Night had fallen in a Scandinavian village as the citezens were gathered in the square to bear witness to a rare event. A shield maiden called Latherna had been convicted of treason and sentenced to death. In accordance with Viking law she had been permitted to choose the manner of her execution, and had shocked all in attendance when she had told the Earl that she wished to die by Blood Eagle. The crowd knew that this would be agonizing but if she endured the ritual without screaming she would regain her honor and be welcomed into Valhalla. A platform had been erected and was lit by torches surrounding a pair of posts with leather cord dangling freely from them. This would be where Latherna would kneel as a pair of shield maidens who had been selected as the executioners would perform their task. The crowd quited as the Earl took his seat and the executioners took their places hanging the knives and hammers they would wield upon the posts. The crowd parted as Latherna walked through them clad in a simple cloak with the hood down to reveal her short, fiery hair that framed a face many equated to a Valkyrie. She mounted the platform and, at the Earls nod, shed the cloak to reveal her nude body. The crowd stayed silent as they admired her figure, tall and lean from her years of training, possessed of small but firm breasts and rounded hips which led to a pair of long, powerful legs. The crowd watched as she knelt behind the posts before leaning forward to grip them. The executioners prepared to bind her when she spoke.
"No, I will not die bound like a thief." She said as the executioners nodded and took up their knives.
They moved to her back and placed the tips against the base of spine and at the top of her neck. The executioners then pushed all the way down to the bone before making their first incisions long the lenght of her back before going around amd making incisions along the top and base of her ribcage. Latherna tightened her grip as the executioners took up their hammers and began to cleanly break each of her ribs away from her sternum before they set them aside.
"Prepare yourself." One of them says as they each take hold of one of her shoulders before grabbing the broken ribs and placing a foot on the back of her knees for leverage.
Latherna nods and the executioners pull until her back is torn open and her rib buckle like hinges to splay her properly. The cut flesh hung to appear like wings as they proceeded to reach inside amd pull out her lungs before resting them on her shoulders. With their duty fulfilled the executioners set the hammers amd knives before Latherna as she raised her head to look at the Earl. She simply smiled before letting her head slump forward, leaving behind nothing but a mutilated shell as her soul left for Valhalla.

Blood Eagle is depicted in a only a few Viking tales, and it's brutal description has raised doubt among historians as to if the ritual was ever actually performed.

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