Four Wargs were now on the promontory and with their front paws, they were pushing the tree in sync to bring us down.

This was what Father had feared.

Meanwhile my friends were approaching the village, to call for help as soon as possible.

But Blizzard had already left. He sensed something was wrong and Esme knew it too.

She went to call for help and a hunt was slowly being organized. The distances were there and there was no emergency center yet...only the bell at the temple to call people or warn of danger...

And that's what Esme did. To call for help.

But in the meantime Ragul, roped to his legs, tried to hit the wolves with his axe when they tried to jump.

On land it was possible if Torin stood back to back with his dad, but there was one too many Wargs and two below who would soon follow their more agile brothers.

A whinny was heard and the two wargs below turned their heads and began to chase Blizzard.

The poor beast was out of breath, but he would make it. It had the experience of wars and battles but It didn't have her horse armor. Blizzard would have to rely on his speed even though he was becoming an old horse. His training paid off and he managed to keep some of the danger at bay.

"Listen, Torin, we may have a chance, but I wanted to wait until tonight to tell you about it, but it's now or never."

"Yes, Dad..."

"You weren't born at home but the Gypsy gave us the place to find you. You were given to us by the Gods, and where we found you, there was the symbol of Thor."

"Thanks dad. But I already knew that..."

Ragul kissed me between his two arms. "Good boy".

"Dad, tell me about the blood and the scale..."

"Before I found you I heard inhuman screams and a creature, a bird, a griffin or maybe a dragon was wounded and your mom and I got drops. Then we saw the sleeping king being taken away by some ugly spectres. Probably the 3 avatars of evil. The dragon must have been in their way..." then we found you among eggshells, blood and mud. You were holding the scale and here you are... We named you Torin in honor of Thor who blessed us with your existence..."

"Dad!" And I held him even tighter.

One of the Wargs stepped back, jumped on top of one of the other three and leapt almost to my foot.

If only I had a bow!

Ragul: "I'll try to cut one or two branches and make a point. Or... yes, you try! You are stronger than I am at tinkering.

And I made an improvised spear. We had no rope or leather strap to make a bow and the branches were wet and cutting was a gamble.

But Dad managed to spear one of the wolves in the snout.

The wargs became even more enraged.

I was afraid now for the first time.

But Dad slipped, his branch gave way.

The wargs got the branch and were about to pounce on Dad.

He straightened up, but not fast enough to swing his axe.

The shock had been strong, though.

Risking everything, I jumped, my short sword held in both hands, and as I fell, I drove my sword into the warg's back. His momentum was broken and he fell off the rock, dying.

But my sword remained stuck.

The other three reacted but I hid behind Dad. I only had my penknife and the sharp branch. We took advantage of the relief given by the broken branch to keep the three angry wolves at bay.

Dad gave a blow of axe to the one who jumped on him, but the second one bit him on the wrist, forcing him to drop his weapon.

"Quick, the axe, Torin!"

But the third snarled, preventing me from advancing.

And the three wolves turned on me, being the weaker prey.

I tried to roar and intimidate, but that stopped them long enough for Dad to pick up his axe and hold them at bay.

He reeled them back until they slid off the rock. But our hopes were dashed when the two who had chased Blizzard came back.

They jumped on the rock making us back up.

Dad had the tree at his back.

"Torin... This is where we part!... I was happy with your mom and with you. Now you're going to climb the tree and turn around when I fall. I don't want you to look. You must keep the image and the memory of a strong, solid and standing father. Not a devoured game. You must keep in memory only me alive. So that it is the first image of me that comes when you remember the good times we had together."

HAN

SLASH

One of the wolves squeaked under the bite of the axe.

This time Dad had put the strap around his wrist so the axe wouldn't fall off.

His arm was also bleeding from the deep bite. The blood and its smell excited these monsters.

Resigned and full of tears I kissed dad one last time and, without turning around, with his free hand, he mowed down some badly combed hair with his fingers.

It was his last caress.Then he let out a war cry like I have never heard and jumped up, dagger in hand and axe in the other, knocking down another Warg.

The other 4 went into a rage and threw themselves on Dad's back

"DADDY!!! "

"Turn around TORIN ARGGHHH! I love you.... THOR...give me your strength!"

He turned around, one of the wargs biting into the axe handle, the other tearing at the leather boot and the third reaching for the throat.

The fourth straightened, staggering and probably going for the final bite. Then, suddenly.

.The sky darkened....

The wargs had just enough time to groan. Huge talons grabbed the 4 wargs in one swoop and the next moment they were falling more than 500 meters down the ravines.

A huge white dragon, attracted by the blood, had helped itself. Dad was on the ground injured but not too badly. Then he shouted at me. I looked at Dad with eyes full of despair.

I didn't understand until everything went dark!

"TORIN JUMP!"

But the next moment there was a crack.

Me?

my bones?

r the tree?

But the next second, I had the wind at my back and Dad shouting my name.

I couldn't move. I was in the dragon's talons and waiting for the final blow tearing me in two to put me out of my misery.

Every now and then the dragon would turn its head and not squeeze too hard. It looked like he was paying attention, but I couldn't move.

I was in a vice, even with my legendary strength. I began to beg Thor and beg the dragon to let me go, but instead of growling, he hissed like a sad dog.

Soon I saw the high mountain, on the side of a valley several dozen kilometers away and far from villages and paths. I saw a cave appear on the side of the mountain and the dragon entered it with me still in his paw.

He dropped me from a height and put his huge paw down. I ran to the bottom of the cave and there were large rooms. Surprisingly, I could see a bit and I saw an underground lake with a kind of island in the middle. I decided to find a crevice and hide there.

The dragon didn't come after me but just rolled a huge block of stone to seal the entrance. I realized that the only way I could escape was through the dragon...In my crevice, just big enough to take refuge in, I looked at the dragon and our eyes shone and crossed in the dark.

He lay down near a fire pit and curled up in a ball. The beast moaned.

I was afraid.

An ancestral fear.

It was the first time I had seen a dragon.

It was huge and four of me could fit in its jaws.

I was just a piece of straw.

Meanwhile, Ragul stood up, still in shock, and looked up at the misty sky with his son leaving.

He shouted "TORIN...! TORINNNN!"

Then he fell to his knees, his hands over his face, and... a few moments later Esme with peasants armed with pitchforks and old swords arrived.

"Ragul?" asked Else.

Without a death, she saw Ragul clutching my sword.

"Torin is gone..."

Esme... "Where...???... fast???!"

Ragul "Thor took Torin from us... he must be with him now."

He hit the ground, and clutched the mud and warg's blood between his fingers, his long braided hair hanging in the same mud. As if to mark the situation, the storm broke and a rain began to wash away the tracks on the rock

"NOOOOONNNNN TORIINNNNNN!"

The couple breeze mounted Blizzard, which slowly descended with the peasants, one of them holding the horse by the bridle. After a moment..

Ragul remembered the scene and the white scale... He turned to Esme, who looked gloomy.He turned to Esme, who looked gloomy.

"It was the dragon that was bleeding! There was the broken egg... and its cord leading to it... A dragon doesn't give birth to humans... that's impossible. He must have been laid on top of broken eggs. He has the scent on him. He's marked. The dragon must have found him."

Esme: "Do you think the dragon ate Torin?"

"No... He defended him from the Warg... that's the only explanation. We must pray to Thor to protect Torin!"

This is his first trial. If the gypsy woman said first, it means there are others and he will survive. We have to pray. That's all we can do.