Chapter 3- the Awakening
Isara felt as if she was floating through the sky, weightless, free. The burdens of the real world were now gone as she floated towards a bright light. The outlines of two figures then began to come into focus, and as she got closer an enormous smile spread across her face. It was Alicia and Welkin, holding onto each other, smiling at Isara.
"Mother!, Father!." thought Isara.
But suddenly their smiles faded and they were engulfed in a ring of fire, an evil cackle echoing all through the area. And Isara began to plummet through the clouds, back to earth. She then fell into the center of Bruhl, her hometown and it was completely in ruins, buildings on fire, others smoking ruins. Corpses littered the street, those of her school mates, her friends, the town folk and even Alicia and Welkin's bodies. And standing on a nearby rooftop, laughing evilly was her, Sabella. The Evil Valkyrian woman who had killed both of her parents.
Isara dropped to her knees, the world around her began spinning faster and faster. Rage, sadness and pain filled her heart and soul. Unable to contain her emotions any longer Isara threw her head back and screamed "NNNOOO~!!" at the top of her lungs.
The next thing she knew she was sitting upright in a large bed with white sheets, dressed in simple white nightgown. But even more startling was that as she looked down at her hands, there was a strange blue flame emitting from her hands, arms and body.
"Ah!, your awake!!." said Alexis who was sitting in a chair next to her bed, reading a book. "Amazing, your Valkyrian features that were once hidden, are now as clear as day."
"What??." asked Isara, still not sure what was going on with her.
Alexis then grabbed a large rectangular mirror laying on a nightstand next to her and showed Isara her reflection. Isara nearly had a heart-attack as she stared at her reflection, not able to believe what she was seeing. Staring back at her was a silver-haired girl with 2 pig-tails and burning red eyes, a blue fiery flame circling around her body. Indeed it was a Valkyrian girl staring back at her, but it was also her own reflection.
"I don't believe it." said Isara, Alexis chuckling happily next to her.
A startling thought then came to mind, "But the Mother Valkyrur she-" said Isara, unbuttoning the top few buttons of her nightgown and looking down at her chest where she was stabbed, "she killed me...didn't she??.", Isara feeling the spot where the blade had entered, but there was no wound on her chest, not even a scar, the area had been completely healed over.
"No, she had simply done what was necessary to awaken your sleeping powers." said Alexis, placing the mirror back on the nightstand, "I wanted to warn you, so that you would know what was about to happen...but I couldn't."
"What happened??." asked Isara, re-buttoning her nightgown, her blue flame still burning around her body.
"A Valkyrias power, even those born pure bred, will not awaken until the body is near-death. But you have to believe that you are really dying, that your life is about to end, that there is no more hope left." Alexis explained, "So if you knew that being stabbed wouldn't kill you, there was a chance your Valkyrian power would not of emerged in time to save you. You might of died of your wounds."
Just then the door to the small room Isara was in opened up and the Mother Valkyrur appeared, her 2 loyal guards still escorting her.
"Ah child, I see that your powers have finally awoken." said the mother Valkyrur, "We were beginning to think that you weren't going to make it after the 1st day."
Isara held her hand to her head as she leaned forward in her bed, feeling alittle woozy "How long was I out??." she asked.
"About 3 days." said Alexis, "I stayed by your side the whole time, hoping that you would make it though."
"Only now does she look like a full blooded Sister Valkyrur." said Mother Valkyrur, "More like her own kind now then when she first came to us."
"When she feels ready, you may begin her training Alexis." ordered the Mother Valkyrur, before departing with her guards.
Alexis bowed to her and turned Isara, "you must be feeling quite hungry, you've been out for the last 3 days. Feel like getting something to eat??." asked Alexis, Isara responded with a nod, the blue flame around her body disappeared and her eyes and hair colored returned to it's normal brown color, like her mother's appearance used to do.
Alexis then turned to the table beside her and handed Isara a large suitcase and opened it up for her. Inside was a long-sleeved blue tunic, black belt and black pants, with socks and soft black boots.
"Put this on and meet me outside." said Alexis, getting up and leaving the room.
Isara quickly got out of bed and changed, before heading outside in her new clothes and meeting Alexis in the hallway.
She was then escorted to a small building outside of the cathedral and was fed a simple meal of soup, rice, bread and meat. As she ate, she was getting some stares by the other Valkyria eating in there at the time, some whispering about her. Next she was led to the courtyard, the training field for the Valkyria.
"Inside that building you'll find some necessary equipment you will need for training." said Alexis, "Get changed first and then we'll find a weapon that will fit your fighting style."
"Right, I'll be out in a few minutes." said Isara, heading off to the changing rooms.
Once inside she found various sized shiny chain-mail shirts with white cloth over shirts, shiny knee, shin, forearm and elbow protectors and ankle high leather boots.
Once Isara found everything she needed and set her training clothes on one of the benches close by, a knee high black boot stomped on top of her clothes and Isara looked up.
Looking down at her was a Valkyrian Cathedral guard, dressed in the same white uniform and silver breastplate and helmet with plume. Except the plume on her silver helmet was black, not white like the guards in the throne room. The new guard smiled down at Isara, then looked over her shoulder, making sure no one else was around.
"Well well, what have we got here." she said, lifting her boot and walking around Isara who was standing still, "An outsider...you better be careful around here, walking the halls of the Valkyrias remote sanctuary all by yourself. I might just mistake you for an intruder and deal with you my own way."
"I'm sorry, I'm new, I still do not know how things work around here." apologized Isara, bowing to the guard in front of her.
The gurad then walked behind Isara and bent close to her, her mouth just inches from her ear.
"You see, I know what you are!." she whispered, "I know what kind of dark-blooded Valkyria you are, you are nothing like us. So I still do not understand why they allowed someone like you in our pure blooded Valkyrur Sanctuary."
"Excuse me??." asked Isara, not sure what she was talking about.
"Sina, that's enough." said Alexis voice behind her, and Isara and Sina both looked back and saw her standing in the doorway.
"Well, looks like your babysitter has arrived, so I'll let you off this time, outsider." said Sina, before turning around and walking away, her armor jingling loudly with each step.
"That was Sina, Captain of the Valkyrian guard." explained Alexis once Sina was gone, "A fierce and loyal warrior to the Mother Valkyrur. She's very protective of our sanctuary, and seeing a new face puts her on edge I'd imagine."
"I see, I just hope that she comes to accept me one day." said Isara, finishing putting on her training gear.
"Me too, but I can understand her feelings." said Alexis, "Our once great halls that housed many Valkyria at one time, now stand nearly empty."
"That woman, Sina, she called me a 'Dark-Blooded' Valkyria...what did she mean by that?." asked Isara, waiting anxiously.
"Nothing, atleast nothing we can base on any facts. Rumors, legends, whispers are all they're based on." said Alexis, "But I will let the Mother Valkyrur explain that to you another time, ok??.", Isara nodded, "Now let's head to the court yard to begin weapons training."
Isara then followed Alexis into the courtyard, next they entered the armory. Which was full of ragnite lances and shields, but also afew other weapons. Such as a ragnite whip, long sword, short sword, bow and trident. All were in the 'unexpanded form'.
But once Alexis grabbed a lance to show Isara, the lance magically extended to a longer length and began to glow when the blue Valkyrian flame erupted from her body.
"The weapon responds to your touch." explained Alexis, "The blood that stirs through your veins, reacts with the ragnite crystals that these weapons are made of. So none other then another Valkyria may use it."
"Interesting, my mother had lance similar to that one. She kept it hidden away, but I've heard stories of her using it during the war." said Isara, mesmerized by the glowing blue lance.
"But, just as the ragnite reacts to our touch, a wound from a ragnite weapon will not heal." said Alexis, "You may have noticed the numerous scars that Sabella, the evil Valkyria you saw earlier had. Cuts, puncture wounds will not heal instantaneously like wounds from normal blades would. They are our greatest weapon...but ragnite crystal weapons like the lance in the hands of another Valkyria are our greatest weakness.", Alexis then pulled out a 6 inch long dagger made of ragnite crystals, "So even something this small can kill you if it pierces your heart. Remember that always, we Valkyria may be tough, but we are not invincible."
Isara was then told to pick a weapon to train with, there were many choices, but Isara chose the Lance, in tribute and respect to her late mother, who had also wielded a lance in battle. And so began her training, she was taught how to swing, parry, thrust and weild the lance in battle. But much stronger attacks like the lance beam shot would not be taught to her until her basic skill were much stronger.