VIKING: THE THRONE OF BEOWULF: The Killing Beast Was Released (Viking, Throne, Legend, Thriller, Beowulf, Murder, Gotland Saga) by Arwen Grim Read Free Book Online Page B

apart, limb from limb and gorge themselves on the human flesh of their prey, eating their fill.

Thus it went on that, for decades together, they haunted the surrounding lands. They killed scores of innocent men, women and children. But even in his monstrous form, Grendel retained some of his sense; a part of him, the part that was still the young, lost Kanin yearned for human affection. At the same time, he also hated it – denied the thing he wanted the most, he began to fear it.
    So it was that whenever he heard the sounds of people celebrating, he would attack; he was not happy and so, no one else could be either. Revelry frightened him – he would jump into the celebrations and decimate everything in sight, terror and anguish spiraling out of control.
    Gotland was terrorized thus by the two monsters, who showed no signs of stopping. People died, eaten or killed by the beasts and fear kept all men constantly on alert. Women stopped venturing out at night and children were not allowed to play even outside the hut once the sun set. Within the woods, they could often hear Grendel’s growls and yowls – they knew not what to do as they shivered and trembled in fear within their own beds.
    Finally, it fell upon the king to take action – he chased the monster into the woods and dealt a powerful blow to its chest. Grendel was made such that no sword or dagger could kill him; grievously wounded, nonetheless, the beast fled across the ocean and into Daner. The king gave chase, following Grendel and his mother into the Germanian woods – what happened there, no one knows, but the king emerged, victorious over Grendel.
    He sought out the king of Daner and explained to him the whole story. Grendel was well and truly trapped, he insisted, and would not be able to harm another living soul.
    The mother, he added, would also not cause harm to anyone. She was free to move about within the woods, the swamp now her home, but she couldn’t be killed – not while her son was still alive. So long as no human being ventured close to the woods, they would be safe – she could no longer charm innocent travelers off the road and into her deathly embrace.

The king of Daner was hesitant to accept all this, but eventually, he agreed to keep watch over Grendel’s prison and forbade his people from venturing close to the swamp or even the woods. He told no one of what had occurred, only that a swamp hag now lived in the woods and was to be avoided at all costs. Our king returned to Gotland and lived a long, fruitful life – he told no one of his feats, only explaining to his subjects that Grendel was gone and dead. They accepted his edict without question and life went on for all.
    ‘Twas only on his deathbed that he revealed the truth – and only to his son, explaining why Daner must always remain the ally of Gotland and how Grendel must never be released from his prison. His son promised to do as his father sought and so the tradition went on, the secret passing from father to son, the only method of protecting Gotland from the horror that had once been unleashed upon it.”
    The end of Beowulf’s story was met with utter silence. Wiglaf saw his own horror mirrored on the men’s face; it wasn’t the first time he was hearing this story, but it got no easier. That a brother could murder his own flesh and blood, that a mother’s instinct would force her to choose that murderous killer of a son over her own husband… humanity could be perverse indeed and it gladdened Wiglaf that Beowulf’s ancestor had locked up Grendel and tied his mother to the swamp.
    Until now…
    “So Grendel was imprisoned by your ancestor?” Weohsan muttered, “That can only mean…”
    “That he’s been released, yes,” Beowulf finished grimly. “And when I get my hands on the man who released him…”

Chapter 4 – A Truth Revealed
    Beowulf’s words from the ship echoed in Wiglaf’s ears as they stood in front of the King of the Danes. They had