A Viking Saga: The Darkest Day

I am Hereward of Northumbria.

I have no other name.

My mother abandoned me to monks of

the monastery when I was 3 months old.

The monastery of Lindisfarne,

the only home I've ever known.

Its cold stones, my only refuge.

The holy island, my only life.

The sanctuary of our saints burned.

The storm engulfed our island.

North devils that fell

upon our shores.

They swept over us like waves.

Their dragon ships carried upon

black storm clouds from distant lands

to lay waste to all what we had known.

I am Hereward of Northumbria.

And my life as an innocent

ended that night...

You do well to fear me, holy man.

I am Hadrada, king of Ekor, and

I have brought death to many.

Many of your brothers lie dead.

You may live to mourn them

if you give me the book.

There ain't no book!

We once traded in peace

along these shores.

Then we heard of its beauty,

its power...

It's the word of your white Christ...

It is a light, they say.

A light so bright that it

dispels all darkness.

The power of your god

will be my price.

This one speaks of your Book.

Talk!

- They have taken it from the abbey.

- No!

There is no hope.

We must submit to them.

Traitor!

The Keepers of the Book

have taken it across the water,

to the main Island,

they will take it to

the Abbey in Iona.

We will follow those Keepers

and take their Book.

We fill out the boats and retreat.

Twenty nights along this coast for

gold and silver alone is not enough!

We lost men on this crossing.

I will have that book!

We will lose more men,

for a book!

These beaches are synonymous with death.

Who has seen

the bravery of the Saxons here!

Men who stain their church with

their piss rather than fight!

We die on these rocks.

All for a book!

Don't question me, boy!

We will not cross without it.

Tell the rest to load the boats,

take as many slaves as we can carry.

Tell them to wait offshore.

We will butcher the Keepers and

we will have that Book!

What shall we do with this one?

This coward? Drown him into the sea!

The Holy Gospels will never

fall into heathen hands!

The holy Christ will cut you down!

The holy Christ will cut you down!

He will cut you down!

Come on, lad.

- The King's will come for us?

- Aye.

They will really come?

The beacon shone last night,

the signal is send.

They will come for us.

They will come.

They will see us safely to Iona.

We'll be safe in Iona?

Aye.

We've many miles to go.

Come, boy.

We will take their book.

That would render its master

more powerful than the church or king.

You talk of rulership?

To be king?

I am but a just man,

but you, you are more just.

I'm a ware to bring back wealth,

I'll be king then.

No, we are a fractured people,

warring.

We must look beyond mere piracy.

The world changes.

Empires are being forged.

The Saxons are mere invaders here.

Why shouldn't we achieve such

greatness? Why should I not seek

such power for my only beloved son?

Without their book, this nation would fall.

And you...

You would be king here.

Brothers!

Today, we seize the power

of the white Christ.

For Odin!

And Ekor!

The holy ruins!

We await our guides there.

There is no one here!

They will come!

This old man is cold

and needs to sleep.

See if you can find some wood.

Don't go too far.

Amen.

Well?

Something is better than nothing.

They abandoned us.

God has abandoned us!

Mo, He has not abandoned us.

They will come.

Brother Erian always said

we were warned,

that there were omens,

the people reaped in sin,

and now all this death...

Brother Erian believed this.

I do not.

- And nor should you.

- He said:
God punishes all sinners.

He did, he did.

Do you believe the whole Angles

men sins? I do not.

Many have turned their back

on the Word.

These are dark times, boy.

The heathen destroyed the monastery,

slaughtered our brothers.

Were they all sinners?

Did they turn their back

on the Word?

It was the bloody work of men.

Not the punishment of God.

They will come. I promise you.

Where is this place?

The chapel of St. Alchmund.

Alchmund?

Alchmund was the first pilgrim to

bring the Word to Northumbria.

He is our most glorious saint.

It is said that Alchmund threw

down Satan the great deceiver,

here in this holy place.

It is said...

When Satan saw the great work

of Alchmund,

his conversion of the

heathen Saxons of Northumbria,

he tempted Alchmund, as he's tempted

Christ in the wilderness,

but Alchmund's faith was strong.

He threw down Satan,

shaking the mountains.

The sea boiled, rivers ran red.

Alchmund was victorious

over the darkness of his time.

We should be victorious over the darkness

that threatens to cover our time.

And if we fail?

We can not fail, boy.

This book is the salvation of Angles.

It is our heart, our very soul.

Without these Gospels,

this island is slipping to darkness.

This old man that I am

must sleep a while.

It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

No seeing.

We must press on!

Our guides will find us.

They will find us!

God wills it.

- You should rest.

- We must press on!

Stop it.

You must rest...

I'll find you some food.

We must go!

We must go!

Someone is coming.

It's a soldier!

- He is armed.

- A Saxon? A North?

- Come on!

- No.

Do not fear me, priest.

I will protect the Gospels.

I Aethewulf of Wessex.

Your beacon was lead.

I have come to aid you.

You are send from the king?

I am a warrior of the Enduring Kingdom.

Our order is dedicated to the

protection of the Word of Christ.

They've send only one man.

I've traveled for many days with 10 men.

We were attacked by Norths.

My men fell.

What use is one man?

You have not seen the world

outside your abbey, boy.

It is better to travel

without attention.

The Norths have sackened the holy island.

They slaughtered many.

They made many raids along the

coastlines these last few weeks.

Their trading days are over.

- These will be dark days.

- The Gospels will be safe.

Without these Gospels,

the island will fall.

We will reach Iona!

Come, we must leave.

It's getting night.

- It's not good that you look like priests.

- Not good?

The Church seems to grow rich and

fat whilst the country starves.

Monks hold little respect

in the wilds.

Come!

We must keep moving.

Wait!

Wait!

Wait!

Quiet, boy!

Do not slow us again, priest.

Run!

Run!

Run!

Take the Book.

- No!

- I can't go on.

No! Please.

Take the Book, or all will be lost.

God be with you, boy.

Go!

Where is the book, monk?

The Book!

I hear that your white Christ

demands a life of celibacy.

A lonely life.

This is why you turn

to young boys.

Pagan! Scum!

I've been many months at sea.

No woman.

Only monks for pleasure...

You'll... you will burn in hell!

Hell? Hell?!

I just want the Book, boy.

The Book for you life!

We must keep moving, boy.

More North may come.

You can mourn your brother later.

I could have stopped him.

Had you done so, you'd be

lying cold next to him.

I could have stopped him.

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