Author's note: I own none of Ragnarok or its characters, but Deliyyja and Century are mine. Many thanks to yra for her continuing support and ideas. Oh… and I liked the way you put my neck cracking in the latest chapter of your story, Out of the Abyss. I'll try not to do that so much in the future. This chapter takes place while Century is heading towards Deliyyja. Sorry if it's kinda confusing in the storyline part, but this is where it belongs.

Chapter 4: Sara In the Meantime

Sara raged at the walls after Century left.

"I hate Deliyyja! I hate her, I hate her!" She picked up a vase that was sitting on an end-table and flung it against the wall. The resulting crash didn't make her feel better; it did make her want to destroy more things though. She looked around and spied another vase.

"…hmph." She picked that one up as well and threw it at the same place she had thrown the other one. She screamed in triumph and rage as it hit the wall and shattered, spraying pieces of porcelain everywhere with the force. She continued to pick up things around the room at random, flinging them at walls, the floor, ceiling, and other objects. It no longer mattered if they broke, just as long as she could throw it and it hit something. After exhausting her available array of objects to throw, she began throwing spells, shredding fabric and rending wood. Wind runes were added to the mix and she had a veritable hurricane in her room, ruining what Deliyyja had wanted to stay nice. After a little while she ran out of things to destroy so she just stood there and looked around, chest heaving as the runes died. The room was in shambles.

She tried to calm herself down as she walked slowly around the room, examining her handiwork. The bed no longer looked like a bed. The coverings were shredded from magic, and all of the vases and ornamental objects broken from being thrown against the walls or other objects themselves. The bed frame was splintered and ripped apart by the magic that she had flung around after exhausting her supply of breakable objects.

"Ugh. There's nothing else to break. Might as well take a bath and figure out how to get out of here. Freya's not going to be happy with the delay, so the shorter the better." And the sooner I can break Deliyyja's neck for keeping me here and interfering, she thought.

Sara went through the double doors that led to the hot springs and walked to the benches lining them. She took off her two swords and laid them carefully on the wood before undressing and stepping into the water. She hissed between her teeth as her legs touched the steaming water, but before she had gone even a foot into the baths, she jumped completely in, forgoing a slow entry.

"Ahhh…" she expelled the breath on a long sigh of pleasure. I know I should be focusing on revenge right now, but this just feels… so… good! She relaxed in the water for a few more minutes, floating on her back, and just enjoying the feel of the warmth sliding down her arms to her back and along her legs. After those few minutes though, she gave up on relaxing and washed quickly before dressing once again. Bikini… soft armor… overcoat… swords. The same old routine.

"Deliyyja… can you hear me? I'm sure you can. Why don't you answer me, Deliyyja?" Sara spoke into the silence, sure that the other Valkyrie was listening. And if Deliyyja was listening, she would answer. Oh, not by coming herself, but surely by a speaking spell.

"Why hello, Sara." Deliyyja's voice boomed in the air. "Are you finding your suite comfortable? I hope so. The little ones went to much trouble to get it ready for you. They thought of every possible amenity that you might need. Is it satisfactory?" Sara's fists clenched at Deliyyja's condescending sound.

"Why, yes, of course." Sara said sarcastically. "Why, the bed is a mess and none of the things in my room are in one piece. Of course it's satisfactory." Sara felt something running down her fingers and looked at them. Blood? Hmm… when did that happen? She looked at Haeryongdo, realizing that she had been clenching the blade in her hand, not the hilt. Well… what did I expect? Haeryongdo does cut through stone. She giggled a little as she watched the blood continue to flow down her fingers, holding her hand up in front of her face. Adrenaline was kicking in, and she ignored the wound, concentrating instead on the fluid coming from it.

"Sara? Are you still there? You didn't hurt yourself when you destroyed the room, did you?" Deliyyja's voice broke through her fascination. Awww… leave me alone. Sara made a face as she continued studying her hand.

"I'm still here, Deliyyja. And I'm perfectly alright. Now, down to business before your minion gets back to you. Why am I here? You should know better than to interfere with Freya. By the gods! You serve her! Why are you doing this? Do you want to die?" Sara resumed studying the blood, absently fumbling in her rune pouch for something to stifle the bleeding. Red was such a pretty color…

"As I mentioned earlier before you kicked us out, Fenris Fenrir, Sara. Why would Freya send a mighty Valkyrie to simply watch Fenris Fenrir? She has dozens of spies that she could send to do that if she only wanted somebody watched. No… Fenris must frighten Freya somehow, and I think she means for you to kill Fenris. After she leads you to Balder, of course."

"Be careful how you speak about Goddess Freya, Deliyyja! She will not tolerate this!" Sara's voice rose with each indignant word. How dare Deliyyja speak like this about Freya, Sara's foster-mother! Freya would not stand for it, and neither would Sara. Freya didn't have to take in Sara all those years ago, but she had. And no one was going to mock her! Sara's hand at her rune pouch stopped its quest for a healing rune and rose up to take Haeryongdo from the other hand, clenching it. Instantly, it began to bleed from the cut the blade made into the palm of her hand. Sara looked down in surprise, then walked over to the ruined bed and set down the sword. She held up her hands and put them together, and the blood ran in rivulets down her arms.

"Oh, come off it, Sara. Freya isn't going to be hurt one tiny little bit because I noticed her little plan. She might be a little disappointed that I pointed it out to you and ruined her fun, but not hurt. And it's not going to ruin anything, because I agree that Fenris could be a problem, and most likely will be if we let her get away. But…"

"Oh, don't you 'but' me, Deliyyja! I'm tired now, and I don't want to hear your theories. You stay out of my business and you won't get hurt. I don't think Century would like it very much if I would have to hurt you. So let's not make me do that." Sara's arms were now a brilliant red. As she looked at her arms, she felt a spark of power in the rooms. Hmmm… what have we here? Not quite as powerful in the disembodied speaking area as I thought. What can we do about that? Sara looked at her arms, and then reached with two bloody fingers into her runes. Pulling out a rune, she flung it at the place where the power signature was.

"Vættfang Control!" she shouted.

In her office, Deliyyja was flung back into her seat. She sat there, gasping for breath.

"Yes, she's definitely our Vættfang. Spirited. Gives her power something extra. Just what I need. Hmm…" She chuckled to herself. Yes, yes. My plans for Sara are just beginning. Now, where is Century? He should be here by now. She sat there for a second.

"Oh, no. Not again, Century. Where is that man?" Deliyyja counted on her fingers. "Five, four, three… two…" the door opened, and in rushed Century. She smiled at him.

"Hello Century…"