He felt as if he’d been walking through empty grassy fields for hours, not an animal or crop in site. Only him and the icy wind that ran through the holes in his shirt which had suffered during the storm. It was cold, but he didn’t mind, even from when he was young, temperature had never bothered him no matter how hot or cold it got. He would usually put on extra layers just to fit in and not attract attention. As he continued to let his thoughts race to pass the time his journey through the fields finally came to an end.

As he reached the top of a hill a forest emerged on the horizon. It was shrouded in darkness and even just staring at it gave him an eery feeling, like there was something evil inside calling it home. If this was a horror film it’d would one of those times you berate the characters for entering it.

Syn weighed his options, the creepy and strange forest, or more endless fields. He reluctantly followed his instincts and began wandering towards the forest in the distance, they’d led him all the way here no point backing out now.

Unfortunately the forest was just as eery and ominous inside as it looked from the fields. Syn made his way through the forest, wandering between trees and across the sloped terrain of dirt mounds and large rocks scattered around hoping that he was heading the right direction to leave this place. Every step he took he couldn’t shake the feeling something was in the forest, something that shouldn’t be. Syn didn’t really want to admit it, but it almost felt demonic.

He didn’t know how long he’d been walking but soon the ground began to flatten but the ominous feeling almost like a sixth sense never faded. Soon a light emerged in the far distance beyond the rows of trees he was surrounded by. Syn picked up his pace and headed straight for the light hoping it meant the end of the forest when suddenly a terrified scream echoed throughout the forest. Syn came to an immediate halt. Worry flooded his mind, that sounded like a child. He spun in a circle trying to figure out where the scream came from. Abruptly a second scream came and then instantly another however, it sounded different from the first. They both emerged from his northeast. He sprinted faster than he ever had before and as he ran to the screams the forest became wilder and more vegetation seemed to cover the land every step he took.

“Father!” he thought he heard a young voice cry.

“That’s not father” a different older voice shouted. Through the trees he saw two boys who couldn’t have been older than eight and four. They were scrambling away terrified, the eldest holding out a hunting knife towards the forest. Syn quickly approached closer, and he could see what they were cowering away from. It was a man in a dark blue tunic and dark grey trousers. He looked like a Viking and had a strong muscular build and long blonde braided hair that fell down the back of his neck, the sides of his head where cleanshaven and tattooed a deep blue with Nordic symbols. Everything about its appearance seemed like a man but for some reason Syn had doubts. The way it approached the children wasn’t natural like it didn’t know how to use its own legs and its blue eyes were emotionless almost like a doll.

“Get back!” the eldest boy screamed, while trying to guard the other boy who Syn imagined was his brother. The creature continued to approach them, and Syn darted from the trees standing in between the man and the children, holding his sword tightly.

“Who are you?” the boy asked clearly confused on how he’d just appeared from nowhere.

“Syn” he told the boy before resuming his attention back to the man. He was probably about half a foot smaller than Syn and came to a complete stop in front of him, staring up with soulless eyes.

“Leave” Syn growled while he stared down at the man. Suddenly its eyes were filled with murderous anger, and it let out a deep inhuman guttural growl, that you’d expect from a savage beast. Its body convulsed unnaturally like it was getting ready to charge. Instantly Syn was in front of it, he kicked it hard in the chest and felt its rib cage tremble. The man was launched back into the tree behind and then collapsed lifelessly to the ground. After he made no attempt to get back up Syn turned to the boys who were staring up at him in awe.

“You kicked it so far” the younger stated amazed, with a strange accent Syn only recognised from movies and television. He then realised they weren’t even speaking English it was the same language as the man who attacked him, and he finally realised what it was. Old Norse. He had absolutely no idea why he understood them, but his mind was seemingly translating it like it was second nature to him.

“Behind you!” the eldest called out. Syn glanced back to see the man’s body spasming. It muscles began to swell and stretch like balloons and then began to tear themselves apart however, there was no blood instead just a smoky darkness leaked out and coated its body like an aura. Syn back away attempting to guard the children as he watched its limbs extend and bone white long, razor claws sprout from its hands ripping apart its human fingers. Using its foot long claws it tore at the rest of its body ripping away at its human skin like it was wrapping paper. Emerging from the gore was a large inhuman creature, its once human head was now an old, dirty, blood-stained deer skull with crooked obsidian antlers and the rest of its body looked like a human elongated mossy human skeleton, with a smoky darkness filling in its insides, skin from its previous form still clinging to its bones. It towered over Syn standing at what he imagined to be at least eight feet with, razor sharp claws for fingers that were all a foot long.

A beastly growl roared from its skull, and it charged towards Syn with unreal speed. It swung a hand armed with razor claws at his head, but Syn quickly raised his blade to block the attack. Its claws scratched against his steel and Syn overpowered the monster swiping its hand away sending it stumbling back. Instantly he charged towards it and swung his blade towards its head somehow again with professional technique, like fighting and violence was natural to him. However, suddenly the creature swiped out with such force they shattered his sword. ‘Damn’. Before the pieces of sword could even hit the ground it pounced on him. One its claws slashed across his arm drawing a deep red line, another tore across his already ruined shirt slightly grazing his chest. It tried to swipe at him again, but Syn quickly grabbed hold its wrists immobilizing its claws, it strained against him and tried to overpower him, but Syn was stronger. In that moment he’d never been more grateful for his gifts. He pulled the creature forward off balance and quickly got behind it and wrapped his arms around its skull. Instantly it tried to reach back and rip him to shreds but it was too late. With all the strength he could muster he squeezed his arms together. After a series of brutal cracks the skull shattered, and an ear-splitting cry suddenly echoed from the creatures broken head into the forest. The monsters body collapsed into a pile of bones and the smoky darkness dispersed into the air and the ominous and eery feeling Syn had been having vanished along with it.

Syn brushed off any bits of bone that had stuck to his arms, noticing the blood trickling from the cut on his arm. He ran his finger along the wound it wasn’t too deep, but it did make him think when was the last anything had cut him. Back home he’d never used a knife that could. Just what was that creature. He watched the bone pile making sure it wasn’t about to return. Satisfied that it was dead he turned back to the boys who now staring at him with eyes even wider from when he kicked it over four metres.

“You killed it” the eldest said stunned, “You killed a skin walker with no weapon”. ‘A skin walker’ Syn thought confused. How is that possible, was came to his mind first however after what he’d recently experienced nothing seemed impossible.

“A skin walker?” just like how was able to understand the language he was somehow able to speak Old Norse. It felt like performing a skill you learnt as a child and hadn’t performed in years. He spoke slowly and had to concentrate but was managing to speak it. “I thought … they were meant to be … part human” he said hoping he didn’t sound stupid.

“Normally they are. But that one gave up its humanity for power and you still managed to kill” the boy explained to him amazed “Who are you?”.

“Syn Veroir” he told them “What are your names?”.

“I’m Ubbe and this is my brother Ivar” Ubbe informed him.

“What are you doing in the … forest?”.

“That creature transformed into our father to lure Ivar away I saw what was happening but didn’t have time to tell anyone”.

“You’re a brave … boy” he wanted to say kid but couldn’t think of the word, but Ubbe seemed to have taken it the right way as his eyes started beaming with pride “You seem to know a lot about Skin walkers … are they common around here?” Syn asked, the thought of having monsters like that roaming about sending shivers down his spine.

“No they shouldn’t be here they’re not supposed to leave their homes none of the monsters are, but something has been disturbing them” Ubbe explained.

“You said it lured you away … Is there a place of … safety I can take you?” Syn asked, not registering the fact that the boy had said ‘monsters’ till after he’d already asked a question.

“Our home is nearby. You should come with us and meet father. He’d be very interested in you”.

“Ok” Syn replied excited by the idea of civilisation instead of empty fields. The two children started excitedly leading him through the forest that was now ten times less intimidating now the skin walker was dead and the strange feeling he had was gone. “Who is your father” he asked curiously.

“King Ragnar” Ubbe told him.

“What now?” Syn said in English and Ubbe gave him a confused glance.