Chapter 42

Day 91-92 / Day 140 continued:

The ice melted, revealing a woman easily mistaken for Hrund’s twin, with pitch black hair instead. Eyes as clear and cold as the glacier above their heads regarded her expressionlessly. Her shield was round on top, but elongated below like an inverted teardrop, and had a large metal boss in the center. Her other hand carried a long spear, with an axe head sticking out at the base of the blade, and a spike sticking out the other side: a halberd. It was the first she’d seen in Challenge. A sword hilt stuck up from behind her shield-arm shoulder, and it looked exactly like those samurai sword hilts she’d seen in movies.

“I greet you, sister.” Sangrydr said, sounding anything but welcoming and making the term of endearment into an epithet. “Are you here to see my triumph?”

Veronyka had to bite her tongue to keep from responding. The dragon said to say nothing, so she’d wait. It would give her more time to consider whether her inclination for a reward really was the right one. It sure felt like it.

She wasn’t the only one not speaking. The entire audience was dead silent. The daggers they stared at Sangrydr were practically visible.

“I have forbidden her to speak, for the moment.” Nyd’hagh answered for her. “So that we might converse. Why have you come here, food?”

The Black Valkyrie’s unflinching gaze turned to regard the dragon. “I am here to Challenge.”

The dragon rotated her body, so that Veronyka was now to her right front, and Sangrydr was to her left. Nyd’hagh flicked the four skulls in her hand back at each one’s desiccated body. As soon as each head rolled up to touch the corpse, a mount of ice seeped up from the ground to cover both, like a grave.

“Tell me, food,” the dragon’s claw indicated the silently glaring ghosts, “why do they cheer this other warrior-woman so loudly, and give you such hatred?”

Sangrydr spoke with total derision. “The remnants all love the Valkyrie, for letting them live their pathetic afterlife remembering their long-past, exaggerated exploits. The Shield-whores give them a woman’s embrace, filling the North with their vile offspring. They cheer because they hope that one day my former sisters will come and lead them in a final, hopeless battle against their enemies.”

The dragon sounded pleased by this answer. “Ah, so you hate this warrior-woman just as much as she professes to revile you. Excellent! There are three levels of Challenge you may complete. Each with its own reward. Do you wish to hear the Terms?”

The Black Valkyrie regarded her calmly. “I have successfully Challenged before. Are yours different than the Pearl Dragon’s?”

“They are not.” The dragon replied. “Do you wish to waive my explanation, and state your preexisting understanding?”

“I will. I do.” Sangrydr answered back.

Nyd’hagh lowered her head to regard the former Valkyrie. “For your first level Task, I have a proposal: fight this warrior-woman to the death. Conditions: you must set down your pack, and use only what is on your body. You must remain within the circle.” A blue-white circle appeared in the center of the arena. It was ten yards wide. “Victory conditions are: when your opponent is dead, remove her head and bring it to me. Failure conditions: death, or leaving the circle, voluntarily or by force. Special reward consideration: if victorious, you may keep any single item that your opponent carried, even one bound by oath, enchantment or other restriction. Do you understand?”

The Black Valkyrie had a world-class poker face. “Is this special reward in addition to the normal first level reward?”

“It is in addition, yes.” The dragon confirmed.

Sangrydr’s eyes returned to Veronyka’s face. “I will gladly kill her for you.”

Then Nyd’hagh moved her head around to Veronyka.

“For your second level Task, I have a proposal you may refuse without penalty and do a different Task: fight this warrior-woman to the death. Conditions: you must use only what is on your body. You must remain within the circle. Victory conditions are: when your opponent is dead, remove her head and bring it to me. Failure conditions: death, or leaving the circle, voluntarily or by force. Special reward consideration: if victorious, you may keep any single item that your opponent carried, even one bound by oath, enchantment or other restriction. This includes Challenge-rewarded items. Do you understand?”

She thought her heart would leap out of her chest. “I understand. Do I get my reward first?”

“You will, once you have chosen. Will you accept this Task?”

Veronyka took a deep breath. Only required actions. This was hers.

“Yes. I’ll do it.”

Nyd’hagh was visibly pleased. She looked at Sangrydr. “Excellent. Go to the other side of the circle, and remove your pack. I will call you into the circle in moments.”

Sangrydr nodded once and marched past Veronyka like she wasn’t even there.

Once she was out of earshot, Nyd’hagh spoke to Veronyka. “What is your choice?”

“I have one more question, if I may.” Veronyka ducked her head. “What do you mean by ‘reserves’?”

“Your physical essence contains a finite, replenishable amount of energy. Everything you do draws upon this stored potential. This is your reserves.”

“I’ll take the single increase to my reserves, please.” Her hands were shaking she was so excited.

Nyd’hagh’s eyes glowed brightly. A blue light warmed her skin. Then burned it. A second later, she was incandescent for a brief but infinite moment before it faded away.

Holding her breath, Veronyka checked how this new reserve level felt. She’d gotten quite a bump! Plus she was fully charged up. She still felt the muscular and injury pains from her fight acutely, but if she needed to, she could even do a chronoport! Maybe manage two teleports in a row, if she kept the distance really short.

She glanced over at Sangrydr, who was waiting patiently just outside the circle boundary. This was going to be so easy! She had no doubt about that.

While she was getting a feel for how good the reward was, Nyd’hagh stalked over to the circle. Reminding Veronyka poignantly of the way Ream’ch slept, the Diamond Dragon curled up like a cat, with her head resting on her front claws, only a few feet outside the line.

“Challengers, enter the circle!” The dragon called.

Veronyka could feel her heartbeat speed up, adrenaline pumping into her veins. Tremors shook her hands, reminding her that she needed to relax, and let her moves flow naturally. Her body remembered what to do, it just needed a warm up.

Sangrydr waited just outside the ring and copied her final step into it. Veronyka drew out her Spike and extended it to a greater length than she usually set it on. Her opponent’s pole weapon out-ranged hers, and she needed to minimize that small, insignificant disadvantage. It was insignificant, she told herself with conviction. Sangrydr had no chance.

“Warriors, you know your Task. Do either of you have any final questions?” Nyd’hagh announced.

Sangrydr just shook her head so Veronyka copied her. The great movie quote: “Hello! My name is Indigo Montoya...” flashed through her mind. She had to stifle a giggle.

“Begin!” The dragon’s voice sounded eager.

They both circled cautiously at first. Veronyka hadn’t seen Sangrydr fight, but given the things Nyd’hagh and the Valorous had said, she needed to get a read on what the Black Valkyrie’s weaknesses were.

“How do you come to carry mother’s spear?” The disgraced warrior asked as they measured each other. “Why does it answer to you, and never did to me?”

“I’m just special, I guess.” Veronyka retorted.

Sandgrydr’s voice was frozen disdain. “There is nothing special about any of you! When I take my weapon back, from your dying body, it will know my power was greater than your own.”

Veronyka batted her foe’s halberd aside and stabbed for her head. But the woman just hopped back and swung her own in retaliation. Veronyka’s shield cracked alarmingly when she intercepted the strike.

New plan then: attack! She drove forward, jabbing with her Spike but avoiding over-extending herself. Sangrydr lazily intercepted every one with her own shield, retreating and circling away. Convinced that she had the Black Valkyrie on the run, Veronyka poked harder, faster looking for the right spot to draw first blood.

A responding halberd blow was so obviously extending too far, Veronyka emulated her enemy’s confidence and just tapped the shaft with her shield. She intended to show the evil woman just how wrong her opinion really was. But the Valkyrie don’t practice much against pole axes. Veronyka had forgotten that the ax head functioned more like a hook in fights like this.

The oh-so-unmistakable strike turned into a shield-jerking pull as Sangrydr stepped to backwards, putting her body weight into the tug. Veronyka managed to hold onto the shield’s handle, but all that did was let her keep half of its remains. The wood shattered, splitting in two as her half turned into a semicircle.

Veronyka’s rusty instincts prompted her to leap forward. This was a stunning upset, and she had no idea how such an inferior warrior had managed to best her, even briefly. She crashed her shield into Sangrydr’s hand, trying vainly to disarm. Then the iron edge of Sangrydr’s teardrop shield caught Veronyka’s upper arm. It followed the blow by next hooking inside her elbow and stripping down to her wrist.

Pain exploded from her forearm and nerveless fingers couldn’t retain the Spike as Sangrydr stepped back again. The pole went with the Black Valkyrie’s move, and clattered to the floor at her feet.

Snarling, the woman kicked Veronyka’s Spike behind her, where it rolled beyond her reach, outside the circle. Sangrydr bared her teeth as she pushed forward, driving Veronyka back with her shield.

This was the moment Veronyka had been waiting for. She dug her heels to halt, jabbing what remained of her shield with both hands into Sangrydr’s chest. With a wink, she tossed the destroyed armor into the air and teleported with the supersonic crack of air rushing into the vacuum she’d left behind.

The familiar wave of exhaustion she felt every time she used her ability barely registered in her focused rush to attack. She’d only moved a few feet, but now appeared facing the other direction, looking right at Sangrydr’s now-exposed back. Veronyka clenched a fist and activated her close-range blade. The gauntlet-sword snapped out, instantly ready for use.

Veronyka was already stabbing as it sprung into place, aiming for Sangrydr’s neck. At a minimum, a sliced carotid artery would be devastating, and if she took the Black Valkyrie’s head right off, even better. Somehow, Veronyka’s foe was quicker than she’d expected. The woman ducked and spun, swinging her halberd in an arc to clear the area behind.

The point of Veronyka’s gauntlet-sword did catch Sangrydr’s face as the Black Valkyrie turned. It popped her eye like a water balloon, and would’ve continued into her skull if the speeding halberd pole hadn’t knocked Veronyka aside. Veronyka stumbled, shuffling her feet and slammed down at Sangrydr’s wrist.

The former Valkyrie pulled her hand back enough to cause a miss, so the blade struck right above her thumb knuckle. Veronyka had designed the weapon as an armor penetrator, and sharpened the last two inches at the tip down to an edge only fifty molecules thick. Doing so had completed her final test, requiring a merge of mind and material during creation. The claw composition was so durable, it had bored a hole through a metal plate without losing its point during testing.

Her gauntlet-sword cleaved right through the halberd’s haft at that spot, splitting the rod in two. But Sangrydr didn’t pause. Missing an eye, with its fluids clogging her nose and mouth, and her primary weapon destroyed, the Black Valkyrie still continued her turn, stepping around and bringing her shield edge-on at Veronyka.

Veronyka hopped back and stood up from her crouch. She parried the shield-strike with her gauntlet-sword, and even managed to slice a divot out of the rim. Sangrydr followed up with a straight punch, using the metal boss in the battered teardrop’s center. So Veronyka punched back, her weapon’s tip deeply cratering the protective screen’s thick metal.

The move bought Sangrydr time to draw her sword though. Spitting her mouthful of blood at Veronyka’s face, the Black Valkyrie chopped and stabbed to drive her back. Veronyka retreated furiously, deflecting the first few strikes before their weapons clashed directly.

Veronyka judged later that if she had managed to intercept her foe’s blade with the ultra-sharp portion of her own, it might’ve gone the other way. Unfortunately, she caught the swing just a hair too low on her’s. Dragon-made metal was apparently sharp enough to damage whatever organic material Veronyka’s weapon was made of. The last three inches of her gauntlet-sword sheared right off, and she had to jerk aside at the last second to avoid losing her head.

Sangrydr maintained her assault, and the same thing happened again, carving another two inches from her gauntlet-sword. The thing was totally worthless now, so she retracted it and dove away. Weaponless and shieldless, Veronyka feinted, hopped, rolled and jumped to barely stay ahead of the Black Valkyrie’s incessantly swinging sword.

The circle didn’t have enough room to keep away for long. Veronyka caught a shield-edge plus one of Sangrydr’s feet and it sent her tumbling. She scrambled backward madly on her hands and heels, wildly casting around for anything she could use.

“I will kill you now.” Sangrydr remarked, like she was discussing the weather. “Come, sister, don’t meet your end sitting in the dirt like a coward. Stand and face me, and I shall make it quick. I look forward to replacing my broken spear-ax with mother’s personal weapon.”

Her Spike! She had only teleported once. There was still reserve juice to spare, for telekinesis at least. Her eyes tracked outisde the circle, seeking it out.

“What do you see?” Sangrydr taunted. “Is it your death closing in? Can you see beyond Death’s Veil, in this house of glories long past?”

There it was! Almost directly opposite where she sat, and five feet on the other side of the line. Flexing her hands and mind together, she found the Spike oddly resistant to her mental tug. She knew precisely how much it weighed, from swinging the thing so many times, but at the moment would’ve estimated it now weighted half again as much. She’d have to test that out later, if she survived.

That perceived weight put things right at her functional limit. Sangrydr advanced angrily when Veronyka ignored her taunts. Grunting with the strain, Veronyka lifted the rod to a height of ten feet. Focusing deliberately and rotating her hands, she moved it to the right angle, then met her enemy’s eyes.

“You want Fryja’s Spike?” She growled. “Then take it!”

And yanked with all her might.

The Black Valkyrie paused, confused since Veronyka didn’t have the weapon she mentioned. Sangrydr’s hesitation was just long enough for the rod to punch completely through her torso, from back to front. Veronyka even had to grab the tip with her hand, stopping it from continuing on into her own chest.

She braced for the disruption discharge, figuring incorrectly that the area closest to the ends were the most dangerous. It turned out that wasn’t the case though. Apparently she didn’t have to worry about ‘friendly fire’ from her weapon. Blue light flashed beneath Sangrydr’s skin, and Veronyka’s foe toppled over twitching madly.

For a long moment, she sat staring as the dying woman’s chest heaved in a failing attempt to breathe. There was something she needed to do, and she would get to it. In just a minute. After a short breather.

She was so numb at the moment that she barely heard the ghosts chanting.

“Red Valkyrie! Red, Red! Red Valkyrie!”

“Do not tarry in completing your Task, or I will be displeased!” Nyd’hagh’s breath blasted her from behind.

Her Task? What was she supposed to do again?

Oh, that’s right: she had to chop off Sangrydr’s head. Ugh.

Sighing, Veronyka staggered to her feet. This act was greeted with a roar from the audience. She looked around blankly, wondering who they cheered for, and how she would finish her dying foe.

There was a sword lying between her and the mortally wounded woman. It wasn’t Veronyka’s, but it would do the job. She snatched it up and stood over Sangrydr’s still-shaking body. The Black Valkyrie turned her head, glaring sideways out of one eye at her killer.

“My ... hus ... ban ... d ... will ... av—” she gasped out.

Veronyka had no time for that nonsense. She brought the blade down with both hands, severing clean through her victim’s neck. Sangrydr had been so near death, only a small spray of blood from her carotid splashed Veronyka’s arm and shoulder.

Yes!

The Valorous went wild. Streams of phantasms emptied the stands and flowed by her, cheering, smiling, shouting their approval. With a sigh, Veronyka picked up the head by her hair and lugged it over to the dragon.

“You have killed the warrior-woman.” Nyd’hagh announced.

And her soul tasted delicious!

The dragon’s sweeping gaze at the overjoyed ghosts was decidedly disapproving.

“This completes your second level Task.” She continued “Do you wish your rewards now, or upon the unlikely completion of your third?”

Take me, and I will cloud your enemies from knowing how deadly you can be!

“That’s right,” Veronyka looked down at the sword in her hand, “you said I get to keep one of her things. Do you know anything about this blade?”

The dragon’s voice was again toneless. “It was once a Powry Death-blade. Forged out of molten rock from the Cauldron of Fire, and quenched in the life’s-blood of a high enchanter, a master assassin used it to kill hundreds of victims. Your enemy was to be his next target, but she defeated him and took it from his corpse. She did not know when she did, but doing so activated its curse. After she found out, she offered it to my sister upon completing her second Task, hoping that the transformation would remove her doom. My sister is devious, though she could have done as this woman wished, and refused. She left the weapon its shape, so it would remain enmeshed within the binding, but reinforced its core with her power and more enchantment. She placed the essence of a vampyr Soul Stealer inside, who can cloud the minds of the wielder’s enemies. You have fulfilled the curse by killing her with her own weapon. Taking it up, should you choose to do so will not cause you the same danger. It is a dragon-made weapon now, though it looks like none other from our reward armory. Do you wish to keep it as the special reward for your Task, or do you want to search for something else?”

“What about my normal reward, that’s an item or armor you said, right?” Veronyka asked.

No! Take me! I will let you hunt your enemies unseen!

“You must decide about this weapon first. It is a reward, and will return to the armory if you refuse it.” Nyd’hagh insisted.

Veronyka eyed the corpse with loathing. “Does she have any other comparable items?”

“She does not. I was her second Challenge. That is her only reward. You would be wise to take it. Though you fought well, you had less polish than the other warrior-women I have observed. Its power would be valuable to you.”

The dragon still hadn’t taken the head from her hand. Veronyka’s arm dropped to her side. Blood drained onto her toes.

As much as she wanted something else, she needed a second weapon, and this one was powerful. She wished she could convince herself that it would be a mistake, but in her heart Veronyka knew she needed to keep it.

“I’ll take it.” She sighed.

Yes! Oh yes! We will stalk our foes and strike when they do not expect.

“What’s it called?” She hoped that silky, sibilant voice wasn’t what she feared it might be.

“Ask, and he will tell you. I can hear his pleasure from here.” Nyd’hagh indicated.

What’s your name? Veronyka asked.

I am called the Unseen Shadow, though before I wore this steel I was named something else. I don’t remember what that was, and if you find out, I would be most grateful for my name’s return.

Unseen Shadow, huh? Veronyka mused. What can you do?

The voice was oily smooth in reply. I carry a necrotic enchantment, which will wither limbs or vital organs with but a single cut. You were lucky to avoid being hit during the fight. Many times I could smell your blood as you dodged. I would have gladly drunk from its sweetness. I also cloud the mind of your enemies, make them dismiss you, or fail to see you as a threat.

Oh my god! That was you? Veronyka was shocked. I just knew I could kill Sangrydr easily. I couldn’t understand how she kept getting the best of me.

Shadow was smug. That is my other power. Only the woman you killed has successfully ignored my distraction.

Well, I’m keeping you. Don’t let me forget to go get your sheath.

Of course not.

“And my normal reward?” Veronyka asked the dragon.

“You must choose from this list: one-handed weapon, two-handed weapon, pole weapon, missile weapon, shield, helmet, cuirass, gauntlets, greaves, boots, tool, or other useful object. You will receive an item from that category which will fit your body, compliment your existing demonstrated abilities, and be proficiently usable immediately upon receipt.”

“I need a shield.” Veronyka admitted.

“A wise choice, given your recent battle.” Nyd’hagh approved. “As you taste of power from other worlds, I judge you to be in need of one which will serve you elsewhere as well. Is this so?”

Veronyka blinked. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Why?”

“There is a shield, made from my sister’s own scale. At full size, it would not cover your lower arm completely in width, and barely reaches from your waist to your head. But if embedded in your gauntlet, which I see is designed to accept attachments, it will rest as less than a tenth its full size. You may expand or retract it, much like you do with your spear. It carries no soul, and has no enchantment name. But the Reflector will function on any world, no matter that one’s nature. This is the power of a dragon.”

Veronyka dropped Sangrydr’s head and pulled off her gauntlet. She silently held it out.

“Is this your acceptance of my proposal?” The dragon pressed. “You must speak.”

“I accept.”

Her armored glove vanished.

“Please retrieve your spear, I wish to dine on the blood of so deadly a warrior.” Nyd’hagh ordered.

Veronyka grabbed her Spike, and the sheath for Shadow. Both were covered in still tacky blood, but she didn’t have anything to clean them off with. Grimacing at how nasty both were, she reluctantly stowed them away. The spear went into her leg’s charging sheath, and she hung Shadow from a mount point on her back.

She kept her back to the dragon’s meal while she did so. Only Nyd’hagh’s words made her look reluctantly.

Bits of armor, flesh, bone and a film of blood marred the dragon’s already awful mouth. She nearly gagged at the sight.

“You have surprised me twice in force of arms.” The Diamond Dragon remarked. “So for your third Task you must defeat me in a game of Eggs on the Mountain. Conditions: you may take no more than one hundred heartbeats per move, but I will offer a handicap to you of the Mother and the Changeling. You may accept no assistance from anyone else, living or dead. Victory conditions are: remove five of my Eggs before I take all of your own. Failure conditions: Lose all nine Eggs before I lose five. In that event, your life is forfeit to me. Do you understand?”

“No.” Veronyka admitted. “What is this game, ‘Egg Mountain’?”

“Eggs on the Mountain.” Nyd’hagh corrected. “And I will explain the rules before our game begins. But will not do so until you accept the Challenge. Do you?”

“You haven’t given me the shield yet.” Veronyka insisted.

“This game is one of mind and strategy, not force of arms. Your weapons are not relevant.” The dragon retorted. “Still, once you have completed a tutorial from me, you will have your reward to contemplate while playing for the next Task.”

“Okay, I’ll play your game.” Veronyka sighed.

The Diamond Dragon sounded impressed. “You played very well, for your very first time. Thank you for allowing my true victory, though it wasn’t your Task.”

Veronyka sucked a shaky breath in. “Yeah. That was close. You only had that last move to go. No reason not to let you finish the game for real. Who do you normally play against?”

The dragon’s voice grew soft. “My sisters and I are able to play versus each other from our homes. We have ample unused time. Challengers do not usually appear as often as they have here since the first four were successful. Typhon is the busiest, but Amayru has few distractions. Even in her undeath, she desires to play. Now, you completed your third level Task, and are due its reward. Which do you desire, the ability to use my power, or my protection?”

Veronyka already knew which she’d choose. “I’ll take your protection.”

“Very well.” Her giant eyes glowed again.

An incredible cold washed over her. It chilled her to the bone. Her skin faded to a deep blue, and she felt like she would collapse from shivering. But it only lasted a few seconds before fading away and her body returned to normal.

“You already possessed some small measure of tolerance for the ice.” The dragon remarked. “With my protection added, you should be resistant to anything above the void’s absolute lack of heat. That may be of assistance, should you journey to other less hospitable worlds.”

“Thank you, great one.” Veronyka bowed. “If I may ask, you allowed my friend John and his companions the freedom to remain in the North, though without any protection by you. As my people live here, I ask that you permit me to do the same.”

Nyd’hagh rumbled a sigh. “Very well. But you may not lead any allies back through these halls, or I shall revoke my parole.”

“I won’t, I promise.” Veronyka assured her.

“If you wish to use it, the portal lies through there.” The dragon indicated, then turned away.

She was clearly dismissed.

The third Task had taken a very long time, so only a handful of ghosts, and Flouki in his draugyr body were still in the stands observing. When she sagged in relief, her small section gave a cheer.

“Red Valkyrie! You were magnificent!” Flouki yelled over the Valorous. “Tell my daughter of me, and what I told you.”

Veronyka smiled. “I will. Don’t worry.”

She made a detour over to the portal stone, but only stepped onto the platform. The blue-white flames that appeared were its sign that she was observed, and accepted for access to the portal. She knew that now. There was no need to go into the Network at this point. She had promises to keep.

She retrieved Sangrydr’s head from where she’d set the disgusting thing. The Valkyries would need proof of her victory. Frozen blood cracked from where the floor had chilled what remained of the neck, and it began slowly oozing the red fluid as she carried it with her. Not wanting to hold it again, especially for the trip out, she found what remained of her enemy’s halberd and jammed it onto the spear point for a handle.

Her time sense was off kilter from being bone tired and unable to see the sun. On top of that, her chronometer from the House didn’t work here, so she quickly ran back down to the access tunnels. Hopefully she wouldn’t miss her companions. She had no desire to run all over the place tracking them down. Many of the Valorous-possessed draugyr cheered in their eerie voices, and gave her proud salutes when she sped by. In addition, her small section of ghost fans followed at a distance the whole way back to Wotaanz’s icy room.

The very last draugyr (or first depending on your direction entering or exiting the Halls) was the same undead orc she’d talked to on her inbound trip. His desiccated body looked much worse for wear than when she’d seen him before.

“Warmaster, do you know how many have passed by, since you last saw me?” She asked, after he saluted her again.

His voice was filled with regret. “Only the disgraced one, who slew me so easily.”

“So, you don’t know who else might’ve come through after her?” Veronyka pressed.

“I have not moved.” The draugyr denied. “Though this body and head were separated until the Hall’s power repaired them, I could still see the steps. No others have come.”

“Great.” She sighed. “I’m going to go lay down, right over there. If any Valkyries show up, would you give me a shout?”

“I shall do so.” He promised. “You are congratulated on your victories. Your admirers among us,” he pointed at the ghosts following her, “have already spread the word about your defeat of the honor-less.”