The Restless Valkyrie
Chapter 1: Under Siege
“How very pathetic…” Axel declared. “It’s almost as if they never knew we would come. I assumed they’d at the least have a simple perimeter…” Sierra returned in an amused tone. Her blood red hair had been cut the day she entered the faction, and though her features were soft, she looked as though she'd been through the worst of all her comrades.“You expect a colony built of brick and mortar to even own modern weaponry? We five were sent alone to bring them to their knees.” Axel stood, his gunmetal black armor gleaming in the moonlight. His hair as black the night itself, his eyes like amber. Kent and Tec, being brothers, sat further back, adjusting their own armor. Being assigned to the front line granted them thicker plating, the shoulders and chest making them look as if nothing could touch them. Both had sandy blonde hair and overall seemed quite ordinary. Knight had his powered sword drawn, using a nearby rock to hone the blade. Never did he take his helmet off, he’d tinted the visor as well, courtesy of which, nobody knew what he truly looked like.
“We’ve been sitting here long enough, it’s time to bring these exiles to their death.” Axel told the team, as he stood and slid his helmet on. The group stood, Kent being giddy with the prospect of burning buildings to the ground. “Ok, you know the drill, no grab ass, visors down, suits engaged. Initiate drop thrusters on Axel’s mark.” Knight’s voice had the sound of a machine, something that was implanted early on. The air hummed with the activation of thrusters, the ping of the activating armor creating an orchestra of the damned. “In and out, one Knight per wall, Sierra and I have the entrance. Kent and Tec, east and west, Knight cover south.” Each knight drew their sword, the surrounding environment glowing as red energy surrounded the steel blades. “Let’s do this, the military is priority one, citizens are optional. Drop when ready!”
Sierra charged off the ledge, soon followed by Axel and the rest of the group. Knight, Tec, and Kent activated their thrusters, sending them soaring in the direction of their post. The red glow of their powered blades acting as a beacon of the destruction yet to come. “I see the peasantry has noticed us…” Knight muttered over the comm, amusement evident in his voice. Below, even at such a height, the settlement below was clearly in confusion. Tiny dots that were the inhabitants swarmed the streets, spotlights igniting across the wall.
“Preparing for a fight, as it would seem. Well, I'm not one to keep people waiting, I'll do them the honors!” Tec laughed over the comm. Several faint yellow lights plummeted to the ground in the distance, soon followed by a thunderous boom. The sky lit up with a blinding flash, Tec’s quarter of the wall now partially in dust. “Activate landing.” Each knight initiated their landing thrust, temporarily shooting them upward as to soften the fall. Sierra and Axel landed only feet away from the entrance, the settlement itself only being the size of a small neighborhood. The walls themselves, being around eighty feet tall, were no match for a knight’s thrusters. “Let’s have some fun boys, safety's off and bombs away!” As Sierra queued the all-clear several more explosions sounded, the pop of weaponry echoing through the area.
Axel charged towards the wall and jettisoned himself over it, the guards manning the post nearby noticing the radiant light from his blade and opening fire. The wooden post in which the guards occupied was surprisingly well built, being made of thick hardwood and concrete. Despite the outdated weaponry, the inhabitants had engineered weaponry that utilized francium and titanium, a combination that had shocking accuracy and range. Each shot fired found it’s mark on Axel’s chest as he landed on the wall, the dust and dirt that was stirred up from his thrusters making it impossible to tell if he was deceased.
“Damn Vargon!"
"You bastards think you can just strut on in like that!"
"Ha, Ha! Thought wrong jackass!”
The guards spat insults and seemed to be overjoyed with their kill, yet through the dust, the red light of his blade shone like the essence of death. “Such nativity, we believed you’d be smart enough to surrender.” Axel strode through the cloud of dust, his armor having crushed the rounds on impact, leaving not a scratch. “Impossible! This ammunition is designed to penetrate even the strongest of armor!” The guards sat in shock, thinking they'd be able to even match the Knight’s godlike abilities.
Axel approached the wall, soon followed by Sierra’s silhouette, who was already decimating the nearest structure. Fire rose from several buildings, and in a fiery inferno, they were destroyed. Like a demon from the depths, he accelerated to the tower in a sprint, covering most of the distance before the guards could react. “Don’t sit there damn it, open fire!” The guards unloaded countless more rounds upon Axel, each one meeting its match against his armor. Showers of sparks erupted from the armored plates, leaving nothing but the crushed titanium of the ammunition. As their weapon’s ammo count fell to zero the men resorted to their knives, the weakly powered weapons emitting a glow barely noticeable to the naked eye.
Axel leaped into the post, terror evident in the men’s expressions. “Judging by the marks on your sleeves I'm assuming you’re all relatively new recruits, oh if only you’d chosen another path.” Axel declared darkly, as he sheathed his blade. “I won't waste energy on such powerless targets.” He struck one of the guards in the side with his boot, the impact creating several sickening crunches and cracks. The other guards began wildly slashing at him, each strike doing nothing but chipping and dulling their blades. “I think you've done quite enough.” He spoke in a terrifyingly smug tone. A blur that was his first slammed into the floor of the post, the wooden beams splintering and cracking. One guard managed to dash out of the way of the collapsing floor, the remaining plummeting over the wall.
More explosions rattled the post, causing the lone guard to stumble in the direction of Axel. “You filthy rat, what the hell are you bastards here for…” Even through the visor, a clear smile could be seen through Axel’s helmet. “How naive of you, I wouldn't waste my breath.” He responded, exasperated. With a single strike from the knight’s elbow, the contents of the gruff man’s head were sprayed across the post. Axel wiped the gray matter off his armor while looking unto the burning landscape, “Where are you sister, why must it come to this.”
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“We’ll die fighting before we run like cowards, show them the true heart of the rebellious!” The crowd of survivors cheered, citizens of varying shapes and sizes wielding anything from workshop tools, to powered broadswords. “To death Valkyrie!” Valkyrie smiled as she looked upon the determined militia, knowing they'd die to fight for their cause. Her sharpened blade gleamed against the lights of the large town hall. Her golden brown hair, sky blue eyes, and silver armor made her look as if she belonged on the battlefield.
“The Vargon shall remember this night! They shall know it as the final stand, they shall know it as the spark of a war!” Valkyrie yelled over the crowd, more cheers erupted through the crowd. A blinding flash and an ear-piercing explosion rattled through the hall. Shrapnel flew from every corner as if the hand of a god had gripped the building in a fit of rage. “They’ve arrived, prepare yourself!” The red glow of five powered long swords appeared from the dust, approaching quickly. The woman leaped from the stage, dashing through the crowd in the direction of the approaching Vargon.
She met the first knight to appear through the dark cloud with the elegance of a panther, moving with such speed and agility that each strike missed her by a hole. “Make it easier for the both of us dammit! You can't win this, just hit your knees if you wish to have a remote chance of survival!” The woman yelled, her voice laced with hate and loathe. With a skillfully executed parry, Valkyrie drove her knee into the right side of her opposition. The attack sent the knight to the ground, and with not a second's hesitation, she was back on her feet. “Impossible… How in the hell… You’ve hit my last my last nerve, damn you!” She charged forward, bringing her sword down upon her enemy, only for Valkyrie to return with a masterful counter-strike.
The knight’s sword flew from her hands, landing across the room with a noise heard above the surrounding heat of battle. “Your sword should have been broken on impact, your arm should have been shattered from the force of my strike! What the hell is different about you!” Between going to re-arm herself with the sword, or hand to hand combat, the knight brought up her fist. “Unlike you military dogs, we have reasons to walk this earth. By all means, shall I preserve those for the good of the free, and by any method.” She responded, with pride evident in her voice. With a single slash of her blade, she cut through the impenetrable armor of her rival. Blood poured from the gash on her chest, exhaustion finally playing its part on the Knight. “No armor shall stop me, and no blade shall touch me. You Vargon believe you are immortal, yet I'll soon prove you otherwise!” Her voice was an interesting mixture of determination and joy, Valkyrie seemingly enjoying the battle. Valkyrie drove her sword into the knight’s stomach, slicing through like a hot blade to ice. Blood ran down the blade, the crimson fluid forming puddles on the floor. “Quite pathetic.” Valkyrie spat. Only a cough was returned before the knight went limp, the blade still wedged in her body.
“Sierra! Sierra, talk to me!” Another knight, a male’s voice, was heard through the deceased knight’s helmet, with worry clear in his voice. “You… of course.” The red glow of a sword slowly grew brighter from behind Valkyrie, the voice itself now within earshot. “I never wanted to be forced to do this, not to my own kin.” The voice was full of pity and betrayal, almost saddened. Though Valkyrie’s militia was contesting the knight's power, the room was littered with bodies and remains. Four of Valkyrie’s closest companions were valiantly fighting and matched against their opponents, the remaining knights defending more than striking. “Though I hold my own blood dear to me, I will not discriminate. You took a path of greed and power, you and you alone brother.” Valkyrie responded in a voice of pure rage. A blur of light signaled the knight’s incoming strike, Valkyrie quickly sliding out of the way, gaining not a scratch. For much time they were at a stalemate, each one skill not to be contested by the other.
Eventually, both warrior’s swords were locked, sparks flying from the colliding blades. “They know you as the Valkyrie, one who determines fate on the battlefield. You deserve no such honor, you are nothing but an empty shell who rebels against your own kind!” The knight deflected the blade, narrowly missing his target. “The Vargon shall not rest until every member of your despicable rebellion breaths their last breath!” Several more strikes followed Valkyrie blocking, parrying and outpacing her brother, not showing a single sign of fatigue. Oncoming footsteps signaled the arrival of another fighter, one of Valkyrie’s own. A silver gleam darted beside her, the spear of one of her elites. It found it’s mark with a sickening crack in the knight's shoulder, him immediately dropping his blade.
“Get the remaining survivors and evac the settlement! A dropship was spotted seventeen clicks out!” A thin man, about in his twenties, dashed past Valkyrie, wearing light, bronze armor, with another spear sheathed on his back. He had the appearance of a battle-worn soldier, having many scars besides the recently added additions. He was known by his comrades as Jen, nobody knowing his true name.The man looked upon the knight with such loathe; pure hatred. “Sister, you have forsaken your bloodline. That I will never forgive… Aura.” The man tore his spear free of the knight’s armor, striking again into his visor with the blunt end. The visor shattered on impact, creating a series of cracks coming from a source other than the helmet.
A repetitive pounding grew louder from the distance, being the well-known sound of a Vargon frigate. The surrounding battle had passed its climax, a couple survivors, Valkyrie’s four and the knight being all that remained. A blinding spotlight shone through a hole in the roof, accompanied by the drumming of thrusters. An earth-shaking explosion echoed through the building, the now decimated roof revealing a large frigate, the hatch opened on the underbelly. The remaining knight's used their remaining fuel to grapple and jettison into the ship. Of one of the knights, but a glimpse was caught of his being. The armor was shattered in many places, his blood stained features presenting the brutality he endured.
A line shot from the ship, attaching to the armor of the last two knight's and pulling them into the ship as well. The drumming became faint as the frigate rocketed into the horizon. “What a group of cowards they are.” A large-framed man now stood beside Valkyrie, his large ax showing signs of the damage it inflicted. Thus man having the appearance of a Viking, a long beard, and arms thick as tree stumps made him look as if he could defeat a knight with his bare hands. He’d earned the name ‘Bull’ with pride. The four strode beside Valkyrie, beside Bull and Jen were sisters. Lyka and Kat stood nearby, in no armor but a cloak and a hood. Kat carried two small daggers, Lyka preferring a short katana-style blade. They had unnaturally pale hair, almost ghostly white, and eyes of the same color. Despite their appearance, the two were quite sociable, a pleasure to be around when one was not on the opposite end of their blade. “Another battle won, I commend your skillful fighting. It's only a question of time as to when we’ll cross paths with them.” Valkyrie said. Jen was working through the piles of bodies, determining if any might have survived. “We won the battle, yet so many were lost. They won't stop slaughtering all we come across until they have our heads personally. I don't want to see so much blood run because of our doings, it isn't a burden I wish to carry. Let's be honest, they died fighting, yet all for what? If we'd fled this area as planned we could have prevented the death of hundreds!” Jen spoke, as he looked upon the bloodshed.
Bull was dumbfounded at the remark, staring at Jen like he'd admitted to being the enemy himself. “So boy, tell me, you'd rather give them what they want, and prove that we can do nothing against their power… because the citizens chose to fight. It was their decision, if they'd wanted to run, they could have! Stop feeling pity for people who lost their lives fighting for a cause they felt was right!” Bull returned. The two glared at each other, seemingly ready to settle things with fighting. “We do nothing by conflicting against our allies. Now, I suggest we depart, the city of lights awaits.” Valkyrie broke in, walking out of the hall in the process. Jen muttered something under his breath, soon following Valkyrie.
The other three joined her, leaving through a large hole left in the wall. Upon passing the fallen sword of the knight she defeated, Valkyrie grabbed and examined it. The powerless blade now nothing but charred metals. She looked upon the blade with a dead stare, dropping it back to the ground with an echoing crash. Outside the sun was rising over the surrounding cliffs, the clouds glowing as if lined with golden leaf. The surrounding environment glowed with flames, billows of smoke rising to the skies as if they portrayed the spirits of the lives lost that night.