CHAPTER 26: Inevitable
After a long sailing trip across the seas following his positive meeting with Alfa Yurlin, Kurt spotted his island off in the distance. The waters were relatively calm and the sky was blue with a few splattered grey clouds. Throughout the trip on the Ancient boat, he had an upbeat energy inside him. He had secured the sovereignty of his tribe and put Yurlin to rest in his aggression.
So much so, that he'd been talking throughout the trip with the Ancient vikings on the boat with him as they sailed him back. He'd found out a lot from them, and they seemed like genuinely nice vikings. The ones on the boat with him were middle aged, so they were within the Ancient Tribe long before Yurlin became Chieftan.
Something that Kurt had found interesting was that the vikings didn't contemplate discussing their lives prior to Yurlin coming to power, as if that period of their tribe never existed. Usually, vikings would be more than happy to talk about their tribe and its history, but it seemed like the Ancients were keen to pretend that until Yurlin, their tribe wasn't actually the 'real' Ancient tribe.
"Chieftan, I believe we're arriving at your island," said one of the vikings, "did you like meeting our leader today?"
"Absolutely," replied Kurt the Kourageous, "I feel relieved and hopeful. We're going to hold this plebiscite tomorrow and we'll settle this question once and for all. This is how every viking on this archipelago should deal with situations like this. Consent of fellow vikings. I appreciate your Chieftan's desire to see this through in this way."
"He's not one to be indecisive, let's put it that way!"
"Absolutely not. One might say that's an admirable trait, every Chieftan of a tribe should have that trait."
Kurt had, out of nowhere, just complimented Yurlin - it was the upbeat energy inside him from the meeting that'd caused him to do that inadvertently.
"Of course, everyone knew Stoick the Vast, and he was very decisive!" said Kurt, "I've no issue in saying your Chieftan has the same trait!"
"Our leader would appreciate that comment so very much, he understands full well the hurt his death was to Hiccup Haddock and the Hooligans - we're on the same side as them, hence our goals and ambitions. The world we vision is a world Stoick no doubt would've wanted to see!" said the Ancient viking.
The Northern Market island was quickly approaching in its closing distance. The boat was reaching choppier waters as the shores of the island came by. Kurt and the Ancient viking remained put outside looking on as they spoke.
"And no doubt, the grand alliance we strive to build with Stoick's son, Hiccup Haddock, will be something he'd also admire!"
Kurt nodded. He was all too familiar with Hiccup and the Hairy Hooligans - every tribe on the archipelago was familiar with them because of their battles with Drago and subsequently Grimmel, and their history-making reputation in making peace between vikings and dragons at the time.
Finally, the boat had reached the shores and the wooden docks of the island. The Ancients adjusted the sails on their boat so the speed decreased in line with the wind. On the wooden docks were hundreds of vikings as they eagerly awaited the return of their Chieftan to his home island.
And most importantly, to hear about the meeting and the outcome of it between him and Yurlin.
"Well, Chieftan, it's been a pleasure! our tribe means well and we will find a resolution in the name of viking unity!" said one of the Ancients, as he shook the hand of Kurt the Kourageous.
"Appreciated fella!" said Kurt, "we're going to solve this here problem once and for all, and your Chieftan's positive engagement with me has made me hopeful, we'll hold this plebiscite on our island tomorrow and we'll resolve this!"
Little did Kurt know, he wasn't going to be given the chance to hold the plebiscite tomorrow. Not at all. He wasn't even aware that Yurlin was completely enraged at the idea of holding one, because he considered it to be a rigged event.
Hundreds of Northern Market vikings were gathered outside the hall on the island, as Kurt took in the council for a meeting, to brief them on the meeting he'd just had with Yurlin a few hours ago on Ancient Island.
"I'll just cut to the chase," said Kurt, sitting at the very end of the long table in the hall, "I had a very constructive meeting with Yurlin, much more constructive than any of you could've expected."
There were surprised expressions on the faces of nearly every viking inside the hall.
"Constructive?" asked one of the vikings in the hall, sat on the left side of the table.
"Yup, although initially he put down plenty of demands that no Chieftan could reasonably accept, not least because we're our own tribe and we don't allow ourselves to be bullied and dictated to by others. But in the end, we reached a compromise and that's why I've got a buzz of energy right now. He was a lot more pragmatic than I expected."
"How can you put the words pragmatic and compromise alongside a dictator like Alfa Yurlin? he ASSASSINATED our last Chief?!"
That comment caused Kurt to become flustered. He knew the sensitivity of the situation and the potential offence that might've been caused from him meeting with a Chieftan who ordered the assassination of their last Chief in Erick the Everlasting, but Kurt's whole purpose here was to calm the horses a bit - to ease the nerves. He got an agreement with Yurlin and he wanted to share it with him.
"Look, I get it - do I want to be talking positively about Yurlin? this man runs an oppressive regime over his own vikings, he's got archaic rules in place towards a specific group of vikings he calls the 'unvikings' and if the rumours are to be believed, he's got work camps situated across his island. I don't want to have to be talking about a Chieftan like that in positive terms. But we have to work with what we've got."
Kurt cleared his throat.
"We're going to hold a plebiscite tomorrow, first thing, we'll run it from the morning to the evening and then we'll count the votes from big wooden boxes that our vikings will insert their papers into. The question I'm going to propose is if the tribe basically wants to unify with the Ancients-"
"WHAT?!" replied a good bunch of the council, their voices echoing like roars.
"Why are we LEGITIMIZING the fake claims of Yurlin by even doing this?!"
"Yeah, what on earth did you agree to give up? by proposing this sort of question upon the tribe we're basically saying that his claims have solid foundations. Never before on this archipelago have we had a situation where one Chieftan claims that a tribe completely foreign to his own is destined to be taken over by his. It's NEVER happened."
Kurt was completely shook by the lack of support in the council. Nobody was agreeing with him, and the more they heard about his plans the more they seemed to hiss at his agreed proposal of holding a plebiscite. But before he could reply, one of the dock vikings arrived into the hall from the large wooden door, carrying a paper.
"S'cuse me to interrupt this, Chief, but have you seen this letter? it's from the leader himself, as they call him - one of the Ancient boat vikings gave it to me shortly before they sailed their boat off our docks."
All eyes turned to the piece of paper gently waving in the grasp of the dock viking. Kurt wasn't expecting anymore letters, and Yurlin never even wrote one whilst he was there, nor did he give any indication that he'd be sending a letter back with him on the journey home. It was delivered in secrecy, and Kurt had no idea what to expect.
The Northern Market Chieftan grabbed the letter and read it on the table.
I feel compelled to write you a letter delivered in secrecy. I, as the leader & Chieftan destined to reach my goals with no hesitation, make not a request but an ultimatum to you, in light of our meeting.
My tribe and my council will under no circumstances acknowledge the results of your rigged little proposal. I am so angered that you made such an offer, that you thought I'd be stupid enough to not see this for what it truly would be - a fake, rigged vote designed to halt me in my destiny. You couldn't be more wrong.
This plebiscite will be the biggest scam on the vikings of your tribe and vikings of the other tribes who may be observing. There's a settled will, and many of the other tribes on this archipelago know that what I am doing is ensuring that we prevent the likes of Drago ever rising again, and eliminating his kind for world peace.
So I make this warning - you will cancel your plebiscite, or face invasion tomorrow. I have already ordered my vikings ready to sail to your island first thing tomorrow if we have to. We will not condone your tribe holding an illegitimate vote designed to prevent me from doing what I feel is right.
I reiterate my demands I initially proposed in our meeting too, with this additional one - your resignation as Chieftan.
In your place, a viking who shares our agenda, our goals, and our political views, will be ideal as Chieftan. Otherwise, we will continue being in this mess for many years to come. Put simply, if you do not resign as well by tomorrow, then my vikings are ready to set sail and take matters into our own hands. Pull the plebiscite, resign, and appoint a viking who shares my beliefs and your tribe will remain as it is.
Kurt couldn't believe it. A gulping ache emerged in his throat as he dropped the paper to the table. His entire face dropped as his lips looked like they were trembling, like he was on the verge of crying. All of that work, all of that positiveness with Yurlin - and it meant nothing.
"What is it?!" asked one of the council vikings, who could only look with concern at the face of Kurt, who looked like he was staring into an abyss. He looked completely shocked.
Then, out of nowhere, Kurt pushed his chair back and stood up - unprompted and without warning, he headed for the large wooden doors of the hall.
"Chief, where are you going? what's going on?!" asked one of the other council vikings.
"I...I don't know?!" said a fellow council viking.
Kurt hadn't even disclosed the contents of the letter to anyone, the only one who knew was the dock viking who delivered it, but the long bearded viking was too nervous to talk about it. He knew what was about to happen.
Kurt pushed the wooden doors open, and hundreds of viking women, men, and a few children went silent. They all noticed their new Chieftan as he looked with worry and concern across them all. The speed at which they'd all gone silent the second he stepped out of the hall was remarkable.
The entire council in the hall followed Kurt from behind, pushing their chairs back causing the legs to drag against the wooden floor. As they all gathered behind Kurt and besides him as they congregated around the large wooden doors, Kurt slowly raised his hands and took off his big steel helmet.
"I cannot remain as Chieftan any longer of our tribe."
Audible gasps and yells could be heard across the hundreds of vikings congregated in front of him - Kurt's proclamation just now had stunned everyone behind him, the council, all the vikings in the hall. He was stepping down as Chieftan.
"Whatever you do," said Kurt, his voice stuttering, "do not resist the incoming Ancient vikings, please...whatever you all do, please, just don't."