A home for the Valkyries. Lubbock had said those words. And I knew then that Valhalla wasn't a barracks to prepare soldiers. It was a place to protect. But what I didn't know was what exactly it was that we were trying to protect, that Lady was doing her utmost to save. A treasure like that. I wondered what something like that would amount to. *************We were rudely awoken the next morning, by some noise downstairs. Without getting dressed, I poked my head out of the room I was sharing with Lubbock. Sight and Claire were in the next room over. Lubbock had already gone downstairs and there was quite a commotion now. Sight appeared out of his room, dressed and ready to move."Mornin' boy!", he acted as if he couldn't hear anything. "Sight, what's that noise downstairs?", I asked."What noise? Oh, probably some drunken men! Things you see in pubs like this, boy, you'll get used to it."Except t

It felt like years since I'd seen the face of that place. I hadn't realized when, despite all the complicated feeling I had yet to unravel, that place had begun to look like home. As pleasing as that warm feeling was, I pinched myself so as not to forget, so as not to get used to such a life. But I had already forgotten most of what I used to be.Valhalla stood right before our eyes, as peaceful as always. The same scent of wet Earth, the distant voice of the waterfall and the wind sweeping through the forest all around our hidden haven. The crooked path as clear as ever, seemed so welcoming. It had been a while since I'd walked on it.And the first thing that came to view was the mound on which Prophet lay sleeping all alone. My eyes always went to him before anything else, even though he was no longer under that stone. I knew in my heart that Prophet had already moved on. Yet, there she stood, as always, keeping him company.The door to the church was wide open, meaning morning had

There was a good wind on the grassy mountains that day. You could tell that a storm was brewing high up in the sky. Dark clouds went swirling like a tower up into the grey sky. The ones below it hadn't paid heed to the sky above. But that was an hour ago. They'd all come to rest now. Their vacant eyes strayed up and stuck there for all eternity. The mountain was littered with their kind. But for the two travelers that treaded up the mountain, those sights weren't new. Making their way up the mountain, one lagging behind the other, they neither watched the sky nor those staring up at it."Lady!", called the one lagging behind.She turned, stopping to catch her breath. They'd come a long way.He pointed to something in the distance. Lady looked where he was pointing. A murder of crows. She had to peel her eyes to discern what they were gathering at. She looked back at him and nodded, "We're here.""Oi, before we go on", he stopped her again, "They are proud beyond your patience. And

I did indeed die.As for how I'm still able to tell you about it, that's a story for another time.So as I lay there, dead, the Valkyries walked up to check on me."Sight, didn't you put the evasive barrier on him?", Lady asked, while examining my lifeless remains."Ah...I forgot", Sight scratched his head as if no loss has been incurred.Surprisingly enough, Grim had quite the same shocked reaction as the rest of them."I didn't know it will work", he said, thinking Sight had already put this barrier on me. After all, those guys sure did take their time pepping me up.Now they all just hovered over me, cluelessly.As for me, I was in a nicer place."Lucy looks like she doesn't care but she asks about you often. Well, you know her", he stood tall, with a careless smirk on his gentle face.I looked over at Lucy who glared at him and then looked away when I looked her way. I did avert my gaze soon enough, seeing as she was stripped to the bone, as usual."She's surprisingly shy", I chuc

The ensuing smoke that engulfed the mountain site made it hard to keep a steady foot. I was told to look for something. What, I did not know.Only an hour ago, the mountain stood tall and proud. Now it was the rubble I walked on. I turned my head around to see Chopper in the distance. There wasn't a speck of wind anymore. I wished the smoke would disperse so I could at least catch a glimpse of the sky. For some reason, I had a feeling that we were nearing the end of this business. I was utterly wrong. **************"Doesn't look like there are any rules anymore, are there Chopper?", Deli asked as we were all standing as the audience of whatever it was that was about to sprawl open in front of us.Lady and Grim stood opposite each other."Those two aren't capable of following any rules", Chopper replied.The wind blew harder than ever, sending Lady's fur coat flitting behind her. I could barely grasp her figure