Chapter 3: Two Worlds
It was not much of a village since it was only three seemingly abandoned houses with no activity at all. However, they look pretty well-kept and each had a small plot of land where two unusually large goats were being raised. In front of each house were some farm plots but the grounds were untilled and full of grass. In the middle of the settlement was a well filled with water but the windlass was missing and the wooden bucket had fallen into the opening and was half floating in the water. All three houses looked identical but the one at the farthest end had what looked like carvings of two birds etched into the door.
Freya made her way to it with the sword Odin gave her still drawn. The goats took notice of her as she passed by. However, they quickly went back to grazing and paid her no mind. The Burmecian noticed a window next to the door and peered inside of it. The interior had a warm glow which emanated from the firepit where the fire crackled like a welcoming melody in the cold winter wind. There was a perching spot not far from the firepit where two unusually large ravens rested on. One was busy preening its wings while the other stood as still and silent as a statue for the most part, but it did yawn for a bit before returning to its silent vigil. The rest of the house looked as austere as the cabin she woke up in, minus the blue crystal.
Remembering the two names Odin had provided earlier, Freya wondered if the two ravens were exactly the ones he meant. She went to the front door and knocked on it three times, eliciting a unified response from two deep voices. "Enter," they said in perfect unison. She pushed open the door and immediately saw the two ravens looking at her with soul-piercing gazes. They studied her in silence as she closed the door behind her and took slow and cautious steps towards them. While her sword was lowered, Freya still held it tightly in her left hand as a precaution.
"Huginn and Muninn?" she asked.
"Yes," both replied at the same time.
"So, who is who?"
"I am Huginn," said the raven on the left.
"And I'm Munnin," added the other.
Freya looked at both of them. "You two look the same to me," she remarked.
"We are not surprised. Many can't tell us apart at first glance. I bear a darker colour than my brother," Huginn said in a plain tone.
"So it seems," said Freya after giving him a once over. "Odin said you can help me."
Muninn flapped his wings a bit and said, "That depends on what sort of help you need."
"And the matter of payment," Huginn continued.
"Payment, like gold or money?" Freya asked, her eyebrow raised and her head cocked to one side. "Why do you need those?"
"We desire neither but there is something that we like," Huginn explained. "Give us salmon and we shall render help wherever we can," he added with his brother nodding in agreement.
"That…sounds easy enough. What's the catch?"
"No catch or trickery, Freya Crescent of Burmecia, we keep our word as the Allfather does with his," said Munnin. "But we can do one thing for you for free this time, if it's within our abilities."
Freya thought about it and tapped her chin slowly. She looked at her sword and back to the birds. "Can you travel to Gaia?"
The ravens croaked and looked at each other. Then, Muninn turned his attention to her. "We can, we were there to witness your execution after all."
Freya made an uncomfortable noise and grimaced. "They really killed me then," she muttered. She clenched her right hand into a fist. "Demetrius…"
"We cannot kill someone for you, but we can retrieve an object or send a message to someone you wish to get in touch with back in your world," Huginn said, dispelling her thoughts of immediate revenge but replaced it with some hope in her.
"Sir Fratley…my spear," she said instinctively. It took her a few seconds to decide what she wanted. "Can you send a message to Sir Fratley, tell him that I'm okay?" she asked in a hopeful tone.
Muninn flew from his perch and landed on a table that had several rolled up parchments and a container of ink with a quill sticking out of it. "The Allfather said you are free to use these. But!" Muninn exclaimed in a slightly louder voice to catch the Burmecian's attention. "There is a time delay between Midgard and Gaia. One day in Gaia is one month here. If we send this now, it will likely reach him while he's still in the infirmary."
"So, he's still alive then," Freya said with relief. However, that meant it would not be a good idea to send the message over yet. That left only one thing that they could do in the meantime. "Can you fetch me my spear then?"
"We can do that," Huginn said. "Give us some time and we'll return with your weapon."
With that said, the ravens took off and flew out of the window. Freya saw them make a beeline for the rainbow, their forms getting smaller as they got further until they disappeared completely beyond a passing cloud. She heard a noise coming from behind her, and it took her aback to see shimmering ethereal versions of Huginn and Muninn resting on the perch. Touching them only made her finger go through them but calling their names would get their attention. Unsure of what to make of the ghostly doppelgangers, Freya left the house and went on her way.
Odin did say some settlement needed her help after all.
"Your highness," Puck heard someone call out from behind him.
Looking over his shoulder, the young prince regent saw a soldier enter his tent. He looked like any other Burmecian soldier but had a white armband worn on his right arm. The soldier looked behind him cautiously before closing the tent flap. Puck turned around as the soldier approached and knelt before him. Three years ago, they would have been at eye level. Now, he had to look down slightly and the soldier had to raise his head to meet the young prince's gaze.
"I heard there was some commotion at the palace. What happened?" Puck asked, his voice slightly deep and filled with concern.
"It's Demetrius, he had Freya executed and Sir Fratley jailed," the soldier answered in a whisper, his face whiter than normal.
"W-what?!" Puck asked in return, his eyes wide and his knees felt weak. "No…no, this can't be right," he whispered.
"He's gone mad, your highness. If he's willing to execute Burmecia's champion, I don't know what else he'll do next," said the soldier grimly while standing up.
"He's supposed to be rebuilding Burmecia," Puck muttered. "He said he would make our kingdom great again."
Suddenly, the tent flap opened up without warning and in came a stern-looking elderly Burmecian dressed in an outfit that bore similarity to a Cleyran oracle except for a wide-brimmed hat that helped keep the rain from his face. His eyes fell upon the soldier first before moving onto the prince regent, his expression still stern but carried some worry in his eyes. He knelt before Puck before standing up again, his movement somewhat slow and unstable. It prompted the soldier to help him up, which the elderly Burmecian accepted graciously.
"Minister Lysander," Puck greeted.
"Your highness," he returned the greeting with a bow.
"You heard what happened too?"
"Of course I did, word got around very fast," Lysander replied, annoyed at the obvious question. "I knew Demetrius would be bad news but I didn't think it was this bad."
"I'm sorry," Puck muttered apologetically. "Had I done things differently earlier on…"
Lysander waved his hand dismissively and took a seat on a wooden chair. "I'm not blaming you, your highness," he said quickly. "To be fair, he was the only experienced and capable leader we have left. I said I was too old to lead and consented to his appointment. I feel responsible for that," he added wistfully, his voice softening.
"Freya…Sir Fratley…what can we do?" Puck asked while looking at the minister for answers.
"Freya's dead, nothing we can do about that," Lysander said with his eyes closed. "Sir Fratley is still alive but I doubt we can rescue him. Demetrius would likely have him guarded well."
"There are still people we can trust in the army. Maybe we can get them to spy on things, you know, gather information about patrol schedules, jailor details, and all that," Puck suggested.
Lysander coughed and cleared his throat. "I mean no offense, your highness, but what exactly do you plan to do with all that information? Steal the keys and free Sir Fratley?"
Puck was about to answer when they heard footsteps approaching the tent. The soldier that was with them quickly ripped off the armband and hid it in a pocket before standing at attention. Seconds later, the mighty figure of the lord-commander stepped into the tent. Behind him were two of his dragon knight honour guards but they waited outside the tent instead. The two soldiers who were tasked with guarding Puck's tent were pushed aside, and both glaring annoyedly at the intrusion but could only stand by the sides and away from the awning that kept them dry from the rain.
"Prince Regent Puck," Demetrius said while taking a bow.
"What's the meaning of this, Demetrius? Have you no manners?!" Lysander chided.
"I have done nothing wrong, Lysander," he responded nonchalantly as he straightened himself. "My business is with the prince regent; not you." Turning to Puck, he said, "If I may be right to assume, your highness, you heard of what happened?"
"Y-yes, I have. Care to explain yourself?" Puck asked with slight disgust showing on his face.
Unfazed, Demetrius replied, "I did what I had to do. Even as we speak, I'm having the soldiers round up more suspected rebels. With the heads of the rebellion incapacitated, I expect them to fall in line. Our unity shouldn't be further threatened after that."
"Unity under what pretext? You couldn't even get everyone to agree with your war plan. It's absurd!" Lysander spat. Demetrius turned to glare at him, but the old Burmecian held up his right palm. "Your rage and desire for revenge blinds you, lord-commander, but that shouldn't come at the cost of the rest of our people. Speaking of, there's something I want to talk to you about."
"I said that my business is with Prince Regent Puck. I will not be interrupted without his consent," Demetrius hissed angrily.
"No, Demetrius, let Lysander speak. I feel it's important," Puck replied as calmly as he could. "That's an order," he added.
Lysander broke into a small but victorious smile, causing the lord-commander's frown to grow deeper. "As expected of the king's son. You can learn something from him," he said as he got up from his chair.
Demetrius growled and sighed but maintained his gaze towards the minister. "Say your piece and stop wasting my time."
"You think your little early morning brazen attack on the Melda Arch went unnoticed? Why in Burmecia's name did you arm the airship with cannons?! You want Lindblum to get involved in our debacle too? They donated the Hilda Garde Three to us so that we can rebuild faster; not use it to attack someone," Lysander said sternly.
"The rebels were there. They didn't come quietly, and the Alexandrians decided to intervene on their behalf. I had no other choice but to fight back. Had they come quietly, there wouldn't be a need for all that bloodshed," Demetrius answered monotonously although his eyes were burning with fire.
"That's not how the report went, Demetrius," Lysander shot back and took out a sealed envelope from his pocket. He slammed it onto the table and pointed at it. "I went through one of the soldier's accounts. You attacked Melda Arch first to lure the rebels into the open and forced them to fight your contingent. The garrison there was just a convenient slaughter for you because let's be honest, no one expected a Burmecian airship to attack and you hated Alexandrians."
"You have no jurisdiction over -" the lord-commander started to argue but was cut off with a shushing gesture from the older minister.
"I'm neither prime minister nor army general, but I was the king's confidant and he entrusted me with some authority over matters when it comes to safeguarding Burmecia. Prince Regent Puck has continued to entrust me with the same authority."
Demetrius looked at Puck. For a moment, the prince regent thought he could see a murderous glint in his eyes. Quickly, Demetrius looked back at Lysander and said with a snort, "Of course, how dare I forget that fact. My apologies, Lysander, that was very rude of me."
Ignoring the insincere apology, the elderly Burmecian continued. "That's not the worst part. A group had witnessed the event unfold, and guess who happened to be there."
"Nothing but a bunch of performers, old rat. They don't concern us."
"That was the Tantalus Theatre Troupe, you fool! Who do you think is part of the troupe? Not only did you attack Freya, you tried to attack her friend too because he was helping her! What'd you think she'll tell him and what do you think he'll do next?"
Nobody said anything at that moment, but the silence was quickly broken when Puck spoke up, his brown fur seemingly a little lighter in colour than usual. "He'll report to Queen Garnet," he muttered, causing both Lysander and Demetrius to look at him.
"That's right, and when she learns that you used the Hilda Garde to attack them, she will get Regent Cid involved too. You're creating a disaster, Demetrius," Lysander said and sighed out of frustration. "I was hoping to be retired by now but you're not helping me at all."
"Can we still salvage the situation? We can't go on like this," Puck said with an expression of determination.
Lysander looked at the letter and said, "There's still a way. I trust Queen Garnet to be a more diplomatic and reasonable person than Brahne. We're going to Alexandria, and we're going to sit down and discuss things like sensible and diplomatic people," he said authoritatively. "You're going too, Lord-Commander Demetrius, and explain your bloody actions."
"Outrageous! I will not go to Alexandria! If they want, they can bring themselves here, then we can discuss it at the royal palace. They should see the consequences of their action," the lord-commander seethed. "That is my answer to you."
"What part of 'sensible' did you not understand?" Lysander asked angrily, but Demetrius had already stormed out of the tent. "He's lost his damn mind," he harrumphed. "He was never like that before. People used to know him as an honourable person."
"Are we still going to Alexandria without him?" Puck asked softly.
"I'm afraid you'll have to make the journey there, your highness. Seeing that he's willing to kill Freya, I feel he won't just stop there. Demetrius's war of vengeance is going to happen, whether we agree with him or not. I'm still wondering how's he even gonna accomplish this when Alexandria still has the larger army despite suffering losses three years ago."
"Why don't you come with me, Lysander? We'll go look for Queen Garnet together. Surely she's willing to listen to you."
The elderly Burmecian shook his head. "No, someone has to keep an eye on this mad fool. If he dismantles the resistance, then the least I can do is carry the torch a little longer."
"But he'll kill you too."
"I'm old and worthless. You're the only surviving kin of the royal family and still young. As long as you're alive, Demetrius cannot legitimately control Burmecia. It will only cause more dissatisfaction if he tries." For the first time since he entered the tent, Lysander looked at the soldier who had been quietly waiting at the corner. "You," he called out, and the soldier looked at him quickly. "Are you not that soldier that tried to confront Beatrix back then?"
"Y-yeah," he replied while rubbing the back of his head. "I -"
"Good, I have a task for you. You are to protect the prince with your life. Can you do that?"
"I swore to serve the royal family, and I'll continue to do so."
"A simple 'yes' would be enough. What's your name?"
"Michael, sir."
"Michael, listen to me carefully. I have some supplies at my house. Grab what you need and make your way to Alexandria with the prince. It's not safe in Burmecia anymore. Queen Garnet needs to be warned."
"O-of course, sir, I will do what I can," the soldier responded with a salute.
Turning to the prince, Lysander said, "Prince Regent Puck, I wish things were under better circumstances but you and I know that's not going to happen for a while. I would hate to part ways like this, but I hope you understand it's for your safety."
"I understand. I just…I just wish dad was still alive. Demetrius seemed to respect him. Maybe he could've stopped him."
"Never trust a person mad with grief to think or act rationally. Even if he was alive, I would still expect such displays of insolence. I would still recommend your father to seek safety elsewhere," Lysander remarked. "You better get going, your highness, before Demetrius notices that you're gone."
"Thank you, Lysander, I hope we can meet again."
Reluctantly, Puck walked to the tent opening, looked back once at the elderly minister, and followed Michael into the rain. It felt rather funny running to Alexandria again as that was exactly what he did a month after Freya left the kingdom. Now, she was gone again, never to return, and that just made him feel a pang of bitterness in his heart. Puck respected her and perhaps, this was his chance to honour her legacy.
Freya was no stranger to the undead, she had fought them before. However, fighting with a sword was a different experience altogether. She found herself having to run up closer than she liked to cut them down, and despite their decrepit-looking bodies, the draugrs were quick to dodge her strikes and countered her blows with weapons of their own. One draugr almost plunged its dagger into her side, but the Burmecian managed to leap into the air. With a mighty throw, she flung her sword at the undead creature and the impact shattered the top half of its body into bits of bone and rotting flesh.
When she landed, Freya was immediately attacked by a pair of spear-wielding draugrs. Both of them tried to stab her unison but missed as she hopped sideways. The momentary distraction gave her time to pick up her sword and immediately went on the attack. One of them turned and thrusted its spear at her. She moved aside and pulled on the spear, dragging the creature closer to her and hacked its head off. With the grip on the rusty iron spear loosened, Freya sheathed the sword in one swift move and turned the spear against the other draugr. It took another stab at her but she knocked the spear aside with her newly acquired weapon and pierced its chest before slashing upwards and splitting the upper body in two.
The smell of decaying flesh and bad blood made her gag, so she quickly left the place while trying to force the rising bile down. Fortunately, since the route she was on ran along sea, the breeze and sound of waves crashing against the cliffs helped keep her mind off of things. As she dispatched more draugrs that had appeared along the route, Freya scanned her surroundings for potential sources where the undead could come from. However, there were no burial sites to be seen even as she walked off the beaten path to see if there were any hidden tombs or graveyards. Further down the path, the dragon knight heard cries for help and sprinted towards the direction of the commotion.
Beyond a cluster of trees was a relatively flat area where it went further inland. It was there that Freya saw a group of humans being accosted by several draugr that looked more heavily-armed than what she had encountered before this. Most of them wore rusted but still intact iron armour and were armed with shields, battleaxes, and war hammers. Four humans laid slain on the ground while the remaining warrior had with him a sword that looked similar in design to what she was carrying. Two women cowered behind him, their clothes torn in several places and stained red with blood seeping from cuts. One of them had a knife in her hand but she actively avoided attacking.
Freya immediately charged towards a shield-bearing draugr with her spear levelled at its chest. With a mighty yell, she thrusted the spear at the creature. It punched right through and even pierced its armour, but the thing still writhed and screeched while attempting to turn around to attack whoever had attacked it. She pulled the spear out through its side and ducked when she saw the swing. The draugrs turned to face her, giving the man the opportunity to strike them from behind. He finished off the injured draugr by cutting off its head and proceeded to assist Freya in battling the rest. When she was struck by a war hammer, her hat fell off, revealing her non-human features which made the man stop temporarily out of surprise. However, he quickly recovered from the stupor and rushed in to bash an undead that was about to strike Freya while she was trying to get up.
After the last draugr fell silent, the two warriors regarded each other silently, their weapons still levelled at each other, both breathing hard from exertion. After a short while, the human warrior lowered his sword and Freya followed suit. "Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm not your enemy," Freya answered while pushing her fringe aside. "Odin sent me here to investigate the draugrs?"
"The Allfather sent you? Maybe the gods are listening after all," said the man as the Burmecian went to retrieve her hat. "Where are you from, warrior?"
"I'm from Burmecia. I'm not supposed to be part of this world."
"So, you're from Asgard then?"
"No, I'm from…" Freya stopped as she racked her brains for an answer. "I'm not from Midgard or Asgard."
The man blinked out of confusion before waving dismissively, saying, "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. If you are from Odin, then please, come stay with us. It's the least I can do to thank you."
Freya had wanted to tell him that she had something to do, but the pain from the hammer blow and fatigue made her hold her tongue. "That would be great, thank you."
"What is your name?" he asked while they walked back to the two injured women.
"My name is Freya Crescent."
"You're not the goddess Freyja, are you?"
"No, I'm not. I'm not a goddess or anything; I'm mortal," Freya remarked tiredly. "And what about your name?" she asked.
With a warm smile, the young man said, "I'm Harald Halfdansson."
To Janet: I'm happy you liked the story so far, I really appreciate the comment as well! I certainly agree Burmecia isn't quite as fleshed out, which is a shame because it would be nice to see how it was like during its glory days, how the Burmecians lived etc. The architecture there certainly stood out compared to Alexandria and Lindblum :)