This is my chronicle of the Rise of the Valkyrie. Enjoy!
Book One
Mallidon’s Prophecy
Chapter One
Spoiler Alert!
Jandar’s Sentinels waited attentively for an answer. “Is it?” asked Arik.
“Yes.”
The gnarled kyrie stepped into the room, carved within the hill, his whithered wings folding. The small party circled the walls and watched expectantly. The kyrie knelt and cupped his hands, and drank from the pool. He began to violently shake. The Sentinels watched in awe. “The time has come; the armies of the enemies advance…” “Upon this land a savage horde shall come, and leave the land torn in its wake…” “And a mighty red legion shall drive defenders in its path…” “The cold steel of war which has consumed many in fire shall join its kin on the field of battle…” “And ones that hunger for their blood enemies shall feast in the coming storm…”
The kyrie Mallidon crumpled on the floor, and Arik rushed to his side. Tears formed in his eyes.
“Come,” Norlind commanded. “There will be time to mourn. Jandar must hear of these shocking tidings.”
______________________________________________________________________ ________
The men polished their guns and sharpened their swords. Uncertainty dwelled in their eyes. Word of the prophecy and death of the elder Mallidon had reached their ears. All wondered what storm would come to Nastralund. The Soldiers that usually smoked and gambled spoke in hushed tones, knowing that the death of many was near.
Sergeant Alexander walked through the camp, feeling the same anxiety that his men did. The reinforcements were to arrive by sundown, with word from the scouts. Drake Alexander took a seat by a rock, watching as the sun sank lower in the sky. Purple and orange tints filled his sight, and he began to doubt the coming of aid.
Drake strained his eyes. A kyrie was flying towards the camp. Within a minute, he arrived in front of Drake. He was a Sentinel of Jandar. “An army marches from the fortress, bringing reinforcements. Scouts report that Utgar’s army comes from the south. They are accompanied by a legion of Einar’s newest recruits. The combined forces largely outnumber our armies… Rumors tell that Utgar’s champion, Taelord, flies at the head of this horde.”
“We’ll have to make the best of the mountains, then,” the sergeant said.
“Jandar wishes you well, sir. He has discovered a new wellspring, and with it he summons a most formidable force,” the Sentinel remarked, attempting to raise spirits.
“What?”
“Machines of precision and cold steel… Soulborgs.”
The sergeant frowned. “Zettians?”
"No sir... They call themselves Omnicrons."
Chapter Two
Spoiler Alert!
Severus Ragotus looked around at his fellow soldiers, each donning his armor and checking his gladius and scutum. They had been in Valhalla for nearly a month. Einar has made a wise choice, thought Severus. These savage Vikings he speaks of shall surely perish by my gladius. One of the strange winged men, a kyrie, flew in, much like the others guarding Lindesfarme. “Scouts report that Utgar’s forces march to Laur, and will rendezvous with us before launching the assault on Nastralund,” came the deep voice from behind the golden mask.
The centurion Marcus Decimus Gallus nodded. He turned to his officers. “Get the legionaries together,” he commanded, “we are ready to march.” The officers marched off. Severus looked to his commanding officer, Antony. “Men, we rally at the northern keep,” he said. “We shall march through Auntstrom and Elswin, and will meet with Utgar at Laur. Mithras be with you.”
That was five days ago. Severus knew Mithras was with him and his legion, but he wondered if Mithras was with Einar. Was it so wise to ally with Utgar? Utgar enlisted such foul, savage creatures and horrifying nightmares that not even Vulcan kept in his dark realm. And now his legion accompanied these monstrosities. Several savage blue creatures charged onward in an unruly mob. Some things resembling fleshless men marched on in silence next to them. Severus wondered what other abominations walked amongst their ranks. Uncivilized beasts… thought Severus. But they have the advantage.
That night, he overheard a few officers talking around a fire.
“… we are at the border of Nastralund…”
“… speaks of strange creatures coming from the east…”
“…defenders in a fortress…”
“…holding out in the mountains…”
Interesting…
Severus wondered what strange creatures they would fight. He had heard of the Viking berserkers, much like Celts he had fought in the British Isles, and of men with weapons that could shoot fire. One of the kyrie had spoken of a strange new enemy, which seemed to be demons of metal that could shoot light from their weapons.
A scream arose from the southeastern side of camp. Severus rushed to see, along with many others. Five men lay dead, with huge gashes through their bodies. None knew what to do. Severus rushed back to the centurion’s tent as more yells arose around the camp. A guard stood by the entrance of the tent. “Halt. You have no business here,” he said sternly.
“An urgent message for the commander! Five men lay dead at the southeast edge of the camp!”
The guard vanished inside and said something to the centurion. He walked back out and said “Gallus will hear you.”
Severus entered to see Marcus Decimus Gallus seated next to a kyrie, but this one had crimson skin and black wings, unlike the kyrie of Lindesfarme. Also present was one of the blue savages, but he appeared more calm, although still hideous.
“Speak quickly, I must hear everything,” said Gallus urgently.
“Five men lay dead at the southeastern side of camp, gashes torn through their torsos and limbs. More have probably fallen since.”
The red kyrie raised his eyebrows in interest. The blue savage continued to look on, unconcerned.
“Send word to rally them men, all must be ready to fight!” said Gallus.
“I shall send word to my men,” said the red kyrie.
A shadow darted outside of the tent. The guard let out a twisted moan. Severus stepped outside the tent and found him laying dead with a gash through his stomach and chest.
All was quiet for the rest of the night, at least in the Roman’s camp. In the morning, as they began to march, Severus saw a grisly sight. At the top of a rock sat a fleshless man’s head, and limp bodies of his kin were strewn around it. Severus was sickened. He hoped to slay the abomination responsible with his gladius by the end of the day.
Last edited by elvenwizard9; September 4th, 2011 at 08:12 AM.
Thanks! I hope I'm not too obvious as to what killed all of those men. I plan to change views like this for the length of the story, and sometimes bring back old characters that I or others seem to like. If you like Severus enough, I might just throw him in one of the later books.
September 2nd, 2011, 10:24 PM
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