Chapter Six

Freyja took a few additional minutes to escort Daichi around the campus, pointing out the combat arena, exercise fields, cafeteria, locker rooms and dorms, of which there were notably no male additions. There were thankfully some male bathrooms, as they did have a few einherjar on staff as training coaches, so Daichi would be using those as a makeshift changing room when he was old enough to warrant it.

At his current age and size, the girls would just think he was adorable, so he could probably get away with changing with them for a few more years. Classes all changed together as combat and exercise were held concurrently among all years to encourage comradery and familiarity even before they graduated and were placed in the field. Hell, if they were all normalized to it, he might even be able to get away with it when he was older as well. He would be pushing somewhere around twelve to fourteen in his appearance towards the end of his time in Asgard, so it would be about that age where the difference between genders really began to show, and the hormones were active enough to make them conscious of those changes.

After the tour, Freyja took him back to her home to continue getting him situated and comfortable. Taking some time, they put their heads together to come up with a list of necessities for his continued stay. It was predominantly toiletries, toothbrush, toothpaste, he didn't need deodorant, his natural scent as a magical entity being far more muted and pleasant, a brush for his hair and fur, some more masculine bathing soaps, though with more muted scents due to his enhanced olfactory abilities. Clothing and footwear had already been taken care of, but when asked if he had any additional needs or desires, he did ask if it was possible to acquire one of the mortal gaming systems for extracurricular entertainment.

He convinced her of the need after making the case for a way to relax or entertain any friends he may make, which was, for the most part, surprisingly true. With his current schedule, Daichi had no illusions that he would have much time to invest in frivolities. Having access to Freyja's personal library was also a consideration, since most of the downtime he did have would likely be spent either establishing pranks or within that sacred, silent space, so it really was primarily destined to be a rare outlet for stress or guest entertainment.

The rest of the day reflected that mentality, his time spent with book in hand, lounging on one of the couches in her study as Freyja handled some paperwork for both Asgard and the academy. He was attempting to get an extra step head start on attuning to nature, the book in question holding a compilation of multiple first person accounts of the process. They were all remarkably similar, and held several unilateral consistencies.

Barring the Nekoshou who were unnaturally gifted in the art of Senjutsu, all other accounts stated the same thing – the process took time, but the end result more than justified the expense. Attuning to nature was a practice in embracing the world in all its light and darkness. Joining in concert to Mother Nature was a raw, unfiltered experience, entirely about finding your place in her flow and hierarchy, and then leveraging that position.

The energy utilized by Senjutsu practitioners was the magic of an entire world, in all of its aspects. Just as a clear, spectacular sunrise, the birth of a new puppy, or the fresh morning dew perched on waving grass could be beautiful; the darkness of a lion devouring the antelope, the snake swallowing a bird's eggs whole, the instant incineration of thousands were equally represented. Just as there were two sides to Mother Nature, there were two sides to Senjutsu, and only one could be leveraged safely if the desire to retain one's sanity was a high priority.

The entirety of the process of attuning could ultimately be simplified down to a percentage sync progression bar common in mortal media. Sometimes, syncing went quickly, and other times it seemed to drag on, but nothing could be done until fully synced. It was a gross oversimplification of the process, but wasn't entirely without merit either. Daichi's first step would be self-reflection. Being in tune with the self was a mandatory requirement before even considering being in tune with an external wavelength. If a person couldn't balance their own inner self, then how would they be able to handle an outside source?

Daichi stopped at this point, a yawn escaping him as he blinked a few times, looking around the study to get his bearings. Freyja glanced up at him, before glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Thank you for reminding me, it's almost ten o'clock. Time for bed, for both of us. We have to be up early tomorrow." Daichi nabbed a bookmark from her desk as he crawled up into her lap, marking his place and setting the book down as he settled his head into her chest.

"Little pervert," she commented while putting the finishing signatures on the documents she had been working on. Daichi yawned in response. Damnable child body.

"No hormones. Can't be a pervert yet. I just know how to appreciate excellent artwork," he muttered out, clinging to her front as she stood, Freyja supporting him with a smile despite her lighthearted comment.

"I suppose that's fair. I wouldn't let a filthy pervert sleep in the same bed with me after all." Daichi rubbed his face against the heavenly pillows supporting his head.

"Good thing I'm just an adorable child." Freyja began scratching behind one of his ears, rolling her eyes at his antics.

"Yes, how lucky for you."

"I know, right?"

The pair broke out into shared chuckles. Another yawn escaped Daichi as Freyja set him down on her bed. Their bed. Ah, hello Yako instinct, you've been awfully quiet. Freyja stripped him down to his underwear before doing the same for herself.

"In a few years you'll be looking back on me dressing you for bed with such embarrassment, it'll be delightful." Freyja grinned down at him as the pair crawled into the nest of pillows and Daichi cuddled up to her once more.

"Nah," he denied. "This is just a preview for what it'll look like when I finally come to claim you for myself, and what it'll look like every night afterward." It was dark in the room, but his enhanced eyesight still caught the telltale hint of a blush dusting his goddess' cheeks. His Yako side was practically purring in approval with his declaration.

"You have a long way to go to before you can start collecting goddesses, little fox," Freyja chastised, feeling a small bit of irritation at her own reaction. He was still a child, she shouldn't be blushing like a maiden, no matter how long it had been since she last felt appreciated. Daichi hummed, his eyes drifting shut as his tired mind voiced grandiose inner thoughts.

"I don't want to collect goddesses," he murmured. "I want to collect outstanding women… and give them the world." He fell asleep to Freyja's gentle fingers stroking his ears, a small smile on her lips.

"Silly fox, work hard and maybe one day your dream will be reality." She followed him to the abyss, arms clutching him close to her chest.


The next morning the pair woke at five as they would every weekday for the next six years. Daichi was quickly dressed in his athletic attire, fed a light breakfast, and ushered out the door by a smiling, doting Freyja. Taking off at a jog, Daichi worked up a light sweat by the time he had crossed the distance to the edge of the Grove. A small path was cut between the trees, winding its way deeper within.

Daichi's first step beneath the canopy was disconcerting. There was enough space for what little early morning light was available to slip through the gaps between trees, keeping the path and surroundings barely illuminated even with his superior senses. The atmosphere was a secondary detail however, the more prevalent concern was the complete lack of sound from within or without the tree line. After suppressing a shiver, Daichi continued making his way down the path.

It was a short walk, the trail mostly clear of brush or low hanging branches. He arrived at the center of the grove, the trail spitting him out into a small clearing. The altar was such a simple affair, an unadorned white stone raised platform placed in the center of the area. For a sacred place where two gods consummated their union, it was remarkably plain at first sight. What made it utterly unique was what Daichi could only consider an immense… presence, which hung in the air. Almost like a predator, beautiful and deadly but currently docile, as if it was lounging in the sun taking a nap.

Doing as Freyja instructed, Daichi made his way to the foot of the altar. Nobody was around, so if somebody said he crept through the clearing with his tails tucked between his legs and his ears pinned back to his head, he'd safely be able to deny every accusation with a straight face. His careful steps finally placed him in front of the stone bed where he sank to a comfortable meditative position.

As he began to take deep, quiet breaths, he attempted to quiet his mind. One minute, five, ten, he sat in silence. It was only after fifteen minutes that he finally manage to sink into a shallow trance, the intense peace of his surroundings finally lulling him into relaxing.

It was a subtle sensation, one his subconscious barely registered. An hour passed, Daichi only realizing the change in both himself and the surroundings when his conscious mind returned to the present. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed beyond the fact he felt a bit more energized and the lurking presence he had felt earlier had disappeared.

With a sigh, Daichi stood and dusted his athletic shorts off. With one last glance at the altar, he turned and made his way back out of the wooded area, breaking out into a jog once he crossed the tree line as he headed towards the academy.

The majority of the Valkyries in training, all of them across every year, were already lined up on the fields. They were arrayed in groups surrounding a platform holding a few of the instructors, Instructor Navarre being the only notable member in Daichi's mind. As he caught his breath, Navarre spotted him walking on the field and called him up. Hopping up to the platform, the murmuring of the crowd of students briefly picked up before quickly tapering off as the instructor stepped forward to address them all.

"Good morning! As most of you have no doubt heard, we have a new addition to our school." Placing her hand on his head she continued. "This is Daichi, he'll be learning with us from now on." She looked down to address him personally. "Go join the rest of your class," she gestured off to a section of students in her direction. Turning back to the crowd she raised her voice again. "We're starting warmups in five! Be prepared!"

Daichi dropped off the side of the platform and made his way over to his group. The introduction to his class yesterday now being completely pointless. Regardless, he was already warm from all the jogging around he'd done, but he would still need to join in the activity since they would all be splitting off into age groups for the practice portion. He settled into the back of the class, content to wait and see.

A/N:

Shoutout to Silver1997 for catching a mistake in an earlier chapter. Thank you, I went and corrected it to hopefully show the scene transition better.