I Want My Soul Back (GxG)

25. Once was enough

While avoiding Loki today, I stepped into Ivar. He was kind, though, offered me food. Which was good, don't think I have ever eaten something as lovely as that cooked chicken. Even back when I was the ruler of our people, I never got that nice of a meal.

After we finished eating, he wanted to take me somewhere. I don't know where or what it is, but Atla and I are going along anyway. We wandered around the market until the very end of it.

"There it is," Ivar says poting to the crowd that cheers in front of a fence. The sound of metal striking each other stops my feet from going another step.

"What is it?" Ivar asks, seeing that I stopped.

"What is this place?" I wonder, but he just tells me to keep following him through the people who are in the way. It's kind of hard with Atla since they won't even move to let us through.

In the end, we finally reach the fence, and I star down on the ground—two men with a sword and a shield fighting.

"What is this?" I shout over the noise.

" This is the place you go to if you rather wanna fight than fix your problems verbally," Ivar explains.

"What?" I ask.

"If you don't want to solve your problems with someone through words, then you can fight for it." I raise my eyebrow to what he said in surprise.

"What are they fighting about?" I wonder.

"You see the guy with the long beard." I look back down again, seeing the man he described. His beard is in a braided. The other man has no facial hair, but he is bigger, and he is leading. He throws in more skilful moves with his sword.

"He killed the other man's cows," Ivar says, which makes me almost laugh.

"They are fighting because of cows?" I can barely keep my chuckle inside.

"Yes," He looks at me like I am a fool.

"Animals matters a lot around here, and they can be the reason you have food on your table." Ivar seems offended by me, but I just ignore it and gaze back at the fight as the bearded man wins.

I didn't expect him to kill the other one. Not just because he was bigger, but the fact that he was more skilled than him. But maybe the tactics made him win. Not always logic wins.

The man is laying on the ground lifeless, and blood spilt on the ground. While the other one is cheering for victory, proudly.

"What happens now?" I ask Ivar.

"Nothing." He shrugs.

"They celebrate, drink, go home and go back to their daily basis," Ivar says.

"Let's go." He tells me, and I follow him through the crowd with Atla in my arms. There are so many people here. It seems like this is a massive event for the village.

"Loki?" I say as I see a familiar face and she meets my eyes. She stumbles towards me, her face screams of pain.

"You should be in bed!" I shout over all the voices in anger.

"I just came here to apologize." She says, standing right in front of me now.

"Loki, you should..."

"Be in bed, I know, and I will," I can see the defeat on her face. The worst thing Loki knows is to surrender or to lose. But if there is one person she is willing to do that for it's me.

"I'm sorry..."

"What are you doing here." Ivar interrupts, which annoys me.

"I am here to apologize." Loki gritted her teeth in frustration.

"She doesn't need your apology." Ivar steps in front of me, blocking my view.

"Can you move. This is about Freya and me." Loki says calmly. Even though I can tell, she wishes to bash his head in.

"No." He crosses his arms over his chest to make a statement.

"Move!" Loki yells this time, and her patient has run out. She is in deep pain, and she can't bear it any longer.

"I challenge you," Ivar says to my surprises.

"Challenge me?" Loki questions, confused.

"Yes, the ring." He says, indicating a movement with his head.

"In a fight?" She asks, and he nods.

"Well, if you haven't noticed I am in no condition to fight so, I am going to say no." She says trying to get past Ivar, but he doesn't let her.

"Ivar stop," I tell him, but he ignores me.

"You are not accepting the challenge!" He says out loud, making a small crowd notice our conversation. This is not good.

"I can't fight like this." She says, not caring that there are people gathered around us.

"I can wait." Ivar smiles, crossing his arms over his chest. Loki sights out loud in frustration.

"Fine." She just answers, which makes me clench my fists, but everyone else shouts in happiness. I find all of this pointless. Everyone yells Ivar's name as if he is a god.

I turn around to walk away from this. I don't want to be here, but I also know that Atla needs to sleep.

"Freya!" I hear Loki shout my name as I try to make my way through the crowd.

"Stop!" And I have to after she took a hold on my arm.

"What do you want?" I ask in anger.

"I just want to talk to you." She says, her eyes are full of guilt.

"Do you have any idea what you just jumped into?" I yell in her face, which makes her take a step taken aback.

"A fight?" Loki says, unsure.

"Do you know what that is?" I ask, pointing at the ring. She looks at me as innocent as a child.

"You just accepted to a game of death," I tell her, but she doesn't seem worried at all. Then again it's Loki we are talking about.

"You are not scared that if you die, you are going to leave Atla and me behind," I say, and I think I got through to her now. At least she reacted to my words.

"I have never thought about it like that." She tells me, sounding like something just struck her.

"How do you think I would feel if I lost you?" I cry, feeling tears crawling down my cheek.

"I went through it once, and I don't want it again. Once was enough." I say and walk away from her.