Page 1 of Alien Viking's Plunder

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- Bragr -

The shaman bowed. “The oracle is ready, Chief.”

Bragr sighed. “Then let’s get it over with, Heidran. I have a raid to prepare.”

“Of course, Chief. It will only be a short session, the way you prefer it. This name of this seeress is Hjordis.” The shaman walked ahead to the stone arch and pushed open the heavy, double doors that led to the wide spiral stairs going down. The eight guards, fullhuskarlsall, saluted with their swords, and Bragr returned it by slapping the side of his.

The small stone building on top of the mountain was the most tightly guarded location on the planet, but nobody lived there.

He started down the stairs, illuminated by flickering torches mounted to the rock wall. “Why is it that the oracle can never tell me anything about our enemies’ plans or when they will attack, Heidran? All I get are vague predictions about natural disasters and shifting trade alliances.”

Heidran followed him down with three steps between them. “Those predictions can be useful, Chief. They are never wrong.”

“But they are almost always too vague to use right. Last year she said there would be a big flood wave on a certain date, but she didn’t know where. So I took a chance and evacuated the whole coast on that date. Only to have the flood wave take place on the other side of Hjalmarheim, where onlydfergirandvettirlive.” Bragr’s words resonated from the bare stone walls.

“Very true, Chief. It is in the nature of the oracle’s crystal that its predictions are always correct, but sometimes have too few details to be immediately useful. I think your principle of doing whatever you can with the counsel you’re given is wise.”

“I hope so, Heidran. Evacuating villages comes with a big cost, especially the ones where the shipyards are located. But I’d rather lose money than the lives of my people.”

“Your stance on that is well known, and it does you great credit,” Heidran said. “Certainly I can think of other earls who would think nothing of sacrificing their people for even a small financial gain.”

“Your thoughts keep going to Earl Gornt,” Bragr growled. “One might think you miss him.”

Heidran was too old and experienced to be flustered by the veiled accusation. “There is no ruler I miss less than Earl Gornt, Chief. And I dare say that’s true for your entire people.”

Bragr grunted, knowing it was probably true. Heidran was not given to flattery, and whenever he had a feeling about what the people of Hjalmarheim were thinking, it was usually correct.

They reached the bottom of the stairs, and Bragr opened the next door himself. Beyond was a small, circular cave carved out of hard, gray rock. It was ringed with a trench along the entire circumference of the wall, where an eternal fire was burning. The fire only provided light — the heat was completely absorbed by the rock wall behind it, making the cave feel chilly.

In the very middle of the cave a roughly hewn stone pedestal grew out of the floor, topped by an irregular rock the size of a man’s torso. It was completely black and reflected no light, making it look like a hole in reality. It was the most precious object on planet Gardr, and one of the several things that made the realm of Hjalmarheim so important.

Behind it stood the oracle herself, draped in a long, silvery white robe. She was a seeress, and her blind eyes seemed to pierce him with more force than seeing eyes could.

“Greetings, Earl Bragr,” she said and gave a shallow bow. “It has been a year since your last consultation. We are gratified to see you are still our earl.” Her voice was creaky with age. It took a lifetime of experience and wisdom to correctly read the crystal.

“As am I gratified to be in the presence of the Seeress Hjordis,” Bragr continued the traditional exchange as he stepped over the fire trench and came to a stop five paces from the pedestal. “What do you have to say about the future of my earldom? We bid you to consult the crystal.”

“As my chief and earl commands, I shall consult the crystal,” the oracle said and bowed again.

Bragr stared at the crystal. It was still in the original position where it was first found deep inside this mountain, more than a thousand years ago. The whole cave had been dug out around it. The small dome on the top of the hill, the squad of warriors that guarded it, the landing pad and the staircase that led down into the heart of the hill existed only because of the crystal. It had been there for centuries, and every earl of Hjalmarheim had made use of the oracle’s predictions after it was discovered. Sometimes with spectacular success, mostly with only minor advantages.

Now, the yearly visit from the earl was tradition, one Bragr felt he could have done without. He would rather let his loyal shaman do it alone. But he knew his people felt safer if he would keep doing things that chiefs had always done, and he saw the point of those traditions.

Thankfully, this seeress wasn’t big on gestures or theatricals. She simply walked over to the crystal and stared into it with eyes that saw no light.

“Chief Bragr of the clan Einungar, Earl of Hjalmarheim,” she said, her voice flat and lifeless. “Your earldom has many enemies. There will be battles in the coming year, and you will lose two of them. You will win three.”

The crystal didn’t change. It was completely black, as far as Bragr could tell. But the seeress’s face was brightly lit up with rapidly changing colors, as if the crystal was showing her all kinds of things. Her eyes moved quickly, as if they could see.

Bragr knew better than to go closer and look into the crystal himself. People had gone permanently mad or blind doing that.

“The crystal shows that the harvest will be rich this year. Therogntrees will grow strong and be of special importance. It shows the discovery of a pool of clean water deep under the town of Fromun, making it possible to water the dry plains and grow many plants.”

Bragr listened as the oracle gave many minor predictions, aware that the old shaman behind him was writing it all down.

“The crystal shows…” The oracle faltered and went silent for a moment. “It shows grave danger for you, Chief. Very grave danger. And…” the oracle’s voice trailed off again. “The crystal offers a Prophecy!” The loud statement echoed from the walls.

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