Erik was alone. Planning on how to flee the ship as soon as possible.

"No," he thought and rambled to himself, "we can't do that."

He paused and resumed, "no, we can't even do that. It will need too many men" in reality Erik didn't know what to do and so sought the help of his spirit. Spirit that was even more unstable than him.

"Hmm excuse me," said a voice from behind, it was Gywen, the girl who saved him.

"Oh, nothing... Why are you here for"

Not knowing better, the girl started speaking "so Erik what about the pagan gods, I have heard that they are evil and...well evil! They are ignorant of the true way."

"Don't believe in them anyway. The old gods, the great demons, everything. I traversed the sea and the earth for years, and this is the result. Nothing! If they existed, there would be some trace left by them. Instead, there is nothing! Nothing! An empty void without traces, nature works with or without Gods." Erik said more to himself than to the girl

"Then why the mark? Why do you refuse the sacraments, why you don't follow the church?"

The face of Erik darkened, “I don’t like to talk about those things. Now excuse me.”

"How dare you!" said the girl in a fit of rage, "I was trying to be nice” Erik didn’t turn

"This is the final straw! I am done with you!" she said with tears in her eyes

 

The priest, of all people, came near him "You have to excuse her, she is too young and has too much zeal to see the truth. Too much faith and zeal hurt one soul. "

Erik looked at him with a puzzled look, "It’s true that faith blinded your greatest apostles? "

"Yes.” the priest said without adding anything.

Erik looked at him with a strange look of confusion.

"It’s a long story, if we managed to get on safe land I will tell you. You will find the answers in books. How was his name? Ah yes, ‘Of the inquisition and its history, volume III’ "

"What is that about?"

"I can't tell you. We made a vow not to speak of certain things."

"To the pagans?"

"No, to anyone. Believers and pagans alike, but since you are neither," he said, winking his eye, "I can talk to you about those things. My name is Marcus, by the way"

"Erik"

"Nice to meet you."

And so Erik and the priest stood on the dock talking for a good half of an hour about heresies and heretics.

 

Erik sometimes stared at the sea with empty eyes, always the same sea, always the same... “When it will end.” That was the question that ringed through his mind, “when will all this end…. The curse l....” he nearly said life when he saw something on the horizon and hoped for his life that it was not another ship full of priests and faithful girls. It was not. It was just another ship....another ship of traders. This was for him a reminder that his days of raiding had ended.

 

"Erik!" screamed a voice more masculine than most men, "come here." looking back, he saw the captain calling him.

The tent of the captain was too luxurious for him, "so Erik what would you like?" she said while pouring wine into a cup.