Valkyrie Chronicles 4 & 5 Bundle

by Erik Schubach

  I looked over to the small graceful figure off to the side who spun her mag-spear in her hands rapidly and deftly slid it in place on her back. She stepped toward us with a huge grin on her face asking, “Now who here needed backup?” I couldn't stop smiling at Kitty the Efficient, Second to Pegasus of the Sky, First Valklopt of Asgard, Valkyrie of the Sky. I still saw that tiny girl at the gates of Valhalla from eons ago whenever I looked at her, named for her parent's hero, and my mate, Kate.

  I bumped shoulders with her as she reached us. “Showoff.”

  She gave me a toothy grin, even for how small she was, she was still slightly taller than me. She chirped out in an over amused tone, “Why should you get to have all the fun Valkyrie?”

  We all shared a cathartic laugh and turned to finish scouting the grid as Pegasus swooped down to retrieve her charge.

  I smiled as I looked around, New Ishatak, this would make a fine place for the Ragnarok to start resettling the planet of their ancestors.

  Chapter 1 – Celebration

  Pegasus flew us back to Valhalla, eight hundred miles to the southwest across the Errant Sea to the Ishvan continent. I took the time to think about the significance of what we were doing here on Ragnarok.

  After it had been discovered that the Frost Giants had revealed themselves to the inhabitants of this galaxy, they wiped out most of the Ragnarok race in search of the Asgard. We were forced to make a stand on the planet Folkvangr. There were still nine more vessels out there somewhere like the one which had destroyed the civilization on one planet and almost succeeded in destroying another.

  This had accomplished what millennia of fighting with the Ragnarok race had not. It brought a tentative peace and cooperation between our races. We had reunited some of the Ragnarok with their brethren Outcast settlement on the moon in the Earth system using our intergalactic quantum entanglement transport system or Bifrost.

  As we went through transitions to each of the other planets that Valhalla can reach through the veil, once every thousand years. We set up small bases with Bifrost terminals. We did not set up settlements on these planets. We will wait for the native races to mature to agree to allow us to do so. Possibly one or two transitions from now. But this gave us a network of transportation points between all of the planets we rotate through on our five thousand year cycle.

  On one of the planets, Alfheim, with its indigenous population who have elf-like features, we found more Ragnarok. Three vessels that had enslaved the population. After our own Ragnarok citizens had finally convinced them that the war was over and now their race was fighting extinction under the protection of the Asgard. The Alfines we set free and almost the entire Ragnarok occupation force chose to take the Bifrost to the Earth system to be with the remains of their own race.

  Five years ago, we finally made the most anticipated transition before Earth. The Ragnarok homeworld. The citadel courtyard at the main gates was packed with Ragnarok who came from the Earth and Folkvangr systems for this transition. It had been ominously silent as the transition occurred. My ears are still ringing with the deafening roar of elation that came from them as once again, Ragnarok warriors stood on Ragnarok.

  We had barely started scanning the world with our sensors when the citadel came under attack. That is when we learned that the Frost Giants had left behind a myriad of hybrid bio-mechanical sentinels to prevent any such recolonization attempts. They were beasts out of your worst nightmares. The planet was buzzing with them. We figure there is some sort of facility cloning them somewhere on the planet.

  The Valkyrie stepped out of the gates to lay waste to the beasts. We couldn't stop the thousand or so Ragnarok that streamed out with us to engage the hybrids. They suffered many casualties, but they swarmed over the terrors and showed them why the Ragnarok are the most feared warriors in the galaxy.

  So this has been our lives the past five years, combing the planet, grid by grid, and sending the army of patrolling hybrids to the ages. Father, Odin, projects that at the rate we are progressing, we should have the three main continents cleared of the enemy by this time next year. Sooner if we can pinpoint the cloning facility to stop new ones from being created.

  Today's patrol and battle, deemed New Ishatak's Return, I knew was most likely projected on the city dome. People of three planets have been abuzz about it for days. It held great significance to the Ragnarok race. Their capitol city again theirs. I grinned at the memory of Intark's insistence that he was in the team that took it. He said something like, “It is only right a Ragnarok be a part of reclaiming the city that defined our civilization.”

  I was knocked out of my thoughts by a warm hand in mine. I looked down to see Kate's hand clasping mine. I looked up into her sparkling eyes and she had a gentle smile on her face. “Waxing poetic again love?”

  I smiled back and nodded absently. “Verily.”

  I glanced down as we flew through the gates over the unbreakable line of Einherjer, our gate guardians. Then over the huge crowd of Ragnarok and Asgard in the courtyard. Then I got distracted by Kate's glittering eyes and glistening lips. Wow. She smiled.

  After we landed and exited the craft, Kitty landed lightly beside us from above and pushed her flying goggles up onto the top of her head. I grinned at her. I still didn't understand her insane habit of standing on top of the wind riders as they flew. She insisted it gave her freedom and let her share the exhilaration of flight with her 'other people'. This made me grin again, she was as close to the race of sentient ships, the Sky, as she was to her own people of Asgard.

  We looked at where we had landed. Not at the gates, nor the Central Spire, but at Citadel Park. I cocked an eyebrow at the women and Intark. Inatra smiled and hissed gently. “What? We're hungry. We can deal with whatever pomp and circumstance father has dreamed up this time after we fill our bellies.”

  I held my hands up defensively and she grinned and looked around at everyone, “Shish Kabobs? Then without waiting for an answer she stalked off toward the food pavilions with Intark right on her heels. Kate snorted and shook her head. “What is it with Ragnarok and beef?”

  I shrugged as we followed, it was a question I often asked, but I didn't care, all I wanted was a good stout mead! We all switched our coms off as the incessant buzzing in them from father that threatened to interrupt our meal.

  We joked and discussed anything but the battle. Then just as things were winding down, Arina walked into the white tented pavilion. She shook her head reprovingly and trying hard to hide her ever-present smile as she spoke to us, “Well met Valkyrie, Intark, Artemis. Really? Leaving me to deal with Father? I have had to listen to him complaining about the delay for an hour now.”

  Inatra gave her a loving hiss, then laid the back of her hand on Arina's cheek. As the centuries have turned, and the worlds have spun, I have never stopped marveling over their pairing. The most gentle of souls and the first Valkyriefrior, Valkyrie of Peace that is Arina the Whispering Breeze and the most violent and feared Ragnarok in history, Inatra the Singing Rain, the Fox. You could still feel their love for each other as a tangible thing. I have no doubt that one day they will pass to the ages in each others arms.

  Inatra said quietly trying not to be overheard, “Well met love. We were hungry. Father's little surprises can wait.”

  Arina smiled and said, “Get your Valkyrie butt into Pegasus and take your medicine or by the Tree of Ages, Odin will drive me out of my mind with his complaining.” She swept her gaze around and with an overly cute smile she added, “You too you surley lot. Shoo, into the wind rider.”

  I tried to stop my snort as Artemis of all people responded. I swear I tried, and failed as the warrior of Olympus hung her head down comically, “Yes Arina.” and trudged toward the wind rider pads in the park.

  Then Arina scrunched up her nose and looked way up into Intark's eyes pointing a finger toward Pegasus. The Ragnarok let out a rumbling belly laugh as he started marching toward the wind rider. Arina turned to the rest of us with
a silly satisfied grin as we all got in step beside her to go suffer through whatever father had planned.

  No sooner had Kitty pulled her goggles into place and took a single step on the open lawns of the park. Then she dove into a high arcing flip into the air yelling “Yeeeetah!” As Swooper came barreling past almost faster than we could follow and she landed on his roof in her three-point stance and they went darting off into the air toward the Central Spire.

  Inatra was giggling with glee as she watched. She shook her head as we stepped into Pegasus. “That tiny one is always so full of energy.”

  Kate laid the back of her hand on Arina's cheek as we sat. “But like you around her age, she needs to learn her own limits. She was reckless today.” Arina sobered a bit and nodded. We all knew that the only two people that Kitty would listen to were Arina and Artemis. I'm pretty sure she has a severe case of hero worship for the Olympian, and a huge crush.

  Pegasus apparently knew where we were going and what torture father had planned. I swear, there is nothing the ruler of Asgard likes more than exhibiting his showmanship to the masses at our expense.

  I glanced down as we passed the shining new spire of the Bifrost terminal, it had been completed just a couple hundred years ago. It has its own magnetic energy collector independent of the citadel so it is not a drain on the main power core. It has five active gateways to the six worlds that the realm of Asgard in our pocket universe orbits around on the other side of the veil. I grinned at the sixth inactive portal. One day that would be the Bifrost bridge to Ragnarok. I idly watched a couple cylindrical wind riders that were sized just right to fly through the gateway, pass through to another world, and new ones arrive here in Valhalla.

  After the Stand of Folkvangr, and the defeat of the frost giant Ymir and his Jotunn vessel, Arina had proposed a change in wind rider design to allow them to use the Bifrost gateways. That would allow for faster troop transports or civilian evacuations. Pegasus' new body, after the destruction of her original winged, boxy form was destroyed saving me, was the first to feature the new cylindrical design.

  Over the centuries the traffic in the science workshops where the Bifrost, or Rainbow Bridge, resided was getting way too heavy with the constant comings and goings to other planets. So a new terminal spire was constructed at each settlement. It always reminded me of Grand Central Station back on Earth in the twentieth century before the Ragnarok invasion.

  Then we started landing on Pegasus' private pad at Central Spire and I hissed out at the crowds assembled, “Odin's beard!”

  Kate just chuckled at me, “Looks like father is at it again.”

  I looked around and said to the other daughters of Odin just as Swooper landed next to Pegasus, “Sacrifice the fresh meat first?” The other Valkyrie nodded enthusiastically as the doors opened. We looked expectantly at the hesitant Ragnarok and Olympian.

  Intark inhaled deeply and stood in his stooped manner so he didn't hit the ceiling with his head. “I fear nothing. I am a Ragnarok warrior.” Then we all broke out into almost hysterical laughter when, in a sudden sweeping motion, the huge man thrust Artemis toward the door and she stumbled out into deafening cheers. He shot us an overly pleased grin then stepped out after her.

  The only bright spot in the celebration of the retaking of the Ragnarok capital was that mother and Sif were here from Earth to celebrate with our people and our Ragnarok. We hadn't seen mother in three or four days. Something odd was going on in Earth space and she and Thor were monitoring it. And we hadn't had the pleasure of Sif's company in weeks. As interim First Valkyrie of Earth since Kate was in Valhalla, she had her hands as full as Aunt Freya did at Folkvangr, mediating all the squabbles between rival Ragnarok in the Earth system.

  She 'vacationed' with us a month back. She said she found it relaxing to patrol the jungles of Ragnarok and battle any hybrids we came upon. She was a delight to watch in action. She reminded me a lot of Kate's fluid and graceful style of fighting. Like a deadly dance. She preferred a double ended mag-spear in battle that she wielded like a bo staff, to other forms of hand to hand. Since she could not produce the lattice blades or Odin Spears, the daughters of Odin could with our evolved nanites.

  These bladed magnetic weapons were created after the stand of Folkvangr in case the Jotunn return. Our magnetic energy weapons and the Frost Giant's own armor shards are the only things we had to penetrate that ungodly armor. They, like our Valkyrie sidearms, are powered by our own nanites.

  I looked at Inatra and Kat and sighed. We stood together and braced ourselves and stepped out into the celebration Odin had put together to celebrate the retaking of New Ishatak. It was just as blatantly overboard as most of father's other celebrations.

  He had shared with me once that this was by design. The people of Valhalla needed something to focus on instead of the harsh realities of war. So by celebrating the heroes that battle in their stead, it brings all the citizens and races together. A common goal and common celebration.

  Then he spoke to my heart. That it was just as good for the Valkyrie that protect the combined races. It helps lift the guilt of committing violence to stop violence. To know that those they protect accept and appreciate the moral sacrifices the Valkyrie shoulder every time they go to battle. It allows them to know that the Asgard have not turned their backs on the ones cursed to protect them.

  Later that night I collapsed into one of the overtly comfortable couches around our seating area and Kate joined me. We looked over at Artemis, who had joined us just as Arina's entry chime sounded and her and Inatra came walking in looking just as exhausted as us.

  Inatra flopped down beside Artemis as Arina headed over to the service port to call up some mead for us. Inatra had a half smiling smirk on her face. It always looked a little out of place on her Ragnarok features but was a real delight to see. She said, “Well met Valkyrie and Artemis.” We exchanged well mets as Arina joined us with the mead and sat beside her mate.

  Then Inatra asked slyly, “Is it just me or would anyone else prefer battling the spawn of the Frost Giants out there than be the center of Odin's celebrations?”

  We all grinned and raised our mugs of mead as I said, “Here here.” We sat back and drank and relaxed.

  Artemis stretched, I could appreciate her feminine grace that a warrior should not have. Half of the combined races here in Valhalla have tried unsuccessfully to woo her to their beds. Then she started to ask, “So the next few grids we clear on the planet tomorrow, should we...”

  All of us stopped and I tilted my head at her. Kat made a clucking sound and Artemis looked around at us and had the decency to blush in embarrassment. “Right. No business at home.”

  I grinned and took a huge gulp of mead. “You'd think that you would learn after all of these centuries together.”

  She just comically rolled her brown eyes at me and squished up her nose then took a long tug from her own mug.

  I was going to miss the woman when she left Valhalla. She had determined that after we had reclaimed Ragnarok, and all six of the planets, or 'outer ring' of the star engine created by the Frost Giants, were under the protection of the Asgard. It would be time for her to return home to Olympus and share everything she had learned over the past four thousand years with us.

  She had taken up residence in our spare room with Samantha after Essa moved out with Intark. Samantha was the last of the Three Embers that lived with us now. And soon I fear she will finally cave in and move in with Inatra and Arina's daughter, Brunhilde. She and Essa spend more time in Folkvangr with her than here in Valhalla. The Three Embers are inseparable. I think it goes beyond family and is part of the strong link between their third generation evolved nanites. The next evolution of the sentient Verr inside our bodies. Point in fact, Samantha was there tonight.

  This would leave Kate and I alone. That would be so strange. Maybe it is time to think about more children.

  We just spoke about family and other happenings we have heard about from the ot
her planets. There are many news, entertainment, and data feeds that now continually flow through the quantum entanglement communication channels. As usual, we couldn't get much out of Artemis. She was so guarded about what she shared about her race. I get the feeling that there is some big secret she doesn't want us to know, which hurts a little as I see her as a sister now, and love her as such.

  After a while, Arina and Inatra said their goodnights, sharing human and Vanger style hugs with Artemis. I still blush at those types of public displays of affection though they are slowly working through the Asgard society now. It is almost a social norm now, but the old guard, stick in the mud Asgard like me, still see it is an intimate act.

  Then Artemis came over and hugged Kate, who hugged back enthusiastically, and then placed the back of her hand on my cheek. I swear she was holding back a grin at my stuffy old ways. “Goodnight sisters, I shall see you on the morrow.”

  I smiled. She knows I like it when she calls us that. I replied, “Goodnight sister.” She retired to her room and I turned with Kate to retire.

  Just then, our com panels chirped. Kroth, I just wanted some sleep! I made a beckoning motion to the ceiling and father's face bloomed on the large holographic display that shimmered to life above the low table in the seating area. He didn't look happy. I straightened up at that and said, “Well met father. What is it?”

  His lips pursed together in a thin line then he said, “I'm not sure. Can you meet me in my workshop, bring the Little One?” He paused. “You may want to wear your armor.”

  At that Kat murmured, “On it love.” She rushed to our room to retrieve our armor. Artemis poked her head out her door and I nodded once. She disappeared back into her room to gear up. I repeated again under my breath, “Kroth!”

  Then I thought of Arina and gently said over our nanite link, “Little one?”