Valkyrie Rising

by GR Griffin

  The elves had been naturally horrified by the massacre, and by the news that the bride for their Lord had been stolen out from under them. They too had turned eager, ready to report to King Odin about just what had happened. There had also been an undercurrent of worry, the elves fearing that the alliance might fall apart with Silmeria having been stolen away. Privately though, Lenneth thoughts were certain that Odin would merely choose to replace Silmeria with some other fallen Valkyrie. It didn’t mean that Lenneth couldn’t understand any less the fears of the elves. After all, the massacre had occurred in their forest, right under their noses. Odin might choose to be insulted by that fact, though there was really little the elves could have done against such an overwhelming number of vampires.

  If anything, such an act would bind the elves and the Asgardians together all the more, uniting them against their common foe. This violent act of the vampires might prove more binding than even Silmeria and Rufus' marriage could have been. Especially with the elves ready to lend aid against the vampires to right the wrong done to all involved.

  Even with the elves by her side, Lenneth wasn't looking forward to her return to Valhalla. And all because of the colossal shame that would be attached to her name. Bad enough to be defeated by the undead King, to be spared death at his hands, but to lose three of her own kind to his vampires? To return with the news that Silmeria hadn’t been killed, but made into the very fiend that they had fought against for all these centuries? It was unthinkable, and Lenneth couldn't begin to imagine the sort of punishment that Odin would give to her.

  Yet Lenneth refused to cower in her seat, refused to delay the journey over the fear of what Odin would say and do. Silmeria needed to be recovered and quickly, the Valkyries and einherjar of Asgard needed to be made ready for that battle. It would surely be a fight unlike any other they had ever fought, a Valkyrie's soul on the line. It was these thoughts that drove Lenneth to ride her steed faster, a quick gallop that allowed her pull ahead of the elves.

  Surprised shouts followed after her, the elves scrambling to keep up with her as their horses made their way across the rickety bridge that covered the gap between canyons. Somewhere ahead of the canyons was a path which led down into the plains of Idavoll. It was there that much of the fighting continued to take place, the plains extending for miles in every direction, including towards the stretch of land that led to Odin's castle.

  It would take at least another thirty minutes to reach the edge of the plains, and that was with working the horses hard. The poor beasts were unused to such a fast pace, breathing heavily by the time Lenneth began steering her mare off of the path. The elves were not far behind her, though they had ceased their shouts. They knew better than to call attention to themselves with unneeded noise, and even their horses seemed to cease their protesting whinnies as the sound of the battles grew in volume.

  The muscled elf drew up besides Lenneth's horse, the man already reaching for the sword strapped to his back. He seemed to be the one in charge of this group of elves, flashing hand signals that had the other elves drawing their bows. Rosselier was lost amidst the group, two elves sticking near to protect the healer from danger. The others were already notching arrows against their bow's strings, preparing to unleash them at the first sign of the enemy.

  "We move quickly but carefully." Lenneth announced, gaining a nod from the elf besides her. "There is still some time before dawn breaks."

  "Our chances for success will be better if we wait until after the sun rises." Noted the closest female elf to her. "We won't have to contend with the vampires, just the creatures that are theirs to command."

  "It's your decision to make, Lady Valkyrie." Noted the sword carrying elf who was waiting besides her. "We will follow whatever you decide."

  There was no hesitation in Lenneth now. Not when she was so close to Valhalla. Not when, she knew that Odin had to be informed at once what had gone down in the Forest of Spirits. But more than that, Silmeria's soul was depending on Lenneth. To wait was to risk eternal damnation for the very sister she so loved,

  "To battle we go!" To their credit, not one of the elves grumbled a complaint, following after Lenneth and her horse. She had already had her sword drawn and ever at the ready when she burst past the canyon's wall and onto the grassy plains that made up Idavoll.

  The grass was tall stacks of gold that brushed the sides of the horse's barrel shaped body. Perfect cover for the ghouls that lay in wait for any who ventured this far out of the main fighting. With hellish screams, they shambled forward, trying to bury their poison tip claws into her horse's skin. This mare wasn't shielded like her stallion would have been, lacking the war horse's body armor. It left Lenneth busy, her sword swinging in constant defense of her steed, lopping off the fingers and the hands that came too close to her and the mare.

  From behind her came the whizzing sound of arrows cutting through the night air. The elves were working to quickly reload their bows, the archers staying well away from the ghouls. The elves’ arrows quickly impaled the ghouls in the eyes and into their open mouths, leaving them distracted enough for Lenneth to come and behead each of them. The elf with the sword was making similar work of the ghouls on his side, heads falling to be lost in the grass and trampled on by both the horses’ hooves and the undead’s feet.

  Rosselier's healing magics came into play in a different way. Instead of tending to wounds, that magic became a weapon focused upon a group of zombies that lurched among the stalks. Those rotten, shambling corpses were no match for a bit of cure magic heaped upon them, the creatures dying with the loudest of pained shrieks. Those shrieks drew attention from other undead, the monsters hurrying towards the group of twelve. Lenneth's sword was already covered in a blood that was mixed with gore and a lot of black ichor. Even poison from the ghouls coated her blade, though it had no ill effect on the undead that she was currently battling.

  The rain continued to fall, pelting them all mercilessly and without end. It was turning the dirt the grass grew in to mud, making the horses' footing unstable. The mud didn't seem to affect the ghouls for they continued to charge them, and only the beheadings could stop the creatures from their assaults. A scream from behind let Lenneth know that one of the elves had been pulled off of his horse. The poor soul had wandered to close to a group of ghouls, and had not had the chance to fire off his arrows before the monsters had caught hold of him.

  Lenneth forced herself not to feel pity for the dead elf, knowing that any such emotion could cause her to become distracted and then suffer a similar fate. Her sword arm continued to move, and it was the blessing of her divine state that she didn't grow tired from the constant use. Heads continued to fly about, Lenneth and the Elven swordsman dispatching all of the ghouls that came within reach.

  In the near distance she could see the light of torches, Asgardians using the flames to better see that which with they fought. The undead had no need of the light, their vision such that they could see near perfectly in the dark. But the torches gave her hope, Lenneth knowing their chances would improve if they could reach the other combatants before the undead overwhelmed them here.

  "Head towards the light!" shouted Lenneth, slicing off the wing of small bat like creature. It's saliva was like acid, quick to burn through anything be it living or dead. It was the only reason Lenneth even bothered with such an annoying but otherwise seemingly harmless creature.

  Voices rose up behind her, the elves calling out a confirmation. Arrows continued to whiz past her, slamming into the ghouls long enough to stun and delay them. She quickly finished off the ghouls with her sword, letting her horse trample on the bodies. Rosselier was chanting a healing spell, refreshing their horses' stamina to allow them the extra push needed to continue on.

  A horse ran past Lenneth, the animal whinnying in fear now that it's rider had been knocked off it's back. Some of the ghouls would converge on the poor beast, and the sounds of flesh being torn could be heard, the monsters eating the horse al
ive. Arrows would fly in the horse's direction, one of the elves attempting to put the stallion out of it's misery.

  The fight continued, much of the same actions repeating. There was hardly any time to pause, the elves having sheathes of extra arrows fastened to every available inch of their horse's saddle. It almost seemed like they could go on indefinitely, but Lenneth knew that sooner or later they would run out of arrows. But the lights of the torches were reaching closer, enough that Lenneth could make out the battling figure of another Valkyrie.

  "We're almost there!" A female elf cried out, sounding relieved.

  "Somajdra, don't celebrate just yet!" admonished another elf.

  "He's right, anything could still happen." The sword carrying elf grunted as his swing took off the heads of two ghouls simultaneously. Fortunately for her side, nothing befell Lenneth or any of the remaining elves, the group charging into the torch lit area of the battlefield. Some of the ghouls gave chase, but the zombies shied away from the light. They quickly disappeared back into the grass, waiting to ambush any one foolish enough to stray away from the light’s flame.

  The Valkyrie that was fighting with a group of einherjar was finally close enough as to look familiar. Long blonde hair that held streaks of blood from her enemies in it, shifted wildly about as the woman turned. It was enough so that Lenneth caught sight of her face, a name gasping out of her. "Alicia!"

  The Valkyrie Alicia impaled a vampire on her sword's forward thrust, then did her own gasp, one of surprise. "Lenneth?" She seemed to blink in disbelief, even as she let her sword clang with another vampire's blade. "Why are you here!? Where is..." She trailed off, not wanting to alert the vampires to what Lenneth's true mission had actually been.

  "He's taken her!" Lenneth said, dispatching a vampire with her own sword. The Elven archers were firing one arrow after another, though the vampires teleported too fast to be pierced by them. "Brahms has Silmeria!"

  "No!" That wasn't only Alicia, but the einherjar who cried out in protest. They began to fight even more viciously, as though taking out their anger on the fiends before them.

  "I must speak with Odin at once." Lenneth was drawing closer to Alicia, who nodded her agreement.

  "Of course." She continued to fight, but her voice was shouting out an order. "Clear a path for the Valkyrie Lenneth and her escort! Let everyone know of her need, and the reason behind it!"

  Already voices were echoing out the orders, along with the news that Silmeria had been taken by Brahms. The word would travel all along the battlefield, both the Asgardians and the Undead learning of the vampire's victory. The news would even reach the ears of Lenneth's older sister Hrist, the black haired Valkyrie then beginning her own fight to reach Odin's castle as quickly as she possibly could.

  Little by little, the einherjar and the Valkyries opened a path for Lenneth and the elves to travel through. By the time that they had reached Odin's castle, the sun was cresting over the canyons. The vampires quickly teleported to their hiding holes, leaving only the ghouls and other sun tolerant undead behind to continue to do battle. Without the vampires to help them, the remaining undead would be easy work for a determined Valkyrie and her companions.

  Finally reaching the castle grounds, there was no time for Lenneth to rest. Her horse was just as exhausted as she, it’s steps all a stumble, and it’s skin worked to a fine and wet lather. A Valkyrie was there to greet Lenneth and the elves, and the einherjar that had accompanied her were quick to tend to the thirsty and tired horses that the group had rode upon. It was there that they would go their separate ways, the horses to rest In the stables, while the elves would be offered rooms and refreshment, along with new quivers of arrows to replace the ones they had spent on the battle field.

  Lenneth however, had no opportunity for such things. Not did she have much care for herself, for anything save her sister Silmeria. The Valkyrie rushed up the cliff side path, so fast and fleet of foot that she might as well have been the very wind itself personified. Odin's castle, Valhalla, was in sight, armor suited einherjar already pulling open the great doors long before the Valkyrie had reached them. She didn't even stop, save to nod a brief thanks to the einerhjar, rushing past them and startled Asgardians who had not yet gotten word of her return.

  As she neared the great throne room, Lenneth slowed to a more respectable pace. She caught sight of herself in the reflective bronze of the walls, seeing how covered in blood and gore she actually was. She had hardly had the time to clean up and make herself presentable before speaking with Odin, caring little as towards what he might have had to say about her getting blood and worse on his expensive carpets.

  There were more soldiers standing guard to the doors that led into the throne room. These warriors hesitated upon seeing Lenneth's disheveled state. But she fixed them with her best glare, and with a commanding voice ordered them to admit her into the throne room. The guards would exchange then doubtful glances, before squaring their shoulders in defeat. As soon as the doors were open, Lenneth swept by the throne room’s guardians, her head raised up high as she prepared to finally meet with Lord Odin.

  Freya was already present, the green clad Goddess standing on the throne's dais with Lord Odin. It was the Goddess who first acknowledge Lenneth, eyes going wide as she watched her approach the throne. "Lenneth! What has happened? Why exactly are you here?!"

  Lenneth reached the foot of the dais' steps, and then dropped to one knee. Head bowed in respect, she kept her eyes lowered as she talked. "There are many regretful things I must tell you, my Lord and my Lady."

  "What is it Lenneth?" Odin asked, leaning forward in his seat. "Why are you here and not with your sister, Silmeria?"

  Lenneth exhaled slowly, that deep breath buying her a few precious seconds of delay. "I won't beat around the truth. I'll tell you straight out that Silmeria has been taken. Lord Brahms knew of our plans, and laid in wait for my sister." Freya had then gasped out a horrified no, and something like a growl would escape Odin’s throat. "The entire escort party was slaughtered, including the Valkyries that had accompanied my sister and I."

  Odin gave no reply, not a single word or gesture that would let Lenneth know when she could finally stand. There was no other choiuce but to remain in that respectful kneel, with her her eyes lowered to the floor. "There's more…"

  "More?!" exclaimed Freya. "I shudder to think what else there could be!!"

  "Brahms...he...he's fed on Silmeria." Lenneth fought not to grimace at the memory that those words had conjured. "But what's worse, he forced her to drink of him. He's made her into one of them...said she was to be his bride..."

  Not a sound was heard with those words spoken, the quiet lasting long enough that Lenneth nearly risked looking upwards. She tried not to fidget in place, waiting for something, anyone to break that stunned silence.

  "Lenneth....this is terrible news that you bring me." Odin said at last. She nodded quickly in response. "I don't know yet what will be the repercussions of Brahms' actions. Never has a Valkyrie been turned into a vampire before. I know not what chaos this will cause, only that this is an unforgivable act."

  "Yes." Agreed Lenneth. "We have to work fast, my Lord. We have to move to retrieve Silmeria, to save her soul before she feeds for the first time. I am prepared to go and lead the einherjar to the vampire's castle...just give me your permission and I will do this at once."

  More silence, Odin letting out a heavy breath. "I don't think this is a task that is suitable for you."

  "My Lord?"

  "Tell me, my Valkryie. What happened? Why did the vampire lord allow you to survive what was other wise a massacre?" Odin questioned.

  Lenneth felt humiliation burn in her cheeks, the Valkyrie glad that her head was still lowered. "He let me go."

  "Let you go?" Freya sounded disbelieving of this.

  "It was meant to curry and be a favor to my sister Silmeria." Lenneth quickly explained. "He said it would upset her if he allowed me to be killed."

&nbs
p; "Really now...how...odd." She heard the rustle of fabric, Odin rising from his seat. "And you what? Just turned tail and ran?"

  Lenneth gasped at that, so indignant and upset that she looked up at the approaching God without receiving his permission. "I would never abandon my sister to the likes of him!" She hissed, not caring if her tone was disrespectful. "I fought Brahms. Fought him in an attempt to gain back my sister, even knowing the only comfort I could give her then was to end her life! It was not through any act of mine that prevented me from following after the vampire lord and his undead minions."

  "Are you saying he rendered you incapable of following him?" demanded Odin.

  "Yes." Lenneth nodded. "He knocked me out with a mighty blow. I might still be unconscious if not for the elf, Rosselier's healing magics." She fixed Odin with an earnest look. "I wanted to go after him, but knew I was ill equipped on my own. I needed reinforcements...the warriors and the supplies needed to make the long journey to the vampire's castle. I am here to ask you for those things."

  "You expect me to entrust more Valkyries and einherjar to you?" She nodded again at that. "After you allowed the last group under your guidance to be so ruthlessly slaughtered?!" Lenneth paled at Odin's words, her mouth dropping open.

  "I...I did not…"

  "How many of my Valkyrie did you take with you?" He demanded. "How many died, dined upon by the vampires? Vampires who even now must be flush with their divine blood, and fight on the battlefield, taking more lives?!"