Valkyrie Profile:

Lenneth Novelization AU:

Disclaimer: I do not own Valkyrie Profile or any other tri-Ace properties. Please support the official release.

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

The Turgen Mines I

"We have arrived."

"Here?" someone asked. "I thought we was looking for the Silver Savior's route through the mountains. This is a dead end."

Sheriff Agatha scowled at the Deputy for his stupidity. He got the message even in the limited light of the oil lanterns they'd brought and clammed up. The Iron Lady of Gerebellum returned her gaze to the wall ahead of them. Presently, she led an expedition of over a hundred and fifty through the east side of the Turgen Mines.

"Yes, Deputy Robb, this is the correct passage. That was never the question," she told him without giving him another look. "The question is if your ears work correctly. You were at the mission briefing, correct?"

"Ay, ma'am!" Robb answered.

"Yet you cannot tell me why we've come to this passage," she muttered.

"Course I can!" he protested. Then he leaned toward the man next to him. "Why'd we come here?"

The other Deputy rolled his eyes. He answered, "By the gods, Robb. We are here, because this passage might connect to the natural cave systems along the east side of the Turgen Mountains. The Sheriff, that Geo Mage she hired, and a number of other well-paid people have had us charting the mines for half a bloody week now. You couldn't put that together?"

"Oh," Robb looked over his shoulders at the men in the back of the party. "I have wondering why we enlisted all these diggers."

The other Deputies either gave him bewildered stares or just shook their heads with irritated sighs. The miners hired for this job found the dullard more amusing than his own coworkers. Largely because they didn't have to work with him all the time.

Agatha ignored them, instead examining the wall in front of them. It seemed solid enough. Nothing betrayed the presence of another passage beyond, but in caves looks could be deceiving.

"Well, time to verify if our hunch is correct," she thought.

She did not want to consider the possibility that her office had spent thousands of oth and other city resources searching the Turgen Mines for nothing. The Mayor had made his threats to have her replaced quite clear if she was unable to arrest the rebels and recapture the escaped slaves. Additionally, their sweep of the old mines was technically not complete, but had already taken them in deep with no sign of human intrusion. This had forced Agatha to call for a narrowing of the search. Between the untouched and abandoned state of the mines and the fact that the west end was infested with Lizard Man tribes, that left only the relatively less dangerous east end as a viable option. Even then, the east side was populated by insect giants.

"Nothing the right repellents wouldn't help deter," she had concluded.

In the present, Agatha blocked these thoughts out and snapped her fingers.

"Geo Mage Louie, you and your team's expertise is required," she called. "There's an overturned minecart just over here you can spread the charts out on."

"Right away," a man in gray robes answered.

Then, Magi Louie, some surveyors, and even regular miners gathered around the upturned minecart to unroll the charts and examine them one more time before beginning an up-close inspection of the wall. While the dig team waited, they were mostly silent, speaking in hushed tones among themselves. They hadn't encountered any Lizard Men or insect giants in their trek through the mines, but none of them were willing to be the man who shouted and brought down a cataclysm of death upon the whole team.

"Should we really be doin' this?" one miner leaned up against an old minecart asked. "What if we rouse the ol' Wasp Queen? Grandpapi used to tell me about her."

"Isn't that just an old wives' tale?" another man asked.

"Yeah, sure, and the Undead don't prowl the wilderness at night," he bluntly replied. "The last thing we wanna do is spring the Wasp Queen."

"Quiet, you two," one of the Deputies sternly warned them. "You'll kill morale."

The two miners just looked at him, but kept their mouths shut like he said.

"Wasp Queen'll kill a lot more than that if we disturb her," the miner thought.

"Queen Wasp or no," the man he'd been talking to said. He looked around the darkness beyond the lamplight. "I do feel eyes on me."

"Quiet, you," the Deputy again ordered.

The miner wasn't wrong. A pair of eyes did watch them from a darkness.

"Oh, no. Dusty was right. They're onto us. I must head back and warn Lucien. Oh, Gloria, you've gotten yerself in it this time."

The short blonde young woman backed around a corner to ensure she wasn't caught. The half-dwarven woman then turned and quietly crept back the way they had come. Her heritage allowed her to see in the dark and inherently know her way around the underground. With no time to waste, she crouched and crawled into a hole too small for a grown human.

"No time to waste on trying to stay clean," she told herself. "Dusty's counting on me to get this intel back to him."


"Begin," Lenneth commanded.

The instant she issued it, Llewelyn and Belenus jumped to action. Lenneth's gaze alternated between the sparring partners, observing and gauging their progress as warriors. Her eye always remained on Llewelyn longer though.

"Time to see if he really is ready for tomorrow," Lenneth thought. "He has come such a long way from the boy who could barely function as a unit under my command. Let us see if he cannot beat Belenus, man-to-man."

Today, they were performing morning drills on a flat, open spot halfway up the slope of the Artolian mountains. Currently, Lenneth had her einherjar in sparring matches against a partner they normally wouldn't be paired off with while she observed them. Llewelyn was using a practice bow which only fired shots which gave its targets a mild shock, instead of felling them.

Llewelyn pulled the bowstring back, aiming at Belenus, who bolted to the side. Llewelyn altered his aim to where Belenus was about to be, and fired. The Lassen noble had already predicted that, and stopped abruptly, saving himself from the energy bolt which whizzed past his face. As Llewelyn was drawing the string tight for another shot, Belenus took something out of the breast pocket of his jacket, a small bottle of gray liquid. He threw it at the ground before Llewelyn had the chance to fire again, shattering the bottle and releasing a cloud of fog which completely hid him.

"Huh?" Llewelyn cried out.

"A Lucid Potion from the armory?" Lenneth thought. One corner of her lips turned up into a small smirk. "I wonder if he knew he'd be the one testing Llewelyn's mettle today."

Llewelyn backed up a step from the cloud, keeping his eye forward while also focusing on the corners of his vision. It was moderately windy that day, so he was content to hang back and let the wind do its work. That is, until he heard Belenus's pounding footsteps coming right at him from within the fog. Llewelyn lined up his shot based on where the sound came from, and fired the glowing bolt into the fog. A second later Belenus burst from the fog with his sword drawn tightly back to strike, forcing Llewelyn on the defensive.

Lenneth had seen what happened. Belenus leaned forward enough into his charge that his back was practically horizontal, causing Llewelyn to shoot over him.

"He was counting on Llewelyn assuming he'd be upright. Crafty," Lenneth admitted. "A gamble, but crafty."

Llewelyn gripped his bow at one end with both hands, and swung it almost like a sword up from below. He caught Belenus's sideways slash, parrying up while also backpedaling to ensure the slice completely missed him. Lenneth watched closely. Giving ground so quickly to a larger, stronger opponent could easily spell disaster.

As soon as Belenus's sword was parried up, both men had their weapons raised above their heads. Llewelyn didn't hesitate to go for a strike, and swung immediately, cracking Belenus good in the ribs in the moment they were exposed. The Lassen noble grunted painfully, doubling over and backing away. He swung his sword wildly to keep Llewelyn at bay, but the boy was having none of it. Llewelyn jumped back in, using his bow like a staff weapon to keep up the pressure against Belenus.

With one last swing, Llewelyn knocked his opponent's weapon away out of the way. Seizing the opening, the archer swung in a downward arc at Belenus. The noble jerked backwards in a quick, sliding step, making Llewelyn miss. The boy looked at the nobleman in surprise as he gripped his sword in both hands and again swung horizontally. Llewelyn's body moved on instinct, and he practically bent over backwards as Belenus's swing passed an inch above his nose. Then he snapped upright again and kicked out, catching Belenus in the stomach to push him away.

"Urk!" the noble grunted as he backed up a few steps.

By then, Llewelyn had lined up another shot and Belenus stared down the energy arrow aimed right at him. Having no choice, he dropped his sword before raising his hands in surrender.

From the side, Lenneth was thrilled to see Llewelyn win in the first round with no need for correction and a second try.

"Match over," she called.

Llewelyn lowered his bow and Belenus picked his sword off the ground before they bowed to each other for a good match. Then they addressed their Valkyrie.

"This round's winner is Llewelyn," she announced.

She nodded to the archer, "Well done."

Llewelyn laughed in relief and amazement. He turned to Belenus, who also gave him an acknowledging nod.

"You've improved much," the nobleman said.

"Only thanks to a lot of help from your guys," Llewelyn answered.

"You say that as though learning from the people around you is uncommon," Lenneth stated with some humor. "Did you not learn to master the bow and the art of tracking and moving about silently from your father?"

"Yeah! He took me hunting and showed me the ropes all my life, Lady Valkyrie," Llewelyn jovially answered.

"Indeed. There is nothing shameful about requiring the help of your instructor and comrades so long as you learn," Lenneth told him.

"Very well, Lady Valkyrie," Llewelyn replied.

Lenneth hummed quietly in response as she looked over to the enchanted targets stacked in a neat pile to the side.

"We are nearly finished with the morning drills. Get in some target practice before we head out, Llewelyn," she ordered.

"Yes, Lady Valkyrie," he said with a bow.

He turned to Belenus for a quick word, "Good match."

"Likewise," the former lord answered.

Then the archer quickly jogged over to the targets. Lenneth and Belenus watched him activate them with a single spoken command, which made them fly up into the air and hover around in randomized patterns. Llewelyn readied his first shot, and let it fly, hitting his first target. And then the next, and the one after in rapid succession. As the goddess and the Lassen noble watched, they were both impressed. Even a week ago, he was still missing some of the targets.

A feeling of melancholy then struck Belenus as he watched.

"He really is leaving us after tomorrow, isn't he, Lady Valkyrie?" he asked.

"Yes," Lenneth answered. "He will pass Lord Odin and Lady Freya's examination. Upon completing it, he will be transferred out of my command."

Belenus did not voice it, but he was torn. On one hand, he was happy for Llewelyn. A young man deemed unworthy of Valhalla in the eyes of the gods would be the first new einherjar of this era to join the ranks of Odin's armies. Yet…

"In just a month of serving with him, we've already performed amazing feats I never thought I would be a part of alongside him," Belenus thought.

He turned away, visibly saddened as he realized he was going to miss the boy. Lenneth caught the look as Belenus started to walk away.

"Hold," she said.

Belenus stopped and turned to her.

"You will need to grow accustomed to many meetings and partings now that you are one of Lord Odin's Chosen Slain," Lenneth told him.

He nodded. "Yes, of course, Lady Valkyrie."

"You will meet again," The goddess assured him. "Perhaps not daily, but you will all ultimately be transferred into one unit or another, serving under Lord Odin's elite commanders."

Some of the sorrow lifted from Belenus and he smiled.

"Thank you, Lady Valkyrie," he said.

"For what? Stating a simple truth?" she answered dryly.

She gave Llewelyn who quick glance as he began another round of shooting targets, which had arranged themselves in new flight patterns.

"Now to check on the rest," she decided.

"Come," she ordered Belenus.

He bowed and then followed, staying in step as they ventured over to another part of the plateau to observe how training was going for everyone else. Lenneth saw Lawfer and Nanami seated on a low, flat rock near where the mountain sloped uphill again. They were taking a break and merrily chatting about something. Nanami giggled at something Lawfer said before stealing a look at him and then turned away with a blush.

The Valkyrie quickly diverted her attention over to Arngrim and Jelanda, who were having their sparring match. One of Lenneth's brows perked up when she saw the petite mage had cast Earth Grave in a circle around herself, erecting a barrier of twenty-foot spikes which kept Arngrim at bay. There were scorch marks all over the ground within their combat arena, as well as half-melted, shattered chunks of ice, and other tell-tale signs that Arngrim had fought his way through her other spells.

"Oh, ho ho ho!" Jelanda let out a high-pitched snooty laugh at him.

The former princess smugly smiled at Arngrim glaring at her from outside her protective wall.

"And how does the Genius of the Battlefield intend to overcome this hurdle?" she cattily asked.

She swept her hair back, letting it swish out in a superior fashion, content in her victory. Arngrim growled back at first, but was then hit with a realization, and began to grin.

"There's no use trying to get in," Jelanda dragged. "I have the time to concoct whatever magic I need to deal with you faster than you can get in here, if you can get in here, that i…"

Whoosh! Clunk! She cut off as a large throwing knife whizzed right past her head and hit the pillar behind her with enough force to dig in with its tip just enough to stick. Jelanda stood in frozen shock a moment before her head turned in an automated response to see what had flown past her head.

"Urk!" she flinched when she saw the dagger somehow sticking into the rock column.

"That is definitely Arngrim's win, then," Lenneth thought.

Instead of declaring it right away, she and Belenus hung back, knowing Arngrim was about to correct Jelanda as well as the Valkyrie could.

Jelanda whirled around, giving Arngrim an offended look. He, however, looked quite pleased with himself.

"How would I get in? Like that," he confidently answered.

His smile faded as he gave her a more serious look.

"If this were a real battle, my throw would have buried that in your face, Little One," his words were frank. "When you're able to give yourself an advantage like this, you have to use it right away. Like you were planning on using whatever you've been clutching inside one of your belt pouches this whole time."

Jelanda drew the item out. It was a small bottle containing a green fluid.

"Mega Muck," she explained. "I'd have had you rooted in place if I'd pitched it."

"But how was that gonna stop me from using my throwing knife?" Arngrim asked. "Gotta go lethal right away, because safety is an illusion in battle."

He tapped his hand against the stone columns.

"Even when you can stop me from getting to you with these," he added.

"What if you didn't have the knife?" Jelanda asked.

Arngrim's grin returned.

"I'd win by leaving your sorry ass right here," he answered.

Jelanda stared at him blankly before confusion set in.

"Huh?" she uttered.

"I've never seen these things go away once you've made 'em pop out, Little One," Arngrim said with a shrug. "I wonder if the stone cutters are still workin' at getting rid of the ones you made in Castle Artolia's dungeon. But anyway, how were you plannin' on getting out?"

The color drained from Jelanda's face as she grasped her situation. She looked around, and sure enough, they had burst from the ground too close together for a person to slip through.

"See? I coulda won just by leaving," Arngrim stated. "You'd last a few days with supplies, but sooner or later, you'd run out and starve or die of thirst. Even if you took your chance to take me down, you still didn't win."

Jelanda puffed her out cheeks as her face turned red.

"S-su… Nonsense! Such nonsense!" she cried.

The young mage pointed The Elemental Scepter at the columns.

"I could escape by blasting one of these out!" she cried.

"Or cause it to fall on you or get smacked right in the face by a some of the debris," Arngrim refuted.

Lenneth decided now was the time. She strode forward with Belenus in tow.

"He is correct, Jelanda," she candidly said. "You can still cost yourself a battle while seemingly giving yourself vital footing."

As Lenneth spoke, Jelanda walked up to the nearest space between the spiked pillars of her barricade. Arngrim stepped aside, allowing Lenneth to stand across from the former princess.

"Your mastery of magic is growing, becoming impressive even," Lenneth told her. "But you've yet to fully master strategy. You skills and your ability to use them must outpace your enemies' own capabilities before you can join one of the divisions in Lord Odin's army."

"Yes, Lady Valkyrie," Jelanda replied.

"No idea why she did it," Arngrim whispered to Belenus. "She was doin' just fine fending me off."

"She is eager to prove herself," Belenus observed.

Jelanda looked around at her self-made prison, and then at Lenneth.

"Erm, Lady Valkyrie, could you get me out of here?" she asked.

"Certainly," Lenneth answered.

She raised a palm toward Jelanda. Before she could do anything, Arngrim spoke up.

"I dunno, a couple days in solitary might do her good," he joked.

Jelanda pouted at him.

"You brute," she muttered.

He just shrugged as if to say, "I am what I am."

"Yes, very amusing, you two," Lenneth said.

Her hand began glowing as she shifted Jelanda out of the stone cage. The girl rematerialized beside the goddess.

"Thank you!" she chirped.

Lenneth nodded in response.

With that done, Arngrim spared a look toward Llewelyn as he continued his target practice while Lenneth had Jelanda recount how the match had gone, speaking up with a correction for any of the girl's missteps.

"Well, how was the kid?" Arngrim asked Belenus.

"You know as well as I," the noble answered.

"Yeah, kid got some good hits on me earlier," Arngrim admitted. "A far cry from the wuss who could barely fight."

"He beat me on the first try today," Belenus confessed. "Lady Valkyrie says he's ready."

Arngrim grinned with a "Heh." His smile faded when he noticed Belenus staring at him, as though studying him.

"What?" the large warrior asked.

"It occurs to me that you should have been transferred into one of Valhalla's divisions by now, Arngrim. You are surely our best warrior, yet here you remain," Belenus commented. "Most curious."

The mercenary shrugged.

"Must be my charming personality," Arngrim quipped.

Belenus silently chuckled.

"Of course," he cracked.

Unseen by both men, Lenneth had heard them, and gave them a sideways glance. She knew the real answer, and opened her mouth, considering speaking up. Then she clenched her jaw shut firmly again, deciding against it. She instead gave Jelanda her full attention again.

"There is no need to tell Arngrim that Freya does not consider him to be truly worthy," Lenneth thought. "There is time enough for me to convince her otherwise when I report how faithfully he served me."

She sighed internally. In many regards, she was not looking forward to the evaluation tomorrow.


"Whew, that was a good match," Lawfer said.

He was winded and leaning on his halberd, looking worn-out. He was sweaty and breathing hard, but was also on his feet, as opposed to his sparring partner, Nanami, who was on her back. She stared up at the sky, stunned as she lied there wondering what had just happened. The shrine girl looked at Lawfer.

"How did…? How did you know I only erected a barrier directly in front of me?" she asked.

Lawfer smiled back as he straightened.

"'Twas just a guess," he admitted.

He shouldered his weapon on its holder across his back, and then walked to her side before taking a knee to assist the young woman up.

"Milady," he offered.

"Oh, thank you kindly," she said.

She sat up and took his hand. Lawfer gently helped her up. Nanami dusted herself off, looking at him with more questions.

"But how did you arrive at such a guess?" she asked. "To my knowledge, I've only shaped my barriers like domes to protect from all sides until just now."

"Ay," Lawfer concurred. "But I've also seen how taxing it can be on you. When you cast that latest one, I saw how much more quickly and easily you did it. So, I decided to follow my hunch. So, I feigned a headlong charge, ducked around the side, and…"

He trailed off. Nanami grinned a bit wryly at him.

"And knocked me down like an ill-mannered boy?"

Lawfer smiled back. The poorly contained humor in her voice betrayed that no real offense.

"Yes, that," he answered.

Then he glanced around, noting how Lenneth was predisposed with Llewelyn and Belenus's spar. Meanwhile, Arngrim was fending off the three icy apparitions of Frigid Damsel while Jelanda retreated to give herself more space.

"Hey, how about you and I take a short break and catch our breaths?" he suggested.

Nanami smiled back. "Yes, please, and thank you. Trying to keep you at bay drained me."

"Trying to overcome your defenses drained me," Lawfer replied, and then laughed.

"Over there," Nanami pointed.

Lawfer saw the low, flat rock and followed her. When they reached it, he stopped and waited for her to sit first, and then turned to plop down beside her.

"EARTH GRAVE!"

The shout from Jelanda got their attention. He and Nanami watched the spikes shoot out of the ground in a circle around the former royal, forcing Arngrim to back off.

"Ooh! That's crafty!" Nanami praised. "Don't you agree?"

"Assuming she can dispel them, yes," Lawfer replied.

Nanami stared for a moment, and then covered her mouth as she realized that Jelanda might have just trapped herself.

"Oh dear, did she just cause herself to lose?" she asked.

Lawfer grinned and looked at the shrine girl.

"Even if not, I wouldn't put it past Arngrim to get past them through sheer stubborn force of will," he cracked.

Nanami giggled. Then she found herself looking into his piercing blue eyes and taking in his handsome face. She turned away quickly, flushing. She coughed, quickly diverting her attention.

"I can already tell Arngrim's the sort," she said.

They watched a moment longer before Lawfer turned to Nanami again with a look of concern.

"How are you faring, Nanami?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, thank you," she answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, not even a week ago, you were living quietly as a shrine maiden who barely knew anything of warfare," Lawfer answered. "Even if it is the highest honor to serve Lady Valkyrie, this stark change must be taxing."

Nanami looked away, thoughtfully. Yet, Lawfer noticed she did not seem somber or haunted.

"It… I won't lie. Becoming an einherjar and serving in Odin's war was never something I thought was possible for someone like me," she answered. "It's almost too frightful for me to bear."

Nanami met his eyes again, with a resolute look.

"Yet I do not dislike it. It's…" she stopped to try finding the words. "It's strange. Serving Lady Valkyrie, and someday one of the other gods, is more responsibility than I was ever given back in the shrine, and yet I feel freer now than I did back home. I don't know why."

Lawfer thought about it a moment before coming to his own thought on the matter.

"Perhaps it is because this is something you chose?" he suggested. "Lady Valkyrie only entered the cave to slay the… To lay our sister to rest."

"Choice?" Nanami said with a doubtful laugh. "Had I not given my body to Minayo, Yamato would be doomed. I wonder what choice I really had."

"Many would have chosen to flee the cave and hop on the next boat to the mainland," Lawfer pointed out.

Nanami lowered her head guiltily.

"I wanted to. I was so scared. But you know that. You saw me back in the Cave of Thackus. My courage almost took leave of me several times," she confessed.

"Yet it did not," Lawfer said reassuringly. "Ever."

"What are you trying to say?" she asked.

"The sacrifice you made down in that cave was a step only you could choose to take," Lawfer explained. "You came to us because you decided not to be selfish."

Then Nanami saw something unexpected in his eyes. It was admiration and a bit of envy, but it couldn't be. What did she have that this brave knight would admire here for?

"You earned it," Lawfer then said.

He turned away and watched Lenneth evaluate Jelanda's tactics. Nanami observed him some more. There was something about the tone in that last statement which was off.

"Didn't you earn it?" Nanami asked.

Lawfer sat silently without answer.

"Lawfer?" she tried again.

"Not really," he answered shamefully. "On the night I died… well…"

Nanami watched as he struggled to speak.

"If it's too painful, you don't have to tell me," she said.

Lawfer shook his head.

"No, it's not fair we all know your story without giving you ours'," he insisted. Lawfer took a breath and went on. "A friend of mine had been given a false charge and was due to hang for it."

Lawfer's face than contorted into a resentful grimace.

"So, another man and myself snuck into the dungeon to spring him. That's where it all went wrong," his voice was now hard and angry. "But as we reached my friend, that man betrayed me."

"What happened?" Nanami asked.

"The man I trusted was none other than a Vampire Lord, Count Orlok, one of the felons we're hunting with Lady Valkyrie," Lawfer answered.

He hung his head, shaking it in disgust at himself.

"A couple of my other friends offered to come back me up, but I refused them. So, when Orlok showed his real colors, there was no one to back me up," Lawfer confessed. "'Tis only by Lady Valkyrie's grace that my soul was saved, and my friend liberated."

"So, you also died doing what you believed was right," Nanami stated.

Lawfer scoffed, lifting his head to stare off somewhere unseen.

"I waited until the last possible opportunity to act and let an enemy agent into my king's castle," he argued. "I was selfish. Selfish to wait, uncaring how my actions would reflect on my father, and worst of all, I put the very friend I sought to rescue and all my comrades in harm's way with that stunt. That's no way for a knight to act."

He looked at Nanami again.

"You and I share some common ground in that regard. We were both part of powerful families. There were things expected of us and our every action judged through that lens," he said.

Nanami blew air out through her mouth as that comment caused a wave of memories to flood forward. It sounded like Lawfer not only knew the half of it, but the whole of it.

"It's funny, at times it seemed like Minayo was the only other person who knew what it was like," Nanami said. "Now to hear of your circumstances. I never knew how much worse it can be."

Lawfer seemed perplexed by her answered.

"I would hardly say I had it worse," he replied. "From what you said, the people who put the weight of family heir on you did so without any faith you could succeed. I can't even imagine how you must have felt."

She drooped when he said that.

"And they were right," she murmured. "I couldn't do it. Not on my own power."

"With all respects, Nanami, they were dead wrong," Lawfer softly countered. "You gave up everything to succeed in your mission and restored the family line. The Suwa clan could not have asked for a better daughter."

Nanami looked at him, touched.

"What is your family's name?" she asked.

"The Edgetho clan," he answered.

"Well, I think the Edgethos couldn't have asked for a better son," Nanami proclaimed.

Lawfer began to smile again, and she returned it. In that moment they were trapped in each other's eyes.

She looked curiously at him.

"Is it a relief to be with Lady Valkyrie for you, too?" she asked.

"Heh," Lawfer hadn't been expecting that question. He chose to answer honestly, "In truth, yes. 'Tis the second chance I really didn't earn, and an opportunity to pay Orlok back for his treachery."

"This Orlok has really wronged many in our party, hasn't he?" Nanami asked. "Belenus also seems bear him a grudge."

"Indeed. Orlok has been a very prolific vampire," Lawfer said. "He almost brought my homeland to its knees by trying to turn everyone within its walls. The friend imprisoned on a false charge was none other than Arngrim's younger brother, Roland. Orlok would have succeeded in making the king, Jelanda's father, his Undead puppet ruler had Lady Valkyrie and the others not shown up when they did. And he nearly turned someone who was very close to Belenus in life."

Nanami looked with a firm gaze, as she said, "I'll help you slay him. Any way I can."

Lawfer stared on just with equal conviction. He allowed his hands to fall to his sides, and he pressed the palms against the cool surface of the rock they sat on.

"Thank you," he said.

"Hey, what are brothers and sisters-in-arms for?" she said.

Nanami similarly dropped her hands to side, but when she did, she accidentally grabbed Lawfer's hand. The instant she realized it, she let out an embarrassed "Eep!" and folded put her hands back in her lap. Lawfer just stared at her in confusion.

"I wonder what that was about," he wondered.

From where the rest of the group gathered, Lenneth happened to see that last exchange. It stirred something in her, but she didn't know what.

"You two. Lawfer, Nanami," the goddess called.

Lawfer and Nanami both jumped to their feet in response.

"Yes, Lady Valkyrie," they responded in unison.

"Come, we will be on our way shortly," Lenneth commanded.

"Yes, at once, Lady Valkyrie!" Lawfer called.

He looked to Nanami by his side. "Shall we, Milady?"

"Of course," she answered.

They started over, still smiling and chatting. Lenneth sharply turned away, finding herself put off by their sudden closeness for reasons she could not discern. Arngrim caught her look, and was stunned to see it. He glanced at the approaching knight and shrine girl before looking at the Valkyrie again.

He began to grin.

"Jealous, eh?" he thought.

"…And during summer festival, they would always serve calamari," Nanami was just finished telling Lawfer as they rejoined the group.

Lenneth turned to speak over her shoulder at her team.

"Good, now that you are all here. I must concentrate a moment. We will depart as soon as I have a heading," she announced.

"Yes, Lady Valkyrie," came several responses.

Lenneth nodded in reply, and then began to focus.

"Hey, there lover-boy," Arngrim teased Lawfer. "You talking about anything interesting with your gal?"

"Huh?" Lawfer stared back in confusion.

Beside him, Nanami shrank into herself. Lawfer glanced at her, and then gave Arngrim annoyed look.

"Arngrim…" he groaned.

"What?" the scarred mercenary shrugged innocently.

"You shouldn't tease her so," Lawfer scolded him.

To this, Arngrim just chuckled. Behind him, Belenus turned away, finding himself also having to suppress a grin while Jelanda also just gave the large man a displeased look. Llewelyn chose to remain quiet and impartial.

Lenneth grumbled under her breath as her team became noisy again. Nanami was currently trying to string together a coherent denial in her flustered state, prompting Arngrim to relent.

"Alright, alright, kids," he said.

Lenneth shot them an annoyed look and then without warning zipped upwards into the sky leaving six very surprised einherjar in her wake. They jumped back as they watched her quickly ascend and become a dot in the great blue above them.

"Well, that was… sudden," Belenus said.

"Wonder what made her do that," Arngrim said.

"I wonder," Jelanda answered wryly as she looked at him in the corner of her eye.

Above them, Lenneth hovered in the air, feeling almost embarrassed from her impulsive departure.

"Why did I…?" she wondered. "Why did Lawfer and Nanami's interactions irritate me so? I acted like a jealous ninny."

The mere implication caused her to let out a disgusted "Tch!"

"Jealous? Such nonsense," she told herself. "Think not on it anymore. Finally quiet, at least."

She began to meditate again and felt several clouds of darkness, tugging her to the southwest.

"This negative energy…" she mumbled. "It comes practically from the bottom corner of the continent. The only thing down that was is Gerebellum, and..."

Her mind's eye saw Lucien again. His smile filled her vision, making her heart flutter and almost lose her concentration.

"That man… Lucien, from before," she said.

She felt her chest tighten at the thought that he might be in some kind of peril. He was slated to become an einherjar, after all. Lenneth pressed her hands to her heart as she nearly trembled thinking about it.

"What is happening to me?" she again asked.

Then she shook off the emotions which wanted to flood her mind and dammed them back up.

"I will not let some… some strong affection for this man ruin my objectivity! I have a mission to finish! Now, then…"

She dropped from the sky and landed on the mountainside before her einherjar. She stood before them, folding her hands behind her back as she addressed them impartially.

"We have our heading. A darkness is about to be awakened in a town to the Southwest, called Gerebellum. We depart now."


"Alright, everyone, we're in the final stretch," Lucien announced.

He stood in full battle gear as he led the group made of up of fifty escaped slaves and thirty volunteers to accompany and guard them, as they fled through the Turgen Mountains that evening. It was already night, and the stars and moon were out. They had already done much of the difficult climb up the lower slope of the mountain. Ahead was an uphill pass they still had to climb.

"I know it's hard to see in the dark," Lucien continued. "But at the top of this pass is the hidden entrance of the mountain tunnel we took before. Please remain calm and remember your first journey through here. Keep to the right and the hug the wall as we go up. Mothers and fathers, keep a hold of your little ones. That drop over the side is nothing to joke about."

Then he instructed, "Pass it on to the end of the line, please. Quietly, though."

Then he paused a moment, keeping the party halted to give them a moment to whisper all the way to the back. Since the mountain trails were so narrow, the refugees and their Silver Savior guardians had to walk single-file, intermingled with each other. With Lucien at the head of the party was Claire, Rusty, Barren, and the half-dwarven women, Ingrid and Gloria.

"Alright, eyes open," Lucien told them. "We can't afford to be followed."

He turned to Gloria and Ingrid.

"What do your dwarven eyes see?" he asked.

The two stepped towards the edge and looked down into the shadows below. Their eyes could not only see in the dark, but were as sharp as a hawk's and could see the bodily warmth of anything as orangish glows in the shapes of various animals.

The half-dwarven women stood about five feet, shorter than the average human female, but taller than full-blooded dwarves. Ingrid had black skin with white hair tied in pigtails. There seemed to be a pinkish gleam behind her amber eyes, hinting at something supernatural about her. She wore black and gray leather-mail and clutched an ax that looked too big for her to use, yet she had no problem holding it up. Gloria however had fair skin, with shoulder length faded brown hair. A similar pink glow shined behind her brown eyes. She wore a tan tunic and brown tights. She gripped her cutlass tightly. It was also too big for her, looking to have been made for a man much larger than she. She wielded it as readily as Ingrid did her ax.

"I don't see no humans," Ingrid said. "Just some little forest critters."

After a moment more of scanning, Gloria lightly nodded.

"Nothing man-sized down there in the woods right now," she concurred. "Looks like The Iron Lady's going to keep searching the mines for now."

Lucien looked at the mountain wall next to him, as though to see through it and watch the work of Sheriff Agatha's workers deep within. He wished there was a better way of keeping tabs on how far they had advanced in the dig, but they needed Ingrid and Gloria with them for their strength and 'underground senses'. Barren and Rusty were still uneasy despite the girls' report. Rusty in particular found himself constantly looking down the side the mountain, expecting to see the distant glow of torches as the sheriff's men pursued them.

"You sure about that?" he asked the half-dwarves.

Gloria nodded.

"We're certain," she said. "We know what the glow of a human's body heat and their outline looks like in the dark. If there was anyone else out here, we'd know."

"And I'd have an ax ta grind with 'em," Ingrid said, tapping her weapon.

Rusty just swallowed, but vigorously nodded in response. Barren put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Breathe, mate. Breathe," he whispered. "Don't get these people all demoralized."

"Sorry, but I'm just so tense. Can't help it," Rusty muttered.

Claire took a spot next to Lucien. Even in the dark and with her dressed in the same dark, baggy cloak as everyone else, he could tell it was her by her height. She glanced at him and noted how stiffly he stood.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

Lucien looked around again before answering.

"…Not really."

Claire already knew what he was anxious about. It was finally happening. They had always feared being found out by Iron Agatha, but actually having the Sheriff so close to uncovering their secrets felt like the world was ending.

"We've got this, okay?" she tried to assure him.

"Yeah," Lucien answered, sounding anything but confident.

She reached out and squeezed his hand. His fingers squeezed back and their exchanged a look as best they could in the dark, silently reassuring each other.

"You remembered the stink bombs, right?" Lucien asked.

"Uh-huh," Claire hummed happily.

She pulled back the edges of her dark cloak, revealing the pack hanging from her belt. She patted it while smiling, feeling very pleased with herself. The objects inside clinked against each other, sounding like glass. Also hanging from Claire's belt was a crossbow and a quiver along with her usual knives.

"Loaded with powderized peppermint, cloves, cinnamon, and coffee grounds, Boss man," she said. "All the things the Wasp Giants hate. Some of the other guys have packs of this stuff, too."

"Good," Lucien replied. "I hope we don't need to use any, and that they work."

"They will, if it comes to it," Claire told him.

They exchanged another look, and then leaned in close, giving each other a quick kiss. Then Lucien let go of her hand and stepped forward to face the crowd again.

"Attention," he called. "We're leaving now. We have a lot of ground to cover. Remember what I said. Keep to the wall, watch the children, and keep quiet, no matter what happens. Let's go."

Then he took the first step up the ascending pass. Claire followed second, then Rusty, Barren, the half-dwarves, and then the first refugee came after them. The pass was not a straight path, since it was right up against the slope of the mountain, gradually scaling it. Each curve and twist matched the shape of the mountainside, and so it was slow going to reach the secret door. There were a couple of stumbles and near misses along the way, but someone was always on hand to steady who had lost their footing. A baby's cries had to be quieted, a child had to be dissuaded from asking how long this would take, and finally, some of the elders grew tired before the end and had to be carried.

On a couple of occasions, either Lucien or one of the others had to ran back to help keep things organized, which might halt the entire endeavor. That was normal, though. Happened all the time, since it was a perilous path. Yet tonight, it seemed like they were so short on time, they just couldn't afford to make these necessary steps, but they made themselves do it. No room for mistakes.

The moon was high overhead when the stone covering the secret door came into view, outlined against the dark blue and stars of the night sky.

Lucien quietly called over his shoulder, "Alright, everyone, we're almost there. Pass the word on. Quietly."

The refugees whispered the announcement back in a chain like before, but without stopping this time. Before much longer, the pass widened and leveled out in front of the entrance. Lucien walked past the obstruction and looked down on the valley below. He spotted nothing and so checked the mountainside below. Although he could see the bleached-out stone of the mountain better than the forest, there were many places for someone tailing them to stay out of sight. Claire was still at his side.

"Barren, Rusty, Claire, set up a perimeter. Ingrid, Gloria, unseal the cave," Lucien ordered.

"Ay, Captain," Barren dryly answered with a salute.

He and Rusty planted themselves at the top of the trail. They could see down the side of the mountain pretty well from there, too, and keep an eye on the refugees. Claire stood a bit past the rock, drawing her crossbow and a bolt from her cloak. She loaded it quickly and quietly while keeping an eye out.

"Alright," Barren instructed the line of people. "Everyone. Flat against the mountain wall. Yeah, like that. Spread the word to those in the back. Keep those cloaks shut and the hoods up. Ingrid and Gloria will have the entrance open in a moment."

Ingrid and Gloria stepped up the rock, stretching and working out kinks in their joints as they did.

Okay-dokey," Ingrid hummed.

She put her back to the large rock while Gloria unshouldered an iron pole she'd brought. She wedged it under the base of the rock. Then the cousins exchanged a look, and nodded before they began working on rolling the large rock out of the way. As the refugees watched, one man near the front stared at the petite young women with a look of confusion. He leaned out from the wall slightly, looking right and Rusty and Barren.

"Hey, are they gonna be alright doing that? Those young women, I mean?" he asked.

"We can hear you, you know?" Gloria said, sounding offended.

Ingrid tapped her cousin's shoulder, getting her attention. Ingrid winked back when she looked.

"Never mind him. Let's show this guy what two these young women can do," she said.

Gloria smirked back as they prepared to move the rock.

Barren just laughed.

"Oh, you needn't worry about them. Just watch," he said.

With an expecting smile, he tuned and watched.

"Heave, ho!" Ingrid and Gloria grunted together.

Then to amazement of all, the stone rolled out of the way as though it were hollow set piece which only looked like a large stone. There were several "Ooh's" from the evacuees. Barren bit his lip to stop a chuckle.

When he heard the rock move, Lucien drew his sword as he faced the entrance. Claire aimed her crossbow at the now-open tunnel. They spread out and approached the entrance from both sides while the half-dwarves backed away on either side, drawing their own weapons again. Lucien and Claire pressed their backs to the mountain wall just around the corners of the hole. They were joined by hybrid girls shortly. Ingrid stood next to Lucien, and Gloria next to Claire.

"Ready?" Lucien asked.

They all nodded.

"Go," he ordered.

Ingrid and Gloria leaned around the corner just enough to peer inside with their peripheral vision. Their natural night vision allowed them to see the tunnel clearly. No one was inside. The tunnel itself was a straight shot for some yards before curving down and to the right as it went deeper into the mountains.

"All clear at the entrance," Gloria said.

Then both half-dwarves entered, followed closely Lucien and Claire. The redheaded thief kept her bow raised while reaching under her cloak again. Her hands closed around a small box and a long object, like a club. She pulled them out and handed them to Lucien.

"We got you covered," she said.

"Right," Lucien answered.

He sheathed his sword and took the items from Claire's hand. While she took up position backing up the half-dwarves as they scouted ahead. Lucien took a knee, laying the items out of the floor. One was a torch and the other a tinderbox. He took out the flint and steel, but waited. It was foolish to light a torch in the tunnel if something had wandered onto their path. The creatures of the mountain could sense warmth if close enough, and would be drawn to his flame even if they could not yet see it. So, Lucien sat with his hands ready to work the flint and steel to ignite the torch as soon as he got the all-clear from the girls.

He heard footsteps as someone returned from farther down the tunnel.

"Alright, Gloria and Ingrid say it's all clear," he heard Claire say. "We can bring them in."

"Are they coming back up?" Lucien asked. "The rock has to be rolled back into place."

"They said they'd be a moment," Claire said. "They're just checking to make sure that passage which indirectly connects to the mines is still blocked."

"Roger that, I'll call them in," Lucien answered.

Before he did, he set to the task of lighting the torch. Within a few tries of working the flint and steel, it lit. Lucien looked around, pleased to see the torch worked well enough to illuminate the walls and ceiling even dimly from the floor. He picked it up and stood before turning to the entrance.

"All-clear, guys. Start bringin' 'em in," he called.

"On it, buddy," Barren answered from outside.

A moment later, they entered led by Barren. Once they were off the narrow pass on solid ground with drops in sight, the refugees started walking in pairs.

"Right, like that, guys. Stay close to one another," Barren instructed them. "Silver Saviors fan out around the civilians. Remember we're their source of protection. And remember, wait until you're in the tunnel before lighting your torches."

As ordered, the guards fanned out, and throwing back their capes, revealing themselves to be armored and armed. Many of them, along with Barren, held unlit torches. When they reached Lucien at the midway point of the entry tunnel, he ignited Barren's torch with his own, who in turn allowed the other bearers to light theirs' with his.

"Do not make any excessive noise," Lucien told the group. "This path is only safe in a relative sense. While it is defensible, it's not impenetrable. Remember that and get back if there's trouble. And most importantly, do not deviate from the course for any reason. Let's go."

Then, the torch bearers spread out, ensuring light was spread evenly through the tunnel as they ventured in. The ones farther back lit the torches of those who entered the tunnel next. As the exodus journeyed inside, Lucien, Claire, and Barren walked at the front, leading them down further into the mountain. The descending path ahead of them was a tight passage with several holes along the sides. Each one seemed like a black pit to Hell and the road was hardly straight. After turning right, it gradually curved back left and then right in a succession of twists and turns.

After a bit, they met up with the half-dwarves who stood at the mouth of one of the side tunnels. Lucien nodded, and they acknowledged with head tilts of their own. They stayed in the side passage as the group passed them by through the tight quarters. Once the last refugee and rebels had gone past, the two would go back and plug the tunnel again.


"Well, now, that's promising," Louie croaked.

"What is?"

Louie jumped at the voice of the Sheriff. He turned to her, meeting her gaze with big, buggy eyes hidden behind his goggles. His face was long and thin, almost like it had been cartoonishly stretched out. What little hair he had left was white and curled around the back of his head and ears. His head didn't look like it matched his body, which seemed bulky because of the multi layers of clothing he wore.

"One of the boys just found our way into the east side of the mountains," the Geo Mage told her. "Have a look."

One corner of Agatha's lips curled upwards slightly as he stepped back with a bowlegged gait, letting her get a look. It was a hole just big enough to fit the hand of a grown man through. The wall around it was about 3-5 inches thick. When she got close, she could feel air waft against her face through it. Despite not being a digger, Agatha knew if there was a good passage of air, it was likely worth investigating. When Agatha looked through it, she saw a glowing orb floating on the other side, lighting up the room beyond. It was a small chamber with several passages leading into and out of it.

"The orb? Yours', I assume," she asked.

"Ay, just a little something I worked up," Louie answered.

Agatha straightened and backed away from the hole.

"There is something on the other side, most definitely," she said. "Those passages are promising."

She raised her right hand in the air.

"Miners," her voice rang out loudly enough to be heard throughout the chamber.

The diggers halted their work to listen.

"The way into the natural tunnel systems has been found. Gather around," Agatha ordered.

When they had, Agatha gestured as the hole.

"There is a chamber connected to several tunnels on the other side," she said. "Break it open."

Louie the Geo Mage smiled back cleverly.

"You heard her, boys. It'll be our pleasure, Milady," he said.

He returned his attention to the wall and put his ear to it. Then he began tapping at it with a little hammer. He smiled when he heard a specific kind of vibrations when the hammer connected.

He quietly uttered a spell, "Hetha."

Then he tapped the same spot with the little hammer again, and a glowing circle appeared upon the wall. He repeated the process a few more times as he meticulously searched for weaknesses. Within the hour, there were five total glowing dots.

"Alright," Louie stepped back, pocketing his little hammer.

He turned to the workers.

"Work in twos," he said. "I've picked out five weak points. I want two men working away at each designated spot, each. The rest of you, set up support and secure the area. Clear away anything that comes down while they're digging. I want this to be a clean and quick operation."

"Ay, sir," came several replies.

After the labor had been sorted, ten men divided into pairs and began picking away from the weak spots. When one man struck the wall where a dot glowed while the other wound up his strike. They were soon in a rhythm of hacking away at the wall in alternating strikes.

Agatha, Louie, and others stepped back as the area became a scene of activity, full of the sounds of men talking, grunting, and straining, companied by the strikes of metal against stone, the steps of many boots, and wood being dragged across the floor and braced against the ceiling and surrounding wall before being nailed into place. One would scarcely be able to hear themselves think with it all going on. Then the wall cracked rather loudly. The crunches and roar of stone beginning to break apart added its own voice to the chorus, reverberating through the mountains.


In a cavern deep within the mountains, something stirred in the dark. All the noise had roused it, causing the thing to protest, as it was quite unhappy at having its slumber broken. Its segmented legs curled in closer to its body, and its wings violently flapped, creating a sound not unlike a modern helicopter. Then at the back end of its body, its stinger twitched instinctively. What dared to intrude on its territory and wake it up? Its own noise went largely unheard, whether due to it being drowned out by the work of the diggers, or the sound just being too subtle for most ears to hear it. Few in that mountain had reason to suspect the danger they were in.

Among the few who did hear it were Ingrid and Gloria, at the back of the line. Their grandmother Bedelia walked in front of them with her bow and arrows at the ready. Ingrid rested her ax across with her shoulders draped her arms over the handle. Gloria meanwhile was more alert, walking along with her hand to her cutlass, looking down every hole and tunnel.

Ingrid looked at Gloria, about to speak when the vibrations of the creature's wings echoed in both their ears. Both half-dwarven women stiffly stopped and began listening. Bedelia had taken a couple more steps before she realized she didn't hear the familiar footfalls of her granddaughters, and turned to see why they weren't following her anymore. She also grabbed Maximillian by the arm, because he was carrying one of the torches. He stopped with a quiet "Hmm?" Betty also halted when she noticed they had, and waited while keeping an eye on the main group as they kept going.

"What is it, Granny Bedelia?" Maximillian asked.

He noticed the old woman looking back and followed her gaze, spotting the two hybrids standing impeccably still and listening for something. Maximillian raised the torch higher as he looked around, not knowing what to expect. Betty drew her knives while her eyes also scanned their surroundings.

"Girls, what is it?" Bedelia asked.

Gloria and Ingrid gave their grandmother a quick before taking another moment to listen.

"I haven't heard it again, have you?" Ingrid asked.

"No, but it might getting drowned out by that distant, rhythmic pounding," Gloria answered.

"What pounding?" Maximillian asked.

"The Sheriff's team," both girls answered.

Ingrid looked away restlessly, stating, "It sounds like mining, but there was another noise. It was like the Wasp Giants' buzzing, but even bigger."

"I don't know," Gloria answered. "Don't forget about the Wasp Quee…"

Then they heard it again. A flutter so fast, it was like a vibration. A sound too much like a Wasp Giant, but deeper and louder. The three humans watched the half-dwarves go stiff again, but didn't hear anything, themselves.

"Hey, Gloria, Ingrid, you're startin' to freak us out here," Maximillian tensely told them. He instinctively reached for his bow. "Anything you wanna share?"

"And quick," Betty asked. She shuffled around uneasily. "We're getting left behind here."

"Hey, you guys are falling behind. Need us to wait for you?" someone shouted from up ahead.

"No, don't stop!" Gloria apprehensively shouted back.

"…Alright," the person answered, a bit taken back by the force behind Gloria's tone.

"Alright, girls," Bedelia said. "What did you hear?"

"Can't be sure," Gloria answered.

Their heads jerked to the left, and then the right, like an alert pair of deer which had detected a predator.

"Whatever it is, I'm reporting it in," Gloria stated. She turned to her cousin. "Ingrid, stay in the back with the Granny, Max, and Betty. I'll run up to the front and inform Lucien and the others."

"Yeah," Ingrid just nodded.

Then Gloria ran forward at a quiet jog, skillfully weaving around others. She uttered an "Excuse me," as she passed.

Maximillian glanced at her departing form, and then looked at Ingrid. He nodded in the direction of the party.

"Come on. We better catch up," he said.

Ingrid looked around at any holes into the passage which were nearby one more time, and then shook her head positively.

"Roger," she uttered.

Then they all hurried to catch up with the others.


On a rooftop in Gerebellum, Lenneth stood with her einherjar, trying to pinpoint the source of the darkness, which was difficult. Death hung over the city thickly and she could not tell if it was related to dark aura she had felt, or if there was another pressing matter which also needed attention. Arngrim stood with one foot up on the wooden rail around the edge of the building, looking down on the streets. Llewelyn wandered the edge of the roof, in self-appointed lookout duty. In the dark, Gerebellum was giving off a genuinely eerie feel, and the boy decided he would like to leave as soon as possible.

"So much rage and hate radiating up from the souls who dwell here," Lenneth thought. "'Tis almost overwhelming. I can still just sense the darkness from before, but it is clouded amongst this other darkness. How is it possible for the hearts of humans to be filled with this much abhorrence for each other?"

Her eyes fluttered open, as she contemplated this.

"I do not understand," she thought. "Is the state of affairs here really so bad that the collective hearts can be so darkened to equal that of a genuine monster?"

The Valkyrie looked over at her einherjar. Their auras were so relatively clean. Even Arngrim's. It always astounded her how those who become einherjar could be the same species as those whose spirits were just ripe for becoming Undead.

Meanwhile, closer to the center of the roof, Nanami also meditated. She held one of her arms outstretched. Her fingers clasped a string from which a crystal hung and swung back and forth like a pendulum. Jelanda, Lawfer, and Belenus all watched with interest. Lenneth also began observing what the girl was doing discreetly. One thing the Valkyrie noticed was the little gem did not just swing in any one direction. The apex of one of its swings would face it towards the North, and then it'd work its way towards west in the next few. Lenneth focused, attuning herself the spiritual atmosphere around them.

"I sense…" she thought. "I sense the item is having the same issue I am."

Eventually, after the crystal made a couple of full circles in its swings, Nanami sighed and lowered her arm, giving up.

"Nothing?" Lawfer asked her.

Nanami shook her head.

"No, it's the opposite problem. The quartz and I are picking up too much, if anything. I'm focusing on trying to find a source of darkness, but there are several, pulling it in many directions," she explained. "It's like this whole town is about to explode into a murderous rage."

The shrine girl stared at the other rooftops around them.

"If I knew what we were looking for, I could pinpoint it, but this city is so rife with negativity that searching without knowing what to look for is impossible," she said.

"So that's what's takin' so long?" Arngrim asked.

He lowered his foot from the rail and began to rejoin the group.

"Wish I could say I was surprised," the mercenary muttered. "Last time I was here while alive, this sink-hole of a town was already rotten to the core."

"Surely, a monster's aura would be different than that of a bunch of bitter humans, though," Lawfer said.

"More alike than you would think," Lenneth spoke up for the first time.

Her einherjar turned and listened.

"Many monsters and demons started out human," Lenneth told them. "Not just the Undead. So…"

The Valkyrie trailed off as she approached the edge of the roof and looked down on the busy city street below, observing the humans which passed underneath the street lamps.

"It can be difficult to sort out the negativity produced by a population of humans quickly being driven to the breaking point, and that of something which jumped over the side long ago," Lenneth finished.

She sighed, feeling as frustrated as Nanami.

"Something terrible is going to happen here in Gerebellum. Soon," Lenneth said.

"No surprise there. That riot we saw last time was nothing to jest about," Llewelyn muttered.

"A riot?" Nanami said with a gasp.

"Uh-huh," Llewelyn answered. "The upper class is basically taxing the commoners to starvation and the city guard does nothing to protect anyone who doesn't have the oth to pay for it. This whole place just felt miserable the whole time we were here."

"Back to topic," Lenneth said. "What I felt was without a doubt a beast."

The einherjar had nothing to say to that. Belenus, however, looked towards the Turgen Mountains north of the city. He scratched his chin, thinking over what he'd heard about them in the past.

"I just wish I knew what kind of monster," Lenneth muttered to herself, although the others heard it. "If I could narrow that down…"

"Hmm," Arngrim looked around.

Then he also turned towards the North, looking at the outline of the mountains against the night sky.

"The mountains have always been infested," he suggested.

Lenneth turned as he pointed towards the Turgen Mountains. She stared at them thoughtfully.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Belenus said. "The Holm Mining Company always had trouble keeping the Lizard Men and Insect Giants out of their mineshafts. The miners had to be escorted by armed guards. Eventually, they exhausted the veins they found in the center of the mountains and sealed them off before moving on. It'd have just been too much trouble to intrude on the Lizard Men or insect giant's territories to keep digging."

Lenneth thought it over after Belenus had finished his explanation.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" she asked.

"Well. Perhaps," Belenus muttered. He paused to mentally run through some old rumors again. "Wasp Giants have been sighted up in the mountains fairly frequently. The city guard must occasionally fight them off. It is theorized that a Wasp Queen dwells in the mountains. If something awakened it, that'd be enough to mobilize the entire nest and bring disaster down on Gerebellum."

"It happened once before, if I recall correctly," Lawfer said. "Wasp Giants did swarm Gerebellum once. It was a slaughter that almost ruined the city in its infancy."

Jelanda gulped uneasily.

"Th-that sounds about right for drawing Lady Valkyrie here," she said.

"It does," Lenneth concurred.

She regarded the mountains again.

"Very well. We will investigate. Steel yourselves. I know not what awaits us," she said.


"Excuse me. Pardon me. Excuse me. Lucien! Wait up!"

"Huh?" Lucien glanced back he walked.

In the dark, he saw people either stepping aside to let someone cut in front of them, or be pushed aside as the person forced their way towards the front. However, he couldn't see who was trying to reach him.

"Yeah, hello?" he called back.

"Lucien, it's me! Gloria! I have something important to tell you!" she called.

Then she went back to quietly apologizing as she pushed through the people.

"Let her pass," Lucien instructed.

The people began to step aside more frequently then, making more space for Gloria to get by. After another moment, she finally reached the front of the line. They could tell even in the torchlight, she was troubled by something.

"What is it? It sounds urgent," Claire asked.

"It is," Gloria whispered.

She turned her head to the side only slightly to unobtrusively to glance at the refugees following them, then she approached Lucien with deliberate action.

"Let's keep our voices down," she said. "We cannot afford a panic."

Lucien nodded.

"Alright," he answered. "What's up?"

Gloria first squeezed in among him, Claire, Rusty, and Barren so she could speak with them quietly. Barren backed up, placing himself at the rear so she would have room.

"Ingrid and I heard something strange," Gloria kept her voice low. "Firstly, the sheriff's men are definitely still working over the wall, but that's not the scary part."

Rusty gave her a skeptical look.

"How is that not the scary part?" he demanded.

"We heard something reacting to their hammers and picks," Gloria answered. "It sounded like the buzz of a wasp Giant, but even bigger and louder."

"Bigger, how?" Claire asked.

Gloria did not answer.

"You think it's the Wasp Queen," Lucien stated.

Barren, Rusty, and Claire all looked at him, and expressions of dread set into their features.

"Wait," Barren said. "How sure you are?"

"I'm not sure, Barren. I know," Gloria asserted. "I've been listening for Insect Giants every run through these mountains since we started. This thing is bigger, and the sheriff's diggers are waking it up."

Lucien studied her face. He could tell by her grave expression that she was serious.

"I believe you," he said.

"Thank you," Gloria sounded relieved.

"But what can we do?" Rusty asked.

He looked at the mass exodus behind him.

"How can we protect ourselves, and all these people?" he whispered.

Lucien did not have an immediate answer to that.

"The first check-point isn't far ahead," Barren offered. "We've sealed most of the other passages. It's a defensible position we can have these people hole up in while we send someone with Gloria or Ingrid to scout."

"A small group in these tunnels?" Claire practically hissed at him. "We might as well just season 'em for the insect giants while we're at it."

"We can figure that out at the check-point," Lucien interjected before they started arguing.

He also gave the emigration they led a sideways a glance. No one acted like they'd overheard them talking.

"At the very least, we can get the word out to the other silver necklaces," Lucien said. "Get everyone ready for a fight. Just stay calm. We've trained for this."

"Training for this, and actually doing it ain't the same, Love," Claire pointed out.

"I know, but it's all we can do," Lucien answered. "Let's just keep moving. The checkpoint's only about forty ells away now."


"You're nearly through. Hit it again!"

The sound of steel against stone echoed loudly. However, the wall still stood, with the small hole from earlier being the only success so far. Geo Mage Louie narrowed his eyes in frustration and anger at the workers. By now, each time they struck the wall where instructed, small bits and dust came off. It was unstable and close to collapse.

"What are you waiting for?" Louie demanded. "I said strike it again."

The workers still hesitated.

"I don't like this. It feels like the whole thing could just come down on us," one said.

Louie growled. He nearly started towards them, but was stopped by Sheriff Agatha.

"Allow me," she said.

She gestured for her entourage of top Deputies to follow her as she approached the dig team. They stopped short of the supports they had erected. The Iron Lady seemed to cooly study them while flanked by eight of her subordinates in all.

"That wall does look dangerous," Agatha admitted.

"Right?" one of the diggers said. "I think we should take it slower, and…"

"Or else it might flatten you all," she cut in.

"…Yeah," the worker said.

Agatha's good eye seemed to bore into his him like a drill.

"There is a possibility of death if you break through the wall as instructed," she repeated. Then she drew her sword, training it on them. "But I will make it a certainty if you do not."

Her Deputies understood and unsheathed their blades to menace the miners as well. The workers backed up in disbelief.

"Dig," was the sheriff's only command in a tone as sharp and unrelenting as the steel she held.

Under her gaze and the threat of lawmen's blades, the diggers surrendered themselves to their fate, and faced the wall again. It had become the lesser of two enemies.

"Be ready," Louie ordered. "As before, in pairs at each pressure point. On the count of 3. 1…"

Half the diggers raised their picks and tensed.

"2…" Louie counted. "3!"

The workers swung almost in perfect tandem, striking five points designated points, followed by their partner taking the next swing in alternating blows as before. More pebbles and dust fell from the cracks that were forming.

"Again!" Louie shouted.

Then the men continued their synchronized swings, slamming the wall hard each time. Cracks began spreading far and quickly, as some sections began to wobble as they came loose. The sound again range out loudly enough to hurt the ears, and disturbed the thing in the dark again. It was quickly losing its patience with all this ruckus forcing it from its hibernation.

The workers looked at Agatha pleadingly as they noticed the wall become more structurally unsound. She responded by visibly tightening her grip on her sword and inching forward. Her Deputies did the same.

"Again!" Louie barked.

The diggers struck the wall, and this time, large boulders the size a man's torso fell loose. The workers cried out and scattered before they flattened. They ran towards the Sheriff and their men, who held the line firmly.

"Back to it!" Agatha ordered.

"But Milady, you saw what just…" one of the diggers begged.

He rewarded with a blade pressed against his cheek for his trouble.

"Hey, leave them alone," someone shouted.

"Getting us killed won't find you whatever yer lookin' for!" another joined.

"Yeah!" several voices from the other miners joined in.

Agatha turned to them in cold anger.

"Men, kill them if they speak out of term again," she ordered.

The Deputies were quick to move in, weapons drawn to suppress this mutiny in the making. Some of the miners took up their picks, but then the archers among the lawmen trained their crossbows on them.

"Don't even try it, mate," one Deputy said. "You'll be dead before you first stroke falls."

"You are all disposable," Agatha told them. "As I said, you may die bringing that wall down, but you will die if you defy me. If you will not dig, you will be killed and left for the insect giants to consume, and I will return another team of miners."

There was no pity in her remaining eye. So, the workers reluctantly went back to the wall, first rolling the stones out of the way. Then they paired up and prepared another synchronized swing. The men looked at the wall, which was finally ready to come down on them. They hesitated, but a harsh word from Agatha made them draw back their picks and then bring them down hard on the weakening stone one final time.

The instant their tools hit the wall, it made a sound like an explosion and the chamber began to shake. The cracks deepened and grew, air whooshed through the newly created spaces between the rock as the first stones fell.

"It's comin' down! Everyone back!" Louie ordered.

The workers didn't need to be told. They were already fleeing in headlong retreat as the first stones were coming down. As they ran, some of the men were struck by falling debris and bore to the ground, injured. Their fellow diggers were quick to snatch them up in their own retreat, loyally dragging their coworkers to safety. Agatha, her men, and the Geo Mage all backed away as that entire section of wall broke apart and came crumbling down into a pile. Dust filled the air, forcing everyone to cover their mouths, noses, and eyes. The collapse of the wall was heard all throughout the east end of the mountains.


At the first checkpoint, The Silver Saviors and the refugee slaves were given a fright at what sounded like a cave-in. Trepidation set in, and the rescued slaves cowered on one side of the chamber while their rescuers were all on high-alert on the other, drawing their weapons. There were only two exits in and out of that cavern. The one they had come in through, and the one ahead. The others had been blocked with tightly packed rocks.

"What in the worlds was that?" Barren demanded.

"They broke through," Ingrid answered in a low tone.

Rusty gulped and turned to Lucien.

"Wha… what ya wanna do about that, boss?" he asked. "That'll rouse the Wasp Queen for sure. Just The Iron Lady's men or the Wasp Giants is bad enough, but we could get cornered if we stay here. They could come at us from both sides without even meaning to."

Lucien thought frantically. He then gave the passage they'd come from a wary look.

"Ingrid, Gloria," he called.

"Yeah," they both answered as they approached him at jogging speed.

"Can you tell how far away they are?" he asked.

"At least two rests away," Gloria answered. "If we're reading the vibrations right, they're on the other side of a whole maze of tunnels that go everywhere. It'd be pure dumb luck if they found us tonight."

Lucien regarded the way back again.

"Do we risk it?" Barren asked him. "Their chances of finding us before we exit out the other side are one-in-ten-thousand. We'll be dropping this lot off with our contact tomorrow night before they come anywhere near here."

Lucien decided not to risk it the instant Barren said that. He didn't care about the likelihood. If he could lose Platina to one-in-a-thousand rotten luck, they could lose these people to Sheriff Agatha that very evening. Even aside from that, they weren't safe in a cave system inhabited by insect giants, but especially the Wasps.

"Keep moving," Lucien ordered. "Everyone on your feet. We're getting out of here."

He gestured to the exhausted elders and children.

"Men, help them," he ordered. "We need to press onto the next checkpoint before we try stopping again."

"Ay, ay!" came several responses.

Lucien turned towards the passage ahead, intent on having a look ahead before bringing out the rest. He'd taken maybe two steps before someone grabbed his arm. He turned and saw it was Ingrid, staring at him with eyes full of fear.

"They've awakened it!" she cried. "I can hear it moving around now! It's calling to all the Wasp Giants in the mountains, Lucien! They're coming!"


Agatha lowered her arms from her face as the dust had begun to settle. She kept the rag pressed to her mouth and nose until it had thinned out more. She smiled under the harsh material, looking into the chamber they had just opened. They were through. She smiled in triumph and turned to order the workers to begin clearing the rubble. Before the first word could leave her lips, a loud buzzing sharply pierced the air from within. Everyone turned in the direction of the chorus of deafening, monotonous humming.

"That sounds like a whole hive of insects!" one Deputy shouted.

"What?" one of the others called back.

"Geo Mage, to me," Agatha shouted at Louie.

The wizard didn't need to be told twice. He ran around behind them. With a few seconds, the buzzing became so loud, no one could hear each other talk.

"What is…?" someone began to ask.

He never finished, nor needed to. Fore a swarm of wasps the size of dogs surged out of every hole in the chamber they had just broken into with same the savagery as a pack of wild canines. The Deputies pushed the miners towards them, and the wasps tore into them first.

"Shit!" one of the Deputies shouted gasped.

"Fall back!" Agatha shouted at full volume.

They obeyed the barely audible command, backing away while the wasps tore away at the miners first. Louie hid behind them, suddenly very grateful the Sheriff had the state of mind to call him back. Agatha motioned for the Deputies from all around the chamber to join them.

"Form lines and ranks!" Agatha shouted. "Do not let it break! Archers!"

The Deputies already by her side tightened rank while the rest rushed in to join the fight. The surviving miners fled, screaming and begging for help, but most did not reach Agatha and her Deputies before being stung in the back or grabbed by at least two Wasp Giants and dragged, screaming through the hole they'd made. Others among the Wasp Giants went straight for the Sheriff's team, and the two sides clashed, sword meeting stinger. The archers stood in the back, firing the first volley against their insectoid enemy.


"Ah, finally."

Lenneth sharply turned around, drawing her blade as she felt a pulse of energy eradiate from within the mountain. Her unexpected movement startled Jelanda, making her squeak and backpedal.

"What? What?" the teenage mage asked frantically.

She looked back and forth and then behind, but saw nothing. The others similarly looked around with clear alarm. Arngrim eyed any visible cave entrances suspiciously, assuming that Lenneth sensed something was coming out to confront them. Llewelyn slowly panned his bow around as he watched and listened for anything that sounded suspect. Nanami tried to suppress a whimper and stepped closer to Lawfer for comfort and protection. Belenus was stalwartly beside Lenneth, ready for anything as usual.

"Not out here," Lenneth told them.

She pointed her sword toward the east end of the mountain.

"'Tis within, far on the east side of this mountain range," Lenneth explained. "The fiend has finally shown itself. I can sense its presence well enough to locate it now. Come."

Lenneth hovered into the air, bringing them along, as she approached the east end. They had landed on a mountain pass some time ago and had been traversing it on foot it while Lenneth followed her senses track their quarry. She had looked into many holes and crevices on the side of the mountain while her einherjar faithfully followed her, but each time, Lenneth ultimately passed on entering through any of them until just now.

"What kind of beast are we up against this time, Lady Valkyrie?" Belenus asked.

"I know not yet," Lenneth called back. "I can sense that this aura is, indeed… bestial in nature. This is no scheming Undead or dark wizard, but something more based… wild, even."

Nanami gulped, but clenched her fists to steel herself.

"I won't back down from whatever it is," she told herself.

The others showed a more subtle resolve as their hands went to their weapons and Jelanda began silently preparing a preemptive spell.

Lenneth slowed down, hovering at a gradual pace alongside the mountain shoulder in the approximate area of what has occurring within. She almost stopped entirely as she began to detect something else.

"There are… other presences here as well," Lenneth spoke.

"Spirits? The Undead?" Lawfer asked.

"Nay. The living. Mortal humans," the Valkyrie answered.

"What?" Arngrim asked. "What damn fools would be in the Turgen Mountains?"

Lenneth focused on sorting out the emotions she had begun to detect.

"I sense… fear," she muttered heavily. "Desperation. And…"

Her voice tightened. "Pain."

The einherjar exchanged grim and uncertain looks. The Valkyrie then brought them all to a complete stop next to a starkly vertical wall with no discernible way inside for those still corporeal. Her senses had zeroed in on the beast in the mountain.

"Found you," she muttered.

She glanced back at her einherjar.

"Prepare yourselves. We are close enough I can guide us to the fiend once inside. We go into battle. Now," she stated.

Then with no further ado, she phased herself and her team out of physical form and flew forward, entering the mountain through solid rock. The einherjar were trapped in total darkness for a solid minute before they came out the other side of mountain's outer wall into a low cavern. Lenneth hadn't even phased them back into physical form yet when their hearing was assaulted with a myriad of horrible sounds. Harsh humming, screams, cries, shouts, loud crashing and thumping, and the clashing of metal.

"That buzzing…!" Belenus murmured. "The Wasp Giants. Awake and swarming after all these years."

Jelanda's face twisted into a wide-eyed look of horror as she took them in, nearly drawing her fingers to her ears. She stopped herself for reasons she didn't understand.

"Some of those screams sound like children," she murmured.

Beside her, Lawfer and Nanami looked no less horrified.

"It's like there's a war going on in this mountain!" Llewelyn loudly commented, unable to contain his unease. "And it sounds like it's coming from everywhere!"

Arngrim looked at Lenneth at the head, and said, "Call it, Valkyrie."

Lenneth gave them a sideways look that betrayed no emotion.

"The situation is already much grimmer than I had imagined," she told them. "Come, Dark Warriors. Battle awaits."