Tyranny of Steel

On the shores of Reykjavík, a thick mist persisted in the air. A fog so dense that one could barely see a few feet in front of them should they be foolish enough to visit the snow filled coastline during the dead of winter. Yet, despite the dangers one might encounter in this scenario, a young girl no older than thirteen sat silently in the frozen wasteland by her lonesome. 

Her reasons for visiting the frost bitten beaches at this time of year, where the days were coldest, were known only to herself. However, as Siv Eriksdóttir lie in the snow with a gloomy expression on her childish face, she noticed something appear within the fog. 

At first, the girl thought that perhaps a trader had come to visit her isolated homeland. However, as time passed slowly by, the form of a massive steel warship gradually revealed itself from among the mist, soon enough the towering guns on board the deck arrogantly pointed towards the city, causing an intense sense of dread to overcome the young girl's fragile heart. 

By the time Siv even realized that this massive warship was heading towards the port, she had already begun running towards the city's heart, where her father's castle lie. Frightened out of her mind by what she had just witnessed. 

The young girl frantically pounded the door to her father's home, screaming for the man to come out and see her. Nearly a minute of her terrified shrieks filled the air, before the door opened and revealed a tall, and muscular blonde haired man, who gazed upon his own daughter with a sense of fury in his pale-blue eyes. 

Erik could see that something had terrified his daughter, but not the slightest bit of fatherly warmth existed on the man's face as he groaned in displeasure at being interrupted during his nightly session with one of his slaves. There was an obvious tone of irritation in the voice as he practically yelled at the girl, who had become scared witless. 

"What the hell is wrong with you Siv? Pounding on my door at this hour of night! You should be asleep in your quarters, so why are you out here alone in the snow, screaming at me as if it is the end of times?"

Siv did not bother to deal with her father's usual callousness, and instead spoke of what she had seen with a terrified tone in her voice.

"Father, on the coast, a giant warship, larger than anything I have ever seen, is approaching! It has no sails, and is made entirely out of steel!"

A look of contempt was on Erik's face as he gazed upon his daughter as if she was a foolish child mistaking a simple nightmare for reality. He immediately responded to this claim by backhanding the girl across the face before chastising her. 

"Stupid girl! You're seeing things again. What you are describing is impossible. There is no Kingdom in this world that is capable of making so much steel! You interrupted me for something so foolish! You're lucky you are getting off with a simple slap! I should spank the hell out of you for this! Now get to bed!"

Though Siv wanted to protest her father's cruelty, she simply bit her tongue and bowed her head in submission. There was no use trying to reason with the man when he was already in a state of fury. Thus, the young girl was quick to walk off to her own quarters within the castle's courtyard.

A small thatched hovel existed in a corner of the courtyard, where the young girl resided. She was not allowed to live in the main house, as she was nothing more than a bastard. Once she was inside her home, she lit a fire and climbed into bed, yet she did not sleep. She was too terrified about what was about to happen. As she knew full well, what she saw was no trick of the mind. 

Someone had come from across the sea, and they must have wielded unimaginable power to create such a monstrous warship. Whatever their reason for visiting, it could not be good.

---

Berengar was asleep in his own quarters when the Linde-class Battleship arrived off the coast of Reykjavík. He had no idea that his vessel had been spotted by a young girl in the dead of night, while pulling into the harbor. 

Not that it really mattered, this wasn't a stealth mission, and King Alvar had given him permission to visit the Island with however many troops he saw fit to ensure his own protection. While the German sailors properly docked the vessel, Berengar continued to sleep. While dreaming of a peculiar scene.

In the depths of Berengar's mind, he rested his head on the lap of a woman he was intimately familiar with. She was neither one of his wives, nor among his many concubines. Instead, it was his mother, Gisela, as he had known her while growing up. 

The woman was no older than thirty-five in her current form and was a beauty on a par with any of Berengar's current wives. Still, he felt no indecent thoughts towards the woman, only maternal comfort. As Berengar laid his head on the woman's lap, he chuckled and joked about losing a grip on his own sanity.

"I must be going mad, if you're here mother..."

However, the words returned to him were quite shocking. 

"I am not your mother Berengar, son of Sieghard. I have merely chosen this form because it is one that you are familiar with. My name is Nerthus, and the leader of my pantheon has tasked me to bring you a message. For he is too weak to do so himself after saving you from Freyja's wrath." 

Upon hearing that the woman whose lap he rested his head upon was not his mother, but in fact the ancient Germanic goddess Nerthus, Berengar felt awkward, especially after the previous comments he made regarding this particular deity.

Perhaps it was because Nerthus took the form of Gisela, but Berengar allowed himself to be vulnerable, and shifted his gaze to the side with flushed cheeks from the overwhelming sense of embarassment he currently felt. The sight of which made the goddess giggle as she whispered something into his ear.

"Are you regretting your words now that I have taken the form of your dearest mother?" 

Berengar felt even more embarrassed after hearing this and simply nodded his head while continuing to look away. An act which Nerthus found endearing. She continued to speak in a soothing tone as she shifted the subject to something far more important. 

"I'm afraid I don't have much time, so I will make this brief. When you arrive in Reykjavík, seek out a girl named Siv Eriksdóttir, she is the only one who can lead you to the hidden grove which acts as the entrance to Odin's divine domain.

There you will find a group of outcasts who still follow the old gods. They will prepare you to enter Valhalla where you shall come face to face with the Allfather himself. Go now, as your ship has made port, and the winter solstice is near!" 

After saying this, Nerthus kissed Berengar's forehead, which allowed him to wake from his dream. Where he immediately found himself alone in his cot. Without a second of hesitation, Berengar dressed himself before leaving his quarters, where the two marines who constantly stood guard immediately greeted their Kaiser.

Berengar simply nodded his head towards the two men as they stood at attention and saluted him, before going deeper into the interior of the battleship. Eventually he arrived at the helm, where the Captain of the vessel was quick to approach him.

"My Kaiser, we have arrived in Reykjavík just as planned. It would appear the local population still hasn't noticed our docking. As a result, I have dispatched a company of marines to secure the harbor. Once you are ready, you can begin your journey to wherever it is you wish to visit!"

Berengar nodded his head and looked out upon the frosty wasteland that was Iceland. A snow filled fog filled the air, and obscured his vision. In all honesty, he could barely make out the shape of the ship, let alone the harbor where they were now docked. 

With a deep breath, Berengar calmed the nerves within his heart before giving his orders to the crew.

"I want the marines who are not currently protecting the vessel to form a convoy. We will be heading deep into the icy wasteland. Make sure we have enough provisions for the journey. As for the rest of the crew, they are to stand by, and await for my return. Try to foster some ties to the locals if you can. We are going to be here for a while."

The captain snapped to attention and saluted Berengar before responding in affirmation to his orders.

"Yes, your majesty!"

After saying this, Berengar simply waited for his convoy to be established. While this was happening, the local population had begun to emerge from their homes, and witness the large steel warship which was docked in their port, while flying the banners of some foreign nation they had never heard of before.

Iceland was truly isolated from the rest of the world and had not been the slightest bit aware of the monumental shift in power during the years that had followed Berengar's rise to power. In fact, it might be safe to say that it was the last bastion of Catholicism left in this world.

Having been completely spared from Rome's war against the Reich, and the monumental social upheaval that followed. Even the Bishop of Reykjavík was entirely unaware of the papacy's cruel fate. Thus, the interactions between the German sailors and the local population were sure to cause some civil strife for the isolated island. 

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