The Seeress

Chapter Twenty Seven

It had been a few days, yet Agnetha felt she was not prepared. In the olden days, a woman being inducted to be a seeress would undertake a ritual where her connection to the aether had to be tested. In the past, several seeresses would test her and feel her connection.

But it was just Agnetha. There were many hidden risks that she barely knew. And it has to be today. To say that she was afraid would be an understatement. "Do you understand why you have to go through this?" Kjatarn asked his daughter as she looked at the horizon. She did not say much, except that she understood what she had to do.

"She had thought me those things," Agnetha said as she remembered what Mother Frida said throughout her childhood. To be merely a princess was not enough. Even more so as she could see the gods above her. The colonial's presence in the nation had hindered the Nord's connection with the Allfather, and the many seeresses had perished during the Great War.

"Are you ready?" Kjatarn asked, seeing his daughter snap back to reality.

"I am not... but I shall go," Agnetha replied reluctantly. Agnetha herself could feel the aether, but her visions were rather blurry, and even she could not trust it well. For all she knew, it all be a hoax of her own design. Which was terribly dangerous when foreseeing futures for her people. Agnetha finally took the courage to take the test. The Galdr will test her spirit.

She saw hundreds of men and women alike awaiting her. All stared as the supposed seeress slowly walked into the small shed that awaits her. She could only lower her head with her cloak covering her face, as several men barked orders to keep them away. She could see Erik's eyes being confident, but she could also tell it was a mask to hide his fears.

Entering inside, Agnetha saw a fire in the middle of the shed. She then saw the woman in robes, colourful enough to stand out from the fire. Kjatarn, even as a Jarl, slowly nodded with respect at what seemed to be the old seeress that Agnetha had learnt as a girl. "Here is the girl... do what you must with her..."

The old woman nodded her head, as she gestured for Agnetha to sit opposite of her. "Lady Agnetha... you have prepared yourself many years... for this moment. But are you truly willing to give your soul?"

Agnetha nodded. In truth, she was terribly nervous. But she was sure not to betray her thoughts too quickly. "I was like you... a seeress in an age where women like us can destroy armies combined. Jarls seek guidance before us as only we can consult Odin himself for victory. We held power that men could only dream of..."

The old seeress spread her fingers through the fire. "But now, many of us are dead. Too many, as they have discovered our importance in our victory against them. Massacres soon followed as we were burned at stake throughout the land... our connection to the aether was severed! And thus, led to our subjugation..."

The old seeress offered her hands to Agnetha, as the latter looked upon the frail, cold hands with fear. She slowly touched it with her own, as her pupils lit upwards towards the sky. And thus the old seeress chant:

"Bring thou presence! Odin, our king!
Seek thou daughter
Into her heart at laid!
Find thou solace
at her soul!
And blest her with your might,"

Agnetha dropped to the ground, her vision darkened as she fell into a trance. She knew what those trances were, as the minds of seeresses sink onto another dimension. Her counsiousness went dim, and she fell into the darkness...

Whispers were heard as she woke up. She lifted her head to see that she was surrounded by darkness, only a halo appears above her. She sees an old man in front of her, his hood covering his back.

"You come to seek me, girl?"

The hooded one said as he chooses not to look her in the eye. Agnetha walked forward, only to see that his face was still hidden in front of her. His fingers dwelled on seemingly scratching the floor. He finally lifted his head up, revealing his golden eye that pierced into Agnetha's soul.