[Author's Note] So it's time for me to reintroduce you guys to a major antagonist from several chapters ago. You guys remember Rezuta? You thought she was bad? Well you ain't seen nothing yet girl.

In the northern realm of Northanglia there is a campsite of Vinterheim Raiders set up along the edges of the river near their ships. There were probably a little over two hundred men there and all of them were making ready for a raid on a local Northanglian settlement. Some of the men were standing guard at various checkpoints with arrows notched in their bows, some were standing or sitting and chatting with their brothers in arms or they were cleaning and sharpening the blades of their weapons. All the men were wearing standard colored Vinterheim tunics and trousers with leather boots and fur hats. Each man was armed with a spear, a hatchet or a bow with a quiver of arrows as well as a dagger on his belt. Both young men and old men alike.

The leader of the raiding party sat at the entrance of his tent cleaning the blade of his sword which lay across his lap and he watched his men while he waited. His blonde braided hair lay over his shoulders as he leaned back in his chair with the two braids on his chin resting on his collarbone. He wore a dark red short sleeved tunic under a sleeveless chainmail shirt and dark blue trousers with leather boots on his feet. He also had a fur cloak draped over his shoulders to keep him warm in the cold northern weather. He hasn't moved since he woke up and right now he watched his men while they did their own thing. The sun was beginning to rise in the distance and this only agitated him because now they were almost an hour late and he could tell it was getting to his men.

One of his captains, a tall man with a shaved head and brown beard walked up holding a large Dane Axe in his hand. "Hrothgar." he said in a low gravelly voice. "The men are getting anxious. They want to start the raid already." he told him.

"I understand that Singasven but our scouting party hasn't returned yet." he replied. "If we don't have an understanding of our enemy's strengths and defenses we could be charging into a bigger fight than we've hoped for and lose more men than we can afford. We just need to wait a little while longer is all." he explained.

"I'll talk with the men." he told him and walked away leaving his leader to continue cleaning his sword.

Hrothgar kept on watching his men and thinking about the upcoming raid. While he did have a sizable party he knew his forces weren't big enough or well equipped for an actual battle. And the longer it took for the scouts to return, the more complicated things were going to get once they launch their attack. He didn't want to be forced to fight a larger force, he just wanted his men to capture plenty of slaves and raid the local church for whatever treasures are within. While he thought on these things someone else came up to him. However instead of one of his men it was someone who resembled a little girl and she happily skipped up to him, almost like she didn't even notice the men all around her with spears and axes in their hands.

She looked like she was eight or nine years old on the outside. She had shoulder length golden blonde hair and brown eyes. She wore a crimson red long sleeve top and matching short mini skirt with frills. She also wore purple and black striped long socks that went up to her thighs with little black shoes with gold buckles on them. She also had a black cape with a purple trim draped over her shoulders and secured by a ribbon tied into a bow just below her neck. And finally she had a black wide brim pointy hat on her head with a purple ribbon wrapped around the crown of her hat and fixed into place with a gold buckle matching the ones on her shoes. In her hand she carried what looked like a wooden staff that was nicely polished and cleaned.

The top of it had a clear jewel held into place by the twisted and gnarled roots of the staff when it was still a tree. She skipped up to Hrothgar and took a seat on a vacant seat just across from him.

"Hello Hrothgar! Whatcha doin?" she asked in a playful and innocent manner.

"I'm waiting for my scouts to get back. What do you want Juniper?" he asked back not looking up but still focused on the blade of his sword.

She sat innocently, with her staff resting against the chair and her hands on her side while her feet dangled. "I need to talk about our little deal." she answered. "It's about the special potions you want me and my sisters to brew." she told him.

The leader of the raiding party stopped cleaning his sword and looked up before leaning forward in his seat. "Do you doubt that I'll keep my word and give you what you demanded as payment?" he asked her.

"Of course not Hrothgar." she said crossing her arms and resting one leg over the other. She did so in a manner hoping that it would draw his gaze to her lower body but much to her annoyance he didn't give her the reaction she wanted. "I'm sure you'll keep your word. And of course I'll hold up my end of the bargain as well and we'll brew the potions. I just wanna be sure you know what it is you're asking for. Such brews do indeed grant great strength, but there's a price to pay always." she warned.

He only smirked at that. "There's no price too high for what I have planned." he replied.

She smiled at that as well. "Interesting, you sound like you know exactly what you're getting into and have accepted it. Dare I ask, what do you have in mind?" she asked him.

That was when Hrothgar looked and noticed two men in robes and hoods approach which earned a grin from him. "We'll talk again in a minute, my scouts have returned." he told her.

Both men were wearing standard tunics and trousers under their cloaks. One man looked to be in his early thirties and had blonde hair. The sides of his head were shaved and the rest of his hair was tied back into multiple braids and he had a short brownish blonde beard. The other man was younger. Early, maybe mid twenties with shoulder length red hair, peach fuzz growing on his chin and he had multiple runes tattooed on the right side of his face, running down from the side of his forehead and down his cheek. Both of them had smug grins on their faces as they knew that they had a satisfactory report to make to their leader.

"You're both late." Hrothgar told them as he sheathed his sword in its scabbard.

"Apologies Hrothgar, we had to shake a couple of guards who were suspicious of us." said the blonde bearded man.

Their leader didn't look too happy to hear that. "They didn't catch you or follow you here did they?" he asked them.

"No we were able to slip out. It was a close call but we were able to shake them." said the younger redhead.

"But we took a longer road getting back to to make sure we weren't followed." the bearded one added in.

Hrothgar smiled and nodded. "Good call. Olvir, report." he replied.

The blonde man stepped forward and brought out a crudely made map he and his partner sketched. "The town is split down the middle by the river, docks on both sides with plenty of points where we can land and attack quickly." he said pointing to spots with small X's. "There is a garrison probably about a hundred men at most. We outnumber them over two to one so we shouldn't have much trouble however we did notice watch towers and bells to raise alarms. Once those bells begin ringing the local Earl will retaliate. We'll need to be in and out quickly." he explained.

"And how about you Sigeraed? Any worthwhile targets you find?" he asked the younger man.

"I did." he smiled pointing to a few spots on the map. "To the northeast is an Abbey. Little sisters all praying and singing, hoping nothing terrible happens under the watch of their Divine Goddess." he sneers.

"Then they'll be sorely disappointed to know that this day their mother in the clouds has abandoned them to our mercy." Hrothgar replied.

"Them and all the treasures they keep." Olvir remarked. "Funny thing how those little sisters and brothers love hoarding gold and silver in churches and chapels unguarded and cut off from everyone else. They're practically inviting us to come in and take it." he chuckled.

"Yes yes yes that's fine! But what about what I asked for?!" Juniper asked eagerly looking up at the map while standing on her tiptoes.

Olvir nodded. "Aye, there's an Orphanage alright." he says pointing to another mark on his map. "Dozens of brats, coming in all shapes and sizes." he smiles darkly.

"Eeheeheeheeheeheeheehee!" the little girl in robes cackled while twiddling her fingers. "I can hardly wait to meet the little dearies!" she said rubbing her hands together with anticipation.

Hrothgar then looked over and called out to his captain. "Singasven! Call the other Captains over!" he barked. On his orders half a dozen men came over and formed a half circle to listen to their leader. "We're finally ready to set sail and raid the settlement. Now remember, we're here for loot, livestock and as many prisoners as we can capture and carry on our ships. Keep the bloodshed to a minimum if you have to kill anyone but take as many prisoners as you can. Especially young lads and lasses." he said getting some of his men to laugh. "Olvir, you're going to lead Singasven and his men to the Abbey. Clear it out and burn it down. Singeraed, you lead Aevar and his men to the Orphanage and bring us all those brats." he told them.

Once the orders were given the men immediately started packing up gear and weapons, loading them up onto their boats and boarding them. The leader of the raiding party then turned to the little girl who was the only one to remain.

"Juniper, your spell." he told her.

She smiled and nodded then walked off towards the river where she raised her hands once she stood near the edge. Bright purple lights ignited in her eyes and in her hands and she started levitating just a few inches off the ground. That was when she started her incantation.

"Fre'cia, no tol miil, envril zahil! Gre'tha, nosh tor vel, ashi naduu! Du'nil, cas nafel, so fre'kashi! Lur'duval, ze va kri, enra'shi baguu!" she chanted. That was when out of nowhere and within moments a thick fog rolled in and soon it was very difficult to see even just a few feet in front of you. The lights in her hands and eyes dimmed and she slowly lowered to the ground once more. She then turned around and smiled to the raider. "And there you have it. This fog should be thick enough to cover you all so long as you sail straight down the middle of the river. By the time they realize you're already upon them, it'll be too late." she told him.

"You've been a great help Juniper." he replied walking towards his flag ship. "Are you sure you don't want to come along for the party?" he asked.

She smiled again. "Tempting, but raids really aren't my thing." she said shrugging her shoulders. "Besides, I have to go get my sisters. We'll be coming back later once you all are done. But here, a little something to help you all so you don't get lost on the way." she said before raising her hand again. "Mor'nath, kil var, atu bre'gotha." she said before a small blue light ignited and flew off on it's own right in front of the ships. "The light should be bright enough for you and your men to see so you'll have something to follow." she said confidently.

"Then I guess my men and I will see you and your sisters again later." he said walking over and boarding his ship.

She then raised her fingers to her lips and blew a loud whistle. That was when a broomstick flew over and stopped right in front of her, barely a foot off the ground. "You boys play nice now! Eeheeheeheeheeheeheehee!" she cackled as she flew off on her broomstick and disappearing out of sight.

Hrothgar boarded his ship and within moments they all pushed off and started rowing up the river while following the light that Juniper made for them. He commanded six ships in all and they were big enough to hold a large number of people, animals and loot but narrow enough to go up and down most rivers quickly. He made it very clear to all his men that they all had to remain silent the whole time. They needed the element of surprise for this plan to work. Both to capture slaves and avoid a bigger fight than they're ready for. They were only a few miles away from the settlement so everything needed to go perfectly. Hrothgar stood at the front of his ship gripping a rope and keeping his vision ahead and watching the light.

[Further Up The River]

The town of Glenham was a major trading settlement not too far away from the Northanglian capital of Djunyork. It's location on the Aeduna River allowed trade between Northanglia, Merseax and Vinterheim easy with merchants from all three realms setting up stalls and shops to sell their trade goods. The town square was always busy with peddlers and merchants trying to attract customers to buy everything from food, clothing, livestock, farming tools and other important items. If there weren't regular commoners viewing, buying goods or simply moving on their way, there were small patrols of guards on duty or children playing games in the streets and having to be chased off by adults whenever they got in the way.

In fact several young boys were playing by the docks, pretend sword fighting with thin wooden planks tied together to resemble swords and shouting at one another like they were in an actual battle. Like everyone else, they did notice how odd it was when what looked like a clear and slightly warmer day suddenly got more cloudy and a fog roll in almost out of nowhere. But they didn't let that bother them and kept playing. One of the boys, a child who was nine years of age with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue tunic and red trousers was being forced back by a slightly older boy who kept swinging his sword at him and driving them closer and closer to the edge of the river, stepping off the grass and onto the wooden planks of the docks.

They both stop right when one of them was about to fall over the side but quickly regained his balance. They both had a laugh when the older boy, a young man about eleven years old with brown hair and grey eyes, wearing a green tunic and blue trousers noticed something and pointed to show the younger boy. They both saw what looked like a small blue glowing light that just floated up to them. It drifted up to them and just floated in between them both. They were both intrigued by the light with the younger boy cautiously reaching out to try and touch it. But that was when it faded and disappeared into thin air. The younger boy tilted his head wondering why it disappeared but the older boy thought he heard something and looked up.

He still couldn't see anything through the fog but he heard the creaking of wood and oars paddling through the waters. By now the boys had seen and heard plenty of fishing boats on the surface of the water before but something about these sounds seemed different. But as the noises got closer he began to notice the outline of a ship. A big one. Much bigger than the boats that fishermen took out everyday. The sails were dark and of a much different shape too which really worried him. And that was when it was close enough for him to make out what was coming. About twenty feet away was a longship with dozens of men on board. Each man held a weapon in his hand such as a spear or axe and the sides of the ship were lined with colorful shields.

One of the men at the very front of the ship, a tall man with shoulder length blonde hair in multiple braids and a sword on his hip took notice of the boy staring at him and sneered. The other men noticed him too and as it got closer the boys realized what was about to happen.

"PIRATES!" they both shouted and pointed.

And that was when all hell broke loose. Hrothgar and his men let out a loud battle cry and began rowing faster. The townspeople now aware of the attack began to scream and tried fleeing while bells rang out alerting everyone that there was a pirate raid. Hrothgar drew his sword and brandished it while pointing towards the docks.

"PUT YOUR BACKS INTO IT!" he roared.

Several guards wearing blue tunics under chainmail shirts, white trousers and metal helmets ran up and about thirty feet from the docks started drawing arrows, notching them in their bows and began firing upon Hrothgar and his men. One arrow flew through the air and pierced a man through the chest. Said man was standing next to Hrothgar and yelled out before dropping to the deck at his leader's feet.

"SHIELDS UP!" Hrothgar shouted as he and his men scrambled for the shields. More guards rushed in and started firing more arrows at them with several men taking hits in the legs, shoulders, chests and even through their faces. One man literally took an arrow in the eye before falling overboard and splashing into the river. But Hrothgar and his men were able to form a shield wall with the arrows now lodging themselves into the wood but not doing any harm to the men holding them. "ARCHERS!" he commanded. Gaps in the shield wall were briefly opened so a few archers could fire back and they began dropping the guards on the docks with well placed shots. This was when the ships broke off with four heading towards one side and two on the other end.

The raiders would cast ropes over to the docks and quickly pull the longships up to them and once they were side by side, they charged off and towards their targets with Hrothgar being the first to lead his men into battle. With his sword in one hand and a large round shield in their other he worked himself up into a battle frenzy as his eyes were on the other guards charging him and his men. The guards were equipped with spears and swords while defending themselves with large teardrop shields painted with white and blue stripes. Both sides charged into one another with battle cries and soon both clashed loudly with the songs of metal and wood and screams of men dying as they were fatally stabbed or cut open. Hrothgar went wild as he carved his way forward.

One man tried to lock swords with him and after deflecting several strikes, he brought his shield downward onto the man's leg and with such force he broke it, forcing the bone splinter to shoot out through the fabric of his breeches. The man howled in pain before dropping his weapons and falling to the ground. Hrothgar then lifted his sword to deliver the finishing blow. The helpless man could only cry out once in defiance before the blade came down full force, splitting straight into the helmet halfway down the man's face. Hrothgar struck him with such force that one of his eyes popped out of his head and hung over the side of his face and blood now poured out of his mouth, nostrils and ears. He then placed his foot onto the dead man's face and kicked him off.

"I AM HROTHGAR! BANE OF THE GODS! ABANDON ALL HOPE AND DESPAIR!" he roared with fury and madness.

The town guards fought as hard as they could but were quickly overwhelmed and soon they were fleeing or fighting for their lives. Those who weren't hacked to pieces with axes were being disarmed and clapped in irons. Hrothgar and his men would storm the town and run amok as people screamed and tried to get away. Some were cut down and left to bleed out on the dirt beneath them while others were tackled to the ground and captured. Raiders turned over stalls, knocked things over and even began setting fires to houses and other buildings. One of the townspeople were still ringing the bell so an archer took aim and shot him through the lung. He clutched his chest in pain before falling from the tower and thus ringing the bell no more.

While skirmishes, anarchy and vandalism were being carried out all over several raiding parties made their way to specific locations. One such place was where many of the nuns devoted to their god lived and worked. The Abby was isolated from the more busy and populate parts of the town but they were close enough to have heard the bells and soon the nuns were scrambling. Religious women wearing sky blue dresses with white sleeved blouses and ceremonial headdresses were all gathering in the hall where they'd meet to offer prayers. They all knelt in rows and began praying, each holding a small wooden carving of an angel in her hands. The one who led her sisters, an elderly woman wearing a blue dress with a yellow trim prayed openly.

"Our most holy and merciful mother in heaven, we pray to thee in this dark hour that our brave sons will stand against this evil." she said calmly yet confidently, in the hopes of bolstering the moral of her fellow nuns. "We pray that you grant the strength our brave sons need to resist and repel this wickedness from your sight and deliver us from the darkness of sin and evil. We pray to thee our mother and lady of light-" she continued before a loud banging noise interrupted her.

Suddenly the doors were smashed open and the nuns turned only to scream when raiders charged in howling madly and brandishing weapons as they stormed the prayer halls. The nuns tried to escape but were quickly subdued and soon they had their hands tied together and were led out. The Abbess was furious and shouting in defiance the whole time as her hands were bound and she was forced out with all the others. Her fury only grew when she saw all the treasures generously given to her goddess sacked and thrown into large chests before being hauled out. Many of the nuns were openly crying as the Abby, their home was looted before being set ablaze as they were led away like cattle and at the mercy of Vinterheim Pirates.

And it didn't end at the Abby. Not too far away the nuns who ran the local Orphanage had also heard the bells and rallied the children into the building. Dozens of young boys and girls between the ages of four and thirteen were being herded into the chapel where they said their prayers and listened to the sermons during the beginning of the week, As the nuns tried their best to remain calm some of the younger children were already sobbing with one of the nuns trying to comfort them.

"Sister Emma, what's going to happen to us?" asked one of the older boys, stopping the young woman for a moment.

"Everything will be alright Aelwin. The guards will keep them from reaching the Orphanage. We just need to remain here now go and wait with the others please." she said calmly and trying to give him the best smile she could to reassure him.

Suddenly there came a loud banging noise at the door. Everyone was quiet and waited and after a moment, the door was kicked open and several raiders forced their way in. One of them walked up to Emma and grabbed hold of her dress then pulled her up to him getting up in her face.

"Say 'ello to the Devil!" he shouted at her. When she screamed in horror he laughed in her face and more raiders swarmed the room grabbing the nuns and the children and forcing them out. "Get movin' ya little bastards!" he barked as the raiders led them all away while setting fire to the building they once lived in.

Both the nuns at the Abby and the children who lived at the local Orphanage suffered the same fate as all the rest of the town's people. The raiders had plundered their homes for any valuables, took anything that wasn't nailed to the floor and clapping all the prisoners they had taken in iron cuffs and chains. They were also horrified to see dozens of bodies laying around, many of them mutilated with their blood forming pools on the ground. The one leading the party was shouting constantly at the people they had captured to make sure they obeyed and soon whips were cracked to get them on board the ships. The raiders wanted out quickly before the local Earl sent more troops to stop them. This was a living nightmare.

The town was in flames with dozens dead and a whole third of the people who had lived there now in chains and being taken away. Hrothgar sneered when he saw that the last prisoner had boarded his ship just in time for them to see in the distance a company of cavalry riding towards them. However by the time reinforcements had arrived the ships were already sailing down the river and out of their reach. The soldiers of Northanglia could only clench the reigns of their horses and watch as the pirates laughed at their expense while the people cried out for help. The pirates only continued to mock them as the winds carried them away and soon they were out of sight. The raiding party was a huge success for the men of Vinterheim.

Hours later the raiders would set up a new camp for the men to rest and sort through the prisoners they had captured. There was also a massive amount of gold and silver taken from the Abby which greatly pleased Hrothgar. His hopes were that by bringing this treasure back to Vinterheim and showing off this wealth they could encourage the other Jarls and Kings to join up for larger raids. Soon they wouldn't be hitting just the northern realms but they could sail further south and plunder larger cities like the ones in Midland or Trevaria. Better yet they could even try sailing east to the Mist or Zipangu. The real treat of course were all the prisoners they had taken. Nearly three hundred people, many of them young lads and lasses too.

He also sat by his tent drinking a well deserved cup of ale from one of the barrels his men had taken. Tonight he and his men would be feasting and drinking in celebration to a great raid. The first of many. As he drank one of his captains approached him.

"Hrothgar, we need to talk." said the large man.

"About what Singasven?" he asked back.

"There are a number of prisoners we have that we didn't expect." he answered.

"Which are?" he asked standing up and emptying his mug.

Singasven led his leader to where they were being kept and it became clear what he was referring to. Apparently during the raid they had captured a half dozen families made up Mamono. Human men married to monster wives and siring monster daughters too. The grown women looked mostly human but had characteristics of animals as all Mamono do. There was one woman with the ears, horns, tail and hooves of a cow with a few daughters and her human husband. Another was a woman with the horns, hooves and wool of a sheep. Both she and her children. There were also several other women who resembled a fox, a weasel, a racoon and a rabbit. All with human husbands and daughters who resembled their mothers.

They all cowered with the parents holding their children close to protect them from the raiders who had dragged them from their homes and now held them as hostages. Most of the little girls were trying really hard not to cry with tears rolling down their cheeks.

"So what do we do with em? We're supposed to capture humans, not monsters." Singasven told him.

Hrothgar only sneered before replying. "We're not leaving for a few hours. May as well 'ave some fun." he told him. Hrothgar got a dozen other men together and began separating the children from the arms of their parents, much to the despair of the families. Soon all of the girls were torn from the arms of their mothers and fathers with Hrothgar and Singasven leading them away to the edges of the woods. They were crying the whole time which only got on his nerves and once they got to the edge he shouted at them.

"Stop crying!" he yelled which scared them into silence but with them still sobbing. "That's better." he said smiling with satisfaction.

"I wanna go back to Mama and Papa!" one of the little ones cried out which got her older sister to pull her back and away from him.

Hrothgar barely reacted but looked back to the little girl who resembled a fox. "Oh don't worry Lass, your Mama and Papa will be here. We're just going to play a little game." he told her.

The girls didn't really look too reassured but one of the older girls were the first to speak up. "What kid of game?" she asked.

"Simple. You're all going to hide in the woods and my boys are going to come looking for you." he answered.

"Like hide n seek?" asked another.

"Yeah, just like that." he smirked wickedly. "Now you all find a good hiding place and quickly now. Because ready or not here we come." he said grinning at them.

The girls all began running off with some of the older girls taking their little sisters by the hand or even picking them up and carrying them since they had trouble keeping up. Both Hrothgar and Singasven laughed as they disappeared and made their way back to the camp. By now some of his men had just finished lynching the monster girl's parents from the branches of trees and were now sharpening the edges of their spears, axes and arrowheads and a few of them brought hunting dogs with them. The kind used to tearing into larger animals like bears, boars and deer. They looked at Hrothgar, awaiting his orders while he admired their handy work of the girl's parents.

"Alright Lads, you all know how the game goes. You count to one hundred and then go looking for em." he said getting several of them to chuckle.

"You boys play nice now." said Singasven as he and his leader returned to the center of the camp. As they walked they heard a woman screaming and both turned to see only for Hrothgar to roll his eyes. "Looks like he's at it again." he remarked.

Hrothgar walked up as one of his men was on the ground struggling to have his way with one of the nuns they had captured, She was a pretty young thing and tried desperately to fight him off while he tore at her clothes. But she wouldn't have to struggle long as the leader of the raiding party grabbed hold of the man trying to rape her and yanked him up off the ground and to his feet.

"Damn it Aki what are you doin?!" he demanded.

"Whas it look like? I'm enjoying the spoils of war!" he shot back.

"I told you that you don't touch the prisoners without my say so." he said sternly.

"I fought for you, bled for you and now I'm claiming what is mine!" he said getting up in his leader's face.

Hrothgar was unimpressed and only tilted his head. "I thought I made it clear that prisoners serve an important purpose and getting your rocks off isn't one of them. And I'm still in command." he said as several of his captains came in, awaiting Hrothgar's orders. It was then Aki was reminded who was really in charge. "Now this is the second time I've had to tell you not to touch the women we capture. Especially the virgins. They serve an important role and you violating them hinders that. Now if I have to remind you of this a third time then I'll tie you to a tree and cut off your cock and balls. That away I won't have to remind you a fourth time. Now get out of my sight." he warned.

The young man glared daggers but did as he was told. The nun was lifted back up to her feet and shoved back into the crowd of other nuns. That was when Hrothgar heard the sounds of laughing. A very high pitched laughing of a little girl. And then it grew to several girls all laughing together which only brought a smile to Hrothgar's face.

"Look's like she's back already." he said walking over to where they kept all the orphans.

The laughing caught the attention of everyone and they all looked up to see dozens of little girls riding broomsticks and landing in a circle in the middle of the camp. Juniper was with them and they all shared a similar look as she had. Pointy hats and cloaks draped over their shoulders while wearing colorful uniforms, usually with striped knee high socks. The people seeing them realized immediately what they were, whispering "Witches" under their breaths. Juniper walked right up to Hrothgar who towered over her with a very pleased expression.

"My my my Hrothgar, you and your boys really outdid yourselves." she said in a playful manner. "And I must say, the children you've captured look splendid." she remarked eyeing the orphans.

"They're yours to take. When can I expect what was bargained for?" he asked as his men started herding the children over to the witches.

"My sisters and I back home have already began making the brew. You'll have the first doses soon enough, have no worries dearie." she said with delight before turning her attention to all the orphans brought to her, despite the protest of the nuns who were caring for them. "Greetings and salutations my little darlings." she smiled before bowing before them and standing again. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Juniper Grimm, devout priestess to our patron Ror'uuk and leader of the Sisters of the Black Circle and I can hardly wait to show you all what we have in store for you my pretties." she said with much enthusiasm.

"Where are you taking us?" asked one of the older boys.

"To our cozy little home where we'll have a feast and...have some fun." she sneered which got the other witches to giggle.

"NO! No you cannot take these children! You cannot do this you heathens!" shouted one of the nuns who tried to rush them only to be stopped by two of Hrothgar's men.

"Awwww, are you worried for the little dearie?" she asked in a mocking tone. The children were all herded into the center of large pentagram that the witches had drawn and was now glowing an eerie purple light. "Well don't you worry dearie..." she said before flashing her the most sinister and vile, ear to ear smile she had ever seen in her life. "We'll be sure to take very good care of all of them." she said before bursting out and cackling. The other witches started laughing as well and then in a flash of light they all vanished, leaving nothing but a smoldering scorch mark from where they stood.

Hrothgar then turned to his men who looked to hear him speak. "Alright men, go ahead and have a feast you've earned it. But keep the drinking to a minimum. I don't want you all hungover before we set sail for Vinterheim." he told them.

As the men who weren't watching the prisoners began roasting various meats over the campfires and cracking open barrels of ale, one of the prisoners spoke up. "Celebrate your sin as long as you want you godless heathens! Your days of pleasure will end before long and the punishments that await you will far greater than you are even capable of imagining!" shouted the voice of an elderly woman.

This got the attention of the leader of the raiding party who turned with an intrigued smile to see who would speak to him in such a way. Said woman was in fact a middle aged looking nun who was at the Abby with all the other nuns. Her dress was a slightly darker blue from her sisters with a yellow trim and Hrothgar noticed that the pendent around her neck was a little gold angel. Unlike her fellow nuns or other prisoners she stood tall in defiance, despite the others practically begging her to sit back down with them. Hrothgar nodded his head to a few of his men who were guarding them. They laughed and walked over to bring her up to him. She wrestled her arms free of their grip and walked up to their leader willingly without any fear.

"And just who might you be? You who speaks to me with such fire in your words old woman." he says with a smirk, amused by her.

"I am Mildrith, Abbess of Glenham and how dare you?" she spat.

"How dare I? How dare I what?" he asked stepping forward, now less than a foot away from her. He then snatched the golden angel from around her neck off to take a closer look at it. The angel was just small enough to fit into the palm of his hand. It resembled a woman with six wings on her back, her head bowed and her hands raised and folded in prayer.

"These people were peaceful!" she shouted as she pointed to the other prisoners. "They waged no wars, made no enemies and loved their families. Those of us at the Abby devoted our lives to prayer and serving others as well as cared for those who had lost their mothers and fathers. Yet you defile our homes, burn down what's sacred and steal what was given generously to our most holy mother in Heaven!" she shouted angrily. While she ranted, Hrothgar handed the little golden angel to one of his men who took it over to a campfire when she wasn't paying attention and dropped it into a cauldron that was already heating over the fire. "And worse, you make dealings with practitioners of witchcraft and now sell us into slavery! Your evil will be punished harshly before the end!" she finished.

The woman only seemed to further amuse Hrothgar who only continue smiling at her sinisterly. "And just who exactly is going to punish me?" he asked tilting his head back slightly.

"Our most holy mother in Heaven. She sees all and remembers." she answered. "For it is written "Let those who commit evil revel in the evil they commit. Let them indulge in the worldly pleasures of sin and wickedness. For the words they speak are heard and the actions they do are seen. For they will stand before our most holy mother in Heaven and give an account for all their wrong doings. She will judge them and find them wanting. And they shall know pain and agony beyond what any words can describe and what any tongue can tell."" she finished reciting.

"And what if I don't believe in your goddess old woman?" he asked smirking still. "What if I told you that my goddess hates yours and praises me for defiling what you hold sacred and killing those like you?" he asked as he nodded to his men.

"There is only one true Goddess and that is our most holy mother in Heaven." she snapped. "Whomever you worship is false and has deceived you. You have been fooled and-" she started before she was cut off by the two men who grabbed hold of her arms, this time not letting go of her as she struggled. "Unhand me you godless heathens! You know not what you do!" she shouted as they forced her to her knees. One of the men then brought the cauldron he threw her angel into which by now had melted into a hot glowing liquid. "I am a servant of our most holy mother in Heaven! Kill me and you will know suffering from which you will never escape! You will all die a thousand deaths and each death will be a thousand times worse than the last!" she screamed as she struggled.

Hrothgar then took the cauldron back from one of his men who then forced her to tilt her head back. Many of the other prisoners then watched on in horror as they knew what was about to happen to the Abbess. He then sneered down at the old woman who started right back up at him.

"I've noticed how you Nuns and Priests enjoy kissing your little Angels when you pray. Well here, give your little Angel one last kiss." he said wickedly. And like that and much to everyone's horror, he began pouring the molten gold into her mouth and down her throat. She screamed in pain at first but within seconds no sound came out as her mouth quickly filled with the scolding hot liquid. He and his men laughed loudly as her eyes rolled back in her head and after she stopped twitching and went limp, they let her go and she dropped dead at his feet. The leader of the raiding party then turned to the other nuns. "Would anyone else like to preach a sermon for me and my men today?" he asked only being met with a dead silence.

"No? Well alright then." he said before turning back to his men. "Right strip her body of the robes, they're probably worth something then feed her carcass to the hounds. There's probably some meat they might like on it." he ordered before her corpse was dragged away.

Hours later and day turned to night. Most of the raiders from Vinterheim would be gathered around their campfires eating and drinking while swapping stories and singing songs. Others were either on patrol or watching all the prisoners whom they've sorted out with all the men and boys staying in one fenced off area and all the women and girls staying in another. Another group of men were over where all the treasure was. A pile of gold and silver they've taken from the Abby which was loaded with way more than they thought it would have. Just a handful of this and they wouldn't have to work or fight again for a very long time. All the while Hrothgar sat outside his tent, still cleaning and sharpening the blade of his sword watching his men around the camp.

That was when something else caught his eye. Off in the distance he saw a lone figure hooded and cloaked in black. By now he was all too familiar with who it was. This was how she always came to him. He got up and walked over to the edge of the woods where she stood waiting for him. He was no longer wearing his chainmail shirt and he even left his sword by his tent. He now stood before her and he could see her barely through the darkness. Her pale grey yet smooth and flawless skin and her eyes glowed from the light that reflected from them, even as she stood as far off from the camp as she did. Her long silver white hair flowed down freely past her shoulders and over her breasts and when she raised her hands to offer them he accepted them.

"You have returned to me my love" he said in a soft and gentle voice which was unusual for a man such as he. "I am filled with such happiness to see you once more this night." he told her as she briefly looked in the direction of the camp. "Yes my love, I did exactly as you instructed and the raid was a success. We captured many slaves, looted much treasures and have made a deal with the Sisters of the Black Sabbath. Everything is going exactly as we have hoped." he told her, bringing her attention back to him. She responded by gently placing her hand on his cheek and he reached up to take it in his own and gently kiss it. "Yes my love, soon very soon we will be ready." he told her as he brought her a little closer to himself.

"We have only six ships now but soon we shall command hundreds with thousands of warriors to fight under our banners." he told her eagerly. "And once we're ready, once we've gained enough men and power, once we've found and unlocked all the seals we will finally be able to start the war to end all wars. We will destroy the old world and build a new one together. A world in our own image." he said as she leaned closer to him. "A world where we will not be punished for our love for one another." he promised. He then leaned in and closing the gap between them they shared a loving and passionate kiss. Tonight she would join him in his tent and they would share the next several hours together in love and passion.

For after this day, it would only be the very beginning of their plans for revenge against those who have wronged them.

[Author's Notes] Jesus wept! I cannot believe how long and how hard it was for me to finally finish this chapter. But good grief am I glad that I'm finally glad that I'm done with it.

Now as you all have noticed, Theo and Lyca aren't the main focus of this chapter. Don't worry they'll be the soul focus of the story from here on out. But I really wanted to give you guys an idea of who the major antagonist is here. I wanted to make Hrothgar a real bad guy. One you will love to hate and I hope I managed to do so. I'm also interested in reading if you guys can tell what he and his secret lover are up to. Let me know in the Reviews or in a PM. Also, this is the one and only chapter in the story dedicated entirely to Hrothgar and his raiders. From now on there may be a scene with him from time to time but naturally this is Theo's story and I'm going to be focusing on him and Lyca. (As well as all the other girls he's going to meet later hee hee.)

The reason for this chapter is I wanted to try and hint at what I have planned for Hrothgar and his raiding parties without giving away too much. And like I said, from here on out he'll only get smaller scenes going forward. I hope it's not weird for me to begin the new arc this way, it just seemed like a good idea to me though. Let me know if you agree or not if you like.

As always, thank you all so much for reading my stories. I look forward to reading the Reviews and hearing what you guys think. And if you wanna chat sometime or share some ideas of your own in a PM feel free to any time. I enjoy talking with my readers and try to respond to all PMs whenever I'm able to.

This is Dragon1990 signing out :-)