Prologue
“Welcome back Brynhildr,” the ferryman says her angelic smile taking the place of the skeletal form shown to all others bound to purgatory. She was once a bold and brave warrior choosing the slain on the battlefield and ferrying them to Valhalla, now she’s the one they must give their offerings to in order to even be given a chance at moving past purgatory.
“Come on Freya, you know I just go by Bryn now.”
“Good to see you again sister. Are you staying this time?” Freya queries the slight raise of her eyebrow and the tilt of her head as her jaw stiffens showing me some of the Freya I once knew.
“You know I can’t do that.” I tell he shaking my head and pursing my lips.
When the last battle with the sins ended a millennia ago I walked away from Valhalla and became a mercenary hunting down the demons that remained on earth and sending them to their deaths. It so happens there's a human job that allows me to put my skills to use.
The only reason I’m even in purgatory right now is that I’m going through my rebirth. Freya is supposed to show me my greatest battles and give me a choice. I can return to Valhalla with my sisters and the chosen slain and keep preparing for the battle that lies ahead, or I can dismiss the ferryman, and return to earth.
“I figured as much, you’ve always been stubborn” Freya steps aside my choice already clear “see you in another 1000 years.”
I run down the dock and dive into the clear water ahead not glancing toward Valhalla or the life I could have.
As I descended into blackness my life flashes in slides.
The birth of the Valkyrie during the tipping point, humans were being swayed towards darkness the seven sins unleashing their desires upon the impressionable beings the angels sought to keep on the side of the holy.
Odin, as the Valkyrie knew him marched into battle with his new army at his behest.
Word of the warrior women carrying men off to their deaths and hero’s to their promise land spread quickly throughout the battlefields.
Freya chose her warriors carefully always making sure the bravest and purest of heart returned to Valhalla with her, our sisters and the slain worshipped the ground she walked on treating her as if she were a god.
I on the other hand reveled in the art of war. My talents lay in my capabilities exhibited on the battlefield. I sought to protect as many of the warriors as I could.
I fought many battles alongside the archangel Raphael. His greatest strength was the hope he gave to the dying men and the civilians. We worked well together as he healed the men I couldn’t bring myself to take to Valhalla.
As I get closer to awakening the final battle slips into view.
Wrath sits atop his thrown of bodies cackling maniacally. He’s caused all this war and all this hate among these men and he’s proud of the destruction.
We destroyed his siblings and yet he acted as though he would withstand the force of the heavens.
I’m the first through the door of bones Wrath has constructed in his hall of death.
“Ahh the little Valkyrie has come to slay me” he taunts moving to his feet.
Without saying a word I spread my wings wide and swoop into action throwing the full force of my body behind the swing of my sword. Wraths look of amusement falls as does his hands. Before he could fully move I had severed them from his body. A slight spray of blood splatters the ground and my face plastering my hair to my forehead the blond locks now stained red.
“You bitch! How dare you think you can beat me” he bellows, the demonic voice reverberating darkly and shaking the death tomb we’re standing in.
My eyes narrow locking in on his form slowly regenerating. My sword has the ability to slow his healing as it’s blessed by heavenly fire but I’ll have to decapitate him to stop him for good.
As he calls upon his army of demons to aid him the rest of the Valkyrie and Odin himself move into the tomb and the battle ensues.
It doesn’t take long for us to finish what we started and eradicate the last of the sins from the earthly plane. My sword makes its final blow and down falls Wrath's head, his body disintegrating in its absence.
I watch as one by one the Valkyrie begin collecting their final slain soul and phase back to Valhalla.
“How can they leave,” I say more to myself than anyone but Odin hears me.
“This is what I created you to do Brynhildr.”
“There is still evil.”
“There will always be evil for now we have finished what we were to do.”
Then he too is gone.
I’m alone…
As the blackness clears I push through the cement-like cast formed around my body and watch as it turns to ashes.
Some think the Valkyrie is reborn the same as the phoenix in fire, others believe in the way of the butterfly. Their theories have run rampant since we disappeared. To be honest both seem fairly accurate.
I watch as the rest of my old form falls to the ground crumbling into ash and I spread my wings taking in the new pure white feathers tipped in gold. My naked body doesn’t look any different than it did before I started the rebirthing process however it feels stronger and less tired.
This will be my third rebirth. I’m going into my 4000th year and I do not plan to enter Valhalla any time soon.
My place is here on earth preparing for the return of the sins.
I can feel them growing closer, their influence slowly gaining hold over the humans I’m bound to protect.
