By Bolgerjc
Eric Blood Axe was going after the Wolf clan because they were his enemies since Eric had inherited the curse. The Wolf tribe was dedicated to the advancement of the barbarian tribes and that usually meant the destruction of shrines and symbols of the past, and the curse of the wolverine had been around since the dawning of the tribe. Assassination attempts had come early and often against Eric and those sort of things build hate.
The path to the Wolf clan was familiar to Eric who had used it many times on blood hunts. Eric decided to use the main road because he had never been particularly good at stealth, not that he had ever needed it. Nearly two hundred barbarians called the village of the Wolf home including the tribal elders who were Eric’s main target, because killing them would end the threat of the tribe as a power struggle for who would take over occurred. Guards from the village spotted him as he drew near the village and rushed to meet him.
Eric swung his battle axe without breaking his stride leaving the guard’s corpses to rot in the sun. Heaving his two-handed battle axe it flew straight into a man as he exited his home ending his life. Roars of rage and hatred arose from the village as they realized they were under attack. Panic set into many as two more screams of impending death filled the air. Eric depended on the terror of the unknown to throw the village into unthinking panic where mistakes would be made.
People mostly rushed to get their individual families to safety as the sounds of death filled the air causing many to think a much larger force was attacking. Eric helped to preserve this thought by using his hand axes and throwing daggers to spread death to various locations within the village. His mind filled with a hyper focus as it always did in combat as the wolverine called out for combat. Life was easy to take for Eric and he accepted the calling of the wolverine.
Soon the elders revealed themselves as they tried to calm the village against the threat. They had gathered many of their warriors to protect themselves, but it would do them little good because the bloodlust had claimed Eric. When the bloodlust took over he was no longer Eric Blood Axe, but the Wolverine.
“It is only one man,” called out one elder. “Take the young to the great hall and the warriors should . . .”
His words were cut off as the Wolverine launched itself from a nearby roof into the group bringing his clawed fist down crushing the skull of the elder. The Wolverine swung his bladed arm into the back of the neck of one of the warriors as he bit down with his teeth into the throat of a second elder. The clawed fist lashed out disemboweling a third elder leaving two surviving elders. Two warriors swung blades at the Wolverine who dodge towards one of warriors grabbing it and thrusting it into the fourth elder as he ripped the throat out of the warrior.
The crowd was closing around the last elder to protect him from the blood soaked berserker, but he would not be denied and launched himself at the last elder cutting down two of the warriors even as their blades struck home. Fear filled the eyes of the last elder as the berserker bore down on him, and grabbed him. The elder’s fears were soon realized as the Wolverine smashed his helmet repeatedly into elder’s skull slaying him.
The strength which had filled him vanished with his accomplished mission. He was once again Eric even though he wondered how much longer he would be with how severe his wounds were and many warriors looming over him with menace in their eyes. Even the strength to keep his eyes open failed him as he blacked out.
It was with more than a little surprise that Eric woke up with his wounds properly bandaged. He had been strapped to a pole in the village square surrounded by angry members of the Wolf clan. His fate didn't look good as he saw a young man dressed as a shaman approached Eric.
"I thank you berserker for slaying the elders," the Shaman spoke. "With them dead the clan calls for the old ways and I gain power when I thought I would be exiled. You should be happy because I will make peace with the Wolverine clan and join with them against the invaders from the ring of fire.Unfortunately for you an example must be made of you. The spirits shall decide your punishment though I will assure you that you shall live. The spirits have told me they have no desire for your death."
Submitting to the punishment might be for the best but submitting had never been the strong suit of the barbarian. What should Eric Blood Axe do?
