What has this world become

The temperature begin to change

It's warm

The ground beneath me is soft

My knees buried in it

It's dark, my eyes too afraid to open.

A gust of wind makes me jolt them open

I am surrounded by endless miles of sand. I get up onto my feet.

"Hello!" No answer. I spin around to see what was behind me.

Nothing, but more sand.

"Alca." I turn back around and there he stood on his knees with a man next to him holding a sword to his neck.

"Halfdan!" I try to run, but I end up not moving, my feet stuck deep in the sand. He speaks

" Too late." The man begins to swing his sword.

I gasp for air. It felt like I was dead but I am back alive. I try sitting up. every bone in my body aches when I move. I am in the room Harald gave me for when I first arrived. I start to move my fingers, feeling the fur beneath me. I lay back down, my eyes stay open looking at the ceiling. It what I dreamed real?

My door creaks open, but I don't move an inch. "I'm glad to see you are alive Alca." I groan pushing myself up again. I just wanted to be by myself. "I wish I wasn't at this point." I started to laugh. I could barely get up and used all my strength I had just going onto my elbows. I tilt my head up finally seeing Astrid. Her hair longer and her in a dress. "Aw did I miss the wedding?" I fall back down onto my back giving up.

Astrid comes over and grabs my arm and back, helping me get up. I see in her hand some bread.

"Eat this now." I grab it from her. I start playing with it in my hands, ripping off very small chunks of it. None of them get close to my mouth. "Astrid is Ivar really back?" she nods her head and stands up still holding onto to me so I won't fall.

"He brought a priest from Wessex who he says is able to fight with us." She the grabs my arm and makes me stand up. The became so dizzy and I fall straight into her.

"Where are we going Astrid?" "We have a lot to talk about." We walk out Into the main hall. I am leaning on Astrid too much right now. There I clicking of chess pieces move. Astrid sets me on the chair that is facing Ivar and his chess game. "I will be back." I wave my hand at her to leave.

I look I Ivar and see a man across from him. That must be the Christian. I move in my chair grunting. "You are messing up my game Alca." "Yes like pain will make you lose a game you have mastered." The priest begins to speak, but he speaks a different language and so does Ivar. I gave up listening and return back to waiting for Astrid.

Alca looks worse every single day. She wants to die and leave me to be alone in this world.

"Who is that women?" The priest speaks up after Alca is done speaking, but in his language.

" She is what we call a monster. The strongest woman in the entire world. " I could tell he didn't believe me and i don't blame him. "How can fight if she can't even stand."

"Not every monsters needs a weapon to fight. She is able to get into your mind and snap it in half." I look over and see Alca there, her eyes closed "But sadly, I think the monster is finally destroying itself." The priest looks at me and I move my chess piece. "Your turn Priest."

The doors burst open, making me wake up. I see Astrid walk in with Harald, Hvitserk, and Geir. Harald stands in front of them and towards me. "Bjorn and Halfdan have return back to Kattegat and are with Lagertha. They also have the Sami as an ally. You have to choose Alca now are you with or against us?"

I wish I could move my body, but I'm so tired. Astrid sees this and helps me up straight. "Has Halfdan officially joined Lagertha?"

"We are all having a talk tomorrow about what everyone's next step is. You are to be there too." If Halfdan is in Kattegat, then he knows I'm here. He isn't choosing me. I stand up. Astrid tries helping me. but I push her away. Harald smirks at this knowing what I am going to say. " I am still on nobody's side, but I will join you tomorrow in the stand against Lagertha."

"Good, I'm glad to see you are not blinded by the vows you make." "No Harald I am, it's just I made one that I will never break." I see Ivar looking at me in utter shock. He knows i was talking about him. "If that is all I am going to head back to my room." I did my best walking there. I would stumble every now and then. When I got there I fell on my bed flat on my stomach. I just want to sleep.

"Mother." I groan flipping over to see Geir in the door way. He walks in and closes the door. "You can't go to talk tomorrow." "And why is that Geir?" He comes over and talks directly next to me and whispers, probably making sure no one who is listening on us will here. "Because I know once you see him, you will change you mind and being on Harald's side and join him. He is your addiction and that's the only thing you feed off of."

I turn my head looking at him and place my hand on his check. "Lay down with me." I could tell he hesitates but he drops his sword and spear to the ground and lays right next to me.

"You look just like him you know. I'm surprised he hasn't figured it out. There isn't an ounce of my genes in you. No matter what you think I will always love you more than him. You are now in charge of your own faith not me. So if this is the side you choose, then i will follow you wherever. It took me a while to realize, but Geir you are the only thing I truly love." We laid there in silence. He was trying to be strong, but the next second I saw tears coming out of his eyes.

"You have been strong for too long son." Even though he is way taller than me, I still hold him in a hug. "I love you too mother." He gets up and grabs his weapons. "Where are you going. Geir."

"I have unfinished business to deal with." What does that mean. I would go after him, but I'm just so ..... I drift off to sleep.

"HARALD!" I walk towards the end of the dock and stand right in front of him. "Ahh Geir just the boy I needed to see."

"Alca can't go to the talk tomorrow." He looks at me confused. "If this is because of Halfdan then...." I cut him off. "No it's not that. I don't know how we didn't see this before."

"Geir what are you even saying." I don't blame for not understanding. I wouldn't have found out either till she told me she loved me. "Her vow, not eating, and telling people she loves them. She is setting up a scene that nobody knows about. We all are her pawns and she knows our every move right now."

He still doesn't understand. I'm glad mother didn't marry him. "She is planning her death Harald." He laughs at me. "Geir no one can plan their death and even so why can she not go tomorrow?"

"Because she wants to see him one last time and when she does there will be nothing holding her back. I thought I was going to be the one to kill her but then she started talking about her vows. She has planned it all out Harald and the minute she gets a chance she will take action. The only person who gets to kill Alca is someone she finds worthy"

He finally gets serious and understands what i am trying to say. " Geir do you know who is going to kill Alca." I nod my head. i don't want my mother dead. not before i tell Halfdan he is my father. He leans in so I can whisper it into his ear.

"Ivar"