Rise of Rurik

A terrifying monster of the ocean roams just off the island!

A strange big boat attacked fishing boats everywhere, and the fishermen who witnessed the tragedy gave up last night and took the time to escape to the island. They returned to the village and changed to explain the disaster at sea to the people. When things are dressed, it becomes the so-called "monsters emerge from the sea, and the bloody mouth is swallowing the ship".

On Bornholm Island, a stone highland nearly 200 meters above sea level, many people climbed to the top in order to witness the so-called monster.

The rumors are apparently true!

Hundreds of climbers witnessed the slightly blurred vision of the monster. Although they were a little skeptical, strong fear and anxiety interfered with their judgment, and people became more and more convinced that it was the legendary sea monster.

"It must be that we overfished and angered the Sea God."

"No! Some bastard caught God's treasure, and now God has released sea monsters to fight."

"What you said is wrong, the monster is there, it appeared out of nowhere. We have to think about killing it, otherwise we can't catch it, and the result will be starved to death."

Kill a monster? easier said than done?

More and more people gathered on the high ground. Some were frightened, some were curious, and some were eager to try. They had no mentality, but no one could see that it was a big ship.

Until a sturdy man ascended the stone mound.

This man had a lot of golden beards, and he looked at the "monster" swimming in the distance with a solemn expression, and his eyelids kept twitching for a while.

He roared: "Stop speculating! It's not a monster! It's a big ship."

The crowd gradually quieted down, and no one thought about the lord's words until this time.

At this time, it was evening, and the soft light of the setting sun shone on the huge sail and huge figure of the Avlora, but the distance made her phantom more blurred and illusory, and it was excusable to be mistaken for a cruising sea monster.

The illusion of light and shadow did not interfere with the Lord of Bornholm, Gullar, and the reason for his eyelids twitching was not fear, but anger.

No less than ten people came over and asked their well-informed lord the reason.

So does Gurrel know about the Avrora?

Do not! But he knew last year's war,

It was learned from the Danes and the fleeing Gotlanders that the Svearans in the north had a terrifying ship, and a fleet that had always been huge. The most critical information was seriously distorted early in the transmission process, but there were two messages that were so important that they became the most core messages.

First, the guy in the north has a big boat. Second, this ship is very powerful.

Gullar gathered all the sturdy men at the top of the hill and declared to them the so-called truth.

He pointed to the gleaming spot in the cruising sunset and roared: "You fools, keep your eyes open! That's not a sea monster, it's a big ship of the northerners. Those northern guys attacked Silver Castle last year, and now they are again. attack us!"

As soon as the news came out, the quiet crowd instantly boiled.

More than one person questioned: "Guys from the north? The Danish leader organized a large army to fight back last year, and we also sent people to fight. Those northerners were defeated, how could they still be able to attack us?"

This question is a good question, Guller thought for a while, and gave a reason that everyone felt appropriate.

"The guys in the north are not dead, they think they can't loot the Silver Fort, so they come to attack us. They sent the best ships to attack us, and there must be a huge fleet behind them."

Huge fleet? Invasion? Land on an island and burn everything?

The fear continued, and this time, they feared the terrible wars to come.

The fishermen on Bornholm don't want to be sheep that sit still, as a man roars "fight" in a hoarse voice.

Yeah, fight. If the big boat is allowed to go everywhere, how will the clansmen catch fish? How do nearly ten thousand people live?

Originally, Guller didn't think too much about it. He also wanted to discuss a better strategy. Now that the clansmen were so excited, it was obvious that there was only one option left to fight immediately.

A new day is a fresh start.

After waking up, Rurik deliberately continued to circle the island. He felt like a cheetah cruising the savanna, waiting for an opportunity to hunt a lone antelope with his speed.

The Avrora was indeed fast, moving in a counter-clockwise direction, making a half-circle off the island in less than a morning.

The noon sun brings extreme comfort, and the sea breeze blowing makes everyone lazy.

The people preparing to fight were all deflated, sitting on the deck bored, yawning with their cross bows in their arms.

Standing at the bow of the ship, Rurik supported the wooden railing and stared at the empty sea and the dark green and gray islands in a daze.

The same bored Biyonni stepped onto the forecastle deck: "It's been a morning, and we haven't found any prey. Rurik, your prey is hidden. In my opinion, we shouldn't waste time here anymore. ."

"Damn, they must be terrified."

"Yes. They hide on the island and don't come out to fish. We leave and they go to sea again."

"I can wait," Rurik said angrily, stamping his feet.

"Don't waste your time, brother." Biyonni pointed to the island. "Are they really Danes? Are they your chief enemy? Or are you just eager to fight, even if the fight itself isn't necessary."

"It's one of my goals to create a terrifying atmosphere in this sea area." Rurik turned his face sideways, and his handsome face also showed ferocity.

"Enough is enough, brother." Biyonni patted Rurik on the shoulder kindly. "Hare got into the cave, do you want to throw away the hole completely? Wait for the rabbit to come out and hunt? Then what do you have to wait for? Time. Maybe you think the time is right, bring the Ross army, and I will send troops to fight at that time. You like this island, and we will work together to conquer it."

Biyonny's words were said to Rurik's heart: "Well, I really don't have the ability to fight on the island right now. Tomorrow we will cruise for another day, and then we will continue to the west. These timid guys, they are hiding on the island. That's fine. But one day they'll surrender."

There is only one settlement on the entire Bornholm Island, and the so-called settlements in the rest are just scattered fishermen in twos and threes. The terrible news spread all over this small island immediately, so no one dared to go to sea on a brand new day.

Also on a brand new day, they saw that it was indeed not a sea monster, but a large ship. The men of the entire island quickly assembled an army of 1,500 people under the dispatch of Lord Guller!

Fifty longships were organized, and this was already nearly half of the large ships on the island.

With the local people's shipbuilding craftsmanship, each shipbuilder on the island usually takes six to seven months to manufacture a standard longboat, which is based on the fact that there are many hard oaks on the island.

Fifty long ships that can fight, with 1,500 warriors sitting in them, is the army besieging a local large ship with a bull's knife?

The people on the island are bound to win the battle in the future, and due to the current situation, the relationship between Bornholm Island and Denmark, and the people's attachment to Jutland, everyone intends to capture the big ship through battle, Then drag it into the hands of the "Lion" Hafgen of the Robard tribe of the Danish alliance leader (this person has been called "Relentless Killer", "Silver Castle Saver" and other titles in recent years), and through flattery means Give the Bornholm people a bigger say in the league.

The matters discussed by the islanders were also discussed in the long house on the island.

All the powerful families on the island, they feel that the preparation for a whole day is enough. As soon as the huge army comes out, the wolves can kill the mad bear, right? They selectively ignored that the abominable big boat was destroyed by ramming the fishing boats one by one, forgetting that the keel of a battle-type longboat and a fishing boat had no difference at all in terms of materials.

They are the big family on the island, and they are all nobles with private soldiers. Guller is the most powerful one. Everyone elected him as the lord to lead the islanders to fight in times of crisis. Everyone's attitude is surprisingly unified, Guller has no worries, and his mind is already imagining the beauty of winning the monster-like ship.

"That Hafgen, he had a big ship called the Red Dragon, and he even named his tribe after that. We gave him the big ship that we captured, and Hafgen would remember us well, so that our merchant ships passed through him and guarded it. There is no need to pay the toll of a single copper coin."

Everyone agrees with this seemingly wishful thinking. After all, behind this thinking is the desire for greater wealth.

Because the people of Bornholm are located in the most fish-rich waters of the Öresund fishery, their traditional skills are salted herring and smoked jerky. Many years ago, good news came from the west. Harald, the expelled former Danish confederate leader, was actually doing well with the Franks, while his nephew Horrick led a group of men in Friesland (now the Netherlands). A stronghold was established near the town of Durist in the north).

Those who were expelled had believed in the gods of the Franks, but trade was trade, and no one had trouble with gold, silver, and goods. The people of Bornholm intend to cross the Strait of Jutland to trade with old friends in Flanders, selling large quantities of herring for wool or lamb in Flanders. So now some of the sheep raised in the central part of the island come from there.

The warriors of Bornholm slept all night in excitement, and Rurik and his men, estimating that tomorrow would be another boring day, had already planned a new voyage, contemplating and encountering the Danes. fighting.

Another peaceful morning.

It just seems so peaceful.

Instead of running around the streets to see if someone beckons on the side of the road, taxis might as well stay at the bus station and wait for passengers to come by themselves.

With such a mentality, Rurik simply arranged the big ship directly offshore of the settlement, with the anchor head hanging on the seabed only seven meters deep, and the big ship was fixed on the sea surface and swayed with the waves.

"It looks like another boring day. Hungry wolves are blocking the rabbit's hole, and the rabbit doesn't dare to come out." Biyonni looked helplessly at the huge settlement and tapped his little brother on the shoulder: "That's a bunch of cowards, I think It's best for us to go now."

"I'm just going to wait. I'll do what I say."

Rurik's words seemed to be irritated, and Biyonni did not insist: "Then, I took my people to rest. Don't worry, brothers have always been prepared, those guys who are not afraid of death dare to come out, I will meet them immediately."

Rurik was sitting on the deck waiting, lying flat on the deck for a comfortable sunbathing. He didn't know the result of this waiting, and even forgot his purpose. Is it really like what Biyonni said? Is it a waste of time now?

Suddenly, the sailor on duty shouted, "The enemy! The enemy has attacked!"

Rurik, who was dozing off, was simply woken up by the terrified sailor. When he was displeased, he saw a large piece of flamboyant gray and white sails rushing towards him, and any tiredness was replaced by a wild beating of his heart.

To his relief, Biyonni and his Balmerk warriors were all on deck, and everyone was ready for battle.

Rurik slapped his head hard, and screamed at Yevro, who was adjusting the torsion slingshot: "My helmet, bring my helmet."

He screamed at the sailor again: "Sail! Set anchor! Fight!"

The stationary Avlora suddenly moved, and she quickly raised the huge jib, which surprised the incoming army of Bornholm.

Standing in leather armor at the bow of the longship, Gullar's eyes were solemn, and most of his men simply paddled with their shirtless. This group of guys recognizes a truth. Naval battles are accompanied by a high probability of falling into the water. In a naval battle wearing heavy armor, falling into the water will kill you, but I don't wear armor for real warriors.

This group of people conceived a tactic. The so-called enemy ship is very large, so prepare more ropes with hooks. The brothers surrounded the big ship like a wave, then climbed on the ship in all directions, and controlled the whole ship by jumping and fighting. It was a wonderful tactic.

In order to achieve this tactic, they had to take a dense formation, and naturally constructed a crescent formation to form a "pincer offensive".

To be honest, Rurik was taken aback by the enemy's tactics. It was obviously his tried and tested tactics, so why did the enemy understand it?

Rurik knew that he only had one ship, and there was no tactical formation for the Avlora, and no special tactics were needed.

The bull catapult was the first to attack, and a large number of stones were smashed by the enemy in the distance.

The first round of attacks immediately paid off!

The Bornholm rowers, who didn't know what was going on, saw the people next to them being fired, and the scene was terrifying.

However, Rurik's head-smashing attack can only be performed once for the time being. He wants to smash the enemy's formation head-on, and the collision is coming.

With the help of the wind, the big ship is galloping, and both sides of the battle can clearly see each other's faces. A violent collision occurred.

The Avlora suddenly raised its bow, and Rurik was also directly shaken to lie down by the violent shaking. The bronze bulbous bow of the big ship directly knocked down the local longship, and the entire thick oak keel directly pressed the enemy ship into the water. This was the most savage tactic of the Avlora. With this single blow, except for those who jumped into the sea and fled before the collision, all the others were crushed to pieces.

In the first round, the Avrora crushed one enemy ship and rammed another ship into an irreparable hole, which was sinking rapidly.

She turned sharply, and Rurik, who had regained his sanity, got up, straightened his helmet, and ordered various weapons to fire.

There was a scream of killing on the sea, and when the Bornholm Army saw the abominable ship rushing over again, people screamed in horror.

Fighting is like this! Guller, who was dumbfounded, never dreamed that his defeat would be so quick, so helpless, so irreversible.

In a sense, this northern guy's big ship is indeed a monster of the sea.

Relying on her huge size, the Avlora relied on brute force to rampage with the "bronze head", supplemented by torsional slingshots and crossbow shooting.

Many enemies fell into the water, and they were holding broken wood and spitting sea water, and the Avrora was still rolling away.

"Lord! The brothers are dead at this rate. We have to evacuate! Look, the brothers have run away!"

Everyone on the boat began to shout to retreat, and due to reality, Guller completely lost his fighting spirit.

Unfortunately, when he decided to follow in the footsteps of those who escaped without authorization, the opportunity to escape was lost.

The Avlora caught up with Gould's command ship with a favorable broadside attack. Five powerful torsion slingshots with full power, separated by a mere 30 meters away, accurately hit all five shots. Cone head cast iron bullet.

Except for one bullet that smashed the woodcarving of an exotic animal at the bow of the ship, the other four directly caused a big hole in the bottom of the ship. And a large number of crossbow arrows flew down from high and easily killed many rowers. In such a critical situation, Guler simply took off his leather armor and jumped into the sea to escape.

...

A major battle was over by noon, as many as ten longships were destroyed, and a large number of men fell into the water and died. There were also twenty ships, and when they saw the situation was terrifying, they left the lord Saya and ran away. After all, the lord can choose another one later, and his life is his own.

Very lucky, or very unfortunate, Gullal took the hemp rope thrown from the ship and boarded the terrifying ship as a prisoner.

Of course, the first thing that greeted him was a violent punch and kick, and it was not until he was beaten that his nose was bruised that Rurik signaled his subordinates to stop.

Only ten people were captured, and the other nine who were dying were thrown directly into the sea as Gullar vomited blood and shouted that he was the commander of the army.

Such a crazy move made Gould tremble in shock.

A shorter man with muscular arms and dark brown hair crouched down and asked Gullal, "Who are you? Are you really the commander-in-chief of the army?"

"Yes...I...I'm Gurrel, Lord Bornholm. You northern Svealans are unreasonable."

"Unreasonable?" Rurik stepped forward and gently pushed Yevlo away, who was questioning. "Have you ever been reasonable? You thought you could defeat me with a large number of ships? Now you have failed."

"You? A... child?"

Rurik had no intention of giving himself his name, and it didn't make sense at all.

"Kill this coward. Since this person is a lord, he should be buried with his people." Biyonni stepped forward and suggested that Rurik be cruel.

"No, I want to keep this person." Rurik wasn't sympathetic, just because this guy with a bruised nose and a bruised face was still useful. He was blunt about the so-called "why" of everything that had happened so far: "Look, I don't even have to know your name. We, just the vanguard of the Swedish army. You Danes think last year's war was won? No! A new war has begun, we have a new king in Sweden, and the king has assembled 20,000 people and is on his way to Jutland. What is the Silver Fort? We are going to attack that old lair of Havgen. You Born Holm is just a small obstacle in the way of our army. Now I'll let it go, you go back to the island and tell your people the truth. Listen, when the army from the north comes, you just surrender, be forgiven.”

At this moment, Guller did not dare to doubt that the child's words came from the mouth of the enemy, and it was exactly the same as what he had guessed before the war! He himself had seen the victory of the Danish army at the Battle of Silver Fort last year, and he believed that the war behavior of the northern Svealans would continue. Besides, isn't the Danish leader Hafgen also planning a large-scale war against the North?

How should the people of Bornholm choose sides? At this moment, Guller already has his own answer.

Rurik didn't simply let this person go. Guller's ear was cut off, which was a humiliation and a lesson. Simply putting this person at sea is no different from letting him die. One of the expedition boats on the Avrora was dropped, and Gurrel was thrown into it, and Rurik ordered the man to slowly sway back to his port, using the readily available sea scraps as an oar.

A great battle was over, and Rurik boasted a good result.

In the sunset, the Avrora restarted its route to the west. In the sunset, her bow bulb was still hard, and all parts were still stable. One battle after another was only left on her hard hull. Just scratches big and small.

In the captain's lounge, the captain Rurik finally quieted down.

Biyonni, who was lying on his side, chewed the dried fish, and couldn't help but ask, "So, the so-called King Carl is really organizing an army?"

"How is that possible! That Karl doesn't have that much charisma to call for a huge army." Rurik laughed directly.

"You're lying to the one-ear guy?"

"certainly."

"is it necessary?"

"Of course it is necessary. They will be very worried about the invasion from the north and will take precautions, but unfortunately everything is in vain. They will not wait for anything but waste their energy, and live in fear of being invaded every day. They, fear fear itself."

"This...I don't understand a bit."

Rurik shook his head and suddenly covered the blanket: "We are far away from the island, and the big ship breaks down at night. I'll go to bed first, don't think about it. Recharge your batteries, and we will soon enter the strait guarded by the Danes. Pass. At that time, fighting was inevitable. I wanted to attack their merchant ships."