CHAPTER 1 - THE FIRE
This illustration was made by nicofari.art
Rodry is badly injured. Four men wearing white knight armours were looking for warriors like him. Riding their horses through the forest they were desperate to kill or seize new vikings. They finished fighting with him just 10 minutes ago and all their bodies are on the ground in the forest road under his feet now. Rodry's blood axe has curled up behind the tree and now he's trying to stand up on his legs to take it again and leave this edge. Those 4 guardians are only beginning. The king is looking for berserkers to catch and make them fight for him or to be killed. Rodry is one of his goals and hunt on him is as obvious as the fact that sun will rise tomorrow. Some other berserkers, Rodry's battle comrades, used to lose such battles with knights intentionally, they give up to money to be paid by the king thereafter but Rodry is not one of the traitors their king looks for. Berserker's services are well-paid in Casttlecloud because a berserker like him can defeat from 2 to 7 ordinary warriors, and it goes a bit harder with white knights he has been fighting until now. So, if he couldn't be captured, he would be killed.
These four were more than enough to kill such a berserker. However, he was lucky to manage them with this beautiful axe he had. Other knights are assured they can catch him and the King will send more of them soon. People say he is tremendously rich and everyone used to put just one phrase about him - "Money can fight". His elite warriors, white knights are desperate to kill or bring anyone to him for more than money can buy. Though he got used to fight them here and at the battlefield before.
These lands is classically called Castlecloud, the capital of Solnaz. Rodry and the army he had been fighting for was defeated here in the forests nearly 2 months ago. He didn't know anything about surroundings of Castecloud besides the fact it is the capital city of a next country they, Terstormers, are to conquer. Still there are walking berserkers who hadn't been killed or captured, they struggle every day to survive in the forests. Recently rich after long list of victorious fights they are now just tramps under the trees, the shadows of their own past trying to feed themselves with what these forests can suggest. Some were killed, some were hired to serve the King and just a few berserkers now walk in the forests independently. One of them was Rodry.
Rodry from Terstorm has finally managed to keep up with his new standing position. He walked slowly like a lame dog since he fought the knights in the afternoon. Now the sun has almost completely disappeared. He was lucky again not to meet here another castellans in white clothes: he wouldn't manage another fight. His wound is nicely wrapped with elven tissues he found in knight's pockets. Regeneration spells put on them are good enough to get him back to life in 2 days. Here now, in the forest, he can see nothing by this moment and only one decision is to be made - he should have a rest for some time. Rodry is in a safe place to make a fire or.. he isn't. There's only one possibility to prove something of both - to sit by its sparks from burning logs in the night. Let's see if it is truly safe. There's no other food to eat besides the food that must be cooked on the fire, so the fire shall be.