The Lord of Ragnarok

The Lord of Ragnarok

Mini Chapter 12 - Peaceful/Lethal Intentions

Abanonded Village - Anok the Destroyer’s P.O.V.

Healing my wounds sucked. Damn it, I was powerful, I was meant for greatness, but those fucktards stole it from me. Fuckin’ horse fucking, inbred, singing kumbyya in the goddamned mountains dipshits took everything from me! I sat in the hovel that I’d found. There was a small collection of old clay pots, a few crude knives, and a leaky roof over my head. This time a month ago I was having a three way, deflowering virgins, and leading the greatest of world powers. Now, I was… what? A fucking outcast was exactly what I was. I got up, and walked to the door of the hovel I had found.

Outside rain was falling, but it didn’t matter. Water was leaking inside of here anyway. I looked at my own provisions. I had about two days worth of holy bread, a small block of cheese, and a couple of sticks of jerky. It wasn’t much, and certainly it wasn’t enough to raise an army with. I looked out at the rain, and a red plant caught my attention. I looked at it, and then I noticed more of it. An entire field of red was just outside of this village. My eyes widened as I looked at it. Memories of Ragnarok filled my mind, and I felt a sadistic thought rumbling around in there.

That plant was Raider’s Rye, I was sure of it. One of those brony fucks had created it, and it made anyone that ate it turn into a fucking diseased psychotic killing machine. Anyone that ate it. That stuck in my head. How many people had been here? A village this size, so secluded from everyone, I’m guessing maybe fifteen families, maybe less, but at least about forty people. Being this far from everyone they most likely either ventured into the badlands and were torn apart by whatever was living out there, or they turned on each other after they began starving to death.

A smile crossed my lips. An entire army of those fuckers, raging across the land, causing everyone to focus on them, and then it would be nothing for someone to sneak in behind enemy lines, slice a few throats, and destroy the power structure. I walked out into the rain, straight to the plant, and I touched it.

“Little plant, you and I have such a fantastic future together,” I said before I used my dagger to cut it off from its source.

I saw a mill house here, and it would take time, but I had time. I could mill this down to powder, make some flour, and then spread a little good will. There were hundreds of nomads out there, but if I wanted this to really succeed then I needed to focus on something better. Small villages, especially ones that were at most a one or two days travel from larger towns and cities. I would need to find villages struggling. When I did I could go in, present them with food, but I just couldn’t give it away. I needed to trade for something.

Giving away resources would be too much of a tip off. People were far less inclined to think that you were up to something if you asked to be paid. It would need to be something affordable, but of perceived value. A servant would be too much to ask for, but a horse would be a start. It would need to be a village with domestic livestock. A horse might be reaching, but depending on how I presented this it could work.

I took the few strands of Raider’s Rye back into the hovel and looked at it. The red wheat like plant was so normal looking. To an unsuspecting eye it was just wheat. A strange strain of it, but wheat all the same. It would spread, I would spread it, and I would watch as the kingdom I did it in tore itself apart. Nothing demoralizes a people like their own government killing off entire villages. And that was exactly what would happen. I wasn’t sure which nation I was closest to, but then it didn’t matter.

Sew the seeds, watch them grow, and then reap the benefits. The rest of the day was filled with searching the hovel for tools. Much like I suspected this had been a farming community. The hovel I was in belonged to a reaper. There was a scythe, which would make harvesting the Raider’s Rye easier, and there were bundle straps. I had never actually worked a farm, but back in Ragnarok, and in the Sanctus Theocracy, I had overseen farming communities. In Ragnarok it was building the communities to feed our guild. In the Theocracy it was the same, but on a larger scale.

That time hadn’t been wasted. I personally oversaw the operations of the major communities, seeing what could be improved, and of course giving proper motivation where needed. I did have history to thank for that inspiration. Nazi Germany had done the same. Rewarding those that supplied without question, silencing those that would stand against the views of the nation, and destroying those that would potentially rise up to challenge the true law.

All of that had taught me the basics of what I needed to do. That night I slept like a baby, and then the next morning I grabbed the scythe, the straps, and I headed out. There was a harvest to attend to, flour and bread to make, and lives to destroy.

Piscantur Village - Village Square - Two weeks Later - Chief Vertex P.O.V.

The gods and goddesses be praised. I did not know this merchant, yet he had found us. There was flour on his cart, at least a hundred pounds of it. The sacks he had the flour in were old, something meant to last, but not really used much anymore. But it didn’t matter. There was food, and for this village that was life. Our stores were empty, our crops depleted, and we had only our livestock left.

I’m sure he knew that we were in no position to bargain. At this point, if he demanded to lie with the unsullied daughters of this town as payment we would consider it. The winter had been so harsh, then there was the blight. It caused over two thirds of our crops to wither and die. We had to save most of what we had left to feed the livestock, and to barely feed ourselves. We had nothing to sell. We had no vegetables for markets in the cities. We had nothing to provide those that would normally visit our village, we were dying.

I walked toward him, putting on a smile, hoping that his request wasn’t too outlandish, and knowing that even if it was, we needed what was in that cart. We needed all of it. Bread would sustain us, and we needed it badly.

“Welcome to Piscantur Village,” I said with a smile, “I’m Chief Vertex, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

He smiled at me, his smile was that of a calculating man, but it didn’t matter, “It is a pleasure to be met. I am Nox, a flour merchant by trade. Unfortunately I’m not able to deliever as much flour as I would normally. My horse was gravely wounded. Thus, I am forced to pull my own wagon,” he looked at me, “Perhaps we may enter into a trade that would benefit the both of us. I see you have fine animals, and I noticed that your people have stared at my cargo with drooling anticipation. I dare say, your place as chief might very well rest upon your separating me from my wares. More to the point, cementing it might rest upon us making a profitable deal together.”

I was right, a calculating man, “What would you need, for the entire cartload?” I asked.

He smiled, “A fine horse is a start; however, I would not turn down the prospect of finding someone worthy of my attentions.”

I looked at him, “We have many fine horses, and there are several lovely, and eligible, maidens here.”

He nodded, “Then I believe we have an accord. Lets go to your storehouses, and we shall hammer out the details, sound good?”

I nodded. Food, we had food at last.

Piscantur Village - Village Square - Lepidus’ P.O.V.

I lowered my head as I walked forward. My parents were gone, both had during the winter, and I was left with our home, a small plot of land, and failing crops. The village wasn’t kicking me out, but that was because everyone was in the same situation. I was told to come to the meeting, and I finally looked up when a hand touched my chin. I looked at the merchant, and what I saw caused me to suck in a breath.

He was beautiful. His features were rugged, his eyes the bluest I’d ever seen, and his smile was so charming. He appraised me for a moment, and then looked at the other girls.

“I was informed that all of you are the most charming of your village. I am seeking someone who isn’t afraid of work, and who would consent to being a merchant’s wife. Life will not be easy, but there will always be food, there will be prosperity, and I can promise that you will never see things the same again.”

These promises made me want him. I wanted to escape, and I looked at the others. I had one thing none of them had. I had absolutely nothing to lose. I walked forward, went to my knees and looked up at him.

“And what can you do my fine young lady?”

I mustered up my courage, looked into his eyes, and smiled, “I can suck your dick.”

He looked amused, “Well, we have a winner. Tell me, what is your name?”

“Lepidus, but in truth it is whatever you wish for it to be,” I replied.

He grinned at me, “Very well, from this day forth you will be known as Schön,” he said, “Now, let us gather our new horse. There is a small trip back to your new home, and more supplies to trade to other villages,” he said before he looked at the chief, “I shall return, and when I do, I will bring more flour to trade to you.”

We began to leave, and he had me crawl into the wagon. I felt it rolling forward. He looked back at me, “Now would be the time to change your mind, if you want to.”

I studied him, “Why?”

He laughed, “Because, I am not ever stepping foot in there again.”

I felt confused, but decided to not question it. My only guess was that he knew there wasn’t anything else worth trading for there. I listened to the celebrating happening, and I knew that within a few hours everyone would be eating bread, spreading good cheer, and I was glad for them. I hoped that this gave them the chance to live a little longer, but at the same time I was glad to be gone.

With this new prosperity there would be no room for me. My home, my land, all of it would be taken and I would be sold to some slaver as a toy. At least now I had a merchant husband, and I would become a woman of means. I looked at a single bad of the flour that was left, and I noticed the red tint to it. Odd, I’ve never seen red flour before.

“No tasting the goods. We have food a plenty waiting on us.”

I smiled, “Of course, my husband.”

He laughed, “That will take some getting used to.”