Snow White with the Red Hair: The Valkyrie

The Meaning of Her Name

It wasn't long until the three of them had made it back to the group. Zen immediately ran to embrace Shirayuki while Obi knelt down to Ryuu after Akari had set him down.

"I came just in time. The creatures were about to capture... them." Her words were hesitant.

"You mean Ryuu t—" Mitsuhide started to ask if the creatures would've caught Ryuu and left him unharmed, but the valkyrie quickly clamped a hand overtop his mouth. The darkened glare coruscating off her irises and the shake of her head told him that he would've been shown no mercy. She removed her hand, leaving him nearly speechless.

"Oh..." Was all he could manage to say.

In that moment, they'd heard a man yelling.

"Ack—get back, fiend!"

It was Zen's older brother, Prince Izana.

"Oh no... I forgot about my brother."

"How irresponsible of you." The valkyrie sarcastically commented. "I shall retrieve him. Stay put and protect each other."

Quick and discreet as a shadow, Akari disappeared into the darkness. It was her element. She used it to her advantage. But now she faced an enemy that used it all the same. Enveloped by the shadows, she wasn't sure who truly had the advantage.

Unsure as to where she was headed, she slid to a stop for a moment. She drew a location rune, smacking it aggressively with her open palm. It lit a path on the ground, leading up a flight of stairs. She moved quickly as the path continued to light the way. Finally, she stopped at a door that had been busted down. Without hesitation, she ran inside to find Prince Izana defending himself with a simple sword. She leapt across the room, slashing straight through the monsters with her glaive.

The First Prince of Clarines now pointed his sword at her throat.

"Who are you?!" He demanded an answer.

"I am the person who just saved your life. Akari is what they call me."

"Akari, hm? I suppose you have saved my life. But that doesn't mean I should trust you."

"Trust me or not. It is your life that is at stake."

She used the same argument when Obi was hesitant about giving Shirayuki the tonic she'd concocted.

"Where's Zen?"

"He is safe in the courtyard, as well as the guards and his aides. Everyone is alright."

At this news, he lowered his sword.

"Alright..." He gazed upon the mess of shattered belongings in his room. "What were those things that had the audacity to attack me in my sleep?"

"Creatures of the Dark. They cannot be defeated by your regular weaponry." The tips of her fingers sparked with a dim white light. They flickered, but she fought to keep them lit. Now, Izana could see her face.

"What are you?" He sounded almost disgusted. To her, at least.

"A Castanic. It is a long story, but now is not the time. My powers are fleeting and I must rune your weapon." She traced runes above his sword, pressing them into the blade. They melded into the metal, becoming one with the weapon. "Come. We must hurry to the courtyard where everyone is waiting or else it will be—ah!"

A large black spike stabbed her through the shoulder, dragging her body backwards as it was removed. She tumbled across the floor onto her abdomen—her glaive hitting a wall after tumbling with her.

"Akari!" The prince reached out to her when he was thrown into another wall, losing consciousness for that moment in time. Rolling onto her back, a hand was quickly wrapped around her throat, picking her up and slamming her into the floor so hard, it left a bit of a crater. She had a hard time breathing, but she refused to stop fighting for her life.