By The Gods - Vikings

Chapter 39

I smiled at the sight. It was truly beautiful.
"Wow." I sighed, looking up at them. Ivar smiled at my response and I gently rested my head on his shoulder. We spent hours just watching the fireflies that night. That was the night that Ivar realised his feelings for me. It was also the night that I realised Ivar could one day hurt me just as Anwyn had. I was right.

I ran forward, charging into battle. My sword sliced through every opponent who dared to face me. I'd gained few injuries, just scratches here and there. That's when I saw him.
Ivar's chariot approached the battlefield.

I mowed down warriors who got in my way as I raced over to him. He too wasn't injured but instead just murdering all who opposed him.

"IVAR!" I yelled, my heart pounding in my chest as I sliced through men and women alike. Their blood drenched my skin, mixing with the sweat that stuck to me as I charged onward. "IVAR!" I bellowed again, this time gaining his attention. He looked down at the trail of dead bodies that id left in my wake before looking at me. I was furious, my blood boiling as everything around me just turned red. "COME DOWN HERE AND FACE ME!"

He looked confused for a moment but the area where we stood was momentarily clear of any other people so he obliged. Ivar struggled, getting out of his chariot slowly and making his way towards me on his crutch. I watched, twirling my sword in my hand.

"Fight me." I snarled.

"You will lose." He answered.

"Then you're just another person in my life to betray me. Then you just prove me right." I retorted, tears filling my eyes.

"So I'm supposed to allow you to kill me instead?" He laughed back at me.

That's when I let a tear roll down my cheek and a sad smile grace my lips, "That's difference between you and I, Ivar. I could never kill you." I paused, clearing my throat and wiping the tears from my eyes as I gripped my sword. "Now fight me."

With that I charged towards him, a frenzy of emotions rushed through my entire body. I slashed my sword against his own, sparks flying from both blades.

"You cannot kill me, Aneira. I am a God." He roared, his blade hitting mine and pushing me back.

I stood before him, the same sad smile on my lips, "But who is stronger... The God, or the man who defeats the God." I repeated what I had told him when he felt inadequate about himself. I had always been there for him, that much he knew. I hoped that hearing those words would reveal a small sliver of the Ivar that I once knew. Now I knew that my best friend was already long dead.
I charged at Ivar once more, this time his sword did not clash against mine. In fact, my sword did not even have time to begin plummeting towards him when I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I looked down, tears now spilling from my eyes, to see Ivar's sword in my torso. Blood spilled from the wound as I began to splutter the red liquid from my lips like many of my enemies before me had done upon my own sword. Ivar's deep blue eyes looked into my own, seeing the hurt expression over my face.

"The God." Ivar answered finally.

I grabbed onto his shoulder, as he pulled the sword out of me, for support, Ivar held onto me as I fell to the ground, blood now spilling from my lips. I felt cold.

"I wish that I was wrong about you, Ivar." I coughed, red liquid seeping through my armour.

"ANEIRA!" I heard Hvitserk's familiar voice yell from the other side of the battlefield. A small smile spread across my face as I heard his voice.

Flashback

"Hvitserk?" I laughed as I walked into the great hall.

"The one and only." He smiled as I finally made eye contact with the mischievous teen.

"Is it you I should be thanking for that mini arsenal outside my hut?" I smiled.

"You said you needed weapons." He shrugged.

I laughed at his comment and pulled him into a gentle hug, "Thank you, really. Now I just have to figure out how to become a one woman Army."

I had woken up that morning to the sound of metal on metal. When I left my hut to see what was happening, I saw a huge pile of armour and weapons that was as tall as me.

"I'm sure you've already got that figured out." He smirked back at me.

"You're an idiot." I chuckled.

"Excuse you, I'm the best idiot." He said proudly, making me laugh even more.

"Yes, yes you are."

"Don't you dare die on me." Hvitserk shoved his younger brother away from my shaking body as he cradled me in his warm arms. I gave a small laugh, more blood leaving my scarlet lips.
"I think it's a little late for that." I smiled. Hvitserk didn't seem to find the hilarity in the situation that I did. "You should go."

"No, Aneira, I'm not leaving you. Not now." He said firmly, desperately praying to the Gods that I would survive this.

"Hvitserk, don't make me stab you too. Go, you have a war to fight. I don't want you to watch me die. I don't want you to see me like this. Just let me have that, okay?" I whispered, my voice now weak and strained. I placed my hand on his face, wiping away the stray tears that had left his shining eyes and only leaving small fingerprints of my blood in their wake.

"I love you." He whispered, kissing my forehead gently.

"I love you too." I smiled.

I soon felt Ivar pull his brother away from me and my back finally hit the muddy floor.

The sky was all I could see. Black clouds filled the sky. Yet, a small gap still remained in the clouds as the sun shone down on my body. I listened to the sounds of battle that surrounded me as my lids began to feel heavy. I felt weak.
My eyes slowly began to close as they would after I'd got into bed after a long day. Darkness filled up my entire being as I felt the cold chill my bones.

Was this it?

Was this the end?

Soon the world had faded away from sight. I couldn't hear the sounds of battle anymore. All sound had been drowned out by the unmistakable emptiness of death. The last thing I heard was Bjorn running over to me, unrecognizable figures beside him
All was black but I felt him gently press my eyelids closed. Then nothing. Nothing but the empty abyss of death.