Angel Blade II - Mark of Vorkera

—

The world around her slowly comes back into view. It starts as a white light, but slowly fades into something darker as the word again takes shape. She is in a different spot than she was before. In fact, what she sees in front of her is a large building. She gapes up at it to see it towers above the trees, some fifteen stories by her reckoning.

The wind rustles tree leaves and beams of light shine through them. Sweiza’s eyes shift to the scattering light. She steps back and finally comes back to reality. She turns around. Salmira is there with her arms crossed.

“Impressive, isn’t it?”

Sweiza looks from Salmira, up and behind her back at the building and back to Salmira again.

Salmira lets out a smile as her eyes close and her head turns away from her, stifling a laugh. “I meant the sun’s rays through the tree leaves.”

Sweiza blankly stares at her.

Salmira approaches her. “They name that star after me in the future.”

Salmira, now mere feet from Sweiza, doesn’t get a response. One of Salmira’s eyes half close and she clears her throat. Sweiza feels a cry within her body to turn around and run. Instead, she visibly shakes as her body feels paralyzed and refuses to move.

“Ah.” Salmira’s tone changes to something noticeably nicer.

“So did you want to know why you are here?” Salmira says it, her eyebrows shooting up. Sweiza continues to stand there, her body gradually shaking less.

Salmira gives it a few moments. Sweiza’s body has stopped shaking by now, however, there isn’t much change in her posture or demeanor. Salmira’s head tilts and her arms craddle.

Sweiza’s head starts to shake back and forth, as if her mind is being made up. Salmira’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Oh fine. Be that way. I’ll give you a reason to get that excessive energy out of your system.”

Salmira’s eyes widen and her mouth slowly turns into a creepy smile. Sweiza feels the urge to run, but her body doesn’t respond. Salmira takes one step forward, almost as if by fate, her foot steps on a branch and it lets out a small crack. Sweiza lets out a scream and turns around and runs.

Salmira’s eyes shoot up at the sun and her arms cradle. Another smile creeps up on her face. “She’s definitely the one.”

Salmira shakes her head and she disappears in the same falling gemstone-like sparkle that Sweiza associated with Brynhilde.

—

It is a game of cat and mouse. Sweiza’s instincts and adrenaline drive her, Salmira appears here and there in different directions: meeting her face to face, appearing in the side of her vision, the occasional branch crack behind her. For some amusement, Salmira appears on occasion standing in the tree branches just ahead and above Sweiza. Each time she encounters the witch, Sweiza bolts in a random direction. This goes on for several hours. For a time after those few hours, Salmira does -not- appear. Gradually, the adrenaline and desperation wear off. Sweiza finds herself at a beach, nothing out of the ordinary and no cause for concer. Her breathing and body start to burn. Her fear subsides as she feels the exhaustion. She drops to her knees and then falls forward on her hants panting. She rolls over onto her back and does anything she can to alleviate her aching body. Her eyes finally close. Sleep quickly overtakes her.

It is sometime towards evening when Sweiza hears a familiar voice.

“All rested and better now?”

Sweiza’s eyes open. Salmira is standing over her. Sweiza attempts to jump upright and run, but she feels something holding her down.

“Okay then young one. We did it your way the first time. It didn’t end well for you did it?”

Sweiza blinks once and her head bolts away and to the side. She feels some force angle her head back up at the witch.

“Listen to me carefully. I wore you out because in most case scenarios you run from me. Without any adrenaline to get in the way you think a bit clearly. There are a few things I need to explain to you, and then there are a few things I need you to do for me. Nod your head if you understand this.”

Sweiza’s face grimaces as she nods at the woman. She feels the force on her let up. She quickly pushes herself to her feet and is standing. She gives Salmira no attention as she quickly turns around and attempts to run. She makes one step into a run before Salmira is in front of her by a few feet. Sweiza’s body tighten to stop her run.

“I will be very clear on this. NO RUNNING. Nod if you understand.”

Sweiza hastily nods, her body shaking ever so slightly.

“Now pay attention; while I have all of the energy and time in the universe, your time is limited and I need this as soon as possible. I need none of your normal childishness; I need you to act as an adult for this. Is that clear?”

Sweiza says nothing. Salmira’s eyebrows shoot up. Sweiza wrinkles her nose at the woman. A very angry face appears on Salmira’s face. A smile creeps on Sweiza’s face. It quickly disappears when a red aura, almost like a flame appears around Salmira. Sweiza quickly nods. Salmira returns as she was before.

“I will try to keep this short an sweet. I am being from another world. I am what you might consider to be yourself in the water swimming with fish. However, I am more of a vessel that carries myself, I am closer to a large boat in the ocean with many millions of minnows swimming about. But I am also like a fog that can become a cloud, I can shapeshift into different forms as I travel across many lands. I am very much like a bolt of lightning that can pass between earth, wind, water, fire and ether. Do you understand?”

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Salmira’s arms are crossed when she asks the question. Sweiza shakes and it comes out as a croak, “I think so.”

“Then may I continue?” Salmira shakes her head as she says it, as if to drive it into the girl. Sweiza says nothing, Salmira continues anyway.

“I have what you might consider to be a twin. Her name is Salyra. She had very different ideas, moreso than I did, about a fissue that opened in our world. We investigated it; things happened in both worlds that should not have. Salyra was sentenced to death; I was considered her accomplice. I defended her and got us a lighter sentence. Salyra was banished with myself to this realm, in a manner of speaking. I like to think that I succeeded in a lighter sentence for her, but she had other ideas.”

Sweiza’s breathing indicates contempt. Salmira’s arms cross. Sweiza quickly snaps out of it and her body slackens. It comes out as another croak with a shaking body, “What hapened then?”

“Not just banished, but we are trapped her. I’m not refering to the planet. I’m referring to something beyond this world; this world is part of many worlds you must understand. Just as there are kingdoms in the ocean and land, there are other lands and worlds beyond this one. They revolve around the sun you cal Angol.”

“That’s not true! The Angol revolves around Avalan!”

Salmira’s eyes narrow and a large spark snaps in front of Sweiza. Sweiza attempts to run, but she feels that same force holding her in place.

“…you will have to understand there are powers and forces at work, sometimes of beings that are stronger than you, smarter than you, and more ever present than you. I don’t expect you to understand any of this now. However, this is something you need to know if I’m to get your cooperation.”

“I’m not going to help you!”

Salmira raises her right hand and motions her finger for Sweiza to come closer. The girl feels that same force lift her. She sees the landscape around her move as she is moved, albeit hovering, to Salmira.

“If I recall, the village you come from is backwater. I seem to remember you understand the moons of this world, revolve around it. That same force is what causes this world, and several like it, to revolve around Angol. This is the truth and the way of your universe. You just don’t understand it yet. Also, this center of revolution is what is inside of a gravity well. It is more like a reverse gravity well and keeps other things out. The original plan was to build a device within this dimension’s limitations and find a way to push out way out. My ship, the ‘Accretia’, was a colony ship; in reality a prison ship; they were banished with us you should understand. We settled down on the fourth world and would help their descendants thrive and flourish until at that time when the technology would be built to accomplish the original goal. Are you with me so far? Nod if you understand.”

Salmira is aware of the girl’s teeth gritting and her defiance in her rigid body language. Another spark pops in front of Sweiza; mere feet in front and between them, it doesn’t seem to affect Salmira. Sweiza quickly lets out another nod.

“Salyra, had other ideas. She wanted revenge on our kind. She was going to build the very thing that opened a rift into our world and use it on them. I wasn’t aware of this until she built the Star Fury. You should understand there were six moons around this world originally; I’m sure you heard the legends about it…”

Sweiza nods. “The twin moons of Mecer and Mek, I heard of them as being like faeries in a streami that held hands and could move without swimming; they were…”

Salmira cuts her off, “They were based on legend and legend often is rooted in fact, if not stunted and distorted over time. You must understand there are ships that can fly. The Star Fury is one that could fly beyond this world…”

Sweiza’s face shifts to something unimpressed.

“…and regardless of how unimpressed you are young one; that ship was a weapon of unimaginable consequence. There was a battle, those two moons were destroyed. Salyra perished with her ship, or so I gather. One can only hope. Regardless, that brings us up to your time frame. Salyra and I had our own ideas about civilization. Salyra wanted technology, I wanted more science. She believed in progress, I believed in nurturing. The civilization as you know it, is a consequence of her wreckoning. Valhalla as you call it, was the center capitol of her ‘kingdom’…”

Salmira puts emphasis on ‘kingdom’. “She wanted to protect herself, so she created a vanguard of sorts. She also had a super computer built to do so. However, without her to control it, it has gone corrupt. Things in the world, as they are, are out of alignment and need to be fixed. I am not allowed to directly interfere or interface with this reality, but I have ways around that. Some of which you’ve seen. It’s easier to have other people do things for me in the form of errands or services rendered. I need your assistance in doing so. Nod if you understand.”

Sweiza lets out a nod, but cuts Salmira off. “What is a kom…pyu tar?”

Salmira shakes her head. “You are familiar with math and an abacus?”

“Yes. I learned to use them in school. In fact we…”

Salmira cuts her off again, “Think of a computer as being like a river that can be dug around and moved around; it can be used to count in the same way as an abacus. However, computers do this on a very small scale you can’t see. They do this through the powers of lightning controlled in a very specific way. A computer has a mind of sorts, but it is very focused and functions only as you tell it to. It is similar to what you saw with those Sentinels; I think one had a moustache.”

Sweiza immediately recognizes what Salmira is speaking of.

Salmira continues. “You are familiar with acronyms?”

Sweiza nods.

“ODIN is an acronym, for “Omnidirectional Intelligent Neuralnet. It is a vast array that can calculate many different scenarios, hundreds of millions in a fraction of the time it would take myself or my late sister. That is why it was built. It is one mind, one being, but spread out as if many. It is still configured to build the technology needed to pass through this plane of existence. Because it has Salyra’s ideals, it follows them. But without her to control and guide it, it moves of its own accord - just like a mind. However, because it also knows that I and Salyra were at war, it sees me as a threat. I have continued to ‘interfere’ with this super computer’s plans as it would call it; but in turn it has done the same to me. After having run for several millenium, it has gone paranoid and corrupt. It thinks I am out to get it. I can only assume based on the name, ‘Odin’, that it has built up this civilzation based on ideals and beliefs in times gone by. This isn’t the first time that a culture based around gods and Valkyrie has existed. Do you understand?”

“Why does this have anything to do with me?” A concerned Sweiza shakes as she waves her hand slightly. Her arms then cross.

“Odin is building a weapon, it is the precursor to what I need. However, he will use it for his own ends. It is called Gungir Tower. It is at the center and heart of Valhalla. Amongst other things, he wants to use it to bring ‘peace’ to the world as he calls it, but he also wants to use it to attack my ship. As far as I’m concerned, this has gone on long enough. Is that clear?”

This time, knowing the alternative, Sweiza nods.

“Thankfully, Gungir Tower won’t be completed for another two hundred years. Did I mention I’ve brought you back in that much time?”

Sweiza frowns and her face slowly shakes back and forth an affirmative, but uncertain, ‘no’.

“As I mentioned, you are going to help me bring things to a certain result.”

Quick to say it, “And if I choose not to?” Sweiza is left to wince as a spark pops in front of her. She slowly opens her eyes to the woman, now just a few feet, in front of her.

“I am personally not going to harm you. I don’t believe in it. However, if you throw your sass at me, I will have to make things uncomfortable for you. Now is not the time to be acting childish. You are about two hundred years away from home, and I’m the only way you are getting back. We both have work to do.”

Sweiza suddenly feels the force around her disappear. Her mid-hover, stops and her feet drop to the ground. She rights herself up again.

“And what is the first thing I’m supposed to do, oh benevolent one?”

Swezia’s eyes shut and she winces as she hears a loud pop in her right ear.

“How would you like to prevent the Sprite massacre and save the village of Southerly?”

Sweiza stands to attention. “Absolutely.”

“Good. Summon your armor.”

Sweiza does so. She suddenly sees the world around her turning white.

She hears Salmira in her thoughts.

“A fate far worth than death awaits you. Accept your role as Valkyrie.”