I turned to Lalynn when she gasped out loud, “This mean something to you?”
She shook her head. With tears in her eyes, she whispered, “That battle happened over twenty-five years ago. That was one of the first villages to fall. Back when talk of scaled men killing innocents was but a tale no one believed. We have been hearing disturbing stories for many years about a coming plague of scales that set the land to ruin, but people said those were just stories meant to keep folks in line with Gods, so they will continue to show favor to humans.”
I should have caught it, but I didn't. Instead, I felt the need to defend Odin.
“You believe that Odin would unleash these creatures just to make you obey?” I asked dumbfounded.
I could not believe humans would think Odin so vile. The convenient mute opened her mouth again.
“The Gods are sometimes fickle, Warrior, they do not always favor. At times they punish and teach.”
I had to agree...with some of it. I voiced my point.
“Perhaps, those who you think are being punished are just reaping a consequence brought on by themselves, not the Gods. If a man goes hungry because he gambled away his fortune. That is not the Gods or Odin punishing him. That is a consequence of his own making. Odin did not make him go broke or hungry.”
“No, Warrior he did not. But the Gods nor Odin smiled upon him and gave him winnings. I have witnessed such events.”
“I would be willing to bet they did bless this man with winnings enough. I have seen this firsthand, as well. The Gods will favor but man will get greedy and push for more and then blame the Gods when he falls. That is the law of nature. This...”
I pointed around the cavern at all the grotesque things about, “...Is not nature. This is the greed of man.”
A mute, she became, once more.
I took a deep breath and regained my composure. This debate would have to wait. I went back to the task at hand.
“Who is this High Priest? Does he have a name?”
“If he does, we do not know of it. Those we have seen always refer to him as High Priest.”
I'm not sure why this shocked me.
“Have there been many who have come around?”
“No. This is the fourth place we have been...It is where your friends died. They only just perished.”
“What happened to them?” I asked. I knew I needed the answer, but I sure didn't want to hear it.
“The High Priest is playing at the Gods. He believes he is close.”
Gods? What did that mean?
Before I had a chance to ask what she meant, the voices of men were being carried down the corridor. They were approaching with urgency. Their voices were loud and anxious, and their footfalls were gaining ground. I turned to the three women.
“Do those voices sound familiar? Is one of them the High Priest?”
She shook her head no and retreated into the darkness.
I followed, “Is there another way out of here?”
“The way in is the way out.” was the last thing I heard before she disappeared.
“What do we do, Vhadrah?” Lalynn's frightened voice in my ear.
I held up my hand as I listened and tried to calculate how many men were coming down that hallway. I estimated three. Even I could handle three skilled men, armed. But if there was more to this cavern, the sounds of battle could draw more than I could handle.
I didn't get a chance to ponder it long. Grubby delicate fingers wrapped around my wrist, pulling me into the darkness. It was the best plan I suppose. I grabbed Lalynn, and we both disappeared.
I had just enough time to get us both deep in the dark corner when they arrived. Just as I had guessed. Three men.
Army of Darkness soldiers.
They rushed in, tossing things to and fro as if they were searching for something. In my dismay over finding my sisters slain and in cages, I completely overlooked the two small tables covered with books and scrolls. They were right in front of the rock ledge we hid behind.
It was obvious, not just by their features, they were human, they had human eyesight. Had they been Hiskale, or something else, they would have known we were right there, breathing on them.
They were so close, I wondered if I could cleave off their heads before they could figure it out and scream for help. I restrained myself. The five of us were crammed into this small spance of darkness. I didn't want to risk more harm to anyone on a slim chance of success. So, I resigned myself to watching and listening, hoping I might learn something from the three men.
“...What are we looking for? This place is a disaster. How are we gonna find anything in here. Everything is covered in blood...or something.” The solider standing the closest complained.
“It's a book...or a scroll...Something about hallways...or vikings...” The shorter and stumpier solider said as he flipped through pages of books.
The tallest man who wore full armor and must have been in charge spoke, “Wrong. He said Valkyries. We need to get Valkyries...I don't see anything in here about whatever those are.”
I recognized that voice of authority. The one that always accompanies generals and leaders. My gaze went to the cages holding my dead sisters. I thanked Odin they were already dead and prayed they would not defile their bodies in further disrespect.
The three men grew agitated at not finding what they were sent for and soon left. It seemed the death and decay they passed to get in here made no difference to them. When life is worth nothing, death is something you don't see.
By the sounds of it, they had made it back to the main chamber. I turned to the three women.
“We need to get out of here. Follow me...”
I turned to Lalynn, “Stay in the back and watch our friends.”
I was glad I couldn't see her face, her voice was enough to let me know she was scared but committed.
“I will.”
I heard her pull her sword as I did, mine. Once we had the ladies between us, we headed back the way we came, snuffing out the torches as we went. We hoped to use the darkness to shield all those behind me. We made quick work of it, this time ignoring the death and decay along the way.
It wasn't too long before we reached the outer chamber. I had noticed quite a bit more footprints in the sand since we arrived. It was hard to tell exactly which way they went.
I held up a hand to let them know to stay put while I checked it out. I crept around the corner and into the main chamber. It was empty.
I walked quietly toward the path we didn't take and listened for voices and movement. It seemed we were alone.
I motioned for them to follow.
Once by the entrance, I stopped and made sure we were not being followed as I ushered the rest out of the entrance.
“Take them to place where we killed the snake.” I told Lalynn as I pushed the women her direction.
“What about you?” She hesitated.
“I am right behind you.” I assured her. “I just want to be sure no one is lying in wait.”
She did as I asked. Once the four of them were out, I turned back to the chamber. The only sounds that found my ears were the sounds of scurrying rats and the roaring fire. I didn't know where the soldiers went, but they didn't seem close. Satisfied we were not being followed or ambushed, I turned and left the cavern.
Disappearing Act
As I passed, I grabbed one of the torches along the rock face and hurried to the small cave where Lalynn and the three women were hiding. As I approached, I had intended to grab the head of the snake so I could ask the women about it, but I couldn't find it.
Perhaps Lalynn or one of the women kicked it on their way by.
I took a few moments, as I got closer to the entrance, but there was still no sign of the snake head. It had to be here somewhere. I feared it had been found. If someone found it, that would mean they knew it was dead. That could lead to trouble for us.
I rushed to the small cave and slipped inside.
�
��Lalynn...”
As my eyes adjusted to the change in light, I saw the cave was empty.
How can this be?
I searched the small space for any sign they had made it back. No shoes, no dirt prints along the rock and... No dead body of the snake we killed either.
Where could that have gone? Was someone here?
I didn't take much time to figure it out. If the snake and the others were not here, I need to leave. About halfway through the entrance and I heard Lalynn's voice. When I looked out, I saw her running toward me.
I rushed out to meet her.
“Where are the women? Why did you not come here?”
She was a bit out of breath. “They refused. They said a vicious vile monster lives in that cave and refused to go. I explained that we killed it, but still they refused. They said it was cast of magic and thus cannot die.”
It made little sense.
“Well, they might be onto something, that snake and it's head has disappeared.”
“What?” She asked, just as confused as I was.
“I don't know. I looked for the head and when I didn't find it. I assumed maybe one of you kicked it on your way but when I went into the cave, the rest of it was gone too.”
“How can that be?” She questioned.
I shook my head, “I have no idea...but we need to find out as much as we can about it. Seems our new friends are well versed with creature. Where are they now?”
I followed the direction that Lalynn pointed as she explained. “There, along the tree line? Do you see?”
“Yes.”
“There is a small house my parents used to own. It is run down, and no one has lived there in many years. They are there.”
I nodded. “Lead the way.”
We rushed through the darkness to get to her new hiding place. I glanced around the area as we went hoping we were not seen in our retreat. I found no one about. Even the night creatures were quiet and that worried me.
The Power of Three
I looked around the room as we entered the small building. The ladies were huddled in a corner, with half burned candles and eerie shadows playing across their faces and the walls. The rundown cottage was more of shack in its current condition. There was no furniture, that I could see, and the wind blew freely through shattered windows.
I turned my attention to the three huddled in the corner. It was time for answers.
“Ladies, can you tell me about the priest?”
They weren't quick with an answer, and I turned my gaze to Lalynn, who only shrugged.
I stepped forward.
“You are safe now. The priest is not here, you can speak openly.”
A voice from the one in the middle.
“He knows we are gone. He looks for us even now. He will find us.”
I shot another look to Lalynn. The woman was probably right. We wouldn't be able to stay here long.
“Then we need to talk quickly, as I cannot get rid of the priest if I know nothing about him.”
The woman in the middle, holding the candle, nodded her head and spoke.
“What would you like to know?”
“How about we start with your names.”
“I am Sheelah, to my right is Shayla and to my left is Shinah.”
Weird.
I had to readjust myself as to not giveaway the sudden knot in the pit of my stomach and the fine hairs on my neck setting off alarm bells.
Something was off.
I glanced around and saw nothing but the presence of something was close. I turned back to Sheelah.
“Alright, Sheelah. Can you tel me about the priest?”
When she spoke the flame of the candle swam with each word she spoke. Her face constantly coated with darkness and light. The smoke played across her flesh, muting her features. Nothing was solid along her face...except her dark emerald green eyes. They seemed to pop, like moonlight across the field. More inner warnings as she spoke, I tried to ignore.
“The priest is powerful. He knows and sees all. He will come for us.”
“Alrght...” I said, prompting her for more information.” ...What else can you tell me? Why is he hunting Valkyries?”
“He knows they hold a secret he wants, very much.”
“What secret is that?” I asked taking a deep breath.
Pulling teeth seems more productive than this.
“I don't know. I just know they have something he wants...deep inside...I heard him mutter once.”
This made little sense. What could we have that would interest a priest...even an evil priest?
“I'm going to need you to start from the beginning of what you know and fill me in. What you have stated so far does not paint a complete picture. Only the splashes of colors used.”
I watched as the three women shared looks as if they were contemplating what to tell me. Clearly forgetting I had just saved them from this evil priest and his unholy experiments.
“Ladies, please. I need to know what happened to my sisters and why.”
I couldn't tell if it was a trick of the light or if Shaylah's eyes were truly that dark. Those two small orbs seemed to swallow the small amount of the candlelight. I kept my gaze upon her, and she spoke.
“As my sister stated, the priest seeks the knowledge of something only Valkyries have. Something within. He has never spoken its name, but he has found something. He used what he has found with the ancient snake of Morhes Isle and what he extracted from your sisters, there have been many more than those three, and created the HiSkale...”
“But How?” I asked, confused.
“We do not know the formulas of spells and ingredienst used. We only know that it was done. They were made to hunt you.”
“That makes sense." I stated. "Must be why they can always sense our presence...Well, regular Valkyries. The High Council learned ages ago that some of my kin have disappeared. It was said to some, that they hunted all creatures, but in secret it was whispered they hunted only Valkyrie. When some of them came up missing, we wondered how they were found...If this High Priest used Valkyries to make the HISkale, as it has just been confirmed...that paints a big part of this picture.”
Lalynn jumped in with a question of her own. One I knew she would eventually ask.
“Can they track you? You're a Valkyrie.”
“I think yes and no. I am Dark Valkyrie, therefore I am the same yet different...”
“How? What makes you different?”
“There are many differences but for the sake of time, I will explain the difference as they pertain to this realm. They, the original Valkyrie, hunt the battlefield, taking the souls of warriors to Valhalla. Dark Valkyrie hunt the battlefield for evil and scour it from the realm. Sending those souls to the Forever Pits of Fire.
We are hand chosen by Odin and trained. We must take in the darkness that hunts and preys on this realm. We have be able to carry the burden of it without it tainting our souls in the process. Only the strong, of mind and body, can become Dark Valkyrie...”
Sheelah chimed in, “That is what the priest is trying to do. Create a dark species that hunts and devours. The darkness knows that the Valkyrie is what holds it back from devouring this realm, and the priest aims to create a species that hunts and devours you, while the Army of Darkness consumes the rest of the land and everything in it. He is no different than Odin in his plans.”
I gripped my sword tightly at the blasphemy falling from her lips. My frame locked in position while my mind rationalized this situation. My heart voted to lunge and end this woman and her twisted tale. I knew, deep inside, this was just pure temptation sent by the darkness to test my training and my discipline. Neither would falter this day.
I took a deep breath, ready to ask another question but was silenced by Lalynn and her sudden change in behavior. She pressed her hand over my mouth and whispered into my ear.
“We've made a grave mistake.”
She had barely gotten the words out before the
three women in the corner laughed. My gaze slid to them. I knew something was off but for the life of me, I couldn't pinpoint it. My answer came, both from Lalynn and what I finally figured out to be true.
“Witches!” Lalynn screamed.
I intended to grab her and run but the world around us began to shimmer and melt away. This is how it would end.
The witches, the Priest, and the Snake from Mhores Isle.
It was the oddest feeling. My sight and my mind battling it out. Each trying to convince me of a plan of action, but only confusing my body more. My eyes shown a world shrinking and crushing me. My mind knew it was just a trick. The rest of me shouting of danger. All in all, I knew I needed to leave, yet my feet were stuck to the floor.
I could hear the shrill shrieks of the witches, the frightened cries from Lalynn and the screams of frustration from myself. None of that dulled the sound of the advancing army. It was a clear night, they marched unopposed, and without fear. They banged their drums loudly and chanted even louder.
My heart almost stopped.
Madness followed by confusion.
The room got deathly quiet.
The spell lost its power, and everything shifted. I was shocked. A moment ago, we were standing in a run-down cottage and now, the spell broken, the truth cut like a dagger. I should have seen.
Dammit
We never left the cave. It was all an illusion from the skilled women we 'saved'. A trick for the mind. A trap to keep us distracted.
It had worked.
Now it was done, and I had enough. Not giving it much thought, I grabbed Lalynn by the arm and drug her down the sand path through the cave. The witch’s laughter, the advancing army, and thrumming of drums were the last thing on my mind. Nothing but mere warning bells now.
I drug us through the crooked hall and back to the entryway. I slid to a stop, drawing my sword. We met no opposition, and everything got quiet once again.
It was too easy.
Nothing was this easy.
I kept my sword at the ready and crept forward toward the outside. My gaze scanned every inch of the small space. The fire in the pit, no longer giving off heat or light. It was darker now. I heard Lalynn follow suite, her sword in hand as well.
Vhadrah- Evolution of HiSkale Page 4