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Intro Chapter

"Yalena! Come here please!"
"Yes ma'am!"

A young Valkarie with long blonde hair enters the room, opens her long white wings, folds them behind her, flips her hair so that she could quickly places it in a bun-style, and walks up to the chef, whom is also a Valkarie. She turns towards the springful youth smiling while holding a large knife.

"Ah good. I'm getting the boar meat prepared for our guest. Please go down into the cellar and grab the ale. There are three men out there whom have recently arrived."
"Alright. Which one should I bring to them?"
"Bring the red ale."
"Yes ma'am."

Yalena opens a door near the back of the large kitchen and looks down the long dark cave to see if the candle light is flickering. The light is dim but enough to glide down into the cellar. She opens her wings and jumps down into the cellar for a moment then nearing the bottom of the cellar flaps her wings to avoid cratering. The bottom of the cellar connects to a cave system which is completely dark. Yalena looks around for a torch in the cave, finds one on top of an empty barrel, flies up the cave to a lit candle, lights the torch, then lands back to the ground, gathers candles and lights the way to the ale cellar.

"There should be a hole here somewhere."

Yalena takes the torch and walks close to the wall. A light flashes back at her.

"Ah, that must be where the mirror I placed last time is. If I get lucky I'll be able to find the mirror pieces for the candles.

She walks up to the first hole, places the candle inside and lights it.

"If I remember correctly there are about four more. I've got them set the reflect the light from one to another. So the other one from this location should be on the opposite side of this one...further up. I better hurry, I wouldn't want to anger the guys waiting for the ale.”

Yalena looks ahead for further, spots the next location, quickly places the candle in the hole, lights it and then looks for the next.

“We're going to need to do a cleaning of this location next. The spider webs have returned. I'm just glad the mice are gone.”

Yalena quickly scans the dimly lit dirt path and exhales. She then completes the lighting and enters the ale cellar.

“The chef said to get the red ale. I wonder what is so good about it since it's only a different color then the women in the village drink.”

She looks for a pry bar, opens the barrel, dips her finger into the ale giving it a taste which sends shivers after tasting the ale.

“This ale is a lot stronger than our white ale. I guess that is why we trade this ale for other goods with the local merchants.”
“Lena! What's taking so long?”

Yalena quickly closes the lid on the ale.

“Ah, I'm on the way! I completely forgot how long it would take to get here. Now how am I to carry this large barrel back up there. It has to be at least half a stone.”

She notices the barrel has carrying notches on it, opens her wings, gives a few flaps to hover over the barrel, lowers herself slowly and grabs the handles. Once she secured a good enough grip she attempted to lift the barrel but it refused to move.

“This...is very heavy. How can...anyone left this on their own?”

She begins to flap harder finally getting the barrel to lift off the ground, slowly back into the cave closing the door with her foot slowly losing her strength nearing the cave bottom where she looks up to the door and sighs to herself.

“Alright, its only a few feet to climb. I can lift it.”

She then gives a few powerful flaps and lifts the barrel off the ground struggling to make it halfway up.

“C-Chef! A little help please!”
“Lena?”

The chef peers down the hole and quickly flies down to help Yalena.

“I didn't think you'd try to bring the whole barrel to the kitchen. Just fill a few mugs and serve them dear.”
“We were low in the kitchen so I though it might help of I brought more.”

They enter the kitchen with the barrel of ale and place it near the door giving Yalena time to gather her strength back. Reaching towards the shelf, the chef hands Yalena three mugs and a smaller cup of water for her.

“Thanks chef.”
“You're welcome. Now quickly take the ale out to them and hurry back. The boar meat should be ready when you return.”
“Yes ma'am.”

Yalena pops the top off the barrel, fills the mugs and heads to the guests where she sees three males sitting at a table in the corner of the room. Of the three one was a small framed adventure, whose bow strapped across his back along the quiver, thin face and tall figure. Next to him was a larger framed man, whose sword was lain against his chair, slightly shorter and warlike face. Finally the larger man who towered over the three carried a large battle ax, which he left laying on his back, scarred face and figure of those no man would wish to face.

“That man is...abnormally built! He may have the strength to pick up a horse and toss it off a cliff single handedly!” Yalena thought to herself.

Yalena places the ale in front of the three adventurers avoiding eye contact with the larger male whom glares at her sending chills down her spine making her quickly bow and leave back into the kitchen.

"Alluring young woman wouldn't you say Aeolos?"
"Indeed...shame on what's going to happen to this village in the next few minutes. Maybe we should take that one once we return to our Lord. What do you think Barak?"
"Do what you want, I haven't a care as long as I get what I wanted after this quest is done. Once Iapetus gets here the mission will continue. So I suggest you enjoy this moment now Lander. Aeolos no one leaves or enters once Iapetus enters those doors. Weapons will be drawn and we begin our reign on this village."
"Just as cold as ever Master Barak. Understood, we will be ready."

Yalena enters the kitchen quickly approaching the chef slightly terrified.

“T-those guys look dangerous! We're just helping them replenish their strength so that they can leave right?”
“I believe so, but I heard from the traveler who helped them get here that they have business with the Royals.
“Ah, business with the King and Queen? But they are preparing to visit another village shortly so that they can bless their land.”
“I wouldn't let it worry me so much Lena, you know how you get when your annoyed.”
“Y-yes ma'am.”
“The rations are done, take these to those men calmly and then return here when your done.”
“A-alright.”
“Ah, also refill their ale. The larger one looks like he can drink the barrel himself and still be thirsty.”
“I'll have to make a few trips doing it that way.”
“It'll be okay. As long as they get served they should be fine.”

Yalena returns to the adventurers refills their ale, goes back to the kitchen to get the rations, serves them and then bows.

“Shall I grab you three anything else?”

Lander looks Yalena in the eyes and grabs her hand.

"Why not l leave this village with me and explore the world?"
"I'm flattered by your offer, but I have to pass. My role is to help the youth in this village with my sisters. Maybe once I've cared for the young ones I'll reconsider."

Yalena bows to the group and walks away blushing.

"Ah well, I was so close."
"Can it Lander. Your romance behavior is annoying. Another flirty comment from your mouth and I'm slicing your throat and pulling your voice-box out with your arrows."

Lander grabs his mug and sips the ale. Moments later a scream is heard as a body flies past Lander knocking the rations off the table. The body had deep cuts on it that quickly bled out on the table and floor when it had been tossed.

“That can't be good can it chef?”
“No, that is never a sign of good fortune on our half. I'm afraid we may be under attack as you were fearing my dear.”
“We have to get the people in this tavern to safety!”
“Yalena! You will not go out there! You could be seriously injured trying to be brave! You are a child-care teacher. You don't have the strength as the warriors in our village has.”
“But we have children in this tavern! I can't sit here and watch them be harmed while I stay safe in the kitchen?!
“I know how you feel but we can't attempt to take on four warriors from another village! Our warriors will have to be the ones to help us in our time of need.”

Barak stands up and tosses his chair in the corner of the room as a smile crawls on his face.

"The mission continues. Lander I want the guards taken out. No survivors. Aeolos I want you to gather the people here and put them in the cellar. I'll be going to the royals. And get me a hostage."

Lander and Aeolos stand up and solute. Lander readies his bow are the guards charge the group.

“Steel Arrow Barrage!”

He whips out a few arrows and one by one hits each guard in the chest and nailing them in the walls. Aeolos walks in front of the door leading outside and unsheathes his blade.

"If you wish to continue living I suggest you all enter the cellar."

The Valkaries looked at one and another then enter the kitchen. Yalena picks up a stool and attempts to strike Aeolos who glares at her, before she notices a counter attack his hand vanishes then sheaths his blade. The stool falls into pieces in front of Yalena striking fear into her.

“H-he's really quick.” thought Yalena.

Aeolos grabs Yalena and slings her towards Barak.

"Found a hostage. I thought a child-care hostess was best for our cause."
"The cook would have been fine also, I'm going to do the same to her as I will the princess here."
"Let me go you brute! How dare you attack this peaceful-"

Barak lifts his hand holding Yalena.

"Keep your mouth shut or I'll snap your neck."

Yalena does as told while her heart beats madly in her chest. Barak slings his hand down and points to the door. Iapetus nods and continues outside. Screams drown the air for minutes then suddenly grows silent. Iapetus returns with his gear splattered in blood and bows.

“All are slain Master Barak.”
"Excellent. Lander! You're with me. Aeolos! Keep the cellar locked and once I return I might...just might release them."

Aeolos bows and closes the cellar. He then sits at a table, pulls out a pocket knife and starts carving into the table. Barak walks outside the tavern and inhales the smell of freshly slaughtered people. Yalena lifts her head to see the entire village slaughtered. She bursts into tears looking at all the innocent women and children laying on the ground near each other. The deep gashes of a blade slicing the head off the elderly men, severed body parts of the younger training males and holes in the women and children. Iapetus walks outside along side of Barak and spots a lone woman and child sitting in the corner of the village. He picks up a blade and looks at them pleading to be spared as he lifts his hand in the air and smiling.

“Piercing Blade!”

His hand swings down and the blade vanishes from sight. Seconds later Yalena sees the blade embed itself in the back of the child, the heart of the woman and into a tree. The two bodies fall limp as the sword holds them in place on the tree. Yalena screams out in terror wildly crying.

"Iapetus! Loot the area."

Iapetus bows then leaves.

"Iapetus didn't hold back...no wonder you brought him along on this quest."
“Iapetus is a blood thirsty killer just like everyone else in this group. You're the only outsider Lander.”
“Painful words Barak.”
“North of here should be the royal castle. We march on to complete our mission.”

Barak takes lead creating a path for the group stepping on everything in his path being severed arms, children, partially alive women, in which he steps on crushing their body, and dropped weapons allowing blood to stain his dragon-hide boots as he exits the village onto a dirt road leading to the castle.

“There is our grand meeting. The royal castle, finally we will get what our guild has been missing to gain its power.”

Barak lifts his mighty leg and kicks the door in instantly killing a guard. Upon hearing the scream and the door scraping against the ground a swarm of guards swarm around Barak and Lander in the main room.

“You dare enter the royal home without permission? You-”
“Death's Hack...”

Lander quickly jumps the the ground as Barak unsheathes his mighty ax and with one swift blow hacks everything in circular sweep around him.

“W-what was...-”

The guards bodies begin to fall backwards due to the weight of their armor and their legs giving out on them. Yalena looks at the guards as their innards fall out onto the floor, blood gushing from everywhere, and cries of pain as terror fills her mind making her clench her eyes together as tears stream down her face while she screams in fear. Barak laughs aloud enjoying the grim look on her face.

“So this is a first you've seen death this close?! I should have made you go with Iapetus when he slaughtered the village!”
“Princess, No! Stay in your room!”

The princess, a young Valkarie with brown hair, green eyes and small frame who looks to be around the age of 16-17, runs to Barak, strikes him with a wooden sword. He looks at her giving a grim smile as he grabs the blade and crushes it in his hand.

“M-monster?! How could you-”

Barak balls his hand up, points his pointer at her and flicks her away as she sails down the hallway into a closet of armor which land on her forcing the wind out of her slowly making her faint.

“...Since when were you that strong?!”
“...Meh, that was a weak hit.”

Lander's jaw drops as Barak walks ahead of him climbing the stairs to the royal room. He punches the door open watching it fly off the hinges and creating a window in the room.

“W-who are you?!”
“I am Barak, most powerful berserker alive. You have something I want. There isn't a need to protect it any longer...the villagers said to give it to me with their last dying breath.”
“Y-you monster!”
“Funny, a brat told me that same thing before I got here.”

The king stands up furiously.

“What did you do to my daughter?!”
I told her to get out of the closet when she can move. She might be alive...she might be dead...who cares...now give me what I want.”
“Fiend! The Valkarie army won't be underestimated!”

Barak pulls out his ax and give another mighty swing. The king looks at his midsection and back at Barak falling to the ground coughing then slowly growing quiet as the queen covers her mouth crying at the sight of the king. Barak walks over to the queen stepping on the king spewing his innards on the ground in front of her as he picks up his long gray wings and yanks them off looking her in the face while making Yalena stare at the corpse on the ground attempting to keep from throwing up on the king.

“Now queen...I gave him a few moments to tell me where our package was...but his pride got the best of him...well...now the lower half of him since the top is feeling rather comfortable under my foot. You WILL tell me where the sword is or you too will share the same fate. The choice is yours.”
“I-if your looking for the Blade of Galen then it isn't here.”
“WHERE IS IT THEN?!”
“I-I won't tell you brute! It's not a blade you-”

Barak lifts his hand and smashes the queen into the wall behind her destroying the chair she was sitting in. She slides down the wall and weakly looks at him coughing blood.

“I...won't -cough-...reveal...where the...blade is...hidden to you!”
“So be it.”

Barak tosses Yalena on his shoulder and grabs the queen crushing her body in his hand as she screams out in pain while he grabs her wings and rips them off of her. She quickly become silent as he walks out the castle back town the path of the bloodied villagers forcing her to look at the bodies at the ground slaughtered by his group. Yalena attempts to get away but she is too slow and returns to the hand that held her still. Once he reaches the end of the sky world he forces her to look down to the earth below and tosses her out.

“Make fore she doesn't make it alive to the world below...I want her to fall completely into the pits of hell where I sent her and her villagers.”

Lander looks at Barak startled, sighs, loads an arrow in his bow and launches the arrow towards the already dying queen. She sees the arrow heading towards her but is unable to move. The arrow meets the queen's throat forcing her to plummet to the earth at an alarming speed. Lander lowers the bow and drops to his knees.

“I thought you said that we'd spare the queen and the youth...”
“These pawns mean nothing to me. Fetch the princess.”

Lander stands up looking at Barak furiously. He places the bow on his back and leaves to get the princess.

“Looks like I'll have to rid him of the group soon...he's gone soft thanks to having feelings. Woman!”

Yalena looks towards Barak furious, eyes filled with tears and hate, and snares at him.

“What do you want?! Haven't you killed the entire village in search for the Sword of Galen!?”
“Oh? Not everyone in the village is dead. Remember those in the cellar? I wanted you to hear their cries of death before you see the princess die but I want to see your face before I leave.”

Barak walks up to a child laying on the ground and forces her face to look at the child.

“Ever wondered what the heart of a child looks like?”
“No...please don't!”

Barak lifts his foot and stomps on the child's head as brain matter spews out exposing the neck. Yalena, unable to hold her own, throws up at the sight of the child's brain on the ground and Barak's boot. He then kicks the body near a wall and pushes on the child's chest forcing his innards out of the small opening of his neck after reaching in the child's body and yanking his organs out searching for his heart.

“S-stop it!”

Barak turns around to see the angered princess glaring at him.

“What are you planning to do to her Barak?”
“Too many question can get you killed Lander, Keep quiet or suffer a similar fate. “

Lander steps in front of the princess, attempting to ready his bow and gets knocked in the opposite direction of the end of sky world by Barak's powerful punch. Sailing through houses, Lander attempts to ready his bow again.

“Severing Arrow!”

The bow launches the arrow at a blinding speed and lands in the giant's eye. Barak growls out in pain then grabs a sword off the ground.

“Heh, still got a fight in you Lander eh? Let me show you my true power while you're enjoying the flight through the sky. Sailing Sword Strike!”

Barak throws the sword at Lander which impales him the moment it leaves Barak's hand and rips through him.

“I'm just warming up, now feel my full power! Impaling Sword Strike!

Barak throws another sword at Lander at such an amazing speed it shatters while flying at him becoming metal shards which spreads and tears Lander into pieces. The princess, filled with fear, attempts to run away but is struck with a small rock in the arm causing it to break and sending her falling to the ground screaming in pain. He walks to the princess trying to get back to her feet and delivers a swift kick to her sending her soaring to the entrance of the tavern instantly losing consciousness landing on bodies smothered in blood. With a wicked laugh he picks her up by her wings and tries to yank them out by tossing her in the air and yanking them in the opposite direction as her body's momentum pulls towards the sky. The princess unconsciously screams out in pain as the final yank on her wings tears them out. Barak watches her fall to the ground in slow motion, timing a perfect chance to kick her out the sky world, launches his foot at her back sending her flying out the sky world as of a missile being launched.

“Aww...that looked really painful. Shame I didn't feel a thing brat! Woman! Be sure to tell the next kingdom they're next...where ever you plummet with the princess.”
“What?!”

Barak allows Yalena to fall through his hands and squeezes her wings.

“No! Please don't-”
“Don't leave your wings here? Ok, you can keep them but I wont allow to use them since you cherish them so much!”

Barak traces her wings looking for the main bones which allowed her to glide.

“Please just let me go so I can rescue the princess!”
“Oh? You think she's going to make it after an amazing kick like that? I doubt it but if you want to go save her I'll tell you how you can.”
“How?! Tell me how to save her!”

Barak gives a wicked smile to Yalena striking fear into her as she questions the giant as he breaks the bones in her wings and throws her in the direction of the princess forcing the two to collide in midair.

“By becoming her pillow when she nails the ground.”

Barak laughs aloud and returns to Aeolos who completes a sword from the table he carved earlier.

“Master Barak! You're injured?! I thought there was no archer in this village?!”
“Lander grew weak from the women here and betrayed the group. He sealed his fate when he arrived to this wasted land. No matter. Kill the remainder of the villagers. We have no use for them.”

Aeolos stands up and bows.

"Understood Master Barak."

Aeolos walks towards the door and points his sword.

"Spiked Cave..."

Swords begin to follow down the path of the cave creating a circle piercing everything that was in the cave following down to the ale cellar, which tears the door off the wall and embeds the people in the cellar as if a shark with multiple rows had bitten down on the cellar. Once the swords detected blood on the tip they stretched out to the full extent of the cellar piercing everything in the room meshing together sealing the cellar close.

“New record, not a single scream and a fresh coat of blood streaming down the hall towards the cave.”
“We're done here. Time to leave. Iapetus!”

Iapetus meets the remainder of the group at the tavern entrance and follows the giant back to the air balloon.

“Get the air balloon ready stooge!”
“R-right away sir!”

The peasant lights the fire preparing to launch the large solid black air balloon as the group enters it and leads them back to the ground.

“Princess! Princess! Please wake up!”

The young girl remains silent.

Yalena wraps her arms around her and attempts to spread her wings. Pain surges through her body as she slowly glides down. After a few feet of slow gliding, the bones in her wings shift and become unbalanced. She loses the ability to glide and plummets quickly.

"I can't...glide! Princess forgive me!"

Yalena leans her body forward towards a large river, lays flat, puts her back towards the water as she embraces the princess tightly preparing for a heavy landing.

“Stay strong young princess...”

Yalena hits the water almost releasing the princess, gathers the strength to swim to the surface wildly looking around the lush forest for a floating log, places the princess on the log then pulls herself on the log slowly growing weaker by the second gasping for air.

“T-this is...a beau-tiful forest. Evergreen trees...the smell of...nature surrounds...us princess...”

Yalena's hair drops from the bun-style and lays on her shoulder and back as flowers flow down the stream along side of them. Woodland creatures begin walking out smelling blood from the princess and Yalena curious on what is going on. Deers stop drinking the river water as they watch the log slowly float down stream towards a waterfall. Yalena hears the waterfall and holds the princess on the log, preparing for the fall. The log falls, but surfaces without Yalena and the princess. The woodland creatures continue watching as she surfaces and puts the princess back on the log.

“I...can't....go on...any further...but...maybe...you'll....make it princess...-cough- i-it's been...an..honor...serving you.”

Yalena falls limp on the log as her hair slowly begins changing colors from blonde to silver and her feathers begin falling out leaving trails along the path of the water. The flowers begin to fall apart after touching her feathers. The woodland creatures return to their normal activity and leave the area. The log reaches a small village as young child notices the princess and Yalena laying on the log not moving.

“Someone help! Help! There is someone at the shore!”

Villagers gather at the shore seeing the two Valkaries battle scarred whispering amongst themselves as the village mages approach them and place them on land. Yalena's wings have faded from its snow white appearance to a tarnished black.

“Healer mages gather at the shore and be ready to start healing! We have two women needing attention immediately!

Healers circle Yalena and the princess attempting to save a life. Neither seem to be responding to the healing magic of the healers.

“Why is her feathers dropping out?”
“It would appear that this young one has entered the last phase of her life force. She may not make it young one. Valkaries are a rare species to see in person so no one really knows the way to heal them effectively.”

The elder man looks up into the sky where the Valkarie village was located burning in a blazing fire in the sky.

“And by the looks of things...we may have a big war on our hands soon. Prepare a village meeting of warriors!”

The villagers whom are able to fight look seriously at the elder and prepare for battle.