Blinded by Rage
Wendigo had suspected that Osa might have gotten bad intel, but the information was spot on. Gelmir was greedy and brutal, yet he possessed the intelligence and cool-headedness to hide his true nature. While everyone else wanted to flay the traitors' backs and gnaw their bones right then and there, Gelmir had bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment to crush them.
If nothing unexpected had happened, Gelmir would have captured the traitors, made an example of them, and proven to the world that justice still lived... but.
"My... my eyes!!!"
"Gel, Gelmir! Calm down!"
"Calm down, you say?! They... they stole the light from me!!!"
Unfortunately, anomalies struck suddenly—that was what made them anomalies. If it had been a predictable accident, why call it an anomaly at all? What felled the hero wasn't a monster's poison or a legendary named blade, but a blind arrow loosed by some ordinary bastard.
An arrow pierced the thick fog and tore straight through Gelmir's eye. In that instant of carelessness, having lost half the world's light, Gelmir unleashed all the rage he'd been suppressing.
"I can't hold back anymore. I won't endure any longer! It doesn't even matter who the traitors are now! I'll slaughter every last one who's gone over to their side and leave them as crow food!!!"
Reason couldn't conquer emotion. As Gelmir's rationality drowned in venomous fury, the chieftains paled and tried to restrain him. They had zero intention of losing warriors to his personal grudge.
"Gelmir! You're the one who told us to wait until we rooted out the traitors."
"Besides, they're leading warriors too. If we clash head-on like this, our losses will... guk?!"
But Gelmir brushed off the protests. He seized the dissenting shaman by the throat and hoisted him effortlessly into the air—a freakish strength no old man should possess. And then...
Crack.
"Go on, keep talking. Convince me, and I'll listen."
Gelmir hurled the shaman's corpse to the ground and swept his furious gaze across the rest, growling. Those who met his murderous eyes broke into cold sweats and hastily looked away. Who would dare speak up after watching a shaman's neck snap without so much as a struggle?
"...No takers, huh? Then get ready to move. Tell the warriors it's time to fight—for honor."
"Y-yes, sir."
"Ahem. We'll do that."
Having crushed the chieftains and shamans in one fell swoop, Gelmir yanked out the arrow, scraped the debris from his wound, and shoved it into his mouth. Savoring the metallic tang, he swore he'd personally gouge out the traitors' eyes and chew them down.
...And Wendigo, possessing a crow, watched it all.
"Huh. Maybe pissing off the commander from the start was the smarter play."
"What do you mean by that all of a sudden, my lord???"
Geron shot Wendigo an incredulous look after the Wendigo—having possessed a crow to scout the enemy—marveled aloud at Gelmir snapping an allied shaman's neck.
Skadi, the shaman, and even Osa, who'd earned credit(?) this time, stared at him. Wendigo released the possession and explained what he'd seen.
"At the end, Gelmir pulled the arrow from his eye and chomped it like jerky. Not a pretty sight, honestly."
"Hah. Chewing and swallowing his own wounded eye... Enemy or not, I have to respect that."
"Indeed. Nothing like those amateur warriors."
"No wonder the fighters revere him."
"???"
Wendigo blinked in confusion as Geron, the shamans, and even Skadi nodded along. This wasn't the reaction he'd expected. Normally, hearing someone yank out their own eye and eat it would brand them a lunatic, right?
"That's impressive?"
"He lost an eye and still burned with battle lust. As a former warrior myself, how could I not admire it?"
"My mother always said a warrior who pushes through pain deserves respect. Gelmir doesn't seem like your average fighter."
Even Geron and Skadi, whom he'd trusted, acknowledged Gelmir's valor. Wendigo felt a twinge of unease. He'd thought he'd adapted to this world pretty well, but he still couldn't wrap his head around their notions of honor and bravery.
A guy who couldn't control himself and murdered an ally—brave warrior? More like a rabid berserker.
...No matter how savage I get, I'll never outdo these world savages.
Wendigo didn't dwell on what he couldn't grasp. Best to ignore it. Besides, thanks to Gelmir's savagery—no, valor—the two armies were guaranteed to clash.
"Geron. Tell the warriors to encircle them, hide quietly, and wait for the signal."
"The signal, my lord?"
Wendigo drew an ice sword from the ground and handed it to him.
"When a roar echoes through the forest, hit the enemy hard."
It was as good as saying he'd step in personally. Geron nodded knowingly at Wendigo.
"As expected. Can't deny Gelmir's brave, but he doesn't measure up to you, Spirit."
"......"
"What's wrong?"
Geron meant it as sincere praise, but Wendigo scowled at him. It was clearly a compliment, yet linking it to Gelmir soured the taste.
...Maybe he knew that and said it anyway.
"Rip the traitors apart!"
"Knew it when supplies got delayed. They planned to starve us weak from the start."
"Fuck. My shoulder still throbs from that arrow. I'll smash those archer bastards' shoulders myself."
Gelmir wasn't the only one seething. Anyone would boil after arrows rained from above and rations ran dry. When Gelmir bellowed about gouging traitors' eyes, the warriors roared in fury and charged.
Of course, the other chieftains weren't thrilled. Warriors' lives mattered, but the fighters' admiration flowing to Gelmir irked them most. If his savage fans defected afterward, they'd lose out even with spoils—no might to hold them meant grasping at illusions.
And Gelmir knew it. Even swept in emotion, his wits hadn't fully dulled.
Might be better to punish the traitors like this... then negotiate with the spirit.
Shamans obsessed for myriad reasons: immortality, lion resurrections, worldly truths, ascending to gods' halls in mortal flesh... Gelmir was odd—even among them. Pure lust for power drove him.
In that light, this chaos tasted sweet. Warriors charging to certain death at his command sent shivers down his spine. If they fought for him, kingship wasn't impossible!
...But first, those pests need to die.
"Gelmir? Why the glare?"
"Shut up and advance. Show your back to the enemy or return without a drop of blood on your blade, and I'll behead you myself!"
"...Understood."
His blazing rage cooled before power's allure, but Gelmir had no intention of dropping anger as a tool. His bellow sent chieftains averting eyes and stepping forward. Humiliating, but Gelmir terrified them.
He glared at their backs, praying to the gods for the arrows that hit him to strike them instead.
...And his prayer was answered.
"Guk?!"
"?!"
A chieftain leading warriors took a silent arrow through the throat. Gelmir sensed it wasn't ordinary. Unlike the noisy barrages, this gave no warning.
Shaman or spirit trickery, clearly... But it plays right into my hands!
Gelmir grinned wickedly and surged forward—not to warn, but to embrace the gurgling chieftain and wail in feigned grief.
"A brave warrior dying like this! Unthinkable. How could such a valiant soul fall to an arrow, not sword or axe?!"
"Grrk..."
Even dying, the chieftain tried to call out Gelmir's bullshit. Naturally, Gelmir silenced him. No reason to let him derail the plan.
Gelmir pressed his ear to the man's mouth, waited for death, then shed a single tear and bellowed.
"Hear me, proud warriors! Even dying, he raged at the traitors' cunning and fretted for our dishonored dead!"
"Split the traitors' backs! Rip out their spines, bind them to crosses, and feed them to the crows!!!"
"Yes! Well said! Fear not—charge! Etch betrayal's price into their bones, honorable warriors!"
Gelmir's fake tears and the warriors' hot blood turned one chieftain's dog death into tragedy. Forgetting why they'd come to the forest, they screamed vengeance and charged through the arrows.
Thanks to that?
"Traitors!!!"
"Kill them! Every last one—for the dogs!"
"Fuck. You betrayed first, you damned mongrels!"
The armies crashed past the fog veil. Gelmir's side, once evenly matched, quickly gained the edge. Unlike Todell hiding behind warriors, Gelmir rampaged the field, butchering foes.
He whirled axe and sword, leaving blood sprays and pools in his wake. Todell watched in silent scream.
H-how do you fight a monster like that?!
Jealousy, his driving force, meant nothing against Gelmir's overwhelming might. Humans felled like chaff—who could face that?
Chieftains pushed through fog directing warriors, but shamans were different. Like Todell cowering behind, watching blood fly, they paled and shook him.
"Todell! Talk to the spirit or something! That monster will slaughter us all!"
"I-I..."
"No way we're facing Gelmir head-on. How do you fight that freak?! Hurry—beg the spirit! You're its faithful servant!"
Normally they'd eye Todell's future prospects, but Gelmir's rep and prowess terrified them. Magic and power were great, but survival first!
Damn it... If I could contact it, I would've already!!!
Todell panicked too. He envied Gelmir but never planned direct confrontation yet—not till he had the spirit's full favor, magic, and power!
"D-don't panic! The spirit surely sensed Gelmir's army moving. Reinforcements any moment!"
He bellowed to calm them, but it fell flat. He couldn't fully hide his fluster. Those sensing trouble slunk away. Time till furious Gelmir pinpointed the traitor hub.
As wary ones fled, diehards ringed Todell like guards.
"What're you doing? We should join the warriors!"
"...If they survive but you die, it's over, right? Just protecting you."
"Y-you bastards!"
Todell raged wide-eyed but powerless. He gulped, staring into the fog. Things worsened, but he clung to slim hope.
Their momentum's fading!
Gelmir's forces, poised to sweep Todell's, had stalled post some point—not from Todell's strength. Those who'd botched things from insecurity weren't aces.
The dip stemmed from mystery commander deaths. Arrows pierced heads and throats repeatedly.
...But it couldn't halt Gelmir's army. Chieftains and shamans dropping thrilled him; he rampaged, planning to roast survivors into his own warriors post-battle.
Confidence born of being shaman, warrior, chieftain. No one could stop him. He cleaved their ranks, reaching Todell swiftly.
"Todell! Come out and draw steel. Do that, and I'll forgive you after taking your eyes!"
Blood-drenched Gelmir approached with eerie grin; encircling shamans backpedaled.
"Gel, Gelmir. We were duped by Todell."
"Yes! We never meant to cross you!"
"...Fine. Drop weapons, kneel, and you're spared."
Eyeing each other, shamans tossed arms and knelt. Todell fumed insults, ignored. No loyalty to die with him.
Todell gripped his dagger with trembling hand, glaring at Gelmir. Stark terror flickered in his eyes.
I-I can't die like this...!
"Kaaawk!"
Then—a massive crow swooped from the sky, shrieking. Corpses littered about; Gelmir ignored it. But Todell grinned like salvation incarnate.
Gelmir sneered, assuming madness before death.
"Todell. Should've curbed your greed. You could've taken decent spoils and left."
"Heh, hahaha! You know nothing. Soon... the spirit will...!?"
Gelmir ignored the nonsense. His bloodied axe, fresh from dozens of kills, swung for Todell's neck...
"!"
That instant, Gelmir spotted an ice spear piercing the fog. He reflexively leaped back. Todell whirled.
Only one reason for Gelmir's dodge: the spirit saving him!
...Naturally, no such luck.
The spear impaled Todell straight through. Unbelieving, eyes bulging, he breathed his last. Fortunate(?), he had plenty of road companions to hell. More spears flew, skewering shamans.
Even survivors useless—vicious cold exploded, flash-freezing them. Shamans perished without screams.
"...Damn it all."
Gelmir scowled into the fog whence spears came, muttering. Ominous eyes gleamed as a massive shadow approached him.