<P> Protectors of the Dead

[A Wandering Esper]

It had been a few days since he had fund Sanngrigor, Valyrmora and Alva in that field, and he was thinking that perhaps now was the time to try and bring the group together, so to speak. Maybe he could get to the bottom of this, as to why Sann was so loyal to the other Underworld and not him.

It did not bothered him, per-se, but now that he remembered that much, he would have liked to remember why. The few days hopefully had been enough for Alva to settle a bit - she had seemed rather overwhelmed, as many hosts seemed to be at the start.

Still, it seemed that this was better done before he and Nath left. He had asked Akakios to keep the children occupied for the time being, so that they would have the space, and Cosine could have some rest.

Hopefully his poor nephew would not be too worn out by the time they were done.

Sann's arrival had been a pleasant surprise. She had not always agreed with her means, no, but she was still a sister, and to know she had not perished was a good thing. Hrist could not remember with much clarity, but she was certain that there had been many more of them, once. Even now they still seemed too few.

Still, hopefully the fates would keep smiling upon them. Hrist would enter the room quietly, armored and ready. Not that she expected a fight, but it simply seemed like the way to do. She had vague memories of a lady she had once served... But little more than that.

Once upon a time she would have taken place at her lord's side, as the captain, but this was no longer her place - the charge no longer fit her as she was now. Rather than fight against it, Hrist had decided to go with dignity and left the spot for someone more fitted for it now.

Eir would follow Hrist, also armored and ready. As the first two, they often spent their time together - once upon a time, they had been the only two, and she was happy to see that it was not the case.

Aaren had yet to meet the other valkyries, honestly - he was up to his head with his mir'eshu duties and having to make sure his sisters were well settled. He had a feeling he would... Well, cause quite an impression, from what little he remembered. He really was nearly nothing of the woman he had once been.

"This door, amerei ?" He asked Kara.  

[midnight_medea]

Sanngrigor had been finding it hard to cope with the aftermath of her remembering. She did not like the thought that she could not remember every detail of before, she found the changes in her sisters strange, some were not even sisters any more, aparently. She wore armour too, it was nothing new to her having spend the past years terrorizing the countryside with the Hrith. She stood next Eir and Hrist, the ones she had met waiting for Ankou to appear with the new Valyrmora. As a rule, she did not know the meaning of the word nervous, still she was not sure how she felt to meet all her sisters.

Alva walked next to the Spirit guide, feeling more comfortable around him now that she had spent time living in his home, he seemed to be a half decent man, god ... not something she was entirely used to. Now she was going to meet the Valkyries, Iyes' sisters. They were something to do with Valyrmora, it was her they really wished to meet.

Val watched through her host's eyes as they walked into the room where the women stood. The Valkyries, yes, she could remember them vaguely as they once were, strong and powerful. The protectors of the Underworld, choosers of the slain. Now, here stood three of them, looking almost as they had, she imagined. Wearing their armour and looking almost ready for duty.

 

[mistalina13]

"It is." Truth be told she had not spent a whole lot of time in their master's quarters, before meeting Aaren she had mostly come here to sleep. The rest had been spent training or roaming outdoors- with or without Caelia in tow. Though Kara would not say one way or the other aloud, she did not mind that Augury often trailed after her.

She leaned over and stole a kiss from Aaren before the two of them went in. At least they had not been alone in their thought to come in armed and armored. "Hrist. Eir. Saangrigor." That had to be the name that went with the face she did not know. Now where was Skuld?  

[Eftemie]

Salinath had been up most of the night and still gotten up for a spar. He was returning when he understood that Ankou wanted him. With a grin on his face, he walked past the others at the forge. Maybe he would have time for a nap later so he could be up all night again. The night was quieter and more pleasing to him. And the dark did not bother him at all after the things he had seen and done. It was nice to just sit there and have nothing happen.

He was going to change his gear but instead walked into the room. His face was unseen because of the full helmet he wore. The heavy plate may have looked cumbersome, but he was far too used to it to have it even phase him now. The heavy tread of his footsteps would let them know he was coming long before he got there.

Nath raised an eyebrow as he looked around the room. “Hmm.. seems like everyone is here… Am I late? I was sparring with Croix, Saljin, and Tempest. Hrist, are you ready for another one?” he asked, watching her in amusement. Of course he had a grin but she couldn’t see it so she’d not know for certain. And she was fully armored.

*Clueless.*

Skuld would have said that and facepalmed if she had been able to and Nath nearly laughed at the thought. She had not been that much different from him. He did recognize the other valkyrie though not the person with her. “Saangrigor. Hm.. so does that mean we are all found now?”  

[A Wandering Esper]

Well, that was all of them - at least all of those he'd found so far. "I am not sure. I believe there were more of you..." But how many ? How many had survived the ages ? He really had no way to tell.

The kiss would be most welcome, and he would enjoy it rather thoughtfully before following his lover inside. There was Hrist and Eir... And that must be Sanngrigor, by process of elimination. He would nod at her, to be honest the whole thing made him a little awkward. He would not have the time to even ponder where Skuld was before he stumbled on the scene, quite cluelessly.

"If she doesn't, I will." Ha. Had the former death knight not been taller than he was, he might have pulled him in an headlock. As it was, he simply started poking at the helmet. "Though sometimes I wonder if there's something to protect in there !" He laughed.

And there went Skuld. Open foot, insert mouth. Hrist would attempt to hide her amusement, but probably fail. "Maybe after this, Skuld." He probably looked like a mess under that helmet.

Some things never changed, really.

Eir would follow Hrist, also armored and ready. As the first two, they often spent their time together - once upon a time, they had been the only two, and she was happy to see that it was not the case.

Through, Eir would have her own process of elimination. "Wait. THAT'S Byrnhildr ?!"

What.

The.

Hell.

Aaren had expected this to be honest, and Eir's outburst would give poor Nath a break. "That's me. Sup."  

[midnight_medea]

Sanngrigor watched as they trickled in, none of them recognisable. Not that she could remember what they had looked like, even herself. She stood a little awkwardly, her new form was tall and muscular, it was not easy to blend in. She watched the male and female appear together, wrongly assuming that only the woman was one of them. Then the person wearing a helmet, the voice was male, though Hrist had called it Skuld, surely this was not her? A slight frown settled on Sann's pale brow, it deepend as Eir declared that it was Brynhildr.
"How is that possible?" She blurted, looking between the two non females of their number.

Alva had not really beed sure what to expect, she knew nothing about these so called Valkyries. Only that Iyes was one and that they had once served her goddess and Ankou. She watched them gather, studied their awkwardness as they took their new forms in. Clearly the fact that some were now male was a shock. Within her the goddess stirred, clearly equally intrigued.

There were more, several more, chosen by me and presented to the Sprit Guide.

Val looked them over.
"They need some work." It was the first time her voice had projected from the host. Who was she kidding, they needed a lot of work if they were going to pick up the slack.  

[mistalina13]

Kara smiled at Saan and Eir's shock. Brynhildr was a man this time - and had been last time, yes, but his soul was still the same and that was ultimately what mattered. And then there was Skuld - or rather, Salinath, simply being himself. He was in much the same position as her lover was.

When "Alva" spoke her gaze flicked in the direction of the source of the voice. Something just did not seem to fit at all- that voice did not belong to her, it belonged to Her. She stared at the woman, but would almost seem to be looking past her. It wasn't a voice she could ever recall hearing before as Liana, but Kara knew it though memory could not conjure a name or face to go along with it.  

[Eftemie]

Salinath stared at the others for a moment. "You'd think they'd never seen a man before, Aaren. Or maybe it's the helmet. I suppose it is different than I used to have, but sorry, winged helmets just don't suit me this time. And I refuse to wear a skirt this time around. Just let me keep my plate and we will be all good."

He laughed, tugging his helmet off. His eyes were not the frosty cold blue they had been as a death knight, but more a warmer blue, almost cerulean, that they had never been before. This bringing himself back to life had changed a few things about him. He didn't mind. He was alive again and that he would find humor in. His eyes had been green and glowing like other blood elves. He had a bit of a goatee also that centered on his chin.

And his nearly blonde nearly white hair was a mess as it fell out from underneath. Shaking his head slightly to free up the long ponytail, Nath put the helmet under his arm. "Better?" he asked in amusement. "And yes.. same old Skuld underneath all this charm." He glanced over at Ankou, a slight smirk on his face and shrugged. Even what he had been thru with Arthas had not changed that in him. He would still find his amusement and keep his goal of making Ankou laugh outright at some point.  

[A Wandering Esper]

"Reincarnations does not always keep the same gender." That was the easy way to put it, at least. As for the goddess' comment, well, of course they did, but any reason he could give would probably sound like an excuse, so he would simply keep quiet.

"No, clearly it's my amazing charm." As much as a barely eighteen boy could be charming, probably. Now Aaren seemed more motivated in being a pain in the a**. He would calm down some, though, shaking his head. "That statement isn't really as true for me... But im still here." He found himself caring a great deal for the others and what they thought all of sudden, in spite of meeting them all for the first time, and it was a confusing feeling. He had no want to be considered different or less because he happened to be a man. If they wanted to consider him different for what he'd become in his last two lives, well, yes, he could not argue against that.

Hrist was not fooled by her lord's silence, and neither was she fooled by it. In her mind, the blame laid squarely elsewhere, in the fact that he had not had the time he could have to train them as he had wished. Still, with the lady right here, it seemed better to stay her words. Instead, she would smile. "But we are here, and we will serve." It had always been the case. That voice brought back memories she'd thought long forgotten. "Please be careful not to wear yourself out, my lady."

Eir would simply lead in to whisper to Sann. "That's true, he's just as bad as Skuld always was." Really, it was more Aaren that had startled her. Out of all of them, well... "Well, you do pout just as much as she always did..."

That would make Aaren frown. "Im not pouting !" Case and point, really.  

[midnight_medea]

Valyrmora had not meant it as an accusation, more as an observation. She was new to this, she could only imagine Ankou's frustration at having to go through everything from scratch. At least they were eager and beginning to remember who they were. She did not care that two were male really. As long as they could be as efficient and ruthless in their tasks.

Sann smirked at Hrist's words and looked the two men over.
"I think we'd all like to give the skirts a miss." She quipped, her voice was rough as it had always been, at odds with her angelic pale blonde hair and ice blue eyes. The features of her new face were sharper than they had once been, cat like it suited her demeanor.

She laughed loudly at the comment about Hildr's pouting. Yes, she was well known for it, even as she who was now he tried to deny it.
"I suppose all that matters is we can do our job and help my lord, and lady."

Alva watched the them, they seemed expectant and she was not entirely sure what they wanted from her, or the goddess.
"So, what is it you do?" She asked of them, she knew in the vague general way she had been told, but really? "And what do you need of me ... Us?"  

[mistalina13]

She had to fight down the urge to laugh at her lover. He was indeed pouting, but it was quite adorable. It was tempting to tease him about it, but now was perhaps not the best time to do so, considering some of them were making attempts at being serious. She glanced over at him briefly, unable to entirely hide the amusement in her eyes, before turning her attention back to the conversation.

 

[Eftemie]

Salinath laughed softly. “Those are rather loaded questions, Lady. I went from being a blood elf to dead. Arthas who became a lich king, turned me into a death knight when he brought me back so I was basically slaughtering people on Azeroth and anywhere else he wanted me to go with little control of my own. Then I was freed when Arthas was killed by a group of heroes. I had been traveling and trying to stay out of trouble and out of the way of everything when I decided to go hide out because a pandaren from my world taught me how to bring myself back to life little by little. I’m almost back to where I was, but it’s not knowledge for the average mortal to have. Too many other ways it could be used and corrupted.”

He glanced over at Ankou, his lips twitching. “Somehow I ended up here, but right now I’m helping my Lord at night as much that I can, and sparring with a dragon, a shapeshifter, a mage, and various others during the day to go back to Azeroth and kick some a** cause they are ruining my planet and it needs to stop.”

Shrugging as he glanced at Aaren and then back to her, he said, “I don’t think many of us have had it easy. We are trying to figure it out as we go. My Lord does not have the time to teach us everything we need to know and I know I do not have all the memories that I once did as Skuld. I mean I remember her, my sisters, the things we did, but there are portions that have disappeared or been buried so deep that it will take more to get to them. Right now, I’ve been training with Hrist, well, teasing her more than anything because I had to learn a great deal about fighting this lifetime. I think it’s the first time I’ve actually been able to best her which quite honestly feels odd to me.”

He was not gloating or anything, he was simply being honest. He did not say that Arthas would have given him a more permanent death or worse if he had failed. “I don’t see how we can entirely tell you what we need when we don’t know ourselves and have not had the time to even try to figure it out. It has been rather on the spot training though we have done well considering.”
 

[A Wandering Esper]

And there went Nath being Nath, which he had expected, but he could barely repress his wince at the mention of a lack of time. Oh, that was very, very true, and something he struggled with. Trying to fit everything in a reasonable timeframe was a challenge.

If he focused on his family, the valkyries took the brunt of it.

If he focused on the valkyries, the dead lingered too long, and turned restless - which had it's own share of complications.

If he focused on the dead, his time with his family pummeled.

It just seemed like no matter how he tried to attack this situation, none of the ways were the right one. Really, there was much more going on behind the calm facade than most of them would ever know, if he had his way. Cosine was really the only one who was privy to these things, and the only one who knew just how much anxiety he felt at the whole situation.

His choices had, when one came down to it, to do everything or to do nothing at all. He would have never been able to do the latter.

"From what I gather.... We help find and guide the dead. We protected souls in between realms and reincarnation." Not that much different from what the Spirit Guide himself was doing, really. "It's... really faint in my mind. I really don't remember much of it."

Gloating or not, Nath would earn himself a smack for that particular comment. "What we require of you right now is, perhaps, what she might remember that we do not." She would tell Alva. "Do not strain yourself too badly on our behalf." She had an advantage over the other valkyries - she had seen nearly the whole process of rebirth with her own eyes. "Consider us your aides in all that you need." She would serve her Lady in any way she could.

Eir would just do her best to contain her amusement as well. This was, as always, typical of both of them.

That would make Aaren frown. "Im not pouting !" Case and point, really.  

[midnight_medea]

A tall order then, how was she supposed to remember things that were not hers to remember, how was this goddess supposed to know when she could barely remember people's names. Alva looked at them all one by one then turned her eyes back to Sanngrigor.
"She remembers you well." She pointed to the tall, pale skinned and haired woman. Who would have thought that a survivor, washed up on the beach would have once been a companion to the gods.

In Sanngrigor's mind most things were a blur. It was as though she could see but not features or details.
"I can see a hall, it is large and filled with people. It was our home I think." She looked to her sisters and brothers. "It was Her home too."

Val could remember it too, the Great Hall of the Underworld, and the fields she wondered if any of them existed now Nergal had been reborn. Probably not. But what could she do whilst she was stuck in the mortal form.
"The restless were taken there, the battle dead, the innocent. From there they could be reborn. The Hall of Feasts held the elite warriors, an army of souls if it was ever needed."

There was a long pause as she gathered more strength just a little more was all she needed.
"I trained you all. Taught you, made the Spirit Guide your commander to aid his work, our work. I can help you again when I am stronger?"

"I can train people, Alva is not bad either, more of a cut-throat than a warrior but competant and has a tactical mind."  

[mistalina13]

"Most memories of it escape me as well, but I will learn again." For most of this lifetime all she had known was loss, grief and fighting; it was Hildir, in the form of Ketan and then Aaren, that opened her heart to other things again. It would be nice to do something positive for once and if it helped their Lord and Lady, so much the better.