Valkyrie Rising

by GR Griffin

  "Stop that!" He had started to snap and then she had kneed him right between the legs! Many of the realms’ varied beings, mortals especially, had long since clung to the belief that the undead, vampires chief of all, were an unfeeling race. That their existence was rumored to be free of all lust save that of blood. So many had thought that the fiends were incapable of true desires. But the hard truth was that they were wrong, no greater a passion to be found than that of a vampire. Vampires not only lusted for blood, they can and did have sex, all of them well familiar with lust and desire and how to use and manipulate it in others. And just as they could feel it’s pleasure, a vampire could also feel it’s pain, Silmeria’s knee having slammed into a part of Brahms’ anatomy that might have been the most delicate.

  The pained sensation that the vampire had felt, had gotten Brahms to have loosen his hold on the Valkryie. It had been all the opportunity she had needed, Silmeria using it to jerk free of Brahms completely.

  Surprisingly she hadn't screamed, instead hauling away from him and having lunged for her sword. He had still been gritting his teeth in pain when he had followed at her heels, reaching for the sword's hilt at the same exact time that Silmeria had. Brahms had been just a second too slow, Silmeria twisting the blade, turning it so that it's pointed tip grazed a slash across his chest. He had had to jump back, eyeing her warily as she had followed after him.

  "Calm yourself Valkyrie!"

  "Why are you here?!" She had hissed out in retort, never taking her eyes off him. "If you think to slay my King…"

  "It is not your King that I seek this night..." It had been an admission that he shouldn't have blurted out, and one Silmeria had looked startled to hear. Interesting enough her face had not turned pale, though her gazed had hardened, the Valkyrie then having thrust her sword forward. Brahms had been forced to spin to the left to avoid being impaled, the Valkyrie having passed along the side of him. Close enough that he could have snagged his claws in her hair, but Brahms had resisted that particular temptation.

  "If you think to finish what happened on the battlefield..." She had pivoted about, already seeking to slash her sword at him a third time. "Know I will not go down without a fight."

  "I wouldn't expect any less of you Valkyrie." Brahms had retorted. He had noted then that her lips were stained red with his blood. It had been a sensual, provocative sight, Brahms' own fangs having lengthened in response. His voice had come out husky, he hadn’t been able to resist teasing her then. "How did you enjoy the taste of my blood, battle maiden?"

  Silmeria had blinked in surprise, then had hastily brought her free hand up to wipe the blood's remains from off her mouth. "I am no vampire to find enjoyment in tasting such a thing…"

  "A pity for you. I know many who would die to get a taste of such a powerful drink."

  "All who are damned and deranged, no doubt!" She had retorted, and had struck out again. This time when he had side stepped her, Brahms had caught her left arm, cruelly twisting it behind her back. She had grunted but otherwise had not cried out in pain, attempting instead to twist her sword and drive it back behind her and into him. Brahms had had to grab hold of that wrist too, squeezing it until Silmeria had dropped hold of her blade. And then he had twisted the right arm to join the left behind her, Brahms pinning her against his broad chest.

  She had trembled in agitation at the position he had held her in, Brahms leaning into her to sniff at her hair. That had instantly frozen Silmeria, her voice having issue out in a perplexed sound. "What are you doing?!"

  Her voice had called attention to his odd act, Brahms having been caught with his nose buried in her hair. It hadn't stopped him from doing a deep inhale, nostrils flaring as he had caught better hold of her scent. She had smelled very much like the polish often used to clean her armor, and there had been the faintest smell of blood that no amount of washings could ever eradicate completely. Too often had this Valkyrie been showered with the blood of her enemies, and that scent clung to her skin even at Silmeria’s cleanest. But for the vampire, it hadn’t been a turn off. If anything it had aroused him, even knowing that the enemies whose blood had stained the Valkryie’s soul, was that of Brahm’s own people.

  Aroused by it, by HER, Brahms fangs which had already lengthened in reaction to the blood that had been coloring her pretty mouth, had then seemed to throb with a dull ache. It would have been all too easy to soothe that ache by plunging his fangs into her neck, and gaining the rush of power that would have infused him as had he drank from her.

  But he had somehow found the strength to ignore that ever insistent thirst within him, instead performing a move that had had Brahms nuzzling his cheek against her soft hair. Silmeria had said something then, had repeated her earlier question. She had been unable to hide her unease, and it must have been a struggle for her to remain so still without even shaking. She had been both prey and predator in the moment, and all it would have taken is one reaction to topple them both towards making her his meal.

  "You smell of death." He had finally answered her, but conveniently let off how that scent of hers was arousing to him. "The blood of my people is all around you, soaked into your very skin…"

  "You're one to talk." She had quickly retorted, her voice having snapped out angrily. "You reek of blood! Your breath is made foul with it!"

  Brahms had felt something like embarrassment then, for he had known that to a Valkyrie the blood smell would not be an attractive quality at all. "I fed before coming here." He had admitted. The position he had had her in, kept him from seeing her face. Had she worn disgust then? He would never know for sure.

  Silence had followed those words, brief but lasting long enough to be awkward. And then when Silmeria had spoken, it had nothing to do with his feeding. "You've come here with a purpose. If it's not to kill King Odin...then..." Brahms had felt her tensing up, Silmeria had been preparing to do something, even though he had held both her arms captive in his grip. "You've come to finish what was started on the battle field between us."

  He had never gotten a chance to deny it, for Silmeria had suddenly driven herself backwards so that her head had crashed into his face. His nose had stung from the blow, the Valkyrie having twisted desperately to get free of him. Even as he had held on to her arms, she had been stamping her feet downwards, the metal greaves she had wore around them having added to the strength to the blow on his foot.

  With a curse Brahms had released her but only the one arm. She had jerked violently on the wrist he had still held onto, glaring at him though Silmeria had never actually screamed. He had jerked on her arm too, causing her unwilling form to have ended up plastered against his broad chest. Quickly, he had put his other hand on the back of her head, claws almost having pricked her scalp. She had glared up defiantly at him, Brahms staring down as he made an admission of truth.

  "Yes, you guessed it. My purpose in coming here this night was to see you."

  Why had been the question in her eyes, but then a voice had suddenly called out. "Silmeria? Are you here?" A second voice soon joined the other, Brahms realizing that both of the Valkyrie's sisters had come looking for her.

  Frustration had bloomed in him then, Brahms having not wanted the encounter to end. Silmeria had begun to renew her struggles, actually having pushed at his chest with her free hand. The touch of her hand on his skin had electrified him, Brahms jerking back as though shocked. Silmeria had looked ready to finally scream, and the vampire had been able to sense the nervous energy coiling within her.

  "If you do not wish for your sisters to die this night, you will keep quiet about my presence here!" Brahms had hissed at her. Silmeria had read the truth of his words in his eyes. There would be a blood bath in this garden if he was forced to fight her sisters now. She had nodded her understanding, Brahms having then dragged her towards the shadows. Mere seconds later, the two sisters would enter the garden area, looking about for Silmeria.

  Silmeria had stopped her struggles, a quiet tension working
through her. She had been uneasy, more so for her sisters' safety, than for the fact that she was in the undead king's arms. He could have lost himself to staring down at her face, but he hadn't let her nearness distract him so completely. Not when her two sisters had been prowling about the garden, the women quickly finding the forgotten helm and discarded sword of Silmeria.

  Those carelessly abandoned objects had been enough to raise the alarm, the Valkyries having then initiated a search throughout the entire castle. The night's funeral procession had been all but forgotten, Silmeria's absence a far greater concern. It would take some maneuvering, but Brahms would manage to escape from Valhalla, and with Silmeria still in his possession. And the entire time, they had traveled, he hadn't known what he was ultimately going to do with her, the Valkyrie that had been his unwilling hostage.

  The smart move would have been to kill her, and flee. With her blood boosting his already considerable powers, it would have been far too easy to take down any Valkyrie that might have crossed his path. And yet he had hesitated, and it had cost him, an enchantment being cast that extended beyond the castle walls. It was a temporary spell, but no less powerful than the ones on the stones of the castle. It had the power to prevent vampires from teleporting into the area, or out of it, forcing Brahms to travel in a more mundane way.

  He hadn't even been able to steal a horse, all areas of the castle on alert for any suspicious activity. It had left Brahms and his captive to journey on foot, taking a less traveled path away from the castle. He had bound Silmeria's hands behind her back with the cord of his belt and had even gone so far as to muffle her voice with a gag. Of course, once they had been far enough from Valhalla, he had removed it, the vampire wanting to hear her voice even though Brahms thought that all she would do was curse at him.

  Their journey had been an odd one, that night seeming to stretch on to infinity. Silmeria had echoed his words from that first confrontation of theirs, telling him that she didn't understand him. Back then he hadn't had a suitable reply, Brahms having been just as confused as the Valkyrie had been as to what he had been doing. He hadn't come to Silmeria with the intent to kill her, and the more time he had spent with her, the further the line between them had blurred. He hadn't wanted to view her as an enemy, and the conversations that they would have, stilted though the talk ultimately was, had only further cemented his interest in her.

  He had not gotten the chance to take her back to any of the undead camps. At that time, when Brahms had been at his most indecisive about Silmeria, it would have been sheer folly to take her among his soldiers. They would have demanded her death, and Brahms would have had to comply so long as he had not had a good reason towards keeping her alive.

  Her people would eventually track them down, at almost the same instant that remnants of his army would appear. Brahms had been surprised at the reluctance that boiled within him at the reality of parting from Silmeria. As surprised as he had been uneasy with it. Such that Brahms had rebelled against the feelings he had been developing for her, eagerly letting her slip from his grip.

  It would take some time for Brahms to come to terms with the feelings, and with what had happened that strange night. But by the time that he did, he would recognize Silmeria for what she actually was. That of a kindred spirit, a soul that matched his. Silmeria had made his heart race, his body having yearned for something more than nourishing blood. And with that Brahms had realized how willing he was to be damned thrice over to possess her.

  There would surely be consequence for what he had done, but Brahms was prepared to deal with those. Just as he was prepared to handle his people, some of which were immensely worried over the making of a former Valkyrie into a vampire. No one knew what sort of creature he would have created, and many were uneasy about the idea of a Queen who had once been the death of so many of their own kind.

  Brahms knew that he would have to work to quell their fears, to overcome any worries his people might have. But the more challenging a task would be that of winning over Silmeria. Of getting her to accept her new life, both as a vampire, and as his bride. He wasn't sure what kind of adversity she would offer him, but Brahms was sure he would meet and succeed at all her challenges.

  He could have lost himself even further into the thoughts of both the past and the future he now expected to have with Silmeria, but her awakening was upon him. The tell tale beat of her heart, weak as it was, fluttered to life with a strength that was growing. It served to let him know that she was about to awaken for the first time as a vampire. His eyes went to her face, noting the slight tan of her skin. It would one day fade to the unearthly pale of all vampires, but for now she was still kissed by the sun. Her flesh wouldn't be the only change, her eyes would one day take on the crimson color of all the undead. It was actually a shame, Brahms having liked the lovely blue color of her Valkyrie eyes. But such a change would come, regardless of his wishes, once Silmeria actively began feeding on blood.

  He would be there for her first feeding. A vampire's first taste of blood was always such a poignant moment, a significant first step towards accepting their new state of existence.. Brahms intended to be there for all of Silmeria's firsts, to enjoy the highs and the lows of eternity with his new bride. This awakening was the first of them, Brahms having kept strict vigil over her since before arriving at the castle.

  Her chest began to move in a steady and pronounced rhythm, rising with a feigned breath as her heart beat began to grow even stronger. When Silmeria's eyes finally began to flutter open, Brahms felt a shiver of pleasure go through him. That beautiful blue that colored those eyes, Silmeria at first seeming to stare straight through him. And then they focused. He began to smile at her, a hint of fang in that expression as Brahms took one step towards the bed.

  "Silmeria...How are you feeling?"

  It was all that he got to ask, for she was suddenly lunging out of the bed with the preternatural speed of a vampire. Brahms had only seconds to react, his startled reaction showing on his face as Silmeria lunged towards him. As her hands went to close around his neck, her nails lengthened into claws. Brahms had just enough time to register the startled thought that Silmeria was simply too fast for a newly awakened fledgling.

  Chapter 5: Five

  Silmeria hadn’t had a real thought in what had felt like forever. Certainly she had had no memories, no nightmares and no dreams. Her sluggish mind had simply been too busy and too slow to spare the energy needed to do such a thing, the Valkyrie’s body struggling to not only recover from her latest trauma, but to heal completely ALL the wrong that had ever been done to it. In that dreamless, thoughtless state, her body devoted its entirety to it’s self appointed task, Silmeria feeling as though she was floating, surrounded by the nothingness that had manifested itself as never ending darkness.

  In that empty state of existing, when the Valkyrie’s mind finally did form a thought, the mental kick back of stimuli had been downright painful. With that throbbing awareness came a flurry of input,

  an overactive imagining of thoughts, feelings, and memories. This arresting array was indeed too much at once for the Valkyrie, so completely overwhelming that the woman was unable to focus on any one single thing. She still had impressions though, vague uncertain slivers, some so fantastical that it left Silmeria unable to tell just what was real, and was what simply the result of a creative and harried imagination. So fast did these images come and go that Silmeria was left dizzy and breathless, unable to grasp hold of any, the woman confused by the thoughts.

  Faces flickered before her, the men and the woman that she was most familiar with. She saw that of her sisters, of Hrist and of Lenneth, one stern the other frantic, and both holding a world of worry and pain in their eyes. They weren’t the only ones. Silmeria saw the faces of her sisters in arms, the many different Valkryie maidens who did not hold a blood relation to her. Names tried to come and go, Silmeria picking out three amongst them that hurt her the most to remember. But she couldn’t fathom t
he reason behind that particular pain, and all too soon she was lost to the face of another. That of her liege, the King of all the heavens. Odin was not among the most friendly of faces, but he was the one who had the most impact on her immortal career. But there was much she still could not remember, Silmeria simply unable to think straight enough.

  She was unable to do any more than that, Silmeria hearing whispers on the edge of her consciousness. She couldn’t quite focus to make out what was being said, the words that lingered just out of her ears’ reach, taunting her with the memories that they might have held. Thoughts simply too unclear, Silmeria’s mind had been dulled for too long, her many memories suppressed as a result of her injuries. By the strength of her pain, by the trauma and severity of the attack that she had once had to endure. Silmeria couldn’t imagine the strength that had taken, or just how she had survived it at all. For right now the Valkryie could not even remember the details of the attack, that and the resulting shock of it swallowed up, the recollection of the days that had followed her fall on the battlefield now nothing more than fragments. But that was nothing new. Silmeria had NEVER been able to remember clearly those first days that had followed after. She had had the pain medications and herbal tonics to thank for that, the haze that they had helped to induce, having left Silmeria incoherent for nearly a full week.

  She had needed that break from reality. From the pain and the fact that it would take time to heal the worst of it. She had needed more than just time, many treatments being administered, dozens upon dozen of potent pain relievers and body numbing potions making up the reality that had become Silmeria’s unending days and nights. So constant had the pain been, that the fear on just about everyone’s mind had been that Silmeria would always be afflicted by it. She had actually expected to live out the rest of her life crippled by it, forever dependant upon the potions and various herbal remedies. Even if she had not, even if the pain would someday become manageable, life as Silmeria had known it was changed, her thriving military career over and done with.