Author's Note: A small look at my wish list from this last year- 1. To own Ragnarok 2. To own Love Hina… and on it goes. Did any of my wishes come true? No! I don't own Ragnarok or Love Hina, or any of my favorite mangas ye!t cries But anyways, enjoy the chapter, and please review.
Chapter 11: 'You Must Find Sella...'
Century hurried back through the forests, his thoughts off of Sara and back on Deliyyja once again. I hope I haven't left her alone too long. Please… not too long. The time seemed to stretch out, and finally, too frustrated with himself, Century stopped and conjured up a transportation spell.
"Sammenbruddav Materie i et Andre," he muttered, and an instant later he appeared in the hallway outside of the Valkyrie's Suite. Opening the door cautiously, Century ventured inside. Inside were the remains of Sara's earlier rampage. Torn bedding hung from table and chairs that were in splinters. Tapestries were shredded and ornamental bowls and vases lay shattered and scattered all over the room. Walking carefully through the room, Century noticed a pool of blood not yet dried. Putting one finger to the blood and brining it to his nose, he sniffed.
"Hmmm… not Deliyyja's. Must be Vættfang's from her temper-tantrum." He wiped the blood off on a tattered shred of sheet and continued to where he had left Deliyyja. She still lay there. He knelt down next to her and put his hand to her check, and was alarmed when there was no reaction. Hastily, he picked her up and murmured the transportation spell a second time. This time, they appeared in Deliyyja's private suite.
Deliyyja moaned as he set her down on the bed. Forgoing any more spells, Century hurried into another part of the suite and gathered up a pitcher of water taken from the Storm Springs, a few towels, and bowls. He went back into the bedroom to find that in the few minutes he'd been gone, Deliyyja had progressed from moaning to also twisting the bedding around her.
"No, Del! Don't do this to yourself!" Century whispered in dismay, his past coming back for an instant. He shook off the moment and picked up the pitcher. Pouring water into one of the bowls, he poured power into the water. Not his power, but the purple power, Deliyyja's power, that she had pout into him as a reserve. He continued to pour in power, even as Deliyyja continued to writhe and moan. She needs the power now, but I haven't pulled it all out. Is this enough? He looked at the bowl of water before him, and to his relief, it held a violet tint that swirled and changed hues on its own.
"It's enough," he breathed in relief. Sitting on the bed next to Deliyyja, he picked her up and set her in front of him, her back to his chest so that he could prop her up and help her to drink.
Before trying to get her to drink, though, Century did use a touch of his power to calm her enough so that she wouldn't choke. After she calmed, he held the bowl to her lips and let the water slide down her throat drop by miniscule drop. She swallowed convulsively, and each time she coughed, Century hastily took the bowl away from her and waited. After each coughing bout, he brought the bowl back to her lips and continued to help her drink. When the water was gone, Century laid her back down and pulled the bedding over her.
Then Century went over to a recliner in the room and sat down to wait. What did Freya do to Mistress Deliyyja after I left? She could easily have died when I was occupied with Mistress Sara Vættfang. Century stared at the bed and worried and thought. It was very unlike Deliyyja to be caught unawares by anyone, even her mistress. Deliyyja coughed and Century jerked in the chair for a moment before realizing that nothing was wrong. He sank back into the chair and continued to watch over her.-
-
Deliyyja dreamed after Century had forced the water down her throat. She dreamed of the past, the present, and more importantly – the future. Skuld, Norn of the Future came to her and drove away the demons of the past from her dreams and spoke.
"Be at peace, Deliyyja, for the time for you to go to the black god has not yet come."
"But how can I know that? I mean, besides you telling me? Freya did something to me, and it wasn't just strangling me with magick," Deliyyja sent a doubtful look at the Norn, while at the same time trying to remain respectful. Skuld after all did know her future.
"Yes, we know. It will keep you from pursuing Sara Irine until you find a way to reverse it."
"Can't you tell me how? Please!" Deliyyja pleaded with the Fate, the other two Fates, Ur of the Past and Verdandi of the Present idly sitting behind them, listening intently.
"I'm sorry, no. Sella must help you. He is the only other one who can help take off the curse. He is near, but still so far away."
"Sella?" Deliyyja asked in surprise and confusion. "B– but he's dead!"
The Norn of the Past stood from her position.
"Dead? Dead in a way, perhaps, but has waited… yes, waited, sister, to be awakened."
The Norn of the Present stood also.
"He waits. He woke for an instant, but fell asleep again. He waits for Deliyyja Talistra to awaken him."
Deliyyja stood in confusion before the Norns. Sella? How can he be asleep and waiting for me to wake him? He died! I saw him stop breathing! Freya showed me the explosion and the house collapse on top of him!
Verdandi, Norn of the Present spoke, "She doubts. Doubt is human."
"She will need that humanity to confront Sara Irine and Freya again. Too many doubts, though, and she will fail." Skuld stopped and seemed to listen to something.
"We must go. Freya becomes suspicious. Find Sella. Awaken him. He carries the power to heal you," and with that, the Norns disappeared and Deliyyja awoke in her bed. Sitting up with a small groan, she looked around the room. I'm not in the Valkyrie's Suite anymore. How– She saw Century sitting in the recliner, asleep, and smiled. Of course. Century would never let me die. She looked to the side table and saw the bowl and pitcher and towels. The bowl to her eyes contained a violet tint. Huh? The water from the Storm Springs doesn't hold magick…
She slowly climbed out of bed and stumbled over to Century. Poking him in the chest, she chastised him lightly.
"Wake up, sleepyhead. What kind of guard are you? Sleeping when your patient's out of it?" Century blinked blearily at her.
"Whu– huh?" Deliyyja continued on.
"… you never know what kind of crazy person might just come in here and murder me while I'm trying to recover. And of course you'd still be sleeping there, oblivious." Century's sleepy look vanished and turned to one of alarm as he comprehended who was standing in front of him. He face flamed when he realized that he had fallen asleep. He jumped up and began to hurry around the room, straightening up as he apologized.
"Forgive me, Mistress. I was irresponsible to fall asleep while watching over you when you were injured…"
"Century -"
"I'll go see to the straightening up of the Valkyrie's Suite…"
"Century -"
"… in just… a moment," Century finished weakly. "Yes, Mistress?"
"It's very nice that you want to be all servile and such, but could you explain to me where Sara went?" Century gulped and looked at his feet.
"I, uh… I got mad when I found her in the Map Room. She's with Michaela and Lucifer now." Deliyyja look at him sharply, focusing on the latter half of the conversation.
"What in Valhalla possessed you that you would put Vættfang with the parents of two of the very creatures she tried to barbecue? Do you know what they might do to her?" Deliyyja looked at Century with a sly look all of the sudden. Century looked back nervously.
"What?"
"How did you get her to go meet Michaela and Lucifer in the first place? You don't even like being in the same room with her when you have amulets on for protection, and all of your amulets and spells were gone," Deliyyja's look implied the lewdest scenario and Century backed up and step, hands in the air.
"It wasn't like that at all, Mistress. As I said, I got, uh… mad. And then Mistress Sara Vættfang got angry also, and uh… we got into a fight." Deliyyja stared at century in disbelief.
"You… fought with Vættfang on your own? And won?" Shaking her head, Deliyyja walked back over to the bed and sat down. Century took on Vættfang? This is just another in the long list of things that shouldn't surprise me about him, but still does. Century followed Deliyyja, head bowed in regret at disappointing his mistress.
"I am… am sorry that I was unable to keep her here, Mistress, but Michaela and Lucifer insisted on guarding Mistress Vættfang." Century took a peak at her, and saw Deliyyja still sitting on the bed, with her head bowed and shoulders shaking. Is she crying over my news? Look at what I have done to her. I should have had Michaela and Lucifer watch Vættfang here at the castle. He reached out his hand to comfort her, then thought better of it, and snatched his hand back when her shoulders shook harder. Deliyyja looked up, a giant grin on her face.
"That's awesome! We never believed that you had that much power, Century. How did it happen? You must tell me everything." She patted the bed next to her. Century looked on in confusion. What just happened here? I thought she was crying, and instead she was laughing? Deliyyja frowned at him when he didn't immediately sit, and Century hurriedly sat at her side.
"Now – tell me everything, Century. And after you tell me everything about your encounter, I will tell you about mine." Century nodded, took a deep breath, and began.
"It's not too long, really, Mistress. I found Vættfang in the Map Room as I said, and tried to joke with her about her reasons for going in there. She had been seeking a person in the city of Fayon. She tried to dismiss it, but when I held up the image of the person that her mind had been searching for, she seemed very intent on examining it even while professing no interest.
"I don't know what came over me, but I wasn't afraid of her in the Map Room. Maybe it was the fact that the Map Room is immersed in your power, and I'm comforted by it, or maybe it was seeing Mistress Sara not be able to harness the full power of the Map Room. She had not seen the figure of that person until I held it to her, because the Map Room would not let her; in fact, it threw her backwards. She landed very ungracefully for Vættfang." Century stopped there for a second as Deliyyja broke out in full laughter.
"You're telling me that the Map Room threw Vættfang on her butt because it didn't like her? By the gods, that's rich! But please, continue," Deliyyja choked out.
"Yes, Mistress. Anyways, Vættfang grew angry that I would ever speak to her in such a way, and decided to 'discipline' me. I can't say that I didn't deserv–"
"Century… just the facts, please," Deliyyja said.
"Yes Mistress. She cursed me. It was a curse that looked like a giant black crow. So I created that shield you told me about, but when the curse hit the shield something changed in me. I can't say what, but I know somewhere in my head I can remember thinking that Vættfang was no longer in the best interests of you anymore, and therefore must leave the castle any way possible. So I fought her." He stopped talking and after a few seconds, Deliyyja gave him a look.
"That's it? You fought her?"
"Pretty much. I mean, I know my hair went black, and so did my eyes. And instead of being just black, my power was tinged purple and scarlet. And I think I used two spells that I've never even heard of before." Deliyyja look down at her hands, disturbed. Century from this view could easily be my equal. Who is he?
"Which spells? Do you remember?"
"Yes, Mistress. The first one was 'Silent Thunder' and the second was 'Mindless Chaos'. Vættfang tried using 'Crimson Pyre' on me after I used the second of the spells, but instead of me being consumed by the fire, it was Vættfang herself that was engulfed in the fires. Was my information useful? Or do I need to go and sit in the snow for a while?" Century looked at his hands while he waited for Deliyyja to pronounce his fate.
Deliyyja looked at Century. Silent Thunder and Mindless Chaos were two spells that were reserved for noble members of the sorcerers. She didn't even know of the way to summon them. Century, what am I to do with you? You have been with me for years, and I feel like I haven't even scraped the surface of you. She leaned over and hugged him. She wasn't going to worry about it now. Not when she needed a friend, and he was already here. Too many Valkyries had lost loyal people by doubting needlessly, and she wasn't going to start. Century started and looked up at her with a surprised look.
"C'mon. Let's go get some food, Century. I'm starving!" She jumped up and grabbed Century's hand, dragging a very surprised man behind her. I'll worry about this whole Century and Sella problem later. After food… and nobody had better interrupt me before that happens, she thought with a grim smile.