110 — THE EMISSARY OF THE DEEP
Asgard was a Northern Kingdom abandoned by time and cursed by the Gods.
Its suffering population lived since very remote times, hidden from the Sun by an icy cold and a terribly rigorous winter that sometimes extended far beyond the months in which it was expected. Far from its heyday, after having been overcome by the customs of the seas, Asgard saw its population die and increasingly age without young people bringing the shine back to their nation.
And now they were dying of a terrible hunger and misery that spread across the country.
The beacon of hope lit up again over that land when Hilda announced that she would finally take them to the Land of the Sun, as it was time for them to be rewarded for all those centuries of penance.
But their plan seemed to have withered like the dead leaves of Yggdrasil when Siegfried was dragged away by the Hope of Athena.
There was silence in the Valhalla Palace as the ship's timbers ceased to creak and its huge planks ceased to collapse into the corner of the mountain where it had been wrecked. The trail of destruction lifted the stone of the courtyard, but also revealed, on the opposite side where they were, exactly below the Colossus of Odin, the figure of Polaris Hilda, who would now be the last obstacle between them and their goal.
Her face held an immense shock when she saw the impossible: a sea galleon overturned on top of the mountain of Asgard. And an immortal warrior vanquished.
The silence was interrupted by the characteristic sound of propellers hitting the air; Geist looked up and found a small figure slowly descending with its little legs shaking while its hands controlled the small helicopter that it had invented. Until finally the little girl landed next to Geist.
"Lunara reporting, Captain!" she said happily, and wearing a fur coat much bigger than her small frame.
"Just in time, Lunara." commented Geist, very tired. "How is the rest of the crew?"
"They all stayed abroad, as you had ordered. Ophelia will take care of everyone."
"Very good. And the Seal of Athena?"
"Here it is!" she presented a pristine gold cylinder and a huge smile on her face. "But what about you, Captain? You look terrible!" observed the little girl when she saw that Geist was all rolled up in her overcoat and the Cloth she wore was all cracked.
"I'm always fine." she replied. "As for Seiya back there…"
"Seiya!"
Lunara ran from Geist to the boy who was broken, in a very poor situation, his overcoat completely destroyed, his face with a half-closed eye, blood on his body.
"My goodness, Seiya, you're all dirty! Look at this, you destroyed your uniform! Take it away. Here. Cover yourself!" Lunara asked, taking the coat he had left for her and giving it back.
The boy just smiled and kissed the little girl's forehead.
"So happy to see you again, Lunara."
"Master Ikki!" Lunara was astonished, leaving Seiya without an answer, because she had seen Phoenix lying on the ground.
The girl ran to her to see if everything was okay, but Ikki opened her eyes, leaving her a little calmer.
"Master Ikki?" Seiya asked with a slight smile on his face.
"Shut it." replied Ikki, who was getting up little by little, clutched by Lunara.
By then, Geist was also lifting Shiryu.
"Did we get the Seven Sapphires?" she asked, with difficulty.
"Not yet." replied Seiya, visualizing the six Sapphires he had in the palm of his hand.
"What are you waiting for, Seiya?" asked Ikki, already on her feet.
Seiya looked at the six he had in the palm of his hand and then he marched towards the wreckage of the Athena's Galleon, to retrieve the seventh and final gemstone that would help them complete their mission. Polaris Hilda's eyes were frozen on him and followed his walk with an indecipherable smile on her face. But halfway there, Seiya felt a tremor on the floor of that courtyard. His eyes immediately sought out the wreckage of the ship lying against the side of the mountain. He knew it was Siegfried.
He put himself on guard and saw the wooden wreckage tremble, the static of impossible electricity crackle around what was left of the ship and rise in an icy white glow covering every shattered husk. Until it finally exploded in a huge light show, revealing a single silhouette in the center.
When the seidr's glow faded, Seiya saw that Siegfried no longer had the top part of his God Robe, a trickle of blood oozed from his mouth, but the Odin's Sapphire was still embedded in his waist, while one of his legs also had only half of his protection.
Siegfried had one of his eyes half-closed, but he was staring at Seiya from a distance, who in turn was stupefied. Maybe that God Warrior really was immortal. Seiya just noticed that the God Warrior's eyes left his, when Siegfried looked over his shoulder to his back; Seiya looked back and saw that Princess Freia had appeared in the courtyard, coming from the inner corridors of Valhalla Palace.
She had an immense sadness in her eyes and both hands against her chest.
"Enough of this war all of you, for Odin's sake!" she began, very sadly.
Silence between the three figures.
"No more!" she asked again. "Please stop this!"
"Get out of here, Freia!" Hilda roared furiously.
"But by all the old Gods, my sister. When will this end?"
"When the people of Asgard can see the sunlight!"
"Siegfried." said Freia to the God Warrior, who remained silent. "She's not the same anymore, tell me you understand, please."
"Listen to her, Siegfried." asked Seiya, placing himself next to Freia. "All we want is to seal away the Relic of the Seas."
He reached forward with the six Sapphires of Odin.
"And break Hilda's spell with the Balmung Sword."
Siegfried's eyes finally moved slowly from Freia's figure to the precious stones in Seiya's hand.
"Stop this, Siegfried!" said Hilda, anger in her voice.
"No, sister!"
"End this at once, Siegfried!" asked Hilda again, but the warrior seemed immobile.
The God Warrior did not answer.
"Are you ignoring me, Siegfried? Will you disobey me and Odin? Will I have to put an end to these invaders myself? Is that what you're saying? Are you abandoning me like your brother did?"
Nothing.
"Very well, Siegfried. I do not need you."
Hilda made a powerful energy ascend around her and her ebony spear shone in the deepest purple, and from its tip it shot a very powerful ray of energy towards Freia and Seiya. But that attack did not tear their chests apart, as it could have done, because in the middle of the way it was stopped by Siegfried's hand, who extended it at his side to stop Hilda's lightning, without even looking at her.
"Siegfried!" Hilda was astonished.
The back of the God Warrior's left hand was charred and bleeding. The suffering eyes of Siegfried, however, were in the teary eyes of Freia, who there before Odin, her sister and her old friend, suffered terribly the loss of the one she loved.
"A heart brighter than the sun." said the wavering voice of the God Warrior.
"Ah, Siegfried, you still remember." Freia cried, because then she was sure that the God Warrior had finally understood.
What appeared to be salvation for Freia soon became the awakening of a menacing shadow in Asgard. The mountain on which Odin stood on a Colossus again roared deeply and laughter spread throughout that land, attracting everyone's attention. And not only that: a threatening and profound cosmos also spread among them, a cosmos that Geist and Seiya became aware of, because it wasn't the first time they felt something similar, although never with that intensity.
For under the Odin Colossus, on the mountain that supported it, a mysterious figure appeared walking along the stairs that led to the Sanctuary behind the statue. Wearing from head to toe an armor of an indefinable color, which shifted colors depending on the light that fell on it — sometimes deep orange, sometimes copper or even gold —, but absolutely shining. The figure had a helmet that completely covered his face and no hair flowed down his back adorned by a beautiful sea cape.
The mysterious apparition made everyone stared at him, and even Siegfried seemed to wake up from his torpor to try to understand what that strange visit was, which had surprised even Hilda, who was closest to him, although on the other side of that cliff.
"Why are you here?" she asked menacingly. "There is no business for you here. I already said that everything is under control."
"It is not what it seems, Polaris Hilda." answered the voice of the mountain. "Your most faithful warrior has just deserted."
Siegfried caught his breath at that accusation.
"Who are you?!" asked Siegfried, finally making himself heard by everyone.
"This is a Poseidon Mariner." replied Seiya.
"Poseidon?" Ikki was surprised.
"Yes." Geist agreed. "This is a Poseidon Mariner. We have met other Mariners on our expeditions across the Seven Seas and their powerful Cosmo-energy is unmistakable, as if Poseidon's followers all emanate this immense depth in their Cosmos. And yet, this seems like a different kind of Mariner."
"What's a Poseidon Mariner doing here?" wondered Shiryu, more distant from the developments of that land.
"There's the proof, Siegfried!" said Seiya to the God Warrior in front of him, as astonished as they were. "Poseidon was the force behind Hilda."
"But that's nonsense." said Siegfried.
"It is not absurd, Siegfried. The Ring of the Nibelungs was not given by Odin, but by an emissary of Poseidon." accused Freia, trying to put the pieces of that plot together.
"A shadow." reflected Siegfried when remembering his brother's words.
There was a deep silence among everyone while that figure still walked slowly along the raw stone staircase that existed below the Colossus of Odin, placing himself exactly in the center of the statue, looking at everyone from the top of his full helmet.
"Asgard has protected Poseidon's Relic for centuries." said Hilda, looking at that figure and turning her back on the Athena Saints. "And it remains safe in Surtr's heart. There's no reason for you to be here. Go back to where you came from!"
"Are you sure about this, Polaris Hilda?" asked the whole mountain, but Hilda was not wavered.
"I have already made it clear that Asgard's mission will follow Odin's designs. And as for the spies of the sea, may they return to their abode in the depths, for this people does not and never needed Poseidon."
The deep voice responded with a menacing laugh and Hilda returned enraged.
"Where has Poseidon been all this time when the people of Asgard suffered from their bitterest winter? Where was Poseidon when the walls of Valhalla fell? Where has Poseidon been if not hidden in the depths of his insignificance thanks to the zeal with which we guard his greatest Relic of the Sea!? I will follow Odin's quest and lead this land to see the sunlight!"
"You will see nothing but tragedy in your future."replied the mountain as Poseidon's Mariner straightened up so everyone could see her clearly.
And, like a ritual, the Poseidon Mariner slowly placed his hands on his head and removed the helmet that hid his tragic identity. For, in taking it off, Hilda let the horror of the revelation show on her face; Princess Freia put her hands to her lips, stepping back briefly, while Siegfried fell to his knees with his heart faltering, for he had no doubt that the injured eye that stared back at him was none other than that of his brother Sigmund.
The shock between everyone produced a tense silence so profound that Odin's sword could have cut it in half if it fell from the Colossus' hand at that moment. The Athena Saints were left with the role of spectators of a revelation that meant absolutely nothing to them, although it was clear from everyone's reaction that a profound betrayal seemed to have just taken place. And they didn't feel entitled to interfere, so they kept quiet the whole time.
'You…" Hilda tried to understand.
"Sig… Sigmund." stammered Siegfried. "But…"
"The Ring..." Freia remembered then.
The Last God Warrior stood up again and with a clenched fist tried to understand that apparition, while his heart was still pulsing all his feelings and demons out. For an instant, he wondered if that wasn't the manifestation of his nightmares that tormented him awake, the result of that cursed Phoenix blow, but that was a face that seemed to have been recognized not only by him, but by his mistress as well. No, he was not dreaming. He lived the nightmare awake.
"Brother!" shouted Siegfried, revealing to everyone the shock that ate the children of Asgard that late afternoon. "What is the meaning of this?!"
The question hung in the air as if it had taken a while to reach the other side, and the mysterious figure responded with the same echoing depth as always.
"What your eyes see, Siegfried." replied the mountain.
"It was you who gave the Ring to my sister, wasn't it, Sigmund!? Answer us!"
"No, Freia!" protested Siegfried. "My brother would never do that."
"Weren't you the first one to find her?" tried Freia, in despair. "Why did you do it? What does Poseidon want with that?"
"Shut up, Freia!" said Hilda to her. "The Ring was a gift from Odin and no one else! I don't know and I don't care what Sigmund chose for his life. Here is proof that he really did betray Odin and should have been left to rot in the vaults of Valhalla, but sold himself for a chance to worship another lord."
Only the man's laughter answered those impassioned accusations.
"Say it, Sigmund. Why?! Why have you betrayed Asgard, your home land? Why join the seas to disgrace us all?" Freia tried.
"Odin is dead." he just replied.
Siegfried's face opened in madness at that voice and Freia put her hands to her mouth, also in shock. A heavy silence settled among everyone within an impasse they didn't know how to break. The Athena Saints seemed reserved the place of just watching the unfolding of a terrible tragedy. For it was Siegfried's voice that brought them all back to reality.
"Pegasus!"
Seiya was surprised when he was called by Siegfried.
The God Warrior had his back to him, but Seiya saw how Siegfried clearly removed his Odin Sapphire from his waist and, without looking him in the eye, offered him the jewel.
"What are you doing, Siegfried?" Hilda asked, noticing the movement. "Have you lost your mind?"
"Sigmund is responsible for this disgrace." he began. "The shadow I shouldn't trust is his own. My own brother. It was he who awakened the Ring of the Nibelungen for you to wear, divine Hilda."
"That's not true!" Hilda protested.
"Do you deny it, Sigmund?" cried Siegfried.
All eyes stared at that absolutely immovable figure. And his voice ended the question.
"No."
"He's lying!" Hilda said in disbelief. "Only Odin could awaken the Ring of the Nibelungs, only Odin could offer it to me. It was me that Odin answered in prayers! This is a gift from our Lord Beloved Father Odin!"
The shock had enraged the Lady of Asgard so the Valkyrie had her seidr bloom around her and, teeth gnashing with rage, she pointed the Ring of the Nibelungs at Sigmund and caused it to vent her fury on the Poseidon's envoy. He was covered in the most tenebrous energy, falling to his knees in that small space where he was.
His oceanic cloak was obliterated, but his body remained intact beneath that strange, iridescent Armor. And when he got up, he pointed a single finger in Hilda's direction, which made Siegfried jump from where he was to paralyze his brother from behind before he again did something unforgivable.
"Siegfried!" Freia shouted when she saw him holding his brother.
"I won't let you raise a finger against Hilda again, Sigmund. Not while I'm still alive."
Sigmund struggled as his younger brother tried to keep him in an armbar behind his back.
"Freya!" shouted Siegfried to the Princess of Asgard. "Take the Ring of Nibelungs from your sister. Gather the Sapphires! Ask our Father to work this miracle."
"No, Siegfried, please!" asked Freia, running ahead.
"Saints of Athena!" shouted Siegfried from where he was. "The warmth of your hearts brought you here."
Seiya looked at that man holding his brother by the shoulders and looking at all of them; Ikki was propping Shiryu up to keep herself upright, while Geist had little Lunara by her side.
"The enemy I should have aimed my fist at was not you, but Poseidon, who sought Hilda's life and manipulated the suffering people of Asgard." said Siegfried's haughty voice. "What remains of my life will be taken with my brother to our final destination."
"Siegfried!" Freia shouted in despair.
"But Siegfried..." began Seiya, and it was Geist who corrected his thought before he let it out.
"Siegfried was never immortal." she said for her friends to hear. "He is not the one abandoned by death, unable to die or kill as he said. Siegfried has only protected himself this whole time behind a legend, as seems to be common with all those wretched people who were born and died in this abandoned land. When reality is painful and terrible, it is in stories that sometimes someone seeks comfort, motivation and sometimes even their own destiny."
Lunara looked at her Captain with tears in her eyes as she felt the enormous sadness of that land at such a terrible time. She herself had teary eyes, because she recognized herself in part in that people, since she herself had sought comfort in books and ancient stories as those proud people had done; but if she ventured into stories from around the world inside her abandoned castle, those people drank and rose from their misery remembering the valiant deeds of their ancestors. Generation after generation.
"Siegfried was never abandoned by death." concluded Geist, as the Athena Saints looked on in wonder as the body of the God Warrior glowed immensely beneath the Colossus of Odin. "Siegfried chose not to kill. And now he decided to die."
The Mariner held in Siegfried's arms struggled only slightly, while he was also illuminated by the immensity of the Last God Warrior.
"Stop it, Siegfried!" asked Hilda from the other side of the cliff.
"The time has come for me to save you, my Princess Hilda, Lady of Asgard and Voice of Odin. That is my duty as a God Warrior. And my desire as a man."
Siegfried's bright seidr illuminated not only him and his brother, but the whole mountain and the stone face of Odin, who watched over them all, shining on the blade of the Balmung Sword that the Greater God always carried in his right hand in penance.
"And I also want to save my brother. May Odin have mercy on our souls, Sigmund. And may the gods allow the two of us to meet again in Valhalla, to fight once more for God Odin and our People of Asgard."
Seiya looked up at the sky and saw the spectacle of the white clouds of Asgard finally opening up thanks to a beam of light descending from the sky. Parting the clouds and revealing the fabric of an evening sky in that abandoned land, where the stars were already emerging little by little in a night sometimes hidden by those thick clouds. Embedded in the celestial vault, the Big Dipper shone that late afternoon, especially its most magnanimous star, from which that magical beam of light that bathed the brothers Sigfried and Sigmund beneath the Colossus of Odin seemed to descend.
"By Athena, what is he doing? Heavens, Shiryu, is he…"
"Oh, I can feel it." said Shiryu, leaning against Ikki. "It is the Ultimate Dragon of Asgard."
Siegfried held his brother Sigmund by the shoulders behind him and the two, bathed in that divine light of Ursa Major, simply began to float, suspended in the air as if engulfed by that divine light, slowly engulfed towards the hidden sky of Asgard. Hilda was dumbfounded, while her sister Freia wept, kneeling on the floor. That light show was undoubtedly the departure of the Last God Warrior.
"Goodbye, Asgard." he spoke into his brother's ear. "I will go where my friends await me."
ABOUT THE CHAPTER: Within this version of the story, Sorento would be very farfetch in this scene, so I made use of a character whose mystery was already hinted earlier: Sigmund. What's more interesting is that the mystery is still not entirely unraveled. Stay tuned for scenes from the next chapters. One thing I like to do in the prose version is not perfectly describe the Armors to keep some secrets a little (like the Gold Saint arc). Here I also purposely hide which Marine Scale to be a mystery even for those who already know the story. Another idea that I liked to have found in this version was to determine that the technique that Siegfried used there at the end is very similar to Shiryu's Last Dragon (that he goes to space). If Dragon's Blizzard is equal to Rising Dragon, it would be nice if he also had Last Dragon. It fit right in.
NEXT CHAPTER: THE BALMUNG SWORD
After managing to gather the Seven Odin Sapphires, all that is left for the Athena Saints is to awaken the Balmung Sword to defeat Hilda and reach the Relic of the Seas.