Kara screeched, "Arin, I will enjoy *KILLING* you slowly in my next life several times you fucking cunt! I gonna stick your fans so far up are ass you'll taste the blades. 3, 4, 8 kill these bitches!"
There was still a dead silence and Kara looked like she was processing something from the link from her remaining team.
Arin just triumphantly stated, "At least I have a cunt you stupid slut. I have my whole division of 60 here against your 4. Also, Sir Wallace and the entire hall are at my command as well. You just got fucking OWNED you bitch. Don't EVER FUCK with me again, the new order or the twin sisters of light and dark."
Arin the announced loudly turning her attention to those surrounding her, "3, 4, 8 has defiled the hall and drew blood from their own. They have also endangered its inhabitants. Upholding your creed and all that is just, and the gods you serve, the NEW ORDER, I call upon you, Division 12, to KILL everyone in 3, 4, 8 but LEAVE Kara because she's mine!"
"Shit Bo," Tamsin said through her gritted teeth while pushing Bo back to see eye to eye but Tamsin still had one of her arms loosely around Bo's waist, "we're in BIG trouble. Gods why did you have to come along succubus!"
Bo was now acutely adept at translating Valkyrie and took that to mean, 'I love you too much to put you in harms way.' That alone warmed Bo's heart in a way.
"You *DO* care and I love you too. You're my bonded partner, so why not?" Bo backed up a little looking into Tamsin's beautiful green eye. She missed them and she missed being that close to her. Bo realized that Tamsin expressions and actions just now showed a deep concern for her, it demonstrated a love that never got taken away. Tamsin may have lost her memories, but love transcended those, because LOVE was more than just a bunch of memories although it did help to have them.
Tamsin and Bo then heard Arin's orders to kill all of Kara's unit.
"Bo CONCENTRATE. We need to back this down NOW," Tamsin informed pushing Bo off her, "I know that look Arin has, she knows and you and I are here and she's about to start a revolution and NOW is not the time Bo. Got it?"
Bo nodded confidently and composed herself. "What do you need me to do?" Bo asked.
"Just back me up. You're their god. Order them stand down!" Tamsin said urgently turning to Arin, "I'll take care of my sister."
Bo was deafened by the war cry of all the Valkyries, the clatter of swords and shields. The warriors from the hall looked on and cheered loudly as all of division 12 clashed with the remaining 4 who formed a defensive box with their backs to each other.
Tamsin rapidly disappeared into the field of Valkyries.
"Stop!" Bo yelled but no one seemed to heed her. The Valkyrie's were so concentrated on the task at hand, they couldn't hear her.
"STOP!" Bo yelled even louder but it was still drown out of the cheers and sounds of war.
Bo was mad that no one was listening to her and hated to see all this unnecessary violence, finally she yelled one more time with her eye's turning red with anger and a voice octaves lower, "I SAID STOP! You're goddess *COMMANDS* you to stop NOW!"
Her voice boomed and echoed shaking the hall. It deafened everyone.
It had the immediate reaction where all stopped their fighting and genuflected before her, even the warriors from the hall. 2 Valkyries of 3, 4, 8 were already dead but 2 were bleeding out profusely and stumbled a couple paces before falling on the ground dead as well. Tamsin was yelling in Arin's face blocking her from getting to Kara. Kara was sitting on the floor jeering Arin to kill her.
Arin stood still in her fighting form and just thought of the many ways to slowly and painfully kill Kara as the Valkyries clashed.
Tamsin caught up with Arin and stood in the way of her getting to Kara.
Arin was flabbergasted but yelled to Tamsin, "Are you defending this piece of shit Tamsin! You KNOW what she did to me right!"
"No, Arin but kill her Freya's way! Quickly," Tamsin yelled above all the clamor.
"No! You CAN'T take this AWAY FROM ME Tamsin!" Arin hollered pushing Tamsin how didn't back down. "You KNOW how much she put me down and disrespected me!" Arin then heard Bo voice ordering everyone to stop.
"I KNOW! But don't become her ARIN! Don't sink to her level. You do that, at the end of your life times you will go to hell … LIKE ME!" Tamsin pushed her back aware that it was silent again.
Kara spat back sitting up with her dagger, "Yea as long as you are in the sister hood Arin you stay alive YOU will be in hell. MY HELL! I'll get the last laugh after I sent Tamsin to hell and you will live in mine." Kara cackled.
A plume of smoke arose in the middle of the room and everyone knew who it was.
ODIN.
Tamsin was mid argument with Arin when they both saw it.
Tamsin yelled at everyone, "KNEEL EVERYONE! KNEEL NOW!"
Their only chance to avoid from being wished dead in an instant was to appease Odin although he had no claim on Freya's orders. Even so, Odin was still powerful enough to kill several orders by himself in hand to hand in addition to his powers.
All the warriors in the hall did the same.
Bo caught up to Tamsin and chose not to kneel as Odin fully took form. Bo yielded to no one.
Tamsin was so accustom to kneeling to Odin when the crap hit the fan, she too found herself genuflecting to his almost formed image.
Odin in all black formal attire with his brown almost black eyes slowly surveyed the sight before him.
His nodded to Bo but his eye's stopped on Tamsin who was looking at him. All the other Valkyries cowered before him and looked down.
Tamsin came to the realization that she was FALLEN and hence didn't need to, nor was it appropriate kneel to Odin.
'Oppps' Tamsin thought to herself but quickly needed to recover without making a scene. It was then she shifted her stance towards Bo bowing her head down to look at her boots.
Tamsin knew that since Bo and her were bonded to some extent, Tamsin really served Bo. She hated to kneel to anybody, but for some reason, it felt ok doing it for Bo. Tamsin really had no idea why. She internally sneered at the same time at the situation but Odin was never to be trifled in the context of this grave situation.
Bo never saw Tamsin so compliant before, but knew she was probably complaint for a reason since her dad was the one who could just wish her dead. She also felt so undeserving when Tamsin adjusted her stance to genuflect in front of her bowing her head in sincere reverence and respect to her.
Odin finally broke his empty stare at Tamsin and proceeded to address everyone loudly and unfeeling but looked on at Bo, "Kara has communicated me that rebels from the supposed New Order had come to Destroy the Hall and its inhabitants. I felt your presence my Ysabeau afterwards. Care to fill me in on what is going on?"
Bo felt uncomfortable being addressed directly in an accusatory manner, but more so it was the fact that Tamsin was still kneeling at her feet.
Bo turned to Tamsin first, not getting flustered and spoke in a decree, "Tamsin, you are my bonded partner. Rise. You are my *EQUAL*. There is no need to bow or cower before me out of fear."
Tamsin thought that was not only quite nice of Bo, it was also a gutsy move and she liked that. Essentially Bo just told everyone in the room that Odin and even Freya to an extent had their orders respect them out of fear. Bo wasn't like that. Bo's respect came from people willingly giving it to her without expecting anything in return. That was noble of her.
Tamsin stood up and pecked Bo on the cheek, returning her glance at Odin and glibly stated in an aloof manner, "Hey *DAD*. Just lost one of my contact lens. I was just trying to find it…."
Bo quickly whacked her arm lightly to prevent her from pissing off Odin more.
"OWCH Succubus!" Tamsin squealed jumping back a step, "Did you miss taking your meds this morning for that nervous tick you got?!"
Odin showed no feeling in any of his expressions but responded addressing Bo, "Tamsin can be quite a handful. She has a god complex, doesn't listen, and is adamantly stubborn. It's any wonder she's still alive."
Bo hated it when people disrespected her Valkyrie or anyone in her family for that matter and responded in kind, "I see where she gets it from. She must learn from the BEST."
Odin just blankly stared at Bo but Tamsin did and eye roll and Arin snickered at the ground in addition to several of the warriors in the hall joining in.
During the Odin and Bo stare-off, Tamsin leaned over scrunching her face and whispered into Bo's ear, "Should I be keeping score here Bo? Talk about *ME* shooting off my mouth."
Before Odin or Bo could continue, Kara yelled out, "We are ambushed by the whole 12th division! We held out as long as we could Odin! I beseech you to release your wrath on the 12th!"
Odin just ignored Kara and looked at on Bo but demanded, "Ysabeau, you are my blood daughter. While I hear things thought the link, I need to know. Are you here to do harm to this kingdom and why are you here?"
"Well *DAD*," Bo explained calmly," I am only here to help out Tamsin, the Valkyrie you made fallen as well as Arin. I came because Tamsin needed help to save her and preserve Valhalla. While I don't know the whole story, feel free to ask Arin."
"Arin belongs to Freya's order and Tamsin belongs to ….. YOU. Right now I only have Kara's word and there is no one left in my Order to refute it," Odin said with vaguely serious stare.
Kara just cackled.
Bo thought quickly and looked at Hildr. She was keeling on the ground before Odin but was ok, "Ask Hildr then?!" Bo demanded.
Odin just paused and replied, "She has taken a vow of silence and although I hear she can speak through General Fei that itself is an anecdotal account."
Bo then replied back knowing that Odin was purposefully testing her, "Then I will PROVE to you whatever Arin tells me is correct. While she has never sworn her allegiance or fealty to me, she is Tamsin's twin sister who *HAS*. Their bond that goes beyond fealty and even that of the sisterhood. She therefore represents Tamsin in her absence and I trust her the same. She is one of my own."
Odin just did a very slight nod with a slight grin at the challenge.
"Arin," Bo announced turning to her as she knelt, "RISE and come forth to me. Tell me what happened."
Arin felt flattered that Bo considered her family. She stood up with a brisk, confident motion, she strode forward sharply like she was under the orders of Freya and abruptly stood at attention before Bo and stated boldly, "My unit responded to Hildr. She contacted me via the link and I could feel her sense of urgency although she didn't speak as if she was in grave danger and something was very wrong. As such, I requested the whole division to converge on the hall. My unit was the first to arrive to see Hildr fighting one of Kara's unit with already several arrows in her. The other 2 guards under Odin assigned to the hall were already dead in an apparent ambush. My unit and I arrested the fighting and Kara told me that she was killing Hildr and all her sympathizers to protect the inhabitants of the hall since Hildr and those assigned to guard the hall weren't real Valkyrie's and didn't deserve to be guardians of the hall. I engaged Kara in hand to hand and won."
"Who gave you the orders to come to Hildr's aid and take up command of an entire division to slaughter 3, 4, 8?" Odin asked curiously to Arin.
"No one gave me orders. I was protecting Valhalla as per my creed at all costs unlike Kara who didn't get orders but chose to spill the blood wantonly of her own sisterhood under the same god" Arin stated and then Kara cut in.
"LIAR!" Kara yelled in her pool of blood to which Odin bellowed loudly, "Silence!"
"Give it a break DAD. Arin's UNIT saved your precious hall and all its warriors and not the division. ASK any of the warriors. As for proof, you probably heard Kara call out to you initially that Arin's UNIT ambushed her. Kara had no idea Arin's division arrived since she was blinded in her fight with Arin," Bo mentioned stepping in front of Odin's vision.
Odin just nodded slowly.
Bo continued, "Also you probably heard the Valkyrie chatter that Arin was fighting Kara in a fair 1 to 1 standoff," To which Odin gave another nod as Bo kept going, "So then if Kara and her team were really ambushed, then why was there a fair fight to the death? All bets are off in an ambush. Even then, if Kara wanted a fair fight with Arin, she would have killed all of her unit, but Arin's unit and whole division is still here."
Odin then said critically, "I wanted proof, and whispers and heresy. Kara did tell me that 15, 12, 3 did ambush her unit which is hard to believe since Arin and her unit is of the lowest order but it did come to me directly from Kara. There is nothing to support a FAIR fight between Arin and Kara. Kara is a honed 3rd order Valkyrie and Arin, even Tamsin, isn't nearly as skilled. Kara had to be overwhelmed in an ambush in order to be taken down."
Bo looked to Kara still bleeding out but now on her back and still in the process of dying.
It was then Bo strode rapidly next her Kara and proclaimed, "Look at Kara's injuries," Bo pointed sharply, "they are from a SINGLE type of weapon that isn't a standard weapon for a Valkyrie. The others in Kara's unit do show that they fell from a sword and dagger fight but these, are from a razor sharp steel bladed fan. Arin! Demonstration please?"
Arin adeptly reached into her boots and pulled out her fans and expanded them still stained and dripping with Kara's blood. She then proceeded to do a combination of well-practiced moves with the fans which included several spinning kicks.
"Thanks Arin." Bo smiled at her and Arin quickly holstered her fans and stood at attention once more.
Odin nodded lifting a brow and then asked, "You only just proved that Arin had a fair fight with Kara but who ambushed who is still up to speculation."
Bo turned around and surveyed the area once more and then yelled an order, "All Valkyries with bows, show me one of your arrows and hold them up high!"
A heart beat later a sea of arrows were lifted into the air from their kneeling position for those that had bows. It all showed a gold vane and a standard silver tip.
It was then Bo walked to Kara's quiver and pulled out a single arrow. The arrow had a black head and a black vane. Bo held it high and turned around displaying it slowly for everyone to see.
"THESE arrows belong to *YOUR* orders looking at its colorations ALONE, Odin. IF you observe, it is the same arrows in the 2 dead Valkyries at the door and the SAME ones I bet in Hildr. So let's stop screwing around and call a spade a spade? You can't fucking control your own orders and you're just deluding yourself thinking or believing otherwise," Bo concluded tossing Kara's arrow lazily at Odin's feet.
There was a silence as Odin and Bo stared each other down.
In the middle of all this, Tamsin realized Bo forgot to tell all the Valkyries to put away their arrows. The longer they were held up, the longer Bo was essentially rubbing the fact she was right in his face. When Odin's temper flared, it was bad and thought best to avoid it.
Tamsin, then, in the middle of the silence, addressed everyone in an informal manner, "Put your arrows away." And as if they were ordered, did so sharply.
Orin finally spoke after more silence ensued, "Your account of events, my daughter, leaves out one key detail. I felt 4 of Kara's unit die nearly all at once AFTER I felt you arrived. That still points to her unit being overwhelmed all at the same time. Tell me Arin," Odin said diverting his gaze at Arin, "by all accounts, it seems that you engaged Kara first, sadistically torturing and mauling her, then after your supporting division arrived, they then proceeded to kill the remaining of Kara's unit as if under orders. You admit not getting any orders to do so but yet someone gave a verbal order. Did YOU order the slaughter of my unit when Kara was already made an example of and you had the full division to stop further bloodshed?"
In the back of the room, a loud Valkyrie voice could be heard and all heeded for her immediately adjusted their stance to kneel before her.
"That's enough Odin! Arin and her division are MINE and I am accountable for them. I will NOT let her be treated like a miscreant!" Freya's voice echoed in the hall along with her 2 guards following behind as she advanced to the center of the room to join Bo and Odin.
"The Heroes of the Hall, LEAVE US!" Odin barked. There was some grumbling that followed but they all did as they were told and ventured back into the main hall.
She stopped in front of Arin and smiled slightly in reassurance and then stated softly, "Arin, I have heard the accounts of several of the Valkyries via the link in the division in addition to most of Bo's testimony backing up all those events I didn't have."
Freya then looked on to Bo and then Odin and finally asked Arin, "You defended and saved the Hall. You responded to a call to arms from Hildr knowing full well that no other Valkyrie would respond to another without a voice. You demonstrated leadership and courage and Odin and I are grateful. However, you are part of my order and we are as such held accountable for all our actions, because the ends never justify the means."
Freya paused as if wondering how to phase her statement and finally spoke in an authoritative and formal voice, "Arin of 15, 12, 3, did you secure the hall and THEN gave an order that killed the remaining Valkyries under 3, 4, 8?"
Arin felt miserable. While she wasn't a failure in securing the Hall, she did fail the expectations of her god, Freya. She knew she was going to be punished for this and there was no way around it.
Tamsin and Bo looked at Arin with concern, both knowing that they were helpless to backup Arin's action for kill all of 3, 4, 8. Had she been in Odin's camp, this might have passed without incident, but Freya held much higher standards. In addition, she killed Valkyries that rightly belonged to another god.
Arin finally looked back and locked onto Freya's eyes and announced for all to hear, "Yes, I secured the Hall however Kara not only threated to kill me and my unit in her next life but, in addition, she ordered them to kill everyone in my unit even after she was defeated a couple moments ago." She hated to admit she was wrong but in order to protect her division, she added, "This was my decision alone and I take….. "
Arin learned from her sister to avoid things head on that she herself was not willing to face but this time, for the good of the new order, Bo and her sister Tamsin, she cleared her throat and continued speaking up for all to hear, "I take FULL responsibility for my rash actions."
Kara, smiled and laughed weakly since she was fading but moaned, "You will pay for this Arin now AND in the next life. May the gods show NO mercy on your pathetic and pitiful soulllll.."
Everyone just ignored her comment and the hall fell silent.
Freya actually smiled at Arin and patted her shoulder as if saying the right thing redeemed her in some way.
Turning purposefully Odin, Freya stated to Odin, "Odin, Kara and her unit of 3, 4, 8 were foiled in their attempt to destabilize and possibly collapse the kingdom of Valhalla. Because of Arin's heroic and valiant efforts, this was summarily averted. Kara, for leading this deserves her current life to be forfeited without possibility of rebirth. It is your prerogative what you do with her remaining unit for their willing and complicit participation. I will have Arin be relegated to solely serving her sisters in Valhalla for the remainder of her current life time. She will never be allowed wield a weapon again or leave Valhalla while in this capacity. Do you agree with this arrangement?"
"Freya, I agree with you as it pertains to Kara but I have a WHOLE unit that is gone, that and the fact that no one filled in for Tamsin since we have not had our trials yet," Odin offered cold.
"Nooo Odinnnnn," Kara moaned out reaching her arm out vaguely in his direction, "I'll do anything, just don't take my livesssss… pleaseeeeeee. I… (cough) beg of you."
Odin looked over his shoulder in a snapping motion showing some annoyance to Kara, "Kara, you should feel privileged that I don't let Arin torture you more before you die for the last time!"
Arin felt even worse. She never tortured anyone ever but she wanted Kara to die slowly with the most amount of pain possible a couple moments ago. It all stemmed from the fact that Kara consistently put her down and showed her up on purpose to make herself feel better and more powerful.
Kara, was one of her nemeses, and Tamsin did her very best to protect her, but there was only so much she could do.
Odin calmly then turned his attention back to Freya, "We need souls of heroes, the GREATEST heroes, in order for this kingdom to remain viable. It will take maybe a year and a half to get those I resurrect in 3, 4, 8 to be trained and able to work for me again. I need competent Valkyrie warriors now since we are beginning to fall behind on collecting souls for the Hall."
Freya seemed to understand what he was getting at but chose to make him vocalize it, "So what do you propose?"
"Making Arin never pick up a weapon again in this life time is purely a waste of talent. Maybe I underestimated Arin. If she is able to defeat Kara unscathed and has the ability to lead an entire division, I require her services to collect souls. It is apparent she has eclipsed her sister, Tamsin, and will take a place in 3, 4, 8 until the trials are over. Even with this we may still fall behind. A unit consisting of a single Valkyrie aren't effective in large scale battles. She will probably be teamed up with 4, 1 8 for those."
Tamsin and Bo dead panned to Freya who looked down to consider this.
Bo grabbed onto Tamsin's hand reflexively and Tamsin's grip tightened onto hers in response.
'SHIT Arin! I spent all my fucking life times keeping you out of all this evil CRAP, and here you are diving in head first! What the heck was going on in your head to slaughter 3, 4, 8 AFTER your division surrounded them!' Tamsin relayed quickly at her wits end in total bewilderment.
'I'm …. I'm so so sorry sister, … I … I ….. I love you,' Arin stuttered back equally stunned.
"On the condition that she not be forced to break her EXISTING oaths she took for my order. Otherwise, Arin is yours to command until the trials are over and someone else takes her place. At that point, it will be HER choice which oath she will take up, yours or mine if she can rightfully advance to your order," Freya offered confidently.
Tamsin broke her grip with Bo and rushed forward placing herself between a shocked Arin and stoic Odin. She had done it so quickly that she had little time to process what she needed to say or do.
"NO!" Tamsin shrieked pointing aggressively toward Odin, "Get your fucking evil talons off of Arin!"
Tamsin knew after she said it, it was only going to strengthen Odin's resolve to keep Arin. Tamsin needed to offer something more and it was something that she swore she would never give him.
Herself.
Everyone looked onto Tamsin, the missing Valkyrie and bonded partner of Bo Dennis, the goddess of the new order. Tamsin's face contorted with pain and anger at the situation at hand.
Bo couldn't believe it and nor could anyone else as Tamsin slowly genuflected in front of Odin. She slowly and with pain registering on her face saluted him as if she was in his order once more.
"TAKE ME INSTEAD," Tamsin said gritting teeth looking at the ground.
Bo started to seethe with anger. Tamsin was HER Valkyrie and after all these months of freedom from Odin's dreadful reign, she was going back. No one was allowed to have her.
"Very amusing," Odin replied without feeling, "you're fallen and you became that way because of your disobedience to ME."
"I am the Missing Valkyrie who is MORE powerful than several first order Valkyries COMBINED. I have more power than anyone in your fucking order! I'm even more powerful than an entire unit," Tamsin looked at him but still kneeling parroting what others said about her. She kept her anger in check though, since she really had no offensive weapons that could defeat Odin but Bo did.
Bo drew her dagger Destiny and leapt into action quickly sliding in front or Tamsin and Odin. Bo's eyes were borderline blue and red and spat out angrily pointing her dagger to him, "Odin! I don't care if you are my Dad!," but Bo's tone changed several octaves lower and her eye's and body glowed red.
"How dare you even contemplate to take that is MINE! Tamsin belongs to *MY ORDER*, the NEW ORDER were I will reign supreme. I have seen the future and *I* am GOD HERE! *I* sat on your throne ODIN and ALL BOWED TO Meeeeeeee! For *I AM* what is foretold to arrive to fruition in your ancient texts. ONE KINDOM, ONE CODE and *ONE* GOD! ALL under ME!"
Odin closed his eyes briefly and a fierce wind whipped through the room and the skies darkened.
Bo laughed maniacally and pulled chi briefly from all the surrounding Valkyries in the division. Her glow only got brighter almost blinding.
Through all this, Freya yelled and communicated her orders and a sea of Valkyries thrust their shields forward with their swords drawn toward the front and bows toward that back.
Freya's 2 Valkyrie guards locked their shields together with their spears forward but Freya was in front of them. She then effortlessly vaulted 12 feet into the air and back floating and levitating most of the way. Mid way in the air, Freya drew her gold plated long sword which glowed blue and she also pulled off her ornate golden shield from her back and mounted it on her arm as well. She landed several feet behind her own guards in a fighting stance
Bo resisted the harsh winds standing her ground and then in a booming voice which deafened all bellowed deeply, "Freya, your orders belong to *ME* remember?!"
The wind howled and Bo attacked Odin who used his cane to defend himself, but was cut when he proceeded to attack Bo. Bo laughed and swung once more breaking through his cane which looked enchanted at well since it had a red glow around it.
Bo was on the attack as she wasn't going to let Odin win this time. No one messes with her family and no one ever, EVER messes with her bonded partner.
Tamsin was HER Valkyrie and NO ONE was allowed to have her.
"Destiny!" Odin exclaimed to himself in genuine surprise retreating and reverting to using his cane as 2 short staffs.
Arin and Tamsin stood up and looked on with weapons drawn not knowing how to proceed.
Arin was Freya's, AND Bo's … and NOW Odin's to command.
Tamsin was equally torn. She swore fealty to Bo and knew deep down she was hers but she just pledged her allegiance to Odin. Family, which was her sister Arin, came before Bo and that decision was coming to haunt Tamsin now.
An entire division of 60 awaited a command, but whose command would they follow? There were 3 gods vying for power at the same time and none seemed to be an obvious choice.
Bo and Odin stayed engaged in the fight with no one was winning or backing down for the moment. The tide of this battle was in the balance on how each god played their hand and if a full scale battle did ensue, would there even be any winners?
By Arin keeping to her creed, she saved Hildr and the Hall from possible destruction and preserved the careful balance in Valhalla but ironically with her ONE misstep in which she killed all of Kara's unit, she did more damage than 3, 4, 8 ever could.
A/N: Sorry posting on the run again. Correcting grammatical errors in the coming days. Comment please! Favs and follow also welcomed too.