Sola to Romansu Book 1: Important Side-stories

by The Storyteller and his Books

Ever wondered where some of the Characters in the Story came from, or how they got where they are now? Now you have a chance to see some of them real close-up, their pasts, their battles, their believes and the choices they made. These chapters will give you insight in what happened inbetween the chapters of the mainstory, I hope for your understanding and that you enjoy it.

22. Valhalla Rising 1, Valhalla s Kumears

4th Story: Valhalla Rising

Part I: the Kumears of Valhalla

Monday 16. September 1511 A.W.: Korat Archipelago, South-Norvak Islands, Mama Oonda´s Bamboo Residence, Tereza´s Pov:

I can hardly describe the things I was feeling right now, as I stood on the balcony of the Noodle-House, in my family's room, and observed the scene that unfolded in front of my eyes.

All the sudden buzzle of countless conversations ringing out from down the hill, towards the village, here on South-Norvak Island 5.

To be honest, it drove tears in my eyes to see so many people, of my own folk, which I though had gone nearly extinct, with only mine and Mayuri´s family remaining, but which had actually survived all this time, thriving in hiding, until the time for the big Reunion had come.

I almost could not stop crying as I saw them all before me, 2 days ago, greeting me with the Valhallian salute and the special Orion Valkyrie Salute.

The Citizens greeted me with three fingers above the heart, symbolizing the three stars of the Valhallian Crown, Power, Wisdom and loyalty.

The Orion Sisterhood on the other hand put their fist above the heart, which indicated the defense of all of three Virtues, adding the virtues of Temperance and Justice to them.

Temperance was self-restraint, so it always was described, however it did not meant to us Valkyries to live a life in seclusion, we still could have our own families and lives, no, it meant to us, that we should not go overboard with our own enthusiasm, that the own health was just as important as the absolving of our Duty.

A weakened Orion Valkyrie was of no help to anyone,when it really mattered, to know when to back down and retreat is to know your own body and Health, which can prove crucial for another time.

Justice is to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right cause, of course this included, the defense of the royal crown alongside the Royal Guard and important Members of the Government, but also mediating between two parties in times of strife, especially if two tribes became confrontational to each other.

Furthermore, we also had a law-enforcing duty, punishing all those who do wrong and keeping the normal citizens safe, a task and duty absolved alongside of the police-forces and the Guardsmen.

Seeing them all doing this of their own volition, it showed me, that their loyalty to me and my Husband never faltered nor wavered in all these years, which was as surprising as it was comforting to me.

Then again and in fact, it was not really that surprising, even if it felt to me like that.

Loyalty was everything to us Kumears, you rarely hear of a desertion from the army or even a divorce, a marriage was for life in Valhalla, with all of its ups and downs, that was also why it was carefully chosen in the first place.

It was not so much of shaming the family name, or the reputation of an esteemed Clan or something like that, no it was something deeply personal.

Divorcing meant that the loyalty, the acceptance, the very core of your relationship had broken beyond repair, because of something, although rarely because of some third party's influence.

Still, it did happen occasionally and yes, it was discussed and rumored about on quite a long term.

I still remember an old Classmate of mine, who divorced after 2 years of childless marriage.

It was the hot-topic of our future Class Reunions and until today, the persons in question never truly disclosed to us of why they divorced…, although, I knew that much, the topic was as sour and toxic to them as it could get, if brought up…., but I never saw them taking it out on each other, which indicated to me that, although not so strong, there were still some feelings for each other that remained.

To me it seemed, that none of them had been at fault, but that the relationship just somehow fell apart, if anything, he was still protective of her and she still stood on friendly terms to him, it was strange but believe me, it could have gone way worse.

If I were to guess, it might have had something to do with politics, as one of them was the Child of a Chieftain…

Although disloyalty and desertion was rare, did it still existed, every now and then…, all the more reason of why it meant so much to me, as they all stood before me and saluted, showing me that they did not wished harm to my life and that of my husband, or that they were furious about us not had having the strength to defend our home….

In our defense, I do can say that we did all in our possibility, in that moment, to safe as many as we could.

That despite all the things we had to face, they still accepted us as their rulers, despite not one of us having truly changed much on our situation in the last decade.

The memory I had, of that moment, of the kindness and acceptance I was shown and them renewing their vows and oaths of Allegiance, all in unison, was maybe the happiest memory of my entire time, which I spent here in the Shepherd Republic, all those 13 years long.

And it surely will only be topped with the moment I hold Choco back in my Arms.

Thanks to Sir Strongwing I had now 3 strong Evidences, that Choco was alive.

4 photos were given to me, on the first I was able to see both, Choco sitting on the lap of Banmori, surrounded by Children of all ages, a friendly elder Woman standing behind them.

According to his saying, was this the Orphanage founded by King Maranell in the Shepherd Republic, not so far from here, on the Darven Islands.

The Second Photo showed a similar scene, though it seemed to have been more recently been taken, at least slightly a few years after the first photo.

A Teenage Choco in Caninu-shape, alongside a Caninu Boy…, or maybe a Lupycan Boy, who seemed to be a little older than her, this was most likely Prince Red Savarin Wolvenra.

Then there was also another girl, a young Felineko girl, not older than my daughter, arm in arm with Red Savarin.

If I remember right from our conversation, her name was Elhize Melizee, so Sir Strongwing´s words, she was apparently Red Savarins Girlfriend and an immortal Paladin from Ragdoll, one oftwo bastionsbuild shortly after the war, to keep The Felineko-folks safe, which were still persecuted by the Lycanians.

If I remember correctly, from what I heard and experienced myself on my long travels, was the other bastion in Mau, where also their training ground was supposed to be, although unfortunately, the access was restricted solely to males.

The photo however, did not show a staged picture, but more a record of a simple moment in their lives, it seemed to have been taken during some kind of festival.

The Third Photo showed a scene which, according to Sir Strongwing was taken today in the same Orphanage as the first one, where they currently seemed to reside and which was send over to him, per request for new info about them, just a few hours ago.

It was a similar photo like the first but then again totally different, an Adult Choco, clad in an armor similar to that of an Orion Valkyrie, re-transformed into a Kumear…, seeing her that way made my chest swelling with pride, this was my baby, my daughter, a warrior and fighter since her very childhood.

But it also made me, once more, understand of how much I missed of her life, how big she has gotten…, and that the time we have lost together will never come back to us…, that the girl I once swore to protect upon her birth, grew up apart from me…, due to circumstances which were out of my hand.

Next to her stood Red Savarin Wolvenra, all dressed up in scarlet red and golden royal attire, fitting of his title as Scarlet Prince, and Elhize Melizee, looking slightly older than in the previous photo, also dressed up in a beautiful dress, a mighty looking magical wand at her side and a large tome of a book in her hand.

Both were standing close to her, close like family, same as Anastasia and my Husband, who then again stood a bit apart from them but still in the picture, giving them space and taking the focus on these three.

Something that made me wonder though, were Anastasia´s eyes full of admiration…, it was unclear to me where her eyes were truly directed to…, either to Choco, which would not be surprising considering they have seen each other, in their true shapes, for the first time in 13 years…, or to Red Savarin, which makes me both happy but also worry…, I had to meet him to truly be able to make something out of the descriptions of him, which I had so far.

The other persons in the background were other Children than before, thought the same old Woman was standing with them, a woman which Sir Strongwing called Grenadine Cherrypie, apparently the orphanage director and a personal friend of King Maranell.

There was an adult Felineko girl standing right next to her, partially supporting her, looking happily in the camera…, and I think also, with quite the warm smile, towards Red Savarin, it was a genuine smile, like an older sister looking at her younger brother.

What really made me tear up though was the fact that Choco, Prince Red and Lady Elh stood so close together…, if the circumstances would have been any different…, this well could have been a family picture…,

The 4th photo was just that, a Family photo and that stung deep, especially since I, as her mother, was nowhere near in this picture…

On the other hand, from those family members, who were in the picture, I had to admit that Zeus looked good, better than 6 months ago at least.

Anastasia practically was glued on Choco, her arms intertwined, a big happy grin on her face, nuzzling into her cheek, much to Choco's delight.

What astounded me, was the fact that next to Red and Elhize, stood none other but White Savage the XIII, looking just the way he did when I last saw him.

Of course, for them up in Shamballa, barely 2 months had passed ever since the attack, in that regard, I had to admit, for once, how frightening Time was.

Before I came here, I never knew how terribly out of touch our two regions were, one year in the Savannah Archipelago were a hundred years here in the Shepherd Republic.

Upon admiring the Photographs the first time, a painful fact was made clear to me through them, just as I told you before.

Not only wasn´t I able to watch my daughter grow up to become so strong and healthy…, no I barely knew her anymore…, of course time was to blame that the sweet little girl, which I gave birth to, which I had used to know and love so much, has changed in such a way that, if I met her in her Caninu form, I wouldn´t even have been able to recognize her, for example if we were to cross paths on a street.

Who knows…, how often we might have been only a few heartbeats away from each other?

I admit that sometimes in these 13 years, I often had a feeling, that she was near but I had never gotten a clear direction as to where I needed to go…

But more than just that detail, was the fact that someone was missing in the last three photos.

Banmori was only to be seen in the first photo…, but in the three others she was totally missing, she was not on the side of my daughter as I had assumed.

I wanted to ask Sir Strongwing about her, I should have…., but I did not…, maybe because I was afraid of what might be the answer to that question.

Knowing that Choco was alright and still healthy and that my Husband and Anastasia were with her put my mind at ease, even with the uncertainty of Banmori´s whereabouts.

I dared not to assume the worst…., but I could not be sure about it not being the case either.

Still, amongst all the uncertainty and the sorrow I felt for having not been part of my daughter´s life for the longest time, did the photographs also bring happiness to me, I finally had a concrete evidence for her survival, her being raised to a fine and proper woman, maybe not a royal princess of the Kumears, but surely the next best she could ever be.

A Pilot, as far as it was told to me, and, now that she was reunited with part of our family, also a sister and a daughter.

It helped me to be genuinely happy again and that happiness was doubled when I saw all these Kumears in front of me.

Still, I had to admit, seeing them all was something I didn´t expected at all, as we returned from the Skull-yard Bay, with the Lao and Greyback family…, all these people, old and young as well as many families, having arrived in small aircrafts.

Obviously, their joy was just as big as my own, many friends and families had been reunited, they all had heard the call to assemble here, although it was a call which I hadn´t even send out on my own, but which was send out for me, so it seemed.

Sir Strongwing explained to me, that Masha McQueen and her FLNB-Pirate-Radio-Team were all a part of King Maranell´s strategy, as part of their Foreign-Intelligence-Division alongside of his own spies in the shepherd society.

All in order, to raise awareness of what was really going on behind closed doors and what was greatly swiped under the rugs of the Republic.

That they all had kept track, on where the many Kumear families, who made it more or less safely to the Shepherd Republic, were hiding.

But in order to not expose them to any potential danger, as well as to keep the Republic from being caught up in that danger, they kept secret of their knowledge, and decided not to help us gather together, until the time was right.

Although it made me angry to think about it, to know that they knew there were others out there, apart from mine and Mayuri´s family, did I also had to look at it that way…

Not doing such, gave the Republic 13 more years without major chaos…, if you do not take the two incidents in the last 2 years into account, which was not directly linked to any of us…, as far as I know at least.

Apparently, the right time had come now, now that Lycan has made his first moves towards unleashing a new war upon the world, so the families were directly or indirectly made to listen the FLNB-News about their missing Queen having resurfaced in the Korat Archipelago.

Of course, were most of them still Loyal to the Royal Family and so, also due to the current attacks on the island, made their way here, to gather together with Family, War-comrades and old friends, also as a means to gather more protection for their own families, be it purely Kumear or interspecies-relationships.

The Return to your roots, in order to seek protection for your loved ones, something I could understand very well, we all knew that there was no way we should underestimate the Lycanians, not anymore, and especially not after what happened to all of us.

To be honest, I was anything but fond of the strategy which King Maranell used, it was all shady and bundled with a lot of risks, and still, on one hand it lured the disguised Lycanians out of their hidings, if they get to know where their enemies are located, which made it easier to defeat them, one by one.

Since they are a race of warmongering killers, they have enough enemies in this world, which they wish to see dead.

However, they were quite skilled, I had to give them that, they could act innocent and harmless if required, which made it easy for them to infiltrate places and blend in with the normal townsfolk…., on the other hand, it obviously got harder for us to find them then, but once something gets triggered in them, they return to their bloodthirsty state of Lycan´s loyal soldiers.

The wrath, the hatred and the murderous killer-instinct indoctrinated into them, from the time they were recruited, was rooted deep within them, unable to ever get rid of it.

And what was more alluring than the fame, and possibly the profit, they would gain, if they could bring down one of the 10 Kings of the Savannah Archipelago.

In that hindsight we, means my family, were the lure for them, we were bait, hook and sinker in one, which made me angry, especially since we hadn´t even been asked if we would like to take that role, what if my daughters were here?

If they were getting hurt, someone would have to pay for it.

"Overlord, Ancient, Supreme King or not, King Maranell will get to know what it means to mess with my family in such ways." I mumbled as I thought about it.

On the other hand, it also served the other way around, to let our allies know where we currently are hiding, this was especially a gift, when I look at all the people in front of me now.

By now I counted over 100 families alone, far over thousand people, of course there were many more of them here, also many singles, women and men, all of them were added to our numbers of the few who had lived here since so long.

As I said before, I saw not only Kumears which had arrived here, but also Caninus and Felinekos who stood with them, having no fear nor any difficulty to be at ease here, at this most astonishing gathering, I guess many of us had started families while being in disguise and once they knew they could trust their partner for life, they revealed their secret, many of them must have still stayed together and even gave birth to new children.

Of those who hadn´t remained together, I was sure that the Spies of King Maranell were quick to free them of every memory they had, about their former life-partner having been Kumears in disguise, while simultaneously giving comfort to the heartbroken Kumear.

Be it as their apparent friends, or as simple acquaintances, like the nice lady at the other side of the street, who sold newspapers, who casually commented how broken and dejected the man or woman seemed, apart from their usual self…, and what might be the problem…, playing psychologist and therapist in unison, stuff like that.

If you imagine that at least every 10th person you know was a spy from Shangri-La, then you might come on an incredible number of people concerned about your wellbeing and that you stay hidden until the time has come, all those people keeping an eye out for you….

However that also meant that I had been on the search for my daughter for years, same as my family, only to now understand, that there surely were people who knew the entire time where she was located, this was probably what made me the most furious about it.

Then again those few I now knew to be spies, always assured me that my daughter was surely alive and well somewhere, so they must have known about her being that indeed.

After I asked Pablo, he explained that he got to know about FLNB by one of the Smiths in the Central Village, which Sir Strongwing has identified as indeed being a spy, but also one who lives in these parts of the Republic since decades and hadn´t just been deployed for keeping an eye on us.

I think those who had to cope with such news and revelations the least were the children of those families with different parents.

Thanks to the genes of us Kumears, these children all had the capability of transforming themselves, but I doubt that many of these families would teach their children how to, it was surely better if they all stayed the way they are, unchanging, be it as Kumears or as the Race they had been born as, as the Kumear part of their Parentship was transformed.

It was not necessarily a good idea of getting anyone in the republic aware of our existence here, especially in their very own neighborhood, though I doubt that this was now any relevant anymore.

We Kumears currently count to the endangered species after all…, or at least so I thought before seeing all these infront of me now.

Among those newcomers were also a lot of people I have never seen in my life and although most of them seemed to be Orion-Valkyries or Warriors of the different Tribes, even I didn´t know them.

It made me think that maybe they had been born after the Tragedy…, or they lived somewhere so far away from Clawstone that I never before had met them…, which was strange, as I had an overall good knowledge and memory, of who trained as a Valkyrie or who already was one.

It was strange for sure…, but also quite comforting to know that my own craft was not forgotten, even in all this time.

Here on Norvak only Sunako and I, as well as occasionally Anastasia, trained in the craft of an Orion Valkyrie, on our days off from whatever work we currently did…, sometimes even Mei joined us when she felt comfortable enough to.

Mayuri long had given up on it in order to become a good housewife, also she was constantly pregnant whenever I returned, so there was not much with training going on for her anyways.

At the very least I was glad that we could do it here on Norvak, freely in the yard without hiding, not like back then, as we had that small Apartment in Pharaoh for a short time, as Zeus just started working with some people from the Harbor, naturally under disguise as a big Caninu, known as Kodiak Garont.

He sometimes told me about them, some man called Quebec Melizee, as well as two others whose name I had forgotten and another one called Bruno Dondurma, who apparently had become the Kurvaz Leader and had been part of quite a scandal 2 years ago, being at the center of one of the incidents I mentioned earlier.

I though was glad that at least Zeus wasn´t caught up in the same, as their group had long disbanded before that day.

Here in the Korat Archipelago, Pablo had many friends and neighbors who knew his true identity but also only because they trusted him and he trusted them, they welcomed us and helped us after we crash-landed here, many of these peoples where old inhabitants who did not bother with what was going on outside of their own island or at least not as further than Chartreux and Pharaoh.

I was unconscious same as Zeus, after we landed here, mainly because we were thrown out of the Ursa Grandes broken cockpit-windows but managed to grab and enter one of the remaining Rescue capsules which had meanwhile detached themselves from the Airship, better said, they were ripped off by Bahamut, as the same maimed the ship.

The Ursa Grande spiraled down, having already many holes and deep claw-marks in its jacket, which sucked the people out as if it was a vacuum cleaner.

Apparently, we crashed with our Capsule right into a farm shed and hit the ground quite hard, destroying several fields, somehow just like yesterday with the Lycanian Aircraft, which was almost enough for the Capsule to be crushed by the impact, thankfully Anastasia was safely in Zeus arms, shielding her from the impact and any major injury.

Naturally we rebuild the shed, after we had accepted our fate of having to live on foreign ground, and after we were fit again.

It lasted almost 2 days before I woke back up from my injuries, I had to see that the Ursa Grande was demolished and I thought it to be beyond repair.

A few corpses laid in body-bags, in the front-yard of the Farmer, whose shed we destroyed, earlier they still were scattered in the Airship.

Together with Mayuri and Pablo we managed to give them at least all a proper funeral, for that we received a few acres of free land here on Norvak, where we built a makeshift cemetery, not so far from the place the Valkyries currently used as their training ground.

Back then there were just too many people who tried to get a secure Rescue capsule, to flee from the ship, either alone or with their partner or as a family, it was pure chaos when Bahamut attacked the ship.

Most of the people I knew, some of them who were still alive and who had now arrived here, surely must have had either escaped the sinking ship, with help of the rescue capsules, as we were still far above the republic and landed rough but safely somewhere, most likely in some lakes…, or they crashed like us somewhere on the ground and hadn´t as much luck as we did, but still somehow survived.

Ever since the attack, and that was painfully clear to me, hundreds of our People had died and even more are still missing, either they were able to save themselves, wherever their Rescue Capsules landed, or they were shred into oblivion by the plasma…., or even worst, they were blasted off into the unknown before crashlanding somewhere, lost to all of us…..

May our Goddess, Queen Panmora Pandaria, be kind to their souls and may our Mother Superior, Lady Malvina Orion, first of the Orion Valkyries, lead their souls to the Golden Fields.

The fact that me myself was standing here right now…, was it fate, coincidence, or was it meant due to serving a greater meaning, a higher purpose…, who actually would know that?

Back then, Pablo barely managed to crash land the Ursa Grande in that den underneath the island, his family was still on board, if anything were to go wrong back then, we all wouldn´t even stand here right now, that was sure to me…, I don´t know how I would have survived so long, on foreign ground, if it wasn´t for Mayuri and her Family being here with us.

He wanted to be the last one to leave when all others were in safety, same as we planned to do, the captain and the Royal Pair should have been the last to evacuate, the folk was to be saved before.

But as I was saying, didn´t that really worked out as we wished for.

The Capsule which saved our lives in the end, could have also saved that of someone else, I am constantly aware of that fact, whenever I look at the photo of my small family, Pablo´s family included.

After a couple of years without a sign of them, I really thought that all of our folk had perished and that Pablo, his family and my Family were the last living members of the Kumear Race.

All my friends, my Sisters of the Orion Valkyries, my still living Clan and Tribe-members, I thought I would never get to see again…, I am glad that I have never been so wrong.

I was thankful to have Mayuri and Pablo at my side, alongside their kids.

Their support helped me through my own years of sorrow and to gather the strength to think positive, to go on and to never give up searching for Choco.

Back then after we arrived here at Norvak, Sunako and Seichiro were greatly unharmed, but still left the whole disaster with a few scars, which reminded of that day.

Sunako had a large scar across her back, a big glass-shard had sliced it up after she was thrown out through the cockpit windows, I still remember all that blood and it makes me shudder.

It was one of the reasons, of why she never ran around with a bare back, even in the highest summer, when we were at the pools, she only wore long, thin, colored shirts.

Seichiro on the other hand lost part of his ear and has a nasty scar on his right hip down to his upper knee.

We adults also suffered some more injuries but overall, we were more or less used to getting scars and such things, so it was nothing all too unfamiliar on our end.

Other than those now rather minor injuries, all of them, as well as my dearest beloved, were greatly unharmed by our rough arrival.

However, during their battle against the ghouls on the Grand Plaza, in front of the Cathedral, Mayuri was attacked and punched harshly in the stomach, not to mention the harsh impact with the Airship later on, an act which proved to be really bad for the healthy birth of her child…, though little Mei still was safely delivered, mind you.

Still, Mei (13) was born as way too tiny and thin and also a little handicapped, nothing major, she just had a few problems with her speech, often slurring her words, which made her keeping herself silent as long as she could manage to, still, luckily and at the very least she was not dead.

She was embarrassed about it, when she was around strangers and had to speak with them, but she didn´t seem to truly minded it herself, when she was in private with family.

Even now, in company of so many Kumears as well as Kumear-children, she kept herself silent.

Of course, as it unfortunately is with kids and teenagers, had she her fair share of mobbing in the local school thanks to that, well until Mayuri got behind that fact.

Let´s just say that Mama Oonda took care of it and yelled at both the bullies and their parents, as well as the teacher for their lack of observation, when they met in the principal's office.

Their flanks would never be the same again, that's for sure.

She was geared up high and made such a ruckus about it, like no one had ever seen before in this Archipelago, in a fashion which made them never harm either of her children ever again, ever since no one even dared to be mean to Mei anymore, nor to her brothers and sisters.

But ever since she falls silent in the presence of strangers and keeps herself in the farthest background.

She might think that her handicap is a burden to others, but I think it just adds to her charm, nobody´s perfect, and her natural beauty definitely makes up for that minor thing.

I hope that someday she will find a nice boy who does not bother about it, who looks past all that and who can love her just the way she is…, I wish that for her with all my heart.

The Guilt I felt whenever her handicap showed itself, might also be one of the reasons why I was so fond of her and spoiled her rotten, even more than Seichiro or Sunako, not that I neglected them when I visited, but yeah, you can call her my favorite, second only to my own daughters.

I loved to be near her and she seemed to feel the same, just like right now, as Mei slept, her head rested on my lap, letting the sun warm her body.

Maybe it was because I kind of felt responsible for what happened to her, it was obvious to all of us that Lycan and Bahamut had been after us when they attacked the Ursa Grande, the constant injuries which Mayuri suffered from, whenever she was thrown around as the Ursa Grande shook, weren´t good for her unborn child, not at all.

Pablo always blamed himself for it, as he was not at her side that time, but tried desperately to keep the Ursa Grande afloat, as last remaining captain after the other two died, being sucked out of the cockpit.

I on the other hand, had everything to do with keeping Anastasia safe, as well as somehow trying to coordinate the chaos that arised on the ship during these moments, same as Zeus.

In all this chaos, the safety of my friends should have been more important to me, you might think…, as a normal woman this might really have been the case…, but it was different for a queen…, as everybody's safety was important.

Mayuri though never said anything about us being responsible, neither for the loss of our home, our people, the later hunt and the destruction of the Airship or for what happened to her daughter…, but it didn´t made the guilt we felt, any easier to bear.

Mayuri was strong, compassionate, a good and loyal friend and the kindest mother I ever got to know.

I never really had anything to say against her and if anything, she was the ideal I wanted to become as a mother.

However, if what Seichiro and Sunako said before to us and about the things I saw for myself, it was not at all unimaginable, that Mayuri could raise the population of our race right back up to its former glory, with her increasing numbers of children every year.

Not that I would ever say that out loud, I bet it would offend her, even if I would say it as a joke.

I loved Mayuri like she was my own sister…, but sometimes I wonder if she and her husband had too much free-time or none other kind of entertainment for themselves, in the evening.

Then again, if that was what kept them from succumbing to depression and possible suicide, then by all means they should go for it.

Meanwhile, myself was in awe and inspired of how both, she and her husband, were still in love with each other, even after all these years and after all the circumstances that had happen to all of us, that they never ceased to lust after each other.

And it was incredible that Pablo remained faithful to Mayuri throughout this time, without ever cheating or just even thinking about it.

To be honest, that was my fear when I thought back at Zeus, I won´t say that he is a cheater, he has never done so before, as we still lived on Valhalla, be it in his home or in Jormungandr, even though there lived many beautiful women as well, nor did he seemed to ever showed any interest in other women here in the Shepherd Republic, as far as I could tell.

As I said, Marriage was for life, at least it was so on Valhalla…, but I think our love has burned out ever since we landed here.

Him drowning his sorrow in alcohol and almost pointlessly searching the same area over and over again, has been the major factor for many of our arguments and flat-out-fights.

I cannot tell how often I insulted him as being weak and a disappointment, as Husband and father, even going as far as saying that I hated him…., hell…, I hated myself for it.

The guilt I had later on, ripped my heart to shreds every time.

Mayuri helped me through these times as best as she could, same as Pablo who spoke and comforted Zeus…, I think they were the reason why Zeus and I were even still together in the first place…, not that I ever really planned on leaving him…, but yeah, there were sometimes days in which I could not watch his face, times in which his sole presence hurted me emotionally.

Until now I only ever had one thought for which I punched myself in the face as hard as I could, nearly breaking my Jaw, the guilt I felt crushed my heart to the lowest possible floor, after I said it out loud…, I think that was the drop that made the barrel overflow and I will never forget the shock and the sorrow in Zeus eyes, or the glance he gave me as I walked out of the door 6 months ago, to go on my own search for my daughter.

I told him that I wished he had been vanished from our side, instead of Choco…

I never felt that much self-hatred before, as in that moment as these wicked words left my mouth.

I hated that I had to be so harsh to him, but if his broken pride and his alcohol, which made him forget anything around him, was anything left to him nowadays, he sure had to man up a lot.

Swallow your pride, forget the past and look to the future.

That was easier said than done for Zeus, as the past was all he could holding on, in regards to not mess up in the future, in his role as King and as father.

He was a warrior and although he was intelligent and strong, kind and charismatic, has he never truly been taught in leader-ship by his father, as the second born son.

As such he always only played the second fiddle and always was told to learn from his older brother and to become like him.

That his older brother, Kantor, died on his injuries, after an accident, him falling off a cliff during a hunt on ferocious beasts living in the mountains, had taken his family by surprise and so the second son, Zeus, was appointed to replace him and become the new Second-in-command of the Brown-Bear tribe and King Candidate, just a year before the election of the new King of Valhalla.

He wasn´t truly prepared for it, not for the election and not for his role once he truly was chosen, but he made the best out of the knowledge he had and gained from reading the memoires of the previous Kings, to learn from their lives and rules, he even went as far as to ask the previous King, my Father, Ex-King Zentrix Gelatorias, for help, when he did not know what to do.

But ever since Valhalla fell, his pride has been shattered, as Man, as Warrior and King…, but even more as a Father, after losing one of his daughters out of sight for over a decade.

Losing the respect from Anastasia, due to his drinking habit and constant miserable state, didn´t helped that in the slightest.

Nor did my outburst, if anything it just made things worse…, I haven't seen nor heard from Zeus in nearly 6 months…

Though, regarding the photograph he seemed to have been able to make a turnaround, most likely over the joy of having his daughters returned to his side.

I might repeat myself, but ever since that day at which we lost almost everything, Zeus hadn´t been the same man I learned to love.

But in hindsight, can I barely say that I am the same woman he must have once fallen for…, not for the last because of my words.

I have some major apologizing to do and I hope he can forgive me.

I would never want to leave him, I could not bear to see him like this and let him suffer alone, even if he got irascible and aggressive when he started to drink heavily, not that I couldn´t handle him, mind you.

A Valkyrie was more than capable enough to take out a drunken man, especially we Polar Bears, one could say that we are a rough Tribe, we often battle under each other to see who is the strongest, even as children, men against men, women against women and sometimes even team against team.

So yes, in Valhalla we Polar Bears were counted to the strongest warriors, so it was easy for me to keep Zeus in check, then again, he never really would have put up a fight against me.

He might have been the worst in his mood-swings, but he never went abusive to any of us, not me and thankfully not to Anastasia, even if she could get quite mean with him.

But I couldn´t bear to watch him destroy himself any longer and I also could no longer sit around doing nothing, so I went on my own search for my daughter those 6 months ago…, I think he might have misunderstood that as me leaving him, due to my words and behaviour…, at least Mayuri stated that he left shortly after me, to go towards Airedale, for whatever reason.

I occasionally met with him every now and then, more by coincidence, when I was away from the island to run some errands, but ever since those 6 months, as I was in Nippon, I hardly got any contact with him.

Not even Mayuri or Pablo had a clue where he was or what he did.

But I guess he made himself back on the search for Choco again, as so often, at the same areas he always has.

Just because, Norelia Oakstone, his home-village´s elder, told him so in an apparent prophecy, she was one of the sole other people which had survived the crash-landing of the Ursa Grande, alongside Pablo and our family, but died 9 years ago, …, maybe she only told him so, to make him feel better and to give him a purpose for the time being.

I was a little skeptical about her prophecies, as she apparently learned her craft alone, while most other shamans of the different Tribes had learned from Bunbart, as the only High-Shaman and Royal Counselor as well as Lore-keeper.

Even if, the Tribe of the Brown Bears had already an Elder who was an official and appointed Shaman, before she even started her craft, so yeah, I was skeptical about her, even if she was always nice to us.

Not that I would have told so to Zeus…, it was his only hope he had left of maybe, only maybe, finding Choco back then…., and to take that away would have broken him even more, than he already was.

Back then, he was in such a vulnerable state, that even an enemy would have had an easy way to defeat him, if he was caught off guard.

But he was still a trained warrior, he won´t die so easily even if ambushed.

Also, I bet, now that he and Anastasia have finally found back together with Choco, he will return, back to the Man, Warrior and King he used to be, and his pride as a father might return as well, when he finally opens his eyes and takes a look at who his daughters have become, in all this time.

And I had to apologize to Lady Norelia´s Grave, of ever having doubt her, after all, according to Sir Strongwing, Choco met her Father and Sister in Airedale, shortly before the commotion started there, this afternoon.

Which means, that her prophecy had been accurate, because when I shall be honest, Lady Norelia never ever specified time and place nor did she ever provided us with a precise date, at which we would apparently meet Choco again…, so in short, it could have happened either sooner or later than today.

Zeus was right all along to always frequent the same areas, then again, if we would have known about her transformation and her new look, we might would have been able to meet up with her far earlier than today, years ago already.

With that knowledge I will have to live, and I am sure that even Zeus will not ever forget it, but I knew he will not try to mock me all too much with it, or rub it into my face, when we finally meet up again.

A simple `I told you so` would definitely come, so much was clear to me and I was positive that once we would meet again, a fully reborn King Zeus Kodiak Garontrias will be standing before me, back to the man I married out of love, and with that triumphant grin he sometimes wore, just to piss me off, but I guess, this time I surely can laugh about it, he earned it.

And I think…, I would even forgive him for all the time he yelled at me, all the time he told me that I too was to blame for Choco´s absence, not only him, not that I truly assume that he ever truly believed that claim, mind you.

On the other hand…, I hope he forgives me that I ever said something so stupid to him.

I hope that once we re-join as a family again, things might be able to go back to how they were…, or at least some way along those lines.

As I thought about all that, I took a look upon the hills and meadows infront of the Yard of Mama Oonda´s Bamboo Residence, which was currently occupied by a large number of Kumears which ran all around, all assigned to do something, be it working in the smitheries to forge weapons for the upcoming wars, or for training themselves in the art of a warrior and an Orion Valkyrie.

For Warrior and Valkyries weren´t the same, nor had they the same way of fighting, still all of that established itself very late in the history of our race.

In history lessons, taught by Bunbart, I heard that before we tribes were united under Queen Panmora, we Polar-Kumears had been Conquerors and a savage tribe of merciless killers, at least in the eyes of other Races, but that was far from the truth, sure we loved to fight and did so regularly…, but we were also doting parents, always concerned over our children and our families.

The bonds within our clans and Tribe were stronger than the hardest steel…, we were only merciless when provoked and angered to the bone, or when we were in the face of enemies who threatened to kill our people.

Sure, under King Donduros Bearfrost´s Iron rule, many Kumears were forced to live the way and life of a Savage and Plunderer, always on the hunt for a way to keep the own family or the own clan and Tribe alive, slaying enemies and innocent people alike.

I honestly cannot imagine what kind of times these must have been, back then, as the whole Super-Continent Elysia was plunged into chaos and near endless war at all fronts.

Even the tribes often fought under each other, this luckily has changed greatly after the unification, after the Rebellion of the Polar-Kumear Malvina Orion, first of the Orion Valkyries and personal acquaintance to Queen Panmora.

The first woman to rise and start a rebellion to free not only her own tribe but also the other three, all of it inspired by Queen Panmora´s words

We all had a right to live, after all we were all Kumears.

But we Kumears weren´t the only ones on this world, what we Kumear could do might lack another race, likewise, what lacks us could be gained by collaborating with other races.

We all were Elysia, we all once were a whole before hatred, mistrust and greed divided us, before our sins took the better of us.

It was time to wallow ourselves in virtues once more.

"United we stand but divided we fall, all for one and one for all!"

Such was the leading sentence of all the previous Kings and Queens' speeches, once they ascended the throne.

It was a sentence which was carved into stone, right upon the main Gate of Jormungandr and within the podium of Queen Panmora and Lady Malvina´s Statue.

Especially, as Kumears, we Tribes had to stand together, rather than fight among us, if we wanted to survive the harsh climates of our previous home, Arsalande, high up in the north of Elysia, which was later, after the reign of Donduros Bearfrost and the changing climate, renamed as Valhalla, as part of the Abyssinia Empire.

Then again, even though we all were members of Valhalla, existed 4 different Cultures in our lands, dating back to the time of the diversions of the Tribes.

First were the rough and battle-prone Polar-Bears of Snowfall, high up in the north, whose children were raised in one of the harshest climates ever known, not to mention that they were raised as warriors, as soon as they could walk and talk.

All of the Valkyries and Warriors of my Tribe were taught under the capable hands of our teachers, selected by my Father, the late King Zentrix Gelatorias and his Father as well.

The Gelatorias family was perhaps the only constant family to produce Kings under the Polar-bears.

Different as in other Tribes did we not truly selected our Candidates for the post as Tribe-chiefs by votes, but we used a Fighting competition to do so, the strongest one who could defeat his opponent even without a weapon, was fit to become Tribe-Chief, while the others became clan chiefs.

Only when the Royal Selection was underway, we made the same by vote, just like all the other Tribes of the Kumears as well.

In our home there didn´t really existed a town like Clawstone, we had many settlements across the icy plains of North Valhalla, which each were led by one major Clan, the biggest being Tórnsberg, my Home-village.

Second in terms of different cultures, were the wise and meditating Panda-Bears of Bamboori, located in the far-east, who were masters of weaponless combat as well at meditating.

No one I know could meditate longer, without eating and drinking or moving a muscle, than the few Panda-Kumears I know.

The many Dojos-called training halls and temples in their main town, were all more or less governed by Bunbart Pandaria, as their Tribe-Chief, as well as his students.

He also held much at teaching and researching the History of Valhalla, all the knowledge of our ancestors, the lost magic they used to possess.

As back in the days of Elysia, Magic was far more widely known as it is today.

Many of the best Scholars in Valhalla were from the Panda-Tribe, but the Big Library of Zijincheng, the main Town, was known throughout the Savannah Archipelago and back in the days, as the Abyssinia Empire was still intact, many Scholars from all Races came to study there.

Bamboori had 3 major settlements which resembled each a tiny city, one each lead by one of the Major Three Clans, Pandaria, Lao and Gongmeng, together they were perhaps as big as Clawstone.

Every time a King was chosen out of the Panda-Kumears, the competition to that was made out of the two major Clans, who hadn´t been Kings in the 40 years before.

The Tribe Leader, is decided by a vote, which rarely anyone else than the Charismatic members of the Pandaria Clan wins, who were well versed in politics.

Not that the other clans did not put up a good fight, mind you.

The third ones were the strong and competitive Grizzly-Bears of Walden, in the deep South.

These Kumears never backed down from a fight if they were provoked, other than that they lived a life in the forests of Valhalla as hunter and collectors, as well as traveling merchants, their roles in their society were set in stone from birth and there were rarely any rebellions against that system.

Every role assigned was essential for the survival of the entire Tribe, as the different Settlements, which often were tenths of miles, often one-week-trips, apart from each other, had each different wares and products to offer, their economy flourishing through commerce under each other but also towards other Tribes.

They were known to be hardcore merchants, who never bargained with their prices, but also always delivered top-quality for whatever they sold, the Grand Market of Stonehang, the capital city so to say, which lied right in the middle of all of their Settlements was known for its diverse arrangements of wares from all around Valhalla.

In terms of Battle-proneness were they only second to my tribe.

Last but not least the talented scouts and marksmen Brown-Bears of Lakefort, in the wild west.

Apart from some smaller settlements around the branches of the River, Lapis, which led to the name giving big Reservoir Lake, Lazuli, named after the bluish stones commonly found in its riverbed, does their main population live in Greystone, their biggest town and also Zeus Hometown, built upon an island right within the huge Lake.

This Tribe lived from hunting and commerce with their wares, like weapons or other iron-goods, made from their smitheries, in earlier periods they crafted their weapons out of bones of large beasts or out of stone, which did not make them less deadly, mind you.

They also were very skilled in the crafting of artistic things such as beautiful paintings of the landscapes of Valhalla, painted with naturally made colors, sculptures made of wood or stone.

It is said that the current royal throne was made in Lakefort, almost a century ago.

Another thing, for which they were known throughout Valhalla, were the small golems which were given life via magic, taught by their shamans and which could live like that for ten years straight, until they seize their functionality and start to crumble away.

They were popular by the children, but the bigger models were also used to help with hard labor, for example when they are helping to build a house, the work gets done so much faster.

or as means of transportation, being it for public transport or the transport of goods from A to B.

Of course, cannot just everybody of their Tribe, or any other Tribe, learn and use such forces, I myself only learned it through Zeus mother, Lady Eleonora Garontrias, because she offered to teach me, as a wedding gift.

She herself learned it as a child from the Royal Shaman, back when her father was the King…

The secrets of this particular craft were so extraordinary and well kept, to avoid it being used for crimes, therefore was the price from getting help from such a golem and it´s Master quite high and the normal resident chose to rather build things with their own hands.

Weaving life into an in-animated object was extremely difficult, not to mention that you could basically only engrave one command into it at a time, you had to always erase the previous command to engrave a new one, unless you were a high-ranking shaman like Bunbart, who could do so with up to a maximum of 5 commands at once.

Shamanism was not a common religion in Valhalla, but it was practiced by all 4 Tribes, though some practiced it more and others less, still the origin was to be found in the Brown-Kumear-Tribe, before it was perfected by the Panda-Kumear-Tribe.

A deep understanding of the Nature was required to become a Shaman and it took years of training to master the vast number of forms and techniques.

The Golems for example, after nearly 3 thousand years of them existing, someone understood that they did not have to engrave the command in the golem itself, but rather, insert it into the golem, so that person came at the conclusion, that in order to change the command quickly, it would do enough just to ex-change the part were the command was written upon, instead of having to first erase that part, before writing a new one.

That was the beginning of the Golem-Masters to use cartridges in designated slots, each adorned with an engraved command, to use the golems for various reasons, however, even after understanding this, it lasted several decades more, until the first golem was built, which could absolve multiple tasks, following more than one command under this principal.

To be honest, I was totally astounded as I saw the Robots and Mechas of the Shepherd Republic for the first time, they were very similar to our Golems, but had an amazing versality of possibilities, they were by far, more advanced than anything we ever had seen before, their Artificial Intelligence was what interested me the most about them, they could even absolve tasks without their master being present, and on their own accord.

Still I knew, that they weren´t just used for hard labor, but in earlier times also to kill and suppress their masters´ enemies.

Of course, I did remember Bahamut, which, although a Titano Machinae, basically is some kind of Giant Golem or Robot, but I surely had not the time back then, to take a closer look at this thing, while it maimed our airship and killed our people….

Next to Smiths and artists as well as Shamans, the tribe gave birth to many masterful Carpenters, architects and other artisans.

Before Zeus became King Candidate, he spent his days with creating furniture at a Carpenter-store, as well as a hunter and collector, due to his mother being from the Grizzly Tribe.

The Garontrias Clan was one of many Clans in their Tribe and there was a constant change in whose Clan provided their leader.

After Zeus became King, some other Tribe was said to have overtaken the reign, as his father had already given of the right, when he appointed his oldest son, Kantor, before the same´s early death and Zeus ascension to King of Valhalla.

The current leader was a strong female warrior, so much was clear, just by looking at her.

Yes, indeed it was not a given that only always Men had to become Tribe Leader, it also often happened that Women were made to become such, for example, after my father´s ascension to King, his sister, Aunt Yule, became Tribe-Leader as well as Clan-Leader in unison.

I happened to meet her daughter, my Cousin Yrsa, earlier, together with her Family.

Yes, the tribes were as different as they come but we all were Valhalla, you could see that most in Clawstone, as a Town build by the effort of all previous Kings of all tribes, a Center of Power over the entire Land that was given to us.

Given to us as a heritage, by our one true Queen…

.

.

.

"My Queen, may I have a word with you?" I was ripped out of my trail of thoughts by someone speaking to me, shouting from beneath the balcony.

"Oh It´s you, Miss Chen-Lo, Miss Oolong, how may I help you two?" I asked the women as I stood up, carefully placed Mei on the bench we sat upon and walked to the railing of the balcony.

Though Mei moaned and sighed in discomfort, did she remain fast asleep, a scene that made me smile warmly at her, before I turned my attention elsewhere.

"It is about the new airship you wanted us to build out of the Lycanian Aircraft, it still needs a proper designation, rather than, .L.A., Reconstructed Modified Lycanian Airship, and we wondered if you would like to name it for that matter?" Lin Chen-Lo, a young Panda-Kumear-woman replied, while her assistant, Corina Oolong, another Panda-Kumear nodded, standing next to her with her clipboard in hand.

Lin was our very own royal mechanic, which had survived the flight from Valhalla as well, apparently, she lived all this time in Pharaoh in hiding, working for the Kurvaz, before she married an Engineer there.

With her help, her team and her will to cooperate with Rosalia´s team, as well as all the makeshift-smitheries which had opened here, as well as them all scavenging Skull-yard Bay…, much to Pablo´s dismay, as it was his treasure-chest…, it was just a matter of hours until the New Aircraft, rebuild out of the Lycanians Aircraft I had crash-landed, was finished, they even decided of working on the Ursa Grande, if they were already here.

And thanks to the special-time-rule in that area, we had enough time to do so, other than training our soldiers and the kids.

Then again, it were perhaps just these hours, before the hard times we awaited will catch up with us, just as predicted by him, I don´t know what will happen in the nearest future, but one thing was for sure, blood will flow and the deaths will be piled up high once more…, it was my duty to make sure those were not stacked on our side…, at least not too many.

So many people which I, my Husband, Pablo or Mayuri had known, survived and had arrived here on this island now, and all of them, even though I, as well as in the name of Zeus, apologized for not having been able to keep them all as safe as we should have, as their Queen and King, repledged their allegiance to me and my husband, to the royal pair of Valhalla.

Even though the selection for a new king was long overdue, did none of the remaining Warrior clans, of all the 4 Kumear-Tribes, tried to claim the Kingship for themselves, stating that they hadn´t truly been ruled by a King in the last decade, at least not for the full 10 years.

As I said before, despite all what had happened to us, to our home and the rest of the folk, did they all remained loyal to us, this was more than I could ever have hoped for.

Maybe it was also because of what happened before, not long after we re-arrived on the Island, greeted by an Armada of Airships, flown by hundreds of Kumears, as well as a very important Person walking among them…., and a very enraged Mayuri Oonda.

The Memory of that moment was still in my bones, even if I was not the one being yelled at…

Flashback, 2 days ago.

Saturday 14. September 1511 A.W. 12:00 pm, Mama Oonda´s Bamboo Residence:

"WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL WERE YOU TWO THINKING…, HOW DARE YOU BRINGING OUR QUEEN AND GUESTS IN SUCH DANGER…., AND MOREOVER YOURSELVES AS WELL!" The yell of Mayuri Oonda was audible even from the outside of the house.

It was as though the whole house and the entire island shook, through the magnitude of her powerfull organ.

I bet even at the edge of the village; people heard her ranting from atop of the hill.

"Luckily it´s not me who is being yelled on this time." Sunako exclaimed, as she looked around in embarrassment, her sister Mei nodded.

Their little sisters and brothers stood at both their sides, holding onto them frightened, while everywhere the busy Kumears had stopped dead in their tracks.

I had to admit, in that one moment I was not envious of Pablo and his son, I could imagine better things than to be yelled on by someone…., which in hindsight made me regretting to have yelled at my own husband during our last argument, all those months before.

"Geez, that woman has an organ, just as loud as ever." Banma stated while her sister nodded as both walked up to us.

"I always hated to be on the receiving end of her wrath, back in the day when she was our instructor…, she leaves no room for arguing, and at the end of every of her rants you just stand there unsure what just happened, not even having the words for a comeback." Baruma replied sighing.

"Pablo really has all of my sentiments in these times, I am glad that we never had such a fight before." Balder explained as he took Banma in his arms.

His brother Bantora meanwhile was at training the various Warriors who had arrived here.

"Well, we hardly ever are of different opinions and even if, we just sort it out together…, but Pablo, he is sometimes too passionate, so passionate that he loses all fear before any danger or possible consequences, and I guess he often pulls his son with him, and that's when Mayuri has to reign him in again, and I guess sometimes only yelling helps to do just that." Banma explained as she nuzzled in her husband´s arms.

"That may be as it is, but they should also consider how embarrassing that is for us kids when Mom yells…, not to mention during their intercourse at night, they are so loud that the entire neighborhood hears it.

We already have become the laughing stock of the neighborhood kids, and every time we get a new brother or sister the whole village already knows about it." Sunako stated her eyes almost hollow from shame.

"Yeah…, they even went as far as to call mom a breeding machine behind her back…, had to punch a lot of teethes out to make them stop saying that." She stated sighing, while Mei nodded, blushing deep red.

"I feel with you." I stated as I walked past them both, patting them on their heads, to observe the Kumears, which meanwhile had resumed their work after the first shock, of hearing Mayuri´s yelling after such a long time again, was overcome.

"Ah yes, the ups and downs of being married, from the beginning on it never gets any easier to handle." A well-known voice exclaimed with a snicker.

"Lady Taluvien, it has been quite a while, it´s good to see you being in best possible health and hopefully in high spirits." I replied as I turned around to greet yet another newcomer, up here on the outdoor-terrace of the Bamboo Residence.

"My Queen, it indeed has been a while, I´m glad to see that you have kept yourself healthy as well, how are the Children?" The Old Shaman and Orion Valkyrie in retirement exclaimed, as she and her son arrived.

The last time I saw her, she stood with her son and her dead husband in arms before me and Zeus, begging for forgiveness for her Husband Bunbart, who had been magically controlled by a puppet master, to betray his King and plunge his own home into a lost war.

"As far as I can tell is Anastasia doing just fine, though I rarely see her anymore, she seems to always be on tour, away from me…., as if she was embarrassed to see me…., Kodiak…, well it is complicated…, and Choco…, well I bet you are already aware of our circumstances, I assume?" I asked in shame and she nodded.

I was certain that she must have met up with Mayuri before we arrived here, so it was obvious that the same did told her most of what has happened to all of us.

"My condolences for all the hardships you had to endure…, but I am most certain that Princess Choco has survived and has grown up to become a fine lady, as much as I know Banmori, I bet that she did everything in her power to teach and protect the Little princess.

If she was the least bit responsible, she will have done anything in her capabilities to make sure that the Princess has anything she needs in order to grow up as a potential future leader, be it as queen or as an Orion Valkyrie." Lady Taluvien explained and I nodded in approval.

I was certain of the same facts, I trusted Banmori, more than most other people and until now she hasn´t ever disappointed me, she would never neglect her orders of keeping Choco safe and sound.

Her loyalty was something rarely found in this world, and it ran deep, very deep, it wasn´t even directed to the throne itself, but to me personally, at least so she once said.

"Indeed, my Daughter will never neglect her orders and moreover her own moral code and her ideals.

Especially not when the orders she gets are coming from you.

Her greatest wish has always been to serve you and she would rather die than failing you." A new voice explained behind us.

I looked to where it came from, only to see some new familiar faces.

Sorelia and Shanru Gongmeng, Banmori´s Parents who came along of Boka, Banmori´s Fiancée and Ruomei (18), Banmori´s little Sister.

"Sorelia, it has been a long time since we saw each other, 13 long years." I stated as I greeted my old friend, embracing her dearly, before saluting each other with the Orion Valkyrie salute, she and I had been in the same Group during our training and education as aspiring Orion Valkyries.

We were friends and Rivals who, through concurring with each other, became the two strongest Valkyries of our Grade.

That her daughter became my student and later on Guardian over my daughters, might have been destiny, more than it was a coincidence.

Back then as I found Banmori on the battlefield during the early days of the War of sun and moon, as a little child, I never knew who she was, until we found her parents, to me she was a child that needed protection from the chaos and gruesomeness of war, that was all that mattered to me in that moment as I took her by the hand.

"Indeed my Queen, it has been some while and as I see you kept yourself in best possible health.

You´ve got my condolences as well, but as I was saying, I doubt that the princess is in imminent danger, as long as my daughter is with her, and even if Banmori would have died while absolving her duty, would she surely have done anything in her power to ensure that the Princess is safe, even after her death…., you yourself should know best about her abilities, as her old teacher.

Ever since you saved her life, when she was but 2 years old and kept her safe for months, during the last war, you were her heroine.

Once we were reunited, she talked more about you than about any other person, she looked up to you, idolized you, ever since her 5 birthday she began to train and at the age of 15, four years after the war ended so far, she entered the Orion Valkyries, there she trained hard and finally came under your tutorage, before you became Queen.

In all this time she had always loved you and wanted to be like you…., I must admit I did become a little jealous about it." Sorelia stated her eyes watering a little, but she quickly wiped them away.

Even as old and mature as Banmori was, had I to remind myself that she too was someone's daughter and just like my own, missed since 13 years, Sorelia and her family, even if they kept themselves strong, must be worried sick as well, similar to us.

Especially because they already lost a child, their oldest son Shuvra, to the Lycanians, different from us or Mayuri´s family, who still were complete, more or less.

Banmori was surely missed too by many people, her Parents, her friends, her comrades in the Orion Valkyries, her Fiancé…, but I think most of all of who missed her, was it little Ruomei, for whom Banmori had been a mighty Warrior, a heroine herself.

As far as I could see had the little girl I knew, grown up to a fine lady herself, and as her sister and mother before, she too seemed to follow the path to become an Orion Valkyrie, as if she was determined to follow in her sister´s footsteps.

And the way I could see it, she was on the best way to become such.

She currently went training with a lot of other Orion Valkyries as well as the royal Warriors, after greeting me with the same salute as her mother did, before she joined the passing squad of young Valkyries.

Seeing all these people infront of me, who I thought to have perished in the destruction of Valhalla and the Ursa Grande, rose in me a question though, which I had asked myself ever since I met with the Lao, the Gongmeng, the Greyback as well as the Pandaria Family, or at least those members I had known.

"By the way, I just have to ask…, it has been bothering me ever since I met all the others at Skull-Yard Bay…, but where have all of you been the entire time, were you too somewhere here in the Republic, hidden from all eyes?" I asked Sorelia.

"Uhmmm, about that…., I think you better talk about that with someone more specific and acknowledged to tell you than me, as I still didn´t truly understand it myself, even though I lived there for the last few years." Sorelia stated unsure, fidgeting with her fingers as though she struggled with revealing too much towards me, even if I was her queen.

"Ah…, I see…., and who am I supposed to ask then?" I asked confused about her secrecy, it was not as if she didn´t wanted to tell me, it was more like she genuinely didn´t know, or was not allowed to disclose any information, no matter who asked.

"You will find her most likely down there, in the small tent, overseeing the training of the Valkyries and Warriors, as well as planning strategies with the Chiefs of the different Tribes.

I am sure they are already eagerly awaiting you, but I think they have not yet summoned you, in order to give yourself some time to cope with what is currently happening, after all this reunion had been planned for over 10 years." She explained as she pointed towards a small tent a few meters away from the newly appointed training ground, on top of a small hill.

The way she said that…, it made me think…, looking at her properly, also seemed as if I looked at an old woman, an elder who had seen so much, far more than in this decade even possible.

Just what happened to her in all these years?

"Yes…, that person definitely can tell you more about what truly happened to us, and she is eagerly awaiting you, make sure you get there as soon as possible, my Queen, she might have much patience but that one is surely not endless…, I will follow you once I am done Checking on the other Clans of our Tribe." Lady Taluvien explained, as she nodded in confirmation of what Sorelia explained.

"I thank you very much, guess I should go there then, I have left them without my presence for far too long already…, I got to see who is still on my side anyways." I stated though more mumbled to myself.

To be honest, even though most of the Families I have seen greeted me with friendly faces and indifferent to my role in the past tragedy, I doubted that anyone of those few new Chiefs, which I did not truly have met personally yet, would still stand loyal to my husband or even to me, after all I haven´t been there for them all in over a decade, neither me nor my Husband, they must loath the fact that our rule was still accepted by their Tribe-members, after all the reign-shift was long overdue.

"You would be surprised though, of how many of us are still loyal towards you, my Queen, even those in high positions." Sorelia stated as she and her family saluted before me, before taking their leave to return to their own tasks.

It drove tears in my eyes to see them still believing in me, even though I kind of let them all down for so long…, then again, I was just glad at all that they have all survived.

While I walked down from atop of the hill here at Mayuri´s residence, I wasn´t able not to look all around, watching as the island I knew for so long came to life, more than ever before.

I came across many locals who looked in bright interest about all the newcomers, who set up makeshift stalls, tents and who traded with special rarities, things even I hadn´t ever seen before…, it was my folk…, but I hardly recognized it anymore…, as if all of them changed…, all beside Mayuri´s family and mine…

Though the Locals did not seem to be all too bothered by them all, same as yesterday, as they helped the refugees of Nippon which we had brought along.

I had to say though, they were all quite cooperative, more than I had imagined myself as I thought of landing here, yesterday.

Not everyone would allow a few hundred, or maybe a few thousand, strangers to just set up camps near their village.

Luckily Norvak had a lot of wide, natural and unused meadows, so it was rather easy to set up a makeshift Military camp as well as a training ground and makeshift living camps, apart from the village but not too far, effectively building a little town made of tents.

Also, if you can use magic, it makes so many things easier, like building makeshift houses for more than one family.

Not all of the Kumears were Warriors or Valkyries, we also had a lot of Smiths, Carpenters and other artisans as well as a lot of Hunters, Collectors, adventurers, merchants and Farmers with us, who gave a helping hand to the local folk, all descendants of the Ancient Norvak-Tribe, consisting mostly out of Caninus, though there were also quite a lot of Felinekos present.

It was good to see that the Kumears weren´t wary of all those Caninus, especially when you remind yourself that some might have Lycanian blood in them, from far distant Ancestors who settle here, after the war, in hiding before the folk they were forced to persecute, as well as their leaders and the armies they had deserted.

I always knew that not everyone in Lycan´s army was there of their own volition, but once they were controlled or pumped full with drugs, this pretty much didn´t mattered anymore, they would become savage killing machines either way.

Those few who managed to run away, before succumbing to that fate, and hide effectively, must have managed to live on, even after Ragnarök fell, and must have over short or long created families with the local Caninus, under them surely also ancestors of the Norvak Tribe.

Norvak Island had a rather rural society and you rarely found a robot in all of the Korat Archipelago, it was so different from Pharaoh, or any of the other Islands I have been to, it was as though you took a time travel to an age where Robots barely had been invented.

An Age in which Caninu and Felineko had never truly fought against each other.

As far as I knew about the history of the Norvak Tribe, they existed out of the refugees which ran away from the several Caninu-Felineko Wars which had been fought here in the Shepherd Republic, even before the Shepherd Revolution.

Formerly it seemed that this Archipelago was mostly barren land, which no one truly cared about, I guess mostly because of the Active Volcano which rose above all the other mountains on the different islands.

For simplicity, the Islands had not each given a separate Name upon their colonization, but they were simply called after Numbers and the Cardinal directions they were in, the Island I stood upon right now, was South Norvak Island Number 5, the furthest island in the south, away from the center of the Archipelago and one of the biggest.

The Volcano-island in the middle of the Archipelago, where also the Main-seat of the Norvak Tribe was located, at its foot, was called Mt. Korat, and had as such the only separate name from all other Islands.

The Volcano was sacred, so one side of the story, another stated that brutal beasts and other strange phenomena appeared at its path to the crater, as if to defend it, which was one reason why none of the Norvak tribe ever dared to go further than to the foot of the mountain, at the very edge of the village.

Though it was well known that Volcano stone, as well as its ashes, were a wonderwork of nature in terms of Agricultural Field-maintenance, did none of the Local folk here even dared to come close to the Volcano to obtain such, mostly due to the warnings hanging all around the edge of the village facing said Volcano.

Even as fertile as those products were, it was strange that around the entire Volcano, in about 5 miles away from the foot, no a strand of greenery grew, it all was barren land to say the least, as if it was drained of life.

The fear the Locals had was evident in the reluctance they showed, when asked about the volcano…, originally, so old texts which I found in the main-library of the Archipelago, described that the Archipelago used to be one giant island, before the Devil´s Wrath coming from the fiery Mountain basically ripped the same apart.

Although it never was disclosed, what the ancient people really meant with the Devil´s Wrath, did I assumed that they spoke about the Volcano erupting…, but in regards of the events 2 years ago…, I was not so sure about it anymore, but I was not so keen to get myself a picture of it either way.

`Let sleeping Buffaboars sleep´, they say.

Ever since the island had become an Archipelago of 21 different-sized islands, 5 in each direction and the center island with Mt. Korat.

In that Context, it was more than just evident, that the people were afraid of the volcano, to a point they not even dare to come close to the mere foot of it, even building a village and putting guards infront of the sole entrance to the only path, an old road, naturally build by a lava-stream in ancient times, leading up to the peak, in order to keep anyone from reaching it.

The fear was real and still in anyone´s bones, even though the Volcano hasn´t broken out in the last 1.500 years, most likely even longer, ever since the island had broken off of Ragnarök, in the aftermath of the War of Sun and Moon, as Lunaris, or Shangri-La, as Sir Strongwing calls it, has been raised high up in the sky.

Shangri-La…

It was incredible and yet also a little frightening, to imagine that a humungous invisible Island was hovering right above our heads, in that regard, it was more logical to fear that, than a simple Natural phenomenon as a Volcano, who might break out someday, even though I could understand their fear.

There had also been a Volcano back on Valhalla, though the same was far more active than Mt. Korat.

Whenever Mt. Helheim erupted, the 4 tribes of Valhalla gathered together to quell the forest fires and to keep the residing villages in its vicinity, from being set ablaze by lava-bombs and the Lava-river.

We Kumears used the petrified volcanic ashes as well as the stones, for cultivating new fields, in all of Valhalla, even in the icy regions of the North, where the stones were also used as a way to heat up the houses, different as to all of your expectations, which you surely might have had of us, did we not lived in Igloos or Frozen Den´s back in my Home, no we all had either Wooden Cabins or stone-wall-houses.

We might live as Hunters and collectors as well as warriors, but we still aren´t savages…, not anymore at least, and that in the last 13.000 years.

Of course I changed my lifestyle greatly when I arrived at Jormungandr, as this place was so totally different from the places I used to know, In Snowfall everything was frozen and there were hardly real hot temperatures, not to mention the cultural shock I received when I first visited the town, luckily my Father had send me to an old friend of him, who lived there, to show me the ropes and help me out until I was accustomed to living in this town, afterwards I went to introduce myself to the Teachers of the Orion Valkyrie School.

The same happened to us here, what seemed to be common knowledge here in the Shepherd Republic, was sometimes completely incomprehensible for us.

We sure had a lot of problems and it lasted quite a while until we were ready to venture out of the island…, next to the language, eating and praying habits was just so many things different from what we used to know back in Valhalla, not to mention the fact, that we had to leave our home so abruptly.

After living for a couple of years here, my astonishment had not really been triggered much more, maybe I was finally used to this place, and I had already seen too many things as to be surprised anymore, I even had been in the Central Village several times, whenever Pablo or Mayuri had business there and I was home from my journeys and wanted to help.

The last time 4 years ago.

As I said before, I often visited the local library to spent the wait, while both were out shopping for things, mostly supplies for their Bath and Noodle-house which was well known in all of the Archipelago.

For the Rural Tribe of the Norvak, it had been something no one of them had ever seen, and although it seemed as though the folks were reluctant at first, to bathe together with many others, even though the baths were divided in genders, was it soon a common practice in the Archipelago to visit the Bath-house at least once a month.

Mostly to meet other people or friends and family from other islands and talk with them about many different things, politics, local news which had yet to make the round and were so easier spread than in the weeks before, talks about upcoming festivals and many other things.

Yes, what had been normal for us Kumears, was slowly so slowly adopted by the local folks as well, not to mention that Mama Oonda´s Noodle-house had become quite famous, even outside the Archipelago, due to many of the local pilots who visited other islands quite often.

In those times though, both parents and the children had to disguise themselves with their magic, which made it not so easy for them anymore.

But with us being exposed like this now, it didn´t really mattered anymore and they finally could be who they were.

Their life was saved, they had a roof and four walls, each one a job and the trust of the island´s folk, what more can you ask for nowadays, especially in our situation.

Although the two of them stood still loyal to me and my Husband, did they also said that they were unsure if they were ready to leave this place…, they had build up an existence here in the Archipelago…, and who was I to force them to give that up, not to mention that Sunako and Seichiro, and even little Mei, did had a few friends here, which they weren´t ready to leave behind.

At first I thought I had no other choice than to take Pablo along as his reasons to keep me safe were quite true, also since he was a skilled pilot it would make things easier for us to reach our goal…, but when I now look at how many members of our folk have returned to us all of a sudden, loyal warriors and Valkyries ready for battle, I wondered if I really will need his help anymore.

I think it is best to keep him here in safety, to make him stay here and protect his family along-side his son and Wife, this way not even Sunako has any more reason to come along…., hopefully.

"She shall have a future, same as all the other kids." I mumbled as I looked at where she surely was training right now, along of the other young and aspiring Orion Valkyries.

Keeping her here and in safety will surely put the mind of her mother at ease, and I won´t have to take away Little Mei´s father and sister and potentially risk their lives.

Pablo and Mayuri were the best friends I ever had and ever could have wished for, if they and their children were happy, so was I.

As I thought about Mamoru and the kids from Nippon, I felt a pain in my heart…., they were currently training under the tutelage of Monsar, Bjearn and some others of our best Warriors, just enough to defend themselves, though not enough to fight in a war.

But I wished they did not have to fight at all…, to be honest I hated the thought of taking any of the kids with me on the journey and I heard many complaints, from the locals as well as from some of the warriors and Valkyries, whenever that theme came up.

The kids of our tribes did not fight in real battles until they were of age, neither girls nor boys.

Like Sorelia explained, 15 was the age in which Girls were accepted as students for the Orion Valkyries, fighting in real life or death battles came at the age of 20, unless the flow of the war would require from them to fight as well, a rule which was established by the first one of us.

Malvina Orion established that rule to counter her own experiences while being in Donduros's army, being forced to fight as child soldier, fighting from the age of 5, alongside her even younger sister, being send to her death multiple times, but somehow always managed to survive, not without being throughout traumatized though, even losing her younger sister to this stupid wars.

Boys could enter the Warrior Academy at the age of 15, but most of the warrior clans already trained them by the age of 5, not much but just so they would have a real chance against the sons of Knights from the Capital.

In Valhalla there existed 3 Ranks of Fighters, for both Boys and Girls.

The first Rankwas the Rank of a Tribal Warrior, they were the once who set up the first line of defense and who engage the attackers and enemy Foot-soldiers directly and with near reckless ferocity.

The second Rank, solely on the male career-path, was the Rank of a Valhallian Knight, the second line of Defense, they, in War-times, were supposed to defend the citizens and the common people, as well as to make sure that in times of peace or distress, Law and Order was still upheld, they formed the overall Police-forces and Guardsmen-corps, as well as the Valhallian Army.

The third and final Rank for the males, was the Rank of an Einherjar, aka, Royal Guardsmen, they were supposed to defend the Royal Family and Nobles, their orders came solely from the King, or the Queen.

Girls on the other hand a had a little different path to go, after being established as Tribal Warriors.

Starting from the second Rank, the Rank of a Shieldmaiden, their function was essentially the same as that of the Valhallian Knights only that their focus stood on defending the mothers and the children especially, as they were the future of our kind.

Though it was to exclaim, that they were not supposed to neglect other people, male or female, they mostly work together with the Valhallian Knights and help to successfully absolve evacuations in orderly fashion.

The Third Rank for them was the Rank of an Orion Valkyrie, their main Focus stood on defending home and country by engaging the enemy, which made it beyond the first and second line of defense, they were to be equaled with the Einherjar.

There was only one last special Rank for a girl to reach, though this rank was mostly only ever reached by a Queen, or Queen-candidate, who was trained as such by the previous queen, the Rank of War-Maiden, this Rank was special as it incorporated both Shamanism and Weaponless combat and mixed it with the natural abilities of a top-tier Orion Valkyrie.

Shamanism was in such special, as only a handful people, who could use elemental magic to begin with, could use their powers for combat as well, Master Bunbart and Lady Taluvien for example were both ranked as War-Shamans, also known as Elemental Warriors, they were 2 of only 10 known Kumears, who reached this rank.

Knowing all this, the prospect of sending children to battle, who had no combat experience whatsoever, nor even ever trained for such, was obviously frowned upon and I bet many of them questioned my sanity, even I do so myself.

However, when I first explained to them that Little Mamoru was one of the Seven Swords, crucial to meet King Maranell´s son, which was proven so by Sir Strongwing, as member of the Silver-guard, the Einherjar and Valkyrie-equivalent from Shangri-La, they quickly reverted their complains and even began to say that this fact would change everything…

No for God´s sake…, it doesn´t change a freaking thing, it were still Children we talked about, even if I would take just Mamoru with me, which his sister surely won´t allow, without throwing the world´s biggest tantrum ever, it would still be a child which was coming with me, a child which I had to worry about.

But even more than that, was it the fact that this was the child of someone else I had to care about, the child of a woman I had promised to, to keep her Son and Daughter and all of the other children safe.

Moreover, Mamoru was a boy who just had reached adulthood, and who had still his entire life before him, a future yet unknown.

I understood Sunako´s complaints very well, and even if I told her that she was wrong, that I needed to take them along, was I really kidding myself here.

Maybe I needed to take Mamoru along, since he had a role, a destiny to fulfill, a destiny over which I had no real influence, but I absolutely didn´t wanted to take him or any other child along, what if they die, I wouldn´t be able to forgive me to have taken them in danger with me.

It was wise that most of the kids themselves refused to come along, even if they were concerned about the wellbeing's of their friends and school-comrades.

Still with Mamoru, Matoi, Nyanja and Monja coming along, I was gambling with the future of 4 children here, and the mere thought of that made me nuts.

But even more it made me nuts, to know that my own children were right in the same boat.

Because of that old dumb prophecy which Bunbart and his ancestors had spoken of and which I had once again, more or less, heard at Nippon from the oracle during the festival, I was sure that Choco´s survival and presence in this battle was crucial to either success or failure of this war.

Anastasia has finally found her again and I was sure she would never let her younger sister go alone, same as my Husband, which meant that my family was about to plunge themselves into battles, from which they might not even return, a battle that initially had not much to do with us.

If anything, it was more a revenge act of our kind, to enter this battle against the Lycanians, but since my daughters were in danger, I as their mother had to go, which in return meant that all those loyal to me would come along, as I was their Queen, my Husband their King and my Daughters their Princesses.

If only none of them were to go there, none of us would have had a real reason to fight…, then again, who am I kidding…, regarding the distance, at which the Lycanians had already advanced into the Territory of the Free-Regions, it was just a matter of time, until they would arrive here.

Not for the least, due to the fact that we owed much to the republic, many of us survived for the past decade, because the folks of the Shepherd Republic helped us, whether they knew of our true identities or not.

All of us were in danger, not just we Kumears, and I hated the thought of seeing them all in imminent danger.

My own children, as well as those of other families.

I was sure they would someday become someone crucial for their village and home, they will surely have a major influence on how that home is progressing into the future, just like Mayuri and Pablo.

In a way, they had become crucial towards the villages of the Korat Archipelago.

As I said before, Pablo was a tinkerer, someone who loved to tinker with all things mechanical, as an experience Blacksmith and engineer, he had a neat reputation in the village and among the other local smiths, who rarely forged more than shovels and other garden and field equipment's, Cow- and Buffaboarshoes, etc.

Mayuri on the other hand was well loved by the housewives of the villages, mostly for her special Valhallian recipes, for which she and Pablo often traveled miles, even at other islands in the Republic, to obtain the ingredients for, leaving the bath- and Noodle house in the care of their three oldest Children.

She even gave some cooking-lessons every now and then, which I attended too.

On the other hand, they were also crucial for the Norvak-tribe itself, because the two of them were the only ones who even dared to go near the Volcano, but mostly just because of the Stones to use them as heating stones for the bath house, but nowadays they also dealt in the commerce with Volcano ashes, for said field-cultivation.

Seeing what they have build themselves up here in the last decade, then I was most certain that I would not force them to return into my services, if they were to refuse to follow.

Not that I think, that they would flat out refuse me, but yeah, I am sure they have their second thoughts, I saw that yesterday as Mayuri announced for Pablo, under tears and sorrow, to follow me, helping me accomplish my goals.

And even if Pablo still wanted to accompany me, to repay any kind of debt to me, was I now sure, I would not want him to come along, they should all stay here and keep that existence, that life they had built together.

Heaven knows they have done more than enough for me and my family, to repay any kind of debt they apparently felt themselves to have.

I knew now, that I would not force anyone who would have to leave their families in order to do so, to come along to the future Battles, hell I would even refuse them if necessary.

All those who had started families and a new Life here in the Shepherd Republic should stay here and keep it safe from the still hidden Lycanians.

But who am I kidding?

A Kumear´s loyalty was something which was hard to gain in the first place, but even harder to lose.

Both, Mayuri and Pablo, already assured me that they would stay loyal to me and gladly provide me with any resource they could find and deem profitable for the New Valhalla, if there ever was to be one rebuild.

Prior to today, as I was still of the assumption that our both families might have been the last remaining Valhallians, I was even uncertain if I wanted to rebuild a new Valhalla somewhere.

Sure, on one hand I knew that Lycan was still on the hunt for us and that it was unwise to stay with so less people…, if I wanted to keep my own children safe, I needed an army, especially if we ever should face Lycan again…, but on the other hand, I was reluctant of relying on the local Norvak tribe, or the Kurvaz-militia, those innocent people who have nothing to do with our war against the Lycanians…., should such a time arrive.

Especially the Norvak-Tribe, they were all innocent and had not one thing they needed to pay us back for, if anything, then it was myself who was deeply indebted to the local folk, I should not pull them into my own problems, even as grave as they were.

Then again…, the Lycanians were surely not just my own problems, but a problem concerning all of Tailsworld, even I knew that.

But seeing all these Kumears infront of me now, I wondered if I then was allowed to pull them all back into the fight with Lycan…

As I was saying, I was sure that most of them had built themselves a life here in the Shepherd Republic, which they surely were reluctant to give up, at least those few who apparently had hidden themselves here in the shepherd republic.

Following Sorelia and Taluvien's explanation from earlier, this didn´t seemed to be entirely the case, at least not for a majority of them.

Still, just look at all these Kumear who started families with the local Shepherd-folks, who was I to pull those wives and husbands away from their families, into a battle with unknown results.

A Battle from which it was unclear if they might ever return from, a battle which might be the beginning of a new war….

On Valhalla we were all warriors, we were all more or less in the same boat and bound by ancient oaths, but here, mostly because of our decade-long separation, that game had shifted greatly.

I was unsure what to tell them all, as I finally arrived infront of the tent, in which I was supposed to find the one person, who would be able to tell me, how so many of my folk even survived in the first place.

Not that I was ungrateful for that fact, after all I thought that most of them perished during the Attack at Valhalla.

But yeah, I really would have liked to know why they never contacted us, so that we, Mayuri´s family and mine, could live among our people again.

That was the main Question I wanted to ask that person; I just hope I get a sufficient answer.

"M- May I enter?" I asked unsure, after one of the guards announced my arrival, I was unsure, worried, as I still didn´t know who exactly was currently inside this tent, waiting for me, or what I was supposed to expect anyways.

"Of course, we´ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival, Queen Tereza." A voice, unlike any I had ever heard before, rang out from within, it had an alluring and soft, yet somehow old and powerfull ring to it, almost tempting, a voice one wished to follow, if she would call you from withing a dark forest.

"Pardon my Intrusion then." I stated as I shifted the blinds at the entrance, now even less sure, of what would await me.

As I entered I saw some familiar faces, some of them must have meanwhile become the Chiefs of the different Tribes, under them also Lofi Gerekson, a good Friend of my late Brother Zoren, who overtook the leadership of the Polar-Kumear clans for the time being, as he and Zoren were taught by my father personally, to make sure one of them would rise up as new King-Candidate in the next election…, an election that never came.

I briefly got to talk to him earlier as he, his wife and daughter and his adoptive daughter Mooka (16), originally Zoren´s daughter and my Niece, arrived here on Norvak Island 5.

I saw Bantora Greyback, Baruma´s Husband and momentary leader of the Brown-Kumear Tribe.

A Warrior as out of a book, strong muscles, a grim expression on his face and words as sharp as razorblades…, at least when he was enraged.

In the earlier years after I met Zeus for the first time, I got to know Bantora as a kindhearted man, loved by the children of his tribe, the nice uncle from the other side of the river, I guess the war and destruction on Valhalla has hardened his heart and strengthened his resolve to take up arms.

He married Baruma, after meeting and falling in love with her during the Annual Warrior-Valkyrie competition, the same at which I got to meet Zeus.

Then there was also Almari Blackwood, A Grizzly-Kumear Valkyrie, who had apparently claimed leadership over her Tribe, after her husband died during the destruction of Valhalla.

Her face had something unforgiving, angry and dark within it, though I could feel that none of that was directed towards any of the here present people, but it was a feeling I knew very well myself, I wore the same expression whenever I thought about Lycan and his wretched breed.

She sat in a chair at the table at which they had all gathered around, a mighty Warhammer at her side.

Then there was a fourth and a fifth chair which both were currently unoccupied, which usually would have sported Bunbart, or Lady Taluvien, if the same was unable to attend the meetings, as well as me.

But instead of her, as she was most likely still visiting the clans of her tribe, someone else sat here at the table, in the last chair, the sixth one, someone I had never seen before.

But the aura this person radiated was completely unable to be mistaken, standing here, faced with it, made it unmistakably clear how insignificant my existence was, how far of a true ruler I truly seemed to be.

She had no need of mighty words or actions, this person radiated a dominion, a rule over the mere atmosphere around her, unseen to me, since my birth no other previous queen ever made me feel like this.

It was exactly that, that of which every girl ever dreamed of, that of which we Kumears loved and feared, awed and respected…

Which we craved to see once more, which we thought to have been lost to us for millennia, since its disappearance….

It was the Aura which was spoken and rumored of, written in detail in ancient texts, an aura revered and tried to be replicated by each and every queen, myself included, it was the aura of a real Queen….

Of a woman, whose mere name ran down a chill of excitement over our backs, which made the fire in our hearts burn and blaze brightly.

Which made all of us happy and proud to be Kumears of Valhalla.

The Aura of the one and only true Queen of Valhalla….

To be continued…

Hello and welcome to the 4th side-story, which plays right before the Kumears enter the Devil´s throat and so the Liberation War against the Lycanians at Ragdoll, I hope you enjoy this one too, and let´s hear your thoughts in a review.

Sincerely, yours truly, the Storyteller and his books.