Secrets- raw



Secrets

The next day of school was different. The news of the escalated clan feud had spread fast.

Even the older kids in the school flyer came up to me and wanted to know every detail. Dietmar looked especially pleased." You know they interviewed me for Nilfeheim Radio? They wanted to know how you are and all that! I think it is time you graduate to assistant pilot!"

Dietmar pointed at the always empty Control seat next to him and explained to me the controls, there weren't that many and most of the flying was done by the on board Computronic but since Nilfeheim did not have a central controlled traffic net, operators were still required. I learned that the school flyer was a Leyland CF 65 (Commuter Flyer) and already 200 years old. He told me full of pride that he also was the maintenance technician and actually worked at the Leyland Main Factory on Sumner Planet for over 15 years after he left Nilfeheim as a Stowaway on an Agra product freighter."

After we landed at the school yard there was much nodding and signs of respect by other boys. Yngve waiting next to the entrance was not alone this time, both Annar and Gunnar stood behind him with their arms crossed before their chests. Yngve actually smiled and thumbed across his shoulders. "Meet my personal body guard."

Annar nodded towards me and Gunnar said." Your father declared clan feud against our clan and by tradition we cannot be friends and we are not supposed to talk to you but you saved my life and I won't forget that. My father said it will be okay if we treat you with respect. Even an enemy can be respected according to tradition!"

I shrugged." That's a definite improvement form the past and I take that gladly!"

Yngve reached into my shirt pocket without asking and swiped his PDD against mine." I bet you forgot the assignment Mr. Walters gave us yesterday. I wrote yours as well and tried as good as I could to emulate your limited knowledge."

I frowned at him." You are the only one who can insult me and I know you had no intention doing so and actually mean it well!"

As we found our seats he thought for a second and then blushed." I am sorry. I analyzed my statement and now realize how it sounded!"

Sigvard also came in and took his seat. His face was badly swollen and I saw the clear signs of a broken jaw. He must have been beaten by his father. He glared at me only for an instant and then looked away. I knew there and without a doubt he was looking to kill me.

Mr. Walters was on time as usual and looked us over." Mr. Olafson and Mr. Elhir you report to the School nurse and are back here as soon as possible. I will contact the nurse to see when you are done. Should either of you even so much as raise a fist against the other, be prepared to face trouble you could not even dream about in your worst night mares."

I was not sure why he wanted me at the Nurses office, but there was no sense arguing with Mr. Walters.

We walked side by side down the corridor and I had the distinct feeling of being watched. Sigvard kept staring straight ahead but hissed from between clenched teeth." You better hide in your burg for the rest of your life! Leave that burg and I am there to kill you!"

I hissed back." Just have the guts and challenge me and I be there, not that Gunnar will leave much behind after he is done with you!"

"Gunnar dies and so will you!"

We reached the nurses office. She scanned Sigvard first." Broken jaw, broken ribs, scratched lungs, Testicular torsion, torn ligaments and a severe head trauma. Why did you not come in yesterday to be treated?"

Sigvard hissed his answer." Because my father worked me over after this Nubhir snatcher attacked me!"

"I will keep you here for a while, till the doctor has time for you." She took him to the adjuring room and had him lay down. The doctor of the Hospital in town formed as a Holo almost right away, the Nurse closed the door and scanned me." Uh, that is a nasty cut Mr. Olafson, it's already infected! We better Re-gen that part of your skin, it seems the Derma-Patcher has your name written on it as much as I use it on you!"

As I saw myself in the mirror I saw my shirt was blood soaked. The bandage I had applied to my chest had come loose.

Father of course had beaten me after he had returned from the exchange. Not that he  had ever needed a reason for that, but he claimed that the damage to the boat was substantial and he did not get the money he hoped to gain from the sale.

“ I am sorry Nurse Olga, I ran out of adhesive bandaging last night and I was not permitted to the kitchen to get more."

She sighed as she applied the Derma Patch, thousands of medical nanites repairing the cut by weaving new tissue, replicating mine exactly down to the molecule. The entire process took less than ten minutes and the only sensation was if hundreds of fingers were circling around my chest.

The Nurse said." I want you to stay so the doctor can look you over, just to make sure I didn't miss anything."

The doctor's projection declared me fit but I had missed most of the morning class. Mr. Walter collected the reports and told me he added the missed class to my download.

Yngve and I went topside to enjoy the wind and the clear sunny weather as we did every day since Shortsummer started. . Climbing on top of it was our favorite spot; it was not far from where I had fought Sigvard.

Here we were away from the others and their teasing, not that they were teasing us today. The wind was blowing hard but the air was not cold and I spread my arms into the gale and felt it took at my sleeves." Don't you want to fly sometimes like Loki did when he had Freya's feathered cloak?" I had to almost yell my question and Yngve shrugged." Not really. Those Norse God myths did never hold my attention much. Besides if you want to fly' all you have to do is order a flight belt from Techno Shack. They come complete with Arti grav and propulsion units."

"Do you remember who you are talking to? It's me Eric. No GalNet at home, the no allowance and no tech Eric!"

"I bet a bunch of Union marines in heavy destroyer suits and armed with TKU's would take all Asgard apart, stuff Thor's hammer deep in his behind and shave Odin's beard before chow time."

I stared at him." You better never let anyone hear what you just said."

"Did you see Pluribus? Did you see how insignificant Nilfeheim is? I am going to leave this planet as soon as I can. I piss on the opinion of the Elders."

"Wow you sound quite angry today. It isn't like you at all!"

Yngve shoved his hands into his pockets and his face relaxed and he said." I am still angry at Annar and Gunnar. I was scared to death . Then I was scared for you and as I saw you fight those fish. Now everyone speaks of you taking on a boat load of adult warriors and come out on top. I could never do that!

I am I am a Neo Viking by birth Eric, but nothing in me seems to be in tune with it all. I feel like a stranger every day I am on my own world and every time I take a Virtu and I am away I fell I belong!"

I knew all too well what he meant." I am scared every time to go home, I too going to leave Nilfeheim and I am going to be a Star ship Commander just like Captain Ironhand."

"And then you return and you land the Starblazer right next to the Burg and kill your father by blasting the Burg to bits." Yngve said rolling his eyes." I hate to break it to you but Captain Ironhand is a fictional character and there is no Starblazer Spaceship either."

"I know that, but there is a real Union Fleet and there is a real Academy. Speaking of, did you ever get another episode?" I asked hoping he would have gotten another Virtu Upload of my favorite Virtu Experience. Yngve would bring them to school and I would use the library hook up.

"Sorry I didn't buy any this month. I spend all my allowance on Virtus about Pluribus!" He blinked into the wind and shaded his eyes to see me better. "You need to improve your grades quite a bit if you want to join the Academy and not become an enlisted. Only an Officer can become a Star ship Captain you know."

"How much do you think I have to improve them?"

"I don't know but to be accepted at the Academy to become an officer I bet they expect you to be the best of the best!"

That dampened my mood but I promised myself to increase my efforts.

He boxed me in the side. “Well then let's go back in, break is over and even though Mr. Flensburger, isn't as punctual as Mr. Walthers, he does expect us to be in class.”

--

Mr. Flensburger, our history teacher was a little late as usual. He came into the classroom dressed like a Harpooner in the middle of Longnight. He wore a heavy hooded Fangsnapper fur coat, over a padded Iso-Tex Jacket and beneath the hood a heated wind mask. Underneath all that a Union Fleet Issue extreme climate suit with active heating. He was dressed like that despite the fact it was already Short Summer now. It was only three degrees below zero on the C-scale. Bare chest weather my Uncle Hogun would say.

It took him long moments to get undressed and I was certain the pile of clothing next to his desk grew just a little bigger every day.

"It is still quite cold this morning, class," he greeted us and twenty seven Neo Vikings rose form their seats and responded. "Good morning Mr. Flensburger."

I couldn't help myself and said, "We have been told that you have been on Nilfeheim for over thirty years, Mr. Flensburger. Haven't you gotten used to our weather by now?"

He took off his cold mask, revealing his slate ice gray eyes and his long pointed nose and looked at me, then shook his head. "Mr. Olafson, it took me all this time to get used to the barbaric customs of you Neo Vikings. I had no time to get used to the weather yet."

That caused the class to laugh. He walked to the large windows clasped his hands behind his back and looked over the churning waves of the ocean. "It is a beautiful planet. It has lots of cold water, teaming with an abundance of life, blue oceans and very, very long winters. I come from a planet called New Algiers. There is no open water and dusty red deserts as far as you can see. The only thing worth mentioning living in our deserts is a centipede like scorpion and so far we were unsuccessful to find anyone who would try to eat one."

He turned back to face us and the front wall and the windows disappeared and the high detailed holo of a red featureless desert with rolling dunes appeared, even the sky appeared to have a reddish haze. The Class room computronic has taken his queue and projected a visual of New Algiers.

He gestured towards the image. "You have winds bringing ice crystals, snow and rain. Our storms bring dust, lots of it and can pile dust and sand two meters high over night. However the temperature never drops below forty degrees on the C scale." He brushed his hand through the air and the image disappeared.

I tried to imagine how it would be, to live in bread oven conditions like that. I glanced at my PDD and checked GalNet about New Algiers.

Our teacher turned to face the class.

"In a few years from now you graduate and perhaps some of you might actually leave this world and become real Union Citizens, not that I have big hopes for that. However this is my last school year. Thirty years teaching you Neo Vikings about the rest of the Universe was a challenge to say the least." His eyes became dreamy and he smiled." First I am going to Para-Para and simply sit on the beach for maybe a year or so. I believe it will take at least that long for my bones to thaw."

Leif Swenkjard sitting across the aisle from me waved his hand."I've been to Para-Para actually. When my Father had to go there for an ocean produce trade show he took me along."

Leif's father was a Freeman living in town and if I recalled it correctly he was working for an Off World Seafood Company. Leif was one of the few in class who didn't care if I was an Olafson. The sons of Clans never talked to him. Him being off planet was news to me.

Mr. Flensburger encouraged him to tell us about his trip and Leif said.

"They don't even have a little snow anywhere and their largest fish is about the size of a Surface Finner. On Para-Para there are no weapons allowed; no one carries even a knife. If you use your fist to make an argument stick you get in trouble and arrested. No one wears much clothing all day, even outside and in the city." He snorted in discontent. "And all everyone does is smile all the time."

Peter Langstom next to him drew the outlines of a woman into the air."How about the girls, do they wear little?"

"You could bunch up what they wear in your fist and nothing showing."

Peter now grinned from one ear to the other."I think I go there for a visit too!"

"You wouldn't like it. Because the guys don't wear much either and you barely see any blonde tall girls with braids anywhere. Those girls can't cook a decent meal, won't clean up after you and want to be equal to men and sit at the same table!"

His comment caused quite a few gasps of disbelieve.

Flensburger shook his head putting his right hand before his eyes."You are hopeless."

Then he sat down on the edge of his desk and he stared at me.

"You look different, Eric. What are you wearing on your head?"

"It is the Helmet of the Hunt; I received it from the Elders."

"I am somewhat familiar with it. I was under the impression only someone completing the Hunt the ancient way was allowed to wear one."

Gunnar Peerson turned and gave me a thankful nod." Eric killed two Tyranno Fins  saving my life a few days ago."

Flensburger got up and came closer."As you know I was on vacation the last two weeks. I did hear something about it, but just consider me an ignorant Off -Worlder for now, but would you explain that to me again? I thought The hunt part of the Ancient Challenge was considered too dangerous even by your standards and no longer required."

Gunnar answered."That is true, but Sigvard threw me into the ocean and poured Tyranno Scent into the water. I am sure the other teachers can tell you the details. I think they even recorded some of it.”

His twin brother nodded to that and continued. "To slay a Tyranno Fin even in a modern Sub is no easy task, but to do it the old way by diving and using a Hand harpoon is almost suicide and because so many sons died that way this part of the Ancient Challenge is no longer required. However anyone can still do it the old way and that is the highest honor and test of skill. Eric did it to save my brother."

The teacher looked at me and said. "And you killed two of them?" He asked visibly astounded.

"Yes Sir. I had not planned on it. It all happened quite fast. That the one I killed wasn't hunting alone became apparent when its brother or father showed up k, I had to kill it or it would have done so with us."

Yngve sitting next to me said. "I heard the Eldest say it was an Eight Tri," He sounded quite proud as he said. "And no Eight Tri has been slain by hand in over 200 years. It was all over the Nilfeheim Radio."

Flensburger shook his head once again."You are one crazy species of humans. Going against the biggest and fastest Predator fish in the Galaxy armed with a toothpick and hope to kill it by hitting a fist size target behind their eyes."

I made a circle with my hands. "The Mark was about that big, not fist size."

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Right, that makes it so much easier.”

Annar said. “And yesterday he was abducted by the Elhir Clan and fought adult warriors and captured a boat, but no one is allowed to talk about it much until the Elders and the Chiefs decided on the outcome of the incident.”

Flensburger sighed deeply. “And you wonder why all this sounds like madness to an off worlder.” He threw his hands in the air. "Very well then."

He turned to the class and said, "Have you ever wondered why we have school? Why we have classes? Why we don't simply use neural uploading for everything, like we do for language and general knowledge?"

There was silence. He pointed at Sven.

"You questioned the need for schooling many times before. Would you not rather have all what you need uploaded in your brain and be done with it?"

Sven shook his long red hair. "No I don't see the need for all this off world garbage in my head in the first place. I am going to be a harpooner like my Father and my brothers and my son will be a harpooner too. I will be a very good harpooner and one day, if Odin wills it, my father will give me my own boat and I become Clan Chief when he dies. What do I need to know about the rest of the Galaxy?"

Flensburger smiled a sad looking smile and said "I know you think that way. Many Neo Viking's coming to school think that way. But you are members of the Union and you do business with the Union. What good is a harpooner without a Harpoon? Or what good is a Hunt boat that can't sell its catch?"

Sven was still not convinced and crossed his big forearms across his barrel chest.

"We make our own Harpoons and we can eat our own catch."

Mr. Flensburger sighed. "Your skull is as dense as the ice out there. What is your harpoon made off? What do you use to propel your boats and hunting subs?"

Sven was not so sure about himself anymore and his voice changed as he answered: "Harpoons are made of Ultronit, and we use Zero point cubes to power the boats."

I could see Sven was suddenly thinking. We all knew Sven wasn't the sharpest harpoon on the boat, even though he was as strong as a Fangsnapper.

Flensburger asked.. "And where does the Ultronit and the power cubes come from?"

He responded to the question, saying, "My father orders metals, knives and boat parts at the XChange."

"How does he pay for it?"

"With Union Creds of course."

"How does he get Union Creds?"

"We're selling Tyranno meat, Flasher fish and lots of Fanger Fur to the XChange in town." Even Sven realized what he was saying and nodded. "Alright we do need the Off-Worlders. You made your point, Mr. Flensburger, but why do we have to learn it this way?"

The skinny teacher sat down again on the edge of his desk. His favorite position when he was about to explain something to us.

"Our Union is a little over 3000 years old and we have over 4,500 member civilizations. There are millions of settled planets and locations. There are non humanoids, methane breathers, insectoids, and even a non corporal species. There are a very few things that are common to all. One of those things most societies have in common is the need to educate the young, to prepare them for the world. There are only a few species we know of who do not need to educate their offspring. The Bellebee for example. Those gas bag friends of ours have a collective mind they share all experiences, a Bellebee hatches with all knowledge he needs. But even the Bellebee send their young to Union schools mostly to prepare them to interact with us. "

Mr. Flensburger folded his hands. "For most civilizations however schooling is necessary and after many millennia of experience and experimenting with all those various other education techniques it turned out that the old way of class interaction resulted in the best education. It's not knowledge that we try to instill, but teach you ways to obtain knowledge and to prepare you to be Union Citizens, know about your rights and duties and of course for the same reason the Bellebee and all the others go to school, to learn how to interact with others and realize that we are all part of something bigger"

Again he looked across the class and pointed at Peter. "Why do you think these old methods  might be superior?"

Peter, the son of a Fish merchant and one of the few who had plans to leave Nilfeheim after graduation for college answered after a short moment of thought.

"I believe even the smartest computronic can't answer a real question by analyzing the reason for the question in relationship to the environment and background of the student. Only a real teacher can do that."

"Not bad at all, Peter. I would give you a straight A for that answer. Except that this is the textbook answer you just read. But finding the right answer so fast and skillfully hiding your PDD under your sleeve I still give you a B."

He nodded more to himself than to anyone in particular. "It is the environment in which we learn that makes the difference. Uploaded knowledge and implanted memories can supply you with all the data you need. While you won't find a Data head here on Nilfeheim, having your mind direct linked to GalNet is not uncommon elsewhere. So knowledge isn't the reason for schools and teachers but the environment in which you take it in to give you the tools to use the information your mind processes." He stabbed his finger at me."Mr. Olafson, what happens when you graduate?"

"We can become citizens, Sir!"

"Very good, now regardless of your grades that determine your further career and education options, everyone becomes a Citizen after graduating Basic school and completing the Citizen Test. This is why you are here; this is why your parents want you here to become citizens. Only as a citizen can you freely travel, open a bank account, transfer UnionCreds, use GalNet, vote, get free health care and most of all, get the full protection of the law! Due to the so called Nilfeheim exception you don't have to serve the required 22 month, unless of course you leave Nilfeheim.”

Sven still wasn't convinced, "I still don't see why an Off-Worlder like you has to come and teach us all that. My father told me that before we were forced to join the Union we would learn all that we needed from our parents or the Clan Elders."

"So you think you were forced to join?"

"What else do you call a Battleships with Planet-Buster bombs ready to vaporize our planet in orbit?"

"Before we go into that and since it seems you are quite the history expert, do you know the reason why the United Stars send Battleships in the first place?"

"Yes of course! Our glorious forefathers caused mayhem and terror by raiding other colonies and spaceships for everything we needed. "He laughed loudly." Neo Vikings were feared in this sector!"

"Indeed. Your glorious forefathers realized they would not survive another decade without things the outside world could supply. So they hijacked a freighter and a few Gunboats and resorted to piracy."

Sven shrugged. "We just were stronger and better warriors and so we had the right to take it."

"Well since the Union Fleet was stronger than your pirate boats and arguing entirely by your logic, they had the right to bomb you. But your forefathers where given a choice, no one forced them to join. The choice was cease all pirate activity and remain isolated on this planet of yours with no contact with others at all, or to join the United Stars and accept Federal Law. Your forefathers didn't even debate one hour and filed for membership."

As he turned to the window Sven leaned over to Peter. "One of these days I'll stuff his face with my fist. That arrogant Off-Worlder, such a wimp has no right to teach us anything!"

Mr. Flensburger turned. "So you want to stuff my face and you think I am a wimp. I accept your challenge, this is what you Vikings do right? "

Sven looked around as if he wanted to make sure everyone heard the same. "You can't be serious. A tap of me would kill you, besides fighting is prohibited in school."

"Fighting among students is,indeed. Now lets call this a demonstration and again, I accept your challenge, Mr. Espeland ."

I said, "I would not do it, Sven. He's from New Algiers."

Sven snorted in my direction. "When I am done with him,you're going to be next. Your father will give me a great reward if I twist your head off."

Gunnar yelled, "He might be an enemy of our clan, but by our laws and traditions. Eric was pronounced a warrior born by the Elders and he saved my life! I will not sit idle while you insult a Viking Warrior.  I will kill you!"

Sigvard Elhir, glared at his direction. "You lift an arm for the Olafson and I will break your neck before we meet before the Elders."

Sven got up, showing everybody his muscles and then stepped forward towards the teacher. "I am going to rip your head off, Mr Flensburger. Then I will take care of a few others around here!"

Mr. Flensburger was totally calm and relaxed and smiled. "Then do it Sven and don't talk too much! You challenged me and all you do is boast and talk."

Sven literally flew forward and swung his huge fist. Mr. Flensburger caught Sven's wrist and stopped the punch right before his nose, then twisted it fast and in such a fashion that Sven had to go to his knees. The smaller teacher held the massive arm of Sven with no effort and said to the class, "You see Sven, on New Algiers we have a gravitation of 3.6 that means my muscles are 3.6 times denser than yours and before I became a teacher, I served the Navy and received intensive combat training. It does not have to be an Off-Worlder that teaches you, but every teacher in Basic School has to be a Citizen with a service record."

He still held Sven by the wrist and kept his arm painfully twisted and explained to us in his usual soft voice. "Because of this special deal your Planet Representative has managed to get for Nilfeheim, you are Citizens after you graduate but do not have to serve the 22 month in a Federal Service as it is required for almost all other Union Citizens. No Neo Viking ever served in the fleet or in any of the other services as far as I know and thus cannot become Union Teachers." He put a little more pressure on the twisted arm. "Now I could break every bone in your body without losing a drop of sweat."

Sven groaned in pain. "I am going to kill you!"

"It is unwise to make threats to someone holding your arm in such a fashion." Mr. Flensburger twisted a little more and this time Sven yelped in pain. The teacher let him go.

Sven immediately lunged forward but the teacher stepped aside in a swift, elegant move and grabbed Sven by the shoulders, added to the momentum and made him crash into the wall. Sven shook his head dazed, got up on shaky legs and turned raging with anger, pulling his Harpooner Knife. I jumped up and so did almost everybody.

Peter yelled. "This is not honorable. He beat you fair and square, put your knife away!"

Sven's face was deep red and he pointed the wicked knife at Peter.

"I will slice you like Tyranno-bait, after I am done with that Off-Worlder!"

I jumped forward holding my chair like a shield. "Mr. Flensburger get back!"

Sven laughed. "Splendid! Your Father will reward me if I kill you. He'll give me a boat for sure!"

Flensburger was completely calm. "I appreciate your assistance Eric, but let me finish this. I ask you all to sit back down. I also give you Sven a chance to sit down and we will continue with our discussion. Do that and  we forget the whole situation. However if I am forced to take that knife from you, you will be expelled from school."

"No one takes my knife and I could care less if I fail your stupid class."

"I didn't say fail class. I said you will be expelled."

Sven attacked and again Flensburger moved fast. He got hold of Sven's wrist again, just like before and with his other hand he grabbed Sven by the throat. Sven gargled, the knife fell and Mr. Flensburger lifted Sven off his feet holding the heavy teenager by the throat without any visible effort.

"You had your choice and you made it. Now I have no other choice. You are expelled! Do you know that this means you will not become a Citizen? Now I give you a second choice: Yield and surrender or die!"

Sven now turned purple struggled and gargled. "I give in. I surrender!"

The teacher let him go and said. "You are to leave school immediately. You got your wish; there won't be any school for you anymore."

Sven grabbed his knife and stumbled to the exit. "Who needs to be a stupid citizen anyway? I am a Neo Viking!"

With those words he left. Mr. Flensburger sat back down on his desk as if nothing happened and said, "Dial your PDDs to Blank page and write me a one page report about what Citizenship means to you."

-""-

It was during the 6th hour ,Mr. Flensburger was telling us about the Klack Society when the class room door opened and Sven's father Elik Espeland stepped in.

Elik was known for his foul temper and it was said he had smashed more than a few skulls, but he appeared with his harpooner's helmet in hands.

"Mr. Flensburger, I apologize for the interruption, but it is true that you expelled my son?"

"Indeed. He had made his choice. I gladly show you the visuals of the incident. So you can see how it came to this." To us he said, "While I discuss these matters with Mr. Espeland you can take a break."

Sven was standing outside the door, he looked like a herd of Fangsnappers had trampled over him, his face was swollen and he had bruises and marks all over. He looked to the ground and said nothing as we filed past him.

About ten minutes later, Mr. Flensburger and Mr. Espeland come out of the classroom, both smiling and shaking hands and I could see Sven apologizing to the teacher.

Yngve came up to me and said..

"They still don't like you but no one is going to bully you anymore with that helmet and all. I wish I could do something like that."

"But you have an awesome family and a good father and a mother who loves you and you can buy things."

He grinned and handed me a Data Chip. "I got you the latest adventures of Captain Ironhand after all. I wanted to surprise you."

I thanked him with a wide grin and said. "I love the smell of Blaster Fire in the Morning."

"I am certain blaster fire has no distinctive smell. Olfactory molecules would be destroyed as any other matter,"

"It's what Captain Ironhand always says."

"You do know he is a fictional character that has absolutely nothing to do with reality, right?"

"I know but watching these gives me a little vacation from my own life and I tell you it sucks to be me."

Sigvard must have my last comment and pushed Yngve with a shoulder push to the side and snatched the Data Chip out of my hand.

"I agree it sucks to be you. Our clans are at war and I am going to make your life a living hell for what you did to my brothers and my clan!"

"You can always challenge  me. Now give me back that chip!"

"My father said, your father is a coward. Not Viking enough to an open Challenge."

"I challenge you, right here and now."

"And get me expelled fighting a looser like you?"

"Anywhere anytime, it seems you are the coward!"

Gunnar and Annar the Peerson twins also came closer and others followed. Sigvard could no longer back out with so many witnesses and him being the strongest right after Sven poked his finger into my chest. "Alright, Olafson. Right now in the Gym, we wrestle!"

Technically Gilma wrestling was permitted and not considered fighting when it is was done in the Gym as exercise. Gilma was a from of wrestling with complicated rules of fairness we called drengskapur and had a strict code of honor.

Without further words we went down in the Schools basement area where the gyms and sports facilities were. It was not a Union School program of course but a local thing.

As I took a Gilma belt harness from a wall hook, he grabbed his belt and snapped the heavy leather belt like a whip across my back and laughed.

Gunnar yelled. "This isn't Gilma and it isn't honorable!"

He hit me again. "I never said Gilma, I am not going to soil my hands on an Olafson. I do what his father does all the time. He should be us.."

He could no longer talk. I had flung myself back and smacked the back of my head right where I thought his nose should be and followed up with an elbow to his stomach. He was much stronger than me, but him using the leather harness like a whip opened a feeling of rage and anger in me he could not even begin to fathom.

He stumbled back, giving me time to turn, blood was gushing from his nose. He was still dazzled so it appeared and swung his ham sized against me but the way he announced it gave me time to duck and hammer my fist in a short uppercut against his chin. I did not stop there and buried by other fist right at the center of his rib cage. Sven fell!

I kicked him again the temple and then wrapped the leather belt around his neck and started twisting. He blinked at me and gargled something and I said.

"If you ever insult me again, if you ever take something from me, I will kill you!"

A strong hand pulled me up and Mr. Flensburger said with an angry stern tone. "You are about to kill him now!"

Sigvard coughed and gargled and Flensburger said to Gunnar. "Take him to the School nurse."

To the rest he said. “School is out for today. You all need to cool down.”

--””--

As I came home that afternoon I found that Father, my brothers and most men of the Clan were gone with the Family Subs  to hunt Tyrannos and Three Fins. They went to the Uhim Grounds, almost 2000 clicks from the burg and would be gone for most of the month. I had never gone hunting or fishing, even during school breaks. The prospect being pinned up in the small boat with my father for weeks on end was not something would have looked forward to. So I wasn't feeling disappointed at all.

It appeared he had forgotten to instruct the remaining staff to give me any chores. So I decided to take a long swim.

Not many Neo Vikings went diving anymore, and it was said our gills would dry out and maybe even disappear in future generations.

However I used them every chance I got. Down here in the cold water I felt free. The cold water rushing through my gills always invigorated me and I wished I could stay submerged forever, but while a Neo Viking could stay under water for a very long time, the loss of body heat even through the insulated dive suit limited the time I could stay submerged. Nilfeheims oceans teamed with life and there were quite a few life forms down here, dangerous to an unprotected diver, but nothing was as dangerous as a Tyranno Fin. Our teacher said they are bigger and faster than even the biggest Whales on Terra and as aggressive as Sharks. We did have a fish we called Sharks too, and Rock Sharks as we called them were fast and could be dangerous to a diver, especially since they attacked in packs, but they weren't anything like the Tyrannos.

Ragnarsson rock was in a region of ocean where Tyrannos could be found only during the first month of Shortsummer. They migrated all to the southern half of our planet where the great kelp and seaweed patches where. They did that because the docile and herbivore Three-fin fish would feed on the rich starchy kelp buts and stems to fatten themselves for the long years of Longnight.

The Three fins were the preferred prey of Tyrannos. Then they would fight, mate and lay eggs. Female Tyrannos would stuff seaweed in rock crevices and caves to lay one or maybe two eggs, and then guard their nests with ferocity.

Fang snappers would dive from the small rock islands or floating ice bergs trying to get to these eggs or snatch a young Tyranno. Rock sharks circling it all, to either catch a Snapper in the water or feast on the leftovers of a Tyranno Kill.

Nilfeheims oceans were vast and even though they teemed with life, to actually find Tyrannos outside of Tyranno Season and outside the Uhim grounds  was not as easy as one would think.

The Uhim grounds were in the only area of the planet that stayed ice free even during Longnight, due to the fact that the planets main fault line was located beneath the surface and several dozen underwater volcanoes, thousands of black smokers and underwater vents kept the water temperature even at the surface above freezing.

I must have been out for hours, but I finally had to get back out, as I felt my legs and arms starting to go numb. I knew it was high time.

I swam through the tunnel that connected our Sub Pen with the ocean. The Sub Pen had enough room for eight boats, but currently we had only five. Hunting Subs were expensive and many Clans had perhaps one, or even used the cheaper surface vessels, like the Olafsons did before they merged with the Ragnarssons. Besides only the  Old Clans still went Tyranno Hunting. Others were fishing or operating Fish and Snapper Farms, however the Tyranno Hunters were considered to be the elite.

Now that most men were gone either hunting with father or tending our Farms, the Burg was eerie silent even during the day. While the burg had a central heating system, father preferred the old fashioned Tyranno Oil ovens and fire places.

While he was gone the servants kept the fires on a minimum and despite Short Summer, the Burg was always cold. Why I ended up in my mother's drawing room I could not really say, mostly perhaps I looked for warmth. I had stayed longer in the water than I should have and was shivering. It was unused ever since the night he had killed her. His new wife did not use it and stayed most of the time in her suite of rooms where was busy with her needle crafts or she left the burg to socialize with other Clan Chief wives, a part she enjoyed greatly so I heard Midril say.

The old book was still lying on her dresser. My mother's closet door was not closed entirely and I went to close it, but instead I opened it. Her dresses and things were still there. My hands touching the soft fabrics and I could smell her wonderful perfume. I suddenly could almost hear her voice, no words or anything just the tone of her voice. I missed her so much! Something cold ran down my cheeks and even alone I felt embarrassed by my tears. Men did not cry! Before I really knew it held one of her dresses in my hands and then held it before me and remembered the story of Thor dressing up as Freya to fool the Giants. Following a strange impulse I put on the dress. It fit me and it felt so soft. I opened my braided hair and somehow I could see my mother in my own reflection in the large mirror. It was and I could not say it any other way like a religious mysterious experience. Eric the looser and the unwanted son had disappeared and a blonde Viking girl stood there before me in the mirror. She wore a beautiful gown and I was certain now I could feel my mother's presence. I now cried and did not feel ashamed at all. That day my life had changed forever and whenever I could I sneaked into my mother's room and put on one of her dresses. I even started to wear the female undergarments and sat down reading in the old book. I knew it was wrong somehow, but Thor had done it at least once and more so I felt connected to her. She was there just out of sight, but she was there.