Disclaimer: This is considered canon for all past and future chapters. I do NOT own Valkyrie Profile. If I did something VERY DIFFERENT would have happened in Valkyrie Profile and I would be writing new games rather than fan fiction!
A/N: This chapter actually gave me a great deal of grief, it didn't come easily to my mind. I really would appreciate any input there is to say about my writing style and the portrayal of the Characters. I am, for the most part, pleased with the result but if there is a great deal of room for improvement I would like to act on it. So please, if you read, review!
"Again, Lady Lenneth," Freya tried to be patient but her tone revealed that her impatience was getting the better of her right about now. She had to continue convincing herself that there were worse things that could've happened; they were not totally at a disadvantage despite the death of Odin or the unsuitability of his successor. Previous to her ascension to All Mother, Lenneth had been the acting Valkyrie, a goddess of the sixth rank amongst the Aesir. To their fortune in the aftermath of Ragnarok she was able to easily grasp how to weave the magic of creation within her inherent materialization prowess. Recreation of Midgard was a steady process that showed considerable progress however there was a notable need for restoration of the ranks. Gods that died in Ragnarok needed to be replaced, or if possible, reborn. Among those was the fragmented soul of Hrist, Lenneth's sister, the only Valkyrie they had left. Lenneth could not be put in danger by sending her to Midgard as a Valkyrie and with Silmeria gone it became crucial to restore Hrist in entirety.
However, creation of a divine body was not like the creation of mortal flesh, something which was obvious from Lenneth's recurrent failures. Freya simply could NOT allow her to touch Hrist's soul without knowing that she could seamlessly restore a broken soul into a perfectly sculpted divine vessel. It was not only erasing the existence of the elf but making the soul and physique strong enough to support Hrist, and through her, all of the Chosen she'd select. It would be worthless for Lenneth to create a vessel for a Valkyrie and have it fail to support all the Einherjar. She pushed Lenneth because she had to, Lenneth attain a power that was typically learned over years, not days or weeks, and never learned before by any but Odin. Even she herself could only try to guide Lenneth, not knowing firsthand about the power of creation.
Lenneth's perfect face was composed, controlled and reserved, she didn't show a bit of despair for all her failures but her eyes had heaviness to them that belied the concern she felt. Freya was tempted to push her to practice the weave again but she backed off, knowing that the All Mother was not prepared to resume. That too took getting used to, that Lenneth was the All Mother; Lenneth listened to her out of respect but Lenneth no longer had to answer to her. She felt that perhaps it was time to move onto something else, some other responsibility. Her mind instantly began juggling the multiple duties and responsibilities that was left to the ruler of the Aesir. They were discarded one by one until her mind focused on an easy enough task, one of dictation and judgment than strength or ability. A responsibility that fell upon her as the All Mother AND Valkyrie, "There is the manner of dealing with your Einherjar," her mouth curled into distaste, "the remnants?"
Lenneth's eyes gazed at her with notable reproach, almost blazing with silent fire in their depths. She was defensive, quick to shield Arngrim and Mystina. Freya disliked the situation, disliked how it forced her hand. They were bound to Lenneth, and as Lenneth's place was now here in Asgard, so was the place of any Einherjar she had with her but those two…
Freya refused to accept them until their transgressions against Hrist was dealt with, until retribution was enacted, paid in full, "Lady Lenneth, I do not believe you fully realize the gravity of the situation, of what YOUR Einherjar did to Hrist," she paused as if to put emphasis upon her words, "Hrist's soul lies fatefully balanced upon the edge of an abyss between complete disintegration and death. The fragmentation is so severe that we can only materialize it and each time we do we risk losing more of her, like water sifting through one's fingers. Time is of the essence and the only long term solution to rectify this situation is to reconstruct the body of Valkyrie but we only get one chance, ONE, Lady Lenneth. The elves of Alfheim have agreed to offer one of their own to this sacred rite of rebirth but we cannot waste the Sacrifice. Nor will Hrist be able to weather more than one attempt at soul transfusion. So much rests upon this act, upon you; it must be perfect, flawless in entirety. "
Lenneth had heard these kinds of words, if not these EXACT words, from Freya so often that she knew not only their content but also the myriad wordings used before they were uttered. There was no need to reply despite the fact Freya was just as wrong as she was right. Correct that it was important, imperative, to restore and revive Hrist despite what she had done to her. The former battle maiden felt a shiver shift through her form as she recalled the memory, which is where Freya was wrong. Lenneth DID understand the detriment Hrist faced, having experienced a similar turn of fate herself, when Hrist had shattered her soul. Only the efforts of her loyal Einherjar, the ones Freya condemned, had saved her and perhaps…the actions of one other.
Lezard Valeth
The thought of his act stilled her reproach as all the cruel epithets fell silent before reaching her lips. His act had been sacrilege, in violation of divine law but it had been one which had spared her, and through her, Midgard. A world which held her upmost regard whose inhabitants she held dear to herself. His interference, as unforgivable as it was, allowed her to ascend and possess the power of creation. She had been able to recreate all which was lost in Ragnarok – the fabled conflict between the gods themselves. Their conflict had reached and ravaged Midgard, contributing ultimately to its demise at Loki's hands.
Lenneth duly suspected that Freya did not like her solely for replacing Odin but rather for the fact she held the Gods responsible for their actions wherever they harmed what Freya believed to be inferior, lesser races. It was a point in which they could not agree especially not after she shared such intimacy with humanity. That had been her crime, why she had been cast aside, to possess her humanity while in the form of Goddess. Yes, her Einherjar were responsible but their actions had been to reject the dictations the gods had placed upon her. In this the Gods had contributed to Hrist's current fate; their action had caused the reaction. She'd not be the one to tell Freya but it would be known, not all blame for the act would be placed upon Arngrim and Mystina's shoulders alone.
She closed her eyes, thinking upon Freya's words. Hrist had done wrong to her but not intentionally, she had not struck Lenneth on purpose. Lenneth was not one to dwell heavily upon the past. Hrist was her sister, a member of her family, and it was in her nature to forgive. She glanced at Freya, "Freya, Hrist and I might not always see eye to eye but she is my beloved sister regardless, I would let it be known that I will commit myself whole heartedly to this task. I will do this and Hrist will be reborn."
"And the….Einherjar?" Freya's fine lips curved with an inner cunning, she had noticed how Lenneth had subtly tried to avoid giving answer to her original query; and Freya was obviously not one to be sidestepped so easily, "Lady Lenneth, the Aesir will not let this go unanswered, you are expected to act. The miracle of your defense has spared them death where they would have earned execution for such an offense. What manner of future can you expect them to make if rejected? Their presence has been tolerated under the assumption that you would deliver justice."
Justice…
That was a fine word to justify her need for retribution. Lenneth wasn't ignorant, beneath her tranquil words there was an imposing veiled threat. She could not afford unrest of any kind with her ascension. She didn't NEED Freya but without her support her future as Ruler would certainly be a bleak one. She was a member of the divine pantheon however her sleeping and waking moments, most of them had been spent entirely upon Midgard. She could not alienate the only family she knew as well as those who could exert the greatest pressure on her. Freya was very cunning in how to force her hand but she would not allow Freya to dictate where it struck or how hard, not when it came to her own Einherjar. She was not a puppet to be used, not any longer. She was careful in how to word her answer, her promise was forced but she would dictate the terms she was bound to, "Very well Freya, actions will be taken against them but they will be of my choosing?"
Freya's face instantly scrunched in predictable aversion, her mouth preparing to open in protest but Lenneth was prepared for it, "You will take my words as they have been delivered, Freya. You demand action, it will be given but my actions shall be mine, decided by myself, not you nor any of the other Aesir," she wanted to take them back as soon as she said them, partially because it had been unlike her to say such a thing, partly because it was astonishing to believe she'd now get away with such an act of opposition. For so many years she had looked up to Freya, answered to her, it was almost unfathomable that now the tables were utterly turned. Nevertheless she kept her mouth closed unwilling to apologize, this was ground she'd not give. Freya glanced at her, her tone as level as her gaze, "Shall they be summoned?"
"No. I will see to it, thank you Freya."
Freya took her dismissal with a stiff demeanor radiating heat as the air rippled with a shimmer around her midriff. The 2nd Rank goddess vanished, as if she had been a mirage, there one moment and gone the next. Later, in the near future preferably, she'd have to try to repair the damage her hasty words had wrought. The Aesir were not like humans, they could take offense at the littlest provocation and seen as they lived an eternity, it was not the wisest recourse to offend. If there was one thing to be thankful of it was the fact that such words had been said to Freya alone and not all the gods.
It was with bare restraint that she kept from eagerly casting aside the books and scrolls that Freya had retrieved for her "lessons". Although as soon as she had she felt a new freedom take over, one that made her feel light on her toes. She walked across the hall's throne room but crossed it so fast she had wondered if she'd not been running. Valhalla was grand in its beauty but she had learned that its halls bore a severe restraint that she had not yet learned to value. She sooner wished that she could accomplish her duties as Ruler of Asgard anywhere beyond Valhalla's confines. Underneath Freya's instruction and buried by her duties Valhalla seemed more like a crypt to her than any she'd seen festering with the undead upon Midgard
The goddess took a moment to reflect upon the duties she used to do; it was not the first and surely wasn't going to be the last time she'd rue that her time, her tenure as Valkyrie was over, perhaps for good. She envied Hrist who, once restored, would resume the duties that she left behind in her ascension. No…that was not right, there was Silmeria as well. Lenneth was unsure what made her mind suddenly flicker, at this moment to her sister, the youngest – Silmeria. It was at this moment she realized that Hrist was not the only one left to those duties. When she had become Valkyrie, Silmeria's fate had not been known to her. Her presence in the Undead Castle had been solely to confront Brahms, completely ignoring the presence of a sister she had not remembered. Her callous naiveté had shocked even the Vampire Lord, it had been the first reason she'd come to doubt what she'd known.
Why had the Gods, the Aesir, never recovered one of their own? No one knew, none would tell her, of what Silmeria had done exactly but her disobedience had displeased Odin. Had her actions been so severe, so wrong that she'd be abandoned to an eternity with the Lord of the Undead? Her lips tightened in dislike, and she decided that maybe it was time for such a punishment, if it was indeed that, to end. Silmeria belonged with those who cared about her, with herself and Hrist at the very least. The apathy exhibited by their inaction would be put to an end. The next time, if there was opportunity, the beauty decided that she'd cross that unspoken threshold and ask Freya about reclaiming Silmeria.
There was not a moment that, since she learned of them, Lenneth didn't in the back of her mind reflect upon their fates – her own and those of her sisters. Her own as the recently ascended Lady of Creation, Ruler of the Aesir, Silmeria taken by the Undead, and Hrist balanced precariously between total annihilation or a survival that rested upon her own uncertain shoulders. She wished that she had a solution, some alternative to the high stakes solution Freya insisted as their only recourse of action. When she had been incomplete, fragmented her Einherjar had found a temporary vessel.
Lenneth's mind froze in numb shock, she was loathe to be inspired by the necromancer's example but if Hrist, if she was held inside a temporary vessel than perhaps her soul could recover, consolidate, become strong. She wasn't sure what would constitute as a suitable vessel, she doubted any of the Gods would take the addition of another divine soul and an Einherjar would be too weak. Perhaps…a bound Einherjar? Only one Valkyrie existed at this time and two bonded Einherjar. If one of the Einherjar took Hrist than she could surely support the strain upon their materialized body but would either of them agree to it. She could order it of them, either one of them, but she such an action seemed repulsive, she wanted them to be willing. Freya would not accept it so she wouldn't even speak to her of it.
Lenneth tucked that stray strand of thought in her mind as she swept a stray lock of her platinum hair behind her ear. Beyond Valhalla, Asgard was still a breathtaking beautiful, undoubtedly despite its flawed perfection it was her home. As she stepped outside, in the distance she saw one of its many flowing meadows although this one in particular she knew well, her awakening taking place in this solitary field. It held special significance; she could come here and her mind always felt a sense of security, of sanctuary. On the far side of the field, a solitary fortress of no significance or import stood, sitting in the shadow of Valhalla's massive build. It was there that she had seen Arngrim and Mystina housed and cared for since Freya had publicly refused them, igniting the scandal they now had to resolve. As a goddess Lenneth could easily have teleported there but she preferred to walk.
Her lips curled inward as she was tempted to bite on the pale skin, her mind heavy with how to proceed. For her sake it would've been a lot easier had Freya been able to dictate a suitable recourse but it wouldn't have been better for Arngrim or Mystina. It was a poor show of gratitude for them to exhibit their loyalty and be damned for it, especially by her. A dilemma such as this required that she satisfy Freya while being fair to Arngrim and Mystina. Truthfully she did not wish to confront this issue but knew it was well overdue, she couldn't expect Arngrim or Mystina to have any quality of life up here in Asgard if they were cloistered away in an abandoned corner of the realm. As she reached the end of the meadow path she approached the door and was greeted by a matronly female Einherjar in noble regalia, "My lady," she inclined her head deeply in utmost respect, "They fare very well, their necessities have been seen to as you asked."
"Thank you, Reinhilde, I had every faith that they would be though soon I hope to put an end to this altogether, today in fact. I apologize that you had been tasked with overseeing their needs."
"There is no need to apologize; I am touched by your confidence."
Indeed, Lenneth would have entrusted Arngrim and Mystina to no one else, no god or Einherjar except one of her own. Reinhilde fit this criterion; she'd been recruited and remembered from a previous campaign she had waged upon Midgard in the past. As a warrior and mother both, the female Einherjar was perfectly equipped to care for them while dealing in turn with Arngrim's cynical realism and Mystina's flagrant narcissism. Reinhilde led her into the inner court yard, "I believe currently they are out back partaking of their past times. They were quite adamant that their abilities should not waste and wither away from disuse. Shall I summon them for you?"
"No, that is fine. I will go to them, I am aware of the way."
She walked down the long, open outside corridor knowing that from the entrance it led to an open balcony. The balcony overlooked a courtyard that had, over time, been fashioned into a garden with a staircase that afforded descent from the balcony for easy access. Her luminous azure eyes scanned the garden and found the two figures they sought. Arngrim was leaning on his heavy broad sword – the Grand Sting – a relic she had bestowed upon him throughout their travels. Mystina was currently speaking to Arngrim; civilly it seemed from her tone of voice, a book devoted to some aspect of her studies cradled in her lap. The scene was serene, something she might not have expected to see based on their friendly antagonistic rivalry. Arngrim and Mystina were unmatched in abilities but heavily invested and highly persistent in the maintenance of their personal vices, making them in the eyes of the others gods and especially Freya, wholly unsuitable as Einherjar. To Freya's further annoyance both Arngrim and Mystina reveled in their unique, abrasive qualities, wearing them like badges of pride rather than flaws of a negative personality.
Her knuckles tightened upon her gown as she gently descended step by step, so far unnoticed, composing her resolve as she grew ready to approach them. Mystina noticed her first, when she was half way across the garden, growing silent. Arngrim then quieted down and turned to notice her.
"Arngrim, Mystina, I apologize that you've been held her for so long while I've been absent," for her she knew the days that Freya had been instructing her had melted easily into weeks, a long duration of time for most mortals.
Mystina spoke as soon as her words drifted into palpable silence, "We know we've caused a great deal of trouble for you…"
"…but don't expect an apology from us. We'd do it all over again," finished Arngrim.
They realized why she was here, what was going on, just because they hadn't been present they realized why they were denied entrance or acceptance in Asgard. It made it easier for her seen as she didn't have to explain why but how she hated the idea of dictating to them an unfavorable future, "I have come here to have a word with you and to ask a favor."
"You can ask anything of us, we'll do it," Arngrim answered with ease, in a self assured fashion.
"You may want to hear what I ask for before accepting it," she cautioned only to earn a shrug from Arngrim who sat down against a statue and a keen gaze from Mystina who folded the book, wedging it shut around a single shaft of paper that acted as her bookmark. When she had their attention, she continued, "What happened to Hrist upon Midgard has left her in grave straights, part of my delay in getting back to you has been acquainting myself with the means to reverse Hrist's fate. I don't think she'll survive on her own, not while waiting for me to familiarize myself with the creation of a new vessel."
"No, no, no," Mystina was the first to catch onto what she asked, "You want US, one of us to act as host to her?"
"I would not ask if I didn't think this was necessary," she didn't demean herself by pleading, her voice was level as she turned to appeal to, "Arngrim?"
The male Einherjar gave Mystina a dry glance and turned to her, "And the others are okay with this?"
"They don't know," she admitted, "but at this rate we'll lose her following either of their solutions. There can be no error in her rebirth but it won't come soon enough to halt the degradation altogether."
Arngrim was known to be realistic, he couldn't seem to deny her logic OR her request. He didn't look pleased; indeed he rather looked like his whole life was flashing before his eyes as he looked for the one act that damned him enough to earn him punishment like weathering Hrist Valkyrie. Arngrim finally shrugged, as if he couldn't find any reason to deny her request, "Why not? I'd love to screw with your sister."
The relief outweighed her reproach for that inappropriate comment, getting either one of them to agree was half the battle. Unfortunately she had to face the more unpleasant aspect of her visitation, "Now…with no apologies forthcoming, you will serve time doing tasks that will amount to your penance for your wayward deed. I cannot possibly allow you to bear in mind that such actions, despite your best intentions, are acceptable. To be lenient is to bend the rules – an inherent weakness to any source of order. I apologize but I must act. Normally when you are accepted you'd be placed on active duty and assigned to missions befitting your rank and training, both of you are suspended from active duty and denied full transfer. You will remain bound to me for a time; think well on your actions for they will reflect upon me. Mystina, Eir has need of a viable healers, your penance will revolve around helping others. Arngrim, you will go to Alfheim and once there, you will act as the escort of the elf maiden, Lurasgael. You will provide for her safety and comfort until she is delivered safely to Asgard for the Rite."
She watched as Arngrim settled into a grimace, as if regretting the fate of being stuck with two females of divine or near-divine origin at one time. Neither of their fates were too harsh, too severe, in fact she was sure that Freya would think that her ruling was too sensitive, too soft but truthfully she couldn't impose any more upon either of them especially not Arngrim, "Mystina, I will see that lodging and provisions are provided for you before your move. See that you are prepared," Mystina didn't complain but she hardly looked thrilled that the only usage of her spell craft would be wasted on healing rather than something offensive, something useful, "Arngrim, when can you be ready?"
Arngrim glanced at her, his lips tightening, "Immediately. I can be ready as soon as you have need of me."
"We do not have time to idle; you will be taken to Bifrost tomorrow and before that…"
"I understand, I will be ready."
"I would not require this of you…"
Again he spoke out of turn, "Heh, you know what they say: desperate times call for desperate measures."
Her only reflection as she left was that these were indeed desperate measures.
A/N: I would like to thank/credit LotornoMiko, the All Mother of Valkyrie Profile Fanfiction (as I call her), for the BRILLIANT idea of using poor Arngrim as a host. When she proposed it I just couldn't resist the temptation to use it. Arngrim, this of course means that you can channel your hatred at her instead of me!