Sigrid's first vision was not a pleasant one. On her first night in the City of Asgard, she dreamed of a beautiful world of a luscious jungle, with colorful flowers, dense vegetation, tall trees, and exotic creatures. It reminded her of her mother's home, with nature all around her, the flowers and animals, only more robust and wild. It was completely mesmerizing, the exact image of paradise.
But something was wrong. The ground began to shake. Leaves and branches fell from the trees. The creatures ran away from Sigrid. She began to start running, but she didn't know why. She ran towards the loud crashes and screaming. Bright purple lights flashed in the sky up ahead. There were many dead bodies laying everywhere on her path. The sounds of war kept getting louder and louder. Flames of fire began to spread across the jungle, leaving behind only ashes. This beautiful world was being destroyed right before her eyes.
Sigrid woke up in a huff. She looked around her and slowly realized where she was. She tried to calm herself down, but her heart was still beating very fast. She laid back down to go back to sleep, but a small dark figure approached her in the darkness. She sat back up in a hurry, not letting her fear take over her enough to scream aloud. She watched the dark figure closely. She did not know how it got inside. She hadn't left the door or any windows open.
The figure made a strange but familiar noise. Baa.
Sigrid knew immediately. The figure was a goat.
It crept into the moonlight and she could finally see it. The goat was brown with white spots and extremely small. Sigrid knew goats really well as she and her mother used to raise them and keep them as pets. It was an added bonus that they kept the grass short and fresh.
Hello. You must be new. The goat spoke in a voice similar to a child's.
"Why, yes, I am now." Sigrid spoke kindly, "Now, how did you get inside my home?"
The goat approached closer to her bed, its hooves making clunky noises against the hardwood floor. That window next to the door is loose. I opened it easily.
It stopped and stared at her with those bazaar eyes. "Why did you break in through my window?"
I wanted to meet you. I hear you're very nice. The goat sat down on her shag rug.
"Oh, really?" Sigrid asked, getting up from her bed, "Where did you hear that from?"
The birds like to talk.
Sigrid studied this tiny goat intently. "You're a very strange goat. What is your name?"
The goat turned its gaze away from Sigrid. I was never given a name. The farmers here don't name their profits.
Sigrid's heart melted for this little goat. "Well, I could give you a name?"
The goat's ears perked up. Really? You would do that?
"Of course!" Sigrid couldn't help but smile.
You gotta give me a cool name!
"I will!" Sigrid searched her mind, "Are you a boy or a girl?"
Hey! I'm clearly a boy!
"Sorry, sorry. Just double-checking." Sigrid puzzled for a minute, "How about Roscoe?"
The goat stood up in excitement. Roscoe? That is a cool name!
"The name means 'deer wood.' Someone with this name shall honor and protect the forest, along with respecting the forest and all that inhabit it." Sig leaned in to look him in the eyes, "Do you think you can do that?"
The goat thought for a moment. Yes!
Sigrid smiled, "Well! It's great to meet you, Roscoe! My name is Sigrid."
Nice to meet you, too, Sigrid!
Sigrid walked away from Roscoe and he quickly followed. She walked down the spiral staircase to shut and lock this window he got open. The latch was broken.
Sigrid looked from the latch to Roscoe. That- that wasn't me...
Sigrid huffed and attempted to shut the window, but it would keep opening slightly. She threw up her hands and said, "Oh well, I'll fix it tomorrow." She began walking up the stairs, "Do you have a place to stay tonight?"
The goat hesitated and held his head down. Yes, but I don't want to go back there...
Sigrid stopped climbing the stairs, "Why not?"
Well... Roscoe looked very sad. I'm afraid the farmers will take me to the slaughterhouse... They take the goats that don't perform up to their expectations there... And since I'm so small...
Sigrid could not stand the thought of a goat dying simply because of their size. "You can't go back there. You can stay here."
Roscoe's little legs kicked out from under him. He slid against the hardwood floors running around the living room. Yes! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Sigrid and Roscoe finally settled in for the night. Roscoe slept on her shag rug, completely knocked out. Sigrid felt comforted that she made her first friend in this city.
—
In the morning, Sigrid rose well-rested and ready to start her first day of training. She quietly grabbed her gear and got dressed. Roscoe was still fast asleep and she did not want to wake him. Sigrid walked over him and sprinted down the stairs and rushed to the door. She sheathed her sword and swung the door open, only to be greeted by a young woman, who was surprised that the door opened suddenly.
"Woah!" She shouted, "You startled me."
Sigrid was weary at first. The last person she met was the worst person she ever met. Which, to be fair, has not been many. "Who are you?"
"Oh! Right! Intro!" She said, shakingly. The girl was taller than Sig, with a curvaceous build, pale skin, and blue eyes, dressed in gear made of Asgardian steel and animal hide. Her hair was strawberry blonde with a streak of red. "I'm Thrúd. I'm Thor's daughter."
Oh great. Another God. Sigrid thought, ready to verbally fight back.
"I'm sorry," Thrúd said while smiling, "I'm just really excited to meet another Valkyrie in training!"
Sigrid's demeanor changed, and she smiled back. "Oh! I thought I was the only one!" Sigrid's energy matched Thrúd's, "I'm Sigrid."
"I know!" Thrúd cried, "I mean, my grandfather told me all about you. I haven't been stalking you or anything."
"Okay." Sigrid felt a bit awkward and didn't know what to say.
Luckily, Thrúd continued the conversation. "We should get going to the training grounds... Before Hrist and Mist get upset."
"Oh! Right. I can't be late on my first day!" Sigrid walked side-by-side with Thrúd through Gladsheim. "So, what should I expect training with the Valkyries?"
"Well," Thrúd puzzled, "They're very strict and hard to please. Believe me, I tried. They can be very mean and will push you around, but my dad tells me they do that to make you stronger. They want you to not let your emotions get in the way of your ability to fight. If you can handle that, you'll be just fine."
Sigrid paused, taking it all in, "Wow... And I thought Brünhild was tuff."
Thrúd glazed at her through the corner of her eye, "Brünhild?"
"Oh, she used to be a Valkyrie but she was banished and stripped of her wings. She is a good friend of my mom's and she taught me how to fight." Sigrid paused, feeling homesick, "She's like an Aunt to me."
"Hm," Thrúd hummed, "she sounds nice. My dad did the same for me."
Sigrid didn't want to talk about her dad. Thor is the reason Sigrid doesn't have a father.
"Speaking of my dad," Thrúd continued, "Grandfather is throwing you a welcome party at the Lodge tonight. He invites you to come after training."
"A welcome party?" she asked.
"Yeah, basically you'll be introduced to everyone. Grandfather will show you off like a prized turkey and everyone will drink mead and sit awkwardly together."
Sigrid's eyebrows raised, "Huh. Sounds fun."
"Oh, it is!" Thrúd teased.
"Wait," Sigrid stopped walking, "'Everyone?' Does that mean Heimdall will be there?"
"Oh no..." Thrúd trailed off, looking concerned. "Did you already meet the ever-so-charming Heimdall?"
"Unfortunately..." Sigrid continued walking.
"Sorry." Thrúd seemed to be apologizing on behalf of the whole realm. "It's the All-Father's party. Everyone's attendance is mandatory."
"Great..." Sigrid said, defeated.
"No worries! I'll be there so we can avoid him together. And if he starts anything, I promise to shut his huge mouth!" She looked like she was a little thrilled at the thought.
At that moment, Sigrid heard the sound of whining and screaming coming from the courtyard. She turned her gaze toward the commotion and saw a group of Asgardians holding ropes that were tied to a large horse. A black and white wild Mustang patterned the same as a cow. He was tied by all of his legs and neck. The Asgardians were struggling to keep him still. The Mustang thrashed them around trying to get free. Even from this distance, Sigrid could hear his painful cries and feel his anger.
Sigrid didn't hesitate. She ran as fast as she possibly could. She jumped down the hills of Gladsheim and bounced off the ruffs of the huts. She cut through their yards and ran past the civilians. They shouted at her as she passed but she did not slow. She felt danger approaching.
One of the Asgardians, the leader, held a long dagger in his hands. Another, she heard, said to the leader, "He's uncontrollable, Cliff. Too far gone."
Cliff held his dagger with one hand towards the Mustang, ready to strike. The Mustang reared in defense, pulling a few of Cliff's men off their feet.
Sigrid came in and blocked his dagger with her sword. She flung his dagger out of hand and pointed the tip of her sword to his throat. "Step away from the Mustang."
Cliff held his hands up defenselessly and backed away. "I-I-I'm sorry, Miss! He's out of control and could hurt someone!"
Sigrid stepped away from Cliff and shoved the men away from the Mustang. "Yeah, you would do the same if you were being tied down to be executed!" The men finally released the ropes and the Mustang was free. He immediately reared and whined angrily. He kicked his back legs toward those behind him.
"Woah! Woah! Easy boy! Easy!" Sigrid tried to calm him down before he did hurt someone. "It's okay. You're okay... Easy..." He looked her in the eyes and slowly calmed down. He stomped his hooves against the cobblestone. He still did not let her get near him.
"I'm just going to... remove the ropes... okay?" Sigrid tried to talk to him, but he was dead silent. She only felt sadness and anger from him.
Sigrid approached him and he did not flinch this time. She slowly reached for the ropes around his neck and he still was calm. She removed the ropes, and she felt relief from the Mustang. "That's right. You're safe now."
She reached her hand out to him to show she would not hurt him. Sigrid placed her palm on his nose. She earned his trust and she felt him fully calm down.
"Woah..." Thrúd said. She was utterly shocked at what she just witnessed.
Sigrid looked up from the Mustang and glanced around her. Every Asgardian stood nearby them, surrounding them in a perfect circle. They stared at her in pure amazement and wonder.
"I've never seen anyone do that for as long as I've lived..." Thrúd stated dramatically.
Sigrid rounded the Mustang, kneeled down to his legs, and slowly removed the ropes. "It's not a big deal... I couldn't let a beautiful creature be mistreated and killed for simply behaving in his nature."
Sigrid led the Mustang to the stables, pushing Cliff's men out of their way. The Mustang easily settled into his stable and laid down in the hay. "You are so good with him," Thrúd said kindly.
"Oh, well, I have horses back home so I know how to work with them..." Sigrid answered while locking the gate.
Just then, a loud bell rang. Thrúd immediately became frantic. "Oh, shit! We're going to be late!"
Thrúd grabbed Sig by the arm and they rushed out the stables. Cliff shouted at them as they ran, "Hey! What are we going to do with the Mustang?"
"Just leave him in the stables! I'll come back later!" Sigrid yelled over her shoulder.
They made it to the training grounds a few minutes late. They huffed out of breath and wiped the sweat from their foreheads. Many of the undead soldiers, the Einherjar, were lining up in rows side-by-side with each other. Thrúd dragged Sigrid into line beside her and stood in place, still as a brick. The Valkyries were already here. They were making a long speech about war, loyalty to their king, and fighting to the death. The green Valkyrie, Mist, had grabbed one of the Einherjar by the collar and called him an unreliable shrew.
The orange Valkyrie, Hrist, patrolled each row of soldiers. She stopped in front of Sigrid and paused, "Well sister... Looks like our newest recruit was late to her first day..."
Mist flew and landed beside her sister. They both stared down Sigrid, judging her demeanor. Her pigtails were messy and disheveled. Her armor was old and torn, the leather flaking off. Her face was covered in splattered mud, along with her hands and boots.
"She also comes in a filthy mess..." Mist spoke spitefully.
Hrist nodded and crossed her arms, her wings sagging, "How disrespectful..."
"I'm sorry Mi-" Sigrid tried to explain, but Hrist waved her hand.
"Silence!" She hissed.
Mist stepped inches from Sigrid and spoke down to her, "Do you think this is a joke, child?"
Sigrid's anger grew. She was no longer a child, no matter how small she was. Hrist continued her sister's rant, "Do you not take us seriously?"
"You may have gotten lucky and specially treated by the All-Father..." Mist outstretched her wings while she spoke, "But this is our domain..."
"And you will not be receiving special treatment." Hrist flew away and stood in the center of the training grounds.
"I apologize, Lady Mist. It will not happen again." Sigrid tried to look her in her eyes, but her helmet covered them. Sigrid shamefully held her head down and stared at her mud-covered boots.
"All-Father brought you here! He must have had a reason!" Hrist shouted for everyone to hear, "I say we see why!" The Einherjar all cheered in unison.
Thrúd leaned in and whispered in Sigrid's ear, "Prepare yourself."
"What?!" Before she could answer, Mist laughed menacingly and flapped her wings, grabbing Sig by her shoulders and carrying her in the air. Sigrid yelled, but she didn't let go and dropped her where Hrist was standing. She stood up, her knees aching.
"Einherjar! Give her all you got!" Mist shouted, holding out her scythe and pointing it at Sigrid.
The Einherjar cheered once more and cried their battle cries. The sisters giggled while flying out of the arena and standing on the balcony. There must have been a hundred soldiers in Sigrid's sight. And she still had not killed anything yet.
No worries, Sigrid. She told herself. Brünhild had trained you for this moment. You'll be fine.
Sigrid had no time to think how unfair and brutal this was. The Einherjar took turns charging at her. Only a few at a time attacked her. She did not fight with her sword or dagger, instead, she fought weaponless. The first Einherjar to attack swung a short-handled axe. Sig swiftly dodged his attack and kicked his legs from under him. A female carrying a heavy metal mace attacked next. Sigrid was faster and grabbed the mace's handle before it made contact and turned the weapon against her by smashing the mace against the dead soldier's chin. She let her fall and moved her attention to another soldier charging at her.
Sigrid charged towards him as well and brought her arm to his stomach and rammed him, causing him to fall on his back. Another male soldier came running from her left and she quickly roundhouse kicked him in the face. A female soldier attacked her from behind and grabbed her by the shoulders and held her arms up. Sigrid couldn't move her arms, so she moved her legs. Her foot stomped on the soldier's, making her release Sig's arms. She turned around and punched her square in the face just like Brünhild taught her.
The adrenaline was flowing through her body. She felt unstoppable. The rush of battle felt exhilarating. She used this bolt of energy in every attack. Another challenger approached, and Sigrid had to barrel roll to avoid his attack. She stood up and jumped on an oncoming enemy, wrapped her legs around his neck, and forced him to fall on his back. She narrowly avoided another soldier's swing attack and kicked him in the crook of his leg, which broke it. She kicked him away just as another soldier attacked. She grabbed her by the neck and began to choke her. Sigrid couldn't breathe and the pain of the squeezing of her throat was unbearable. Sigrid slammed her elbow into her left arm and dislocated it. The female soldier screamed in pain and backed off.
The attacks momentarily stopped. In the midst of this, Thrúd cried out to Sig, "What are you doing?! You have a sword!"
Sigrid, gripping her aching throat but still standing her ground, shouted, "I don't want to kill them!"
Thrúd shouted back, "They'll just come back! Use your sword!"
Sigrid couldn't avoid it any longer. She never killed someone, and the thought terrified her. Seeing the life drain from their eyes was not a sight she was looking forward to. But she had to get over her fear. She didn't want to use her sword, it was too bulky and heavy and would only slow her down. She hasn't used this new weapon but now seemed like the perfect time to try it out.
This weapon she had crafted herself. It was a thin, sharp, double-edged iron dagger, only a foot long, and not even weighing two pounds. The dagger had a hoop at the end of the handle meant for inserting your finger to prevent you from dropping it, but Sigrid used it to tie a long thin rope to it. This way, the dagger can also be thrown and returned to her hands for stabbing.
She swung the dagger by the rope to gain velocity. A group of soldiers surrounded her, waiting for her to strike first. They knew she was a threat now.
But one soldier could not wait. He lifted his club high and charged. Sigrid launched her dagger and it stabbed true through his throat. She pulled the rope back, freeing the dagger and forcing the dying soldier to fall to the ground. Since they are already dead, they did not bleed or die. Their body had just evaporated and disappeared. Another soldier attacked her while her back was turned. Her club stuck her chest so hard, she fell to her back and knocked the wind out of her. Before the soldier could bash her head, she quickly swung the rope, grabbed her dagger, and slashed the sharp blade against her throat. She made a gargling noise as she disappeared.
Standing up, a male soldier raised their weapon, but Sigrid was faster and tackled him. She grabbed her dagger by the handle and stabbed him in the neck. She fell as his body disintegrated and rolled before another soldier could attack her. She slashed at a soldier's thigh while she was still on her knees. As she stood on her feet, two soldiers attacked her simultaneously. The soldier with the slashed thigh was a brute of a soldier. The slashes did not seem to stop him. She threw her dagger at the soldier furthest from her and scarcely dodged the closer soldier's melee attack.
The dagger only stabbed his shoulder, but it slowed him down. He pulled the dagger out of his shoulder, which caused her to drop the rope. Sigrid threw a punch at the brute, but he blocked, grabbed her by the arm, and tossed her across the arena. Sigrid winced in pain but had to push through it. She swooped up a lone club off the ground, stood back up, and attacked the brute. She swung at him three or four times and he swiftly blocked. She finally got the upper hand and bashed him across his helmet. The soldier behind her crawled across the ground and up to his feet. Before he could hit her, she swung back and attacked him, her club donking his head and causing him to fall back to the ground.
As she attacked one soldier and he fell down, the other would pop back up, and she would attack him. This back-and-forth continued until she finally reached the rope attached to her dagger. She rolled to kneel under the brute soldier and stabbed him clean between the eyes. He screamed as his body turned to ash and was gone. The second soldier was too weak to stand, so Sigrid stood over him and stabbed him through his helmet. She walked away as his body also disappeared.
For a moment, the fighting stopped. Mist and Hrist, watching everything from the balcony, began yelling. "I am unimpressed, Einherjar. Rise up and start again."
Sigrid was panting and sweaty as more Einherjar arrived, ready for battle. There was more this time, a couple hundred.
"Oh, great! This is fair!" She shouted, loud enough for the Valkyries to hear.
Sigrid was clearly outnumbered, running out of energy, and did not have the upper hand. The only advantage she had was her duplicates, but her mother begged her not to reveal her powers. Once the Gods discover your abilities, they will find a way to use them, and use you.
She had promised her mother, but she had no choice. She was not going to die at the hands of these berserk undead warriors while the Valkyries watch. She unleashed her duplicates, each of them spreading in every direction. They were her exact image in mist form, with the same moves, speed, and abilities as herself. They could phase through enemies, and block their attacks, but they cannot provide much damage as they are merely astral projections.
She mostly used them for distractions and occasionally for blocking. Many of the Einherjar attacked her duplicates and ignored her. Sigrid took this advantage and unsheathed her sword. She wildly swung her sword towards the approaching Einherjar. Once a soldier attacked her, she summoned a duplicate to block their blow with their ghostly figure. She could easily slash the soldier with her sword and end their nonliving life. The duplicates continued to block the real Sigrid with their bodies, slowing them down and giving her a chance to attack them before they could.
Even with the help of the duplicates, there were still too many soldiers. She had to do the unthinkable. The very thing her mother instructed her not to do. Do not reveal your soul-summoning spell.
"Petra!" Sigrid called. Her green eyes began to glow as she used her Jötunn magic. Green glowing magic formed behind her. The green light moved and shaped into a figure of a large horse. This soul is a Kelpie, the large black horse that can turn into water and kelp. The horse reared and whined loudly, standing tall beside her. It galloped around Sigrid and charged toward the Einherjar. Unlike her duplicates, these souls can actually collide and attack enemies and create much damage.
The horse trampled and stumped every Einherjar in its path. Sig instructed it to kill the last of the soldiers, which it devotedly did. Once the soldiers were all defeated, Sig told the horse its job was done, and it disappeared in a flash of sparkling green light.
Exhausted, Sigrid collapsed, sitting on her bottom, gripping her aching legs. She silently cursed herself. Your first day?! You revealed your powers on your first day?!
Thrúd appeared by her side, seemingly out of nowhere. "Wow..." She rested her hand on Sig's shoulder, "You okay?" Sigrid nodded, reaching out her hand. Thrúd grabbed it and pulled her to her feet.
Right then, a flying figure appeared above them. It flew fast, crashing to the ground, landing on her knees and briskly standing. It was another Valkyrie. The Queen; Gná.
"What an... interesting gift you have..." she trailed off. Her voice was soft and calm. She was the tallest of the Valkyries, standing at least two feet taller than Sig. Her unique helmet was decorated with falcon feathers. Her armor was golden, as were her wings, and her striking purple glowing eyes pierced through her helmet. The same purple glow of the Bifröst as Heimdall's. She outstretched her hand, "My name is Queen Gná. It's nice to meet you, Sigrid."