Danger Inbound

“I look amazing!” Freydis, revitalized the next morning, smiles at herself in the mirror.

Although often found in a stylish dress, the outfit for the meeting is the most luxurious she has ever worn. The maids shower her with compliments as she poses for them,

“Hey where’s Sigrun? I want her to wear a dress as well, Eiric will lose it. I wonder if Vilgur likes a girl in a dress.”

“Any man would be lucky to lay eyes on you princess.”

“Oh you, keep the compliments coming.”

“Captain!” A soldier knocks on Freydis’s door.

“What is it?” Runa answered the door.

The soldier looks inside, Freydis looks his way worried by his voice. He hides himself from her view, his eyes unable to hide the fear building within himself.

“You must come at once. It is an emergency.” He said.

“Freydis, I’ve been summoned for a briefing it seems. I’ll return soon.”

“Is everything alright?”

“I’ll make sure nothing disturbs you, don’t worry about anything else today.”

“Oh, ok! I’ll do my best.”

Runa rushes to a private room where Alvis, Ingrid, Leif, and the younglings of Sanctuary wait for her alongside a handful of the Solgrad soldiers.

“What is it?”

“We just received word using the young Sigrun’s blessing.” Ingrid said, “There is danger inbound.”

“Danger? An attack? Who would be idiotic enough to attack the leaders of the five realms?”

“We have our suspects, but that is not what matters.” Alvis said, “They’re sending one of the blessed that have been experimented on.”

“What? Are they insane? They wish to take the throne so badly that will jeopardize relations with the five realms for it?”

“Their plan is to show the danger of the blessed. Afterwards they will offer a permanent, violent solution. In doing so, it will allow them to push Freydis off the throne. They don’t care for the relationship between the realms, they believe the strong arm approach will give them everything they could ever wish for. Perhaps we should take a similar approach.”

“No. As frustrated as we all are, Freydis would not want a civil war to break out. All we need to do is foil their plan. I will go.”

“Absolutely not. I just warned you about using that blessed weapon, it is far too dangerous. I will be the one to go.”

“The first and second captain cannot leave Freydis’s side. I will not force Leif to join me either. Trust in me, I will not allow this meeting to be interrupted.”

“I. I cannot object.” Alvis clenches his jaw, “You three. I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?” Eiric said.

“I will not ask you to fight, the blessed is as strong as a captain and their blessing far more dangerous. But I need information at all times, the best way to do so is Sigrun’s blessing. Please, will watch over Runa as she fights.”

“I would like to go.” Vilgur said, “Sigrun, I know it is dangerous, but we can at least provide information.”

“Fine. But we can’t promise to be of help in battle.”

“Thank you.”

“Then I will leave now.” Runa said.

As Runa leaves to intercept the incoming enemy, she is met by Freydis.

“Runa! Where are you going?”

“I’m on perimeter duty, princess Freydis. Worry not, Alvis will remain at your side, but I must make sure nothing interrupts you.” Runa hugs Freydis, “I know you can do this.”

“Oh. Thank you.” Freydis return the gesture, unwilling to voice her concern as Runa’s eyes tell of the danger to come.

“What took you so long?” Leif said as he watches the incoming woman from a distance.

“Did Alvis ask you to do this?” Runa said.

“Alvis only said he would owe me one. Runa, our people wish for this to go well as much as you do.”

“Then you have my eternal gratitude.” Runa draws Vile and Ve, their power emanating the moment Runa gives the sacrifice needed for them to be used, “You three. Should we fail, you warn Ingrid and Alvis immediately, I’m sure they will be able to kill what is left of the blessed.”

“Yes mam.”

The two captains disappear, appearing before the blessed woman who stares only at Runa.

The blessed woman is short with long blonde hair. She wears a long dress that reveals her stitched arms. One of her eyes is mechanical, a piece of her blessing forced upon her after countless experiments to make her the perfect weapon.

Veythar, Solgrad’s hope, Solgrad’s greatest weapon. A project to create powerful soldiers out of blessed culminated in the creation of Veythar; a weapon that adheres to command with incredible power. The experiments sought to control and empower, but such ventures were foolish.

“Any chance you would turn around and return home?” Leif asked.

“You.” Veythar points at Runa, “How many times did you watch as they tortured me?”

“I asked them to stop. Every time. I’m sorry. Please, I don’t wish to fight you who has suffered so much.”

“Then let me go. I will kill the people who allowed such a thing, starting with the princess.”

“I cannot do that.”

“Then it is your head I will collect first.”

Veythar uppercuts Runa who blocks with her twin blades. Veythar’s elbow opens, revealing a rocket like thruster that empowers her strike and sends Runa high into the sky.

Living Weapon. Veythar’s blessing once allowed her to create weapons out of thin air. The process was slow though powerful. To offset the time, her torturers forced her to replace much of her body with weapons, leaving her more machine than woman.

As Runa soars higher, she blocks a barrage of rockets sent her way. The attack would continue were it not for Leif who begins his own offensive.

“Rune Magic: Prir Gravity.” Veythar’s body sinks alongside the ground around her, “Heavier? Perfect! Summoning magic: Fjorir Bear!”

A portal appears behind a smiling Leif, the head of a giant bear soon appearing before it’s paw swipes Veythar. For any regular human, the strike would shatter every bone in their body. Although it sends Veythar flying, it only leaves her left arm without skin, revealing the mechanisms that her body is composed of in the area.

“No!” Veythar recovers and rushes back to the area she stood, attempting to pick the pieces of skin left behind, “No. No. No. I’m human. I am human.” She attempts to reattach the pieces but fails, staring at them before switching her attention to Leif.

“I’m sorry. If you surrender now, I won’t have to hurt you anymore.”

“Leif!” Runa kicks Leif away from Veythar’s swing with a blade extending from her arm.

The kick was enough to avoid the first attack, but Veythar chases Leif down without allowing him to channel a spell to retaliate. Runa intercepts, her blades matching the strength of Veythar’s enraged onslaught.

“Summoning magic: Fjorir Eagle!” A large eagle grabs Veythar and carries them into the sky, “Now Runa!”

“Ve.” Runa tosses the right blade at Veythar, creating a large explosion as it impacts her body.

The attack is blocked by a barrier as Veythar slices the eagle in half. She turns to her targets, four rockets extending out of her back and launching at blinding speed.

“Darn it. Summoning magic: Prir Turtle.” Leif is protected by the shell of a turtle while Runa uses Vili to stop both rockets aimed at her.

Leif scans Runa. Simple use of Vili and Ve does not require more than an initial sacrifice, but stopping an attack like the powerful rockets, and the extended use of the blessed weapon must come at a cost.

“We need to hurry.”

“What is the rush?” Veythar surprises both Runa and Leif, landing a thrust empowered strike on Leif which sends him crashing through nearby trees.

“Leif!” Runa attacks Veythar, starting a prolonged exchange that travels across the hills.

Runa unleashes Vili and Ve without restraint. The right causing great explosions that slows Veythar, the left stopping any attacked deemed too dangerous to parry without its ability. Leif remains unconscious as Runa thinks of a way to kill Veythar. Unleashing an unrestrained explosion could be enough, she could even activate a combined ability, but both come at a great cost when she has little left to give.

“One minute.” Leif stands up with the help of his staff, he bleeds from the mouth, much of the bones near his center crushed by the strike.

“Leif. One minute, I can give you that.”

“No.” Veythar’s center body unravels, her arms joining to create a concentrated beam of energy; her most powerful attack, the magic gathered by it can be felt around Ymirra.

Runa cries. To stop such an attack will require the rest of her memories, that which remain of Freydis, her closest partners, recent days, and even her husband. Or, she can give her life, but she believes that would bring nothing but sadness.

Veythar’s beam is fired, Runa hesitating as it nears her body.

“5 seconds!”

“I’m sorry, everyone.” Runa raises Vili but the twin blades are knocked out of her hand by Sigrun.

“That’s enough.”

Vilgur lands in front of them, raising 20 shields of any material in the area. 17 are destroyed in an instant, Sigrun and Runa joining Vilgur to empower the shields as the beam continues forward.

“Ahhhh!” Vilgur’s muscles tear, but he doesn’t move an inch.

Behind him, Sigrun and Runa hold his body and bear the storm of debris and magic that batters their bodies. The three refuse to give an inch, pushing far past their limits and even gaining ground as the three let out a roar.

“Curse you! Huh?” Veythar dodges Eiric’s blade, summoning her own to exchange with the strange boy and overpowering him within seconds, “Fool! you should have watched as you were, I have no hatred for you.”

“Neither do I. I hope you can pass without pain.”

“What?”

Two eyes pear at Veythar from above before swooping down and slicing Veythar’s leg. The attack is done by two large crows who push Eiric away before conjuring a storm of feathers that spin around Veythar.

“Fimm, Odin’s thought and memory.”

Veythar places her hand against the storm of feathers, there is no escape. Although the runes used to force her to comply are powerful, the spell wanes after her last attack. Tears fall, Veythar able to remain still and smiling as she waits for the end.

“Thank you.”

Only used twice before, Leif’s spell tortures the target with thousands of cuts done by the feathers. But, today, Leif commands them to end it in one, clean strike.

“They did it.” Vilgur said.

“Heh, not bad for some lousy captains.” Leif said as fell down.

“Leif!” Runa runs over, her body giving in as she takes her first step.