I was impressed by the size of the temple. Compared to my home it's huge. The garden was a comforting sight, my dad was an excellent gardener and this one resembled ours a bit.
"So you must be Marc?" I heard someone saying, but I realized that I was listening to and understanding Japanese. As I saw a Japanese guy heading towards us. Had to be that Keicchi.
"Uhhuh and you must be Keicchi?" He nodded. I had to agree with Skuld, he did look a bit like a beanstalk. Tiny and bony. No wonder Skuld felt like he wasn't good enough for Belldandy as I started to get that same idea. I noted that he wasn't really looking at me, but at my hammer. Skuld had said that she had used hers on him already. The idea of someone like Skuld (as I really started to look and act like Skuld) with an even bigger hammer probably got on his nerves.
"So you are that immortal human with Belldandy as his girlfriend?"
"I-immortal." Keicchi and Belldandy both looked at me.
"Well, he did ask to be with you 'FOREVER'." I took a face understating the word 'DUH!'. I'm not one to keep my knowledge to myself, actually a bad trait of me.
Skuld looked pretty sad so I walked over to her. "Now don't you forget what I had told you about this. It's really not that bad to you and Belldandy." I looked back over my shoulder as I heard a 'thud' and saw Belldandy hugging Keicchi who lay on the ground. She was so happy that she had to cry.
"Is this really true?" Urd asked us.
"Very likely. You should either check back in heaven or ask Skuld to scan the future." I grabbed Skulds hand to comfort her a bit. "Hmm, lemme guess, you already did that?" She nodded, her face told me and Urd enough. Urd tough, also took notice of me holding Skulds hand.
"We should get inside, Skuld will you set up a console to log in on Yggdrassil?" Urd walked back inside.
--------------------------------------------------------
When we sat at the table with a console in Skulds hands I fidgeted about, not used to chairless tables. Also my hammer was in the way. It took a while before a rather disheveled Keicchi and Belldandy returned, both with a big grin.
"So what should we expect from him? And where did he get that ridiculous strength from? When he gave me a hand he didn't seem to be strong." Urd looked sternly at me. I had trouble looking straight at her as either I couldn't look straight into her eyes or I would be staring at her well developed bosom.
"Here I got it." She turned the screen for everyone to read.
Marc
Ungraded class limited independent spirit (Dragon-type)
Assigned as assistant to second class limited Goddess Skuld
Primary tasks
- Assist in Debugging
- Protect Skuld
Secondary tasks
- Technological development
- System administrator
- Network builder
- Protect Belldandy and Urd
"System administrator! Welcome to the team" Urd smirked at me.
"Hmm, as a mortal I already had that job. So the system probably wants to use my skills and knowledge."
The next part appeared.
Domain and Powers.
- Fate (Future), Water, War. (Skulds domains as well.)
- Heightened physical prowess and endurance. Grows according to need. To a maximum of full-dragon levels.
- Mortal level of technological knowledge at maximum level.
- Magic is limited to creation and protection.
- Limited shape-shifting.
- Telepathy.
- Teleport medium: clouds
- Secondary energy source: chocolate milk
- Estimated IQ: 142.
- Estimated Human Power Level: 6. New estimated Power Level: 700.000.
"Ahw, the transformation didn't increase my IQ!" I fake pouted.
"Didn't raise your IQ!" Keicchi looked at me in amazement. The rest seemed just slightly less amazed.
"Skuld, did you read his personal files before you went?" Urd looked at her. She shook her head and placed a booklet on the table with my name on it. Urd grabbed it and started to read.
"What's this about a medium and energy source?" I asked Belldandy. "And power level?"
"All of us have to use a special doorway to transport ourselves around. I use mirrors, Urd uses televisions and Skuld uses warm water. You apparently have to use clouds. And for the energy source, that's for when we deplete our own energy that we receive from the system. This happens mostly when we use too much magic. I have to sleep to regain energy, Urd drinks sake or other kinds of alcohol, Skuld eats ice-cream and you have to drink chocolate milk. Though we also have our moonstone bracers as another backup." Then she opened up a small sub-window with some of her own stats. Among them were her power level estimation. It was a whopping thirty million. "This rating is how much energy we have compared to a normal human who is at a rating of one. But many humans are exceptions to this, for example due to our presence and the things we have been through Keicchi probably has a rating somewhere of 9, but with him being immortal it is now more likely among the ten thousand. Your higher basic is mostly due to your training in whatever sports you did and partly due to natural high energy levels." It sounds ridiculous, but apparently Walter was correct when he once told me that I emitted powerful vibes.
"Having to drink chocolate milk isn't a big problem." I smiled widely, you all know that chocolate milk is my most favorite drink. "But I have to fly up to clouds in order to teleport. What if there aren't any clouds around? Or how about people seeing me fly up to the clouds?" The rest didn't know what to answer. "Hmm, domain of Water, clouds then probably also include steam and fog?" I really hoped on that.
Urd remained transfixed in my files. It was quite a booklet of about two hundred pages. "Hmm, are those personal files always that big?"
"Most are smaller for someone of your age." Belldandy walked over to Urd who had this weird smile on her face. "Oh, my." Belldandy was reading the same thing as Urd apparently.
"Skuld! You really know who to pick for your assistant isn't it. Look at these stats, according to this his only drawback seems to have been looks, speed and some lack in skills following from that." She read a bit more. "Didn't the system say he had increased endurance." She gulped and took a good look at me from behind my file. "It's to bad he has turned into a kid." She read even further. "So you finished high school with tens for all computer related subjects. Very high grades in history, arts and philosophy. Nine average in anything maths and physics. And even actually reasonable grade for gymnastics."
I blushed severely. "So I was a bit of a show off. If you have the brains, why not use them? Also I took school under my level as I kinda dislike studying a lot." Urd was flipping through some pages. "And I make up for lack in speed with determination and my endurance."
She ended at a page she apparently liked, as she was smiling from ear to ear. Belldandy looked with big eyes, giggled and sat down at the table. "Skuld, why did you have to make him your assistant, why not mine!?" Urd looked a bit mournful.
"Lemme see that." as Skuld jumped to Urd. Urd quickly closed the file and made it go poof. "Hey, I wanted to read that!"
"You're way to young to read that Skuld." She grinned evilly. I had this very cold chill down my spine.
"He's my assistant so I have the full right to know everything about him." She grinned, ran off and disappeared into her room taking the console with her. I sat there slightly confused.
"Do you think he'll be good assistant to Skuld?" Belldandy asked Urd.
"Yep. Unfortunately, we're ending up with two brats in stead of one." I fumed at that and I left for Skulds room.
--------------------------------------------------------
It was like stepping into my childhoods fantasy. Electronic parts, gizmo's and computers everywhere. Skuld sat in a corner with the console on the ground and was typing furiously. She didn't look up from the screen until at least half an hour later.
I looked over her shoulder and saw some notes of things I did in the past.
Things about my friends. Unhappy childhood due to bullies. People I lost during my life. Things I like and don't like, but that page was the last one, the next one came up with some kind of password. I noted the title of the page, the only thing visible of this page and decided that Skuld indeed shouldn't read it. She saw the title, sighed and let it drop.
"I think you know enough about me for now." I sighed. "Never would have guessed that they would know that much about me up there." I grinned. "Especially that last page, cuz I don't know it myself."
She looked up at me. "You never?"
"Nope, remember how I looked." She became beet red. "So this is your little bit of Asgard to be your haven? Now I understand why you weren't bothered by my room." She had a sheepish grin.
"You like it?"
"Could only use some quick stations. Like I have on my chamber. A few consoles to hook up and test new goodies." I fell silent for a moment. "But I didn't have a robot running around!" Pointing at a small globous robot with a big 'hat'.
"Oh, hia Banpei." She cheered at her personal mecha. It looked at Skuld and me and it gave me the idea that it was confused as we looked a bit alike. "Meet my new personal assistant Marc." He extended an 'arm' and shook my hand.
"I'll introduce you to Sigel later, but she is in Ysgard now for a few tests."
I liked the idea of a robot running around, even if he couldn't really speak that well as I learned when Skuld hit off with a long and interesting explanation about Banpei. In about two hours I learned about most of Skulds most used inventions. Most of them make up for her lack of magic, which was only just starting to develop.
--------------------------------------------------------
Later that day Urd and Belldandy had decided to get some of my stuff from home over to the temple. It took a while to get most back into the temple, electronic stuff was brought to Skulds room and my clothing to Keicchi's. (Later I found out that Urd had taken along Khonein (bunny in English when translated from my local dialect) as well when I saw it on a shelf in Urd's room.) And believe me, it's a pain in the back if you aren't used to futons (sleeping on nothing more then a mat on the ground).
As I had told Skuld about my quick stations I decided that they could be set up in her room for the same task. We later started to create more stations like these to decrease the mess in her room by using more modular parts then she already used. At this time the entire room has more a look of a real laboratory than a disaster area.
--------------------------------------------------------
That evening I for the first time in my life tasted Belldandy's cooking. Everything tasted just about perfect. I could best use the term 'sensory overload' for Belldandy's cooking. In the end I was stuffed to the max.
After this we went to the living room to know each other a bit better. For the main part I listened to Belldandy about what had happened to them since Keicchi made his wish. I enjoyed it until she told about an event of a year ago.
The fact that Diablo had been set loose upon the world by the demon Mara made me rather unhappy, even if he had been erased. DIABLO for crying out loud, even if they referred to his title as Lord of Terror. Even more that he transformed into Fenris didn't make me any more at ease.
This put a way of thinking into motion. Now that I was a servant to a Norn it implied that there was a serious chance that I would end up facing one or the other demon (like Mara) or greater evil in the long run. Heck, I probably will have to face Ragnarok itself. (If I am not destroyed before that happens.) But I am no warrior, even if I have Skulds War domain for her having been a Valkyrie.
I really don't have any skills with any melee weapon (except to squish a bug with a hammer) and only little with martial arts; Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Karate. I did have a good aim with guns and bows, but that really wasn't something I was willing to use, ever. Then I also remembered that I was to protect Skuld. How?
I looked a bit upset as Belldandy asked me if something was wrong. I stated that I was suffering from a bit late form of realization that my previous life was over. I left the room and went for my bed. At that moment I didn't want to impose myself upon them, this was something I had to figure out myself.
--------------------------------------------------------
That evening it took some time before I slept. Luckily I managed to put of the thoughts of Ragnarok and thought about the near future, about the new friends I made, but also about all of my friends back home. To a certain extend I know that I might never see some of you before you die and go to the afterlife. I am sorry for this.
--------------------------------------------------------
In the morning I became aware of a weight upon my chest. My ears picked up the light snoring of Keicchi, but also the breathing of something else. I looked up and then down at my chest and saw a small figure asleep on my chest. It had blonde hair and small feathered wings. She was covered or better said wrapped in a white ribbon.
My stirring woke up the little figure. She rubbed her eyes smiled and said "Koku!". The face had something familiar, but I didn't know what it was. The hair was different and she was a lot smaller, but I did recognize Skulds face in the little 'angel'. Yet I was very confused at why this 'angel' was where it was. The rummaging woke up Keicchi who when I looked at him seemed to be nearly as confused as I was.
"Noble Scarlet? What are you doing outside Skuld?" Keicchi turned his attention to the little 'angel'.
Noble Scarlet looked a bit shy, gave me a peck on the cheek and disappeared. I just sat there with a stupid grin on my face. Keicchi looked at me with a big grin as I was apparently flushed red (it stinks to revert back to 14 year).
"That was Noble Scarlet, Skulds angel." He yawned. "She represents Skulds stronger emotions which have been set free, first she didn't listen to well, but after her second summoning she pretty much fully obeys Skuld, but it takes some maturing still." He stretched and sat on the edge of his bed. "Unlike the angels of Bell and Urd who are totally loyal."
"You don't say." I got out of bed and started dressing for the rest of the day.
"Stronger emotions? Then why do I get the feeling that she wants attention?" I looked up pondering. "Maybe Skuld really feels lonely. She mentioned that she felt alone when her sisters went to live with you and that she still feels that way a little bit." Keicchi didn't look happy with that remark. "But don't worry, hopefully I can keep her occupied so she won't feel lonely anymore."
"So you must be Marc?" I heard someone saying, but I realized that I was listening to and understanding Japanese. As I saw a Japanese guy heading towards us. Had to be that Keicchi.
"Uhhuh and you must be Keicchi?" He nodded. I had to agree with Skuld, he did look a bit like a beanstalk. Tiny and bony. No wonder Skuld felt like he wasn't good enough for Belldandy as I started to get that same idea. I noted that he wasn't really looking at me, but at my hammer. Skuld had said that she had used hers on him already. The idea of someone like Skuld (as I really started to look and act like Skuld) with an even bigger hammer probably got on his nerves.
"So you are that immortal human with Belldandy as his girlfriend?"
"I-immortal." Keicchi and Belldandy both looked at me.
"Well, he did ask to be with you 'FOREVER'." I took a face understating the word 'DUH!'. I'm not one to keep my knowledge to myself, actually a bad trait of me.
Skuld looked pretty sad so I walked over to her. "Now don't you forget what I had told you about this. It's really not that bad to you and Belldandy." I looked back over my shoulder as I heard a 'thud' and saw Belldandy hugging Keicchi who lay on the ground. She was so happy that she had to cry.
"Is this really true?" Urd asked us.
"Very likely. You should either check back in heaven or ask Skuld to scan the future." I grabbed Skulds hand to comfort her a bit. "Hmm, lemme guess, you already did that?" She nodded, her face told me and Urd enough. Urd tough, also took notice of me holding Skulds hand.
"We should get inside, Skuld will you set up a console to log in on Yggdrassil?" Urd walked back inside.
--------------------------------------------------------
When we sat at the table with a console in Skulds hands I fidgeted about, not used to chairless tables. Also my hammer was in the way. It took a while before a rather disheveled Keicchi and Belldandy returned, both with a big grin.
"So what should we expect from him? And where did he get that ridiculous strength from? When he gave me a hand he didn't seem to be strong." Urd looked sternly at me. I had trouble looking straight at her as either I couldn't look straight into her eyes or I would be staring at her well developed bosom.
"Here I got it." She turned the screen for everyone to read.
Marc
Ungraded class limited independent spirit (Dragon-type)
Assigned as assistant to second class limited Goddess Skuld
Primary tasks
- Assist in Debugging
- Protect Skuld
Secondary tasks
- Technological development
- System administrator
- Network builder
- Protect Belldandy and Urd
"System administrator! Welcome to the team" Urd smirked at me.
"Hmm, as a mortal I already had that job. So the system probably wants to use my skills and knowledge."
The next part appeared.
Domain and Powers.
- Fate (Future), Water, War. (Skulds domains as well.)
- Heightened physical prowess and endurance. Grows according to need. To a maximum of full-dragon levels.
- Mortal level of technological knowledge at maximum level.
- Magic is limited to creation and protection.
- Limited shape-shifting.
- Telepathy.
- Teleport medium: clouds
- Secondary energy source: chocolate milk
- Estimated IQ: 142.
- Estimated Human Power Level: 6. New estimated Power Level: 700.000.
"Ahw, the transformation didn't increase my IQ!" I fake pouted.
"Didn't raise your IQ!" Keicchi looked at me in amazement. The rest seemed just slightly less amazed.
"Skuld, did you read his personal files before you went?" Urd looked at her. She shook her head and placed a booklet on the table with my name on it. Urd grabbed it and started to read.
"What's this about a medium and energy source?" I asked Belldandy. "And power level?"
"All of us have to use a special doorway to transport ourselves around. I use mirrors, Urd uses televisions and Skuld uses warm water. You apparently have to use clouds. And for the energy source, that's for when we deplete our own energy that we receive from the system. This happens mostly when we use too much magic. I have to sleep to regain energy, Urd drinks sake or other kinds of alcohol, Skuld eats ice-cream and you have to drink chocolate milk. Though we also have our moonstone bracers as another backup." Then she opened up a small sub-window with some of her own stats. Among them were her power level estimation. It was a whopping thirty million. "This rating is how much energy we have compared to a normal human who is at a rating of one. But many humans are exceptions to this, for example due to our presence and the things we have been through Keicchi probably has a rating somewhere of 9, but with him being immortal it is now more likely among the ten thousand. Your higher basic is mostly due to your training in whatever sports you did and partly due to natural high energy levels." It sounds ridiculous, but apparently Walter was correct when he once told me that I emitted powerful vibes.
"Having to drink chocolate milk isn't a big problem." I smiled widely, you all know that chocolate milk is my most favorite drink. "But I have to fly up to clouds in order to teleport. What if there aren't any clouds around? Or how about people seeing me fly up to the clouds?" The rest didn't know what to answer. "Hmm, domain of Water, clouds then probably also include steam and fog?" I really hoped on that.
Urd remained transfixed in my files. It was quite a booklet of about two hundred pages. "Hmm, are those personal files always that big?"
"Most are smaller for someone of your age." Belldandy walked over to Urd who had this weird smile on her face. "Oh, my." Belldandy was reading the same thing as Urd apparently.
"Skuld! You really know who to pick for your assistant isn't it. Look at these stats, according to this his only drawback seems to have been looks, speed and some lack in skills following from that." She read a bit more. "Didn't the system say he had increased endurance." She gulped and took a good look at me from behind my file. "It's to bad he has turned into a kid." She read even further. "So you finished high school with tens for all computer related subjects. Very high grades in history, arts and philosophy. Nine average in anything maths and physics. And even actually reasonable grade for gymnastics."
I blushed severely. "So I was a bit of a show off. If you have the brains, why not use them? Also I took school under my level as I kinda dislike studying a lot." Urd was flipping through some pages. "And I make up for lack in speed with determination and my endurance."
She ended at a page she apparently liked, as she was smiling from ear to ear. Belldandy looked with big eyes, giggled and sat down at the table. "Skuld, why did you have to make him your assistant, why not mine!?" Urd looked a bit mournful.
"Lemme see that." as Skuld jumped to Urd. Urd quickly closed the file and made it go poof. "Hey, I wanted to read that!"
"You're way to young to read that Skuld." She grinned evilly. I had this very cold chill down my spine.
"He's my assistant so I have the full right to know everything about him." She grinned, ran off and disappeared into her room taking the console with her. I sat there slightly confused.
"Do you think he'll be good assistant to Skuld?" Belldandy asked Urd.
"Yep. Unfortunately, we're ending up with two brats in stead of one." I fumed at that and I left for Skulds room.
--------------------------------------------------------
It was like stepping into my childhoods fantasy. Electronic parts, gizmo's and computers everywhere. Skuld sat in a corner with the console on the ground and was typing furiously. She didn't look up from the screen until at least half an hour later.
I looked over her shoulder and saw some notes of things I did in the past.
Things about my friends. Unhappy childhood due to bullies. People I lost during my life. Things I like and don't like, but that page was the last one, the next one came up with some kind of password. I noted the title of the page, the only thing visible of this page and decided that Skuld indeed shouldn't read it. She saw the title, sighed and let it drop.
"I think you know enough about me for now." I sighed. "Never would have guessed that they would know that much about me up there." I grinned. "Especially that last page, cuz I don't know it myself."
She looked up at me. "You never?"
"Nope, remember how I looked." She became beet red. "So this is your little bit of Asgard to be your haven? Now I understand why you weren't bothered by my room." She had a sheepish grin.
"You like it?"
"Could only use some quick stations. Like I have on my chamber. A few consoles to hook up and test new goodies." I fell silent for a moment. "But I didn't have a robot running around!" Pointing at a small globous robot with a big 'hat'.
"Oh, hia Banpei." She cheered at her personal mecha. It looked at Skuld and me and it gave me the idea that it was confused as we looked a bit alike. "Meet my new personal assistant Marc." He extended an 'arm' and shook my hand.
"I'll introduce you to Sigel later, but she is in Ysgard now for a few tests."
I liked the idea of a robot running around, even if he couldn't really speak that well as I learned when Skuld hit off with a long and interesting explanation about Banpei. In about two hours I learned about most of Skulds most used inventions. Most of them make up for her lack of magic, which was only just starting to develop.
--------------------------------------------------------
Later that day Urd and Belldandy had decided to get some of my stuff from home over to the temple. It took a while to get most back into the temple, electronic stuff was brought to Skulds room and my clothing to Keicchi's. (Later I found out that Urd had taken along Khonein (bunny in English when translated from my local dialect) as well when I saw it on a shelf in Urd's room.) And believe me, it's a pain in the back if you aren't used to futons (sleeping on nothing more then a mat on the ground).
As I had told Skuld about my quick stations I decided that they could be set up in her room for the same task. We later started to create more stations like these to decrease the mess in her room by using more modular parts then she already used. At this time the entire room has more a look of a real laboratory than a disaster area.
--------------------------------------------------------
That evening I for the first time in my life tasted Belldandy's cooking. Everything tasted just about perfect. I could best use the term 'sensory overload' for Belldandy's cooking. In the end I was stuffed to the max.
After this we went to the living room to know each other a bit better. For the main part I listened to Belldandy about what had happened to them since Keicchi made his wish. I enjoyed it until she told about an event of a year ago.
The fact that Diablo had been set loose upon the world by the demon Mara made me rather unhappy, even if he had been erased. DIABLO for crying out loud, even if they referred to his title as Lord of Terror. Even more that he transformed into Fenris didn't make me any more at ease.
This put a way of thinking into motion. Now that I was a servant to a Norn it implied that there was a serious chance that I would end up facing one or the other demon (like Mara) or greater evil in the long run. Heck, I probably will have to face Ragnarok itself. (If I am not destroyed before that happens.) But I am no warrior, even if I have Skulds War domain for her having been a Valkyrie.
I really don't have any skills with any melee weapon (except to squish a bug with a hammer) and only little with martial arts; Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Karate. I did have a good aim with guns and bows, but that really wasn't something I was willing to use, ever. Then I also remembered that I was to protect Skuld. How?
I looked a bit upset as Belldandy asked me if something was wrong. I stated that I was suffering from a bit late form of realization that my previous life was over. I left the room and went for my bed. At that moment I didn't want to impose myself upon them, this was something I had to figure out myself.
--------------------------------------------------------
That evening it took some time before I slept. Luckily I managed to put of the thoughts of Ragnarok and thought about the near future, about the new friends I made, but also about all of my friends back home. To a certain extend I know that I might never see some of you before you die and go to the afterlife. I am sorry for this.
--------------------------------------------------------
In the morning I became aware of a weight upon my chest. My ears picked up the light snoring of Keicchi, but also the breathing of something else. I looked up and then down at my chest and saw a small figure asleep on my chest. It had blonde hair and small feathered wings. She was covered or better said wrapped in a white ribbon.
My stirring woke up the little figure. She rubbed her eyes smiled and said "Koku!". The face had something familiar, but I didn't know what it was. The hair was different and she was a lot smaller, but I did recognize Skulds face in the little 'angel'. Yet I was very confused at why this 'angel' was where it was. The rummaging woke up Keicchi who when I looked at him seemed to be nearly as confused as I was.
"Noble Scarlet? What are you doing outside Skuld?" Keicchi turned his attention to the little 'angel'.
Noble Scarlet looked a bit shy, gave me a peck on the cheek and disappeared. I just sat there with a stupid grin on my face. Keicchi looked at me with a big grin as I was apparently flushed red (it stinks to revert back to 14 year).
"That was Noble Scarlet, Skulds angel." He yawned. "She represents Skulds stronger emotions which have been set free, first she didn't listen to well, but after her second summoning she pretty much fully obeys Skuld, but it takes some maturing still." He stretched and sat on the edge of his bed. "Unlike the angels of Bell and Urd who are totally loyal."
"You don't say." I got out of bed and started dressing for the rest of the day.
"Stronger emotions? Then why do I get the feeling that she wants attention?" I looked up pondering. "Maybe Skuld really feels lonely. She mentioned that she felt alone when her sisters went to live with you and that she still feels that way a little bit." Keicchi didn't look happy with that remark. "But don't worry, hopefully I can keep her occupied so she won't feel lonely anymore."