Chapter Thirty-Four
Percy stepped out into the Hallway, where he saw everyone else who lived on Floor Nineteen doing the same. Magnus started to introduce them. There was Thomas Jefferson Jr., who seemed to have stepped right out of the civil war. He had already met Alex. Next was Halfborn Gunderson. The last person made Percy freeze for a second. A girl who looked exactly like Rachel. Same red hair, same green eyes. She was introduced as Mallory Keen.
The elevator at the end of the hall opened, revealing Sam. She approached Percy and Magnus. "Come on. I'm gonna take you guys down earlier."
They followed behind the valkyrie. They entered the elevator. Sam held out a ring of keys and picked one out. The elevator door made of spears closed shut as she inserted the key into the override slot. She pressed the red rune that popped up, causing the elevator to descend.
Muzak began to play. Percy couldn't tell what song, since the words were in old Norse. He thought it was something by Frank Sinatra, maybe My Way? The elevator stopped and they exited into a room the size of a concert hall. "Welcome, Percy Jackson," Sam said. "To the Feast Hall of the Slain."
Tiers of long tables curved downwards from the ceiling, reminding Percy of stadium seating. In the center of the room was a tree taller than the statue of Liberty, with its lowest branches being at least a hundred feet above them. Its canopy covered the entire ceiling, and through the spaces, you were able to see the night sky. Constellations played hide and seek as they disappeared and reappeared behind leaves. A bunch of animals were in the tree, they were too far to make out what most of them were, but Percy could make out a goat on the lowest branch.
"Why is there a goat?" He asked.
Magnus snickered.
"She is Heidrun. Her milk is used to make the mead here in Valhalla. Magnus is laughing because he asked the same thing when he first arrived. He also asked about the other animals, so I will explain those to you as well. There are other animals, they are all well behaved, so you don't have to worry about looking away for a second, and looking back to find your food covered in shit. The tree is called The Tree of Laeradr. Do you see the waterfall?"
There was a waterfall that flowed between the grooves in the bark of the tree. It emptied into a pool the size of an olympic swimming pool between two of the tree's roots. Percy confirmed that he saw it.
"The waterfall comes from the horns of a stag, and his name is Eikthrymir. Ike for short. The waterfall goes into that pond, and then it goes underground and flows into every river in every world. Now, that's not to say that all water comes from Ike, but most do. Now, come on, let's get you to your seat before dinner starts."
She sat Percy down at the table next to the biggest table. She explained that it was the table for the recently deceased. She sat down next to him. Around the perimeter of the room, a hundred doors burst open. The dead warriors flooded into the room, taking their seats. Three others took their seats next to him. Hundreds of other Valkyries whisked around, bringing food and drink.
A giant platter of food landed on the table in front of Percy. There was meat, mashed potatoes, and a roll glazed with butter. It reminded him of the feast he had shared with Lucifer during his first day in Hell. Next to the platter was a goblet filled with what he assumed was mead. He started to dig in, starting with a bite of the roll, before moving on to the meat. As he ate, he looked around.
He vaguely remembered his high school days. After all, they were cut short by a lightning bolt. But he remembered during lunch time, the cafeteria was loud. Loud enough to give a deaf person a headache. Those lunches had nothing on Valhalla.
At the biggest table, the one next to him, sat who he presumed to be the head honchos. At the center, sitting in the biggest chair, he assumed to be Odin, based on the ravens perched on the chair by his shoulders, as well as the eyepatch. Around him sat other people. He didn't know who most of them were, although one looked familiar, before realizing where he recognized the man from. A history book, from the chapter about the Texas Revolution. He did recognize one of them, Helgi.
They started to bang their cups on the table in unison, a metronome of metal against wood. Helgi stood and raised his cup, silencing the einherjar. "Warriors!" He called. "Four newly slain have joined us today!" He paused to let the fallen warriors cheer. "You all know what comes next! Valkyrie Vision!
Beside him, Sam whispered. "Shit."
"What?" He whispered back.
"I completely forgot. It's been a while since I brought anyone. They're gonna see, and judge your death."
"Okay, and?"
Samirah sighed. "There's some nuance to the rules of getting into Valhalla. Acts of heroism get you in, dying in combat. But the heroism has to be pure, genuine, spur of the moment, not planned."
"Fuck. Why didn't Magnus bring this up?"
"It's been years. Besides, it's not really a spoken rule, more just something that's assumed."
Percy sighed. "Let's just hope it skips the planned part."
"Introducing…" Helgi spoke. "Arthur Callahan! Stand up, Arthur." During their conversation, Percy and Sam missed the first person's death. Arthur was second in line, and it seemed like Percy would be last.
Arthur stood up. He looked to be European. His clothes looked to be Victorian gothic, with a coat made of black leather over a suit shirt and vest. It looked like something a vampire would wear in one of those old black and white movies.
Around the tree trunk, a ring of holographic screens had appeared, looking like a jumbotron at a basketball game. The screens showed the exterior of a gothic church. The videos seemed to be taken from a Valkyrie's chest. The valkyrie landed outside the open door of the church.
The sound of commotion was coming from inside. The valkyrie crept inside. Inside the church two men were fighting. One was Arthur, the other a tall pale man dressed the same as Arthur, only his clothing was all black. His hair was black as well, and appeared to be slicked back with a boatload of hair gel, so much that it shined in the small amount of moonlight that peered through the stained glass windows.
Their fight had destroyed rows of pews, leaving splinters of wood on the floor. Arthur held a wooden stake, while the other man seemed to be unarmed. Upon closer inspection, Percy realized that his hands were his weapon. His nails were really long, several feet, like he hadn't clipped them since the dark ages.
The pale man growled, and in the pale light, the man's teeth were reminiscent of Artemis' teeth. Mostly normal but with super sharp canines. Only the pale man's canines were super long. Fangs. Was Arthur fighting a vampire? It wasn't the craziest thing to happen, hell, Percy fought his share of fire haired vampire cheerleaders.
Arthur blocked a strike from the vampire with his free hand and thrust with his stake. The vampire turned his body, avoiding the strike. He retaliated with a thrust with his other hand, running his nails through Arthur's abdomen. He ripped his claw free, and pushed Arthur away.
The young boy stumbled backwards, before falling backwards on one of the few unbroken pews. His hand still gripped the stake as his eyes closed and his breathing stopped. The vampire walked out of the church, ignoring the valkyrie. She approached Arthur and touched his arm. A golden apparition of Arthur rose from his body.
The vision ended. The people at the big table discussed before announcing that Arthur was worthy of Valhalla. The Valkyrie next to Arthur let out a sigh of relief.
Percy turned to Sam. "Hey, uh, what happens if they decide you aren't worthy? Do they kick you out, or something? Go back to living?"
She shook her head. "No, nothing like that. You just become the lowest rung on the social ladder. You'll probably get the worst assignments, and it would probably be harder to earn respect. The real punishment goes to the valkyrie though." She shivered.
A pang of guilt pierced Percy's stomach. He was about to get Sam in trouble, earn her a punishment she didn't deserve.
She seemed to read Percy's feelings. They might have been clear as day on his face, he didn't know, he didn't exactly have a mirror on hand.
"Don't worry on my behalf. Odin likes me, and once I explain, I should be fine."
"Of course Gods play favorites. I'd like to meet one that doesn't one day."
Sam chuckled.
Percy tuned back in as they called up the next person. What they were doing until then, he didn't know. The girl on the other side of him stood as her name was called. "Beatrice Gonzalez!" Compared to Arthur, she was normal looking, plain clothes.
They turned to the screen. This time, a valkyrie was outside of what looked to be a school. She landed outside a door and crept inside. The lights were off, the only light was the sun streaming in through the occasional window. As soon as she entered, the sound of a gun shot rang out through the empty hallway. Screams followed right after.
The valkyrie continued through the school. As she got deeper into the sprawling halls, she passed by a corpse. She paused and glanced at it for a couple of seconds, almost like she was paying respect. After a couple of seconds, she moved on.
She turned a corner, and saw a young man, dressed in almost all black. He held a submachine gun in his hand. He seemed to ignore the valkyrie, and moved towards the door between them. He tried the door handle, but found it locked. Inside, the sound of shuffling could be heard.
The man, hearing the commotion inside, started to bang on the glass window in the door. When the glass withstood his blows, he pointed the gun at the glass and fired a couple of shots into it, shattering it. He reached into the room and unlocked the door.
The valkyrie was right behind the man as he entered the room. He was immediately hit in the head with something, falling to the ground. As he did so, he blindly fired at his assailant. All but one bullet missed, landing in their gut. The valkyrie could now see them as she stepped out into the dim lighting. She stepped into the room to get a clearer view. Beatrice.
The armed girl brandished her weapon, a marching snare drum stand. It was comprised of a thick metal rod with three legs, and a flat piece on the end. As the valkyrie looked around the room, she saw that the room seemed to be some kind of storage room for percussion equipment. It also seemed to be the hiding place for about a dozen teenagers.
Beatrice approached the shooter, and lifted the stand above her head, before bringing it down on the man. He shot her a couple more times, bullets slamming into her chest. She continued to slam the stand on the man, like a hammer, blood spurting from broken skin.
Blood was flowing down the girl's chest. She must have been in pain, multiple bullets in her and all, yet the adrenaline was flowing through her veins. She continued to bash the man in the head, all the strokes starting to create a dent in his skull. Blood and brain matter was starting to leak out of his face and onto the floor. The man's body had stilled, probably dead, but she didn't stop.
The man's head was unrecognizable by the time she was done, covered in brain and blood, turned basically inside out. Beatrice stopped and took a wobbly step back. Her back met the wall, and she slowly slid down it. A trail of blood made its way down the wall behind her. A deafening silence filled the room as other students stared at her.
Her eyes shifted to the people in the room, her friends, her peers. Finally, a girl came forward. "Beatrice." She said softly. She knelt before the girl and clasped her hand. Beatrice's eyes met the girls as her head rolled over to face her.
"Sadie…" Beatrice said weakly.
"Rest well, Beatrice." The girl said, before leaning forward and planting a kiss on her cheek.
Beatrice's jaw dropped slightly. "Sadie… You…" She smiled weakly, before leaning back, and stilling.
The valkyrie stepped forward and kneeled before the girl. She reached out and touched Beatrice. The same shimmering apparition that appeared from Arthur's corpse rose from hers, only this time it was of her.
The Thanes confirmed she was worthy of Valhalla. "Beatrice Gonzalez!" Helgi declared. "Do you know your lineage?"
"No, sir. I do not."
"That is no problem. Let us consult the runes, unless the All-Father wishes to intercede?" He turned to Odin, who shook his head. He raised his hand in a 'go-ahead' gesture. He motioned towards the fire pit, where a woman in a green hooded robe stood. She came forward and approached Beatrice. She pulled out a small leather pouch. She reached into it and pulled out a handful of small stones.
Quickly, she threw the stones at her feet. Some landed face up, others down. One in particular seemed to catch everyone's attention. An upward facing arrow. Hundreds of einherjar pounded the table with their fists as they cheered. "TYR!" They yelled.
"Beatrice Gonzalez, daughter of Tyr, rejoice!" The woman spoke. The runes say you will fight valiantly at Ragnarok, and that tomorrow, in your first combat, will prove your valor and be stabbed through the stomach!"
More cheers rang through the hall. Once the celebration died down after a few moments, Helgi stood once more. "Perseus Jackson! Come show your bravery!"
Percy's stomach started to churn with nerves. He had to remind himself, he wasn't here to be accepted, he was here to deliver a message, by any means necessary. The holographic screen rippled, revealing Percy. He was talking to Artemis. Sam was just out of hearshot, so they couldn't hear what the couple was saying. Suddenly, Alex entered the frame and began to talk. Alex's appearance caused whispers of 'planned' and 'rigged' to ripple through the hall.
The scene continued to play out. From Percy and Artemis' kiss to Percy's death. When he saw the tusk run him through, he rubbed his abdomen, almost feeling phantom pain. When the fight was over, and Percy was dead, the screen disappeared.
"Perseus Jackson." Hegi said, disappointment evident in his voice. "You are not worthy of Valhalla."
"UNWORTHY!" Chants around the hall rose.
"What do the runes say?" Odin spoke. It was the first time he had spoken all night. His voice was deep, but also quiet. Despite that, as soon as his words left his lips, the entire room silenced. "How will Percy Jackson fight at Ragnarok?"
The green robed woman came forward and threw the runes at her feet. She stumbled back. "You… You survive Ragnarok. You do… You die… later?" She looked up at Percy. "What… are you?"
Percy did not speak. His eyes scanned the hall. He could see hands reaching for weapons, muscles clenching, eyes turning his way. He was starting to feel tension rising. His own hand went for his pocket, where Riptide was stashed, ready and waiting.
Suddenly, like a balloon with too much air, the tension burst, and the hall was filled with the sound of fighting. Blades clashing, flesh tearing, arrows whizzing through the air. Blood started to fill the ground. It, strangely, reminded him of food fights back in his younger years in school, albeit more blood and death. It seemed to have turned into a free for all. Weren't they trying to go for him?
Not one to second guess a gift, he saw an opportunity to speak to Odin, to accomplish what he came here to do. He stood up and started to make his way to the Allfather. An arrow flew right past his head, the whistling sound dangerously close, but he pressed on. As he approached the table where Odin sat, the Thanes all stood and drew weapons.
Percy sighed and drew Riptide. He didn't uncap the pen, wanting to try diplomacy first. "Back down. I need to speak with Odin."
Helgi was the first to speak. "You think you deserve an audience with the Allfather. You are unworthy, and yet, you walked in here, took advantage of our services. You took the minibar key knowing damn well you didn't belong here."
"Well, what was I supposed to do? Immediately request an audience with Odin? Just move."
"Why should we?" The man from the Texas History book asked. "What deems you deserving of an audience with Odin?"
"All this talking about him with him right there, why don't we just ask him?"
They turned to Odin, who leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. He clasped his hands together as he leaned his head against them. His one eye gazed at Percy, studying him intently. The sound of combat seemed to fade as he was scrutinized. Finally, Odin spoke. "Fight valiantly." He plainly said.
The Thanes looked at Percy, and gestured to the fray behind him. Percy sighed and uncapped Riptide before turning around. He walked down the steps and joined the raging battle. He blocked one guy's sword before quickly thrusting, stabbing the einherjar through the turned and parried another blow, this time from a double bladed ax. Luckily, the girl wielding it was slow, giving him time to strike with another thrust.
He moved from undead warrior to undead warrior, dispatching as many as he could. He had never actually tried to kill mortals before, and he had to keep reminding himself that they would wake back up in the morning, good and new, as if they had never died. It helped that they were also trying to kill him.
As he was fighting one person, someone came up behind him and slashed him in the back. Pain flared as he turned around. He hadn't been the target of the slash, just an accidental casualty in a fight between two other people. However, in his attempt to defend himself from his nonexistent attacker, he had turned his back to his actual attacker, a rather stupid move.
He turned back just in time to block a strike. The cut in his back flared, causing him to grit his teeth. He finished the fight, and looked around. Bodies were piled up everywhere, blood covered the ground, pooling and leaving almost no visible flooring.
A large man was approaching him, holding an even larger spear. Not only was he tall, but he was also super muscular, like he had been doing every steroid in existence since the 1800's. He was pretty sure the dude had muscles that didn't even exist.
Percy sighed, and held up his sword. He had flashbacks to fighting gigantes during the Second Giant War. it felt so long ago, yet he knew it was only three, maybe four years ago. He waited until the man thrust his spear, before rolling and grabbing the shaft. He pulled the spear and thrust his sword forward. However, the man's muscles weren't for show, and he held firm.
The man lifted the spear, lifting Percy with it. Now, Percy wasn't light by any means, standing at six feet, with a bunch of lean muscle, he was nearly one hundred seventy five pounds. But this roided dude, he was on another level.
The man frowned before pulling the spear back and throwing it. Percy held on for dear life as he flew through the air on a ye ole missile. The spear dug itself into the massive tree in the middle of the room. Percy's whole body shook from the force of the spear piercing the tree's trunk. As he regained his grip, he saw the man approaching him. Below him was the pond Samirah had described earlier. The pain in his back flared again. He glanced down at the pond again.
Water! He had been so used to being in a place without water, he had forgotten that water was his element.
Percy dropped down, landing in the water with a splash. His cut began to heal as he felt himself become stronger, the water's effects empowering him. As the water enveloped him, he remembered just how powerful he was with it. A plan quickly formed in his head.
The cut on his back healed fully, before he sprung out of the pond. The man had reached the water's edge at this point. Percy landed behind the man. He raised his arms and willed the water to surround the muscle man, immobilizing him. "Sorry man." percy said, before raising Riptide and decapitating the man.
He looked around. The battle seemed to be coming to a close, with most of the einherjar dead, and the last of them locked in battle with each other. With no one approaching him, he took the chance to approach Odin.
He walked up the stairs to the main table and stopped just before it. He let out a breath. "May I speak, All Father?"
Odin regarded him for a second. "I'd watch out for that arrow."
Percy turned. "Wha-" He didn't finish as an arrow buried itself into his left eye, and penetrated his brain. He fell backwards, landing on the table, dead.
A/N. Happy Valentine's Day, guys! Hope you all had a good one. I had class today, and no valentine, so I just chilled.
Thoughts!