The marching speed of Ivar's troops could have been faster.
What was slowing them down was a boat—an unusually large one. It is more than four times as long as the ordinary longships used by pirates, and its height is more like a small city wall than a ship. It can extend 68 pairs of paddles from both sides. Even if rolling logs were placed at the bottom of the ship, it would take nearly three hundred people to work together to barely move it on land.
Viewed from a distance, it looks more like a moving fortress than a ship.
There are many small holes on the side of the ship, and through each small hole, a burning green flame can be seen.
The countless flames emitted green light day and night through countless small holes, making the entire ship look like a ghost ship carrying the dead.
What's even more frightening is that the sides of the ship on both sides are actually covered with a layer of nails - fingernails and toenails, all of which were picked out from people's bodies, and some are even covered with bloody scabs. They wrap around the hull like a layer of armor.
You can imagine how many slaves let out heart-rending wails in order to get this layer of nails.
Ivar named the ship Najirfa.
In the mythology of this group of northern tribesmen, Najirfa is an underworld ship built entirely from the fingernails and toenails of the dead, and its owner is Loki, the god of fire and trickery. When Ragnarok comes, this ship will transport hordes of giants, monsters, and armies of the dead to battle the gods.
Ivar spent ten years and used all the looted resources to secretly build this shocking giant ship in Ireland. After the completion of Najirfa, it lay quietly on the shore for six or seven years.
No one knows why Ivar imitated the description in the myth to create Najirfa, let alone when this legendary ship of the underworld will set off and its destination.
Following Ivar's troops was a giant wolf.
It was discovered by Ivar while hunting in the great forest on the border of England and Scotland. When it was discovered, it was twice the size of an average adult wolf. Under Ivar's care, he gradually grew to be as tall as a man.
Some speculate that this is because Ivar used some kind of magic to raise it. Others say that Ivar would have his servants carry him to the giant wolf's cage every night and add drops of his own blood to the food he fed to the giant wolf.
You can see that its snow-white fur is dotted with blood-like red in the shape of blood veins.
Now, this giant wolf can easily break away from the iron rope as thick as his wrist. In order to restrain this monster, Ivar had to increase the number of iron ropes to twelve. It's rough on everyone. But perhaps because it was raised and raised by Ivar, it was as quiet as a newborn puppy in front of Ivar.
Ivar named the giant wolf Fenrir.
In the mythology of this group of northern tribesmen, Fenrir is the first son of the God of Trickery and Fire, a demonic wolf that can hold up the heaven and earth when its upper and lower jaws are opened. It will be freed from its chains at Ragnarok, and Odin, the King of the Gods, will be devoured by it.
Ireland is not much richer than Scandinavia. In that barren and lonely land, Ivar raised Fenrir like his own beloved son, not letting him suffer any harm.
More than once, people asked him: "Why did you create Najirfar? Why did you raise Fenrir?"
But Ivar still smiled sickly every time, and then set his sights on distant Scandinavia.
Ivar is the eldest son of Ragnar Lodbrok. When he was a child, people discovered that he had "elf" level protection, but no one could tell which god his protection came from. Some people say that his protection comes from Thor, the god of thunder, others say that his protection comes from Tyr, the god of war, and some even say that his protection comes from Bugela, the god of poetry...
After he became an adult, a serious illness destroyed his legs, which also stopped people's speculation about his protection. People all turned their attention to his younger brother, Halfdan, who was protected by Baldr, the god of light. Only the most beloved can receive Baldr's protection. In their mythology, Baldr is Odin's heir.
Ivar, on the other hand, had to be carried around, so he got a less honorable nickname: The Boneless One.
He and his two brothers joined forces to attack Britain. Sigurd rushed to attack Britain, the richest country, but was defeated by Alfred's resistance. Ivar and Halfdan worked together to capture the entire Scotland. They helped Sigurd invade England, but failed. After that, Ivar voluntarily gave Scotland to his brother - even if he refused, everyone, including Ragnar, had already agreed to give Scotland to Halfdan.
After that, Ivar left Britain with his troops and moved into Ireland. After pacifying all of Ireland, he lived in seclusion there for a long time. Only when Ragnar planned to launch a large-scale plunder did he go to Scandinavia to obey Ragnar's orders.
When his father Ragnar's messenger brought news of his brother Sigurd's death in battle and summoned him to attack Hestein, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and fell in the direction of Scandinavia. .
At that moment, Ivar seemed to have received a divine revelation. He woke up Fenrir who was still sleeping, lay on him, and ran across the land of Ireland like the wind in one night. He blew the horn which he named Heimdall, and summoned all the troops scattered across Ireland. Then, with the combined efforts of all, they pushed Najirfar into the sea.
When the sun rose, Nagirfa transported Ivar, Fenrir, and Ivar's huge army to Scandinavia.
In Scandinavia, not only Hestein, but also the undefeated one protected by Odin - Ragnar Lodbrok, was waiting for him.
Let time return to the present.
Scandinavia has already entered a season suitable for sowing, but now, snow is falling in the sky. Under falling snow, his troops dragged Najirfa to the shores of Funen. The sea was unprecedentedly rough, as if it was about to swallow the entire land.
Then Ivar calmly said to his troops: "Halfdan is dead."
No one believed what he said, because no magic could kill Halfdan protected by Badr. As for weapons-under Halfdan's flash offensive, his troops should be invincible.
Fenrir roared at the sky, the blood-red color of his fur standing out even more against the snow.
The myth of the northern people describes the omens before the arrival of Ragnarok like this: the long severe winter, the death of Baldr, the god of light, the giant wolf Fenrir breaking free from his shackles, the giant snake Jörmungandr waking up from the mud bed of the seabed, the sun and The moon was devoured, and Loki, the god of trickery and fire, was freed to use his ship Najirfar to transport the enemies of the gods to battle.
"So, who is Loki, the god of trickery and fire?"
Ivar raised his head and talked to himself toward the sky.
On his palm, an inconspicuous flame ignited quietly for a moment, and then quickly dissipated.
