The novelization of Saint Seiya. The story of Seiya reimagined, written and told with some important alterations on the story.
Cover Artwork: Tiago Fernandes (@tfernandes)
The Valhalla Palace was a building on the highest point of Asgard, beyond the castle walkway, going up a grand winding street between mansions and former restaurants, bodegas and grocery stores that were now abandoned in disrepair; the few aristocrats who still lived hid in their mansions, warmed by timid fireplaces. Before the great gates of the Valhalla Palace there was a frozen fountain where children used to gather for the great fairs of another time.
Round the fountain rose wide arched steps to a courtyard where the entrance to the Valhalla Palace opened. There was no gate to lock it, as Valhalla was eternally open to the people of Asgard. This entrance, however, was colossal, like a tower; the ever-open entrance seemed narrow, but only because of the size of the gap in the tower, for in truth an entire entourage could pass through at once.
Crossing this huge gap-always-open, but now abandoned, it led to a wide corridor where one could glimpse the many cold and dark columns inside. It was, in any case, a gloomy and abandoned building, covered in snow and even cobwebs in many places, since it was no longer cared for as in its heyday.
A sad construction with large dark and abandoned areas, high towers and two or three floors, depending on its inner chambers, as well as at least five underground levels where dungeons and other mysteries were excavated. At the end of the Palace, already at a higher level than its entrance, another corridor led to an enormous courtyard that opened up under the Colossus of Odin. Where Hilda sometimes prayed to her God.
On the balcony of a second floor, looking at the Sword that Odin wielded in the stone statue, Siegfried was kneeling before Hilda.
"It looks like two Saints have already arrived at Valhalla Palace."
"You're right, Miss Hilda, but you have nothing to worry about. Those two barely survived the fight against Míme, so they aren't completely unscathed. They should be no match for Mizar Sid as he was able to defeat a Gold Saint in his own Temple at the Sanctuary. I would dare say that Sid is the second to no one in this great land. I have full confidence that he will not fail."
Hilda looked at the horizon and managed a smile that Siegfried didn't notice.
"I must agree with you." and then she cast a sly look at the huge man kneeling before her. "But Siegfried, you may not realize how vast Sid's true power is."
Siegfried was surprised when thunder cracked next to Odin's golden crown.
"I know one day you'll understand that." she commented, letting out a powerful laugh as the light snow fell around them both.
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The main corridor of the Palace, which was accessed immediately after entering, was all made of stone, so that the calm steps of those who had just entered echoed even if they tried to hide it, such was the abandonment of the place. Some torches and even candles on distant tables gave the dim lighting of the place, which cast many shadows in the corners. In addition to the carefully calculated footsteps that echoed through the ancient stones of the Palace, there was suddenly the tense, metallic scrape of chains dragging. The steps stopped and the two Athena Saints whispered their suspicions to each other, when behind a column came the sublimation of a slow and mesmerizing ice mist.
