Magnus Asks Some Important Questions

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     I don't normally have problems with large groups of people I don't know, but being put on the spot in front of around ten thousand people wasn't what I'd call a good time. Assuming that Helgi would be going in order of seats, since he was starting at the other end of the table, I'd be going second to last, right before Magnus, which at least meant I wouldn't stand out as the first or last person to go, which was always how I looked at presentations back at school.

     " Lars Ahlstrom!"

     I suppose it should come as a relief to me that the other new kids were just as nervous, when Lars got up, he accidentally knocked over his cup, spilling the goat milk all over himself, causing a wave of laughter to echo through the room.

     " As many of you know." Helgi continued once the laughter had died down." Captain Gunilla has been phasing in new equipment over the past few months. She's been fitting her Valkyries' armor with cameras to keep everyone accountable- and hopefully keep us entertained!"

     More cheering and cup banging came from the gathered Einherjar.

     " I present to you, Valkyrie Vision!"

     A giant holographic screen encircled the tree trunk in the center of the room, allowing everyone to see what was happening. The camera, and most likely the Valkyrie along with it, circled a sinking ferry. A kid I recognized as Lars ran to a room where people were trapped, and attempted to move a large metal container blocking the door. After failing he yelled something in a language I didn't understand, and the trapped passengers moved away from the windows as Lars used a fire extinguisher he'd been carrying to break the glass, before laying his jacket over the shards and waiting until every last person had gotten out. Just as he'd picked up his fire extinguisher again, the boat jerked to the side and Lars's head slammed against the wall. As his body began to glow, the Valkyries arm moved into view and took the hand of what I assumed to be Lars' soul before the screen went dark.

     The Einherjar began cheering again after the video ended, and the Thanes began speaking to one another again about the Fire Extinguisher and whether it counted as a weapon.

     I heard Magnus ask Sam," Why does that matter?"

     " To get into Valhalla, a warrior must die in battle with a weapon in his or her hand. That's the only way."

     " So, anyone could get into Valhalla if they just grabbed a sword and died?"

     " Of course not. We can't have kids taking up weapons and dying on purpose. There's nothing heroic about suicide. The sacrifice, the bravery has to be unplanned- a genuine heroic response to a crisis. It has to come from the heart, without any thought of reward."

     " So... what if the thanes decide that a newbie shouldn't have been picked? Does he go back to being alive?"

     " Once you're an Einherji, there's no going back. You might get the worst work assignments, you might have a hard time earning respect, but you stay in Valhalla. If the Thanes rule the death unworthy... well, the Valkyrie takes the punishment for that."

     I turned to look at Liv, unlike the other Valkyries at our table, she didn't seem to bothered. I wasn't sure if it was just because she had faith in my heroics, didn't know, didn't care, or was simply resigned to her fate. For the sake of my self-confidence, I decided it was the first one.

     After a little while of talking, the Thanes decided a Fire Extinguisher counted as a weapon, and Helgi stood up again.

     " What greater enemy is there than the sea? We find Lars Ahlstrom worthy of Valhalla!"

     More applause and cheering echoed through the hall, Lars's Valkyrie looked more overjoyed than he did.

     " Lars Ahlstrom," Helgi said once the room was quieter again." Do you know your parentage?"

     " I- I never knew my father."

     Helgi nodded." That is not uncommon, we will seek wisdom from the runes, unless the All-Father wishes to intercede."

     It appeared the All-Father did not wish to intercede. Everyone had turned to Odin's throne, but nothing happened other than the ravens squawking and ruffling their feathers. Helgi seemed more disappointed than surprised as he turned away from the throne and towards the fire pit where a woman in a green cloak shuffled forward, her face hidden, and her posture making her look ancient, which I suspected she probably was.

     " Who's the Wicked Witch?" I heard Magnus ask Sam.

     " A Vala, a seer. She can cast spells, read the future, and... other stuff."

     The Vala walked towards our table and stood in front of Lars, taking a leather pouch out of the depths of her cloak, and pulling a few runestones out of the pouch.

     " And the runes?" Magnus whispered again." What are they for?"

     " They're the old Viking Alphabet, but each letter also symbolizes something powerful- a god, a type of magic, a force of nature. They're like the genetic code of the universe. The vala can read the stones to see your fate. The greatest sorcerers, like Odin, don't even need to use the stones. They can manipulate reality simply by speaking the name of the rune."

     The Vala muttered something under her breath, before throwing the stones down by her feet, some landing face up and others face down. The holographic screens lit up again, showing one rune in particular to the gathered Einherjar, causing them to start cheering again.

     The chanting of," Thor! Thor! Thor! Thor!" Echoed through the room.

     " As if we need another child of Thor," I heard Samirah grumble.

     Both my brother and I turned to her in confusion.

     " Why? What's wrong with them?"

     " Nothing, they're great." Based on her tone of voice, she didn't find them that great." Gunilla over there, she's a daughter of Thor."

     " Oh..."

     Finally, once the excitement had toned down, the vala raised her arms, addressing the crowd once again." Lars, son of Thor, rejoice! The runes say you shall fight well at Ragnarok. And tomorrow, in your first combat, you shall prove your valor and be decapitated!"

     There was more cheering from the audience at this, which was only slightly concerning.

     Eventually, the ceremony moved onto the other newcomers, going through three kids with mortal parents, one whose father was Odin ( that caught everyone's interest), and a daughter of Heimdall, before it finally was my turn.

     " Willow Chase," Helgi spoke." Now is your turn to impress us with your great feats."

A/N: To anyone reading this, you are most likely unaware that I somehow accidentally left this chapter unfinished, I'm not sure how it happened, but I noticed as I was rereading this story and noticed the lack of an end to this chapter. As always, I hope at least someone somewhat enjoyed this chapter, any to all comments from anyone about anything make my day, and just keep in mind the world is your erster.

Eternity | T.J.Where stories live. Discover now