Valkyrie Rising

by GR Griffin

  Hrist seemed to blanch in response to that accusation. "I do what must be done!" Hrist said when she had recovered. "The only choice left to me, after you stole Silmeria from us!"

  "Yes, I stole her." Brahms agreed. "And I mean to keep her."

  "We shall see about that!" Hrist snarled, but she didn't make the first move. Instead she waited, studying Brahms as they circled closer to each other. Silmeria studied him too, seeing how his normally spiky hair had been plastered flat from the rains that had fallen outside. His claws were long, sharp and deadly and covered in the blood the rain had not washed away.

  Hrist had also noticed the blood, and not just on his claws. The front of his chest was covered in it, the green vest damp with it. "Look at him." Sneered Hrist. "Look at what he is....what you will become if you allow yourself to give in! I can save you from that....I can set you free...."

  "You have to get by me first!" Brahms roared, and lunged towards Hrist, his claws extended for the kill.

  "I will not allow you to harm her!" Arngrim snarled, his sword swinging towards Brahms from behind. Silmeria screamed, not sure who she was more concerned for. Her sister, Brahms, or herself.

  Brahms teleported out of the way, appearing behind Arngrim. The einherjar quickly turned, bringing his blade up in time to defend against the vampire's claws. The two men stared at each other, their eyes narrowed as they took stock of their opponent. Arngrim now stood between Hrist and Brahms, and the look of determination on his face spoke of how he would not easily allow the vampire to go near the Valkyrie.

  "Arngrim!" Hrist was livid. "Stand down! This is my fight!"

  "Sorry my lady. No can do." Arngrim answered without taking his eyes off of Brahms. "I have sworn to protect you."

  "Are you that dedicated to your Valkyrie that you would die for her?" demanded Brahms in a gruff tone of voice.

  "I would do so gladly." Arngrim answered without hesitation. "Hrist! Finish what you came here to do!" It was clear he intended to buy her the time needed to kill Silmeria. All by being a distraction for the vampire Lord.

  "It is not Silmeria who will die this day!" That was all the warning Brahms gave before he lunged towards Arngrim. His right arm was at a high angle, claws ready to tear open the einherjar's face. His other arm was going in for a low blow, intent on the exposed abdomen of the warrior's body. But Arngrim wasn't so foolish as to allow Brahms near, swinging his large sword so that the vampire had to teleport out of the way to avoid be severed in half.

  The instant Brahms teleported, Hrist moved. She ran towards Silmeria, sword in hand, intent on bringing death to her sister. Silmeria could no longer watch the fight between the two men, forced to engage in one of her own. She was desperate to live, and yet did not know how to end the fight without hurting, maybe even killing her own sister. She let out a furious shout, all her frustration in the sound as she began jumping back to avoid Hrist's relentless swings. And all the while, the battle outside the castle continued to wage, the vampires and Asgardians fighting furiously to come out on top.

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  Chapter 26 : Twenty Six

  The predator inside him was screaming, the scream an enraged sound that demanded blood and death to all who stood in Brahms' way. It hadn't been appeased by the many who had already died, the many Brahms had killed in his attempts to get to Silmeria in time. He was covered in blood, some of it his, but most of it not. And still the urge to rend apart any and all consumed him.

  It might have led to his own destruction, but Brahms was able to pull back some of that rage. To keep from going completely mindless from the overwhelming need to find and protect his bride. He used the beast inside him, channeling it's rage into his hands. People fell broken before him, throats crushed or torn out, chests caved in. It was brutal but effective, Brahms absolutely without mercy as he tore into the einherjar that lurked inside the castle.

  The halls were lined with bodies, an effective testament to his rage. He had lingered only long enough to make sure every last one of them was dead. They had taken only seconds to kill, and even that might have been too long a delay! Everything was working against him, from the combatants both outside and inside, to his own body. Brahms felt the pain of his wounds, especially the one where a spear had attempted to impale straight through him. The pain made it difficult to concentrate long enough to focus on teleporting more than short distances.

  It was a delay. One he could not afford, but had to tolerate. Brahms used his preternatural speed, rushing through the castle. Exerting himself as he pushed past the pain to get to the rear of the building. He brought a swift and sudden death to all he encountered, Brahms being showered in blood and gore as his claws made short work of his enemies.

  Vaguely he heard the screams, the einherjar frightened by the vicious way he killed their companions. There were screams from outside as well, his vampires fighting the Valkyries, keeping them from taking the castle. And yet they hadn't been as successful as they thought. At least one Valkyrie had gotten inside. Brahms did not know or linger on how the breach had been accomplished. His every thought was consumed by urgency, the need to get to Silmeria before she was killed.

  He truly felt fear in this moment. A fear he hadn't felt for centuries, maybe even millennia. And never for another person. But he felt it now, the fear magnified. And all because he knew Silmeria wanted to die. Might even be laying her life down at this very moment, all on some desperate hope that her soul would be saved. If Brahms hadn't been so frightened, he would have snorted. He knew it didn't matter if she fed or not, Odin would never allow a vampire paradise. Even one that had once been a Valkyrie.

  More screams sounded, though they were fewer in number. A man, a mage by the look of his robes, tried to run from the vampire King. Brahms didn't have time to pursue him. Instead he snagged a dagger off of a corpse, flinging it into the back of the fleeing mage. The dagger found it's mark, the man's scream dying on a gurgled out gasp.

  Brahms could hear other voices, raised loud to shout out in anger. There wasn't true fear in the screams, but there was a kind of desperation. He didn't have time to concentrate on the words, sure he recognized one of the voices as Silmeria. He still wasn't on the right floor, but her room was right above where he stood. Brahms grit his teeth, his eyes narrowing as he forced himself to focus on something other than the pain of his wounds. And with that focus, he felt the energy ripple through him. The magics was quick working once activated, Brahms one moment in the hall beneath Silmeria's bedroom, the next standing right between the two sisters.

  He took stock of the situation in an instant, seeing Hrist with her blade out in the open. Silmeria was behind him, but he SMELLED the blood spilling out of her. His anger racketed up several notches, Brahms reacting almost with blind instinct to protect her. Even as Silmeria screamed at him not to harm Hrist, he was throwing a fist at the Valkyrie. The dark haired battle maiden just barely managed to avoid it, leaping backwards.

  Silmeria continued to plead, all but begging for her sister's life. In that moment he was beyond answering, Brahms stalking forward to advance on the Valkyrie. His intent was to kill, to live up to the promise he had made Silmeria. Hrist would die, and all because she had tried to kill Silmeria. It mattered not that Silmeria may have wanted the death. She belonged to him, just as surely as Brahms was owned by Silmeria. And with that owning, he was determined to protect her. From her sister, from Odin, even from her own foolish wishes.

  He was preparing to lunge, to end Hrist's life when the dark haired Valkyrie spoke. Calling him a monster, one that was beyond reasoning. Brahms wanted to laugh, thinking it absolutely absurd that the woman would deem him that when she was about to do the unthinkable to her own sister. He told her as much, watching as the Valkyrie blanched in response to his cruel observation.

  "Not as big a monster as a woman who would kill her own sister."

  Hrist would make excuses, claiming she did what must be done. She'd even try to blame Brahms, as
if throwing in his face the fact that he had set these events into motions with Silmeria's kidnapping would somehow justify what she had come to do. It did not, Brahms telling her in no uncertain terms that he was guilty of theft, Silmeria the prize he meant to keep.

  Other words and insults would be exchanged. Brahms' inner predator snarling, thinking words for the weak. The Valkyrie Hrist was only delaying the inevitable as far as he was concerned. When Hrist began talking about saving Silmeria, saving her from what she had become, that was when he lost the last thread of restraint. Roaring out a vow, Brahms lunged towards Hrist. His claws had been reaching for her, intent on ripping out her all too vulnerable throat.

  "I will not allow you to harm her!" A man screamed. Brahms just barely managed to teleport out of the way, a far too large sword swinging through the air. Inwardly Brahms cursed, realizing he had been so focused on the two women he hadn't even noticed the third presence in the room. That had nearly cost him, Brahms having no doubts that the sword could have delivered a killing wound. He needed to get in control of himself, to reign in his mindless impulses so that he could fight better.

  "Arngrim!" The Valkyrie was livid, naming her einherjar. "Stand down! This is my fight!"

  Even as Brahms and this Arngrim circled each other, the man was refusing his Valkyrie. That surprised Brahms, the vampire Lord not thinking any of the einherjar had balls big enough to oppose a direct order from the Valkyries they served. This one was either very brave, or very foolish. Neither trait would allow him to live for much longer.

  "Are you that dedicated to your Valkyrie that you would die for her?" Brahms demanded, his curiosity roused.

  "I would do so gladly." Arngrim answered, honestly lacing his words. His head lifted, his expression as proud as it was fierce. He was that determined to defend the Valkyrie, and Brahms wondered what could have inspired such strong devotion. But it was a curiosity that would have to go unsated, Brahms snarling at the next words this Arngrim shouted.

  "Hrist! Finish what you came here to do!"

  The Valkyrie didn't even pause to respond, surely lurching towards Silmeria. Brahms practically saw red, shouting out a vow. "It is not Silmeria who will die this day!" He moved, claws reaching for Arngrim. One hand was poised to tear out the muscular einherjar's throat, the other going for his exposed stomach. The fool wore the flimsiest of armors, only a partial chest guard covering over his heart.

  But this fight wasn't over in an instant, the warrior swinging his large blade at Brahms. The vampire was forced to teleport out of the way, unable to stop his charge in time. In the seconds it took to appear behind the einherjar, Brahms was assessing the situation. Out the corner of his eye, much to his surprise, he saw Silmeria doing her best to flee from Hrist's killing blows. He didn't understand why his bride had a renewed sense of self survival, but knew it bought him the time needed to deal with Hrist's einherjar.

  Arngrim was a big man, almost as tall and muscled as Brahms. He had to be strong to handle such a big blade, moving it about with effortless ease. But was it a strength that could equal the lord of all vampires? Brahms knew it was not, and that was before he had fed off of a Valkyrie. That battle maiden's life blood flowed within him, energizing Brahms to new capabilities.

  He reached out towards Arngim's back, his claws slashing in an upwards motion. Arngim screamed out, five slashes appearing on his unprotected skin. Brahms' claws even severed through the straps of his flimsy armor, the metal chest guard falling to the floor.

  "Arngrim!" That was Hrist, the Valkyrie distracted by her einherjar's scream. That she cared at all was another surprise, Brahms knowing Hrist was the most ruthless and merciless of the three sisters. And yet concern had clearly been in her voice, though the Valkyrie did not pull back from her attempts to kill Silmeria.

  "It's nothing..." Arngrim gritted out through teeth that were clenched against his screams. His blood had splattered on the floor, and more continued to fall. But he refused to go down, turning in time to get claws slashed over the front of his body. This time he managed to hold in his scream, Arngrim's pain emerging as a grunt. His fist seemed to clench on his sword's hilt, Arngrim following that motion with a slash.

  Brahms leapt back out of the way, feeling the blade just narrowly miss splitting open his own chest. Arngrim followed, trying to thrust the sword through the vampire king. Brahms shifted to the side, hearing the clang as the sword struck the bedroom's wall. Even as Arngrim was turning to track Brahms' movements, the vampire was moving in for another strike. His claws reached for the warriors' face, intent on gouging out his eyes and tearing open his cheeks.

  Without warning, Hrist's sword came slashing downwards, nearly severing Brahms' fingers. He swore, leaping back to give himself and the Valkyrie distance. She glared, her expression absolutely furious. But there was something odd about the way she stood in front of her einherjar, fully blocking Arngrim's body from Brahms attacks. It was clear she meant to defend the warrior, but why? Valkyries were supposed to be protected by their einherjar, not the other way around.

  It confused Brahms enough to delay his next assault, the vampire tilting his head to the side. He could hear the sounds of Silmeria's breathing, the vampiress panting but otherwise fine. Hrist had abandoned her attempts to kill her own sister, all to rush to the aid of a man who should mean nothing to her. And yet it was clear by the anger that darkened Hrist's eyes, that she felt strongly for the man behind her.

  Brahms wanted to know why. The predator inside him didn't care about this mystery, simply howling for the deaths of those who would threaten his bride. There was little chance of reasoning with it, the beast hungry for blood. Every spill of Brahms' own blood, increased that need, the vampire knowing he would have to feed if he wanted to quickly heal the wounds he had sustained.

  Hrist's Valkyrie blood would do nicely on that end. But Brahms knew he couldn't truly feed off of her. Not without earning Silmeria's eternal hatred. Even killing the battle maiden might be going too far, but his beast didn't care. It screamed inside him, and in the next instant Brahms was moving, lunging towards Hrist. She responded by swinging her sword, intent on slashing open whatever she could reach.

  He teleported out of the way of her sword. But he didn't go far, appearing behind her. Close enough to touch, Brahms catching the scent of her. It nearly stopped him where he stood, his eyes widening in shock. Hrist smelled of several things, blood and leather, the polish used to shine her armor. But mingled with that scent was another, a more masculine scent he had smelled just moments earlier. It almost made him look towards Arngrim, and that would have cost him for the Valkyrie was swinging her sword at him yet again.

  Teleporting out of the way, Brahms landed near Arngrim. He inhaled, and over the scent of blood and sweat he caught Hrist's scent. It almost made him laugh, Brahms giving Hrist a wicked grin. "Someone's been naughty."

  Hrist didn't rise to the bait, though her eyes had flashed with alarm at registering how close the vampire was to her einherjar. It was a telling sign, Brahms continuing to smirk. He didn't lose that grin, even as Arngrim swung his sword. It was a weak swing, the einherjar losing too much blood to fight effectively. He would die if his wounds were allowed to go untreated. And yet he seemed uncaring, trying to advance on Brahms threateningly.

  "You stay away from her!"

  Brahms ignored the warning, teleporting behind a turning Hrist. He lashed out with his claws, tearing open the back of her hand. She shrieked, the sound loud and piercing, earning an agonized scream from Arngrim. Hrist also dropped her sword, Brahms crushing the blade underfoot. Even disarmed, it didn't take the fight out of the Valkyrie, the woman holding her injured hand close to her side.

  Brahms' nostrils flared, scenting her sweet blood. His fangs lengthened in his mouth, the vampire practically salivating in anticipation. Brahms wondered if he made some sound, for Silmeria was suddenly shouting.

  "Do not hurt my sister!" She had reminded them all of her presence, Hrist tensing as though
she would run towards the blonde. But her dark eyes remained on Brahms, Hrist moving slow and wary. He mimicked the Valkyrie's pace, returning her stare. Tension coiled through her body, it was obvious to all who looked at her. Just as it was obvious when that tension was released, Hrist charging Brahms with a fierce yell.

  She had no sword, no weapon but her own body. It should have been absurd, the thought of a woman challenging a vampire in this manner. But Hrist was no mortal woman, but a minor deity in her own right. She swung a hard left, smashing her fist into his face. Blood colored spit flew out of his mouth, Brahms caught off guard. His own eyes hardened, the vampire bringing up his hands to block the next of Hrist's punches.

  It rapidly turned into a full out brawl, both of them throwing punches with one hand, and blocking attacks with the other. Hrist's fist would smash into Brahm's left hand, while his would smash into her right. She wouldn't always try to go for his face, aiming blows at his body. And when it became apparent that wouldn't work, her right leg lifted, foot catching him in his injured side.

  The pain distracted him, Brahms growling. Hrist drove her fingers into the wound, twisting and curling them to wrench out more of his screams. His vision went hazy, the next thing Brahms knew, his hand was around Hrist's throat. And still she tortured his wound, even as he began lifting her up off the floor. Her feet dangled, her hands grabbing his arm, trying desperately to get free. Her short nails claws over his wrist bands, Hrist sneering as Arngrim screamed her name.

  "Hrist!"

  Arngirm wasn't the only worried. Silmeria had appeared next to Brahms, grabbing at his arm. She was pulling at it, trying to get him to let go of her sister. Silmeria looked close to tears, her voice frantic as she spoke.

  "Don't! Don't kill her!"

  Somehow he managed not to crush Hrist's throat. But he didn't let go, turning only his head to look at Silmeria. "She's come here to kill you."

  "Yes, I know! But she hasn't succeeded!" Silmeria pointed out.