Ragnarök

7 | Heimdall

"Being your slave what should I do but tend, Upon the hours, and times of your desire? I have no precious time at all to spend; Nor services to do till you require."

Sonnet 57, William Shakespeare

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Makayla erects her spine further. It's a sign of weakness to slouch - Veronica always used to say - and to carry yourself at a higher position, one must always keep their spine as erect as a tree. Remember, dominance always prevails.

"Your Highness? Can we make the final call?" Trinh Tao asks. She's the palest face in the Senate of five women, with her small eyes and sweet voice.

"Yes, Trinh. I hereby officially call the final vote for The Third Rig Race of Valhalla. Maiden Radha Sharma, Valkyrie Chief Khloë Ivanoff, Expedition Chief Natasha Brown and Treasurer Trinh Tao; I request all of you to give your vote on whether or not you're approving the Rig Race. Allow me to begin.

"All of us in this room can very well acknowledge the journey our All-Mothers have been through and their pioneering hard work through it. And in our current situation - also at all situations - we are to abide by their rules of life, security, and survival. And The Rig Race should be initiated this year just for that reason. If not for any other, the major reason I strongly vote for The Rig Race is that the Senate needs another voice of opinion and a voice of different context. If that will help the reign of Valhalla, then I have nothing against it. So, there you go. I vote for the Rig Race."

Makayla motions for Radha to speak next. Radha used to be a part of the old Senate before Makayla won over the Crown. She's the Senior Advisor of the current Senate.

Clearing her throat and adjusting her grey hair behind her ears, Radha speaks in a wizened voice. "If any of you know Radha, you'll know that she respects tradition more than anything. By Odin's way and the way of the All-Mothers, The Rig Race shall happen. Since I believe we are no one if not for our roots, I vote for The Rig Race."

Khloë wants to roll her eyes at that, but she stops herself. Instead, she speaks curtly. "There's only one thing I believe in. And it's the strength of the Valkyries that has paved way for peace in Valhalla. There's a reason, backed by tradition, that says Vikes stay underground. I believe it is testing hot waters bringing a man above ground and letting him inside the Senate at that. If there's something I've learnt in this grand life, it's that time can alter everything and so something that worked fifty years ago may very well not work now. So, here you go. I vote against The Rig Race and will not welcome it."

She looks over at Natasha, her grey eyes sending a quick message to the expedition chief. Natasha nods before speaking. "There's no need of a reminder that there's a big expedition that needs to happen soon. There are more resources there than what we've collected in the last five years and none of us can deny it. We need the best of weapons and power to conquer the place. And if The Rig Race is organized, we need to give our best weaponry to the Vikes. And we'll have to provide them better resources too. And remember that we're also giving this to a Vike. A Vike with a weapon can never be trusted. And it will be a shame if the expedition does not have enough weaponry because it was wasted on a petty male. So I vote against The Rig Race."

It's 2-2 now. The decision lies with Trinh Tao, the treasurer of Valhalla. She smiles to dissipate the pressure of the decision and speaks in her sweet voice. "Honestly, I tried to work an entire night to come up with this decision. And the pros and cons weighed almost equal, drowning me in dilemma. The treasury is doing okay if we look at it practically, not considering that there are more Vikes than women in Valhalla. The Rig Race might bring a hit to the treasury, and it could stunt the economic development and even the expedition funds if things go wrong."