The battle of Xia Pi raged, blood and snow coating the ground. A large man with long blonde hair and a braided beard met the largest man on the batllefield head on...Lu Bu. With his size, the blonde haired man should not have been able to wield his battle axes and strike with the speed that he could, yet even the mightiest warrior in all of China found himself being beat back by the foreign warrior.

"You worthless bastard! You think you can just challenge me and live?!" The mighty Lu Bu roared as he locked his halberd with the twin axes of the blonde haired warrior "I am the strongest man in the world!" he continued as he repeatedly tried to break his foe's block.

The mysterious man showed no expression at Bu's recklessness and insults, instead taking advantage of a large opening left by the repeated attacks. He brought his axe into Lu Bu's side with brute force, shattering armor...and bone.

Lu Bu's eyes went wide as he stared at his foe, his words stuck in his throat as he gasped for air. The greatest warrior in China looked around, noting the large number of both his men and the men of Cao Cao's army watching in awe. "I...how...I am the strongest man alive...how can I be bested...by such a pathetic bug...who are you?" Lu Bu managed to say in between gasps for breath to the man in front of him.

The blonde haired warrior removed his helmet, preparing to execute the large man in front of him. "My name...is Vignir Hjaltason, and I am the last foe you will ever face." With that, Vignir threw Lu Bu to the red snow below him and roared as he drove one of his battle axes into the fallen warrior's neck, scoring a clean cut which severed Bu's head.

Both Lu Bu's army and Cao Cao's soldiers stared at Vignir, his face spotted with blood after lifting his now dead foe's head, presenting it to the men and shouting to the men "You men, in blue, take me to your lord! I wish to present his foe's head in person..."


Cao Cao sat at a table in his main camp with some of his most trusted officers, sitting in silence as the men discussed the battle which had slowly been coming to its close. A messenger rushed into the tent and fell to a kneel "M-my lord...the wolf, Lu Bu, has been killed in battle. Xia Pi is now ours..." Cao Cao, as well as the now silent officers, looked up at the messenger in slight surprise. The messenger continued "...the man who brought Lu Bu down is not of our army...though he wishes an audience with you."

The warlord nodded and dismissed the men at the table. "Bring him to me...I would like to meet this warrior." With a bow of his head, the messenger exited the tent.

The place where the messenger knelt was now occupied by Vignir, who knelt and presented the head of Lu Bu to Cao Cao. "Lord Cao Cao, I present you the head of your foe. I have traveled a great distance from my home to seek an audience with you."

Cao Cao stood and approached the kneeling man. "Killing that brute is no easy task...and here you kneel before me with his head in your hand...rise and tell me, what is your name?" Vignir rose from his place to look Cao Cao in the eye "My name is Vignir Hjaltason of Nóregr (now known as Norway) and I have come to serve you my lord."

After a short silence, Cao Cao spoke "I have not heard of your homeland and know not your motives for joining me...though you are clearly a capable warrior...may I ask why you come to me and not any of the other regional lords?"

Vignir expected such a question and spoke confidently "I fled from my home of Vinland after war claimed our small settlement was destroyed by natives. After sailing for months on end, I made land in this exotic place and heard of your power through multiple vagabonds, warriors, and innkeepers. I know I will not see my home again...so I wish to serve the strongest warlord in this land..."

Cao Cao listened attentively to what the foreigner had to say before coming to his decision. "I would be honored to welcome a warrior such as you to my army. Will you accompany me to Xu Chang?"

Vignir showed the slightest sign of a smile and nodded. "My blades are at your service my lord..." he stated with a hint of pride in his voice "...I will be ready to depart on your command..."


A/N: Well...looks like I'm back after a long hiatus. I hope you readers enjoyed the introduction to Viking. I'd also like to thank readers for giving this a shot, it's an idea I've been toying with for a bit and I finally chose to act on the urge to type it up. ~LB