Fallen Mortal

by J. A. Culican

  “He was supposed to die tonight,” I hissed. My hands curled around Geirolf as panic seized. We were as good as dead.

  “They cannot see us.” Geirolf moved to the window, taking me with him. The chariot of the Valkyrie was there, below on the ground. Three warriors stood at attention, their eyes gleaming as the sun, searching for the soul they meant to take. “They’re waiting, merely searching. They received the same beacon as us.”

  Confusion made me more panicked. No one had been called for a final reap and yet, here we were. I glanced over my shoulder to see Maxwell unmoved in the haze of the potion, awaiting us for questioning. It wasn’t lost on me that he hadn’t answered my last question. Something was tethered to him, holding the truth deep within.

  “He didn’t answer,” I whispered.

  “He can’t and he won’t,” Geirolf said. “Divine protection is bound strong within his core.”

  “What are we supposed to do now?” I asked. My body curved against his on its own volition. We were stronger together and with the Valkyrie a stone's throw away, I felt we needed to be close. Even hidden, we risked the danger of being caught. If Odin gave them sight, we would be dead in seconds.

  Geirolf turned from the window and raised his hand to Maxwell’s temple. The dew of Valhalla seeped into him. “I grant you remembrance.” He nudged me. “Give him rest. We have to leave. Now.”

  My hand shook as I placed my finger next to Geirolf’s on Maxwell’s temple. “Sleep.”

  “Hold on,” Geirolf said. He turned to me, his body morphing into his immortal form. His wings encased me and in a sudden whoosh, lifted us from the mortal realm.

  I clung to him. The Valkyrie's tooth stung within my jaw, causing a pain so great that I cried out. I felt the ground under my feet as his wings opened and we landed outside the veil, near Bifrost. A great beast charged the veil but it fell in agony as the barrier heaved with force to contain it.

  I struck Geirolf’s chest. “Why did you bring us here?”

  He glanced around, watchful for intruders. “This is our way in,” he said in a low voice.

  “What are you talking about?” I groused. I flashed into reaper form and pulled a sabre from my robes.

  “Maxwell seeks the answers only death knows,” Geirolf replied. “So, we’ll bring him to death.” He pointed to the veil. “This is as close as we can get him to death.”

  My face pinched. “Have you gone mad? One minute we’re in Midgard meddling in business that isn’t ours and now you’re suggesting we willingly go into the veil...with a mortal?”

  “Veritas is tricky,” Geirolf said. “As with any elven charm or potion, it speaks in riddles. Maxwell said he wants to see his sister for answers. Said she was the key to his humanity.” He gave me a meaningful look I couldn’t decipher so he spoke again. “You have to bind yourself to him so we can get him into the veil.”

  I scoffed and threw my hands in the air. “You have gone mad. I’m still trying to figure out what just happened back there and you’re talking about me binding myself to some mortal. What is going on?”

  “His soul sent a beacon to the Valkyries. When an immortal seeks death, he can’t help but put eternity into motion. Did you see the confusion on their faces? They knew they weren’t supposed to be there. They hadn’t a clue who they were harvesting. They were just answering a beacon call.”

  “So, you’re saying Maxwell is an immortal?”

  Geirolf shook his head. “He holds some type of immortality in his breast but lacks the power to tap into it. Something is holding him back.”

  “Odin?” I asked. He nodded. A sound came from the veil and I turned with my sabre held in a defensive pose. “I have an idea. Why don’t you bind yourself to him? You’re his guardian angel.”

  Geirolf stood back to back with me, drawing his sword. “He won’t willingly bind to me. You have a better chance at getting it to work.” I looked over my shoulder to see his smirk. “You share mutual feelings. I don’t. If we’re going to get to the bottom of this, we have to figure out where he fits into the scheme of things. We have to uncover what he is so we know what we’re dealing with.”

  “Bringing him into the veil will solve this? I don’t think so.”

  “It’s the only way we can get him close enough to Valhalla to see his sister. If we can observe him in an immortal realm, it is possible that there will be more to learn of him.”

  The terrain was rough, causing my feet to slip. Geirolf caught me before I fell, his hand curled around my arm as he lifted me. The moons of the nine worlds shone down with bright intensity, giving the veil’s floating walls an eerie glow. Bifrost was over us and I could sense Heimdall’s presence. Geirolf had brought us here because it was one of the safest spots for masking. No being willfully came this close to the veil’s mortal entrance.

  “I allowed him to keep his memories of us, so there will be no more games between us. I expect he will fully cooperate with us now that his sister has been taken. It will be better this way. As long as we are concealed by Valkyrie magic, we’ll be safe. After that, we’ll have to be inventive as to what we do and how we move. It’s critical that you bind to him while you’re concealed.”

  I considered the binding. It would change everything. I’d be able to feel his emotions in a raw state and none of his thoughts or motives would be hidden from me. I didn’t know how much of that would work on his side. Would he be able to filter my own emotions and thoughts? I didn’t like it. I’d not been bound to anyone save the reaper I stood with now, and that bond had been broken long ago.

  “I know you’re skeptical, but this is the only way.” Geirolf turned to me, sheathing his sword. “Bind yourself to him and bring him here.” He pointed to the entrance. “I will follow the perimeter. It’ll work. I know it will. It has to.”

  I lowered my sabre, my breath whooshed on an exhale. “You’ve got it all figured out.” I shrugged. “At least I won’t have to commit divine treason by charming Freya.” The veil buckled and a coven of elves streamed out with a beast hot on their trail. “We need to get out of here.”

  Geirolf grabbed my hand. “To Asgard. We’ll part there.”

  Chapter 16

  I returned to the mortal entrance of the veil after Geirolf left, ironically named such since no mortal could enter. It was a weakness in the veil, the spot that allowed beasts and vagrants entrance. As always, the gods made it easy for beings to fall into temptation.

  I walked the perimeter, sabre drawn. The veil gave the impression that it was a fragile mist, billowing as silk in the winds of the nine worlds. But there was no greater barrier. It was as titanium as steel, keeping the inhabitants of the veil safely imprisoned. I struggled with Geirolf’s proposed plan. What good would come from entering the veil? And there was the possibility that she’d not make it out alive. Still, I knew we’d find answers and it was the only way. Maxwell had left us without choices. After the stunt he’d pulled, we didn’t have the luxury of waiting for things to play out. He’d put Valhalla on guard. When the Valkyries reported back to Odin, every supernatural being would be under surveillance.

  An elf entered the veil, carrying a basket of fruit. I watched as it fed a unicorn behind the veil. The horned creature was bloodied and thin, a mere skeleton of what it had once been. This reminded me of the evils hidden within the veil. Odin and Freya sent their mistakes into the veil. It was a primitive place, a place of torture and anguish. A place where things could be hidden and there was no way out. Many secrets lay within. I wondered how a magnificent, beloved creature such as the unicorn could end up behind the veil.

  The elf stumbled from the veil, its legs bleeding from the vines that had attempted to kill it. The elf fell to its knees, the basket it carried tumbling into the rocks.

  “Let me help,” I said, grabbing the basket and holding it out to him. “I won’t hurt you.”

  The elf’s eyes roved my form, a look of fear seizing his expression.

  I lowered the basket and
instead, held out my hand. “Then allow me to help you stand. You’re a far way off from Alfheim. At least let me help you to get on your way.” A roar sounded and it was close, not from inside the veil. “You’d best to hurry or your pride will kill you.”

  Reluctantly, he grabbed my hand and I pulled him to his feet.

  He was older than I perceived. A wise one, no doubt part of the elven council. He bore the mark of the sun on his hand.

  “Why would you risk your life?” I asked, handing him the basket.

  He produced a cane from his cloak and brandished it at me, striking my legs. “On with you, demon. I will give no answers to the bearer of death.”

  I smirked. “A bit theatrical, don’t you think? Demon, indeed. I did just help you to rise.”

  “Why are you here?” he bit out.

  I thought for a moment. He was here of his own accord, feeding a friend, possibly. Guilt rode him like starvation would a dying man. He had ties to the veil, and I could use that. He’d entered with very little difficulty.

  “What business do you have with the veil?” I asked. I crouched down to be eye level with him. “You move easily between the worlds. May I ask who your friend was?”

  The elf’s spine straightened. “It’s none of your business, demon. My thanks for aiding an old man in his journey, but I do not associate with the likes of death-bringers.”

  I grabbed his arm when he turned away. “Please.” A word I rarely used. Slowly, he looked at my hand on his arm. The word had an effect on him as it did me. “I need to know. I must know. How did you breach the veil? Are you tied to that creature?”

  “I give no answers to—”

  “I can keep him safe,” I interjected. “I know one within the veil that can protect him.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Orianna?”

  I released his arm and he stumbled back. I stood, my wings twitching as I crossed my arms. “Truth for a truth. Tell me how you are able to pass into the veil with ease and I will have my brother guard your friend.”

  Jasper was a well-known guardian of the veil realm. While my brother hated me, he would grant a request from me if it helped another. He probably didn’t know of the unicorn if it stuck to the barriers of the veil. The poor thing had no chance unless intervention was made. By the looks of it, he didn’t have much longer to live.

  The elf scoffed.

  “Is it a potion? A charm?” I asked with fervor. “Tell me. I will pay your price and then some.”

  “No one gets into the veil without a bond,” he answered. His chin jutted out stubbornly. “Gorm is an elf given the form of a unicorn. He was my brother.”

  My wings wilted. The legend of Gorm was widespread. He was once a great elf given the gift of shapeshifting by the gods. No one knew his final form, but now, I did. This meant he was responsible for the herd of unicorns that inhabited the nine worlds, guardians in their own right. They fiercely protected those in need of justice.

  “Have you heard the rumors of the mortal marked by Odin?” I asked.

  His weathered face darkened. “The soul assigned to the Mighty Geirolf?”

  I nodded. “I’m trying to uncover what he is. Freya sentenced his false sister to Folkvangr without reason other than to hide the tracks of the gods. If I can get him into the veil to see his sister, we will know what he is. No form can be hidden when one is conversing with the dead.”

  “I will have no part in your death mission,” he hissed.

  I summoned a charm that bound him in place. “Listen to me. This mortal is tied to Ragnarok. If we do nothing, we are signing death warrants to all nine worlds.”

  He fought against the charm, his shoulders twisting and hands becoming fists. “We must trust the gods.”

  “So more souls can be tossed into the veil? Those seeking justice? What of them? The innocent and the pure? You will do nothing to protect a false sense of amity? We are at war and don’t even acknowledge it. What I propose to you will benefit your brother. All you have to do is help me bind myself to the mortal.”

  His expression turned incredulous. “You’ve never bonded with a soul before? Willingly?”

  Warily, I shook my head. “I was betrothed to Geirolf. Our bond was given to us by the gods and our parents.” I snapped and the invisible hold disappeared. “I need your help.”

  He fell onto the rocks, stumbling for his balance.

  “If what you tell me if is true, your family are the guardians of justice. We can right more than one wrong if we do this together.” Fate had me at this place. Fate brought me to the veil to discover Gorm and his brother. I felt that deep in my soul.

  A horse’s neigh rendered the air, a solemn cry in the distance. I turned to the veil and saw Gorm flee into the wasteland, giants chasing after him.

  “Brother,” the elf cried, reaching out.

  A sorrow settled over me. “If we get him to Jasper, we can protect him. I know where Jasper hides. I know because…” Here, my words faltered. I rubbed my arms where my skin prickled. “Because my brother and I built a fortress within the veil to protect him.”

  I’d never told another soul. Orum and I had spent countless hours within the veil, raising up a fortress that would protect our brother the only way we could. It was protected by elven magic that we’d stolen. Wood and steel from Alfheim and dust from the dirt of a Valkyrie's garden. What I admitted could have me killed or banished into the veil. I was going out on a limb, but I needed it. I needed his help.

  “It was you?” he breathed. He stumbled again, his ears not believing one such as me had a heart to do something so stupid and valiant.

  “You cannot tell another,” I said. “I will protect my brother as do you.” I stretched out my hand. “Do we have a deal, Arne?”

  His eyes widened at the mention of his name. Inwardly, I rejoiced that my history lessons had paid off. Arne Bakken was the eldest in the line of royal brothers that numbered twenty. His youngest brother, Gorm, had been favored among the gods due to his knowledge of healing. They could have never guessed that giving him the magic of shapeshifting would end the way it did. Unicorns were a thorn in Odin’s side. The herd always showed up to thwart injustices of the gods and they were powerless to stop it. Of course, no one knew that the unicorn legends were tied to the elven house of Bakken. A royal household that I now knew were the keepers of unicorns.

  He fell to his knees, his old body slumping. The sounds of Gorm running for his life still rode the air. Unenthusiastically, he reached out his hand. “For my brother.”

  ***Maxwell

  I was growing more paranoid by the hour. The memory of me attempting to take my life were keen, as were the memories of the two reapers who had saved me. I still wanted to die. There was no meaning to my life any longer, just feeling of regret and abandonment. While I wished they hadn’t stopped me, within my heart lay a sense of knowing. Knowing I had to follow through on this life I’d been given.

  “Hey,” a student called. “The professor bought subs for everyone.” He held up a meatball sub with a grin. “Better go while the good ones are left.”

  My stomach rolled, but I smiled. “Thanks.”

  He ran off in the direction of the stage where practice ensued. The theater was thriving as I knew it would. I had stacks of unsolicited manuscripts on my desk—so many I could barely see over them. With a huff, I slumped in my chair. Here I was, a king, but I felt defeated. Weak. Knowing how I’d gotten here was as good a buzzkill as any. My ambition had written a contract with Folkvangr against my soul.

  “Love what you’ve done with the place.”

  I stiffened. “Oria. I was wondering when you’d catch up with me again.”

  “And here I am,” she said, closing my office door behind her. The sounds of the busy theater became muffled. “How are you?”

  I scoffed. “You ask how I am? That’s rich.”

  “Last time I saw you, you held a needle to your vein, ready to end your life. By the looks of it, I’d say that today is be
tter, no?”

  “I’m alive,” I huffed. “Thanks to you and Gee.”

  “It wasn’t your time to die,” she said. She sat in the chair opposite of me, but I didn’t look at her. I knew what I’d see. The girl who haunted my dreams. The girl who came into my life as an illusion of my ambitions. “We need to talk.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “It’s what you want from us,” she said. I dared to look at her and was surprised to see that she appeared shy and unsure. She blew a piece of hair from her eyes and smiled. “You said quite a lot but mostly in riddles.”

  “Riddles?” I asked. My stomach rolled again, and I reached for the bottle of water I always kept on my desk. “You’re an immortal. Figure it out.”

  “You said you wanted to see your sister. I can help you.”

  Water spilled over my chin and onto my shirt. My hands were shaking. “Why would you do that?”

  “You said she was the key to your humanity. What did you mean by that?”

  I brushed off the droplets from my chest. “I have no idea.” It was the truth. While I knew what I said, I didn’t understand it. It was as if they’d pulled things from my soul that night. I didn’t trust myself to answer further. The effects they had on me lingered. It was like I wanted to spill all my deepest secrets each time I spoke.

  “Perhaps you wish to say goodbye.”

  An acid laugh popped out. “Do you think she’d care? After all, she left me behind to live with what she’s done.” I slammed the bottle onto the desk. “Lies. All the lies she told me to hide her addictions.”

  “She didn’t mean to die.” Oria’s voice was reluctant.

  I looked up and our eyes finally met. “You saw her?”

  She nodded. “I held her in my arms while she died.” Her eyes closed. “I felt her regret and fear. She wasn’t ready to leave this place.” Her head tilted. “It was her time.”

  A trembling breath left my lungs. The pain I felt at losing my sister was still raw and hard to control. “Where is she?”

  “Folkvangr.” Oria stood and went to the window that looked down on the stage. “She no longer wants or has pain. There was valor in her death, Maxwell. You have to believe that.”