Book III: Fictional Edification
Chapter VI: Destined Paths
Dimension: Wulf-Edda/Asgard/Valaskjálf
Not too soon, the Allfather called for a summoning with a few of his subjects. Among them were Thor, Víðarr, and Brynhildr. They discussed a civil war taking place in Midgard. Odin has professed to have some personal stakes in this war between Kings Agnar and Hjálmgunnar.
"Father, perhaps I shouldst go down? Hast thou decided which king we align with?" Víðarr queried the quiet Allfather, who sat mulling over his decision. He noted two black ravens sitting on the arms of Odin's throne. These were Odin's ravens Huginn and Muninn. Huginn let out a cawing sound as he opened up his wings.
"Please, name the king thou hast chosen," Thor tried to get an answer from the old king. He eyed his father's two wolves, Geri and Freki. They had yellowish to almost silvery gray fur with slightly reddish limbs and black speckling on their tails and shoulders. White fur covered their throat, abdomen, and facial markings.
Also sitting near Odin's throne was a beautiful black horse with hazel eyes, and a yellow tail and mane. Standing at an impressive height, this horse was the famed eight-legged horse named Sleipnir.
Just then, Odin bolted up from his throne and broke his silence. "I hast decided the king we will aid in this war!" As he slammed Gungnir down, the Allfather brought order and silence to his throne room to the point of silencing Sleipnir, Geri & Freki, and Huginn & Muninn. His eyes, piercing like daggers, scanned his two sons and the Valkyrie before him. He saw his sons kneel to him, but Brynhildr remained standing and exhibited her rebellious nature. With a conniving smirk on his face, the Allfather pointed to Brynhildr. "Thou hast chosen thee, Brynhildr. Thou shalt be the one to deliver the message and decide my king."
Upon hearing this, Brynhildr responded with a haughty scoff. "Me? Thou choose me to be thy canine to pick thy king?"
"Who else? Consider this thy test to prove if thy worthy. Thou need to develop thy diplomatic skills. Let us see if thou art worthy of such a task."
"Thou send Brynhildr, father?! With all due respect, she…" Víðarr was silenced by Odin's piercing glare and kept his mouth shut. He chose not to incur the Allfather's wrath anymore.
"He is making a mistake," Thor muttered under his breath.
"Well, Brynhildr? What dost thou sayeth? Will thou do it?" Odin asked the Blood Valkyrie.
Taking a moment to think this over, Brynhildr already had her plans for a hostile takeover in the back of her mind. However, now wasn't the time to spring that plan into motion. Instead, she chose to continue to play along.
"Yes, I accept thy assignment, old man," Brynhildr snidely remarked. "Who knows? Maybe I will do a better job negotiating with those fragile Midgardians?" She crossed an arm over her chest. "And I shalt do this for me. Not to appease thou, old man."
In the face of these derogatory remarks, Odin tries his best to conceal the anger that's been building inside of him whenever Brynhildr is in his presence.
"Hast I struck a nerve in thee, fukka old timer?"
With his anger ever increasing, Odin gripped his spear.
"Which king hast thee chosen?"
Thor and Víðarr quietly and apprehensively watched Brynhildr. Neither had anywhere near the gull to speak rudely toward their own father, but the Blood Valkyrie has shown no regard for authority, especially not Odin's.
"Go and help my favored king, the tried but true King Hjálmgunnar. Together with him, thou shalt decide the fate of this war." the Allfather commanded the Blood Valkyrie.
Holding back her irritation with Odin's predictable choice, Brynhildr said nothing. Instead, she took a deep inhale and cursed to herself. "Oh fukka Hel."
Midgard/Fields
In the middle of an open meadow, two warring kingdom armies stood opposite from the other. The army on the right side carrying royal blue flags with white roses is King Hjálmgunnar's. On the left, King Agnar's army held red flags and crests with three golden lions on them.
Facing his opposition with green eyes and a tall height was King Hjálmgunnar. He has antique white hair, which was straight and lush at a shoulder's length. King Hjálmgunnar's choice of war gear was dark red body armor, armored gloves, and knee-length boots. He wore a white cape and carried a black helmet on his left hand.
"King Hjálmgunnar, we are ready whenever," one of his subjects addressed him in a whisper.
Hjálmgunnar stayed silent.
On the opposite side, King Agnar didn't budge from his position. He was a contrast to the older king. Agnar had a dignified but youthful appearance. He stood slightly taller than Hjálmgunnar. Agnar has rosy brown hair, and blue eyes, and his neck-length hair was shaggy and curly. He wore dark gray body armor, chainmail underneath this armor, armored gloves, and knee-length boots. He wore a blue cape and carried a gray helmet.
"Shalt we commence the attack, King Agnar?" A subject queried to the young king.
Both kings said at the same time. "Not yet."
Suddenly, the kings' train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a thunderous force exploding near them. Every member of the two armies witnessed a multi-colored ray of light crash into the earth with tremendous force. The kings turned and faced the ray of light as if they anticipated it.
"Finally, the deities hast answered thy pleas," the kings muttered simultaneously.
The ray of light that rained from the sky came from the Bifröst. Odin's warrior of choice, Brynhildr, came flying out of the light. The Blood Valkyrie stepped forward as both armies watched in stunned silence. Ignoring the mortal eyes watching her, Brynhildr casually paced over to both kings with her broadsword drawn out.
"Which of us hast thou come to aid?" The kings wondered out loud.
Brynhildr exchanged glances with the kings. She pointed her broadsword toward Agnar first before settling on Hjálmgunnar.
Smiling with satisfaction, Hjálmgunnar greeted Brynhildr. "Hast Odin sent thee in his place, oh great Valkyrie?"
Brynhildr said nothing as she scanned Hjálmgunnar's forces and counted them in her head.
"I am grateful thou hast come to aid us in this civil war. Now we can finally decide this war with a god on our side," Hjálmgunnar said, but again he received no response from the Blood Valkyrie. "May I ask for thy name, Valkyrie? How shalt I call thee by?"
Brynhildr quickly turned and met King Hjálmgunnar's gaze.
"I am Brynhildr the Blood Valkyrie," she answered him.
"Blood Valkyrie thou sayeth?" Her less dignified response confounded Hjálmgunnar. "And why such a horrid title?"
Before answering him, Brynhildr walked up to Hjálmgunnar and in the blink of an eye, the king's head slid off his shoulders and plopped on the ground. A fountain of blood gushed out from the neck stump where the king's head used to be. Some of Hjálmgunnar's blood splashed against his subjects and on Brynhildr. The king's body fell and twitched violently on the ground before its life ceased and stopped moving altogether.
Brynhildr cracked a fiendish smile. "That is why." She happily licked the king's blood from her face.
This elicited panic and chaotic fury from King Hjálmgunnar's army. In response to Brynhildr's traitorous attack, they attacked Brynhildr from all sides. Brandishing her blood-stained broadsword, the Blood Valkyrie viciously slashed and tore through the mortal men with ease, proving how fragile they were compared to an Asgardian.
Having witnessed the Blood Valkyrie betray King Hjálmgunnar and his forces, King Agnar initially thought she worked in his favor. King Agnar sent for men to stop Brynhildr, but they, too, were easily flayed by Brynhildr's callous attacks.
"King Agnar, she hath killed the men thou sent for her! She is fighting on behalf of no one but herself!" A soldier warned King Agnar.
"This has gone far enough. Retreat!" King Agnar ordered most of his armies away.
Turning around, Brynhildr stood completely soaked in the blood of mortal men. A sadistic grin smeared across the Blood Valkyrie's face. A cruel laugh escaped her lips as she pursued King Agnar and his army. She pounced on horseback and beheaded a man with her broadsword. She didn't stop there and slashed down several more soldiers. She swiftly attacked and sliced apart heaps of mortal men in the blink of an eye. She even gouged out the eyes of a soldier and slit his throat.
When she spotted King Agnar trying to escape, she threw her broadsword, which hit the back of the leg of the king's horse. This caused the horse to fall over and send the king flying off. Agnar crashed to the floor and scrambled over to grab a shield, but Brynhildr kicked the shield away. He reached for his sword. Brynhildr cut off his right hand and pointed her broadsword to his throat.
When a fleet of soldiers from both kingdoms charged and archers fired arrows, Brynhildr easily dodged the barrage of arrows and opened up a portal. From this portal, the Blood Valkyrie summoned a massive assortment of various swords. With a drop of a hand, Brynhildr beckoned the swords to rain down like a storm and pierce into hundreds of men. Heaps of bodies, either dead or dying to their last breath, were stuck on blades that covered the vicinity.
Agnar gazed over the horrific scenery of hundreds of slain, flayed men and a blood-soaked landscape resembling a human graveyard. What was once a beautiful meadow became a grisly scene from Hel itself. The putrid smell from the blood and soon-to-be-rotted corpses entered Agnar's nostrils, almost causing him to vomit.
"Stop! Please, what dost thou want?! I hast wealth! Thou can hast it all! Even a goddess like thou hast desires for riches and power?"
"Power? Thou try to bribe me, petty mortal?" Brynhildr snickered, pressing her broadsword's pointed end against his throat line. "No, I hast all I ever want. Soon, I shalt be the one who rules Asgard. But, thou won't be around to plead to save thy worthless carcass. Like thou will be now." As her sadistic grin widened, she raised her broadsword over Agnar and silenced him.
Asgard/Valaskjálf
Having completed her ordeal, Brynhildr returned to meet with Allfather. However, Odin didn't get what he wanted. Instead, Brynhildr went against his order and returned with the heads of the two kings.
"Here. I hope thou enjoy these, old man," Brynhildr tossed the decapitated heads of Hjálmgunnar and Agnar near Odin's throne. The blood from the heads splashed on the floor and all over Odin's throne.
Even Odin ended up covered in blood it colored some areas of his white beard in red.
"Let this be a lesson to thee, old fukka man! I, Brynhildr the Blood Valkyrie, dost not take orders to carry out thy petty wishes!" The Blood Valkyrie angrily protested against Allfather, who clenched his teeth and tightened his hold on Gungnir. "I am letting thou know I am going to become the next Asgardian ruler! Thy power wanes as we speak!"
As he immediately bolted from his throne, Odin roared with fury and slammed Gungnir down with force. Potent magical bolts erupted from his spear and vaporized the two king's heads. In response to this, Geri and Freki rose and snarled furiously, baring their fangs toward Brynhildr.
"Thou no longer hide behind those mongrels. Now thou get up to face me. Thou hast no idea how long I hast waited for this!" Brynhildr yelled out and readied her broadsword.
Odin snarled behind clenched teeth while curling his lips. "Thou… THOU ART AN UNGRATEFUL BIKKJE!" He roared with intense fury that he unleashed a shockwave from a white and golden aura around him. "I gave thou a simple task! But, thou deliberately went against my word! Thou killed MY favored king, thou creature!"
"Call me a bikkje? No, I didst it. I grow tired of thy lectures and idiocy that is dragging Asgard into decadence!" Brynhildr growled with a mocking smile as she methodically paced around him.
Odin shouted back. "THOU HAST NO IDEA OF THE COSTLY MISTAKE THOU HAST MADE!"
Brynhildr fiercely retorted. "DOST THOU THINK I GIVE A FUKKA WHAT THOU SAYETH?!"
Carefully watching Brynhildr with his good eye, Odin readied his spear to defend himself. He turned to blast Brynhildr, who quickly dodged. Brynhildr continued to taunt the Allfather.
"To think thou art Sigrdrífa's daughter. Sigrdrífa was unlike thee. Thou hast the appearance of thy late mother, but thou dost not possess her kind and gentle spirit! Even when we had disagreements, not once didst she show me any hatred. Unlike thou, Sigrdrífa was a loyal Valkyrie and served as an advisor for me! I abhor the fact when I see thee, I see her! I refuse to accept that a diseased creature like thee came from her body!"
The Blood Valkyrie cackled in response. "Thou think I care for a dead woman who I never met?!"
"That is because thou killed her during childbirth, foul beast!"
"Heh, then if she died giving birth to me, it shows how weak she was. She couldst not handle bringing someone as strong as me into this world! There is one thing I am thankful for that woman, she gave me life so I can live long enough to face thee, old man!"
Odin turned and fired another charged blast from Gungnir. Brynhildr casually dodged the Allfather's provoked attack.
"I WILL NOT HAST THOU SPEAK ILL OF HER!" Odin bellowed with unbridled fury as the Blood Valkyrie insulted her late mother. "FOR THAT I SHALT HAST NO MERCY ON THEE!"
"Dost thou want to know why I killed those kings instead of siding with thy favored one?!" Brynhildr roared with defiance. Then, she evilly smirked and complacently responded. "Because I made an example out of them. I killed them as my first act against thou when I overthrow thee from thy throne!"
"THOU FUKKA BIKKJE!" Odin screamed furiously at the Blood Valkyrie.
Then, with a big twisted and maniacal grin etched on her dried and bloodied face, Brynhildr cackled and responded. "No… THOU ART GOING TO BE MY BIKKJE!" She brandished her broadsword as Odin swung Gungnir in her way.
The Blood Valkyrie hopped out of Odin's reach as his spear smashed the ground in her place. Brynhildr took to the air and taunted the Allfather.
"Thou getting slow with thy old age, fukka old man!" Brynhildr mockingly taunted him. She flew down and swung her broadsword at him, but Odin countered with Gungnir and unleashed a powerful golden aura that pushed her away.
Despite her mockery of the Allfather, Brynhildr lived long enough to know how powerful Odin was. Even in his old age, Odin still possessed the power to decimate armies, be they Jötnar, Dwarven, or even Midgardians. The power of the Allfather was feared by many.
However, Brynhildr was no slouch. She knew her own strengths and just effortlessly decimated two whole kingdom armies with her sword and her bare hands. That was one Valkyrie. Having accomplished this, Brynhildr gained new confidence and vowed to see her plans through to the bitter end. Nothing was going to stop her now.
As Brynhildr prepared to attack Odin, Geri and Freki rushed at her. She swung her sword and fought off Odin's wolves. While fighting them off, Brynhildr witnessed the wolves's shapeshifting abilities. Geri changed into a Megalania, a giant extinct monitor lizard, and tried to grab Brynhildr with its venomous teeth. Brynhildr flew down and swiftly kicked Geri's face, knocking him over. Freki turned into a smaller variation of the extinct Megalodon shark and attempted to bite her in half. Brynhildr summoned a projectile of blades, which pierced into the giant shark. The wolves were taken down and returned to their normal states. Geri hurried over to tend to Freki's wounds.
While this was going on, the wolves granted Odin time to conjure restraining magic. He quickly threw a veil of his restraining magic, but Brynhildr was able to dodge in time. While evading Odin, the Blood Valkyrie ended up fighting off not just the wolves, but Odin's ravens, Muninn and Huginn.
"LEAVE ME BE, FUKKA BEASTS!" Brynhildr roared.
Then, Sleipnir charged in and knocked Brynhildr away. Brynhildr quickly landed on all fours with her broadsword clenched between her teeth. She grabbed her sword and went for another attack on the Allfather.
"SEIZE HER, MUNINN AND HUGINN!" Odin scornfully yelled out.
At the behest of the Allfather, the ravens flew over Brynhildr and used their mandalas's magic to restrain Brynhildr. The Blood Valkyrie felt her entire body being paralyzed from the head down. Struggle as she tried, she couldn't break loose. As the ravens continued restraining her, Odin conjured chainmail that bound her. Once trapping her, Odin raised Gungnir and fired an immense blast that hit Brynhildr and single-handedly wiped out her armor and clothing.
When Brynhildr came to, she was on the floor naked, but her clothing and armor weren't the only things stripped from her. She felt different. She no longer felt strong, as if all her godly power was sapped from her. To Brynhildr's own realized horror, she became mortal.
"I hast taken away thy power, creature," Odin muttered scornfully, his tone pitch much lower. He conjured more chainmail armor, which wrapped over Brynhildr's naked body, and casually lifted her into the air. As he eyed the now mortal Brynhildr, all he could think about was finally ridding Asgard of his biggest headache. "Thou were brought here because thy birth father couldst not tame thee! Brynhildr, not only dost I take thee power but thy divine right to remain on Asgardian grounds! I cast thee out for all of time!"
Following an unrestrained smack to the floor with Gungnir, Odin opened a portal in front of Brynhildr.
Rather than accept her fate, Brynhildr relentlessly cursed at the Allfather. "THOU FUKKA OLD MAN! DOST THOU THINK THOU WILL RID OF ME?! I WILL NOT REST UNTIL THOU BREATHE THY LAST DIVINE BREATH! THOU HIDE BEHIND THY MAGIC AND SUBJECTS TO DEFEAT ME! THOU COULDST NEVER DEFEAT ME FUKKA FAIRLY! ONE DAY WHEN WE DIE, THOU WILL BE MY BIKKJE IN HEL!" She let out unrestrained laughter that only infuriated Odin, who readily raised Gungnir.
With eyes conveying full-out hatred, Odin bellowed toward her. "THAT SHALT NEVER HAPPEN! I EXILE THOU TO HINDARFJALL, THOU FUKKA BEAST!" With a shout, the Allfather unleashed another immense blast from Gungnir and sent Brynhildr into the portal as it closed shut. After exiling her, Geri and Freki showed off in front of Odin; the former turned into a king baboon spider and Freki shapeshifted into a coyote.
Dropping to a knee, Odin couldn't believe that was all it took to rid himself of the Blood Valkyrie. However, he came to realize he needed to restrain and take away Brynhildr's divine powers to defeat her. He has come to realize his own limitations. There was that small sliver of a chance Brynhildr would have succeeded in killing him.
But, today was not that day.
Odin could rest easy knowing his reign would continue uncontested.
However, one thing remained.
Midgard/Hindarfjall/Castle
Opening her eyes, Brynhildr found herself still trapped in chainmail. As she struggled to break loose, Odin's magic tightened the chainmail around the Valkyrie's now mortal body.
Brynhildr screamed with unbridled fury. "I WILL HAST THY HEAD FOR THIS, THOU FUKKA OLD BIKKJE! I WILL BREAK FREE FROM THESE RESTRAINTS AND WHEN I DOST… I… WILL CUT THOU… HEAD OFF… AND…. DEFECATE…" Her wording slowed and almost slurred. "...DOST THOU HEAR ME?! I HOPE THOU HEAR EVERY WORD OF WHAT I SAY! EVERY WORD OF MINE HAUNT THOU UNTIL THY LAST DAYS! THEY WILL COME, OLD MAN! I SWEAR MY REVENGE ON THOU AND ALL OF ASGARD!" As Odin's magic channeled through the chainmail, it tightened over her body, including her throat as she ceased screaming. She fought with every breath to continue her rant, but she fell unconscious and was forced to start her exile inside the burning castle of the mountainous Hindarfjall.
Before slipping into unconsciousness, Brynhildr reflected on her actions but refused to apologize. She had no reason to apologize as she was set on her way to overthrow and kill Odin. And she refused to accept her mistakes. Then, after a few moments of resistance, Brynhildr fell into her deep slumber.
Asgard/Garden
Shortly after Brynhildr's exile, the news spread fast among the Asgardians. Odin made it clear that Brynhildr committed treason against his authority and attacked him without provocation. As a result, he announced Brynhildr was not only exiled, but her position was up for grabs, leaving a huge void for the other Third Generation Valkyries with a huge opportunity to replace Brynhildr.
This news sent mixed signals among the Valkyries and the other Asgardians.
"Can thou believe this, Thor?" Sif turned to her husband, who shook his head.
"I knew Odin chose poorly. I shouldst hast been there to decide that civil war."
"Thou know father wouldst not let either of us take part. He deliberately set Brynhildr to either succeed or fail," Víðarr interjected, sadly sighing. "She chose to go against father's wishes."
"How is Eir taking this, brother?" Thor queried with concern.
"Not well. Half of the Valkyries still hast not elected who will take Brynhildr's place."
On the other side of the garden, Eir discussed Brynhildr's exile with Sigrún and Thrúd. All three were worried about the state of their group.
"What shalt we do now? As unpredictable as she was, Brynhildr was an effective commander," Thrúd said. "This is not good. We lost a strong hand!"
Visibly hurt by the exile of her best friend, Sigrún recalled the beautifully erotic all-nighter she had with Brynhildr.
"I suppose I couldst be the new leader. I hast shown I am capable of leading," Eir suggested to nominate herself.
Thrúd nodded. "I wouldst be ok with that."
Sigrún spoke up. "Or, perhaps me. I learned a lot from Brynhildr."
Eir smiled. "Thou wouldst make a good fit, too."
"Humph, the way I see it, good riddance to that ruffian," the obnoxiously highfalutin voice belonging to Skögul interjected. "She kept instigating tensions with Allfather. This hath been a long time coming."
"Indeed. With Brynhildr gone, perhaps I shouldst lead?" Göndul suggested, veering toward Eir, Sigrún, and Thrúd. "What sayeth thou three? None of thou three art worthy to lead the Valkyrie unit."
Thrúd angrily rebuked. "Us not worthy?! I hast lifted and wielded my father's hammer! That alone makes me more qualified than thee two elitist fools!"
Sigrún interjected and held the irked Thrúd back. "Please not now and here, Thrúd."
Skögul lifted a hand under her chin and gave a haughty laugh. "Ohohoho, thou art need to be of high class to lead a team as prestigious as ours." She then grabbed Göndul's hand. "Like us. Right, my love?"
Göndul addressed the other three Valkyries with a conniving grin. "Yes, between a hora." She glared at Eir. "A brutish hothead." She turned to Thrúd. "And a Gulon." She labeled Sigrún with a derogatory name. "None of thou three art not fit. Perhaps Allfather will seriously consider me."
Eir frowned. "Somehow I doubt that."
Sigrún nodded. "I wouldst sooner retire than be lead by thee two."
"My, this is about to turn into an unpleasant conversation. Come, Göndul. Let us laugh over Brynhildr's exile and discuss our nominations to fill the vacancy," Skögul said, holding Göndul's hand and leading her away.
As the magniloquent couple laughed together, Eir, Sigrún, and Thrúd watched them leave with contempt.
"I swear. One day I will knock those two off their pedestals," Thrúd grumbled.
Eir sighed. "As much as I wouldst like to give them a piece of my mind, this is not the time for us to quarrel. We hast to decide the future of our unit."
Sigrún clenched a fist. "Then, I wouldst seriously like to nominate myself to Lord Odin. I wouldst be a much better fit than either of those two arrogant cretins."
"I just hope wherever Brynhildr is, she is well," Eir added with a downbeat sigh. "A part of me thinkest she went too far to rebel and attack Allfather. Whoever knows if she will ever return?"
"Her rebellious spirit is what drew me to her," Thrúd said. "I can respect someone who speaks their mind with sheer honesty."
Clasping her hands, Sigrún kept her friend in her thoughts. She hoped one day if Asgard's conditions worsened she'd leave to settle on Midgard and perhaps find Brynhildr. However, that remained to be seen.
Svartalfheim/Myrkheim/Andvari's Home
Sometime during the recent incident with Brynhildr and Odin, one Asgardian wasn't present to learn of the Valkyrie's exile. That was none other than Loki. He recently left for a venture into one of the other Nine Realms: Svartalfheim, home of the Dwarves.
Having just arrived through a Bifröst, Loki approached a waterfall. He passed the waterfall and entered the mouth of a cavern. Inside was a large home forged from rock, wood, and clay. He knocked on the door.
A husky voice called from the other side. "Who is there?! Identity thyself!"
Loki cleared his throat. "It is I!"
"I dost not know any! Try again or leave my grounds!"
"It is I, Loki from Asgard!" He announced loudly. "There. Is that good enough?"
With that, the door opened and Loki was let in. The red-haired man looked around the spacious front section of the house. The interior was filled with grimy-looking bricks and dried mud. He noted a bookshelf full of books and jars filled with various creepy fauna, including insects, worms, and rodents. The scent in the house was wet and putrid. He heard footsteps behind him. Being the cautious type, Loki twirled around and pointed a small dagger toward the individual's way.
"See here! Thou art in my home, trickster!" Barked a tall dwarf with shoulder-length, straight white hair. Towering over him, the dwarf's amber eyes fell on Loki's dagger. He wore a grimy dark gray sleeveless shirt, dark green pants, and black boots.
"Yes, I am here to talk. Tell me. I wish to know where thy allegiances lie these days, Andvari," Loki addressed the large dwarf in front of him.
"Dost thou jest, trickster? My undying loyalty remains with Grímhildr."
"Ah yes, the once infamous Unmoralisch, who dared to threaten Asgard ages ago. And I recall thou were one of her top commanders, Andvari."
"Get to the point, Loki. I hast no time to be wasting words with thee."
"Ah, but see I hast all the time in the world. Andvari, let us step outside," Loki opened the door for Andvari. "It will be much better if we talk in a more open space."
Shooting a darkened glare at Loki, Andvari became cautious with his generous approach. He walked over and poked his head outside the door. He eyed Loki momentarily and stepped out. Loki followed him outside. Loki noticed the necklace with a small gold ring attached to it.
Suddenly, Andvari paused and turned around to meet Loki.
"Why stop all of a sudden, Andvari? I wanted us outside the cavern."
"This is far enough. I recall thou were there to see my former master perish in battle," Andvari reminded him of his former mistress's end. As he said this, the dwarf's amber eyes glowed. "I know thou didst not come here to talk about reflecting on those days."
"I hast come to make a bargain."
"A bargain? With me? What would thou want from me?!" Andvari's voice deepened and became monstrous.
"In exchange for some information…"
"But, what would thou want from me, trickster?!" Andvari demanded as his dwarf form grew big enough to fill half of the cavern. The sound of the waterfall wasn't enough to drown out the loud growls coming out of the dwarf. The dwarf grew and became a large 35-foot tall, 55-foot long dragon. His scaly hide was obsidian coupled with a white underbelly. A pair of massive wings spread out. Each wing was 20 meters in wingspan. The back of his head, spine, and limbs were covered in spikes.
The very presence of Andvari's dragon form made the fiercest of fauna look tame in comparison. However, Loki tried his best not to lose his nerve in front of Dreki-Andvari, who towered over the trickster and expelled heavy exhales through his nostrils. As he advanced on Loki, his movements resembled that of a crocodilian.
As Loki backed off, he maintained his gaze on the ring still hanging on Dreki-Andvari. It was on a horn instead of his now-massive trunk for a neck.
Dreki-Andvari bellowed an earth-shattering roar, causing the cavern to shudder. Low growls and ear-piercing screams now left his mouth, causing Loki to cover his ears. He leaned down and stared at the trickster.
"I will not ask again. What dost thou want from me?!" Dreki-Andvari roared, looking to finish Loki when he should've when he and the Unmoralisch's forces attacked Asgard. "I devour thee whole where thee stand!
"I just came to ask about thy ring!"
Dreki-Andvari glanced over to the ring on him. "The ring? What dost thou need Andvaranaut for?"
"For a hefty price if thou art willing to bargain?"
Dreki-Andvari stomped his foot in front of Loki, making the trickster flinch. "No deal!" He poked his head in front of the red-haired trickster and snorted sickening, moist exhales in Loki's face.
"Then, perhaps thou would like a life of normalcy? I am sure thou dost not wish to remain cursed with the burden of holding the ring for Grímhildr's sake. The Unmoralisch is no longer among us. Thou art all that remains of her commanders. Dost thy wish to be truly free? Thou can retire in peace." Loki tried a gentler persuasion, trying to placate while deceiving the monster.
After mulling a few moments, Dreki-Andvari pulled away from the trickster. Loki heard the sound of the ring hitting the ground with a clank. Eyeing the ring, Loki picked it up. Andvari turned back to his Dwarf self.
"Yes, like thou say, I must let go. Look at what I hast become… broken and pathetic," Andvari said. "Lady Grímhildr will never return. I shouldst hast accepted this truth long ago." He gritted and snarled. "Well, what art thou waiting for? Take the ring before I reconsider!"
Loki nodded solemnly and departed with the ring.
"And I dost not want to see thee again!"
After being run out by the dwarf, Loki took a deep breath. Once again, his deceptive words helped him survive what could've been his last day. However, it paid off for the trickster.
He stared at Andvaranaut's golden gleam and smirked. "All mine now."
Svartalfheim/Myrkheim/Forest
Later, Loki fetched some fresh water from a river and put it in a canteen. As he went to leave, he heard the sound of splashing in the distance. His curious eye caught an animal diving in and out of a pond nearby. He slowly approached to get a closer view.
The animal was a dark brown-furred otter. As the otter swam on its back, it revealed a cream underbelly. From Loki's vantage point, the stream near the pond where the otter played was murky.
A thought came across Loki as he took out a knife. He waited until the otter dropped his guard. When Loki sprang out of the bush, the otter barely turned and screamed.
"Wait-!" But it was too late, Loki stabbed the otter and killed it.
Then, Loki hung the now slain otter on a branch by a piece of rope. After brushing the otter, the trickster brandished his skinning knife. He started cutting off the otter's arms. Then, he dug the knife into the otter's feet and sliced off the fur from its legs. He then cut through its tail fur and freed it up from the thick tail. He cut down the edges of the fur around its body, sliced through its chest, and slowly pulled the fur down. After a few pulldowns, he easily ripped the fur pelt off. He left the skinless carcass to hang as flies swarmed and covered it.
Examining his freshly cut otter pelt, the trickster wore a satisfied grin. "Yes, such fine-quality fur. Thou dost not get otter fur this good back home." He placed the fur in a sack and headed elsewhere to clean it up.
Svartalfheim/Niðavellir/Sindri
Upon hearing the news of his son being slain, King Hreiðmarr put out a bounty on the one who took his son's life. King Hreiðmarr lived in a palace named Sindri. It is located northward in the capital of Svartalfheim, Niðavellir.
However, one day, Loki arrived as a guest on behalf of Asgard to meet with King Hreiðmarr. When he learned the otter he killed was the dwarven king's son, Ótr, Loki decided to confront the king and confess. The trickster entered only to meet the gazes of King Hreiðmarr's Dwarf subjects. He saw two Dwarves and a couple of Golems in particular standing opposite their king's throne.
On the left is a tall Dwarf with black shoulder length, straight hair, and brown eyes. He wore a blue robe with a long strap over the left shoulder and green armor on the right. He also wore white pants and yellow knee-length boots. This Dwarf was Reginn.
On the right is another Dwarf of similar stature. He looked similar to Reginn but wore a dark purple robe on his left shoulder and gray armor on the right. He wore black pants and red knee-length boots. This was Fáfnir.
Beside the two Dwarves are two 20-foot-tall Clay Jötnar; two for each Dwarf. These Golems had ash-gray, block bodies. Their main bodies are round, but the rest of their body parts are misshapen and disproportionate. Metallic gears are seen poking out of their disproportionate bodies. Their red heads are tiny to the rest of their body.
Sitting on his throne, Niðaskjálf, was King Hreiðmarr, a nine-foot tall aged Dwarf with white neck-length hair. His golden brown eyes meet Loki, who approaches him. The Dwarven king wore a royal red robe. Underneath the robe, he wore silver body armor, white pants, and brown knee-length boots. He wore a silver helmet on the crown of his head.
"King Hreiðmarr, thou can call off thy bounty hunt. I hast come to confess that I unknowingly killed thy son," Loki openly admitted to killing and skinning the fur pelt from Ótr's body.
Upon hearing this, the Dwarven king snarled as did his very subjects in unison. Fáfnir attempted to run up to Loki, but Reginn stopped him. The Clay Jötnar was activated by the Dwarves's desire to kill the trickster.
"Thou hast the nerve to show thy cowardice before me, Loki! Thy repentance is most ill-advised! First, thy people kill my own and now thou kill my son! Thou better be prepared to meet thy fate!" The Dwarven king spoke out against the trickster in a deep voice coupled with angry bellows.
Loki raised his hands and knelt down. "I deeply apologize, King Hreiðmarr. I made a grave error to mistake thy son for a real otter." He showed them the fur pelt that he made into a vest.
"My word," Reginn was taken aback.
Hreiðmarr beckoned his subjects to surround Loki. "Thou hast any last words before I see thee worn to bits?"
Loki stammered. "W-W-wait, I hast something to repay for thy son's loss!" Loki pleaded, taking something out of his pocket. He opened his hand to show Andvaranaut.
Upon seeing the golden ring, the Dwarves were immediately drawn to its gleaming glow. Hreiðmarr examined the ring up close, allured by its brilliant quality.
"Where thou get this ring?"
"It was given to me by one of your kind. He was generous enough to give it to me," the trickster half-lied, not revealing Andvari's name or his ability to turn into a dragon.
"Thou say one of our kind? A Dwarf?"
"Y-Yes, thy highness."
The Dwarven king took the ring from Loki and examined it.
"He called it Andvaranaut. I am willing to part with it and give it to thee. Shalt this be enough to compensate for the unfortunate son's death? I am truly sorry. With this ring, thou can hast all the gold thy people couldst ever want. Thy people can never go poor."
Hearing this, Hreiðmarr clenched a hand over the ring and grunted. "It is done. I accept thy generous repayment. Consider thyself spared."
Loki sighed in the back of his mind. He dodged yet another near-death situation with a Dwarf. However, he was relieved of how easily Dwarves can be deceived.
"I dost hope thy son can ever forgive me," Loki said as he headed out.
"King Hreiðmarr, dost we let him go?" Fáfnir queried his father. "He killed thy son."
"Didst thou not hear him? This ring will bring us great fortune."
Fáfnir eyed the ring in his king's eye. "Great fortune? I dost not know."
As soon as Loki parted ways with Andvaranaut and gave it to King Hreiðmarr, the ring brought the complete opposite of great fortune. Unbeknownst to Loki, Andvari cursed the ring before relinquishing the ring knowing full well the trickster would take it. The curse on the ring would bring the holder untold destruction and misfortune into their lives. Loki learned of this and intended to part ways with the ring. He gave it to Hreiðmarr to rid himself of the curse.
What followed afterward was Fáfnir becoming consumed by greed. He became obsessed with his father's new gold. Once he killed his father, Fáfnir left with the ring. Next in line to be cursed by this ring, it changed Fáfnir for the worse. Not only did he become greedier, but Fáfnir also turned into a dragon and relocated to a far-off cave.
As the only son, Reginn was left with no inheritance and soon departed to become a smith. He departed for Midgard and started his new life as a smith. During his time there, he met an orphaned boy named Sigurd and adopted him. Reginn raised Sigurd like his own son and prepared him to become a smith.
One day, during a sparring match, Reginn told Sigurd of a dragon that lived close to them. He warned Sigurd this dragon was a danger to their home and hoarded treasure for himself. He told Sigurd if he wished to prove his mettle as a warrior, he must slay Fáfnir.
Midgard/Reginn's Home
Reginn and Sigurd worked tirelessly to finish up a sword for the latter to use against Fáfnir. Reginn presented Sigurd with a sword.
"Take it, Sigurd. It is thine to slay the dragon."
"We made this together?" Sigurd examined the blade.
Sigurd was now a young man. He had an average build for a youthful man, gaining a physique built through physical training and being a weaponsmith. He has dark blue hair in a short and unkempt style. He also has green eyes. He wore a short-sleeved gray shirt, brown pants, and black shoes. He held the sword and tested it by cutting through a wooden block. The biggest test came when he used the sword to cut an anvil in two.
"Wow, it hath a great precision!" Sigurd exclaimed with delight. "We didst great work, father!"
Reginn smiled. "Thou art ready to meet and slay the dragon?"
Turning around, Sigurd nodded. "I am now, father. Thou hast trained me for such endeavors. I will not let thee down. By the way…" He picked up a red scabbard and put the sword in it. "What shalt I call my sword?"
"Thou want a name for it?"
"Yes. This is not just any sword. I helped build it and plan to slay the dragon with it. It needs an identity. Hmmm." Sigurd glanced over his sword. "How about… Gram? The same sword my late father once used. After all, we rebuilt it from pieces of father's old weapon."
Reginn smirked darkly. "Aye, a perfect name to carry over from a father to his son. Now listen, Sigurd. Fáfnir not only guards treasure, but there is one object he protects with his life."
"And what is it?"
"A ring. Of all the treasures, that is the one I want thee to bring back."
"Why is that, father?"
"Because the ring is supposed to hold the most value of all the treasures. The ring's power is said to bring the possessor great fortune."
"Great fortune thou say?"
"Yes, art thou able to bring it?"
"Of course, I will. I shalt bring it so great fortune can shine down on us! And I will forge my name as the legendary warrior that killed Fáfnir!"
Midgard/Forest
As he departed from his home, Sigurd began his journey to confront and stop Fáfnir. He went fully equipped and prepared to fight. He wore dark body armor with blue clothing underneath and armored boots.
Sigurd was originally born from the Völsung clan, who were legendary but also marred with misfortunes. They came from the icy north. Sigurd, an heir to this clan, was the son of Sigmund. Now wielding his father's rebuilt sword, Sigurd looked to carry on his father's legacy and slay Fáfnir.
On his way, he entered a forest and wished to find a horse since he was traveling a long distance. When he went to fetch water from a river, he spotted a magnificent creature approaching the river for a drink. His eyes fell on the creature, which happened to be a horse. This horse had brilliant silver skin with an amber mane and tail. The horse's blue eyes meet Sigurd's gaze.
"Well, art thou beautiful?" Sigurd pleasantly addressed the horse. As he got up close to it, the horse neighed and snorted. "Sshh, it is ok! I will not harm thee!"
The horse grew tense until Sigurd patted its face. The horse continued to feel tense. It finally calmed as Sigurd stroked its face.
"Yes, it is ok. I bring no harm to thee. So, where art thou from?" He spoke pleasantly with the horse.
The horse just snorted in response.
"Well, art thou funny?" Sigurd chuckled genuinely as he walked the horse away.
After a few days of bonding, Sigurd earned the horse's trust. He even gave his new steed a name: Grani.
Midgard/Fáfnir's Lair
Another day passed, Sigurd and Grani arrived near the mouth of the cavern where Fáfnir lived. Sigurd requested Grani to stay behind. He walked in with Gram in hand. The young warrior entered the dragon's lair and beckoned him to attack.
Fáfnir awoke from his slumber and emerged to meet the warrior. The former Dwarf became a 20-foot-tall behemoth. Nearly this entire body was covered in army green scales. Fáfnir's red eyes gleamed and looked down on Sigurd. A single horn protruded through the dragon's nose. He has no wings, feeling he does not need for such since he rarely ever leaves his lair.
The dragon bellowed and expelled poisonous fumes from his mouth. Sigurd witnessed the noxious fumes melt an assortment of rocks into dust. Sigurd evaded exposure to the poisons. Fáfnir charged toward Sigurd and walked similarly to a Komodo dragon. He let out a crackling bellow that shook the entire lair.
"Boy, hast thou come for my treasure?!" Fáfnir roared as he pointed to the bones of the slain he'd either devoured or melted alive with his poisons. "Look. This will be thy fate."
Slowly poking his head out, Sigurd breathed hard and fast. His heart pounded quickly against his chest. His pulse rate heightened. His mouth became dry.
"Answer me! What else couldst thou seek from me?!" The dragon roared.
Glancing over to his side, Sigurd found the skeletal remains of a warrior killed by Fáfnir. He also spotted a shield lying next to the remains. He snatched the shield and dashed out of his hiding place. Fáfnir quickly turned and expelled another poisonous breath. This time Sigurd was able to guard himself from Fáfnir's deadly breath.
As he ducked behind a broken pillar fragment, Sigurd tried looking for the ring, but it was nowhere to be seen. He wondered if Reginn lied or was simply misinformed. However, now wasn't the time to mull over whatever his foster father said. He staked his own life and rushed out of his hiding spot.
"I shalt melt thee down to bones!" Fáfnir fired another poisonous breath.
Before he came out to fight, he noticed a small sword lying on a pile of gold coins. HeSigurd threw the shield across as it smacked and bounced off Fáfnir's face. This distraction enabled Sigurd to sneak up and plunge Gram through the dragon's chest. Fáfnir struggled to push Sigurd off as the young warrior shoved the sword deeper into his chest.
"I dost not intend to die here! I will not fall like these men!" Sigurd yelled out.
Fáfnir opened his mouth and attempted to bite off Sigurd's head. The young warrior then shoved the sword deeper as it pierced into Fáfnir's heart. The dragon let out a blood-curdling roar. He violently smashed against the nearest wall. Sigurd then reached for the small sword, Ridill. With Ridill in hand, he lunged at Fáfnir.
He quickly sliced the sword upward, cutting open the dragon's chest. Sigurd then shoved his hand inside Fáfnir's open chest wound and grabbed something still pulsating. He yanked out a grotesque dark red heart and threw it to the ground.
Both Sigurd and Fáfnir fell at the same time. The warrior saw the dragon's still beating heart and grabbed it. Before delivering the killing blow to the heart, he noticed the ring was attached to it.
"He hadst the ring near his heart all along?! No wonder no one hath been able to find it!" Sigurd exclaimed.
Suddenly, Sigurd felt a large shadow looming behind him. Before he could glance over his shoulder, a tail whipped him far into a wall. Fáfnir stalked over to finish Sigurd. However, he stopped to pick up his heart.
"Art thou looking for this?" Sigurd smirked as he showed off the ring.
The dragon snarled furiously, baring his sharp teeth. "Give that back!" As he lunged for the young warrior, Sigurd shoved Gram through the dragon's chest and reopened the wound where he stabbed him. Dark purple blood quickly came spilling out and bathed over Sigurd. His entire body became covered in the dragon's blood, sans for a leaf that came off the wall, slipped into his armor, and attached itself to the back of the young warrior's right shoulder.
As the dragon's blood-drenched the entire lair, Fáfnir collapsed. Sigurd, too, nearly collapsed, but rather from exhaustion. His eyes veered to the still-beating heart.
"Wait…" Fáfnir weakly croaked, drawing the warrior's attention from the heart. The creature lay there dying and queried him. "What is thy name…boy?"
Sigurd frowned and responded. "What dost it matter? Thou art about to die."
"I wouldst like to know the name of the man who ended me."
"I am Sigurd."
"What is thy parentage?"
"I came from the Völsung clan. My father was Sigmund."
"The Völsung clan… eh? Yes, I hast heard of that clan… I see how I couldst be slain by thee."
"Is that all?"
"Just one more. Who sent thou on this dangerous quest? Was it my brother Reginn?"
"That is my caretaker. More like a foster father."
Fáfnir cackled weakly. "Oh, that bitter fool, but kind enough to raise a Midgardian boy like thee. I knew he wouldst plot a way to kill me, but the coward used a boy to finish the job."
"Thou speak like he is a deceitful monster."
"Be warned… dost let him touch the ring. The very ring thou now hold. I foresee thy death by Reginn's hands, directly or indirectly. I wouldst not return to him."
"Thou art lying," Sigurd denied his supposed warning. "I will come back for thy treasures."
The dragon cackled once more. "...all those who possess gold are fated to die…"
"All men must die anyway. It is the dream of many men to be wealthy until that dying day. I will take the gold without fear." Not taking any more chances, the warrior shoved Ridill into the heart as dark purple fluids spilled like putrid ooze. Fáfnir's life was sealed.
Sigurd looked over the ring and smiled. "I hast it, Reginn." Before leaving, he checked with the other treasures. He decided against leaving and coming back. He scanned over the treasures and collected as much as he could.
Upon leaving the cavern, he walked out carrying a bag of gold. In addition to Gram, Sigurd added Ridill as a secondary weapon. He also added a third weapon among Fáfnir's treasures: a great sword called Hrotti. He met Grani, who waited for his rider.
"Let us go home, Grani," Sigurd said, mounting his loyal steed.
On their way to Reginn's, they decided to camp out to rest. By morning, Sigurd heard a voice speaking to him.
"Wake up, boy! Wake up!"
Sigurd woke up with a start and reached for Gram. He instinctively looked around. He saw Grani was alarmed, but not by the voice.
"Sorry, Grani. Didst thou see anyone else here?"
"Up here, boy!" The voice called to him once more.
Sigurd looked up and saw a small pale brown and gray feathered bird. It had black eyes. It was 16 cm tall. The sparrow-like bird flapped its wings and spoke in a young maiden's voice.
"Thou art in great danger, boy. Thou must not return to thy caretaker with that ring!"
"How art thou able to talk to me? Thou art just a bird." Sigurd was confounded by how a normal bird could even speak.
"It is thou who can now speak and hear us after the dragon's blood spilled all over thee!"
"So, the dragon's blood hast granted me the ability to talk to birds?"
"Thou must not go back, boy!"
"I hast a name. I am Sigurd."
"Then, Sigurd, heed my warning!"
Sigurd mulled over what Fáfnir warned him. He was getting similar messages from two different sources. However, Sigurd didn't want to believe his caretaker would ever harm him.
"One last thing, Sigurd. There is a maiden asleep on atop of a flaming mountain! Thou might want to go and investigate!"
"A maiden inside a flaming mountain? Why wouldst I go there?"
"Because the dragon's blood hast given thee special abilities, Sigurd! Thou art not the same warrior thou were before! Test to see if thy body can withstand the flames!" The bird blathered as she flew away. "Turn back now!"
Sigurd muttered. "Turn back thou say?"
Midgard/Reginn's Home
"Reginn, I hast returned!" Sigurd announced as he carried the bag of gold.
"Aye, splendid!" Reginn jovially greeted him. He took the heavy bag from him and opened it. His eyes lit when he picked at the various gold pieces and high-quality valuables.
"So, I also brought back a loyal steed with me," Sigurd said as he showed Reginn outside where Grani stood.
"My, what a beautiful steed. Thou picked a fine one… but, didst thou bring it?"
"Bring what?"
"Why the ring? That is the reason why I asked thee to go."
Almost reluctant to show him, Sigurd sighed. "Art thou sure?"
"Yes, now see here," Reginn demanded, putting his hand out.
With a deep breath, Sigurd took out the ring and put it in Reginn's hand. The Dwarf examined the ring as it flashed memories of when Loki gave his father the very same ring. He remembered the great misfortune it brought to him, his brother, and his father. Affected by the ring's power, he felt a painful sensation in his head.
"Father, art thou ok?!" Sigurd tended to him.
Then, in a sudden and horrifying turn of events, Reginn's eyes blackened and he hissed loudly. He seized Sigurd's arm and nearly twisted it off. Sigurd managed to pry himself from Reginn's hold. The young man was scared out of his wits as his foster figure suddenly turned against him. Then, he remembered the warnings from Fáfnir and the bird.
Sigurd tried to take the ring from Reginn, but the Dwarf snapped at him. The ring's influence regressed Reginn into a feral beast with no idea who he was even attacking.
"Father…!" Sigurd grimaced with fear. He turned to Gram, the same weapon he and Reginn worked hard to rebuild together. Taking up the sword, he gave a tearful look at his foster father and swung his sword, quickly beheading the Dwarf. A fountain of blood gushed out and spilled on the floor.
The headless body fell next to the Dwarf's head. Sigurd stood briefly trying to take in what happened. His mind was running high on a myriad of emotions - fear, sadness, and regret. His thoughts were completely clouded in sadness and confusion.
After his grievances, Sigurd set fire to their old home. He grabbed all his belongings, including the ring, which he encased in a small leather pouch. He and Grani departed, leaving the burning home behind them.
Sigurd grieved for a couple of days in isolation. Then, realizing he had no home to call his own, Sigurd began his journey for a new purpose. He then remembered about the sleeping maiden on the flaming mountain. He searched far and wide, but to no avail.
One day, he and Grani stumbled into a town and heard the murmurs of a particular flaming mountain. He asked a local inn owner and he was told it was in a castle called Skatalundr, also known as the Castle of Searing Flamme, on Mount Hindarfjall. The locals named it such since it appeared one day and caught in flames. He also heard tales from local townspeople that a sleeping maiden was trapped inside. Some surmised that it was a goddess exiled by the gods. The flames were possibly caused by the maiden, who became angry with the god that sentenced her. This couldn't possibly be any more true figuratively since Brynhildr still harbored much hatred for Odin and vowed revenge should she ever awaken.
Dimension: Akane-no-Mai/Yggdrasil/Urðarbrunnr
Having witnessed the shocking events, the Thieves and Revenants were flabbergasted. Between Brynhildr disregarding Odin's order and her banishment, they witnessed the wrathful side of the Blood Valkyrie and the blatant pettiness of the Allfather.
Having seen Brynhildr's cutthroat and treacherous behavior on full display, Aslaug was dead silent through those specific scenes. She saw her idolizing in Brynhildr starting to crumble.
"Aslaug? Is everything ok?" Tori asked, shaking her shoulders.
As she quickly came to, Aslaug responded. "Huh? Oh… yeah."
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Aslaug. We all thought Brynhildr would've been a better person but that's not the case," Makoto nodded.
"This is just who she is I'm afraid," Haru said.
"No, it's fine. I had too much hope," Aslaug sighed sadly.
"But, we can agree that Sigurd is a pretty cool and noble guy," Sumire said.
"Yep, he's a bloodthirsty psycho or a petty jerk. Finally, there's a likable main character!" Morgana said.
"You said it, Mona!" Ann concurred.
"I do think Sigurd's story was a refreshing change of pace," Kaito stated.
"Hopefully he can reason with Brynhildr," Rachel added.
Aslaug smiled warmly. "Seeing Sigurd gives me good and cozy feelings. I don't know why."
"You already got a crush on him?" Tori coyly teased the young Valkyrie.
"Well, it's too soon to call him fully likable when the story isn't over yet," Hiroshi said.
"Let's give him a fair shake, ok?" Skyler suggested.
"Ok, wow. I knew I was expecting some kind of Kratos-level anger from that Valkyrie, but holy shit!" Ryuji was distressed by Brynhildr's frenzied nature.
"She's even more foul-mouthed than you, Ryuji," Morgana remarked.
"I'd say she gives Ryuji a run for his money in terms of being foul-mouthed," Ren said.
"Man, as if she wasn't scary enough as a zombie. Even alive, that chick was crazy mad!" Tori exclaimed.
"As much as I don't like him, I can't blame Odin for doing what he did. He should've killed her," Hiroshi was flabbergasted by Brynhildr's violent rebellion.
"To me, neither was any better than the other," Skyler judged them.
"They were acting like petulant children. It's kinda sad how they behaved," Nadia said.
"Kinda, you say? It was sad watching those two argue," Anastasia added.
Hifumi openly spoke out. "Having seen the way Brynhildr behaved, I don't see much improvement in her behavior as a Vamkyrie. Tell me, Io. Do these two interact again?"
"Wait and see. That's what you'd tell me when I have questions about a movie," Io playfully winked at Hifumi.
"The Brynhildr we saw definitely did not act like the one we encountered," Skyler stated.
"Hell, if anything the real Brynhildr's anger made her much scarier than the Vamkyrie version," Ren said.
"Scarier than me?" Ann coyly teased her husband.
"I'd say you're both scary for different reasons."
"You know, that whole thing with Brynhildr's banishment by Odin reminds me of that time Lazarus suggested I write a scene called 'Something Stupid'," Tori recalled an instance with her former online friend.
"What the hell is 'Something Stupid'? Actually, never mind, it's likely something stupid," Lance said.
"Do I dare ask what it's about? Stupid question, I know," Cammy sighed.
"Yep, it was something we called a Corner event. It's like a comical side story. Lazarus suggested some Taylor Swift joke for Ótr and Brynhildr in a wrestling ring wearing sexy hot pants. Like, how the fuck does that make sense, my dude?" Tori disparagingly remarked about her past grievances with her ex-friend.
"That sounds stupid no offense," Ryuji said.
"Heh, none taken. Even looking back makes me wanna shudder and cringe."
Hiroshi dismissively nodded. "I don't even want to know anymore."
"Sounds like we're better off," Makoto said.
"Well, one thing is certain, the Vamkyries we fought behaved differently to their original selves," Yusuke related this to the others.
"Yeah, take Eir and Sigrún for example. Based on these flashbacks, they seemed like one of the few nice Asgardians, but their Vamkyrie versions are so arrogant," Makoto compared the contrasting Valkyrie and Vamkyrie personalities.
"Ugh, and please don't get me started on those two Valkyries. I don't care if they're lesbians, they're absolute bitches to their teammates," Rachel conveyed her disgust at their abhorrent attitudes. "And I could've sworn they said a racist remark to that Sigrún woman."
Skuld sighed with similar disgust. "Yes, Gulon is a derogatory remark t'ward halfbreeds."
Makoto gritted. "If I were there, I'd punch their faces so hard…"
Haru patted Makoto's hand. "We can do that plus more if we ever fight them again. Don't worry, Mako-chan. I can slice them up if you wish."
"Screw that. I'd pummel them until they're black and blue!" Tori declared.
"I don't condone violence against most women, but these two deserve more than just a beating," Jacob said.
"Speaking as a woman, they're an insult to my gender," Madeline conveyed her disgust for the aforementioned Vamkyries.
"They're absolute dickbags even when they were alive," Ryuji crudely remarked.
"Yeah, I have nothing nice to say about them," Sumire said.
"Well, I'm just glad there are other people more loathed than me," Akechi said ironically.
"Not everything is about you, bro," Ryuji muttered.
Leonard chuckled nervously, hearing his girlfriends murmuring about maiming the two detestable Vamkyries. "I'll leave those two Vamkyries to you then."
"Yeah, I mean… let's face it, most of these are just petty douchebags," Futaba openly spoke out. "Take Brynhildr and Odin's heated argument. It was like two grown kids arguing over who gets to play with their toy soldiers. Odin gets mad because he didn't get his way. And Brynhildr was already anti-authority to begin with. What the heck did Odin freaking expect? His Valkyrie was a walking and ticking time bomb waiting to go off. And go off she did when she revealed her true intentions! Honestly, I freaking laughed at the whole thing. It made for great comedy."
"I agree with the comedy aspect. I laughed my ass off at that pathetic argument," Nadia chuckled.
"I fail to see humor in two people having a heated argument," Anastasia sighed.
"Because it's entertaining to some of us," Skyler replied.
"I suppose if you don't mind seeing characters blowing off steam over petty reasons," Hifumi said. "But, Brynhildr did start it and disobeyed Odin."
"Gods arguing like overgrown children? Well, that's putting it from one perspective," Yusuke chuckled amusedly.
"Just thinking about that is kinda sad," Ann said. "I'm imagining a lot of scenes straight out of an overdramatic TV drama."
"Oh, I could imagine this story adapted into a TV drama series," Sumire said.
"With all of the gratuitous violence and sex included," Marty remarked.
"Big emphasis on the sex part," Andrea chuckled.
"I mean, it's true! Good god…" Futaba threw her arms into the air like she didn't care.
"Hahah, well, thy friend here is not wrong," Haakon chuckled alongside Eric.
"Yes, the Asgardian higher class bickering like sniveling and whiny children? That sounds accurate," Eric concurred with Futaba's sentiments.
"Thou mean they behaved like us?" Blue asked his parents.
Skuld folded her arms and shook her head. "I am saddened to sayeth but yes."
Harald added shamefully. "And that is not how older people shouldst act. But, it is no surprise. I hadst expected this petty behavior from the higher class."
Staring at his Hrotti sword, Fang smirked. "Yes, and can thou believe am I holding a sword the Midgardian hero, Sigurd, wielded to slay Fáfnir?"
"Thou wield a valued sword, my son," Harald proudly said. "Thou shalt make Sigurd happy thou hold one of his swords."
"That's why I want to hold it. A great hero held it!" Blue pointed to his older brother's sword concealed in a sheath.
"No fighting, thee two," Cheza reminded them.
"You could also say, 'no fighting, you two'," Anastasia smiled at the quarter-Homo Yggr child.
"No fighting, y… you two!" Cheza yelled forcefully and pointed to her brothers. She pointed her staff at them.
Both Fang and Blue exchanged awkward looks, finding themselves silenced by their youngest sister.
"Not to change the subject, but how can we not mention Loki?" Akechi chimed in. "Who'd thought I'd see the trickster himself, who is based on my Loki Persona?"
"Well, this Loki certainly has some of your oh-so-great qualities," Ann remarked.
"If you mean someone who sneakily attacks people when their guard is dropped? Like how this Loki killed and skinned that otter?" Kaito painstakingly glared down at Akechi.
"Or, deliberating passing a cursed ring to others and bringing untold misery to their lives," Rachel nodded, also not taking her attentive eyes off Akechi.
"You guys are just going to continue throwing more shade at me, aren't you?"
"Yes!" The two Revenants angrily barked.
"Oh dear. What's it going to take to get into your good graces, Revenants?" Akechi shrugged.
"Don't try to backstab us, or we deal with you. Very simple," Madeline bluntly said.
"So, that's the ring that Brynhildr wore in her fight with you two?" Jacob asked Ren and Skyler as both nodded in response.
"Yeah, and I was able to somewhat damage it. Then, Brynhildr hightailed it out of there with her teammates," Ren recalled the last moments of the battle. "
"So, then the ring ends up in Sigurd's possession after he killed his foster father," Madeline said.
"You guys know what that ring is?" Futaba asked the group. Half of them had quizzical looks. "It's the One Ring! You know, the one to rule them all?!"
"Yes, you mean Lord of the Rings, correct?" Yusuke referenced.
"Ding-ding! Right, this ring has the inherent evil nature of the One Ring! When one holds it, it twists their inner desires and corrupts them."
Sága added to their conversation. "The Andvaranaut is indeed an inherently evil ring. Andvari forged it with the intent of finding gold. That changed when it twisted his desires and appearance, turning him into the monster thee saw."
"When Andvari turned into a Dreki, he reminded me of a cross of Alduin from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon," Skyler said, referencing his experience playing with video game series.
"Oh yeah, I remember playing some of that game," Futaba nodded.
"Is it a fun game?" Hifumi asked Skyler.
"Yeah, I can show you, but I'd find it in one of our storage boxes."
Nadia nodded dismissively. "Guys, can we knock off the nerd talk and get to the point?"
"Hold on. Now when you mentioned Lord of the Rings, this just shows the influence ancient mythologies have on our modern books, movies, and other published works," Leonard stated. "Tolkien borrows heavily from Norse Mythology if Andvaranaut is any indication. I immensely enjoyed reading the books and thought the Lord of the Rings movies were fine. I caught the The Hobbit trilogy of films before actually reading the books, so they were responsible for getting me into the books and the other movies."
"Can't say I ever read the books. All I did was watch the movies with Rebecca," Kaito confessed his lack of knowledge of the Tolkien novels.
"I had plenty of free time to watch all the movies and read all of the books, including The Silmarillion," Futaba chortled with a gleam in her glasses. "Get on my nerd level, my dudes."
Leonard modestly laughed. "Can't say I've ever read or watched that one, so I'm nowhere near your level, Miss Futaba."
"When I saw the ring Brynhildr wore, I immediately had suspicions about it. Having watched the Lord of the Rings films, I had a bad feeling about that ring," Skyler stated.
Makoto added. "I watched The Hobbit movies with sis. Then, I watched and read some of the books."
Ann shook her head. "I can't say I read any of them. I don't know. I heard about them and might have watched one of the movies, but they weren't my thing."
Ren chuckled. "Don't worry. Not everyone expects you to. That ring though gave me bad vibes and I figured it had to be that Vamkyrie's source of power."
Sága addressed Ren. "It is good that thou did. If thou managed to crack the ring, then it will slowly lose luster unless repaired."
Io turned to everyone. "And now to show what will happen next to Sigurd."
Hifumi turned to Skyler. "I wonder how intense Sigurd's meeting with Brynhildr will be."
Skyler shrugged. "Could do either way, but I don't expect any cutesy fairy tale romance."
Ann folded her arms. "Hmph, me either. Not after Brynhildr showed us her true colors."
Just then, the group heard doors open and a new guest greeted them. Fang, Chez, and Blue immediately greeted the newcomer, who was a young boy with dark blonde shoulder-length hair and blue eyes. He is seen wearing light green armor with white trim.
"Baldr! We art so glad thou hast come!" Cheza cheerfully greeted the newcomer.
"Baldr?" Makoto queried.
"Yes, my name is Baldr II," the newcomer introduced himself. "I apologize for being late."
"Thou hast missed on the opening acts of the story," Harald said.
"Baldr II? That name Baldr hasn't come up yet in the story," Leonard recalled.
"Yes, we shalt get to him soon," Skuld stated.
"If I recall Baldr doesn't have a son, but maybe this is a descendant," Jacob surmised.
"Who are these people?" Baldr II asked his three friends, noticing the Thieves, Vein Remnants, Aslaug, the Elven Princesses, and the Advent Eight.
"Hey, he's speaking regular English," Marty picked up on Baldr II's modern English dialogue.
"Yeah, otherwise he would've said art and not are," Tori said. "He's speaking normally like Aslaug does."
"Hello, I'm Aslaug," the Valkyrie approached Baldr II. "Say, are you like me? Who are your parents?"
"Well, I… Baldr II nodded. "No, I can't say. Let Lady Sága tell her story and you might get an answer."
"Excuse me, but Baldr II is with me, Aslaug," Cheza interjected.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I was just asking if he's like me," Aslaug wondered.
Cheza smiled. "It is ok. I didst not mean to get protective. Baldr II and I are very close friends."
"No problem. Say, Cheza, would you like to tell me more about yourself?" Aslaug asked.
"Oh, sure. Yes, what is it thou wants to know?" Cheza asked, waiting for simple queries about her.
"How long have you four been friends?" Aslaug asked Cheza, Blue, Fang, and Baldr II.
"Since we were little ones, we art like a family," Fang answered.
"Yeah, we play and work together. Our teamwork is best to none," Baldr II verified.
"That is right! My older brother Blue and Baldr II art stronger warriors, but Cheza and me art not weak!" Fang boasted.
"No, of course not," Aslaug chuckled.
"Well, Aslaug is making new friends," Hiroshi muttered to Tori as they smiled together.
"That's good for Aslaug. She could use more friends besides us," Tori replied, watching Aslaug establishing bonds with Skuld & Harald's children and Baldr II.
"Lady Sága, the story has been quite engaging and I'm learning new things about Asgardian culture, but your Homo Yggr culture fascinates me the most. That's because it's similar to my and other indigenous tribes from my world," Samantha said.
"Thank thee, miss, and thou will find out more about me in this story," Sága kindly responded to the engaged Samantha.
"Your story has been quite insightful," Huey said.
"We're ready for the next part whenever you are, Lady Sága," Ren said to the sage.
"We're very eager to learn what happens when Sigurd meets Brynhildr," Hifumi added.
Io motioned to the sage. "Please continue."
"Yes, let us resume," Sága replied with a wave of her staff as she played out the next scenes.
Chapter Soundtrack
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim OST - Imperial Throne - Odin decided which king he supported before he ordered Brynhildr to decide the civil war.
Bear McCreary - God of War - God of War OST - Brynhildr's choice of ending the war between two kings, Brynhildr graphically kills both kings and their entire armies, leading to the Valkyrie briefly fighting Odin, Sleipnir, his wolves and ravens. Allfather banishes Brynhildr and the Valkyrie swears her revenge.
Odin Sphere Soundtrack - The Fated Path- Brynhildr is imprisoned in Mount Hindarfjall and reflects on her actions, though no apology to Allfather due to her prideful nature and not sympathetic, alongside thinking of her revenge.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim OST - Silent Footsteps - Loki meets Andvari. Loki meets King Hreiðmarr.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim OST - Wind Guide You - Sigurd's debut and his story. Gram is rebuilt and leads to Sigurd facing the dragon. Sigurd meets Grani during his quest.
Bear McCreary - The Dragon - God of War OST - Sigurd vs. Fáfnir.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim OST - Steel on Steel - The bird warned the warrior of the Dwarf's treachery. Reginn attempted to kill Sigurd, but Sigurd beheaded his foster father in remorse and burned his home.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim OST - The Gathering Storm - Sigurd hears stories of a maiden slumbering there. The Phantom Thieves and Vein Remnants' commentaries after the second set of Norse tales.
A/N: Brynhildr's rebellion caused quite a stir and invoked Odin's fury. Lol. Now we have two unlikeable pricks getting into it and Allfather banishes Brynhildr from Asgard. Brynhildr's unapologetic personality might win over some readers, or others will hate her as much as Odin. It's however you want to interpret Brynhildr.
Loki is introduced and the One Ring is revealed. Sigurd's heroic tale begins as he slays Fáfnir, meets Grani and forcefully kills Reginn. Then, he hears of a certain maiden asleep on a burning mountain and castle. Yeah, if you're familiar with these Norse tales, you might have an idea what happens next, but you don't know what new twists will be shown through this dark and edgy tale.
As for the gang's thoughts, there was little to no favoritism for either Brynhildr or Odin. This didn't change anyone's views about Brynhildr although poor Aslaug was taken aback and might be having second thoughts about her. Akechi and Loki are compared since Mr. Ex-Ace Detective's codename is Loki. Akechi still hasn't completely won over the Revenants. Poor poor Akechi.
We're introduced to a new addition to the party: Baldr II. He could be either Baldr's son or descendant. I can't (and won't) say anything until that part is revealed. And despite her disappointment with Brynhildr, Aslaug makes new friends through Cheza, Blue, Fang, and Baldr II.
If you thought this was all of Wulf-Edda? Nope, this is just ⅓ of the flashbacks. Yeah, get ready for a long tale. The next chapter will introduce the 'entity' that will eventually possess the nine Valkyries (and ultimately convert them into the Vamkyries) and all of this will tie into Mido & the Yami Matter.