When Fey said ‘news’, she literally meant the News.
The television in the kitchen blared open with the right program and the destruction the Draugr Giant did. Miraculously, no one got hurt, and the News covered it as a sudden storm of destruction—and bad weather forecast.
The tethers tore, and transmission towers uprooted. Water towers were hurled over the neighbourhoods, and large footprints were left behind in parks that read ‘Keep off the grass!!!”.
Evidently, the Draugr didn’t care in its wake and probably couldn’t read the signs.
“Well, this isn’t good,” commented Maya on the obvious. Then she asked the more sensible question. “What do we do about it?”
Fey shrugged and sipped on Val’s coffee, giving it an approving nod before sipping again. Val placed a hand down before her and leaned before Fey.
“She. Asked. You. Something,” emphasised Val, letting danger sip in every word. She didn’t like the witch, but Fey revelled in the idea and smiled snarkily.
“Do we have to do something?” she eventually inquired.
Maya gave a dumbfounded look at this. “What do you mean? We have to do something.”
“Again,” Fey sipped on the coffee, “do we? The Draugr is a failed experiment which went rogue. It’s too strong, we can’t take it out. We’re better off letting someone else take care of it. Like say, a god. Thor or Vidar are good options when you see them around. Some Einherjar on a mission or a dependable Valkyrie.” She gave Val a snide look. Her eye twitched.
Maya narrowed her eyes at Fey. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious.” Fey twirled with her empty cup to have it refilled and furrowed her brows. “This thing is out of our leagues. I doubt I’ll be able to bring it under control again, and your Valkyrie here is too weak-”
Val punched a dent into the table. “I’m. Not. Weak,” spit Val, letting venom sip in every word through her clenched teeth.
Fey wrinkled her nose. She clenched and unclenched her hand, which now held a green powder in it. She blew it into Val’s face, who began sneezing uncontrollably.
Atsjoo. Atsjoo. Atsjoo.
Val sounded like a startled kitten with her tiny sneezes, which Maya found too adorable and hid her smile with her hands until Val started to cough and wheeze. Maya instantly jumped up to her side.
“Relax, it’s just some sneezing powder,” said Fey with a shrug. “Harmless gimmicky.”
“Harmless, my ass. Val has asthma!” shouted Maya and helped Val ease down on a chair. The sneezing and coughing only intensified.
“What kind of Valkyrie has asthma? That would be new-” Fey became quiet when she saw how uncontrollable Val’s wheezes became, with her face growing blue and tears streaming from her eyes. “Oh snap! I DIDN’T KNOW! WHAT DO WE DO!?”
“Just get her a glass of water or milk. I’ll be right back!”
“What? But how- I.” Fey looked frantically between Val and Maya, who dashed out of the room to search for the inhaler. Panic crossed Fey’s face as she didn’t know what to do. “Ah, damn it!”
She stood up with some trouble and wobbled with her good leg to the sink. Holding on to the counter, Fey looked for a good glass and refilled it. How she managed it back to the table, she didn’t know. It took her a lot of time this morning to simply walk to the kitchen without her crutch, but she managed.
“Here, drink, don’t suffocate,” huffed Fey, plopping down on the chair. She observed with worried glances how Val’s hand was shaking and drinking the water, with over half of it spilling down on her top and neckline.
Her breathing wasn’t relaxing until Maya got back.
“Got it! Quick, take a puff.” Maya held the inhaler before Val’s lips and helped her take one as she was still not accustomed to taking it—and it eased her mind that Maya did it. “Easy. Hold it in, relax.”
“Thank. You,” said Val between gasps.
Maya smiled sheepishly and dabbed the corners of Val’s mouth with a cloth. “As I was saying, we have to do something about the giant zombie.”
“You’re still serious about it?” exclaimed Fey, exasperated. “Your girl here just suffered an uncharacteristic asthma attack for a Valkyrie, and you’re a mortal. How do you think we’ll take out the thing?”
“Well, we better think of something, no?”
Fey grumbled and ruffled her curly hair. She gave in. “Fine, whatever! I owe you this much.”
—☽—
Maya already had to face the first challenge before they went out to hunt for a giant malicious and out-of-control Draugr.
Her pants didn’t fit her. “Come on, what the heck? I wore them just fine yesterday!”
Maya eventually closed the button with a lot of struggle but the way it dug into her empty stomach upset her. She patted her stomach and grimaced at the padding and tightness before she left her room. “I swear, Val’s cooking will be my end. I’ll go on a damn diet after we deal with that monster.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“If we survive,” emphasised Fey, lounging on the couch settee next to Maya’s room, startling her. Fey looked Maya over. She gave an approving nod and simpered. “I like the outfit. It compliments your body well, very sexy.”
Maya scowled at the remark. She had put on a black shirt in hopes of appearing slimmer than she felt after how much she had eaten lately. Smoothing over it, she hated every contour and how her curves grew.
“Stop lying to me,” said Maya with a frown. She dug her nails into the paunch hidden underneath the shirt. “You don’t have to patronise me. I know how I look, and I hate it. I am unattractive.”
“Oh, please!” Fey stood up and balanced herself on her left side where her wooden and iron-wrought elbow crutch was to support her leg. She—like Val first did—wore some of Maya’s spare clothes.
Fey was tall as she stood there—even taller than Val. She wore a skirt that was too wide on her hips and held together by a belt tied around her narrow waist. Her toned midriff was slightly exposed, similarly to Val, as she wore one of Maya’s larger and looser tops.
Unlike the other two girls, Fey’s chest was smaller and exposed lots of her skin from the low V neckline. Maya didn’t wear it much because of how low it was. She thought it might be useful to distract others from Maya’s middle whenever she suddenly gained weight, but the glances she received were too much for her to stomach.
Though Fey seemed to relish in it. She brushed back her curly brown hair with her free hand and stepped closer to Maya, putting a hand around her shoulder. “You’re really great at putting your own worth down. Seriously, I know a few who would willingly kill for a figure like yours, or would be interested in you.”
Fey jokingly prodded Maya’s neckline, right above her chest. “Like a certain-”
Val entered the living room, and the girls turned towards the Valkyrie. She wore a combat style of sportswear with a pair of snug leggings with a white streak on the side that Maya never got to use, and the new orange sneakers Maya bought her.
Maya’s eyes opened further as she stared at Val’s neck halter sports bra, supporting her ample bust Maya only got slight glimpses of—like she got now through the small window Val sported and heating up Maya’s face.
The way Val carefully yet gracefully stood there with her arched and trained back, steepled fingers, sleeveless long and fit arms, and her hair braided into a bun with one lock running down the side of her face really made Maya’s heart skip more than a few beats.
Especially when Val beamed at her with her amber eyes.
Fey noticed their gazes and let out a sigh. She prodded the side of Maya’s sizeable chest playfully to stir a yelp out of her and colour her face crimson.
“Focus, you lovebirds.” Fey grinned. “We have a Draugr Giant to hunt.”
Val took the lead as they headed toward their target. Fey explained that since Val’s lost divinity was still adjacent in the air and absorbed by the Draugr, she was more likely to trace and hunt for their target while Fey and Maya trotted behind her at a safe distance.
Not like Fey and Maya were in any shape to keep up. Fey had trouble traversing the area with her disabled leg and crutch, while Maya was plainly not fit enough for hikes.
Val regularly jumped from one place to another. Like a hound, she backtracked and traced around in circles until she found a trace and changed directions—only to appear right back to go in the other direction.
The two girls at the back could barely keep up and resigned themselves to leisurely follow after her—through active streets, schools, hills, or now back to the forest.
“W-why don-’t you just summon,” Maya gasped, “some of your servants?”
Fey huffed in answer, “Would love to, but,” Fey gasped for air as well, her left leg and arm trembled from walking so much, “I can’t. Need to preserve my strength.”
“Great, just great,” complained Maya, and sat down with Fey on a bench. Val had climbed on an elevation and scanned the area like a hawk. “I don’t think you ever fully explained what happened to your leg. You mentioned a giant.”
Fey held on to her crutch and gave Maya a curious look. “You really want to know the truth?”
“Since we’re here already,” Maya shrugged. “Yeah, I want to know. Why do you do all this?”
“Revenge.” Fey grabbed her right leg hard. She flinched from the pain but still held on. “I want to find the giant who did this to me. No matter what.”
“And do what?”
“Pardon?”
Maya held up her hands in defence of Fey’s angry look. “I mean, you find it, great, what then? Kill it?”
“Yes,” replied Fey matter-of-factly. “Whatever it takes. I’ll make that monster suffer for ruining my life.”
“And then what?”
“What I will do afterwards?” Fey was smart enough to understand the meaning behind the words. Sure, she was focused on revenge, but she also knew that it shouldn’t define her life. Her life as a gymnast meant a lot to her, but it was not the end of her road. “Maybe I’ll continue looking for a way to heal my leg. Something like that. Do we ever understand our plans for the future?”
Maya wondered at the statement. She didn’t have any far-ahead plans for the future except finishing university and getting her doctorate in linguistics. What she would do afterwards, she didn’t know.
Everyone dreamed of having a family. Fulfilling their dream or living out the best of their lives, but Maya didn’t know what she wanted except to live in the now and do what she could.
Glancing over to Val and how she kept scanning the area, turning her long neck to either side and then showing off her toned legs and rear, Maya’s face grew red. It wasn’t simply because of Val’s beauty, but because Maya was genuinely interested in her as a person.
She was a Valkyrie, yes, but this wasn’t the most interesting fact. Maybe she didn’t know much about her past or her hobbies and interests yet, but Maya got to learn about her little antics, her personality and her behaviour—Maya adored learning about her with each passing day.
At the very least, she wanted to help Val, no matter how long it took. Then Maya turned back to Fey, who patiently observed her for a reaction. In the last few hours, Maya grew to learn more about Fey as a person than the pen pal she did through letters. Some parts surprised her or put her off—like how she and Val were getting at each other's throats—but Maya knew she wanted to help her.
Fey had attacked them first and hurt both of them, but she relented when she realised Maya was a friend and became more careful. Fey was hurting and didn’t know how to behave except for making little jokes and teasing.
Maya knew this feeling all too well. That’s how she and Austin got along first, too. “I just hope to stay together with Val in whatever capacity I can. This also includes you.”
Abashed, Fey simpered and turned away. “Even when I hurt you? This is our first time meeting in person, and I was… horrible!”
Maya shrugged. “Hey, happens. I found Val when she was unconscious and hurt, and my best friend Austin found me when I was having one of my sudden binge-eating episodes. Very embarrassing.”
Fey laughed in a scant breath and then wondered. “Who the heck is Austin?”
“Found something,” announced Val, pointing over the crown of trees and jumping down the elevation to the feet of Fey and Maya. “A speck of. My divinity. It’s close by.”