Chapter 1 – Clash of Two Powerful Winters -
It felt like an eternity, the way they stared at each other.
He never expected this. But it might be a trick. Death also love to play tricks like him. After all, he knew who Death once was. He once was his ancestor from the line of Loki. And surely, Death could turn himself in whatever shape or form he wanted. Besides, he is not going down without a fight. He would never be like Death. The nerve of that old bag of bones who kept bribing the Norns to make him his heir. It just proved that Death had no ears at all after Loki stepped forward to prevent him. He could still remembered that day in the Halls of Asgard.
When she stepped forward to claim the wounded Warrior of the Ice, she raised slightly her wickedly looking double bladed long spear while eyeing his Valknut, a warrior's medal engraved on his battle armor. A symbol of Odin. A symbol of warriors like him - a Warrior of Ice. A sign of honor and loyalty, and the belief that death in battle is glorious.
Quickly, he shot out a blast of ice. Not expecting that the dying Warrior of Ice would fight her, she barely avoided his blasts. Her helmet cracked at the side as she responded with a series of quick ice attacks to counter him. He rolled away to dodge her powerful attacks, grunted painfully when he was forced to stand while his other hand retained on his deep wound which was bleeding profusely.
"You think you could just get me easily?! How many times do I have to say no to you! " The young warrior narrowed his blue piercing cold eyes at her. "I'll never go with you!" As he shouted icily, powerful winds obeyed his silent call for them to throw his enemy away.
She pierced her long spear on the ground at the same time the winter winds rushed like a thousand blizzards against her, shattering her helmet mask. As her own ice spread from her feet to the ground, she created thick towering walls that moved to trap the wounded warrior.
Her voice whispered calmly at him. "Whether you like it or not, you will go with me…" The chooser of the slain raised her free hand and the walls sprouted deadly icicles but the warrior of ice destroyed it with his own blue glowing sword.
The Valkyrie of Snow stood stunned when seeing her powerful walls sliced easily by the white haired warrior who stopped before her, his sword poised near her neck while sensing her spear's edge pointed at his heart.
It was a draw. She never had a draw before. Her blue eyes widened when noticing the boy's eyes reflected confusion and shock of seeing her face closer this time. His emotionless known demeanor as a warrior of ice shattered, moved back weakly and dropping his own weapon that turned into a long crooked staff.
"N-No…no…no….please…no…"The boy whispered repeatedly as his eyes twitched and watered after staring at her face as if he was blinded but could not avert his blue eyes away from her.
She sighed, knows everyone she will be fetching always had denied they were dead. She drew near at the boy who seemed drunk with unknown misery and grief. He fell down on the snowy ground. She held her hand with composure towards him, waiting him to take her hand as she spoke melodiously like a lulling song of the cold night.
"Your misery and pain will end if you come with me to Fólkvangr. In Sessrúmnir, your seat awaits you among the multitudes of seats reserved for those who were slain with exceptional valor."
Fólkvangr…Sessrúmnir…?!
The blue eyed warrior wondered why he will be taken in the abode of Freyja, the goddess of love and beauty, and not in the halls of Valhalla where the other half of the slain were taken to Odin. Then, a realization entered him - didn't he just sacrifice himself to be left behind in the woods to fight off the enemies who ambushed them so that his sister and friend, Spike, would be able to escape and live. What he did was a sacrifice because of his love for his youngest sister and his best friend.
Love. No wonder, she stood before him!
However, the confusing emotion stirring inside him had not only bewildered but pained him upon realizing she was no longer the one he saw in the Trolden Mirror. She had become a Valkyrie of Pure Glowing Snow that means she had long died.
Tears started to fall from his twitching blue eyes while the platinum blonde haired valkyrie lowered her spear, and then bended down near him with her free hand held inches on his wound that stopped bleeding painfully as if time had stop. So it was always said that at one's end, time freezes.
"Come with me, please…"She ceased speaking to him when the boy hurled unexpectedly himself at her and embraced her tightly as if unable to let go, whispered a name.
"Elsa…"
"Elsa?" The Valkyrie replied him questioningly. "I sensed you loved her so much."
Jack shocked upon hearing her out. He held her motionlessly as her feather cloak morphed into wings. He held her further tight but startled when he viewed that they did not flew as he thought earlier they had. Viewing a different realm, he loosened his hold around her.
The emotional deprived Valkyrie rolled her blue eyes away from him before pulling herself away from his embrace as they stood on the familiar Crossroads.
"Before I lead you to my Golden Lady's Hall, I would like to ask one valuable price from you. Like those before you whom I have fetch from Niflheim, I requested, a piece of memory of a warm emotion…."
"H-Huh? For what…?"
"For my wings…" She stopped talking to him when sensing they were not alone in the Crossroads anymore.
"Yes, for her wings indeed." A lifeless voice was heard. A grim sight of a lady in the shadows appearing and gliding on one of the foggy roads. "Why?! You think that, her wings are for flying! No, it isn't. It is for her restraints - her personal redemption as she so believed. The Valkyrie of Snow does not need any power of flight. All of time and space followed her, just like the winds and leaves obeyed you, Winter Prince of Niflheim, or should I call you Jack from the House of Frosti." The slender and dark robed lady smirked.
"Hel, this one is not for you." The Valkyrie reminded the dark immortal filled with melancholy. "He will go and stay in Fólkvangr."
"But I would like to invite him in my halls. He is a relative of mine. Besides, my present ally would like to send a message…" Hel suddenly blasted her powers at the Valkyrie, but Jack shielded her with his staff blocking the deadly force thrown by the queen of the underworld. "You fool!" Hel shouted at Jack. "Loki sent me to free you from her so you will not fall into the hands of Freyja who will cease your existence!"
The platinum blonde haired valkyrie gathered herself, almost attack Hel but Jack remained shielding her, shouted at her. "Get us out of here! Anywhere but here!"
She held him from behind as Jack heard the distant screams of an angry Hel when they disappeared away from her.