Chapter 1
Mist stared blankly at her desk.
Freya never had to deal with this when she was in charge of the Valkyire's. Of course, there wasn't any paper work to do until about six hundred years ago.
The reports were relatively simply. Status reports on Demon activity, on Rogue Demon activity, on mortal activity, Valkyrie status and training reports, even Yggdrasil status. Everything that could have been simply told to her was now written down and passed through many hands before reaching her.
With a sigh, Mist shoved the paperwork away and left her office. Immediately upon stepping out of the door, the two Valkyries on either side snapped to attention, then one followed her. Mist walked through the halls, nodding as God and Goddesses greeted her. She went down several flights of stairs, then headed straight towards the Yggdrasil control room.
She entered the control room and looked around. Gods and Goddesses were working all over the room, some at terminals, others dropping off papers or passing on files. The three spirals of Yggdrasil continued to rotate, showing the system was running. The main screen also verified this at a glance. Before the screen, working in a slight depression were three Admins. Looming behind and over them was the SysOp platform. Currently Peorth was in charge. Mist floated up to the platform.
Peorth was staring down at the small screen before her, data flashing past faster then any mortal could ever read.
"Yes?" Peorth asked, not even looking up from the screen.
"I would like to know the status of Yggdrasil." Mist said, "as well as it's security status."
"I sent you a report."
"I wish to hear it from you."
Peorth sighed, then looked up at Mist.
"As the report said, Yggdrasil is currently running at one hundred and five percent. The security firewalls are up and were updated approx. twenty minutes ago."
"I see." Mist said. She then slowly gazed around the room.
Peorth watched her for a moment.
"What do you want Mist?"
"Can I not simply stand here and observe?"
"Mist……"
"I am the head of the Valkyries. As such I am tasked with defending this facility and……"
"Mist."
"I………" Mist began, before her voice trailed off. She then looked away.
"I see….." Peorth said, looking down at the Admins. "You want someone to talk to."
Mist remained silent.
"Right." Peorth stood up, "Chrono, call me if anything happens."
"Yes ma'am."
Peorth walked out of the control room, with Mist following behind her. The two entered Peorth's office. As soon as the door was closed, Peorth turned to face Mist.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Mist replied, "I just…….as of late, I find I cannot concentrate on work."
"Getting enough sleep?"
"Yes."
"No problems in your personal life?"
"Not exactly…….."
Peorth frowned at that answer.
"Mist, do you even have a personal life?"
Mist suddenly found interest in the office wall.
Peorth's eyes narrowed.
"When was the last time you had a vacation?"
"I……never have." Mist replied, "My job is full time."
"Mist," Peorth said, "Are you saying that since you became the Commander of all the Valkyries, you've never had ANY time off?"
"I have had time off." Mist said, "It was…….1433."
"Mist," Peorth said, "That was over eleven hundred years ago."
"Well…..yes."
"No one, not even a Goddess, heck, not even Kami-sama himself can go that long without some kind of time off."
"My job is important." Mist replied, "I….."
"Running the universe isn't?" Peorth asked.
"I make sure Yggdrasil and Heaven is protected at all times." Mist said.
Peorth thought for a moment.
"So you're saying you don't trust the Valkyries under you with the security of Yggdrasil and Heaven."
Mist frowned. "No……"
"That's what it seems like your telling me." Peorth said, "It seems like you're saying you didn't train those under you well enough to take charge if something should happen to you."
Mist's eyes narrowed.
"That is not what I'm saying at all."
"Oh." Peorth said, "Then if I got Kami-sama to order you to take a week off, everything would be fine."
"Yes it……" Mist's face changed from anger to shock, "You would what!"
Peorth reached for her phone.
"One little phone call," Peorth said with a smile, "and you're off for one entire week." She then thought for a moment. "You know, eleven hundred years is a long time. Maybe I should make it a month."
"You wouldn't…." Mist said nervously.
Peorth started to dial a number.
"Wait."
Peorth stopped dialing and looked at Mist.
"Yes?" Peorth asked with an evil grin.
Mist sighed. "What is it you wish of me?"
"Simple." Peorth replied, "Take time off. You can spend it up here, in your room, on earth, on Terra 2 for all I care. But you are not to do any work in your capacity as Commander of Valkyries. You will turn those duties temporarily over to your second in command."
Mist's hands clenched into fists. "And if I don't?"
"I'll ask Kami-sama to make it three months."
Mist gritted her teeth.
"Blackmail." She muttered.
"Yep." Peorth replied, "It is."
"You could be demoted."
"I could." Peorth said, "But once I explain my side of it, I think they'll agree I have your best interests at heart."
Mist hands trembled as she clenched them tightly. Finally she sagged, utterly defeated.
"Fine." She said softly, "I'll put in for a vacation. One week in duration. Happy?"
"Yes." Peorth said.
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Mist stood before rank after rank of Valkyrie Squad leaders in the auditorium. She looked over them, then spoke.
"Until I return, Blitz will be temporary Commander." Mist said, "All standing orders still apply, as do all duty rosters. That is all."
The Valkyries snapped to attention, then slowly moved out of the auditorium, until only Mist and a blonde hair Valkyrie remained.
"I still don't understand." Blitz said, "Why are you taking time off? You've never……"
"I know." Mist replied, "and with the rogue demon threat I shouldn't." She sighed. "If I don't take a week, the Goddess of Forever will ask Kami-sama to give me a month off."
Blitz's eyes flared. "That wench! I'll…."
"…do nothing." Mist replied. Seeing Blitz's look, she continued. "Peorth is a close friend to the Norns, and you know how they are."
"Yes." Blitz replied, "I will hold things together while you are gone."
"I expect nothing less." Mist said as she turned and left the auditorium.
"If I my ask," Blitz said, "where will you be going?"
Mist paused at the doors and glanced back.
"I intend to visit my old haunts."
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1235
Erik ducked as an English soldier swung his broadsword at his head. He then brought his sword up and stabbed the soldier in the chest. The Englishman let out a scream of pain and blood sprayed out onto Erik. The soldier fell to the ground dead, giving Erik a chance to look around.
Though they had arrived on English soil in early morning, the English seemed to have been alerted. The first village they had come to was protected by twenty soldiers, and two knights. Undeterred, the Viking leader had shouted the name of Odin before leading his men head long into battle. Many dead littered the field of battle, though there were more English dead then Viking. Erik himself had sent many of the English to their deaths.
Then something caught Erik's eye.
It was the woman on horseback! Still in golden armor with her brown braided hair coming out from under her helmet. She was staring intently at him.
Erik shook his head. The middle of a battle was not the place to ponder visions. He started to turn and was all set to charge head long back into the fight when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down to see the shaft of an arrow protruding from his shirt. He slowly looked upward and saw a longbowman standing just at the top of the hill.
Erik knew he didn't have much longer. With a shout of Odin, Erik charged the longbowman. The Englishman spotted him and cocked another arrow to his bow. Erik was halfway to the man when he let fly the second arrow. Erik stumbled slightly as the arrow slammed into his shoulder, causing his body to twist. He regained his footing and continued his charge. The longbowman's eyes went wide and he pulled out a third arrow.
He never got the shot off.
Erik's sword plunged deep into the longbowman's chest. Both men tumbled to the ground. Erik rolled off the dead man and looked up at the sky. He was finding it harder to breath now, but at least he could die, knowing he'd killed the man who killed him. His head turned to the side. He watched as his comrades began to drive the English away. Then he saw her again. Then Spots began to form in his vision, and he knew nothing more.
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The Valkyries watched the battle from horseback as they floated above. The Viking warriors had finally defeated the English soldiers and were now in the process of sacking the village.
"They took longer then usual." On Valkyrie said.
"It is getting harder to sack a village these days." Another Valkyrie replied.
"Quiet." Freya ordered, "The battle has ended. We will move in once the pillaging is done." She then pointed off to the forest. "The Demon are already waiting."
The Valkyries glanced to the indicated wood. They could just barely make out the shadowy figures lurking there.
Freya glanced over. Mist was not looking at the battle. She was staring at a fallen warrior.
"Already picking out your target Mist?"
Mist whipped her head around.
"Huh?"
"Mist has got eyes for the mortal." One of the Valkyries, Kara, snickered.
Freya chuckled as Mist blushed, then glared at Kara.
"Now now." Freya said, "Don't start fighting over them yet." Several of the Valkyries chuckled. "Besides, Norn Skuld has the final say on who lives and dies. That one might not even die here. And we only take those that die in battle."
"Yes milady." The Valkyries replied.
Mist glanced over at the Norn of what shall be. Skuld's eyes darted from body to body, as if she was taking mental note of each mortal and what their future held: continued life on Midgard, a trip to Valhalla, or eternal torment in Niflheim. Skuld then turned to Freya.
"You may proceed." She said.
"Alright Valkyries!" Freya shouted, her horse rearing back on its hind legs. "Take only those that are marked for Heaven. The rest are either going to live……or the demons get."
"Last one there has to clean Valhalla after dinner!" Kara shouted as she rode her horse down to the battlefield. The rest of the Valkyries thundered after her.
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Mist rode up to the warrior she had been watching since spotting him on the boat. She dismounted and moved up to him. Rolling him onto his back, she saw that he was not marked for Heaven.
"He isss mine." Came a voice.
Mist looked up to see a Demoness moving towards her.
"I thank you." The Demoness said, "He isssss an excellent addition."
"Thank me?" Mist asked.
"Yessssss. You dissssstracted him, thussss he isss dead."
Mist's eyes widened. Freya had already warned about interfering with mortals' fates. Unknowingly, she done it again, this time causing a mortal's death. She didn't know what Freya would say when she found out……..
But she did know she wasn't about to let the Demoness have the mortal.
"Back off." Mist growled.
The Demoness blinked. "What?"
"You heard me." Mist snapped, "You can't have him."
"You can't take him to heaven." The Demoness said, "He isssss dying and will not last on Midgard much longer."
"I'll correct that." Mist replied. She immediately placed her handover the mortal.
"Noooo!" The Demoness shouted.
Mist's hand glowed. The soul of the mortal slowly began to rise from the body.
"You cannot take him!" The Demoness cried out, "I will not allow it!"
"You will not take him to Niflheim." Mist stated.
"And you will not take him to Valhalla!" The Demoness replied. She raised her hand towards Mist and the mortal. It flared red. The soul of the mortal was literally sucked back into the body. It went so quickly it pulled Mist's arm into the body up to the elbow.
Mist let out a cry as pain flared throughout her arm. She ripped her arm out from the mortals body and landed on her back, groaning.
"I will not forget thisssss." The Demoness growled, "You will pay for denying me my prize." The Demoness then vanished in a fireball.
Mist lurched to her feet, her arm still on fire with pain. She quickly remounted her horse and moved on to find a warrior to take to Valhalla.
Behind her, the mortal inhaled deeply and sat up.
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Valhalla
That night.
Throughout the great hall of Valhalla, Viking warriors drank and ate their fill. Songs and stories were sung and told of battles past. Warriors told of the great adventures they had been on. Many talked of the fighting they had done that day in preparation for the great battle of Ragnarok. The Valkyries presided over the feast, serving the warriors their meat and drink. That night, many Valkyries would then take a warrior of their choice and continue the festivities in a more private setting.
Freya stood silent off to the side, watching the feast with a smile on her face. Movement to the side caught her eye. The Norns Urd, Skuld, and Verdandi walked towards her.
This caused Freya's heart to beat faster.
One Norn wanting to speak with a person was fine, two caused one to be more alert.
All three caused one to flat out panic.
"We have a problem." Verdandi said.
"What is it?" Freya asked, "Have the messengers…….?"
Verdandi's eyes narrowed.
"Don't mention those ever again!"
Freya fought the urge to back away from the Norn.
"Have they returned?"
"No!" Verdandi hissed. "Speak of them no more!"
Freya looked at Urd and Skuld.
"Would you tell me what's going on?"
"Forgive our sister." Urd said, "She is quite annoyed at this time."
"What for?"
"A mortal life thread has been redone." Skuld said, "His fate has been changed. Drastically."
"What?" Freya asked, her eyes going wide, "How! Who!"
"I do not know." Verdandi growled. "But it occurred whilst you Valkyrie picked up today's dead."
Freya's eyes narrowed. "You suspect us. Norn Skuld was present with us."
"I was." Skuld replied, "And I saw nothing untoward occur. But the thread has been changed."
"Can you not change it back?" Freya asked.
"I cannot." Verdandi growled, "That thread has already been woven into the whole. To undo it now would result in much chaos."
"Then what can we do?" Freya asked.
"The damage is done." Verdandi replied. She then turned and walked away, her sisters right behind her.
Nearby, another heard every word that was said. Mist watched the Norns leave, her hand rubbing the arm that even now still stung.
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OMAKE
The Valkyries watched as the Viking warriors stormed through the village, trashing all that was in sight. They concentrated heavily on a small house at the far end of the village.
Mist winced. "Ouch."
"See." Freya said, "I told you. A Capital One card is the way to go."
"What's in your wallet?" Kara muttered.