Warning: Gore and violence content in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.
Journeys
Kid couldn't believe his own idiocy. He wished he could blame his actions on Nami. The woman had shocked him with her bold response to his suggestion. To have such an amazing woman shove him down and climb on top of him had aroused him beyond comprehension, and her play at seduction only made it worse. Reason fled his mind the moment her body pressed close and her lips teased his. Even when she bit him, all he could think about was how desperately he needed to have her. He was too stunned by the strength of that need to act on it, giving Nami the opening she needed to escape, leaving him cold and aroused and simmering with anger at how easily she enchanted him. Her temper only fueled his next actions.
But it wasn't her fault, and he knew better than to be angry with her when he had pushed things that far. He had set out to seduce her, even if the decision hadn't been entirely conscious on his part. Seeing the strength of her resolve when she vowed to never fail again had him fighting back the urge to kiss her within minutes of getting her into his tent. Her response to the gift he brought for her made the struggle worse, impossible to overcome when he thought to tempt her with the gold cross he claimed from the priest. He used that gold like bait on a hook and was all too happy to take advantage of her seeming willingness to give him what he wanted, even when they both knew he wasn't supposed to have it.
The beating she gave him was entirely justified. But even as he told himself that he deserved every kick and slap, he still wanted her, was still angry at being denied when he swore her interest was genuine. He couldn't fathom how she might have feigned her reactions to every gentle touch and kiss he managed to steal. He felt her shiver, heard her breath hitch, saw the sweet blush staining her cheeks. She wanted him, too. She had to.
His rational mind fled him when he tackled her onto his furs. He didn't give a damn about the cross; whether she wanted to keep it, or if she would give it back. It was a convenient excuse to prove that he hadn't been wrong to think she shared in his desires.
Her initial lack of response brought sense back for a moment, but before he could think to pull away, her lips softened to his and the tension melted from her frame. She kissed him back. And she kissed him with everything she had. She arched at his touch. She moaned for him. Whimpered for him. She would have let him take her right then and there.
And he would have if not for the pain that lanced up his spine and through his shoulder. He felt the wound in his shoulder tear open as he shifted to touch her, pressing more of his weight onto his injured arm. The shock of pain sobered his mind, but his lust was hardly doused, and that left him even angrier. He would have ignored the pain and kept going, but the moment of sobriety had been enough to bring reason back and he realized just what he was about to do.
Nami might have been willing in the moment, as overcome with passion as he was, but she had made it perfectly clear in Álasund that she could not be with him, or any other man that desired her. The beating he had received only minutes before was a reminder of her wish to abstain. If he didn't stop himself there, he would invariably destroy everything they had.
He didn't even care about invoking some foolishly placed curse. He didn't care that the usurper she fled from would carve him to pieces if he heard of the affair. He didn't care what sort of wrath the gods or giants brought down on him. All that mattered was that he would have betrayed Nami's faith in him. She had said that she trusted him not to lose control, to respect her wishes and boundaries. She would surely hate him if he broke that trust and let himself give in to his desires.
All he could do was warn her away from him before storming off to find some outlet for his frustrations. He ran into Killer on his way out and was met with a judgmental scowl that tempted him to punch his cousin for the first time in years. Apparently, he had thought to peek in when he passed by the tent and heard the commotion of their fight, and proceeded to witness Kid's loss of control. He ignored his cousin for the time being and aimed for the campfire he had sat at earlier, where the others still gathered to drink the night away. He ordered Gunda to get Nami into her bed and not let her guard down for a second. He told her to bind Nami with rope and sit on her if she tried to escape to his bed. He would not face that temptation again, not that night.
Once he felt Nami was safe from him, he turned to Killer and ordered him to start packing provisions for the next day and find out how many were going with him. It would keep his cousin from lecturing him, or asking more questions than Kid cared to answer. And it meant they wouldn't have to waste any time in the morning when he wanted to leave. The men could have the whole night to bicker about who might go with him. He didn't want to take a large party. He had no intention to war with this Saxon if he didn't have to. He had promised Nami that he wouldn't let anyone else die, and he would do his best to keep that promise.
With his orders given, he headed off to slaughter the last of their captives, but was stopped when Heat noticed the fresh blood staining his tunic. He was forced out of his tunic and sat by the fire so Heat could assess the newest damage. His healer still wanted to sew the wound shut, but he admitted that with Kid's unwillingness to rest, he would just tear the stitches out. Instead Kid found himself pinned to the ground by five men with a frayed rope shoved in his mouth while Heat closed the wound with a hot knife. The searing pain sapped him of his strength, drained the restless energy that drove his foul mood, and after a deep drink from a cup of wine, he passed out by the fire.
After a fitful night of sleep on the cold, hard ground, Kid woke before dawn and got the men up to leave for Lord Urouge's territory. While the others ate, he killed the last of the captives, save for the one he intended to deliver alive, and tossed their remains onto a cart. He was restless to leave immediately, but it wasn't until the sun crested the horizon that the others were ready to go.
Lucci, Kaku, and Killer were joining him, along with a handful of Franky's men. He ordered the rest of his men to stay behind to guard the camp. Franky volunteered to stay behind of his own accord, but his decision came with advice that Kid not leave Nami without at least saying goodbye. Kid would have refused to seek her out, except Franky shoved him toward the women's tent where Nami had been hiding since the night before and he was left with little choice on the matter.
He wanted to see her, no matter what he said, but he swore it was in their best interests that he keep his distance until he could find something akin to control. In the end, his need to leave with one last glimpse of her won out. There was no guarantee that he would see her again if things went awry in his errand. He didn't want to leave her with any regrets.
Unfortunately, when he poked his head into her tent, he was met with Gunda's darkest glare while she kept a tight grip on her sword. She looked ready to behead him from where she stood in front of Nami's bed. He wondered if Nami told her about the night before, or if she merely assumed something had happened because of his orders. Either way, it was obvious she was not about to let him near her charge anytime soon, and he was both annoyed and grateful for that.
Nami didn't even notice him as she sat with her nose buried in the book from Francia, intently reading about their nobility, so he slipped away without a word. His mood soured and the men accompanying him noticed enough to step carefully around him as he wound rope around their captive's neck and secured the makeshift lead to his saddle. The man was forced to stumble along behind him as they made their way off to find his lord. If he lost his footing, Kid would just leave him to drag through the dirt. He had no patience or sympathy for the bastard, even if his mood wasn't so foul.
He was told that the journey would take nearly two days with the slow pace of their cart, but he felt no rush in his errand. The time away would be good to clear his mind.
The first day was spent mostly in silence, at least for him. Franky's men chattered away near the back of their procession, but said nothing to him as he took the lead and distanced himself from the rest. He spared a few grunts if Killer spoke to him, but that was a rarity. The only other in their group willing to come near him was Lucci, and he spoke even less than Killer, so Kid was perfectly content with his company.
They stopped before the sun went down, but Kid knew sleep would elude him that night so he kept himself busy sharpening a sword as he stared at their prisoner. He held the man's gaze, keeping his eyes hard and lips curled in a sadistic grin while he slowly drew his whetstone over the blade. The Saxon fidgeted in his ropes, unable to hide his fear after the trauma of watching his companions be slaughtered, one by one, in cold blood. His face was covered in the blood of those men, long dried and turned into crusting splotches of brown. Terrorizing the Saxon was the only thing that kept Kid's mind from thinking about the night before, though it hardly kept his thoughts off the woman he left behind.
He took a sick amount of amusement in every flinch and shudder he earned from his captive, while forcing himself to ignore Nami's request for mercy. She was too kind. After all that she had been through in life, for her to have any capacity for mercy amazed him. She would likely plead for this Saxon's life if she saw the state he was in, weak from fever and whimpering like a helpless babe. But Kid wasn't kind, no matter how well he treated her, or anyone else he cared for. They were his people, his friends, his family. It was his duty to protect them, to provide for them. The man before him was not a friend, he was an enemy that set upon his people with only bloodshed and capture in mind. He knew better than to forgive an enemy, to let them go unpunished. If he showed any enemy mercy, it was strictly out of respect, not remorse or compassion. He had no respect for the cowering man before him, so he had no mercy to spare.
They set off the next day just after dawn. Kid's mood had improved to a dull sort of indifference. He was tired from his sleepless night, but he couldn't be bothered to care. He would sleep after he dealt with Urouge.
Midday brought them to a sprawling village with a fortress built at the center. Their captive informed them that this was where Lord Urouge lived, so Kid retreated their group into the thin woods to the east. He spent the better part of the afternoon cutting down trees with Lucci and Kaku while he set Killer to work on the nine bodies in the cart that were attracting more and more flies with every hour that passed.
Later that night, under the cover of darkness, Kid and Killer took Franky's men to an open field visible to the village. He had sharpened two long timbers into stakes and tied them into a cross for their captive to be bound to at the center of the field. Nine more stakes were placed around him in a ring, each decorated with a severed head impaled onto the spiked top. The Christians likened he and his men to demons, so Kid decided to give them a gruesome display straight out of their devil's hellish pits.
Logs and twigs were piled around the nine stakes and set aflame. Once the blazes took, they tossed the last of the dismembered bodies into the flames and took off to hide just over the crest of a hill.
They watched and waited with their bows ready as the prisoner began to cry out as the flames spread through dry grass, filling the field with a blaze that couldn't be missed by anyone in the village. It didn't take long for chaos to erupt. The villagers shouted and raced out with buckets of water in hand to douse the flames. In the flickering light, Kid signaled for his men to take aim. He waited for one breath and then gave the signal to let their arrows loose.
He grinned at the shrieks and cries of pain as the Saxons were picked off one by one. He doubted many of the hits were lethal. The darkness and irregular light from the fire made it difficult to strike a moving target, but that didn't stop him from unleashing hell on them. Their lord willfully followed the schemes of a silent monk and brought misery to his people that had taken no part in their raids. Nami and the others had been innocent, even if Kid and the rest were not. They did nothing to deserve an attack, and he knew they would have been safe where they were if not for that monk wanting to take her. He felt it only fair that Urouge's innocent villagers suffer Kid's wrath.
Kaku and Lucci hadn't been interested in this part of Kid's plan, but they knew better than to stop him. They chose to wait at the edge of the woods, watching the mayhem in case they would need to attack. By the time the giant came rushing out, half dressed in trousers and a loose robe, they were already out of arrows and most of the villagers had taken shelter. Urouge's soldiers were too busy protecting the village from the fire to give chase when Kid signaled for them to retreat.
They were shrouded by darkness that night as they wove their way through the trees back to their camp. Kid doubted Urouge would spare anyone to attack that night, not when there was a risk of ambush, with Kid having the obvious advantage. But he still ordered that they not keep a fire that night and maintained a strict guard of the area to avoid being sneaked up on.
"What do you plan to do tomorrow?" Lucci asked him as he settled down against a tree to rest.
His bruised and battered side ached, and his shoulder had become so stiff he could hardly move his left arm. He swallowed a groan as he leaned back, thankful that the dark and shadows hid his grimace. He didn't want to appear at a disadvantage, even with allies.
"Depends on what that Saxon giant thinks to do," Kid mused. "You want to fight him, don't you?" Lucci nodded, his hand flexing around the grip of his sword. Kid stretched his side and tried to roll his shoulder to loosen it, masking his discomfort with a quiet chuckle. "After tonight, I doubt Urouge will care to broker for peace, but I would like a chance to ask him about the monk that sent him to our camp."
"You should have considered that before attacking his villagers," Kaku said.
"And if he did not wish to see his people struck down with our arrows, perhaps he should have considered the consequences of attacking our camp first," Kid growled.
"You promised Nami that we would all return alive," Killer reminded. "If you mean to approach Urouge for a treatise, then you should prepare for the chance of an ambush. We'll be outnumbered with our small party."
"I know that," he grumbled. "Lucci wants to battle him, so why not make a request for single combat to settle the score between us?"
"And when I win, how will you gain the information you seek on the monk?" Lucci asked.
Kid cocked his brow. "You left your last opponent alive. I don't see how you can't let this one keep breathing for a little while so I can ask a few questions." He shut his eyes with a shrug. "But if you kill him, then that's what the gods willed. I'll search for answers elsewhere."
With that, the matter was settled. Kid wanted to be confidant that he would get answers from Urouge the next day, but even he had his doubts. There was something strange afoot with that monk. He had a nagging suspicion that there were more gods at play with his fate, and Nami's, than Odin and Freyja. The image of a monk shrouded in black and blood and flies, an embodiment of death, made him wonder what sort of trickster or demon might be lurking in the shadows. There were more monsters in their world than giants that they had reason to fear. Kid vowed that he would not let his guard falter, that he would doubt any strangers he came across. He wouldn't let any malevolent being or spirit attempt to bring Nami harm, twist her fate, or take her from him. He would do whatever it took to protect her.
The next day, Kid waited until late morning before leading his party toward the village. The grass field still smoldered, filling the air with a haze of smoke that smelled like charred grass and burnt flesh. The stakes had burned to ash, but no sign of the soldiers' remains could be found in the cinders. Their crucifix was singed, but otherwise remained intact. The ropes that had bound their captive were cut, which meant the man had likely survived, though Kid imagined he continued to suffer after the torture he forced the soldier to endure.
Kid ordered the others to stay in the field while he went on ahead alone. They would watch for any attack as he approached the village entrance and come to his aid if he needed it. He slowed his horse when a villager spotted him and screamed, bringing the rest of the village's attention to him. He kept his shield propped in front of him and had borrowed a helm to protect his head should anyone attempt to shoot an arrow his way. Between the extra armor and his heavy furs, he wondered if he appeared as a monster to the Saxons fleeing to their homes. After the previous night, he was surely something out of their worst nightmares; the very demon they claimed him to be.
He watched through the narrow slits of his helm as the villagers were replaced with a small garrison of soldiers. They lined up along the edge of town with iron shields and sharp spears held in front of them. They kept their distance from him, their formation meant more as a deterrent than any act of aggression. He was only one man, but his actions last night left them wary and mistrustful. They would not attack recklessly, but they would stand in defense of their people if he charged them.
"I wish to talk to your lord," he called to them, lowering his shield when he saw no threat of an arrow striking him. He leaned over the pommel of his saddle to grin at the soldiers. A few heads turned as they discussed his request, but he waited patiently, idly stroking his horse's mane, until one of the soldiers broke from the formation to run back into the village. The remaining soldiers were tense, their guards sharp while he relaxed in his saddle seemingly without a care.
He didn't have to wait long before the large, dark-skinned lord came sauntering through the village with a longsword propped on his shoulder and a scowl on his face. He didn't look interested in talking, but he came to a halt in front of his men when he saw that Kid's men remained far behind him.
"What do you want from me, pagan?" Urouge asked.
"That's a rude way to greet a man wishing to negotiate peace, Lord Urouge," Kid called, his grin widening. "I have a name, you know."
"I do not know your name, though after the cruel display you left us last night, I think pagan suffices," Urouge bellowed back.
"Fair enough," Kid relented, chuckling to himself.
"And was that display not a declaration of war? Why broker for peace when you made it clear you have no interest in such?" The Saxon giant seemed to grow in stature as he puffed his chest and straightened his back. He doubted Kid's intentions, but Kid could not hold that against him.
"I was just venting some of my anger. You unjustly attacked my people…"
"Unjustly? Were you not here to raid our lands?" Urouge interrupted.
"I never came near your village, and those people left at my camp were not here to war."
"Perhaps not, but they were here to support you and the others that did raid. They are not as innocent as you are intent on making them out to be," Urouge argued.
"I will grant you that most of my men are far from innocent, but the women in that camp meant no harm to any of you. And your man informed me that you meant to take off with one of them, that she was the sole reason you attacked. Kidnapping an innocent young woman, that isn't very Christian of you," Kid growled. "I thought it was only us pagans who stole women from our enemies?" he asked mockingly.
Urouge's posture relaxed as he nodded. "My soldier told me your reason for seeking me out was to punish me for harming your woman. So, what has changed your mind from seeking vengeance? Surely your barbaric sacrifice of my men was not enough to quench your need for my blood."
"You're right, it hardly sated me, but I have questions only you can answer, and if I kill you, then that won't help me protect my people," he said.
"Should I answer your questions, then what is there to stop you from then seeking your vengeance upon me?"
"I am a man of my word," Kid assured with a confident smile.
"And then what is to stop me from seeking my own vengeance after you made my innocent people suffer?"
Kid chuckled. "As I said, I am a man of my word, and I made a promise to someone that I would return alive."
Urouge stared at him a moment before he broke out in ringing laughter. Kid's brow rose at the unexpected grin splitting the Saxon's jolly face. "I take it your promise was to the woman with amber hair I was tasked to steal from you? I understand that she is precious to you. She may not be the angel the monk claimed, but she has at least inspired some grace and mercy in such a violent creature, so she must be holy in her own right."
That made Kid laugh with him. "She's hardly inspired shit in me. If I could be certain that I could keep my promise to her, and kill you right here and now, I would have done so the second I saw you again, and then I would have burned your whole fucking village to the ground."
"You instill such confidence in me that you will truly keep your word," Urouge said with a snort. "I would be wise to slaughter you here and now."
"Then I have a proposition to make to you. Fight my ally in single combat. If you defeat him, we'll leave here without any further bloodshed, and I'll vow never to raid in your territory again."
"And if, by some cruel fate, your ally defeats me? What of the questions you have of me? You won't get any answers if I'm dead, remember?"
"My ally has agreed to let you live long enough to give me answers. But, if you die, then you die, and I'll just have to accept that."
"And what will come of my people in that case?"
"My ally has no desire to fight your villagers, and he and his friend shared plenty of their disagreements about last night. They don't want any more innocent blood shed, so if my ally wins his battle, I will heed his wishes and leave your people alone." That had been an easy agreement to make, at least it was after Killer reminded him of his promise to Nami. They were too small in numbers to destroy the village, and he was in no condition to battle a Saxon army, let alone Lucci who appeared willing to take his head if he killed any villagers. He wasn't going to recklessly throw his life away over a squabble with an ally, not when he had far greater goals to achieve in the future. And if Urouge agreed to fight Lucci in single combat, then even he could agree that it would be dishonorable to kill everyone the Saxon lord was willing to die to protect. "Win or lose, this battle will settle my grudge with you."
It was the most generous offer he would ever make to an enemy, and Kid hoped Urouge would take it. He wanted to see this battle, and he wanted his answers. He wouldn't leave until he had both.
Urouge gave the offer a moment of silent contemplation. He played with a string of red beads wound around his wrist as he stared off at the men waiting in the field far behind Kid. When his decision was made, he turned back to Kid with a grin.
"I will fight your ally, and when I defeat him, you will leave here peacefully and never return. If you ever step foot in my lands with ill intent again, then I won't rest until you and every single man and woman you brought with you is buried in the ground, never to torment my people again."
Kid smiled at the condition he tacked onto the agreement. He would be allowed back to Urouge's lands if he was peaceful, he just couldn't needlessly war or raid within his lands. He could keep his word on that. "So be it," he said, nodding. "Are you ready to fight him now, or do you need time to prepare?"
"Return tomorrow morning, shortly after dawn. I would like to pray and settle some affairs, make love to a woman, just in case the Lord above has determined this is my time to join Him. I do not want to leave this world with regrets," Urouge said.
"We'll see you again at dawn, then," he said, turning his horse back to his men. "If you can, fuck that woman an extra time for me. I was kept from enjoying a beautiful and willing woman before I sought you. I'd pity even you if you died with my misery."
Urouge's laughter followed him all the way to his men. He was met with bemused looks as his horse continued past them.
"He's agreed to fight you in the morning," he said to Lucci on his way by. Their confusion didn't lessen as they followed him, but he ignored their curious stares. He didn't care to explain Urouge's bellowing laughter, not when he would surely be mocked for the reason. Among their party, only Killer knew the reason for his mood, and he'd rather not share that knowledge with anyone else.
Spurned by his own body's weakness. The sting to his pride was two-fold. Any mockery would end in murder.
He snorted wryly to himself. At least someone in that country was fucking their woman that day. It was just too bad it wasn't him.
"Lady Nami," Gunda snapped as she trailed Nami around the camp. Her temper was thinning as Nami gathered extra furs and scraps of food, stuffing them into a leather bag, but Nami ignored her shieldmaiden. "I beg of you, please reconsider. Jarl Eustass will be furious when he learns of this."
Nami laughed, waving off the woman's concerns as she headed toward the horse Axel was grudgingly saddling for her. "So long as I return before he does, he doesn't need to know anything."
"And if you don't return?" Gunda argued, snatching Nami by the sleeve to spin her around and force her to see the woman's worried scowl.
It had only been half a day since Kid left, and Nami had grown restless within the confines of the camp. The men were still making repairs to their defenses, Heat was busy tending to the wounded, and Nami had little to do but help the healer. But even that task was taken from her after their two most critically injured finally succumbed to their wounds. It hadn't been much of a surprise, both had been suffering from high fevers, but the grim reminder of the deaths hanging over her made the restlessness worse. She couldn't remain in camp, not without her mind wandering to those she had lost.
The only thoughts she had to distract herself from melancholy were of Kid and what had happened between them the night before. She tolerated those thoughts even less. A shiver would tease down her spine, her lips would ache for his kiss, her body would long for his touch, and she found herself wondering what might have come if he hadn't stopped.
She absolutely could not sit around letting those idle thoughts overtake her. She needed to get away. She needed to explore, to give in to her wanderlust, and put all of that behind her.
Nami sighed. "I will. Kid won't be back for a few days, and I can't stay here waiting around for him to sate his bloodlust. I came here to see new lands, and I mean to do just that."
"But Lady Nami, it is dangerous. That monk could still be out there, waiting for you to be alone to snatch you. And there is no telling what other lords might take exception with a Northern woman wandering their lands," Gunda reasoned. "You cannot go on this journey. Not alone."
Nami smiled at her. "Then come with me."
"What?" Gunda looked taken aback, blinking in surprise.
"I don't want to go alone, Gunda. You're more than welcome to join me. I could use the companionship," she explained.
"Then why not ask Lady Kalifa or anyone else?"
Nami took her hand in hers and squeezed it tight. "Because you are my friend, here and at home. I can share more with you than any other, and I trust you most of all to protect me while I'm away." Gunda didn't look convinced, so Nami smiled reassuringly. "I want to map more of the coast and continue my practice with the runes. Either task requires my whole concentration, and I want someone there to watch over me, that I trust will not take advantage, and can comfort me if my meditation brings another dark vision. You're the only other person here I feel safe confiding in, Gunda."
"I feel strangely offended hearing that," Axel grumbled beneath his breath from beside her horse. She ignored him while staring expectantly at Gunda.
"I'll join you," she relented with a long sigh. She glanced over Nami's shoulder to glare at Axel. "I certainly cannot trust any of the men to be in your company alone."
"And that is doubly offensive," Axel huffed. "After Jarl Eustass' behavior last night, all the men understand she is not to be touched, no matter what. He'll chop our balls off if we even look at his woman the wrong way."
Nami glowered at him. "I'm not his woman." Axel's brow rose, and Nami huffed defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't refer to me as though I were one of Kid's possessions. No man may possess me; that includes him. And he knows that as well as I do, so don't you dare think to treat me as such."
Axel's frown remained unconvinced, but he rolled his eyes and gave up on that argument. The fact that the gossip of their failed tryst spread like wildfire among Kid's mean was yet another reason she needed to get far away from the camp. They all seemed eager for details she would not give. Kid had been just as unwilling to speak on the matter in detail, but he had been able to flee the camp before enduring the brunt of their questions while she was left at their mercy. Gunda kept them back as best she could, but there was no missing the knowing grins they cast her way. It was a miracle they kept the information to only Kid's men, though Franky seemed perfectly aware of what happened. Kalifa hadn't tried to lecture her for anything, so she knew the gossip had been mostly contained. It was only a matter of time before that changed.
"Well, ignoring that debate," Axel said, "I do agree with Gunda that you shouldn't go alone."
"And I'm not," Nami groaned. "You did just hear her agree to join me, didn't you?"
"I don't think it would be wise to send you ladies off without a capable escort," Axel explained.
Nami's brows rose. "Are you saying that you don't think we are capable enough of defending ourselves? Maybe I should have Kalifa come over here and remind you that we women are not to be underestimated?"
He grimaced as he cast a look to the woman sitting with Iceburg's men across the camp from them. She had been complaining of dizzy spells and nausea since their battle and insisted on resting as much as she could, but Nami didn't doubt that she would fight through the injury to correct Axel of his doubts. "I just think it would be wise if you had additional protection. If someone was willing to send an army down upon our camp for you, then we can't leave your safety to chance. As Gunda said, Jarl Eustass will be furious if anything happens to you."
"That's why I'm joining them," Hróarr called as he led two horses toward them. He glared at Axel. "Out of all the men in this camp, I'm the one most immune to Nami's enchantments. You'll only continue to spoil her and lose your senses." He ignored Axel as the man gaped in shock and turned to smile down at Nami. The expression was pained, not one he was used to making. "If you'll have me, of course. I will not interfere if you wish to bond with your shieldmaiden alone, but I would not be doing my duty, or properly honoring Finn's sacrifice if I did not at least follow to keep an eye on you."
She frowned at his reason, unable to refute it, and grudgingly agreed with a short nod. He turned to Gunda, his smile already gone. "Gather what you need quickly. It would be best if we leave soon so we have the most time to return."
Axel broke from his surprise as Gunda hurried off to pack. He glowered at Hróarr. "You are just as likely to spoil her as the rest of us."
"I am not the one that let her into the chests," he reminded, glancing at Nami. "How much did you take for yourself?"
She pursed her lips and stared up at the sky, refusing to answer. She didn't take that much. Only a bracelet.
Hróarr kicked the satchel hanging from her hand and looked at her expectantly when he heard the tinkling chime of the coins inside.
So, she might have taken fifty… or a hundred coins, too. It was hardly more than a pittance compared to the whole haul.
"See?" He looked back at Axel who failed to look innocent. He had held the bag open for her while she piled her treasure inside. "At least I am capable of telling her no."
"Halle was the one that let her peek in the chests. And I told her no when she reached for the coins," he attempted to argue, but as Hróarr stared skeptically, Axel's cheeks turned pink with a blush. "But then she did that pouty lip thing and batted her eyes… You can't judge me for that. Even Jarl Eustass cannot say no to that look!"
"And that is why you are not going with the women," Hróarr stated. "She might come across a village and attempt to loot them herself, and you will not stop her."
"I wouldn't loot a random village!" Nami argued. Hróarr's brow rose. "Fine, I would have made him do it for me," she huffed.
"I am going, and you will behave yourself," Hróarr stated firmly, ignoring her sulky pout. "I will not endure the Jarl's wrath should you get yourself into trouble. We will follow the coast north for three days, avoid any village or farm we see, and then return before the others do. Without more gold than is already in your bag."
Nami gave one last petulant huff over the rules he put in place. She had no intention of stealing from any homes she came across on her journey. She truly only meant to travel along the coast to map it. If she were alone, she was in no shape to defend herself from attack, no matter how easily she could slip in and out of a home without being noticed. And even with Gunda coming along, she would not have wanted to put her shieldmaiden in more danger by making any reckless attempts at thievery. If Axel had come, though, she might have considered it more. He would at least make for a good distraction while she slipped into a house, but she didn't want to risk his life in case they came across stronger men. She had seen enough loss, she would not see more. Not even for a few more bits of gold.
Hróarr gave her a firm pat on the head and gestured for her to mount her horse once Gunda reappeared with a satchel of her belongings. Axel secured Nami's bags while Hróarr helped Gunda with hers. Once the three of them were mounted, Axel grabbed her knee and leveled her with a stern look.
"Come back quickly. I don't want to see how angry our Jarl can become if he finds you missing," he said, a note of warning in his voice. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see Kid that angry, either. She might care for him and trust him, but even she knew to be wary of his temper.
"I'll be back within a week," she reassured, patting his hand before he drew it away.
The rest of the camp shouted their farewells from around the fires, and the three of them cantered off toward the north.
They followed the hills overlooking the coast, walked through wooded regions that gave way to open meadows. They traveled in silence for most of that afternoon, Nami leading the way while Hróarr remained a few paces behind, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.
Nami focused on the slow, ambling gait of her horse as they made their way over rough paths. She listened to her mare snort and whiny, the clop of her hooves upon stones buried within rich soil. She felt the steady strength and graceful form of the animal's movements. Her worries bled away, replaced by peace and contentment. She thought of nothing but the path in front of her and the horse carrying her over foreign lands. The rest of her mind was cleared, centered on the present, on herself.
The journey had been Heat's idea when he noticed her despondent and restless visage. While he couldn't join her, he still felt it was wise to give in to her need for escape. She needed to breathe, to remember the life that filled her spirit, and she couldn't do that surrounded by reminders of death. She needed clarity to move forward. She needed to find her way back to the path she was determined to forge. She needed to forget her losses, forget her fears, forget her desires, and focus solely on her spirit.
He advised her to concentrate on only the journey as he etched the raidho rune onto a gold coin and pressed it into her palm. He reminded her that Freyja often journeyed over the lands in search of her lost husband, Odr, who had his own wanderlust that carried him far and wide. It wasn't just the spirit of the sea within her, it was the spirit of exploration and a curiosity of the unknown. He said in this journey she must find the right direction to take in the world, to find herself, to listen to the knowledge she already possessed.
There were no visions that day to prove the decision was the right one, but Nami felt freer than she had back in camp. The peace in her soul was enough to tell her that the journey and path she followed was the correct one.
They stopped before nightfall to rest on a hill overlooking the sea. Hróarr went down to the shore to try his luck at catching some fresh fish, while she and Gunda prepared a fire. Nami took advantage of the waning light as she took out a sheet of parchment and a small ink well she found tucked in the chest Kid brought her. She had found a bird feather as they walked along the coast that was suitable enough for a quill, not perfect, but after she cleaned and sharpened the tip, she decided it would suffice until she made something better. She made a desk out of the large tome on Frankish lineage, pinned her parchment down with rocks as the breeze picked up, and then set about sketching the coastline she had seen that day.
It had been months since she was last able to draw a map of her own desire. Arlong appreciated the talent and pushed her to map out all the Frankish coasts and territories he took her to visit. For anyone else, she would have been happy to put her skills to use, but for Arlong it always felt like another chore. She wanted to see the world, and she wanted to map it, but she didn't want to do it for that man's personal gain. Drawing for herself, though, was a pleasure, something she took pride in knowing that so few of their people had the skill. As talented as they were at crafting ships and navigating the oft untamable seas, maps were still rare. They learned their routes through experience, through stories, through the teaching of parent to child, through commune with nature and the world around them. They might etch some maps of their lands onto rocks and trees, but they were nothing like the detailed, and sometimes colorful pieces painted onto parchment found in other lands. That was steadily changing as their trade routes expanded and they had more access to better materials, allowing them to cultivate skills that might once have been squandered.
She wondered just how far they could advance as a world of knowledge and wealth gradually opened to them.
"Where did you learn such a skill?" Gunda asked as she sat down beside her, peering over Nami's shoulder to watch her draw.
"I taught myself," Nami explained as she gently brushed her inked feather over the parchment, careful to keep her lines neat and smooth. "When Jarl Genzo took me to Hedeby, he brought along a map of the Danish coast, and I compared the two as we sailed by. The map wasn't accurate, so when we got home, I drew a new one. Then every day I would wander to the Kattegat to walk along the coast, then follow the river back to Tingstad. I counted my steps to judge the distance, then drew a map that took the distance into account, scaling my steps down to the width of my fingertip. Eventually I didn't need to count my steps anymore. I just knew the distance I traveled by how much my feet hurt."
Gunda snickered. "You worked very hard at your talent. I suppose it does not all come naturally. Or perhaps it does, but to understand it requires effort, and to master it requires practice."
Nami smiled. "That is certainly true. Talents and gifts are only a starting point. My mother… Bellemere, she told me that the gods gave me the raw ability, but it was up to me to make something of it."
"I am sure she would be proud of you if she saw you now." Gunda spoke carefully, her tone solemn and wary. "You do not speak of her much - the shieldmaiden that raised you - but I can tell she was dear to you."
"She was my mother," Nami said softly. "Maybe not by birth, but she was my mother in every way that mattered. I have never once stopped missing her."
Gunda said nothing, but placed her hand on Nami's shoulder to comfort her. Nami shook away her sad thoughts, and forced herself to smile as brightly as she could. She lost her mother, and her sister was far out of her reach, but Nami wasn't alone. She had friends to rely on, that brought her comfort and joy in the bleakest of times. She had little reason to be sad.
Hróarr returned to their camp with a single fish. It was better than nothing and would be more filling than the provisions of dried meat and nuts they brought. Nami tucked her map away once the fish was cooked. It was growing too dark to continue her work, anyway. She kept her book out as she stretched out beside the fire to eat, deciding to read a couple of pages before going to bed. The book accounted for several Frankish lineages, with grand stories of their founding and most notable heirs that reminded her of the great sagas of their own people. Some of the content was dry and lacking information, but she could tell who was held in highest regard based on how many stories were given of their personal exploits.
"What is that book you have been reading?" Gunda asked over her supper. "You were reading it so intently this morning, you missed when Jarl Eustass came by the tent."
Nami blinked in surprise, looking up at her shieldmaiden in surprise. "He came by this morning?"
Hróarr snorted. "On Franky's advice," he explained. "He was told not to leave you without at least saying goodbye, just in case he never returned." Hróarr gestured toward Gunda. "I believe she's the real reason you didn't notice. She takes her orders seriously where your safety is concerned."
"I would have allowed him to say goodbye if he spoke up," Gunda insisted. "He merely ordered that I not let him near her, so I stood in his path to her when he looked in. He could have shared any message he had from the opening of the tent."
Nami pouted. "He told me he didn't want to see my face again until he returned. I'm surprised he came by at all, no matter what Franky might have told him."
Hróarr hid his smile with a shake of his head. "That man might have said that, but I doubt he meant it in his heart. We've all noticed how he sulks without your attention, even if the distance is by his design. He likes when your eyes are on him."
Gunda sighed. "I don't know all that transpired between the two of you last night, but Hróarr is right. He could not go a day without at least laying eyes on you when he was treating you so coldly. He obviously hated that distance as much as he hated your anger with him for it."
"I can only imagine how miserable he must be right now." Hróarr chuckled. "I doubt that man's ever been smitten over a woman in his life. He surely has no idea how to deal with those feelings."
Nami fought off a blush at his straightforward remark. "That subject is part of why I needed to escape camp, can we please not discuss it further. It makes no matter what he does or does not feel for me. It's forbidden."
"Marriage is forbidden. Not love or lust or whatever it is that drives my jarl to protect you so earnestly." Hróarr scoffed, waving her off. "I'll drop the subject, but not before saying what I think of that rule concocted in your clan's tale first. It's pure horse shit. The gods have done enough meddling in your existence. They should step aside and let you live your life however you desire. We all only have a short time in this world, might as well enjoy it to the fullest. To do otherwise is setting yourself up for tragedy and heartache."
She glared thoughtfully at him. She wondered on that advice. The entire curse began because of gods meddling in the affairs of others. Every daughter was separated from their lover, just as Hnoss had been forcefully separated from her lover, and just as Freyja was always separated from her husband. Terrible fates fell upon the mortal women of the lineage, but that was because the men they inevitably chose to lay with were too greedy and selfish, too weak-willed to resist using them for their own ambitions.
It didn't matter to her. After what occurred, it wasn't the curse she was worried about most, though it made for a convenient excuse. Her visions showed Kid's death and there was no guarantee she would be able to change that. Hróarr said that not giving in to whatever she desired would lead to heartache, and for most people that might be true, but for her, if she gave in to whatever force had gradually been drawing her closer to Kid, then she could end up facing the greatest heartache of her life if he was taken from her. She had to guard herself against the future tragedy, even if it meant robbing herself of the pleasure promised in Kid's touch.
Her heart ached at that decision, but she couldn't be deterred from it.
"I'll give it some thought," she said to appease Hróarr, and then turned to Gunda with a painfully forced smile. "As for your earlier question, this book is on the noble lineages of Francia."
"Why does that interest you so much?" Gunda asked, while Hróarr raised a brow to show his own curiosity on the matter.
"I've been told that my father was a Norman lord," Nami explained. "I was never told his name, but supposedly he still has family living in Francia. I'm hoping to find some clues to who he might be in this text."
Bellemere had been the one to tell her about her Norman heritage. Arlong had been the one to tell her that she still had family living there, within the noble house. She wasn't sure if she could believe that, especially when he never deigned to give her a name, or even tell of how they were related. Did she have a sibling? A cousin? An elderly aunt not long for the world? She had no idea who belonged to this other side of her family. She never cared to meet them, not if they only intended to kill her to avoid the controversy, but she was curious of who they might be, if they truly existed. Her father was as much an enigma as her birth mother was. They were people that existed once, but they were only ghosts to her. She wondered if she found some evidence of the life they led, at least for one of them, would it solidify their existence in her mind?
"Were they not behind the decimation of your clan?" Hróarr asked, concern etched in his frown. "Why would you care to learn of them?"
"I want the proof that they existed." Nami sighed. "I doubt the Frankish would have written anything about their connection to a pagan clan, but it would be nice to know if there are some clues beyond what Arlong's told me."
"I'm not sure how much you can learn if you don't even know the name of your father. How would you know if he's mentioned at all without his name?" Gunda asked.
Nami frowned. "I have an idea what he might look like. I think." Her companions looked at her expectantly. "Bellemere had been new to Västerås when the Frankish attacked the clan. Before that she had been in Normandy to work alongside Norman cousins to protect our trade routes. While she was there, she said she had met my father briefly, and he was the one that encouraged she travel to Svealand and pledge her shield to my clan. She said that he only had praises for my mother, compared her hair to spun gold and said her smile was more radiant than any jewel or pearl he had ever seen. If my mother had hair the color of spun gold, just as her mother had, and her grandmother, and great-grandmother, then how did I come to have amber colored hair?"
"So, you believe that any story about a man with amber colored hair might be about your father?" Gunda mused. "It is unique enough to be plausible, and most children with red hair have someone in their family with the same color."
"Jarl Eustass' father had brown hair," Hróarr grunted. "As did his mother."
"His cousins are fair, and I have heard that his grandfather had red hair in his youth," Gunda argued.
Hróarr shrugged. "Still, it could be related to her supposed curse more than her kin. Heat has told us that Nami's amber stone is special to her, that her curse and very being is connected to it. It is plausible that her color is related to that, not her father."
"Then why not her mother, or the mothers before her?" Gunda argued. "If Nami's existence is as connected to that stone as theirs were, then should they not share that resemblance?"
Nami glowered at the book in front of her as they bickered. "No, Hróarr has a point," she relented. "I know of a prophecy about my clan, and if it's true, I'm the last of the line. The amber my family's existence is connected to might have given me a distinguishing trait."
Gunda squeezed her shoulder and smiled sympathetically. Nami couldn't hide her disappointment from her, and even Hróarr gave up with a long sigh.
"But it does not hurt to learn what you can," he relented. "Just try not to raise your hopes if you find a hint. Even if you learn who this man was, you cannot know his family. They are not to be trusted. If the shieldmaiden that took you in knew of him, yet did not tell you more about him, then that silence speaks volumes. She didn't want you searching him out, either."
"I know." She pouted, idly fingering the thick parchment. She was still curious, but she supposed it was a foolish desire to seek for answers about a man and his family that destroyed the home she should have once known. They hadn't just taken her mother and her shieldmaidens. They had taken the priestesses dedicated to their family and the gods. They had taken the innocent villagers merely living a normal, peaceful existence. They had taken Nojiko's family. There had been nothing left of the village when they were done, every structure was smashed and burned. It had been a massacre beyond compare. She didn't want anything to do with those people.
But she still wanted to know the reason, or lack thereof, that drove the Frankish and Norman army to destroy a clan that bore them no malice or threat. She wouldn't have sought legitimacy within their lineage. She wouldn't have desired a title or recognition in their family. She would have grown up thinking nothing of them, just as all the women before her had grown up with no connection to their fathers. Madness alone couldn't be the only catalyst to their actions.
The topic was dropped after that and Nami returned to her reading until her eyes strained to understand the words in the waning firelight. The next morning, they set out shortly after dawn and Nami forgot about the conversation altogether as they traversed thickening woods further north. They saw smoke rising from a farm near midday. Hróarr led them around the property, giving it a wide berth to avoid being noticed. They found a well-worn path wide enough for a cart with deep ruts gouged into the hard-packed soil shortly after passing the farm. They followed the path until they heard a cart and men talking to the north of them. They slipped off the path and headed east toward the coast again. Nami looked back in time to see two men leading a horse drawn cart with an old woman riding in the back between stuffed bags, dozing off as they ambled over the uneven path. The men didn't take notice of them, but the old lady peeked open an eye and Nami swore she saw them, despite their trio walking deep within the trees. The old lady made no cry of alarm, merely smiled and nodded a greeting, then lowered her head to return to her nap before the cart was out of sight again. She seemed kind and Nami wondered if there were people that would grant them hospitality.
"Kid said that there were Norse settlements in this region," Nami spoke up. "Do you know if we're near any?"
Hróarr angled his head back so she could see his frown. "There are a few farms, I believe, but I'm not familiar enough with any of them to say where they might be. Why?"
"If we see one, maybe we can find a hall willing to welcome us for a night," she suggested.
"We shall see," he agreed, and Nami spent the early afternoon hoping they might get a warm meal that was more than a single fish for them to share.
When they found a clearing among the dense woods that overlooked the coastline, they took another break so that Nami could walk along the beach. She was surprised when she reached the end of the sandy coast and found a stretch of mudflats with a small island off in the distance. She imagined that at high tide the mud was completely submerged in the ocean, cutting the island off from the English mainland. She could just spy the remnants of a property, but no signs of life.
"I believe that was once a monastery," Hróarr said as he came up behind her. "Our people raided this region hundreds of years ago."
"Are they why it sits empty now?" she asked, glancing up at him.
He shook his head. "No, they were left well enough alone after that, but when the Danes began to creep further north, the people began to abandon much of this area. I believe this monastery's disuse is due to the tensions south of here."
Nami hummed to herself as she hiked up to solid ground on a hilltop, Gunda and Hróarr leading their horses behind her. She took her parchment from her pack and settled into the swaying grass without a word, intent on drawing the small island before they moved on. She drew out the mudflats and sea around it, sketched out the hill with the weathered remains of the monastery. When she was satisfied with what she had, she tucked her things away, shed her leather boots, and sprinted off toward the mud before Gunda or Hróarr could stop her.
She laughed to herself as she walked over the mud, carefully balancing as the wet ground tugged at her bare feet. She eventually found a path where the slick surface was more stable and walked out toward the island as far as she could. She heard Gunda shouting for her from the shore, but she ignored her as she came to a stop at a point between the English coast and the small island. She would have tried to walk all the way to the island to explore, but she could tell the tide would come in too soon, preventing her from reaching solid ground. For that moment, though, she imagined herself standing in the middle of the sea, with cold water lapping at her ankles rather than dark muck gripping her feet.
A shiver ran down her spine and she turned her face to the sky. White clouds floated above her, some were wisps, others looked as soft and fluffy as a sheep's coat. A breeze fluttered through her hair as she watched the clouds billow and collide and slowly darken the sky. A chill set in just as she turned back to the shore and she hopped her way through the muck while the wind grew stronger. She made it to her friends at the first distant rumble of thunder and grinned at Gunda who waited with a linen towel and disapproving frown.
She hurried to wipe the mud from her feet before the sky turned grey and raindrops began to splatter onto their brows. She ran for their horses with a laugh, didn't bother with her shoes as she mounted her mare, and the trio quickly raced away from the shore to find shelter from the storm. She shrieked when the rain came down harder just before they came to a thick growth of trees. It was cold and hard, but refreshing. It made the whole world smell fresh as it pummeled the trees over their head and the grass and soil under their feet.
Hróarr settled their horses against the trunk of a large oak, soothing them as best he could as the thunder rumbled louder above them. Nami skipped barefoot over dirt and acorns to the edge of the canopy to tilt her head back to feel the rain fall onto her face. Gunda was behind her, heaving an exasperated sigh as she urged Nami to come back under the thicker boughs before she caught her death from a chill, but Nami wasn't afraid of the rain, or the thunder, or the brilliant flashes of lightning that tendrilled through the sky.
She had never felt more alive.
She snatched Gunda by the arm and dragged her out into the rain, laughing as their clothes were soaked through in the downpour. Gunda's dark brown hair was a sopping wet mess, clinging to her flushed cheeks as she frowned at her. She looked like a poor cat that had the bad luck of falling into a river, but she still grudgingly let Nami spin her around in the rain, and eventually her sour mood broke the longer Nami made her play. Soon it was Hróarr urging for them to get back under the canopy as they danced and laughed.
A crack of thunder brought their dance to an end. Nami froze to stare wide-eyed at the sky as the world seemed to shake with the sound. Another rattling boom took her breath away, as though Thor had struck her chest with his hammer. A brilliant flash lit up the sky and Nami stood blind to the world around her.
The vision that came to her was flickering, disjointed, utterly senseless. It was nothing like her dreams. It was devoid of the rich details, no heart-breaking emotions to shatter her hopes. One moment she saw a boat floating out in a bay, innocent and non-descript save for the rats scuttling about the hull. It was gone with a flash of light, replaced by a golden spear. Another crackle of lightning brought the image of a man standing on a dock, his back to her, with gold wrapping around his arms and waist and head. He flickered with another flash and she saw the spear again. The water roiled to life around it. A fish floated up, and then another, and another, and another, until the whole fjord was flooded with the corpses of fish and whales and stank of their decay.
The last flash took her breath away again. She stood in stunned silence at the figure that towered over her, his red hair hidden beneath the dark pelt of a wolf, its gaping, ferocious jaws hanging over his brow and leaving his face in shadows. He stared at her, his eyes alight with the flames of desire, heating her chilled body with only one look. She drew in a sharp breath as bloodstained fingers brushed over her cheek and down her jaw. Her lips parted as his thumb teased over them, reminding her of how they ached for his kiss once it was gone.
He leaned in closer. She shut her eyes with a quiet sigh as she heard a growl rumble in his chest. A drop struck her lips instead of his kiss and her eyes shot open at the bitter tang of blood. His red hair turned to liquid before her very eyes, trickled over his brow and nose and cheeks until he was bathed in it.
And then with another flash he was gone and she found herself on her knees in cold, wet grass, her shieldmaiden clinging to her shoulders.
"Lady Nami," Gunda called, panic lacing her voice.
"Give her to me," Hróarr ordered before a warm fur was tossed over her head. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the trees while she shivered against his chest. "The oak will protect her."
He set her down on the driest patch of ground he could find and leaned her back against the trunk of the tree. He cupped her cheek, drawing her gaze to his deep scowl, and then he was shoved away, his face replaced by Gunda's as her shieldmaiden fussed and worried. Her hand pressed to her forehead, checking for fever. She pried at her eyes, even though they were open and seeing again. She fretted and muttered about being so reckless.
Nami was too entrenched in her thoughts to listen or respond. The vision had left her awestruck. It was powerful and filled her with a sense of foreboding, but not terror, nor grief. She wasn't yet certain what it all meant, how it would all come together, but the warning was clear.
Her hand curled in the soil beneath her, the hard shell of an acorn tucked into her palm.
A storm was coming, and it was up to her to guide them through it.
A/N: This chapter was going to be longer, but as I was writing Kid's next part, I realized it might be too long, so I've decided to split it up. Also that last line is perfect for the end of a chapter, lol. Since I already have a huge chunk of the next chapter written, I'm hoping it won't be too long to finish this part.
Some notes on spiritual imagery I use in this: The 'raidho' rune is a symbol of travel and journey on horseback, quite simply. It's actually my favorite rune, and Wardruna's song for it is just so beautiful and always inspiring for me. Anyway, it is also symbolic of finding one's inner wisdom and the path back to right, thus the reason for Nami's journey in the chapter.
As for Nami's vision, pretty sure the imagery's reference is blatantly obvious - Thor. Since Enel's arc is next, I will be making more and more references to Thor. The next chapter has more on him, as well. Significant imagery in this chapter for him, besides the lightning and thunder, are the oak and acorn. The oak is considered scared to Thor and ancient wisdom said that an oak will always provide protection in a storm (ignore common knowledge that says you should never hide under a tree in a lightning storm... then again, you shouldn't be out in a lightning storm at all). Acorns are common offerings to Thor, as well, to signify his connection to oak.
I'll discuss Thor more in the next chapter's notes since I will make further reference to his role in the Norse Pantheon, especially considering he will be connected to Enel in this fic who, like the Arlong-Aegir connection, is not perfectly representative of him. He fills a twisted, darker role, but the gods in the Norse Pantheon are complex, imperfect beings. They don't even pretend to be perfect, without flaw, and that includes the gods we would view as the 'heroes' or the 'good'. Even Loki is not viewed as 'evil' in this belief system. He serves his own role, and that role is not necessarily counter to what is viewed as good, at least not until the end.
Keep that in mind when seeing how 'Dumah's' story plays out.
Oh, and I saw that a few people were still unsure on his identity. I don't want you to be left-out in knowing, yet I still don't want to say his name, lol. The big hint in the last chapter, other than the whole 'wanting to see someone's world burn', was in the identity of his friend. In canon his friend is not human, but he still has white hair (fur), dresses in orange, and has a penchant for giving 'bear hugs' to his friends. Keep in mind that while Arlong and Enel are obvious villains since they were villains in canon, this character is not meant to be an obvious 'villain' in the same sense that they are, just as Loki's role as an antagonist in the sagas is not always cut and dry. He's elusive, his motives are his own, and he's just as willing to be an ally and protagonist when it suits him. And as I said before, the name he will introduce himself with next will make it a thousand times more obvious since it is a name close to his 'heart'.
I really should just say his name, but noooooooooooooooooooo he wants to be a mysterious dork.
And before you wonder - no, there will be no love triangle with him involved. Not really. Kid's point of view might make it seem that way, but everyone else's point of view will make it clear that it's not.