Inflicted: Book 4 (Valkyrie Academy Dragon Alliance)

by Katrina Cope

  “Oh, what hogwash!” Hildr says only loudly enough for us to hear while thumping her fist on the table. Her face turns a contrasting red to her spikey ginger hair.

  “I can’t agree with you more.” A knot of anxiety and hope twists deep in my stomach.

  “Why me?” Eir asks. “I haven’t done anything. I just want peace. Sure, I’m friends with you guys and agree with your cause, but I haven’t done anything.”

  “You have. You were born wingless,” Hildr says. “To make things worse, you’ve stuck with us.”

  Eir sighs. “And you’re the best friends, so I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Mistress Sigrun claps her hands a few times to silence the room again. “Now remember—first light, people. Anyone who’s late is immediately disqualified. And losers… don’t be late!” She sneers at us before smiling at Rota, Prima, and Mist then exiting the door.

  Chapter Five

  When Mistress Sigrun leaves, the room fills with the clatter of cutlery and excited chatter. Distrusting sneers and side glances cut our way.

  Eir stabs her food with her fork, but it never makes it into her mouth. After a while, she plonks her fork down. “I’m going to go visit Naga. I haven’t had a chance to ride him after we talked. That’s something I want to do before I die.”

  “You’re being a bit melodramatic.” Hildr plays with the clump of earrings on her left ear. “Our fighting skills are just as good as theirs.”

  “Yeah, yours and Kara’s fighting skills are almost as good as theirs. I can fight, but I hate disrupting the peace. I prefer to talk it through rather than fight.”

  I place my hand on her back. “We’ll work something out. Don’t worry.” As I say this, I feel like a hypocrite, and my stomach churns. There are no rules. They can force us off the edge of the cliff, and we could fall to our deaths. If we do the same to them, they can fly and return, along with their combat training being much more advanced than ours. The academy has never given the wingless Valkyries the same training poured into the winged students.

  I put on a brave face and rub Eir’s back. “Then let’s go. I like Naga. He’s a cheerful fellow. Maybe he can cheer you up.”

  We push back our chairs and stand before making our way out of the dining hall and to the dragon stalls. As we near the exit of the academy building, someone calls out. “Hey, wait up.”

  I spin around to find the wingless Valkyrie who had challenged Mistress Sigrun about the unfairness of the challenge. She jogged up to us and stopped. “I want to say that I’m proud of you guys. You do a great job. More of us should stand together and stand up against them. This is my last year at the academy, and no one else would help me stand up against them. It was just me. That’s great that you guys are coming through.”

  “Thanks,” I say a bit hesitantly, confused over the sudden attention.

  “No problem.” She turns to leave before I can ask her name, then pauses. “Oh, by the way, if you’re fighting Rota, remember when she goes to do a spinning knockout kick, she leaves herself wide open for a hit. Take stock of that and use it to your advantage.”

  “Thanks,” I say with more enthusiasm. “Any help is great.”

  “There are no rules. They can play dirty, so you play just as dirty. You need as much advantage as you can, using whatever surprise elements you can muster.”

  “Thanks. What’s your name again?” I ask.

  “Britta.”

  “I am—”

  “Kara. You’re Hildr and”—she points to Eir—“you’re Eir. Yeah, I know who you are. You’re starting to be legends amongst the wingless.”

  My mouth drops open. “Oh. We had no idea. We are just trying to change the attitude of the winged Valkyries.”

  “I wish you luck. Even if you’re not winning against the winged Valkyries, you’re starting to get through to the wingless. If they don’t watch it, the academy will have an uprising.” She slaps Hildr on the shoulders before turning to leave.

  We step out into the open air, and the moon paves a path along the valleys of Asgard.

  “That was strange,” Eir says.

  Hildr falls into step with me. “Look what you’ve done, Kara.”

  “It’s not just me. You’re part of this too.”

  “Please. I’ve hardly done anything in comparison to you. We got ourselves locked up for a while, that’s about it. You did the rest.” Her tone is not accusing, merely a voice of encouragement.

  “The support you have given me is priceless. And comments like what Britta gave us show there is hope for us all. We need to win this battle tomorrow.”

  We cross through and follow the path toward the dragon stalls. We reach Naga’s stall and roll the stone door aside. Together, we stick our heads through. Naga sits in the corner with his back straight, sitting at attention. His flat head turns, and his eyes land on us. His tail wags.

  “Aww! You really are cute, Naga,” Eir says as she charges through.

  Naga sits still, and his eyes widen as he watches her approach. He seems shocked yet pleased that Eir is charging over to greet him.

  He sits still, patiently waiting. His eyes are wide. Hellos. What… what’s happening?

  “We’ve come to visit you, Naga,” I say, and my heart sings as his tail wags some more.

  Naga likes visits. Naga wants more.

  “And you will get some more.” I smile. His inability to speak English correctly makes him more adorable. “Am guessing you don’t know, Naga, but Eir wants to connect with you. She wants you to take her for flights and to be her dragon friend.”

  Naga’s eyes widen as his eyes bounce from me to Eir several times before landing on Eir. Is this truth?

  Eir looks adoringly at the dragon. “Yes, Naga. This is very true. I think you’re delightful.” She rushes forward and hugs him around the neck. He tilts his flat head, nuzzling into her with his hornless head.

  Even when I’s got cold and when I’s sneeze fire?

  Eir smiles. “Yes, Naga. Even when you sneeze fire, only please try to aim them away from me.”

  I wills try. He jumps to all four feet and jigs in front of her, stretching out his wings and showing off the white dots that look like stars against his blue membrane wings. She giggles, and he charges up to her, slinging his blue body to sit next to her, and accidentally knocks into her. She stumbles and lands on her backside. She jumps to her feet, still giggling, and throws her arms around him, embracing him around the neck and trying to remain on her feet as he laps up her affection. There doesn’t seem to be a nasty bone in his body.

  After watching them for a few minutes, I interrupt their reunion. “Now, Naga, do you promise to stay in your stall, as per the Dragon Alliance agreement, if I take these cuffs off you?”

  Naga nods enthusiastically. Yes. Yes, I promise I stay.

  “I mean it, Naga.” I tilt my head and look at him under a raised eyebrow. “You have to stay here, or else we can get into a lot of trouble because you have run away. Odin becomes very angry when the dragons disappear. He doesn’t even like it when they disappear for a little bit and come back. But I would like to free you to see you roam a little bit.”

  I be good, Naga says quickly. I promise.

  Gazing deep into Naga’s eyes, I can see he is telling the truth. He has such an innocence about him that makes him adorable. I run my hand over his flat head then circle to his back leg secured with the chain. I fish for my skeleton key, stick it into the lock, and move it around until the lock clicks and the chain pops open.

  Why you doing this? Naga asks.

  “Because tomorrow, we have to face our enemies in the Valkyrie Academy.”

  Eir goes in and cuddles him around his neck to mother him some more. She lets him go then looks at us. “I am so worried about tomorrow. My stomach is doing little flips.”

  “The Valkyrie back at the academy is right. There are no rules. We can do whatever we want to them.” Hildr stands with her legs in a fighting stance as if preparing
for tomorrow.

  “But they can do whatever they want to us too, and that includes pushing us over the side.” Eir strokes Naga down his blue neck, and his eyes look at her adoringly. “We cannot fly. It’s not fair. Tomorrow could be our last day to live.”

  Naga’s eyes widen. He nudges into her, and she obliges by hooking her arm around his neck, cuddling him close.

  “At least I got to come and be with you, little guy.” Eir presses her face into his neck. “That made my day. It is one of the things I wanted to do before I died.”

  Naga pulls back and looks at Eir with wide blue eyes. My English no good. But Naga think that you sad. I thinks you say you die.

  Eir returns his gaze with serious eyes. “That is possible, Naga. Tomorrow morning, at first light, we have to fight the winged Valkyries.” She sits on a rock and cups her hands in her lap, playing with her fingers. “And I’m scared.”

  Then don’t fight, he says.

  “We have to, Naga. We don’t have a choice. Really, this is a competition that they’re making us do because they want to kill the three of us. It all started because of what we did with the dragons—because Hildr took a dragon for a ride and Kara saved Elan from Odin’s captivity. Now they want to make us pay.”

  Chapter Six

  The next morning, a horn blasts me from my sleep. My eyelids fling open, and my first impression is that it’s a call to Midgard for another war. The room is dark, and the sun has not yet risen. The horn sounds again, and I realize that the sound is different from the usual Midgard call. It must be a call for the fight this morning. As I stare across the room, the realization hits me—we are running out of time. I reach over my bed for my bedside table and rub the glow rock, and it illuminates. The light shines on the pale faces of Hildr and Eir. It has been a restless night’s sleep for all of us, tossing and turning, in anticipation of what is going to happen. I swing my legs over the side of the bed, and my feet fall to the floor. I rub the sleep from my eyes and stretch my arms to the ceiling.

  “I’m not ready for this.” Eir’s mouth is downturned, and she almost looks depressed.

  “Eir, you have to stop being so negative,” Hildr snaps. “I know you’re a peacekeeper and all, but you can do it. We’ve seen you fight. When you’re on a roll, you’re an excellent fighter. It’s only your mental attitude toward peace that stops you from winning sometimes. You need to remember that there are no rules and that they may kill us.”

  Eir’s shoulders sag in defeat. “I know. I have to put on my tough face.”

  The horn blows again, and Hildr complains, “What, we don’t even get breakfast?”

  I rise to my feet. “Clearly not. Although I don’t know if I could keep anything down right now.” I start pulling on the black fighting leathers of the wingless Valkyries. I grab my favorite quiver of arrows and shove my sword between the quiver and my back. I hook my sling on the back of my pants. I’ve always loved that sling, ever since it helped defend me in the wastelands against the creature I now know is called a zmey. I run an appreciative hand over the rough texture of the sling’s material. That day holds so many memories, and it was the start of my involvement with Elan.

  I slide on my boots and run my fingers through my long dark-brown hair. “I’m going to grab a roll on my way past the kitchen anyway.”

  “I’m coming too,” Hildr says.

  We pass by the kitchen, grabbing a roll, and I grab one for Eir and hand it to her.

  “Gee, thanks,” she says half-heartedly. She tucks it inside the pocket of her black jacket. “I’ll eat it later. Right now, my stomach is a mess of knots. I think I’ll get through by adrenaline alone.”

  We step outside of the academy walls, and someone grabs me from behind. I spin to see the strange girl from the dining room with the curious book. The girl’s hand grasps my left arm, and a strange look is plastered over her face. Yanking backward, I try to release her grip, but it doesn’t give. Tingling, stronger than it was before, shoots down my arm. She must have stirred up the injury. I tug again, and this time, her grasp releases. Without saying a word, she spins and leaves.

  “That’s odd.” Eir’s expression is confused as she watches the girl leave.

  “You’re telling me!” I shake my head and rub my arm.

  We turn away from her and walk a few feet around the corner of the academy, where we meet Mistress Sigrun and a couple of winged Valkyries.

  “It’s about time you arrived.” She plants her fists against her hips. “I was about to charge into your room and drag you out myself. We thought you were trying to skip it.”

  “Good morning to you too, mistress.” I smile cheerfully, hiding my nerves. “Where are we heading?”

  She glares at me then spins around, aiming her finger at the highest peak. The flat surface at the top of the mountain is barely visible.

  “How are we going to get there, mistress?” Eir asks as all the remaining color drains from her face. “It even looks impossible to free climb that mountain.”

  The leader of the academy looks down her nose at Eir. “I was going to make you climb up the rocks, but that would make us wait too long for a wingless. Instead, the winged Valkyries are going to be doing all the work for you again. Not just one, but two winged Valkyries will have to be put out. Unfortunately, we need one for each side to carry you up there.”

  “How considerate of you, mistress.” Hildr’s fist opens and closes at her side.

  Mistress gives Hildr a sharp look, noting the sarcasm in Hildr’s voice. “Yes, it is. Yet you wingless still don’t treat us with respect,” she says. “The winged Valkyries do so much for your kind.”

  Suddenly, strong hands grab both my arms and hook underneath them. Before I know it, I’m rising off the ground and into the air. My stomach lurches over the harsh treatment without warning.

  I’m flanked by winged Valkyries with beautiful blond hair flicking behind their shoulders as they fly. Their majestic wings beat powerfully, pulling me into the air. Their pale, beautiful faces focus on the top of the mountain. It is a vast rise to the top. If we fall, it will definitely be to our deaths.

  Neither of them says a word as they fly toward the top—my only comfort is the monotonous beat of their wings. I try hard not to glance down. Riding a dragon would be safer than being carried by two winged Valkyries. There is just so much more security on the back of a dragon, feeling that vast size and power underneath my body.

  My stomach reels over the lack of security, churning so much that it takes all my mental effort not to throw up. To pull my thoughts away from the possibility, I search for Eir and Hildr. I hear the flapping wings behind us, and I assume that it’s winged Valkyries carrying the other two behind me, but they are out of my sight.

  The rugged terrain sinks beneath us, and the journey seems endless. Even with their powerful strokes, it takes quite some time to rise to the top of the mountain. Finally, we reached the edge of the top of the mountain, and my feet fold underneath me when the winged Valkyries drop me to the ground. They aren’t even gentle when they set me down.

  The sun peeks over the horizon, bathing the land of Asgard in a golden glow. Opposite me across the other side of the flat top, Rota, Prima, and Mist stand ready, their faces screwed up in their usual scowls. My eyes travel farther, and I notice that winged Valkyries from the academy surround the plain. They hover in a circle formation around the edges. The sun’s beautiful light casts eerie shadows on their faces. Because of the location of the fight, there is not one wingless Valkyrie among the spectators. They will not be able to watch the fight and see if it is fair. Again, they are excluded. Here we are, fighting for their rights, and they can’t even watch and support us.

  A thump sounds on my left, and I turn to find Hildr’s Valkyrie escorts have unceremoniously dumped her, as well. Then they push up into the sky and join the other winged Valkyries circling the plain. Another thump catches my attention, and I look to my right to see Eir being given the same treatment before
her escorts also join the other spectators.

  Hildr’s hand hovers over the hilt of her sword as she eyes each spectating Valkyrie. “What’s stopping them from joining in, as well?” She nods, indicating the live circle. “There is nobody to witness that they have cheated, and it wasn’t an even match of three against three. Naturally, the winged Valkyries are going to stick up for their own if this fight turns sour for them.”

  My cheeks turn clammy as I stare up into the glaring blue eyes. There is a significant element of truth to Hildr’s words. There is no one to witness any unfairness, and there is nowhere that we can go to escape it. I don’t see even one friendly face.

  “I want this to be over with already,” Eir says. “If we win this—”

  “When we win this,” Hildr interrupts.

  Eir rolls her eyes. “Okay. When we win, we need to teach this bunch of hypocrites a lesson.”

  “Well, they sound like fighting words.” One side of Hildr’s mouth lifts in a smirk. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m ready to start now.” She positions her legs, planting her feet shoulder width apart, with one foot in front of the other, and sliding metal rings as she draws out her sword. She holds it above her head.

  As I mimic her with my sword, the sound of sliding metal resonates, followed by an echo to my right as Eir does the same.

  “Bring it on!” Hildr says through gritted teeth.

  Chapter Seven

  A sharp whistle blows, and all eyes focus on the newly arrived mistress of the academy.

  “Get ready… Go!” Her voice carries over the distance before she blows the whistle and it screams through the air.

  At first, my feet remain fixed as I study the circling Valkyries to see what they will do. When I am confident they are not about to interfere, I loose a pent-up breath. This may be a fair fight after all—at least for now. Rota, Prima, and Mist edge toward us. We imitate them from our side—all three of us together approach at the same speed. Our arms remain ready, with our swords drawn.