As I sat in my tent, overseeing the construction of the new Roma while drinking some liberated Roman wine, I heard the voice again.What could that mean? I have aged sixty-six winters, but I was by no means too old to fight, and this war with the Romans was coming to a close. There were only a few Roman settlements left, and they could not last long before they would fall. Was my death coming? I did not know, and I chose to forget about this voice.But it came again.I tried to keep ignoring it, but every time it would come back, a bit louder than before.What did it mean? Did Wōdanaz want me? Was it time for me to join the ranks of the Einherjar, who lived and fought in the halls of Walhalla?Scouts revealed that a very large Roman army was in the Roman city of Brundisium.It was calling me. I knew that taking this city was my destiny, for better or for worse. I would find my ultimate calling here, whether that is victory, or the Valkyries carrying me away.I girded my men in only the best of armor, including metal facemasks for some of them, which would frighten the enemy as we would bear down on them.Our ballistas smashed their gates, just as they did with the gates of Roma.I had hired some Northern Italian Mercenaries, who wanted to fight the Romans, who had enslaved their homeland so many years ago. They were eager to fight, so I let them scale the walls first. It was a dark day, with clouds making it appear that the city was full of smoke. A most peculiar effect, especially since the sun shone through the clouds, like a lighthouse’s beacon through a heavy fog, guiding ships away from the rocks and towards safe waters.Our artillery smashed the enemy towers while the Italian mercenaries scaled the walls.A unit of our Spear Brothers also scaled the walls, and began to fight the Romans on the walls.The gates were smashed open, and I sent a unit of Spear Masters to go in first, who would be followed by the rest of us.Then it came again, stronger than ever.I had to go. I spoke to my bodyguards, seventy-nine in total, just as the sky began to clear up.“Men! Today we ride! We do not stand back and let others do our fighting, not then, not now, and not tomorrow! We are the leaders of our people, the best fighters and the best riders! Today is the day that we prove it, and I, your, will lead you to that proving!My lead captain, Alban, took me aside. “, are you sure? You are our leader! Do you want to put yourself in danger like this? The initial assault in any city is always the most dangerous!”“Alban, my friend, this is what Wōdanaz wants of me. We shall go.”So we charged into the fray.It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. A thousand spears and swords, all stabbing and swinging at one another in an effort to kill the other before one is killed themselves. I parried a spear that lunged towards me, while stabbing the neck of the Roman who just tried to kill me. My bodyguards tried their best to protect me from the Romans but in my heart I did not want them too. Even as I was fighting I could hear the voice calling to me.Someone’s spear grazed my thigh, cutting deep. I grimaced, but I ignored it. Lesser men have fought through worse pain; I would not let it stop me.The other Noble Riders, seeing the charge by their, soon joined in to help.As did the rest of the infantry.We slowly pushed into the crowd of Romans desperately trying to keep us out. As more of our men came in, the safer that I felt, but that did not stop the Romans from trying to kill me, for they soon had recognized me for the person who I was: theof the Suebi. By the time we had finally cleared the main gate, my shield was in tatters from blocking so many sword and spears that I had to take one off of one of my dead bodyguards. My horse, Sleipnir, was slain under me, and I had to find an ownerless horse to ride. I would mourn the loss of my horse later; there was still a battle to fight.With the main group of Romans dead or fleeing towards the city center, we had a moment to breathe. I ripped some cloth off my pants and wrapped it around my thigh to stop the bleeding, while I tried to get my men in order. I had lost thirty-seven bodyguards. Alban asked me if we were going to lead the charge again for the center of the city.“No, Alban, we will not. We have proven our worth in the crucible of this battle. Instead we will seek out the Roman general, and kill him. He is still out there somewhere, and we will be the ones to slay him and his bodyguards.”I inquired about what happened with the mercenaries. Alban told me that they were almost all completely wiped out, many of them fighting to the death against endless waves of Romans.At that time I noticed a large group of Romans gathering to our left, so I sent a few units of Spear Brothers to take care of them.As our men moved away from the front gate, it revealed the slaughter that had taken place.I then noticed a large number of Romans moving to our right. I ordered one of my units of Noble Riders to intercept.I thought that our heavy cavalry would easily clean up whatever Romans were there, but to my surprise, they were completely wiped out. The sheer number of Roman infantry was just too much for our Noble Riders.Our main force hit the Roman legionnaires at the center of the town, resulting in a huge melee in which neither side gave an inch.Our men on the left flank finally broke the Romans they were fighting, and I sent them to flank the main melee in the center.The Romans were now surrounded by two unstoppable walls, and they soon were crushed between our Suebi warriors.With the main battle completed, our men fanned out to hunt whoever was left of the Roman garrison.I took my bodyguards and began to hunt for the Roman general. I found them behind a building, trying to slip away. We did not let them.The enemy general was slain by one of my men, leaving only three of his bodyguards left. I faced off against one of them, confident that my bodyguards would kill the other two. But they didn’t, and I found myself surrounded by Romans.Then I felt it. The spear in my side, piercing through the unprotected side of my armor, the screaming pain surging through my body as I fell off my horse, unable to move.My men quickly slew the remaining three Romans and carried me off the battlefield as I writhed in pain. When word spread about what happened among the ranks, nobody was celebrating this victory anymore.I was laid on the bed in my tent, the doctors doing what they could to save me, but I knew that it was for naught. All they could do was stall what was inevitably coming.Everything was fading. I could hear everyone talking in worried voices but I could not see. I had lost a lot of blood. They knew I was dying.knew I was dying. I wish my wife, Milja, was with me, and my son, Sebjorn. Both were still in Lupfurdum. It would be a while before they would hear of my death. I wish they could be here to mourn me. I told my captains that Ricfried would be the next ruler until my son came of age. I trust Ricfried, he has been a loyal subject and friend my entire life and I expect that he will be an excellent teacher for my son.Alban asked me if I had any final wishes. I made Alban swear that he would make my successor swear to crush the Romans wherever we could find them. We had taken their last major city in Italia and now they were on the run.But I didn’t care anymore. Ricfried would have to care about that now. I was free of that burden.I had taken Roma in my lifetime; I have seen its streets and the buildings. I have accomplished that lifelong dream of mine. It did not pan out how I imagined it would be, but I had the immense pleasure of watching Roma burn into the night, and that is just as good in my eyes. If I die now, I die content. I have led a good life, a life of service to my beloved Suebia and her people. I die with no regrets. I had conquered great swaths of land. I had becomewith only a single city under my control. Now I had brought my people to greatness, from the Northern Sea all the way to the bottom of Italia. I had faced off against great tribes and nations. They were now dust in history, while we will be lauded in songs for generations to come.The Suebi in the summer of 232I cannot hear the voices of my men anymore. Everything is dark. I feel two sets of hands on me. They feel like the hands of a woman. They begin to lift me. Could it be? Had the Valkyries chosen me to march alongside the Einherjar in Walhalla? I could feel the darkness parting, as I heard the voice calmly and firmly announce my fate.