Origin

Kristian

The sun was heated my skin as I squinted my eyes towards the blinding light. I watched as my sister play at the water's edge enveloped in the light. She smiled and laughed as she played with the other children in our town. She was the only light in my life. Maybe I was hers. I would do anything to protect her. Even give my own life.

Her golden hair tied in a messy braid whipped about as she chased the other girls. All about seven to ten years of age.

Girda turned to me. Her blue eyes bright with joy. Something I have not seen when we were at home. Our father was the town's blacksmith. He was hard man. He worked all day, drank after, flirted with the bar maids then came home. Our sweet mother was set to marry him to settle her father's gambling debt.

Our father would beat our mother if we did something to anger him. So we spent a lot of time avoiding the house and we would return like stray cats to eat and sleep.

"Kristian! Come play!" Girda called. I smiled lightly and stood brushing the sand from my trousers.

"We should go home, Girda. The sun will be setting soon. Mother is probably waiting."

Girda frowned a little but said her goodbyes to her friends before heading over to me.

I took her tiny hand as we walked back to the house. Our trek back was not long. It was a little ways through town trudging past the shops. We reached the wooden door and gently pushed it open.

"You fucking stupid, whore!" Our father roared.

Girda immediately hid behind me as we slowly entered. I placed a hand on her shielding her from the sight.

His whipped his head towards us. "Oh, look, you're back! Where have you fucks been all day? I waste my fucking hard earned money while you all eat me out of house and home!"

He trudged toward us and my mother grabbed his arm. "Please leave them alone, Simon."

Yanking his arm free. "You think you can tell me what to do, bitch?"

He pulled back a fist and hit her in the face sending my mother to the floor. Her long golden hair cascaded behind her as she fell.

Girda shrieked. To not let his attention switch to my sister. I ushered her into her room.

I grabbed her baby like cheeks stained with her tears. "Hide and do not come out until I come for you."

As my desperate eyes searched hers, she nodded reluctantly and allowed me to close the door.

I turned back to my father. His assault had not stopped. He beat her face, over and over.

He was going to kill her! I quickly searched the house for some kind of weapon. On the table, there was a butter knife. I grabbed hold of the small knife and pointed it at my father.

"Stop! You're killing her!" I yelled.

His back straightened as his let out heavy breaths. He turned his head, his blood coated face meeting mine. Looking down at my weapon, he scoffed. "Nice sword you've got there boy. Do you even know how to use it?"

He stood and stepped towards me. I glanced down at my mother. her face was unrecognizable. Her chest did not rise or fall with breath. I choked back a sob as I returned my heated gaze to my father.

He took another stalking step towards me. I squared my shoulders and widened my stance waiting for him to lunge towards me when the warning bell rang.

Were we under attack?

My father's gaze shifted to the direction of the sounds of screaming and panic. He glanced at me then went to his private armory. "We will continue this when I get back boy."

He grabbed his armor and his sword. He turned and headed to our front door.

I backed up against the door to the room that held my sister. Knife still aimed towards him as I held my guard.

Before he could leave the house, the door flew open splintering with the impact. Heavy muddy boots thudded against the floor followed with the drag of it's large heavy ax. It was a man I think. His body curled over as he walked towards my father who laid pathetically on the floor in horror scrambling to his feet. This man looked like a demon. His clothes black except for the fur of his kills. His face painted with black marks. His hair was long and a fiery red tied back in untamed braids.

My father stepped back cursing before swinging his sword. The demon lifted his heavy ax and swung it down breaking the sword then lifted his boot and kicked my father square in his chest sending him flying to the ground.

Father scrambled to get back up when the demon hunched over him placing his boot on his chest and the head of his ax against his throat. The demon was a giant compared to my father.

"I think it would be wise for you to stop moving." the demon spoke. He voice was raspy with a hint of mischief. His accent strange.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Father hissed.

"Oh, it's not me you should fear." The demon chuckled. His amusement pulled at the corner of his lips almost teasingly.

Suddenly a woman with long blonde hair stepped inside. She had the same markings as the man. Her hair was wild with several braids. She also was dressed with furs.

She looked about the space and spotted my mother's body on the floor. "Was that you Floki?" Her accent the same as the demon.

The demon didn't glance at her as he replied. "No my queen."

She nodded once then noticed me standing the bedroom door. I held the knife toward her afraid I would have to fight her and the demon.

She nodded towards me. "Is this your father boy?"

I glanced at my father with a disgusting scowl. "No."

There was no way I would admit my relation to that piece of shit of a man.

She smirked as if seeing through my lie. Instead of calling me out, she nodded towards my mother's body. "He killed your mother?"

I nodded with knife still pointed.

She went to her belt and pulled out a hunting knife. I tensed and backed against the door.

"Kristian?" Girda called from the other side. A slight tremor of fear in her voice.

I winced and froze hoping they didn't hear her but from the tilt of the woman's head, she did.

There was a glimmer of sympathy and then pride as she flipped the hunting blade in her hand holding out the handle towards me as an offering.

"Take this and revenge your mother's death."

I looked at the blade then at father as he looked towards me with hate.

"Kristian." She said as if testing the name. on her lips.

I looked up at her then at my father who laid pathetically on the floor. I took the hunting knife, dropping the butter knife to the floor, and stalked towards him. If it was his life or mine, I would surely kill him. Was this the test? Was she seeing if I would kill him?

"Fucking bastard!" My father cursed as he tried to break free from the demon. The demon added a little more pressure to my fathers chest grinning as he dug his ax a little harder into my father's throat drawing blood.

The sight of the blood did something to me. His past abuse surfaced behind my eyes. My mother's cold dead body still laying on the dirty floor. I became possessed by my rage.

I stood before him with the knife held tightly in my hand. I raised it and then plunged it into his body over and over as rage took over. His abuse replayed in my head driving the knife again and again until a gentle hand fell on my shoulder.

Surprised, I spun around to attack when the hand gripped my wrist and yanked the knife from my grip.

I blinking, I looked up at the woman as she cleaned the bloody knife to sheath it. She looked into my eyes assessing me. I wasn't quite sure what she was looking for. Was she concerned I would regret killing my father? Soon a smile tugged at her lips.

"Your reaction is good. If you come with me Kristian, I will make you strong. Strong enough to protect your sister." She asked waiting for my answer.

There was nothing left for us here. I would do anything to protect my sister. So I slowly nodded.

The woman smiled at the demon. "Gather you and your sister's things. Floki will help you to our ship."