Chương 96: B2 Chapter 17

Hakon was not sure what he expected as he dragged his body back to the tribehold. Surely he would be greeted by a few fellow warriors. They might even look at him in surprise, sensing how much he had changed since he left Tribe Taskur earlier that day. The possibilities were as numerous as the stars on a starry night. And yet nothing prepared Hakon for what truly happened. The warriors were waiting for him.

Dozens of Barbarians, most of whom had long since completed their Second or even Third Ascension, stood at the edge of the tribe as if they had been waiting for him. Astrid smiled vibrantly at him as their eyes met for a moment, and so did his father. The chieftain, the strongest of Barbarians, was… smiling at his son? Hakon slapped his cheeks with as much strength as he could muster, yet the scene before him did not change.

"Hakon returned from the hunt." The chieftain's voice hollered across the tribehold.

"The Ancestors have spoken. He shall be welcomed into our ranks!" Turning away from Hakon, the chieftain raised his arms in victory.

"Let the feast begin!" His thunderous voice echoed through the tribe only to be muffled by roaring cheers and the hunting horns bleating aloud. Children raced between the huts and winding paths to reach Hakon, only to bombard him with questions about his hunt, what the Ancestors said to him, and many more questions he barely grasped before he was dragged to the central area. The Monolith shimmered a little brighter than usual, or maybe that was simply what Hakon wanted to believe.

In the end, it didn't really matter. The Barbarians beat their fists against their chests in greeting as he walked past them. Even the oldest stared down at him with approving smiles, their fists pressed against their chests. That included Astrid's mother as well, though her smile was as mysterious as ever. Roars and shouts that resembled a chant rose from the gathered tribesmen as Hakon reached the Monolith, low and rhythmic at first before swelling into a thunderous cacophony.

It was beautiful, filling his heart with pride. The approval and the smiles lingering on him – even the children's excitement – brought a vibrant smile to his lips. It almost made him forget about the exhaustion plaguing him.

"Skincrawler!" Björn appeared beside Hakon, his arm slung around his friend's shoulder.

"You blood-dwelling crawler!" he hollered excitedly, patting Hakon's back.

"Why not bring me to the hunt? We could have become the first to ascend together!" The first to ascend a second time among the young warriors had been Ulfar, but Björn ignored that pointedly. So did everyone else in Tribe Taskur, it appeared. Ulfar no longer belongs to the tribe. He realized. It had been apparent before already, and it did make sense after all that happened with the Behemoth Blood warrior, but he did not believe this was the right way to show it.

No matter how loved and admired he felt at this moment, leaving Ulfar out like that was wrong. Not because he liked the arrogant and aggressive Barbarian but because Hakon knew Ulfar well enough to understand what would happen. Hakon's head flicked to his father, who looked back with a calm smile. Yet that smile no longer felt like that of a proud father. That was not all there was. If anything, this was the smile of a chieftain who was willing to do everything it took to create the strongest of warriors.

And by enraging Ulfar, he created conflict. Is that why you did not kill him, father? Hakon narrowed his eyes at his father. Alas, he couldn't approach the chieftain to question him. Björn pulled him toward the group of young warriors who were waiting for him with drinking horns in their hands. The Blessed warrior took one of the drinking horns and shoved it into Hakon's chest with a savage smile.

"You're probably exhausted, but you still drink. We all drink until the moons fall on us!" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Massive fires were lit all across the tribehold, their flames dancing high into the night sky. Large prey was being grilled for the occasion, their meat carved and distributed among every family. The smell of roasting meat mingled with woodsmoke as laughter spread through the groups of warriors and tribesmen.

But most gathered around the barrels of fermented berry brew that were emptied to celebrate the Successor's rise to the 2nd Ascension. Sagas of the old warriors depicting their challenge to surmount the Second Wall were retold, only to sound grander with every retelling. Hakon did not see Ulfar as the night progressed. He only saw his friends and fellow Barbarians. Ava was nowhere to be seen either, nor were the other human servants, but none of that mattered to him.

For as long as the brew in his horn remained as full as his belly, he was fine. Exhaustion made way for excitement as the celebration progressed, though Hakon was sure [Vitality Stream] and [Adaptive Resilience] had to do with the changes. He was still exhausted and once he fell asleep he was sure to rest for a long time, but he would be fine for a while. Especially with the improvements to his body, mind, and soul. He didn't have the time or energy to digest the changes induced by the Second Ascension.

That was a slight disappointment, yet it was nowhere near comparable to that other sensation burning deep inside him. Longing. Maybe it was the brew that affected him, or maybe it was just that he was on an all-time high at this moment, but whenever his eyes landed on Astrid, she looked back and smiled. There was strength in her gaze and mischief in her smile, which made Hakon's chest feel oddly light. His heart thundered in his chest.

It drummed against his cracked ribs, sending waves of pain through his body; however, his smile never died. As time passed and the night blurred around him, Hakon found himself further away from the Monolith. The sound of combat rang in his ears, likely from a few young warriors trying to show off to the tribeswomen. The laughter in the distance was much more subdued now, not that Hakon could even remotely think about anyone else. His mind was fully occupied by Astrid pulling him away from the celebration.

The light of the pyre torches danced across her features as she turned back, highlighting the seemingly unblemished skin that should have been covered in scars from cycles of training and moons of hunts. She should look much harsher and rougher, yet Hakon could only see a beauty that was will-strong, powerful, and… him. She belonged to him, just like he belonged to her, and it was time to do something about it. As Astrid slowed, her hips swaying in the light of the moons, Hakon grinned.

He reached for the curve of her neck and pulled her closer, eliciting a surprised yet welcome yelp from her.

"Too slow, dummy," she growled, voice laced with longing. The Blood Fury warrior attacked without hesitation. Her arms coiled around his neck and she planted her lips on his in a heated kiss as she pulled him closer. Hakon shouldn't have been surprised. He thought about the kiss ever since she pulled him away from the other young warriors, but his mind went blank as soon as her soft lips met his. Instincts took over and Hakon pulled Astrid even closer. He cupped her face and shared another burning hot kiss.

Their breath was labored as they separated, though their hearts still raced together. Heat filled the air, but when Hakon closed in once more he was pushed away. Astrid smiled at him, lust burning in her eyes.

"What now?" she asked half-teasingly, her voice sultry and filled with the answer they both wanted. Turning away, she walked into the next hut, which Hakon recognized as her family's. He wondered what would happen if her mother found him with Astrid alone, but that thought faded as soon as his eyes landed on Astrid's hips. Something carnal took over and he stepped forward, following Astrid into the hut.

"Oh?" she glanced back at him with mock-surprise.

"I didn't know you'd follow me." Her smile only grew wider as her top slipped to the floor. That look. Hakon grinned, likely like the tribe's worst of fools, but he couldn't care less at this moment. For he knew that look in Astrid's eyes better than anything in the realm. She knew what she was doing – always did – and she enjoyed every moment of it.

"You didn't know?" Hakon raised an eyebrow.

"I can leave if that's what you want." His words were uttered lightly, but there was no conviction behind them. His bulging lower half throbbed painfully, which Astrid noticed. Of course, she did.

"You want to leave already? I don't think so," she quipped, licking her lips as she slumped down on the bed in the opposite room.

"I think we want the same thing."

"So you want it too?" Hakon asked, his chest burning, even though he already knew the answer.

"I always did," she uttered in a half-whisper, shifting on the bed, trembling like she was afraid of what was to come. Hakon did not believe so. He didn't think Astrid was afraid of anything. Yet, despite that, he leaned toward her with much more care than his carnal instincts urged him to. He shared a slow, passionate kiss with Astrid rather than ripping her clothes off to satisfy his desires. And oddly enough, Enhanced Comprehension agreed with him.