Cheveyo took Dagny to the edge of the settlement, dropping her off. He licked her face before nuzzling her mournfully. "Cheveyo...You know Aiyanna best. Is there any hope in trying to get through to her? Is ther any stop to this?" she asked, hoping the buffallo could help her. Cheveyo seemed to sigh before slowly shaking his head and letting out a low moan. He nudged her toward the settlement, whining softly. Dagny sighed and patted Cheveyo's head. "If you think so...I'll try to talk to my brothers. Maybe it's best that they be the ones trying to get through to her," she said before going back to her home.
When she got home, her brothers still hadn't gotten back. She let out a relieved sigh and climbed up to her room, finding Kuma gnawing on one of her boots. "Kuma, please don't put that in your mouth. It's dirty," she said before sitting down, her fingers starting to tingle. "I suppose the boys will figure out what I did when I go downstairs in the morning looking who knows how many years older," muttered Dagny.
Kuma dropped the boot and climbed onto her lap, letting her pet him. "I just don't want anyone getting hurt. Not just the boys but also my people. The settlers didn't have anything to do with any of this. It's just an argument between nations. Something completely ridiculous. They shouldn't get hurt or killed because of me. ...I'm going to have to do something. I can't just standby and let them fight this out, even if they say it's how they normally handle things," she muttered, hearing the door slam. She swore softly and quickly got under the covers.
Dagny woke up feeling strange. She frowned and got up, walking over to the mirror, blinking at her reflection. Dagny officially looked older than any of her siblings. They were not going to take that well, especially Mathais and Lukas. "Dagny you awake yet? Kuma won't quit trying to get into my barrel of fish out back. I also made you some porridge," huffed Lukas, calling to her from downstairs. She bit her lip. How was she going to spin this to Lukas?
"I'm awake! I'm coming down. Just give Kuma one fish and quickly close the lid while he's distracted. That usually works!" she called down, hoping her brother would leave. "Alright. You okay? You sound kinda different," said Lukas. "I'm fine! Totally fine! Just...puberty!" she blurted out. She could almost see her brother's face turn red. "...I'm going outside…Um...Talk to Helga if ...Yeah," said Lukas before leaving. She snorted. She'll have to let Mathias know that that was another way to embarrass her older brother.
Dagny quickly moved downstairs, happy that she hadn't grown taller and didn't need to get another set of new clothes and shoes. Once she was sure her brother had gone, she quickly served herself a bowl and quickly ate it. Vinland was hoping that if she got ate quickly, she can stay out of her brother's sight until she gained the nerve to let him see her…or at least until she got the nerve to tell him what happened. Maybe she could just figure out a good lie to get her out of it.
Lukas walked in on her and froze, eyes wide. "W-Who the he- Dagny?!" he asked, blinking rapidly. Dagny swallowed and nodded, shrinking back a bit. "It's me…" she muttered. Lukas ran a hand through his hair. "B-But...The spell should have...How did this happen?" he muttered under his breath before looking up at her. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick or sore in anyway? About how old do you think you are in human years?" he asked.
"About twenty-two in human years...And I do feel a little sick. Stomach sick. I get that way after a growth spurt," she said, putting a hand to her tummy. Lukas frowned. "Sit down and finish eating. Don't push yourself to eat if you feel sick though. I'll make mint tea. That should help your stomach. I'll make sure to mark that that particular spell doesn't work. I don't know if it's the reason for your stomach ache or the fast growth," he said.
Dagny bit her lip. She wasn't going to tell her brother she went to see Aiyanna. He'd only yell at her. If he was trying to use magic to reverse her growth spurts, she had a feeling none of the spells he was trying would work. It didn't seem like a lie that would hurt anyone. "If you say so brohr, but the next time that you decide to work a spell on me could you please ask first? I don't want to freak out when I wake up with five extra arms because of you," she said.
"Crap! Dagny's got seven arms! Lemme see!" said a voice as Denmark rushed in. His jaw dropped when he saw Dagny. "Crap...At least the arm thing was cool...Dagny, what happened? Did Lukas's spell backfire? Or did she already shed the extra arms somehow?" he asked. "There aren't any extra arms. She got four years older overnight. I'm going to work on a different spell. Where are the others?" asked Lukas.
"In the townsquare. Lukas, I don't think we have time for you to do anymore magicky stuff. They're waiting for us. Maybe we can settle all of this without magic," said Mathias. Dagny blinked, looking up at the Dane. "What do you mean?" she asked. Mathias grinned. "We got a plan to make them see reason. One of the locals apparently saw their camp a while ago and didn't tell anyone. They won't see us coming!" said Mathias.
"Maybe you should wait a day or two. Wouldn't they be expecting an attack right away?" asked Dagny nervously. Mathias shook his head. "They think we're preparing to go home. We contacted Aiyanna and told her we needed to go into the forest today to get resources for our trip back. She totally bought it. Earth was right when she said Aiyanna hasn't dealt with people like us before. They'll never see it coming," he chuckled.
Dagny swallowed the bit of bile that came up her throat. "I think I'm going to pass on the porridge…I can make my own tea. You go with the others. I'll be fine. I won't leave the settlement unless you guys need me, okay?" she said. Mathias grinned. "Okay! C'mon Lukas. Where'd you put your armor?" he said cheerfully before dragging the Norweigen around the house looking for his battlegear.
When he finished getting his things, Lukas peeked into the kitchen. He nodded with approval when he found Dagny sitting in the tea drinking tea. "That should help your stomach. We'll be back soon. I finally got around to those runes you wanted. They're on the table," he said. The minute he had left, Dagny turned around and managed to puke into a pail before it was too late. What was wrong with her? She had never felt this awful before or for this long. The porridge had tasted funny and she felt sick to her stomach.
Frowning, she turned to the sack of runes he'd left, hoping they'd shed some light. "What's wrong with me? Am I finally dying?" she asked, no hint of worry or fear in her voice. She had learned enough from Lukas to figure out how to separate herself from her emotions when doing magic. It was necessary. She frowned. Prophecy. What did this have to do with the Prophecy?
She muttered the quesiton under her breath and threw the rune stones once again. Third line. Dagny frowned. Third line? Wait! The third line of the prophecy...What was it again? Her eyes widened and she accidentally knocked over a bowl when it sunk in. She needed to see Aiyanna immediately. Her brothers were going to kill her, them. Dagny froze when she heard cheering coming from the townsquare and started swearing. She had forgotten about the sneak attack.
Kuma pawwed at her skirt as she suddenly started running around the house, trying to find her coat and boots. Kuma whined softly. "Not now Kuma. I'm having a crisis. I'll play with you in a couple of hours. If not, just go bug the neighbor kids," she said in hushed tones, finding her boots and quickly slipping them on before getting sick again. She wiped her mouth and quickly dumped the pail before slidding her coat on.
Kuma moved in front of the door, whining more so than before. Dagny sighed and picked up the bear. "I know I'm sick, but I think Aiyanna can and will help me. If I'm not back by night's fall, get Lukas," she said, setting the bear on the table where he wouldn't be able to block the door so quickly. Kuma whimpered as he watched his owner leave. Dagny grabbed her brother's horse, not caring if he noticed. Taking off at a breakneck speed, she rushed to beat her brothers to the camp.
Aiyanna wiped her brow as she finished the last of her knives. The Nordics were showing signs of getting ready to leave, their boats loading up crates and moving back and forth along the shore. It seemed like they finally got the message. She wondered how it was going to affect Dagny. Aiyanna never knew a settlement so she wasn't sure if the personification would be negatively effected if her brothers leave. It's all for the best though. She'll see that.
Aiyanna had just reached for her container of water when she felt a presense on her land, fastly approaching. She growled. "Those idiots. Did they really think I wouldn't fight them if they came here? Did they really think they would manage to catch me unaware?" she asked before running out of her home, grabbing her spear. She tried to focus as she ran toward the presence, not sure who it was. After meeting the Nordics, she found that they felt very similar to each other.
Native America frowned when she spotted a figure on a horse rushing toward her home. Like Hell am I going to let them come in here. She could sense a large mass of people slowly making their way toward her as well. This figure is a distraction. They have an army arriving shortly behind them. They take advantage of my friendliness toward Dagny by using their two days to prepare for war, I'll send them a message that I won't hesitate to draw blood.
Once her target was in range, Native America sent her spear flying, hitting the figure in the chest. A fatal shot. Aiyanna grimmaced. It was necessary to make an example. They'll hesitate at attacking me now. As she neared the soon to be body, Aiyanna heard a low moan that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. Her eyes widened. No...No it can't be...I warned them. I warned all of them. I warned her twice...H-How… Aiyanna ran toward the fallen figure.
She heard shouts of men running toward her. "She got someone! Your group cut her off! We'll handle her. Who did she hit?!" shouted Mathias, instructing his people in a language Aiyanna couldn't understand, not slowing as he rushed toward her. Aiyanna ignored the men, reaching the body before they could grab her. Her breath was stuck in her throat when she spotted a glimpse of long blond hair and a skirt from behind the horse.
Dagny was bleeding heavily from her chest, gasping for air as she placed a hand over the wound. Aiyanna started swearing profusely, not bothering to look at the men coming toward her as she dropped to her knees. "Who did she kill…? WHO DID SHE KILL!?" shouted Lukas, eyes widening as he saw Native America's reaction. He jumped off his horse and took off at a dead run toward her.
"She isn't dead!" snapped Aiyanna, Lukas's shout bringing her slightly out of her daze. She grabbed the bag of powders from around her neck. "Lukas, you need to hold her down while I pull the spear out," she said in a voice she fought desprately to keep steady. Lukas blanced at the sight of his little sister pale and covered in blood. "Y-You-!" he shouted, shaking. "Lukas, move over," said Mathias in a serious voice, putting his hands on Dagny's shoulders. "Start pulling," he said to Aiyanna.
Dagny shook her head, tracing an odd figure on her stomach. "M-My fault...N-Needed to tell Aiyanna...N-Needed her help," she mutttered almost incoherently. Mathias frowned before nodded at Native America. "Start pulling. It's not the worse injury I've seen. She can still heal from this if we decide to work things out between us," he said, voice shaking slightly. "Of course," mumbled Aiyanna before pulling the spear out. "Tell one of my people to send the shaman," she told Finland. Tino blinked before starting to run.
Dagny let out a pained gasp, fingers now frantically tracing her stomach. Lukas frowned, vaguely recognizing the symbol. It looked like a- "Aiyanna, come here," gasped Dagny. "You're going to be fine Aiyanna. Your brothers and I...we'll work something out. Just hang in there long enough for the healer to come," said Aiyanna. Dagny shook her head. "Prophecy fulfilled...but not completely," she muttered before reaching out to Aiyanna.
Aiyanna had started to speak when she noticed Dagny tracing a symbol across her stomach...in Dagny's blood. She looked to her brothers, all three of whom seemed frozen in place. "I got the healer….What'd I miss?" asked Tino, frowning when he saw them all frozen yet Dagny still alive and awake. Dagny finished tracing the symbol, interlocking it with a second, before dropping her hand. Both of their symbols glowed a faint blue. "Take care of them. That's all you can do for me," she said before let out her final breath and going still.
"No..No..Nononononono...She can't...She can't be dead! I-I.." Lukas spun around to the shaman. "Do something! Don't just stand there! Heal her!" he snapped. The shaman, a wizened old man, shook his head. "She goes with the spirits now. Nothing we can do but remember her," he said, Aiyanna translating numbly. "She might regenerate," said Sweden, putting a hand on Lukas's shoulder. "She's gone...There'd be a sign. Slow healing. Something. ...She wouldn't have said the prophecy was complete unless she knew it…" said Tino quietly.
Lukas spun around to Tino, fist clutched and raised. Mathias took a hesitant step forward before Aiyanna spoke up. "She's fading," she said in a tight voice. The Nordics spun around, eyes widening as they saw a soft glow start to consume their sister. Mathias caught Lukas as he tried to run forward, letting out a choked back sob. After a few seconds, the glow died down and their sister was gone as well. Lukas turned to Aiyanna. "YOU BITCH!" he shouted. Mathias struggled to keep him back.
"Lukas, control yourself. The settlers are still here," said Berwald, glancing at the settlers standing around them uncertainly. Some natives have also showed up, weapons in hand but had stopped when they saw their personification call for a shaman. Lukas growled, trying to elbow Mathias in the gut. Tino look torn between helping Mathias and going after Aiyanna himself. The froze when they heard a small voice.
"I'm sorry...I-I w-warned her. I told her not to come back last night...e-even though she had left the settlement...I-I told her it'd be dangerous to try to come back..I-I didn't recognize her..otherwise I wouldn't have-Wouldn't have-" Aiyanna started choking up, tears in her eyes. Tino ran a hand through his hair, not hearing whatever response Mathias snapped back at her. "Berwald, help me get these two back home," he said in a defeated sounding voice.
Berwald nodded and looked toward Leif. "Erickson, lead the men back home. Declare a state of morning. No fighting or funny business. We need to figure this out," he said in a tight voice. Leif nodded and quickled barked orders to the others before leaving. The natives had started to follow before Aiyanna snapped at them. When one of the younger warriors started to argue, the Shaman turned around and repeated what she said. They left as well.
Berwald turned to Aiyanna. "Leave. If you wish to speak to us, find away to get the message to us without showing up. I don't think anyone here wants to see your face again. For Dagny's sake, we won't kill you, but don't make it tempting. You stick to your side," he said before blinking as Lukas escaped Mathias's grip, knife an inch away from Aiyanna's stomach before a blue forcefield appeared, pushing him back.
His eyes widened as he staggered in surprise. "C'mon Lukas...Let's go home. Kuma's probably freaking out at home," said Mathias gently after swallowing the lump of grief in his throat. Lukas took one look at Aiyanna. "This was your fault. All of it," he spat before letting Tino and Mathias force him home. Berwald grabbed the reins of the horse and started to lead it home as well.
Aiyanna swallowed and waited for the Nordics to be out of sight before she dared try to rise. The last thing she needed was them thinking she was going to go after them next. Her stomach twisted. What was going to happen now? She had wanted to keep the brothers from using Dagny or herself, but she never expected everything to escalate to this...Dagny's death. She had just wanted all of them to leave her alone. I suppose Dagny won't be able to follow me around or be annoyingly perky around me anymore...But I've turned myself into the monster I feared the Nordics to be.
She touched the mark on her stomach...or at least where she thought it should be. During all of the confusion, the mark had disappeared. Aiyanna frowned. Dagny had performed some sort of magic on her before she died, she knew it. But what was it? Her brother might recognize what the symbols were but she didn't dare ask him. Not so soon after his sisters' death.
Aiyanna turned to the Shaman. "What happens next?" she asked him quietly. The Shaman looked at the symbols on her stomach. "I have seen the white man mark the spot of where they bury their dead with stones. Perhaps we can attempt to mark the spot of her death with flowers of some kind. As for the symbols on your stomach, they are not of any language I know. I suppose you could ask the spirits for guidence but I am not sure if they are too upset with you after the stunt you pulled last time. We will see," he said.
Aiyanna swallowed and nodded. "I-I will do that later today...Right now we should retreat to our camp before the see our sticking around here as threatening," she said before ordering the others to go home. The Shaman nodded, glancing at her Aiyanna's stomach. "I wonder why the girl came to you for help. What was so dire that she couldn't go to her brothers?" he asked. Aiyanna simply shook her head and lead them back home.
Will I run out of death puns by the time the series is over? Probably not. Will there be a lot of deaths? Probably. Will your favorite character die? Depends on the reviews~ Hope to hear from y'all.