I watch as all of their gazes slowly turn to Lukas in horror. "A tear?" I question.

"We had been sailing in the ocean, as we always did, and came across..." I see his eyes widen, "...something out there."

"It went from the water, to the sky, and we sailed right through it," Emil points from the water, and drags his finger all the way to the sky.

"I should've known better," Mathias hangs his head. "I should've taken us away from that thing."

"Mathias, you didn't know," Tino places a calm. comforting hand on his shoulder, and Berwald nods in agreement.

"We sailed through," he clenches his fists. "And, somehow, we ended up here; 600 years further in time."

"600 years?" I finally understood the loneliness he was feeling.

"We found out our families and the rest of friends were gone, and our Viking brothers died out alongside with them."

"You are the last of the Vikings." I couldn't stand to look at the pain on their faces, and I turn my gaze to my feet.

"But, it's ok," Mathias smiles, although I can still see a hint of sadness in his eyes. "We've created quite the reputation here; we're a ghost story. We've also met some amazing people on our journey."

"Oh, yes, our Hersir has met plenty of beautiful women here in the pirate age," the short, blue eyed man winks at me, seemingly intending to change the subject.

"Have I met women?" he shrugs. "Yes, but that's not what our journey is about."

"He's just mad because the girl he loved dumped him," the purple eyed boy snickers.

"It was a mutual decision, alright?"

"She said, and I quote," he clears his throat and pitches his voice slightly higher. "Get your sorry ass off my property, motherfucker."

"IT WAS AN AFFECTIONATE NICKNAME."

I chuckle as I watch them all poke fun at him, and we spend the rest of the night laughing and talking underneath the stars.

Later the next day, the Vikings begin to teach me about their boat, and how to sail it. "This is called the steerboard," Tino pats the long oar sitting at the back of the vessel. "We don't use it often, it's our safety precaution if the Helm ever gives out." He gestures to the wheel above the cabin. "Berwald, here, is the one who steers out ship!" Berwald, who had been quietly standing next to him, nods his head slightly.

"Is it hard to steer? I'd imagine the ship is heavy!"

"Mm."

I stare at him, waiting for him to explain more. After a moment of silence, Tino wraps his arm around my shoulder, escorting me to the door of the sleeping chambers. "Let me show you to your room."

"I have a room?"

He nods excitedly as he leads me through the door, and walks around the first corner slightly, "This is our indoor common area. This is where we gather when it gets cold here at sea." He walks me down the hallway, pointing at each door as we pass, "This door is Emil's, then Lukas', Berwald and I's room, Mathias', and this last one is yours." He gently pushes the door open, and I step inside. The room already contained a bed with a beautiful black and red blanket on top, maps along the walls, and a giant, white feather flowing out of a stained glass vase. "I love it!"

"That makes me so happy, (Name)! You get settled in. We have some clean clothes in the drawers that should fit you, so go ahead and change and I'll pick up your clothes and wash them when I bring you dinner."

"You cook on the ship, too? Isn't the fire dangerous?"

"Emil is very careful. We have taken all the necessary precautions to keep our ship afloat!" He smiles, and gently shuts the door.

I stand there in silence, taking in this space that I now call my own. I change into the clothes from the drawer, a (color) coat with a fur collar and matching pants, much like the Vikings wear, before I lay on the bed and snuggle into the pillow.

The energy in that room was different.

It was sad...

But it was calm.

I snuggled my face into the pillow and I cry myself to sleep, desperately trying to forget the last memories of my family, and the place I once called home.

I hear a knock at my door, and I slowly open my eyes to see Lukas peeking in, "Sorry to disturb you. Tino asked if I could bring you your dinner. He and Berwald are working on navigation at the moment."

I sit up and thank him, taking the tray. As he turns to leave, I speak up, "Can you guys teach me how to fight?"

"What?"

"I'm tired of not being able to defend myself and others around me. I want to help."

"Well," he taps his chin, "You'll probably have to ask Mathias."

It did not take much convincing to get Mathias to agree. "Hell yeah, we can teach you!"

My training began with a small dagger and close combat, and slowly escalated to bigger, more deadly weapons as I mastered each one over the next few months.

"You have him cornered, (Name)! Strike!" Mathias instructs from behind.

Without a second thought, I run at Lukas with the axe at my right side, and swing with all my might. Due to his quick reflexes and the weight of my weapon, he easily dodges the attack with just a shift of his body weight from his front foot to the back. I jump back to avoid any counter attacks, and Lukas points his long sword at me with a small smile, "That was a good swing!"

"Thanks!" I smile, twirling the axe around my body before resting the hilt on the floor of the ship.

"MATHIAS!" I look over and see Tino stomping up to our leader. "What the hell do you have (Name) doing?!"

"She knows how to use it-"

"Your axe is nearly twice her size!" He scolds, plucking the weapon from my grasp. "At least get her one suited for her! The weight of this thing will only slow her down and get her killed!" He shakes his head and begins walking back to the cabin.

Mathias walks up to me lazily with a smile, placing his helmet on my head, "She's a strong girl. She'll make a fine Viking!"

Tino freezes, the blade of the axe slowly coming to rest on the floor in defeat before he slightly turns back to lock eyes with the Hersir, "Can we talk?"

The smile on Mathias' face slowly dissipates, and he quietly follows after him. I watch them go, my hands tightly clutching my pants. A soft hand rests on my shoulder, "You alright?"

I look up and meet Lukas' gaze.

That gaze has softened over the last few months.

"I'm fine," I nod with a smile, attempting to hide my anxiety.

He wraps his arm around my shoulder comfortingly and begins escorting me to the cabin. As we walk in, we hear a loud crash.

"NO!!"

"Mathias, stop it!"

We peek around the corner and see the common area is destroyed. Emil is standing in front of Tino with a shield, and Mathias throws a chair at the wall next to them. Berwald's piercing blue eyes loom over Mathias as he wraps his arms around his throat, putting him in a blood choke.

The Dane scratches ferociously at the man's arms, drawing blood as his face turns bright red and veins pop from his forehead. "Get the fuck off of me!" He elbows him hard in the ribs before side stepping and wrapping his arms around Berwald's legs and throwing him, full force, across the room.

"Mathias!" I run up to him, holding my hands up in front of his face just as he picks up another chair. He freezes as he stares down at me, and he drops the chair behind him before sinking to his knees, burying his face into his hands. Tino rushes over and attempts to comfort him by rubbing his back, his own tears streaming down his face.

"What's going on...?" I speak up. I am only met with Mathias' muffled screams of anguish. I take a deep breath and ask again, "What is going on?!"

Emil sets down his shield before walking over to me and kneeling down at my feet, gently grasping my hand. "We're nearing land," he whispers as he turns his face to look up at me. "We're going to have to leave you there."

"N-No! Can't I just stay with you guys?" I gently pull my hand from him; the feeling of betrayal is overwhelming.

Berwald shakes his head gently from his spot on the floor, blood dripping down his forearms. "You're not safe here, käraste. (1)"

"We're criminals, (Name)," Tino's voice shakes, "You're in danger with us."

"I-I can take care of myself! I learned to use a sword, a-and I can fight with Mathias' battle axe! I don't need you guys to protect me! I won't be a burden, I promise!

"Oh, (Name)," Mathias reached out to me and pulls me to him, and rests his forehead on my shoulder. "You were never a burden. We love you more than anything in this world."

"Then let me stay!" I plead. "I don't want you to leave me alone!"

Mathias lifts his head up, his eyes red and puffy from crying, "You will never be alone, (Name)."

All of the men stare at me in silence, seemingly just as heartbroken as I am.

"Come, (Name)," Tino grasps my hand and gently pulls me out of the room, "Let's get you to bed."

The very next day, we dock at the pier of a town called Fossores (2). It's a colorful, lively town, but all I can hear is the sound of my own heartbeat beating in my ears. I drag my steps as I walk down the dock, and Mathias wraps his arm over my shoulder, escorting me along. "Wait," I turn around and look back at the four other Vikings, whom I had grown so close to, standing by the ship. I break free from Mathias' grasp and run back to them, jumping into their outstretched arms. "I'm going to miss you guys."

"And we're going to miss you," Lukas responds, breaking the hug, his hand coming to rest on my head.

Emil smiles at me, wiping a tear from my cheek, "You be strong."

"We'll meet again, someday," Tino says fondly, snuggling into Berwald's side, who smiles at me for the first time.

"Come on, (Name)," Mathias walks up and grasps my hand, pulling me into down. I follow, but not without glancing back at my family, one last time.

The further the walk, the more the streets fill with people. The buildings are decorated with golden banners and, what looks to be, the sigil of Lapis (3), a country which resides in the northwest, known for it's abundance of natural metals and minerals.

"This way, (Name)." Mathias continues to lead me as if he's familiar with this place. As we enter the town square, a giant Wisteria tree comes into sight, and we stop, right in front of it.

Wow...

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Mathias reads my mind as he places his hands on his hips. I nod, the wind blowing the petals off and scattering them amongst the crowds of people. "It's the oldest of it's kind in all the Kingdoms," Mathias wraps an arm around my shoulder, "I knew you'd like it."

After taking in the sight of that legendary tree, we continue on our way. The crowd parts as we walk through, the natives whispering and pointing at Mathias, I notice some even glaring. He, too, seems to notice and turns off into a back alley. After what seems like a lifetime of twists and turns, we come to a stop in front of a Forge at the edge of town. "Oi, Mo! You here?"

"No, I left my fire burning so I could set the entirety of my livelihood ablaze," a voice sarcastically calls through the smoke. I cough as I inhale the airy gray puffs, and open my eyes to find a muscular woman with short, dark hair standing confidently before me, a sword propped on one shoulder and a gloved hand resting on the opposite hip. "So this is the girl you wrote to me about?"

Mathias stares at her in silence for a moment before shaking his head, "Y-Yes. This is (Name), and she is very dear to me. I would really appreciate if you could look after her for us."

She nose wrinkles slightly as she looks me up and down, her soft, amber eyes seemingly peering into the depths of my soul. "I'm running a business, Mathias. I have absolutely no time to coddle a child who looks like they can't find their way out of a wet sack."

"Please, I beg you. She is in so much danger just being associated with us." She stares at Mathias, who clasps his hands together tightly. "You know me, Mo. I've never asked you for much."

Something about her eyes hinted at a subtle sadness as she stabs the sword into the earth and crosses her arms. "Fine."

Mathias' eyes fill with tears and he takes off his horned cap in respect, "Thank you, Mo, you have no idea how much-"

"I honestly could not care less," Mo cuts him off with a wag of her finger, "Anyways, keep your Veksø off."

"Why?" He cocks his head, glancing at his helmet.

"We were raided last fall. The people have yet to warm back up to visitors from the sea."

Mathias slams his fists down on the table in a rage. "Who was it?!"

"I'd never seen them before," she shrugs her shoulders carelessly and pulls the sword from the earth, beginning to polish it, "All I know is that the ship had a red flag, with a black stripe down the middle. Does that help any, your highness?"

"That could be anyone, Mo."

She spits on the ground. "I don't know what to tell you." As Mathias rolls his eyes and sighs in defeat, she turns and pulls out a medium sized bag from under the table and throws it at him.

"What is this?" He asks, beginning to open it up.

"I thought you guys could use some new weapons. You haven't been by in a while to get new ones, so I'm assuming you've been going -- elsewhere to get them forged."

He pulls out a sheathed dagger from the bag, the scabbard the same, rich red as the coat draped over his shoulders, with, what looks to be, a sigil carved into the fine wood. He smiles, almost mournfully. "Thank you, Mo."

She nods, and gestures to the pouch with her sword, "There's one for each of you in there; the scabbards are color-coded so you animals don't fight over whose is whose."

Mathias nods, and then turns to me. "You'll be safe here, alright?" I nod my head, eyes to the ground, lips quivering. "Don't be like that, (Name)," he whispers, hurt, "Jeh elsker dig, min kære. (4)" He then kneels down, placing his hands behind my neck. I feel a cold chain slide up my skin and I look down to see a golden locket with a green gem inside, resting on my chest. "We kept this safe for you."

"What is it...?" I ask, admiring it's beauty.

"Your necklace, I'm assuming," he responds, clasping it for me, "Tino found it sewn into the hem of the dress you were wearing the day we found you."

I wrap my arms tightly around his neck, "Thank you for saving me."

His arms find their way around me, holding me tight, "No, thank you for showing me that I am not alone in this new world." We stay there for a few seconds, and when he pulls away, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, gray horn. "If you ever need us, use this."

I take the horn in my hands, examining the small, intricate designs. When I look up to thank him, he's gone.

"Girl," Mo calls, placing a piping hot, red sword into a bucket of water. "If you're gonna stay here, you're gonna work your ass off."

Translations:

1. Käraste - "Dearest" in Swedish.
2. Fossores- "Miner" in Latin
3. Lapis- "Stone" in Latin
2. Jeh elsker dig, min kære - "I love you, my dear" in Danish.

The Republic of Lapis, a country in the Northwest, is known for its abundance of natural metals and minerals.

The Flag of Lapis