"Wait, there's a queen of the marra?" David asked, feeling nervous in the face of this possible threat. After learning so much about what they could do, he felt uneasy at the fact that they had a queen. "I thought that lady," he pointed to the now weakened and unconscious Kallan Volsung, lying at the bottom of the Trolberg's great wall. "was the most powerful marra. Because of her clan."
"You should know by now, that while heritage plays an important role in who you are, it isn't everything you are. She was simply the most powerful in her clan and if she were any more powerful than the queen, she would immediately be accepted by them as their leader... however, the queen's powers are so beyond our perceptions, that she could snuff out the entire Volsung clan in a single night." Everest explained, holding his shoulder tightly, making sure that no blood escaped from his wound. The others gaped at him, slightly more dazed than they were before. He glanced at them and let out an embarrassed sigh, he should have seen that reaction coming.
"Why is she here, of all places? Shouldn't she be back in her own... er, realm? Why is she here with the mages if they have such bad blood?" David queried, his voice lowering to a nervous whimper.
"I don't know, and that's what scares me," Everest said to himself; Hilda and Johanna noticing that he was sweating just a little bit more than he was a minute ago. "Wait, if the royal guard is here, then..."
"Everest Sagarmatha," a man wearing a rhinestone white gambeson vest, a brighter white dress shirt, a burnous cloak, and black pants. He was lightly tanned, with wiry, coarse hair twisted into dreadlocks at the back of his head. He said his name, with a bold power that was not known to any of them. They watched as he created a sword made of shadow energy.
"Everybody, get back!" Everest shouted. All of them obliged, Johanna hesitantly leaving him as well. The Trolberg mage dropped for a second, before pulling himself back up just as quickly. He pulled out a similar sword through his magic. The two stared at each other for a moment before Everest broke the silence. "Can we not do this here? We have someone very injured up here."
"I hope you're not referring to yourself," he replied in a playful tone.
"No, this young marra here... helped us fight that Volsung marra. She needs medical attention!" he pleaded.
"Well, too late now... I can't let anyone come here until we finish this." he began to do hand signs, with the sword in hand. His face grew into a small grin as he began to do the signs and say the chants.
Everest sighed, before doing the same, letting go of the wound. Chanting a low lullaby, before they both synchronized at the end. "...Come forth, Shadowbird!" A great darkness began to grow from the ground, power seething through a small circle that became a large portal, with black mist leaking out. The cloak of inky smoke uncovered itself, showing the figure of...
...two small hummingbirds, the size of one of Hilda's hands.
"What is this?" Frida asked, confused as to what was happening.
"Ev." said the royal guard member, opening his arms wide. "It's you."
Everest groaned as he came in for a hug, but accepting it anyway. He continued to hold his hand on his shoulder to keep more blood from leaving his system. "Yeah, it's me you dumb a-" he stopped himself, glancing at the kids standing just nearby and Johanna's disapproving face. "It's me. Can you take both of us to the healer corps now, please? I'm starting to bleed even more because of that show you wanted to put on."
"Ah, let's get you two fixed up as quickly as possible, we'll take these humans back to their homes and have their memories erased. Come along now..." he said.
"Wait," Everest stopped him. "Don't have their memories erased. They all know way too much to be erased from just one session, besides... I don't think that this one needs erasing." he pulled him to the side, tilting his head in Hilda's direction, "I think you can tell just by looking at her, can't you? She isn't like the other ones."
"I don't know, Everest. I might have to consult the higher-ups for this," he muttered. "We can't have the humans knowing about the realms."
"Well, all of them have been exposed already, especially her..." Everest explained, referring to Johanna. "She's been around the magic world for longer than is possible to eliminate with any type of magic."
"...Ev," he frowned. "I think you may be asking too much. They won't agree to something like that."
"No, they will. I know they will. Because if there's a chance that she's..." Everest started before they were interrupted by the blue light of a portal forming in front of them. A figure dropped out of it, a tall man with the same vest and pants the other guard was wearing.
The other guard dropped to his knees, bowing to him. "High Captain Whitaker!"
"Everest, Second Lieutenant Xavier," he said, acknowledging both of them. "I understand that you've been wounded, Everest, allow me," Everest took his hand off the wound and let Whitaker peel the makeshift bandages off, wincing as he did. He put a hand over it, and let the wound slowly mend until no more blood was spouting from the wound. The cut was still there, but he managed to fix the leakage of his blood. He pulled out a wipe from his left pocket and wiped his hand.
"Thank you, High Captain," Everest replied, touching the wound and only feeling a slight pang of a sting.
"It should be us Royal Guard members thanking you," he said, with a ghost of a smile on his face. "You managed to handle one of the strongest marra in their realm, without backup. Well done."
Everest looked down, then lifting his head to face the captain. "I appreciate the praise, but I couldn't have done it without all of them. Especially this young girl. She's the only reason I'm alive right now."
The captain glanced at her for a moment, then faced the group of humans, Johanna, Hilda, David, and Frida. "Well, then. These little tots helped you take down this renegade? I suppose I should thank them as well," he leaned down to Frida and David and ruffled up their hair. "Well done, I'm sure you two were brave," he turned to Hilda and studied her for a moment. "Hm... blue hair, such a rare occurrence these days," he said, looking to the second lieutenant, then back to her. "I don't suppose you would want to become a mage someday, would you?"
Hilda suddenly felt small in his presence, he loomed over her, and though he was asking a fairly simple question she couldn't help but stutter in response, confused about everything happening. Johanna moved in beside her, glaring at the Captain. He moved away, taking the hint from her mother. "Thanks, mum." Johanna glanced at her daughter for a moment, then faced the captain.
Everest stepped in as well, moving to talk to the captain. But not without a concerned glance to Johanna. "Er, so, High Captain. What did you come here for?"
Whitaker regarded Everest with a small degree of suspicion, but disregarded it and continued. After a small silence, he proceeded. "Right, well, I wasn't the only one who came to see you lot. There was someone very important who wishes to see you, all of you."
"Who is it?" Johanna asked.
"The marra queen, of course," he said nonchalantly. The others had their mouths left agape by the statement he made, immediately going to ask questions before the High Captain stopped them by raising his hand. "She wishes to thank you for what you did. She won't harm you, especially with the cease-fire agreement between our realms and races and almost all of the Royal guard surrounding her. Though she may be strong, she can't take all of us on."
"Who are you, anyway?" Hilda asked from behind Johanna.
"We are the Royal Guard. A group of mages meant to investigate anything that concerns the Mage realm and the King," he answered quickly. "The mage realm is almost like this realm you call the world. The only difference is that the world we live in runs on magic, rather than the basic rules that your world runs on. Though there are many realms, yours is avoided by all others, mainly because it is disallowed by the laws in all realms other than the marra's. However, we can discuss the rest some other time. You all must be on your way."
"How are we going to get there?" David asked.
"Second Lieutenant, would you like to handle this?" he proposed to the other mage.
"With pleasure..." he replied, gaining a mischievous grin as he stretched his hands. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pen. He drew a circle in the air, a small blue light trailing behind it before the full circle was formed and he somehow grabbed it and tossed it onto the floor below them. "Happy trails."
They all began to fall into the portal that appeared below them, screaming all the way down. Everest walked up while holding Ashley on his good shoulder. "You didn't need to put it below them like that. You could have just let them walk through."
"Yeah, it's just funnier this way," Xavier replied.
"Hey," he lifted Ashley off his shoulder and lifted her in a bridal carry to the High Captain. "Before we go, can you heal her as well?"
The captain hesitated before he placed a hand on her throat, there, he located a bruise from a vicious attack Kallan made. A gold light enveloped around it, almost instantly the swelling purple bruise faded back into her fair skin. Her strained breathing became lighter. "There. Take her."
"Thanks, I'll be seeing you two around some time." he jumped into the portal with Ashley in tow.
"No, you won't~!" Xavier shouted playfully down the portal as it closed. There was silence as the two turned to each other. "He's a good soldier and an even better man. You just can't help but respect him."
"Yes. It's no wonder he quit the royal guard. Someone like him didn't belong among this scum." the captain replied, turning away from the lieutenant. "Let's go, Lieutenant."
"Right, sir."
As Hilda landed on the ground, she saw that they were all on the ground, scattered again, just below the wall that kept the trolls outside, and atop stood the royal guard. She glanced around, trying to find this marra queen. But before she saw that, she saw someone else. Lying all but dead in front of her was Kallan Volsung. Her green eyes staring directly at her with malicious intent behind them. "Ah!" she leaped back, right into the figure standing behind her. They grabbed her, pulling her from Kallan's reach.
"You should pay attention to your surroundings, little one." the figure behind her said, letting go. She stepped in front of her, revealing a tall dark woman, she wore a form-fitting sleeveless shirt on her upper half, a long dress on her lower half, gold rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Atop her head was a golden crown headdress, with red jewels inside every protrusion. She put her hand out, letting a red light envelop around it and Kallan. Hilda marveled at her beauty, as she stood there. "You might get hurt if you don't."
"You must be the marra queen," Hilda whispered breathlessly.
"That I am, little one. You must be Hilda, the brave blue-haired girl who faced her even when the odds were stacked against her." she gave a charming smile. "I also heard you had gone through the worst of this night because my subjects fell out of line. For this, I apologize."
Hilda was stunned for a moment, but she continued speaking.
"If you didn't know already, this is Kallan Volsung. She's been missing from the marra realm for some time now, and her father has been looking for her," she explained. "She had a fallout with her father and decided to join a newer, more radical group, in favor of her more traditional clan. I can't help but feel sorry, I love all marra like my own children. And to see her fall so far astray..."
Kallan watched the marra queen intently, not unlike that of prey being held down by a predator, waiting to be eaten. Though she was quickly surprised as the young child she saw in her vision when she had fallen unconscious, fearlessly step forward in front of the queen facing the renegade marra.
"While I was in that nightmare, I saw her."
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
"She was a small child, almost my age... and she wouldn't stop saying that she was sorry and... she said that she wanted her mum back."
The marra queen looked at Hilda, only a twinge of surprise showing on her face. She looked back at Kallan, bringing her closer through her telekinesis, only to get a closer look at her. "I think while you were under her spell, you may have formed some sort of link with this marra. One that allowed you to see into her mind. It is likely that reason why she is so aggressive toward you, little one."
At this moment, Kallan decided to direct her wave of insults to the queen. "Why don't you bite me?! You call yourself a queen if you neglect so many of us? Don't make me laugh!" the queen wasn't fazed by her. Hilda watched in mild shock at her words, though she had seen her act this way, it was still surprising to see her act this way in front of someone so important in the marra world.
"Why are you so calm, if you don't mind me asking? Isn't any of this surprising or jarring?" Hilda asked.
She sighed, a sad expression falling on her face. "No, sadly, this is a common occurrence," she said. "Most in our home do not believe in the policies that I implement. I wish to mend the broken bond between our two worlds, which is why I signed a cease-fire between the mages and the marra. However, our world still wishes for revenge against the mages. Most of the youth disagree with my policy to make amends."
"Why?" she asked.
"It is how society is driven. Children will eventually disagree with the world they see around them, and strive to change it, though it is important, not all change is good, little one," she replied, turning back to Kallan. Just as she finished, Hilda heard muffled footsteps behind her. "It seems that your friends are returning."
"Hilda!" Johanna called out. She ran up and picked up her daughter in a massive hug, pulling her up to her face. Hilda saw as the others approached as well. Frida, David, and Everest with Ashley in his arms.
"I see," Everest commented, bowing his head. "Thank you for allowing us to be in your presence."
"No need to be formal, Everest. Your father was a friend of mine, and therefore I consider you in the same regard."
"M-my father?" he stuttered. "Never mind. I appreciate that you brought us here, and I would like to request something."
"I owe a great debt to you, Everest Sagarmatha. Name it."
"This young marra, er- half-marra... if you can provide her with a safe haven in the marra realm, it would be greatly appreciated," he said.
"Half-marra, you say?" she said, curious. "Let me see her."
Everest allowed the red energy to wrap around her, and she slowly floated to the queen. She peeled her right eye open and stared at her green iris. "Ah, I see. She is half-human."
"Yes," Everest said, slightly worried about the tone she used when she spoke. "Is that a problem?"
"Humans are not allowed to stay in the marra realm. It is an ancient rule, that all realms abide by. Half-marra she may be, but I cannot break these rules." she explained.
Everest's head drooped just barely, he ran a hand through his black hair. "Dammit, I-"
"Although she is allowed to take refuge for a short while," at that, Everest looked up at the queen with surprise. She thought for a moment. "A week, maybe two if I push it. If you can't find her somewhere to live by then..."
He smiled, bowing his head once again, "I will, don't worry! Thank you!" the queen smiled and dropped her into his arms again.
"A-are you the marra queen?" David asked nervously, walking up to the massive woman tentatively.
She gave the same enchanting smile that she gave Hilda. "Yes, I am, little one."
"Y-you're much bigger than I expected you to be."
"Well, I have been around for a long time, little one," she replied, in a jovial tone. "Maybe if you stay around as long as I have you will grow to be as tall as me someday."
David's face heated up in embarrassment, as Frida walked up as well. "Y-you're very beautiful..."
"Thank you, little one," the queen said.
"U-um! So, what did you bring us here for?" David asked.
The atmosphere went from convivial conversations to a serious talk quickly, each of them staring at the queen as she spoke. "As you can see, Kallan Volsung has been detained by me. However, she is yet to go to court or receive a judgment until you decide her ultimate fate for all that she's done. This is because, in marra tradition, the fate of the other party is decided by those who were most affected by the actions of the perpetrator. And, you all have been affected by her."
"You both almost lost your new home because of her," she pointed to Everest and Ashley.
"If I am correct in what I know, then you have lost sleep because of her underlings, yes?" she asked David.
He nodded.
"You almost lost both of your friends because of everything," she pointed to Frida.
"You lost your daughter for some time, because of her," she said.
"But you... you felt the worst torture of all of us. You were stuck within the thick walls of your own mind. The nightmare is one of the most pervasive and terrifying things in marra history. You were burned to a crisp slowly, and excruciatingly. You endured this all, and somehow, you still feel empathy toward her."
Hilda chuckled nervously under her intense gaze, "Ah, well. That's a lot of responsibility to put on me so quickly."
"Do you think you can do it?"
"I still don't know if I've forgiven her for what she's done."
"That's understandable. Often, the worst things are done in the same feelings that they are punished under. Though, I chose you because of the link you've established with her. You understand her feelings and motivations more than anyone here. If you wish to have her executed, it will be done so. If you wish to let her go free, then it will be done."
Hilda thought for a moment, remembering the vision she saw of the younger version of her. Innocent, yet lost within the terrors of circumstance. She understood why she did everything she did, but there was one thing she didn't know. "Did you ever care about them? Did you think about what effect you had on the people? What you were doing to us?"
Kallan stared at Hilda for a moment, slowly bringing her eyes down to the floor. She sobbed a little, it was inaudible to anyone but Hilda and the queen. After a long silence, she sniffed and looked at her. "I never cared about anyone but myself..."
Hilda's glare did not waver.
"But, after seeing what I've done to everyone, I'm starting to... to see things more clearly," she said, brushing a hair past her eyes. "I don't regret what I did, but... maybe...I do regret how I did it."
"Don't listen to her, Hilda! She's lying!" David called out.
Hilda turned back to face her friends and Johanna. Though they didn't say anything, she knew that they all felt the same way. Johanna crossed her arms and didn't say anything.
"What is your decision, little one?"
Hilda turned back to the marra queen. "I wish for her to be sent back to the marra realm, and to be left with her father. I want her to reconcile with her clan, to receive proper closure for everything that's happened to her. But, I want her to be punished for everything that she's done to all of us."
"...In what way?"
"I want her to be put in jail, with one mage there to act as a guard during the day, with a few books and however many meals she needs," she asked. "That's all."
"Hm, you are truly interesting, little one," the queen said, a soft smile appearing on her face. "It shall be done. Thank you for all you have done. You will forever be considered as allies to the marra realm."
"Thank you miss marra queen!" Hilda replied.
"I will be off now. Everest, you know how to contact me. And to the rest of you, I bid you farewell." she took Ashley in her red energy and shot into the air at exponential speeds, bringing Ashley and Kallan along with her. "I hope to see you all again someday."
Everyone looked at Hilda in shock as she left. She turned around and saw everyone's stunned faces. "What?"
"You didn't want her to be executed or put in jail for the rest of her life?" David asked. "Why did you give such a tame sentence?"
"She didn't deserve all that, there was so much more to her than what we saw. I saw just a little bit of her life and what happened to her while I was in that nightmare. She was hurt. And she never had the chance to process everything. As cliche as it sounds, I wanted her to realize the error of her ways."
David looked slightly displeased. "I-"
"You're a very mature little girl, you know that?" Everest cut David off.
Hilda shook her head. "Maybe, but I consider myself to be just an adventurer."
A/N: And that's that. The end of Hilda and the Marra Migration. Hopefully, you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it and I would like to thank you for reading and finishing this story with me. Though I posted the prologue on a whim, I'm glad that I continued it. I first wrote this story two years ago, when Hilda first came out. My first idea was to write a story where Hilda had a magical babysitter. You will see more of this idea come in through the next few parts of this series. Yes, this series will have multiple parts. This part had Johanna, Ashley, and Everest in the spotlight on the next one, hopefully, we can return some of that spotlight to Hilda and her friends.
Before I go though, here's a taste of what's to come for the rest of Trolberg.
Footsteps rang throughout the golden halls, boots slamming down on the ground against small gold and silver coins. He panted loudly as he ran with a small paper in his hands. "Sir!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the great hall. He burst through the jeweled doors, calling out again.
"What is it?" the heavy voice spoke from atop a high throne.
"Trolberg! Our mages have made it in! They sent word that their mission of infiltrating the town has been successful!"
"And what of the marra?"
"They are all being handled by the Royal Guard!"
"The guard? That is unexpected, though, not a problem. What about Kallan Volsung?"
"She was beaten by Everest Sagarmatha, the son of Arthur Sagarmatha; Ashley Styrmisdóttir, a half-marra, half-human. And... a few others."
"So it appears that I may have a match after all. Tell me, how strong is this... Everest?"
"If he hadn't been under her spell, he would have dispensed of her easily, in fact, she would have been no match for him."
"Perfect," he said, "and what of Aron's daughter?"
"Her abilities have begun to come into the light. We will be able to salvage them soon. Everything is going swimmingly, sir."
"Good, good. All the realms will know my name soon enough."