I just...I just love you guys. Really, really I do, so much that it can't be healthy :) Thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou! Ya'll broke 150 reviews, and life is INSANITY! It's very humbling that alot of you consider this one of your favorite Valkubus fics. I even saw one comment on tumblr in the Valkubus tag and I was like :O!
Now, I'm going out of town for a couple days, so the update might be mid to late next week :/ Sry! But I'm not going anywhere, too many plot bunnies and too large of a break between season 3 and 4!
So, this one is for you guys! A happy medium for what I asked last chap, and it works better for the story as a whole lol. We gettin places people! Lemme know what you think ;)
A Warrior's Bond – Chapter 8
"Oh come on! Don't stop there, what happened next?" Kenzi was bouncing in her seat on the floor in front of the couch that was still occupied by Vi, Bo and Tamsin. Acacia's tales of her and Isabeau's antics had raptured her.
"Calm down, baby gypsy!" Acacia snarked at the girl with a roll of her eyes, "Where the hell was I?"
"Running through the forest after you stole a map from that warlord's camp." Violca replied, just as entertained by the stories as her cousin, although trying to contain herself.
"Right! Right, so anyways. I got blades with me, just a couple throwing knives. I'm going full blast through the trees and I hear these noises behind me—"
The bright, ancient sun shines down through the leaves of the forest, lighting up the rich, untouched landscape of the old times. The only sign of life being the plants, a few random animal tracks, and the footprints left behind as Acacia's silver-plated leather greaves crunch down into the soft, woodland soil.
The elder Valkyrie looks to be a spitting image of Tamsin in her younger years of servitude to the Norse gods. The only differences appear to be the solid, icy blue eyes that sparkle with danger and the deep strawberry blonde hair that reflects the sunlight, looking as though they were flames rushing behind her as she sprints through the forest. A silver breastplate intricately decorated in Valkyrie fashion with feathers and knotted designs protects her chest. It connects to her shoulder guards, a collection of more silver feathers laid across from her collar to her upper arms. Similarly designed bracers protect her forearms and a short, black leather battle skirt adorned with silver studs fall from below the waist of her exposed abdomen. Her only weapons remain as a small number of throwing daggers and curved blades belted to her thighs and biceps—even so she is severely under armed.
The Valkyrie doesn't need to look back to know she is being followed by a few goons from the camp she just looted. However, when she hears a faint whistling noise of a weapon cutting through the air she skids to a stop and leans back against a tree, her pursuers behind her. After a moments delay, a well-aimed arrow pierces the tree trunk.
"Shit," Acacia pants out as she chances a glance behind her. She sees four figures off in the distance, still too far away to make out well enough to know what she's up against. She turns forward with a huff, "Where's a slutty distraction when you need her."
She draws a throwing dagger from her thigh and takes a deep breath, listening for her pursuers. Satisfied that they had approached close enough, she spins around the tree, swinging her arm to send the blade sailing through the air, piercing one of the soldiers directly through his black leather studded chest guard. Acacia smirks and jaunts backwards to take in the three other men charging for her. She turns and takes off full speed through the trees again.
The Valkyrie ducks as two more arrows are sent flying to her head, the soldiers were gaining on her since she allowed them to catch up to take one out. The strawberry blonde takes a hard right, and sprints forward. Her frustration rising in the fact that she couldn't fight back without her weapons that she was told to leave behind.
"'If you take them you'll just get into trouble' she says…'Don't worry I got your back' she says..." Another arrow sails past Acacia's head as she rants, cutting through strands of her hair, far too close for comfort. She stops in her tracks in shock, turning to see her attackers now coming at her from three angles, "Damn it, Isabeau!" she curses before fumbling back into a sprint.
Acacia darts between the trees, ducking arrows and trying to put more distance between her and her oncoming attackers. At this point she was losing hope that Isabeau had a master plan. That hope was officially gone when the Valkyrie was forced to stop in her tracks at what was a wall of three fallen tree trunks. The trunks stretched on too far for her to run around safely with the soldiers on her heels and were too tight together for her to find space to crawl through or over without being turned into Swiss cheese by the archer following her.
She turns, her eyes wild in both frustration and worry as the soldiers slowly close the distance between them. The archer directly in front of her, his bow raised and aimed right between the Valkyrie's eyes. Smirking from both sides of the archer, two more warriors started towards Acacia, one swinging his sword at his side, loosening his shoulder while the other held up a battle axe, ready to bare down in a killing blow.
"Don't suppose I can talk you boys down either, huh?" Acacia gave as her last attempt to distract the warriors. None of them backed down, fully ready to strike down the Valkyrie, "Fine. Just remember that you asked for it…Thanks a lot Isabeau." Acacia mumbles out the end of her sentence as she draws her two curved throwing blades, holding them through the loop by her index finger. There is one last lull in the confrontation, the soldiers waiting to see if the Valkyrie was planning on making the first strike.
Acacia heard the crack of a bowstring and the whistle of an arrow cutting through the air. She ducks and clenches her eyes shut, hoping to hear the 'thunk' of the arrow into the trunks behind her and praying to Odin that it didn't pierce her own skin. She hears the arrow make contact along with a groan and the sound of a body falling to the ground. Acacia cracks an eye open to see the axe bearing soldier before her with an arrow sticking out from one of his eyes, the other two soldiers looking around in shock and terror, not knowing where the ambush came from.
"Told you I had your back, didn't I?" The Valkyrie looks up to the source of the voice where she sees Isabeau on one knee atop the highest fallen tree trunk, a bow in her hand and a smirk on her face.
Isabeau's long deep brown hair blew about her shoulders in the breeze, the light breaking through the trees highlighting the features of her beauty and the steely pale color of her eyes. Somehow, she managed to have a curvaceous form while also being athletic and strong, much like that of her future granddaughter. The resemblance is uncanny between the two, especially in Isabeau's youth before she ruled with the Blood King centuries from now.
Acacia chuckled to herself a moment too soon. Isabeau had given away her position and the enemy archer capitalized on his distracted target, launching his own arrow in her direction. While missing any kind of fatal blow, the arrow was still lodged in Isabeau's upper arm, causing the Succubus to yelp out in pain. The brunette raises her eyes, now glowing blue as she pants in pain. Her stare strikes fear in the enemy archer, causing him to lower his bow in shock. In a blur, Isabeau raises her bow one last time and sends a second arrow flying directly between the archer's eyes.
The final warrior yells as he charges Acacia, his sword raised in a 'Hail Mary' attack. The Valkyrie steels herself as he approaches and takes a swing down for her head. She jumps and twists her body around, kicking her attacker's sword out of his hand. The now unarmed man's eyes widen in terror as he looks into the fire burning behind Acacia's eyes. She grabs him by the collar of his leather armor and pulls him forward while slashing her blade across his throat. She pays no attention as he falls to the ground in a lifeless heap; instead she turns around to see Isabeau carefully climbing down from the tree trunks.
"You crazy little slut!" Acacia tries to be harsh, but her cracking voice gives her away as she raises her hand to help Isabeau down the last jump. The brunette winces in pain and leans back against the trunk, "I told you that you gotta get armor that actually protects you!"
Isabeau's skin was for the most part exposed beneath her armor so that if an enemy ever grabbed her she could easily pulse them with her powers and render them helpless. A tight, thin black fabric material stretched beneath her actual armor for some protection from the elements as well as for her own modesty—though its painted on appearance left little to the imagination. The sheer black fabric acts like modern day spandex shorts, riding from the belt at her hips and down only to the very tops of her thighs, still leaving much of her legs exposed. In one piece, the fabric stretches in a thin line up the spine of her back and the center of her abdomen. A thin band of that fabric wraps around her waist and a thicker one wraps around her chest, covering her breasts beneath her chest plate while leaving her sides lower torso for the most part exposed.
The rest of her armor was light, only barely protecting her upper torso, front and back, in a shined bronze alloy so bright that it appeared to be gold, but still showing a fine view of a Succubus' natural assets. Her right shoulder has a heavier guard then the left, stretching to cover a larger expanse of the brunette's exposed skin similar to that of a gladiator as they protect their dominant arm more while in battle. Bracers of a matching shined alloy were strapped to her forearms and protected her shins above her leather boots. The belt that rode her hips, made out of the same shining metal, was adorned with a bright blue gemstone on the buckle that glittered in the sunlight while she had a simple sword strapped to her back.
"Like your armor provides much protection either…besides, I saved your ass, didn't I?" the brunette chuckles out around the pain. Acacia's expression melted at the valor displayed by her dearest friend. Isabeau didn't care that she was injured…only that the Valkyrie was unharmed. "Did you get it?"
Acacia shakes her head to rid herself of the stupor she fell into as she reaches behind her into the belt of her battle skirt. She pulls a scroll free and nods. "Yeah, I got it. Come on, let's get you back to the village and get that thing out of you."
"Ugh…no way! I'm not gonna make it that far with an arrow sticking out of my arm. Just pull it out."
"Are you nuts!? I don't have anything to—"
"Acacia." Isabeau cuts the Valkyrie off mid rant. The duo's pale blue eyes stare into one another. The Succubus' lined with pain while Acacia's were outlined in guilt. The brunette's expression was soft as she tried to calm the Valkyrie down and make her realize that she didn't blame her. Her voice was tender as she spoke, "I trust you with my life. Please."
Acacia swallowed the lump in her throat as she nodded swiftly. She hands the brunette one of the throwing knives from the belt on her arm, "Here, bite on this." Isabeau nods and clenches her teeth on the handle of the blade, then nods to Acacia that she's ready. The Valkyrie quickly snaps the feathered end off of the shaft of the arrow, causing the brunette to wince as it moves around in her arm. Acacia takes a deep breath as she helps Isabeau down to her knees so that she has more leverage and height to pull the arrow through. The Valkyrie winces at the pants and held back moans of pain coming from her friend.
"Come on Izzy…you're okay. Ready?" Isabeau takes a breath and nods quickly as Acacia grips onto the end of the arrow that had already pierced through Isabeau's arm. "One…two…three!" On three, she yanks with all her strength to pull the shaft through as quickly as possible.
"Mmmfffhhggrrr!!" Isabeau groans out in pain as she clenches her jaw down on the hilt of the blade in her mouth. The wound starts to bleed faster now that the arrow was pulled out, Acacia covers it with her hands, applying pressure around the Succubus' arm as she releases the blade, panting with her eyes clenched closed.
"You're okay, you're okay. I need you to hold your arm while I find some moss to pack the wound. It's bleeding a lot and—" Acacia's sentence is cut off as Isabeau reaches up, pulling the Valkyrie down to her knees in front of her. Acacia's jaw drops as she sees the Succubus open her eyes to reveal them glowing a bright blue, highlighting Isabeau's seductive stare. She opens her mouth to speak, only the words are caught in her throat as the brunette snakes her hand to the back of her neck and pulls her forward, crashing their lips together.
Acacia's surprise fades away as she feels the pleasure coming from the Succubus pulsing her with a warm energy at the back of her neck. She winces slightly at the slight tug she feels deep inside of her. The Valkyrie's eyes shoot open in surprise at the sensations tingling through her veins as the Succubus pulls back from the kiss, a trail of bright blue chi flowing between their lips. She's met with the hungry eyes of a feeding Succubus, the smirk apparent on her lips.
Isabeau had never fed from her. She always said that she would never make her friend do that. However…Acacia couldn't say that she minded the feelings running through her. Not to mention it was better then standing guard outside a shack while Isabeau fueled up with some sleaze she had picked up at the Inn. After all, Valkyrie's were meant to keep great warriors strong, right?
Isabeau's eyes flashed in fear as she saw Acacia's expression start to become dazed. She pushed the Valkyrie away and scooted herself back, putting distance between them. The brunette panted, trying to collect herself from the brief loss of control.
"Shit…shit shit shit!" Isabeau repeated, seeing Acacia slumped back on the ground unconscious. The Succubus crawled forward, afraid that she had drained her friend too much. She hated when her instincts kicked in like that…she always told herself that she'd never feed from Acacia like that against the Valkyrie's will. It made her feel like a monster, "Come on Acacia! Wake up!" she shook the strawberry blonde's shoulders and lightly slapped her cheek, earning no reaction.
"No…not you." A tear ran down the Succubus' cheek as her eyes glowed blue again around the anguish in them. She felt her muscles tighten and her Succubus side take over. She leaned forward with hooded eyes, robotically as her protective instincts for the Valkyrie kick in. Isabeau breathes out a light pink trail of chi into Acacia.
Acacia's eyes shoot open and she gasps while siting up quickly, panting to catch her breath whilst taking in her surroundings. Isabeau's worried expression never fades away as she puts a hand on the Valkyrie's shoulder while the other touches her cheek, making sure she's okay.
"Oh Gods, I'm so sorry Acacia! When I'm hurt it just sort of…takes over and—" A tear escapes Isabeau's eyes, running down her cheek as she is overtaken by remorse for crossing that line she tried to set with her friend.
Acacia had collected herself enough to be aware of what was going on. As far as she could tell, Isabeau had just fed from her to heal—and since it's been a while since her friend had fed at all, she took too much. She was blacked out for a while, but then she felt this sudden rush of energy, waking her up. She knew that she needed to say something to calm down the hyper-emotional Succubus before her, but the words were caught in her throat. She couldn't drag her eyes away from Isabeau's expression, how even as she cried she was still stunningly beautiful and brave.
"I know…I'm a monster." The brunette states with a quiver in her voice as she looks away, not able to meet her friends gaze. Those words were what finally broke Acacia from her daze. The Valkyrie lifts her hand to Isabeau's cheek, gently pulling her gaze back to her own to show the slight, amazed smile on her face.
"You're not a monster, Isabeau." The Succubus simply sighs, her shoulders falling into a slump.
"How can you say that after I just almost sucked the life out of you? You could have died Acacia!" she was becoming more hysterical as she spoke. Her and the strawberry blonde had begun traveling together to have each other's back, and here she was sticking a knife into hers and using her for a personal first aid kit. That was the last thing that Isabeau wanted Acacia to think she needed her for.
Truth be told, the brunette kept a distance from everyone since leaving her clan. She hated the lifestyle of a Succubus and wanted something more. But her nature could turn anyone near her into a quick snack and lay, not to mention kill someone if she lost control of her hunger. She didn't want to come to that with Acacia. She felt a strong bond of trust and sisterhood with the Valkyrie. They both believed in the same things and their personalities meshed well for an entertaining journey through the countryside. But now Acacia had seen what she was capable of first hand, she wouldn't be surprised if the Valkyrie ran away to Valhalla just to escape the monster that Isabeau knew she was.
"Yeah…but I'm still breathing by the feel of it." Acacia teases with a small smile. "And if I remember right, you saved my ass and gave me some chi back, since when could you do that?" Isabeau smiled shyly and blushed as she looked down.
"I don't know…I was really upset when you weren't waking up. The Succubus just took over and, well, saved you I guess. I never thought I could give chi like that, I figured that all I did was take it."
"Well, apparently not. And if it was your instinct to save me, then obviously you're not a monster. Monsters don't have friends that save each other's ass as often as we do." Isabeau finally chuckles at Acacia's logic, "Plus…Not exactly complaining if that's the way I'm meant to die. I can think of a lot worse things then 'Succubus kiss'." Isabeau smacks the Valkyrie's shoulder, embarrassed at the comment, "Damn, a shy Succubus? That just seems so wrong…"
"Watch it 'Cacia. I'm hyped up on Valkyrie chi, I could so beat your ass right now." The brunette teased as she stands, offering her hand to help Acacia to her feet. The Valkyrie runs her thumb over where the arrow was previously sticking out of Isabeau's arm, not even a scratch marring her skin.
"Yeah, and not even wounded anymore," She lifts her gaze to meet the Succubus', sincerity pouring out of her tone, "You're okay, right?"
"Better then ever actually," The brunette smiles widely, feeling the energy still coursing through her veins from Acacia's chi, "Your chi is really…I don't know, it's not like any I've ever tasted before. It's a lot stronger." The brunette was curious, but Acacia simply nods.
"It doesn't surprise me. My mentor told me that one of the blessings a Valkyrie can give is sleeping with a warrior, multiplying their strength. You literally just pulled out my sexual energy. Congrats, Izzy. You've been blessed by a Valkyrie." Acacia teases with a chuckle. Instead of making the Succubus blush like she had planned, Isabeau pulls her into a bone-crushing embrace. It takes the Valkyrie off guard for a moment, until a small smile pulls at her lips and she returns the embrace with the woman she had come to know as her sister.
"Thank you, 'Cacia. For sticking by me no matter what."
"Aawweeee!" Kenzi cooed while hugging a pillow to her chest, "You guys sound like me and BoBo! She just sucked my chi for the first time after her Dawning. Weird sauce…lemme tell ya but I kinda get why everyone fights over her." The Succubus rolls her eyes and leans forward to smack Kenzi playfully on the back of the head.
"Can't really complain, you deserved that." Violca comments with a smirk as Kenzi simply shrugs, knowing it was worth it.
"I guess being a good kisser runs in your family. I figured out I was bonding to you when you fed from me the first time." Tamsin teases Bo with a nudge to her shoulder. The Succubus looks down, a blush crawling across her cheeks much to Kenzi's amusement.
"Oh Em Gee! Is the Wonder Snatch blushing?!" the little Sorceress shouts, bouncing in her seat with a wide smile.
"What! No!" Bo throws a pillow at Kenzi, of course not going off unpunished. The Russian girl jumps up from her spot and tackles Bo on the couch, both of the girls falling to lie down on Tamsin's lap. The blonde tries to wiggle out from beneath them but gets caught in the crossfire.
The three end up rolling around on the floor, Violca being brought into the chaos of playful hair pulling, tickling and light smacks. Acacia simply raises her eyebrow and looks up to meet Trick's gaze. The Blood King shrugs with a smile as though this happened all the time while Dyson simply smiled to himself. The elder Valkyrie could almost see his tail wagging wanting to jump into the dog pile…pun always intended.
"I could get used to being with this bunch. They make me look sane." Acacia rasps with a throaty chuckle.
"Stop!" Tamsin shouts as she sits up, tossing everyone that had pinned her down aside. She adjusts her jacket and rolls her neck. "Sorry. Someone pulled my hair and that's crossing a line."
"Di-va." Kenzi and Violca sing-song, earning a glare from the blonde.
"Alright, fun and joking aside," Trick states as he tosses an opened book out on the coffee table for everyone to look at, "Let's get back to why Acacia is here in the first place."
Everyone leans over his shoulder to inspect the pages opened in the tome. Much of the writing is in an ancient language, the only things discernable are the colored sketches next to each description. They appear to be types of energy in every color and shape imaginable.
"What are we looking at Trick?" Dyson questions.
"Well, these are the different types and classifications behind a Sorceress' ethereal magic and how it manifests when they channel their powers. You see there is a wide diversity among Sorcerers and what their abilities are most powerful for. Power, love, passion, clarity, intuition…these are only a handful of what the colors of an energy manipulator's aura could mean. The shape and form that it takes lays a hand to how that person is meant to channel their energy and the ways that it is best used for."
"For example, the orange of my aura represents optimism and hope. The wispy form it takes represents fluidity. If you look at it at a skill set standpoint, my energy can be used for most anything, but there's no single field where I can trump someone that excels in it." Violca explains, earning a nod from Trick.
"Alright…so what are Emilina's?" Bo asks, her determination giving her voice a steely undertone.
"Black is the color of mystery and soullessness. The coldest of spirits fuel her power. And I'm assuming the smoky, sludgy material I pulled out of Tamsin is how she channels it?" Violca continues in Tamsin's direction, needing confirmation to continue her hypothesis. The Valkyrie takes a deep breath, seeing flashes of the thick, murky black smoke that cursed her on that night.
"Yeah. It's this thick, dense cloud that…literally drips off it's so thick." Tamsin's voice falters as fear creeps through her bones as she pictures the black murky cloud that spread through the air around Emilina as she sealed the curse.
"I was afraid of that," Trick flips the page showing an illustration of the murky black power, "A murky cloud signifies the energy is all consuming. It feeds off of what it touches to add to its strength. This shape is almost always paired with a darker aura of a power hungry Sorcerer who doesn't bare mind to the balance, only power."
"Then where is our advantage here?" Acacia is the next to speak, a battle ready tone as she takes in the information, "Sounds like our only hope is a white Sorcerer…and you know as well as I do that one of those hasn't existed in a millennia."
"White Sorcerer?" Dyson deadpans, the idea sounding ridiculous.
"One whose power is pure white and it manifests in a nearly blinding beam of light. It's purity and power chases away any kind of ill-will or despair. Easily they could burn away any curse placed with black magic with a simple touch." Trick reiterates.
"Well, we don't have one of those and I don't plan on waiting on one to show up." Tamsin deadpans, frustrated that all this has so far gotten them nowhere. If Violca's power wasn't strong enough to overpower Emilina's then she needed to know what kind of power she needed to hunt down.
"True. But we may just have the next best thing." Trick smiles as he walks back to a desk, retrieving the carved wooden box that they had stored the black magic that had poisoned Tamsin. He opens the lid, causing the room to flinch at what could possibly crawl out of the little box. After seeing no apocalyptic consequences, they peak into the box to see the murky black energy floating calmly, but trapped within the bindings of bright purple ribbons wrapping around it, bright orange sparkled wisps laying a thin skin over the two magics, keeping it contained.
"Holy shit!" Bo hollers, spinning her head to face Kenzi only to see the young Russian with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.
"Violca's energy may be assisting overall…and it may not be destroyed, but the black aura is completely contained." Trick narrates with a small smile. Kenzi's mouth closes as she swallows the lump forming, barely able to squeak out one simple word.
"How?"
Dyson turns the pages, trying to find Kenzi's aura combination. "Purple is the color of imagination and dreams. Energy manipulators who channel this color draw from the limitless possibilities and ideas of what is around them. Even when hope is broken, everyone still holds their imagination at some base level and even in unconsciousness people dream, making the fuel virtually limitless for this power."
"Damn…who woulda thought?" Tamsin states, impressed at the information.
"Hang on a second!" Kenzi waves her arms, stopping everyone before they start coming to conclusions she isn't ready for. "I've dealt with this 'Holy shit, Kenzi's got super powers!' thing pretty damn well so far. But now you're telling me that I'm the one who has to show down with the scary, soul-less bitch?"
"No! No, no. That's not it Kenz," Violca quickly interjects, placating the Russian girl, "Purple is a very rare aura color, like Dyson said it's fueled by dreams and imagination. The things that your abilities could do are literally limitless and unheard of. Plus, the way you channel it?" Violca pauses, motioning to the bright, glowing ribbons of energy wrapped around the black magic in Trick's box.
"You mean the freaky energy strips?" the icy eyed girl was calmer now. Her panic fading into timid curiosity, as though she was preparing for a bomb to drop any second.
"Yes, notice how Violca's energy is only as bright as yours in a few concentrated sparkles within the wisp. Those are concentrations of pure undiluted energy. Your entire manipulated power is a bright pure power source, something that is nearly unheard of and usually difficult to control," Trick explains, confusing Kenzi. She had never had too much trouble controlling her spirit energy the few times that she had tried to willingly channel it, "Now, while it is pure energy, it's also controlled into the ribbons that you can bend to your will. Completely in control of what is uncontrollable. Kenzi, these strands are virtually unbreakable and, if I'm not mistaken, will never fade away or dissipate so long as you exist as a conduit for imagination and dreams to fuel it."
"So…what does that mean for Tamsin's curse?" Bo asks the million-dollar question.
"Well…I'm not sure yet. But learning this about Kenzi's power could very well be a strong start to how we plan to address the situation." Trick states while rubbing his neck to break the kinks that had formed from hours of research. While this revelation probably didn't seem like much, it was a good, sturdy stepping stone.
"Thank you Trick. It means a lot that you're even doing this at all." Tamsin speaks with sincerity to the Blood King.
"Well! If nothing is getting done this second, then I suggest we enjoy the perks of being close with the barkeep. Come on Tamsin, there's so much to tell you!" Acacia sighs dramatically while tossing an arm over the blonde's shoulder."
"Well in that case, I call a pool match of the century! Gypsy badasses verses the super Fae." Kenzi and Violca bump fists as they exit Trick's study, Dyson and Bo simply smirk and follow behind them.
Only a few hours had passed but it seemed to be days. The Dal's patrons were starting to file out little by little as the hour became later, but the 'Happy Sunshine Gang' felt no need for rest as their little party raged on.
Pool was getting serious, as Kenzi was betting her boots and Bo was betting one of her kimonos. Dyson and Violca simply stood as innocent bystanders to their partners' competitive nature.
Tamsin and Acacia are perched at the bar, exploding in laughter. Tamsin is doubled over, holding onto the bar for support while Acacia is leaning over it, clutching her mug.
"And—and then Tecumseh turns around completely wasted from that maple syrup whiskey I brought." Acacia stutters out around her laughter. Moments pass and Tamsin can't help but try and remember a time when she felt so care free. She hadn't seen Acacia in nearly a century, even though she knew that her mentor looked for her and tried to seek her out, she kept a distance to protect her.
"Oh, Tecumseh…that was one crazy ass Indian Chief behind closed doors," Tamsin commented, the two calming down from their fit of laughter, "You created quite the warrior in him, Acacia. Probably one of your best." Acacia simply smiled and looked up with an expression of revere.
"Well, you never met Isabeau."
The two Valkyries turn in their stools to face out to the bar. Acacia simply shakes her head as she watches Bo lean over the pool table and knock in the eight ball. The Succubus and Dyson both cheer at their victory while Violca and Kenzi groan and slump over the table in frustration. Acacia sighs before speaking to Tamsin again.
"They may have never existed in the same millennium…but Bo has a lot of her qualities. Seeing that now, makes me realize that I truly am doing the right thing by being here. It feels like I'm fighting for Isabeau again, and I think that's what I was always meant to do." Acacia turned in her seat to face the blonde as she continued. "I may have bonded with your father, and despite all of the horrible decisions he made that lead to his consequences as well as my own, he still gave me you. I know now that the Fates needed you for Bo, to help with the legacy she is continuing of her grandmother, even if she doesn't realize it."
Tamsin's lip quivers as her eyes gloss over slightly at Acacia's words. She blinks away the tears and takes a deep breath, "I feel like the universe was spinning in the wrong direction for the last four centuries then it suddenly shifted around Bo onto the right track." Acacia lays her hand over Tamsin's, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I know. Listen Tamsin, if the Fates have twisted two Valkyries into this girl's corner? Let's just say that we're in for a hell of a ride." The blonde nods, determination sparkling in her eye to keep Bo safe at all costs. Her face scrunches in confusion as she looks up at Acacia.
"Wait…we?"
"Bitch, did you think I was gonna let you have all the fun?" The elder Valkyrie states with a smirk, causing a similar expression to stretch across the blonde's face as she continues, "Now, that said, I think I may have something to help her along the way."
Acacia stands from her stool and motions with her head for Tamsin to follow her back into Trick's study. The blonde raises her eyebrows and follows, curious as to what kind of thing Acacia had up her sleeve. As she tries to catch up to her mentor, Tamsin runs directly into another person crossing her path. The two almost fall to the ground, but keep one another steady. The Valkyrie lifted her head with a scowl, fully prepared to chew out whatever idiot clearly needed to watch where they were going, but her words are lost at the sense of familiarity she feels as she sees the young woman before her.
She's fairly confident that she'd never met this girl before, but there was something about her. Definitely not an attraction, although she couldn't say that she didn't acknowledge the girl's beauty. Her slim, athletic build leans to the fact that this girl is most definitely a warrior, yet her simple black tank top and ripped, faded skinny jeans leading down to her worn in Chuck Taylors give her a calm and not on edge appearance. There is also a long, golden chain around her neck with a golden swirl charm and a white, clouded stone set in the center. Again, the necklace seems familiar but no dice.
The girl is fairly tall, close in height to Tamsin herself. As she sees the girl brush her fingers back through her long, straight, jet-black hair to push it out of her face, she notices the girl's high cheekbones, similar to her own. Her tan skin gives her a darker appearance, but what really strikes Tamsin is the girl's piercing eyes. Their pale, yet intense color contrasts to the darker features of the girl. The blonde swears she's seen that combination before but she can't put two and two together to figure it out.
"Sorry. Must not have been watching where I was going." The mystery girl says, her voice a sweet combination of a slight rasp with a smooth, melodic alto tone. Before Tamsin can respond the girl walks away to the other end of the bar. She has no time to dwell on her thoughts before Acacia starts shouting for her to hurry her ass up.
"Deja-vu is a bitch…" She mutters as she enters Trick's study. On the table across the room, Acacia has something laid out, wrapped in a decorated cloth.
"About time!" Acacia snarks as Tamsin simply rolls her eyes.
"Alright, whatcha got for me?"
"You won't be so sarcastic when you see this." Acacia states as she unwraps the cloth, revealing a beautiful sword that takes Tamsin's breath away. The weapon is light, but obviously strong. While it's designed in similarity to a Viking sword in both length and basic elements, there were obvious intricate additions that made this weapon enchanted and forged by a Valkyrie. The hilt was long enough to be held comfortably by one hand and carved in swirled designs for grip. The metal counterweight at the bottom was encrusted with a bright blue jewel, similar to the one that Isabeau had set into the belt of her armor. The blade stretched up to a reasonable height from the golden hand guard, and was etched with intricate swirled designs all lined in a golden alloy that sparkled though no light was reflecting in it. Realizing what it was, Tamsin's heart stopped.
"Is that..."
"Rheingold? Yep. I forged this with my own two hands over two millennia ago, about a century or two before the Great War. I went to the Rhein-maidens and explained what the gold was for. They were impressed at how highly I spoke of someone I wasn't even bonded to and gave me a chunk of the Rheingold without Oden's knowledge. Obviously it wasn't enough to make the entire thing out of it, but it's enough to lay etchings across the blade itself. This sword will never go dull and can never be used against the wielder it was gifted to, or those they hold dearest in their hearts." Tamsin runs her hands in awe over the weapon.
"You gave it to Isabeau." She states instead of asking the question. It's obvious that the elder Valkyrie wouldn't trust this kind of weapon to any other person in her life.
"Yeah…I did." She replies with a smile as she remembers the day she gave it to her dearest friend.
A rather large farming community is bustling about their village. Many are gathering weapons for the few that volunteered as a militia as well as preparing traps for the impending attack by the Warlord coalition. Isabeau was speaking with the leaders of the group of warriors that she had recruited for the fight under a tent they had fashioned. While the Warlords planned to take the harvest that the enchanted soil provided by force, the village gladly offered a place of sanctuary as well as nourishment to the volunteer army anytime they were in the valley.
The Succubus wore her armor as she did every day, never sure when a fight was to become her in this chaotic land. A sword is strapped to her back and a dagger is belted to her thigh. She points down to the map as they came up with a strategy to use against the Coalition. The element of surprise is at their disposal, as the invading bandits hadn't bothered to send scouts to the now armored town.
A bright, swirling vortex of light appears within the large tent, knocking up a few papers and sparking out into the air around it. The recruited warriors all shield their eyes as Isabeau simply holds down the map of the valley that they had looted from the Coalition's camp. Acacia steps out of the vortex, her body materializing along with her armor before the vortex snapped closed within itself. The three warriors look on in awe at the display of power from the Valkyrie and quickly fall to their knees. Acacia smiles widely with a twinkle in her eye and turns to Isabeau as she speaks.
"Damn, why don't you do that whenever I come back from Valhalla?" the strawberry blonde teases as she approaches the table, holding something wrapped in an intricately designed cloth behind her back and away from Isabeau's sight.
"Because to me you're not the Valkyrie angel that has come to guide me to Valhalla…to me you're just Acacia, my best friend the show off." She replies with a shake of her head and a sly smile, "At ease, soldiers. No one's dying on my watch." The warriors all stand, but still remain respectful to both of the warrior women in their presence.
"Well, not as long as you finish that battle plan. When you're done, come meet me by the river?" Isabeau nods as she replaces the markers on the map she was using to illustrate her plan. Acacia steps forward, studying the plan. Isabeau's tactics, while risky and unthought of, always intrigued her as they often ended up perfectly executed with nearly no casualties. She moves two markers outwards then takes a step backwards. The three warriors' eyes all go wide and their jaws drop at the simple adjustment and how it could change the entire flow of the battle. Isabeau simply smiles and looks up with a grin.
"Thanks, 'Cacia! We'll be done in a sec, kay?" Acacia simply nods and pushes the flap of the tent aside to exit, still keeping the cloth wrapped weapon out of Isabeau's sight. She makes her way away from the bustling villagers and warriors before unwrapping the sword to admire it. She had put days into forging the strongest of enchanted steel, etched in Rheingold, into a sword the perfect size and quality for Isabeau. It was made the same length and weight as the one the Succubus was so fond of and never went into a fight without.
She reached the river and sat down at its edge, the sword next to her as she tossed pebbles into the water. She was getting a little nervous about what to say when Isabeau. She'd never crafted such a beautiful sword before, and what the Rhein-maidens had said to her was starting to make her think. They had never seen a Valkyrie speak so highly of someone that wasn't their warrior.
Her warrior? Honestly she hadn't even thought about it since she met Isabeau. She didn't know what that meant exactly, she was supposed to know instantly if she met her warrior, right? So...it couldn't be Isabeau…right?
"Hey, sorry. There was a little girl scared about the fight, I stopped to calm her down a little." Isabeau said as her boots crunched into the rocky ground by the river.
Acacia looked over at her, trying to see if she felt anything. Of course Isabeau was beautiful in any light, she is a Succubus after all. But she's also brave, kind hearted, and strong. Her soul must be made out of gold if she can go from planning a battle plan to slaughter an invading army one second, to comforting a scared child the next. The Valkyrie admired all things about this woman, and would be honored if she is who she is meant to accompany through this life and the next. However, she just didn't feel that pull like she was told she was supposed to. So she simply shook off the idea and stood up to face her friend, the sword held behind her back.
"It's alright, I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes." Isabeau quirked her eyebrow in confusion, causing Acacia to chuckle, "Come on, do you trust me?" There is a slight pause before the Succubus replies with all the affirmation in her heart.
"With my life." Acacia's expression softens at the declaration from the brunette before a smile spreads across her face.
"Alright, then close your eyes and don't open them until I say so."
Isabeau sighs and closes her eyes, feigning frustration. Acacia chuckled to herself at the sight, knowing it was an act. The Valkyrie reaches forward and takes hold of the hilt of Isabeau's broadsword strapped to her back. The brunette tenses and her brow furrows as Acacia starts to lift it from its sheath. She stops for a moment for the Succubus to relax herself. Isabeau didn't like walking around unarmed in the chaotic world that they lived in, while traveling her and Acacia got attacked a minimum of once a day by bandits or thieves—and that's not counting the fights that they pick themselves.
Acacia draw's Isabeau's sword completely and tosses it aside. The Succubus hears the clink as the steel hits the rocky ground.
"Hey, easy with my baby! You might be a war angel, but I can still kick your ass you know…" the Succubus pouted as she crossed her arms with a huff. Acacia chuckled as she unwrapped the sword from the cloth, tossing it aside. She held the sword out in her two hands before speaking.
"Well you'll really kick my ass with this. Open your eyes."
Isabeau cracks her eyes open to see Acacia's smiling face. It's a second before she realizes that the Valkyrie is holding something out to her, not just any something, but one of the most beautiful swords she had ever seen. She gasped as her eyes went wide, jaw dropped with a tear lining her eye.
"So…you like it then?" Acacia askes shyly, not quite knowing the answer. Isabeau was stunned and in awe of the craftsmanship shown in the blade. She lifts her hand, but didn't touch the weapon, afraid that she wasn't allowed to. "Go ahead, its yours." This comment stunned Isabeau more then before, however it did finally draw words from her.
"Its…for me?" The Valkyrie nods and holds the sword up to her. Isabeau reaches out with a shaky hand and held onto the hilt of the weapon. The Rheingold etching flashed with a sparkle as she gripped her new weapon, causing her to jump.
"Don't worry, that was just the enchantment sealing itself."
"'Cacia…Is this—" the Succubus stuttered until Acacia filled in the blank for her.
"—Rheingold, yeah. They didn't grant me a lot, so it's just etched into the blessed steel that we use for most of our weapons from Valhalla. But it's enough for what I wanted it to do." Isabeau turns from admiring the sword to her friend, confused at what she was saying, "The blade will never go dull, and now that it's bound to you, it can never be used against you or those you care dearest for against your will."
"What…I…" The Succubus is at a loss for words, and suddenly becomes self-conscious at what this all meant. "Acacia, I can't accept this, it's too high an honor for someone like me."
"Someone like you?" Acacia questions, as she always nearly forgets how little Isabeau thinks of herself. Like she's just some lowly whore and not meant for anything else. "You mean a warrior? Someone who will comfort a little girl scared of war then go off to fight for a village of farmers who can't defend themselves with absolutely nothing in it for yourself? Someone sweet and gentle, but when the innocent are threatened can be swift and strong to stand up for them?"
"You speak far too highly of me, Acacia." Isabeau looked down with a blush, until Acacia laid a hand on her shoulder to bring her attention back up to her steely eyes.
"I speak of you the way you are. You're not like anyone I've ever met, Isabeau. Of all the battles I've witnessed and been a part of, you have the strongest will of any warrior I've ever seen. But it's not just the strength you have that made me want to craft this sword for you, it's the Griffin's heart that beats in your chest. You're my best friend, Isabeau. My sister."
Isabeau smiles as a tear falls from her eye. She wipes it away and takes a deep breath with a nod. "Thank you, 'Cacia. Whoever is lucky enough to have you as their guardian Valkyrie is blessed by the gods."
"Well, I don't know about that…it means they gotta live with me." Isabeau simply laughs at her friends comment before turning and making their way back to the village to prepare for the battle to come.
Tamsin smiles at the tale, "I can't believe you had never told me stories about her before today." Acacia smiled sadly and laid an arm across Tamsin's shoulders.
"It hurt to talk about her. Besides, you didn't need to hear stories of her then, you needed to hear stories of your father and how brave of a man he was." The elder Valkyrie explained.
"Yeah, we all saw how that turned out…" Tamsin grunted out with an undertone of venom in her voice.
"Tamsin. These things happen and all for a reason. I wouldn't be here with you today if—" Acacia is cut off by the sound of breaking glass. Both turn their heads back towards the doorway to the Dal before shaking it off and returning to their conversation. "—anyway, it's not important. But I want you to give this to Bo when the time is right." Tamsin nodded as she folded up the cloth to cover the blade.
"How will I know when?" the blonde questioned, she was never good with this intuition stuff.
"You just will." Acacia replies with a knowing smile before another crash is heard along with the sounds of a struggle, "What the hell is going on out there?" the elder Valkyrie rasps out as the sounds appear to get louder along with the sounds of a few muffled shouts.
"Probably some bar fight, Dyson will throw them out." Tamsin replies with a shrug as she leans against the table nonchalantly, only for the noises to continue, "Or not."
The two allow their instincts to take over as they make their way out of the study, their guard up and ready for whatever they might see. The bar had cleared once the apparent struggle had started and the Valkyrie's take in the scene before them. Tamsin's anger rises as she sees Dyson flying back to the floor, taking a few chairs down with him as he growls and snarls. The blonde follows his line of sight to see Kenzi and Violca standing up from a similar position as the wolf, shaking their heads clear.
What really burned Tamsin, was the sight of the mystery girl she had ran into pinning Bo to the pool table by the throat. Bo was struggling, trying to kick her attacker away to no avail. Tamsin's muscles all clenched and a fire flared in her eyes as a small ring outside her pupils glowed golden for a millisecond before fading away. The piercing eyes of the girl turned to face the blonde, her expression seemed almost curious behind the effort she used to keep Bo subdued. The room went cold as Tamsin snarled lowly as she charged the fool who dared hurt her warrior.
"Bitch! Get the hell off my girlfriend!"
Quick little shoutout to Snagam80 who gave me some inspiration that I needed for a specific plotline that I figured up. They are kinda the brains behind this 'Mystery Girl' and deserve several interwebz cookies for how helpful they were in bouncing ideas back and forth. The main inspiration in the girl's appearance, as inspired by the fabulous actress that they had introduced me to, Nadia Bjorlin. Seriously, she's fabulous.
Now! Question of the chapter...well I don't really have a specific one but I want to know what kind of hijinks you would be entertained to see our lovely ladies and their friends get into? Seriously. I loves me some inspiration so bring it on!
peace and love,
InsertCleverThoughtHere
