Flight of the Valkyrie - Freedom
Aug. 23rd, 2017 11:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsThey finally reach Hela to bargain for the Disir, and Illyana has a surprising role to play.
With the bridge behind them, there was nothing left between them and the ebon castle that rose knife-like up in the centre of Hela's realm. They made their way down the worn track, through the grey spent dirt fields and up the steps to the great doors. Without warning, they swung slowly open; an implicit invitation inside the castle.
Illyana, her face taut with wariness, crept behind Valkyrie, instinctively making as little noise as possible. It was easier in gym shoes, at least. Her face was scratched and her hair a tangled mess, and she hadn't put her Soulsword away, even though keeping it felt like an open wound. It flickered sullenly in the low light of Hel as they came to a stark courtyard, surrounded on all sides by tall black walls.
"Welcome," came a voice from the shadows; and, startling, Illyana realized that the shadows were the woman, or the woman was the shadows.The shadows moved when the woman did, lashing, contained but not tame, and the low voice carried easily through the dead air. "What a . . . varied assemblage," the woman said, moving into the light, shadows writhing down the sides of her neck, her arms, pooling at her hands. "What brings you to my domain?"
Putting across an arm, Valkyrie halted any further movement; it was unneeded as the group had gone stock still with the shadow woman's greeting. "A request. The knowledge on how to free my sisters, former Valkyrie, now Disir," she said, tired and without what little ability for preamble she may have previously possessed. "I realize it will not be without price and accept what you'd ask of me."
Hela's lips quirked, taking in the group - the ragged little blonde in particular seemed to catch her eye - with a certain amount of amusement. "I have the knowledge you seek," she said, "but not the answer you desire. Bor's curse was powerful. It requires that your sisters serve." She opened a hand, making the shadows drip soundlessly to the floor. "If I cut their bonds, they will be restored to you, but - not entirely. My powers are not infinite. They would serve in this realm, where my affinity and will are strongest."
~Gondul tittered. "Once when I was a little girl in my little torp, Asger the Idiot ate nothing but meat for a whole week." She paused, and then giggled again. "Of course, he died. His guts exploded, and the wolves ate him."
Kara of the Twighlight's eyes shown with amusement, "I wish I had seen that!"
Mad Hlokk gave a grunt of approval. "An appropriate way to die. I wish I had died in such a way. No matter. When I am reborn, I will show the world why I am called Mad Hlokk!"
"I thought it was because you bit dogs. Or was it men? Did you bite dogs, or men? Or was it both?" Gondul asked, dreamily. "Oh, when I was a little girl in the torp, once, a man bit a dog, and it was all anyone could talk about for days."~
"Yes! Take the deal!" Kane piped up, sweating and shaking. The attached Disir were like a constant chorus in his head and his healing factor was hitting the limits.
Valkyrie's face showed a flicker of pain, glancing back towards her former partner and friend, but she turned back steel, side chosen. "That is not acceptable. Trading a box for a cage is not-"
"We accept the terms." The Disir shade of Brün grew distinct from the rest. "On one condition. Even the All-Father would not be able to grant Hel a dozen Valkyries, no matter what trickery your father has wrought. You may have four of us... the best of us, as your servants. But the rest will join our former sisters."
Hela considered this, her eyes surveying the group dispassionately. In the silence, the shadows near her feet roiled, the edges almost shredding where they hit the lit. "I accept," she said finally, with a regal nod not untinged with irony. "This will satisfy Bor's curse - which was indeed a shameful waste of skill and talent." She shrugged slightly. "Men."
Her eyes alit on the person most trying to avoid them. "You, girl," Hela said. "Come here and be useful."
"Me?" Illyana said, managing by force of will not to shrink from the sound of the woman's - the goddess's - voice. She looked toward the others, but didn't find any help for it; this is why she was here, after all.
"I do so hate to wait," Hela returned drily, flicking a finger that made her shadows flare for a moment. "That weapon of yours is - very nearly unique, I think. I have rarely encountered its like." The girl approached unwillingly, glancing back at Valkyrie and Garrison with a pained expression that was half adolescent and half - entirely something else. "You will be the conduit. I will have to spare some power to you - yes, girl, I can see that your own affinity is somewhere else. One moment."
Hela held out a long-fingered hand, and the shadows in the room boiled together, scattering away from Hela like blood spatter; where they hit, they solidified, arcing into a complex map of runes centred around Garrison and the Disir. The light in the room dimmed, and the temperature dropped sharply, so that breaths hung in the air for a few moments.
"What is this?" Illyana asked, her voice brittle and high.
Hela did not dignify the question, putting a hand on Illyana's shoulder, flaring cold light into the darkness. The light disappeared for a moment - and then flared again, from Illyana's eyes, a small window into what felt like an endless pool of power. Strings became barely visible between Garrison and the Disir, just visible, and Illyana stepped forward. She hesitated, uncertain, and then the sword in her hand flared to life too, going from a flickering sort of glow to the harsh light of the winter sun.
Illyana swung in a wide arc, cutting the strings.
With one set of chains broken, another set appeared; thin bands encircling the throats of the four who had offered up themselves. They were more collar than necklace, with what looked to be a lock at the center, but with no normal opening for a key. Valkyrie started at a sense of movement to find herself now surrounded by her sisters long gone, but the smile that formed on her face as she saw them embrace one another, was muted.
"It is done. Thank you," she said, though none of her focus was on Hela herself. She watched Illyana hesitantly place a hand on Garrison's shoulder, still recovering with knees on the ground, pausing a moment on the new servant's of the dark goddess, and cleared her throat. "I must return home with the good news. I suggest you depart swiftly as well."
With a slight tilt of her head she turned away and was gone.
With the bridge behind them, there was nothing left between them and the ebon castle that rose knife-like up in the centre of Hela's realm. They made their way down the worn track, through the grey spent dirt fields and up the steps to the great doors. Without warning, they swung slowly open; an implicit invitation inside the castle.
Illyana, her face taut with wariness, crept behind Valkyrie, instinctively making as little noise as possible. It was easier in gym shoes, at least. Her face was scratched and her hair a tangled mess, and she hadn't put her Soulsword away, even though keeping it felt like an open wound. It flickered sullenly in the low light of Hel as they came to a stark courtyard, surrounded on all sides by tall black walls.
"Welcome," came a voice from the shadows; and, startling, Illyana realized that the shadows were the woman, or the woman was the shadows.The shadows moved when the woman did, lashing, contained but not tame, and the low voice carried easily through the dead air. "What a . . . varied assemblage," the woman said, moving into the light, shadows writhing down the sides of her neck, her arms, pooling at her hands. "What brings you to my domain?"
Putting across an arm, Valkyrie halted any further movement; it was unneeded as the group had gone stock still with the shadow woman's greeting. "A request. The knowledge on how to free my sisters, former Valkyrie, now Disir," she said, tired and without what little ability for preamble she may have previously possessed. "I realize it will not be without price and accept what you'd ask of me."
Hela's lips quirked, taking in the group - the ragged little blonde in particular seemed to catch her eye - with a certain amount of amusement. "I have the knowledge you seek," she said, "but not the answer you desire. Bor's curse was powerful. It requires that your sisters serve." She opened a hand, making the shadows drip soundlessly to the floor. "If I cut their bonds, they will be restored to you, but - not entirely. My powers are not infinite. They would serve in this realm, where my affinity and will are strongest."
~Gondul tittered. "Once when I was a little girl in my little torp, Asger the Idiot ate nothing but meat for a whole week." She paused, and then giggled again. "Of course, he died. His guts exploded, and the wolves ate him."
Kara of the Twighlight's eyes shown with amusement, "I wish I had seen that!"
Mad Hlokk gave a grunt of approval. "An appropriate way to die. I wish I had died in such a way. No matter. When I am reborn, I will show the world why I am called Mad Hlokk!"
"I thought it was because you bit dogs. Or was it men? Did you bite dogs, or men? Or was it both?" Gondul asked, dreamily. "Oh, when I was a little girl in the torp, once, a man bit a dog, and it was all anyone could talk about for days."~
"Yes! Take the deal!" Kane piped up, sweating and shaking. The attached Disir were like a constant chorus in his head and his healing factor was hitting the limits.
Valkyrie's face showed a flicker of pain, glancing back towards her former partner and friend, but she turned back steel, side chosen. "That is not acceptable. Trading a box for a cage is not-"
"We accept the terms." The Disir shade of Brün grew distinct from the rest. "On one condition. Even the All-Father would not be able to grant Hel a dozen Valkyries, no matter what trickery your father has wrought. You may have four of us... the best of us, as your servants. But the rest will join our former sisters."
Hela considered this, her eyes surveying the group dispassionately. In the silence, the shadows near her feet roiled, the edges almost shredding where they hit the lit. "I accept," she said finally, with a regal nod not untinged with irony. "This will satisfy Bor's curse - which was indeed a shameful waste of skill and talent." She shrugged slightly. "Men."
Her eyes alit on the person most trying to avoid them. "You, girl," Hela said. "Come here and be useful."
"Me?" Illyana said, managing by force of will not to shrink from the sound of the woman's - the goddess's - voice. She looked toward the others, but didn't find any help for it; this is why she was here, after all.
"I do so hate to wait," Hela returned drily, flicking a finger that made her shadows flare for a moment. "That weapon of yours is - very nearly unique, I think. I have rarely encountered its like." The girl approached unwillingly, glancing back at Valkyrie and Garrison with a pained expression that was half adolescent and half - entirely something else. "You will be the conduit. I will have to spare some power to you - yes, girl, I can see that your own affinity is somewhere else. One moment."
Hela held out a long-fingered hand, and the shadows in the room boiled together, scattering away from Hela like blood spatter; where they hit, they solidified, arcing into a complex map of runes centred around Garrison and the Disir. The light in the room dimmed, and the temperature dropped sharply, so that breaths hung in the air for a few moments.
"What is this?" Illyana asked, her voice brittle and high.
Hela did not dignify the question, putting a hand on Illyana's shoulder, flaring cold light into the darkness. The light disappeared for a moment - and then flared again, from Illyana's eyes, a small window into what felt like an endless pool of power. Strings became barely visible between Garrison and the Disir, just visible, and Illyana stepped forward. She hesitated, uncertain, and then the sword in her hand flared to life too, going from a flickering sort of glow to the harsh light of the winter sun.
Illyana swung in a wide arc, cutting the strings.
With one set of chains broken, another set appeared; thin bands encircling the throats of the four who had offered up themselves. They were more collar than necklace, with what looked to be a lock at the center, but with no normal opening for a key. Valkyrie started at a sense of movement to find herself now surrounded by her sisters long gone, but the smile that formed on her face as she saw them embrace one another, was muted.
"It is done. Thank you," she said, though none of her focus was on Hela herself. She watched Illyana hesitantly place a hand on Garrison's shoulder, still recovering with knees on the ground, pausing a moment on the new servant's of the dark goddess, and cleared her throat. "I must return home with the good news. I suggest you depart swiftly as well."
With a slight tilt of her head she turned away and was gone.
