The sun had barely begun to rise over the horizon when the watchmen stationed atop the unfinished wall spotted sails in the distance.
At first they believed it to be merchants.
Then they counted.
One.
Five.
Ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
The horn sounded throughout the Empire of the Phoenix.
BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The sound echoed through the streets causing citizens to emerge from their homes.
Workers stopped construction.
Farmers abandoned their fields.
Even the soldiers currently undergoing training immediately moved toward their assigned stations.
Erik looked up from his desk inside the Longhouse.
"VICKI."
{The Wolf Clan has arrived, Sir.}
A small smile formed on Erik's face.
"Finally."
He stood from his chair and grabbed his cloak.
After over a year and a half of travel the Wolf Clan had finally reached the Empire of the Phoenix.
It was time to see if the stories they had heard were enough.
Or if they would need convincing.
==Phoenix Harbor==
Bjorn stepped off his longship and immediately froze.
This wasn't what he expected.
Not even remotely.
The harbor alone was larger than most villages.
Massive stone structures lined the shoreline.
Iron fences surrounded important areas.
Workers moved goods with strange machines that rolled across the ground without horses.
Large glass windows reflected the morning sunlight.
Smoke rose from dozens of buildings.
Yet it wasn't the smoke of a struggling settlement.
It was the smoke of industry.
"What in Odin's name..." whispered one of the Wolf warriors.
Bjorn remained silent.
He had expected a prosperous clan.
Perhaps even a powerful one.
Instead it looked like he had arrived at an entirely different civilization.
A group of armored guards approached.
Unlike normal Vikings they all wore matching equipment.
Matching armor.
Matching shields.
Matching weapons.
Everything looked standardized.
Disciplined.
Professional.
The leader stepped forward.
"State your business."
Bjorn blinked.
Nobody spoke to a Jarl like that.
Yet there was no fear in the man's voice.
Only professionalism.
"I am Bjorn, Jarl of the Wolf Clan."
The guard nodded.
"We have been expecting your arrival."
Bjorn frowned.
"You knew we were coming?"
"His Majesty knew."
That answer only confused him more.
His Majesty?
Bjorn exchanged looks with his warriors.
Had Erik abandoned the title of Jarl?
The gates opened.
"Follow us."
The Wolf Clan entered the Empire.
The deeper they traveled the more shocked they became.
Children carried books.
Workers used strange tools.
Stone roads connected buildings.
People smiled.
Nobody looked starving.
Nobody looked afraid.
Nobody even seemed concerned that a foreign clan had arrived.
It was as if they completely trusted their ruler.
Bjorn felt unease growing in his stomach.
A ruler loved this much was dangerous.
Eventually they reached the central square.
Standing atop a raised platform was a young man.
Black hair.
Sharp eyes.
Calm expression.
No crown.
No extravagant clothing.
Yet everyone around him looked toward him with respect.
Bjorn immediately knew.
This was Erik.
The boy favored by the gods.
Only he wasn't a boy anymore.
He was a man.
"Welcome to the Empire of the Phoenix," said Erik.
His voice carried throughout the square.
Bjorn stepped forward.
"I am Bjorn of the Wolf Clan."
"I know."
The answer caught him off guard.
"You traveled for one year and six months to reach my lands."
The square fell silent.
Bjorn stared.
"How did you know that?"
Erik simply smiled.
"I know many things."
The Wolf warriors shifted nervously.
This conversation wasn't going how they expected.
Bjorn cleared his throat.
"I have come seeking answers."
"And?"
"I wish to know if the stories are true."
Erik folded his arms.
"Which stories?"
"The Beargator."
"True."
"The Reaper cure."
"True."
"The Milkman."
A few nearby citizens laughed.
"Also true."
Bjorn narrowed his eyes.
"You expect me to believe a child defeated Eir?"
"I was fifteen when he arrived."
The Wolf warriors began whispering among themselves.
Bjorn looked Erik up and down.
Then he laughed.
A deep booming laugh.
"You know what?"
The entire square became quiet.
"I don't believe it."
Several guards immediately tensed.
Bjorn continued.
"No man becomes favored by the gods. No child kills Eir. No clan transforms into this in only a few years."
His voice grew louder.
"You are either a liar or a sorcerer."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Citizens looked angry.
Soldiers tightened their grips.
Erik's expression remained calm.
"I would choose my next words carefully."
Bjorn scoffed.
"Or what?"
One of the Wolf warriors stepped forward.
"If our Jarl wishes proof then prove it."
Several others joined him.
Steel left sheaths.
The crowd gasped.
Bjorn didn't stop them.
Instead he watched.
He wanted answers.
If the stories were true then this would reveal them.
If not.
The Wolf Clan would simply take control.
Erik sighed.
"VICKI."
{Permission granted.}
The Wolf warriors charged.
Twenty elite fighters rushed forward.
The crowd screamed.
Then thunder erupted.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Bjorn froze.
Three warriors dropped instantly.
Blood exploded from their chests.
More thunder followed.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Wolf warriors collapsed one after another.
None reached Erik.
Not a single one.
Bjorn stared in horror.
The soldiers protecting Erik carried strange black weapons.
Weapons that spat fire.
Weapons that killed from impossible distances.
Another group emerged from nearby rooftops.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
More Wolf warriors fell.
Chaos erupted.
Some charged.
Some retreated.
None survived.
Within seconds bodies covered the square.
Silence followed.
Complete silence.
Bjorn's breathing became ragged.
His entire force had been destroyed.
Not defeated.
Destroyed.
Without even touching their enemy.
Erik slowly walked forward.
The crowd parted before him.
He stopped directly in front of Bjorn.
"Do you still think the stories were exaggerated?"
Bjorn looked around.
His warriors were dead.
His fleet was surrounded.
His clan's greatest fighters had been erased before they even understood what happened.
For the first time in his life.
Bjorn felt fear.
Not of a man.
Not of a king.
But of the future standing before him.
Erik looked toward the harbor.
Toward the unfinished wall.
Toward the factories and roads and schools.
Then back toward the stunned Wolf Jarl.
"This."
Erik said calmly.
"Is only the beginning."