For Kar.
“I understand you’ve had a terrible shock, but anything that you can tell us about what in the hell happened this afternoon would be appreciated.”
Booker, that must be Booker. Yana’s bond-mate.
The Amazon loomed behind the one eyed man, barely contained rage and grief written on her face.
Meanwhile Volka stood beside Nameless with her shield at the ready, a faint glow permeating her body. Absently Nameless noticed that her sword of light had disappeared at some point.
While the council members were certainly in awe of the Valkyrie, Jonathan’s betrayal kept them focused on the task at hand.
Nameless shook his head again to help himself focus.
“He was experimenting. Trying to create Tenebrae, using his power to reach into their minds, find where it hurt the most and twist.”
Even as he said the words he could scarcely believe them.
Sadie gasped and leaned into Xalanth. The council began to mutter to each other. Finally an older woman with a cane and burn marks over her face spoke.
“Why? What could he possibly hope to gain by doing such a thing?” She addressed Sadie as much as Nameless.
“I don’t know. It’s sick. We Empaths live in the emotional pain of monster girls, to heal it is instinctual. Why anyone would want to do the opposite…” Sadie shook her head, one arm encircling Xalanth.
Today had turned into a nightmare and she needed the strength of her Dragon.
“Is he insane then?” One of the other council members asked.
“No.” Volka’s clear voice rang out; “His mind is sound. He tried to slay my husband not out of hatred but out of necessity.”
The whole room went silent for a moment on hearing her speak.
“He believes that the other Empaths can stop him.” Miranda stated, cutting through the silence.
“Is there anything else you can recall?” Booker growled out.
Nameless looked into the man’s eye then shifted his focus to Lady Essig again.
“Sadie, you said there was a massive surge in Tenebrae before he went into his coma. That was their doing, their experiments. And he said something to Evadne, before she-” He swallowed, his throat tight with fear; “He said that he almost succeeded, and that your power was broken but another Empath would get in the way. It’s also how he fell into darkness, I think, because he certainly wasn’t trying to save that poor bunny girl.”
The facts were getting a bit jumbled now as he struggled to remember the moments leading up to Evadne hurling him out the window.
Volka draped one wing over him, offering silent comfort as she felt his fear rising again.
“Whatever he is planning, he must be stopped at all cost.” Booker spoke with grim resolve; “I move to enact a capture or kill order on the Empath Jonathan Pym. For willful creation of a Tenebrae, treason, attempted murder and whatever the hell else he’s guilty of.”
There was a deathly silence in the room, the councilors each mentally debating his words.
This wasn’t something they did lightly.
“Seconded.” The woman with the burn marks on her face raised her hand after a couple minutes of thought.
“Vote.” Booker raised his hand to match hers.
The remaining three council members eventually raised theirs as well.
“Motion carried.” The woman said.
“You are forgetting Evadne.” Xalanth rumbled.
Volka withdrew her wing from his shoulder as she stepped forwards to address the council in a grim voice.
“Indeed, the Chimera is unstable. And the power she wields is not her own. She was no doubt dangerous before she struck a bargain with the demons of entropy, now she is a foe not to be taken lightly.”
“Perhaps, but she will face the combined fury of all of the warrior tribes now, even if it costs us a thousand lives we will see this pair brought low!” Yana declared.
Her eyes were fierce and full of vengeance.
Volka began to glow as she moved to stand before the vengeful Amazon, Yana meeting her stern gaze with a defiant stare, though her lips trembled in the face of the angel.
“Let not your grief drive you to ruin, Warleader of Brael! I swear to you, Kar’s death will be answered for! But we must be cautious, for Evadne’s power is terrible!”
Xalanth nodded in agreement as the light faded.
“Indeed, the Lightbringer speaks true. I do not doubt your valour, Yana, but she will tear through a thousand warriors, and then a thousand more. The harsh truth is that were you and your sisters not protected by a Valkyrie’s aura, we would even now be mourning the loss of eight Amazons instead of one. If she truly has traded her soul away, then her magic would be a match for the oldest of Witches.”
Yana wanted to argue, to lash out, but Booker turned and took her hand.
“They’re right, love. But all the same, we have to do something. Never before has the Aegis faced a crisis like this.”
None of them had an immediate answer and as the silence went on Nameless grew increasingly uncomfortable in it.
“S-so what now?”
Volka returned to his side and once more folded her wings around him, suffusing him with her presence and strengthening his resolve.
“If it is true that an Empath might be able to stop them, then your safety is paramount.” The scar-faced women said.
“Does Jonathan know that he’s from Kettering?” Miranda asked.
Volka shook her head.
“I do not believe so. That man was too absorbed by his own dark thoughts to try to glean anything from my husband’s.”
Booker scratched his chin.
“Then he goes home, he has a Gigas and Valkyrie to protect him. In truth we couldn’t match that, but we can add to it.”
“A rapid response team? One of the hives?” Miranda followed the man’s thought.
Booker nodded.
“Yes, they’re mobile enough that they can outrun, or outfly, Evadne if she came for him. The Gigas alone would be enough to slow her.”
“If not kill her outright.” Xalanth snorted.
One of the other councilors shook her head.
“We sent a team to Bramblewood after Yana’s report of the lawlessness there. We’re short-staffed. And we need a security detail for the ordinance disposal team.”
“I hate to say it, but his safety is more important than the ODT people.” Booker sighed; “Nameless, as you are aware you have been under the protection of the Aegis since we discovered that you were an Empath. But Miranda and her girls simply aren’t enough anymore. Queen Oldeera and her hive will be taking over.”
“She’ll like that.” She snorted.
“No!” Nameless shouted.
Booker was startled, Miranda merely sighed.
“Look kid, I know the Hornet lady kind of kidnapped you but-”
“No one else is going to die for me!” The image of his father and of the bleeding lizard woman entered his mind.
And more recently of Kar dying in his arms.
Booker sighed, rubbing at his eye patch.
“Son, few things can fly as fast as a Hornet. The role of the hive will be to fly you to safety in the unlikely event that Jonathan finds you, not to try to take on Evadne by themselves.”
Nameless felt a bit foolish.
“Oh.”
Volka stepped in front of him and spoke quietly but with conviction.
“Your strategy is sound, Aegis. For almost a hundred years I battled the Divine Republic’s death-machines alongside my sisters. Nothing this foul creature could throw at me could ever match that. I will stand resolute with my new sister Nina. Her hammer and my shield will destroy Evadne should she dare to darken our door with her presence. If such a battle were to take place it would go much easier if my bond-mates were taken away beforehand, so if this noble queen wishes to pledge herself to our husband’s defense we will gladly accept her offer.”
The matter settled Nam
eless was soon dismissed from the chamber, he and Volka stood with the girls and the Saenga Amazons again.
“Valkyrja-datta, forgive us, for we have failed you this day.”
Escrya’s shoulders were slumped in shame.
“Horseshit.” He snapped, surprising everyone with the ire in his tone.
Her head whipped up to look him in the face, slack-jawed.
“But, we left you in that chamber at the mercy of that, that creature!”
He shook his head.
“And if you had been in the room with me you would be dead too. We already have to mourn for Kar, so don’t add your name to that list!”
Volka once more wrapped her wings around him and he felt his emotions calm as she spoke over his head.
“What my husband is trying to say, dear Escrya, is that you would not have been able to prevent any of the tragedies that occurred this day. The Saenga are blameless in this treachery.”
Escrya and her sisters stood straighter at the Valkyrie’s words.
“So what now?” Ophelia asked.
“What? Do we just… go home?”
A skeptical Nameless looked to Volka who nodded.
“Indeed, we return to this cottage I have heard so much about, we live our lives while remaining vigilant.”
Milly, her arms around Erica, looked at Volka with a puzzled frown.
“I don’t understand, Volka if you could take on this form why didn’t you do so before?”
The Valkyrie sighed at the question.
“Because I had to draw the divine essence out of him, it was a terrible risk and his heart nearly gave out because of it. I didn’t even think of it before, but with him in such peril… well, desperation makes one reckless.”
Ophelia shuddered and hugged herself.
“We need to have a long talk about all this magic crap. You can’t just make up the rules as you go along, that’s cheating.” Erica whined with a sniffle.
Myrina and Escrya had taken a few steps away and were deep in a whispered conversation, which abruptly ended when the teller turned to them.
“Forgive me friends, but if you are truly in as much peril as I have heard, then we cannot return home as we intended. We will go with you to Kettering.”
She raised her hands even as Nameless made to object.
“We will not try to battle the Chimera should she come for you! We know your heart in this matter. But other lives may be in jeopardy from your presence. We will shield the innocents around you so that Nina and Volka can focus on the enemy at hand.”
Nameless found that he couldn’t fault her logic, and felt another twinge of guilt at the thought of putting people in danger just by being around them.
He was worried about Paul.
Erica snorted, her subdued attitude at the death of Kar turned derisive at his concern for the old man.
“Paul would smack you silly for worrying about anyone other than yourself right now!”
As he thought of the old farmer he felt a wave of homesickness wash over him. He wanted to be back in the cottage, to sleep in his own bed, to swim in the pond. They’d barely moved in when they set out to find Volka.
“We’ll be home soon enough dearheart.” Ophelia rubbed his shoulder.
Miranda came out of the chamber then.
“Look there’s nothing more you can do here now. You should go and rest up, eat something, fuck.”
“What about the f-funeral?” Milly’s lip was trembling again.
Miranda’s eyes welled and she swallowed as Jez and Jan put their arms around her waist.
“Tomorrow, I think. For now, quit loitering around the council chamber, it’s against the law.”
Though she was trying to be her normal gruff self, Miranda was also hurt by Kar’s death.
The Valkyrie nodded at her.
“It is as you say, let us depart then.”
They made their way through the Bastion and to the spacious room provided for them, Myrina and her Amazons insisted on clearing the room first, and while Nameless wanted to object he knew if he did Nina would very likely hit him.
She had never known fear like she had felt when he was on the brink of death, none of them had.
After they had settled into the room, the Amazons took up position outside the door, giving them their privacy.
Once more he wanted to protest, but this time Nina did hit him, a sturdy smack on his thigh.
Alone at last the group settled into the comfortable room, each lost in their own thoughts and memories.
Nameless’s own troubled thoughts were emphasized by the emotions of the others: Milly, Erica, and Ophelia’s grief, Nina’s quiet rage and Volka’s regret as she replayed the battle over and over in her mind.
She gave a shake of her head and sighed.
“You are too perceptive love.”
Nameless sat on the window sill next to her.
“It wasn’t your fault either, you know.”
She smiled and took his hand in hers.
“I do, but it is the way of battle. The pain of loss makes one replay the same moment over and over, trying to change the outcome for the better. I wish I could’ve saved Kar, and for the rest of my days I will regret not being able to do so.”
He felt her regrets, for she had many, and worked to soothe them as best he could while still coping himself.
She sighed as she felt his gentle presence in her thoughts, then she released his hand and ran her fingers through his hair.
“You should not be so quick to cut it I think. You would look good with longer hair.”
Though her tone was teasing he could sense that there was a reason for the seemingly random thought.
“Do not concern yourself with it. It is hardly pressing.”
He shook his head.
“It is now. I need something else to worry about other than…”
He couldn’t bring himself to say Kar’s name.
Volka pulled him close and held him for a time.
“Very well. You know that the others have all been looking for a means to do as Milly has done-”
She trailed her fingers over the braid around his neck.
“But my heartstone is part of my shield, and so my people have another token that we give to our chosen mates in its place.”
She held out one of her feathers for him. He could sense what she wanted and smiled at her in acceptance of it.
“Erica, I could use your help with this.” Volka called without looking away from her bond-mate’s warm gaze.
The Katje was there a few seconds later, wiping away more tears. She and Ophelia had been wrapped in Milly’s embrace on the bed, the three girls doing their best to comfort each other.
“What is it?”
Volka held out the ethereal golden feather.
“I have not braided anyone’s hair in centuries, what would you suggest as being the best way to affix this into our husband’s?”
Ophelia and Milly wandered over to help while the Katje actually got a bit excited by the little project as she twirled the feather between two fingers while simultaneously running her other hand through his hair, but then she turned dubious.
“I think his hair might be long enough, if we keep it simple, but how will the feather stay in place?”
Volka winked.
“Magic.”
With that she held it between her hands for a few seconds, golden light slipping out from between her fingers.
Erica’s expression turned pained, but then she just rolled her eyes.
“Alright, then a simple three-strand braid will work. If we make it nice and tight and provided that your magic feather doesn’t fly away on its own.”
Nameless was moved to sit on the edge of the bed while the girls fussed over his hair, it was somewhat emasculating to be in the middle of a bunch of women talking about hair, but he didn’t care as it distracted them all from their heartache, and him from his own.
That is, all the girls except Nina.
She was sitting on her hammer facing the door, arms crossed in front of her and her back straight. Her anger had dissipated, replaced with a meditative determination as she recited the way of the Gigas in her mind.
Bones of the mountain, heart of the furnace, soul of the warrior, gracious in victory, proud in defeat.
He knew it well; it had been what drew him to her when she was a Tenebrae.
“Nina?”
She didn’t turn to look at him, instead she thought long and hard about their first time together.
He blushed at the graphic images.
“I thought we weren’t going to play that game anymore.”
“We aren’t, but I needed you to know that I was alright so you didn’t try to get all mushy with me. I am Gigas and for the first time in my life I have a real enemy, one who will destroy everything that I love if I’m not vigilant. Let me focus ‘kay?”
“O-okay.”
He shared uncertain looks with the other girls but once again Nina threw him naughty thoughts about the most recent time that she had sucked him off and so he relaxed and let her focus on keeping them all safe.
A short while later Nameless stood to check the girls’ handiwork in a mirror, the feather was now tightly braided into his hair and trailing down the right side of his face next to his ear. He had worried that it would be distracting but just like Milly’s braid he found that he hardly noticed it after a short while.
Volka wiped a tear away with one finger as she looked at him.
“I never thought this day would come, and for it to come so soon after losing a sister…”
The angel pulled him into her embrace and together they wept.
Such is how their evening passed: companionable silence interspersed with tears of grief as they came to grips with the loss of the one who was meant to be part of their family.
Before long they settled onto the large bed to sleep, Volka’s presence chasing away dark dreams, while Nina sat on her hammer still: a genuine sleeping giant, who, if woken, was now ready to bring the full wrath of the mountain to bear on her new foe.
Epilogue:
Dark Times
The funeral of Kar Brael was attended by every Amazon in the vicinity of the city of Garland. Most did not even know her, they had merely heard that a Valkyrie had returned and an Amazon had fallen.
Legacy of the Valkyrie Page 37