More than 20 barbarians he killed during the fights for his realm.But he was now preparing for a greater challenge.

As the horse slowly walked north towards the gothic capital,Herne was thinking worried about the fights of the incoming games.He would surely face great warriors of a beyond measure cruelty and rage as for this were the northern people known.But an even greater challenge would be fighting against the brothers he's marching with now.Proud Lugians wich all aspire to the same ideal,sons of the same mother and earth,servants of the same strenght bestowed upon them by the flame aurochs that wander through the deep pine forests of Turow.
This whole quest would test his skills, make him know what is it like fighting with fiercely
train fighters,fighting with the people of the same blood as his and in the end fighting with himself.
These were the things that disturbed him and darkened his thoughts.
Yearning for morale support he turned his head left where Agathyrsos rested on his foaming horse.

"Brother,how do you think is this going to end?"

Agathyrsos turned towards his most trusted general smiling...
- It will never end my friend ... We are warriors, we are the only ones that know the real value of peace but in the same time we are those called to wage war for our tribe. The enemies we have slain are not just people we have killed but also sacrifices we have made to our and their gods. Their blood had mixed with ours to enrich the mother of us all, the black Gaia, the Earth itself and by this our souls and theirs are now brothers and we will share the Elysian Fields with them after we will die at our turn.
But you will better live those thoughts to our Great Shaman, it is his job to worry about this... Hehehe... Here! Drink this wine from my wineskin. I was brought to us by our dacian allies. Most of them doesnt touch this liqor but they trade it for our amber... They don't know what they miss ... Or maybe they want to get us drunk so they could defeat us more easy at the games... Who knows...

Herne grabbed the wine,removed the stopper and drank thirsty from the flavoured liquor.And he drank and drank,and he sang victory songs acompanied by his fellows.And when he was in the highest glee the strenght of the eyelids failed him and evertything turned to black.He had fainted

When he finally woke up the Lettland castle rose against him.
Damn wine! And grabbing the empty bottled that hangged by its hips he threw it away.He than proceded to the castle court where the king himself greeted him.The apliance to take part at the games was soon accepted,as well as his brother's.He felt secure knowing that his kin was by his side.
All the fears had left him and he was now preparing for the first confrontation.

Herne was sitting on the rostrum,still trying to heal the wounds that Lady Akari had caused him.He was eliminated from the very first day of the turney and his attendance as a fighter at the Days of Thunder had ended.
Below him,in the arena,fighting for the trophy,the great prize of money but moreover for glory and fame was sitting Agathyrsos,a great brother,a much greater warrior and a proven leader of the Lugians.In his face stood Diurpaneus,a well known dacian fighter.Both equiped with armor,swords and shields,they had determination glazing in the their eyes.
The silence that covered the crowd was soon broken by the sound of the ringging bell and the two warriors clashed.The dacian was armed with the stronger will but Agathyrsos mastership in handling the weapons proved to be decisive.He was barely getting any hit while his opponent,blinded by rage, was fully swallowing the furious strikes.A few more swings and Diurpaneus felt unconscious.
The fight had ended and Agathyrsos prodeeded to the court where the king and his lugians were expecting to hand him the prize.
"A fight worth of a king" Herne screamed!
"That was glorious!The way you were hitting with him having no response.One day maybe you will teach me the art of bearing a weapon so succesfuly.Cause from what you've seen i didn't do well at all."
Agathyrsos response came quickly.
"Art?There's no art in this.Is just patience and ripeness.The only thing you need to learn is how to lose.Beacause only suffering defeats you will feel the taste of victory.Now bear that in mind and you'll see that the future fights will prove more fruitful.
Let's now head home."

And so,they saddled the horses and marched south towards the rutine called home

Agathyrsos travelled at peace, thinking that he may have been too harsh to his trusted general. He was more a hunter than a warrior but he showed a lot of promise for the future. He suspected also that his defeat in front of the young goth warrior-lady was more due the girls grace and beauty then to her's skill in battle but this happened a lot to young warriors ...
Now he planned to help its neighbors, the Goths, to bring law and stability to somme barbarian provinces, but first he has to reorganize an army ... Hummm maybe a small army under the command of Herne the Hunter ... He could be close to that blue eyed warrior lady that defeated him at the Games...