blame, someone to hate, or he just might not survive the ordeal.

Birger was exiled from Kattegat, and Erik, seeing he was not punished despite King Askild being aware he was the one, had this epiphany, a feeling that he was untouchable.

Shortly after, he raped Lagertha and a few other women within the walls of Kattegat.