Beneath The Darkness

The Last Valkyrie

Shadow

I watched most of the battle through Muninn’s eyes. Misery, Fury, Runa and I were minutes away and both sides were holding their own. The biggest threat was the person in the armor that seemed to be leading the army of draugr.  We passed through the destroyed gates of the Royal’s compound and I drew Muninn’s Claw, cutting down anyone that stood in my way. I slowly made my way through the chaos of the battlefield towards the armored person. There was a circle of bodies around where they stood. I crossed the circle and their head snapped towards me. In a flash of blades they stood before me. I kicked them in the stomach causing them to stumble back before I launched a fallen draugr’s shield at them. They dodged the shield and rushed at me, tackling me to the ground and knocking my sword out of reach. I shaped a spear out of the spilt blood around me and shot it from the ground. It hit them in the chest and knocked them from me. I stood up and grabbed another shield and threw it. It hit them in the head, knocking their helmet off. I watched as long golden hair fell from the removed helmet. My eyes met her perfect blue eyes. Anger and hatred melting off her face as she recognized me.

“Hymir?” Her voice sung like a chorus of angels in my ears. “What’s going on? Why am I fighting you? And what happened to your eyes?”

“Sigrun, my love.” I helped her up and pulled her into my arms. “I never want to lose you again. Who sent you here?

“Hymir, he said the whole clan was gone. That everyone was dead and that we were going to exact vengeance on those that killed everyone. I think he tried to mess with my memories.” she sobbed.

  “Who? Who tried to mess with your memories?” I held her face in my hands and looked into her eyes.

“Loki.”

“Loki!!” I shouted. “Show your face you, you traitorous bastard!”

“Do you really have to yell that loud? I’m right here.” Loki stepped into the circle. “And I think traitorous is a bit much. I mean I didn’t really betray anyone. If anything, it’s the two of you that betrayed me.”

“We didn’t do anything to you.” I said.

“You didn’t?” he asked sarcastically. “Before you showed up , Sigrun and I had a pretty good relationship. Everything was going well for me, and then the son of Hel shows up and suddenly you’re the only person that she sees. Following you around like you’re Odin’s gift to the world. All the extra training sessions together. And then, and then to top everything off , Odin names you Muninn. The role that I had been preparing my entire life for, and you choose her to join you on the most dangerous mission that Odin can give out. But why stop there, Odin weds the two of you and you take in that abandoned child of Fafnir. Yeah, so maybe I overreacted at seeing your lives turning out so splendidly and tricked the Jotunns into attacking in the hopes that they would kill you Hymir. But nothing ever works out for me. Sigrun is the one that’s killed and you survive. So when you ran off to slay all the Jotunns in an act of complete vengeance, I snuck in, took Sigrun’s body, and tried to bring her back. Only this time she would love me. But no, she stays in a coma for the last millenia and then she can’t remember anything at all. So being the good person I am, I helped her remember. And one look at your face undoes everything.”

“Loki, you have truly sunk to the lowest depths to try and have what isn’t yours.” I said calmly.

“I loved her first!” He yelled. “And I will have her, or no one will.” He reached inside his suit jacket.

“I challenge you to a holmgang, Loki Laufeyjarson.” I said, reclaiming Muninn’s Claw from the ground.

“You think that just because I’m a schemer, that I can’t fight? You’ll be food for the ravens, Helsson.” He charged me, wrapped his arms around my midsection and tried to lift me off my feet.

I hit him in the head with the pommel of my sword, knocking him to the ground. I helped him up by the back of his suit, pushed him away and tossed another sword to him.

“At least try to take this seriously.” I said.

He charged me again and swung the sword at my head. I easily parried the attack, knocking the sword from his hand. I shoved him back to the ground. He tried to scramble to a weapon. I put my boot on his back and pushed him into the mud.

“At least let me die with a weapon in my hand.” he whimpered.

“You will die the coward you always were. I deny you the halls of glory. Say hello to my mother.” I plunged the sword into his back before removing his head.

I walked into the council's room, the girls trailing after me. I threw Loki’s head onto the ground before them.

“That’s the head of the man that is responsible for everything that’s happened today. With that I’m disbanding the Sin’s.” I turned to leave.

“We don’t accept the disbandment of the Sin’s. This does not make up for the things the Sin’s have done over the years.” Lucinda said.

“I have done more than enough. I’m the one that put all of your families in this position of power. I have seen the rise and fall of kingdoms more powerful than yours. If I wanted to, I could reduce this kingdom to a smoldering pile of ashes. But I have more important things to deal with.” I said.