I would like to thank my Betas, you girls are amazing and fantastic!
Odal 2.13
Sunnudagr(Sunday), Góa (March), Odinfall
Three weeks in Asgard…
The wind whipped through my hair as I stood over the vast abyss below. Last time I was here, I learned how to fly. Now, I was here to do something far greater. Anxiety gripped me as if a fist was clenching my heart. Jess and I had worked hand over fist on an oath that would free Ori from the shackles that I had inadvertently placed on her in my blind attempt to save her. A part of me wondered why she would accept such an offer, it was binding one way or another, but I had a feeling there was more at work when it came to being an Einherjar.
I should have punched Freyja harder.
The pressure shifted, the wind's direction altered ever so slightly for the briefest of instants before returning to its usual background hum. I glanced over my shoulder and watched Ori gracefully touch down on the platform. She was wearing one of my 'modified' tunics. Her forcefield was shimmering for a few seconds before dissipating. Back before…her forcefield wasn't visible, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was some aspect of becoming an Einherjar that had changed the very nature of her powers—
I shook my head of those thoughts, there was no need to analyze powers now.
"Hey," Ori said, almost skipping with those first few steps as she approached. I still wasn't used to her shorter hair, but it really did suit her. Quite well, in fact.
"Hey, back."
She stopped, frozen midstep, her eyebrows furrowed. "Hey back? Really?"
"Uhh…"
Ori shook her head amusingly, with a soft smile on her face. "Dork."
I couldn't help it, I smiled too. The moment was short lived though as the seconds passed and the weight of why we were here came crashing down. I turned my gaze away and looked at the stone throne. A throne that was once Freyja's, but was now mine. A seat for a queen, as simple as it looked. Today would only solidify the fact that I was Queen of the Valkyries. A new age, for whatever that was worth.
"Do…," I said after a while. I turned to face her and said, "Do you still want to do this?"
Ori nodded, "Yeah, I do. According to Aunt Jess and several other Einhherjar, I'd stick out like a sore thumb if I stayed and if it… if it frees me, then all the better."
"You do know it means you will be my lieutenant right?"
"It's better than being some Einherjar and—" she stopped herself from whatever she was about to say. "It's just better."
I nodded, "Okay."
"What do I have to do," Ori asked, voice filled with determination. Her body shimmered again and the edges flared out like tendrils wishing to touch whatever was close.
Taking a moment to center myself, I said, "Kneel." It was probably more forceful than I wanted but I was running off of instincts and what I believed a queen would say to one she wishes to knight.
Ori bowed her head and kneeled before me. She looked up at me, waiting for the next step. I brandished Lævateinn, holding it aloft and staring into the golden metal. It might've been my imagination, but It felt lighter, brighter even. A trick of the sun, perhaps, but I couldn't deny that the sword was beautiful like that. My reflection stared back at me and I had to ignore the revulsion that bubbled in my throat. I turned my gaze away from the sword. It was the first good look I had at myself since there was a lack of mirrors in my room in Valhalla.
I leveled the weapon down over top of Ori's right shoulder, hovering just a few inches. The next words I spoke were from the script that Jess and I had worked on.
"Victoria Dallon, you stand bef—"
She giggled, "I'm not standing."
I smacked my palm against my face. She wasn't
wrong. The issue was, the phrasing was important, and 'stand' was replacing 'kneel' in the modified ceremonial oath. Ignoring the flubber, I continued the oath, "You stand before me, a chosen warrior, seeking to become something greater by your own free will. To be a chooser of the dead. A Valkyrie."
I took a moment to pause, to gather my nerves before continuing. Ori continued to stare up at me, her eyes unwavering.
"Our charge is not for the faint of heart. Death is our companion and we must ferry the souls to their rightful place while protecting those unable to protect themselves. If you accept, I request an oath."
"And what shall that oath be?"
"Swear before me. Swear that you shall serve as a Valkyrie, with me as your queen. That you shall aid me in fulfilling our role in the cosmos. You shall be free; free to act as your own, free to make your own choices. I will not have a slave, but a subordinate that is free to offer advice and opinions on any order I give. One that is free to disobey an order should they choose for whatever reason. Will you accept this oath and join me as a Valkyrie? Will you become my lieutenant?"
I inhaled deeply, the magic thundering through my very being. The next words were spoken with the same wavering effect that I felt before but hadn't quite realized. It was different, not necessarily an order, but they were laced with heavy magic. "Do you accept this responsibility I offer to bestow upon you?"
The air itself was thick with my own magic, my body charged, just waiting for Ori's answer I couldn't even take my eyes off of her, as if my body was frozen and waiting anxiously for her answer.
Her gaze leveled with me, a small smile grew on her lips. Then she spoke with pure confidence. "Yes, I accept."
The magic shifted, swirled around us. It was still waiting, but no longer on her, but me.
"Then join me, my Valkyrie."
The moment the words left my lips, the magic in the air slammed into Ori. Her body was lifted and I pulled the sword away from her as I took a step back. Her body glowed, white at first with black wisps before turning bright gold. Nearly too bright for my eyes. It reminded me of the footage of Purity in some regard and I hated the similarities. The magic swirled around her like a tornado, glowing just as intense as her. It was like watching a maelstrom of the summer sun and magic itself coalesce around her, only growing fiercer by the moment. I began to worry that I'd done something wrong, or that by offering her a modified oath, I'd doomed Ori. Anxiety welled up within my chest, but I still couldn't move, the magic of the ceremony still holding tight. Ori's back arched as a pair of glowing wings burst from her back and all the remaining power in the air rushed into her.
She slowly descended as the light faded. Features I'd come to memorize appeared and the color returned. She was put back into that kneeling position, her wings splayed out in a dazzling and mesmerizing display. Golden motes exploded from her body and she was as she was before, except for the magnificent white wings with golden edges.
My heart sank as the tether between us continued its unerring pull in her direction. It was stronger now, more whole, no longer intangible to my senses.
Ori looked up, her eyes remained closed for a brief moment before opening. Gone were the ethereal swirling colors that haunted all the Einherjar and in their place were the familiar cerulean eyes that I had grown to cherish. Even if their lifeless ones continued to haunt my dreams. But that wasn't quite true. Her blue eyes had golden glowing specks that seemed to dance around, brightening and dimming ever so slightly with the pulse of her own magic.
It took me a moment to gather myself, my emotions running wild upon seeing her eyes again. The oath still needed to be finished. "Rise, my Valkyrie."
She waited for several seconds, a test to see if she could defy my order. When it seemed like she wasn't struggling, she rose, a big grin on her face. Relief washed over me as I let out my breath for the first time since the oath began. The crushing guilt that weighed me down finally lifted from my shoulders, I felt light and free for the first time since that damning revelation.
My eyes lingered on her majestic white and gold wings. They were a type of bird, not unlike my own was to an owl. "A golden eagle? Makes sense. You are rather strong and courageous, quite wise in the things you enjoy and with a new found freedom…"
Ori's eyebrows scrunched before she tried to look at her wings. Just like my first time finding out about them, she spun around. She ignored my chuckling even as I ducked beneath her flailing, quickly figuring out how to look at them over her shoulder. Her facial features calmed before she snorted. "I guess so." There was a look in her eye, a fond one of acceptance and peace.
"And what shall I call you."
Ori snorted, shaking her head amusingly. She sobered up and answered, "Antares."
I scrunch my eyebrows. "Antares? Not something Nordic?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not Nordic."
I blinked my eyes a few times.
"Fair point." It worked so well for her too. She was a bright light in the darkness for so many, myself included. "Worked it out with Aunt Jess?"
She nodded, "Yeah. We've been discussing how to handle going back home. I can't go back to who I was, I had to look forward. Staying in the Nine Realms is the ideal path, but not the one I want to take. I want to go home, to Bet, we both do. As such, Glory Girl needed to be put to the rest. My foolish past self who had died. Plus, it isn't really a Valkyrie name. I mean, I came up with it when I was fourteen!. Antares just fits better."
I nodded solemnly. Since we were going back, she had to remain a secret. No one could know about the fact that while Victoria Dallon died, that she was 'risen' back or anything like that. She would need to remain in the shadows. A new name along with armor would go a long way to hide her, as much as she might not like it. She wasn't even able to go back to her family, for obvious reasons.
I held out my hand. "Well then, Antares, welcome to The Flight."
I couldn't stop myself from smiling when she grinned, a literal twinkle in her eyes as our goal to return home was reaching its end.
ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ
Mánadagr(Monday), Góa (March), Odinfall
Three weeks in Asgard…
Ori and I walked into a massive workshop in one of the depots in Gimlé. The outside wasn't anything spectacular other than having larger than normal hanger doors. The moment we stepped inside the slightly ajar door, however, it turned into exactly what I'd imagined a tinker workshop would look like if you smashed it together with medieval amenities.
Forges lined one side of the building, the one in the middle out of place in how it felt positively ancient in comparison to the others. They all had runes carved upon them, glowing bright red from their magic. Several workbenches were scattered all over and it didn't seem like there was a sense of order. Almost like a cyclone had swept through the room and threw everything around. Tools were laying around haphazardly as were parts from all technological eras. Steam pumps and tanks were mounted on the pillars, a constant stream of water flowing through the pipes from above. The pumps lead to what looked like rotary devices.
There were several docks or bays that were closed via black curtains. Sparks lit up from underneath and the sound of a whirling tool told me that we weren't alone.
But as interesting as all that was, it paled in comparison to what rested by the open bay doors on the other side of the building. Ancient dark wood, inert runes etched into the side of the hull. It was but a small portion to what could only be a massive boat. It was baffling, but what wasn't in this grand war effort that I'd barely touched the surface of? There were so many moving parts and players that I could barely grasp what I'd seen and it was truly beyond what I was used to. But what did you expect from people trying to fight interdimensional worms and restore the Nine Realms?
"That's Skíðblaðnir," A voice said from the side. I snapped my head in that direction, Sindri poked his head out from the curtain. He stepped through and wiped his hand. "If you're wondering."
"The boat?" Ori asked, gesturing towards the other side of the shop.
Sindri nodded, stroking his short beard. "Aye. We pulled it out of the cosmic ocean recently when Níðhöggr scurried off to another realm. We placed a tracker on the bastard so we don't get blindsided when he decides to hop off to another of the realms. It took a combined force, but we managed to pull the boat out while he was distracted. Currently we are working on designs on how to modify the artifact with magictech."
Skíðblaðnir, the legendary artifact boat that was said to hold so much magic that it could hold all of the Aesir, fly, and be able to fold so small that it could fit into a pocket. I'd imagine that after being retrofitted, that last aspect wouldn't work so well, but I could tell what they were going to do with it.
Make it into a dreadnaught. A flying fortress.
"That's… wow," I said in disbelief as the realization hit me. "Just how big is it?"
"About one thousand feet long," Another voice— Kyle said as he appeared from another set of curtains. He wasn't wearing his armor, instead was wearing a black shirt, a pair of jeans, and an apron. He was covered in a layer of oil and soot. "Longer than most battleships. It's wider too. We're hoping to work on the defenses and hook into the magic of the boat before we can get to the arsenal. It'll take time, but it should rival that annoying ass dragon, if not Scion."
Sindri nodded enthusiastically. "Mhmm. It's not an artifact for nothin'."
Their enthusiasm piqued my curiosity and I wanted to take a peek at the mythical boat, but we were here for a more important reason.
"Is the armor done?" I asked.
Kyle and Sindri looked at each other for a brief moment. Kyle looked back at us, a big grin on his face, "Yeah, it's done. Follow me."
He walked into the curtain he popped out from. Sindri, Ori, and I followed him and as I stepped inside, I was awestruck.
Hanging from a metal contraption was a beautiful suit of armor. It was silver with gold engravings that glittered in the magical light above. Thin lines of blue tubes followed the golden curves. In the center of the armor was the Valkyrie symbol, wreathed in gold and blue light. The silver spauldings were small, smaller than my own, and the helmet, as accustomed for all Valkyrie armor, was avian in appearance. Instead of horns were several rows of pointed triangular shaped edges that gave it the appearance of feathers. The edges were golden just like Ori's wings.
Where there wasn't platemail, there was silver and blue chainmail. It wasn't hard to realize that the blue were tubes of pure magic coursing through it. There was a red sash that wrapped around the back of the legs, hooking on the other side of the belt. I knew it would have gold engravings just like the rest of the movement.
The armor looked like a Tinker's armor. It
was Tinker armor. It had none of the rustic feel my own had, it'd look like something you'd find on Bet. I appreciated the combination of Valkyrie and coalition colors.
If I had to guess, the back either was empty or had panels to open up for Ori's wings.
"Holy shit," Ori cursed in amazement. "It looks amazing."
Kyle smiled, "I'm glad you like it! And with your measurements, your wings should have plenty of space for movement but if you want to go the route of more secrecy…" He grabbed a weird contraption on the workbench on the side. "You can always put these on. It will give a more… tinker appearance of wings with an everburning blaze and you can use your power given flight."
Ori nodded but continued to stare at the armor in awe. It was a nice addition; it would help with keeping her a secret since it would be too much of a coincidence if we both had wings. I wouldn't force her, I knew what it felt like to use my wings to fly.
"Go on, give it a try!" Kyle said with a big grin on his face.
Ori looked at me and I couldn't stop myself from smiling. I nodded to prod her into trying it. It was going to be her armor for the foreseeable future, she needed to be comfortable in it. Kyle, Sindri and I stepped out and waited. I looked around at the workshop again, but the silence was broken by Kyle.
"Still haven't spoken to her?"
I knew who he meant by
her. "No."
He sighed, "I don't blame you. At one point I would've agreed with all the secrecy, but death has opened my eyes a little when it comes to honesty."
I nodded solemnly. I could see how death could open one's eyes.
"I know," I replied.
Jess hammered that into me that all four of Freyja's advisors were annoyed with her choices for their own reasons. Whether it was about the secrecy or some other underlying issue, I couldn't tell. Even being plucked after dying could cause some resentment. A feeling I feared Ori would have.
"I applaud you," He said quietly as he leaned against the same workbench I was at, crossing his arms. "It's not easy and I could only imagine what it must be like to be the daughter of the woman who's trying to save the world. Let alone a goddess. Sometimes I forget and then she does her whole thing and then I remember. It sort of reminds me when capes first came around and how standing near them was awe inducing, even if they were villains."
At my first thought, I imagined it couldn't be of the same level but the more I processed it, the more I realized how correct he was. I had a similar experience before becoming a cape. Add on the whole deity thing? It
was a whole other level.
"I remember when I first learned about the truth of Scion and where powers came from. Though it didn't hit me in the same way since my chances of life were bleak before Cauldron came around and offered me powers."
Offered him powers? What did he mean by that?
"Offered?"
He nodded, "Yeah, offered. Cauldron capes, as we called them, gained powers from a vial so to speak. Refined through countless experiments and trials as well as sales. It's their way of trying to fight Scion. Find a power strong enough to kill him."
Trying to process the fact that people somehow were able to
buy powers was beyond me. It felt so hollowed. I gained my powers through a trigger that left a mark on me that would never truly fade and knowing that there are people who don't go through that…
"How? Are the Triumvirate—"
"Cauldron capes? Yeah. All four of us. As for how… you know how we know that one of the entities is dead?"
I nodded mutely, still trying to process the fact that the Triumvirate were all Cauldron capes. How deep did Cauldron infiltrate into the government, into the world? What else were they behind?
"Cauldron powers come from that dead one."
"Shit."
"Yeah," He nodded solemnly. "Again, methods are different from the coalition, more secretive to a point. Everyone outside of Midgard and other parts of Asgard know of the coalition."
"Why? Why keep it from those on Asgard?" I didn't need to ask about Midgard. That was self explanatory.
He looked up and pondered the question. "I think it has something to do with Thor and Sif. I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. Your mother is tight-lipped about that. Anything about her past really. I think it pains her."
I rubbed my face, not wanting to think about Freyja even as my anger shot at the mere thought of her. No matter the reason, I felt that everyone should know about the coalition. This was too big for any of us. Far too important.
"That may be, but—"
I stopped when the rustling of the curtain pulled my eyes away from the legendary tinker. When my eyes landed on her, my breath hitched.
She seemed to glow, the armor seemingly brighter on her. The way it moved fluidly as she stepped out, carrying the helmet on her side. She shifted on her legs and I could feel the magic working its way through the suit, powering her movement. She didn't need it, she had her powers, but it was a good failsafe. The red sash that hung behind her helped accentuate the subtle curves the armor gave. It wasn't anything gaudy like those Aleph video games, it was more akin to my armor where it was meant for purpose rather than look 'girly'. She took a careful step forward, as graceful as a swan. She inhaled deeply and a moment later, her wings popped into existence, their white and golden hues fitting perfectly with the rest of the armor. Her eyes met mine and those golden flecks twinkled again.
A blush grew on her cheeks.
"I guess you like it," She said bashfully.
I blinked my eyes a few times. "Uh— y-yeah. It's," I had to clear my throat from whatever was in it. Dust or something. "Yeah, it looks really good."
"Never thought I'd be wearing tinker armor, but I have to say, it's comfortable."
"As it should!" Kyle said, walking up to her. "Any pinching? Anything need adjustment?"
She shook her head. "No, it fits perfectly."
Kyle smiled, "Good! I'll provide a maintenance manual, but it's fairly self sufficient because of magic, fuck I am so happy for that. Taking care of tinker tech can be a hassle. Though, if anything happens to it, just come back and I'll fix it up. Now, let me get you your weapon." He scurried off in a speed and dexterity around the mess that I wasn't expecting. Especially since he didn't have his armor on.
"Weapon?" Both Ori and I said at the same time.
We glanced at one another when he bolted behind another set of curtains. Unlike last time, he didn't take long because he popped out a second later with a gun. Not like a pistol or rifle. It looked more like a gatling gun. It didn't have numerous barrels, but was one singular barrel with glowing blue coils that wrapped around it. There were two sets of handles for one to hold onto.
He struggled to lift it, even with the gloves that hummed like the electricity in the lights. "This," He grunted, "Is a magical pulse cannon. It releases highly charged, high frequency blasts of pure magic. There's—" He hefted it onto the workbench where it groaned under the weight of the weapon. He wiped his brow and exhaled, "A dial on the side for different settings. From the lowest of a minor stun to devastating an entire block."
"I'm sorry,
what," Ori said in astonishment.
"Yeah! It was something I was working on before I… died, and I continued it with the added magical touch. Works
a lot better with magic, at least here in the realms."
I had to pinch the bridge of my nose as he stood there with a manic glee on his face. I heard Ori's metal footsteps walk over to it and the bench groaning again. When I opened my eyes I saw her easily lift the gun like it was made of paper. She inspected it for a bit before she turned to Kyle.
"This is the dial?"
Kyle hummed approvingly, nodding his head furiously.
Ori turned the knob all the way to the left and fired a blast at a blank wall. A blue pulse of magic was released from the weapon, rocketing towards the wall before it exploded in a shower of motes. There was not even a mark on the wall, a true testament to the bullshit tinkers could do.
Ori nodded her head approvingly before turning the dial a bit.
Both Kyle's eyes went wide and he started to move towards her. "Don't—"
But he was too late as she pulled the trigger. The cannon turned purple and another pulse came forth. Like a mortar shot, a thump noise was released when it left the barrel. Not a second later, an explosion rocketed the entire workshop as stone debris was thrown into the air and a shockwave tossed tools and other tech around.
When the dust cleared, there was a chunk of the wall missing from the building. Ori set the cannon down and curled into herself.
"Uhh, sorry."
Kyle rubbed his face and groaned.
Sindri, on the other hand, laughed.
"W-warned y-you!"
"
Fuck off," Kyle cursed in another language, more guttural than I was used to. Dwarven?
Sindri laughed harder. My eyes met Ori's and I couldn't help but chuckle. That eased her and she joined in.
She seemed to have enjoyed the new armaments and that was all that mattered. As long as she was comfortable with them, then it made the whole 'Tinker' secret work better. Plus, I'd rather her be okay with what she had to wear than be forced.
That was the last thing I wanted her to feel.
ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ
Týsdagr(Tuesday), Góa (March), Odinfall
Four weeks in Asgard…
A month. A month had passed while we had been in Asgard and all I could think about was what awaited us at home. No one in the coalition had any idea what the state of the Bay was and I sure as hell wasn't going to ask Freyja to consult the ravens. As nice as they were, it would mean talking to
her, and I didn't feel up to that. I didn't trust myself to not just punch her again.
A glove covered hand on my shoulder shook me from my thoughts.
"You okay?" Ori asked with a concerned-filled voice.
I glanced over my shoulder, her eyes conveying that same worry. The lifeless ones flashed across my mind and I had to turn my gaze while burying the feeling.
"Yeah," I sighed, "Just… anxious."
She hummed in agreement. "I know." She said with such surety that it made me realize that I'd been playing with my braids again. When I pulled my hand away, she continued, "I… I never thought this day would come, but we are finally going home."
Home. The thoughts of Dad, Aunt Zoe, and the two cats came flooding into my mind. How I had no idea how long we had been gone. Dad would be scouring all of the Bay, if not the state trying to look for me and I'm sure Aunt Zoe would try to stop him before ending up following him so he wouldn't do anything stupid. The cats could at least take care of themselves, but it still left a deepening pit of anxiety.
I shook my head of those thoughts and said, "Come on, we should go meet your aunt."
Ori nodded, "Yeah, she said she was going to show us the way home."
We walked towards Pinnacle Tower and as like always, it was buzzing with movement and action. I doubt we'd ever see a moment where the city wasn't until Scion was dead and the Nine Realms were restored in full. When we entered the massive tower, Jess was standing in the center with her signature clipboard in hand. She was talking to someone who quickly finished speaking and rushed off. Her eyes landed on us and a small, but sad, smile grew on her face.
"Looks like you two are ready to leave," She said, softly.
I glanced at our bags, filled with the few things we acquired while here. It wasn't much, mostly a few books and clothes. Ori also had what remained of her Glory Girl costume, cleaned and packed away, a memento of sorts. Though the clothes were pointless. It would be obvious if we walked around with viking era tunic and pants. Even the shoes we'd been wearing wouldn't work. But it was good to have since we'd probably be coming back in the future.
Hopefully not for a while. Any chance to not see Freyja, the better.
"Yeah," Ori said with a small sigh.
Jess put her free hand on her niece's shoulder. "I know, but don't worry, I will be in contact with you two. I'm going to be your liaison. If you need anything, and I mean
anything, don't hesitate to contact me with this." She pulled out a small golden disk with the vegvísir on top that was clearly of Kyle's design. She opened it up, the interface instantly turning on and a holographic screen showing up, displaying the vegvísir once again. She pressed one of the buttons and a keyboard and another display appeared. "This communicator is the only thing that can reach across the realms. It's still a prototype, but with a push of a button, we can send messages back and forth with a bit of a delay. He eventually wants to be able to have live conversations. This also works as a compass should you need to find one of the realms, it will direct you to it by one of the directions of the vegvísir."
That was fascinating. It made me wonder how he was able to do that but I knew it could be boiled down to Tinker bullshit combined with magic. It's a unique use of the vegvísir and I applauded its use.
"Thanks, Aunt Jess," Ori said as she took the communicator.
Jess smiled, "Don't mention it." She pulled her niece into a hug, which was quite something considering Ori was in her armor that had to weigh twice as much as she did.
When they parted, Jess briefly closed her eyes before speaking. "Okay, let me show you how you girls will be getting back home."
She started walking towards one of the massive archways within the tower that I hadn't ventured into. There were people streaming from it, carrying containers or pulling hand forklifts. When we walked through, we came upon a massive warehouse-like room that was depressed into the ground. At the bottom on the other side of the room was a wood woven circle. It was glowing bright blue and had large crystals on either side of it.
"That," Jess pointed towards the obvious portal, "Goes straight to the surface of Yggdrasil. Where we can traverse, with the proper equipment for anyone not an Einherjar or a God, and go to the other realms. With the tracker on the dragon, we know when we can quickly get between each realm with supplies."
"The depths of Helheim," I blurted out.
"We can go there too, though I wouldn't advise it. The draugr continue to amass and without Hel around, there's no one to control them. Supposedly Fenrir is still eating what comes near, but the wolf remains chained."
I blinked owlishly a few times before shaking my head. "Okay, but how does that get us to Bet? There's countless versions of Midgard and I have a feeling that if we go to Midgard proper, we'd end up in Earth Prime."
She nodded, "Correct, though the path to Earth Prime was cut off on purpose so it could remain undisturbed by
everything."
Not sure why, but I wasn't going to question it. If every other realm and version of earth was affected by Scion and his ilk, why shouldn't we include Earth Prime?
"In any case," She said as she started walking down the walkway. We quickly followed her. "We started labeling the versions of Earth we found, based on Kyle's knowledge of what Cauldron named certain Earths following the Phoenician alphabet. When you step through the portal, you will come upon a big sign that directs you to where you need to go. Find the one for 'Earth + Versions' and just follow that branch. It will take you about… I think two or three hours of walking to get to the small portal that leads to Bet. Luckily it's a branch that the dragon doesn't tend to go near, so you should be safe. Though I would advise not flying. It increases the chances of the dragon taking notice."
By the time she was done explaining that, we had reached the bottom of the room and stood in front of the portal. The stream of people traveling through the portal had lessened and had started moving all of the resources that had piled up in the room.
Standing in front of it put more weight on my shoulders about the return home. The shimmering blue wall of magic was just another reminder of everything that had happened since we arrived. I felt there were other ways of travel because as a Valkyrie, we should be able to, but I didn't want to ask the one person who would know. No, this was fine and we could deal. Two or three hours of walking was nothing.
I glanced over at Ori and saw her hugging her aunt once more. There were quieted whispers between the two and I turned my head so I could let them have their privacy. When I heard a quiet, "Goodbye, I love you," from Ori, I knew they were done.
Ori walked over to me, heistency in her footsteps and she was still staring at her aunt. When she turned her head to look at me, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
"You okay?" I asked quietly.
She nodded, wiping at her eyes, "Yeah. She's… She's not gone and I can always come back."
I nodded. "Yeah," I echoed her. "This isn't a final goodbye. Just… just another adventure."
"It better be better than the last one," Ori snarked.
I couldn't help it, I snorted. She wasn't wrong.
"Ready?" She asked.
Taking a deep breath, I said, "Yeah." I faced the portal. "Yeah, I am."
"Liar."
I shrugged, "Can you say the same?"
I was met with silence which was all I needed to know. With that, I reached for her hand. Her fingers threaded through mine and I couldn't help but smile at the small comfort. A sense of being watched caused me to look over my shoulder. Standing above us on the walkway was Freyja, her eyes on me. My smile fell and the mood was soured. Her face was unreadable, nor did I care what she felt. If she wanted a better outcome, she should've been honest from the beginning.
"Sister!" The boisterous voice of my brother said from the stairs as he raced down.
I turned to face Baldr as he reached the bottom, his speed wasn't decelerating in the slightest. Just like our usual encounters, I was engulfed in a strong embrace that caused a grunt to escape my lips.
"B-Baldr," I managed to squeak out from the crushing embrace.
"Y-you're l-leaving!" He said as he started to sob.
It struck me that with all my hatred and resentment at Freyja, I had inadvertently ignored my brother. A brother I never knew and couldn't possibly be involved in her schemes. No matter how distant and uncomfortable I was about it, he was always kind and supportive. Guilt gnawed at me like maggots at dead flesh.
"I-I know," I said, disappointed. More at myself than at him. "I'm—" I coughed as he squeezed harder. "S-sorry."
He started thrashing me, my body whipping like a chew toy as he bawled. "I don't want to lose you!"
"Bal—" I grunted again as his grip tightened. Pretty sure I couldn't breath.
"Baldr," Ori said sternly but filled with worry, "You might want to let go, or at least let up on her."
The thrashing stopped as he turned back. "Oh."
I was barely able to get my feet underneath me as I was unceremoniously dropped. Somehow I was able to not make a fool out of myself in front of everyone and landed with one knee on the ground despite the room spinning. Slowly, I stood and looked at my brother.
"I'm sorry, Baldr, but I have to," I said after I gathered my breath.
"But why?" He whined and it was the most sorrowful wine I'd ever heard.
"I—" My eyes wandered over to Freyja on the catwalk. Her eyes unwavering as they peered into my soul. I shook my head and looked back at my brother. "I have an important mission." It wasn't a lie, as much as I wished she didn't put this sort of responsibility on my shoulders, it was there nonetheless. But it wasn't my top reason for leaving.
"Oh… did Mother—"
"Yes. I—" A lump filled my throat. I couldn't believe I was going to say this. "I promise I'll be back."
My brother blinked his eyes a few times before a massive grin grew. "Great!" And I was engulfed in another hug, but not anywhere as deadly as the last one.
I patted him on the shoulder. It was about as awkward as two families coming together and the kids becoming step siblings could be, at least on my end.
"But we do have to go, Baldr," I whispered.
A few seconds passed before he let go and we stood arms length apart. Tears were flowing freely from his eyes.
"I-I'll m-miss y-you," He said through his sobs.
A soft smile grew on my lips, "I'll miss you too." I glanced over at Freyja again, the anger boiling within me just from laying eyes on her again. I couldn't let him stay in the dark. "Hey, Baldr."
"Mhmm?"
"You need to know that our mother? She's not a good mom."
He blinked confusingly at me. "What do you mean?"
"Where did you get those tattoos?"
Baldr looked down at his tattoos, tracing them with his fingers. "I… I don't remember."
I pointed my nod towards Freyja. "Because
she put them on you. Without you knowing. Without
asking you."
"But—"
"Think about it, Baldr. I didn't even know you existed. I had no idea that I had a brother because
she kept it from me. From you! It's not right, Baldr."
He stared at me, eyes filled with so much conflict.
"She's right," Ori reinforced. "It isn't right."
Baldr's eyes went over to her as if to verify that she spoke.
"I… did she—" He looked back over at me. "You're not lying."
"Baldr, I'm being completely honest. I don't know what else she's done in the past, but she has her own agenda and would use us for that agenda. Even if it means putting protection runes on you or keeping me in the dark about everything."
"But she's protecting us…"
"Baldr," I said slowly and sincerely. "Protecting us is worthless if we can't be ourselves. If we don't have the choice." I seriously wondered how she even allowed me to transition with all this bullshit, but I wasn't going to dwell on it. "Otherwise, what's the point of living?"
He stared at me, the wheels in his head turning. He closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay. You're right. I should… I will talk to her about it."
"Don't let her take control of the conversation," I added, knowing what that felt like. "She will, I promise you that. Stand your ground."
Baldr stared at me before nodding. "Okay, I won't let her."
I smiled, "Good. I don't know the full reasoning behind her motives." Other than the whole end of the Nine Realms and 'protection'. "But there was more going on and we shouldn't be kept out of the dark. We are her
children."
Ori muttered under her breath, "The goddess of love certainly has a weird way of showing her love."
I couldn't help but smirk at that. She wasn't wrong. I had yet to really see that 'love' part. Magic for sure. Sex… well I could only assume given how she talked of the movement I was meant to revive, and I
didn't want to know.
Baldr nodded, "You're right. I— we are her children."
I nodded. "Yeah."
While I was jealous that Baldr had a better relationship, I couldn't fault him for it. It all laid squarely on her shoulders. And the bits that she did show towards me before today? It made me itch for the awkward conversations I had with Dad.
Which would probably be worse now considering the time we'd been away. Fuck me.
"And Baldr?"
He smiled at me, "Yeah?"
"Don't be afraid to visit. Earth Bet isn't a bad place. It's different, vastly different, but if you spend enough time here in Gimlé, you'd get more acclimated to a degree."
He pondered the request and nodded his head. "Okay, I'll do that."
"Great, I'll see you next time… brother."
A big grin grew on his face. "See you next time, sister. Be safe."
"I'll try."
He took a step back, giving Ori and I space. He wiped the tears from his face and started waving furiously. I couldn't help but wave back.
My eyes wandered over to Freyja, still standing on the railing with her eyes on me. I saw red again. The pain came and washed all over me again. I didn't have words, I didn't have any outward expression that I could show just how much pain she put me through.
So I did the next best thing. I flipped her off.
When I was satisfied with that, I turned around with my girlfriend. We exchanged looks. She had a knowing look and I didn't care that she saw. If everyone saw. Considering the smile on her face, I'd imagine she liked what I did. With that, we stepped through the portal and back home.
And with that, the girls return home. As one of my betas said, this felt like the end of a prologue. To some degree, it is. There is still the last interlude of the saga, but this is the last chapter from Taylor's point of view in Odal.
