Past Friends

Part 87: An Old Friend

"Cold, cold, cold," was all you were able to think as you rummaged through your bag, thank the gods you didn't take it off when Mr.Wong performed the spell. You hastily pulled out your green scarf to warm yourself up a bit, thankfully when you made it you opted for a wide and long crochet pattern. If you adjusted it just right it could cover your shoulders and most of your upper arms. So as you explored the castle you held your forearms tight, doing your best to hold your scarf in place to shield your exposed arms from the sharp wind as you walked along the old corridors. 

As you were walking along you paused to look at an old tapestry, it was pretty much worn away from the passage of time but there was something almost familiar about it. You stepped closer, lifting one of the old decaying edges to get a better look, it was a beautiful garden, full of life, people, music and your eyes go wide when you recognize it. You remembered it was a gift from King Erik for your birthday, your 20th if you recall correctly, the memory of your birthday ball now refreshed in your mind. Erik always went to great lengths to show you how much he loved you, he threw a ball every year on your birthday, giving a unique or rare gift, some were even from other places around the world. You then remembered one year he somehow got his hands on an Ancient Egyptian necklace raided from some old tomb in North Africa. He was so excited to give it to you and you were happy thinking about it now, how nice it was to have a sweet and kind husband, considering the time period. 

You then realized that this must be the castle where you lived, and you think how much of an idiot you were for not putting it together sooner. There was something off about the place though, yes it seemed like any other old castle but there was still a bunch of old trinkets and the like just sitting around. Rusty and old or not, people wouldn't just leave this kind of stuff behind, not when it could sell for tons of money or help further our understanding of history. The place appeared to be frozen in time, as the damage done to the castle didn't really look that old, or at least nowhere near old enough, the place was supposed to be over a thousand years old. 

You took out your phone as you briefly considered running as fast and as far away from this place as possible, or at least to a spot with cell reception. You were starting to look for an exit when you stopped in your tracks, thinking that maybe you were brought here for a reason. As you continued to wander around you found yourself in a beautiful overgrown courtyard, it reminded you of Melody. This garden had a lot fewer flowers and didn't light up or glow but it still felt magical, the same way Melody's did. You continued to explore as the whole place started to feel warmer, as more sunlight peeked through the trees and the air itself smelt sweeter. When suddenly, you see something that made your blood run cold and you find yourself frozen in place, just staring at it. 

In a small clearing, you see a large stone overgrown with vines, three large rings are intertwined and carved into the side. Within the stone, however, sat a large sword, the same Asgardian sword from your vision in the void and the one you presented to Erik on your wedding day. You remember that supposedly only you, Erik or one of your descendants could wield the sword and you started to wonder if reincarnations counted too. As you approached the stone the rings on the side began to glow a soft blue and the vines pulled away. You stood less than a meter from the blade, wondering if you should touch it, or if you were capable of pulling it out of the stone, and if this was the reason you were brought here. 

You reach out to touch it, as the memory of the void and the fire warrior crept back into your mind. You place your hand on the hilt and the sword lit up, it was a pale and soft kind of light, warm and ethereal. You then take a deep breath, placing your other hand on it to get a better grip as you pulled it out of the stone. You ended up falling back, landing on your butt as the sword came out with little resistance but was heavier than expected. You sat there on the grass in a very unladylike position, with your legs spread wide, holding onto the sword as if rested in your lap, between your legs. You took a moment to recover, taking time to calm your breathing as well as processing everything that was happening, everything you were feeling, as you stared down at the sword.  

You were obviously still very upset and as you stood up you wondered what you should do. You decided that first, you'd give the sword a try, it was beautiful and magical and despite it being heavy it wasn't too heavy once you adjusted yourself while holding it up and out. Four months ago you probably wouldn't have been able to lift it, but because of all the training with Bucky, Steve, and Natasha, you could wield it no problem. Although you personally didn't have much experience with a sword, the other you, the old you, did and you focused as you tried to recall how you were supposed to use a Claymore. You closed your eyes as you start to focus, clearing your mind and when you opened your eyes they were all misty.  

You started off slow, but as you continued swinging the sword this way and that, you began to move faster as if it was just another old skill you had picked up again. It was exhilarating, you felt a rush of adrenaline as you got more and more excited about being a sword-wielding badass. You nearly hit a tree so you decided it would be best to practice somewhere with more open space, so you head off to the Great Hall remembering that it was quite a large room. You enter as old memories start to pass through your mind, you spent a lot of time in here with your children, with your husband, with friends and enemies alike. You put your bag and scarf down on the Queen's throne before continuing to practice with your sword. Yep, you were definitely keeping it, you were not going to leave a magical sword just laying around, plus it technically was yours, well your husband's but luckily with marriage you legally share everything.  

You spent quite a long time practicing, at least it felt like a long time, you really weren't sure how much time actually passed. All you knew is that you were getting hungry, so with a sigh, you packed up your stuff sword included, as you looked around for a way out or an apple tree or something, whatever you could find first. You headed down a long hallway that you knew led to a staircase, figuring you could climb up to the tower to get a better look at where you were at and or get cell reception. As you made your way up the stairs you heard sounds coming from behind an old door, that if you remembered correctly led down into the earth and to an underground workshop. 

You walked back down the steps, letting your curiosity guide your way, you opened the thick and old wooden door. You look down the spiral staircase to see light coming from the room below and you head towards it, descending the stairs. When you reached the bottom you are met with another door, it was amber orange, with cyan blue metal details and they seemed to be almost glowing. The light you saw was from multiple Wall Sconces, there was one on either side of the door and both of them held a small flame of light. You wondered if it was even possible, "there's no way he's still alive" you thought as you knocked on the door. It automatically swung open, and you smile as you came face to face with an old friend.