Road to Valhalla

Chapter 1: Beginning of a Long Road

"You are weak. And weakness only gives birth to regrets. All you can do to prevent that is to keep your head down. Don't look them in the eyes. Don't breathe a word in front of them. Don't let them know you exist. There is salvation in inconspicuousness. That's why you must go. There only the dead live, no names, no past, no histories. And when you are there, I'm sure you'll be able to forget..."

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My name is Seraph. And right now, I'm looking at something of a murderer, who admitted to her crime without the slightest reservation. Honestly, I don't even know why anything at all shocks me now. When I came here 2 months ago, I never expected anything to throw me off guard but every morning I open my eyes, I come to question if the world I live in isn't a dream. Oh but its real alright. If nothing else, at least this woman, sitting in her comfy chair with her legs crossed on the table, isn't something I'm even capable of dreaming up.

"Lady...", I couldn't help it, I had to ask again, "Did you just say it's the truth?"

"Sure", she smirked, focusing singularly on my bafflement.

"Oi guys!", I had to ensure everyone else present there was listening the same thing I was. Even though, they looked like they didn't yet acknowledge my presence there.

"Seraph, why do you have to be so loud in the morning?", it was Deli, clearly not a morning person even though she'd get up before everyone else.

"Well...Ms. Deli, did you hear what she did?", I pointed at the fiend sitting in her chair like a little spoiled kid.

"Yeah I heard. And so what?"

"It's alright kid. She's got reasons", this time it was Sight. He trusted Lady more than anyone. He was one of the nicest people I knew, regardless of his intimidating demeanor and fathomless height.

You don't have to remember these people. Even though they went on to become unforgettable for me despite my back breaking efforts, no one needs to remember them.

In any case, let me give you a picture of what this crisis is.

Two months ago, I arrived here for work. The process of acceptance was painful indeed, especially considering I had no idea what kind of work I was applying for. I simply wanted to get a job in the capital. My father had one connection which was never disclosed to me. In any case, it was through this connection that I got to apply for this work. All this is unimportant now that I'm here.

This is a small group of...odd people and the workplace is a church, an antique, like the ones they used to build in caves. You couldn't tell it apart from a green mound from the outside. It is quite spacious, mostly cold and dusty. The Lady's table is set in place of the altar. And whatever god that church was build for once is now gone.

Its always grey here, cloudy and grey. This is what our world is like. There are continents with inclination to magic, some places where the geniuses built their own empire of science, some parts where the free reign. There's poverty and there's war and then there's gods and angels walking the land. Oh and there's also Russia, though no one talks about that.

In any case, let me explain the current situation I find myself in. One day prior to this little squabble with these group of strange beings, the most venerable Lady was involved in the assassination of the leader of our greatest benefactors, the military. In fact, we are an underground organization of 9 people, known only by the top brass and selective members of the military. We do the dirty works in the cleanest ways and in return we get to be what we are.

But considering Mercae, our country is a stratocracy, Lady might just have pushed us all into hell. However, as you just witnessed, no one seems to care enough to ask her about it.

The truth of the matter is, General Bardock, the assassinated man who is yet to be buried, was the one that managed to pull Mercae out of war 7 years ago. The whole country was burning when he took charge and he built a magnificent castle out of that ash. Indeed, there were none who'd have anything but praises to say about him. And now, I stand before his murderer.

In his last hours, he stood on a podium on the Gran stage of the capital. All the top officials of the country attended the ceremony which was in commemoration of 7 clean years of success after the war. His speech had mesmerized all who heard him. He was, indeed, quite eloquent. And then, when the excitement was at its peak, walked in Lady. Right through the front door, with all the pride and tranquil one could muster, as if walking down a red carpet. And then she stood right in front of the Gran stage.

They say a red eyed devil came in with golden hair flowing like a horse's mane and pointed its finger like a gun at the General's head. And the time stood frozen as it moved its hand like the action of shooting a gun. And there it was, the General's head was blown open. There was barely anything recoverable.

The story ends there but I can assure you it is highly exaggerated. For one, Lady isn't red eyed, no one is. Her hair isn't quite golden, just blonde. And too wavy and shaggy to flow like a horse's mane. Though I can imagine her usual devilish smile as she killed the man. However, I know she doesn't have a gun embedded in her hand. So what I need to inquire of her is how she managed to kill him.

At first I didn't believe that it could be true.

"Lady", I approached her this morning, "Have you heard the news? What is happening?"

"What's with the concerned look? My description they have, barely matches me. Another billion centuries and they couldn't catch me", she laughed proudly, like always.

"No you don't understand. That isn't the point. The people that know about us would surely know where to look. You can't let this misunderstanding go unattended", it was sometimes hard to get through to her.

"Misunderstanding?"

"Of course! You didn't kill him, right?! Someone's faking you!"

"What's that, Seraph? When did I say I didn't kill him? Sure it was me! I killed him", she was as calm as ever.

In that moment, she looked into my eyes like a stranger. Cold and distant. Sometimes, I forget that after all, I really didn't know anything about her.

"What...are you saying? Lady, why would you...?"

"Why, huh?", she fell into an effortless thought for a second, "No reason".

"You killed him in cold blood?", I had to compose myself.

Her yes was in the form of a cheeky grin before she proceeded to become comfortable in her chair and empty worktable.

I'm a man of principal. I don't think everyone ought to live. But I don't think people should die left and right just because someone could kill them. That's just a bleak world where power rests with the wrong people. Maybe I'm able to say that because I'm weak. I wasn't born with gifts or any abilities like most people. But that doesn't mean I'm below any other human. The strong aren't the only ones that get to make rules and then break them as they wish.

"Why are you all okay with it?!", I couldn't bear any longer to stay silent, "She said she's a murderer! She admitted to it! Oi! You all heard it right?!"

I guess I wasn't the only one that flipped a switch. Well Deli, she flipped the whole table.

"What, Seraph?! You got a problem?"

The look everyone had in their eyes at that time...like the look of a hunter. If I could, I would have barged out of that place without a second to waste and never look back. I was scared, very scared. They were overwhelming, like a dark cloud hanging over me, ready to engulf me.

"Well, well", Lady did break the tension and saved me from the waterworks.

"If you want to know something then go find out. Yeah, that's right!", she had had an idea, "Seraph, this is your first assignment. You solve this murder mystery. You and you alone. You'll have 6 months. Look in every corner. Don't leave a stone unturned. But if you fail to find an answer after 6 months, I'll send you to where I sent Bardock. And you can ask him yourself what you want to know. How's that sound?"

She was surely entertained and I, well...I signed my own death certificate that day. The culprit asks me to solve a mystery that isn't really a mystery. Real irony! In any case, that was the beginning of what would be the most treacherous, memorable and longest days of my life.