Author's Note: So I finally managed to get another chapter up. So very sorry for being so late. Once again, I must say that Ragnarok is not my creation, property, etc. etc. I just really like writing about the world, and adding a few new characters into it. I hope everybody likes this chapter, so please, if you read it - REVIEW!!!
Chapter 16: Crows and cats
Fire followed Sara as she was flung by the crows away from Fayon. It singed her clothes and hair and she threw out a hand with a water spell that doused the flames quickly. She landed hard on the ground as the flames went out and grunted, then rolled over, cursing.
"Of all the gods' cursed…" She noticed another small section of flame trying to eat up more of her clothes and quickly squashed it.
"How in the nine hells did he summon a dragon? And not just any damned dragon… no, he had to summon Nidhogg… the greatest of dragons. Gods above and below…" She stood up, smacking at her clothes where the flames had been. She grimaced as she looked at the charred spots. Great, now she'd have to go and change before she could continue her task.
A light smattering of laughter echoed behind her, and she turned to see the crows still with her, in their human forms. She cocked an eyebrow at the pair.
"So what do they call you two? The Mischievous Meddlers?" The female-looking one laughed at her comment. She looked at her companion and shook her head.
"No, not quite. But we are messengers. And part of our message at the moment is that it would not have done to have you die. You are still needed for the strands of fate to unwind properly."
"Unwind properly? What's that supposed to mean?" The male-looking one shook his finger at her.
"None of that now. You should know that mortals aren't meant to know what the gods are planning. They just need to play their part."
"And just what is my part?" Sara was beginning to lose her amusement at the ambiguous phrases. She started tapping her foot lightly against the ground. The woman laughed lightly as her partner grinned.
"Your part is to continue as you have been – being Mistress Sara Irine of the Valkyries."
"That's it? Just continue to be a Valkyrie? What's the catch?" But the woman was shaking her head at Sara.
"It would be best for you to continue your task appointed by Freya. She will forgive the small delay. She must, for you could not help it this time." The pair exchanged a look full of meaning and amusement. The woman's partner moved father away from the conversation, as if readying himself for something. Sara's gaze moved between the two of them.
"Excuse me? From what you're telling me, I should just go on my merry way and forget any of this just happened. Are you crazy? There's no way I could just go back to monitoring Fenris Fenrir and act like that Chaos person didn't just summon Nidhogg. I don't think so." She shook her head vehemently as she spoke. Her right hand strayed to her swords, unconsciously comforting herself.
"That is exactly what is expected of you. Enjoy your mission, Daughter of Fayon." The two messengers leapt into the air, turning into their crow forms as they did. Sara stared, aghast, as the two just flew off without answering her questions.
Messengers and their secrets, she muttered to herself. Looking around, she tried to figure out where she was. There was nothing that she could see that gave her any idea about what area of Midgard she was in. Or if she was even still in Midgard. She sighed. Even if Freya decided not to notice the fact that Chaos had taken her off guard with the dragon, she still shouldn't waste any time getting back to where she needed to be. She took out a new talisman card and spoke the incantation to activate it.
"Gir ørns vinger til jord. Vender tung tenne, og gir friheten." As the talisman glowed red, eagle's wings grew from the earth to float t Sara's shoulders, lifting her off the ground. She murmured the spell that would allow her free movement to fly where she needed.
"Valkyrie's Wind!" She turned towards the south and flew, following the talisman that still followed the reincarnated wolf god.
Freya woke Sara again through her dreams. Sara was dreaming of her mother, and woke when her mother's face turned to that of the goddess. She sat up quickly, panting and sweating, hoping the change wasn't an omen, or something forgotten. As she sat, she heard a whisper on the wind.
"… Sara… …Sara…"
She listened very carefully once she'd heard the words echoing.
"Hello? Who is this?" she whispered back.
The goddess Freya appeared in front of her, mist swirling around the goddess as she appeared. Sara immediately prostrated herself in front of her.
"Mistress Freya. What a–" Sara's eyes went straight to the two creatures sitting by the goddess, one of her hands resting on each head.
"Cats, ma'am?" Freya smirked.
"What a cat indeed, Sara Irine. Have you met my precious pets yet? This is Bast," she said, indicating the enormous cat to her right. The cat stretched, and smiled, baring her fangs at Sara.
"And this is Virote," she said, gesturing to the other cat with her. Virote walked over to Sara, raised up on his hind legs, and flexed his claws in her face. Sara backed away hurriedly, flinching her face away from the animal. He turned and yowled to Bast and Freya. Bast yowled back in a silky voice and Freya smiled.
"How was Fayon, my dear?" This caused Sara to smile viciously.
"I said hello to Daddy for you, Mistress," she said with a nasty grin. Freya raised an eyebrow at her.
"Oh? And was he happy to see his darling daughter?" There was a short burst of laughter from Sara.
"Oh, yes. He was ecstatic. He even gave me some sparkly magic to let me know how much he'd missed me." Freya gave a mock gasp.
"Awww… how kind of him, welcoming his daughter back to her hometown after ten years with magic…"
"It was very pretty. I gave him some of my own back in return. I don't think he liked my gift, though. It wasn't quite as pretty as his was," Sara said as she made a face of mock-rejection. This caused Freya to laugh and her cats to purr.
"Clever girl." Freya frowned suddenly. "What's the matter? You seem to want to talk about something that happened." Sara nodded, not surprised by the perception of her mistress; she was a goddess after all.
"Yes, Mistress. There are two things, actually. One as regards my father and Fayon, and the other about the Norns and gods." Sara grimaced as she struggled as how to best approach each subject. Freya waited patiently for her to begin. Sara decided that she had just better go straight to the point.
"I have a half-sister. I met her briefly in Fayon along with Baldur's reincarnation. What are my orders concerning them?" Freya nodded at the information.
"We'll get to that. What was the other thing you wanted to discuss?"
"The Crows, Milady. The mentioned something about the threads of fate not being completely unwound into their proper future yet. That and they teleported me to somewhere in Midgard's desert. Uninvited may I add. What should I do the next time we meet?"
"The Crows are involved now, are they?" Freya looked thoughtful. Bast and Virote looked towards their mistress in concern. "I thought something was up." She looked to Sara again.
"What did they say? Anything of the outcome of this battle? Or who the other players will be?" Sara shook her head in regret.
"No, nothing. They asked me a few questions, then told me to continue just being myself, Valkyrie, and things would unravel as they should. They are very annoying, Mistress. Are you sure that I can't just get rid of them the next time they interfere?"
"No, no. The Crows are messengers of the gods, and demi-gods themselves. You'd only make them angry."
"Yes, Mistress. Have my orders changed?"
Freya considered Sara for a moment. Her youngest Valkyrie had indeed suffered set-backs lately, most uncommonly. Of course, she could not help the meddling of the gods, or that cursed Valkyrie Deliyyja.
"No, your orders haven't changed as regards Baldur's reincarnation or Fenris Fenrir. Continue to follow them. If they lead you to the Heart, take it from them." Freya smiled at the thought of having the Heart to bring Ragnarök about, signaling the beginning of her reign as Supreme Goddes.
"And my sister?" Sara ventured.
"Yes, your sister is an interesting case. Feel free to fight her, but do not kill her at present. She may be willing to turn Valkyrie like her elder sister. Or she may give interesting information if the price is right." Sara bowed, growing angry.
"But, ma'am, my sister doesn't deserve to live. She has done nothing that could excuse her continued existence. She is not strong." Sara said, vehemently.
"Hush! I said no killing your sister! You've been an excellent Valkryie, Sara, don't ruin it now by insubordination to your goddess," Freya said in a low, controlled voice. Bast and Virote left the goddess' side to circle around Sara. Sara stood perfectly still, not wanting to anger the giant cats.
"Yes, Mistress. But what of Nidhogg, Mistress? I had no idea that Baldur's reincarnation would be able to summon something so powerful. Especially since he does not know that he is Baldur yet. My spy talismans have found no surge in his mother's energies, which means that she hasn't tried to contact him yet. How is such a thing possible, Mistress?" Sara said quickly, diverting the conversation onto another topic less threatening to herself.
Bast prowled back over to Freya, growling. Freya rested her hand on the cat's head, stroking lightly.
"Yes, my dear. Nidhogg is disturbing. But don't worry, I won't let that great dragon eat you. I'll roast him for you when the time comes, and you can eat tender dragon-flesh for the rest of your life." Sara stood in the background as the goddess baby-talked to her cat about eating a dragon. Not exactly the oddest thing I've seen, she thought.
"Leave Nidhogg to me, Sara. You just concentrate on completing the assignment I gave you. If you do get a chance to get close to Sentinel Breeze, feel free to get it for me. But for the moment, you are not to kill them unless absolutely necessary." Virote left Sara and went back to his place at Freya's side. Freya smiled slightly at the cat, nodded at Sara, then disappeared into a golden-red haze, leaving the same way that she'd arrived. Sara slumped back down onto her bed. She had been lucky, again. The Mistress' temper was not to be toyed with, even unintentionally.
"I'm tired..."